ã€ŠClaimed by My First Loveâ€™s Brotherã€‹


 Too Close 1

    Chapter 1 Divorce

    ¡°You¡¯re mine now,¡± Reynaldo Humphrey dered as he cuffed me to bed.

    I loved Reynaldo¡¯s younger brother more.But at an alumni reunion, I got drunk, and Reynaldo took advantage of me.

    The scandal exploded¡ªeveryone knew.

    Out of options, my dad let me marry him.

    Reynaldo had a miserable childhood. His dad began neglecting him after he divorced his mom and remarried.

    He had a dark, brooding presence I never liked, but my dad did.

    That was why he approved of this marriage.

    But I was unhappy, for the man I wanted was Reynaldo¡¯s brother.

    Frustrated, I took every opportunity to pick on Reynaldo. I made him sleep on the floor, and we never shared a bed.

    At the dining table, my elder brother Quentin and I mocked him all the time, refusing to let him have a single bite.

    Once, when I was out with friends and it started to rain, Reynaldo brought me an umbre, but I snapped at him anyway.

    I wouldn¡¯t feel at ease unless Ished out at him.

    But Reynaldo was a weirdo. No matter how my family and I bullied him or insulted him, he never got mad, always amicable.

    To be fair, he was good-looking. But back in school days, he was so taciturn, doing poorly on tests and constantly repeating grades. Every time his name was mentioned, the students shook their heads with disappointment.

    In contrast, his brother Winston Humphrey was optimistic and handsome. Coupled with his good grades, he was quite a star at school.

    The thought of how Reynaldo had crushed the budding romance between Winston and me filled me with rage.

    In the middle of the night, I got out of bed and kicked Reynaldo, who was soundly asleep on the floor, and told him I was thirsty.

    He got up briskly to pour water for me.

    It was early autumn, so he thoughtfully got me a ss of warm water.

    However, I recalled the night of the alumni reunion, when he took advantage of me. Anger took the better of me, and I poured the ss of water on his face.

    Even so, he didn¡¯t get angry, just quietly going to the bathroom.

    A tinge of guilt stirred in my heart as I watched his tall, silent figure. But it vanished instantly when I thought of how he ruined my happiness.

    Just like that, he lived with me for three years, enduring my bullying and insults.

    A lot of things happened in the past three years. For example, my family went bankrupt; I developed feelings for him; And ¡­ he told me he wanted a divorce.

    When he handed me the divorce agreement, he said the girl he liked came back.

    I had to admit it saddened me to hear that, like a big hand was squeezing my heart, making it hard for me to breathe.

    But as spoiled as I was, my pride didn¡¯t allow me to show any sign of sadness or dejection. I signed the divorce agreement without hesitation.

    Then, he asked in a lukewarm voice, ¡°Do you want the chauffeur to give you a ride?¡±

    It was a while before I realized what he meant.

    Right. This house, where I¡¯d lived for over 20 years, was no longer mine.

    My family was broke, and all our properties had been sold.

    And Reynaldo¡ªthe man who married me by underhanded means, the man we once scorned as a worthless live-in son-inw¡ªstarted his own business behind our backs. Hispany had been thriving, and he bought our vi.

    However, I couldn¡¯t me him or demand a share of his wealth. He earned it. For years, he swallowed his pride and suffered in silence. He was a self-made man. He didn¡¯t spend a cent of our money.

    Reynaldo just looked at me quietly, not pressing me for an answer.

    His gentleness reminded me of how horrible I was to him, making me blush with shame.

    The tables had been turned. I was weak now, and he was in power. It was understandable if he got back at me for the humiliation he suffered.

    But he didn¡¯t. He was as tender as ever.

    I quickly replied, ¡°No. I¡¯ll go back on my own.¡±

    I ran out in a panic.

    His calm voice came from behind me, ¡°Did youe here for something tonight?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing.¡± I darted out of the yard without looking back.

    It was raining outside. I squeezed the gift in my hand.

    Today was our third wedding anniversary.

    I had been a horrible wife. But now that I knew I had feelings for him, I wanted to celebrate our anniversary with him for once.

    To my dismay, he gave me the divorce agreement instead.

    I smiled bitterly, letting the rain pour on me until I was soaking wet.

    The next day, Iy in bed, sick and feverish.

    Amotion came from outside.

    I stumbled out, only to find my dad sitting on a wall with peeling paint, threatening to jump.

    We lived in a run-down residential building now. It was a messy, sketchy neighborhood, but the rent was affordable.

    My mom was crying her eyes out. She said if he jumped, she¡¯d jump, too.

    My head throbbing, Iforted my dad that being broke was no big deal. As long as we were alive, there was hope.

    My dad suddenly fixed his gaze on me, the intense look in his eyes making my heart skip a beat.

    Then he said, ¡°Ask Reynaldo to help me, will you? He¡¯s your husband. He¡¯ll surely help us out.¡±

    My mom echoed, ¡°Yes. We were mean to him, but he¡¯ll help us for your sake. Go beg him.¡±

    I smiled bitterly. They didn¡¯t know Reynaldo had dumped me already.

    I said no, but my dad threatened to kill himself.

    I had no choice but topromise.

    For that purpose, my mom bought me a deep V-neck dress and a pair of sexy stilettos with the meager money she still had.

    She even hired a makeup artist for me so I could have nice makeup and a pretty hairdo.

    Looking at myself in the mirror, I sneered.

    I didn¡¯t look like someone going to beg Reynaldo for help. It was more like I was gonna seduce him.

    However, even if I stripped myself naked in front of him right now, he wouldn¡¯t be interested.

    One thing still haunted me: why had he slept with me that night? Was he drunk, too? Did he mistake me for the girl he liked?

    I expelled the upsetting thought from my mind. To shut my parents up, I decided to go and ask Reynaldo for help anyway.

    I asked around and learned he was in his office, so I went there in that outfit.

    My parents waited outside the office building for my ¡°good news.¡±

    Their expectant looks broke my heart, and I didn¡¯t know what to say to them.

    The staff gave me strange looks when I reached the floor his office was on. Harshments and mockery came to my ears.

    I pretended not to hear them. Straightening my shoulders, I entered Reynaldo¡¯s office.

    But the moment I saw him, I crumbled.

    Seated in the chair, Reynaldo was smiling at me with a distinguished air¡­

 Too Close 2

    Chapter 2 Bargaining

    My fingers interlocking, I voiced my purpose, embarrassed.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes darkened. He asked with a smile, ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll help you?¡±

    I knew this would happen. So, I smiled awkwardly, ¡°Well, forget it, then.¡±

    His response didn¡¯t surprise me at all. My family and I used to pick on him all the time. We were lucky that he didn¡¯t take revenge. How could we expect him to help us out?

    It was stupid of me toe and ask him for a favor.

    I was so ashamed.

    I meant to run. Just then, he said, ¡°Tell me. What are you gonna trade for my help? If it¡¯s worth it, I may consider it.¡±

    I stopped to think about it. What could I trade for his favor?

    My body?

    Huh. We were married for three years. We lived in the same room every night. If he wanted me, he had tons of opportunities to have me.

    But he never touched me in the past three years.

    With my head bowed, I said with embarrassment, ¡°Pretend you didn¡¯t see me today.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly walked over and stood before me. He was a head taller than me.

    He slightly bent over and whispered with a chuckle, ¡°Dressed like this, why bother to pretend to be restrained?¡±

    My blood seemed to curdle all of a sudden. This was too humiliating. I wished to run out at once.

    Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around my waist and smiled meaningfully, ¡°We were married for three years, and I slept on the floor every night. I haven¡¯t touched your body for a long time. Why don¡¯t you¡­trade yourself for my help?¡±

    I gaped. Did I mishear? ¡°Wh-What did you say?¡± I asked.

    He stared at me. There seemed to be a vast sea in his eyes, sending my heart racing inexplicably.

    Silently, he looked down and gently pulled off the strap of my sundress with his slender finger.

    I blushed and shoved him at once.

    I snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t help us if you don¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t expect you to lend us a hand in the first ce. You can¡¯t humiliate me like this.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me. The expression on his face was unfathomable to me. He appeared upset, but there also seemed to be a half smile.

    He asked, ¡°You think I¡¯m humiliating you?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±

    He adored someone else, but he was being handsy with me. If it weren¡¯t humiliation, what was it?

    Reynaldo sat back in the chair. When he raised his head again, the look in his eyes turned cold.

    He said, ¡°Your outfit tells me you¡¯re sincere, but your attitude tells me otherwise. In this case, you should go.¡±

    This was what I had anticipated. So, I left without another word.

    My parents came to me as soon as I walked out of the office building.

    My dad asked anxiously, ¡°How did it go? Will he help us?¡±

    I shook my head.

    My dad yelled instantly, ¡°Ingrate! He belittles us just because he¡¯s rich now. If I had known this, I wouldn¡¯t have let you marry him! How irritating!¡±

    My mom was also mad. ¡°I¡¯ll say. He pretended to be polite and submissive. Who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯s so ungrateful?¡±

    I sighed, ¡°That¡¯s unfair. He didn¡¯t use our connections or our money. How is he ungrateful?

    ¡°It¡¯s understandable that he doesn¡¯t wanna help us. We were never nice to him.¡±

    My parents pressed their lips and fell silent with a troubled face.

    My headache worsened when I saw them like that.

    In the evening, Quentin called his buddies, hoping they could lend a helping hand.

    They came one quicker than the other when he asked them out for drinks before. Now, however, none of them would take his call.

    Quentin smashed his phone out of rage, saying the so-called friends of his were unreliable.

    Under the quilt, Iforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Quentin. Nowadays, people are selfish.¡±

    My mom cried nonstop aside.

    In this situation, it was impossible for our family to make aeback. We were up to our necks in debt.

    Creditors came to collect debt every day. We could hardly lead a normal life.

    My dad said, ¡°Ralda, go seek Reynaldo¡¯s help again. He¡¯s rich now. I guess he won¡¯t mind lending you some money.¡±

    My mom put in, ¡°Yes. Even if you two get divorced, you¡¯re entitled to his money, right?¡±

    I curled up in bed. I didn¡¯t tell them Reynaldo and I were divorced and that he didn¡¯t give me a cent. Otherwise, they¡¯d blow a fuse and curse Reynaldo nonstop.

    Quentin objected, ¡°Forget it. Ralda can¡¯t go. It¡¯s humiliating. We were horrible to Reynaldo. Now, you sent Ralda to ask for his help. It¡¯s equivalent to asking for humiliation.¡±

    Something urred to my mom. She asked me, ¡°Did Reynaldo insult you when you approached him in the daytime?¡±

    I shook my head hurriedly. ¡°N-No.¡±

    My mom said to herself, ¡°It makes sense. Reynaldo was honest, and he listened to you. Although we¡¯re poor now, his feelings for you remain the same. He adores you. Why would he humiliate you?¡±

    Surprised, I smiled and said nothing.

    My dad sighed. Looking at the open balcony, once again, he said he wanted to die.

    My mom cried every time he said that.

    It gave me a throbbing in the head.

    Money was our priority currently. We would try to pay off our debt little by little.

    I got better several dayster and went out for job hunting immediately.

    Ordinary jobs were low-paying. It would take forever to save up enough to pay off our debt. But I knew wine promoters in fancy clubs were handsomely paid.

    When I consumed alcohol with my friends in a club, if I was in a good mood, I¡¯d give the wine promoters a generous tip.

    So, I went to the club I frequented before.

    The manager knew me. For old times¡¯ sake, he hired me on the spot as a win promoter of the big shots¡¯ private room.

    The big shots always gave wine promoters a tip.

    Against my expectations, I ran into Reynaldo here.

    He had never been to such ces before. It was so, at least when we were married.

    He used to hate it even when I visited a club. Every time my friends and I went out for drinks, he¡¯d stop me, saying clubs made people degenerate.

    Certainly, every time he did that, I¡¯d insult him and ask him to get out of my way.

    Come to think of it, Reynaldo had been a good husband.

    At this moment, seated in the seat of honor, he had a cigarette between his fingers. With a half-smile, he looked wicked and seductive.

    I couldn¡¯t help thinking the warm, meek Reynaldo was just a pretense.

    He stared at me quietly. His arrogance made me feel embarrassed.

    I wouldn¡¯t havee if I had known he was here.

    If only the floor cracked and swallowed me right there and then. Out of the blue, some people in the room whistled frivolously.

    I turned my head and found that the men with Reynaldo used to work for Quentin and me.

    Damn. They sucked up to Reynaldo now.

    They knew I mistreated Reynaldo before. Now, to please him, they¡¯d humiliate me mercilessly.

    I¡¯d better go.

    Pushing the cart, I meant to leave with feignedposure. Just then, a man spoke.

 Too Close 3

    Chapter 3 Price for One Night

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this Ms. Duffy, Mr. Humphrey¡¯s wife? What? You came for drinks? Eh? If it¡¯s drinks that you want, why are you in a uniform?¡±

    The othersughed out loud when the man finished speaking.

    I tightened my grip on the handles of the cart and took a deep breath.

    Never mind. They¡¯d seen me, anyway. And they meant to humiliate me. I couldn¡¯t get away. I might as well bite the bullet and try to sell alcohol to them. Perhaps I could get a tip in the end.

    The creditors were pressing us harder and harder. My dad was always saying he wanted to die. My mom cried every day. To make a living, Quentin had be a deliveryman. How could I care about the insignificant self-esteem and pride at this point?

    I walked to them with the cart, maintaining a stiff yet courteous smile.

    ¡°Small world. Since you¡¯re here, why not buy something from me? If you like it, a tip would be good.¡±

    Zane smacked his tongue and shook his head,ughing.

    This guy used to tter Quentin and me whenever he had a chance. As a man, he had a honeyed tongue. Just because my family was broke, he thought he could strut before me now. If only I could whack his face!

    But now wasn¡¯t the time for being willful. The tip was important to me.

    With a smiling face, I said nothing more.

    Suddenly, Zane bent over, leaned in, and gloated, ¡°Well, well, is this still the haughty Ms. Duffy I know? It¡¯s only been a while since thest time I saw you. How did you end up like this? How sad¡­¡±

    Everyone hooted again.

    Reese leered at me. ¡°You want us to buy something from you? Buy what? In a ce like this, don¡¯t tell me you were referring to your body. Haha. If you were, you¡¯ll have to strip yourself first so we can examine the product. If it¡¯s bad, we can¡¯t pay. Hahaha.¡±

    Grabbing a bottle of wine, I turned to Reynaldo.

    He was smoking silently, as if not hearing hispanions¡¯ obscene remarks. Or rather, he just didn¡¯t care.

    I looked down and put the bottles of wine on the counter. Then, I smiled, ¡°Guys, you misunderstood. I was referring to the wine. We were acquaintances, after all. For old times¡¯ sake, if you want wine, please buy it from me. Then, I can get themission.¡±

    ¡°Why, you¡¯re so strapped for cash now?¡± Zane mmed a card onto the table. As if talking about charity, he said to me, ¡°There¡¯s 5,000 dors in this card. Get down. Bark like a dog. Then, the money is yours. What do you say?¡±

    His words invoked another fit ofughter. There went the mocking whistles again.

    The onlookers all stared at me, intrigued.

    Even Reynaldo looked at me. His face was calm, but the look in his eyes was too deep to explore.

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t move, Reese also flung a card onto the table. ¡°Here. Take this 15,000 dors, too. Bark like a dog, and spend the night with us. Then, you can take both bank cards.¡±

    I looked at Reese, petrified.

    My family might be poor now. But I was still Reynaldo¡¯s wife. How dare Reese say that in Reynaldo¡¯s presence?

    Unless Reynaldo told them about our divorce and said he hated me. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to humiliate me like this in his presence.

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you want money? If you can¡¯t forsake your self-esteem, how can you make money?¡± Reese scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re offering a high price. On the street, you have to solicit many times to make so much.¡±

    Yes. I needed money desperately. What was the point of holding onto impractical self-esteem?

    But still, there was a bottom line.

    Reese¡¯s evil, frivolous smile nauseated me.

    I took the card, threw it at him, and raised my voice. ¡°You think 15,000 dors is enough to spend one night with me? Try 1.5 million dors!¡±

    I knew Reese. Coming from an ordinary family, he idled around every day and liked to pretend to be generous. In fact, he was petty. When he lived off Quentin and me, he was even too miserly to buy a purse for his girlfriend.

    Even making him pay 1,500 dors would be equivalent to killing him.

    To humiliate me, he was willing to spend 15,000 dors. That proved how much he loathed me.

    ¡°Was I so unlikable?¡± I couldn¡¯t help wondering inwardly.

    ¡°Hahaha. Reese, you¡¯re too stingy. She¡¯s the daughter of the formerly powerful Duffy family, after all. How can you only offer 15,000 dors for one night with her?¡± someone ridiculed.

    Reese¡¯s face turned flushed. He red at me andmented disdainfully, ¡°I¡¯m already offering too high a price.¡±

    I ignored him. Instead, I picked up Zane¡¯s card and asked, ¡°You mean it? If I bark like a dog, the money is mine?¡±

    Zane was surprised I¡¯d take it seriously.

    He was as cheap as Reese.

    Most likely, the 5,000 dors was all he had.

    He said awkwardly, ¡°You¡¯re always arrogant and conceited. How can you possibly bark like a dog in front of us? You¡¯re kidding me.¡±

    He tried to take the card back.

    I moved it away and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. It¡¯s just barking. How hard can it be? A few barks and 5,000 dors is mine. It¡¯s easy money. Why would I refuse?¡±

    Zane looked rueful. He stared at the card, wishing to snatch it away from me anytime.

    Reese smirked, ¡°Then, bark. Let us see how the formerly powerful Ms. Duffy waggles her tail like a dog.¡±

    I put my pride aside. All I could think of was the hideous faces of the creditors, my devastated parents¡¯ tears, and how hard Quentin worked.

    I took a deep breath and said, ¡°Alright.¡±

    Before I dropped to my knees, a big hand elevated my elbow.

    I turned my head in confusion. When I saw Reynaldo¡¯s intense eyes, my heart pounded.

    ¡°You all go,¡± he said coolly to those men.

    Too afraid to upset him, everybody moved toward the door.

    When Zane left, he didn¡¯t forget to take the card from me. It was funny.

    Reynaldo fixed his eyes on me. ¡°You want money so much?¡±

    I withdrew my elbow from his hand and moved away from him. ¡°Mr. Humphrey, question asked, and question answered.¡±

    After the copse, my family was deep in debt. Everybody in Freybourne knew it. Of course, he knew it, too.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey?¡± Reynaldo repeated with a chuckle.

    I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. Nor was I in the mood to chat with him.

    Pointing to the bottles of wine on the counter, I said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, this is the wine you and yourpanions ordered. I delivered it. If you¡¯re satisfied with my service, a tip would be fine.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me silently. I couldn¡¯t figure him out.

    When I mentioned the tip, I wasn¡¯t hoping to get one from him.

    Smiling, I turned to leave. Suddenly, Reynaldo said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you 1.5 million dors.¡±

    I stopped in my tracks and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    He walked up to me and looked me in the eye. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 1.5 million dors. Spend the night with me.¡±

 Too Close 4

    Chapter 4 Be His Lover

    The corner of my lip twitched. I really wanted to ask him if there was anything wrong with his mind.

    But he was rich now, not the pushover guy he used to be.

    I refrained from cursing him and forced a smile, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, stop kidding me. I have work to do. Gotta go.¡±

    ¡°Why are you OK with Reese, not me?¡± Reynaldo suddenly asked, his voice with a cold air.

    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Just now, you asked Reese to give you 1.5 million dors and you¡¯d spend one night with him. Then why do you refuse my offer?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help rolling my eyes.

    I knew 15 thousand dors was already a lot for Reese. He could never give away 1.5 million dors for one night with me. So, I deliberately asked for 1.5 million to irritate him. However, Reynaldo just took it for real.

    He walked to me and sucked on his cigarette. Blowing a smoke ring, he said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you short of money now? As long as you spend a night with me, you¡¯ll have 1.5 million dors. How about that?¡±

    I clenched my fists.

    In fact, I was aware of why he was doing this. He merely wanted to humiliate me.

    I tried my best to hold back my emotions and sneered at him, ¡°Just because you¡¯re rich doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re superior to me. Yes, I need money now, but I won¡¯t earn money in this way.¡±

    Then, I stormed out of the room, tears blurring my vision.

    Human emotions were really strange.

    I didn¡¯t feel sad no matter how my one-timeckeys humiliated me.

    But Reynaldo¡¯s humiliation was different. It could easily cause a sharp pain in my heart.

    I ran to the lobby on the ground floor only to see Quentin being insulted by Zane, Reese, and the others.

    Quentin was kneeling in front of them for money.

    For the moment, my dignity and pride copsed.

    I covered my mouth and tears streamed down my cheeks.

    To raise money, Quentin could actually go this far. And Reynaldo agreed to give me 1.5 million dors as long as I spent one night with him. Why would I reject it?

    I turned around and ran upstairs, hoping that Reynaldo hadn¡¯t left.

    After rushing into the private room, I saw Reynaldo sitting on the sofa.

    He was smiling at me as if he knew I¡¯de back.

    I walked to him and asked, ¡°Do you resent me for humiliating you before?¡±

    Before Reynaldo could reply, I added, ¡°Fine, as long as you help pay off my family¡¯s debts, you can do anything with me.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his eyes to look at the wine and asked with a smile, ¡°Then, what about being my secret lover?¡±

    I took a deep breath. ¡°Yes.¡±

    He divorced me so that he could remarry his crush, yet still demanded I stay as his secret lover.

    What a direct humiliation!

    The next day, my father came home and told me and my mother excitedly that our debts had been paid off.

    My mother rejoiced with tears and asked my father what happened.

    My father said it was Reynaldo who paid off our debts and also bought us a fancy house.

    Hearing that, my mother praised Reynaldo dearly, saying that he must love me so much that he had done this big favor for us.

    I just smiled at them.

    In the afternoon, Reynaldo¡¯s driver came to pick me up.

    My parents thought I was still Reynaldo¡¯s wife and that he took me to his ce for a good life. But the truth was that I¡¯d be his lover for his humiliation and fun.

    Reynaldo was now living in the vi owned by my family before. The housekeeper and servants weren¡¯t changed.

    Previously, they also followed me to humiliate Reynaldo.

    Now they were still working here. Evidently, Reynaldo was quite lenient.

    I wondered if he¡¯d be lenient to me as well.

    But as I thought of how he humiliated me in the private room, I felt a bit dejected.

    I was different from those servants. They only insulted Reynaldo verbally.

    And I not only scolded him but also beat him and sshed wine on his face in front of many people.

    A prickling sensation crept across my scalp as I recalled what I¡¯d done.

    ¡°Well, I should have been nicer to him,¡± I thought.

    Madisyn, one of the maids, led me to a room. ¡°Ms. Duffy, Mr. Humphrey asked you to wait for him in there. And¡­¡±

    She seemed a bit hesitant. ¡°He also said you must clean yourself before he came back.¡±

    I bite my lower lip bitterly.

    Just as expected, he wanted to humiliate me.

    But what could I do?

    Since I agreed to be his lover, I should cast aside my dignity.

    This room was where Reynaldo and I stayed.

    Everything was the same as before but a bit different.

    There used to be a shakedown by the bed. That was where Reynaldo slept while I slept on the bed. I always warned him condescendingly to stay away from the bed.

    Now, the shakedown was gone. So was my pride.

    The honest, meek husband who I could bully as I pleased¡­was also gone.

    What was gone was gone. I held back my emotions and took a shower.

    Then, Iy in bed, waiting for Reynaldo.

    Since I was his lover, I¡¯d do my job well.

    My family had gone bankrupt, but on second thought, things weren¡¯t that bad.

    At least my family¡¯s debts were all paid off. My parents could finally live in peace. Quentin didn¡¯t have to struggle for a living. Nor did he have to grovel for money.

    Thinking of that, I felt somewhatforted.

    I wondered when Reynaldo woulde back.

    These days had been quite tiring. I fell asleep shortly after Iy in bed.

    Somehow, I felt a weight on my body.

    I opened my eyes only to see Reynaldo on me.

    And his hand was in my clothes!

    ¡°How¡­ How dare you!¡±

    I raised my arm to hit him instinctively.

    But the next second, my arm was seized by him.

    He sneered, ¡°You¡¯re already down and out. But your temper has never changed.¡±

    Looking at the familiar room and familiar man, I got into a trance for a few seconds beforeing back to myself.

    ¡°Right, he¡¯s the owner of the vi now. And I¡¯m just his lover.¡±

    I withdrew my hand and said servilely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    With a snort, he rose and went to the bathroom.

    Hearing the sound of water in the bathroom, I twisted my fingers together nervously.

    Actually, I didn¡¯t resist his touch after I grew fond of him.

    But the sex with mutual affection was still different from a retaliatory, humiliating one.

    When I thought of what would happen, I wanted to run away but I couldn¡¯t.

    A whileter, he finally finished his shower.

    The sound of the door opening rubbed on my nerves.

 Too Close 5

    Chapter 5 Too Big the Contrast

    I looked over there nervously only to see him walk out of the bathroom in his towel.

    He had a perfect body shape.

    His skin, not porcin pale nor deeply dark, was tanned with a healthy glow.

    I used to forbid him from exposing his body to me. Previously, when we did it, I was semi-conscious. So, I didn¡¯t know his body turned out to be so hot.

    Having realized that I was abstractedly watching his body, I looked away with embarrassment.

    He quickly walked to me with some heat.

    I cowered nervously and asked him in a faltering voice, ¡°When¡­ When did youe back? Are you hungry? How about¡­ I make you some food?¡±

    ¡°Food?¡± Reynaldo sneered. ¡°What can you possibly cook?¡±

    I was struck dumbfounded.

    In his eyes, I was probably a good-for-nothing richdy.

    And that was true indeed. I could do nothing but dance.

    Reynaldo suddenly approached me and whispered to my ears, ¡°Actually, apart from cooking, you can do other things to make me happy.¡±

    His eyes darkened with obvious lust.

    I knew as his lover, I should try every means to please him now.

    But my hands and legs just went numb.

    It was just the contrast was too significant. I wasn¡¯t used to my new position yet.

    While I was shilly-shallying, he suddenly put his lips on mine.

    His kiss was fierce and domineering.

    Startled, I subconsciously thumped his shoulders to show my resistance.

    He let me go and tittered with a frown, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t resist me if I were Winston, right?¡±

    Winston was his brother.

    But what did it have to do Winston?

    I used to have feelings for Winston, but since I married Reynaldo, I had severed associations with Winston.

    I hadn¡¯t seen Winston for three years.

    I wouldn¡¯t even think of him if Reynaldo didn¡¯t mention him.

    ¡°My brother ising back home. You must miss him a lot, right?¡± Reynaldo stared at me with a hint of coldness in his dark eyes.

    I licked my lips and meant to tell him not to think wildly.

    Suddenly, heughed with self-mockery. ¡°I can¡¯tpare with Winston in your eyes. Even though I¡¯ve been richer and more powerful, you still don¡¯t like me, do you?¡±

    I felt Reynaldo was somewhat self-abased.

    ¡°He¡¯s a nice man indeed, but you¡­¡± I hurriedly said.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Reynaldo snapped with a cold face.

    I was gonna say he was better.

    He was obviously angry. I pursed my lips, not daring to say anything further.

    Reynaldo leaned against the window and lit up a cigarette, staring at me with a snort.

    He blew a cigarette ring and said indifferently, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re still quite proud. Not quite lover material.¡±

    I was worried that he¡¯d take back the money he had paid for my family, so I hastened to say, ¡°No. I¡­ I¡¯m just a little out of it.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled ironically.

    I bit my lips and walked to him.

    Since I¡¯d made my choice, I shouldn¡¯t be coy then.

    I stopped in front of him, put my arms around his shoulders, and kissed his lips and neck.

    His eyes became dark instantly.

    I caressed his chest and tried to seduce him, imitating the pretty women in the bar.

    But I didn¡¯t know what to do next. I just stroked his chest randomly.

    With a chuckle, he grabbed my wrist and said in a husky voice, ¡°You don¡¯t know how to do this?¡±

    I lowered my eyes and didn¡¯t dare to look at him.

    He stubbed out the cigarette, held me in his arms, and kissed me madly.

    In a daze, my clothes were taken off and my body was ced on the soft bed.

    My brows furrowed in confusion.

    ¡°Howe? Didn¡¯t I already sleep with him before? Why¡­¡±

    I was drowned by his passion before I could think further.

    It was the next noon when I woke up.

    The sound of water came from the bathroom.

    I got up aching all over and found in shock a smear of blood on the bed.

    ¡°Eh? How can this be? I thought I had given my virginity to him. Why is there still blood?¡± I wondered.

    Thinking of the possibility, I frowned.

    Reynaldo happened to get out of the bathroom.

    I bit my lip with embarrassment and asked, ¡°Did we sleep together that night?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Reynaldo answered.

    I choked in astonishment.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you exin to the journalists?¡±

    He nced at me and said casually, ¡°You and I were hugging each other naked. Do you think I could possibly exin that?¡±

    ¡°But you could have exined it to my family. If you didn¡¯t sleep with me, my family wouldn¡¯t have forced you to marry into my family. And you didn¡¯t have to¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Did you regret it?¡± Reynaldo suddenly got close to me and his eyes had a chilly glint.

    I licked my lips and thought, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you feel mad? You were forced to marry into my family and suffered all those humiliations. And you were made to separate from your love!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly passed the towel to me.

    I was stunned and then heard him say, ¡°Wipe my hair for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I hastened to take the towel and supported myself against my knee, rubbing his hair with the towel.

    I couldn¡¯t help thinking of the past.

    Previously, every time I washed my hair, I couldn¡¯t bother to use the dryer. I justy in bed, wrapping my head with the towel.

    And he¡¯d insist on wiping my hair and blowing it with the hairdryer, saying that I might have a headache if I slept with wet hair.

    At that time, I hated and insulted him, but he still treated me with patience as if he didn¡¯t hear that.

    Thinking of his former meekness, his current coldness and fierceness formed a big contrast.

    I truly found him terribly scary.

    He was such a scheming man that he had endured the humiliation even though he hated me.

    Reynaldo put on his outfit. While tying the cufflink, he said to me, ¡°Don¡¯t run about. Stay here and wait for me.¡±

    I sat on my knees and nodded at him meekly.

    The first rule for a qualified lover was to follow the master¡¯s orders.

    Reynaldo suddenly shot a nce at the bloodstain on the bed.

    I blushed and covered it with the bedsheet.

    Reynaldo curled his lips as if smiling.

    I recalled the past three years. It seemed that he had never smiled at me. He was always poker-faced, just like a machine.

    Now as it appeared, he had concealed his thoughts so well.

    I nned to get more sleep after Reynaldo left the vi.

    After all, he went really hard in bedst night. My legs were still weak by now.

    But my phone rang as soon as Iy in bed.

    When I saw the caller¡¯s name, I hastened to get up from the bed¡­

 Too Close 6

    Chapter 6 Unrequited Love

    It was Lavonne Av, my bestie.

    The second I answered, her excited voice came through. ¡°Ralda! I¡¯m back!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    These days, I had been down. But the news that she was back in the country brightened my mood instantly.

    Ever since Lavonne went abroad three years ago, I had no one to talk to or to go shopping with. I missed her so much.

    She said, ¡°I¡¯ve justnded. I¡¯ll go back to freshen up for now. See you tonight!¡±

    ¡°OK!¡± I beamed.

    After I hung up, I suddenly realized something.

    My freedom had been limited; if I wanted to go out at night, I¡¯d have to have Reynaldo¡¯s permission.

    Given how difficult he was now, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d agree.

    I was so irritated.

    Forget it. I might as well wait till tonight.

    I went to sleep, and it was already past 6:00 p.m. when I woke up.

    Madisyn told me Reynaldo didn¡¯te back.

    Meanwhile, Lavonne had already texted me the address of the pub, saying she was waiting for me there.

    I wanted to go out, but then Reynaldo¡¯s warning before he left echoed in my ears.

    I literally couldn¡¯t afford to upset my sugar daddy.

    After pondering for a while, I decided to ask him when he¡¯d be back.

    Taking out my phone, I searched for a long time before finally finding our chat interface on WhatsApp.

    Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t recall taking the initiative to text him¡ªnot even once.

    We had never chatted on WhatsApp, and there was only a system notification saying his friend request had been epted on our chat interface.

    I wondered if he was still using this ount.

    Thinking about it, I sent him a cute emoji.

    To my surprise, he replied to me almost instantly. But all he texted was a question mark.

    What did the question mark mean? Besides, was it really Reynaldo who texted me back? I meant ¡­ how did he manage to reply so soon?

    I texted him back, ¡°Reynaldo?¡±

    Reynaldo replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Gee!

    It was him indeed. Maybe being a CEO wasn¡¯t as busy as I had imagined.

    I typed, ¡°Can I go clubbing with my bestie tonight?¡±

    As I was about to send it, I stopped.

    Reynaldo had always hated it when I came to ces such as pubs and clubs. In the past, he had no say, so he¡¯d follow me to those ces and then wait outside stubbornly.

    Things had changed.

    If I told him about my n now, he¡¯d probably kick me out.

    Pondering, I texted, ¡°When are youing back?¡±

    I even sent him another cute emoji.

    He replied, ¡°What is it? You weren¡¯t satisfiedst night and want some more?¡±

    His answer made me cough violently.

    I used to think he was meek and obedient, but now I realized he was actually cold and restrained. And when it came to texting, he actually sent me those flirtatious words so easily?

    My face flushed uncontrobly as his fierce, greedy demeanor came flooding back to me.

    I cursed under my breath, ¡°A wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing indeed!¡±

    He called me suddenly when I was at a loss about how to reply to him.

    My heart skipped a beat as I answered hurriedly.

    Meanwhile, I realized something.

    During our three years of marriage, we had never called each other.

    It was hard to believe we were a married couple.

    ¡°Why did you ask me when I would be back tonight? What¡¯s up?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice was t and serious.

    It almost made me wonder if he was indeed the person who had texted me.

    Clearing my throat, I smiled fawningly, ¡°Nothing big. I wanted to know because I was thinking about fixing something for you tonight.¡±

    Though I said so, every cell in my body was praying he didn¡¯te back tonight.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    As I was waiting for his response, I suddenly heard a woman¡¯s voice.

    I was stunned.

    Was that his unrequited love?

    He was with his unrequited love?

    He said, ¡°No need. I¡¯ve eaten already. And don¡¯t wait up tonight.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ OK¡­¡±

    I subconsciously nodded while hearing the busy tone.

    He had already hung up.

    Since he was with his beloved, presumably, he wouldn¡¯te back tonight.

    I was supposed to be happy, but I wasn¡¯t. Instead, I felt so upset.

    Shaking my head, I got rid of those ridiculous thoughts, changed into a sexy long dress, and went out.

    Reynaldo had his beloved, whereas I was merely his lover.

    One day, he¡¯d get sick of me or find retaliating against me no more fun, and he¡¯d dump me.

    So, I shouldn¡¯t get any ideas.

    After reminding myself of my ce, I felt much better.

    It wasn¡¯t even 8:00 p.m., and the bar wasn¡¯t at its liveliest yet.

    Upon entering, I saw Lavonne waving at me happily.

    She hadn¡¯t changed, though it had been three years; she still had shoulder-length short hair, striking features, and alwaysughed heartily.

    She always said she wasn¡¯t the type who caught men¡¯s attention.

    On the contrary, I looked so delicate and charming;bined with my curves, I was men¡¯s muse.

    She had always firmly believed I was good enough to marry the best man in the world.

    And of course, she was furious when I married Reynaldo, saying I could have married someone much better than him.

    But now, Reynaldo had be the untouchable rising star in the business world, whereas I was his lover.

    How things changed.

    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotions.

    ¡°Ralda, I heard about what had happened to your family as soon as I came back.¡±

    I came over, and Lavonne pulled me closer, saying worriedly, ¡°Are you OK? If you need my help, just let me know.¡±

    I smiled at her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything has been taken care of.¡±

    But she insisted on stuffing me a card, saying there were 300 thousand dors in it at my allocation.

    I didn¡¯t ept it.

    I knew her family was rich, but she had a vicious stepmother, and life at home hadn¡¯t been easy for her, so I couldn¡¯t take her money.

    She didn¡¯t insist further, fuming, ¡°I heard Reynaldo divorced you. Is it true?¡±

    I was stunned.

    It seemed Reynaldo had already spread the news about our divorce.

    Nodding, I smiled nonchntly, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    She was seething with rage. ¡°What a bastard! How could he divorce you right after he got rich?¡±

    ¡°Or what?¡± Amused, I patted her back gently to calm her down. ¡°I was so mean to him. I should be d all he did was divorce me instead of getting back at me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t tell her Reynaldo wanted me to be his lover, or she¡¯d be burning with rage.

    She sighed, ¡°Forget it. I never liked him anyway. Maybe the divorce is a good thing.¡±

    Speaking, she blinked and grinned, ¡°Hey, do you still have feelings for Winston?¡±

    Before I could say anything, she continued excitedly, ¡°I bumped into him when I got off the ne today. I invited him, and he should be here in any second now.¡±

    I was stunned.

    She invited Winston here?

 Too Close 7

    Chapter 7 Check on Me

    Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang out behind me.

    It had been ages since Ist heard his voice.

    My heart trembled slightly as memories came flooding back to me.

    That teenager, in a white shirt, drove me on his bicycle to school.

    That teenager walked me through those annoying math problems with draft paper in hand.

    That teenager cupped the frozen yogurt I wanted till it became warm before giving it to me because I was on my period.

    When I was about to marry Reynaldo, he asked me with red eyes, ¡°Can you not marry him?¡±

    The bittersweet past gradually drifted away like wisps of smoke before I realized it.

    I calmed downpletely.

    As I turned around, Winston came into view.

    I must admit¡ªthe Humphrey family did have superb genes. Both Reynaldo and Winston were strikingly handsome.

    Reynaldo was the cold, aloof one, whereas Winston was the gentle, refined one.

    After three years, Winston seemed even moreposed. His eyes behind his gold-rimmed sses were so gentle that they could melt anyone¡¯s heart.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    He walked over, smiling at me.

    I looked at him calmly and smiled, too, ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Back then, we had never run out of topics to chat.

    Yet, now, as our eyes met, I actually was at a loss about what to say to him.

    The atmosphere between us grew awkward gradually.

    I guessed it was true¡ªsome feelings could never be found back. Once they were gone, they were gone.

    Neither he nor I could be as innocent and simple-minded as we used to be.

    Lavonne¡¯s gaze swept between us before she grinned at him meaningfully. ¡°Ralda is single now. Grasp your chance.¡±

    Winston immediately looked at me, his eyes deep enough to make me flustered.

    Before he could say a word, I said hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do. I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Winston grabbed my hand hurriedly.

    He looked at me sadly. ¡°Do you hate ¡­ seeing me this much now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± I said.

    I didn¡¯t know what to tell him.

    I was now Reynaldo¡¯s lover; even if we were total strangers someday in the future, nothing would ever happen between Winston and me.

    I admitted that in the past, I had had feelings for him, the kind teenage girls tended to harbor.

    But things had changed, including both my feelings and me.

    Winston stared at me deeply. ¡°About what happened to your family, I¡­¡±

    ¡°My family¡¯s fine. Thanks for your concern. And don¡¯t take Vonnie¡¯s words seriously.¡±

    He lowered his head as he noticed my detached tone.

    Then he smiled bitterly, ¡°You two are divorced already, but I still don¡¯t stand a chance. Right?¡±

    I was about to nod when my phone rang.

    My heart skipped a beat as I saw the caller ID, and I instinctively broke free from Winston¡¯s grasp.

    It was Reynaldo!

    Was he calling me because he hade back and didn¡¯t see me around?

    As his sullen face emerged in my mind, I actually couldn¡¯t muster the courage to answer.

    After my phone stopped ringing, I called Madisyn and asked her if Reynaldo hade back.

    She said no, and then I breathed a sigh of relief.

    Winston looked at me, his eyes filled with indescribable emotions. He smiled bitterly, ¡°After divorcing Reynaldo, you still care about him this much?¡±

    I pursed my lips. ¡°Sorry, Winston. Maybe it¡¯s the best if you forget about me.¡±

    Then I excused myself to the restroom.

    Since I knew nothing would ever happen between Winston and me, I shouldn¡¯t let him hold his hopes up.

    Keeping giving him false hope would be so unfair to him.

    After entering the restroom, I quickly called Reynaldo back.

    I hadn¡¯t answered his call earlier, and I wondered if he was upset.

    In the past, I had never had to be so cautious and timid around him.

    One¡¯s world could surely be different when they were down.

    As soon as Reynaldo answered, he chuckled.

    It was quite terrifying.

    Uneasy, I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was asleep when you called, and you hung up right when I was about to answer.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Heughed. Then he said slowly, ¡°What are you doing now?¡±

    I was stunned before subconsciously replying, ¡°Your call woke me up, and I¡¯m in bed talking to you.¡±

    Staring at my face in the mirror, I was quite impressed by myself¡ªI had never known I was a natural liar.

    Heughed even louder, sending a chill down my spine.

    Sure enough, those who rarelyughed shouldn¡¯tugh at all. It was so creepy.

    ¡°So, I take it I interrupted your sweet dreams?¡± he said.

    He didn¡¯t sound angry at all; his voice was gentle and t, making it impossible for me to know what he was thinking now.

    I forced a smile. ¡°Not at all. I was having a bad dream, which was so scary. I should thank you for waking me up.¡±

    He grinned again.

    With his every grin, I couldn¡¯t help but feel more nervous.

    It was so, so weird!

    Suddenly, he stopped grinning and asked, ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    My heart skipped a beat.

    Howe I felt he was watching me right now?

    I quickly walked to the restroom door and looked around.

    There was no one in sight.

    Maybe I was overthinking it because I felt guilty.

    Plus, chances were, he was enjoying romantic moments with his beloved. Why could he be here?

    What was more, he had never liked ces like this.

    Afterpletely wiping out the possibility that he was here, I smiled, remaining calm, ¡°I¡¯m at home. Where else could I sleep?¡±

    He grinned again.

    Again!

    If he grinned like this a couple of times more, I might seriously lose it.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    His unnaturally calm tone made my heart tighten.

    I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off¡ªand it kept getting worse.

    Utterly nervous, I asked tentatively, ¡°Well¡­ What are you doing? When are youing back?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m out drinking.¡±

    The word ¡°drinking¡± echoed in my ears.

    I asked in a daze, ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°At a pub. Wanna join me?¡±

    His voice was mellow and sexy. Pleasant as it sounded, I felt terrified.

    I quickly forced a smile and said, ¡°Perhaps not. I¡¯m ¡­ going back to sleep.¡±

    Then I hung up hastily.

    Indeed, one shouldn¡¯t lie; apart from feeling guilty, they had to keep making more lies to cover it up.

    When they realized they couldn¡¯t cover it up, they had to face the unknown punishment and fear because of the lie.

    All I hoped was that Reynaldo was drinking in another bar, and his call had been nothing but a random thought to check on me.

    No matter what, I muste back now.

    I rushed out of the restroom hastily, wanting to leave as soon as I said bye to Winston and Lavonne.

    However, in the next second, someone pulled me with great force.

    I was pressed against the cold wall before I could react.

    Someone kissed my lips right after I eximed.

    Then I was enveloped by a familiar scent.

    Gawking at the handsome face right in front of me, I was dumbfounded.

    It was Reynaldo!

 Too Close 8

    <b>Chapter </b><b>8 </b><b>Punishment </b>

    My worst fear hade true.

    Reynaldo was right in this bar. He had long seen me!

    All those lies I had told were like a hard p across my face.

    I remained tense, not daring to move.

    Reynaldo kissed me hard for a long time before letting go of me.

    Then he used his slender fingers to stroke my red, swollen lips.

    He looked at me with a smile though his tone was devoid of any emotion. ¡°You were sleeping in a bar?<b>¡± </b>

    Purchasepleted

    He had always known I was here, yet he called me deliberately. I was forced to make up all those lies because of him! I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit pissed off at such a thought.

    I said irritably, ¡°You saw me. Then why bother calling me? Just to test me?¡±

    His eyes darkened as he said with a half¨Csmile, ¡°I thought you¡¯d tell me the truth. I even gave you a chance. But you lied to me again and again.¡±

    He traced the outline of my neck with his fingers, making me worry if he¡¯d snap my neck in the next second.

    I started to feel uneasy again.

    He smiled at me, ¡°It seems you think you can lie however you want, and I¡¯ll never do anything to you. Is that it?¡±

    Chapter B Punishment.

    ¡°No!¡±

    Only his beloved had the privilege to do so.

    I didn¡¯t exactly like that half¨Csmile on his face; it was quite torturing.

    I said in a muffled voice, ¡°Yeah, I lied to you. How are you gonna punish me?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡°.

    His smile grew deeper as he stared at me; the gold glint shing across his eyes reminded me of a hungry wolf facing its prey.

    As I recalled how crazy he was in bedst night, my legs gave way uncontrobly.

    He held my waist, his voice hoarse. ¡°You can barely stand before I even start?¡±

    Was it toote to apologize now?

    I tugged at his cor, saying pitifully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. I just didn¡¯t want you to be upset¡­!

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He stroked my waist through the thin fabric and chuckled. ¡°So, you mean I shouldn¡¯t get upset when you lie to me?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I said hurriedly while dodging his hand. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like it when I go to bars, but Vonnie came back today, and it¡¯s been ages since Ist saw her. So, I¡­¡±

    ¡°What about Winston? He came back today, too. So, you couldn¡¯t wait toe see him and even hold hands with him?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± I denied it subconsciously<b>. </b>

    He must¡¯ve seen Winston grab my wrist.

    It was Winston who grabbed my wrist. Howe he said we held hands?

    It was two different things, OK?

    I wanted to exin, but he had already started to pull me to the side door brutally.

    He stuffed me into the car and then started it quickly.

    I struggled to sit upright and then looked at him.

    His jawline was extremely tense as he emitted a menacing aura that made people scared. It was like he had be someone entirely different.

    I clutched my bag uneasily.

    Maybe it was a terrible mistake agreeing to be his lover.

    He had changed into someone I couldn¡¯t afford to cross.

    Just then, my phone rang.

    I nced at it and saw Winston¡¯s name.

    Turning to look at Reynaldo, who was no different from a huge ice cube, I sensibly hung up.

    Reynaldo curled his lips mockingly.

    I was bursting with anger but couldn¡¯t say a word.

    If it were in the past, I would have cursed at Reynaldo already. But now<b>? </b><b>I </b>simply didn¡¯t have the guts to do so.

    Along the way, Winston called me three times, but I didn¡¯t answer any of them.

    Back at home, Reynaldo smiled at me meaningfully, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you

    answer?¡±

    ¡°I was worried about upsetting you, of course!¡± I roared inside.

    But on the surface, I maintained a fawning smile and said, ¡°Why would I? I don¡¯t have anything to talk to him about.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    He snorted, picked me up from the car, and carried me inside the vi.

    All the servants were looking at us.

    Awkward, I struggled. ¡°Put me down. I can walk.¡±

    ¡°You walk too slowly, and I¡­ already can¡¯t wait.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but gasp.

    Those couple of words he said atst, coupled with his hoarse voice, were nothing but tititing.

    My face and even my neck flushed.

    The second he entered the bedroom, he pressed me against the door and kissed me deeply.

    Meanwhile, he glided his hand over the curve of my waist.

    I was dazed under his kiss.

    Suddenly, <b>he </b>leaned closer to my ear and let out a lowugh. ¡°Who are you trying to impress by wearing so seductively?¡±

    I said nothing.

    Then he set me on the bed and quickly yanked off my dress.

    A trace of fierceness shed across his deep eyes. ¡°You knew he¡¯d be back today, so you dressed up so beautifully for him?¡±

    I wanted to roll my eyes at him but was worried I¡¯d rile him up even more.

    So, I could only say in a muffled voice, ¡°I dress up beautifully every day.¡±

    He snorted, looking disdainful.

    Suddenly, my phone rang¨Cit was Winston again.

    Reynaldo reached out and grabbed my phone.

    He asked me, ¡°You wanna answer it?¡±

    I shook my head rapidly.

    He smiled wickedly, ¡°Oh, he must have been worried sick about you. If you keep ignoring his calls, he may call you non¨Cstop.¡±

    ¡°Suit himself. I just don¡¯t wanna answer it,¡± I said.

    He tugged at his lips. ¡°Really? Then I will.¡±

    As he said so, he pressed the button to answer. Startled, I snatched my phone back.

    Then I red at him.

    He did it on purpose!

    I was furious.

    Why was I so lenient before? I should have strangled him whenever I had

    the chance!

    How infuriating.

    Chapter & Punishment

    As I was wandering, Winston¡¯s worried voice rang out. ¡°Ralda, are you OK? It¡¯s been almost an hour since you went to the restroom.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me while maintaining his half<b>¨C</b>smile, waiting for a spectacle to unfold.

    The cold disdain in his eyes somehow made me feel he was like my husband who had caught me cheating on him on the spot.

    Truly fed up with his gaze, I said to the phone, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just felt a bit unwell, so I came home without telling you.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯m hanging up. Enjoy having fun with Vonnie.¡±

    With that, I quickly hung up, worried Reynaldo might pull some other

    stunt.

    ¡°Are you done talking to him?¡± He chuckled at me.

    I nodded and tossed my phone far away, praying Winston wouldn¡¯t call again.

    Reynaldo smiled and kissed my earlobe, ¡°Then get ready for my punishment.¡±

    ¡°W¨CWhat punishment?¡± His deep eyes terrified me.

    He smiled, not saying anything.

    Soon, I knew the answer. He got on top of me and did whatever he wanted, not even giving me a chance to catch my breath.

    I cried and begged but to no avail.

    He was even more ruthless than I imagined.

    It was like he was venting all his emotions that had been pent up for

    <b>years</b>.

    Utterly pissed off, I pinched his arms, crying while shouting, ¡°You jerk, Reynaldo!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a jerk<b>?</b>¡±

    He smiled wickedly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? I¡¯ve long wanted to do this to you.

    ¡°During our three years of marriage, on countless nights, as I looked at you sleeping soundly in bed, I wanted to pin you down and fuck you hard.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You sick pervert!¡±

    I had no idea one could change this much.

    Or maybe he had never changed; he had always been a monster all this time.

    It was just that he had been hiding his true colors back then.

    By dawn, I was already raw¨Cthroated and trembling, crying my eyes out.

    I kept muttering in anger and hatred right before I fell into sleep, ¡°I should have¡­ killed you¡­¡±

    His faint lowugh reached my ears, mixed with his warning, ¡°Do not see Winston again.¡±

    It was the afternoon when I woke up the next day.

    I couldn¡¯t believe how dry my throat was¨Cit was practically burning.

    I walked to the table to fetch some water for myself with difficulty, and my phone aside suddenly rang.

    Chapter Punishment

    Afterst night, I instinctively tensed up upon hearing the ringtone.

    Yet, as <b>my </b>gaze fell upon the caller ID, I was stunned.

 Too Close 9

    Chapter <b>9 </b><b>An </b><b>Insatiable </b><b>Wolf </b>

    Kimberly?

    Who was Kimberly?

    The name didn¡¯t ring a bell.

    And when did I save her number?

    As I was in a daze, someone pulled my phone away.

    Puzzled. I turned around, only to see Reynaldo standing behind me, wrapped in a towel.

    Then I realized something.

    It was his phone, and Kimberly was someone he knew.

    I must remember to change my phone and ringtone so as not to mix our phones again.

    Reynaldo walked to the window and answered while looking at me extremely meaningfully.

    Following his line of sight, I looked down at myself.

    In the next second, my expression changed as I grabbed the robe at the foot of the bed and put it on as quickly as I could.

    Then I sat on the bed and looked at him, trying my best to look calm.

    He looked away.

    But the faint smile ying on his lips gave him away¨Che seemed to be in

    a pretty good mood.

    He said to the phone, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±

    His tone was very gentle.

    I lowered my head dejectedly.

    Maybe Kimberly was his beloved.

    He was in such a great mood, and his voice was so tender when he talked to her.

    But when talking to me, he threw shade at me andughed weirdly.

    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    Sure enough, he treated the one he loved and others differently.

    He walked up to me while I was wandering.

    I looked up slowly. As I met his deep eyes, my heart somehow skipped a beat, fluttering.

    Scratching my head to ease up my embarrassment, I asked him, ¡°Are you heading out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    He nodded while staring at me intently.

    His gaze gave me goosebumps. I said at once, ¡°Go ahead then. Chill. I won¡¯t go anywhere today.¡±

    He suddenly leaned down and bit my lip..

    I cried out in pain while he pinned me down on the bed.

    11515

    Chapter 9 An insatiable Woll

    ¡°What do you want now<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    He had just taken a shower. His hair was slightly damp and messy, and water droplets glistened on his bare chest.

    His eyes were dark and deep as he curled his thin lips slightly.

    Everywhere about him was raw sexy, and I couldn¡¯t help but swallow.

    Heced his fingers through mine and whispered in my ear, his voice. hoarse, ¡°Why don¡¯t we do it again?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    He was such an animal!

    He pulled open my robe and said righteously, ¡°Seeing you like this turns me on again.¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡± I red at him, feeling shy and embarrassed.

    What a phony

    In the past, he had acted as if he were some gentleman with icy restraint.

    See? This was who he really was!

    A wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing!

    An insatiable wolf!

    Though I didn¡¯t exactly reject doing this with him, he was way too fierce.

    Maybe he had suppressed his physical desire for too long, but that didn¡¯t give him an excuse to vent out like this.

    Besides, where was his beloved?

    Chapter 9 An Insatiable Woll

    Couldn¡¯t she satisfy him?

    As I thought of the name Kimberly, my heart ached.

    I knew I was just his lover and had no right to feel bitter.

    So, I tried my best to overlook my frustration, but I failed.

    In the end, I had to admit that I did care about her existence. As her name emerged in my mind, I no longer wanted him to touch me.

    I pushed his chest away and said tly, ¡°The woman who called you earlier is your beloved, right?¡±

    He frowned as a glint of confusion shed across his eyes, seeming pondering over my words.

    Soon, he smiled, ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Even if I was, I wouldn¡¯t admit it.

    I knew he was doing all this to get back at me now. If I admitted that I was jealous, it¡¯d be the same as admitting I had feelings for him. Gee, I didn¡¯t want to beughed at.

    I said tly, ¡°You told her you¡¯d be with her soon, right? Then what are you waiting for? She may get upset if you keep her waiting for a long time.¡±

    Immediately, he frowned, his expression darkening.

    Then he let out a derisiveugh. ¡°You can¡¯t wait to see me with her?¡± I was utterly speechless.

    ??

    Chapter 9 <b>An </b>Insatiable Wolf

    Could he be any more unreasonable?

    I couldn¡¯t wait to see him with her? He was the one who wanted to be with her, OK?

    Would he stay here if I told him not to leave?

    I was just his lover, and he hated me so much that he insisted on getting back at me. How could he possibly stay just because of me?

    As I was mocking myself inwardly, he suddenly sat up.

    Then he lit a cigarette and said coldly, ¡°You want me to go out so that you can go see Winston again?¡±

    ¡°What? No! Stop imagining things, OK?¡±

    People said women were suspicious and paranoid.

    That was because they had never met him.

    He snorted and leaned against the window, smoking, no longer saying a word. Then again, he emitted that intimidating aura, warning others to stay away from him.

    It baffled me even until now.

    He was such a scheming, ruthless monster; how the heck did he manage to act so meek and obedient in the past?

    It all felt like a dream<b>. </b>

    After Reynaldo left, I finally breathed a sigh of relief and flopped onto the

    bed.

    He was so unpredictable now, making it impossible to serve him well.

    Chapter 9 An Insatiable Wolf

    I wondered when he¡¯d stop getting back at me and dump me.

    Soon, it was evening.

    The servants began to get the dinner ready.

    Madisyn stared at me, wanting to say something but didn¡¯t.

    Noticing that, I asked her what was up.

    She pulled me, advising me earnestly to coax Reynaldo properly. She said she noticed the sullen look on his face when he had left in the afternoon and was worried I¡¯d be punished by him again when he came back.

    She said, ¡°Men are creatures that need to be coaxed. Your life will be much easier if you please him, Ms. Duffy. After all, you were so cruel to him in the past.¡±

    <b>I </b>pulled out a wry smile.

    Had I really treated him that badly?

    Madisyn actually called me cruel?

    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    But,e to think of it, she had a point.

    If I pleased Reynaldo, maybe he would no longer be pissed at me. With his hatred for me gone, maybe he¡¯d let me off and ask me to get lost. With such a thought, I rolled up my sleeves and went to the kitchen. Under the servants¡® guidance, I managed to fix some proper dishes.

    Putting them on the table, I took out my phone, pulled out the chat interface with Reynaldo, and texted him, ¡°When are youing back?<b>¡± </b>

    Wall

    Then, as usual, I sent him a cute emoji.

    This time, it took him several minutes to reply.

    ¡°I¡¯m noting back.¡±

    I curled my lip. Fine. Suit himself.

    But the thought that he was with Kimberly made me bitter.

    I tried my best to get rid of those negative emotions and asked Madisyn and the other servants to sit down with me and cat.

    This was my first time cooking, and my food ought not to go to waste, or I might lose the motivation to cook ever again.

    However¡­

    Madisyn spat out the food right after she took a bite and sighed at me, ¡°Ms. Dully, since you¡¯re cooking for Mr. Humphrey, maybe you should really put some thought into it.¡±

    I snapped, ¡°I did! Can¡¯t you see? I got two blisters cooking for him!¡±

    She shook her head helplessly. ¡°Then how could you mistake sugar for

    salt?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Try it yourself,¡± she sighed.

    I put a piece of fish into my mouth skeptically.

    Damn!

    It was so fishy and sweet without the slightest bit of saltiness. It was terrible!

    Chapter 9 An Insatiable Wolf

    She sighed again, ¡°You should be d he¡¯s noting back tonight, or he would have been furious.¡±

    I said nothing in response.

    Looking at those dishes that seemed delicious, I started to deeply reflect on myself.

    Suddenly, thendline rang.

    The housekeeper called out to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, it¡¯s for you.¡±

    I stood up, puzzled.

    Who could it be?

    Why didn¡¯t they call my cell?

 Too Close 10

    Chapter 10 <b>He </b><b>Isn¡¯t </b><b>That </b><b>Bad </b>

    ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    The gentle voice made my heart skip a beat.

    It was Winston.

    J

    He sounded so sad. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even answer my calls now?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.

    In fact, Winston and I had never officially been on a date before.

    And we had never promised each other anything. All that had ever existed was some indescribable feeling.

    But, still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel apologetic and guilty when talking to

    him.

    Hesitant, he asked, ¡°Last night¡­ Are you OK?¡±

    Chances were, he heard my moans of pleasurest night, and of course, he knew what had happened.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just¡­ what happens between adults.¡±

    He suddenly fell silent, and all I could hear was his slightly uneven. breaths.

    Our feelings for each other in the early days <b>had </b>somehow turned out to be our burden.

    Chapter 10 He Isn¡¯t That Bad

    I wanted to hang up. ¡°If this is all¡­¡±

    ¡°Ralda, let¡¯s meet,¡± he interrupted me, his sadness palpable.

    As Reynaldo¡¯s warning echoed in my ears, I had to brace myself and turn him down. I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not feeling well and want to go to bed early.¡±

    He smiled bitterly, ¡°Ralda, you don¡¯t even wanna see me now? Maybe¡­ nothing will ever happen between us, but at least we should talk things out. Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    He was right. We indeed should make something clear.

    Only then could Ipletely shatter all the hopes he held for us.

    But Reynaldo had clearly warned me¡­

    ¡°Ralda, please. I know you don¡¯t wanna meet me alone, so I¡¯ve invited Vonnie to join us.

    ¡°Think of it as catching up with your ssmates from the old days. OK?¡±

    He sounded so humble and sad, which made me even guiltier.

    I sighed, ¡°Tell me the address.¡±

    It was a restaurant.

    Stepping inside, I saw both Lavonne and Winston waiting for me.

    ¡°Ralda, you¡¯re here. Don¡¯t just stand there;e here and take a seat.¡±

    Upon seeing me, Winston stood up at once and walked over.

    I dodged his hand and sat next to Lavonne.

    He stared at his hand for a long time, the dejection on his face made me

    feel bad.

    Right after I sat down, Lavonne wrapped her arm around my shoulders. and asked worriedly, ¡°Why did you go backst night without telling us? Are you OK?

    ¡°It¡¯s summer. What¡¯s it with the long sleeves and high cor? Aren¡¯t you roasting?¡±

    When saying this, she reached out to tug at my cor.

    <b>I </b>quickly held her hand down and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve got a bit of a cold.¡±

    Looking up. I happened to meet Winston¡¯splicated look.

    I averted my gaze awkwardly and couldn¡¯t help but curse Reynaldo inwardly. Why did he have to leave so many hickeys on my body, my neck especially? I didn¡¯t dare to show it in front of the others at all.

    Winston stood up and fetched me some water.

    Meanwhile, Lavonne grinned. ¡°Winston, you¡¯re as sweet to Ralda as always. You¡¯ve always been the best to her. If you¡­<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Vonnie,¡± I interrupted her.

    I needed to rify things with them to avoid any misunderstandings.

    Looking at them, I said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve fallen for Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lavonne was ck¨Cjawed.

    Meanwhile, Winston stared at me while slightly clenching his fists on the table, his gaze deep.

    I exhaled and said to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Chapter 10 helst That Dad

    He looked away and smiled, ¡°No need to say that. You and I aren¡¯t an item, and you falling for him doesn¡¯t mean you betray me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if it was my illusion.

    I seemed to see a cold glint shing across his eyes that were always so gentle.

    How was that possible?

    He had always been gentle and refined, and I had never seen him pulling a long face. He¡¯d never have that kind of look in his eyes.

    It must have been my illusion.

    Lavonne still had a hard time epting it. ¡°But why, Ralda? Why would you fall for Reynaldo? Have you forgotten how he took advantage of you? We hate him, right? How could you¡­¡±

    ¡°A lot happened during those three years when we were married. Besides, feelings change,¡± I said.

    ¡°If so, why did you get a divorce?¡± Winston suddenly stared at me intently.

    A

    My hands resting on my knees froze slightly, and I said nothing.

    Furious, Lavonne said, ¡°That jerk held a grudge. After he got rich, he got carried away and dumped Ralda.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you to him now?¡± Winston pressed, still fixing his gaze

    on me.

    I was at a loss about how to answer his question.

    I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth¨Cthat I was now Reynaldo¡¯s lover whom he could humiliate as he pleased.

    If I did, given Lavonne¡¯s temper, she¡¯d storm into Reynaldo¡¯s office and stab him with a knife.

    I came here today to rify things with them.

    But now I realized I couldn¡¯t. Some things were tooplicated to be rified.

    Suddenly, Winston said. ¡°I came to pay your parents a visit today.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was surprised.

    He nodded. ¡°They were clueless about the divorce and said Reynaldo paid off your debts.

    ¡°Ralda, he dumped you, yet you¡¯re still willing to be with him even without a title. Are you doing this to repay his favor?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I stuttered.

    In fact, putting aside the ¡°lover¡¯s contract¡°, this was essentially the truth.

    Lavonne fumed, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I bet the jerk will take the chance to torture you.¡±

    I smiled, pretending to be at ease, ¡°Not at all. He¡¯s not as bad as you think.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right!¡± she said indignantly. ¡°If he was as good as you said, he wouldn¡¯t have taken advantage of you back then!¡±

    In fact, I wanted to tell her Reynaldo didn¡¯t do anything to me back at the reunion that day.

    But¡­ what <b>was </b>the point?

    She still looked furious. ¡°He wasn¡¯t invited that day in the first ce.

    Chapter 10 Helon¡¯t That Bad

    Why did he show up at all? If it weren¡¯t for him, you would have probably been with Winston and enjoyed a happy life already. It¡¯s all his fault. He ruins your life! What a jerk!¡±

    I smiled, patting her back, ¡°There, there. Calm down, Vonnie. He really isn¡¯t that bad.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I me him! Ralda, you¡¯re so perfect; you deserve to be with the best man in the world.

    ¡°He should be lucky marrying you. But after he became rich, he dumped you? I¡¯m so pissed at him!¡±

    The more she said, the angrier she became, and I could onlyfort her.

    She was as fiery as ever; every time she visited my family, she¡¯d always have a row with Quentin.

    ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t fall for him, OK? He¡¯s not a decent man; besides, he doesn¡¯t love you at all. Falling for him is a big mistake. If you keep being so stubborn, you¡¯ll be the one ending up in misery.¡±

    ¡®Rx. I won¡¯t.¡±

    Though I said so firmly, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter when I thought of Kimberly.

    Who knew what would happen in the future?

    Suddenly, Winston stared at me, his gaze obscure, ¡°Ralda, how much do you owe him? I¡¯ll help you pay him back.¡±

    Before I could say a word, I heard a cold, derisiveugh next to me. You¡¯ll help her? In what capacity?¡±

 Too Close 11

    <b>Chapter </b>11 Don¡¯t Be <b>Afraid </b><b>of </b>Him

    I froze right on the spot.

    The voice¡­ Theugh¡­.

    It was Reynaldo!

    I couldn¡¯t believe how unlucky I was. Howe I ran into him everywhere?

    I was totally screwed.

    Reynaldo, in a suit, stood not far away from us, exuding an air of refined nobility.

    A mere look from him was intimidating enough.

    He used to be a meek pushover, yet now, he was such a big shot, and no one could afford to mess with him.

    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh again, finding it hard to believe he was the man I used to marry.

    Lavonne had always been the one who disliked him the most. Whenever his name was brought up, she was always indignant.

    Yet, now, perhaps stunned by his imposing presence, she didn¡¯t say a thing.

    Winston chuckled. ¡°Reynaldo, weren¡¯t you at the hospital?¡±

    <b>I </b><b>was </b>surprised.

    Reynaldo went to the hospital? Was he hurt?

    ¡±

    Chapter 11 Dont Be Afraid of Him

    I couldn¡¯t help but size him up but didn¡¯t see any wound.

    Thinking back to how wild he was in bed, I didn¡¯t think he was injured anywhere.

    Then there was only one possibility.

    Kimberly was hospitalized, and he was with her.

    No wonder he was so horny; she was injured and couldn¡¯t satisfy him.

    Reynaldo had already walked over while I was lost in thought.

    He looked at me, his sullen look sending a chill down my spine.

    I dipped my head, not daring to exin.

    Lavonne leaned closer to me, whispering in my ear, ¡°Is this really Reynaldo? The meek pushover? His temperament has changed so much. I can¡¯t even look him in the eye. Gee, being rich does change people, huh?¡±

    His temperament wasn¡¯t the only thing that had changed, OK?

    Other than his physical appearance, everything else about him had changed!

    I smiled awkwardly at her, not saying a word.

    Reynaldo stared at me dangerously for quite a while before turning back to Winston and asking him again, ¡°You offered to help her. On what capacity?¡±

    Winston nced at me gently and then said unhurriedly, ¡°It depends on Ralda.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered.

    1305<b>% </b>

    Chapter <b>11 </b>Dont Be <b>Afraid </b>of Him

    Clearly, he was upset.

    Then he looked at me again and said before I could say anything, ¡°Did you hear that? It depends on you. In what capacity do you expect him to repay the debt for you?¡±

    Though he maintained a smile while asking me this, his eyes and smile were devoid of any emotion.

    I grew nervous and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I¡¯ve never thought of asking him to help me.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Winston looked at me with distress in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of him. You have me. If you don¡¯t wanna owe him anything, I¡¯ll pay him back no matter the amount.¡±

    Lavonne chimed in indignantly, ¡°Exactly. He took advantage of you in the first ce. If it weren¡¯t for him, Winston and you¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Reynaldo turned to look at her.

    Instantly, her voice trailed off and eventually became totally inaudible.

    I totally got it¨CReynaldo¡¯s gaze was truly terrifying, reminding one of a predator.

    Lavonne tugged at my hand under the table discreetly and whispered in my ear, ¡°Is this really Reynaldo? Are you sure he doesn¡¯t have a lost twin?¡±

    I pulled a wry smile.

    She had a richer imagination than me.

    As the atmosphere was utterly tense, Winston suddenly said to Reynaldo, ¡°Tell me. How much did you pay for her family? I came back a bitte, or you wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to help her at all.¡±

    Chapter 11 Don¡¯t Be Afraid <b>of </b>Hm

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Reynaldo sneered. ¡°If not me, it certainly wouldn¡¯t have been you.¡±

    Winston retorted firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If I had been in the country, Ralda would havee to me first.¡±

    Ask for Winston¡¯s help?

    I didn¡¯t know whether I¡¯d do it.

    Hypothetical questions didn¡¯t have definite answers.

    Reynaldo¡¯s expression darkened even more.

    He tapped the edge of the table with his slender finger, his seemingly casual appearance radiating coldness.

    The atmosphere gradually grew more tense and oppressive.

    I became more and more uneasy as the sounds of him tapping the table echoed in my ears.

    Unable to bear it anymore, I wrapped my arms around his arm and smiled at him fawningly, ¡°Have you eaten? Why don¡¯t we go home? I cooked for you today.¡±

    He looked at me expressionlessly.

    Then he said mockingly, ¡°Go home? You always snuck out to meet someone as soon as I left. Would you be willing to go home?¡±

    I was at a loss for words to refute.

    After all, he wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. Exnations seemed unnecessary.

    Chapter 11 Don¡¯t Be Afraid of Him

    Reynaldo brushed my hands away indifferently and said to me with a half¨Csmile, ¡°Sorry for disturbing your party.¡±

    With that, he nced at me meaningfully and then stood up to leave.

    His tall figure exuded an indescribable coldness.

    Panicked, I subconsciously wanted to chase after him.

    Winston pulled me. ¡°Ralda, why are you ying up to him so fawningly? You weren¡¯t like this in the past.¡±

    Lavonne sighed, ¡°Can you me her? Reynaldo has changed. He seems so scary. Besides, she owes him money.¡±

    ¡°How much? I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    Winston looked at me seriously.

    I had told him that I had feelings for Reynaldo, but he still held hopes up for us.

    Realizing this, I was a bit irritated.

    I gently brushed his hand away and said to him earnestly, ¡°Winston, thank you. I mean it. But this is between Reynaldo and me, so I hope you can leave this to me. OK?¡±

    He stepped back dejectedly, took a deep breath, and said to me, ¡°You said you loved him, but¡­ Do you know he already has someone he loves?¡±

    I was stunned; Winston knew Kimberly, too?

    Meanwhile, he continued, ¡°She means a lot to him. To him, she¡¯s so special that no one can bepared to her.¡±

    ¡°You mean

    Kimberly?¡± I asked.

    Chapter 11 Dont Be Afraid of Him

    A trace of surprise shed across his face, and then he looked even more dejected. ¡°You knew her? Then howe you still fell for him? Ralda¡­¡±

    He gripped my shoulders anxiously. ¡°Listen to me. Cut all ties with him. <b>I </b>don¡¯t wanna see you end up heartbroken.¡±

    Lavonne nodded in agreement.

    I was utterly upset as his words ¡°She¡¯s so special that no one can bepared to her¡± kept echoing in my ears.

    If she meant that much to Reynaldo, why did he sleep with me?

    Was it really just to humiliate me?

    My mind was in turmoil. I pried Winston¡¯s hand away and said in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I promise I won¡¯t end up heartbroken. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    Promises were always easy to say, but only a few could actually keep them.

    As I strode out of the restaurant, I was d to see Reynaldo¡¯s car at the

    entrance.

    I shook my head to get rid of those troubled thoughts, got into the car quickly, and smiled at him cheekily, ¡°Why are you still here? Are you waiting for me?¡±

    He nced sideways at me and said, his voice extremely t.

 Too Close 12

    Chapter <b>12 </b><b>Record </b>It

    ¡°Tll leave after I finish this cigarette.¡±

    He had never smoked in front of me before.

    Yet now, he was always smoking whenever I saw him. Apparently, he was a heavy smoker.

    Maybe one could endure their physical desire and emotions, but exactly how could one suppress their longing for nicotine? I was very curious.

    He leaned against the car seat, resting his hand holding the cigarette on the steering wheel.

    As he looked aheadzily, he puffed out smoke rings, adding a touch of charm and sexiness to his presence.

    I was stunned at my own thoughts.

    Just as I was about to look away, he suddenly said coldly, ¡°Get out.¡±

    Startled, I trembled instinctively and looked at him, puzzled.

    His expression was as icy as ever.

    Without looking at me, he said, ¡°Who said you could get in? Get out!¡± Well¡­

    I genuinely thought he was waiting for me, and the whole smoking thing was just an excuse.

    After all, he could always drive while smoking.

    Chapter <b>12 </b>Prcondit

    In silence, I pushed open the car door and was about to get out. Suddenly, he yanked me back.

    He exerted so much force that my back mmed into the seat, and I felt so dizzy.

    He leaned closer to me and soon kissed my lips.

    His kiss, mixed with the scent of the tobo, was fierce and heated- probably out of anger.

    My lips ached, and I couldn¡¯t help but reach out, wanting to push him

    away.

    Only then did he let go of me and stare at me coldly. ¡°<b>It </b>seems my warnings and punishments mean nothing to you. No wonder you ask me every day with a shameless grin about when I¡¯ll be back. You wanna sneak out to see Winston, right?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t want toe here and see him in the first ce.¡±

    He sneered, ¡°Yeah. But you still came here anyway.¡±

    I was rendered speechless.

    He stated the truth, which made any possible exnation unnecessary.

    I simply chose to shut up, no longer saying a word.

    Suddenly, he gripped my chin.

    He exerted a bit of strength, and it hurt.

    It reminded me of our wedding night¨Cback then, I had gripped his chin just like this to humiliate him.

    Chapter 12 Record

    I still remembered it vividly. That night, I used all my might to grip his chin and said, ¡°Your pretty face is the only thing that you can brag about. In every other way, you can never be Winston¡¯s match. I would have never married you if it weren¡¯t for your despicable tricks.¡±

    Back then, my heart was filled with unwillingness and bitterness, and all I could think of was how to humiliate him and trample on his pride.

    Hearing my words, he stared at me intently.

    I said viciously, ¡°If you dare to look at me for another second, I swear I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out!¡±

    No wonder Madisyn said I had been so cruel to him; now that I thought about it. I realized I had been too much.

    As memories flooded back, I gave up on resisting, enduring the pain from Reynaldo¡¯s fierce grip on my chin obediently.

    He said sternly, ¡°Esmeralda, are you that into Winston?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said calmly, enduring the pain in my chin.

    He scoffed, ¡°Then why did youe to see him so eagerly more than once? Why did you call his name in your sleep?¡±

    I widened my eyes at once. ¡°I called his name in my sleep? That¡¯s impossible. Stop lying!¡±

    I barely dreamed of Winston. Why would I call his name?

    He sneered, ¡°Maybe I should record it the next time.¡±

    I fell silent.

    If he said I had done so, then so be it.

    Chapter <b>12 </b>Record

    He was so weird.

    Kimberly was the one he loved. As for me¨Call he wanted to do was to humiliate me and sleep with me. Why would he give a damn about who I loved?

    Besides, he was impossible to talk to.

    I told him I no longer had feelings for Winston, but he didn¡¯t believe me.

    Right now, it seemed he was recalling some unpleasant past. His gaze on me grew colder by the second.

    I felt a chill down my spine, and the pain in my chin was killing me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Let go of me. I¡¯ll get out of the car.¡±

    Yet, he didn¡¯t loosen his grip at all. He asked me viciously, ¡°If he had been in the country, would you have asked for his help and been with him?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Maybe it was a lie, but this was my only answer for now<b>. </b>

    I thought my answer would please Reynaldo a bit, and he¡¯d spare my chin.

    However, he roared at me exasperatedly, ¡°Esmeralda, do you really think he loves you? He approached you back then because¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I was so annoyed!

    Winston said Reynaldo had someone he loved and would never fall for<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Chapter 12 curd i

    And now, Reynaldo told me Winston had approached me with an ulterior motive.

    What the heck?

    It seemed to them, I didn¡¯t deserve to be loved and only deserved to be toyed with.

    Reynaldo red at me fiercely for a long time before he suddenlyughed.

    Hisugh was bone¨Cchilling.

    He let go of my chin and leaned backward.

    Lighting another cigarette, he sneered at me, ¡°You seem upset when I told you he didn¡¯t love you.¡±

    ¡°You misunderstood.¡±

    I sat upright and said to him seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t betray you before our contract ends.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯ll wait till it ends?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, fine,¡± I said in a muffled voice. ¡°Besides, after the contract is over, you and I will be strangers. Nothing I do could betray you then.¡±

    I regretted it as soon as I said it.

    What if he decided to keep me as his lover after he heard this?

    Chapter 12 Record

    I wanted to p my mouth.

    I really should have thought about it before I blurted anything out.

    Meanwhile, Reynaldo had already squinted, a cold glint shing across. his eyes.

    Quickly pushing open the door, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll go hail a cab and get out of your hair.

    This time, instead of pulling me, he simply smiled at me wickedly.

    <b>It </b>was like he was saying to me, ¡°Do you really think you can escape?¡± Somehow, he was like a predator, looking at his prey with contempt.

    Shivering, I strode to the roadside and hailed a cab.

    He drove away after I got into a cab.

    I breathed a sigh of relief, still having a lingering fear.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, where to?¡±

    Where to?

    Home?

    But Reynaldo was obviously in a terrible mood. What if he came back as well? I didn¡¯t want to walk into the lion¡¯s den.

    Maybe I should wait till he was no longer that upset.

    As I was pondering if I should pay my parents a visit, my mom called.

    The second I answered, I heard her crying.

    My heart sank as I asked, my voice tense, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Chapter 12 Record

    She said through tears, ¡°Ralda,e home. Something¡¯s happened.¡±

    Reynaldo bought my parents a nice apartment in an upscale. neighborhood.

    I rushed over at once and heard her crying as soon as I stepped inside.

    I grew even more nervous.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    She came to me at the sight of me, crying helplessly as she grabbed my hand. ¡°What to do? What to do?¡±

    Uneasy, I asked, ¡°Mom, what exactly happened?¡±

    Crying, she led me into the bedroom.

    Chapter 13 1.05 Milian Dor

 Too Close 13

    Chapter <b>13 </b><b>1.05 </b><b>Million </b><b>Dors </b>

    Upon entering, I saw my dad in bed, covered in wounds.

    My expression changed as I said angrily, ¡°What happened? Who did this to Dad?¡±

    My mom kept crying without saying a word.

    I could only turn to my dad.

    But he wouldn¡¯t tell me either; he just kept wailing in pain.

    Utterly anxious, I roared angrily, ¡°Tell me! Who beat you up? An old enemy?¡±

    My eyes turned red.

    Seeing this, my mom stammered while sobbing, ¡°In fact, it¡¯s his fault¡­ He gambled.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I looked at him in great disbelief. ¡°You gambled? But you never gamble! You always said it ruined people! How could you?!¡±

    ¡°I wanna win some money so that I could start over.¡± He actually seemed aggrieved. ¡°Who would have thought I was so unlucky? I bet someone yed dirty.¡±

    I was so furious that I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°Then who beat you up?¡± I asked after a few seconds.

    <b>He </b>nced at my mom uneasily, saying nothing.

    She kept <b>crying </b>out of anger. ¡°He lost all our money and owed them

    hundreds of thousands of dors. They beat him up because he didn¡¯t have money to repay them.¡±

    Taking a deep breath, I looked at him. ¡°How much did you owe them?¡±

    He lowered his head further.

    After a moment of hesitation, my mom said, ¡°Combining the 1.5 million dors Reynaldo gave us¡­¡±

    ¡°What? You went to ask him for money?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± my dad muttered. ¡°After he cleared our debts, he gave an extra 1.5 million dors to me. I thought I could multiply it by gambling so that I could rise again, but I lost it and owed them¡­ 1.05 million dors¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°No one wins in gambling, OK? How could you be so stupid? 2.55 million dors? You lost 2.55 million dors in no time?¡±

    ¡°Enough! I¡¯m your father, and you have no excuse to disrespect me,¡± he interrupted me impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s just over 1.5 million dors. You can always ask Reynaldo for more. Big whoop!¡±

    I stared at him as if he were a stranger.

    He was no longer kind, steady, and patient.

    Right now, he was just a cranky, impatient old man.

    Suddenly, someone at the door sneered.

    Iturned around and saw Quentin.

    He stared at our dad coldly. ¡°Just over 1.5 million dors? You sound like a millionaire. Then howe you were beaten up so miserably? Why

    did you ask Mom to get Esmeralda back?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you brat! How dare you speak to me like that!¡± our dad roared angrily at him.

    He roared back, ¡°Look at what you did! I told you not to gamble

    yesterday, and you just wouldn¡¯t listen to me. And now you owe them. 1.05 million dors! You should take responsibility for what you did. Don¡¯t count on Esmeralda to clean up your mess.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Our dad was so pissed off that he wanted to sit up and p Quentin, only to strain his waist and cried out in pain.

    My mom quickly came forward to hold him and said to me through tears, ¡°Ralda, the debtors said they¡¯d chop off your dad¡¯s hands if they don¡¯t see the money within three days. Reynaldo is rich, and 1.05 million dors is nothing to him. Go talk to him¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Quentin cut her off angrily and continued, ¡°So what if he¡¯s rich? That¡¯s his money, not ours! Stop asking Esmeralda to go to him and ask for money! She¡¯s humiliated enough!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± our dad huffed. ¡°Reynaldo is our son¨Cin-w. His money is Ralda¡¯s. If she wants 1.05 million dors, he¡¯ll give it to her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Quentin sneered. ¡°In case you don¡¯t know, they got a divorce long ago.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Our parents exchanged nces in disbelief and then looked at me.

    I dipped my head, not saying anything.

    Chapter 13 105 Million Ders.

    Since Quentin had known, I guessed the divorce was no longer a secret.

    Maybe everyone would know I was Reynaldo¡¯s lover soon.

    I had once been the heiress of a rich family, but by then, I¡¯d be the butt of the joke.

    Our parents found it hard to believe and asked me repeatedly if it was

    true.

    I nodded, and our dad cursed Reynaldo harshly.

    Quentin snorted, ¡°Reynaldo has cleared our debts and gave you an extra 1.5 million dors. What else do you want? Given how we treated him before, you should be grateful.¡±

    ¡°But he dumped Ralda as soon as he got rich? That¡¯s not decent, is it?<b>¡± </b>our mom said angrily.

    I sighed, ¡°He had every right to do so. He didn¡¯t love me or owe me anything.¡±

    She was rendered speechless.

    Panicking, our dad said to me anxiously, ¡°Regardless, you can still ask him for 1.05 million dors, right? Ralda, help me out here. The debtors. wille here within three days asking me for the money. They¡¯ll chop off my hands!¡±

    Mom cried, tugging at my arm. ¡°Ralda, help us, OK? Reynaldo is so rich. As long as you ask, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do you the favor for old time¡¯s sake.¡±

    For old time¡¯s sake?

    I smiled bitterly, ¡°What old time?¡±

    They kept persuading me and even tried to guilt¨Ctrip me.

    Chapter 13 1.05 Million Dors

    Million Dor

    Quentin couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and roared, ¡°Shut up! Ralda is the apple of our eye. She used to be a pampered richdy! How could you force her to beg Reynaldo for money again and again? You really have no idea how humiliating that is?¡±

    Mom covered her mouth and cried.

    Dad parted his lips, wanting to say something.

    Quentin beat him to it and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t push her anymore. I¡¯ll do everything I can within these three days to get you the money and save your hands even at the cost of my life. Happy now?¡±

    With that, he dragged me out.

    Tears streamed down my face as we went downstairs.

    Quentin held me in his arms and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t help him. He brought this on himself.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s our dad¡­ He used to dote on us so much¡­¡± I sobbed. ¡°Quentin, how did Dad be like this?¡±

    ¡°Beats me. Maybe the bankruptcy hit him too hard. He¡¯s been dreaming of making aeback and blind to reality.

    ¡°To put it bluntly, he doesn¡¯t have what it takes to be a businessman at all. All this time, he¡¯s been relying on the money left by Grandpa and

    Grandma.

    ¡°The business world is full of talented young people. He won¡¯t stand a chance.

    ¡°Bouncing back? Yeah, right.¡±

    I said nothing, overwhelmed by sadness.

    He wiped away my tears and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. I¡¯ve got a job. now and will think of something to get that 1.05 million dors.¡±

    I knew he was just saying this to make me feel better.

    How could he possibly earn 1.05 million dors in three days with an ordinary job?

    Suddenly, he looked at me worriedly. ¡°Are you ¡­ still living with Reynaldo?¡±

    I nodded.

    His eyes were filled withplex emotions. ¡°Has he hurt you?¡±

    I smiled briskly, ¡°Not at all. He¡¯s been nice to me.¡±

    He asked, ¡°Then why did he divorce you?¡±

    Chuckling, I replied, ¡°Why do you think? I didn¡¯t have feelings for him, and vice versa. Divorce would do both of us good.¡±

    He said nothing, staring at me deeply.

    Worried that he might see through me, I pulled up an excuse, saying I needed to go back now.

    He offered to give me a lift, but I said no and asked him to go up to check on our parents.

    On the way back, I didn¡¯t spot any taxis, so I wandered aimlessly forward, worrying about the huge debt.

    All of a sudden, a flyer slid to a stop at my feet.

 Too Close 14

    Chapter 14 You <b>Stalk </b><b>Me </b>

    The words ¡°Dance G¡± immediately caught my eye.

    I picked up the flyer instinctively.

    Seeing the words ¡°500¨Cthousand¨Cdor prize¡°, I perked up immediately.

    My gaze shot downward.

    It was a dance g co¨Chosted by a couple of international hotels.

    After the g ended, the audience would vote for the best dancer, who¡¯d win 500 thousand dors.

    I was greatly tempted.

    If I won, half of my dad¡¯s debt would be covered.

    The registration deadline was at midnight tonight.

    And it was already past 8:00 p.m. now.

    As I saw the address, I breathed a sigh of relief¨Cit wasn¡¯t far from here.

    Following the navigation, I came to the gate of a grand hotel.

    As soon as I entered the lobby, I spotted a familiar figure.

    It was Reynaldo.

    Fate did y cruel jokes on people.

    Howe I constantly ran into him anywhere I went?

    Chapter 14 You Stalk Me

    Right now, he was walking into the elevator with a woman by his side.

    She had a graceful figure, her long, straight hair cascading down her back.

    Somehow, my gut told me she was Kimberly.

    No wonder Reynaldo told me he wouldn¡¯te home tonight; he was here, getting a room with her.

    In the blink of an eye, I was engulfed by bitterness as well as a hint of heartache.

    Taking a deep breath, I put away all those negative emotions and walked toward the front desk.

    Now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on personal feelings.

    Money! Money was my priority for now.

    The receptionist told me politely that I should go to the conference room on the second floor for registration.

    I then went upstairs and knocked on the door of the conference room.

    Soon, a slightly familiar male voice rang out. ¡°Come in.¡±

    I tried to remember who it was for a few seconds but still couldn¡¯t.

    As I pushed open the door, I coughed because of the unpleasant tobo smell.

    Looking up, I saw several men ying pool.

    The whole room was hazy.

    What kind of conference room was this<b>? </b>

    Chapter 14 You Stalk Me

    wrong ce.¡±

    I asked, a bit uneasy, ¡°You mean I should sign up here? Where¡¯s HR? Or the judges?¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± A couple of men behind him spread their hands at me, grinning.

    They struck me as trust fund kids, and I didn¡¯t think they were professional judges.

    Johnathan crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°My family owns the hotel, and my friends and I co¨Chost the Dance G because we wanna meet more gorgeous women. So, participants are all stunning beauties who are perfect in both figure and face.

    ¡°We¡¯d rather handle the auditions ourselves than let some stuffy old men with no eye for beauty do it. Don¡¯t you agree with me, Esmie?¡±

    I rolled my eyes inwardly.

    Then I thought, ¡°He doesn¡¯t get to call me that at all!

    ¡°What a punk.

    While thinking this, I smiled fawningly, ¡°Then¡­ do you think I¡¯m qualified to attend the g?¡±

    He rubbed his chin, sizing me up. Then he nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re a ten in both figure and face, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± I asked.

    He sighed, ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna offend Reynaldo.¡±

    I was at a loss for words for a second before saying calmly, ¡°You won¡¯t. I no longer have anything to do with him.¡±

    Chapter 14 You Stalk Me

    ¡°Is that so?¡± He took out his phone and clicked the screen. Then he said, looking skeptical, ¡°What to do? I¡¯m still so scared. After all, he can be terrifying when he¡¯s mad.¡±

    In fact, I totally agreed.

    But it was just a dance g; I wasn¡¯t going to meet Winston. Why would Reynaldo be mad?

    Besides, he was upstairs, getting intimate with Kimberly. Why would he give a damn about me?

    The prize was 500 thousand dors; with it, I could cover half of Dad¡¯s debt.

    I said to Johnathan firmly, ¡°I mean it. You¡¯re thinking too much. Reynaldo and I are practically strangers now. Even if we weren¡¯t, he had no right to meddle in my business.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Johnathan dragged out his words and smiled at me slyly.

    ¡°Remember what you said. If he does go crazy, you gotta protect me.¡±

    I nodded hard.

    Deep down, I still thought he was worrying over nothing. Why would Reynaldo pick on him over such a trivial matter?

    With my repeated assurance, finally, Johnathan agreed to let me attend the g.

    It¡¯d start at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow, and he asked me to go back and get prepared.

    I came home wearily.

    Without taking a shower, Iy in bed like a starfish.

    I had to admit¨Cafter the bankruptcy, I came to realize how great my life

    had been.

    Right now, I struggled for money every day.

    I had to find a job and save up.

    Otherwise, once Reynaldo dumped me, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to make ends meet.

    As I was lost in thought, suddenly, the bathroom door was opened.

    I jerked upright immediately and saw Reynaldo walking out in his robe.

    Looking at him, I was shocked. ¡°You¡­ Weren¡¯t you in the hotel room with Kimberly?¡±

    The faint smile on his lips suggested he was in a good mood.

    Seeing this, I felt slightly relieved.

    It seemed he was no longer upset.

    Gee, Kimberly was charming indeed. After spending such a short time with her, he was already in such a great mood.

    He walked up to me, lifted my chin, and smiled at me, ¡°You were stalking me?¡±

    What?

    ¡°No. I identally spotted you,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh.¡± He pecked my lips. ¡°You know, stalking me isn¡¯t exactly an embarrassing thing. You could have admitted it.¡±

    I felt speechless.

    Chapter 14 You Stalk Me

    One minute, he was insecure, and the next, he was overly confident.

    But to say he was always a confident man seemed wrong because he sometimes doubted himself and was unbelievably paranoid.

    He was like a book that I could never seem to understand.

    His gaze on me darkened, filled with lust.

    But he had been with Kimberly earlier¨Csuch a thought made me just want to push him away.

    He leaned closer to me, and I tilted my body, saying I was tired.

    His expression darkened at once. ¡°You met Winston in the evening, and now you wouldn¡¯t let me touch me?¡±

    I felt speechless again.

    Just then, his phone rang. It was Johnathan calling.

 Too Close 15

    Chapter <b>15 </b>Ridiculous

    My heart skipped a beat.

    Was that bbermouth Johnathan gonna rat me out to Reynaldo about me going to the Dance G?

    It wasn¡¯t a big secret or anything, and it wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world if Reynaldo knew.

    But he was moody and had it in for me.

    If he found out, he might try to stop me from going.

    This was a great chance to make some cash. I couldn¡¯t afford any hups, so it was safer to keep it quiet from Reynaldo.

    As Reynaldo was about to answer his phone, I tugged at his arm.

    He nced down at my hand and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I looked at the name shing on his phone screen and said with a bit of augh. ¡°Can you not answer his call?¡±

    Reynaldo looked a little surprised and chuckled. ¡°Sure, but why?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I thought for a second, then blurted out, ¡°Johnathan is a total party animal. He¡¯s probably calling to get you to go out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go. I don¡¯t want you to get corrupted by him.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me, his eyes deep and intense, like he was trying to figure me out.

    When I started to feel all squirmy under his gaze, he suddenly asked,

    Chapter 15 Ridiculous

    ¡°Why are you worried he¡¯ll lead me astray?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ Because I like you.¡±

    The second I said it, I wanted to bite my tongue off.

    What was I even talking about?

    I was not good at lying when my brain was scrambled.

    ¡°Like me?¡± Reynaldo looked at me with a grin.

    It was that same kind of smile that made my heart race.

    I nodded kind of awkwardly, not sure what he was thinking.

    The phone had stopped ringing by now.

    Reynaldo fiddled with his phone without saying anything.

    Just as I started to feel a bit relieved, he leaned in close to my ear and whispered with a littleugh, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m gonna buy that?¡±

    I froze, and without thinking, I turned my head. There was that cold and mocking look in his eyes.

    He straightened up and said in a slow, calm voice, ¡°Back then, you were all into Johnathan, saying I wasn¡¯t as fun as him, that I was boring and stiff¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t!¡± I stammered, trying to defend myself.

    What kind of made¨Cup charge was this?

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°Seems like your memory isn¡¯t so sharp. You¡¯ve forgotten quite a few things you did.¡±

    Watching him bring up the past with that stern look on his face gave me

    Chapter 15 Ridiculou

    the creeps.

    To be honest, I had forgotten a lot of things from before.

    But he remembered everything, especially the times I had been mean to him.

    No wonder he still had it out for me.

    Reynaldo twirled a strand of my hair, with a half¨Csmile on his face. ¡°You used to tell me to hang out with him and learn from him. So why are you suddenly worried that I¡¯ll get corrupted by him now, huh?¡±

    I was totally bewildered.

    Did I say that to him before? I didn¡¯t remember any of it!

    He twisted my hair around his finger and said with a teasing smile, ¡°Esmeralda, you really love lying, don¡¯t you?¡±

    He looked all nice and gentle, but the cold gleam in his eyes was seriously creep§å.

    I was thinking about whether to say something nice to butter him up.

    Suddenly, his eyes narrowed like a predator¡¯s. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me answer Johnathan¡¯s call just now. Have you got some secret thing going on with him?¡±

    What?!

    It felt like a lightning bolt had struck me right on the head, leaving mepletely stunned.

    Reynaldo¡¯s imagination was way too out there!

    Me and Johnathan?

    No way!

    That was ridiculous!

    Reynaldo¡¯s narrow eyes were locked on me, and there was a cold glint in

    them.

    I shook my head and said, ¡°No! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d have anything going on with him. Not a chance!¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled, like he didn¡¯t believe me for a second.

    I was seriously kicking myself. If I¡¯d known he¡¯d think like that, I wouldn¡¯t have stopped him from answering Johnathan¡¯s call.

    Just then, Johnathan was calling again.

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow at me.

    I didn¡¯t dare say anything now. I pointed at the phone, urging him to

    answer it.

    He snorted, picked up the call, and turned on the speakerphone on purpose.

    ¡°Dude, it took two calls to get you to pick up. What¡¯s the deal? Did I interrupt something good?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me and grunted into the phone, ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    Johnathan clicked his tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t be so frosty. I¡¯m not Esmeralda. I didn¡¯t do anything to you.¡±

    I awkwardly rubbed my nose.

    It seemed like everyone knew I used to treat Reynaldo pretty poorly.

    Reynaldo gave me a cold smirk, and I felt embarrassed.

    I looked away and then heard him say irritably, ¡°What do you want? If it¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait. We¡¯ve got the Dance G tomorrow night. You shoulde.¡±

    ¡°Forget it!¡±

    When Reynaldo shut Johnathan down tly, I felt a little bit relieved.

    Johnathan was such a jerk. He imed he was worried Reynaldo would be mad that he let me join the g, but secretly, he practically begged Reynaldo toe.

    It was like he was afraid Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t find out I was in it.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Johnathan was still trying to coax Reynaldo. ¡°There¡¯s a surprise¨Ca big one.¡±

    ¡°Not interested!¡± Reynaldo said, totally cool and indifferent.

    Johnathan kept talking, but Reynaldo hung up on him.

    I looked at him and ventured, ¡°I heard that all the hottest girls are at this g. Aren¡¯t you gonna check it out?¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow. ¡°What? You wanna go?¡±

    I shook my head.

    He leaned over and said with a teasing smile, ¡°If you wanna go, I don¡¯t mind taking you.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t feel like it. It¡¯s just girls dancing. What¡¯s the big deal?

    Chapter 15 Riddlon

    ¡°But I¡¯m curious. Don¡¯t guys usually like watching pretty girls? You¡¯re actually not into it?¡±

    Reynaldo gave a dismissive snort. ¡°Who told you that? Speaking of which, you can¡¯t seem to take your eyes off cute guys.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡±

    Reynaldo always liked to make stuff up about me.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡± He smirked. ¡°The first time you saw Johnathan, you stared at him for a full minute.¡±

    ¡°Y¨CYou¡¯re lying! That never happened!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was my bad memory or if Reynaldo was too observant

    back then.

    Either way. I didn¡¯t remember that happening.

    Plus, Johnathan wasn¡¯t even as good¨Clooking as him. Why would I stare at Johnathan for that long?

    He must be making it up again!

    When I was thinking this, Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my chin and warned in a cold voice, ¡°Anyway, stay away from Johnathan. And that g? Just leave it alone.¡±

    I was taken aback. ¡°Why?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes narrowed coldly, looking pretty menacing.

    I quickly said, ¡°I mean, why can¡¯t I know about the g? I saw the flyer. It¡¯s just a dancepetition, right?¡±

    ¡°Dancepetition?¡± Reynaldo snorted, but didn¡¯t say much more. He

    Chapter 15 Ridiculous

    gave me another cold warning. ¡°Just stay out of their events and avoid them.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay, sure.¡±

    Thank goodness I didn¡¯t tell him I was actually in that g.

    With his attitude, he¡¯d definitely try to stop me from going.

    As I was feeling relieved, I suddenly felt a cold re from above¡­

 Too Close 16

    Chapter 16 Going to <b>the </b><b>G </b>

    I looked up, surprised, and right into Reynaldo¡¯s cold eyes.

    My heart tightened. ¡°Uh¡­ What¡¯s up now?¡± I asked carefully.

    Reynaldo squinted his sharp eyes and leaned in. ¡°I get the vibe that you¡¯re kinda into this g. You didn¡¯t actually sign up, did you?¡±

    ¡°N¨CNo¡­¡± I shook my head, sounding sure.

    He let out a cold hum. ¡°Good. That¡¯s not a ce for you.¡±

    I was totally confused.

    It was just a dance g. Why couldn¡¯t I go?

    But I didn¡¯t dare ask anymore right then.

    After Reynaldo warned me, he got another call.

    It was probably from his crush.

    He walked over to the window while he answered, and his voice was soft

    and sweet.

    I watched him, and I couldn¡¯t help feeling a little jealous.

    He had never talked to me like that.

    I didn¡¯t want to listen to him being all lovey¨Cdovey with his crush, so I went to the bathroom.

    From there, I could faintly hear Reynaldo telling his crush that he had got a business trip to Steelville tomorrow.

    So there was no way he was gonna make it to that g tomorrow.

    Thinking about it, I finally felt at ease.

    I figured that after Reynaldo talked to his crush, he¡¯d go right over to see her.

    But when I came out of the bathroom, he was still in the room.

    He was leaning against the window, smoking, and staring off into the distance with a faraway look in his eyes, like he was thinking about something serious.

    I didn¡¯t want to interrupt him, so I tiptoed over to the bed.

    ¡°Come here!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice, cool and steady, stopped me in my tracks.

    I paused, then turned around and walked over to him, doing what he said.

    When I got close, he reached out, wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me into a hug.

    The smell of tobo was in the air.

    I looked at him.

    I don¡¯t know if it was my imagination, but I thought I saw a little bit of sadness in his eyes.

    For a moment, he seemed like the old, quiet, and gentle Reynaldo again.

    He looked at me without saying anything.

    His eyes were focused and deep, almost like he was feeling something strong.

    Chapter 16 Going to the Ga

    <b>11 </b>

    If I didn¡¯t know he had a thing for his crush, I¡¯d almost think he liked me.

    After <b>I </b>got myself together, I grinned at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you have a fight with your crush?¡±

    Reynaldo frowned, and the gloomy look in his eyes disappeared right away. His gaze turned sharp and intense.

    He snorted, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t fight with her, no way.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I replied casually, but I felt a bit off inside.

    Winston was right. Reynaldo¡¯s crush was special to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading to Steelville on a business trip first thing tomorrow,¡± he said out of the blue.

    I nodded and asked, just to be polite, ¡°How long are you gonna be gone?¡±

    ¡°How long do you want me to be there?¡± he shot back, staring <b>at </b>me with those deep eyes.

    My heart started pounding uncontrobly.

    I looked away and smiled, ¡°You should stay as long as you need. You gotta finish your work before youe back, right<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    He let out a sudden, coldugh. ¡°You seem like you¡¯d be happy if I stayed longer, like you¡¯d love it if I never came back, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    See, he got suspicious again.

    Reynaldo pushed me away with a cold shrug. ¡°Pack up. You¡¯reing with me to Steelville tomorrow morning.¡±

    Chapter 16 Going to

    ¡°What?¡±

    I was caught off guard and quickly refused, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t wanna go.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Reynaldo gave me a sideways look, his eyes cold and a little intimidating

    I stammered, ¡°Steelville is so far away. I¡­ I haven¡¯t been feeling greattely. I shouldn¡¯t be traveling.

    ¡°If you¡¯re bored on the trip, you could always bring your crush along.¡±

    I had no clue what I said that ticked him off, but his face darkened all of a

    sudden.

    I backed up a couple of steps and watched him carefully. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad. I really don¡¯t wanna go to Steelville.¡±

    I had got that g to go to tomorrow and the 500 thousand dors to

    earn.

    No way I was going to Steelville with him.

    Reynaldo took slow puffs of his cigarette, staring at me with cold eyes for a good minute.

    I wrung my hands nervously and didn¡¯t dare say another word.

    When the cigarette burned out, he stubbed it out and said indifferently, ¡°Fine, forget it if you don¡¯t wanna go.¡±

    I let out a sigh of relief<b>. </b>

    He straightened up and walked outside. As he passed me, he nced at me and said in a cool tone, ¡°While I¡¯m gone, you¡¯d better behave yourself and not do anything <b>to </b>make me angry.¡±

    Chapter 15¨CGoing to the G

    ¡°Yeah, I definitely will,¡± I promised firmly.

    Without another look at me, he walked right out..

    Reynaldo was probably still mad because he stayed in his study the whole night.

    Madisyn made some mushroom soup and asked me to take it to him.

    I figured it couldn¡¯t hurt to try to butter him up, so I brought the soup over with <b>a </b>big smile.

    But he didn¡¯t even look at me. When I told him to eat it while it was hot, he ignored me.

    After I went back to my room and got into bed, I couldn¡¯t sleep.

    My mind kept shing back to all the times I used to boss Reynaldo around.

    Back then, he¡¯d try to make me happy and be super nice, but I never even looked at him.

    Now that he was treating me this way, I guess I deserved it.

    When I woke up the next day, Reynaldo was already gone.

    Madisyn said I didn¡¯t have a heart. I knew Reynaldo was leaving early for a business trip but didn¡¯t get up to see him off.

    She also said Reynaldo looked kind of upset when he left.

    She thought he would¡¯ve been happy if I had seen him off.

    But I thought Madisyn was reading too much into it.

    I wasn¡¯t Reynaldo¡¯s crush. He¡¯d only be happy if his crush saw him off.

    Chapter 16 Going to the G

    If I tried to see him off, it would only make things more awkward.

    In the afternoon, I texted Johnathan, asking if I needed to prepare my own. outfit and look for the dance.

    He said it wasn¡¯t necessary. Everything would be taken care of.

    I just needed to tell him the name of the dance I was going to perform.

    Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was already evening.

    The g started at seven, but we had to get there two hours early.

    When I got there, the backstage was crowded. Everyone was pretty.

    I had to say, Johnathan and his crew knew how to pick them.

    There were so many people that I couldn¡¯t even find a ce to sit, let alone have a personal makeup artist or stylist.

    Maybe because he remembered some old times, Johnathan called me over to a separate dressing room shortly after I arrived.

    As I walked behind Johnathan, I heard some people talking behind my back.

    But whatever, gossip couldn¡¯t hurt me.

    My goal was 500 thousand dors, and no amount of gossip was gonna stop me.

    As I walked into the dressing room, Johnathan looked at me and smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually show up.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°Well, since I signed up, of course I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Did Reynaldo know about this?¡±

    ¡°Why tell him? Also, don¡¯t mention it to him. It¡¯s just for tonight. No need to make a big deal out of it.¡±

    Johnathan lowered his head and lit a cigarette. After taking a drag, he smiled, ¡°You¡¯re here for the 500 thousand dors, right?¡±

    I tilted my head and looked at him. ¡°Come on, isn¡¯t everyone here for it?¡±

    He nodded with a smile. ¡°Actually, you didn¡¯t have toe. You could¡¯ve just asked Reynaldo directly. He¡¯s generous. If you asked, he¡¯d give your way more than 500 thousand dors.¡±

    Huh!

    I didn¡¯t like the sound of that.

    I could earn money on my own. Why did I need to ask Reynaldo?

    Besides, he didn¡¯t owe me anything.

    I replied casually, ¡°Where¡¯s the costume? I¡¯ll get changed first.¡±

    Johnathan gave me a long look and smiled, like he was thinking something but not saying it.

 Too Close 17

    Chapter <b>17 </b><b>The </b>Dance <b>G </b>

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t wanna tell Reynaldo about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I said firmly.

    Johnathan snickered quietly, looking as sly as a fox.

    I was sure Reynaldo was on a business trip in Steelville right now, or I¡¯d almost think he was already here.

    Johnathan quickly had someone bring over the costume.

    My lips twitched as I looked at it. ¡°Uh¡­ Did they get the wrong costume?¡±

    It was a sexy, kind of provocative maid outfit.

    The skirt was super short and came with ck stockings.

    This didn¡¯t look like something for dancing at all.

    Johnathan smiled at me innocent¨Clike. ¡°Everyone has got outfits like this. This is the most decent and good¨Clooking one I could find. I saved it just for you.¡±

    I ran out to check, and sure enough, he was right.

    Other people¡¯s costumes were even more revealing and crazy.

    Some were just wearing bikinis.

    Johnathan grinned at me. ¡°Do you believe me now? Yours is the most conservative one.¡±

    Chapter <b>17 </b>The Dance Gals

    I asked uncertainly, ¡°This is really a dance g?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You guys are gonna perform on stage, and the audience is gonna vote for you.

    ¡°The one with the most votes gets the prize money of 500 thousand dors.

    ¡°So, if you wanna win it, you¡¯d better give it your all when you dance.¡±

    It was only then that I realized this might not be a proper dance.petition at all.

    There were no professional judges.

    To get the most votes, it seemed like just dancing well might not be enough. I¡¯d probably have to please the audience as well.

    Seeing me hesitate, Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you don¡¯t wanna do it, that¡¯s cool. It¡¯s just 500 thousand dors. You could always act cute with Reynaldo and get it from him¡­..¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± I cut him off, keeping my tone casual.

    No matter what, I wanted to give it a shot.

    If I could avoid asking Reynaldo for anything, I definitely would.

    Given how things were between us now, it¡¯d be embarrassing to ask him for even a penny.

    Johnathan grinned at me. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve decided, go get changed. I¡¯ll have my buddies vote for you as a favor.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied with a polite smile, then headed to the dressing room with the costume.

    Chapter 17 The Dance G

    I had never worn anything like this before.

    It was one thing if it were a normal maid outfit, but this design felt sleazy.

    Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt so embarrassed that I didn¡¯t even want to go out.

    I must have spent too long in the dressing room, because there was a knock on the door.

    ¡°Hey, Esmie, are you done changing yet? The makeup artist and hairstylist are waiting for you, and the g is about to start.¡±

    I took a deep breath in front of the mirror.

    I thought, ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s just a dance, and it¡¯s only happening once.

    ¡°What can I say? I really need the money.

    ¡°Since I¡¯m broke, 500 thousand dors is a huge deal.¡±

    I got myself together, opened the door, and walked out.

    As soon as I stepped out, I could feel a few pairs of eyes on me.

    I turned my head and saw Johnathan and his buddies staring at me without blinking.

    Their looks were anything but innocent.

    I touched my nose and cleared my throat awkwardly, and they finally snapped out of it.

    Johnathan smirked. ¡°Whoa, not bad. Esmie, you look so gorgeous!¡±

    The guy next to him got all excited. ¡°More than that! Check out her legs, and that waist¡­ Man, if she were to¡­¡±

    Chapter 17 The Dance G

    Smack!

    Before he could finish, Johnathan pped his hand over his eyes.

    ¡°Are you trying to get yourself killed? You¡¯ve got the nerve to eye up Reynaldo¡¯s girl?¡±

    ¡°What? Reynaldo¡¯s girl?¡± The guy turned pale. He quickly covered his own eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not looking. I don¡¯t dare. I¡¯m outta here!¡±

    With that, he bolted out like a shot.

    I walked up to Johnathan and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t go telling everyone I¡¯m with Reynaldo. I don¡¯t have anything with him anymore. If it gets back to the girl he truly loves, that¡¯s gonna be awkward.¡±

    ¡°Wait, his true love isn¡¯t you?¡±

    Johnathan looked at me in surprise. The next second, he quickly looked away, a flicker of awkwardness crossing his handsome face.

    I guessed he might not know about Reynaldo¡¯s crush, so I didn¡¯t say much

    more.

    ¡°It could never be me.¡±

    With that, I walked over toward the makeup mirror.

    Behind me, Johnathan muttered in confusion, ¡°If not you, then who? I¡¯ve never seen him act so humble in front of anyone else.¡±

    Hearing this, I almost wanted tough.

    Was Reynaldo humble in front of me because he liked me?

    No way! He was poor, powerless, and lowly back then, so he had no choice but to be humble.

    Chapter 17 The Dance G

    Look at him now¨Che was anything but humble!

    He acted like a boss, always expecting me to wait on him hand and foot.

    And if I didn¡¯t do it well enough, he¡¯d get moody.

    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t imagine Reynaldo liking me.

    If I were in his shoes, I wouldn¡¯t like someone who had once bullied and

    mistreated me like that.

    In fact, I¡¯d probably be even more ruthless than him. I¡¯d make sure everyone who had ever wronged me paid for it.

    Compared to that, he had been incredibly kind to me.

    The makeup artist did a sultry look for me. With the maid outfit, it made me look even more provocative.

    I nced <i>in </i>the mirror and quickly looked away.

    The reflection was too much to handle.

    A lot of people outside hadn¡¯t finished their makeup, so I ended up waiting in the lounge for another half hour before the g officially started.

    Johnathan showed me the schedule, and I was listed as thest performer.

    There were 36 people in total.

    I guessed I had a long wait ahead. I should have changed into this outfitter.

    It made me feel really uneasy.

    Johnathan was being nice. He didn¡¯t want me to get bored, so he found

    Chapter 17 The Dance G

    me a quiet spot to watch the other performers first.

    The ce was packed, and it was all guys.

    When the music kicked in, the whole room got lively.

    Soon, the first girl got up on stage.

    She was pretty, but she didn¡¯t seem to know much about dancing. She just kind of wriggled around a bit.

    But even that got her some cheers from the crowd.

    Then it was the second girl, the third¡­

    I was sitting in my chair, almost dozing off.

    Most of the girls didn¡¯t really know how to dance; they were kind of iling around.

    But the audience seemed to love it.

    For 500 thousand dors, I was starting to think maybe I should do the

    same.

    After what felt like forever, it was finally my turn.

    When I stepped on stage, I was a bit nervous, especially in this outfit.

    It felt like I was standing there naked in front of everyone.

    I nced down at the audience, and the next second, my breath caught in my throat.

 Too Close 18

    Chapter <b>18 </b>Reynaldo¡¯s <b>Presence </b>

    I thought I saw Reynaldo!

    I quickly turned my head and looked around in the audience, but I couldn¡¯t find him.

    My imagination might have yed tricks on me.

    Reynaldo was in Steelville right now. There was no way he could be here.

    While I was lost in thought, the music started up.

    I had been dancing for twenty years.

    As soon as the music hit, I got into the groove.

    I told Johnathan it was gonna be a regr modern dance, but I knew the crowd loved some hip¨Cswaying, so I threw in a few extra moves.

    The cheers were loud.

    Then I thought about my dad¡¯s 1.05 million debt and my mom¡¯s tearful face.

    I danced even harder, hoping to get the most votes.

    A few minutester, the music stopped and the dance was over.

    The cheering and pping wouldn¡¯t stop.

    I bowed to the audience and headed backstage.

    There, I could tell the other girls were looking at me differently.

    Chapter 18 Reynaldo¡¯s Presence

    At first, they gave me these looks like I was nothing, all full of scorn and jealousy, thinking I got in through connections.

    But now, their eyes held a hint of surprise and admiration, like they didn¡¯t expect I could actually dance.

    Soon, Johnathan strode in, his face beaming with excitement as he said to me, ¡°Hey, Esmie, your dance was amazing! I didn¡¯t know you were this good!¡±

    I smiled at him, being humble.

    Then he got closer, his face smirky and cheeky. ¡°You¡¯ve got such great looks and talent. Why would you evene to this g?

    ¡°Just put on that outfit and dance for Reynaldo, and he¡¯d give you way more than 500 thousand dors. Like, 5 million!¡±

    I stared at him, speechless.

    He sure knew how to stretch the truth.

    About ten minutester, it was time for the voting.

    Each contestant¡¯s photo and number were up on the huge screen.

    I was No. 36.

    When the host said it was time to vote, the numbers under each contestant started ticking up.

    Everyone in the audience could only vote once. Whoever got the most. votes would be the champion of this Dance G and win 500 thousand dors.

    I was glued to the screen.

    ¡±

    I thought to myself, ¡°If I weren¡¯t hard up, I¡¯d have to be out of my mind toe to this crazy g.¡±

    But I asked him nervously, ¡°You don¡¯t mean we have to split the money, do you?¡±

    Johnathan clicked his tongue. ¡°Come on, give us some credit. If there are two first ces, both winners get 500 thousand dors. Splitting it would beme.¡±

    Hearing that, I felt a lot better.

    When I got up on stage, Amelia was chatting it up with the audience.

    Her sweet smile and cute, flirty voice were totally winning over the crowd.

    I stood there awkwardly, hoping the host would hurry up and give out the awards.

    Thankfully, he came over quickly.

    He stood between me and Amelia and said with a grin, ¡°I¡¯m gonna announce that these two are tied for first ce, and they¡¯re gonna each get¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Just then, a deep, strong voice cut through from the audience.

    My heart jolted because I knew it was Reynaldo.

    Lautomatically looked down at the audience.

    A tall guy slowly stepped out from the shadows in the back.

    He had a cold<b>, </b>serious look in his eyes, and he seemed intimidating.

    11

    I stared nkly at him, with a chill down my spine.

    I clenched my fists without even realizing it.

    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be on a business trip in Steelville? Why was he here?

    Didn¡¯t he say he didn¡¯t care about this stuff? So why did he show up?

    All these questions were running through my head, and they turned into. growing fear.

    Reynaldo was a big deal in the business world, and he had this natural way of making people feel a little scared.

    As soon as he spoke, the whole ce went dead silent.

    The host froze for a second, then quickly put on an ingratiating smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mr. Humphrey! Why didn¡¯t you tell us you wereing? We could¡¯ve saved you the best seat!¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything. He kept staring at me with his cold eyes.

    I instinctively took a couple of steps back, my hands getting all sweaty.

    Then, out of nowhere, Johnathan popped out from backstage.

    He smiled at Reynaldo. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re in the middle of the awards. Can¡¯t you wait till it¡¯s over?¡±

    ¡°Awards?¡± Reynaldo gave a littleugh. ¡°The rankings aren¡¯t even decided yet. What awards are you talking about?¡±

    My heart sank.

    Johnathan looked puzzled. ¡°What do you mean? They¡¯re tied for first, right?¡±

    Chapter 10 Reynaldo¡¯s Presence

    Reynaldo gave me a chilly smile.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t voted yet.¡±

    Just like that, the room got stirred up.

    The host chimed in, ¡°So Mr. Humphrey hasn¡¯t voted yet! Perfect timing! If he casts that key vote for either No. 27 or No. 36, we¡¯ll know who¡¯s first, right?¡±

    I stood there, totally stiff, looking at Reynaldo.

    Was he gonna vote for Amelia?

    And if he did, what was I supposed to do?

    In two days, those casino guys were gonnae knocking on my dad¡¯s door for the debt.

    My brother hadn¡¯t got back to me.

    If I didn¡¯t get the money, what was gonna happen to my dad? What about my family?

    My mind was spinning.

    Right then, I was feeling pretty ticked off at Reynaldo.

    I was tied for first with Amelia, which meant I could get 500 thousand dors. Why did he have toe out of nowhere and throw a wrench in the works?

    When I was stressed out, Johnathan leaned in next to me and said with a smirk, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Reynaldo would show up like this. You think he¡¯ll vote for you?¡±

    I clenched my fists and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Meanwhile, Amelia was flirting with Reynaldo, acting all sweet.

    She giggled. ¡°Mr. Humphrey, I¡¯ve heard so much about you! You look even better in person than on TV.¡±

    Johnathan nudged my arm and whispered, ¡°You should flirt with him too, or give him apliment. If he votes for Amelia, you¡¯re gonna be outta luck.¡±

    ?

 Too Close 19

    Chapter <b>19 </b>I Lost

    Act coy with him?

    No way!

    Compliment him?

    But the words just wouldn¡¯te out when I looked at that cold face.

    I stared at him and struggled for a long time before finally managing to say, ¡°Could you please vote for me? This means a lot to me. Really.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    Reynaldo smirked, looking indifferent.

    That one smirk chilled me to the bone.

    He hated me, so there was no way he¡¯d let me get what I wanted.

    But I needed that 500 thousand dors.

    I¡¯ve cast aside my pride and worked so hard to get here. I couldn¡¯t fail

    now.

    Johnathan grew impatient and said to Reynaldo, ¡°Come on, stop with the suspense. Just cast your vote already!¡±

    I stared hard at Reynaldo.

    As long as he didn¡¯t vote for Amelia, I¡¯d get the money.

    But it was obvious he showed up at thest minute just to ruin things for<ol><li><b>me</b>. What should I do?How could I convince him to let me go just this once?

    Reynaldo looked at me, a yful smile tugging at his lips.

    My heart sank again.

    That look on his face told me he was about to vote for Amelia.

    Panic surged.

    Just as he was about to speak, I ran off the stage and grabbed his hand, practically begging. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t vote for Amelia, I¡¯ll agree to anything.¡±

    ¡°Come on, she¡¯s really begging for votes like that? No shame at all.¡±

    ¡°Haha! She was ying the pure act earlier. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so bold in front of Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    The audience started to whisper and mock me.

    Amelia rolled her eyes at me in contempt

    Johnathan stood with arms crossed, clearly enjoying the show.

    ¡°Wait, now that I look closely, isn¡¯t she Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex¨Cwife?¡±

    ¡°Oh wow, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°I heard she used to bully Mr. Humphrey using her family¡¯s power. Now she¡¯s trying so hard to butter him up. Pathetic.¡±

    I ignored the mockery, clinging tightly to Reynaldo¡¯s arm.

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze to my hand and let out a soft chuckle, ¡°Anything?¡±

    Chapter 101 Lost

    I nodded vigorously.

    He sneered, ¡°Do you think I¡¯d still believe you?¡±

    Then, without hesitation, he cast his vote for Amelia.

    I froze, staring at the giant screen.

    Amelia now had one more vote than me. She was the winner. And I had lost the 500 thousand dors.

    Amelia jumped for joy onstage, even throwing me a smug look of triumph.

    The crowdughed louder now, saying that Reynaldo would never vote for me even if I stripped for him.

    The world around me blurred in a haze of noise and ridicule.

    A fog of tears welled in my eyes.

    Through the haze, I could still clearly see his cold, indifferent face.

    He did it on purpose.

    He didn¡¯t want me to win.

    He was punishing me. He was getting revenge.

    But I told him this was important to me.

    Why did he still do this?

    I knew he hated and loathed me, but he could hit me or curse at me. Why did he have to do this to me?

    Sadness surged in my chest, tinged with resentment.

    Chapter 19 Lest

    Tears in my eyes, I stared at him and choked out through clenched teeth, ¡°Reynaldo, I hate you!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, eyes narrowing.

    Before he could explode, I turned and ran.

    There was no prize now. I just wanted to leave.

    I ran out of the hotel. The night wind whipped past me, freezing me to the bone.

    I wrapped my arms around myself, my heart aching.

    Johnathan soon chased after me.

    He grabbed my arm, grinning cheekily, ¡°Hey, Esmic, don¡¯t leave. Let¡¯s talk this out, okay?¡±

    I flung his hand off hard and said coldly, ¡°You brought Reynaldo here on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Reynaldo was supposed to be on a business trip in Steelville. If it hadn¡¯t been for Johnathan telling him I was participating in this Dance G, how else would Reynaldo have suddenly shown up here?

    Thinking back, when Johnathan casually asked me if I wanted to tell Reynaldo about the Dance G, I should¡¯ve known he¡¯d bring him here.

    I guessed I just thought too well of him.

    He was a frivolous rich boy who found joy in messing with others. How could he have really wanted to help me?

    Johnathan chuckled but didn¡¯t deny it.

    I gave a bitterugh, ¡°Do you guys think it¡¯s fun to screw me over like

    this?¡±

    ¡°Esmie, don¡¯t say that. I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d turn out like this. Besides, it¡¯s just 500 thousand dors. Why don¡¯t you just ask him-

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± I cut him off coldly. ¡°You frivolous boys don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    Johnathan frowned, frustrated. ¡°Who says I don¡¯t? I know a lot.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to hear another word from him and quickly got into a cab by the roadside.

    The thought of Reynaldo voting for Amelia just so I¡¯d lose the 500 thousand dors made my chest ache.

    Indeed, I used to be awful to him, but I knew it was wrong now.

    These days, I¡¯d let him insult me however he wanted. Wasn¡¯t that enough?

    I¡¯d fought so hard to participate in this event just for that 500 thousand dors. Why did he have to do this to me?

    The more I thought, the more it hurt.

    I turned to look out the window, my vision blurring.

    The cab stopped at a red light.

    ¡°Miss, where are you headed?<b>¡± </b>

    The driver nced back at me, a funny look on his face.

    That was when I realized I had forgotten to change.

    I was still wearing the revealing maid costume from the show.

    <b>¡± </b>

    I looked around. It was past midnight, and all the clothing stores were closed.

    Luckily, my parents lived nearby.

    I gave the address, and the driver started the car again.

    Ten minutester, we arrived.

    As I got out, the driver kindly reminded me, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t wander around dressed like that thiste. It¡¯s not safe.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said sincerely, then hurried toward my parents¡® building.

    At their door, just as I raised my hand to knock, I heard crying inside.

    It was my mom. ¡°What are we going to do? They¡¯ll being to collect the debt in two days. What are we going to do then?¡±

    ¡°Can you stop crying? Do I look worried? Just calm down.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just hoping the kids can bail us out again. Our son¡¯s right. We can¡¯t let Ralda go suffer any more humiliation.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? Asking her to get money from Reynaldo is not humiliation.

    ¡°Besides, she¡¯s my sweetheart too. I hate seeing her suffer. But we¡¯ve run out of options!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. If you hadn¡¯t gambled, none of this would¡¯ve happened!¡±

    ¡°Come on, enough already! I only gambled because I wanted to make aeback and to give you a better life. What did I do wrong?!¡±

    The crying turned into full¨Cblown arguing.

    Chapter 19 I Lost

    I stood frozen outside the door. My hand paused mid¨Cair and eventually curled into a fist.

    I used to loveing home. It always felt warm andforting.

    But now this ¡°home¡± felt foreign, even a little repulsive.

    I turned and quietly walked away.

    Back downstairs, I pulled out my phone and called my brother.

    Quentin took a while to pick up. There was background noise, and his voice was breathless. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ralda?¡±

    ¡°Can you-¡±

    ¡°Quentin!¡±</li></ol>

 Too Close 20

    Chapter 20 <b>Run </b><b>Away </b><b>From </b>a Pervert

    Before I could speak, someone called out to my brother from the other end of the line.

    Quentin quickly said, ¡°Ralda, I¡¯ll call you back, okay? I¡¯ve got something to take care of right now¡­¡±

    The call ended. I was going to ask if he coulde pick me up, but those words never made it out.

    I slowly wrapped my arms around myself, staring into the pitch¨Cck night. For the first time, I felt the destion of being truly homeless.

    <b>I </b>sat down on the steps in a daze, not knowing where else to go.

    Should I try Vonnie?

    But she wasn¡¯t in Freybourne now.

    She messaged me this morning saying she was going to the countryside to visit her mother and wouldn¡¯t be back for a few days.

    The night wind was chilly, but my heart felt even colder.

    It was already thiste, and my brother was still busy, probably trying to scrape together 1.05 million dors for my dad¡¯s gambling debt.

    Meanwhile, after all I¡¯d gone through today, I¡¯d achieved nothing.

    Just thinking about the 500 thousand dors that slipped right through my fingers made me want to cry.

    I hugged my knees as sorrow welled up in my chest.

    Chapter 20 Run Away From a Pervert

    Suddenly, behind me, a strangeugh rang out.

    My scalp went numb. I jerked my head around and saw a man staring straight at me.

    His face was slightly flushed, probably because he¡¯d been drinking.

    He didn¡¯te any closer, just leaning against the elevator entrance and smiling at me.

    The way he looked at me and the way he smiled were kind of weird and creepy. It was like he had a mental problem or something.

    Who knows how long he had been watching me like that?

    A chill ran down my spine. I quickly stood up and walked away.

    After some distance, I pulled out my phone and nned to call a cab to a nearby hotel.

    But then, I noticed another shadow on the ground.

    I turned around, and that creepy guy had followed me.

    Fear flooded me.

    I took off toward the main road.

    He chased after me, calling out, ¡°Hey, chick!¡±

    Hisughter sent shivers down my spine.

    This was a high¨Cend residential area, quiet and secluded. All around, it was pitch dark.

    There was not a single person in sight. Not even a car.

    My only chance was to make it to the main road.

    Chapter 20 fun Away from a Pervert

    There were always cars passing through there.

    In the middle of running, I fumbled with my phone, trying to call my parents for help.

    However, just as I opened the contact list, the phone was out of battery. and went dead.

    My heart sank.

    What should I do now?

    The main road was still a long way off.

    That pervert ran fast, almost catching up with me.

    Should I hide?

    Frantically, I looked around.

    There were several alleys between the buildings.

    The pervert was getting closer and closer.

    I gritted my teeth and darted into the alley on the left.

    In the end, it split into two more paths.

    I ran like hell and turned right.

    Then, I kept weaving through twists and turns until even I had no idea where I¡¯d ended up.

    I had no clue whether I¡¯d ditched him.

    But I was too tired to

    continue running.

    Leaning against a wall, I gasped for breath.

    Chapter 10 Run Away From a

    After a while, I straightened up and tried to take in my surroundings.

    Not far away was a tall building, lit up brightly. Through the glow, I vaguely saw the words ¡°Malgrave Hotel¡°.

    If I could just get there, I¡¯d be safe.

    I was about to walk out of the alley and head toward the hotel when at human shadow suddenly appeared at the entrance of the alley.

    Fear flooded me, and I instinctively covered my mouth.

    It was a dead¨Cend. If that man came in, there¡¯d be nowhere to run.

    I pressed myself t against the wall, silently praying he hadn¡¯t seen me.

    The alley was deathly quiet. My whole body was tense with fear.

    Under the moonlight, the shadow crept forward like a ghost.

    He hade in!

    I nearly screamed.

    I mped both hands over my mouth, trembling uncontrobly.

    Still, he had spotted me. Step by step, he approached.

    The sound of his footsteps pounded on my nerves like a hammer.

    As he got closer and closer, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I screamed and ran toward the exit of the alley.

    Just as I passed him, he reached out with a long arm and yanked me back.

    A wave of terror exploded in my head. I struggled desperately, screaming, ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡±

    Chapter 20 Run Away From a Pervert

    But in the very next second, he mmed me hard against the wall.

    His strength was overwhelming. My back hit the wall, and my whole body trembled from the pain.

    But I didn¡¯t have time to feel the pain.

    I kept struggling, screaming frantically.

    Then, above my head came a cold chuckle, ¡°Now you¡¯re scared? You should¡¯ve thought about this before running around at night.¡±

    That familiar voice pierced straight through me like music from heaven.

    <b>I </b>froze, unable to process what had just happened.

    He crushed his lips onto mine, the kiss harsh, punishing, furious.

    His hands roamed my body, and fingers hooked around the strap of my top as he growled, ¡°Out here dressed like this in the middle of the night¡­ How much do you want some creep to get ideas?¡±

    It was him.

    It was Reynaldo.

    Only he could say such cruel things to me in that tone.

    The fear that had gripped me just moments ago dissolved, and with it went all my strength. My legs gave out, and I copsed toward the ground.

    He caught me by the waist and snorted, ¡°Weren¡¯t you just running like hell? What¡¯s with the jelly legs now?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. Not because I didn¡¯t want to, but because I physically couldn¡¯t.

    Chapter 20 Run Away From a Pervert

    He slipped an arm under my knees and lifted me up.

    As we walked out of the alley, the moonlight lit up his face. I finally saw him clearly.

    His brows were tightly knit, his cold face filled with rage.

    Staring at him, I started to sob for no reason.

    He nced down at me, scoffing as if trying to suppress some deep¨Cseated. fury.

    But shouldn¡¯t I be the one who was angry?

    If he hadn¡¯t voted for Amelia, I wouldn¡¯t have lost that 500 thousand dors and gotten upset. Then I wouldn¡¯t havee to my parents¡® or encountered that pervert.

    Just thinking about that 500 thousand dors I¡¯d lost made my chest ache.

    Reynaldo shoved me roughly into the car.

    Soon, the car sped off.

    I sat there nkly, staring ahead with tears streaming down my cheeks uncontrobly.

    He drove fast. Before long, we were home.

    He threw me onto the bed. Before I could even move, he was already on top of me.

    His eyes were filled with fury and aggression.

    But thinking about those 500 thousand dors, I no longer felt afraid of him, only full of resentment.

    Chapter 20 Pun Away From a Pervert

    I pushed hard against his chest. ¡°Get off me!¡±

    He sneered coldly, ¡°When you were scared out of your mind in that alley, why didn¡¯t you tell me to get off?¡±

    I stayed silent.

    He narrowed his eyes, a lustful heat burning within them.

    His gaze roamed over me from head to toe.

    felt ufortable, instinctively tugging down my miniskirt.

    He scoffed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you wear this for men to see? Why are you covering it now?¡±

    My heart clenched sharply.

    He used to be so gentle and submissive. I never imagined he¡¯d say something so mean to me one day.

    I turned my face away, biting my lip, holding back the urge to cry.

    But he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

 Too Close 21

    Chapter 21 <b>Don¡¯t </b><b>Lie </b>to <b>Me </b><b>Again </b>

    His expression was dark and brooding as Reynaldo said, ¡°What did I tell you before I left on that business trip? Hmm?¡±

    I remained silent.

    And Reynaldo was truly pissed. His fingers gripped my chin so hard it hurt.

    He snapped icily, ¡°I warned you not to do anything that would piss me off. You promised me you wouldn¡¯t. And what happened?

    ¡°Esmeralda, you really love to lie, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The shameful maid costume I wore crumpled under his grip.

    I covered my chest, my eyes reddened. ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡±

    His voice wasced with a frightening, violent edge.

    ¡°You wore something like this and danced your heart out on stage to seduce some rich man.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do this to you, those men out there would¡¯ve done the same.

    ¡°What, they could do it, but not me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him with rage and sorrow. ¡°Do you even hear yourself right

    now?¡±

    Chapter 21 Don¡¯t Lie to Me Again

    Chapter 21 Don¡¯t <b>Lie </b><b>to </b>Me <b>Again </b>

    His expression was dark and brooding as Reynaldo said, ¡°What did I tell you before I left on that business trip? Hmm?¡±

    I remained silent.

    And Reynaldo was truly pissed. His fingers gripped my chin so hard it hurt.

    He snapped icily, ¡°I warned you not to do anything that would piss me off. You promised me you wouldn¡¯t. And what happened?

    ¡°Esmeralda, you really love to lie, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The shameful maid costume I wore crumpled under his grip.

    I covered my chest, my eyes reddened. ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡±

    His voice wasced with a frightening, violent edge.

    ¡°You wore something like this and danced your heart out on stage to seduce some rich man.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do this to you, those men out there would¡¯ve done the same.

    ¡°What, they could do it, but not me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him with rage and sorrow. ¡°Do you even hear yourself right now?¡±

    <b>11-51 </b>

    Reynaldo let out a bitter, angryugh, ¡°What? I¡¯m just telling the truth.

    ¡°Esmeralda. I really didn¡¯t think you¡¯d stoop so low to wear this kind of outfit.

    ¡°I knew you lived a wild life, but I didn¡¯t know you had no shame at all!¡±

    ¡°I have no shame?!¡± I screamed through my tears.

    The resentment in my chest exploded, especially when I thought about how he voted for Amelia.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything! I worked so hard to earn those votes! I was this close to winning first ce and getting that prize money!

    ¡°Why did you have to interfere? Couldn¡¯t you have just abstained and let me tie with Amelia?

    ¡°Why did you have to hurt me? Why?!¡±

    ¡°Let you win first ce?¡± Reynaldo scoffed. ¡°Then what? So they could. put a price tag on you and auction you off to the highest bidder for a night?¡±

    I froze. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t some innocent dancepetition.

    ¡°And I warned you, the people behind it are dirty. Stay away from their

    games.

    ¡°But you just wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±

    I shook my head, stunned. ¡°No¡­ that can¡¯t be. Why didn¡¯t Johnathan tell me this beforehand?¡±

    He chuckled, ¡°Everyone knew the rules of that game except you.

    Chapter 21 Dont Lie to Me Again

    ¡°Esmeralda, you never listen.

    ¡°You just need some punishment!¡±

    Thatst sentence was especially cruel.

    I clutched his arm, ring at him through tears. ¡°You¡¯re an animal.¡±

    Suddenly, I regretted it all.

    I regretted ever bing his lover.

    His former gentleness was all an act.

    His true nature was far more cruel, far more vicious than I had imagined.

    This time, I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.

    I was just trying to make money on my own. I hadn¡¯t betrayed him.

    It was not fair.

    I pounded on his chest, sobbing, pushing him away.

    My voice was hoarse from crying.

    Only then did he finally bend down and pull me into his arms, whispering in a husky voice, ¡°Are you gonna lie to me again?¡±

    I curled up in his embrace, shaking my head.

    He kissed my tears, his touch finally softening.

    But after this, I was truly afraid of him.

    I could no longer connect this man with the obedient, quiet husband he

    used to be.

    Soil Lar In Me Again

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t stop until after midnight.

    Half¨Cconscious and still crying, I felt him hug me from behind.

    I tried to edge away, but he only pulled me back firmly into his arms, holding me tight.

    I cursed him bitterly under my breath, but I had no strength left to resist.

    Fine. Let him hold me if he wanted.

    At least now I knew never to judge a person by appearances.

    This man seemed so decent and restrained in public, but he was a wild animal in bed.

    The next morning, I woke up thirsty.

    Reynaldo was already gone.

    I looked at the mess of tangled sheets and recalled the aggressive way he actedst night, anger and sorrow churning in my heart.

    I got out of bed to get a ss of water.

    But as soon as my feet touched the floor, my legs gave out, and I copsed.

    <b>I </b>sat there on the floor, disheveled and miserable, unable to stand even after a long while.

    And just then, the door opened.

    Reynaldo walked in.

    He was on the phone, probably talking to his first love, because his face held a rare trace of gentleness.

    ter 21 Don¡¯t Lie to Me Again

    He cast me a nce indifferently.

    I awkwardly pulled the nket from the bed to cover myself.

    He sneered, grabbed his suit jacket from the rack, and walked out.

    The whole time, not once did he look at me again.

    I clenched the carpet tightly, feeling awful.

    After Reynaldo left, I dragged my sore body into the bathroom for a shower.

    But even afterward, my body still felt weak and drained.

    I drank a lot of water, yet my throat still burned painfully.

    I might¡¯ve had a fever, because my whole body felt hot.

    Thinking of my dad¡¯s gambling debt, I quickly plugged in my phone, which had been off, nning to check in with Quentin.

    As soon as it turned on, a flood of missed calls appeared on the screen.

    Some were fromtest night, some from early this morning.

    Thete¨Cnight ones were from Reynaldo. He called multiple times, right around the time I was being chased by that pervert.

    I frowned as a question popped into my head,

    Why did Reynaldo show up in that alleyst night?

    In all the fear, anger, and torment Reynaldo put me through, I had overlooked itst night.

    Did hee looking for me because he was worried?

    to Me <b>Again </b>

    Crupter 21 Don¡¯t Lie to k

    No. No way!

    I forced that thought out of my head immediately.

    ??

    Reynaldo didn¡¯te for me out of concern. He came just to punish me harshly.

    Because I disobeyed him. Because I lied.

    I told myself firmly not to be delusional. Shaking the thought, I checked Quentin¡¯s call history.

    Quentin had called me multiple times early in the morning, and several more after that.

    Maybe because I never answered, he got worried and sent a few texts too, asking where I was and if something had happened.

    I hurriedly called Quentin back..

    Quentin picked up almost instantly and asked anxiously, ¡°Ralda, are you okay? Why didn¡¯t you answer any of my calls?¡±

    I smiled, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I fell asleep, and my phone died and shut off.¡±

    Only then did Quentin finally sigh in relief. But he noticed how hoarse my voice was and quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your voice? Have you been crying?¡±

    ¡°No, just a little cold.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you call me in the middle of the night yesterday? Was it something urgent?¡±

    I pursed my lips, then asked quietly, ¡°Dad¡¯s gambling debt¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve scraped together over 500 thousand dors.

    Me Again

    There¡¯s about half left. I will get the rest.¡±

    I was surprised. ¡°How did you get that much in just one day?¡±

    Ever since our family went bankrupt, no one had been willing to lend us

    money.

    There was no way someone just lent Quentin that much.

    So if it wasn¡¯t borrowed, how did hee up with so much in one day?

    ¡°Quentin, time to change your dressing¡­ Don¡¯t put weight on that leg

    yet.¡±

 Too Close 22

    Chapter 22 <b>Extra </b><b>Burden </b>

    Just as I was puzzled, I faintly heard a female¡¯s voiceing from the other end of the phone, which sounded like a nurse.

    I frowned slightly, asking, ¡°Quin, what¡¯s wrong? Where are you?¡±

    Quentinughed and said casually, ¡°Well, where do you think I am? Company, of course. I¡¯m working.¡±

    ¡°No. Are you in the hospital?¡± I guessed so because I heard something like ¡°dressing change¡°.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine. Why do you think I¡¯m in a hospital? Well, anyway, I gotta go. Bye.¡±

    With that, Quentin hung up the phone in a hurry. Obviously, he was lying.

    But he refused to tell me what was going on no matter how I asked him.

    Worried and anxious, I asked a lot of people and then finally learned that in order to get money, Quentin went to work as a stunt double in a martial arts drama.

    Last night, he even performed an extremely dangerous scene for an actor. But because something went wrong with that wire, he fell from the air and injured his legs.

    When I rushed to the hospital, Quentin was leaning against the head of the bed, calling someone to borrow money.

    He appeared so humble right now, which was totally different from his previous carefree look.

    Page 22 Extra Banten

    I stood at the door, feeling like crying.

    11

    His legs were still covered in thick ster, making it impossible for him. to even get out of bed.

    He imed that he could help pay off Dad¡¯s gambling debts, but that was just himforting himself.

    Quentin was always like this, handling everything all by himself and never making me worried.

    In the past, a lot of people said that he always goofed off all day. But in my heart, he was the best brother in the world.

    ¡°Quin¡­¡± I called out in a sobbing tone and walked in with tears.

    When Quentin saw me, a trace of panic shed across his face, and he quickly covered his injured legs with the nket.

    With a bit of surprise, he chuckled and asked me, ¡°Ralda, how did you find I was here?¡±

    Seeing him being like this, I felt even sadder in my heart.

    He used to be a carefree and proud young man, always the center of everyone¡¯s attention.

    But now, he had ended up in such destitution.

    I sobbed, ¡°You don¡¯t have to risk your life to get money.¡±

    But Quentin took my hand and grinned, ¡°I¡¯m fine, all right?¡±

    ¡°Fine? You broke your legs!¡± I looked at him with both anger and worry. ¡°This time, you hurt your legs. What about next¡­ No! There is no next time!¡±

    Brupter 22 Latta Burden

    I quickly changed my words, feeling very anxious and afraid that my unlucky words woulde true.

    I advised Quentin anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t be a stunt double anymore. I¡¯ll think of a way to pay off the remaining gambling debts.¡±

    But Quentin asked me with a hint of sadness in his tone, ¡°What way could you think of? Go to Reynaldo for money?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Quentin touched my long hair and sighed in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask too much about the current situation between you and Reynaldo. But I know he¡¯s not good to you.

    ¡°If you ask him for money, you¡¯ll definitely be humiliated, and I don¡¯t want that to happen.¡±

    I immediately retorted, ¡°But you even risked your life to get money. Why can¡¯t I go to him for help? It¡¯s really nothing to me!¡±

    Looking at Quentin¡¯s haggard appearance, I felt so worried and sad.

    Compared to the sacrifices he had made, the humiliation I might suffer was really nothing.

    However, Quentin hurriedly grabbed my hand and said, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t feel too burdened. I¡¯ll find a way to gather money. Just leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°But this is the second day. After tomorrow, the people from the casino wille to collect the debt. Where else can you go to get money? You know, we¡¯re in dire straits now, and no one will be willing to lend us money.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Quin. Just leave it to me. You should take a good rest and

    more money and let all of us live a good life! What did I do wrong?¡±

    ¡°But have you ever won? Even once?¡± I cried out of anger. ¡°And stop using thoseme excuses! You just wanna gamble! You just wanna feed your addiction to gambling!¡±

    ¡®Alright, enough! I didn¡¯t wanna lose, but I lost. You should go and ask Reynaldo for money. 3 million dors at least.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I growled to refuse.

    Dad got anxious and snapped, ¡°Why not? They¡¯lle to collect debt in two days. You want them to cut off my hands and legs? Go today, and ask Reynaldo for money!¡±

    ¡°I said no!¡± I roared. ¡°Reynaldo doesn¡¯t owe us anything! Why do you think he will give us money?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s my son¨Cin-¡±

    I interrupted, growling, ¡°Stop it! He¡¯s not your son¨Cinw anymore! He owes us nothing! I lost the money in gambling, so you will take care of your debt! That¡¯s it!¡±

    With that, I angrily hung up the phone.

    Then, I sat on the flower bed beside me, so angry that I cried.

    Originally, Quentin had already gathered 510 thousand dors. Maybe I could solve the remaining half of the debt by asking Lavonne for help.

    However, Dad brought us an extra 800¨Cthousand¨Cdor debt.

    Now, the remaining debt was over 1.3 million dors. What should I do?

    At that moment, I really hated my dad.

    We were already in dire poverty now. Why couldn¡¯t he realize it? Why did he always think that Reynaldo owed our family?

    Asking Reynaldo for 3 million dors?

    Dad was really daydreaming.

    However, even though I hated Dad now, I couldn¡¯t just leave him alone.

    But how could I gather over 1.3 million dors in a day?

    I opened the dialogue box with Reynaldo.

    If being humiliated in front of Reynaldo could help my family, I would do<ol><li>it.</li></ol>

    After taking a deep breath, I sent Reynaldo a text.

    ¡°Hello? Will youe back tonight?¡±

    I waited for a while, but he didn¡¯t reply.

    Maybe he was busy and didn¡¯t see my message.

    Or maybe he saw it, but he just didn¡¯t wanna reply to me.

    Sure enough, as I wanted to borrow money from him, I should go to him and ask for help face¨Cto¨Cface. That would be more sincere.

    But he was so pissed offst night. And from his appearance this morning, I could tell that he was still a bit angry.

    Maybe he wouldn¡¯te back in the next few days.

    However, I only had one day.

    So, I put away my phone and decided to go to Reynaldo¡¯spany to look for him.

    I do so awes

    But as soon as I stood up, a wave of dizziness struck me.

    My vision went ck, and I stood still for a long while before regaining my sight.

    Rubbing my cold face, Iughed at myself silently.

    My days had be worse, and so had my health.

    Later, I arrived at Reynaldo¡¯spany.

    When I walked into the lobby, I noticed that several people were staring at me with strange looks.

    Weird.

    This wasn¡¯t my first timeing to Reynaldo¡¯spany. Why did they look at me like that?

    Just as I was confused, a curse suddenly came from the elevator.

 Too Close 23

    Chapter <b>23 </b>Embarrassment

    I froze in ce.

    That voice was so familiar. It was my dad!

    My dad had actuallye to Reynaldo¡¯spany!

    Realizing this, I hurriedly went towards the elevator.

    No wonder those people looked at me like that. It turned out that my dad hade here to make a scene!

    I saw my dad chasing a woman out of the elevator, cursing non¨Cstop.

    ¡°You shameless bitch! A home¨Cwrecker! No wonder Reynaldo divorced my daughter. It must be you seducing Reynaldo! It¡¯s all your fault!

    ¡°How could you be so shameless? You¡¯re still young. Why not go out and make money by yourself? Why choose to be a married man¡¯s mistress?

    ¡°There are so many men in the world. Why did you choose to seduce my son¨Cinw? You¡¯re such a shameless bitch!¡±

    The woman my dad cursed looked so innocent and delicate. With her long ck hair, she looked so fragile at the moment.

    I hurriedly ran over to stop my dad, shouting at him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Dad snapped angrily, ¡°It¡¯s her! Ralda, I¡¯ve asked around and known that it was this bitch who seduced Reynaldo! Reynaldo loves you so much. If it weren¡¯t for her, he would never divorce you!¡±

    I shouted back. ¡°No! It¡¯s not others¡® fault!¡±

    Dad really pissed me off.

    I told him. ¡°I divorced Reynaldo, and that was due to our own problem. It has nothing to do with others. Don¡¯t listen to those people¡¯s nonsense, okay?¡±

    But Dad sighed. ¡°Silly girl. Reynaldo loved you so much. There was no reason for him to divorce you! It must be this bitch¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I interrupted Dad with fury. ¡°I don¡¯t love him! I hate him, okay? I insisted on divorcing him! You hear me?¡±

    As soon as I finished roaring, a respectful voice came from behind me. ¡°M¨CMr. Humphrey!¡±

    I instantly froze and slowly turned my body, only to see Reynaldo walking over with a sullen face.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    The woman who my dad cursed immediately covered her injured arm and approached Reynaldo with a grievance.

    I stared at her back, feeling she was a bit familiar.

    After thinking for a moment, I finally remembered that she seemed to be Reynaldo¡¯s unforgettable love, Kimberly.

    I had seen her before, at the hotel entrance that day.

    She must be very intimate with Reynaldo at thepany. Otherwise, those staff wouldn¡¯t say that she was Reynaldo¡¯s beloved and also wouldn¡¯t tell my dad about those things.

    Thinking about this, I suddenly felt a touch of bitterness in ***

    Chapter 33 Embarrassment

    Reynaldo nced at the bruise on Kimberly¡¯s arm, and his face instantly darkened.

    He then looked at me, asking coldly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Meeting his cold gaze, I felt a bit bitter in my heart and suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say.

    But my dad hurriedly smiled at Reynaldo with ttery, ¡°Reynaldo, though she¡¯s pretty, she¡¯s still an outsider, isn¡¯t she? Besides, she¡¯s not as pretty as Ralda.

    ¡°You used to love Ralda so much. Why did you suddenly divorce her?¡±

    ¡°Enough. Dad!¡± I pulled my dad¡¯s arm, feeling so embarrassed.

    Reynaldo suddenly looked at me, asking back with sarcasm, ¡°Who said I loved her?¡±

    My body instantly stiffened. I looked at Reynaldo, feeling a pang of pain. in my heart.

    Indeed, he had never said that he loved me.

    He married me because we got drunk and identally had sex, and the media misunderstood that we were in love.

    No man would be willing to be forced to marry a woman whom he didn¡¯t love. And no man would be willing to be mistreated by his wife.

    Reynaldo was a ruthless man by nature. Of course, he also wouldn¡¯t be willing to.

    He married me because he was forced to.

    But my dad still didn¡¯t believe it and shouted at Reynaldo, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How could you not love Ralda? You used to listen to her in

    everything. It must be this bitch¡¯s fault. She must have seduced you¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, Dad! That¡¯s enough!¡±

    With embarrassment, I pulled Dad back, hoping that he could stop.

    But he didn¡¯t listen to me. Instead, he snapped at me, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re such a pushover that this bitch took a chance and stole your man! But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here, and I¡¯ll do you justice!¡±

    With that, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to give Kimberly a p.

    I was shocked and hurriedly reached out to stop him. But it was toote.

    Fortunately, before my dad¡¯s handnded on Kimberly¡¯s face, Reynaldo suddenly raised his hand and grabbed my dad¡¯s wrist.

    Kimberly nestled in Reynaldo¡¯s arms, sobbing softly, ¡°Reynaldo, who are they? Why does he wanna p me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Reynaldo shielded Kimberly behind him and looked at my dad expressionlessly. ¡°Mr. Duffy, I won¡¯t let you hit my woman on my turf.¡±

    His woman?

    I looked at Kimberly behind Reynaldo and subconsciously clenched my hands.

    On the other hand, my dad looked at Reynaldo with some confusion, ¡°Mr. Duffy? You call me Mr. Duffy? I remember you used to call me by my name quite respectfully.¡±

    Reynaldo let out a cold sneer, saying to my dad while ncing at me, ¡°Like you said, used to.¡±

    Reynaldo had changed greatly.

    Chapter 23 Embarrament

    My dad also noticed it and hurriedly nodded, saying with ttery, ¡°Yes, yes. Exactly. Reynaldo, you¡¯re different now. I¡¯m really impressed.

    ¡°Look at you. Such an outstanding young man. I¡¯m very proud of you, Reynaldo. That¡¯s my son¨Cinw!¡±

    I looked at Dad in astonishment. Since when did he be so shameless?

    I had already told Dad that I had divorced Reynaldo. Why did he still call Reynaldo his son¨Cinw?

    The people around had already begun tough at my dad, and I could faintly hear their mockery discussion.

    But Dad acted as if he had heard nothing.

    Is

    I suddenly realized that Reynaldo was not the only one who had changed after my family went broke. My dad also changed a lot.

    The two of them changed so greatly.

    Dad¡¯s smile became even more ttering as he said, ¡°Reynaldo, actually, I came here today to ask you for a favor.¡±

    I realized that Dad was about to ask Reynaldo for money.

    I immediately pulled Dad over and growled at him, ¡°Stop making a fool of yourself, will you? Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°You brat! I¡¯m your father! Don¡¯t talk to me like that, understand?¡± After scolding me, my dad turned his face and grinned at Reynaldo again.

    I was so furious and used all my strength to try to drag my dad out.

    At the same time, I growled at him, ¡°Go! Or you¡¯ll never have my care anymore!¡±

    en 23 Embarrassment

    Just at this time, Kimberly suddenly walked over and stood in front of me.

    She asked me kindly, ¡°You¡¯re Reynaldo¡¯s ex¨Cwife, right? Are you in some trouble? Do you need Reynaldo¡¯s help? It¡¯s fine. You can talk to

    Reynaldo. He¡¯s very generous.¡±

    Compared with my dad¡¯s rude and unreasonable behavior, Kimberly appeared so kind and gentle.

    After finishing her words, Kimberly even pulled Reynaldo over, asking him softly, ¡°Even if you¡¯ve already divorced her, you¡¯ll still be willing to help her, right?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me indifferently, but I didn¡¯t dare to look back at him.

    Honestly, this was the most embarrassing moment in my life.

    Even the first time I dressed up like that to ask for Reynaldo¡¯s help, I wasn¡¯t as embarrassed as I was now.

    After all, Kimberly wasn¡¯t around at that time.

    But this time, in front of her, I felt so ashamed.

    So I said to her indifferently, ¡°Thanks. But no need.¡±

 Too Close 24

    Chapter 24 Everything <b>Has </b>Changed

    Dad became anxious and still wanted to say something. But I grabbed him, using all my strength to drag him out.

    After getting outside. Dad roared at me, ¡°What were you doing? If I asked Reynaldo for some money just now, he would definitely give me!¡±

    ¡°Give you money? Why should he? Can¡¯t you see that he has nothing to do with me now? Besides, the one he loves is not me! Why should he give you, an outsider, his money?¡± I roared back, feeling a throbbing pain in my temple.

    ¡°Also, why did youe to hispany? How dare you wanna hit his beloved one? Since when did you be such a jerk?¡±

    ¡°Stop it! I¡¯m your father, and don¡¯t you talk to me like that! Besides, I came here because you didn¡¯t dare to ask Reynaldo for money! If we don¡¯t have money to pay off my debt, they¡¯ll cut my hands and feet, you know?¡±

    ¡°But I told you, I¡¯ll think of a way out! I¡¯m your daughter. I won¡¯t leave you alone, okay?¡±

    While arguing with Dad, I felt so helpless. Dad had really changed a lot.

    Hearing my words, Dad sneered at me, ¡°You¡¯ll think of a way out? What is it? And how much have you got now?¡±

    How much had I got?

    Quentin had gathered 510 thousand dors, but I didn¡¯t gather a penny.

    Seeing me being silent, Dad snorted, ¡°None, right? Well, when I asked you to look for Reynaldo¡¯s help, why did you refuse? Face it. Your dignity

    is worth nothing.¡±

    With that, he looked inside the building and said, ¡°So what if he sees us as outsiders? There were so many people looking just now. I¡¯m his ex- father¨Cinw. As long as I asked him for help, he wouldn¡¯t refuse. I can¡¯t just give up. I¡¯ll go to talk to him again.¡±

    While saying so, he was ready to go into Reynaldo¡¯spany again.

    I was so angry and hurriedly stopped him.

    But he even felt wronged and angrily shouted at me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re my daughter! Do you wanna see my hands and feet being cut off by those people?¡±

    ¡°No one wants to see that, okay? But it¡¯s your own fault. Why did you gamble? You were the one who brought the disaster to the family!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Dad shook off my hands forcibly.

    I was already feeling unwell today, dizzy.

    Because of Dad¡¯s push, I fell and hit my forehead on the flower bed at the side.

    Seeing this, Dad was startled and hurriedly came to help me up. ¡°Ralda, are you okay? I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡±

    I felt so much pain in my forehead. And because of this fall, I felt even more dizzy now.

    In a daze, I saw Reynaldo and Kimberly walking out of the building.

    Kimberly looked over and wanted to also walk over. But Reynaldo called out to stop her.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even give me a nce and directly got into the car.

    Chapter 21 Everything Has Changed.

    Dad still wanted to chase after him.

    But I tightly grabbed Dad¡¯s sleeve, begging him with my eyes.

    I would rather die than see my dad asking Reynaldo for money like that.

    At this moment, my forehead seemed to be bleeding.

    Dad nced at my forehead and, in the end, didn¡¯t move.

    Kimberly was still looking at me with worries. After Reynaldo called out to her again, she finally got into the car.

    Then, the car dashed away.

    Seeing that car disappear from my sight, I suddenly felt like crying.

    Meanwhile, Dad roared at me with fury, ¡°What now? It was supposed to be a good chance, but you screwed it up!¡±

    Then, he held his head and murmured anxiously, ¡°They¡¯lle to collect the debt after tomorrow. What should we do?¡±

    I promised Dad, saying word by word, ¡°As long as you promise not to go to Reynaldo, I promise you, I will get the money before midnight tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Dad looked at me with suspicion.

    I chuckled with a hint of self¨Cmockery, saying, ¡°I¡¯m your daughter. I won¡¯t let those people cut off your hands and feet, okay?¡±

    Dad stared at me withplicated emotions in his eyes, saying nothing.

    At this moment, I suddenly felt sorrow in my heart.

    I used to have a happy family, and my dad doted on me very much.

    Chapter 24 Everything Has Changed

    But everything changed after my family went broke.

    When I got back to the vi, Madisyn looked at me in shock.

    ¡°Oh, my! Ms. Duffy, what happened to you?¡±

    My forehead had already stopped bleeding, but it had be swollen.

    Madisyn immediately went to fetch an ice pack.

    Seeing Madisyn being so worried about me, I felt bitter in my heart.

    A maid still cared for me, but my dad didn¡¯t at all.

    After getting my promise, he directly went back, not showing a single bit of care for me.

    Earlier in the hospital, Quentin told me that Dad hadpletely changed. saying that Dad only cared about his money now, and there was no family in his heart.

    At that time, I didn¡¯t believe it. But now, I did.

    Bending over the table, I felt so sad. My head ached, but my heart ached.

    even more.

    Madisyn asked me with concern, ¡°Ms. Duffy, shall I call Mr. Humphrey back?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I hurriedly stopped Madisyn.

    Reynaldo obviously didn¡¯t love me.

    He was definitely staying with Kimberly now. I shouldn¡¯t bother them.

    But thinking of the promise I made to Dad, I felt so burdened.

    After getting back to my room, I saw that the bed had been tidied up

    neatly already.

    I remembered what happened between me and Reynaldost night. I couldn¡¯t figure out why he was still willing to have sex with me when he loved Kimberly.

    Was it his retaliation against me?

    If it was, it meant that he really hated me.

    Even if it might make his beloved sad, he still used that method to humiliate me.

    Feeling exhausted all over, Iy on the bed, took out my phone, and opened the dialogue box with Reynaldo.

    I didn¡¯t dare to call him, so I could only text him, asking if he woulde back tonight.

    I really didn¡¯t have much time now.

    If he woulde back, I would try to ask him if he could borrow some money.

    If he refused to lend me money, I would try to think of another solution.

    I had waited for a long time after sending the text, but Reynaldo still didn¡¯t reply to me.

    I threw my phone to the side and gradually fell asleep.

    I really felt unwell.

    For a moment, I felt as if I was being pressed by something heavy and

    cold.

    It was so ufortable, and I groaned and opened my eyes.

    Chapter 24 Everything Has C

    Changed

    In a daze, I saw a tall figure standing beside the bed.

    Upon a careful look, I realized that it was Reynaldo.

    I immediately struggled to sit up and looked at him, stuttering, ¡°Reynaldo, you¡­ You¡¯re back.¡±

    He snorted coldly at me, saying nothing.

    Maybe he was still mad at me because my dad almost pped his beloved. So, I hurriedly apologized to him, ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. My dad didn¡¯t mean to make a scene at yourpany. Please don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯ll apologize to you on his behalf.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, still saying nothing.

    I looked at him, not knowing what he meant.

    Swallowing my saliva, I spoke up cautiously, ¡°Well, Mr. Humphrey, can

    lend me 1.3 million dors?¡±

    you

    A cold sneer sounded.

    I blushed with embarrassment and hurriedly added, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll definitely pay you back!¡±

    ¡°Will you?¡± He grabbed my cor and lifted me up, mocking me with a sneer. ¡°How? I think it¡¯s much more practical for you to just take off your clothes and beg me than to just say you¡¯ll pay me back.¡±

    With that, he pulled open my shirt.

    ¡°No!¡± I eximed, sitting up abruptly from the bed.

 Too Close 25

    Chapter 25 <b>His </b>Princess

    The room was dark and silent. There was no one else but me.

    Did Reynaldo note back?

    I hurried out of bed and went downstairs.

    My legs were weak. I almost fell down the stairs.

    Madisyn was cleaning the living room. She saw me and asked quickly, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you get up? Are you hungry? I¡¯ll make you some food.¡±

    I was not hungry at all, so I just shook my head and asked, ¡°Is Reynaldo back yet?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Madisyn said. ¡°Ms. Duffy, do you want him toe back? I¡¯ll call him right now.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± I waved my hand quickly

    Looking at the empty yard, I realized I had a dream just now.

    I dreamed of Reynaldo, dreamed of him humiliating me.

    The night breeze blew in from the window, and I shivered. I realized I was sweating.

    I wiped the sweat off my face and walked upstairs in frustration.

    It was already past nine o¡¯clock. It seemed Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t be back tonight.

    I went back to my room and took a shower.

    Chapter 25 His Princess

    11

    But I still felt dizzy and ufortable. My whole body ached.

    I realized I had a fever, and I asked Madisyn for some medicine.

    After taking the medicine, I fell asleep quickly.

    All night, I was caught between reality and dreams.

    I felt like Reynaldo was back, and he was watching me by the bedside.

    But it seemed like another dream.

    I felt dizzy all night, and I woke up at ten o¡¯clock the next morning.

    I was sweating again, but my fever didn¡¯t seem to go down.

    I still felt very unwell.

    Madisyn came in with breakfast.

    She saw I looked bad, so she touched my forehead and said it was still hot. She gave me more medicine.

    I asked if Reynaldo hade backst night.

    Madisyn shook her head.

    I stared out the window, feeling lost. I was really frustrated.

    And I was even more anxious.

    Those people would go after my dad for the money at midnight.

    I couldn¡¯t just wait for Reynaldo toe back. What if he didn¡¯t go back?

    I had to find him.

    When I went to Reynaldo¡¯s office, I could still hear a lot of gossip.

    Everyone was making fun of me and my dad.

    They said we saw Reynaldo be sessful and immediately started clinging to him.

    They said we were shameless. They thought I knew Reynaldo liked someone else, but I still didn¡¯t want to leave him.

    I didn¡¯t pay attention to those sarcastic words and went straight to the office.

    But the secretary told me Reynaldo went out with Kimberly.

    I asked the secretary when Reynaldo would be back.

    But she just shrugged and said she didn¡¯t know.

    I waited anxiously in the lounge for half an hour.

    But Reynaldo didn¡¯t show up. I felt dizzy and weak.

    The medicine wasn¡¯t helping at all. I needed to go to the hospital.

    I needed to keep my head clear, so I could ask Reynaldo and borrow money from him.

    I took a taxi to the hospital, got blood tests done, and had various checks. It took over an hour.

    It was a high fever caused by a cold. Since the fever didn¡¯t go down, I needed to get an IV.

    I sat alone in the IV room, scrolling through my phone.

    I asked Reynaldo twicest night if he wasing back, but he didn¡¯t reply to my messages.

    Chapter <b>25 </b>Hia Princes

    I stared at the chat screen for a while, then suddenly felt an urge to go to the restroom.

    I quickly got up, took the IV bag, and went to the restroom outside.

    But I needed someone to help me hold the IV bag.

    I was looking around when a familiar figure suddenly appeared.

    It was Reynaldo.

    I opened my mouth and was about to call him.

    Suddenly, Kimberly ran over and held his arm.

    ¡°Reynaldo, why do youe here? I thought you were supposed to wait for me downstairs after you got the report.¡±

    Reynaldo stroked her hair and said gently, ¡°You¡¯re alone. I¡¯m worried about you.¡±

    Hearing his considerate words to Kimberly, I looked at the IV bag I was holding and the needle in the back of my hand, and tears suddenly came to my eyes.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kimberly pouted and said, ¡°I¡¯m just here to draw blood. No need to worry about me.¡±

    The two turned and walked towards the elevator.

    I intuitively lowered my head, trying to hide my face with my hair.

    But Kimberly still noticed me.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy?¡±

    Her voice was filled with surprise.

    Chacter 25 His Princess

    I tried to control my emotions, turned around, and forced a smile on my face.

    ¡°Hi, Mr. Humphrey, Ms. Palmer.¡±

    Kimberly looked at me in surprise. ¡°Ms. Duffy, you know me?¡±

    I smiled faintly. ¡°Ms. Palmer, you know me, too?¡±

    Kimberly seemed a bit embarrassed. She looked at Reynaldo with a hint of grievance.

    Reynaldo nced at me coldly.

    He must be angry because I upset his beloved Kimberly.

    No, I couldn¡¯t afford to make Kimberly angry.

    After all, I still needed to ask Reynaldo for money.

    I quickly gave Kimberly a friendly smile. ¡°Ms. Palmer, everyone in thepany knows Mr. Humphrey really likes you. I naturally heard about your story.¡±

    Kimberly showed a shy smile. She looked really pure and pretty.

    But Reynaldo¡¯s gaze on me seemed even colder,

    Did I say something wrong?

    As I was reflecting, Kimberly suddenly asked me with concern, ¡°Ms. Duffy, why are you in the hospital? Are you not feeling well?¡±

    ¡°Just a fever.¡± I smiled friendly.

    Kimberly told me to take care of myself. Then, looking at the restroom next to me, she asked, ¡°Ms. Duffy, do you want to use the restroom? But

    Chapter 25 His Princess

    you¡¯re on an IV. How can you go?¡±

    I paused for a moment, not knowing how to answer this question.

    Kimberly suddenly approached me with a worried look. ¡°Why do you.e to the hospital alone? No one takes care of you?

    ¡°Also, your eyes are red. Did you cry?

    ¡°I know when people are sick, they are very vulnerable. If Reynaldo didn¡¯te with me, I would definitely cry.¡±

    When she said this, she seemed like a precious princess.

    And I was once a princess, too.

    When I was sick, Reynaldo would stay by my bedside, taking care of me all the time.

    He never let me go to the hospital alone, and he would always apany<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Back then, I didn¡¯t cherish it and always spoke harshly to him.

    Now, he was sessful and no longer needed to endure my bad temper. He could finally be with the person he really loved.

    The bitterness in my heart grew stronger.

    I felt like I was about to cry.

    I forced a smile quickly and said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, not some serious illness.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Reynaldo suddenly said to Kimberly.

    Kimberly looked worried and said, ¡°But Ms. Duffy needs to use the

    Chapter 25 H Princess

    restroom. Should we help her?¡±

    I was about to refuse, and Reynaldo said without any expression, ¡°She can manage on her own. No need for our help.¡±

    After saying this, he turned and left without even ncing at me.

    But I suddenly remembered the matter of money and subconsciously reached out to stop him.

 Too Close 26

    Chapter 26 You Are Too Confident

    Maybe I pulled too hard, and the back of my hand, where the needle was inserted, started to bleed.

    Reynaldo looked down at my hand. His handsome eyebrows furrowed.

    I was afraid he would get angry, so I quickly let go.

    Kimberly suddenly hugged Reynaldo¡¯s arm, almost leaning her whole body against him, and smiled sweetly at me.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, do you want to talk to Reynaldo?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Reynaldo is nice. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of him.¡±

    Seeing Kimberly was so close to Reynaldo, I was hesitant to ask him if he woulde back tonight.

    I was afraid it might make Kimberly unhappy. Then I wouldn¡¯t be able to borrow money, and Reynaldo might even punish me.

    Just as I was hesitant, Reynaldo suddenly asked me indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    This was the best chance to borrow money.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if he woulde back tonight, and once I left the hospital, I might not see him again today.

    Seeing that I was silent for a long time, Reynaldo turned to leave.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°Well, can you lend me some money?¡±

    Reynaldo stopped in his tracks.

    Chapter 26 You Am Too Confident

    He turned to look at me. His deep eyes were filled with mockery.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s about money,¡± he said with a light smile. His smile was a bit cold, even a bit sarcastic.

    I didn¡¯t understand this expression.

    I said, ¡°I will definitely pay you back.¡±

    He sneered and asked, ¡°What will you pay back with?¡±

    Seeing the coldness in his eyes, I suddenly rememberedst night¡¯s dream.

    What he wanted most was to humiliate me, to make me suffer.

    I bit my lip and said, ¡°I can pay you back with anything you want.¡±

    ¡°Humph,¡± Reynaldo sneered. ¡°You¡¯re too confident.¡±

    Yes, Reynaldo never liked me.

    I was too confident to believe that he would help me.

    A sharp pain stabbed my heart, and tears came to my eyes.

    I quickly lowered my head, hiding the tears.

    Reynaldo coldly nced at me, then tried to leave.

    Kimberly quickly stopped him. ¡°Reynaldo, why don¡¯t you lend her some money? After all, she is your ex¨Cwife. She is so pitiful.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s pitiful?¡± Reynaldo sneered. ¡°There are so many pitiful people in this world. Do I have to give money to each one?¡±

    The two of them got into the elevator. I watched the elevator doors close, and my vision was blurring.

    Chapter 25 You Are Too Cord dent

    A little girl passed by and called out, ¡°Oh my, your hand is bleeding? You should ask the nurse to help you.¡±

    I looked at the little girl, tears streaming down my face.

    The little girl hurriedlyforted me, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, miss, be strong. I¡¯m also in the hospital alone. My parents dropped me off and left because they¡¯re busy.¡±

    I wiped my tears and smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m not crying. I just need to use the restroom, but no one can help me here. I¡¯m a bit anxious.¡±

    ¡°Let me help you,¡± the little girl said, and took the IV bag from my hand, holding it high.

    Looking at the little girl, I immediately forgot my sadness.

    Yes, there was no need to be sad.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t like me, but it was not a big deal.

    Even if he didn¡¯t like me, the world was still wonderful. There were still many kind¨Chearted people to help me.

    I finished the IV in the evening.

    The effect of the IV was much better than the medicine.

    I no longer felt dizzy, and I felt much better.

    But I was still very anxious.

    While I was getting the IV, my dad called me, asking if I had borrowed

    the money.

    I said I would replyter.

    Chapter 21 You Am Too Confident

    But he seemed very anxious, calling me four timester.

    I finally got angry and said, ¡°If they really want to cut off your hands and feet, then I¡¯ll take your ce and let them cut mine. Is that enough?¡±

    My dad finally stopped calling.

    It was already in the evening. How was I going to get the money?

    Besides Reynaldo, who else could I ask?

    But Reynaldo also refused to lend me money.

    What should I do?

    I crouched by the roadside, calling everyone in my contacts who might lend me money.

    I pleaded with them as Quentin did, asking them to lend me some money.

    But no one was willing, and they even mocked me.

    When I called Vonnie, she was at the hospital with her mom.

    She told me that her mom was seriously ill and needed a lot of money for

    treatment,

    She asked her dad, but he refused.

    Vonnie was crying as she spoke.

    Seeing her in such a difficult situation, I couldn¡¯t ask her for help.

    Iforted Vonnie for a while, telling her to take care of herself and her mom, and then hung up.

    I looked up at the sky, tears falling from the corners of my eyes.

    Chapter 26 You Are Too Confident

    It seemed everyone had their own troubles.

    I sat helplessly by the roadside for a while before heading back to the vi.

    Madisyn prepared dinner and hurriedly called me to eat when she saw mee back.

    But I wasn¡¯t hungry at all.

    I was exhausted and came back to my room. I leaned against the door, crying helplessly.

    Then Quentin called me.

    I quickly wiped my tears and answered the phone, ¡°Quentin.¡±

    Quentin asked anxiously, ¡°Do you get the money? It¡¯s already the third day.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want him to worry about this, so I pretended to be easy and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already borrowed the money.¡±

    Quentin was surprised. ¡°How did you borrow it?¡±

    After a moment of silence, he suddenly realized. ¡°It¡¯s from Reynaldo, right?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, and he continued, ¡°Well, 500 thousand dors means nothing to him. He will definitely help you if you ask. He is more generous than we thought.¡±

    So, Quentin didn¡¯t know that my dad had another 800¨Cthousand¨Cdor debt.

    Of course, my dad definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to tell Quentin.

    Chapter 25 You Are Too Confident

    I guessed my dad didn¡¯t even know that Quentin was in the hospital.

    Quentin continued, ¡°Anyway, although Reynaldo is very rich, we must pay him backter.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Quentin, don¡¯t worry. Take care of yourself. I¡¯lle to see you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After hanging up, I leaned against the door and didn¡¯t move.

    Soon, my mom called me.

    As soon as I answered, my mom cried, ¡°Ralda, can you borrow that money? You can¡¯t let them cut off your dad¡¯s hands and feet.

    ¡°Ralda, you have to find a way.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ralda,¡± my dad grabbed the phone and said, ¡°You should plead Reynaldo. If he¡¯s happy, he will definitely give you the money. 3 million dors is nothing to him.¡±

    I closed my eyes. I felt too exhausted to even talk with my dad.

    My parents started arguing again.

    My mom said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯ve made the whole family anxious. If you gamble again, I¡¯ll divorce you!¡±

    Then my dad called out, ¡°Why do you always me me? I also worked so hard to make money for the whole family before. Did you forget about that?¡±

    My mom said, ¡°What money did you make before? That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, the most important thing now is to raise the money,¡± my

    Chapter 26 You Are Top Confident

    dad interrupted her.

    Then he asked me, ¡°Ralda, when will you get the money? I¡¯m really scared.¡±

    I closed my eyes, feeling drained, and said, ¡°Before midnight.¡±

    If I didn¡¯t get the money by midnight, I¡¯d go to those people at the casino and let them cut off my hands and feet.

    Prev

 Too Close 27

    Chapter 27 I¡¯ll Give You Whatever You Want

    My dad finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait then.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to hear another word from him and hung up the phone immediately.

    I sat against the door for a long time.

    The clock on the wall ticked by, second by second.

    Darkness and despair slowly enveloped me.

    Was I really going to ask them to cut off my hands and feet?

    Thinking about losing my hands and feet, I hugged my legs in fear. My whole body was trembling.

    I decided to try again. I could try to ask Reynaldo one more time.

    Even if it meant losing all my dignity, it was better than being maimed, right?

    I took out my phone and opened the chat box with Reynaldo.

    I sent him a message, ¡°Pleasee back tonight¡­I can agree to any of your demands.¡±

    I waited for a while, but he didn¡¯t reply.

    Iy on the floor, staring at my phone.

    But the phone never lit up.

    He didn¡¯t even reply to the previous messages. Maybe that meant he didn¡¯t

    You Whatever You Want

    want to talk to me at all, right?

    I felt humiliated for sending that message just now.

    I watched the time pass 11 o¡¯clock.

    At that moment. Ipletely gave up. I didn¡¯t want to think about anything and just let my mind go nk.

    Suddenly, a beam of headlights shone in from outside the window.

    I didn¡¯t turn the lights on in my room, so the headlights were especially bright.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I hurriedly crawled to the window to look.

    I saw a ck car driving into the courtyard.

    Reynaldo was back!

    Did he see my message ande back?

    I need to hurry up. There was only an hour left.

    Even if I were to lose all my pride and dignity, I must seize the opportunity this time.

    I hurriedly ran to the wardrobe. I took out a sexy nightgown I bought before but rarely wore.

    This was a ck slip¨Cdress. It was semi¨Ctransparent and sexy<b>. </b>

    To make it easier to please Reynaldo, I deliberately wore nothing underneath.

    After changing, I anxiously waited for Reynaldo toe in.

    But after waiting for more than ten minutes, Reynaldo still didn¡¯te in.

    It was strange. Didn¡¯t hee back because of my message?

    I put on a jacket and opened the door in confusion to go outside.

    It was already past eleven, and the whole vi was quiet.

    The study door was slightly open, and light wasing from inside.

    I hesitated for a few seconds before walking over.

    I pushed the door open. Reynaldo was standing by the window, making a phone call. His shirt sleeves were rolled up halfway.

    He looked tall and strong.

    Reynaldo seemed to be dealing with some work issues.

    He was so serious, and I looked at myself dressing like this, I really felt ashamed.

    But I didn¡¯t have much time left, so I couldn¡¯t afford to retreat.

    I closed the study door and watched Reynaldo nervously.

    He hung up after about three minutes.

    When he turned around, my heart was racing.

    Reynaldo nced at me, then walked to the desk to pick up some documents. He casually asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? Wanna say something to me?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if he had seen the message I sent or not.

    But I didn¡¯t want to waste time anymore, so I said directly, ¡°As long as you lend me 1.3 million dors, I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything.

    Chapter 27 | Give You Whitment <b>You </b>Want

    He took the documents and walked towards me.

    As he passed by me, he said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°It seems like you onlye to me when you need money.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t have money, you wouldn¡¯t even look at me,

    right?¡±

    Before I could say anything, Reynaldo was about to leave.

    Seeing him about to open the door, I was flustered.

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± I called out to him urgently.

    He paused and turned to look at me.

    I took a deep breath, facing him, and took off my jacket.

    I bought this semi¨Ctransparent nightgown while I was shopping with Vonnie, and she insisted I get it.

    Vonnie also bought one. Her dress was red, and mine was ck.

    I remember the first time I wore it. Reynaldo was not at home at that time.

    But I didn¡¯t expect that he woulde back that night.

    I still remember the look in his eyes when he saw me.

    It was very dangerous.

    After that, I never wore that nightgown again.

    Although I used to humiliate him very often, I was really scared of that look in his eyes that night.

    Just like now, he was staring at me with that same dangerous look.

    I didn¡¯t understand what that look meant back then.

    You Want

    ph 27 l? Do You Whatever You

    But now, after having sex with him so many times, I understood that look. It was desire!

    Fortunately, Reynaldo still had the desire for me. Without that, I would have no hope of borrowing the money from him.

    I walked up to him and hooked his neck.

    ¡°As long as you lend me 1.3 million dors, you can do whatever you

    want to me.

    Reynaldo seemed to calm down a bit. He spoke to me with a hint of mockery, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the proud Ms. Duffy to be shameless like this for only 1.3 million dors.¡±

    My heart tightened, feeling a heavy pain.

    I knew I had no dignity now.

    But when I needed the money to save my family, dignity meant nothing.

    I stood on my tiptoes and kissed the corner of Reynaldo¡¯s lips.

    He frowned at me, but his eyes were getting darker.

    Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my waist, pressed me towards him, and hoarsely asked, ¡°If another man could lend you 1.3 million dors, would you be willing to please him like this?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    I would never think about this kind of question.

    I would only ask Reynaldo whenever I needed money.

    I didn¡¯t know the reasons, but I always felt that if Reynaldo didn¡¯t want to help me, then no one else would.

    Enter 27 18 Give You Whatever You Want

    However, my silence clearly displeased him.

    He lifted my chin, stared into my eyes, and said fiercely, ¡°Speak! If I¡¯m not that rich, you will still dress like this tonight for another man, right?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    My purpose was to please him, and I knew what he wanted to hear. ¡°No matter if you¡¯re rich or not, the only person I think of is always you. I¡¯ve never thought about asking for help from any other man.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask Winston?¡± Reynaldo stared at me.

    I was stunned because I never thought of Winston.

    Since I paused for only two seconds, Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened again.

    I quickly said, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t asked him.¡±

    After saying that, I kissed Reynaldo¡¯s lips, trying my best to please him.

    He immediately hugged me, deepening the kiss.

    I looked at his handsome face close to me, my heart racing.

    Reynaldo¡¯s expression gradually rxed. Obviously, he became happy because I initiated the kiss.

    So, my dad¡¯s debt¡­

    I was nervously thinking about whether to talk with him about the 1.3 million dors.

    Suddenly, the documents in his hand fell to the ground, and then, he lifted me in his arms.

    I nced at the wall clock. It was almost half past eleven.

    Chapte 271 Eve You Whatever You <b>Want </b>

    I was extremely anxious.

    After midnight, those people woulde to collect the debt and cut off my dad¡¯s hands.

    What should I do?

    Reynaldo swept the books and papers off the desk, ced me on it, and then leaned over to kiss me.

    I pressed my hands against his chest to stop him and said nervously, ¡°So, are you willing to lend me 1.3 million dors?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Reynaldo¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°I¡¯ll give you whatever you want.¡±

 Too Close 28

    Chapter 28 I Won¡¯t <b>Lie </b><b>to </b>You

    As he spoke, he began to take off my clothes.

    But I pushed him away again, asking. ¡°Then can you give me the money

    now?¡±

    ¡°Later¡­¡± Reynaldo kissed my earlobe, his voice hoarse. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you.¡±

    I knew he wouldn¡¯t lie to me, but I really didn¡¯t have much time left.

    I pressed against his shoulder again, pushed him away, and whispered, ¡°Now, please. I need the money now because¡­¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face instantly darkened, and the lust in his eyes subsided a lot.

    He tugged at his tie and snapped angrily, ¡°Esmeralda, do you know what we¡¯re doing now? We¡¯re having sex!

    ¡°Why do you keep pushing me away and saying you want money? All you care about is money?¡±

    ¡°No, Reynaldo. I really need it now. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Reynaldo pushed me away and sneered coldly. ¡°Since all you can see is money, it¡¯s boring to have sex with you now.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± I looked at him with tearful eyes.

    But he didn¡¯t look at me, his eyes stained with coldness.

    He lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I said I would give you money, and I will.¡±

    With that, he took out his phone and did something. Soon, my phone buzzed.

    Reynaldo then took his coat from the back of the chair and left without saying a word.

    Looking at his receding figure, I felt so bad in my heart.

    I must be a shameless woman in his eyes now.

    I looked at my phone and saw that I had just received 1.5 million dors.

    Reynaldo gave me 200 thousand dors more.

    I knew that even if he hated me, he had never been stingy with me.

    His generosity made me feel sad and ashamed of myself.

    I transferred the money to Dad.

    In no time, Dad called me.

    ¡°Oh. my sweetheart. You knew you could do it. Well done! I knew if you talked to Reynaldo, he would definitely help us!¡±

    I curled up my lips mockingly.

    Dad was wrong. Reynaldo agreed to lend me money only because he was a generous man. He was too good.

    I used to hate him very much. But now, I had realized that he was actually a very good man.

    Unfortunately, the one he loved wasn¡¯t me.

    At this time, Dad sighed with some regret, ¡°Ralda, since you asked him for help, why didn¡¯t you ask for more? You could have asked him if he

    Chapter 28 | Wont Lie to You

    could lend you like 5 million dors. Maybe he would also lend you.¡±

    Hearing Dad¡¯s ridiculous words, Iughed with anger.

    I really didn¡¯t talk to him anymore.

    So I just said indifferently, ¡°Pay off your debt, and don¡¯t gamble.

    anymore.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t gamble anymore. But maybe you can ask Reynaldo for a bit more, and he¡­¡±

    Furious, I directly hung up the phone.

    I really didn¡¯t know how my dad had be like this. Why did he always wanna get money from Reynaldo?

    Reynaldo owed him anymore?

    No!

    Thinking of how angry Reynaldo was just now, I felt bitter in my heart again.

    I guessed he must hate me more now.

    But that was good in some ways. In that case, he would definitely end our secret love rtionship sooner.

    By then, I would be free, wouldn¡¯t I?

    Iforted myself so, but I still felt sad and wanted to cry.

    And I lost sleep tonight.

    I couldn¡¯t help but recall Reynaldo¡¯s gaze at me before he left.

    There was coldness, disappointment, and a hint of sneer in it.

    Feeling sad inside, I sat up and took my phone, wanting to say something to Reynaldo.

    I stared at the dialogue box for a long time, but I didn¡¯t know what to say to him.

    I pissed him off. Now, no matter what I said, it would seem phony.

    Thinking that Reynaldo might be with his beloved right now, I sighed silently and decided not to bother him.

    I stared out the window with sadness, unable to sleep until dawn.

    Because I hadn¡¯t sleptst night, I looked low¨Cspirited andy in bed motionlessly.

    In the morning, Madisyn called me to have breakfast, but I didn¡¯t have much appetite.

    Madisyn thought I was still sick, so she hurriedly fetched the medical box.

    I smiled at him, saying that I was fine, and I just felt a bit tired after the fever.

    Hearing this, Madisyn felt relieved a bit. After thinking for a moment, she said to me with concern, ¡°Ms. Duffy, why don¡¯t you call Mr. Humphrey back? You should let him see the weak side of yours. In that case, he¡¯ll pity you and care for you more.

    ¡°He¡¯s a man after all, and men like to care for those weak women, don¡¯t they? Ms. Duffy, you¡¯re just too independent in front of him.¡±

    I chuckled and shook my head slightly, thinking that Madisyn was quite knowledgeable about dealing with men.

    Unfortunately, it was useless for me to show my weak side in front of

    Chapter 21 | Won¡¯t Lie <b>to </b>You

    Reynaldo.

    Yesterday at the hospital was a good example.

    The ones Reynaldo would care for were kind and gentle women like Kimberly.

    I was just an arrogant gold digger in his eyes. And he would never pity<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Thinking about what happened in the hospital yesterday, I felt very upset in my heart.

    I slowly got up from bed and went to sit in front of the dressing mirror.

    Through the mirror, I saw myself haggard and skinny. I even had sunken

    eyes now.

    I suddenlyughed at myself, thinking, ¡°Reynaldo doesn¡¯t love me, but it¡¯s not a big deal, is it?

    ¡°Why do I have to torture myself like this?

    ¡°Come on, Esmeralda, pull yourself together.

    I had to get a job.

    ||

    After this incident, I realized how important money was.

    I had to work hard and save more money. With money, my family wouldn¡¯t be so helpless like this if we got ourselves in some trouble again.

    Besides, I had to pay Reynaldo back.

    I changed my clothes and went out this afternoon.

    I first went to the hospital to visit Quentin.

    ¡±

    Then, I went to an Inte cafe to look for job opportunities online.

    Actually, there was aputer in the study. But it was Reynaldo¡¯s, and I didn¡¯t dare to use it.

    Various job opportunities online made me feel dizzy.

    I had no work experience and no strong points. And I studied performance in college.

    My mom used to say that our family had money, so there was no need for me to be an actress to earn money. And she suggested that I should study something else.

    But at that time, I liked acting very much. So, I went to the Academy of Arts with Lavonne.

    I didn¡¯t dream about bing a superstar or something.

    I just wanted to asionally take on a few characters that I like. Doing my job while also ying around the world. Being a carefree person.

    Unfortunately, not long after my graduation, Reynaldo and I had sex by ident.

    Then, we married each other. And then, I bullied Reynaldo for three years during our marriage.

    Recalling my past, I felt that I had really achieved nothing.

    Now, looking at the various job postings on the screen, I suddenly didn¡¯t know what I could do.

    Lavonne once told me that secretarial work was the easiest. It only required one to be proficient in office software.

    So, I selected a few secretarial jobs and submitted my resume.

    After doing that. I leaned back in my chair and stared nkly.

    Suddenly. I began to be a bit afraid. What if nopany wanted me?

    A hint of confusion surged in my heart, and I became a bit dejected.

    But soon, I sat up straight and applied for a couple of more jobs, including sales¨Crted jobs.

    At dusk. I returned to the vi.

    Madisyn was making dinner.

    When she saw me, she hurriedly told me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, I just called Mr. Humphrey, asking if he woulde back for dinner.¡±

    I was stunned, feeling a bit nervous as I asked, ¡°So¡­ Will hee back?¡±

    Madisyn shook her head and answered, ¡°He said he had to work overtime at thepany.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­¡±

    After responding lightly, I lowered my head, heading upstairs.

    But just then, Madisyn called out to me, saying, ¡°Wait, Ms. Duffy. Aren¡¯t you gonna do something? Mr. Humphrey will be working overtime at thepany, and you can go send him dinner.¡±

    ¡°Send him dinner?¡± I immediately shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    Madisyn looked at me with a worried frown and sighed, ¡°Ms. Duffy, just go and give him a surprise. He¡¯ll definitely be happy.¡±

    But I still shook my head and refused, ¡°No. Forget about it.¡±

    However, Madisyn had already gone to the kitchen to pack the meal. She said she specially made some dishes that Reynaldo liked to eat.

    She also said that takeout wasn¡¯t healthy.

    While speaking, Madisyn swiftly packed up the meal and stuffed the dinner box into my hands.

    Then, she grinned at me, saying, ¡°This meal is for two people. You and Mr. Humphrey can have dinner together.¡±

    As I didn¡¯t wanna upset Madisyn, I could only nod my head and agree.

    But Reynaldo hated me. Would he really be happy when he saw me sending him his dinner?

 Too Close 29

    Chapter 29 <b>Have </b>Dinner <b>Together</b>?

    Later, when I arrived at Reynaldo¡¯spany, it was already an hour after work, and there weren¡¯t many people here.

    I went directly to the floor where Reynaldo¡¯s office was located.

    I originally thought that if the secretary was there, I could just ask the secretary to bring the food to Reynaldo.

    Unexpectedly, there was no one in the office.

    Had Reynaldo already left?

    I went to the door of Reynaldo¡¯s office suspiciously and knocked.

    I thought there was also no one in it. But the next second, a familiar deep voice sounded from inside.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    My heart raced a bit as I slowly opened the door.

    Then, I saw Reynaldo sitting at his desk, reading documents.

    He had a slight frown on his face, looking very serious.

    Reynaldo was good¨Clooking and had a good figure. After he became a sessful businessman, his temperament directly rose by several levels. sessful businessman, his

    When he was working, he looked even more charming.

    I suddenly regretted not falling in love with him earlier.

    If I did, those three years of marriage wouldn¡¯t be filled with bad

    memories.

    But I then thought about it and sighed in my heart, ¡°Forget it.

    ¡°Even if I fell in love with him back then, it still couldn¡¯t change anything.

    ¡°The one in his heart is Kimberly. If I fell in love with him earlier, I would suffer more.

    Just as I was lost in thoughts, I suddenly felt a gaze on me.

    Instinctively, I raised my head, only to meet Reynaldo¡¯s eyes.

    My heart raced, and I immediately averted my gaze.

    I had waited for a few seconds, but I hadn¡¯t heard Reynaldo saying anything.

    I looked at him again. He had continued his work, acting as if he hadn¡¯t

    seen me.

    So, I just stood there silently, not daring to bother him.

    Suddenly, Reynaldo tugged at his tie and looked at me with an annoyed expression, asking, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    He sounded like he didn¡¯t wanna see me.

    I suppressed the sadness in my heart and hurriedly put the dinner box on the table, exining, ¡°To send you your dinner.¡±

    ¡°You send me my dinner?¡± Reynaldo nced at me with some sarcasm in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s in there for you? You want more money? 1.5 million dors isn¡¯t enough?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡±

    He mentionedst night¡¯s 1.5 million dors in such a sarcastic tone, which made me feel even more embarrassed.

    I exined in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m really just here to¡­¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    Before I could finish my words, Kimberly came, calling out to Reynaldo in a sweet tone.

    There was also a meal box in her hand.

    When she saw me, she was slightly stunned and then smiled, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be off now,¡± I said hurriedly and was about to leave.

    But Kimberly stopped me and smiled kindly at me, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why not join us for dinner? I made a few dishes myself.¡±

    While speaking, she pulled me to the table.

    But when she saw the meal box on the table, she was slightly stunned, asking, ¡°Well, Ms. Duffy, you also brought some food for Reynaldo?¡±

    Before I could say anything, Kimberly pulled Reynaldo over.

    Reynaldo had never looked straight at me tonight.

    I sat next to him, clearly feeling that he was unhappy.

    Was he ming me for interrupting his dinner with Kimberly?

    I wanted to leave now.

    But Kimberly suddenly opened the meal box I brought over and eximed, ¡°Wow! Ms. Duffy, you¡¯re really an excellent cook! These

    dishes look so delicious!¡±

    ¡°The maid made them,¡± I responded lightly.

    Right after my words fell, a cold sneer sounded from next to me.

    I turned my head and saw that Reynaldo¡¯s face was stained with some

    sarcasm.

    I pursed my lips and thought, ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, maybe I should cook for him myself.

    ¡°Though my cooking is bad, he could at least see my sincerity.¡±

    At this time, Kimberly said to Reynaldo with an aggrieved look, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me Ms. Duffy would bring you dinner tonight? If I had known it, I wouldn¡¯t have made so many dishes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± Reynaldo took Kimberly¡¯s meal box. ¡°I¡¯ll eat your cooking,¡± he said lightly.

    Kimberly immediately smiled sweetly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll eat the food Ms. Duffy brought. They look so delicious. It¡¯ll be a waste if no one tries them.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything.

    I pushed the meal box to Kimberly¡¯s front and smiled at her, ¡°Eat more if you like them.¡±

    After a short pause, I said to the two of them, ¡°Enjoy your dinner. I¡¯ve got something else to do. I gotta go.¡±

    Kimberly hurriedly asked, ¡°You¡¯re not eating some?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve caten at home,¡± I replied with a faint smile and then left.

    Just as I walked out of the office, I heard Kimberly¡¯s aggrieved voice.

    11

    ¡°Reynaldo, I feel like Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t like me.¡±

    Reynaldo said lightly, ¡°Just ignore her.¡±

    I lowered my eyes, feeling a bit of pain in my heart again.

    When I got out of the building, it was already dark outside.

    As I didn¡¯t want Madisyn to worry, I sat at the roadside for a long time before going back.

    When I got home, Madisyn asked me with some confusion, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Mr. Humphreye back with you?¡±

    I felt that Madisyn misunderstood something.

    The one Reynaldo loved was Kimberly.

    Therefore, the ce where Kimberly lived was Reynaldo¡¯s home.

    For Reynaldo,ing home meant going back to Kimberly¡¯s ce.

    As for this vi, Reynaldo bought this ce especially to humiliate me.

    This vi could remind him of the humiliation he had during those three years of marriage. So, of course, he wouldn¡¯t be willing toe here.

    I didn¡¯t say anything to Madisyn and directly went back to my room to sleep.

    I had to look for a job tomorrow. I didn¡¯t wanna bother with those romantic love things.

    Making money was my current priority.

    The next day, I waited until noon but received no interview invitation.

    I began to think about sending my resume to apply for some other jobs.

    But in the afternoon, twopanies called me and informed me to have an interview at 9 am tomorrow morning.

    I was so excited!

    I immediately went out to buy myself a professional suit.

    The next morning, I dressed up and went for the interviews.

    There were two interviews. One for the secretarial job, and the other for the sales job.

    I went to have an interview for the secretarial job first.

    Perhaps because I had never worked before, I was a little nervous when I saw a row of interviewers in front of me.

    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t very difficult. I first operated some office software in front of the interviewers and then answered their questions.

    I finished the interview in less than half an hour.

    But the result was that I didn¡¯t pass it.

    I didn¡¯t know where I did wrong, but I didn¡¯t dare to ask.

    After leaving thatpany, I immediately went to have another interview at anotherpany.

    It was real estate sales.

    This interview wasn¡¯t difficult either. The interviewer observed me briefly and then asked me a few questions.

    I thought I answered quite well and should be able to get this sales job.

    However, I still didn¡¯t pass it.

    The interviewer told me that I didn¡¯t fit in that job, saying that I didn¡¯t look like someone who could endure hardships.

    I was stunned for a moment, walking on the street nkly.

    Lavonne told me that secretarial jobs were very easy, and being a salesperson was even easier. There was barely a threshold for these jobs.

    However, I failed the interviews for both jobs. Was I really that incapable?

    I suddenly began to doubt myself.

    1 walked on the street nkly, keeping reflecting on myself.

    Suddenly, someone called out to me from behind.

    Hearing that voice, I couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly.

    Before I could turn around, that person had already rushed to my front.

 Too Close 30

    Chapter <b>30 </b>Doubt Myself

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, it¡¯s really you!¡±

    Kimberly looked at me excitedly, saying, ¡°I saw a familiar figure, and it¡¯s. really you. Why do you sit at the roadside alone?¡±

    Since Kimberly was here, Reynaldo might also¡­

    As I had expected, the next second, Kimberly pulled Reynaldo over from behind me.

    ¡°Look, Reynaldo. It¡¯s really Ms. Duffy.

    Reynaldo looked at me indifferently, with no expression on his face. It was as if he was looking at a stranger.

    Kimberly suddenly shook his arm and pouted, ¡°Come on, Reynaldo. Ms. Duffy is your ex¨Cwife. At least, you should say hello to her.¡±

    Her words made me feel a bit embarrassed.

    Just as I was about to find an excuse to leave, Reynaldo suddenly said to Kimberly, ¡°We should go now. Aren¡¯t you in a hurry?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well. Actually, I¡¯m not.¡±

    With that, Kimberly suddenly grabbed my hand and gave me a friendly smile, saying, ¡°I saw a limited edition ne yesterday. When Reynaldo found out about it, he insisted on buying it for me.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, you should join us. Maybe you can help me judge if that ne is worth buying. It¡¯s a couple million dors.¡±

    Chapter 30 Doubt Myself

    I lowered my gaze and couldn¡¯t help but feel sad in my heart.

    It was so difficult for me to even borrow 1.5 million dors from Reynaldo. For that money, I even threw away my self¨Cesteem and dressed like a whore to seduce him, allowing him to humiliate me however he wanted.

    But Kimberly just said a few casual words and made Reynaldo willing to buy her a ne that was worth a few million dors.

    I knew I couldn¡¯t bepared with Kimberly.

    But when I thought about it, I still couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter in my heart.

    I withdrew my hand and refused in a t tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not good at evaluating jewelry, so I can¡¯t help you.¡±

    Kimberly responded with a bit of disappointment. When she lowered her gaze, she suddenly saw the resume in my hand.

    ¡°Wait. Ms. Duffy, are you looking for a job?¡±

    I subconsciously hid my resume behind me and didn¡¯t reply to her.

    But Reynaldo suddenly chuckled with a hint of mockery in his voice.

    I bit my lower lip tightly, feeling embarrassed and insecure again.

    I remembered clearly that Reynaldo once said that I knew nothing except for eating.

    In his eyes, I was good at nothing.

    I pursed my lips and said to them, ¡°You two go shopping. I have something else to do. Bye.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± Kimberly pulled me and said to Reynaldo, ¡°How about

    letting Ms. Duffy be your secretary? She¡¯s definitely more capable than

    me.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± I immediately shook my hands. ¡°I¡¯ve already found a job.¡±

    Kimberly looked at me, asking with concern, ¡°Really? What kind of a job? Is it good?¡±

    I pressed my lips together, not knowing how to reply.

    Reynaldo chuckled, staring at me with disdain in his eyes.

    I clenched my resume tightly in my hand, saying, ¡°It¡¯s a good job. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.

    But Kimberly still looked worried and told me, ¡°Reynaldo needs a secretary more. He originally wanted me to take that job. But I saw you were looking for a job, and I was considering letting you get that job. But since you¡¯ve already got one, just forget about my words just now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you anyway. But I really gotta go. Bye.¡±

    With that, I quickly strode across the street.

    Sometimes, I felt that Kimberly was over¨Centhusiastic. Anyway, I didn¡¯t like to talk with her.

    I made no progress in the morning. In the afternoon, I went to the Inte caf¨¦ and submitted many resumes again.

    When I got back to the vi, I was so exhausted andy on the bed, spreading my limbs.

    Madisyn came and suggested again that I should go send Reynaldo his

    dinner.

    Thinking of the unpleasant scene fromst night, I immediately refused.

    With Kimberly around, Reynaldo didn¡¯t need to worry about his stomach. If I went to send him food, it would only make me look funny.

    But when Madisyn saw me lyingzily on the bed, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°If you keep being like this, your husband will be stolen away by other women.¡±

    I thought with self¨Cmockery in my heart, ¡°Be stolen away? Reynaldo has never been my man.¡±

    Even though I thought so, thinking of what happened earlier on the street still made me feel bad in

    feel bad in my heart.

    In the evening, I did some research and preparation for the jobs I submitted my resume for.

    I didn¡¯t believe that I couldn¡¯t even find an ordinary job.

    Unfortunately, the cruel reality damped my passion.

    In the next two days, I received no interview notifications.

    And my inbox was empty.

    I began to doubt myself again.

    But Lavonneforted me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not your problem. It must be that you¡¯re too good for those jobs.¡±

    I suddenly didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, thinking Lavonne really had her ways tofort people.

    She also said to me, ¡°Just wait for me. When I make my name in the show business, I¡¯ll definitely support you in your career!¡±

    Back then, after graduation, the scandal between me and Reynaldo ruined my reputation, making me unable to enter the show business.

    On the contrary, Lavonne had already received many good film offers and had a bright future. But in the end, she was sent abroad by her

    stepmother.

    It was said to send Lavonne for further education. But in fact, her stepmother just wanted to kick her out of the family.

    J

    When Lavonne was back, there was already no ce for her in the show business.

    After chatting with Lavonne for over an hour, I felt much better.

    I knew it. I felt like I couldn¡¯t live without Lavonne.

    As for Reynaldo, well, he was just a man who didn¡¯t love me. I shouldn¡¯t feel sad because of him.

    With my bestie¡¯s encouragement, I was full of confidence again.

    The next day, I went to the Inte caf¨¦ for another round of resume- submitting in the morning and nned to go to the job market in the afternoon.

    Just on my way to the job market, I received a call from apany, and they informed me to go for their interview now.

    I felt joy in my heart, thinking that a positive future was waiting for me.

    This interview was for sales marketing.

    ording to their notification, I went to arge shopping mall.

    The interview location was in an open space on the second floor.

    When I got there, there were still applicants queuing up.

    There were two interviewers. A man and a woman.

    I heard they were going to recruit more than ten people. Seeing that there weren¡¯t many peopleing for the interview, I guessed thepetition was not that fierce, and I thought I should be able to get this job this time.

    However, what made my heart sink was that the ones before me in the queue all passed the interview.

    Finally, it was my turn. But just after I finished my self¨Cintroduction, that female interviewer said I didn¡¯t fit the job.

    I was so upset. But still, I asked her why.

    She replied with some sarcasm in her tone, ¡°Seriously? You used to be a rich youngdy. How is that possible for you to do this job well?

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, you wanna experience a mortal¡¯s life? Go somewhere else. Don¡¯tpete with us. We¡¯re just some ordinary people, and it¡¯s not easy for us mortals to get a job for a living.

    ¡°Next!¡±

    The one behind me quickly pushed me to the side.

    I stood there nkly, not knowing what to do now.

    Indeed, the Duffy family used to be a wealthy family, and a lot of people in Freybourne knew about me.

    But who said that a former rich youngdy couldn¡¯t do ordinary jobs?

    I reckoned that this female interviewer had some prejudice against me.

    But although I didn¡¯t wanna ept it, I didn¡¯t say anything. After all, she was the interviewer.

    I sighed helplessly and turned, ready to leave.

    Chapter 30 Doubt Myself

    But suddenly, I noticed a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye. I panicked a bit and hurriedly lowered my head to stride away.

    However¡­

 Too Close 31

    Chapter31

    ¡°Huh! Esmeralda? Isn¡¯t this Esmeralda?¡±

    Johnathan shed in front of me with a few big steps, blocking my way.

    I furrowed my brows and looked up to see Reynaldo standing behind him.

    I don¡¯t know if it was my bad luck or what.

    Every time I really didn¡¯t want to see Reynaldo, I always ran into him.

    When I urgently needed to borrow money from him, it was rare for me toe across him.

    Johnathan looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°Esmeralda, were you okay that night of the dance event? You suddenly ran away halfway, and I was worried about you for a while.¡±

    I chuckled inwardly.

    This Johnathan is such a cunning fox. During the dance party, hepletely tricked me and he had the audacity to say so!

    Just as I was criticizing Johnathan in my heart.

    Reynaldo suddenly said with a half¨Csmile, ¡°Esmeralda? Huh, calling her so affectionately, I didn¡¯t know that your rtionship had be so intimate.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, but hisughter sent shivers down my spine.

    He already suspected that I had something with this Johnathan, and now he will misunderstand even more.

    I knew from the gloomy look in his eyes as he stared at me that he must be thinking of how to torment me again.

    Thinking that I was still his lover, I exined, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I wasn¡¯t familiar with him.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Johnathan put his arm around my shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re being too formal with your words. We are people with a shared secret, you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± I interrupted him hastily.

    Johnathan was really not afraid of anything, he just kept talking nonsense!

    ¡°Shared secret?¡±

    Reynaldo slowly narrowed his eyes, and the look in his eyes was already filled with frost.

    I shivered and quickly said, ¡°No, don¡¯t listen to him!¡±

    After saying that, I forcefully shook off Johnathan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I have something else to do, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡±

    ¡°Hey, why are you in such a hurry?¡±

    I had just taken a step when Johnathan pulled me back.

    I was speechless, how could Johnathan be as annoying as that Kimberly.

    ¡°Oh, Esmeralda¡­¡± Johnathan suddenly noticed the resume in my hand and eximed, ¡°Are you here to look for a job?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­,¡± I stammered, clutching my resume,ughing incredulously as I denied it.

    That day, I personally told Reynaldo that I had found a very good job.

    Chapte01

    Wouldn¡¯t it be admitting that I pped myself in the face?

    Afraid of being exposed, I struggled to break free from Johnathan and tried to leave.

    The interviewer who didn¡¯t pay attention to me just now came running over attentively.

    ¡°Mr. Dup, why did youe to the market in person?¡±

    ¡°Oh, when I had nothing to do, I would juste over and hang out with Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey came as well, huh?¡± The interviewer nced at Reynaldo, then nced at me.

    The look in those eyes gave me a sudden surge of a bad premonition in my heart.

    Sure enough, the next second, the interviewer said, ¡°Ms. Duffy just interviewed with us.¡±

    I waspletely speechless!

    Did everyone know about my marriage with Reynaldo? Did everyone know that I was not good to Reynaldo?

    So now, in order to please Reynaldo, they all try their best to step on me!

    I was feeling quite depressed!

    ¡°Oh?¡± Reynaldo smiled at me.

    ¡°Did shee for an interview with you?¡±

    The interviewer nodded quickly and said, ¡°Yes, the interview is for a sales position.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Reynaldo dragged out the ending, ¡°So, did she pass the interview?¡±

    The interviewer shook his head and said earnestly, ¡°We work in market sales, which is very tough. She has delicate skin and tender flesh, it¡¯s obvious that she can¡¯t endure hardships.¡±

    I angrily tightened my resume.

    I am not sure if I can endure hardships, but if I really get a job interview, I will definitely work hard and take it seriously.

    But they all waited to see me beingughed at, and I couldn¡¯t argue back.

    Once you start arguing with them and attract more people, it will only make yourself more embarrassed.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s none of your business anymore, go and do your own thing.¡±

    Johnathan said a sentence to the interviewer.

    The interviewer nodded attentively and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and attend to my duties. If Mr. Dup and Mr. Humphrey need anything, feel free to call us.¡±

    After the interviewer left, Reynaldo looked at me meaningfully.

    ¡°Is this what you said, a very good job?¡±

    He bit the words ¡°very good, very good¡± very hard,

    1, very hard.

    I lowered my gaze and muttered, ¡°Yes, in my opinion, this is a good job!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

 Too Close 32

    Chapter32

    Reynaldo¡¯s tail was wagging for a long time, with a mocking tone.

    He said casually, ¡°Unfortunately, you still didn¡¯t get the job.¡±

    I tightly held onto the resume in my hand and couldn¡¯t help but shout at him, ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t get the job, I couldn¡¯t even get a job with such low requirements. I am worthless, I am useless, I can only rely on others for everything. Are you satisfied now?¡±

    Reynaldo retorted coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that about you, it¡¯s how you perceive yourself.¡±

    Well, he didn¡¯t say that about me.

    But his mocking tone, which sentence wasn¡¯t a sarcastic remark towards me?

    Johnathan awkwardly touched his nose and chuckled, ¡°How did they start arguing again?¡±

    Esmeralda, don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s just a job after all. To be honest, this market sales job really isn¡¯t suitable for you.

    How about you be my secretary? Secretarial work suits you better.

    I was about to refuse when Reynaldo immediately sneered, ¡°Let her be your secretary? Aren¡¯t you afraid she will ruin your business?¡±

    Johnathan was embarrassed: ¡°Come on, she¡¯s a college student after all. Hiss, Reynaldo, do you have any bias against her?¡±

    Although she treated you badly in the past, after all, you were husband

    and wife, and ¡°a day as a couple, a hundred days of grace.¡±

    After Johnathan finished speaking, he looked at me again and said,

    ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be afraid. Come to mypany, my brother¡¯s door will always be open for you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t need to look at Reynaldo¡¯s face to feel the chill emanating from him.

    He gave me a cold snort without any clear meaning and then turned around and left.

    I watched his cold figure and couldn¡¯t understand what he had to be angry about.

    Johnathan was still saying to me, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t pay attention to him. he¡¯s just an unpredictable lunatic.¡±

    Come work with me, you are not as bad as he said.

    I fell for it once; I just don¡¯t believe Johnathan really wanted me to go to hispany.

    He probably wanted to use me to entertain Reynaldo.

    I politely smiled at him and said, ¡°No need, thank you. I will find a job on

    my own.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Esmeralda, consider your brother¡¯s invitation, Esmeralda¡­¡±

    I walked out of the shopping mall in one breath.

    The weather was gloomy, as if it was going to rain.

    Just like my current mood.

    The interviews were repeatedly disappointing, and at that moment, I truly

    realized the hardships of life.

    I stared nkly at the bustling street, feeling lost in my heart.

    Although Reynaldo¡¯s mocking tone was unpleasant, it seems like he wasn¡¯t wrong.

    In the first half of my life, everything came to me effortlessly, to the point that now I can¡¯t do anything.

    My life is still so long, what should I do to make money and fulfill my life¡¯s worth?

    Would someone like me, without a family and without Reynaldo¡¯s help, starve to death?

    At one point, I waspletely confused about my future life and had no ns at all.

    In the evening, it started to rain, a drizzle.

    I went back in the rain.

    Madisyn quickly brought a towel to dry my hair.

    I looked at her with red eyes and said, ¡°Madisyn, am I really useless?¡±

    ¡°How could that be?¡± Madisyn eximed anxiously. ¡°In my heart, Miss is excellent, she looks good, studies well, dances well, and ys the piano well. If I had a daughter like her, I would be proud.¡±

    What Madisyn said, still couldn¡¯t change the cruel fact that I couldn¡¯t find a job.

    I walked upstairs in a daze.

    Madisyn suddenly said to me, ¡°Mr. just came back.¡±

    I paused for a moment and turned to look at her, ¡°What did hee back. for?¡±

    ¡°He came back to tell me some words to pass on to you.¡±

    Madisyn held a towel, with a hesitant expression as if she wanted to say something.

    I thought, it definitely wasn¡¯t anything good.

    Iughed weakly and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    I have been hit hard these days, and I am not afraid of any harsh words

    anymore.

    Madisyn whispered, ¡°The gentleman asked me to tell you that if you feel bored at home, you can develop some hobbies instead of constantly looking for jobs everywhere. He also said¡­ he also said that work is not suitable for you.¡±

    I burst intoughter immediately!

    Is the job not suitable for me?

    Who said that!

    I insisted on working to show him.

    I don¡¯t believe that I couldn¡¯t support myself on my own.

    I was already feeling down, but when I heard Reynaldo¡¯s hurtful words at this moment, it ignited my fighting spirit again.

    Madisyn looked at the cold smile on my face and was startled, ¡°Miss, are you¡­ are you okay?¡±

 Too Close 33

    <b>Chapter33 </b>

    I hummed andughed. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m doing fine. Later, make some delicious food for me, I want to cat until I¡¯m full. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have the energy to look for a job.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Madisyn sighed, ¡°You still want to go out and find a job?¡±

    ¡°Well, find, we must find!¡±

    The next day. I woke up early.

    Reynaldo hasn¡¯t been staying overnight here these days, and I must say I¡¯ve been enjoying the freedom.

    After tidying up a bit, I went to the job market in the morning and submitted a few resumes.

    Then in the afternoon, I went to the inte cafe to submit my resume.

    All day long, my phone remained silent,

    There wasn¡¯t even a single text message, let alone a phone call for the interview notification.

    It seems that the resume I submitted yesterday has also gone unnoticed.

    I leaned back on the chair in the inte cafe and daydreamed, negative emotions came up again.

    What should I do if I really couldn¡¯t find a job?

    Don¡¯t even talk about Reynaldo¡¯s money, it was already a problem to support oneself.

    I covered my eyes with my hand and sighed.

    At that moment, my phone suddenly rang, and it was an unfamiliar number.

    Thinking it must be a phone call about an interview notification, I quickly answered.

    ¡°Hello, is this Esmeralda Duffy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was.¡±

    ¡°We are Clicks Media. We are informing you that your resume has been approved by our Personnel Department. Please report to thepany tomorrow morning at 8 o¡¯clock sharp.¡±

    Check¨Cin?

    Did I hear it wrong? It¡¯s not an interview, right?

    I hesitated and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t I need to have an interview first?¡±

    ¡°Your resume meets our requirements very well. You cane directly tomorrow toplete the onboarding process.¡±

    The surprise came too quickly, and for a moment, I found it hard to believe.

    After hanging up the phone, I quickly checked my records of job applications.

    A couple of days ago, I indeed submitted my resume to apany called Clicks Media for a secretarial position.

    However, ording to the information on the website, thispany was very popr, and this position was also in high demand, with arge number of people applying for it.

    But why did theirpany specifically choose me, even eliminating the interview process?

    Thinking about all this, I felt like I was dreaming and couldn¡¯t quite believe it.

    Lavonne came back.

    To celebrate my finally finding a job, she invited me to go to a bar and

    have fun.

    We arrived rtively early, and there weren¡¯t many people in the bar.

    Lavonne has lost quite a bit of weight these days. I asked her, ¡°Is Auntie feeling better?¡±

    Lavonne nodded, ¡°The condition stabilized, and there were no major obstacles ahead.¡±

    She paused for a moment, thenughed sadly again, ¡°Oh, my heartless father, he was hoping for my mother to die early, but my mother refuses to die, it infuriates him!¡±

    I shook her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, just be good with Auntie.¡±

    ¡°Um, well.¡± Lavonne quickly changed her mood and smiled at me, ¡°Don¡¯t doubt yourself either, actually not being able to find a job is really not your fault.

    Most people in Freybourne knew you, even though your family had fallen on hard times, they would never believe that a former wealthy youngdy would actually do those ordinary andmon jobs.

    They didn¡¯t hire you; they were just afraid that after hiring you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the hardship and would run away, which would only increase their workload.

    Our Esmeralda, she was still very excellent..

    I watched her with tears welling up in my eyes.

    Lavonne was truly like a little sun, always warming me up.

    Afterforting words were spoken, Lavonne pulled me to the dance floor to dance.

    However, just as we were getting up, we bumped into a woman.

    I was about to apologize when the woman immediately arrogantly shouted. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you have eyes or not?¡±

    Lavonne had a fiery temper, and as soon as she heard this tone, she exploded instantly: ¡°You have no eyes, and your whole family has no eyes.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± The woman red angrily at Lavonne and quickly coquettishly pulled the man who was making a phone call next to her, ¡°Mr. Dup. there are two ignorant and arrogant women bullying me. You must stand up for me¡±

    Lavonne shivered with goosebumps all over her body and disdainfully pursed her lips at me.

    And I watched the man making a phone call in astonishment.

    This is Johnathan, isn¡¯t it?

    Johnathan hung up the phone, embracing the woman, and proudly said, ¡°Who dares to bully my baby¡­¡±

 Too Close 34

    Chapter34

    However, before the words hadpletely fallen, he froze and stared at me nkly, saying. ¡°Esmeralda?¡±

    As soon as I saw Johnathan, I felt flustered.

    I quickly looked around, afraid that Reynaldo might also be here.

    Johnathan saw through my thoughts andughed at me, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯te with Reynaldo.¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a faint smile, saying, ¡°Mr. Dup misunderstood. Whether Reynaldo is here or not, it has nothing to do with me.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Johnathan nodded, smiling at me with a knowing look.

    At this moment, the woman beside him protested and coquettishly tugged at him, saying, ¡°Oh, Mr. Dup, what are you doing? They just bullied

    me.¡±

    ¡°Go away, go away!¡± Johnathan disdainfully brushed her hand aside.

    Lavonne chuckled on the side.

    The woman was dissatisfied, twisting her slender waist, and her voice became even more coquettish: ¡°Mr. Dup What are you doing? I¡¯ve already said it, they bullied me, and you still won¡¯t help me vent my anger.<b>¡± </b>

    Johnathanughed and pointed at me, saying to that woman, ¡°Do you know who she is?¡±

    The woman looked confused and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°She was my brother¡¯s woman, let alone bullying you, even beating you up would be fine.¡±

    Lavonne couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and burst intoughter.

    The woman got angry and started to act even more coquettish, shaking Johnathan¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Go away.¡± Johnathan impatiently shrugged her off and grinned at me, saying. ¡°Esmeralda, since we coincidentally bumped into each other, let¡¯s grab a drink together.¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°No, we are going back. You had fun.¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡± Johnathan eximed in frustration. ¡°Esmeralda, do you really dislike me that much? Why do you always leave as soon as you see me? Or is it that you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll take advantage of you?¡±

    I was about to say something when he interrupted, saying, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re Reynaldo¡¯s woman, I may be a flirt but I won¡¯t touch you.¡±

    I was speechless in my heart; Johnathan really spoke without any scruples.

    He suddenly shifted his gaze and nced at Lavonne again, then said to

    me, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid that I have.<

    towards your friend, are you?

    Well, you can rest assured, your friend has a bold and masculine

    demeanor, not the type I like.¡±

    Lavonne stared with her eyes wide open and said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who looks so proud, your whole family looks proud!¡±

    I shook my head with a smile.

    Don¡¯t be fooled by Lavonne¡¯s hot temper, she only knows how <b>to </b>say this

    24/22

    one sentence when arguing with others.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Yes, I had a confident look on my face, so do you dare to have a few drinks with me?¡±

    I had just wanted to stop Lavonne, but she patted her chest and said, ¡°I will drink as much as I want, who¡¯s afraid of you!¡±

    I quickly grabbed Lavonne¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t drink with him.¡±

    Lavonne nced at Johnathan¡¯s proud handsome face and said, patting my hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, watch me make him drink until he¡¯s knocked out and no longer feeling proud!¡±

    Me: ¡±

    Lavonne was going to have a heavy drink with Johnathan, and I couldn¡¯t just leave her alone.

    Lavonne and I followed Johnathan and arrived at his exclusive private

    room.

    However, as soon as the private room was opened, I saw a room full of people inside

    I thought to myself that it was not good, so I turned around and left.

    Johnathan grabbed me!

    ¡°What are you doing? We¡¯re already at the door, everyone is watching. If you keep going, you might embarrass yourself a bit.¡±

    Johnathan smiled at me like a fox.

    And I didn¡¯t have to turn around to feel a cold gaze falling on me.

    I turned my head stiffly and sure enough, I saw Reynaldo sitting in the middle, coolly staring at me.

    I gritted my teeth and said to Johnathan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯te with Reynaldo?¡±

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°I indeed didn¡¯te with him, but he came first.¡±

    Johnathan paused for a moment and thenughed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?

    Esmeralda, when did you be so afraid of Reynaldo? I remember you used to be quite confident in front of him, right?¡±

    ¡°Who said we were afraid of him, Esmeralda!¡±

    Lavonne angrily retorted at Johnathan.

    Then he took my hand and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in. We can¡¯t let them underestimate us.¡±

    I walked in with a stiff scalp.

    I then discovered that there was arge multiyered cake on the table.

    Kimberly sat beside Reynaldo, wearing a princess dress and a crown on her head.

    It seems that this was Kimberly¡¯s birthday party.

    Realizing this, I couldn¡¯t bear to stay any longer.

 Too Close 35

    Chapter35

    But they have alle over, and it is indeed not easy to turn back now.

    I could only find a suitable excuseter, and then leave.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy!¡±

    Kimberly saw me and a sh of joy crossed her face. ¡°I wanted to invite you to my birthday party from the beginning, but Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t allow it. Luckily, Johnathan brought you here.¡±

    I instinctively nced at Reynaldo.

    The man had no expression on his face, and his dark, gloomy eyes exuded indifference and detachment.

    I mocked myself in my heart.

    This was his sweetheart¡¯s birthday party, and naturally, he didn¡¯t want me, his ex¨Cwife, to spoil the mood.

    Although I really wanted to leave in my heart, I still had to maintain a polite demeanor on the surface.

    I smiled at Kimberly and said, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know it was your birthday when I came, so I didn¡¯t prepare a gift. I¡¯ll make it up to youter.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you cane.¡± Kimberly smiled innocently.

    No wonder Reynaldo liked her.

    Such a pure, beautiful, and gentle girl indeed lived up to the description of ¡°moonlight¡°.

    |_ Chaplet 35

    Lavonne suddenly tugged at my arm and whispered to me, ¡°Is she Reynaldo¡¯s girlfriend?¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak and pulled Lavonne to sit in the corner.

    Unfortunately, Johnathan also sat down with us.

    I stared at him gloomily and asked, ¡°Why are you following me?¡±

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°How could I possibly follow you? Later, I will be drinking heavily with your best friend. How can I enjoy myself if I ?it far away?¡±

    I wanted to say something more, but Lavonne grabbed my arm and whispered, ¡°You go with him, I¡¯ll make sure he gets drunkter and avenge you.¡±

    I helplessly smiled at Lavonne.

    Lavonne had a good alcohol tolerance, but Johnathan¡¯s alcohol tolerance wasn¡¯t necessarily worse either.

    At this moment, someone teased Johnathan, ¡°Hey, Mr. Dup, you¡¯re quite something, bringing two femalepanions at once.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no way! I am not hispanion!¡± Lavonne retorted straightforwardly.

    The other people in the private room said, ¡°So Ms. Duffy was Mr. Dup¡¯spanion?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, if we remember correctly, Ms. Duffy was still Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex¨Cwife, right?¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk, Ms. Dully is really something. After her family fell on hard times, she managed to quickly get involved with Mr. Dup.¡±

    I looked at Johnathan in frustration, hoping that he could exin a thing.

    or two.

    To my surprise, he actually touched his own nose, looking as if he hadn¡¯t. heard those words.

    The cold gaze drifted over again.

    Reynaldo swayed the wine in his cup,ughing at me.

    I tightened my grip on the hand by my side and said calmly, ¡°You misunderstood, I was not Johnathan¡¯spanion.¡±

    ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve hooked up with Mr. Dup, don¡¯t try to make excuses.¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Dup said he would bring a femalepanion tonight, and you are the one brought by Mr. Dup. If you are not hispanion, then who else could it be?¡±

    I was about to retort when Kimberly suddenly said, ¡°Enough, you guys. If Ms. Duffy can win Johnathan¡¯s favor, that¡¯s her ability. You don¡¯t need to talk about her anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, we were really sorry for Mr. Humphrey. We all knew how this woman used to bully him back then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, why does she still get to be

    in our s

    Lavonne eximed angrily, ¡°What do you mean ¡®still able to appear in your circle¡°? Hrious! How noble is your circle?¡±

    ¡°Go away¡­ You, a Miss abandoned by the Av family, have no right to speak here. Go away!¡±

    Lavonne was furious.

    I shook her hand and whispered to the crowd, ¡°Since no one wees. us, we won¡¯t disturb your enjoyment either. Goodbye.¡±

    After saying that, I wanted to grab Lavonne and go.

    I didn¡¯t want to stay here in the first ce.

    Johnathan wanted to stop me, but it was at this moment that Reynaldo, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Either don¡¯te in the first ce, or if you doe, then stay

    obediently. This birthday party is not something you cane and go as you please.¡±

    The man¡¯s tone was cold, with a hint of displeasure.

    I guess he felt that I spoiled the atmosphere of his loved one¡¯s birthday party.

    I pursed my lips, and a few traces of sourness and difort welled up in my heart.

    If I had known this was Kimberly¡¯s birthday party, I wouldn¡¯t havee even if you killed me.

    Lavonne angrily said to me, ¡°Reynaldo is so rude, how could he speak like that?¡±

    Also, look at the ne that woman is wearing on her neck, it seems to be a limited edition from Bvlgari, worth several tens of millions. Could it be a gift from Reynaldo?

 Too Close 36

    Chapter36

    I nced at Kimberly¡¯s neck.

    She did wear a diamond ne; it was very dazzling.

    That should be the ne that Reynaldo insisted on buying for her that day.

    Lavonne angrily eximed to me,

    repaying debts for your family <i>as </i>This Reynaldo is really going too far.

    if you owe him a huge favor.¡±

    He gave his sweetheart a ne, worth millions, and said it was a gift. Ha, he was really generous.

    I¡¯m so angry, you shouldn¡¯t have married him in the first ce!

    I patted her hand, smiled faintly without saying a word, but my heart felt a bit bitter.

    Kimberly suddenly eximed to me, ¡°Yes, Ms. Duffy, this party was specifically organized by Reynaldo for me. He put a lot of effort into it. Since you all havee, just enjoy yourselves and don¡¯t care about what others say.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I politely smiled back at her.

    Lavonne sneered in my ear, ¡°She even went out of her way to mention that this party was organized by Reynaldo, as if she was afraid we didn¡¯t know how much Reynaldo cared about her.¡±

    I smiled at Lavonne andforted her not to be angry.

    Regardless of whether Kimberly was intentionally showing off to me or

    Chamele

    not, the fact remains that Reynaldo cared about her.

    If I cared too much, then it would only be myself who would be sad and upset.

    Lavonne was also toozy to pay attention to Reynaldo and Kimberly anymore, so she went to find Johnathan to have a drink.

    Others celebrated Kimberly¡¯s birthday, singing her a birthday song, without targeting me anymore.

    Ralda sat quietly next to Lavonne, thinking that it would be nice to be a little transparent like this.

    However, Reynaldo kept looking at me, his gaze cold and distant.

    Being looked at by him like this, I felt extremely ufortable.

    I said to Johnathan, ¡°How about Lavonne and I go first?¡±

    Johnathan smiled at me and said, ¡°You should tell Reynaldo and Kimberly this, after all, they were the main characters of this gathering.¡±

    I smiled stiffly.

    Tell them, forget it.

    After a while, someone suggested ying a game.

    Johnathan has always been a yful person, and suddenly he suggested ying Truth or Dare.

    I didn¡¯t want to y, but Kimberly still enthusiastically pulled me over.

    The people in the private room immediately sat in a circle, with an empty bottle ced on the table.

    Chapter

    <b>11 </b>

    Johnathan excitedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go first, you guys take the challenge.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, he reached for the bottle of alcohol.

    I stared at the bottle, praying that it wouldn¡¯t turn to me, wouldn¡¯t turn to<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    However¡­

    Contrary to my wishes, as the bottle of wine slowly came to a stop, its mouth was directly facing me.

    I frowned in frustration and saw Johnathan smiling at me mischievously.

    Kimberly immediately covered her mouth and stifled augh, ¡°Oh my, why is Johnathan specifically targeting Ms. Duffy?¡±

    She smiled a little ambiguously.

    In an instant, I felt Reynaldo¡¯s icy gaze shooting towards me.

    He sat right across from me, his icy gaze incredibly oppressive.

    I lowered my head, feeling extremely frustrated in my heart.

    Johnathan asked me, ¡°Esmeralda, are you choosing truth or dare?¡±

    I looked at Lavonne helplessly.

    Lavonne helplessly shrugged her hands at me, indicating that she couldn¡¯t

    assist me.

    Others had already started urging me to make a quick choice.

    I hesitated for a while and said, ¡°Tell me the truth.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Johnathan giggled and said, ¡°Well, then I have a question.¡±

    I nodded.

    He said. ¡°Did you ever like Reynaldo?¡±

    My heart trembled, and I instinctively looked at Reynaldo, but our gazes collided with Reynaldo¡¯s dark and gloomy eyes.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I lowered my gaze, unable to answer for a while.

    The people around me urged me to answer quickly.

    Johnathan said to me, ¡°Speak the truth, or else you will face consequences.¡±

    I twisted my hands, unsure of how to answer.

    Lavonne nced at me and angrily said to Johnathan, ¡°What kind of nonsense questions are these?¡±

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°I was going easy on her with my question. I wasn¡¯t asking about her being in bed with Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Lavonne blushed so much that her face turned red.

    There was also a burst of ambiguousughter around.

    At this moment, Kimberly said, ¡°Alright Johnathan, stop teasing Ms. Duffy. Look, Ms. Duffy is feeling embarrassed.¡±

    Johnathan nced at me and chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize she was embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Ms. Duffy¡­¡± Kimberly suddenly looked at me again, ¡°You better answer his question quickly, or he¡¯ll keep teasing you endlessly.¡±

    Chapte

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly at this moment, blowing smoke rings and smiling at me, ¡°That question, is it really that difficult to answer?¡±

    Chapter37

    I clenched my hands tightly, about to speak.

    Johnathan reminded me again, ¡°Speak the truth, be careful of the consequences.¡±

    I red at him and then said calmly, ¡°No.¡±

    Let the retributione, my family has already fallen into such a state, what retribution do I still fear?

    Johnathan eximed ¡°Oh snap!¡± and nced at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo¡¯s expression was indifferent, and there was no emotion in his eyes.

    Well, it¡¯s true. He wasn¡¯t concerned about me.

    I liked him or not, he naturally didn¡¯t care.

    Fortunately, the game continued and everyone finally shifted their attention away from me.

    In the following rounds, the bottle cap did not turn to me.

    I slightly sighed with relief, leaned back against the chair back, and became a transparent person.

    But I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, I always feel a cold light floating over there.

    However, when I looked up, Reynaldo was just leaning back in his chair, smoking absentmindedly, without looking at me.

    The game went on for several rounds, and the atmosphere in the private room became more and more lively.

    They were having more and more fun, with some people losing several times, and even being forced to take off all their clothes as a punishment.

    Just when I was feeling rxed, the bottle suddenly aimed at me again.

    It was still Johnathan who turned the bottle.

    I red at him angrily.

    Johnathan innocently looked at me and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it.¡±

    I sneered.

    If he hadn¡¯t done it on purpose, I would have twisted my own head off.

    Lavonne suddenly tugged at my sleeve and whispered to me, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, this time you choose the big adventure. I¡¯ve observed that the punishments they give are never about drinking or taking off clothes. You¡¯re also dressed modestly, so it¡¯s okay to take off one piece.¡±

    I think Lavonne also made sense.

    So when Johnathan asked me whether to choose truth or dare, I directly chose dare.

    I regretted it as soon as I made the choice.

    Because I saw Johnathanughing more cunningly.

    Johnathan leaned back and smiled at me, saying word by word, ¡°Please, choose someone of the opposite sex from the audience and kiss them¡­ for one minute.¡±

    There was a sudden cry of surprise at the scene.

 Too Close 37

    Chapter

    Lavonne exploded in anger, ¡°Johnathan, you deliberately yed tricks on Ralda, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Johnathan innocently shrugged his hands, ¡°The bottle identally turned towards her, I couldn¡¯t control it either. If it had turned towards you,

    wouldn¡¯t you also propose such a punishment? What does it mean to ¡®tease¡® her?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Lavonne was furious, saying that this didn¡¯t count.

    But nobody listened to her.

    Everyone was looking at me, waiting for me to choose someone of the opposite sex toe forward and kiss.

    The more such punishments were given, the more they seemed to enjoy it.

    I nced at Reynaldo quietly.

    The manzily smoked his cigarette all the time, his faint expression resembling that of an outsider.

    Perhaps, no matter which opposite sex I chose to kiss, he wouldn¡¯t have any reaction.

    Thinking of this, I felt ufortable in my heart again.

    Although I repeatedly told myself not to care about that man anymore, many times, my heart couldn¡¯t help it.

    Kimberly suddenly smiled at me and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, look at all these handsome guys here. Which one do you want to kiss?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s you next to me.¡± Lavonne chuckled immediately.

    Kimberly¡¯s facial expression visibly changed.

    I quickly pulled Lavonne¡¯s arm.

    Lavonneughed and said, ¡°Just kidding, but our Ralda and Mr.

    Humphrey were already married before, and they didn¡¯t even know how many times they had kissed. So, kissing one more time now shouldn¡¯t be a big deal,¡±

    Moreover, this is just a game, and if our friend Ralda really chose Mr. Humphrey, I believe you wouldn¡¯t mind, right?¡±

    I knew that Lavonne was intentionally provoking Kimberly.

    But Reynaldo cherished Kimberly, there was no guarantee that Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t target Lavonne for Kimberly.

    I was about to tell Kimberly that I wouldn¡¯t choose to kiss Reynaldo.

    To my surprise, Kimberly suddenly felt a difort in her chest.

    Reynaldo immediately supported her and anxiously asked her what was wrong.

    That was the first time I saw such an anxious expression on that man¡¯s face.

    It is believed that he truly, truly cared about Kimberly.

    Kimberly held her chest and said to him in difort, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine. You can continue ying games with them. I think Ms. Duffy will choose to kiss you. Don¡¯t spoil everyone¡¯s fun. I¡­ I¡¯ll just rest on the side.¡±

    Lavonne leaned in close to my ear and disdainfully said, ¡°She was clearly pretending!¡±

    I smiled faintly, but deep down inside, I felt sad.

    I quickly pulled Lavonne¡¯s arm.

    Lavonneughed and said, ¡°Just kidding, but our Ralda and Mr.

    Humphrey were already married before, and they didn¡¯t even know how many times they had kissed. So, kissing one more time now shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.¡±

    Moreover, this is just a game, and if our friend Ralda really chose Mr. Humphrey, I believe you wouldn¡¯t mind, right?¡±

    I knew that Lavonne was intentionally provoking Kimberly.

    But Reynaldo cherished Kimberly, there was no guarantee that Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t target Lavonne for Kimberly.

    out to tell Kimberly that I wouldn¡¯t choose to kiss Reynaldo.

    To my surprise, Kimberly suddenly felt a difort in her chest.

    Reynaldo immediately supported her and anxiously asked her what was

    wrong.

    That was the first time I saw such an anxious expression on that man¡¯s face.

    It is believed that he truly, truly cared about Kimberly.

    Kimberly held her chest and said to him in difort, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine. You can continue ying games with them. I think Ms. Duffy will choose to kiss

    you. Don¡¯t spoil everyone¡¯s fun. I¡­ I¡¯ll just rest on the side.¡±

    Lavonne leaned in close to my car and disdainfully said, ¡°She was clearly pretending!¡±

    I smiled faintly, but deep down inside, I felt sad.

 Too Close 38

    Chapter38

    Regardless of whether she was pretending or not, Reynaldo was indeed nervous about her.

    Reynaldo gave me a cold nce and then turned to the crowd, saying, ¡°You guys go ahead and y.¡±

    He finished speaking and then helped Kimberly to the side to rest.

    Suddenly, someone started mocking me.

    ¡°Oh, it seems like Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t want to kiss her at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Humphrey has stepped down now, let¡¯s see who she can choose.¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely! It¡¯s really hrious. She actually still wants to choose Mr. Humphrey, but Mr. Humphrey¡¯s current love interest is Ms. Palmer. She really has no self-awareness at all.¡±

    Lavonne was furious and wanted to pick a fight with them.

    I grabbed Lavonne.

    I caught a glimpse of Reynaldo attentively pouring hot water for Kimberly without even ncing in my direction. Instantly, a tinge of sourness surged in my nose, and my eyes welled up with tears.

    I quickly lowered my head, not wanting them to see my embarrassment.

    Johnathan smiled at me and said, ¡°Alright Esmeralda, go ahead and choose, at least choose one. We young people y games, so we have to y them well.¡±

    Chapter38

    Regardless of whether she was pretending or not, Reynaldo was indeed nervous about her.

    Reynaldo gave me a cold nce and then turned to the crowd, saying, ¡°You guys go ahead and y.¡±

    He finished speaking and then helped Kimberly to the side to rest.

    Suddenly, someone started mocking me.

    ¡°Oh, it seems like Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t want to kiss her at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Humphrey has stepped down now, let¡¯s see who she can choose.¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely! It¡¯s really hrious. She actually still wants to choose Mr. Humphrey, but Mr. Humphrey¡¯s current love interest is Ms. Palmer. She really has no self¨Cawareness at all.¡±

    Lavonne was furious and wanted to pick a fight with them.

    I grabbed Lavonne.

    I caught a glimpse of Reynaldo attentively pouring hot water for Kimberly without even ncing in my direction. Instantly, a tinge of sourness surged in my nose, and my eyes welled up with tears.

    I quickly lowered my head, not wanting them to see my embarrassment.

    Johnathan smiled at me and said, ¡°Alright Esmeralda, go ahead and choose, at least choose one. We young people y games, so we have to y them well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hurry up and choose.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hurry up and choose, it¡¯s just kissing a man, it¡¯s not difficult for you at all.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up, hurry up¡­¡±

    There were sounds of urging and mockery all around.

    I tightened my hand on my knee and then looked at Johnathan heavily.

    Johnathan was clearly startled and eximed, ¡°Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say a word, got up, and walked straight towards him¡­

    When he saw me approaching, Johnathan¡¯s face changed.

    ¡°What¡­ What do you want to do?¡±

    I sneered at him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted me to pick someone of the opposite sex to kiss?¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡±

    The surrounding onlookers instantly became excited.

    It seemed that Mr. Humphrey ignored her, so she shifted her focus to Mr. Dup.

    ¡°But look at Mr. Dup, he seemed very nervous and flustered.¡±

    ¡°Laughing to death, how terrifying is this woman? Even Mr. Dup, a yboy in the dating scene, is afraid to kiss her.¡±

    I walked up to Johnathan and looked at him with a sneer.

    The more nervous he became, the more certain I was that he didn¡¯t dare to

    11

    kiss me.

    Johnathan always had a nonchnt attitude, always stirring up trouble.

    If I guessed correctly, he just wanted me to provoke Reynaldo.

    Oh, you love to y, huh.

    This time, I made you lift the stone and hit your own foot!

    I smiled at Johnathan and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s kiss for a minute.¡±

    ¡°No no no¡­ It¡¯s not¡­ How, how did you choose me?¡± Johnathan said in a frightened and fluent manner.

    Lavonneughed so hard that her stomach hurt.

    Iughed at Johnathan and said, ¡°Because you were handsome.¡±

    ev were not m

    ¡°No, they¡­ handsome!¡± Johnathan pointed at the other men.

    The more flustered he became, the happier I felt in my heart.

    Now I am 100% sure that he wouldn¡¯t kiss me.

    I deliberately put my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him brightly, saying. ¡°Alright, stop dawdling. We¡¯re adults, if we want to y, we have to be able to handle it. Can¡¯t you see everyone is waiting?¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Dup, when did you be so nagging, even worse than a woman?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, considering you used to be a yboy, it¡¯s surprising how a woman¡¯s kiss could scare you like this.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up, hurry up! Can¡¯t you see that this woman is already impatient?¡±

    1155

    ¡°No, no¡­ Reynaldo¡­¡± Johnathan pleaded, looking at Reynaldo desperately. ¡°She¡­ she wants to kiss me.¡±

    When he called out Reynaldo, my heart also trembled, and my gaze involuntarily nced at Reynaldo.

    The man was sitting on the sofa, smoking casually.

    Johnathan was still shouting at him, ¡°Hey, can you hear me? Your ex- wife, she wants to kiss me!¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± Reynaldo responded indifferently, his tone neither salty nor nd. ¡°So, what do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­ what do you mean?¡± Johnathan looked extremely frustrated.

    Kimberly seemed to be feeling better now. She covered her mouth and teasingly said to Johnathan, ¡°Johnathan, why are you still shy? Hurry up and kiss, don¡¯t keep Ms. Duffy waiting for too long.¡±

    Johnathan stared at Reynaldo, feeling frustrated, and said, ¡°I really kissed her, you better not regret it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Reynaldo¡¯s tone remained indifferent.

    My heart couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter and sour again.

    It seems that he really didn¡¯t care about me at all.

    ¡°I really want to kiss her, haha,¡± Johnathan said to Reynaldo again, then leaned towards me.

    My heart tightened.

    No way, this man wouldn¡¯t really want to kiss me, would he?

    What to do, what to do¡­

    Chapter39

 Too Close 39

    Chapter39

    <i>As </i>Johnathan approached slowly, my mind became a mess.

    Just as I was about to dodge, Reynaldo suddenly dragged a chair over and sat down.

    Johnathan paused, furrowing his brows as he looked at him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Reynaldo blew a smoke ring and casually said, ¡°Can¡¯t see clearly from far away, get closer so I can see how you guys kiss in detail.¡±

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°What the hell is this strange hobby of yours?¡±

    Reynaldo flicked his cigarette ash and said earnestly, ¡°Carry on, you guys carry on, just pretend I don¡¯t exist.¡±

    I nced at Reynaldo, but I didn¡¯t see any emotions on his face.

    Maybe he really just wanted to watch me kiss Johnathan.

    Thinking about this, I felt uneasy again in my heart.

    Reynaldo calmly watched me and Johnathan.

    You¡¯re

    Johnathan couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and cursed at him, saying crazy!¡± Then he hummed, ¡°See, see, just open your eyes and look carefully!¡±

    Speaking, Johnathan squeezed my shoulder and then slowly leaned in with his face.

    Closer than just now, I could almost feel his breath.

    I was already anxious in my heart.

    Unfortunately, Reynaldo happened to be sitting right next to him, staring without blinking. Suddenly, there was an inexplicable sense of pressure in the surroundings.

    I was even more panicked in my heart.

    Johnathan¡¯s breath grew closer and closer.

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and was about to push him away.

    But unexpectedly, he suddenly pushed me away and angrily said to Reynaldo, ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re really sick. If you keep looking like this, how can I kiss a beautiful girl?¡±

    Reynaldo said expressionlessly, ¡°Kiss with your mouth.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy. If you really don¡¯t want to kiss me, just say it. What¡¯s with this look you¡¯re giving me?¡±

    My heart trembled, and I looked at Reynaldo in astonishment.

    Did hee over because he didn¡¯t want me to kiss Johnathan?

    However, in the next second, the man¡¯s indifferent wordspletely shattered my illusion.

    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it,¡± Reynaldo chuckled nonchntly. ¡°I sat so close just to learn a thing or two about kissing from you. Come on, keep going, you guys.¡±

    ¡°Continue my ass, who can still kiss with you staring like that? Damn it, I¡¯m done ying, I¡¯m done!¡±

    Johnathan got up irritably and said, ¡°This game is unyable, you guys y by yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, Mr. Dup, the master of romance, is actually afraid of a simple kiss.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, when did Mr. Dup be so shy?¡±

    ¡°Haha, turns out Mr. Dup couldn¡¯t handle it in the end!¡±

    Johnathan lit a cigarette, red at Reynaldo, and said to theughing crowd, ¡°Alright, alright, all of you can do it. Since you¡¯re all so capable, then go ahead and get rid of this man.¡±

    Who can still kiss when being stared at so deathly by him? I¡¯ll believe whoever I go with!

    ¡°Cut!¡±

    The crowdughed disdainfully, and one by one they showed their contempt for him.

    Fortunately, Johnathan was not angry either, he just sat aside smoking.

    The game didn¡¯t continue, and I finally could breathe <b>a </b>sigh of relief.

    The time afterwards was when everyone sat together and drank alcohol.

    Originally, I said I was going to leave, but Kimberly kept warmly persuading me to stay, and Reynaldo¡¯s gaze seemed to <b>warn </b>me not to be ungrateful.

    I couldn¡¯t help it, so I had to pull Lavonne and sit in the corner again,

    I was hoping that this gathering would end soon, after all, I have to report to thepany early tomorrow morning.

    Fortunately, Kimberly and Reynaldo left early.

    Both of these main characters left, and it didn¡¯t matter whether the others

    left or not.

    I had intended to ask Lavonne to leave, but unfortunately she got into the spirit with Johnathan.

    No matter how I called her to leave, she didn¡¯t move and even defiantly fist¨Cfought with Johnathan.

    Seeing her flushed face, I knew she had already had quite a few drinks.

    On the other hand, Johnathan had no trace of drunkenness on his face.

    Sure enough, no matter how good Lavonne¡¯s drinking capacity was, she couldn¡¯tpare to Johnathan.

    I definitely couldn¡¯t leave Lavonne alone here, so I could only wait for her by the side.

    It was gettingte into the night, and Lavonne finally drank herself to sleep.

    I helped her out of the club with difficulty and waited by the roadside to hail a taxi.

    Drunk people wereing out one after another, and taxis were in high demand.

    I waited for a long time, but I couldn¡¯t catch a taxi.

    Suddenly, Johnathan¡¯s car stopped in front of me.

    The car window rolled down, and Johnathan, sitting in the passenger seat, smiled at me and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Esmeralda, I¡¯ll take you back home.¡±

 Too Close 40

    Chapter40

    There was no better option at the moment.

    I opened the back door and helped Lavonne up first.

    Just as I was about to sit down, a piercing car horn suddenly sounded behind me¡­

    I turned around and, through the car window, saw Reynaldo with a gloomy expression.

    Strange, didn¡¯t he go back with his beloved moonlight?

    Looking at that gloomy face, could it be that they had a quarrel with the moonlight?

    As I was thinking, Johnathan suddenly smiled at me and said,

    ¡°Esmeralda, Reynaldo is calling for you. Why don¡¯t you take a ride in his car?¡±

    I nced at thepletely intoxicated Lavonne and decisively said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll ride in your car.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Johnathan chuckled knowingly, ¡°Well,e up here quickly then.¡±

    I walked towards the car again, and behind me, the horn sounded again, even more urgently than before.

    I furrowed my brows and asked Johnathan, ¡°What does he want to do?¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Who knows, went crazy, right?¡±

    Johnathan paused and said, ¡°Come up quickly, if youe with me, he won¡¯t go crazy.¡±

    I ignored Reynaldo¡¯s horn and got into Johnathan¡¯s car directly.

    Just as I got on, Reynaldo¡¯s car passed by.

    He gave me a very cold and icy look, which made my heart inexplicably panic.

    I was very puzzled about what he was angry about.

    Even if he had a fight with the moonlight, he was in a bad mood, so why did he re at me?

    I didn¡¯t offend him.

    All the way, my heart felt suffocated, and before my eyes were the man¡¯s icy gaze.

    It seems that every time he had an argument with his beloved, he couldn¡¯t bear to show his anger to her, and then he woulde to me to vent.

    Thinking about this, a sour feeling started to rise in my heart.

    I took a deep breath and looked out of the window, but I still felt deeply frustrated.

    Johnathan suddenly nced at me and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?¡±

    I pursed my lips and asked him, ¡°Do you also know Ms. Palmer?¡±

    Johnathan paused for a moment before realizing, ¡°Are you talking about Kimberly?¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak.

    Chapte

    Johnathanughed and said. ¡°Of course I know her, Reynaldo introduced her to me several years ago.¡±

    So, Reynaldo and Kimberly have known each other for many years, right?

    I felt increasingly suffocated in my heart.

    I remained silent.

    Johnathan nced back at me and said, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need topare yourself to her. You are different from her, <b>or </b>more urately, in Reynaldo¡¯s heart, you arepletely different from her.¡±

    I mocked myself in my heart.

    Of course, things were different. One was his beloved moonlight, and the other was his despised mistress.

    How could these two be the same?

    Johnathan said again, ¡°However, although Kimberly means something different to him, she is really important to him.¡±

    He was willing to sacrifice even his life to save Kimberly.

    Can you even disregard your own life?

    Ha!

    How much love was there?

    I stared nkly at the night scene outside the window, and a mist of tears unknowingly welled up in my eyes.

    After Johnathan had sent Lavonne home, he had his driver take me back as well.

    Chapter

    This man, although he loved to y and tease people, was not a bad

    person.

    When I returned to the vi, Madisyn and the others had already gone to bed, but they left the door open for me.

    Back in the room, I wearily leaned against the door panel, still pondering how much Reynaldo loved his moonlight.

    Suddenly, a faint smell of smoke wafted through the air.

    I

    ? furrowed my brows and lifted my head, only to see a flicker of spark by the window.

    My heart trembled for a moment.

    Reynaldo?

    I hurriedly went to turn on the light.

    As the lights came on, I immediately saw Reynaldo sitting by the window smoking. His face was so gloomy that even a single nce made me feel like the Grim Reaper was urging for my life.

    There were several cigarette butts in the ashtray on the table.

    It seems that he had been smoking for half a day there.

    Knowing that he had quarreled with his beloved and was in a bad mood, I didn¡¯t dare to provoke him either, so I silently turned around and prepared to leave.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Suddenly, a man¡¯s deep voice sounded from behind.

    I stopped in my tracks uncontrobly and turned around to look at him,

    ¡°Do you¡­ do you have something to say?¡±

    Reynaldo also remained silent, fiercely smoking his cigarette, with at visible aura of hostility between his eyebrows.

    My heart tightened.

    It seems that he had a big argument with his beloved this time.

 Too Close 41

    Chapter41

    But I felt a little aggrieved in my heart, why did hee to me and vent his anger just because he had a quarrel with the moonlight.

    Although I owed him money, I was not his punching bag, okay?

    Although I thought so in my heart, I didn¡¯t dare to say it out.

    After all, he was no longer the same Reynaldo as before.

    I stood obediently, waiting for him to speak, or rather, waiting for him

    to vent.

    I don¡¯t know how long it had passed, but the cigarette in his hand finally burned out.

    He extinguished the cigarette butt in the ashtray and then slowly looked towards me.

    The present¨Cday Reynaldo is so powerful that I dare not even make eye contact with him.

    Before long, Reynaldo walked up to me.

    He was already much taller than me, and now his presence has be even stronger, to the point that when he stood in front of me, I felt a strong sense of oppression.

    I unconsciously stepped back.

    He suddenly reached out and grabbed my waist, closed the door with his other hand, and then forcefully kissed me against the door panel

    He kissed forcefully, clearly with a hint of anger.

    I pushed him with all my strength, but he remained motionless, and instead. he lifted my hands above his head.

    You see, every time he had an unpleasant encounter with his beloved. he would treat me like this.

    But I am also a person. I am not a punching bag.

    I also had a heart, and that heart would ache.

    His lips were so sore from his grinding, but that pain was nothingpared to the pain in his heart.

    Thinking that he treated the moonlight as precious as a treasure, but treated me like this, I felt so sad that I wanted to cry.

    I didn¡¯t like him, but unfortunately, I still fell for him.

    Perhaps, this was the punishment from heaven for me. Reynaldo kissed me for a while and finally let go.

    He gasped heavily, staring at me intently, ¡°Are you so unwilling to let me kiss you?¡±

    I turned my face away and didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him.

    He sneered, ¡°Just now at the bar, it seemed like you were very eager to kiss Johnathan, huh?¡±

    He spoke, pinching my chin, with a cold and mocking glint in his eyes. ¡°What, did you really hook up with Johnathan?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him angrily, never expecting him to speak so rudely

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, his tone turning icy cold. ¡°Although you weren¡¯t Johnathan¡¯s type, a normal man couldn¡¯t resist your repeated advances.¡±

    Esmeralda! Can¡¯t you go a day without provoking men, or is it that I can¡¯t satisfy you?¡±

    As I listened to his harsh words. Iughed in anger.

    I shouted at him. ¡°No matter what my rtionship with Johnathan was, what does it matter to you?¡±

    Don¡¯t worry, I will repay you the money I owe you, even until death, is that okay?

    I really don¡¯t want to endure this kind of anger anymore. I was never a person who swallowed their pride.

    He helped me repay the money for my family and also lent me money to help my father repay his gambling debts, but he shouldn¡¯t always humiliate me like this.

    Honestly, I would rather he hit me and curse at me than endure such humiliation.

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying coldness.

    He suddenlyughed and asked me. ¡°Do you really like Johnathan that much?¡±

    I was really annoyed by his cold and interrogative tone.

    Before, it was Winston, now it is Johnathan.

    It seemed that every man close to me would suspect this and suspect that.

    He had another woman in his heart, so why should he have any say in who I liked?

    Since you only wanted to retaliate against me, just go ahead and degrade why bother with my feelings?

    Unless¡­

    me

    As I looked at his sinister expression, a slightly unrealistic spection suddenly shed through my mind.

    That guess made my heart beat uncontrobly faster.

    I nervously licked my lips and said to him, ¡°Reynaldo, have you in love with me?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s expression visibly stiffened for a moment.

    fallen

    Without waiting for me to think carefully, he suddenly asked, ¡°Just now at the bar, when you said you have never liked me, was it the truth?¡±

    I was startled.

    Why did he suddenly ask this question again?

    When ying this game, he clearly had a faint expression and seemed indifferent, but suddenly he asked, ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    Did he want to confirm my feelings first and then answer the question I just asked him?

 Too Close 42

    Chapter42

    Or is it that he was testing me, and once I said that I liked him, he would use it as an opportunity to humiliate and mock me?

    In the midst of my troubled thoughts, Reynaldo suddenly approached me and said, ¡°Is that the truth? Answer me!¡±

    His warm breath sprayed all over my neck, making me shiver all over.

    I shivered, and in my mind, the image of him quickly shed by, as he withdrew from the game to avoid kissing me in front of Kimberly.

    He shed back to the scene where he was gentle, considerate, and caring towards Kimberly.

    My thoughts seemed to be clear in this moment.

    The only person he loved was Kimberly.

    The more I think about it, the more it bes self¨Cindulgence.

    I took a slight breath and smiled at him lightly, ¡°We were ying Truth or Dare, so naturally it was truth.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes turned icy cold in an instant.

    He suddenly burst intoughter,ughing coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t have a heart at all, so where would sincere wordse from?¡±

    His coldughter seemed to be wrapped in an usation.

    I didn¡¯t have time to investigate further, and suddenly he grabbed me

    Chapter42

    Or is it that he was testing me, and once I said that I liked him, he would use it as an opportunity to humiliate and mock me?

    In the midst of my troubled thoughts, Reynaldo suddenly approached me and said, ¡°Is that the truth? Answer me!¡±

    His warm breath sprayed all over my neck, making me shiver all over.

    I shivered, and in my mind, the image of him quickly shed by, as he withdrew from the game to avoid kissing me in front of Kimberly.

    He shed back to the scene where he was gentle, considerate, and caring towards Kimberly.

    My thoughts seemed to be clear in this moment.

    The only person he loved was Kimberly.

    The more I think about it, the more it bes self¨Cindulgence.

    I took a slight breath and smiled at him lightly, ¡°We were ying Truth or Dare, so naturally it was truth.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes turned icy cold in an instant.

    He suddenly burst intoughter,ughing coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t have a heart at all, so where would sincere wordse from?¡±

    His coldughter seemed to be wrapped in an usation.

    I didn¡¯t have time to investigate further, and suddenly he grabbed me

    and threw me onto the bed.

    I looked at him in astonishment and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He unbuttoned his shirt, expressionless, and said, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to fulfill your duties as a lover.¡±

    The man leaned towards me as he spoke.

    I instinctively leaned against his shoulder, wanting to push him away, but when I thought about the money I owed him, my hand weakly dropped down.

    Reynaldo chuckled at me and said, ¡°You just asked me if I had fallen for you, and now I can give you an answer.¡±

    The heartbeat unconsciously quickened.

    I stared at him nkly, and in that moment, I realized that I had truly been looking forward to that answer.

    He unbuttoned my clothes, and said word by word, ¡°I never liked you.¡±

    The expectation in my heart shattered in this moment.

    Yeah, from hispletely different attitude towards me and Kimberly that day, it was clear who he liked.

    How could I have had such unrealistic thoughts?

    Shouldn¡¯t, really shouldn¡¯t!

    My heart ached.

    I smiled hard, as if only in this way could I maintain my pitiful pride.

    He looked at me with a sinister gleam in his eyes andughed at me, ¡°Making you my lover was just to seek revenge on you, and sleeping with you was only because of your attractive figure. Do you really think I like you?¡±

    The hurtful words pierced into the eardrums, sentence by sentence.

    Until this moment, I only realized that I had truly fallen into it, truly fallen in love with him.

    Otherwise, why would my heart ache like this?

    Reynaldo¡¯s cold face showed no emotion, and a sneer floated in his sinister eyes.

    My heart was filled with extreme sadness, but I still tried to smile.

    Because of the pride ingrained in me, I didn¡¯t want to show any hint of sadness in front of him.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°You have a fair and attractive body, why don¡¯t you go sleep with her?¡±

    ¡°Because she wasn¡¯t as adventurous as you,¡± the man said lightly.

    And my heart seemed to have been brutally stabbed again, bleeding profusely.

    I bit my lower lip and stopped talking.

    Perhaps my stubbornness annoyed him, and he became increasingly harsh towards me.

    My lower lip was finally bitten and blood filled my mouth.

    Reynaldo looked at me intensely, his eyes filled with a fierce determination, as if he wanted to crush me alive.

    Strangely enough. at this moment, I was not afraid of him at all.

    The resentment that lingers in my heart is all about anger, an anger that cannot be exined.

    I resented him for bullying me like that.

    I hated myself even more, not only because I used to look down on him. but also because I fell in love with him in such a situation.

    I was extremely sad in my heart.

    My eye sockets and the tip of my nose uncontrobly tingled with acidity, and a mist of water slowly rose before my eyes.

    I took a deep breath and tried my best to hold back the tears.

    Reynaldo suddenly stared at me, he looked at me for a long time, and then he let out a sigh.

    He bent down and kissed my lips, his voice tinged with a hint of indescribable helplessness, ¡°How did I not notice before, you were so

    stubborn.¡±

    I turned my head and the tears that I had been holding back suddenly fell like broken beads, continuously streaming down.

    Human emotions are truly strange.

    He tortured me so cruelly just now, but I didn¡¯t cry.

 Too Close 43

    Chapter43

    But at that moment, as his voice softened, my tears burst forth uncontrobly, no matter how hard I tried to hold them back.

    Feeling sad and aggrieved, I bit my lip and silently shed tears.

    He leaned in and kissed me, freeing my lips, and sighed, saying, ¡°If you bite again, your mouth will be ruined.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to worry even if I¡¯m done for!¡± I muttered, with a hint of a sob in my voice.

    He snorted coldly, ¡°You are my lover, every inch of you belongs to me, even a single strand of hair. So, should I or should I not control you?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand the word ¡°lover¡± now.

    As soon as I heard these two words, my heart sank heavily in pain.

    Once true emotions were involved, I could no longer see him solely as my benefactor.

    I looked out of the window, unwilling to talk to him or even look at him.

    He suddenly picked me up and brought me to the window.

    I was startled and hugged his neck tightly.

    He lowered his gaze and looked at me, his tone bing extremely domineering, ¡°Esmeralda, listen carefully, you are not allowed to have any ambiguous rtionships with those men anymore, understand?¡±

    ¡°When did you end our romantic rtionship?¡±

    He cherished his white moonlight so much, and I really didn¡¯t want to be his punching bag anymore.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes grew noticeably colder: ¡°Were you so eager to leave

    me?¡±

    ¡°Can I leave if I paid back those debts to you?¡±

    Although I knew it would be difficult to repay him the money I owed.

    if I could get a definite answer from him, at least I would have a

    motivation. a goal, wouldn¡¯t I?

    However, after I asked that question, his expression grew even darker.

    He snorted coldly, ¡°Wait until I get bored before we talk.¡±

    When he got tired of ying¡­

    I looked at him and asked. ¡°Until when?¡±

    He lightly caressed my lips and said in a rxed tone, ¡°You let me sleep in a few more times, and after a while, I got tired of it.¡±

    Did you actively let him sleep a few more times?

    How many times

    is enough in the end?

    Exhausted to the extreme, in no time, I fell asleep from fatigue.

    After Reynaldo finished, he carried me to the bed.

    I vaguely remember that he hugged me from behind, his enchanting voice sounding in my ear, ¡°So, what is your shared secret with

    Johnathan<b>?</b>¡±

    I was so tired that I didn¡¯t want to answer, but he kept bothering me.

    ¡°What is your shared secret? Tell me, and I¡¯ll let you sleep.¡±

    But Johnathan and I didn¡¯t have any shared secrets at all, those were all things Johnathan said on purpose just to amuse himself.

    I said vaguely, ¡°No, there is nomon secret.¡±

    But he didn¡¯t believe it, and he kept bothering me even more.

    I couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and cried incoherently, ¡°No, really, there isn¡¯t¡­¡±

    At the moment of confusion, it seemed like I heard him coaxing me.

    He seemed to be saying, ¡°Alright, alright, be good, I won¡¯t ask anymore, I won¡¯t ask¡­¡±

    I think I must have entered a dream.

    How could Reynaldo possibly use such a gentle voice to coax me?

    Impossible, absolutely impossible!

    The next day, I was awakened by the rm clock. I had originally wanted to sleep, but suddenly remembered that I had to go to thepany for orientation today.

    I instantly had no sleepiness at all, and quickly climbed out of bed, but because of the soreness all over my body, I fell heavily back onto the

    bed.

    I touched my phone and nced at the time, 6:30.

    Luckily, I had set the rm clock in advance yesterday, otherwise Reynaldo would have bothered me like thatst night, it would have been strange for me to wake up this morning.

    Thinking of Reynaldo, I instinctively nced to the side.

    No one.

    That man did get up early.

    I endured the soreness all over my body and sat up from the bed.

    I lowered my gaze and saw that my body was covered in marks.

    Sometimes I really can¡¯t figure it out. A man who seems so reserved and serious, how can he be like a crazy person in bed?

    I don¡¯t know if he was also this crazy when he did such things with his white moonlight.

    Oh!

    I couldn¡¯t think, really couldn¡¯t think.

    The thought of him being intimate with his white moonlight made me feel extremely ufortable in my heart.

    No, I couldn¡¯t dwell on these matters of emotions anymore. I had to work hard to earn money.

    I struggled to get out of bed and weakly made my way to the bathroom.

 Too Close 44

    Chapter44

    However, when I pushed open the door of the bathroom, I waspletely stunned.

    I saw Reynaldo leaning against the sink inside.

    Holding a mobile phone in hand, wearing a loose robe, with the cor open, the scratches on the muscr chest were particrly noticeable.

    I instinctively averted my gaze and asked him, ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet?¡±

    ¡°I received a phone call.¡±

    Reynaldo walked up to me, lowered his gaze and looked at me with a deep and somewhat frightening expression.

    I wondered and followed his gaze, lowering my eyes to look at myself.

    After a moment, I pretended to cough and said ufortably, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, don¡¯t make it seem like you¡¯ve never seen a woman before.¡±

    Actually, I quite admire my present self. I can stand in front of himpletely naked and speak without blushing or my heart skipping a beat.

    I remember in the past, after I finished taking a shower, I forgot to grab my pajamas. Seizing the opportunity while he was not in the room, I quickly ran out, but I happened to be caught by him just as he wasing in.

    At that time, my scream startled the whole family, and they all thought something was wrong with me.

    Looking at me like this. I feel a little embarrassed, but I don¡¯t have any other feelings.

    Let him watch if he wants to, anyway he has already seen everything, it

    doesn¡¯t matter.

    Reynaldo leaned closer to me again, almost pressing his entire body against mine.

    He slightly bent down and whispered in my car, ¡°I have seen many women. but you are the first one to stand here so bare for me to see.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I <b>was </b>speechless.

    I didn¡¯t wear clothes because I thought he had gone out.

    It was as if I intentionally didn¡¯t wear clothes to show him, when it reached his mouth.

    Thinking that I still had to rush to thepany to report. I didn¡¯t want to get entangled with him either.

    I reached out to push him, ¡°Could you move aside a bit?¡±

    However, he grabbed my wrist and leaned down to whisper in my car, ¡°What¡¯s this? Didn¡¯t get enoughst night and now you¡¯re trying to tempt me again?¡±

    He spoke while his hand ambiguously wandered around my waist.

    I shrank my body and furrowed my brows to look at him.

    I discovered that this man had a characteristic.

    That was when he was angry, especiallycking confidence, feeling particrly inferior, always suspecting that his woman had betrayed him.

    But once he was in a good mood, he would be inexplicably confident, always thinking that women wanted to throw themselves at him and were tempting him.

    I really had no words toment on his personality trait.

    Just as I was thinking, the man¡¯s hand slid even more inappropriately onto my chest.

    I red at him indignantly.

    He snorted coldly, ¡°How can you be so absent¨Cminded? Were you just thinking about another man?¡±

    Look, look¡­

    He got angry again, and started doubting everything without confidence.

    I grabbed his hand and muffledly said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about anyone, just thinking about you.¡±

    He clearly paused for a moment, thenughed incredulously, ¡°Miss

    me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wondered what you were up to this morning, blocking me here and not letting me brush my teeth and get ready!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± he yelled at me angrily.

    I impatiently pushed him away.

    If he kept on bothering me like this, I would definitely bete.

    I walked up to the sink and took the toothbrush to get ready to brush my teeth.

    He suddenly approached as well.

    He leaned against the sink, furrowing his brows as he looked at me and said. ¡°Why did you wake up so early today?¡±

    ¡°Um, I¡¯m busy.¡± I replied without looking up, squeezing toothpaste.

    He stared at me for a few seconds and continued to ask, ¡°Are you going out to look for a job again?¡±

    I was brushing my teeth and ignored him..

    He snorted andughed, his tone cold and mocking. ¡°If you could find a job, you would have found one already. Trust me, work is not suitable for you.¡±

    I really hated it when he said things like ¡°this job is not suitable for someone like you.¡±

    I rinsed my mouth and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but I have already found a job and will be reporting for duty today.¡±

    Reynaldoughed incredulously, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not embarrassing to not find a job. You don¡¯t need to keep telling lie after lie.¡±

    I chuckled twice and couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin it to him.

    I applied light makeup to myself and changed into a set of professional

    attire.

 Too Close 45

    Chapter45

    When I was leaving, Reynaldo¡¯s car suddenly stopped in front of me.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to work.¡±

    I felt cold in my heart.

    This man was not so kind to me.

    He definitely still thought that if I found a job, I would be deceiving him and wanted to see me embarrassed.

    Well, this time I really did disappoint him.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Immediately, I opened the passenger door and sat directly on it.

    I had been sitting there for a while, and he still hadn¡¯t started the car.

    Feeling anxious, I furrowed my brows and said to him, ¡°Open it.¡±

    He suddenly approached me in silence, almost pressing his entire upper body against mine.

    I panicked in my heart: ¡°You, you¡­ what are you doing?¡±

    Reynaldo tugged at his lips and said, ¡°Just buckle up, don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to ride with you this morning either.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± I red at him in shame and anger, when suddenly I heard a sound beside me ¨C it was the sound of the seatbelt being fastened.

    He leaned back and chuckled, ¡°You women are really strange. You don¡¯t get this nervous even when you¡¯re naked in front of me, but wearing a seatbelt seems to make you this nervous.¡±

    I held back and didn¡¯t retort.

    This man was unpredictable, so as to avoid annoying him again.

    It is still important to go to thepany and report now.

    This job was not easy for me to find at all, and there absolutely cannot be any mistakes.

    Reynaldo finally started the car.

    Thepany was not far away, about half an hour¡¯s drive.

    I looked out of the window.

    The sun had just risen at this moment, and there was a vibrant atmosphere outside.

    It was the time for work, and the roads were crowded with vehicles and pedestrians bustling about.

    I rarely got up carly.

    Seeing such a vibrant scene in the early morning now, my mood also brightened up, and I felt energized.

    In the future. I will work hard and save money diligently!

    As for all the messy things about emotions, let them go aside.

    Looking at the rising sun, I finally felt that life was not so confusing.

    Maybe I had written all my good mood on my face, Reynaldo suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you so happy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Iposed myself and told him the approximate address of thepany.

    He listened, but his brow furrowed deeply.

    ¡°What is the name of thatpany?¡±

    I was just about to say when his phone suddenly rang.

    His phone was right there on the central control screen, and I immediately saw that the iing call was from Kimberly.

    Perhaps he was afraid that Kimberly would be upset if she heard my voice, so he brought the phone to his ear to answer it, without turning on the speaker.

    I don¡¯t know what Kimberly said to him.

    He mmed on the brakes instantly.

    I was caught off guard and rushed forward abruptly.

    Luckily, I had fastened my seatbelt, otherwise I would have definitely crashed into the ss window.

    ¡°Get off the car!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even recovered my senses when Reynaldo hurriedly made me get off the car.

    I looked at the crowded traffic outside and the urgent time, and whispered to him, ¡°Can you first¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you to get off the car!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly growled at me.

    I was startled by his yelling, and my heart twitched along with it.

    His face was very gloomy, and there was anxiety between his eyebrows.

    He really loved Kimberly to the extreme. Just one phone call from Kimberly, and he became so anxious.

    I pursed my lips, said nothing, and silently got out of the car.

    As soon as I got off the car, his car sped away.

    I stood on the road in a daze, my eyes welling up with heat, until a car horn sounded behind me, and only then did I snap out of it and hurriedly cross to the side of the road.

    This spot on this road section was simply impossible to catch a taxi, and the bus wouldn¡¯t stop either.

    I could only run in the direction of thatpany following the navigation.

    I still harbored some resentment towards Reynaldo.

    He shouldn¡¯t have picked me up in the first c¨¦. It would have been much more convenient for me to take a taxi right at my doorstep.

    What does it mean to both give and abandon me halfway since you¡¯ve already sent me?

    Thinking about it, I felt ufortable in my heart.

    In the future, I will absolutely never rely on him again.

 Too Close 46

    Chapter46

    Afraid of beingte. I ran a bit fast, wearing high heels on my feet.

    As expected. I sprained my foot.

    I endured the pain and ran another kilometer before finally gging

    down a taxi.

    The car drove for more than twenty minutes and finally arrived at the entrance of Clicks Media.

    When I got off the car, my ankle hurt so much that I almost fell to the ground.

    Fortunately. I arrived at thepany five minutes before the reporting time.

    I hurriedly paid the money and then limped into the building.

    It seems that thispany was not small in scale, the building was very tall, and the interior looked very upscale.

    I still can¡¯t quite figure it out. How could apany of this scale skip the interview process and hire me directly?

    I was thinking and suddenly I bumped into someone.

    Just as I was about to awkwardly fall to the ground, the person quickly grabbed my waist and steadied me.

    I quickly thanked and looked up, and I was stunned.

    In front of me, there stood a man who looked very handsome, very

    handsome.

    Even more beautiful than Reynaldo.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± the person smiled and asked me.

    His smile, in particr, made everything around him pale inparison.

    I shook my head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    He then released the hand that was wrapped around my waist and said, ¡°Be careful while walking.¡±

    After he finished speaking, he walked towards the dedicated elevator passage.

    I stared nkly at his back, recalling his appearance, and faintly felt that his eyebrows and eyes were somewhat familiar, as if I had seen them somewhere before.

    Without thinking too much, I limped towards the elevator.

    The Personnel Department was on the 16th floor, and when I went up, the spacious office was already filled with people.

    Everyone was working diligently.

    I stood hesitantly at the door for a while, then approached someone and asked. ¡°Hello, I am here to report as a neer.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is it called Esmeralda?¡±

    I nodded quickly.

    She said, ¡°Come with me.¡±

    I hurriedly followed behind her, ignoring the pain in my ankle.

    As she passed by the pantry, someone called out to her, ¡°Hey, is she the newly hired secretary?¡±

    The female staff who guided me said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s her. I don¡¯t know what makes her so special. So many people came for interviews and didn¡¯t pass, but she managed to get through with a nearly nk resume. I wonder what the supervisor was thinking.¡±

    I lowered my head and eyes, listening carefully to their conversation.

    After all, this was also my area of confusion.

    The female stall in the pantry smiled and said, ¡°I guess they were attracted by her appearance. I have to say, she has a pretty secretary- like temperament. Look at her face, so distinctive.¡±

    Huh? Is it really for this reason?

    I really have to thank my parents for giving me a good appearance.

    ¡°Forget it,¡± the female staff leading the way chuckled, ¡°what ourpanycks the least is decorative vases. If she can¡¯t perform well, she will have to pack up and leave.¡±

    I pursed my lips, and I was actually a little scared in my heart.

    After all, I did not study in this field, nor did I have any experience in it.

    However, at that time, I would definitely make an effort to learn.

    The two of them had a brief conversation and then it ended. The female staff member who showed me the way took me directly toplete the onboarding procedures. After recording my information, she instructed me to go to the president¡¯s office to report.

    The President¡¯s office is on the 20th floor, and when I went there, everyone was busy.

    I wanted to find someone to ask where my workstation was and what I should do, but no one paid attention to me.

    And I stood in the aisle as if I was blocking their way, and as they passed by me, I heard clear sounds of disdain.

    So I could only try my best to stand on the side.

    Suddenly, someone threw a stack of documents at me and told me to go print them.

    I instantly felt like I had something to do, so I nodded quickly and excitedly walked towards the printer with the documents in my arms.

    Luckily, I had looked up how to use that type ofrge printer online.

    However, halfway through the data, the printer ran out of ink.

    I couldn¡¯t change the ink.

    Just as someone happened to pass by, I quickly called out to her and asked her to help me change the ink.

    She nced at me disdainfully and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You can¡¯t even change something as simple as ink. What are you even

    doing?<b>¡± </b>

 Too Close 47

    Chapter47

    Although she said so, she still came over and helped me change it.

    I smiled and said to her, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Then, taking the opportunity, he asked, ¡°I am new here, I just arrived today. Can you please tell me where my workstation is? And who should I report to for my assignments?¡±

    ¡°Laughing to death, as a neer, how can you have any work assignments? First, do these odd jobs, and as for the workstation, go to the warehouse and move it yourself.¡±

    Me:

    This is a bit different from what I imagined a secretary job to be like.

    Just as I was thinking, there suddenly came amotion in the office lobby.

    Almost everyone stared in the direction of the door, eximing one after another.

    I looked curiously as well, only to discover that a handsome guy had entered.

    And that handsome guy is the one I bumped into just now in the lobby on the first floor.

    No wonder they were so amazed.

    This man was really good¨Clooking, the kind that would stun people al

    first sight

    Just by looking at his eyebrows and eyes, I still felt a bit familiar.

    I just can¡¯t remember where I saw those eyebrows and eyes before.

    The man walked straight towards the president¡¯s office.

    Curiously, I asked my colleague who helped me change the ink, ¡°Hey, who is he? Is he the president of ourpany?¡±

    My colleague¡¯s gaze followed that man, and without turning his head, he said to me, ¡°Don¡¯t ask what shouldn¡¯t be asked!¡±

    I was speechless.

    Shouldn¡¯t this question be asked? Isn¡¯t this question very normal?

    After the documents were printed, I went to the warehouse on the second floor to move my workstation.

    Because I twisted my ankle, I had a particrly difficult time moving the workstation.

    After moving up, I was so tired that I couldn¡¯t get up from the chair.

    After resting for a while, I slowly dragged my workstation to the corner so as not to block my colleagues¡® way.

    I was busy all morning, either helping them print documents or serving them tea and water.

    At noon, I was so tired that I didn¡¯t even want to eat. I fell asleep directly on the table.

    In the afternoon, my colleague woke me up and asked me to make

    coffee for her.

    I forgot that my ankle was swollen, and when I suddenly stood up, I was in so much pain that I almost passed out.

    My colleague looked at me and disdainfully said, ¡°As if making a cup. of coffee for you would cost me my life. Forget it, I¡¯ll go by myself. I don¡¯t want to be med if you end up getting injured.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    After my colleague left, I instinctively took out my phone and nced at it, only to find two missed calls.

    I opened it and was immediately surprised to see that all of them were from Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo rarely contacted me on his own initiative.

    I don¡¯t know what he suddenly called me for, and he called twice.

    I had intended to go back, but when I remembered his heartless. appearance of kicking me off the car in the morning, I immediately didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him anymore.

    ¡°Hello¡­¡± At this moment, a colleague called out to me, ¡°Could you please print two copies of this document, and then organize it and bring it to me?¡±

    I quickly threw my phone into the drawer and then took the documents handed to me by my colleague and walked towards the printer.

    I was so busy that I didn¡¯t stop, and Ipletely forgot about Reynaldo calling me.

    The afternoon was just as busy as the morning, with no time to rest.

    Although I was busy and tired, and my ankles were hurting, I felt that this kind of life was also fulfilling.

    Soon it was time to get off work, and in no time, all the colleagues had left. The huge office was quiet and still.

    I sat on the chair for a while and was about to leave when suddenly thendline on the team leader¡¯s desk rang.

    I instinctively leaned over to take a look and found that it was a call from the president¡¯s office.

    At this moment, there was no one else in the office. Worried that the CEO might have something urgent, I couldn¡¯t help but answer the call. ¡°Bring a cup of coffee in.¡±

    A very pleasant male voice, he hung up as soon as he finished speaking.

    Fortunately, it was just about delivering coffee, and I knew how to do<ol><li>it.</li></ol>

    I dragged my swollen ankle and limped into the pantry.

    I skillfully brewed a cup of coffee and walked towards the CEO¡¯s office, holding it.

 Too Close 48

    Chapter48

    Knocked on the door.

    A pleasant voice was soon heard from inside, saying, ¡°Come in.¡±

    As the door was pushed open, I caught sight of a handsome guy sitting. on the chair, the same one I had bumped into in the morning.

    It seems that he was indeed the president of Clicks Media.

    ¡°Hello, here is your coffee.¡±

    I respectfully ced the coffee in front of him and then turned around and left.

    But he suddenly shouted at me.

    I was startled and turned around to look at him, ¡°What else does the CEO have tomand?¡±

    He smiled at me, and it was that kind of dazzling smile.

    No wonder almost everyone in the office today couldn¡¯t take their eyes off him, even someone like me who is used to handsome guys, was impressed by his looks.

    He threw a document on the desk and said to me, ¡°This is a project that thepany has been discussing recently. Go back and take a careful look at it.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± I looked at him in surprise, feeling a bit confused.

    He smiled and said, ¡°You familiarize yourself with this project and thene with me to meet the client.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    I was shocked again and quickly exined, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the secretary team leader, I was new, I had no experience, I¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he leaned back in his chair and smiled gently, ¡°It¡¯s been over half an hour since work ended, everyone has left, and you¡¯re the only one still in the office, proving that you are a diligent person. I want to give you this opportunity.¡±

    I smiled humbly, feeling embarrassed to say that I stayed a little longer at thepany because I was too tired.

    The and again, ¡°You can learn a lot from a project. It¡¯s not scary tock experience, what¡¯s scary is if you¡¯re not willing to learn

    wholeheartedly.¡±

    ¡°I am willing to put in effort, I definitely am willing to put in effort to learn!¡± I quickly said.

    Being able to work on projects and learn new things is something I have always desired.

    It was only my first day at work, and the CEO gave me such a great opportunity, which made me feel pleasantly surprised.

    I took the documents on the table and said to him earnestly, ¡°President, rest assured, I will go back and study this project carefully and

    familiarize myself with it!¡±

    The man smiled and waved at me, ¡°Alright, you can go off work first.¡±

    I was walking away when I heard his voice from behind, ¡°Go back and take care of your ankle. If it¡¯s injured to the bone, it will leave

    seque.¡±

    A warm current shed through my heart in an instant.

    This president really treated the employees well.

    Coming out of the president¡¯s office, I carefully put the documents into my bag and then left.

    After working for a whole day, I was so tired that I was about to copse. However, because of the opportunity given by the CEO, I suddenly felt energized, as if I had been injected with chicken blood. and my spirits were lifted.

    On the way back, as I was about to call Lavonne to share my joy, Reynaldo¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    I furrowed my brow, hesitating whether to ept or not.

    Suddenly, the screen of the mobile phone went ck and the phone instantly shut down.

    I waspletely dumbfounded.

    When I checked at noon, my phone still had 20% battery left. I was busy all afternoon and didn¡¯t touch my phone at all, so how did that 20% battery get drained?

    I turned on the phone again, but it instantly turned off.

    Well, it seems like this phone is not working anymore.

    I didn¡¯t know what Reynaldo¨Cwanted when he called me

    ?

    Given his temper, I didn¡¯t answer his call. He must have been very angry again

    I turned my head and looked out of the window, thinking about his heartlessness in the morning, and felt a wave of sadness and suffocation in my heart.

    It¡¯s almost autumn, and the nights get dark quickly.

    On the way back, I got stuck in traffic again, and by the time I arrived at the vi, it was already dark.

    Madisyn did not wait for me at the door as usual.

    She must have been busy in the kitchen.

    To be honest, although my family was in decline, I was still rtively

    i happy.

    After all, I had Madisyn waiting for me at home, and Madisyn would cook hot and steaming meals for me.

    For a moment, the negative emotions that had been lingering for days. disappeared! Now, my heart is filled with a sense of fulfillment and a hopeful anticipation for the future.

    However, as I walked into the room, my smile instantly froze on my lips.

 Too Close 49

    Chapter49

    I saw Reynaldo sitting on the sofa, looking at me with a cold and piercing gaze.

    His fingers held a cigarette, with smoke curling around his wrist and enveloping his entire body, making him appear gloomy and suppressed.

    My heart jumped suddenly.

    With a sense of unease and some confusion, he wondered what was wrong with him. Did I do something to upset him today?

    He was excessive in the morning.

    I stood quietly at the door for a while, then searched the whole house for the figure of Madisyn and the servants.

    At this time usually. Madisyn and the servants were busy in the house.

    And today, the entire vi was eerily silent.

    It seemed like he knew what I was looking for, Reynaldo said coldly, ¡°No need to search anymore, I gave them a vacation.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief, as long as nothing had happened.

    The lively vi suddenly became so quiet, I was a little ufortable.

    Reynaldo was still sitting on the couch, watching me. The cold and oppressive feeling made me hesitate to move or say anything.

    I suddenly discovered a fact that I didn¡¯t want to admit.

    That was when I became more and more afraid of this man.

    His gaze could send shivers down my spine.

    It is hard to imagine that such a man was once trampled under my feet. and treated with contempt.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, and I didn¡¯t dare to say anything either.

    But I was really hungry, I hadn¡¯t eaten anything all day.

    I thought I woulde back and have a hot meal, but what I ended up eating was his cold and oppressive gaze.

    I was thinking about whether to go to the kitchen first and make something to cat, when the man finally spoke.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my call?¡±

    I was stunned and quickly said, ¡°My phone ran out of battery.¡±

    ¡°No electricity?¡±

    He chuckled and got up, walking towards me.

    As he approached, my heart became even more anxious.

    He stood in front of me, looking down at me, his eyes as cold as frost, and said, ¡°Do you know how many calls I made to you today?<b>¡± </b>

    I shook my head.

    Including the one I didn¡¯t have time to pick up, isn¡¯t it just three?

    He raised his hand and caressed my face.

    Long slender fingers were adorned with calluses, as well as a hint of intimidating aura.

    His fingers slowly slid down and stopped on my neck.

    As I looked at his sinister face, I couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously, always feeling like he would use his strong,rge hands to choke me.

    Sure enough, the next second, he closed his five fingers and instantly grabbed my neck.

    I immediately felt a bit difficult to breathe and couldn¡¯t help but push away his hand.

    But his big hand remained motionless.

    He red at me fiercely, his voice chilling to the extreme.

    ¡°Do you hate me that much? You wouldn¡¯t even answer my call?¡±

    ¡°I was at work and didn¡¯t have time to answer your call,¡± I said truthfully.

    I really couldn¡¯t understand why he got so angry. Didn¡¯t I just not answer his call?

    Or, should I say, he got upset with Kimberly again and then took it out on me, making a big deal out of nothing?

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°No time to pick up? Don¡¯t you guys take lunch breaks at noon?¡±

    ¡°L..¡±

    ¡°Or, were you being intimate with another man at that time, afraid that I would interrupt?¡±

    I stared at him in shock, ¡°Reynaldo, that¡¯s enough. Even though I am your lover, I am not just some random woman. Can you please stop constantly doubting me and using me for no reason?¡±

    ¡°Doubt you? use you?¡±

    Reynaldoughed mockingly, ¡°Do you dare to say that thepany you joined today is not Winston¡¯s? Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t meet him today?¡±

    I burst intoughter. This man really had a serious illness, his imagination was simply beyond rich.

    Somehow, this can also be connected to Winston.

    I confronted him word by word, emphatically stating, ¡°Thepany I joined has nothing to do with Winston, and I haven¡¯t met him face to face today either!¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, clearly not believing it.

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, you really liked to lie, and when you lied, you didn¡¯t even blush.¡±

    ¡°What I said was true!¡±

    I growled in anger, feeling extremely aggrieved in my heart.

    In the morning, he heartlessly abandoned me, causing me to sprain my foot and almost bete.

    I was not angry at all, nor did I me him. Why is he interrogating me

    again as if I were a criminal?

 Too Close 50

    Chapter50

    And he was treated badly by Kimberly, why not go to Kimberly to vent, why alwayse to me to go crazy.

    I was also a person, I also had emotions, I was not a punching bag.

    The more I thought about it, the sadder I became. The more I thought, the more I felt wronged in my heart. My nose tingled with sourness, and a mist of tears slowly welled up in my eyes.

    And he still looked at me with a cold, sarcastic gaze, his eyes filled with danger.

    I closed my eyes, trying hard to hold back those stubborn tears. I said to him calmly, ¡°Anyway, everything I said was the truth. If you don¡¯t believe it, then forget it.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Reynaldo gritted his teeth and growled my name.

    He seemed extremely angry, and his dark eyes were filled with suppressed resentment.

    He said, ¡°Do you still think I am the same Reynaldo who used to let you bully me, so you always treat me with such casual indifference?¡±

    I called you, but you didn¡¯t answer any of my calls. Can¡¯t you take the initiative to exin to me?

    Do you know how¡­

    ¡°Enough, is it just because I didn¡¯t answer your call? Do you have to be

    so angry?¡±

    I growled irritably, and he ruined all my good mood.

    I was tired and hungry, and all I wanted was to cat something and then rest properly.

    But he always went crazy like this.

    I didn¡¯t answer his call, which made it seem like I had done something terribly wrong to him.

    But when he was with Kimberly, didn¡¯t he also not reply to my messages and not answer my calls?

    I could obediently be his lover, if he wanted to sleep, I would let him. sleep.

    We only maintained a purely physical rtionship.

    I didn¡¯t insist that his heart had to be with me, and I didn¡¯t care about the feelings between him and Kimberly.

    Not jealous, not causing a scene.

    But why does he always demand this from me? Even if I just didn¡¯t answer his call, he would act as if he wanted to kill me.

    Did I really, really, provoke his hatred so much?

    Reynaldo stared at me intensely, his chest heaving violently, the chilling and oppressive aura emanating from his body making me feel anxious and agitated.

    I really couldn¡¯t stand his capriciousness and unpredictability.

    Lotted my teeth at him and sand, ¡°You always like to pet angry every day you have the ability, just kill me!¡±

    ¡°You thought I didn¡¯t dare!¡±

    Reynaldo growled lowly and pressed me against the door panel.

    A piercing pain suddenly shot through my ankle, and I instantly gumaced in pain, even tears welled up in my eyes.

    Reynaldo coldly stared into my eyes and said, ¡°What? Seared now? Weren¡¯t you just talking tough a moment ago?¡±

    I turned my face away, and tears silently streamed down.

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°Suddenly trying to act weak in front of me? Ha, do you think this trick will work on me?¡±

    Although I knew he wouldn¡¯t care about my tears, hearing him say that still stabbed my heart fiercely.

    I quickly raised my hand to wipe away the tears, not showing any hint of vulnerability in front of him.

    Looking at his cold and indifferent eyes, a self¨Cmockery and absurdity. suddenly surged in my heart.

    In the end, I was just his ndestine lover.

    But just now, I actually let my temper get the better of me, confronting him like that and shouting at him.

    No wonder he got so angry.

    I should have let him vent his emotions, without crying, making a fuss.

    or shouting, just going along with everything he wanted,

    In front of him, I shouldn¡¯t even be entitled to have emotions, right?

    Ah, those past temperaments of mine, they have to be slowly worn down in the end.

    Who used to call me his lover, now I was being stepped on by him.

    After I had settled myself in the right position, the anger and bitterness in my heart seemed to have faded a little.

    I saw his eyes no longer containing anyints, just calmly and lightly.

    I said to him expressionlessly, ¡°Think whatever you want. If you think I went to have a secret meeting with Winston, then I did have a secret meeting with him.¡±

    If you think I intentionally didn¡¯t answer your call, then I intentionally didn¡¯t answer it.

    ¡°Think whatever you want, do whatever you want.¡±

    However, I had already been going along with him like this, but his face was much darker than before.

    That restrained resentment and rage, as if it could erupt at any moment.

 Too Close 51

    Chapter51

    Suddenly, heughed sinisterly and gritted his teeth, saying, ¡°You always do this, you have always been so perfunctory towards me, you never think aboutforting me, never think about pleasing me.¡±

    You never cared about my feelings at all, you never had a single bit of sincerity towards me!

    As if it were an usation, when he spoke these words, there was hatred in his voice.

    Without waiting for me to say anything, he suddenly dragged me into the house and threw me onto the sofa.

    I gasped in pain from my ankle, wanting to get up, but he instantly pinned me down and kissed me passionately.

    When he got angry, he always acted like an unreasonable lunatic.

    He was looking down at me, his voice devoid of any warmth.

    He said, ¡°You have never cared about me, so why should I care about you?¡±

    What he wanted was to make me hurt, make me cry.

    He said, ¡°Your heart is like a cold stone, no matter how much you try to warm it up.¡±

    He finally said, ¡°You have no heart, Esmeralda, you simply have no heart.¡±

    He said a lot of words, each sentence seemed like using me, ming me, hating me.

    I only felt pain all over my body, pain in my heart, and even more pain. in my ankle. I simply didn¡¯t have the mind to ponder over his words.

    The pain in my ankle became unbearable, and I struggled in agony, crying out in pain.

    He finally stopped and sneered at me coldly, ¡°Can someone heartless like you feel pain too?¡±

    I ignored his mockery and just pushed his chest, almost pleadingly saying. ¡°Can you vent your anger next time? I¡¯m really not feeling well today.¡±

    But he didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of pity or sympathy for me..

    He sneered with a cold smile, ¡°Ufortable, huh? Then let¡¯s change the ce.¡±

    After saying that, he pulled me up and dragged me upstairs.

    And my ankle was hurting so much that I couldn¡¯t take another step, and I fell to the ground in agony.

    Reynaldo turned around coldly, about to say something, but his expression visibly changed when he saw my swollen ankle.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    He looked at me in astonishment, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    I bit my lip and remained silent, so that he wouldn¡¯t use me of pretending.

    He squatted down and wanted to look at my ankle.

    I drew buck my feet, not letting him see.

    He furrowed his brow, grasped my small leg, and forcefully pulled my

    foot over.

    He stared at my swollen ankle for a few seconds, his face darkening. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make a sound with such a serious injury?¡±

    ¡°Why should I speak up? Will you feel sorry for me if I do?¡± I sarcasticallyughed at him.

    He looked at me deeply, for a while, without saying anything, and then. he picked me up and ced me on the sofa.

    He knelt on one knee, cradling my foot in the palm of his hand, while his other hand gently massaged the swollen area around my ankle.

    Although it hurt a lot, I was more surprised by his actions and attitude. towards me at that moment.

    Looking at him like this, he seemed to have turned back into the gentle and considerate Reynaldo he used to be.

    Now I realize that the past Reynaldo was really good, so good that it makes me somewhat nostalgic.

    As I was thinking, suddenly his voice came from beside me, ¡°When did you sprain your foot?¡±

    I averted my gaze and said lightly, ¡°This morning, you kicked me off the car, and I ran to thepany, and then I sprained my ankle.¡±

    Ile listened and his face darkened.

    THELY

    ?

    Well, look, he didn¡¯t apologize to me for what happened this morning.

    He would only think that I was ming him for leaving me in the morning.

    I used to think that I was useless, as I could twist my foot even after running a few steps.

    Yeah, in his eyes, what does it matter if I sprained my foot.

    Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly got angry and said, ¡°Are you stupid?

    You sprained your ankle in the morning and still haven¡¯t taken care of it. Do you want to be permanently disabled?¡±

    I was stunned, staring at him nkly.

    So, he was angry, not because he thought I was ming him for what happened in the morning?

    Was it not because I did not promptly attend to my foot injury?

    Was he concerned about me?

    I was startled by my own idea.

    No!

    Do not think, absolutely do not think.

    The

    I thought too much, and in the end, it was just being overly sentimental and irreparable.

 Too Close 52

    Just as I was thinking this. Reynaldo stood up and looked down at me coldly, saying. ¡°You¡¯ve been neglecting the injury on your foot all this time. Are you intentionally trying to make me worry?¡±

    I:

    Indeed. I really couldn¡¯t have any illusions about this man.

    He coldly said. ¡°I advise you to give up hope. Even if your feet are truly crippled. I won¡¯t feel a shred of pity for you. On the other hand, if you do be disabled, it will be you who suffers the most.¡±

    Honestly, this man did not speak nicely at all.

    I was so angry with him that I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    He nced at me and then went to rummage through the cab, not knowing what he was looking for.

    I also didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to him, I just wanted to go to the kitchen now and prepare something to eat.

    I didn¡¯t eat anything all day, and I was so hungry that my front chest almost stuck to my back.

    I turned my head and nced at Reynaldo, and found that he had gone upstairs again.

    As his figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs, I gritted my teeth and walked towards the kitchen, enduring the pain in my feet.

    I had to quickly get some food. After eating, I could take a shower and then study the project materials that the CEO had given me.

    Finally, I arrived in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to take a look Surprisingly, there were quite a few ingredients inside, and they all looked very fresh.

    I think these ingredients were all bought by Madisyn today, but little did I know that Reynaldo suddenly gave them a day off.

    I don¡¯t know what Reynaldo wanted to do. Everything was fine, and it wasn¡¯t even a holiday. Why did he suddenly give the household staff a day off?

    Puzzled in my mind, I rummaged through the ingredients, looking for something that was both convenient and easy to cook.

    ¡°What were you doing?¡±

    Suddenly, a cold shout came from the door.

    I was startled and then I saw Reynaldo standing at the doorway of the kitchen, holding something that looked like a medicine bottle in his hand, staring at me with a gloomy expression.

    I stood at the door of the refrigerator, at a loss, not knowing why he was angry again.

    He walked over quickly and without hesitation, he picked me up and walked outside.

    ¡°Your feet were so swollen, yet you kept running around. Did you really want to be disabled?¡±

    ming words rained down from above.

    He ced me on the sofa and coldly said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you be disabled, but it will affect our married life!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I red at him with indignation, so angry that I couldn¡¯t even speak.

    Honestly, there wasn¡¯t a single pleasant word that came out of this man¡¯s mouth, and what¡¯s more, he always managed to say something inappropriate with a straight face!

    I actually wished he would leave soon, he was so annoying here.

    Fuming in my mind, he suddenly lifted my foot and then applied a cold ointment on my swollen ankle.

    He said without lifting his head. ¡°There is no medicine at home to dispel stasis and reduce swelling. Although this ointment is not targeted, it can relieve pain. You should apply it first.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I responded with a dull sound, it seemed that he had just gone to look for the medicine box.

    He carefully applied the ointment to me, and as he stood up, he suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    I stared at the swollen ankle that looked like a steamed bun and muttered. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten for a day, how can I not be hungry?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten all day?¡± Reynaldo huffed and chuckled at me, ¡°You¡¯re telling me that as a grown person, no one has fed you a meal and you just won¡¯t eat? Why don¡¯t you just starve yourself then?¡±

    ¡°1¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± He dropped these two words and went to the kitchen.

    I stared at his back in astonishment.

    What? Does Reynaldo still know how to cook?

    We have been married for three years, and I have never seen him cook,

    anyway

    But he had cooked brown sugar water for me.

    In the past, when I had my period, I would always lie in bed feeling down, and he would make me a cup of brown sugar water.

    Whenever I think of the past Reynaldo, a touch of mncholy always crosses my mind.

    It is only after having aparison that one can truly appreciate how good he used to be.

    Regardless of whether he was pretending before or was hindered by my oppression, the fact remains that he treated me well and never said a harsh word to me.

 Too Close 53

    Chapter53

    Just now, when I didn¡¯t answer his call, he was about to strangle me.

    Ah, the past is really something I can¡¯t bear to think about. Whenever I do, it makes me feel extremely ufortable.

    I stood up and hopped barefoot to the kitchen door.

    I saw Reynaldo had already tied on an apron and was cleaning the ingredients.

    He frowned when he saw me.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°Let me do it.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly and said, ¡°You? Can you cook?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can follow the instructions on the phone,¡± I whispered.

    Heughed again,ughing mockingly.

    I secretly vowed in my heart that I would definitely learn how to cook.

    ¡°Sitting on the sofa, and if I see you wandering around again, be careful of me¡­¡±

    He suddenly stopped talking when he mentioned this, and lowered his head to clean the ingredients.

    I subconsciously asked, ¡°Be careful how?¡±

    He paused for a moment while selecting the vegetables, slowly lifted

    #

    his head to look at me, his gaze focused and profound, inexplicably causing my heart to beat faster.

    He said, ¡°Be careful, I will make you beg for mercy tonight.¡±

    Mc:

    I turned around and silently returned to the sofa, sitting obediently.

    From this corner, one could faintly see Reynaldo¡¯s figure bustling in the kitchen.

    Ever since he became sessful, his entire demeanor has been dignified and astute.

    Then he was tall again, wearing a high¨Cend ck dress shirt, with hist sleeves rolled up halfway.

    A person like him, with a pink apron tied around his waist, adorned withce trim, felt out of ce no matter how one imagined it.

    But just now, when I saw him at the kitchen door, not only did I not feel any sense of incongruity, but I also found his appearance quite charming. What¡¯s going on?

    No, I couldn¡¯t think anymore.

    I leaned back on the sofa, forcing myself not to think about that man

    anymore.

    In order to divert my attention, I took out the document that the CEO had given me and read it.

    It is about an investment project for a y.

    My previous wish was to be an actor, so now when I see projects. rted to filming, I naturally pay close attention.

    I don¡¯t know how long it had been, when suddenly Reynaldo¡¯s voice. sounded beside me, ¡°It¡¯s time to cat.¡±

    I was startled and instinctively rolled up the documents and stuffed them into my bag.

    As I looked up, I saw Reynaldo squinting his eyes and staring at my bag.

    He sneered coldly, ¡°What shameful thing is it that you¡¯re so afraid I¡¯ll see?¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Nothing much, just ourpany¡¯s project files.¡±

    ¡°Yourpany?¡± Reynaldo sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve only been working here. for one day, and you already feel so attached?¡±

    I really don¡¯t know what he was being sarcastic about.

    I cleared my throat and said, ¡°Well, why not? Since I started working, whether it was the first day <b>of </b>work or the first hour of work, didn¡¯t we all have to work diligently and treat thepany as our own home?¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡± he sneered again, ¡°You really are a top¨Cnotch employee, aren¡¯t you? Your presence is truly a blessing for yourpany.¡±

    I was speechless.

    The ironic tone of this is really getting more and more grating as I listen.

    <b>I </b>got up and changed the subject, saying, ¡°I¡¯m so hungry, have you

    fimshed cooking yet?¡±

    I was saying. I hopped towards the dining table, but the next second, he picked me up horizontally.

    I was startled and stammered, ¡°I, I can walk by myself, please put me down.¡±

    Reynaldo ignored me and proceeded to sit me down at the dining table.

    Looking at the food on the dining table, I was shocked directly.

    He was really a master of cooking!

    Reynaldo cooked three dishes and a soup.

    One sweet and sour fish, one spicy chicken, one stir¨Cfried vegetables, and a tomato and egg soup.

    Three dishes and one soup, with a perfectbination of color, aroma, and taste.

    I was already hungry, and now smelling the aroma of this food, I became even more hungry.

    I looked at the wall clock again, he cooked so fast, he finished four dishes in less than an hour, and also cooked rice.

    Reynaldo served two bowls of rice and handed one bowl to me.

    I was surprised when I saw him cating with a fork and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you had dinner yet?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± he responded gloomily, and added at the end, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten for a day.¡±

    I widened my eyes, took a breath, and said, ¡°You say you¡¯re such a big person, and yet no one has ever fed you¡­¡±

    He came at me with a knife¨Clike gaze, and I instantly choked up, swallowing down the words that followed.

 Too Close 54

    I can only say that he said about me, but I cannot say about him!

    Reynaldo ate his meal very politely, and he didn¡¯t have a big appetite. He ate a bowl and then put down his fork

    In the past, Quentin and I used to intentionally bully him. We wouldn¡¯t , allow him to pick up food at the table and deliberately ced the

    dishes he disliked in front of him.

    Back then, he used to eat very little each time.

    Back then, I used to think it was because of the pressure I put on Quentin that he didn¡¯t dare to cat much, but it turns out his appetite. was always that small. I also didn¡¯t know how he grew so tall with such a small appetite.

    I felt embarrassed to ask for a second bowl of rice when I saw him put. down his chopsticks.

    But the spicy chicken he made was really appetizing and went well with rice.

    I had finished the food in my bowl, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to put down the fork for half a day.

    Reynaldo suddenly nced at me and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat enough?¡±

    ¡°I ate¡­ I am full.¡±

    Forget it, I¡¯d better not eat it. I treated him so badly before, and there¡¯s

    <b>17 </b>

    no guarantee that he won¡¯t take the opportunity to retaliate.

    Just as I was about to put down my fork, he suddenly reached out to me and said, ¡°Give me the bowl.¡±

    I silently handed over the bowl.

    Ile deftly served me a bowl of rice and said to me, ¡°You cat first, I¡¯ll make a phone call.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡±

    As I watched his receding figure walking away, a deep sense of shame. surged within me.

    Look, just now I once again judged a gentleman¡¯s heart with the mind. of a petty person.

    He was actually much better than I had imagined, wasn¡¯t he?

    I ate two bowls of rice with the spicy chicken dish made by Reynaldo, and I finished the whole te of spicy chicken as well.

    When Reynaldo came in, I was wiping my mouth after having eaten and drunk to my heart¡¯s content.

    He nced at the table, chuckled quietly, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    I quickly got up and spontaneously went to tidy up the dishes and chopsticks, but he beat me to it and put them away, telling me to sit obediently.

    I looked at him in astonishment.

    Isn¡¯t this Reynaldo after bing sessful?

    Not only did he cook by himself, but he also washed the dishes by

    himself?!

    Phew!

    This man was sometimes good and sometimes bad, making me feel a bit schizophrenic.

    Reynaldo worked quickly and soon washed the dishes, and he also tidied up the kitchen spotlessly.

    He came out of the kitchen wiping his hands.

    I couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°Howe you are so good at cooking?¡± Have you learned it?¡±

    He raised his eyes and nced at me, saying lightly, ¡°When I was young. I often went hungry, Gradually, I learned everything.¡±

    Although he said it lightly, a touch of bitterness shed through my heart.

    I remember his parents divorced very early, and his dad married a stepmother. Winston was born from the stepmother, and he was highly favored in the Humphrey family.

    And he, being heard that no one cared, then had a lot of bad habits, being known as a delinquent by everyone.

    Because of those rumors, I always hated him.

    And with what happened after graduation, my bias against him grew even stronger.

    But now, it seems that he was not as unbearable as people said.

    Although he <b>was </b>sometimes excessive, at this moment, I genuinely felt sorry for him.

    I smiled at himfortingly and said, ¡°You are amazing Unlike me. when I get hungry, I just wait for someone to feed me.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and self¨Cmockingly said, ¡°How could children like you, who were always pampered by their parents, ever go hungry?¡±

    I pursed my lips, not knowing what to say.

    I still don¡¯t know how tofort people. Forget it, I won¡¯t say anything, so as not to identally touch his sensitive spot and make him unhappy.

    He leaned against the dining table and smoked, while I sat on the sofa watching him.

    After both of them remained silent, an awkward atmosphere inexplicably settled in.

    After a few minutes of stalemate, I couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°Um, aren¡¯t you going to apany your moonlight tonight?¡±

    He furrowed his brows and gave me a cold look, saying, ¡°My affairs, you don¡¯t need to worry about.¡±

    Uh!

    This man is really unpredictable.

    He said that his matters did not need me to handle, and actually, I also did not want to handle them.

 Too Close 55

    Chapter55

    It¡¯s just that with him here, I find it inconvenient to do anything.

    Seeing that he showed no intention of leaving for a long time, I also didn¡¯t want to bother with him anymore.

    I picked up my bag and prepared to go upstairs to take a shower.

    This time, he didn¡¯te over to hug me,

    I leaned on the railing and hobbled upstairs.

    As soon as I entered the room, I heard the sound of a car engineing from the yard downstairs.

    He still left.

    I felt a little bit off, hoping he would leave quickly.

    But he really left, and I felt a little lost in my heart.

    I leaned absentmindedly against the door panel for a while, then dragged my weary body into the bathroom.

    My ankle was still swollen like a steamed bun, and I didn¡¯t know if it would go down by tomorrow.

    Thinking about the workload for the whole day tomorrow, I felt a bit scared.

    But I had just joined thepany, so it wasn¡¯t really appropriate to take leave.

    took off my clothes and stood absentmindedly under the shower. thinking about whether I should go to the hospitalter.

    But it waste at night and I didn¡¯t have a car, so going to the hospital would be such a hassle.

    If I had known earlier, I would have had Reynaldo take me to the hospital just now and then let him leave

    Feeling frustrated in my heart, I suddenly slipped under my feet.

    1 eximed and instantly fell backwards.

    I fell heavily to the ground, and for a moment, I was in so much paini that I couldn¡¯t even stand up.

    This person had a stroke of bad luck, even slipping while taking a shower.

    I sat on the ground, wrinkling my face as I rubbed my sore lower back and buttocks, trying to stand up.

    I tried several times but it didn¡¯t work..

    My swollen ankle couldn¡¯t bear any weight at all, and my painful lower back and hips couldn¡¯t exert any force either.

    I helplessly stared at the showerhead above my head, and my heart sank again.

    At this moment, there was <b>a </b>sudden knocking sound at the door, ¡°What happened?¡±

    I was startled.

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice? He didn¡¯t leave?

    Before I could even answer, the door of the bathroom was pushed

    open

    I panicked and frantically tried to cover my body, screaming, ¡°Don¡¯te in!¡±

    But¡­ he still came in.

    The man stood at the door, his eyes gazing deeply at me.

    I turned my face away in embarrassment, feeling like I had lost face for my entire life.

    Reynaldo walked over.

    I protected my chest, and my face uncontrobly burned up.

    He squatted in front of me and smiled lightly at me, saying, ¡°If I don¡¯te in, do you want to climb out by yourself?¡±

    I lowered my gaze and remained silent.

    Thinking about my own miserable appearance, I felt so frustrated that I wanted to cry.

    Reynaldo sighed lightly and lifted me up.

    He lowered his gaze and looked at my blushing face, and chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it before, why are you so embarrassed?¡±

    The situation was different.

    At this moment, I felt more embarrassed than shy.

    He ced me on the armchair and casually threw a bathrobe at me.

    I hurriedly put it on, my face still burning intensely.

    He stared at me for a few seconds and chuckled. ¡°You feel embarrassed about this? Last time, you came to me to borrow money and even wore a funny pajama.¡±

    I frowned and remained silent.

    He chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything else. He just took the medicine from the low table, opened it, and applied it to my ankle.

    The medicine was obviously just bought, and the packaging hadn¡¯t even been opened.

    I looked at him in surprise.

    Originally, he didn¡¯t just leave, but went to buy medicine for me.

    He squatted in front of me, ced my foot on his knee, and then took a cotton swab to apply some ointment carefully onto my ankle.

    That gentle and focused look made me feel as if I were the person he cared about the most.

    He lowered his head and, while wiping, said to me, ¡°This is for reducing swelling and promoting blood cirction. It works very well. Your ankle should be much better tomorrow.¡±

    I stared nkly at his clean hair, and a slight tremor quietly arose in my heart.

    Perhaps after not hearing my response for half a day, he couldn¡¯t help but raise his head.

    In an instant, our gazes collided.

    His eyes instantly darkened.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly averted my gaze.

    I was thinking about saying something to ease the awkward and ambiguous atmosphere.

 Too Close 56

    He suddenly leaned in close.

    ¡°How did you¡­ um¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he sealed my lips with a deep kiss.

    This kiss was not as wild as before.

    This time, he kissed gently, as if he was kissing his most beloved

    person.

    My heart was pounding, and my tense body gradually softened under his gentle kiss.

    His breathing became heavier, and his deep ck eyes shimmered with intense desire.

    Suddenly, his phone, which was ced on the low table, rang, but he seemed to not hear it.

    But I instantly became sober.

    Because I saw the words ¡°Kimberly¡± jumping on his phone screen.

    The person he liked was Kimberly.

    How could I lose myself in his fleeting tenderness?

    ¡®I held his hand resting on my chest and shook my head at him.

    The desire in his eyes faded a bit, and his voice became hoarse: ¡°Don¡¯t

    Want to?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°My feet hurt.¡±

    He nced at my swollen ankle, lowered his gaze, and after a while, he straightened up and said lightly, ¡°Rest early.¡±

    After saying that, he took his phone and went out.

    I stared at the empty doorway, feeling extremely agitated.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯te back in after he went out, and the cars in the yard didn¡¯t drive away either. It is likely that he is in the study.

    It¡¯s really strange, he didn¡¯t even go to apany Kimberly.

    I waved away all the jumbled thoughts in my head and continued reading the documents that the CEO had given me.

    The project materials were done in great detail and it didn¡¯t seem too difficult to read.

    I don¡¯t know how long I had been watching, but in the end, I leaned back in the chair and fell asleep in a daze.

    <b>I </b>woke up again, startled by a burning gaze.

    I groggily opened my eyes and saw Reynaldo standing beside me in his robe, holding the project documents in his hand.

    I was startled and suddenly stood up to snatch back the document.

    After all, Reynaldo also dabbled in the media industry, and hispany was essentially a rival to our Clicks Media. Therefore, it would not be good for him to see the project materials in ourpany.

    Seeing how nervous I was about that document. Reynaldo coldly snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t looked at it yet, I just picked it up for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh, thank you.¡±

    I rolled up the documents and didn¡¯t dare to look at him, but I could feel the coldness emanating from him.

    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t say anything else and just went to bed.

    I breathed a sigh of relief, stuffed the documents into my bag, and then picked up my fully charged phone to turn it on and check.

    As the phone turned on, countless missed calls popped up.

    Clicking on it, all the names were exclusively Reynaldo¡¯s.

    I instantly widened my eyes, my heart was shocked.

    No wonder 20% of my battery mysteriously disappeared, turns out he almost blew up my phone.

    But why did he call me so many times?

    Do you have something urgent to ask me?

    But if there is something urgent to ask me, when Ie back, he will ask.

    However, apart from asking me why I didn¡¯t answer his call, he didn¡¯t ask any other questions at all.

    Or is it¡­

    He was worried about me all afternoon, so he kept calling me non¨Cstop.

    I suddenly felt a bitplicated.

    I turned around and looked at the bed.

    I saw him lying motionless on the side of the bed, not knowing whether he was asleep or not.

    I took my phone and bounced over there, hesitated for a while, and shouted at him, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°I was tired and went to sleep.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even look back and said a sentence in a very indifferent tone.

    I pursed my lips and looked at the missed call on my phone, suddenlyughing at myself mockingly.

    Forget it, what difference does it make to ask?

    His moonlight is Kimberly, it¡¯s just revenge on me, all of this he admitted with his own mouth, what am I still fantasizing about.

    <b>I </by on the bed, nced at his back, and then reached out to turn off the light.

    In the darkness, it was so quiet that only his breathing could be heard.

    He was so close, but I couldn¡¯t feel his warmth.

    I really wanted to hug him from behind and lean against his shoulder, feeling at case.

    But I knew I didn¡¯t have the qualification.

    I sighed silently and turned to look at the window¡¯s mottled moonlight.

    That night, lying beside him, I actually couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    The next day. I was awakened by the rm clock.

 Too Close 57

    Chapter <b>57 </b>

    Reynaldo had already gotten up, and his figure was not in the room.

    I struggled to get out of bed and realized that today was only my second day at work. I gathered myself and went to freshen up.

    In the mirror, my dark circles were a bit scary.

    I sighed inwardly, it seemed that I really couldn¡¯t stay upte anymore

    in the future.

    After washing up, I realized that my ankle had improved a lot. The swelling had gone down in a circle.

    It seems that the medicine Reynaldo bought had really good effects.

    The medicine was still on the low table, so I quickly took it and applied anotheryer to my ankle before grabbing my bag and heading to thepany.

    However, when I arrived downstairs, I waspletely stunned.

    I saw Reynaldo sitting at the dining table, checking his emails.

    There were several breakfast items ced on the dining table, and they didn¡¯t look like they were bought.

    I walked over in astonishment and said, ¡°Did you make this breakfast?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even lift his head and said to me, ¡°I identally made too much breakfast. If you want to eat, pick what you like and eat it. If you don¡¯t want to eat, just throw it all away.¡±

    Um¡­

    I looked at the breakfast on the table.

    There were sandwiches, fried eggs, pancakes, as well as millet porridge and steamed buns.

    This was not doing more, this was doing too much.

    I asked him, ¡°Did you eat?¡±

    He still didn¡¯t lift his head and said, ¡°I ate.¡±

    I choked for a moment and silently went to get two food bags.

    I made a sandwich and then I packed two steamed buns, but there were still a lot of breakfast left on the table.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say to him, ¡°Actually, you didn¡¯t have to make so much breakfast in the future. Not to mention the waste, it¡¯s also troublesome.¡±

    You can eat alone, you can call it takeout, or you can buy something on the way to thepany, or you can even ask your secretary to buy it for you.

    ¡°Look, making such a big table, it wasted food and also wasted your time, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    Reynaldo finally lifted his head and looked at me.

    He slowly narrowed his eyes, his cold gaze sharp as knives.

    I instantly pursed my lips and dared not say anything.

    He smiled at me slowly and said, ¡°So, do you eat it or not? If you don¡¯t want to eat it, just throw it all to me!¡±

    ¡°Eat, I cat¡­¡± I quickly put the prepared sandwich and steamed buns. behind me and smiled at him in surprise, ¡°Eat!¡±

    Suddenly, I thought of a way to not waste food.

    I hurriedly turned back to the kitchen and brought several food bags

    over.

    Apart from the millet porridge, I packed up all the other breakfast items.

    Reynaldo frowned and looked at me, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I said to him as I packed, ¡°I still think it¡¯s shameful to waste food. These breakfasts look really good, and I n to bring them to the office for my colleagues to eat. Some of them definitely won¡¯t have time for breakfast.¡±

    Bang!

    As soon as I finished speaking, a magazine that was ced on the table was knocked down to the ground by Reynaldo.

    I <b>was </b>startled and raised my head in astonishment, only to see his cold figure walking away.

    1:

    So, why was he angry again?

    I made full use of the breakfast he made, not wasting any bit. Shouldn¡¯t he be happy<b>? </b>

    Ah, this man¡¯s emotions have be increasingly unpredictable.

    I thought Reynaldo had already left angrily, but when I walked out of the yard. I found that his car was still parked by the roadside.

    Huh? Could he be waiting for me?

    I was afraid of being too sentimental, so I didn¡¯t dare to go.

    I bypassed his car directly and prepared to hail a taxi at the intersection ahead.

    However, just as I passed his car, he suddenly started and the vehicle swiftly drove past me.

    I stared at the dust left behind by his car, bewildered.

    What is this man making a fuss about?

    Luckily, I didn¡¯t foolishly sit in his car just now, otherwise I would have been mocked by him again.

    It was easy to catch a taxi at the intersection.

    After getting on the car, I took out the packed sandwiches and steamed buns to eat.

    I have to say, Reynaldo¡¯s cooking skills were really good. The breakfast he made was even more delicious than what they sell outside.

    When I arrived at thepany, coincidentally, I ran into the CEO again.

    I heard his assistant next to him calling him Mr. Pruitt.

 Too Close 58

    I just found out that hisst name is Pruitt.

    This Mr. Pruitt not only looked extremely handsome, but he also had a genuinely amiable personality.

    He saw me, a neer, and even took the initiative to greet me.

    ¡°Is your foot feeling better?¡± he asked me.

    I looked at my still slightly swollen ankle and quickly said, ¡°Much better now, thank you for your concern, Mr. Pruitt.¡±

    Mr. Pruitt looked at the breakfast I was holding in my hand again andughed, ¡°Why did you buy so much breakfast?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t bought, it was¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you make it yourself?¡± A look of surprise shed across the handsome man¡¯s face.

    I shook my head quickly, ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ it was done by a friend.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Your friend is really diligent.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Maybe he couldn¡¯t fall asleep.¡±

    Mr. Pruitt said again, ¡°However, those breakfasts looked really delicious.¡±

    I was stunned for a second and quickly said, ¡°Mr. Pruitt, have you caten? If you don¡¯t mind, I have¡­¡±

    ¡°Not disgusted!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when heughed at me.

    I was dumbfounded for two seconds, and quickly spread out the breakfast in front of him, asking, ¡°So, which one would you like to eat?

    Feel free to choose.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ sandwich and steamed buns, please.¡±

    I was surprised again in my heart, this president has the same preferences as me,

    He picked a sandwich and two steamed buns, then said ¡°thank you¡± to me and left.

    I watched his figure disappear at the elevator entrance, and it felt like I was dreaming.

    The president of Clicks Media was unexpectedly approachable, and even ate the breakfast I brought with me!

    Arriving at the office, some people were applying makeup in front of the mirror, while others were whispering and chatting.

    The day¡¯s work had not yet begun, and the atmosphere in the morning was still rtively rxed.

    I walked up to my colleague who helped me change the ink yesterday and asked her, ¡°Did you have breakfast? I packed some breakfast, would you like to have some?¡±

    My colleague who was changing ink nced at me and chuckled, ¡°Oh, on your second day here, you already know how to tter your colleagues. You have a good understanding.¡±

    Iughed at her and said, ¡°In the future, I will rely on all of you seniors for guidance.¡±

    My colleague who changed the ink cartridgeughed arrogantly, then casually picked up a pancake to eat.

    The moment she took the first bite, her eyes widened and she asked me. ¡°Where did you buy this pancake? It tastes good, and there¡¯s even minced beef inside.¡±

    Hmm, it seems that I¡¯m not the only one who thought Reynaldo¡¯s cooking skills were good.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°This wasn¡¯t bought, it was made by a friend.¡±

    ¡°Hey, did a friend make this? Which friend of yours is so diligent, making such aplicated breakfast for you early in the morning? Could it be your boyfriend?¡±

    Iughed in surprise and didn¡¯t reply.

    As she joked around, my breakfast in hand was quickly devoured by my colleagues around me.

    Whatever they ate, they all said that the taste was even better than what was sold outside, and they all asked me if my friend was a chef.

    I suddenly thought, if one day, Reynaldo falls on hard times again, he could totally open a restaurant and support himself with his cooking skills.

    Um

    A man like Reynaldo would open a breakfast shop or a restaurant, and then wear a chef¡¯s hat while busy in the kitchen.

    Hmm, just thinking about it feels so out of ce.

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at my rich imagination.

    After my colleagues ate my breakfast, their attitude towards met improved a lotpared to yesterday.

    Calling me to work is no longer in thatmanding tone.

    They used to call me Esmeralda and they used to chat with me about gossip.

    And I also became thoroughly familiar with the printing and organizing work, so it was much easier to do than yesterday.

    There was also time and energy to have lunch at noon.

    Thepany had a staff canteen, and I went to eat there with a few colleagues. The rtionship between colleagues became much more harmonious.

    When I finished work in the afternoon, I was afraid that the president would ask me about the project materials, so I waited a little longer at

    my seat.

    Sure enough, after all my colleagues had left the office, the CEO called me into his office.

    The president sat on the chair, with a handsome face adorned with a gentle and kind smile.

    <b>He </b>had a pair of charming peach blossom eyes. When those eyes looked at people, they always felt affectionate.

 Too Close 59

    I didn¡¯t dare to meet his gaze. After entering, I kept my head down the whole time, being respectful and obedient.

    He asked me, ¡°How well did you understand the project materials?¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°I have finished reading it, and I understand it for the most part.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ in a couple of days, I had to go and discuss the investment.. matters of this y with the business partner. Can you, at that time, speak off¨Cscript about the advantages of this project and convince the business partner to invest?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I looked at him in astonishment.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Yes, I want to take you there. I think you are quite intelligent and willing to learn, so I want to nurture you well.¡±

    As soon as I heard the president say this, my heart started to race, and I felt like I wasn¡¯t that bad after all.

    I carnestly said, ¡°Mr. Pruitt, rest assured that I will go back today and familiarize myself with this document again. I will definitely not let you down.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I believed you.¡±

    Mr. Pruitt nodded and smiled at me, his enchanting peach blossom eyes captivating my heart and soul.

    I hurriedly lowered my head.

    I thought to myself, if this man were a little more affectionate and wicked, he would simply be a demon.

    I returned to the vi in a great mood.

    I suddenly noticed that there were two cars parked in the yard.

    There was a ck business car, belonging to Reynaldo, and also ady¡¯s sports car.

    How¡¯s it going?

    Did Kimberlye?

    As soon as I thought of Kimberly, my good mood instantly dissipated..

    Although I had no grievances or conflicts with Kimberly, and I couldn¡¯t say that I disliked her, I just didn¡¯t like her.

    I thought she was annoying.

    I stood in the yard, hesitating whether to enter the house or not.

    After all, this vi had already belonged to Reynaldo.

    If Kimberly came, she would definitely be the mistress here, and I would be nothing.

    And, ording to Reynaldo¡¯s opinion.

    He didn¡¯t want to hurt Kimberly¡¯s feelings and didn¡¯t want Kimberly to discover our illicit rtionship.

    So, at this moment, I definitely couldn¡¯t go in, otherwise it would be

    difficult to exin.

    With this in mind, I decided to quietly leave.

    And just as I was about to turn around and leave. Reynaldo suddenly appeared at the door and coldly said to me. ¡°Why aren¡¯t youing in? What are you doing standing outside?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Before I finished speaking, the man turned around and entered the house.

    I pursed my lips and had no choice but to follow inside.

    Anyway, he told me to go in, so if Kimberly gets upsetter, it¡¯s his problem.

    After entering the room, I found that it was quiet.

    Reynaldo entered the kitchen and after a while, he came out of the kitchen, holding the freshly cooked dish in his hands.

    I walked to the dining table and saw him bringing out four dishes.

    He sat down at the dining table, served the meal, and looked at me. saying, ¡°Why are you standing here daydreaming instead of washing your hands and eating?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­¡±

    I hurriedly went to wash my hands, and when I came back. I carefully searched around the house, but I didn¡¯t see Kimberly¡¯s figure.

    Was Kimberly resting upstairs?

    11

    I came over and asked him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to call Ms. Palmer toe down for dinner?¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows and red at me.

    That look was icy cold.

    I looked at him puzzledly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Reynaldo ced the bowl heavily in front of me, looking very proud.

    I looked puzzled. What on earth was this man getting angry about all day long?

    Reynaldo ate his meal silently with his head down.

    I was worried that Kimberly woulde downter and see the two of us eating without calling her, and then she would throw a tantrum.

    The person he cared about got angry, and it was me who suffered.

    With this in mind. I pondered and said to him, ¡°Where is Ms. Palmer resting? Should I go up and call her, or should I leave now to avoid her seeing <b>me </b>unhappy?¡±

    Reynaldo calmly set down the fork in his hand and leaned back against the chair, his gaze coldly fixed on me.

    I was very familiar with this expression of his, it was a sign of anger.

    I shrank back a little and looked at him with some fear.

    He suddenly smiled at me, his voice sounding very cold, ¡°Do you

    really wish she were here?¡±

    I was stunned, what does it mean?

    What does it mean that I really wished Kimberly was here?

 Too Close 60

    Chapter60

    And from his tone, it seemed like Kimberly didn¡¯te here.

    Did I misunderstand?

    I cautiously nced at Reynaldo and asked him, ¡°Is Ms. Palmer¡­ not here?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and said, ¡°Who told you she was here?¡±

    ¡°Thatdy¡¯s car outside¡­¡±

    ¡°It was bought for you.¡±

    I widened my eyes in disbelief and looked at him, ¡°You¡­ bought it for me?¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, what?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but I didn¡¯t have the money to give back to you. This car looks expensive, and I still owe you so much money. How am I supposed to repay you like this?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly took a deep breath.

    I saw his jawline visibly tense.

    Oh no, he was going to throw a tantrum again.

    I pressed down the shock in my heart and said to him in a pleasing manner. ¡°I know, you see me taking a taxi to and from work every day, it¡¯s very tiring, so you gave me a car, thank you.¡±

    Chapter60

    And from his tone, it seemed like Kimberly didn¡¯te here.

    Did I misunderstand?

    I cautiously nced at Reynaldo and asked him. ¡°Is Ms. Palmer¡­ not here?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and said, ¡°Who told you she was here?¡±

    ¡°Thatdy¡¯s car outside¡­¡±

    ¡°It was bought for you.¡±

    I widened my eyes in disbelief and looked at him, ¡°You¡­ bought it for me?¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, what?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but I didn¡¯t have the money to give back to you. This car looks expensive, and I still owe you so much money. How am I supposed to repay you like this?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly took a deep breath.

    I saw his jawline visibly tense.

    Oh no, he was going to throw a tantrum again.

    I pressed down the shock in my heart and said to him in a pleasing manner, ¡°I know, you see me taking a taxi to and from work every day, it¡¯s very tiring, so you gave me a car, thank you.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I just feel that, as my lover, it would make me look stingy if you don¡¯t even have

    a car.¡±

    I shook my head with a smile, if he was stingy, then there would be not generous person in the whole world.

    I secretly nced at him and once again felt that this man was really quite good.

    Perhaps my smile was too obvious, Reynaldo nced at me and said coldly, ¡°Eat, and wash the dishes after you finish.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±

    Reynaldo made spicy chicken again today, looking at that dish, I suddenly had a big appetite.

    Thinking about the breakfast he made, which was also highly praised by his colleagues, I couldn¡¯t help but say to him, ¡°Reynaldo, your cooking skills are really amazing. ¡±

    I tell you, I brought the breakfast you made to thepany today, and everyone was fighting to eat it. They all said it was delicious.

    And our president, he also ate it, and said the breakfast you made was very good. Where did you learn these skills¡­

    I was speaking enthusiastically when suddenly I noticed Reynaldo¡¯s face darken.

    I immediately dared not say anything after that.

    I was very confused. I said these things to praise his cooking skills, but why did he get angry again?

    I pursed my lips, hung my head, and silently ate my meal, afraid to speak again.

    This man was unpredictable and not suitable for conversation at all.

    Reynaldo fell silent for a moment and then looked at me intently, ¡°Your president, is it Winston?¡±

    I frowned, not understanding why he always associated ourpany with Winston.

    I earnestly told him, ¡°No, ourpany has absolutely no connection with Winston.¡±

    ¡°But the address you mentionedst time¡­¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Well, there are manypanies around here, why don¡¯t you just say that all the CEOs of thosepanies are Winston?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

    He said to me in a low voice, ¡°You had better not deceive me.¡±

    I looked at him helplessly and said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s necessary for me to lie to you about this? Besides, even if the president of ourpany is Winston, so what? I¡¯m just working for theirpany, I haven¡¯t done anything with him.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°You can try, if you dare to do anything under his

    control¡­¡±

    He stopped speaking here and didn¡¯t continue, but a hint of dangerous coldness was clearly visible in his narrowed eyes.

    A chill ran up my spine unconsciously.

    I assured him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ourpany¡¯s president is not him, ourpany has nothing to do with him, and I haven¡¯t met him during this period of time.¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak again.

    I dared not say anything anymore.

    This man could easily bore you to death with his talk, and he always liked to get angry for no reason, so it¡¯s better to avoid him.

    Reynaldo ate his meal very slowly today. He took forever to finish a bowl of rice, while I had already eaten two bowls.

    I waited for him to put down the fork, and I quickly got up to clean the dishes, but he unexpectedly snatched them away from my hands.

    I was taken aback and said to him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to finish eating and wash the dishes?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°You, a pampered youngdy who has never touched dishwater, washing dishes? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll drop the tes.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I was about to argue when suddenly a key was thrown at me, saying. ¡°You can go and try the car first.¡±

    He finished speaking and then went to the kitchen with his bowl and chopsticks.

    I stared at his back in a daze.

    This man is really hard to figure out.

 Too Close 61

    Chapter61

    I drove the car around the neighborhood for a spin.

    This car is simr to the car I had before.

    My previous car was worth millions, but after my family went bankrupt. I had to use it to pay off debts.

    When I came back from walking the car, Reynaldo was smoking at the door.

    Hezily leaned against the door, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his strong forearms.

    The smoke filled the air, and a hint of mistiness appeared on his handsome face.

    It was not until he stood up and walked towards me that I realized, to my surprise, that he seemed absent¨Cminded.

    I quickly turned off the car engine and got out of the car.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± he asked me.

    ¡°Very well.¡± I said truthfully.

    He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Leave work early tomorrow.¡±

    My heart trembled slightly. Tomorrow night, could he possibly want to go on a date with me?

    Just as I was thinking this, I heard him say expressionlessly

    ¡°Tomorrow evening, the Humphrey family is going to host a birthday banquet for my grandmother. You wille with me to the Humphrey family¡¯s ancestral home.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I looked at him in surprise. ¡°But we no longer have any rtionship, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh, it doesn¡¯t matter?¡± Reynaldoughed mockingly.

    I hurriedly exined, ¡°What I meant was, in the eyes of others, we have already divorced and have no rtionship anymore. Would it be inappropriate for me to go?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing appropriate or inappropriate,¡± Reynaldo exhaled a smoke ring, his tone indifferent.

    I eximed anxiously, ¡°There is definitely a distinction between what is appropriate and what is not. In a situation like this, it is definitely not appropriate for me to go, but it is suitable for Kimberly to go.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me coldly in an instant and sneered, ¡°Did you really think I was taking you to have fun? Now that you¡¯re down and out, I¡¯m only taking you to the banquet to humiliate you.¡±

    Don¡¯t forget, you used to mock us, the Humphrey family, with such a proud attitude.

    Now that your family has gone bankrupt, do you think they wouldn¡¯t want to take the opportunity to humiliate you?

    ¡°So, you took me to the party just to let them humiliate me?¡± I asked him, looking into his eyes.

    17

    He turned his face away and sneered, ¡°So what?¡±

    A pang of pain shed through the heart in an instant.

    It seems that I was being overly romantic again. Just now, I even thought he wanted to go on a date with me.

    Regarding the matter of the banquet, I even thought that in his heart, I was more important than Kimberly, which is why he insisted on taking me to the banquet.

    But originally, I was nothing.

    Indeed, I really couldn¡¯t have any illusions about this man.

    I lowered my gaze and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wille back as soon as I finish work tomorrow.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t speak and didn¡¯t look at me, but there was a shadow of gloom and irritation between his eyebrows.

    In front of me, he always seemed to be in a bad mood.

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if during those three years of marriage, I always had a poker face in front of him.

    I didn¡¯t say anything else and went upstairs by myself.

    After taking a shower, I looked down from the window and noticed that he was still standing in the yard smoking.

    The light stretched his figure long

    He seemed to have something on his mind, but he never told me.

    Maybe it has something to do with Kimberly.

    Well, between him and Kimberly, where could I possibly fit in?

    Reynaldo returned to his room in the middle of the night, with a hint of alcohol on him.

    He pressed on top of me and kept kissing me.

    I was abruptly awakened by him, and I was so angry that I cried out, ¡°Reynaldo, what are you doing? I want to sleep.¡±

    He rubbed his forehead against the nape of my neck, his deep and hoarse voice carrying a hint of injury.

    He said, ¡°Can you please coax me? I am angry, and you never coax

    me.¡±

    In the darkness, I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I could imagine the expression of pain on it.

    Did he mistake me for Kimberly?

    After all, during those three years of marriage, I treated him so poorly, yet he never showed the slightest sign of being hurt in front of me.

    In this world, only Kimberly could make him so sad.

    Lost in thought, Reynaldo suddenly kissed me haphazardly.

    I eximed, ¡°Reynaldo, stop messing around, I am really tired.¡±

 Too Close 62

    Chapter62

    He fell silent for a moment, then suddenlyughed self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°You don¡¯t like sleeping with me, do you? Every time it¡¯s me forcing

    you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Me¡± ¡±

    I stretched out my arm and fumbled to turn on the wallmp.

    As the lights came on. I instinctively closed my eyes.

    After getting used to it. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Reynaldo staring at me intently.

    Those eyes were as dark as the sea, making one¡¯s heart skip a beat.

    I swallowed my saliva and said to him, ¡°You saw it clearly, I am not Kimberly, I am Esmeralda, your despised ex¨Cwife.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he leaned on both sides of my body and kept looking at me intently.

    I was so tense and couldn¡¯t even fall asleep because he was watching<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Finally, hey down to the side and said lightly, ¡°Sleep.¡±

    I sighed and turned my head to look at him, only to see him turn away, as if he didn¡¯t want to pay attention to me.

    1 self¨Cmockingly pulled my lips

    Thrward

    He had indeed drunk too much just now and mistook someone.

    After Reynaldo caused such a disturbance, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep for quite a while.

    I woke up only after the rm clock rang twice in the morning.

    Without any surprise, Reynaldo had already gotten up.

    Rememberingst night when he treated me as Kimberly, a touch of sadness shed through my heart.

    It seems that he has been staying here for the past two days because he got injured at Kimberly¡¯s ce.

    I cleared my mind of the cluttered thoughts, quickly finished washing up, and got ready to leave for work.

    But when I was going downstairs, I unexpectedly saw Reynaldo.

    Just like yesterday, he made breakfast again, but today he made less. There was only one sandwich and a few steamed buns left on the table.

    I was not sure if that was left for me.

    After experiencing what happened these few days, I will never dare to be presumptuous again.

    I carried my bag and walked out silently.

    He suddenly called out to me.

    I paused and turned around to look at him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    He didn¡¯t even look at me and said in a very indifferent tone, ¡°Tidy up

    the dining table.¡±

    I saw that there was still time, so I obediently went to tidy up the table.

    I looked at the sandwich and steamed buns in front of me and asked him. ¡°How are these going to be handled?¡±

    Reynaldo stood up, with his hands in his pockets, and said to me

    indifferently, ¡°If you want to eat, cat it. If you don¡¯t want to eat, throw indifferently, ¡°If you want to cat,

    it away.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I won¡¯t eat anything for free, so I don¡¯t have to go buy breakfast again.

    I sat down and picked up the sandwich to eat.

    He nced at me lightly and said, ¡°Come back as soon as you finish work, I don¡¯t like waiting for people.¡±

    He walked out as soon as he finished speaking.

    Soon, the sound of the car engine could be heard in the yard.

    I absentmindedly chewed on the sandwich and suddenly felt that the food in my mouth had no taste.

    I almost forgot that he was going to take me to the Humphrey family tonight and let the Humphrey family humiliate me recklessly.

    Every time I think about this, I feel extremely upset.

    Initially, due to my bias against Reynaldo, I indeed didn¡¯t really care for the Ilumphrey family, except for Winston.

    At that time, when the Humphrey family came to visit my house. I used to avoid them.

    And, after three years of marriage, I never once set foot in the Humphrey family.

    They invited me, but I didn¡¯t go.

    I never attended the Humphrey family¡¯s dinner party.

    I remember one time, Reynaldo said his grandmother wanted to meet me, and he asked me to go back with him to see his grandmother.

    I refused and mocked him and his grandmother.

    That was the first time he looked at me with cold hostility in his eyes.

    Although it was just a moment, the contrast between that look and his usual demeanor was too great, and I still remember it vividly.

    Actually, back then I didn¡¯t really dislike the Humphrey family, I just really hated Reynaldo, so I had a bias against the entire Humphrey family as a result.

    Now thinking back, the Humphrey family must have hated me. They wanted to retaliate against me, humiliate me, and it¡¯s understandable.

    With this thought, I felt relieved in my heart.

    How others treated me naturally depended on how I treated them.

    I have never treated him well, so why should he be good to me?

    People are interdependent, aren¡¯t they?

 Too Close 63

    Chapter63

    Thinking about the evening banquet, I was somewhat absent¨Cminded while working during the day.

    Fortunately, the work was all very simple, just some printing and organizing and binding of documents.

    Time always flies when you are at work, and before you know it, it¡¯s time to clock out.

    I was ready to leave after tidying up my desk, but I didn¡¯t expect to be called by the CEO again.

    There was an additional person in the president¡¯s office today, apart from the president ¨C the secretary team leader.

    Mr. Pruitt smiled at me and said, ¡°We will be going to negotiate with our business partners tomorrow. This is your first time working on this project, so let¡¯s have a small meeting. I will ask Secretary Marissa to teach you some tips.¡±

    As Mr. Pruitt finished speaking, Marissa nodded at me friendly.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°Okay, thank you Mr. Pruitt, thank you, Marissa.¡±

    Marissa was indeed experienced, every sentence hit the nail on the head

    With her analysis, I gained a rough understanding of the project.

    The meeting had only been going on for twenty minutes when my

    ¡±

    phone rang.

    The crisp sound of a cellphone ringing seemed particrly abrupt in the CEO¡¯s office, and it also interrupted Marissa¡¯s speech.

    Marissa furrowed his brows, with a displeased expression on his face.

    The president smiled kindly at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can answer the phone first.¡±

    I silently hung up the phone and put it on silent mode.

    I was a neer with no experience at all. It was my honor and something that others couldn¡¯t even hope for that the CEO was willing to give me this opportunity to grow and learn.

    I should have cherished them and not let them down.

    I said to Marissa, ¡°Marissa, please continue.¡±

    Marissa nced at the CEO and then nodded at me before continuing the previous topic.

    The small meetingsted for an hour and then ended.

    I took notes on the key points andmunication techniques that Marissa spoke about.

    Although the meetingsted only for a short hour, I felt greatly benefited.

    When I came out of the president¡¯s office, I looked outside and noticed that the sky had gradually darkened.

    I quickly took out my phone to check.

    It is strange that there was not a single missed call on the phone.

    I thought I didn¡¯t answer Reynaldo¡¯s call, and that man would definitely keep calling. just like that afternoon.

    Except for the one I declined, he didn¡¯t make any more calls.

    I don¡¯t know why, but he was like this, and it made me even more

    anxious.

    I got into the car, started the engine, and called him back while doing<ol><li>SO.</li></ol>

    He didn¡¯t answer even though I called him twice in a row.

    I didn¡¯t know if he was angry, deliberately not answering my phone calls.

    He was still busy with the Humphrey family and didn¡¯t hear the phone ringing.

    I was hoping it would be thetter.

    At this moment, the neon lights lit<ol><li>up.</li></ol>

    There were many cars and pedestrians on the road, and I got stuck in traffic for a while.

    When I returned to the vi, it was already almost 8 o¡¯clock.

    The courtyard was quict, and the vi was pitch ck, as if there was not a single person.

    I breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed that Reynaldo had already gone to the Humphrey family

    He must have thought that I was deliberately avoiding not going to the Humphrey family.

    It doesn¡¯t matter what he thought.

    I got off the car while tidying up my bag, thinking to myself that Reynaldo is not here tonight, so I can have more time to study this project.

    However, as soon as I reached the entrance gate, a strong force suddenly grabbed me and mmed me hard against the door panel.

    I eximed and then realized that the person in front of me was Reynaldo.

    Under the dim light, his face looked sinister and somewhat terrifying.

    The crimson eyes were filled with obvious hostility and hatred.

    My heart tightened instantly, and I eximed in astonishment, ¡°You¡­ you haven¡¯t gone to the Humphrey family yet.¡±

    He pressed down on my shoulder tightly, the force was so strong that it felt like he wanted to crush my shoulder.

    He spoke in a deep voice, his voice as cold as frost, ¡°Why did you refuse my call?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I was in a meeting at that time, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Meeting?¡± Reynaldo chuckled coldly, hisughter filled with sarcasm. ¡°You, a neer who just arrived at thepany three days ago, do you have the qualification to attend a meeting? Esmeralda, if you¡¯re going to lie, at least make it believable. Do you really think I¡¯m that gullible<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

 Too Close 64

    Chapter64

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you! I was telling the truth¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Reynaldo suddenly bellowed, and he fiercely punched me on the side of my car.

    I screamed in fear, looking at him in terror.

    He lowered his head slightly, his chest heaving violently, his sinister expression as if he wanted to kill me.

    Winston was highly regarded by everyone, and for events like the Humphrey family¡¯s party, he would always be there early to lend a hand.

    But he never showed up.

    ¡°Just now, you were with him, right?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no, no, no¡­¡±

    Even though I was extremely scared of him at that moment, I still wanted to argue back.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hang out with Winston, and I haven¡¯t been in touch with him all along. I was really just in a meeting at thepany!¡±

    I spoke so resolutely, but all I got in return was his cold sneer.

    ¡°You were constantly lying. Esmeralda. You are the kind of person who doesn¡¯t deserve anyone¡¯s sincere treatment!¡±

    He finished speaking and suddenly threw me hard onto the ground.

    I fell down instantly on the steps at the entrance, feeling a piercing pain in my palms and knees.

    1 painfully sat up and discovered that arge piece of skin on my palm had been scraped oll, oozing blood.

    Reynaldo walked up to me, he coldly looked down at me, his voice chilling to the extreme: ¡°Did you really think you were still the rich youngdy from before? Let me tell you, I want to kill you, and that¡¯s easier than killing an ant.¡±

    This was the first time Reynaldo looked at me with such cold eyes, his dark and gloomy gaze filled with intense murderous intent and

    hostility.

    I trembled all over as I watched him, unable to say a word.

    At that moment, I truly felt the terror of this man.

    Maybe at that moment, he really wanted to kill me.

    In the end, I was just a lover yed with by him. In his eyes, I was nothing more than a pet.

    The heart ached severely.

    I clenched my hand tightly, letting the pain in the palm remind myself, absolutely cannot lose control again.

    ¡°Come with me to the Humphrey family.¡±

    He coldly dropped a sentence and walked towards the car.

    I endured the pain on my knee and got up from the ground.

    Even so, he had no intention of letting me off the hook and wanted to send me to the Humphrey family to be humiliated.

    Look, how much he hated me.

    And before, where did my confidencee from, always fantasizing about whether he liked me or not.

    Was it because he helped our family pay off the debt?

    Was it because he was willing to lend me ten million?

    Or perhaps, he got me a car?

    Well, that was simply because he was generous, or maybe because he was in a good mood, casually bestowing his favor upon me, or perhaps. it was just his way of humiliating me.

    No matter the reason, what does it have to do with ¡°emotions¡± anyway?

    I sat in the back seat, looking at my reflection in the car window, andughed at myself self¨Cdeprecatingly.

    As I wasughing, I evenughed tears out.

    I don¡¯t know how to do it.

    I really will never again consider his little ¡®favor¡® as liking.

    Never again!

    The car was driving smoothly on the road.

    Iid my injured hand on my knee and stared nkly out of the

    11

    window.

    The night scene was prosperous, which I was familiar with.

    In the past, I used to enjoy strolling around the night scenery with Lavonne.

    We have almost visited every ce in this city.

    I lived here for over twenty years, and everywhere was filled with familiar vibes.

    But at that moment, I suddenly wanted to escape, to leave this city where I had grown up since childhood.

    Because of this city, there was Reynaldo.

    I wanted to escape far away, and I never wanted to see him again in my life.

    But did I escape? Will he spare me?

    Originally, it was true, it was wrong from the very beginning.

    I shouldn¡¯t have provoked him from the beginning.

    The car stopped in front of the Humphrey family¡¯s old house.

    At this moment, the yard can be seen filled with cars, and the parking space Reynaldo stopped at was still the one the Humphrey family¡¯s servant had reserved for him in advance.

    ¡°Young master,¡± the servant skillfully took his coat and said to him, ¡°The guests have all arrived, and the second young master is here too. We are now waiting for you.¡±

    Reynaldo nced back at me, his eyes indifferent and a hint of

    coldness between his eyebrows.

 Too Close 65

    Chapter65

    I tightened my grip on the hand by my side,posed myself, and silently got off the car.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    However, as soon as my feet touched the ground, my knee, in excruciating pain, couldn¡¯t bear the weight, and I clumsily fell to the ground.

    Reynaldo looked down at me, his handsome face devoid of any expression in the dim light.

    He must have thought that I was pretending to be pitiful.

    I gritted my teeth and struggled to stand up.

    He didn¡¯t say anything and turned around to walk towards the front

    hall.

    I endured the pain in my knee and limped behind him.

    His figure was tall and broad, but it also exuded a chilling hostility that kept people at a distance of a thousand miles.

    I always kept a distance of one meter from him, not daring to get close. nor daring to drift too far away.

    The banquet had not yet officially begun, and the guests were temporarily gathered in the foyer.

    Once Reynaldo and I passed by, someone sneered, ¡°Oh, look at

    Reynaldo, he¡¯s be sessful and thinks he¡¯s different. Now he wants all of us to wait for him.

    The speaker was a morousdy dressed in a very elegant manner.

    Winston tugged at her and said. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t say that. Big brother must have been dyed by something.¡±

    I understood in my heart that she was Reynaldo¡¯s stepmother, and she indeed seemed difficult to get along with.

    No wonder Reynaldo had such a difficult childhood.

    The noblewoman hummed. ¡°Of course, what could be more important than his grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet? It¡¯s surprising that the olddy still favors him in every way.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, you just say a few words less.¡± spoke a middle¨Caged man, presumably the head of the Humphrey family.

    He shouted at Winston. ¡°Go and fetch Grandma, and inform everyone that the banquet has officially begun.¡±

    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go call Grandma.¡± Reynaldo suddenly spoke up.

    Reynaldo¡¯s father, Ronan, nced at him displeasedly, indicating that even though he had be sessful. Ronan still didn¡¯t like him.

    And from the expressions of the other members of the Humphrey family, it can also be seen that they had previously disliked Reynaldo.

    At this moment, they did not kick Reynaldo while he was down for beingte, probably fearing his current influence.

    I had heard earlier that the Humphrey family was still enjoying the

    fruits of their ancestors¡® estate.

    By Ronan¡¯s generation, the family¡¯s economy gradually deteriorated.

    That is also why, at that time, my family looked down on the

    Humphrey family.

    Now Reynaldo has be sessful, and everyone knows him in the business world.

    The Humphrey family probably had quite a few people trying to curry favor with him..

    Just then, someone immediately rushed towards him with a pleasing smile and said. ¡°Reynaldo, your grandmother is resting upstairs. You should go and check on her quickly.¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Thedy interrupted instantly, snorting at Reynaldo. ¡°You arrived sote; your grandmother is almost getting sick with anger. You going to see her now, aren¡¯t you afraid of actually making her sick? It¡¯s better to let us, the Hudsons, go up and call her.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at Winston with a lightugh and said, ¡°Him? Are you sure it¡¯s him that Grandma wants to see now, and not me?¡±

    Thedy¡¯s face turned angry: ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Never mind, Mom. Big brother is right. Grandma indeed likes him the most and the person she wants to see the most is also him.¡±

    After Winston finished speaking, he looked at Reynaldo and said. ¡°Grandma is upstairs, you should go up.¡±

    With that, his gaze fell on me again, and he smiled gently at me, saying, ¡°Ralda, you¡¯re here too.¡±

    Reynaldo nced back at me, with a cold sneer.

    I hung my head, pursed my lips, and remained silent.

    After Winston greeted me, it seemed that the members of the Humphrey family only then noticed my presence.

    In an instant, various unpleasant taunts came al me.

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this the high and mighty Ms. Duffy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t she threaten to never set foot in the Humphrey family for the rest of her life?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I heard their family hit rock bottom. She shamelessly came over tonight, could it be that she wants to gain some benefits?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that she came with Reynaldo? It¡¯s obvious that she must have begged Reynaldo to bring her along.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk. she has her day too. Wait and see, we will make her sufferter.¡±

    The voices of distant rtives were filled with mockery and venom.

    I hung my head and listened silently.

    My task tonight was to let them insult me as they pleased, until Reynaldo was satisfied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t all of you speak like this about Esmeralda.¡±

 Too Close 66

    Chapter66

    Suddenly. Winston stood up and spoke up for me. ¡°Everyone has their own difficult times. She had her reasons for not wanting toe to our house back then.¡±

    You cannot assume that she looked down on you just because of this and you should not be jealous of her because of this either

    She just went bankrupt at home, that¡¯s all. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong and she didn¡¯t harm you either, did she?

    ¡°Hey, Winston, she was already married to your older brother She used to boss him around. but why are you still speaking up for her Could it be that you still have feelings for her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everyone knows she divorced Reynaldo now. Winston, you wouldn¡¯t be interested in a second¨Chand item, would you?¡±

    ¡°Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about?¡± thedy eximed sharply. ¡°Our Winston is going to marry a wealthy heiress, and her Ha, our Winston is just pitying her ¡±

    Winston opened his mouth, wanting to say something more.

    I hurriedly shook my head at him, signaling him to stop talking

    I knew that he was speaking up for me, trying to help me out.

    But what he didn¡¯t know was that his identity, as well as our past, would make every word he spoke on my behalf be ammunition for them to attack and mock me..

    And he would also drag himself down

    Winston stared at me, his handsome face filled with concern and worry

    for me

    I looked at him with almost pleading eyes, begging him not to say any thing more

    At this moment, a lightughter sounded beside me, and thatughter was very cold, very cold.

    It was Reynaldo.

    Ile said in a very indifferent tone. ¡°The things I have used, even if I¡® don¡¯t want them anymore. I won¡¯t give them to anyone else.¡±

    My heart gave a sharp throb, causing intense pain.

    What did he use?

    What a straightforward humiliation it was.

    I pursed my lips and tried hard to hide my emotions, as if by doing so, I could preserve the little self¨Cesteem I had left.

    Winston eximed angrily, ¡°Esmeralda is a human being, not an object. Even if she treated you poorly in the past, you should not humiliate her like this.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at him coldly and chuckled, ¡°This is between her and me, does it concern you?¡±

    ¡°You¡­

    ¡°Enough!¡± Ronan spoke again. ¡°Today is your grandmother¡¯s birthday

    banquet, your personal matters can be discussedter!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if your grandmother finds out that you guys were being hostile towards a despicable person at her birthday banquet, she would be furious,¡± the socialite chimed in.

    Winston pursed his lips and said, ¡°I knew I was wrong,¡± and then remained silent.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything else and just walked upstairs.

    His current power, no one dares to stop him, let alone speak against him.

    He just stopped at the staircase and stared at me coldly, saying, ¡°What? Do you want me to invite you to go up?¡±

    I was taken aback, I never expected that he would ask me to go up and see his grandmother with him.

    I hurriedly followed him.

    My knee really hurt piercingly, and I tried hard to restrain myself, but I still walked with a slight limp.

    I thought it wouldn¡¯t attract attention.

    But Winston still noticed my abnormality.

    He hurriedly approached and supported me, asking, ¡°Ralda, what happened to your leg? Did you get injured?¡±

    I was startled and quickly pulled away from his hand, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I just fell down, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, your hand.

    Winston suddenly eximed and grabbed my hand, urgently asking, ¡°What happened? How did your hand get injured like this? Come, I¡¯ll go get some medicine for you.¡±

    He said and anxiously pulled me towards the backyard.

    In an instant, I felt cold gazes shooting towards me.

    The gaze pierced through my whole body like an arrow.

    I just felt like I was being shackled on a fire, feeling anxious and desperate, but unable to escape or hide.

    I forcefully pushed away Winston¡¯s hand and said to him helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m really fine, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t do this, you have suffered such serious injuries, you must deal with them as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die! It¡¯s just a minor skin injury, I won¡¯t die,¡± I said weakly, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally.

    I knew he was worried about me, but in front of the Humphrey family, his worry would only bring trouble for me.

    Perhaps it was my bad attitude, Winston stared at me nkly, with a slightly hurt expression.

    I pursed my lips, and a twinge of guilt shed through my mind.

 Too Close 67

    Chapter67

    In the Humphrey family, it seems that only Winston treated me well. only Winston would worry about me and care for me.

    But there was no way, I couldn¡¯t let Reynaldo misunderstand anymore.

    Thedy of high social status came over and grabbed Winston, angrily saying, ¡°Enough, didn¡¯t you see that she didn¡¯t want to talk to you at all? Why are you trying to get close to her when she clearly doesn¡¯t want anything to do with you?¡±

    Ha, she was just a destitute rich girl, an abandoned woman that no one wanted. She really thought she was someone special.

    ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t say that about Esmeralda.¡±

    Winston turned to the noblewoman and said a sentence, then looked at me, and sadly asked, ¡°Ralda, did I do something wrong and cause trouble for you? I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s none of your business. It¡¯s my own problem.¡±

    I interrupted him hastily and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern just now, but I¡¯m really fine.¡±

    At the staircase, Reynaldo coldly huffed and walked upstairs.

    I ignored Winston and hurriedly chased after Reynaldo.

    My knees were throbbing with pain, and when I turned the corner of the stairs, I couldn¡¯t bear the agony any longer and copsed onto the

    handrail

    Reynaldo, who was walking ahead, stopped.

    He turned around and looked down at me, his brows and eves filled with coldness and indifference. ¡°Since it hurts so much, why didn¡¯t you show it in front of Winston? Are you afraid that he will feel sorry for you?<b>¡± </b>

    I held onto the armrest tightly and remained silent.

    He walked down step by step, sneering at me coldly, ¡°Unfortunately, your performance means nothing to me. I am not Winston. I won¡¯t feel sorry for you.¡±

    Yeah, he didn¡¯t care about me.

    Where would there be a sugar daddy who would cherish a trivial ything in their hands?

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°I never thought of making you feel sorry either.¡±

    After saying that, I gritted my teeth and stood up straight, slowly making my way upstairs.

    He stared at me coldly for a long time, brushed past my shoulder, and walked away without looking back.

    I stared at his cold back, and a touch of sour wetness welled up in my eyes again.

    The guests and the servants gathered downstairs, while the second §±loor remained quiet.

    The quaint buildings showed signs of age.

    Reynaldo stood in front of a door.

    He looked at me coldly, with a hint of impatience between hist eyebrows.

    I bit my lower lip, endured the pain in my knees, and quickened my

    pace.

    Finally, I reached him and he coldly said to me. ¡°Be careful with your wordster. If you make my grandmother unhappy. I won¡¯t spare you.¡±

    I took a slight breath and said without any expression, ¡°Then why did you make mee up here, only to leave me down there for them to humiliate and vent their anger on me? Wouldn¡¯t it be better?¡±

    Reynaldo narrowed his eyes coldly and lightly scoffed, ¡°You wanted to stay downstairs and be with Winston, right?¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak, and I didn¡¯t even want to exin.

    He didn¡¯t believe me and insisted on doubting whether there was anything between me and Winston. Well, I couldn¡¯t do anything about<ol><li>it.</li></ol>

    Seeing that I remained silent, he suddenly approached me, his tall figure blocking the light behind him, making him appear even more gloomy and terrifying.

    I unconsciously took a step back.

    He slightly bent down and said to me coldly. ¡°Ilumiliation, of course, they deserve to be humiliated, but the first thing you need to do is¡­ apologize to my grandmother.¡±

    I looked at him in astonishment.

    Apology?

    Why should I apologize to his grandmother? I don¡¯t think I did. anything wrong to his grandmother.

    I looked at him with a puzzled expression on my face.

    Reynaldo suddenlyughed ominously and sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve always said that Ms. Duffy has a terrible memory. It¡¯s only been two years, and you¡¯ve already forgotten how you insulted my grandmother back then?¡±

    Two years ago? Insult his grandmother?

    I carefully recalled and was suddenly shocked.

    Was it, that one time?

    That day, he hurriedly came back from outside, grabbed me, and said he wanted to take me back to the Humphrey family.

    At that time, it had only been a year since I had married him, and I felt nothing but disgust and resistance towards him. I would get annoyed whenever I saw him.

    And I had also heard a lot of rumors about the Humphrey family back then.

    I heard that the Humphrey family has been living off their parents for a long time. Not only does Ronanck any ability, but there are also constant scandals surrounding him.

    Chapter68

 Too Close 68

    Chapter68

    The Humphrey family¡¯s rtives were also in a mess.

    So back then, Reynaldo, and even the entire Humphrey family, were, in my impression, very lousy.

    So he asked me to go back to the Humphrey family with him at that time, and naturally, I was resistant in my heart.

    I remember that I angrily shook off his hand at that time and threatened. to never set foot in their the Humphrey family again in my whole life.

    He was very anxious at the time and told me that his grandmother was sick and wanted to meet me, his daughter¨Cinw.

    At that time, I had prejudice against them in my heart, thinking that it was their means of deceiving people.

    I remember that I said it to him like this at that time.

    I said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you unpopr in the Humphrey family? Would your grandmother want to see me? Don¡¯t you want to use my connections to climb up in our Duffy family?¡±

    That¡¯s hrious! The Humphrey family is so shameless. They even pretended to be sick. You go back and tell your grandmother that I won¡¯t go to the Humphrey family¡¯s ce. Tell her to stop pretending to be sick, or else her words mighte true!

    I remember it very clearly at that time. After I finished speaking with an extremely sarcastic tone, he looked at me with an unusually cold

    and hateful gaze.

    Later, he went out again, and in the end, I didn¡¯t go to the Humphrey family either.

    That night, when he came back. everything was normal.

    I gradually forgot about this matter, but his expression, I still remember vividly.

    Looking back now, the moment he said I cursed his grandmother is probably what he was referring to..

    I thought he had forgotten a long time ago, but I didn¡¯t expect that he had been keeping it in his heart all along.

    It seems that he must have deeply resented every evil thing I did and every hurtful word I said to him.

    So, how could he possibly have liked me?

    At this moment, I finally understoodpletely that he really couldn¡¯t like me, hating me is the normal reaction.

    ¡°How about it?¡± Reynaldo looked at me coldly, ¡°Do you remember?¡±

    I tightened the hand by my side and asked him, ¡°So, that day, was your grandmother really sick?¡±

    ¡°Is it important?¡± Reynaldo sneered. ¡°Back then, in your eyes, who did you think highly of besides Winston? Even if you knew my grandmother was really sick, would youe to see her?¡±

    I opened my mouth and was about to say ¡°yes¡°.

    He, however, took a step ahead of me and sneered, ¡°No, even if my grandmother was on her deathbed and wanted to see her daughter¨Cin-w before she passed away, you wouldn¡¯te to see her.¡±

    Because in your heart, you never considered yourself as my wife, so naturally you would not acknowledge yourself as her daughter¨Cinw.

    ¡°Esmeralda, do you know how arrogant you used to be in front of me?¡±

    I hung my head, speechless.

    I also don¡¯t know why it happened like this.

    I was not a proud person. Lavonne always said that I had a soft personality and that I didn¡¯t seem like a wealthy youngdy.

    I also treated people very friendly, rarely argued with others, and never put on airs.

    In front of him, Reynaldo, I was constantly and proudly looking up.

    It seems that only towards him, I revealed all my evil side to the fullest.

    I really don¡¯t know why it happened like this.

    Looking back now, I regretted a lot, regretted that I shouldn¡¯t have treated him like that back then.

    But what¡¯s the use of regretting?

    The hand by the side was clenched tightly, and the ce where the palm was cut hurt intensely.

    1 slowly lifted my head to look at him and whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    Whenever he tortured me and humiliated me, I would think about my previous attitudes towards him, and wonder if it would make me feel a little better

    No, it was not good.

    My heart developed feelings for him, so I not only felt guilty towards. him, but also had love for him.

    In the face of his humiliation and torment, the guilt in his heart would slowly dissipate, leaving behind nothing but raw pain.

    I looked at him and said ¡®sorry¡® again.

    Even though I tried hard to restrain my emotions, there was still a hint of choking in my voice.

    Reynaldo looked at me intently, with a deep hatred and aplex emotion that I couldn¡¯tprehend, in his icy ck eyes.

    Just at that moment, a kind voice came from the room, filled with surprise.

    ¡°Has my grandsone back? Reynaldo, is that you, Reynaldo¡­

 Too Close 69

    Chapter69

    The gloom between Reynaldo¡¯s eyebrows instantly receded.

    He didn¡¯t look at me again, he just turned around and pushed the door

    Just as the servant opened the door, he saw him and eximed with joy, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s Mr. Reynaldo, Mr. Reynaldo has returned.¡±

    As the servant¡¯s words fell, an olddy, leaning on a cane, excitedly approached.

    ¡°Reynaldo, my eldest grandson, you have finally returned.¡±

    Reynaldo hurriedly went to support her.

    ¡°Sorry, Grandma, I came backte.¡±

    Reynaldo said, helping his grandmother Danielle to sit down on the sofa.

    I endured the pain in my knee and followed along.

    Today is Danielle¡¯s 80th birthday.

    Danielle¡¯s hair was gray, but she looked fine and in good spirits.

    I used to think that Reynaldo was a ck sheep of a wealthy family, disliked by everyone in the family.

    But at this moment, as I looked at Danielle and saw the kind and loving look in her eyes, I realized that she truly cared for her grandson.

    Without exaggeration. Danielle was his most important family member

    But I used to mock the person he loved the most.

    No wonder I said those things about his grandmother back then, he. who had always been gentle and virtuous, looked at me with such cold and resentful eves.

    ¡°You, you deserve a beating! Today is my S0th birthday, and you actually arrived sote!¡±

    Danielle pretended to angrily tap Reynaldo¡¯s back of the hand.

    The servant interjected. ¡°Yes, young master, you have always prioritized matters concerning the olddy, let alone such a big event like her eightieth birthday. Why did youe back sote?¡±

    You didn¡¯t know, the olddy has been waiting downstairs for you all along. She even said. ¡°If you don¡¯te back, this banquet won¡¯t be allowed to start.¡±

    Without waiting for Reynaldo to speak, I said. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I wasted his time.¡±

    Danielle paused for a moment and then noticed me.

    She pointed at me and asked Reynaldo, ¡°Who is she? Did you bring her back?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me lightly and said, ¡°She was Esmeralda ¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda?¡± Danielle instantly seemed to be lost in memories, pondering over my name.

    I looked at her and said earnestly, ¡°Danielle, I¡¯m sorry¡±

    Danielle¡¯s kind eyes scanned me up and down, and after a moment, she suddenly eximed with joy to Reynaldo, ¡°Is she the Esmeralda who married you? My daughter¨Cinw?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said to her again, respectfully

    I¡¯m sorry I wasted Reynaldo¡¯s time and made her wait for Reynaldo.

    I¡¯m sorry for my previous attitude towards her.

    She was such a kind and gentle old grandmother, and yet I still mocked her.

    Esmeralda, you were really out of line!

    I secretly med myself in my heart, and the inner guilt grew stronger and stronger.

    Just as I was feeling extremely guilty, Danielle suddenly pulled me to sit beside her.

    She smiled kindly at me and said, ¡°Oh, my silly daughter¨Cinw, why apologize to grandma? A man should wait for his own wife.¡±

    I stared at her nkly.

    What happened?

    Does Danielle still not know that I divorced Reynaldo?

    And from the way she looked, it seemed like she didn¡¯t dislike me.

    What happened?

    Danielle lightly tapped the back of my hand and looked at Reynaldo,

    saying, ¡°Alright, just say that you werete because you were waiting for your wife, and Grandma will forgive you.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Grandma.¡±

    He paused for a moment and then said, ¡°You have always wanted to meet her, haven¡¯t you? I brought her here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡±

    Danielle kept holding my hand, her eyes filled with kindness and joy.

    It can be seen that she liked me very much and was very satisfied with me as her daughter¨Cinw.

    But I was so terrible to Reynaldo, and I had already divorced him, why is Danielle still¡­.

    I looked at Reynaldo in confusion.

    Reynaldo, however, suddenly got up and said to me casually, ¡°I¡¯ll go get some fruits. You can keep Grandmapany and have a chat.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay,

    sure.

    I nodded nkly, watching his departing figure, filled with confusion in my heart.

    Danielle teased me, ¡°Look at you, Reynaldo just went downstairs to get some fruit, and you can¡¯t bear to let him go?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± I blushed and lowered my head.

    Danielleughed again and said, ¡°Young couples like you should stick together, but since it¡¯s my first time meeting you, there are many things

    I want to say to you. So, I can only ask you to apany this olddy a little longer¡±

    ¡°No, Grandma, not at all. I enjoy being with you,¡± I said sincerely.

    Nowadays, in the Humphrey family, perhaps only Danielle and Winston treated me well.

 Too Close 70

    I remembered my mockery of Danielle that time, and I felt guilty again in my heart. I couldn¡¯t help but say ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± to her again.

    Danielle patted my shoulder andughed, ¡°Silly child, why do you always apologize to Grandma? In fact, Grandma should be grateful to you.¡±

    Thank me?

    I looked at Danielle with a puzzled heart.

    Danielle sighed. ¡°Reynaldo, this child, has suffered a lot in this family since he was young. His parents divorced early, and his stepmother treated him poorly. I know all of this, but I just don¡¯t have the ability to protect him too much.¡±

    Many people said that he was useless, ignorant, and had a bad character.

    But I knew that he was just hiding his sharpness, so that he could stay peacefully in this home.

    Indeed, Danielle was right.

    He was never a bad child, a bad student, or an ordinary person.

    Those negative evaluations and bad habits were nothing more than barriers for him to live peacefully within this family.

    He has always been a very deep person, otherwise he would not have

    <b>11 </b>

    been able to dominate the business world in just a few

    years.

    I whispered, ¡°Grandma, you don¡¯t have to worry, he was doing well and was excellent.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Danielle squeezed my hand tightly, looking at me gratefully. ¡°Little girl, I really appreciate you for being willing to marry him when he was down and had nothing.¡±

    I shrank back my hand, feeling embarrassed by the guilt in my heart.

    I shook my head and said, ¡°Grandma, actually, back then I¡­¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo said that you treated him well and your family treated him well.¡±

    Although he was a son¨Cinw, you never looked down on him or oppressed him.

    My heart trembled fiercely, and I couldn¡¯t believe it as I said, ¡°He¡­did he say that to you?¡±

    Danielle nodded and then sadly said, ¡°Reynaldo is really suffering, I am very grateful that you are willing to give him a home.¡±

    I had always wanted to meet you before, and asked him to bring you back for me to see.

    I think the person he believed in must have been exceptional.

    But he said you were taking care of your health and it was not suitable for you to go out, so I gave up.

    But two years ago, I fell seriously ill and was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t have a chance to see you, so I asked him to make sure to bring you to

    me to have a look¡­.

    I lowered my head and tears couldn¡¯t help but fall down.

    Originally, Danielle really just wanted to see me, her daughter¨Cinw, but I ended up mocking her like that.

    I really wasn¡¯t human!

    I felt so ufortable in my heart that I could hardly breathe.

    I choked and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandma, really sorry.¡±

    ¡°Silly child, Grandma didn¡¯t me you. There must be your own reasons for not being able toe and see Grandma.¡±

    Danielle lightly tapped my hand and said, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t get to see you that day, fortunately, my condition improved.¡±

    That day, Reynaldo said you were also sick and couldn¡¯te. Were you okay at that time?

    I shook my head silently, not daring to look at Danielle.

    Danielle smiled kindly and said. ¡°Indeed, my daughter¨Cinw looks so healthy and well¨Cnourished. It would be even better if she could give me a great¨Cgrandchild to hold.¡±

    The servantughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost here, look at how reluctant they are to part ways. The great¨Cgrandchild must be on the way.¡±

    When the servant said these words, Reynaldo came in carrying a fruit tray

    I always kept my head down, afraid to let them see my teary eyes.

    I didn¡¯t know if Reynaldo saw me.

    I saw his footstepsing towards me, and then his faint voice echoed above my head, but the words were spoken to Danielle.

    ¡°Grandma, the banquet has already started, do you want to go down?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Danielle tightened her grip on my hand and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished talking to my daughter¨Cinw yet, let them wait!¡±

    The more Danielle liked me, the more guilty I felt in my heart.

    I kept my head down all the time and couldn¡¯t say a word.

    Danielle turned to Reynaldo again and said, ¡°Today is my grandmother¡¯s 80th birthday, and I don¡¯t want any gifts from you all. Just hurry up and give me a great¨Cgrandchild.¡±

    ¡°Oh, having a baby¡­¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled softly, with no emotion detectable in his voice.

    He said, ¡°Grandma, let it be.¡±

    Danielle was unwilling and angrily said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with the flow. I don¡¯t even know how many years I have left to live. I want to hold my precious great¨Cgrandchild right now.¡±

 Too Close 71

    ¡°Grandma, you would definitely live to be a hundred years old,¡± I urgently spoke, my voice filled with sincerity.

    Reynaldo nced at me, his face remaining expressionless.

    Danielle smiled at me and said, ¡°Well, may Grandma live to be a hundred, but little girl, you still need to hurry up and give me a great- grandchild. My olddy can¡¯t wait, you know.¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak.

    Even when ites to having children, Reynaldo probably only wants to have them with Kimberly.

    But Danielle didn¡¯t know about my current rtionship with Reynaldo, so to avoid saying the wrong thing, I could only choose to remain

    silent.

    ¡°Oh my, you two should make <b>a </b>promise to me. I know young people. are easily shy, but what¡¯s the point of being shy in front of grandma?¡±

    Danielle urged me to speak.

    I remained silent.

    Reynaldo suddenly smiled faintly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I will soon make sure you can hold your great¨Cgrandchild.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, Grandma was waiting for you to say that. You can¡¯t deceive Grandma, you know.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, you go downstairs and help entertain the guests. I still want to chat with my precious daughter¨Cinw for a while.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me lightly and then stepped back.

    After he left, Danielle sighed again.

    ¡°You may think Reynaldo is sessful now, but in this family, there are still many people who can¡¯t stand to see him doing well.¡±

    I nodded: indeed it was so.

    Just now. I was downstairs and you could tell by the way those people were looking at Reynaldo.

    Although they wanted to tter Reynaldo, they were also equally jealous of him.

    Danielle suddenly eximed angrily, ¡°You have no idea how they used to talk about Reynaldo before!¡±

    Ever since Reynaldo married you, they couldn¡¯t stand to see Reynaldo doing well. They said Reynaldo had no backbone and that Reynaldo marrying into your family was a disgrace to the Humphrey family.

    They also said that you and your family treated him badly, saying that you treated him like a dog and theyughed at Reynaldo in front of me every day.

    Fortunately, although my wife often made mistakes, she was not

    foolish. I knew that they were just jealous that Reynaldo married such a good wife like you, so they wanted to cause trouble.

    I choked and shook my head, ¡°No, Grandma, actually I wasn¡¯t that good, I¡­<b>¡± </b>

    Chapter71

    ¡°Silly child,¡± Reynaldo concluded, ¡°that is the best.¡±

    I knew Reynaldo¡¯s personality very well.

    Don¡¯t be fooled by his usual silence, in fact, his personality is very stubborn and strong¨Cwilled. If it weren¡¯t for him liking you to the extreme, how could he agree to marry into your family?

    No.

    Danielle still got it wrong in the end.

    Under the pressure of major news media and my family, Reynaldo had no choice but to marry into my family.

    How could he possibly have liked me?

    Moreover, at that time, I had no connection with him at all, at most, we had only met a few times.

    Danielle added, ¡°At that time, everyone in the family was mocking Reynaldo. Reynaldo told me not to pay attention to them. Reynaldo said, ¡®Your family has always treated him very well.¡°¡±

    Later, Reynaldo became sessful, but they still persisted and started criticizing you. They said Reynaldo divorced you and that your family had fallen into poverty. They even used you shamelessly of clinging onto Reynaldo.

    Those people, they just have nothing better to do, can¡¯t stand to see Reynaldo¡¯s love life and career flourishing, really!¡±

    I pursed my lips, realizing that Danielle didn¡¯t know that I had divorced. Reynaldo.

    But she didn¡¯t believe it.

    It seems that Danielle only believed Reynaldo¡¯s words, but Reynaldo did not tell Danielle about the financial difficulties in my family, nor did he tell her about our divorce.

    But why didn¡¯t he exin it clearly to Danielle?

    How can he be with Kimberly in the future if Danielle misunderstands it like this?

    With a puzzled mind, I suddenly felt Danielle tighten her grip on my hand and say to me, ¡°Girl, just focus on being with Reynaldo and quickly give me a big, chubby great¨Cgrandchild to drive them crazy!¡±

    I smiled faintly.

    I never made a direct promise to Danielle about having children.

    I didn¡¯t want to disappoint Danielle with things that couldn¡¯t happen.

    As for what Reynaldo just promised Danielle, I think he would go to Kimberly for help to fulfill it.

    Just as I was thinking, my wrist suddenly felt cold.

    I instinctively lowered my gaze and noticed a bracelet on my wrist.

    A jade bracelet of excellent quality and color, it was clearly valuable at first nce.

    I looked at Danielle in astonishment.

 Too Close 72

    Danielle smiled at me and said, ¡°Girl, this bracelet has been passed down in my family. I have always cherished it, and I wanted to give it to my future daughter¨Cinw.¡±

    ¡°No, Grandma, this is too valuable, I cannot ept it.¡±

    I hurriedly tried to take off the bracelet.

    Danielle, however, held onto my hand and earnestly said, ¡°If you admit that you are Reynaldo¡¯s wife, my great¨Cgranddaughter¨Cinw, then please keep this bracelet.¡±

    Because in your heart, you never considered yourself as my wife, so naturally you wouldn¡¯t acknowledge yourself as her daughter¨Cinw.

    Suddenly, Reynaldo¡¯s words filled my mind, full of icy usations.

    At that moment, I truly wanted to be his wife and sincerely wanted to be my grandmother¨Cinw¡¯s daughter¨Cinw.

    However, he didn¡¯t care anymore.

    I didn¡¯t want this bracelet because I felt like it should belong to Kimberly.

    Seeing Danielle¡¯s hopeful eyes, I couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint her.

    Well,ter I will give it back to Reynaldo, it¡¯s the same.

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t refuse anymore, Danielle immediately smiled with joy and said, ¡°This is my good daughter¨Cinw. In fact, I wanted to give it to you a long time ago. Now that I have given it to you, it can be

    considered as fulfilling an olddy¡¯s wish.¡±

    I caressed the smooth bracelet, and once again, guilt overflowed in my heart.

    In Danielle¡¯s heart, I have always been so good, but I¡­

    Tears uncontrobly streamed down.

    Danielle smiled kindly at me and said, ¡°Silly child, why are your crying? Did Reynaldo bully you?¡±

    I shook my head randomly and choked, ¡°He didn¡¯t bully me, it was Grandma, Grandma, you were too good to me.¡±

    ¡°What a silly girl you were, you were your grandmother¡¯s daughter¨Cin-w, who else would she treat well?¡±

    At this moment, a servant came up and shouted to her, ¡°Madam, the banquet has already been going on for half a day, and everyone is still waiting for you downstairs.¡±

    Danielle looked at me and said, ¡°Girl, do you want to go down with Grandma or do you want to rest here for a while?¡±

    ¡°Grandma, you go ahead, I want to sit here for a while.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Grandma will go downstairs first. Later, Grandma will call Reynaldo toe up and apany you.¡±

    Danielle said and then walked out with the help of the servant.

    I stared nkly at the bracelet on my wrist, and tears fell even more fiercely.

    At this moment, I no longer harbored any resentment towards Reynaldo.

    Danielle was truly a wonderful person, and I used to mock her like that. Not to mention Reynaldo, even I myself wished to kill myself.

    Afraid that Reynaldo would get angry, I dared not stay in the room for long.

    I struggled to adjust my emotions and then limped slowly towards the outside.

    As I walked up to the door, I saw Reynaldo leaning against the nearby wall, smoking.

    I was taken aback and stared at him nkly.

    I don¡¯t know how long he stayed at the door, or if he heard my conversation with Danielle.

    Reynaldo did not look at me.

    He smoked intermittently, with azy posture, and the coldness in his body had diminished considerablypared to just now.

    Downstairs in the courtyard, the joyful music could be heard. continuously, apanied by the host¡¯s lively and humorous speeches.

    I asked him, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay downstairs?¡±

    He gently blew a smoke ring before looking at me,

    The coldness between his eyebrows has dissipated somewhat, but the look in his eyes towards me remains cold and indifferent.

    When he lowered his gaze, his eyes fell on my wrist.

    I hurriedly took off the bracelet and handed it to him, saying, ¡°This is what my grandmother gave me just now, and now I¡¯m giving it back to you.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows deeply and said, ¡°What? Don¡¯t want it? Are you disgusted?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head hastily, ¡°this thing is too valuable, and it doesn¡¯t belong to me. You should go back and give it to Kimberly.¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak..

    He turned his head and took a slight breath.

    I saw his jawline tightening bit by bit, resembling suppressed anger.

    I unconsciously took a step back and nervously looked at him.

    After a long while, he chuckled lightly and looked at me coldly, saying, ¡°This was given to you by her, so you better keep it yourself. If you don¡¯t cherish it and casually throw it away, I will definitely kill you!¡±

    I instinctively tightened my grip on the bracelet in my hand and eximed urgently, ¡°But I had already divorced you, I am not her daughter¨Cinw, this bracelet doesn¡¯t belong to me.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± he suddenly bellowed at me, his crimson eyes ring at me fiercely.

 Too Close 73

    I was so scared that my whole body trembled, and I didn¡¯t dare to say a word.

    He took a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°My grandmother still doesn¡¯t know that we got divorced, so you better not say anything

    inappropriate in front of her.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell her then?¡±

    Thinking about what Danielle had just said to me, I was filled with confusion and couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you make it clear to her that I have no rtionship with anymore, and that the

    person you actually like is Kimberly?¡±

    You

    Reynaldo suddenly approached me, looking down on me with a sneer. ¡°Do you wish she knew? You wouldn¡¯t even want to act as her daughter¨Cinw, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, why should I go and y the role of her daughter¨Cinw? It¡¯s better to rify everything and avoid bigger misunderstandings, isn¡¯t

    it?¡±

    ¡°Huh, avoiding a bigger misunderstanding?¡± Reynaldo sneered, sarcastically saying, ¡°Are you afraid that if the misunderstanding gets bigger, it will be difficult to be with Winston in the future?¡±

    ¡°No, I never thought that way.¡±

    I actually think there was a big misunderstanding, and he couldn¡¯t be with Kimberly openly and honestly in the future.

    Reynaldo looked at me with cold eyes, filled with sneers and disbelief.

    I lowered my gaze sadly and suddenly felt weary in my heart.

    It seems that no matter what I said, he would not believe.

    Just because I treated him badly in the past, hepletely lost trust in me and didn¡¯t even give me a chance?

    I took a breath and asked in a low voice, ¡°Reynaldo, do you really despise me?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, but I could feel the chill emanating from

    him.

    I said sadly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did you still say so many good things about me in front of my grandmother, and even speak well of my family? Clearly, we¡­¡±

    ¡°Wondering about the reason?¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and looked at me,

    and looked at me, his eyes cold as ice. ¡°My grandmother has always had poor health, and two years ago, that serious illness almost took her life.¡±

    Her biggest wish was for me to be well and have a happy and fulfilling marriage. Naturally, I had to share only good news with her and not worry her. I couldn¡¯t do anything to upset her or make her worry.

    I instantly understood in my heart.

    It was the reason.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my cor, looking at me coldly, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to be my wife, don¡¯t want to be her

    granddaughter¨Cinw, you still have to pretend in front of her, for my

    sake!¡±

    He finished speaking and then pushed me away.

    I hurriedly stepped back, my back hitting the wall hard, causing some pain, but not as much as the pain in my heart.

    I looked at him with bloodshot eyes and sadly smiled, ¡°Reynaldo, we really shouldn¡¯t have gotten married back then.¡±

    Back then, we were simply mistaken by everyone for having a rtionship.

    Actually, if we didn¡¯t get married, it wouldn¡¯t have made much difference, at most it would have just damaged my and his reputation.

    Compared to the pain I was experienced, damage to my reputation was nothing.

    If it weren¡¯t for that marriage, perhaps I would still be a carefree and happy single girl, going to work and hanging out with Lavonne, how

    nice.

    There would also be no present sadness and the pain of unrequited love.

    That three¨Cyear marriage was a mistake, a huge mistake.

    A hint ofplexity quickly shed through Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes.

    He impatiently tugged at his tie and smiled at me gently, ¡°Regretting it, huh? Unfortunately, regret won¡¯t do you any good. For the rest of your life, you won¡¯t be able to escape from the palm of my hand.¡±

    Look, how he hated me..

    This life never let me go.

    When Reynaldo took me downstairs, it was lively downstairs.

    Everyone danced, drank, and there were also troupes performing

    shows.

    As soon as Reynaldo arrived, he was pulled aside by the rtives of the Humphrey family to talk.

    Several people raised their sses to Reynaldo, presumably trying to please him and get him to assign them a few projects.

    I looked around in the yard.

    Danielle was dressed in formal attire and was sitting in the front row, thoroughly enjoying the y.

    I smiled.

    Danielle was really good, I really hope she could live a long and healthy life, until she reaches a hundred years old.

    I silently blessed Danielle in my heart and then found a secluded

    corner to sit down.

    Although Reynaldo brought me here with the intention of having the Humphrey family humiliate me and let the Humphrey family vent their

    anger.

 Too Close 74

    But at that moment, the Humphrey family was celebrating a banquet, and no one really noticed me.

    However, even if Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, I couldn¡¯t leave.

    There were pastries and drinks on the table. I took a piece of cake and silently ate a few bites until I was full.

    Bored and absentmindedly scrolling through my phone, a shadow suddenly cast over in front of me..

    I instinctively looked up and saw Winston.

    Winston looked at me quietly, with a few traces of sadness and hurt in his expression.

    Before he spoke, I quickly stood up and wanted to leave.

    The more I am around the Humphrey family, the more I want to avoid

    him.

    Now, all I wanted was for Ralda to quietly wait until the end of the banquet and then leave.

    I really, really don¡¯t want to create any more troubles.

    However, as soon as I got up, Winston grabbed my arm.

    His handsome face was filled with a wounded expression: ¡°Ralda, do you really hate seeing me like this?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I forcefully pushed his hand away and said to him seriously, ¡°It¡¯s

    17

    not that I hate seeing you, but you know, because of the rtionship I have with your older brother, we have to avoid suspicion within the Humphrey family. Otherwise, they will gossip.¡±

    ¡°But you had already divorced my elder brother, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, they all know,¡± Winston said urgently.

    I shook my head, ¡°Actually, whether your eldest brother and I have divorced or not, we are no longer suitable to meet each other. I already made it clear to youst time.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    ¡°Really, please don¡¯t do this anymore. I know you are worried about me, care about me, but doing this in front of everyone will only cause unnecessary trouble for me.¡±

    Winston suddenly fell silent, his eyes gazing at me quietly, filled with

    hurt.

    I lowered my gaze, and my heart was also ufortable.

    Even if there is no possibility between me and Winston, the past friendship still remains. If possible, I don¡¯t want to say anything to hurt

    him.

    But not speaking clearly about certain things will only lead to bigger misunderstandings.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you don¡¯t have to worry about me, really, I was fine now.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey?¡± Winston¡¯s expression was even more hurt.

    I averted my gaze and didn¡¯t look at him.

    He looked at me and suddenlyughed sadly, ¡°You say you¡¯re fine.

    Chapter74

    now, but how did you get those injuries on your body? Wasn¡¯t it him who hit you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak.

    He murmured again, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to avoid me like this. I came just to bring you some ointment for your scratches.¡±

    He said as he handed me a medicine bottle, ¡°This medicine can also treat bruises and injuries. It should be able to be applied to the injury on your leg too.¡±

    The medicine is new, and the medicine box has not been opened. It should be that he just went out to buy it.

    I didn¡¯t reach out my hand to take it, and I tried to say politely, ¡°No need, just a minor skin injury¡­¡±

    However, before I could finish my words, he lifted my hand and forcefully shoved the box of medicine into it.

    He smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t want to see me, afraid of causing trouble for you. During this time, I have always restrained the urge to see you.¡±

    Today, it was rare to see you, and I felt a bit excited in my heart. I didn¡¯t consider many things thoroughly, which caused trouble for you. I¡¯m sorry.

    With such a wounded expression and saying such words, it was difficult for me not to feel guilty in my heart.

    I pursed my lips and looked up at him, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me. In the end, you were also doing it for my own good. It¡¯s my fault, I let you down, and I¡¯m the one who should apologize.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Winston¡¯s eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

    Chapter24

    ¸Ê

    He choked and said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t left midway due to some personal

    matters during that ss reunion back then. Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to take advantage. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. I was in the wrong¡­¡±

    I sighed and was about tofort him..

    Suddenly, I saw Reynaldo standing behind him, three meters away, looking coldly in this direction.

    My heart trembled fiercely.

    I quickly averted my gaze and said to Winston, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now, and that matter itself has nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t need to me yourself.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Winston wanted to say something else, but I quickly interrupted him, saying, ¡°Please don¡¯t say anymore. I don¡¯t want to bring up the past.¡±

 Too Close 75

    <b>Chapter </b>75

    Winston looked at me deeply, his handsome face filled with wounds.

    I lowered my gaze, unable to look at his expression.

    Soon, Reynaldo walked over.

    He pulled me into his arms and looked at Winston with a smile, saying, ¡°What? Are you so interested in my woman?¡±

    ¡°Your woman?¡± Winston frowned.

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it, right?¡±

    He paused, lowered his gaze and nced at me, then sneered at Winston, ¡°I said, my things, even if I don¡¯t want them anymore, I won¡¯t give them to anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± Winston red at him angrily, growling lowly.

    Just as the two of them were about to draw their crossbows, fortunately, a servant came over.

    The servant said to Reynaldo, ¡°Young master, Madam has instructed you and the young mistress to rest here tonight. We have already. cleaned up the small attic in the backyard for you both to stay in tonight.¡±

    Before Reynaldo could even respond, Winston angrily eximed to the servant, ¡°Madam? Who is the madam here? Don¡¯t you know they have already divorced?¡±

    The servant quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Second Young Master. This is

    also Madam¡¯s intention. I was just rying the message to Madam.¡±

    Winston stared at Reynaldo and said, ¡°What do you mean? Since you have already divorced Ralda, why don¡¯t you exin it to Grandma? Why won¡¯t you let her be free? Why do you force her to stay by your side?¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze, his icy eyes staring at me, half¨Csmiling: ¡°He said, it was me who refused to set you free, it was me who forced you to stay by my side? Is that so?¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes were filled with scorn.

    My heart twitched, and a pang of pain shed through.

    Indeed, it was me who approached him first, asking him to help our family repay the debt, andter it was also me shamelessly asking him for money.

    It was never him forcing me to stay by his side, but rather me, repeatedly going to him for money.

    I held the hand beside me tightly and said to Winston, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t force me to do anything. I stayed by his side voluntarily.¡°.

    ¡°Ralda!¡± Winston looked at me sadly.

    I was at a loss for how to exin it to him, but fortunately thedy came over, who was Reynaldo¡¯s stepmother.

    ¡°Oh, Winston, what are you doing here? The party is almost over. Come with me quickly to see off the guests.¡±

    As soon as the stepmother saw me, she gave me a fierce re and then dragged Winston towards the front yard filled with guests.

    As she walked, she kept scolding Winston.

    I was basically saying that I am a fox spirit and asking Winston not to bother me anymore, not to have any further entanglement with me.

    Winston remained silent the whole time, only asionally ncing back at me with a look of disappointment and sadness in his eyes, which made me feel uneasy.

    As soon as Winston left, Reynaldo pushed me away, as if he was very disgusted with me.

    He lowered his head and lit a cigarette, mocking me, ¡°Some people just love to act, they keep acting, and eventually they even believe it themselves.¡±

    I frowned and looked at him, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Reynaldo remained silent, simply gazing meaningfully in the direction Winston had left.

    I followed his gaze, but still couldn¡¯t understand what his words meant, nor could I understand who his words were referring to.

    Grandma went back to her room early to rest.

    After the banquet, Ronan and his stepmother took Winston to see off the guests.

    The reason they had Winston go to send off the guests was also to have Winston perform in front of those guests.

    I saw Winston chatting with the guests and couldn¡¯t help but ask Reynaldo, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going to see off the guests?¡±

    Reynaldo nced disdainfully at the front door and said indifferently, ¡°That was never my concern<b>.</b>¡±

    After speaking, he paused and added, ¡°In the past, I didn¡¯t even have

    17

    the qualification to attend such a banquet.¡±

    Although he spoke lightly, one can still imagine that his previous situation in this home was not good.

    No wonder everyone praises Winston so much, but shakes their head when ites to him. He didn¡¯t even have a chance to show his performance.

    No wonder he learned to restrain his edge from a young age, because he knew from a young age that his stepmother would never allow him to be stronger than Winston.

    The servant led Reynaldo and me to the small attic in the backyard.

    The two¨Cstory independent attic was quite peaceful.

    The Humphrey family was just a ce of gossip and rumors, and I had intended to leave as soon as the party ended.

 Too Close 76

    Now, it turns out that I have to stay here for one more night.

    I just hope nothing happened tonight.

    The decoration and furnishings in the small attic were rtively simple.

    The first floor was the living room, and the second floor had only a study and a bedroom.

    Reynaldo led me upstairs and said lightly, ¡°Here, is where I used to live.¡±

    He paused for a moment and added, ¡°It was my grandmother who fought for me.¡±

    I watched his back in astonishment.

    Does even such a crude attic require his grandmother¡¯s help for him to fight for it?

    He used to have no status at all in the Humphrey family.

    If Grandma hadn¡¯t fought for this attic for him, would he have had nowhere to live in this huge family?

    As if guessing what I was thinking, he suddenly stopped at the staircase and turned to look at me.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t as pitiful as you imagined, even without this attic, I still had a room to live in.¡±

    Chapter26

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    This man was really amazing, he knew everything I was thinking.

    Followed Reynaldo into the bedroom.

    The bedroom was not big, and the decoration was also simple, but fortunately, it was clean and tidy.

    Reynaldo stood by the window, he pulled it open, and then lit a cigarette, saying to me, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go wash up and go to sleep.¡±

    I was indeed a bit tired. It¡¯s already past twelve now, and I have to go to work early tomorrow morning. I definitely can¡¯t stay upte anymore.

    I didn¡¯t care about him either and went to the bathroom by myself.

    However, when I finished taking a shower, I embarrassingly realized that there was no bathrobe in the bathroom, not even a towel.

    This¡­

    I carefully opened the door a crack, hoping that Reynaldo would go.

    out.

    However, things didn¡¯t go as nned. Just as I opened the door, I bumped right into Reynaldo.

    The heartbeat skipped a few beats in an instant.

    I subconsciously wanted to close the door, and he suddenly spoke coldly, ¡°What? Can¡¯t stand the sight of me?¡±

    Me: ¡±

    This man continued to speak rudely as always.

    I poked my head out and grumbled at him, ¡°Help me take off the bathrobe or pajamas.¡±

    ¡°Come out and get it yourself!¡± He closed the curtains and casually said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen it before.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    I mmed the door in anger, leaned against the door panel, and didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him.

    Although I had done it many times with him, I also walked naked in front of him with an open mind.

    But sometimes, when the emotions are different and the atmosphere is different, it is not possible to bepletely naked in front of him.

    He tried to kill me several times today and injured my knees and hands.

    Strictly speaking, I was still in a ¡°cold war¡± phase with him, so how could I could I possibly be naked in front of him?

    Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard a knock on the door from outside.

    ¡°Pajamas!¡±

    I was startled and cautiously pulled the door open.

    His hand reached in, holding a ck shirt.

    I furrowed my brows and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anydies¡® pajamas? Men¡¯s will do too!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Chapter76

    I choked for a moment, but had no choice but to take it.

    Well, it¡¯s better than not wearing anything.

    Fortunately, his shirt was very long on me, covering my thighs.

    I also don¡¯t know why his clothes are so much bigger on me. I¡¯m not short either. The sleeves had to be rolled up several times before my hands were exposed.

    And Reynaldo is not fat either, the fact that such a big piece of clothing fits him perfectly is also amazing.

    When I went out, Reynaldo was still leaning against the window smoking.

    Just by looking into my eyes, they suddenly became much deeper, faintly shing a hint of desire.

    Actually, just now I also looked in the mirror, and this ck shirt made my skin look very, very white.

    And the kind of length that just covered the thighs was actually quite tempting.

    Plus, I wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, which made the curve of the shirt against my chest even more intriguing.

    He was a normal man, so it was not surprising that he would have desires when he saw me dressed like this.

    In my impression, he used to be quite crazy about that kind of thing.

    However, I had just had an unpleasant argument with him today, so <b>I </b>didn¡¯t feel like being affectionate with him at all, and I even had some resistance towards him.

    Chapter??

 Too Close 77

    Reynaldo remained silent, simply blowing smoke rings gently.

    His eyes were half¨Cclosed, as if he was looking at me, yet it seemed like he wasn¡¯t looking at me.

    Under the shroud of smoke, hisplexion didn¡¯t appear very genuine

    to me.

    I ignored him and limped to the edge of the bed, sitting down.

    When I was taking <b>a </b>shower just now, I looked at my knee and saw arge bruise.

    I indeed need to apply some medicine, otherwise it will affect

    tomorrow¡¯s work.

    Tomorrow I have to go meet the business partner with the CEO, I absolutely cannot lose face.

    With this in mind, I brought over the box of medicine that Winston had given me.

    Just as I had opened the medicine box, the bottle in my hand was snatched away by arge hand with distinct knuckles.

    I frowned and raised my head, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Without hesitation, Reynaldo turned around and threw the box of medicine into the trash can.

    I red at him in anger.

    Chapter??

    Although I felt sorry for him after hearing about his childhood from Danielle.

    But it¡¯s one thing to feel sorry for him, and it¡¯s quite another thing for him to behave so outrageously.

    Just like now, I just wanted to apply some medicine on the wound, but he snatched my medicine and threw it into the trash can..

    Even though I used to dislike him before, I never treated him like this.

    His heartache and guilt gradually dissipated.

    I stared at him angrily and bitterly, but I didn¡¯t dare to say anything to him. I could only silently clench the quilt in frustration.

    He looked at me with a sneer and said, ¡°You¡¯re so angry just because you threw away the medicine Winston gave you? I haven¡¯t seen you cherish the medicine I bought for you either.¡±

    I looked at him and gritted my teeth, saying, ¡°If you want to punish me, if you want to retaliate against me, just say it straight, don¡¯t bring Winston into everything!¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°What? Mentioning him and you suddenly feel sorry?¡±

    Iughed angrily, turned my face away, and couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to him.

    This man is a lunatic, and it was impossible tomunicate with him. normally anymore.

    Suddenly, something was thrown into my arms.

    I was stunned for a moment, lowered my gaze, and it turned out to be another box of medicine.

    Chapter77

    It was also newly bought, but it was different from the box just now..

    I looked at the man in front of me in astonishment.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t look at me. He was smoking and his tone was

    extremely indifferent. ¡°Grandma sent someone to buy it and told me to give it to you.¡±

    I was a little bit skeptical.

    When I went to see my grandmother just now, I deliberately hid my injury. I didn¡¯t even extend the injured hand, so my grandmother had no idea that I was hurt.

    Who bought this box of medicine then?

    I stared at Reynaldo suspiciously.

    Reynaldo snorted at me and said, ¡°What? Winston bought it for you, and you couldn¡¯t wait to use it. But when my grandma bought it for you, you disdain using it?¡±

    Sick!

    I cursed silently in my heart, then opened the medicine box and applied medicine to the wound on my leg.

    It seems that I was overthinking just now.

    How can it be possible that this box of medicine was bought by him, Reynaldo?

    He Reynaldo always wanted to kill me, so how could he possibly buy medicine for me?

    Anyone could, except him!

    Chacter??

    After secretly rubbing the bruises on my legs. I scooped out some ointment to apply on the wounds on my palms.

    This ointment is very magical. It is not greasy at all, and when applied to the wound, it gives a cool and refreshing feeling.

    After wiping. I had just covered the medicine bottle when I felt at scorching gaze fall upon me.

    I instinctively looked up and saw Reynaldo walking towards me, buttoning his shirt.

    His gaze was deep and intense, staring straight at me as if he wanted to devour me.

    I shrank back in fear and said to him, ¡°You, you go take a shower, and then sleep¡­ sleep.¡±

    When Reynaldo walked over, several buttons of his shirt had already been undone, revealing arge and muscr chest.

    I swallowed my saliva and looked up at him.

    I was so familiar with his look.

    Every time he had a wild outburst, he would look at me with this expression.

    But at this moment, I didn¡¯t want to do that kind of thing with him at all.

    My knees and palms were still hurting, and his fierce and aggressive appearance today is still lingering in my mind.

 Too Close 78

    So I couldn¡¯t do it. I had a falling out with him the previous moment, but in this moment, it¡¯s as if nothing happened and I am getting along

    with him.

    Just when I was feeling anxious and confused, Reynaldo had already bent down and pressed on top of me.

    He supported himself on both sides of my body, imprisoning me at the head of the bed, and looked at me with deep and mysterious eyes.

    He got very close, so close that his breath was in between our noses.

    My heart was pounding.

    I leaned against his chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, it¡¯s alreadyte, I want to sleep.¡±

    ¡°But with the way you looked, it made me react, what should I do?¡±

    He said seriously, as if ¡®love¡® was something ordinary andmonce

    to him.

    I stared at him tensely and said, ¡°You go take a shower, just <b>a </b>cold one, and then¡­ then I¡¯ll go to the study to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Take a cold shower?¡± Reynaldo scoffed, ¡°I have a woman, why would I need to take a cold shower?¡±

    ¡°But I was tired and wanted to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Then you sleep, I¡¯ll do my own thing.¡±

    I stared at him in astonishment, unable to believe that he could speak such embarrassing words with such a serious tone.

    He drew closer again, and his warm lips brushed against the corner of

    mine.

    I trembled all over, pressed against his chest, and wanted to say words. of refusal.

    He suddenly cupped the back of my head and kissed my lips fiercely.

    I unconsciously leaned back, but my back was against the headboard.

    I couldn¡¯t even hide.

    Just when I was about to run out of breath, he finally let go of me, and his gaze was so intense that it made my heart race.

    He smiled at me, his voice hoarse and sexy, ¡°Actually, every time, your body is more honest than your mouth.¡±

    I turned my face away in embarrassment and remained silent.

    After all, what he said seemed to be the truth, an unspeakable truth.

    Because of his words, my face involuntarily burned up.

    If I were to push him away at this moment, would it make me seem like I am ying hard to get?

    I tightly grasped his shirt cor, feeling a bit restless in my heart.

    He suddenly kissed me on the lips again, then unbuttoned my shirt and said to me, ¡°You heard what Grandma said today, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°She¡­ She said a lot to me today. Which sentence are you referring to?¡±

    I wanted to hold his hand and do as I pleased, but it was in vain.

    He quickly unbuttoned all the buttons of my shirt, embraced me, kissed my neck, and said, ¡°The matter of having a baby.¡±

    My heart trembled, and I said incredulously, ¡°You, you want to have a baby with me?¡±

    ¡°Grandma wanted to hold a great¨Cgrandchild!¡±

    He kissed me while speaking, his voice muffled.

    I nced sideways, looking at his handsome face so close.

    So, he didn¡¯t really want to have a child with me sincerely, he just reluctantly let me give birth because his grandmother was eager to hold a great¨Cgrandchild.

    Was it like this?

    But he could have let his beloved Kimberly give birth to him, couldn¡¯t he?

    My child was born?

    Oh, he despised me so much, despised me to the point of wishing for my death.

    What does the child I gave birth to at that time count for?

    I struggled slightly and said to him, ¡°You let Kimberly help you give birth.¡±

    Reynaldo froze for a moment, holding me tightly, not moving at all.

    But I felt his breath that covered my ear sank.

    Chapter78

    I don¡¯t know what he was thinking.

    I said earnestly, ¡°As long as it¡¯s your child, whether it¡¯s me or Kimberly who gives birth, it will still be Grandma¡¯s great¨Cgrandchild. So, let Kimberly help you give birth.¡±

    The child conceived by two people in love is the crystallization of their love, eagerly anticipated from the moment of conception.

    And the child that I, a hated person, carried in my womb, was considered a bastard, never to be expected.

    Reynaldo sat up straight, he gripped my shoulders and looked at me coldly.

    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t want to have a baby with me?¡±

    ¡°¡­didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    What was born to do, was he disgusted with it?

    It is one thing for my grandmother to want to hold her great- grandchild, but if my child is despised by their biological father and evenbeled as a bastard, it is another matter.

    Then I would rather not be born.

    I would not let my child be born to suffer and be wronged.

 Too Close 79

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, the brightness in his eyes gradually fading away, leaving only coldness and resentment.

    He said word by word, ¡°If it¡¯s Winston¡¯s child, you would be willing to give birth, right?¡±

    ¡°Can you please not involve him?¡± I groaned helplessly.

    Now I increasingly feel that I couldn¡¯tmunicate with him anymore.

    It seems like no matter what we say, he always has to bring up Winston.

    Even though I used to like Winston before, that was before I got married to him.

    How long has it been since all of this happened? I don¡¯t have any feelings towards Winston anymore, why does he always have to bring it up?

    Now I feel like Winston was a thorn in his heart.

    But can you put it there?

    The person he liked was Kimberly, huh? Was he always holding onto my and Winston¡¯s past things?

    Reynaldo stared at me intensely, breathing heavily, and a surge of hostility churned in his eyes.

    He suddenly sneered coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t want to have a child for me, huh? Well, I insist that you do! In this lifetime, you can only give birth

    Chapter <b>79 </b>

    to me!¡±

    I red at him angrily and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you stop being so domineering? You always act like you¡¯re sick.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was sick. I have been sick since we got married,¡± he chuckled lightly, his eyes filled with determination.

    I watched him with a startled heart, feeling that this man¡¯s emotions. were too unstable, always getting angry at the slightest provocation.

    I felt that I would be killed by him sooner orter.

    Itsted for over an hour before it finally ended.

    Hey on top of me, breathing heavily, without saying a word.

    I stared nkly at the ceiling, unable to cry<b>. </b>

    In the previous few times, at least he would take some measures.

    But this time, he had deliberately intended for me to get pregnant.

    Anyway, I would never have a child with him.

    If¡­ If I identally got pregnant, I wouldn¡¯t want it either!

    The room was quiet and silent, filled with the scent of tranquility.

    He didn¡¯t move, nor did he speak, he justy quietly on top of me.

    I was being pressed by him so hard that I couldn¡¯t breathe, and I couldn¡¯t help but move a little.

    He suddenly grabbed my waist and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±

    I dared not move a muscle as I saw his eyes still terrifyingly dark and

    gloomy

    When the atmosphere was tense, a crisp ringtone suddenly sounded. nearby.

    It was his phone.

    He lowered his gaze and straightened up, reaching for the phone that was ced on the bedside.

    I saw that it was Kimberly who called.

    The sudden heat on the body faded away instantly.

    I elenched the quilt tightly and looked at him.

    I don¡¯t know what Kimberly said to him again.

    The man¡¯s brows furrowed slowly, and his face gradually became solemn.

    I heard him say, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯lle right away.¡±

    He said and then stepped back from me, seemingly without any trace of reluctance.

    He had even forgotten about my existence. He hastily put on his clothes and walked out, without even sparing me a nce.

    The door closed, and the room instantly became eerily quiet.

    The ambiguous atmosphere, the messy bed, and the embarrassing marks on my body all carried a great sense of irony.

    Tears welled up in my eyes.

    Soon, ayer of mist appeared in my eyes, and even the lights began to

    blur.

    I took a deep breath and held back my tears.

    What¡¯s there to cry about? I knew it all along, his beloved person was Kimberly.

    Actually, I was still a little puzzled. Since he liked Kimberly so much, cared about her, why did he still touch me?

    Why did he still want me to have his child?

    Giving birth is always painful and physically exhausting.

    Was he afraid that Kimberly would hurt herself?

    The more I thought, the more my mind became restless and chaotic.

    I propped myself up and walked to the bathroom with difficulty to freshen up.

    Anyway, no matter what, I absolutely don¡¯t want to have a child with. someone who doesn¡¯t love me.

    I squatted in the toilet for a long time, and then flushed for a while before returning to bed.

    If it weren¡¯t for being in the Humphrey family, I would have had to go. out and buy a box of contraceptives to feel at ease.

    No, go back, we still need to keep that medicine.

    Reynaldo never came back after he left.

    Sleeping alone in the Humphrey family, I still felt very insecure in my

    heart.

 Too Close 80

    Chapter80

    I wrapped the quilt around myself and slept with the light on.

    Even though I was very tired and exhausted, I couldn¡¯t sleep soundly. I would be awakened by even the slightest noise.

    When I woke up again, it was a little after three in the morning.

    It seems that I didn¡¯t sleep for long either.

    I stared at the ceiling and spaced out for a while, when suddenly I faintly heard bursts of noiseing from the yard.

    I quickly got up and pulled back the curtains to look outside.

    The old courtyard, which was originally pitch ck, brightened up.

    There were many people moving back and forth in the courtyard, and it was unclear what they were doing.

    I watched for a while, but I couldn¡¯t figure out what they were doing, so I went back to bed.

    As long as the matter did not involve me, it was fine.

    I looked at the clock on the wall and for the first time, I felt that the night was so long.

    If it weren¡¯t for the difficulty <b>in </b>getting a taxi at this spot, I would have also wanted to go back.

    Anyway, since Reynaldo has already left, it doesn¡¯t matter whether I stay or not, he won¡¯t care.

    I suddenly felt so foolish.

    When Reynaldo hurriedly left just now, I should have followed him. and asked him to give me a ride back on his way.

    Forget it, stop thinking about it, that man wouldn¡¯t be so kind¨Chearted.

    I turned over and forced myself to go back to sleep when suddenly, there came a series of urgent knocks on the door.

    I was on edge and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, something has happened, pleasee out.¡±

    I furrowed my brows.

    What happened to the Humphrey family that made me go out?

    What does the Humphrey family¡¯s matter have to do with me?

    ¡°Ms. Duffy?¡±

    Seeing that I did not respond, there was another round of urgent knocking at the door.

    The knocking sound made my heart race.

    Although Reynaldo made me angry, I still wished he could be by my side at that moment. At least he was a member of the Humphrey family, so I wouldn¡¯t feel so anxious.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, could youe out for a moment, Ms. Duffy?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, stop wasting time talking to her, go get the spare key.¡±

    It was the voice of Reynaldo¡¯s stepmother.

    ChapterB0

    I furrowed my brows, took a few steps forward, and pulled the door

    open.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    The stepmother tiptoed and looked behind me, and smirked, ¡°Reynaldo isn¡¯t here.¡±

    I ignored her.

    She nced at me, chuckled, and sneered, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, you couldn¡¯t even keep him while dressed like this, it shows how much he dislikes you.¡±

    Only my foolish son, who was blind, could have fallen for a woman like you.

    As I saw her face full of mockery, a strong sense of irony shed through my mind.

    I remember back when I used to y with Winston, he once introduced. me to his mother.

    That is the noblewoman in front of me.

    Back then, my family in Freybourne was also a prominent and respected family, and at that time, she treated me with great enthusiasm.

    They praised me again for being beautiful and for being sensible, giving me all kinds ofpliments.

    She said that if her son married me, it would be her son¡¯s good fortune.

    Nowadays, my family has fallen on hard times, and her true colors of power were instantly revealed.

    I knew that people nowadays are very practical, but my family has fallen on hard times. You can distance yourself from me, but there¡¯s no need to mock me like this.

    I ignored her sarcasm and asked her indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you calling me in the middle of the night?¡±

    Thedy walked back and forth in the room, casually saying, ¡°Our Humphrey family was robbed, so please ask Ms. Duffy to gol downstairs and cooperate with the search.¡±

    ¡°Search me?¡±

    As soon as I heard her say that, I instinctively felt that they were setting me up.

    After all, how could a family like the Humphrey family be stolen from for no reason?

    And it was never stolen before, never stolen after, but just when I was there, it got stolen. Isn¡¯t it obvious that it was aimed at me?

    I coldly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything, why are you searching me?¡±

    Thedy sneered, ¡°Have you ever seen any thief admit to stealing? If you really didn¡¯t steal anything, why

    you? Or is <i>it </i>that you indeed stol. are you afraid of us searching

    thing?¡±

    I furrowed my brows, it seemed like they were relentless.

    If I couldn¡¯t hold on, I¡¯m afraid they would have more words to defame<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

 Too Close 81

    Chapter <b>81 </b>

    Well, let them search then. After all, I had nothing on me. I don¡¯t believe they could find a single flower on me.

    I said lightly, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll go change my clothes.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to change clothes. What if you hide the stolen items. again while changing clothes?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± I eximed angrily, ¡°Then I won¡¯t go down. If you want to search, go ahead and search now. And this room, all of you can search it too, so you won¡¯t suspect that I¡¯ve hidden something in this room.¡±

    The servant looked at thedy of the house inquiringly.

    Thedy snorted and said, ¡°Fine, go ahead and change your clothes. It¡¯s true, dressed like this, people who don¡¯t know any better might think the Humphrey family keeps a fox spirit around to seduce men.¡±

    Thisdy spoke extremely rudely.

    I really couldn¡¯t believe it, how could Winston, such a gentle and refined person, have a mother like that?

    I went to the bathroom and changed back into my dirty clothes.

    When she came out, thedy specifically had the servant search in the bathroom.

    I was worried that they secretly put something in the bathroom to frame.<ol><li>mc<b>. </b></li></ol>

    When they were searching, I took out my phone and recorded the

    Chapter81

    scenes they were searching.

    Thedy nced at me and sarcastically said, ¡°Pretending to be someone you¡¯re not.¡±

    I ignored her.

    Anyway, if this theft incident really came at me, then I would definitely not give them any chance to me me.

    The servant searched both the bathroom and the room.

    I don¡¯t know if it was because I was always following them in. recording videos, they couldn¡¯t do anything bad.

    So much so that in the end, they left empty¨Chanded and couldn¡¯t find anything to tell the noblewoman.

    Thedy of the house snorted coldly and ordered me to go downstairs.

    I didn¡¯t put away my phone until they all left, and then I followed them downstairs.

    At this moment, many people had already gathered in the courtyard.

    Apart from the servant who was still searching for the lost items, the butler, driver, and other servants in the house all stood in two rows.

    Ronan sat in the front seat, with a serious expression on his face.

    From time to time, servants woulde over and say that they couldn¡¯t find things.

    Ronan waved his hand, signaling them to continue searching, and insisted that they must find it.

    Looking at this situation, my heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat.

    Chapte

    Looking at the situation, it didn¡¯t seem like that noblewoman had intentionally set up a trap to frame me.

    The Humphrey family seemed to have lost something valuable.

    It makes sense, even if this noblewoman disliked me so much and opposed Winston¡¯s association with me, she wouldn¡¯t need to go to such great lengths to frame me.

    Just as he was thinking, thedy walked up to Ronan andforted him, saying, ¡°Oh dear sir, you can rest assured that the thing is not lost. in this yard. Let¡¯s search carefully, we will surely find it.¡±

    And even if it was stolen, isn¡¯t this person still here? We can just search them one by one.¡±

    Listening to her, it seemed like the lost item was very, very valuable.

    I couldn¡¯t help but ask the servant next to me, ¡°What exactly is it that got lost?¡±

    The servant shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but I heard that the olddy¡¯s things were lost.¡±

    Grandma¡¯s things?

    I instinctively touched the jade bracelet in my sleeve and felt a slight unease in my heart.

    But thinking about it, it¡¯s also unlikely. This was personally given to me by my grandmother, so it definitely wouldn¡¯t be this thing that got

    lost.

    Just as I was thinking, the servant said to me, ¡°The master is very filial to the olddy. Now that the olddy¡¯s beloved item is lost, the master is also very worried.¡±

    Chapter!

    Ah, I just hope the things can be found quickly. The banquet has just finished, and everyone hasn¡¯t had a good rest yet.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Could it be that it fell at the banquet and was picked up by a guest?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the servant sighed, ¡°It¡¯s better not to be like that, otherwise it would be terrible. If the olddy¡¯s beloved item cannot be found, she might fall ill again.¡±

    I listened and felt a slight worry in my heart.

    I heard Reynaldo say that his grandmother¡¯s health was not very good.

    At this moment, thedy of high social status eximed, ¡°Enough, we haven¡¯t found it anywhere, now we can only search our bodies, don¡¯t me anyone, if you want to me, me the person who stole the thing.¡±

 Too Close 82

    Chapter82

    As soon as thedy of the house finished speaking, two maidservants immediately began searching our bodies, one from the left and the other from the right.

    I stood expressionless.

    He thought, if the thing that Grandma lost could be bought with money, then Ronan wouldn¡¯t be so anxious. He could just spend money to buy another identical one.

    This proves that the thing Grandma lost cannot be measured by money.

    What could it be in the end?

    I touched the jade bracelet under the cuff again, and my heart became

    uneasy once more.

    At that moment, the servant who was searching me arrived in front of<ol><li>mc.</li></ol>

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, please open your hands,¡± the servant said to me.

    I pursed my lips and silently followed suit.

    The servant searched me first, and then proceeded to feel my arms and wrists.

    When she touched the bracelet, she paused for a moment, and then almost excitedly and anxiously flipped my cufl.

    I furrowed my brows deeply, and a sudden wave of uneasiness surged in my heart.

    Sure enough, the next second, the servant screamed excitedly.

    ¡°Here it is! The bracelet that the olddy lost is here!¡±

    In an instant, everyone turned to look at me.

    Those eyes, some were shocked, some were disdainful, and some were mocking and contemptuous.

    Thedy first paused for a second, then smirked triumphantly, ¡°I knew it was her from the beginning, and she was still being stubborn!¡±

    The servant pulled me and brought me in front of Ronan and thedy.

    Then I lifted up the jade bracelet on my wrist to show everyone.

    The unpleasant gossip around me kepting and going.

    my olddy

    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting. Just now, she pretended to ask me what lost, and deliberately said it might have been taken by a guest to mislead us.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, it was so disgusting, considering she used to be a wealthy youngdy.¡±

    ¡°The youngdy of the Duffy family is just a status, it does not.

    represent character. If their character was good, why would they bully Mr. Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°Why did Mr. Reynaldo have to bring her to the banquet? Isn¡¯t this purely to disgust people?¡±

    I looked at them and said in a deep voice, ¡°This bracelet was not stolen by me, it was personally given to me by my grandmother!¡±

    ¡°Haha, this bracelet was passed down from the older generation. The olddy had said before that she would only give it to her favorite

    daughter¨Cinw.¡±

    What are you? You have already divorced Reynaldo, you are nothing. The olddy will give you this bracelet? Don¡¯t joke around.

    Thedy said, as she walked up to me with her arms crossed, a mocking smile on her face, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ I can¡¯t believe it, the Duffy family has fallen on hard times, resorting to petty theft now.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± I looked at her and Ronan calmly, ¡°This was given to me by my grandmother. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask her, or ask Reynaldo,¡±

    Anyway, Reynaldo knew about the bracelet, and he even told me to keep it safe, so I wasn¡¯t really worried.

    But I still felt very strange in my heart..

    This was clearly given to me by my grandmother, why would she say she lost it?

    I lowered my gaze and a terrifying and sad spection arose in my heart.

    I hope it wasn¡¯t as I thought.

    Ronan quickly asked someone to bring Danielle over.

    Before long, Danielle hobbled over with the help of a cane and the support of a servant.

    ¡°Did you find it? Did you find the bracelet I left for my daughter¨Cin-w?¡±

    Danielle looked excited.

    My heart sank.

    The bracelet was clearly given to me by her, why would she have this. reaction?

    Ronan supported her and pointed at me, saying gently to her, ¡°Mom, we found it. The bracelet is on her wrist, intact. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    Danielle immediately looked at me.

    I opened my mouth and wanted to shout at her.

    However, she suddenly stumbled towards me, grabbing the bracelet on my wrist and eximed excitedly, ¡°How did it end up in your hands? Take it off quickly, take it off! This is meant for my daughter¨Cinw, you need to take it off for me right away!¡±

    The olddy in front of me was no longer as kind as before.

    At that moment, she looked at me with a hint of disgust and disdain in her eyes.

    I waspletely confused, I didn¡¯t understand what was happening at

    all.

    When my grandmother first saw me, she was so good and kind. Why is she like this now? At this moment, thedy smiled at Danielle and said, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t know, she just said that this bracelet was given to her by you.¡±

 Too Close 83

    Danielle immediately looked at me and examined me carefully.

    I wriggled my lips, trying to say something, but I found that I couldn¡¯t utter a single word.

    Because of the way my grandmother looked at me, I felt a chill in my heart, as if she was a stranger.

    Suddenly, she eximed excitedly, ¡°How is it possible? Who are you? How could I have possibly given this bracelet to you?¡±

    This bracelet was left for my beloved daughter¨Cinw. You are not my beloved daughter¨Cinw, so give it back to me quickly. Return my bracelet to me.¡±

    Danielle forcefully tried to pull the bracelet off my wrist as she spoke.

    That excited look, it was somewhat terrifying to watch.

    I stared at her in a daze, and the kind and gentle appearance of the old woman in front of me instantly blurred.

    So, what is this considered?

    The bracelet was clearly given to me by her own hands, and Reynaldo also clearly told me to keep the bracelet properly.

    What¡¯s happening now?

    So, is this theming together, deliberately retaliating against me, deliberately messing with me?

    Chapte

    Well, it¡¯s true, everyone knew that I used to treat Reynaldo badly, so it¡¯smon knowledge.

    Grandmother couldn¡¯t have not known.

    Reynaldo could not possibly speak highly of me in front of her.

    So, just like Reynaldo, Grandma has always despised me?

    When we first met, that kind and gentle side of hers was just an act, and the bracelet she gave me was intentional. It was also her deliberate instruction for me to stay overnight, all for the purpose of what is happening now.

    Is it?

    Ha!

    I always thought that ¡°revenge¡± was straightforward.

    But I didn¡¯t know that there could be more ways to beat around the bush.

    Let me first feel guilty and moved, lift me up to the clouds, and then pull me down fiercely.

    This was truly a good means of revenge!

    An indescribable anger surged in my heart in an instant.

    I pushed Danielle away.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t exert much effort, after all, she was an elderly woman well past her prime.

    Danielle took a few steps back.

    Ronan quickly grabbed her and red at me coldly, saying, ¡°Esmeralda, watch your attitude!¡±

    Snap!

    Then, the noblewoman pped me.

    She sneered at me and said, ¡°You stole from the olddy, and you dare to argue? You even had the audacity to push her!¡±

    I covered my swollen red face and stared at her coldly.

    She snorted at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to look at me like that. Let me tell you, Winston left after the party ended. Don¡¯t expect him toe out and protect you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, shameless, flirting with men everywhere, now even daring to steal olddies¡® bracelets!¡±

    ¡°I saw that their family had fallen on hard times, they were desperate for money, even resorting to stealing things and bringing them here.¡±

    ¡°Haha, she used to look down on Mr. Reynaldo before, it¡¯s really worth letting Mr. Reynaldo see her sneaky appearance.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, we managed to expose her, otherwise who knows how much she would have stolen while taking advantage of this.¡±

    The servants chattered away, their tones filled with mockery towards<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Danielle red at me with even more hostility and shouted, ¡°Where did this wild girle from? How could someone with such dirty hands and feet be a part of our Humphrey family? Tell her to return the bracelet to me immediately and get out of here.¡±

    Thedy of the houseughed and said, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t know, she

    Chapter3

    was brought back by Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Danielle asserted firmly, ¡°How could Reynaldo possibly be involved with a woman like her? Either she¡¯s clinging onto Reynaldo!¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if Danielle was a skilled actress.

    She at this moment ispletely different from her previous self.

    She knew very well that I came with Reynaldo, but at this moment, look how she pretends.

    Iughed at myself, thinking she was such a good person, feeling guilty to death.

    Well, originally, the two of them, the grandmother and grandson, had been fooling me, ying with me all along.

    The anger in my heart surged higher and higher, that overwhelming anger almost burned away all of my rationality.

    I forcefully took off the bracelet and shouted at Danielle, ¡°You think I treasure this worthless bracelet? Even if you give it to me, I don¡¯t want it. Take it back!¡±

    After saying that, I recklessly threw the bracelet at her.

    At that moment, I was really angry to the point where I didn¡¯t care about anything.

    I also believe that all those ¡°handed down from ancestors¡°, ¡°deep meaning¡°, and ¡°something to leave for future daughter¨Cinw¡± are all lies.

    That was all a lie to me.

 Too Close 84

    Chapter84

    Just an ordinary jade bracelet, they were all deceiving me, all of them were swindlers!

    Danielle reached out to grab the bracelet but missed.

    The bracelet touched her hand, bounced a little, and then fell to the ground, hitting the stone on the ground perfectly.

    In an instant, the bracelet broke into two halves.

    At that moment, everyone present fell silent.

    Only Danielle, trembling, squatted down and cried, ¡°The bracelet, my ancestral bracelet¡­¡±

    I stared at her with red eyes.

    The resentment in my heart reached its peak.

    Look, she was still pretending, and pretending so convincingly!

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Suddenly, a sinister voice, as if from hell, resounded.

    I mechanically lifted my head and saw Reynaldo walking towards met with a gloomy expression on his face.

    Danielle cried out to him, ¡°Reynaldo, the bracelet, the bracelet that Grandma left for your wife¡­ it¡¯s broken!¡±

    Snap!

    The crisp sound of a p rang out.

    He hit me.

    Reynaldo hit me.

    He grabbed my shoulders and yelled at me, ¡°Why did you do this? Why did you break it? Do you know that bracelet was¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± I shook off his hand.

    I don¡¯t know if it was too cold or too angry, but my whole body trembled.

    I stared at him with crimson eyes and shouted at him, ¡°I wanted to smash it, you are all liars, liars!¡±

    Reynaldo, if you hated me, you would just kill me directly, right? Teaming up with your grandmother to y tricks on me is quite amusing, isn¡¯t it?

    You were a master at acting, and your grandmother was even more skilled. The way you both pretended to act was truly disgusting!

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Reynaldo gritted his teeth and growled my name, his sinister expression as if he wanted to tear me apart.

    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, really, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.

    I was not afraid at all. Even if he killed me directly, it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    I yelled at him in disgust, ¡°You and your grandmother are really good. at acting, huh? One says that the bracelet is a family heirloom, says it¡¯s for me, says she likes me as her daughter¨Cinw.¡±

    Someone pretended to threaten me and warned me to keep that bracelet safe.

    Well, originally, those were just a trap that you had nned.

    He deliberately used me of stealing the bracelet, deliberately embarrassed me, deliberately mocked me.

    I hated you, I hated you to death!

    ¡°Who told you that we were acting?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it true? Look at your grandmother, she was speaking so nicely just a moment ago, and now she¡¯s using me of stealing her bracelet. Isn¡¯t this acting?¡±

    I roared lowly, tears uncontrobly streaming down.

    My heart felt like a piece was forcefully ripped out, causing me so much pain that I could hardly catch my breath.

    Reynaldo stared at me heavily and said word by word, ¡°My grandmother, she had dementia!¡±

    I shook all over, and after a while, I sneered, ¡°You want to deceive me again, you want to deceive me!¡±

    ¡°Since the major illness two years ago, my grandmother has been suffering from dementia. Her condition fluctuates, and she often forgets many things she has done.¡±

    Sometimes she would even forget her own family.

    But when she was sober, she clearly liked you so much, how could you say she was acting?

    How could you say that about her, and even break the bracelet she specially left for you?

    ¡°Esmeralda, you really deserved to die!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not possible!¡±

    I looked at Danielle.

    She was sitting on the ground, caressing the broken bracelet with a sorrowful expression on her face.

    Muttering continuously, that was for her beloved daughter¨Cinw.

    Tears instantly blurred the vision.

    How is it possible to be so coincidental?

    How is it possible that she fell ill just after giving me the bracelet, forgot about it, and turned around to use me of stealing it?

    Unfortunately, Reynaldo was not here just now.

    I didn¡¯t believe, I still refused to believe that there could be such a coincidence.

    But looking at Danielle¡¯s sorrowful appearance at this moment, it didn¡¯t seem like she was pretending.

    I didn¡¯t know what to do.

    I didn¡¯t know whether to believe Reynaldo¡¯s words or not.

    But looking at Danielle like this, I was truly scared in my heart.

    What should I do if¡­ if Danielle really treated me this way because of dementia?

    I broke her so important bracelet, how should I face her when she wakes up?

    At this moment, the noblewoman suddenly walked over.

    Chapter

    She gave me a sinister smile and then turned to Reynaldo, saying,

    ¡°Reynaldo, this woman is very cunning. I just told her earlier that the olddy has dementia¡­¡±

    ¡°No! No!¡± I looked at Reynaldo urgently. ¡°She¡¯s lying. She didn¡¯t tell me those things.¡±

 Too Close 86

    I hurriedly asked him about his grandmother¡¯s condition, and he said that she was still in the emergency room and her condition was not very good.

    I immediately became so anxious that I cried.

    I asked him which hospital he was in, but he didn¡¯t tell me. He only said toe and pick him up.

    I sat nkly in front of the gate of the Humphrey family.

    The sun rose slowly, it was clearly warm, but I felt a chill all over my body.

    What should I do if something really happened to my grandmother?

    I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m dead, and I can¡¯t redeem this sin.

    I don¡¯t know how long it had been, but Winston finally came back.

    He got off the car and walked briskly towards me, saying, ¡°Ralda, why are you sitting here? Are you okay? Why do you look so pale?¡±

    I shook my head and asked him urgently, ¡°Did Grandmae out of the emergency room?¡±

    Winston shook his head, ¡°Not yet.¡±

    I took a step back, feeling a bit dizzy, and noticed that I felt even colder.

    Winston quickly embraced me and reassured me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too

    Chapter56

    much, Grandma will definitely be fine.¡±

    Two years ago, Grandma¡¯s condition was even more serious than this. time, but the result was still averted.

    Two years ago¡­

    But that time two years ago, I also hurt my grandmother.

    My heart ached, and I blurted out to him, ¡°I wanted to go see my grandmother. Can you take me to the hospital?¡±

    Winston looked at me with aplex gaze and said, ¡°Ralda, why don¡¯t you go and rest for a while? My older brother and my father are here with my grandmother, so she will be fine.¡±

    I shook my head, tears streaming down uncontrobly. ¡°It¡¯s because of me that Grandma ended up in the hospital. Please, just take me to the hospital to see her. I beg you.¡±

    Winston pursed his lips and said, ¡°Alright.¡±

    It was still early at this point, and there was no traffic.

    Winston quickly brought me to the hospital.

    On the first floor, outside the emergency room, Reynaldo sat on a chair, his head slightly lowered, unable to see hisplexion clearly.

    Ronan was constantly reproaching him on the side,

    ¡°You said that you had already distanced yourself from the Duffy family, so why did you bring that woman back?¡±

    You could bring a woman back, but you absolutely couldn¡¯t bring the Duffy family¡¯s daughter with you. You forgot how the Dully family used to look at our family.

    Now it¡¯s fine. That woman has made your grandmother so angry. Let¡¯s see how you handle it.

    ¡°If something unfortunate were to happen to your grandmother, you would die in front of her to atone for your sins.¡±

    In the face of Ronan¡¯s reproach, Reynaldo remained silent, not even changing his posture.

    Ronan snorted in anger and said, ¡°I was really foolish back then. I should have let your mother take you away.¡±

    Don¡¯t think that you are something just because you are sessful now. It¡¯s just a matter of luck. In my eyes, you still can¡¯tpare to Winston.

    Really, I was annoyed whenever I saw you!

    Ronan angrily shouted thest sentence and stormed off to the smoking room.

    I looked at Reynaldo with teary eyes, without even the courage to walk towards him.

    If grandma really couldn¡¯t be saved, then it¡¯s not him who should be med, but me.

    The icy hand was suddenly held by a warm big hand.

    Winston looked at me anxiously and said, ¡°Ralda, why are your hands. so cold? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?¡±

    Reynaldo slowly lifted his head and looked straight at me.

    Those dark, gloomy eyes were cold and repressed.

    I trembled all over, broke free from Winston¡¯s hand, and walked

    Chapter

    heavily past.

    I stood in front of Reynaldo, tears in my eyes, and nced at the closed door of the emergency room. Choking back my sobs, I said to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. If¡­ if something really happened to Grandma, then I¡¯m willing to apologize with my life.¡±

    Reynaldo looked up, his pitch¨Cck eyes staring at me heavily, as if they were deep, terrifying wells.

    He suddenly sneered, and the sound that fell was like the icy coldness. of winter, chilling to the bone.

    ¡°Stop pretending, okay? You weren¡¯t like this when you scolded my grandmother for acting and broke the bracelet she gave you,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I shook my head hastily, tears welling up even more. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Grandma had such an illness, I really didn¡¯t know, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know?¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze, smiling coldly and mockingly.

    ¡°How could I not understand your temperament?¡±

    You were arrogant and looked down on everyone, never once showing any respect for people like us.

 Too Close 87

    Chapter87

    When my grandmother gave you her beloved bracelet, you actually despised it in your heart. You didn¡¯t appreciate the gift she gave you at all.

    So, whether you knew about her illness or not, you would still treat my grandmother like this, right?

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that¡­¡±

    I shook my head in panic, not knowing since when I had be like this in his heart.

    Reynaldo stood up.

    He was a head taller than me, and his gaze was coldly staring down at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    ¡°I had already told you that Grandma couldn¡¯t handle any stimtion, but look at what you have done again?¡±

    She sincerely regarded you as her precious daughter¨Cinw, but what about you? How much sincerity do you have towards her?

    I knew that you hated me, looked down on me, but she was an eighty- year¨Cold elder. She had never done anything to harm you. Why did you still treat her like this?

    ¡°Get out of here, I don¡¯t want to see you, just go away!¡±

    Thest sentence, he almost gritted his teeth.

    With deep hatred.

    ChapteB

    I looked at his crimson eyes, my heart twisted into a knot, hurting so much that even breathing felt difficult.

    Winston suddenly grabbed my shoulder and took a step back with me.

    He looked at Reynaldo coldly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that, Ralda. I know the whole story, and Ralda didn¡¯t know about her grandmother¡¯s dementia at the time. It was an unintentional mistake, so you can¡¯t me her entirely.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at Winston¡¯s hand resting on my shoulder, and a terrifying hostility flickered in his eyes.

    Heughed coldly, ¡°Your mother said that she had already been informed about grandma¡¯s illness, so are you implying that your mother is using her?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Winston furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice, ¡°What I meant was, we can¡¯t solely me Ralda for this matter either.¡±

    ¡°So, who should we me then?¡± Reynaldo stared at me, his gaze always icy and piercing.

    Winston said, ¡°me you, since Ralda was brought back to the Humphrey family by you, why didn¡¯t you take good care of her? Where were you when this happened?¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo and remembered the joyful night, remembered him going to find Kimberly, leaving me alone in the attic without any hesitation, and I couldn¡¯t bear the sourness at the tip of my nose.

    Actually, regardless of whether I intended to hurt my grandmother or not, in his heart, I was always the one who harmed her, always unforgivable.

    Chapter87

    I slightly closed my eyes, took <b>a </b>deep breath, and choked out to him, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all my fault, I am unforgivable.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, if anything were to happen to my grandmother, I would give my life to you.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t speak, he just stared at me intently.

    I saw his hand slowly clenched by his side.

    At this moment, he must have wanted to kill me.

    For a long time, he self¨Cmockingly said to me, ¡°I only wanted my grandmother to be well, I wanted your life¡­ but what¡¯s the use?¡±

    After saying that, he looked towards the door of the emergency room and didn¡¯t look at me again.

    I looked at his cold side face, feeling so ufortable that I couldn¡¯t breathe.

    Danielle was in the emergency room, her life hanging in the bnce.

    I had intended to stay here.

    But Reynaldo and Ronan didn¡¯t want to see me.

    Especially Ronan, although he was constantly surrounded by gossip, he was truly filial to Danielle.

    He looked at me as if he saw an enemy, with his face full of hatred and anger.

    Winston was afraid that Ronan wouldy hands on me, so he forcibly pulled me out of the hospital.

    I sat at the entrance of the hospital, crying uncontrobly.

    Winstonforted me, saying, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t cry, Grandma will definitely be fine.¡±

    I shook my head, unable to speak, feeling only sadness in my heart.

    At this moment, I would rather be the person lying in the emergency

    room.

    Winston held me and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t take my older brother¡¯s words too seriously just now. He might have some resentment towards you because of his three¨Cyear marriage, and on top of that, our grandmother is his most important rtive. That¡¯s why he said those harsh words to you. You¡­¡±

    ¡°He hated me, I always knew.¡± I stared nkly at the flower bed by the door, crying as I said, ¡°If something really happened to Grandma, I would give my life to him.¡±

    Winston frowned and angrily said, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s not your fault. You mustn¡¯t say such hurtful words again in the future!¡±

    I shook my head.

    It¡¯s not a joke, it¡¯s not a joke at all.

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    Chapter88

    I had already made this n when I said these words just now in front of Reynaldo.

    Winston looked at me with aplex gaze, and after a while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this for now, Ralda. I will take you back first. Yourplexion is very poor and you need rest.¡±

    I shook my head in confusion, not wanting to go anywhere at the

    moment.

    Winston sighed and said, ¡°Then wait here for me, I¡¯ll go buy you some breakfast first.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything. Winston looked at me deeply and then got up and left.

    I hugged my knees, buried my face in my arms, and started crying ufortably.

    At this moment, besides crying, it seems like I couldn¡¯t do anything.

    ¡°Put on airs.¡±

    Suddenly, there came a cold sneer from the side.

    I shivered all over, lifted my head, and saw Reynaldo leaning against the wall nearby, smoking.

    He looked at me coldly, with icy brows and eyes full of sneering and hostility.

    My heart throbbed fiercely, and I rushed to ask him, ¡°Grandma¡­ Has

    Chaptersa

    grandma alreadye out?¡±

    He took a deep drag on his cigarette and said coldly, ¡°Thanks to you, my grandmother is still being rescued inside.¡±

    I bit my lower lip, and tears uncontrobly streamed down.

    What can be seen in his eyes is that my sadness, regret, and worries were all false.

    I don¡¯t know from when, but he seemed to have no trust in me at all.

    Or, one could say, he never believed in me.

    I wiped away the tears from my face and choked out to him, ¡°Whether you believe it or not, I was genuinely worried about my grandmother and truly hoped that she would be safe and sound.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered and sarcastically said, ¡°Hurt and then feel guilty to make up for it, do you think it¡¯s useful?¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    ¡°Was that important?¡±

    Yeah!

    Whether it was intentional or not, does it matter? Hurt is always a fact.

    Reynaldo blew a smoke ring and averted his gaze, coldly saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t want Grandma to see you get triggered again, you better leave now.¡±

    I choked back tears as I watched him. Even waiting at this doorstep. was there no room for him?

    He really hates me now.

    I clenched my hands by my side and choked out, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll leave right now.¡±

    After saying that, I turned around and walked out of the hospital in a daze.

    This point was exactly the time to go to work, with peopleing and going outside, and the street bustling with traffic.

    I stood by the roadside for a long time, feeling lost and unsure of where to go.

    I walked along the street aimlessly for a long time, and finally sat wearily on a bench by the roadside.

    The scene of my grandmother fainting and Reynaldo¡¯s cold and ruthless words still lingered in my mind.

    I took out the two broken bracelets.

    Tears fell uncontrobly once again.

    Just then, my phone suddenly rang. It was a call from an unknown number.

    The phone was answered, but it was my father¡¯s voice.

    My father¡¯s voice was cautious, faintly revealing a hint of eagerness to please.

    He asked, ¡°Ralda, what are you doing now? Are you with Reynaldo?¡±

    I don¡¯t know why, but as soon as I heard his cautious tone and him. mentioning Reynaldo, a sense of unease immediately arose in my heart.

    I asked in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, Ralda. Dad partnered with someone for a project these past few days, but luck wasn¡¯t on his side, and he lost money¡­¡±

    I frowned deeply and said, ¡°So, you want money again?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you child, what kind of attitude is this? What do you mean by wanting money again?¡±

    Dad just lost a few million, that money was borrowed, and now it needs to be paid back. See if you can find Reynaldo¡­

    ¡°Could not!¡±

    Upon hearing this, I couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and emotionally broke down, shouting <b>at </b>him, ¡°Why are you always like this? If you¡¯re not gambling, you¡¯re investing recklessly. Can¡¯t you just live peacefully when you don¡¯t have money?¡±

    How am I supposed to get the money when you owe so much? What do you want me to do?

    ¡°Oh my, what tone is this? Your father is investing in projects, isn¡¯t it to earn more money for you all?¡±

    You are just like your mother, always ming me.

    Before, you med me for gambling. Well, I stopped gambling and started a business partnership with someone, but you still criticize me.

    When your father and I were making money, you didn¡¯t have this attitude. Now that we are down and out, even your mother San looks down on me and starts to despise me, right?

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    Chapter89

    ¡°Everything I did was wrong, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± I shouted in despair, ¡°Can you please be reasonable? I didn¡¯t say it was wrong for you to invest in projects, but you don¡¯t have money, you don¡¯t have experience, so why do you still want to invest?¡±

    Don¡¯t you like staying at home? Are you afraid that Quentin and I can¡¯t support you? Why are you always like this?

    And, since our family fell on hard times, when have we ever looked down on you? When you were in debt from gambling, wasn¡¯t it my mother who worried sleeplessly every day, shedding tears and washing her face with them, and wasn¡¯t it Quentin who risked his life to raise money for you?

    You never considered your family, how old are you, why are you still so willful?

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! I didn¡¯t call you to listen to your sermon. Right now, I owe someone seven million, which is not a small amount. You better hurry up and get Reynaldo to give it to me, quickly.¡±

    I always thought about asking Reynaldo for money.

    Ha!

    He really treated Reynaldo as an ATM, but why should Reynaldo give him anything, and why should he give me anything either?

    Not to mention that Reynaldo now despises me.

    Remembering Reynaldo¡¯s cold and hateful gaze, my heart ached so

    much that I couldn¡¯t breathe.

    My dad kept urging me, ¡°Did you hear? I have to repay this money in the next two days. Go find Reynaldo and ask for it. It¡¯s just seven million, he¡¯s so rich, he will definitely give it to you.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shouted at him, crying, ¡°You borrowed the money yourself, you figure out a way to pay it back, don¡¯te to me again!¡±

    My dad got angry and shouted loudly, ¡°What kind of attitude is this? I am your father, I¡­¡±

    Before my dad finished speaking, I hung up the phone directly.

    I hugged my knees and couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, I broke down and cried.

    In addition to helplessness and sadness, there was also a strong sense of sorrow in my heart.

    I took Danielle to the hospital, got into a fight with Reynaldo, and now my dad¡¯s issue hase up again.

    One bad thing after another, almost suffocating me.

    Just then, my phone rang again, and it was still an unfamiliar number.

    I thought it was still my dad, so I answered the phone and cried out loudly without caring about anything, ¡°I told you, don¡¯t contact me anymore. You are so capable, figure it out yourself!¡±

    There was silence on the other end of the phone, after a long silence.

    A gentle man¡¯s voice finally came through the phone: ¡°Esmeralda, this is Mr. Pruitt¡­¡±

    I trembled all over and didn¡¯t react for a while.

    Mr. Pruitt asked in a gentle voice over the phone, ¡°I heard from someone in the Personnel Department that you didn¡¯te to work today. Did something happen?¡±

    I just remembered that I was supposed to go to work today, but because of my grandmother¡¯s situation, I also forgot to ask for leave from thepany.

    I didn¡¯t know why the president personally called me to ask why I didn¡¯t go to work. Maybe it was because he wanted to take me to discuss the project today.

    I quickly wiped away the tears on my face and tried to speak in a normal voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Pruitt. I¡­ I have something no on today, so I might not be able to go to thepany and apany you to discuss the coboration project.¡±

    I am very sorry for letting you down this time, and also for disappointing your expectations and cultivation of me.

    Even though I tried to adjust my emotions and make my voice sound more normal.

    I could speak, but my voice still carried a hoarse and choked tone.

    Mr. Pruitt remained silent for a moment and then smiled, saying, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Since you¡¯re not feeling well today, just take two days off and rest at home. I was just about to tell you that the negotiation meeting for this project has been postponed. I will inform you of the specific timeter.¡±

    ¡°Time was dyed?¡± I eximed in disbelief.

    Mr. Pruittughed over there and said, ¡°Yes, the person in charge of

    the investment side had some matters, so the time has been dyed, and it just so happens that you took a day off today.¡±

    I pursed my lips and felt that something was a little strange.

    For example, as a new employee in thepany, I am just a small staff member, invisible and insignificant. Instances like my absence from work or project dys do not require thepany president to personally call and inform me.

 Too Close 90

    Secondly, why did I happen to be absent from work when this project was also dyed?

    I always felt like the negotiation time for this project was in sync with my schedule.

    Before, I felt that the CEO gave me this project opportunity because he saw my hard work and wanted to promote me.

    But now, I feel like this project was intentionally created for me by the CEO.

    Moreover, as the president of one party, he seemed to be overly friendly towards me, a stranger.

    However, I indeed did not know this Mr. Pruitt, and he had absolutely no reason to treat me in such a caring manner.

    So, could those strange things also be just my imagination?

    Just as I was thinking, Mr. Pruitt¡¯s gentle voice came through the phone again.

    ¡°That¡¯s it then, you rest first. Next time, remember to inform thepany in advance if you have something to do.¡±

    He hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.

    I held the phone and sat for a long time.

    After the phone call ended, the missed call notification showed on the mobile phone.

    Chapter20

    I opened and nced at it. There were two calls from Winston and three from my dad.

    When I remembered that my father had once again umted a debt of seven million, my heart felt suffocated.

    Last time¡¯s nine million, I lost my dignity, lost my face, and used my body to borrow it from him.

    What about the seven million this time?

    And this time, such a thing happened that I didn¡¯t even have the qualification to go and talk to him.

    He now wishes that I were dead.

    This time, even if Imitted suicide in front of him, he probably wouldn¡¯t lend me any money.

    Moreover, he was not obligated to lend me money.

    What can I give back to others if I say it¡¯s a loan?

    This body?

    Ha!

    Nowadays, even if I begged him to sleep with me, he would not even bother.

    The more I think, the more I despise myself.

    I covered my face, feeling helpless and in pain.

    Suddenly, my phone received a text message, which was sent by my dad.

    If you don¡¯t care about your father, then I will personally go and ask Reynaldo for it!

    I shook all over and suddenly stood up.

    How could my dad personally go to find Reynaldo for money?

    Grandma was still being treated in the hospital.

    Reynaldo already hated me to the extreme, and Ronan also despised my family. How could my dad still bother them?

    I hurriedly opened my phone and called my dad.

    But I called several times in a row, and my dad didn¡¯t answer.

    I called my mom again.

    As soon as the phone was answered, my mom started crying on the other end.

    She said, ¡°Ralda, why did you call? Do you also know about your dad¡¯s failed investment? Your dad, he really can¡¯t be mentioned now. I just said a few words to him, and he¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom, where¡¯s my dad? Is he at home?¡± I interrupted my mom¡¯s words hastily and asked anxiously.

    My mother cried and said, ¡°He was just yelling at me at home, saying that your brother is unfilial, and then saying that you are unfilial. He also said that you don¡¯t take care of him, so he will figure things out on his own.¡±

    Anyway, he stormed out in the end, and I didn¡¯t know where he went.

    Oh, by the way, before he left, it seems like he also called Reynaldo. I wonder if Reynaldo answered or not.

    My heart sank, and I hurriedly ran back towards the direction of the hospital.

    My mom cried worriedly on the phone, ¡°Ralda, has something happened? Your dad¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, he probably went to ask Reynaldo for money. I¡¯ll go check, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    My mother fell silent for a moment and asked, ¡°Ralda, honestly tell Mom, what is going on between you and Reynaldo now? Didn¡¯t your brother sayst time that you two had already divorced?¡±

    Whenever my mom asked about this, my nose would feel a little sour.

    I said sadly, ¡°Yes, I have already divorced him, so how can Dad still go to him and ask for money? So much money, how am I supposed to

    Is repay it?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, your father is really something. He never even considered your situation. He truly, only cares about himself now, regardless of the well¨Cbeing of us people. Ralda, what do you think we should do now?¡±

    My mother said, and then she started crying again.

    I took a deep breath and said in a calm tone, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I will go find him now. As for the debt he owes from this investment, our family will always find a way to handle it.¡±

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    Chapter91

    ¡°Okay, then, Ralda, be careful. After you find your dad, don¡¯t mention him. He has some mental issues now, and if you talk about him, he will get angry easily.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Afterforting my mom, I called my dad again, but he still didn¡¯t

    answer.

    I furrowed my brows, put away my phone, and ran quickly towards the direction of the hospital, hoping to intercept my dad before he found Reynaldo.

    Perhaps I ran too fast, and a sharp pain suddenly surged on my knee.

    Bending my knee, I almost fell to the ground.

    I held onto the nearby tree trunk, tears streaming down my face in desperation.

    What would Reynaldo¡¯s reaction be if my dad really went to ask him for money?

    How would he view me, how would he view our family, the Duffy family?

    By then, in his eyes, I was afraid I had truly sunk into the dust.

    I wiped away my tears, endured the pain on my knees, and continued running towards the direction of the hospital.

    When I walked back from the hospital just now, I waspletely lost

    Chapter91

    288 Wouchers

    and didn¡¯t even realize that I had walked so far.

    The pain in the knee gradually intensified, feeling like being pricked by needles.

    When I arrived at the hospital gate, I was already sweating profusely from the pain.

    I took a deep breath and walked slowly into the hospital, praying that my dad hadn¡¯te.

    However, things did not go as nned.

    I had just arrived at the outpatient department when I saw my dad pulling Reynaldo towards the flower bed.

    Feeling anxious, I quickly shouted to my dad, ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡±

    My dad looked at me in surprise.

    Reynaldo also looked at me.

    Reynaldo¡¯s gaze remained as cold as frost when he looked at me.

    My heart throbbed suddenly, I closed my eyes, endured the pain in my knees, and pretended to walk towards them as if everything was normal.

    ¡°Ralda, you came just in time. Hurry and talk to Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    I interrupted him in a deep voice and pulled him, saying, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about your matterter,e back with me first.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± my dad brushed aside my hand and impatiently said to me,

    22

    16 260

    Chapter91

    17

    Autuchers

    ¡°What ter¡°? This matter is urgent for me. If you don¡¯t want to help me, then go away and don¡¯t bother me while I discuss important matters with Reynaldo.¡±

    He said and pushed me aside.

    I looked at Reynaldo anxiously.

    Reynaldo was bowing his head and lighting a cigarette.

    He took a puff and asked my dad with a faint expression, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, tell me.¡±

    ¡°Um, Reynaldo¡­¡± my dad rubbed his hands, looking very eager to please, andpared to before, he seemed like apletely different

    person.

    He said, ¡°Dad has been investing in projects with his friends recently, you see¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± I interrupted my father again, shouting at him angrily and impatiently, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, we can talk about your matterster. Danielle is still in the hospital, so please don¡¯t bother him, okay?¡±

    And, can¡¯t we solve our own family matters ourselves? Why do you always have to seek help from an outsider to solve them?

    You didn¡¯t feel annoyed, but others did. Why should they help you?

    I was so angry that my eyes turned red. At that moment, I really didn¡¯t know what to do with my dad,

    I clearly told him that Reynaldo and I had already divorced, but he still called himself ¡°dad¡± in front of Reynaldo.

    He used to be the president of the Duffy Group, but why did he be like this, losing all his dignity, after the family fell into

    Chapter91

    288 Vouchers

    decline.

    Reynaldo blew a smoke ring and looked at me with a mocking expression on his face.

    He appearedzy and casual, with a hint of disdain and mockery in his expression.

    In contrast to my father¡¯s attempts to please, his carefree demeanor made me and my father appear even more disheveled, given my state of anxiety and despair.

    I wanted to forcefully drag my dad away, just likest time.

    But this time, he was determined to find Reynaldo for money.

    He once again flung my hand away and angrily shouted at me, ¡°Shut up, you little brat! How could Reynaldo be an outsider? Your words are so insensitive and hurtful.¡±

    Reynaldo immediately let out a light chuckle, apanied by a hint of mockery.

    I bit my lip ufortably and went to pull my dad again.

    I really can¡¯t understand my dad now. Can¡¯t he see that Reynaldo doesn¡¯t want to talk to him, can¡¯t he see that Reynaldo dislikes us?

    Couldn¡¯t he hear the impatience and sarcasm in Reynaldo¡¯s tone?

    am

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    Chapter92

    I looked at my dad almost pleadingly, ¡°Please, Dad, will youe back with me first? I will definitely find a way to solve this matter. I¡¯m begging you, can we leave together, please?¡±

    ¡°Alright, Reynaldo is here. Dad can talk to him and he will definitely help Dad.¡±

    ¡°No, Dad! I will think of other ways. We don¡¯t need his help. We can handle it ourselves. Let¡¯s not bother him, okay? Dad, pleasee back with me, please!¡±

    I looked at my dad in despair, my voice filled with pleading.

    But my dad didn¡¯t listen.

    He impatiently pushed me away and said, ¡°How can we solve it ourselves? Besides asking for Reynaldo¡¯s help, who else can you find?¡±

    Alright, if you don¡¯t want to talk to Reynaldo, Dad will personally speak to him.

    Reynaldo has always been a good son¨Cinw, Dad believes that he will help Dad.

    My dad finished speaking and immediately looked at Reynaldo in a pleasing manner.

    <b>I </b>was so desperate that I couldn¡¯t drag him no matter how hard I tried.

    At this moment, the cigarette between Reynaldo¡¯s fingers had already burned halfway.

    16:27

    Chapter92

    288 Vouchers

    He flicked the cigarette ash and looked at me and my dad, nonchntly.

    My dad quickly smiled at him and said, ¡°Reynaldo, this time Dad is working on a big project with someone, but unfortunately, we had a little loss at the beginning.¡±

    You see, can you lend me thirty million first, and when I make money, I will give you a share of the profits.

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    I looked at my dad in disbelief.

    He clearly lost only seven million, but he asked Reynaldo for thirty million right away.

    What did he consider Reynaldo as?

    Where did he get the

    ence from, thinking that Reynaldo would

    give him money, and daring to ask for such arge sum?

    ¡°Thirty million¡­

    ¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled softly and asked my dad, ¡°So, how much will you finally give me?¡±

    My dad was taken aback for a moment, fearing that what he had just called ¡°dividends¡± was just talk, but he didn¡¯t expect Reynaldo to actually want those dividends.

    My dad hesitated and said, ¡°Um¡­ this is still uncertain. We can only determine it after thepletion of the project, based on the profits. Anyway, Reynaldo, trust me, dad is confident that this project will definitely make money in the end.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and chuckled, ¡°With such a start, how

    16.27

    Chapter92

    288 Vouchers

    much money can I expect you to make in the end?¡±

    At this moment, I had already fully detected the sarcasm and impatience in Reynaldo¡¯s tone.

    But my dad seemed as if he hadn¡¯t heard it.

    Really, don¡¯t say Ronan doesn¡¯t have business acumen, he has been working on the legacy left by his ancestors.

    Now look at my father, isn¡¯t it the same? In the past, he also inherited the family business from the previous generation. The reason why the first half of his life went smoothly was also because of the solid foundation at home.

    Now that the foundation is gone, after thepany went bankrupt, my dad waspletely dumbfounded and started spending money recklessly everywhere.

    If Reynaldo gave him the money this time, I can guarantee that there will definitely be a next time, and my dad will definitely step up his game and ask Reynaldo for more.

    He had already treated Reynaldo as his personal ATM, and he always seemed unsatisfied, without considering why someone would give him

    money.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± I tugged at my father¡¯s arm and whispered to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll talk about thister, we¡¯ll figure it out ourselves.¡±

    However, my father never listened to me.

    He pushed me away as if I was annoying him, and jokingly said to Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, you can¡¯t say things like that. The slight loss at the beginning of this project doesn¡¯t really count as a loss. Dad guarantees it, this project will definitely make money.¡±

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    Reynaldoughed, ¡°How much can you earn? The projects I invest in always double the profits. I¡¯ll lend you 30 million, and you should at least return me 60 million. Can you do it?¡±

    My dad was suddenly speechless.

    No need to think about it, my dad definitely couldn¡¯t do it.

    We have already lost 7 million in the early stage, so it would be considered good if we don¡¯t lose the remaining 30 million. How is it possible for him to make double the money?

    My dad definitely knew that he couldn¡¯t do it, so he didn¡¯t say anything.

    Reynaldo blew a smoke ring and crushed the cigarette butt on the ground, then chuckled at my dad and said, ¡°Since you can¡¯t meet my requirements, go find other investors.¡±

    After Reynaldo finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the outpatient department.

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    My dad panicked immediately and quickly grabbed his arm, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, let¡¯s talk it out again, even if dad can¡¯t earn money, consider that 30 million as a loan to dad.¡±

    ¡°Borrow?¡± Reynaldo nced at me and asked my dad with a slight smile, ¡°And what will you give in return? I am not a phnthropist, let alone a fool!¡±

    When he said thest sentence, he suddenly nced at me, his eyes cold and icy, with a hint of mockery.

    My heart trembled slightly.

    So, he believed that the reason I had asked him for money before was because I thought he was a fool.

    After hearing Reynaldo¡¯s words, my dad finally believed that Reynaldo would not help him this time.

    The pleasing expression on my father¡¯s face faded in an instant, and his tone lost the politeness and ttery he had just shown.

    He angrily said to Reynaldo, ¡°No matter what, I used to be your father- inw, even if you are divorced from my daughter now, the previous rtionship still exists, and I am still your elder.¡±

    I was just asking you to lend me thirty million, why did you have to say such harsh words? Are you afraid that I won¡¯t be able to pay it back?

    Reynaldo chuckled and brushed away my dad¡¯s hand, his tone tinged with sarcasm, ¡°Just like your daughter said earlier, I¡¯m just an outsider.

    Chapter93

    Since you can handle the matter yourselves, go ahead and solve it on your own. Don¡¯t bother me anymore!¡±

    ¡°That was all nonsense she was talking, she herself is thin¨Cskinned and embarrassed to ask you directly, that¡¯s why she said you are an outsider.¡±

    Even if you two divorced, in Dad¡¯s heart, you are still the best son¨Cin-w in our family.

    ¡°In the future, even if Ralda remarries, that man will neverpare to even one finger of yours.¡±

    I was infuriated as I listened on the side.

    I thought my dad had already understood Reynaldo¡¯s refusal, even if he had no face or skin, he wouldn¡¯t continue to pester.

    Little did he know, he was once again brown¨Cnosing Reynaldo.

    I still remember when I just got married to Reynaldo, my father used to belittle Reynaldo and even said that Reynaldo being able to marry me was all thanks to our ancestors¡® blessings.

    What¡¯s more, if that thing hadn¡¯t happened, Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t even be worthy of fetching my shoes.

    Look, see how he has be so eager to please Reynaldo now.

    I no longer recognize my fatherpletely now, it feels like he haspletely changed as a person.

    I pulled my dad¡¯s arm, and he impatiently shook me off, then looked at Reynaldo with an expectant expression on his face.

    Hoping that Reynaldo would lend him thirty million dors because of his ttering words.

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    How is that possible?

    As Reynaldo said, he was not a fool.

    No one could ever take him for a fool!

    Reynaldo did not immediately refuse my dad, but instead looked at me.

    He smiled at me gently and slowly, with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

    He said, ¡°Your dad just said that if you remarry in the future, any man you find will not be as good as one finger of mine.¡±

    My dad quickly nodded in agreement beside me, ¡°Yes, yes, no one canpare to you.¡±

    Reynaldo ignored my father, his cold and dark eyes staring at me without blinking.

    ¡°And you, do you agree with what he said?¡±

    I furrowed my brows, not understanding why he was asking me.

    I took a slight breath and said softly, ¡°When a person bes sessful, it is normal to hear a lot of ttery and sycophantic words, but if that person takes them seriously¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t agree with what your dad said, and you think he was just buttering me up so that I would lend him money?¡±

    Reynaldo immediately interrupted me with a smile, but his eyes narrowed coldly.

    My dad quickly pulled me and said to him, ¡°No, it¡¯s not true, definitely not true. This girl just can¡¯t let go of her pride to praise someone. What I said just now was all sincere, not ttery.¡±

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    ¡°Is it the truth or ttery? You are so smart, you should be able to tell.¡± I said to Reynaldo indifferently.

    Reynaldo smirked, nodding his head, his tone extremely cold: ¡°Yes, I can tell, so in your heart, even if I be sessful, I still can¡¯tpare to other men, right?¡±

    I furrowed my brows heavily, unable to understand how he had brought it up again.

    My dad was extremely anxious and quickly exined that I didn¡¯t mean it that way.

    But Reynaldo didn¡¯t want to listen anymore.

    He was originally very impatient and disliked seeing me from the beginning.

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    He brushed off my dad¡¯s hand grabbing his arm, without even looking at us, and walked away.

    ¡°Reynaldo, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    My dad shouted several times in a row, but Reynaldo ignored my dad.

    My dad finally lost his temper and rushed up again to grab him: ¡°Reynaldo, you can¡¯t do this. Although you divorced our Ralda, I heard that she is still with you. Leaving aside everything else, you should at least pay her for sleeping with you.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    I looked at my dad in disbelief, unable to believe that he would actually say such words.

    I was his own daughter, the precious pearl he once held in the palm of his hand.

    How could he disregard my dignity and say such things to Reynaldo? What¡¯s the difference between this and humiliating me?

    But my dad, as if he hadn¡¯t heard my low growl, angrily said to Reynaldo, ¡°Forget about everything else, if you¡¯re not married to my daughter anymore, then if you sleep with my daughter, you should at least give somepensation. I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll ask for it, but I can at least borrow from you, right?¡±

    Listening to my father¡¯s words, I became so angry that my whole body trembled and tears kept streaming down my face.

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    Reynaldo nced at me expressionlessly and sneered at my dad, ¡°She can also choose not to let me sleep, the choice is hers.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by this, you¡­..¡±

    My dad hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Ronan suddenly rushed out and shouted to Reynaldo, ¡°Hurry up, your grandmother hase out of the emergency room,e quickly¡­¡±

    Reynaldo, after hearing it, frowned and quickly walked towards the clinic.

    My dad wanted to stop him, but I grabbed my dad and shouted at him, ¡°Have you had enough? How much more embarrassment do you want to bring upon yourself?¡±

    ¡°What a disgrace, it¡¯s only embarrassing if you don¡¯t have money!¡± My dad red in the direction Reynaldo had left, angrily saying, ¡°I thought he was so good, so generous, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so stingy. Since you can¡¯t gain anything by being with him, why are you still following him? It¡¯s better to be with any other man than him!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! What do you take me for? I am your own daughter!¡± I shouted at my dad, my voice hoarse.

    My dad finally looked at me directly, and then irritably said, ¡°Dad naturally knows that you are Dad¡¯s own daughter, it¡¯s just that Dad was really furious just now, and what Dad said is also the truth.¡±

    He was so heartless and ungrateful. He didn¡¯t even help us with this small favor. Why are you still following him around without any status or reputation?

    If you ask me, he refused to lend you money, so you left him. I remember that guy Winston, who used to be close to you before¡­

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    ¡°Dad!¡±

    I hissed and interrupted him, ring at him with bloodshot eyes.

    He reallypletely disregards my dignity now. He even thinks about making me go after rich men for money. How is this any different from selling a daughter?

    My heart was filled with sadness and pain.

    I trembled and pulled my dad, shouting at him, ¡°Reynaldo has never owed our family a single penny. First, he paid off our debts and provided us with a ce to live. Then, he lent you that ten million. He has already done more than enough for us. You are not allowed to bother him anymore!¡±

    My father immediately scoffed, ¡°He is so wealthy, what does it matter if he gives us that little money? Besides, if you were to be with another wealthy man, they would definitely give us more than this.¡±

    ¡°So, you were already thinking about selling your daughter now, right?¡±

    My father immediately frowned and disapprovingly said, ¡°Can you not say such harsh words? Wasn¡¯t I just thinking that you should find a wealthy man and have a good life in the future? How can you call it selling your daughter?¡±

    Iughed at myself, feeling sour and bitter in my heart.

    I realized that I couldn¡¯t exin it to my dad.

    My mom was right. My dad¡¯s current mindset is problematic, and even his values are distorted.

    Talking too much is useless.

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    I dragged my dad out of the hospital.

    Perhaps realizing that he couldn¡¯t borrow money from Reynaldo anymore, my dad stopped struggling as well.

    He let me drag him to the outside of the hospital, then squatted on the curb, holding his head in his hands, anxiously asking, ¡°What should we do now? If Reynaldo refuses to lend us money, who else can we turn to?¡±

    I looked at him faintly, mocking myself in my heart.

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    Look, he himself knows it very well, in this world, if Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t lend money to our family, then no one else would.

    He was annoyed for a while, then looked at me and said, ¡°Ralda, you have many ways and know many people. Think again, who else can you borrow this money from?¡±

    ¡°None left.¡±

    ¡°That Winston¡­¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± I interrupted my dad¡¯s words with a hint of indifference, warning him, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about going to find him. If you still have a shred of dignity and self¨Crespect, we¡¯ll figure it out on our own.¡±

    My dad nced at me sideways and grunted, ¡°Look how nervous you are, I didn¡¯t say I was going to find him either.¡±

    ¡°There is no best!¡±

    I hummed and turned my head to look inside the hospital, unaware of the flicker of darkness that passed through my father¡¯s eyes.

    I limped slowly to the entrance of the hospital, but I didn¡¯t dare to go inside.

    Just now, I heard Ronan say that Danielle had alreadye out of the emergency room. I don¡¯t know how she is now.

    We have been trying to save her for so long, I hope Danielle is okay.

    I rubbed the broken bracelet in my pocket, and a dense and sour pain

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    welled up in my chest.

    After the incident with my grandmother, and the shameless

    entanglement by my father, Reynaldo must have be even more disgusted with me.

    In this lifetime, he probably doesn¡¯t want to see me anymore.

    The vi my family used to own was eventually bought by Reynaldo. With what happened to grandma, I couldn¡¯t really keep living there.

    Although Reynaldo did not explicitly ask me to leave.

    But one must have self¨Cawareness, I don¡¯t want one day to be pointed at by him and told to ¡°get lost¡°.

    I had a little bit of money in my hand, so I wanted to rent a house

    outside.

    After separating from my father, I did not return to the vi, but went to look for another house.

    Although I was familiar with Freybourne, I had no experience in finding a house.

    I went to the agency first and asked. The agent took me to see the house, but the houses were all too expensive and far from my workce.

    There was no other choice, so in the end I had to personally search around the ce where I worked, but still couldn¡¯t find anything suitable.

    I once again realized that the life of an ordinary person is truly difficult.

    As for me, first it was difficult to find a job, and now I can¡¯t even find a

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    suitable rental.

    I sat on the square, browsing rental information on my phone.

    At this moment, Quentin suddenly called.

    Quentin said he hadn¡¯t seen me for several days and wanted to meet<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    After hanging up the phone, I went straight to the hospital where Quentin was.

    His leg was still not healed. I heard him sayst time that he would stay in the hospital for two months and then undergo rehabilitation training.

    When he arrived at the hospital, Quentin was leaning against the bedside, reading an entertainment magazine.

    Seeing me, he immediately waved and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ralda, you¡¯re here.¡°,

    My knee was still not healed, so I had to walk slower in order to not let Quentin notice.

    I smiled and asked him, ¡°Are your legs better now?¡±

    ¡°Much better now, if it weren¡¯t for the doctor¡¯s warning about potentialplications, I could have been discharged from the hospital by now.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s better to stay a few more days, just to be safe.¡±

    Quentin said, ¡°Well, anyway, I got injured as a stunt double, and the entertainmentpany covered all the medical expenses.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. Even if theirpany didn¡¯t cover medical expenses, I would still find a way to ensure you

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    receive the best treatment. Quentin¡¯s health is the most important.¡±

    Quentin shook my hand and said, touched, ¡°My sister is still the best.¡±

    He suddenly remembered something and took the magazine he had just read, saying to me, ¡°Let me tell you, there is a new star in the entertainment industry recently, a guy, super handsome, look¡­¡±

    When Quentin told me about this, I just remembered that he had mentioned before that he had rented a house.

    I took the magazine he handed me and asked him, ¡°Brother, did you rent a house before?¡±

    Quentin paused for a moment and nodded, ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Did the house sell? I was wondering¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you not move out? Do you want toe back?¡± Quentin asked anxiously, his eyes filled with a hint of concern.

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    ¡°Ralda, didn¡¯t you used to stay by Reynaldo¡¯s side before? Is it¡­ did he want you to leave?¡±

    Whenever I mention Reynaldo, a pang of pain always shes through my heart.

    Iughed lightly at Quentin and said, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t chase me away. But as you know, I have already divorced him, so it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me to stay by his side.¡±

    Now that I have also found a job, I want to rent a house and live my own life.

    Quentin breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s best that you have this n. Actually, my brother never agreed with you being by his side from the beginning. It was fine when you were not divorced, but if you continue to be by his side after the divorce, it would be without status or rights.¡±

    Now you had your own job, your own life, and your own ns, and your older brother felt more at ease.

    Here, these are the keys to the rented house that my older brother had.

    Quentin said and then pulled out a key from under the pillow.

    He handed it to me and said, ¡°The house that my brother rented is a bit old and the environment is not very good. You go and have a look first. If you don¡¯t like it, my brother will help you look onler.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

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    I took the key with a smile, and a hint of warmth finally flowed through my deste heart.

    Although Reynaldo disliked me, my father treated me the same way.

    But I still had my beloved older brother and my mother, didn¡¯t I?

    I carefully put the key into my pocket, and when I looked up, I suddenly noticed that Quentin was frequently looking towards the door of the ward.

    I paused for a moment, followed his gaze, and looked at the door. There was nothing there.

    I looked at Quentin with confusion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing.¡± Quentin said, lowering his head and smiling.

    I widened my eyes and looked at his smiling face in astonishment.

    This smile was so shy and timid!

    Oh my god, has Quentin everughed like this before? Is there something fishy going on?

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± I leaned in and grinned at him, ¡°Bro, do you have a girlfriend now?¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Quentin denied, but he smiled even more shyly.

    I covered my mouth and giggled.

    Speaking of which, although my family used to be wealthy, Quentin never used to be promiscuous or have casual rtionships.

    His favorite thing was to go out and have fun with his buddies. He was

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    already in his twenties and had never had a girlfriend.

    There were also many beautiful women who approached him in the past, but he was not interested.

    Back then, my mom used to secretly tell me that she was worried about his sexual orientation.

    Looking at him in this moment, it seems like he suddenly had an awakening, his emotions blossoming for the first time.

    I kept staring at him with a constant smile, and only then did Quentin say, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll tell you so that you won¡¯t guess randomly.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I sat up straight and listened calmly.

    He said, ¡°A few days ago, I met a girl in the hospital. That girl was very beautiful, very pure, and she also looked very gentle.¡±

    She saw me staying in the hospital alone, and these days she has beening to keep mepany and chat with me. Sometimes she even brings me the meals she personally cooked.

    I listened and chuckled, ¡°So, brother, do`you really like her?¡±

    Quentin smiled shyly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but every time I saw her, I felt happy inside, and I looked forward to seeing her every day.¡±

    He paused and nced towards the door, expressing his hidden concern, ¡°She usuallyes to see me around this time every day, but she hasn¡¯t arrived yet today. I wonder if something has happened.¡±

    ¡°Well, you could have called her.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face turned awkward, and he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have her phone number, but I gave her mine.¡±

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    Me: ¡±

    ¡°Did she say she woulde to see you every day?¡±

    Quentin shook his head, ¡°No, she didn¡¯t say that. She only said she woulde to see me often. Really, Ralda, I have never seen such a gentle girl before. Just looking at her makes me feelfortable and satisfied.¡±

    Uh!

    It seems that Quentin had developed deep feelings for that girl.

    He just didn¡¯t even have their phone number, and they didn¡¯t say exactly when they woulde to see him.

    Maybe, they came over to visit their own rtives and happened to see him alone, so they took a look at him.

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    Well, it seems that Quentin was probably wishful thinking. The girl in question never had those thoughts at all.

    I pursed my lips and cautiously asked Quentin, ¡°Um¡­ do you know if she has a boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Quentin answered with an unusually firm tone.

    My lips twitched: ¡°How do you know again?¡±

    ¡°She told me herself.¡±

    Um, okay.

    If the girl herself told Quentin that she was single, then there is a good chance that this ¡®uncertain love¡® still had a chance.

    I patted Quentin on the shoulder and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Come on, next time you see that girl, make sure to get her phone number, oh dear, I¡¯m so excited to see what my future sister¨Cinw looks like.¡±

    ¡°Go, go, go! The n hasn¡¯t even started yet, and you¡¯re already talking about future sister¨Cinw,¡± Quentin chuckled and punched me yfully.

    Although he said those words, there was a shy smile on his handsome

    face.

    At that moment, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a white corner of clothing shing at the door.

    I quickly got up and went over to take a look, only to see a slender

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    figure walking briskly towards the elevator.

    The person was wearing a white dress, with long ck hair and a slender figure.

    I furrowed my brows, feeling a sense of familiarity with that figure, as if it were Kimberly.

    But how could Kimberly be here in this small hospital? Thest time I saw her, she was at the downtown hospital.

    Just as I was thinking, Quentin called out to me, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    I turned around and shook my head at him, ¡°I don¡¯t know who it was, a girl wearing a white dress.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°That must be Kimora, she came to see me.¡®

    Quentin said, and then he excitedly wanted to get out of bed.

    I hurriedly went to support him andughed, saying, ¡°It seems that the girl saw me here, so she left. Oh dear, what should we do? Will she misunderstand that I am your girlfriend?¡±

    Quentin became visibly anxious: ¡°What should I do? How can this be resolved? I need to go find her and exin everything.¡±

    I helped Quentin sit on the bed and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Alright, since she hase, she will definitelye to see you. It¡¯s just that she feels awkward with me here. Once I leave, she will surelye.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Quentin still had a worried expression on his face.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Really, if she doesn¡¯te, shall I personally go and find her?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and remained silent.

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    Seeing Quentin¡¯s anxious appearance, I became even more certain that he was truly concerned about that girl.

    It seems that the figure just now was not Kimberly.

    After all, in this world, there are many people with simr backs.

    And Kimberly couldn¡¯t have had any rtionship with Quentin, as Quentin was also calling that girl ¡®Kimora¡®.

    Afraid of affecting Quentin¡¯s ¡°peach blossom,¡± I didn¡¯t stay long in the hospital.

    I nned to go back to the vi first and tidy up my things, and then move directly to Quentin¡¯s rented house.

    In the evening, I took a taxi back to the vi.

    The vi was quiet both inside and outside.

    Since Reynaldo gave Madisyn and the others a vacation, they haven¡¯te over again.

    The sports car that Reynaldo had assigned to me was still parked in the yard.

    However, that ultimately belonged to Reynaldo, and I didn¡¯t have the right to take it away.

    I entered the bedroom and looked at the familiar arrangement of the room. As I gazed at the bed where Reynaldo and I had shared countless happy moments, I felt a sense of daze.

    Once I moved out, I guess I had absolutely no rtionship with that man anymore.

    As for the money I owe him, I will slowly save it up. Whenever I have

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    saved enough, I will give it back to him.

    At this moment, the sound of a car engine suddenly came from downstairs.

    My heart trembled, and I hurriedly leaned over to look out the window.

    A ckmercial van stopped in the yard, and two men got out of the car.

    One is Reynaldo, and the other is Johnathan.

    I instantly became nervous in my heart.

    Why did Reynaldo suddenlye back here?

    I just made my grandmother angry, and my father caused a big scene in front of her.

    He now extremely dislikes seeing me. If he sees me here, he will definitely get angry, and he might even chase me away.

    No, I had to hide and wait for him to leave before I quickly packed my things and left.

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    I just waited in the bathroom for half an hour, but no one came in.

    Have they already left?

    With this thought in mind, I cautiously emerged from the bathroom.

    I came to the window and took another look down below.

    However, Reynaldo¡¯s car was still parked downstairs, proving that they hadn¡¯t left yet.

    I went to the corridor again and looked downstairs to the living room.

    There was no one in the living room, and the entire vi was quiet.

    Strange, where are the people?

    Were they discussing matters in the study?

    Well, no matter where they were, as long as they didn¡¯te to the bedroom.

    Bute to think of it, Johnathan also came back with him this time.

    With someone else present, he probably wouldn¡¯te to the bedroom.

    Taking advantage of this time, I quickly turned back to the bedroom and hastily organized my belongings.

    Regardless of whether Reynaldo woulde to the bedroom or not, I had to quickly tidy up my things and leave as soon as possible, just to be safe.

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    Now, with the way things have turned out between us, meeting him will only increase his disgust.

    I didn¡¯t have many things, except for clothes and toiletries. In a few moments, I stuffed all those things into the suitcase.

    When I came out of the bedroom, I was afraid of disturbing them, so I didn¡¯t dare to drag the suitcase on the ground, I could only carry it.

    Afraid of hearing footsteps, I even took off my shoes.

    I held the shoes in one hand and carried the suitcase in the other, walking cautiously in the corridor.

    As I passed by the study, perhaps because the door wasn¡¯t closed tightly, I suddenly heard their conversation.

    I didn¡¯t intend to eavesdrop, but I overheard them mentioning Danielle.

    What I am most worried about now is Danielle¡¯s situation, so I unconsciously stopped and leaned against the door, nervously listening to their conversation.

    Johnathan: ¡°Is grandma okay?¡±

    Reynaldo: ¡°Fortunately, she escaped from the life¨Cthreatening situation, but she is getting older and feeling a bit weak. I will go to the hospitalter to apany her.¡±

    I pursed my lips.

    It¡¯s good that grandma was not in danger.

    The two broken bracelets are still in my pocket, and when I think of my grandmother¡¯s pained expression at that time, my heart feels extremely ufortable.

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    ¡°Did I hear that Grandma was sick with Esmeralda?¡±

    I was about to leave quietly when suddenly I heard Johnathan say this again.

    I paused for a moment, hanging my head, but in the end, I still wanted to hear what Reynaldo had to say.

    Reynaldo remained silent for a long time before speaking, ¡°My grandmother gave her the bracelet that she had cherished her whole life, but she broke it in front of my grandmother.¡±

    When Reynaldo said these words, his tone was very cold and filled with deep resentment.

    I bit my lower lip and cried so hard that tears fell down.

    I really wanted to tell him that I didn¡¯t mean it, I really wanted to exin to him.

    But the bracelet was indeed broken by me, broken right in front of so many people. How else can I exin it?

    #

    No matter how much exnation, it will only appear pale and powerless in front of this man.

    Johnathan fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°Could there be any misunderstanding among all this?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered coldly, ¡°What misunderstanding could there be?¡±

    ¡°Um, I heard that it seemed like Grandma got sick, and she was wrongly used of stealing that bracelet, so¡­¡±

    ¡°So this is the reason she broke the bracelet? If she cared even a little bit about me, she wouldn¡¯t have done that. She knows very well what that bracelet represents.¡±

    Chapter98

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°Huh, so you were so angry because she didn¡¯t care about you?¡±

    I listened to Johnathan¡¯s words in astonishment.

    How is it possible? How is it possible that Reynaldo would be angry because of this?

    In Reynaldo¡¯s mind, I was just a lowly mistress. How could my concerns orck thereof possibly affect his emotions?

    Sure enough, Reynaldo sneered, ¡°What angers me is that my grandmother¡¯s enthusiasm and sincerity are worth nothing in her eyes. She even despises them.¡±

    No, I didn¡¯t, I have never despised my grandmother!

    I shouted in my heart, and tears uncontrobly streamed down.

    Now, at this point, whatever I say, Reynaldo probably won¡¯t believe it.

    In the study, Johnathan sighed and said, ¡°Thank goodness Grandma is fine this time. If, I mean, if something really happened to Grandma, what would you do? Would you be willing to seek revenge for her?¡±

    ¡°Are you willing?¡± Reynaldo sneered again, his voice as cold as frost. ¡°If Grandma was really killed by her, then I will definitely make her pay with her life.¡±

    17200

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    Chapter99

    I pulled the handle of the suitcase, my heart trembling with pain.

    Although I had already made up my mind, if anything happened to my grandmother, I would give my life for her.

    It is one thing to hear him say it with one¡¯s own ears, but it is another thing altogether.

    Johnathanughed incredulously, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re willing to take her life?¡±

    ¡°There was nothing that I couldn¡¯t bear to let go.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s tone was indifferent as he said, ¡°I am no longer the same Reynaldo as before. I have now seen through her.¡±

    She had no virtues at all, she lied, was greedy, cruel, power¨Chungry, and arrogant!

    I self¨Cmockingly pursed my lips, realizing that in Reynaldo¡¯s heart, I was so unbearable.

    Well, who would have a good impression of someone who had once bullied and humiliated them?

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°So you still liked her that much.¡±

    ¡°I have never said that I liked her,¡± Reynaldo¡¯s voice was cold and steady, word by word, ¡°I hated her, always hated her.¡±

    Have you always hated me?

    I smiled, tears streaming down my face.

    0.038

    Even though I had long known that he despised me, I had long warned myself not to like him, otherwise it would be irreparable.

    But at this moment, hearing him say such words, my heart still hurt badly.

    What should I do?

    It seems like I really got myself into this, what should I do?

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re just talking tough.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Reynaldo¡¯s tone was filled with impatience. ¡°I¡¯ve also given you all the project materials just now. You should follow up on this project.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, this doesn¡¯t seem to be yourpany¡¯s project, right? Howe? Did you just get it from someone else?¡±

    Hmm, this doesn¡¯t seem like a big project. What do you want to do here?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this, the matter of investment negotiation will be taken care of at that time¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the mood to continue listening to the topic they were talking about afterwards.

    I carried my shoes and suitcase, silently turned around and walked towards the staircase.

    Goodbye, Reynaldo.

    Since you hate me so much, despise me so much, then I will no longer appear in front of you.

    That marriage was a wrong beginning, if time could be rewound, I

    16.28

    288 vouchers

    would rather ruin my reputation than choose to marry you.

    When I came out, the sky had already turnedpletely dark.

    I stood at the gate of the vi, looking at the lighting from the study on the second floor, and smiled.

    However, heughed until his eyes were blurred.

    Reynaldo, falling in love with you might have been a punishment from heaven.

    Now I am heartbroken and cannot bear it, which can be considered as receiving retribution.

    All I wanted for the rest of my life was to have no connection with you anymore.

    The wind on the autumn night was chilly.

    I dragged my suitcase and walked aimlessly on the street.

    I suddenly thought, if I had never met Reynaldo in my life.

    The family has fallen, and if it has fallen, then so be it. I can always start over with a different way of life, at least I won¡¯t be as miserable as I am now.

    I stood under the streetlight, looked at the pitch¨Cck night sky, and took a deep breath.

    I don¡¯t know how long it would take topletely forget this man and heal this wound.

    The fallen leaves, blown by the wind, spun around me. The wind, mixed with raindrops, floated on my face, feeling icy cold.

    Chapter99

    1288 Vouchers

    I tightened my cor and felt that this autumn was particrly cold.

    I stood under the streetmp for a long time, and then I came to his rented house ording to the address given by Quentin.

    The ce he rented was in a shanty town, surrounded by many cheap houses that were densely packed and the environment was not very good.

    Just now, there was a light rain again, and the ground was muddy. Garbage could be seen everywhere, and at first nce, the environment was somewhat dirty and messy.

    However, there were a lot of people renting in this area.

    When I arrived, it was already past 8 o¡¯clock in the evening.

    Under the dim yellow streetlights, there were small vendors and pedestrians everywhere, creating a lively atmosphere.

    There was a sign at the entrance of the vige, and I dragged my suitcase over to take a look.

    I was surprised to find that this website had direct buses to my workce.

    It took about an hour to reach the station near thepany.

    This way, it would be much more convenient for me to go to work.

    The depressed mood finally improved a bit.

    75.34<b>% </b>

 Too Close 100

    I bought takeout on the roadside and then dragged my suitcase towards the house I rented from Quentin.

    The house he rented was located inside the vige, and it took me three alleys to get there.

    The houses were all simple and old¨Cfashioned, with a maximum of only six or seven floors, so there were no elevators.

    The room Quentin rented was 606. I looked up at it and took a deep breath, then walked into the hallway carrying my suitcase.

    The box was heavy, and every time I went up a floor, I had to stop at the corner of the stairs and rest for a while.

    When I reached the third floor, I was so exhausted that I couldn¡¯t even stand up, leaning on my knees. Moreover, there were already injuries on my knees!

    After resting for about ten minutes, I continued to climb up with the box in my hands.

    Suddenly, someone behind me spoke to me, ¡°Girl, let me help you.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, then turned around to look.

    I saw a young person.

    There was also a friendly aunt beside the young person.

    The young man was tall and thin, with a darkplexion, and he looked quite energetic.

    16-280

    I shook my head busily and said, ¡°No need, I can move it up by myself.¡±

    Auntie smiled and said, ¡°Let my son help you carry it up. We are all neighbors, and it is only right to help each other when we are away from home.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t need to, I¡­¡±

    I wanted to decline, but the young person had already taken my suitcase and went up in a few steps.

    The aunt smiled kindly at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, my son is a kind- hearted person, he would often help new residents move their belongings.¡±

    In the midst of the conversation, the young man at the corner of the fourth floor asked me, ¡°Hey, girl, which floor do you live on?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Sixth floor.¡±

    The aunt was instantly delighted and said, ¡°That¡¯s great! We also live on the sixth floor, so from now on we are really neighbors.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see¡­

    Actually, I was not good atmunicating with strangers. Faced with Auntie¡¯s joyful and kind smile, I also smiled along, ¡°Then we can take care of each other in the future.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡±

    Auntie nodded with joy and then said, ¡°My son works at a

    construction site nearby, young girl. Which factory do you work at?¡±

    ¡°What factory? What do you mean by factory?¡± I asked instinctively.

    25.68%

    288 Vouchers

    The young man in front immediately turned around and smiled at the aunt, saying, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t ask anymore. This girl¡¯s temperament is clearly that of a white¨Ccor worker in an office. It¡¯s different from us.

    ¡°Really?¡± The auntie instantly looked at me with shining eyes and asked, ¡°Little girl, what kind of job do you do? Where do you work? How did youe here to rent a house?¡±

    Although the aunt looked friendly and enthusiastic, her enthusiasm was excessive, which made me feel a little ufortable and awkward.

    I smiled at them and said, ¡°Actually, I was just doing a regr job. The reason I rented a ce here is because the rent is cheap.¡±

    Oh.¡± The aunt forced a smile and didn¡¯t ask any further.

    The young man, with his strong physical strength, quickly lifted the suitcase for me.

    When I dragged my tired and hungry body up to the sixth floor, the young man was waiting for me at the staircase: ¡°Miss, which room are you in?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I was 606.¡±

    Actually, I wanted to say that I would drag the luggage back by myself.

    But after all, they helped me, and I couldn¡¯t refuse their enthusiasm.

    The young man, upon hearing this, immediately dragged his suitcase towards Room 606, asionally turning back to say to me, ¡°My mom and I live in Room 602, you cane to us if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, thank you.¡±

    When I arrived at the door of room 606, the young man looked at me

    Chapter100

    268 Vouchers

    as if he was waiting for me to open the door, showing no intention of leaving.

    I immediately felt a bit awkward, but I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    After a few seconds of hesitation, I took the suitcase and gratefully said

    to him, ¡°Thank you so much today. I will treat you and Auntie to a meal another day.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a small matter,¡± the young man said, looking at me, still showing no intention of leaving.

    I immediately didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Not inviting him in would be awkward, standing here.

    Open the door and let him in, but be afraid that he might be a bad

    person.

 Too Close 101

    After all, he was really enthusiastic, so enthusiastic that it was a bit.

    excessive.

    Fortunately, at that moment, the aunt shouted at him, ¡°Trevin, why don¡¯t youe back quickly? It¡¯s alreadyte. The young girl just moved in and sh¨¦ definitely needs some time to settle down. Don¡¯t disturb her there.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± the young man scratched his head and smiled at me, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go back first. You cane to me if you have any difficulties, okay?¡±

    ¡°Um, um, thank you, really appreciate it.¡±

    I smiled at his back.

    Maybe I was too guarded, perhaps they were really just a kind¨Chearted

    person.

    I took out the key and opened the door.

    The house was a one¨Cbedroom apartment, very simple but clean and tidy.

    I put the suitcase aside and then washed my hands, getting ready to have something to eat before tidying up.

    The takeaway I bought on the way has already gone cold, and the rice is all hard.

    I ate a few bites and then I lost my appetite, and I felt like vomiting.

    0.00<b>% </b>

    11-46

    I got up and wanted to find some water to drink, but I found that there. was no water in the house.

    I went to the kitchen again and saw a kettle boiling water, so I went to fetch some water and prepared to boil some water to drink.

    However, the kettle had only been boiling for a while when suddenly, there was a loud ¡®bang¡®, as if something had exploded.

    I was startled and hurried over to take a look. I found that the wire of the kettle had burned off, and the entire wire was scorching hot, which was quite frightening.

    I quickly unplugged the plug, squatted on the ground, and looked at the broken kettle. A feeling of frustration surged up all of a sudden.

    At that moment, I felt particrly useless, unable to even boil water properly.

    Is it true that without him, Reynaldo, I would really struggle to survive?

    Thinking of Reynaldo, a wave of sourness and pain surged in my heart.

    I buried my head and tears uncontrobly fell down.

    At that moment, my phone suddenly rang.

    The familiar ringtone in this unfamiliar and quiet house felt. particrlyforting.

    I quickly got up and went to the coffee table to get my phone.

    It was Quentin who called.

    ¡°Ralda, how about it, did you move?¡±

    I took a slight breath and smiled, ¡°Well, I just arrived at the rented house.¡±

    ¡°How was it? Was the environment eptable?¡±

    ¡°It was good, and there were also many people living around.¡±

    Quentin paused for a moment and said, <b>¡°</b>If it really doesn¡¯t work out, let me find another house for you, brother. That area is crowded with people and the security is not very good. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t go out at night, and I think it¡¯s pretty good here. There are small vendors all around, making it convenient for eating. and drinking. The most important thing is that there is a direct bus to mypany.¡±

    Quentin listened and felt a little relieved. He sighed and said, ¡°Actually, if it wasn¡¯t for Dad changing, you could still go and stay with them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you are really doing well.

    Actually, even if my dad hadn¡¯t turned out like that, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to live with my parents anyway, after all, that house belongs to Reynaldo.

    ¡°Well, Ralda, you must be careful and pay more attention to your safety.¡±

    ¡°Uh¨Chuh.¡±

    After hanging up Quentin¡¯s call, my phone suddenly rang again.

    It turned out that it was Reynaldo who made the call.

    I held the phone tightly, staring at the jumping names on the screen.

    Chapter <b>101 </b>

    After I made my grandmother angry, I called her several times, but she didn¡¯t answer.

    How could he possibly call me again this time?

    Did you find out that I had moved ande to interrogate me?

    But wasn¡¯t he the one who never wanted to see me again?

    I moved away, shouldn¡¯t he be happy?

    An inexplicable anticipation surged uncontrobly in the troubled mind.

    I pursed my lips and couldn¡¯t help but answer the call.

    The phone connected, and I listened to his deep breaths, my heart pounding heavily,pletely unsure of what to say.

    After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke first.

    The tone was very indifferent, as if giving amand: ¡°Grandma. wants to see you,e to the hospital tomorrow.¡±

    The anticipation in my heart was instantly dashed.

    I self¨Cmockingly twisted my lips.

    I thought he called me because I had moved away.

    Originally, whether I moved or not was of no importance to him.

    If it weren¡¯t for my grandmother wanting to see me, he probably wouldn¡¯t even want to acknowledge me, let alone call me on his own

    initiative.

    26 36

 Too Close 102

    Really, Esmeralda, you can¡¯t continue like this.

    Since it has already been decided, I will live my own life from now on. I will no longer have any connection with him, and I cannot hold any illusions about him or have any further interactions with him.

    I said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m d Grandma is okay. Please tell her I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Reynaldo eximed angrily, ¡°What do you mean? You didn¡¯te to the hospital to see Grandma?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    I broke the bracelet, so I didn¡¯t have the face to see my grandmother again.

    Moreover, Grandma¡¯s senile dementia was unpredictable, sometimes. good and sometimes bad.

    What if, when I came to find him, she forgot again that I¡¯am her daughter¨Cinw and only remembered me as the bad person who stole and broke her bracelet?

    In front of my grandmother, I was not afraid of being wronged, but I was afraid of provoking her further.

    Reynaldo coldly asked on the phone, ¡°Are youing to the hospital

    tomorrow or not?¡±

    I tightly held onto my phone for a long time and said in a hesitant fone, ¡°Tomorrow I had something to do and couldn¡¯t go.¡±

    <b>0.00</b>%

    <b>1146 </b>

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    I didn¡¯t not want to go see my grandmother, I just had too many

    concerns.

    Apart from the first two, there was another reason why I wanted topletely sever all ties with Reynaldo.

    ¡°Fine, very well¡­¡± Reynaldo chuckled ominously on the other end of the phone, his tone icy and mocking, ¡°You truly are the most heartless, cold¨Cblooded woman I have ever encountered. Someone like you simply doesn¡¯t deserve to be loved.¡±

    He hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.

    And in my ears, it seemed to still echo his cold sneer, echoing his final words.

    A person like me, I am not worthy of being loved at all.

    I looked at the lonely house and the broken kettle, smiled foolishly, but everything in front of me was blurry.

    Yeah, it¡¯s true, just as Reynaldo said, I was worthless and had no merits.

    Who would like someone like me?

    I didn¡¯t even like myself.

    I simply packed my suitcase and then took a shower and went to bed.

    So many things happened in the past few days, it feels like a dream. when I look back.

    I stared nkly at the shabby ceiling, even though I was very tired and sleepy, I just couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    11 46

    Chapter102

    I don¡¯t know how long had passed when suddenly a burst of chaotic footsteps, along with indistinct cursing and talking, came from the corridor.

    It was like a few drunk people getting into an argument.

    The soundproofing of the room was very poor, so the noise in the corridor seemed particrly loud and noisy.

    When I first moved here, I didn¡¯t feel secure at all.

    As soon as I heard this sound, my nerves tightened a bit.

    Suddenly, someone kicked my door a few times and shouted ¡°Open the door¡± from outside.

    I was startled, and my whole body instantly tensed up.

    The man was still kicking the door outside, and the iron door made a particrly loud noise when kicked.

    I climbed down from the bed anxiously and locked the door.

    After the man kicked a few times, someone outside spoke, possibly telling him that he had entered the wrong room.

    The sound of kicking the door finally ceased, and the footsteps. gradually faded away.

    Until it waspletely quiet outside, I felt as if all the strength in my body had been drained away, and I sat down on the ground weakly.

    I looked at the window, which was shining with light, and a strong sense of pain and sadness gradually welled up in my heart.

    I couldn¡¯t help but mock myself.

    50891

    1140

    Chapter

    In the end, I was the only one in the whole family who had not yet adapted to the transition from wealth to poverty.

    Look, Quentin can live in such an environment, why can¡¯t I?

    And those ordinary hardworking workers, they could all afford to live. here, while I, someone who owes so much money and doesn¡¯t have much money on me, what qualifications do I have to resist and nitpick?

    I wiped away my tears, climbed onto the bed, and forced myself to fall asleep.

    I have to go to work tomorrow, I can¡¯t keep wasting my time like this anymore.

    Starting from tomorrow, I will truly begin my new life.

    A brand new life without Reynaldo!

    The next day, when the sun shone in, it seemed to disperse the clouds and dispel all the gloom in my heart.

    I finished washing up and felt refreshed.

    I bought breakfast from a roadside stall and walked towards the bus stop at the vige while eating.

    There were a lot of people going to work early in the morning.

    11:46 D

 Too Close 103

    <b>Chapter </b>103

    When I arrived at the station, it was already crowded with people.

    After finally squeezing onto the bus, I realized there was barely any standing room, let alone handrails.

    The bus went on and off along the way, and I swayed back and forth with it, feeling my stomach churn.

    Struggling. I managed to get off the car and quickly crawled to the trash bin, where I vomited violently, throwing up all the little breakfast I had eaten.

    I took a break for a while before heading to thepany building. Iforted myself, thinking that as long as I took the bus a few more times, it would be fine.

    After sitting a few more times, I got used to it and no longer felt car

    sick.

    Arriving at the president¡¯s office, I didn¡¯t know who was having breakfast with leek filling. I smelled that aroma and instantly felt a surge in my stomach.

    I quickly found a trash bin and vomited uncontrobly.

    After I finished vomiting, I noticed that several colleagues were staring at me with surprised expressions on their faces..

    <b>I </b>awkwardly smiled, put away the garbage bag, and said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll clean it up right away.¡±

    11:46

    Chapter103

    After saying that, I ran outside while carrying a garbage bag.

    Before, my colleague who helped me change the ink suddenly grabbed me and smirked, ¡°Hey, Esmeralda, did you look in the mirror this morning?¡±

    I shook my head in confusion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°You, with a face as pale as a ghost, didn¡¯te to work all day yesterday. So, did you spend the whole day in a fierce battle with your chef boyfriend?¡±

    Last time, I brought Reynaldo a breakfast that I made for them to eat. Apparently, they all thought I had a boyfriend who was a chef.

    My colleague who changed ink pulled my arm again and said, ¡°Hey, hey, you just vomited like that, are you pregnant?¡±

    I stared at her inexplicably, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Baby, don¡¯t all pregnant women vomit?¡±

    Puff!

    I almost choked, and they mistook a simple car sickness for pregnancy.

    However¡­

    Thinking back to that night two days ago at the Humphrey family¡¯s old house, I still felt a little uneasy.

    That time, Reynaldo didn¡¯t take any measures. Later, something happened to my grandmother, and I also forgot to buy contraceptive pills. I don¡¯t know if I will get pregnant.

    2530

    11

    What should I do if I really fell for it?

    Ah, forget it. Let¡¯s not worry about things that didn¡¯t happen for now.

    My colleague tugged at my arm again and excitedly asked, ¡°Hey, hey, are you really pregnant?¡±

    Her voice was not small, and just as she asked this question, someone happened to walk past us.

    I took a nce and that person was none other than Mr. Pruitt from our

    The colleague quickly called out to him respectfully.

    I also quickly greeted him respectfully.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but Mr. Pruitt, who has always been gentle and friendly to the employees, seemed to have a somewhat cold look in his eyes.

    Mr. Pruitt responded lightly and went to the president¡¯s office.

    My colleague still pulled me and gossiped about me. I helplessly smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not pregnant. I just vomited due to motion sickness. Let¡¯s get back to work quickly. Mr. Pruitt just saw us chatting and his expression wasn¡¯t good.¡±

    My colleague made a sound and then returned to her workstation.

    threw the trash I vomited into the bathroom. When I came back, before I even sat down at my desk, the secretary team leader called me and said Mr. Pruitt wanted to talk to me..

    was stunned for a moment, suddenly remembering the look in Mr. Pruitt¡¯s eyes when he had just nced at me. There was a faint sense of

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    11:46

    Chapter <b>103 </b>

    unease in my heart.

    Did I do anything wrong? I just skipped work and forgot to ask for leave yesterday.

    Will Mr. Pruitt fire me because of this? After all, I am just a neer who has only been here for a few days.

    Nervously, I arrived at the CEO¡¯s office.

    Mr. Pruitt was leaning back in his chair, drinking coffee.

    Seeing mee in, he put down his cup and asked me, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you rest at home for a few more days?¡±

    When he asked this question, his tone was not as gentle as before, but rather tinged with a hint of sarcasm.

    I don¡¯t know if it was being absent from work that made him unhappy.

    I quickly exined, ¡°Yesterday, I couldn¡¯te to work because there was something going on at home. I¡¯m sorry. I promise to work hard in the future and won¡¯t take leave without a valid reason.¡±

    11:46

 Too Close 104

    Mr. Pruitt nced at me and suddenly his gaze fell on my abdomen.

    That strange look in the eyes made me feel inexplicably anxious.

    I covered my stomach subconsciously.

    He suddenlyughed, mocking and sarcastic, ¡°Really pregnant?¡±

    I widened my eyes in astonishment and shook my head repeatedly, saying, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have it.¡±

    Oh my God, Mr. Pruitt actually thought I was pregnant.

    The key is, this was not the point he should have been concerned

    about.

    I was a new employee, so even if I was really pregnant, it wouldn¡¯t have any impact on him as a dignified CEO,

    And, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but when he asked me if I was really pregnant, his eyes looked cold and his tone was not good.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Do you doubt that I intentionally came to mooch off maternity leave?

    After thinking it over, this is the only reason that makes sense.

    I quickly exined, ¡°Mr. Pruitt, rest assured, I was not pregnant, and even if I were, I would not take maternity leave.¡±

    I am very grateful to Mr. Pruitt for the opportunity he gave me, and I

    Chapter104

    will definitely do my best.

    No matter what, a sincere attitude should be shown to him. uld be shown to him.

    Mr. Pruitt remained silent for a while.

    I couldn¡¯t help but raise my head, only to see him with a half¨Csmile on his face and a somewhat speechless tone, saying, ¡°Why are you bringing up maternity leave again?¡±

    Um, isn¡¯t it because of maternity leave?

    I was puzzled in my mind.

    Mr. Pruitt suddenly waved his hand at me and said, ¡°Never mind, you go and busy yourself. The investment negotiation for thest project. has been scheduled for next Wednesday. Prepare yourself these days. and familiarize yourself with the project content.¡±

    ¡°Um, okay, thank you very much, Mr. Pruitt, for giving me the opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Mr. Pruitt raised his hand towards me again, without looking at me anymore.

    Coming out of the president¡¯s office, I let out a heavy sigh.

    My colleague who changes ink cartridges came over, with a gossipy look on his face, and asked me, ¡°Hey, hey, what did Mr. Pruitt want from you?¡±

    I nced at her and said with a sarcastic smile, ¡°It¡¯s all because you said I was pregnant, which made Mr. Pruitt think I was pregnant too and called me in for questioning.¡±

    My colleague who changed the ink wrinkled his nose and.

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    Chapter104

    disbelievingly said, ¡°You must be kidding. What does it have to do with Mr. Pruitt if you are pregnant? Besides, it¡¯spletely normal for employees to get pregnant. How could he possibly call you in for questioning because of this?¡±

    Yeah, I was also full of doubts.

    I said, ¡°Maybe because I am new here, he thought I was intentionally trying to take advantage of maternity leave.¡±

    My colleague burst intoughter and said, ¡°That¡¯s even more impossible, who is Mr. Pruitt? He¡¯s the president of such a bigpany, how could he care about this little maternity leave thing?¡±

    Yeah, I also thought Mr. Pruitt wouldn¡¯t care about such trivial matters.

    But I couldn¡¯t think of any other exnations either.

    My colleague¡¯s eyes flickered, and he suddenly said to me.

    mysteriously, ¡°To be honest, did you know Mr. Pruitt before, and do you have a special rtionship?¡±

    ¡°No, there wasn¡¯t.¡±

    Although I felt somewhat familiar with Mr. Pruitt¡¯s features, I honestly don¡¯t remember ever knowing him.

    The colleague who changed the ink was still not giving up and said, ¡°Then how could he have called you, a neer, to the president¡¯s office alone and asked you about your pregnancy?¡±

    Abnormal, too abnormal. You know, neers are not qualified to go to the president¡¯s office.

    I also find it strange, including the opportunity Mr. Pruitt gave me, which was weird in every aspect, but I really can¡¯t find a suitable

    11:47

    Chapter104

    exnation.

    Ah, never mind. I just focused on doing my job well.

    The day¡¯s work was fulfilling and busy.

    When I got busy, I wouldn¡¯t think about Reynaldo at all, and I wouldn¡¯t feel upset in my heart.

    After work, I would unconsciously think of him again.

    The phone was silent. Reynaldo hasn¡¯t paid any attention to me since he called mest night.

    Maybe he had already known that I had moved out of that vi, but he didn¡¯t care.

    I took out the two broken bracelets.

    Today I made an appointment with the master to repair this bracelet, but I don¡¯t know if it can be fixed.

    When I arrived at the jade processing shop, the master took a look at my two broken bracelets and couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°This thing is amazing! Nowadays, you can¡¯t even find such quality on the market. How could you bear to break it?¡±

    1147

 Too Close 105

    <b>Chapter </b><b>105 </b>

    With the master¡¯s words, I recalled the scene when my grandmother

    gave me the bracelet that day, and a strong sense of guilt welled up in my heart.

    I asked him, ¡°Could it be fixed?¡±

    The master said, ¡°For treasures like this, I would naturally use the best techniques to repair them, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Money is not a problem, as long as it can be fixed,¡± I quickly responded.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of money, but even if it is repaired perfectly, to the point where not even a trace of a crack can be seen, it still exists with a crack.¡±

    ¡°Ah, what a pity.¡±

    I lowered my gaze, feeling a surge of sadness in my heart.

    Yeah.

    No matter how perfectly the bracelet was repaired, that crack always remained in Grandma¡¯s heart.

    The bracelet repair cost fifty thousand.

    After I made the payment, I looked at the remaining three thousand in my ount and smiled bitterly.

    Luckily, I still had a job, and luckily, my brother let me stay in his

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    <b>Chapter </b>105

    rented house.

    Otherwise, I would really have no money to live on.

    Coming out of the processing shop, I was originally nning to go back, but then I remembered my grandmother who was still in the hospital, so I decided to go and see her.

    As long as I didn¡¯t meet Reynaldo, it was fine.

    To check on Grandma¡¯s condition and make sure she was fine, so that I could fully rx.

    There was a direct subway to the hospital, and taking the subway was much morefortable than taking the bus.

    I wish there was a subway that could take me to my rented ce.

    On the subway, I asked Winston for my grandmother¡¯s ward number.

    I arrived at the hospital in just half an hour and went straight to the Inpatient Department on the tenth floor.

    I arrived at the door of my grandmother¡¯s hospital room, but I didn¡¯t dare to go in and see her directly. I could only peek at her through the small window on the door panel.

    As long as she was okay, I would leave.

    However, when I looked inside, I immediately saw Reynaldo.

    He sat by the bedside, holding a storybook, and was telling a story tot his grandmother.

    The soft light fell on him, giving him a gentle touch throughout his whole being.

    11470

    I watched him silently, feeling a sourness in my nose.

    The previous Reynaldo, he was also gentle like this, but I lost him..

    I took a slight breath, suppressed the bitterness in my heart, and looked at my grandmother.

    Grandma¡¯splexion looked pretty good. She listened to Reynaldo telling stories while holding a bowl and drinking porridge.

    Seeing my grandmother safe and sound, I waspletely relieved.

    I nced deeply at Reynaldo and was about to leave.

    Grandma suddenly said to him, ¡°In the future, don¡¯t me my daughter-inw.¡±

    I stopped in my tracks, looking at my grandmother with a mix of emotions both touched and guilty.

    ¨C

    Reynaldo frowned and said, ¡°She made you sick with anger, and¡­¡±

    ¡°I was also at fault, it¡¯s all because of my illness¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, Grandma, please don¡¯t speak up for her anymore. I know her the best. She is the kind of person who won¡¯t understand gratitude and won¡¯t acknowledge her own mistakes.¡±

    The more you treated her well, the more she took advantage of it.

    My heart clenched tightly, causing sharp pain.

    I really didn¡¯t have any goodness in his heart.

    I admit I was very harsh on him before, but the punishment from heaven was too heavy for me. Why did I have to fall in love with

    Chapter105

    someone who despised me?

    ¡°Who<b>?</b>¡±

    Suddenly, Reynaldo seemed to notice that there was someone outside. the door.

    He grunted and got up, walking towards the door.

    I panicked in my heart and quickly turned around, darting into the nearby aisle.

    I casually entered an empty ward.

    I hid for a long time, but there were no footsteps outside the door.

    I pursed my lips and carefully opened the door to look outside.

    Then, I saw Reynaldo standing at the exit of the corridor, and¡­. Kimberly.

    The two of them didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, Kimberly had a smile on her face, and Reynaldo had a gentle expression.

    I self¨Cmockingly tugged at my lips.

    Reynaldo was not a naturally cold man, he was just cold in front of the people he despised.

    Look, his gaze towards Kimberly was always so gentle.

    Soon, Reynaldo took Kimberly to see her grandmother.

    Sure, Reynaldo¡¯s crush is Kimberly, and Kimberly will eventually be Grandma¡¯s daughter¨Cinw.

    And a gentle and lovely girl like Kimberly, Grandma would definitely

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    <b>11.4700 </b>

    like her.

    It was right for me not to meet with my grandmother. As time went by, my grandmother would naturally forget about me and favor Kimberly, her daughter¨Cinw.

 Too Close 106

    I will return the jade bracelet to my grandmotherter, but I don¡¯t know if she will mind the two cracks on it.

    As I passed by the ward, I nced inside through a small window.

    Kimberly was chatting with her grandmother and making herugh uncontrobly.

    Reynaldo leaned against the window, watching them with gentle eyes.

    At first sight, the scene was so beautiful and warm.

    And I, I would only hurt my grandmother¡¯s heart and make her sick.

    Taking a deep breath, I silently left.

    When I returned to the vige by bus, it was alreadypletely dark.

    I didn¡¯t have much appetite, so I bought two pastries and a bottle of water on the street and went straight back home.

    However, when I arrived at the doorstep of my house, I was taken aback.

    I saw a man standing at my doorstep.

    I fixed my¨Cgaze and realized that the man was none other than the young man who helped me carry my suitcase yesterday.

    ¡°Oh, girl, you came back?¡±

    The young man greeted me first.

    11-47

    Chapter106

    I smiled at him and walked over, saying, ¡°What are you doing here? Is there something wrong?¡±

    The young man smiled shyly and said, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t have anything.¡±

    He handed me a stainless steel bowl wrapped in a bag and said, ¡°These are dumplings made by my mom. She asked me to bring you a bowl, freshly made. Eat them while they¡¯re still hot.¡±

    I waved my hand busily and said, ¡°No need, thank you. I bought some food.¡±

    After saying that, I waved the pie in my hand at him.

    After all, I wasn¡¯t very familiar with them and it wasn¡¯t easy for me to ept their things.

    The young man¡¯s expression us?¡±

    , do you look down on

    Click on the night to read more

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± I vigorously shook my head, believing in equality, how could I look down on them.

    ¡°Girl, these dumplings were just made by my mom. Please take them, otherwise my mom will be disappointed.¡±

    He said and forcefully shoved the bowl into my hands.

    The bowl was still a little hot, and I almost dropped it.

    The young man said, ¡°The things on the roadside are not very clean. If you don¡¯t mind, you cane to our house for dinner after work in the future, and it¡¯s just <b>a </b>matter of having more forks.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    I wanted to say something, but the young man had already run back in a sh.

    I looked at the bowl in my hand and a warm feeling washed over me.

    Actually, this autumn wasn¡¯t that deste.

    Open the door and enter the house.

    I washed my hands and then opened the bowl that the young man gave<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    A dozen plump dumplings instantly caught the eye, smelling. appetizing.

    I hadn¡¯t had a decent meal for several days in a row. At this moment, eating the steaming hot dumplings, I felt my stomach particrlyfortable.

    Click on the right to read more

    I couldn¡¯t help but look into the kitchen. In the future, should I also learn to cook by myself?

    After all, the food from street vendors was not very hygienic, and by the time I got it packed, it had already cooled down.

    After finishing the dumplings, I washed the bowl clean and thought about returning it to the young man when I meet him tomorrow.

    This is the second night I have spent in the rented house, and I feel much more settled than when I first moved in yesterday.

    It seems that I am also slowly adapting to this kind of life, which is great.

    The next day, as usual, I got up early for work. It was a busy day, and in the evening, I finished work and hurriedly took the bus home.

    114700

    The fulfilling life made my mood gradually calm down, and I no longer dwelled on those romantic troubles.

    When I came back home that day, I bought a bag of noodles and a few eggs at a roadside shop.

    Cooking is difficult, so let¡¯s start with boiling noodles.

    Just as I got back home, I saw the young man again..

    The young man smiled at me and said, ¡°Girl, my mom cooked several dishes today. Come to my house and have a meal.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± I quickly refused.

    Suddenly I remembered the bowl used for making dumplings

    yesterday. I quickly opened the door and ran to the kitchen to take out that bowl and return it to him.

    ¡°Thank you, the dumplings made by your mother were delicious, I have finished eating them.¡±

    However, the young man did not take the bowl for a long time, but his gaze was fixed on the shoe rack next to the door.

    I shouted at him in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    79145

 Too Close 107

    ¡°No¡­nothing¡­¡± the young man quickly shook his head, his face looking strange.

    He asked me, ¡°Girl, do you live with your boyfriend? Howe I¡¯ve never seen your boyfriend before?¡±

    I paused for a moment and followed his gaze towards the shoe rack.

    There were two pairs of shoes belonging to Quentin on top. It was only then that I realized he had mistaken Quentin for my boyfriend.

    I instinctively prepared to say that those were Quentin¡¯s shoes.

    The young man suddenly took the bowl and said, ¡°Well, girl, I¡¯m going back first, huh.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay, sure.¡±

    I closed the door, wearing a puzzled expression on my face.

    What happened to the young man?

    I shook my head with a smile and walked to the kitchen, holding noodles and eggs.

    On the way back, I had already watched a video of boiling eggs and noodles. I had basically learned how to do it, only the practical operation was left.

    However, I had just finished setting up the pot and boiling water when suddenly the door was knocked.

    Chapter107

    My heart trembled, who could be knocking on my door?

    After all, no one knew I lived here except for Quentin, but Quentin ist clearly in the hospital now.

    The door was knocked a few more times.

    I wiped my hands, walked over, and asked in a tense voice, ¡°Who is

    it?¡±

    ¡°Sister, it was me.¡±

    The voice of the young man?

    I slightly loosened my breath and opened the door.

    The young man stood at the door with a big smile on his face, holding a bowl in his hand. Inside the bowl was <b>a </b>steaming hot meal.

    ¡°Girl, my mom said it¡¯s not easy for you to be alone outside, originally she asked you toe over and eat together.¡±

    But you were too embarrassed, so my mom had to ask me to bring it to

    you.

    I was momentarily stunned and quickly said, ¡°No need, no need, thanks though. I was cooking noodles.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. My mom cooked too much food, and two people can¡¯t finish it. Besides, look, I¡¯ve already served it for you.¡±

    The young man said and then handed me the bowl.

    I awkwardly took the bowl and at that moment, I deeply understood the meaning of the phrase ¡°it¡¯s hard to refuse someone¡¯s kindness.¡±

    Chapter107

    The young man delivered the meal and then ran away quickly.

    I closed the door and smiled at the food in my hands.

    Auntie and the young man, they were really kind¨Chearted.

    And I was also lucky to alwayse across such enthusiastic and kind. people.

    Because the investment negotiation was scheduled for next Wednesday, and today is already Friday, after dinner, I started studying the project materials.

    I didn¡¯t go out over the weekend. I stayed in the room and familiarized myself with the content of the materials, so that I wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard by the investors during the negotiation.

    Finally, Wednesday arrived, the day for investment negotiations.

    In the morning, Mr. Pruitt called me and the secretary team leader to the president¡¯s office for a small meeting. He said that he would take me to meet the investors at 7 o¡¯clock in the evening.

    I was both nervous and excited in my heart,

    I thought to myself that this was a good opportunity for exercise.

    I had juste out of the president¡¯s office when my phone rang.

    What surprised me was that it was Reynaldo who called.

    These days, I have been busy with this project. Both work and after work have been busy, and I almost forgot about his existence.

    Looking at the caller ID at this moment, I felt a bit dazed.

    ind

    ed

    nestly, it feels like I have been away from him for a very long time.

    d already made up my mind topletely cut ties with him, so I

    didn¡¯t know whether to answer this call or not.

    ng ceased.

    he moments of hesitation, the telephone ringing

    breathed a sigh of relief and stared nkly at his name.

    don¡¯t know what he suddenly called me for.

    it because of my grandmother¡¯s matter or because of the money I owe m?

    I still owed him so much money.

    e left quietly without a word, would he think that I am going to

    dge the bill?

    ith this in mind, I sent him a text message.

    hank you for helping me repay my debts before, and thank you for

    ing willing to lend me money.

    s for the money I owe you, I will try my best to gather it in my fetime and then repay you with both the principal and interest.

    fter sending the message, I put my phone in my pocket and went back

    <b>my </b>desk to organize the notes from the meeting just now.

    1147

 Too Close 108

    <b>Chapter </b>108

    However, just as I sat down, my phone rang again.

    It was still Reynaldo who called.

    I furrowed my brows, hesitating once again whether to ept or not.

    What if Reynaldoes looking for me, and it¡¯s really about the money I owe him?

    After hesitating for a minute, Reynaldo called again.

    I pursed my lips, but couldn¡¯t help answering the call.

    As soon as the phone was a Click on the right to read more a deep and suppressed breathing sound from the other end, and my heartbeat instantly quickened.

    He didn¡¯t speak for half a day.

    I asked cautiously, ¡°Is there something you need from me?¡±

    Reynaldo still didn¡¯t speak, he just breathed heavily, as if he was trying hard to suppress something.

    I felt a little anxious and wanted to hang up the phone.

    He finally spoke, word by word, very coldly: ¡°Why did you move away?¡±

    I was startled.

    What does it mean?

    Chapter108

    I had already moved out for a week, and he just realized now that I had moved out?

    It seems that he didn¡¯t go back to that vi much this week.

    These days, he should have been with Kimberly.

    With this thought, my heart had already calmed down.

    Since I have decided to let gopletely, I will no longer indulge in random thoughts.

    I said lightly, ¡°That vi, to be honest, was never really my home. Now I want to live my life alone, so I moved out.¡±

    ¡°Heh, living your own life alone?¡± Reynaldoughed coldly, his tone filled with disdain and mockery. ¡°What qualifications do you have to live your own life? Who all

    your own life? Without my permission, you dare to move out seralda, do you really think I have no temper?¡±

    Click on the night to read more

    How could I possibly think that he had no temper?

    In my understanding, he was considered to have the biggest temper.

    Many times nowadays, I was afraid of him.

    I could clearly hear the coldness and hostility in his tone, and I pursed my lips, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, you¡¯re really strange. You clearly hate seeing me, and I moved out as you wished. Why are you still getting angry?¡±

    Is it because I didn¡¯t inform you in advance that I challenged your authority?

    Alright, I¡¯m telling you now, I moved away and I will never go back

    Chapter1on

    again, I will never bother you again.

    Sometimes, I really didn¡¯t understand this man.

    That day, he personally told me to leave and personally said he didn¡¯t

    want to see me.

    So I moved out, he should indeed be happy, right?

    I really didn¡¯t know what he was angry about.

    On the other end of the phone was his suppressed breath, that overwhelming anger, even through the phone, I could feel it clearly.

    I sighed sadly and said to him, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be angry anymore. I know I was very unfair to you in the past, so you always wanted to retaliate against me.¡±

    But don¡¯t you think that keeping someone you despise around you is also a form of punishment for yourself?

    I knew I didn¡¯t deserve forgiveness, but I hoped you could forgive yourself and live happily with Ms. Palmer.

    I am a person full of ws, there is no need for you to seek revenge on me, I have already received retribution, really.

    So, Reynaldo, spare me, and spare yourself too..

    ¡°Huh, spare you?¡± Reynaldo suddenlyughed strangely, ¡°If I spare you, then who will spare me?!¡±

    He coldly sneered, ¡°You keep saying that I let you go, but that¡¯s just an excuse for you to be with Winston.¡±

    Esmeralda, if you wanted to be with Winston, why not just say it

    <b>11</b>:470

    Chapter108

    directly instead of making it sound so grandiose?

    As he mentioned Winston again, a sense of powerlessness surged within me.

    I helplessly said, ¡°Why do you always bring him up? I moved away because I truly wanted to live my own life. I never thought about being with anyone, so please stop making random guesses, okay?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    Heughed again, his tone always so mocking.

    It¡¯s as if, no matter what I did, he always looked down on me from the bottom of his heart.

    Sure enough, he said, ¡°You are a pampered youngdy who is used to a good life. Can you tolerate a dirty, messy, and dpidated living environment? Can you endure the hardships of poverty?¡±

    ¡°What can you do? With what do you go through your life?¡±

    Ha!

    So in his mind, I had to rely on men in order to survive, right?

    Iughed angrily, feeling both sad and ironic in my heart.

    He really¡­ never had any interest in me!

    During the three years of our marriage, he really suffered as he worked. like a horse for me.

    How much perseverance he must have had to be able to tolerate and endure any scolding or criticism from me, a useless person, and still remain gentle and virtuous.

    I took a slight breath and said in a deep voice, ¡°Reynaldo, even without a man, I would still live my life well. The former rich youngdy can. also endure hardships.¡±

    So, please do not associate me with Winston anymore. I will strive to live my own life well, without relying on any man.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Reynaldo remained silent for a moment, sarcastically chuckling. ¡°A few days ago, your father asked me for money. Do you remember?¡±

    My heart sank.

    These days, I have been busy with moving and work. My dad hasn¡¯t contacted me either, so I forgot about his investment losses.

    Reynaldo suddenly wondered, could it be that my dad went to him. again in secret to ask for money?

    Thinking of this, I suddenly felt full of anger in my heart, angry at my

    dad.

    How can Ipletely break up with Reynaldo if he acts like this?

    He was like this, I could never hold my head up in front of Reynaldo.

    My confident demeanor just now suddenly diminished, and I asked in

    11470

    a low voice, ¡°Did my dad ask you for money again? You wouldn¡¯t have lent him¡­ again, would you?¡±

    ¡°No, he did not look for me again.¡±

    I immediately breathed a sigh of relief, my dad didn¡¯t go looking for him again.

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly and said, ¡°So, he didn¡¯te to me. Who do you think he would go to for a loan?¡±

    ¡°What does it mean?¡± I felt a sinking feeling in my heart.

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°When you were with me, he woulde to me. When you¡¯re with other men, he naturally goes to find other men. After all, in his eyes, those men you associate with can help him repay his debts, right?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but growl, my eyes burning with anger.

    I was useless, but was it necessary for him to speak so harshly?

    What does ¡°the man I climbed up¡± mean?

    In his eyes, am I really that unbearable?

    ¡°Esmeralda, you keep insisting that you have no rtionship with Winston, well, I¡¯ll give you the benefit of the doubt and believe you.¡±

    If one day, you let me see you with him, then don¡¯t me me for being impolite to you!

    He hung up the phone after he finished speaking, with thest sentence wrapped in a chilling hostility.

    I anxiously fiddled with my phone, worrying about my father

    11:470

    borrowing money.

    When Reynaldo said that, I did remember.

    My dad owed so much money, and the only hope was on me.

    He couldn¡¯t have not looked for me these past few days.

    And Reynaldo said my dad didn¡¯t go to him for a loan again.

    So who would he go to find?

    The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became, so I quickly dialed my dad¡¯s phone number.

    ¡°Hello, Ralda, what¡¯s the matter? Are you looking for Dad?¡±

    My dad¡¯s voice came through the phone along with the sound of mahjong.

    I furrowed my brows.

    When did my dad learn to y mahjong again? He didn¡¯t used to y this before, did he?

    And, how did he have money to y mahjong when he owed so much money?

    Suppressing the doubts in my heart, I calmly asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you sayst time that you lost seven million in investments? Did you manage to raise the money?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I had already nned it¡­ Ah, the eight of bamboo? Pong!¡±

    My heart sank, and I quickly asked, ¡°How did you manage to raise it? Who lent it to you?¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°Oh, forget about this. Dad borrowed it himself. You didn¡¯t want to help Dad borrow it at that time, so don¡¯t ask now, okay?¡±

    My dad was about to hang up the phone while speaking, and he had a strange tone towards me.

    I was furious and growled, ¡°Tell me, who lent it to you? If you don¡¯t tell me, don¡¯t expect me to clean up your mess in the future.¡±

    ¡°You, you little brat, how dare you speak like that!¡± My dad yelled angrily.

    I was also angry, and I cried directly.

    My dad probably heard my crying and then impatiently said, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll tell you. I borrowed it from Winston¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± As soon as I heard him say it was to borrow from Winston, I felt my eyes go ck.

    Just a moment ago, I confidently told Reynaldo that I wouldn¡¯t rely on men and firmly stated that I hadn¡¯t sought out Winston.

    To my surprise, my dad had already gone to ask Winston for a loan.

 Too Close 109

    At that moment, I felt as if I had been pped hard by someone, and my face was burning with pain.

    My dad proudly said on the other end of the phone, ¡°Ralda, you won¡¯t believe it, that kid Winston is so generous. I told him I lost money in investments and needed one million, and he just gave me two million. He¡¯s much more generous than Reynaldo.¡±

    And I could see that he liked you very much. You see, you have been married to Reynaldo for three years, but he is still waiting for you.

    In my opinion, he was better than that Reynaldo. You should just go with him.

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    Click on the right to read more

    I was so angry that tears streamed down my face.

    ¡°I had no rtionship with Winston, why did you still go to him to borrow money?¡±

    I don¡¯t know how to repay Reynaldo¡¯s money. And now you borrowed from him again, what do you want me to do?

    Why were you always so selfish? Why did you never consider me?

    ¡°Did you really have to force me to death? Are you only satisfied then?¡±

    I was really angry and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Chapter110

    I also don¡¯t know why my dad became so selfish and self¨Ccentered now.

    How sad, a feeling of oppression and sadness that cannot be expressed in words.

    He did this, which was no different than dragging me into an abyss from which I couldn¡¯t climb out.

    My dad said in a calm tone, ¡°Why are you so excited? Winston didn¡¯t say that he wants you to pay back.¡±

    Iughed angrily, ¡°Did you never intend to pay back the money you borrowed? Why should others give it to you for free? Stop always taking things for granted, okay?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t take it for granted, I was thinking that we wouldn¡¯t always be a family in the future¡­¡±

    Click on the right to read more

    ¡°What family?!¡± I raised my voice stany, so angry that I was

    trembling.

    My dad said in a nonchnt tone, ¡°Winston obviously still likes you. As long as you speak up, he will definitely be willing to marry you. Once you two are married, we will be a family, and naturally, we won¡¯t have to repay the debt, right?¡±

    Listening to my dad¡¯s shameless remarks, I almost fainted.

    If it weren¡¯t for the father¨Cdaughter rtionship we had in the past twenty¨Csomething years, I really wouldn¡¯t want to acknowledge him.

    I tried my best to adjust my emotions and said in a low voice, ¡°I can never be with Winston. Please give him the money back, consider it as my plea to you.¡±

    ¡°No, how is that possible? It was borrowed by Dad with great

    23%

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    w.iculty, and besides, Dad has already spent most of it.¡±

    dd!¡± I shouted hoarsely, trembling with anger, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just a few

    s ago that he lent you twenty million? Twenty million!¡±

    2 a

    you don¡¯t understand anything about investments,¡± my dad said, ing heavily as he spoke. ¡°My daughter, I think Winston is really d. much better than Reynaldo, so listen to your dad and go with aston. It will definitely not be wrong¡­¡±

    efore my dad could finish speaking, I hung up the phone directly.

    as worried that if I continued listening, I would get angry.

    as

    uatted down, hugged my knees, and cried in anger.

    o to mention owing Reynaldo so much money, now he owed inston 20 million. How am I going to repay it?

    Then I asked Reynaldo for money, I had at least some entanglement ith Reynaldo, both emotionally and physically.

    nd what about borrowing money from Winston?

    ow can I hold my head up and face the world in the future if my dad bes this?

    this moment, I truly hated my dad. He went to borrow money from inston without considering my feelings at all, not at all!

    ell, no wonder Reynaldo had such a sarcastic tone just now.

    e

    had already guessed that my dad went to borrow money from inston, so he naturally assumed that I had climbed up to Winston.

    y heart was filled with self¨Cmockery and sorrow.

    Chapter110

    I buried my face between my knees, crying extremely helpless and suppressed.

    I don¡¯t know how long it had passed, but I finally opened the door of the toilet cubicle and came out from inside.

    Walking up to the sink, the reflection in the mirror showed myself with swollen red eyes and a red nose, clearly indicating that I had been crying.

    Luckily, when I just answered Reynaldo¡¯s call, I rushed to the

    restroom. If my colleagues had seen me in this state, there would have been a lot of gossip in the office.

    I washed my face and took a moment to calm down in the bathroom. before returning to my desk.

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    Chapter111

    Fortunately, everyone was very busy and didn¡¯t pay much attention to<ol><li><b>me</b>.</li></ol>

    I held my forehead, thinking about my dad¡¯s matters, truly feeling troubled and confused.

    I hesitated whether to give Winston a call and promise to repay the

    money.

    Anyway, I have to repay Winston¡¯s twenty million as soon as possible, no matter what.

    I was so annoyed, and I didn¡¯t know any quick ways to make money.

    Twenty million, with my sry, I might not even be able to save up for it even if I worked until I died.

    And during this period, it¡¯s possible that my dad would still cause

    trouble.

    Whenever I think of my dad¡¯s current state, my heart feels as heavy as a stone, and I can¡¯t breathe.

    And I also don¡¯t know if I just got too angry with my dad.

    My stomach ached in waves.

    Iy on the table, closed my eyes and rxed for a while, and then my stomach felt a bit better.

    No, I couldn¡¯t let my father¡¯s situation affect my mood.

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    Tonight, Mr. Pruitt was going to take me to meet with investors. I had to gather my spirits, adjust my mood, and not ruin thepany¡¯s

    affairs.

    I opened the notes from the morning meeting and took out the project. materials topare.

    Just then, there suddenly came waves of exmation in the office.

    Almost everyone looked towards the door.

    I also followed their gaze and looked over, and I was stunned.

    I saw Winston, wearing a suit with a leather cor, walking in.

    Strange, how did Winstone here?

    Could it be that they came to look for me?

    I quickly stood up and was about to greet him, but I saw him walking straight towards the president¡¯s office without even ncing <b>in </b>my direction.

    I was stunned.

    It seems that I guessed wrong, he didn¡¯te to see me, but to talk to Mr. Pruitt.

    I saw him go straight into the president¡¯s office without needing the secretary to announce, and I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised: Didn¡¯t Winston just return to the country recently? When did he be so familiar with Mr. Pruitt?

    Just as I was thinking, suddenly there came a burst of discussion from beside me.

    11.43

    Chapter111

    ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯ve heard long ago that Mr. Pruitt worked for someone, and there was even a big boss behind him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I heard too. That handsome guy who just came in has an extraordinary temperament. Could he be the big boss?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know him? He is the second son of the Humphrey family, Reynaldo¡¯s brother. You know Reynaldo, right? He¡¯s the one who has been making a big name for himself in the mall recently.¡±

    My heart trembled slightly as I heard them mention Reynaldo.

    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t pay much attention to Reynaldo¡¯s personal life.

    Otherwise, my identity as Reynaldo¡¯s ex¨Cwife would definitely be uncovered by them.

    ¡°It turns out to be the second son of the Humphrey family, no wonder he has such a good temperament. Look at him going straight into the president¡¯s office, no need to say, he must be the big boss.¡±

    Upon hearing this, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    Was Winston the big boss of Clicks Media?

    Really?

    If he were the boss of thispany, then wouldn¡¯t I be working under him?

    Suddenly, I remembered that Reynaldo had asked me if I was working under Winston before.

    At that time, I firmly said no, and I even said that my job had nothing to do with Winston.

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    But now, they actually told me that the big boss of thispany was Winston?!

    No, I didn¡¯t believe it!

    I suddenly got up and wanted to go find him to ask for rification.

    Just as I reached the door of the president¡¯s office, the door of the office opened.

    Winston paused for a moment and then smiled at me, saying, ¡°I was just about toe find you.¡±

    ¡°So, you have always known that I work here?¡± I stared at him firmly.

    Winston nodded silently.

    I took a slight breath and asked again, ¡°They said you are the big boss of thispany, is that true?¡±

    This time, he didn¡¯t speak anymore, he just looked at me deeply.

    And his silence made me understand everything.

    No wonder I was hired directly without even going through the interview process at the beginning.

    Originally, this was hispany, and he pitied me, so he gave me this job.

    So, based on my own abilities, I really couldn¡¯t find any job.

    Ha!

    I used to always say that Reynaldo looked down on me.

    Well, you see, I was really terrible to the extreme. I had to rely on

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    acquaintances even for a job.

    ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t overthink it. This job was carned by your own abilities.¡±

 Too Close 111

    Chapter111

    Fortunately, everyone was very busy and didn¡¯t pay much attention to

    me.

    I held my forehead, thinking about my dad¡¯s matters, truly feeling troubled and confused.

    I hesitated whether to give Winston a call and promise to repay the

    money.

    Anyway, I have to repay Winston¡¯s twenty million as soon as possible, no matter what.

    I was so annoyed, and I didn¡¯t know any quick ways to make money.

    Twenty million, with my sry, I might not even be able to save up for it even if I worked until I died.

    And during this period, it¡¯s possible that my dad would still cause

    trouble.

    Whenever I think of my dad¡¯s current state, my heart feels as heavy as a stone, and I can¡¯t breathe.

    And I also don¡¯t know if I just got too angry with my dad.

    My stomach ached in waves.

    Iy on the table, closed my eyes and rxed for a while, and then my stomach felt a bit better.

    No, I couldn¡¯t let my father¡¯s situation affect my mood.

    1143

    Chapter111

    Tonight, Mr. Pruitt was going to take me to meet with investors. I had to gather my spirits, adjust my mood, and not ruin thepany¡¯s

    affairs.

    I opened the notes from the morning meeting and took out the project. materials topare.

    Just then, there suddenly came waves of exmation in the office.

    Almost everyone looked towards the door.

    I also followed their gaze and looked over, and I was stunned.

    I saw Winston, wearing a suit with a leather cor, walking in.

    Strange, how did Winstone here?

    Could it be that they came to look for me?

    I quickly stood up and was about to greet him, but I saw him walking straight towards the president¡¯s office without even ncing in my direction.

    I was stunned.

    It seems that I guessed wrong, he didn¡¯te to see me, but to talk to Mr. Pruitt.

    I saw him go straight into the president¡¯s office without needing the secretary to announce, and I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised: Didn¡¯t Winston just return to the country recently? When did he be so familiar with Mr. Pruitt?

    Just as I was thinking, suddenly there came a burst of discussion from beside me.

    11.43

    Chapter111

    ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯ve heard long ago that Mr. Pruitt worked for someone, and there was even a big boss behind him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I heard too. That handsome guy who just came in has an extraordinary temperament. Could he be the big boss?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know him? He is the second son of the Humphrey family, Reynaldo¡¯s brother. You know Reynaldo, right? He¡¯s the one who has been making a big name for himself in the mall recently.¡±

    My heart trembled slightly as I heard them mention Reynaldo.

    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t pay much attention to Reynaldo¡¯s personal life.

    Otherwise, my identity as Reynaldo¡¯s ex¨Cwife would definitely be uncovered by them.

    ¡°It turns out to be the second son of the Humphrey family, no wonder he has such a good temperament. Look at him going straight into the president¡¯s office, no need to say, he must be the big boss.¡±

    Upon hearing this, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    Was Winston the big boss of Clicks Media?

    Really?

    If he were the boss of thispany, then wouldn¡¯t I be working under him?

    Suddenly, I remembered that Reynaldo had asked me if I was working under Winston before.

    At that time, I firmly said no, and I even said that my job had nothing to do with Winston.

    1147

    Chapter111

    But now, they actually told me that the big boss of thispany was Winston?!

    No, I didn¡¯t believe it!

    I suddenly got up and wanted to go find him to ask for rification.

    Just as I reached the door of the president¡¯s office, the door of the office opened.

    Winston paused for a moment and then smiled at me, saying, ¡°I was just about toe find you.¡±

    ¡°So, you have always known that I work here?¡± I stared at him firmly.

    Winston nodded silently.

    I took a slight breath and asked again, ¡°They said you are the big boss of thispany, is that true?¡±

    This time, he didn¡¯t speak anymore, he just looked at me deeply.

    And his silence made me understand everything.

    No wonder I was hired directly without even going through the interview process at the beginning.

    Originally, this was hispany, and he pitied me, so he gave me this job.

    So, based on my own abilities, I really couldn¡¯t find any job.

    Ha!

    I used to always say that Reynaldo looked down on me.

    Well, you see, I was really terrible to the extreme. I had to rely on

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    acquaintances even for a job.

    ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t overthink it. This job was carned by your own abilities.¡±

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    Chapter112

    ¡°Is it? Did I achieve it all by myself? Then what did I achieve it with?¡± Iughed self¨Cmockingly.

    Winston eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, actually you did very well, really, Anton even said you did very well, and you worked very diligently.¡±

    Anton Pruitt?

    Is that our Mr. Pruitt?

    I looked into the president¡¯s office by passing over his shoulder.

    I saw Mr. Pruitt sitting on the chair, smiling at me strangely.

    I didn¡¯t feel like pondering the smile on Anton¡¯s face, at this moment, I felt particrly defeated in my heart.

    I always thought that I was capable, that I could live a good life without my family, without a man.

    But whenever I was filled with hope for life, there would always be some cruel reality to strike me.

    I took a deep breath ufortably and said to Winston, ¡°I know you mean well and I appreciate your help, but I can¡¯t continue doing this job anymore.¡±

    Winston¡¯s face turned pale as he listened.

    He turned back to Anton and said, ¡°You go out first, I have something

    11470

    to say to her,¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anton smiled and got up briskly, leaving.

    As he passed by me, he smiled at me again.

    That smile seemed to hold a hint of meaning.

    After Anton left, Winston pulled me into the president¡¯s office.

    He eximed urgently, ¡°Ralda, you were doing such a great job in this work, why do you want to resign? Just because the big boss of thispany is me? But what does that have to do with anything? We are friends, isn¡¯t it normal for friends to rmend jobs to each other?¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°What was different?¡±

    ¡°I had promised Reynaldo that I would no longer have any involvement with you, and I had solemnly dered in front of him that it was impossible for me to work under your supervision.¡±

    So, the words I said myself, I have to live up to them.

    ¡°Reynaldo, it¡¯s Reynaldo again, Ralda. Last time with Grandma¡¯s incident, wasn¡¯t it enough for him to hurt you? Besides hurting you, what else can he do?¡±

    I pursed my lips, unsure of what to say.

    Actually, wanting to resign was not only because of Reynaldo, but also because of the stubbornness and determination in my heart.

    I always believed that I found this job myself, and I have always wanted to prove it to Reynaldo that even as a useless rich girl, I

    I can

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    earn a living on my own.

    Well, originally, this job was given to me by Winston.

    I couldn¡¯t fully ept this truth.

    me only myself for being too foolish, I didn¡¯t notice so many clues.

    For example, even a fool could think that it is impossible for me, a neer who has only been here for a few days, to be assigned to this project.

    I really foolishly thought that the opportunity was earned through my hard work and dedication.

    Ridiculous, it¡¯s truly ridiculous.

    I felt very upset.

    With my father¡¯s matter added, my mood was on the verge of copsing.

    Struggling to suppress my pessimistic mood, I eximed to Winston, ¡°I really can¡¯t do this job anymore, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Winston forced a smile and said, ¡°It seems that I really shouldn¡¯t have. shown up. At least, you will still be treated well in thispany.¡±

    Ralda, you were just carrying too much emotional baggage. If you hadn¡¯t cared so much about Reynaldo, you would have definitely lived a good life.

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    Winston looked at me with a stubborn expression, took a deep breath, and after a while, he sighed, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t force you.¡±

    42.214

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    After saying that, he turned around and faced away from me, as if he was somewhat hurt.

    I lowered my gaze and felt so sad that I wanted to cry.

    I choked up and said, ¡°Winston, thank you, and¡­ I will find a way to repay the money my dad borrowed from you.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡±

    ¡°It has to be repaid, definitely.¡± I said firmly, and then silently left the president¡¯s office.

    Back at my desk, I started packing up my things.

    After knowing how I got this job, I couldn¡¯t stay for a moment longer.

    Several colleagues looked at me in surprise, and they asked me what was wrong. I simply said that I was resigning.

    They asked more questions, and I didn¡¯t answer much.

    Several colleagues said that I had offended the boss and was directly fired by the boss.

    I smiled bitterly and thought to myself, ¡°If only it were true, at least that would prove that my job was earned by my own efforts.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have many things, so I tidied up in a few moments.

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    ?Chapter113

    I didn¡¯t even want the sry anymore and was about to leave when Winston suddenly called again.

    ¡°Ralda, once you finish the evening¡¯s investment negotiations, you may leave.¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°The project secretary team leader has been following up on this project, and she has taught me everything I know. You should take her with you, it¡¯s more reliable.¡±

    Today, I was devastated by a series of bad news, and my mood was on the verge of copsing. I had no energy at all.

    If I had followed them, it might have caused trouble for them.

    Winston fell silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°For this project, I¡¯ll give you amission. Even if you resign, as long as this project is sessful, I¡¯ll give you a 5%mission. Is that okay?¡±

    This¡­

    I don¡¯t know why Winston insisted on me discussing this project. In terms of knowledge and experience, I am not qualified enough.

    Feeling inexplicably uneasy, I was about to refuse.

    He continued, ¡°Ralda, to be honest, this project is rtively niche, and they all believe it will be a loss, so there are hardly any investors. willing to invest.¡±

    But I felt that this project had great potential and was worth a try. Once

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    sessful, the profits would multiply several times over, and ourpany would also gain a great reputation.

    You see, thispany was established only a few years ago, and I had just returned to my home country not long ago. I didn¡¯t have many

    resources, so now I¡¯m relying solely on this project to turn things around for me.

    So Ralda, I really hoped that you could help me secure this investment.

    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t have that ability either.¡±

    I felt that Winston thought too highly of me.

    As a destitute heiress with no money, resources, or abilities, what could I use to help him secure those investments?

    Moreover, there are so many talented individuals in thepany, wouldn¡¯t it be more effective to let capable people handle investment negotiations?

    From what he just said, it can be seen that this project is rted to the future development of theirpany.

    I, an inexperienced neer, really dare not go and talk.

    If I messed up the project, my fault would be huge.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Winston, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help. you, it¡¯s just that my abilities are really limited. You should let someone from thepany who has the ability and experience go instead.¡±

    Winston remained silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°Actually, among the investors I met this time, the biggest one was Johnathan.¡±

    11.4700

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    ¡°What?¡±

    I was truly shocked.

    Winston said, ¡°I know you have some connection with Johnathan, and if you approach him to talk, he is likely to do you a favor.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­ I wasn¡¯t familiar with him.¡±

    Whenever Johnathan is mentioned, I am reminded of Reynaldo.

    These two are good brothers. If I help Winston to find Johnathan for investment, will Johnathan tell Reynaldo?

    Will Reynaldo go crazy in front of me again?

    My mind was spinning in circles, and Winston said, ¡°I know my request is putting you in a difficult position, but I really have no other choice.¡±

    You also know about the situation in my family. By our generation, there was simply no property or connections in our home.

    I had the title of the second youngest member of the Humphrey family, but I had to rely on myself to build my career.

    Now my eldest brother has seeded, and it¡¯s just me left. I don¡¯t want to be a useless person overshadowed by my eldest brother.

    ¡°Ralda, can you help me, please?¡±

    I was a little hesitant in my heart.

    Johnathan, that big mouth, he liked to tell Reynaldo everything.

    I¡¯m just afraid that Reynaldo¡­

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    Just as he was thinking, Winston said again, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you were going to pay me back? As long as you help me secure the investment for this project, the twenty million can be offset, can¡¯t it?¡±

    I was startled and quickly said, ¡°How can this be?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Winston chuckled bitterly. ¡°If this project seeds, the profits will be at least a few billion, and my resources. and connections will also increase. So, what¡¯s the big deal about twenty million?¡°.

    I still had some hesitation.

    Because I was really scared of Johnathan.

    In a moment of hesitation, Winston suddenly sighed sadly and said with a smile, ¡°Never mind, Ralda, this request really puts you in a difficult position. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll think of another solution.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± I pursed my lips and said, ¡°That night, I went with you guys.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Winston eximed with evident excitement. ¡°Thank you, Ralda. Thank you so much.¡±

 Too Close 114

    I sighed heavily after hanging up the phone.

    Knowing that Johnathan was the biggest investor, I really didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter.

    But there was no way, my dad owed him twenty million.

    He lent my dad twenty million so generously, and now that he needs help and is humbly asking me, how can I possibly refuse?

    And he said, if the negotiation is sessful, then the twenty million. can be offset.

    So, in the situation where I didn¡¯t have the ability to repay the money, I could only do my best to help him secure this investment.

    The investment negotiation meeting was scheduled for 7 o¡¯clock in the evening at Citrus Hotel.

    I had already changed into professional attire and made all the preparations by around five o¡¯clock.

    At six o¡¯clock, Winston and Anton set off with me.

    This negotiation meeting, both Winston and Anton were present, indicating that they really valued this project.

    The assistant drove the car, while Anton sat in the passenger seat.

    Winston and I sat in the back.

    Winston looked at me and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ralda, but

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    this time I need to use your connections to help me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me, it was actually me and my dad. who owed you.¡±

    I paused for a moment and then said, ¡°However, I¡¯m not really familiar with Johnathan, so I can¡¯t be 100% sure that I can help you get his

    investment.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just do your best,¡± Winston smiled and patted my shoulder, his eyes and brows as gentle as ever.

    I nced at him, turned my head to look out the window, and felt a bitplicated and disturbed in my heart.

    Johnathan seemed carefree and jovial, but he was actually very difficult

    to talk to.

    And Johnathan used to always enjoy provoking Reynaldo.

    Ah,ter I can only find an opportunity to talk to Johnathan and ask him not to tell Reynaldo about this.

    As I was thinking, I suddenly saw a figure reflected on the car window.

    It seemed like Anton was looking at me.

    I instinctively turned my head and coincidentally met Anton¡¯s gaze.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I rushed to ask him, ¡°Mr. Pruitt, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Anton smirked and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    At first, I thought he was not only handsome but also had a gentle and refined temperament.

    But at that moment, as I looked at him, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was smiling somewhat mischievously.

    From the day he asked me if I was pregnant, I felt that there was something strange in the way he looked at me.

    Anton turned his head away, and I looked at his profile, feeling somewhat puzzled.

    We quickly arrived at the Citrus Hotel.

    The private room that Winston reserved was on the third floor.

    When we arrived, the investors had not arrived yet.

    Winston said that they had invited a total of 10 investors, but in the end, only 3 agreed toe.

    The most powerful figure in terms of financial influence was Johnathan.

    In other words, as long as Johnathan¡¯s investment was secured, this project could proceed steadily.

    Johnathan.

    Ah, thinking back to the times I was deceived by him before, I feel a bit frightened.

    But this time, we were discussing investment and cooperation seriously, so he shouldn¡¯t be joking with me anymore.

    Just as I was thinking, two investors came together.

    The three of us quickly stood up and greeted them, inviting them to take a seat.

    5012

    1140

    When I arrived, Winston told me that there were three investors,

    besides Johnathan, the other two were Mr. Schultz from a consortiumpany and Mr. Esparza from a listedpany.

    The fat one is Mr. Schultz, and the thinner one is Mr. Esparza.

    After the two of them entered, they looked around the private room and asked Winston, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Mr. Dup arrived yet?¡±

    Winston looked at the time and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s almost time, we should be

    on our way.¡®

    Mr. Schultz frowned impatiently and said to Mr. Esparza, ¡°If only we had known, we would haveeter too.¡±

    ¡°Well, we should learn from Mr. Dup and tread carefully, otherwise some people might think we attach great importance to this project.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡±

    Listening to the conversation between the two people, Winston¡¯s expression changed slightly, showing some displeasure.

    I shook my head at him and quickly got up to pour them tea, saying, ¡°Hello, Mr. Schultz and Mr. Esparza.¡±

    They ignored me and instead sneered at Winston, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, to be honest, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that you are Mr. Humphrey¡¯s brother, we wouldn¡¯t have wanted toe on this trip.¡±

    11:48

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    Chapter115

    ¡°Well, of course, after all, you are Mr. Humphrey¡¯s brother, and for the sake of Mr. Humphrey¡¯s reputation, we still have to give a little.¡±

    Anton lightly chuckled as he swirled his ss, his voice faintly tinged. with a hint of sarcasm.

    Winston remained silent and simply tightened the hand at his side.

    I took a slight breath and smiled at them, saying, ¡°Mr. Schultz, Mr. Esparza, actually, our Mr. Humphrey is also very talented. Reynaldo just seeded earlier, but it doesn¡¯t mean that Mr. Humphrey cannot be sessful.¡±

    ¡°Is it so?¡±

    Suddenly, a familiar softughter came from the entrance.

    My heart trembled fiercely, and I suddenly lifted my head¡­

    I saw Reynaldo, wearing a suit with a leather cor,ing in from outside.

    The man exuded an air of nobility, with a hint of authority and. aloofness in his cold and distant gaze.

    He looked at me with a light smile, his lips slightly curved with a hint of mockery.

    I was stiff all over, from head to toe, and felt cold.

    What happened?

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    How could Reynaldo have appeared?

    Wasn¡¯t Johnathan the biggest investor? Why did Reynaldoe instead?

    I mechanically looked at Winston.

    Winston lowered his eyebrows and squinted, making it difficult to discern his expression.

    So who can tell me why it was said that I would discuss investment with Johnathan, but now it has be Reynaldo?

    At this moment, I wanted to escape, but my feet felt as if they had grown roots and couldn¡¯t lift a step.

    As soon as Reynaldo arrived, the other two executives also respectfully stood up to greet him.

    The two bosses didn¡¯t dare to sit down until he had taken his seat.

    It can be seen that he now holds a dominant position in the business world.

    Reynaldo nced at me and chuckled lightly at Winston, ¡°Is she¡­ your newly hired secretary?¡±

    The word ¡°secretary¡± came out of his mouth, carrying deep meaning.

    I tightened my grip on the hand by my side and said to him, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, his gaze towards me was icy cold.

    true word in your mouth!¡±

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, there wasn¡¯t a single true word in

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    That tone, filled with utmost disappointment, anger, and sarcasm, felt like a sharp knife, piercing deeply into my heart.

    I took a deep breath ufortably and said to him, ¡°Many times I told you the truth, but you didn¡¯t believe me.¡±

    He gave a light sigh, exhaled smoke, which was his even more mocking sneer.

    The two bosses nced at him, then nced at me, and then whispered to each other in discussion.

    The murmurs of astonishment and anticipation could be faintly heard.

    ¡°I suddenly remembered, this woman seems to be Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex- wife, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t notice it earlier either, but how did Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex- wife end up working for him again?¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand this. Before this woman married Mr. Humphrey, it seems like she had some unclear rtionship with him. Now that she has divorced Mr. Humphrey, she naturally rushed to him.¡±

    ¡°Wow, she was really bold. Isn¡¯t this equivalent to provoking Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. The way Mr. Humphrey looked at her, it was as if he wanted to tear her into pieces.¡±

    ¡°Huh, Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex¨Cwife got involved with Mr. Humphrey¡¯s younger brother. Now, there¡¯s some drama to watch.¡±

    Bang!

    Chapter115

    Reynaldo carelessly ced the ss on the table, his voice not loud, but it definitely startled the two whispering individuals.

    The two of them hurriedly smiled at Reynaldo and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, we really didn¡¯t expect it to be you at this investment negotiation meeting. Nice to meet you.¡±

    The two of them spoke and respectfully raised their sses to Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo casually lifted his ss, but his icy gaze remained fixed on

    me.

    If looks could kill, I would have died a thousand times.

    Winstonughed and said to Reynaldo, ¡°Yeah, bro, I remember inviting Mr. Dup from Crown Group. I wonder why he didn¡¯te and instead asked you toe?¡±

    What does it mean?

    So Winston didn¡¯t know in advance that it would be Reynaldo who wasing?

    Reynaldo chuckled softly and sarcastically remarked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t little. brother know that Johnathan is the president of Crown Group, and I am the hidden boss behind the scenes?¡±

    Just like you and Mr. Pruitt, one is the president of Clicks Media on the surface, and the other is the big boss behind Clicks Media.

    I think you were very familiar with this operation, Second Brother.

    I looked at Winston, and I was already feeling a bit confused in my mind.

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    Remembering how persistently he tried to persuade me to invest, a chill ran through my heart.

    Did he really not know that Reynaldo is the big boss of Crown Group?

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    Chapter116

    Did he really not expect Reynaldo toe?

    I looked at Winston¡¯s gentle eyes and felt a chill in my heart.

    Winston lowered his gaze and smiled, ¡°I think you misunderstood, big brother. Back then, I had to go abroad for further studies, so I had no choice but to entrust thepany to Anton. Over time, he became the renowned Mr. Pruitt that everyone admires.¡±

    And as for your rtionship with Mr. Dup, big brother, I really don¡¯t know.

    ¡°If I had known it was going to be you, big brother, I wouldn¡¯t have gone through all this trouble organizing this negotiation meeting, right?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and sarcastically asked, ¡°So, why did you bring this woman here to attract investments?¡±

    If I remember correctly, she didn¡¯t spend many days in yourpany, inexperienced and incapable.

    You sent her out for such an important project. Are you looking down. on your own project or looking down on us investors?¡±

    Look, in the man¡¯s words, there was nothing but disdain and mockery towards me.

    I could tell that he really despised me.

    I bit my lower lip and was about to speak.

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    A heartyughter suddenly rang out, ¡°Mr. Humphrey was mistaken in his words.¡±

    I was startled and instinctively looked back.

    Anton sat up straight and smiled at Reynaldo, saying, ¡°Although Esmeralda is just a neer, she had a strong learning ability. We sent her out, naturally affirming her capabilities.¡±

    What about you, Mr. Humphrey? On what basis do you determine that she is not capable? After all, she has never worked under your supervision, right?

    I watched Anton with emotion.

    As a leader, he was truly encouraging me all the time.

    Reynaldo leaned back on the chair and chuckled, ¡°You say she has the ability, well, I really want to see what abilities she has to get an investment from me!¡±

    When Reynaldo said this, there was a strong sense of determination in

    his tone.

    I stared at his cold face intently, and my heart began to falter.

    If the other party was Johnathan, perhaps I would still have a tiny bit of confidence.

    After all, even though Johnathan is not easy to talk to, everything can be discussed with him. If we discuss for a long time, perhaps this deal will be made.

    But Reynaldo was different.

    Reynaldo was not only difficult to talk to, but he also had a very cold.

    temperament and was unpredictable.

    And he also extremely despised me.

    So, he asked me to discuss cooperation with him, and in this case, there may really be no room for negotiation.

    Yeah, yourpany had a newly hired rookie talk to us, as if it was a big deal. You guys really don¡¯t value us investors.¡±

    Yeah, yeah, just a little girl, I don¡¯t believe she could have any abilities.¡±

    At this time, Mr. Schultz and Mr. Esparza followed along with Reynaldo.

    I understood that if we couldn¡¯t secure Reynaldo¡¯s investment today, then both of these twopanies would be out of the game.

    No, I couldn¡¯t back down.

    Anton trusted me so much, often encouraged me, and just spoke up for

    me.

    I couldn¡¯t let him down.

    And my dad owed Winston twenty million.

    Although I kept saying that I would return it to him, what could I possibly use to repay him?

    And now is a good opportunity to repay the debt, as long as we help Winston secure this investment, we can also settle the twenty million with him.

    So no matter how Reynaldo sees me now, I just consider myself as an

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    employee of Clicks Media, and my purpose ofing here is solely to help the boss secure investment for this project.

    With this in mind, I picked up the bottle and ss, and walked over to Reynaldo¡¯s side voluntarily.

    I shed him a signature smile and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, let me offer you a drink first.¡±

    I said and went to pour him a drink.

    Little did he know, he suddenly reached out and covered the mouth of the cup, sneering at Winston and Anton, ¡°Is this what you call the ability to please people by pouring drinks? Ha, then yourpany is reallycking in talent.¡±

    Winston opened his mouth, about to say something.

    Anton smirked and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it basic etiquette to pour drinks for clients and toast with them? Isn¡¯t Mr. Humphrey being too demanding towards Esmeralda?¡±

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes slightly, and after a moment, he chuckled softly and moved his hand away.

    I carefully poured him a ss of wine, and then poured myself a ss as well, and said to him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, I toast to you.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything this time, he just lightlyughed, raised his ss and clinked it with mine, and then he downed the entire drink.

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    I respected his first ss of wine, and he did give me face.

    Next, I went to pay my respects to Mr. Schultz and Mr. Esparza.

    These two bosses saw that Reynaldo had drunk the wine I had offered, so they couldn¡¯t continue to put on airs and make things difficult for

    me.

    I returned to my seat and smiled at them, saying, ¡°Because we attach great importance to this investment negotiation meeting and value all the executives, both of ourpany¡¯s bosses attended.¡±

    Just now, my presence may have made everyone unhappy. I apologize to all of you here.

    Actually, whether you are willing to invest in our project or not, the decision is up to you. Regardless of whether I have the ability or not, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to listen to my exnation of this project first and then make a decision, right?

    And, let¡¯s juste and have a meal together, and catch up.

    Mr. Schultz and Mr. Esparza instinctively looked at Reynaldo.

    When Reynaldo didn¡¯t speak, they just hummed.

    I looked at them and they didn¡¯t seem to have much resistance, so I took out the project materials I had prepared earlier and gave each of them a copy.

    As expected, they did not open it and just casually threw the document

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    aside, with a rather disdainful expression.

    I ignored all of this and simply smiled at them, exining the advantages of this project and the benefits they could gain from investing.

    Mr. Esparza and Mr. Schultz were obviously trying to curry favor with Reynaldo, so they both followed Reynaldo¡¯s lead.

    As long as Reynaldo was willing to invest in our project, these two executives would definitely invest as well.

    So I didn¡¯t really pay much attention to them and focused on persuading Reynaldo.

    I sat next to Reynaldo with a bottle of wine in my hand.

    Reynaldo gave me a meaningful look and spoke bluntly, ¡°Trying to seduce me, huh? Too bad it won¡¯t work.¡±

    I just wanted to sit next to him, making it convenient to toast him and have a conversation with him.

    How it appeared in his eyes, it became ¡®seductive¡°.

    Winston¡¯s face turned cold as he grabbed my arm and said to Reynaldo, ¡°For this project of mine, invest if you want to, but if you don¡¯t want to, there¡¯s no need to say such harsh words.¡±

    Although my achievements may not be as great as yours, and my career may not be as sessful as yours, I would never allow my employees to use their appearance to attract investments.

    With that, he looked at me and said, ¡°Ralda,e over here!¡±

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    Reynaldo leaned back on the chair, watching me and Winston with a yful look.

    The sarcasm on his handsome face made my eyes particrly ufortable.

    He blew a smoke ring and smirked at Winston, ¡°So, what was your purpose in calling her?¡±

    ¡°I said, I didn¡¯t know it would be you who came!¡± Winston said coldly.

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Seeing the two of them with their crossbows drawn, I felt panicked.

    How can we continue discussing project investment if things continue. like this?

    I just want to help Winston secure investments now, so that I won¡¯t owe Winston anything anymore.

    I forcefully broke free from Winston¡¯s hand and smiled at him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll talk to Mr. Humphrey first. After all, our project has great potential, and the probability of investment profitability is likely to multiply several times. Mr. Humphrey is so good at making money and sensitive to business opportunities, I believe he will definitely be interested in our project.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and remained silent, with a casual expression.

    It can be affirmed that he did note for this project tonight, but for

    me.

    That is to say, he already knew that I would represent Clicks Media to attend this negotiation meeting.

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    But how did he know? And when did he know?

    When he called me today, the tone of his voice seemed as if he still didn¡¯t know that I was working under Winston.

    Including me, I just found out that the big boss of ourpany was Winston.

    I recalled in my mind the scene where Winston convinced me to pull

    the investment.

    So, was it intentional for Winston to leak the information to him?

    I vigorously waved away the troubled thoughts in my mind and raised a ss to Reynaldo again.

    Then, I continued to exin the advantages of this project, trying my best to persuade him to invest.

    Reynaldo ignored the project I told him about, but he did drink all the wine I offered.

    Upon seeing this, Mr. Esparza and Mr. Schultz estimated that they thought Reynaldo intentionally wanted to punish me by making me drink alcohol.

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    So the two.c

    quickly said, ¡°Hey, secretary, what does it mean that

    you only respect Mr. Humphrey and ignore the two of us?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, are we just decorations? Or is it that your little Clicks Media looks down on ourpany?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course not,¡± I said with a smile, pretending to be silly. ¡°One by one, I¡¯ll toast you both after I toast Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    They were originally afraid of Reynaldo, so I said to respect Reynaldo first, and they didn¡¯t dare to say anything.

    When I came to pay my respects to them.

    Mr. Esparza deliberately spilled three sses of wine and smirked at me, ¡°It¡¯s not fun to drink one ss at a time. Since you want us to invest, show some sincerity and drink all three sses.¡±

    After Mr. Esparza finished speaking, Mr. Schultz poured five full sses of wine and said, ¡°If you drink three sses of his, then wouldn¡¯t you have to drink five sses of mine? This way, it will appear more sincere in front of me, right?¡±

    In an instant, eight full sses of wine appeared in front of me.

    Actually, I wasn¡¯t very good at drinking. When I was drinking with Reynaldo just now, I deliberately poured myself half a ss, and they didn¡¯t notice.

    If I were to drink all eight cups this time, I reckon I would have passed

    out.

    Chapter118

    Forget it, anyway the main goal is not these two people, just deal with Reynaldo, their wine, if possible, let¡¯s not drink it.

    I was about to find an excuse to refuse when Reynaldo suddenly smiled at me softly and said, ¡°They say you have abilities, but I haven¡¯t seen what your abilities are until now.¡±

    I looked at him intently and said, ¡°So, what is Mr. Humphrey¡¯s belief about ability?¡±

    It was really ridiculous.

    He had never looked down on me before, so no matter what I did, he would only think that I was worthless.

    If that¡¯s the case, what is heing here for tonight? Is it just to humiliate me?

    A touch of anger arose in my heart unconsciously.

    But in my mind, his focus and madness when he was on me kept resurfacing.

    How ironic it is.

    He looked down on me while sleeping with me at the same time, what a problem!

    I suppressed my anger and forced a smile as I pleaded with him for investment. ¡°Please forgive us ordinary people for not meeting your expectations. So, may I ask, Mr. Humphrey, what do you consider as ability?¡±

    Reynaldoughed and casually said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s consider drinking. ability as a skill for now. If you can finish those eight sses of wine, I will agree to invest in your project. How about that?¡±

    So, he deliberately wanted me to drink those eight sses of wine?

    Winston immediately eximed to me, ¡°You can¡¯t, Ralda. Eight sses of strong liquor, your stomach won¡¯t be able to handle it.

    We were once a couple, Mr.

    Antonughed at Reynaldo and said, Humphrey, why do you have to be like this?¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his head and lit a cigarette. He threw the lighter on the table and chuckled at me.

    ¡°If doing business also emphasizes personal rtionships, then it¡¯s better not to do this business!¡±

    This statement was obviously said to me.

    The implication in his words was, isn¡¯t he just mocking me for trying to leverage our past rtionship to secure his investment?

    Well, I never thought of relying on his connections.

    Otherwise, he would have mocked me mercilessly.

    Isn¡¯t it just eight sses of wine? It¡¯s not something difficult, after all, just drink it all and you¡¯ll feel ufortable for a few days.

    I stared at Reynaldo and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Is what you¡¯re saying true? If I drink these eight sses of wine, will you invest in this project?¡±

    Reynaldo blew a smoke ring and sarcastically chuckled, ¡°I never deceive people, unlike certain individuals.¡±

    I mocked myself in my heart.

    Isn¡¯t his so¨Ccalled ¡°certain people¡± referring to me?

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    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, anyway, in his eyes, I was always a big liar.

    ¡°Well, Mr. Humphrey is the final word. If you can finish those eight sses of wine, not to mention Mr. Humphrey, our group will also invest along with you.¡±

    ¡°And ourpany was too.¡±

    At this moment, Mr. Esparza and Mr. Schultz also quickly followed Reynaldo to express their stance.

    Winston suddenly mmed the table and growled, ¡°Enough! Let¡¯s talk about cooperation, but what¡¯s the point of forcing a girl to drink?¡±

    If you are willing to invest in this project, go ahead. If you are not willing to invest, I won¡¯t force you either, but don¡¯t take advantage of others too much.

    15

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    Mr. Esparza chuckled and said, ¡°What do you mean by going too far? Since we are discussing business at the dining table, drinking is inevitable. If yourpany can¡¯t afford it, then don¡¯t y!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mr. Schultz sneered at Winston. ¡°Just a few drinks, and Mr. Humphrey is already impatient? His temperament and determination are really iparable to our Mr. Humphrey. No

    wonder Mr. Humphrey can seed, while you have to struggle so hard to ask for investment for a project.¡±

    Almost everyone in Freybourne knew that the two young masters of the Humphrey family did not get along.

    Reynaldo has always been the abandoned child of the Humphrey family since he was young, while Winston has always been raised like the center of attention among the stars.

    In the past, when the Humphrey family still had a reputation and Reynaldo had not yet prospered, almost everyone in Freybourne spoke highly of Winston and looked down upon Reynaldo.

    Now Reynaldo has be sessful, and the situation has suddenly turned around.

    How can it not be ironic when talking about it?

    The world was still governed by power.

    Winston tightly held onto the hand beside him, his face looking very pale.

    Chapter139

    11

    I saw unwillingness, anger, and patience in his usually gentle eyes.

    He grew up in the spotlight from a young age, but now he is alwayspared to Reynaldo, which inevitably creates a sense of disparity in his heart.

    I took a deep breath and smiled <b>at </b>the two bosses, ¡°You have misunderstood, we do have sincerity, but our boss has always been considerate of the employees. He was afraid that drinking alcohol would harm my stomach, so he said that.¡±

    Actually, our boss is also very capable. After all, Clicks Media is not at smallpany. You can really look forward to the results of our project.

    ¡°Huh!¡± I had just finished saying, and Reynaldo chuckled lightly, full of irony.

    I ignored him and just picked up the wine,ughing, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just eight sses of wine? I can drink, I can drink.¡±

    With that, I looked at Reynaldo again and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, don¡¯t forget what you just said.¡±

    After saying that, I immediately finished the first ss of wine.

    The strong liquor entered the throat, creating a burning sensation.

    I was quite grateful to Lavonne, who often took me to bars and helped me develop my limited alcohol tolerance.

    I picked up the second cup again and drank it all in one go.

    Isn¡¯t it just eight sses of wine? Just treat it like taking a sip of herb

    soup.

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    However, after drinking the fourth cup, my stomach started to feel ufortable. It was burning intensely, and my head was a little. dizzy. My throat was also throbbing with a fiery sensation.

    I propped up the edge of the table, furrowing my brow ufortably.

    In a hazy gaze, I saw Reynaldo blowing smoke rings, his cold ck eyes silently staring at me.

    Afraid that he would be impatient. I dared not rest and quickly picked up the fifth ss of wine.

    Just as I was about to take a sip, my wrist was suddenly grabbed by arge hand.

    Winston looked at me with aplex expression on his face and said, ¡°Ralda, stop drinking. I don¡¯t want this investment anymore.¡±

    I shook my head and pulled away his hand, ¡°No, I promised you and I must keep my word. There are still four sses of wine left, I can¡¯t give up halfway, otherwise the first four sses would have been drunk in vain.¡±

    At that moment, Anton suddenly said to Reynaldo, ¡°Let me drink for her instead.¡±

    Reynaldo smirked and chuckled leisurely, ¡°What, do you feel sorry for her? If that¡¯s the case, then why did you deliberately bring her along?¡±

    Since you brought her here, don¡¯t put on such a pitiful and hypocritical

    appearance.

    Anton frowned, wanting to say something more.

    I shook his arm and smiled at him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Pruitt. It¡¯s just drinking, I have drunk before, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

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    A hint ofplexity quickly shed through Anton¡¯s deep eyes.

    He looked at Reynaldo and sarcastically said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect Mr. Humphrey to truly despise his ex¨Cwife as the rumors say. But, Mr. Humphrey, as a CEO, isn¡¯t it a bit petty to target your own ex¨Cwife like this?¡±

    I lowered my gaze and looked at the swaying drink in the cup, with a bitter smile.

    It turns out that everyone really knew that Reynaldo disliked me, even Mr. Pruitt knew!

    Reynaldo¡¯s disgust towards me, it seemed, had truly never been disguised.

    Luckily, I was about to break up with him.

    ¡°Regarding her?¡± Reynaldo chuckled.

    He sat up straight and calmly looked <b>at </b>me, ¡°They say I¡¯m targeting you, what do you think?¡±

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    I tried my best to wave away the troubled emotions in my heart, and I forced a smile as I said to Reynaldo, ¡°No, eight sses of wine can surely secure Mr. Humphrey¡¯s investment. It seems like a profitable deal to me, so why would Mr. Humphrey be targeting me?¡±

    Reynaldo tugged at his lip and looked at Anton, ¡°Did you hear that?¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, he just snorted coldly and sat back in his chair to smoke.

    <b>I </b>smiled at Winston reassuringly again, then tilted my head back and drank down the fifth ss of wine.

    When I was drinking this cup, I identally choked and started. coughing violently.

    I quickly grabbed the edge of the table and coughed so hard that my internal organs were about to explode.

    anymore,

    Winston lightly patted my back and sadly said, ¡°Don¡¯t drink anym Ralda, really, don¡¯t drink anymore.¡±

    I shook my head and smiled at him, ¡°No, you can¡¯t drink, cough¡­ you must drink, just¡­ cough¡­ almost seeded,

    At this moment, my head was getting dizzier and my stomach was churning and burning.

    I forcefully suppressed the difort all over my body and picked up the sixth ss of wine.

    Chapter120

    There are only three cups left, I must hold on!

    ¡°Do you know what the consequences would be for you if you were to drink eight sses of wine?¡± Suddenly, Reynaldo¡¯s soft and eerie voice rang out, his tone as cold as ice.

    I smiled at him drowsily and said, ¡°These eight sses of wine were your request, right? Don¡¯t waste words, anyway, once I finish drinking, you have to invest in this project for us!¡±

    Reynaldo also didn¡¯t know what happened, and suddenly got angry.

    He stared at me coldly and almost through gritted teeth, said, ¡°Just for the sake of his project going smoothly, you¡¯re willing to give up your life? Esmeralda, how much do you care about him?¡±

    I was speechless in my heart.

    As an employee of Winston, did I have any connection with Winston when I wholeheartedly helped Winston raise investments?

    I couldn¡¯t understand, really couldn¡¯t understand.

    I had a headache.

    I just wanted to finish these remaining three sses of wine quickly and then go back to sleep well.

    However, just as I was drinking my sixth ss of wine, the drink in my hand was suddenly and forcefully swung onto the ground by someone.

    I waspletely stunned, before I could even react, Reynaldo grabbed me and quickly walked out.

    ¡°What were you doing?¡± I shook off his hand.

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    But he held on very tightly, my wrist was pulled so tightly that it hurt.

    He seemed very angry, walked quickly, and almost dragged me along.

    I was already feeling extremely ufortable, and my stomach was also in turmoil.

    He dragged me along like this, and I felt like I was about to vomit.

    I grabbed his arm and said ufortably, ¡°Slow down, slow down, I¡­ I feel like vomiting¡­¡±

    me

    Reynaldo snorted coldly and, turning the corner, pushed into the bathroom.

    I quickly bent over the sink and vomited uncontrobly, throwing up everything I had eaten today, until only sour water was left.

    My stomach felt extremely ufortable, with a burning sensation. and pain.

    I leaned on the sink in a disheveled state, feeling more ufortable than if I were dead.

    In the mirror, the man leaned against the wall, smoking

    absentmindedly, asionally casting a cold gaze towards me, as sharp as icy knives.

    I took a break for a while, and then I washed my face with water.

    The icy water made my mind a little clearer.

    Thinking about the project investment, I turned around with great

    effort and looked at him, saying, ¡°Why did you drag me out? I still had three sses of wine to drink.¡±

    <b>53.17</b>%

    1140

    I walked unsteadily out after saying that.

    Just the next second, I was pressed against the cold wall by him.

    His hand, holding a cigarette, propped against the side of my head, while his other hand pinched my chin, he said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you repeatedly im that you haven¡¯t been working for him?¡±

    Didn¡¯t you repeatedly im that you had no contact with him?

    What else did you say? Did you say you would never be with him?

    ¡°Hey Esmeralda, do you want to see what you were doing right now?¡±

    I pounded his chest in distress, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s talk.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me with a cold and terrifying gaze.

    He gritted his teeth and said word by word, ¡°You are now willing to sacrifice even your life for his project.¡±

    How much did you really love him? Huh?

    He spoke as he began to exert force with his hands.

    I immediately felt a severe pain in my chin, as if it was about to be crushed by him.

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    I furrowed my brow and struggled to growl, ¡°You¡­ you let go of me, first listen¡­ first listen to my exnation, okay?¡±

    He was like a madman at that moment, with a gleam of ferocity and hatred in his eyes.

    I felt like he really wanted to kill me.

    But I couldn¡¯t understand it.

    I didn¡¯t do anything terribly wicked to him either, at most he just mistakenly thought I deceived him.

    Just because of deception, he would put someone to death. Isn¡¯t he too cruel?

    My head became increasingly heavy.

    There were several moments when I felt his face was blurry.

    My chin was hurting terribly, and the pain was stabbing at my nerves, forcing me to stay awake.

    I pushed his chest in distress, almost about to cry out, ¡°It hurts, it hurts, let me go¡­¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and then let go.

    As soon as he let go, Ipletely copsed and clumsily fell to the ground.

    My chin hurt so much that I couldn¡¯t even bear to touch it, and I looked

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    at him with a sense of grievance.

    But he just looked down on me, with a cold and fierce expression.

    He took a deep drag on his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke, and uttered his words filled with extreme anger, ¡°Esmeralda, you are nothing but a fraud!¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if he hated deceiving everyone.

    I only knew that I deceived him once, and he almost took my life.

    I looked up at him with difficulty, trying to exin, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, I really didn¡¯t know that Winston was the big boss of ourpany at first. I only found out beforeing here, really.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, squatting down and looking at me, ¡°You didn¡¯t know at first? Esmeralda, who are you trying to fool?¡±

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know!¡± I groaned weakly, propping myself up on the ground.

    Reynaldo took a puff of his cigarette and chuckled at me, ¡°Well, let¡¯s pretend for a moment that you really didn¡¯t know. But before you came, you clearly knew that he was the big boss of ourpany. So why did you still choose to stay in hispany, apany him here, and even go all out to attract investments for him?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, you said you had nothing, how can you expect me to believe it?¡±

    The man stared at me with a mocking look in his eyes.

    I knew that he wouldn¡¯t believe whatever I said.

    He has always been like this, never trusting me, only feeling disgust

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    and hatred.

    Anyway, things have turned out this way, I must help him secure the investment for the Winston project.

    I clenched my hands tightly and looked at Reynaldo, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else for now, let¡¯s just focus on today¡¯s project¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly let out a low roar.

    His eyes red at me with a crimson hue, ¡°He¡¯s right in front of me, and yet you only care about him!¡±

    I shook my head helplessly, ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t care about him, I only cared about this project.¡±

    You said that as long as I drank those eight sses of wine, you would agree to invest in this project.

    here Wer

    So still three cups left, and I was going to finish drinking

    them!

    ¡°And Reynaldo, you, as a grand CEO, you cannot go back on your word¡­¡±

    I struggled to stand up after I finished speaking.

    At this moment, the aftereffect of the alcohol kicked in fully.

    felt dizzy and lightheaded, unable to stand steady.

    When I was about to fall, I could only instinctively reach out for Reynaldo¡¯s arm.

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    Reynaldo stared at me heavily, not saying a word, but his gaze was icy cold.

    I steadied my mind, then withdrew my hand, and made an effort to stand firm on my own.

    As I walked out, I shouted at him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey,e over here. I have to drink that wine in front of you, otherwise¡­ otherwise, what if you don¡¯t admit it?¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed my arm again and pulled me towards the elevator without saying a word.

    I was startled in my heart.

    What are you doing? Is he going to take me away?

    What about the project investment?

    There are still three sses of wine, I can¡¯t let the previous five sses go to waste.

    And I still owed Winston twenty million, the investment deal fell through, what am I going to use to pay him back?

    With this in mind, I desperately struggled to free myself from his grip.

    ¡°Reynaldo, what were you doing? Let go!¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, you can¡¯t go back on your word. You clearly agreed on the investment.¡±

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    ¡°I almost finished my drink, you can¡¯t just take me away like this. If you want to leave, you have to sign a contract with us first, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Reynaldo suddenly turned around and yelled at me fiercely.

    I was trembling all over from being yelled at by him.

    His eyes were filled with crimson and coldness, ring at me fiercely.

    Maybe it was the effect of alcohol, but at that moment I wasn¡¯t afraid of him getting angry at all. I was only afraid that he would y dirty and refuse to invest in the Winston project.

    I pulled his arm backhandedly and said urgently, ¡°We really can¡¯t leave now. There are only three sses of wine left. You have to watch me finish drinking, and then¡­ then <b>fulfill </b>your promise and sign the investment contract with us.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled with his face turned away, but when he turned back, his tone was chillingly frightening.

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, say it again.¡±

    The strong alcohol numbed my nerves, and I was not afraid of his anger, nor his threats.

    The only thing in my mind was one thing: to raise investment, to raise investment, I must raise Reynaldo¡¯s investment.

    11:490

    I squeezed out a smile at him and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, but those were your words, I had already drunk so much alcohol, you can¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t count¡­ um!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he suddenly pressed me against the wall and kissed me fiercely.

    He kissed fiercely and urgently, with evident punishment.

    An invasive kiss, almost taking away my breath.

    I felt so ufortable that I couldn¡¯t breathe, and I could only keep dodging his kisses.

    And my evasion seemed to anger him more.

    even

    He held my struggling hand tightly with one hand, while the other hand cradled the back of my head, kissing me even more fiercely than before.

    My lips were rubbed sore by him.

    Unable to dodge, I could only emit a whimpering sound in protest.

    ¡°Let her go!¡±

    At this moment, a cold and mellow voice suddenly came.

    It sounded particrly like Anton¡¯s voice.

    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment, he let go of me and turned to look.

    I also went to see, and sure enough, it was Anton.

    Anton stood not far away, with a cigarette in one hand and his other hand in his pocket, coldly staring at Reynaldo.

    20171

    This is the first time I have seen Anton look at someone with such cold

    eyes.

    He sneered at Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey wants to poach employees from mypany, as if he hasn¡¯t obtained my consent yet?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and he pulled me into his arms, saying to Anton, ¡°I¡¯m taking my own woman away, no need to report to anyone.¡±

    ¡°Your woman? Have you asked her?¡± Anton walked over with a light smile on his face.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but I feel like Anton and Reynaldo might have had a little disagreement.

    Thinking that Anton wasing after me for the project investment.

    I tugged at Reynaldo¡¯s shirt cor and pleaded with him, ¡°We really can¡¯t leave now, Reynaldo. Let¡¯s go back to the private room quickly, so they don¡¯t have to wait for us for too long.¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath, as if he was very angry.

    Anton chuckled and said, ¡°See, she didn¡¯t want to go with you at all. Do you think it¡¯s interesting to force her like that?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly tightened the hand that was around my shoulder.

    I looked at him in confusion.

    I felt extremely dizzy and saw double when I looked at people.

    In the hazy gaze, Reynaldo¡¯splexion remained cold, and those beautiful eyebrows were furrowed into a strange shape.

    I don¡¯t know why he used to get so angry every day.

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    Doesn¡¯t he know that being angry for a long time is not good for the body?

    I had OCD and I really wanted to smooth his eyebrows.

    Thinking like this, I actually went ahead and did it.

    Under the influence of alcohol, I touched his eyebrows and eyes without any burden in my heart, and said, ¡°Reynaldo, are you not angry anymore?¡±

    His wrist was suddenly grabbed by him.

    He looked at me deeply, and suddenly his eyes became very deep and heavy.

    Even though the person was dizzy, their gaze still made my heart race.

    After a moment, Reynaldo chuckled lightly at Anton and said,

    ¡°Regardless of whether it¡¯s meaningful or not, she is mine now, and can only be mine.¡±

    Moreover, after many years of not seeing each other, you are still the same, always coveting things that do not belong to you.

    What?

    What is Reynaldo saying?

    Long time no see.

    Did he know Anton a long time ago?

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    ?Chapter123

    Hmm, what exactly are their rtionships, and what about Winston?

    The more I thought, the more my head became a messy mush.

    When I was being held by Reynaldo into the elevator, I saw Anton casually blowing smoke rings, but there was a noticeable sinister look in his eyes.

    In a daze, I inexplicably felt that scene was somewhat familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere many years ago.

    I was rudely shoved into the car by Reynaldo, and he quickly got in as well.

    Iy on his shoulder, feeling ufortable, and asked drowsily, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t answer me, he just shouted at the assistant, ¡°Drive!¡±

    The car started instantly.

    I quickly leaned back due to inertia, afraid of falling. I tightly held onto

    his waist.

    He chuckled above my head, ¡°When you were drunk, you were much more proactive than when you were sober.¡±

    What?

    What active or not active, I don¡¯t understand!

    I was so annoyed. The project investment was not settled yet, and I

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    wondered where he was going to take me.

    I leaned against his chest, feeling uneasy, and grabbed his shirt cor, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, can we go back? Let¡¯s go back and sign the investment contract.¡±

    If you have any other requirements for me, feel free to mention them, as long as you are willing to invest in our project.

    I tell you, our project really had great potential. Our boss wouldn¡¯t have been mistaken. If you invested, you would definitely have made a profit¡­

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    His coldughter came from above his head.

    I slowly lifted my gaze and met his cold, mocking eyes.

    At that moment, he disyed his disdain and contempt towards me to the fullest extent.

    I pursed my lips and muttered, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t look down on me. One day, I will definitely have a better life than you!¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Reynaldo chuckled, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t engage in idle talk?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t boast.¡± I bit my lip and said, ¡°Just wait and see, I will definitely do better than you in the future, and then¡­ then I will¡­ I will blind your dog eyes.¡±

    ¡°Puff!¡±

    There was suddenly a muffledughtering from ahead.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face instantly darkened, and he warned the assistant in

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    front, ¡°Drive carefully!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey¡­¡± the assistant quickly suppressed a smile, hesitated for a moment, and cautiously said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, it seems like Ms. Dully was drunk.¡±

    ¡°Are you drunk?¡± Reynaldo lowered his head and stared at me, with a slight frown on his forehead and his eyes still cold.

    He sighed lightly, ¡°Even when she was drunk, she still couldn¡¯t stop thinking about that man¡¯s project. How much she loved that man!¡±

    I shook my head randomly, not understanding what he was saying.

    At this moment, my mind was filled with thoughts of project investments.

    I pulled his hand and said, ¡°Reynaldo, you can¡¯t go back on your word. I could have finished those eight sses of wine, it was you who didn¡¯t let me have thest three.¡±

    I don¡¯t care, I had already drunk five cups, you can¡¯t let me drink in

    vain.

    ¡°Go, go back,e back and sign the investment contract with me, go¡­¡±

    I said it while pulling his hand, wanting to get off the car.

    The assistant quickly locked the car door and said to Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, she seems really drunk.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly for a while, then he forcefully pushed my hand away and said, ¡°Shut up!¡±

    I frowned.

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    What is his attitude now? He doesn¡¯t acknowledge what he said. before? So, am I just going to drink those five sses of wine for nothing?

    I was so angry!

    I could tolerate it when you used to bully me, but now you are even ying tricks on me!

    I grabbed his cor angrily and said, ¡°Reynaldo, what do you mean by that investment? You¡¯re supposed to be a CEO, but you talk like nonsense!¡±

    Reynaldo frowned in disgust and pushed me away once again.

    I bumped into the car door, and my stomach started churning again.

    Unfortunately, there seemed to be some traffic on the road, and the car kept stopping intermittently.

    I was feeling extremely ufortable, pulling his arm, ¡°I want to get off, Reynaldo, I want to get off, I¡¯m feeling ufortable, let me go!¡±

    ¡°Loud enough, go away!¡± Reynaldo pushed me again.

    I bumped into the door again with my back, and coincidentally, the assistant also mmed on the brakes.

    the

    I couldn¡¯t help it and immediately vomited all over Reynaldo.

    The air inside the carriage became still, and the train stopped moving.

    The assistant cautiously shouted to Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey¡­¡±

    I slowly lifted my head and saw Reynaldo¡¯s face, which was chillingly terrifying, with a dreadful aura of malice and murderous intent in his

    72415

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    <b>Chapter </b>124

    But it¡¯s strange, I wasn¡¯t afraid of him at all in this way.

    I wiped my mouth and smiled foolishly at him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to, and¡­ and I said I was going to get off¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    With a burst of gloomy roar, my vision went ck, and Ipletely passed out.

    When I regained consciousness, I felt like I was in the bathroom.

    The sound of water filled my ears, and my body was covered in steam.

    The fingers, slightly calloused, roamed on my body, apanied by a refreshing scent of shower.

    I enjoyed it very much.

    I hummedfortably and slowly opened my eyes, only to see Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy handsome face.

    Is this a dream?

    He was actually giving me a bath.

    ¡°Esmeralda, you disgusting woman, wait until you wake up, I¡¯ll make you pay!¡±

    While giving me a bath, Reynaldo said angrily.

    The tone of voice had a fierce intensity, as if it wanted to tear me into.

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    pieces.

    Ah, I didn¡¯t expect that even in my dream, he still disliked me.

    I know, I treated him extremely poorly in the past, so it¡¯s normal for him to hate me.

    But if, if I were nicer to him, would he also be nicer to me, and maybe even¡­ like me?

    I leaned into his arms, but he pushed me away disdainfully, saying that I reeked of alcohol and smelled awful.

    I looked at him.

    In the mist¨Cfilled bathroom, people were all hazy.

    Hisplexion seemed less cold again, and the mist softened his face considerably.

    He put me into the bathtub and sat beside it, angrily saying to me, ¡°If you can¡¯t drink, then don¡¯t drink! What will we do if you drink yourself

    to death?¡±

    Also, I can¡¯t handle alcohol well, so in the future, don¡¯t take me to bars. If I end up dead, I won¡¯t save you.¡±

    He said as he pulled my hand and applied shower gel to my arm.

    I stared at him nkly.

    His numb mind was flooded with the image of him being talkative and considerate.

    At this moment, he seemed to have returned to the past.

    <b>21 </b><b>211 </b>

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    The same question remains, if I were nicer to him, would he fall in love with me?

    Anyway, it¡¯s just a dream, give it a try.

    I sat up from the bathtub and wrapped my arms around his neck.

    Reynaldo paused for a moment, then his eyes darkened.

    He asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I kissed his lips and said to him, ¡°Reynaldo, I liked you.¡±

    The man¡¯s body stiffened noticeably.

    Then, he pushed me away and frowned, saying, ¡°What do you want again? Do you want my investment?¡±

    I shook my head and said, my head feeling dizzy, ¡°I just like you and want to be close to you.¡±

    Reynaldo immediately chuckled, a hint of coldness shing in his deep.

    eyes.

    ¡°You really went to great lengths for his project investment, but unfortunately, I¡¯m not buying it now.¡±

    I looked at him with a confused expression, not understanding what he

    was saying.

    Wasn¡¯t this a dream?

    I took the initiative to be friendly, but why was he still so fierce?

    Could it be that even if I approached him proactively, he still disliked me?

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    ¡°You wash it yourself, and once you¡¯re done, just get out of here!¡±

    Reynaldo threw the towel on me and walked away.

    I became anxious and quickly stepped out of the bathroom.

    My feet slipped, and I eximed in surprise as my whole body fell to the ground.

    Reynaldo quickly turned around to help me.

    But it was still toote.

    I fell heavily to the ground, hitting my head on the edge of the bathtub.

    It hurt a lot.

    Reynaldo hurriedly approached, his tone seemingly wrapped in a hint of nervousness, ¡°How are you? Did you hurt yourself from the fall?¡±

    I looked at him.

    I didn¡¯t know if it hurt or what, but I felt really aggrieved in my heart.

    So, unable to hold back, I started crying

    A trace of panic shed across Reynaldo¡¯s cold face,

    He came to me, at a loss for what to do, and said sorry.

    This was indeed a dream.

    Look, the gentle Reynaldo from before has returned.

    Reynaldo carefully ced me on the bed and touched the back of my head, asking me, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    I bit my lip, nodded, and felt very aggrieved in my heart.

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    I just showed him goodwill, but he still scolded me.

    Perhaps seeing the resentment in my eyes, he whispered to me, apologizing.

    He got up to leave after saying that.

    I became anxious and quickly grabbed his arm, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡±

    <b>11:40 </b>

 Too Close 125

    He turned around and looked at me, saying, ¡°I just went to get the medicine box, it seems like you bumped your head and got a bump on the back of your head.¡±

    I shook my head urgently, ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt, it didn¡¯t hurt, just don¡¯t leave.¡±

    Saying that, I went to hug his waist again.

    His waist was lean and strong, holding me with a sense of security.

    I pressed my face against his abdomen and muffledly said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave, I won¡¯t allow you to leave.¡±

    His figure stiffened again, and he lowered his gaze to look at me.

    I looked at him with a pair of teary eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go, I was wrong. I

    I will never bully you again, I will never mistreat you again.¡±

    I would treat you well, I would treat you very well.

    Reynaldo looked at me intently and asked, ¡°Do you recognize who I

    am?¡±

    ¡°I knew it clearly, you were Reynaldo, my husband Reynaldo!¡±

    I said, quickly got up, and then wrapped my arms around his neck, almost hanging my entire body on him.

    I am not afraid of anything now, I am just afraid that he will leave.

    I¡¯m afraid I might lose him again.

    11.49

    Reynaldo¡¯s deep eyes were fixed on me as he asked, ¡°What did you just say, I am to you?¡±

    ¡°Husband?¡± I tilted my head and looked at him, ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The man¡¯s strong body stiffened again.

    He seemed to be suppressing some kind of emotion and said to me in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yes, I am your husband. Call me a few more times, I really enjoy hearing it.¡±

    What is it called?

    I looked at him dazedly.

    He leaned close to me, his warm breath blowing in my ear, and said, ¡°Darling, call me husband, say it a few more times.¡±

    ¡°Husband¡­¡±

    I obediently shouted at him.

    As long as he was happy, I was willing to call him whatever he

    wanted.

    ¡°Husband, husband, husband¡­¡±

    I called out to him with a bright smile.

    Anyway, it¡¯s just a dream, so it doesn¡¯t matter what it¡¯s called.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes grew deeper and deeper in color.¡±

    He stared at me without blinking, his gaze as if he wanted to devour

    me.

    I shouted at him again, ¡°Husband!¡±

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    He smiled and then instantly pinned me down on the bed.

    ¡°Husband!¡± I kissed his lips and affectionately pressed against hist body.

    Only in my dreams, I dare to be so reckless.

    Reynaldo¡¯s gaze was terrifying, and his arm, which he leaned on my side, was tightly tense.

    He smiled at me, with beautiful eyes and eyebrows filled with intoxicating tenderness.

    It was indeed a dream. Only in my dreams would he look at me with such tenderness.

    I propped myself up and took the initiative to kiss his lips, hoping in my heart that this dream couldst a little longer, even longer.

    Reynaldo responded to my kiss, tender and affectionate.

    For a long time, he let go of me and whispered in my ear, ¡°Esmeralda, I loved you, always and forever.¡±

    Dreams are so wonderful.

    You can hear sweet nothings that you can never hear in reality.

    At this moment, under his gentle gaze, a hint of sweetness slowly overflowed in my heart.

    Originally, if I had been nice to him from the beginning, he would have really fallen in love with me.

    Unfortunately, time cannot be reversed, and dreams will eventually wake up.

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    With this thought, the sweetness that had just filled my heart turned into bitterness.

    Reynaldo kissed me gently, from my lips to my chin, and then to my neck¡­

    He kissed carefully, as if he was protecting his most beloved treasure.

    I raised my hand and hooked his neck, also went to kiss him.

    I don¡¯t care. If the dream was short¨Clived, then I will indulge myself briefly.

    My proactive moment aroused the deepest desire within Reynaldo¡¯s body.

    He kept bothering me untilte at night.

    He held me tightly, pressed against my ear, and said ¡°I love you¡± over and over again.

    I was drowsy, staring at the curtains being blown by the wind by the window,pletely unable to distinguish between dreams and reality.

    Finally, I didn¡¯t know when I had fallen asleep.

    I woke up again, and it was already noon the next day.

    The curtains were closed, and the room was quiet and dimly lit.

    I looked around the room with intense pain in my head, but I didn¡¯t see

    anyone.

    My eyes were so sore, my stomach felt ufortable, and my whole body felt like it had been beaten up.

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    I closed my eyes tightly and tried hard to recall what happenedst night.

    My mind was filled with nothing but memories of project investments, while everything else was a blur.

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    I didn¡¯t even know where I was at the moment.

    I vaguely remember that I was taken away by Reynaldost night, and then, and then what happened?

    The more I thought, the more my head hurt, and my stomach felt like it was being twisted painfully, causing unbearable cramps.

    Just at that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open.

    Footsteps walked in.

    I cautiously poked my head out and saw a tall figure cing food on the low table by the window.

    Even though the room was dimly lit, I could still make out that figure, it was Reynaldo.

    He seemed to nce towards the bed, and then he slightly pulled open

    the curtains:

    It was cloudy outside, and the sound of drizzling rain came in.

    He looked out of the window and then walked towards here.

    I instinctively closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.

    I also didn¡¯t know why I pretended to be asleep, but at this moment, I felt a bit embarrassed and nervous for no reason, unsure how to face

    him.

    I still haven¡¯t remembered what exactly happenedst night, but I

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    clearly feel that at this moment, the me in the bed ispletely naked and my whole body is also weak and sore.

    No need to think, I also know that I definitely did it with himst

    night.

    Although, this wasn¡¯t the first time I had a rtionship with him, but I just felt a bit ufortable in my heart.

    The edge of the bed sank slightly, and he seemed to be sitting beside

    me.

    He seemed to be in a good mood and smiled at me, saying, ¡°You can sleep so well, it seems like you were quite tiredst night.¡±

    Uh!

    Last night, I got drunk and I don¡¯t know if I said anything I shouldn¡¯t have said.

    Oh!

    I really shouldn¡¯t have confessed my feelings to him, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing.

    ¡°Sleep well, I will take you out for dinnerter.¡± His tone was unusually gentle.

    It¡¯s so strange. Wasn¡¯t he hating me these days? Especially because of what happened to grandma, he wanted to kill me.

    How did you suddenly be so gentle again?

    With doubts in my mind, some blurry images fromst night also kept shing in my mind.

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    Last night, he seemed to have kissed me gently and then held me, constantly saying he loved me.

    Oh my God, that was definitely a dream I had.

    No matter what, Reynaldo could never say he loved me.

    I really can¡¯t remember what happenedst night, but Reynaldo¡¯s tenderness at this moment really surprises me.

    He should have mocked me and then stared at me coldly to be normal.

    This sudden tenderness is truly surprising and it makes me feel a bit overwhelmed.

    Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly brushed the strands of hair on my

    face.

    It was very itchy.

    My heart panicked, and I almost couldn¡¯t continue.

    Fortunately, his phone suddenly rang.

    He was so close to me that I could faintly hear the voice on the other end of his phone.

    It was Kimberly¡¯s voice.

    A very unique gentle voice, sounding soft and weak, pitiful and delicate, making people feel sorry for it as soon as they hear it.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I feel really bad right now. Can youe over and keep mepany, just for a while, just for a while, please?¡±

    Reynaldo remained silent for two seconds and said, ¡°Take good care of

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    yourself, I¡¯lle over right now.¡±

    With that, he tapped the edge of the bed, followed by the sound of footsteps, then the closing of the door, and finally the entire room fell into silence.

    I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the empty room,ughing at myself mockingly.

    Luckily, I didn¡¯t start overthinking because of his sudden tenderness just now, otherwise it would have been awkward.

    I slowly sat up, holding my throbbing head.

    The arrangement in the room was so familiar that it made one¡¯s heart.

    ache.

    I had already moved out, but I didn¡¯t expect Reynaldo to bring me back herest night.

    The aroma of food wafted by the window.

    I wrapped myself in a robe and dragged my sore body over there.

    It was a bowl of in white porridge, along with a few side dishes.

    Did he make light food for me specifically because he saw that drinking alcohol hurt my stomach?

    As I looked at the steaming white porridge and side dishes, a wave of sadness suddenly welled up in my heart.

    His sudden kindness and gentleness towards me, in the end, were only temporary, just a passing fancy of his.

    At the mere call of Kimberly, no matter when or where, and regardless

    72.00%

    Chapter126

    of what we were doing, he would immediately leave me behind.

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    <b>Chapter127 </b>

    So what does this goodness and gentleness imply?

    I preferred him to always be fierce and cruel towards me, and I didn¡¯t want him to asionally show me kindness and consideration.

    Because I was afraid that one day I would be addicted to his tenderness, and then I would not be able to bear his abandonment and

    ruthlessness.

    He ultimately cared more about Kimberly, and this couldn¡¯t be changed.

    So no matter what, and regardless of whetherst night¡¯s events were dreams or not, I had to face one fact: in his heart, I couldn¡¯tpare to Kimberly.

    I tried to suppress the difort in my heart, and instead of touching those foods, I found a clean set of clothes, put them on, and left.

    Reynaldo had personally told Johnathan that he didn¡¯t want to see me

    anymore<b>. </b>

    So, I had to be self¨Caware and not arrogantly stay here just because that man asionally showed tenderness.

    As I was leaving, I suddenly remembered that bracelet.

    found my bag and took out the bracelet.

    The bracelet has been repaired and it was done very well, with no visible cracks.

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    Chapter127

    But it was ultimately a broken bracelet, and I don¡¯t know if Grandma would still want it.

    I sighed, ced the bracelet on the low table, and then wrote a note and pressed it underneath.

    What I wrote is: That day, I identally broke the bracelet. I am very sorry. I have already fixed the bracelet, and now it is back to its original owner.

    Coming out of the vi, it was still raining outside.

    The autumn rain drizzled continuously, bringing a chill.

    I nced back at the vi in our morning, feeling a slight touch of sadness in my heart.

    In the future, I probably will nevere back here again.

    I walked alone on the path, the cool breeze mixed with drizzle blowing

    on my face, which made my drowsy head much clearer.

    I suddenly remembered the investment in the Winston project..

    I didn¡¯t receive the investment for that project.

    Anyway, this matter still needs to be exined to Winston.

    Thinking in my mind, I gave Winston a call.

    The phone was quickly answered.

    Winston¡¯s voice came with an anxious tone, ¡°Ralda, are you okay?

    Where did Reynaldo take youst night? I called you, but your phone was turned off.¡±

    23.59%

    11.490

    Yes,st night Reynaldo turned off my phone.

    I guess it was because Winston found the phone call annoying.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, he didn¡¯t do anything to me.

    Winston breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Winston. I couldn¡¯t handle the

    investment¡­

    ¡°Reynaldo has already promised to invest in me.¡±

    I was shocked for a moment and asked in disbelief, ¡°What? Did he agree to invest?¡±

    ¡°Well, he had his assistant bring the contract for investment signing this morning,¡± Winston said, pausing for a moment before hesitantly adding, ¡°Ralda, tell me honestly, did you agree to something he asked for against night?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I quickly replied, ¡°He didn¡¯t ask me for anything.¡±

    ¡°How did he¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps he still cherished some brotherly affection for you.¡±

    Winston chuckled immediately, ¡°Impossible! Don¡¯t be fooled by his always gentle and approachable appearance, the darkness and indifference hidden deep inside him only grow more terrifying.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, but it is true as he said, Reynaldo, this person, indeed harbors a terrifying darkness deep down.

    ¡°Ralda, perhaps <b>it </b>was because you had those five sses of wine, after all, he did say <b>that </b>you agreed to invest after drinking eight sses of

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    Chapter127

    wine, and, moreover, he didn¡¯t let you have thosest three sses,¡± Winston said with aplex tone.

    I smiled and said, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good that he agreed to invest.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Winston suddenly called out to me, his tone tinged with guilt. He said, ¡°Actually, I intentionally sent you to discuss the investmentst night because I knew Johnathan was the big boss behind him. I also guessed that he would be the one toest night.¡±

    I listened to his words quietly, feeling calm inside.

    Because I had guessed itst night, otherwise, the coincidence. wouldn¡¯t have been possible.

    Winston added, ¡°Ralda, am I not despicable, going to any lengths for the sake of investment?¡±

    But you don¡¯t understand, I grew up in the spotlight since I was little, I have always been ustomed to praise, I can¡¯t stand them using me now to highlight him, I can¡¯t stand themparing me to him¡­

    ¡°But Reynaldo was alsopared to you since childhood, used as a contrast to you. He has always lived in your shadow, enduring disdain. and insults. He has suffered no less injustice than you.¡±

    26.27<b>% </b>

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    Chapter <b>128 </b>

    ¡°But he was never praised highly, Ralda, do you know how it feels to fall from the clouds into hell?¡±

    Reynaldo seeded, but that doesn¡¯t mean I am worthless.

    Why did I be a waste in their mouths after he became sessful? Why?

    I could hear the anger and unwillingness in Winston¡¯s tone.

    Reynaldo has always been like this since he was young.

    So, I cannot provide any opinions on these.

    Since it was confirmed that Reynaldo would invest in his project, I felt

    relieved.

    I said to him, ¡°Take it slow, who knows, this project might just seed.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, where are you now?¡± Winston suddenly asked.

    I nced at the deste autumn atmosphere around me and said lightly, ¡°You should focus on running thepany well. I believe you will seed. As for the two million my dad owes you, I will repay you with interest when I have the money.¡±

    ¡°No need, you helped me secure the investment, so there¡¯s no need to repay the 20 million. That¡¯s what we agreed on from the beginning,¡± Winston said hastily.

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    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    He said again, ¡°Ralda<b>, </be back,e back to mypany. You have the ability, and you work diligently and seriously. Why do you have to care about Reynaldo¡¯s opinion?¡±

    He said you were incapable, so does it mean you don¡¯t need to live anymore?

    ¡°Ralda, it is most important that you live your own life well, regardless of what others think of you.¡±

    ¡°So, don¡¯t care about what others think of you either. Reynaldo is Reynaldo, and you are you. No matter what they say, just be yourself.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­

    ¡°I won¡¯t go back, don¡¯t worry. I will take care of myself, and also, you keep up the good work.¡±

    After finishing speaking, without waiting for Winston to say anything, I hung up the phone.

    Soon, Winston called again, but I didn¡¯t answer.

    I looked up and took a breath towards the hazy sky.

    Actually, I didn¡¯t want to get involved in the struggle between the brothers.

    So, staying far away is the best option.

    The phone kept ringing.

    Winston kept calling me.

    <b>23.027 </b>

    Chapter128

    It seems that this number also needs to be changed.

    Now Winston is ying, who knows, Reynaldo might callter, and then because of my sudden departure, he got very angry with me.

    I just want topletely cut off from the past and let Ralda live her life quietly.

    So, this number had to be changed.

    I hailed a taxi to the telephone service center by the roadside and got a new card, canceling the previous phone number.

    After changing my SIM card, I first called Quentin and told him that I had changed my number, instructing him not to tell anyone.

    Quentinughed at me mysteriously,

    and I didn¡¯t say much to him.

    Then I called Lavonne again.

    Lavonne basically understood the situation between me and Reynaldo.

    So I briefly exined my current situation and thoughts to her, and she agreed that I should leave Reynaldo.

    Then she asked me where I was at the moment. After I gave her the address, I sat at a roadside snack shop waiting for her.

    I didn¡¯t tell my parents about changing my phone number, and now I¡¯m really scared of my dad.

    He seemed to be convinced every time that I would not ignore him, so he always recklessly caused trouble like this.

    This time, I made sure he couldn¡¯t find me, let¡¯s see if he can behaye himself.

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    Chapter128

    Lavonne rushed over to the snack shop after waiting for about half an hour.

    As soon as she saw me, she eximed with concern, ¡°Oh my

    goodness, have you been tormented by that Reynaldo these days? Why have you lost so much weight and look so pale?¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°No, I had already moved out.¡±

    However, looking back on these days, I indeed did not eat properly, and the key is, it seems like my stomach has a problem, as I would often vomit whatever I ate.

    Lavonne pulled me up tenderly and said, ¡°Come on, sis, I¡¯ll take you out for a big meal.¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°I drank a lot of alcoholst night, and my still feels ufortable now. I don¡¯t have much appetite, so

    stomay

    I¡¯ll just eat something here.¡±

    Lavonne pouted and said, ¡°Well, you just didn¡¯t take care of yourself.¡±

    She said it and then ordered a bunch of snacks ording to the list.

    Iughed and said, ¡°You should have less, it¡¯s a waste.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can pick up what you can eatter.¡±

    However, I reckon I really hurt my stomach from drinkingst night. I picked up a coarse grain bun and took a few bites, but my stomach. immediately churned and I felt nauseous.

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    Chapter <b>129 </b>

    I quickly drank a few more sips of mixed grain porridge.

    But still, I couldn¡¯t suppress the surge in my stomach.

    Lavonne looked at me with concern and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why is your face so pale?¡±

    I shook my head and forcefully suppressed the surge in my stomach.

    After a while, I sighed and said, ¡°I will never drink so much alcohol again in the future.¡±

    Lavonne pouted, ¡°I used to take you to the bar more often before, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have such a low alcohol tolerance.¡±

    Speaking of which, it¡¯s all because of that Reynaldo. He used to be like a busybody, always stopping me whenever I wanted to take you out for a drink. It made me too afraid to even call you anymore.

    I almost burst outughing when I heard him describe Reynaldo as a ¡°housewife.¡±

    Just as I wasughing, sadness welled up in my heart.

    Back then, Reynaldo was indeed like a housekeeper. He liked to take charge of my whereabouts and every little matter.

    But now, he is just indifferent to me.

    How can one not feel ufortable with such a contrastingparison?<ol start="11"><li>11.</li></ol>

    Chapter129

    As I was thinking, there was a surge in my stomach.

    This time I couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore, and quickly rushed to the roadside outside the shop to vomit uncontrobly.

    Lavonne hurriedly followed me out, worryingly tracing along my back.

    After a moment, she looked at me with a strange expression in her eyes and said, ¡°Ralda, with the way you¡¯re vomiting, could it be¡­ that you¡¯re pregnant?¡±

    I shook all over, shaking my head hastily, ¡°How is it possible, impossible, this is absolutely impossible!¡±

    Lavonneughed at me and said, ¡°Look at how excited you are, I was just guessing.¡±

    After a pause, Lavonne said again, ¡°However, being pregnant seems to cause nausea like this. Of course, it¡¯s also possible that you vomited because you hurt your stomach from drinkingst night.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it must have been me who hurt my stomachst night. There¡¯s no way I could be pregnant,¡± <b>I </b>said absentmindedly, feeling my face go.

    cold.

    Lavonne held my hand and asked, ¡°Were you very afraid of getting pregnant?¡±

    ¡°Of course I was scared, I was about to break up with Reynaldo, how could I possibly get pregnant with his child?¡±

    ¡°But what if I really got pregnant?¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± I said firmly, but my heart was a little shaky.

    Because recalling that time <b>at </b>the Humphrey family, I did not take any

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    measures with Reynaldo.

    It has been almost half a month now, and it has been over forty days since myst period, and it hasn¡¯te yet.

    Before, I thought it was due to excessive mental pressure and irregr daily routine.

    But now, when Lavonne said this, I was really scared.

    Lavonne looked at me strangely and said, ¡°Are you so eager to deny it because you really didn¡¯t get pregnant with his baby, or because you¡¯re afraid of getting pregnant with his baby?¡±

    ¡°¡­I was scared,¡± I said, my voice faintly tinged with a hint of tears.

    I was really scared.

    Lavonne quickly put her arm around my shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid. What I just said was just a guess.¡±

    Think back, did you only vomit like this today, or have you vomited before as well?

    And, about your period, is your period normal?

    I pursed my lips and felt anxious in my heart.

    I have also vomited before.

    But wasn¡¯t that motion sickness?

    Lavonne looked at me without saying a word and sighed, ¡°Ralda<b>, </b>why don¡¯t we go to the hospital for a check¨Cup? If we¡¯re not pregnant, we can be relieved. And if¡­ I mean, if, if we are indeed pregnant, let¡¯s think of a n, okay?¡±

    <b>12515 </b>

    11:50 0

    Chapter129

    I nodded stiffly.

    I hope I wasn¡¯t pregnant, otherwise what would I do?

    Lavonne drove the car, and we quickly arrived at the nearby hospital.

    I directly exined my purpose to the doctor, and the doctor gave me a blood test form and an ultrasound form.

    The result of the blood test form had to wait for several hours.

    The ultrasound report came out quickly.

    The doctor held the ultrasound report and first said to me, ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    I suddenly felt my eyes go ck, and I almost couldn¡¯t stand steady. Fortunately, Lavonne supported me.

    Lavonne asked the doctor, ¡°Congrattions for what, are you really pregnant?¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡± the doctor held up the ultrasound report and said, ¡°Look here, there are two fertilized eggs, so congrattions, you are expecting twins.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Twins!¡± Lavonne eximed excitedly as she looked at me.

    Seeing my face ashen, she quickly suppressed herughter and said, ¡°Sorry, sorry, I just find the concept of having twins so fascinating.¡±

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>130 </b>

    I looked at the doctor and asked, ¡°Can it be terminated?¡±

    The doctor furrowed his brow and said, ¡°This is just a recently formed fertilized egg. It is the best time for it to naturally be expelled.

    However, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a pity?¡±

    And, abortion also harms the body. I mean, you young couples really should think about whether or not to have a child when you¡¯re having a good time.

    I don¡¯t believe that you won¡¯t have any shadow in your heart in the future if these twins are aborted.

    Lavonne nodded with a puzzled smile and then dragged me out of the

    clinic.

    I sat on the bench nkly, with my heart in chaos.

    Lavonne looked at the ultrasound report and excitedly said to me, ¡°Ralda, look at this report. These two fertilized eggs are in your belly. After developing for some time, they will be two little embryos. and gradually grow into two little people. It¡¯s so amazing and adorable to think about.¡±

    I stroked my t belly and wanted to cry.

    I don¡¯t know if all women, after getting pregnant, would <b>have </b>a special affection for the baby in their belly.

    Although I just asked the doctor if it could be terminated.

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    Chapter130

    But in reality, I couldn¡¯t bear to let go..

    But if I were to give birth to them, how could I raise them?

    I couldn¡¯t even take care of myself, how could I take care of them?

    And I had already made up my mind to cut ties with Reynaldo, and now there are two more babies, isn¡¯t that just adding two more bonds?

    The more I thought about it, the more troubled I became. I covered my face, unsure of what to do.

    Lavonne patted my back andforted, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this. The arrival of these two babies was fate.¡±

    What are you afraid of? In the future, I will be their godmother. You give birth to them, and we will raise them together.

    I watched Lavonne with emotion.

    ¡°But what if we were raising our baby well and Reynaldo found out, what would we do if he tried to take our baby away?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hide. After giving birth to the baby, let¡¯s hide far away so that he can¡¯t find us.¡±

    Lavonne said, and then she sighed deeply, ¡°It¡¯s all because we are poor. If we had money, we could hide away now and peacefully nurture the baby.¡±

    Yeah, if I had money, I could leave this city right now and hide myself<b>. </b>

    The key is that I don¡¯t have any money. Right now, I have less than three thousand in total.

    Thinking about my financial ability, I became anxious again, afraid of

    11:50

    giving birth to the baby without enough money to support them, and making them suffer with me.

    Thinking of this, I became depressed again.

    Lavonneforted me, saying, ¡°Ralda, you shouldn¡¯t overthink it. The emotions of a pregnant woman are also very important, otherwise it will affect the baby.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, since we still have a long time before we die, let¡¯s work hard and save money.¡±

    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t let you jeopardize your future because of my situation. You are doing well here, you don¡¯t need to hide with me.¡±

    It¡¯s true, Lavonne is great, and she¡¯s my only best friend.

    I couldn¡¯t let her be dyed by me and my child, affecting her own life.

    Lavonne patted my shoulder andughed self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°You know, this city hasn¡¯t been my home for a long time.¡±

    And, because of the mischief caused by my stepmother, I had no future here.

    Actually, I had wanted to leave here a long time ago, but I am just the type of person who is afraid of being alone.

    So Ralda, if you were to have a child and wanted to avoid Reynaldo, then I would apany you.

    ¡°We raised them together.¡±

    Lavonne spoke gently as she touched my abdomen.

    I was moved to tears, indeed, many times, girlfriends are more reliable

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    Chapter130

    than men.

    Suddenly, Lavonne furrowed her brow and asked worriedly, ¡°Did you forget that you drank so much alcoholst night? Will it have any impact on the baby?¡±

    When she said that, I also became nervous.

    I quickly got up and wanted to go ask the doctor, but Lavonne held me down and said, ¡°You rest, I¡¯ll go ask for you.¡±

    She finished speaking and then quickly ran to the clinic.

    I lowered my gaze and absentmindedly looked at the ultrasound report.

    It¡¯s actually strange that there were only two small fertilized eggs on the list, and nothing else could be seen clearly.

    But looking at them, I just felt that those two fertilized eggs were so adorable and heartwarming.

    In some time, they would be two lovely babies,ing out from my belly.

 Too Close 131

    Chapter <b>131 </b>

    As Lavonne said, it was really amazing.

    After Lavonne¡¯s persuasion, my heart gradually calmed down.

    From initial resistance, the heart gradually transformed into eptance.

    I made the decision to give birth to them.

    Anyway, I never thought about getting married again in the future. I will just do my best to raise my two precious babies.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Kimberly¡¯s voice came out abruptly.

    I shook all over and quickly turned my head to look.

    I saw Reynaldo walking out from the nearby aisle.

    I was startled and instinctively hid behind the nearby pir.

    However, I identally dropped the ultrasound report, and it flew away,nding right at Reynaldo¡¯s feet.

    I was stiff all over, and my face was pale.

    What should I do?

    My name was on the ultrasound report. If Reynaldo happened to pick it up and saw it, would hee and try to take the baby away from me?

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    <b>11:50 </b>

    Chapter131

    Last time at the Humphrey family, he wanted me to get pregnant. because his grandmother wanted to hold a great¨Cgrandchild.

    So if I let him know that I was pregnant, would he lock me up and treat me as his baby¨Cmaking machine?

    The more I thought about it, the more scared I became.

    I really wanted to rush out and pick up that B¨Cultrasound report, but Reynaldo had already seen it and bent down to pick it up.

    I covered my mouth in fear, and a thousand thoughts shed through my head.

    However, at that moment, Kimberly ran over and grabbed his arm, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, you¡¯re going the wrong way. My appointment is not here, this is the obstetrics and gynecology department.¡±

    ¡°Is it so?¡±

    Reynaldo said lightly and looked towards me.

    I was startled and quickly hid.

    Kimberly asked him, ¡°Reynaldo, what were you looking at?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.¡± He paused, then muttered to himself, ¡°But it couldn¡¯t possibly be her.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, this is the obstetrics and gynecology department, it¡¯s impossible to have anyone you are familiar with here.¡±

    Listening to the footsteps fading away, I cautiously walked out.

    Reynaldo and Kimberly had already disappeared at the exit of the aisle.

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    Chapter131

    The B¨Cultrasound report was still on the ground, and he did not pick it<ol><li>up.</li></ol>

    At this moment, I felt grateful for Kimberly¡¯s presence for the first time.

    ¡°Ralda, Ralda¡­¡±

    I had just picked up the ultrasound report when Lavonne came running over, panting heavily.

    I followed along her back and asked urgently, ¡°How is it? What did the doctor say?¡±

    Lavonne furrowed her brows, her face looking somewhat serious.

    My heart sank, and I anxiously asked, ¡°What did the doctor say in the end? Please don¡¯t scare me.¡±

    Lavonne couldn¡¯t hold it in and burst intoughter, ¡°Look at how nervous you are, just a moment ago you were saying not to mind. them.¡±

    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± I asked nervously.

    Lavonne smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the doctor said it¡¯s still early in the pregnancy and hasn¡¯t fully formed yet, so it doesn¡¯t have a big impact. But she said you should be careful in the future, you can¡¯t drink alcohol anymore, and you can¡¯t eat raw or spicy food.¡±

    Then I will take the blood test form and show the doctor the datater.

    I listened and then finally felt relieved.

    After the recent tension, I became even more aware that I really care a

    lot about these two babies.

    11 500

    So, I became even more determined to give birth to them.

    By the time it was getting dark, the blood test results had finallye

    out.

    We took it to the doctor on duty to have a look.

    The doctor said it was great that the data doubled and that my two babies developed very well.

    Then the doctor saw my emaciated and haggard appearance and told me that I didn¡¯t have to avoid everything, and let me choose what I could eat.

    After leaving the hospital, Lavonne took me to a street full of snacks and let me choose some appetizing food to eat.

    There were snack stalls on both sides of the street, and there were many people.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of my good mood, but my appetite was much better than it was at noon.

    I ordered a hot and sour noodle soup and then bought a cup of orange juice.

    Lavonne bought a bunch of grilled skewers and beer.

    She eximed to me, ¡°Ralda, I will find a hotel nearby for youter. Our film studio is also nearby, so it will be convenient for me to take care of you after work.¡±

    I shook my head with a smile and said, ¡°No need, I was just pregnant, it¡¯s not a big deal. No need to take care of me, and besides, hotels are so expensive. I have a ce to stay.¡±

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    <b>Chapter132 </b>

    ¡°How could that be possible? As soon as you told me that you lived in a shanty town, I knew that the environment there wasn¡¯t very good.¡±

    No, you have to move out. If you find the hotel expensive, I can rent an apartment for you nearby.

    ¡°No need!¡± I hugged Lavonne, touched, and said, ¡°We need to save money now, so let¡¯s be more frugal. The ce I live in is really nice, and the people around are very friendly. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Lavonne sighed again, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I am just a small supporting role now. When can I be a big star and y the leadingdy? By then, I will have money and can buy you a big vi.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I looked at her firmly, ¡°You can definitely be a big star.¡±

    In fact, Lavonne had a strong talent for performing. Even at the time of her graduation, she had several film offers, and her future looked bright.

    It was all because of her stepmother¡¯s mischief that she was forced to be exiled abroad. Now that she has returned, the entertainment industry has long forgotten about her.

    Lavonne looked at me and whispered, ¡°Ralda, do you think I was unlucky? I was born into a good family, but ended up with such a father and a stepmother, making me work so hard to make a living. \\now.¡±

    She mentioned her father, and it reminded me of my dad¡¯s absurd behavior during that time.

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    I patted her shoulder andforted, ¡°It¡¯s okay, these difficult days will pass, as long as we work hard, the days will definitely get better!¡±

    Lavonne smiled and said, ¡°Luckily, I had you. If it weren¡¯t for you apanying me through the low point, I would probably have been depressed andmitted suicide.¡±

    ¡°Fool, why are you talking nonsense? We all need to love ourselves. well.¡±

    Back then, Lavonne¡¯s father had an affair, her parents were arguing for a divorce, and Lavonne couldn¡¯t handle the stress, so she started to feel depressed.

    Later, her parents divorced, and a stepmother came who constantly harassed and bullied her. At school, her ssmates also made fun of her and humiliated her, and as a result, her depression became increasingly severe.

    The first time I met her, she was standing on the rooftop, ready to jump

    and end her life.

    1

    It took me a lot of effort to persuade her, andter I was afraid that she might still be unable to think clearly, so I often apanied her.

    Slowly, we became best friends who could talk about anything.

    Not wanting her to remember those dark days in the past, I changed the subject and asked her, ¡°How many offers have you received recently? I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡±

    ¡°I originally epted five or six roles, butter I turned them all down. Once I finish shooting the supporting role scenes here, I will head to Winston¡¯s set.¡±

    Speaking of this, Lavonne became excited, ¡°Ralda, you don¡¯t know, do

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    Chapter132

    you? Winston is investing in making a big production, and he called me at noon today to ask me to y the female supporting role in it.¡±

    I was taken aback. Could the big production that Lavonne mentioned. be the project that Winston pulled investments for?

    ¡°But Ralda, the point I want to make is not about this female supporting character, but how handsome the male lead is, really, <b>so </b>handsome,¡± Lavonne said, taking out her phone and showing me at photo. ¡°Look, this is him, the male lead this time, isn¡¯t he handsome?¡±

    Looking at that photo, I couldn¡¯t help but twitch my mouth: Isn¡¯t this Anton?

    When did he be a star?

    Or, did Winston save costs by directly appointing Anton as the male

    lead?

    Is it too risky to do it this way?

    Just as I was thinking, Lavonne said again, ¡°You haven¡¯t been keeping up with entertainment newstely, have you? Let me tell you, this handsome guy is currently the hottest rising male star. He seems to have been abroad before and just recently returned. And I heard he¡¯s also the CEO of a certainpany.¡±

    That¡¯s right, the rising male star is Anton.

    Let me tell you, recently there emerged a new star in the entertainment industry, a guy, extremely handsome, look at him¡­

    I suddenly remembered that Quentin had also mentioned this entertainment neer to me that day.

    At that time, I was solely focused on the matter of moving, so I didn¡¯t

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    pay attention.

    Originally, Quentin was also talking about Anton. If I had known back then that Anton was actually a celebrity, maybe I would have known that he also had a boss behind him, which was Winston.

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    <b>Chapter133 </b>

    If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have stayed in thatpany for so long, and I wouldn¡¯t have encountered Reynaldo when I was raising

    investments.

    Thinking of Reynaldo, an indescribable affection shed through my heart.

    ¡°Ralda, hurry up and eat, the noodles are getting cold:¡±

    Lavonne suddenly reminded me.

    At that moment, her phone suddenly rang, and I saw it was an unfamiliar number.

    She didn¡¯t think much either and answered directly, ¡°Hello, who is

    this?¡±

    The next second, her face changed and she stared at me with wide.

    eyes.

    I tilted my head in confusion and was about to ask her what was

    wrong.

    She suddenly made a gesture for me to be quiet, and I quickly held back the sound that was about toe out.

    Lavonne calmly smiled at her phone and said, ¡°So it was Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    I trembled all over.

    Mr. Humphrey?

    Reynaldo?

    Look at Lavonne¡¯s reaction, it must be Reynaldo!

    What¡¯s up, Reynaldo suddenly called Lavonne, what¡¯s up?

    Lavonne nced at me and then turned on the speakerphone of her phone.

    I held my breath and stared at the phone.

    Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy voice quickly came from the other end of the phone.

    ¡°Where was Esmeralda?¡±

    I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    Reynaldo actually found me and brought Lavonne here.

    And Lavonne indeed was a master of performance, instantly entering into the state of acting.

    She looked worriedly at her phone and said, ¡°What happened to Ralda? Is she missing? She didn¡¯te to see me!¡±

    Reynaldo, did you do something to Ralda again? Did you make her angry and leave?¡±

    I admired Lavonne and gave her a thumbs up.

    Look <b>at </b>this anxious tone, it doesn¡¯t seem like acting at all.

    Lavonne smiled at me proudly.

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    Chapter133

    However, the next second, Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy voice came from the phone: ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know she¡¯s with you. You tell her, if she doesn¡¯t show up within an hour, don¡¯t me me for being rude to her!¡±

    I was shocked when Reynaldo actually guessed that I was with

    Lavonne.

    Lavonne gestured to me not to panic.

    She continued to act: ¡°Are you crazy? Ralda is not with me at all. If you lost her, you should go find her quickly. Why are you scaring me here?¡±

    Moreover, you called her and went to her parents¡® ce.

    And, if anything happens to Ralda, you better watch out. Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve be sessful, I¡¯m afraid of you.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again¡­¡± Reynaldo ignored Lavonne¡¯s words.

    He spoke to me as if he was certain that I am currently with Lavonne. His words were directed at me, word by word, with a voice as cold as ice: ¡°Esmeralda, if you don¡¯t appear in front of me within an hour, then¡­ don¡¯t me me for being impolite.¡±

    He hung up the phone after saying that, but there seemed to be a lingering coldness in the air.

    I nervously gripped the fork.

    What should I do?

    What did he want to do? He wouldn¡¯t hurt my parents, would he?

    Lavonne patted my shoulder andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of him,

    who doesn¡¯t know how to threaten people!¡±

    Moreover, Reynaldo acted like a lunatic. He divorced you but still refused to let you go.

    Howe you want to spend your whole life like this? Why?

    It seems that he is really narrow¨Cminded. You were just a little bit bad. to him before, and he actually wants to trap you for life. This man is really scary!

    The problem is, in the past, I was not just a little bit bad to Reynaldo, but very bad indeed.

    From Reynaldo¡¯s tone just now, it was evident that he still resented me and his retaliation towards me was far from over.

    I am pregnant now and I must not be found by him.

    Otherwise, he would definitely have locked me up and after I gave birth to the baby, he would have taken my baby away.

    The moment I thought about it, fear filled my heart.

    Lavonne looked at me and anxiously said, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t worry, hasn¡¯t hee yet?¡±

    And, don¡¯t let his cold tone scare you, if you ask me, that man wasn¡¯t that tough.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he treat you the same way you treated him before?¡±

    But Reynaldo nowadays is no longer the same Reynaldo as before.

    I rushed to Lavonne and said, ¡°I have to go back now. The shanty town. is remote, and he definitely won¡¯t be able to find it.¡±

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    <b>11:50 </b>

    Chapter <b>133 </b>

    ¡°Then I will apany you,¡± Lavonne s

    anxiously.

    I shook my head and said, ¡°Reynaldo had already figured out that I was

    with you, and I was afraid he would follow this trail to find me.¡±

 Too Close 134

    These days, let¡¯s not contact each other for now. As long as he can¡¯t. find any clues from you, he won¡¯t suspect you anymore.

    Lavonne looked at me anxiously.

    I patted her shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, worst case scenario, I¡¯ll just hide in the rented room during this period.¡±

    Lavonne pursed her lips and said, ¡°Okay, if there¡¯s any situation, make sure to call me immediately.¡±

    ¡°You too, if Reynaldo sends someone to bother you, you must tell me.¡±

    I am now afraid that Reynaldo would harm the people around me in order to force me to appear.

    Hopefully, he had not be so insane to this extent.

    Lavonne left only after she had seen me off in the car.

    I had not been on the car for long when Quentin called me.

    He asked anxiously, ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s going on between you and Reynaldo now? How did he find you ande to me?¡±

    My heart tightened, it seemed that Reynaldo had asked everyone around me.

    I quickly asked, ¡°Did you tell him my phone number and address?¡±

    ¡°No way, definitely not,¡± Quentin eximed angrily. ¡°That guy¡¯s tone was extremely rude from the moment he opened his mouth, as if he

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    wanted to confront you. How could I dare to tell him your information?¡±

    I just told him that I didn¡¯t know.

    I slightly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, ¡°Thank you, brother. Next time hees looking for you, just ignore him.¡±

    ¡°But Ralda, are you okay? Why did he suddenly go crazy and look for you?¡±

    ¡°Who knows which wire he crossed again,¡± I paused and reminded Quentin, ¡°During this time, you should also pay attention to the situation with our parents. I¡¯m afraid he might harm them because of my actions.¡±

    ¡°You can rest assured about this. Although he has changed now, but you forgot how respectful he used to be towards our parents, he wouldn¡¯t dare to disrespect them.¡±

    Quentin sounded so confident.

    I could recall Reynaldo¡¯s cold and fierce appearance, and I still felt a bit uneasy in my heart.

    I hope Reynaldo didn¡¯t take it seriously.

    Now he has his beloved woman apanying him, as long as I no longer appear in front of him, he will definitely forget me soon.

    By then, I would have left this city with my baby and started a new life peacefully.

    How nice!

    When we arrived at the shanty town, it was already past 8 o¡¯clock in

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    Chapter <b>134 </b>

    the evening.

    The alleyway and the riverside were bustling with many vendors and pedestrians, giving it a lively atmosphere.

    I bought some vegetables from the street vendor and thought to myself that I wouldn¡¯t go out for the next few days.

    As I arrived at the doorstep, I unexpectedly found Trevin waiting at my door.

    I stared for a moment and eximed in surprise, ¡°Trevin, what are you doing here?¡±

    Trevin smiled at me and asked with concern, ¡°I didn¡¯t see youe backst night, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I went to my friend¡¯s ce.¡± I looked at him, ¡°Trevin, is there something you want to talk to me about?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing.¡± Trevin said, handing me a bag. ¡°These are oranges brought by my fellow viger, grown in our own home. My mom asked me to bring some for you.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no need¡­¡±

    I quickly waved my hand, but Trevin stubbornly stuffed the bag into my hands and said, ¡°Our fellow viger brought a lot, it would be a waste if we can¡¯t finish it, let¡¯s not be polite between neighbors.¡±

    I wanted to refuse, but Trevin turned around and ran away.

    I looked at the oranges in the bag, feeling both heartwarming and helpless.

    Trevin and Aunt always brought me food, but I had nothing to repay

    <b>11:50 </b>

    them.

    You can¡¯t just eat other people like this.

    When this period of time passed, I would treat them to a good meal.

    Open the door and enter the house.

    I put things away and theny on the bed, thinking about my next n.

    This shanty town was very remote, and Reynaldo always thought that I was a pampered precious youngdy who couldn¡¯t endure hardships.

    He would never have guessed that I would live here.

    So it was safe here.

    I didn¡¯t have much money in my hand, so tomorrow I had to look for a job around here.

    I turned over and quickly fell into a deep sleep with a restless and

    uncertain heart.

    I don¡¯t know how long had passed when suddenly a series of urgent knocking sounds came from outside the door¡­

    I woke up suddenly, sitting up in fear.

    Bang! Bang! Bang<b>! </b>

    The knocking sound was still echoing, and the sound of the iron door was particrly eerie in this silent night.

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    Chapter <b>135 </b>

    I put on a piece of clothing and got out of bed.

    By the light, I saw that the iron gate was almost deformed from being knocked by the people outside, as if in the next moment, that person was about to break in.

    Nervous and fearful in my heart.

    quickly found a wooden stick and shouted loudly at the door, ¡°Who is it? If you knock again, I will call the police.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, open the door, it¡¯s your brother.¡±

    I was stunned, how could it be Quentin?

    What did hee back running in the middle of the night for? Could it be that Reynaldo was causing harm to him, so he came back. running?

    Thinking of this, I hurriedly went to open the door.

    However, as soon as the door was slightly ajar, a great force suddenly pushed my door wide open. Immediately after, a tall figure burst in, carrying a terrifying aura and a chilling coldness.

    I trembled all over and stared at him, it was actually Reynaldo!

    I hurriedly stepped back, ¡°H¨CHow¡­ how is it you? Where¡¯s Quentin? Where is Quentin?¡±

    ¡°Are you my brother?¡± Reynaldo chuckled lightly.

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    Chapter135

    With a wave of his hand, two people dragged Quentin in.

    I saw Quentin covered in injuries at first nce.

    I exploded in an instant, shouting <b>at </b>him, ¡°Reynaldo, what are you doing? How dare you hurt Quentin!¡±

    ¡°So, did you dare to escape? Did you dare to hide?¡±

    Reynaldoughed at me menacingly, under the dim lighting, he resembled a cruel and bloodthirsty demon.

    I was so angry that my whole body was trembling, and I rushed up to him, ready to fight.

    He grabbed my neck tightly and sneered at me coldly, ¡°Do you really think you can escape from the palm of my hand?¡±

    ¡°What on earth do you want to do?¡± I shouted at him hoarsely.

    He smiled at me slyly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do anything, I just wanted to teach you a lesson and make sure you remember the consequences of defying me!¡±

    With that, he looked at Quentin and gestured to his two subordinates, saying, ¡°Beat them up hard!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I screamed in terror and sat up abruptly.

    The surroundings were dark.

    I sat on <b>the </b>bed dazedly until a cool breeze blew in from the window, causing me to shiver. It was then that I realized I had just had a

    nightmare.

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    }

    Chapter135

    Thinking about the nightmare I just had, I trembled uncontrobly all over my body.

    I curled up in my nket, wrapping myself tightly, but I still felt cold, still felt scared.

    Reynaldo, would he really go and find Quentin, hurt Quentin?

    I reached for my phone and it was already 6 o¡¯clock in the morning.

    I quickly called Quentin.

    Quentin seemed like he hadn¡¯t woken up yet, his voice waszy: ¡°What¡¯s up, Ralda? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping so early in the morning<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    He spoke and yawned.

    I nervously asked, ¡°Reynaldo didn¡¯t bother you, did he?¡±

    ¡°No, he just asked me about your news yesterday and hasn¡¯t contacted me since then.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I responded nkly, feeling anxious in my heart.

    Quentin asked, ¡°Ralda, what happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just had a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Ah, dreams, they were all backwards.¡±

    ¡°Brother, as long as you are fine, it¡¯s all good. If Reynaldo causes any trouble for you and our parents, you must let me know.¡±

    ¡°I knew it, actually that man wasn¡¯t that scary, don¡¯t be so suspicious.¡±

    I pursed my lips and remembered Reynaldo in my dream, my heart was still pounding heavily.

    <b>1150 </b>

    Chapter135

    Once I woke up, I couldn¡¯t fall back asleep. I kept my eyes open until dawn.

    When I went out to buy breakfast, I observed the surrounding job advertisements.

    There was a recruitment board at the bus stop, so I took a nce at it. It was full of job postings for ordinary factory workers, mostly for three shifts.

    I picked a few job postings that don¡¯t require night shifts, took pictures of them with my phone, and n to go thereter to ask directly.

    ¡°Sister?¡±

    Just as I finished filming, I suddenly heard Trevin¡¯s voice behind me.

    I was stunned and instinctively turned around.

    I saw Trevin and his mother walking towards me.

    Trevin excitedly said to his mother, ¡°I said it looked like a girl from far away, and you said it wasn¡¯t.¡±

    Auntie smiled broadly and said, ¡°Yes, yes, it was you who had a focused gaze and spotted this beautiful youngdy at first sight.¡±

    Um¡­

    I awkwardly smiled and thanked them for the food they had been bringing me these past few days, then asked them why they didn¡¯t go to work today.

    Trevin said, ¡°We rested today.¡±

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    Chapter <b>136 </b>

    He paused for a moment, nced at the recruitment information on the sign, and asked me, ¡°Girl, are you looking for a job?¡±

    I nodded.

    Trevin pped his thigh and said, ¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier about the job search? We are urgently hiring documenters at our construction site now.¡±

    ¡°Documenter?¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand much, and it was also information from the construction site, so I was even more of ayman.

    Trevin excitedly said, ¡°Girl, you look like an educated person. Why don¡¯t youe and try working at our construction site?¡±

    Let me tell you, this is a mega project we had. We were building a mega amusement park.

    The boss who developed this project was really rich. Not only did we have high wages, but the treatment for the documenter was also very good.

    Listening to him say that, I really wanted to give it a try.

    After all, I looked around here for a while and didn¡¯t see a single well- treated one.

    Under Trevin¡¯s leadership, I arrived at the construction site.

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    Chapter136

    As Trevin said, the project they did was a mega¨Cscale project.

    The enclosed area, at first nce, seemed endless.

    The facilities on the construction site were all well¨Cequipped.

    There were offices, a cafeteria, dormitory buildings, shops, and a multimedia activity room.

    The office building was expanded by three floors.

    I asked Trevin, ¡°Isn¡¯t there amodation avable? Why did you and Auntie go to the vige to rent a house?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there was a housing subsidy, 2,000 for one person. My mom and I, that¡¯s 4,000. But if we rented a ce outside, we would only need 1,000, so we could save 3,000.¡±

    I nodded, so that¡¯s how it is. It sounds like the treatment is really quite good.

    When I arrived at the information room, I saw many people queuing up for job interviews.

    It seems that a resume is not necessary. The applicants can directlyplete the prepared test on theputer to pass.

    I saw a job advertisement posted at the entrance, which stated that they were hiring thirty people, providing amodation and meals, with <b>a </b>sry of ten thousand, and weekends off without overtime.

    My usual work was to organize documents and file them into the \database.

    This sry, this treatment, is really attractive.

    11 50

    No wonder there were so many applicants.

    I looked into the information room again, and in the corridor, in theers, everywhere were piles of documents, which was terrifying to look at.

    No wonder they suddenly needed to hire so many people.

    There were threeputers used for recruitment exams.

    It was soon my turn.

    My task was toplete a form and input data within a specified time. frame.

    Luckily, I had worked at Winston¡¯spany for about ten days before, and I am also grateful to the people in thepany who made me do paperwork every day..

    The exam was so easy for me that it didn¡¯t pose any difficulty at all.

    I finished it ten minutes ahead of the designated time, and I did it quite

    well.

    The supervisor nced at me in surprise and immediately said that I had passed, asking me to go to the personnel department to record my information ande to work tomorrow.

    I was both happy and excited in my heart, so I immediately went to buy several bottles of water to treat the people in the office.

    The supervisor smiled at me and said that I could move to the dormitory today because I would start working tomorrow.

    Just like Trevin, I didn¡¯t choose to live in the dormitory, so I received an additional subsidy of two thousand.

    Chapter136

    The construction site was not far from the vige, just a ten¨Cminute drive away, and there was also a direct bus.

    I used to take the bus back and forth every day. Once Quentin is discharged from the hospital, I will move to live on the construction

    site. DILCH

    I wanted to save money now, save a lot of money, so that I wouldn¡¯t be afraid of not having enough money to support my babyter.

    Trevin helped me a lot this time, so I treated him to a meal.

    He said that his mother had already prepared the meal at home and asked me to go back with him to eat.

    I quickly refused, but I couldn¡¯t resist him no matter what.

    He said, ¡°My mom specifically made your portion, so why don¡¯t youe back with me and eat? We are neighbors, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? If you look down on my house and don¡¯t want toe, then I can also pack it up and send it to you.¡±

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    <b>Chapter137 </b>

    He said so, and I had no choice but to agree with him. In my heart, I secretly thought that I must treat Trevin and Auntie to a big meal in the future.

    Many buses passed by this construction site, and we quickly waited for a bus to the

    vige entrance.

    As soon as I got on the bus, I saw a ck luxury car driving towards. the construction site.

    I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brows.

    The luxury car looked familiar, Reynaldo seemed to have a car of the same model.

    Seeing me staring at the luxury car, Trevin said to me, ¡°Stop looking, that car is very expensive, it¡¯s not something we ordinary people can afford. We have to face reality.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I nodded and smiled at him.

    Trevin said again, ¡°Nowadays, there are many materialistic girls, but let me tell you, they didn¡¯t end up well in the end.¡±

    My lips twitched, and he suddenly asked me, ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡±

    Is it a roundabout way of reminding me not to be a materialistic woman?

    I ignored all of this and just asked him, ¡°What is the name of the boss who developed this construction site, do you know?¡±

    11500

    ¡°s, we, the lowest ss people, had no knowledge of the name of the big boss.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what hisst name was?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s yourst name? We don¡¯t have the qualification to know. Girl, listen to me, having money is good, but it¡¯s not something we can dream of. Just live a down¨Cto¨Cearth life and find an honest person to marry in the future. Your days won¡¯t be difficult.¡±

    What is this all about?

    Does Trevin really think that I was going to approach the boss of this construction site?

    I just recognized that car very well, fearing that the big boss of this construction site was Reynaldo!

    But it is unlikely that there were such coincidences.

    It was just a car after all, considering there were more than just one car of the same model.

    With this thought, I felt a slight relief in my heart.

    As long as Reynaldo doesn¡¯te here, over time, he should also forget about my existence.

    I gently stroked my t belly, thinking about the existence of those two little babies, feeling warm and cozy inside.

    When I arrived at Trevin¡¯s house, Auntie had already prepared four dishes and a soup, ced on a short little table.

    11:50

    Trevin¡¯s room was as simple as mine, but it looked quite tidy.

    Trevin said that his mother slept in the bedroom and he slept in the living room.

    I did see a makeshift bed in the living room, so it made the room look

    much smaller.

    Aunt warmly handed me a small stool to sit on.

    I nodded quickly and handed her the fruits I bought on the way.

    She nced around and then furrowed her brows, as if a little unhappy.

    I was stunned.

    Could it be that the fruits I bought happened to be the ones Auntie particrly dislikes?

    Just as I was thinking that, my aunt smiled at me and said, ¡°Oh dear, you really don¡¯t know how to manage a household. Look, you even bought cherries, they are so expensive.¡±

    Uh!

    Originally, she was concerned about the high cost of fruits and afraid that I would spend too much money.

    However, when I bought fruits, I didn¡¯t think too much about it. I just thought that for the first visit, I should always buy some decent ones to bring along.

    Auntie said to me again, ¡°This woman, she must understand how to be frugal and manage the household, especially after getting married. Otherwise, how would it look if the man works hard to earn money

    <b>11:50 </b>

    Chapter <b>37 </b>

    outside, and the woman spends it so casually? You agree with what I¡¯m saying, right, youngdy?¡±

    I awkwardlyughed and didn¡¯t express any opinions.

    Actually, I don¡¯t quite agree with what my aunt said, and I don¡¯t really like to hear it either.

    But everyone has their own ideas, it¡¯s best for me to remain silent.

    Seeing that I remained silent, Trevin quickly rushed to his aunt and said, ¡°Mom, Esmeralda finally agreed toe to our house for dinner. Why are you talking to her about these things?¡±

    And she bought fruits as a kind gesture, how could you say that she is not thrifty!

    Aunt nced at me.

    Iughed at her with a puzzled expression, feeling even more embarrassed in my heart.

    Aunt suddenly changed her expression, with a smile on her face: ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­ It¡¯s just me being naggy and saying the wrong things, Esmeralda, please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head and said, ¡°You and Trevin are both very nice. people, and I¡¯m d to have met you.¡±

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    Chapter <b>138 </b>

    ¡°We are too, Esmeralda. You can tell that you are a cultured person, unlike Trevin here, who is illiterate.¡±

    I was about to praise Trevin.

    Trevin suddenly eximed, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re right! Esmeralda is really cultured. She went to apply for a documenter position at the

    construction site today and immediately passed. They asked her to start working tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Auntie¡¯s eyes immediately lit up as she looked at me. ¡°In that case, Esmeralda¡¯s cultural knowledge is truly impressive. Oh, if only I had a talented daughter like you.¡±

    The two of them praised me so much that I felt embarrassed.

    And today, Aunt¡¯s gaze towards me was also strange.

    I quickly changed the subject and looked at the dishes on the table, smiling, ¡°Auntie, your cooking skills are really good. These dishes look so delicious.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Aunt quickly served me a bowl of rice and said, ¡°Then eat more if you like, and in the future,e to my ce to eat even when you have nothing to do. It¡¯s just a matter of having an extra pair of forks.¡±

    I smiled and responded on the surface, but in my heart, I thought that I really shouldn¡¯t bother others like this again in the future. It¡¯s quite embarrassing

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    Auntie warmly served me dishes and even gestured to Trevin to serve me as well.

    I quickly brought the bowl to my mouth and buried my head to eat.

    Trevin smiled at me foolishly, and Auntie gave him a white eye.

    I ate my meal in silence, feeling that the atmosphere was strange.

    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t feel nauseous today, otherwise it would have been very unpleasant to vomit at someone else¡¯s dinner table.

    After finally finishing the meal, I politely went to clean up the table

    and dishes.

    Trevin was about to help me when his aunt suddenly asked him to wash the fruits.

    I had to carry all the bowls to the kitchen by myself.

    The sink was very rudimentary, and I searched the countertop for a long time but couldn¡¯t find any dishwashing liquid.

    I turned around and was about to ask Auntie where the dishwashing liquid was, but I found her standing at the entrance of the kitchen, looking at me.

    She pounded her own back and said to me, ¡°Oh, I was so busy washing vegetables and cooking just now, my back is <b>a </b>little sore. Could you please help me with this bowl, Esmeralda? I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Auntie. You¡¯ve worked hard cooking.¡± I helped her to sit on a small stool and asked her, ¡°Auntie, where is the dishwashing liquid?¡±

    ¡°What do you want dishwashing detergent for? Those things are

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    J

    unhealthy and toxic.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ how were those bowls washed?¡±

    ¡°Just wash it with in water.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Wash with in water? Can the grease be removed?¡± I asked in astonishment.

    Aunt nced at me, then took my hand and said, ¡°Oh, Esmeralda, just by looking at you, I can tell you¡¯ve never done any household chores. This won¡¯t do, you know. No matter what, a woman should know how to do household chores.¡±

    I listened quietly and didn¡¯t say anything.

    The aunt today was really strange.

    Seeing me silent, Auntie continued, ¡°Esmeralda, I am teaching you how to manage a household. You won¡¯t me Auntie for being naggy, will you?¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°No.¡±

    With that, I pulled my hand out and said, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m going to wash the dishes.¡±

    ¡°Ah, go ahead, Esmeralda. You worked hard.¡±

    After Trevin finished washing the fruits, he said he would help me wash the dishes. However, he was called away by the aunt and asked to pour a ss of water for her to drink.

    I smiled faintly and didn¡¯t really care in my heart.

    Finally back in my room, I washed the oil stains off my hands with

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    shower gel.

    Iy on the sofa, staring at my fair and slender hands in a daze.

    Just now, when I was washing dishes at my aunt¡¯s house, the dishes. were too greasy, and I almost dropped them.

    Auntie said that I was like a spoiled princess and didn¡¯t know anything.

    Although I said it with a smile, I also felt a little ufortable in my

    heart.

    Because her words reminded me of what Reynaldo had said before.

    Reynaldo once said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do anything except eat.¡±

    I sighed heavily, feeling quite sad inside, as I stared at my hand.

    It seems that in everyone¡¯s eyes, I was a useless and worthless person.

    I patted my t belly and sighed to myself, ¡°Oh baby, please don¡¯t ever think your mommy is useless in the future.¡±

    It was still early, and I was nning to call Quentin to let him know that I had found a job, so he wouldn¡¯t worry

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    Chapter139

    However, I dialed his number several times in a row, but it showed that

    it couldn¡¯t be connected.

    I furrowed my brows, and a hint of uneasiness rose in my heart.

    Arrived at the hospital.

    I went directly to Quentin¡¯s ward to find him, but I didn¡¯t expect the ward to be empty, with even the bedding and mattress already taken

    Just as I was standing outside the door, a nurse happened to pass by. I quickly called out to her and asked, ¡°Excuse me, where did the patient who was staying in this room go?¡±

    The nurse opened the ward round list and looked at it, saying, ¡°Are you referring to Quentin? He justpleted the discharge procedures. this morning.¡±

    ¡°Discharged?¡± I eximed.

    What happened?

    Quentin clearly said that he would stay here for another two months, so how could he suddenly be discharged?

    And why didn¡¯t hee back to rent a house with me after he was discharged from the hospital? What¡¯s even more terrifying is, why couldn¡¯t I reach him on the phone all the time?

    The more I thought, the more uneasy I became.

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    I hurriedly asked the nurse again, ¡°Did he handle the discharge procedures by himself or did someone else do it for him?¡±

    ¡°It was a very beautiful girl who apanied him. I remember it quite well. At that time, his leg was still not healed, and the doctors advised. him to stay for a few more days. There were also rehabilitation training sessions afterwards.¡±

    But he couldn¡¯t hold on, and there were also a lot of medical expenses, all of which were refunded to him.

    A very beautiful girl, it seems that she is the girl that the older brother liked.

    If the older brother had gone to handle the discharge procedures himself, then he should not have been taken away by Reynaldo.

    He was just staying well in the hospital, why does he suddenly need to be discharged?

    And what was the matter with the phone that couldn¡¯t be reached?

    I was still very uneasy in my heart.

    I am really scared by Reynaldo now. Whenever I think of the nightmarest night, I feel panicked.

    I decided to go and visit my parents.

    However, as soon as I walked out of the Inpatient Department, I saw a tall figure getting out of a luxury car.

    That person was none other than Reynaldo!

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly dodged into the nearby green

    belt.

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    Today, Reynaldo wore a ck shirt, with perfect features and a noble temperament. However, there was always a touch of intimidating hostility in his beautiful eyes and eyebrows.

    He walked towards the Inpatient Department with a few bodyguards.

    The gloomy atmosphere that surrounded him couldn¡¯t even be dispelled. by the warm autumn sun.

    Really, now he can no longer be associated with the previous. Reynaldo.

    This is also the reason why I became more and more afraid of him.

    The darkness in his nature, truly was much more than I had ever imagined.

    When they walked towards this side, I curled up and hid my entire body behind the bushes.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, ording to the investigation, Ms. Duffy¡¯s brother will be staying at this hospital for some time. We can set up a stakeout and as long as Ms. Duffyes to visit her brother, we will be able to catch her.¡±

    ¡°Heh, waiting for the rabbit by the stump?¡±

    Reynaldoughed gloomily, ¡°But I couldn¡¯t wait that long.¡±

    The man¡¯s gloomyughter sent shivers down my spine.

    It seems that Reynaldo came this time to catch Quentin and then use him to force me to appear.

    Fortunately, Quentin had foresight and was discharged early.

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    I just couldn¡¯t figure out why I couldn¡¯t reach him on his phone.

    I still wanted to go back to my parents¡® ce and check on them and Quentin. I needed to make sure that my parents and Quentin were okay before I could fully rx.

    While Reynaldo and the others had note out yet, I quickly ran out. of the hospital.

    Just as I got on the car, an unfamiliar number called in.

    Not many people knew my new number, except for Quentin and Lavonne.

    I immediately thought of Quentin and quickly answered the phone.

    ¡°Ralda, it was my brother.¡±

    I was delighted in my heart: ¡°Brother, are you okay? Where are you

    now?¡±

    ¡°I was at Kimora¡¯s ce, and this phone belongs to Kimora as well.¡±

    Kimora is the girl that my brother likes, so does that mean they have already be a couple?

    I quickly asked, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I reach you on your phone? Did something happen? I just saw Reynaldo taking people to the hospital to catch you.¡±

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    <b>Chapter </b>140

    Quentin took a deep breath and said, ¡°Wow, he really brought people. to catch me? Luckily, I listened to Kimora and ran away in advance.¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°Listen to Kimora?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I told her about your situation, and then she reminded me to leave the hospital quickly and hide at her ce. She said she was afraid that person woulde to catch me and force you to show up.¡±

    Well, she really hit the nail on the head there.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    It seems that Quentin really trusted this girl named Kimora, as he even told her about my situation.

    Quentin paused and said, ¡°Ralda, you don¡¯t have to worry about your brother. He broke his own SIM card because I was afraid Reynaldo would take my phone and use it to trick you intoing out. Of course, Kimora also reminded me of this.

    After listening, I became even more curious about the girl named Kimora in my heart.

    Iughed and said, ¡°The girl that my brother likes is very thoughtful. After all these troubles are over, my brother must bring his girlfriend for me to see.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s for sure. Anyway, everything is fine with my brother here, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with our parents either.¡±

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    As long as Reynaldo couldn¡¯t find any clues from us, over time, he would be helpless.

    ¡°Um.¡±

    I whispered softly, thinking to myself, as time went by, maybe Reynaldo would really give up looking for me.

    And as time went by, and when he got married to Kimberly and had children, he mightpletely forget about someone like me.

    By then, I was truly free.

    It was good.

    But whenever I think about the scene where he and Kimberly would get married and have children in the future, a pang of dense and painful bitterness still arises in my heart.

    Lost in thought, Quentin suddenly asked in confusion, ¡°Ralda, have you recently offended Reynaldo again? Look at the way he¡¯s

    approaching you, I can¡¯t help but feel like he hates you even more than before.¡±

    I thought carefully, but I couldn¡¯t figure out where I had offended that

    <b>man</b>.

    I just identally ended up working at Winston¡¯spany and helped Winston with his fundraising.

    If he was angry because of this, he could have simply not invested in Winston¡¯s project.

    But didn¡¯t he also invest? It proves that he also saw the potential in this business opportunity.

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    It is even more unreasonable to say that he was angry because I left without saying goodbye.

    Because he already disliked me, my leaving was a good thing for him, and he didn¡¯t need to get so angry.

    So, I really didn¡¯t know why Reynaldo came to me so angrily!

    After talking to Quentin on the phone, I felt much more at ease.

    Quentin told me not to go back to my parents¡® ce during this time, as

    he was afraid that Reynaldo¡¯s people were staking it out.

    I thought it made sense.

    So I directly had the driver take me back to the shanty town.

    I will start working tomorrow.

    After returning to the rental house, I had no intention of going out. I nned to rest early and go to work tomorrow in the best condition.

    In the evening, I was lying in bed resting when suddenly someone knocked on my door.

    Because Reynaldo had made him suspicious and on edge, he was mentally tense.

    I used to get nervous whenever I heard a knock on the door.

    I arrived at the door and deliberately changed my voice to ask, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Hey, sis, it¡¯s me. What happened to your voice?¡±

    It was Trevin.

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    I breathed a sigh of relief and didn¡¯t open the door, just asked him, ¡°Trevin, what do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°My mom cooked the meal, and she asked me to call you toe and eat together.¡±

    I refused without even thinking, ¡°No need, I have already eaten, thank you.¡±

    Because of the lunch I had at noon, I will never go to their house for a meal now.

    It¡¯s not that he and his aunt were not good, it¡¯s just that the lunch made me feel strange, and it also made me feel a strange resistance in my heart, an indescribable resistance.

    Trevin fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°Then I will pour it for you.¡±

    ¡°No need, I have already eaten, it would be a waste if you serve it.¡®

    Perhaps because of my impatient tone, Trevin left without saying a

    word.

    I leaned against the door and sighed, without any energy, to care about. these things.

    The next day, I got up early and prepared to catch the bus to the

    construction site.

    However, as soon as I opened the door, I was taken aback¡­¡­.

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    Chapter141

    Trevin was waiting outside the door.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Good morning, girl. Let¡¯s go to work together.¡±

    I thought since I was going to squeeze onto the bus anyway, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to go together, so I nodded.

    However, when I arrived downstairs, I saw him pushing out an electric scooter from the hallway, and I waspletely dumbfounded.

    I asked in surprise, ¡°Do you ride it to work every day?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my mom said riding this saves money, just need to charge it every day. And this bike is second¨Chand that I found, so cheap, only a few hundred.

    He said, sitting on an electric scooter, and shouted at me, ¡°Hey girl,e on, get on.¡±

    I quickly waved my hand and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯ll take the bus.¡±

    Yesterday, I observed the road and the closer I got to the construction site, the more difficult it was to walk on. It was full of potholes.

    What if this electric scooter is not stable to ride and falls down?

    I fell, but it doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is the baby inside my belly.

    And I wasn¡¯t particrly close to him either, so it was like asking him

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    to give me a ride on his electric scooter <b>all </b>the time.

    Trevin was still calling me, ¡°It¡¯s okay, girl,e up quickly.¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m used to taking the bus, so I¡¯ll just go like this. I¡¯ll leave first, bye.¡±

    After speaking, I quickly turned around and walked towards the direction of the bus stop.

    Sometimes, I really felt that Trevin and Auntie were too enthusiastic.

    Trevin quickly caught up with me on his bike and rode alongside me the whole way, constantly asking me to ride with him. I refused the entire time.

    People around us were giving us strange looks, thinking that we were a couple having a quarrel, unaware of the truth.

    I feel like I really need to keep my distance from Trevin in the future.

    I walked quickly and finally arrived at the bus stop. Trevin sighed in frustration and said to me, ¡°Well, girl, I¡¯m leaving first.¡±

    ¡°Um, be careful on your way.¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched Trevin ride away on his bike.

    I arrived rtively early, and there weren¡¯t many people in the library.

    Perhaps it was because I bought drinks for them yesterday, the supervisor who called me remembered me.

    He enthusiastically introduced me to the work I had to do every day.

    Because we hired a group of temporary documenters, to put <b>it </b>simply,

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    we hired people to do odd jobs and assist us.

    So their requirements were not very strict, and our daily work was just to fill out the forms ording to their requirements and then input the data into the archives.

    The work was not difficult, and it was easy to get started.

    I was a bit busy, basically didn¡¯t stop for the whole morning.

    However, the working atmosphere was quite good, with no one bullying each other, and everyone was working diligently.

    At noon when I got off work, I went to the staff canteen with everyone else.

    The staff canteen wasrge, and the variety of dishes was quite abundant.

    I cooked the meal and sat together with my colleagues, getting ready to

    eat.

    Suddenly, a person sat in front of me.

    I looked up and saw that it was Trevin.

    ¡°Esmeralda, what a coincidence,¡± Trevin said to me with a smile.

    I nodded and smiled, without saying anything.

    Trevin suddenly ced a bottle of orange juice in front of me and thoughtfully said, ¡°Esmeralda, I bought this just now when I passed by the store specifically for you. Don¡¯t all you girls like to drink this?¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine.¡± I quickly handed him the drink and said, ¡°I rarely drink beverages, thank you for your kindness.¡±

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    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be polite with me.¡± Trevin stubbornly pushed the orange juice in front of me, then picked up the tray and ran away.

    I furrowed my brows, feeling a bit annoyed in my heart.

    At that moment, my colleague beside me bumped my arm and chuckled, ¡°Is he trying to pursue you?¡±

    I was startled in my heart, ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s obvious. He was interested in you and wanted to pursue you.¡±

    I pursed my lips and remembered the strange behavior of Trevin and Auntie these past two days, feeling a bit anxious in my heart.

    Before, I only thought they were kind¨Chearted, so I didn¡¯t think much

    about it.

    Now even colleagues can see it at a nce.

    No, I had to find a time to exin it to Trevin.

    The office here used to get off work rtively early.

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    When I finished work, it was only six o¡¯clock.

    Some people lived on the construction site, while others did not, but most of them would leave only after having dinner at the canteen.

    I was no exception.

    Trevin clearly made a deliberate effort toe and find me every time.

    Just as I finished cooking dinner, Trevin came over with a te in his hands.

    I deliberately found a corner with no one and sat down.

    Trevin followed me and sat across from me. He smiled at me and said, ¡°Esmeralda, I will have to work overtime tonight. You go back first.ter.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    I responded with a nod and returned the drink he had bought for me at noon, unchanged.

    Trevin stared at me for a moment, with a smile on his face, and said, ¡°Esmeralda, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°I was actually already married.¡±

    Trevin¡¯s face visibly changed.

    I said again, ¡°And I also had a child.¡±

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    This time, Trevin¡¯s face turned particrly ugly.

    He said, ¡°Actually, girl, you don¡¯t need to make up such lies to reject me. You look like you¡¯re in your early twenties, how could you already be married and have children?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I showed him my pregnancy test results. ¡°I have been

    married, I have a husband and a child, so Trevin, don¡¯t waste your time.

    on me.¡±

    Trevin nced at the document, of course, he couldn¡¯t understand it, but he could see that the test results indeed stated the number of weeks

    pregnant.

    Then he immediately changed his expression and angrily said to me, ¡°How can you be like this? How could you deceive me? And for so long? I actually thought you were an unmarried woman, you¡¯re just ying with people, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    People around me looked at me strangely.

    I ignored those gazes and just said to Trevin, ¡°Sorry, and also, thank you and Auntie for taking care of me during this time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you? What¡¯s the use of saying thank you? After all the good. things we¡¯ve done for you these days!¡± Trevin red at me angrily and then picked up the tray and walked away.

    I sighed, feeling considerably relieved in my heart.

    As long as I didn¡¯t let them misunderstand, didn¡¯t let them feel hopeful, it didn¡¯t matter how much they disliked me.

    When I returned to the rented house, it was already 8 o¡¯clock in the evening. I took a shower and went straight to bed.

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    I caressed my t belly, eagerly anticipating the arrival of these two the arrival of these two

    babies.

    If I had been working on the construction site all this time, by the time. the child was due to be born, I would have saved tens of thousands.

    By then, we wouldn¡¯t worry about not having enough money to have children or not having enough money to raise them.

    That¡¯s great.

    I was prepared to call Lavonne and have a good chat.

    Then I called her twice in a row, but she hung up on me both times.

    What happened?

    Is she still on set now and unable to answer the phone?

    With such thoughts in mind, I didn¡¯t dare to disturb her anymore.

    As soon as I turned over, Lavonne called me.

    I quickly answered the call.

    However, before I could say anything, Lavonne hurriedly said, ¡°Hey, Devin, did you just call me again? Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯m not buying a house now, so please don¡¯t call me anymore, okay<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    I furrowed my brows, what is this talking about?

    Without waiting for me to speak, she hurriedly said, ¡°And the lighting in the house you showed mest time was also bad. Anyway, I have been extremely busytely. You are not allowed to call me again. It¡¯s so annoying¡­<b>¡± </b>

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    ¡°Hey, how could you be like this? I can¡¯t believe you, Mr. Humphrey, who is so famous, would just casually snatch someone¡¯s phone number¡­

    I was startled!

    Mr. Humphrey? Reynaldo?!

    Oh my God! Reynaldo is actually right next to Lavonne now.

    I can¡¯t believe I actually called Lavonne just now.

    No wonder she didn¡¯t answer just now, and then suddenly called. It must be that Reynaldo suspected something and forced her to call.

    What should we do now?

    At this moment, Lavonne¡¯s phone must have been in Reynaldo¡¯s hand, because I could almost hear the cold breathing from the other end of the phone.

    What to do? What to do?

    If I hung up directly, Reynaldo would definitely suspect it was me.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    It was indeed Reynaldo¡¯s voice, chilling as if it hade from hell.

    He seemed so certain, as if he had already decided that it was me, and the gnashing of teeth in his voice seemed to want to tear me into pieces.

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    <b>Chapter </b>143

    I held my breath, afraid to hang up the phone, and afraid to make a

    sound.

    What should we do now?

    Just as I was anxiously pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, there was a sudden knock on the door.

    Thinking it must be Trevin, my eyes flickered and I hurriedly ran to open the door.

    It was indeed Trevin.

    Trevin was taken aback for a moment. Before he could speak, I quickly made a gesture for him to be quiet and then handed him the phone, indicating for him to help me answer the call.

    Trevin nced at me suspiciously and then said to his phone, ¡°Hello?¡±

    I stared at him without blinking.

    I saw him pick up his phone and say, ¡°Hello,¡± then he asked, ¡°Who are you? Speak up!¡±

    After a moment, Trevin handed me back my phone and said, ¡°It seems like that person hung up.¡±

    I nced at my phone and indeed the call had been disconnected.

    Perhaps Reynaldo heard a man¡¯s voice and thought he had guessed wrong, so he just hung up the phone.

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    I smiled at Trevin and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Trevin looked at me and asked, ¡°Who was that just now? Why did you ask me to answer the phone for you?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just an old friend of mine,¡± I smiled and asked him, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s sote, is there something you need from me?¡±

    As soon as I asked, he immediately felt embarrassed and said, ¡°I came here to apologize to you. I was wrong just now when I finished work. I said such hurtful words to you, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    No, it was actually because I didn¡¯t exin clearly from the beginning, which led to your misunderstanding.

    ¡°You and Aunt are actually both very nice people.¡±

    Trevin put his hands in his pockets and stared at me nervously for a few seconds before saying, ¡°Esmeralda, can we still be friends?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Iughed, ¡°we have always been neighbors and friends.¡±

    Trevin immediately breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Actually, after I said those hurtful words to you, I regretted it. I was afraid that you would ignore me.¡±

    ¡°No, we were always neighbors,¡± I said politely.

    Trevinughed and said, ¡°Well, then I can rest assured. Actually, my mom scolded me just now, saying that you are so good and I shouldn¡¯t have said those things about you. It was just me being a toad wanting to eat swan meat. It¡¯s entirely my own fault and I can¡¯t me you at all.¡±

    ¡°Trevin, don¡¯t speak ill of yourself like that. In fact, you are a pretty nice person, and in the future, you will definitely meet a good girl.¡±

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    Trevin¡¯s eyes flickered, and he suddenly asked me, ¡°By the way, girl, you said you got married and pregnant again. So, where is your husband? Howe your husband has never appeared before?¡±

    This¡­

    I didn¡¯t want to talk too much about my personal matters with others.

    Trevin saw that I didn¡¯t want to speak and quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. <b>If </b>you don¡¯t want to say anything, it¡¯s fine. I was just asking casually. I¡¯ll go back first. You should get some rest, sis.¡±

    ¡°Well, alright, Trevin, you should rest early too.¡±

    After seeing off Trevin, I leaned against the door and stared at my phone absentmindedly.

    Reynaldo nowpletely believed that this number was not mine. anymore, and he probably wouldn¡¯t bother Lavonne anymore.

    But, Reynaldo, why did you go crazy looking for me like this?

    Iy back on the bed wearily, just as I hadid down, my phone rang again.

    It was still Lavonne¡¯s number.

    I was on edge.

    Was it Lavonne who called this time, or was it Reynaldo who called?

    Hesitant in my heart, I answered the call but dared not speak first.

    ¡°Oh my goodness, you scared me just now.¡±

    As soon as I heard Lavonne¡¯s voice, my tense nerves instantly rxed.

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    Chapter143

    I hurriedly asked, ¡°What exactly happened just now?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, sigh, originally today I was invited by Winston to attend theirpany¡¯s new drama¡¯s opening ceremony, who knew I would run into Reynaldo.¡±

    Reynaldo, being the main investor of the y, attending the opening ceremony is not surprising.

    It was quite surprising that he personally attended aunch ceremony, considering his current status.

    ¡°And then?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Then I saw him asking Winston about your whereabouts, and Winston said he didn¡¯t know, so he went and asked Anton.¡±

    Anton, you know, right? He is the male lead of this drama, that very handsome and attractive male actor.

    But, what¡¯s your rtionship with Anton? Why did Reynaldo ask him about your whereabouts?

    ¡°Oh, I worked for a few days under Anton, thatpany of Winston¡¯s,¡±

    ¦¥¦°¦©

 Too Close 144

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lavonne eximed, as if she suddenly realized something. After a moment, she continued, ¡°He didn¡¯t actually ask me, so I had no idea you would suddenly call.¡±

    As soon as I saw that number, I knew it was you. Luckily, I didn¡¯t make any notes.

    You called, and I quickly left, preparing to find a corner to pick up the call, but little did I know that he stopped me.

    So I deliberately didn¡¯t answer, but little did I know, you called again.

    Listening to Lavonne¡¯s words, I also had a dumbfounded expression on my face.

    I didn¡¯t hit at the right time.

    Lavonne said, ¡°Reynaldo was so scary, I didn¡¯t answer, he just kept staring at me.¡±

    After you hung up, he forced me to call you back. Luckily, I reacted quickly and pretended it was a call from a house seller.

    But he was so quick, just when I was about to hang up, he snatched the phone away.

    ¡°Hey, Ralda, today I saw Reynaldo and it felt like he had changed again.¡±

    ¡°Changed again? What does it mean?¡±

    <b>QU </b>

    11 51

    I couldn¡¯t say for sure, but I always felt that this man was bing.

    more and more gloomy. And when he came looking it W

    he had gone mad. In short, it was really scary.

    Ralda, this kind of person has always been extreme. You must never

    let him find you, otherwise I¡¯m afraid he will harm you.

    Also, let¡¯s not contact each other during this time, just in case a situation like this happens again.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Is it getting gloomier?

    like

    I suddenly remembered him that I saw at the entrance of the Inpatient Department yesterday, dressed in ck, with a chilling aura

    surrounding him.

    Indeed, as Lavonne said, it was very scary.

    Even though he had a handsome appearance and a noble temperament, he was still intimidating.

    Did my sudden departure this time really cross his bottom line? Otherwise, why would he be so terrifying?

    But now I have escaped, I simply dare not go back, nor do I dare to see him.

    And I was also afraid that he would find out about the baby in my stomach.

    This was what I feared the most.

    So now, no matter what, I cannot go back.

    I now only hope that Reynaldo can forget about my existence as soon as possible.

    My mood was instantly disturbed by Reynaldo.

    Now, whenever

    I close my eyes, all I see in my mind is Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy and terrifying appearance.

    I even faintly heard him say that he wanted to kill me.

    Oh no! What should I do?

    I couldn¡¯t even imagine what would happen if one day I really fell into

    his hands.

    If I hadn¡¯t been pregnant, I would have obediently gone back to him and apologized, no matter how he punished me.

    Now there are two more babies.

    Oh!

    While I was sighing, my phone rang again.

    It was a string of unfamiliar numbers.

    As I looked at that unfamiliar number, my heart skipped a beat.

    That number looks so familiar, it seems to be Reynaldo¡¯s number!

    It seems that Reynaldo still doubted that I was the person who called Lavonne just now.

    Sure enough, this man was not easily fooled.

    I stared at the constantly ringing phone, but I didn¡¯t dare to answer the

    call.

    <b>1151 </b>

    Chapter144

    I was particrly afraid to hear his gloomy voice now.

    I was already very afraid of him, if he threatened me again, I would most likely be scared and obediently run back.

    So anyway, I didn¡¯t answer the phone, let him get angry on the other end.

    As long as I didn¡¯t answer his call, I couldn¡¯t hear his threats and

    wouldn¡¯t be afraid.

    With this thought in mind, I set my phone to silent and threw it aside.

    I don¡¯t know how long it had been, but then the screen of the mobile phone dimmed.

    I took a nce at it.

    Wow, that man actually called me eight times all at once.

    Even through the phone, I could deeply feel his terrifying stubbornness.

    Really, can¡¯t he just leave me alone and live his own life properly?

    He kept chasing after me like this, tormenting himself, didn¡¯t he?

    Indeed, the most terrifying individuals are those who are paranoid, unwilling to even spare themselves.

    Just as I was thinking, a message suddenly came through.

    Sent by Reynaldo.

    Before tomorrow, you had better roll back to me, otherwise you don¡¯t need to appear in front of me anymore. If I see you again, I will

    2000%

    1151

    Chapter

    definitely kill you!

    Even through the phone, I could feel the sinister and viciousness of that man when he sent that message.

    I held my phone tightly and dared not reply to the message.

    11 51

 Too Close 145

    Chapter145

    Soon, he sent another message, filled with a fierce and malicious tone, between the lines.

    Did you really think I couldn¡¯t do without you? You better hide well. If you have the guts, hide from me for the rest of your life. If one day I find you, I promise you will wish you were dead!

    ¡°Esmeralda, I hate you!¡±

    Looking at thest message he sent, I felt a bit uneasy in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t want him to hate me, I just wanted him to forget me.

    Hating someone is also tormenting oneself at the same time.

    M

    During the three years of marriage, I treated him poorly, making him suffer and feel so oppressed.

    In the following days, I actually hoped that he would be doing well, that he would be happy, even if the person beside him wasn¡¯t me.

    Reynaldo did not send any more messages.

    And I, because of those few pieces of information from him, stayed awake all night.

    The next day, I <b>felt </bpletely exhausted. Luckily, it was Saturday, so the administrative department in the office didn¡¯t have to work.

    I slept directly in the room for <b>a </b>whole day, and when I woke up again, it was alreadyte in the evening.

    11510

    I was extremely hungry, so I got up and freshened up a bit, then went

    out to eat.

    Although the environment was not very good, this area was very lively with a lot of people.

    As soon as I went downstairs, I saw rows of street food vendors and many food stalls.

    I bought a pack of pancake and a cup of milk.

    The pancake was still not as delicious as the pancake made by Reynaldo.

    Although I have only eaten his buns twice, I feel that the buns he makes are the most delicious buns I have ever eaten, even better than

    the ones I had at a seven¨Cstar hotel before.

    Thinking of Reynaldo, my mood darkened.

    Today, the phone was quiet all day.

    Reynaldo said that if he hadn¡¯t returned before today, then there was no need to appear in front of him in the future.

    Does that mean he has stopped bothering me from today onwards?

    Although this is the result I have been looking forward to, why am I feeling a little mncholy?

    I breathed a sigh of relief and walked back with the steamed buns and soy milk in my hand.

    In the hallway, I ran into Auntie.

    Auntie went to buy vegetables, saw me, and smiled as she greeted me.

    Chapter145

    I also greeted her with a wave.

    She said to me, ¡°You don¡¯t me our Trevin, do you? He just can¡¯t speak. I scolded him yesterday too.¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t his fault in the first ce. It was me who made you all misunderstand.¡±

    Auntie nced at me from head to toe and said, ¡°Oh my<b>, </b>you said you still look like a student, how did you get married and have a child?¡±

    She spoke and then nced at my belly, asking, ¡°How many months is the baby? You¡¯re not showing yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, I just got pregnant not long ago,¡± I said with a smile, following Auntie upstairs.

    Auntie looked at the buns in my hand and said, ¡°This woman is pregnant, she needs to supplement her nutrition, just eating buns is not enough.¡±

    And it was not safe for you to live alone renting a house outside.

    I really can¡¯t understand how your mother¨Cinw and your husband can feel at ease letting you, a pregnant woman, go out to work.

    I pursed my lips and smiled, ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright. I just found out that I was pregnant too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The auntie nced at my belly again and said, ¡°But I still advise you to have your husbande over and take care of you. We have quite a few factories in this area, as long as your husband is not.zy, he won¡¯t have trouble finding a job.¡±

    I nodded and smiled at Auntie¡¯s words, but I didn¡¯t reply to her.

    Chapter145

    After all, I didn¡¯t have a mother¨Cinw, and my so¨Ccalled husband became my fearful ex¨Chusband.

    So, I couldn¡¯t understand what my aunt was saying.

    Finally, I reached the sixth floor.

    I said to my aunt, ¡°Then I will go back first, aunt, goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Ah, goodbye.¡±

    As I turned and walked towards the room, I always felt like there was a gaze fixed on my back.

    I couldn¡¯t help but turn around, and I saw Auntie still standing at the entrance of the corridor, staring at me without blinking, with an indescribable strange expression on her face.

    As I turned around, she quickly put on a smile and waved at me, saying, ¡°Go back, go back. You need to rest well during pregnancy.¡±

    1152

 Too Close 146

    ¡°Um, thank you, Auntie.¡±

    After saying that, I quickly walked back to the room.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but I increasingly feel that Aunt¡¯s gaze towards me was strange.

    Fortunately, my aunt and uncle were not as enthusiastic towards me ast they used to be, otherwise I really wouldn¡¯t know how to refuse.

    After resting for two days, I felt much better. On Monday, I went back to work with full energy.

    Since I rified with Trevin, he has note to see me again, nor has he brought me anything.

    asionally, when we bumped into each other, we would just exchange greetings like neighbors.

    And he didn¡¯t deliberatelye to talk to me again when eating in the

    construction site canteen.

    That¡¯s also fine.

    Reynaldo never called me again, and he never sent me any messages again.

    The peaceful days passed by day after day.

    The feeling of fulfillment andfort, it made me feel truly free. Reynaldo had truly let me go, and even seemed to have forgotten about

    1152<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and slowly I stopped living in constant fear and anxiety. Even during the holidays, I would go. around and explore the surrounding areas.

    After work that day, the phone that had been quiet for half a month finally received a call.

    It was Lavonne who called.

    ¡°Ralda, how have you beentely? I wille to see you once I finish these busy days.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Everything is fine, how about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing alright, just a bit busy. I¡¯m at the theater every day,¡± Lavonne said, then asked, ¡°How¡¯s the baby in your belly? Are you still experiencing morning sicknesstely?¡±

    ¡°I felt a little nauseous, but it wasn¡¯t very serious.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ take good care of them, okay? As their godmother, I am really looking forward to their birth. I will give each of them a big red envelope when the timees.¡±

    ¡°Haha, then let me thank you as their godmother first.¡±

    After I finished speaking, Lavonne suddenly stopped smiling and hesitated, saying, ¡°Ralda, I want to tell you something.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about that Reynaldo¡­¡±

    My heart trembled slightly as I heard her mention Reynaldo¡¯s name.

    Chapter145

    11

    I said, ¡°What happened to him?¡±

    ¡°He was going to get engaged!¡±

    My hand holding the phone trembled slightly, and after a long while, I managed to force a smile and said, ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Well, although I didn¡¯t receive an invitation, of course, I might not be cligible, but I heard from many people on the set that he was going to get engaged.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really congrattions to him.¡± Iughed and said, ¡°Is it with Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°It seems so,¡± Lavonne said, and then disdainfully added, ¡°These men, they are all yboys. Look at how he pursued you a few days ago, and yet, in the blink of an eye, he got engaged to another woman.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°You can¡¯t say that about him. He approached me because he hated me, wanted to seek revenge on me, not because he liked me.¡±

    He liked Kimberly from the beginning, so it was no big deal for him to get engaged to her. In fact, we had already divorced a long time ago.

    Lavonne fell silent for a moment and asked me, ¡°Ralda, are you¡­ are you feeling sad? I remember you used to say that you liked him.¡±

    ¡°I had long stopped liking it,¡± I quickly replied, ¡°I just want to focus on earning and saving money now, and then wait for my child to be born.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you should think like this. Why do we need men? We can still ¡°Yes, you should think like this. Why

    live a good life and raise our baby, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lavonne is always right,¡± I nodded with a smile, and after at moment, I turned to her and asked, ¡°Since Reynaldo is going to get

    1157

    engaged to Kimberly, he shouldn¡¯t be looking for me anymore, right?¡±

    ¡°I also felt that he should have given up on looking for you.¡±

    Lavonne said, ¡°That day, didn¡¯t he snatch my phone and talk to you? Afterwards, he even sent two people to follow me.¡±

    I thought those two people would keep monitoring me until you. showed up, but to my surprise, he withdrew them the next day.

    I didn¡¯t know what was going on until one day I met your brother.

    Your brother told me that Reynaldo had already found him. He was scared to death at that time, thinking that Reynaldo was going to catch him to force you to show up.

    Little did Reynaldo know, he simply told him that he would never see him again in his lifetime, and that he didn¡¯t need to hide like this.

 Too Close 147

    Of course, both your brother and I didn¡¯t believe his words, so we didn¡¯t dare to let youe out recklessly.

    Today, when you asked me like this, I told you.

    But Reynaldo is a very deep¨Cthinking man, so we should still be cautious. What if you appear in front of him and he starts settling old scores with you? You agree, right?

    ¡°Um.¡±

    I whispered softly, recalling the text message Reynaldo had sent me that night.

    He said that if I didn¡¯t appear in front of him again, then there would be no need to appear in front of him again in the future.

    He said it was not necessary for him to be with me, he said he would not look for me anymore.

    What he said was all true.

    That¡¯s fine, before long, he will definitely forget about me.

    It was obviously a good thing, but for some reason, there was <b>an </b>indescribable sense of mncholy and loss lingering in my heart.

    That night, I dreamt of Reynaldo again.

    I dreamt that he turned back into that gentle and considerate

    appearance.

    In the dream, he was no longer the husband who was oppressed by me, but the man I loved.

    He would cuddle me to sleep every night, gently say good morning to me in the morning, and considerately make breakfast for me.

    He would also take care of our baby tenderly and make the babyugh.

    Everything in the dream was so beautiful that it was addictive.

    I had to wake up from a beautiful dream only when my rm clock for work went off.

    When I woke up, there was a smile on my lips and warmth in my heart.

    That dream was so beautiful, as can be seen.

    I leaned against the head of the bed, full of mncholy doubts, wondering if that dream could be the happiness I longed for in my

    heart.

    Ah! What a pity.

    That gentle and virtuous husband of mine was finally lost by me, and I can never find him again..

    I waved away the negative emotions and got up <b>to </b>wash my face with cold water, which instantly made me feel much more awake.

    As I was getting ready and about to leave for work, I ran into Trevin and Auntie.

    The two of them smiled and greeted me.

    As we were going downstairs, Trevin said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, did you see the big boss who was overseeing our construction site yesterday?¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°Did you see it?¡±

    Yesterday, I heard that the big boss came to inspect the construction. site. He came in a luxurious car.

    Many people in the office went to see it, saying that they wanted to catch a glimpse of the boss¡¯s style, even the supervisor went.

    I myself was not interested in the hustle and bustle, and I was afraid of the danger of falling in the crowd, so I didn¡¯t go.

    Yesterday, even when eating in the cafeteria, the topic of conversation was all about the big boss.

    But what¡¯s funny is that still no one knew the name of that big boss.

    Trevin said. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it, but my mom did.¡±

    Trevin spoke and bumped his mother¡¯s arm.

    Auntie then said. ¡°We were free at that time, so we saw it. I must say, that big boss was really beautiful, tall and with long legs. That face, oh my, it was even more attractive than a celebrity.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh when she described the big boss of the construction site as ¡°handsome.

    Auntie nced at me and then shook her head disapprovingly, saying, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t me Auntie for being straightforward. Although you are young and quite good¨Clooking, someone like you really can¡¯t catch the attention of the big boss.¡±

    I had a dumbfounded expression on my face.

    How did I get involved in this for no reason<b>? </b>

    Trevin also said, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s so rich and good¨Clooking. A man with money and good looks can have any woman he wants. He probably wouldn¡¯t even consider someone like you, who is just slightly attractive.¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°So, you know¡­¡± Auntie said to me with a meaningful look, ¡°We, the people from the lower ss, should stay grounded and not spend all day fantasizing about unrealistic things.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, especially for girls, be careful not to lose your virginity and end up with nothing, then it will be difficult to even marry a decent man.¡±

    Trevin and his aunt sang together.

    Even though I was foolish, I could still understand the meaning behind their words.

    It seems that in their eyes, I was a materialistic gold digger.

    Even they didn¡¯t believe that I had already gotten married, instead they thought that the child in my belly was left behind by a wealthy man who had yed with me because of my association with him.

 Too Close 148

    Chapter <b>148 </b>

    It should have been like this, otherwise why would they tell me these things today.

    I didn¡¯t offer much exnation either, just smiled faintly and said. ¡°You¡¯re all right, let¡¯s go quickly, we¡¯ll beteter.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Esmeralda. Auntie was just looking out for your best interests.¡±

    Rich people are indeed good, but rich people will definitely not marry someone like you, just for fun.

    We should be self¨Caware in our lives. You are young and beautiful now, but in a few years, you won¡¯t be anything.

    ¡°Well, thanks for Aunt¡¯s teachings, I will keep them in mind.¡±

    It¡¯s gettingte. I have to catch the bus. Goodbye, Auntie, Trevin.¡±

    I finished speaking with a faint smile, then turned around and walked

    away.

    Aunt Ren shouted behind me, but I didn¡¯t turn around.

    Let them guess about me however they want, I was just a passerby in life, there¡¯s no need to exin too much.

    Often, the more exnations there are, the more misunderstandings

    <b>arise</b>.

    Actually, it was quite good that Auntie and Trevin looked at me like that, because then they wouldn¡¯t have thought about letting a woman

    Chapter148

    like me into their house.

    With this thought, my mood improved considerably.

    I carried a backpack and walked into the construction site.

    Suddenly, a luxury car slowly drove out from the exit of the construction site.

    I was startled, it was the same familiar car model, identical to one of Reynaldo¡¯s cars.

    When it approached me, for a moment, I really felt like Reynaldo wasing towards me.

    In the blink of an eye, I was suddenly pulled aside by a strong force.

    I stumbled for a moment and almost fell.

    I furrowed my brows and lifted my head, and then I saw Trevin.

    Trevin shouted at me, ¡°Hey girl, the car ising towards you, why are you still standing there stupidly?¡±

    Although the car was still a bit far from me, Trevin was indeed. considering my safety, so I didn¡¯t get angry.

    I said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I knew how to avoid it, but I just felt that the car

    looked familiar.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    After I finished speaking, Auntie and Trevin burst intoughter.

    Especially Auntie: ¡°Esmeralda, have you seen this luxury car on the street before? It looks familiar, right?¡±

    Chapter148

    Auntie just told you that we, the lower ss people, need to face reality and stop thinking about relying on rich people or bing phoenixes.

    Look at you, not only did you not listen, but you were also thinking about setting up a trap, really.

    Fake ident?

    My lips twitched, but I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Auntie said again. ¡°This is the car of our construction site¡¯s big boss. You must not fake an ident, otherwise, if the boss fires you, it won¡¯t

    be worth it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Esmeralda,¡± Trevin also hurriedly said to me, ¡°You were staring at this luxury carst time, indeed, luxury cars are attractive, but my mom is right, those are not things we can afford.¡±

    ¡°Well, I knew.¡± I smiled faintly all along, without exining or getting

    angry.

    At that moment, the luxury car stopped beside us.

    I was startled, staring fixedly at the ck car window.

    I had a feeling that the person sitting in the car would be someone I knew.

    As the car window rolled down, apletely unfamiliar face appeared in front of me.

    I was dumbfounded, it seems that my intuition waspletely wrong.

    Seeing someone I didn¡¯t recognize, I immediately felt relieved.

    The person in the car shouted at us, ¡°Hello, can you tell me where the nearest pharmacy is?¡±

    I was about to speak when the aunt hurriedly stepped forward and pointed in the direction of the sign, saying, ¡°Go that way, it¡¯s about at ten¨Cminute drive to the shanty town, there are many pharmacies there.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you, Auntic.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a pharmacy on the construction

    site?¡±

    Aunt suddenly nced at me, her gaze quite intriguing.

    It seemed as if I was being med for deliberately ¡®showing off¡® myself.

    I ignored my aunt because I was afraid that the person in the car didn¡¯t know there was a pharmacy at the construction site and it would dy my illness.

    I heard the person in the car say, ¡°Our boss suddenly had a

    stomachache. but there was no stomach medicine in the pharmacy on the construction site. It was probably sold out.¡±

    Thank you, I have to hurry to Shanty Town to buy some and bring it back. Our boss is feeling ufortable.

    The man finished speaking and quickly drove away.

    Trevin, with his hands in his pockets, tutted and said, ¡°The boss is so rich, yet he still gets stomach problems.¡±

 Too Close 149

    <b>Chapter </b>149

    I nced at the newly risen sun and said, ¡°He cane to the

    construction site for inspection so early, which proves that he is also a workaholic. People like him are most likely to forget to eat because of work.¡±

    Aunt nced at me and said with a half¨Csmile, ¡°Esmeralda, you seem to understand the big boss quite well.¡±

    I smiled faintly and remained silent.

    Trevin said again. ¡°Why work so hard when you have so much money? If I were that rich, I would lie down and rx every day.¡±

    Auntie pped him on the forehead and said, ¡°You¡¯re such a loser, always lying around all day. No wonder even someone like Esmeralda. looks down on you.¡±

    I felt a bit awkward and wanted to walk away from them.

    Aunt suddenly called out to me, ¡°Esmeralda, the big boss has at stomachache. He must be resting somewhere now. Do you want to take this opportunity to take care of him? Who knows, you might even get

    close to him¡°?¡±

    Auntie has been constantly belittling me today, and I naturally understood that she was speaking sarcastically.

    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°No need, I still have to go to work.¡±

    After saying that, I left.

    Chapter147

    Auntieughed behind me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t secretly try to please the big bosster, there are many people on this construction site. If you make a fool of yourself, you might end up being drowned in saliva.¡±

    I knew that this aunt was reminding me not to have wild ideas and not to think about relying on rich men.

    I smiled indifferently and walked straight towards the office.

    The discussions in the office were all about the big boss.

    The office was usually lifeless, with only the sound of flipping papers and typing on keyboards.

    As soon as I walked in today, the whole office was like a pot that had exploded.

    Many people were still discussing, if the big boss hadn¡¯t left after work at noon, they would form a team to go and observe the big boss.

    I wasughing to death. They were treating the big boss as a national

    treasure.

    A colleague also came over and asked me if I wanted to go see the CEO¡¯s magnificent beauty. Iughed and said no.

    For the safety of the baby, I would not go to any crowded ces, no matter how lively and attractive they were.

    I opened the information booklet and was about to record the data.

    The supervisor suddenly came in, carrying two takeaway boxes, in a hurry.

    ¡°Esmeralda, ah¡­¡±

    The supervisor walked straight towards me.

    I quickly stood up and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Manager Zhou?¡±

    ¡°This is the porridge I just rode my bike to get takeout, along with some steamed buns and snacks. Hurry up and take them to the boss.¡±

    I stared in astonishment. ¡°Why on earth would you send it to him?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t understand. The big boss got sick this time, and several departments went to show their performance.¡±

    Let¡¯s talk about that guy from the ounting Department. He was the first one to rush off and buy medicine for the boss.

    I was surprised to find out that the person who just asked for the pharmacy at the construction site gate was from the ounting Department.

    Mr. Zhou, the supervisor, said again, ¡°We cannot neglect the information room either. Hurry up and send these while they are still hot.¡±

    I was a little confused and awkwardly smiled at the supervisor, saying, ¡°Maybe not, the boss might have already eaten by now, and we have a

    canteen at the construction site.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, it¡¯s his business whether he has eaten or not, and it¡¯s our business whether we send it or not. As long as he understands our intentions, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Listen to me, hurry up and deliver it to the boss. When you do, make sure to emphasize that I personally rode a bike to buy it, okay?

    ¡°I¡­I still don¡¯t want to go,¡± I said. ¡°I feel like it¡¯s too forced. How about you personally deliver it, supervisor? That would be better.¡±

    Chapter149

    11

    ¡°This won¡¯t do. Each department has sent representatives, if I were to go personally, wouldn¡¯t it seem too deliberate?¡±

    I felt awkward in my heart: you asked me to go, and even made me emphasize that you specifically rode a bike to buy it, which was more deliberate than anyone else.

    Embarrassed in my heart, someone suddenly volunteered, ¡°Supervisor, supervisor, Esmeralda doesn¡¯t seem willing to go. Let me go instead. I¡¯m better at running errands than her.¡±

    ¡°And me, and me, I am even better than her at ttery. Look at her, she clearly can¡¯t speak.¡±

    ******

    1150

 Too Close 150

    <b>Chapter </b><b>150 </b>

    ¡°Go away, go away¡­¡± Supervisor Zhou immediately rejected them, ¡°Each of you take a look at yourselves, do you have a good image like Esmeralda¡®?¡±

    Esmeralda, as soon as you saw her, was clearly a high¨Cachiever, with a beautiful and elegant demeanor. This undeniably elevated the image of our department.

    Moreover, the big boss has seen all kinds of people. You guys are like old hands, the big boss can see through you at a nce. Someone like Esmeralda, who is honest, is more suitable.

    My supervisor, Zhou, praised me excessively, and my colleagues burst intoughter, making me feel embarrassed.

    Manager Zhou looked at me seriously and said, ¡°Esmeralda, go quickly. The honor of our information room depends on you this time.¡±

    I was dumbfounded. This task is so difficult, and I couldn¡¯t even refuse<ol><li>it.</li></ol>

    My supervisor, Zhou, told me that the big boss is currently resting in the leadership dormitory and asked me to quickly deliver the porridge.

    I didn¡¯t know where the leader¡¯s dormitory was, so he personally led me halfway until we could see the dormitory, and then he turned back.

    When he turned back, he urged me again, ¡°You must, must tell the boss in person that I personally rode a bike to pack all these, okay? You must make him understand my hard work and our department¡¯s care for him, got it?¡±

    1152

    I nodded with a smile of astonishment.

    I would definitely tell the big boss what the supervisor told me.

    As for whether the big boss could understand his hard work and our department¡¯s concern, that¡¯s another story.

    The leadership dormitory had two floors, and each floor had one room. per person, withplete facilities.

    The supervisor said that the big boss was in the dormitory on the

    second floor.

    I was carrying a packed box and walking towards the staircase when suddenly a figure stumbled towards me.

    I was startled and quickly moved aside.

    The man fell down in a disheveled manner, and as I looked closely, it turned out to be Trevin¡¯s mother.

    At the same time, a man appeared at the entrance of the corridor.

    The man was tall and burly, with a square¨Cshaped face that looked cold and serious. He was dressed in a bodyguard¡¯s attire.

    He stood with his hands behind his back and said to the aunt, ¡°A

    young girl like you wants to get close to our boss, that¡¯s

    understandable. But Auntie, at your age, why are you dressed like this. and trying so hard to please our boss?¡±

    I looked at Auntie in surprise.

    Just now, Auntie was wearing pants, but now she has changed into a skirt and ck stockings.

    11.521

    Chapter150

    Um¡­

    What happened?

    Did Auntie actually want to seduce the big boss?

    This¡­ This¡­ This is simply outrageous.

    Remembering how Auntie and Trevin had taken care of me before, I quickly went to help Auntie up.

    As soon as my aunt saw me, her face changed instantly.

    She shook off my hand and angrily said, ¡°Why did youe too? Huh! Weren¡¯t you the one who kept saying you wouldn¡¯te to tter the big boss? Look, while everyone else is at work, you came as soon as you turned around. Is it true or not?¡±

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    Perhaps because I witnessed Aunt¡¯s embarrassing scene, she has been speaking to me in a more and more unpleasant manner now.

    Just then, she stared at the takeout box <b>in </b>my hand and sarcastically said. ¡°Oh, you even packed porridge and snacks, Esmeralda, you really put in some effort.¡±

    ¡°I came over to visit the big boss on behalf of our department,¡± I said calmly. ¡°These were also personally packed by our supervisor who rode a bike to get them from outside.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, the bodyguard said coldly, ¡°You guys can leave. Our boss was already feeling ufortable, so don¡¯t bother him anymore.¡±

    ¡°But this porridge¡­¡±

    Chapter Ed

    I wanted to bring porridge and snacks up, but I was stared back by a fierce and serious look from the bodyguard.

    At that moment, there happened to be many people passing by.

    Everyone turned their heads towards me and my aunt, whispering and discussing something.

    The noise was too loud, and I faintly heard them saying that my aunt and I were shameless. They said that we came to flirt with the boss. during working hours.

    I didn¡¯t care about thosements.

    Aunt¡¯s face turned red.

    After the bodyguard turned and went upstairs, the aunt suddenly grabbed me and scolded me, saying, ¡°I have been telling you not to daydream and not to rely on rich people, but you never listen. Now, look, you have made a fool of yourself.¡±

    I stared at her with wide eyes, Auntie, are you trying to me me for everything?

 Too Close 151

    Chapter151

    Without waiting for me to say anything, she quietly with

    ave me a signal her eyes and pleaded softly, ¡°Esmeralda, please don¡¯t say anything, Auntie is begging you, I really can¡¯t afford to lose face.¡±

    Aunt spoke pitifully.

    I frowned, thinking to myself, ¡°Well, I guess this is it. It can bet considered as repaying the favor to her and Trevin for their previous kindness towards me.¡±

    Auntie continued to perform, ¡°Esmeralda, who is the big boss? It¡¯s not someone that a person like you can covet. You actually wanted to flirt with him. Well, now you¡¯ve been directly chased away by his bodyguards.¡±

    Remember this time, don¡¯t daydream like this in the future.

    I looked at Auntie indifferently.

    At first, I thought this aunt was kind and friendly, with a pleasant face.

    Now I really feel disgusted by her, very disgusted.

    Because of those few words from my aunt, the people around me immediately started pointing and whispering, and all the me was suddenly directed at me.

    They even ignored the fact that Aunt was wearing a short skirt and silk stockings at the moment.

    I ignored their instructions and insults, and walked towards the data room

    with the packed box.

    Aunt caught up after walking a distance.

    Aunt looked at me guiltily and said, ¡°Esmeralda, I¡¯m sorry. Aunt really couldn¡¯t do it just now. Aunt is at this age, and really can¡¯t afford to lose this person.¡±

    I lightly tugged at my lips and said to her, ¡°You know very well that you are of this age, so why did you have to foolishly try to seduce the boss, and even dress like this?¡±

    ¡°I, I¡­¡±

    As soon as I asked, the aunt¡¯s face turned red again.

    It took her half a day to say, ¡°I was also very beautiful when I was young, pursued by many people. Although I have aged, my charm still remains, right?¡±

    I: ¡­

    Where did she get the confidence from, thinking that the big boss would like her like this?

    I don¡¯t know what else to say.

    I was about to leave when Auntie grabbed me again.

    She looked at me earnestly and said, ¡°Esmeralda, please, please don¡¯t tell. anyone about this, Auntie.¡±

    I did this not for my family¡¯s little bunny.

    The little rabbit in my family was uncultured and only relied on brute force. It is estimated that he could only do such hardbor at the bottom

    Chapter151

    level for his whole life.

    I was not willing to ept it, so I thought about making a good impression in front of the big boss. Who knows, one day he might promote my son and make him a supervisor or something, right?

    I¡­

    All I can say is, Auntie¡¯s thinking is really unique.

    ¡°Esmeralda, promise me, don¡¯t talk about this matter,¡± Aunt pleaded pitifully, ¡°even if it¡¯s because of the care I have shown you before, okay?¡±

    I remembered the dumplings that Trevin had forcefully handed to me that day.

    The plump and white dumplings, like the taste of home, warmed the stomach and warmed the heart.

    Well, originally, it was nothing, just a bowl of dumplings.

    I said to her indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if I wanted to say it, I would have said it just now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Esmeralda, thank you, thank you so much,¡± the auntie said tearfully

    as she looked at me.

    I didn¡¯t say anything and went straight back to the library.

    After this incident, I guess I have repaid Auntie and Trevin for their care towards me.

    When the supervisor Zhou saw me bringing back the packed boxes intact, his face changed and he hurriedly asked me, ¡°What happened? Did the boss refuse to eat or something?¡±

    Chapter15t

    I truthfully said. ¡°His bodyguard wouldn¡¯t let me go up, saying that the boss was already feeling ufortable, so we shouldn¡¯t bother him.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Manager Zhou eximed in frustration. ¡°Why is it that people from the ounting Department, Design Department, and even the Reconnaissance Department all went up, but when ites to the Archives Department, they¡¯re not allowed to go up? Isn¡¯t that bullying?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the boss took some medicine and went to sleep. The supervisor, the boss¡¯s bodyguards have already spoken, so let¡¯s not bother the boss.¡±

    Manager Zhou sighed with frustration, ¡°Alright, alright, we can only do it this way. Next time, our department must act quickly and absolutely cannot let other departments take the lead again.¡±

    ¡°Uh¨Chuh.¡± I nodded in agreement and then asked him, ¡°So what about the porridge and steamed buns?¡±

    ¡°Hey, if it¡¯s still hot, then you can eat it yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Just when I was hungry, having two mouths in my stomach made a difference.

    My colleagues saw me enjoying the steamed buns with great relish and jokingly said that I intentionally failed to deliver breakfast and indulged. myself.

 Too Close 152

    <b>Chapter </b>152

    Some people evenughed and said that if they had gone to deliver it, the result would definitely not be like this. They all sighed and realized that being beautiful is not everything.

    I watched them with amusement and suddenly realized that the atmosphere in this office was really good.

    However, during lunchtime when I went to the cafeteria, something very terrible happened.

    I had just arrived at the cafeteria at noon when someone sshed water on my face.

    The one who sshed water on me was not someone else, but a colleague from our department.

    He wasughing and talking with me in the morning, but now he is ring at me with anger on his face.

    Not only him, but also several colleagues looked at me with angry and disdainful eyes.

    I stared at them nkly, not knowing what had happened.

    My colleague Mny, who went to the cafeteria with me, also didn¡¯t understand what was going on. She asked them in frustration, ¡°What are you doing? Everything was fine, why did you pour water on Esmeralda?¡±

    ¡°We were being nice by not hitting her. You can ask her yourself what good things she has done.¡± My colleague who sshed water on me is Bet, he said angrily.

    I furrowed my brows and stared at him, ¡°What did I do?¡±

    ¡°Oh my goodness, how dare you ask?¡± Bet said angrily. ¡°This morning, the supervisor asked you to deliver breakfast to the boss, with the intention of creating a good impression for our department in front of the boss. But what did you do? You actually took advantage of this opportunity to seduce the boss.¡±

    You failed to seduce the key person and ended up angering the big boss. As a result, you were thrown out by the big boss¡¯s bodyguards, which really brought shame to our department.

    Do you know that you will cause all of us in the department to have our sries deducted by doing this?

    You shameless troublemaker, you wanted to seduce a rich person, don¡¯t drag our department into it, it¡¯s really infuriating. It¡¯s unbelievable that the supervisor still thinks highly of you.

    After Bet angrily finished speaking, Mny eximed, ¡°No way, Esmeralda doesn¡¯t seem like that kind of person, did you guys make a mistake?¡±

    ¡°Listen for yourself, everyone in the cafeteria was talking about this, if she didn¡¯t do it, would others say so about her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just now when we arrived at the canteen, everyone was talking about this matter, and they all saw with their own eyes Esmeralda being kicked out by the boss¡¯s bodyguard. Is there any possibility that this is fake?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I never expected her to look so innocent, and yet be such a person.¡±

    Almost all colleagues were talking about me.

    Chapter152

    So Mny also believed, and she silently stood by Bet¡¯s side, disappointedly saying to me, ¡°Esmeralda, how could you be like this? We trusted you so much, you really let us down.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t go to seduce the boss. When I reached the staircase, the bodyguard didn¡¯t let me go up. I didn¡¯t even see the boss.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still lying, are they deliberately framing you?¡± Bet said. angrily.

    At the same time, other people in the cafeteria were indeed talking about this matter and pointing at me.

    I was momentarily speechless.

    Bet said, ¡°In the future, we all ignored her. This woman is really cunning, pretending to be calm and nonchnt on the surface, but secretly using our department as a stepping stone.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± I said eagerly, exining to them urgently.

    But no one believed me.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more angry. How high were the expectations of her from the supervisor in the morning? She actually went behind the supervisor¡¯s back to seduce the boss. It¡¯s simply despicable.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if she managed to seduce the big boss, she would benefit alone. But if she failed, our entire department would suffer. She¡¯s really cunning.¡±

    ¡°Come on, her? She managed to seduce him? Just because she¡¯s a little. prettier? The big boss, he can have any kind of woman he wants.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, from now on, let¡¯s all ignore her. Such a cunning person,

    who knows when she might stab you in the back one day.¡±

    ¦§

    Colleagues were talking and then they all went to have lunch together, no one was willing to talk to me anymore.

    I saw them prepare the meal and sit together to eat.

    I walked over and wanted to exin to them.

    However, as soon as I walked past, they all avoided me together, clearly isting me.

    I looked at them sadly.

    After spending this half month together, I really liked working with them and the atmosphere in the office was also good.

    11040

 Too Close 153

    I couldn¡¯t bear this sudden istion.

    I wiped the water off my face and walked quickly outside.

    No one believes me now, so I had to go find the big boss to testify for me.

    I hope the boss is still at the construction site now.

    I hurriedly arrived at the second floor of the leader¡¯s dormitory.

    There were five rooms in a row, and at first nce, the bodyguards were not there.

    The supervisor said that the big boss lived in the second room on the right.

    Only the second room was not locked, while the others were all locked.

    The big boss might still be resting inside.

    I was delighted in my heart, and taking advantage of the bodyguard¡¯s absence, I quickly ran over and knocked on the door.

    However, as soon as I knocked on the door, a cold and menacing voice. came from inside, saying, ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I was startled and my heart trembled when I was shouted at.

    How could this sound be somewhat familiar? It even sounds a bit like Reynaldo¡¯s voice.

    With just that one sound, I couldn¡¯t be sure either.<ol><li>Cusjoj jou Didiuns</li></ol>

    It shouldn¡¯t be Reynaldo, I remember he didn¡¯t have a stomach problem, and he also didn¡¯t have any involvement in the real estate development. industry.

    Suppressing my wandering thoughts, I opened my mouth and prepared to ask him to testify for me.

    Suddenly, a cold voice came from the staircase, ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±

    I was startled, and as I turned my head, I saw the bodyguard approaching me aggressively.

    The bodyguard was still holding a lunchbox in his hand, indicating that he had just gone to serve the boss¡¯s meal.

    Before I could even speak, the bodyguard came over and grabbed me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s you again? Didn¡¯t I warn you this morning not to bother the boss? You clearly didn¡¯t listen, did you?¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t¡­¡±

    The bodyguard was strong and muscr, with unlimited strength. He carried me downstairs as if I were a little chick.

    I anxiously said, ¡°I didn¡¯te to bother the boss, I just came to ask the boss for one thing, oh right, you can also help me, you can also testify for

    me.¡±

    The bodyguard didn¡¯t even listen to me and threw me out of the stairwell.

    I stumbled forward for several steps and almost fell.

    Just as I steadied myself, I saw the supervisor approaching with colleagues from the department.

    11

    The supervisor saw me and furrowed his brows tightly.

    My colleagues saw me, and their expression was even more disdainful than before.

    Oh no, now the people in the department have a deeper misunderstanding of me.

    I quickly turned around and said to the bodyguard, ¡°Can you please testify for me? I didn¡¯t seduce the boss this morning at all. Can you please go and tell the people in my department?¡±

    ¡°Go away¡­ Your unsessful seduction doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t have the

    intention.¡±

    And it¡¯s because I stopped you that who knows what kind of trouble would have happened if I hadn¡¯t stopped you.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t speak like this, you¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± The supervisor had already walked over.

    The bodyguard snorted and said, ¡°Manager Zhou, I advise you to better control the people in your department and stop letting these troublesome individuals disturb our boss¡¯s rest.¡±

    The supervisor Zhou immediately red at me fiercely.

    The other colleagues also red at me angrily.

    At this moment, I am also so angry that I don¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s bad. enough that this bodyguard didn¡¯t testify for me, but he even made the matter worse by distorting the facts.

    Manager Zhou hurriedly said to the bodyguard, ¡°Yes, yes, I will definitely discipline the people in my department well. I apologize for causing you

    <b>1104</b>)

    trouble.¡±

    After a pause, Manager Zhou said, ¡°Is the boss still resting upstairs? Can I go and see him, and also tell him that the ¡®seduction incident¡® was entirely the doing of this employee in our department, who doesn¡¯t know hist ce, and has nothing to do with our department.¡±

    ¡°I hope the big boss doesn¡¯t get angry at our department.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, could you all please stop bothering our boss?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Just as Manager Zhou was about to say something, the bodyguard¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    ¡°Boss, what are your orders?¡± The bodyguard respectfully shouted into his phone.

    In an instant, everyone nervously looked at the bodyguard.

    However, I don¡¯t know what the boss said to the bodyguard, but the bodyguard immediately looked at me..

    My heart tightened.

    I hope I didn¡¯t just disturb the boss¡¯s rest by knocking on the door, or else he might fire me.

    The bodyguard stared <b>at </b>me and said into his phone, ¡°It¡¯s fine, just a woman who wanted to pounce on you. I managed to chase her away.¡±

 Too Close 154

    hapter 154

    I:¡­

    This bodyguard¡¯s words were really something.

    His eye saw me wanting to pounce on the boss.

    ¡°Ah, alright, I will tell them.¡±

    After the bodyguard hung up the phone, he looked at us with an air of superiority and said, ¡°The boss said that if you disturb his rest again, each and every one of you will be packing up and leaving.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, we¡­.

    As Supervisor Zhou was about to say something, the bodyguard had already turned around and headed upstairs.

    With the warning from the bodyguard, Manager Zhou now dares not go up rashly.

    He red at me fiercely and said, ¡°I chose you to deliver breakfast because I thought you had a good image and excellent temperament. I expected you to make a good impression on the big boss for our department. But what happened? You really infuriated me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen a shameless woman like you before. You pretend to be innocent during the day, but who knows how many men you¡¯ve thrown yourself at behind closed doors.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you have no idea how powerful the big boss is, and yet you dare to scheme against him. You should really think twice before acting so

    11040

    Chapter154

    recklessly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if you cause our department to have our wages deducted, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s not easy for us to make money. It¡¯s not like you, who just lies down under men.¡±

    My colleagues spoke more and more harshly.

    I clenched the hand by my side and said in a deep voice, ¡°If you were really deducted from your sry, I willpensate you with my own sry.¡±

    ¡°We are so many people, can you afford to lose with your meager sry<b>?</b>¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and besides, we don¡¯t dare to ept the money you earned through other means, we find it dirty!¡±

    The ¡°alternative way¡± they spoke of was self¨Cevident.

    I was instantly furious, my eyes turning red.

    Perhaps seeing that I was about to cry, Manager Zhou said, ¡°Alright, alright, why bother talking to her so much? Let¡¯s disperse, let¡¯s all disperse.¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for the agreement that the temporary documenter signed upon joining, which stated that they couldn¡¯t be dismissed at will, the team. leader Zhou would have fired you a long time ago.

    ¡°I warn you, from now on, be honest with me in the department and stop ying these tricks,¡± Bet said angrily, staring

    at me.

    I clenched my hands tightly by my side and said nothing, but deep down inside, I felt extremely hurt.

    11.00

    be to our bes

    Chapter154

    Originally, I didn¡¯t want to go and deliver the breakfast in the morning, but the supervisor insisted that I go.

    Now I am misunderstood, not only do they not believe me, but they also speak ill of me.

    How could my heart not feel aggrieved and sad?

    Mny suddenly said, ¡°Bet, you better stop talking. Haven¡¯t you seen that she¡¯s almost crying? If she starts crying, people who don¡¯t know the situation will think we¡¯re bullying her.¡±

    Bet nced at me and irritably said, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t speak, she doesn¡¯t speak. Anyway, when we go backter, I¡¯m going to change seats and not sit with her.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to sit with her either.¡±

    ¡°I was too, just let her sit in the corner by herself.¡±

    ¡°Bet, you used to always take such good care of her, didn¡¯t you? You were either helping her pour water or bringing her delicious food. Why such an extreme reaction today?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Bet, you were a bit off today. Did you suddenly realize that the girl you liked is actually such a disgusting person, so you¡¯re feeling so disappointed and angry?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Go away, go away¡­ What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly like such a disgusting woman.

    As colleagues walked away, their voices gradually faded away.

    I stood still in the same ce for a long time, and then I walked towards the information room.

    pjes joj jou Ojdwes

    Chapter154

    The document room was bustling with activity, but as soon as I returned, the entire room instantly became quiet.

    Their gaze towards me changed, and they also moved my seat to the

    corner.

    I pursed my lips, said nothing, and silently returned to my seat..

    Just now in the cafeteria, I was isted by them, and I felt quite upset and panicked.

    It made sense now, and I felt indifferent about it.

    Anyway, they are all passing through in life. After this project waspleted, everyone went their separate ways, so there¡¯s no need to worry about it so much.

    In the days toe, I only needed to do my own job well.

    In the following days, the big boss did note to inspect the construction site again.

 Too Close 155

    Chapter <b>155 </b>

    Many people said that the big boss was disgusted by me, so he didn¡¯t want toe to the construction site anymore.

    I ignored all those hurtful words.

    I worked as usual and had dinner as usual after work.

    Life and work were no different from before.

    The only difference was that hardly anyone was willing to talk to me.

    When I was working, I silently organized the data and put it into storage by myself, and Imuted alone.

    During mealtime, I often sat alone in the corner.

    Wherever I was, they would note near.

    Actually, there¡¯s nothing wrong with it. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. My main goal now is to make money.

    On the fifteenth day, the personnel in the office finally received their sries.

    This was also the first time I officially received my sry.

    Looking at the newly deposited ten thousand in my bank card, I can¡¯t express how happy I was.

    Payday was always a joyful day, and when it was time to leave work, office would buzz with excitement.

    the

    Chapter <b>155 </b>

    Bet pped his hands and eximed, ¡°Come on, everyone! Today we got paid, and I¡¯m treating you all to a meal.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Bet, you were awesome! Thanks a lot, Bet!¡±

    ¡°Bet, I wanted to cat hot pot.¡±

    ¡°Bet, how about we go for barbecue?¡±

    The crowd was chattering away, when suddenly someone pointed at me and said, ¡°Bet, aren¡¯t you going to ask her out?¡±

    Bet nced at me with a frown, wearing a disgusted expression on

    his face.

    Without waiting for him to speak, I calmly said, ¡°Thank you, but I have something to do after work.¡±

    Bet immediately snapped, ¡°I never said I was going to treat you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak and silently organized my bag, getting ready to leave work.

    Bet suddenly stopped me and angrily asked, ¡°What do you mean? Why do you ignore me when I talk to you?¡±

    I looked at him indifferently and said, ¡°All along, haven¡¯t you been unwilling to talk to me? And moved my workstation to the corner?¡± Bet was taken aback, looking as if I had left him speechless.

    The other colleagues immediately cut in and sarcastically said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re throwing a tantrum now, aren¡¯t you? It was your mistake in the first ce. Our department didn¡¯t have our sries deducted this time, it was just our luck.¡±

    Bet also hummed, ¡°Exactly, I was actually nning to invite you to

    Chapter155

    go cat together, but I didn¡¯t expect you to have this attitude.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, and I wish you all a happy meal. I¡¯m leaving work now.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with your attitude?¡±

    Bet¡¯s frustrated voice echoed behind me, but I ignored him and hurriedly walked towards the exit of the construction site.

    They already disliked me, it was just a meal, I didn¡¯t need to endure their ridicule.

    Just as I reached the exit of the construction site, I bumped into Auntie and Trevin.

    Auntie smiled at me and said, ¡°Esmeralda, did you receive your sry today?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I nodded.

    Auntie added, ¡°Well, that¡¯s great! When girls receive their sry, they should save it properly and not spend it recklessly.¡±

    ¡°Well, I knew that, Aunt.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, we also got paid today. Let me treat you to some spicy hot pot.¡±

    Trevin suddenly said to me, but he was elbowed by Auntie: ¡°You only

    girl to spicy know about spicy hot pot. What¡¯s the big deal about treating a hot pot for the first time?¡±

    Oh,¡± Trevin responded gloomily.

    Aunt suddenly turned her eyes, and looked at me meaningfully¡­

    Um, Esmeralda, this job that our Trevin introduced to you was good, right?

    Look at those factories around here, working tirelessly, earning only five to six thousand a month.

    Look at this job, sitting all the way, working from nine to five with weekends off, and the sry is so high, it¡¯s like finding a treasure.

    Speaking of which, if it weren¡¯t for our Trevin, you probably wouldn¡¯t have found such a good job, right?

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. We really need to thank Trevin.¡± I said, looking at Trevin. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you guys to a mealter.¡®

    I knew that my aunt intentionally brought this up, just to make me treat her to a meal.

    But I owed them a meal anyway.

    Trevin quickly smiled and said, ¡°No need, no need. How can I let a girl like you treat me to a meal, I¡­¡±

    Trevin didn¡¯t finish speaking when his aunt nudged him with her elbow and said to me with a smile on her face, ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t really care about this meal. I just want you to remember how good Trevin is.¡±

    1103

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    Chapter156

    ¡°I understand,¡± I said with a faint

    Smile. ¡°Trevin is indeed very nice, and I must treat him to this meal. You have taken care of me so much before, and now that I have received my sry, I have to treat you as well.¡±

    Auntie nodded with a smile on her face and said to Trevin, ¡°Did you hear that? This is Esmeralda¡¯s intention. You shouldn¡¯t refuse anymore. If you refuse again, Esmeralda will feel bad.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­okay, I won¡¯t refuse, won¡¯t refuse,¡± Trevin chuckled at me, and finally said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, the sry I received today is only a part, our amodation allowance has not been issued yet, it should be issuedter.¡±

    As Trevin said this, I suddenly remembered that there was still a housing

    allowance.

    I had an additional two thousand, I was really happy.

    I checked out the rtively upscale restaurants in the shanty town and was nning to take them directly to the restaurant.

    As a result, Auntie and Trevin said they would go back to change into clean clothes, so we had to go back first.

    I didn¡¯t have to change clothes, I just waited for them at home.

    After about ten minutes, Trevin came alone.

    Trevin usually dresses very casually, but this time he changed into a suit, which looked quite out of ce.

    Chapter156

    I nced behind him and asked, ¡°Where is Auntie?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my mom, she suddenly felt a little unwell and wanted to rest at home, so she let us go eat by ourselves.¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°Not feeling well? Is it serious? Do you need to go to the hospital to have a check¨Cup?¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± Trevin quickly shook his head, ¡°She just felt a little dizzy and told us to go cat by ourselves.¡±

    I nced at the somewhat mismatched suit on Trevin¡¯s body and understood what was going on in my mind.

    I didn¡¯t say anything, just said lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    It seems that Auntie and them still haven¡¯t given up.

    After this meal, I didn¡¯t want to have any involvement with them anymore.

    Originally, Auntie tried to seduce the big boss herself, but it backfired and ended up falsely using me of seducing the big boss. This incident. left me feeling unhappy.

    In short, in the future, I will try to have as little contact with them as possible, preferably no contact at all.

    Although the shanty town had poor living conditions, there were plenty of ces to eat..

    I chose a rtively high¨Cend restaurant.

    As Trevin walked in, he eximed repeatedly, ¡°Wow, this ce looks so upscale, Esmeralda. Dining here must be expensive.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately.¡±

    consumption in shanty towns was indeed lower than in the city

    hter.

    waiter approached us and asked if we had a reservation.

    eve aid I reserved the seat by the window.

    waiter quickly led us to a cozy seat by the window.

    ere were also fresh flowers on the dining table.

    soon as Trevin sat down, he hugged the flower and eximed citedly to me, ¡°Esmeralda, this flower is real, and it smells so good.¡±

    miled and took the menu handed to me by the waiter, saying to him, ou take a look first, order whatever you like. I¡¯ll go to the restroom.¡±

    ey, alright, alright.¡± Trevin took the menu and looked at it inside and et, another fancy meal. ¡°Wow, even the menu is made so high¨Cend,

    meralda, isn¡¯t this too extravagant?¡±

    ts okay, you have also given me a lot of food before with Auntie, so let¡¯s

    nsider this meal as even.¡±

    e implicit meaning of my words was that, after this meal, I would no ger owe them any favors.

    of evin buried his head in the menu, not knowing whether he understood

    not.

    idn¡¯t say anything else and turned around to walk towards the throom.

    on¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but I always felt a cold gaze ring at me from behind.

    11

    But when I looked back, I found nothing.

    It¡¯s really strange, Reynaldo hasn¡¯t contacted me for a long time, and I haven¡¯t felt this kind of uneasiness for a long time either.

    I don¡¯t know what happened, but I always felt anxious.

    No, it¡¯s better to quickly finish eating and go back to stay for safety.

    After using the restroom, I absentmindedly washed my hands.

    Suddenly, there was a figure in the mirror, and I casually nced up to take a look.

    The next second, I trembled all over, widened my eyes, and stared at the figure in disbelief.

    It turned out to be¡­ It turned out to be Reynaldo!

    But how is that possible?

    How could someone with Reynaldo¡¯s status possibly appear in a shanty town<b>? </b>

    Not to mention, this was the women¡¯s restroom!

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    Chapter <b>157 </b>

    11

    It must be that I didn¡¯t rest well and my eyes were dazzled.

    I quickly rubbed my eyes, but when I looked again, Reynaldo was still in the mirror.

    He looked at me with a cold smile on his face, his eyes always filled with the familiar sneer and chill.

    How could this happen?

    I had already hidden here, how did I still run into him?

    In my mind, I instantly recalled the harsh words he had said to me before.

    You better hide well. If you have the ability, hide from me for the rest of your life. If one day I find you, I will make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!

    I couldn¡¯t help but tremble all over.

    The man approached slowly, almost pressing against my back, and the familiar scent instantly enveloped me.

    I looked at the mirror with a pale face, trembling more and more violently.

    And the man behind me, he was like a ghost, whispering in my ear with a coldugh, ¡°You, you really know how to hide.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t hide,¡± I said, trembling.

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, he had be much thinner than before, and

    there was an even stronger coldness in his eyes and brows, to the extent that he looked even colder when he smiledpared to before.

    He wrapped his arms around my waist, his voice as cold as ice, ¡°No hiding? Then why did you change your phone number ande here? Huh?¡±

    ¡°I, I was just working here.¡±

    ¡°Work¡­?¡±

    These two words were said by him with a deep meaning. He sneered and said, ¡°Your so¨Ccalled job is to apany that man just now? Esmeralda, when did your taste be so poor, huh?¡±

    He actually saw Trevin.

    So, you mean to say that from the moment Trevin and I walked into this. restaurant, it had already caught his eye?

    I hated it so much!

    I wouldn¡¯t havee to this restaurant if I had known earlier.

    I never could have imagined that Reynaldo would show up in this shanty

    town.

    What¡¯s wrong with him? Why did hee here?!

    ¡°Speak up!¡±

    The man¡¯s hand came to my chest, and every movement of his fingers stirred my nerves.

    He pressed closer against my back, his hard and hot chest making me feel flustered and overwhelmed.

    Chapter157

    I grabbed the edge of the sink tightly and stuttered, ¡°Wha¨Cwhat do you want me to say?¡±

    ¡°That man!¡±

    In the mirror, his cold eyes narrowed slowly, his voice carrying a terrifying oppression and chill, ¡°You really can seduce men wherever you go, and your taste in men keeps getting worse. Is that so? Or is it that he, is bette

    in bed than me¡­¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t afford to be afraid anymore. I turned around and red at him angrily.

    I just invited my colleague to have a meal, why did it be so unbearable when it reached his mouth?

    Did he have to always humiliate me like this?

    Looking at the mist that welled up in my eyes due to anger, he sneered, ¡°What? Did I say something wrong? Previously, you were ambiguous. with Winston and Anton, and now you¡¯re getting involved with this unknown man. Ms. Duffy, can¡¯t you live without a man?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I was so angry that my whole body was trembling, and tears were uncontrobly streaming out of my eyes.

    Reynaldo red at me fiercely, his hand by his side clenched into a fist.

    The look in his eyes, always so cold and menacing.

    But his gaze towards Kimberly <b>was </bpletely different.

    His gaze towards Kimberly was always gentle.

    Chapter157

    At this thought, a strong pang of pain shed through my heart.

    1177

    I turned face away, suppressing the urge to cry, and said to him. coldly, ¡°Regardless, my affairs have nothing to do with you, Mr. Humphrey, and this is not the ce where you should be.¡±

    If Mr. Humphrey wanted to ask me for money, then please ask Mr. Humphrey to wait a little longer. I don¡¯t have money right now, but I will work hard to earn money and repay you.

    I never intended to avoid paying him back the money I owed, but I just don¡¯t have any money right now.

    After I finished

    drip water.

    speaking, Reynaldo¡¯s face grew even darker, as if it could

    He almost gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    I looked at him and said, ¡°Now your status ispletely different from before. Even the past me would have to address you as Mr. Humphrey, let alone the current destitute me, right?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly turned his face away, as if he had been amused by something, and nodded, saying, ¡°Alright, fine, Esmeralda, you just want to draw a clear line between us, right?¡±

    14

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    Chapter158

    There is no need to draw a clear boundary, as we never had any tionship to begin with.¡±

    Who said that!¡± Reynaldo suddenly bellowed at me, ¡°Who said we have o connection, do you know¡­¡±

    Yes, we used to be in a romantic rtionship, but now, aren¡¯t you getting engaged to Ms. Palmer? Let¡¯s put an end to our romantic rtionship

    here.¡±

    Reynaldo clearly paused for a moment.

    He looked at me fixedly and said, ¡°So, you also received the news of my engagement to Kimberly, right?¡±

    Yeah,¡± I smiled at him, trying my best. ¡°I actually wanted to congratte you, and now that I bumped into you, I can say it in person.

    Congrattions!¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me heavily, his ck eyes wrapped in an unbreakable coldness.

    He suddenlyughed and said, ¡°Congrattions? So, even if you knew that I was going to get engaged to Kimberly, you had no intention of howing up, right?¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for us happening to meet today, you had no intention of ever appearing in front of me again, right?¡±

    pursed my lips and remained silent.

    le had a faint smile on his face, a smile that was cold and self- eprecating. ¡°Ms. Dully, do you really¡­ really not want to see me?¡±

    frowned at him, ¡°Reynaldo, you were really strange, weren¡¯t you¡­¡­.¡±

    I have one more question for you¡­¡± Before I could finish speaking, he uddenly grabbed my arm and stared at me intently, ¡°Do you want to ome back with me?¡±

    Go back with him?

    What did you go back for?

    Did he continue to be his ndestine lover?

    No, no, no¡­.

    would go back as his lover to see him and Kimberly happily together until old age, I would go crazy.

    Not to mention, I had a baby.

    Yes, baby, absolutely cannot let Reynaldo find out that I was pregnant with his baby.

    I looked at Reynaldo and said firmly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go back with

    ou.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    He tightly gripped my arm, and because he exerted too much force, his knuckles turned slightly pale.

    pped his hand in pain and said, ¡°Reynaldo, please don¡¯t do this, please spare me.¡±

    ast wanted Ralda to live her own life quietly. Now that you and imberly are also getting together, I won¡¯t disturb you, and please don¡¯t sturb me anymore, okay?

    As for the money I owe you, I will definitely repay you in my lifetime.¡±

    lowever, he seemed to have not heard what I said behind him, and just neered at me coldly, ¡°Live your own life? Is your so¨Ccalled life just asually clinging to a man?¡±

    ou would rather apany them than be with me.

    Was it that I didn¡¯t give enough, or was there something about me that as not as good as them?¡±

    That¡¯s enough, Reynaldo. Why do you always have to look at me like his?¡± I looked at him sadly and said, ¡°I admit, I used to be a useless rich irl, but ever since my family fell on hard times, I have been trying my est to live on my own abilities.¡±

    Why do you always have to think that I relied on men to survive? In your yes, am I really that pathetic?

    eynaldo didn¡¯t say a word, but just stared at me fiercely. In those dark nd deep eyes of his, there was resentment, self¨Cmockery, and a touch of describable sadness.

    didn¡¯t know what he was sad about, after all, it was him who hurt others with his words.

    snapped at him coldly, ¡°Reynaldo, not everyone¡¯s thoughts are as dirty as ours. That man earlier, he was just my colleague.¡±

    on¡¯t always assume that the men who appear around me have appropriate rtionships with me. I am not as casual as you think

    11.04

    Although I loved to y, I also knew how to love myself.

    Reynaldo remained silent, his dark and intense eyes fixed unwaveringly

    in me<b>. </b>

    When he looked at people like that, there was an indescribable sense of ppression.

    couldn¡¯t stand this oppression, and I didn¡¯t want to say anything more to im.

    forcefully pried open his hand and turned around, ready to leave.

    But he suddenly grabbed my hand.

    le remained silent for a few seconds before speaking, his voice sounding lull: ¡°Come back with me.¡±

    Go back with him?

    How is it possible?

    Because of the baby in my belly, I couldn¡¯t go back with him either.

    pushed his hand away again and firmly said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t go back with

    ou.¡±

    After saying that, I stopped looking at him and walked quickly out of the

    athroom.

    He heard a self¨Cmocking chuckle from behind him, ¡°I only ask for this one ime, really, just this one time.¡±

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    Chapter159

    Beg me?

    Was he just asking me to go back?

    But why did he have to do this again?

    How much does he want to give up on himself to have someone he despises return to his side?

    Back at the dining table, Trevin looked at me with confusion and asked, ¡°Esmeralda, why did you take so long in the restroom? Is everything okay?¡±

    I shook my head and saw Reynaldo walking towards me.

    My heart tightened, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t continue to bother me.

    Just as I thought of this, I saw him walk over to a nearby elegant seat.

    And Kimberly was there too.

    When I looked back, Kimberly was looking at me.

    She waved at me with a calm expression, and I smiled back at her.

    But now Reynaldo and Kimberly are sitting nearby, and we can hear each other¡¯s voices, so I don¡¯t want to eat here.

    I looked at Trevin and said, ¡°How about we eat somewhere else?¡±

    Trevin¡¯s eyes widened, and he eximed excitedly, ¡°How can that be possible? I had already chosen what I wanted to eat.¡±

    Did you order the food?¡±

    It¡¯s not¡­ It¡¯s not even time yet, but I have already made my selection.

    nd Esmeralda, you were the one who said you would treat me to a meal. ou can¡¯t just go back on your word because the food here is expensive.¡±

    his is my first time dining at such a high¨Cend ce, you can¡¯t let me ome in and then go out, right? This is just ying with people.

    clearly saw a hint of mockery sh across Kimberly¡¯s face.

    nd Reynaldo just watched me quietly, with an indifferent expression.

    After a while, Kimberly suddenly leaned in close to Reynaldo¡¯s ear.

    don¡¯t know what she said to Reynaldo, but then she walked towards me.

    furrowed my brows, feeling a bit resistant in my heart.

    never really liked Kimberly, not only because she was Reynaldo¡¯s beloved, but also because she was too enthusiastic.

    Anyway, being with her made people feel a bit ufortable.

    Kimberly walked over with a smile on her face.

    ¡®Oh, Ms. Duffy, what a coincidence.¡±

    Trevin heard a sound and quickly turned his head to look.

    Kimberly had a pure and sweet appearance, and she dressed in a fashionable way.

    Trevin looked at me with his eyes shining, and he asked me excitedly, Esmeralda, is this your friend?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Duffy and I were friends.¡±

    Before I could even speak, Kimberlyughed at Trevin.

    Trevin immediately looked surprised and said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a friend. This youngdy looks very elegant, like a wealthy youngdy.¡±

    I ignored Trevin¡¯s surprise and asked Kimberly indifferently, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    J¡¯Oh, it¡¯s no problem. Since we happened to run into each other, let me treat you to this meal. Order whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Trevin excitedly looked at Kimberly and said, ¡°Can we really order anything we want? Then can I have this king crab?¡±

    Trevin quickly pulled out the menu and showed Kimberly the page with the king crab<b>. </b>

    I saw the price was 3,888 and couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    Kimberly nced at me and smiled at Trevin, ¡°Of course, you are Ms.

    too. Choose whatever you

    Duffy¡¯s friend, so naturally you are my friend Of course, you are Ms.

    like, no problem.¡±

    ¡°Wow, Esmeralda, your friend was so generous.¡±

    I looked at Kimberly lightly and said, ¡°No need, we could still afford this meal.¡±

    HT

    ¡°Hey, Esmeralda, don¡¯t say that. They wanted to treat us to a meal, it was a kind gesture.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, this Emperor Crab costs 3,888, how can we afford it?¡± Trevin said anxiously to me.

    In the moment I furrowed my brows, I happened to catch a hint of derision sh across Reynaldo¡¯s forehead not far away.

    I was so annoyed. I kept saying that it wouldn¡¯t end well if I ate with them. in the same ce.

    I eximed to Trevin, ¡°Expensive things are not suitable for us <b>to </b>consume, so let¡¯s not eat them.¡±

    Trevin became even more anxious: ¡°But how can we refuse? This beautifuldy has invited us, why would you want to waste her kind gesture?¡±

    Yeah, Ms. Duffy, don¡¯t be polite with me.

    Just now, it seemed like you guys thought the consumption here was. expensive and wanted to go somewhere else to eat.

    Reynaldo couldn¡¯t bear it and specifically asked me toe and invite

    you.

    ¡°Just a meal, don¡¯t be polite.¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡± Trevin nodded vigorously. ¡°We won¡¯t be polite, after all, this is also your kind gesture.¡±

    ¡°Well, sir, do you still want to have a bottle of red wine? <b>I </b>just looked at the menu, and the red wine is not expensive either. The most expensive one is just over fifty thousand per bottle. Do you want to order one?¡±

    J2 721

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    Chapter160

    Trevin¡¯s eyes widened instantly, and he eximed, ¡°Fifty thousand?¡±

    He quickly opened the menu and looked for the page on beverages, but he didn¡¯t see the mockery on Kimberly¡¯s face.

    I nced at Kimberly and disliked her even more.

    She was wealthy, but was it necessary for her to look down on poor people like that?

    I said to Kimberly without much tone, ¡°Thank you for Ms. Palmer¡¯s kindness, but we can afford this meal ourselves. If there¡¯s nothing else, please let Ms. Palmer move aside, she¡¯s blocking my light.¡±

    As soon as Trevin heard what I said, he became even more anxious.

    He grabbed my arm anxiously and said, ¡°We can¡¯t afford to consume both the king crab and the red wine.¡±

    I withdrew my arm and said lightly, ¡°If you can¡¯t afford it, don¡¯t order those two items. There are many other dishes avable¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± Trevin said to me impatiently, ¡°Why did you refuse when they kindly invited us? This king crab and this red wine, if we miss this opportunity, we may never get to taste them in our lifetime.¡±

    Just then, the waiter came over.

    Trevin didn¡¯t care about me anymore and he said to the waiter, ¡°I want a serving of this king crab, and also¡­¡±

    11003

    He spoke and quickly flipped to the back.

    got anxious, and he really wanted to order that fifty thousand worth of red wine.

    I busily held down the menu and said to the waiter, ¡°Cancel the emperor crab, we¡¯ll order again.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Trevin looked at me in frustration.

    At this moment, the waiter¡¯s gaze towards me had already shown a hint of disdain.

    Kimberly chuckled and said to the waiter, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we still want the Emperor crab, you can go ahead and prepare it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, please wait a moment.¡±

    After the waiter left, Trevin finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if he was afraid that I would return the king crab.

    Kimberly looked at me and said in a condescending tone, ¡°It¡¯s really okay, Ms. Duffy. This king crab, both Reynaldo and I almost vomited from eating it.¡±

    Today we rarely meet, Reynaldo said to invite you all, after all, if you miss this opportunity, you may not have the chance to eat such good food again.

    Trevin nodded with a silly smile.

    I pulled my lips and said to Kimberly, ¡°Back in the day, I wouldn¡¯t even bother with this king crab in front of me. I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Palmer to consider it a good thing.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s face slightly changed, a sh of anger flickered in her eyes.

    11:00

    Trevin came over and whispered to me, ¡°Esmeralda, why are you

    bragging? We haven¡¯t eaten it, we haven¡¯t eaten it. When you brag like this, people can see through it at a nce. They might beughing at you. in their hearts.¡±

    At this moment, I didn¡¯t want to talk to Trevin anymore.

    I handed him the menu and said, ¡°Take a look and see what else you want

    to cat. You can order, but you are not allowed to order alcohol.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, oh.¡± Trevin took the menu and finally shut his mouth.

    I watched the anger in Kimberly¡¯s eyes with a faint smile.

    Tell her to show off in front of me!

    Just mocking people, who can¡¯t do it!

    Kimberly took a slight breath and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy also knew, that was in the past.¡±

    I leaned back on the chair and casually said, ¡°Whether it was in the past or not, I never cared for that thing, but in Ms. Palmer¡¯s eyes, it¡¯s different. That thing is considered good and valuable in Ms. Palmer¡¯s eyes.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, I felt a cold gaze shooting towards me.

    I slowly raised my gaze and met Reynaldo¡¯s icy stare head¨Con.

    A sudden pang in the heart, it hurt a lot.

    Look, Kimberly just mocked me like that, and he didn¡¯t even react.

    And all I did was retort a few words, and he looked at me with that kind of expression.

    Ah, the difference between love and hate.

    And so, he wanted me to go back.

    Was it him who was sick, or was it me who couldn¡¯t ept it? It really

    was.

    Kimberly

    we treated you to this meal, so you don¡¯t have to go out of your way to find a cheaper restaurant.¡±

    this meiled at me reluctantly and said, ¡°Anyway,

    ¡°Um, has Ms. Palmer finished speaking?¡±

    ¡°Please go

    back after you finish speaking. I see that the dishes on your table have been ready for a long time. If you don¡¯t go back soon, Ms. Palmer will have to eat cold food.¡±

    Kimberly squinted at me and then turned around and left.

    I furrowed my brow and stared at her back.

    11040

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    <b>Chapter161 </b>

    Before, when I was getting along with her, I only felt that she was overly enthusiastic, a bit annoying, but I didn¡¯t dislike her that much.

    Now when I look at her, I feel like she had a lot more hostility towards. me, and her words and actions were all in a condescending manner.

    Has she already scorned to pretend her kind and gentle facade in front of me?

    In the moment I averted my gaze, I met Reynaldo¡¯s icy cold eyes again.

    Heughed at me coldly, with a slight curve at the corner of his lips, revealing a sneering mockery.

    It¡¯s as if saying, ¡°Look, without me, what kind of life are you living?¡±

    I lowered my gaze hurriedly, and my mind was inplete chaos.

    Now that Reynaldo has discovered me in this shanty town, if he wants to investigate, he will surely be able to quickly find out my address and the job I am currently doing.

    I didn¡¯t know if he would spare me or not.

    If he had the intention to retaliate against me, not only would I be unable to continue my job, but I might also not be able to return to my tiny dwelling.

    I was so annoyed!

    My life and work had finally stabilized, but unfortunately, I happened to

    §á§í

    counter him.

    was also strange. Why didn¡¯t he stay in the good environment of the

    and instead brought Kimberly to run around in this shanty town?

    as thinking anxiously in my mind.

    evin suddenly eximed to me, ¡°Esmeralda, I ordered several dishes ain, such as beef, prawn, and even a portion of oyster scallop. Since meone is treating us, you should eat moreter.¡±

    s soon as I heard Trevin¡¯s words, I became even more upset.

    hever intended for Kimberly and Reynaldo to treat.

    he dish he ordered would cost me at least half of my sry.

    was really frustrated!

    I see Kimberly in the future, I must definitely keep my distance.

    he other dishes were quickly served, but the king crab took a bit longer ecause it needed to be prepared.

    s soon as the dish was served, Trevin started eating as if he had never en it before. While eating, he said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, hurry up, it¡¯s so elicious. I have never had such a tasty dish before. High¨Cend restaurants e really different.¡±

    hought about the emperor crab priced at 3,888, but I didn¡¯t have much petite at the moment, so I just picked a few pieces of spare ribs to eat.

    revin ate with great gusto.

    nd nearby, Reynaldo watched with a constant lightughter.

    eemed like they were mocking me, I ended up with a ¡°starving ghost¡±

    1 man.

    that moment, I heard Kimberly say to Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, how did Is. Duffy fall for a man like that? Look at him, he looks like he has never ad a decent meal.¡±

    nced at Trevin.

    evin was eating voraciously,pletely oblivious to Kimberly talking

    him.

    imberly turned to Reynaldo and said, ¡°Reynaldo, it seems like Ms. uffy was having a tough time. She couldn¡¯t even afford a decent meal. hould we help her?¡±

    couldn¡¯t help but pull my lip.

    here did she see that I was living a difficult life?

    s long as I didn¡¯te across them, I can¡¯t even begin to describe how appy I was!

    eynaldo nced at me coldly and said in a t tone, ¡°Some people, they ing it upon themselves and don¡¯t deserve pity.¡±

    h, when did I ever ask for your pity?

    grumbled in my heart, hoping that Trevin would finish eating quickly so at we could leave in a hurry.

    don¡¯t know how long it took, but the emperor crab finally came up.

    revin looked at the well¨Cprepared king crab, his eyes shining, and imed in astonishment, ¡°So this thing is eaten like this!¡±

    ¦£¦©

    said, and then he took out arge pair of pliers for me, saying, Esmeralda,e here, there is a lot of meat here, for you to eat.¡±

    shook my head and put it in his bowl, ¡°You eat it.¡±

    checked and found out that pregnant women cannot eat crabs.

    loreover, with Reynaldo and Kimberly there, I had absolutely no ppetite.

    ittle did I know that as soon as I ced the crab w <b>in </b>Trevin¡¯s bowl, imberly¡¯s muffledughter came through: ¡°Reynaldo, look at how well Is. Duffy treats her boyfriend, she even refuses to eat the best part erself and gives it to her boyfriend.¡®

    revin also heard this andughed at me foolishly.

    furrowed my brows fiercely and red at Kimberly in anger.

    ometimes, I really wished I could shut this woman¡¯s mouth.

    11.05

 Too Close 162

    When I stared at Kimberly, Reynaldo looked at me with that murderous. and icy gaze again.

    I didn¡¯t look away, a touch of self¨Cmockery and sadness shed through my mind.

    He really loved Kimberly so much, treating her like a treasure.

    Just think about his attitude towards me in the past.

    Even in bed, he always seemed like he wanted to kill me every time.

    No need to imagine, he hated me to the extreme.

    Forget it, I shouldn¡¯t think about it.

    The more I thought about it, the more my heart felt suffocated, and I was not good to my baby.

    At this moment, Trevin suddenly covered his stomach and said to me, ¡°Oh, Esmeralda, I suddenly need to go to the restroom. Wait for me, keep this king crab for me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you go quickly.¡±

    Trevin also seemed to be in a hurry, quickly grabbing a few sheets of paper from the table and running off.

    I also wanted to tell him that there was toilet paper in the bathroom.

    I¡¯ll

    As soon as Trevin left, Kimberly sneered and said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you

    used to be a rich youngdy too. How can you be interested in such a vulgar man? Or is it that you don¡¯t mind as long as he is a man?¡±

    Reynaldozily leaned back against the chair, staring at me with a mocking smile, as if waiting for my response.

    I lowered my gaze, stood up, and walked over.

    I looked at Kimberly and said lightly, ¡°First of all, Trevin was not my boyfriend.¡±

    Secondly, we ordinary people are just like this, we simply cannotpare to the nobility of Ms. Palmer.

    So, if Ms. Palmer ever runs into me again, it¡¯s better for her not to greet me, so as not to lower Ms. Palmer¡¯s status.

    Kimberly immediately looked aggrieved: ¡°Ms. Duffy, I was just curious about your perspective, why would you say something like that?¡±

    Anyway, we were friends, and you had that connection with Reynaldo¡­ ¡°Which floor is it on?¡±

    I was a little annoyed. Originally, I was already feeling down when I encountered them, and to make matters worse, Kimberly kept mocking me non¨Cstop.

    I stared at Kimberly and said word by word, ¡°I had no rtionship with your Reynaldo a long time ago, so¡­¡±

    Before the words were finished, Reynaldo suddenly stood up.

    He brought some anger with him, and he made the chair very loud.

    Kimberly looked at him cautiously, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Dapter 167

    Reynaldo gave me a cold nce and then said to Kimberly indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°But Reynaldo, weren¡¯t you always looking for Ms. Duffy? Now that you¡¯ve finally found her, why¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I had already stopped looking for her, hadn¡¯t I?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered at me and said, ¡°Some heartless people should be left to fend for themselves outside!¡±

    was full of confusion.

    How did I be so carefree?

    No matter how bad or excessive I used to be, I was never as ruthless and violent as him, Reynaldo.

    When Reynaldo turned and left, I clearly saw a hint of satisfaction sh in Kimberly¡¯s eyes.

    At this moment, the waiter came over to collect the bill.

    Kimberly pretended to say to me, ¡°Oh, Ms. Duffy, I know you used to be a wealthy youngdy, so you must have had a very proud attitude.¡±

    Since you just said that you don¡¯t want me to treat you, then I won¡¯t help you pay for your table either, so as not to hurt your self¨Cesteem.

    I sneered.

    Kimberly was really gloomy.

    It seems that she never intended to treat from the beginning, but deliberately induced Trevin to order the most expensive dishes and drinks.

    ckily, I didn¡¯t let Trevin order red wine just now.

    herwise, both of us would have been stuck in this restaurant tonight.

    evin went to the bathroom and hurriedly ran back.

    nced at Kimberly¡¯s table and asked in confusion, ¡°Hey, where is at generous and beautifuldy from earlier?¡±

    left.¡± I said calmly.

    id she leave?¡± Trevin asked anxiously, ¡°What about our table? Did she

    aid with a poker face, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    evin shook his head in confusion and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ighed and said, ¡°Go ahead and eat, don¡¯t waste it.¡±

    evin looked at me suspiciously and said, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have forgotten pay for us, would she?¡±

    emained silent.

    evin became anxious and quickly said, ¡°Esmeralda, this meal is mething you insisted on treating me to, and it¡¯s also you who insisted

    bringing me to such a high¨Cend restaurant, so the bill for this meal¡­¡±

    Jon¡¯t worry, go ahead and eat. I had already paid,¡± I said wearily.

    hinking about how half of my sry just went away as soon as I arrived,

    really hurts.

    1101

 Too Close 163

    Chapter163

    There was a moment of silence, and then the sound of knocking on the door came again.

    I furrowed my brows and got up, walking over. ¡°Who?¡±

    There was no talking outside the door.

    A bad premonition instantly surged up in my heart.

    If it was my older brother and Trevin, when I asked, they would definitely respond immediately.

    And at this moment, the person outside the door remained silent.

    Could it be Reynaldo?

    My heart raced, and I strained my voice as I asked again, ¡°Who is it? If you don¡¯t speak, I won¡¯t open the door!¡±

    The silence remained outside the door.

    I frowned and emphasized, ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound, I really won¡¯t open the door.¡±

    There was silence outside the door for a long time, and finally a voice

    came in.

    Cold and deep: ¡°Open the door!¡±

    With amanding tone, it made my heart tremble.

    It really was Reynaldo¡¯s voice!

    I underestimated his power after all. It had only been a little over two hours when he found my ce.

    Chapter163

    Where else could I hide then?

    leaned against the door, feeling both anxious and confused in my heart.

    What did he want when he came to find me in the middle of the night?

    ¡°Open the door, Esmeralda!¡± The knocking sound outside the door resounded once again, carrying his icy and oppressive tone.

    The sound of the iron gate being knocked also made people particrly anxious at night.

    I asked irritably, ¡°What on earth do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha!¡± He outside the door suddenly chuckled lightly and sneered, ¡°What? Now you won¡¯t even let me in? Don¡¯t worry, even if you stand in front of me naked, I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    I: ¡­

    That was said.

    Seriously, this man spoke extremely rudely.

    If this had been said during the three years of our marriage, no one would have believed that these words came out of his mouth, and that too,

    t directed towards me.

    As people became more developed, the inherent ws hidden within their bodies were fully revealed, and they were even magnified multiple times.

    The knocking sound rang a few more times,

    At this moment, someone outside the door impatiently said, ¡°Who is it? Knocking on the door incessantly, don¡¯t you let people sleep?¡±

    11050

    ¡°Yeah, I have to work the early shift tomorrow. It¡¯s so noisy, is there no sense ofmon decency anymore?¡±

    I opened the door irritably.

    He kept knocking like this, and the neighbors on both sides were about to be awakened by him.

    The neighbors across and next to me were ring at me with a face full ofints.

    I busily apologized to them, then red at Reynaldo..

    I was originally very angry, but when I saw the man¡¯s cold and handsome face, my anger immediately subsided.

    I used to not be afraid of him, but now, he is the one I fear the most.

    I leaned to the side and let him into the house.

    He didn¡¯t even look at me and went straight into the house.

    That posture, cold and arrogant.

    I closed the door and turned around to look at him.

    He stood in the middle of the room, looking around.

    When the gaze fell upon the dark walls and dpidated cabs, the beautiful brows furrowed slightly.

    I said lightly, ¡°The environment here is dirty, messy, and poor. It¡¯s not suitable for someone as distinguished as Mr. Humphrey. Please go back, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled.

    1105

    Chapter163

    He raised his gaze and stared at me, his deep eyes always filled with coldness and sarcasm.

    ???

 Too Close 164

    ¡°I never expected someone like you, a pampered youngdy who has always lived afortable life, to live in a ce like this.¡±

    I self¨Cmockingly pursed my lips and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t been a wealthy youngdy for a long time. What¡¯s funny is that I have already epted this change in my identity, but Mr. Humphrey seems to be oblivious to reality.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he suddenly walked towards me.

    He was already tall and had a strong presence.

    Standing in front of me like this, that intimidating sense of oppression came back.

    I unconsciously stepped back.

    However, as I took a step back, he took a step forward.

    Finally, he backed me into a corner.

    He leaned against the wall, trapping me between him and the wall, his pair of dark and heavy eyes staring at me without blinking.

    I opened my eyes in panic and asked him, ¡°What on earth are you going

    to do?¡±

    I had already made it clear to him in the restroom of the restaurant just now that I couldn¡¯t go back with him.

    What did he really want to do?

    1100

    Reynaldo looked down at me, his warm breath hitting my face one after another.

    My heart was racing, and I bent down, wanting to escape.

    His arm, however, slid down and stopped me again.

    I looked at him with annoyance, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Reynaldo smirked, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was just my imagination, but there seemed to be a hint of hurt in his dark, brooding

    eyes.

    Looking at the coldness and sarcasm in his eyes and eyebrows, I felt like I was overthinking it.

    Reynaldo asked me, ¡°You would rather live in a ce like this thane back and live in the mansion with me?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    I answered firmly and decisively.

    Whether it was for myself or for my baby, I could not go back and endure his unstable emotions and his perverted¨Clike humiliation.

    Reynaldoughed again.

    He lowered his gaze, and this time I couldn¡¯t see the emotions in his eyes.

    He felt a little strange tonight.

    After a moment, he chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly at me and said, ¡°It seems like you really dislike me, and what you said to me that night¡­ it was also fake.¡±

    The four words ¡®also fake¡® carried a hint of resentment.¡±

    Towned and looked at him in confusion, ¡°What do you mean? What ght are you talking about? What did I say to you?¡±

    eynaldoughed mockingly, ¡°See, your memory is always so poor. You ever remember things you¡¯ve done or words you¡¯ve said.¡±

    No, I didn¡¯t even know what you were talking about.¡±

    looked at him in confusion. Many times, I felt it was difficult to ommunicate with this man, and we were often not on the same

    avelength.

    Reynaldo kept mockingly looking at me.

    tried hard to recall, to remember what he said about ¡®that night¡®.

    Could it be that he was referring to the night when I got drunk?

    Jh!

    That night, I slept with him and had a wonderful dream, but I don¡¯t emember what I said to him at all.

    looked at him and said, ¡°Just tell me directly, what did I say to you that ight? You think it was a lie.¡±

    Huh!¡± he sneered, ¡°Look, you always have this indifferent attitude owards me, even though you said it yourself, I still have to remind you.¡±

    No, Reynaldo, can you please speak properly?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me with a sneer and suddenly changed the subject: The things you said to Kimberly at the restaurant today, were they incere?¡±

    11053

    was stunned again. ¡°I have had so many conversations with her, which entence are you referring to? Please rify.¡±

    You said¡­ regardless of whether it was in the past or not, you always looked down on that thing.¡±

    ¡°That thing,¡± you were referring to me, right?¡±

    looked at him in confusion and blinked my eyes twice.

    I seemed to know which sentence he was referring to.

    But what I said was about the king crab, how did he mistakenly identify himself?

    Iughed speechlessly and awkwardly, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, please don¡¯t always have such wild thoughts. I was referring to crabs.¡±

    ¡°Ha! Crabs?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, clearly not believing it.

    I

    <b>was </bpletely convinced by him too. I don¡¯t like listening to people exin without speaking, and he always loves to daydream.

    muttered, ¡°I was talking about crabs, if you don¡¯t believe me, forget it.¡±

    ¡°Look, you had that indifferent attitude again.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, a cold and dangerous gleam flickering in his

    eyes.

    Hisrge hand, which had been leaning against the wall<b>, </b>suddenly came <b>to </b>my neck.

    His fingertips had a slight callus, and his fingers rubbed against my neck

 Too Close 165

    I stared at him nervously, afraid that he would get angry and strangle my

    neck.

    His fingers slid down along my corbone.

    I was wearing pajamas at the moment, and I wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear inside.

    When the feeling of admiration in my chest was grasped by him, I was startled and quickly held onto his hand.

    I panicked and my voice changed tone: ¡°Reynaldo, what¡­ what are you doing? Didn¡¯t you just say you weren¡¯t¡­ weren¡¯t interested?¡±

    Just then, my door was knocked again by someone.

    With Trevin¡¯s shout, ¡°Esmeralda, open the door, it¡¯s

    me, Trevin.¡±

    My head is about to explode, and Trevin hase again.

    I looked at Reynaldo, while Reynaldo looked at me with a lightugh, and suddenly a me burst into his originally cold eyes.

    He broke free from my grip, deliberately exerting force with his fingers.

    I red at him angrily.

    This resulted in his mocking yfulness.

    Trevin was still shouting outside the door, ¡°Esmeralda, please open the door. The king crab, neither my mom nor I finished eating it, and it will

    Chapter165

    go bad if we keep it until tomorrow. So, I brought it for you. Please have it, it¡¯s so expensive, to avoid wasting it.¡±

    Reynaldo tugged at his lips and leaned in close to my ear, chuckling softly, ¡°Look, this is the man you¡¯re interested in, giving you the leftovers from his meal with his mother. Ms. Duffy, you really need to get your eyes checked.¡±

    I held his mischievous hand and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±

    Little did I know that the man became even more outrageous, almost pressing his entire body tightly against mine.

    He pressed me against the wall and whispered in my ear, ¡°What exactly makes him better than me? Tell me, if you can point out even one thing, I will ept it without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°He was better than you in every way!¡± I was annoyed and couldn¡¯t help but deliberately provoke him.

    He sneered, ¡°Is that so? Better than me in every way? Including¡­ in bed?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him angrily, wondering why he always had to think of me in that way with other men.

    ¡°Shh!¡± Reynaldo suddenly raised his index finger to his lips and sneered at me, ¡°Keep your voice down. Are you intentionally trying to let that man outside the door hear us?¡±

    I angrily shouted at him, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    At this moment, Trevin shouted outside the door, ¡°Esmeralda, please open the door. This king crab is delicious, we can¡¯t waste it. My mom and I couldn¡¯t finish it.¡±

    emeralda, open the door, Esmeralda, at this hour, you shouldn¡¯t be

    tep yet¡­¡±

    naldo stared at me coldly and said, ¡°It seems like he knew exactly rss at time you went to sleep.¡±

    J

    ek!¡±

    immed sullenly, but it only resulted in his retaliatory bite.

    actually bit me on the lips.

    ared at him in pain and said, ¡°Are you a dog?¡±

    . I

    meralda, Esmeralda¡­¡±

    19¡±

    d

    vin was still shouting outside the door.

    naldo sneered at me and said, ¡°What? Do you like listening to his ce so much? Do you want him to shout your name all night outside?¡±

    ck!

    ursed at him again, but it was just in my mind. I was afraid that he uld bite me again.

    ook a slight breath and turned my head to shout outside the door, ¡°I

    i¡¯t want to eat it. If you can¡¯t finish it, just throw it away.¡±

    ow can this be possible?¡± Trevin said anxiously. ¡°This thing is so pensive, it would be such a waste to throw it away. Esmeralda, you In¡¯t eat much just now, so you can have the rest of the king crab.¡±

    eally didn¡¯t eat, I had already gone to sleep,¡± I said slightly annoyed.

    evin may have noticed my tone.

    He stood outside the door, chuckling, and said, ¡°Oh, oh, alright¡­ Well, then, rest well and see you tomorrow, huh.¡±

    The outside of the door finally quieted down, and I also breathed a sigh of relief.

    Reynaldo still held the position on my chest, his gaze dark and intense.

    He sneered, ¡°You really don¡¯tck men wherever you go.¡±

    ¡°You, you¡¯ve had enough!¡±

    I pushed him forcefully, and the next second, I faced his cold and fierce gaze, unable to speak out in anger.

    Reynaldo chuckled at me and turned around, sitting on the old worn¨Cout sofa.

    He took out a cigarette box, shook out one and put it in his mouth, getting ready to light it.

    I eximed, ¡°No smoking allowed!¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

    I pursed my lips and firmly said, ¡°In my ce, smoking is not allowed. Otherwise, you have to leave!¡±

 Too Close 166

    For the sake of the baby¡¯s health in my belly, even if I am afraid of him, I will still say it.

    Reynaldoughed.

    He threw the cigarette into the nearby trash can, leaned back against the sofa, and looked at me with a lightugh, ¡°You were attracted to that man just now because he doesn¡¯t smoke, right?¡±

    I:

    This man¡¯s imagination was truly extraordinary.

    I confronted him seriously, ¡°Reynaldo, whether you believe it or not, Trevin is just my colleague, nothing more! Please stop specting about me and him like this!¡°.

    ¡°Colleague?¡±

    Reynaldo chewed on these two words, his hand resting on the back of the sofa as he casually tapped it, not knowing what he was thinking.

    He stayed here, so I couldn¡¯t go to sleep either.

    I asked him again, ¡°What did you

    He looked at the night scene outside the window and said after a long while, ¡°The bracelet that my grandmother gave you¡­¡±

    I have already repaired that bracelet, although it had cracks, they werepletely invisible to the naked eye.

    Chapter165

    Can you help me return it to Grandma? I really am sorry about the

    bracelet.

    Reynaldo slowly turned his head to look at me and said, word by word, ¡°So, you think that what I told you was only about the bracelet?¡±

    ¡°What else is there?¡± I looked at him in confusion.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face instantly darkened, and he took a slight breath, as if suppressing his anger.

    every time you ? frowned at him and said, ¡°Please make yourself clear speak. You always say things that I can¡¯t make sense of, and then you me me for having a bad memory.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenlyughed, looking amused.

    He said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t make myself clear, but you have never put any effort into understanding me.¡±

    I frowned.

    What does this man mean? I was good to him, but he constantly

    humiliated me. And then he turned around and med me for not loving him and not caring about him.

    What¡¯s wrong with him?!

    I was silentlyining in my mind when he suddenly walked over.

    Looking down on me, he asked again, ¡°For thest time, do you want toe back with me?¡±

    No matter how many times you ask, I will still say the same thing, I won¡¯t go back with you!

 Too Close 167

    Chapter16

    And today at the restaurant, I also told you that I just wanted to live my own life. The money I owe you, I will definitely earn and pay it back to

    you..

    So, Reynaldo, please, I beg you, do not disturb me anymore.

    Although I liked him, including his unstable emotions, I could ept it.

    But I couldn¡¯t ept that he had white moonlight in his heart.

    No matter how much I like <b>a </b>man who has the moonlight in his heart, I wouldn¡¯t want him.

    Anyway, in the future, I would have my own baby, and when the babyes out, having thepany of the baby would be enough.

    Reynaldo stared at me fiercely.

    A pair of eyes were as cold and terrifying as ice.

    He said word by word, ¡°I really, really¡­ am begging you for thest time.¡±

    In the future, whether you are dead or alive outside, even if you be destitute and sleep under a bridge, I will no longer care about you!

    He finished speaking and then left, carrying a body full of hostility.

    I stared nkly at the door that he mmed shut heavily, feeling a bit blocked in my heart.

    How useless I was in his eyes.

    He actually thought that I would be so destitute outside that I would have

    to beg for food and sleep under a bridge.

    11051

    What am I in his eyes after all? Did I really end up like this?!

    With Reynaldo causing such a disturbance, I couldn¡¯t sleep again.

    The next day<b>, </b>my face looked extremely pale.

    To

    o avoid scaring others, I took half a day off.

    slept for the whole morning, and myplexion improved a little.

    At noon, I ordered takeout to eat, and after finishing, I got ready to go to work.

    However, as soon as I stepped out, I saw the aunt carrying a packed box, unching her back, and walking towards the staircase with a pained xpression on her face.

    was stunned for a moment, before I could even speak, my aunt saw me nd quickly called out to me.

    walked over and saw her looking very distressed, couldn¡¯t help but ask, Auntie, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Auntie held her stomach, sighed, and said in a depressed tone, ¡°Where lid you take Trevin to eat yesterday? There was something wrong with the king crab you brought back. After Trevin and I ate it, we had vomiting and diarrhea.¡±

    Chapter16?

    I was speaking and rummaging through the bag for the receipt.

    Auntie was taken aback for a moment, then quickly grabbed my hand and said with a smile on her face, ¡°No, no, no, Auntie was just casually saying that. In fact, Auntie knows that you have always been generous. Auntie is just afraid that you will be ripped off by that restaurant.¡±

    After all, that emperor crab made both Trevin and me vomit and have diarrhea.

    Such a big restaurant, I don¡¯t think they would dare to deceive consumers.

    Thinking about the king crab that Trevin couldn¡¯t bear to throw awayst night, I eximed to Auntie, ¡°Seafood like this is very easy to spoil, and you don¡¯t have a refrigerator. In this weather, it will go bad in just a few hours.¡±

    ¡°Trevin gave me the unfinished onest night, but I didn¡¯t want it. So, did you guys cat or throw away the remaining king crab?¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Auntie said somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°It was that naughty boy, who kept saying how expensive that thing was and refused to throw it away. So we left it until midnight, when we got hungry and ended up eating it.¡±

    I understood in my heart that they must have eaten spoiled crab meat, which caused them to vomit and have diarrhea.

    I shouted at my aunt, ¡°It¡¯s not worth it to eat things that have gone bad in the future, as it will make you sick.¡±

    ¡°Aunt, if you were feeling really ufortable, I would take you to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°No no no¡­¡±

    11.08

    Chapter167

    Auntie hurriedly waved her hand and stuffed a packaged box, packed in a bag, into my hands, saying, ¡°Trevin, that naughty boy, has an upset stomach but still insists on going to work. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t eat well at the construction site, so I specially made something light for him.¡±

    Are you going to the construction site now? Can you help me bring this to him, so I don¡¯t have to run over there with a stomachache?¡±

    I saw that Auntie looked really upset, so I said lightly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you give it to him.¡±

    ¡°Hey, well, thank you, Esmeralda, you were such a good kid.¡±

    In the face of Aunt¡¯s praise, I just smiled faintly and didn¡¯t say anything.

    I took the bus to the construction site and it was lunchtime at the moment.

    Aunt said she had instructed Trevin to wait in the cafeteria.

    So I directly carried the lunchbox and went to the cafeteria.

    Mealtime had already passed.

    The canteen was very quiet, and there were only a few people.

    There was a cleaningdy mopping the floor.

    I walked carefully inside, and as soon as I looked up, I saw Trevin.

    At this moment, he was chatting with a few colleagues.

    I didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but they kept looking at me while chatting.

    That look made me feel a little ufortable, as if they were discussing something about me.

    Chapter16)

    I walked a little faster, thinking about quickly giving the lunchbox to Trevin, so that I could leave.

    ¡°Esmeralda, came.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even approached when Trevin came up to greet me.

    Then, his colleagues smirked at me suggestively.

    ¡°Hey, Trevin, you said your girlfriend would personally cook and bring you delicious foodter, I didn¡¯t expect what you said to be true.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Trevin wasn¡¯t bragging this time, look at this beauty, she looked so attractive.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just look at that face, those perfectly straight long legs, we

    envious!¡±

 Too Close 168

    I furrowed my brows and looked at Trevin, ¡°What do they mean?¡±

    Perhaps sensing my tone was not good, Trevin quickly waved to those few colleagues and said, ¡°Go, go, go, stop teasing me and Esmeralda. Esmeralda doesn¡¯t like jokes.¡±

    ¡°Hey, give us back Esmeralda, Trevin, you really called them affectionately.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Trevin, you really have some skills. When did you find such a beautiful girlfriend? The key is, she even personally cooked and brought it to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, why don¡¯t you introduce a few of your beautiful and gentle. girlfriends to us?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, please don¡¯tugh at me anymore. If you keepughing, both Esmeralda and I will feel embarrassed.¡±

    Trevin said this without any exnation, truly intending to make things

    worse.

    I red angrily at Trevin.

    Trevin scratched the back of his head and chuckled in surprise, ¡°They misunderstood on their own, it¡¯s not my business.¡±

    I sneered in my heart. If he hadn¡¯t deliberately said that in front of our colleagues, how could those few colleagues have misunderstood?

    I really have no good impression of Trevin and his aunt now.

    17:05

    I will still have to work at this construction site in the future. If these few colleagues spread rumors about my rtionship with Trevin, will I still be able to live a peaceful life?

    I opened my mouth and was about to exin it to those coworkers.

    Suddenly, a deep and low chuckle abruptly came from the side, apanied by a hint of mockery.

    ¡°Congrattions to this colleague, who managed to find such a gentle and beautiful girlfriend even at the construction site.¡±

    Almost everyone turned towards the direction where the sound wasing from.

    Only I, with a stiff body, hesitated and dared not turn around.

    Because of this voice, and this mocking tone, I couldn¡¯t be more familiar.

    In this world, there is no second person who had such a voice and tone except Reynaldo.

    Why did it happen like this?

    Why is there a Reynaldo everywhere?

    Yesterday appeared in the restaurant, today appeared at the construction. site!

    Appearing at the construction site¡­

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    Could it be possible that he was really the boss of the construction site?

    This is the only way to exin it, otherwise someone with his status

    would never appear in a shanty town!

    Even though I didn¡¯t turn around, I could still feel the icy gaze of that man fixed firmly on my back.

    Just then, I heard him sneer at Trevin, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t your girlfriend turn around? What? Is she too ashamed to show her face?¡±

    Trevin came over and pulled me.

    He whispered to me, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the man we saw at the restaurant yesterday? Who is he? What is he doing at our construction site?¡±

    It seems that Trevin didn¡¯t know that Reynaldo was the boss of the construction site.

    Looking at those few colleagues again, they all had a confused expression on their faces as they asked each other, ¡°Who is this man?¡±

    It seems that they had never seen the true face of the construction site

    boss.

    Trevin tugged at my sleeve again and whispered, ¡°That man¡¯s gaze was so scary, Esmeralda. Do you have some kind of grudge with him? Otherwise, why did he say those things about you just now?¡±

    I nced at him mournfully.

    I¡¯m really going to be killed by this Trevin now.

    Trevin muttered to himself again, ¡°I know, it must have been you who upset his girlfriend at the restaurant yesterday, so he came after you to settle the score.¡±

    It must have been like that, otherwise why would that beautifuldy from yesterday not even buy us a drink and just left?

    You too, someone kindly invited us, but you had to make them angry. Look, their man hase to settle the score with you.

    I mocked myself in my heart.

    Look, even Trevin, an outsider, understood that Kimberly was Reynaldo¡¯s girlfriend, and he understood that I had provoked Kimberly, and

    Reynaldo woulde looking for me to settle the score.

    Suppressing the bitterness in the bottom of my heart.

    I turned around slowly.

    I saw Reynaldo sitting leisurely on a dining chair, holding a cigarette in his hand.

    Wow, as soon as I entered, I saw someone sitting there, but they had their back turned towards me.

    And I never thought it would be him, so I didn¡¯t look closely either.

    If I had known it was him, I should have turned around and run as soon as I came in.

    Reynaldo smiled at me, took a puff of his cigarette, and as he exhaled, the man¡¯s elegance,ziness, and imposing presence were fully disyed.

 Too Close 169

    Trevin and a few of his coworkers beside him were hesitant to talk to him, only whispering and specting about who this man was. They wondered if he might be someone important from the higher ranks at the construction site.

    No wonder.

    At this moment, Reynaldo, dressed in a tailored suit, looked exceptionally handsome. The inherent nobility exuded from him made people hesitate.

    Trevin shook my sleeve and whispered, ¡°Do you want to apologize to him, or maybe apologize to his girlfriend?¡±

    I furrowed my brows and red at Trevin.

    I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, why should I apologize to them? And apologize to Kimberly too?

    Well, why?!

    I stared at Reynaldo nkly.

    This is a construction site, and he probably wouldn¡¯t do anything to me either.

    Reynaldo blew a smoke ring, nced at me, and asked Trevin, ¡°When did they start dating?¡±

    Trevin was taken aback, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°When did you and your girlfriend get together?¡± Reynaldo asked

    casually, flicking the cigarette ash while lowering his gaze.

    I was just about to speak when Trevin quickly said, ¡°Just, just <b>a </b>month ago.¡±

    ¡°One month ago?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered and looked at me, ¡°You really are impatient, willing to cat anything.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I grumbled in frustration.

    Trevin quickly tugged at my sleeve and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t speak like that. This man looks wealthy and influential. We can¡¯t afford to provoke him.¡±

    Listen to me, apologize to him sincerely. If he is still not appeased, then apologize to his woman after work. Anyway, it¡¯s just an apology, it won¡¯t make much difference.¡±

    I pulled my sleeves back in annoyance and didn¡¯t want to deal with Trevin

    anymore.

    Trevin nced at my impatient face and snorted, ¡°Let me tell you, with your personality, it would be difficult for you to get by outside.¡±

    I ignored him, and Trevin quickly nodded and bowed to Reynaldo, saying with a smile, ¡°Sir, did she upset you and your woman at the restaurant yesterday? I apologize on her behalf.¡±

    She, relying on her knowledge and appearance, is arrogant and proud. Let¡¯s not argue with her.¡±

    ¡°Did you apologize for her?¡± Reynaldo chuckled lightly, lowered his gaze, and slowly said, ¡°Why should you apologize for her?¡±

    ¡°This¡­ I¡­¡±

    Chacter <b>160 </b>

    It¡¯s not surprising that Trevin stuttered.

    ¡°1

    Despite Reynaldo¡¯s seemingly indifferent appearance, he was actually full of oppression.

    None of the workers next to him dared to speak up.

    I took two steps forward and asked Reynaldo in annoyance, ¡°This is a construction site, so tell me, what exactly do you want?¡±

    Trevin was startled and quickly pulled me back, reproaching, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Don¡¯t speak to this gentleman in such a tone. We can¡¯t afford to

    offend people like him.¡±

    Trevin said, with a smile on his face, as he turned to Reynaldo, ¡°So, do you want her to apologize to you in person?¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and said nothing.

    Trevin busily said, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll talk to her.

    With that, Trevin tugged at my sleeve again, earnestly urging me to apologize to Reynaldo..

    I didn¡¯t want to hear a single word of what Trevin said.

    I irritably pulled back my sleeves and didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him.

    Reynaldo leaned back on the chair, smiling mischievously.

    He eximed to me, ¡°Look, didn¡¯t your boyfriend ask you to apologize to me? Why are you still standing there?¡±

    As soon as Reynaldo said that, Trevin gave me a push towards him.

    Reynaldoughed more and more mischievously, <b>with </b>a sneer in his eyes.

    Chapter169

    He suddenly stood up and walked towards me.

    He lowered his gaze and looked at me, in his deep eyes, there was coldness, mockery, and¡­ hatred.

    The intense sense of oppression came back again.

    I wanted to step back, but my feet felt like they had grown roots and I couldn¡¯t lift them no matter how hard I tried.

    He smiled at me and suddenly leaned in close to my ear,ughing meaningfully, ¡°If I asked your boyfriend to bring you to my bed, do you think he would agree?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I pushed him with all my strength and yelled at him, ¡°I have said it many times, he is not my boyfriend, why do you always linger like this?¡±

    ¡°Did I¡­ not disperse?¡±

    Reynaldoughed self¨Cdeprecatingly, hisughter was cold, and his handsome face gradually became extremely dark.

    ¡°Oh my God, Esmeralda, what were you doing?¡±

    At this moment, a sudden cry of rm came from the entrance of the cafeteria.

    Then, my whole body was forcefully pulled back by someone.

    I barely managed to stand firm when I realized that our supervisor from the information room had arrived, along with Bet.

    Bet stared at me with disdain and said, ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯te to work this morning, turns out you were here seducing the boss again.¡±

 Too Close 170

    ¡°The big boss?!¡±

    Several colleagues and Trevin eximed at the same time, all looking towards Reynaldo..

    Especially Trevin, his mouth was wide open in astonishment.

    Reynaldo ignored them, his cold gaze fixed on me.

    Seeing the situation, Manager Zhou grabbed my arm and angrily shouted at me. ¡°How did you manage

    to anger the boss again? I specifically took the opportunity today to apologize to the boss, but you¡­ you¡­¡±

    Mr. Zhou, the supervisor, was so angry that he could hardly speak.

    Bet eximed angrily, ¡°It seems like the lesson I gave youst time wasn¡¯t enough. How shameless can you be, woman? Skipping work just to seduce men!¡±

    Why don¡¯t you take a good look at yourself before you criticize others? Who do you think you are to repeatedly try to seduce the big boss?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡±

    I growled in frustration.

    Little did they know that their eyes saw me seducing Reynaldo, and these nderous words came out of their mouths.

    Manager Zhou shouted angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t deny it! If you hadn¡¯t seduced the boss, would he be so angry?!¡±

    Chapter120

    ¡°I simply did not have it!¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    I spoke, looking at Trevin and those few colleagues, hoping they would testify for me.

    However, not one of them dared to speak up.

    Trevin even nced at Reynaldo and said to me, ¡°Esmeralda,st time. everyone said you shamelessly seduced the boss, I still can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Now it seems that they were not talking nonsense. No wonder the boss always looked at you with a fierce and cold gaze.

    Sigh, I had already advised you earlier, us ordinary people should not daydream¡­.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I coldly interrupted him.

    In an instant, I saw the indifference and mockery in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± the supervisor shouted at me angrily, ¡°Look at your attitude now! You shamelessly tried to seduce the CEO, and you can¡¯t even tolerate others talking about you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s bad enough that they have no shame, but they also keep embarrassing our department!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh as I watched them, one by one, looking angry.

    Just because Reynaldo was of noble status, they all indiscriminately used me of seducing him.

    What would they say if it were like three years ago?

    Chapter170

    Well, this world is truly ironic..

    Supervisor Zhou approached Reynaldo with a ttering tone and said, ¡°Boss, please calm down. I will definitely teach that ignorant employee a lesson when I go back.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Reynaldo raised an eyebrow and looked straight at me, but his words were directed at the supervisor.

    ¡°How do you n to punish her?¡±

    Manager Zhou and Bet exchanged a nce, and for a moment, neither of them could find the words to say.

    Bet sighed and said, ¡°Mainly, she was a temporary documenter. This temporary documenter, when she first joined, signed an agreement that she couldn¡¯t be dismissed at will<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Manager Zhou quickly responded, ¡°Otherwise, I would have fired this restless employee a long time ago. Dear boss, please don¡¯t me our department just because of her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, boss!¡± Bet and Supervisor Zhou echoed, ¡°Our data room has always been diligent and dedicated. Please don¡¯t negate all the efforts of our department just because of one small mistake.¡±

    ¡°Boss¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Supervisor Zhou still wanted to say something, but Reynaldo interrupted him with a faint tone that faintly revealed a hint of impatience.

    Mr. Zhou, the supervisor, instantly dared not say anything.

    Bet dared not speak again, but just stared at me with disdain and

    <b>S </b>

    gust.

    naldo took out a cigarette box, shook out a cigarette and ced it in mouth, about to light it.

    an instant, everyone approached with lighters in their hands.

    at scene was both funny and ironic.

    wever, here, apart from Reynaldo, Zhou is the highest¨Cranking pervisor.

    with just one nce from Manager Zhou, everyone else immediately pped back.

    pervisor Zhou quickly lit a cigarette for Reynaldo, with a sycophantic ile on his face.

    ynaldo took a puff, blowing smoke rings as he asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t told

    yet, how do you n to punish her?¡±

    his¡­¡± Supervisor Zhou was momentarily speechless.

    probably hadn¡¯t figured out how to punish me.

    et busily eximed, ¡°Boss, how do you want to punish her? You

    1 me!¡±

    Vell, me¡­¡±

    ynaldo chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with amusement, mockery, d hatred through the smoke screen.

    ightly held the hand beside me and stared at him intently.

    e punishment of this man was never simple.

    Chapter <b>170 </b>

    Everyone was waiting for him to speak, and they were all watching the show.

    Trevin, who imed to be my boyfriend, didn¡¯t dare to even fart at this

    moment.

    After a while, Reynaldo¡¯s gaze suddenly leaped past me and looked outside.

    He said to me, ¡°Did you see those discarded bricks outside?¡±

 Too Close 171

    I followed his gaze.

    There were approximately half a wall¡¯s height of abandoned bricks on the empty construction site.

    Reynaldo suddenly walked up behind me, and a mischievousughter fell from above my head: ¡°You drag all those bricks to the designated location with a wheelbarrow, without leaving a single one. This is the punishment I¡¯m giving you.¡±

    He said, leaning closer to my ear, speaking in a voice that only the two of us could hear, ¡°I want to see if Ms. Duffy, who used to be so arrogant, can handle this hardship.¡±

    I turned my gaze to meet his eyes, which were filled with mockery and hatred.

    ¡°Scammer!¡±

    He gritted his teeth and said these two words to me, then turned around and walked towards the cafeteria, his back exuding an indescribable chill.

    After he left, I finally let go of the hand beside me.

    The pure white palms were covered in nail prints.

    As soon as Reynaldo left, the atmosphere in the cafeteria came alive again.

    Manager Zhou yelled at me, ¡°Esmeralda, what is wrong with you?¡°.

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    I always thought you were a woman who knew the general knowledge, but I never expected you to be so confused and shameless.

    You failed to seduce him once, and yet you went on to seduce the boss multiple times, even skipping work!

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    Yeah, I¡¯ve seen women who think they¡¯re as high as the sky and want to be phoenixes perched on tree branches, but I¡¯ve never seen a shameless woman like you. You¡¯re absolutely disgusting.

    Oh my God, how could our department have such a scum like you, it¡¯s simply polluting our air.

    Bet looked up to the sky and let out a long cry, with an expression of endless sorrow.

    I nced at him indifferently and said, ¡°Then you just don¡¯t breathe.¡±

    Bet got angry and shouted at me, ¡°What¡¯s your attitude? Let me tell you, you made the big boss angry again today. If our sries get deducted this month, I will make sure you pay for it!¡±

    I ignored him and turned around to walk outside.

    6

    Theughter of those few colleagues towards Trevin came from behind.

    ¡°So, your girlfriend is the one they were talking about a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, we dare not ept women who shamelessly seduce wealthy men everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Trevin, just a moment ago we were envious of you, but now, we feel sorry for you. Who knows how many times you have been cuckolded.¡±

    ¡°Go away¡­ Stop talking nonsense here. When did I ever say she was my

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    girlfriend?¡±

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    I sarcastically tugged at my lips and quickly walked out of the cafeteria.

    The abandoned bricks were transported to the designated location by a special vehicle, which was one kilometer away on the west side.

    If we use a car for transportation, it would take only two trips to finish the delivery.

    But let me use that small cart to transport, I don¡¯t know how many trips I will have to make.

    I looked up at the pile of discarded bricks that was taller than me, and I felt a bit discouraged.

    But as soon as I thought of Reynaldo¡¯s mocking expression, I quickly shook my head.

    No, I absolutely cannot back down.

    The man always thought that I couldn¡¯t endure hardships, this time, I must make him see it for himself.

    Mr. Zhou, afraid that I might run away, quickly had someone bring the forklift over and specifically asked Bet to supervise me on site.

    Bet crossed his arms and snorted at me, ¡°The boss said not a single brick should be left, so hurry up and don¡¯t embarrass our department again!¡±

    I ignored him and just took the wheelbarrow and pushed it towards the pile of bricks.

    Bet got angry and came up to me, shouting, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, look at your attitude now!¡±

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    I frowned at him and said, ¡°So what attitude do you think I should have? You insulted me nonstop, and yet I¡¯m supposed to greet you with a smile?¡±

    Bet was taken aback by me.

    After a while, he sneered mockingly, ¡°Shameless people still have the audacity, huh.¡±

    I went on to do my own work, not wanting to say a word to these people.

    I had to throw those waste bricks one by one into the cart, and then push the cart with the bricks for over a kilometer. After reaching the

    destination, I had to exert force to overturn the cart and pour out those bricks.

    When I was running in the beginning, it didn¡¯t feel so difficult or tiring.

    By the time I was on my eighth run, I started to feel a bit overwhelmed.

    And when picking up bricks, the fingertips of ten fingers were also scraped by the sharp edges of the discarded bricks, which was very painful.

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 Too Close 172

    <b>Chapter </b><b>172 </b>

    I propped up my knees and sat on the side, thinking about taking a rest.

    Suddenly, a few people walked towards me.

    I fixed my gaze and, to my surprise, it was a few colleagues from the library.

    Those few people had mocking expressions on their faces, clearly they came to mock me.

    I furrowed my brows, feeling a bit annoyed in my heart.

    ¡°Hey, Esmeralda, were you working hard here?¡± a colleague said to me with a smile.

    I ignored him.

    Another colleague sneered, ¡°Why are you doing manualbor instead of being a good documenter, Esmeralda? Are you naturally masochistic?¡±

    I stared at her coldly, feeling quite sad inside.

    They were all my good colleagues when we first started.

    Wemuted together, ate together in the cafeteria, and had a good time talking andughing while working. We also treated each other to milk tea and pastries.

    But now, they are the ones who mock me the most.

    The ones who trusted me the least were also them.

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    Chapter172

    I knew that these people were just passing through my life, so there was

    no need to care so much.

    But such a transformation, inevitably, made people feel sad and deste.

    After all, this was my first proper job, and I had always taken it seriously, taking every colleague here seriously.

    But the result¡­

    The more I thought, the sadder I became.

    ¨ª didn¡¯t want to rest either, I got up and prepared to continue working. However, I had just stood up when a sudden dizziness hit me.

    I suddenly cked out in front of my eyes, and my whole body staggered and fell to the side.

    Fortunately, my waist was supported by a force.

    Before I could even steady myself,ughter came from beside me.

    ¡°Look, this Bet, kept saying that Esmeralda has no shame, but ended up eagerly helping her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Bet is such a hypocrite, he clearly had a crush on this woman a long time ago but refuses to admit it.¡±

    ¡°Sure enough, his strong reaction this time must have been because he harbored hatred towards this woman due to love.¡±

    ¡°Go away¡­ Stop talking nonsense here.¡±

    Bet spoke and instantly retracted his hand, as if it was dirty. He. vigorously wiped the hand that had supported me on his clothes.

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    Chapter172

    I steadied myself against the cart and calmly said to him, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Anyway, he finally gave me a hand just now.

    Otherwise, I would definitely have fallen to the ground, and my baby inside my belly could have been in danger.

    So no matter how harshly he spoke or how ugly his actions were, I still had to say thank you to him.

    My gratitude startled Bet.

    ¨ªmmediately, a colleague next to them mocked, ¡°You know what, this woman is really cunning. She knows that Bet is interested in her, so she deliberately leans towards Bet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, who knows, maybe she was just pretending to faint earlier. I mean, I¡¯ve seen her lively and energetic before, she¡¯s never been this weak.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, once she fell down like that, Bet waspletely subdued. You see, Bet couldn¡¯t say anything mean to her anymore.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, I just casually helped her out, you guys are all overthinking it,¡± Bet said, feeling frustrated, and red at me. ¡°Now hurry up and continue moving, if we can¡¯t finish it, who knows how the boss will punish our department.¡±

    I silently pushed the cart to the side of the bricks.

    When I bent down to pick up a brick, I saw Reynaldo watching me from a short distance away.

    He smoked, with a cold and stern face, his eyes and eyebrows indifferent.

    Perhaps he was thinking that this punishment was still too lenient for

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    him, and he was thinking of a harsher punishment.

    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.

    At the moment I bumped into him, I never thought that the days ahead would be better.

    Just my baby¡­

    No matter what, I absolutely cannot let him discover the existence of these two babies.

    I withdrew my gaze and mechanically threw the bricks into the cart.

    When I straightened up and looked over there after filling a cart with bricks, Reynaldo had already turned around and left, leaving me with an extremely indifferent back view.

    I pursed my lips sadly.

    If it were Kimberly, he would definitely not want Kimberly to do this hard work.

    Oh, what are you thinking!

    If it were Kimberly, don¡¯t mention this hard work, she probably wouldn¡¯t be willing to endure any punishment.

    I pushed the cart towards the west side of the construction site, waving away unnecessary sentimentality.

    When I came back after finishing a trip, my colleagues had already left, only Bet was still there supervising me.

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    Chapter <b>173 </b>

    Bet leaned back in his chair, took a sip of his drink, and said to me somewhat awkwardly, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, just have some water. Look at your paleplexion, someone who doesn¡¯t know might think we¡¯re

    mistreating you.¡±

    I silently drank some water and continued to work.

    Doing this kind of work really consumed a lot of physical energy.

    I was so hungry, so hungry.

    I nced at my phone and it was only a little after four.

    The canteen used to open at 5:30 for dinner.

    I just fainted, probably due to a slight hypoglycemia.

    I put down the cart and prepared to go to the store to buy a loaf of bread and some milk.

    Bet suddenly stopped me and said, ¡°What are you doing? You want to leave without finishing this task? What if the boss mes us for it¡­¡±

    ¡°I was hungry, I just wanted to go and buy something to eat,¡± I replied to him indifferently.

    Bet hesitated for a moment, then said in a somewhat unnatural tone, ¡°Alright, keep working. I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡±

    He said and walked towards the direction of the store.

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    I sat wearily on the nearby bricks, gently stroking my still t belly.

    These two little ones were really wronged, having to starve along with<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    288 (Vouchers

    At that moment, a pair of leather shoes appeared in front of me.

    I slowly lifted my head and saw Reynaldo.

    He faced against the light, and his whole demeanor appeared even gloomier than before.

    I furrowed my brows and tilted my head back, ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s gaze fell upon my hands.

    My hands used to be slender and fair, very beautiful, like those of a skilled pianist.

    At this moment, it was covered in dust and had numerous small andrge wounds, and there were also many overgrown nails.

    He silently watched my hand and didn¡¯t say anything.

    0

    That gloomy appearance also made it difficult to guess what he was thinking.

    However, the way I treated him before, he must have been thinking: So, you also have your own troubles now.

    I leaned back against the bricks and smiled at him nonchntly, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, am I making you happy like this?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and sneered, ¡°Just did some hard work and hurt my hands, do you think this kind of punishment is worth my happiness?¡±

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    11.060

    288 (Vouchers

    Chapter173

    ¡°Oh!¡± I looked at him expressionlessly, ¡°Since this punishment doesn¡¯t make you happy, why do you still punish me like this?¡±

    So, most of the time, I felt that this man was a veryplex contradiction.

    I was often puzzled by what he said and did.

    Reynaldo suddenly crouched down and smiled at me in a strange way.

    I frowned and leaned back again, almost resting my entire back on the bricks.

    ¡°What, what are you going to do again?¡±

    Reynaldo approached me, coldlyughing, ¡°No punishment can relieve the hatred in my heart for a liar like you, who is full of lies.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡°.

    Does his words mean that he had already hated me to the point of helplessness?

    Well, this is truly my honor.

    ¡°However¡­¡± he suddenly shifted his gaze, a hint of a meaningful smile curling up at the corner of his mouth, ¡°there is one punishment that would bring me more satisfaction than making you do hardbor.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What?¡±

    He stared at me intently, his eyes filled with naked desire.

    My heart skipped a beat as I suddenly thought of something.

    I eximed hastily, ¡°Impossible! Even if I worked myself to death doing manualbor, I still wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±

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    <b>11:06 </b>

    Chapter173

    299 Voucher

    He used to punish me, and he always liked to mess with me on the bed.

    At this moment, he looked at me with such eyes and said those words again.

    So his so¨Ccalled ¡®punishment¡® just now was self¨Cevident.

    I was so angry. This man clearly loved his white moonlight, but he still lusted after my body.

    Even if he humiliated me to seek revenge, he is still scum!

    I said, ¡°You are going to get engaged to your white moonlight, so stop being so trashy, okay? Anyway, I don¡¯t want to have any kind of rtionship with you in the future, absolutely no rtionship at all!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened.

    He lowered his gaze and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. Sleeping with you before was just my way of getting back at you for making me sleep on the floor for three years. But now¡­¡±

    He looked up at me and said, ¡°Even if you stripped naked and stuck yourself to me, I wouldn¡¯t be interested.¡±

    11

    Oh,¡± I responded gloomily.

    That was quite hurtful, especially when it was said to someone like me who liked him, so it was even more hurtful,

    At that moment, Bet came over from a distance, holding bread and milk.

    75.08<b>% </b>

 Too Close 174

    Reynaldo suddenly stood up.

    He looked down on me and sneered, ¡°Speaking of which, you work so hard, why didn¡¯t your boyfriende tofort you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, he wasn¡¯t my boyfriend!¡± I growled angrily.

    Reynaldo sneered.

    Bet came running¨Cover, panting, holding bread and milk. Seeing Reynaldo, he quickly and respectfully called out, ¡°Boss.¡±

    Finally, he nced at me again and said to Reynaldo, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry, I have been keeping an eye on her and won¡¯t let her ck off.¡±

    After Bet finished speaking, he threw the bread and milk at me.

    I was so hungry that I didn¡¯t care about them anymore. I opened the bread and started eating.

    I guess I looked a bit unattractive while eating, Bet clicked his tongue at me twice, and then quickly asked Reynaldo to sit on the chair.

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, smiling as he watched me devour the bread hungrily.

    After a while, he leaned in and whispered something into Bet¡¯s ear, but I couldn¡¯t hear from where I was.

    Before long, Bet walked towards me.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Bet kicked me on the foot and said, ¡°Just now the boss said that as long as you are willing to give in and say that you can¡¯t handle this job, our boss will give you a way out and not punish you.¡±

    I passed by him and looked at Reynaldo.

    The manzily sat in the chair, smoking a cigarette, with a perpetual smirk of derision on his lips.

    ¡°Hey, I was talking to you!¡± Bet kicked me in the foot again.

    I looked up at him and said softly, ¡°Tell him that I can do this job.¡±

    Bet furrowed his brow and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were so cunning, deliberately rejecting the boss¡¯s kind offer to get his attention.¡±

    But it¡¯s not me saying this to you, the big boss finally wants to give you a chance, I advise you to take it and stop while you¡¯re ahead.

    ¡°There are still so many useless bricks here, be careful not to exhaust yourself.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for Bet¡¯s concern.¡±

    ¡°Who, who cares about you, you shameless woman,¡± Bet eximed angrily, his face wrinkled with frustration.

    He said, ¡°You, being such a person, really deserve it!¡±

    With that, he ran back and told Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo tugged at his lips towards me, then got up and left.

    <b>I </b>sneered at his back as he walked away.

    You want me to give in and then mock me even more for not being able to endure hardships, right?

    No way!

    I transferred the money for buying milk and bread to Bet.

    Bet nced at me, a hint ofplexity and uncase flickering across

    his face.

    Seeing me, he looked at me with disdain, then snorted and turned his head away.

    I pursed my lips and got up to continue working.

    After eating bread and milk, I felt much better.

    By the time it was half past five and he finished work, Bet eagerly ran to the cafeteria to have a meal.

    I was afraid of meeting my colleagues in the library, being mocked by them, so I deliberately arrived at the cafeteria more than half an hourte.

    When I went, there were indeed not many people in the cafeteria.

    But Trevin was there.

    There were several colleagues beside him, the same ones who had mocked me at noon.

    Well, as soon as I went to the cafeteria, they started pointing and whispering at me.

    I ignored them and went to sit aside to cat my meal.

    Trevin used to be very enthusiastic when he saw me. But this time, he

    probably didn¡¯t want his colleagues to make fun of him, so he didn¡¯t even say hello to me.

    That¡¯s fine too, I am happy to have peace and quiet.

    After finishing the meal. I ran to carry those waste bricks.

    We spent the whole afternoon moving, and there isn¡¯t much left now. I estimate that we will need to make another six or seven trips, and then

    we¡¯ll be done.

    My fingers hurt a lot, burning hot.

    I looked at my dirty and wounded hands, and suddenly a touch of bitterness surged in my heart.

    If it were Kimberly, the man would definitely not bear to see her suffer

    like this.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of pregnancy, but now I easily feel sad and

    upset.

    I blew on my fingers and then waved away the bad emotions in my heart. I pushed the cart and arrived at the pile of discarded bricks.

    I was picking up the waste bricks and putting them into the cart.

    Suddenly, someone ran over to help me pick it up. I turned my head and saw that it was Trevin.

 Too Close 175

    ¡°Esmeralda, I have nothing to do right now, let me help you.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    I took the brick out of his hand and said lightly. ¡°I¡¯m almost done with this work, so you should go home from work quickly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Esmeralda. Let me help you. You sit aside and rest.¡±

    ¡°I said no need!¡±

    I spoke in a low and heavy tone.

    Trevin stared at me nkly and asked, ¡°Esmeralda, what¡­ what happened to you?¡±

    Well, it¡¯s no wonder he was so surprised.

    I recollected the initial affection towards him and my aunt, even though they had acted excessively, I never spoke to them in such a harsh tone.

    But now, I had to tear my face apart and make it clear to him.

    Otherwise, everyone would think that he and I were in a romantic. rtionship.

    Reynaldo would also think more that I was <b>a </b>fraud.

    I said to him indifferently, ¡°I have no rtionship with you. Please do not spread rumors in front of your colleagues in the future, as it will damage my reputation.¡±

    Chapter175

    Secondly, the person who failed to seduce the bossst time and was instead kicked out by the boss¡¯s bodyguard is your mother, not me!¡±

    ¡°You, you¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Trevin eximed excitedly, ¡°My mom is not that kind of person.¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, you can go back and ask your mom,¡± I said expressionlessly.

    Trevin looked at me and suddenly became anxious. He grabbed my arm and said, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s all my fault. Can you please not be angry?¡±

    I withdrew my hand indifferently and said, ¡°I have already made it clear to you a long time ago that I have been married and have children. So please, do not bother me and especially do not ruin my reputation, okay?¡±

    Originally, I thought that we could be neighbors, be friends, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be more and more excessive.

    Anyway, after that, we had nothing to do as friends anymore. We should treat each other like strangers when we see each other in the future, and there¡¯s no need to greet each other either.

    ¡°No, Esmeralda¡­¡± Trevin becamepletely anxious this time and even tried toe over and pull me.

    I quickly took a few steps back and said, ¡°Please be careful, there are peopleing and going on this construction site. Watch out for gossip.¡±

    Trevin reluctantly withdrew his hand.

    He looked at me with aplex expression and said, ¡°Esmeralda, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize that I had caused you so much trouble by acting this way. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    Chapter175<b>. </b>

    I didn¡¯t speak, I just looked at him faintly.

    He continued, ¡°You say you have been married, but I don¡¯t believe it. The child in your belly is actually a result of premarital pregnancy, right?¡±

    I never had any ill intentions, I just wanted to take care of you and your child, but you refused to ept me, so I told people that you were my girlfriend.

    ¡°Esmeralda, I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong. I won¡¯t speak like that randomly

    anymore.¡±

    I said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you don¡¯t speak out of turn in the future. And let¡¯s still keep our distance, like strangers, to avoid any misunderstandings.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do everything as you say,¡± Trevin said, looking at me.

    I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can go home after work. You don¡¯t need to help here either.¡±

    Trevin looked at me quietly.

    I was also toozy to say anything to him anymore, after all, everything that needed to be said had already been said.

    I turned around and continued to pick up bricks, but I didn¡¯t see the sinister smile that shed in Trevin¡¯s eyes.

    After <b>a </b>while, Trevin said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m going back now, Esmeralda. Take care of yourself too.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I responded without even lifting my head.

    I didn¡¯t breathe a sigh of relief until he had actually left.

    This time, I had a falling out with him, and I just hope that he really won¡¯t speak out of turn again in the future.

    I finished moving the remaining bricks around eight o¡¯clock.

    The sky had already turnedpletely dark.

    There was no overtime work on the construction site today, but there were

    many people staying overnight, so it was not a problem to be at the construction site sote..

    I leaned back in the chair, and faintly seemed to see Reynaldo.

    I couldn¡¯t help but sit up straight and look carefully.

    It was indeed that man.

    He leaned against a streetmp, gazing at me eerily, like a dark night ghost.

    It was also difficult for him. He was still at the construction site sote just to see me in a miserable state.

 Too Close 176

    11

    I averted my gaze and closed my eyes to continue resting.

    After resting for a while, I finally picked up my bag and rushed to catch. the bus.

    At this time, Reynaldo had already left.

    Believe it or not, that man was truly like a ghost, moving silently.

    I fell asleep again on the bus, and it was already past nine o¡¯clock when I arrived home.

    I was almost exhausted, lying on the couch and not wanting to move.

    I had just rested for a while when someone knocked on my door.

    I furrowed my brows and asked irritably, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    Knock, knock, knock!

    The person outside the door also remained silent, just knocking there.

    <b>I </b>got up irritably and growled, ¡°Who is it? Keep knocking, or I¡¯ll call the police!¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s me, Aunt Esmeralda. Can you please open the door? Aunt has something to talk to you about.¡±

    I furrowed my brows.

    I had just arrived home when my aunt came to find me. I was afraid it was about Trevin.

    Alright, I decided to confront them once and for all and make things. clear.

    I dragged my tired body to open the door.

    As soon as the door opened, the aunt walked in with a smiling face. holding a bowl of sweet soup in her hand.

    ¡°Esmeralda, Trevin told me when he got off work that you were punished by the boss and had been working hard all day.¡±

    Well, Auntie just made some white fungus soup today. She was afraid that you and your baby in the belly might get hungry, so she specially brought a bowl for you.

    Come on, Auntie has also added red dates in it, which can nourish your qi and blood. Hurry up and drink it while it¡¯s hot.

    She said as she ced the bowl of silver car soup on my coffee table.

    I frowned at her and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Trevin make it clear to you? In the future, we¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve already told you, Trevin told me himself. He said that this period of time has caused you trouble, and he is also very sorry.¡±

    He also said that if he were to meet you in the future, he would treat you as a stranger.

    That child was not someone who would pester and fight. Look, the soup. was ready, I asked him to bring it <b>to </b>you, but he stubbornly refused and insisted that I bring it.

    ¡°Hey, even though our Trevin really likes you, if you make it clear to him he won¡¯t pester you incessantly. You can rest assured about that.¡±

    Chapter176

    ¡°So, this soup¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if we be strangers in the future, we are still neighbors, right? It¡¯s no big deal to bring you a bowl of soup to drink.¡± The auntie looked at me with a somewhat sad and regretful expression.

    I shook my head and said lightly, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Auntie, but I¡¯m not hungry. You can take the soup back.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend we don¡¯t know each other in the future, so as to avoid unnecessary gossip.¡±

    After understanding what kind of people they were, I didn¡¯t want to ept any favors from them at all.

    Auntie, upon hearing me say that, immediately had a hurt expression on her face. ¡°Esmeralda, saying such words really hurts my heart.¡±

    Since the first time Auntie saw you, she liked you and took care of you like a half daughter.

    You said that from now on, let¡¯s treat each other as strangers. We all agree with you, and we don¡¯t n to bother you anymore in the future.

    As for this bowl of soup, Auntie has already stewed it, and there is more at home. If we can¡¯t finish it, it will only go to waste. I¡¯ll serve you a bowl to drink. You don¡¯t have to reject it from miles away like this.

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    Aunt suddenly sighed again and said, ¡°I know, during this period, what Trevin and I did made you unhappy, but we are different from you, we are rough people, and we inevitably don¡¯t consider many aspects thoroughly. Please be more understanding.¡±

    No matter what, it is a fact that we care about you. Being away from

    11

    Chapter17h

    home, you, a young girl, are even pregnant. Auntie feels sorry for you too

    No matter what this aunt said, I remained unmoved.

    Anyway, <b>I </b>never wanted to have any connection with them in the future.

    I remained silent when I saw him.

    Aunt sighed at me again and then sat on my sofa by herself.

    I stared with my eyes.

    What does it mean? Is this aunt not nning to leave?

    I was very exhausted all over my body, and I just hoped that she would leave quickly so that I could rest.

 Too Close 177

    I said to her without much tone, ¡°Auntie, it¡¯s alreadyte now, please take the soup back, I want to sleep.¡±

    My aunt looked at me with a sad expression and said, ¡°Esmeralda, do you really hate us, mother and son? Look at the tone of your words now, it¡¯s like you¡¯re chasing after me. You didn¡¯t used to be like this before.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to say anything.

    She lived for so many years, what didn¡¯t she understand?

    Why doesn¡¯t she know the reason for my current tone?

    I saw through their game, while the mother and son pretended to be clueless.

    My current attitude must be resolutely indifferent, otherwise they, the mother and son, will keep bothering me endlessly in the future.

    Auntie nced at me again and said, ¡°Yes, I was wrong about seducing the big bossst time.¡±

    But looking at it from a different perspective, I also helped you, if it weren¡¯t for me going to the big boss first to test the waters, then it would have been you who got kicked out by the bodyguards.

    You see, today you didn¡¯t do anything, so the boss punished you to do a day¡¯s hard work.

    If that day you went up to seduce him and he got angry, it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as punishing you to do hard work.

    Chapter177

    I sneered in my heart.

    What I disliked the most was their tendency to shirk responsibility and distort the truth.

    They were wrong, and yet they shamelessly imed to have helped me.

    Our values did not align, so there was no point in talking to her further.

    I said lightly, ¡°Auntie, I am really tired today, please go back.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯te knocking on my door anymore in the future, both you and Trevin. It really disturbs me.¡±

    I spoke to this extent, and surprisingly, Auntie didn¡¯t get angry.

    She just sighed and said, ¡°Alright, alright, I can see that you¡¯re really tired.¡±

    Don¡¯t worry, in the future, neither I nor Trevin wille to disturb you again. It¡¯s just that Trevin was not fortunate enough.

    She stood up as she spoke, looking like she was about to leave.

    I felt relieved and followed her to see her off

    Seeing the bowl of silver ear soup on the coffee table, I quickly picked it up and handed it to her, saying, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t forget to take this bowl of soup with you.¡±

    Auntie said to me, ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve brought this for you. Just drink it, otherwise if I take it back like this, that naughty boy will pester me again.¡±

    I shook my head, firmly refusing to drink.

    Aunt sighed and said, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s just a bowl of

    Chapter177

    soup, consider it as thest bit of our friendship after knowing each other for so long.¡±

    After you finished drinking. Auntie took the bowl back and promised that she and Trevin would never bother you again.

    I furrowed my brows.

    What does it mean?

    If I didn¡¯t drink this soup, she wouldn¡¯t leave?

    Auntie looked at me kindly and said. ¡°Esmeralda, we are different from you. We have been rural people since childhood and cannot stand wastefulness.¡±

    Trevin and I were already full. We couldn¡¯t finish this soup when it was brought back, what a waste. You should just drink it.

    You finished drinking, and Auntie left immediately.

    Exhausted, all I wanted was for her to leave quickly.

    Upon hearing herst sentence, I calmly replied, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll drink. I hope you remember your words, Auntie, and never bother me again in the future.¡±

    After saying that, I drank the bowl of soup in one breath and returned the empty bowl to her.

    Auntie took the bowl and didn¡¯t leave immediately. She just smiled at me and asked, ¡°Is it delicious?¡±

    I was toozy to answer her, so I just opened the door and said expressionlessly, ¡°Auntic, please go back.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay. Auntie has gone back, so you should rest early.¡±

    She was speaking as she walked out, but stopped again at the door.

    ¡°Oh no, Auntie forgot something!¡±

    I frowned at her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong again?¡±

    Auntie looked into my room and said, ¡°I brought soup over and also wanted to borrow someundry detergent from you. We ran out ofundry detergent at home, and you see, I live on the sixth floor and I¡¯m toozy to go down and buy it, so¡­¡±

    Without waiting for her to finish, I went to the bathroom.

    I gave her more than half a bucket ofundry detergent and said, ¡°Take it and use it, no need to return it.¡±

    This borrowing and returning only added trouble.

 Too Close 178

    hapter <b>178 </b>

    Auntie busily took theundry detergent and looked at it repeatedly, sighing with envy, ¡°Oh, you young people have different things. Look at thisundry detergent, even smelling it with the lid on, it already smells so good. It must be expensive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not expensive, you should take it back and use it quickly.¡± I was already eager to chase the person away.

    But the aunt still held theundry detergent carefully, without any intention of going out.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, was about to push her out, when suddenly a wave of dizziness hit me hard¡­

    I stumbled a few steps and quickly grabbed onto the nearby wall.

    I thought it was hypoglycemia.

    I could rest for a while, but the dizziness symptoms did not alleviate.

    And I inexplicably felt hot on my body.

    What happened?

    Although I was exhausted all over, I didn¡¯t have this ufortable feeling just now.

    My head grew increasingly heavy, and my body became hotter and hotter.

    The blood in my body seemed to be burning, and there was an indescribable desire surging within me.

    Chapter178

    I leaned against the wall with weak legs, feeling a wave of panic in my heart.

    This symptom clearly seemed like being drugged.

    How could this happen?

    Could it be¡­ Could it be that bowl of silver ear soup?

    I stared at the aunt fiercely.

    Auntie also didn¡¯t look at theundry detergent now.

    She smiled at me with a face full of smiles, clearly a kind and gentle face. but when she smiled, it was hideous.

    She leaned towards me and said, ¡°Oh my, Esmeralda, are you okay? Why is your face so red? Could it be that you have a fever?¡±

    ¡°Get¡­get out!¡±

    I gasped and growled, but the sound I emitted had a hint of shameful

    seduction.

    Auntie shook her head and clicked her tongue, ¡°Oh, look at your voice, you must be thinking about men.¡±

    Tsk tsk tsk, I always thought you were innocent and lovely, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so bold when ites to flirting.

    No wonder you always think about seducing rich people. With your coquettishness, you really have a bit of that capital.

    ¡°What¡­ what do you want to do?¡± I leaned against the wall and tried to dodge to the side, hoping to dash out while she wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    Chapter178

    But this old woman seemed to know my intentions, she stood in the doorway and smirked at me, saying, ¡°To be honest, I really look down on a woman like you who flirts with men everywhere.¡±

    However, judging from your behavior and appearance, it seems that your family¡¯s conditions should be quite good.

    ¡°And what about that wild seed inside your belly¡­¡±

    ¡°They were not bastards!¡± I coldly snapped at her.

    Auntie chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so protective of the child. But don¡¯t worry, once you be my son¡¯s partner, we won¡¯t make you get rid of this illegitimate child.¡±

    How to say, he was also someone you seduced for money. After he was born, who knows, maybe you could even use him to ask his father for arge sum of money.

    Haha, by that time, our family would have been in trouble.

    ¡°Despicable, shameless, and disgusting!¡±

    I gritted my teeth and growled lowly, then disregarded everything and rushed towards the door.

    I couldn¡¯t sit and wait for death in this room.

    Once Trevin came over, once that door closed, I waspletely finished.

    When I rushed towards the door, the aunt also came forward and pushed<ol><li>mc.</li></ol>

    In that moment, I didn¡¯t know where the strength came from, and I suddenly pushed her <b>away</b><b>. </b>

    Auntie bumped into the nearby wall and cursed, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it, you bitch, you have quite a strength.¡±

    I ignored her and rushed out of the door in a panic, trying to steady myself.

    However, as soon as I ran out of the door, I bumped into Trevin.

    Aunt¡¯s shout came from behind: ¡°Son, quickly catch her!¡±

    Trevin nced at me and then dragged me into the house.

    I was terrified and screamed in horror, ¡°Help, let go of help¡­¡±

    ¦°¦Ñ

    When Trevin dragged me into the house, the neighbor across the street. opened the door andined to me and Trevin, ¡°What are you guys doing? It¡¯s sote and you¡¯re still shouting, don¡¯t you let people sleep¡­¡±

    I hurriedly shouted at him, ¡°Help, brother, help! They want to rape me.¡±

    The big brother across stared with disbelief and said, ¡°What? What did you say?¡±

    A trace of panic shed across Trevin¡¯s face.

    At this moment, the aunt hurriedly smiled at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just two children having a quarrel, we are trying to coax her.¡±

    ¡°No, they lied. They drugged me. Call the police, please¡­,¡®

 Too Close 179

    ¡°Oh my, you child. the more you speak, the more outrageous it bes, huh.¡±

    Auntie was also a master of acting. Just a moment ago, her face was cold. and fierce, but now her old face is full of kindness andpassion.

    ¡°Our Trevin is careless, but it¡¯s normal for young couples to argue. Just give him a p or scold him, but don¡¯t mess things up and make it worse.

    ¡°You falsely reported the police, and they came. Are you going to me. me for disturbing social order?¡±

    Auntie said so, and the man across from me also started persuading me, ¡°Yeah, girl, it¡¯s true that you had an argument, but calling the police is a bit excessive, huh.¡±

    ¡°No, we weren¡¯t arguing. They really drugged me, they wanted to rape me. Please save me, save me¡­

    In the end, due to immense fear, my voice became shrill.

    The neighbor across the street, with an attitude of ¡°better safe than sorry,¡® simply closed the door.

    I cried out in despair, crying and shouting for help.

    Several neighbors opened the door, but they were all deceived by the kind appearance put on by the aunt.

    The scariest person is not the ferocious and evil one.

    But rather those who appear kind and gentle on the surface, yet possess a venomous and malicious nature within.

    Trevin dragged me into the house and threw me onto the couch.

    I used my hand to support the sofa in order to avoid getting hit in the abdomen.

    I couldn¡¯t escape, so I quickly grabbed my bag and searched for my phone.

    As soon as I found my phone, Trevin snatched it away.

    Trevin rushed towards me and said, ¡°You be honest, I wouldn¡¯t hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡± I shouted at him coldly.

    He shrank back when I yelled at him, and then looked towards his mother.

    Auntie mmed the door and coldly snorted at me, ¡°Even in this situation, you dare to be mean to my son. Let me tell you, you better cooperate a little, so you can suffer less torment.¡±

    ¡°Even if you made me have a rtionship with your son, I would not

    marry your son.¡±

    Auntie crossed her arms and hummed, ¡°Once you have cooked the raw rice into a meal, I will open the door and let all the neighbors see.¡±

    I also need to record the video. If you don¡¯t marry my son, I will upload the video online and see how you will live your life in the future.

    ¡°No shame!¡±

    I hated it so much that I almost bit my gums to pieces.

    I never thought that there were such wicked people in the world.

    Chapter179

    Seeing Trevin standing still, Auntie shouted at him, ¡°Hurry up, what are you standing there for? When the medicine wears off, she will resist. Let¡¯s see how you handle it.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Trevin approached me, taking off his clothes as he did so.

    I screamed in fear and desperately curled up into the sofa, saying, ¡°Go away, don¡¯t touch me, go away!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be like this¡­¡± Trevin frowned at me. ¡°Look at your face and body, all red. Don¡¯t you want a man? Although I¡¯m a rough guy, I can be gentle in this aspect. Don¡¯t be afraid, okay!¡±

    He spoke and reached out his dirty hand towards me.

    I screamed in fear, waving my hands frantically, ¡°Go away, don¡¯t touch me, go away¡­ Ugh¡­¡±

    I curled up into a ball and started crying, feeling helpless and miserable.

    Trevin nced at me, perhaps feeling a little reluctant, and then looked at his mother again. ¡°Mom, she reacted so strongly, how¡­ how do I proceed with this?¡±

    ¡°No use!¡± the aunt eximed, ¡°She was overreacting, just give her a p on the face, and she will behave.¡±

    Trevin looked at me again and said, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to p such a beautiful face.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, why are you so useless?¡± the auntic expressed even more disdain, ¡°Do you not want to find a wife? With our family¡¯s situation, if we miss this opportunity, we won¡¯t have this chance again.¡±

    1127

    Chapter179

    Although she didn¡¯t know how many men she had been with, her face, her figure, and her education were all top¨Cnotch.

    And the wild seed in her belly, who knows, could also fetch a good amount of money in the future.

    ¡°Such a surefire wife, you really don¡¯t want her anymore?¡±

    ¡°I wanted¡­ of course I wanted.¡±

    Trevin quickly said, then struggled for a moment, and then pounced towards me¡­

    I screamed and dodged, but he still pinned me down.

    The disparity in strength between women and men was fully demonstrated at this moment.

    I went crazy and tried my best to push him, but it was of no use.

    11.370

 Too Close 180

    Trevin held onto both of my arms and earnestly said, ¡°Esmeralda, seriously, don¡¯t be like this. You say you¡¯re not involved with any man.¡±

    Although I didn¡¯t have money, if you followed me, I would definitely treat you well and would never abandon you.

    And those wealthy men, they all just wanted to sleep with your body, not a single one was willing to marry you.

    You see, you were carrying their seed, but they still didn¡¯t want you.

    ¡°Be good, don¡¯t move around, I will be gentle.¡±

    Trevin went to undo his belt as he spoke.

    Auntie was fiddling with her phone on the side, seemingly trying to find a suitable angle to capture this wicked process.

    The effect of the medicine in the body fully took effect.

    My body felt extremely ufortable, and even my crying voice carried an indescribable tremor and coquettish tone.

    Although the body was very thirsty, very thirsty.

    But my consciousness was still clear.

    I would never have had any rtionship with Trevin, and I would have never let their evil n seed.

    I struggled hard and cried in despair.

    Chapter100

    If I couldn¡¯t break free, I would beg them.

    I begged Trevin, begged him to spare me.

    I said, ¡°As long as you spare me, I can give you however much money you

    want.¡±

    Auntie sneered on the side, ¡°You still want to give us more money?

    ea

    Laughable! Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re a wealthy heiress, okay?¡±

    ¡°If your family were really rich, would you run to this godforsaken ce?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Esmeralda, stop struggling and crying.¡±

    I really feel something when you are like this. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to control myselfter and hurt you.

    Trevin looked at me with a pained expression on his face, but he did something utterly wicked to me.

    He had already taken off his trousers.

    Then, he proceeded to unbutton my shirt.

    I cried in fear and tried to hit his hand, but it was in vain.

    My voice became hoarse, begging him to spare me.

    But he, as if he hadn¡¯t heard, said to me, ¡°I know, women like you usually look down on me.¡±

    Originally, at the beginning, I was thinking of treating you well, thinking of slowly cultivating a rtionship with you, and moving you with true. feelings.

    You told me today that you wanted to treat me as a stranger and said that I was not allowed to disturb you and my mother anymore.

    Esmeralda, you really hurt me and my mom so much. We used to treat you so well.

    Two buttons were unbuttoned, and his dirty hands came directly to my corbone and touched it randomly.

    At the same time, he excitedly widened his eyes and said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, your skin is so smooth, and your body is so hot. Do you really want it? Don¡¯t worry, Trevin will satisfy you.¡±

    Auntie smirked on the side and said, ¡°I told you, even though this woman. may have been with many men, she is still a beauty. You won¡¯t regret marrying her. Do you believe me now?¡±

    Just you wait, despite her fierce resistance now, she just drank that thing a moment ago, in no time, she would definitely beg you to satisfy her.

    I never knew there could be such disgusting mother and son in the world.

    Was

    Even though my body in pain and longing, I still struggled and screamed desperately with the consciousness in my mind.

    Seeing Trevin¡¯s handing towards my chest, I closed my eyes and screamed loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Just then, there was a sudden knocking on the door.

    Trevin suddenly froze and looked anxiously <b>at </b>his mother.

    I took the opportunity to quickly shout, ¡°Help, help¡­¡±

    Trevin quickly covered my mouth and asked his mother, ¡°What should we do now? Who is outside the door?¡±

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The sound of kicking the door resounded again, even more urgent than before.

    Aunt hurriedly said to Trevin, ¡°Quickly take this woman to the room. I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay¡­¡±

    Trevin covered my mouth with one hand and lifted me up from the sofa with the other.

    I took the opportunity to bite his hand hard.

    Trevin cried out in pain and pushed me away.

    I quickly rushed to the door and shouted, ¡°Help, save me, please save

    me¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh my goodness, you little scoundrel, I¡¯ll make sure to beat you to death!¡±

    Auntie, seeing the situation, quickly rushed over and hit me.

    I dodged and screamed for help.

    Afraid that the person outside the door had left again.

    Trevin also quickly rushed over to grab me.

    Just as my mouth was covered by them and my hands were restrained by

    them.

 Too Close 181

    Trevin, Auntie, and I all looked towards the door together.

    Reynaldo, with a cold and stern demeanor, suddenly appeared at the door.

    In that moment, my heart trembled fiercely, and tears burst out like a broken dam.

    ¡°Big¡­ Big boss?¡±

    Trevin and his aunt both stared wide¨Ceyed in astonishment.

    Of course, they still restrained my hands and covered my mouth.

    Trevin looked at him in surprise and asked, ¡°Boss, how did youe here?¡±

    Auntie also looked puzzled and stammered, ¡°Yes, boss, how did youe over here? Are you not satisfied with the punishment for this woman today? Don¡¯t worry, we are also teaching her a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Do you guys know who she is?¡± Reynaldo spoke with a gloomy tone, with a terrifying aura emanating from between his eyebrows.

    Aunt and Trevin exchanged a nce and asked in a dazed manner, ¡°Who¡­ who is she?¡±

    ¡°She¡­ was my woman.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What?¡±

    Aunt and Trevin¡¯s faces turned pale at the same time.

    Chapter181

    ¡°You guys, you¡¯re practically asking for death!¡±

    The gloomy voice seemed toe from hell.

    Trevin¡¯s legs went weak and he knelt down on the ground.

    Aunt shook her head in disbelief, ¡°How is that possible? How could this woman be your woman, the big boss?¡±

    You didn¡¯t know how materialistic she was. She would go after any man with money.

    Oh, by the way, she was also pregnant with a bastard in her belly, and she didn¡¯t even know who the father was.

    Reynaldo, upon hearing this, immediately turned towards me, and a hint of astonishment shed in his originally gloomy and cold eyes.

    I shook my head quickly.

    Even at this moment, I was still afraid that he knew about the existence of

    these two children..

    ¡°Boss, although this woman may have some looks, she definitely wasn¡¯t a clean woman.¡±

    Auntie couldn¡¯t even bother to restrain me at the moment.

    She suddenly knelt down in front of Reynaldo and eximed excitedly, ¡°Boss, look, in just one or two days, she has already hooked you. It proves that she is very capable. Before you, she didn¡¯t even know how many men. she had hooked.¡±

    Look at <b>my </b>son, she even seduces men like my son who have no money. Look how desperate and shameless she is.

    LE

    Chapter181

    At this moment, Trevin was only wearing a pair of shorts.

    He nodded repeatedly at Reynaldo and said, ¡°Yeah, she even seduced me. Don¡¯t be fooled by her innocent appearance, she¡¯s actually quite wild.¡±

    I fell weakly to the ground and shook my head at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo already disliked me and already thought I was materialistic.

    I didn¡¯t know if he would believe their words. If he believed their words, what would I do then?

    With this thought, a wave of panic and fear swept through my mind.

    I crawled towards him with difficulty, wanting to tell him that I was wrong, wanting to beg him to save me¡­

    Auntie saw me crawling over and quickly ndered me in front of Reynaldo.

    However, this time she only said one word and was kicked away by Reynaldo: ¡°Get lost!¡±

    Trevin was startled and quickly went over to support his mother. He said to Reynaldo fearfully, ¡°What my mother said is true. This woman is really promiscuous and cheap. She specifically seduces men to make money. We are also afraid that she will deceive you.¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to not want to hear a word they said.

    He coldly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then get out of here quickly!¡±

    ¡°The boss¡­,¡± the aunt was still struggling, still wanting to badmouth me in front of Reynaldo to assert her presence.

    But Trevin was really scared.

    <b>11-27 </b>

    Chapter11

    He shook his legs and quickly dragged his mother out, pulling and dragging her.

    ¡°Hurry up and leave, Mom. The big boss is not someone we can afford to provoke.¡±

    ¡°So, that woman got a good deal? What is she anyway, how did she manage to hook up with the big boss?¡±

    ¡°Alright, the big boss arrived at the worst possible time. Let¡¯s hurry and leave, hoping that the big boss won¡¯t me us for today¡¯s incident.¡±

    The voices of Auntie and Trevin gradually faded away.

    The room suddenly became quiet.

    The fear in my heartpletely dissipated at this moment, leaving only restlessness and difort throughout my body. It felt as if millions of ants were biting and crawling inside me, causing a dense and itchy

    sensation.

    Reynaldo slowly walked up to me..

    He squatted down and looked at me, his deep eyes filled with anger and hatred that I couldn¡¯t understand.

    He pulled my loosened cor close andughed at me, with a cold sneer on his lips, ¡°Look, that¡¯s the boyfriend you found. Since you¡¯re with him, why do you still resist, huh?¡±

 Too Close 182

    I shook my head quickly.

    I don¡¯t know whether it was because of the sadness in my heart or the difort in my body, but my tears kept flowing uncontrobly and couldn¡¯t be stopped.

    He caressed my face and wiped away the tears with his thumb.

    Miraculously, wherever he touched, there was a refreshing sensation, indescribablyfortable.

    I rubbed my face against the palm of his hand, with a sob in my voice, and struggled to speak, ¡°He wasn¡¯t my boyfriend, I had no rtionship with him, Reynaldo, believe me.¡±

    ¡°But you thought he was a good person, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Reynaldo grabbed my cor, lifted me up, and threw me onto the sofa.

    Soon, he approached menacingly.

    He stood on both sides of my body, staring at me fiercely, his eyes filled with extreme disappointment. ¡°In your eyes, everyone in this world is a good person, and I am the only bad person, right?¡±

    You always do this, you never understand the wickedness of human

    nature.

    You think that someone who treats you well has ulterior motives, but you believe that someone who has ulterior motives for you is sincere.

    Esmeralda, sometimes I really wished I could kill you!

    Thest sentence, he almost gritted his teeth.

    Due to anger, the armrest of the sofa was almost deformed by him.

    But I couldn¡¯t care less about his anger.

    I felt extremely ufortable in my body, as if the gnawing pain was driving me crazy.

    I hugged him tightly and rubbed against his chest ufortably.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    At this moment, the bowl of soup that Aunt gave me exerted its utmost medicinal effect.

    My mind was almost nk, with only a longing left.

    But I recognized clearly, I recognized clearly that the man in front of me was Reynaldo, the Reynaldo I liked.

    It is ironic to say the least.

    Three years ago, I looked down on him, bullied him, and humiliated him.

    Three yearster, he also hated me, detested me, and humiliated me in various ways.

    But with him around, I felt at case.

    However, what is sad is that I gave all my trust and sense of security to a man who did not like me.

    He could erase my trust and sense of security at any time.

    Afraid that he would leave, I held him tightly and clumsily kissed hist chest through his shirt.

    The difort in the body did not alleviate at all, and it even became increasingly hot.

    I was almost going crazy.

    I pulled at his shirt buttons haphazardly, crying incoherently, ¡°It hurts, Reynaldo¡­ I feel so miserable¡­¡±

    Reynaldo pushed me away and frowned at me, saying, ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡­ they gave me something to drink. L¡­ I feel really ufortable¡­¡±

    Reynaldo immediately took a deep breath, as if he was trying hard to suppress his anger.

    He shouted at me angrily, ¡°If they offer you a drink, will you just drink it?! What if it¡¯s poison, will you still drink it?¡±

    Why are you always like this, having no guard against anyone?

    Esmeralda, really, it¡¯s your own fault that you died outside!

    He yelled at me fiercely, as if he was extremely angry.

    I cried and shook my head, pulling at his shirt buttons and tugging at his belt.

    I didn¡¯t want to hear anything anymore. I just wanted, I just wanted not to feel so miserable.

    However, I had just unbuttoned two buttons when he grabbed my hand.

    He stared at me intently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you never wanted to have any rtionship with me again? If Winston, Anton, or Johnathan were toe tonight, would you beg them to help you out, right?¡±

    I shook my head desperately, ¡°No! No!¡±

    Even if my body was in great difort, I still had my sanity.

    I don¡¯t want anyone except him, Reynaldo.

    I only wanted him, just him.

    But his gaze towards me was really cold, so cold.

    The tightly furrowed brows also showed obvious anger and hostility.

    So, he didn¡¯t want to help me, right?

    He disliked me so much and even said that even if I stripped naked in front of him, he wouldn¡¯t be interested.

    So, he wouldn¡¯t help me, right?

    Since that¡¯s the case, why should I shamelessly beg him?

    I desperately tried to hold back my wandering sanity, barely managing to pull my hand back, curling up my knees, and hugging myself tightly. ¡°You¡­you go.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    ¡°Go!¡± I cried, shouting at him, ¡°You go, I don¡¯t want your pity, and I don¡¯t want you to see me like this, you go!¡±

    Reynaldo took a slight breath.

 Too Close 183

    When I looked up again, Reynaldo had already left.

    Sure enough, he was unwilling to help me.

    He now disdains even touching me.

    In a moment of sadness. I broke down and started crying uncontrobly.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the difort in my body to gnaw at my remaining consciousness.

    I stumbled down from the sofa and clumsily made my way towards the bathroom.

    Just take a cold shower, and the heat in your body will go down.

    The shower was turned on, and the cold water poured over the body, finally providing a brief moment offort.

    It couldn¡¯t be sustained for long, and that unbearable heat sensation surged up again.

    I pounded the damp and cold wall in agony, and finally slid down along the wall, slowly sitting on the ground, letting the icy water pour over me.

    I felt ufortable, and it was really unbearable.

    Finally, my whole body started to tremble.

    I felt like I was about to die, my body felt like it was going to explode, and my mind was chaotic and nk.

    Chapterte

    At that moment, the door of my bathroom was kicked open by someone.

    Reynaldo strode over with a terrifying anger and asked, ¡°Esmeralda, what exactly did you want?¡±

    What did I want?

    What did I not want to do?

    I was feeling upset and wanted him to help me, but was he willing to?

    The moment the man approached, my remaining sanity waspletely destroyed.

    There was only one thought in my mind: I wanted him, I only wanted him!

    I didn¡¯t want to think about anything anymore.

    Nothing matters anymore, love, hate, or grudges.

    At this moment, all I wanted was relief.

    I threw myself into his arms and kissed his lips drowsily.

    He suddenly pushed me away, then took off his suit jacket and put it over me, and then he picked me up and walked outside.

    When a chill breeze swept over, I suddenly became partially awake and realized that he was holding me and had brought me downstairs.

    The wind on the autumn night was chilly, and I shivered all over.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    My voice became hoarse, and I asked in difort, ¡°Where are you

    Chapter16)

    taking me?¡±

    ¡°I took you to the hospital.¡±

    He said in a low voice, opened the back door, and prepared to put me in.

    I panicked and quickly grabbed his cor, crying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, Reynaldo, I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital.¡±

    Going to the hospital, it was certain that the pregnancy could not be kept

    a secret.

    I didn¡¯t want it!

    No matter what, I did not want to go to the hospital.

    I cried to him in pain, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, Reynaldo, please, don¡¯t send me to the hospital.¡±

    Did you not want to touch me? It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. You put me back, you let me fend for myself.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital, I didn¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    As I spoke, my consciousness began to blur again, and the terrifying heat. and unbearable suffocation overwhelmed me.

    The familiar scent of the man, along with his strong and powerful heartbeat, acted as a catalyst, making me increasingly ufortable.

    I pressed against his chest, kissed the corner of his lips and jaw, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t take me to the hospital¡­¡°.

    ¡°What do you want then?¡±

    Reynaldo held my fidgeting hand and gazed at me with intense eyes.

    I was already feeling restless and impatient, and he stared at me with such <b>a </b>gaze that I instantly felt like I was about to be melted by his gaze.

    I struggled to speak, my hoarse voice had been tortured and changed its pitch.

    I said, ¡°I want you, Reynaldo¡­ I only want you.¡±

    His warm lips instantly sealed mine.

    Reynaldo pressed me against the car door and kissed me fiercely, with deep and urgent kisses.

    I eagerly pulled at his shirt and reached my hand into his clothes.

    But he suddenly held onto my hand again.

    Can¡¯t stop, simply can¡¯t stop.

    I looked at him sorrowfully, almost on the verge of tears, and said, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled softly, leaning in close to my ear, and said, ¡°What? Do you want to perform a couple¡¯s act on the street?¡±

    His body was pushed into the back seat by him.

    He quickly started the car.

    I ufortably huddled in the back seat, desperately resisting the heat. inside my body.

    I stared fixedly at Reynaldo, who was driving in front of me, and. repeatedly thought about leaning over to kiss and hug him.

    Never before have I wanted to have fun with him as urgently as I do now.

 Too Close 184

    I lowered the car window.

    The cool breeze instantly poured in.

    The next second, Reynaldo raised the car window again, saying, ¡°Your clothes are all wet, and you will get sick if you blow in the night wind.¡®

    I bit my lip tightly, pinched the back of my hand, and kept myself awake.

    Otherwise, I was afraid that I would bepletely driven by desire and run up to him, pulling and causing a scene.

    Reynaldo suddenly turned around and nced at me, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Hold on a little longer, we¡¯ll be there soon.¡±

    I pursed my lips, remained silent, and for the first time, felt that time was so long.

    The car finally stopped in front of a hotel.

    As soon as Reynaldo opened the car door, I leaned in towards him and kissed him without hesitation.

    His eyes deepened, and he quickly picked me up and walked towards the

    hotel.

    On the soft bed, I couldn¡¯t wait to push him down, and I clumsily kissed his lips, his Adam¡¯s apple, and his chest.

    He made no move and let me do as I pleased.

    What should I do next, besides kissing him?

    I felt extremely ufortable in my body, as if I couldn¡¯t find a way to release it.

    I pulled his belt and cried, shouting his name.

    He suddenly sat up and held me in his arms, his eyes looking at me deeply: ¡°Do you want it very much?¡±

    I nodded hastily, throwing all shame, pride, and self¨Cesteem out of my mind.

    I gasped for breath and said with difficulty, ¡°Please¡­ please help me¡­¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes grew darker, as if they were harboring something deep

    within.

    He asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Did you see clearly? Who am I?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, ah¡­¡± I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my entire body against his, and said with difficulty yet determination, ¡°You are Reynaldo, ah¡­¡±

    ¡°What if it was Winston and Anton in front of you, would you be equally enthusiastic?¡±

    He still didn¡¯t believe me, still thinking that any man could do it.

    I shook my head quickly, feeling a bit confused.

    I murmured drowsily, ¡°Who are they¡­ I only want you, Reynaldo, only

    you¡­¡±

    My body was instantly pinned down by a man.

    Chapter154

    Everything behind was chaotic and enchanting.

    I can¡¯t remember how I asked Reynaldo for it.

    I also can¡¯t remember how many embarrassing things I said to him.

    17

    In a daze, I only remember him gripping my shoulder, leaning close to my ear, and saying in a hoarse and menacing voice, ¡°I wish I could die on you.¡±

    The whole night was hazy and drifting.

    I didn¡¯t even know who I was.

    I didn¡¯t know who the man on me was.

    We had no idea where we were now.

    When it was still dark, the man finally left me.

    I vaguely saw him wearing a robe and going to the window.

    A cool breeze blew, mixed with his cold and malicious words: ¡°Those two people, I don¡¯t want to see them appear in Freybourne again. Also, leave that man with only one finger.¡±

    I suddenly shivered.

    However, I couldn¡¯t resist the exhaustion and drowsiness that engulfed my entire body, and I fell into a deep sleep.

    I didn¡¯t know how long <b>I </b>had slept, and I felt groggy as if someone had been feeding me water.

    After my dry and painful throat was moisturized with warm water, I felt much morefortable, and I fell into a deep sleep.

    112

    Chapter14

    Waking up again. I looked nkly at the ceiling above me.

    I was stunned for a full minute, and then those embarrassing moments gradually flooded into my mind.

    I turned my head and looked around.

    Looking at the room decoration, I was still in a hotel.

    The room was silent, and there was no trace of that man on the floor except for my torn clothes.

    I sat up, hugging the nket, feeling weak and powerless all over my body, with a severe headache.

    I banged my head and then looked around the room. There was a set of neat women¡¯s clothes on the sofa.

    The man still had a little conscience, knowing to prepare a set of clean

    clothes for me.

    Dragged my tired body out of bed.

    I lowered my gaze and looked at my t belly.

    Last night, I don¡¯t know if it had any impact on the baby.

    And I don¡¯t know if the soup that aunt gave me to drink had any harm to the baby.

    I changed my clothes and pulled open the curtains.

    The ring light suddenly shone in, making it impossible for me to open

    my eyes.

    I covered my eyes with my hand and it took me a while to adjust.

 Too Close 185

    I saw the wall clock, and it was already 1 o¡¯clock in the afternoon.

    I was startled when I saw the electronic calendar below the time.

    I slept for three days!

    Oh my God, that means I was absent from work for three days.

    No, I had to quickly go back to the construction site.

    I didn¡¯t bring my phone, so I quickly searched for cash in the torn pocket. of my clothes.

    Fortunately, I had two hundred in my pocket before, otherwise it would have been really difficult to move even an inch.

    I took the cash and left the room.

    I originally nned to take a taxi directly to the construction site, but as soon as I got in the car, my stomach started to ache.

    I furrowed my brows, a hint of panic shed through my mind, so <b>I </b>quickly instructed the driver to change course to the nearby hospital.

    However, what I never expected was that I would encounter Reynaldo at this hospital.

    Reynaldo was at the blood testing department, holding theb report.

    And I followed the doctor¡¯s instructions to go to the blood test department for blood sampling and examination.

    11.201

    Chapter185.

    Just as I stepped into the blood test department, I bumped into that man head¨Con.

    I saw it was him, and instinctively, I ran away.

    I didn¡¯t know why I ran, but my heart felt empty.

    And that night, I begged him so eagerly to have a good time, now seeing him, I still felt a little embarrassed in my heart.

    However, it may be due to being asleep for three days without eating and having no energy.

    I ran for a while and got so tired that I leaned against the wall on one side, panting heavily.

    Reynaldo, who had long legs, quickly caught up.

    He stood behind me, his deep voice tinged with a coldugh, ¡°Run, keep

    running.¡±

    I steadied my breath and turned around, leaning against the wall as I watched him.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°What a coincidence.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me intently, his beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay at the hotel and came to the hospital for?¡± He paused, his tone slightly urgent, ¡°Is there something wrong somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I had a bit of a headache and might have had a slight fever, so I came over to check.¡±

    This man is very shrewd, anyway, he must never know about the existence of the baby.

    11-2

    Chapter185

    ¡°Headache?¡± Reynaldo suddenly reached out and touched my forehead.

    I instinctively avoided it.

    He furrowed his brows, his face darkening.

    ¡°Sure enough, you always do this, as soon as you wake up, you turn your face and don¡¯t recognize people.¡±

    His dull voice carried a hint of resentment.

    I

    clenched the blood test form tightly behind my back, thinking about how he had ultimately saved me that night.

    If he hadn¡¯t arrived in time, my life would have been over.

    Although he was often excessive, I was not good to him before, so it can be considered even now.

    I looked at him and was about to say a few kind words to him.

    He suddenly stared at me with intense eyes, which made me inexplicably

    nervous.

    I pressed myself against the wall and asked nervously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°That night, they said¡­ you were pregnant?¡±

    He spoke, and his sharp eyes, like those of an eagle, immediately turned towards my abdomen.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly denied, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t have a baby, they are trying to defame me, talking nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Chapter105

    He seemed incredulous, suddenly getting close to me, his gaze sharp as if he wanted to pierce through me.

    I tried my best to calm down the panic in my heart and faced his dark eyes calmly. ¡°Really, I am not pregnant. Look, you want a baby so much. If I were really pregnant, wouldn¡¯t I quickly use this baby to ckmail you for money?¡±

    I said this just to dispel his doubts.

    To my surprise, his face suddenly turned dark, and his eyes were filled. with coldness.

    He reached out and ced his hand beside me, his gaze cold and fierce. ¡°Did you get pregnant with my child just for money?¡±

    I: ¡­

    Did I not mention the key point, or did he not grasp the key point?

    To avoid making him angry, I carefully said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way, I was just giving an example.¡±

    He suddenly sneered and sarcastically said, ¡°Fortunately, you didn¡¯t get pregnant, otherwise this child would have be a tool for you to make money, how pathetic.¡±

    Um¡­

    Let him say whatever he wants about me, as long as he believes that I didn¡¯t have a baby and won¡¯t try to take the baby away from me in the future.

    Chapter10

    Chapter186

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± Reynaldo stared at me, and in his deep eyes, there suddenly appeared a few traces of disappointment and an indescribable sadness.

    He said. ¡°You really had no heart.¡±

    I felt sad and mocked myself in my heart.

    He always said that I had no heart, but if I had no heart, why would my heart ache so much when I saw him with Kimberly?

    When heined that I had no heart, did he ever think that the person he liked was Kimberly?

    Why should I show my true feelings in front of someone who despised

    me?

    Wasn¡¯t that asking for humiliation?

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡±

    He whispered my name, his voice filled with an indescribable affection.

    The deep and lingering voice, along with his focused obsession when he was in bed, always made me mistakenly believe that he still had a little bit of affection for me.

    He suddenly lowered his head, his lips almost touching the corner of mine.

    Suddenly¡­

    Chapter186

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s voice suddenly came.

    Reynaldo froze.

    I quickly pushed him away.

    Yes, there was a Kimberly among us.

    No matter how much I fantasized that he liked me, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that his true love was Kimberly.

    ¡°Oh, Ms. Duffy, what a coincidence, you¡¯re here too.¡±

    As soon as Kimberly came over, she linked her arm with Reynaldo¡¯s and smiled at me.

    I nodded lightly and said, ¡°Come over for a physical check¨Cup.¡±

    With that, I nced at the inspection form in Reynaldo¡¯s hand.

    He must havee to apany Kimberly for a check¨Cup, as I had heard before that Kimberly¡¯s health wasn¡¯t very good.

    He was really considerate towards Kimberly, he would apany her every time she went for a medical check¨Cup.

    I suddenly realized why he insisted on me giving birth to his grandmother¡¯s grandson instead of letting Kimberly do it.

    Because Kimberly was not in good health, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffer.

    The more I thought about it, the more ufortable I felt in my heart.

    20 324

    11-2013

    His moonlight is still here.

    He insisted that I admit my feelings for him in front of the moonlight, just so that he could mock me with his moonlight.

    A sudden pain was felt in the wrist, indicating that he had exerted force.

    His hand back was covered with bulging veins, as if he was about to crush my wrist.

    I winced in pain and looked up at him, ¡°Reynaldo, I am very grateful for saving me that day. How do you want me to thank you, you tell me.¡±

    ¡°Is gratitude all you had for me?¡±

    He turned his face away andughed angrily.

    ¡°Esmeralda, you really didn¡¯t recognize anyone once you put on clothes!¡±

    I frowned and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t say that, your fiancee is still here¡­¡±

    ¡°To hell with his fiancee!¡±

    Before my words had evenpletely fallen, he suddenly yelled at me in a low voice, which startled me.

    What happened to him?

    He was the moonlight here, how dare he say such words to me? Isn¡¯t he afraid of hurting his moonlight?

    He forcefully grabbed my wrist and approached me, saying, ¡°Esmeralda, I¡¯m telling you, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    11280

 Too Close 186

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking.

    Kimberly suddenly clutched her chest and crouched down in pain.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows, instantly releasing me, and quickly walked to her side, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, it hurts so much, my chest hurts so much, and my back, it hurts so much¡­¡±

 Too Close 187

    Chapter <b>187 </b>

    Kimberly pulled Reynaldo¡¯s arm and cried, looking as if she was really in pain.

    She said. ¡°Am I going to die? Reynaldo¡­ Am I going to die, right?¡±

    ¡°No nonsense!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face tightened, and then he instantly picked her up and strode quickly towards the direction of the emergency room.

    I stared nkly <b>at </b>his anxious figure, my eyes feeling dry.

    Look, what he cared about the most was still his moonlight.

    Taking a deep breath, I held back my tears and went to get my blood drawn, clutching the form.

    After having my blood drawn, I went to the ultrasound room and had an ultrasound taken.

    When the probe instrument slid on my belly, my heart inexplicably raced and I felt a bit nervous.

    After a while, the ultrasound report finally came out.

    The ultrasound report stated that the pregnancy was 9 weeks along, and the image looked like a tiny human figure, which made me feel excited.

    After having the ultrasound done, I ran to the blood test department to

    collect the results.

    1128

    Chapter187

    Finally, I took the blood test results and ultrasound report and went to the second floor to show them to the chief physician.

    As Kimberly said, it is true that when one is seeking medical treatment, they run around and get tired.

    Thinking about how Reynaldo is now by her side, and right here in this hospital, while I am carrying his child and going for prenatal check¨Cups alone, my heart feels indescribably sour and ufortable.

    Although it was said to cut off the feelings for him, it was not so easy to do it in a short period of time.

    I sighed and gathered my nerves as I walked towards the second floor.

    I showed the doctor the B¨Cultrasound report and blood test results.

    The doctor frowned for a while, and for those one or two minutes of the doctor¡¯s frown, I felt tense all over, afraid that something might happen to the baby.

    I asked anxiously, ¡°Is my baby okay?¡±

    The doctor nced at me and said, ¡°You have moved the fetus, and the blood data is not very good. It¡¯s possible that there is a risk of

    miscarriage.¡±

    ¡°Ah? What should we do then?¡± I asked anxiously, filled with fear in my heart.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much for now, as long as there is no bleeding, there is no major risk.¡±

    The doctor said, looking at me, ¡°Did you not abstain from sexual activity?¡±

    I blushed and felt too embarrassed to speak.

    The doctor clicked his tongue and said. ¡°You are not even three months pregnant yet. It¡¯s best to ask your husband to endure it. If he really can¡¯t bear it, then you both should be careful and not be too intense.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± I nodded, my face turning red.

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll prescribe some medication to prevent miscarriage for you. Just make sure to take good care of yourself and go for regr prenatal check¨Cups.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you, doctor.¡±

    I took back the test report and ultrasound images, and when I saw the little figure in the ultrasound image, I couldn¡¯t help but ask her. ¡°Are these two my babies?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they have just be humanoid now, only a little bit. As the months go by, they will also gradually grow.¡±

    I imagined them turning into two chubby little babies anding to me, and my heart felt warm.

    However, the doctor said there might be a risk of miscarriage, so I was still very nervous and anxious.

    Fortunately, the doctor finally prescribed me two bottles of pregnancy- sustaining medicine, as well as calcium tablets and folic acid tablets.

    She said that as long as she took the anti¨Cabortion medicine on time and paid more attention, everything would be fine.

    I arrived at the pharmacy window and handed the prescription to the pharmacist.

    The pharmacist nced at me and said, ¡°Hello, please scan the code to make the payment first.¡±

    He returned the list to me, but still turned around to help me get the medicine.

    I instinctively searched my body for my phone.

    The next second, my heart suddenly panicked, only then did I realize that I hadn¡¯t brought my phone at all.

    I took out the remaining change again, and there was only a little over twenty left.

    The medicines on the list cost more than eight hundred.

    At this moment, the pharmacist had already fetched the medicine and handed it to me.

    I awkwardly said to him, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I forgot to bring my phone.¡±

    The pharmacist furrowed his brow and said angrily, ¡°I have many customers whoe to get medicine every day. If you think the medicine is expensive, you can choose not to buy it, but please don¡¯t cause trouble here, okay?¡±

    1128 D

 Too Close 188

    He spoke and angrily took the medicine out of the bag.

    I said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°How much does the medicine cost? I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±

    At that moment, Kimberly¡¯s voice came from behind me.

    I furrowed my brows and turned around, only to see her standing behind. me, not knowing when she had arrived.

    And Reynaldo, also stood beside her, looking at me indifferently.

    I instinctively grabbed the prescription tightly and said lightly, ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just a little money for medicine,¡± Kimberly said, pulling Reynaldo¡¯s arm and looking sympathetic. ¡°I never expected Ms. Duffy to be so destitute that she doesn¡¯t even have money to buy medicine. Reynaldo, please help her pay the money.¡±

    ¡°I said no!¡± I furrowed my brows and growled softly, feeling a bit impatient.

    Wasn¡¯t Kimberly just in so much pain that she seemed like she was going to die? How did shee down again so quickly?

    She is everywhere indeed!

    As I shouted like this, although I didn¡¯t use much volume, Kimberly¡¯s delicate body visibly trembled.

    Then, she looked at Reynaldo with a sense of grievance and sadness, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, did I interfere again? I just felt sorry for her, but it seems like she really dislikes me.¡±

    ¡°Some people, it was their own fault, not deserving of pity.¡±

    Reynaldo said lightly, ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t want to ept your kindness, there¡¯s no need to force her. It¡¯s just a few boxes of medicine, she won¡¯t die if she doesn¡¯t take them.¡±

    I tightly held onto the prescription slip, feeling a wave of bitterness and sourness in my heart.

    I would not die if I didn¡¯t take this medicine.

    But this was a medicine to prevent miscarriage, to protect his child.

    The pharmacist had be impatient and shouted at me, ¡°Hey, do you still want this medicine or not?¡±

    I tightened the hand behind my back.

    Now is not the time to be tough, it is important to protect my baby.

    I looked at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo just silently watched me.

    He didn¡¯t have the usual sneer on his face, he just looked at me indifferently, as if I were a stranger.

    A pang of pain shed through the heart.

    I pursed my lips and said to him in a difficult tone, ¡°Can you please help me pay for the medicine¡­ I will transfer the money to you as soon as I go back.¡±

    17

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that we don¡¯t need to help you pay?¡± Kimberly innocently looked at me.

    I ignored her and just looked at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word and walked indifferently to the window. asking. ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°Oh, 855.70, just scan the code on the countertop.¡±

    The pharmacist spoke and then put my several boxes of medicine into the bag.

    I was afraid that Reynaldo would see it was an abortion pill, so I quickly took it in my hand when the pharmacist handed me the medicine.

    The pharmacist nced at me suspiciously but didn¡¯t say anything.

    I said to Reynaldo lightly, ¡°Thank you, I will transfer it back to you when I go back.¡±

    After saying that, I quickly walked towards the outside of the hospital.

    Kimberly called me hastily, but I ignored her.

    She wanted toe over and pull me, but I quickly dodged.

    Anyway, I think this Kimberly is not simple at all.

    I had never thought of her as a bad person, but ever since that incident at the restaurant where she intentionally made me spend half of my sry, I knew that she was not a good person.

    I walked quickly towards the outside, when suddenly I heard Kimberly¡¯s voice behind me.

    50B0%

    She asked the pharmacist, ¡°Hello, may I know what medicine my friend took?¡±

    I stiffened all over.

    This Kimberly was so annoying.

    If the pharmacist had told them. I was taking a medication to prevent miscarriage.

    So, Reynaldo found out about my pregnancy, didn¡¯t he?

    I quickly turned around and rudely said to Kimberly, ¡°Why do you ask so many questions? What medicine I take is none of your business.¡±

    Kimberly shrank back, looking as if she was very afraid of me.

    She said to me with a grievance, ¡°Ms. Duffy, I am just concerned about you and want to know what illness you have, so that Reynaldo can take you for another thorough examination. Why are you reacting so strongly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business what illness I have, and I don¡¯t need your concern either. Take care of yourself and stop acting like you¡¯re on the verge of death all the time.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly growled at me, standing in front of Kimberly, his eyes ring at me with a dark intensity. ¡°Watch your words and tone!¡±

    I pulled my lips sadly.

 Too Close 189

    Is it true that she is allowed to talk about me, but I am not allowed to talk about her?

    Kimberly tugged at Reynaldo¡¯s arm and said sadly. ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to Ms. Duffy either. What she said is true. I always look like I¡¯m about to die, and it¡¯s all my own fault for having such a weak body.¡±

    She spoke, and tears fell down sadly.

    I coldly curled my lips and said, ¡°So, you turned out to be a white lotus, quite good at pretending!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Reynaldo red at me fiercely,

    I suppressed the sadness in my heart and snorted at him, ¡°You tell your woman not to bother me all the time, not to bring me up all the time, so naturally I won¡¯t mention her anymore.¡±

    Reynaldo dangerously squinted his eyes, his icy gaze as if it wanted to tear me into pieces.

    I mocked myself in my heart.

    So, he wanted me to go back with him like that?

    Did he think that I had a tendency to be abused?

    Kimberly pretended to pull him and said, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s my fault for meddling and caring too much about her affairs.¡±

    However, she had such a big reaction that she didn¡¯t dare let us know

    Chapter159

    what medicine she was taking, which was really strange.

    ¡°I was so worried about what serious illness she had.¡±

    ¡°Have you said enough? It doesn¡¯t matter what illness I had, it has nothing to do with you, okay?¡±

    You have such a kind heart, why didn¡¯t you go and pity the beggars on the roadside, pity those poor people.

    ¡°Really hypocritical!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Reynaldo gritted his teeth and growled coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, shut up!¡±

    As he spoke, his gloomy gaze turned towards the medicine I was carrying

    I discreetly hid the medicine behind me and said to him, ¡°What are you looking at? Haven¡¯t you seen calcium supplements for improving health before?¡±

    Reynaldo coldly pursed his lips and suddenly nced at the pharmacist inside the window.

    Reynaldo was not as soft¨Cspoken as Kimberly

    The man already had a sense of oppression, and his face was so gloomy.

    The pharmacist was so scared that he shrank back.

    However, the pharmacist still had a high level of professional ethics.

    He waved his hand and said, ¡°We cannot casually disclose what medicine the patient is taking. If you want to know<b>, </b>just go and ask her directly.¡±

    Hearing the pharmacist say this, I immediately felt relieved.

    11:29

    Chapter109

    Since the pharmacist wouldn¡¯t say anything, I had nothing to be afraid of.

    I had long been unwilling to get entangled with Kimberly, so I turned around and continued walking outside.

    There was clearly a cold gaze falling on me from behind.

    I ignored him, straightened my back, and walked out directly.

    I didn¡¯t have enough money for a taxi, so I waited for a bus to return to the shanty town by the roadside.

    When I returned to the rented house, it was already almost 5 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, so it was pointless to go to the construction site at this time.

    The room was messy.

    Trevin¡¯s shirt and pants were still on the ground, and I looked at them with disgust.

    I swept the clothes and pants out with a broom, and then I poisoned the sofa.

    I locked the iron gate and then returned to the bedroom andy down.

    I took out my phone and logged into the original WhatsApp.

    Anyway, since Reynaldo has already found me, there is no need for me to hide those previous contact information anymore.

    As soon as WhatsApp was logged in, countless messages popped up.

    There is my mom¡¯s, there is my dad¡¯s, and there is¡­ Reynaldo¡¯s.

    Looking at these familiar contacts, I suddenly had a feeling of being. transported to another world.

    Chapter189

    I opened my mom¡¯s message first and took a look.

    The messages my mom sent were all words of concern, asking me where I had gone, and reminding me to stay safe outside.

    Later, I alsoined about my dad, saying that he spent money recklessly and caused trouble. I mentioned wanting to divorce him and

    said that life couldn¡¯t go on like this.

    <i>Fal </i>

    Looking at thoseining messages behind, I felt a headache and didn¡¯t want to reply to any messages for a while.

    I opened my dad¡¯s message again.

    My dad scolded me for being heartless and asked me where I had been hiding.

    He even said he didn¡¯t want to ask me for money, so why did he say I

    needed to hide?

    He told me to go back quickly, saying that my mother was always seeking death and arguing with him at home all day.

    Looking at the message my dad sent, I also had a headache.

 Too Close 190

    Sure enough, I shouldn¡¯t have logged onto this WhatsApp, it¡¯s really affecting my mood.

    But I need to transfer money for Reynaldo¡¯s medication.

    I stumbled upon Reynaldo¡¯s WhatsApp.

    His message was sent to me when I had just hidden here.

    There wasn¡¯t much information, but at first nce, it was nothing more than those harsh words threatening me to go back.

    I flipped through casually and suddenly came across a video.

    Inexplicably, I clicked on that video.

    In the video, Reynaldo got drunk andy on the bar counter in the bar.

    The noise in the bar was loud, but I could clearly hear him saying my

    name.

    Voices, sometimes resentful, sometimes sorrowful, sometimes gritting

    their teeth.

    He closed his eyes, looking pained and sad.

    I furrowed my brows, what was wrong with him?

    The video ended, and I continued scrolling down.

    ¡°Esmeralda, if you don¡¯te back soon, this guy is going to get drunk at

    the bar.¡±

    Chapter190

    Esmeralda, you are so heartless, you even changed your phone number. Are you determined to avoid Reynaldo?

    Come back, Esmeralda. This guy can¡¯t be without you. After you left, he started self¨Charming.

    I furrowed my brows.

    This tone, it should be Johnathan who sent it.

    But did he get it wrong? How could Reynaldo possibly be without me?

    He probably couldn¡¯t be without Kimberly.

    ¡°Esmeralda, Esmeralda¡­¡±

    My finger identally slipped onto that video again.

    The man closed his eyes and murmured my name in pain, seeming angry and resentful.

    I pursed my lips and immediately felt a bit flustered in my heart.

    Keep scrolling down.

    Johnathan sent another long message.

    This guy insisted on bothering you, I was afraid he would get drunk and die here.

    Hurry up ande over, I will send you the address.

    Nextes an address.

    Another four hours passed.

    Johnathan sent me an angry emoji.

    Chapter190

    I realized that you were a heartless and ruthless woman.

    Even if he died in this bar tonight, you probably wouldn¡¯te back to take a look at him.

    I have never seen a woman as heartless as you before, and yet he still likes you so much.

    It is better for you to nevere back again, so as not to harm him again.

    Even through the phone, Johnathan¡¯s anger could be felt.

    He really is a good brother to Reynaldo..

    But he still didn¡¯t know Reynaldo very well. The woman who could take Reynaldo¡¯s life wouldn¡¯t be me, it would only be Kimberly.

    Sure enough, the next day, Reynaldo sent me a message.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take Johnathan¡¯s words seriously.¡±

    There was no further information afterwards.

    Iughed at myself self¨Cdeprecatingly.

    See, I told you he wouldn¡¯t like me. It¡¯s all Johnathan, thinking highly of himself.

    I took a deep breath and brushed away the troubled emotions in my heart, and transferred 900 to him.

    Just as he turned around, he came over and hit him¡­

    I looked at the familiar number and hesitated in my heart.

    To answer or not to answer?

    4000

    Chapter190

    Forget it, I¡¯d better answer it. That man is so unpredictable. If I intentionally don¡¯t answer, who knows how he will go crazy.

    I answered the call, but I didn¡¯t speak and waited for him to speak first.

    Soon, a gentle female voice came through, ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Duffy?¡±

    I furrowed my brows, realizing that it was Kimberly who had called using Reynaldo¡¯s phone.

    Dizzy, I shouldn¡¯t have epted it if I had known earlier.

    I used to get annoyed whenever I heard her voice.

    I couldn¡¯t quite understand why Reynaldo would like a woman like her.

    Do men really like women who appear weak and helpless on the surface?

    I was about to hang up when she suddenly said, ¡°Reynaldo was taking a shower.¡±

    My hand holding the phone tightened slightly.

    Was Reynaldo taking a shower?

    So they¡­ Are they together now?

    Upon further reflection, it is true that they were engaged and living together, which is normal.

    A touch of self¨Cmockery and pain shed through my heart, and I said lightly, ¡°Oh, then why did you call? Hang up!¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡±

    Kimberly quickly stopped me and said, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to

 Too Close 191

    Chapter191

    I didn¡¯t expect her to have such character.

    Nowadays, there is nothing to worry about. I casually hummed. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. Returning the money is a matter of my character, whether he cares about those few hundred bucks is his own business.¡±

    Moreover, he has always been unwilling to let me go, it was not me who nned to contact him.

    Weren¡¯t you her moonlight? Well, then, please persuade her properly and tell her not toe looking for me anymore. As long as she doesn¡¯t disturb me. I naturally won¡¯t appear in front of her again or have any contact with her.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Reynaldo, when did youe out?¡± Kimberly suddenly eximed on the other end of the phone,

    My heart trembled, and a faint sense of unease emerged.

    The phone must have ended up in Reynaldo¡¯s hands, because I heard a faint, cold and suppressed breath.

    And listening to the surrounding noise, Kimberly clearly turned on the speaker.

    That is to say, Reynaldo should have heard what I just said.

    Kimberly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reynaldo. I saw that Ms. Duffy transferred nine hundred dors to you, so I called her to tell her not to transfer the money. After all, she already has a difficult life. But I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±

    Chapter <b>191 </b>

    ¡°You go out first.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, well, then, I¡¯ll go out first, Reynaldo. Don¡¯t be angry either, Ms. Duffy¡­¡±

    ¡°Go out.¡±

    Even when Reynaldo was angry, he would not use a harsh tone with Kimberly.

    The words ¡°go out¡± were said very calmly.

    If it were me, I¡¯m afraid it would be yelling, and it would be in that kind of chilling tone.

    The other end of the phone was silent, with only the man¡¯s gloomy breathing.

    Kimberly must have already gone out.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°I have already transferred the money for the medicine to you, please take it. It¡¯s veryte, I need to sleep, you should rest early too.

    ¡°Esmeralda.¡±

    He suddenly shouted at me, with a deep voice that was indescribably suppressed.

    I think, if I were in front of him right now, he might haveid hands on<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I held my phone tightly, afraid to make a sound.

    Even though it was through the phone, I was still afraid of him.

    Chapter191

    After a moment¡¯s pause, Reynaldo suddenlyughed, a soft and self- mockingugh.

    He said, ¡°In your opinion, I was pestering you, right?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±

    The words I just said to Kimberly meant that he was unwilling to let me go and insisted on seeking revenge on me.

    How did it be ¡®hounding persistently¡® when it came out of his mouth?¡±

    Is thispletely not the same meaning?

    I don¡¯t know if it was my poormunication skills or his poor understanding skills.

    I opened my mouth, about to exin.

    He suddenly asked me, ¡°Do you remember the night three days ago when you begged me for help?¡±

    My face turned red instantly.

    That night, although I was groggy, I still remembered many fragments.

    Especially when I was driven crazy by that scorching heat and unbearable difort, I almost impatiently ripped off his belt and even messed up

    his shirt.

    That night, I said a lot of embarrassing things.

    Even he made me say whatever he wanted me to say, and made me do whatever he wanted me to do.

    All night long, I acted even crazier and more enthusiastic than him.¡±

    47 20%

    11.290

    Looking back now, I felt extremely embarrassed that night.

    I don¡¯t know why he suddenly brought this up.

    Do I have to thank him for helping me relieve stress?

    I rubbed my burning cheeks awkwardly and said. ¡°Reynaldo, I really appreciate your help that night. You tell me how I can thank you, and I promise I will do whatever I can to make it happen.¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    He sneered and said in extreme disappointment, ¡°Look, you¡¯ve always been like this. You talk nicely in bed, but when ites to putting on your pants, you don¡¯t recognize anyone.¡±

    I:

    This is ridiculous, they made me sound like a scumbag.

    ¡°Esmeralda, have I always been acting foolish, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡­¡±

    I fucking lost myself just because of your words ¡°as long as I¡°.

    But my sincere words were just a joke you casually made while being incoherent, a joke that you would even say to anyone.

    Only I, became real.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t know why, but listening to his calm tone, I felt a little uneasy in my heart.

 Too Close 192

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± I eximed urgently, ¡°Indeed, three years ago I looked down on you, but not anymore, not now¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±

    He suddenly said softly, with a voice full ofughter, but it sounded particrly suppressed,

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, I will never bother you again, never.¡±

    He hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.

    I stared nkly at the darkened phone, my emotionsplex and indiscernible.

    The words he just said, full of usations, seemed as if I had deeply hurt

    his heart.

    But wasn¡¯t Kimberly the one he liked?

    Why did he have to say those words to me again?

    Iy on the bed, feeling powerless and mentally disturbed.

    I had insomnia again in the first half of the night, and I didn¡¯t fall asleep. until the second half of the night.

    When I woke up in the morning, I nced at my phone and realized that the man hadn¡¯t epted the nine hundred I transferred to him.

    I couldn¡¯t help but send a message: ¡°Take the money.¡±

    Chapter192

    Although this money was indeed not enough for him to even send away a beggar.

    But I said yesterday that I would return it to him, so I have to walk the talk.

    However, when I sent it, a red exmation mark appeared.

    I stared with both eyes.

    What does it mean? Did Reynaldo block me?

    I was stunned for a moment, then quickly checked the inte, and then sent two emojis.

    The red exmation mark still appeared.

    Uh!

    Reynaldo actually blocked me.

    I was absent¨Cminded for a moment, and then slowly put away my phone.

    If I blocked you, then I blocked you.

    I estimated that he really wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore.

    Alright.

    Afterwards, my days were able to return to peace.

    Although this is good news for me, my heart suddenly feels empty.

    There is no denying that I did indeed fall in love with him.

    I could only secretly hide this love, otherwise it would only attract him and his mockingughter.

    11:29

    Chapter192

    I sighed as I leaned against the head of the bed.

    I don¡¯t know when I will be able to forget my feelings for him. Otherwise, whenever I think of him, my heart feels really ufortable.

    Still needing to go to work, I didn¡¯t dwell too much on sentimentality. I simply freshened up and headed out the door.

    The clothes that were swept awayst night have already been cleaned up by someone.

    I nced towards Trevin¡¯s house.

    Normally at this time, I would always run into him and his mom when I

    went out.

    I didn¡¯te across it today.

    I was still thinking that if I encountered them and they dared to insult ory hands on me, I would call the police.

    Their house was located at the staircasending.

    When I walked from the staircase, I saw their room door wide open, and inside it was a mess, as if it had been ransacked.

    Thendlord was cleaning inside with the cleaner.

    I furrowed my brows in confusion.

    What happened? What about that shameless mother and son? Did they move away?

    Thendlord was standing at the door, giving instructions.

    I walked over curiously and asked, ¡°Um, where is the tenant of this

    Chapter190

    room?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably died.¡± Thendlord said casually.

    I was shocked in my heart.

    Dead? Is it really not possible?

    I took a nce into the room, indeed, their things were not moved, and it didn¡¯t seem like they were moving.

    ¡°And, and, and, the bloodstains there also needed to be cleaned.¡±

    What a bad luck! How am I supposed to rent it to others in the future?

    Thendlord was impatiently directing the cleaner.

    I looked in the direction he pointed with <b>a </b>startle, and there was a pool of blood on the ground.

    There were two cleaners, who hurriedly took cleaning balls and scrubbed and washed.

    At this moment, several neighbors suddenly approached from behind.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect it to be this family that had an ident.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they seemed quite friendly usually, this mother and son. How did things go wrong? Could it be that they were targeted by robbers? Tsk tsk, so unfortunate.¡±

    Still kind? Still pitiful?

    Indeed, people only judge by appearances.

    Just like me, I was initially deceived by Reynaldo¡¯s gentle facade, thinking

 Too Close 193

    ¡°Yeah, I heard it too. It startled me awake. I asked my husband to go check it out, but he refused, saying he was scared.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that your husband was scared, my husband is so big and strong, he didn¡¯t dare to look either. And let me tell you, that scream was really terrifying, I couldn¡¯t sleep afterwards.¡±

    Originally, when Trevin and his mother had an ident, I didn¡¯t feel much of a fluctuation in my heart.

    But now, listening to their discussions, I was suddenly filled with waves of fear.

    What exactly did Trevin and his mother experience?

    I suddenly thought of Reynaldo, thinking of the coldness and murderous intent in that man¡¯s eyes.

    I hope not¡­.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Suddenly, a loud scream came from the room.

    Suddenly, everyone turned their heads and looked inside all at once.

    I couldn¡¯t resist my curiosity and looked inside.

    I regretted it as soon as I saw it. Just one nce and my stomach churned with nausea.

    I quickly turned around and vomited on the wall, wailing loudly.

    It was a finger, which had already started to rot, with small soft¨Cbodied creatures wriggling on it.

    Honestly, for the first time. I despised my 5.0 vision, as I could see everything crystal clear.

    Every time I think of that disgusting finger, my stomach churns again.

    Oh no, I felt so ufortable after vomiting. My stomach was almost empty, but I still felt nauseous and ufortable.

    ¡°Oh my God, this is so tragic! Did someone chop off their finger?¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ Stealing is just stealing, how much hatred and resentment must there be.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wonder what happened to that mother and son in the end. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s better to speak less in this chaotic security situation.¡±

    I leaned weakly against the wall and suddenly remembered that night after Reynaldo finished, I vaguely heard the sound of him making a phone

    call.

    He seemed to have said, ¡°Leave behind one of his fingers.¡±

    I covered my mouth in fear, and it really was Reynaldo.

    At this moment, the gentle and virtuous appearance of that man ispletely shattered in my memory.

    In my mind, all that appeared were his cold and bloodthirsty appearance.

    11200

    It seems that he was still kind to me..

    I treated him so badly back then, as cruel as he was, yet he didn¡¯t make me lose an arm or a leg.

    ¡°Alright, alright, everyone disperse, there¡¯s nothing interesting to see.¡±

    Moreover, the security of our building is very good. The entrance has ess control, while the neighboring buildings have ess control systems that are merely decorations.

    I see, for sure this family offended someone, and that person came for revenge.

    Hurry up, hurry up, sweep away that disgusting thing for me, and clean. the floor and walls as well.

    Really, it has be like this, how can I rent this room to someone else in the future, it¡¯s unlucky!

    Thendlord keptining.

    The neighbors who were watching the scene didn¡¯t like to listen, and they all dispersed one after another.

    Thendlord suddenly looked at me again, with a disgusted expression, and said, ¡°Look at you, vomiting everywhere. If you can¡¯t stand the bloodiness, then don¡¯te to watch the excitement, really!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I said, feeling upset.

    Thendlord waved his hand to dismiss me and immediately called the cleaner inside toe out and clean.

    I said ¡°sorry¡± again, and then I endured the difort in my stomach, leaning against the wall and slowly walking downstairs.

    Chapter193

    I don¡¯t know what the final oue was for Trevin and his mother.

    Of course, whatever the oue for Trevin and his son, it was their own. fault.

    I just couldn¡¯t imagine how bloodthirsty Reynaldo, this man, was.

    Until I got on the bus, my heart still hadn¡¯tpletely calmed down, and my stomach was still churning.

    I leaned back in the chair, panting, feeling ufortable.

    The people next to me looked at me strangely, their eyes filled with concern. ¡°Little girl, are you okay?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°Dizzy¡­ car sickness.¡±

    After saying that, I covered my mouth and dry heaved.

    Luckily, there was nothing left in my stomach to vomit, otherwise I would have definitely thrown up in the car right now.

    After finally arriving at the construction site, I rested at the entrance for a while before heading towards the information room.

    Because of the dy just now, I arrived a littlete.

    Most of the people in the office had arrived, chatting and joking, creating a lively atmosphere.

    As soon as I reached the door, the entire office instantly fell silent.

    ¡°Hey¡­ everyone,e and take a look, who is this?¡±

 Too Close 194

    #1

    289 Vouchers

    ¡°Tsk tsk, isn¡¯t this the one who repeatedly tried to seduce the boss and ended up being punished with hardbor by the boss?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you were absent for three days, were you off flirting with other men again?¡±

    ¡°Definitely, look at her paleplexion, she must have been fooling around with men too much, making herself weak.¡±

    The mockery from colleagues became increasingly harsh.

    I buried my head and silently walked towards my workstation.

    Suddenly, someone rushed out and pushed me hard.

    I was originally weak and powerless all over my body. With her push, I instantly lost control and fell towards the door¡­

    Baby!

    In that moment, my mind went nk, and my heart was filled with extreme fear, afraid that something would happen to my baby.

    About to fall to the ground.

    A strong arm suddenly wrapped around my waist.

    Then, my whole body fell into a cold, hard embrace.

    The familiar scent overwhelmed me, and my heart trembled intensely.

    ¡°Big¡­ Big boss?!¡±

    1131

    Chapter194

    288 Vouchers

    People in the information room eximed in surprise, and hurriedly ran out of their workstations, standing in two rows in a chaotic manner.

    After Reynaldo steadied me, he gently pushed me away.

    I stumbled back two steps and steadied myself by leaning against the wall.

    I slowly lifted my gaze to look at him.

    The man¡¯s face was very dark and cold, exuding a touch of hostility that kept people at a distance.

    He didn¡¯t look at me either, his gaze casually turned towards the information room.

    He casually asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Colleagues, you look at me, I look at you, and none of us dare to speak.

    Because Reynaldo just stood there, it was terrifying.

    Bet always hung out with the supervisor Zhou, and he has also socialized with the higher¨Cups once or twice, so he can be considered

    well¨Ctraveled.

    So this time he dared to speak to Reynaldo.

    He said respectfully, ¡°It¡¯s that woman next to you, she used to always seduce you, do you remember?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t speak and didn¡¯t look at me.

    A pair of casual eyes fell so casually on Bet, making Bet tremble all over.

    He hurriedly said, ¡°Then this woman has been absent from work for the

    past few days, and her mind is simply not focused on work. She is

    Boss, you said it, we paid her money, not to seduce men.

    Reynaldo smiled and said, ¡°How did you know that she liked to seduce men?¡±

    ¡°Needless to say, didn¡¯t she try to seduce you several timesst time? Luckily, you, the big boss, remain faithful and don¡¯t have any interest in her.¡±

    Yeah, boss, you were different from them.

    Unlike some men, when this woman approaches, those men are like they have been enchanted.

    At this moment, a woman suddenly interrupted and spoke. She was the colleague who used to go to the cafeteria with me frequently at the beginning.

    It was she who first reminded me that Trevin had feelings for me.

    I pursed my lips and looked at her, feeling a bit mncholic in my heart.

    Back then, these colleagues were so nice. Why are they now all targeting me one by one?

    Even though they didn¡¯t see the facts, they insisted on distorting the truth with those people.

    Reynaldo tugged at his lip and suddenly walked towards the data room.

    In an instant, those people quickly moved aside on both sides, forming a formation to wee him.

    Chapter194

    Reynaldo casually sat down on a chair.

    Immediately, one of the colleagues excitedly said to the person next to them, ¡°The boss sat on my chair, quick, look, he sat on my chair¡­¡±

    The people around him all gave him a disdainful look, their eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

    Look, this is the charm of the big boss.

    Just by sitting on their chairs, they could get so excited.

    288 Vouchers

    Reynaldo leaned back in the chair, his slender fingers tapping on the edge of the table intermittently.

    I frowned and looked at him, wondering what he suddenly came to the library for.

    At first, I thought he was asking about information regarding the

    construction site.

    But after half a day had passed, he didn¡¯t mention anything about work and just casually chatted with them about me.

    Did hee to me again this time?

    But didn¡¯t he firmly sayst night that he wouldn¡¯te to see me again?

    He even blocked me.

    He casually tapped the edge of the table, making everyone in the office

    nervous.

    They stood one by one, respectfully waiting for him to speak.

    It had been a long time, really a long time.

 Too Close 195

    He spoke lightly, asking about the female colleague he had just mentioned, ¡°Who were you referring to when you said ¡®those men¡®? Have you seen her seducing men?¡±

    My female colleague was taken aback by the question and took a while to respond, ¡°Look, I saw it¡­ There was a worker on the construction site, and from the very beginning, they were exchanging nces. They even made ns to have meals together, and they even wished they could share a bowl of rice¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but snap.

    She must have been talking about Trevin.

    But when did I exchange nces with Trevin, when did I have a meal with Trevin?

    When I was falsely used of seducing the boss, they didn¡¯t believe me and it didn¡¯t matter, after all, I didn¡¯t have a deep rtionship with them.

    But why did she go so far as to nder me like this?

    Both of them were like this.

    What benefit is there for them to nder me like this? Is it really a case of ¡°when the wall falls, everyone pushes¡°? Reynaldo despises me, so they all want to step on me. Is it to gain a good impression in front of Reynaldo?

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking nonsense!¡± the female colleague retorted to Reynaldo. ¡°Boss, what I said is all true. I used to go to the cafeteria with her often back then. She was really close with that man, the man who seemed to be

    11:3213

    Chapter195

    called¡­ what was his name again¡­¡±

    ¡°Is your name Trevin?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes, boss, have you also heard about her seducing men?¡±

    11

    She was really indiscriminate in her appetite, seducing all kinds of men, whether they were rich, poor, or even bricyers on construction sites.

    Reynaldo tugged at his lip, and suddenly straightened up, casually saying, ¡°Perfect, my team just needs someone like her!¡±

    I furrowed my brows deeply, what does he mean by that?

    Not only was I confused, but all my colleagues in the information room also looked at him with a bewildered expression.

    Finally, Bet gathered up the courage to ask, ¡°Boss, what did you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°The meaning is¡­ she was going to be mine in the future.¡±

    As soon as these words were spoken, the entire library room erupted.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the big boss? Does he really have a crush on that

    woman?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, the big boss said he needed someone like her, maybe he saw her ability to seduce men and wanted to use her charm to secure a partnership.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know I could do this. If I had known, I would have also tried

    to seduce the boss.¡±

    ¡°Go away, just you, do you look as good as Esmeralda? Do you have as many seductive tricks as Esmeralda?¡±

    30.57%

    286 Wouchers

    I ignored the gossip and mockery in the office and walked up to Reynaldo, looking at him firmly. ¡°What did you mean by what you just said?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even look at me. He stood up, straightened his cuffs, and casually said, ¡°Literal meaning.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a low roar.

    Everyone present looked at me in horror.

    ¡°Oh my goodness, she actually called the boss by his real name?¡±

    ¡°The key is, she even shouted at the big boss!¡±

    ¡°Does the big boss really like this? If I had known, I would have been fierce too. Sigh, it¡¯s my fault for being too gentle!¡±

    I red at Reynaldo angrily.

    This man was always like this, never speaking clearly.

    ¡°Hey, Esmeralda, what were you doing again?¡±

    At this moment, the anxious low shout of Supervisor Zhou suddenly

    came.

    I hadn¡¯t even reacted yet when Mr. Zhou, the supervisor, pulled me away.

    He scolded me angrily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you bothering the boss again?¡±

    You always y truant all day long. As soon as the boss appears, you start pretending to be busy. What are you even working for? You might as

    11-320

    Chapter195

    well just get lost!¡±

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°Shh, boss¡­¡± Bet tugged at him, ¡°You better stop talking now, this woman is a big shot in front of the boss!¡±

    ¡°What? What did you say?¡± The big boss looked at Reynaldo in disbelief. ¡°Could it be that she really seeded in seducing him?¡±

    Reynaldo straightened his suit cor and casually said, ¡°Tidy up, we¡¯ll report to Headquarters early tomorrow morning.¡±

    It is obvious that this statement was directed towards me.

    In an instant, the whole crowd was in an uproar.

    ¡°Wow, headquarters, she was actually able to work at headquarters under the big boss and spend time with him day and night!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m so jealous. If only I had known that this trick works, I would have used it too. Ahhh¡­¡±

    23.41<b>% </b>

 Too Close 196

    ¡°Yeah, exactly. How much can a thick skin be worth? We should all learn from her, make our way to the headquarters, and then make our way into the boss¡¯s bed.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡­ I was so jealous. Why am I not a woman? If only I were a woman!¡±

    Reynaldo had already walked out of the data room, and inside the data room, things were getting more and more chaotic.

    Even Manager Zhou, who had been in the industry for half a lifetime, sighed and said that he couldn¡¯t match my fox¨Clike tactics in just a few days.

    I ignored their howling and crying like ghosts and wolves, and quickly chased after Reynaldo.

    What does it mean for that man to suddenly ask me to work under his nose, when he had said he would never look for me again?

    If I went to work at his headquarters, how could I hide the fact that I was pregnant?

    I¡¯m so annoyed. This man always does whatever he wants.

    Reynaldo had long legs and walked quickly.

    I couldn¡¯t catch up with him even if I ran.

    I was worried about the baby again, so I didn¡¯t dare to run fast.

    12.27883

    Chapter195

    <b>11 </b>

    As I saw him walking away, I couldn¡¯t help but shout to him, ¡°Reynaldo, wait!¡±

    However, the man continued walking as if he hadn¡¯t heard a thing.

    I held my stomach in difort and shouted at him, ¡°Reynaldo, wait a minute, I¡­ I have something to tell you¡­¡±

    I was feeling weak and powerless all over my body today, and just now I vomited like that. After running a short distance, I was almost out of

    breath.

    Finally, the man stopped.

    He stood there and didn¡¯t turn around to look at me.

    I was afraid that he had left again, so I quickly caught up with him.

    I ran up to him, clutching my stomach and panting heavily.

    Reynaldo stared down at me from above, his face devoid of any expression.

    I hesitated for a while before asking him, ¡°Um, what exactly did you mean by that thing you just said?¡±

    ¡°Literal meaning, Ms. Duffy didn¡¯t understand?¡± Reynaldo smiled faintly, but his tone was cold.

    I frowned and said, ¡°Are you suggesting that I work under you?¡±

    Reynaldo remained silent, indicating his agreement.

    I became anxious: ¡°Haven¡¯t you always looked down on me, saying that I can¡¯t do anything except eating, saying that I am not suitable for work, saying that I have no abilities at all? Then why do you still want me to do

    <b>11:32 </b>

    Chapter106

    things for you?¡±

    128 Vauchers

    Reynaldo smirked and suddenly leaned closer to me, mocking, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t even need you to do anything. Ms. Duffy just needs to know how to seduce men.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± I red at him angrily, ¡°I was being serious with you.¡±

    ¡°What I said was serious,¡± Reynaldo chuckled lightly. ¡°I want to see you in my office tomorrow morning at nine o¡¯clock.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go!¡±

    I was both anxious and restless in my heart.

    The baby is still young now, so it¡¯s hard to tell anything.

    But I checked, in another three or four months, my belly would slowly start to grow, and this man would definitely notice.

    He would definitely lock me in the room for childbirth.

    After my baby was born, he took my baby away and gave him to my grandmother, and even entrusted Kimberly to take care of him.

    I didn¡¯t want it!

    Just imagining that oue made me tremble all over..

    ¡°Don¡¯t you go?¡± Reynaldo stared at me, sneering, ¡°Do you think you have the right to refuse?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± I eximed impatiently, ¡°Why do you insist on having me work under you? Didn¡¯t you sayst night that you wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore? How can you be so inconsistent!¡±

    Chapter196

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°Ms. Duffy is also a fraud, what does it matter if I go back on my word?¡± Reynaldo suddenly chuckled, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery as he looked at me.

    I went crazy and firmly said, ¡°I won¡¯t go, even if you kill me, I won¡¯t go!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly squinted his eyes and slowly approached me.

    As he approached, that terrifying sense of coldness and hostility came

    over.

    I immediately cowardly backed away two steps.

    I watched him cautiously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I just feel like I don¡¯t have much ability, and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll just cause trouble for you if Ie to work with

    youpo

    ¡°Huh!¡± he sneered, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you think that way when you went to Winston¡¯spany? In the end, you just detest seeing me, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, don¡¯t guess randomly, okay?¡°\___

    I was feeling extremely restless in my mind, and my tone had already be somewhat impatient.

    Reynaldo stared at her heavily.

    78.66%

 Too Close 197

    I saw his hand slowly tighten at his side, and terrifying veins bulged on the back of his hand.

    I fearfully took two steps back.

    I tightened the straps of my bag and said boldly, ¡°No matter what, I don¡¯t want to go to yourpany. I am living well now, and my job is good too. I don¡¯t want the current tranquility to be disrupted.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± he sneered, ¡°A work environment full of mockery and insults towards you, and you call that good? Or is it that you are naturally masochistic and enjoy being insulted by them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was being stupid. I enjoyed being scolded by them. Anyway, I don¡¯t want to change jobs!¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo¡¯s gaze suddenly became sharp.

    ¡°Everyone wanted to go to Headquarters, except for you. So, your resistance, could it be because of some undisclosed secret?¡±

    My face slightly changed, and I shook my head as I stepped back.

    But he was still sharp, his gaze bing even more piercing and terrifying, as if he could see through my soul.

    Afraid of being seen through by him, I gritted my teeth and deliberately said, ¡°Yes, you were right just now. I don¡¯t want to work under you, I just don¡¯t want to see you.¡±

    When these words were spoken, to everyone¡¯s surprise, he did not get

    11-320

    Yn hars

    angry.

    He just looked at me with a light smile, and in his deep eyes, there were emotions that I couldn¡¯t understand.

    He said, ¡°Look, you finally admitted it. Ms. Duffy has never been sincere to anyone, she is one way in bed and another way when she puts on her pants.¡±

    Should I say that you are really good at seducing men?

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Reynaldo coldly interrupted me.

    He chuckled and said, ¡°I just informed you to go to Headquarters for work, I wasn¡¯t seeking your opinion.¡±

    You, whether you want to go or not, you have to go!

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go!¡±

    This man used to often like to threaten me. As the number of threats increased, I seemed to be less afraid.

    But this time, he clearly didn¡¯t have such a good temper.

    He grabbed a handful of my hair at the back of my head and pressed my head towards him.

    He was like a demon, whispering in my ear, ¡°Do you want to know what happened to your Trevin and his mother?¡±

    His cold remark reminded me suddenly of the severed finger I had seen in

    28.404

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    Chapter197

    the morning.

    Nausea surged in the stomach once again.

    288 (Vouchers

    I tried my best to hold back the urge to vomit and asked him, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±

    Reynaldo stuck to me closely.

    His big palm was still pressing against the back of my head, and his warm lips were almost touching my earlobe.

    I was tense all over, feeling only the scorching heat of his breath spraying on my neck.

    I shouted his name with some fear, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    He chuckled softly in my ear, ¡°The women I¡¯ve been with, even if I don¡¯t want them anymore, I won¡¯t allow others to covet them. So, guess what I did to your Trevin?¡±

    I trembled and didn¡¯t dare to speak.

    This was the first time I saw such a Reynaldo, cold and bloodthirsty, like a demon crawling out of hell.

    With a smile on his face, he casually said, ¡°I had his hands and feet chopped off, and then threw them out of this Freybourne to fend for themselves. What do you think of my punishment?¡±

    Cut off both hands and feet?

    I trembled all over, looking at him with such a fearful expression for the first time.

    I only knew that he was gloomy, moody,plex, and unpredictable, but

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    I never expected him to be so bloodthirsty and cruel.

    At that moment, I was truly afraid of him, genuinely scared from the bottom of my heart.

    288 iVouchers

    Reynaldo gently touched my cold cheeks and chuckled, ¡°Why is your face so pale? What happened? Feeling sorry for your Trevin?¡±

    Trevin and Auntie tried to do such things to me, and naturally I wouldn¡¯t pity them.

    I just felt that the man in front of me was too terrifying, and that kind of terror refreshed my understanding.

    I looked into his dark, gloomy eyes and asked with a trembling voice, ¡°Will you¡­ cut off my limbs?¡±

    ¡°You, uh¡­¡±

    He chuckled lightly and suddenly released my hair, gently stroking it.

    He said, ¡°That depends on whether you will listen or not.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± I tugged at thepel of his chest, persistently asking, ¡°Would you cut off my limbs?¡±

    Reynaldo yed with the ends of my hair andughed at me nonchntly, saying, ¡°It depends on my mood. You¡¯re always so

    disobedient. If one day you really manage to annoy me, I don¡¯t know what I might do to you.¡±

    Chapter198

 Too Close 198

    He spoke calmly, but I was trembling all over.

    I didn¡¯t think deeply before.

    Now I deeply understand that fear and chill.

    He could never be the old Reynaldo again.

    He, at present, if he wants to make me wish I were dead, it is truly easier than squashing an ant.

    He kissed my earlobe, his chilling voice sounding like a terrifying ghost: ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the office tomorrow morning at nine o¡¯clock.¡±

    After saying that, he let go of me, smiled at me faintly, lit a cigarette, and left in a rxed manner.

    I was left alone, trembling in the same spot.

    I looked at his back and increasingly felt that this man was very unfamiliar.

    In the end, I never truly understood this man, did I?

    He detested certain things, liked certain things, including his unpredictable temperament, which I never fully understood.

    I could live to this day without any harm, it truly was his great mercy.

    I squatted on the ground with my arms crossed for a long time before I walked unsteadily towards the library.

    3201

    My colleagues in the office were still discussing my visit to Headquarters, and the sound of wailing and howling echoed one after another.

    As soon as I entered, they all turned their gaze towards me.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Esmeralda, who is about to fly up to the branches and be a phoenix? Don¡¯t forget about us when you be sessful in the future.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, if we were lucky enough to catch a rich man and be a wealthydy, remember to introduce us sisters to some wealthy people too.¡±

    ¡°And also, and also¡­¡±

    At that moment, the female colleague who had just ndered me in front of Reynaldo came running and grabbed my arm. ¡°Esmeralda, where did you learn all those seductive tricks? Teach us, will you?¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I impatiently shook off her hand.

    The female colleague was taken aback, seemingly not expecting that I had a temper.

    After a while, she disdainfully hummed, ¡°What¡¯s so great about it? You just went to be a social butterfly, and now you¡¯re acting all high and mighty?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the big boss asked her to go to the headquarters. He saw her seductive skills and wanted her to use her charm to seduce clients. She actually thought the big boss was interested in her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, isn¡¯t it just using that filthy body to gain power? What¡¯s so impressive about that?¡±

    82.60<b>% </b>

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    Almost all my colleagues mocked me disdainfully<b>, </b>but amidst their mockery, there was still a strong sense of jealousy

    So, human nature is like this. Clearly unable to obtain it oneself, yet still pretending to be noble and criticizing others.

    I looked at them indifferently, ¡°Yeah, <b>I </b>may not seem <b>impressive</b>, but the fact is, this opportunity that I don¡¯t want is something you guys can¡¯t get no matter how hard you fight for it.¡±

    ¡°Huh, don¡¯t want it? Don¡¯t pretend here, how disgusting¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he even managed to get involved with the big boss, yet he¡¯s still pretending to be all high and mighty¡±

    Two female colleagues sneered andughed at me with jealousy.

    I was physically and mentally exhausted, and I didn¡¯t feel like arguing with them anymore,

    They were all passers¨Cby, and it was truly unnecessary.

    I didn¡¯t pay any attention to them anymore, I just sat at my own desk with a dazed expression.

    Those people kept mocking me relentlessly, their energy was truly impressive.

    Bet said at this time, ¡°Alright, enough already, stop talking. Didn¡¯t you see how she looked like she was about to faint? If we really make her pass out from anger, be careful that the boss doesn¡¯te after us.¡±

    ¡°Tch, if you don¡¯t want to say it, then don¡¯t. What¡¯s so great about it anyway.¡±

    Those colleagues finally quieted down and returned to their respective

    Chapter198

    workstations.

    I leaned wearily against the chair, thinking about Reynaldo¡¯s cold and bloodthirsty appearance just now, and shivers ran down my spine.

    So, could I still escape, could I still hide?

    288 Vouchers

    Will there be a day when he really breaks my legs and I can never escape again?

    I wearily covered my face, feeling only a sense of exhaustion in my heart.

    He has always been a person who sticks to his words.

    He clearly said that he would not contact me again, so why did he change

    his mind this time?

    Reynaldo, what did you want to do in the end?

    The world was so big, there were so many people, why were you the only one who refused to let me go?

    Can¡¯t the torment of this period of time offset the resentment you had towards me for three years?

    Bet nced at me, paused for a moment, walked over, and handed me a ss of soy milk.

 Too Close 199

    I looked at him in astonishment.

    He awkwardly turned his face away and said, ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to die. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll cause trouble for our office if you die here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I held the soy milk cup, feeling the warmth spreading from my palm, and a hint of warmth filled my heart.

    But I still felt cold.

    Bet nced at me again and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, then don¡¯t go. No one is forcing you. Is it necessary to act like you¡¯re about to die?¡±

    No one forced me?

    I chuckled at myself and remained silent.

    Actually, there was nothing wrong with working under Reynaldo, but I was afraid that he would find out about my pregnancy and steal my baby.

    I could humiliate him however I wanted, but I couldn¡¯t lose my baby.

    I leaned back on the chair, feeling bored.

    What should I do?

    Time always flies by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the next day.

    I didn¡¯t sleep well all night, and I woke up early in the morning.

    11:32

    Chapter199

    If Trevin¡¯s incident hadn¡¯t happened, I wouldn¡¯t have been so afraid of him, but now, I am truly scared.

    Last night, I even dreamt that Reynaldo broke my leg and said that this way, I wouldn¡¯t be able to run.

    288 ivouchers

    In my dream, I cried my heart out, and when I woke up, there were still tears on my face.

    I leaned against the head of the bed, staring with my eyes open from five o¡¯clock until seven o¡¯clock, and in the end, I reluctantly got up, dressed, and tidied up.

    I told Quentin that I was going to work at Reynaldo¡¯spany and that I would rent a house near Reynaldo¡¯spany.

    Quentin was surprised and asked me why I wanted to go back to Reynaldo.

    The question left me at a loss for words, and I didn¡¯t know how to answer it at that moment.

    I just casually said that Reynaldo¡¯s sry was high and the work was easy. I wanted to work for a few years and save money.

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything in the end, he just told me to call him if I had any issues.

    Quentin transferred 20,000 to me, but I didn¡¯t ept it. Instead, I sent him a message saying that I still had money.

    Quentin¡¯s foot injury was already not good, and now he has a girlfriend. It is exactly the time when he needs money, but I am sure I can¡¯t ask him for

    money anymore.

    I did not return to the previous vi.

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    That ce had ultimately belonged to Reynaldo.

    I didn¡¯t have time to find a house temporarily, so I directly dragged my suitcase to Reynaldo¡¯spany and left it at the front desk.

    288 Vouchers

    The people in the shanty town were busy with their daily lives, with little attention to entertainment and financial news, so naturally they did not know me and Reynaldo.

    In the city area, because Reynaldo¡¯s fame grew, almost everyone knew me and knew about the connection between me and Reynaldo before.

    From the moment I walked into the building, many people looked at me with strange eyes and murmurs could be heard faintly.

    ¡°How did shee?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, you see her still dragging her luggage, she must have been living a miserable life outside and now she¡¯se to bother Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, how shameless! It¡¯s like a sticky ster that can¡¯t be shaken off.¡±

    ¡°She had no backbone either, despite being a wealthy youngdy in the past and carrying herself with such arrogance. If it were me, I would rather starve than go back to pester my ex¨Chusband.¡±

    So, people, truly only look at the surface.

    They would never see how Reynaldo used to drive me crazy and torment me in private.

    The receptionist stared at me disdainfully and said, ¡°This box cannot be ced here, it affects the image of ourpany.¡±

    ¡°Just put it under the table for me, I will take it away today.¡±

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    288 Vouchers

    ¡°I said no, ourpany is a multinational publicly listed group, not some kind of luggage storage.¡± The receptionist frowned and said impatiently.

    I furrowed my brows and nced around.

    There was a blind spot not far away, where a tall green nt was ced. Putting the suitcase behind the green nt, it was basically invisible.

    I dragged the suitcase and walked past.

    The receptionist hurried over and grabbed my suitcase, saying, ¡°What are you doing? Our lobby is so upscale, with several business partners worth billions of dorsing to visit. Are you trying to make themugh at us by leaving your suitcase in our lobby?¡±

    ¡°Then you put it under the table at your front desk for me.¡±

 Too Close 200

    Chapter200

    ¡°That won¡¯t do either!¡± The receptionist¡¯s attitude was firm, with a disdainful expression on their face. ¡°You better get out of here quickly. Your appearance is simply affecting the image of ourpany.¡±

    Iughed angrily, ¡°How does my appearance affect yourpany¡¯s image? Am I uglier than you guys, or do I dress more shabbily, huh?¡±

    The front desk clerk was taken aback for a moment, then sneered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you just someone with a pretty face? What¡¯s so special about that? And now, shamelesslying back to pester Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    I advise you to leave quickly, otherwise Mr. Humphrey will personally drive you awayter, which won¡¯t be like how I did it.

    She said it while pushing me out with a disgusted look on her face.

    My suitcase was being kicked rudely by my feet.

    The ground was so clean that it reflected light. And just like that, she kicked my suitcase a couple of meters away.

    I red at her fiercely and quickly went to pick up the suitcase.

    The receptionist, as if unwilling to ept it, followed up with an arrogant expression on his face.

    However, the next second, her face suddenly changed, that arrogant and domineering attitudepletely disappeared, leaving only respect.

    I saw her standing respectfully towards the direction of the door, and couldn¡¯t help but frown as I looked over.

    11:32

    I saw §Ü§Ö§å§á§Ñd§à walking III §á§à§ám outside, surrounded vy his assistant and

    bodyguards.

    The man¡¯s perfect face had no expression, and there was a sense of indifference and aloofness in his eyes.

    All the employees in the hall greeted him respectfully.

    He walked straight towards the direction of the elevator without looking

    away.

    The assistant hurriedly walked beside him, reporting on the work.

    I clumsily picked up the suitcase and looked at him.

    And when he passed by me, he didn¡¯t even give me a nce, as if the person who crazily forced me toe to hispany yesterday wasn¡¯t

    him.

    But I knew he wouldn¡¯t let me go.

    Only I knew that beneath his indifferent and aloof exterior, he hid such a wildly passionate heart.

    Reynaldo eventually walked into the elevator, surrounded by assistants and bodyguards.

    The lobby returned to its previous liveliness only after the elevator doors

    closed.

    The mockery and disdain towards me kepting.

    The receptionist immediately put on an intimidating look and drove me

    away.

    I ignored them and walked straight towards the elevator with my suitcase.

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    11

    The receptionist caught up with me and grabbed me, saying, ¡°Hey, you shameless woman, I told you to get out, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±

    298 vouchere

    I pushed her away and coldly said, ¡°You¡¯re just a small receptionist. Do you really think thispany belongs to you? Even if you¡¯re acting tough, there should be a limit.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± The receptionist¡¯s face turned red with anger.

    I didn¡¯t care about her. In the moment the elevator doors opened, I directly dragged my suitcase and walked in.

    When the elevator doors closed, I could still hear the angry scolding from the receptionist.

    I lowered my gaze and looked at the suitcase beside me, mocking myself in my heart.

    I was really down and out, everyone wanted to step on me.

    Ah, those people were really boring.

    I knew where Reynaldo¡¯s office was.

    I went straight up.

    As I dragged my suitcase past the president¡¯s office, it caused quite a stir.

    However, since the president¡¯s office was right next to the executive office, they didn¡¯t dare to discuss too loudly. They would asionally nce at me and whisper to each other.

    Looking at the expressions on those people¡¯s faces, I also knew that they were not speaking good words.

    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.

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    Reynaldo seemed to have informed the secretary at the entrance of the president¡¯s office.

    When I went over, the secretary did not stop me, she just looked at me with a disdainful expression.

    288 Vouchers

    I pretended not to see and pushed open the door to the president¡¯s office, walking in.

    Reynaldo was standing by therge floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window making a phone call.

    He turned his back to me, and his silhouette appeared particrly tall and

    cold¨Chearted.

    This was not my first timeing to his office.

    I remember when my family went bankrupt, I dressed particrly sexy and came running to him, begging.

    Actually, since that time, I had already lost my self¨Cesteem.

    Since then, I hadpletely fallen into his hands and couldn¡¯t escape.

    Reynaldo was on the phone the whole time, discussing work¨Crted

    matters.

    I stood quietly at the door, with a suitcase beside me, making me look destitute and ridiculous.

    And that man, dressed in a high¨Cend suit, exuded an air of luxury.

    Ha! It¡¯s different when people are prosperous.

    When they just got married, he was not at all pretentious!

    76938

    <b>11:32 </b>

    Chapter201

    289 Vouchers

    Chapter201

    I was daydreaming about the past.

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, but he finally ended the call.

    He turned around, casually nced at me, and then returned to his chair, flipping open the documents on the table to sign them.

    For a while, hepletely ignored me, not even giving me a nce.

    I frowned at him and said, ¡°I came. Tell me, what exactly do you want me

    to do?¡±

    ¡°Come here!¡±

    He didn¡¯t even lift his head and said two words to me.

    I was dragging my suitcase and about to walk past.

    He suddenly said, ¡°Just leave the suitcase there, no one will take it.¡±

    The tone was slightly disdainful.

    1

    I was stunned for a moment, then I ced the box at the door and walked straight towards him.

    Standing in front of the desk, I saw him smoothly signing on the documents.

    Believe it or not, this man not only looks handsome but also writes extremely well.

    I stood in front of the desk for a while, and he remained silent again.

    0.00%

    11.

 Too Close 201

    Chapter201

    I was daydreaming about the past.

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, but he finally ended the call.

    He turned around, casually nced at me, and then returned to his chair. flipping open the documents on the table to sign them.

    For a while, hepletely ignored me, not even giving me a nce.

    I frowned at him and said, ¡°I came. Tell me, what exactly do you want me

    to do?¡±

    ¡°Come here!¡±

    He didn¡¯t even lift his head and said two words to me.

    I was dragging my suitcase and about to walk past.

    He suddenly said, ¡°Just leave the suitcase there, no one will take it.¡±

    The tone was slightly disdainful.

    I was stunned for a moment, then I ced the box at the door and walked straight towards him.

    Standing in front of the desk, I saw him smoothly signing on the documents.

    Believe it or not, this man not only looks handsome but also writes extremely well.

    I stood in front of the desk for a while, and he remained silent again.

    I was a bit annoyed and couldn¡¯t help but shout at him, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I hated this silent waiting. He either spoke to me clearly all at once or directly gave me some tasks to do.

    It was ufortable for me to wait for him to speak like this all the time.

    Reynaldo finally lifted his gaze.

    He closed the file,zily leaned back on the chair, and smiled at me. ¡°You! were five minuteste, tell me, how should I punish you?¡±

    I furrowed my brows and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was already half past nine.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I had alreadye in, it was you who had been. on the phone just now.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Reynaldo chuckled. ¡°When you came in, it was 9:05.¡±

    I was speechiess in my heart. This man didn¡¯t turn around the whole time. just now, did he grow eyes on the back of his head?

    ¡°Come here!¡±

    He asked me toe to him.

    I stood still.

    I frowned and said, ¡°I have already listened to you, so just say what you

    want to say.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and tugged at his tic.

    But the coldness in those eyes never dissipated.

    He seemed a little angry, propped up the table and stood up, smiling at<ol><li>me. ¡°You seem quite aggrieved toe to mypany.¡±</li></ol>

    Do you really resist me like this? You should know that what I gave you is not less than what he. Winston, gave you.

    I was a little annoyed.

    Why did he bring up Winston again?

    He asked me to do something, but after a while, he didn¡¯t give me any instructions at all. Instead, he just yed mind games with me.

    In order to avoid angering this man, I tried my best to speak with a lowered head and submissive tone, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you misunderstood. Didn¡¯t you ask me toe work? I was just thinking about getting started as soon as possible and getting my job on track quickly.¡±

    ¡°Handle the onboarding, huh,¡± Reynaldo circumvented the table and walked towards me.

    He casually leaned against the edge of the table and smiled at me, saying, ¡°No rush.¡±

    You are not in a hurry, but I am!

    I wanted to know as soon as possible what my job was, so that I could n my escapeter.

    No matter what, I was definitely going to leave before my belly grew bigger!

    I was calcting in my mind when suddenly there was a force on my

    waist.

    Then, he pressed me into his arms.

    Charters

    The scent of male hormones lingered around my nostrils, teasing my

    heart.

    Listening to his strong heartbeat, my heart also started to race.

    I struggled for a moment and furrowed my brow, asking him. ¡°Reynaldo what exactly did you want to do?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any ns.¡± He lowered his head, and a warm and ambiguous breath blew into my ear. ¡°I just suddenly remembered the passion you had that night, and I felt it again.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ ah¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he suddenly grabbed my waist, spun me around, and sat me on the desk.

    Speaking of which, I, with a height of 1.65 meters, was not the type of delicate and petite girl.

    How does he always manage to lift me up like he¡¯s lifting a baby chick?

    He ced both hands on the table, bent his knees, blocking me between his legs, and dominantly imprisoned me between him and the table.

    I felt both anxious and embarrassed in my heart. This is the office, what does he want to do?

    I don¡¯t know when, but his hand came to my waist, gently stroking the side of <b>my </b>waist.

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    Chapter202

    His fingers were like fire, wherever they touched, they ignited a scorching sensation and tremor.

    I held his hand and red at him with some annoyance, ¡°Reynaldo, you said you would let me work!¡±

    ¡°Pleasing me is also considered as work, and I will not skimp on thepensation I give you!¡±

    He spoke casually, clearly with a hint of humiliation.

    I knew it, his so¨Ccalled ¡®work¡® wouldn¡¯t be that simple.

    He kissed my neck, his suppressed voice carrying a hint of coldness: ¡°Tell me, when you were working as Winston¡¯s secretary, did he ever do this to you?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, can you please stop thinking of everyone as so dirty?¡± I red at him angrily.

    He sneered, ¡°Dirty? Then you haven¡¯t seen anything dirtier.¡±

    He spoke and unexpectedly bit my neck, as if venting his anger.

    I pushed him painfully and said, ¡°You¡¯re a dog!¡±

    He looked at me, his eyes filled with a terrifying gloom.

    Suddenly. I remembered his cold and bloodthirsty appearance yesterday, and my confidence waned.

    I leaned back against the table, tilting my upper body backwards, trying to

    create some distance between him and me.

    I watched as the ferocity between his eyebrows grew. and I increasingly felt that this man was like a madman.

    Could it be that he had schizophrenia?

    I pursed my lips, trying my best not to annoy him.

    He suddenly grabbed the back of my neck, leaned in, and smirked at me coldly. saying. ¡°I remember back then, you were working at Winston, full of joy, while I, on the other hand, had a face full of impatience.¡±

    But what can be done? Even if you don¡¯t want to, you have to obediently stay with me!

    He finished speaking and immediately kissed my lips, as if he had gone

    crazy.

    I pushed him with a startled heart.

    He really went crazy. This is the office, someone coulde in at any

    time!

    Feeling my resistance, Reynaldo let go of me and stared at me fiercely. In his dark and brooding eyes, there was clearly a strong sense of hatred.

    My heart tightened suddenly.

    Why does he seem to hate me more and more, but I haven¡¯t done anything.

    wrong.

    The documents on the table were suddenly swept away by him, and heid me down on the desk.

    I panicked.

    ¡°Reynaldo, you were crazy!¡±

    The many on top of me and whispered. ¡°Can we do it again, like that night?¡±

    Even if what you said to me that night was all lies, I still want to hear it

    again.

    I had barely had time to ponder the meaning of his words when the man¡¯s kisses rained down upon me.

    I struggled in panic, not wanting to have any interaction with him in this ce.

    Especially that day, the doctor had also advised me not to engage in sexual activities during this period.

    Thinking about the risk of miscarriage my baby had, I became even more panicked and struggled more intensely.

    Reynaldo stopped, lifted his head, and looked at me.

    He squinted his eyes coldly, his voice icy and hoarse, ¡°Don¡¯t want to?¡±

    I bit my lip and nodded.

    Naturally, he was unwilling, and he didn¡¯t even bother to see what kind of ce it was.

    This man, really, on the surface he appears to be pure and indifferent, with a cold and ruthless demeanor, but in private he is crazy as hell, getting excited about everything.

    Seeing me nod, Reynaldo suddenly chuckled lightly, hisughter tinged with a hint of self¨Cdeprecation.

    He said coldly. ¡°That night, I shouldn¡¯t have helped you.¡±

    Listening to him mention that night. I was reminded of how I had

    desperately begged him for affection, and my face involuntarily flushed with embarrassment.

    And listening to his tone, there was a hint of resentment, as if he was ming me for burning bridges.

    I looked at his angry face and said, pursing my lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t want that to happen that night, if only there was another way¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that as long as there are other men?¡± Reynaldo chuckled coldly. ¡°As long as there are other men, you won¡¯t need me anymore, right?¡±

    I frowned deeply, why does he always think like this?

    Whenever there was another man, I would directly ask that man to take me to the hospital and spend the whole night going crazy with him.

    I was still lying on the desk, and he had unbuttoned several buttons on my chest, exposing more than half of my bra.

    I felt embarrassed as I recalled it, but he stubbornly held onto my shoulder, his gaze fiercely fixed on me.

    ¡°Tell me, whenever there is another man, you don¡¯t need me anymore, right?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, could you please stop messing around?¡±

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    Chapter203

    I looked at him with some helplessness. What should I do so that he could be happy and let me go?

    I became increasingly unable to figure out his emotions.

    He slightly lowered his head, leaned closer to me, and said in a deep voice. ¡°You are awake now, tell me honestly, if it was Winston who saved you back then.¡±

    That night, did you speak those emotional words to him and ask him to help you solve it?

    Look, he was secretlypeting with Winston again.

    This question was just really difficult to answer.

    If I nodded and said yes, he would definitely go crazy, maybe even kill me right here.

    But if I shook my head in denial, it would mean that I admitted I liked. him, that all I wanted was him. Would he mock my feelings then?

    After all, I had those three unpleasant years with him.

    I still can¡¯t figure out what he meant by repeatedly trying to force me to admit that I liked him.

    Did you want to make sure of my feelings and then use it as a weapon to hit me hard, mock me, and hurt me?

    Oh!

    After much thought, my mind became a jumble.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out this man¡¯s thoughts, and I didn¡¯t dare to guess.

    But at the moment, I definitely couldn¡¯t nod and say yes.

    Even if admitting my feelings for him meant being mocked by him, it would still be better than provoking him and driving him crazy by doing

    this.

    Yes, first pacify him, it¡¯s important to keep him calm!

    I licked my lips and was about to say what was on my mind, that no matter who saved me that night, I only want you, I only want to be good with you.

    But just as he opened his mouth to speak, the door to the president¡¯s office suddenly swung open.

    Apanied by a gentle call, ¡°Reynaldo¡­

    But the sound quickly came to a sudden stop.

    I nced sideways towards the door.

    It was Kimberly.

    She carried breakfast and stood at the door, dazed.

    Those affectionate eyes were filled with a few traces of tears.

    Reynaldo did not look back at her.

    The man continued to stare at me intently, his hand on my shoulder not loosening even a bit, as if he was still waiting for me to answer the question he had just asked.

    Tsk!

    This man is so persistent, so persistent that he can ignore the feelings of his unrequited love.

    I shouted at him, ¡°Hey, she¡¯s on the verge of tears, why don¡¯t you go ardfort her!¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t move, but his face darkened slightly.

    I said again, ¡°You better think it through, be careful not to make her sad and sickter. Don¡¯t you dare me me and go crazy in front of me.¡±

    His pair of dark, intense eyes stared at me fixedly, as if trying to find some emotion on my face.

    Oh, I knew it.

    He must have wanted to find ¡°jealousy¡± in my expression.

    Men, it seems, all have a bit of vanity.

    Even though he detested that woman, he insisted on her loving him to the point of life and death, only then would he be satisfied.

    But he didn¡¯t know how proud I was deep down inside, no matter how much I liked him or how sad I was, I wouldn¡¯t show it in front of him.

    Kimberly¡¯s teary eyes were still staring at me, making me feel ufortable all over.

    I moved slightly and was about to struggle to push away the man in front

    of me.

    But he didn¡¯t expect that he suddenly stepped back himself.

    Immediately after, his strong hand waved directly, and my whole body

    rolled off the table.

    Fortunately. I reacted quickly and ced my hands on the carpet, which prevented me from falling on my stomach.

    Just a moment ago. Reynaldo waspletely infatuated, looking

    impatient and eager. But now, he is tidying his cuffs and tie, with a pale expression on his face, presenting a dignified and gentlemanly

    appearance.

    Looking at myself again, several buttons on my shirt popped open and the cor slipped off my shoulders.

    The button of the jeans was unbuttoned, and even the zipper was pulled

    open.

    It was a mess.

    Kimberly, on the other hand, stood innocently at the door, resembling a virtuous and gentle wife, as if she had arrived at the scene of catching an affair.

    After Reynaldo had finished tidying up his clothes, he calmly sat back in

    his chair.

    Seeing him so calm, with no trace of guilt for his moonlight, I also calmly tidied up my own clothes.

    He was never in a hurry, why should I be in a hurry?

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    Chapter204

    However, what puzzled me was that Kimberly, as Reynaldo¡¯s official girlfriend. didn¡¯t get angry or even question Reynaldo when she saw him with me like this.

    This is really puzzling.

    After all. Kimberly is not a good person either, why didn¡¯t she make a fuss?!

    If my boyfriend or husband did this in front of another woman, I would definitely confront them directly.

    After Reynaldo sat back in his chair, he took out a cigarette and lit it, then proceeded to smoke it leisurely.

    None of the three of us spoke, and the atmosphere became particrly awkward.

    I quickly fastened my pants button, zipped up my zipper, and stood up.

    At that moment, Kimberly suddenly approached me with an innocent look on her face and asked me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, why are you here? I remember you were working in the shanty town, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Humphrey asked me toe here to work. If you have any doubts, you can directly ask Mr. Humphrey,¡± I said expressionlessly.

    ¡°Oh, I see.

    Kimberly still wore a fake smile, without a hint of surprise on her face, ast if she had already known that I was going to work at Reynaldo¡¯spany.

    It seems that Reynaldo has already told her about this.

    Alternatively, the two of them had also discussed privately how to take this opportunity to retaliate and humiliate me.

    At the thought of this, a touch of bitterness shed through my mind.

    I asked Reynaldo expressionlessly. ¡°Excuse me. Mr. Humphrey, what was my job? And could you please tell me about the sry and benefits¡±

    Reynaldo slowly blew a smoke ring.

    I instinctively stood a little further away.

    He nced at me and then extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray.

    I was stunned, amazed by his small gesture.

    Did he deliberately put out the cigarette because he saw that I didn¡¯t like the smell of smoke?

    Just as I was so pleasantly surprised, Kimberly suddenly coughed twice, covering her mouth, and said, ¡°Reynaldo, if you want to smoke, go ahead, it¡¯s fine with me.¡±

    Oh!

    Originally, he used to put out the cigarette because Kimberly couldn¡¯t. stand the smell of smoke.

    I self¨Cmockingly tugged at my lips, I had just almost been overly sentimental.

    I really didn¡¯t want to stay in the CEO¡¯s office, so I asked Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, should I go directly to the Personnel Department now, or what?<b>¡± </b>

    1040

    I didn¡¯t want to be the third wheel between them, it was ufortable.

    However, Kimberly was quite indulgent towards Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo and I were just like that earlier, and she surprisingly didn¡¯t make any noise.

    Did she love Reynaldo so humbly?

    But even in my humble state, I am better off than her, at least Reynaldo still cares about her the most.

    And I, purely a punching bag for Reynaldo, a target for him to vent hist

    emotions.

    Just as I was angrily lost in my thoughts, Reynaldo suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°From now on, you will work here at Secretariat.¡±

    I stared with both eyes.

    Secretariat? Isn¡¯t that right next to his office?

    It turns out he really wanted me to do things right under his nose!

    Kimberly forced a smile and said to him, ¡°Reynaldo, didn¡¯t we already have enough people in our Secretariat?¡±

    If I had known that Ms. Duffy wasing, I should have given up this position to her. After all, my education is not as high as Ms. Duffy¡¯s, and my abilities are not as strong as hers.

    Hiss!

    The tea vor was really strong.

    I nced at Kimberly disdainfully.

    140

    Honestly, when you see who she really was, you would only discover that her shamelessness and disgust had no limits.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t look at me, he just said to her indifferently, ¡°You are no worse than her, just focus on your own business and don¡¯t worry about her.¡±

    ¡°What should we do if the Secretariat is already full?¡± Kimberly asked again.

    I quickly responded, ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey, please take a look and see if there are any other vacant positions.¡±

    Reynaldo immediately sneered at me and said, ¡°Well then, why don¡¯t you tell me first, what can you do?¡±

    I was taken aback, my lips quivering, and I said with ack of confidence, ¡°I would organize the information, create documents and spreadsheets, and print and photocopy them.¡±

    The mockery on Reynaldo¡¯s lips grew stronger: ¡°That was just a menial job.¡±

    A smug smile shed across Kimberly¡¯s lips.

    On the surface, she pretended to say to Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, how could you say such things about Ms. Duffy? Ms. Duffy used to be a wealthy youngdy and received a high¨Cquality education since childhood. Her abilities must be strong. You shouldn¡¯t always belittle her like this.¡±

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    Chapter205

    Reynaldo tugged at his lips and said, ¡°She knows her own weight, there¡¯s no need for me to belittle her.

    I secretly clenched the hand by my side.

    These two people were really shameless, singing and mocking me to belittle me.

    I swore that in the future, I would definitely make a name for myself and blind them with my brilliance.

    I was so angry!

    But this is Reynaldo¡¯s territory after all, and this man is not easy to mess with.

    So even though I was angry in my heart, I remained calm on the surface. Reynaldo sneered at me and chuckled, ¡°I put you here at Secretariat to do odd jobs for them. Do you have any objections?¡±

    I said with lowered brows and submissive

    Even if there was, I couldn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t.

    eyes, ¡°No.¡±

    I pursed my lips and asked again, ¡°And what about the sry?¡±

    I was still nning to leave here.

    To leave, one must first have money.

    Since I couldn¡¯t temporarily escape from this man, I might as well get some money from him first.

    I really wished that Reynaldo could give me a higher sry.

    In this way, by the time my belly got too big to hide, I would have saved a lot of money.

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow and looked at me, ¡°What is your own intention?¡±

    Uh!

    My own intention?

    This question was suddenly thrown at me, I dare not say anything.

    I really wanted to say a monthly sry of 100,000, so that in three. months, I could save 300,000.

    Wow, how rich!

    I dared not speak again as I could see the mockery in the man¡¯s eyebrows, fearing that he would mock me openly.

    I simply threw the question back at him, ¡°You can name any amount, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Reynaldo leaned back on the chair, looking at me with a hint of

    amusement.

    He tapped on the table and casually said, ¡°You, you¡¯re just a gofer, without any real talent. I¡¯ll give you¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    I hastily interrupted his words.

    Forget it, I¡¯ll just ask for my sry myself.

    The sry for odd jobs is generally not high. I¡¯m afraid he will only pay me a sry of 5,000. That won¡¯t be enough for rent and meals, let alone saving money and having children.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Um, let me first mention my sry expectation for your reference.¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow, smiled at me, and waited for me to speak.

    I licked my lips, preparing to say 50,000 to give it a try, but as the words reached my mouth; I hesitated and changed it to, ¡°30,000. I hope my sry is 30,000 per month.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have any formal work experience.

    Before, I had been looking for a job for some time, and the monthly sry was around 8,000.

    So this time, the ¡°monthly sry of 30,000¡± was something I shamelessly said.

    At this moment, Kimberly suddenly eximed, ¡°Oh my goodness, Ms. Duffy, how could you ask for a monthly sry of 30,000?¡±

    Even Reynaldo was slightly taken aback.

    What does it mean?

    Is it true that 30,000 is a really high price for someone like me who doesn¡¯t have much experience?

    Afraid of Reynaldo¡¯s mockery, I quickly changed my words, ¡°Two¡­ two thousand will do.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s lips twitched as he stared at me and casually said, ¡°Alright, as per your preference, I¡¯ll give you a monthly sry of twenty thousand.¡±

    11

    I immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

    Reynaldo was quite generous, he even gave me a monthly sry of twenty thousand for doing odd jobs.

    At this moment, Kimberly looked at me in surprise and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy why do you only have 20,000? My monthly sry is 100,000, and even the new employees in thepany have 50,000.¡±

    Damn it!

    I stared at the woman in front of me with frustration.

    When I said thirty thousand just now, she was amazed.

    It still seemed as if I had charged an exorbitant price.

    She did it on purpose, she¡¯s really cunning!

    Reynaldo chuckled at me and said, ¡°Originally, I was prepared to offer you a monthly sry of fifty thousand, but since you mentioned twenty thousand, I¡¯ll go along with your suggestion. It¡¯s also a way to save money for thepany.¡±

    Damn it!

    These two people must have conspired to y a trick on me.

    I didn¡¯t believe and hummed, ¡°Mr. Humphrey is really generous, actually willing to pay a janitor a monthly sry of fifty thousand.¡±

    Reynaldo stood up and walked towards me.

    Heughed at me mockingly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? I have always been generous.¡±

    I have also said that I will not give you less, it¡¯s just that you don¡¯t believe

    it yourself.

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    Chapter206

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Duffy, Reynaldo was widely recognized as a good boss, and the sry and benefits he offered were excellent.¡±

    That new employee who just arrived, after bing a regr employee. their monthly sry immediately increased to fifty thousand.

    You, you just wanted less.

    I hated Kimberly¡¯s voice so much.

    I said to her indifferently, ¡°Oh, just ask for less, after all, one¡¯s ability determines one¡¯s treatment.¡±

    Unlike some people who earn high sries but have mediocre abilities, they will only be parasites in thepany <b>in </b>the future.

    Hmm, Ms. Palmer, you just said that your abilities are not good, so are you really at ease with such a high sry in your mind?

    I made her die without any knowledge!

    Kimberly¡¯s face slightly changed, and she weakly said, ¡°It¡¯s not what I wanted, Reynaldo insisted on giving me such a high sry.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I sneered, ¡°So you took the back door, huh? You¡¯re lucky to have a back door, otherwise with your fragile body that copses at the slightest breeze, and your mediocre abilities, you probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to find a job that pays five thousand a month.¡±

    Kimberly couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows, slightly annoyed, and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, I know you don¡¯t like me, but you don¡¯t have to belittle me like this.¡±

    I looked at her with a smile and said, ¡°It seems like you yourself admitted that your abilities and qualifications are not as good as mine. So I thought, if I can only do odd jobs, then wouldn¡¯t you be unable to even do odd jobs?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± she looked at Reynaldo with a sudden sense of grievance, softly saying. ¡°Reynaldo, it seems that I really have no ability. Look, even Ms. Duffy is mocking me. Maybe I should resign and give that position to her.¡±

    She spoke with a hint of tears shimmering in her gentle and innocent eyes, looking at me with pity.

    I nced at her expressionlessly.

    What a great actor! His acting skills are almost on par with Lavonne, who was trained in a professional school.

    Reynaldo loosened his tie, his dark eyes fixed on me.

    I though! he was going to get angry.

    But little did he know, he whispered in my car, ¡°Jealous of her high sry, huh?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I retorted expressionlessly.

    He sneered, with a cold smile on his lips and a hint of mockery between his eyebrows.

    Then, he leaned in close to my ear and said meaningfully, ¡°In addition to the monthly sry of 20,000, there is another way for you to make money that will make me happy. What I give you will only increase, never decrease.¡±

    I nced sideways and saw the mockery and frivolity in the corner of his lips, instantly understanding what he meant by ¡®another way to make

    money¡®.

    Ha!

    I knew it, he kept me under his watchful eyes, trapped in the palm of his hand, just to humiliate me.

    I tightened my grip on the hand by my side and said to him.

    expressionlessly. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I didn¡¯t need to carn money in that way.¡±

    Reynaldoughed disdainfully and said to me in a low voice, ¡°Believe me, with your love for money, you would have needed it.¡±

    The man spoke with great certainty.

    I didn¡¯t argue with him much, I just said lightly, ¡°Since the position has already been assigned and the sry has been discussed, if Mr. Humphrey has nothing else, then I will leave first.¡±

    Reynaldo remained silent, his dark and brooding eyes simply gazing at me with a smile.

    I didn¡¯t know what he found funny.

    Did he really feel so happy when he kept me trapped under his eyelids?

    It can be seen that this man¡¯s spiritual world was quite barren, and he could only derive pleasure from humiliating me and seeking revenge on<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    He did not nod to let me go out, and I also did not dare to go out, for fear that he would catch me again and punish me.

    At this moment, Kimberly suddenly looked at him with a gentle expression and said, ¡°Reynaldo, Ms. Duffy is here for the first time today and she must not be familiar with ourpany. How about I take her out

    to get acquainted first?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    Reynaldo then nodded slightly, turned around, sat back on the chair, and didn¡¯t look at me again.

    Kimberly ran over and took my arm, saying friendly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Ms. Duffy I¡¯ll show you around the work environment.¡±

    I also wanted to go out originally, so I didn¡¯t resist Kimberly¡¯s false friendliness.

    It was not until I walked out of the president¡¯s office that I finally pushed her hand away and said lightly, ¡°Ms. Palmer, go ahead and do your own work. I will familiarize myself with the environment on my own.¡±

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    Chapter207

    Kimberly crossed her arms and smiled at me.

    The face remained innocent and harmless, just the way it used to be, but the look in their eyes waspletely different from when they were in front of Reynaldo.

    Herpassionate gaze nced at the suitcase beside me, and she sighed pretentiously, ¡°Oh, you are indeed pitiful, to the extent of not even having a ce to stay.¡±

    Fortunately. Reynaldo was generous enough to give you a job as a handyman.

    Well, after all, you were his ex¨Cwife, so he still had to lend a helping hand to avoid gossip.¡±

    I lightly pursed my lips and smiled at her, saying, ¡°Actually, Ms. Palmer, you are quite generous. Just now, when you saw me being intimate with him, you didn¡¯t get angry at all. You are much more generous than him.¡±

    Thest sentence, I said with a mocking tone.

    Sure enough, a trace of cruelty shed across Kimberly¡¯s face in an instant.

    The next second, she chuckled and said, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Reynaldo was just humiliating you.¡±

    Actually, he had told me before that he wanted you toe here to work.

    ¡°What do you think he said when I told him I would arrange a position for you?¡±

    oood

    I smiled faintly and said. ¡°What he said has nothing to do with me.¡±

    ¡°He said, ¡®You are good for nothing. Giving you a job as a general helper is already overestimating you.¡°¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I asked expressionlessly. ¡°Are you done talking? Because after you¡¯re done. I still need to familiarize myself with the surroundings.¡±

    What a joke. Reynaldo has belittled me like this in front of me before.

    I heard Reynaldo¡¯s derogatory remarks with my own ears, and I didn¡¯t react much. And she still wants to use this trick to provoke me?

    Kimberly was taken aback, as if she hadn¡¯t expected my reaction to be so calm.

    After a while, she sneered and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, stop pretending. If you¡¯re sad, just show it. Your pretending not to care actually seems a bit suspicious.¡±

    I shed her a bright smile and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer, you¡¯re thinking too much. Three years ago, I didn¡¯t like him, and three yearster, I still didn¡¯t care about him.¡±

    Not everyone is like you, cherishing him as a treasure¡­

    Boom!

    Before my words hadpletely fallen, the door to the CEO¡¯s office suddenly opened.

    Reynaldo, exuding a gloomy aura, stood at the doorway.

    He stared at me coldly, his gaze colder than the ice and snow in winter.

    My heart tightened.

    BP

    Oh no, this man is going crazy again.

    Reynaldo smiled and approached me, his gaze piercing like knives.

    ¡°Three years ago, you didn¡¯t like me. Three yearster, you don¡¯t care about me. So, do you know what I think of you now?¡±

    I took two steps back and shook my head.

    He leaned in close to my car, filled with hatred, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Just a ything for warming the bed.¡±

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat, apanied by an undeniable pang of pain<b>. </b>

    I smiled stiffly at him and said, ¡°Yes, is it?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s dark, intense eyes were fixed firmly on my face.

    After a while, he sneered and stepped back, then turned around and walked outside.

    That tall figure, carrying an aura of hostility that kept strangers at bay.

    When Reynaldo was present, the spacious office fell silent, and everyone held their breath.

    As soon as Reynaldo left, the scene instantly erupted.

    ¡°What happened? Mr. Humphrey seemed very angry just now.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? It was that woman who angered Mr. Humphrey, really, she used to look down on people with contempt, but now that her own family has gone bankrupt, she shamelesslyes to pester our Mr. Humphrey like this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, how did she have the audacity.¡±

    11

    ¡°You don¡¯t know yet, but she is the most shameless one. She came once before, dressed very provocatively, probably to seduce Mr. Humphrey. However, she was quickly kicked out by Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    ¡°Ah. there¡¯s also this matter, tsk tsk, I didn¡¯t expect it, she was actually so shameless.¡±

    Mockery and insults filled the air.

    I listened without expression, with no fluctuations in my heart.

    But one heart still ached with unbearable bitterness because of Reynaldo¡¯s words just now.

    A toy that warmed the bed¡­

    Indeed, these few simple words, spoken from his mouth, formed a sharp arrow that pierced through the heart.

    Killing someone torments the conscience, but that¡¯s all there is to it.

    Kimberly smirked at me and said, ¡°See, you were just a warm bed, so I don¡¯t need topete with you, nor do I need to get angry because of you and him.¡±

    After all, that would lower my status.

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    Chapter208

    I ignored her and looked around the office to see if there were any

    avable seats.

    At this moment, Kimberly suddenly pped her hands to make everyone quiet down.

    ¡°Excuse me, everyone. Let me introduce you to Esmeralda, Ms. Duffy.¡±

    She was specifically hired by me to do odd jobs for us, so you can assign her any dirty or difficult tasks.

    After all, she was also carning a sry and couldn¡¯t just eat for free, don¡¯t you all agree?

    ¡°Wow, Mr. Humphrey is indeed so kind and generous. He even arranged a job for her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if she were my ex¨Cwife, I would have kicked her out a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, you didn¡¯t see her suitcase, she must have been crying and wailing in front of Mr. Humphrey, saying she had nowhere to stay, no way to survive. That¡¯s when Mr. Humphrey pitied her and gave her a job.¡±

    I ignored their mocking remarks and silently went to the farthest corner with my suitcase.

    I just took a look around, and there are no extra workstations in the office. Only this corner has a slightlyrger space where one workstation can be ced.

    Moreover, this corner was the farthest from the president¡¯s office.

    I took a short break and then went to the Personnel Department to get a desk and chairs.

    The warehouse was on the second floor.

    The chair was fine, it could be pushed to take the elevator, but the table was a bit difficult to get up.

    I asked the staff in charge of the warehouse if they could help me bring the table into the elevator.

    But none of them paid any attention to me.

    Well, everyone in thispany knew about my rtionship with Reynaldo, and they all knew that Reynaldo despised me.

    If I wanted them to have a good attitude towards me, I had to make Reynaldo treat me well.

    But that was almost an impossible thing.

    Finally, I struggled alone to move and drag that table to the entrance of the elevator.

    Just as the elevator door opened, I was about to push the table inside, but I froze.

    In the elevator, it was not someone else, but Winston.

    There was also a man standing beside him, wearing a mask and a hat, who looked like Anton.

    ¡°Ralda?¡±

    Winston looked at me in shock.

    Immediately, a trace of excitement appeared on his handsome face.

    <b>1045 </b>

    ¡°Ralda, where have you been all this time? You even changed your phone number. I¡¯ve been looking for you everywhere.¡±

    I was also full of surprise.

    I unexpectedly ran into Winston at Reynaldo¡¯spany.

    But on second thought, it¡¯s not surprising that Winston is here, considering their previous coboration.

    The man wearing a mask suddenly nced at the table in front of me and. asked faintly. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Listening to this voice, it really is Anton.

    I remember Lavonne mentioned before that Anton is now the most popr male celebrity in the entertainment industry.

    No wonder he had to wear a mask and a hat, otherwise the front of Reynaldo Company would have been blocked by entertainment reporters.

    ¡°Yeah, Ralda, what are you doing?¡± Winston asked me again.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°I was moving to my workstation.¡±

    ¡°Your workstation?¡± Winston furrowed his brows, and then, his gaze burning like a torch, he stared at me. ¡°What do you mean? You want to work under hismand?¡±

    I nodded faintly without saying a word.

    ¡°Ralda!¡± he suddenly grabbed my shoulder, sounding both angry and anxious. ¡°Why did youe to hispany? Isn¡¯t mypany good enough? Whatever he¡¯s offering you, I¡¯m willing to double it, just name your price, no matter how much, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a sry issue.¡±

    I pushed away his hand and for a moment, I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter where you work, it¡¯s never really about the job.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different, with thatyer of rtionship between you, and the way you treated him before, he would definitely take advantage of work matters to bully you.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, listen to me, you can go anywhere you want, just don¡¯t go to hispany and don¡¯t have any more involvement with him, okay?¡±

    I shook my head and said softly, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but please don¡¯t bother with my matters.¡°.

    Winston¡¯s body stiffened.

    He forced a bitter smile and said, ¡°Are you still ming me? ming me for intentionally sending you to him that night to seek investment, right?¡±

    That night¡­

    That night seemed like it had already passed a long time ago.

    Since that night, I started running away, but no matter how much I wandered, I eventually came back here.

    Winston stared at me intently, his expression filled with bitterness.

 Too Close 209

    Chapter209

    I smiled faintly at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I didn¡¯t me you.. Fortunately, Reynaldo eventually invested in you, so let¡¯s consider it as offsetting the money my dad borrowed from you.¡±

    I wish you great sess in your y in advance, and I also hope that you won¡¯t lend money to my dad anymore in the future, is that possible?

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, Winston,¡± Anton suddenly interrupted him, ¡°everyone has their own aspirations, and you don¡¯t have to force her. Come in, after all, we still have important matters to attend to.¡±

    Winston tightly held the hand by his side and stared at me intently.

    It was strange, his gaze towards me waspletely different from Reynaldo¡¯s.

    Although Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were always filled with hatred and cruelty when he looked at me, I wasn¡¯t so afraid.

    But at that moment, for some reason, the way Winston looked at me sent a strange chill and unfamiliarity deep within me.

    A trace of doubt shed through my mind.

    I worked at Reynaldo¡¯spany, did it have any negative impact on him?

    Why did he react so big?

    ¡°I brought this table in for you.¡±

    At this moment, Anton suddenly walked out of the elevator.

    He was tall and immediately lifted the desk and put it into the elevator.

    I quickly followed him into the elevator and thanked him.

    He nodded lightly and his slender fingersnded on the elevator button as he asked me, ¡°Which floor?¡±

    ¡°29th floor.¡±

    going to

    ¡°29th floor?¡± Anton chuckled, ¡°Isn¡¯t that his Secretariat? Are you goi be his secretary?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Without waiting for me to say anything, Winston excitedly eximed to me, ¡°It¡¯s one thing for you to work at hispany, but why do you want to be his secretary? Are you so eager to be with him day and night?¡±

    I looked at Winston in confusion, not understanding why he had such a strong reaction, such a great resentment.

    Anton suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°It seems like you really loved Reynaldo, Esmeralda.¡±

    I remained silent.

    Love is love, but I didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    Winston pulled my hand urgently and said, ¡°Ralda, listen to me, Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t love you. You are like a moth to a me, and you will end up getting hurt.¡±

    It¡¯s not toote yet, so you should leave him quickly.

    Besides, you have already divorced, why do you lock yourself in this cage

    again?

    Everyone understands the truth. but the problem is, it is not myself who is trapped now, but Reynaldo.

    I said to him lightly. ¡°You misunderstood. I just came here to work and get paid.¡±

    Saying that. I went to shake his hand.

    Just at that moment, the elevator door opened with a ¡®ding¡®.

    Coincidentally. Reynaldo was standing at the elevator door.

    felt really unlucky as I always bumped into him at times when I shouldn¡¯t have.

    He had just left with an angry demeanor, so why is he appearing on the 29th floor again?

    The man¡¯s previous anger had not yet dissipated, and now a gloomy aura. enveloped him.

    Kimberly stood beside him, holding the documents, and stared at me in surprise, saying. ¡°Ms. Duffy, weren¡¯t you supposed to move to a different workstation? Howe you¡¯re mingling with our business partners again?¡±

    I furrowed my brows and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer, please watch your words. It¡¯s inappropriate to say that I am nothing and use the word ¡®mess¡® to describe our business partners, especially considering you are Mr. Humphrey¡¯s personal secretary.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s innocent face turned pale as she looked at Reynaldo with a look of grievance. ¡°I was just wondering how Ms Duffy ended up with them, and I didn¡¯t pay attention to my words for a moment, I¡­

    Reynaldo raised his hand, indicating that she didn¡¯t need to exin.

    Kimberly pursed her lips and looked at me. When her gaze fell on Anton behind me, she momentarily froze.

    I didn¡¯t pay attention either.

    After all, Anton was a big star, and even with a hat and a mask on, he still looked stunningly handsome.

    So it was normal for Kimberly¡¯s gaze to linger on him for a few more seconds.

    Reynaldo nced at me and coldly chuckled, ¡°You two were holding hands quite tightly, huh?¡±

    I suddenly realized that Winston was still holding onto my wrist.

    I quickly went to shake Winston¡¯s hand.

    However, that man did not cooperate at all, still tightly holding onto my wrist, looking at me with deep and intense eyes.

    I was extremely anxious.

    The hostility on Reynaldo¡¯s body grew heavier and a hint of murderous intent even flickered in his slightly narrowed eyes.

    He was like this, so perverted and domineering.

    As he said, the women he had encountered, even if he didn¡¯t want them anymore, he wouldn¡¯t allow other men to covet them.

    100

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    Chapter210

    Trevin is just a great example.

    Thinking about Trevin¡¯s fate, my heart suddenly trembled.

    Winston was his younger brother, although they had different mothers. they were still blood brothers. He would never do anything to harm Winston, no matter what.

    But I was in danger.

    I didn¡¯t want to lose an arm or a leg, I just wanted to live my peaceful little life.

    The chilling aura emanating from Reynaldo¡¯s body could be clearly felt even from a meter away.

    Honestly, these people were so annoying.

    Theypeted secretly like this, but in the end, it was not me who suffered.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, please let go!¡± I said, and I tried to pry Winston¡¯s hand off, but it was of no use.

    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled, ¡°Do I need to use tools to separate you guys?¡±

    In the cold words, there was a full threat.

    I started to doubt if Winston didn¡¯t let go of me, he woulde with a knife and chop off my hand.

    With Trevin¡¯s example in mind.

    I was extremely scared and didn¡¯t care about Winston¡¯s feelings.

    I coldly said to him, ¡°Let go, Mr. Humphrey. please have some self- respect!¡±

    Winston seemed visibly stunned, and then he gave me a bitter smile before releasing my wrist.

    And there was a clear red mark on my wrist, indicating how tightly he had just gripped it.

    Suddenly, a sneer came from beside.

    I looked up and found Reynaldo staring at my wrist, with a cold smirk on his lips.

    What are youughing at?

    All day long, with a look of disdain towards me here and there, I wonder what there is to mock about the red marks on my wrist!

    I berated myself in my heart, silently pulling down my sleeves to cover the red marks on my wrist.

    At this moment, Winston and Anton had already exited the elevator.

    I was the only one still inside.

    I quickly dragged the table outside.

    This time Anton didn¡¯t help me, and I just got angry at Winston, so it¡¯s not good to ask him for help either.

    As for Reynaldo, the man was staring at me coldly, with an extremely indifferent expression.

    So I was even less likely to speak to him.

    In the end, I could only do it by myself, awkwardly pushing and dragging the table out.

    Just as I finally managed to get the table out of the elevator, my forehead dripping with sweat from exhaustion, Winston suddenly coldly said to Reynaldo, ¡°Ralda, I¡¯m taking her away.¡±

    I was so shocked that my hand trembled, and I copsed onto the table.

    Reynaldo chuckled and cast a chilling, teasing gaze at me.

    I nced around and quickly said to Winston, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. The treatment Mr. Humphrey has given me is very good, so I¡¯ll stay here.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Winston frowned at me, refusing to give up.

    Reynaldo chuckled at me, with one hand in his pocket, ¡°Or maybe I should let you choose for yourself?¡±

    Stay here or go with him, it¡¯s your choice, so that certain people won¡¯t say I¡¯m forcing or tempting you.

    Winston, upon hearing this, immediately looked at me with anticipation and said, ¡°Ralda, did you hear that? He¡¯s letting you choose for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Come with me, Ralda. I assure you that the treatment I will give you will not be worse than his¡­¡±

    I watched silently as a yful smile curled up at the corner of Reynaldo¡¯s lips.

    He said it was up to me to choose, but in fact, it was a way to make me face the reality myself.

    He was just reminding me that no matter how I chose, I couldn¡¯t escape from his palm.

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Seeing that I remained silent for a while, Winston couldn¡¯t help but urge me, ¡°Come on. Ralda, choose to go with me, okay?¡±

    Although choosing to go with Winston, it would be convenient to escape this city in the future.

    But Reynaldo would never let me go with Winston.

    I knew best how ruthless he was.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, I wouldn¡¯t go with you. I liked it here, and I wanted to stay and work here.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Winston looked at me, his expression filled with hurt.

    At first, when I saw his expression, I still felt a hint of reluctance in my heart, after all, there was still a bit of affection from our younger days.

    And now, I no longer have any feelings in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t want to be a sacrificialmb

    in their power struggle.

    I said lightly, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you came to talk to our Mr. Humphrey, so I won¡¯t hinder you.¡±

    Struggling, I half¨Ccarried the office desk towards the Secretariat.

    I could clearly feel several pairs of eyes shooting at me from behind.

 Too Close 211

    Chapter211

    I didn¡¯t dare to look back. I just wanted to leave this battlefield as quickly as possible.

    Suddenly, Reynaldo¡¯s cold sneer came from behind: ¡°Did you see that? Even if she was just doing odd jobs for me, she wouldn¡¯t want to go with you.¡±

    This was said to Winston.

    But I couldn¡¯t help but feel a clear sense of pride in his tone.

    Oh!

    Man. he really ispetitive.

    When I moved the table to the corner, I was so exhausted that my whole body was covered in sweat and I was almost fainting.

    I waszily lying in the chair, catching my breath, when I saw Reynaldo and the others go to the conference room.

    Kimberly held the documents and followed behind them with her head held high.

    Before Kimberly went in, she smiled at me proudly.

    I rolled my eyes directly, really not knowing what she was so proud of.

    I hadn¡¯t even rested for a while when a colleague asked me to pour tea for him.

    A colleague also asked me to print something for him.

    Some colleagues even made me clean up the trash under their desks.

    17

    Fortunately, I had also done odd jobs at Winston¡¯spany before, and these tasks were not difficult at all, just a bit tiring.

    On my first day here, they also took the pleasure of bullying me to the

    extreme.

    Throughout the whole day. I was practically made to do every trivial matter, as if I were being treated like a servant.

    However, thinking about the sry of 20,000, I also epted it.

    What else could be done?

    Reynaldo clearly intended for me to be humiliated, so resistance was basically futile.

    After finally enduring until half past five in the afternoon, I didn¡¯t dare to stay longer at thepany because I still had to go find a ce to live.

    Just now, I took a look on my phone when I had some free time.

    There were many single apartments for rent nearby.

    But it¡¯s expensive, it costs five thousand a month, and it¡¯s also one month¡¯s rent as a deposit, which means I have to pay ten thousand upfront.

    But currently, I only have less than ten thousand in total, so renting this kind of bachelor apartment is obviously not suitable.

    So I decided to go to the nearby residential area to look for that kind of stair house.

    It waste autumn, and the nights were getting darker earlier.

    When I walked out of thepany, dragging my suitcase, the sky had

    alreadypletely darkened.

    I stood at the entrance, looking around in confusion, not knowing which direction to go to find that kind of cheap walk¨Cup apartment.

    Forget it. I¡¯ll just hail a taxi by the roadside and have the driver take me there.

    I lifted the suitcase and carefully walked down the stairs.

    Suddenly, a ckmercial van slowly stopped in front of me.

    I was stunned, staring nkly as the car window slowly rolled down.

    Next, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s cold and indifferent profile.

    He didn¡¯t speak, nor did he look at me, he just parked the car in front of me like that.

    So, was he trying to give me a ride?

    But I didn¡¯t want to take his car, I didn¡¯t want him to see me in a desperate state, searching for cheap houses everywhere, and I also didn¡¯t want him to know where the house I found was.

    His patience at the moment was quite impressive. I didn¡¯t say anything, and he didn¡¯t show any intention of rushing me at all.

    He just leaned back on the chair in silence, his slender and attractive hand casually resting on the steering wheel.

    I pursed my lips and decided to speak up first, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I can take a taxi by myself.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled, pulling out a cigarette and tilting his head to light it, his posture surprisingly alluring.

    I took two steps back and watched him quietly.

    He never spoke, just smoked his cigarette leisurely, and I didn¡¯t know what he meant.

    I frowned slightly and couldn¡¯t help but say again, ¡°I really don¡¯t need you to drive me, I can take a taxi myself.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    However, as soon as I finished speaking, Kimberly¡¯s gentle and sweet yoice drifted from behind me.

    I stiffened all over, and my cheeks were slightly flushed.

    So, you could say that I was being overly sentimental?

    Wasn¡¯t it Kimberly who was waiting here, not me, Reynaldo?

    Reynaldo then turned his head slightly and looked at me.

    The man had a smile on his lips, his gaze was cold and slightly mocking, which made me feel even more embarrassed.

    I lowered my head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Humphrey. I made a mistake. I¡¯ll leave first.

 Too Close 212

    Chapter212

    I was about to drag the suitcase and Kimberly had alreadye over. grabbing my arm and saying enthusiastically, ¡°Reynaldo and I are going to have dinner,e with us.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± I pushed her hand away with disgust and tried to leave.

    She pretended to be kind again and said, ¡°Let Reynaldo take you, it¡¯s not good for you to drag your suitcase, right?¡±

    She paused for a moment, her eyes flickered, as if she remembered something, and eximed, ¡°Oh no, this won¡¯t do. You definitely haven¡¯t found a ce to stay yet, right? In that case, Reynaldo and I will apany you to find a ce to stay first, okay?¡±

    She said and came over enthusiastically to pull my suitcase.

    A surge of uncontroble irritability and disgust instantly welled up in my heart.

    I waved her hand away and shouted at her, ¡°No need!¡±

    This woman was really annoying.

    As soon as I shouted like this, Kimberly immediately looked at Reynaldo with teary eyes.

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes at me, his gaze cold and terrifying.

    My heart skipped a beat as I coldly said to him, ¡°It was her own annoyance. I told her ¡®no need¡®, but she insisted on bothering me. Orly you men can enjoy this kind of false kindness.¡±

    Chapter212

    I was about to drag the suitcase and Kimberly had alreadye over, grabbing my arm and saying enthusiastically, ¡°Reynaldo and I are going to have dinner,e with us.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± I pushed her hand away with disgust and tried to leave.

    She pretended to be kind again and said, ¡°Let Reynaldo take you, it¡¯s not good for you to drag your suitcase, right?¡±

    She paused for a moment, her eyes flickered, as if she remembered something, and eximed, ¡°Oh no, this won¡¯t do. You definitely haven¡¯t found a ce to stay yet, right? In that case, Reynaldo and I will apany you to find a ce to stay first, okay?¡±

    She said and came over enthusiastically to pull my suitcase.

    A surge of uncontroble irritability and disgust instantly welled up in my heart.

    I waved her hand away and shouted at her, ¡°No need!¡±

    This woman was really annoying.

    As soon as I shouted like this, Kimberly immediately looked at Reynaldo with teary eyes.

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes at me,

    his

    gaze cold and terrifying.

    My heart skipped a beat as I coldly said to him, ¡°It was her own

    annoyance. I told her ¡®no need¡®, but she insisted on bothering me. Orly you men can enjoy this kind of false kindness.¡±

    ??

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Reynaldo asked me coldly.

    I didn¡¯t want to say much to him and simply said, ¡°Literal meaning.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± Kimberly hurriedly went tofort Reynaldo, speaking softly and gently, tears still glistening in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. After all, Ms. Dufly used to be a wealthy youngdy, so it¡¯s normal for her to be proud. It¡¯s all my fault for not being able to figure it out and constantly bothering her.¡±

    ¡°Miss Rich and Spoiled?¡± Reynaldo sneered at me with a mocking glint in his eyes. ¡°Some people still haven¡¯te to terms with reality.¡±

    I really hated it when they would sing together and humiliate me like that.

    They acted as if they had nothing to do.

    I took a slight breath and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡±

    After speaking. I dragged my suitcase and walked around the back of his car towards the road.

    Kimberly¡¯s affected voice of concern came from behind: ¡°Ms. Duffy has been dragging her suitcase all day, surely because she hasn¡¯t found a ce to stay yet. Look, it¡¯s getting dark, I¡¯m worried about her¡­¡±

    ¡°Some people don¡¯t know their ce, if something really happened, it would be her own fault.¡±

    The man¡¯s indifferent voice, apanied by the cool autumn breeze, prated into my heart, and the chill spread throughout my body, making me feel icy cold.

    I unconsciously stroked my t belly, feeling a sourness in my nose, and a mist of tears slowly welled up in my eyes, making the neon lights on the

    roadside blurry.

    Baby, would you be sad if you heard your dad say such words?

    A cool breeze mixed with fine raindrops drifted in.

    I stood by the roadside in confusion, watching the fallen leaves on both sides of the street being blown up by the wind, spinning around. For the first time, I realized how deste autumn could be.

    What was I doing in the past autumn¡®?

    I went to the bar with Lavonne, went on an autumn outing with Lavonne. went to the hot springs with my parents and brother, and yed pranks on Reynaldo, bullying him and bossing him around.

    A ck business van drove past.

    The man¡¯s cold profile shed by, carrying with it all those memories from the past, gradually fading away.

    The sour and mncholic feeling in my heart, I took a deep breath and raised my hand to hail a taxi by the roadside.

    This point was during the rush hour after work, it was easy to hail a taxi, but the road was particrly congested.

    I asked the driver to take me to a neighborhood with a strong living atmosphere and rtively low prices, and it shouldn¡¯t be too far away. It would be best if I could reach there by bus within half an hour.

    The driver furrowed his brow and thought for a while before finally remembering a ce.

    I was staring at the time.

    The traffic was quite congested on the way, and the driver took almost an

    Chude:212

    hour to reach the destination.

    So under normal circumstances when there is no traffic, this distance should take less than half an hour.

    The driver was very kind and, seeing me dragging my suitcase, probably guessed that I was looking to rent a house.

    Then he pointed in several directions and said, ¡°Over there are residential buildings, with many houses for rent. And across from that is the

    vegetable market, with the night market and morning market in front of it. This area is also bustling.¡±

 Too Close 213

    hapter213

    ¡°Nowadays, many college graduatese out to find jobs and live here. You should go and have a look first.¡±

    ¡°Hey, alright, thank you, master.¡±

    As the master said, this ce was indeed bustling.

    At first nce, there were vendors shouting and a lot of people.

    I have lived in this downtown for so many years, yet I didn¡¯t know there was such a lively ce in the downtown.

    Under the light, the autumn rain drizzled.

    People¡¯s heads were covered with ayer of moisture, and the snack stalls were emitting hot steam, full of vitality.

    I dragged my suitcase and walked into the bustling alley.

    Walking through the alley, I saw rows of densely packed residential buildings.

    The entrance of the corridor was stered with rental information.

    I took out my phone and dialed thendlord¡¯s number directly.

    I said I wanted to see and rent a house, and thendlord quickly came

    over.

    He said the house was in high demand, with only a few vacant rooms on the fourth floor and the top floor.

    I said let¡¯s go to the fourth floor, and thendlord quickly led me up to the

    fourth floor.

    I carried the suitcase and found it somewhat difficult to climb the stairs.

    Thendlord waited for me at the corner of the stairs for a while.

    Perhaps because he thought I was too slow, he immediately came down again and swiftly took my suitcase, skillfully heading upstairs.

    I hurriedly said. ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯ve seen many

    exercise more off Weak college students like you before. You should

    exercise more often in your daily life. This box is not heavy at all, yet you¡¯re struggling to carry it as if it weighs hundreds of kilograms.¡±

    I was dumbfounded and said thank you again.

    The houses here are much better than the houses in the shanty town.

    The furniture inside is fully equipped and the ce is also clean and tidy.

    It is simr to the kind of single apartment I saw online, with the only difference being that it is a walk¨Cup building and the location is a bit

    remote.

    I was so worried that the rent would be too expensive.

    I looked around and asked thendlord, ¡°How much is it for this month?¡±

    ¡°3,000, excluding water and electricity bills.¡±

    I pursed my lips, indeed it was not cheap.

    I have never haggled before, and I was hesitant to ask if it could be cheaper after thinking about it for a long time.

    Thendlord nced at me and, seeing that I remained silent, also

    Chap 13

    guessed that I found it too expensive.

    He estimated that he was also in a hurry and said briskly, ¡°2,700, no less, rent it or not, just one word.¡±

    I bit my lip and said. ¡°How much is the deposit for the rent?¡±

    ¡°Pay one month¡¯s rent in advance.¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief, one for one was fine.

    There is a cafeteria in thepany, and I used to eat there every day. Usually. I only had to spend money on transportation to and from work. as well as daily necessities and prenatal check¨Cups.

    Thank goodness, thank goodness.

    Once we get through this period, we just have to wait for thepany to

    pay us.

    Seeing me nod, thendlord immediately took out the rental contract, quickly wrote down the price, and then asked me to sign it.

    I took a careful look at the contract, and there were no issues, so I signed

    my name.

    Next, I transferred 5,400 to thendlord.

    After everything was done, when thendlord was about to leave after collecting the rental agreement, he suddenly turned back and nced at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    ¡°Hmm, why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before, like that¡­ that bankrupt heiress?¡±

    I shook my head andughed, ¡°You must have mistaken me, I don¡¯t have the life of a wealthy heiress.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, even if the rich heiress went bankrupt, she wouldn¡¯te to rent my house.¡±

    Moreover, the ex¨Chusband of that wealthy heiress is now quite powerful. Isn¡¯t it better to go and find him instead ofing here?¡±

    Thendlord muttered to himself as he walked away, then turned back and said to me. ¡°Alright, girl, you can settle down now. If you have any questions, you can call me.¡±

    ¡°Okay

    The ce I lived in was settled, and I copsed onto the sofa, feeling hungry.

    There was actually dinner in thepany, but when I finished work, I was in a hurry to find a house, so I didn¡¯t eat.

    I was starving and too tired to move.

    Ah, forget it. Let¡¯s order takeout.

    After ordering takeout, Iy on the sofa, feeling drowsy, and ended up falling asleep.

    Knock, knock, knock¡­

 Too Close 214

    Chapter214

    Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard.

    I woke up suddenly, staring nkly at the unfamiliar room in front of me.

    It took me a while to realize that this was the house I had just rented.

    I took out my phone, looked at the time, and realized that I had only slept for about twenty minutes.

    Knock, knock, knock!

    The sound of knocking on the door rang out again.

    I suddenly remembered that I had ordered takeout just now, so I quickly ran to open the door.

    As the door opened. Reynaldo, who exuded an oppressive aura, suddenly appeared in front of me.

    I widened my eyes and looked at him incredulously.

    This is the house I just rented, how could he find it so quickly?

    Am I dreaming right now?

    I secretly pinched my thigh flesh.

    Hiss!

    Ouch, it hurt!

    Not dreaming!

    Reynaldo really came!

    But didn¡¯t he go to have dinner with Kimberly?

    And I had just rented the house less than half an hour ago, how could he find it so quickly?

    Could it be that he had been following me all along?

    Just as I was incredibly shocked in my heart, the man had already reached out his big hand and ced it on my door.

    Immediately after, he exerted force and pushed the door wide open.

    I was pushed by the door and took a few steps back.

    The man swaggered into the house, as if he was entering his own home.

    I furrowed my brows in frustration and turned to look at him, ¡°Reynaldo, what are you doing?¡±

    Just likest time, as soon as Reynaldo entered the room, he looked

    around the environment in my room, with a demeanor so proud that it was unbearable.

    It¡¯s as if mocking me: The former rich youngdy, surprisingly willing to live in such a ce.

    I really wanted to kick him out, but I didn¡¯t dare.

    I couldn¡¯t help but mock him, ¡°Stop looking, my shabby and rundown ce can¡¯t bepared to your luxurious mansion at all. So, as precious as you are, you better leave quickly and not lower Mr. Humphrey¡¯s status!¡±

    Reynaldo turned around and looked at me.

    Chapter214

    He asked me with a faint expression on his face, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go back to that vi to live? After all, you have been living there since you were a child.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, that ce was not my home anymore, nor did it belong to

    me.¡±

    ¡°Then, shall I give it to you?¡±

    I trembled all over.

    What did he mean?

    Reynaldo walked up to me, a faint smile ying at the corner of his lips, his face expressionless.

    But today at thepany, he clearly lost his temper several times.

    Including when I got off work, at thepany¡¯s entrance, he also said for Kimberly that even if something happened to me, it would be my own fault.

    So, what does it mean that he nowes running to give me a vi?

    The man had already walked up to me, his pair of dark and deep eyes staring at me intensely.

    ¡°Give that vi to you, let it be your home again, and you will live there forever, okay?¡±

    I frowned.

    Is this another new way he humiliated me?

    My family¡¯s vi is located in the city center, with a good location, arge area, and luxurious decoration.

    A few years ago, it was already worth billions.

    He said now that he would give me that vi?

    Is there anything so good in the world? And he couldn¡¯t have been so good to me either.

    Even if he really wanted to give me that vi, he would definitely impose unreasonable conditions on me.

    With this in mind, I said lightly, ¡°No need, it¡¯s just a house there now, not my home, so I don¡¯t need it, nor do I care for it.¡±

    ¡°Then shall I take your parents and brother back?¡±

    I frowned. ¡°Reynaldo, what kind of tricks were you ying again?¡±

    I don¡¯t want to guess anything about a man like him, who is so fickle and unpredictable in his moods and emotions.

    I said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s enough for you to retaliate against me, don¡¯t think about going after my family anymore.¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly and coldly said, ¡°Do you think that by giving you a vi and bringing back your family, I wanted to seek revenge on all of you?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡± he chuckled again, suddenly grabbing my cor and saying, ¡°Let me tell you, if I really wanted to kill you guys, it would be easier than squashing an ant! No need to y these tricks!¡±

    The man¡¯s forehead began to show a fierce color again.

    And I naturally believed what he said.

    11

    Chapter215

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    Chapter215

    Nowadays, there is a huge disparity between our family and his status. He wants us to disappear from Freybourne, and that is just a matter of

    minutes.

    So, if he didn¡¯t give me the vi to retaliate against me, then how could he suddenly be so kind¨Chearted?

    I raised my gaze to meet his pitch¨Cck eyes and asked, puzzled, ¡°So why are you suddenly so kind, giving me such an expensive vi?<b>¡± </b>

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, his knuckles slowly tightening.

    He almost tore my cor apart.

    Buying new clothes doesn¡¯t cost any money!

    I couldn¡¯t help but pat his hand, indicating him to loosen my cor.

    He suddenlyughed coldly and said, ¡°Do you want to know the real reason why I gave you the vi?¡±

    I was stunned, silently watching him, and unexpectedly a small trace of hope arose in my weak heart.

    Hoping that he would say it, that he liked me, couldn¡¯t bear to part with me, wanting us to go back to that vi, back to three years ago.

    However, my expectations were ultimately unrealistic.

    He coldlyughed at me and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? You are just a ything to warm my bed. If I don¡¯t give you a decent vi, how can you warm my bed?¡±

    Chapter215

    I heard a lot of his harsh words.

    But my heart still couldn¡¯t be an impregnable fortress.

    The heart still ached heavily.

    He nced at the room and sneered at me, ¡°This? I find it too cramped to even work in.¡±

    ¡°No! Shame!¡± I squeezed out two words in embarrassment.

    He lifted his other hand, slipped it into the hem of my clothes, and. maliciously caressed my waistline.

    Seeing me trembling all over, heughed wickedly and said. ¡°You call me shameless, but have you forgotten how you begged me a few days ago?¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to show you the video of that night?¡±

    ¡°See, a video?¡± I was so shocked that I almost bit my tongue, and I angrily shouted at him. ¡°Reynaldo, you are so shameless.¡±

    ¡°Shameless?¡± The manughed at me with a cold and self¨Cdeprecating smile. ¡°Do you think the me from three years ago still had any face in front of you?¡±

    Got it.

    So he still bitterly resented the humiliation I had subjected him to three

    years ago.

    ¡°Including today, didn¡¯t you also disregard me as if I didn¡¯t matter now? So, what face do I have in front of you?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, no matter what I did, you always looked down on me, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    W

    Chapter215

    He said, while holding onto my waist, he took a few steps and pushed me to sit on the sofa.

    The tall figure also came over dominantly and aggressively.

    I pressed against his chest in rm and said, ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡±

    This man was really crazy. Now, almost every time he saw me, he wanted to do that kind of thing to me.

    He escaped from the office and then chased after him here.

    Was his need really that big? Doesn¡¯t he still have Kimberly?

    Or perhaps, only by bullying me, can he experience the ultimate joy and satisfaction?

    Freakish!

    This man is so perverted!

    The man had one hand inside my clothes, and the other hand gripping my chin tightly. He red at me fiercely, his breath heavy and stifled.

    ¡°Seriously, every time I just want to kill you!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you pervert, shameless!¡± I trembled as I scolded him.

    He curled his lips and sneered, ¡°That night, you were even more perverted

    than me.

    ¡°You, you lied¡­ um¡­¡±

    The man suddenly blocked my lips and started kissing me fiercely from the beginning, as if he wanted to take away my breath.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Just at that moment, a cry suddenly came from the door¡­

    My head buzzed, and I suddenly pushed the man in front of me.

    I was so embarrassed.

    This man, who had ill intentions towards me, didn¡¯t even bother to close the door.

    I did order takeout!

    I saw the delivery person standing at the door with an embarrassed look on their face, and they said to me, ¡°Um, excuse me¡­ Here is your delivery.¡±

    My cheeks were burning with embarrassment, and I didn¡¯t dare to lift my head.

    Looking back at Reynaldo.

    He sat on the sofa, calmly straightening his wrinkled shirt as if nothing had happened.

    The delivery person was also embarrassed and shouted at me again, ¡°Hello, here is your takeout.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± I awkwardly got up and went to get it.

    After the delivery person handed me the takeout, he awkwardly said, ¡°Sorry for the interruption, remember to close the door next time.¡±

    After saying that, he quickly ran away.

    I awkwardly closed the door and turned around, ring angrily at the culprit on the sofa.

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    Chapter216

    And the man, on the other hand, simply leaned back on the sofa,ughing carelessly.

    I now realize that this man was truly shameless.

    About the night when I asked him to solve it, he actually took a video.

    I feel angry just thinking about it.

    Seeing me standing at the door with an angry face, he smiled lightly at me and said. ¡°Eat quickly, finish eating and then we can get things done.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I just can¡¯t understand why a man who seems so restrained in his desires has nothing but those kinds of thoughts in his head.

    Including the way he looks at me now, every time it is also with a very impure intention.

    In simple terms, every time he looks at me now, his gaze seems like he wants to devour me.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t eat soon, your takeout will get cold.¡±

    The man gently reminded me.

    I took a deep breath and then walked over.

    I didn¡¯t want to be next to him.

    I dragged a small stool and sat down in front of him, then opened the takeout on the coffee table.

    I ordered spaghetti.

    When opened, all the powder inside had already clumped together, and there was no trace of soup left. It waspletely dry.

    I looked at it and immediately lost my appetite.

    Reynaldo leaned back and suddenly said, ¡°You eat this? Can you stomach it?¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I eat? It smells so delicious.¡±

    I opened the fork and prepared to pick up a forkful of noodles to put in my mouth, to show him that I was going to eat it.

    To my surprise, the noodle lump broke apart too easily. Before I could even pick it up, the noodle broke and fell back into the bowl.

    I felt a little embarrassed in my heart, so I quickly picked up a piece of beef and put it in my mouth.

    The meat was very tough and not so delicious.

    The man sat on the sofa, staring at me without blinking.

    I gritted my teeth and swallowed the piece of beef.

    Reynaldo grinned at me and asked, ¡°Was it delicious?¡±

    I nodded my head and said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    After saying that, I lowered my head and took another bite of the noodles.

    Suddenly, the bowl in front was pulled away by a big hand.

    I furrowed my brows and looked up, only to see him throwing the takeout I ordered into the trash can.

    10 D

    17

    I stood up angrily and said. ¡°Reynaldo, what are you doing?¡±

    Reynaldo stood up and said expressionlessly, ¡°I will take you out to eat.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go!¡±

    Didn¡¯t he already eat with Kimberly?

    He suddenly said he wanted to take me out to eat. Was it because he pitied me for being so down and having to eat takeout?

    Forget it.

    I don¡¯t want anyone¡¯s pity, no matter whose pity it is.

    I pointed in the direction of the door and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, please go back. I was tired and wanted to rest.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face turned cold, and he walked up to me, his dark and oppressive gaze fixed on me.

    ¡°Did you go out to eat with me?¡±

    The voice, although calm and indifferent, sounded like it was asking me, but the tone clearly carried an irresistiblemand.

    I tugged at the hem of my clothes, still wanting to refuse.

    He suddenly leaned close to my ear and smirked ambiguously, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go out if you don¡¯t want to, we can continue with what we didn¡¯t finish just now.¡±

    I naturally knew what he meant by ¡°unfinished business just now.¡±

    I red at him angrily, ¡°Hooligan!¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly and had already turned around to walk outside.

    I sighed in frustration, grabbed my phone and bag, and followed him.

    Reynaldo¡¯s car was parked downstairs.

    After getting on the car, he walked in a different direction and did not. pass through the bustling alleyway and market he had just been to.

    After passing through several deserted alleys, the car quickly merged into the bustling mainne.

    As soon as you entered, the prosperity of this city came into view, as if the area just now was apletely different world.

    I looked at him and asked, ¡°How did you know where the house I rented

    is?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing in this world that I don¡¯t know, so Esmeralda, don¡¯t even think about hiding again, or else I will really break your legs.¡±

    Thest sentence, he carried a fierce determination.

    I instinctively touched my stomach.

    In order to prevent my baby from being taken away, no matter what, I still had to escape,

    I anxiously asked him, ¡°Will you really break my leg?¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows and suddenly parked the car by the roadside.

    19

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    Chapter217

    He looked at me coldly and said, ¡°So, you were still thinking about escaping, right?¡±

    I shook my head quickly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have it. I was just asking.¡±

    Oh my god. this man is so terrifying.

    Reynaldo suddenly approached, like a demon, and smirked at me, saying, ¡°If you dare to run away again, I will definitely break your legs!¡±

    He said it firmly and resolutely.

    I swallowed hard as I looked into his eyes, which concealed a hint of ferocity. ¡°Can I leave once you get tired of ying?¡±

    Reynaldo dangerously squinted his eyes and said, ¡°Why do I feel like you always wanted to escape from me?¡±

    Sure!

    No one was willing to endure the humiliation and bullying from their loved ones every day.

    It would be very painful.

    Only by escaping from him, staying far away from him, can my days be peaceful and my life be happy.

    But for now, it is important to reassure him.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°No, don¡¯t guess randomly.¡±

    He snorted coldly and started the car again.

    1046

    THE

    I watched the rapidly receding night scene outside the window, feeling sorrowful in my heart.

    Now, under his watchful eyes, how am I supposed to escape?

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, but the car slowly stopped in front of a high¨Cend luxury restaurant.

    Looking at the familiar surroundings. I turned my head and walked away.

    Reynaldo instantly hooked my cor from behind and pulled me back.

    He furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong again?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat somewhere else.¡±

    This restaurant. I used toe here often with Lavonne.

    Because I liked the food inside it very much, I almost liked every dish.

    But it is expensive, very expensive.

    After a meal, it would cost tens of thousands, and if you add one or two bottles of red wine, it would cost hundreds of thousands.

    We used to have money before, so we didn¡¯t think much about eating out.

    But now things are different.

    Now that I have experienced the hardships of earning money, I feel thating here to eat is particrly extravagant and wasteful. I feel that it ispletely unnecessary.

    And, I didn¡¯t have any money either.

    What if this man ys me, just like Kimberly didst time, and ends up making me pay in the end?

    Chapter217

    Although this man didn¡¯t seem like the kind of despicable person, it¡¯s always better to be cautious.

    Reynaldo looked at me heavily and asked, ¡°Why do you want to change ces?¡±

    ¡°There was no particr reason, I just didn¡¯t like eating here.¡±

    ¡°Lie!¡±

    The man saw through me at a nce and pulled me inside.

    I resisted for a while, and suddenly he leaned in close to my ear and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after all, you are my bedpanion. It¡¯s just a meal. I won¡¯t ask you to pay.¡±

    My face turned dark.

    He always spoke in such an unpleasant manner.

    It would be better if he hadn¡¯t said you are my bedpanion.

    The restaurant¡¯s greeter at the entrance quickly came forward, graciously taking Reynaldo¡¯s car keys and suit jacket.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, wee, wee.¡±

    They also saw me, but they ignored me, the way they looked at me, even with a hint of disdain.

    I sarcastically tugged at my lips.

    This world is just so vulgar.

    Back in the day, I was a distinguished member here.

    Every time Lavonne or her family came, they treated me with great

    respect, both before and after Ms. Duffy.

    And back then, their attitude towards Reynaldo waspletely differentpared to now.

    I remember one time, it was Lavonne¡¯s birthday, and we had a dinner gathering here.

    Lavonne invited many friends, both male and female, most of whom I also knew.

    Then Lavonne was happy and took several photos to post on Instagram.

    I remember there was a photo of me and a male ssmate drinking a toast, it was a game.

    I can¡¯t remember the specific game, but I do remember that the punishment was for me and that boy to drink together.

    At that time. I saw Lavonne posting that photo on Instagram and I also thought it was not good, so I asked Lavonne to delete it.

    But Lavonne refused, she thought it was just a game, not real, so what could go wrong.

    However, in less than half an hour, Reynaldo came running to find me.

    At that time, Reynaldo was not a member here and had not received any invitation, so he could not enter.

    And he was quite down and out at that time, everyone knew that he was the unwee son¨Cinw in our family, the disfavored prodigal of the Humphrey family.

    So the doorman also looked down on him and chased him away.

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    Chapter218

    He also called me several times at that time.

    But it was too noisy in the private room, I didn¡¯t hear it. so I didn¡¯t answer.

    Later, he caused a scene at the door, and only then did someone inform me that he was looking for me.

    I remember I was quite annoyed at that time. I already disliked him, and he still came to bother me.

    I just ignored him and let someone drive him away.

    Little did I know, after a while, the restaurant staff came running to me and said they couldn¡¯t get rid of him no matter what.

    He said that if he couldn¡¯t see me, he would cause a scene in the restaurant.

    I didn¡¯t want to make things too ugly, and I didn¡¯t want him to affect the atmosphere of Lavonne¡¯s gathering, so I hurriedly ran down to persuade him to leave quickly.

    However, as soon as I arrived at the door, I saw him standing outside gloomily.

    I remember it very clearly, that was the first time I felt such a gloomy atmosphere around him after we got married.

    The look in his eyes carried an obvious hostility.

    I was shocked at that time and asked him what he was going to do.

    However, when I appeared, the gloominess and hostility on him quickly disappeared.

    He pulled my hand and asked me to go home with him.

    I refused. Lavonne¡¯s birthday party hadn¡¯t ended, so how could I possibly go home?

    But he stubbornly insisted on taking me home at that time, even tightly holding onto my hand, which was absolutely terrifying.

    Lavonne called again, urging me to hurry up and go upstairs.

    In the end. I had no choice but to let hime with me to the party.

    But his arrival, in fact, greatly affected the atmosphere.

    Because he didn¡¯t eat or drink, let alone participate in games.

    He kept staring at me the whole time.

    Once when I was ying games, whenever I had even the slightest contact with someone of the opposite sex, he would coldly shout at me to go home.

    At that time, Lavonne¡¯s eyes almost rolled up to the sky, saying, ¡°Does he

    control over it?¡±

    have any

    Back then, Reynaldo didn¡¯t argue with Lavonne, or even talk to anyone. His dark, brooding eyes just stared at me.

    I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore in the end, so I had to go back with him earlier.

    Of course, on the way, I vented all my anger on him, hitting and scolding him, and saying a lot of hurtful words.

    And looking back now, it turns out that this man, back then, had a cold. and domineering nature deep down.

    He was just sessful now, so he doesn¡¯t need to deliberately hide many characteristics.

    However, strangely enough, despite the way this restaurant treated him. with his vengeful nature, he did not seek trouble with this restaurant.

    Looking back now, it seems like he was specifically targeting me for revenge?!

    I unconsciously started to ponder again, did I really treat him so badly in the past?

    Looking back on the past, Reynaldo had already led me to an elegant booth.

    He pushed the menu towards me and said, ¡°What do you want to eat? Just order whatever you like.¡±

    I was already starving, and knowing that the food here was exceptionally delicious, i became even more greedy.

    I didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries either. I took the menu and ordered a dish that I used to love.

    After ordering. Reynaldo frowned at me and said, ¡°Just one dish?¡±

    I subconsciously said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already eat with Kimberly?¡±

    Every dish here was expensive, and I couldn¡¯t eat a lot. Ordering more would just be a waste of money.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow and took the menu back.

    He flipped through it casually and ordered six or seven more dishes.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Don¡¯t order so much, I can¡¯t finish it all. Even if you¡¯re rich, there¡¯s no need to waste like this.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and said. ¡°So it turns out you only care about yourself.¡±

    Um.

    ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°Since you are going to have dinner, am I not supposed to have dinner?¡± Reynaldo said irritably.

    I widened my eyes in astonishment.

    What does it mean?

    So he didn¡¯t just have dinner with Kimberly earlier, he was actually following me all along?

    Otherwise, how could he possibly know where my house was rented in such a short time?

    Wow, this man was really terrifying.

    Afraid that I would run away, I didn¡¯t even have time to eat with his beloved.

    Since he also wants to eat, I will obediently keep my mouth shut and let him order as many dishes as he wants.

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    Chapter219

    After all, with his wealth and status, it was only fitting for him to order arge table of dishes.

    Reynaldo also ordered me a ss of juice, my favorite orange juice.

    I didn¡¯t bother to be polite to him either. As soon as the juice arrived. I started drinking it directly.

    The man across from me looked at me silently, not saying anything or doing anything, just staring at me with deep, intense eyes.

    I was so nervous under his gaze that I couldn¡¯t help but grab a magazine next to me and say, ¡°If you¡¯re bored, you can take a look.¡±

    Reynaldo tugged at his lips and casually flipped through the magazine.

    After a while, he suddenly asked me, ¡°Do you like eating here?¡±

    I nodded honestly.

    Looking at the whole of Freybourne, my favorite thing was the taste of this restaurant. I couldn¡¯t get enough of it.

    I haven¡¯t been back since my family went bankrupt.

    ¡°Then, how about I buy it?¡± Reynaldo suddenly said nonchntly.

    I was so shocked that I almost choked on the orange juice, and I stammered, ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary.¡±

    Reynaldo looked up at me and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I frowned and said, ¡°You may be wealthy, but there¡¯s no need to buy this

    10:0

    restaurant.¡±

    At that moment, the waiter brought the dishes.

    And this topic alsoes to an end.

    I looked at Reynaldo¡¯s calm and handsome face, wondering if he would really go crazy and buy this restaurant.

    I said that with his vengeful personality, he wouldn¡¯t let this restaurant off the hook.

    The aroma of the food filled the air, arousing the gluttony in my stomach.

    I didn¡¯t care about the previous topic either, and quickly picked up the fork to start eating.

    Since going bankrupt, I haven¡¯t had the chance to eat the food here again. I really miss it.

    I was eating vigorously when I suddenly noticed Reynaldo staring at me intently, without moving his fork.

    I looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you hadn¡¯t had dinner either? Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±

    ¡°I suddenly thought of a question,¡± he said, his gaze profound as he spoke.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ng even more

    ¡°We did it so many times, why haven¡¯t you gotten pregnant yet?¡±

    I was drinking soup.

    As soon as I heard him say this, I was so shocked the

    soup out of my mouth.

    Reynaldo handed me a tissue slowly and stared at me with his eyes shining like torches.

    I pretended to stay calm as I wiped my mouth and said. ¡°How would I know? Anyway, I wasn¡¯t pregnant.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned, his eyes seemingly wanting to see through me: ¡°Last time, you were being secretive about getting medicine at the hospital¡­¡±

    My heart tightened, could he have guessed that I was carrying a contraceptive pill?

    Wasn¡¯t he too clever?

    ¡°That medicine, could it be a contraceptive pill?¡±

    Uh!

    I was extremely nervous in my heart, and he suddenly said something out

    of the blue.

    Iughed at him in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much, I¡¯m just taking calcium supplements for my health.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been able to get pregnant?¡± He stared at me, as if he was determined to get an answer to this question.

    He also didn¡¯t want to think about it, this question really embarrasses the person who asks it.

    I frowned and asked, ¡°Why did you insist on me getting pregnant?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s gaze suddenly changed when he looked at me, b somewhatplicated. In those eyes, it seemed like the

    sadness that couldn¡¯t be dispelled.

    He suddenly asked me, ¡°D

    ¡°Of course not.¡± I answered him without even thinking.

    Then, his eyes suddenly became very cold, so cold that the sadness I had just seen disappearedpletely. leaving only resentment.

    He said, ¡°My grandmother eagerly wants to hold a great¨Cgrandchild, so. as I said before. whether you want to or not, you have to give birth to a baby!¡±

    After listening, a touch of self¨Cmockery instantly arose in my heart.

    Look. he wanted me to have a baby for him, it turns out it was really tofort grandma.

    So I was right from the beginning, if I let him know that I was already pregnant, he would definitely imprison me and once my baby was born, he would take my baby away.

    I clenched my hands tightly and said, ¡°Since your grandmother is so eager to hold a great¨Cgrandchild, you could have Kimberly give birth for you.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    He suddenly let out a low roar, and his narrowed eyes became fierce and terrifying.

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    Chapter220

    When ites to the baby. I couldn¡¯t care less about being afraid anymore. I said in a deep voice. ¡°It¡¯s true. I couldn¡¯t conceive, but she can conceive for you!¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut up!¡±

    He pped the dining table abruptly, making a loud sound, almost causing the dishes on the table to ssh out.

    The surrounding waiters all looked over, but no one dared toe closer.

    Because at that time, Reynaldo was exuding a gloomy and terrifying aura.

    I shrank in the chair, looking at him in terror.

    I didn¡¯t know why he got so angry.

    After all, I didn¡¯t say anything wrong.

    He and Kimberly were deeply in love, and his grandmother was eagerly longing for a great¨Cgrandchild. It was only natural for Kimberly to have a baby for him, so why would he be angry?

    Honestly, I couldn¡¯t understand him more and more. His thoughts were deeper than the ocean and moreplicated than a tangled ball of thread.

    Reynaldo nced at me, and after a moment, he took a slight breath, as if he was trying hard to suppress his anger.

    I watched him carefully and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want Kimberly to have your baby because she wasn¡¯t in good health?¡±

    Reynaldo slightly closed his eyes, as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    After a long time, he finally said, ¡°Tomorrow, I will take you to the hospital for a physical examination.¡±

    I was shocked to the core and eximed urgently, ¡°I won¡¯t go!¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me coldly, with a few traces of doubt evident in his tightly furrowed brows.

    Afraid that he might guess something, I stuttered, ¡°What I mean is, why should I go for a physical check¨Cup? You men always do this, if you can¡¯t conceive a baby, you me it on the woman.

    Reynaldo chuckled and said, ¡°So you mean it¡¯s my fault that we couldn¡¯t conceive?¡±<ol><li>I didn¡¯t say that either. What I meant is that not being able to conceive doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s the woman¡¯s fault.</li></ol>

    Anyway, I didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital for a check¨Cup.

    What a joke! If I really went to the hospital, how could I hide the fact that I was pregnant?

    Reynaldo stared at me, and coldly chuckled, ¡°I had already had the doctor examine me, and I had no issues whatsoever. In fact, my sperm quality is even better than the average person.¡±

    Hisst sentence made me blush.

    The key is that he actually acted serious.

    But I really didn¡¯t expect that he would actually have the doctor check this issue. It seems that he is really eager to have a child for his grandmother.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Reynaldo leaned forward, his gaze fixed on me. ¡°We have done it so many times, but you still haven¡¯t gotten pregnant. There must be some problem.¡±

    I elenched my hands tightly, and the delicious dishes in front of me suddenly didn¡¯t seem as fragrant.

    What should I do?

    Definitely couldn¡¯t go to the hospital, but what excuse should I find to dispel this man¡¯s desire to have a child.

    I thought he trapped me in his palm this time to humiliate me and seek revenge on me.

    I couldn¡¯t believe it, he actually wanted to have a child with me.

    ¡°Nothing needs to be said.¡± Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, staring at me, his tone irresistiblymanding. ¡°Juste with me to the hospital tomorrow, get the necessary treatment and therapy.¡±

    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t go to the hospital!¡±

    I growled irritably, facing his cold and probing gaze, and my heart raced with unease.

    In a moment of desperation, I blurted out, ¡°I won¡¯t hide it from you, actually¡­ I have been taking birth control pills.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened fiercely, gritting his teeth, ¡°Esmeralda, you really¡­ really need to be taught a lesson!¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s no need to go to the hospital for a check¨Cup,¡± I said hastily. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s very scary, and, and I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    Reynaldo pinched his brow, as if adjusting his emotions.

    After a moment, he said to me, ¡°I can skip going to the hospital

    tomorrow.

    I immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

    Then, he said. ¡°I give you a month deadline. During this month. I will

    ¡°If you haven¡¯t gotten pregnant yet, thene with me to the hospital for a check¨Cup.¡±

    I was dumbfounded.

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t want to,¡± it took me a while to squeeze out this sentence.

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°It¡¯s not up to you.¡±

    That tone, it was absolutely domineering to the extreme.

    I was about to cry.

    What to do, I managed to escape going to the hospital for now, but I couldn¡¯t escape his demands.

 Too Close 221

    Chapter221

    Even if I can try to deceive him as much as possible this month, what about after that month?

    And this month, if he insisted on being with me, how could I resist?

    In an instant. I waspletely disheveled.

    Reynaldo suddenly put a piece of salt and pepper spare ribs into my bowl and said. ¡°Eat more, take good care of your body, otherwise, how can you withstand the next month?¡±

    The man smiled at me in a dignified manner, as if discussing something serious and official with me, rather than this embarrassing topic.

    My heart waspletely in chaos, and Ipletely lost my appetite.

    I couldn¡¯t ept whether it was going to the hospital or doing it frequently with him this month.

    I rushed towards him anxiously and said, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be like this. Let¡¯s talk about having a baby again.¡±

    Reynaldo took a sip of his drink and raised an eyebrow at me, ¡°How else do you want to talk?¡±

    ¡°You see, we are still so young, there is absolutely no need to have a baby so early. You don¡¯t know, babies can be so annoying.¡±

    ¡°But I want it,¡± the man¡¯s tone brooked no interference.

    I became anxious, ¡°What do you want the baby to do? Your grandmother will definitely live to be a hundred years old. She¡¯s not in a hurry, you¡­¡±

    7040

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Reynaldo gently interrupted me.

    He stared at me coldly and said, ¡°You are so repulsed by getting pregnant with my baby because you are afraid that once you have the baby, you will be trapped and won¡¯t be able to leave, right?¡±

    I held my breath.

    This man was really good at guessing.

    The man stared at me intently and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Was I right just now? You don¡¯t want to have my baby, is that the reason?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± I blurted out in a panic, ¡°Even if there really was a baby, I would still leave if I wanted to. How could a baby possibly hold me back?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled, his eyes filled with thick mockery and disappointment.

    He coldly sneered, ¡°See, Ms. Duffy has no heart, she can even abandon her own flesh and blood.¡±

    The man¡¯s tone was filled with deep resentment, as if I had really done something like abandoning my husband and child.

    I pursed my lips and said. ¡°Anyway, I am still young now and haven¡¯t had enough fun. I don¡¯t want to have a baby.¡±

    ¡°I have said it before, it¡¯s not up to you.¡± The man¡¯s tone was firm and domineering, leaving no room for argument.

    I was angry and wanted to say something.

    He suddenly looked at me with a deep gaze and said, ¡°If you say another

    word. I will make you pregnant right now.¡±

    As I looked into his eyes, where the mes flickered, my voice suddenly got stuck in my throat, and I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    I have already witnessed the perversion of this man.

    No matter where or in what situation, he could really do what he said.

    I lowered my gaze and dared not provoke him anymore.

    He considerately served me another bowl of soup and said, ¡°Later, I will have someone deliver some tonics to you. It would be best if you could conceive this month. Otherwise, you still need to get checked. There¡¯s no use being afraid.¡±

    I bit my lower lip lightly, feeling extremely annoyed in my heart, and didn¡¯t want to talk at all..

    The tone of hismand came from the opposite side, saying, ¡°Eat!¡±

    I didn¡¯t have any appetite now.

    I hung my head and didn¡¯t move.

    He said again. ¡°It¡¯s okay not to eat, we can go back now and start earlier.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°Besides threatening me, what else can you do?¡±

    ¡°It would make youfortable!¡±

    I: ¡­

    I took a deep breath in anger.

    Before, I really never realized that this man was so shameless.

    I never realized before that all he ever thought about in his head were these colorful scraps!

    How did a man who indulged in women andcked self¨Ccontrol and restraint be sessful?

    I suddenly couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    Under the pressure of the man, I ate the dishes in front of me with a heavy heart.

    The meal that I used to enjoy the most, when eaten now, tastes like chewing wax.

    After finishing this meal, it was already almost ten o¡¯clock.

    Thete autumn night carried a few traces of coldness.

    Justing out of the restaurant, I shivered from the cold.

    Suddenly, a suit jacket appeared on my shoulders.

    His breath and warmth came from his coat, exuding a hint of warmth.

    I instinctively looked at him.

 Too Close 222

    He looked straight ahead and said. ¡°If you get sick, it will affect the baby.¡±

    1:¡­

    This man really doesn¡¯t know how to please women. If it weren¡¯t for hist face and his status. I doubt any woman would like him.

    The man had long legs and he got on the car in a few steps.

    I didn¡¯t want to go up there, because if I went back, he might have done something to me.

    Actually, I had more than just one or two encounters with him. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if it happened a few more times.

    Justst time. the doctor told me to abstain from sexual activities.

    So I was worried about my baby¡­

    I was caressing my belly when a man¡¯s impatient voice suddenly drifted from the car. ¡°Get in!¡±

    I walked over and stared at him, saying, ¡°You go back to your mansion, I¡¯ll just take a taxi back to my rented house, so you don¡¯t have to make an extra trip.¡±

    Reynaldo pinched his brow and said to me, ¡°I drank alcohol, are you trying to make me drive under the influence?¡±

    I was speechless, this man must have done it on purpose.

    ¡°Then you called a designated driver,¡± I said to him.

    He furrowed his brows tightly, his expression between his brows already showing impatience.

    I felt a pang in my heart.

    He was so patient while waiting for Kimberly.

    ¡°Hurry up and get on the car!¡±

    He leaned back on the chair. looking at me with impatience between his eyebrows, as if he would get angry if he had to wait for one more second.

    I really wanted to resist. but I didn¡¯t dare. In the end, I could only go around the front of the car and obediently sit in the driver¡¯s seat.

    I started the car and said to him, ¡°Where do you live now? I will take you back first, and then I will go back myself.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me coldly and said, ¡°Did you always enjoy making me angry?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have it, otherwise how would you suggest we do it? I can¡¯t possibly le a prestigious CEO like you sleep in my shabby rental house, right?¡±

    ¡°What can¡¯t be done?¡±

    The man said lightly, but my heart jumped fiercely.

    It seems that he was determined not to let me go tonight.

    What should I do?

    not

    The car slowly merged into the mainne, and there was no traffic at all at that time. After another half an hour of driving, I would reach my rental house.

    I racked my brain trying toe up with an excuse.

    Suddenly, I thought of a question.

    I hurriedly said to him. ¡°I just rented the house today, and the inside of the house hasn¡¯t been cleaned up yet, and the bed sheets and covers. haven¡¯t beenid out. and I haven¡¯t bought them either.¡±

    I was originally nning to sleep on the sofa today, but if you had came over, there would really be no ce to sleep.

    ¡°You see, you are so tall. Even if I let you sleep on the sofa, you wouldn¡¯t fit, right?¡±

    Reynaldo coolly nced at me, a faint smirk ying at the corner of his lips as if he saw through everything.

    When the car was waiting for the traffic lights, I looked at him carefully and said. ¡°So, you just go back to your mansion.¡±

    Reynaldo rolled down the car window, took out a cigarette box, as if he wanted to smoke.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°No smoking!¡±

    Reynaldo frowned at me.

    Iughed in surprise and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want a baby? I heard that if you want a healthy baby, it¡¯s best to quit smoking during the

    preconception period.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenlyughed,

    He asked me, ¡°So, have youe to your senses? Finally decided to have a baby with me?¡±

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    Whether I wanted to have children or not, wasn¡¯t it all up to him in the end?

    Reynaldo threw the cigarette box into thepartment under the central console and casually said, ¡°Wherever you sleep tonight. I¡¯ll sleep there too.¡±

    ¡°If you insist on going back to your rented house, I don¡¯t mind going to the mall now to buy bedsheets.¡±

    ¡°The mall closed.¡±

    ¡°I had a way to make it open the door!¡±

    I:¡­

    The man disyed his dominance and ruffianism to the extreme.

    No matter what excuse I tried toe up with, it seemed that I couldn¡¯t change his determination to sleep with me tonight.

    I was so annoyed.

    In this case, let alone the chance to escape before my belly gets big, let¡¯s talk about this month right now, how should I spend it?

 Too Close 223

    What should I do when he takes me to the hospital for a check¨Cup in a

    month?

    Feeling restless, I still brought him back to the vi before my house.

    I couldn¡¯t really have him at this time point, mobilizing people to open the doors of the shopping mall to buy bed sheets.

    The man got off the car, walked around the back of the car, and opened the door next to me.

    I dawdled and refused to get off the car.

    He leaned against the car door and smiled at me, ¡°If you want to experience the car¡¯s vibration, you can do that too.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± I red at him in anger.

    His smile grew wider, ¡°Actually, you can give it a try, maybe you will like it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear listening anymore, so I immediately got off the car.

    He snorted coldly, mmed the car door, and then picked me up. horizontally in one swift motion, striding towards the house.

    My heart panicked, and I struggled to say, ¡°Put me down, I can walk by myself!¡±

    ¡°With your procrastinating attitude, once you go up there, you won¡¯t need to sleep for the whole night.¡±

    The man was exceptionally handsome, with a refined and noble

    temperament.

    Just by looking at him, you really couldn¡¯t tell that he was so greedy and shameless.

    I was cursing him silently in my heart.

    He suddenly lowered his eyshes and looked at me,ughing self- deprecatingly, ¡°Look at your unwilling face, is it really so painful for to sleep with me?¡±

    I turned my face away, not knowing how to answer this question.

    you

    He sneered and his tone suddenly turned harsh, ¡°You can¡¯t refuse, it was you who provoked me first, so you can never escape in your whole life!¡±

    Listening to the fierceness in his tone.

    My heart couldn¡¯t help but tremble.

    That fierce determination, as if it wanted to entangle with me until death do us part.

    But our first time together was idental, and during that time, he also said that nothing actually happened between us.

    If from the beginning, I didn¡¯t value reputation so much andpletely cut off ties with him, I wouldn¡¯t be controlled by him like this today.

    Or, how nice it would be if he didn¡¯t have unrequited love in his heart.

    In that case, I could still obey my heart and bravely pursue him, expressing my love to him.

    But now, knowing that he loved someone else in his heart, how could I allow myself to continue entangling with him?

    So I wanted to leave, whether it was for the child or for myself, I wanted to leave.

    I remembered the time when he got engaged to his beloved.

    I couldn¡¯t help but look at him and said. ¡°You are about to get engaged to Kimberly, is it really okay for you to be like this with me?¡±

    Reynaldo silently carried me upstairs without saying a word.

    I asked again, ¡°Which day was your engagement day?¡±

    He furrowed his brows slightly and said, ¡°Who said we were getting engaged?¡±

    I stared with my eyes wide open, ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Everyone is talking about it. right?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered at me and said, ¡°Even if you knew I was going to propose to her, you didn¡¯t n on showing up at that time, so why are you still concerned about this?¡±

    ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t quite understand what he was saying.

    He grunted, ¡°It¡¯s not interesting.¡±

    In the midst of speaking, he had already carried me into the bedroom.

    I asked him, ¡°Will you spare me when you marry Kimberly in the future?¡±

    He furrowed his brows again and sneered at me, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±

    My heart sankpletely.

    ording to him, he might really want to control me for a lifetime!

    A lifetime, so long!

    No, I couldn¡¯t, I had to escape, absolutely had to escape, far away, so he could never find me.

    It was not untilter that I truly understood the meaning of the phrase ¡°you never know what life has in store¡°.

    At that moment. I desperately tried to escape from him, but eventually, it turned into him despising me and telling me to get lost.

    Soon, he put me on the bed and pressed his entire body on top of me.

    In a panic. I pressed against his chest and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t taken a shower yet.¡±

    ¡°Wash together?¡± he whispered ambiguously in my ear.

    I shrank back and said, ¡°You go first.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled, said nothing, stood up, and walked towards the bathroom while loosening his tie,

    Before entering the bathroom, he turned back and nced at me, his words filled with a smile but wrapped in a terrifying warning: ¡°Tonight, don¡¯t even think about hiding.¡±

 Too Close 224

    I shrank back at the head of the bed and saw him enter the bathroom and

    close the door.

    I quickly pulled the nket around me.

    What to do, what to do?

    That man was always so cruel, I was worried about my baby.

    I sat on the bed anxiously for a while, and then he came out after taking a shower.

    He walked towards me, wrapped in a towel, with steam all over his body.

    After taking a shower, he exuded a touch of charm all over his body. The taut muscle lines on his body and arms looked powerful.

    My heart trembled uncontrobly.

    As he approached. I hugged the nket and curled up in fear.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I looked at him pitifully, ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling well today, can you please let

    me off?¡±

    ¡°Not feeling well, huh?¡±

    He sat in front of me, looking at me with concern, and asked, ¡°Where do you feel ufortable?¡±

    ¡°My stomach¡­¡± I quickly said. ¡°My stomach hurts, it must be because I ate too much just now, it¡¯s not digesting, anyway, it hurts a lot.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Reynaldo yed with the long hair that fell on my shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital for a check¨Cup.¡±

    ¡°Go, go to the hospital?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, go and have a thorough check¨Cup so that I can feel relieved.¡±

    He spoke and then got up to fetch a set of clean clothes from the cab, changing them with a serious demeanor.

    ¡°Get up.¡±

    He put on his shirt and, while buttoning it up, said to me, ¡°The hospital is not far from here. Let¡¯s go get your stomach checked and then have a full- body examination.¡±

    I was about to cry.

    This man was really good and bad!

    Seeing that I hadn¡¯t moved yet, he raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Wasn¡¯t it a stomachache?¡±

    I said tearlessly. ¡°I just need to have a drink of water and rest for a while, there¡¯s no need to go to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± The man leaned in, his dark eyes twinkling with a smile as he looked at me. ¡°Stomachache can be serious or not, but you still have to go to the hospital for a check¨Cup.¡±

    He was speaking while his hand reached into the nket to pull me up.

    I panicked and grabbed his arm, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Reynaldo suppressed a smile and asked me coldly, ¡°What other excuses

    do you need?¡±

    I shook my head with a bitter expression.

    He held me and kissed my lips, saying. ¡°Be good, I won¡¯t bully you.¡±

    You lied!

    He is bullying me right now!

    The man seemed to have lost his mind, as if he had been suppressing himself for a long time, he hugged me and kissed me.

    But how long has it been since that night when I was deceived by Trevin,pared to tonight?

    Why was he never satisfied?

    Reynaldo slightly closed his eyes, he kissed with great seriousness and dedication.

    I saw his handsome face up close.

    His eyebrows and eyes were really beautiful, and his eyshes were thick and long.

    I suddenly thought, if the baby in my belly was a girl and looked like him, she would definitely be very beautiful.

    Perhaps sensing that I was distracted, he mischievously pinched my waist.

    I red at him in pain, but instantly crashed into his dark eyes.

    That look, truly seemed like it wanted to devour me.

    I nervously shifted the mattress beneath me and stammered, ¡°I¨CI¡¯m scared¡­ Can you please be more gentle¡­¡±

    Reynaldoughed and in the moment he pushed me, it seemed like he said. ¡°Fool.¡±

    I didn¡¯t hear clearly.

    Because of what he did to me next, hepletely stripped away my ability to think.

    Taking care of the baby, I appeared exceptionally obedient and well- behaved.

    And this obedience andpliance clearly pleased him.

    He was gentle throughout the whole journey, beyond belief.

    I finally fell asleep softly in his arms.

    The next day, I was awakened by the rm clock that I had set for seven o¡¯clock in the morning to wake up and go to work.

    Since I started working on the construction site, I never changed that rm clock.

    As soon as I heard the sound of the rm clock, I instinctively got up.

    However, as soon as I sat up, my whole body was pulled back by a strong

    arm.

    I eximed and saw Reynaldo¡¯s handsome face magnified in front of me.

    He looked at me with sleepy eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±

    I stared in astonishment, and it took me a while to recall what happenedst night.

    Feeling the scorching heat emanating from his body, my heart trembled.

    At this moment, the two of us were truly honest and open, still in such a clear state of mind.

 Too Close 225

    Chapter225

    I rested my head on one of his arms, while his other arm was draped around my waist.

    I was tense all over and didn¡¯t dare to move.

    He half¨Copened his eyes and looked at me, his voice hoarse andzy, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    I waspletely in his arms, not knowing where to put my hands. With a slight movement, my fingers touched his scorching chest.

    I stuttered and said, ¡°The rm clock rang, it¡¯s seven, seven o¡¯clock, I have to get up and go to work.¡±

    The rm clock¡¯s ring was still sounding cheerfully.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows lightly, then extended his long arm and reached over me to grab my phone, turning off the rm clock.

    He held me andzily said, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep a little longer.¡±

    I struggled and shook my head, ¡°No, I had to go to work.¡±

    ¡°What shift are you on? Thatpany is mine, I¡¯ll give you a day off,¡± he said nonchntly, with his eyes half¨Cclosed.

    I became anxious.

    Those people in thepany were not good people, especially Kimberly.

    I had just started my job and I was absent from work. I couldn¡¯t tell how my colleagues would mock me then.

    Besides, with the current awkward and ufortable situation, I couldn¡¯t sleep either.

    And his arms were like a furnace, I felt ufortable all over my body.

    I struggled to get up.

    He suddenly pressed my lower back and pulled me into his arms.

    He frowned at me and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±

    I shook my head and looked at the weariness between his eyebrows, wanting tough.

    He also knew that he was tired.

    He had no self¨Ccontrol!

    I vaguely rememberst night, I fell asleep before he finished.

    He deserved it!

    I deliberately said. ¡°I am not tired at all, I am full of energy. Anyway, you are the big boss, you don¡¯t have to go to thepany.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t make it, I was just a handyman. If I arrivedte, I would be criticized.

    You go ahead and sleep, I am getting up now.

    Reynaldo half¨Csquinted his eyes and nced at me, his expressionzily reaching its utmost

    I don¡¯t know why, but I still felt a strong sense of oppression.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, go back to sleep. I¡¯ll quietly get up and not disturb you.¡±

    ¡°Are you really not going to sleep anymore?¡± he asked me hoarsely.

    I nodded quickly.

    Don¡¯t mention sleeping. I didn¡¯t want to stay in his arms for even a

    moment now.

    This intimate contact made me feel ufortable and awkward in my

    heart.

    Reynaldo suddenly smiled, and theziness on his face instantly faded

    away

    He suddenly flipped over and pressed me down.

    I was startled and quickly pressed against his chest, ¡°What are you going to do again?¡±

    ¡°You seem really energetic, so¡­ why don¡¯t we give it another try?¡±

    I stared at him in astonishment, and in my haste, I couldn¡¯t even speak properly: ¡°Y¨C<i>y</i>¨Cyou¡­ aren¡¯t you tired?¡±

    ¡°I am not tired now.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, you couldn¡¯t do this, you had to exercise self¨Ccontrol. otherwise you would eventually fail.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    He smiled at me, his arm leaning against my side, strong and powerful, making my heart tremble.

    I whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I meant that I¡¯m afraid frequent urrences like this might affect your health in the future.¡±

    ¡°Then you can give it a try and see if my future body will be weak!¡±

    He spoke and then lowered his head to kiss me.

    I turned my face away and dodged, feeling speechless and dead inside.

    I felt that I couldn¡¯t stay with this man anymore.

    Once they were together, all he could think about was this matter every

    minute.

    I suddenly remembered those three years of marriage, and how he, with such intense desire andck of self¨Ccontrol, managed to resist touching<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    The key is, back then, I used to stay with him in the same room every day, sharing the same space.

    Now thinking back, the man¡¯s cunning and endurance were also terrifying.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s enthusiasm came suddenly, and warm kisses rained down..

    I dodged with my body hunched, and said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I really have to go to work. The 20,000 monthly sry you gave me, I can¡¯t just take it for nothing, right?¡±

    ¡°Behave yourself, and I will raise your sry to one hundred thousand per month.¡±

    I was taken aback and felt a little moved.

    ¡°Really¡­ really?¡±

    ¡°When did I ever deceive you?¡± The man¡¯s voice was hoarse and deep, his eyes dark and suppressed.

    It seemed as if the fire suddenly surged up, and he felt a bit overwhelmed.

    I trembled with a heart, still in a dilemma.

    He kissed her again.

 Too Close 226

    I always felt that earning his money in this way was difficult for my self-

    esteem to ovee.

    But then I realized, I had absolutely no room for resistance in front of

    him.

    He didn¡¯t give me a raise, and I was also taken advantage of by him.

    So, why not add it if you can?

    A hundred thousand monthly sry!

    If I worked for three months, I would have three hundred thousand.

    By then, I hid in a remote ce to give birth to a baby, and that three hundred thousand was enough to support me for a while.

    As I was contemting, Reynaldo suddenly mischievously bit my neck.

    I eximed in pain and looked at him.

    This man was really a dog, he loved biting people so much.

    Reynaldo squinted his dark, brooding eyes and coldly asked me, ¡°Can you still daydream at a time like this? Who are you thinking about? Winston?¡±

    It seems that Winston will hold a grudge for the rest of his life about what happened between him and me earlier.

    ¡°Since you were constantly thinking about him, why didn¡¯t you choose to

    go with him when you had the chance yesterday?¡±

    Well, Esmeralda, let me tell you, even if you liked him, you could only stay by my side for the rest of your life.

    I wanted to fly with him together, unless¡­ I died.

    Thest two words, he said through gritted teeth, and his facial expression changed in an instant.

    The desire in the eyes gradually turned into a touch of hostility.

    I was speechless.

    This man was really unpredictable, and his imagination was so rich that it left people dumbfounded.

    He used to get angry, and he always took it out on me.

    I grabbed his arm pleasingly and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, I was just wondering if what you said about the 100,000 monthly sry is true.¡±

    Reynaldo paused for <b>a </b>moment, and then his pair of ck eyes stared at me intently.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I have to tell you, the thing I love the most now is money,¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled immediately, ¡°I never thought Ms. Duffy would be so materialistic one day.¡±

    I furrowed my brows in frustration as I listened to his mocking tone.

    What¡¯s the matter, liking Winston is not allowed, liking money is also not allowed.

    So I had to like him, right?

    I don¡¯t know what was going on in his mind, but he insisted on having a woman who had once humiliated him severely and disgusted him to the extreme like him.

    Does my liking him really give him such a sense of aplishment?

    Ignoring his sneer, I said, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like money? If you don¡¯t like money, why do you carn so much?¡±

    ¡°I earned so much money because¡­¡±

    He suddenly stopped speaking when he reached this point, and just stared at me deeply, with a mocking tone, saying, ¡°Forget it, you¡¯re a heartless woman like this, even if I tell you, you won¡¯t believe it.¡±

    I rolled my eyes speechlessly.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just concluded that I wouldn¡¯t believe him. He really has no trust in me at all.

    I muttered, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, then forget it.¡±

    Anyway, he didn¡¯t make money for me, so I didn¡¯t need to know why he was working so hard to earn it.

    He still looked at me with those deep eyes.

    I felt extremely ufortable under his gaze and couldn¡¯t help but push him away. ¡°Boss, CEO, I really have to go to work now. I can¡¯t y around with you anymore.¡±

    He suddenly grabbed my wrist and pressed it against my head.

    Ile spoke in a low voice, with a hint of coaxing in his tone: ¡°Since you like

    money so much, you should behave better in the future.¡±

    100,000 monthly sry, I won¡¯t deceive you, and moreover, each time afterwards, I will also give you additional rewards.

    ¡°Of course, if you could get pregnant, I would give you as many babies as

    you want.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you give me all your assets, including yourpany, the luxury cars and vis under your name?¡±

    I said this on purpose, originally intending to provoke him.

    To my surprise, he didn¡¯t get angry at all. He just suddenlyughed and said to me. ¡°You have quite the appetite.¡±

    ¡°Greed is human nature, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he nodded in rare agreement, ¡°Greed is indeed human nature. I was just too greedy, which is why I spared you those three years.¡±

    I frowned deeply.

    What did he mean by saying this?

    Howe I couldn¡¯t understand anything at all?

    I wanted to ask him more, but he had already sealed my lips.

 Too Close 227

    Chapter227

    He kissed with even more passion thanst night, with his eyes closed, as if he was somewhat obsessed.

    Sometimes I was also confused.

    Could he really be somitted to doing something with someone he despised?

    Reynaldo appeared serious, gloomy, and had a forbidding look that seemed uninterested in women.

    He was crazy in bed.

    I thought he was tired today, so he would be able to finish soon.

    I didn¡¯t expect that he would bother me for nearly half a day.

    I also don¡¯t know when I fell asleep again.

    When I woke up again, there was no sign of that man in the room.

    Thinking about my odd job, I quickly nced at my phone and realized it was already past one o¡¯clock in the afternoon.

    Damn Reynaldo, he was such a monster!

    I dragged my sore body out of bed, thinking that it was already thiste, so I might as well skip going to the office today.

    Fromst night until this morning. Reynaldo tirelessly demanded.

    So what I am more worried about is my baby.

    The sports car that Reynaldo had previously assigned to me was still parked in the yard.

    The key was on the cab by the front door.

    I didn¡¯t use the car and went straight to the intersection to hail a taxi.

    People are really contradictory, not to mention Reynaldo. I am also contradictory now.

    On one hand, I wanted to earn some more money from Reynaldo, but on the other hand, my pride was getting in the way. I was too proud to use what he had given me, and too proud to actually ask him for money.

    I ate something casually outside and then took a taxi directly to the hospital.

    Fortunately, everything went smoothly during the check¨Cup, and the baby had no issues and developed well.

    The doctor told me to continue taking the medicine to maintain the pregnancy, and to stop taking it only after three months when it stabilizes.

    So I took a few more boxes of prenatal vitamins as a precaution.

    As I was walking down the hospital corridor, carrying medicine, I suddenly saw Anton.

    Although the man was wearing a mask and a hat, I still recognized him at first sight.

    And that man was too dazzling, wearing ordinary casual clothes, but attracting attention in a special way.

    Many nurses beside him looked at him frequently.

    I saw him chatting with a doctor wearing a white coat.

    Looking at the doctor¡¯s attire and the namete hanging, it can be said that he was at least at the level of a director.

    I wasn¡¯t very familiar with Anton either, so I was about to turn around and leave.

    I didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly call out to me. ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡±

    I was taken aback and instinctively stopped to look at him.

    He greeted the doctor and then walked towards me.

    He nced at the medicine I was holding in my hand and asked with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Feeling unwell?¡±

    1 secretly hid the medicine behind me and shook my head, saying, ¡°There¡¯s nothing serious, just feeling a bit weak, so I came to get some medicine to nourish my body.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°And what about you?¡± I asked him, ¡°Howe you¡¯re here? The film crew must be very busy now, right?¡±

    He must have been very busy during this period as the male lead in that y.

    After all, Lavonne, as a supporting role in episodes five and six, used to get up early and workte every day on the set.

    Anton smiled and said, ¡°Indeed, I am very busy. However, for today¡¯s performance, I will have my stand¨Cin take over. I have something to attend to with my friend.¡±

    ¡°Your friend?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Anton turned around and pointed to the doctor he had just

    spoken to. ¡°My friend, he is the son of the hospital director. He is very skilled in medicine and has knowledge in several departments. If you are feeling unwell anywhere, you can seek his help.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I was a little surprised. ¡°So you still have friends in the medical field.¡±

    ¡°Well, I used to study medicine too, and I studied the same field.¡±

    Listening to this, I was even more surprised: ¡°You studied medicine. so how did you transition to be a celebrity?¡±

    Anton looked at me, wearing a mask and a hat, and I couldn¡¯t quite make out his expression. I just felt that there was something strange about his

    gaze.

    It took a while before he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t originally want to study medicine. My first choice was in the arts, but someone in my family got sick, so I ended up studying medicine.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment, so I just asked, ¡°Are your family members better now?¡±

 Too Close 228

    Chapter228

    Anton suddenly stopped talking, and his gaze became even more peculiar.

    My heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat.

    Oh no, I hope his family isn¡¯t already¡­

    I wish I hadn¡¯t spoken carelessly if I had known earlier.

    I quickly changed the subject and smiled at him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, being a celebrity is also good. Look, you have such a high poprity now, many people like you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Anton smirked, ¡°Then do you like it?¡±

    I was taken aback and nodded subconsciously, ¡°Yes, yes, I like it. I graduated from an art school, so I like those who are good¨Clooking and have good acting skills.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Anton chuckled, ¡°I remember, Reynaldo was also from an art school. At that time, it seems like he was even in the same school as you guys, right?¡±

    I was stunned again.

    Why did he suddenly bring up Reynaldo?

    I only knew that he had a good rtionship with Winston. Could it be possible that he also knew Reynaldo from before?

    Wow, the world is really small. So many people know each other.

    ¡°Was Reynaldo from your school back then?¡± he asked again.

    I nodded, ¡°Yes, he is from our school. He was actually my senior at first. but his grades were too poor, so he repeated a few grades and ended up in

    the same ss as me.¡±

    Hmm, let me think. He seems to be four years older than me, which means he must have at leastpleted three levels.

    Speaking of this, I feel a bit embarrassed.

    I can hardly imagine now how poor Reynaldo¡¯s grades were back then, as he spent several years struggling in college before finally obtaining his graduation certificate.

    He was the oldest in the ss at that time.

    And he always sat in the back row, silently.

    Back then, Winston was also in our school, in the next ss.

    Winston was handsome and smart, excelling in academics and sports. He was especially popr among girls, and I was no exception.

    So at that time, all of my thoughts and attention were focused solely on Winston.

    If Lavonne hadn¡¯t told me once that there was a boy in our ss who was extremely handsome, even more handsome than Winston, but a bit foolish and had poor grades, I probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed his existence until graduation.

    ¡°Reynaldo was also good¨Clooking. If he had be an actor and a celebrity, would you have liked him too?¡±

    Anton¡¯s voice brought me back to my thoughts.

    I shook my head instinctively and said, ¡°No, Reynaldo looks decent, but with his previous record of not being able to graduate, his acting skills

    must be terrible.¡±

    So if he went to act, he shouldn¡¯t mess up other people¡¯s performances.

    Looks and acting skills. I tend to lean more towards acting skills. So if he were to be a celebrity, I reckon I wouldn¡¯t watch his performances.

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    Just as I finished speaking, there suddenly came a familiar cold short from behind me.

    I stiffened all over.

    Why do I have such bad luck? Did I run into Reynaldo and Kimberly at the hospital again?

    ¡°Ms. Duffy¡­¡±

    Sure enough, it was Kimberly¡¯s voice.

    I closed my eyes silently.

    Seriously, in the future, I will definitely choose the dates and hospitals when Ie to the hospital.

    I always felt like no matter which day it was or which hospital I went to, I would always run into them.

    I really don¡¯t know whether to say it was a coincidence or to say that I was just unlucky.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, why are you at the hospital again?¡± Kimberly asked behind

    me

    I tugged at my lip and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking you that?¡±

    I berated myself in my heart and turned around stiffly.

    I saw Reynaldo staring at me gloomily, as if he wasn¡¯t the one who had been demanding things from me crazily in the morning.

    The man cast a cold nce at me, then his gaze fell upon the bag I was loading with ammunition.

    Fortunately, the bag had the name and logo of the hospital printed on it so I couldn¡¯t see clearly what medicine I had bought.

    But there was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯tpete with me.

    So I quietly hid the medicine behind me again, and then I smiled at Kimberly and said, ¡°What a coincidence, why are you back at the hospital again?¡±

    Kimberly did not immediately answer my question, but just nced at Anton beside me.

    After a while, she finally said, ¡°I have a weak constitution, soing to the hospital is amon urrence for me. But as for you, Ms. Duffy, it seems like you alsoe to the hospital quite frequently. Could it be that you also have a weak constitution, Ms. Duffy?¡±

 Too Close 229

    When she said these words, Reynaldo¡¯s sharp gaze flickered towards the medicine in my hand.

    I steadied my mind and smiled at Kimberly, saying, ¡°Yeah, this body of mine is the body of a rich youngdy. I¡¯ve been used to living a good life. But once I go bankrupt and be destitute, my body will protest first.¡±

    So, it¡¯s not unusual for me toe to the hospital often, but Ms. Duffy, you should really take good care of your health.

    After all, it is a chronic illness that I have had since childhood, but it is difficult to cure, who knows¡­

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly shouted and grabbed my cor.

    I was startled, staring nkly at the sudden coldness and hostility that appeared in his eyes. My heart twitched uncontrobly.

    I didn¡¯t say anything excessive.

    It was Kimberly who first sarcastically said about me, so why can¡¯t I say about her?

    I didn¡¯t curse her to death, why is he staring at me so coldly?

    The heart felt sour and unbearable, the affair fromst night until this morning, now thinking about it, it is also ironicallyughable.

    I faced the anger in his eyes and said, ¡°What, did I say something wrong? Did I curse her to death or something?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    The man spoke in a cold and low voice, with anger filling his brow

    The pain in my chest became increasingly unbearable, to the point where it felt difficult to even breathe.

    At this moment, Kimberly was standing beside him, crying and saying. ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be like this. She didn¡¯t say anything wrong. My illness is indeed incurable.¡±

    As she said, my life, I¡¯m afraid, didn¡¯t have much time left.

    I red at her with disgust.

    When did I say such a thing?

    I couldn¡¯t help but angrily say, ¡°With your constantly sickly, weak, and hesitant appearance, you don¡¯t even need someone else to say you have a short life, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly approached me, gripping my cor tightly, his deep cold eyes staring straight at me, ¡°Shut your mouth.¡±

    I looked into his eyes filled with coldness, and my heart felt a sharp pain.

    The tip of the nose felt sour, and a glimmer of tears quickly welled up in the eyes.

    I hurriedly lowered my head, not wanting him to see the tears in my eyes.

    I snorted coldly, ¡°If you want me to shut up, then you make her shut up first!¡±

    Which time was it not that woman who caused trouble first?

    Why does he always talk about me? Why?!

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly suddenly tugged at Reynaldo¡¯s arm and said pretentiously. ¡°Stop it, after all. Ms. Dully didn¡¯t say anything wrong, don¡¯t do it for me¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you feel disgusted by pretending like this?!¡± I yelled at her in exasperation.

    But in the next second, Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my cor tightly and forcefully pressed me against the wall.

    He stared at me with a sinister look and said, ¡°I told you to shut up, why can¡¯t you just listen.¡±

    ¡°Then you make her shut up, it was her who spoke ill of me first, why do you always tell me to shut up?¡±

    I don¡¯t know why. At that moment, the grievance in my heart reached its peak.

    I even choked up with a hint of sob in my voice.

    But I didn¡¯t want to be like this, I didn¡¯t want to show such vulnerability in front of Reynaldo.

    This vulnerability did not earn him any sympathy, only mockery.

    He stared at me intently, and in his sinister eyes, there suddenly shed a hint ofplexity that I couldn¡¯tprehend.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t want to understand either.

    At this moment, I detested everything about him and Kimberly.

    I tried my best to suppress the grievances and bitterness in my heart, and I

    coldly said to him, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say much to you in the first ce. I didn¡¯t even want to see you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, let go of me!¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t move, and that big hand still tightly grasped my cor

    I couldn¡¯t help but kick him and said, ¡°I told you to let go of me! Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t mention your White Moonlight anymore, and I won¡¯t pay attention to you guys anymore.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better quickly turn your rtionship with your beloved into a sess. being affectionate and inseparable, and stop bothering me!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand, which was gripping my cor, tightened even more, and his gaze suddenly turned ice¨Ccold.

    I faced his cold eyes and said word by word, ¡°Let me go!¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    At that moment, just as Kimberly called out to him, he suddenly growled at Kimberly.

    Kimberly was visibly startled, seemingly not expecting Reynaldo to be aggressive towards her.

 Too Close 230

    The next second, she suddenly clutched her chest and bent over in pain, her face contorted with agony. ¡°It hurts so much, Reynaldo, I feel so ufortable¡­¡±

    However, Reynaldo seemed as if he hadn¡¯t heard her painful cries, his cold and deep eyes ring at me fiercely.

    Anton was still supporting Kimberly as he shouted at him, ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    Reynaldo finally let go of me and turned around to help Kimberly.

    Kimberly¡¯s face turned pale, and she weakly cried, ¡°Reynaldo, did I do something wrong? I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t make Ms. Duffy angry in the future. I..¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your business, it¡¯s her problem,¡± Reynaldo said indifferently.

    I bit my lower lip, trying hard to hold back the urge to cry.

    I have always known that he liked Kimberly and disliked me.

    So it didn¡¯t surprise me when he treated me harshly like this because of Kimberly.

    But I felt sad and unjust in my heart.

    He was coaxing me to sleep with himst night and this morning, but now he is like this.

    Anton said to Reynaldo, ¡°Take her to see the attending physician.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say much either, he picked up Kimberly and ran towards

    the director¡¯s office.

    Anton hurriedly followed behind, took a few steps, then stopped and turned around to look at me. ¡°Esmeralda, where are you going? Let me apany you.¡±

    At this moment. Reynaldo also stopped.

    But he did not turn around.

    I nced at his cold back in our direction, and after a while, I calmly said to Anton. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Coming out of the outpatient department.

    I hung my head and remained silent..

    Anton had his hands in his pockets and casually asked me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you sad?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I took a slight breath and looked up at him, ¡°Mr. Pruitt, you can go back, I don¡¯t need you to apany me.¡±

    Anton furrowed his brows and after a moment, he chuckled with a hint of coldness in his voice, ¡°So, you were just trying to provoke Reynaldo by using me?¡±

    I pursed my lips and did not retort.

    In that moment just now, I harbored intense resentment towards Reynaldo and truly wanted to use him to provoke Reynaldo.

    Looking back now, my idea at that time was really ridiculous.

    I actually attempted to use another man to stimte a man who didn¡¯t love

    me at all.

    Anton looked at me for a moment and then sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll walk you.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t need to.¡± I refused, ¡°There are many cars outside the door. I can catch one as soon as I go out.¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t insist either: ¡°Okay, suit yourself.¡±

    He paused for a moment, then spoke again, his voice slightly tinged with a hint of coldness: ¡°I hope next time, you won¡¯t take me to provoke that man again.¡±

    I was taken aback, I didn¡¯t expect him to care about this.

    I quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t do it again in the future.¡±

    Anton nced at me for a few seconds, didn¡¯t say anything else, and just turned around and went back into the clinic.

    I stared at his back in confusion, thinking to myself that he probably hadn¡¯t finished his business at the hospital yet. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t let him apany me.

    I

    I walked out of the hospital gate with a low mood.

    Thinking about how Reynaldo had just been taking care of Kimberly, I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lip.

    Now, I increasingly urgently want to leave this city and get away from

    that man.

    Did he want me to have a baby with him and Kimberly?

    Ha, he was dreaming!

    I lowered my gaze and slowly caressed my still¨Ct abdomen, feeling a sourness welling up in my heart.

    Baby, don¡¯t be afraid, no matter what, I wouldn¡¯t let him take you away.

    I returned to the rented house in a daze, and it was already past four in the afternoon.

    The box was still on the ground, and nothing had been organized in the

    room.

    I walked to the window and opened it.

    The rain outside the window was continuous, and the autumn wind brought a touch of sadness as it blew in. My eyes couldn¡¯t help but well up with tears.

    Especially when I think about the affairst night and this morning, and then recall everything that just happened at the hospital, my heart feels extremely sour.

    I clearly knew that he liked Kimberly and disliked me.

    But when he defended Kimberly and was mean to me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel wronged and saddened.

    What should I do?

    The feelings towards that man seemed increasingly difficult to control.

    I really wanted to leave here right now and stay far away.

    But that man would never let me go, no matter how big the world is, where can I hide?

 Too Close 231

    Chapter231

    I looked at the continuous drizzle outside, and a touch of indescribable sadness and destion surged in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t want to let myself indulge in such negative emotions.

    I took a deep breath and then turned around to organize the clothes and daily necessities in the box.

    I didn¡¯t bring much with me, and it didn¡¯t take long to tidy up.

    Iy on the sofa and rested for a while. I had nned to go out for a walk in the evening and buy some food and bed sheets and covers on the way back.

    The drizzling rain had not stopped until around seven o¡¯clock in the evening

    It waspletely dark outside, and the road was slippery. I was afraid of falling, so I didn¡¯t dare to go out. In the end, I had no choice but to order takeout on my phone again.

    I just don¡¯t have bed sheets and covers. I¡¯m afraid I can only make do on the sofa tonight.

    Yesterday, when the spaghetti was delivered, it had already clumped together.

    This time I ordered steamed buns and rice porridge.

    I was sitting on the sofa watching TV when the door was knocked.

    ¡°Hello, takeout.¡±

    I quickly got up and went to open the door.

    As the door opened, a delivery person wearing a raincoat stood at the entrance, saying. ¡°Hello, here is your delivery.¡±

    I was busy saying ¡®thank you¡® and reaching out to take it when suddenly I saw a flickering little spark in the dark corridor.

    I looked carefully.

    The next second, I trembled all over.

    It was Reynaldo, unexpectedly!

    He was leaning against the opposite wall, smoking a cigarette, and his gaze was directed towards me.

    A sudden surge of astonishment and rejection welled up in my heart.

    I took the takeout and quickly went to close the door.

    He. however, took a big step forward and forcefully ced his big hand on my door panel.

    The deliveryman nced at him, then nced at me, and quickly ran

    away.

    Reynaldo¡¯srge hand still rested on my door panel, and he lowered his gaze to look at me, his eyes colder than the autumn weather.

    Iughed angrily, and my heart was filled with bitterness.

    Why did hee to my rented house again when he hadn¡¯t been mean chough to me at the hospital?

    Luckily, I only confronted Kimberly with a few words. If I had really done something to Kimberly, would he have killed me?

    I tried my best to wave away the sadness and grievances that shouldn¡¯t have been in my heart.

    I coldly said to him, ¡°Move aside, I want to close the door!¡±

    However, the man not only did not step aside, but also forcefully pushed open my door.

    I also took a few steps back. ring at him angrily. ¡°What are you up to again?¡±

    Reynaldo turned around and closed the door, then silently looked at me.

    The smoke between his fingers had not yet extinguished, and the smoke lingered in wisps and threads in my house.

    I furrowed my brows, and a sh of disgust and rejection crossed my mind.

    I grabbed the hand next to me and couldn¡¯t help but shout at him, ¡°Get out of here!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face turned cold.

    He approached me step by step.

    The smell of smoke grew stronger and stronger, and I frowned and stepped back.

    Unconsciously. I had already retreated to the corner.

    I stared at him coldly, at this very moment, with nothing in my heart but

    resentment.

    He approached me, his tall figure exuding pressure and coldness.

    ¡°Did you just¡­ tell me

    to go away?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Extreme grievance and resentment filled my heart, overwhelming my fear

    of him.

    He suddenly smirked,ughing even colder than ice and snow, ¡°During those three years of marriage, you always told me to get lost, and you still do now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, whether it was during those three years of marriage or now. I hated you and didn¡¯t want to see you!¡±

    He really oppressed me during this period of time.

    I hated him for coaxing me to have his child while also yelling and threatening me for Kimberly.

    I used to, extremely dislike everything about him.

    Reynaldo stared at me heavily, his smile chilling: ¡°You finally dare to tell the truth, you have always despised me.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    I admitted without hesitation.

    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, he can hit or kill as he pleases.

    Anyway, I couldn¡¯t stand his oppression and humiliation anymore.

    Reynaldo stared at me menacingly andughed.

    His big palm slowly climbed up my neck.

    I stared at him angrily, ¡°The biggest regret of my life is marrying you three years ago. If time could turn back, even if it meant ruining my reputation, I wouldn¡¯t want to have any connection with you.¡±

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    Chapter232

    ¡­Ah, so this was your truest thought all along.¡±

    Heughed extremely coldly, and in the depths of his eyes, there emerged. a hint of emotion that I couldn¡¯t understand.

    At this moment, I didn¡¯t want to ponder about him either.

    I pped his hand and said disgustedly, ¡°Get out!¡±

    However, the next second, he suddenly grabbed my cor and pushed met directly onto the sofa.

    I stumbled and fell onto the sofa, and the takeout in my hand dropped onto the floor.

    The porridge was spilled all over the floor.

    I went crazy with anger and raised my hand to hit him.

    His raised hand, however, was grabbed by him in mid¨Cair.

    Heughed at me coldly, sneering, ¡°Have you forgotten that you haven¡¯t been a wealthy youngdy for a long time?¡±

    Did you hate me to the extreme? Unfortunately, you didn¡¯t manage to kill me in those three years.

    Now, even if you hated me to the extreme, you had to stay by my side obediently and obediently give birth to my child.

    He finished speaking and then disregarded me, pulling at my clothes.

    The crimson eyes carried a touch of hatred and madness.

    I panicked and fought back desperately.

    He yelled at him with disgust. ¡°Reynaldo, get away from me, don¡¯t touch me, go away!¡±

    However, my struggle only annoyed him even more.

    The man¡¯s eyes were crimson and fierce, his expression filled with ferocity and rage, as if he wanted to kill me.

    His clothes were torn apart by him.

    I was directly scared to tears and yelled at him without caring, ¡°Go away. your touch only disgusts me, go away¡­¡±

    ¡°Disgusting¡­?¡±

    The man¡¯s movement came to a halt.

    He stared at me intently, his dark and gloomy eyes were as terrifying as a dried¨Cup well.

    He almost nervously asked me, ¡°You said my touch disgusts you?¡±

    I trembled all over as I watched him, too afraid to say a word.

    The man in front of me hadpletely changed and I no longer recognized him.

    Still the same handsome face, but now it is even more terrifying than a devil.

    He rubbed my shoulder and suddenly burst into a deepughter.

    ¡°But what could be done? It¡¯s disgusting, you had to endure it too!¡±

    I watched as the ferocity between his eyebrows and the icy killing intent

    in his eyes, causing my heart to tremble fiercely.

    The rationality, clouded by jealousy and grievances, slowly returned at this moment.

    Reason returned, and fear came rushing in from all sides.

    I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have thrown a tantrum at him just because of what happened today.

    He was no longer the gentle husband who let me scold and beat him, but my benefactor.

    No matter how he treated me for Kimberly, I should have smiled and pleased him, right?

    But I had not yet found my ce, and I allowed myself to be controlled by jealousy and grievances, which led me to quarrel with him like this.

    This way, besides enduring his crazy humiliation and punishment, what else could I get?

    He had no feelings for me, only revenge and venting.

    And I, on the other hand, developed feelings for him, to the extent that I took this one¨Csided affection so seriously.

    Esmeralda, oh Esmeralda.

    Shouldn¡¯t, really shouldn¡¯t.

    The old sofa creaked and squeaked due to his strong and powerful

    movements.

    I clung tightly to the sofa, not daring to resist at all.

    He repeatedly and tirelessly demanded, without getting tired.

    There was no longer the asional tenderness and indulgence that had

    been revealed on his facest night and this morning; instead, there was only indifference.

    This time, he did not fight a protracted battle.

    After it ended. he quickly left.

    In no time, he tidied up his clothes and appeared in a neat and tidy

    manner<b>. </b>

    I embarrassingly pulled the clothes from the ground and covered myself with them, my eyes stinging intensely.

    Reynaldo leaned against the door and lit a cigarette.

    Even though he had been relieved, his face remained extremely gloomy. and the fierceness between his eyebrows did not diminish in the slightest.

    He took a puff of his cigarette and looked at me with a cold and indifferent gaze, saying, ¡°In the future, I won¡¯t have any concerns about you either.¡±

    Within a month, you had to conceive my child.

    I closed my eyes and didn¡¯t want to speak.

    After a while, the sound of opening and closing doors could be heard.

    When I opened my eyes again, Reynaldo had already left.

    I curled up and couldn¡¯t help but start crying.

    It turned out that the man had no feelings for me. I would only be humiliating myself and inviting trouble by throwing tantrums in front of him.

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    I really wish time could turn back.

    If time could go back three years ago, I swear I wouldn¡¯t go to that ss reunion. I wouldn¡¯t have any rtionship with him.

    My heart seemed to be bleeding, and the pain made it difficult for me to breathe.

    Worried about affecting the baby, I made a great effort to adjust my emotions and then got up to go to the bathroom to freshen up.

    I took a contraceptive pill and was sitting on the sofa daydreaming when suddenly my phone rang.

    I instinctively lowered my gaze and saw a transfer message.

    Reynaldo transferred one hundred thousand to me.

    He saidst night that if I behaved well and obediently with him, he would give me additional rewards.

    This one hundred thousand, was his payment for me apanying him to sleep.

    I self¨Cmockingly tugged at my lips.

    The man transferred the money at this time, just to humiliate me.

    Because I had just said that I was disgusted by his touch, he deliberately transferred money to me to make me understand that I was just a prostitute who sold her body for money.

    I leaned against the back of the sofa andughed at myself mockingly, but tears uncontrobly streamed down.

    Oh, Reynaldo.

    You wait, wait until I save enough money ande up with a way to escape.

    I would definitely escape far away and never let myself be humiliated by you again.

    The next day, I got up early and went to work.

    The weather really cooled down.

    When I went out, I put on a thin coat.

    During this period, I really lost weight. My old clothes became a size too big.

    I deliberately found a small cushion and stuffed it into my clothes. It was great, and you couldn¡¯t tell at all.

    In this case, even if the belly really grew biggerter, it wouldn¡¯t be very noticeable.

    However, if I had to get along with Reynaldo, he would still be able to tell, even without the cover of clothes.

    My good mood disappeared in an instant. I irritably threw the cushion onto the sofa and then left the house.

    Gossip is popr everywhere, as expected.

    I had just arrived at the secretary¡¯s office when I heard them gossiping

    about me.

    Someone said that I didn¡¯te to work yesterday because I was kicked out by Reynaldo.

    Some people also said that I was putting on airs and deliberately didn¡¯te to work.

    Some even said that I had fallen so low that I ended up sleeping on the streets, and that I was abducted and mistreated by bad people.

    The rumors became increasingly outrageous, and it all ended when I walked into the office.

    As soon as I walked in, the discussions came to an abrupt halt.

    However, it was only quiet for a few seconds before the mocking voices

    came.

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that Ms. Duffy? She even knows how toe to work.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I thought she hadn¡¯t realized the reality yet, and thought she was still the high and mighty youngdy.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say, she only dared to y truant so recklessly just because she was Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex¨Cwife, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Haha, Mr. Humphrey was just pitying her, so he gave her a menial job. Did she really think she was something special?¡±

    Since my family went bankrupt, I have grown tired of these mocking words, and there is not a single ripple in my heart.

    I walked into the office with my back straight.

    At this moment, they suddenly all stood up and respectfully shouted behind me, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, hello!¡±

    I stiffened all over, and my feet involuntarily came to a halt.

    Soon, Reynaldo walked past me, carrying a chill in the air.

    I looked at his cold back and felt a pain in my heart again.

    I don¡¯t know how long it would take for this kind of pain topletely dissipate.

    ¡°Hey, hey, what happened to Mr. Humphrey? His face looks so scary.

    ¡°Yeah. I wonder who got on Mr. Humphrey¡¯s bad side. I¡¯ve never seen him with such a terrifying expression before.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anyway, Mr. Humphrey¡¯s mood was definitely bad today. What should I do? I still have to deliver the documentster.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then you must be very careful, in case Mr. Humphrey makes you pack up and leave.¡±

    ***

    I sat down at my own desk and nced towards the direction of the president¡¯s office.

    He should still be angry because of what happened yesterday.

    I tightly clenched my hands, warning myself silently that I must not provoke that lunatic again today.

    Yes, you madman!

    He was a lunatic, that Reynaldo.

    At that moment, someone threw a stack of documents at me and said, ¡°Make a table ording to the requirements on it and send it to me!¡±

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    Chapter234

    298 Fouchers

    I nodded lightly and opened theputer to prepare for work.

    ¡°Hey, Mny, did you finish yesterday¡¯s sales report? Mr. Humphrey is pushing for it.¡±

    ¡°Is it time to send it in now, after it¡¯s been done?¡±

    ¡°Yes, hurry up, Mr. Humphrey is pushing.¡±

    Mny stood up slowly, holding the report in her hands.

    I thought she was going to directly send me to the president¡¯s office, but she suddenly ran up to me.

    I furrowed my brows and looked at her lightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Take this report and deliver it to Mr. Humphrey,¡± Mny casually tossed the report onto my desk.

    My face darkened, and I said, ¡°You can go in by yourself, I have other things to attend to.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Mny became angry immediately after hearing that. ¡°You, a janitor, dare to act all high and mighty? I asked you to deliver a report and you kept making excuses. What do you mean? Are you trying to get paid without doing any work for thepany?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, bring me the information. I¡¯ll make this form¡¯myself.¡± The secretary who asked me to make the form just now snatched the stack of documents back andmanded me, ¡°You, go and deliver the report to Mny first!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you, a handyman, shouldn¡¯t just do whatever we tell you to do,

    15.343

    258 Vous hers

    right?¡±

    I sneered in my heart.

    Everyone knows that Reynaldo is in a gloomy mood now, like an angry lion, and no one dares to approach him.

    Why should I take this risk?

    I pushed the report to Mny and said coldly, ¡°You can deliver it yourself!¡±

    ¡°Oh my!¡± Mny eximed, her eyes widening in anger. ¡°Are you going to give it or not?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± I said expressionlessly.

    At that moment, the secretary Miss next to the president¡¯s office urged, ¡°Hey, what are you guys doing? Mr. Humphrey is urging for the report, quickly send it in, why are you all dawdling?¡±

    Mny was extremely anxious, pulling on the clothes on my shoulder and warning. ¡°If you don¡¯t get me in there, don¡¯t expect to have a good time in this office ever again!¡±

    <b>I </bughed angrily. What? Are they trying to bully in the office?

    I pushed away her hand that was grabbing onto my shoulder and sneered, ¡°Since you¡¯re so afraid of getting in the way of the gun, why don¡¯t you ask Kimberly to deliver it for you? She¡¯s Mr. Humphrey¡¯s favorite, just let her do it.¡±

    ¡°Are you not afraid that Mr. Humphrey will see me and feel even worse if I deliver it?¡±

    ¡°What if Kimberly were in thepany, what would you say?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you know? Mr. Humphrey gave Kimberly a privilege. She

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    cane to thepany whenever she wants. She usually arrives more than two hourster than us.

    I listened quietly, a touch of self¨Cmockery shed through my heart.

    It seems that Reynaldo really doted on Kimberly.

    Thinking back to the humiliation he subjected me tost night, a pang of bitterness shed through my heart again.

    I was so annoyed, I really wanted to go to a world without Reynaldo.

    ¡°Hey, are you going to take me in or not?¡± Mny shook my shoulder again.

    It seemed like she couldn¡¯t take a hard approach, so she switched to a soft one. ¡°Esmeralda, why don¡¯t you help me with this? You are Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex¨Cwife, and he personally gave you this job. But I¡¯m different, you know.¡±

    I had to put in a lot of effort to get into thepany. I am a divorced mother, taking care of two children. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose this job.

    Mr. Humphrey was clearly in a bad mood today. If by any chance I really had a stroke of bad luck and bumped into him, losing this job, then how am I supposed to live with two children?

    She was crying and sniffling, as if she was sending a death sentence, it really felt like going to the execution ground.

    However, she said that she divorced and brought up¨Ctwo children, which made me unable to help but think about my future life.

    In the future, I will also live alone with two children, just like now. At that time, will I also encounter such problems? I hope someone can help

    me too<b>. </b>

    ¡°Mny, why did you have to ask her? Who else could you have asked?¡±

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    Chapter234

    288 (Vouchers

    ¡°Who is she? The once arrogant and domineering youngdy who looked down upon everyone. If you tell her these things, it¡¯s hard to imagine her being empathetic!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she was probably secretly mocking you in her heart.¡±

    There were a few colleagues next to me gossiping.

    I picked up the report and stood up, saying to Mny lightly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you take it in.¡±

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    Chapter235

    Those colleagues exchanged surprised nces and looked at me incredulously.

    I ignored them and just sorted out the reports before heading towards the president¡¯s office.

    Mny grabbed me busily and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Esmeralda, thank you.¡±

    Her tone waspletely different from the arrogant and domineering attitude she had at the beginning.

    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I was indeed different from them.

    No matter how much I angered Reynaldo, Reynaldo could not dismiss<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    But Mny was different.

    Reynaldo was unpredictable and behaved strangely. It was difficult to guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t fire Mny if he got angry..

    Of course, whether they would be fired or not has nothing to do with me.

    But I will soon be a mother of two children, and I don¡¯t feel sorry for Mny, but I will feel sorry for her two children.

    It¡¯s nothing, just sending a report, it¡¯s not like going through fire and

    water.

    Standing at the door of the president¡¯s office, I knocked on the door.

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    Chapter235

    ¡°Come in!¡±

    A sound without any warmth drifted over, and I pursed my lips before pushing the door open.

    Reynaldo was leaning back in his chair, smoking a cigarette.

    24 Vouchers

    His face was gloomy, with a deep furrow between his eyebrows, as if he was feeling annoyed about something.

    When he saw me, he first paused for a moment, then his dark eyes slowly narrowed.

    I lowered my gaze and said expressionlessly, ¡°I came to deliver the report.¡±

    Reynaldo remained silent and just stared at me.

    No wonder they all dared note in, Reynaldo at this moment was filled with a strong sense of hostility.

    He looked like someone you shouldn¡¯t mess with.

    I walked briskly over and ced the report respectfully on his desk, then turned around and left.

    However, just as I had taken two steps, he called out to me.

    ¡°Did I let you go?¡±

    I paused for a moment and then turned around to look at him, ¡°What else does Mr. Humphreymand?¡±

    Reynaldo gave me a cold nce and then sat up straight to flip through the report.

    His brows were always furrowed, and his face was even gloomier than the rainy weather outside.

    15.350

    I stood there quietly waiting.

    11

    70 s

    He must have wanted to finish reading the report, and then if there were any questions, he wanted me to convey them directly.

    Lost in thought, the man suddenly grabbed the report and crumpled it into a ball, then hurled it at me in a fit of rage.

    My face was hit straight on.

    I must say, it was quite painful.

    I looked at him in confusion.

    He drank with a gloomy face and said, ¡°Was this report directly copied from a temte? A few simple data made it moreplicated than a function. How can anyone understand it?¡±

    ¡°Do it well if you want to do it, and if you don¡¯t want to do it, then get lost!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make this report,¡± I said tly.

    He tugged at his lips and said, ¡°Who did that? You tell her to pack up and leave right now!¡±

    My heart tightened, and Mny really guessed it right. Coming in once, the job was not guaranteed.

    I squatted down and picked up the crumpled report, and said to him, ¡°This, this report is indeed made by me. I don¡¯t have much experience, but I will make some changester.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s gaze suddenly grew heavy when he looked at me.

    After a moment, he shouted at me angrily, ¡°Get out of here!¡±

    I wished he said this sentence.

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    Without any hesitation, I held the crumpled paper and quickly walked

    out.

    Suddenly.

    76k Yours

    A muffled groan could be faintly heard from behind, as if someone was desperately suppressing their pain and moaning.

    I paused for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but turn around to look.

    The man was seen holding his forehead with one hand and pressing his stomach with the other, looking in pain.

    I looked at him in astonishment, ¡°What¡­ what happened to you?¡±

    The man lifted his gaze and looked at me, his eyes still dark and cold.

    He said, ¡°I don¡¯t want your pity, get out of here!¡±

    I was startled by his yelling, stood there for a moment, and then turned

    around and walked out.

    This man had a very peculiar personality.

    I just asked him what was wrong, and he angrily said not to pity him.

    I reallyughed to death.

    Who would pity him!

    Looking around, he was already the man standing at the top of the world.

    I pitied no one, and no one pitied him, right?

    As the door was opened, there suddenly came a sound of things being smashed from behind.

    I didn¡¯t turn back and silently cursed ¡°crazy¡± in my heart.

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    Chapter236

    When I came out of the president¡¯s office, I noticed that everyone in the office was looking at me.

    Were they waiting to see how Mr. Humphrey, who was in a bad mood, would punish me?

    As I emerged unscathed, a hint of disappointment shed across the faces of several colleagues.

    I sneered in my heart, and indeed, I disappointed them.

    Mny hurriedly approached and asked, ¡°How did it go, Esmeralda? Did Mr. Humphrey say anything?¡±

    I handed the report, which Reynaldo had crumpled into a ball, back to her. ¡°Mr. Humphrey said your report was too rigid andplicated, made ording to a temte. He was very angry and told you to leave.¡±

    Mny¡¯s face turned pale in an instant, and tears streamed down her face.

    What should I do? I can¡¯t afford to lose this job.

    Last night, my daughter kept causing a fuss, so I just quickly filled out this report and handed it in.

    ¡°Esmeralda, I will redo it, I will redo it right away. Can you please go talk to Mr. Humphrey and ask him not to fire me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Tsk, Mny, did you ask the wrong person?¡±

    Someone started gossiping again, mocking tone, ¡°You should ask Kimberly, huh? Beg her? Hrious, does she have that ability?¡±

    11

    ¡°Well, Mr. Humphrey doted on Kimberly the most. You must be out of your mind to ask someone whom Mr. Humphrey despises to help you plead your case.¡±

    ¡°But I also don¡¯t know if Kimberly went to work today, and I don¡¯t know if she will help me plead.¡± Mny said tearfully.

    The person next to him sneered again, ¡°Then you don¡¯t need to ask for help from Ms. Duffy, what can she do for you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and Mr. Humphrey must have been in an even worse mood because he saw her, that¡¯s why he wanted to fire you. You shouldn¡¯t have let her help you deliver the reports!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, this woman is a bothersome jinx. Before she came, our Mr. Humphrey had never been so gloomy. It¡¯s all her fault.¡±

    I coldly tugged at my lips and said to Mny, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just deliberately told Mr. Humphrey that I made this report.¡±

    Mny was startled.

    Even the colleagues next to me were staring at me with a look of disbelief.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey actually didn¡¯t kick you out!¡±

    I grinned at them and hummed, ¡°Yeah, I disappointed you.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t get too proud, Mr. Humphrey only didn¡¯t kick you out because he felt sorry for you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a janitor, how dare he even think aboutparing himself to Kimberly?¡±

    I rolled my eyes speechlessly.

    These people are really boring. It is they themselves who always bring up

    <b>15:35 </b>

    Chapter236

    289 Vouchers

    Kimberly,paring me to her, which ironically mocks me for wanting topare myself to Kimberly.

    I am really impressed.

    I ignored them.

    They seemed to find it boring as well, and one by one they snorted at me coldly and then returned to their own workstations to do their tasks.

    Only Mny looked at me with gratitude on her face.

    She said, ¡°Esmeralda, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so kind¨Chearted. I¡¯m sorry, I had a bad attitude towards you at first. I also heard a lot of bad things about you from them, so I prejudged your character.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you redo this report again, and this time, be more serious. After you finish it, I will submit it for you.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay.¡±

    Mny nodded quickly and then pulled me aside, whispering to me, ¡°Those people just saw that Mr. Humphrey likes Kimberly, so they¡¯re trying to tter her. Don¡¯t pay too much attention to it.¡±

    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°You all noticed that Mr. Humphrey liked Kimberly, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Of course, although Kimberly was just a small secretary, Mr. Humphrey gave her more privileges than the head of the secretarial team.

    And Kimberly used to enter the president¡¯s office without any notification or knocking on the door.

    The most enviable thing is that Mr. Humphrey was really good to her. Once, when she was resting in the president¡¯s office, she suddenly said she wanted to cat pastries from a certain shop. Mr. Humphrey personally ran out and stood in line for over an hour to buy them for her.

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    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°How do you know he waited in line for over an hour outside?¡± I asked expressionlessly, not believing that Reynaldo would be such a patient

    person.

    Of course, if he truly loved Kimberly to the core, perhaps it would be different.

    Mny hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°They were spreading rumors, they all said that, and they were even specting that Mr. Humphrey and Kimberly were about to get married.¡±

    153540

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    Chapter237

    So you see, they ttered Kimberly to the point of bing what they are, because they believed that in the future, she would be the president¡¯s wife of thispany.

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    Rumors were not groundless.

    They all spread it like this, so it¡¯s possible that Reynaldo was really considerate to Kimberly in thepany.

    As I thought about the man¡¯s attitude towards me, a bitter feeling welled up in my heart, apanied by an indescribable sense of sorrow.

    Mny seemed to remember something and quickly nced at me, smiling in surprise, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot you used to be Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex¨Cwife.¡±

    What I just said, don¡¯t take it seriously, it¡¯s all hearsay, you know.¡±

    After Mny finished speaking, she returned to her desk in astonishment and started working on the report.

    I lowered my gaze and self¨Cmockingly tugged at my lips.

    What¡¯s the big deal about being sad? It¡¯s not like I just found out today that Reynaldo likes Kimberly. There¡¯s nothing to feel down about.

    I returned to my workstation, ready to find something to do.

    But in my mind, Reynaldo¡¯s painful expression unconsciously resurfaced.

    Is that man okay?

    15.35

    Chapter237

    229 Vouchers

    Before, at the construction site, they used to say that the boss often suffered from stomach problems, and the construction site boss was him.

    So, he couldn¡¯t really have had a stomach problem, right?

    No, during those three years of marriage, he never had a stomachache.

    How long has it been since we divorced that he got stomach disease? When did he get the stomach disease?

    Remembering his agonizing appearance just now, I unconsciously scratched the table.

    His stomach problem seemed really serious.

    What should we do? Is there any medicine beside him?

    I couldn¡¯t help but nce towards the direction of the president¡¯s office, and instantly felt a bit annoyed and conflicted in my heart.

    Last time at the construction site, it was someone else who hurriedly went to buy medicine for him.

    With his personality, he definitely did not carry stomach medicine with

    him.

    What should I do? Should I go and buy medicine for him?

    I took a deep breath and silently warned myself not to meddle in other people¡¯s business.

    It¡¯s just a stomachache, you won¡¯t die.

    I opened my own mailbox and pulled out the script I had previously written for fun, trying to shift my attention.

    But the painful appearance of that man kept shing in my mind.

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    Chapter237

    I irritably closed the document and stood up.

    I was really frustrated. I happened to see the man in a sickly state.

    I really owe him!

    289 Vouchers

    I thought to myself with a heavy heart, and then I picked up my phone and went out to buy him stomach medicine.

    There was a pharmacy near the downstairs.

    I bought stomach medicine and hurriedly ran back to thepany.

    When I arrived at the door of the president¡¯s office, I still knocked on the door.

    Soon, the door was pulled open from the inside by someone.

    I instinctively looked inside, but I was stunned.

    Kimberly was seen sitting in Reynaldo¡¯s seat, but it was unclear when she had arrived.

    And Reynaldo didn¡¯t know where he had gone, but there was the sound of watering from the lounge.

    The one who opened the door for me was the secretary team leader, Leticia Dalton.

    She frowned and nced at me disdainfully, then turned to Kimberly andplimented, ¡°Kimberly, it has to be you. You are truly Mr. Humphrey¡¯s lucky star. You cured Mr. Humphrey¡¯s stomachache as soon as you arrived, unlike some people who only cause trouble for Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    The so¨Ccalled ¡°certain people¡± she mentioned obviously refers to me.

    I remained silent and instinctively tightened my grip on the stomach medicine in my hand.

    15:353

    11

    Kimberly smiled shyly and said, ¡°I was very aware of my condition, and he didn¡¯t take regr stomach medicine, only the one I bought for him.¡±

    So, I always carried this stomach medicine with me.

    ¡°Who does Mr. Humphrey like if not you, Kimberly, who is attentive and considerate?¡±

    At that moment, Reynaldo walked out of the lounge.

    He looked as if he had just washed his face, with water droplets on his handsome face and a few wet strands of hair on his forehead.

    However, hisplexion had indeed improved a lotpared to what I had just seen.

    As soon as he came out, Kimberly quickly got up and helped him sit on the chair, asking with concern, ¡°Reynaldo, are you feeling better?¡±

    Reynaldo nodded faintly without saying anything.

    Kimberly sighed again, pretending, ¡°Luckily, I came early today. I also brought the stomach medicine you often take with me. Otherwise, I really wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    <b>15</b><b>:</b>3500

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    Reynaldo,e on, you fell ill, why are you still keeping it to yourself? You could have asked anyone of them to go out and buy medicine for

    you.

    And there¡¯s Ms. Duffy, she¡¯s so free, you can let here in and take care of you, after all, she is your ex¨Cwife, she knows that you have stomach problems, she must be worried too.

    ¡°Her?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered and cast a cold nce at me.

    I pursed my lips, clenched the stomach medicine tightly behind me, and my heart was full of self¨Cmockery.

    Look, how unnecessary and ridiculous it was for me to buy so much stomach medicine on this trip.

    ¡°Hey, Ms. Duffy, you suddenly came in. Is there something wrong?¡± Kimberly suddenly asked me again.

    I shook my head lightly and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, I just wanted to ask Mr. Humphrey when he needs the report.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, Ms. Duffy, Reynaldo¡¯s stomach is in so much pain, and you¡¯re still only concerned about work?¡± Kimberly looked at me with a puzzled expression.

    Iughed and said, ¡°Why does thepany care about personal matters? Besides, Mr. Humphrey just has a stomachache, it¡¯s not like something serious happened. Don¡¯t you still care about him?¡±

    ¡°Get out of here!¡±

    Chapter238

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo suddenly growled at me and then closed his eyes, looking disgusted by my presence.

    My heart twitched, and the hand behind my back almost crushed the medicine bottle.

    After a moment, I forced a nonchnt tone and said, ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    Reynaldo grabbed the pen on the table and threw it at me, looking extremely furious.

    288 Vouchers

    I dodged the pen he threw at me, silently closed the door, and muttered ¡°crazy¡± in my heart again.

    I don¡¯t know what he was angry about.

    If he really disliked me that much, then why did he have to keep me under his watchful eye?

    He was truly a person of extreme contradictions.

    I returned to my workstation and looked at the medicine box in my hand, which I had almost deformed by tampering with it. I sarcastically tugged at my lips.

    Well, it was unnecessary after all.

    What they wanted to eat was just the medicine bought by his beloved.

    People saw me and could only be disgusted by my¨Cappearance.

    I actually went eagerly to buy medicine for him and anxiously delivered it to him.

    Oh, Esmeralda, Esmeralda, did you lose your mind?

    27.02

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    I no longer want to pay attention to Reynaldo.

    17

    288 Vouchers.

    Even if he fell ill, in excruciating pain, I no longer want to worry about him excessively.

    I threw the medicine into the trash can, then dragged the chair and continued working.

    At noon, Reynaldo and Kimberly walked out of the president¡¯s office side by side.

    Kimberly nced at me and then asked Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, where are we going to eat today? Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t seem to be in high spiritstely. Should we invite her to join us?¡±

    Alright, the troublemaker bitch has started causing trouble again.

    I looked up and said to Mny, who was busy packing her bag, ¡°Wait for me, I will go to the cafeteria with you to have a meal.¡±

    Mny paused for a moment, then nced at Reynaldo and eximed in surprise, ¡°You, you¡¯re going to the cafeteria too?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just go to the canteen and eat. After we finish eating, we¡¯ll still have time toe up and rest for half a day. How nice.¡±

    With that, I took out my phone and walked outside, holding her arm.

    The cold gaze kept drifting towards me, but I pretended not to see and walked out with Mny, talking andughing.

    Until we walked out of Secretariat and got into the elevator, Mny¡¯s stiff back finally rxed. She whispered to me, ¡°Actually, I was nning to invite you to have lunch at the cafeteria, but just now I overheard

    Kimberly telling Mr. Humphrey that she wanted to take you out to eat, so I didn¡¯t dare to invite you.¡±

    By the way, why didn¡¯t you go out for a big meal with them?

    15.353

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    ¡°Can you cat a meal while the light bulb is on?

    242 (routers

    Mny chuckled in surprise, ¡°It was a bit awkward, but Mr. Humphrey seemed really upset. The look in his eyes just now was as if he wanted to kill someone.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°He was like that every day, what¡¯s so special about it?¡±

    Mny admiredly gave me a thumbs up and said, ¡°Being a woman who has been with Mr. Humphrey is different. The courage is truly

    remarkable. If Mr. Humphrey were to look at us with that kind of gaze, we would probably be scared stiff.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be afraid of him, he¡¯s just a lunatic.¡±

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    I casually said, which surprised Mny greatly.

    127

    ¡°Oh my God, in this world, perhaps only you dared to call him a madman.¡±

    The elevator door opened, and the cafeteria was on the third floor.

    There were many people in thepany, so meals were also divided into batches.

    This batch mainly consisted of employees from the 20th to the 29th floor.

    I walked out of the elevator with Mny.

    Mny held onto my arm, seeming quite curious about me and Reynaldo.

    She asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Speaking of which, Mr. Humphrey is wealthy and handsome, how could you bear to divorce him?¡±

    I said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s there to hesitate about? If it¡¯s not suitable, just leave.¡±

    ¡°Huh~~ Esmeralda, stop pretending to be tough,¡± Mny chuckled at me, ¡°They all say that after Mr. Humphrey became sessful, he dumped you. But there¡¯s nothing embarrassing about it. People like Mr.

    Humphrey, even if they kicked a goddess, it would be normal, let alone us ordinary people. So just openly say that you were dumped by Mr. Humphrey, I won¡¯tugh at you.¡±

    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± I nodded absentmindedly.

    There is no way around it, Reynaldo is now in their hearts, like a god¨Clike

    presence.

    <b>15:35 </b>0

    100

    Mny said again, ¡°But you are so silly. When he wanted to divorce you, why didn¡¯t you ask him for a separation fee?¡±

    You see how rich he is, we have to ask him for tens of millions, only then will we agree to divorce.

    You see, you used to have to work so hard and rely on him to make a living, how unfair it was.

    If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t agree to divorce just for a few million dors.

    I nodded with a smile and said half seriously, half jokingly, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Oh dear, I suddenly regret it so much. If only I had asked him for a few billion back then.¡±

    ¡°Is it so? Are you regretting it?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, a chilly voice suddenly drifted from behind.

    Mny and I suddenly widened our eyes.

    Mny looked at me in horror and said in colloquialnguage, ¡°No way, Mr. Humphrey was behind us?¡±

    I also thought it was impossible, after all, didn¡¯t Reynaldo go out to eat with Kimberly?

    And besides, he is the esteemed CEO, so he wouldn¡¯te to this employee cafeteria, right?

    The voice just now, with a distinct coolness, was clearly Reynaldo¡¯s voice.

    Mny was stiff all over, and the hand that was holding onto my arm was trembling slightly.

    ¡°What, what should I do?¡±

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    283 (Vouchers

    Mny whispered to me.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, let¡¯s go eat.¡®

    11

    ¡°This, this doesn¡¯t seem appropriate, he just seemed to be asking you something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s pretend we didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±

    Just as I was pulling Mny and walking quickly towards the cafeteria.

    A

    tall figure suddenly stood in front of me, and it was Reynaldo.

    The man¡¯s face was gloomy and his whole body exuded a touch of hostility.

    Mny was so scared that she trembled, she broke free from my hand and

    ran away.

    I looked at her back in silence, Reynaldo was terrifying, but not to this

    extent.

    ¡°Are you regretting it?¡± Reynaldo suddenly asked me.

    I nced at him lightly and said, ¡°What?¡±

    This man is really fickle. In the morning, he was telling me to ¡°get lost,¡± but now he is actively stopping me to talk. I don¡¯t know what he wants to do.

    ¡°Do you regret getting divorced?¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, I didn¡¯t regret divorcing, you know.¡± I looked at him in confusion.

    When did I say I regretted getting divorced? I just told Mny that I regretted getting divorced and didn¡¯t ask him for alimony.

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    Changing concepts is not done like this.

    11

    Reynaldo suddenly approached me, his pair of ck eyes staring at me without blinking.

    Kimberly, who was beside him, tugged at his arm and whispered,

    ¡°Reynaldo, let¡¯s go eat, I¡¯m so hungry.¡±

    However, Reynaldo seemed as if he hadn¡¯t heard her voice.

    The man stared at me with his pair of ck eyes, as if he wanted to see through me.

    ¡°If that divorce agreement were presented to you again, would you still sign it?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sign?¡± I instinctively said.

    In an instant, the man¡¯s face darkened a few shades, to the point that I didn¡¯t dare to utter the words, ¡°But before signing, I will definitely ask you for some separation fee.¡±

    Heughed at me coldly twice and said, ¡°Indeed, I should not have had any illusions about you.¡±

    I furrowed my brow and looked at him with a puzzled expression on my face.

    What does it mean?

    What does it mean not to have any illusions about me? What illusions did

    he have about me?

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    Really!

    The man gave me a cold nce and then turned around to go to the cafeteria with Kimberly.

    I stared at his back in frustration.

    It was really inexplicable!

    It was simply dying my meal!

    Reynaldo should nevere to the employee cafeteria, but this time, as soon as he appeared in the cafeteria, the previously bustling cafeteria instantly quieted down, and even the atmosphere changed.

    I silently slipped away from him and thought to myself, he shouldn¡¯t havee to this staff canteen, it¡¯s simply affecting the employees¡® mealtime.

    ¡°Ah, Esmeralda!¡±

    As soon as I entered, Mny waved at me.

    But when she saw Reynaldo, she quickly withdrew her hand.

    I hurriedly walked towards Mny.

    Mny, who had a strong build, quickly pushed through the crowd and grabbed two trays. She then pulled me towards the window to join the

    queue.

    She nced in Reynaldo¡¯s direction and whispered to me, ¡°Did Mr. Humphrey reallye to the staff canteen to eat?¡±

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    ¡°Who knows, maybe they got tired of the food outside.¡±

    Mny anxiously rubbed her face and said, ¡°He definitely heard the things we were talking about just now. What should I do? Will he fire me?¡±

    218 (Vouchers

    ¡°No, if he wanted to fire you, he would have kicked you out on the spot just now.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­..¡± Mny finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. I was really scared just now.¡±

    She said, then nced at Reynaldo, and suddenly said to me with a jealous look on her face, ¡°Ah, I really envy Kimberly. Look at her, she just needs to sit there beautifully and someone will serve her. Unlike us, we have to line up for food, and the worst part is that we can only choose three dishes!¡±

    I followed her gaze and saw Kimberly sitting with Reynaldo by the window.

    The person in the kitchen specifically came out to serve them.

    Kimberly was holding the menu and ordering.

    The slender neck was proudly raised, and that posture truly resembled a noble and proud swan.

    Looking at us ordinary people again, one by one holding trays, lining up, eagerly looking at the delicious dishes in the window.

    No wonder Mny would envy.

    Mny sighed again and said, ¡°Hey, howe Kimberly is so lucky? I haven¡¯t heard that she is the daughter of a wealthy family. How did she manage to catch Mr. Humphrey¡¯s attention?¡±

    ¡°Each flower enters each eye, there is nothing particrly remarkable,¡± I

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    said.

    288 Wouchers

    Mny suddenly turned around and nced at me, saying, ¡°Actually, I think you are much prettier than that Kimberly.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Really, your figure is even better than that of Kimberly. Look at her, so skinny andcking any curves.¡±

    I really can¡¯t understand how Mr. Humphrey could have fallen for her and dumped you.

    Hey, Esmeralda, why don¡¯t you try to seduce Mr. Humphrey again? Maybe he¡¯ll take the bait this time.

    I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes and said expressionlessly, ¡°If he had taken the bait, how could he have kicked me? Isn¡¯t that contradictory?¡±

    Uh!

    Mny chuckled in surprise, ¡°Well, I just think that with looks like yours, as long as you use a little bit of strategy, there¡¯s no man who wouldn¡¯t be interested.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh as I watched Mny, who seemed as if she wanted to turn into a man.

    The food in thepany was very good, much tastier than the food on the construction site.

    Mny rmended me a few dishes, saying that those dishes were the most delicious and usually sold out if you arrivedte.

    Each person could choose a maximum of three dishes.

    Mny wanted to try several dishes, so she asked me to choose three different ones from hers.

    <b>15.35 </b>

    Chapter240

    299 Vouchers

    After finishing the meal, the two of us looked around and found that there were basically no seats avable, except for the ones near Reynaldo.

    Wow, it seems like nobody dared to sit next to Reynaldo.

    Mny looked at me with a worried expression and said, ¡°What should we do, Esmeralda? Where should we sit?¡±

    ¡°Sit wherever there was an empty seat.¡±

    I walked towards Reynaldo while holding a tray.

    Anyway, I came to the cafeteria to have a meal. I didn¡¯t offend that man, can he really eat me in front of these employees?

    Mny sighed heavily and reluctantly followed along.

    We sat at the table next to Reynaldo, with only an aisle separating our table from theirs.

    After sitting down, I divided each dish on my te in half and gave half of each to Mny.

    Mny also quickly picked some food from her te and gave it to me.

    I lowered my head, ready to eat, when Kimberly¡¯s soft and weak voice suddenly drifted from beside me.

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    ¡°Reynaldo, look at Ms. Duffy, she had to resort to such methods just to have a few more dishes.¡±

    We just ordered a lot of dishes. Let¡¯s ask her toe and eat with us.

    I furrowed my brows deeply.

    This bad woman, she really is, won¡¯t I die if she doesn¡¯t provoke me for a day?

    I turned to the side, half facing away from them, and said to Mny, ¡°This big pot of food is really delicious, much better than the food cooked by someone else. Hmm, I just love eating this kind of big pot dish.¡±

    Mny looked at me in surprise and smiled, not daring to say a word.

    Soon, Reynaldo¡¯s cold sneer came from beside: ¡°Some people just don¡¯t know how to appreciate. Even if she sleeps on the street and starves to death, she doesn¡¯t deserve pity.¡±

    Ha!

    I sneered in my heart, who wanted them to be pitiful, they were just being sentimental.

    I ignored them and buried my head, focusing on my meal.

    Poor Mny, Reynaldo was there, but she dared not let go and eat freely. She only took small bites, eating the food on the te with extreme refinement and restraint.

    Speaking of the braised chicken leg, it was also crushed, and then she slowly picked up the chicken meat and put it into her mouth, which made

    <b>15:35 </b>

    Chapter241

    me feel so frustrated.

    17

    288 Vouchers

    I finished the food on my te, but she hasn¡¯t finished even half of it.

    Looking over at Reynaldo¡¯s side, their dishes were already served.

    Hmm, seven or eight dishes were ready in less than half an hour.

    The employees in this kitchen, they really didn¡¯t dare to be negligent at all.

    Mny nced at their table, her eyes filled with deep envy.

    I whispered to her, ¡°Don¡¯t envy, next time when we get paid, I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Mny looked at me with gratitude, ¡°My two children are money pits, I haven¡¯t had a proper meal in years.¡±

    ¡°Really, I¡¯ll wait until the day I get paid.¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡± Mny nodded heavily, moved to tears.

    And I don¡¯t know if it was because the food was so delicious or because I was pregnant, but my appetite increased a lot. I finished the food on my te, yet I still felt hungry.

    I picked up the tray and went to get some food to bring over.

    Mny looked at me in shock and said, ¡°You can eat so much?¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Being able to eat is a blessing.¡±

    Mny nced at herself, then nced at me, with a look of envy, and said, ¡°Howe you never gain weight at all?¡±

    ¡°I digested it well.¡± I smiled at her and said.

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    Just at that moment, the soft and somewhatpassionate voice of Kimberly drifted over.

    17

    288 vouchers

    ¡°Reynaldo, look at Ms. Duffy, she must have had a tough time recently. That¡¯s why she¡¯s enjoying the cafeteria food so much, as she probably hasn¡¯t had anything good to eat.¡±

    Anyway, we couldn¡¯t finish all these dishes, so I brought a few dishes over to her.

    I furrowed my brows deeply.

    This woman was really annoying.

    Not hearing a word from Reynaldo, Kimberly quickly brought two dishes and ced them on our table.

    Mny busily said, ¡°Thank you<i>, </i>Kimberly. Thank you, Kimberly.¡±

    Kimberly ignored her and just looked at me with a face full of pity, ¡°Ms. Duffy, after your family went bankrupt, you must have suffered a lot, living from hand to mouth, right?¡±

    ¡°Here, this is for you from Reynaldo. Eat it quickly, look how much weight you¡¯ve lost.¡±

    She spoke and pushed the two dishes towards me.

    Impatiently, I dropped the fork and snapped at her, ¡°Thanks for your kindness, but unfortunately, I had already eaten. You guys can enjoy it yourselves.¡±

    With that, I looked at Mny and said, ¡°Have you eaten enough? If you have, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Mny stood up busily and eximed, ¡°I ate enough, I ate enough.¡±

    With that, she hurriedly nodded and bowed to Reynaldo and Kimberly,

    16

    <b>15.350 </b>

    Chapter241

    saying, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Humphrey, thank you, Kimberly. Well then¡­ we¡­ we should go and get busy.¡±

    Reynaldo remained silent, his face cold as ice.

    288 Vouchers

    Kimberly pretended and said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, at this point, you really don¡¯t have to hold onto your pride, after all, people have to face reality.¡±

    Starving oneself harms one¡¯s own body, so in the end, it is still oneself who suffers. Therefore, you should go ahead and eat these two dishes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not someone else giving it to you, it¡¯s Reynaldo giving it to you.¡±

    I tried my best to suppress the annoyance in my heart and smiled at her, saying, ¡°Thank you very much for your and Mr. Humphrey¡¯s kindness. However, I actually had a good appetite, but unfortunately, your excessive talking made me feel physically ufortable.¡±

    82 <b>53 </b>

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    I feel a little nauseous now, so you can take this dish back and eat it yourselves, so that I won¡¯t vomit in front of youter and affect your appetite.

    Mny stared at me in astonishment, her slightly chubby face filled with both admiration and fear.

    Kimberly¡¯s face, on the other hand, was pale and greenish, as she said with a tone of grievance, ¡°I also felt sorry for you, that¡¯s why I¡­¡±

    ¡°Who asked you to pity me? Don¡¯t go around pretending to be sympathetic and disgustinglypassionate all the time, okay?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo immediately shouted at me with a cold warning.

    I mocked myself in my heart.

    Look, I just can¡¯t mention this white lotus flower. Whenever I mention her, Reynaldo gets upset.

    So, I should have been bullied by this white lotus flower, huh?

    Feeling frustrated in my heart, I ignored them and dragged Mny away.

    Kimberly¡¯s voice choked with grievance from behind: ¡°Reynaldo, I meant well, why does Ms. Duffy always have this attitude?¡±

    I didn¡¯t hear Reynaldo respond, but I could feel his sinister and cold gaze fixed on my back.

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    A touch of bitterness welled up in my heart, and I quickly walked out of the cafeteria, irritably kicking my feet.

    Mny nced at me and said, ¡°Kimberly did speak a bit rudely.¡±

    I was startled and looked at her, ¡°Did you hear it?¡±

    ¡°Even a fool could tell that,¡± Mny said. ¡°Kimberly¡¯s words just now were filled with arrogance, seemingly for your own good, offering you two dishes to eat, but in reality, she was mocking you.¡±

    Look, even Mny could tell.

    But Reynaldo pretended to be deaf and dumb on purpose, favoring that

    woman.

    So, it wasn¡¯t that Reynaldo couldn¡¯t see Kimberly¡¯s lotus¨Clike characteristics, but rather that he deliberately indulged her.

    With this thought, my heart became even more sour and bitter.

    Mny said again, ¡°Actually, Kimberly always has this arrogant attitude towards everyone, and everyone knows it. But there¡¯s nothing we can do because she¡¯s the woman Mr. Humphrey likes. So even if we don¡¯t like her, we still have to tter her, after all, for the sake of getting ahead in thepany in the future.¡±

    So Esmeralda, don¡¯t be stubborn either, don¡¯t go against her, otherwise your future days may be difficult.

    ¡°Unless¡­¡±

    Mny spoke, casting a strange nce at me.

    I asked listlessly, ¡°Unless what?¡±

    ¡°Unless you could seduce Mr. Humphrey and snatch him back.¡±

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    As soon as I heard this, I walked away.

    I really didn¡¯t like hearing this.

    I didn¡¯t want to seduce Reynaldo.

    Even if I was abused by Kimberly, I still wouldn¡¯t want to seduce that

    man.

    ¡°Oh, Esmeralda, why don¡¯t you give it a try? If you can really win Mr. Humphrey back, you will be the president¡¯s wife of thispany in the future, and I can also benefit from it. How great would that be.¡±

    ¡°No way, I¡¯d rather sweep the streets than care about this so¨Ccalled president¡¯s wife!¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Mny eximed and quickly caught up with me, shaking my arm and whispering, ¡°Oh no, Mr. Humphrey followed us out and heard what you just said. This is bad.¡±

    I subconsciously turned my head and caught sight of Reynaldo and Kimberly walking out of the cafeteria.

    The man¡¯s gaze at me was several degrees colder than before, and his eyes were as sharp as knives.

    I turned around slowly and said to Mny, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly, or else we will have to take the same elevator with himter.¡±

    Mny, like a sudden enlightenment, hurriedly pulled me towards the

    elevator.

    Just as luck would have it, one elevator door opened and the employees at the entrance rushed inside.

    Mny also pulled me and hurriedly squeezed inside.

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    Just as I squeezed in, about to breathe a sigh of relief, I saw Reynaldo alsoe in.

    There were only people inside, and I was already standing on the outside. As soon as he came in, he got very close to me.

    Beep! Beep! Beep!

    Fortunately, at this moment, the rm of elevator overload sounded.

    I subconsciously thought, ¡°Whoever came inst goes out.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t move, his cold eyes looked at me with a yful expression.

    At this moment, people inside started to move, one after another, heading towards the outside.

    Even Mny also rushed out with the crowd.

    I was stunned, and when I came to my senses, everyone in the elevator had already left, leaving me standing there foolishly.

    I hurriedly buried my head and also rushed outside.

    But unexpectedly, a long arm stretched across in front of me, and immediately after, his fingers quickly pressed the door close button. ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    When Kimberly hurried over, the elevator door was closing.

    29 26

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    So her pitiful appearance, on the verge of tears, was immediately cut off from the elevator door.

    Everything happened too quickly, I hadn¡¯t even had time to react when the man in front of me pressed his hands on my shoulders and pinned me against the elevator wall.

    Just as the elevator was going up, I suddenly felt dizzy and my vision blurred. I frowned and asked him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, ¡°It was some of your words that made me very unhappy. When I¡¯m unhappy, I want to punish you. What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Well, then don¡¯t listen!¡± I said angrily.

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to listen, but your mouth¡­ it just never learns!¡±

    The man finished speaking and then bit my lip.

    ate pain, angrily pushing him.

    He pressed against me fiercely and kissed me forcefully and dominantly.

    I went crazy and increasingly felt that this man was a pervert.

    Howe his stomach didn¡¯t hurt him to death in the morning!

    With a ¡°ding,¡± the elevator door opened.

    1004

    25.26

    As the door opened, cries of surprise floated in.

    Reynaldo let go of me and calmly adjusted his tie before walking out.

    I wiped my lips forcefully and followed him out.

    It is just ridiculous that the employees at the entrance, one by one. showed great respect to Reynaldo. When Reynaldo came out of the elevator, they all nodded and bowed to him.

    When I went out, they looked at me with contemptuous eyes one by one.

    It seemed as if I deliberately flirted with Reynaldo in the elevator.

    I was so angry!

    Well, by the afternoon, rumors of me seducing Reynaldo in the elevator had already spread around the office.

    Mny came running to me excitedly and said, ¡°Esmeralda, you finally figured it out, that¡¯s great! They said Mr. Humphrey even kissed you, I think there¡¯s something going on.¡±

    I propped up my chin and didn¡¯t feel like talking.

    At this moment, mockingughter came: ¡°Some people shamelessly seduced Mr. Humphrey, and she even boasted about it.¡±

    I turned my head and saw Kimberly staring at me with a resentful expression on her face.

    And the one who just mocked me was Leticia, the secretary team leader standing beside her.

    I tugged at my lip and said, ¡°What¡¯s not honorable about it? After all, you want to seduce Mr. Humphrey, but I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have the courage. Even if you had the courage to seduce him, Mr. Humphrey probably wouldn¡¯t kiss you.¡±

    Chapter243

    Oh, I got it, but you couldn¡¯t evene close. What¡¯s wrong with me showing off a little?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Leticia instantly became furious, her face turning red.

    288 (Vouchers

    Kimberly tugged at her arm and whispered softly, ¡°Don¡¯t stoop to her level. She¡¯s also pitiful. I¡¯ve been finding ways to retaliate against her and humiliate her ever since she offended me. I¡¯ve tried pleading on her behalf several times, but it didn¡¯t make any difference.¡±

    Leticia¡¯s eyes flickered and she eximed, ¡°So you mean Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t actually want to kiss that despicable woman, he was just humiliating her?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡± Kimberly pretended, fidgeting and hesitating, ¡°You can¡¯t say it like that, anyway¡­ um, it¡¯s hard to say¡­¡±

    Her hesitant and speechless appearance made everyone in the office¡¯s imagination run wild.

    Leticia chuckled and said, ¡°I knew it! Mr. Humphrey could never have wanted to kiss her. He must have been humiliating her at that time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­ At that time, the elevator door opened, and we only saw Mr. Humphrey¡¯s back, we didn¡¯t actually see Mr. Humphrey kissing her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Humphrey must have been ying with her, mocking her. No wonder when Mr. Humphrey came out of the elevator, his face was cold and indifferent.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, it was useless for this woman to throw herself at Mr. Humphrey. How could she have the audacity to still be so proud?¡±

    Waves of mockingughter came.

    Mny looked at me awkwardly.

    I straightened my cor, sat up straight, and pouted towards them, saying,

    <b>15.36 </b>

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    ¡°See, this broken skin on my lip is where Mr. Humphrey bit me¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    17

    Jere

    As soon as I said those words, they shrugged their shoulders and all of them cursed me for being shameless and used me of lying.

    ¡°You stopped making up stories, and those lips must have been bitten by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Humphrey already disliked you, and besides, Mr. Humphrey is clearly a charismatic man with a strong sense of self¨Ccontrol. How could he possibly do such a thing to you?¡±

    As soon as I heard the words ¡°forbidden¡± and ¡°desire,¡± my heart was filled with mockery.

    They had truly never witnessed Reynaldo¡¯s obsession and madness in bed.

    The sound of scolding and mockery grew louder and louder.

    <b>360 </b>

 Too Close 244

    Kimberly also red at me with a malicious and resentful expression on her face.

    What¡¯s the matter with me feeling a little pleased when I see Kimberly getting angry like that?

    I leaned back on the chair and casually said to them, ¡°Whether you believe it or not, the fact is that Mr. Humphrey was both affectionate and biting towards me.¡±

    Ah, what I disdainfully disregard is something you all dream of, no wonder you are so jealous!

    As soon as the words fell, the door of the president¡¯s office suddenly opened.

    I was startled and quickly covered my mouth.

    Leticia proudly tugged at her lips and quickly approached Reynaldo to tattle: ¡°Mr. Humphrey, just now Esmeralda was bragging to us, saying that you were kissing and biting her in the elevator.¡±

    And she also said, ¡°She is both close and disdainful towards you.¡±

    I secretly tightened my hand under the table.

    If I had known that Reynaldo would suddenly appear, I wouldn¡¯t have chatted away.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes drifted coldly towards me, and he lightly chuckled, ¡°Is

    that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we all heard it.¡±

    <b>1536 </b>

    ¡°Yes, yes, she was even proud of it, saying that we all envied her.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly walked over and took Reynaldo¡¯s arm, speaking softly and gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry either. I reckon Ms. Duffy has been going through a tough timetely, so she deliberately said those things to salvage some dignity and save face for herself.¡±

    ¡°Dignity and face?¡± Reynaldo sneered coldly, mocking, ¡°Do you think she still has any?¡±

    My colleagues in the office cast mocking nces at me one after another.

    I stared straight ahead at theputer in front of me, trying my best to ignore the ring mockery,

    Ah, I really shouldn¡¯t have talked so much in the future,

    This man was really like something, appearing and disappearing mysteriously.

    Just as I was thinking, suddenly, a document came crashing down out of nowhere.

    I furrowed my brows and met Reynaldo¡¯s cool gaze.

    ¡°Report, redo!¡±

    I instinctively looked at Mny,

    Mny shook her head silently: I did it very seriously!

    After Reynaldo said those four words, he turned around and went back to the president¡¯s office.

    Mny quickly picked up the report that had fallen on the ground and eximed to me in a hurry, ¡°I was so careful this time, and I tried my best

    to make it simple and easy to understand. Why is it still not working?¡±

    I looked at the report in Mny¡¯s hand, and it was indeed much better than the one in the morning.

    It seems like Reynaldo deliberately came to pick a fight with me.

    288 Vouchers

    I rushed to her and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you go ahead and busy yourself, I¡¯ll do it myself next.¡±

    Mny nced at me apologetically and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Esmeralda.¡±

    Someone immediately sneered, ¡°Mny, it must be because Mr. Humphrey wanted to retaliate against this woman, so he deliberately said that the report was not up to standard. It¡¯s all her fault that you were harmed, and yet you still apologize to her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mny, did you lose your mind? Why would you ask her to deliver the report?¡±

    ¡°Have you had enough?¡± Mny finally exploded in anger, shouting at them, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any of you helping me this morning, and now Esmeralda is helping me, and all of yo¨´ are just standing here making sarcastic remarks. Are you all fake or what?¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Those few people felt bored, hummed, and then returned to their respective seats.

    Mny looked at me and said, ¡°Esmeralda, that report¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I said I made this report, so I made it. I will take care of the

    rest.¡±

    At the end of the workday, I held the third edition report and once again knocked on the door of the CEO¡¯s office.

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    ¡°Come in!¡±

    It was still a cold and indifferent voice..

    288 Arouchers

    I pushed the door open and saw Reynaldo picking up his phone to answer a call.

    ¡°Sure, I flew over early tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Okay, no problem. You hold them steady tonight.¡±

    I

    didn¡¯t know who he was talking to on the phone, and I didn¡¯t know what they were discussing, but I understood one message: Reynaldo was going on a business trip!

    The mood suddenly became beautiful.

    Great, I probably won¡¯t have to see his gloomy face for a few days.

    Feeling happy in my heart, I suddenly sensed a chilling gaze drifting towards me.

    I quickly pressed down the corners of my lips, and walked over respectfully with the report in my hand, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, this is the modified report. Please take a look.¡±

    There was nothing wrong with the report Mny made, I just made a few minor changes.

    Reynaldo remained silent, leaning back in his chair, coolly watching me.

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    Chapter245

    288 Vouchers

    I pursed my lips and neatly ced the report on his desk.

    His icy gaze skimmed over the report, finallynding on my face. ¡°You seemed quite happy just now? What, did you hear that I¡¯m going on a business trip, and it made you feel good?¡±

    felt a sudden panic in my heart.

    He actually discovered all my little thoughts.

    I shook my head quickly and said without changing my expression, ¡°No, don¡¯t guess randomly.¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled.

    He casually flipped through the report in front of him and then threw it at me, saying, ¡°Redo it!¡±

    I furrowed my brows deeply, and now I was even more certain that he was deliberately picking a fight with me.

    Suppressing the anger in my heart.

    I picked up the report that had fallen on the ground and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s the problem this time?¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Reynaldozily leaned back in his chair, looking superior, and said, ¡°But, I just don¡¯t want to let what you¡¯ve done pass, what should I do?¡±

    15.368

    Freakish!

    I cursed in my heart and asked respectfully on my face, ¡°Why?¡±

    20

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason why, I¡¯m just in a bad mood,¡± the man said with a faint smile, his cold and deep eyes revealing a hint of yfulness.

    I clenched the hand beside me in anger and asked him, ¡°So you mean to say that there is nothing wrong with this report, but just because I made it, you are not satisfied, right?¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow, which was considered as an approval.

    I took a slight breath and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t do this, it was done by other colleagues. Now, can you let it pass?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t seem surprised.

    He grinned and then walked up to me.

    He looked at me mockingly and sneered, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know when Ms. Duffy became so kind¨Chearted and willing to help a colleague she just met.¡±

    How did I not notice your kind heart before?

    Or is it that your heart was kind to everyone, except me?

    His slender fingers fell on my chest, slowly drawing circles.

    His eyes, however, were cold and sharp like a knife, carrying a hint of

    resentment.-

    I took a step back and pursed my lips, saying, ¡°I admit, I used to treat you badly, I was a bit harsh on you.¡±

    ¡°But now, your cruelty towards me is no less than what I once had towards you.¡±

    15.36)

    Chapter245

    ¡°That¡¯s because there was a cause for it!¡± He approached me again, his voice sounding menacing, ¡°Until now, you haven¡¯t shown the slightest hint of remorse.¡±

    288 (Vouchers

    I wriggled my lips to argue against his words, but I found that I couldn¡¯t find any words to refute him.

    ¡°To be honest¡­¡± he gritted his teeth at me, ¡°you are selfish and arrogant, with a heart as hard as iron, and there is not a single redeeming quality in you. Whoever falls in love with you is truly unlucky for eight lifetimes.¡±

    I red at him angrily and said, ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to worry about it, anyway it won¡¯t be you who¡¯s unlucky.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Moreover, you were venomous and perverted, narrow¨Cminded, capricious, sinister and domineering. Apart from being wealthy, you had no other merits. Whoever falls for you must have had sixteen lifetimes of bad luck.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    He gritted his teeth and grabbed hold of my cor tightly.

    I went and broke his hand irritably.

    He said that to me first, why can¡¯t I retort him like that?

    He was just like that Kimberly, allowing them to harm others but not allowing others to speak about them.

    Ha, they really are a perfect match!

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    At that moment, Kimberly ran in again.

    She saw Reynaldo entangled with me, and first she was stunned, then she

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    17

    288 Vouchers

    looked at Reynaldo with teary eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to get off work. Dr. He said he wanted toe and get the medicine today, so Reynaldo,

    you¡­¡±

    Reynaldo pushed me away.

    I quickly supported myself with the office desk and barely managed to stand steady.

    He coldly said to me, ¡°Get out!¡±

    I stood up and walked out.

    Roll if you want to, thinking that I would willinglye in and endure it?!

    When I came out of the president¡¯s office, the people in the office had already left one by one.

    Mny was still waiting for me at my seat.

    As soon as I came out, she hurried over and asked, ¡°How did it go, Esmeralda? What did Mr. Humphrey say?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, the report has been submitted, you should go pick up the child quickly.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! Well then, I¡¯ll leave first. Esmeralda, you should also leave work early.¡±

    After watching Mny hurriedly leave, I returned to my desk and packed up my bag.

    200120

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    Chapter246

    Soon, Reynaldo and Kimberly also came out of the president¡¯s office.

    Kimberly shouted at me. ¡°Ms. Duffy, we are leaving work. Where are you going? We will apany you all the way.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡± I said expressionlessly.

    Kimberly wanted to say something else, but Reynaldo said lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Watching them walk out of the office, I waited for a while before picking up my bag and heading to the cafeteria.

    Many of them hurried home and didn¡¯t eat much in the cafeteria after

    work.

    When I arrived at the cafeteria, there weren¡¯t many people inside.

    When I finished eating and returned to the rental house, it was alreadypletely dark.

    The weather is getting colder and darker now.

    I leaned wearily against the door panel, my gaze falling on the makeshift sofa.

    The scene of Reynaldo bullying me on the sofast night is vivid in my mind.

    I remembered, I hated it so much in my heart.

    What else can I do? I don¡¯t even have a little room for resistance now<b>. </b>

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    Chapter246

    289 (Vouchers

    However, he will have to go on a business trip early tomorrow morning, so he probably won¡¯te to bother me tonight.

    And this business trip of his, it would take at least two or three days round trip.

    So¡­

    Can I n to escape in these two or three days?

    At this thought, my heart suddenly raced.

    Yes, he didn¡¯t send anyone to watch over me, and my colleagues at thepany wouldn¡¯t pay attention to whether I was absent from work.

    So if I ran away, no one would know.

    When Reynaldo returned and discovered, I was afraid that I had already run away to a remote area, how could he find me?

    And Reynaldo transferred 100,000 to mest night. With that 100,000 on me, what do I have to be afraid of?

    The more I think about it, the more excited I be. I can¡¯t wait to run

    right now.

    No, no, what if Reynaldo goes crazy andes looking for me tonight? Wouldn¡¯t that be like alerting the enemy?

    Calm down, calm down.

    It would be over after tonight.

    I restrained my excited heart and ran to the balcony to bring in the newly bought bed sheets and duvet cover in the morning.

    As I finished making the bed, my excitement had not subsided yet.

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    Chapter246

    I seemed to see ¡®freedom¡® waving at me.

    Ah, I wish time could pass faster.

    289 (Vouchers

    To kill time, I went to the bathroom and took a shower, then Iy in bed and forced myself to fall asleep.

    I woke up and once I confirmed that Reynaldo had flown to another city, I quietly left.

    I even took out my phone and searched for some remote livable cities.

    I was afraid of the cold, so I temporarily chose a small city in the south.

    With a longing for a future of freedom, I peacefully entered dreand.

    Click!

    Click!

    In the middle of the night, I was sleeping soundly when I suddenly faintly heard the sound of a lock being opened.

    I instantly woke up and listened attentively to the sounds in the room.

    Patter! Click..

    I was startled, there was indeed the sound of unlocking, and it seemed like the door had already been opened, someone hade in!

    I was so scared that my scalp went numb.

    Who came in?

    Thief, or pervert?!

    I quickly reached for my phone on the bedside table, preparing to make a call to the police.

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    Suddenly, with a ¡°pop¡± sound, the lights in my living room suddenly turned on.

    2uchers

    Because the living room and bedroom of this house were connected, they were separated by arge ss panel in the middle.

    There were curtains, and there was also a door, but I didn¡¯t close the door, and the curtains were not tightly drawn.

    So when the lights in the living room turned on, many lights also turned on over here.

    Then, I looked through the gap in the curtains and saw, with fear, a person walking towards the bedroom.

    The room was not big to begin with, and the person quickly walked a few steps to the bedroom door.

    I was so scared that goosebumps rose all over my body, and I quickly crawled down from the bed and hid in the small wardrobe next to it.

    Just as I was opening the wardrobe, a yful voice suddenly came from behind, saying, ¡°If you hide in the wardrobe, I won¡¯t be able to find you, right?¡±

    My heart trembled fiercely!

    That sound¡­

    Reynaldo?!

    I quickly turned my head and indeed saw Reynaldo leaning against the bedroom door, looking at me with a smile on his face.

    In an instant, a surge of anger suddenly rushed to my heart.

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    Chapter247

    I rushed over suddenly, pounding his chest and shouting at him, ¡°Are you crazy? Scaring me like this in the middle of the night? If you can¡¯t sleep, go find someone else to hang out with. Why did youe here to scare me?¡±

    Perhaps it was just too scared a moment ago, and now the extreme fear fades away. The feeling of being wronged and angry rushes over me like a tidal wave, and a mist of tears unconsciously wells up in my eyes.

    His voice also carried a hint of a sob as he shouted, ¡°Reynaldo, you are a pervert, a lunatic! Coming to scare me in the middle of the night, I hate you, I hate you to death!¡±

    This man was really damn excessive.

    I was sleeping so soundly, but he had to go crazy and scare me.

    So hateful! I really wanted to beat him up.

    If it were during the three years of our marriage, I would have had someone beat him up.

    I was so angry!

    Reynaldo let me punch his chest a few times, and then he grabbed my

    wrist.

    He lowered his gaze, and his eyes fell on my chest.

    I was wearing a camisole nightgown.

    I was too excited just now and hit him too hard, so much so that the strap slipped off my shoulder, and I didn¡¯t even notice.

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    ?! <b>15:36 </b>

    Chapter247

    Arge area of the chest was exposed.

    282 Vouchera

    The man¡¯s gaze drifted directly towards it, his eyes bing increasingly heavy and dark.

    I was furious!

    He was just a pervert, that Reynaldo!

    Not only did it scare me in the middle of the night, but it also looked at me with those colored eyes!

    What a forbidden desire god, what a righteous gentleman, what a beautiful scenery under the clear moonlight.

    Fake! It¡¯s all fake!

    I angrily pulled up my shoulder strap and shouted at him, ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, go find Kimberly to keep youpany. Why did youe to me?¡±

    The dark shade in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes faded away in an instant, and his face immediately turned grim.

    ¡°I just wanted to find you, wanted to torment you, how about it? Can¡¯t ept it?¡±

    The man spoke with a gloomy and cool tone, with a touch of arrogant and domineering arrogance.

    I gritted my teeth and red at him, hating that I hadn¡¯t killed him in those three years.

    Reynaldo raised his hand and gently touched my face, smiling at me

    softly, ¡°Are you so angry? Do you regret not killing me during those three years?¡±

    I don¡¯t know if my emotions were too obvious.

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    Chapter247

    He seemed to always be able to see through my thoughts.

    He leaned close to my car and chuckled softly, ¡°Unfortunately, time cannot be reversed. Even if it could, I wouldn¡¯t give you that chance again.¡±

    The man¡¯s deep eyes were filled with a cold chill and a hint of resentment.

    It seems that he really hated me for the three years of humiliation and bullying he endured from me.

    Thinking about Trevin¡¯s fate, it is truly a miracle that I have managed to survive until now in good health.

    Nowadays, there is a huge disparity between him and me. In front of him, I really need to restrain my temper.

    With this in mind, I forcefully suppressed the anger in my heart and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you¡¯re overthinking it. You are now my immediate superior, my benefactor. How could I possibly have sinister thoughts of killing you in my heart?¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Reynaldo smirked, as if he had seen through me.

    I steadied my emotions and continued to smile at him, saying, ¡°I was just thinking, someone as prestigious as Mr. Humphrey, the CEO, would actually pick someone else¡¯s lock in the middle of the night.¡±

    ¡°Pick the lock?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered at me and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t your key always hang on the door?¡±

    I was startled.

    What?

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    Chacter247

    Did I forget to take out the key when I came back in?

    2011 yuches

    Reynaldo lifted one of my hands and ced in my palm the bunch of keys with a small safety button attached, and he chuckled at me, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t even use the keys, are you intentionally leaving them for someone to open the door?¡±

    Howe I didn¡¯t know that you were so open¨Cminded?

    Thest sentence, he spoke in a lewd and sarcastic manner.

    I pushed him away and clenched the key, saying, ¡°I, I forgot to pull it out.¡±

    ¡°Forget? Ha, Esmeralda, what are you constantly thinking about in your head? Can you even forget to take out the keys?!¡±

    He approached me, his voice inexplicably wrapped in a cloud of air, ¡°Just now, I saw a drunkard trying to twist your key. If I hadn¡¯te tonight, would that drunkard havee in? Would he have done something to you¡­¡±

    STOL

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    Chapter248

    He suddenly stopped speaking and stared at me with an impatient look, as if he couldn¡¯t stand my ipetence.

    I clenched the key and stammered, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I forgot to take out the key when I entered the door, this is the first time for me.

    No, in the future, I must pay more attention.

    Luckily, the man who came in tonight was this man. If, by any chance, a pervert hade in, then¡­

    Just thinking about it gives me chills down my spine.

    The anger in my heart instantly disappeared, and I cautiously looked at Reynaldo, saying to him, ¡°Tonight, thank you.¡±

    He snorted coldly, clearly still angry.

    I hurriedly went to pour him a ss of water and sincerely said, ¡°I was too impulsive just now and punched you a few times. If you are still angry, you can punch me back.¡±

    ¡°Smash it back?¡±

    Reynaldo absentmindedly took the ss of water I handed to him.

    He took a sip and with a sneering gaze, he said, ¡°With your physique, I doubt you could even withstand a punch.¡±

    I pursed my lips, folded my hands in front of me, and waited for him to scold me respectfully.

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    11

    This time was indeed my negligence, and it was indeed him who averted the unimaginable disaster tonight.

    Reynaldo stared at me for a few seconds, seeming a bit annoyed. He tugged at his tie and said, ¡°You just didn¡¯t know any better, couldn¡¯t distinguish right from wrong, blind in your eyes and heart, carefree¡­¡±

    I pursed my lips, hung my head, and didn¡¯t dare to argue a word.

    The air was filled with his anger.

    I also don¡¯t know why he was so angry. Was it because I just scolded him and hit him?

    He got angry on the sofa for a while, then got up and unbuttoned his shirt as he walked into the bathroom.

    I was startled and instinctively asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Shower!¡± he replied curtly with two words.

    My heart, however, was filled with overwhelming waves and storms.

    I hurriedly followed him and leaned against the bathroom door, asking him, ¡°Are you, are you going to sleep at my ce tonight?¡±

    Reynaldo looked around the bathroom and then looked at me with a gloomy expression, ¡°What? Is it not allowed?¡±

    ¡°There was¡­ there was nothing that couldn¡¯t be done.¡±

    He had just saved me, and now he is angry again. I dare not say a word of

    retort.

    And this man was domineering and forceful, so my rebuttal probably wouldn¡¯t have made any difference.

    I was thinking anxiously in my mind.

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    His joking voice, apanied by the sound of water, suddenly came: ¡°What? You want to watch me take a bath?¡±

    I was taken aback and saw that he had already taken off his shirt, revealing his muscr chest and slender waist.

    I have never seen this man exercise.

    During the three years of our marriage, I also constantly oppressed him and never let him have a decent meal.

    I don¡¯t know how his body grew so well, his chest and waist look very strong.

    The image of him lying on the bed unconsciously came to my mind.

    My face suddenly burned intensely.

    I quickly nced away and muttered, ¡°Who¡­ who wants to watch you take a shower, shameless.¡±

    After saying that, I turned around and wanted to run.

    288 Woucherg

    But unexpectedly, he suddenly grabbed my arm and, with a strong force, firmly pressed me against the wall in the bathroom.

    The water sprayed by the shower head sshed all over me, and my pajamas instantly became soaked.

    I frowned at him, ¡°Reynaldo, what are you doing again? Weren¡¯t you supposed to take a shower?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me with a dim gaze and asked, ¡°Have you been secretly taking birth control pills again these past few days?¡±

    I shook my head quickly, ¡°No, no, don¡¯t suspect me.¡±

    ¡°What medicine did you get at the hospital that day?¡± he furrowed his

    15.2657

    brow and asked me, his gaze carrying a hint of sharpness.

    I felt a sudden panic in my heart.

    258 vouchers

    I didn¡¯t expect that he still remembered the time when I got medicine at the hospital. I thought he had forgotten about it a long time ago.

    I steadied my mind and said, ¡°Those are calcium supplements to replenish the body. Look, I have lost a lot of weight recently. I went to the hospital for a check¨Cup, and the doctor said I have malnutrition and need to supplement more.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I nodded earnestly, looking at him with sincere eyes.

    He stared at me for a while before saying, ¡°You better not deceive me. Anyway, I will work harder this month to make you pregnant as soon as possible.¡±

    15:36

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    Chapter249

    One monthter, if you still haven¡¯t conceived, even if you are afraid of that kind of examination, I will still take you to the hospital for a check-<ol><li>up.</li></ol>

    His tone was firm and domineering.

    My heart trembled, and I forced myself to say calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t deceive you.¡±

    Anyway, he was going on a business trip early tomorrow morning, so my chance to escape wasing soon.

    So what will happen a monthter, it¡¯s not my concern anymore, what I should worry about now is tomorrow.

    In order to confirm that he would leave Freybourne early tomorrow morning, I deliberately said, ¡°You will fly to another city for a business trip early tomorrow morning, so rest early tonight.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded, ¡°Yes, the flight was at 6 o¡¯clock in the morning.¡±

    ¡°How long are you going away for?¡± I asked cautiously, afraid that he might be suspicious again.

    He suddenly curled his lips and said, ¡°What? Can¡¯t bear to part with me?¡±

    Puff!

    I almost choked on my own saliva.

    In order not to arouse his suspicion, I nodded and said, ¡°Hmm, there was a little bit of reluctance.¡±

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    The man looked at me with a slight smile on his face, clearly not believing.

    But his mood seemed much better than before.

    128 (achers

    He suddenly lowered his head and kissed my lips, pressing against my ear, his voice hoarse and unbelievable: ¡°Since we can¡¯t bear to part, let¡¯s¡­do it several times tonight.¡±

    I widened my eyes and eximed, ¡°No, Reynaldo, um¡­¡±

    Before I could finish speaking, the man forcefully blocked my lips.

    He turned on the shower to the maximum.

    The warm water fell on the body, soothing all the pores.

    The nightgowns were all soaked by water and fell to the ground under the force of gravity.

    He pressed tightly against me and kissed me deeply.

    My chest felt hard and burning, and I had no room for resistance.

    Under his dominant and overbearing kiss, my legs became so weak that I could hardly stand.

    Suddenly, he picked me up and walked out of the bathroom.

    Under the invasion of the coolness, I became slightly more awake.

    I leaned against his chest, trembling as I said, ¡°Don¡¯t, you, aren¡¯t you going on a business trip tomorrow morning?¡±

    ¡°No impact.¡±

    The man pinned me down on the bed, his gaze focused on me, the dark shade in his eyes like a whirlpool, as if it wanted to pull me in.

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    Chapter249

    I awkwardly pulled the nket, but he forcefully pulled it away.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I called out to him softly, with a slight hint of pleading in my voice.

    218 Vouchers

    These days have been really hectic, and I am still worried about the baby in my belly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to?¡± Reynaldo looked at me deeply.

    I

    bit my lip and dared not answer.

    It is said that he would definitely get angry again.

    Saying no, yet contradicting the heart.

    So I simply didn¡¯t say anything.

    And when this man was in the mood, it was useless no matter how much I resisted and fought back.

    Sure enough, he whispered in my ear, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder, who told you that you never got pregnant with my baby.¡±

    He kissed my lips as soon as he finished speaking, leaving me no room for any resistance.

    I found that this man had an endless amount of energy in his whole body.

    I was exhausted and too weak to even lift my hands after being tossed around by him.

    He, however, was still so energetic, as if he could never get enough.

    In the dim gaze, he looked at me with a focused and affectionate gleam in his eyes.

    15-36

    And it was this affectionate and devoted man who, time and time again, hurt me for the sake of his unrequited love.

    A touch of self¨Cmockery couldn¡¯t help but rise in my heart.

    Sure enough, everything in bed couldn¡¯t be taken seriously.

    I fell asleep afterwards and didn¡¯t know when Reynaldo finished.

    In my sleep, I faintly felt a warm big hand stroking my belly.

    The man¡¯s hoarse voice sounded in my ears, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t she get pregnant?¡±

    Subconsciously wanting to protect the baby, I groggily turned over and prevented him from touching.

    Immediately after, a dominant force pulled me into its embrace.

    My back was pressed against his burning chest, and as I opened my eyes, all I could see was a dim light.

    Soon, I fell asleep again.

    It seemed like a long, long time had passed, and in a dazed state of sleep, I felt him getting up.

    There were rustling sounds of clothes being put on by the bedside.

    I turned over and felt the ce where he had been lying was warm.

    Just as I was about to drift back into slumber, my shoulder was suddenly shaken by someone

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    Chapter250

    I furrowed my brow, made an effort to open my eyes, and then I saw Reynaldo.

    ¡°You were going to catch a flight, right? Have a safe journey.¡±

    After saying that, my eyes were about to close again.

    He shook me again, ¡°Wake up, Esmeralda.¡±

    I impatiently waved his hand away, saying, ¡°The rm clock hasn¡¯t even gone off yet, don¡¯t disturb me.¡±

    ¡°Get up!¡±

    The domineeringmand echoed above.

    I irritably pulled up the nket and covered myselfpletely.

    Soon, he dug me out from the nket.

    On a chilly autumn morning, even the air inside the room was cool.

    I shivered instantly, and I became somewhat awake.

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I am going on a business trip,¡± he said softly, but his gaze fell on my chest.

    I secretly pulled up the nket and hugged it to my chest, nodding at him, ¡°Well, have a safe journey.¡±

    Thinking that he was about to leave Freybourne, my drowsiness dissipated slightly, and my heart began to flutter.

    15:36

    ¡°Come with me!¡±

    Boom!

    280 Veshers

    The excitement in his heart was instantly shattered by hismanding words.

    I rushed to him anxiously and asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    He stared at the resistance on my face coldly and snorted, ¡°I am the boss, you are the secretary, do you need any reason to go on a business trip with me?¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t initially n on having mee along, did you? Why the sudden change¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I had nned from the beginning to have youe with me. I had already booked the tickets for you.¡±

    ¡°But, but you didn¡¯t inform me in advance either?¡±

    I was about to cry.

    The beautiful n was shattered by his words.

    Reynaldo leaned in close to me, staring into my eyes, and chuckled coldly, ¡°I only decided to go on a business trip yesterday afternoon, booked the ticketst night, and now I¡¯m letting you know. Is it toote for you?¡±

    Or, were you originally nning to do something big while I was not around?

    So, this n has been disrupted by me now, are you feeling unwilling?

    I stared at the cold smile on his face, so angry that I almost tore the

    1537

    bedding beneath me.

    Couldn¡¯t win.

    I just realized now that this man was deep¨Cminded and cunning, and I couldn¡¯t y him at all!

    The man¡¯s gaze was sharp and icy.

    289 vouchers

    I suppressed my anger and resentment deep inside, and said to him, ¡°How could I? I have no money or power now, and I even have to live under your watchful eyes. What great things can I possibly aplish?¡±

    ¡°Since Mr. Humphrey wanted me to go on a business trip with you, I will obediently follow.¡±

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes for a moment, then he raised his wrist to check the time. He said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s get up then. Braylon wille to pick us upter.¡±

    I silently got up from the bed.

    But as soon as my feet touched the ground, my legs went weak and I clumsily fell to the ground.

    Reynaldo had already walked away when he heard a noise. He turned back and nced at me, chuckling lightly, ¡°You really need to take care of your physique.¡±

    I gritted my teeth and red at him.

    Did the problem ur on me?

    He clearlycked self-control.

    A woman, no matter how strong she is, cannot withstand the torment of someone like him who is so obsessed with lust.

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    Reynaldo came over and picked me up.

    284 Vouchers

    I struggled embarrassingly for a moment and said, ¡°Put me down, I want to go get my clothes.¡±

    He carried me to the wardrobe and then he put me down.

    He looked at me for a few seconds, then turned and walked towards the living room.

    Walking and making a phone call at the same time, ¡°Bring up a few breakfast items.¡±

    I opened the wardrobe, picked a solid¨Ccolored sweater, and then grabbed a pair of jeans to wear.

    After getting dressed, I took off two sets of semi¨Cformal clothes and neatly folded them.

    I came out of the bedroom holding clothes and saw the man sitting on the sofa, looking at his phone.

    I silently found my suitcase and pulled it open.

    Just as I was about to put the neatly folded clothes inside, the clothes in my hand were suddenly snatched away by a big hand.

    I raised my head in surprise and saw him walking towards a dark¨Ccolored small box with those two sets of clothes in his hands.

    I furrowed my brows and only then did I realize that he had actually brought his suitcase overst night.

    ¡°Why bother doing that? Just put it in a box.¡±

    He said it and then opened his suitcase.

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    Chapter251

    Believe it or not, the clothes in his suitcase were neatly folded and even sorted.

    I don¡¯t know if Kimberly helped him tidy up.

    After all, a grown man wouldn¡¯t be so meticulous.

    He took out my personal clothes, refolded them neatly, and then ced them together with his own personal clothes.

    I don¡¯t know why, but when I saw this scene, my cheeks inexplicably felt a little warm.

    ¡°What else do you want to bring? Put it all in there,¡± he said, turning back to me after arranging the clothes.

    I pursed my lips and silently went to the bathroom to tidy up some toiletries and cosmetics beforeing out.

    Braylon Shaffer arrived quickly.

    Holding various types of breakfast in hand.

    He saw me and respectfully shouted, ¡°Ms. Duffy.¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°Just call me Esmeralda.¡±

    Braylon nced at Reynaldo and saw that Reynaldo was busy unpacking breakfast and not paying attention to this side. He then smiled and shouted at me, ¡°Esmeralda.¡±

    I opened my mouth, about to respond.

    0100

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    Chapter251

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    Reynaldo¡¯s cool voice suddenly drifted over, and he said to Braylon, ¡°You go downstairs and wait.¡±

    Braylon chuckled and said, ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    After Braylon left, Reynaldo shouted at me, ¡°Come over for breakfast.¡±

    I walked silently past.

    He had already unpacked and arranged the breakfast.

    There were many types, all sorts, and they were all steaming.

    Reynaldo drank a few sips of porridge and then leaned back against the back of the sofa, closing his eyes to rest.

    I was nibbling on a steamed bun and asked him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat some more?¡±

    ¡°It was not tasty,¡± hezily said.

    I pouted, I had never noticed before that he was so picky.

    In the past, when we had meals at my house, he was not allowed to pick the dishes, but he obediently finished a bowl of white rice

    My appetite was really big, and I ate a lot for breakfast.

    Because time was tight, I also ate a little hastily.

    Reynaldo stared at me and slowly said, ¡°No rush, take your time.¡±

    I drank a mouthful of soy milk and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t the flight at six o¡¯clock? I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t make it in time.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s no time, take the next one.¡±

    The man spoke casually and nonchntly.

    15.37

    20 hors

    I swallowed the meat bun in my mouth and asked him, ¡°Isn¡¯t the matter very urgent? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have booked such an early flight, right?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me and said incongruously, ¡°You cat so much, but I haven¡¯t seen you gain a few ounces.¡±

    I: ¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ve done so much work, I¡¯ve digested everything I¡¯ve eaten, it¡¯s not fair,¡± I said defiantly.

    He smirked and stared at my chest, meaningfully saying, ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that these days have indeed drained a lot of your energy.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I red at him angrily and didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore.

    Don¡¯t be fooled by this man¡¯s serious appearance, he actually has a dirty

    mind!

    His business trip this time should indeed have been a very tricky matter.

    Just then, while having breakfast, two phone calls came in.

    I quickly finished eating the steamed buns in my hand, then took a piece of pancake and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we have eaten.¡±

    ¡°I am full, let¡¯s go quickly.¡±

    After saying that, I carried a cake in one hand and dragged a box as I walked out.

    Reynaldo cleaned up the mess on the coffee table behind him before he came out carrying the garbage.

    15.3780

    288 Vouchers

    I was taken aback as I looked at the garbage he was holding in his hands.

    I didn¡¯t even think about taking out this trash, but he was quite careful.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey!¡±

    As soon as we arrived, Braylon opened the passenger door and took the suitcase from my hands to put it in the trunk.

    However, Reynaldo did not sit directly in the passenger seat, but instead opened the door of the back seat and sat directly in.

    I stood outside nkly.

    What does it mean?

    Is this asking me to sit in the front?

    With this in mind, I took a step and sat in the passenger seat.

    The man¡¯s dull voice suddenly sounded from the back seat of the car, ¡°Come over here!¡±

    Um¡­

    I raised my eyes in confusion and saw Braylon covering his mouth, stifling augh, urging me to quickly sit next to Reynaldo.

    I had no choice but to get down again and sit in the back seat. I asked Reynaldo inexplicably, ¡°Did you ask me toe over here to tell me something?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me sideways, seemingly quit¨¦ displeased with the sight of me.

    He said coldly, ¡°No!¡±

    I was even more puzzled: ¡°Then why did you ask me toe over?¡±

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    Chapter252

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    A gentle voice with a hint of panting suddenly came from behind.

    I frowned deeply.

    As I turned around, I saw Kimberly clutching her stomach, running towards me, panting heavily.

    On a cold morning inte autumn.

    She was wearing ace long¨Csleeved dress, and the cold wind made her face turn red. Running all the way, with tears in her eyes, she looked at me pitifully.

    I looked silently at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo¡¯s gaze was fixed on Kimberly as she ran towards him, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed and a hint of tenderness on her usually cold face.

    Look, he would feel sorry for Kimberly, but he would never feel sorry for<ol><li>me<b>. </b></li></ol>

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly ran up to Reynaldo, with a pair of moist eyes, panting

    delicately, and said, ¡°I finally caught up with you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cold, why are you still wearing so little?¡±<ul><li></li></ul>

    Reynaldo took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, saying, ¡°Go back, I¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡±

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    Kimberly shook her head and said stubbornly, ¡°I want to go with you.¡±

    ¡°That would be great, Mr. Humphrey. Let Ms. Palmer go with you.¡± Before Reynaldo could speak, I quickly said, ¡°She joined thepany before me, has more experience than me, and is more suitable to apany you on this trip.¡±

    288 Vouchers

    Little did I know that as soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo shot me a cold nce, his eyes as sharp as knives.

    I immediately shut my mouth and dared not make a sound.

    Kimberly smiled at me and said, ¡°That won¡¯t work either. My health is not good, so when we go over there, someone has to take care of me and Reynaldo. So, Ms. Duffy, you shoulde along too.¡±

    Oh!

    He insinuated that I used to be a nanny.

    <i>too</i>.<i>¡± </i>

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Since Ms. Palmer is not feeling well, she should just stay at home and rest. It¡¯s so tiring to travel all this way, it must be exhausting.¡±

    Dying Mr. Humphrey¡¯s trivial matters has worn out your precious body, which is a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    I had just finished speaking when Reynaldo gave me a warning nce.

    I felt a sudden blockage in my heart again.

    The bastard man,st night when he slept with me, his gaze was so focused, so affectionate.

    But this time he was protecting Kimberly like this, not allowing me to say a word!

    15:37

    b Vouchers

    He didn¡¯t recognize me as soon as he pulled up his pants, but he had the nerve to say that to me before.

    What a double standard!

    Reynaldo withdrew his cold gaze from me and looked at Kimberly, his eyes instantly bing warm and gentle.

    He adjusted the coat draped over Kimberly and said to her, ¡°It¡¯s even colder up north than Freybourne. You¡¯ve always been sensitive to the cold, so just stay in Freybourne and I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want¡­¡±

    Kimberly looked at him with moist eyes, soft and aggrieved, ¡°I want to go with you, I don¡¯t want to stay here alone. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t dy your important matters.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at her quietly without saying a word.

    Kimberly pursed her lips, and the mist in her eyes grew thicker.

    She said pitifully, ¡°I know, my health is not good, like a useless person, not as capable as Ms. Duffy, so you would rather take her with you than take me.¡±

    Sometimes I really hate myself, why can¡¯t I have a healthy body like her, so I don¡¯t have to always trouble you to take me to the hospital for treatment.¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

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    Chapter253

    You said you could handle it yourself, why do you always have to bring ne along?

    What a beautiful white lotus flower.

    ¡®Reynaldo, I really feel so useless, sometimes I even think, the way I am, might as well be dead.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t say that!¡± Reynaldo said, slightly annoyed, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly became more and more tearful, her voice choked up.

    The affected appearance really made me feel ufortable for a while.

    I crossed my arms and couldn¡¯t help but remind Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, if you don¡¯t board the ne soon, you might be dyed.¡±

    Reynaldo gave me a cold nce, then turned to Kimberly and said, ¡°Well, if you want toe along, thene along, but I haven¡¯t booked your ticket yet¡­¡±

    ¡°Take my ticket¡­¡±

    I had just opened my mouth when Reynaldo suddenly gave me a cold nce.

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

    This man is also strange. How nice it would be to go on a business trip with the woman he likes, why does he have to drag me along like a third

    wheel.

    I

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    Kimberly shook her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Reynaldo, I already booked my ticket by myselfst night, just didn¡¯t get first ss, booked economy ss.¡±

    ¡°No problem, I will wait for you outside when you get off the ne.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± A hint of disappointment shed across Kimberly¡¯s face.

    I was also stunned for a moment.

    I thought Reynaldo would say to let me switch seats with her.

    Time was running out, and I was a bit rushed when boarding the ne.

    Reynaldo dragged the suitcase quickly, and I followed along running.

    That Kimberly, she was really speechless, calling out ¡°Reynaldo¡± all the way behind.

    Reynaldo waited for her several times.

    I have seen the weak, but I have never seen anyone as weak and unable to

    take care of themselves as her.

    She was even more delicate than me, a pampered youngdy since childhood.

    While waiting for Kimberly, the boarding announcement was repeated over and over again.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was always pale, with no trace of impatience on his face.

    If it were me, he would probably have yelled impatiently long ago.

    I pursed my lips and smiled lightly at him, saying, ¡°It seems like Kimberly really can¡¯t walk anymore, huh? Why don¡¯t you carry her on board, since you¡¯re strong anyway.¡±

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    Reynaldo frowned deeply.

    He stared at me coldly and said, ¡°Sometimes I feel like your mouth¡­ really needs to be cleaned up!¡±

    He looked at me with a sudden darkening of his eyes, and a hint of fierceness.

    288 Wouchers

    My heart jumped involuntarily, took a step back quickly, and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything!¡±

    s!

    I really can¡¯t indulge my taste buds anymore in the future.

    But sometimes I just couldn¡¯t help it, I wanted to sarcastically mock him.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly finally ran over, panting, tears in her eyes as she looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I cause you trouble again? It¡¯s all because of my unreliable body, I¡­¡±

    ¡°No problem, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Reynaldo spoke softly, then turned and walked towards the boarding gate, his pace slightly slower than before.

    Oh!

    If it were me, he would definitely be yelling and urging again, let alone deliberately slowing down.

    Finally boarded the ne.

    Reynaldo closed his eyes and rested as soon as he sat down.

    I looked at him and asked quietly, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, are you sure you don¡¯t

    15/3750

    ne vouchers

    want me to switch seats with Ms. Palmer?¡±

    Reynaldo was toozy to look at me and saidzily, ¡°If you keep talking, I don¡¯t mind shutting your mouth.¡±

    95.56%

    <b>15</b><b>:</b>3700

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    Chapter254

    <b>288 </b>(Vouchers

    I pursed my lips and obediently sat in my own seat.

    ¡°It takes about three hours to fly to Yoripero, so you can rest.¡±

    I had just sat down when he suddenly floated over a sentence.

    I responded softly, closed my eyes, and said no more.

    Last night was a real ordeal.

    As soon as Iy down on the chair, I fell asleep.

    On the ne, I couldn¡¯t sleep well at all, I kept dreaming.

    The key is still to have strange dreams.

    I dreamt that Reynaldo actually knew I was pregnant.

    He locked me in a dark attic, where I was not allowed to go anywhere or see anyone.

    I knocked on the door and smashed the window like crazy, but still couldn¡¯t escape.

    Then in the blink of an eye, my baby was born.

    I hadn¡¯t even had a chance to hold my baby when Reynaldo took them

    away.

    I shouted and cried at him hoarsely, hoping he would give the baby back

    to me.

    But he ignored me, he and Kimberly each holding a baby, then

    disappeared.

    15:38

    Chapter254

    11

    I was finally awakened, and when I woke up, there were still tears on my face.

    I didn¡¯t have time to wipe away my tears, because at that moment, there was a terrible sense of oppression looming in front of me.

    Reynaldo approached me without my knowing when.

    Strong arms were propped on either side of my chair.

    His deep ck eyes stared at me without blinking.

    No!

    It should be said that he was staring at my stomach.

    My heart skipped a beat.

    Did I¡­ did I just talk in my sleep?

    It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over!

    I propped myself up and squeezed into the chair, smiling at him in surprise and asking, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, what, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°What kind of dream did you have that made you so sad and cry?¡±

    He said, raising his hand to gently wipe the tears from the corner of my

    eye.

    I pushed his hand away and nervously said, ¡°Just, just a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Nightmare?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me with his dark, piercing eyes, making my heart race.

    I lowered my head and forced myself to say calmly, ¡°It was when I dreamt of my family going bankrupt, everything changed, the good life was gone

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    Chapter254

    forever.¡±

    11

    I also dreamed of debt collectorsing to collect debts. They were so fierce, hitting and scolding us, and then I cried in fear.

    280 Vaulters

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that it was me who was demanding payment, and you even dreamt that I took away your baby?¡±

    He chuckled softly and said, with no hint of a smile in his eyes.

    I shuddered in fear and pretended to look at him in confusion, ¡°What, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± he sat up straight, smiling coldly, ¡°You are really full of lies, even a nightmare has to deceive me. Is it really that difficult for you to tell me the truth?¡±

    ¡°I, I¡­ I, I really dreamt that my family went bankrupt, and then creditors came to collect debts.¡± I said softly.

    He snorted coldly, ¡°Then why did you shout my name in that hateful tone in your dream, even the words you said in the dream were filled with a desire to kill me.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda! Ms. Duffy, how much do you actually hate me deep down

    inside?¡±

    I nervously gripped the chair beneath me, not daring to say a word.

    At this point, the more I said, the more mistakes I made. After all, I didn¡¯t even know what nonsense I was talking about.

    He suddenly reached out and his fingertipsnded on my t stomach.

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    He whispered, ¡°You just said in your sleep, ¡®Reynaldo, don¡¯t take away my baby,¡® so¡­¡±

    He looked up at me and said, ¡°Are you really pregnant?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I denied decisively, ¡°How could I be pregnant? I have been taking birth control pills before. You suspected the samest time, and I didn¡¯t get pregnant then either.¡±

    Don¡¯t always suspect everything for no reason. If having a baby is as simple as dreaming, then what do we need men for?

    Reynaldo stared at me intently.

    A pair of cold sharp eyes seemed to see inside my stomach.

    He said, ¡°After this business trip, I will take you to the hospital for a check¨Cup.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I frowned, ¡°We agreed to check in a monthter, I don¡¯t want to go now, I¡¯m scared, Reynaldo, I don¡¯t want to go!¡±

    Reynaldo frowned, his long fingersnding on my abdomen again.

    Even through the fabric, his gentle touch made me break out in a cold sweat on my back.

    Did he really start to doubt?

    I¡¯m so annoyed, why do I always talk in my sleep when I dream?

    This man was originally suspicious and cunning.

    I dared not move or say anything, afraid that he would be even more suspicious.

    Suddenly, he looked up at me, his dark eyes like a deep sea, bottomless.

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, if you are really pregnant with my baby, you must not go behind my back to have an abortion.¡±

    You didn¡¯t like my baby, but you couldn¡¯t hurt him.

    Otherwise, I would really¡­kill you!¡±

    The man¡¯s final words were chillingly cold.

    I shivered suddenly.

    I watched him carefully, but a hint of doubt arose in my heart.

    Why did he think I would hate his baby?

    And his tone was tinged with a hint of sadness and sorrow, sounding a bit strange.

    I pursed my lips, about to ask him.

    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside the cabin.

    Reynaldo then straightened up and returned to his seat.

    After a while, the cabin door was opened.

    People did not see, a soft and weak voice drifted first.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I looked up and saw Kimberly running in with tears in her eyes, followed by a handsome flight attendant.

    1538

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    288 Vouchers

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey,¡± the steward said respectfully to Reynaldo, ¡°this youngdy said she¡¯s feeling a bit unwell and wanted to see you. I thought she might be a friend of yours, so I brought her over.¡±

    Reynaldo immediately looked at Kimberly with a hint of concern between his eyebrows, ¡°Where does it hurt? Is it serious?¡±

    Kimberly shook her head and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I just feel anxious when you¡¯re not around. This is only my second time flying, so I¡¯m scared.¡±

    ¡°Then you stay here,¡± Reynaldo said lightly.

    The flight attendant hesitated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Humphrey, it is the regtion on the ne that each person has one seat to ensure the safety of the passengers. This youngdy, she doesn¡¯t have an extra seat here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll switch seats with her,¡± I stood up and said.

    I didn¡¯t want to share a room with Reynaldo either.

    Just now, I was so nervous that I am still feeling extremely tense now.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this good?¡±

    Kimberly immediately pretended to say to me, ¡°The conditions in economy ss are not good, not to mention crowded, and it¡¯s not convenient to use the restroom. I¡¯m afraid it will be too difficult for Ms. Duffy.¡±

    I forced a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just stay here and let Mr. Humphrey take care of you.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, his fierce gaze as if I had said something wrong again.

    <b>60.67</b><b>% </b>

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    Chapter256

    I really couldn¡¯t understand this man.

    Isn¡¯t it okay for me to let him share a room with Kimberly?

    ¡°Reynaldo, I took Ms. Duffy¡¯s seat, you won¡¯t be mad at me, will you?¡±

    ¡°No, some people are just born cheap and only deserve to sit in economy ss!¡±

    I had reached the cabin door, and the man still had to mock me with a

    sneer.

    Good job!

    He was just a worthless scoundrel!

    There were many people in the economy ss, everyone leaning back on their seats with their eyes closed to rest.

    Under the guidance of the flight attendant, I sat in Kimberly¡¯s seat.

    After being scared by Reynaldo just now, I couldn¡¯t even feel sleepy.

    I took a magazine and opened it to read. I felt time passing quickly, and soon the ne was about tond.

    After the nended and came to a stop, before the crew opened the cabin door, the passengers had already unfastened their seat belts and were lining up in the aisle, waiting to disembark.

    I looked at the people and waited for a while in my seat.

    After I got off the ne, I looked everywhere at the exit for Reynaldo¡¯s

    15:39

    288 (Vouchers

    figure, but I couldn¡¯t find him.

    I also ran to the exclusive passage for first ss and still did not see the man¡¯s figure.

    No way, Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t have left me here, would he?

    I quickly turned on my phone, ready to call that man and ask, but the call was disconnected as soon as it connected.

    I frowned deeply.

    What does it mean?

    Did you really leave me here?

    Surrounded by a hurried crowd, the exit was also filled with people waiting to pick someone up. I stood in the center of the lobby like a fool, searching for the man¡¯s figure.

    Peopleing and going, making my head spin a little.

    I walked to a secluded ce, leaned against the wall, and dialed Reynaldo¡¯s number again.

    Still, just connected and then hung up.

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips.

    He was probably doing something with Kimberly at the moment, afraid that I would disturb him?

    Oh!

    Since you find me a hindrance, why force me to follow along and deliberately make things difficult for me?

    ¡°Esmie!¡±

    3200

    <b>15:39 </b>

    Ga

    17

    At this moment, a slightly familiar voice drifted over

    With a bit of excitement and panting

    I turned my head and saw Johnathan excitedly running towards me

    He was sweating profusely, looking extremely anxious

    I looked at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m also here?¡± Johnathan said. ¡°I¡¯ve been here all along. I came to pick you up. Where did you go? You made it so hard for me to find you, you really made me anxious. If I hadn¡¯t picked you up, Reynaldo might have¡­¡±

    ¡°You came to pick me up, howe I didn¡¯t know?¡±

    I interrupted him expressionlessly, ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell me you wereing to pick me up, and yet you have the nerve to me me for running around everywhere?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Johnathan looked like he was speechless, as if I had left him speechless.

    After a while, he grabbed my arm and said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s my fault. Let¡¯s go quickly. Oh, give me your phone numberter, I¡¯ll save it. Next time if there¡¯s anything, I can call you in time.¡±

    He pulled me out and said a lot in his mouth.

    I didn¡¯t listen much, still thinking about Reynaldo leaving me at this airport

    I walked out of the airport, and it was already bright outside,

    Although it was sunny, the wind was strong.

    Chapter256

    Reynaldo was right, this city is colder than Freybourne, much colder.

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    Chapter257

    I hugged my arms and walked silently behind Johnathan.

    Johnathan was dragging Reynaldo¡¯s suitcase, indicating that they had met before.

    Reynaldo just left with Kimberly, leaving me here, waiting for Johnathan to pick me up without my knowledge.

    He was not worried that I would walk out on my own, not worried that Johnathan wouldn¡¯t pick me up.

    Although it was nothing, after all, he hated me.

    Thinking about these things made me feel very ufortable.

    We came together, but now he is acting like I am some abandoned goods.

    Johnathan opened the car door for me to get in.

    He looked at me in confusion and said, ¡°Strange, why don¡¯t you ask me where Reynaldo went?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say a word.

    He sat down, fastened his seatbelt, and said to me, ¡°Kimberly suddenly felt a bit unwell, so Reynaldo took her away first and asked me to stay here to pick you up.¡±

    I sarcastically pulled my lips and said, ¡°That woman wasn¡¯t suddenly ufortable, she was ufortable all the time!¡±

    Johnathan nced at me skeptically and muttered, ¡°Indeed, Kimberly has been getting sick quite frequentlytely.¡±

    Chapter257

    I turned my head to look out the window, feeling sarcastic in my heart.

    288 Vouchers

    Kimberly often pretended to be ufortable, even a blind person could see it, but Reynaldo couldn¡¯t.

    The car started.

    Johnathan said to me, ¡°I will be busy with Reynaldoter, but I will take you to the hotel first. You can rest at the hotel for a while.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I responded lightly.

    At that moment, my phone suddenly rang.

    It was Reynaldo who called.

    I stared at my phone for a few seconds, then answered the call.

    ¡°Hey, did you call me just now for something?¡±

    The man was breathing slightly heavily, as if he was in a hurry.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s voice sounded again beside me, soft and sweet, listening to it was simply torture to the ears.

    I said lightly, ¡°Nothing, just hung up.¡±

    I hung up the phone as soon as I finished speaking.

    Reynaldo called again soon, but I didn¡¯t answer, truly not wanting to hear Kimberly¡¯s voice.

    Johnathan nced at me and said, ¡°Are you mad at Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all,¡± I replied with a faint smile. ¡°He is my immediate superior now, how could I dare to be angry with him.¡±

    Chapter257

    11

    ¡°Oh,¡± Johnathan chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a secretary who dares to deliberately not answer the boss¡¯s phone calls.¡±

    As he was speaking, his phone suddenly rang.

    Johnathan nced at his phone and chuckled at me, saying, ¡°Look, since

    you didn¡¯t answer the phone, he called me instead.¡±

    The phone was answered, and he even deliberately turned on the speakerphone.

    ¡°Did the person receive it?¡±

    It was Reynaldo¡¯s voice, not in a very good tone, as if suppressing some

    anger.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Got it, she¡¯s sitting right next to me, do you want her to answer the phone?¡±

    ¡°No need!¡±

    The man coldly said two words and then hung up the phone.

    Johnathan suddenlyughed, ¡°You two have such simr temperaments, it¡¯s like you¡¯re a perfect match.¡±

    I leaned back in the chair with my eyes closed, not really wanting to talk.

    In less than an hour, the car stopped in front of a high¨Cend hotel.

    Johnathan handed me the room key and suitcase, saying, ¡°20th floor, the room number is on the key card. Go up by yourself, I¡¯m going to find Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I took the room key and saw him about to leave, couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°Is the situation here very tricky?¡±

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    Chapter258

    <b>11 </b>

    203 Wouters

    Johnathan said cheerfully, ¡°It¡¯s okay, the other party is a bit tricky, but now that Reynaldo is here, everything should be fine. There should be a dinner party tomorrow night, so rest up today.¡±

    I nodded and watched him leave, then dragged my suitcase into the hotel.

    I swiped open the door and found it was actually a luxurious presidential suite.

    I felt like Johnathan might have given the wrong room key, how could a mere apanying secretary like me stay in the presidential suite.

    This room was for Reynaldo.

    I didn¡¯t know when Reynaldo woulde back, I was so tired that I didn¡¯t care much, I just washed up quickly and went to bed.

    Although I didn¡¯t do much, just took a ne trip, but I felt exhausted all over and my eyes were swollen.

    The hotel is morefortable to sleep in than on the ne.

    Iy on the bed and soon fell asleep, sleeping very deeply.

    I woke up again, I was woken up by a phone call.

    Just now it was sunny, but when I woke up it was cloudy, with a dead feeling outside the window.

    I picked up my phone and saw that it was Quentin calling.

    I instantly perked up and quickly answered the call.

    258 Nouchers

    ¡°Ralda, what have you been up totely? Are you doing well?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, how about you? How¡¯s your rtionship with my future sister¨Cinw?¡±

    When it came to his girlfriend, Quentin was a bit shy.

    He said, ¡°The matter hasn¡¯t even started yet, don¡¯t talk about it in detail, it¡¯s not good if others hear it.¡±

    I chuckled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell her toe over? So, when are you bringing her to meet the parents?¡±

    ¡°Kimora had something to do these days and had to leave for a few days. We¡¯ll talk when shees back.¡±

    Quentin said, then sighed sadly, ¡°Ah, Ralda, she just left yesterday, and I already miss her so much, I really miss her, what should I do?¡±

    I wasughing to death.

    I never expected that my usually unserious brother would actually fall in

    love.

    I said, ¡°Give her a call, video call her, and if that doesn¡¯t work, go see

    her.¡±

    ¡°Ah, she said she went back to the countryside, the signal is bad, the phone can¡¯t get through, and there is no inte. I tried too, her number really can¡¯t get through.¡±

    ¡°Poor Quentin, you could only wait for her toe back.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I just miss her so much, I can¡¯t even eat properly, and I couldn¡¯t fall asleep all nightst night.¡±

    I covered my mouth and chuckled, ¡°Quentin, is this what they call ¡®out of sight, out of mind¡°? I¡¯ve never liked someone as much as you before.¡±

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    ¤É¤ó

    Chapter258

    ¡°You¡¯re stillughing! You didn¡¯t evenfort my young heart.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, Ifort you, my future sister¨Cinw will be back to see you soon, and then you two will be able to be together like glue.¡±

    ¡°Stinky girl, what kind offort is this?!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    288 (Vouchers

    I wasughing and rolling on the bed when suddenly, with a ¡®squeak¡®, the door of the room opened¡­

    I shuddered all over, quickly suppressed myughter, and sat up.

    ¡°Hello? Ralda, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why suddenly stop talking?¡±

    ¡°Um, I have something to do, so let¡¯s leave it at that for now. We¡¯ll chatter.¡±

    I hung up the phone as soon as I finished speaking.

    Reynaldo closed the door behind him.

    He walked in with one hand in his pocket, coolly smiling at me and asking, ¡°Who were you talking to just now? You wereughing so happily.¡±

    <b>75.27 </b>

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    hapter259

    I really wanted to say ¡°It¡¯s none of your business¡°, but I didn¡¯t dare.

    Even though he left me at the airport in the morning, I harbored many grievances against him.

    Just took a nap, calmed down.

    I just realized how ridiculous the resentment in my heart was.

    Now I am in a disparate position with him, I am just a ything in his hands. How can a ything have a temper in front of him?

    He could pinch me to death with just a flick of his finger.

    Up to now, I have been able to live a healthy life simply because he has not had enough fun yet, or maybe he just wants to use my belly to have a baby.

    The fact, though cruel, had to be faced.

    I sat up straight and said to him, ¡°I was just on the phone with Quentin.¡±

    Reynaldo sat down on the chair opposite me.

    He took a small cup in his hand and yed with it, slowly saying, ¡°You have a very good rtionship with Quentin.¡±

    ¡°Quentin has always been kind and protective towards me since I was young, so our rtionship is naturally good.¡±

    I said confidently, but I saw a sneer cross his lips.

    I furrowed my brows.

    289 <b>Vouchers </b>

    Chapter259

    Look, this man has a problem with his personality. His siblings have a good rtionship, and he even made fun of it.

    ¡°I remember back then¡­¡± he suddenly looked up at me, with a hint of cold smile in his eyes, ¡°I broke the crystal disy stand I gave to Quentin for you, and you punished me to stand outside all night. It was snowing that night, wasn¡¯t it.¡±

    I froze all over.

    Distant memories came flooding back.

    That day, Vonnie and I were out shopping, with him following behind carrying things.

    Then I spotted a crystal disy stand symbolizing smooth sailing, but the salesperson said it had been reserved by someone else and couldn¡¯t be sold to me.

    I was feeling a little lost at that time.

    The next day, the store unexpectedly called me and said that the crystal disy stand was no longer wanted by someone else, and asked if I still wanted it.

    I immediately ran out and bought it back.

    The exquisite crystal disy stand, especially beautiful, I had it in the room for a few days.

    One day, Quentin ran into my room and happened to see the disy stand.

    He said the disy was really beautiful.

    I saw Quentin liked, and his birthday wasing soon.

    I just wanted to give that table to Quentin.

    15:39

    Chapter259

    Little did I know that the day I sent it to Quentin, Reynaldo suddenly went crazy and smashed the disy stand as if he had gone mad.

    Key, he also casually said, ¡°It was just a slip of the hand,¡± showing no remorse or willingness to admit his mistake.

    I was so angry at that time.

    Because they had only been married for a short time, she felt nothing but resentment and disgust towards him.

    So I made him stand in the yard as a punishment.

    I don¡¯t know when it started snowing at night, I slept quite soundly that night.

    I vaguely remember that the next day when I woke up, I saw a yard full of snow and him standing in the snow as soon as I opened the window.

    He looked up at me at that moment, his eyes dark and cold, his face flushed from the cold but filled with hostility and stubbornness.

    I thought I had forgotten about that.

    But with his reminder, I suddenly realized that the memory in my mind was so clear.

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    Chapter260

    I even remember clearly the look in his eyes at that time, as cold and chilling as it is now.

    I couldn¡¯t help but shiver.

    I was tidying up the beddings that I had just messed up, and I said hesitantly, ¡°You, you have a pretty good memory.¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled, ¡°Such humiliation and disgrace, who could forget?¡±

    In other words, this man really wanted to hold a grudge against me for a lifetime.

    At that moment, my phone rang again, and it was Quentin calling.

    I nced at Reynaldo¡¯s cool expression and quickly hung up.

    Worried that Quentin would be concerned, I quickly sent him a message: ¡°I¡¯m fine, just busy with work right now.¡±

    After sending it, I looked cautiously at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, smiling at me, but his eyes were extremely cold.

    I licked my lips and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, I didn¡¯t expect it to snow that night.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re so silly, it was snowing, you didn¡¯t know to hide, and you stood outside all night.¡±

    15:39

    Chapter260

    I was speaking the truth.

    <b>288 </b>Vouchers

    Although I made him stand in the yard all night as a punishment, I didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it.

    If he ran back to his room to sleep in the middle of the night, I wouldn¡¯t say anything either.

    I really didn¡¯t expect that he would be so stubborn and so nitpicky back then.

    However, that incident was indeed my fault. It was just a crystal disy stand, but I made someone stand in the yard and endure a night of snow.

    It is indeed uneptable to think about.

    I looked at him and said cautiously, ¡°I apologize for that thing, please don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡±

    Perhaps because my tone softened, he looked at me with a much gentler expression.

    He suddenly asked again, ¡°If one day, Quentin and I became enemies¡­ who would you help?¡±

    ¡°How could it be?¡±

    I subconsciously felt it was impossible.

    Now we are not on the same level as him, how did we be enemies?

    Being an enemy, you have to be qualified, right?

    ¡°I was just saying ¡®if¡®, you just need to answer.¡± Reynaldo said, staring at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I twisted my fingers, feeling that he asked the question very inexplicably.

    15 39

    Chapter260

    288 Vouchers

    No matter whether they would be enemies or not, my position was not that important.

    And of course, without a doubt, I helped Quentin.

    But seeing his cold expression, I dared not answer truthfully.

    I pursed my lips and simply remained silent.

    Even though I didn¡¯t say a word, he guessed the answer in my heart.

    He suddenly stood up, approached me, stared at me coldly, as if extremely angry, and said, ¡°I knew it, in your heart, everyone is more important than me.¡±

    I: ¡­

    I looked at him nervously and said, ¡°That¡¯s not someone else, that¡¯s my own brother.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me coldly, his eyes filled with deep resentment and a hint of¡­ pity, as if he had been abandoned and betrayed.

    My heart skipped a beat, surprised at how I could have such a feeling.

    Knock, knock, knock!

    Just as I was feeling nervous, there was a sudden knock on the door.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t move.

    I quickly ran off the bed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go open the door.¡±

    As the door opened.

    Johnathan and Kimberly stood at the doorway.

    Johnathan nced into the room and chuckled, ¡°Oh, what¡¯s going on

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    15.390

    Chapter260

    288 Vouchers

    here? Are the two of you locked in the room having a fight and not even eating dinner?¡±

    Reynaldo straightened up, straightened his shirt, and walked over.

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    Chapter261

    288 Vouchers

    Kimberly¡¯s gaze shifted between me and Reynaldo, and then she pretended to say to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, don¡¯t me Reynaldo. When we got off the ne, I suddenly felt unwell, and Reynaldo was worried, so he took me away first. Don¡¯t be mad at him.¡±

    I sarcasticallyughed and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer, how could you see me being angry with Mr. Humphrey? I am just a small secretary, don¡¯t wronglybel me.¡±

    Kimberly clearly hesitated for a moment.

    In the course of conversation, Reynaldo had already walked over.

    He gave me a cold nce and then walked out.

    Kimberly hurriedly caught up and said, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I stared at the man¡¯s cold back in dismay.

    It was really exhausting. He never gave me a good face, and he was angry with me every day.

    Even though this morning he left me at the airport, he didn¡¯t even apologize to me, he always gets mad at me like this.

    I was so tired, I felt like I was about to explode.

    Johnathan nced at me and smiled ambiguously, ¡°Honestly, were you guys just now doing something?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I looked at him inexplicably.

    Johnathan raised an eyebrow and chuckled mischievously, ¡°Alone in a

    Chapter261

    hotel room, what else can we do besides that kind of thing?¡±

    I turned ck in the face.

    288 Voochers

    Reynaldo used to think about some improper things all day long, and even his brothers around him were like that.

    Sure enough, things gather together by category, and people separate into groups!

    ¡°Did we just interrupt something good for you guys, that¡¯s why Reynaldo¡¯s face was so dark?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to talk to him.

    But this Johnathan just wouldn¡¯t give up: ¡°It must be, otherwise why would Reynaldo take so long to call you to dinner.

    It¡¯s all Kimberly¡¯s fault. I said I would wait downstairs, but she insisted oning up to knock on your door.

    Just look at Reynaldo¡¯s frustrated look just now, tsk tsk¡­

    I rolled my eyes at him speechlessly.

    Who knew that Reynaldo was so unsatisfied?

    I was full of dirty thoughts in my mind, and even imagined others, which was really beyond belief.

    Yoripero was really cold, just like winter in Freybourne.

    As soon as I left the hotel, I shivered from the cold.

    What broke my heart was that, as soon as I looked up, I saw Reynaldo draping his ck coat over Kimberly.

    Kimberly changed her clothes. She was wearing a dress when she arrived,

    Chapter261

    but now she has changed into pants and a down jacket.

    In theory, she shouldn¡¯t be cold.

    17

    280 PH

    Reynaldo still took good care of her, afraid that she might catch a cold.

    The heart said it didn¡¯t care, but that was a lie.

    But I also knew that I didn¡¯t have the right to care or to mind.

    I hung my head and walked silently towards the car.

    Kimberly¡¯s understanding voice suddenly sounded, ¡°Reynaldo, why don¡¯t you give this clothes to Ms. Duffy? Look how lightly she¡¯s dressed, what if she gets sick?¡±

    I stopped in my tracks, furrowing my brow as I looked at them.

    Reynaldo was also looking towards me.

    His eyes were dark and deep, making it difficult to discern his emotions.

    I said lightly to Kimberly, ¡°No need, I¡¯m not cold, and my body is not as weak as yours, you wear it yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ms. Duffy. Reynaldo has bought me a down jacket. I¡¯m not that cold. It¡¯s you who is dressed so lightly. What if you catch a cold?¡±

    She said, and then took off the coat she was wearing and put it on me, saying, ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s clothes are very warm, you should put it on quickly.¡±

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    I just found this woman extremely annoying, and her voice was extremely noisy.

    I pushed her away, saying, ¡°Enough, I told you I¡¯m not cold, can¡¯t you understand?¡±

    Who wanted the false care of this woman.

    Reynaldo clearly gave her that dress, she just pretended to give it to me, wasn¡¯t she just trying to show off in front of me?

    It¡¯s really annoying!

    And this woman was very fragile.

    I just gave her a gentle push, and she quickly stepped back, but Reynaldo managed to catch her in time.

    Reynaldo nced at me coldly and said, ¡°Esmeralda, you really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t me Ms. Duffy, it¡¯s all my own fault for being annoying.¡±

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s fine!¡± I snorted.

    Reynaldo immediately gave a sharp nce.

    Kimberly was still holding his arm, looking anxious, and said, ¡°Reynaldo, it¡¯s really cold out here. Hurry up and put that coat on Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t deserve it, freezing to death was what she deserved!¡±

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    The man coldly threw out a sentence and then got into the car.

    298 Vouchers

    Kimberly came tofort me again, ¡°Ms. Duffy, don¡¯t be angry, actually Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°I shouted at her in disgust, ¡®Get lost!¡°¡±

    Kimberly immediately looked at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes.

    However, at that moment Reynaldo was smoking in the car, not even looking at her.

    Johnathan touched his nose and said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think the weather is very cold.¡±

    After he finished speaking, small snowkes began to fall from the sky.

    He chuckled and said, ¡°Actually, snow isn¡¯t that cold, right?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s gaze remained on Reynaldo, ignoring him.

    I hugged my arms and nced at him coolly, ¡°Not cold? Then why don¡¯t you take off your leather jacket and give it to me?¡±

    Anyway, I was quite cold.

    If Kimberly hadn¡¯t been so disgusting, I would have actually worn Reynaldo¡¯s coat.

    However, I was just speaking off the cuff to Johnathan.

    Little did I know, he took off his leather jacket without saying a word and handed it to me, ¡°Hey hey, what¡¯s so difficult about this? Esmie is willing to wear my clothes, it¡¯s my honor.¡±

    I saw that he was only wearing a thin knit sweater inside, and quickly waved my hand, saying, ¡°No need, no need, I was just joking. You wear it yourself, be careful not to catch a cold.¡±

    Chapter262

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m a big man, I can handle the cold,¡± Johnathan said as he quickly wrapped his jacket around me.

    768 rasers

    I was awkwardly refusing when Reynaldo¡¯s cold growl came from the car, ¡°Have you had enough? Are you still not going to eat?¡±

    ¡°Eat, why aren¡¯t you eating? What¡¯s the rush?¡±

    Johnathan wrapped me up in a leather jacket, then walked around the front of the car and got into the driver¡¯s seat.

    At that moment, Kimberly suddenlyughed at Reynaldo and said, ¡°Reynaldo, no wonder Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t want to wear your clothes, she actually wants to wear Johnathan¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo gave a light snort and looked at me with a cold and mocking

    gaze.

    I ignored them and got into the passenger seat by myself.

    Johnathan arrived early and was somewhat familiar with this ce.

    He quickly took us to a restaurant.

    As soon as I arrived at the restaurant, I wanted to return the clothes to

    Johnathan.

    But he refused to give in, saying he was about to die of heat and insisting that I wear it.

    However, this leather jacket was really warm, windproof and cold¨Cproof.

    Seeing him so persistent, I didn¡¯t refuse anymore.

    Throughout the journey, Reynaldo always looked at me with that cold gaze, and I didn¡¯t know where I had offended him again.

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    Didn¡¯t I make a mistake by not wearing his clothes and letting him give them to Kimberly?

    Johnathan ordered arge table of dishes.

    Just as I had finished eating, Kimberly got up and served me a bowl of soup, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy,e, it¡¯s cold weather, have a bowl of soup to warm up.¡±

    I looked at her indifferently, a cold smile rising in my heart.

    The weasel paid a New Year¡¯s visit to the chicken, with evil intentions!

    When I went to pick her up, she might have deliberately spilled the soup, scalded her hand or something, and then Reynaldo woulde to punish<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Didn¡¯t the white lotus always use such means?

    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°I have hands myself, Ms. Palmer, so you can pour yourself a drink.¡±

    Little did I know, as soon as the words left my mouth, a hint of moisture appeared in Kimberly¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, are you still ming me for leaving you at the airport this morning because of Reynaldo?¡±

    I nced at Reynaldo and said with a faint smile, ¡°No, I¡¯ve forgotten all about it.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you want to ept my bowl of soup?¡±

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    She looked at me with a pair of watery eyes, looking very aggrieved.

    In an instant, I made myself look ungrateful, still picking on her.

    288 Vouchers

    Just then, Johnathan whispered in my ear, ¡°Come on, they have sincerely apologized to you, just ept the bowl of soup. Reynaldo is watching, it will be so awkward if you don¡¯t.¡±

    I nced at Reynaldo, and the man was indeed looking at me with a cold

    gaze.

    Look, I just refused to take the soup Kimberly handed me, and he got angry, as if I had done something to Kimberly.

    What if Kimberly had given me poison to drink?

    Will he also force me to drink it?

    The more I thought about it, the more blocked I felt in my heart.

    Johnathan kept urging me to quickly take the bowl of soup.

    I suppressed the annoyance in my heart and said to him, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of getting burned, so could you please help me pass that bowl of soup, Mr. Dup?¡±

    Johnathan hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, ¡°Okay, sure.¡±

    He said, and then took the bowl of soup from Kimberly¡¯s hand and ced it in front of me.

    I smiled at Kimberly and said, ¡°Thank Ms. Palmer for serving me the soup. I will definitely finish itter.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes shed with a touch of anger.

    After a while, she smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy is so lucky to have such a considerate protector like Johnathan.¡±

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    Johnathan raised an eyebrow and nced at Reynaldo, intentionally remaining silent.

    288 Wanchers

    Kimberly then said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, when are you nning to tie the knot with Johnathan? Remember to invite me and Reynaldo to the wedding.¡±

    Although the woman¡¯s voice was very gentle, but in the ears it was noisy and annoying.

    I raised my eyes and smiled coldly at her, ¡°What? Can¡¯t the food shut your mouth?¡±

    Kimberly didn¡¯t pretend to be weak and pitiful this time, but smiled at me ambiguously and said, ¡°Oh, Ms. Duffy, are you shy? Come on, when are you and Johnathan getting engaged? I can¡¯t wait.¡±

    I looked irritably at Johnathan, hoping he would say something to shut this woman up.

    Little did he know, Johnathan just continued to leisurely eat his food as if he hadn¡¯t heard a word.

    I gave him a white look, really, at a critical moment, he really couldn¡¯t be counted on.

    Kimberly kept asking persistently, not knowing what she meant.

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    I was so annoyed that I looked up at her and sneered, ¡°Instead of asking me this question, why don¡¯t you ask your Reynaldo if he would let me go?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes twinkled as she smiled at me and said, ¡°So, if Reynaldo were to let you go, would you immediately settle down with Johnathan?¡±

    opened my mouth, but before I could answer the question.

    Reynaldo suddenly put down his fork and looked coldly at Johnathan, saying, ¡°Come out with me.¡±

    Johnathan was taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s up? I haven¡¯t finished eating, I¡¯m not going out!¡±

    Reynaldo dangerously squinted his eyes and said, ¡°Come out!¡±

    He coldly dropped two words and then walked out of the private room.

    Johnathan immediately threw down his fork and red at me and Kimberly with a look of resentment, saying, ¡°You two can y by yourselves, why do you have to drag me into it? Now I might as well be skinned alive by that man.¡±

    Kimberly innocently asked him, ¡°Johnathan, what are you talking about? Reynaldo must have something to tell you if he asked you out.¡±

    Johnathan rolled his eyes in silence and then looked at me.

    I gave him a cool tug on the lips.

    Tell him to just now a look good y attitude!

    15:40

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    258 Wouchers

    Serves you right!

    After the two men left. I began to eat in peace.

    Kimberly kept staring at me, her eyes no longer pitiful and innocent as before, but rather haughty and disdainful.

    She said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, do you know why Reynaldo insisted on you going on the business trip with him?¡±

    I ate my food in silence, ignoring her.

    She chuckled and continued, ¡°Because, you see, this client is exceptionally fond of making things difficult for people, and I heard that this client is very twisted, especially enjoying tormenting beautiful

    women like you with good looks and figures.¡±

    Reynaldo took you with him, just wanting ¡°the contract to be signed smoothly andpleted.¡±

    I paused my eating and remained silent.

    She sighed again, pretending, ¡°Oh, you poor thing, being used by Reynaldo as a tool to lure customers.¡±

    ¡°Poor people always have something despicable about them. It serves you right for bullying Reynaldo before, now he¡¯s just getting back at you.¡±

    ¡°Have you said enough?¡± I looked at her coldly.

    Kimberly paused for a moment and smirked, ¡°Had enough? Are you feeling very sad?¡±

    I sneered coldly, ¡°Stop talking and shut up! Your voice is so disgusting that I can hardly eat.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

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    1289 Vouchers

    Kimberly¡¯s face turned red with anger. After a while, she chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too pleased with yourself. At tomorrow¡¯s dinner party, you can expect to be handed over to Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, you were already tired of being yed by him, so there¡¯s nothing to miss.¡±

    Kimberly said coldly, then left the private room to find Reynaldo.

    I leaned back in my chair, my appetitepletely ruined by Kimberly.

    Will Reynaldo really y me off to someone else at tomorrow¡¯s dinner party?

    Although the man did hate me, detest me.

    But for some reason, I just didn¡¯t believe a single word Kimberly had just said.

    I felt like a man like Reynaldo would not hand over his woman to someone else to y with.

    He was a person who disdained using underhanded methods to gain profit.

    Otherwise, in the three years of our marriage, he had already taken advantage of my family¡¯s connections to get ahead.

    But no, he didn¡¯t take advantage at all.

    So, Kimberly must have said that on purpose just to provoke me.

    Thinking of this, my heart was instantlyforted.

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    After Reynaldo and Johnathan went out, they never came back again.

    After Kimberly chased out, she never came back.

    I had eaten and drunk my fill, waited in the private room for a while, but still didn¡¯t see the three of them.

    A faint sense of unease rose in my heart.

    Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t have left me at this restaurant again, would he?

    The key is, we ordered a lot of dishes at this table, did we pay for the meal?

    I quickly got up, grabbed my bag, and walked out.

    I looked around the corridor, and there was not a single person.

    Arriving at the hall, I looked around and didn¡¯t see the three of them anywhere.

    I got drunk.

    Reynaldo and Johnathan, they wouldn¡¯t really just leave me here like this, would they?

    I don¡¯t even know the name of that hotel, how am I going to get backter?

    I arrived at the cashier ready to pay, only to be told that the bill for our private room had already been settled.

    I asked when it was built.

    Chapter265

    The cashier said half an hour ago.

    I pursed my lips, feeling both angry and sour in my heart.

    So, they left half an hour ago, leaving me alone here?

    Oh!

    12 Vouchers

    Reynaldo was really ridiculous, forcing me toe along and treating me like this?

    Did he think it was fun to retaliate against me like this?

    The feeling of being abandoned again is not pleasant at all, even worse than in the morning.

    In the morning, he could say he was worried about Kimberly¡¯s health, so he left early, but at least he had Johnathane to pick me up.

    But what about this?

    He clearly knew that he was deliberately abandoning me, deliberately ying tricks on me.

    I self¨Cmockingly tugged at my lips and walked out in a daze.

    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.

    Since he deliberately left me like this, I don¡¯t need to go back anymore.

    Look, isn¡¯t this just a chance to escape?

    I flew from Yoripero to another very far away city, and then took a ck car from that city to the southern town I wanted to go to.

    Even if Reynaldo knew I had run away and wanted to chase me, he wouldn¡¯t have made it in time.

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    Chapte 85

    11

    And I took a ck car at that time, and he couldn¡¯t find any trace of me.

    Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a bit excited, and my heart rate also increased a bit.

    Leaving the restaurant, a cold wind blew, mixed with fine snowkes.

    I straightened my leather jacket and walked towards the taxi parked at the

    restaurant entrance.

    ¡°Hello, are you going to the airport?¡±

    Seeing the driver nod, I was about to open the car door when a cold voice suddenly sounded behind me, ¡°What are you going to the airport for?¡±

    I shuddered all over and quickly turned around.

    Reynaldo was leaning against the right side of the restaurant door, casually smoking.

    Smoke lingered in the air, soon dispersed by the cold wind.

    He gazed at me quietly, with a faintly oppressive look hidden beneath his calm gaze.

    I pulled back my hand that was about to open the door, apologized to the taxi driver, and then walked towards him.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was very pale, but his eyes were very deep.

    I really disliked making eye contact with him, because every time I did, I had a feeling that he could see right through me.

    I walked up to him with my head down and smiled, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you haven¡¯t left yet. I thought you all had left and left me here alone.¡±

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    ¡°You just told the driver to go to the airport¡­¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice sounded even colder in the cold wind, ¡°What do you want to do at the airport? Run away?¡±

    My heart skipped a beat.

    This man was really sharp, he always could guess what I was thinking.

    Keeping calm, I smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey is guessing blindly again, isn¡¯t he? You have already offered me a monthly sry of 100,000, why would I run away?¡±

    ¡°Then you went to the airport¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you guys left me here alone, and I didn¡¯t know which hotel to go back to, so I thought I¡¯d just go back to Freybourne by myself and wait for you.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Reynaldo chuckled.

    I nodded hastily, ¡°Of course, otherwise why would I go to the airport?¡±

    ¡°Heh!¡± Heughed again, and in the cold wind, this lightughter was really frightening.

    After a while, he softly said, ¡°Look up at me.¡±

    I pursed my lips, slowly lifted my head, and instantly met his dark, deep

    eyes.

    My heart skipped a beat unconsciously.

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    <b>288 </b>Vouchers

    I tightened the strap of my bag, trying to keep myposure, and deliberately said to him in a tone of grievance, ¡°It¡¯s you who insisted on meing over, but every time I follow you, you always end up leaving me alone in a strange ce.¡±

    Of course, you are the CEO, and I am just your secretary. I naturally should go back to the hotel alone, I can¡¯t me you.

    But I didn¡¯t know the name of the hotel, so I didn¡¯t know how to get back.

    ¡°I thought, since you were so casually abandoning me, you must not need me anymore, so I decided to go back to Freybourne by myself.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t know the address of the hotel, you can call and ask me, is your phone just for show?¡±

    When ites to making phone calls, my tone bes even more aggrieved: ¡°I called you twice this morning at the airport, and you deliberately hung up on me.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned, ¡°Did I hang up on purpose?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°I thought you were a big CEO, so I didn¡¯t dare to call you because I thought you must be very busy.¡±

    You said to ask others, but I don¡¯t have their numbers, only yours, Mr. Humphrey.

    ¡°I really had no choice but to think about going back to Freybourne alone.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me quietly, the coldness in his eyes melting away.

    He asked me, ¡°Do you only have my number?¡±

    I handed him the contacts in my phone and said, ¡°Look, there are three contacts in total: one is Quentin, one is Vonnie, and the other one is you.¡±

    30 201

    154000

    Reynaldo looked on, his brow slightly furrowed. ¡°I¡¯m just a string of numbers to you, you don¡¯t even give me a note?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a reminder, I remember your number.¡± I said instinctively.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, his eyebrows rxing momentarily, ¡°Do you remember my number?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I put away my phone and casually said, ¡°139*****313.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenlyughed.

    He turned his face away and blew out a smoke ring.

    When he looked back at me, his face seemed to have improved a bitpared to just now.

    He suddenly asked me, ¡°Is Johnathan¡¯s clothes warm?¡±

    I nodded unconsciously.

    Compared to when I first put on a sweater, it was much warmer.

    ¡°He took it off,¡± the man suddenly said.

    I furrowed my brows and tightened my leather jacket even more, ¡°Why do you want to take it off? Can¡¯t you see it¡¯s snowing?¡±

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    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything. He stubbed out his cigarette and then gloomily pulled me into the restaurant.

    Without saying a word, he immediately took off my leather jacket.

    I stared at him gloomily and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    This man was really nervous.

    Reynaldo took off his coat and muttered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I just find this outfit too shy.¡±

    I: ¡­

    He said, and then wrapped the coat around me.

    The man¡¯s body temperature, with a faint tobo scent, came over warmly, inexplicablyforting.

    Why did he insist on me wearing his clothes?

    I stared at him without blinking, and a faint palpitation arose in my heart.

    However, the man immediately extinguished that hint of palpitation in the

    next sentence.

    ¡°You came with me on this business trip, not for sightseeing. Next time, don¡¯t refuse my clothes. Otherwise, if you catch a cold, it will be troublesome. I don¡¯t have extra people to take care of you.¡±

    Oh!

    I wanted to hear something nice from this man¡¯s mouth.

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    Chapter267

    I think I have to wait until the next life.

    No!

    I would never want to meet him again in my next life!

    288 (Voucher

    Thinking to himself, I saw Reynaldo raise his hand and throw Johnathan¡¯s jacket to a waiter, saying, ¡°Get rid of this jacketter.¡±

    The waiter was taken aback by him, but still nodded repeatedly, ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    I was suddenly anxious, ¡°No, that¡¯s Johnathan¡¯s clothes, I still need to return it to him.¡±

    ¡°No problem, he found a leather coat he liked, it cost over a million, so I bought it for him.¡±

    The leather coat¡­

    Ugh!

    Johnathan really liked leather jackets.

    Reynaldo straightened my coat around me, wrapping mepletely, then he put his arm around my shoulder and led me outside the restaurant.

    Compared to Johnathan¡¯s jacket, Reynaldo¡¯s coat was indeed much

    warmer.

    Because it was long.

    Reynaldo was wearing a coat, and I was wearing an ankle¨Clength dress that covered my entire legs, really warm.

    However, the thought that this coat was originally meant for Kimberly made me feel a bit uneasy.

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    Just endure the taste, I could only keep it to myself.

    Because I was not qualified to argue with him.

    288 Woschers

    When I was about to get on the car, I saw that there was no one inside. I couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°Where are Johnathan and Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°He went back.¡±

    The man said lightly, and got on the car first.

    quickly got on and asked in confusion, ¡°How did they go back first? And Ms. Palmer, why are you here? Did she really let Johnathan go back?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly frowned and nced at me, seeming a bit annoyed.

    I pursed my lips and tactfully stopped asking more questions.

    He didn¡¯t rush to start the fire either, just holding onto the steering wheel, suddenly said something irrelevant, ¡°I heard that the scenery of Yoripero is very nice.¡±

    I was taken aback and instinctively looked at him.

    So what?

    Reynaldo stared straight ahead without looking away, saying in a t tone, ¡°Here are the Ice Pce, icenterns, and various ice sculptures, all local specialties.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I looked at him and said, ¡°So what?¡±

    He stopped, remained silent for a while, then suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°I want to go see.¡±

    56,76

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    pierzo

    298 Vouchers

    Ugh!

    I couldn¡¯t believe that Reynaldo, a dignified man, would be interested in ice sculptures.

    However, as the secretary of the CEO, when the CEO wants to go

    sightseeing and see artworks, I, as the secretary, must arrange it immediately!

    I asked him, ¡°Now?¡±

    He nodded.

    I quickly took out my phone and said, ¡°Let me check the tourism industry here and find a patient and reliable tour guide to show you around.¡±

    ER 33

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    Chapter268

    As soon as I opened my phone, hisrge palm covered my phone screen.¡­..

    looked at him in confusion.

    He frowned slightly and said a little displeased, ¡°No need to look for anyone else, it¡¯s just you!¡±

    I widened my eyes in surprise and said, ¡°Me? No way, I¡¯m not familiar with this ce at all. I don¡¯t even know where the Ice Pce artworks

    are.¡±

    ¡°Could you tell me Johnathan¡¯s number? He¡¯s been here before and knows this ce better than us. I¡¯ll call him back to take you there.¡±

    Reynaldo became increasingly upset and impatient, and he snapped at me, saying, ¡°When I tell you to follow, you follow. I have never seen such a disobedient secretary.¡±

    I pursed my lips, feeling a bit indignant in my heart.

    I am not disobedient either, I just speak the truth.

    We, two out¨Cof¨Ctowners, didn¡¯t do any research, didn¡¯t hire a guide, just decided to go see ice sculptures as theye. Don¡¯t want to waste any time looking for the ce and end up not seeing the art.

    Reynaldo looked at me irritably and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go see it?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking,¡± I said instinctively.

    After all, I had already taken a nap, so I was quite energetic now. It would be boring to stay at home, and who knows if Kimberly wille and bother me again.

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    Chapter268

    Just: ¡°Do you know the ce?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just silently started the car.

    I thought he really knew the way, but the moment we started, he said, ¡°You search the navigation, we just follow the navigation.¡±

    I: ¡­

    The car was driving smoothly on the road.

    Yoripero¡¯s snow came earlier than Freybourne¡¯s.

    Just now it was small snowkes, now the snow has be a little bigger.

    The wind and snow did not stop people from traveling, and the streets on both sides were bustling.

    Along the way, Reynaldo drove carefully, and I enjoyed the street view outside the window, feeling veryfortable.

    Just halfway through the journey, Reynaldo¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    I subconsciously turned my head, before I could even nce at his phone, he directly hung up the call.

    This man, when he hung up on me, must have done it just as cleanly.

    After a while, his phone rang again.

    I didn¡¯t see who called, and he immediately hung up.

    I stared at him suspiciously and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer?¡±

    ¡°Harassing phone calls,¡± Reynaldo said casually, continuing to drive.

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    I furrowed my brows in confusion.

    1288 (Vouchers

    Reynaldo was a dignified president, the confidentiality of his phone number should be very strong, and harassing calls should definitely not be able to get through.

    Even when my family was still wealthy, neither Quentin nor I had ever received harassing phone calls, let alone him now.

    I nced at him suspiciously, but only saw his cold and indifferent profile.

    Just then, his phone rang again.

    I quickly nced and saw that it was a call from Johnathan.

    Reynaldo answered this time.

    I didn¡¯t know what the other person said.

    Reynaldo said lightly, ¡°I have something to do now, I¡¯ll be back in the evening.¡±

    11 11

    ¡°You take good care of her, I¡¯ll buy you a leather coat!¡±

    Reynaldo hung up the phone after saying this, and then his phone didn¡¯t ring again for half a day.

    I poked him with my index finger and asked, ¡°Did Kimberly look for you?¡±

    The man pursed his lips and did not respond.

    Iughed and said, ¡°Actually, we can go pick them up and then go see the ice sculptures together. It will be lively with more people¡­ well.¡±

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    Chapter269

    The man nced at me coldly before I could finish my sentence.

    I hesitated for a moment on myst word.

    He frowned and said impatiently, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, no one will treat you as a mute.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I looked sadly out of the window.

    Even though Kimberly¡¯s voice was more annoying, constantly saying ¡®Reynaldo¡® all day long, he never found Kimberly annoying.

    I said a few words, and he found it annoying.

    Good job!

    However, did he really like it when women used that affected voice to call him Reynaldo?

    Thinking of this, my head suddenly felt hot.

    The mouth spoke before reason: ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Sigh¡­

    Just then I shouted at him, and he mmed on the brakes.

    I quickly put my hand in front of me and looked at him in shock, ¡°Why did you suddenly stop the car?¡±

    Fortunately, it was a small road and there were not many cars on the way.

    15:40

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    He gripped the steering wheel tightly and looked at me somewhat unnaturally, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, shouting like that?¡±

    Um¡­

    283 vouchers

    I suddenly realized that I had indeed shouted his name ¡®Reynaldo¡® in that affected voice just now.

    I bit my lip in frustration.

    Just now my head was really hot.

    He liked Kimberly, so he liked being called Kimberly.

    He hated me so much that I yelled at him, and I could tell he was disgusted in his heart.

    Just then, they were so disgusted that they had to m on the brakes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shout around for no reason, it will affect my driving,¡± he earnestly lectured me.

    My face was burning hot and flushed.

    I muttered, ¡°Even though Kimberly was calling you, it didn¡¯t seem to affect your driving.¡±

    ¡°She was she, you were you, you were different from her.¡±

    Oh!

    Wasn¡¯t I different from Kimberly?

    Sure enough, in his heart<i>, </i>Kimberly was the person on the tip of his heart, no matter how noisy, he liked her.

    And I was just a tool for him to vent, the quieter the better.

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    298 Vouchers

    Sadly, he thought to himself, ¡°If you¡¯re bored, just close your eyes and rest for a while, quietly, and no one will think you¡¯re dumb.¡±

    I turned my head to look out the window, holding back the soreness in my

    eyes.

    I really didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore, unless it was work¨Crted.

    The car had not started for half a day, and I felt like it was watching me.

    I took a deep breath and turned to look at him, suppressing my emotions as I asked him in a very calm tone, ¡°Is there anything else Mr. Humphrey wants to teach me?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just me overthinking, but a lot of the time, I feel like his gaze towards me is anything but innocent.

    Just like now, a me inexplicably ignited in those ck eyes.

    He suddenly approached me and grinned, ¡°Actually, if you¡¯re willing, you can shout my name like that in bed, it might be very exciting.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    I turned my head in anger and didn¡¯t want to talk to him.

    Sure enough, not even a bit did I misunderstand, but this man indeed has a dirty mind!

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    He started the car with a smile, and theughter sounded different from the usual coldness, more like a genuineughter from the heart.

    Because of his differential treatment towards me and Kimberly, I still had a lump in my heart, so I didn¡¯t bother to figure out this smile of his.

    15 <b>40 </b>

    Chapter269

    288 Vouchers

    The car drove for nearly two hours before arriving at what he called the

    Ice Pce.

    15:40

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    From a distance, the ice pce looked magnificent and impressive, especially awe¨Cinspiring.

    Because I have always been afraid of the cold since I was a child, I rarely visit such northern cities.

    This was also the first time I had seen such magnificent ice sculptures, and I was truly impressed.

    Reynaldo parked the car in the parking area, nced at me, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, go take a look.¡±

    I nodded and quickly got out of the car with him.

    The snow was still falling, and it was even colder on this side of the Ice Pce than in the downtown area.

    I shivered uncontrobly as soon as I got off the car.

    Reynaldo nced at me and then took me to the nearby store to buy a down jacket.

    This scenic spot was too cold, so there were many shops selling down jackets nearby.

    Reynaldo took me to a very luxurious store, and he immediately asked the owner to bring him two of the most expensive down jackets, and he didn¡¯t want any that were not expensive.

    The corner of my lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch.

    His behavior really resembled a parvenu.

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    The boss finally took out his most prized possession.

    One for men, one for women.

    288 watchers

    Reynaldo first put the down jacket on me, and then put the coat over the down jacket.

    He wrapped me up like a zongzi and asked me, ¡°Are you not cold now?¡±

    I shook my head.

    Not only was it not cold, it was just like lying in a warm and cozy nket.

    He bought me another woolen hat to wear on my head.

    Seeing this, the boss quickly handed over a scarf.

    He wrapped the scarf around my neck, then pulled it up a little, just enough to let my eyes show.

    After finishing everything, he looked me up and down, nodded, and said, ¡°Okay, this should do.¡±

    With that, he absentmindedly put on his down jacket and went to the checkout counter to pay.

    I was about to catch up when suddenly I saw the shop owner take a picture of his back.

    I asked the boss in surprise, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I saw such a handsome customer for the first time. Look at his figure, it¡¯s amazing, even better than a model.

    ¡°Just this back view, hanging in my store, would definitely attract a lot of customers.¡±

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    Ugh!

    Did he use Reynaldo as a free model?

    Ver

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t know if he would be angry when he found out, after all, his current identity is quite extraordinary.

    And the man had a strange personality. If he found out, this small shop would be in big trouble.

    I kindly reminded the shop owner, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better not to do that. If you really want to hang his photo in the store to attract customers, you¡¯d better ask for his opinion first.¡±

    After all, it¡¯s not good to vite someone¡¯s portrait rights, even if it¡¯s just a

    back view.

    And I¡¯m telling you, his temper was really bad, so I sincerely advise you to go talk to him first.

    ¡°That girl, could you help me to talk to her? I see that your boyfriend treats you very well, he is full of you in his heart and eyes. If you ask, he will definitely agree.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°You got it wrong, he is not my boyfriend, but my

    boss.¡±

    ¡°Oh, flirting with the boss, you¡¯re quite bold, little girl.¡±

    I: ¡­

    ¡°What were you talking about?¡±

    Reynaldo walked over at this moment, ring at the shop owner with an unfriendly look.

    15.40

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    The shop owner looked at me, hoping I could help him talk about the free model situation.

    The key is that I didn¡¯t dare to speak up,

    Reynaldo already disliked me and hated hearing my voice.

    If I had suggested that he provide free models for this store, he would have red at me to death.

    Originally, he is not the same as before. If it were in the past, I would definitely help him with this little thing.

    ¡°What were you talking about? Hmm?¡±

    Seeing that neither I nor the shopkeeper spoke, Reynaldo asked again, his eyes faintly warning in their gaze.

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    The shop owner had no choice but to speak, looking at Reynaldo with a smile, ¡°Well, I just think you are handsome and extraordinary, with a perfect figure, like a walking clothes hanger, so I thought about taking a picture of you to hang in our shop, to attract customers.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s aura was really powerful, even just standing there casually, the oppressive feeling was full.

    The shop owner¡¯s voice gradually lowered as he spoke,cking confidence.

    Little did he know, as soon as he finished speaking, Reynaldo said,

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    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I looked at him in shock.

    When did this man be so easy to talk to?

    Still, why was he always so nice to everyone but me, always fierce and difficult?

    The shop owner was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you so much, you are really too kind.¡±

    He said, then looked at me, ¡°You are really something. Your boss is so easy to talk to, yet you still say his temper is extremely bad.¡±

    I was dumbfounded!

    No, how could the boss of this store be like this? I just kindly reminded him earlier, why did he still say this?

    Trying to please Reynaldo wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed.

    I felt a cold gaze fall on me.

    I hung my head and didn¡¯t dare to look at him.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    A lightughter sounded from above his head, and he said meaningfully, ¡°My temper¡­ is extremely bad?¡±

    I hung my head, pursed my lips, and didn¡¯t dare to say a word.

    Reynaldo snorted coldly and sneered, ¡°Even though I have a bad temper, I didn¡¯t do anything to you, don¡¯t you know how to be grateful?¡±

    Oh!

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    What did I do to you?

    Did he forget how he tortured me every time in bed?

    Ah, forget it!

    #1

    2008

    He was the big CEO after all, and I was just a small secretary. If I were to argue with him, I would only be asking for trouble.

    Reynaldo snorted again, that anger, as if he was going to beat me up fiercely.

    The shop owner stood awkwardly to the side, smiling.

    Actually, she didn¡¯t say a lot of bad things about you.

    Furthermore, since you want to be friends with her, don¡¯t be so serious, don¡¯t bring out the momentum you have at work, otherwise she will be scared.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk nonsense. He is just my immediate boss! It¡¯s okay if you ruin my reputation, but don¡¯t ruin the reputation of my immediate boss,¡± I red angrily at the shop owner.

    I have never seen a shopkeeper who talks so much. Does he still want to do business?

    Oh, really!

    Surprisingly, when the shop owner said that, Reynaldo didn¡¯t get angry at all, and the gloom on his face even dissipated a little.

    He asked the shop owner, ¡°Do you still want to take photos?¡±

    ¡°The boss nodded repeatedly and pointed to a spot with a better background, saying, ¡®Could you please stand there?¡°¡±

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    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word and went over there.

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    I was stunned.

    Really, I haven¡¯t seen him so easy to talk to since he became sessful.

    What¡¯s wrong with him today?

    Didn¡¯t see how good his mood was?

    How about the boss of this store, he seems to be particrly gentle and easy to talk to.

    Was the owner of this store one of his distant rtives from afar?

    Just as I was wildly guessing, Reynaldo¡¯s faintmand suddenly came, ¡°Come here!¡±

    I was taken aback and instinctively walked towards him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, what can I do for you?¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just reached out and pulled me to stand beside him.

    I looked at him inexplicably.

    What did he want to do?

    He had one hand in his pocket, the other on my shoulder, looking as if he was about to embrace me, and said to the shopkeeper coldly, ¡°Take the picture.¡±

    The shop owner¡¯s cheeks twitched visibly in difort.

    The shop owner smiled awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ll just take two photos for you, not

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    a photo of the two of you together, you see, this, this¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you still going to take the photo?¡± Reynaldo asked casually.

    Even with such a casual tone, the sense of oppression in it is still frightening.

    I felt his hand on my shoulder was heavy, but I didn¡¯t dare to take it off.

    I don¡¯t know what Reynaldo wanted to do.

    People have clearly stated that they want to take his photos and hang them in the store to attract customers.

    Why did he hug me?

    ¡°Smile, smile.¡± The shop owner said cautiously, ¡°Can you please ask the beautifuldy next to you to step aside first, and I will take two photos for you, very quickly.¡±

    I finished listening and was about to leave.

    Little did I know, Reynaldo¡¯s hand on my shoulder suddenly exerted force, keeping me in ce.

    He said to the shop owner, ¡°No! If you want to take a picture, take it like this. If not, I¡¯ll leave.¡±

    ¡°Snap! Snap! Snap!¡±

    The shop owner said, quickly took out his phone and snapped several photos of me and Reynaldo.

    When Reynaldo came out of the store, he walked ahead with a slightly fast pace.

    I was wrapped in a down jacket and a long coat, walking rather slowly.

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    I followed behind him, watching his tall figure intently.

    11

    Thinking about the photo I just took, a ripple of emotion involuntarily rose in my heart.

    I pursed my lips and shouted at him, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Just now he was clearly trying to take a photo with me on purpose.

    But why?

    Didn¡¯t he hate me? Why did he still take a photo with me?

    And just now that posture also looked a bit like¡­ intimacy between couples.

    2x

    Even though I knew he disliked me, I couldn¡¯t help but think too much.

    Reynaldo paused and looked back at me.

    His handsome brows were slightly furrowed, looking a bit impatient.

    I opened my mouth, but the question in my heart couldn¡¯t be asked.

    Liking someone wouldn¡¯t be so impatient.

    Liking someone is like how he was to Kimberly, gentle, considerate, patient.

    So, why did I need to ask him and bring humiliation upon myself.

    I didn¡¯t say a word for half a day.

    Reynaldo took a few steps towards me and impatiently said, ¡°Speak! What do you want from me?¡±

    I shook my head and remained silent.

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    Reynaldo¡¯s brow furrowed even more: ¡°Esmeralda, just say what you have to say, don¡¯t beat around the bush with me!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have¡­¡± I smiled at him, ¡°I have nothing to say to you, I just want you to slow down, I can¡¯t keep up.¡±

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    Reynaldo pursed his lips.

    He stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out to hold my hand.

    I was startled and instinctively dodged.

    He frowned and still firmly wrapped my hand in his palm.

    I frowned at him and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, what are you¡­¡±

    ¡°I was pulling you along, you were walking so slowly, should I still bother looking at this ice sculpture?¡±

    After saying that, he took me towards the entrance of the scenic spot.

    So you see, I really couldn¡¯t think too much.

    He held my hand just because I was walking too slowly and dying his time.

    It seems that the group photo just now was probably just a passing fancy for him.

    Reynaldo held my hand all the way into the scenic area and didn¡¯t let go.

    But he was really quite strange.

    He said he was going to see the ice sculptures, but once he entered the Ice Pce, he didn¡¯t appreciate those ice sculptures at all.

    Just like that, he held my hand and walked forward without looking around, as if taking a stroll.

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    I took out my phone and started snapping away at those exquisite ice sculptures,

    When we reached the central resting area of the pce, Reynaldo suddenly said to me, ¡°You sit here for a while, I¡¯ll go buy some milk tea.¡±

    I was stunned and subconsciously said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted to drink milk tea.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, and he muttered, ¡°I want to drink at the head office, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips in astonishment.

    Okay! Okay!

    You were the big boss, you could say anything.

    He was just a big man, suddenly saying he wanted to drink milk tea, which seemed strange no matter how you looked at it.

    However, should this activity of buying milk tea be done by me, secretary?

    He said he was ready to go line up to buy.

    the

    I busily called out to him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, let me go instead. You are the president, you should take a rest here.¡±

    ¡°Are you going?¡± Reynaldo sneered, ¡°Forget it, with your slow and weak appearance, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even get your bubble tea and end up getting lost in the crowd while waiting in line.¡±

    I pulled my lips.

    Look, up until now, I am still worthless in his eyes, unable to even buy a milk tea.

    Chapter273

    Feeling depressed, he suddenly turned to me and warned harshly, ¡°Stay here and wait for me obediently, don¡¯t run around!¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I responded with a dull sound and saw him walking towards the shop.

    There were a lot of people buying milk tea, forming a long line.

    Reynaldo stood in line, looking particrly dazzling.

    I instinctively took out my phone and snapped a few pictures of him.

    After all, the scene of Reynaldo queuing to buy milk tea, except for this time, may not be seen again in the future.

    While I was pping wildly at him, he suddenly looked towards me.

    I was startled and quickly put away my phone, pretending to smile at him as if nothing had happened.

    He gave me a cold nce and then shifted his gaze elsewhere.

    I breathed a sigh of relief and picked up my phone to look at the photos I had just taken.

    Reynaldo was tall, handsome, and had an excellent temperament, standing out in the crowd.

    I erged the photo to take a closer look, and the more I looked, the more I wondered how he could be so good¨Clooking.

    Every time I thought he looked good, I would unconsciously fantasize about what my baby would be like.

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    Chapter274

    It is said that daughters mostly resemble their fathers.

    Ah! I really want to have a daughter.

    With that being said, my daughter would definitely be very beautiful in the future.

    I stared at the photo on my phone, fantasizing with a wandering mind, when suddenly a group of people crowded around and walked towards a door next to me.

    ¡°Hurry up, hurry up, the treasure of Zhen Gong is about to open, and it will only be open for ten minutes. If we miss it this time, we¡¯ll have to

    wait until next time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard that the treasure of Zhen Gong is going to be open today,

    so I came.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see itst time either. They said the treasure of Zhen Gong was

    amazing.¡±

    ***

    A group of people were talking and pushing their way towards that door.

    I furrowed my brows in confusion: The treasure of Zhen Gong? What is

    that?

    I stopped a tourist and asked.

    She said there was an ice sculpture of a dragon inside the pce, revered as the treasure of the pce.

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    Because it was too expensive, it was not open on regr days, only on specific days.

    Today happened to be the open day, three times in the morning and three times in the afternoon.

    This was thest time in the afternoon, only open for ten minutes each time. If you missed it, you would have to wait for the next opening day.

    Upon hearing her say that, I immediately became interested.

    The ice sculpture dragon, just thinking about it feels majestic!

    No, I had to go take a look.

    It will be difficult toe back to Freybourne again.

    I nced over at Reynaldo.

    He was still in line, with many people in front of him.

    Today Reynaldo was really strange.

    Not only was she willing to cooperate with the shop owner as a free model, but she also patiently waited in line to buy milk tea.

    The sun really rose in the west.

    I estimated that it would take him another ten minutes or so to buy the

    milk tea.

    So I went to take a look at the ice sculpture dragon, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.

    Thinking of this, I quickly got up and followed the group of people out.

    The door was the kind of heavy insted door, and once you stepped

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    through it, it was several degrees colder outside.

    The crowd was walking in one direction, and I followed them.

    Passing through two ice arches, I saw the words ¡°Treasure of the Town Pce¡°.

    There were just so many people.

    The opening time had not arrived yet, and there were staff members at the door pulling a red line to block it.

    The area outside the red line was crowded with people.

    I was a few circles away from the crowd, and gradually many people gathered behind me.

    It can be said that it is threeyers inside and threeyers outside, neither

    forward nor backward.

    After waiting for about five minutes, the opening time finally arrived.

    The staff pulled the red rope, and immediately everyone rushed inside.

    I protected my stomach and nervously followed the crowd inside.

    Wow!

    If I had known there would be so many people, I wouldn¡¯t havee to join in the fun.

    s¡­

    Fortunately, we safely squeezed into the viewing area.

    The viewing area was spacious, with a fence surrounding the center of the field, inside which stood the ice sculpture of a dragon.

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    Grand and magnificent to the extreme.

    When I heard them talking, I felt like it would be very shocking.

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    At this moment, what I saw with my own eyes truly shook me to the core.

    The tourists were all taking pictures frantically with their phones.

    I was stunned for a few seconds, then quickly took out my phone and started snapping away.

    After taking several photos, I finally took the time to appreciate the ice sculpture dragon.

    This trip was indeed not in vain.

    Reynaldo missed out on the treasure of this town pce.

    It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll show him the phototer, it should be fine.

    The treasures of the Zhen Gong Pce were only open for ten minutes.

    Five minutes passed, and more and more people gathered in the viewing

    area.

    I was afraid that people would rush out in a swarmter, so I left the venue three minutes early.

    I don¡¯t know if Reynaldo¡¯s milk tea was bought or not.

    I was walking back when suddenly a loud shout came, faintly tinged with

    urgency.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly looked up to see Reynaldo, with a stern face, striding towards me.

    Weren¡¯t you told to wait there obediently? Where did you run off to

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    again?

    11

    Esmeralda, why were you always so disobedient, why did you always like to run around so much?!

    Sometimes, I really wish I could ¡°break your legs¡°!

    As soon as he approached me, he started yelling at me aggressively.

    His chest heaved violently, clearly showing that he was not happy.

    I waited for him to finish venting, then cautiously said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, I just went to see the treasure of the town pce.¡±

    Thinking of the grandeur and shock of the treasures in the town pce, I was excited.

    I quickly grabbed his arm and said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be over yet. Hurry up and go take a look, even just a nce is worth it.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Little did I know, as soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo swiftly shook off my hand.

    He red at me angrily and said, ¡°You always do this, going wherever you want, doing whatever you want, never considering my feelings.¡±

    ¡°Really, Esmeralda, it seems like everything is more important to you than me.¡±

    I stared at him nkly.

    What on earth happened to him?

    I just took the opportunity while he was buying milk tea to admire the treasure of the town pce.

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    He was so angry that he even said things like ¡°everything is more important than him¡°.

    I opened my mouth to say something, but he shoved the bought milk tea into my hand and then turned and walked away.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I shouted behind him, but he ignored me. His back looked extremely cold.

    Reynaldo, what¡¯s wrong with you again?

    I held a warm cup of milk tea in my hands, feeling mncholy.

    He always seemed to be angry, as if his mood was always irritable when he was with me.

    This is probably the normal behavior when being with someone you despise.

    But why did he dislike me so much, yet still want me to apany him to see the ice sculptures?

    How about having Kimberlye to apany him?

    Was it because Kimberly had weak bones that he was afraid Kimberly would catch a cold?

    The man walked quickly, and his tall figure soon disappeared into the

    crowd.

    I waved away my troubled thoughts and quickly caught up.

    I decided to forget about all those misceneous things.

    At the moment, coaxing that man is the top priority. Otherwise, the way back is so long, I can¡¯t bear it.

    Chapter275

    The opening hours of the Huihui Town Pce treasure have ended.

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    I thought about showing the photos I took to Reynaldo, he should also feel impressed, and then his mood would improve a little bit.

    However, when I opened my phone, I was shocked.

    On the phone screen, there were seven missed calls, all from Reynaldo.

    Oh my God!

    He called me seven times in such a short time, and I didn¡¯t answer a single

    one!

    No wonder he was so angry!

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I called out the man¡¯s name and quickened my pace to catch up with him.

    No, this time I really have to coax him.

    After all, if it were me who made seven phone calls to someone in ten minutes and none of them were answered, I would be angry too.

    And he might have been even angrier than him.

    So this time, he really can¡¯t be med for losing his temper.

    There were really a lot of people in the Ice Pce.

    I didn¡¯t dare to run too fast, afraid of bumping into people.

    I didn¡¯t see the man¡¯s figure at the end of this road.

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    Chapter276

    Oh no, did he get so angry that he ran back and left me here alone?

    I stood at the crossroads, looking east and west in confusion.

    After a while, I finally found him.

    He stood three meters away from me, his eyes coldly staring at me.

    In other words, he had already seen me looking for him here, but deliberately didn¡¯t speak up?

    I pursed my lips and walked towards him, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, here is your milk tea.¡±

    With that, I handed him the milk tea.

    He didn¡¯t answer, just said lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like drinking now, you can handle it yourself.¡±

    I: ¡­

    The man in front of me was clearly still angry.

    I hung my head and exined softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there were too many people and it was too noisy in the exhibition hall just now, so I didn¡¯t hear the phone ring.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really didn¡¯t mean to ignore your calls.¡±

    I had never apologized to him so sincerely before.

    I don¡¯t know if his expression would improve after I apologized so sincerely.

    I cautiously lifted my head and nced at him.

    He was still frowning, his face dark and gloomy, the anger showing no

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    signs of dissipating.

    Ah!

    It seems that this man is not easily appeased.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say another word to me aftering out of the Ice Pce.

    The sky outside had already turnedpletely dark.

    Reynaldo walked ahead, and I was afraid of losing him, so I kept jogging behind him.

    After he came out, he didn¡¯t go directly to the parking lot, but went to a nearby restaurant.

    I followed him into the restaurant and took a seat by the window.

    The waiter handed me the menu enthusiastically, he threw the menu at me without saying a word.

    I pursed my lips, opened the menu, and asked him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, what kind of dishes do you like?¡±

    However, when I asked, his face inexplicably darkened.

    He said with some resentment, ¡°After all these years, have you ever known even a little bit about my preferences? Just a tiny bit?¡±

    I looked at him inexplicably and said, ¡°So you don¡¯t know my preferences either?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± he suddenly stopped speaking, just turned his head away with a look of resentment.

    I stared at him in silence.

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    I was so frustrated, the man¡¯s temper was getting more and more inexplicable.

    I ordered a few daily dishes.

    After I finished speaking, I looked up at him and saw that he was leaning back in his chair, staring out the window without blinking. His profile, besides anger, also inexplicably carried a hint of sadness.

    0050

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    Chapter277

    I didn¡¯t dare to disturb him, so I quietly took the milk tea from earlier and prepared to drink it.

    The milk tea was packed in a thermos, and it was still hot.

    He bought a superrge cup of milk tea with two straws.

    I took out a straw and inserted it, then looked at him again before drinking, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you really don¡¯t drink this milk tea?¡±

    Reynaldo ignored me.

    I pursed my lips, silently drank my milk tea, and stopped talking.

    Forget it, he hated me. I guess he found my voice annoying, so it¡¯s better to keep quiet.

    I took a few sips, and he suddenly frowned and clicked his tongue.

    I felt a jolt in my heart and looked at him nervously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    The man red at me angrily, as if he was unusually irritable.

    I picked up the milk tea and said cautiously, ¡°If I¡¯m affecting your mood here, should I sit next to you?¡±

    However, as soon as I stood up, he suddenly growled, ¡°Sit down!¡±

    I was startled by his yelling and quickly sat down obediently.

    He nced at me, then propped his forehead, looking annoyed.

    0.00%

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    I: ¡­

    I didn¡¯t dare to move or say a word at that moment, I really didn¡¯t

    understand what he was so upset about.

    Before long, the dishes were served.

    It might have been the cold weather, coupled with being pregnant, that made me hungry so quickly.

    As soon as the dish was served, the aroma wafted into my nostrils, making me even hungrier.

    I couldn¡¯t wait to pick up the fork and get ready to eat.

    Just as I was about to grill the spare ribs, I suddenly remembered Reynaldo, who was still sulking.

    I quickly put the piece of ribs back on his te and smiled at him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you haven¡¯t eaten much all day. Have some more now, be careful not to have another stomachache.¡±

    Reynaldo nced lightly at the te and said nothing.

    I didn¡¯t care about him either, just ate by myself.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡±

    Eating heartily, he suddenly called out to me.

    I quickly choked down the food in my mouth, straightened my back, and waited earnestly for him to speak.

    He stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenlyughed self-

    deprecatingly and said, ¡°Forget it, talking to a heartless woman like you is just asking for trouble.¡±

    32.139

    Chapter277

    HE DU

    I lowered my head and for a moment, I felt that the food in my mouth was no longer tasty.

    I whispered, ¡°In the future, let Kimberly apany you on activities like this.¡±

    It really hurt.

    Every time he forced me to be with him, and every time he ended up despising me and getting angry at me.

    Was I supposed to be a punching bag that takes all the me?

    It is true!

    On the way back, Reynaldo still had a gloomy face and didn¡¯t speak.

    I didn¡¯t want to bother trying to coax him anymore.

    This man was not only difficult to please, but also had a strange temper.

    Oh, during those three years of marriage, he never lost his temper in front of me. But it really did build up inside him.

    I sarcastically thought to myself and couldn¡¯t help but nce at his profile again.

    The more I looked at it, the more I felt that this man was unreasonable.

    It was dark, and on the way back, he drove quite slowly.

    I leaned back in the chair and fell asleep unconsciously.

    Not knowing how long I had slept, in a daze, I felt a moist and soft touch on my lips.

    I slowly opened my eyes.

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    Chapter278

    The first thing that caught my eye was the erged handsome face of Reynaldo.

    I was startled and instinctively pushed him.

    However, as soon as my hand touched his chest, he withdrew himself.

    He wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand and grunted, ¡°Get off the

    car.¡±

    I turned my head and looked out, only to find that we had already arrived at the hotel.

    It felt like the road to see the ice sculptures was so long, howeing back was so quick?

    Reynaldo got off the car and walked into the hotel on his own.

    I quickly got off the car and followed up.

    The lips still lingered with the touch of softness.

    I couldn¡¯t help but raise my hand and touch my lips.

    Reynaldo was a weirdo, he hated me, kissed me without my consent, despised me, and even slept with me.

    To put it bluntly, he was just a womanizer!

    ¡°Oh, Reynaldo, you¡¯re finally back.¡±

    I had just arrived on the floor where Reynaldo lived when Johnathan came running towards me as if he had been granted a pardon, wailing

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    112 chap

    loudly.

    Reynaldo nced at him and said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you slept sote?¡±

    Oh, why are you sleeping? Hurry up and go check on Kimberly.

    Since you didn¡¯t answer her call, she has been crying, crying until now, and nothing I do canfort her.

    Key, she was not feeling well, crying uncontrobly, I was really worried that she would cry and cry¡­

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly muttered under his breath.

    Johnathan quickly closed his mouth.

    ¡°Afterwards, don¡¯t speak carelessly. Her illness will be cured,¡± Reynaldo said lightly, then walked towards Kimberly¡¯s room without even looking

    at me.

    After Reynaldo left.

    Johnathan shrugged and said, ¡°When did I talk nonsense? That woman was already terminally ill, couldn¡¯t be saved even if we tried, right? So why worry about what others say?¡±

    ¡°An incurable disease?¡± I asked Johnathan, my heart pounding.

    Johnathan eximed, ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    He said and wanted to slip away.

    I quickly grabbed him and said, ¡°You need to tell me clearly, what happened to Kimberly?¡±

    28.68%

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know either, but when Reynaldo brought her from the countryside, that woman looked sickly.¡±

    ¡°Countryside?¡±

    I was more and more surprised, Kimberly was actually from the countryside?

    Although Reynaldo was never well¨Creceived by the Humphrey family since he was young, after all, he was still the young master of the Humphrey family. How could he have a rtionship with a country girl?

    ¡°Yes, Kimberly used to be a country bumpkin, Reynaldo brought her over when he divorced you.¡±

    Upon hearing this, a pang of sadness struck my heart.

    No matter whether Kimberly was a country bumpkin or not, Reynaldo divorced me, indeed for her.

    Ugh, Kimberly was actually quite annoying, fragile and couldn¡¯t be yelled at or talked to.

    Her mind was so delicate and sensitive, I had to be very careful when talking to her.

    I really don¡¯t know why Reynaldo had to be so good to her, Esmie, you are much stronger than her.¡±

    Johnathan said with a look of disgust.

    I endured the difort in my heart and smiled faintly, saying, ¡°Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, perhaps Reynaldo just happens to like that one.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Johnathan frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think Reynaldo necessarily likes Kimberly, but it is undeniable that Reynaldo is very, very

    58.27%

    good to that woman.¡®

    ¡°What is it if not love to treat a woman well?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Johnathan said, ¡°Being kind to someone could be friendship, family love, or even just a favor.¡±

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    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips and said, ¡°Even if you treat someone well, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you like them, but if you treat someone very poorly, then you definitely dislike them.¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Esmie, your words are so profound, they¡¯re almost making me dizzy.¡°.

    Actually, don¡¯t be fooled by Reynaldo always looking fierce and evil towards you, but I feel like Reynaldo actually prefers you.¡±

    I snorted in disbelief.

    Johnathan muttered to himself again, ¡°Anyway, I really don¡¯t like Kimberly at all. Having to take care of her today is just unbearable, it¡¯s like killing me.¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for that big leather coat, I really¡­

    Oh, by the way, my leather coat, ah ah ah, I have to go find Reynaldo for my leather coat!

    He said he was about to go find Reynaldo.

    I grabbed him again and asked him, ¡°Don¡¯t you know about Reynaldo¡¯s past with Kimberly?¡±

    Johnathan shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, he never told me, but I¡¯m also curious how he knows a country girl, could it be¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    I also wanted to ask.

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    But Johnathan was no longer willing to speak.

    He pushed my hand away and said with a frown, ¡°Actually, you can go ask Reynaldo about his past yourself.¡±

    If he was willing to tell you, he would definitely have told you.

    There are some things that are his sore spot, I dare not mention, nor dare to say, so Esmic, please don¡¯t ask me either, okay?

    I pursed my lips, nodded, and didn¡¯t ask any more questions.

    Indeed, there are some things that one is not willing to mention even to oneself, so naturally they do not want others to bring them up.

    Just hearing Johnathan say that, I became even more curious about Reynaldo¡¯s past.

    Now that I think about it, my specific impression of him also started from that night of the ss reunion.

    That time, I woke up in his armspletely naked.

    In a panic, it took me a long time to remember that he was Winston¡¯s brother.

    Before that, I didn¡¯t have much of an impression of him.

    After marriage, I was not interested in him as a person or even his past, and I never wanted to know.

    And at that moment, a great curiosity arose in my heart, and I was eager to know everything about him.

    But if I were to ask him, would he tell me?

    A person¡¯s reverse scale is not something that anyone can touch.

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    Moreover, I was someone he despised.

    When I returned to the room, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s suitcase.

    His suitcase is here, he might have toe back to this room to rest tonight.

    Also, the presidential suite should have been reserved for him in the first ce.

    This room was not mine.

    I opened the box, took out my clothes, and packed them in a bag.

    I carried my belongings, ready to go find Johnathan and ask where my

    room was.

    As soon as I opened the door, I saw him passing by the doorway of this

    room.

    I hurriedly called out to him, ¡°Mr. Dup, wa

    Johnathan paused for a moment and turned to me, saying, ¡°What¡¯s up, Esmie?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, where is my room?¡±

    Johnathan looked puzzled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this your room?¡±

    With that, he looked at the bag I was carrying and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to stay in this room? This is the only presidential suite I booked, it¡¯s the best room in this hotel.¡±

    ¡°But this was Reynaldo¡¯s room.¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Isn¡¯t his room just your room? You used to be husband and wife, you¡¯ve already slept together, why bother making such

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    a clear distinction?¡±

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    Chapter280

    Seeing me frown, he quickly smiled and said, ¡°Oh, okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore.¡±

    ¡°However, I booked three rooms in this hotel. If you don¡¯t stay in this room, where will you stay?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go book a standard room again.¡±

    Johnathan stopped me and said, ¡°Stop messing around. This hotel is the best in town and it¡¯s fully booked. I managed to book three rooms in advance.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you book an extra room at the beginning? Reynaldo and I used to be married, but we are divorced now. Booking a room like this is really¡­¡±

    I was so depressed that I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Johnathan immediately felt wronged and said. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, it¡¯s all Reynaldo¡¯s fault. He said it would just be himing with you, how was I supposed to know that Kimberly woulde running after you.¡±

    I saw Kimberly at the airport and I was stunned.¡±

    I leaned against the door, feeling a bit down.

    What¡¯s going on now? Do I have to live with Reynaldo for the next few days?

    Johnathan nced at me and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no big deal. If you really don¡¯t want to live with Reynaldo, how about sharing a room with Kimberly?¡±

    0.009

    14.565

    Chapter280

    ¡°Let it go.¡±

    I hummed weakly.

    •þ

    Living with Kimberly was like living with Reynaldo in the same room.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Well, Kimberly is such a troublemaker, always causing so much trouble.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea¡­¡± Johnathan touched his nose and grinned at me, you want to share a room with me?¡±

    J

    When Johnathan said this, Reynaldo happened to appear right behind him.

    The thick carpet covered the floor, and the man appeared even more silently.

    I opened my mouth, ready to remind Johnathan.

    Little did I know, Johnathan snatched the bag from my hand and said enthusiastically, ¡°That¡¯s settled then. If you don¡¯t want to live with Reynaldo or Kimberly, you can live with me.¡±

    Don¡¯t worry, although my room is not a presidential suite, ¡®it is quite spacious. You can sleep on the bed and I will sleep on the sofa.

    It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll be back in a few days after this business trip.

    Go, go, go¡­

    He said to himself, and then came over to pull my hand.

    At this moment, a coldugh sounded from behind him.

    He stiffened all over and blinked his eyes at me.

    33 44

    ¡°Do

    Mauchers

    Chapter280

    I quickly pushed away his hand and respectfully called out behind him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Johnathan rolled his eyes and quickly handed the bag back to me, scolding me, ¡°You¡¯re really something. Reynaldo is good¨Clooking, in good shape, and sleeps well. Why don¡¯t you want to share a room with him?¡±

    ¡°Okay, stop messing around, hurry back to your room and warm up the bed, we still have important things to do tomorrow.¡±

    He finished speaking, then turned around, looking as if he had just realized Reynaldo was behind him.

    ¡°Oh, Reynaldo, did you calm down Kimberly?¡±

    Reynaldo gave me a cold nce and snorted at him, ¡°Do you want to share a room with my secretary?¡±

    Johnathan shook his head like a tambourine.

    No, it¡¯s Esmie who didn¡¯t want to stay in the same room with you, insisting on staying somewhere else.

    You saw that she had everything packed up, I was afraid she would run around everywhere, so I suggested that she stay in the same room as me.

    I was thinking of letting her stay in my room, I share a room with you, hehe.¡±

    ¡°Forget it, with your sleeping posture, I¡¯d be morefortable sleeping on the street than with you.¡± Reynaldo retorted without hesitation.

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    Chapter <b>281 </b>

    I couldn¡¯t help but stifle augh.

    Johnathan looked embarrassed and said, ¡°Dude, you never give me face in front of beautiful women.¡±

    ¡°What face do you have in front of my woman?¡±

    Um¡­

    Johnathan sighed, ¡°Alright, alright, I can¡¯t argue with you. I¡¯m going back to my room to sleep.¡±

    He took two steps, then remembered something and quickly turned back to remind Reynaldo, ¡°My leather coat, remember to buy it for me.¡±

    ¡°The money has been transferred to your ount, you can go buy it yourself.¡±

    After hearing this, Johnathan¡¯s eyes widened and he quickly checked his phone.

    After a while, he chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve transferred quite a bit to me, I¡¯ll bring you something in return.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± Reynaldo said expressionlessly with a grunt.

    Johnathan said again, ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring Esmie.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Reynaldo coldly spat out two words.

    Johnathan pursed his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can use the extra money to buy something else.¡±

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    Chapter281

    He slipped back to his room after finishing speaking.

    28h Vouchers

    As soon as Johnathan left, I felt the atmosphere around me became a bit oppressive.

    I held the bag and took two steps back, leaning my back against the door frame.

    Reynaldo approached, a tall figure over six feet, looking down at me and asking, ¡°Don¡¯t want to share a room with me?¡±

    I bit my lip and said, ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that? Are you afraid I¡¯lle to you at night?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± I red at him angrily.

    Although he was telling the truth, I was indeed afraid that he would bother me again at night.

    But the word he used was a bit harsh.

    Reynaldo raised his hand to block me in the room.

    The other hand forcefully took the items from my hand.

    ¡°You had to live in the same room with me even if you didn¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be so bossy!¡±

    Reynaldo arrogantly sneered, ¡°I am just domineering, so what?¡±

    I gritted my teeth at him.

    I knew, as a secretary, I had to listen to the CEO.

    But I just couldn¡¯t stand his domineering attitude.

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    75/

    Although I was not good to him before, I have never been as overbearing as he is.

    ¡°Did you hate me, right?¡±

    Reynaldo looked down at me, caressed my cheek, and asked with a smile.

    I turned my face away and muttered, ¡°How you think of me in your heart, that¡¯s how I will think of you.¡±

    ¡°My attitude towards you also depends on your attitude towards me.¡±

    Oh, really?

    The meaning is, I was good to you, and you were good to me.

    ¡°I liked you, would you like me too? Right?¡±

    In the end, he stared at me with burning eyes, and in those dark eyes, there was a hint of something like expectation.

    He stuck to me very closely.

    I could almost feel the strong and powerful chest beneath his ck shirt, the heart beating fiercely.

    I couldn¡¯t help myself, I raised my hand and touched his chest.

    Jumping up and down, with great force.

    That force transmitted from my fingertips to the tip of my heart, like an invisible hand gripping my heart, leaving me with no escape.

    Answer me!

    ¡°I liked you, did you start to like me then?¡±

    A deep, hoarse voice came from above, carrying the warm breath of a

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    91,91%

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    man.

    His lips were almost touching my forehead, as if kissing.

    My heart was trembling fiercely.

    I licked my dry lips and said to him¡­

    ¡°Reynaldo, actually I¡­¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I had just opened my mouth when a crisp and soft voice suddenly came from behind the man.

    7

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    Chapter <b>282 </b>

    I stiffened all over, and in an instant the palpitations in my heart disappeared.

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips.

    How could I forget, there was also Kimberly¡¯s presence.

    Just now, I was so lost in Reynaldo¡¯s deep and husky voice that I almost opened up to him.

    Reynaldo still stared at me intently.

    I pushed his chest and whispered to him, ¡°Ms. Palmer is here.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo frowned and insisted, ¡°You answer the question I just asked first!¡±

    ¡°What answer do you want to hear? You tell me.¡±

    I looked up at him.

    Our eyes met, his eyes were dark and deep, and finally a hint of coldness slowly gathered.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    I lowered my eyes and said lightly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean anything. I just wanted to say that whatever answer Mr. Humphrey wants to hear, I will say that answer.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

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    Reynaldo growled low, and the hand on my shoulder suddenly tightened.

    I frowned in pain and forced a smile as I said to him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, it¡¯s strange that I gave you the answer you wanted to hear, and yet you¡¯re still angry.¡±

    ¡°What is your inner answer then?¡±

    He stared at me, his eyes as ck as a bottomless pit, easily able to suck in a person¡¯s soul.

    I avoided eye contact and muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t have any answers in my heart, but if Mr. Humphrey really likes me as his secretary, it would be my honor.¡±

    How ridiculous.

    The person in his heart is still here.

    He went so far as to deliberately tempt me into admitting that I liked him.

    If I admitted it, would he just mock me with Kimberly and push me into the abyss mercilessly.

    In the confusion of emotions, I might have colidly told him my inner thoughts.

    Kimberly was here, and I had to face a reality: he liked Kimberly and disliked me.

    So, in this situation, how could I admit my feelings for him, isn¡¯t that humiliating myself?

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was extremely dark, and hisrge hand almost crushed my shoulder.

    He sneered coldly, with self¨Cmockery, ¡°Sure enough, was it just my

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    wishful thinking again?¡±

    I don¡¯t know if it was just my imagination, but there was a hint of brokenness in his smile, and disappointment and sadness in his eyes.

    But why was he disappointed and sad?

    20

    My heart trembled involuntarily, and I really wanted to ask him in person, whether he really liked me or not.

    Why is it that whenever I feel he dislikes me so much, he always shows me such misleading emotions?

    And when I thought he cared about me, he could hurt me badly for Kimberly.

    I really wanted to ask him these doubts in person.

    He chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly and suddenly released my

    shoulder.

    When he walked away from me, I instinctively abbed his hand.

    His body stiffened slightly, and his eyes lit up a bit.

    I licked my lips and looked at him seriously ¡°Reynaldo, actually I have always wanted to ask you a question.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, waiting for my next words.

    ¡°It¡¯s you who told me the truth, you who swore to me, you who¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I was halfway through speaking when Kimberly suddenly stumbled over, clutching her chest with one hand and holding onto Reynaldo¡¯s arm with the other, her face pale as she said, ¡°Reynaldo, my chest suddenly

    hurts¡­hiss, ah¡­Reynaldo¡­¡±

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    Chapter282

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and quickly supported her, saying, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Kimberly shook her head and spoke with difficulty, ¡°You, you don¡¯t need

    to worry about me¡­ I just need to take some medicine¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reynaldo, I, I always bother you, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

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    Kimberly said, tears streaming down her face.

    That fragile and pitiful appearance, it was as if it was not pretending.

    Reynaldo hurriedlyforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, you don¡¯t want to get sick either.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m

    sorry, Reynaldo¡­ Oh, it hurts so much, Reynaldo, my heart hurts so much¡­¡±

    Kimberly cried, looking as if she couldn¡¯t bear the pain.

    Reynaldo quickly picked her up and said in a deep voice, ¡°I will take you to the hospital right now.¡±

    He hurriedly walked to the elevator.

    He took a few steps, then hurriedly turned back to look at me and said, ¡°Wait for me toe back.¡±

    I pursed my lips, said nothing, but my heart clenched painfully.

    Reynaldo gave me a deep look, then took the elevator with Kimberly in

    his arms.

    Until their figures disappeared at the elevator entrance, I stiffly tugged at my lips, and the tears that had been welling up in my eyes couldn¡¯t help but fall.

    At that moment, Johnathan suddenly opened the door and stuck his head

    out.

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    ¡°Hey, where is Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°Took Kimberly to the hospital.¡± I hastily wiped away my tears and replied calmly.

    Johnathan sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, Kimberly was fine this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Who knows, anyway Reynaldo was nervous about her,¡± I chuckled self- deprecatingly

    Johnathan nced at me and said, ¡°Hey, Esmie, have you been crying?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Oh, actually you don¡¯t need to be sad. Healthy people like us shouldn¡¯tpare ourselves to those sickly folks.

    ¡°Really, I think if you were sick, Reynaldo would only be more worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Let it go.¡± I sneered, ¡°I would rather have hea

    is more important than my own health.¡±

    han his stress, nothing

    Johnathan nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Esmie, don¡¯t be sad, just rest early.¡±

    ¡°I said, I wasn¡¯t sad!¡±

    I said gloomily and then retreated to my room, closing the door.

    I leaned against the door panel, with a bitter smile.

    No matter how much I fantasized that Reynaldo might like me, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he cared more about Kimberly.

    Whenever Kimberly got sick, he would always leave me.

    20 059

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    28 Vers

    So, why bother?

    There is no need to fantasize again, there is no need to entangle again.

    Those involved are confused, if you don¡¯t enter this situation, you won¡¯t be lost, you won¡¯t be hurt.

    As nned, I left when I had saved up enough money and found the right opportunity, then started a new life with my baby.

    Having figured this out, I felt much more at ease in my heart.

    j

    In one¡¯s life, it¡¯s not necessarily about love, is it?

    After adjusting my mood, I took a shower.

    When Iy down on the bed, it was already past eleven o¡¯clock at night.

    Although it was tiring to travel by boat and car that day, I managed to get plenty of sleep during the day, so I was still cute energetic now.

    Vonnie happened to video chat with me.

    I picked up and found that she was still on set.

    She wore a medieval hairstyle and vintage clothing, looking quite the part.

    She said she chatted with me while taking a break.

    I saw many people on the set, and I asked her, ¡°Are we still shooting tonight?¡±

    ¡°Well, we are rushing to meet the deadline. Now we are basically working overtime day and night. They n to finish shooting in two months and then negotiate the release.¡±

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    14.56

    242 i¨Cuchos

    Vonnie said, and then she turned around with her phone in hand, letting me take a look at the set.

    I urged her, ¡°You should also take care of yourself and not overwork.¡±

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    ¡°I know, my Ralda is always so caring towards me. However, I am just a supporting role with not many scenes. I just nap on the side during breaks, hehe.¡±

    Vonnie was speaking when suddenly a handsome face appeared in the video.

    I stared nkly at that face, almost forgetting to breathe.

    The man was dressed in vintage clothing, with sword¨Clike eyebrows and starry eyes, his hair tied up high and secured with hair essories.

    With a fox fur cloak draped over his shoulders, and that exceptionally handsome face, he truly exuded an air of nobility, unmatched in the world.

    I stared at him for a long time before I recogn

    hat he was Anton.

    I was stunned to see it, and Vonnieughed beside me, saying, ¡°Ralda, you¡¯re such a flirt. You can¡¯t even take your eyes off a handsome man.¡±

    I blushed and said to her impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, I just didn¡¯t recognize him as Mr. Palmer for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Haha, Mr. Palmer really looks handsome in any outfit, doesn¡¯t he? Compared to your Reynaldo, not bad.¡±

    Anton suddenly ran up to video chat with me, with Vonnie¡¯s voice nearby, but she hadpletely shifted to the side.

    Anton was the only one in the entire video frame, I couldn¡¯t see Vonnie.

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    Chapter284

    #1

    Anton greeted me, ¡°Esmeralda, how have you beentely? I heard you went on a business trip with Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I nodded, wanting to video call Vonnie, but feeling too shy to do<ol><li>SO.</li></ol>

    Although it was enjoyable to look at Anton¡¯s incredibly handsome face, the awkwardness was just too much.

    Especially since I was wearing a low¨Ccut camisole pajamas now.

    Maybe I was overthinking, but I felt like Anton¡¯s gaze always seemed to drift towards my neckline.

    He probably wouldn¡¯t, Anton looks so good, with his looks and status, he has all kinds of women, he definitely wouldn¡¯t sneak a peek at me.

    But it¡¯s still awkward, what should I do?

    I quietly pulled the quilt in front of me.

    Anton suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Esmerald.

    Ou are so cute.¡®

    I was stunned.

    Adorable? What¡¯s adorable about me?

    What did I do to make her think I¡¯m cute?

    I was puzzled, Anton finally returned the phone to Vonnie, and in the video frame, only Vonnie was left.

    Vonnie excitedly said to me, ¡°Mr. Palmer is really handsome. Oh, how lucky I am to be able to work with Mr. Palmer in a movie. It¡¯s just a pity that I¡¯m not the leadingdy.¡±

    ¡°Who is the leading actress?¡± I asked instinctively.

    36 359

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    Buchere

    Vonnie rolled her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s that Cristina Durant, the most popr celebrity in the entertainment industry recently. You know, she¡¯s such a diva, making everyone on set wait for her every day.¡±

    She acted like a diva all day long, insisting on new props even if they had been used by others.

    All day long, either mocking this or mocking that, the whole crew, there were only two people she dared not mock.

    I asked with a smile, ¡°Which two?¡±

    ¡°The director and Mr. Palmer, oh Ralda, if youe to visit me one day, you will see for yourself, I have never seen any celebrity act as arrogant as her.¡±

    ¡°How did Winston choose her as the leadingdy?¡± I asked in confusion.

    Vonnie said, ¡°The leadingdy was personally chosen by Mr. Palmer. Although Cristina is popr and good¨Clooki her character is really not that great. I don¡¯t know why Mr. Palmer dec leadingdy.¡±

    to appoint her as the

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Does Mr. Palmer like Cristina?¡± I guessed.

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    Vonnie immediately chuckled, ¡°How is that possible? I actually think Mr. Palmer seems to dislike that Cristina, because one time I saw Cristina

    trying to seduce him, and he ruthlessly rejected her. It was really funny at that time.¡±

    ¡°Why did Anton choose her to be the leadingdy? I heard that several A- list actresses also auditioned for that role, but none of them worked out. So, what makes this Cristina so special?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, her appearance and image don¡¯t really match the description in the script, maybe it¡¯s just because she¡¯s so popr.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    I smiled and still felt a bit strange about the casting.

    Winston went crazy trying to raise investment at the beginning, he also told me that he was counting on this movie to turn his life around.

    In other words, he pinned all his hopes on this y.

    So, when ites to casting, theirpany should be very careful and cautious.

    Like Cristina, a popr but controversial actress, Winston, being cautious, probably wouldn¡¯t hire her.

    After all, such actresses could copse at any time, and once the leading actress copses, the whole film will be ruined.

    Such a risky decision, Winston should have carefully considered.

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    Chapter285

    What surprised me even more was that Cristina turned out to be Anton¡¯s chosen one.

    This is really strange.

    Vonnie chatted with me again about some other daily matters, and also asked about the situation of my baby.

    Chatting with the baby, I slowly forgot about those doubts just now.

    I told Vonnie that I would find an opportunity to leave Freybourne before my belly grew too big.

    She said that at that time, her y had also finished filming, and she would help me figure out a solution.

    After chatting with Vonnie, it was almost 1 a.m.

    Reynaldo had not returned yet, or perhaps he was staying at the hospital with Kimberly tonight.

    I turned off the light andy in bed.

    Although the bed in the presidential suite wasrge and soft.

    Perhaps due to ack of security in my heart, I didn¡¯t sleep soundly at all.

    I woke up several times in a row, each time with intervals of ten to twenty minutes.

    I sighed and picked up my phone to scroll.

    I brushed for half an hour, and my eyes were sore from all the brushing.

    I turned off my phone again, forcing myself to fall back asleep.

    I don¡¯t know how long I had been sleeping this time, when suddenly there

    35 60%

    was a ¡®swish¡® sound, and someone was using a room key to open the door.

    I instantly woke up and sat up quickly.

    With a ¡®click¡®, the light in the living room turned on, and the light seeped in through the crack of the door.

    Did Reynaldoe back?

    I got out of bed and opened the bedroom door to look outside.

    Reynaldo walked in covered in snow.

    J

    I was stunned for a moment and asked him, ¡°Is it snowing outside?¡±

    ¡°Well, it rained heavily.¡±

    He took off his down jacket and walked towards me.

    Wearing a ck shirt, he exuded a bit more dominance and coldness.

    I clutched the door frame and stared at him nkly.

    As he approached, I clearly felt a chill, which he brought in from outside.

    I asked him, ¡°Is Ms. Palmer okay?¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± he nodded.

    I wanted to ask more about him and Kimberly, but I was afraid of upsetting him.

    It is already 2 o¡¯clock in the morning now, I said, ¡°You should go and go to bed soon, I also need to sleep.¡±

    After saying that, I turned around and walked towards the bed.

    wash up

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    He suddenly grabbed me.

    His hand was very cold, so cold that I shivered unexpectedly.

    I turned back to look at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He pulled me into his arms with a slight force.

    ¡°Just now that topic,¡± he said.

    E

    I lowered my head and asked with a pretended ignorance, ¡°What topic?¡± Actually, I didn¡¯t want to talk to him about the topic we just discussed.

    I finally let go, and now I don¡¯t want my heart to waver again.

    He said, ¡°You just said you wanted to ask me a question, you asked me to tell the truth, you asked me to swear, so what do you want to ask me?¡±

    His gaze was as intense as before, staring at me.

    He was cold all over, but the burning heat in his eyes seemed to melt people.

    a

    Pep

    He held me tightly around the waist, not allowing me to move an inch.

    The shoulder straps of the pajamas slipped down to the elbows under the strong force at the waist.

    His eyes darkened gradually, and his cold hand unknowingly reached my chest.

    I shivered involuntarily and looked at him pitifully and helplessly, saying,

    ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t ask me those questions, I want to go to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Why not ask?¡±

    His hands became more and more excessive, skillfully pulling at my

    nerves.

    I slowly felt my cheeks getting hot, and his body was no longer cold. His strong chest seemed to be on fire.

    I was in his arms, clearly nervous, but my legs went weak and I could hardly stand.

    I grabbed thepels of his chest tightly, my whole body supported by the force around my waist.

    I struggled to speak, ¡°No, there¡¯s no reason, I¡­ I really just want to go to sleep.¡±

    His deep ck eyes stared at me intently, advancing step by step, ¡°Let¡¯s finish our conversation before we sleep. Tell me, what did you want to ask me just now?¡±

    It was that deep and mellow voice again, as if carrying some kind of seductive magic, pulling my heart into a trance.

    I looked into his deep ck eyes, and a heart kept trembling.

    Under his gentle teasing, her body gradually softened.

    I almost begged him, ¡°Can you please stop it? I really don¡¯t want to talk about that topic again.¡±

    It was veryte, I wanted to sleep, just wanted to sleep.

    Then you tell me, what exactly did you want to ask me just now.

    32.52%

    ¡°As long as you tell me, I will let you go tonight and stop bothering you.¡®

    He stared at me, the determination in his eyes was somewhat intimidating.

    But he had just left me for Kimberly.

    Kimberly was like a time bomb between us.

    As long as Kimberly existed, I was in his heart, even if there was a ce for me, it had to be behind, it had to be after Kimberly.

    Moreover, I wasn¡¯t even sure if I had any significance in his heart.

    So I dared not ask him face to face whether he really liked me.

    I am a person who is inherently strong. I would rather never be with the person I love in my heart, than have this vague and easily hurtful feeling.

    I wouldn¡¯t open up to him until I waspletely sure of his intentions.

    Only in this way, oneself will not get hurt.

    Thinking about these things, the ambiguity in front of me suddenly dissipated.

    I pushed the man¡¯s chest, but he just held me tighter.

    He was a bit impatient, ¡°Esmeralda, tell me, what did you want to ask me just now? Can you tell me?¡±

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    I pursed my lips, and the heat on my body and the palpitations in my heart gradually dissipated.

    I said to him, ¡°Actually¡­ I didn¡¯t really want to ask you anything, I just wanted to ask you if it¡¯s true that you¡¯re going to give me a monthly sry of 100,000.¡±

    ¡°You lied!¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, he suddenly roared at me, ¡°What you want to ask me, clearly is not this, clearly is not!¡±

    ¡°What I want to ask is this question, that hundred thousand monthly sry is very important to me, I hope Mr. Humphrey will keep his word.¡±

    ¡°<i>Mr. </i>Humphrey?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly took a step back.

    The gentle and soft feeling just now disappeared in an instant.

    His dark eyes slowly turned crimson, with a visible sh of disappointment and self¨Cmockery in his eyes.

    He said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance, tell the truth!¡±

    I suppressed the trembling in my heart and the inexplicable difort surging in my heart, and calmly said to him, ¡°What I just said was the truth.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

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    He gritted his teeth and red at me with anger and sorrow, ¡°Why do you always do this, giving me hope and then crushing it with your own hands?¡±

    Did you feel a sense of aplishment by hurting me like this?

    You are a heartless, selfish, malicious, and cold¨Cblooded materialistic woman!

    ¡°I hate you!¡±

    The tenderness and disappointment in his eyes just now hadpletely disappeared, leaving only a strong sense of hatred.

    That hatred seemed to want to devour me.

    He pushed me hard, and I quickly stepped back, my legs hitting the edge of the bed, causing my whole body to fall heavily onto the bed.

    He smiled at me coldly and said, ¡°I will never have any thoughts about you again. A woman like you, full of ws and a heart of stone, is not worth anyone¡¯s affection.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ when you say this, does it mean that you¡­ like me?¡±

    I tightened the sheets and, in the moment he turned around, asked subconsciously.

    The moment I asked the question, I regretted it.

    He had been asking me about this question just now, and I had been avoiding it all the time. I had made up my mind not to ask it out.

    It is ridiculous that, at this moment, the question came out so easily.

    After all, my heart was not firm enough, was it?

    30.11%

    1

    Reynaldo froze for a moment.

    He didn¡¯t turn around, and a cold voice with a hint of sarcasm came: ¡°Like you? Is that possible?¡±

    He left as soon as he finished speaking, without any pause in his footsteps.

    The door outside was mmed shut by him with a loud noise.

    I lowered my head and smiled sadly.

    So, that question shouldn¡¯t have been asked, right?

    Thinking of his angry departure, Iughed at myself, but my heart ached and waves of grievance surged.

    He always condemned me as if I had hurt his heart.

    But did he ever think about how he hurt me every time because of Kimberly

    Emotions are mutual.

    He couldn¡¯t give me a definite love, so why should I respond to him definitively.

    He could abandon me for Kimberly today, and he could also harm me and my child for Kimberly in the future.

    This question, in itself, had no answer.

    So, without fantasizing, without expecting, without opening up, you will never get hurt.

    Was I wrong to protect myself like this?

    67.09%

    Anon the

    After Rewrudde left, the evere back agons

    I walked to the window, putted tuck the tumor ant backed cubade

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    Chapter288

    The snow outside was falling heavily, and the snowkes were swirling under the streetlights, like soft goose feathers.

    Did Reynaldo go to Kimberly¡¯s room, or did he go outside?

    I stood by the window for a long time before returning to bed.

    It was already four o¡¯clock in the morning, and I was increasingly unable to fall asleep.

    I was lying in bed scrolling through my phone until it was almost dawn before I fell asleep.

    Waking up again, I was awakened by a sudden knocking on the door.

    I sat up, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.

    Staring at the unfamiliar room in front of me, I was stunned for quite a while before realizing that I was now on a business trip with Reynaldo, staying in a hotel.

    I nced at my phone and it was already 1 o¡¯clock in the afternoon.

    Knock, knock, knock!

    The knocking on the door was still echoing.

    I put on my coat and got up to open the door.

    Perhaps due to staying up all night, I felt dizzy and light¨Cheaded, as if walking on cotton.

    I thought to myself, I really can¡¯t stay upte anymore in the future.

    I opened the door, and Johnathan appeared at the doorway.

    He was carrying a package box and asked me anxiously, ¡°Esmie, are you okay? Why did it take you so long to open the door?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I was just sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    He said, walked in, smiled ambiguously at me, ¡°What, were you too intense with Reynaldost night, tossing and turning all night? So you slept in until now?¡±

    I

    gave him a cold look and remained silent.

    He ced the box on the coffee table and muttered to himself with a puzzled look, ¡°Hey, wait a minute, ording to this, he should have been very satisfiedst night. Why does he look so pale and grim today, as if someone owed him billions?¡±

    I lowered my eyes and sat on the sofa without saying a word.

    He nced at me and asked quietly, ¡°Esmie, did you not make himfortablest night?¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    I red at him impatiently.

    He quickly covered his mouth and said, ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t say it, won¡¯t say it.¡±

    After a while, he pushed the takeout box towards me and said, ¡°Hurry up and eat. Reynaldo asked me to bring this to you.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, remembering the scene when Reynaldo left angrilyst night.

    31.71%

    Chapter28

    I pursed my lips and asked quietly, ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°He went to meet with clients.¡±

    Johnathan leaned back against the sofa, took out a cigarette case, prepared to smoke.

    I frowned and said, ¡°No smoking in my room.¡±

    and

    Johnathan was stunned for a moment, then he pursed his lips and said, ¡°The real culprit, and Reynaldo can smoke, why can¡¯t I smoke?¡±

    Esmic, you can¡¯t treat me differently like this. After all, I came back specifically to bring you food.¡±

    ¡°When Reynaldo was around, I didn¡¯t allow him to smoke,¡± I said.

    768

    Little did Johnathan know, he widened his eyes and eximed, ¡°Really? That guy is such a heavy smoker, you mean if you tell him not to smoke, he actually won¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Was he a heavy smoker?¡±

    ¡°Well, he used to smoke a lot, especially during the difficult stages of starting a business. He would smoke many cigarettes in a day.¡±

    I wondered, ¡°But in the three years we were married, I never saw him smoke once.¡±

    This time, Johnathan waspletely incredulous.

    Heughed at me and said, ¡°Stop joking with me. Otherwise, he would dodge and deliberately avoid letting you see.¡±

 Too Close 289

    I shook my head and said, ¡°Not very likely, at that time, he didn¡¯t have any smell of smoke on him.¡±

    And at that time, Reynaldo was very clingy to me, even though I disliked him, he always liked to follow me, restricting my movements.

    Sometimes I would go out and y with Vonnie, he would stick to me like a piece of chewing gum, following me around all day. I never saw him smoke back then.

    If his addiction to smoking was really that strong, how could he resist it unless his willpower was very strong.

    Reynaldo¡¯s cold and gloomy appearance involuntarily came to mind.

    After all, there is nothing impossible for a man like Reynaldo.

    Johnathan put away the cigarette.

    He sat up straight, changing his usual casual and unrestrained demeanor, and said to me, ¡°Esmie, take a good rest in the afternoon, we are going to attend a dinner party tonight.¡±

    I suddenly remembered what Kimberly told me yesterday.

    I asked him, ¡°Is the dinner party tonight to meet some important clients?¡±

    Well, this client has a lot of influence and was the final decision maker for this project.

    However, the customer was very difficult to deal with, and I couldn¡¯t handle him here, so I called Reynaldo.¡±

    Johnathan said, looking at me, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, even if this client doesn¡¯t give me face, he will at least give Reynaldo some face.¡±

    ¡°With Reynaldo in the game, there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues.¡±

    I chewed my food in my mouth and pondered, ¡°I heard that this client has a perverse hobby, specifically enjoying torturing young and pretty girls.¡±

    Johnathan was taken aback, ¡°Who told you that?¡±

    ¡°Kimberly,¡± I said truthfully.

    Johnathan clicked his tongue and said, ¡°So I told her, and then she told you right away?¡±

    I was eating the dishes in front of me seriously, and said calmly, ¡°She said that you were nning to give me to that pervert in exchange for this cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Johnathan immediately blurted out a swear word.

    I nced at him.

    He looked at me incredulously and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about you, I was talking about Kimberly.¡±

    He said angrily, ¡°This woman is really something, always looking sickly, not only causing trouble, but also lying.¡±

    How could we possibly hand you over to that pervert? Just think about it, we are not that kind of people, okay.

    Besides, what weight do you hold in Reynaldo¡¯s heart?

    34.24%

    11 of

    Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t even send you out even if he gave himself to that pervert.

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips.

    Where did Johnathan see that I had a ce in Reynaldo¡¯s heart, a ce that even surpassed Kimberly¡¯s.

    Even a fool could see that Reynaldo cares more about Kimberly.

    When I remained silent, Johnathan added, ¡°Esmie, don¡¯t overthink it. We would never profit off of women.¡±

    ¡°I knew,¡± I nodded, ¡°from the beginning I knew Kimberly was deceiving me.¡±

    Hehe, Esmie still knows us and believes in us.

    As for this Kimberly, I had to talk to Reynaldo about it and make sure he takes care of Kimberly properly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± I said lightly, ¡°Even if you told him, he wouldn¡¯t do anything to Kimberly. After all, he has always indulged Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°So, do you still think Reynaldo likes me more?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Johnathan said firmly, ¡°Let me tell you, when a man has a strong desire for a woman, it proves that he likes her to the core. Otherwise, it¡¯s not called liking.¡±

    I saw Reynaldo looking at you as if he wanted to sleep with you all day, so he is definitely special to you.

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    I sneered at his words.

    I said, ¡°Men are creatures who think with their lower body. I dare say, if a beautiful woman undresses and stands in front of you, you will definitely have a reaction.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Esmie, you¡¯re being too biased against men with your words.¡±

    ¡°I was stating a fact,¡± I said, looking at him expressionlessly, ¡°so don¡¯t equate your sexual desires with love, they are two different things.¡±

    Perhaps I was too blunt in my words, even the experienced Johnathan blushed.

    He rubbed his face, stood up, and muttered to me, ¡°This conversation is going nowhere, Esmie, you don¡¯t act like a woman at all, saying whateveres to your mind.¡±

    Iughed angrily, ¡°So it¡¯s okay for you to make dirty jokes, but I can¡¯t speak the truth?¡±

    Hal-

    ¡°Ah, what dirty talk, I was just joking with you,¡± Johnathan blushed and argued with me.

    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, joking, colorful jokes.¡±

    Johnathan rolled his eyes and said, ¡°You have none of the shyness that a woman should have. If you continue like this, Reynaldo will neither cherish nor spoil you.¡±

    I hummed sullenly, ¡°I don¡¯t need his pampering either, he can just pamper

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    2 <b>bers </b>

    women like Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Um, do you know¡­Reynaldo?¡±

    When Johnathan came in just now, the door was not closed.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t know when he walked in.

    I tightened my grip on the fork and continued eating as if nothing had happened

    ¡°I came back to get something.¡±

    Reynaldo said something casually and then went to the bedroom.

    He also didn¡¯t know what he went to the bedroom to get.

    We only came over yesterday, and from yesterday until now, Reynaldo hasn¡¯t really spent much time in this room.

    The only thing that belonged to him was his ink¨Cck little box.

    And the suitcase was right in the living room, so what did he go to the bedroom to get?

    Johnathan pouted and whispered to me, ¡°Oh no, you must have been heard saying that just now, look at his expression, so dark.¡±

    I swallowed the food in my mouth and said without looking up, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This is not the first time. I have said bad things about him before and he has heard it several times, but nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­ I felt this time was particrly different, his face just now was really scary.¡±

    In the midst of the conversation, Reynaldo suddenly walked out of the bedroom¡­

    11

    I nced at him subconsciously and then quickly lowered my head.

    At first nce, I felt the man¡¯s unapproachable chill.

    ¡°Ah, Reynaldo, wait, you¡¯re going out again¡­¡±

    Johnathan quickly grabbed Reynaldo, who was trying to leave, and said to me, ¡°Esmie, you need to coax Reynaldo. Once you coax him, he will definitely stay.¡±

    I hung my head, pretending to eat as if nothing had happened, without saying a word.

    In reality, a heart had already trembled in a way that was not normal.

    Johnathan kept shouting at me, ¡°Hurry up, Esmie, Reynaldo is easily pacified.¡±

    I still didn¡¯t say anything.

    First of all, I didn¡¯t know how to appease this man.

    Secondly, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, didn¡¯t say anything wrong, why should I go and coax him?

    In the end, what he wanted was not my ttery, if I went to tter him, I might even be ridiculed by him.

    Overall, I decided to remain silent.

    ¡°Let go, I still need to make a trip to Durham Group, don¡¯t waste time.¡±

    Just then, Reynaldo¡¯s cold voice suddenly rang out.

    I subconsciously looked up and saw him walking out, his back, indescribably cold and aloof.

    my

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    Not until his figure disappeared at the doorway did Johnathan reproachfully say to me, ¡°You are stubborn too, what¡¯s wrong with coaxing him? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll lose a piece of meat, right?¡±

    I secretly clenched my fork, and under his reproach, a surge of anger rose in my heart.

    ¨ª sarcastically said to him angrily, ¡°This is how you men are, no matter who is right or wrong, you always expect women to appease you.¡±

    Not to mention whether he is easy to coax, just say, ¡°Why should I coax him, why should I coax him?¡±

    As soon as the words fell, Reynaldo, who had originally walked out, suddenly returned.

    My heart trembled slightly, sitting stiffly without moving.

    Johnathan awkwardly smiled and shouted at Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, did you forget to bring something again?¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak.

    But I could see from the corner of my eye that he was staring at me coldly.

    I clenched my fork tightly, trying to keep myself calm.

    For a long time, Reynaldo gave a cold snort and left again.

    This time, Johnathan dared not say anything more.

    Not until Reynaldo had been gone for quite a while did he run to the door

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    11:24 (Verchons

    lo check, making sure Reynaldo had indeed left. Only then did hee back, looking frustrated, and said to me, ¡°Esmie, you really don¡¯t know how to please a man.¡±

    I looked at him expressionlessly and said, ¡°Why should I try to please

    men?¡±

    ¡°Because that was the man you loved.¡±

    Who said he was the man I loved? And if he got angry, am I supposed to go andfort him?

    When he hurt me for Kimberly, he didn¡¯t even try tofort me.

    ¡°Of course, he is the big CEO and I am just a small secretary. I have no right to demand anything from him. But now you are asking me to go and coax him, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous?¡±

    Johnathan opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

    I impatiently snapped at him, ¡°Alright, you men always just think from your own perspective, you like being pampered and praised, but never stop to think about what you have done.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, Esmie, your thinking can¡¯t be so extreme, you can¡¯t lump all men together like that¡­¡±

    Johnathan was still talking.

    I impatiently pushed him out and closed the door.

    The ears were finally quiet.

    I lowered my head and stared at my toes, feeling troubled in my heart.

    That¡¯s it.

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    #

    240 m bors

    Anyway, Reynaldo had never given me a good face, so let him be angry, he was not the first time to be so angry.

    In the afternoon, I didn¡¯t go back to sleep, but instead opened the window to get some fresh air.

    The cold wind blew in, and people indeed felt much more refreshed.

    Last night, although it snowed heavily, but now the sun is shining brightly, and the snow on the ground has basically melted.

    This is downtown, even in such cold weather, the streets were still bustling.

    I sat in the recliner by the window and checked some information about the client I was going to meet tonight.

    It was strange that Reynaldo asked me to go on a business trip with him, but he didn¡¯t even tell me the basic details of the project.

    The customer¡¯s name, as Johnathan had just told me.

    I didn¡¯t even know what the purpose was for him asking me to follow.

    Did you give him a hard time?

    I was lost in my thoughts, opened the search page on my phone, and typed in the name of that customer.

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 Too Close 292

    The customer was named Matthew Gtea, and it was said that he ruled the roost in Yoripero.

    The information I was able to find is not much, mostly just gossip news.

    It can be seen from this that he did like beautiful women.

    Just looking at the photos, this man looks quite handsome, but his face reveals a hint of rebelliousness and wickedness.

    No wonder Johnathan couldn¡¯t handle it, this man looks like a tough nut to crack.

    However, since Reynaldo and Johnathan do not profit from using women, why did they still take me to the dinner party that night?

    After all, I knew nothing about the project content. When I went to the dinner party, I didn¡¯t even know what to talk about.

    And now I can¡¯t drink alcohol either. When I go to dinner parties, I either eat something or just sit there, which is also awkward.

    Iy in the recliner for a long time, unable to figure it out, and finally decided not to think about it.

    As long as they didn¡¯t send me to that perverted client.

    The afternoon passed quickly, and before we knew it, it was evening.

    I didn¡¯t see Kimberlying out to cause trouble that day, and I didn¡¯t know if that woman was still in the hospital.

    0.00%

    After Reynaldo and Johnathan left just now, they didn¡¯te to see me again.

    One afternoon, I was so quiet that I even started to doubt if they had forgotten my existence.

    Waiting like this, I also felt uneasy in my heart.

    I wanted to ask Johnathan what time the dinner party was in the evening so that I could prepare in advance.

    I realized that I hadn¡¯t saved his contact information only after I opened my phone.

    I don¡¯t know if he is still in the room now.

    D

    I opened the door and intended to go find him to ask.

    However, as soon as I knocked on his door, a voice suddenly came from behind me, ¡°Esmic, are you looking for me?¡±

    I turned around quickly and saw Johnathan walking towards me from the elevator.

    By his side, there was also Reynaldo.

    The two of them must have juste back from outside, with a chill clinging to their bodies.

    In the dim corridor, Reynaldo¡¯s handsome face looked even more gloomy, and his eyes were unfathomably deep.

    I almost dared not to look at him, just said to Johnathan, ¡°Yes, I have something to talk to you about.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Johnathan nced at Reynaldo and asked me, ¡°Esmie, what do you want from me?¡±

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    22

    Chapter292

    I pursed my lips, just about to ask about the dinner party in the evening.

    Suddenly¡­

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    Kimberly suddenly ran out of the room, apanied by her clear and

    sweet voice.

    I was stunned for a moment.

    The woman was in the room, and it was quiet all day today. I thought she was in the hospital.

    She ran over like a little deer, took Reynaldo¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally back.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me indifferently and then followed Kimberly back to her room.

    As he passed by me, I distinctly felt the chill emanating from him.

    I hung my head and secretly clenched the hand by my side.

    After the two men entered the room, Johnathan turned to me and asked, ¡°Esmie, what did you want to talk to me about just now?¡±

    I ignored the slight bitterness rising in my heart and asked him, ¡°I just want to ask you, what¡¯s the deal with the dinner party tonight?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ The dinner party started at seven in the evening, and we were justing back to pick you up.¡±

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    ¡°Pick me up?¡± I nced in the direction Kimberly was leaving and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t sheing?¡±

    ¡°She was a troublemaker, wherever she went.¡±

    When it came to Kimberly, Johnathan¡¯s tone was somewhat disdainful.

    After a pause, Johnathan said again, ¡°Originally, it was just Reynaldo and me going, I didn¡¯t n on bringing you along.¡±

    TH

    But on the day Reynaldo and Kimberly got off the ne, they were seen by Matthew¡¯s people and even took pictures.

    Then he insisted that we bring Kimberly along.

    He said, ¡°Whoeveres is a guest, as the host, he should treat us well.¡±

    ¡°So, why has it be taking me instead of taking Kimberly now?¡±

    As a secretary, it was quite normal for them to take me to dinner parties.

    But when Johnathan said that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was ¡®taking the fall¡® for Kimberly.

    Did Reynaldo push me out because he couldn¡¯t bear to see Kimberly?

    Johnathan looked at me as if he could see what I was thinking.

    He busily said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t overthink it. We¡¯re taking you, not Kimberly, because that sickly kid will only cause trouble.¡±

    ¡°You are much more sensible and capable than her, take you there, won¡¯t lose face.¡±

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    ¡°Stop ttering me, in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes, I am worthless and good for nothing.¡±

    ¡°No, he was deliberately trying to provoke you,¡± Johnathan said confidently.

    And I didn¡¯t want to argue with him about it either.

    After all, I knew perfectly well how Reynaldo felt about me.

    I asked him, ¡°So Matthew wants to see Kimberly, you guys take me there, make sure nothing bad happens?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not, Matthew likes to look at beautiful women, you are prettier than Kimberly, take you there, Matthew will be even happier.¡±

    I pursed my lips, feeling a bit ufortable in my heart.

    I asked in a low voice, ¡°What if Matthew gets physical with me?¡±

    ¡°He dared!¡±

    Johnathan angrily said, ¡°We brought you over there, that was already giving him face. If he dares toy a finger on you, watch me beat him to death.¡±

    I nced at Johnathan.

    The man would boast, if he could control Matthew, he wouldn¡¯t have called Reynaldo.

    Seeing the doubtful look in my eyes, he smiled quizzically and said, ¡°You can rest assured, we will definitely not let him bully you, worst case scenario, we won¡¯t do this deal.¡±

    I looked at him and said, ¡°Is this deal important to you?¡±

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    Johnathan fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very important. Matthew¡¯s business is sold overseas. Whether our business and industrial scale can expand to overseas depends on this.¡±

    However, don¡¯t worry, no matter how important the business is, we won¡¯t let him do anything to you.¡±

    45

    Thest sentence, Johnathan said very seriously.

    I nodded.

    In

    chap

    Although Johnathan is not serious on weekdays, he is still very loyal in critical moments.

    And I still believe in his character, as well as Reynaldo¡¯s.

    Reynaldo and Kimberly didn¡¯t know what to do in the room.

    Johnathan asked me to change clothes and get ready, then he took me downstairs.

    Ð§

    In the evening, the air was much colder than during the day.

    I straightened my down jacket and walked towards the car at the door.

    Johnathan was smoking in the driver¡¯s seat with the window open. When he saw meing, he quickly extinguished the cigarette.

    I said to him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you smoke, I can wait outside for a while.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, just half a cigarette, not smoking is fine too.¡±

    Johnathan said, paused, and then looked at me, ¡°Speaking of which, Esmie, didn¡¯t you used to love going to the bar?¡±

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    ¡°Who said that?¡± I nced at him and got into the back seat, opening the door.

    Johnathan turned his head and smiled at me, ¡°Reynaldo said that when you two got married, he was like a nagging wife, alwaysing to me to borrow alcohol to drown his sorrows. He said you always liked to go to the bar, that you loved to y, that your heart waspletely outside, and not at home at all.¡±

    I: ¡­

    ¡°Did he speak ill of me in front of you?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s not too bad either.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s neck was almost twisted 360 degrees, he said, ¡°The smell of alcohol and smoke in the bar is much stronger than the smell of smoke when we smoke outside. Can you stand the smell in the bar, why can¡¯t you stand our smoke, or do you dislike us, Esmie?¡±

    I looked out the window speechlessly, Johnathan really knows how to talk.

    Since he tells Reynaldo everything, I didn¡¯t dare to reveal a single bit of information about being pregnant.

    I said lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t like those smells now, when was thest time you saw me at a bar?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Johnathan nodded and said, ¡°I thought you were pregnant, Reynaldo

    0.00%

    didn¡¯t tell me.¡±

    I choked for a moment and said to him expressionlessly, ¡°You have a vivid imagination.¡±

    ¡°Hey, just imagine, let¡¯s say in the future, if you two have a baby, I would be the baby¡¯s godfather, haha.¡±

    I: ¡­

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t get out of the car after waiting for more than ten minutes.

    Johnathan asked me to give him a call to remind him.

    I didn¡¯t hit at all.

    Not to mention where there is a secretary urging the president?

    Just now, he was with Kimberly, and I called to urge him. Isn¡¯t it asking for trouble?

    Seeing that I refused to call and remind Reynaldo, Johnathan nced at me disdainfully and said, ¡°This really doesn¡¯t look like the old Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°I am not the same person I used to be.¡± I muttered under my breath.

    Johnathan pursed his lips before dialing Reynaldo¡¯s number.

    The phone was quickly answered.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t know what he said.

    Johnathan nodded and said, ¡°Okay, sure, let¡¯s go first, you keep an eye on the time.¡±

    After a while, Johnathan hung up the phone and said to me, ¡°Let¡¯s go,

    32.61%

    <b>Chap </b>

    11

    we¡¯ll go over first and he¡¯lleter.¡±

    I pursed my lips and couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Reynaldo and Kimberly were doing in the room,

    When that man was alone with me, he always wanted to sleep with me.

    What about when you were with Kimberly?

    Johnathan started the car and made a U¨Cturn. As the car merged onto the main road, he suddenly said to me, ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Reynaldo¡¯s voice on the phone just now waspletely normal, and I even heard Kimberly crying in distress. So, they definitely didn¡¯t sleep together.¡±

    I hissed and Johnathan spoke quite bluntly.

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    He added, ¡°And don¡¯t worry, Reynaldo won¡¯t touch Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± I instinctively thought.

    Johnathan said, ¡°How is it not possible? When Reynaldo looks at you, there is fire in his eyes, when he looks at Kimberly, his eyes are as calm as water. I am a man, I am not clueless.¡±

    Listening to Johnathan¡¯s words, my heart trembled involuntarily.

    Did Reynaldo really not touch Kimberly as Johnathan said?

    But it was still unlikely, after all, Reynaldo liked Kimberly, and they were engaged.

    With Reynaldo¡¯s intense desire, it was impossible for him to have Kimberly by his side and not touch her!

    My mind was a mess.

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    #1

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    I opened the window a bit, letting the cold wind blow in, and my head cleared up a bit.

    After a long silence, I said, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to speak well of him in front of me. I know very well how he feels about Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Johnathanughed, ¡°Then you tell me.¡±

    ¡°Kimberly was the moonlight in his heart. Even though he didn¡¯t touch Kimberly, it was because in his eyes, Kimberly was different from me. Kimberly was pure and beautiful. He naturally wanted to stay with her on their wedding night.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Johnathan suddenly mmed on the brakes.

    I leaned forward and frowned, asking him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°No, no¡­ I was just startled by what you said.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Esmie, you really have quite an imagination.¡±

    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, your idea is definitely wrong. Just wait and see, Reynaldo will not marry Kimberly. Since they won¡¯t get married, where does the wedding nighte from?¡±

    Johnathan said this with particr certainty.

    No matter how certain he was, it could not represent Reynaldo¡¯s most genuine thoughts.

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    Chapter795

    Everyone was different, he was not Reynaldo.

    Therefore, all his thoughts could not represent Reynaldo.

    I smiled and said, ¡°You really don¡¯t need tofort me, actually¡­¡±

    11

    ¡°I didn¡¯tfort you, I was telling the truth, he definitely won¡¯t marry Kimberly, because he¡­¡±

    Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly stopped abruptly.

    I frowned and asked insistently, ¡°Because of what?¡±

    Johnathan eximed, ¡°I can¡¯t say this, he doesn¡¯t allow me to say. Forget it, Esmie, don¡¯t ask anymore. Just believe me.¡±

    I turned my head to look out the window.

    Believe his words?

    He was Reynaldo¡¯s man, I couldn¡¯t believe it!

    The dinner party was arranged at Malgrave Hotel.

    The hotel was not far, about ten kilometers away, but because there was some traffic on the road, it took half an hour to get there.

    When we arrived, it was half past six and no one hade to the private room yet.

    Johnathan let me sit wherever I wanted.

    He called Reynaldo again and then said to me, ¡°Reynaldo is on his way.¡±

    I nodded.

    He furrowed his brow again and said, ¡°I just heard Kimberly¡¯s voice on the phone. Did Reynaldo bring her here?¡±

    32.19%

    I didn¡¯t make a sound.

    Even thinking with her toes, one could guess that Kimberly must have been insisting on following, and Reynaldo, in order to protect her, refused. Then she cried.

    So the first call she made to him outside the hotel, Johnathan heard her crying in distress.

    In the end, Reynaldo definitely couldn¡¯t bear to see her tears, so he brought her over.

    Matthew was the client, estimated to be stepping on the point.

    Johnathan told me that if I got hungry, I could go out and grab something

    to eat.

    I shook my head and sat still.

    He kept checking the time from time to time, it was obvious that he really valued this deal.

    However, it was heard that he was the young master of the Dup family, which was also well¨Cknown in Freybourne with considerable wealth. How could he possibly be in business with Reynaldo?

    Thinking to myself, I blurted out, ¡°Howe you¡¯re doing business with Reynaldo? Doesn¡¯t your family have their own industry?¡±

    ¡°My father had an illegitimate child outside, and that inheritance was not left to me.¡±

    He spoke lightly, as if he were talking about someone else¡¯s business.

    But I thought to myself, he must be feeling ufortable in his heart, so I didn¡¯t ask any more.

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    hapter296

    Johnathan put away his phone and smiled at me, saying, ¡°You must have heard of me before, being idle and cynical, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips.

    Indeed.

    After my father had a love child, he began to see me as a thorn in his side, always wishing I would just leave the house.

    My mother used to drag me and cry every day, scolding me for being useless. She said she had raised me for nothing. After scolding me, she would beg me to stand up for myself.

    ¡°But she wanted topete with a fallen person, how difficult it is, right?¡±

    Johnathan smiled at me, still wearing that rogue¨Clike look, but his eyes were tinged with sadness and self¨Cmockery.

    Later, Reynaldo found me and asked me to join him in business.

    I used to think of myself as a nobody, so I tried with a skeptical attitude, but unexpectedly, I seeded.

    You know, my dad is asking me to go back now, but I¡¯m not going back.

    I nodded and smiled at him, saying, ¡°You¡¯re great.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± Johnathan shook his head, ¡°It was Reynaldo who was amazing. Everyone used to say that Reynaldo was just a pretty face, but mediocre, they just didn¡¯t see Reynaldo¡¯s decisive and wise side.¡±

    0.00%

    ¡°Just say Winston, where can hepare with Reynaldo? I don¡¯t know how you fell for that kid in the first ce.¡±

    Johnathan, at this point, looked at me with great disdain.

    I was about to say something when suddenly footsteps were heard at the door.

    I quickly got up and saw that Reynaldo and Kimberly had walked in one after the other.

    I felt a slight relief in my heart, thinking it was Matthew.

    Our eyes unexpectedly met with Reynaldo¡¯s gaze.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly averted my gaze.

    The man¡¯s face was still icy cold, and the chill in his eyes had not diminished.

    I pursed my lips, feeling quite annoyed in my heart.

    If this goes on, when I get back to Freybourne, my days won¡¯t be any better.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy¡­¡±

    Just then, Kimberly suddenly came over and warmly took my hand.

    I pulled my hand out in disgust and sat on the side of Johnathan.

    I was annoyed when I saw that woman, so I decided to sit farther avoid her causing troubleter.

    away

    to

    Kimberly¡¯s smile froze for a moment, and she said to me with a hint of grievance, ¡°Ms. Duffy, do you dislike me? I thought we could sit together and take care of each otherter.¡±

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    Chapter <b>290 </b>

    I pursed my lips and said expressionlessly, ¡°There¡¯s no need for

    consideration. I can¡¯t even take care of myself, let alone take care of Ms. Palmer.¡±

    ¡°Let Mr. Humphrey sit beside you, he is the best at taking care of someone as fragile as you.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo gave me a cold nce.

    I lowered my eyes and pretended not to see.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly started crying again, ¡°It seems like Ms. Duffy still looks down

    on me¡­¡±

    I snorted coldly, ¡°What do I care if I look up to you? As long as that client looks up to you, isn¡¯t that enough!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    As soon as these words were spoken, Reynaldo warned me with a low growl.

    I smirked and looked at Johnathan mockingly, ¡°Do you still dare to say that Reynaldo likes me?¡±

    Johnathan touched his nose, then gazed at his eyes, and observed his nose, without saying a word.

    Kimberly was still sobbing, ¡°I know, I shouldn¡¯t havee to this dinner party with my poor health, but the client insisted on my presence. I can¡¯t ruin Reynaldo¡¯s big deal.¡±

    60218

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    Chapter297

    ¡°In fact, having Esmiee is the same.¡± Johnathan said softly.

    Kimberly cried even harder, with a look of apology on her face: ¡°It¡¯s not the same, the client wants to see me, not her.¡±

    And, it was something I should have faced myself, how could I let her face it for me?

    Furthermore, what if something happened to her at this dinner party? would feel so guilty. You can¡¯t just ignore her safety and feelings for my sake.¡±

    I: ¡­

    Johnathan: ¡­

    Reynaldo supported her staggering body and said lightly, ¡°Please have a seat first.¡±

    Kimberly wiped away her tears and looked apologetically at me, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Duffy, I didn¡¯t know they asked you to rece me, otherwise I¡­¡±

    ¡°Done.¡±

    I impatiently interrupted her.

    This woman is really good at pretending, doesn¡¯t she feel embarrassed about how fake she is?

    I just don¡¯t believe that Reynaldo couldn¡¯t see through her act, but he was just pretending to be blind himself, deliberately indulging this woman.

    0.009

    I told Kimberly, ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, if you ruin your health, I can¡¯t take that responsibility.¡±

    Besides, I was Mr. Humphrey¡¯s secretary, so it was only natural for me to apany Mr. Humphrey to a dinner party.

    ¡°So stop crying and feeling sorry for yourself, okay?¡±

    I knew she had just deliberately said those words, just to let me understand in a roundabout way that Reynaldo didn¡¯t want her to face that perverted client, so he pushed me out.

    Oh, I knew in my heart, why does she have to say it here?

    I was instantly saddened and upset.

    No way!

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    Just then, a deep and sexy man¡¯sughter suddenly came from the doorway¡­

    I subconsciously lifted my head.

    I saw a tall and handsome man with a wicked look walking in.

    The man was Matthew.

    He was surrounded by two morous beauties, with a few bodyguards following behind.

    ¡°Oh, are you guys having an internal conflict? Look at that beauty crying, tsk tsk tsk¡­ It¡¯s heartbreaking just to watch.¡±

    When Matthew walked in, his gaze immediately fell on the delicate Kimberly, and he teased her with a remark.

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    Kimberly wiped away her tears and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea, don¡¯t make fun of me.¡±

    ¡°Haha, look at this beauty, even her voice is so sweet and soft, tsk tsk, really captivating.¡±

    Matthew sat down with a beautiful woman in his arms, but his eyes were fixed on Kimberly, looking as if he wanted to devour her.

    While Kimberly was still being artificial, even her eyebrows were dyed with a hint of pride, as if Matthew had taken a liking to her, she was very proud.

    I lowered my head and ignored her.

    Anyway, Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t send her away.

    ¡°Wow, there is another beauty.¡±

    I was thinking when Matthew¡¯s gaze suddenly flicked towards me.

    I slowly raised my head and politely smiled at him, saying, ¡°Mr. Gtea, nice to meet you.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what happened, Matthew looked at me and suddenly furrowed his brows.

    I couldn¡¯t help but tighten my heart.

    I just greeted him normally a moment ago, did I say anything wrong?

    Matthew leaned back in his chair, the smirk on his face fading away. His sharp eyes, like those of an eagle, stared at me intently, as if pondering something.

    I was taken aback by the way he looked at me.

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    Sure enough, people with deep eyes have a terrifying gaze.

    For example, this Matthew, or this Reynaldo.

    However, why did he look at me like that?

    Didn¡¯t he stare at Kimberly like that before?

    283 hark

    I smiled with a signature smile and asked him, ¡°Mr. Gtea, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?¡±

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    Before Matthew could answer, Kimberly quickly and softly said, ¡°Mr. Gtea, please don¡¯t be angry. Ms. Duffy is a new member of ourpany, shecks experience and doesn¡¯t know how to speak well. If she has offended you in any way, we hope you can forgive her.¡±

    Matthew suddenly chuckled, ¡°This beauty is really interesting. Did I say she offended me?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s innocent face froze, herplexion alternating between green and white with embarrassment.

    At this moment, Reynaldo suddenly spoke lightly, ¡°Is Mr. Gtea here to discuss business, or to see the employees of mypany?¡±

    I lowered my head in self¨Cmockery.

    Reynaldo was so nervous about Kimberly.

    Matthew just snapped at Kimberly like that, and he got upset.

    Matthew chuckled, ¡°Look at what Mr. Humphrey said, I came here with sincere intentions to discuss business with Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    I just didn¡¯t expect that Mr. Humphrey was so generous, not only bringing this gentle and delicate little beauty, but also bringing his ex¨Cwife along.

    I was stunned.

    He had just been staring at me, recognizing me as Reynaldo¡¯s ex¨Cwife.

    It seems that he is quite concerned about Reynaldo, even remembering my appearance.

    0.00%

    What does this mean?

    He regarded Reynaldo as a figure or opponent, even though he had the upper hand in Yoripero.

    ¡°It was her own decision toe along,¡± Kimberly whispered,

    ¡°Oh? You wanted toe along by yourself?¡±

    Matthew chuckled mischievously and suddenly said to me, ¡°So Ms. Dully isn¡¯t afraid of me falling for her? Not afraid I¡¯ll snatch you back and make you my wife?¡±

    ¡°Matthew!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly muttered under his breath.

    Matthew raised his hand andughed, ¡°Just kidding, just kidding, Mr. Humphrey, don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±

    However, we are here to talk business today, what is the intention of Mr. Humphrey bringing his ex¨Cwife?

    Unaware people might think that Mr. Humphrey was trying to bribe me with his ex¨Cwife.¡±

    Without waiting for Reynaldo to speak, I said lightly, ¡°Mr. Gtea misunderstood. Although I am Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ex¨Cwife, I am also his secretary now.¡±

    ¡°Secretary?¡± Matthew raised an eyebrow, smiling with great interest. ¡°Another ex¨Cwife, another secretary, huh, interesting.¡±

    ¡°So, as a secretary, I apanied Mr. Humphrey to attend a dinner party, isn¡¯t it strange?¡±

    Matthewughed and said, ¡°No wonder, of course not, if Ms. Duffy didn¡¯t

    32.85%

    Chapter206

    Matthew said, with a faint gleam in his eyes, staring at me.

    <b>11 </b>

    He looked at me, not as openly as he looked at Kimberly, but it still made me feel a little ufortable.

    I lowered my head and got up to pour him a drink, ¡°I have heard of the great name of Mr. Gtea a long time ago, and today, seeing you in person, it is indeed well¨Cdeserved.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Have you heard of my great name?¡±

    Matthew tilted his head and looked at me with interest, ¡°So, tell me, how did they all talk about me?¡±

    Um¡­

    My mind quickly raced as I smiled at him and said, ¡°All I¡¯ve heard are the extraordinary, decisive, and strategic reputation of Mr. Gtea.¡±

    And, Mr. Gtea, you are obviously a smart, wise, and impressive person.

    Today, you just talk business with Mr. Humphrey, I will pour the wine for you.¡±

    No one dislikes ttery, especially people at their level, who are powerful and love to hear ttering words.

    Sure enough, as soon as I ttered him, Matthew¡¯s face improved a lot, and his smile became more cheerful.

    He said to Reynaldo, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect it, your ex¨Cwife is actually quite eloquent and charming.¡±

    She boasted so much, I would feel a little embarrassed if I didn¡¯t cooperate with you.¡±

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    Chapter299

    ¡°Mr. Gtea, you don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed. Whether to cooperate or not is entirely up to you.¡±

    Before Reynaldo could speak, I quickly ttered Matthew, ¡°But I believe Mr. Gtea¡¯s judgment in choosing to work with ourpany must be right.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    Matthewughed heartily as I praised him.

    Why did Reynaldo look at me with such a cold and eerie gaze when I had clearly managed to make the customer happy?

    Matthew said, ¡°Oh, Mr. Humphrey, this ex¨Cwife of mine is really a sweet talker.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered coldly, looking as if he dared not agree.

    Matthew didn¡¯t pay attention to hisplexion either, his eyes were fixed

    on me.

    Heughed and said, ¡°You are much stronger than that soft and weak beauty next to you.¡±

    When Matthew said this, Kimberly immediately pursed her lips in grievance, her eyes quickly welling up with tears, looking like she was on the verge of crying.

    I was just about to say a few good words for her, after all, we are all from the samepany. If she sheds tears here in grievance, it will still be thepany¡¯s face that is lost.

    0.00<b>% </b>

    Little did I know that as soon as I opened my mouth, Reynaldo would calmly say, ¡°Everyone has their own strengths, I don¡¯t think anyone is better than anyone else.¡±

    Matthewughed and said, ¡°So, Mr. Humphrey doesn¡¯t think your ex¨Cwife is stronger than this delicate beauty?¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak.

    I pursed my lips, a hint of self¨Cmockery and bitterness quietly rising in my heart.

    Look, even in such a situation, he still had to protect Kimberly.

    Matthew straightened up and said with a smile, ¡°It seems that Mr. Humphrey still likes this delicate beauty. Well, if Mr. Humphrey had taken a fancy to Ms. Duffy, she wouldn¡¯t have be Mr. Humphrey¡¯s ¡®ex¨Cwife¡®.¡±

    The words ¡°ex¨Cwife¡± were spoken by him with a deep meaning.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow.

    Johnathan busily said, ¡°Come, Mr. Gtea, let me offer you a drink.¡±

    Matthew smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s no fun drinking with you. You should change your personality a bit.¡±

    Johnathan: ¡­

    Speaking, Matthew nced at Kimberly.

    Oh, didn¡¯t Mr. Humphrey say that everyone has their own strengths?

    ¡°Since this delicate beauty doesn¡¯t have a sweet mouth, her alcohol tolerance should be good, right?¡±

    31609

    11

    Matthew said, and then asked the beauty beside him to pour a ss of wine for Kimberly.

    He smiled at Kimberly and said, ¡°If I have to drink, I¡¯ll drink with a beauty. Come on, little beauty, let¡¯s have a drink.¡±

    Kimberly forced a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Gtea, I¡­ I can¡¯t drink alcohol due to my health condition.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s face visibly darkened.

    He chuckled and said, ¡°Not drinking at a gathering like this? Do you think you¡¯re here to y?¡±

    I listened and my heart skipped a beat.

    He must not let me drinkter.

    I am pregnant now, so I definitely can¡¯t touch a drop of alcohol.

    Faced with Matthew¡¯s gloomy face, Kimberly looked at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes, full of helplessness and grievance.

    Reynaldo nced at her and then picked up his ss to help her out, saying, ¡°Mr. Gtea, let me have a drink with you.¡±

    Matthew leaned back in his chair, pulling at his tie with a half¨Csmile, ¡°I said I just wanted to drink with a beautiful woman, and Mr. Humphrey, you¡¯re not being sincere at all. What¡¯s the point of bringing a woman who can¡¯t drink?¡±

    Although there was no anger on Matthew¡¯s face, there were a few traces of stubbornness in his eagle¨Clike eyes.

    65.479

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    Chapter300

    It was obvious that, although he was a character as Reynaldo, he didn¡¯t want to give Reynaldo much face.

    After all, this is Yoripero.

    This man was like a tyrant in Yoripero, probably used to being arrogant.

    At that moment, Kimberly suddenly spoke to Matthew in a soft and gentle voice, saying, ¡°Mr. Gtea, why don¡¯t you have a drink with Ms. Duffy.¡±

    I frowned deeply and gave Kimberly a cold nce.

    That dead woman is causing trouble for me again!

    Kimberlyughed at Matthew and said, ¡°You have no idea, Ms. Duffy is a regr at the bar.¡±

    You couldn¡¯t go wrong by asking her out for a drink.

    She used to keep youpany and drink happily with you.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Matthew looked at me with great interest, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were

    a regr at the bar, I underestimated you.¡±

    I pursed my lips and smiled, about to speak.

    Kimberly suddenly said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, I was just having a drink with Mr. Gtea. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you.¡±

    I really couldn¡¯t because of my health, otherwise I would have apanied Mr. Gtea for a drink.

    Kimberly said, and even got up to pour me a ss of wino cauit:

    0000

    and saying, ¡°Esmeralda, you are also a member of thepany, so please raise a ss to Mr. Gtea on behalf of thepany.¡±

    I gave her a cold nce and hated her in my heart.

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes shed a hint of satisfaction.

    She turned her head again and smiled softly at Matthew, saying, ¡°Mr. Gtea, I¡¯m really sorry that I can¡¯t have a drink with you.¡±

    ¡°But Esmeralda¡¯s ability to hold her liquor is real, it just depends on whether you¡¯re willing to drink with her or not.¡±

    Matthew shook the wine in his cup and said with a smile, ¡°As long as she¡¯s a beauty, I¡¯m willing. But I can¡¯t help but feel like Ms. Duffy seems reluctant.¡±

    ¡°Howe? Apanying me for a drink makes you so ufortable?¡±

    When he said this, Matthew¡¯s face dorkened again, and there was a hint of cold malice in his eyes.

    Johnathan quietly tugged at the hem of my shirt under the table.

    He whispered to me, ¡°Esmie, what are you doing? Isn¡¯t it just offering Mr. Gtea a drink? It¡¯s not that difficult!¡±

    Are you still mad at Reynaldo?

    ¡°Be good, the most important thing now is to quickly have a few drinks with Mr. Gtea, and then I will give Reynaldo a good beating for you.¡±

    I clenched my hand under the table.

    If I hadn¡¯t been pregnant, I would have naturally been open to drinking with this Matthew.

    33.58%

    11

    But now, those two little guys are in my belly, formed, how can I touch alcohol.

    ¡°Esmeralda, hurry up and toast Mr. Gtea,¡± Kimberly urged from the side, even teasing, ¡°You can¡¯t really look down on Mr. Gtea, can you? It seems like all thosepliments you just made about Mr. Gtea were lies.¡±

    Esmeralda, you can¡¯t act like this. You are no longer a wealthy youngdy. You can¡¯t have such a high temper. Mr. Gtea is the king of this Yoripero.¡±

    As Kimberly¡¯s voice fell, Matthew¡¯s face grew darker.

    At that moment, I really wanted to tear Kimberly¡¯s mouth apart.

    This bad woman was only thinking about embarrassing me, without considering thepany¡¯s cooperation at all.

    Johnathan also gave her a nce, ir ating her not to speak out of turn.

    I nced at Reynaldo without leaving a trace.

    The man, however, just slightly curved his lips, his face expressionless.

    Oh!

    A touch of self¨Cmockery shed through my mind.

    72.10%

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    Chapter301

    Kimberly was talking nonsense like that, and he wasn¡¯t angry at all.

    Knowing full well how important this coboration was, he still indulged Kimberly like that.

    It¡¯s ridiculous that I was still worrying about this cooperation for him, afraid that this cooperation would fall through.

    What a damn irony!

    Matthew suddenly mmed the wine ss heavily on the table, clearly

    angry.

    Kimberly instantly reproached me, saying, ¡°Oh, Esmeralda, look at you. You¡¯re just supposed to offer Mr. Gtea a drink, not go to bed with him. Is it necessary for you to act like this?¡±

    ¡°Are you intentionally trying to sabotage Reynaldo¡¯s coboration like this?¡±

    When Kimberly said this, Johnathan also looked at me with a skeptical expression.

    Reynaldo always seemed like an outsider, smiling faintly.

    I was so angry!

    Kimberly couldn¡¯t drink, so I could?

    Kimberly was forced to drink alcohol, and Reynaldo immediately stepped in to help her out.

    20:43

    I was forced to drink at the moment, and he just looked calm and

    I was so angry.

    I didn¡¯t give a damn.

    I didn¡¯t want to care about whether to cooperate or not, anyway, it¡¯s not mypany, and the money earned is not mine!

    I suppressed my anger and politely said to Matthew, ¡°Mr. Gtea, please wait a moment, I want to go to the bathroom first.¡±

    Matthew tilted his head and made a gesture of ¡°please go ahead.¡±

    I said ¡°thank you¡± to him and then walked outside the private room.

    I went to the bathroom and leaned on the sink, letting out a sigh.

    Right now, I definitely couldn¡¯t just leave.

    Otherwise, if Kimberly continues to provoke, Matthew will definitely feel more and more that I am deliberately looking down on him, and he will

    be furious.

    When the cooperation didn¡¯t work out, it was definitely all med on me.

    At that time, that pervert Reynaldo would definitely shout and kill me again.

    I was so annoyed, what excuse could I find to leave this dinner party early.

    You can¡¯t keep hiding in the bathroom like this.

    Just then, I had been dawdling in the bathroom for about ten minutes when Johnathan¡¯s phone call came in.

    2043

    He must have been hiding outside to call me, his voice deliberately kept

    very low.

    ¡°Esmie, what are you doing in the bathroom? Why are you taking so long. toe out?¡±

    I leaned wearily against the sink and said, ¡°What else can girls do in the bathroom? Do you want toe and see?¡±

    Johnathan:¡­

    After a pause, Johnathan earnestly said over the phone, ¡°Matthew was furious at the dinner table.¡±

    Esmie, I know you were upset with Reynaldo, but I¡¯m telling you, this coboration was really important.

    Put aside your personal grievances with Reynaldo for now, just consider it for the sake of our friendship, and have a drink with that Matthew,

    Of course, rest assured, as I said, if Matthew dares toy a finger on you, I will be the first one to not let him off the hook!

    I pursed my lips and sighed, ¡°Actually, I really wanted to help facilitate this cooperation between you guys, but you saw it yourself, Reynaldo ispletely focused on protecting Kimberly.¡±

    He didn¡¯t care about this cooperation at all, why should you and I bother?

    ¡°Mr. Dup, you should just eat, drink, and not worry.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Esmie,¡­¡±

    Johnathan hadn¡¯t finished speaking when I hung up the phone.

    Actually, I was right. Reynaldo didn¡¯t care and even protected Kimberly, who kept causing trouble. So why should I care about their coboration?

    However, how can I safely leave this dinner party without being punished. by Reynaldo?

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    Chapter302

    I furrowed my brow and thought for a moment, then suddenly came up with a solution.

    I quickly took out my phone and sent a text message to Reynaldo¡­

    I don¡¯t know if this method worked.

    But if Reynaldo really wanted me to have a baby for him, this method should work.

    After sending the message, I leaned against the sink, anxiously waiting.

    I don¡¯t know if Reynaldo wille.

    I just sent him a message: ¡°Come to the bathroom for a moment, I have something to tell you.¡±

    After waiting for about five minutes, I didn¡¯t see that maning over.

    Could it be that he didn¡¯t see the message?

    Should I just give him a call directly and ask him toe over?

    Hesitating in my heart, I waited for another two minutes before taking out. my phone and dialing the man¡¯s number directly.

    Suddenly, a pleasant ringing sound came from behind.

    I was startled, and suddenly looked up, only to see another person in the mirror in front of me.

    It was Reynaldo.

    2011-

    I was speechless, this man really came and went without a sound.

    His phone was still ringing, and I quickly hung up the outgoing call, turned around, and looked at him respectfully.

    No matter how much I resented him in my heart, I couldn¡¯t change the fact that he was my immediate superior.

    I lowered my eyes slightly and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey!¡±

    Reynaldo put away his phone and asked me coldly, ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    There was no expression on his face, not even a direct look in his eyes.

    It was obvious that he was still angry about what happenedst night.

    But I couldn¡¯t figure out what he was so angry aboutst night.

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t say anything for half a day, he said coldly, ¡°If you have nothing to say, then I¡¯ll leave. After all, I don¡¯t have much time to waste with you.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­wait¡­

    Seeing that he was about to leave, I quickly called out to him.

    He didn¡¯t turn around, but his footsteps dide to a halt.

    I bit my lip, facing his cold and indifferent attitude, I didn¡¯t know how to use the method I had just thought of

    He waited for a few seconds, then lifted his foot and walked outside.

    Look, his patience with me is really limited.

    As he was about to walk out of the bathroom, I hurriedly shouted at his

    2043

    back. ¡°I can¡¯t drink alcohol!¡±

    He stopped again, turned around and sneered at me, ¡°Someone who frequents bars, you think she can¡¯t drink? Who would believe that?¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t drink alcohol,¡± I emphasized again.

    What he got instead was a more mocking sneer.

    He walked up to me, lowered his gaze and stared at me, with a tone of sarcasm and resentment.

    In the beginning. I didn¡¯t let you go to the bar, didn¡¯t let you drink, but you insisted on going, and spent all day getting drunk with those male. models and yboys.

    What, now that you have to have a drink with the client, you¡¯re being coy again?

    Esmeralda, I knew what kind of person you were, so don¡¯t pretend to be a good girl in front of me.

    The hurtful words pierced into my ears one by one, stabbing my heart fiercely.

    I clenched my fists tightly by my side, suppressing the bitterness in my heart, and asked him defiantly, ¡°Kimberly can refuse to drink that ss of wine because of health reasons,¡® why can¡¯t I refuse to drink it because of ¡®feeling unwell¡°?¡±

    ¡°I said you were different from her.¡±

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    Chapter303

    Reynaldo said coldly, then looked at me with a mocking expression in his eyes. ¡°Besides, what could possibly make you ufortable? You used to go to the bar every now and then, and I never saw you ufortable.¡±

    Look, in his eyes, I was as worthless as grass, weak and sickly as if it had nothing to do with me.

    And Kimberly was his delicate little princess, who needed to be pampered and protected.

    Thinking of this, I unwillingly said, ¡°What¡¯s so different between

    Kimberly and me? It¡¯s just that I seem to have better luck, while she always looks sickly and on the verge of death¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly growled at me, the coldness in his eyes seeming to overflow.

    I turned my face away, hiding my sadness.

    Well, there was no need to argue with him about these things.

    This makes oneself look like a clown vying for favor.

    At this moment, the most important thing for me to do was how to escape from this drinking party, not to argue with him.

    I paused for a moment and said to him, ¡°Reynaldo, didn¡¯t you want me to have a baby for you?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s expression stiffened noticeably.

    2043

    Immediately after, his eyes were instantly tinged with a dark color.

    He spoke in a low voice, his tone inexplicably tense.

    ¡°What do you mean by bringing this up all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that you have to prepare for pregnancy before having a baby, and during the preparation period you can¡¯t drink alcohol?¡± I said to him expressionlessly.

    His tall figure visibly trembled.

    His voice grew deeper and more tense, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re willing to have a baby with me?¡±

    This question made me want tough.

    All along, whether I was willing or not, wasn¡¯t it him who domineeringly forced me to have a baby for him?

    Didn¡¯t he think this question was superfluous?

    Although I thought so in my heart, I nodded at him on the face.

    I deliberately lied to him, ¡°You saw it too, I haven¡¯t been to the bar or drank alcohol during this time, just to take care of my body and prepare for pregnancy.¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and his gaze suddenly became intense.

    He suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed me against the sink, ¡°You really didn¡¯t lie to me, you¡¯ve really been trying to conceive during this time?¡±

    I hesitated for a second before answering, and Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened abruptly.

    204D

    I quickly kissed him on the corner of his mouth.

    It was obvious that he stiffened his body a little.

    I steadied my uncontroble heartbeat and said to him, ¡°Really, you have to think, I, someone who loves drinking so much, haven¡¯t touched alcohol during this time, just for¡­ um¡­..¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he suddenly sealed my lips.

    The cold and indifferent demeanor just now disappeared, he hugged me, kissed me deeply, and his big hands also slipped into my clothes, teasing me wantonly.

    I was made by him to go weak all over.

    I pushed his shoulder and said, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t do this¡­¡±

    It was too scary.

    The man just now had a look of wanting to kill me, and now he is hugging me warmly and kissing me.

    This emotion is too unstable.

    Look, I just nudged him, and his face darkened again.

    He frowned at me and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were willing to have a baby with me?¡±

    I:

    It turns out he meant what he said, he just wanted to get me pregnant right here in this bathroom.

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    Chapter304

    Full of speechlessness, I said, ¡°You can¡¯t do that in this bathroom either, what if someonees in¡­¡±

    ¡°The whole floor has been booked, no one wille over.¡±

    Reynaldo said, leaning in to kiss me again.

    He held me around the waist with one hand and cradled my head with the other, as if he couldn¡¯t kiss me enough.

    I was made by him to feel hot all over, unable to stand still.

    Although she still resented him in her heart, her body surrendered. honestly.

    But I was sure that I couldn¡¯t do that thing with him in this bathroom, after all, I hadn¡¯t opened up to that extent.

    I pushed his chest again.

    His face darkened, and before he could speak, I quickly said, ¡°You forgot that we came here today to discuss cooperation. Matthew is waiting arrogantly in the private room, and I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled, ¡°Just a Matthew, do you think I¡¯m afraid of him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only you, whenever you see a handsome guy, you run over eagerly, constantly ttering and trying to please, as if you¡¯re afraid he won¡¯t like you.¡±

    2043 D

    Chesterbl

    ¡°I was just ttering him not because¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so great about Matthew? He changes women like he changes. clothes. If you really get involved with him, you¡¯ll end up in tears.¡±

    I:¡­

    This man is quite a talker, where did he see me wanting to be with Matthew?

    At this moment, a pleasant ringtone from the phone rang again.

    It was Reynaldo¡¯s phone, I saw that the caller ID was Kimberly.

    The man answered the phone with one hand, while the other hand was still in my clothes.

    His tall figure pressed against me, trapping my whole body between him. and the sink.

    Because it was close.

    I faintly heard Kimberly¡¯s voice on the phone.

    ¡°Reynaldo, why did you take so long to go

    is getting a little impatient waiting.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯sing over.¡±

    10

    the bathroom? Mr. Gtea

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, Mr. Gtea was still waiting for her to toast.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and looked at me.

    As Johnathan said, when this man looked at me, there always seemed to be a fire burning in his eyes.

    However, sex and love are ultimately two different things.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take her over right away.¡±

    The man finished speaking in a low voice and then hung up the phone.

    My heart, however, gave a sharp throb.

    Even though I said I wanted to prepare for pregnancy and have a baby for him, does he still want to take me over to toast Matthew?

    Reynaldo took his hand out of my clothes.

    He straightened his tie and the wrinkles on his shirt, and said to me, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going back to the private room.¡±

    The slight tingling sensation on my body had just faded awaypletely. and I silently straightened out my clothes, following behind him.

    When I walked out of the bathroom, I couldn¡¯t help but grab his arm and urgently said, ¡°Reynaldo, I¡¯m not joking with you, I really can¡¯t drink alcohol.¡±

    Reynaldo nced down at the hand I had linked in his arm, then after a moment, he enveloped my hand and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could drink.¡±

    ¡°Then you asked me to go to the private room¡­

    ¡°I will definitely give Matthew an exnation. Don¡¯t worry, with me here, I won¡¯t let you drink.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    I looked at him uneasily, afraid that he would once again ignore me for Kimberlyter.

    ¡°Really.¡±

    2043

    Reynaldo looked at me with dark, intense eyes and said, ¡°As long as you didn¡¯t lie to me and truly want to have a baby with me, I will protect you no matter what.

    240

 Too Close 305

    Chapter305

    ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you lied to me because you didn¡¯t want to drink with Matthew.¡±

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat, and I quickly shook my head, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, do you really not trust me that much?¡±

    Reynaldo gave a light sigh and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but you tell too many lies.¡±

    I lowered my gaze, pursed my lips and remained silent.

    He suddenly lifted my chin, his dark eyes looking into mine, ¡°So, you really didn¡¯t lie to me just now, right?¡±

    I shook my head again and said firmly, ¡°No.¡±

    To protect the baby, is it okay to lie to him?

    He smiled and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try our best tonight and hopefully get pregnant this time.¡±

    He finished speaking and strode briskly towards the private room, his light footsteps making it seem like he was in a good mood.

    And I waspletely stunned.

    Tonight?

    Are you pregnant tonight?

    I could almost predict how Reynaldo would bother me at night.

    I shivered suddenly and quickly followed after.

    200

    ¡°Reynaldo, I think we should have a good talk about having a baby.¡±

    <b>? </b>???

    Reynaldo nced at me and said, ¡°How do you want to talk?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that we¡¯re still in the pre¨Cpregnancy stage now, we can¡¯t rush it, let¡¯s wait until we get back to Freybourne and then¡­¡±

    He suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face darkening a few shadespared to just now, his brows slightly furrowing. The look in his eyes was tinged with a hint of coldness and suspicion.

    I hesitated for a moment, looking at him, ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°How do I feel, the so¨Ccalled ¡®you are preparing for pregnancy¡® you just mentioned was a lie to me?¡±

    My heart tightened and I quickly shook my head.

    He sneered, ¡°If you dare to lie to me again this time, I will kill you.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t lie to you,¡± I shook my head like a tambourine.

    He snorted coldly and then turned around to continue walking towards the private room.

    I watched his back in shock.

    Forget it, this man is too cunning, really can¡¯t discuss anything with him.

    I returned to the private room with Reynaldo right after.

    Matthew looked at me with a more yful look in his eyes.

    He chuckled meaningfully and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you restroom to relieve yourselves, but to have a quickie.¡±

    two went to the

    Johnathan looked at me and Reynaldo with surprise in his eyes.

    CIM DE

    I was speechless in my heart, and Matthew spoke quite frankly.

    Matthew raised his wristwatch again, looked at the time, and sneered, ¡°It seems that Mr. Humphrey is quite fast. Mr. Humphrey, remember to work harder, or else women will not be satisfied and will find other men.¡±

    Reynaldo took a sip of wine and smiled faintly at him, saying, ¡°Whether I am fast or not, my woman knows best, so there¡¯s no need for Mr. Gtea to worry.¡±

    He said, and then gave me a meaningful nce.

    I hung my head in shame.

    What kind of yellow topics are these.

    At that moment, Kimberly suddenly shouted at me, ¡°Esmeralda, Mr. Gtea has been waiting for you. Hurry up and pour Mr. Gtea a drink.¡±

    I slowly raised my head and said to her calmly, ¡°Mr. Gtea hasn¡¯t spoken yet, why are you rushing him?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s face changed slightly, then she looked at Reynaldo with a touch of grievance.

    And this time, I don¡¯t know if Reynaldo didn¡¯t see her grievances or deliberately ignored them.

    Reynaldo looked at Matthew with a pale face.

    2440

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    Chapter306

    Seeing that Reynaldo ignored her, Kimberly pouted and said, ¡°I waited for you with Mr. Gtea for half a day, that¡¯s why I reminded you.¡±

    After all, Mr. Gtea was a big client, making big clients wait is a bit unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know, so I will personally apologize to Mr. Gtea, there is no need for you to deliberately stir up trouble here.¡±

    I didn¡¯t give her face either, I directly confronted her.

    Kimberly¡¯s face turned pale and then green as I scolded her.

    She kept looking at Reynaldo, but this time Reynaldo didn¡¯t help her.

    Wow, it seems like this future baby is even more important to him than Kimberly in his heart, he can even ignore Kimberly¡¯s grievances.

    Mockingly in my mind, I poured myself a cup of tea.

    Then he looked at Matthew and said, ¡°Sorry Mr. Gtea, I can¡¯t drink alcohol during this period, so I¡¯ll have tea instead. Cheers to you.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s face was a few shades darker than when Kimberly had just refused to have a drink with him.

    He threw the wine ss directly on the table andughed, ¡°ying with me, huh? If you don¡¯t drink at the wine table, what else do you want to talk about cooperation, huh?¡±

    To be honest.

    Matthew got angry, although there was a smile on his face, but those eyes were truly frightening.

    Like a lion angered in the deep mountains.

    However, I just told Reynaldo about nning to have a baby, so Reynaldo, for the sake of our future baby, should protect me.

    Johnathan tugged at my sleeve anxiously, whispering to me, ¡°Esmie, what are you doing? You¡¯re not someone who doesn¡¯t drink, so why are you. deliberately making things so awkward today?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Kimberly also chimed in, using me from the side.

    However, she deliberately raised her voice, ¡°Mr. Gtea chose to discuss business with us, which is so rare. Can¡¯t you just offer a drink to Mr. Gtea? Why do you have to act so hesitantly and anger Mr. Gtea on purpose? Are you trying to sabotage the coboration between Reynaldo and Mr. Gtea?¡±

    Kimberly spoke with great emphasis, full of indignation.

    Matthew sneered on the side.

    I nced at Reynaldo for a moment, then turned to Kimberly and said nonchntly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mess up the deal with Mr. Humphrey, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been trying to conceive recently and can¡¯t drink alcohol.¡±

    nonchntly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mess up the deal

    ¡°Preparing¡­ preparing for pregnancy?¡±

    Kimberly was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t speak properly, and then she reluctantly went to see Reynaldo.

    Johnathan¡¯s gaze also shifted back and forth between me and Reynaldo.

    I epted the strange gazes of the crowd without blushing or skipping a beat.

    2044

    If I hadn¡¯t talked to Reynaldo about it just now, if I hadn¡¯t confirmed his attitude, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to say such words in front of so many people.

    Kimberly smiled strangely and asked me with a hint of unwillingness, ¡°You, didn¡¯t you already divorce Reynaldo? Why are you preparing for pregnancy again, and for whom?¡±

    I looked at her with a smile and said, ¡°I only had one man in my life, my ex¨Chusband. Who do you think I would have been pregnant with?¡±

    Kimberly lightly bit her lip, looking at Reynaldo with a pitiful look of tears welling up.

    I dare say it was because Matthew was still there that she felt too embarrassed to pretend to be sick.

    If this were in a hotel, she would definitely clutch her chest again, with a pained expression on her face, saying to Reynaldo, ¡°It hurts, Reynaldo, it hurts.¡±

    Hmm, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

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    Chapter307

    Although Johnathan said she had an incurable disease, I still felt that many times she was just pretending.

    ¡°Hmm, interesting, really interesting¡­¡±

    At this moment, Matthew suddenly pped his hands and looked at Reynaldo with a sneer, ¡°So, what¡¯s the meaning of Mr. Humphrey bringing two non¨Cdrinking beauties here? I just want to know, does Mr. Humphrey still want to discuss cooperation?¡±

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair and smiled at him, ¡°Bringing them here, isn¡¯t that what Mr. Gtea requested?¡±

    I could bring them, which was enough to show my sincerity, and I could also apany Mr. Gtea to drink this wine, and Mr. Gtea can drink as much as he wants.

    So, I would like to ask you, Mr. Gtea, are you here to have a drink with my secretary, or are you sincerely here to discuss cooperation with me?¡±

    Matthew squinted his eyes slightly, and the fierce look in his eyes was more like a jackal confronting its enemy.

    His eyes were filled with bloodthirstiness, gloom, and scrutiny.

    I guessed that, although Matthew was a tough guy, he definitely had his

    own business acumen.

    Otherwise, his business would not have been able to grow so big.

    So, if working with Reynaldo was really profitable, then he shouldn¡¯t have given up on this coboration just because Kimberly and I didn¡¯t drink

    with him, a small matter.

    Matthew remained silent for a while.

    He squinted his eyes, lightly tapping on the table, as if pondering something.

    Reynaldoughed. ¡°I know Mr. Gtea¡¯s business is doing very well overseas, but here in the country it¡¯s not as good, probably not even in the top 50.¡±

    ¡°But we were in the top ten nationwide, it¡¯s just that we don¡¯t know if Mr. Gtea wants to expand our domestic business.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gtea, working together with us, you expand the domestic business, we expand the international business, isn¡¯t this a win¨Cwin situation?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say.

    Reynaldo nced at me indifferently, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    He waited quietly for Matthew¡¯s answer.

    After waiting for about five minutes, he smiled faintly and said, ¡°It seems that Mr. Gtea is not really interested in cooperating with our Durham Group. In that case, let¡¯s discuss it next time we have the chance.¡±

    Johnathan got anxious and gestured with his eyes for Reynaldo not to leave, to talk to Matthew again.

    Reynaldo ignored him and just gestured for me to leave with him.

    I had just gotten up.

    Matthew suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°Whether these two beauties are willing to have a drink with me is a small matter. Since I am here, I naturally sincerely want to discuss business.¡±

    240

    I was overjoyed.

    It seems I guessed right after all, Matthew is indeed a businessman who knows how to weigh the pros and cons.

    He was just showing off, probably trying to outdo Reynaldo in momentum, but those things are not really important after all, businessmen always prioritize interests.

    Reynaldo sat back in his chair.

    He smiled at Matthew and said, ¡°I made a trip to Freybourne myself, naturally with the sincere intention of making friends with Mr. Gtea. I can also see that Mr. Gtea is a smart person, and I believe that our cooperation will definitely go smoothly.¡±

    Reynaldo was clearly throwing shade at Matthew.

    Matthew smiled and said, ¡°I had heard that Mr. Humphrey from Freybourne was flexible and resourceful, a talented individual. Today, seeing him in person, it is indeed true.¡±<ol><li>Matthew, also liked to be friends with smart people. ¡°I have indeed made friends with Mr. Humphrey.¡±</li></ol>

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be friends with Mr. Gtea. Here, I raise a toast to Mr. Gtea.¡±

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    Chapter308

    Reynaldo raised his ss to toast him after speaking, which was considered giving him enough face.

    Matthew lowered his eyes and smiled, then picked up the wine in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.

    After finishing the wine, Johnathan took out the contract he had prepared long ago and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Mr. Gtea, if you don¡¯t see any problems with this contract, let¡¯s sign it now.¡±

    Matthew leaned back and casually gestured with his hand, and the assistant waiting outside the door walked in with the contract.

    While his assistant and Johnathan were double¨Cchecking the contract, Matthew suddenly nced at me.

    I quickly shed him a signature smile.

    Matthew yfully tugged at his lips, then looked at Reynaldo.

    I

    What did his smile mean?

    While thinking, Matthew suddenly smiled meaningfully at Reynaldo and said, ¡°I heard that Mr. Humphrey used to be this Ms. Duffy¡¯s husband.¡±

    I was stunned.

    What did he want to do? Mock Reynaldo with this?

    Reynaldo¡¯s face showed no expression, just smiling nonchntly, ¡°It

    240

    seems that Mr. Gtea knows quite a bit about me.¡±

    Ah, with Mr. Humphrey¡¯s current status and position, it¡¯s hard to imagine not knowing about such things.

    However, I just couldn¡¯t understand why a person like Mr. Humphrey would willingly be a son¨Cinw who is looked down upon, or even willingly allow himself and his whole family to be oppressed and humiliated by this woman.

    ¡°I wonder if Mr. Humphrey can help Mr. Huo solve this doubt.¡±

    I looked at Matthew gloomily, wondering why he brought this up out of the blue.

    This was invisibly fueling Reynaldo¡¯s hatred towards me.

    I nced cautiously at Reynaldo again, luckily the man¡¯s face was calm and there was no sign of anger.

    Reynaldo remained silent for a while, and Matthew smirked, his smile bing more malicious, ¡°What? Is Mr. Humphrey finding it difficult to talk about his past?¡±

    Reynaldo took a sip of wine and smiled faintly, saying, ¡°There¡¯s nothing too difficult to talk about.¡±

    I just feel that if a person wants to get what they have been dreaming of, then they can give up anything.

    Including dignity, reputation, and even that true self.

    Reynaldo¡¯s words were a bit profound, I couldn¡¯t understand them at all.

    I don¡¯t know if Matthew understood, but I saw him smile meaningfully and say, ¡°Are you saying that Mr. Humphrey married into the Duffy family and allowed them to bully him just to get what he wanted?¡±

    Chemijos

    So, what was it that Mr. Humphrey had been dreaming of?

    ¡°Money? Status? Or¡­ this Ms. Duffy?¡±

    I was drinking water when I heard him say this, and I almost spit out a mouthful of water.

    Kimberly gave me a disdainful nce.

    After a while, she smiled cautiously at Matthew and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea, you have quite an imagination, but if Reynaldo¡¯s dream is to be with Ms. Duffy, then why would he divorce Ms. Duffy?¡±

    That¡¯s right!

    Although I detested Kimberly to the extreme.

    But at this moment, I have to agree with her words.

    And, before I got married to Reynaldo, besides that night at the ss. reunion, we had absolutely no other interaction, so how could what he wanted possibly be me?

    Johnathan inexplicably nced at Reynaldo.

    After a while, he smiled at Matthew and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about Mr. Humphrey¡¯s personal matters, Mr. Gtea? Come on, your assistant has already checked this contract, if there are no issues, you can sign it.¡±

    After the contract was signed, I apanied Mr. Gtea to Seabed Club for some fun, how about that?

    Matthew pursed his lips, smiling with a meaningful look on his face.

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    Chapter309

    He hummed lightly, ¡°Oh, why is human curiosity so heavy? I really want to know what Mr. Humphrey dreams of.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his eyes and smiled, saying calmly, ¡°What Mr. Gtea guessed is what it is.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Matthew suddenly nced at me again and said with a smile, ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s Ms. Duffy.¡±

    Reynaldo always smiled faintly and said nothing.

    I also took it as a joke that Matthew deliberately made to tease Reynaldo.

    But not to mention Matthew¡¯s curiosity, I was also a little curious.

    What was Reynaldo¡¯s heart¡¯s desire after all?

    It definitely wasn¡¯t about money and status.

    After all, as mentioned at the beginning, he never relied on any connections from the Duffy family or conducted any business using the Duffy family¡¯s name after marrying into the Duffy family.

    Therefore, he married into the Duffy family, definitely not for money and

    status.

    So it was really strange, what did the Duffy family have that he dreamed of, that made him willing to marry into it.

    At first, I thought he was forced to marry into the Duffy family under pressure from the Duffy family.

    Now think about it, how could a person with such a sinister nature at heart be afraid of the small pressure from the Duffy family.

    Ah. I just can¡¯t figure it out. I really can¡¯t figure it out.

    After signing the contract, Reynaldo apanied Matthew for a few drinks.

    Johnathan invited Matthew to go to Seabed Club..

    The name ¡®Seabed Club¡® sounded like the kind of ce for romantic rendezvous.

    Matthew also asked Reynaldo to go, and heughed, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, if youe all the way to Yoripero and don¡¯t visit the Seabed Club. it¡¯s likeing for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, tonight I¡¯ll treat you guys, I guarantee you¡¯ll have a great time.¡±

    I thought Reynaldo would at least go through the motions and make an appearance.

    Little did he know, he tly refused, saying, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Gtea, I have more important things to do tonight.¡±

    As soon as he said this, I remembered what he had just said about wanting me to get pregnant tonight, and my cheeks couldn¡¯t help but blush.

    Matthewughed and said, ¡°What important thing could be more important than us having fun tonight? Let¡¯s do it another day, or let the subordinates do it.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and said seriously, ¡°How can we let others continue the family line?¡±

    Even someone like Matthew was stunned by his words.

    Chapter309

    After a while, he nced at me with deep meaning, and said to Reynaldo, ¡°Alright, alright¡­ continuing the family line is important, Mr. Humphrey should work hard tonight.¡±

    Honestly, I wished I could just plug my ears.

    These people, one by one, look like they are as pure and unattainable as the bright moon and clear wind, but the things they say are so unbearable to hear.

    Johnathan was also standing aside,ughing foolishly, and even when heughed, he didn¡¯t forget to give me a suggestive look.

    I really can¡¯t stand this Reynaldo!

    Alright!

    I wish everyone in the world knew that I was going to try to make a baby with him tonight.

    Really, he has no shame, I want face, ahhh!

    Reynaldo ordered Johnathan in front of Matthew, ¡°You must apany Mr. Gtea and have a good time.¡±

    Johnathan nodded solemnly and gestured for Matthew to walk ahead.

    When Matthew walked out of the private room, he patted Reynaldo on the shoulder and gave me a meaningful smile, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you better work hard tonight. If you get pregnant, remember toe and share the good news.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

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    Chapter310

    Matthew was still smiling at me, that look, that smile, made me feel ufortable all over.

    Finally, they sent Matthew and his friends away, and the whole private room instantly quieted down.

    As soon as the room quieted down, I heard the deliberate suppressed sobbing next to me.

    The voice sounded artificial no matter how you listened to it.

    I turned my head and saw Kimberly wiping her tears and crying softly.

    I rolled my eyes.

    What is this woman up to again?!

    Reynaldo walked up to her and asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    Kimberly shook her head, her choked voice filled with apology,

    ¡°Reynaldo, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t perform well at the dinner table just now, almost ruining this coboration.¡±

    ¡°Nothing, anyway, he would sign the contract unless he didn¡¯t want to expand his business.¡±

    Reynaldo, I just had Ms. Duffy toast Mr. Gtea, you¡¯re not mad at me, are you?

    Actually, I didn¡¯t want Ms. Duffy to toast him either, but I really had no choice<b>. </b>

    20-44

    I couldn¡¯t drink myself, and I was afraid that this coboration would fall through. Sometimes I really hate myself, why am I so useless.

    Kimberly cried more and more self¨Creproachfully as she spoke.

    The sound of crying, made people feel annoyed in their hearts.

    I ate some dishes, but those dishes had already cooled down, tasting like wax in my mouth.

    I threw down my fork and said to Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, Ms. Palmer doesn¡¯t look veryfortable. Why don¡¯t you take her back to the hotel first, and I¡¯ll take a taxi backter?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo narrowed his eyes at me dangerously.

    ¡±

    He said coldly, ¡°What should I do, I still don¡¯t know you to arrange!¡±

    My heart felt a pang, and I pursed my lips in silence.

    Good job!

    This man is like this, no matter how sweet he talks in bed, in front of Kimberly, he is always cold and fierce towards me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to overthink,¡± Reynaldoforted Kimberly.

    Look at that voice, deep and gentle, but when speaking to me, it was like that.

    I hung my head, bit my lip, and the more I thought, the more sour my heart felt.

    Ghost wants to have a baby?!

    I was so angry. If it weren¡¯t for the unexpected pregnancy, I wouldn¡¯t want

    Chapter310

    to have a baby with him.

    I was so angry.

    A touch of sourness rose unconsciously from the tip of the nose, and the eye sockets also began to feel sour.

    I was so annoyed.

    Did hormones affect your emotions after pregnancy?

    He yelled at me coldly like that, and I just wanted to cry.

    It was too scary!

    I quickly got up and walked out.

    Suddenly came his urgent voice from behind: ¡°Stop, where are you going?¡±

    I forced myself to bear the sourness in my heart and said lightly, ¡°Bathroom.¡±

    After saying that, I didn¡¯t care whether he was angry or not, and quickly walked out.

    I went to the bathroom.

    The reflection in the mirror showed red eyes, looking like they were about

    to cry.

    I sshed water on my face andughed at myself, scolding myself for being so ipetent!

    What¡¯s the big deal, why cry?!

    I didn¡¯t just find out today that Reynaldo hates me, and I didn¡¯t just find

    out today that he treats me and Kimberlypletely differently.

    So, what¡¯s there to cry about?

    I forced a smile in the mirror, but it looked even uglier than crying.

    I turned around and leaned against the sink to check my phone, not wanting to go back to the stall to listen to Kimberly¡¯s affected voice.

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    Chapter311

    I don¡¯t know how long it had passed when suddenly a pair of men¡¯s shoes appeared in front of me.

    I slowly lifted my head and saw Reynaldo.

    He nced down at my phone screen and snorted, ¡°Is the phone so fun to scroll through?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I put away my phone and sarcastically said, ¡°Looking at my phone is definitely more interesting than looking at Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Do not have too much hostility towards her, she¡­..¡±

    ¡°Enough, Reynaldo, I don¡¯t want to hear about her,¡± I impatiently interrupted him.

    It¡¯s funny, saying that I had too much hostility towards Kimberly?

    Wasn¡¯t Kimberly hostile towards me?

    Well, anyone can see that. He¡¯s not blind, he¡¯s just deliberately favoring that woman.

    Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes gazed at me intently.

    I tried to look away and leave, but he suddenly pulled me into his arms.

    I furrowed my brows and struggled subconsciously.

    The man¡¯s arms were strong, and his grip was powerful, one arm alone holding me tightly.

    Cluptedni

    He lowered his gaze and looked at me, ¡°Are you angry? Because of Kimberly?¡±

    When he asked this question, there was a hint of expectation in his tone.

    So what did he want to prove in the end?

    Did I prove that I liked him, he felt so aplished?

    I turned my face away and said with a faint smile, ¡°Angry? Not really, I don¡¯t need to get angry for a Kimberly, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes cooled down a bit, ¡°Then in your eyes, what is worth it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, my own feelings are the most important, so I won¡¯t let a Kimberly affect my emotions.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    He chuckled lightly, with a hint of sarcasm in his deep eyes, ¡°See, you are just a heartless, cold¨Cblooded, selfish woman.¡±

    ¡±

    Now, faced with his mockery, there was no fluctuation in my heart.

    Anyway, he hated me like that, so I didn¡¯t care what I was like in his mind.

    I deliberately provoked him by saying, ¡°Yes, I am a selfish person. If you are on the verge of bankruptcy one day, I will definitely grab arge sum of money first and then run away. So you better let me leave now.¡±

    ¡°Well, you do have quite an imagination.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled, ¡°Just, do you think there will be such a day?¡±

    Ugh!

    Although his career is now at its peak, bankruptcy is almost impossible.

    But in this world, some things are also uncertain, aren¡¯t they?

    I hummed andughed, ¡°Anyway, whether there will be a day or not, keeping a selfish person like me around is definitely risky, so I advise you. to do it as soon as possible¡­¡±

    ¡°You say one more word, and I¡¯ll take care of you right here.¡±

    I suddenly closed my mouth tightly, staring at him with a look of disdain.

    He was indeed a beast!

    He stared at me, and in his pitch¨Cck eyes, that dark fire ignited once again.

    He adjusted his tie and asked me hoarsely, ¡°Tonight, which hotel do you want to go to?¡±

    I:¡­

    ¡°Try to choose a better hotel, of course, the themed room is the best.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    Did he not even blush?

    It¡¯s unbelievable that such a thing was said with a straight face.

    What on earth is this creature?

    Did he really know what shame was?

    ¡°How?¡± Reynaldo cocked his head to look at me.

    His face was so ascetic, but inside him lived a soul full of lust and desire.

    The scoundrel was probably just like him.

    My face burned all the way to the base of my neck, and I said. ¡°You¡¯d better settle Kimberly first.¡±

    ¡°I had someone take her back.¡±

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    Chapter312

    I stared in surprise.

    He actually let his white moonlight go back alone.

    Most importantly, Kimberly actually agreed to go back with him alone, it was like the sun rising in the west.

    ¡°So, should we go outside and find a¡­ um, a room with a little bit of charm?¡±

    His voice was low, hoarse, and deep, and that ¡®hmm¡® even carried a hint of

    sexiness.

    I listened, and unconsciously ayer of goosebumps rose on my body.

    Not getting a response from me for half a day, he leaned in a few minutes, his eyes burning like they were devouring me.

    ¡°How about it? Do you want to experience that kind of room? If you do, I can send someone to book it immediately.¡±

    I shook my head hastily and said, ¡°No, no.¡±

    This man was already crazy in bed..

    No matter how interesting the room is, he will be even crazier by then.

    I¡¯d better forget it. Just thinking about it is terrifying.

    Reynaldo was not persistent in choosing hotels.

    He asked, ¡°So you want to go back to the hotel where we originally stayed?¡±

    2040

    Chapter312

    Faced with his question, I really didn¡¯t know how to answer.

    Because the matter of preparing for pregnancy was originally a lie to him.

    I never thought about doing that kind of thing with him tonight.

    But if I tell him the truth now, will he p me to death?

    The man¡¯s gaze grew darker and more frightening.

    He took a step back and squinted his dark eyes at me.

    I was so nervous that he made my heart pound for a while.

    For a long time, he spoke coldly, ¡°The way you look now, the so¨Ccalled ¡®preparing for pregnancy¡® you mentioned just now, was it all a lie to me?¡±

    When he asked this question, a coldness quickly appeared in the man¡¯s eyes, and the hand around my waist tightened suddenly,

    I shook my head in fear and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, I didn¡¯t lie to you, I¡¯m just really hungry.¡±

    He hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Hungry?¡±

    I nodded eagerly, ¡°Yes, I was very hungry. You saw it too, I didn¡¯t eat much at the dinner table just now, and when I wanted to eatter, the food was already cold.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and stared at me for a while, then grabbed me and pulled me out.

    I struggled to keep up with his pace, ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you out for ate¨Cnight snack, and then we can do something afterwards.¡±

    51 0

    20.44

    Chapter312

    I was speechless.

    It would be better to remove the second half of the sentence.

    Before leaving the hotel, Reynaldo wrapped me up in a down jacket.

    Arriving at the parking lot, Reynaldo asked me to drive.

    He took out his phone and asked me, ¡°What do you want to eat? We¡¯ll navigate there.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t decide what I wanted to eat for a moment, so I said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk first and see. I haven¡¯t been to this Yoripero night market yet.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, searched for a few night market locations, and then chose the closest one, opening the navigation.

    I followed the navigation and arrived at a night market in less than half an hour.

    At first nce, the whole market was filled with steaming white smoke, as if there were many delicious foods.

    It was after nine o¡¯clock in the evening, and there were quite a few people at this time.

    Reynaldo frowned and said, ¡°What can be good to eat here, and it¡¯s not clean either, or¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down and take a look first.¡±

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    Chapter313

    I opened the car door and got out, and Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything either, he got out of the car following me.

    The night market and the morning market were the most vibrant ces in

    life.

    It seems that night markets in every city are simr. Some areas sell misceneous small items and clothing, while others specialize in food.

    Before my family went bankrupt, I never used to visit markets like this.

    Since my family went bankrupt and I had to rely on myself, I suddenly found these ces quite nice, with a strong sense of human touch and

    life.

    Looking at it from a different perspective, my family went bankrupt, and I also experienced the life of an ordinary person.

    Reynaldo and I walked side by side on the street.

    I looked around, admiring those little things, my eyes almost not enough.

    And Reynaldo just walked straight ahead like a piece of wood, without looking around.

    The key was that he was born handsome, tall, and in great shape, walking on such streets was simply outstanding.

    So it caused people around us to look over frequently.

    I even heard a few whispers <b>of </b>conversation.

    240

    ¡°Oh my god, such a handsome man, how could he have found such an ordinary girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that woman just doesn¡¯t seem to be good enough for him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too heart¨Cwrenching, why is it that handsome men are often paired. with ugly women.¡±

    Ugh!

    The discussion was getting more and more excessive.

    I considered myself not a goddess, but I wasn¡¯t ugly either.

    Even without makeup, my appearance is still okay, and my features can be considered distinctive.

    They actually said I was an ugly woman!

    These discussions were quite annoying to listen to. It would have been better if we had masks to cover up Reynaldo¡¯s ¡®flirtatious¡® face.

    Just then, I caught sight of a shop out of the corner of my eye.

    That was a shop specializing in selling handicrafts and small goods.

    At first nce, those products were delicate and unique.

    Many young couples were strolling around inside.

    When I walked in, Reynaldo followed behind me and asked coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were hungry and wanted to find something to eat?<b>¡± </b>¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry, let¡¯s take a walk first,¡± I said without looking back.

    Reynaldo immediately snorted behind me, his tone cooling a few degrees, ¡°You¡¯re not in a hurry, but I am! Esmeralda, let me tell you, don¡¯t waste

    Chapter3113

    my time, tonight¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, forget it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand it and turned around to interrupt him.

    This man was really obsessed with the idea of ¡®having children, having children¡® all the time.

    There were so many people in the store. If I didn¡¯t interrupt him in time, he would probably have announced to the world tonight that he was going to have a baby with me.

    Really, there was not a trace of shame in this man.

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, his face so grim that it could drip water.

    He gave a light sigh and said coldly, ¡°Have I been too good to you recently that you dare to shout at me? And in such an impatient tone!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, just say it if you¡¯re tired of living!¡±

    I:¡­

    This man can be quite scary when he gets

    serious.

    I shouted at him, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t yell at you. Calm down, wait for me on the side, I¡¯ll buy something and then leave.¡±

    Feeling depressed.

    In the past, it was amon thing for me to yell at him. This man never dared to make a sound, but now¡­

    Ah, forget it, the past cannot be recalled.

 Too Close 314

    Chapter314

    Reynaldo snorted at me coldly, then ran to the door and took out a cigarette case, ready to smoke.

    He suddenly seemed to remember something, and irritably put away the cigarette.

    Reynaldo had no patience with me to begin with, so I was afraid he would be impatient waiting, and quickly grabbed a scarf and went to check

    out.

    There were quite a few people checking out, so I had to wait in line for a few minute

    When he came out of the store, Reynaldo was standing outside with his hands in his pockets.

    It was cold outside, and he exuded an even colder aura, giving off an air of someone not to be approached.

    Several pretty girls walked past him, looking at him frequently, but not a single one dared to approach him for a chat.

    I was so scared of Reynaldo, who was so sinister.

    I walked up behind him and cautiously shouted, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, I have bought it. Sorry for keeping you waiting.¡±

    Reynaldo immediately turned around to look at me, his face as sinister and terrifying as I had imagined.

    He impatiently said, ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, go eat something. Don¡¯t dawdle here.¡±

    Chapter314

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I whispered and quickly hung the scarf around his neck as he was about to turn around.

    He paused visibly, looking at me with deep eyes, and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I tiptoed and wrapped the scarf around his neck a few times, then pulled up the front of the scarf to cover his mouth and nose.

    In this way, half of his face was covered, only revealing a pair of dark, fierce eyes.

    Reynaldo frowned and asked again, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    The tone was thick with impatience.

    I naturally couldn¡¯t say that it was because his face was too handsome and attracting peach blossoms, causing people around to frequently nce and discuss, so I deliberately bought a scarf to cover his face.

    Otherwise, he might get angry again.

    This man used to have a bad temper, and you really couldn¡¯t mess with him.

    After thinking for two seconds, I pondered, ¡°The nights here are too cold, I¡¯ll buy you a scarf to keep you warm.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s gaze suddenly became deep when he looked into my eyes.

    He stared at me for several seconds, then suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°Are you really that kind¨Chearted?¡±

    1:

    204

    Although I didn¡¯t have a good heart, the reason I bought him a scarf wasn¡¯t because I was afraid he would get cold.

    Does he really need to keep mocking me like this?

    Shouldn¡¯t he say thank you when others buy things for

    He spoke in such a way that was really unpleasant.

    him?

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was half covered, and his expression was not clear, but his eyes were still dark and inscrutable, leaving people guessing.

    I muttered. ¡°You always think I have ulterior motives, then why do you keep me around? Are you keeping a tiger as a pet?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Sometimes, tormenting people can also be a kind of fun.¡±

    I mocked myself in my heart.

    The meaning is, he kept me by his side just to torture me.

    Talking to this man was really frustrating.

    I lowered my gaze, pursed my lips, and didn¡¯t want to speak anymore.

    Suddenly, a warmrge hand held my hand at my side.

    I lifted my head, but only saw his back.

    He pulled me forward and said, ¡°Stop dawdling. If you get hungryter, don¡¯t me.me.¡±

    I stared nkly at his hand.

    His hands were particrly beautiful, clean and slender, with distinct joints.

    20:44

    One handpletely enveloped my hand.

    Chapter315

 Too Close 315

    His hand was especially warm, just by holding it like that for a while, cold hand warmed up.

    No matter what, being led by him like this, I still feel very secure.

    my

    He started walking fast, and I didn¡¯t dare ask him to slow down, so I had to jog to keep up with his pace.

    After walking for a while, he might have noticed that his pace slowed down.

    I stared at his back, and a warm feeling quietly passed through my heart.

    Actually,e to think of it, as long as it¡¯s not about Kimberly, Reynaldo was pretty decent to me.

    As I was thinking, Reynaldo suddenly turned around and looked at me, with a hint of impatience and disdain in his eyes.

    ¡°Why are you so slow even when walking? When will we arrive if we wait for you to finish eating?!¡±

    I turned my face away speechlessly.

    Forget it, let¡¯s just pretend I didn¡¯t say that in my heart just now.

    Sure enough, there can¡¯t be the slightest bit of good feeling towards this man, otherwise, he could crush my little bit of good feeling for him in

    minutes.

    In a fit of pique, I secretly quickened my pace.

    Chapter315

    Just then, the scent of Shrimp Bisque wafted over, instantly arousing my appetite.

    I quickly grabbed Reynaldo and said, ¡°I want to drink Shrimp Bisque.¡±

    ¡°Drink Shrimp Bisque?¡± Reynaldo was puzzled. ¡°Can you get full from that stuff?¡±

    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not just about drinking soup, you can also eat something else.¡±

    I dragged him towards the vendor next to us.

    The boss quickly and warmly wiped the bench, inviting me and Reynaldo to sit down.

    I walked over and sat down on the bench.

    Reynaldo looked around, then took a tissue and wiped the chair and table. before finally sitting down reluctantly.

    Although his face was obscured by a scarf, making it impossible to see his expression, the feeling of disdain was evident in his actions.

    The boss stood by, smiling in amazement,

    After he sat down, the boss turned to me and asked, ¡°What would you like to eat? We have Shrimp Bisque, grilled skewers, and many other dishes. Shrimp Bisque is a specialty of our restaurant.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have two bowls of Shrimp Bisque,¡± I said.

    ¡°Okay.¡± The boss replied and then walked away.

    I told Reynaldo, ¡°You know what? The best time to drink Shrimp Bisque is in the autumn and winter seasons.

    ¡°You know again?¡± Reynaldo hummed lightly.

    2045

    I said, ¡°I knew, when I used to live in the shanty town before, many people told me to go and have Shrimp Bisque, saying it¡¯s the best to drink in autumn and winter.¡±

    ¡°Is the ¡®many people¡® you mentioned referring to Trevin?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled, his tone cool.

    I pressed my lips together in silence.

    I really couldn¡¯tmunicate with this man normally.

    Forget it. I¡¯ll just keep my mouth shut obediently.

    ¡°Two Shrimp Bisqueing¡­¡±

    Before long, the boss brought over the Shrimp Bisque.

    He was cing the bowl of soup in front of Reynaldo.

    Just suddenly¡­

    The boss¡¯s hand shook suddenly.

    So the soup was spilled directly on Reynaldo.

    The

    e was s

    quickly put down the soup bowl, and took out a

    tissue to wipe Reynaldo.

    He kept apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I identally burned my hand just now, so I spilled the soup. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    ¡°Go away!¡±

    Reynaldo pushed away his hands and quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe off the soup stains spilled on himself.

    The boss quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, let me treat you to this meal, I¡¯m really

    20.45

    Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

 Too Close 316

    Chapter316

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even lift his head, growling low, with a terrifying malevolence emanating from his whole body.

    I quickly signaled to the boss to leave.

    The boss then left in a huff.

    Reynaldo kept wiping the soup stains on the scarf as if he were in a hurry.

    He even took off the scarf and wiped it carefully, as if the scarf was something very precious to him.

    But when I gave him this scarf, his tone was clearly disdainful, so this kind of spection is basically impossible.

    I pursed my lips and said to him, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t wipe it, it¡¯s not something valuable, and there are plenty in the store, I¡¯ll buy you another one.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s action of wiping the scarf suddenly stopped, he hung his head. low, and I couldn¡¯t see his face at all.

    I continued, ¡°As for the boss just now, he already apologized to you like that, so just let <b>it </b>go. Don¡¯t make it so scary, it¡¯s just a scarf, right?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s clothes were hardly dirty, the soup was all spilled on that

    scarf.

    Speaking of which, I have to thank the scarf I bought for him. The scarf only cost a few tens of dors, but the down jacket on his body is worth tens of thousands.

    <b>20.45 </b>

    I was thinking to myself when Reynaldo suddenly gave a cold snort.

    I was taken aback and looked at him inexplicably.

    He suddenly bunched up the scarf and then, right in front of me, directly threw it into the trash can.

    He gave me a cold smile and his tone was tinged with a hint of self- mockery. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s just a matter of a scarf.¡±

    I stared at him nkly, feeling like he was angry again, and very, very

    <b>angry</b><b>. </b>

    I said to him, ¡°If you really like this scarf, I will buy you another er, there are several in the store that are exactly the same.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡±

    Reynaldo coldly muttered, his eyes darkly staring at me, and the inexplicable hostility in him became even stronger.

    I looked at him puzzledly, ¡°Reynaldo, what¡¯s wrong with you again? Come over and have some Shrimp Bisque.¡±

    I really couldn¡¯t understand what he was so angry about.

    ¡°You drink it yourself, I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡±

    He coldly dropped a sentence and then turned and left.

    I subconsciously stood up and called out to him twice, but he ignored me.

    Watching his figure disappear into the crowd, I sighed wistfully.

    Men¡¯s hearts are really like

    needles at the bottom of the sea.

    I don¡¯t think I will ever be able to figure out what is going on in this man¡¯s

    mind.

    The Shrimp Bisque was delicious, smooth and delicate, and very tasty.

    Reynaldo left angrily, but it didn¡¯t affect my appetite at all.

    After finishing my own bowl, I then ate Reynaldo¡¯s bowl.

    The boss smiled at me and said, ¡°Girl, you have a good appetite. We use big bowls here, and even grown men can only eat one bowl at most.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because your family¡¯s Shrimp Bisque is delicious,¡± I said with <b>a </b>smile.

    The boss also smiled at me and after a while, he suddenly nced in the direction Reynaldo had left, and said to me with regret, ¡°Girl, I see that you have such a good personality, why is your boyfriend¡¯s personality like that? Have you always been amodating to him?¡±

    I smiled, said nothing, and made no exnation.

    The boss said again, ¡°But it was indeed my fault just now, I spilled the soup on him. Can you help me apologize to himter?¡±

 Too Close 317

    Chapter317

    ¡°No problem, just a small matter, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    I finished the Shrimp Bisque in the bowl in a few sips and said to him, ¡°Could you please help me pack another portion of Shrimp Bisque?¡±

    When I left the restaurant, the boss insisted on not taking my money, but I still paid him for the three bowls of Shrimp Bisque. After all, this kind of small business is not easy.

    Returning to the parking spot, I saw Reynaldo leaning against the car lost in thought.

    In the past, he used to smoke a cigarette, but today, he resisted the urge to smoke several times.

    I wonder if he really quit smoking for preparing for pregnancy.

    Aplex feeling shed through my mind.

    I walked over carrying a packing box.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit in the car? It¡¯s so cold outside.¡±

    Faced with his iceberg¨Clike face, I tried hard to put on a smile.

    Reynaldo stared at me for a few seconds and asked softly, ¡°Have you

    eaten?¡±

    <i>¡°</i>Mm¨Chmm,¡± I nodded.

    ¦²

    He opened the car door and said emotionlessly, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s alreadyte at night.¡±

    2045

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    I hurriedly called out to him.

    He furrowed his brows, looked at me coldly, and sneered, ¡°Just tell me, how many times did you make excuses and avoid tonight, how many excuses did you find.¡±

    What ¡®preparing for pregnancy,¡® ridiculous to the extreme, <b>in </b>the end, yout simply don¡¯t want to have children with me at all.

    Esmeralda, you are a big liar, a despicable big liar.

    ¡°I will never trust you again, never trust a word you say!¡±

    He was really angry, almost gritting his teeth when he said these words.

    I felt inexplicably flustered and instinctively grabbed his arm, ¡°Reynaldo, please don¡¯t be angry. I just wanted you to finish the Shrimp Bisque before going back.¡±

    Just now at the dinner table, I saw that you didn¡¯t eat much either. You must be hungry too.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Reynaldo shook off my hand, he looked at me with disappointment and hatred, andughed sarcastically, ¡°Stop pretending to care about me, what kind of woman are you, Esmeralda, I don¡¯t know?<b>¡± </b>

    So, what kind of woman was I in his heart.

    Selfish? Malicious? Materialistic? Corrupt?

    I chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly and didn¡¯t argue with him.

    I told him, ¡°No matter what, just drink this bowl of Shrimp Bisque first,

    otherwise you will suffer from stomach problemster.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it!¡± he said coldly, with a hint of anger in

    his tone.

    I deliberately smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not my responsibility, but now that it¡¯s just you and me together, if you have a stomachache, it will still be troublesome for me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to¡­¡±

    You didn¡¯t want me to interfere, but don¡¯t forget, before we left, how your assistant instructed me.

    If I really didn¡¯t care about your stomach problem, then I would have be a sinner condemned by everyone.

    Mr. Humphrey, no matter how much you dislike me, don¡¯t hurt me like this.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, his hand gripping the car door tightly.

    I took two steps back without a word, to prevent him from suddenly swinging a punch.

    I handed the takeout box in my hand to him and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, have some. The taste is really good. I had two bowls.¡±

    ¡°Eating so much, what¡¯s the use? The ce that should grow hasn¡¯t grown at all,¡± Reynaldo snorted.

    I pursed my lips in silence.

    So, in the eyes of these men, where exactly should be long, and where should not be long?

    Under my urging, Reynaldo finally drank the bowl of Shrimp Bisque.

 Too Close 318

    <b>Chapter318 </b>

    He got into the car and started discussing with me again which hotel to choose.

    It seems that he was very persistent about the matter of having a baby, even though he was so angry, he didn¡¯t give up.

    After touching the edge of his anger several times, I couldn¡¯t avoid him. openly or secretly anymore.

    So when he asked me about the hotel this time, I didn¡¯t avoid it either, and just said we could go back to the hotel we originally stayed at.

    After all, the luggage was still in the hotel, so it was more convenient to take a shower and change clothes.

    Upon returning to the hotel, Reynaldo asked me to take a shower first.

    I took the clean clothes and silently went to the bathroom.

    Came back from outside, with a chill all over the body.

    Took a hot bath, and felt much morefortable and warm all over.

    I took a long shower in the bathroom before changing into my pajamas anding out.

    Opening the bathroom door, Reynaldo instantly looked towards me.

    But with just one nce, he averted his gaze and got up to retrieve his own clothes from the luggagepartment.

    We suddenly became so quiet between us, just silently doing the prelude

    to that kind of thing, a touch of embarrassment inexplicably rose in my heart.

    Reynaldo came over, and I quickly moved aside to let him in.

    As soon as he entered, he mmed the door of the bathroom.

    I nced back at the ss door and thought, ¡°Oh, that man is still angry!¡±

    Iy in bed, quietly waiting for him.

    Before long, the door of the bathroom opened.

    I subconsciously nced over there and saw him walking out in a dark blue robe.

    The belt of the man¡¯s robe was loosely tied around his waist, and his slender waist looked strong.

    The cor of the nightgown was open, revealing arge chest, with droplets of water still hanging on the strong and powerful chest.

    Hmm, very tempting.

    I quickly averted my gaze, my cheeks starting to blush.

    There is no woman who does not like extremely handsome men.

    I naturally could not avoid this vulgarity.

    Vonnie used to take me to bars just to see the handsome guys inside.

    The handsome guy there not only had a charming handsome face, but also had impressive long legs and chest muscles.

    Every time Vonnie and I watched those male models, we could feel our blood boiling.

    We were in the mood, so we decided to tease a couple of male models.

    Back then, I thought those male models in the bar were the cream of the crop, just looking at them was a feast for the eyes.

    It now appears that those male models can¡¯t evenpare to Reynaldo.

    Was I blind before or what? This man has such a great figure and his face is also extremely handsome. How did I not notice that at all in the beginning.

    If I had discovered his charming qualities back then, why would I still be running a bar?

    Isn¡¯t it nice to touch ready¨Cmade perfect abs every day?

    While lost in thought, the bed beside me suddenly sank.

    Reynaldoy down.

    Whenever I had any intimate contact with him, I would feel extremely nervous, and I didn¡¯t know what was going on.

    Looking back, I used to go in and out of bars with Vonnie, and I had seen all kinds of handsome guys and flirted with them.

    Only in front of him, I was repeatedly nervous and at a loss.

    Before, it was not like this at all, and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on now.

 Too Close 319

    Chapter319

    With a ¡®click¡®, he turned off the light in the room, and everything instantly plunged into darkness.

    As soon as it got dark in the room, the sound of breathing was infinitely amplified.

    I heard his steady and warm breath, lingering in my ears, inexplicably carrying a touch of sexiness.

    Unconsciously, countless scenes of intimacy with him shed through my mind, and my body uncontrobly became hot.

    Iy on my side with my whole body tense, facing away from him.

    To be honest, the experience of being with him was very good, and since he is the man I like, it was inevitable to fall for him.

    If he could be less domineering and gentler towards me, that would be even better.

    Thoughts became more and more divergent, but the heart was getting more and more anxious.

    He said he must make me pregnant tonight. In order not to make him angry or suspicious, I tried to convince myself and epted him calmly tonight.

    But I waited nervously and anxiously, the man behind me remainedpletely silent.

    I myself indulged in wild fancies, which made me feel agitated and

    restless.

    After waiting for a long time, I couldn¡¯t help but turn around.

    He stood very close to me, almost touching my back.

    As soon as I turned around, my hand touched his chest, and my whole body almost nestled into his arms.

    I quickly withdrew my hand and whispered to him. ¡°Reynaldo, are you asleep?¡±

    ¡°How<b>?</b>¡±

    The man asked me casually, which caught me off guard.

    Wasn¡¯t he saying he wanted that tonight?

    Did he change his mind again?

    ¡°It¡¯s veryte, let¡¯s go to sleep,¡± the man said again in a casual tone.

    I waspletely dumbfounded.

    What does it mean?

    On

    It turns out that I was the only just now self¨Cstrategizing, self- indulging, and this man didn¡¯t even have the interest at all?

    Thinking of this, my cheeks burned even more.

    I was really frustrated.

    This man also had issues. When I didn¡¯t want to, he insisted on dragging me along.

    I hadpletely epted it in my heart, even indulging in all kinds of fantasies, but in the end, he didn¡¯t want it anymore.

    Did he just like toe and force it?

    Lost in my thoughts, Reynaldo suddenly turned sideways and wrapped his whole body around me.

    The scorching chest was pressed against mine, burning fiercely.

    His hoarse voice sounded above my head. ¡°What? Can¡¯t sleep?¡±

    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t sleep, I fell asleep right away.¡±

    I said, struggling in his arms, I turned over difficultly, wanting to turn my back on him.

    However, it is not known whether he hit him somewhere, he suddenly groaned.

    That voice, so stifled, scared me so much that I was tense all over and didn¡¯t dare to move.

    He hugged me, his chest tightly pressed against my back.

    Suddenly, the soft and moist lips fell on the back of my neck, and that gentle kiss went down the back of my neck, bringing waves of tingling

    sensation.

    My bones were almost melted by him.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    I struggled to call out to him, and he responded with a low, husky voice.

    He kissed the nape of my neck for the first time, and I felt a tingling sensation all over my body.

    I grabbed the bedding and whispered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be sleeping?¡±

    Originally, you were being so indecisive that youpletely killed my

    interest.

    ¡°But you seemed to want it just now.¡±

    When he mentioned thetter, he chuckled softly.

    Theughter was hoarse and seductive, but it was impossible to tell his

    emotions.

 Too Close 320

    emotions.

    Chapter320

    He said again, ¡°Since you want it, I¡¯ll satisfy you. Otherwise, how can you sleep tonight?¡±

    The strap of the pajamas was unknowingly untied by him.

    His chest was quickly grasped by his hotrge hand.

    ? trembled in shock and said with difficulty, ¡°You¡­you¡¯re talking nonsense, I never wanted to¡­¡±

    I regretted it to death.

    I wish I hadn¡¯t asked him if he had slept just now. I should have just gone to sleep myself.

    He wouldn¡¯t have made fun of this.

    He held me tightly, pressed against my back, listening to my rapid and suppressed breathing, and chuckled, ¡°You¡¯d better not speak, your body is more honest than your mouth.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± I shouted angrily.

    But even the roar carried a hint of uncontroble tremor and charm.

    Reynaldoughed, but with a hint of fierceness in his tone, ¡°Esmeralda, you are just disobedient, uncooperative, and unpleasant¡­ you are asking for trouble!¡±

    As the man¡¯s harsh words fell, he became even more provocative.

    He said, ¡°If only your mouth could be as honest as your body.¡±

    11

    I clutched the sheets tightly, biting my lip and sobbing softly, ¡°Reynaldo, you¡­ you let go of me, I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly pushed me down t, then flipped over on top of me.

    The moonlight seeped in through the cracks in the curtains.

    I vaguely saw his dark and bright eyes, deep and as if they were going to suck in people¡¯s souls.

    He suddenly bent down and leaned over my ear, the fierceness in his. yoice disappeared, reced by a few touches of tenderness.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Okay, okay, you didn¡¯t want it, I wanted it.¡±

    I did not speak.

    Reynaldo, who suddenly became gentle, momentarily disarmed everyone.

    The pajamas were unknowingly stripped off by him.

    He kissed my lips and his hoarse voice seemed to be coaxing me, ¡°Can you take the initiative too? I like it when you take the initiative.¡±

    Out of the blue, he seemed to have changed into a different person, so gentle that it was unbelievable, even a bit unreal.

    I unconsciously raised my hand to touch his face.

    He suddenly grasped my wrist, warm lipsnding on the palm of my hand, shocking me to the core.

    In the darkness, Reynaldo seemed to have changed.

    He bent down and, taking advantage of the situation, pressed my hand over my head, interlocking our fingers.

    <b>2045 </b>

    The kisses fell densely.

    He kissed my ear and tempted me again, saying, ¡°Do you want to kiss me? This time, you take the initiative.¡±

    My heart, under his gentle kisses, had melted into a puddle.

    I wanted to say it nicely, but the words that came out were: ¡°If I take the initiative, what reward will you give me?¡±

    I regretted it as soon as I said it.

    I was afraid that he would get angry.

    As he said, my mouth really couldn¡¯t please people.

    However, to my surprise, he was not angry at all.

    He said, ¡°You love money so much, if you take the initiative, I can give you ten million or even a billion.¡±

    Um¡­

    What a great temptation.

    ¡°I would give my life to you.¡±

    He added onest sentence.

    I was stunned for a moment and instinctively asked, ¡°What do you want my life for?¡±

    Men, when in bed, can really say <b>all </b>sorts of sweet nothings.

    Reynaldo kissed my lips again.

    I couldn¡¯t stand his gentle coaxing the most, especially when he kissed my earlobes and coaxed me to kiss him actively, one sentence after another.

    450

    Under his gentle yet assertive siege, my mind turned into a mess of porridge.

 Too Close 321

    <b>Chapter321 </b>

    There was only the sound of his gentle whisper in my ears.

    I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his neck and lifted my body to

    kiss him.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I called out his name.

    At this moment, my heart was filled with joy.

    His sinister, domineering, and cruel side waspletely softened.

    The Reynaldo in front of me was just gentle, belonging only to me.

    Reynaldo, who became gentle, really could take someone¡¯s life.

    I became as soft as a puddle of water all over, with a hint of sweetness overflowing in my heart.

    If the gentle Reynaldo in front of me is an illusion, then this night wrapped in cotton is just a dream.

    So, I hope this dream never wakes up.

    Unfortunately, a sudden ring interrupted this beautiful moment.

    My chaotic mind suddenly cleared up a bit.

    The crisp sound of the phone ringing repeated over and over again.

    Reynaldo, however, seemed as if he hadn¡¯t heard a thing.

    Chapter321

    I couldn¡¯t help but pat his shoulder and whispered, ¡°Your phone rang.¡±

    He tightened his arms around my waist, punishingly bit my neck, and hoarsely said, ¡°No distractions allowed!¡±

    I cried out in pain, feeling a bit speechless.

    This is not something that I can avoid being distracted by just because I don¡¯t want to be distracted.

    In the middle of the night, when passion was running high, the phone suddenly kept ringing incessantly, which would distract anyone.

    Reynaldo seemed a little annoyed by the ringing as well.

    Under the light emitted from the phone screen, I saw his brows furrowed tightly, with a strong sense of hostility between them.

    I pursed my lips and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, maybe it¡¯s Johnathan calling about work, you should answer first.¡±

    After a pause, I couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°If the call is not important, we can continue.¡±

    Thest sentence clearly pleased him.

    The ferocity between his eyebrows had softened a bit.

    He said, ¡°Next time I will definitely turn off my phone.¡±

    With that, he leaned over and reached out with his long arm, grabbing the phone from the bedside table.

    In a daze, I seemed to have seen the name of Kimberly.

    So, was this phone call from Kimberly?

    Chapter321

    Reynaldo stared at the caller ID, furrowing his brow even more deeply.

    But he didn¡¯t answer, instead he hung up the phone directly and then threw the mobile phone aside.

    I looked at him in surprise.

    He didn¡¯t even answer Kimberly¡¯s phone call?

    A touch of sweetness quietly shed through my heart..

    Whether it was because of lust or for some other reason, at least at that moment, he did not abandon me because of that woman.

    The brightness of the phone screen dimmed, and everything around dimmed again.

    The strong scent of desire rose again.

    Because he hung up on Kimberly¡¯s call, at that moment, my heart softened even more, and my joy for him grew stronger.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I circled his neck again and leaned in to kiss him.

    Reynaldo grunted and cradled the back of my head, deepening the kiss fiercely.

    The hot breath intertwined, I weakly hooked his neck, if it weren¡¯t for his big hand supporting my back, I would probably fall back on the bed.

    I was the one who took the initiative, but in the end, it was this man who took the lead.

    His kiss was too dominant, with a fiery breath that made me feel like he wanted to devour me every time.

    22450

    Chute221

    Desire surged.

    I grabbed his arm in distress, eager for him to take the next step.

    But at this moment, his phone rang again.

 Too Close 322

    Chapter322

    No need to guess, it must be Kimberly calling again.

    The continuous ringing of cell phones eventually affected people¡¯s

    interest.

    Reynaldo quickly grabbed the phone, hung up directly, and then quickly. switched the phone to silent mode.

    Watching his reaction, even though the situation was interrupted, I was annoyed, but my heart still felt sweet.

    He didn¡¯t leave me for Kimberly the first time, even hung up on Kimberly several times to continue the affair.

    This kind of treatment made me feel pleasantly surprised and pampered.

    He threw his phone aside, but his brows were still tightly furrowed and his face was very gloomy.

    It was obvious that his mood was very bad.

    I was about to raise my hand to smooth out the furrow on his forehead.

    But unexpectedly, he suddenly brought the phone over.

    My heart cooled down.

    So, he still can¡¯t let go of Kimberly?

    He silently made a phone call, presumably to call Kimberly back.

    I pursed my lips, and the slight touch of emotion and tenderness that had just arisen in my heart vanished.

    Look, even though he was so eager, when the woman¡¯s phone call came in, he couldn¡¯t continue without distraction.

    I had just naively thought that he would ignore Kimberly in order to

    continue our affair.

    Look, he just couldn¡¯t help it when he saw the woman¡¯s two phone calls.

    He called Kimberly twice, but she didn¡¯t answer.

    After a while, he suddenly withdrew from me and got up to get dressed.

    As soon as he left, I felt a chill and couldn¡¯t help but pull the nket over<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    The light in the room was turned on by him.

    The entangled cotton love in the darkness instantly faded awaypletely, leaving only coldness and irony.

    I wrapped myself in a nket, feeling a sourness in my heart that was indescribable, and even a hint of resentment rose.

    He quickly put on his clothes.

    He looked at me with a somewhatplex expression and said, ¡°I will go take a look.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I responded lightly.

    He pursed his lips and looked at me with a hesitant expression as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

    After a long time, he finally said, ¡°She was not feeling well.¡±

    After saying that, he took <b>a </b>step and walked outside.

    Chapter302

    I clenched the bedding tightly, and the resentment in my heart surged inexplicably, unable to be suppressed.

    When he reached the doorway of the bedroom, I couldn¡¯t help but sneer at his back, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that she has been pretending many times? Tonight she definitely called on purpose, and then deliberately didn¡¯t.

    answer.

    She was full of schemes, hypocritical and pretentious, always pretending as if she was about to die, but in the end, did she ever die?

    J¡¯If she had really died, maybe I would have respected her a little more. This kind of woman, damn disgusting¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly growled at me.

    He turned around and stared at me with cold eyes, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t say that about her. Not everyone is as healthy as you. She didn¡¯t choose to have. that illness.¡±

    Ha, as if having a healthy body was my fault.

    She was not healthy, that was her retribution

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Reynaldo was really angry, with a hint of hostility between his eyebrows.

    The gentle touch that was just in the darkness was like a sh in the pan.

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips.

    It turned out to be fake. All the tenderness and deep affection were just my wishful thinking.

    Chapter

    11

    It¡¯s ridiculous that I actually believed in the asional tenderness shown by a man in bed because of the sunny weather!

 Too Close 323

    Chapter323

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything else, he just turned around and walked outside.

    I was so angry that I almost bit my lips off.

    I coldly told him, ¡°Tonight, when you walk out of this door, never mention having children with me again.¡±

    ¡°I would rather give birth to any man than give birth to you!¡±

    In anger, it seemed like everything could bypass the brain and be easily spoken out.

    The man¡¯s footsteps stopped, he turned around, and his eyes red at me with a cold and stern look.

    I stared at him fearlessly.

    And so, he wanted me to have his baby.

    How ridiculous?!

    At that moment, the disgust towards Kimberly had reached its peak.

    I resented myself for being confused and infatuated just now under his seduction.

    My previous initiative and emotion, at this moment, seemed extremely ironic.

    Reynaldo looked at me darkly for a long time, but he didn¡¯t say anything and just left coldly.

    LUT

    20.46

    I heard the sound of the door closing outside, and then I hugged the nket and cried sadly.

    I had long warned myself that if I didn¡¯t fall in love, I would never get

    hurt.

    But I always couldn¡¯t hold onto my heart, always under his few temptations, I lost my direction.

    I really hated myself like that.

    After the man left, the temperature in the room dropped.

    I got up and took another hot shower in the bathroom, wanting to wash away all the traces of the man¡¯s kisses.

    But it was of no use.

    There were several marks on the neck, very obvious, exuding ridicule and irony.

    In the mirror, my eyes were all red from crying.

    I washed my face, leaning on the sink, feeling extremely upset.

    When I came out of the bathroom after getting dressed, my phone happened to ring.

    I walked over instinctively and saw that it was a call from Reynaldo.

    I pursed my lips and didn¡¯t answer.

    all now.

    I didn¡¯t want to pick up, I didn¡¯t want to hear his voice at

    I nestled into the armchair, wearily closed my eyes.

    Whatever.

    20460

    If he wants to deduct my sry, then let him deduct it. It would be better if he could just let me go.

    The phone rang twice and then went silent.

    I leaned back in the chair, rubbing my forehead ufortably, forcing myself not to think about what had just happened.

    Before long, there was a sudden ¡®click¡® outside the door, and the door was opened by someone using a room key.

    He knew it was Reynaldo without even opening his eyes.

    I had one room key for this room, and he had one as well.

    I huddled in the chair without moving.

    Footsteps were heard, heavy.

    After a while, a cold voice sounded in the bedroom: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my call?¡±

    ¡°I studied Kimberly.¡± I chuckled sarcastically, still keeping my eyes closed, not wanting to see him at all.

    Just the next second, his cor was suddenly grabbed by him.

    Next, I was lifted up from the chair by him.

    I was forced to open my eyes, and what met my gaze was his extremely sinister expression.

    ¡°She fell ill, why would you mock her like that?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I sneered, sarcastically asking, ¡°So, did she die?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    2045

    He grabbed my cor tightly, the hostility seemed to want to kill me alive.

    At this moment, Kimberly hurried over.

    She swayed unsteadily, looking like she could copse at any moment.

    His face was pale, without a trace of color, truly looking like he was about

    to die.

    I have absolutely no sympathy for people I despise.

    Even if she really <b>was </b>going to die.

 Too Close 324

    Chapter324

    I sneered, ¡°Can¡¯t you still walk? I thought I was really going to die.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Reynaldo coldly spat out two words and threw me onto the sofa.

    Kimberly tugged at his arm ufortably and said, ¡°Don¡¯t, Reynaldo, don¡¯t treat Ms. Duffy like this.¡±

    After speaking, she covered her chest, paused ufortably, and then said, ¡°L¡­ I can manage it. It¡¯s so cold outside now, and it¡¯s sote. Don¡¯t let her go out to buy medicine for me.¡±

    I felt a pang in my heart, and a moment of sour self¨Cmockery surged up.

    Originally, he suddenly ran back again, wanting me to go buy medicine. for Kimberly.

    Reynaldo turned away irritably and said coldly, ¡°Johnathan and the others under hismand are allpletely drunk, go help Kimberly buy two boxes of painkillers.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    He threw the keys to me and said, ¡°I checked, there is a pharmacy within two kilometers nearby. There is no delivery service at night, otherwise I would have¡­¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    I picked up the keys, suppressing the bitterness in my heart, and smiled. faintly, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy it for her right away. It¡¯s Mr. Humphrey¡¯s order, as a

    <b>204613 </b>

    secretary. I naturally have to execute it immediately.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s better to go out than to be annoyed by the two of them.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, you don¡¯t need to¡­¡± Kimberly suddenly came over and grabbed my arm, looking anxious, saying, ¡°I can endure it¡­ It¡¯s really cold outside, you will get sick if you go out like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I disgustingly shook off her hand.

    But she didn¡¯t expect to fall to the side in an instant, falling on the low table next to her.

    She leaned on the edge of the low table, suddenly coughed violently, and then with a ¡®wow¡®, she spit out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°Kimberly!¡±

    Reynaldo shouted anxiously and quickly helped her up, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Kimberly cried as she spat blood, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, every time it¡¯s just me alone in the cold hospital, I don¡¯t want to go¡­ Reynaldo, my illness won¡¯t get better, you¡­ you don¡¯t want to leave me in the hospital again, okay, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    She said, tears streaming down rapidly.

    There was a ring blood on the corners of her lips and chin, making her face even paler.

    I stared nkly at the blood gushing from her mouth, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was a blood capsule she had bitten in advance.

    ¿Ú:

    The moment this idea shed through my mind, I was startled by this

    idea.

    Since when did my thoughts start to be so malicious?

    ¡°Pain, so much pain. Reynaldo¡­ I¡¯m in so much pain¡­¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly looked at me coldly and said, ¡°You should go now!¡±

    When I came out of the hotel, it was snowing outside.

    Under the streetmp, snowkes were fluttering, exuding a sense of deste coldness.

    The wind at night, like a sharp knife cutting on the face, was very painful.

    That¡¯s why I hate winter, it¡¯s really cold and unbearable.

    Even though the ice sculptures here are very beautiful and impressive, I don¡¯t want toe here again.

    In a hurry, I didn¡¯t have a scarf, so I put on arge down jacket, inside of which was still pajamas, and on my feet were just ordinary cloth slippers.

    The cold wind blew straight into the cor, the cold seeped into the heart and chest, and it felt cold directly to the heart.

    Thinking back to the scene in the room just now, my heart ached and throbbed with a strong sense of bitterness.

 Too Close 325

    Chapter325

    The eye sockets were sore, but there were no tears flowing.

    I took a deep breath, tightened the cor of my down jacket, and walked towards the parking lot.

    In the middle of the night, there were not many people on the street, and even fewer cars.

    Arriving at the parking lot, I pressed the car key, but the car did not. respond.

    I pressed it again, but there was still no response. I don¡¯t know if the key is out of power.

    I stood in front of the car door, lost in thought.

    The shadow of mine was printed on the car window, looking disheveled. and ridiculous.

    I stood there nkly for a long time, when suddenly my phone rang.

    It was Reynaldo who called, but I still didn¡¯t answer.

    After the phone stopped ringing, he immediately sent a text message: ¡°Buy the medicine ande back quickly!¡±

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips.

    He was really anxious about his white moonlight.

    I didn¡¯t tell him that the car wouldn¡¯t start.

    It was no use saying it, he would only think that I had deliberately

    <b>20461 </b>

    Drupter325

    damaged the car key

    I pulled up the hat of the down jacket and covered it on my head.

    It was still cold, and the cold wind was prating.

    I walked to the side of the street, hugging my own arms, ready to hail a taxi.

    But at this point, there were few private cars, let alone taxis.

    After waiting on the side of the road for a few minutes without the car arriving. Reynaldo¡¯s phone rang again.

    Look, he was in a hurry.

    It wasn¡¯t me who was in a hurry, but him, the painkiller of his white moonlight.

    I closed my eyes and answered the call.

    His voice, filled with suppressed anger, instantly sounded on the other end of the phone, ¡°Are you willing to answer the phone now?¡±

    I remained silent for a few seconds and asked lightly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°It takes so long to buy medicine? Hurry up and buy it ande back to me!¡±

    I closed my eyes, chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly, but a touch of bitter tears welled up at the corners of my eyes.

    I said. ¡°Are you suspecting that I was deliberately hanging out outside, deliberately dying time, deliberately making Kimberly suffer?¡±

    I sneered, ¡°If you are in such a hurry, why don¡¯t youe out and buy it for her yourself? Are you afraid that if youe out, I will take advantage

    of her?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    His voice grew colder and deeper, as if the person who had just been tender and affectionate with me in bed was not him.

    Indeed, there is not a single trustworthy word that a man says in bed.

    He said in a deep voice, ¡°Speak properly.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°How do you define speaking properly? Please tell me, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent, the breathing on the other end of the phone was heavy.

    It was obvious that he was suppressing his anger.

    At that moment, Kimberly¡¯s affected voice came over the phone: ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t rush Ms. Duffy, it¡¯s alreadyte¡­ Ms. Duffy,

    she¡­¡±

    I detested the voice of this woman extremely.

    I hung up the phone directly.

    Reynaldo did not call again.

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips and looked around.

    The cold wind was blowing, and the shadow of the taxi was still nowhere to be seen.

    I opened the navigation and searched for the nearest 24¨Chour pharmacy.

    Even the closest one is 18 kilometers away.

    Chapter325

    I lowered my head and followed the navigation silently.

    My face and hands were almost numb from the cold.

 Too Close 326

    My face and hands were almost numb from the cold.

    Chapter326

    I don¡¯t know how long I walked, and finally arrived at the pharmacy.

    The shop owner looked at me in surprise, then quickly poured me a cup of hot water. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, why are you still wearing slippers?¡±

    I held the paper cup. feeling the warmth seeping through my palm, and my hand finally regained some sensation.

    I rubbed my almost frozen face and smiled at him, saying, ¡°I rushed out and forgot to change.¡±

    I paused and said to him, ¡°Help me get two boxes of painkillers.¡±

    ¡°Ah. okay.¡±

    The shop owner quickly handed me two boxes of painkillers, packed in a bag.

    I paid the money and was about to leave.

    He suddenly shouted at me, ¡°It¡¯s snowing outside, why don¡¯t you wait until the snow stops before you leave? There¡¯s heating in my shop.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I smiled at him and said calmly, ¡°Someone is waiting for me to deliver the medicine back in a hurry.¡±

    I said, and then I walked outside.

    The boss¡¯s voice murmured from behind: ¡°Even if you are in a hurry, I can¡¯t let youe over in the middle of the night in the wind and snow to buy medicine, right?¡±

    Chapter325

    Yeah, just hang in there, and this night will soon

    e over.

    But Reynaldo was anxious, he couldn¡¯t bear to see Kimberly suffer for another minute.

    Coming out of the store, the sudden temperature contrast made me shiver unexpectedly.

    I tightened my down jacket even more and walked towards the hotel with my head buried.

    Suddenly, a ck luxury car stopped beside me.

    I slowly raised my eyes and looked out. The car window rolled down, revealing Matthew¡¯s mischievous and sinister face.

    I stared nkly into his dark eyes, with no reaction at all.

    It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to react, but I felt like the whole me had been blown silly by the cold wind, my head was numb.

    Matthew smiled at me and said, ¡°Hey, howe Mr. Humphrey¡¯s secretary is walking alone on the street, and¡­ looking so disheveled?¡±

    His yful gaze ran from top to bottom on nie, lingering for a few seconds on my slippers.

    I said quietly, ¡°Buy medicine.¡±

    After saying that, I continued walking forward.

    Suddenly, he got off the car and stood in front of me with a few big steps.

    The people here were all burly, and Matthew was especially tall, wearing a ck coat, standing in front of me, very imposing.

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°Mr. Gtea, is something wrong?¡±

    24D

    Didn¡¯t Johnathan go to Seabed Club with Matthew?

    And wasn¡¯t Reynaldo saying that Johnathan was drunk as a skunk? But why does Matthew seempletely sober.

    Matthew had one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette, looking at me with a yful expression on his face.

    The cold wind was whistling in my ears, and I was so cold that I couldn¡¯t stand it. I said to him, ¡°Mr. Gtea, I have something to do, so I¡¯ll go back first. Next time, I¡¯ll invite you for a drink.¡±

    After saying that, I walked towards his side.

    He suddenly took a deliberate step to the side and blocked me again.

    ¡°Mr. Gtea?¡± I furrowed my brow even more, feeling a bit annoyed.

    Matthew blew a smoke ring, his gaze sweeping over my slippers, finallynding on my neck. He smirked at me and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, did you do half of it with Mr. Humphrey and then run out?¡±

    Wow, is Mr. Humphrey really that bad? He had such a gentle and kind demeanor, yet he still had the heart to kick you out.

 Too Close 327

    <b>Chapter327 </b>

    He came out in the middle of the night to buy medicine, ¡°Could it be medicine for men to tonify the kidney?¡±

    The man kept staring <b>at </b>me with a malicious gaze, making me extremely ufortable.

    That feeling was like he stripped me naked with his gaze.

    <b>I </b>said lightly, ¡°Mr. Gtea overthought it. This is painkiller. A colleague of ours in thepany fell ill.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Matthew chuckled, ¡°Is that delicate beauty?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer his question, I just asked him lightly, ¡°Mr. Gtea, do you have any urgent matters? If not, I really need to go back. My colleague is still waiting for me to deliver the medicine back.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? The delicate beauty is dead, now you have a better chance to hook up with Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    I lowered my <b>gaze </b>and spoke with a serious tone, ¡°Mr. Gtea, please watch your words.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I forgot, you and Mr. Humphrey were originally husband and wife, <b>so </b>we can¡¯t use the word ¡®hook up¡®, but should use¡­ rekindle the old me.¡±

    I really didn¡¯t like talking to this man. From the moment I saw him, I felt a strong aversion in my heart.

    <b>If </b>it weren¡¯t for official business, I wouldn¡¯t have been so polite to him.

    It was just now that the cold wind was blowing on my face, cutting it and making my face sore, and my head was also hurting from the wind.

    I didn¡¯t care about official business either, I just buried my head and wanted to pass by him.

    However, I had just missed his shoulder when he suddenly grabbed me in

    his arms¡­

    I screamed and struggled to push him away.

    ¡°Mr. Gtea, please behave yourself!¡±

    Matthew flicked the cigarette ash and smiled at me with a mischievous look, ¡°<i>Mr. </i>Humphrey doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate beauty, let me take care of you instead, is that not good?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gtea!¡±

    I said in a low voice, expressing my anger.

    He chuckled, ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t Mr. Humphrey say he was going to try to have a baby with you tonight?<b>¡± </b>

    So, is he now flirting with that delicate beauty?

    Tsk tsk tsk¡­

    He said, shaking his head at me with a look of regret, ¡°Look at you, they treat you like this, and you not only are not angry, but also brave the wind and snow toe out and buy medicine for your rival, Ms. Duffy, you really love so humbly.¡±

    I tugged at my lips and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea misunderstood. It¡¯s not about being humble or not, it¡¯s just that I am Mr. Humphrey¡¯s secretary. As a secretary, I naturally have to carry out Mr. Humphrey¡¯s orders.¡±

    Oh¡­ I said Mr. Humphrey liked the delicate beauty.

    In the middle of the night, you were still asked to go out and buy medicine for other women, not even deserving a car.

    Tsk tsk, in his eyes, you are really not even as good as a warm bed. How about you follow me instead?

    He said, and suddenly approached me a few steps.

    I quickly stepped back, watching him cautiously.

    I said in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Gtea, please don¡¯t joke with me. I really am in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, are you in such a hurry to go back that you¡¯re not afraid of interrupting their good time?¡±

    Matthew¡¯s dark eyes were staring straight at my cor, the gaze was aggressive.

    I was a little nervous.

    After all, this is Matthew¡¯s territory, and now I am alone on the street.

    How can I get rid of him?

 Too Close 328

    <b>Chapter328 </b>

    I tried to calm myself down and said to him with a faint smile, ¡°Mr. Gtea, this really isn¡¯t a good ce to talk. How about this, you let me go back first, and we can arrange to have tea together another day, okay?¡±

    Matthew nodded and chuckled, ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. This is definitely not a good ce to talk.¡±

    He finished speaking and suddenly winked at me behind my back.

    My heart sank, before I could react, two bodyguards instantly stood on my left and right.

    My heart suddenly tightened, and I looked at Matthew anxiously, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    Matthew turned the jade thumb ring on his finger and smiled, saying, ¡°I want to take you to a¡­ good ce for talking.¡±

    His tone was meaningful, and his eyes were full of aggression as he looked at me.,

    I was so panicked that I wanted to call Reynaldo.

    However, before I could even open my phone, the two bodyguards had already snatched it away.

    And so, I <b>was </b>rudely shoved into the car by them.

    I panicked and tried to get off the car, only to find that the door wast already locked.

    Matthew quickly sat down.

    He looked at me with a mocking smile on his face as I pulled the car door, and chuckled, ¡°Ms. Duffy, I advise you to behave yourself. Although I, Matthew, am very considerate, I don¡¯t like disobedient women.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± I asked him firmly.

    He chuckled and blew a smoke ring, ¡°When we get there, Ms. Duffy will naturally know.¡±

    I turned my face away and moved to the side, trying to create as much distance as possible between us.

    At this point, struggling further is futile.

    I tried to calm myself down.

    I had no quarrel with this Matthew, he suddenly abducted me, presumably to deal with Reynaldo.

    Tonight¡¯s dinner party, although he chose to cooperate with Reynaldo, het was still not convinced by Reynaldo in his heart.

    He was probably trying to get back at me for Reynaldo, to regain some momentum.

    He was just afraid that he might have kidnapped the wrong person.

    He should have kidnapped Kimberly, right?

    There was no traffic jam in the evening, and the car drove smoothly for about half an <b>hour</b>, stopping in front of a luxurious vi.

    Matthew got out of the car first, and soon I was pulled down by his bodyguard.

    Then the two bodyguards dragged me into the vi.

    I asked Matthew. ¡°Is this your house? Why did you bring me to your house?¡±

    Matthew didn¡¯t answer me, he just strode into the house.

    After he entered the room, he poured two sses of red wine on the counter first.

    He handed me one of them.

    I shook my head hastily and said, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t drink.¡±

    Matthew sneered and handed the wine ss to the bodyguard beside him.

    Thinking of something, I suddenly felt a panic in my heart, and I urgently said to Matthew, ¡°No, no, I really can¡¯t drink alcohol¡­¡±

    I wanted to run outside, but two bodyguards immediately restrained me.

    Then another bodyguard walked towards me holding the ss of red

    <b>wine</b>.

    I struggled in fear, but it was of no use.

    Matthew sat on the sofa, watching me with a look of anticipation.

    He took a sip of wine and smiled at me, saying, ¡°I am a very vengeful person. If you don¡¯t give me face at the dinner table, I will naturally find a way to get it back in pr

    No, Mr. Gtea, listen to me.

 Too Close 329

    Chapter329

    I did not mean to disrespect your wine, it¡¯s just that due to my health reasons, I cannot drink alcohol.

    ¡°Really, Mr. Gtea, please spare me.¡±

    I was really unlucky.

    In the middle of the night, Reynaldo kicked me out to buy medicine, and on the way, I even encountered such a narrow¨Cminded pervert.

    Matthew sneered at me coldly and said, ¡°As long as I don¡¯t die, you have to drink this wine for me!¡±

    He said, and the bodyguard instantly pinched my chin, forced me to open. my mouth, and then poured the red wine into my mouth.

    I struggled desperately to dodge, trying hard not to let myself swallow the liquid.

    Struggling, I felt the liquid flowing down my mouth and into my neck.

    and cor.

    The icy coldness of the liquor made me shiver all over.

    The ss of wine was finally finished.

    The bodyguards let me go.

    y on the ground, coughing desperately, spitting out all the wine that

    had been poured into my mouth.

    A pair of shoes suddenly appeared in front of me.

    I slowly lifted my head.

    Matthew stood in front of me. staring down at me from above.

    He shook his ss lightly, looking at me as if he were watching a struggling ant.

    He chuckled and said. ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s ex<b>¨C</b>wife was really in a sorry state in front of me.¡±

    I sat down on the ground and took a deep breath before saying softly, ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of using me to get back at Reynaldo, then you¡¯re wrong.¡±

    You saw it too, he didn¡¯t like me, he might even hate me, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have kicked me out in the middle of the night.

    Matthew squatted down and smiled at me, ¡°Hmm, I agree with what you

    said.¡±

    ¡°Just, I kidnapped you, not to get back at him, but just to have some fun¡­ his ex¨Cwife Reynaldo!¡±

    I looked into his evil eyes, and my heart sank to the bottom of the valley

    in an instant.

    If he wanted to take me to retaliate against Reynaldo, to use me to negotiate with Reynaldo, he might not have harmed me yet, he would just treat me as a card in his hand.

    But if he really just wanted to y with me, what should I do tonight? How can I escape from this tiger¡¯s den?

    Thinking of his twisted reputation, I couldn¡¯t help but shudder.

    I was so scared that I spoke a little awkwardly, ¡°Mr. Gtea¡­ Please don¡¯t be like this. A person like you can have any kind of woman you want. Why bother troubling a divorced woman like me.

    Chapter329

    ¡°Oh, yes, what kind of woman haven¡¯t I been? Just missing a divorced. one, and she¡¯s Reynaldo¡¯s ex<b>¨C</b>wife!¡±

    He said, suddenly grabbing my cor and lifting me up with one hand.

    Matthew¡¯s hand was surprisingly strong, he carried me as if I were a little

    chick.

    I was trembling with fear, but in front of this burly man, I had no room for resistance.

    tried my best to calm down and persuade him to let me go again.

    I cleared my throat and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea, calm down. What¡¯s so interesting about a divorced woman like me? Ick charm and figure, can¡¯t please you, and might even spoil your appetite.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Matthew chuckled, his slender fingers caressing the edge of my cor, as if at any moment, those fingers would slip inside my cor.

    My heart was pounding uncontrobly, trembling intensely.

    He said, ¡°What you said doesn¡¯t count, you have to y to know if it¡¯s fun

    <b>or </b>not.¡±

    And Ms. Duffy was too modest, I actually think Ms. Duffy has a great figure.

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    <b>Chapter330 </b>

    With that, he suddenly grabbed my cor and pulled it hard.

    In an instant, the cor of my down jacket was pulled wide open by him, and a sudden chill hit me.

    I screamed in shock and fear again, subconsciously grabbing the cor of my pajamas inside, trembling all over as I looked at him.

    Matthew smiled with his lips hooked, but his eyes were slowly tinged with a touch of crimson, he was like a demon at this moment.

    He aggressively stared at my chest, his eyes full of a wicked smile, ¡°Tsk tsk, you¡¯re actually wearing pajamas inside, look¡­ there, so sexy.¡±

    He was pointing at my chest.

    Because he had just been forced to drink, the wine had all flowed into his clothes, so that the whole piece of fabric was stained with red wine.

    I grabbed the cor of my pajamas with one hand, crossed the other hand. over my chest, and forced myself to say to him, ¡°Mr. Gtea, I respect you as a partner of ourpany, so I am being extra polite to you, and I hope you can behave yourself.¡±

    ¡°Ah, what are you so serious about?¡±

    Matthew sneered, ¡°Mr. Humphrey is probably having a heated argument with that delicate beauty right now. Why don¡¯t you have some fun with me? My skills are no worse than Reynaldo¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°But I am not just any woman. If you want to y, go to <b>a </b>ce like Seabed Club where there are plenty of beautiful women to apany

    you. Why bother making things difficult for yourself here?¡± I said coldly, not wanting to give him any face at this moment.

    Matthew chuckled, ¡°Women from that kind of ce, ying around too much gets boring. Right now, I just want to try something new.

    He held me with one hand and caressed my neck with the other, then his fingertips slowly traced the love bite on my neck.

    Heughed a little maniacally, ¡°This was nted by Reynaldo, it looks pretty good, but the ones I nted should be even better. Do you want to give it a try?¡±

    Although he seemed to be asking for my opinion, his fingers slowly moved downwards, forcefully trying to slip into the cor of my nightgown.

    I held onto that cor tightly, not daring to loosen it at all.

    I yelled at him, ¡°Mr. Gtea, please have some self¨Crespect. After all, I am Reynaldo¡¯s ex¨Cwife. No matter how much he dislikes me, he still has his pride. If you mess around with his ex¨Cwife, he probably won¡¯t just let it. go. Do you really want this coboration to fall apart?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Matthew sneered coldly, his face suddenly darkening.

    He chuckled at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong, it was Reynaldo who came running to me begging for cooperation, not the other way around!¡±

    ¡°Tonight at the dinner table, I gave him a bit of a hard time. Do you really think I¡¯m afraid of him?¡±

    My heart kept sinking.

    <b>If </b>he really didn¡¯t fear Reynaldo at all, what else could I use to intimidate

    him.

    Matthew smiled at me gently and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, why make things soplicated? Love between a man and a woman is such a beautiful thing. You shouldn¡¯t resist it, you should embrace it.¡±

    By the way, wasn¡¯t Reynaldo trying to get you pregnant with his child? How about I take his ce and do this favor for him.

    Hahaha¡­¡±

    He suddenly covered his lips and smiled mysteriously.

    ¡°Oh, you know, if you were to get pregnant with my child, guess what that man¡¯s reaction would be.¡±

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    <b>Chapter331 </b>

    The chill crept up my spine like a venomous snake.

    I was shaking all over like a sieve.

    I shook my head in fear, ¡°No, please, spare me, I beg you, spare me¡­¡±

    At that moment, I was truly terrified to the extreme and also desperate to

    the extreme.

    Because no one coulde to save me.

    Matthew smiled at me and said, ¡°Why are you crying? I am known for being gentle and considerate. I will only make you feelfortable.¡±

    ¡°Maybeter, when you feelfortable, you¡¯ll be begging me to do it to you a few more times.¡±

    Matthew said, and in an instant he picked me up and threw me onto the

    sofa.

    I scrambled to my feet in a panic, but he quickly pushed me back down.

    The man, tall in stature, immediately enveloped my entire body.

    Intense fear swept over.

    I was trembling with fear and crying to him, ¡°Please spare me, please spare me. As long as you spare me, I will do anything you want.¡±

    ¡°Would you be willing to stab Reynaldo?<b>¡± </b>

    I nodded eagerly, ¡°I do, I do.¡±

    Matthew chuckled lightly, ¡°Oh, what a selfish and ruthless woman, but I

    like it.¡±

    He started pulling at my down jacket as he spoke.

    The oversized down jacket was immediately pulled open by him.

    I struggled and cried out desperately, but no one came to rescue me.

    The few bodyguards next to him tactfully exited the door and closed it.

    Watching the slowly closing door, I felt despair to the extreme.

    I cried out in agony, begging the man on top of me to let me go.

    However, my fears and pleas seemed to only further pique his interest.

    He patted my face and eximed excitedly, ¡°You look much more lively than those women. It¡¯s much more fun to do things this way, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I turned my face away and my gaze fell on the bottle of wine on the coffee table.

    Since begging and persuading were of no use, then we could only fight to the deathter.

    At that moment, I suddenly thought of Reynaldo.

    I remembered the scene when that man, cold and ruthless, loudly scolded me to go out and buy medicine.

    My heart couldn¡¯t help but be filled with deep grievances and resentment.

    If I can¡¯t escape from Matthew¡¯s clutches this time, I will never forgive him in my whole life, never ever forgive!

    Matthew suddenly brought over the bottle of wine on the coffee table.

    He smirked at me and said, ¡°I think it would be more fun to have a drink before doing this, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Before I could say anything, he grabbed my chin and poured the wine into my mouth.

    I desperately shook my head to dodge.

    Just like before, the wine spilled down the corners of the mouth and chin.

    Some flowed into the neck, some flowed down the cheeks into the ears.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    Matthew poured me wine whileughing wildly.

    It seemed as if tormenting people in this way was a supreme pleasure to him.

    It seemed that he had had enough, and then he drank thest drop of wine from the bottle and threw it aside.

    Immediately, he began to take off his clothes.

    I turned my head to the side and coughed desperately, feeling like I was coughing up my internal organs.

    Before I could even recover, he came and pulled at my pajamas again.

    I struggled in panic, my hands reaching out to grab him haphazardly.

    Soon, there were several scratches on his neck and chin.

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    Chapter332

    He raised his hand and touched the scratch, grinned at me and said, ¡°It really looks like a little wild cat, strong enough!¡±

    After saying that, he bent down to kiss me.

    I felt a wave of fear and nausea in my heart, so I quickly reached out to the side while he wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    When I touched the bottle, I quickly smashed it on the coffee table next to me, and then held the shards of the bottle against my own neck.

    Matthew frowned deeply, then chuckled lightly, saying, ¡°Trying to scare me, huh?¡±

    I pressed the sharp fragments closer to my neck.

    I looked at him coldly and said, ¡°I am not afraid of death, really, but Mr. Gtea, you need to think carefully. Although I am not someone important, I am after all Reynaldo¡¯s ex¨Cwife.¡±

    If I were to die in your arms, do you think it would have any negative impact on you?

    Of course, this is your territory, you can do whatever you want.

    But don¡¯t forget, being in your position, there are definitely many enemies watching you like a hawk.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I die, but if Reynaldo or some of your strongpetitors deliberately blow this matter up, using it to suppress you, do you think you can stille out unscathed?¡±

    Matthew squinted at me, and in those sharp eyes, all I could see was the shrewdness of a businessman.

    My heart trembled, it seems that my words had an effect on him.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°Women, Mr. Gtea doesn¡¯t want what kind of woman, so why bother to lose big because of small things.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, men, why did you have to follow Reynaldo instead of someone else?¡± Matthew smirked at me.

    I said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t have to follow him, and I didn¡¯t want to depend on any man.¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to live my own life, in and simple, peacefully and steadily.¡±

    ¡°in and simple? Peaceful and steady?¡±

    Matthew chewed on the two words meaningfully, a hint of mockery ying on his lips.

    I didn¡¯t know what he meant.

    I tightly gripped the bottle neck, with the sharp end of the ss against my neck, not daring to rx at all.

    I said to him, ¡°Mr. Gtea, if you want to y, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. You don¡¯t want me to die in your hands and bring bad luck upon yourself, do you?¡±

    Matthew stared at me darkly and chuckled lightly at me, ¡°But I still think you can¡¯t do it, after all, people are afraid of death.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I pressed the broken part of the bottle against my neck again.

    A slight stinging sensation came, and I felt blood flowing from my neck.

    Chapter332

    I stared at Matthew, trying hard to keep myself calm.

    At this moment, no one could save me, I could only take a gamble..

    Matthew was really afraid that I wouldmit suicide at his ce.

    I locked eyes <b>with </b>Matthew for a long time, and finally, the lust in his eyes faded a bit.

    After a while, he straightened up and moved away from me.

    I quickly sat up, but still didn¡¯t dare to let go of the bottle in my hand.

    Matthew lit a cigarette, took a puff, and smiled at me, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Duffy to have such a strong personality.¡±

    I got up from the sofa, carefully watching him, but my steps were moving towards the door one by one.

    I told him, ¡°I came with Mr. Humphrey this time mainly to facilitate cooperation with Mr. Gtea.¡±

 Too Close 333

    <b>Chapter333 </b>

    You can rest assured that I won¡¯t say a word about tonight¡¯s events, so as not to harm the harmony between our twopanies.

    And I could tell that Mr. Gtea was a smart person who knew how to weigh the pros and cons. I believe our cooperation this time will be very pleasant.¡±

    Matthew sat on the sofa, smiling at me, with the same yful smile still ying at the corner of his lips.

    He said, ¡°Ms. Duffy is also a smart and interesting woman. If one day Ms. Duffy can¡¯t make it at Reynaldo¡¯s, remember toe find me.¡±

    The door here was always open for Ms. Duffy.

    ¡°Okay, thank you for appreciating Mr. Gtea.¡±

    In the course of the conversation, I had already retreated to the gate.

    I quickly opened the door, and instantly, two bodyguards stood in front of<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I looked eagerly at that Matthew.

    Matthew raised his hand, gesturing for the two bodyguards to let them

    pass.

    The two bodyguards quickly stepped back and returned my phone to me.

    I didn¡¯t dare to dy for a second, and quickly walked outside.

    Matthew¡¯s softughter suddenly rang out behind me, ¡°You know, why

    did Reynaldo divorce you in the first ce? After all, interesting women like Ms. Dully are quite rare.¡±

    I paused for a moment and said softly, ¡°He has someone else in his heart, so divorcing me is just normal.¡±

    Did Mr. Gtea never really like anyone before?

    When Mr. Gtea falls in love with someone one day, he will know, ¡°you only want to marry and have children with the person you love, and build a family.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    Matthew chuckled nomittally.

    I ignored him and walked quickly towards the gate of the courtyard.

    Not until I stepped out of Matthew¡¯s vi yard did my tense nerves finally rx.

    I leaned weakly against themppost, shivering all over with cold.

    The shoes were already lost when the people in Matthew¡¯s car abducted<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    My feet were stepping on the thin snow, feeling as cold and painful as if being cut by a knife.

    The pajamas inside the down jacket were soaked by red wine, and the cold prated the skin, spreading over the limbs and bones, chilling to the core.

    The cold wind was still blowing mercilessly.

    I tightened my down jacket and tremblingly picked up the phone to turn it

    on

    There were no notifications on the phone.

    There were no phone calls, and there were no messages.

    That is to say, I have been out for so long, Reynaldo has never looked for me, he hasn¡¯t even thought about whether I might have been kidnapped by bad people.

    Oh, well.

    He is probably now just guarding by Kimberly¡¯s side, where would he still worry about me.

    Even if he called and urged, wasn¡¯t it just Kimberly¡¯s painkiller?

    I stiffly tugged at my lips, wanting to smile.

    My eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

    The view was blurred, with only small snowkes drifting in the cold wind.

    Under the dim yellow light, it was very cold and deste.

    My feet were freezing.

    I wiped away the tears overflowing from the corners of my eyes, followed the navigation, and walked back in the direction I came from.

    I dared not take the small path, only walked on the bright main roads.

    I intended to g down a taxi while walking on the road, but there was

    none.

    It was freezing cold at this point, and there wasn¡¯t a single taxi on the

    road.

    I couldn¡¯t just find a hotel nearby to stay in because I didn¡¯t bring any identification document

 Too Close 334

    Chapter334

    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been walking, but I felt my feet had already gone numb.

    There were many moments when I wanted to give Reynaldo a call and ask. him if he coulde pick me up.

    But I also knew that as long as Kimberly was there, he wouldn¡¯te out.

    Even if I really froze to death on this street, he would note out.

    He would only mock me, saying it took so long to buy a painkiller. He would only interrogate me, asking if I had gone somewhere to fool around. again.

    So, why did I bother calling him, disturbing him and Kimberly, inviting his sarcasm and humiliation.

    I looked up at the pitch¨Cck sky.

    The tiny snowkes were still falling.

    That night was really long.

    It felt like it had been a century, but finally arrived at the hotel.

    When the heat enveloped in the hotel, I shivered more violently, feeling dizzy.

    The receptionist was sleeping.

    I staggered and walked silently towards the elevator.

    Arriving at the door, I shivered as I searched for the room key in the

    pocket of my down jacket.

    My hands were already frozen. I couldn¡¯t even hold the room key.

    The room card fell on the ground several times.

    Thest time, I clenched it with both hands, and then tremblingly went to open the door.

    With a creak, the door finally opened.

    I walked in and leaned against the door with my back.

    No sooner had I caught my breath than I saw the man sitting on the sofa.

    A touch of irony surged in my heart.

    He didn¡¯t even stay in Kimberly¡¯s room watching over Kimberly, which was really rare.

    I closed my eyes ufortably, then forced myself to walk towards the bedroom.

    As long as I went to the bedroom, took a hot bath, and then had a good sleep, I feltfortable.

    Tonight¡¯s experience was just a nightmare, <b>a </b>good night¡¯s sleep will fix it.

    Yes, as long as you sleep, everything will be over.

    I felt very cold, shivering, but my whole body was burning hot, as if I was about to catch fire.

    Ufortable, all over the body is ufortable, can¡¯t even open my eyelids.

    I bit my lip and walked slowly, step by step.

    2050

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Just as I reached the doorway of the bedroom, I heard a man¡¯s cold voice behind me.

    I stopped in my tracks, without turning around.

    He seemed to be walking over, his voice cold and restrained with anger, sounded above my head.

    Where did you run off to again and cause trouble until now?

    ¡°Also, what about the medicine I asked you to buy?¡±

    I stiffly tugged at my lips, feeling a wave of endless bitterness and self- mockery rising in my heart.

    Look, it took me so long toe back, and he indeed suspected that I was fooling around outside.

    He never worried about whether something had happened to me outside.

    If I had really died at Matthew¡¯s ce tonight, he probably wouldn¡¯t have. known, because he doesn¡¯t care.

    My eye sockets were very dry and gritty, and even tears couldn¡¯t flow out.

    I licked my chapped lips and tried to say the medicine was lost, but not sound came out.

    At this moment, I didn¡¯t even have the strength to speak.

    My head felt heavy, and all I wanted to do was to sleep heavily.

    The man behind, however, was relentless, with a questioning tone, asking one sentence at a time: ¡°I ask you, where have you been hanging out?!¡±

    <b>20.50 </b>

    It¡¯s just asking you to buy some medicine. If you don¡¯t want to, you can. just say it.

 Too Close 335

    <b>Chapter335 </b>

    ¡°Running around under the guise of buying medicine until now, don¡¯t you have anything to exin to me?¡±

    The man¡¯s tone became colder and the suppressed anger was too obvious.

    I closed my eyes and didn¡¯t want to talk to him at all.

    I breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking towards the bedroom.

    ¡°I asked you a question!¡±

    The next second, Reynaldo growled lowly and suddenly pulled my arm

    hard.

    In an instant, everything spun around me and I copsed, my whole body going limp.

    In the blurry vision, I seemed to see a sh of astonishment and anxiety on Reynaldo¡¯s face.

    I think I might have misunderstood.

    He might be surprised, but he definitely won¡¯t be anxious. After all, I am not that Kimberly.

    The fallen body was caught in his arms.

    He was stiff all over, a little at a loss.

    After a few seconds, he finally asked me, his voice tinged with a hint <b>of </b>tension, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say a word, I really had no strength at all.

    20500

    He seemed to have noticed the red wine stains inside my cor.

    He quickly pulled open my cor, and when he saw therge area of my clothes soaked with red wine, his eyes suddenly darkened, ¡°What happened? Did something happen? Did you go drinking?¡±

    I still refused to speak, but thinking of the scene where I was bullied by Matthew just now, I couldn¡¯t help but feel sour in my heart, and a hint of mist appeared in my eyes for a moment.

    I turned away, biting my lip, trying hard to resist the urge to cry.

    And my silence eventuallypletely aroused his anger.

    He growled at me, ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question!¡±

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    He was thoroughly angry, grasped my shoulders, half lifted me up, and made me look at him.

    He stared at me intently and said, ¡°Tell me, where did you go tonight? Who did you meet? And what¡¯s the deal with these wine stains on your clothes?¡±

    I felt dizzy and weak for a while, and I just wanted to get rid of him. quickly.

    I licked my dry lips and said with difficulty, ¡°I¡¯m tired, I want to sleep¡­ If you have any questions, ask meter¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    The man growled again, his face bing even darker.

    He red at me fiercely and said, ¡°You¡¯d better tell me honestly, who did you go to see and what did you do with those people?¡±

    250

    At this moment, I was in a sorry state, my pajamas inside were also torn and messy, stained with wine.

    He must have thought that I went to the bar with a group of men and had a wild time.

    After all, in his eyes, I have always been a woman who loves to have fun.

    I pulled my lips and hoarsely said, ¡°However you guessed it, that¡¯s how it is. no need to ask me.¡±

    Reynaldo was really angry.

    He lifted me up and pressed me against the wall.

    But it was at this moment that his gaze seemed to catch sight of my bare feet.

    He frowned deeply, looking at my feet with a hint of disbelief.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    As soon as he let go of me, my body went limp and fell to the ground.

    He caught me again.

    This time he didn¡¯t lose his temper again, but instead he hugged me and rushed into the bedroom.

    He put me on the bed and then went to look at my feet.

    He was not surprised at all.

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    Chapter336

    At this moment, my feet were full of swollen chilins because I walked back barefoot. The skin on my feet was also rubbed raw, with bloodstains. everywhere, too unbearable to look at.

    He frowned tightly at my foot, his hands stiff at his sides, seeming unsure of how to deal with the injury on my foot.

    Suddenly, he suddenly roared at me loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t you even know how to wear shoes when you go out?¡±

    His eyes were red.

    I don¡¯t know if it was my blurred vision, but I faintly felt that there seemed to be ayer of mist in his eyes.

    But he couldn¡¯t have been feeling sorry for me.

    Because his face was full of anger, that overwhelming anger, as if it was going to devour me.

    Iy softly on the bed and said breathlessly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you urging me to¡­ to go buy medicine for Kimberly? So I didn¡¯t have time¡­.. didn¡¯t have time to put on shoes¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you really run out so urgently to buy medicine when I urged you to? Howe you¡¯re not usually so obedient?¡±

    He still shouted at me, even though I was weak as if I were about to die at that moment, his tone never softened.

    So, I was not Kimberly, even though I got sick like Kimberly, even though I was dying like Kimberly, I couldn¡¯t get a bit of his tenderness.

    People are really iparable.

    I closed my eyes, not wanting to see him, and not wanting to say another word to him.

    Now my throat also started to hurt. like being cut by a knife.

    Suddenly, Reynaldo pulled me up.

    He silently took off my down jacket, and then proceeded to peel off the pajamas on me.

    I was so upset that I cried out to him, ¡°What are you doing? Go away!¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything, coldly pulled off my pajamas and threw them on the ground.

    A chill came over me, and I shivered, instinctively hugging my own body.

    His cold big hand rested on my back heavily, and he asked, ¡°Why are you so hot? What did you do all night? Why did you make yourself like this?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I just shook my head, my body trembling uncontrobly.

    He quickly tucked me into the quilt, covered me up, and then exposed my unsightly feet.

    Even though there was heating in the room, my body was wrapped in a nket, but I still felt cold..

    I was trembling all over, my teeth were chattering.

    Reynaldo said in a low voice, ¡°Wait for me for a moment.¡±

    He quickly rushed into the bathroom.

    I heard him talking on the phone to someone, as if he was telling his subordinates to call a doctor.

    I was impatient.

    I can¡¯t let the doctore. What if the doctor finds out about my pregnancy and tells him?

    I propped up my weak body, fell off the bed, and picked up the pajamas. he had thrown on the ground.

    I didn¡¯t even bother to get dressed, clutching my pajamas to my chest, and then stumbling into the bathroom.

    With a bang¡­

    As I reached the bathroom door, I bumped into Reynaldo, who wasing out of the bathroom with a ss of water in his hand.

    The basin was knocked down to the ground, and I was knocked down to the ground as well.

    The warm water sshed all over me.

    Reynaldo angrily grabbed me and shouted at me, ¡°Why are you not lying down properly? Why did you get up?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t doctor¡­¡± I grabbed his arm and urged, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just need to sleep¡­ Don¡¯t doctor, I don¡¯t want the doctor to see me¡­¡±

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    Reynaldo silently carried me back to bed.

    He pulled up the quilt and tucked me in again.

    Seeing that he was about to leave, I quickly grabbed his arm.

    I clung to his arm, crying hoarsely, ¡°I really don¡¯t want the doctor toe, don¡¯t call the doctor for me¡­ I¡¯m fine..

    ¡°Have you had enough of making trouble?¡±

    Reynaldo angrily pushed me down onto the bed.

    He shouted at me, ¡°Do you know how hot you are, your feet, if not treated soon, will be ruined.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want a doctor¡­¡± I cried, shaking my head stubbornly, ¡°I don¡¯t want a doctor even if I die¡­ You¡¯re not allowed to call a doctor for me, you¡¯re not allowed¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath in anger, he growled at me, ¡°What do you want, do you think I will feel sorry for you just because you have made yourself half¨Cdead? Will I not punish you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want a doctor¡­¡± I shook my head groggily, repeating the words in my mouth.

    In my heart, I couldn¡¯t help but mock myself, I had never really thought about wanting him to feel sorry for me.

    17

    I still had some self¨Cawareness.

    Reynaldo easily brushed me off his arm.

    He silently picked up the basin and then went to the bathroom.

    I looked at the hazy ceiling. feeling my body and head getting heavier.

    I really wanted to sleep.

    But what if the doctorester?

    I clenched my teeth and struggled to keep thest bit of consciousness.

    Soon, Reynaldo came out of the bathroom carrying a basin.

    He ced the basin on the ground, then picked up a towel and wrung it half dry, and then he lifted the quilt to wipe my body.

    I didn¡¯t care about shame anymore.

    It¡¯s strange, though.

    I used to wear clothes, and whenever he looked at me, his eyes always seemed to be on fire.

    And at that moment, I stood naked in front of him, but there was no trace of desire in his dark eyes.

    He had a little conscience, knowing that I couldn¡¯t bear his torment in this

    state.

    The warm towel rubbed on my body feltfortable, but soon, I still felt a burning sensation.

    I still felt cold and kept shivering.

    Reynaldo rubbed my body while saying in a deep voice, ¡°You must be

    200

    freezing, running a high fever. Just hold on a little longer, the doctor will be here soon.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to!¡±

    I shouted at him with effort, ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want a doctor, I didn¡¯t want¡­¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face turned cold, and a hint of anger surged in his eyes.

    Have you been willful enough? Do you think I want to control you?!

    ¡®You followed me out, if something happens to you, how will the media report on me?¡±

    I bit my lip, tears blurred my eyes as I looked at him, feeling ufortable both physically and emotionally.

    I struggled and said, ¡°Then don¡¯t mind me¡­ you go out, go and apany Kimberly, you go¡­ just go¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    He had already shouted my name so low many times, I don¡¯t know how

    many.

    He pressed my shoulder, his face full of hostility.

    He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then shut mouth!¡±

    ¡°I have never seen a woman who is as disobedient as you,¡±

    When people are sick, their hearts seem particrly fragile.

    your

    I watched him in a rage, feeling sour in my heart, with tears constantly falling from the corners of my eyes.

    Reynaldo stared at me intently.

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    Chapter338

    His throat rolled for a while, and after a while, his tone rarely lowered: ¡°If you behave. I won¡¯t be harsh on you.¡±

    After he finished speaking, he pulled the quilt over me again, then took the towel and prepared to leave.

    I quickly embraced his back.

    I pressed my face against his back and hoarsely said, ¡°I don¡¯t want a doctor, just take care of me¡­ Reynaldo, will you take care of me once?¡±

    I was sick, not only did my heart be fragile, but even my voice was fragile, tinged with a touch of pity.

    I didn¡¯t know if he would mock me. In my current miserable state, I actually wanted a big CEO like him to take care of me. The key is that I am still being despised by this big CEO.

    No matter what, I couldn¡¯t let him call the doctor.

    Reynaldo paused for two seconds, then let go of my hand and turned to look at me.

    He asked me, ¡°If I take care of you, will you obediently listen to me?¡±

    I nodded eagerly.

    He said, ¡°Now lie down and don¡¯t get up again.¡±

    I listened and then quickly pulled the covers in, obediently lying down.

    He nced at me, said nothing, and went to the bathroom with the basin.

    in hand.

    But I was still very uneasy in my heart, not knowing whether the doctor wouldeter.

    The body felt like it was being pressed by a huge mountain, heavy and burdensome.

    My eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and I couldn¡¯t even lift them.

    I closed my eyes and hummed ufortably.

    Before long, someone seemed to be wiping my feet with a warm towel.

    The man moved very gently, as if he was afraid of hurting me.

    I opened my eyes groggily.

    I vaguely saw Reynaldo sitting at the foot of the bed, with my feet resting on his legs.

    He hung his head, holding a towel, and with a focused and solemn. expression, carefully wiped my feet.

    My head was splitting with pain, my eyelids were closing uncontrobly, and my consciousness was plunged into a state of confusion.

    Knock, knock, knock!

    Suddenly, a loud knocking sound was heard.

    I was still afraid of the doctoring. When the doorbell rang, I woke up startled.

    In a daze, I saw Reynaldo walking outside.

    I shouted anxiously at him, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t doctor¡­¡±

    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment, then turned around and looked at me with dark eyes, ¡°Actually, I was just wondering why you are so resistant to seeing a doctor?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡±

    The chaotic mind could no longere up with any excuses.

    My fingers suddenly touched my scalding skin, and I struggled to say, ¡°I haven¡¯t put on my clothes yet¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you put it on now, or if you don¡¯t want the doctor toe to your house, I can take you to the hospital for a check¨Cup, and it¡¯s already light outside.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± I shook my head in confusion.

    My confused mind couldn¡¯te up with any excuses, and all I could do was repeatedly say ¡°I don¡¯t want to see a doctor¡± to express my inner

    resistance.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and didn¡¯t ask me again.

    The knocking on the door outside was still audible.

    He turned around and walked out.

    I anxiously looked in the direction he left, wondering in my head, how I would resist if the doctor cameter to give me a full¨Cbody examination.

    However, before I coulde up with a solution, my consciousness. began to scatter again, and I became confused and disoriented.

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    Chapter339

    Outside, there were bursts of faint voices, and I couldn¡¯t make out a single word.

    Before long, Reynaldo returned.

    Seeing that there was no doctor following behind him, my heart wast slightly relieved.

    He was holding a medical kit in his hand, which should have been brought by the doctor just now.

    He said to me in a deep voice, ¡°You don¡¯t want to see a doctor, there must be something you¡¯re hiding from me.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for a month anymore. After we return to Freybourne this time, I will take you to the hospital for a full body checkup!¡±

    I wanted to resist, opened my mouth, but couldn¡¯t say a word.

    That¡¯s it!

    Anyway, it was a matter forter, so let¡¯s just get through this for now.

    I closed my eyes tightly and fell into a state of confusion.

    This time, I felt like my whole body was immersed in a furnace, yet I was still feeling extremely cold.

    After a while, Reynaldo half embraced my body, letting me lean on hist chest.

    In his hand was a water cup, and in the palm of his other hand were two

    20501

    capsules.

    He said to me, ¡°Take the antipyretic first and bring down the fever.¡±

    I shook my head and pushed away those two capsules.

    Pregnant women cannot take medicine.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, and he angrily said, ¡°You just said you would behave!¡±

    I licked my chapped lips and said, ¡°I want to drink water first.¡±

    With that, I picked up the ss of water and drank it all in one gulp.

    Then he took the two capsules and put them into his mouth in front of him.

    The gloom on his face had finally dissipated.

    He helped me lie down again, then got up to fetch other medicines from the medicine cab.

    I quickly spat out the capsule in my mouth and threw it under the bedside table while he turned his back.

    Reynaldo took some ointment and sat at the foot of the bed.

    He put my feet on his legs and said to me without looking up, ¡°This is frostbite medicine, and some anti¨Cinmmatory drugs. I¡¯ll apply some for

    you.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    I responded softly and then fell into a deep sleep.

    I don¡¯t know how long I slept, but I felt colder and colder.

    17

    I curled up in the quilt, my whole body trembling.

    Suddenly, the scalding body fell into a cold embrace.

    Skin to skin. I let out afortable hum.

    Even though I was so cold, his cool chest pressed against me, but I felt veryfortable.

    He hugged me tightly, covered me with a nket, and asked me, ¡°Are you still cold?¡±

    I struggled to open my eyes and met Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes in a daze.

    He was very close to me, with our noses almost touching.

    Our breaths intertwined, gradually bing hot.

    Suddenly, he turned his head and kissed my lips.

    My head was in a whirl, and I just opened my mouth to respond to him

    based on instinct.

    His lips were moist, warm, and soft, as if they carried a hint of sweetness.

    This feeling is like eating cotton candy, soft, sticky, sweet¡­

    My consciousness began to drift again.

    I vaguely felt him biting my earlobe, gently, but the words that pierced my ears were harsh: ¡°Go to sleep, I¡¯ll clean you up when you¡¯re better.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how long I had slept, my head was still heavy and foggy, not

    a bit clear.

    Someone was feeling my forehead.

    Immediately, Reynaldo¡¯s voice sounded above, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the fever gone.

    2050 D

    down yet? Take the medicine again, if it doesn¡¯t work, go to the hospital, you must go.¡±

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    Chapter340

    I opened my eyes wearily, with a blurry vision.

    I saw Reynaldo first pour a ss of water, then he went to get two fever- reducing capsules.

    No matter how confused my consciousness was, subconsciously, I still cared about my baby and couldn¡¯t let anything happen to them.

    Just like before, I drank the water first, and then I took the medicine in

    front of him.

    After he put me down this time, he stared at me for a while before getting up to put the cup away.

    I quickly spit out the melted medicine.

    But that¡¯s not a solution either. If I kept running a fever, he might keep giving me medicine, or even take me to the hospital.

    What should I do?

    Now the sky was already bright, with sunlight streaming in through the cracks in the curtains.

    Reynaldo walked over and saw that I had opened my eyes. He asked me, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±

    I croaked, ¡°I want to take a bath.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll go get some water.¡±

    Reynaldo quickly set down the water.

    He carried me into the bathtub.

    The warm water flowed over the skin, prating every cell in the body. and the soreness and fatigue finally eased.

    Reynaldo stared at me from the side.

    His body underwater was fully exposed to him.

    I said with a straight face, ¡°I want to drink water.¡±

    The man suddenly got up and went to pour me a ss of water, just like he did three years ago.

    He poured water and handed me the ss.

    I didn¡¯t even have the strength to lift my hands.

    Then he brought the cup of water directly to my lips and muffled, ¡°Let me feed you.¡±

    I obediently opened my mouth, and he fed me quite slowly. It took a while before I finished drinking a ss of water.

    The soaking in warm water effectively relieved the difort on my body, and my consciousness also became a little clearer.

    After drinking the water, Iy in the bathtub andfortably closed my

    eyes.

    But I always felt Reynaldo¡¯s burning gaze fixed on me.

    I slowly opened my eyes and met his dark eyes.

    I pursed my still dry lips and whispered to him, ¡°Can you go out for a

    moment?<b>¡± </b>

    Chapter340

    ¡°No way!¡± he coldly spat out two words.

    I lowered my gaze, covered my chest with my hand, and didn¡¯t have the strength to argue with him.

    He suddenly let out a light sigh and snorted, ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it before, what¡¯s with the pretense?¡±

    I took a deep breath and pursed my lips without saying a word.

    Sure enough, even though I was sick, he wouldn¡¯t say a kind word to me.

    The more such contrasts, the more it can be seen that Kimberly is his sweetheart.

    And I was just a tool for him to vent his anger and fulfill his physical needs.

    Reynaldo suddenly looked at the time and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get up in another twenty minutes. It¡¯s not good to soak for too long.¡±

    I didn¡¯t make a sound.

    At this moment, his phone suddenly rang

    He nced at the caller ID and then got up to go outside.

    After a while, his gloomy voice faintly came from outside: ¡°Matthew?¡±

    Matthew?

    Howe they were suddenly talking about Matthew?

    Was it about work, or was it the fact that I was bullied by Matthewst night that he found out?

    My head was still dizzy, and my temples were throbbing.

    I closed my eyes and stopped thinking about those things.

    Perhaps it was toofortable soaking in the water, coupled with a heavy

    head.

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    I fell asleep without realizing it while soaking in the water.

    Suddenly, I was grabbed and lifted up by someone.

    Fresh air entered my nostrils, and I immediately started coughing uncontrobly.

    Reynaldo grabbed my shoulder, his face dark with horror: ¡°You slipped into the water just now, almost drowned. Do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Just say you want to die, no need to make it soplicated!¡±

    I kept coughing non¨Cstop, almost coughing my lungs out.

    Listening to him roar like that, I suddenly realized that my hair was all

    wet.

    He red at me angrily, inexplicably reaching the extreme of anger, and the hand that was gripping my shoulder was trembling.

    He said heavily, ¡°I just went out for a while, just for a while¡­ If I hadn¡¯te in, would you have¡­¡±

    I shook my head, trembling and at a loss.

    I didn¡¯t know it would be like this.

    I trembled as I spoke, saying, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    He stared at me fiercely for a long time, not saying anything, just taking the towel from the side and wrapping me up.

    He carried me to the bed, and then used a hairdryer to blow dry my hair,

    2050

    but his face still looked very frightening.

    I hugged my knees and didn¡¯t dare to move.

    I didn¡¯t understand why he was so angry when I almost drowned.

    That was anger like I had never seen before, he was even shaking with rage.

    For a long time. he turned off the hair dryer, and my hair was dry too..

    He stood quietly beside me and suddenly asked me, ¡°Were you at Matthew¡¯sst night? What did he do to you?¡±

    Did he really find out that I was kidnapped by Matthewst night?

    So, what did he want to do?

    I hugged my knees, squatting on the bed, without making a sound.

    The hand by his side kept tightening, and his fist made a cracking sound.

    He suddenly grabbed me and shouted at me, ¡°I asked you what he did to you?¡±

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t do anything to me.¡±

    What happenedst night is already in the past, why bother to bring it up and ruin this cooperation.

    Moreover, I also reached an agreement with Matthewst night, and we agreed not to mention what happenedst night. The project coboration will continue.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened ominously: ¡°If he hadn¡¯t done anything to you, why would you be covered in wine stains and so disheveled? Would you have walked back barefoot?¡±

    The man forcefully twisted my shoulder, his veins bulging with anger.

    He growled coldly, ¡°I will kill him. He dared to touch you, I will kill him!¡±

    He let go of me after finishing speaking, and walked out with a murderous look all over his body.

    I hurriedly shouted at his back, ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything to me. In the end, it¡¯s all because of you. If you hadn¡¯t asked me to go out and buy medicine for Kimberly, I wouldn¡¯t have run into him, and I wouldn¡¯t have been walking barefoot on the street in such a sorry state.¡±

    If something really happened to me, or if I froze to death on the street, it¡¯s all because of you.

    Oh, who are you showing off your anger to now? Isn¡¯t it you who started all this?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s body suddenly froze.

    He stood there like a statue, not moving at all. After a long time, he walked out, but still didn¡¯t say anything.

    The door opened and closed, and he went out.

    Perhaps he went to talk to Johnathan about work, perhaps he went to apany Kimberly, or perhaps¡­ he went to settle ounts with Matthew.

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    <b>Chapter342 </b>

    Who knows?

    I didn¡¯t want to get involved in his business either.

    My head was splitting.

    I quickly pulled the covers over me and fell into a deep sleep.

    Waking up again, I was awakened by a sudden and urgent knocking at the door.

    I stared nkly at the ceiling.

    In the quilt, I was covered in sweat, and the bedding was all damp with

    sweat.

    Fortunately, the fever finally subsided, but I felt extremely weak all over.

    Bang! Bump! Bang bang!

    This time, the knocking sound was directly changed to the sound of kicking the door, each sound more urgent than thest, as if urging for a life.

    I struggled to get up and looked around for clothes to wear.

    Reynaldo had a room key, so the person knocking on the door was probably not Reynaldo.

    I quickly grabbed a robe from the closet and put it on, then stumbled to the door to open it.

    As the door opened, a worried Johnathan stood outside.

    His face was still covered in bruises, as if he had been in <b>a </b>fight with

    someone.

    I looked at him in confusion and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo got into trouble, you need toe with me quickly.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat and I asked in astonishment, ¡°What happened to

    him?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you just follow me quickly.¡±

    Johnathan was so anxious that he grabbed me and wanted to leave.

    I clung to the door frame, trembling as I said, ¡°You, wait, I¡­ I¡¯ll go. change my clothes first.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how I walked back to the bedroom, my heart was in chaos, and my mind was in chaos too.

    Did Reynaldo really go to settle ounts with Matthew?

    But Yoripero is Matthew¡¯s territory after all. Just look at Johnathan¡¯s bruised face, you know they definitely can¡¯t beat Matthew.

    Reynaldo, usually such a shrewd person, howe he didn¡¯t weigh the pros and cons this time?

    Anxiously thinking, the urgent voice of Johnathan suddenly came from. outside.

    ¡°Hurry up Esmic, if we don¡¯t go now, Reynaldo will die at the hands of Matthew.¡±

    My heart trembled, and I dared not dy. I quickly rummaged through the box and put on a set of clothes.

    As I came out of the bedroom, Johnathan didn¡¯t say a word and just pulled me outside.

    I felt weak and sore all over, and almost fell to the ground several times.

    Kimberly ran over as soon as she came out of the room.

    She had a pale face, looking worriedly at Johnathan and asking, ¡°Johnathan, has something happened to Reynaldo? Take me with you, I want to go with you to see.¡±

    Johnathan frowned and said, ¡°Enough, what else can you do besides crying? Don¡¯t cause trouble, okay? Just stay at the hotel!¡±

    Johnathan impatiently finished speaking and then hurriedly pulled me towards the elevator.

    Kimberly stood in the hallway crying with a grievance.

    It¡¯s just a pity that Johnathan is not Reynaldo, no one will feel sorry for

    her tears.

    Coming out of the hotel, I realized that it was already dark again.

    Johnathan started the car and exined the situation to me as we got in.

    Today Reynaldo was also very angry for some reason, he didn¡¯t know why.

    He originally said he would go to Seabed Club with Matthew, but little did he know that shortly after Matthew arrived, he got into a fight with him.

    Reynaldo¡¯s personality is usually introverted and calm, but today he really seemed like he was possessed by something.¡±

    The car quickly merged onto the main road.

    At this moment, the streets were bustling with traffic, and neon lights.

    illuminated the entire city in a colorful disy.

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    I remembered when Reynaldo left the room with a cold and murderous look, saying he was going to kill Matthew.

    As Johnathan said, he has always been a calm and reserved person.

    From those three years of marriage, it can also be seen that he was extremely patient

    So why couldn¡¯t he hold back at all this time and had to fight with Matthew again?

    Is it because I am his ex¨Cwife that I am being bullied by Matthew and he can¡¯t stand losing face?

    Was it still because¡­ or for some other reason?

    Although the fever had subsided, my head still ached faintly.

    ¤ª

    Thoseplicated, difficult, and requiring me to guess on my own, I couldn¡¯t think deeply about them at all.

    The more I thought about it, the more my head hurt.

    Johnathan said, ¡°I really can¡¯t figure out what Reynaldo is thinking this time. He doesn¡¯t even consider that this is Matthew¡¯s territory.¡±

    It was not easy for us to get Matthew to sign that contract.

    He actually got into a fight with Matthew, and the key is, between him and me, who fought against Matthew¡¯s group.

    This time we really lost big. Not only did we get beaten up, but it looks

    <b>20:51 </b>

    Chapter343

    like this cooperation is also going down the drain.

    The car stopped at the intersection waiting for the green light.

    288 vouchers

    Johnathan suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°I know that this whole thing started because of you, because they mentioned you in their words.¡±

    Reynaldo was still fighting with them, I sneaked out.

    I thought only you could resolve this conflict, so I took the liberty of bringing you over.

    He paused, and his tone suddenly became moreplex.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, actually I wanted to say, no matter how much you dislike Reynaldo, I hope you don¡¯t harm him.¡±

    ¡°Did I harm him?¡±

    I looked at the man in front of me in confusion.

    When did I harm Reynaldo?

    At this time, Johnathan hadpletely lost his former carefree and unrestrained demeanor.

    His jaw and the area around his lips were bruised, and there were two cracks on the gold¨Crimmed sses on his eyes, giving him a somewhat stern look.

    The red light turned to green, and the car started.

    His faint voice sounded in the car: ¡°Every time Reynaldo lost control, every time he got hurt, it was because of you.¡±

    His stomach problems, as well as hisst binge drinking episode that almost killed him from alcohol poisoning, were all because of you.

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    ¡°So, you may not love him, but please don¡¯t hurt him?¡±

    I turned my head to look out the window, a touch of self¨Cmockery on my lips.

    Look, men will always criticize others from a man¡¯s perspective.

    He said I hurt Reynaldo, but did he ever see Reynaldo hurt me?

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Reynaldo treating me like that for Kimberlyst night, none of this would have happened now.

    And at this moment, all the me fell on me.

    I made Reynaldo lose control, I made them get beaten up, I made them lose this coboration?

    The cold wind blew into the car through the slightly open window.

    The thin clothes couldn¡¯t resist the deep cold at all, but colder than the body was the heart.

    I smiled,posed myself, and said to him¡­

    ¡°I know this coboration is very important to you and Reynaldo, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you lose this coboration.¡±

    Johnathan nced at me, his expression somewhatplicated.

    But he didn¡¯t say anything more.

    Well, what could he say?

    He used to joke around with me on weekdays, but he was never really my

    friend.

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    17288 Vouchers

    He was Reynaldo¡¯s man, he was Reynaldo¡¯s brother.

    No matter who was right or wrong, he always stood on Reynaldo¡¯s side, speaking up for Reynaldo, and putting Reynaldo¡¯s interests first.

    I don¡¯t know how long it had passed, the car slowly came to a stop.

    I nced sideways.

    In front of me was a building of ultimate luxury, resembling a pce.

    Above the entrance, the words ¡®Seabed Club¡® were shing with colorful lights.

    The whole building was shining with golden light, illuminating the dark sky above.

    Johnathan quickly got off the car and helped me open the door.

    He said to me, ¡°Reynaldo has rented the entire third floor, they are inside now, let¡¯s go up quickly.¡±

    I nodded, supporting my weak body, and quickly followed him towards the magnificent golden gate.

    Johnathan was extremely anxious, walking very fast. He took a few steps and turned back to urge me, ¡°Hurry up, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening with Reynaldo now. There are so many of them, and Reynaldo is the only one. Even if he is good at fighting, he can¡¯t hold on by himself.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call more people?¡± I replied lightly.

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    He hummed, ¡°This is Matthew¡¯s territory. What¡¯s the use of calling more people?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take some punches for you guys. With more people, the punches thatnd on you will be rtively fewer, right?¡± I said expressionlessly.

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Your idea is quite unique.¡±

    We quickly arrived at the third floor.

    The third floor was much quieterpared to the first and second floors, with no one in the corridor.

    I looked at Johnathan and said, ¡°They haven¡¯t already left, have they?¡±

    Johnathan furrowed his brow tightly, his face filled with worry: ¡°I¡¯m afraid Matthew took Reynaldo somewhere else to torture him.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! It would have been better if this had happened in Freybourne!¡±

    I pursed my lips, I couldn¡¯t deny, a touch of worry surged in my heart.

    Johnathan hurriedly walked towards the room in the middle.

    I struggled to keep up.

    As he pushed open the heavy door in the middle, countless unfamiliar faces instantly came into view.

    Those were Matthew¡¯s bodyguards.

    This was an entertainment room, with arge space and many entertainment equipment inside.

    In the center of the room was a pool table, and at that moment, Reynaldo and Matthew were sitting face to face on either side of the pool table.

    32.04%

    The scene was not as chaotic as I had imagined.

    Both of them had a smile on their faces, and in terms of momentum, neither was willing to lose to the other.

    288 Vouchers

    The atmosphere was very tense, as if the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

    When I appeared at the door, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s brows furrowed deeply.

    He then looked at Johnathan, his eyes filled with strong reproach, as if ming Johnathan for bringing me here.

    Matthew nced at me, then leaned back in his chair and smirked, ¡°Oh, look who decided to show up, the main character.¡±

    ¡°Come on, quickly show Ms. Duffy a seat, look at her looking so weak, if she faints, I will feel sorry for her.¡±

    ¡°Matthew!¡± Reynaldo warned him coldly.

    Matthew shrugged nonchntly, ¡°Just kidding, Mr. Humphrey is really stingy.¡±

    Besides, she is no longer your wife, do you still not allow her to be with other men?

    ¡°You are too domineering, women will be resentful.¡±

    Reynaldo ignored Matthew and just stared at me intently.

    At that moment, a bodyguard had already brought a chair for me, cing it on the other side of the pool table.

    My legs had long been so weak that I couldn¡¯t walk.

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    Chapter345

    I sat down on the chair and smiled at Matthew calmly, saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just talk to Mr. Humphrey and sign a contract for cooperation yesterday? Why are you fighting again today?¡±

    Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong, it wasn¡¯t me who picked a fight with Mr. Humphrey, but Mr. Humphrey suddenly punched me like a madman.

    ¡°You know me, I hold grudges. He punched me once, should I not punch him ten times?¡±

    Indeed, the man in front of me was fierce and defiant, with a look of seeking revenge in his eyes.

    I think no one dared to beat him in this Yoripero.

    Now that Reynaldo had punched him, he had to retaliate against Reynaldo.

    I couldn¡¯t help but nce at Reynaldo again and sure enough, I saw some dark spots on the man¡¯s ck shirt, which should be bloodstains.

    I tightened my hand on my knee and smiled at Matthew, saying, ¡°I think there must be some misunderstanding here, perhaps Mr. Humphrey had a bit too much to drink, and then¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Reynaldo suddenly spat out two words at me coldly.

    I subconsciously looked towards him and met his cold gaze head¨Con.

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    He said to me in a very cold tone, ¡°Who allowed you toe here, go

    back!¡±

    I sat still, not even looking at him.

    He turned to Johnathan and said, ¡°Take her back!¡±

    Johnathan looked hesitant and said, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t do this, she¡­¡±

    ¡°I was invited by Mr. Gtea, why should I go back?!¡±

    I finally snapped and said to Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo dangerously narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Say that again.¡±

    288 Vouchers

    I turned to look at Matthew and said, ¡°I know this whole Yoripero is Mr. Gtea¡¯s territory, including this Seabed Club, so I don¡¯t know if Mr. Gtea wees me here or not.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you are wee.¡±

    Matthew smiled at me, with a mischievous look on his face.

    He nced at Reynaldo and said to me meaningfully, ¡°I told Ms. Duffyst night that the door here is always open for you. Come whenever you want.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face turned extremely cold, with a hint of impending hostility in his eyes.

    No, I had to solve this matter as soon as possible.

    Otherwise, ording to Reynaldo¡¯s angry state, it seems like there might be another fightter.

    I busily smiled at Matthew and said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Gtea. Let¡¯s go back to the topic just now. Mr. Humphrey hit you, there

    2052

    must be some misunderstanding.¡±

    I hope Mr. Gtea doesn¡¯t argue with Mr. Humphrey about anything, after all, you have to meet before you can fight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let this little thing affect our cooperation.¡±

    Johnathan nodded in agreement on the side, ¡°Yes, Mr. Gtea, just a small matter, I will treat you to dinner and drinkster.¡±

    208 MONACHIT

    Matthew lowered his eyes and smiled, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a misunderstanding?¡±

    As soon as I rxed, he was able to follow our words.

    Little did I know, the next second, he suddenly looked at me meaningfully and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey said that I bullied you and took advantage of you. Do you think this misunderstanding is very big?¡±

    You quickly tell Mr. Humphrey that we were clearly mutually interested.

    ¡°Look at my neck, there are still a few marks left by you scratching, it¡¯s so powerful, I still savor it endlessly.¡±

    Bang!

    Matthew¡¯s words undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.

    Reynaldo suddenly mmed the table and stood up, saying coldly, ¡°Matthew, you are asking for trouble!¡±

    Matthew disdainfully tugged at his lips.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve forgotten where you are, and who¡¯s looking for death is not certain!¡±

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    Chapter346

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered and suddenly snatched a dagger from the bodyguard beside him, then swiftly hurled it towards Matthew at lightning speed.

    Everything happened too fast.

    hadn¡¯t even realized yet.

    But Matthew quickly dodged to the side.

    However, the arm was still cut by the knife, and blood quickly oozed out.

    Matthew was furious and suddenly stood up, ¡°Reynaldo, you¡¯re really asking for it!¡±

    With a roar from him, all the bodyguards in the room gathered around.

    I was panicking with Johnathan.

    However, the man seemed to not have fully grasped the current situation, and his cold eyes stared fiercely at Matthew.

    I quickly looked at Matthew and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea, please don¡¯t be angry. Everyone has a time when they are hot¨Cheaded when they are young.¡±

    His temper was like this, you don¡¯t need to argue with us.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, as if he thought I was talking too much.

    I didn¡¯t care about him.

    Saving lives is the top priority now.

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    If Matthew really did solve the three of us tonight and buried us in the wilderness to cover up the evidence, our souls wouldn¡¯t even know where to seek justice.

    It¡¯s not an exaggeration, it¡¯s just that this is Matthew¡¯s territory, he has the ability to cover up everything.

    Matthew mocked me, saying, ¡°You really have bad luck following such a hot¨Ctempered man.¡±

    I smiled wryly, thinking to myself sarcastically: Aren¡¯t you two just the same?

    Matthew seemed to have calmed down a bit.

    He sat back in his chair,zily leaning against the backrest, and said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you better exin to Mr. Humphrey about what happenedst night.¡±

    So that Mr. Humphrey wouldn¡¯t continue to misunderstand like this.

    As long as you clear up the misunderstanding in Mr. Humphrey¡¯s mind, I won¡¯t hold it against you.

    He finished speaking, and the smile at the corner of his lips became meaningful again, ¡°Aboutst night, how should I put it, Ms. Duffy should have an idea in her heart, right?¡±

    I understood that he wanted me to say in front of Reynaldo that what happened between usst night was a normal love affair, consensual.

    To put it bluntly, he just wanted to provoke Reynaldo, to get a rise out of Reynaldo.

    Seeing me not moving for a while, Matthew grinned at me and said, ¡°What? Isst night¡¯s incident so difficult to talk about, Ms. Duffy?¡±

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    ¡°Should I recount the whole thing to Mr. Humphrey and also exin to him in detail how I got these scratches on my neck?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to!¡± I said in a low voice.

    Let him speak, then he will deliberately distort the facts, things that did not happen will be made to sound as if they did.

    I turned my gaze towards Reynaldo.

    At this moment, Reynaldo, with a dark and terrifying face, exuded a strong murderous aura all over his body, like a provoked King Yama.

    I clenched my hands tightly, pondering how to say it.

    If we go by what Matthew said, Reynaldo would definitely have flown off the handle on the spot.

    He could not like me, could hate me, but he could not lose face.

    But if I exined to him what happenedst night ording to the facts.

    So, Matthew was probably dissatisfied, and Reynaldo would still get

    angry.

    After all, I am his ex¨Cwife. With his personality, if his ex<b>¨C</b>wife was pinned down by a man, trying to vite her, he would definitely jump up and shout at the man.

    No matter how it was said, no words could calm Reynaldo¡¯s anger.

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    Chapter347

    If so, why don¡¯t we first calm down Matthew over there, and then leave from here?

    Thinking of this, I looked at Reynaldo, my cracked lips parted, ready to speak.

    Reynaldo suddenly snapped at me coldly, ¡°You better think carefully before you speak! I only listen to the truth!¡±

    My heart tightened.

    I stared quietly at him, facing his dark and oppressive eyes, moving my lips, but unable to speak for a long time.

    Matthew was getting impatient: ¡°Ms. Duffy, if you really can¡¯t remember what happenedst night, let me help you recall, shall I?¡±

    ¡°No need!¡±

    I said in a low voice, looking at Reynaldo, and carefully said, ¡°Actually, it was all a misunderstanding. Last night, nothing happened between me and Mr. Gtea¡­¡±

    Oh, Ms. Duffy, did you say that wrong?

    If nothing happened between us, then how did the scratch on my necke from?

    ¡°Could it be that it was really scratched by a stray cat?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Matthew suddenly chuckled lightly at me, with a hint of sarcasm and threat.

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    I frowned and looked at him.

    It seems he was determined to make me distort the facts in order to provoke Reynaldo.

    Matthew raised his lips and smirked at me, saying, ¡°Just tell Mr. Humphrey that I forced youst night, okay?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me heavily, his eyes cold and menacing.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡®

    288 (Vouchers.

    Matthew shrugged andughed at Reynaldo, ¡°I told you before, I didn¡¯t force this woman at all.¡±

    Everyone was a man, and it was a matter of men¡¯s joy and women¡¯s love. I think Mr. Humphrey still understands, right?

    Reynaldo ignored him and just stared at me without blinking, his voice suddenly bing low, ¡°Tell me honestly, did he bully you?¡±

    I clenched my fists tightly and said nothing.

    Matthewzily leaned back in his chair, a yful smile ying at the corner of his lips, ¡°Ms. Duffy, Mr. Humphrey is asking you a question, why don¡¯t you answer him quickly.¡±

    I whispered, ¡°No, Mr. Gtea did not bully me.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled, his smile cold and mocking, ¡°So, it was really voluntary on your part? Voluntarily throwing yourself at him?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Just one word, but the exit was so difficult.

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    AMERICAN ABSTRACT MERIN

    Chapter347

    I didn¡¯t dare to look at Reynaldo¡¯s face, but I heard his coldughter.

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, is this really your truth?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    This time I answered decisively.

    288 EVORECHTS

    Anyway, with Matthew ring like a tiger, surrounded by bodyguards.

    I just wanted to fulfill Matthew¡¯s wish, to pacify Matthew as soon as possible, and then let him let us go.

    I squared my heart and said to Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Gtea is powerful and wealthy, handsome and charming. It¡¯s my good fortune to be noticed by him, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    And now I have no rtionship with Mr. Humphrey, at most just your secretary.

    ¡°So, in the future, I hope Mr. Humphrey will not interfere in my personal affairs anymore.¡±

    Reynaldo clenched his hand on the table bit by bit.

    The coldness and murderous intent on him kept umting.

    I quickly looked at Matthew and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea, are you satisfied with my answer?¡±

    Matthew blew a smoke ring and chuckled softly, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy is indeed a smart person.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Gtea, can we leave now?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Matthew released the person quite decisively.

    He waved the bodyguard aside and smiled meaningfully at me, saying, ¡°Now that Mr. Humphrey has understood what happenedst night and the misunderstandings have been cleared up, there is no need for us to continue making a fuss. Harmony brings wealth, after all.¡±

    ¡°So, our cooperation¡­¡±

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    1288 Vouchers

    Johnathan was most concerned about this coboration.

    Matthew nced at Reynaldo and said with a smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t we sign the contractst night? So, of course, the cooperation will continue.¡±

    Johnathan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    He smiled politely at Matthew and said, ¡°This was just a misunderstanding. I will treat Mr. Gtea to a drink another day.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Matthew said with a smile, his eyes full of mischief darting between me and Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo fell silent at once.

    He lowered his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.

    But the whole body¡¯s breath, cold and terrifying.

    I didn¡¯t dare say anything to him anymore, just said to Matthew, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so we should go first.¡±

    Matthew smiled and made a weing gesture.

    I quickly signaled to Johnathan to take Reynaldo away.

    Reynaldo¡¯s current mood was clearly unstable.

    Matthew finally calmed down, if we don¡¯t leave now, he might cause some trouble again.

    By then, it was really impossible to leave even if you wanted to.

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    11 2hrs

    Johnathan understood and quickly went to pull Reynaldo.

    However, Reynaldo shook off his hand and walked out silently.

    Johnathan sighed and hurriedly chased after him.

    I didn¡¯t dare to stay for long, propping myself up on the edge of the pool table, I struggled to stand up,

    Matthew looked at me meaningfully, with a yful smile on his lips, ¡°Ms. Duffy looks very weak, even her legs are soft. What? Did Mr. Humphrey punish you harshly against night?¡±

    The word ¡®punishment¡® was said by him with deep meaning, and a hint of eroticism.

    I said lightly, ¡°That was between Mr. Humphrey and me, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it, Mr. Gtea.¡±

    Matthew flicked his cigarette ash and chuckled, ¡°You seem quite sincere to Mr. Humphrey, but now Mr. Humphrey believes that I slept with youst night. Do you think he will still want you?¡±

    I lowered my head and smiled, saying, ¡°Mr. Gtea seems to have never quite understood one thing, that is, I had already divorced Mr. Humphrey and have no rtionship with him anymore.¡±

    So there is no question of ¡°will he still want me¡± either.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Mr. Gtea, holding such a high position, yet worrying about the personal affairs of someone like me. Mr. Gtea, you are really kind.¡±

    Matthew chuckled and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy¡¯s words are quite profound.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to continue entangling with him, so I gave him a faint smile and then turned

    ound to walk outside.

    20

    Chapter348

    258 (Vouchers

    He heard a sly smile in his voice behind him: ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, Ms. Duffy, if you have nowhere to go, you cane to me anytime.¡±

    He Reynaldo couldn¡¯t give you what you wanted, you just need to please me, maybe I will give you, for example¡­ ¡°status.¡±

    I pursed my lips and smiled, not looking back, saying, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the thing I value the least is the elusive and intangible title.¡±

    The bodyguard¡¯s angry voice sounded behind him: ¡°<i>Mr. </i>Gtea, this woman really doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate it.¡±

    Matthew didn¡¯t say anything, I just heard his amusedughter.

    Coming down from the third floor, my tense nerves finally rxed.

    Walking through the bustling first¨Cfloor lobby, I, d in thin clothing, stood at the doorway looking around, unsure if Reynaldo and Johnathan had left.

    After looking around for a while, I finally saw a familiar car parked next to a flower bed.

    It was the car that Johnathan had just driven me in.

    I hurried over.

    The car window was half open, and I looked inside. Surprisingly, there was not a single person inside.

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    Chapter349

    Strange, the car is still here, where did those two people run off to.

    I walked around the front of the car and looked over there.

    In the dim light, I first saw a small spark.

    Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that there was a person squatting in the flower bed smoking a cigarette.

    Who is that person if not Reynaldo?!

    I looked around again and didn¡¯t see Johnathan, he was the only one there.

    Reynaldo was exuding a cold aura at the moment, especially under this dim light, making him look so gloomy that people dared not approach.

    I stood by the car, braving the cold wind, and stared at him for quite a while.

    I didn¡¯t approach until he finished smoking the cigarette in his hand.

    ¡°Why are you squatting here? Where is Johnathan?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer my question, let alone look at me.

    He squatted there in silence, his arms resting on his knees, his long hands hanging casually.

    Some were decadent, while others were gloomy.

    I was so cold I

    warm inside ¡±

    ¡°an¡¯t stand it, and I said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit in the car, it¡¯s

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    Chapter349

    He still ignored me.

    I didn¡¯t want to say much to him either.

    11 298 Weathers

    I had just recovered from a fever, feeling weak and powerless all over, not to mention a slight headache.

    If I were to catch a cold and fever again, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.

    I nced at him lightly and then turned around to walk towards the car.

    However, I had only taken a few steps when he suddenly grabbed me and pulled me forcefully into his arms.

    His strength was great, and my head hit heavily against his hard chest.

    I felt dizzy and my vision blurred for a moment, and it took me a while to

    recover.

    I pressed my throbbing temple and frowned at him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me with a cold look in his eyes and asked, ¡°What did that Matthew do to youst night?¡±

    He was still pondering over this issue.

    He forcefully grabbed my shoulders and growled like a madman, ¡°Tell me the truth, did Matthew ever force himself on you!¡±

    If he really bullied you, even if it costs me my life, I will avenge you.

    So what are you afraid of again? Why did you say you were voluntary?

    ¡°Are you really looking down on me, Reynaldo, that even he, Matthew, couldn¡¯t beat me?¡±

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    Chapter349

    258 Vouchers

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I shouted irritably, ¡°Can¡¯t you see the situation clearly? This is his territory, all his people.¡±

    He didn¡¯t seed, didn¡¯t do anything to me, so why are you holding onto this matter so tightly?

    Can we just ignore this and continue to work together peacefully?

    He insisted oning to find him for trouble, but in the end, it was still up to me to step in and resolve it.

    ¡°Reynaldo, when did you be so impulsive, so childish?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me heavily, his cold expression terrifying to the

    extreme.

    I was afraid and tried to push him away, but I couldn¡¯t move him at all.

    He suddenly chuckled, chuckling self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°So, in your heart, I have always been so pathetic, so useless, right?¡±

    Here we go again!

    Feeling helpless in my heart, I said weakly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. Except for the first two years of marriage, I have never looked at you like this.¡±

    My point is, we need to seize the opportunity. We are clearly no match for Matthew here in Yoripero, so why bother provoking him?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to settle the cooperation and then return to Freybourne peacefully?¡±

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    Chapter350

    ¡°What¡¯s good! Matthew was about to sleep with my woman, should I still greet him with a smile?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly growled low, spewing out curses, his face full of hostility.

    He twisted my shoulder and pressed me against the car step by step.

    He said bitterly, ¡°What makes me most hateful is that my woman even agrees with him, admitting with her own mouth that it was voluntary to sleep with him!¡±

    Esmeralda, in your heart, do you think I have be ustomed to being so spineless, able to tolerate such things?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I felt like I couldn¡¯t make myself clear to him.

    Reason and logic seem to be of little value in the face of a man¡¯s self-

    esteem.

    In my opinion, as long as Matthew didn¡¯t really do anything to me, it¡¯s possible to make a mountain out of a molehill.

    In his view, this matter challenged his bottom line and could not be resolved.

    Arguing with him will only anger him more.

    I stroked his heaving chest and said in a softer tone, ¡°Reynaldo, please don¡¯t be angry, okay? I just want us to return to Freybourne safely, I really

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    Chapter350

    don¡¯t want any more trouble.¡±

    Are you really thatcking in confidence in me?

    ¡°Since I brought you here, I will naturally bring you back safely!¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°Where did he touch youst night?¡± he suddenly asked.

    I shook my head quickly.

    11 288 Woechert

    No, Matthew did not touch me anywhere except pouring me wine and taking off my clothes.

    However, Reynaldo did not believe it.

    He gave me a deep look, then turned and rushed back into the ¡®Seabed Club¡®, leaving behind a sinister remark: ¡°I¡¯m going to chop off his hands!¡±

    I got anxious and hurried to catch up, but my legs went weak and I fell down awkwardly on the ground.

    ¡°Ouch¡­¡±

    I shouted at Reynaldo.

    The man finally paused, turned around to look at me, his brows furrowed tightly.

    I curled up my knees, rubbed my palms, and looked at him pitifully, ¡°It really hurts, and it¡¯s so cold.¡±

    Just kidding.

    Everyone here is Matthew¡¯s people, but don¡¯t mess with Matthew or he¡¯ll chop off your hand.

    101

    20.52

    259 Veadment

    I felt that the man in front of me suddenly seemed like a different person, bing extremely unstable.

    Became childish and impulsive.

    I made a pitiful look and stared at him.

    The hand by his side was tightly clenched, and his eyes, dark and deep, stared at me for a long time before finally walking towards me.

    He squatted in front of me, with a gloomy tone tinged with impatience and disdain, ¡°You, you haven¡¯t even recovered from your illness, why did youe here?¡±

    I was speechless.

    If I hadn¡¯t arrived in time, whether he could have safelye out of Seabed Club is another matter.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face showed no sign of the hostility and murderous intent.

    I helplessly said to him, ¡°Can you not go looking for a fight with him? Just pretend that I voluntarily got along with him, pretend that I deliberately approached him, there is no such thing as bullying or not bullying¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± the man growled darkly.

    Afraid that he wouldn¡¯t listen to advice, I still had to go find Matthew to settle the score,¡± I quickly continued.

    Matthew had power and influence, and he was also tall and handsome. It was normal for me to willingly be with him.

    So don¡¯t say anything about seeking revenge on him for my sake, I don¡¯t need it.

    I would rather Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t provoke him anymore. After all, if I ever find myself in a desperate situation, he could still be a very good refuge.¡±

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    There was no way, this man was too stubborn.

    I could only redirect his hostility and anger towards myself.

    It¡¯s important to leave here first, let him punish me however he wants when I get back.

    Anyway, as long as he didn¡¯t kill me, it was fine.

    Sure enough, after my words fell, Reynaldo¡¯s look at me was so cold that it was indescribable.

    He asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°People are selfish, prioritizing their own interests. I love money. Whoever has power and wealth, and gives more, I will follow. It¡¯s very normal.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly smiled ominously and said, ¡°So, if he offered you arge sum of money, you would just follow him?¡±

    ¡°It can be said.¡±

    ¡°What a jerk!¡±

    This was the first time he had ever scolded me like that.

    I pursed my lips, feeling a bit ufortable in my heart, but not angry.

    After all, it was me who deliberately said these words to provoke him.

    Fortunately, he finally stopped going to look for Matthew with shouts and threats.

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    He got into the car and smoked in silence.

    I slowly got up from the ground and walked weakly towards the car.

    I waited for him to finish smoking his cigarette before I got into the car.

    He seemed to have smoked a lot today, there are still two cigarette butts in the flower bed.

    It seems that he was so angry that he didn¡¯t want to have a baby with me anymore.

    Okay, so I don¡¯t have to worry all day long.

    I had just gotten on the car when Reynaldo started the car.

    He remained silent, his profile tense.

    I leaned back in my chair and didn¡¯t dare say anything more.

    The car didn¡¯t know where it was going, and it didn¡¯t look like the way back to the hotel either.

    I nced at his gloomy profile and dared not ask more.

    Anyway, let him go wherever.

    The car drove for about half an hour and suddenly stopped by the river.

    He silently opened the door and got out of the car.

    I instinctively shouted, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    No sooner had the sounde out than it was cut off by the powerful mming of the door.

    After he got off the car, he walked along the river bank without knowing where to go.

    20:5203

    This man, really makes people puzzled.

    I was afraid of the cold, so I didn¡¯t go down.

    I leaned back in the chair with my eyes closed, the heater in the car was stuffy, making me feel sleepy.

    But my stomach was really hungry.

    I hadn¡¯t eaten anything for a day and a night, feeling a bit ufortable due to hunger.

    These days have been quite eventful, and I don¡¯t know if my babies are doing well.

    After returning to Freybourne, I had to secretly go to the hospital for a pregnancy test.

    Reynaldo said that when we returned to Freybourne, he would take me for a full¨Cbody examination to find out why I still hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant.

    Ah, I really hope that after this incident, he can dispel the idea of having a baby with me, so he won¡¯t take me to the hospital for check¨Cups.

    I was lost in my thoughts.

    The car door was suddenly pulled open by someone.

    The cold wind rushed in.

    I shuddered suddenly, wide awake.

    I was looking back when suddenly something hot was thrown into my

    arms.

    I lowered my head and saw that it was actually a packed meal.

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    Reynaldo said nothing, threw the food at me, and then closed the door.

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    I saw him leaning on the railing by the river, shaking out a cigarette from the pack and lighting it.

    He took a puff of his cigarette, then turned around and leaned against the railing, watching the river.

    I could only see his cold and faintly lonely figure.

    The takeaway box in my arms was warm.

    I lifted the lid, and the tempting aroma of the dishes wafted into my nostrils.

    He packed for me dishes that I liked to eat.

    Aplex feeling surged in my heart.

    Actually, he was always fierce when he came back, but in some small details, he also treated me well.

    In moments like these, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he still liked me a little bit.

    However, whenever this thought came up, images of him hurting me in various ways for Kimberly would pop up in my mind.

    So, those self¨Cindulgent thoughts were all shattered.

    Yes, he never admitted in person that he liked me, so how could I presumptuously guess.

    Have a good meal, don¡¯t think too much.

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    Thinking too much will only end up hurting your body and heart.

    I was so hungry that I ate a bit quickly and finished all the food in no time.

    After dinner, I felt much warmer and more energetic.

    I got off the car and threw the garbage into the trash can by the river.

    When I came back, I nced at the man¡¯s back again, hesitating whether to say a few words to him.

    I thought about it, but in the end, I decided against it.

    At that moment, his mood was gloomy, and anything I said could potentially anger him.

    Perhaps only Kimberly could make him feel better.

    I should have brought Kimberly along just now.

    Although she could only cry and was not helpful in serious matters, she could stillfort Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo stayed by the river for a long time without any intention of leaving.

    I finally fell asleep leaning against the car.

    When I woke up again, the car had already arrived at the hotel entrance.

    Reynaldo got out of the car and opened the door in silence.

    I wanted to call out to him, but as I looked at his indifferent back, I opened my mouth and couldn¡¯t shout.

    I got off and walked into the hotel.

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    Reynaldo walked quickly, and by the time I reached the elevator, the man had already taken it up.

    I pursed my lips and looked at the reflection of myself on the elevator door, with a paleplexion and a haggard appearance.

    I smiled silently, with a hint of self¨Cmockery in my heart.

    It was Kimberly who got sick, and he yelled at me to go buy medicine for Kimberly, that¡¯s how so many things happened.

    But he was harsh and cold to me, as if everything was my fault.

    There was some grievance in my heart.

    The elevator door opened, and I took a deep breath before stepping into the elevator.

    I pushed open the door and as soon as I entered, I heard the sound of watering from the bedroom.

    The man was taking a shower.

    I took off my shoes, and the pain on my feet instantly came into sharp focus.

    I lowered my head and looked down. The wounds on my feet looked even worse, with the frostbitten areas all chafed and the flesh blurred with blood.

    Looking at my pitiful feet and recallingst night¡¯s experience and the man¡¯s attitude towards me, my heart felt sour again.

    Even though I was not wrong, and even though I was always thinking about their contracts and their safety, he still didn¡¯t like me.

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    If it had been Kimberly, who knows how touched he would have been.

    The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became. I got up and prepared to find some ointment to apply to the wound on my foot.

    As soon as I entered the bedroom, the door of the bathroom opened.

    Reynaldo came out with a body full of water vapor, his face still full of gloom.

    He only wrapped a bath towel around his waist, leaving his entire upper body exposed.

    And I also clearly saw the wounds on his body.

    Although the wounds were not deep, there were many of them, varying in size and length.

    They were located on the chest, waist, and arms respectively.

    Some wounds were still oozing blood.

    The man, as if he had no feelings, walked straight to the bed.

    And with that, he said he was going to chop off Matthew¡¯s hand. Matthew was lucky he didn¡¯t chop off his hand.

    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t win, he still insisted on venting his anger.

    Such impulsiveness, a man devoid of reason, it¡¯s hard to imagine he could be Reynaldo.

    After Reynaldo got into bed, he leaned against the headboard and scrolled

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    through his phone, treating me as if I were invisible.

    I didn¡¯t say anything either, silently rummaging through the medicine box on the low table for frostbite medicine.

    I endured the pain and applied ointment to all the frostbites on my feet, then went to the bathroom to wash my hands.

    When he came out again, Reynaldo was still in the same position, brushing his phone.

    But there was already a lot of blood on his wound, and even two bloodstains were flowing along the texture of his lower abdomen into the towel around his waist.

    I really couldn¡¯t bear to watch.

    I rummaged through the medicine cab and found a bottle of ointment for cuts and a roll of gauze, then walked towards him.

    I climbed onto the bed, sat next to him, but he didn¡¯t react at all,pletely ignoring me.

    After hesitating for a few seconds, I reached out to pull him, ¡°Let me see your wound¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    However, just as I grabbed his arm, he suddenly flung me away.

    I hit the head of the bed unexpectedly and looked up at him.

    He had already gotten up from the bed, slightly tilting his head.

    From my perspective, I could see that his jaw was tightly clenched, cold and rigid to a frightening degree.

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    Th

    I licked my dry lips and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything else, I just wanted to clean up your wound for you, otherwise the blood on your wound will be all over the ceter.¡±

    He gave me an extremely cold look and then walked into the living room.

    The bedroom door was casually closed by him, making a sound that was neither loud nor soft.

    I stared nkly at the bloodstains he had brought onto the bed, then looked at the medicine in my hand, and sarcastically pulled my lips.

    Is he avoiding me because he thinks I¡¯m dirty and doesn¡¯t want me to touch him?

    Ah, that¡¯s the best.

    I also couldn¡¯t be bothered with that man anymore. I threw the ointment and gauze to the side, then wrapped myself in a nket and went to sleep.

    I was very tired.

    Even though I slept heavily all day long, I still felt tired.

    That night I slept deeply, and when I woke up again, I was awakened by a burst of crying.

    The crying, although not loud, sounded particrly annoying.

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    I opened my eyes slowly and realized that the crying wasing from the living room, and it sounded like Kimberly¡¯s voice.

    I furrowed my brows and sat up in bed.

    The morning sun was dazzling, shining through the cracks in the curtains and illuminating the room.

    I put on my coat and went outside.

    As soon as I opened the door, I saw Kimberly crying and tending to Reynaldo¡¯s wound.

    Look, he would rather stay up all night like that, than let me treat his wound, turns out he was waiting for Kimberly.

    I am dirty, I am lowly,pared to Kimberly, who is noble and pure?

    I tried my best to suppress the sourness in my heart.

    Out of sight, out of mind.

    I was about to turn back to the room and close the door.

    Kimberly suddenly called out to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy!¡±

    Her cry even carried a hint of reproach.

    I chuckled and turned to look at her, ¡°What? Does Ms. Palmer have something to say?¡±

    Kimberly tearfully applied ointment to Reynaldo, her face full of concern.

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    Without even looking up, she said to me with a tone of reproach,

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°Reynaldo was injured like this, why didn¡¯t you take care of his wound? How can you sleep?¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem with you. You can take care of him and treat his wounds.¡±

    ¡°But I only found out about this in the morning. Reynaldo had been bleeding all night. What if something happens?¡±

    The woman said, still looking scared.

    I quickly nced at the wounds on Reynaldo¡¯s body.

    Those wounds had already stopped bleeding and didn¡¯t look like a big deal.

    I sneered, ¡°Ms. Palmer is really making a fuss. With just these small wounds, do you think Mr. Humphrey, a big man, couldn¡¯t handle it?¡±

    Kimberly looked at me in shock, her face full of disbelief as she said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you are so heartless. Reynaldo is injured like this, and you still speak so casually. Do you really not care even if something really happened to Reynaldo?¡±

    The man sat on the sofa, not saying a word.

    Although he was facing me sideways, I could still see a few traces of hostility and coldness from his sharply defined profile.

    Kimberly kept using me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you are really heartless. Even if it¡¯s a stranger who got hurt like this, we should lend a helping hand, let alone it¡¯s Reynaldo. And Reynaldo got hurt because of you. How could

    you¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t have such apassionate heart as you!¡±

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    I impatiently interrupted her, saying coldly, ¡°If you care so much about him, then you should stay with him, take care of him, and help him with his wounds. Stop moralizing others here¡­¡±

    Bang!

    Before I could finish my sentence, Reynaldo suddenly kicked over the coffee table in front of him.

    The cups, medicines, and books on the coffee table were scattered on the

    floor.

    Kimberly waspletely stunned and couldn¡¯t speak for a long time.

    Reynaldo stood up, he grabbed the ck shirt next to him and put it on. He gave me an extremely cold look and then walked out.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly hurriedly chased after him.

    The two of them went out one after the other, and the whole room finally quieted down.

    I leaned against the door frame, feeling a wave of frustration in my heart.

    Early in the morning, Kimberlypletely ruined my mood.

    I¡¯m so annoyed!

    Throughout the whole day, Reynaldo never came back again, including Kimberly and Johnathan, they never appeared in front of me again.

    I didn¡¯t know if they went back to Freybourne together, and I didn¡¯t ask much either.

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    I stayed in the room all day, barefoot, asionally applying some medicine to the frostbite, which did improve quite a bit.

    When I was hungry, I would order takeout, and when I was tired, I would go to sleep.

    The days without any disturbance were quite pleasant.

    After resting at the hotel for two days, Reynaldo and Johnathan never showed up again.

    Just when I thought they had left me behind again and returned to Freybourne alone, Johnathan suddenly knocked on the door of my room.

    I looked at him in surprise and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t returned to Freybourne yet?¡±

    Johnathan looked at me strangely and said, ¡°This is not nonsense, we are going back and you shoulde with us.

    We are not as ruthless and heartless as you are. Even if you act so cold- blooded, you are still one of us. We will naturally bring you back when we go back.

    I: ¡­

    It seems that Kimberly told him that I didn¡¯t take care of Reynaldo¡¯s wound, and she even exaggerated the situation.

    Look at Johnathan, he started speaking to me with hostility.

    Johnathan nced at me and said, ¡°Pack up, we¡¯re heading back to

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    Freybourne on the afternoon flight.¡±

    He left after he finished speaking.

    I quickly called out to him, ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Reynaldo?¡±

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    ¡°Oh, so you do know how to care about him,¡± Johnathan sneered, ¡°I really thought you were heartless.¡±

    This sounds like a real earful no matter how you listen to it.

    I said lightly, ¡°Just say what you have to say, there¡¯s no need to beat around the bush like this.¡±

    Johnathan hummed and said, ¡°I dare not offend you, after all, your backer now is Matthew, and I can¡¯t afford to provoke him.¡±

    Johnathan was full of sarcasm in his words, and I couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him, so I mmed the door shut.

    He stood outside the door, shouting in frustration, ¡°They were right, you are a cold¨Cblooded and heartless wolf.¡±

    You thought Reynaldo couldn¡¯t live without you, I tell you, these days, Reynaldo has been with Kimberly.

    ¡°You really thought you were something special for getting with Matthew, but when he dumps you, don¡¯te crying back to Reynaldo!¡±

    I lowered my gaze and stared at my toes.

    These past two days, Reynaldo has been with Kimberly.

    Oh, no wonder that woman didn¡¯te to bother me these past two days.

    I smiled with pursed lips, but a touch of loss quietly surfaced in my heart.

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    ¡°Oh, Reynaldo? Are you going out?¡±

    Suddenly I heard Johnathan shout outside the door.

    My heart trembled slightly, and I instinctively opened the door.

    Reynaldo was passing by in front of us.

    He was wearing a ck coat, with a stern face, exuding a gloomy atmosphere all over his body.

    He didn¡¯t look at me, but walked straight past me without a nce.

    Kimberly was still following him.

    zen Wouders

    When she saw me open the door, Kimberly immediately smiled and said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, Reynaldo and I are going out for dinner now, would you like to join us?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you. I have already eaten,¡± I replied calmly.

    Kimberly eximed, ¡°Oh? Have you eaten already? But you haven¡¯t even changed your clothes, right?¡±

    ¡°She must have ordered takeout,¡± Johnathan added.

    Kimberly eximed dramatically, ¡°Oh? Ms. Duffy, you only eat takeout?¡±

    Are you eating takeout these days? Takeout is not sanitary andcks nutrition. Ms. Duffy, you should eat less of it.

    ¡°Okay, what do you like to eat? Reynaldo and I will pack some for you to take backter.¡±

    ¡°He left.¡±

    At this moment, Reynaldo¡¯s urging voice came from the elevator entrance.

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    Kimberly hurriedly said to him, ¡°Reynaldo, Ms. Duffy has been eating takeout for two days. Shouldn¡¯t we bring her some food back?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s indifferent gaze nced over my face, and after a while, he casually said, ¡°Takeout won¡¯t kill anyone, let alone¡­ she only deserves to eat takeout.¡±

    The man entered the elevator after he finished speaking.

    ¡°Hey, Reynaldo, wait for me.¡±

    Kimberly smirked at me and then quickly caught up.

    The elevator doors closed, and the two people left.

    Johnathan stood aside, giving me a cool nce and said, ¡°See, Reynaldo isn¡¯t that into you either¡­¡±

    I mmed the door shut.

    Johnathan angrily scolded me outside the door again before leaving.

    I slowly walked to the low table by the window.

    There was still takeout on the coffee table that I hadn¡¯t had a chance to

    eat.

    I sat down, opened the takeout, and picked up a piece of pickled pepper beef into my mouth.

    The dish that I usuall

    enjoy eating, is now in my mouth, but it tastes a bit

    bitter.

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    I turned my head to look at the bright sun outside the window, feeling a strange soreness in my eyes.

    After dinner, I started to pack up.

    There wasn¡¯t really much to tidy up, just a few pieces of clothing from me and Reynaldo.

    I folded his clothes neatly and put them in the box.

    Then another bag was brought, and my own clothes were put into the bag.

    When we arrived, our clothes were put together, but when we left, I wanted to separate them. After returning, I didn¡¯t want to have any more entanglements with him.

    Once everything was packed up, I settled into the lounge chair, waiting for their message.

    I took a light nap and woke up in the afternoon, it was already past two o¡¯clock.

    The door was knocked, I opened it, and it was Johnathan.

    He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the airport.¡±

    I nodded, dragging Reynaldo¡¯s suitcase with one hand and carrying a bag with the other as I followed behind him.

    He nced back at me, then took the box from my hand and said, ¡°Why is it always boxes and bags? Can¡¯t they be put together?¡±

    ¡°The suitcase belonged to Reynaldo, our things were separated,¡± I said lightly.

    He eximed, ¡°When we came, we only had one suitcase. Why are things separated on the way back?¡±

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    Chapter356

    I didn¡¯t make a sound.

    He didn¡¯t ask much either, and led me straight down.

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    Yoripero was really cold, I don¡¯t think I will evere to this city again.

    I tightened my down jacket around me and followed Johnathan to the car.

    After Johnathan put away the things, he sat in the driver¡¯s seat and prepared to start the car.

    asked subconsciously, ¡°And what about them?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo and Kimberly went to the airport directly after dinner.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± I responded, looking out the window and remaining silent.

    The car arrived at the airport after driving for about half an hour.

    When we arrived, Reynaldo and Kimberly had not arrived yet.

    Johnathan told me, ¡°There¡¯s still an hour before boarding, you can find a ce to rest first.¡±

    I looked around and was about to sit on the nearby bench.,

    Suddenly¡­

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    A burst of low and mellowughter suddenly came from behind.

    I frowned and looked over, it was actually Matthew.

    He walked towards me surrounded by bodyguards, always with a yful smile on his face.

    Johnathan asked me gloomily, ¡°Did you invite him?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°How did hee then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I finished speaking lightly, and Matthew had already walked up to me and Johnathan.

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    Johnathan busily greeted him with a smile, ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Gtea, are you going on a business trip?¡±

    Matthew nced at him, smiled meaningfully at me and said, ¡°No, I came specifically to deliver Ms. Duffy.¡±

    Johnathan chuckled and said with a hint of sarcasm, ¡°Mr. Gtea really has a special rtionship with Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°There weren¡¯t many women that caught my eye, but Ms. Duffy was one of them,¡± said Matthew.¡±

    He said, and made a gesture behind him.

    Suddenly, a bodyguard walked up holding an exquisite gift box.

    Matthew smiled at me and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, youe and go so quickly, I didn¡¯t even have time to prepare a gift for you.¡±

    ¡°You can have this ¡®Arctic Star¡®, consider it as a gift from me.¡±

    Johnathan nced at me gloomily.

    He smiled at Matthew and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea has already paid, but as for these gold and silver jewelry, they were given to her by Mr. Humphrey, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it, Mr. Gtea.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±

    Matthewughed and his eyes also darkened a bit.

    He said, ¡°If Mr. Humphrey sends it, that¡¯s Mr. Humphrey¡¯s business. If I

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    send it, it¡¯s my intention.¡±

    Matthew smiled, but there was a rebellious look in his eyes.

    But Johnathan seemed oblivious to the fact that the man was already angry, he even wanted to save face for Reynaldo.

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    Seeing that he was about to speak, I quickly took the gift box from the bodyguard¡¯s hand and smiled at Matthew, saying, ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Gtea.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Johnathan whispered to me as a warning.

    I ignored him and just smiled at Matthew, saying, ¡°Mr. Gtea is really generous, giving such valuable gifts to business partners so casually.¡±

    If Mr. Gtea went on a business trip to Freybourne, I would treat Mr. Gtea to a meal.

    ¡°Sure, if I went to Freybourne, I would definitely look for you.¡±

    I epted with a smile.

    Who cares, anyway, no one can predict the future.

    By then, I¡¯m afraid even I won¡¯t be in Freybourne.

    Fortunately, Matthew did not make things difficult for Johnathan and me. He really just came to deliver my gift and then left.

    I opened the gift box, and inside was an incredibly exquisite and shiny diamond ne, with a star pendant.

    No wonder it¡¯s called Arctic Star.

    Johnathan snorted coldly at me and said, ¡°Are you feeling proud that man gave you such a valuable gift?¡±

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    I told you, he was just interested in you for a moment, how could hepare to Reynaldo¡¯s loyalty.

    When I heard the words ¡°longsting love¡°, I smiled.

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    Reynaldo never had any feelings for me, so where did longsting lovee from?

    I said to him expressionlessly, ¡°Matthew knows how to give me gifts, what does Reynaldo know?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Johnathan¡¯s face changed, staring nkly behind me.

    I pursed my lips, and in my heart I also guessed a few points.

    I slowly turned around and indeed saw Reynaldo standing behind me.

    He must have just arrived, Kimberly was still running behind him.

    Reynaldo looked at me coldly, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.

    He spoke, but the words were directed at Johnathan: ¡°You should only buy three tickets. Some people, she may not really want to go back.¡±

    Johnathan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but it seemed like he had nothing to say.

    At this moment, Kimberly had already run up to me.

    There was a smile on her face that she couldn¡¯t hide, it was obvious that she was in a good mood.

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    As soon as she came over, she pulled me excitedly and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, look, this is the gift Reynaldo gave me.¡±

    She said, holding a delicate box in front of me.

    I nced over and felt a flutter in my heart.

    What a coincidence, it turned out to be that ¡®Arctic Star¡®.

    Is this ne wholesale? Everyone seems to have one!

    Kimberly said to me happily, ¡°This one is called ¡®Arctic Star¡®. There are only three in the world, and I fell in love with it at first sight. But it¡¯s so expensive, costing several million.¡±

    I originally said no, but Reynaldo saw that I liked it, and then insisted on buying it for me.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, are you not upset? Why don¡¯t you tell Reynaldo to buy you one too?¡±

    Johnathan awkwardly took a breath on the side, about to speak.

    I quickly took the lead and smiled at Kimberly, saying, ¡°Why would I be unhappy? After all, what you have, I have too.¡±

    She was stunned and said in disbelief, ¡°How is that possible? I was talking about this Arctic Star, a limited edition worldwide. How could you have it?¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I have it? Do

    you think I don¡¯t deserve it?¡±

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    Kimberly busily smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that this thing is rare and expensive. If you don¡¯t have it, there¡¯s no need to pretend to have it just to save face.¡±

    After all, we are all on the same team, and no one will make fun of you.

    ¡°If you really want, you can also let Reynaldo buy it for you.¡±

    She said, and then she shook Reynaldo¡¯s arm, pretending to be like, ¡°Reynaldo, it seems that Ms. Duffy also really likes this ne. Why don¡¯t you go buy one for her too, or else what if she gets upset?¡±

    Oh, she just wanted to show off in front of me, to prove that Reynaldo cares about her, spoils her, right?

    I sneered, ¡°No need, I said I have it, so I have it.¡±

    With that, I opened the gift box in my hand.

    Suddenly, the Arctic Star inside was dazzling under the airport lights.

    Kimberly was shocked: ¡°How¡­ how is this possible? How could you have this Arctic Star? This must be fake.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me deeply, not saying a word.

    I mocked Kimberly, ¡°How do you know it¡¯s fake? Or are you suggesting that with Matthew¡¯s ability, he would give someone a fake ne?¡±

    ¡°Is this ne from Matthew?¡± Kimberly eximed in surprise, ¡°No way! How could he possibly give you such an expensive ne?¡±

    ¡°How is it impossible? Just because he didn¡¯t give it to you, doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t give it to someone else.¡±

    With that, I deliberately looked her up and down with a mocking gaze and sneered, ¡°But then again, it¡¯s clear that Ms. Palmer has never seen

    anything good in her life.¡±

    ¡°A ne worth tens of millions, look at how happy Ms. Palmer is.¡±

    Ah, who hasn¡¯t experienced that feeling of being wronged!

    Sure enough, Kimberly¡¯s face turned pale in an instant.

    She looked at Reynaldo with a sense of grievance: ¡°Reynaldo, actually I really liked and treasured everything you gave me.¡±

    To Ms. Duffy, the things you gave were not worth mentioning.

    Speaking of which, it was indeed because of my family¡¯s poverty, notparable to her status as a wealthy youngdy¡­

    ¡°Miss Thousand Gold?¡± Reynaldo chuckled, his tone extremely mocking, ¡°What kind of Miss Thousand Gold is she now? Just a woman who is willing to please men without any limits in order to make money¡­¡±

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    My eyes were red as I faced his mocking gaze.

    Is he going to call me a bitch again?

    Curse, if he has the ability, just curse!

    However, in the end, the man suddenly turned his face away and said coldly, ¡°I have nothing to say to someone like you.¡±

    He finished speaking and walked towards the boarding gate. Kimberly called out to him and quickly caught up.

    I held onto the jewelry box tightly, tears blurred my vision in an instant.

    Johnathan nced at me and said, ¡°Actually, Reynaldo is just good at talking, he¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    I looked at him mockingly and said, ¡°The reason why Reynaldo went to settle the score with Matthew in the first ce was because of Kimberly, that woman who always pretends to be sick and forced me to go out and buy medicine. That¡¯s how I ran into Matthew and everything else happened.¡±

    I was the victim, I almost lost half of my life that night.

    ¡°Why should Reynaldo impulsively go to settle scores with someone, get hurt, and then all of you me me one by one, why?¡°,

    Perhaps feeling too aggrieved in my heart, I kept talking and tears kept streaming down.

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    Johnathan was in a hurry and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, I didn¡¯t say anything to you. I just can¡¯t stand it. Reynaldo is injured and you can still sleep soundly without even helping him with his wounds.¡±

    ¡°Was it me who didn¡¯t handle him?! Clearly, he found me dirty, didn¡¯t want me to touch him, was waiting for Kimberly to handle him, I slept, did I do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°This¡­ don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s my fault, I misunderstood, please don¡¯t cry, otherwise Reynaldo will think I bullied youter.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why, but once the emotions came up, the tears just kept flowing uncontrobly.

    I wiped my tears haphazardly with my sleeve, steadied my emotions, and coldly said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t say things like ¡®Reynaldo prefers me more¡® in the future. Reynaldo is gentle and considerate to Kimberly, always giving her jewelry worth millions.¡±

    And what else did I have besides insults and abuse?

    Perhaps, as you said, he had a strong desire for my body, but that only shows he had a strong sexual desire, not any emotions!

    Johnathan was left speechless by me.

    After a while, he smiled and said, ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t say those things anymore in the future. Let¡¯s go, we should board the ne now.¡±

    I took a deep breath, wiped away all the tears on my face, and said to him, ¡°Reynaldo and Kimberly are first ss, I don¡¯t want to be in the same cabin as them.¡±

    ¡°Um, there were limited seats in first ss, so I bought first ss tickets for you three, and I got myself an economy ss ticket.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll switch with you!¡±

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    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    After Johnathan and I passed through security check one after the other, we found Reynaldo waiting for us ahead. His stern face showed nothing but impatience.

    ¡°Johnathan, Ms. Duffy, why are you so slow?¡± Kimberly innocently asked<ol><li>us.</li></ol>

    I didn¡¯t say anything, Johnathan said lightly, ¡°I waited in line for a while.¡± ¡°Oh, wow! Why are Ms. Duffy¡¯s eyes so red, as if she has been crying?¡± With that, Reynaldo immediately looked towards me.

    I quickly turned my face away, pushed the suitcase to Johnathan, and then picked up my own bag, saying lightly, ¡°We are going different ways, I will go first.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait a minute!¡±

    Just as I had taken a few steps, Johnathan pulled me back.

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    He said, ¡°Are you stupid? You have to board the ne to change seats, and you can only do so with the approval of the staff. Now you have to follow Reynaldo and the others through the first¨Cssne.¡±

    After Johnathan finished speaking, Kimberly eximed, ¡°Oh, are you guys switching seats? Why? Is it because Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t want to see me and Reynaldo together?¡±

    Johnathan immediately clicked his tongue and said disdainfully, ¡°Stop guessing randomly, okay? I wanted to sit in first ss, can¡¯t I?¡±

    Kimberly looked innocent and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. The ticket was bought by Johnathan. If you want to fly first ss, why don¡¯t you just buy a first¨Css ticket for yourself instead of changing now?¡±

    Johnathan nced at her irritably and said, ¡°Can you please shut up?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± Kimberly looked towards Reynaldo again, pretending, ¡°Maybe Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t want to sit with me. She has always disliked me. How about I switch seats with Johnathan? Ms. Duffy was in economy ss when she came, how can we let her continue to sit in economy ss on the way back.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡±

    Reynaldo coldly said, ¡°She would sit in whatever ss she wanted, let

    her be.¡±

    After speaking, he gave me a cold look and then walked directly towards the exclusive passage for first ss.

    Kimberly followed along like a piece of taffy.

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    As soon as those two left, Johnathanined, ¡°Kimberly is really annoying.¡±

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    I said to him in a low voice, ¡°After boarding, remember to find a flight attendant to switch seats with me. If you don¡¯te, then I wille find you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to listen to his nonsense, so I picked up my suitcase and headed towards the exclusivene.

    After boarding the ne, Reynaldo leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest, with Kimberly sitting next to him.

    And my seat was across from them.

    I could see them with just a nce, and it really annoyed me.

    I ced the suitcase on the overhead rack and reminded Reynaldo lightly, ¡°After getting off the ne, remember to take your suitcase with you.¡±

    Reynaldo ignored me, not even bothering to lift an eyelid.

    Kimberly asked me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, are you really going to switch seats with Mr. Dupter?¡±

    Iy back in the chair, picked up a magazine to read, ignoring her.

    She seemed bored and stopped talking to me, just caressing the diamond ne that Reynaldo had given her.

    Matthew gave me that one, I put it in the bag and didn¡¯t look at it carefully yet.

    I went back to sell that ne, should be able to sell for a good amount of money.

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    When I have money, I will be able to leave Freybourne and Reynaldo at any time.

    While lost in thought, Kimberly¡¯s voice suddenly came from the other

    side.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, Mr. Gtea gave you such a valuable gift right away, it seems like your rtionship with him is not ordinary.¡±

    Look, this woman is up to her tricks again.

    I leaned to the side, ignoring herzily, thinking to myself that we were about to take off and wondering why Johnathan hadn¡¯te to switch seats with me yet. He wouldn¡¯t just note, would he?

    ¡°I heard you came back that night in disarray, so did you meet Mr. Gtea¡­¡±

    ¡°I slept, is that all right?¡±

    I impatiently interrupted her words and happened to collide with the icy gaze of Reynaldo.

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    When did this man open his eyes?

    I busied myself by lifting up a magazine to cover my face, and I shrunk my whole body into the chair.

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    ¡°Hehe, no wonder Mr. Gtea is so fond of Ms. Duffy,¡± Kimberly said incessantly. ¡°But now that Ms. Duffy is single, it¡¯s normal for her to have male admirers. If one day Ms. Duffy is lucky enough to be Mrs. Gtea, don¡¯t forget about us.¡±

    I¡¯m so annoyed, why hasn¡¯t Johnathane to switch seats with me yet.

    I really didn¡¯t want to hear the voice of this woman, it was really annoying.

    At that moment, a flight attendant came in to serve.

    I hurriedly said to him, ¡°Hello, could you please take me to the economy ss to find the passenger in seat 31D? I have negotiated with him to switch seats.¡±

    ¡°Sorry madam, the passenger told me that he didn¡¯t want to switch seats with you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Hello, the cabin door is about to close, the ne will take off soon, please fasten your seat belt.¡±

    I flipped through the magazine gloomily.

    Oh, that Johnathan, always breaking his promises!

    Reynaldo half¨Csquinted his eyes, coldly ring at me, with a sneer in his eyebrows.

    I irritably looked away, only to meet Kimberly¡¯s annoying face again.

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    I covered my face with the magazine, thinking to myself that it would be difficult to endure.

    Fortunately, after the ne took off, the steady flight was quite conducive to falling asleep.

    I fell asleep in the chair without realizing it.

    I was sleeping soundly, but Kimberly¡¯s soft voice kept drilling into my ears, it was noisy and irritating.

    ¡®Reynaldo, I feel so sick, I think I might be a little airsick¡­¡±

    ¡°There is tea next to you, have some.

    ¡°Reynaldo, it¡¯s so cold. Why is it so cold here?¡±

    ¡°There are nkets here, I¡¯ll cover you with one.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I am a little afraid of heights. I rarely fly on nes, and I¡­.. I am so scared¡­¡±

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m here.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Oh! So annoying!

    I couldn¡¯t sleep at all.

    I leaned to the side, curled up in the chair, and picked up the magazine next to me to read heavily.

    Kimberly¡¯s innocent and pitiful voice instantly came, ¡°Ms. Duffy, did I¡­ did I disturb you?¡±

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s fine!¡± I snorted coldly.

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    Sure enough, Reynaldo immediately looked at me coldly.

    Iughed angrily.

    This woman was already annoying me, was I wrong to tell the truth?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Duffy,¡± Kimberly looked at me again with a pitiful expression, as if I had bullied her.

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    I snorted coldly and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize to me, just shut your mouth.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you who should shut up.¡±

    ¤Ë

    Reynaldo suddenly said in a t tone, the coldness and chill in his voice made my heart skip a beat.

    My eye sockets started to ache again.

    I clenched the magazine and hid my face behind it, sarcastically chuckling, ¡°So, this time, you shouldn¡¯t have brought me along.¡±

    No matter how annoying Kimberly was, he was always gentle inparison.

    And no matter what I did or said, he was always disgusted and impatient.

    Water mist inexplicably rose in front of my eyes, and at that moment, my stomach suddenly churned.

    I quickly grabbed the cup next to me and vomited ufortably.

    And when I vomited, Kimberly also covered her mouth and started to retch.

    She said to Reynaldo as she vomited, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Reynaldo, I didn¡¯t mean to vomit¡­urgh¡­it¡¯s just that when I saw Ms. Duffy vomit like that, my

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    stomach¡­just felt a bit queasy.¡±

    Reynaldo supported Kimberly¡¯s shoulder, his cold eyes staring at me intently.

    I knew he was definitely ming me for turning Kimberly off.

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips, undid the seatbelt, and then stumbled towards the bathroom.

    ¤¤

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    As soon as I walked into the bathroom, I leaned on the sink and vomited all the takeout I had for lunch.

    I weakly leaned on the sink, with doubts in my heart.

    Around the time when I first found out I was pregnant, I often vomited.

    I haven¡¯t vomited for a long time, why did I suddenly vomit so severely today?

    Could it be that the takeout I had for lunch wasn¡¯t clean?

    I sshed water on my face and then staggered out.

    Just as I walked out of the bathroom, the ne suddenly experienced turbulence, causing me to shake violently for a few moments before falling into someone¡¯s arms.

    The familiar and cold scent hit me.

    I quickly took hold of his arm to help him stand up, then took two steps back, creating some distance between us.

    Reynaldo gave me a cold look and then went to the bathroom.

    I moistened my chapped lips and returned to my seat.

    Just as he sat down, Reynaldo got up and went to the bathroom to get some water for Kimberly to rinse her mouth.

    A self¨Cmocking feeling suddenly arose in my heart.

    Just now, I was actually thinking, is this man going to the bathroom to see

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    me out of kindness.

    But originally, he was only for Kimberly.

    I turned to the side, clutching my ufortable stomach, praying in my heart for the ne tond quickly.

    I didn¡¯t want to stay with them for a moment.

    At that moment, a flight attendant came in.

    ¡°Hello, here is the motion sickness medicine you requested.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me and said, ¡°Give it to her.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, I didn¡¯t say I wanted to take motion sickness pills, this is not motion sickness, and I have a baby in my stomach, I can¡¯t take medicine randomly.

    The flight attendant quickly handed me airsickness medicine.

    I shook my head and said, ¡°No, thank you, I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You don¡¯t eat, do you want to keep vomiting here and bothering others?¡±

    My heart suddenly felt sour, and I said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if I feel bad again, I will immediately rush to the bathroom to vomit, without bothering you!¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, his eyes like icy knives.

    I met his gaze defiantly, but my heart was throbbing painfully.

    Kimberly fainted, and heforted her with all kinds of gentle words.

    I vomited twice, and he was all kinds of disgusted.

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    If so, why did he have to bring me along? Why did he have to let me suffer this ordeal?

    The flight attendant stood awkwardly to the side, ¡°This airsickness medicine¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t eat!¡±

    ¡°Give it to her!¡±

    Reynaldo and I spoke up at the same time, making the flight attendant even more embarrassed.

    At that moment, Kimberly kindly said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you look so pale, you¡¯d better take that motion sickness pill quickly.¡±

    Or are you deliberately making yourself so ufortable so that Reynaldo can feel sorry for you?

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    ¡°Humph!¡± I sneered, gritting my teeth and saying, ¡°You better shut up!¡±

    ??

    ¡°Ms. Duffy¡­¡­.¡± Kimberly immediately looked scared and snuggled into Reynaldo¡¯s arms.

    That affected look made me feel sick for a moment.

    Reynaldo coldly told me, ¡°You have to take the medicine today even if you don¡¯t want to!¡±

    With that, he asked the flight attendant to give me the medicine.

    And I threw the two pills into the trash can right in front of him.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± he growled at me menacingly, his fierce gaze as if he wanted to devour me alive.

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    I sarcastically said to him, ¡°You really hate seeing me, don¡¯t you? Well, that¡¯s easy, just ask Johnathan to switch seats with me!¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just stared at me coldly.

    At this moment, Kimberly took his arm and said softly, ¡°Forget it, Reynaldo. Don¡¯t be mad at Ms. Duffy. I think she¡¯s feeling a bit down because she¡¯s leaving Yoripero and won¡¯t see Matthew as often.¡±

    To be honest, if I had a roll of tape in my hand right now, I would definitely tape shut this woman¡¯s mouth.

    The stomach that had violently vomited began to ache.

    I didn¡¯t want to argue with them either, so I huddled into the chair and closed my eyes ufortably.

    Even with my eyes closed, I could still feel Reynaldo¡¯s cold gaze.

    It doesn¡¯t matter, let him look at me with that kind of look.

    Out of sight, out of mind.

    As if a long time had passed, the ne finallynded at Freybourne Airport.

    I didn¡¯t move, waiting for them to go down first.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even look at me and just walked out of the cabin on his

    own.

    Kimberly smirked at me and followed me out.

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    I sneered and curled my lips, really not knowing what this woman had to be proud of.

    Speaking of which, this woman had long hair and short knowledge, exaggerated acting, and artificiality, only her face was passable.

    If it weren¡¯t for Reynaldo caring for her and spoiling her, she wouldn¡¯t have known how many times she would have been beaten by this society.

    I really don¡¯t know what Reynaldo saw in this woman.

    If Reynaldo had fallen for an extremely outstanding woman, I wouldn¡¯t have felt so bad.

    The key is, what on earth is Kimberly?!

    I actually lost to her, it¡¯s so frustrating to think about!

    I sighed, picked up my bag, and walked out of the cabin.

    As I walked towards the airport exit, I was surprised to see Reynaldo and Kimberly still at the exit, as if they were waiting for someone.

    Thinking they must have been waiting for Johnathan.

    I hung my head and nned to pass by the exit silently.

    Kimberly suddenly ran over, with a warm face, holding my arm and saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, we are going to eat. You just vomited, your stomach must be ufortable, do you want toe with us to eat.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    I disdainfully pushed away her hand and met Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy eyes. I smiled faintly and said, ¡°Then I wish Mr. Humphrey and Ms. Palmer a pleasant meal. I¡¯m going back first. See you at thepany tomorrow.

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    After speaking, I ignored his increasingly cold eyes and walked out through the exit.

    Who went to dinner with them?

    With Kimberly around, isn¡¯t that just a turn¨Coff?

    After leaving the airport, I hailed a taxi on the roadside back to the rental house.

    Although I only stayed in Yoripero for a few days, so much happened during those days that now, even though I have returned to Freybourne, I still have a feeling of unreality.

    When I arrived at the residential area, I grabbed something to eat outside first, and then returned to the rented room.

    Not until I had finished showering andy down in the warm bed did my confused heart finally settle down.

    Business trips are indeed tiring, and my mind was also a mess.

    Iy in bed and soon fell asleep.

    With no one bothering me, I slept particrly well that night.

    The next morning, Quentin called me.

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    He happily said that he could finally get through to his girlfriend on the phone, and asked me if I wanted to have dinner with his girlfriend together, just today.

    Of course I¡¯m willing, I said I would do it after I finish work.

    So Quentin set the time at 7 o¡¯clock in the evening.

    To be honest, I was really quite curious about this future sister¨Cinw.

    What kind of woman could make Quentin happy like a child.

    Quentin also told me about my dad¡¯s situation on the phone.

    He said the project that my dad invested in partnership with others was starting to make a profit, and he also said that my dad had quit gambling, everything was starting to go on the right track.

    Quentin also said that his leg was almost healed and he could walk without crutches today.

    In the morning, all the news was good, so much so that I felt the sunshine today was particrly bright.

    Today I went to work at thepany as usual. Mny hugged me tightly as if she hadn¡¯t seen me for a long time when she saw me.

    She said, ¡°Esmeralda, you havee back. When you were not here, there was no one to help me with the work.¡±

    You see, I still have so many reports to finish. Can you help meter? Otherwise, I will have to work overtime again. Oh¡­

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    ¡°Okay, no problem,¡± I smiled at her.

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    At this moment, Reynaldo and Kimberly suddenly walked in one after the

    other.

    I pursed my lips, and a sudden pang of pain struck a certain part of my heart involuntarily.

    I took a deep breath and took the materials Mny needed to make the report back to my seat.

    I caught a glimpse of Reynaldo heading straight to the president¡¯s office without looking around.

    As soon as he appeared, the office fell silent. When he walked into the CEO¡¯s office, the offArctic Started buzzing again.

    Mny turned her head and whispered to me, ¡°Hey, Mr. Humphrey seems to be in a bad mood. Weren¡¯t you on a business trip with them? What happened?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing happened,¡± I said cheerfully, ¡°Everything went well with the coboration, I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s in a bad mood, maybe it¡¯s because of his own personal issues.¡±

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    At that moment, Kimberly suddenly pped her hands and shouted, ¡°Everyone, calm down.¡±

    She was always seen with Reynaldo, and everyone naturally treated her as the future president¡¯s wife.

    So, when she shouted like that, the whole office instantly fell silent.

    Kimberly picked up severalrge handbags from the table and said, ¡°This time I went on a business trip to Yoripero with Reynaldo, and I brought

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    some small gifts for you all. Take them and share them.¡±

    ¡°Wow, thank you Kimberly, thank you future First Lady.¡±

    ¡°Kimberly is so nice, she even remembered to bring us gifts when she went on a business trip.¡±

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°Exactly, some people just don¡¯t have that kind of heart. Kimberly is still the best. The future president¡¯s wife must be Kimberly.¡±

    ***

    Mny nced at me, then leaned in close to my ear and whispered, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you think about bringing gifts for everyone?¡±

    I asked jokingly, ¡°Why give everyone gifts? And she didn¡¯t even buy it at Yoripero, who knows if she got it wholesale from some remote corner.

    Mny said to me in disbelief, ¡°Does it matter where it was bought? What matters is that this woman knows how to win people over!¡±

    ¡°You really should learn from her, otherwise how can you win Mr. Humphrey back.¡±

    I shook my head andughed.

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    She actually expected me to snatch Reynaldo back.

    I patted her on the shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on working hard and earning our sry, and not think about those unrealistic things, okay?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Mny pointed at my forehead with frustration, then went back to her seat to work.

    The office was bustling, everyone wasplimenting Kimberly and asionally making a few sarcastic remarks about me.

    I pretended not to hear and focused on making the report.

    The time at work always passed quickly, and before I knew it, the day was

    over.

    Thinking about having dinner with Quentin and my future sister¨Cinwter, I was feeling a bit excited.

    I will get off work soon. I have to hurry up and go pick a gift for my future sister¨Cinw.

    With a few minutes left before the end of the workday, I started packing<ol><li>up.</li></ol>

    It was at this moment that Kimberly suddenly emerged from the president¡¯s office, pping her hands to quiet everyone down.

    She said, ¡°I have some good news to share with everyone. To celebrate the sess of our business trip, Mr. Humphrey is going to treat all of us employees to dinner at a Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant.¡±

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    ¡°Wow, really? Is <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey really going to treat us to Michelin- starred restaurants?¡±

    ¡°Of course, this is something I personally applied for with Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°Wow, Kimberly is still amazing.¡±

    288 Wexacher¡¯s

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Come to think of it, Mr. Humphrey has never taken all of us employees out to dinner before. As soon as Kimberly mentioned it, Mr. Humphrey did. What does that tell you?¡±

    ¡°This shows how important Kimberly is in Mr. Humphrey¡¯s heart, no matter what Kimberly says, Mr. Humphrey will agree.¡±

    ¡°Oh my goodness, Kimberly was truly a lucky star for our Secretariat, much better than that jinx.¡®

    The God of Misfortune clearly spoke of me.

    I pulled my lip, not paying attention.

    Kimberly added, ¡°Thergest Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant in the south of the city. Remember to go there after work.¡±

    ¡°It was certain that we would go over as soon as we got off work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we all went together. Kimberly, did you go with Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    Kimberly smiled and nodded, then looked at me and said, ¡°Esmeralda, you don¡¯t have a car, right? Why don¡¯t youe with me and let Reynaldo give you a ride?¡±

    I was about to refuse.

    Reynaldo suddenly came out of the president¡¯s office.

    The man¡¯splexion was always a bit gloomy, and his eyes and

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    eyebrows also revealed a cold and hostile atmosphere.

    As soon as he came out, the office fell silent.

    1264 Warchers

    Almost everyone dared not openly look at him, except Kimberly, who affectionately linked her arm with his.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I had already informed them, we are going to eat at Michelin- starred restaurantster.¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

    Reynaldo responded lightly and prepared to leave.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t go.¡±

    Reynaldo paused for a moment and looked at me coldly, ¡°Do you always

    have to argue with people? Will you die if you don¡¯t make things difficult?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said expressionlessly, ¡°I have something to do after work.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s up?¡± Reynaldo sneered, exuding a strong sense of hostility.

    He gave me an extremely cold look and then walked out of the office.

    After he left, Kimberly hurriedly said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, Reynaldo finally treated all the staff to a meal at a Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant. Everyone was so happy, why did you have to ruin the atmosphere?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, why was she acting like that?¡±

    ¡°I think she was just being malicious, trying to deliberately provoke Mr. Humphrey, so that no one could enjoy Michelin¨Cstarred restaurants.¡±

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    ¡°Wow, she is so mean! Her heart is so evil!¡±

    The unpleasant insults kepting, and I clenched the hand beside me, unable to help but mutter, ¡°If you want to go eat, just go eat. What does it

    have to do with me?¡±

    Howe, Mr. Humphrey is treating, do I have to go? Can¡¯t I have some private matters of my own?

    Also, if you want to tter Kimberly, go ahead and tter her. Don¡¯t drag me into everything, ying favorites, it¡¯s disgusting!

    ¡°Hey, how dare you talk to me like that!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we were speaking the truth, you just couldn¡¯t do it, you just couldn¡¯tpare to Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°No wonder Mr. Humphrey wants to divorce you. With your behavior, you¡¯re not even worthy of helping Kimberly put on her shoes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. So you guys are noble, you guys have good manners, go and fetch shoes for Kimberly.¡±

    I chuckled coldly, picked up my bag and left.

    Arguing with them was simply a waste of my breath.

    When I left, I heard Kimberly pretending to speak well of me to them.

    That¡¯s disgusting!

    Coming out of the

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    bed from a distance.

    The car window was half open, revealing the man¡¯s perfect profile.

    He was smoking in the car, his slender fingers holding the cigarette, resting on the window sill,zy and casual.

    He must have been waiting for Kimberly.

    Thinking about it, he suddenly turned his head and looked at me.

    My back stiffened slightly, and I subconsciously opened my mouth to greet him, but he suddenly started the car and drove away.

    I was stunned.

    $

    This man was really strange, didn¡¯t he wait for Kimberly to go to the Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant together?

    Shaking my head, I hailed a taxi by the roadside.

    288 (Vouchers

    The first time we met, I didn¡¯t know what gift to buy for my future sister-

    inw.

    I was going to call Quentin to ask what my future sister¨Cinw likes.

    I was afraid that they might be together at the moment, so it would be a bit awkward for me to call and ask such a question.

    After some thought, I went straight to the counter at the mall and bought a set of skincare products.

    Well, this is something that all girls need, so giving this should be fine.

    Quentin had already chosen the restaurant during the day and even sent me the address of the restaurant.

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    After buying the gift, I went straight to the restaurant.

    When I arrived at the restaurant, it was almost seven o¡¯clock.

    But Quentin and the others had not arrived yet.

    288 Vouchers

    Under the guidance of the waiter, I first went to the reserved private room to wait.

    Seeing that it was almost seven o¡¯clock, I couldn¡¯t help but give Quentin a call.

    The phone was quickly answered.

    Before I could even ask, Quentin spoke first, ¡°Ralda, have you arrived at the restaurant?¡±

    ¡°Well, where are you guys now?¡±

    ¡°We, uh¡­¡± Quentin said apologetically, ¡°Kimora, it¡¯s her first time meeting my family, so she¡¯s a bit nervous and still getting ready. Can you wait for us?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, let her take her time to dress up. That¡¯s how girls are.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, you can order something to eat first, I will bring her over as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Um, I¡¯ll wait for a while, don¡¯t rush her either.¡±

    ¡°I know, our Ralda is so nice, Kimora will definitely like you as a sister.¡±

    I hung up the phone with a smile, then checked the gift and leaned back in the chair to wait quietly.

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    Time passed unknowingly, I straightened my slightly sore back and looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

    It was already past eight o¡¯clock.

    But Quentin and the others still hadn¡¯t arrived.

    I furrowed my brow, wondering whether to give Quentin a call to remind him.

    It is also possible that there was traffic on the way at that point.

    Hesitating, my phone suddenly rang.

    It was Quentin who called.

    I hurriedly answered the call.

    As soon as the phone was answered, Quentin¡¯s apologetic voice came through, saying, ¡°Ralda, I¡¯m sorry, but Kimora had somethinge upst minute and can¡¯t make it¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I asked somewhat dazedly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention it earlier? I¡¯ve been waiting here for almost two hours.¡±

    I¡¯m sorry, Ralda. She just called me and said there was a sudden emergency at home.

    She also asked me to apologize to you on her behalf.

    Ralda, don¡¯t be angry, and don¡¯t me her. Kimora is a very nice person. She is very sorry that

    she couldn¡¯te. She was crying on the phone just

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    now.

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    ¡°Is that so?¡± I asked without much emotion.

    Quentin was anxious: ¡°It¡¯s true, Ralda. Kimora didn¡¯t mean to stand you up. Please don¡¯t be mad at her, okay? I¡¯m begging you.¡±

    It seems that Quentin really liked the girl named Kimora.

    I looked up and smiled, saying, ¡°I wasn¡¯t mad at her, it¡¯s okay, we can still make ns next time.¡±

    ¡°Are you really not angry?¡± Quentin¡¯s voice was cautious on the other end of the phone.

    I said seriously, ¡°Really, the person you like, I also like, and the person you like must be the best.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re not angry. You scared me. I was really afraid you would be angry.¡±

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve just been waiting in this restaurant for an hour or two, I have nothing to do when I go back.¡±

    Actually, I felt a little unhappy when that girl stood me up like that.

    I felt that she didn¡¯t value this meeting very much, so she didn¡¯t value Quentin either.

    But in the face of Quentin¡¯s pleas and ttery, I couldn¡¯t get angry.

    I just hope that girl really liked Quentin, otherwise, Quentin would be so heartbroken.

    ¡°Ralda, have you eaten anything? It¡¯s already thiste,¡± Quentin asked with concern.

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    I looked at the empty table and said with a smile, ¡°Had dinner and ordered some dessert.¡±

    That¡¯s good, Ralda. This time, I really did wrong you.

    ¡°Next time, when I have made up my mind, I will treat you to a big meal.¡±

    ¡°No problem, we don¡¯t talk about these things as a family. It¡¯s gettingte, I have to go back, you should rest early too.¡±

    ¡°Okay, be careful on your way back. I¡¯lle to see youter.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I hung up the phone and sat on the chair nkly, feeling empty in my heart for a moment.

    The protest in my stomach grew louder.

    I sighed silently and carried the gift I bought, walking outside the private

    room.

    However, as soon as I opened the door to the private room, a familiar figure was passing by in front of me.

    It was Reynaldo.

    I stiffened all over and stared at him nkly.

    He nced at me indifferently, with no expression on his face, as if he didn¡¯t know me, and then continued walking with the people apanying him.

    It wasn¡¯t until their group entered the adjacent private room that I came to

    my senses.

    What¡¯s going on?

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    Chapter367

    Howe Reynaldo is here?

    Did I just see that right? Was that Reynaldo?

    288 (Vouchers

    But shouldn¡¯t he be having dinner with the people in thepany at the Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant right now?

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    With doubt, I deliberately walked past the door of that private room.

    And just as I was about to take a closer look inside, the door suddenly mmed shut.

    I pursed my lips.

    Forget it, it doesn¡¯t matter if he is Reynaldo, it¡¯s none of my business.

    The dinner party fell through, so I left the restaurant and hailed a cab straight back to the ce where I was renting.

    It was already nine o¡¯clock in the evening, and the street downstairs was still bustling, with various vendors using loudspeakers to sell their goods.

    I walked up to a noodle stand and ordered a serving of spaghetti.

    Although Freybourne is not as cold as Yoripero, the nights can still be quite chilly.

    I rubbed my hands, feeling the cold distinctly.

    Fortunately, the boss quickly brought my spaghetti to the table.

    I quickly picked up the noodles with a fork and was about to put them into my mouth when, amidst the swirling mist, I seemed to see Reynaldo.

    I quickly blew away the hot steam rising from the te and rubbed my eyes to take a closer look.

    Is there someone in the alley diagonally across from here?

    Also, Reynaldo was either dining with Secretariat¡¯s people at the

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    288 Pourhere

    Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant, or he was discussing business with someone

    at that restaurant.

    How could he possibly show up here again?

    It seems that I have been so tired these days that I even had hallucinations, and I kept feeling like everywhere was Reynaldo.

    I quickly finished the spaghetti and nned to go back to have a good sleep.

    The next day when I arrived at thepany, Mny immediately started gossiping with me.

    ¡°Esmeralda,st night Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t go to any Michelin¨Cstarred restaurants, was he with you?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t he go?¡±

    It seems that I didn¡¯t have my eyes ying tricks on mest night at the restaurant, that man really was Reynaldo.

    Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t gost night. The funny thing is, Kimberly bet with everyone that Mr. Humphrey would definitely go, and even said that after dinner, <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey would also take her home.

    But Mr. Humphrey did not show up until after we finished eating at the Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant.

    What¡¯s even funnier is that she called Mr. Humphrey in front of all of us, and the key is, Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t even answer her call.

    I wasughing so hard, you have no idea, she was almost in tears at that

    time.

    And those people were all blindly trying to please her,fort her, saying that Mr. Humphrey must have important business to deal with, that¡¯s why

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    he didn¡¯te.

    1288 Vouchers

    ¡°Um!¡± I nodded, ¡°Mr. Humphrey did have a meeting with someone at the restaurantst night.¡±

    Mny¡¯s eyes lit up after hearing this: ¡°So you were indeed with Mr. Humphreyst night? I knew it, Mr. Humphrey treats you differently. Look, he went out to discuss business and didn¡¯t bring anyone else, not even Kimberly, but he brought you.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey hey, let me tell you guys¡­¡­¡±

    Before I could finish, Mny raised her voice and attracted everyone¡¯s attention.

    I was dumbfounded, what does she want to do?

    Mny excitedly told everyone, ¡°Last night, Mr. Humphrey was with Esmeralda. No wonder Esmeralda didn¡¯t go to the Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant for dinner, turns out she had already made ns with Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Kimberly listened and then red at me resentfully.

    I straightened my back and faced her malicious eyes without humility or arrogance.

    Actually, I didn¡¯t agree with Mny distorting the facts so tantly.

    But when I saw Kimberly so angry, I felt quite pleased.

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    ¡°You can stop talking nonsense, how could Mr. Humphrey possibly be with that unlucky god.¡±

    ¡°Yes, how Mr. Humphrey treated that unlucky god, can¡¯t we see it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t even have time for Kimberly, how could he possibly spend time with her, just talking without putting it into practice.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, that¡¯s fine,¡± Mny said proudly, ¡°Anyway, no one can say for sure who will be the president¡¯s wife in ourpany in the future. You figure it out yourselves, just don¡¯t end up ttering the wrong person, that would be embarrassing.¡®

    Mny said so confidently that people in the office immediately began to doubt.

    Someone asked me, ¡°Did Mr. Humphrey really spendst night with you?¡±

    I wanted to say no, but Mny kept winking at me.

    I touched my nose in embarrassment and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey and I were both at that restaurant at the time, and then¡­¡±

    The conversation was not finished when Reynaldo suddenly appeared behind everyone.

    I choked for a moment and quickly closed my mouth.

    The crowd had not yet noticed Reynaldo¡¯s arrival, and one by one they asked me, ¡°So, what were you doing with Mr. Humphrey in the

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    restaurant? Having a candlelit dinner?¡±

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°Is it true? Are you not kidding me? Did Mr. Humphrey really spend the night with youst night?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    Kimberly suddenly shouted behind the crowd.

    In an instant, everyone, like what, quickly darted back to their seats.

    Kimberly approached Reynaldo and said with a look of grievance, ¡°Reynaldo, Ms. Duffy is boasting to everyone that you were with herst night, is that true?¡±

    Reynaldo did not answer the question, just looked at me coldly, with a mocking expression in his eyes.

    Actually, he didn¡¯t need to answer. The sarcastic look in his eyes told everyone the answer directly.

    As soon as he entered the president¡¯s office, there was a burst ofughter in the office.

    ¡°I said, how could Mr. Humphrey possibly be with this womanst night.¡±

    ¡°Disgusting, boasting without even drafting.¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly also had a smug look on her face.

    I sighed quietly and hung my head while working.

    Mny rushed to me and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you arguing back?¡±

    ¡°How can I refute? $

    Last night, Mr. Humphrey really wasn¡¯t with me.

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    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say Mr. Humphrey was discussing business with someone in the restaurant? Since you know, then it must have¡­¡±

    ¡°I just happened to see him.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why didn¡¯t you make it clear to me from the beginning? You¡¯re exaggerating.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Do you want me to exin?¡±

    Mny awkwardly touched her nose and said, ¡°It seems not all cows can be blown, but¡­¡±

    After a pause, she said earnestly, ¡°I still believe in you. I think you still have a good chance to win back Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    I chuckled.

    Let¡¯s just dream, where everything is in the dream.

    The mocking in the office towards mested for quite a while before it finally stopped.

    I got used to it, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    This morning, just after I had been working for an hour, Leticia knocked on my desk.

    I raised my head in surprise and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey called for you,¡± Leticia said before walking away, a smug smile ying on her lips.

    I furrowed my brows, and suddenly there was a bad premonition in my heart

    Mny turned to me and smiled mischievously, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey

    Chapter369

    didn¡¯t call anyone, just called you. I think you have a chance, go in quickly.¡±

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    I chuckled and shook my head. She was so full of it, thinking that I was actuallypeting with Kimberly for Reynaldo.

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    Arriving at the door of the CEO¡¯s office, I sighed softly and then knocked on the door.

    Seeing the look Leticia just gave me, Reynaldoing to talk to me definitely wasn¡¯t for anything good.

    Moreover, these days, Reynaldo was already giving me all kinds of dirty looks.

    ¡°Come in!¡±

    A deep voice sounded, and I slowly pushed open the door.

    The man was sitting at the table, frowning as he looked at the documents on the table.

    As soon as I walked in, he picked up a stack of documents and showed them to me, saying, ¡°Did you make these reports?¡±

    I nodded.

    In an instant, he suddenly mmed the stack of reports on me and coldly said. ¡°Take a look at what you¡¯ve done, several data points are wrong. Did you not receive the data sheet?¡±

    ¡°Did you just randomly put a few numbers up there and call it a day?¡±

    ¡°Several pieces of data are wrong? How is that possible?¡±

    I picked up the report in disbelief, opened it, and saw that he had marked all the mistakes in red. At first nce, there were more than ten errors.

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    But how is this possible? I had clearly checked it against the data table after I finished, and there was no problem at all.

    283 Vouchers

    And I wasn¡¯t the first time helping Mny with the report, how could I possibly make such a basic mistake.

    If it was just one mistake, I might have just overlooked it, but the key is that there are more than ten mistakes.

    ¡°Roll out and redo!¡±

    I opened my mouth, wanting to defend myself for a few words, but looking at his cold face, I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    After all, this report did have more than a dozen mistakes.

    Coming out of the president¡¯s office, I saw Kimberly and Leticia mocking<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I gave them a cold look and returned to my seat with the report in hand.

    Mny looked at my face and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday after work¡­ when you went to the Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant for dinner, who was thest one to leave?¡±

    ¡°Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Kimberly?¡±

    Yeah, I stayed at work for an extra ten minutes because I had some things to finish up:

    When I left, everyone had left except Kimberly.

    I asked her curiously why she hadn¡¯t left yet, and she said she was waiting for Mr. Humphrey to pick her up.

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    Upon hearing this, I had a rough idea in my mind.

    I nced at the surveince camera above my head, then picked up the wrong report and went to the control room.

    The control room was on the eighth floor, one floor below the media department.

    I showed them my work badge and said that I had lost something important and wanted to check the surveince footage to see if I could find it, and just around my workstation.

    The people in the control room were quite nice, and quickly pulled up the surveince footage from yesterday when I left work.

    Soon, I saw Kimberly sitting at my desk, and then she opened my

    Just on this point alone, it can be proven that Kimberly tampered with the report I made, and then printed out the incorrect one to rece my correct

    one.

    I recorded the footage of Kimberly sitting at my desk and then took the incorrect report to Reynaldo.

    Perhaps a little excited, I forgot to knock on the door when I went to the president¡¯s office.

    When I pushed open the door, Kimberly was inside, coughing ufortably.

    And Reynaldo was following along her back, his brows furrowed with

    concern.

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    Seeing me burst in, his face darkened: ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡±

    I bit my lip and turned to walk out.

    He suddenly shouted at me, ¡°Stop! Do you think this is a market? You cane and go as you please?¡±

    grabbed the phone and the report, turned around and said to him, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­¡± Kimberly covered her lips, coughing as she spoke, ¡°Reynaldo, since she has something to tell you, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll go out first, you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±

    That affected appearance was truly nauseating.

    I didn¡¯t open my eyes until she left, then I turned my head.

    At this moment, Reynaldo had already sat back in his chair.

    He always appeared gentle and concerned in front of Kimberly.

    In front of me, it was always such a cold face.

    I sighed lightly and walked up to him with my phone and report in hand.

    He looked up and nced at me faintly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    I pulled out the surveince footage I had just taken and said, ¡°Take a look at this first.¡±

    He stared at the surveince footage on my phone for a while, frowned, and asked me, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±

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    ¡°Last night, Kimberly sat at my desk and opened myputer after everyone had left work.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°So the report I made was tampered with by her, those wrong parts were all changed by her, she wanted to harm me.¡±

    After saying that, I looked at him expectantly.

    Waiting for him to speak, he would punish Kimberly.

    However, what I received was just a sneer at the corner of his lips.

    He said, ¡°Do you really think the footage you captured can prove anything?¡±

    My heart sank: ¡°What do you mean? The evidence is so clear here, are you still going to favor her?¡±

    ¡°Obvious?¡± Reynaldo chuckled, ¡°Then tell me, where is the evidence obvious?¡±

    Was it clear that she opened your report and tampered with the data in it?

    ¡°Still clearly indicating, she was the one harming you?¡±

    In the surveince footage, the angle captured was a profile.

    Kimberly was just using one side of myputer.

    Although there was no clear evidence of her altering the data in my report, the fact that she sneaked around and used myputer while everyone else was gone senough to suggest that she was trying to harm<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    But the man in front of him still kept favoring that woman blindly.

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    To put it bluntly, he just detested me and refused to stand up for me.

    I took a deep breath ufortably and chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°Since Mr. Humphrey doesn¡¯t think she¡¯s trying to harm me, let¡¯s just pretend I never came and never told you about it.¡±

    The report data was wrong, that was my fault, I will redo it.¡±

    I grabbed my phone and the report, and walked out, but tears uncontrobly fell down instantly.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    His cold voice suddenly sounded behind me.

    288 Vouchers

    My body stiffened, and I quickly raised my hand to wipe away the tears, asking faintly, ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    After a while, I didn¡¯t hear the man behind me speak, and I said softly, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go out and be busy.¡±

    With that, I took a step and continued walking out.

    A cold voice suddenly came: ¡°It¡¯s your own problem, so don¡¯t make excuses. If you¡¯re wrong, you¡¯re wrong!¡±

    Your own problem?

    Was he thinking that I was just making excuses and shirking responsibility?

    An indescribable anger and grievance surged in the chest.

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    I grabbed the report tightly, turned around in anger, and shouted at him, ¡°It¡¯s clearly that woman framing me. The evidence is right in front of you, but you don¡¯t believe it and insist on favoring her.¡±

    No matter how angry, unwilling, or wronged I was.

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, staring at me with a cold and indifferent gaze.

    He said, ¡°In work, if something you did wrong, then it¡¯s wrong. No matter how much you say, it¡¯s just an excuse.¡±

    Not to mention, the so¨Ccalled evidence you have couldn¡¯t prove anything.

    Even if the evidence clearly proves that someone is harming you, it is still your own problem.

    me yourself for not protecting your own data, not setting a password for yourputer, and letting others take advantage.

    When faced with such a problem, your first thought is not how others might harm you, but how you can protect yourself.

    What I wanted to see was always just the correct data, the correct results. The grievances and scheming among you have nothing to do with me.

    Yes, apany¡¯s CEO, what they always focus on is work efficiency and results.

    The grudges and scheming between employees were indeed not his

    concern.

    I was so naive, thinking he would stand up for me.

    However, the truth is that if it were Kimberly who was framed, he would definitely not be so indifferent.

    In the end, I meant nothing to him in his heart.

    Certainly, he despised me so much, what weight could I have in his heart.

    I was so naive to think that as long as there was evidence, he would punish Kimberly for me.

    Oh, Esmeralda, you are so naive!

    I suppressed the thousand emotions in my heart and forced out a smile at him, saying, ¡°I understand, thank you for teaching me, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    ¡°If there is nothing else, Mr. Humphrey, I will go out and be busy.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, just stared at me deeply. In his cold eyes, there seemed to be another hint of emotion hidden.

    I didn¡¯t delve into it, nor did I wait for him to speak. I just turned around and walked out on my own.

    There were too many grievances in my heart.

    I was afraid that if I stayed for one more second, all those grievances would burst out.

    After all, in front of him, I had no qualifications to vent my emotions.

    Coming out of the president¡¯s office, Kimberly still looked at me smugly.

    I ignored her and walked out to my seat.

    Suddenly, her surprised and concerned voice rang out in the office, not

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    too loud or too soft, just enough for everyone in the office to hear.

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    She said, ¡°Oh, Ms. Duffy, why are your eyes red? Have you been crying?¡±

    In an instant, everyone turned to look at me.

    Apanied by mocking voices.

    ¡°Hahaha, it must have been Mr. Humphrey scolding her.¡±

    ¡°I heard that all the report data she did was wrong. Oh, how stupid, even a simple report can be done wrong.¡±

    ¡°It goes without saying that Mr. Humphrey scolded her. I bet it won¡¯t be long before Mr. Humphrey asks her to pack up and leave.¡±

    I ignored the mocking voices and sat back down on the chair nonchntly.

    Mny looked at me with worry and guilt, ¡°Esmeralda, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have let you help me with the report, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I smiled at her, ¡°just a few errors in the data, I¡¯ll fix it.¡±

    ¡°Did Mr. Humphrey have¡­¡±

    ¡°No, he just said a few words to me, nothing special.¡±

    ?????????????????????????????????????69)?????????????

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    <b>Chapter373 </b>

    2849ers

    At that moment, Leticia suddenly emerged from the CEO¡¯s office.

    She first nced at me triumphantly, then made everyone quiet down and said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, Mr. Humphrey just said that you don¡¯t have to work at Secretariat anymore.¡±

    was startled in my heart.

    What do you mean, Reynaldo finally decided to kick me out?

    The office suddenly became lively, with everyoneughing at me for being fired.

    Especially Kimberly, the sneer at the corner of her lips was almost impossible to hide.

    Ah, they are so smug, so pleased with themselves, little do they know how happy I am inside.

    I never wanted to work under Reynaldo¡¯s watchful eye from the beginning, everything was just forced by that man.

    Now that he was willing to let me go, nothing could be better.

    And now with the diamond ne that Matthew gave me, I don¡¯tck money either.

    When I cash in that ne, and then take that big sum of money to a city I like to live a good

    e, it will be much happier than being bullied

    here.

    was calcting in my mind.

    ?????????

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    Leticia suddenly turned to me and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey mentioned that the entertainment project we invested in with Clicks Media is nearingpletion. We need someone to go to the set to supervise during this period and report back to thepany promptly on any developments.¡±

    Mr. Humphrey asked you to go, anyway you are just a idle person, and also a idle person who can¡¯t even do reports well!

    I furrowed my brows and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The point is, you¡¯re not even qualified to do odd jobs for us, you¡¯re only fit to run errands on set,¡± Leticia said disdainfully.

    Other people were somewhat disappointed to see that I was not fired.

    Mny smiled at me and said, ¡°Luckily, this job is still secure. Once that movie is finished shooting, you should be able toe back.¡±

    I pursed my lips, said nothing, but felt a bit confused inside.

    Why didn¡¯t Reynaldo fire me, but instead transferred me to the set? What¡¯s the intention behind it?

    So annoying, why didn¡¯t he just tell me to get lost.

    In the blink of an eye, I unexpectedly met Kimberly¡¯s calcting eyes.

    I sneered at her and pulled my lips.

    Next, I went straight to the set to work. Let¡¯s see how she can still harm<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Actually, going to the set is fine, Vonnie is on set.

    The next day, when I

    me a big bear hug.

    rived at the set, Vonnie was overjoyed and gave

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    Vonnie was still dressed in medieval clothing.

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    Believe it or not, she, who is usually extravagant and domineering, looks quite the part in vintage formal attire.

    ¡°Ralda, will youe to the set every day from now on?¡± Vonnie asked me excitedly.

    I nodded, ¡°It should be until the end of your shooting.¡±

    ¡°Ah, great! I was worried I wouldn¡¯t have time to see you, but now I can see you every day.¡±

    I was also very happy in my heart, and I asked her, ¡°How much longer will it take to finish this y?¡±

    ¡°Um, yesterday they said that the n was to finish shooting within a month and a half.¡±

    ¡°It was quite rushed. I remember your y was a big production, right? It didn¡¯t take long to film, did it?¡±

    Well, anyway, it was very rushed, working overtime day and night to shoot.

    Winston might have been anxious after all, as he had high hopes for this y and had invested all his funds in it.

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    As for the leading actress, her pay could be quite high. Shooting for one more day would cost a lot of money.¡±

    In the end, Vonnie leaned in close to my ear and whispered.

    I nodded, my gaze passing over her to the leadingdy resting on the lounge chair.

    Cristina really lives up to her reputation as a top female star, she has a grand presence, just taking a break like this, surrounded by assistants waiting on her.

    Just then, Vonnie suddenly reached for my stomach.

    ¡°Hi hi, are the babies doing well?¡±

    ¡°What baby?¡±

    Vonnie had just finished asking when suddenly there was a figure beside her.

    It was Anton.

    That day in the video, I saw Anton wearing retro clothing, very

    handsome, that temperament, very much like the feeling of ¡®a person as precious as jade¡®.

    At this moment, seeing with my own eyes, the real person is even more

    handsome than in the

    ¡°What are you guys talking about, baby?¡± Anton asked again.

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    The corners of the lips were smiling, yet it seemed like they weren¡¯t.

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    The voice was low and deep, apanied by that stunning face, hmm, only one word to describe it ¨C charming.

    ¡°Ah, no, nothing baby,¡± Vonnie chuckled and looked at me in surprise.

    I looked at Anton and smiled, ¡°We were talking about a TV series, there is a very cute baby in it.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Anton chuckled.

    I awkwardly touched my nose.

    I asked myself, I have also seen many handsome guys, including Reynaldo who is the cream of the crop among handsome guys.

    Just like Anton smiled at me just now, I suddenly felt a dizzying

    sensation.

    So embarrassing.

    ¡°Esmeralda, were you sent by yourpany?¡± Anton suddenly asked.

    I nodded and said, ¡°Thepany sent me to supervise the progress of your filming.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Antonughed again.

    This smile made me dizzy again.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mr. Palmer, you look really nice in that outfit.¡±

    For beautiful things, I have always been sparing with praise.

    Antonughed and said, ¡°You used ¡®beautiful¡® to describe me?¡±

    I also awkwardly smiled, really not knowing what words to use to

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    describe it.

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    There was a pause, and suddenly Anton looked at me seriously and asked, ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know exactly what he was asking, so I said a little confusedly, ¡°I like it, this outfit looks very nice.¡±

    ¡°You like it, that¡¯s good.¡±

    He smiled and walked away, the director over there was already calling him.

    As soon as he left, Vonnie eximed in surprise, ¡°Ralda, why do I feel like <i>Mr. </i>Palmer was looking at you with a hint of ambiguity?¡±

    I gave her a speechless look and said, ¡°The way you look at people, it always seems ambiguous.¡±

    Vonnie chuckled, ¡°No, I was serious.¡±

    However,pared to that Reynaldo, Mr. Palmer was really warm and took good care of us young actors on set.

    ¡°Actually, without Reynaldo, you and Mr. Palmer get along quite well.¡±

    I became more and more speechless in my heart, ¡°You might as well change your career and be a matchmaker. You see everyone as a couple.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    I chatted with Vonnie for a while, and then she was called over by the director.

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    I sat in the nearby resting area watching them.

    17289***

    To be honest, I was just sitting there like a loafer, and Reynaldo really didn¡¯t need to send someone to supervise their filming progress.

    In the end, that man just didn¡¯t want to see me during this time, but he was unwilling to let me go, so he kicked me over.

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    Chapter375

    Thinking of Reynaldo favoring Kimberly made my heart ache.

    I sat in the chair, brooding to myself.

    The shoulder was suddenly tapped gently by someone.

    I turned my head in confusion and saw Winston.

    ¡°Ralda, it¡¯s really you.¡± Winston said, his eyes lighting up slightly when he saw me.

    My feelings towards Winston wereplex and strange.

    I was very clear that I had no romantic feelings for him.

    Because of the happy time of youth in the past, whenever I see him now, there is always a kind of indescribable sadness in my heart.

    Winston sat down beside me.

    He said, ¡°I have received the message, Reynaldo sent you to supervise the progress of the shooting.¡±

    I nodded without saying anything.

    ¡°I was actually quite surprised,¡± he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Reynaldo to send you over.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who is sent, they are all paid the same.¡± I said lightly.

    He shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s different. After all, what he cares most about is me being with you. And now, he sent you over. Isn¡¯t he afraid that we <b>will </b>see each other every day?¡±

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    I was also quite puzzled by this.

    On weekdays, every time I met Winston, Reynaldo would go crazy in front of me.

    And now I can say that he was the one who brought me to meet Winston.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Maybe he suddenly doesn¡¯t mind these things anymore.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    Winston suddenly smiled strangely and said, ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s thoughts are really hard to figure out.¡±

    Yes, no one could guess what was on Reynaldo¡¯s mind.

    After a moment of silence, Winston suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°Ralda, when this y of mine bes a big hit and I be famous, you shoulde with me.¡±

    When Winston said this, his tone was full of certainty.

    It can be seen that he had great confidence in his own y.

    This time, the leading actress was throwing a tantrum and acting like a diva.

    And everyone on set saw it, as if it were a routine thing, including Winston.

    I was still puzzled, isn¡¯t she just a first¨Ctier celebrity? Why do they treat her with such tolerance?

    I couldn¡¯t help but ask Winston, ¡°How did you decide on casting Cristina as the leading actress? She may have good poprity as an actress, but she could copse at any time. Once she copses, then your entire

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    film¡­¡±

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    ¡°No way,¡± Winston said. ¡°Cristina was rmended by Anton, and her traffic is top¨Cnotch. Anton has a good eye for people, so there won¡¯t be any mistakes. He said my y will be a big hit, so it definitely will be!¡±

    I looked at Winston in surprise and said, ¡°He actually trusts Anton so much?¡±

    ¡°You and Anton¡­¡±

    ¡°I met Anton abroad, and he almost lost his life trying to save me, so he is the person I trust the most in this world.¡±

    I nodded knowingly.

    A person who is willing to risk their own life in order to save themselves is indeed worthy of trust.

    Just watching Cristina showing off made me feel a bit strange.

    Anton seemed like a person with meticulous thinking, so logically, he would never hire a star like Cristina who could copse at any moment.

    But I really couldn¡¯t think of any other reasons.

    Well, perhaps Cristina¡¯s traffic is really ofmercial value to them.

    They had to work overtime filming at night, so I went back when the afternoon shift ended.

    I spent the whole day on set, didn¡¯t see Reynaldo and Kimberly, and I was feeling pretty good.

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    The weather had been getting colder and the night was falling quickly.

    When I returned to the residential area, the sky had alreadypletely

    darkened.

    I bought a hamburger and a cup of juice from a vendor and was walking in the hallway when suddenly my arm was grabbed and pulled forcefully.

    I screamed and found myself pressed against the cold wall.

    I looked at the person in front of me in horror, my voice trembling, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The corridor was dimly lit, and I couldn¡¯t see the person in front of me, but waves of familiar scent filled my nostrils.

    My heart trembled fiercely.

    Could it be Reynaldo?

    But wasn¡¯t he ignoring me?

    Didn¡¯t they still drive me to the set today?

    What did it mean for him to suddenly appear here now?

    Various doubts arose in my mind, and the man fiercely kissed my lips.

    ¡°Hmm¡­

    ??

    I struggled instinctively, and the hamburger and juice in my hand both fell to the ground.

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    The man was strong and domincering, holding my wrists and pressing them over my head.

    His strong body pressed tightly against mine.

    I was kissed by him until I couldn¡¯t breathe, and all the doubts in my heart were swept away by his strong kiss.

    He kissed me for a long time, and under his intense attack, my legs went weak and I could hardly stand.

    In a daze, I was half embraced by him and brought to the door.

    His voice was hoarse and suppressed, ¡°Open the door!¡±

    I didn¡¯t move.

    He kissed my earlobe, his hot breath entering my ear canal, making me feel weak all over.

    If it weren¡¯t for his arm still around my waist, I would have fallen to the ground long ago.

    ¡°Open the door.¡±

    ???

    He whispered in my ear again, his voice low and sexy, as if carrying some kind of enchantment.

    I unconsciously reached into my pocket for the keys.

    The key was taken out, but I was so weak and powerless that my whole body was teased by him. I tried to insert the key into the keyhole several times, but failed to do so. Finally, the key fell to the ground.

    Reynaldo pressed me against the door panel and said in a deep voice, ¡°It seems like you enjoy being outside.¡±

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    He finished speaking, kissed my lips, and went all the way down.

    My head became even more confused, my legs weaker, and my whole body was about to fall to the ground.

    288 Vouchers

    He held me around the waist with one hand and pressed against the side of my head with the other, kissing my neck.

    At this moment, someone suddenly passed by in the corridor.

    I blushed and hid in his arms, panting heavily, almost pleadingly shouting to him, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t do this¡­¡±

    ¡°That key was picked up, and then the door was opened, and we entered the room¡­¡±

    His voice was low and deep, with a hint of seduction and a touch of an irresistiblemand.

    He released the hand that was pinching my waist after he finished speaking.

    In an instant, I slid down the door panel.

    I sat on the ground, grabbing the keys that had fallen beside me, but I didn¡¯t have the strength to stand up.

    Reynaldo looked down on me.

    He looked against the light, unable to see the expression.

    He stared at me for a long time, then suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°It seems like you still prefer to be outside.¡±

    I shook my head, leaned back against the door panel, and then struggled to stand up.

    His entire tall figure loomed over me, leaving me with nowhere to escape.

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    Under his dark and stern gaze, I obediently turned around to open the door.

    I don¡¯t know if it was because I was too nervous or because my hands were weak, but I tried several times and still couldn¡¯t insert the key into the hole.

    The man¡¯s hard chest suddenly pressed against me, then his big hand wrapped around mine, and slowly guided me to insert the key into the keyhole.

    With a gentle twist, there was a click and the door opened.

    I was hugged into the house by him, before I could react, he used his foot to close the door, and then with a turn, he pressed me against the door panel.

    ¡°Rey¡­¡±

    ??

    I wanted to call out to him, but before I could even open my mouth, he fiercely kissed me.

    The kiss was very crazy, even more terrifying than just now in the corridor, as if it had been suppressed for a long, long time.

    The clothes were quickly stripped clean by him, in a daze, I was led to the bed by him.

    He kissed every part of my body, and I felt like I was as soft as a puddle of water, and very hot and ufortable.

    I leaned against his shoulder, feeling ufortable and wanting to push

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    him away.

    His face turned cold, and he grabbed both of my wrists with one hand, pressing them directly above my head.

    He squinted his eyes, with a strong desire and a chilling coldness in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t want to?¡±

    He smiled coolly, ¡°Even if unwilling, it has to be this way.¡±

    After saying that, he put his hand on my waist¡­

    Downstairs, there were lively cries faintly heard, footsteps andughter asionallying from the corridor, but indoors it was a scene of spring beauty.

    I bit my lip in silence, not daring to make a sound.

    And the man, like someone who had been hungry for a long time, tirelessly demanded.

    After some time passed, he finally let out a satisfied low growl.

    Iy still in bed until he got off me, then I pulled the nket over myself.

    He went straight to the bathroom, and soon the sound of water could be hearding from inside.

    Iy on my side in bed, staring nkly at the figure reflected on the bathroom door.

    It seems that, even though he detested me, he had no intention of letting go of me as his outlet for venting.

    After the incident with Matthew at Yoripero, he became particrly hostile and distant towards me.

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    When he came back, he even sent me to the set.

    I thought that before long, he would forget about me, and then I could leave without any worries.

    Seeing the situation tonight, Reynaldo probably won¡¯t let me off.

    A few dayster, he couldn¡¯t bear his desires and came to me to vent.

    That is to say, as long as he wanted to, he woulde to me.

    At this rate, what chance did I have of getting away?

    At

    Thinking of this, I felt a bit restless in my heart.

    With a bang, the bathroom door opened.

    The man came out wrapped in a towel.

    He didn¡¯t look at me, even though that aspect had already been resolved, his face still very cold.

    He sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then exhaled smoke rings slowly leaning back against the sofa.

    I furrowed my brows slightly, wanting him not to smoke, but I didn¡¯t dare to speak up.

    I pursed my lips, silently got up, wrapped myself in a robe, and opened the window to the fullest.

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    When I turned around, our eyes met.

    The man¡¯s desire in his eyes had dissipated at this moment, leaving only coldness.

    He nced at me lightly, then looked away, smoking leisurely.

    That side profile, cold to the extreme.

    I lowered my head, took the clean clothes, and silently went to the bathroom.

    After taking a shower, I stood in front of the mirror, looking at the marks all over my body, and sighed silently.

    I don¡¯t know if it was because of my skin or if that man really used too much force.

    Every time, there were many marks on my body.

    The area around the waist was a bit bruised.

    I was looking at the marks on my waist when suddenly I noticed a problem.

    My lower abdomen was slightly bulging.

    What should I do? Am I starting to show?

    I quickly looked at it from the front again, fortunately it wasn¡¯t very obvious from the front.

    But this is not a solution.

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    After all, my belly would continue to grow day by day, and when it finally showedpletely, what should I do?

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    I washed my face irritably, thinking that I couldn¡¯t dy the matter of running away any longer. When Vonnie is free, I need to discuss it with

    her.

    I came out of the bathroom after getting my emotions in order.

    Reynaldo had finished smoking his cigarette, leaning against the head of the bed, holding a bottle of medicine in his hand and examining it.

    My heart was shocked.

    That was my medicine for preventing miscarriage!

    Fortunately, the medicine box, I had reced it with a calcium tablet box in advance.

    I just don¡¯t know if I can deceive this man.

    I tried to keep calm and walked over with a normal expression, ¡°These are calcium tablets, would you like to try a couple?¡±

    ¡°Calcium tablets?¡±

    He chuckled lightly, then opened the lid of the medicine box and sniffed at it near his nose.

    I felt disdain in my heart. How could he? Did he study pharmaceuticals before? Could he even smell the category of drugs?

    ¡°I had never seen such calcium tablets before.¡±

    He said indifferently, nced at me, his eyes a little dark.

    I said tly, ¡°There are many things you haven¡¯t seen before. If you don¡¯t

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    believe it¡¯s calcium tablets, you can take it for testing.¡±

    I said this deliberately and openly.

    1202 (suchers

    Because this man was too suspicious, not doing so would not dispel his doubts at all.

    Sure enough, as soon as I finished speaking, he closed the medicine box and then threw it into the drawer next to him.

    My tense heart finally rxed.

    The man¡¯s next sentence, however, made my just¨Cdropped heart jump again.

    He said, ¡°Tomorrow I would send someone to pick you up and then go to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°What, what are you going to the hospital for?¡± I asked nervously.

    Reynaldo looked at me calmly and said, ¡°Go to the hospital for a check- up.¡±

    My heart suddenly jolted, shaking my head quickly.

    Reynaldo ignored my resistance, stared at me, and slowly said, ¡°I told you in Yoripero that when youe back, I will take you for a check¨Cup.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t.¡±

    It was too sudden. I thought these days he was disgusted with me, cold to me, so I just let it go.

    I didn¡¯t expect that he still remembered all along.

    What should we do now?

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    I waspletely unprepared and had no idea what to do.

    Staves

    If I go to the hospital for a check¨Cup tomorrow, my secret pregnancy will definitely be revealed.

    What awaited me then was a terrible imprisonment and the separation of flesh and blood.

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    Thinking of this, I suddenly shivered.

    I looked at Reynaldo, on the verge of tears.

    I told him. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to go for the check¨Cup, I was afraid of pain.¡±

    The man looked at me, with no expression on his handsome face, but a hint of coldness between his eyebrows.

    He said coldly, ¡°How painful can it be? You have to go even if you don¡¯t want to!¡±

    The voice, though not loud, was authoritative and not to be argued with.

    I looked at him intently, my heart pounding with anxiety, but I didn¡¯t know how to resist.

    I tightened my grip on the hand by my side, mustered up my courage, and emphasized once again, ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡±

    Reynaldo lifted his eyelids and nced at me.

    He pursed his lips, said nothing, just took a cigarette out of the cigarette box on the bedside table.

    As he was about to light up, he nced at me again, a hint of annoyance shing between his eyebrows.

    Immediately, he put the cigarette back into the cigarette case, then got up from the bed and started to get dressed.

    Throughout the whole time, he didn¡¯t say another word, as if he couldn¡¯t

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    be bothered to even acknowledge me.

    Watching him put on his clothes, getting ready to leave.

    11

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    I hurried over and grabbed his arm, saying anxiously, ¡°Reynaldo, I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital for a check¨Cup.¡±

    He lowered his gaze to look at the hand sped around his arm, the cold and thin gaze finallynding on my face.

    He sneered, ¡°So scared? Is there really some secret?¡±

    I shook my head hastily and said, ¡°There is no secret, I am just simply afraid of pain, I am afraid of pain.¡±

    ¡°I have to go even if I¡¯m afraid of pain.¡±

    Reynaldo slowly pushed away my hand, his tone cool but firm to the

    extreme.

    He nced at me lightly, then opened the door and walked out, his back figure indescribably cold.

    The door closed slowly, and I sat down on the sofa in confusion, my heart

    in a mess.

    What should I do now?

    What should havee finally came,

    Can you escape?

    Obviously not.

    I escaped once, now, he might have sent someone to watch me from all directions.

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    By then, I¡¯m afraid whether he escaped or not, the oue would be even

    worse.

    I leaned back on the sofa, feeling agitated and my mind in a mess.

    What to do? What should I do?

    Perhaps it was because Reynaldo had just been bothering me too much, I was so irritated that I curled up on the sofa and fell asleep in a daze.

    I woke up again in the middle of the night, startled by a nightmare, and woke up sweating.

    The cool night breeze blew in, and I shivered with cold, so I quickly got up to close the window.

    As I was about to close the window, I suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure downstairs.

    At a closer look, who is that if not Reynaldo?

    The man was leaning against the car smoking a cigarette at the moment, and the spark was flickering in the cool breeze.

    I took a sudden deep breath.

    It seems he never left.

    Fortunately, fortunately I didn¡¯t think about running away just now, otherwise I would have been caught by him.

    I secretly congratted myself when the man suddenly looked towards<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I pursed my lips and pulled the window shut.

    I turned around and leaned against the window, recalling the nightmare I

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    <b>Chapter380 </b>

    In the dream, it was another day of dark imprisonment, and it was the painful scene of him and Kimberly trying to take away my baby.

    Whenever I think of the scenes in my dream, I tremble all over.

    I buried my face in my hands, feeling anxious and helpless in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t sleep well in the second half of the night, waking up numerous times. Every time I woke up, I felt extremely anxious.

    Only by touching the slightly protruding belly can I feel the presence of the two babies, and my heart will be slightly calmed.

    Just the thought that Reynaldo would soon find out the secret of my pregnancy and take away my baby made my heart ache.

    Sometimes I really hated him, why did he have to be so cruel to me.

    That was my baby, why did he have to be taken away, why?

    Tears silently slid from the corners of my eyes, I buried my face in the pillow, and my heart ached in waves.

    The next morning someone knocked on my door.

    I shrank into the quilt and didn¡¯t move,

    Knock, knock, knock¡­

    The knocking on the door continued.

    I pulled the quilt over my head and ignored it.

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    Before long, my phone rang again.

    I touched my phone and nced at it, it was Reynaldo calling.

    I threw my phone aside and didn¡¯t want to answer.

    1286 Vouchers

    But he kept hitting, as if he had a look of ¡°I won¡¯t stop until you fight back¡°.

    The knocking on the door outside was incessant, and the phone kept ringing non¨Cstop.

    Every sound seemed like a death knell.

    I buried my head in the quilt and couldn¡¯t help but cry in despair.

    After crying for a while, the knocking on the door stopped, but the phone was still ringing.

    I took a deep breath,posed myself, and answered the phone.

    As soon as the phone was answered, Reynaldo¡¯s cool voice came through with a sneer: ¡°Do you think you can avoid going to the hospital?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey was overthinking,¡± I said as calmly as possible. ¡°I just fell asleep and didn¡¯t hear the phone ring.¡±

    ¡°Well, so you couldn¡¯t even hear the knocking, how dead asleep were you?¡±

    The man chuckled and his tone became more sarcastic.

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    He said coldly, ¡°Open the door! Come down by yourself within ten minutes, or I wille up and ask you toe down!¡±

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    He hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.

    I clenched my phone and huddled helplessly under the covers.

    289 Vouchers

    Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, five minutes had gone by.

    I cried as I pulled back the covers, covering my face and cursing Reynaldo countless times.

    Why did he have to push me like that?!

    It was just three years of oppression, I had already allowed him to vent his insults without any dignity, what else does he want?

    Why did he just refuse to let go of my baby?

    Crying, I put on my clothes and went to wash my face.

    The reflection in the mirror, with eyes bloodshot, the whole face pale and terrifying.

    I took a long breath and then just walked out the door.

    As soon as I walked out of the hallway, I ran into Braylon head¨Con.

    Braylon saw me and his eyes lit up, joyfully saying, ¡°Oh, Ms. Duffy, you finally came down. If you didn¡¯te down soon, Mr. Humphrey was going toe to your door himself.¡±

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    I stared at him with bloodshot eyes and said, ¡°Was it you who knocked on my door like it was a matter of life and death just now?¡±

    Braylon was puzzled, ¡°It was Mr. Humphrey¡¯s orders. I didn¡¯t want to disturb people like that, but Mr. Humphrey said, ¡®If you don¡¯t open the door, just keep knocking, knock until you open the door.¡±

    He paused, then suddenly looked at me enviously and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, I didn¡¯t expect your sleep quality to be so good, like clockwork.¡±

    I stiffly tugged at my lips and looked past him to his back.

    Reynaldo was still leaning against the car, hands in his pockets, his ck eyes staring straight at me.

    I took a deep breath and walked towards him.

    He grinned at me and said, ¡°Are you willing to let go?¡±

    I looked at him pitifully, holding onto thest bit of hope, and said to him, ¡°Can we not go to the hospital? As long as we don¡¯t go to the hospital, I can do anything you ask.¡±

    With that, I also pleasingly grabbed his arm.

    He lowered his gaze and stared at me, with a mocking look in his eyes.

    ¡°Can you do anything?¡±

    I nodded cagerly, ¡°Yes, even if it means actively trying to please you.¡±

    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t go to the hospital, Reynaldo, I am really scared.¡±

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    As I spoke, tears also streamed down my face.

    I looked at him with tears in my eyes, praying that he would soften his heart.

    But I was never Kimberly.

    My tears, <b>my </b>pity, were of no use to him in the end.

    He gently pushed away my hand and chuckled, ¡°Ms. Duffy, do you think you are qualified to negotiate terms with me now?<i>¡± </i>

    I think <b>taking </b>you to the hospital for a check¨Cup and having you do anything else didn¡¯t conflict, did it?

    I secretly tightened the hand by my side, a touch of self¨Cmockery rising in my heart.

    Yes.

    I was just a tool for him to vent, his canary.

    Couldn¡¯t escape and couldn¡¯t resist.

    So, even though he forced me to go to the hospital for a check¨Cup today, he could still force me to do anything else.

    These two do not conflict.

    I actually negotiated terms with him, thinking about it is ridiculous.

    ¡°Get on the car!¡±

    Reynaldo opened the back door and coldly spat out two words.

    I bit my lip in secret, feeling a sharp pain in my heart that was hard to bear

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    Seeing that I didn¡¯t move, his tone became heavy and his voice turned cold, ¡°Do you want me to invite you up?¡±

    I looked at him with a heart full of bitterness and pain, tears welling up in my eyes, and said, ¡°Reynaldo, I hate you.¡±

    He smiled indifferently and said, ¡°You already hated me, so a little more doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    I buried my head and got on the car, no longer asking for him.

    He treated me and Kimberlypletely differently.

    My tears and weakness, in front of him, only seemed ridiculous and ironic.

    I will never beg him again, not in this lifetime.

    Reynaldo followed and got on board.

    He sat beside me, his whole body exuding a cold and gloomy aura.

    I moved to the side a little, not wanting to get close to him at all.

    He nced at me sideways, his lips curling slightly, revealing a touch of icy sarcasm.

    Braylon was driving in front.

    No one spoke along the way, and the atmosphere in the carriage became cold and awkward, making the ten¨Cplus kilometers journey suddenly feel exceptionally long.

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    I don¡¯t know how long passed, the car finally stopped at the entrance of the hospital.

    Braylon quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and then opened the door on Reynaldo¡¯s side, respectfully asking Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, should I wait for you outside or go in with you?¡±

    ¡°Wait outside.¡±

    Reynaldo said lightly.

    Then I clearly heard Braylon sigh.

    Reynaldo got off the car and saw that I didn¡¯t follow. His eyes instantly turned cold as he nced at me and said, ¡°You¡¯d better be more conscious.¡±

    I reluctantly followed, holding onto the hand by my side.

    He gave me a cold look and then turned around and walked into the hospital.

    After walking a few steps, as if he thought I was too slow, he turned back and pulled my arm, dragging me inside.

    This man was so strong that he pulled my wrist so hard it hurt.

    I frowned and peeled his hand off mine, ¡°Let go of me, I can walk by myself!¡±

    The man remained silent, still holding onto me, and quickened his pace.

    I red at his cold back with hatred, at that moment, I really hated him.

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    He made an appointment for me with a gynecologist in advance, and scheduled with a gynecologist in the hospital who is more experienced.

    We arrived rtively early, and there were hardly any people in the gynecology department.

    Reynaldo took me directly to the office of the head of the gynecology department.

    Because of Reynaldo¡¯s status, the head of the gynecology department greeted him warmly.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you have arrived.¡±

    Reynaldo pointed at me and said to the head of the gynecology department, ¡°Give her an examination to see why she can¡¯t get pregnant.¡±

    The head of the gynecology department couldn¡¯t help but look at me, she looked me up and down and asked me, ¡°Is your period regr? Have you ever had an abortion before?¡±

    I clenched my fists tightly by my side, pressing my lips together without saying a word.

    The head of the gynecology department frowned at me and asked, ¡°Have you ever had an abortion? You¡¯d better answer honestly.¡±

    I still didn¡¯t say a word.

    The head of the gynecology department couldn¡¯t help but look at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo nced at me coldly, his eyes half¨Cclosed, exuding a sense of danger.

    I took a deep breath and said lightly, ¡°I have never had an abortion, and my period is irregr.¡±

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    The head of the gynecology department ignored me, typing on the keyboard while saying to Reynaldo, ¡°I¡¯ll write a few prescriptions first, let her go for aprehensive examination, and then show me the examination report to see what the problem is.¡±

    ¡°If she really had a problem, we would determine the treatment nter.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded.

    He paused and then suddenly asked, ¡°If there is a problem, can it generally be cured?¡±

    ¡°Yes, female infertility can be cured in most cases.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, as if he had let out a sigh of relief.

    I red at him angrily, not understanding why he insisted that I have a baby for him.

    There are so many women in this world, even if Kimberly has a weak body and cannot give birth, as long as he says a word, there are plenty of women willing to give birth for him.

    Why did he insist on me being born?

    Did you want to use the child to retaliate against me?!

    I came out of the director¡¯s office.

    Reynaldo looked at the list and then said to me, ¡°Blood test on the third floor, ultrasound and routine check¨Cup on the second floor, let¡¯s go.¡±

    I didn¡¯t move.

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    He furrowed his brows, with a hint of impatience and hostility in the corners of his eyes.

    I snatched the check list from his hand and muttered, ¡°I can go by myself. A grown man running around in the gynecology department is embarrassing.¡±

    Reynaldo sarcastically sneered, ¡°Why should I feel embarrassed to apany my own woman for a gynecological examination?¡±

    I ignored him and continued walking towards the corridor with the inspection form in hand.

    He heard a gloomy warning from behind: ¡°You better not y any tricks, otherwise, I¡¯ll make you wish you were dead!¡±

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly pulled my lips.

    He thought too highly of me.

    Now I have no power or influence, I am as down and out as can be, what tricks can I still y?

    I sat in the empty corridor, boredly looking at the inspection sheet in my hand.

    The secret of pregnancy being exposed is already a foregone conclusion, so, in order to avoid some examinations, should I juste clean with him directly.

    I hugged my knees, feeling bitter in my heart.

    No matter how carefully I hid, I couldn¡¯t escape the control of that man.

    #1

    When he found out that I was pregnant, he would definitely lock me up to nurture the baby until delivery. What I couldn¡¯t stand the most was that he would take away my baby and give it to Danielle and Kimberly.

    I would really go crazy by then.

    What should I do?

    I didn¡¯t confess to him, and he would still find out about my pregnancy

    after these tests were done.

    A sense of helplessness spread in my heart, almost suffocating me.

    I buried my face between my knees, letting the tears fall silently.

    Suddenly, a familiar voice faintly came from the hallway.

    ¡°Not yet, expected in one month.¡±

    ??

    ¡°Well, a monthter, it was widely announced, during this time, you guys collected good materials and evidence.¡±

    I furrowed my brow, listening to the sound. Why did it sound so much like Anton¡¯s voice?

    Didn¡¯t he go to the set today?

    Driven by curiosity, I leaned over the handrail and looked down below.

    Suddenly, a fierce and cold gaze shot towards me.

    At that moment of eye contact, my heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a chill instantly crawled up my spine.

    The man wore a mask and a duckbill cap, with only his eyes showing.

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    ¡±

    And I still recognized him at a nce, he was Anton!

    Why did Anton have such a terrifying look in his eyes?

    My heart was beating hard, leaning on the railing, staring at him in fear

    And in the few seconds he saw me, the cold and fierce look in his eyes disappeared in an instant, reced by a touch of astonishment.

    ¡°Esmeralda?¡±

    The familiar voice dritted over, carrying the usual gentleness, as if the hostility in his eyes just now was only my imagination.

    ¡°Esmeralda?¡±

    He shouted at me again, and the person had already taken a step forward.

    Before long, he walked up to me.

    I stared at him nkly, and at that moment, inexplicably felt that he was a bit scary.

    ¡°Esmeralda, is that really you?¡± Anton smiled at me and then took off his mask, saying to me, ¡°It¡¯s me, Anton. You didn¡¯t fail to recognize me, did you?¡±

    I smiled and shook my head without saying a word.

    He stared at me for a few seconds, seeming to exin, and said, ¡°I thought just now that it was the paparazzi following me, so I looked a bit fierce. Did I scare you?¡±

    I suddenly saw the light in my heart.

    He had just thought I was a paparazzo.

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    Also, big stars like them hate paparazzi following and taking photos of them, and then reporting randomly.

    I said, how could Anton look at people with such a fierce look in his eyes.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± Anton suddenly leaned in closer to me, his ck and white eyes staring at me intently.

    His features were truly exquisite. Suddenly, as he leaned in closer, my heart inexplicably skipped a beat. I quickly leaned back, slightly increasing the distance between us.

    Anton smirked, looking very mischievous, once again leaving me feeling dizzy.

    To be honest, if he is a little bad, a little evil, then he really is a monster.

    Looking at his peerless face up close, I felt my face flush and my heart race, so I quickly averted my gaze.

    Anton chuckled and said, ¡°Esmeralda, you weren¡¯t actually¡­ scared by me, were you?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­¡± I quickly shook my head in denial.

    He chuckled twice, finally straightened up, and took a step back from me.

    I sighed and awkwardly rubbed my flushed face.

    I am also amazed at myself. Being stared at by a handsome guy makes me blush and my heart race. It¡¯s really pathetic!

    Anton nced at me and said with a smile, ¡°True, Reynaldo has never

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    given you a good face, and his eyes always seem to be as sharp as knives.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even afraid of his gaze, so how could you be afraid of me, right?¡±

    Whenever he mentioned Reynaldo, my heart would skip a beat, bringing a touch of bitterness and pain.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Yes, you are much better than him, at least¡­ in your attitude towards me.¡±

    Anton¡¯s gaze deepened inexplicably when he looked into my eyes, and then it became somewhat elusive, as if he was seeing another person through me, or reminiscing about something in the past.

    He remained silent for a long time.

    I couldn¡¯t help but shout to him, ¡°Mr. Palmer?¡±

    Anton came to his senses and smiled at me, that smile could be considered gentle.

    I asked him, ¡°Howe you¡¯re here? Wasn¡¯t there a notice today?¡±

    ¡°Tll goter and ask my friend some medical questions.¡±

    He paused and suddenly nced at the check¨Cup form in my hand, asking me, ¡°What about you? Are you here for a check¨Cup at the hospital? Is something bothering you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    I was about to speak when suddenly my phone rang.

    It was Reynaldo who called.

    I furrowed my brows, smiled apologetically at Anton, and then walked to the side to answer the phone.

    11

    As soon as the phone was answered, the man¡¯s impatient and cold voice came through, ¡°Have you finished the inspection?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that fast, you think it¡¯s just a blood draw,¡± I said irritably.

    There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then came the question, ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯lle find you.¡±

    ¡°No, I will check it myself.¡±

    Perhaps I opposed too strongly, and the man¡¯s voice turned colder: ¡°You better not y any tricks on me, otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    He had made such vicious threats countless times that by now, as I listened, I felt no reaction inside.

    I said lightly, ¡°Got it.¡±

    I hung up the phone after saying that.

    This phone call made my mood even more depressed, and the difficult problems I had to face kept piling up.

    Anton looked at me and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Reynaldo call?¡±

    I nodded and sat on the steps, feeling so bored that I didn¡¯t know what to

    do

    Anton sat down beside me and nced at the checklist in my hand. He said, ¡°You, gynecological examination? Did Reynaldo bring you here?¡±

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    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°He wanted me to have a baby for him, but¡­.. I didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    Anton smiled, seemingly a little happy for no reason.

    He said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then don¡¯t give birth to him. No one is forcing you to do such a thing.¡±

    I looked at him, bitterly tugged at my lips, not knowing how to tell him.

    After a while, I got up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to get checked, you should go busy yourself too.¡±

    Well, since I can¡¯t hide it anymore, I¡¯ll just confess to Reynaldo, at least I can avoid the pain of being checked, right?

    I was about to leave when Anton suddenly grabbed my wrist.

    He stared at me for a while and asked, ¡°Esmeralda, have you encountered any difficulties?¡±

    I lowered my gaze and remained silent.

    He added, ¡°This hospital belongs to my friend. The president and department heads are all familiar with me. So, if you have any difficulties, you can tell me and I will see if I can help you.¡±

    Was this hospital his friend¡¯s hospital?

    So, can they help me make a fake medical report?

    Thinking of this, my heart suddenly raced, feeling a bit excited.

    I hurriedly said to Anton, ¡°Um, I, I do have some things that need help, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s convenient for you guys, or if it would be too much trouble for you.¡±

    Anton smiled and said, ¡°You go first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s this¡­¡± I handed him the checklist and said, ¡°Reynaldo came today to take me for a check¨Cup, just to see why I haven¡¯t been able to get <b>pregnant</b>.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t checked yet. I want you to make a fake check for me. Do you think it¡¯s convenient?¡±

    After saying that, I looked at him with some anticipation.

    If Anton could help me, then I could continue to keep my pregnancy a

    secret.

    In that case, Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t have taken away my baby.

    Anton looked at me with deep eyes and said, ¡°So tell me the truth, are you pregnant or not?¡±

    ¡°She was pregnant.¡±

    Anton¡¯s face changed instantly, and a hint of self¨Cmockery shed across the corner of his lips.

    He said, ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s<i>? </i>How many months has it been?¡±

    ¡°It must have been over two months, I didn¡¯t want him to know.¡±

    Thinking that Anton could help me, I had no secrets from him.

    Just after hearing that I was really pregnant, Anton¡¯s face suddenly looked

    strange.

    My heart was too anxious, and at the moment I didn¡¯t have the extra

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    energy to figure out his thoughts.

    I looked at him expectantly and said, ¡°Can you ask your friend if he can help me? If it¡¯s not convenient, that¡¯s okay too.¡±

    Anton leaned back against the wall of the stairway, his hands in his pockets, one knee bent, lookingzy and casual, but his face didn¡¯t look very good.

    He took out a cigarette case, as if he wanted to smoke.

    After giving me a nce, he pushed the cigarette pack back into his pocket.

    He hung his head slightly, not knowing what he was thinking.

    I looked at him nervously for a while, thinking that he might be a little hesitant, so I said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, even if we can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Can help!¡± He sighed softly and looked up at me with a smile, ¡°Whatever it is, I can help.¡±

    When I wasing down from the inspection department with the report Anton gave me, I bumped into Reynaldo who was just about to go up.

    Reynaldo frowned tightly, with a hint of impatience and¡­ anxiety between his eyebrows.

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    ¡°How long did the inspection take?¡±

    He asked me, his eyes fixed on me like torches.

    I unrolled the inspection report and said with pursed lips, ¡°There are so many items to inspect, of course it will take some time.¡±

    ¡®What were the results of the examination? Were there any issues?¡±

    I don¡¯t know if it was just my imagination, but when he asked that question, I felt like his voice was slightly tense.

    He stared at me, his eyes dark and somewhat intimidating.

    So, with the results of the inspection, I was at a loss for words on how to

    tell him.

    After all, this inspection report was fake, it was forged for me by Anton¡¯s friend, so I still feel a little uneasy in my heart.

    ¡°Speak!¡±

    He suddenly growled, with a hint of impatience and annoyance in his

    voice.

    My heart trembled, and I whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go out first and then talk.¡±

    After saying that, I walked outside the hospital.

    Reynaldo instantly turned around and grabbed me.

    He growled at me with a bad tone, ¡°Why do you have to go out first? Tell me now, what are the test results?¡±

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    ¡°I, um, that¡­ that test result wasn¡¯t very good¡­¡±

    I watched him carefully and dare not continue speaking.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was dark at the moment, with a look of annoyance and hostility between his eyebrows, which was intimidating.

    Seeing me hesitate, his face darkened even more.

    He snatched the inspection report from my hand and spread it out.

    He couldn¡¯t understand the blood routine data and B¨Cultrasound results, so he just flipped through the pages.

    When he flipped to thest page, his body shook violently, and the expression on his face wasplex and indiscernible.

    He stared at thest page for a long time, then flipped back to the beginning, examining each page very carefully.

    After a long time, he finally looked at me and said in a deep voice, ¡°Infertile for life? Ha, I don¡¯t believe it!¡±

    He lifted the corners of his lips coldly, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

    It was as if I could never conceive and give birth in my lifetime, which was an extremely painful thing for him.

    Looking at his appearance, I felt a little guilty in my heart.

    ¡°You were perfectly fine, how could you be infertile for life? There must have been a mistake in the examination somewhere. I don¡¯t believe this report,e with me to see a doctor.¡±

    He held my hand and pulled me quickly towards the elevator.

    I forcefully pulled back my hand and whispered to me, ¡°The test results

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    are like that. There is indeed a problem with my body. I can¡¯t give you a baby, so, you¡­ you should find someone else¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± he red at me with crimson eyes, ¡°Is it that you don¡¯t want to bear children for me, or is there something wrong with your body? Esmeralda, you, a pampered youngdy who has never suffered, how could there be something wrong with your body.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I wouldn¡¯t believe this inspection report at all!¡±

    He dragged me into the elevator without saying a word.

    Still in the gynecology department, still the senior director.

    The director was taken aback when he saw Reynaldo running towards him aggressively, and quickly stood up to ask, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Reynaldo mmed the test results on her desk and said in a deep voice, ¡°Reissue the order for her to be tested, all of this is wrong. This time, I will apany her for the test!¡±

    My heart couldn¡¯t help but panic.

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    If he had apanied me to recheck, how could the inspection report still be falsified?

    I furrowed my brows and looked at the man beside me, feeling very puzzled: I couldn¡¯t get pregnant, why was he reacting so strongly?

    The director pushed his sses up his nose and reassured Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, please don¡¯t worry. Our hospital conducts tests and ultrasounds on the spot, so there won¡¯t be any mistakes.¡±

    ¡°I understand that you may not be able to ept this result, but this is really the truth.¡±

    When Anton gave me this fake medical report, he told me that he had already arranged everything with all the departments of the hospital, and told me not to worry.

    At that time, I didn¡¯t feel anything yet.

    At this moment, seeing the director clearly terrified of Reynaldo, but still able to help Anton deceive Reynaldo, it is clear that Anton¡¯s ability is quite impressive.

    This made me curious. Besides being a recognized big star, does Anton have any other hidden identities?

    Bang!

    Just as I was thinking, Reynaldo suddenly mmed his fist hard on the desk, startling me.

    The director was also trembling with fear.

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    She said awkwardly, ¡°There are many reasons for infertility, such as the impact of living environment on physical health, the influence of stress on hormone levels, having too many abortions or not doing them properly, or taking too many contraceptives. All of these can lead to infertility.¡±

    You can¡¯t say that just because she grew up in a privileged environment, her health is perfect. Many wealthy and powerful people still get sick when they should.

    Reynaldo fiercely dug his fingers into the edge of the desk and suddenly looked at me with a smile, ¡°Have you taken too much birth control pills?¡±

    How can I put it?

    It was pitch ck, like a gloomy, cold and deste dry well, making the heart shudder from within.

    I couldn¡¯t help but take two steps back, pursing my lips and keeping silent.

    Reynaldo chuckled.

    Smiling, but his eyes were bloodshot.

    He said to me, ¡°Are you so unwilling to have a child with me that you would rather end up infertile for life?¡±

    I clenched my fists tightly, feeling a sudden pain in my heart.

    There was a moment when I really wanted to tell him that I was not infertile for life, and that I was actually carrying your baby.

    But as those words were about toe out, I thought of Kimberly again, and I thought of his true purpose in asking me to have a baby for him.

    So those words were forcibly swallowed by me.

    Reynaldo sneered and slowly made his way outside step by step.

    <b>20.57 </b>

    Chacher 387

    11

    That back figure, lonely and deste, still faintly revealing a touch of sadness, made people feel ufortable when they saw it.

    I was about to follow when the director suddenly called me back.

    Not until Reynaldo¡¯s figure had gone far away did the director sarcastically chuckle at me, saying. ¡°You are really something, not only have you attached yourself to the famous Mr. Humphrey, but you have

    even won over our dean.¡±

    I frowned and asked, ¡°What do you mean? Who is your dean?¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop pretending. Our dean personally called to talk about you. Don¡¯t you know who our dean is?¡±

    That must have been the dean taking Anton¡¯s face into consideration, so concerned about my matter.

    Bute to think of it, I really don¡¯t know who the director of this hospital is? I¡¯ll have to find out when I have the chance.

    When I came out of the hospital, Reynaldo was leaning against the car smoking.

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    He also saw me, grinned at me, and that smile was tinged with self- mockery, a hint of hatred, and a touch of sadness, making people feel very ufortable.

    I stood there for a while before walking towards him.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I called out to him, but he ignored me, just turned his head to look elsewhere, his profile was cold and tinged with a hint of sadness.

    Although I oftenined about him and wanted to escape from him.

    Seeing him like this, a feeling of indescribable difort surged in my heart.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s me who can¡¯t have a baby, not you. As long as you are willing, there are plenty of options¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    He gritted his teeth and spoke word by word, the hatred in his tone seemed to want to tear me into pieces.

    After a while, he slowly turned his head and stared at me¡­

    There was no loud shouting, nor was there any cold threat.

    He just smiled at me calmly and said, ¡°Do you really not want to have a baby with me?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    <b>20.57 </b>

    Chapter388

    I hung my head, not knowing how to respond.

    17

    20 Arouchers

    He chuckled again, as if mocking me, and also as if mocking himself.

    He said, ¡°We will never have our own children, are you happy now?¡±

    His tone was filled with deep disappointment and sadness, I listened, feeling very ufortable in my heart.

    It seems that you really detest me to the extreme, preferring to never be a mother and not wanting any ties with me.

    Oh, Esmeralda, maybe you were right. We shouldn¡¯t have gotten married in the first ce. We shouldn¡¯t have had any involvement from the

    beginning.

    me me,

    hehe, me me for being too arrogant and greedy, thinking that way, I could get what I wanted.

    Originally, it was always just my wishful thinking.

    ¡°If time could start over, I would rather never have met you in this lifetime.¡±

    He finished speaking and looked at me with extreme disappointment.

    That look, more ufortable than staring at me fiercely.

    I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, when he suddenly opened the car door and got in.

    I instinctively reached out to him, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    He shook me off and then closed the car door, and the car started

    instantly.

    20.57

    11

    I stared nkly at the gradually disappearing taillights, feeling a sudden warmth in my eyes, followed by a blur.

    This was clearly the result I wanted.

    Listening to what he just said, why am I feeling so sad?

    Looking back, it was because he had Kimberly in his heart that he divorced me for Kimberly, even hurting me repeatedly.

    But why did he say those words just now, as if it was me who had wronged him, let him down.

    I sat nkly at the hospital entrance for a long time before getting up and heading to the set.

    Vonnie was resting on the side, and when she saw meing, she quickly came over.

    ¡°Ralda, why are you sote today?¡±

    After speaking, she paused for a moment, staring into my eyes and asked, ¡°Why are your eye sockets red, have you been crying?¡±

    I shook my head and asked her, ¡°How much longer will your y be filmed?¡±

    Well, the director had another meeting with usst night, saying that we need to finish filming within a month.

    ¡°Although I was just a supporting role, I survived until thest episode, so I had to keep filming until the end.¡±

    I nodded without saying anything.

    Vonnie nced at me and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look a bit strange today.¡±

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    ¡°I wanted to leave here.¡±

    As I said this, I suddenly remembered the words Reynaldo had just spoken, with a hint of choking in my voice.

    Vonnie was startled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Did Reynaldo bully you again?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head, forcing a smile on my face, ¡°It¡¯s okay, when your y is over, we can leave here together, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Vonnie quickly replied, ¡°I wish I could leave right now. My stepmother is so annoying. I think she¡¯s worried that I might be sessful, so she keeps bothering metely.¡±

    Thinking about leaving, I felt a little worried in my heart.

    ¡°Vonnie, I wasn¡¯t sure if Reynaldo would let me go, so we still had to figure out a way to sneak¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Vonnie, it¡¯s your turn!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when someone over there shouted for Vonnie to go over and shoot.

    Vonnie busily said to me, ¡°You take a break first, we¡¯ll chatter.¡±

    ¡°Um, you go quickly.¡±

    Vonnie had just left when Anton came over.

    Anton nced at my stomach, with a mysterious smile on his face.

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    He asked me, ¡°So, did Reynaldo believe the inspection report from this morning?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I nodded and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Anton sat down on the lounge chair, and immediately an assistant came over to touch up his makeup and hand him water.

    Anton nced towards a nearby ce and asked with a smile, ¡°What was his reaction?¡±

    I remained silent for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, no reaction.¡±

    Anton nced at me, then smiled again. I always felt that his smile was a bit strange.

    After a while, he said, ¡°I thought he would be very sad and angry.¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°Why do you think that way?¡±

    ¡°Feel it.¡± He paused, then looked at my abdomen. ¡°But, even though it¡¯s winter now and you¡¯re wearing thick clothes, do you think you can still hide it after you start showing?¡±

    I lowered my gaze and remained silent.

    I also knew that I couldn¡¯t hide it, so I was very anxious in my heart and wanted to leave as soon as possible, but I was afraid of angering Reynaldo and alerting him.

    ¡°Like I said, if you need any help, juste to me.

    I was taken aback and looked at him abruptly, ¡°Mr. Palmer, why did you help me?¡±

    At first, I felt that this man was very caring for me. At that time, I even thought that he was being extra special to me because of Winston.

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    After several encounters, I actually felt that his care for me had nothing to do with Winston.

    In my memory, I had no impression of him.

    So, why did he help me like that after all?

    Anton looked at me and smiled, with a hint of self¨Cmockery in his smile, ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t remember at all.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat and I quickly asked, ¡°What do you mean? Did I forget something?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Palmer¡­¡±

    Before Anton could even speak, the female lead Cristina suddenly approached.

    Cristina¡¯s voice was soft and gentle, which men should enjoy listening to.

    She took two bottles of drinks, gave one to Anton, and smiled coquettishly at Anton, ¡°Today is my birthday,e celebrate with me tonight.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Anton readily agreed and handed me the bottle of drink.

    Cristina saw the situation, her delicate willow leaf eyebrows furrowed, and the look in her eyes suddenly felt like a thorn.

    ¡°Oh, almost didn¡¯t see you there, isn¡¯t this the famous Ms. Duffy from before?¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    I politely greeted her with a nod.

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    17

    She sneered disdainfully, her proud eyes scanning me from head to toe, and chuckled, ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about you at first nce, no wonder Mr. Humphrey kicked you out with one foot.¡±

    Such irony, I have heard it countless times since my family went bankrupt, and my heart has long been calm.

    I got up and said, ¡°You guys keep talking, I¡¯ll go over there and take a look.¡±

    After saying that, I put down the bottle of drink and walked towards Vonnie.

    Vonnie, although a supporting role, had quite a lot of scenes, and they were all tough action scenes. I hope she can be famous because of

    this movie.

    I nced back at Anton.

    Anton was chatting with Cristina, and the two of them seemed to be talking about something interesting,ughing and joking.

    Today, because it was Cristina¡¯s birthday, the crew wrapped up early.

    Vonnie originally wanted to stay at my rental for one night, but Cristina invited the whole crew to her birthday party.

    Vonnie didn¡¯t want to go, but didn¡¯t want to offend her either, so she had to grit her teeth and go in the end.

    She asked me to go, but I refused.

    I couldn¡¯t drink alcohol again. If someone asked me to drink, I wouldn¡¯t

    20.57

    drink. It¡¯s inevitable that I would offend someone.

    After ss, everyone headed to the upscale private room booked by Cristina.

    I returned to my rented apartment alone.

    After leaving the crew, I was about to hail a taxi by the roadside.

    The sound of car horns suddenly came.

    I

    turned my head and saw that it was Cristina.

    A silver¨Cpurple luxury sports car, very stylish.

    11

    She stopped in front of me and looked at me with pity in her eyes, ¡°Tsk tsk, you look so down and out. You seem pitiful. Why don¡¯t youe to my birthday party?¡±

    Antonzily leaned against the passenger seat, casually ncing ahead with a cigarette between his fingers.

    The man¡¯s indifferent attitude towards me at the moment sharply contrasted with his warmth and enthusiasm towards me in the morning, making me suddenly feel like these were two different people.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you, are you deaf?!¡±

    I came to my senses and smiled at her, saying, ¡°Ms. Durant, thank you for your kindness, but I have something else to do, so I can¡¯t go. Happy birthday and have fun.¡±

    Cristina disdainfully snorted and sneered, ¡°Even though you are no longer a wealthy youngdy, you still have a big attitude. Are you waiting for Mr. Palmer to personally invite you?¡±

    She finished speaking, looked at Anton, and sneered at me, ¡°After someone goes bankrupt, it seems they still can¡¯t adapt to this gap. Why

    20.57

    Chapter390

    don¡¯t you pity her and invite her to join us?¡±

    Anton smiled and casually said, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to go, just let her be. There are enough people to keep you entertained, not to mention she always has a gloomy face, which would ruin the atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true.¡±

    Cristina nced at me mockingly, then drove away.

    From beginning to end, Anton never looked at me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but frown, feeling puzzled about why Anton was being hot and cold towards me.

    Sometimes he was so enthusiastic that I felt as if we had known each

    other for many years, like good friends for years.

    Sometimes, he looked at me with a cold and indifferent gaze, making me feel very distant.

    And I don¡¯t remember at all what he said in the afternoon, as if I had a deep connection with him before, but I forgot.

    <b>2057 </b>CO

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    Chapter391

    Looking at his attitude just now, I don¡¯t feel like we are old friends at all.

    Ah, it¡¯s really difficult to get along with people.

    Reynaldo was unpredictable and hard to figure out, while Anton was also strange and difficult to guess.

    I sighed and hailed a taxi on the roadside back to my rental house.

    Today I came back rtively early, I went to the market to buy some vegetables, nning to cook a nice meal.

    In the future, I will probably be staying on set most of the time, so I still want to improve my cooking skills. This way, I can cook fresh meals for Vonnie every day, because the boxed meals on set are really not tasty.

    I made two dishes following the recipes on my phone, one herb¨Croasted chops and one curry vegetables. They tasted pretty good.

    After eating, I took a shower, theny on the bed and scrolled through my phone. Suddenly, I felt that this kind of life was quite pleasant.

    As soon as I opened WhatsApp, I noticed that Vonnie had sent me several

    messages.

    Upon opening it, the first thing that caught my eye was several photos, all of which were of Reynaldo and Kimberly.

    The background is a luxurious KTV private room.

    It seems that Reynaldo also went to Cristina¡¯s birthday party with Kimberly.

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    Chapter391

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    Well, they really gave Cristina a lot of face, no wonder Cristina acted all high and mighty.

    In the photo, Reynaldo and Kimberly were very close.

    Reynaldo always looked at Kimberly with a gentle, caring gaze.

    Every time I think of the way he looked at me, my heart can¡¯t help but feel

    bitter.

    Vonnie posted several messages under the photo.

    You were right to want to leave.

    Reynaldo was really good to that Kimberly, being all kinds of gentle and considerate, even going to pour water for her personally.

    Think again about his attitude towards you¡­

    Really annoying!!

    I replied with a smile, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I have already let it go, and I didn¡¯t like him in the first ce, so it doesn¡¯t matter to me who he is nice

    to.¡±

    Vonnie didn¡¯t reply to the messages, she must have been ying with

    them.

    I exited the WhatsApp interface and pulled out the script that I had been studying for a long time to read.

    I was engrossed in watching when suddenly a message popped up on WhatsApp.

    Who do you like then? Anton? Winston?

    I was stunned, staring nkly at the message, feeling strange no matter how I looked at it.

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    Chapter391

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    Because it didn¡¯t sound like Vonnie¡¯s tone at all, and Vonnie wouldn¡¯t ask

    like that either.

    The tone of voice looked a bit like Reynaldo¡¯s tone of voice.

    Thinking of this, I quickly shook my head.

    How could Reynaldo possibly have sent me a message from Vonnie¡¯s phone?

    It was gettingte, so without much thought, I turned off my phone and went to sleep under the nket.

    For several days, Reynaldo did note to see me again.

    Every day I was shuttling between the film set and the rented house.

    The days passed very calmly, so calm that I felt that man had really walked out of my life.

    So I decided to go to the train station and the airport to see if there were any of Reynaldo¡¯s people watching me, in case I really had to leave the city.

    Early that day, I wandered around the airport and train station without carrying any luggage, and I didn¡¯t notice anyone suspicious staring at me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little relieved in my heart.

    <b>20:57 </b>

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    <b>Chapter392 </b>

    It seems that Reynaldo did not send anyone to watch me, which means I could leave Freybourne at any time.

    Although this was the freedom I had longed for, I don¡¯t know why, but I felt a little lost in my heart.

    I stayed at the airport for a while, pondered about my future ns, and then gathered my spirits to return to my rented house.

    I nned to pack up tonight and leave tomorrow.

    I had made an appointment with Vonnie. We would leave together after she finished filming.

    But I was afraid of the night being long and having many dreams.

    When I went back, I passed by the market and bought a lot of vegetables.

    These days I have been cooking and delivering food to the set.

    Vonnie really enjoyed eating the meals I cooked, saying that I had a talent for cooking and could learn quickly, and the food I made was so delicious.

    She just didn¡¯t know how many times I had failed.

    Before, it was because I cooked so badly that Reynaldo looked down on me, saying I couldn¡¯t do anything and was useless.

    Thinking of Reynaldo always made my heart feel sour.

    I just hope that after leaving, I can quickly forget this feeling.

    20:57

    Thinking about leaving tomorrow, I cooked a few more dishes today.

    11

    After finishing, I packed them in food boxes and prepared three portions.

    I had one, Vonnie had one, and Anton had one.

    I used to always bring food to Vonnie, but one time Anton saw me and said he couldn¡¯t stand the boxed meals on set either, and wanted to eat what I made.

    Given that he helped me in the hospital that time, so these days, when I brought food to Vonnie, I also prepared a portion for him.

    When I arrived at the set carrying a lunch box, it was exactly time for lunch.

    The staff were moving boxed meals to the set and distributing them to the extras one by one.

    Cristina, the female protagonist, had a grand demeanor and carried herself with high standards. Therefore, she didn¡¯t eat boxed meals, but rather had meals specially prepared at a seven¨Cstar hotel.

    When I arrived, the meal she had ordered had also arrived, and she was calling Anton toe over and eat with her.

    I was still thinking about Anton going to eat with her, just as I was eating with Vonnie, so as not to be talked about.

    Little did he know what he had said to Cristina, Cristina¡¯s face changed color, and the look in her eyes turned as bitter as if she had swallowed a poisoned needle.

    Anton strode over and without a word, took one of the packed meals from<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Vonnie nced at me and smiled, asking, ¡°Mr. Palmer, is the food ordered by Ms. Durant from a seven¨Cstar hotel¡¯s gourmet chef not better

    2057

    than what Ralda cooks? Why don¡¯t you go eat with Ms. Durant?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡¯s cooking still suits my taste better,¡± Anton said with a faint smile as he opened the takeout box.

    Vonnie chuckled at me, looking at me with a hint of ambiguity in her

    eyes.

    I rolled my eyes speechlessly.

    It turns out Winston hasn¡¯t been aroundtely, and she¡¯s back to shipping me with Anton.

    She is such a fickle woman!

    At this moment, there was a suddenmotion at the entrance of the set.

    Almost everyone looked over there, and I looked over there too.

    The next second, my heart suddenly trembled, almost unable to hold the fork steady.

    It was Reynaldo.

    He actually came to the set.

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    Chapter393

    I hadn¡¯t seen him for several days, and the man¡¯s face was a bit more gloomy than usual.

    Those ck eyes, still cold and stern enough to make people dare not look directly.

    J

    He must have been to the set for the first time, and his arrival caused quite a stir at the set.

    The directors, including Cristina, all approached him eagerly.

    Kimberly also followed, with a few bodyguards behind them.

    The bodyguard seemed to have also carried some beverages in his hands.

    Hello everyone, I apanied Reynaldo to visit, and then brought some drinks for everyone.

    Everyone worked hard, quickly take the drinks down and distribute them.¡±

    Kimberly smiled gracefully, with that innocent and pure face, she looked likable in every way.

    Plus, she came with Reynaldo, so her status was clear.

    In an instant, a group of peopleplimented her.

    ¡°The youngdy was beautiful and kind, standing next to Mr. Humphrey really made a perfect match.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, this one is much stronger than that Ms. Duffy.¡±

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    ¡°Yes, exactly, ady like this one has the demeanor of a president¡¯s wife. That Esmeralda is nothingpared to her, she¡¯s not even worthy of carrying her shoes.¡±

    When ites to ttery and criticism, my ears have calloused over, and my heart remains calm.

    Vonnie was furious.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that woman just good at pretending? What can shepare to Ralda? They are really a group of ttering blind people.¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, just eat well.¡±

    I put a piece of ribs into her bowl and said, ¡°It¡¯s not worth getting angry about this kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Vonnie nodded heavily and snorted, ¡°Just wait and see, Reynaldo will definitely regret losing you.¡±

    I smiled and didn¡¯t say anything.

    I don¡¯t know if Reynaldo will regret itter, I only know that he hates me intensely now.

    I buried my head very low, hoping that Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t notice me on

    this side.

    These days he didn¡¯te to see me, basically he has almost forgotten<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Don¡¯t let him see me today, it will only stir up his hatred towards me.

    Ah, if I had known he was going toe to the set, I wouldn¡¯t havee today.

    Anton looked at me and asked with a smile, ¡°What? Mr. Humphrey is here and you didn¡¯t go say hello?¡±

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    Chapter393

    ¡°There was no need.¡±

    I said lightly, bowing my head and eating.

    ¡°Hey, Ms. Duffy?¡±

    Just then, Kimberly¡¯s voice drifted over.

    17

    I furrowed my brows fiercely, a touch of annoyance shing across my face.

    268 Vouchers

    Anton nced at me and handed me the soup beside him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just say hello to them nicely.¡±

    I tried hard to suppress the restlessness in my heart, and took a sip of the soup he handed me.

    What shocked me was that just as I put down the bowl of soup, Anton suddenly picked up the bowl and drank from the spot where I had just drunk.

    I was stunned: ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Ms. Duffy, howe you shared a bowl of soup with Anton?¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly had already walked over, smiling at me with a hint of ambiguity in her eyes, ¡°Are you¡­ dating Anton?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±

    I coldly muttered and nced at Reynaldo subconsciously.

    The man sat aside smoking, with a cold expression, a hint of extreme sarcasm at the corner of his lips.

    He didn¡¯t look over here, just casually flipping through the magazine, with a hint of indifference between his eyebrows.

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    It was like suddenly letting out a sigh of relief, but then a strong sense of loss and difort surged up abruptly.

    Vonnie suddenly said, ¡°Yes, Ralda and Mr. Palmer are a perfect match, they are naturally suited for each other. They are just friends, what¡¯s it to you, are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°Vonnie!¡±

    I busily called out to her, signaling her not to speak out of turn.

    After all, Anton is a big star, if this gets out, it won¡¯t be good for his reputation.

    Vonnie pursed her lips and red at Kimberly defiantly.

    Kimberly covered her mouth andughed, saying, ¡°What am I jealous of?

    I have everything she has, and I also have what she doesn¡¯t have, so I really have nothing to be jealous of her.¡±

    ¡°Are you finished speaking?¡±

    I looked at her expressionlessly and said, ¡°After you finish speaking, please leave and don¡¯t disturb us while we¡¯re eating.¡±

    Kimberly looked down at the food we were eating when she heard the words.

    She looked like a good person and said, ¡°Oh my, why do you eat this? Even if you are eating takeout, you should choose a better and more expensive restaurant. Look at this dish, it¡¯s so dark and unappetizing.¡±

    So, let me order some dishes for you, just like the ones Reynaldo and I

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    had at that five¨Cstar hotel. The dishes there were a bit expensive, but really¡­

    ¡°Are you done or not?¡±

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    Vonnie impatiently snapped at her, ¡°This was personally made by Ralda for us. Forget about your so¨Ccalled seven¨Cstar hotel, even if it¡¯s eight¨Cstar or ten¨Cstar, it can¡¯tpare to Ralda¡¯s skill.¡±

    Vonnie had such a bad attitude, but Kimberly wasn¡¯t even angry. Instead, she looked at me with a surprised expression and said, ¡°Oh, Ms. Duffy, did you do all of this? You can cook too?¡±

    I buried my head and ate, really not wanting to pay any attention to her at all.

    She suddenly called out to Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo, look, these are all dishes made by Ms. Duffy herself.

    I used to think that Ms. Duffy couldn¡¯t cook, but I didn¡¯t expect her to have this skill.

    It seems that she is different when she is in love with Anton. ¡°Even the wealthy youngdy is willing to cook for her loved one.¡±

    I red at her irritably, but instantly met Reynaldo¡¯s cold gaze.

    The man¡¯s eyes were dark, cold, and menacing, with a hint of obvious

    sarcasm.

    I didn¡¯t look away, feeling upset in my heart, and lost my appetitepletely.

    At this moment, Reynaldo suddenly got up and walked out coldly.

    Kimberly called out to him in a hurry and quickly chased after him.

    30.505

    I stared nkly at Reynaldo¡¯s cold back, feeling a sense of panic in my heart.

    He just looked as if he didn¡¯t recognize me.

    I just hoped that he really stopped contacting me, and set me free.

    In the moment when I looked away, I suddenly noticed that Anton was staring absentmindedly at Kimberly¡¯s back, with aplex and indiscernible expression on his face.

    I was stunned.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Did Anton know Kimberly?

    Feeling my inquiry, Anton averted his gaze and said to me lightly, ¡°That Ms. Palmer¡­ she¡¯s quitepatible with Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°Matchmaking with ghosts,¡± Vonnie muttered gloomily.

    Anton smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just thought that Ms. Palmer was born beautiful and pure, in terms of appearance, those two are quite a match.¡±

    Vonnie grimaced and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so, I think Ralda looks better.¡±

    Anton nced at me and smiled, saying, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Anton finished speaking and then hung his head to continue cating.

 Too Close 395

    Chapter395

    I stared at him thoughtfully and still found him a bit strange.

    Why did he look at Kimberly with that seemingly sad expression in his eyes?

    For example, why did he deliberately drink a bowl of soup with me in front of Kimberly and them?

    The longer I spent time with Anton, the more I realized that there were many secrets in this man.

    Noticing my gaze, Anton looked up and smiled at me, saying, ¡°If you have any questions, just ask. You¡¯re staring at me like that, I¡¯m afraid I might start overthinking.¡±

    ¡°You and Kimberly¡­¡±

    ¡°That Ms. Palmer didn¡¯t live long, she was young and suffered from a terminal illness, quite a pity.¡±

    Before I could finish asking, he said lightly.

    That look, as if a bystander wasmenting the tragic fate of a poor soul.

    So, did he just look at Kimberly with that seemingly sad expression because he knew Kimberly had a terminal illness?

    Was he pitying Kimberly?

    I can¡¯t think of any other reasons besides this exnation.

    After all, Anton came back from abroad, and he is a big star. His living conditions and education since childhood have been good.

    20:58

    i w w

    Kimberly, on the other hand, was a country bumpkin brought back by Reynaldo.

    These two people, apart from sharing the samest name, couldn¡¯t be more different.

    So, he and Kimberly, probably didn¡¯t have any real connection.

    He might really just bementing the passing of a young life.

    ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡±

    Anton looked at me and asked with a smile, but there was no smile in his eyes.

    Actually, in my opinion, Anton seemed even more profound and terrifying than Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo¡¯s displeasure and anger were all written on his face, and his mood swings were also very obvious.

    But this Anton, you say he is gentle and considerate, but sometimes he can be so cold that it makes you doubt yourself if you did something wrong.

    You said he was gloomy and cold, but his smile was extremely sunny and warm. When you were in trouble, he would also kindly lend a helping hand.

    So up to now, I still don¡¯t understand this man at all. I feel he is very distant, not the kind of person who easily lets others into his heart.

    I shook my head, about to say that there was no problem, when I suddenly saw him pick up the bowl of soup and drink again.

    Icouldn¡¯t help but frown and stare at the bowl of soup.

    It¡¯s like he could see the doubts in my heart.

    He set down his bowl of soup and said with a faint smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want to be with Reynaldo?¡±

    So I deliberately let him see us drinking from the same bowl of soup, hoping to make him misunderstand.

    In this way, maybe he will never bother you again in the future.

    Is it like this?

    Seeing the doubt on my face, he lowered his eyes and smiled faintly, saying, ¡°If you mind, I won¡¯t do it again in the future.¡±

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t mind.¡±

    He helped mest time, I pursed my lips and said, ¡°You have helped me many times. I am very grateful to you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small effort.¡±

    He said without even looking up.

    Although the corners of his lips were curved into a smile, I felt that he was still angry

    I pursed my lips and didn¡¯t say anything more.

    At that moment, I felt he was more unpredictable than Reynaldo.

    Fortunately, I was leaving tomorrow, and in the future, I would have no more dealings with them.

 Too Close 396

    Chapter396

    When Reynaldo and Kimberly left, the whole cast and crew became lively again.

    Everyone was praising Kimberly, saying that she and Mr. Humphrey were a match made in heaven.

    It was said that Kimberly had the temperament of ady, and it was said that Kimberly was born with a wealthy destiny, very suitable to be the wife of a wealthy tycoon.

    With praisees criticism.

    So I, the ¡°ex¨Cwife of Reynaldo,¡± was mercilessly trampled and humiliated by them.

    Vonnie was furious.

    I didn¡¯t really care.

    After my family went bankrupt, I really saw through the fickleness of the world, and suddenly realized that those insults and humiliations were just empty words.

    Living freely and happily is the most important thing.

    Thinking about leaving tomorrow, I booked a ticket online in my spare time, for the flight at eleven o¡¯clock tomorrow morning.

    The destination was a small ind in the south.

    <b>I </b>searched online and they all said that the ind has a spring¨Clike climate all year round, pleasant scenery, and is very suitable for living.

    <b>20:58 </b>€

    288 Vouchers

    Thinking about starting a new life tomorrow, I was still a little excited in my heart.

    I told Vonnie about my n to leave tomorrow.

    Vonnie cried and said that I didn¡¯t wait for her.

    I jokingly said that I would go ahead and take care of everything first, so she could just move in directlyter, and that¡¯s when she didn¡¯t get mad at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    They also had to work overtime for shooting at night.

    I left as soon as it was five o¡¯clock.

    I first had a good meal at a restaurant outside, and then I went back to the rental house to pack up.

    I didn¡¯t have much stuff, just a few sets of clothes and some skincare products, one suitcase was enough to fit everything.

    In less than an hour, everything was cleaned up.

    Iy on the bed,pletely rxed, while a sense of indescribable loss and mncholy surged in my heart.

    I have lived in this ce for more than twenty years. To be honest, I really feel a little reluctant to leave.

    I hadn¡¯t said goodbye to my parents and brother yet.

    Well, we¡¯ll see. If Reynaldo really forgets about mepletely by then, then I¡¯lle back to reunite with my family.

    No matter how good the scenery is in other cities, no matter howfortable the temperature is, it is still not as good as being with family.

    By the way, I also needed to prepare more money.

    20 <b>58 </b>

    RV

    When I arrive there tomorrow, I will decide whether to rent a house first or just buy a house.

    I got up and pulled open the drawer beside the bed.

    I haven¡¯t sold the Arctic Star that Matthew gave me.

    Last night I had to look up some pawn shops, and first thing tomorrow morning I¡¯ll go sell this ne and turn it into cash to put in my card, which is more secure than carrying this ne around everywhere.

    If this ne were lost, it would be a disaster.

    Iy back on the bed again, holding the ne and examining it carefully.

    Although the experience of going on a business trip to Yoripero was not good, I didn¡¯t lose out either with this ne.

    I searched online and found out that this ne can be sold as second- hand goods for as much as thirty million.

    With these thirty million, I could at least raise my babies to a few years old.

    This solved the funding issue all at once, which is great.

    Just as I was pondering about the days ahead, there was a sudden knock on the door.

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    Chapter397

    I was taken aback, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    Could it be Vonnie?

    I told her the address of the rental.

    The public security here is much better than in the shanty town.

    I didn¡¯t think much either, got up and went straight to the door.

    As the door opened, a gloomy Reynaldo was standing at the doorway.

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat, reflexively reaching for the door.

    The man¡¯srge palm instantly pressed against the door panel, and then with a strong force, the door was suddenly pushed open, causing me to step back several steps.

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, his indifferent face showing no expression.

    I looked at him in fear, my heart pounding.

    I said I couldn¡¯t be seen by him. As soon as he saw me, that hatred towards me in his heart came rushing up.

    These days he had note to see me at all, as if he hadpletely forgotten my existence.

    Unfortunately, he went to the set again today.

    I regretted so much that I should have just left when I went to the airport today.

    Under his cold gaze, I tried my best to steady myself and asked him, ¡°Mr.

    Chapter397

    Humphrey, how¡­how did youe here?¡±

    Reynaldo loosened his tie.

    He closed the door behind him, sat down on the sofa, and said without much emotion, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    G8 Vouchers

    was stunned for two seconds, then quickly said, ¡°What would you like to eat? I can order takeout for you.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled, his deep, cold voice sounding tight in the listener¡¯s heart.

    He seemed to care about nothing, took out a cigarette case, and lit a cigarette.

    I frowned and looked at the window that had been opened to its fullest.

    Reynaldo was clearly in a bad mood, exuding a frightening gloominess all over his body, and I didn¡¯t dare to directly tell him not to smoke.

    I moved a little further away, looking at him, feeling very annoyed in my heart.

    Why did hee running to me hungry, instead of continuing to the seven¨Cstar hotel with Kimberly?

    His heart was filled with turmoil, and suddenly he looked up at me.

    ¡°I was hungry.¡±

    He said it again, with a cold and indifferent tone, apanied by smoke drifting out, enveloped in ayer of chilling intimidation.

    Chapter397

    I asked quietly, ¡°What do you want to eat? I can order for you. The takeout here¡­¡±

    ¡°Am I only worthy of takeout in your heart?¡±

    288 (Vouchers

    The conversation was not finished when he suddenly gave a coldugh.

    I frowned at him, not knowing what he meant by that.

    He gave a light sigh, and the gloom around him deepened.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out what he wanted to do, and I didn¡¯t have the mind to

    guess.

    I impatiently snapped at him, ¡°Just tell me what you want to eat, I¡¯ll go buy it for you. Don¡¯t stand here with a long face and not exin clearly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that smart, and I¡¯m not as understanding as Kimberly, so it¡¯s best to be clear about what you want. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±

    Perhaps because I was about to leave, I didn¡¯t want to amodate him

    at all.

    I was quite tired, really!

    Reynaldo looked at me faintly, his eyes like deep, bottomless ck abysses, exuding repression and coldness, which was frightening.

    I took a few steps to the side and watched him.

    Although I did like him, I also truly felt that being with him was really exhausting.

    He always used to lose his temper in front of me, without considering my feelings at all.

    And he never made it clear what he wanted.

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    Chapter398

    I made a mistake for a moment, and he still had a big temper.

    In order to live a few more years, I still left him, left him far away.

    Reynaldo looked at me for a while, then said softly, ¡°I will cat whatever meal you made for Anton today.¡±

    was stunned, what does it mean?

    There were so many restaurants and street food vendors outside, and it was still carly. What couldn¡¯t he find to eat?

    He insisted on eating the meal I made for Anton today, isn¡¯t he just looking for trouble on purpose?

    Reynaldo gazed at me softly and spoke slowly, ¡°I am going to cat what you made with your own hands, and it has to be exactly the same as what Anton ate today.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I wanted to call him crazy, but facing his dark and stern eyes, I dared not speak out, and could only swallow my anger.

    I breathed a sigh of relief and calmly said, ¡°There are no ingredients in the refrigerator.¡±

    ¡°Go buy!¡±

    I frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s already thiste, the market has closed.¡±

    He raised his wristwatch to check the time and said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s not even eight o¡¯clock yet, the supermarket is still open.¡±

    30 581

    #

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± I looked at him angrily

    Even if he disliked me, he didn¡¯t have to make things difficult for me like this

    What could have been easily solved by ordering food on the phone, he insisted that I go to the market to buy groceries and cook for him personally

    When I came back from buying groceries and was ready to cook, what time was it already? Isn¡¯t he just making things difficult for me?

    Seeing me unmoved, Reynaldo raised an eyebrow, his expression cold and mocking, ¡°What? Willing to do it for Anton but not for me?¡±

    ¡°That was not originally meant for Anton, it was for Vonnie, he just happened to get a copy.¡± I exined instinctively.

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°We¡¯ve already had a bowl of soup together, and you¡¯re still talking about ¡®by the way.¡® Do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡±

    There we go again!

    He always suspected me of having ambiguous rtionships with other men, and he never believed my exnations.

    In the end, he just found fault with everything I did and didn¡¯t trust me at all.

    I was feeling angry to myself when he suddenly threw the car keys to me and said, ¡°Go buy some groceries, I want to eat the same meal we had for lunch.¡±

    This man is really a lunatic!

    I red at him angrily, then grabbed my coat hanging by the door and walked out.

    20 58

    Chapter398

    This man never stops causing trouble until he drives people crazy.

    28 Taurhers

    Around eight o¡¯clock, the alleys and streets were bustling, with many cars.

    It took me almost half an hour to get to the nearest supermarket, which should have only been a ten¨Cminute drive.

    I had forgotten what I cooked for Anton and Vonnie at noon. It took me a while to remember that I made a herb¨Croasted chops, a cold roast fillet, a rib¨Ceye steak, and two vegetables, as well as a borscht.

    I quickly bought the ingredients, and it took me almost half an hour to get back.

    When I arrived at the doorstep carrying all the ingredients, I was already out of breath.

    I hesitated for a while before taking out the key to open the door.

    As the door opened, I saw Reynaldoing out of the bathroom.

    The man had a towel wrapped around his waist, emitting steam, his upper body dripping with water, looking very sexy.

    Chapter399

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    Chapter399

    He was drying his hair with a towel when I came back. He just nced at me faintly and then walked into the bedroom.

    I was dumbfounded.

    Looking at the situation, is he going to sleep at my ce tonight?

    quickly threw the ingredients aside and ran after him, asking, ¡°Are you¡­ are you¡­ are you going to sleep at my ce tonight?¡±

    He nced back at me and said, ¡°What? Is it not allowed?¡±

    I pursed my lips, not daring to refuse, afraid of arousing his suspicion.

    As he was about to lie down on the bed, his movement suddenly paused.

    I followed his gaze and saw the Arctic Star that I had casually thrown on the bed just now.

    I hurried to get it, but a big hand beat me to it and hooked the ne first.

    ¡°Give it back to me¡­¡±

    Thinking that this ne would be an important financial guarantee for my future life, I was a little anxious and reached out to snatch the ne back.

    Reynaldo, however, deliberately raised his hand.

    He coldly snorted at me and said, ¡°So nervous?¡±

    ¡°Of course, the ne is so expensive, anyone would be nervous.¡±

    <b>20 </b><b>58 </b>

    1268 Vouchers

    ¡°Huh!¡± The man chuckled lightly, his eyes coldly staring at me, ¡°Are you so nervous because it¡¯s expensive, or because it¡¯s a gift from Matthew?¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, it took me a few seconds to understand what he meant, and I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Of course it¡¯s because it¡¯s expensive, it¡¯s valuable, that¡¯s why I¡¯m nervous.¡±

    You know, I liked money too, valuable things like this, I naturally liked them very much.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± he chuckled lightly, murmuring in disbelief, ¡°You actually like jewelry too?!¡±

    While he was distracted, I quickly pounced on him and snatched the ne away.

    I carefully inspected the ne and luckily it wasn¡¯t torn, otherwise it would definitely affect the selling price.

    Reynaldo nced at me coldly.

    I felt extremely ufortable under his cold gaze.

    My darling hid the ne in his pocket and said to him, ¡°You rest first, I¡¯ll go cook for you.¡±

    I said, and then I walked outside.

    His cold voice suddenly sounded behind me.

    ¡°I always thought that you wouldn¡¯t like jewelry and essories.¡±

    I hesitated for a moment.

    He chuckled lightly, ¡°That time three years ago¡­ you probably don¡¯t remember.¡±

    Three years ago, did I talk to him about jewelry?

    20.58

    Chapter399

    I furrowed my brow and thought for a while before I remembered.

    Three years ago when we had just gotten married, he seemed to have given me a piece of jewelry.

    1720 Vouchers

    I forgot what specific jewelry it was, because at that time I just casually nced at it and then threw it in front of him.

    Back then, I really disliked him. All his attempts to please me only made me feel repulsed and disgusted.

    I remember when I threw away that ne, I even called it tacky.

    Now that he mentioned it, I just remembered.

    Hiss!

    Sure enough, he remembers every bad thing I did to him in the past very clearly.

    Feeling a chilling from behind, I turned around to look at him.

    He had already gotten into bed, leaning against the headboard and looking at me, with a hint of a cold smile at the corner of his lips.

    The man clearly had an extremely handsome face, but unfortunately, when he smiled, it was frightening.

    He said, ¡°The jewelry I gave you that time was no worse than the ne Matthew gave you, but you still disdainfully threw it away, even finding me tacky.¡±

    Since then, I have always thought that you really don¡¯t like these tacky things.

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    Chapter400

    ¡°But now, look, how precious is the ne Matthew gave you?¡±

    With that, heughed even colder and more sarcastically.

    I licked my dry lips and wanted to exin.

    He said again, ¡°Esmeralda, you are really affectionate. It seems like you are very kind to every man, flirting with every man except me.¡±

    No!

    Where did this go again?

    Weren¡¯t we talking about jewelry? How did he suddenly bring up men again?

    I opened my mouth, but still wanted to argue a few words.

    He suddenly said coldly, ¡°Go and cook!¡±

    I: ¡­

    What a strange lunatic!

    I buried a sentence in my heart, then turned around and went to the kitchen to cook.

    Staying in the kitchen to cook was morefortable than being with him.

    After cooking for several days in a row, my hands and feet were much faster than before.

    I first prepared all the ingredients, then opened the cooking tutorial video, and followed along while cooking.

    50520585

    A meal took about an hour and a half to prepare.

    When I brought out the meal, the man was standing by the window smoking.

    208 Viaches

    He still only had a towel wrapped around his waist, with his back facing me, the muscles on his back looked strong and sexy.

    Unconsciously, the image of him in bed shed through my mind, my face couldn¡¯t help but blush, and my heart began to race.

    I quickly looked away and shouted at him, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t move, and I didn¡¯t pay any attention to him. I just took off my apron and went to the bathroom to wash my face.

    When I came out again, the man had turned around and was staring at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    His eyes were dark, but there seemed to be a lingering sadness that could not be dispelled in his eyes.

    He doesn¡¯t even know what else there is to worry about now that he has reached this position.

    I said to him again, ¡°Let¡¯s eat. It¡¯s getting cold now. If you don¡¯t eat soon, it will be coldter.¡±

    You alwayse to me when it gets cold.

    I silently added a sentence in my heart.

    Reynaldo blew a smoke ring and said lightly, ¡°Finish smoking before eating.¡±

    I saw that the cigarette between his fingers was almost burnt out, so I quietly took the bowl and served him a bowl of rice.

    20:58

    The living room and the bedroom were connected, with a ss wall separating them.

    I saw him leaning against the bedroom window all the time, and I didn¡¯t want to go to the bedroom.

    I silently sat down on the sofa, thinking to myself, it would be great if he could leave after finishing his meal.

    I was about to check my phone when Reynaldo suddenly walked over.

    It¡¯s strange that, although this man liked smoking, the smell of smoke on him was not strong. In addition, he had just taken a shower, and there was a faint scent of bath fragrance on him, quite pleasant.

    As soon as he came over, I quickly got up and prepared to move away.

    He grabbed my wrist and looked at me with dark eyes, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I quickly shook my head. ¡°I ate a lot right before I got off work, so I¡¯m not hungry at all now.¡±

    The man furrowed his brow.

    I quickly added, ¡°You should eat quickly. This meal was specially made for you, and I put a lot of effort into it. I even burned a blister on my hand.¡±

    Reynaldo, upon hearing this, instantly raised my hand and looked at the back of my hand.

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    Chapter401

    On the fair back of the hand, there was indeed a swollen blister, which had just sshed out of the pan, burning painfully.

    Reynaldo frowned and stared at the blister for a long time. I thought he would feel a little sorry for me, after all, this blister was from me cooking for him.

    Little did I know, he suddenly reached out his slender fingers and pressed on that small blister of mine.

    I gasped in pain instantly, almost choking back tears.

    I clenched my fists, ring at him with red eyes, and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± The man asked casually.

    That blister was burst by him, the skin was broken, and it hurt so much that tears welled up in my eyes.

    I muttered, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you try it yourself.¡±

    This man, he was just a lunatic.

    Reynaldo stared at me andughed, ¡°If it hurts, that¡¯s good. You, a pampered youngdy who has never done any work, if you can¡¯t cook, then don¡¯t. Don¡¯t try to imitate others and sacrifice for love, cooking for

    love!¡±

    ¡°Serves me right for getting burned!¡±

    He finished speaking and then shook off my hand.

    20.58

    I waspletely shaken and red at him angrily, ¡°Are you so nervous? When did I ever dedicate myself to love, cook for love?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t it you who kept pestering me to cook for you, forcing me to get into the kitchen?

    I got burned, you didn¡¯t evenfort me a few words, is it necessary to be sarcastic like this?

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Heughed coldly, ¡°So, cooking for Anton is willingly, but cooking for me is reluctantly?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes.

    This man was really good at changing the subject!

    I didn¡¯t bother arguing with him since I couldn¡¯t win.

    I muttered, ¡°You go ahead and eat.¡±

    After saying that, I went to the bathroom.

    Instead of arguing with him meaninglessly like this, it¡¯s better to just go to bed.

    Turn on the shower, hot water pouring down, the exhaustion all over the body finally eased a bit.

    Actually on set, I had a lot of free time, basically just leaning back in a lounge chair to rest.

    But after work, he seemed even more tired than when I was working.

    I stayed in the bathroom for a while before going out because I didn¡¯t want to face that man.

    <b>20-58 </b>

    When Reynaldo came out, he had already finished eating, the coffee table was very clean, and no one else was seen in the living room.

    I felt a surge of joy in my heart, that man wouldn¡¯t leave, would he?

    Just then, there came the sound of dishes being put away in the kitchen.

    I furrowed my brows and walked a few steps to the kitchen door.

    The man was squatting next to the cab, neatly cing the clean tableware inside.

    That being said, this man was actually quite good at doing household chores.

    Ignoring his strange personality and ws in his temper, he would definitely be an excellent man for a family.

    After putting away the tableware, he stood up, wiped the stove clean, washed his hands, and then walked out.

    I quickly turned to the side and looked at him, ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now, why don¡¯t you go back early and rest early.¡±

    The man¡¯s footsteps came to a halt.

    He nced at me askance, with a smirk that seemed to see through everything.

    He said, ¡°Who said I was going back?¡±

    Ugh!

    Sure enough, he was going to stay here tonight and not leave.

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    Chapter402

    Luckily, the ticket I booked is for tomorrow morning at eleven o¡¯clock.

    When he left tomorrow, it wouldn¡¯t be toote for me to catch the ne.

    At most, it was just that I didn¡¯t have time to sell the ne. It doesn¡¯t matter, I can always wait until I go over there and then find an

    organization to sell it.

    With this in mind, I felt somewhatforted.

    I said, ¡°Oh, then you should rest early. I¡¯m also tired, so I¡¯ll go to bed first.¡±

    I said this calmly, with a normal expression.

    He listened and shouldn¡¯t doubt me.

    But why did I feel that the smile at the corner of his lips became more and more strange, more and more sinister, as if he saw through everything.

    My heart was in a panic.

    I ignored him and hurried to the bedroom.

    As soon as I pulled back the covers andy down, he followed suit.

    Letting him sleep on the sofa or the floor was obviously not very likely.

    After all, he was not the same Reynaldo as before.

    If I slept on the sofa or on the floor, he would definitely have objections.

    So I quickly moved to the side, giving up half of the bed for him.

    20 <b>58 </b>

    Chapter402

    He sighed lightly andy down.

    I moved to the side again.

    My current rtionship with him inevitably makes my heart flutter when we share the same bed.

    Looking back, it seems like we never got along when we shared a bed, basically every time we slept together, he wanted to do that thing.

    To avoid himing againter.

    ¨ª turned to the side, with my back to him, before organizing my words to speak.

    ¡°You were busy all day today, you must be very tired. Go to bed early, I will make breakfast for you tomorrow morning.¡±

    I did try to please him a little bit with these words.

    Anyway, it was just tonight.

    After I leave tomorrow, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t see him again in this lifetime.

    There was no response behind.

    I rolled up the quilt, thinking that he must have been going to sleep, so I didn¡¯t speak anymore, for fear of making a fool of myself.

    I closed my eyes, ready to fall asleep.

    A surge of warmth suddenly pressed against my chest.

    I was tense all over and asked him uneasily, ¡°What are you doing? Go over there and light it, it¡¯s so hot.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but this man always felt very hot and feverish.

    20.58

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    This weather, usually I sleep alone, and the nket is always cold.

    298 Vouchers

    He hugged me at that moment, and I felt so hot and flustered, as if I was in a big stove in his arms.

    A soft, damp touch fell on the back of the neck.

    I shivered all over and stammered to him, ¡°Why, I have to go to the set early tomorrow morning to supervise. You must have a lot to do tomorrow too. Let¡¯s go to bed early, okay?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t listen!

    I didn¡¯t hear a single word!

    His big hand slipped into my pajamas, instantly taking control of my chest.

    I felt a sudden panic, and a tingling sensation ran through my body.

    I held his hand and gasped slightly, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, are we going to sleep?¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±

    He said in a low voice, with a faint tone.

    I thought for a moment and said, ¡°You can count sheep, or I can y soft music for you. You will fall asleep eventually.¡±

    HELP

    He kissed my earlobe from behind, his deep and seductive voice slowly pouring into my ears.

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    Chapter403

    ¡°I actually think that vigorous exercise is better for sleep than the method you mentioned.¡±

    Intense¡­ exercise?

    My mind was frozen, and suddenly my whole body was turned over by him.

    In an instant, I was face to face with him.

    They were very close, their breaths intertwining.

    I looked into his dark eyes, feeling a sudden panic.

    To be honest, I have never rejected being intimate with him, and every time we were intimate, I actually quite enjoyed it.

    But I don¡¯t know why, when faced with such things, my heart always beats very fast, and I dare not look directly into his eyes, even reflexively wanting to reject his advances.

    But actually, I didn¡¯t dislike his touch at all, I would even say I liked it.

    The man pulled open my cor, his slender fingers gently caressing my shoulders.

    In his eyes, there was a strong desire, but also a hint of unshakable sadness.

    Miraculously, I found myself feeling a little sorry for him with that look in his eyes.

    I tensed up and didn¡¯t dare to move, and asked him, ¡°Have you

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    Chapter403

    encountered something troubling? You can tell me about it.¡±

    Although you hate me, you can also treat me as a listening machine.

    1264 (Vouchers

    ¡°You can rest assured that I won¡¯t spread the bad things you told me.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking, his deep gaze extremely focused in that moment.

    I focused and suddenly realized that I was the woman he loved to the

    core.

    But I also knew that I couldn¡¯t indulge in such wishful thinking.

    After all, a man¡¯s words in bed cannot be trusted, let alone just a nce.

    Reynaldo looked at me for a long time before speaking, his tone indifferent, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be sad at all that you can¡¯t have children?¡±

    I was surprised when he suddenly brought up the topic of having children again.

    I brewed my emotions for a moment, put on a sad expression, and forced a smile, ¡°Do I have to show my sadness?¡±

    No matter what, sadness is my own business. I don¡¯t need to show those negative emotions.

    Reynaldo stared at me again for a while and said, ¡°I went to the hospital again to ask.¡±

    I straightened my back.

    What did he ask at the hospital again?

    Did the doctor let slip something?

    Feeling nervous, I heard him say, ¡°The director said that your problem

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    cannot be cured, it will never be cured, even¡­¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief in my heart and asked him, ¡°Even what?¡±

    788 your hvers

    ¡°Even your physical condition was not suitable for in vitro fertilization.¡±

    I stared at him nkly, shocked and full of confusion.

    Why did he insist that I have a baby for him, even considering IVF?

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡±

    He suddenly shouted my name with a smile.

    That smile, however, looked cold and bitter.

    He said, ¡°We will never have our own children in this lifetime, are you

    satisfied?¡±

    Was it my imagination?

    When he said this, his eyes were full of sadness, despair, and resentment, just like that day at the hospital entrance.

    I looked at him in shock, not knowing what to say.

    He suddenly tore off my nightgown and rolled over, pressing me underneath him.

    I shuddered all over, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± he said to me with a strange smile, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to have a baby for me, then don¡¯t. After all, I don¡¯t like children that much

    either.¡±

    When he spoke, his slender fingers gently stroked me, making me shiver

    ill over.

    <b>20 </b>598

    Chapter403

    2888 Vouchers

    Suddenly, his fingersnded on my abdomen.

    I was startled and quickly protected my abdomen, watching him warily.

    20.59

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    Chapter404

    He frowned, forcibly removed my hand, and then scrutinized my abdomen, his eyes dark and deep, which scared my heart into a frenzy.

    Afraid that he might notice something, I hurriedly said, ¡°What are you looking at? If you¡¯re going to do it, do it quickly!¡±

    The man raised his lips and looked at me, ¡°Am I fast enough, don¡¯t you know?¡±

    I blushed.

    He was really vulgar.

    I turned my face away and didn¡¯t want to deal with him anymore.

    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t stare at my stomach again.

    The burning chest pressed down tightly against me.

    I felt like I was about to be melted by the heating from him.

    He kissed my chest and smiled at me, saying, ¡°You are so impatient, I will satisfy you now!¡±

    ¡°No, ah¡­¡±

    The manunched into an attack before the conversation was even finished, showing his dominance.

    I frowned at him, but I didn¡¯t resist.

    I finally opened up now, following him, and in return, I received his gentle treatment.

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    Chapter404

    Moreover, I did not reject doing this with him.

    So, there was no need to do those pointless resistances, not only were they useless, but they also angered him and brought trouble upon oneself.

    I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his neck.

    The man smiled satisfactorily, and his strong waist sank even lower.

    Just as my thoughts were slowly being pulled away, he suddenly whispered in my ear, ¡°You¡¯ve gained weight.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    I looked at him drowsily, feeling only a blur of mist in front of my eyes.

    His hand slid down to my abdomen, gently caressing it.

    He stared at me straight, with deep and bottomless eyes.

    He smiled at me faintly and said, ¡°Look, I¡¯ve gained weight. If we had a baby here, what would it look like?¡±

    His hand was still caressing my abdomen, and he was saying the word ¡®baby¡® in his mouth.

    I was confused and emotional, but I was also scared and startled, which made my mind a little clearer.

    I pushed away his hand and calmly said, ¡°The weather has been cold recently, so I¡¯ve been eating a lot, which is why my stomach has gotten fat.¡±

    Besides, I sat working all day, so it¡¯s normal to umte some fat on my

    stomach.

    ¡°And don¡¯t you know that women are supposed to have a little bit of fat on their stomachs? You think it¡¯s just you men.¡±

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    .

    Chapter404

    Reynaldo stared at me and chuckled, ¡°Just because I said your belly has gotten bigger, why are you so worked up?¡±

    I frowned and looked at him.

    He really didn¡¯t seem to have any suspicions.

    It seems that my reaction just now was indeed too intense, which in turn could easily arouse his suspicions.

    I quickly raised my hand and deliberately lit a fire on his chest to divert his attention.

    Soon, his eyes darkened again, and a strong desire churned in his eyes.

    He held my wrist and pressed it against my forehead, bent down to kiss me, and said with a smile, ¡°Why, don¡¯t you women like it when someone says you¡¯ve gained weight?¡±

    ¡°Do you like it when others say you are ugly?¡±

    I endured his malicious teasing and muttered, ¡°Everyone has a desire to be beautiful. When you say I¡¯m fat, naturally I¡¯m not happy.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and didn¡¯t dwell on the matter any longer, but instead focused on the situation at hand.

    That day, after he angrily left from the hospital entrance, he ignored me and didn¡¯t show up in front of me again.

    I thought it was over between him and me.

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    Chapter405

    I didn¡¯t expect it, but he came again tonight, and his passion in bed was no less than every time before.

    It¡¯s as if many days of desire umted, and then burst forthpletely tonight

    I was led into it by him, in a fog, everything became blurred.

    The lighting in through the window had turned into a dreamy color.

    I was still thinking about leaving tomorrow, worrying about whether I could leave smoothly tomorrow.

    Just as I was thinking about this for a moment, his rude gesture brought my thoughts back.

    He fiercely pinched my shoulder and warned, ¡°Try spacing out again.¡±

    I shook my head and called his name pleasingly.

    Each sound was softer than thest.

    The gloom between the man¡¯s eyebrows dissipated, only to be reced by a terrifying desire.

    The affairsted for an unknown period of time.

    Everything outside seemed to have quieted down.

    The whole world seemed to have only him and me, tightly intertwined as if we were going to be one.

    For a long time, he finally calmed down and held me tightly.

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    Chacher 425

    11

    In a daze, I heard him softly asking in my car, ¡°What are you packing for?¡±

    A touch of fear shed through my mind, but my thoughts couldn¡¯t keep up.

    My mind was in a state of chaos.

    He tightened his arm around my waist, leaned in close to my car, and asked in a low, deep voice.

    ¡°What are you packing for?¡±

    What did you pack up for?

    Yeah, what was I packing for?

    Thoughts werepletely confused, and the eyes that struggled to open only saw his blurry figure.

    My whole body felt exhausted, and I just wanted to sleep, to sleep in the dark and gloomy.

    Reynaldo was relentless, his long fingers freely teasing my body and my

    nerves.

    He insisted on an answer.

    He drove me to the brink of copse, I almost said, ¡°Pack your bags and

    leave.¡±

    When I suddenly met his pair of dark and chilling eyes, my mind cleared up in an instant.

    I lied in a daze, ¡°Vonnie asked me to stay at her ce for a while, so¡­ so I packed my bags, thinking¡­ thinking I could go anytime.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

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    A faintughter echoed in the ears.

    Low and cold, it made people feel inexplicably uneasy.

    I tried hard to open my eyes and look at him, but I couldn¡¯t resist the drowsiness, and finally fell into a deep sleep.

    The next day when I woke up, the room was bright and the sunlight outside was dazzling.

    I sat up suddenly and quickly checked my phone.

    Fortunately, it¡¯s not even nine o¡¯clock yet.

    I was startled, I thought I had missed the flight.

    I calmed down for a moment, holding my forehead, before remembering what happenedst night.

    There was no sign of the man beside me, and the bed was in a mess.

    I quickly looked around the room.

    The bright room was quiet, indicating that Reynaldo had already left.

    I was overjoyed and quickly got out of bed.

    Last night, Reynaldo went too hard, his legs were weak when hended, and his whole body felt like it had fallen apart.

    I leaned against the ss wall for a while before slowly walking into the living room.

    The neatly packed suitcase was ced in the corner.

    <b>I </b>just need to freshen up before I can leave.

    Last night, I vaguely remember that Reynaldo seemed to have asked me

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    Chapter405

    what I was doing packing my bags.

    I forgot how I answered at that time.

    Fortunately, Reynaldo did not be suspicious.

    sva???????

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 Too Close 406

    Chapter406

    I rubbed my sore thighs and took a step towards the bathroom.

    Suddenly, the kitchen door was pulled open, and Reynaldo came out carrying the freshly made breakfast.

    I stared at him nkly,pletely dumbfounded.

    He¡­ hasn¡¯t left yet?!

    Reynaldo nced at me and said lightly, ¡°Hurry up and wash up, thene over for breakfast.¡±

    I was not feeling well at all.

    My flight was at 11 o¡¯clock, but it still hasn¡¯t taken off. Will I be able to catch theer?!

    I saw that I didn¡¯t move.

    He grinned and said, ¡°What? Can¡¯t walk? Do you want me to carry you to the bathroom to wash up?¡±

    I shook my head dully and walked into the bathroom in a daze.

    His impatient voice came from outside the bathroom: ¡°Hurry up and finish washing,e eat breakfast, I have to rush to thepanyter.¡±

    My eyes lit up.

    So, he would leave after finishing breakfast?

    I quickly washed up and when I came out, he had already set the breakfast on the coffee table.

    2059

    The variety was just as rich as before, making me wonder if these were bought from street vendors outside.

    I sat down and asked him, ¡°Did you make all of these by yourself?¡±

    ¡°What else?¡± the man sneered. ¡°If you don¡¯t get up and make me breakfast, I might as well just have lunch instead.¡±

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    He suddenly threw a hamburger in front of me and said, ¡°Eat it, it¡¯s the hamburger you like.¡±

    I nced at him and he was drinking milk, very gracefully.

    His appetite was really not big. He had a sandwich and a ss of milk for breakfast and he was full.

    After he finished eating, he leaned back on the sofa and looked at me.

    I lowered my head and thought to myself that he should be waiting for me to finish cating before leaving, so I quickly buried my head and ate very

    fast.

    After eating, he automatically tidied up the coffee table.

    I quickly took the bowl from him and smiled, saying, ¡°You worked hard making breakfast, let me clean up next.¡±

    ¡°You must have important things to do, don¡¯t worry about me, go to thepany quickly.¡±

    The man gazed at me with a deep look in his eyes, and a strange smile suddenly appeared at the corner of his lips. ¡°Ms. Duffy, when did you be so understanding?¡±

    Um¡­

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    Sure enough, I couldn¡¯t try too hard to please him.

    He was suspicious because I was too good to him.

    298 Voucher

    I smiled as usual and said, ¡°No, I just feel that if you cook, I should wash the dishes. If I just sit around and do nothing while you do everything, I will feel uneasy.¡±

    Reynaldo hummed lightly and bent over to pick up the suit jacket on the sofa.

    I was overjoyed.

    He finally had to leave.

    I suppressed the excitement in my heart and calmly took the dishes into the kitchen.

    I was standing in front of the sink washing dishes, but my ears were tuned to the sounds outside, listening for the sound of doors opening and closing.

    He listened attentively.

    Suddenly, my waist was tightly embraced by an iron arm.

    I was startled, and the tes in my hands slipped down.

    Fortunately, it fell into the pool and didn¡¯t break.

    Just as she was about to lose her temper, the man¡¯s warm breath suddenly approached¡­

    That breath was like a snake, slithering into my neck, teasing my nerves.

    I clung to the edge of the sink, tense all over, and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    <b>20:59 </b>

 Too Close 407

    Chapter407

    Reynaldo hugged me from behind, nting warm kisses delicately on the side of my neck.

    I was tossing and turningst night, and I was already feeling exhausted.

    With another kiss like that, I couldn¡¯t stand steady again, and could only desperately hold onto the edge of the sink.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­ you, you don¡¯t do this¡­¡±

    I whispered, afraid that he would want toe again in the morning.

    After all, I didn¡¯t have time.

    It only takes a little over half an hour from here to the airport, but checking in luggage, going through security, and so on all take time.

    I brushed his hand that was around my waist.

    He suddenly turned me around and kissed my lips fiercely.

    This kiss was not gentle at all, but rather carried a sense of aggression and possession, as if it wanted to steal away my breath.

    I couldn¡¯t stand shaking my head and dodging.

    He held the back of my head, preventing me from moving.

    He kissed me for a long time before letting go, his forehead against mine, breathing heavily.

    I opened my mouth wide to breathe heavily due tock of oxygen, and my cheeks were hot and sweaty.

    <b>20.5953 </b>

    I could tell without looking that my face was now red and purple.

    Madman!

    This man is just a lunatic!

    I had to leave, otherwise he might have yed me to death one day.

    ¡°I went to thepany.¡±

    He straightened up and looked at me with dark, deep eyes.

    Iposed myself and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Be careful on your way, I¡¯ll be heading to the setter.¡±

    He pulled his lip: ¡°Are you really going to the set?¡±

    I looked at him inexplicably, ¡°Of course, didn¡¯t you transfer me to the set to work as a supervisor? Then I naturally have to work hard to live up to the 100,000 monthly sry you gave me, right?

    ¡°And don¡¯t doubt that I¡¯ve been cking offtely. I go to the set on time every day. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the director and the crew

    on set.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Heughed again,ughing particrly strangely.

    I furrowed my brows, feeling a bit uneasy for no reason.

    Looking back, sincest night, this man has been acting a little strange.

    After we parted ways at the hospital that day, he was clearly angry and resentful towards me.

    In theory, his anger had not subsided, so he should have continued to hate me and shout at me.

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    11

    294 vouchere

    Last night he seemed quite gentle again, and he even made breakfast for me personally, which is really unbelievable.

    He was thinking with doubt in his heart.

    He suddenly asked me, ¡°Will you wait for me here tonight?¡±

    Oh?

    What does it mean?

    Is he stilling over tonight?

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking, his eyes dark and oppressive.

    He leaned in close to me, pressing me against the sink, his strong hands gripping my shoulders.

    ¡°Will you wait for me here tonight?¡±

    Although the question was a bit strange, in order to reassure him, I didn¡¯t think too much and just nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    His eyes lit up slightly, as if to confirm, and he asked again, ¡°Will you really wait for me here tonight?¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± I nodded and said, ¡°If you want to eat something, you can tell me in advance, and I¡¯ll buy groceries on my way back from workter.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to guess anything, it was more important to reassure him first.

    Once I got on the ne, everything was fine after I left.

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    Chapter408

    At that time, I hid myself, even if he wanted to find me, as big as the sky and the earth, he couldn¡¯t find me.

    For a while, if he didn¡¯t find it, he figured he would give up.

    With his mind calcting, he suddenly bent down and kissed me on the lips, saying, ¡°Remember what you said.¡±

    He let go of me after finishing speaking, turned around and walked towards the outside of the kitchen.

    I subconsciously followed him out.

    But I saw him pick up the suit jacket on the sofa and walk outside.

    When he reached the door, he suddenly turned around and said to me, ¡°I¡¯m going to thepany.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Be careful on the way.¡±

    He suddenly looked at me deeply, then opened the door and walked out.

    The door opened and closed, and he finally left.

    I stared absentmindedly at the closed door, feeling a strange sensation in my heart.

    Just now, my interaction with him really felt like the interaction pattern between an ordinary couple.

    I don¡¯t know what happened, Reynaldo seemed unusually talkative today, and his gaze towards me was unusually focused, as if it was filled with a touch of affection.

    I shook my head, restraining myself from letting my mind wander.

    Quickly cleaned up the kitchen.

    1288 (Vouchers

    I went to the window to take a look and confirmed that Reynaldo¡¯s car had already left. Only then did I quickly grab my suitcase and rush out.

    The rush hour for work is over, so there is not much traffic now.

    The car drove smoothly to the airport without any obstacles.

    I looked at the familiar scene on the street, feeling a little mncholy in my heart.

    The city where I have lived for more than twenty years, now I am finally going to leave, I still feel a little reluctant.

    And there was Reynaldo¡­

    Today we parted ways, and I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t see each other again.

    I leaned back on the sofa and let out a deep sigh.

    Goodbye, Freybourne.

    Goodbye, Reynaldo.

    The car soon arrived at the airport.

    There was still about an hour before boarding time, and time was not exactly ample.

    I got off the car with my suitcase and hurried into the airport.

    Just as I was about to reach the check¨Cin counter, suddenly, several security guards appeared in front of me.

    I was shocked in my heart, staring at them nkly.

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    Chapter400

    ¡°Who are you¡­ Who are you? What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Dully, we have been waiting for you here for a long time,¡± the bodyguard said to me expressionlessly.

    I felt a chill in my heart: ¡°What do you mean? Whose people are you after all?¡±

    They wouldn¡¯t be the ones Reynaldo left here to guard, would they?

    But I came to investigate yesterday, and there were no bodyguards near the airport.

    How did they suddenly pop up?

    What should we do now?

    If Reynaldo knew I was nning to escape, would he kill me?

    Thinking about what he had just said to me and the look in his eyes, a chill ran down my spine involuntarily.

    He hated my deception the most, if he found out that I lied to him¡­

    I dared not think further, and tried my best to steady my mind. I smiled at them and said, ¡°You are Mr. Humphrey¡¯s people, right? What are you waiting for me here for?¡±

    I didn¡¯t actually want to escape, I just came to take a look and send a friend.

    If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back first. It¡¯s just a small matter, so don¡¯t mention it to Mr. Humphreyter.¡±

 Too Close 409

    Chapter409

    After saying that, I quickly grabbed my suitcase and walked briskly towards the outside of the airport.

    However, I had only taken a few steps when those bodyguards once again blocked my way.

    I furrowed my brows and looked at them coldly, ¡°What are you going to do? Be careful, I¡¯ll call for help!¡±

    The leader of the bodyguards gave the order expressionlessly, ¡°Take him away!¡±

    In an instant, two tall and burly bodyguards dragged me outside.

    I struggled in fear, shouting for help.

    Some pedestrians approached, with the lead bodyguard casually saying, ¡°She stole something from our CEO, so we have to take her back.¡± And then the pedestrians dispersed one after another.

    No one came to rescue me anymore.

    I was quickly forced into the backpartment by them, and then the bodyguards sat on either side of me, restraining me.

    The car started instantly.

    I asked them anxiously, ¡°Where are you taking me? Is it to see Reynaldo?¡±

    No one answered my question.

    No matter how loudly I shouted, they didn¡¯t pay attention to me anymore.

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    se Wouchere

    The car drove quickly, but it was not heading towards my rented house, nor towards the vi, and definitely not towards Reynaldo¡¯spany.

    So, where exactly did they want to take me?

    I don¡¯t know how long passed, the car stopped at apletely unfamiliar ce.

    I was a little nervous.

    Were they really Reynaldo¡¯s people?

    After the experience of being kidnapped by Matthewst time, I am now especially afraid that another viin will kidnap me.

    The lead bodyguard suddenly opened the car door beside me.

    Sitting beside me, my bodyguard suddenly got out of the car.

    I didn¡¯t move.

    The leader of the bodyguards was not in a hurry, just like a machine, he said expressionlessly, ¡°Ms. Duffy, get out of the car.¡±

    ¡°What ce is this exactly?¡± I asked in a low voice.

    But still no one answered me.

    Not seeing me for half a day, the head bodyguard quickly called two people and directly dragged me out of the car.

    I protected my abdomen with one hand and struggled, saying, ¡°Let me go, I can walk by myself!¡±

    The two bodyguards then let me go.

    In front of me was a small and exquisite vi, with many fresh flowers nted in the yard.

    20.59

    The vi looked like it was cleaned regrly.

    I don¡¯t know who lives here.

    Reynaldo, right?

    If Reynaldo lived here on weekdays, does Kimberly also live here?

    1 vouchers

    With my mind wandering, I obediently followed the bodyguard into the vi.

    Followed the bodyguard upstairs.

    Arriving at the doorway of a room, the bodyguard pushed the door open and said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, pleasee in.¡±

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°Is Reynaldo in there?¡±

    The bodyguard didn¡¯t reply to me.

    I took a deep breath and didn¡¯t ask anymore.

    I realized that these bodyguards were all professionally trained. Without permission from their superiors, they probably wouldn¡¯t answer my questions.

    With a nervous heart, I walked towards the room.

    If it really was Reynaldo, then what did he bring me here for?

    However, as soon as I entered the room, I suddenly heard the sound of a door closing and locking behind me.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly turned around.

    The door had already been locked by the bodyguard.

    I anxiously pounded on the door, ¡°What are you going to do? Let me out,

    20 59

    Chapter409

    who are you?¡±

    ¡°Please let Ms. Duffy rest inside.¡±

    The bodyguard mechanically said a sentence at the door, and then left.

    I became anxious and started banging on the door forcefully: ¡°Hey, let me out! Are you guys Reynaldo¡¯s people? Let me out now!¡±

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 Too Close 410

    Chapter410

    ¡°You have the ability to call that man out, stop messing around with all this mystery.¡±

    However, no matter how loud I shouted, it was silent outside.

    My hands were swollen from pping, but no one paid any attention to<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to observe the room in front of me.

    This was a bedroom, decorated elegantly and subtly, with the bed and home furnishings all neatly arranged.

    The dazzling sunlight shone through therge ss window, making the room bright.

    I walked to the window and looked outside.

    The surroundings were quiet, and not far away was a vast sea.

    What ce is this exactly? Why does it look a bit like a vacation vi by the mountains and sea?

    In the courtyard, the flowers bloomed brightly, but there was not a single

    person.

    I sat down on a chair beside me, quietly calming the uneasiness in my heart.

    That¡¯s it.

    He whoes is at ease.

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    The person who caught me, would always show up eventually.

    By then, I would naturally know what he wanted to do.

    There were several books on the table, mostly essay collections.

    I randomly picked one and flipped through it.

    The warm sunlight shone on the body, and drowsiness followed.

    I dozed off in the chair for a while.

    11

    Waking up again, the sunlight outside was still dazzling, and I didn¡¯t know what time it was now.

    Jouchers

    There was no clock in the room, and they took away my phone and bag.

    I sat quietly in the chair.

    The uneasiness in my heart, which was calm at first, has now turned into irritability.

    I walked to the door and knocked on it again, but there was still no response from outside.

    I pursed my lips and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. No matter what your purpose is for keeping me here, if something happens to me because I¡¯m really hungry, let¡¯s see how you exin to your superiors!¡±

    ***

    Still no one responded to me.

    Qutside was quiet.

    I furrowed my brows, wondering if those bodyguards had already left.

    So, in this vi, there is only me now?

    20:59

    ??

    I couldn¡¯t help but twist the door handle, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.

    I sat on the ground with my back against the door, feeling increasingly restless due to the unknown anxiety

    And so, I endured the night in unknown anxiety and agonizing anticipation.

    I thought that by evening, the person who was after me would show up.

    But there wasn¡¯t.

    Even the bodyguards who came with me never appeared again.

    Surrounded by silence, I stood by the window and looked outside, where everything was shrouded in darkness.

    Suppression, silence, fear

    That feeling, as if I had been left alone in another space.

    No one knew of my existence, and no one came looking for me.

    I would slowly starve to death here, eventually rotting and stinking, until Ipletely disappeared from this world.

    I couldn¡¯t help but shiver, a strong fear rising in my heart.

    No, since they arrested me, they must have some purpose.

    Wait a little longer, wait a little longer¡­

    The person behind the bodyguard, he would definitely show up.

    Just, would that person be Reynaldo?

    I climbed into bed andy down, wrapping myself tightly in the nket. It seemed that only in this way could I feel a little more at case.

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    17

    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been locked in this small room. I only knew that the long night had passed and daylight hade again.

    I got through the day and it was night again.

    Still, no one showed up.

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    They didn¡¯t even give me anything to eat or drink.

    I felt as if I had beenpletely forgotten by them in this small space.

    Or maybe they wanted to punish me on purpose, leaving me here to fend for myself.

    curled up weakly in bed, and the fear in my heart kept growing.

    I wouldn¡¯t, really starve to death here, would I?

    And my baby¡­

    What should I do with my baby?

    I touched my slightly bulging belly, and tears of sadness flowed down uncontrobly.

    Through tear¨Cfilled eyes, I saw therge French window, and my gaze couldn¡¯t help but darken.

    No way!

    I couldn¡¯t let myself and the baby starve to death like this.

    There must be a way to save myself, I must escape!

    I struggled to get out of bed and walked unsteadily towards the window.

    This is the second floor, and below is also awn.

    If I smashed this window, then threw the quilt down to cushion the fall, and used the bedsheet as a rope, I should be able to escape.

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    Thinking of this, I didn¡¯t hesitate, I picked up a chair and smashed it towards the window.

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    But the window was too sturdy, I used a chair to smash it several times, panting heavily, but the window didn¡¯t budge at all.

    I lifted the table again and smashed it, but it was still no use.

    The window in front of me was like an imprable barrier.

    I leaned weakly against the ss window, my heart filled with despair.

    If this window couldn¡¯t be broken, then where else could I find a way to

    escape.

    The surroundings were so quiet that there was not a single person to call for help.

    There were nomunication facilities in the room.

    The doors and windows were all locked.

    So, am I just supposed to wait here to die?

    Who on earth was it? Why did they have to be so malicious towards me?

    I slid down along the window and sat on the floor, filled with sadness, anger, and despair.

    Suddenly, I saw a bright light in the courtyard, and my heart couldn¡¯t help but tremble.

    The light was shining out from the downstairs door.

    But I clearly remember thatst night the lights downstairs were not on yet.

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    Either someone suddenly came today, or there have been other people in this vi all along, just intentionally ignoring me.

    Thinking that there were people in the living room at that moment, I didn¡¯t care about anything else, and hurriedly stumbled to the door, vigorously pounding on the door panel.

    ¡°Open the door, let me out, open the door¡­¡±

    I shouted hoarsely, hoping they could hear me, hoping they could let me

    out.

    But no, I shouted until I was hoarse and not a single person paid any

    attention to me.

    I fell to the ground weakly.

    The boundless helplessness and fear gradually surrounded me, and I curled up on the ground, letting the darkness engulf me bit by bit.

    It seems like I had been in a daze for a long time.

    The day broke again.

    But I was still locked in this small room, I was even still lying on the ground, with no one to care for me.

    It¡¯s as if I really died here, and no one cared.

    Iy motionless on the ground, without even the strength to scream.

    Time was long, but also fleeting.

    It was hard to endure when I was awake, and when I fell asleep, upon opening my eyes again, it was suddenly night.

    I had been locked in this room for two days and two nights.

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    The lips were dry and peeling, but the stomach no longer felt hungry.

    Consciousness was always wandering, life seemed to be losing every minute and every second.

    Thinking of the baby in her belly, a strong will to survive once again sprouted in her heart.

    I struggled to get up, desperately pounding on the door, crying out for

    someone toe and save me.

    It has been two days and two nights.

    If no one hade, I might have really died here, and my baby too.

    No, I didn¡¯t want anything to happen to my baby.

    Tears of helplessness kept falling down, and I knocked on the door with myst breath.

    And at that moment, a faint sound of footsteps seemed to being from

    somewhere.

    I tensed up all over and listened carefully.

    Dada! Dada! Dada¡­

    It was really the sound of footsteps!

    Stepping on the wooden floor, rhythmically and slowly, tapping on my nerves, one by one.

    A surge of excitement suddenly rose in my heart, and I quickly knocked

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    on the door and shouted, ¡°Is anyone there? Let me out, let me out¡­¡±

    The footsteps grew closer and closer, then stopped at my door.

    11

    The man was outside the door, but he never opened the door in front of<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I was anxious, ¡°Who is out there¡­ let me out, please let me out¡­¡±

    I was hungry for two days and two nights, and thirsty for two days and two nights. My throat was already hoarse.

    My consciousness was constantly blurred and confused, I didn¡¯t even know how to negotiate with the people outside the door, just repeating the four words ¡®let me out¡® over and over again.

    After some time passed, there was finally the sound of unlocking the door from outside.

    My heart trembled, and I staggered back.

    The door lock kept turning, and I stared at the door handle, my wandering mind gradually returning, my nerves unconsciously tensing up.

    Who could it be?

    Was it the bodyguards who caught me, or the people behind the bodyguards?

    Could it be Reynaldo?

    No!

    It shouldn¡¯t be Reynaldo.

    Even though he hated me, he had never punished me so ruthlessly.

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    It wasn¡¯t him.

    It must not have been him¡­

    The door lock turned a few times, followed by a click, and the door was slowly pushed open by someone.

    I sat down on the ground all of a sudden, staring nkly at the man appearing at the door.

    It turns out¡­ it¡¯s really Reynaldo!

    The man stood at the door with a cold expression on his face, holding some food and water in his hands.

    He looked at me faintly, those eyes, a coldness I had never seen before.

    I propped my hand on the ground, moved back, and looked at him with fear and unfamiliarity.

    I knew that, because of those three unbearable years of marriage and humiliation, he had always despised me.

    He often looked fierce and never showed me a good face..

    Even in bed, torment and punishment always outweigh tenderness and sweetness.

    But deep down in my subconscious, I just felt that he wouldn¡¯t really want to take my life.

    But this time, I changed my mind.

    This time, I felt so close to death that I even saw indifference and murderous intent in his eyes.

    This time, it seemed like he really wanted to kill me.

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    He nced at me for a while, then looked away and walked in expressionlessly

    I turned around to look at him with great effort.

    He ced the food and water on the small table by the window, then sat

    in the chair, lit a cigarette with a nk expression, and smoked quietly.

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    He didn¡¯t look at me again, but the look in his eyes was cold and indifferent.

    At that moment, he was extremely unfamiliar.

    I looked at him in horror, licked my dry lips, and asked him, ¡°Why did you lock me up here?¡±

    The sound came out, hoarse and piercing.

    I looked at him, unable to understand why he wanted to punish me like this.

    Just because I lied to him?

    Sometimes I really can¡¯t understand why he would keep someone he despises so much around him.

    Reynaldo slowly blew a smoke ring and asked me, ¡°Thirsty?¡±

    I pursed my lips, my throat feeling dry and sore.

    ¡°Here is water, do you want to drink?¡±

    He took the cup from the tray and said to me lightly, his voice calm and emotionless, without any hint of emotion.

    I stared at him, not moving.

    At that moment, he, although calm, felt more terrifying than usual.

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t move, he suddenly smirked and said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not thirsty yet.¡±

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    With that, he slowly turned his wrist and poured the ss of water onto the ground.

    I shook my head urgently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    He stared at me coldly and asked, ¡°Do you want a drink?¡±

    I bit my lip and nodded.

    He said with a smile, ¡°Come over here.¡±

    I struggled to get up from the ground, then staggered towards him.

    I walked step by step, it was extremely difficult.

    Those two legs seemed to have no strength left, as if they could copse at any moment.

    And at that moment, the man seemed to have an extra amount of patience.

    No matter how slowly I walked, he just watched me quietly, without urging a word, with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

    The more abnormal he was, the more uneasy and fearful I felt in my heart.

    Finally, he reached him.

    I nced at him and then reached out to take the water cup in his hand.

    However, just as my fingertips were about to touch the cup, he suddenly raised his hand, deliberately keeping it out of my reach.

    I looked at him, and his legs were trembling lightly due to weakness.

    The steaming hot items in the tray also stirred up the glutton in my stomach, causing my stomach to ache in waves.

    I felt ufortable all over, on my body and in my stomach.

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    I really wanted to eat, really wanted to drink.

    1125 Vrchers

    But I also knew that without the man¡¯s permission, I couldn¡¯t eat or drink a drop of water.

    I looked at him and weakly called his name.

    He smiled at me, with no trace of pity orpassion in his eyes.

    Some were just cold and full of hatred.

    ¡°I really want to drink, right?¡± he smiled at me, with no hint of a smile in his icy eyes.

    I licked my dry lips, all self¨Cesteem thrown out of the window in extreme thirst and difort.

    I wanted to survive, and my baby had to survive too.

    He came over with food and water like this, isn¡¯t he just trying to make me beg him?

    Oh, just asking him, what¡¯s so difficult about that?

    Wasn¡¯t my little self¨Cesteem long gone the first time Iy under him?

    I slowly met his cold eyes, my dry and sore throat filled with bitterness and sadness.

    I spoke softly, saying without any tone¡­

    ¡°If stepping on my dignity and trampling on it is your ultimate goal, then¡­ I satisfy you.¡±

    He said and finished.

    My knees slowly bent down, eventually kneeling on the soft carpet in

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    front of him.

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    I begged him, ¡°It was my fault before. I shouldn¡¯t have treated you like that. Please¡­ please give me a sip of water to drink.¡±

    This was the first time in my life that I knelt down to someone, the first time I begged someone like this.

    With this one kneel, he finally got back the three years of humiliation and oppression.

    So, he shouldn¡¯t hate me that much anymore, right?

    But why, the coldness and hatred lingering in his dark eyes became even more intense.

    He looked down on me, his eyes filled with deep hatred, as if he wanted to devour mepletely.

    So, how much does he actually hate me?

    He bent down slowly, his slender fingers lifting my chin, his voice with a smile icy and piercing.

    ¡°Do you think¡­ that¡¯s enough?¡±

    Look, indeed, even kneeling before him was not enough to appease the hatred he had for me in his heart.

    I looked into his dark eyes, my heart aching unbearably.

    I asked with difficulty, ¡°What do I have to do for you to calm down?¡±

    ncing at the cup of water in his hand, the feeling of thirst became

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    increasingly unbearable.

    At this moment, I was like a fish stranded in the desert, dried up for many days, on the brink of death, when suddenly a spring appeared before my

    eyes.

    The short distance, but I just couldn¡¯t walk over.

    I felt ufortable and in pain all over my body.

    Worried about the baby in my belly, I grabbed his pants leg and hoarsely begged, ¡°I¡¯m so thirsty¡­ Reynaldo, please don¡¯t do this, I beg you¡­ Please don¡¯t do this, it¡¯s my fault, please¡­ Please give me some water, please¡­¡°.

    He bent down and looked at me, with a touch of what seemed like sadness in his cold eyes.

    He approached me and asked, word by word, ¡°Where do you think you have wronged me?¡±

    Where did he offend you?

    It was nothing but the oppression and humiliation of those three

    years.

    I licked my lips and said with difficulty, ¡°Those three years, I shouldn¡¯t have had any rtionship with you, shouldn¡¯t have bullied you, shouldn¡¯t have humiliated you, I¡¯m sorry, Reynaldo, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± heughed, but his lips were tinged with bitterness.

    He said, ¡°You see, you never really understood the essence of the problem, you never think about it. Three years ago, there were so many people who oppressed me, why do I only hate you.¡±

    ¡°You never think about this question, you simply don¡¯t know why I hate you.¡±

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    I stared nkly at the bitter smile on his lips.

    1248 Vouchers

    So, he hated me not because of the three years of bullying, then what was it for?

    I asked him in distress, ¡°Then why do you hate me? Tell me, you tell me.

    Except for those three years, I really don¡¯t know where I offended him.

    If I had known that he held grudges and was so ruthless, even if I died, I wouldn¡¯t want to have any rtionship with him.

    I weakly grabbed his trouser leg and said in pain, ¡°Why do you hate me like this? If you don¡¯t say¡­ how would I know?¡±

    ¡°Heh, so I said, you¡­ heartless, selfish and ruthless.¡±

    He stared into my eyes and asked coldly, ¡°Do you know what I hate most about you?¡±

    shook my head in confusion.

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    It seems that this person, every part of me, he hated to the extreme.

    He pinched my chin, his thumb gently rubbing the corner of my lips, the movement was gentle, but his eyes were extremely cold.

    He said, ¡°What I hate the most is your constant lies!¡±

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    ¡°You to me, it¡¯s as if there has never been a single bit of sincerity, a single bit of true affection, or even a single true word!¡±

    I shook my head, wanting to deny.

    Faced with his using gaze, I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    Looking back, I seemed to have really deceived him countless times.

    So, he punished me like this because I lied to him?

    But every time I lied, it was just a small matter, it didn¡¯t hurt him at all, why did he get so angry?

    Hisrge hand moved slowly from my chin to my neck.

    His slender neck was instantly grasped by his hand.

    As soon as he exerted force, it felt like my neck could be snapped by him

    in an instant.

    He red at me, his eyes filled with what seemed like extreme hatred, mixed with unspoken pain and disappointment.

    He said, ¡°When I left you the day before yesterday, what did you promise me?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

    He smiled and said, ¡°You said you would wait for me toe back. You even asked me what dishes I liked and said you would go buy groceries specifically to cook for me.¡±

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    Oh, Esmeralda, really, you seem to be a born liar, telling lies so effortlessly.¡±

    28 Vouchers

    I slowly said, ¡°Almost no one goes through life without telling lies. I did deceive you a few times, but can my deception really be unforgivable?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Heughed coldly and chillingly, like a demon.

    ¡°Anyone can deceive me, I don¡¯t care, but only you can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Why, why¡­ Ha!¡± heughed self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°So I said, you have no heart, you will never understand.¡±

    A sense of powerlessness surged in my heart.

    I helplessly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, how am I supposed to understand? Reynaldo, if you have any grievances, please exin them to me clearly, okay?¡±

    You always wanted me to guess like that. I am not a god, I.am not that smart, how could I possibly guess what¡¯s on your mind.

    ¡°Did you make it clear? Why do you only hate my deception?¡±

    He looked at me deeply, his eyes dark and terrifying, with a hint of self- mockery.

    Tell you? Ha¡­ tell you, what else can I get besides your sarcasm and ridicule?

    ¡°When did you ever have true feelings?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

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    ¡°Do you know why I asked you if you would wait for me that day?¡±

    I looked at him, didn¡¯t say anything, my lips dry and sore.

    112 Vouchers

    He caressed my face and smiled faintly, ¡°Because that was the chance I gave you.¡±

    ¡°Give me a chance¡­?¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± he sneered, ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t know when you went to the airport to test me on the first day? Do you think I really believed that you were packing your bags to stay at Lavonne¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°You are so naive!¡±

    I stared at him with a chill running down my spine.

    No wonder, when I went to the airport to test the waters on the first day, there were clearly no bodyguards present.

    The next day when I really had to leave, suddenly a bodyguard appeared.

    Originally, everything was in his control.

    He just didn¡¯t say anything, deliberately keeping quiet, deliberately making me full of hope, thinking that I could finally escape, finally be free, and then suddenly appeared, cruelly shattering my illusion of hope.

    He, like a superior, sarcastically appreciated the drama that waspletely in his hands.

    Watching me like a clown, struggling hard, but never able to escape from this cage.

    Anger and hatred quietly grew in the heart.

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    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± I lunged at him, hitting his face, growling with hatred, ¡°You¡¯re really cruel.¡±

    The limp hand pped his face, as if caressing, leaving him unfazed.

    He grabbed my wrist and sneered, ¡°Are you tough?¡±

    I stared at him deeply.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Esmeralda, what did I tell you? Never try to escape from me. Why do you never listen?¡±

    Even the opportunity I gave you, you didn¡¯t even bother to consider.

    ¡°You always seem to be pushing my limits. Do you think I really wouldn¡¯t dare to touch you?¡±

    With that, he suddenly exerted force with his hand and threw me into the

    chair.

    With this swing, I felt even more dizzy and dazzled.

    He pressed up against me, his eyes staring at me fiercely, as if he really wanted to kill me.

    I looked into his eyes filled with determination, and at that moment, I suddenly didn¡¯t want to struggle anymore.

    It seems that no matter what I do, my whole life was just trapped in his hands, letting him y with it.

    The difort of hunger and thirst overwhelmed all our pride and

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    stubbornness.

    I looked at the cup in his hand and pleaded sadly and weakly, ¡°I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have arrogantly challenged your bottom line.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not running anymore, please¡­ give me some water to drink¡­¡±

    Such humility was something I had never experienced in my entire life.

    Even though I had borrowed money from him before, slept with him, I had never been so humble.

    ¨ª looked at his cold, hard eyes, my heart aching.

    In the end, to him, I was just a tool for venting anger and relieving needs, he could kill me at any time.

    I shouldn¡¯t have always thought that I was special to him, shouldn¡¯t have always thought that no matter what he did, he wouldn¡¯t really kill me.

    Ah, what does my life matter to him anyway.

    ¡°Water¡­ Reynaldo, I beg you¡­¡±

    At this moment, I just wanted to survive and protect my baby.

    I clung to his arm, casting aside all pride and self¨Cesteem, and pleaded desperately to him, ¡°Reynaldo¡­ water¡­¡±

    His eyes sank as he looked at me, with a touch of ruthlessness between his eyebrows.

    ¡°Very thirsty, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    I licked my chapped lips and looked at him.

    His eyes suddenly darkened a few shades, revealing a clear hint of

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    darkness.

    His big hand ran up along my corbone and my neck.

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    The slightly callousedrge hand seemed to be carrying mes, wherever it went, it stirred up waves of heat and trembling.

    Then, his big hand once again pinched my chin and he smiled at me,

    ¡°You must be weak after being hungry for so long. How about I feed you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at the water cup within reach, swallowing unconsciously.

    My throat was as dry as a knife.

    He sneered faintly, then brought the cup to my lips the next second, and lifted it to pour into my mouth.

    The ordinary lukewarm water seemed particrly sweet at this moment.

    I tilted my head back and swallowed eagerly.

    He poured a little too fast, and the water slid down my lips, flowing into my clothes along my neck and corbone.

    It started out warm, butter it turned cold, making me shiver slightly.

    Suddenly, the man violently threw the water cup and then forcefully covered my lips.

    He kissed her forcefully, with his rapid breath ringing in her ears.

    I was powerless to resist, feeling like my whole being was going to be devoured by his wild kisses.

    The clothes were torn by him.

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    His hands showed no mercy, with roughness, wherever they touched, there was a hint of pain, that hint of pain, directly piercing into the heart.

    His body became extremely disheveled under his maniption.

    In the end, however, he didn¡¯t do anything to me.

    He straightened up, his icy eyes staring down at me from above.

    Under his gaze, sadness and shame lingered in the depths of his heart.

    I awkwardly pulled together the tattered cor he had torn, and sarcasticallyughed at him, ¡°Why stop? Aren¡¯t you¡­ the one who enjoys humiliating me like this the most?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, his hand clenched tightly at his side.

    I could see the bulging veins on the back of his hand clearly.

    For a long time, he chuckled and sneered with a cold tone, ¡°Your lifeless appearance really makes people lose interest.¡±

    He finished speaking, didn¡¯t look at me again, and walked out without another nce.

    I didn¡¯t rx until he walked out and the door was locked again, then I slumped weakly out of the chair.

    Tears had already blurred the vision.

    Although I have always known that I am just a ything in his hands now, being treated like this by him, a surge of indescribable bitterness

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    and pain rises in my heart.

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    I wiped away the useless tears, struggled to lean on the low table, picked up the steaming food, and hastily shoveled it into my mouth.

    Perhaps because I ate too quickly, I choked for a moment, and immediately leaned against the edge of the low table, coughing non¨Cstop.

    Coughing, my tears started to flow again.

    I couldn¡¯t tell whether those were tears caused by choking and flowing out physiologically, or tears shed because of overwhelming sadness and bitterness in my heart.

    I breathed a sigh of relief and continued to pick at the food in the bowl.

    Eating while shedding tears.

    The bean¨Csized tears, like broken beads, fell into the bowl, salty and

    bitter.

    Since Reynaldo left, he has not appeared in front of me again.

    But every day three meals were delivered on time.

    The water was also running in the bathroom.

    Now I was locked in this small room by Reynaldo, unable to do anything, andpletely unaware of everything outside.

    Every day I just ate and slept, my mind was starting to numb.

    I used to sit by the window and stare outside for hours on end.

    The scenery outside was beautiful, but there wasn¡¯t a single person.

    The distant sea was calm and waveless, like a dead pool, just like my

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    current state of mind.

    I often felt like I was just a walking corpse now.

    No thoughts, no soul.

    11 <i>288 </i>Vouchers

    Only when I see the slightly bulging belly and think of the two babies inside, do I feel that I am still alive.

    In the deep autumn season, there is always a touch of destion.

    The leaves in the yard had turned yellow. A gust of cool wind swept through, carrying the dry leaves to my window.

    I wanted to reach out and grab it, but was blocked back by the sturdy window.

    I watched the withered leaves drifting further and further away, feeling inexplicably sad.

    I became particrly sentimental, whether it was due to the weather or

    pregnancy.

    Tears welled up in my eyes again, and a mist formed.

    I took a deep breath, tried my best to dispel the negative emotions, sat down in the chair, and picked up a book to read.

    I couldn¡¯t be so sad anymore, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be good for my baby.

    There were no electronic devices in the room.

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    Every day I didn¡¯t know what time it was, only by counting the dark and light of the day, I knew how many days I had been locked up here.

    Around the seventh day, Reynaldo came again.

    He must have just returned, with a hint of autumn chill on him.

    At that time, I had just finished taking a shower and wasing out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe.

    He stood at the doorway, staring at me without blinking, with a deep and dark expression in his eyes and eyebrows.

    And as for his arrival, I felt no ripples in my heart.

    I withdrew my gaze lightly and silentlyy down on the bed to sleep.

    He didn¡¯t say a word to me either, and went straight to the bathroom.

    Soon there was the sound of water.

    Basically, him taking a shower in my room meant that he was going to do that kind of thing with me next.

    See, I was just a ything for him to relieve his physical needs.

    He would disappear if he wanted to, and if he wanted something, he woulde straight over without considering my feelings at all.

    Before long, the door of the bathroom opened.

    I quickly wiped away the tears overflowing from the corners of my eyes, hugged the nket, closed my eyes and went to sleep.

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    However, a long time passed and Reynaldo never showed up.

    11

    288 Vouchers

    After a long silence, silence to the point where I thought he had gone out again.

    However, the faint smell of tobo in the air reminded me that Reynaldo was still in the room.

    I opened my eyes and looked back faintly.

    He was wearing a loose robe and standing by the window smoking.

    He turned his back to me, and his silhouette seemed to exude an indescribable loneliness.

    I averted my gaze, pursed my lips, and continued sleeping.

    I don¡¯t know if I slept too much during the day, but I just couldn¡¯t fall asleep now.

    The more sober a person is, the clearer their senses be, to the point where I could even feel Reynaldo¡¯s breath.

    He was in the room, I always felt a little uneasy.

    Nerves were also on edge, not knowing when he would suddenly show<ol><li>up.</li></ol>

    I don¡¯t know how long it had been, until that faint smell of tobo finally wafted over¡­

    I subconsciously opened my eyes and met his dark, deep gaze.

    The calm heart finally skipped a beat.

    We just stared at each other for a few seconds, neither of us saying a word.

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    He came straight at me.

    There were no words, he just kissed me on the forehead.

    At this point, any resistance seems futile and ridiculous.

    11

    I clutched the bedding beneath me, motionless, letting his warm kisses cover my whole body.

    291 (Vorhers

    The man¡¯s facial features were deep and three¨Cdimensional, and when he put on clothes, he always looked elegant and noble.

    Once he took off his clothes, he was a demon.

    In bed, he would always be very cruel, cruelly tormenting me, cruelly making me make sounds.

    It¡¯s as if when I feel bad, I beg him, he can get great satisfaction.

    Just like now, his face was clearly noble and charming, but his actions were so crazy and vicious that it was unbearable.

    I wanted to scold him, but I held back.

    I have now realized a fact.

    Any cursing and resistance would only provoke him to treat you even

    worse.

    And my tears, my vulnerability and pleading were equally useless to him.

    So, it¡¯s better to keep silent.

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    He didn¡¯t stop until I bit my lips, his pair of dark and deep eyes like dry wells, staring at me straight.

    For a long time, he smiled, but it was just a slight curl of the lips, with no trace ofughter in his tears.

    He said, ¡°I really hate, don¡¯t I?¡±

    I turned my face away and remained silent.

    No matter what I said, it didn¡¯t change his bad attitude.

    He gave a light sigh and continued with his actions.

    His eyes were not like before, filled with strong desire.

    He seemed more like he was retaliating, retaliating against me for deceiving him, retaliating against me for not listening to him, retaliating against me for past oppression and humiliation.

    For a long time, Reynaldo finally satisfied.

    He left me without a trace of nostalgia and went straight to the bathroom.

    I pulled the quilt over my disheveled body.

    My eye sockets were so sore that I couldn¡¯t shed a single tear.

    The bitten lip was also throbbing with pain at the moment.

    I curled up in bed, staring nkly at the bathroom door.

    After a while, the sound of water stopped, and the door of the bathroom

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    was opened.

    Reynaldo walked out straight.

    248 Vouchers

    He didn¡¯t look at me, but instead put on a bathrobe and walked outside.

    That tall figure exuded indifference and coldness all over.

    When he was about to leave, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, my voice hoarse and bitter.

    I asked him, ¡°How long are you going to keep me locked up?¡±

    He paused for a moment and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe when you learn to behave.¡±

    ¡°Wait until I learn to behave?¡±

    I smiled stiffly, ¡°So in your opinion, how can I be considered a good student?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer me again, just opened the door and walked out.

    The room was instantly filled with the suffocating silence again.

    Everything returned to normal, as if that man had never been here.

    I sat up and looked at the ambiguous marks on my body, crying andughing at the same time.

    I don¡¯t know how long this dead silence willst.

    What if¡­ What if Reynaldo wants to imprison me for a lifetime?

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but shiver.

    In the following days, Reynaldo came to me to vent every now and then, sometimes evening for several nights in a row.

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    Every time it was done, he would leave as if I was just a tool for him to vent, without any feelings, without any emotions.

    These days passed without knowing how many days, each day was so unchanging.

    Several times I woke up, not knowing what day it was, even feeling confused and unable to remember where I was.

    I doubted that if I continued to be locked up like this, I would really be a mindless, soulless zombie.

    What will happen to my baby when I am like this?

    No, I couldn¡¯t continue to drift along like this.

    I had to do something.

    <b>289 </b>(Voucher

    I had to go out for a while. If I could get in touch with Vonnie or Quentin, let them think of a way to save me.

    I had been missing for so many days, they must have been very worried.

    Thinking of these, in recent days, my hazy mind finally became clearer.

    That night, Reynaldo came again.

    It seemed as if he lived in this vi, when he came in, he was still wearing a bathrobe.

    I stood by the window, staring at him without blinking.

    Based on my usual understanding of this man, as long as I please him, he is quite easy to talk to.

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    So, if I pleased him tonight, would he agree to take me out for a trip?

    Although it was impossible for me to go out alone.

    But it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult for him to take me out, as long as we can get out, there is hope.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was cold, and when his eyes looked at me, there was always a touch of chilliness.

    This time, he didn¡¯te in and pull me to do it, but sat on a chair on the side, smoking lightly.

    He had a noble temperament, with slender fingers holding a cigarette, just that casual smoking gesture, exuding a charm of a mature man.

    Reynaldo had a strong presence, even when wearing a bathrobe, exuding a sense of intimidation that made people hesitant to approach.

    I suddenly remembered him from three years ago.

    At this moment, I actually miss him from that time.

    At this moment, neither of us spoke to each other.

    A sense of oppression permeated the room.

    Or maybe, it was just me who felt oppressed.

    Just now I had already made up my mind to please him in exchange for the opportunity to go out.

    But as I looked at the man in front of me, who waspletely indifferent,

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    my feet seemed to be rooted to the spot and I couldn¡¯t take a step.

    Luckily, Reynaldo didn¡¯t look in my direction.

    1299 Vouchers

    Otherwise, under the gaze of his ck eyes, I was even more at a loss.

    The man nced casually at a spot, as if he was thinking about something.

    He exhaled a puff of smoke gently and slowly.

    Shrouded in smoke, his expression became even more difficult to discern.

    After he finished smoking the cigarette in his hand, I tightened my grip on the hand by my side and still walked towards him.

    There is no need to hesitate any longer at this point.

    I walked up to him.

    He nced at me and said nothing, with a faint expression.

    I licked my lips, didn¡¯t say anything, just walked around behind him, had a big struggle in my heart, and then tremblingly reached out to put my arm around his neck.

    Actually, such silence made me even more ufortable.

    I would rather be hated by him as before, and curse him.

    That way it wouldn¡¯t be so dull, so disorienting.

    I had just put my arms around his neck when he grabbed my wrist.

    He didn¡¯t turn around, just coldly asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer him, just turned my head and kissed his ear and neck carefully.

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    He clearly felt his body tremble, his Adam¡¯s apple rolling.

    1280 Vouchers

    But he didn¡¯t let go of me, instead, the force holding my wrist tightened

    even more.

    I ignored the paining from my wrist and bit into his throat.

    He just grunted and with a sudden force on his wrist, he pulled me in front of him.

    Eye contact was made, his eyes were dark and terrifying, with a strong desire churning at the bottom of his eyes.

    I watched him in shock.

    So, he didn¡¯tck desire for me, he just wanted me to seduce him?

    Reynaldo¡¯s gaze at that moment was terrifying, as if he wanted to swallow me whole.

    The pain in my wrist grew stronger.

    I shrank back in pain.

    He rxed his grip a little.

    He stared at me coldly and said, ¡°What tricks are you trying to y again, huh?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer his question, I just leaned in and kissed his lips.

    He slightly turned his head and avoided my kiss.

    My lips lightly brushed against his cheek, and an indescribable feeling shed through my heart.

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    Feeling a bit frustrated, and a bit like lost.

    There was a moment when I really wanted to give up.

    The moment I thought he might keep me here for the rest of my life, the fear in my heart overwhelmed the shame and defeat that had just crossed

    my

    mind.

    Ah, what are a little setback and shamepared to the despair brought by this kind of imprisonment, it¡¯s simply not worth mentioning.

    One of my hands was still tightly held by him.

    I wrapped my other hand around his neck and mustered up the courage to kiss his lips again.

    He turned his face to the side and tried to dodge, this time I only kissed the corner of his lips.

    It was cool and refreshing, carrying his unique scent.

    When I used to dislike him, I thought even his breathing was wrong.

    Ever since I started liking him, feeling his presence again, my heart has been filled with both affection and nervousness.

    I looked at him who was close at hand.

    His profile was stern, with thin lips tightly pressed together, his eyebrows furrowed into a shape, giving him a look of keeping people at a distance, which was quite frightening.

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    I couldn¡¯t help but feel discouraged in my heart again.

    But I had no way out. If I wanted to leave, I could only try this way.

    I kissed him again, this time, directly on his Adam¡¯s apple.

    He clearly felt his breath sink, his Adam¡¯s apple rolling up and down.

    He suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pushed me away coldly, saying, ¡°Tell me! What trick are you ying again!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was cold and terrifying, with tightly furrowed brows showing annoyance and hostility.

    286 (Vouchers

    I nervously licked my lips and blurted out, ¡°I didn¡¯t y any tricks, I just¡­ I just want you.¡±

    He was stunned for a few seconds, sneered and said, ¡°What, doing it every day is still not enough for you? How thirsty are you?¡±

    I ignored the man¡¯s harsh sarcasm, my hand deliberately caressing his

    chest.

    His brow furrowed, he grasped my hand.

    The eyes were deep and cold, but also mocking: ¡°Is it because I keep you here, you can¡¯t go find wild men outside to have fun, so you can¡¯t be satisfied, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips and suppressed the bitterness in my heart.

    He always disregarded my feelings and said these hurtful words.

    It seemed to me that I was always so unbearable in his eyes.

    But he clearly knew¡­ knew that my first time was for him, and he still had to hurt me so recklessly.

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    1289 Wouchers

    Sure enough, to someone he doesn¡¯t love, he can always be so heartless and ruthless.

    If it were Kimberly, he would never say such hurtful words to Kimberly.

    The strong contrast made my heart ache terribly.

    I took a deep breath, silently adjusting my emotions, my fingers continuing to draw circles on his chest.

    Although my skills were not great, the effect was still good for a man as passionate as Reynaldo.

    Soon, the desire in the man¡¯s eyes surged terribly.

    But he seemed to be trying hard to restrain himself.

    He looked at me coldly, with a mocking smile on his lips, ¡°Hate me and still try to seduce me, Ms. Duffy, you really can put on a show.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hate you,¡± I said softly.

    He smiled incredulously.

    In order to please him, she said to him with a sweet tone, ¡°Really, I don¡¯t dislike you at all, and, in fact, I even enjoy your touch.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me with deep eyes.

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    Although there was still a hint of doubt in his eyes, his face looked a little better than just now.

    I continued hastily, ¡°Believe it or not, you are the only man in my life. The first was you, and thest¡­ thest will also be you.¡±

    Men should all like to hear such words.

    No matter whether the person saying this is someone he likes or dislikes.

    Because in this way, it can greatly satisfy theirpetitiveness and desire for conquest.

    Sure enough, Reynaldo¡¯s sinister tears dissipated a bit.

    Iy on top of him and kissed his lips again.

    This time he did not dodge, nor did heply, letting me use my clumsy skills to kiss him, to pry open his lips and teeth.

    His eyes were lowered, looking at me closely.

    The eyes that were focused to the extreme yet calm and waveless made

    me blush and feel flustered.

    I nervously lowered my eyes, not looking at him.

    As we continued to stare at each other, I suspected that my heart would not be able to withstand it and would retreat.

    I kissed him for a long time and could clearly feel a change in his body.

    But he just wouldn¡¯t move, just stood there motionless letting me

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    ¡®perform¡®.

    11

    2008 Phers

    His calm eyes even carried a hint of sarcasm, watching how I, who used to be high above, now tried to please him.

    So, this man knew how to torture people, how to humiliate them.

    He didn¡¯t need to say a word, just stared at me calmly and mockingly, making me feel a little embarrassed.

    But at this moment, the dilemma did not allow me to hesitate, nor did it allow me to retreat.

    I didn¡¯t look at his face, just hung my head down to untie his robe belt, and reached into his robe with my hand.

    His figure was very good, with tight and solid abs, and a perfect and sexy

    waistline.

    The touch under the fingers was full of sexual tension.

    I fumbled around, blushing and heart pounding, with my heart racing wildly.

    Reynaldo, however, remained calm andposed, with an air of elegance and aloofness.

    If it weren¡¯t for his burning body, I would have doubted whether he had any feelings for me at all.

    He remained silent, not moving at all.

    My hand touched his body for a long time, and in the end, I didn¡¯t know where to put it.

    The fact is, I couldn¡¯t take the initiative in this matter at all, even with someone I liked.

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    His robe was opened wide by me, revealing a tight and solid chest and abdomen, with his skin flushed red.

    I sat on hisp, not knowing how to proceed next for a moment.

    In the end, even at this point, I couldn¡¯t let go.

    I hung my head, my hands fumbling on his abs, my face burning all the way to the base of my neck.

    I had always been too afraid to look at him, but I could feel his burning gaze constantly on me.

    His handmade countless circles on his abdominal muscles, feeling them getting tighter and tighter.

    But he just didn¡¯t take any action!

    Is he really unwilling tonight, or is he deliberately trying to make me feel embarrassed and helpless?!

    I bit my lip, lowered my head, and couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°Are you¡­¡­. are youfortable? Do you¡­ like it this way?¡±

    The man remained silent for a while before speaking.

    ¡°Heads up.¡±

    The deep voice was hoarse to the extreme, with a hint ofmand.

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    I steadied my trembling heart, slowly lifted my head, and in an instant, I plunged into his dark, deep eyes.

    Inside, it seemed like a fire was burning fiercely.

    I blushed and my heart raced.

    Even though I loved and hated him at the same time, I couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous and embarrassed about this matter.

    I bit the inside of my lip and looked at him.

    He raised the corner of his eyebrows slightly, and a smile that seemed like a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

    He sneered, ¡°I have never seen a woman who touches a man like petting a dog, do you think¡­ I would feelfortable?¡±

    When Reynaldo¡¯s voice fell, the sarcasm at the corner of his lips intensified.

    I already felt ashamed, and with his sarcasm, I felt even more embarrassed.

    So, it seems that he didn¡¯t like me trying to please him like that.

    Thinking of this, a sense of defeat instantly rose in my heart.

    I wanted to get off him with a heavy heart.

    He suddenly pressed down on my back, not letting me move back half an inch.

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    200 Vracher

    He sneered, looking so noble and elegant on the surface, but with a hint of evil in his eyes.

    He grabbed my hand, leading it down along his firm and taut abdomen¡­

    I blushed and felt my fingertips burning as if scalded, and I clenched my hands tightly.

    He whispered in my ear, his low, husky voice incredibly seductive.

    ¡°Men will only befortable if they are pleased like this, understand?¡±

    My face burned all the way to the base of my neck, and I just wanted to find a crack to hide in.

    Watching the evil smile curling at the corner of his lips, I wanted to curse him as vulgar, but as the words reached my mouth, I forcibly swallowed them.

    In the end, it was me who seduced him first!

    Remembering my purpose of pleasing him, I made a great effort to dispel the shame in my heart, trembling as I said to him, ¡°If you¡­ if you like it this way, then I¡­ then I will satisfy you¡­¡±

    That being said, my hands were still at a loss, just fumbling around aimlessly.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes grew deeper and deeper.

    His whole body was also tense, like a trapped beast about to explode.

    Facing his dark and gloomy eyes, my heart tightened in waves, and my hands started to tremble.

    Suddenly, he pushed me hard.

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    Chapter423

    I sat down on the ground in a mess, looking at him in astonishment, and asked hesitantly, ¡°Did¡­did I hurt you?¡±

    He stared at me intently, his ck eyes like a terrifying vortex that could suck in a person¡¯s soul.

    I was shocked for a moment in my heart, thinking that I was really useless, I couldn¡¯t even please him.

    It seems I have annoyed him again.

    In this way, how could he take me out again.

    Feeling frustrated in his heart, he suddenly let out a cold snort, and a cold sneer rose in his ck eyes again.

    He lifted my chin and smiled at me faintly, ¡°Today you suddenly put so much effort into seducing me, even saying those ttering words against your will. Do you have something you want to ask me again?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no,¡± I shook my head, lying with ack of confidence, ¡°I just wanted to make you happy, just wanted to please you.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled, but his eyes were cold.

    He leaned forward, approached me, and asked with a gentle smile, ¡°Why? Why do you want to make me happy? Are you still concerned about my emotions?¡±

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    ¡°Of course,¡± I nodded, saying urgently, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you angry every day. When you are happy, I am happy.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking, his eyes were too deep to be probed.

    For a long time, heughed and said, ¡°Do you think I would believe that?¡±

    With that, his face instantly turned cold, and he said word by word, ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance, tell the truth!¡±

    I swallowed nervously, made some calctions in my mind, and then spoke.

    ¡°Yes, I¡­ I do have a favor to ask of you.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    The man chuckled sarcastically, ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult,¡± I quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been locked up here for too long, too long, and I really feel bored. I feel like I¡¯m going crazy being locked up.¡±

    ¡°So, you want me to let you go, don¡¯t you?¡± he chuckled softly, his face chillingly cold, ¡°Let you go, and then go find Anton, or go find Winston, right?¡±

    I shook my head in confusion, not understanding why he always had such thoughts.

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    I hurriedly said, ¡°I never thought about going to find them, I never thought about you letting me out, I just wanted to go out for some fresh air.¡±

    If you are not at ease, you can take me out as well.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be stuck here all the time, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Saying that, I grabbed his hand and looked at him with tears in my eyes, ¡°Would you take me out for some fresh air? I won¡¯t run away, I won¡¯t look for anyone else, I just want to go out and see, even if it¡¯s just to go shopping.¡±

    Reynaldo, I beg you¡­¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, his brow furrowed deeply.

    In his eyes, there was doubt and ridicule, ¡°You have really deceived me too many times, so, do you think I will believe what you are saying now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±

    I cried urgently, ¡°Now I am right under your nose, do you think I can still y tricks.¡±

    ¡°Who knows.¡±

    Reynaldo said softly, ¡°After all, Ms. Duffy, you have always been a liar and not obedient at all. Who knows what tricks you will y when you go out.¡±

    He finished speaking, stood up, and leisurely tied the belt of the robe that I had pulled open.

    He lowered his gaze and stared at me, his face expressionless, the desire in his eyes already faded awaypletely.

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    Heughed at me self¨Cdeprecatingly and said, ¡°Are you trying to please me and win my favor by asking for my help?¡±

    ¡°Ha, Esmeralda, did you really think I, Reynaldo, was so easily fooled?¡±

    I dug my fingers into the carpet, staring at him intently.

    I thought that by pleasing him, making him happy, he would agree to my request when he was in a good mood.

    Originally, it was just my wild imagination.

    He detested me, detested mepletely, and showed me not a shred of mercy.

    Reynaldo fastened the belt of his robe and slowly squatted in front of me.

    He lifted my chin, looked into my teary eyes, and chuckled, ¡°Behave yourself and stay here. Don¡¯t think about ying any tricks. Seriously, my patience is limited.¡±

    ¡°Anger me again, and it won¡¯t be as simple as just starving and thirsting you, understand?¡±

    He stood up and walked out after finishing speaking.

    I stared at his back in anger and said through gritted teeth, ¡°You are a pervert, you are a narrow¨Cminded devil! No one will ever like someone like you!¡±

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    ¡°Is it?¡± Reynaldo paused in his steps, turned around to look at me, and chuckled, ¡°See, when you¡¯re trying to please me, you can say all sorts of nice things, but when you can¡¯t achieve your goal, look at how you¡¯ve turned into hating me so much.¡±

    ¡°Ha, Esmeralda, you are really hypocritical!¡±

    He looked at me disappointedly, then opened the car door and walked out.

    I was so angry that I gritted my teeth.

    I never asked him again, never tried to please him.

    Someone who hated me and showed no mercy towards me, even if I knelt in front of him, his cold and hard heart probably wouldn¡¯t soften towards me at all.

    The n fell through, and Iy back on the bed, feeling powerless and deste in my heart.

    Seeing Reynaldo like this, he probably really wanted to trap me here for the rest of my life.

    What should I do?

    Vonnie and the others didn¡¯t even know where I was trapped, how could they possiblye to rescue me.

    I looked out at the deste night outside the window, feeling more and more lonely and desperate in my heart.

    I stayed up all night and the next day Iy in bed not wanting to move.

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    128 Vouchers

    Chapter425

    Even when Reynaldo came in, I didn¡¯t pay any attention.

    Footsteps approached gradually, then stopped by the bed.

    The man¡¯s deep voice sounded by the bed, ¡°They said you didn¡¯t have breakfast?¡±

    I ignored him.

    He nced at the untouched breakfast on the coffee table and sneered, ¡°You think you can threaten me with a hunger strike and make me let you go? Hah, you are too naive.¡±

    I pulled at my lip.

    It¡¯s not that I was naive, it¡¯s that he overestimated me.

    I, a person who cherishes life, how could I possibly harm my body by fasting, especially when there is a baby in my belly.

    I didn¡¯t want to eat, I just simply didn¡¯t have the appetite.

    Last night I tried to please him but failed, now I don¡¯t want to pay any attention to him at all.

    He stared at me for a long time, his eyes gradually changing from indifference to gloom.

    ¡°Wake me up!¡±

    I still didn¡¯t move.

    He suddenly pulled me up and coldly said, ¡°Go have breakfast!¡±

    ¡°You are sick!¡±

    I impatiently shook off his hand, ¡°What I¡¯m hungry and thirsty for is you,

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    and now you¡¯re forcing me to have breakfast, it¡¯s you again. If you¡¯re sick, go take your medicine, don¡¯t go crazy here!¡±

    When anger outweighed fear, I could say anything.

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly for a while, then he suddenly smiled faintly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go out?¡±

    I was taken aback, looking at him with a hint of excitement.

    When I saw the coldness in his eyes, that excitement turned into sarcasm.

    I asked, ¡°Would you be so kind as to take me out for a walk?¡±

    Reynaldo turned around and sat on the sofa.

    The man wore a suit with a leather cor, his clothes meticulously groomed, exuding a calm and noble temperament.

    He said to me slowly, ¡°Winston¡¯s y has finished filming.¡±

    I looked at him in surprise.

    Is this finished filming?

    Last time I heard Vonnie say that they were working day and night to shoot, and it would take a month to finish.

    However, although there were no calendars or clocks in the room, counting the number of sunrises and sunsets, I had been locked in here for almost twenty days.

    I stared at him, not understanding why he suddenly said this to me.

    He nced at me lightly and said, ¡°Come here.¡±

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    I pursed my lips and walked towards him.

    He nced at the breakfast in front of him and said, ¡°Eat it.¡±

    ¡°I finished breakfast, will you take me out then?¡± I sat across from him and asked.

    He frowned slightly and a touch of annoyance shed through his eyes, ¡°Stop always thinking about negotiating terms with me!¡±

    I hung my head and said nothing.

    Also, I don¡¯t have the qualifications to negotiate terms with him now. What he said, I can only obey.

    Well, it was just breakfast, I was nning to eat againter anyway.

    I didn¡¯t ask him anything else, just ate breakfast in silence.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t rush me either, he leaned back in his chair and watched me quietly.

    It wasn¡¯t until I finished eating that he spoke again, ¡°Today, Winston held a wrap¨Cup ceremony with the crew at the filming base. As the biggest investor, I received an invitation to attend.¡±

    I pursed my lips and looked at him, without asking more.

    This man is like this, the more I ask, the more suspicious he bes.

    Reynaldo nced at me indifferently.

    He stood up, straightened his cor, and said, ¡°Tidy up a bit,e with

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    meter.¡±

    He finished speaking and walked outside.

    I stared at his back in surprise.

    It was really strange, he actually took me out so easily like this.

    I wish I hadn¡¯t tried so hard to please himst night.

    Great, Vonnie must have been at the wrap¨Cup ceremony too.

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    When the time came, I told Vonnie about my situation, and she definitely would find Quentin to discuss a way to rescue me.

    What surprised me was how Reynaldo, with his suspicious and aloof

    nature, was willing to take me to the wrap¨Cup ceremony.

    After all, Winston and Anton would also be at the ceremony.

    Wasn¡¯t he the most annoying when I met them?

    I really couldn¡¯t understand.

    In short, the man¡¯s mind was deeper than the ocean, making it impossible for anyone to figure out.

    I quickly washed up and changed into the clothes that Reynaldo, the guard, had brought in.

    The dress was a ck evening gown, which entuated the figure but was also very conservative.

    The dress had a half¨Chigh cor and was paired with a fox fur cape outside.

    After I changed my clothes, someone else came in and gave me a simple

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    hairstyle.

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    Her hair was elegantly tied up into a simple and stylish bun, secured with pearl hair essories.

    I looked at myself in the mirror.

    Hmm, very elegant, but not at all my usual style.

    The dress and stylist were both arranged by Reynaldo.

    He must have really liked this style.

    Upon further thought, Kimberly seems to be the one behind this whole thing.

    The more I thought about it, the more ufortable I felt in my heart.

    I tugged at my cor, dispersing the annoyance in my heart, and went downstairs.

    In the living room, Reynaldo was leaning back on the sofa reading a book.

    As soon as I went down, he looked towards me.

    So I inadvertently locked eyes with him.

    He saw me, and there was a sh of astonishment in his eyes.

    Just like that, those eyes quickly regained their coldness.

    It seems like the dazzling moment just now was only a selffort for<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Reynaldo nced at me and then casually looked away.

    He put down the book and stood up to walk out.

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    I hurriedly followed.

    The driver was driving in front.

    I sat behind Reynaldo.

    The man stared ahead, his face cold and expressionless.

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    I pursed my lips, silently moved to the side, and looked out the window.

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    The car windows were closed, and it was very stuffy inside the car.

    Just as I was drowsy and sleepy, Reynaldo¡¯s clear and cold voice suddenly sounded beside me.

    ¡°You must be very excited to go see Winston and Anton.¡±

    I rolled my eyes at him with my back turned.

    He was the one who was supposed to take me to the wrap¨Cup ceremony, but now he¡¯s speaking in such a sarcastic tone.

    He was really sick!

    I secretly criticized in my heart, and said to him indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to take me to attend the wrap¨Cup ceremony, anyway, I just want to go out and wander around.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly, with a sarcastic expression.

    I took a deep breath and ignored him.

    Let him think whatever he wants.

    Anyway, I have always found it difficult tomunicate with him.

    After some time, the car finally arrived at the filming base.

    In fact, this drama still used a lot of real scenes. Among them, they used thest location as the wrap¨Cup ceremony location, also to give a perfect ending to the filming of this drama.

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    Thest filming location was just in the wilderness.

    Because in the script, the male and female leads eventually retreated to the mountains and forests.

    Reynaldo got off the car first.

    I rubbed my face to wake myself up, and then got off the bus as well.

    I hadn¡¯t been out for half a month. Today when I came out, I clearly felt that the weather in Freybourne had turned cold again.

    Especially in the wilderness, the cool wind blew straight onto people¡¯s bodies.

    I tightened my fox fur cape around me and followed Reynaldo towards the field.

    The road surface was not very smooth.

    I was wearing half¨Cheeled leather shoes, stepping on the bumpy ground, and almost fell down several times.

    At the entrance to the venue, there were several people standing guard.

    Reynaldo showed the invitation, and only then were they allowed in.

    As soon as I entered, I saw red carpetsid out everywhere on the venue, with lots of colorful flowers scattered on them, creating a festive atmosphere.

    Many people came to the venue, including crew members, investors, and many members of the media.

    The shlights on the scene were shing here and there, and the sound of shutters was continuous.

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    I looked around, searching for Vonnie¡¯s figure.

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    Suddenly, I identally stepped into a small hole, twisted my foot, and instantly fell to the ground.

    I screamed and quickly reached out to support the ground, only to find that there was suddenly an extra arm around my waist.

    Immediately after, I fell into the embrace of a stranger.

    I looked back in horror, it was actually Anton!

    He was still wearing his costume, with a smile on his face, and said to me, ¡°Long time no see, Esmeralda.¡±

    I looked at him in astonishment, before I could react, arge hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of his arms.

    I stumbled a few steps and fell directly into a hard and familiar embrace.

    Without looking up, I knew it was Reynaldo.

    The man¡¯s chest rose and fell slightly, as if he were suppressing anger.

    Thinking that he must have misunderstood Anton and me, I quickly exined, ¡°I just identally twisted my ankle and almost fell down, and Mr. Palmer helped me.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word.

    I slowly raised my eyes and saw him staring coldly at Anton.

    Anton lowered his gaze and said with a smile, ¡°Why is Mr. Humphrey looking at me like that? Even if I did help Esmeralda, it¡¯s not like Mr. Humphrey can do anything about it, even if there was something between me and Esmeralda.¡±

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    After all, Esmeralda, you don¡¯t have any rtionship with Mr. Humphrey anymore, do you?

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo sneered and taunted, ¡°I just wanted to remind Mr. Palmer that as a public figure, it¡¯s best to pay attention to his image.¡±

    Don¡¯t get involved in any unnecessary scandals. If your image is tarnished, it will affect the release of this film, and it will not be worth the loss.

    Anton smiled faintly and said, ¡°All the preparations for this y have been done, it¡¯s a sure thing that it will be released on time, unless¡­¡±

    He said, then nced meaningfully at Reynaldo and said, ¡°Someone deliberately sabotaged the y, preventing it from being shown.¡±

    I looked at Anton in confusion.

    How could he suddenly say such words, and even look at Reynaldo with that kind of expression.

    It was as if he doubted that Reynaldo would tamper with this y.

    But Reynaldo didn¡¯t need to do that.

    After all, the biggest investor in this y was him. From a profit perspective, he and Winston should be the ones who most hope that this y can be sessfully released.

    Winston suddenly came over while I was thinking.

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    ¡°Ralda?¡±

    Winston shouted at me as soon as he came over.

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    I felt like I hadn¡¯t seen Winston for a long time. Today, when I saw him, he looked much thinner than before.

    I heard from Vonnie before that Winston has been busy with the follow- up work of this y recently.

    It can be imagined that Winston really cared about this y, putting all his hopes on it.

    I smiled faintly at him and said, ¡°Congrattions on sessfully wrapping up the filming. I also wish this movie of yours sells well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Winston stared at me, his eyes deep.

    When facing Winston¡¯s gaze, I didn¡¯t feel the same nervousness and pressure as when facing Reynaldo.

    I met his gaze, my mind calm.

    At this moment, Anton suddenly asked me, ¡°Esmeralda, where have you been during this time? Why haven¡¯t youe to the set again? Vonnie said she couldn¡¯t even reach you on the phone.¡±

    I nced at Reynaldo subconsciously.

    The man¡¯s face was cold, with a slight curve at the corner of his lips that seemed to be a smile but not a smile.

    I pursed my lips, knowing I couldn¡¯t tell him in front of him that I had been imprisoned by him, so I said to Winston, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve been resting at home during this time, and my phone broke, so I couldn¡¯t make

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    any calls.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

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    Anton lowered his gaze and smiled, without asking any more questions.

    And Winston, from the moment he came over, kept staring at me with those affectionate eyes, without any concealment.

    J

    Sometimes I didn¡¯t really understand Winston.

    He knew full well that Reynaldo didn¡¯t like me getting involved with him

    in any way, but he still always intentionally or unintentionally tangled with me in front of Reynaldo.

    I didn¡¯t notice it the first few times, butter on, since he asked me to find Reynaldo to invest, I felt like he was deliberately trying to provoke Reynaldo through me.

    I don¡¯t know if I was overthinking.

    Just thinking, the arm around the waist suddenly tightened.

    Reynaldo hugged me tightly and smirked at Winston and Anton, saying, ¡°There are some things that do not belong to you, you better not covet them, or else¡­ face the consequences.¡±

    He finished speaking, then hugged me and walked away, as if extremely annoyed by the two people staring at me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but nce at him, feeling like he had a strong possessiveness towards me.

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    Noticing my gaze, Reynaldo coolly nced at me and sneered, ¡°What, as soon as you see them, your heart starts to flutter and you can¡¯t bear to leave?¡±

    I frowned deeply and truly felt that this man was born with a good appearance, but always spoke in such a harsh manner.

    With a determined voice, Winston¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind me, ¡°Ralda, wait for me to make a name for myself with this y, thene back to me. By then, I will have the ability to protect you.¡±

    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment, and I had to stop as well.

    I looked at him.

    He was seen with a sneer at the corner of his mouth.

    He didn¡¯t look back, but his tone was contemptuous as he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make promises too early, wait until you have made a name for yourself.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, recalling what Anton had just said, and my heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat.

    Could this man really be nning to tamper with the release of this movie?

    What about Vonnie?

    Vonnie was still hoping to increase her poprity with this y, moving up from beyond the 18th line to within the 18th line.

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    Reynaldo seemed to be upset, he walked with a stern face all the way to the secluded lounge.

    The grasnd was already bumpy and not easy to walk on, but he still walked very fast.

    I followed behind, walking and running.

    After experiencing a recent sprained ankle, I became extra cautious and kept my eyes on the road in front of me.

    Suddenly, the man in front abruptly stopped.

    I was startled and quickly stopped my steps, almost bumping into him.

    He squinted his eyes and stared at me with a dark expression.

    I looked at him inexplicably, not knowing where I had offended him again.

    He gave me a cold snort and sarcastically said, ¡°I see you walking steadily and quickly, doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would sprain their ankle and fall. Why do you appear so fragile in front of Anton?¡±

    Esmeralda, it seems that you are not incapable of flirting with men, just pretending to be aloof in front of me.

    I: ¡­

    Sometimes I really wanted to open his head and see what he was thinking.

    I just identally sprained my foot, and he could associate all these things with it.

    Wow, he really has quite an imagination!

    Suppressing the sarcasm in my heart, I said expressionlessly, ¡°So if it was

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    a woman who helped me up, would you also suspect me of flirting with that woman?¡±

    ¡°The key is¡­¡± he leaned forward slightly, sneering at me, ¡°It just so happens that Anton was the one hugging you. How do you exin that?¡±

    Reynaldo approached, and the cold oppressive breath instantly enveloped him.

    My heart unconsciously quickened a few beats.

    I took two steps back and muttered, ¡°How do I know why it happened so coincidentally?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly, that look, truly mocking to the extreme.

    It¡¯s as if I really did fall on purpose, to seduce men.

    I avoided eye contact and couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to him.

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Just then, Vonnie suddenly ran towards me excitedly.

    Vonnie was still wearing her costume, she was panting and pulling me excitedly, almost in tears: ¡°I finally see you, Mr. Palmer just said you were here, I couldn¡¯t believe it.¡®

    Oh, Ralda, where have you been all this time?

    The crew didn¡¯t show up, and I couldn¡¯t reach them by phone. I was so worried.

    ¡°And what about your babies? Are they okay?¡±

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    I stiffened all over, quickly pulling away her hand, and looked tensely at Reynaldo.

    Fortunately, the man¡¯s phone rang, and he was answering it on the side, as if he didn¡¯t notice what we were talking about.

    I couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief, with a cold sweat breaking out behind me,

    Vonnie also realized it and quickly covered her mouth,ughing at me in surprise.

    I shook my head at her, indicating her to pay more attention.

    She nodded in understanding.

    At that moment, Reynaldo¡¯s phone call ended with his words, ¡°I¡¯lle find you after the wrap¨Cup ceremony.¡±

    From his low, gentle voice, you could tell that the person on the other end of the phone was Kimberly.

    Although he liked Kimberly, that fact was crystal clear to me.

    Every time he spoke to Kimberly so gently, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ufortable and bitter in my heart.

    The man hung up the phone and stared at me with bright eyes, saying, ¡°What were you talking about? I think I heard something about ¡®baby¡®? What is that?¡±

    I was suddenly shocked in my heart, not knowing how to hide it.

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    Vonnie hurriedly said, ¡°It was my dog that I raised, my little treasure. I have been busy filming recently, so I asked Ralda to take care of my little treasure for a while.¡±

    ¡°You, let a dog recognize you as its godmother?¡± Reynaldo¡¯s lips twitched, looking as if he couldn¡¯t agree.

    Vonnie pouted and said, ¡°Can¡¯t I? Nowadays, many people treat their pets like babies, what¡¯s so strange about that?¡±

    Reynaldo gave a light snort, ignoring her, and turned to me with a dark gaze, ¡°Howe I don¡¯t remember there being a dog in your room?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ it, it got sick that day, so I sent it to the pet store for boarding, the pet store has more professional feeding.¡±

    With that, I earnestly told Vonnie, ¡°I will write down the address of that pet store for youter. When you have time, go and pick up the puppy. It must miss you a lot after all these days.¡±

    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Vonnie nodded eagerly, looking like she really missed the puppy.

    And so, I acted in cooperation with Vonnie, not daring to reveal any ws.

    And Reynaldo¡¯s suspicion in his eyes did dissipate somewhat.

    Sometimes I really feel that Vonnie and I are quite good at acting. We truly deserve to be considered as the more outstanding students in that year¡¯s drama department.

    Sure enough, the suspicion in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes did dissipate a bit.

    He didn¡¯t dwell on the matter, just said to me coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I didn¡¯t move.

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    I finally met Vonnie just now, I had to tell her about my current situation no matter what.

    Otherwise, when I go back, it may be difficult for me toe out again.

    I really didn¡¯t want to live through those days of being imprisoned.

    I can only pin my hopes on Vonnie now.

    I made a pitiful look at the man in front of me.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Vonnie for a long time. I want to chat with her for a while. If you have something to do, you can go ahead and I¡¯ll stay here obediently, just don¡¯t run around.¡±

    Vonnie looked at Reynaldo suspiciously, then at me, and after a while, she said to Reynaldo, ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey, I have been so busytely and haven¡¯t had a good chat with Ralda for a long time. Let Ralda stay here a little longer.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word, just stared at me deeply.

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    After a while, he chuckled lightly, as if he had figured out the calctions in my mind.

    He leaned close to me, whispered in my ear with a voice that only he and

    I could hear.

    ¡°I wanted to tell your best friend that I had imprisoned you so that she could find a way to save you, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    Actually, it was not surprising that he could guess this.

    I didn¡¯t deny it either. Denying it too much only made him more suspicious.

    I nced at him and said lightly, ¡°Since you know, why did you still bring me to this wrap¨Cup ceremony?¡±

    Reynaldo smirked at me, his eyes full of contempt.

    He spoke slowly, and his words were cold and hurtful.

    I brought you here just to make you realize that even if you tell the whole world that I imprisoned you, no one has the ability to save you.

    I just wanted you to ¡°let go of that grudge.¡±

    So that¡¯s how it is!

    Oh, I was still wondering how he could bear to bring me to this wrap¨Cup ceremony when he knew Winston, Anton, and Vonnie were all here.

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    Originally, he wanted me topletely give up on ¡°running away¡°.

    I have to say, this man is ruthless.

    Silent and ruthless, ruthless and despairing.

    Reynaldo smiled with a curl of his lips as he looked at the sorrow and hatred in my eyes.

    288 Vouchers

    He slowly backed away from me, his eyes gazing lightly at me, and said with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°You can talk about whatever you want.¡±

    I stared at him coldly, clenching my fist tightly at my side.

    Vonnie nced at me for a moment, then carefully said to Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, there are a lot of media reporters over there. They just said they want to interview you. Do you want to go and take a look?¡±

    Reynaldo took out a cigarette, bit it in his mouth, and lit it with his head down.

    That very ordinary action was interpreted by him with a touch of charm.

    Vonnie quickly shook her head, looking as if she had been momentarily mesmerized by his gesture.

    She hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, there are a lot of people over there looking for you. Do you really not want to go and take a look?¡±

    Moreover, the topics that us girls talk about, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to listen to, right?

    Reynaldo slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, he raised his hand to check the wristwatch, and smiled at me, saying, ¡°I will wait for you at the exit in an hour, you better be on time, or else¡­ I don¡¯t know what I might do.¡±

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    He finished speaking, gave me a meaningful nce, and then left.

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    We didn¡¯t breathe a sigh of relief until his figure disappeared into the crowd, Vonnie and I.

    Vonnie shrugged and said, ¡°Reynaldo seems to be getting scarier. I just talked to him for a few minutes and I felt so nervous. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re with him every day.¡±

    Right, it¡¯s not just me who thinks that Reynaldo is a scary man.

    Vonnie felt the same way.

    ¡°By the way, Ralda¡­¡±

    Vonnie pulled me aside into the lounge and then brought up the matter, ¡°Where have you been all this time? Were you with Reynaldo? If you were with him, why didn¡¯t you tell me? You didn¡¯t even answer my calls. I was so worried, I couldn¡¯t focus on filming.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I squeezed her hand and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve been held captive by Reynaldo during this time.¡±

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    ¡°What?¡± Vonnie eximed, her eyes widening in surprise. ¡°He actually imprisoned you! Why did he imprison you, he¡¯s a psycho!¡±

    Vonnie was furious.

    I lightly tapped her shoulder and told her the whole story, including my preparation to leave the airport that day.

    Vonnie realized, ¡°No wonder you told me you had to leave that day, and then suddenly disappeared. I never expected you were actually kidnapped and imprisoned by him.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell, that man is so perverted, it¡¯s really a waste to have such a handsome face!

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

    It was well known that Reynaldo was handsome, but few people knew that his personality was so strange and twisted.

    i

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Vonnie said to me anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely find a way to get you out. We promised to settle in another city, we can¡¯t go back on our word.¡±

    Upon hearing Vonnie say this, a touch of sadness welled up in my heart.

    I used to ce all my hopes on Vonnie, but Reynaldo¡¯s words just now really hit me hard.

    Yes, even if I told Vonnie, or even told the whole world that I was imprisoned, so what.

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    With Reynaldo¡¯s current power, who else had the ability to rescue me from his hands.

    If so, why burden those who love me.

    I suddenly felt a little regretful foring.

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    I said to Vonnie seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t act impulsively, and don¡¯t tell Quentin about this for now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Vonnie said puzzledly, ¡°I have to tell Quentin about this, and then discuss with Quentin a way to save you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± I shook my head and said, ¡°At first, I thought the same way, but I just found out that whatever I can think of, Reynaldo can think of too. He will definitely send many people to guard me, so you guys better not take any risks.¡±

    If it had been in the past, it would have been fine, but now, you also know the situation in our family, they can¡¯tpete with Reynaldo, and they might even get into trouble.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Vonnie sighed, and after a while, her eyes suddenly lit up and she eximed excitedly, ¡°Why not ask Mr. Palmer for help, or find Winston? If you tell them, they will definitely find a way to save you.¡±

    I shook my head quickly, ¡°No, now is a critical time for this movie to be released. They are all pinning their hopes on this movie, so please don¡¯t tell them, in case they offend Reynaldo because of me.¡±

    And I didn¡¯t want to owe them any favors in the first ce.

    So Vonnie, that¡¯s it. Reynaldo didn¡¯t do anything too bad to me, just a

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    little suffocating being locked up.¡±

    ¡°But you are most afraid of being bored.¡±

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    Vonnie looked at me sadly and said, ¡°And your belly will also get bigger day by day. What are you going to do then?¡±

    I am sitting now, and the bulge in my abdomen has be a little noticeable.

    Thinking that Reynaldo would take away my baby made me feel anxious.

    I helplessly touched my forehead, not knowing what to do.

    Vonnie suddenly mmed the table and eximed angrily, ¡°Why is Reynaldo like that? Doesn¡¯t he already have that Kimberly? Why is he still imprisoning you?¡±

    Besides, three years ago, although you didn¡¯t care much about him, he didn¡¯t treat you so badly as he does now.

    He really was born with such a good¨Clooking appearance, but his heart was narrow¨Cminded to death.

    It was right that you didn¡¯t like him when you were studying, he was just a trash, a perverted trash!

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    I stared at her in confusion and asked, ¡°When I was studying? Did I have any connection with him when I was studying?¡±

    I don¡¯t seem to have lost my memory either.

    On the night of the ss reunion, I had no impression of Reynaldo at all in my memory before that, I just knew he was Winston¡¯s brother.

    ¡°You two had no intersection, but I asked you a question at that time.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Vonnie said, ¡°At that time, all of you were focused on Winston, almost no one noticed that Reynaldo was a super handsome guy. Oh well, it seems like my taste has always been on point.¡±

    I said,

    ¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s the point? What question did you ask me back then?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Vonnie said, touching her nose, ¡°It was when I asked you, if a handsome guy like Reynaldo confessed to you, would you like him, guess how you answered at that time.¡±

    ¡°Oh? How did I respond?¡±

    Oh my god, I have no impression of this at all.

    I can¡¯t even remember what Reynaldo looked like when he was studying.

    One has to admire Vonnie¡¯s memory, it¡¯s really good.

    Vonnie also started to y coy, and I couldn¡¯t help but urge her, ¡°Come

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    on, tell me, how did I respond at that time?¡±

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    ¡°You said, only someone with a hole in their head would like garbage like him.¡±

    I frowned heavily, not believing it, ¡°How is that possible? How could I have said that about him.¡±

    ¡°Really,¡± Vonnie said confidently, ¡°because at that time his reputation was very bad, everyone in school said he was a troublemaker, his grades were poor, and he kept repeating grades.¡±

    )

    And you allpared him to Winston, creating a stark contrast.

    Whenever he was mentioned, everyone¡¯s face was filled with disdain and disgust.

    So you probably had a bias against him at that time, that¡¯s why you said ¡°only someone with a hole in their head would like him.¡±

    I was confused, is it really like this?

    I had no impression at all.

    It is clear that during my student days, I really didn¡¯t pay any attention to Reynaldo at all.

    ¡°And Ralda, that sentence is not the point. The point is, when you said that, Reynaldo was standing not far from us, as if he heard it.¡±

    I was dumbfounded: ¡°Which sentence did he hear you say?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like you said, ¡®Only someone with a hole in their head would like trash like him,¡® and he overheard that.¡±

    I stiffly pulled my lips and said, ¡°Is that so coincidental?¡±

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    Vonnie pouted and nodded, ¡°It was so strange, I didn¡¯t know how he managed to sneak up behind us like that.¡±

    His expression at that time, oh, I am scared just thinking about it now.

    It was that kind of dark, dark, with a cold light, anyway very scary.

    ¡°Tsk, Ralda, how bad is your memory, you don¡¯t even have any impression of this matter.¡±

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    I shook my head in confusion, ¡°I really don¡¯t remember, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to him before.¡±

    Vonnie shook her head incredulously and said, ¡°Okay, I admit I¡¯m superficial. He¡¯s just too handsome, so I couldn¡¯t help but pay a little extra attention.¡±

    I remembered what Vonnie said.

    I touched my chest in shock and said, ¡°Oh my, so I had a grudge against him back then. Do you think that¡¯s why he¡¯s treating me so badly now, with some lingering resentment from back then?¡±

    ¡°Definitely, whoever dares to call me trash, I will remember him for a lifetime! Hiss¡­¡±

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    Vonnie said, then frowned suddenly, ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯m starting to doubt whether that night at the ss reunion, the rtionship between you two was intentional on his part, maybe he wanted to retaliate against you?¡±

    ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t!¡±

    I was absolutely sure that ¡°he has someone he likes in his heart, so it¡¯s impossible for him to marry me out of revenge.¡±

    ¡°And you said he hated me, yet he even went to our house to be my live- in husband, enduring my oppression and humiliation for three years?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I guess so,¡± Vonnie sighed, ¡°Luckily that night wasn¡¯t premeditated by him, otherwise this man would be too scary.¡®

    I pursed my lips and remembered the night of the ss reunion, feeling a bit strange in my heart.

    At that ss reunion, nobody shouted for Reynaldo because Winston was there.

    So, how did he end up at the party again, and even have that kind of unclear rtionship with me?

    The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became.

    I took a sip of the water on the side, deliberately changing the subject, and asked Vonnie about the drama.

    Vonnie said that they were all looking forward to the release of the y.

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    Especially her, because of this y, although she was a supporting role, she had a lot of lines and a likable character.

    She had a premonition that she would be famous with this y.

    I listened and felt happy for her, looking forward to the release of the y.

    We chatted for a while and it was almost time.

    Afraid that Reynaldo would go crazy, I hurried to the exit ten minutes early.

    When I left, I specifically told Vonnie not to take any risks to save me.

    Iforted her, saying that Reynaldo might change his mind one day and let me go.

    Vonnie felt a little more at ease now.

    But she still strongly demanded that I give her the address where I was imprisoned.

    I had no choice but to tell her that I was being held captive. by Reynaldo in a vi nestled in the mountains, by the sea.

    As for the specific location of that vi, I didn¡¯t know either.

    Coming out of the lounge, I hurried towards the exit.

    Halfway through, I ran into Anton again. He pulled me aside for a conversation, causing me to arrive at the exit a few minuteste.

    I looked around and didn¡¯t see Reynaldo at the exit, only a few staff members were there on duty.

    I looked around but still didn¡¯t see him.

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    The man asked me to be on time, but he himself was nowhere to be seen.

    I was criticizing myself in my heart when suddenly, a loud honk of a car horn came.

    I instinctively turned my head and saw Reynaldo¡¯s car parked not far

    away.

    The man sat in the back seat, his arm resting on the window sill, with a half¨Cburnt cigarette between his fingers.

    The smoke wafted along his wrist, and I couldn¡¯t see his expression for a

    moment. /

    But I could tell that his face didn¡¯t look good, definitely because I was a

    few minuteste.

    I walked over.

    He didn¡¯t get on the car directly, but said to him, ¡°I will feel dizzy if I smell smoke, so I will get on the car after you finish smoking.¡±

    ¡°Sensitive!¡± Reynaldo chuckled lightly, looking at me with a mocking

    gaze.

    I ignored him, but when I remembered what Vonnie had just told me and looked at him again, a hint ofplexity arose in my heart.

    During my student days, I actually used to call him trash.

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    Ah, indeed it was the folly of youth.

    If time could turn back, I would absolutely not curse at him like that.

    Reynaldo quickly finished the remaining half cigarette.

    I walked around the back of the car, opened the door, and got in.

    The air in the car was fine. He opened the car window wide, and as soon as the car started moving, the slight smell of smoke inside dissipated.

    The wind blew in, quite cold.

    I adjusted my fox fur capelet and quietly opened the window a little.

    At this moment, Reynaldo¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded beside me, ¡°You are seven minuteste, do you have nothing to exin?¡±

    I was taken aback, he was indeed angry because of this.

    I said tly, ¡°I was chatting with Vonnie and lost track of time for a while.¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡± The man chuckled lightly, his icy tone mocking, ¡°Have you lost track of time chatting with Lavonne, or have you been chatting with Anton so engrossed, hmm?¡±

    I furrowed my brows.

    So, Anton just saw the scene where he was talking to me?

    I suddenly didn¡¯t feel like exining anything either.

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    Simr things have happened too many times, and he never believed me

    once.

    He always suspected that I had something going on with other men.

    In that case, I have nothing more to say.

    I said quietly, ¡°Think whatever you want.¡±

    Silence.

    A long silence.

    The only sound in the ears was the whistling of the cool wind pouring in through the car window, which made people feel anxious.

    For a long time, Reynaldo finally turned his head to look at me, those eyes, dark and terrifying, exuding a frightening coldness.

    He raised his lips, with a smile that was not a smile, his tone was very calm, but inexplicably made people anxious.

    He said, ¡°You see, now you don¡¯t even want to exin to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to exin to you, it¡¯s just¡­ every time I exin, you just don¡¯t believe me,¡± I said calmly.

    He smiled, his tone still calm, but with a hint of sarcasm.

    ¡°Is it that I refused to believe, or that you lied so habitually?¡±

    There was a wall in my heart.

    In the end, in his eyes, I was nothing but aplete fraud.

    I lowered my head and really didn¡¯t want to say anything more, just feeling very tired in my heart.

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    He didn¡¯t say anything else, just slightly turned his head and looked out the window.

    From my perspective, his tight jaw exuded a touch of gloom, and there seemed to be an indescribable sadness lingering around him.

    Suddenly I remembered Vonnie¡¯s words.

    I tightened the hands held together and spoke softly, ¡°Reynaldo, um, do you still have any impression of me when I was studying?¡±

    I have to make sure that part of the reason he is retaliating against me now is because I called him garbage.

    If his initial reason for hating me was truly because I called him trash, then I am willing to sincerely apologize to him, only hoping that his hatred towards me can be lessened in his heart.

    ¡°In college, were we in the same ss?¡±

    Seeing that he didn¡¯t react, I couldn¡¯t help but say another sentence.

    He then looked at me again, with a tone of extreme sarcasm, ¡°You actually remember that we were in the same ss. I thought in your student days, besides Winston, there was no one else in your memory.¡±

    ¡°No, I remember you, I have always remembered.¡±

    ¡°Is it because I am Winston¡¯s older brother that you know of my existence?¡±

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    He chuckled softly, with a touch of self¨Cmockery.

    I lowered my eyes nervously and asked him in a low voice, ¡°What about you? Do you have any impression of me, like¡­ did I say anything offensive to you back then?¡±

    He impatiently furrowed his brows and said in a t tone. ¡°Just say what you want to say.¡±

    I didn¡¯t beat around the bush either, I asked him directly, ¡°Back then, did I¡­ call you garbage?¡±

    He hesitated for two seconds, then smirked at me and said mockingly, ¡°Interesting, when did Ms. Duffy¡¯s memory be so good again?¡±

    Since he said so, there must be something going on.

    I looked at him and said seriously, ¡°I was young and foolish back then. I apologize to you here, and I hope you won¡¯t take those words to heart.¡±

    Actually, in my eyes, you are very capable, not garbage at all.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡±

    Reynaldo looked down and smiled lightly, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes and eyebrows. ¡°Is it because I am sessful now that you deliberately say such things to please me?¡±

    ¡°Actually, in your heart, I have always been garbage, right?¡±

    I shook my head hastily and said, ¡°Of course not. At that time, I had some prejudice against you because of the negativements from people

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    around me.¡±

    I just said, I apologized to you, I hope you don¡¯t hold onto this matter anymore, after all, it¡¯s been so many years.

    ¡°Is an apology useful?¡±

    11

    794 hers

    Reynaldo looked at me coldly and sneered, ¡°And don¡¯t you think your apology is veryte and insincere?¡±

    When he said this, there was a sneer on his handsome face, and his eyes were filled with surging hatred.

    My heart tightened involuntarily, and I inexplicably thought of the night of the ss reunion.

    I asked him, ¡°Just because I called you garbage back then, you held a grudge against me, so at the ss reunionter, you, you had already targeted me and deliberately created a appearance of having a rtionship with me, right?¡±

    Reynaldo did not answer my question, he just slowly raised the corners of his lips at me.

    That smile sent a chill through my heart and a shiver down my spine.

    In this way, Vonnie¡¯s guess was correct.

    That night of the ss reunion, it was he who deliberately nned it.

    Oh my god, this man is too scary.

    Just because I unintentionally insulted him as trash, he was willing to risk his own happiness, even willing to be my husband against my will, just to cling to me and ruin my life.

    How strong was his desire for revenge in the end.

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    Was he mentally unstable?

    Thinking of this, I shuddered all over.

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    I shrank to the side, trembling, and said to him in a trembling voice, ¡°You are really scary!¡±

    ¡°Scary?¡±

    He chuckled softly, ¡°Is this scary? You haven¡¯t seen anything scarier yet.¡±

    He said, and suddenly reached out his hand to me.

    I reflexively pped his hand away and said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    His hand was pushed to the side by me, his long fingers curling slightly.

    He slowly raised the corners of his mouth and sneered at me, ¡°Look, apologizing to me for what? It¡¯s just because you see that I am sessful now, deliberately saying those things to please me.¡±

    ¡°If I were still despised by everyone as before, Ms. Duffy probably wouldn¡¯t even look at me, this trash, in the eye.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was full of mockery, and the hatred in his eyes never dissipated.

    I gritted my teeth and said angrily, ¡°I admit, I was wrong to call you trash in the first ce, but did you have to risk your own happiness to ruin my life?¡±

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    Life is short, do you think it¡¯s worth it to retaliate against someone like this?

    Reynaldo¡¯s expression suddenly froze.

    After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly smiled at me and said, ¡°Do you think that our marriage ruined your life?¡±

    Isn¡¯t it? Not only my own life, but also your own life.

    Reynaldo, really, you have psychological problems, you have defects.

    ¡°You are such a gloomy and narrow¨Cminded person. If anyone identally provokes you, it¡¯s really bad luck for eight lifetimes.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Reynaldo hissed lowly, his eyes suddenly turning crimson and fierce.

    Heughed at me coldly and said, ¡°Yes, l`am gloomy and narrow¨Cminded. It¡¯s because you provoked me, so you can never live in peace for the rest of your life!¡±

    I gritted my teeth and red at him, feeling both afraid and angry towards him in my heart.

    I had always been curious. Before the ss reunion that night, I had no

    connection with him at all.

    And he wasn¡¯t even invited to the ss reunion, so how did we end up on

    the same bed?

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    Originally, everything was calcted by him.

    11

    Just because of my insult, he made such a big scene, ignoring his own dignity and the person he likes.

    It¡¯s terrifying, the darkness in this man¡¯s heart was simply too deep.

    At this moment, it was as if I had reacquainted myself with Reynaldo, once again refreshing my understanding and fear of this man.

    The car slowly came to a stop in the yard.

    285 Vouchers

    As soon as I got out of the car, two bodyguards immediately nked me, one on each side.

    The man in the car sneered, ¡°You think too highly of me. We¡¯re already on your turf. Do you really think I can¡¯t run away?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and instructed the driver to start the car.

    Soon, the car turned around and drove back towards the outside of the

    yard.

    He should have gone to find Kimberly now.

    Just now at the wrap¨Cup ceremony, he had promised Kimberly that he would go find her.

    I still find it difficult to understand Reynaldo¡¯s thinking.

    Just to retaliate against me, is it really worth it to put yourself and your beloved in such a situation?

    I was once again locked in that small room.

    I leaned against the door panel, feeling a bit heavy¨Chearted.

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    Actually, when I found out that all my entanglements with Reynaldo stemmed from his act of revenge, I felt not only cold but also lost.

    This proves that he really had no feelings for me at all.

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    I looked out the window, the small room like a prison cell, forming a stark contrast with the vastness of the outside world.

    I was like a bird in a cage, for his amusement, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t fly out.

    When I was about to fall asleep at night, Reynaldo suddenly came in.

    The man¡¯s footsteps were heavy, and his breath was cold.

    I almost didn¡¯t need to turn on the light to know it was him.

    With a soft click, the wallmp above the bed suddenly lit up.

    I subconsciously closed my eyes, took a while to adjust before opening them, and Reynaldo had already gone to the bathroom.

    The coat was casually thrown on the chair by him, with a hint of coldness on it, and a dried yellow leaf.

    I sat up and turned my head to look out the window.

    This is in the mountains, outside is pitch ck.

    But small grains of sand and leaves were being blown by the wind against the window, making a tapping sound.

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    Winter ising soon, right?

    After the winter sets in, it means that the new year ising soon.

    I looked out of the window nkly, not knowing how this New Year would be spent.

    On New Year¡¯s Eve in previous years, Quentin and I, along with our parents, would sit together to enjoy a rich reunion dinner.

    Then mom and dad would give Quentin and me gifts.

    On that night, Quentin and I would set off fireworks and exchange gifts.

    Oh, and Reynaldo.

    During the three years of marriage, he was also there on New Year¡¯s Eve

    every year.

    But he often just remained silent.

    We ate in silence, watching Quentin and me set off fireworks in silence.

    Even so, the eve of New Year¡¯s Day every year is still warm and happy.

    This year, the Duffy family fell apart, and Reynaldo and I had another falling out.

    The warm and beautiful past, truly can never be returned to.

    Thinking of this, a touch of indescribable sadness surged in my heart.

    The sound of the bathroom door opening suddenly snapped me out of my

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    thoughts.

    11

    I looked back subconsciously and saw Reynaldo walking out wrapped in a towel.

    After a day of arguing, his face was now cold and intimidating.

    I tightened the quilt and looked at him.

    Reynaldo did not look at me, he walked straight to the cab and poured himself a ss of red wine.

    That wine was brought in by himst time, and I have never drunk it.

    He would have a few drinks when he was in the mood, and then he would

    do it with me.

    I bit my lip, pulled back into the covers, and then wrapped myself tightly in the covers.

    But it was no use.

    Reynaldo came over quickly and immediately pulled back my nket.

    I hugged myself and frowned at him, ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s so cold!¡±

    Reynaldo tugged at his lips and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t cold for long.¡±

    He finished speaking and instantly pressed down on me.

    He was tall and long, don¡¯t be fooled by his thinness, in fact, his body was

    very strong.

    Wrapped in this way around me, I felt a bit suffocated.

    I pushed his chest and said, ¡°So heavy!¡±

    Reynaldo grabbed my wrist and pressed down on the top of my head,

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    thoughts.

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    I looked back subconsciously and saw Reynaldo walking out wrapped in a towel.

    After a day of arguing, his face was now cold and intimidating.

    I tightened the quilt and looked at him.

    Reynaldo did not look at me, he walked straight to the cab and poured himself a ss of red wine.

    That wine was brought in by himst time, and I have never drunk it.

    He would have a few drinks when he was in the mood, and then he would

    do it with me.

    I bit my lip, pulled back into the covers, and then wrapped myself tightly in the covers.

    But it was no use.

    Reynaldo came over quickly and immediately pulled back my nket.

    I hugged myself and frowned at him, ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s so cold!¡±

    Reynaldo tugged at his lips and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t cold for long.¡±

    He finished speaking and instantly pressed down on me.

    He was tall and long, don¡¯t be fooled by his thinness, in fact, his body was very strong.

    Wrapped in this way around me, I felt a bit suffocated.

    I pushed his chest and said, ¡°So heavy!¡±

    Reynaldo grabbed my wrist and pressed down on the top of my head,

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    smiling at me and saying, ¡°When you¡¯refortable, why don¡¯t you think I¡¯m heavy?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him indignantly.

    It¡¯s really hard to imagine that such a beautiful face, such sexy lips, would say such vulgar words.

    Reynaldo tugged at his lips, bent down, and kissed me.

    During the day, I had an argument with him, so now he is a bit emotional and his actions are not very gentle.

    I frowned and endured, unable to help looking out of the window.

    It was pitch ck outside, and I didn¡¯t know when it would dawn.

    I suddenly realized that the nights spent with him seemed particrly

    unbearable.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t know how long he had been tossing and turning, I couldn¡¯t resist the drowsiness and fatigue, my whole body was limp, and I was on the verge of falling asleep.

    He suddenly picked me up and held me close to my ear, gritting his teeth, his hoarse voice filled with deep hatred.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy used to be high and mighty, but now she is graciously entertaining me, a piece of garbage. What does she feel in her heart, hmm?¡±

    I opened my eyes groggily.

    Under the dim yellow light, his face appeared somewhat gentle, but the words he spoke were so cutting and sarcastic.

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    A stabbing pain was felt in the heart.

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    I leaned on his shoulder, lowered my eyes, and sadly smiled, saying, ¡°Do you have to humiliate me like this?¡±

    Just because of a curse I made back then.

    Oh!

    said to him, ¡°You also curse me as garbage, even announce to the world that I, Esmeralda, am a piece of garbage, a lowly piece of garbage, it doesn¡¯t matter, as long as you can calm down.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that I hate you so much because of that insult?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly tightened the hand around my waist.

    He stared at me heavily, with clear signs of unwillingness, resentment, and a hint of grievance in his eyes, as if I had done something to upset

    him.

    The body was very tired, and the mind was exhausted as well.

    I said to him helplessly, ¡°Reynaldo, what exactly is on your mind, or, how did I offend you? Can you exin it to me?¡±

    I think I have asked him this question before.

    But he just wouldn¡¯t say, he just wouldn¡¯t!

    His dark eyes stared at me, his muscles tense all over.

    After a long time, he finally spoke, ¡°Have you forgotten about what happened when we were kids?¡±

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    I was taken aback, looking at him in confusion, ¡°When we were kids¡­ did we know each other?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and said, ¡°Look, you forgot, and you forgot

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­ um¡­¡±

    I wanted to rify further.

    Reynaldo, however, took advantage and overwhelmed me, starting another round of teasing.

    There was clearly anger wrapped in his actions.

    I swayed with his movements, my whole body shaking.

    The light in the room began to dim, and the figure on the body became blurred.

    My mind also began to feel foggy.

    So, what exactly happened between me and Reynaldo when we were kids, can anyone tell me?

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    The next day when I woke up, the sunlight outside the window was very bright.

    The room was quiet.

    Reynaldo had left.

    The bed was a mess, and my body was covered in marks of distress.

    I wrapped myself in a towel and dizzyingly went to the bathroom.

    The words Reynaldo saidst night came to mind.

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    But as I pondered, I couldn¡¯t remember when I first met him in my

    childhood.

    I sshed water on my face to wake myself up a bit.

    There are still no memories of Reynaldo¡¯s childhood in my mind.

    128 Vouchers

    Including Winston, I also met him when we were in our third year of high school.

    It was not until I went to college that I found out Winston had a seemingly insignificant older brother named Reynaldo.

    So, Reynaldo and I didn¡¯t even know each other when we were kids, how could we have celebrated holidays together?

    I thought about it for a long time and couldn¡¯t figure it out, but ended up giving myself a headache.

    I rubbed my temples and came out of the bathroom.

    The sunlight outside was so bright that people couldn¡¯t open their eyes.

    I sat down in the chair with a headache, thinking that I must ask Reynaldo about what grudge we had when we were kids.

    Only by unraveling this knot, perhaps he could eliminate his hatred towards me.

    When his hatred towards me waspletely eliminated, he would let me<ol><li>go.</li></ol>

    However, my increasingly obvious belly still needed to be covered up.

    At noon, they brought in the food.

    I looked at the few side dishes on the table, and suddenly a light bulb

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    Chapter439

    went off in my head.

    1298 (Vouchers

    I stopped the bodyguard who was about to leave and said to him, ¡°I have been thinking about nourishing my body recently. Please make sure to bring me some nutritious dishes for every meal in the future, preferably ones that are easy to gain weight.¡±

    A

    92.11%

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    Chapter440

    The bodyguard nced at me inexplicably, then continued walking out.

    I shouted at him again, feeling frustrated, ¡°Mr. Humphrey thinks I¡¯m too thin and have no substance, so I want to gain weight.¡±

    If you don¡¯t want him to get angry, you¡¯d better do as I say.

    ¡°If I had made him happy, I wouldn¡¯t have shortchanged you guys.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    The bodyguard, like a cold machine, spat out three words and then left.

    I sighed lightly and ate the food in front of me carefully.

    When the bodyguard brought the food in the evening, the dishes had indeed changed.

    Not only did the variety of dishes increase, but they were also all nutritious supplements, with two types of soups alone.

    The bodyguard ced the food on the table and said to me, ¡°If these are not enough, please let us know and we will add more for you, Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, enough is enough.¡±

    I looked at the table full of dishes in front of me, feeling embarrassed.

    This would be enough for a family to eat in a day.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, please enjoy.¡±

    The bodyguard respectfully said and then walked out.

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    288 (Vouchers

    When he reached the door to lock it, he suddenly turned to me and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, Mr. Humphrey asked me to give you a message.¡±

    I was drinking soup and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey said he looked forward to Ms. Duffy bringing him a different tactile experience next time.¡±

    After listening, I almost spit out the soup.

    ¡°Did you tell him what I said at noon?¡±

    ¡°Of course, these dishes were also ordered by Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    I pursed my lips and didn¡¯t want to speak anymore.

    At noon, I casually mentioned that excuse, but little did I know they immediately told Reynaldo.

    The bodyguard was about to close the door when I quickly asked him, ¡°Is Mr. Humphrey at the vi now?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡±

    ¡°When hees back, please tell him that I need to see him.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I still wanted to ask Reynaldo about things we did when we were kids.

    However, for several days in a row, Reynaldo did note back again.

    I don¡¯t know if he intentionally avoided seeing me, intentionally making me worried.

    I counted the sunrise and sunset every day to calcte the time.

    In addition to wondering about the things Reynaldo and I did when we

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    228 hers

    were young, I was also worried about how Winston¡¯s y was going to be received.

    The movie was about Vonnie¡¯s future development, and no one knew how it would be on the day of its release.

    After about 14 days, Reynaldo finally showed up.

    I hadn¡¯t seen him for almost half a month. When I saw him again, I felt a strange feeling in my heart.

    As usual, he came in and went straight to the bathroom without even bothering to say a word to me.

    I had things on my mind, and I had a lot of questions to ask him.

    Reynaldo happened to spend a long time in the bathroom this time.

    I bit my lip and couldn¡¯t help but knock on the door to urge him toe

    out.

    The sound of the shower finally stopped, and then Reynaldo¡¯s softughter came from inside: ¡°What? Can¡¯t wait?¡±

    I frowned in frustration, this man really only ever thinks about this.

    I calmed myself down and said lightly, ¡°Come out, I have something to tell you¡­¡®

    The conversation was not finished when the door suddenly opened.

    Reynaldo appeared in front of me with a hint of moisture all over his body.

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    Chapter441

    Around the waist was a loose bath towel, eight¨Cpack abs particrly eye- catching, the sexy mermaid line going down, buried into the bath towel along the strong abdomen¡­.

    I quickly looked away, but suddenly met his gentle smiling eyes, and my face flushed with a touch of heat.

    ¨ª stepped back a few paces and let hime out first.

    He curled his lips, looked me up and down, and said with a hint of teasing in his tone, ¡°Aren¡¯t you eager to let me experience the feeling of being a beginner? Then why don¡¯t you undress first!¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him angrily.

    He chuckled and then turned to sit in the chair by the window.

    I sorted out my emotions and moved on.

    Hezily propped his legs on the low table, raised his eyes to look at me, and said in a casual tone, ¡°It seems like you couldn¡¯t wait for me toe sleep with you after half a month.¡±

    I looked at him calmly.

    No matter how he humiliated me, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    But I waited for half a day, and he didn¡¯t say anything again.

    After a moment of silence, I asked him, ¡°That night, you said I had

    forgotten things from my childhood.¡±

    So I have always wanted to ask you, what exactly happened when we were kids?

    ¡°Because in my memory, we didn¡¯t even know each other when we were kids.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me quietly, his deep ck eyes exuding aggression, making people feel uneasy.

    J couldn¡¯t help but take two steps back, frowning at him and saying, ¡°What are you looking at me like that for, speak up.¡±

    Reynaldo pulled his lips and sneered, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s interesting for me to help you retrieve the memories you have forgotten yourself?¡±

    No, I admit, my memory is a bit bad, but I didn¡¯t forget on purpose.

    You can also simply tell me, remind me a little, maybe I will remember.

    ¡°Why do you have to speak to me in such a cold tone again?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face turned cold, and his tone became more sarcastic, ¡°You seem to have forgotten yourself, you still hold a grudge, huh, Esmeralda, you are just a heartless woman.¡±

    I: ¡­

    Listening to his cold and intive tone, did I make some deep promise to him when I was a child?

    But it shouldn¡¯t have been.

    My emotional cells have always been dull, even as an adult, I have no interest in matters of love between men and women.

    1241

    How could I have possibly made any heartfelt promises to a strange boy when I was a child?

    What¡¯s more, so small and what does it know?

    And I racked my brains, I couldn¡¯t recall any childhood memories of this

    man.

    n someon

    Besides, didn¡¯t he always have a crush in his heart?

    Could it be that he made a mistake, and it was actually his childhood sweetheart who made the promise to him?

    Thinking this, I nced at Reynaldo¡¯s shadowed face and said cautiously, ¡°Um, have you¡­ have you mistaken me for someone else? I really didn¡¯t know you when I was a child.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    The man sneered, his expression truly mocking to the extreme, particrly striking.

    I frowned, feeling a little impatient.

    I snapped at him with a bad attitude, ¡°Stop being sarcastic and stop using me randomly.¡±

    When I was young, I didn¡¯t know you, I just didn¡¯t know you. Don¡¯t falsely use me here.

    ¡°If you have the ability, then speak clearly to me!¡±

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes slightly, and a hint of malice instantly enveloped his body.

    My heart trembled, and I quickly took two steps back.

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    Chapter442

    I really need to rein in my temper.

    I angered him, and I suffered for it.

    I pursed my lips and quickly apologized to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t meant to snap at you, I was just feeling anxious.¡±

    You kept saying that we had festivals when we were young, but you never made it clear.

    So long ago, you want me to remember by myself, I really can¡¯t recall.

    So Reynaldo, just tell me, if I really did something too extreme when I was a child, leaving a bad impression on you, I apologize to you, can I make it up to you?¡±

    I looked at him earnestly, with sincerity in my heart.

    He squinted his cold eyes at me for a while, then suddenly smirked, with a hint of self¨Cmockery in his smile.

    ¡°Did you think all I wanted was your apology andpensation?¡±

    ¡°What do you want then?¡± I quickly said, ¡°<i>As </i>long as it¡¯s something I can give you, I will definitely give it to you!¡±

    ¡°You must have given? Ha¡­¡±

    Reynaldoughed more and more self¨Cdeprecatingly, with a hint of sadness even appearing at the corners of his eyes.

    Looking at his appearance, my heart inexplicably felt tight and

    ufortable.

    His appearance made it seem as if I had really let him down.

    Isn¡¯t it him who is humiliating me and hurting me in various ways now?

    I looked at him and said somewhat helplessly, ¡°Reynaldo, sometimes it¡¯s. really tiring to talk to you.¡±

    He really didn¡¯t exin anything clearly, and then I couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    I couldn¡¯t figure it out, couldn¡¯t do it well, and he got angry.

    It was like a vicious cycle, so our rtionship remained strained.

    I was very tired, really tired.

    Reynaldo sneered.

    He suddenly stood up, walked up to me, and looked down at me with at sinister gaze, sneering, ¡°Talking to me is tiring, but you don¡¯t feel tired talking to Winston and Anton, do you?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± I stared at him helplessly, ¡°Can you please not bring up others when we are having a good conversation?¡±

    ¡°Can you stop thinking about them all the time in your heart?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly growled at me and a hint of crimson shed in hist

    eyes.

    I pursed my lips and red at him, feeling inexplicably annoyed..

    Now I feel like I have walked into a dead end with him..

    Because of his resentment towards me, he now refuses to let me go.

    And I didn¡¯t know where I had offended him.

    I asked him, but he didn¡¯t say.

    Feeling weak and restless inside.

    I didn¡¯t want to talk to him at all, so I turned around and got ready to go to bed.

    Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms.

    His chest was so hard that I bumped my head and got dizzy.

    I pushed his chest, wanting to curse him for being sick, but in an instant, I met his sinister crimson eyes, and my curse was choked back.

    He sneered at me and said, ¡°Why run? Isn¡¯t it to deliberately gain weight and give me a new tactile experience?¡±

    He said, as his slender fingers undid the buttons of my nightshirt.

    My heart suddenly tightened, pushing back cautiously, but to no avail.

    Feeling his dark and oppressive aura, I said softly, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that¡­ I just wanted to eat something good, so I deliberately made up that excuse.¡±

    ¡°Want to eat something good?¡± Reynaldoughed and said meaningfully, ¡°I have starved you for too long.¡±

    He said, and then pushed me onto the bed.

    The untied pajamas quickly slipped off the body.

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    Chapter443

    I instinctively covered my chest, but he forcefully pulled my hand away.

    His dark and deep eyes were focused on me, and that hint of crimson hostility slowly turned into a burning desire.

    He reached out, his slender fingers tracing down my chest slowly.

    Finally fell on my slightly bulging belly.

    My heart tightened in an instant, staring at him without blinking.

    He massaged my stomach for a while and suddenly chuckled, ¡°Indeed, you¡¯ve gained weight. This belly feels even fleshier thanst time I touched it.¡±

    I felt a slight relief in my heart, really worried that he might see something.

    After a while, his fingers came to my chest again.

    The desire in his eyes was even stronger: ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve gained weight

    here too.¡±

    I blushed and turned my face away, not saying <b>a </b>word.

    He lowered his head and kissed my neck, leaning close to my car, and chuckled softly, ¡°To be honest, after not seeing you for half a month, you¡¯ve gained quite a bit of weight.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­ Eating every day just leads to sleeping, and what¡¯s more, all the food is nutritional supplements. It¡¯s normal to gain weight.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    Reynaldo smiled, removed the towel around his waist, and leaned over me,ughing to himself, ¡°If I didn¡¯t know for sure that you couldn¡¯t get pregnant. I would really think you were pregnant.¡±

    I was surprised in my heart and didn¡¯t say anything.

    His expression suddenly revealed a few traces of gloom.

    His big hand followed my waistline, slowly climbing up to my neck, his five fingers tightening slightly, and I felt a bit breathless.

    I stared at him in astonishment.

    wrong with this man? He¡¯s so unpredictable.

    What¡¯s wrong w

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking, his eyes deep and focused, as if he wanted to see right through me.

    For a long time, he asked me expressionlessly, ¡°So¡­ what was your real purpose in intentionally gaining weight?¡±

    ¡°Ah? I, I didn¡¯t have any purpose.¡± I said instinctively.

    But as soon as he finished speaking, his fingers tightened even more.

    I ufortably twisted his hand and said, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be like this. Let¡¯s talk things out.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me the truth, what else is there to say,¡± Reynaldo sneered coldly.

    I licked my lips and said with difficulty, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not telling you the truth, it¡¯s that you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    ¡°What you said is like trying to fool a fool, and you expect me to believe

    it? Ha¡­¡± Reynaldoughed sarcastically, ¡°Esmeralda, do you think I¡¯m easy to fool in your mind. hmm?¡±

    The man¡¯s ck eyes were gloomy and sharp as a knife.

    He suddenly approached me a few steps, smiling slowly.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, what delicacies haven¡¯t you eaten since you were a child? Why would you suddenly want to cat those nutritional supplements? If you¡¯re going to lie, at least make it believable, right?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, one hand squeezing my neck and the other maliciously teasing me.

    I struggled, my body caught betweenfort and difort.

    Hisrge hand held onto her slender neck, making it difficult for her to even catch her breath.

    I felt my body getting hot, and my face slowly turning red.

    If I continue to be tortured like this, I think I would suffocate.

    I grabbed his arm and tried to please him with ttering words, ¡°Just now, didn¡¯t you say that I intentionally¡­ intentionally gained weight, just to give you a better¡­ a better feel¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯srge hand tightened instantly, and I let out a sudden grunt. my breath bing even thinner.

    I desperately grabbed his arm, pleading with my eyes for him to let go.

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    Chapter444

    I didn¡¯t understand at all. I clearly said words to please him, but he became even angrier instead.

    Just when I thought I was going to be strangled to death in such a humiliating position by him on the bed, he suddenly released his grip.

    Fresh air rushed into my nostrils, and I breathed in deeply, causing my lungs to cough uncontrobly.

    Reynaldo looked down on me with an indescribably cold and indifferent expression.

    I coughed so hard that tears welled up in my eyes, my body hunched over shaking all over.

    This man not only was sick, but also was a pervert!

    After I had finally caught my breath, Reynaldo suddenly leaned down an kissed my chin fiercely.

    That strong smell, almost devouring me.

    With tears in my eyes, I looked at the dim yellow light, increasingly feeling that I would be tortured to death by this gloomy and capricious

    man.

    The man¡¯s forceful kiss devoured all my thoughts and strength.

    Iy limp beneath him, letting him ravage me wildly.

    After a while, he whispered coldly in my ear, ¡°How could Ms. Duffy possibly intentionally gain weight just to please me?¡±

    Give you one more chance, tell the truth.

    Otherwise, I will let you die in this bed tonight.

    The vicious words pierced into my ears, apanied by his fierce actions, my heart trembled violently, and fear kept escting.

    I clutched his arm, my voice shattered by the impact.

    ¡°No, no¡­ don¡¯t¡­ gently¡­ gently¡­¡±

    ¡°You tell the truth then.¡±

    Reynaldo grabbed my shoulder, grinned at me like a demon, crazy and fierce.

    A difficult¨Cto¨Cmention feeling kept surging in the body.

    I gritted my teeth and endured, my head spinning desperately.

    For a long time, I gasped and said to him, ¡°You, you are right, I cannot¡­ I cannot change myself just to please you¡­¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s movements suddenly stopped, his dark eyes staring at me. intently.

    He chuckled lightly, as if talking to himself, ¡°Sure enough, I knew it, you couldn¡¯t possibly be here for me.¡±

    I licked my chapped lips and continued, ¡°I just want to eat myself fat. If I be a big fat person, maybe you will despise me and then let me go.¡±

    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment, then smirked at me mockingly.

    He caressed my face and said, ¡°Esmeralda, oh Esmeralda, you are truly very naive.¡±

    It¡¯s not that I am naive, I am stating the facts.

    Men all like to sleep with young, beautiful, and well¨Cshaped women.

    ¡°If I had be an ugly fat guy, not only would I not be able to lift your interest, but I would also turn you off. By then, you would have dumped me. wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to have heard a joke.ughing sarcastically

    He twirled my hair and said softly. ¡°You refuse to admit that you are naive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cutting off your thoughts right now. Even if you turn into a fat pig. I won¡¯t let you go.¡±

    ¡°You were really eating indiscriminately, not even letting go of fat pigs.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help mocking him.

    Reynaldo narrowed his eyes dangerously,

    I turned my face away and fell silent.

    I was actually lying just now.

    What he said about wanting to be fat so he would let me go, it was

    all a lie.

    I have now realized a problem, those words that please him, he won¡¯t believe, but the words that anger him, he is more likely to believe,

    Well, in short, this man is just being a jerk.

    I would rather believe those unpleasant words than believe those pleasant

    Chapter

    ones.

    So be it.

    He didn¡¯t care what he believed in or didn¡¯t believe in.

    J

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    Chapter445

    As long as I could use obesity to cover up the fact that I was pregnant.

    Perhaps my earlier words ¡°beggars can¡¯t be choosers¡± angered him.

    Reynaldo was not in a good mood and kept bothering me untilte at night.

    After being intimate so many times, I gradually learned how to please

    him.

    If I pleased him in bed, his actions would be much gentler, and I would feel much better.

    I pursed my lips. struggled to lift my body, and climbed onto hist shoulders.

    The gloom between the man¡¯s eyebrows was clearly dissipating.

    I took the initiative to kiss his lips, kiss his carlobes, and kiss his Adam¡¯s apple.

    His eyes darkened, and he continued with his actions.

    I held onto his neck, whispered in his ear, and begged softly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, I can¡¯t bear it anymore, can you¡­ end it quickly?¡±

    I took the initiative to kiss him and cater to him.

    Crying and begging him was useless, scolding him was useless, and struggling was even more useless.

    But asking him to please him like this had a very obvious effect.

    I felt Reynaldo¡¯s movements slow down, and then he whispered a word in my car, ¡°Okay.¡±

    After about half an hour, the man finally satisfied.

    He held me tightly and didn¡¯t move for a while.

    I had no strength left, so I let him hold me in his arms and soon fell into a deep sleep.

    In a daze, I felt someone was scrubbing my body.

    The action was very gentle.

    I thought it was a dream, after all, Reynaldo couldn¡¯t possibly be so attentive and gentle towards me.

    I don¡¯t know how long I had been sleeping when I was suddenly awakened by Reynaldo¡¯s voice.

    I opened my eyes groggily.

    The room was not lit, but the light was still sufficient, with sunlight. streaming in through the crack in the curtains.

    Reynaldo was wearing a robe, standing by the window and making a phone call.

    His tone was very t, ¡°Can we confirm now that the movie won¡¯t be released?¡±

    I frowned deeply.

    Is that movie not going to be released?

    What does it mean?

    Was he talking about Winston¡¯s y?

    ¡°He must have been working in vain, so he must be going crazy.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, the money I invested is nothing to me.¡±

    ¡°He thought the mall was easy to navigate just because he saw me seed. Well, this incident can be considered a lesson for him.¡±

    My heart sank heavily.

    What he said sounded like the y Winston was in!

    But how could this happen?

    The wrap¨Cup ceremony of that movie had already been held, and Vonnie had also mentioned that it would be released in these few days. How could it suddenly not be released?

    What happened exactly?

    With a puzzled look in his heart, Reynaldo had just finished the call and was turning around to look in this direction.

    I identally made eye contact with him.

    My heart skipped a beat, I didn¡¯t open my eyes first, I sat up with the nket wrapped around me.

    He walked over and asked in a casual tone, ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    My body was still sore, and my throat was dry and ufortable.

    Chapter445

    I lowered my gaze, and the ambiguous traces on my chest instantly caught

    my eye.

    I fed

    my brows, silently pulled up the nket, and was about to ask him about the y.

    But he suddenly gave a light sigh and turned to the bathroom.

    I opened my mouth, wanting to call out to him, but in the end, I didn¡¯t.

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    hapter446

    The bathroom door was closed, and soon the sound of water could be

    heard.

    I pursed my lips and picked up the robe beside me, putting it on.

    I got up and stepped on the carpet, my legs feeling sore and trembling slightly.

    I leaned against the edge of the bed for a while before slowly walking towards the low table by the window.

    Breakfast was ced on top, and it had almost cooled down.

    I drank the ss of milk and then walked to the bathroom door and

    waited.

    Before long, the door of the bathroom opened.

    I hurried to meet him.

    Reynaldo was slightly startled, and after a while, a smirk appeared at the corner of his lips.

    Those handsome features of Ying, coupled with that hint of a smirk, instantly reminded me of words like ¡®well¨Cdressed and refined¡® and ¡®cultured scoundrel¡®.

    He smiled at me meaningfully and said, ¡°What, didn¡¯t have enoughst night, want more?¡±

    I frowned and red at him, not saying a word.

    <b>11 </b>

    He chuckled and walked past me to the wardrobe to get dressed.

    My gaze unconsciously drifted away.

    The moment I saw him untie the towel, my face turned red and I quickly looked away.

    However, it was just a quick nce, and I saw ambiguous scratch marks on his back and even down to his waist.

    I twisted my fingers, and my face burned even more.

    It looks like I need to trim my nails.

    I am going out now. Breakfast has been delivered, so you can eat it slowly.

    If you need anything, you can knock on the door, there is always someone outside.¡±

    I turned around quickly and saw that he had already put on his clothes. and was buttoning the cuffs.

    Reynaldo was a natural clothes hanger, the well¨Ctailored shirt draped on him, making him look tall and handsome, dignified and unparalleled. The ck color added a touch of stability to his whole person.

    Ignoring the man¡¯s handsomeness, I quickly asked him about the movie.

    I said to him, ¡°I just heard you make a phone call.¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

    ¡°Did you just say on the phone that the movie couldn¡¯t be released? Is that the movie Winston was working on?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and walked up to me.

    <b>¦° </b>

    ¡°What? Care about him?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I said expressionlessly, ¡°Just tell me, was it his movie.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The man coldly spat out a word, with a mocking tone, ¡°Expecting him to rely on the fame of that y toe to your rescue, right?¡±

    frowned and said, ¡°I have never thought that way, so please don¡¯t guess randomly, okay<b>?</b>¡±

    ¡°Was I just guessing randomly? Ha¡­¡±

    The man chuckled lightly, and his face instantly darkened.

    He said, ¡°Do you want to go look in the mirror and see how worried your face looks?¡±

    When ites to something rted to him, you get anxious. And you have the nerve to say I¡¯m overthinking ¡±

    ¡°No, I was in a hurry because¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Reynaldo impatiently interrupted me, a cold anger rising between his eyebrows, his hand at his side also clenched into a fist.

    I swallowed hard, unconsciously took <b>a </b>step back, and stared at him.

    He stared at me coldly for a few seconds, then suddenly sneered, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if you are hoping for him toe and save you, he won¡¯t be able toe.¡±

    <b>12477 </b>

    He poured all his energy, financial resources, and manpower into this y, but unfortunately, it has now been destroyed.

    Don¡¯t say it can¡¯t be released now, there won¡¯t be a chance to release it in

    the future.

 Too Close 447

    Chapter447

    He lost not only this y, but also all his hopes. He never had a chance to turn his life around. ¡±

    ¡°How could this happen?¡±

    Thinking of Winston¡¯s hopeful look towards this y, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit uneasy in my heart.

    Vonnie was also looking forward to the release of this y, hoping to De famous through it.

    During the filming period, she had been working hard like that all the

    time.

    But now, all her efforts have been in vain, she must be very sad now.

    Reynaldo stared at me heavily and sneered, ¡°Do you feel sorry for him?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I felt very agitated in my heart, and I asked him in a bad tone, ¡°What happened in the end? The film has already been shot, the preparations for the release have beenpleted, why can¡¯t <b>it </b>be released suddenly?¡±

    When I asked this question, I suddenly remembered that day at the wrap- up ceremony, Reynaldo said to Winston, ¡°Don¡¯t make promises too early, wait until you have made a name for yourself.¡±

    And the words he said to Anton also seemed to be full of meaning.

    I furrowed my brows and looked at the man in front of me with some disbelief, ¡°Could it be¡­ you¡¯re the one behind all this?¡±

    Chapin 447

    He had just talked to someone on the phone and was also mocking Winston¡¯s defeat, going crazy, saying that this was a lesson for Winston.

    So, was it really him who was secretly plotting against Winston behind.

    his back?

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, with a hint of mockery always ying at the corner of his lips.

    Heughed as if self¨Cmocking, ¡°Oh, look, in your eyes, I am actually so despicable.¡±

    I looked at him and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Actually, I also think that with his arrogant and domineering personality, he wouldn¡¯t engage in such petty actions behind someone¡¯s back.

    But his conversation with Winston and Anton that day, as well as his recent phone call, made me involuntarily start to doubt.

    Perhaps my suspicious look was too obvious, Reynaldoughed even more self¨Cdeprecatingly.

    He suddenly spoke, saying softly, ¡°Yes, it was me who was behind it all.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I stared at him in astonishment.

    He approached me and sneered, ¡°I want him to fail miserably, I want him. to never be able to turn things around!¡±

    He thought it would be easy to mix in the market. He thought with the support of his family and your help, he could seed.

    Oh, he thought too simple.

    Weren¡¯t you just hoping for him to be stronger, and thene back to you?

    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not possible, never possible!¡±

    ¡°Enough, Reynaldo!¡±

    I pushed his chest and angrily said, ¡°You are just crazy. That movie was also invested by you, but you even disregarded your own investment just to suppress him.¡±

    The hard work of those actors, that y was also performed by their efforts.

    Just because of your personal grudge, you ruined all their efforts, Reynaldo, your heart is truly narrow to the point of being disgusting.

    Moreover, Winston

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    is your brother!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pushed me against the wall behind me.

    His chest heaved violently, his face was cold and terrifying, and there was a terrible hostility between his eyebrows.

    I stared at him intently, my heart tightening gradually.

    I was wrong. I angered him again, and made him lose control again.

    I just softened my attitude to please him, which was not very likely, and also not helpful to him.

    I was just so angry when I thought that Vonnie would be disappointed. and upset because of this y.

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    Chapter448

    How deep is his grudge against Winston, to act like this.

    He oppressed not only Winston, but also the hard work of those actors!

    Just at this moment, facing Reynaldo¡¯s fierce gaze, even though I was still angry in my heart, I didn¡¯t dare to say a word.

    I pursed my lips tightly and watched him quietly.

    He leaned his arm against my neck, and I could feel the tension in his arm

    muscles.

    This time, it seems like he was really angry.

    But I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did I?

    After a brief eye contact, he suddenly chuckled, ¡°Do you care about him. that much?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said calmly.

    But he continued to speak as if he hadn¡¯t heard my response, saying to himself, ¡°It¡¯s no use feeling sorry for him, he¡¯s probably on the brink of a breakdown right now.¡±

    Ah, since childhood, everyone haspared me to him, using my dimness to set off his brilliance.

    He thought he could easily overshadow me like that, but he didn¡¯t stop to think, ¡°How much hardship have I endured on this road?¡±

    <b>I </b>watched him quietly, and when I heard hisst words, my heart

    inexplicably stung somewhere, causing a touch of sour pain.

    Actually, there is no need to think about it. He, without any family support or background, must have gone through a lot of hardships to seed to this extent.

    However, even though he had suffered a lot and been wronged a lot in the past, he shouldn¡¯t have ruined this y.

    I still didn¡¯t dare to speak.

    He stared at me and chuckled, ¡°Do you really want to go out and see him. want tofort him?¡±

    Indeed, he used to be the center of attention since he was young, living in the praise of everyone. Now that he has fallen from grace, he must not be able to bear this blow.

    At the moment, he was probably feeling overwhelmed and was engaging in some self¨Charming behaviors.

    My heart tightened, and I instinctively wanted to say something, but when I saw the hostility surging in his eyes, I obediently closed my mouth.

    At this moment, Reynaldo was on the verge of rage, if I said a word for Winston, he would probably kill me.

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, his slender fingers tracing the corner of my slightly parted lips.

    He sneered, ¡°You just wait obediently. I will inform you of any news about him one by one.¡±

    I just wanted you to be anxious, to be in pain because you were worried about him but couldn¡¯t go out.

    Esmeralda, as you said, I was so narrow¨Cminded that it was exasperating,

    so I was not feeling well, and you shouldn¡¯t expect to feel well either.

    He let go of me after finishing speaking, gave me a cold smile, and then turned around and walked out.

    I touched the neck that he had hurt, and watched his lonely figure in shock.

    Reynaldo quickly walked out, without any hesitation in his steps.

    The door was mmed by him, followed by the sound of it being locked.

    I pursed my lips, leaned against the wall for a while, and then sat by the window.

    I don¡¯t know what the situation is outside now.

    Vonnie, Winston, Anton¡­

    How are they all doing now?

    Reynaldo never came in again that night, weighed down by heavy thoughts.

    I couldn¡¯t help but knock on the door, and soon the voice of the bodyguard came from outside, ¡°Ms. Duffy, is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Did Reynaldoe back?¡± I asked.

    The bodyguard said, ¡°No, Mr. Humphrey never answered.¡±

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    Chapter449

    I anxiously squeezed my hands, sat back in the chair, and continued to

    wait.

    Now I am eager to know about their situation.

    Although I no longer have that vague feeling for Winston, the old friendship is still there after all.

    There was also Anton, who had helped me so many times, and of course I didn¡¯t want anything to happen to him.

    The most important thing is Vonnie, and I don¡¯t know if she will be affected by the failure of this y.

    I sighed heavily and stared out of the window in a daze.

    There was no one in the yard, and I waited untilte at night but didn¡¯t. see Reynaldo¡¯s care back.

    And so, I slept in the chair all night.

    The next day, the bodyguard came in to deliver breakfast.

    I busily asked him, ¡°Has Reynaldoe back?¡±

    The bodyguard shook his head, set down the breakfast, and left.

    I nced out of the window with boredom.

    The feeling of being disconnected from the outside world and feeling anxious inside is really ufortable.

    I have to say, Reynaldo really knew how to torture people.

    He really made me feel ufortable because of his impatience, and he did exactly what he said.

    For several days in a row, Reynaldo did not appear again.

    I don¡¯t know if it was because he was angry and deliberately avoided me, or because he was too busy with work.

    That day, the bodyguard who came to deliver food to me suddenly changed, and he looked particrly unfamiliar.

    I stared at him for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you new here?¡±

    The bodyguard said respectfully, ¡°Yes, <i>Ms. </i>Duffy, you can tell me anytime if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Where is the previous bodyguard? Has Reynaldo returned?¡±

    The bodyguard stood with his hands behind his back, respectfully saying, ¡°The bodyguards in the yard have all been reassigned by Mr. Humphrey. Now there¡¯s only me and two other partners left, but rest assured, Ms. Duffy, if you need anything, we can all take care of it for Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Reynaldoe back yet?¡± I asked again.

    The bodyguard nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey has been very busytely, so he hasn¡¯te over here.¡±

    T

    It¡¯s been a week now, and Reynaldo still hasn¡¯t shown up. The outside world must have turned upside down by now.

    The more anxious in my heart.

    I looked at the bodyguard and said, ¡°Can I borrow your phone?¡±

    The bodyguard shook his head and said mechanically, ¡°Ms. Dully, you are currently in a state of confinement, we cannot give you a phone to

    Chapter440

    use.¡±

    ¡°I did nothing else but wanted to give Reynaldo a call.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Seeing the bodyguard hesitate, I quickly said, ¡°I have something important to discuss with Reynaldo, really, can you lend me your phone. to use? If he mes you, I will take full responsibility.¡±

    The bodyguard listened and then handed me the phone.

    But he also insisted on watching me make the call and requested that I put it on speakerphone.

    I skillfully dialed that familiar number.

    The phone rang twice before it was answered at the other end.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    The cold voice came quickly.

    I licked my lips and hurriedly spoke, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    The breathing on that end suddenly became a little heavier.

    ¡°Esmeralda?¡± His tone also became serious, ¡°You really have some skills, actually managing to borrow a phone from the bodyguard. It seems this bodyguard needs some more training.¡±

    The bodyguard¡¯s face changed.

    T¡¯hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s not anyone else¡¯s business. I forced him to lend me his phone. Don¡¯t me others.¡±

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    Chapter450

    ¡°Hey! If you don¡¯t want to cause trouble for others, then stop ying tricks.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t ying tricks, I just wanted to ask when you woulde back!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say.

    He was silent for two seconds, but this time he didn¡¯t deliberately provoke me with vulgar words as usual.

    He just asked coldly, ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    This indifference made my heart inexplicably twitch.

    I took a deep breath and asked softly, ¡°I just wanted to ask you, how is that y going now?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled.

    ¡°You actually want to ask about Winston¡¯s situation, don¡¯t you?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

    Hisughter turned colder, ¡°So, you were in such a hurry to lend me your phone and even asked me to go back, all because you were worried about him?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah! Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I was about to exin when suddenly there was a scream on the other end. of the phone, it was Kimberly¡¯s voice.

    <b>12 </b>43

    §ã§ä§Ñ§â§í§ß 450

    I didn¡¯t have time to react before the phone hung up.

    Before the phone call was disconnected, I faintly heard Reynaldo urgently calling out Kimberly¡¯s name.

    I stared nkly at the darkening screen of my phone, feeling a sudden sharp pang of bitterness in my heart.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, please give me back my phone.¡±

    The bodyguard¡¯s voice brought me back to reality.

    I silently returned the phone to him, feeling a little uneasy in my heart.

    So, these days, Reynaldo has been apanying Kimberly.

    The bodyguard had already left, the door was closed again and locked.

    I stared nkly at the autumn scenery outside the window, feeling

    in my heart for a moment.

    particrly so ar

    The night fell quickly now, by evening the sky hadpletely darkened.

    Iy in bed and slept fitfully.

    Suddenly, the door was opened.

    I thought it was the bodyguard bringing in food, so I didn¡¯t move.

    Before long, the sound of footsteps drew closer and closer,ing straight towards the bed.

    Wasn¡¯t it Reynaldo who delivered the food, not the bodyguard?

    But this doesn¡¯t sound like Reynaldo¡¯s footsteps.

    I turned over in confusion, but the next second my eyes widened suddenly.

    Chapter450

    It was Winston after all!

    The man was dressed casually, wearing a duckbill cap, and smiling at me.

    ¡°Ralda, I came to save you.¡±

    I waspletely stunned, as if I were dreaming!

    Not to mention that Winston¡¯s y was in trouble now, he didn¡¯t have time to deal with me.

    He said there were several bodyguards in the courtyard, and how did he get in with the key so brazenly.

    Is this really happening?

    Thinking of this, I secretly pinched my thigh.

    Hiss!

    It hurts so much!

    It was not a dream, Winston actually came.

    I quickly sat up and asked him anxiously, ¡°How did youe here? What about the bodyguards outside?¡±

    ¡°The outside bodyguards had all been taken down by me, Ralda,e with me quickly.¡±

    He came over and took my hand as he spoke.

    I subconsciously avoided it and got out of bed.

    My heart was still full of astonishment.

    I asked him incredulously, ¡°Did you really take down all the bodyguards outside?¡±

    Chamer450

    With that, I quickly ran out to take a look.

    ??

    The bodyguard who was standing at the door indeed fell to the ground unconscious.

    I looked anxiously at Winston.

    He said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just felt dizzy.¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief and went downstairs to take a look.

    In the living room, there were also two unconscious bodyguards lying on the ground.

    At the door stood two men who looked like bodyguards.

    Winston said it was brought by him.

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    Chapter451

    I looked around in the living room.

    The bodyguard who brought me food yesterday said that there are only three bodyguards left in the vi now, and the rest of the bodyguards have been reassigned by Reynaldo.

    At this moment, these three bodyguards have all been taken down.

    That means I really could leave without any restrictions!

    Winston urged me again, ¡°Ralda,e with me quickly.¡±

    I looked into his dark eyes and couldn¡¯t help feeling that something was a bit strange.

    I asked him, ¡°How did you find your way here?¡±

    ¡°It was Vonnie who told me,¡± Winston spoke gently, ¡°After the wrap¨Cup ceremony that day, Vonnie talked to me and Anton about your situation, so we discussed a way to save you.¡±

    ¡°But I heard about your y¡­¡±

    Mentioning that y, Winston¡¯s expression changed slightly.

    I pursed my lips and asked him with some concern, ¡°Is everything okay now?¡±

    Winston shook his head, ¡°That y has been canceled, which means all my efforts have been in vain.¡±

    Now everyone looked at me as if they were watching a joke.

    Chapter451

    ¡°Hehe, I was just a waste, in their eyes, I was just a waste!¡±

    Winston said, his emotions suddenly bing a bit agitated.

    I quickly grabbed his arm and shook my head urgently, ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself, you are actually very talented, not inferior to anyone.¡±

    288 Vouchers

    Do you still remember that, during your student days, you were always the best at both studying and ying ball in exams.

    ¡°You have never been worse than others, this time you failed, it¡¯s just bad luck.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the time!¡± Winston suddenly growled, his eyes turning a bit crimson and fierce.

    I was stunned by his yelling, staring at him nkly, feeling inexplicably that the man in front of me suddenly became very unfamiliar.

    Perhaps he realized that his tone was off.

    The fierceness in Winston¡¯s eyes dissipated in an instant.

    He whispered to me, ¡°Ralda, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Come with me quickly. If Reynaldo finds out anyter, we won¡¯t be able to leave.¡±

    Although I had always wanted to leave here.

    From the current situation, I had many concerns in my

    Reynaldo was as fierce and crazy as that.

    heart.

    After I escaped with him, will Reynaldo go after him, Anton, and Vonnie?

    They were all my good friends, and I didn¡¯t want them to get into trouble because of me.

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    Chapter451

    1389 (Vouchers

    At first, I was only thinking about escaping by myself, so I decided to tell Vonnie about my imprisonment and asked her to contact people outside to

    rescue me.

    Looking back now, I realize that I was too naive and selfish at the beginning

    I only thought about running away myself, but I ignored the fact that no matter who came to rescue me, I would bring trouble to that person.

    Reynaldo was just a narrow¨Cminded lunatic.

    Because of past grievances, he was willing to let Winston fail even at the expense of his own investment.

    If I had really left with Winston today, wouldn¡¯t he have been even more ruthless towards Winston?

    Thinking of this, Ipletely backed off.

    I said to Winston seriously, ¡°Thank you very much foring to rescue me, but I can¡¯t leave with you yet.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    1

    Winston was a little excited, and he said to me urgently, ¡°Why can¡¯t you go with me? Have you really fallen in love with him and can¡¯t bear to leave him?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± I said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid of causing trouble for you all.¡±

    ¡°Me, implicated?¡± Winston sneered immediately, ¡°He has already made me suffer so miserably, am I still afraid of him? If he dares, let hime find me!¡±

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    Chapter452

    When he said thest sentence, Winston¡¯s eyes narrowed viciously, with a hint of cruelty shing through.

    I didn¡¯t think much, my focus was all on the first half of his sentence.

    I asked him, ¡°Are you saying that your movie couldn¡¯t be released because Reynaldo was really behind it?¡±

    That day I just had doubts, but I never dared to confirm.

    As I mentioned this, a look of dark hatred suddenly appeared on Winston¡¯s face.

    He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Who else but him?! It was him who exposed Cristina¡¯s dark secrets to the media, deliberately causing Cristina to copse, thus ruining this y, it was him!¡±

    I was surprised in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t expect the final problem to actually ur with Cristina.

    I said, choosing a female star whose house could copse at any time was a big risk.

    Winston was full of sadness and indignation.

    But I still found it a bit strange, after all, Reynaldo was not involved in the initial casting at all.

    If Reynaldo had wanted to ruin the y from the start, he would have deliberately rmended an actress with issues.

    0:00%

    Chapter452

    11

    20g chairs

    But wasn¡¯t Cristina rmended by Anton?

    I cautiously asked him, ¡°Have you figured it out? Is the female lead¡¯s scandal really exposed by Reynaldo?¡±

    Winston suddenly looked at me with a meaningful look in his eyes.

    The look in his eyes carried a few traces of mockery, a few traces of coldness, and a few traces of unfamiliarity.

    He said, ¡°Even though it¡¯s like this, you¡¯re still making excuses for him.¡±

    His tone was clearly calm, but I still found it very scary, including his eyes. I even found it scarier than when Reynaldo gets angry.

    I unconsciously took two steps back and quickly exined to him, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I just found it strange, Cristina was chosen to be the leadingdy, right? How could Reynaldo¡­¡±

    When we chose Cristina as the leading actress, we only thought she was a bit arrogant, not knowing she had so much dirt on her.

    And Reynaldo knew that he even cunningly collected those dark materials, and then, as the y was about to be released, exposed them to

    the media.

    Ah, when ites to cunning and malice, who canpare to Reynaldo!

    I watched in horror as the crimson hatred in his eyes, not daring to ask another question.

    Winston suddenly nced at me.

    It seemed that he could see my fear, so he quickly restrained his hostility and spoke to me in a low voice, ¡°I know you have a lot of concerns in your heart, afraid that he will retaliate against me, so you dare not go with me.¡±

    32 21%

    12.570

    Chapter452

    I nodded.

    He suddenly smiled at me, still as gentle as before.

    He said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Anton and I have decided to go abroad for development, so we n to take you with us.¡±

    280 (Vouchers

    I still have some connections over there. No matter how capable Reynaldo is in the country, he won¡¯t be able to find a ce there.

    ¡°Abroad?¡±

    I looked at him in surprise.

    Winston¡¯s gaze suddenly became affectionate.

    He held my hand and whispered softly, ¡°Once we arrive overseas, we will have a new life, a fresh start, and everything can begin anew.¡±

    Ralda,e with me. Reynaldo is just a capricious madman, he always bullies you, hurts you.

    ¡°But I won¡¯t, you are the first girl I have ever had a crush on, this time I will definitely not let go of your hand, I will never let anyone bully you again.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes were dark and focused, filled with deep affection.

    <b><i>74 </i></b>75%

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    Chapter453

    There was a moment when I was truly moved by what he said, and I truly wanted to go abroad with him and start a new life.

    Just thinking about Reynaldo, a touch of sadness welled up in my heart.

    I have always been eager to leave, to escape the abuse and control of that man.

    When it was really time to leavepletely, I realized that I was actually a little reluctant.

    It seemed that Winston noticed my hesitation, and he suddenlyughed mockingly.

    He said to me, ¡°Do you know why it was so smooth for me toe and rescue you this time?¡±

    I looked at him in confusion, waiting for him to continue.

    He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Because all the bodyguards here have been reassigned by Reynaldo, but do you know where he sent those bodyguards?¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Where is Kimberly?¡±

    Speaking of this, Winston¡¯s lips curled in a more sarcastic manner, ¡°Because he caused my investment to fail, he was afraid that I would retaliate and harm Kimberly, so he transferred all the bodyguards here to protect Kimberly.¡±

    0.00%

    <b>12.58 </b>

    Chapter453

    You didn¡¯t know, did you? He is now with that woman day and night.

    And to him, you were nothing at all.

    ¡°So, for a man who doesn¡¯t even have you in his heart, are you still so

    reluctant?¡±

    288 Vouchers

    I lowered my head in silence, a stiff arc appeared at the corner of my lips, and a touch of self¨Cmockery rose unconsciously in my heart.

    Sure enough, he had really been by Kimberly¡¯s side all these days.

    He was really nervous about Kimberly, afraid that Kimberly would be hurt in the slightest.

    Although I knew he loved Kimberly very much, my heart couldn¡¯t help but sink and ache when I heard this news.

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Winston grabbed my shoulder, his eyes determinedly fixed on me: ¡°Listen to me,e with me, I will definitely treat you well.¡±

    You stayed by his side only to get hurt, he clearly didn¡¯t love you, he only loved Kimberly.

    ¡°He imprisoned you here just to treat you as a ything, don¡¯t you understand?¡±

    Winston said the truth, and I understood this truth.

    But why did his words still sting like a needle, piercing deeply into my heart, very painful.

    I pursed my lips, slowly raised my gaze, and looked at him, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    29.87%

    12.50

    Chapter453

    Winston¡¯s eyes lit up noticeably, a hint of joy shing across his face.

    He held my hand tightly and made a promise affectionately, ¡°Ralda, swear to God, I will definitely treat you well.¡±

    I

    289 Vour,hers

    Looking at his affectionate expression, I felt a bit conflicted in my heart.

    I pulled my hand out forcefully and spoke softly, ¡°Winston, there are some things that I think I need to rify with you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Winston looked at me earnestly, with a focused and gentle gaze.

    That was a look Reynaldo had never had before.

    Thinking of Reynaldo¡¯s cruelty and humiliation towards me, my heart felt extremely bitter.

    However, despite this, besides him, I still couldn¡¯t be with any other man.

    Looking back now, it seems that Reynaldo and I appeared to have hated each other for three years.

    But in fact, my heart had already been lost.

    I took a deep breath and looked up at the man in front of me, calmly saying, ¡°Even if I can¡¯t be with Reynaldo anymore, I can¡¯t be with you

    either.¡±

    So, even if I went abroad with you, we could only be ordinary friends, understand?¡±

    Winston¡¯s expression stiffened for a few seconds, a hint of resentment and unwillingness shing in his eyes.

    However, he still smiled gently at me and said, ¡°Okay, everything is up to

    62 22

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    Chapter454

    And, there¡¯s also Vonnie, she wille with us too, so you will have apanion then, won¡¯t be so boring.

    By then, we could do things we like to do. Don¡¯t you like acting? I can make a drama specifically for you at that time, okay?

    By then, you will also have be a big star, you will also have your own career, no longer this canary for him to y with.

    Thest sentence stabbed my heart fiercely.

    Yes, in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes, I never had any value, I was always just a tool for

    his amusement.

    He really never looked down on me.

    Winston had been nning a bright future for me.

    The more beautifully he spoke, the more sour my heart felt.

    I pursed my lips, suppressed the tears in my eyes, and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s

    go.¡±

    After I left, I would nevere back.

    That is to say, for the rest of my life, I will never be able to see Reynaldo again.

    As Winston walked out, a gust of night wind was blowing in, very cold, with a deste feeling unique tote autumn and early winter.

    Winston took me to the car.

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    12:58

    <b>Chapter454 </b>

    I looked back at the vi in front of me, finally escaped from this cage, escaped from the palm of that man.

    288 Vouchers

    However, this was clearly what I had been looking forward to, but why was my heart so heavy.

    I lowered my head and stared nkly at the palm of my hand.

    Winston suddenly looked at me, he stared at me silently for a while, then suddenly smiled, smiling strangely for no reason.

    He said, ¡°It seems like you really fell in love with that man.¡±

    I instinctively looked up at him and caught a glimpse of the sneer and malice in his eyes.

    I furrowed my brows, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity and unease inexplicably rising in my heart.

    I asked him, ¡°Are we going to meet Anton and Vonnie directly and then go abroad together?¡±

    Winston said nothing, just lit a cigarette and took a slow drag.

    I had hardly ever seen him smoke before, and now, as he smokes, he seems more and more unfamiliar to me.

    The tenderness and deep affection on his face were gone, reced by a faint smile, a smile that showed disdain for everything.

    But there was a hint of cunning hidden in that smile.

    Was it my imagination?

    He was Winston, not Reynaldo, how could the always gentle and kind Winston have a dark and malicious side?

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    Perhaps because his y was ruined, he was in a bad mood, so his emotions were a bit gloomy.

    I thought to myself and quietly opened the car window beside me.

    11

    788 Voucher

    The cool breeze blew in and quickly dispersed the smell of smoke in the

    car.

    Iy on the car window, staring nkly outside, but thinking about Reynaldo in my heart.

    I wonder how angry he would be if he knew that Winston and I had run

    away.

    I wondered if he would send someone to catch me.

    When I left, many yearster, does he still remember me, will he think of<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    The more I thought, the more elusive my thoughts became.

    I pinched my brow and forced myself not to think about that man

    anymore.

    That man never had me in his heart, so why should I bother thinking about him and only add to my sadness.

    In the future, the only important thing in my life was to make money to raise my baby.

    And in the life without Reynaldo afterwards, this bitter and indescribable feeling will slowly dissipate with time.

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    The car had been driving for a while, and I stared nkly at the pitch- ck night sky, suddenly sensing something amiss in my heart.

    Because although I didn¡¯t know the exact time, I could still feel that the car had been driving for at least an hour.

    But as I looked outside now, it was still pitch ck all around, and I couldn¡¯t even see the shadow of the city.

    It is obvious that the car is still running in the wilderness now.

    But I distinctly remember that Reynaldo¡¯s vi, where I was imprisoned, was less than an hour¡¯s drive from the city.

    That day, Reynaldo¡¯s people kidnapped me from the airport to the mountain vi, which only took a few minutes, even though there was a bit of traffic on the way.

    And at that time, the car was basically unimpeded all the way, it was impossible to not see the shadow of the city after almost an hour.

    I nced at Winston, suppressing the unease in my heart.

    The man was leaning back in the chair with his eyes closed, his profile no longer had the soft warmth of the past, but added a few more cold and stern.

    ¡°Winston¡­¡±

    I called out to him and asked, ¡°Where are we going now? Aren¡¯t we supposed to meet up with Anton and Vonnie?¡±

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    ¡°No hurry.¡±

    288 Vouchers

    Winston slowly uttered two words and smiled at me, ¡°You¡¯ll see when we get there.¡±

    Seeing his appearance, I became more and more uneasy in my heart.

    I couldn¡¯t help but start to doubt whether I had been too impulsive in deciding to go with him just now.

    The car was still running in the wilderness, and the windows were filled with the urgent cold wind, like the wailing of ghosts and wolves in the dark night.

    I twisted my hands nervously, feeling the tension in my nerves.

    I didn¡¯t know how long the car had been running, but finally I could see some lights in the distance.

    It was like a small town, with lights gathered in a not veryrge area, and those lights were distributed somewhat sparsely.

    I licked my lips and looked at Winston`again.

    The man still leaned back in the chair with his eyes closed, looking calm andposed.

    I suppressed the uneasiness and spection in my heart, waiting in silence.

    I had no grudges with Winston, and we had some past connections. No matter what, he shouldn¡¯t harm me.

    There was also Anton and Vonnie, especially Vonnie, she was my most

    trusted best friend.

    No matter what, she would never harm me.

    35.03

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    And I waited to see where he would take me.

    The car drove through the streets of the small town, and I saw many

    people drinking and ying games at the roadside food stalls. It was very lively.

    After passing through a brief bustle, it was once again a quiet wilderness.

    I waited nervously and anxiously, and finally the car stopped.

    I looked around anxiously.

    By the light of the car headlights, I saw a deserted warehouse next to me, about two stories high.

    Next to it was an abandoned factory building and dormitory.

    At first nce, it was deste and deserted.

    I looked at Winston puzzled and asked, ¡°What are we doing here? Where are Anton and Vonnie?¡±

    Winston slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at me, then suddenly smiled at me.

    That smile, how to say it, was unabashedly tinged with a hint of coldness, a hint of hatred, and a hint of sarcasm.

    I frowned heavily, feeling a sense of unease.

    I quickly pushed open the car door next to me and got out.

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    Chapter456

    But soon, the bodyguard who got off the car first blocked my way and restrained me.

    At that moment, my heart sankpletely.

    Winston got out of the car and walked slowly towards me, with a smile in his eyes, but no longer the gentle and considerate person I used to know.

    But it was full of malice and disdain.

    My heart tightened fiercely.

    I stared at him tensely and asked, ¡°Winston, what are you going to do? Where are we?¡±

    From the moment he got on the car, I had a vague feeling that something was off about this man.

    It was already toote at that time, so Iforted myself by deceiving myself that I had just been thinking too much.

    Winston and I had no hatred between us, he would never harm me.

    Perhaps I was naive, underestimated human nature, and overestimated the affection I had with him in the past.

    Actually, thinking about it now, if he wanted to retaliate against

    Reynaldo, he would indeede after me.

    Although everyone knew that Reynaldo didn¡¯t like me, everyone also knew that I was Reynaldo¡¯s woman.

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    He couldn¡¯t get close to Kimberly, so he had to redirect his attention towards me.

    After thinking through everything, I looked back at the man in front of me and felt that human hearts are truly unpredictable.

    I told him, ¡°You caught me, but you can¡¯t do anything to Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case.¡±

    He smiled confidently at me.

    ¡°Ralda, shall we make a bet?¡±

    His tone was still as gentle as before, but the disdain and fierceness in his eyes and eyebrows were no longer the same Winston as before.

    I said, ¡°What are we betting on?¡±

    ¡°I bet he¡­ wille alone to save you.¡±

    Winston yed with the lighter in his hand, lit the cigarette the next second, took a puff, blew smoke rings, and said to me, ¡°I bet¡­ he will definitelye, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°You might be about to lose the bet.¡±

    I said calmly, ¡°Not to mention that he is now sticking to Kimberly¡¯s side, even without Kimberly, he wouldn¡¯te to rescue me, he hates me.¡±

    ¡°Hate you?¡± Winston smirked at me meaningfully.

    He blew smoke rings and sarcasticallyughed, ¡°Actually, I think he¡¯s quite pitiful, even though he¡¯s been very sessful in his career, but in terms of rtionships, well, he¡¯s also ended up in aplete mess.¡±

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

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    ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    He sneered and had the bodyguard escort me into the abandoned

    warehouse.

    28a Vouchers

    He followed behind me, smiling faintly and said, ¡°If you are so eager to know, then I will tell you in detail.¡±

    The power went out in the warehouse, and in the light of their shlights, there was dust everywhere, along with spider webs.

    The cold wind blew in through therge and small holes, making a whistling sound, and it was very cold.

    The bodyguard tied me to a chair, and I struggled desperately, ignoring the dust and the rats scurrying around.

    But it was of no use.

    Winston walked up to me, pulled over a worn¨Cout wooden crate, and sat on top of it.

    And the two bodyguards were standing guard outside the door.

    I pulled at my bound hands again and said to him, ¡°You release me first, I won¡¯t run.¡±

    Winston chuckled lightly, ¡°That won¡¯t do. Who can guarantee that you won¡¯t run away while everyone is asleep? If you run away, this game won¡¯t be fun anymore.¡±

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    ¡°Winston!¡± I stared at him with sorrow and anger, ¡°Your feud with Reynaldo has nothing to do with me. Why do you have to use me to deal with him? Have you forgotten our past friendship?¡±

    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡±

    The man suddenlyughed strangely, as if he had heard a huge joke.

    Heughed for a long time,ughing as if even tears were choked out.

    After a long time, he finally said to me, ¡°Let me make it clear to you that the grudge between him and me is all because of you.¡±

    As for our previous rtionship? Well¡­ ¡±

    Heughed disdainfully, ¡°It¡¯s all fake, there¡¯s no real rtionship between you and me at all.¡±

    1

    I looked at him deeply, and my hands tied behind my back tightened secretly.

    At that moment, I suddenly felt that this man was so unfamiliar to me that I didn¡¯t recognize him at all.

    And he exuded a kind of madness and terror all over his body.

    Unlike Reynaldo¡¯s sinister, Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy and cold are straightforward, only making people feel scared, not malicious.

    But at this moment, as I looked at the man in front of me with his twisted smile, all I could think of in my mind was the word ¡®malicious¡®.

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    288 Vouchere

    He said, ¡°Actually, my unknown brother has been wanting you for a long time.¡±

    My heart trembled fiercely: ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡±

    Winston smirked, his smile strange and mocking, ¡°Do you know why I met you in high school?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, but memories drifted back to my high school days along with his question.

    At that time, the school¡¯s recognized campus heartthrob suddenly asked me for directions, which was the first time I had ever interacted with him.

    I was walking home from school with Vonnie at the time. He didn¡¯t ask Vonnie, he just asked me.

    Vonnie was joking with me at the time, saying that he had taken a fancy to me, deliberately striking up a conversation with me, wanting to pursue<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I used to joke that Vonnie had a vivid imagination.

    The second time we met, he really invited me and Vonnie to dinner in front of many people, saying it was to thank me for showing him the way the first time.

    At that time, the acknowledged campus heartthrob treated us to a meal, truly making all the girls around us green with envy.

    Vonnie was extremely excited and immediately epted.

    Later on, the third meeting, the fourth meeting¡­ and many subsequent meetings became sparse and ordinary, taken for granted.

    Then I gradually got to know him.

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    At that time, I didn¡¯t understand what was going on between men and women, and I only had a little bit of admiration for him in my heart.

    788 Vouchers

    Plus, every time he asked me out, he would bring me flowers in a grand manner, so much so that all the students in the school thought we were a couple.

    Even Vonnie often teased the two of us.

    Over time, I even began to feel that I would be with him in the future, that we would be a couple.

    Until the night of the ss reunion¡­

    Distant memories intertwined with reality, everything became unrecognizable.

    And at this moment, it seems like I have seen some things clearly from it.

    I looked at the man in front of me, who was smiling but I didn¡¯t recognize at all, and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Back then¡­ were you intentionally trying to strike up a conversation with me?¡±

    Winston sneered, ¡°Yeah, I really don¡¯t like talking about love with you little girls. If that man wasn¡¯t interested in you, how would I have noticed you?¡±

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    ¡°That man?¡±

    My heart suddenly trembled violently, and I asked incredulously, ¡°Are you talking about¡­ Reynaldo?¡±

    However, it¡¯s impossible. Before I met him, I didn¡¯t know Reynaldo at all.

    But why that day, even Reynaldo said I had forgotten things from my childhood.

    What on earth is going on?

    Winston took a deep drag on his cigarette, blowing smoke rings as he said, ¡°You would never guess that my seemingly quiet and reserved older brother would one day start collecting a girl¡¯s photo and often stare at it in a daze.¡±

    ¡°Ha, you can¡¯t imagine, at 18, he was almost lovesick.¡±

    Listening to Winston¡¯s words, my heart was beating fast.

    I could hardly believe that what he described would be Reynaldo.

    And there was his so¨Ccalled photo, the girl in the photo, would it be me, or Kimberly?

    I looked at Winston, my heart trembling non¨Cstop.

    Ilicked my chapped lips and asked him, ¡°Who is the girl in the photo?¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Winston gave me a strange smile and said word by word, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not possible!¡±

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    50 chers

    I shook my head unconsciously, although I couldn¡¯t believe it, but a huge wave had already risen in my heart.

    Winston leaned back against the box with both hands, his upper body arched backwards, one leg crossed over the other.

    Hezily smiled and said, ¡°How could it not be possible? It¡¯s you from high school, I even saw him gently caressing that photo.¡±

    Although Winston spoke so confidently, I still couldn¡¯t believe it in my

    heart.

    I even had some doubts whether the girl in the photo was just someone who looked very simr to me, but in fact, it wasn¡¯t me.

    I even suspect that Reynaldo saying I don¡¯t remember things from my childhood is actually him mistaking me for the girl he had a promise with

    when he was a child.

    And that girl was truly the girl in the photo.

    ¡°Can you believe it¡­¡± Winstonughed at me, ¡°Back then, he just wanted to be with you.¡±

    I tried hard to suppress the turmoil in my heart and said in a deep voice, ¡°You must have mistaken me for someone else. It couldn¡¯t have been me because I didn¡¯t know him at all before I met you, so he couldn¡¯t possibly have my photo or like me.¡±

    Winston shrugged nomittally.

    He said, ¡°Whether you believe it or not, the fact is, he has always wanted you.¡±

    Including the night of the ss reunion, it was also a trap he set.

    About the ss reunion that night, I knew beforehand that it was

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    deliberately nned by Reynaldo.

    But I always believed that the reason he would engage with me was because he hated me.

    But at this moment in Winston¡¯s words, it seemed to take on anotheryer

    of meaning, it seemed that Reynaldo liked me, so he did that.

    At that moment, I couldn¡¯t distinguish what was the truth.

    Winston chuckled softly and said, ¡°From childhood to adulthood,

    everyone has alwayspared me to that man.¡±

    Although everyone has always been praising me, belittling him, and even using his dimness to set off my brightness.

    But I also knew that it was just their way of ttering me.

    How many times have I heard them gossiping behind my back, saying that

    was not as good as him at all, saying that I was just riding on the coattails of my stepmother.

    They said I won the painting award, but I just used his work without permission.

    Ah, from that time on, I was alwayspeting with him, whatever he had, I had to have, whatever he didn¡¯t have, I had to have too.

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    ¡°But he actually disdained to argue with me, you know? That¡¯s the biggest insult to me.¡±

    ¡°You took advantage and overthought it,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Maybe

    it¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t bother topete with you, but he thinks thatpeting for those empty titles is meaningless.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are right, those are all false reputations, all worldly possessions, fighting for them is indeed meaningless.¡±

    Winston lowered his eyes and smiled very coldly, with a touch of

    nervousness.

    He said, ¡°Finally on that day, I discovered that someone who was so disdainful of everything could actually fall in love with a girl.¡±

    So I decided that I was going to snatch that girl away.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s how I started talking to you.

    I still can¡¯t believe what Winston said. I always feel like the two brothers made a mistake and identified the wrong person.

    ¡°Hehe, do you know how crazy that man was when you were close to me?¡±

    I shook my head nkly, still finding it hard to imagine that the person he mentioned could be Reynaldo.

    After he found out that I was trying to get close to you, he warned me countless times to stay away from you.

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    Looking at him so anxious and crazy, you have no idea how excited I was in my heart.

    Haha¡­ the arrogant Reynaldo, who used to think he was above everyone else, actually lost hisposure one day because of a woman.

    What¡¯s even more ridiculous is that at that time, you still detested him.

    I quietly watched as the man in front of meughed wildly, and suddenly realized that he was also a master actor.

    He used to act so gentlemanly and gentle, and his eyes always showed deep affection towards me.

    I never expected that everything was fake, all just for him to retaliate against Reynaldo.

    At the end of the day, this man also had issues in his heart.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to do this. Maybe you got it wrong. The girl he likes might not be me, or I could just be a substitute who looks like that girl.¡±

    Winston took a deep drag on his cigarette and sneered, ¡°That¡¯s why I said that man was aplete failure in love. After all he did, you still didn¡¯t understand his intentions. How pathetic.¡±

    I frowned, thinking Winston must have made a mistake somewhere.

    In his opinion, Reynaldo did a lot in liking me.

    From my perspective, that man clearly did a lot of things to hurt me because he disliked me.

    So, what exactly is the truth?

    The cigarette burned out, and the butt fell to the ground. Winston crushed

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    it fiercely with his foot.

    <b>288 </b>Vouchers

    He stood up and said softly, ¡°What do you think Reynaldo would be like if he knew you ran away with me?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, but I could imagine Reynaldo being extremely

    angry.

    After all, on weekdays, I would just talk to Winston, and he would get

    angry.

    Moreover, this time I ran with Winston.

    I looked at the man in front of me with a malicious smile on his face, full of self¨Cmockery in my heart.

    Last time I was deceived by Trevin, bullied by Trevin, Reynaldo angrily told me, he said in my eyes, everyone in this world is good, only he is a bad person.

    He said I was always like this, never understanding the evil in people¡¯s

    hearts.

    What is good to me, I think there is a purpose behind it; what has a purpose for me, I think that is sincere.

    <b>13:01 </b>

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    He said, ¡°Even if I die outside, it¡¯s my own fault.¡±

    In hindsight, he was right.

    I always misjudged people, unable to distinguish between good and bad, without any guard against others.

    This time I fell into Winston¡¯s hands, even if there were any unexpected events in the end, it was really my own fault, I can¡¯t me anyone.

    I pursed my lips and asked Winston, ¡°What game do you want to y by bringing me here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that we would bet on whether Reynaldo woulde to save you?¡±

    ¡°What if¡­ he doesn¡¯te?¡± I asked calmly.

    Winston smiled confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will definitelye. Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡±

    He said, and then he left.

    The spacious and dpidated warehouse was only illuminated by two shlights, dark and eerie.

    The cold wind rushed in, whistling.

    The mouse scurried around at my feet.

    I was cold and scared again, curling up my feet, feeling so sad that I wanted to cry.

    Did Reynaldo reallye to save me?

    He must have scolded me again, scolded me for being stupid, scolded me for not knowing what¡¯s good for me, scolded me for being blind.

    On one hand, I hoped he woulde to rescue me, on the other hand, I was afraid of hising.

    After all, Winston hated him so much that Winston would definitely use

    me to retaliate against him fiercely.

    If anything happened to him because he saved me, I would never forgive myself for the rest of my life.

    The night was long.

    Especially this terrifying and uneasy waiting.

    I was tied to a chair, waiting dully until dawn.

    The cold at night and in the early morning was heavy, and my hands and feet were almost frozen.

    I weakly looked towards the door.

    The morning sun was dazzling and warm, but it couldn¡¯t reach me.

    A figure suddenly entered from outside, carrying several breakfasts in hand.

    The man, against the light, exuded a sense of gloom and cruelty all over his body.

    I watched him quietly, shivering from the cold.

    The man walked up to me and smiled lightly, saying, ¡°Being tied up all night, you must be cold and hungry.¡±

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    I looked at him coldly and said, ¡°How long are you going to keep me tied up?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Winstonughed sinisterly and perversely, ¡°The game is about to begin.¡±

    He said, holding a cup of juice to my lips, ¡°Drink up, just bought it, the game won¡¯t be fun if you starve.¡±

    I was indeed cold and hungry again, and I didn¡¯t care about anything else. I just sucked on the straw.

    The warm juice flowed down my throat into my stomach, and my whole body warmed up.

    In one gulp, Winston drank up the juice, then he brought the hamburger to my lips.

    I ate hastily.

    He smiled satisfactorily and said, ¡°You are quite obedient.¡±

    ¡°So, untie me, I really won¡¯t run,¡±

    Winston sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t really believe what you women say.¡±

    After feeding me two hamburgers, he sat up straight and said to me, ¡°I have already sent the information about you in my hands to Reynaldo, including the address here.¡±

    Before ten o¡¯clock, if he didn¡¯te, he would never see you again in his

    life.

    My heart sank heavily.

    ¡°What do you mean? If he doesn¡¯te, are you going to kill me and

    60.669

    13.02

    destroy the evidence?¡±

    Winston didn¡¯t answer me, he just smiled at me meaningfully.

    My heart became more and more anxious.

    I licked my chapped lips and said urgently, ¡°You can¡¯t do this. If he doesn¡¯te, doesn¡¯t it mean that he doesn¡¯t have me in his heart?¡±

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    Then I would be of no use to you, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you just let me<ol><li>go.</li></ol>

    ¡°Why did you have to kill me and bring trouble on yourself?¡±

    Winston looked at me with a frightened and anxious expression, sneering, ¡°Are you so afraid of death? Then why not do this: beg him yourself, beg him toe and save you.¡±

    The manughed in a very twisted way.

    The originally sunny handsome face now looked terrifyingly distorted.

    I pursed my lips and dared not say anything.

    He refused to let me go.

    He took out his phone and made a video call to Reynaldo,ughing excitedly, ¡°You better beg him nicelyter, that way he will definitelye to rescue you, hahaha¡­¡®

    I shook my head, looking at his twisted appearance, a chill creeping up my spine.

    Reynaldo quickly answered the video call.

    Winston smiled faintly at the phone and said, ¡°Reynaldo, that woman is scared to death now, crying and saying she wants to see you.¡±

    ¡°You are not allowed to touch her!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s cold voice quickly came out from the phone, hitting my heart

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    and making it ache.

    At this moment, I couldn¡¯t describe what I was feeling in my heart.

    Guilty, sad, fearful¡­

    Winston suddenly grabbed hold of the hair and gave it a hard tug backwards.

    I was forced to look up, and a cell phone appeared in front of me, and I saw Reynaldo in the video at a nce.

    He seemed to be in the car at the moment, his eyes were bloodshot, his face full of hostility, but he didn¡¯t say a harsh word of reproach to me.

    289 <b>chers </b>

    He justforted me in a low voice, and said to me in a gentle tone that I had never heard before, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I wille to rescue you soon.¡±

    I shook my head, tears welled up in an instant, and my heart was filled with indescribable sadness.

    In my eyes, everyone was a good person and treated me very well, but in the end, one by one, they all hurt me.

    And only he, only he Reynaldo, who usually treats me very badly, but every time when I am in danger, he wille to rescue me.

    As he said, I was so ignorant that I regarded everyone as good people, except for him as a bad person.

    I opened my mouth, my voice hoarse, with a sob in my voice, ¡°Don¡¯te

    over¡­¡±

    Winston suddenly bent down and kissed my neck in front of the phone.

    The hostility in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes was clearly boiling.

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    ¡°I said, don¡¯t touch her!¡±

    11

    289 (Vouchers

    He gritted his teeth, word by word, warning in an extremely cold and

    sinister manner.

    At this moment, Winston had no fear of him at all.

    He grinned maniacally and said, ¡°You better hurry up, or by the time you get here, all you¡¯ll see is her after I¡¯ve loved her fiercely.¡±

    ¡°Winston!¡±

    A cold low growl came from the phone.

    Winstonughed even more excitedly.

    He directly closed the video, smiled at me and said, ¡°Look, he is already on his way, next, you just wait and see the show.¡±

    looked at him coldly and asked in a tense voice, ¡°What do you want to do to him?¡±

    Winston chuckled softly, ¡°When he arrives, you¡¯ll see.¡±

    However, he hurt me so badly that I naturally had to make him pay a painful price.¡±

    Looking at the malice in the man¡¯s eyes, my heart sank to the bottom of the valley.

    It seems that he was most likely going to make Reynaldo go and note back.

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    Thinking of this, a touch of anxiety and fear couldn¡¯t help but rise in my

    heart.

    I said urgently, ¡°It¡¯s your ownck of skill, it¡¯s your ownpetitiveness, it has nothing to do with Reynaldo.¡±

    If you have the ability, go all out and prove your abilities to the world.

    Instead ofining and seeking revenge here.

    The treatment he received from childhood waspletely different from yours. He grew up in contempt and insults from an early age, but why didn¡¯t we see him be twisted and resentful?

    In the end, it was your ownpetitiveness at work, not him harming you!

    Bang!

    As soon as I finished speaking, Winston pped me hard.

    The force was so strong that my face was pped to one side.

    I just felt my eardrums buzzing, and my head was almost being knocked out by him.

    He grabbed my cor and yelled at me with a twisted face, ¡°What do you know? Life is never fair.¡±

    I was supposed to be the proud son of heaven, why was it him who seeded.

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    I was the one who greeted you first, why did you end up falling in love with him.

    289 Vouchers

    I hated, hated everything about him. He was never as good as me, so why is he now crushing me at every turn.

    ¡°Why?!¡±

    He growled lowly, shaking me with excitement.

    I was so dizzy by him that I felt like throwing up, feeling that the man in front of me was the real lunatic, the real psychopath.

    Ah, but everything wasing to an end.

    Once I had dealt with him, I would escape to another country and start my life anew.

    And he, Reynaldo, well, he could only go underground to be a lonely ghost!

    ¡°Don¡¯t, you must not hurt him¡­¡­.¡±

    In a daze, I heard that he was going to deal with Reynaldo, and I immediately became anxious.

    I begged him, ¡°Please, please don¡¯t hurt him. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. He never intended topete with you. And this y, surely he didn¡¯t manipte it behind your back. Please investigate, investigate thoroughly¡­¡±

    Winston looked at me anxiously, with a cold smile on his lips: ¡°It seems that Reynaldo¡¯s efforts over the years have not been in vain. Look, you also seem to love him quite a bit, don¡¯t you?¡±

    It¡¯s even better that you love each other deeply, the more fun it will be to y togetherter.

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    Hahaha, hahaha¡­¡±

    The man finished speaking,ughing as he walked outside.

    I stared at his back in anger and sorrow, at that moment, hating myself intensely.

    299 Vouchers

    Why did you always not listen to Reynaldo, why did you always believe others so easily.

    I always arrogantly thought I could live my life well, but in the end, I always ended up hurting others and myself.

    I cried out Winston¡¯s name, begging him to let me go, begging him not to harm Reynaldo.

    But it was all in vain.

    Time passed by minute by minute, and my mood changed from initial fear to anxiety.

    If at first, I still had a glimmer of hope, hoping that Reynaldo coulde

    to rescue me.

    And at that moment, I really hoped he wouldn¡¯te, really hoped he would be held back by Kimberly.

    I died, I died, I couldn¡¯t drag Reynaldo down, couldn¡¯t drag down this man who seemed very bad to me, but always stepped forward to save me in times of danger.

    I don¡¯t know how long I waited, Winston suddenly came in again.

    He held a cigarette in his mouth, his face showing a hint of gloom.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Reynaldo hasn¡¯te yet!¡±

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    He approached me, his face contorted in a smile, ¡°You think he¡¯s really afraid of death and won¡¯t show up.¡±

    Winston was confident at first, but now he seemed impatient, with a look of hostility on his face.

    Hearing him say that, I not only didn¡¯t feel sad, but instead felt a huge sense of relief in my heart.

    I said to him expressionlessly, ¡°I have said it before, he likes Kimberly, he dislikes me, he doesn¡¯t have me in his heart.¡±

    It was just that you didn¡¯t believe it yourself, as for the photo you mentioned, the girl in it must be someone else.

    Anyway, I really can¡¯t remember any connection I had with Reynaldo when I was a child.

    So, that photo, he definitely got it wrong.

    Winston sneered at me, ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. If he doesn¡¯te, you¡¯ll be the one who dies.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If my life can bring you psychological satisfaction, then you can have it.¡±

    Actually, who isn¡¯t afraid of death, I am also scared to death, especially now that I have a baby in my belly.

    But I also knew that the more scared I acted, the more excited and perverted he became.

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    So, I could only try to suppress the fear in my heart as much as possible, and try to show a nonchnt appearance.

    Sure enough, a touch of annoyance shed across Winston¡¯s face.

    He spat out a smoke ring heavily and coldly snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t care, anyway, when it¡¯s ten o¡¯clock, if he hasn¡¯t shown up, then I will¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to wait, I¡¯m here!¡±

    Winston had not finished speaking when a cold, clear voice suddenly came from the doorway.

    My heart trembled fiercely, and I quickly looked towards the door.

    Reynaldo was standing quietly at the door, his tall figure silhouetted against the light, like a god descending.

    The doorman at the entrance immediately frisked him until no weapons ormunication devices were found on him, then let him in.

    Reynaldo walked over step by step, looking dignified and with a cold expression on his face.

    His deep gaze fell on me without blinking, making my heart tremble violently.

    I bit my lower lip tightly, resisting the urge to cry.

    Reynaldo was a fool, he actually came alone like this.

    He knew very well that Winston wasing this time to get back at him. How could hee running over here all by himself?

    Wasn¡¯t he very annoying to me? Why did he have to do this?

    My heart was excited, sad, and afraid.

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    I tightened the hand behind my back and deliberately growled at him, ¡°Who asked you toe? Get lost, I don¡¯t need your help, stop pretending

    here!¡±

    Reynaldo gave me a deep look and suddenly a hint of sarcasm curled his lips.

    Did you think I wanted toe and save you? It¡¯s just that this whole thing started because of me.

    I, Reynaldo, always hated owing favors to others, especially when it¡¯s a favor from you, Esmeralda.

    ¡°So, if I save you today, then in the future, we will have no debts between us.¡±

    My heart trembled fiercely.

    What did he mean by that?

    Weren¡¯t you always wanting to leave me? After today, you can go.

    The farther the better, to a ce where I will never see you again.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been so long, I really got tired of it, feeling a bit nauseous when I

    see you.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why, but I could feel that these words were not his sincere

    words.

    But my heart still ached in waves.

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    I said, ¡°You have been bullying me for so long. Do you think that by saving me today, we can just forget everything?¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen into the hands of this pervert.

    Reynaldo, I will not leave, I will be with you forever in this life!¡±

    ¡®Are you going to keep going until you die?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled to himself and then suddenly looked at Winston.

    He coldly spoke, ¡°I came here alone as you requested, can you release her now?¡±

    ¡°Let her go? Ha, it¡¯s not that easy.¡±

    Winston sneered and suddenly pulled out a knife, holding it against my

    neck.

    His face twisted,ughing maniacally at Reynaldo, ¡°They all say you¡¯re smart, but look at you, how stupid you really are, actually believing that I would let her go, hahaha¡­ hahaha¡­..¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo deeply.

    He couldn¡¯t have not thought of this, but he knew this was a dangerous ce, he knew Winston wouldn¡¯t let me go easily, why did he stille running over alone like this?

    This impulsive act was nothing like him.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was expressionless, and his tone was unusually calm. ¡°So

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    what do you want?¡±

    1299 Puchers

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, hahaha¡­¡± Winstonughed nervously again, his eyes bulging with excitement, ¡°It¡¯s really unbelievable, that one day, the

    arrogant Reynaldo would actually fall into my hands, and let me have my way with him, hahaha¡­..¡±

    Reynaldo and I locked eyes, his gaze was very cold and deep.

    And my heart was always tightening.

    Suddenly, Winston abruptly pressed the knife against my neck.

    In an instant, a sharp pain shot up from my neck, and I faintly felt blood flowing out.

    Reynaldo took a step forward, his face suddenly cold, and his voice ominous as he warned, ¡°Winston!¡±

    Winston chuckled, ¡°So nervous, do you want to try again?¡±

    He smiled maniacally and then instantly cut my face.

    The speed was so fast that I didn¡¯t feel the pain until blood started flowing down my face.

    Reynaldo tightly held the hand at his side, his face dark with horror.

    He said word by word, with a cold tone, ¡°Tell me, what do you really want?¡±

    Winston patted my shoulder, looked at the blood¨Cstained knife, and chuckled mischievously, ¡°What do you want? Hmm, I¡¯ll have to think about it.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me heavily, with a hint of urgency in his cold, piercing eyes.

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    So, he was really worried about me, very anxious about me, right?

    288 Vouchers

    Why did he have to humiliate me like that before, why did he have to hurt me for Kimberly like that?

    My heart was in a mess, and when I met his cold and anxious eyes, all the questions finally turned into a touch of bitterness, lingering in my heart.

    Just then, Winston suddenly eximed excitedly.

    ¡°Ah, there it is!¡±

    He red at Reynaldo, his eyes red with excitement, ¡°You kneel down for me, beg me on the ground, maybe I¡¯ll let her go if I¡¯m in a good mood.¡±

    ¡°Winston!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, I red at him and growled, ¡°You are just a pervert with a strong ego but no use at all.¡±

    If you have the ability, you can openlypete with him. What¡¯s the point of threatening him with me?

    ¡°You really disgust people, you really make people look down on¡­¡±

    Bang!

    Before the words had fully fallen, Winston pped me again.

    Just like before, he exerted a lot of force.

    I felt my eardrums buzzing again, and even a little ck in front of my

    eyes.

    In the darkness, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s face looking extremely cold and fierce, like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

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    A sudden pain on my scalp woke me up a bit.

    I was forced to look up and heard Winston ominously say to Reynaldo, ¡°Why don¡¯t you kneel in front of me and beg?¡±

    Weren¡¯t you very, very in love with her? Didn¡¯t you hold her photo and daydream when you were young?

    Since you love her so much, then you beg me, beg me¡­ Hahaha, hahaha¡­

    ¡°Do not¡­¡±

    The pulling pain on my scalp made tears flow from my eyes.

    With tears in my eyes, I looked at Reynaldo and shouted at him, ¡°You need to leave quickly. He is just a deranged person who doesn¡¯t keep his word. He won¡¯t let me go.¡±

    Even if you really kneel down to him, he won¡¯t let me go.

    ¡°Go, you hurry up and leave!¡±

    ¡°I left, what will you do?¡± he murmured softly to me.

    The next second, his knees bent, and he actually knelt straight down.

    I looked at him in disbelief, my heart trembling violently.

    How could this happen?

    Wasn¡¯t he always hating me?

    Wasn¡¯t he wishing for my death?

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    Wasn¡¯t he just treating me as a tool to satisfy his physical needs?

    Why did he still have to kneel down to others for me?

    Tears fell like beads off a broken string.

    <b>11 </b>

    <b>28A </b>Vou hers

    The sound of Winston¡¯s arrogant and twistedughter rang in my ears.

    That sharp and piercingughter rang in my ears, making my eardrums buzz and my temples throb.

    I cried and shouted at Reynaldo, ¡°Get up, get up!¡±

    I didn¡¯t ask you to save me, who asked you to save me, who asked you to pretend?

    He would never let us go. You are just stupid, hopelessly stupid. You believe whatever he says. How can you be so stupid?

    ¡°You go, you go, I don¡¯t want to see you, go¡­ ah¡­¡±

    Winston yanked my hair again.

    I bit my lip tightly, not daring to say a word of pain.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were red, and his voice, filled with coldness, was full of restraint: ¡°I have done as you said, I let her go!¡±

    Haha¡­ This woman said you are stupid, and she is absolutely right.

    ¡°You really are hopelessly stupid.¡±

    Reynaldo said nothing, just stared at him coldly.

    I was forced to look up at Winston.

    At this moment, I suddenly realized that the man¡¯s face was contorted to the point of ugliness.

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    I coldly said to him, ¡°If you have the ability, just kill me directly. What¡¯s the point of using me to torture him here?¡±

    Haha, it¡¯s not a big deal, but at least it made the arrogant Reynaldo kneel before me, hahaha¡­

    ¡°I really can¡¯t believe it, this man truly loves you to death.¡±

    I tightly held the hands tied behind my back, tears blurred my eyes as I looked at Reynaldo still kneeling on the ground, my heart aching terribly.

    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that I truly believed what Winston had said, that Reynaldo actually loved me.

    Yes, if he had never loved before, how could he, who has always been so arrogant, kneel down without hesitation for me.

    He was so cold and aloof, so high and mighty, how could he kneel down to someone?

    I felt so heartbroken that even breathing became a bit difficult.

    I cried and shouted at him, ¡°Get up quickly, go quickly. You heard it too, he won¡¯t let me go. Please, go quickly.¡°`

    Reynaldo just shook his head at me in silence.

    He looked at me, and in those deep eyes seemed to be a touch of determination.

    At that moment, Reynaldo seemed to havepletely lost his mind, bing stubborn and foolish, allowing Winston to manipte him.

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    I sadly closed my eyes, crying and repeating his name over and over again, my heart filled with pain and guilt.

    I shouldn¡¯t have gone with Winston, I was really wrong, wrong¡­

    Winston chuckled and suddenly called the two bodyguards at the door in.

    The two bodyguards were holding knives in their hands, walking towards Reynaldo step by step.

    My heart sank heavily.

    I looked at Winston and asked urgently, ¡°What are you up to again?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you always unwilling to believe that he liked you?¡±

    I subconsciously looked at Reynaldo and met his dark,plex eyes, my heart trembling fiercely.

    Before, I was unwilling to believe that the person in his heart was me.

    But it wasn¡¯t until the moment he knelt down without hesitation that I believed, truly believed.

    He Reynaldo¡­ liked was me.

    But this obscure feeling, did I understand it toote?

    Winston yed with the knife in his hand and smirked at me, saying, ¡°So, I¡¯m going to show you now, how far he can go to save you.¡±

    The two bodyguards quickly walked up to Reynaldo.

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    Winston sneered coldly at Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, I had prepared for that y for so long, but you managed to ruin it.¡±

    You know, I had ced all my hopes on that y.

    You said, ¡°Should I hate you? Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Hate me?¡± Reynaldo sneered instantly, looking at him as if he were a fool. ¡°Do you know why Anton insisted on using Cristina in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°Of course it was because that woman had high traffic, my y needed a female star with high traffic to create topics and traffic.¡±

    Winston said, his eyes suddenly turning cold and filled with hatred.

    It was just a little bit short. As long as this y was released and received good ratings, even if Cristina copsedter, it wouldn¡¯t have much impact on me.

    ¡°Just a little bit more, but you had to ruin everything, Reynaldo, you damn well should die!¡±

    Ah, there are so many female celebrities with high traffic, not just her.

    But why did Anton have to rmend her, especially since her image didn¡¯t match that character.

    So you guess, clever as Anton, why must she be used.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about what Anton was thinking in the beginning?¡±

    I lowered my gaze.

    The questions Reynaldo is asking right now are exactly what I was wondering about before.

    21 21

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    Not only did I notice the strange thing, but Reynaldo did too.

    Winston was not a fool, why didn¡¯t he see such an obvious problem?

    Or was he too blindly trusting Anton?

    ¡°You shut up, Anton couldn¡¯t have hurt me!¡±

    Just then, Winston suddenly shouted excitedly.

    My thoughts were immediately brought back by the roar, and as I looked up, I saw Winston¡¯s eyes were terrifyingly crimson, his face twisted with a cold and dark expression.

    You just stop sowing discord here. In this world, everyone will harm me, except Anton.

    Oh, trying to sow discord, huh? Just look at what he and I went through together.

    I looked at Winston in shock.

    I had heard him say before that Anton had sacrificed his life to save him, so I knew he trusted Anton a lot.

    But I didn¡¯t expect that his trust in Anton had already exceeded everything.

    It was you, it was you who ruined all my efforts.

    You actually want to sow discord between me and Anton here, and make me misunderstand Anton.

    ¡°Ha, you really deserve to die!¡±

    Winston gritted his teeth and chuckled, then suddenly his eyes turned towards me.

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    He ced the knife back across my neck, sneering at Reynaldo, ¡°Oh, all my efforts have been in vain. I am now in a terrible mood and just want to see some blood.¡±

    You said, ¡°Is it better for you to shed some blood, or for this woman to shed some blood?¡±

    As he spoke, the sharp knife in his hand wandered around my neck, and with a slight force, it drew out lines of blood, causing waves of stinging pain.

    I was stiff all over, not daring to move a muscle.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Reynaldo¡¯s hand clenched tightly at his side, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

    Soon, he growled coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,e at me instead!¡±

    The sound echoed in the empty warehouse, dull and oppressive, like the roar of a trapped beast.

    Winston grinned maniacally, ¡°This is what you said, don¡¯t me me for being ruthlesster.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± I yelled at him in exasperation, feeling anxious inside.

    Winston smiled at me gently and said, ¡°You will know soon.¡±

    With that, he gestured towards the two bodyguards.

    In an instant, the two bodyguards simultaneously stabbed knives into

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    Reynaldo¡¯s back.

    My heart gave a violent throb, and I couldn¡¯t help but scream, shaking all

    over.

    Reynaldo¡¯s back bent slightly, and soon blood began to drip down his back onto the ground.

    The bright red blood stung my eyes.

    I went crazy and yelled at Winston, ¡°You pervert, what are you up to? You madman, you will definitely have a bad death! Sob¡­¡±

    My heart ached so much that even breathing became difficult as my gaze shifted to Reynaldo.

    I cried to him incoherently, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee, you¡¯re just here to die, you fool, Reynaldo, you fool!¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his head slightly, he didn¡¯t say anything, just gave me a faint smile.

    Winston chuckled lightly, then he made another gesture.

    In an instant, the two bodyguards simultaneously pulled out their knives, and blood sttered.

    I screamed ¡°don¡¯t¡± but it was of no use.

    Reynaldo just grunted and propped himself up with one hand on the ground.

    The more blood gathered on the ground, the paler the man¡¯s face became.

    He propped himself up with one hand on the ground, his tall figure seeming like it could copse at any moment.

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    I was trembling all over, my heart felt like it was being torn apart.

    <b>289 </b>Vouchers

    I red at Winston with anger and shouted hoarsely, ¡°Let him go, you let him go! Winston, you will definitely have a bad death!¡±

    Winston picked up my chin with the tip of the knife.

    He sneered at me, ¡°Am I going to die a bad death? Well, today I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s going to die a bad death!¡±

    Did you think that by killing him, the hatred you had been umting in your heart for years would be eliminated?

    I told you, you lost to him, you are not as good as him, so you will never be able to surpass him in your whole life.

    Even though he has passed away, what people remember is still his sess, his brilliance.

    And you, you were only criticized by everyone, saying that you poisoned your elder brother out of jealousy.

    ¡°Do you think this ¡®victory¡® has any meaning? Oh, Winston, do you really think that just because he¡¯s dead, you¡¯ve really won?¡±

    My words may have struck a nerve with him.

    He was seen tightly gripping the handle of the knife, and because he was exerting too much force, the tip of the knife was trembling.

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    The sharp knife pierced the skin of my throat, it hurt so much.

    It was as if with just a little force, the tip of the knife would pierce through my throat.

    But at this moment, I was not afraid at all. I was full of hatred, resentment, wishing this man would die soon.

    ¡°You hated me, and I was the one you treated as apetitor since childhood, so¡­¡±

    At that moment, Reynaldo spoke heavily, his voice clearly tinged with weakness.

    He spoke slowly, word by word, ¡°So, if you want to kill or punish someone,e at me. She is innocent, she has never harmed you, even when she was young, she liked you and considered you her best friend.¡±

    ¡°So, Winston, if you were still a human being with a bit of conscience, you just¡­ you shouldn¡¯t hurt her¡­..¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to have put all his strength into these words.

    He looked at me, his eyes were very calm and peaceful.

    That kind of calmness made me extremely nervous.

    I shook my head at him urgently and said, ¡°No, I have never liked him, Reynaldo. I like you, I have always liked you.¡±

    However, Reynaldo no longer believed my words.

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    11

    After all that we¡¯ve been through, he really didn¡¯t believe in my feelings for him.

    He just smiled at me, a very pale smile.

    I watched, and tears fell down all of a sudden.

    He said, ¡°You don¡¯t need tofort me. In the future, just live your own life well.¡±

    Because of my persistence and greed, I involved you in the struggle between me and him, causing you to be hurt for no reason. I¡¯m sorry.

    In the future, no one will bully you anymore, you finally¡­ finally can get the freedom you have always wanted¡­

    ¡°No way!¡±

    I yelled at him while crying, tears had already blurred my vision.

    In the hazy vision, Reynaldo¡¯s smile became paler and even more distant.

    I shook my head, crying, as an unspeakable fear swept over me, pressing down on me so hard I could barely breathe.

    I shouted hoarsely at him, ¡°Reynaldo, I didn¡¯t want freedom, I didn¡¯t want it¡­ please don¡¯t say that, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    However, Reynaldo ignored me and just looked coldly at Winston.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it my life that you want? I¡¯ll give it to you, you let her go.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t¡­¡±

    I shook my head frantically, feeling as if a big hole had been dug in my heart, the pain almost suffocating me.

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    I looked at him trembling all over and said, ¡°Don¡¯t, even if you die, he won¡¯t let me go. Reynaldo, leave, leave now, don¡¯t bother about me anymore.¡±

    ¡°Go? Haha¡­¡± Winston chuckled ominously, ¡°From the moment he walked in, do you think he could still leave?¡±

    He said, walking up to Reynaldo with a cold and hateful tone, ¡°Did I ever tell you that I actually hated you a long, long time ago?¡±

    I detested your haughty attitude the most, detested your hypocritical appearance of disdainful indifference the most.

    You are clearly the mud underfoot, pretending to be noble, pretending to be precious.

    I was never as good as you since I was a child, why should I talk to you, you ignore me, huh? Why do you look down on me, you tell me, you tell

    me¡­

    Winston said, then suddenly roared emotionally, and the knife in his hand mercilessly stabbed into Reynaldo¡¯s chest.

    I was almost going crazy, feeling like there was nothing but darkness in front of me.

    I screamed hoarsely, shivering all over.

    I screamed at Winston like a madman, ¡°Let him go, you lunatic! What are you trying to do? Let him go, you lunatic!¡±

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    Reynaldo¡¯s tall figure finally copsed.

    Blood was all over the ground.

    His chest was almost soaked with blood.

    J

    He looked at me, his eyes lifeless and his expression calm.

    I gasped in pain, my whole body convulsing, at that moment, I could hardly even speak a word.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­hahaha¡­¡±

    Winston suddenlyughed hysterically.

    He lifted his foot and stepped on Reynaldo¡¯s hand, then slowly squatted down, looking at Reynaldo.

    Heughed at Reynaldo like a victor, with a sinister and twisted smile that was extremely distorted.

    He said, ¡°Reynaldo, you never thought that you, who have been arrogant all your life, would one day be defeated by a woman.¡±

    I just can¡¯t figure it out, what¡¯s so good about women, like your cheap mother, just running off with someone¡­

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    Reynaldo gritted his teeth and growled softly, his breath weak but his tone still cold.

    Winston sneered, ¡°Did I say something wrong? Your mother ran away

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    with someone, she abandoned you, and you still defend her. It¡¯s really ridiculous. How much do youck maternal love?¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut up!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and he struggled to get up, raising his fist and swinging it towards Winston.

    However, Winston casily dodged it.

    Winston stood up straight, looking down at him with a cold, sinister smile. ¡°I suddenly feel that killing you directly would be too easy for you.¡±

    I suddenly thought of an interesting game, do you want to y it, hmm?

    Reynaldo said nothing, just stared at him coldly.

    At this moment, his face was pale, and the wounds on his body were all bleeding.

    My heart tightened inch by inch, very afraid that he would die from losing too much blood.

    I stared coldly at Winston and said, ¡°y whatever game you want to y quickly, stop wasting time here!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Winston suddenlyughed strangely.

    He suddenly looked up at me, and the lustful eyes startled me.

    He walked towards me step by step, and said meaningfully, ¡°Tsk, indeed a promiscuous person, can¡¯t wait any longer.¡±

    I suddenly thought of something and felt a chill all over my body.

    I shouted with a trembling voice, ¡°Get out! Don¡¯t touch me, go away!¡±

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    ¡°You asked me to hurry up, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯ll satisfy you right away, so that Reynaldo can see how I treat you well.¡±

    He said, then walked around behind me, grabbed my hair and pulled it down with one hand, and roughly tore open my cor with the other

    hand.

    The shoulder instantly felt a chill, but it was not as cold as the heart.

    ¡°Let her go!¡±

    Reynaldo went crazy, roaring as he almost exhausted hisst bit of strength to crawl up and pounce towards Winston.

    However, he was soon pressed to the ground by the bodyguard beside

    him.

    Winston kissed my shoulder and, looking down at Reynaldo pinned to the ground, chuckled smugly, ¡°Although I don¡¯t really like women, I¡¯ll reluctantly take care of your woman for you.¡±

    I really don¡¯t understand why you were so obsessed with this woman¡¯s body, Reynaldo.

    Today I came to try and see if she was really so wonderful that she could make you linger and forget to leave.

    He said, then kissed my neck and corbone, and his hand slipped into my clothes.

    I immediately felt nauseous and started screaming hoarsely.

    I struggled desperately, but my bound hands were in vain.

    Reynaldo growled menacingly, ¡°If you dare to touch her, I will make sure you have no ce to be buried!¡±

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    ¡°Is that so?¡± Winstonughed even more arrogantly. ¡°Reynaldo, it seems like you really, really love this woman. Today, I¡¯ll let you see how this woman moans under me!¡±

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    ¡°No, go away, um¡­¡±

    Winston finished speaking and then grabbed my chin to kiss me, but I felt disgusted and desperately dodged.

    The coat was torn open by him, just as he was about to pull off my inner shirt, a sudden sound of ps came from the warehouse door, echoing in the empty warehouse, particrly abrupt.

    I looked over with my whole body trembling.

    A slightly familiar figure walked in slowly.

    That person was against the light, I couldn¡¯t see the face clearly.

    But looking at that figure, it looked a lot like Anton.

    He pped his hands and walked in slowly.

    As he approached, I finally saw clearly that it was indeed Anton.

    However, why did Anton appear here?

    Was he the one Reynaldo called to hide nearby, or was he with Winston¡¯s group?

    I stared at him intently, my heart tightening.

    If he was in cahoots with Winston, then there was no way Reynaldo and I would make it back alive today.

    Looking at Reynaldo, whose body was covered in blood, my heart ached and tears fell uncontrobly.

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    Anton nced lightly in my direction and chuckled, saying, ¡°This is really lively.¡±

    I spoke first and urgently said to Anton, ¡°Save me, Mr. Palmer, save me and Mr. Humphrey, Winston has gone mad.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    Before Anton could say anything, Winston suddenly burst intoughter.

    He looked at me as if he were watching a joke: ¡°Are you kidding me? You actually let Anton save you guys, that¡¯s hrious.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that Anton is my man? How could he possibly save you? It¡¯s really hrious.¡±

    In an instant, my heart sank to the bottom of the valley.

    Anton turned out to be really with him.

    That is to say, the kidnapping plot where I threatened Reynaldo was also nned by them together.

    I looked at Anton coldly, with my hands tightened behind my back.

    Sure enough, everyone was a liar except for Reynaldo, even Anton.

    I coldly said, ¡°Stop ying games and just kill me and Reynaldo. As long as we can die together, nothing else matters.¡±

    I hadpletely given up struggling.

    No one was going toe and save me and Reynaldo.

    I watched Reynaldo lying in a pool of blood quietly, feeling nothing but sadness in my heart.

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    I have always wanted to escape from this man, always hated this man.

    If it is true as he said, the people I thought were good are actually using me for their own gain.

    Only he¡­ is truly good to me.

    But this time, I was going to cost him his life.

    I cried in sorrow, wanting so much to say sorry to him, but the words got stuck in my throat and turned into a bitter taste that was hard to express.

    Reynaldo weakly smiled at me and mouthed the words, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±

    The pain in my heart was unbearable, and I stared coldly at Winston and Anton, saying, ¡°What are you waiting for? Just kill me, if you have the guts to do it.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s not easy to die even if you want to!¡±

    Winston growled low and continued to tug at my clothes.

    Anton suddenly spoke faintly, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Winston hesitated for a moment, as if afraid that Anton would misunderstand, and quickly exined to Anton, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I only touched this woman to provoke Reynaldo.¡±

    You know, I didn¡¯t like her either, but she¡¯s Reynaldo¡¯s woman.

    I had said long ago that anything of Reynaldo¡¯s, I would snatch it away. I had said it.

    ¡°So Anton, you understand me, right?¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, he just smiled at him mysteriously.

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    Winston was instantly inspired and said, ¡°Thank you for understanding me, Anton. Once I deal with them, we will leave.¡±

    ¡°You wait first, or just watch the show here first.¡±

    ¡°Watching a show?¡± Anton lowered his eyes and chuckled, ¡°Are you trying to get me to watch you perform a live erotic show with her? Oh, I don¡¯t have that kind of fetish.¡±

    ¡°Well, you go outside and take a rest first. I will finish soon. Just wait for me.¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, he just chuckled softly.

    Winston seemed to have convinced him, then he came over and took off my clothes.

    Just the next second, there was a slight sound, but it sounded like the sound of a bullet being loaded.

    Winston stiffened.

    He mechanically turned around and instantly met a dark gun barrel.

    And the person pointing the gun at him was Anton.

    I watched the scene in shock.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Wasn¡¯t Anton Winston¡¯s person?

    Why did he suddenly want to go after Winston again?

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    At one point, I couldn¡¯t tell whether Anton was a friend or foe.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Winston¡¯s face was full of disbelief.

    Antonughed coldly, ¡°You said you wanted to deal with Reynaldo, okay, I¡¯ll help you, but why did you have to go after her?¡±

    It was obvious that the ¡®she¡® in Anton¡¯s mouth was referring to me.

    Does that mean he fell out with Winston because of me?

    ording to Winston, he and Anton were once close friends who had been through life and death together.

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    And I and Anton, can be said to be acquaintances, can only be considered as ordinary friends.

    So, why did Anton fall out with Winston because of me?

    With a puzzled mind, Winston suddenly roared in anger, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve also fallen for this bitch, what¡¯s so good about her, what¡¯s so good about her?¡±

    Did you actually point a gun at me for her?

    Anton, do you remember how we got here from abroad before?

    You forgot when you were yed by those old women, you said the thing you hated the most was women.

    ¡°But now, you actually abandoned our years of brotherhood for such a despicable person?¡±

    Anton looked at him expressionlessly and said tly, ¡°You can do whatever you want with Reynaldo, but I am taking her with me.¡±

    Winston¡¯s eyes turned crimson in an instant.

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    Heughed coldly, ¡°Good, very good, all of you love her, okay, okay¡­ then I will let her die now!¡±

    Winston roared madly and suddenly raised the knife to stab me.

    At the critical moment, there was a deafening roar and the sound of gunfire suddenly rang out.

    The tip of the knife stopped at the top of my head.

    I saw blood flowing from Winston¡¯s abdomen.

    Anton suddenly shot himself in the stomach.

    I stared nkly at the scene in front of me, scared to the point where my heart almost stopped.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo staggered towards me, covered in blood, his pale face filled with fear.

    He had just walked up to me and then fell down again.

    I called his name anxiously, only hating that my hands were tied behind my back.

    Over here, Winston got shot.

    He turned around extremely slowly and said to Anton in a voice of disbelief and extreme sadness, ¡°You actually sided with them¡­ against

    me?¡±

    ¡°To be honest with you, I have always been using you.¡±

    Anton spoke lightly, his tone cold to the extreme.

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    He said, ¡°After I found out that you were the second¨Cborn of the Humphrey family, I intentionally approached you.¡±

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    ¡°Including this time, your movie couldn¡¯t be released, it was also me who

    did it behind the scenes.¡±

    I looked at Anton deeply.

    I didn¡¯t expect it was actually him who did it.

    It seems that Anton is also not simple at all.

    His thoughts, I fear, were even deeper than Reynaldo¡¯s.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Winston roared hoarsely at Anton, his twisted face filled with the sorrow and anger of being betrayed by the most trusted person.

    ¡°So, you sacrificing yourself to save me was also a y you acted in?¡±

    Anton remained silent, but that silence had already given him the answer.

    Winston¡¯s eyes were red with anger and sorrow.

    You approached me, you helped me manage thepany, you gave me advice, all because I was the second¨Cborn of the Humphrey family?

    Did you deliberately gain my trust just to harm me?

    Anton, I had no quarrel with you, the Humphrey family had no connection with you at all, why did you treat me like this, why?¡±

    Winston tightly gripped the knife in his hand, crying out in anger.

    Suddenly, he shuddered all over, and then his tall body fell heavily to the

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    ground.

    The knife also fell to the ground.

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    He kept staring at Anton without giving up, asking in his mouth, ¡°Why, why¡­¡±

    Anton nced coldly and sneered, ¡°You said I have no connection with the Humphrey family, but in fact, there is a connection when you look closely. It¡¯s just that the connection has nothing to do with you. You are just a pawn in my revenge against Reynaldo and even the whole Humphrey family.¡±

    Did he want to retaliate against Reynaldo and the Humphrey family?

    I was suddenly shocked in my heart, what feud is there between him and Reynaldo?

    No wonder from the beginning, I felt like he and Reynaldo didn¡¯t get along.

    Anton walked up to Winston, looking down on him with cold, disdainful

    eyes.

    I thought that by ming Reynaldo for the failure of the movie to be released, you would go crazy and seek revenge on him, even to the point of taking your own life with him.

    But look, what were you doing again?

    ¡°What I wanted was Reynaldo¡¯s life, not you here, insulting Esmeralda.¡±

    ¡°He¡­hehehe¡­¡± Winston seemed to understand everything, suddenlyughing strangely.

    Theughter was filled with destion and indignation.

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    ¡°You hated Reynaldo, you hated the entire Humphrey family, and you used me as a pawn?¡±

    Anton said lightly, ¡°me it on you for being born into the Humphrey family.¡±

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    Hehehe¡­ Do you know, I have always considered you as a good brother, always.

    ¡°I trusted you so much, I trusted you so much¡­¡±

    Winstonughed sadly, and hisughter gradually faded away until it was no longer audible.

    I subconsciously turned my gaze and saw that he had already closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

    Anton slowly wiped the barrel of the gun.

    I stared at him tensely, afraid that he would aim the gun at Reynaldo in the next second.

    Perhaps seeing my nervousness, he smiled at me and said, ¡°What are you nervous about? Now that I have shown up, I won¡¯t personally take his life.¡±

    After all, if I killed him, I would also be in trouble.

    Originally, I intended to use Winston to deal with him, but who knew that Winston actually went crazy and wanted to vite you.¡±

    ¡°Will you let us go then?¡± I asked him, my voice tense.

    Anton smiled, didn¡¯t say anything, just bent down to pick up the knife Winston had dropped on the ground.

    The knife was still stained with Reynaldo¡¯s blood, which was very

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    He yed with the knife, suddenly turned around and saw the two bodyguards who were dumbfounded, and chuckled, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get out of here!¡±

    The two bodyguards came to their senses and hurriedly ran out in panic.

    After the bodyguard left, the dpidated warehouse suddenly appeared even more deste.

    Anton held a knife and walked towards me and Reynaldo step by step.

    Reynaldo struggled to his feet, leaning on the ground.

    He swayed unsteadily, looking as if he could no longer stand.

    He stood in front of me and said to Anton, ¡°I know why you hate me, you¡­ you sent her back to the city unharmed, I¡­ I owe you my life.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    I looked at the tall figure in front of me, blurred by tears and covered in blood, and choked out, ¡°I want to be with you. If you die, I die too. I don¡¯t want to go back to the city alone.¡±

    With that, I turned my head and looked urgently at Anton.

    I don¡¯t know what grievances you have with the Humphrey family, but if you want Reynaldo¡¯s life, then take mine as well.

    1

    ¡°No matter what, I wanted to be with him, alive or dead.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­ don¡¯t be silly!¡±

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    Reynaldo was having some difficulty speaking.

    The bloodstains on his body had almost dried up, looking horrifying.

    My heart ached, but I didn¡¯t know how to save him.

    I looked at Anton sorrowfully, praying that this man would spare Reynaldo.

    Did he really let Reynaldo go?

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    He approached Winston from elsewhere with careful nning, and so many things can be seen that he really hates Reynaldo and the Humphrey family.

    I clenched my lips tightly, staring at Anton without blinking, tears streaming down my face in desperation.

    Anton nced at me lightly, and his face, which was extraordinarily handsome, showed no expression.

    He didn¡¯t say anything.

    Just as he reached out and gave Reynaldo a gentle tug, Reynaldo¡¯s tall figure swayed and toppled to the side.

    I eximed, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Reynaldo fell to the ground, grimacing in pain.

    Anton walked up to him, looked down at him, and chuckled, ¡°They say Reynaldo is extremely intelligent and quick¨Cwitted, especially in the business world, but it seems like he¡¯s not all that after all.¡±

    This is not your style.

    Luckily I came. If I hadn¡¯te, would you have to watch her being

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    bullied by Winston with your eyes wide open?

    ¡°Reynaldo, oh Reynaldo, just like when we were kids, you couldn¡¯t protect her at all. What else will you do besides hurting her?¡±

    When I was a child?

    When was that?

    Why did even Anton mention his childhood?

    So, I should have known them all when I was a child.

    But why do I have no recollection at all.

    What on earth is going on? What did I forget after all?

    I furrowed my brow, trying hard to remember.

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    Suddenly, some blurry and unfamiliar images shed through my mind.

    I tried hard to grasp it, but suddenly my head started to ache, the harder I tried to remember, the more my head hurt.

    I closed my eyes in pain, trying hard to restrain myself from thinking.

    In the chaos, Reynaldo¡¯s deep voice came from the side.

    Yes, I couldn¡¯t protect her, so I¡¯m handing her over to you now.

    You take her away, take her to the city safely, don¡¯t worry about me.

    Upon hearing this, I felt anxious.

    I shook my head urgently, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to, Reynaldo, I want to be with you.¡±

    Seeing the man¡¯s weak appearance, my heart ached severely.

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    I looked tearfully at Anton, wanting to beg him to save Reynaldo.

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    Anton deliberately did not look at me.

    He lowered his gaze, walked towards me in silence, with a somewhat cold expression

    I stared at him nkly, unable to say a word.

    He stood in front of me and smiled gently at me, saying, ¡°Esmeralda, you really don¡¯t remember me at all, do you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, I don¡¯t remember, I don¡¯t remember anything from my childhood.¡±

    I cried out incoherently, ¡°Anton, if we were good friends when we were kids, please, please save him, okay?¡±

    ¡°Anton, you save Reynaldo, you save him¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t ask him,¡± Reynaldo suddenly shouted at me, his voice

    weak to the extreme.

    I yelled at him angrily and anxiously, ¡°Why don¡¯t you beg him? Besides him, who else can save you now?¡±

    Why were you so silly, knowing it was a dead end, why did you stille alone.

    ¡°You always said I was stupid, but aren¡¯t you the same!¡±

    I was shouting and shouting, and then I started to cry.

    My heart was full of anxiety.

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    He was covered in blood, at risk of bleeding to death at any moment, and he was still standing up to Anton.

    What should I do if he died?

    I looked at Anton again.

    Anton just smiled faintly at me, with a somewhat sad expression.

    ¡°In the end, I was a step toote. The one you liked when you were

    young¡­ was me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I really don¡¯t remember, Anton, you save him, you save him

    first.¡±

    Reynaldo resented me for forgetting the promises I made to him when we were kids.

    At this moment, Anton said again that what I liked when I was a child was actually his favorite.

    So what exactly happened when we were kids?

    My heart was full of doubts, my mind was in chaos, and there was blood everywhere in front of me.

    At this moment, I was on the verge of going crazy.

    At that moment, Anton suddenly raised his hand, and then with a swift motion, he cut the rope that was tied around my hand.

    He was a little resentful towards me.

    The force of the knife was a bit heavy, and the de cut open my wrist, very painful, very painful.

    But at that moment I didn¡¯t have time to worry about the pain, I hurriedly

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    ran towards Reynaldo.

    11

    But because I had been tied up for too long, my legs were already stiff. As soon as I stood up, I awkwardly fell to the ground.

    Anton stood aside, staring at me coldly.

    He said, ¡°When we were young, you used to say that you really enjoyed being with me. You said I was your best and most important friend. You always reminded me not to forget you.¡±

    It¡¯s ridiculous that I kept you deeply in my heart, while you had long forgotten about me.

    His tone was light, but with a touch of self¨Cmockery and resentment.

    I ignored him and just struggled to crawl towards Reynaldo.

    At this moment, Reynaldo¡¯s consciousness had started to wander.

    I picked him up, not daring to touch his wound.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I trembled as I called out his name.

    His gaze slowly focused andnded on me.

    After a while, he smiled at me, with a pale and fragile smile.

    He said, ¡°Actually, you forgot not only me, but also him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry to you¡­ I also want to remember, but I, but I really can¡¯t remember, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    I cried and shook my head, holding him tightly, ¡°Reynaldo, you hang in there, you will be fine, you will definitely be fine.¡±

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    However, as I finished speaking, the man slowly closed his eyes.

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    I was filled with great horror, anxiously calling out his name.

    However, Reynaldo did not respond at all.

    There was a moment of darkness in front of my eyes.

    I bit my lip, trying to keep myself awake.

    I turned around and grabbed Anton¡¯s trouser leg, saying sadly, ¡°Anton, I beg you, call an ambnce, please call an ambnce for him, I beg you,

    Anton¡­¡±

    Anton slowly squatted down, he held my shoulders and smiled at me with a touch of sadness.

    He said, ¡°You are asking me to save him here, do you know what kind of grudge exists between him and me?¡±

    I shook my head nkly.

    He turned his face away, took a deep breath, and then said to me word by word, ¡°His mother, took away my father.¡±

    My heart trembled fiercely, and I suddenly remembered what Winston had just said about Reynaldo¡¯s mother running away with another man.

    ¡°Originally¡­¡± he said with a lowugh, his expression a mix of sadness and hatred, ¡°Originally I had a happy family, with loving parents and a cute little sister, but all of that was destroyed by his mother.¡±

    It was because of his mother¡¯s intervention that she seduced my father, causing my mother to fall into depression and eventually pass away, a

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    perfectly happy family was destroyed by her like this.

    ¡°Did you say I hate or not, did you say I hate or not?!¡±

    Anton shook my shoulders, and I felt a wave of dizziness.

    Dizzy, some blurry images shed through my mind again.

    Wow, you are so handsome, little brother. What¡¯s your name?

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    Little brother, why do you always look unhappy? Did something happen?

    This is for you, don¡¯t be sad, okay? My name is Esmeralda, from now on we are the best of friends, you must not forget me, okay?

    Pain, my head hurts so much.

    Who is that handsome young man?

    I covered my head in pain, the more I wanted to see the appearance of that little boy, the more intense the pain in my head became.

    In an instant, I felt a bit of difficulty in breathing.

    I held onto Anton¡¯s arm, pleading in pain, ¡°Save Reynaldo, Anton, please, save Reynaldo, save him, save him¡­¡±

    After saying that, a sudden darkness hit me, and Ipletely passed out.

    I don¡¯t know how long I had been asleep. When I opened my eyes again, there were two teenagers standing in front of me, but I couldn¡¯t see their faces clearly.

    One of the boys ignored me, while the other one spoke to me in a gentle tone, but there was always a hint of sadness in his voice.

    ¡°Are you really leaving here?¡± the sad boy asked me.

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    I said, ¡°Yes, but I wille to say goodbye to you before I leave. Remember to wait for me.¡±

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    ¡°Will youe back here again?¡± The indifferent young master asked me again.

    I hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I need to check the situation at my home, but rest assured, no matter where I go, I will not forget you.¡±

    The scene suddenly became blurry, and I suddenly felt like an outsider, watching the young boys and girls gradually disappear.

    The scene changed again, and the girl was pinned to the wall by a boy.

    The young man seemed very angry, with strong muscles tensed.

    Although I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, I could feel that he was staring at me fiercely.

    I walked over to take a look at the appearance of the young man.

    However, as I approached, the young man and woman disappeared like bubbles, gradually fading away.

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    I stood in a fog, not knowing where to go.

    Suddenly, the mist slowly dispersed, and a green grasnd suddenly appeared in front of my eyes.

    The girl satfortably on the grass, with the two boys apanying her on the left and right.

    The clouds were rolling and the breeze was pleasant, the grass fragrance was refreshing, everything was as beautiful as a fairy tale.

    I quietly watched the three of them, and a warm feeling slowly flowed through my heart.

    However, at this moment, the sky and earth suddenly changed color.

    The girl and the boy suddenly disappeared, and the beautiful green grass instantly turned into a dpidated warehouse.

    A man stood in front of me, covered in blood.

    His eyes looked at me with sadness and sorrow, and that look made my

    heart ache.

    I reached out my hand to touch him, but it always felt like there was something blocking me, no matter how hard I tried, my fingertips couldn¡¯t touch him at all.

    Who was he?

    Why did he stare at me so sadly?

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    Who was he? Who was he?

    I covered my head in pain, screaming hoarsely.

    Suddenly, a name popped into my mind.

    Reynaldo!

    I remembered, he was Reynaldo, the one who always bullied me but would alwayse to my rescue when I was in danger, Reynaldo.

    1288 Voschern

    The man¡¯s figure seemed to be retreating, getting further and further away from me.

    I got anxious, shouting at him while running towards him.

    No matter how hard I ran, I just couldn¡¯t catch up with him.

    ¡°Reynaldo, wait for me, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I shouted at him, but he seemed to be ignoring me.

    I watched helplessly as his figure moved further and further away from me, and my heart suddenly ached as if it had been torn apart.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I screamed hoarsely, and suddenly slipped under my feet, falling to the ground in a mess.

    In an instant, ¨¤ strong light suddenly pierced through, and I instinctively closed my eyes.

    After a long, long time of rest, I slowly opened my eyes, only to see the white ceiling in front of me.

    The air was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

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    I stared nkly at the ceiling with my eyes open, and it took me a while to realize that I was in a hospital.

    Memories flooded into my mind just before I passed out.

    I should have been brought to the hospital by Anton.

    What about Reynaldo?

    How is Reynaldo?

    Thinking of Reynaldo covered in blood, my heart tightened and I quickly sat up in bed, only to instantly pull out the needle from the back of my hand.

    I winced and took a deep breath, then looked up to see a figure

    approaching.

    It was Anton.

    He looked at me quietly, with a faint smile on his face.

    That smile was clearly mixed with sadness and bitterness.

    I didn¡¯t care about anything else, I quickly grabbed his sleeve because I was in a hurry and couldn¡¯t speak for a moment.

    I took a deep breath and exhaled heavily before asking him, ¡°And Reynaldo, how is he?¡±

    Anton lowered his gaze and looked at my hand.

    At this moment, the needle on the back of my hand had already been touched by me and bent, and was bleeding.

    He tugged at his lips, reached out, and pulled the needle out of my arm directly.

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    Fresh red blood instantly gushed out from the back of the hand.

    11

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    He took a cotton swab and carefully pressed it against the pinhole on my body.

    I was in a state of anxiety.

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    I pleaded with him, ¡°Anton, tell me, how is Reynaldo? Please, tell me, how is he?¡±

    Asking on and on, my tears fell uncontrobly.

    I was really scared, scared that Reynaldo would get into trouble.

    After all, he was stabbed three times, those three stabs were so heavy, and

    he also lost so much blood.

    Most importantly, I didn¡¯t even know if he had been taken to the hospital.

    If Anton had not brought him to the hospital, he would have been left alone in that dpidated warehouse, surely doomed.

    I dared not think further.

    I tugged on Anton¡¯s sleeve, my eyes red, and asked him, ¡°Just tell me, where is he now?¡±

    Anton looked at me expressionlessly, his eyes empty and deste.

    He spoke lightly, ¡°Do you know why I hate him and the entire Humphrey family so much?¡±

    I know, because his mother took your father away, but that was his mother¡¯s fault, nothing to do with him.

    ¡°Anton, I beg you, tell me, how is he doing now?¡±

    My heart clenched and ached, filled with fear.

    Anton chuckled softly, ¡°Not only because his mother took away my

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    father, but also because my father was killed by his father.¡±

    I froze all over, unable to say a word in that instant.

    Anton chuckled coldly, ¡°Back then, his mother taking away my father

    was bad enough, but his father stubbornly followed and harassed us. His father even sent people to beat my father mercilessly.¡±

    Since then, my father fell ill and soon passed away.

    It was all because of his parents that my sister and I became orphans. I hate him, I wish his whole family would die!

    In the end, Anton said through gritted teeth, his once empty eyes instantly

    filled with hatred.

    I was trembling all over, unable to say a word.

    Putting oneself in their shoes, if my parents were killed by someone like that, I would also wish those enemies to die.

    So, I asked him to save Reynaldo, to save the son of his enemy really put him in a difficult position, didn¡¯t it?

    What can Reynaldo do?

    If he had not saved Reynaldo, then Reynaldo would have died, died in that deste outskirts, died in that dpidated warehouse.

    I covered my face in pain, not knowing what to do.

    My mind was full of images of Reynaldo covered in blood.

    His mind was full of scenes where snakes, insects, rats, and ants crawled on him, sucking his blood and biting his flesh.

    I was almost going crazy.

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    No, I couldn¡¯t leave him all alone there.

    I was not qualified to let Anton go to save him, so I went to find him myself.

    I was going to find him, no matter what, I was going to be with him.

    With that in mind, I hastily got out of bed.

    A sudden dizziness hit me, and I staggered unsteadily for a few steps, finally managing to steady myself by holding onto the edge of the bed.

    I bit my lip, steadied my breath, and then walked out step by step.

    Anton took a few steps forward and grabbed me, asking, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I was going to find him,¡± I said in a deep voice, with a determined tone.

    ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± Anton looked at me expressionlessly, but there was always a hint of sadness in his eyes.

    I looked at him and whispered, ¡°Now I understand, there was such a deep¨Cseated hatred between you and him.¡±

    In the face of such hatred, I can understand if you didn¡¯t save him.

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    11

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    I won¡¯t me you for anything, but I had to go find him, to that old warehouse to find him.

    ¡°No matter whether he is alive or dead now, I will find him.¡±

    After saying that, I pushed away his hand and walked out again.

    No

    sooner had I taken a few steps than everything turned ck again.

    I was dizzy and swaying, on the verge of copsing.

    Anton caught me quickly.

    He frowned, with a hint of anger and sadness hidden in his eyes.

    If you keep behaving like this, you might end up hurting your child.

    The doctor originally said that you had miscarried and needed to rest.

    I felt a tightness in my heart and subconsciously reached for my abdomen.

    Just thinking about Reynaldo made my heart ache.

    My tears uncontrobly streamed down, murmuring Reynaldo¡¯s name in my mouth.

    A light sigh suddenly came from above.

    Immediately, Anton said lightly, ¡°I called an ambnce for both him and Winston, and they are now at this hospital.¡±

    My heart trembled fiercely, staring at him in disbelief, ¡°Really?¡±

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    Antonughed bitterly, ¡°I had no need to lie to you.¡±

    I licked my lips, tightened my voice and asked, ¡°So where is he now¡­ which ward?¡±

    ¡°When they were brought here, they were immediately pushed into the emergency room and should still be undergoing treatment now.¡±

    ¡°Emergency room?¡±

    My heart trembled and I asked in a tense voice, ¡°Which emergency room?¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything else, just led me out.

    288 Vouchers

    Upon arriving on the second floor, I immediately saw the members of the Humphrey family anxiously waiting outside the emergency room.

    Anton said to me casually, ¡°Winston is in there, Reynaldo is in the opposite emergency room.¡±

    Before I could say anything, Anton suddenly pointed to the opposite side..

    And outside the emergency room across the street, not a single person was there.

    Looking over at Winston, the Humphrey family¡¯s distant rtives were all wiping away tears, with Ronan looking particrly devastated and sorrowful.

    A touch of sarcasm suddenly rose in my heart.

    All sons of the Humphrey family, Ronan didn¡¯t even look at Reynaldo, truly biased to the extreme.

    I nced disdainfully at the Humphrey family and walked briskly towards the emergency room across the street.

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    Just as he passed by, Reynaldo¡¯s stepmother Julianne Rove¡¯s sharp scolding came through.

    789 unters

    ¡°You bitch, it¡¯s all your fault, it¡¯s all because of you that Winston got hurt, you fox spirit, witch, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    With curses, Julianne rushed towards me.

    Anton instantly pulled me behind him, his big hand grabbing her raised wrist.

    Oh, you scoundrel, you¡¯ve hooked up with another man so quickly?

    You shameless slut, always seducing men everywhere.

    If you hadn¡¯t been jumping back and forth between Winston and Reynaldo, would they have been brothers hurting each other? Killing each other?

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, you troublemaker, why don¡¯t you just die!¡±

    Julianne became agitated, her face contorted in a terrifying manner, just like Winston did when he went crazy.

    I stared at her expressionlessly and said coldly, ¡°Please get it straight, it was never the brothers hurting themselves, but Winston trying to murder Reynaldo all along.¡±

    Not only did he want to murder Reynaldo, but he also kidnapped me and stabbed Reynaldo.

    ¡°You just wait, if Reynaldo has any mishap, Winston won¡¯t have it easy either.¡±

    ¡°Okay you bastard, trying to scare me? I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±

    After hearing this, Julianne¡¯s face twisted with even more anger and

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    indignation, struggling toe and hit me.

    Anton pushed her away and said coldly, ¡°Ms. Duffy was right. It was Winston who hurt them from the beginning to the end, including kidnapping Ms. Duffy and stabbing Reynaldo.¡±

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    ¡°So, even though he is still being rescued now, his position in this prison has been settled.¡±

    After hearing this, Julianne¡¯s face turned slightly pale, but she quickly said firmly, ¡°Stop trying to scare me. What evidence do you have? Besides, Winston is seriously injured. I could sue you for that.¡±

    ¡°If anything happens to Winston, you guys won¡¯t have it easy either.¡±

    Anton tugged at his lip and said, ¡°Madam, do you want to see the surveince footage from that time?¡±

    ¡°I can tell you clearly, it was me who shot Winston.¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Julianne¡¯s face twisted with anger, ¡°you despicable couple, just wait, I¡¯ll call the police and have them arrest you. You better pray that Winston is okay, or else¡­¡±

    Hehe, you don¡¯t need to call the police, I have already called them.

    I¡¯m telling you the truth, even if I seriously injured Winston, at most it would be considered self¨Cdefense and rescuing hostages.

    And the mastermind behind this kidnapping and injuring is Winston.

    When Anton mentioned this, Julianne immediately staggered unsteadily and her face turnedpletely pale.

    Ronan hurried over to support her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    As soon as Ronan came over, I immediately felt the coldness and hatred emanating from Anton.

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    The hand by Anton¡¯s side instantly clenched into a fist, as if the next second, that hard fist would fall on Ronan.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly grabbed Anton¡¯s arm.

    The man cast a nce at me, and the coldness in his eyes softened slightly.

    11

    208 Vouchers

    He pulled at his lips at me, didn¡¯t say anything, but his expression was somewhat bitter.

    I tightened his arm, but didn¡¯t know how tofort him.

    Here, Julianne quickly grabbed Ronan¡¯s arm, angrily pointing at me and Anton, saying, ¡°They¡­ not only hurt Winston, but they also want to frame Winston and send him to jail. You need to teach them a lesson.¡±

    As Julianne¡¯s voice fell, Ronan looked coldly at me and Anton.

    However, when he saw Anton, he clearly hesitated for a moment, then furrowed his brows fiercely.

    Anton sneered, ¡°Lessons? I wonder how Mr. Humphrey ns to teach us? Will he confront us openly, or will he, like years ago, stab us in the

    back?¡±

    Ronan¡¯s face visibly changed: ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Anton sneered, ¡°What I mean, Mr. Humphrey should know in his heart.¡±

    Ronan frowned at him, as if recalling something.

    Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked at Anton in astonishment and said, ¡°You are¡­ you are the son of that man?¡±

    Antonughed coldly, his crimson eyes filled with sorrow, indignation,

    and hatred.

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    Ronan¡¯s face twitched, and he hummed with a hint of uncertainty. ¡°Don¡¯t

    get it wrong, your father died of illness, it has nothing to do with me, don¡¯t look at me with that kind of eyes.¡±

    Anton¡¯s fist clenched tighter as his overwhelming anger caused the veins on the back of his hand to bulge.

    I panicked, afraid that he would start a fight with Ronan here.

    Originally, Julianne was determined to have us put in jail.

    If he hadid a hand on Ronan at that moment, it would have been just the opportunity she needed to catch him in the act.

    I grabbed Anton¡¯s arm and shook my head at him.

    Anton looked at me, his chest heaving violently, as if he were trying hard to suppress the hatred in his heart.

    At this moment, Julianne impatiently pulled Ronan¡¯s arm and cried out, ¡°What nonsense are you talking to them about? You need to call someone to teach them a lesson. They are the ones who seriously injured Winston, they are the ones who put Winston¡¯s life in danger. You must not let them off.¡±

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    Julianne said, staring at me and Anton with a fierce look in her eyes.

    Ronan also red at me angrily and threatened, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if anything happens to Winston, I won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡±

    Anton snorted coldly.

    And I thought of Reynaldo, whose fate was also uncertain, and I was filled with anger.

    I coldly told Ronan, ¡°You seem to have forgotten that you still have a

    son.¡±

    When you were seeking justice for Winston, did you ever think that your other son was the one who got stabbed by him?

    ¡°Don¡¯t say you won¡¯t let us go. If anything happens to Reynaldo, I won¡¯t let Winston go either!¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Julianne kept shaking Ronan¡¯s arm in anger, trying to get Ronan to hit me.

    Ronan impatiently shook off her hand, ¡°Enough, let¡¯s assess the situation first.¡±

    What are you still looking at? Winston has been in there for hours doing first aid, and we still don¡¯t know if he can make it.

    ¡°Oh, I only have this one son. If something really happens to him, I will hold this couple ountable with their lives. Why haven¡¯t you sent someone to arrest them yet? Oh¡­¡±

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    ¡°Alright, Reynaldo is still inside receiving first aid, I have already checked. In the end, it was Winston who started the fight.¡±

    Oh, you are still speaking up for that bastard now. Have you forgotten how his mother used to run around with people back then? And now you are actually speaking up for him.

    ¡°Oh, I knew it, you¡¯re still thinking about that bitch, I knew it¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, have you had enough? I said, let¡¯s wait until they wake up before we talk.¡±

    ¡°What if they never wake up?¡±

    Julianne cried out sharply, ¡°You¡¯re biased, you¡¯re just biased towards that bitch, biased towards that bastard, you never had Winston in your heart at all.

    s, my poor Winston, if it weren¡¯t for that bastard ruining all of

    Winston¡¯s hard work, would Winston have resorted to such extreme

    measures?

    It¡¯s all his fault, it was that bastard who caused trouble first, Winston, my poor Winston, what did he do wrong.¡±

    Julianne¡¯s voice was already sharp, and when she cried like that, it was even more grating.

    Anton always looked at the two people in front of him with a sneer.

    I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I dragged him towards Reynaldo¡¯s emergency room.

    Julianne persistently tried toe and argue with us, but was pulled back by Ronan.

    I took Anton to sit outside the emergency room.

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    Anton hung his head, the hostility dissipating, but a sense of sadness permeated his entire being.

    284 Vouchers

    I knew he must have remembered his childhood, remembered his parents.

    I pursed my lips, not knowing how tofort him, only saying, ¡°I understand. Such deep¨Cseated hatred and enmity cannot be easily let go of. I have no right to advise you to do so.¡±

    Just here in the hospital, there were many eyes watching, and you were a public figure.

    J

    ¡°If you fought with Ronan here, it would be very bad for you.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Anton responded lightly.

    I nced at him, didn¡¯t say anything, just stared nkly at the tightly closed door of the emergency room.

    I don¡¯t know how Reynaldo is doing now.

    Thinking of him covered in blood always made my heart ache.

    I clenched my fists tightly, feeling a fear that I couldn¡¯t put into words.

    I used to dislike this man a lot, but I don¡¯t know when he started to enter my heart, and even took root in my heart.

    At the moment when Winston¡¯s knife plunged fiercely into his chest, I realized that I simply couldn¡¯t lose him.

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    Anton nced at my tightly clenched hands and spoke softly, his tone t, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you would end up falling in love with him.¡±

    I slowly raised my eyes to look at him.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°When you were young, you once told me that you hated him.¡±

    I pursed my lips, not feeling surprised.

    After all, Reynaldo¡¯s personality was not good. He had a bad temper, was suspicious, and unpredictable. It was normal for me to dislike him at that

    time.

    However, human emotions are always unpredictable.

    At that moment, the emergency room on Winston¡¯s side opened first.

    The Humphrey family¡¯s people rushed over immediately.

    Ronan and Julianne pulled the doctor and asked anxiously, ¡°How is my son? Is he okay?¡±

    The doctor took off his mask and said cheerfully, ¡°The bullet did not hit any vital organs, it has been removed. Just rest well and you will be fine, there is nothing to worry about.¡±

    Ronan visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

    1

    Other rtives of the Humphrey family were also cheering there.

    Soon, Winston was pushed out of the emergency room and taken to the

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    ward.

    11

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    The Humphrey family members also quickly followed suit, seemingly forgetting that Reynaldo was also a Humphrey and part of the Humphrey family.

    I took a deep breath sorrowfully, looked at the tightly closed door of the emergency room, and tears fell uncontrobly.

    In this world, there really wasn¡¯t anyone who truly cared about him, who truly felt sorry for him.

    And I never gave him a good look either.

    Thinking about my past terrible attitude towards him, my heart ached.

    I covered my face, choked up and asked, ¡°Anton, do you think he will be okay?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Anton lightly uttered three words, with no emotion in his voice.

    Time passed by minute by minute, and the door of the emergency room never opened

    I don¡¯t know how long I had been waiting, when suddenly two figures came running towards me in a hurry.

    It was Johnathan and Kimberly.

    Kimberly ran over, looking out of breath.

    She nced at Anton and then stood in front of me, asking me in a questioning tone, ¡°What exactly happened? Reynaldo was fine yesterday, howe he¡¯s like this today? What did you do to him?¡±

    31.73%

    I lowered my eyes and said nothing.

    258 <b>Vouchers </b>

    She suddenly started to cry, with a look of fear and urgency: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? What happened to Reynaldo? He left from my ce early this morning, saying he was going to save you. But why are you fine, and he ended up in the emergency room? Tell me!¡±

    I slowly raised my eyes and looked at her, indifferently saying, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say to you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Kimberly immediately looked as if she was about to faint in

    anger.

    Anton quickly supported her and whispered, ¡°Reynaldo was stabbed three times by Winston and is now being treated in the emergency room. As for the situation inside the emergency room, we don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°Damn that Winston, where is he? I¡¯m going to find him and settle the score,¡± Johnathan said angrily as he pounded the chair.

    Anton nced at him lightly and said, ¡°Winston was also seriously injured and just got pushed out of the emergency room.¡±

    As soon as Anton finished speaking, Kimberly started crying again.

    She said to me, ¡°They all got hurt, why are you the only one who is fine?¡±

    Ms. Duffy, could you please stay away from Reynaldo?

    ¡°Every time he is with you, he gets hurt. Besides hurting him, what else can you do?¡±

    What else did you do to harm him?

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    Chapter482

    The sharp reprimand sounded in my ears, cutting into my heart like a sharp knife.

    Yeah, what else could I do besides hurting him.

    If it weren¡¯t for me voluntarily following Winston and bing Winston¡¯s hostage this time, Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t have been injured so badly.

    With his pride so strong, he even knelt down to Winston.

    Thinking back to the scene at that time, my heart was torn apart.

    It was my fault, all my fault.

    Perhaps noticing my mood was off, Anton said to Kimberly in a low voice, ¡°Stop talking.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s voice became increasingly shrill as she cried, ¡°Did I say something wrong? He was always a troublemaker, a nuisance, and all of you just like to protect her, all of you protect her.¡±

    One day, you will all be killed by her, all of you!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Anton suddenly growled.

    Kimberly was startled by his yelling, tears welling up in her eyes.

    I covered my slightly aching head and stared at them nkly, feeling that there was something strange between them.

    But at this moment, I had no extra energy to specte on anything.

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    I stared at the door of the emergency room, my head throbbing.

    288 Vouchers

    Johnathan suddenly spoke up, saying, ¡°Stop arguing, wait for the doctor toe out, Reynaldo will be fine.¡±

    His words had just fallen when the door of the emergency room suddenly opened.

    Johnathan and Kimberly rushed forward in a single stride.

    I slowly got up, but couldn¡¯t resist the dizziness in my head, my whole body couldn¡¯t even stand steadily.

    Anton supported me.

    He looked at me quietly, while I looked at the doctoring out of the emergency room with tears in my eyes.

    When I heard the doctor say that the patient had lost too much blood, I cked out and almost fainted.

    Fortunately, the hospital had sufficient blood supply and was able to transfuse blood to Reynaldo in time, s¨° he managed to get through the critical period. The next step was to rest well.

    The stone in my heart seemed to have dropped in an instant.

    I swayed unsteadily, and Anton quickly helped me sit in the chair.

    Soon, I saw Reynaldo being pushed out of the emergency room.

    His face was terrifyingly pale, lying quietly on the hospital bed, weak and heartbreaking.

    Kimberly hurriedly approached, grabbing his hand and calling his name repeatedly.

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    Perhaps hearing her shout, Reynaldo¡¯s eyes opened slightly.

    288 Vouchers

    However, his gaze only flickered past Kimberly and drifted towards me.

    He looked at me quietly, with no fluctuations in his eyes.

    I opened my mouth, wanting to call out to him, but couldn¡¯t.

    He looked at me quietly for a long time, and then closed his eyes again.

    Soon, he was taken to the ward, and Kimberly and Johnathan both followed.

    Anton lowered his gaze and looked at me, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take a look at the past?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°As long as he is safe and sound, that¡¯s all that

    matters.¡±

    After saying that, I stood up and walked silently towards the elevator.

    Just as I took two steps, everything went ck before my eyes and Ipletely passed out.

    At the moment when I lost consciousness, I heard Anton anxiously calling my name.

    I woke up again in the evening, not knowing how long I had been asleep.

    The surroundings were so quiet that the extra breath in the room stood

    out even more.

    I turned my head and saw Anton sitting by the window, looking at me.

    Seeing that I had woken up, he put down the magazine in his hand and walked towards me.

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    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± he asked me.

    I nodded without saying anything.

    He asked again, ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡±

    I originally wanted to say I wouldn¡¯t eat, but when I thought of the baby in my belly, I changed my mind and said, ¡°You can buy something.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    He looked at me deeply, and then he went out.

    I sat up in bed and looked out the window.

    It¡¯s very dark and quiet outside, it must bete at night now.

    I don¡¯t know how Reynaldo is doing. I really want to go see him, but I feel like I have no face to see him. After all, it was me who caused him to get

    hurt like this.

    And at this moment, Kimberly should be right by his side.

    I stared out of the window in a daze.

    After this incident, I could clearly feel that Reynaldo liked me.

    What were his feelings towards Kimberly then?

    Can a person really fall in love with two people at the same time?

    Anton quickly came up and bought me some oatmeal, pastries, and some snacks.

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    He put the food on the table by the window and called me over to eat.

    I walked over in a daze..

    203 (Verees

    Anton stuffed the oatmeal into my hand and said in a not¨Cso¨Cfriendly tone, ¡°Your children must suffer following you, you can¡¯t even take care of yourself, let alone them.¡±

    I pursed my lips and did not argue.

    He sighed lightly, sat back in his chair, and looked at me, his eyes always filled with a hint of sadness.

    I drank a few sips of oatmeal, and my body felt a bit warmer, and I felt a little more energetic.

    I asked him, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to eat something?¡±

    He shook his head and said lightly, ¡°I have eaten.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I responded, taking a bite of the hamburger and falling silent.

    Anton leaned back in his chair, nced at me, looking somewhat annoyed.

    I nced at him and didn¡¯t dare to ask more.

    Before, I thought Reynaldo had a bad temper, but now it seems that none of these men have good tempers, including myself.

    ¡°Winston woke up.¡±

    I was munching on a hamburger when Anton suddenly said something in

    a casual tone.

    I was startled and looked up at him.

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    He leaned back a little, the annoyance between his eyebrows very obvious, ¡°That man, he was moring to see me.¡±

    <b>289 </b>Vouchers

    I remained silent for a moment and said, ¡°Actually, you can go see him.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, the man chuckled, ¡°Just a pawn I used for revenge, nothing special.¡±

    ¡°Letting him live was just to ensure that his father, and even the entire Humphrey family, would not have it easy.¡±

    I furrowed my brows and asked in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Anton nced at me and smiled meaningfully, ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a few days.¡±

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat, and I realized in a sh that this Anton was no pushover.

    The man sat in the chair, impatiently fiddling with the cigarette box.

    I felt that he was irritated, partly because of Winston, but he just wouldn¡¯t.

    admit it.

    I finished my oatmeal and said to him, ¡°If you want to smoke, go outside and smoke. You don¡¯t have to keep watching over me. I¡¯ll go to bed after I finish eating, and you should go back and rest early too.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Anton stood up and walked out.

    The corners of my lips couldn¡¯t help but twitched. It seemed like he had been impatient to leave for a long time, just waiting for this sentence of mine.

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    When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped again and asked me in a puzzled manner, ¡°It¡¯s strange, why don¡¯t you ask me how Reynaldo is doing now?¡±

    Whenever Reynaldo is mentioned, my heart aches.

    pursed my lips and said, ¡°As long as he is not in danger of life, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Anton tugged at his lip and said, ¡°What a coincidence, he didn¡¯t ask about you either.¡±

    ¡°Is that so!¡± I stiffly tugged at the corner of my lips, ¡°With Kimberly by his side, it¡¯s normal for him not to remember me.¡±

    Anton stared at me for a while, then dropped a room number and left.

    I knew that was Reynaldo¡¯s room number.

    He let me choose whether to go see that man or not.

    I silently ate all the food Anton brought up and theny back in bed to continue sleeping.

    Just not sure if I slept too much during the day, I tossed and turned, but just couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    The room number kept lingering in my mind.

    I pulled back the covers, got out of bed.

    He lived in room 1008 on the 10th floor.

    Coming out of the elevator, I followed the room number.

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    Thinking to myself, I¡¯ll just take a nce at him. If I don¡¯t look at him, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

    The nurse fell asleep on the workbench, and the corridor was silent.

    I arrived at the door of ward 1008.

    I didn¡¯t know if Kimberly was inside. If Kimberly was inside, then I wouldn¡¯t go in.

    I tiptoed and looked inside through the small window on the door.

    ¨ª looked around and didn¡¯t see Kimberly¡¯s figure.

    On the sickbed, there was only a slight bulge of a human figure, and that human figure did not move at all.

    It¡¯s Reynaldo, he seemed to be sleeping soundly.

    So I went in to take a look at him, and I don¡¯t think he even noticed.

    I gently turned the doorknob and walked in.

    The moonlight shone through the window, and there was also a faint light in the bathroom. Although the room was not very bright, you could see basically everything clearly.

    I quietly walked to the bedside.

    In the hospital bed, the many motionless, as if he were sleeping deeply.

    I slowly squatted down, leaning on the edge of the bed. Through the dim light, I saw his face softer than usual.

    I reached out my hand, wanting to stroke his eyebrows and eyes, but afraid of waking him up. In the end, my fingers could only delicately trace his eyebrows and his mouth and nose in the air.

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    I felt like I had a lot to say to him, but when it came down to it, I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    Iy on the edge of the bed, staring at him for a long time, until a hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, only then did I get up to leave.

    I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t know how to face him when he woke up if I didn¡¯t leave now.

    After all, it was me who made him lose his dignity and kneel down, it was me who made him suffer such a heavy injury.

    I gave him a deep look and then walked out.

    However, just as I had taken a step, my wrist was suddenly grabbed by arge hand.

    My heart trembled, and I subconsciously lowered my gaze, instantly meeting Reynaldo¡¯s dark, deep eyes.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I stared at him nkly, momentarily at a loss for words.

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    In the end, he was the first to speak: ¡°You really don¡¯t want to face me like this?¡±

    His voice was hoarse, with a touch of weakness, mixed with a hint of

    resentment.

    opened my mouth, wanting to exin something, but the words got stuck in my throat and I didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.

    I said, ¡°You let go first.¡±

    Reynaldo did not let go, but instead tightened his grip on my wrist.

    Actually, this is about liking and caring.

    Looking back now, many times before, he would angrily restrict my freedom and then inexplicably get angry.

    Looking at it from a different perspective, that was not actually disgust, but caring, maybe even liking.

    Thinking of this, my heart softened.

    I held his hand tightly and leaned down to give him a kiss on the lips.

    He widened his eyes in an instant, looking at me in disbelief.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°You let go of me first, I¡¯ll go turn on the light, it¡¯s so dark here.¡±

    Even though I said that, he still didn¡¯t let go.

    I smiled helplessly and reached out to push his hand away.

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    After finally pushing away his hand, he stared at me tightly, his gaze sticking to me like glue.

    I turned on the light and said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave.¡±

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°You were just about to leave,¡± there was still a hint of resentment in the

    man¡¯s tone.

    Indeed, I just didn¡¯t know how to face him, so I nned to leave before he woke up.

    But now, facing him waking up, I suddenly realized that there was actually nothing bad to face.

    He didn¡¯t me me, did he?

    I sat down by the bed and looked at him, ¡°Are you okay? Does the wound still hurt?¡±

    ¡°You still cared about me.¡±

    Reynaldo sounded gloomy and full of resentment, ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me a single question. I thought you had already forgotten about me, being with Anton.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me, and you¡¯re with Kimberly, leaving me out in the cold,¡± I red at him, said sulkily.

    So we just stared at each other like that.

    His face was dark, and I was sulking.

    I suddenlyughed in anger.

    Looking back now, every time we argued in the past, it seemed like we took it for granted that we were both ignoring each other for the sake of certain people.

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    But actually, I didn¡¯t dare to ask about his news.

    I thought he was no longer in danger of life, and Kimberly was taking good care of him, so there was no need to ask.

    In his opinion, he felt that I ignored him because I was with Anton.

    <b>14 </b>Aparat

    So, looking at it from a different perspective, there must have been some reasons why he didn¡¯t ask about my news.

    And I should have asked for the reasons instead of guessing randomly like this, right?

    Seeing me suddenly smile, Reynaldo frowned irritably and asked, ¡°What are youughing at again? Did you suddenly remember the happy times you spent with Anton?¡±

    Look, this man also had a problem speaking.

    He always used his malicious spections to attack me, which was really annoying, so sometimes I would unconsciously retort him with unkind words.

    Actually, that might not have been his true words, right?

    Thinking of this, my heart suddenly became clear.

    I approached him and deliberately said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I suddenly remembered the happy times I spent with him.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face visibly darkened.

    He snorted coldly andughed at me self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°No wonder you don¡¯t even want to ask me a question. In that case, why bothering to see me? To see if I¡¯m dead, right?¡±

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    Look, this man has be the same as before, insecure, narrow¨Cminded, and inexplicable.

    I said, ¡°Can you please stop talking like this?¡±

    ¡°How do you want me to speak? You think I¡¯m unreasonable, you don¡¯t want to see me, then you go, you leave me! I don¡¯t need you here pretending.¡±

    I took a deep breath and looked at him, ¡°So, you want me to leave, right?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just red at me with a dark expression on his face.

    I got up and made a move to go out.

    He suddenly grabbed me fiercely, with such force that the wounds on his body all burst open.

    He just grunted and a fresh red blood instantly seeped through the gauze.

    I was startled and quickly leaned over to check his wound. I saw blood flowing more and more, and the gauze quickly turned arge area red.

    I was so anxious that tears were streaming down my face.

    ¡°What should I do? Is it painful? What should I do now? I¡¯ll go call the doctor.¡±

    Reynaldo grabbed me again.

    He red at me darkly, with a self¨Cmocking smile at the corner of his lips,

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    ¡°Why call a doctor? Don¡¯t you hate me? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if my blood ran dry and I died in pain?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s good, you entric lunatic!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but growl at him, ¡°You are just a fool. Who said they hate you? When did I ever say I didn¡¯t want to see you?¡±

    It was you who always made random guesses, it was you who always liked to lose your temper.

    You didn¡¯t know how worried I was when you were so badly injured.

    You had no idea, I was so anxious, and you kept saying those harsh words to me.

    ¡°You are a lunatic, you are a crazy person with a strange personality.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but cry as I spoke, a touch of grievance instantly rushing to my heart.

    Reynaldo looked at me heavily, and the gloom between his eyebrows finally dissipated.

    He asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you in a hurry just because my injury was caused by you, right?¡±

    ¡°I

    ¡°It¡¯s not true!¡± I stared at him with tearful eyes.

    He actually still thinks like this, can¡¯t he believe that I really like him?

    ¡°Why is that?¡± he asked again, his voice deepening, listening carefully, with a hint of anticipation.

    I looked at him through tearful eyes and choked out, ¡°What do you think it is because of?¡±

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    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not sure, so I want you to tell me in person,¡± he stared at me without blinking, his eyes focused as if trying to draw me in.

    I didn¡¯t answer him, I just reached out and hooked my hand around his neck, and kissed him without hesitation.

    In the past, his initiative in such matters was often apanied by some ulterior motives.

    And this time, I really kissed him because I saw my true feelings and liked him.

    I kissed very gently and attentively.

    The man felt his whole body stiffen, allowing me to kiss his lips for a long time before gently pushing me away.

    He held my shoulders tightly and asked hoarsely, ¡°Why did you suddenly kiss me?¡±

    ¡°I like you because,¡± I looked into his dark, deep eyes and said word by word, ¡°Reynaldo, I really like you. I worry about you, not out of guilt, but out of fear of losing you.¡±

    I don¡¯t care what your rtionship with Kimberly was, and I don¡¯t care who you liked in the end.

    In short, what I like is you, and only you.

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    In an instant, it was as if the sunlight had shone into the deep mountain forest, dispersing the clouds and mist.

    Reynaldo leaned back against the headboard in silence.

    He lowered his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.

    was stunned for a moment, realizing that my confession had received no response at all, feeling a bit embarrassed inside.

    He was afraid that he hadn¡¯t heard clearly.

    I earnestly told him again, ¡°Reynaldo, I like you. This feeling of liking, I don¡¯t even know when it started.¡±

    Anyway, every time I saw you with Kimberly, I felt very sad.

    ¡°I think I fell in love with you right after we got divorced.¡±

    Reynaldo still didn¡¯t speak. He leaned quietly against the head of the bed, his head hanging low, not knowing what he was thinking.

    I furrowed my brows and leaned in to his ear, asking, ¡°I like you, did you

    hear me at all?¡±

    ¡°Um, heard it.¡±

    He responded to me with just one sentence, his voice surprisingly calm.

    Ugh!

    Could it be that I made a mistake?

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    This feeling, in fact, was just my wishful thinking. After all, if he liked me, then my confession like this, he wouldn¡¯t have felt any excitement at

    all.

    Ah, can¡¯t let my mind wander. Once my mind starts wandering, all sorts of misunderstandings arise again.

    I opened my mouth, wanting to exin everything to him clearly, so he wouldn¡¯t start guessing randomly again.

    However, as soon as I opened my mouth, he calmly said, ¡°There is ointment and gauze in the drawer, please help me change it first.¡±

    When he said that, I suddenly remembered the wound he had opened, so I hurried to the drawer to get ointment and gauze.

    Reynaldo had taken off his hospital gown, revealing his muscr upper body.

    At this moment, he was covered in bandages, all stained with blood, a horrifying sight to behold.

    My heart ached, and tears couldn¡¯t help but fall.

    He nced at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°It would be strange if it didn¡¯t hurt. If it were me, I would be in so much pain.¡±

    I choked up and reached out tremblingly to remove his bandages.

    When my fingers touched the gauze, I recoiled in fear.

    I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t do it well, I was afraid of hurting him.

    I choked out, ¡°I¡¯ll go call the doctor.¡±

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    Reynaldo shook his head, his tone stubborn, ¡°I just want you to help me change, it¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    I still didn¡¯t dare to move, he looked at me andughed, ¡°What, do you really want to see me die in a pool of blood?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him, then gritted my teeth and started to remove the bandages from his body.

    This man, even though he was injured like this, still didn¡¯t forget to make jokes.

    I dared not exert too much force, handling the gauze with great care.

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking.

    Because we were so close, I could feel his breath.

    Being stared at by him like that, I felt particrly awkward, and even my movements seemed clumsy.

    I looked up at him and met his dark eyes, my heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a

    beat.

    I hurriedly closed my eyes and muttered, ¡°Can you please stop looking at me like this? It makes me so nervous.¡±

    Reynaldo pulled his lips and chuckled, saying, ¡°When you confessed to me just now, why didn¡¯t I see you nervous?¡±

    blushed and felt strange in my heart.

    Yeah, when I confessed to him just now, I didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all.

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    In my heart, I just wanted to make things clear to him, to tell him my most genuine feelings, so that misunderstandings wouldn¡¯t keep arising.

    Now that I have calmed down, thinking back to my confession just now, I feel embarrassed and awkward again.

    Reynaldo still looked at me, with a hint of a mischievous smile ying at the corner of his lips.

    Mingming¡¯s face looked so pale and sickly, but when she smiled, it was wicked.

    I red at him and muttered, ¡°Just stop staring at me like that. If you distract me and I end up hurting you, don¡¯t me me.¡±

    ¡°No me.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly said in a low voice, his voice unexpectedly gentle.

    I gave him a nce, not used to it, and then ignored him, bowing my head to carefully treat his wound.

    Three knife wounds, although the wounds had been stitched up, you could still see that the cuts were very deep.

    I applied some ointment gently on his wound.

    He just pursed his lips tightly and didn¡¯t say a word.

    I remembered the moment when the knife stabbed into his body, he was also like this, not making a sound.

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    He was such a stubborn andpetitive person, but for me, he was willing to kneel in front of Winston.

    My heart clenched again, and a hint of mist slowly rose before my eyes.

    I wiped the tears from the corner of my eye and said in a blur, ¡°Reynaldo, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say sorry, I have never med you.¡±

    He whispered and reached out to wipe the tears off my face.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°It really didn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°You were actually quite foolish,¡± I buried my head, with a sobbing tone, muttered, ¡°Even a fool could see that it was a trap, Winston used me to deceive you, just to deal with you, and you really went there foolishly.¡±

    You said you were so smart in the mall, howe youpletely lost your mind in this matter?

    ¡°Reynaldo, this time you¡­ really didn¡¯t seem like you at all.¡±

    The wound on the chest has been taken care of.

    Reynaldo obediently turned his back to let me tend to the wound on his

    back.

    The two wounds on his back were equally shocking.

    I first wiped away the blood around the wound with a cotton swab, and then dipped it in ointment, carefully applying it to his wound.

    I wiped away tears as I felt a sharp pain in my heart.

    Reynaldo¡¯s deep voice suddenly came from the front, with a hint ofughter, ¡°So tell me, how can you be like me?¡±

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    ¡°In my impression, you were smart and wise, cold¨Cblooded and ruthless¡­¡±

    ¡°Merciless and cold¨Cblooded?¡±

    The man¡¯s tone became unhappy again.

    I said gloomily, ¡°Let me finish first.¡±

    Reynaldo snorted and fell silent.

    I continued, ¡°In my opinion, you wouldn¡¯t have gone to save me alone. Even if you were going to save me, you would have brought a few people to ambush around.¡±

    I was really surprised that someone as clever as you would go over there alone and let Winston insult and torment you.

    ¡°To be honest, Reynaldo, I¡¯m a bit puzzled.¡±

    The many silent at the head of the bed.

    Because of his prone position, his scap arched, the lines were sexy and perfect.

    I touched my nose, looked away, and continued to apply ointment to him.

    As I carefully bandaged his wound, he suddenly whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, I just don¡¯t dare to gamble.¡±

    I was taken aback and instinctively looked at him, but only saw his neat

    short hair and broad shoulders.

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    You may not know Winston very well, my brother, he has always been dark and malicious since he was young.

    He hated me so much that he was determined to retaliate against me. Anything I cared about, he would go out of his way to destroy.

    His y was ruined, and he hated me to the point of madness.

    And you were in his hands. If I had taken someone over there, he might have found out, provoked him, and he might have killed you.

    ¡°So, I didn¡¯t dare to gamble, not at all.¡±

    Listening to his words, my heart couldn¡¯t help but tighten.

    I said, ¡°But by running over there alone like that, you might not be able to save me, and you might even risk your own life.¡±

    What can I do? I thought, he hates me, so be it, I¡¯ll give my life to him, let him release you.

    I didn¡¯t care how, I just wanted you to be safe and sound.

    He just wanted me to be safe and sound.

    So, he really has always loved me.

    Before I expressed my feelings to him, he was always afraid of being

    mocked by me because of hisck of confidence, so he would often say insincere things to me.

    Is it like this?

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    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    1289 Vouchers

    I shouted his name lowly, and a mist of water quickly rose in my eyes.

    These days, my tears seemed to be particrly abundant, and I couldn¡¯t stop flowing no matter what.

    Reynaldo stood up straight and turned his gaze towards me.

    Seeing my tearful eyes, he couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°What? Are you moved by my words?¡±

    I turned my face away in a hurry, wiped away tears, and said, ¡°No way.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly pulled me into his arms.

    I instinctively wanted to struggle, but when I remembered his wound, I quickly tensed up and didn¡¯t move.

    I rushed to him and said, ¡°Let go of me quickly, be careful not to reopen

    the woundter.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Reynaldo wrapped his arms tightly around me.

    After I confessed to him, although he didn¡¯t show any excitement or joy, it was obvious that he felt much better.

    The tone of voice speaking to me became particrly gentle.

    I¡¯m not used to this kind of Reynaldo.

    Did Ipletely make up with him?

    I avoided his wound, propped my hands on the bed, and said to him, ¡°Reynaldo, can we stop arguing from now on?¡±

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    Reynaldo looked at me deeply and smiled for a long time before saying, ¡°Good.¡±

    The way you talk to me and your habits need to change. You always make wild guesses and then say hurtful things to provoke me.

    Just think about it from a different perspective. If I were to provoke you with harsh words, wouldn¡¯t you instinctively retaliate with words that go against your true feelings?

    Just now, you said I remembered the happy times I spent with Anton again, didn¡¯t you?

    Then I deliberately said yes, and as a result, you got angry and asked me to leave.

    If it were in the past, I would have really left in anger, but I just figured out a lot of things. I pretended to leave on purpose, just to force you to speak the truth.

    You are such a person, more hypocritical than a woman.

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking for a moment and chuckled, ¡°Why are you talking like you¡¯re lecturing a child?¡±

    ¡°Originally, your personality was too reclusive. It¡¯s fortunate that I have figured out a lot of things, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t know when we would stop arguing. You, just tell me directly if you have anything, don¡¯t always keep it in your heart and then overthink everything.¡±

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    When I mentioned this, Reynaldo¡¯s eyes suddenly dimmed.

    He hung his head low and chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°You have said more than once that you hate me, that I am garbage, that I am disgusting.¡±

    So, it¡¯s not that Icked confidence, but rather that I didn¡¯t dare to say I liked you.

    ¡°I was afraid that if I spoke out, all I would receive from you was mockery and disdain.¡±

    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t mean to say that.¡±

    Although I don¡¯t remember saying those words, both Anton and Vonnie have confirmed that I did, so I must have really disliked him at some point.

    Not now.

    I was full of him now, I felt sorry to see him like this, and I was jealous to see him with other women.

    Isn¡¯t this just love?

    I held his face and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I take back those words I said before, Reynaldo. I¡¯m telling you now, I like you and only you.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face remained calm, and I couldn¡¯t tell if it was just my imagination, but there was a hint of sadness hidden in his calm eyes.

    He asked me, ¡°Do you really not remember when we were young, Anton and I?¡±

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    I shook my head in confusion.

    I really had no impression at all.

    11

    268 (Vouchers

    Before, he used me of forgetting the promises I made to him when we were kids. I thought he had mistaken me for someone else, treating me as

    a substitute.

    Even Anton said that the three of us had conflicts when we were young, which proves that indeed I was the only one who forgot, while they all remembered.

    As for that memory, why did I forget it, I think I need to go back and ask my parents or Quentin.

    I remember even things from elementary school, it¡¯s impossible to just leave out that memory with them.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes darkened suddenly, and the mncholy in his eyes deepened.

    He suddenly chuckled and said self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°Although you have forgotten, do you know that at that time, your favorite person¡­ was Anton.¡±

    I stared at him in astonishment, ¡°Who said that? Besides, how could we

    understand emotions back then?¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his eyes and smiled, that smile, self¨Cdeprecating and sad.

    I got anxious and said, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to start overthinking again?¡±

    Since you have made it clear to me now, I naturally won¡¯t have any wild thoughts.

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    Just, at that time, you told me in person that you liked Anton and hated me, and didn¡¯t want to see me.

    ¡°So, you forgot now, that¡¯s why you like me. But once you remember that memory, your liking for me might shift, right?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± I quickly responded, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, how can a crush at that age be called love?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me quietly, not saying anything.

    I repeatedly made my feelings clear to him: ¡°Listen carefully, I like you, and I only like you in this lifetime.¡±

    As for the memories of my youth, don¡¯t say that I have forgotten them now, even if I remember, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    After all, I was still young at that time and didn¡¯t understand emotions. The words I said couldn¡¯t be taken seriously.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, I noticed Reynaldo staring at the door with a dark look in his eyes.

    I furrowed my brows, subconsciously turned my head, and saw that the door of the ward had been opened by someone at some point.

    Anton was standing at the door.

    When I looked back, Anton smirked at me, his smile filled with sarcasm.

    He gave me a sarcastic look and then turned around and left.

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    I subconsciously wanted to catch up.

    After walking a few steps, I remembered Reynaldo and quickly turned around to him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I just want to go and exin to him.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded, with no expression on his face.

    When I chased out of the hospital ward, I saw Anton sitting in a stone pavilion smoking

    It was just getting light now, the morning was very cold, and there weren¡¯t many people in the hospital.

    I walked over and looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    He leaned against the stone pir and smiled at me, saying, ¡°What are you apologizing to me for?¡±

    I forgot the memories of you from my youth, and I also forgot any promises I may have made to you.

    I asked you to remember me, but Ipletely forgot you.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t remembered it until now.¡±

    ¡°Whenever you remember, it¡¯s fine,¡± Anton said lightly.

    Nooked at him, feeling a bitplicated in my heart.

    Without that memory, he seemed like a stranger to me.

    Looking at him like this, I always feel guilty in my heart.

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    But what needs to be made clear still needs to be made clear to him, so as to avoid causing more misunderstandings.

    I pursed my lips and said to him seriously, ¡°Anton, I have developed feelings for Reynaldo.¡±

    Anton nced at me and chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°So, even though I recalled that memory, what I liked was still him.¡®

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, he just curled his fingers slightly.

    The cigarette caught between his fingers instantly broke into two pieces, and the burning part fell onto the back of his hand.

    The back of the white hand turned red in an instant.

    My heart tightened and I instinctively called out to him.

    Anton slowly closed his eyes, as if he was trying hard to adjust his

    emotions.

    He smiled at me for a long time, with a somewhat mocking smile: ¡°That year, you told me that you really enjoyed being with me. You said his personality was not good, you said he was very gloomy, you hated him.¡±

    I was overjoyed, the girl I liked also liked me.

    I always thought that, in the future when we meet again, we would definitely be a couple and be happy together.

    Because you wanted me to always remember you, that means you would wait for me, right?

    But today, you told me that you fell in love with him, with someone you used to hate the most.

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    Esmeralda¡­¡±

    He smiled at me, with anger and sadness hidden in his smile.

    ¡°Even you, have to join them to deceive me.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Facing his usations, my heart couldn¡¯t help but tighten.

    I felt guilty and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, in this world, many things are beyond our control, let alone matters of the heart.¡±

    Anton, forget about that memory, it¡¯s all my fault, making you wait in vain for so many years.¡±

    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t ept it.¡±

    His eyes were tinged with a hint of red.

    Heughed at himself and said, ¡°Why did you have to fall in love with him of all people?¡±

    That memory was about the three of us.

    You clearly said you hated him back then, but why did you end up falling in love with him in the end?

    ¡°Do you know, this made me feel deceived, betrayed!¡±

    His eyes turnedpletely crimson, with a hint of hatred swirling in them.

    I licked my lips and said urgently, ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t me who fell in love with him first. Maybe you don¡¯t know, I have never really understood it either.¡±

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    But now I see clearly, all along, it was him who took the initiative.

    It was him who held me tightly, it was him who forcefully and domineeringly intruded into my life, intruded into my heart.

    Emotions cannot be fulfilled by standing still in the same ce, and no one one will wait for anyone forever.

    But his intention was very clear, he always liked me and wanted to be with me, so he was always moving towards this goal.

    Even though I forgot about him, he still held onto me tightly in his own way. Despite some misunderstandings and arguments along the way, he never gave up on this rtionship. In the end, he showed me his true heart.

    If neither of us had paid any attention to the other, I would never have fallen in love with him in the end.

    So Anton, I didn¡¯t lie to you, nor did I betray you. It¡¯s just that I identally forgot that memory, and his persistence and dedication touched my heart. Matters of the heart have always been beyond one¡¯s control.

    I don¡¯t know if I made myself clear, and I don¡¯t know if Anton understood.

    He leaned quietly against the stone pir, with a slight curve at the corner of his lips, a smile that was not quite a smile, a self¨Cdeprecating and lonely expression.

    I turned my face away in distress and whispered, ¡°Just consider me a woman who doesn¡¯t keep her promises. Forget about me in the future and

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    go find your own happiness. Don¡¯t let my so¨Ccalled ¡®promises¡® hold you back anymore.¡±

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    Anton ignored me, the curve at the corner of his lips always tinged with a hint of sarcasm.

    I sighed lightly, turned around and prepared to return to the ward.

    His faint voice suddenly came from behind me, ¡°I have an irreconcble feud with the Humphrey family, so I am destined to be enemies with Reynaldo in the future.¡±

    I lowered my head sadly.

    This was an unchangeable fact.

    The grievances of the previous generation always have to be repaid by this generation.

    Hatred did not fall on me, and I had no right to advise others to let go of hatred.

    I didn¡¯t say anything and walked towards the hospital ward.

    When I returned to Reynaldo¡¯s ward, the man was leaning against the head of the bed, staring out of the window in a daze.

    His face was still very pale, and his lips had no color.

    At that time, he waspletely different from his usual fierce and cold self, instead he was fragile, a fragility that made people feel sorry for him.

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    I walked towards him with the breakfast I bought on the first floor, smiling.

    He looked at me, with a slightly puzzled expression.

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    I sat down and raised the small table board, cing oatmeal and toast on<ol><li>it.</li></ol>

    Seeing him staring at me without blinking for a moment, I chuckled and said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head, his dark gaze fixed on me.

    He said, ¡°I thought you had left with Anton.¡±

    Iughed and said to him, ¡°See, you are overthinking again, right? I just made things clear with him, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°But you used to like him so much when you were young, and you always lied to me for him¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± I red at him angrily, ¡°Did you deliberately frame me while I had forgotten that memory?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    That memory seemed to stir up some bad memories for him, as the man¡¯s face darkened.

    He said, ¡°You always protected him back then, deceiving me.¡±

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    Ah.

    Listen to the way they talk.

    I hadmitted so many sins back then, deceiving Anton and deceiving him again. I had truly be the scum girl full of lies in their mouths.

    Ah, I really want to remember that memory.

    I sat down and pushed the oatmeal towards him, saying, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you tell me about that time? Maybe I¡¯ll remember.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered at me and said, ¡°Remembering what to do, isn¡¯t it better to forget?¡±

    I pursed my lips.

    He leaned back and said, ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want to talk much about that time with you. If you want to know, try to think hard yourself, maybe you

    will remember.¡±

    I hummed, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t tell me.¡±

    No, I¡¯ll give Quentin a callter to ask if he knows, after all, I¡¯ve been with Quentin since I was a child.

    If I had met them somewhere, Quentin should have known.

    Just then, Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my wrist.

    His dark and deep eyes stared straight at me.

    My heart skipped a beat unconsciously.

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    He spoke in a deep voice, ¡°No matter if you can remember that memory, you said it yourself, you love me, and only me.¡±

    So, if you dare to deceive me, I will definitely¡­

    He didn¡¯t say anything more, but the hand he held on my wrist kept tightening, and my wrist was so painful that it was almost strangled by

    him.

    I looked at his dark, oppressive eyes, feeling speechless.

    What¡¯s the matter, this man was really gentle to me for only three seconds, look, he has turned back to his previous domineering and overbearing

    appearance.

    I moved my wrist and said, ¡°You hurt me.¡±

    The man then let go of his hand.

    There was a red mark on my wrist.

    I rubbed my wrist and red at him impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t always be so suspicious, I really can¡¯t believe that someone like you is still socking in confidence.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze, his voice suddenly bing low, ¡°You suddenly saying you like me always makes me feel unreal.¡±

    After hearing his words, I felt a little sad in my heart.

    In the end, it was because I had hurt him too deeply in the past that he didn¡¯t dare to believe that I liked him.

    I held his hand and said seriously, ¡°Shall we make a promise?¡±

    Reynaldo looked up at me, his eyes deep and focused.

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    I smiled and said, ¡°In the future, let¡¯s tell each other what¡¯s on our minds, don¡¯t keep anything hidden, and don¡¯t let our minds wander, okay?¡±

    I understood, because there were too many misunderstandings before, and he didn¡¯t know how to express himself.

    resulting in ack of trust between us.

    But now both of us have opened our hearts, so I believe that this trust will definitely be gradually established.

    He looked at me deeply and nodded for a while, ¡°Okay.¡±

    I smiled and was about to get him some toast.

    He suddenly pulled me closer, his big hand holding the back of my head, and kissed me fiercely on the lips.

    In the past, my first reaction was to resist, but now, my first reaction is to

    embrace him.

    He kissed deeply, his agile tongue sneaking into my mouth, plundering the sweetness inside.

    After kissing for a long time, he reluctantly let go of me.

    He stared at me with a focused gaze, his eyes burning with intensity.

    I knew too well what his look meant.

    My face flushed, stammering, ¡°You, you wouldn¡¯t¡­ wouldn¡¯t have that feeling again, would you?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled hoarsely, ¡°I always feel something when I look at you,

    is that not allowed?¡±

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    My face burned even more: ¡°You rascal!¡±

    I still can¡¯t figure out how such a restrained and cultured face can always say such vulgar things.

    And he was already so badly injured, but he was still thinking about the same thing in his head.

    This man, indeed, was very indulgent.

    Just as Reynaldo leaned in to kiss me, a muffledugh suddenly came from the doorway.

    I furrowed my brows, turned my head, and saw Johnathan and Kimberly appearing at the door.

    When this door was opened, it didn¡¯t make any sound.

    Howe I didn¡¯t hear any noise when these two came in?

    Johnathan smirked and said, ¡°Oh, it seems like I arrived at the wrong time.¡±

    Compared to Johnathan¡¯s teasing, Kimberly¡¯s eyes were somewhat gloomy.

    But she still had a pitiful look on her face.

    She tearfully called out to Reynaldo, and he immediately walked over.

    She was carrying a thermos in her hand.

    When she saw the breakfast I bought for Reynaldo, she started using

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    me again: ¡°Ms. Duffy, Reynaldo is so badly injured, how can you still casually buy him these messy breakfasts, which are neither hygienic nor healthy.¡±

    She pushed me aside as she opened the thermal box she brought and said softly to Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, this is the mutton soup I stayed up all night to make. It¡¯s best to drink this soup in autumn and winter. Drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    I gave a cold snort and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Injured people like him are better off eating light food. By making such a thick mutton soup, and it¡¯s even spicy, are you trying to dy his recovery?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Kimberly had a pitiful look on her face again, looking at Reynaldo, ¡°This is the mutton soup I specially made in the middle of the night. I haven¡¯t heard that you can¡¯t drink mutton soup when you¡¯re sick in the hospital. I just wanted to nourish your body, but in Ms. Duffy¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m just harming you.¡±

    ¡°You can clearly see that every time you get hurt, it¡¯s because of her.¡±

    Kimberly looked so wronged.

    Reynaldo remained silent, while Johnathan tugged at my arm and said, ¡°Come on, just say a few words less. Kimberly is also well¨Cintentioned.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, but when he used me of buying unhealthy and unsanitary breakfast, I didn¡¯t cry, unlike her who likes to cry.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Johnathan kept pulling my arm.

    I impatiently brushed away his hand.

    When did he start talking to Kimberly again? Wasn¡¯t he always hating Kimberly?

    It seems that Reynaldo has been badmouthing me to Johnathan because of

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    my injury.

    Kimberly was still sobbing, and it was really annoying to listen to.

    I picked up my breakfast and headed back to my own hospital room.

    Reynaldo suddenly grabbed me and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±

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    ¡°Go back, there are so many people watching you, why am I still staying

    here?¡± I said with a smile.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow and stared at me darkly, ¡°When will youe to see me again?¡±

    I don¡¯t know, after all, some people kept saying that I harmed you.

    I didn¡¯t like that conversation, and I don¡¯t like listening to people crying and sobbing, which is annoying. So I might as well go back to my own ward and sleep.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Kimberly looked at Reynaldo with even more grievance.

    This time, Reynaldo simply ignored her, his deep eyes only looking at me intently.

    The feeling of being stared at so intently by him was quite nice.

    This was the only time Kimberly cried in front of him, and he did not me me for defending Kimberly without any reason.

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    He held me tightly and said in a low voice, ¡°Come backter.¡±

    I suppressed a chuckle and casually replied, ¡°It depends. I might fall asleepter and wake up in the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, whenever you wake up, juste over.¡±

    Johnathan was chuckling to himself on the side.

    Kimberly, on the other hand, was always tearful and hesitant.

    I chuckled and tugged at my lip, saying to Reynaldo in front of me, ¡°We¡¯ll see how it goes.¡±

    After saying that, I withdrew my hand and picked up my breakfast, ready

    to leave.

    Then he took the breakfast from my hands again.

    He said, ¡°What you bought for me, of course, is meant for me to eat. You can go buy some for yourself again.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I almost diedughing. He, the dignified CEO, actually tried to snatch breakfast with me.

    I deliberately retorted to him, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that mutton soup personally brewed by Ms. Palmer for you in the middle of the night? You should drink that.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned at me, with a hint of threat and fierceness in his dark, intense eyes.

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    That look, in an instant, reminded me of his fierce appearance when he tortured me in bed.

    I swallowed hard and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you to eat, I¡¯m leaving first.¡±

    After saying that, I ran out in a sh.

    My cheeks were burning, so I reached up and covered my face, then buried my head and rushed towards the elevator.

    It felt great to open up to Reynaldo, he finally stopped blindly defending Kimberly and hurting me.

    Thinking back to when he had just ignored Kimberly and insisted on eating the breakfast I bought, I felt a wave of sweetness in my heart.

    With a ¡®ding¡®, the elevator door opened.

    I buried my head and walked in. Just as I walked in, I was stunned.

    Winston was also inside, sitting in a wheelchair with his hands handcuffed. There were police officers on both sides of the wheelchair watching him

    He, like Reynaldo, had a paleplexion and exuded a touch of sickly weakness all over his body.

    He was staring at me coldly, his eyes, as terrifying as a maniac.

    My heart tightened, and I subconsciously wanted to go out, but the elevator door closed all of a sudden.

    The elevator went down.

    I was terrified by the look in Winston¡¯s eyes.

    I stood quietly in the corner, keeping my distance from him, hoping the

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    elevator would arrive at the sixth floor soon.

    Just a few secondster, Winston suddenly lunged at me.

    He was too fast, even the police didn¡¯t react in time.

    He lunged at me, grabbed my neck, and shouted hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, I¡¯m going to kill all of you.¡±

    The police reacted and quickly pulled him away.

    I leaned against the elevator wall, coughing violently, and looked at him

    in horror.

    I felt like he was really crazy, his twisted eyes didn¡¯t look like those of a normal person.

    The police officer pushed him down onto the wheelchair and said in a low voice, ¡°Behave yourself!¡±

    Winston was firmly pressed onto the wheelchair, his eyes still ring at me fiercely.

    Because of thatst blow, his abdominal wound split open, and blood quickly soaked through his shirt.

    Just then, the sixth floor arrived.

    The moment the elevator door opened, I rushed out in a panic.

    But suddenly the corner of the clothes was grabbed by someone.

    I turned around and saw it was Winston.

    His hands were handcuffed, and both hands tightly grasped my clothes, no matter how hard the police tried to pull them apart.

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    The police even threatened him, saying that if he didn¡¯t let go, they would chop off his hand.

    But he remained indifferent.

    This time, he looked at me with eyes that were no longer fierce or distorted, but instead filled with sorrow and destion.

    He said to me, ¡°You make hime to see me, let him see me, I beg you, let hime to see me, I just want to see him once, just see him once is enough.¡±

    I opened my mouth, wanting to say something.

    The police had already pried open his hand and pulled him back.

    The moment the elevator doors closed, I only saw his sad eyes and his abdomen stained red with blood.

    I stood still in ce, my heart unable to calm down for a long time.

    I knew that Winston almost killed Reynaldo and almost insulted me, he is not worthy of pity.

    I don¡¯t know why, but in my mind, hisst sad look keeps shing.

    The ¡®he¡® in Winston¡¯s mouth refers to Anton, right?

    I never expected that someone as cunning as him could be so sentimental.

    With a heavy heart, I returned to the ward and wanted to call Anton, but I didn¡¯t have a phone.

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    Iy on the bed, wondering how Winston could have been taken away by the police all of a sudden.

    Reynaldo and I didn¡¯t report the case.

    I suddenly remembered what Anton said to mest night. He said he was going to make sure that Ronan and the entire Humphrey family wouldn¡¯t have it easy.

    So, was it Anton who reported the case?

    The more I thought about it, the more my heart trembled.

    If Winston knew it was Anton who reported to the police toe and arrest him, he would definitely copse.

    I didn¡¯t sleep much in the early hours ofst night, and now I¡¯m lying in bed, and soon fell asleep.

    When I was half asleep, I felt a nursee in. She took my blood

    pressure and then gave me an injection to prevent a miscarriage, and told me to stay in bed and rest.

    I nodded in agreement, and after she left, I fell asleep again in a daze.

    I felt the surroundings were very noisy, and I really wanted to open my eyes to see, but my eyelids just wouldn¡¯t open.

    I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, struggling to wake up, but it was all in vain.

    Suddenly, I felt someone helping me cover the nket.

    I saw a figure in a daze.

    I opened my mouth and shouted non¨Cstop, but I felt like my throat was about to burst, yet the person seemed to bepletely oblivious.

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    Finally, I don¡¯t know how much force I used, and suddenly opened my eyes.

    I sat up in a panic, gasping for breath and my heart beating rapidly.

    The cool breeze blew in from outside, and I suddenly shivered, only to realize that my clothes were all soaked with sweat.

    A figure suddenly walked over and said, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    The sudden sound startled me and made me shiver.

    I turned my head and saw Anton.

    He looked at me, furrowing his brows harshly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell? I¡¯ll call the doctor.¡±

    I grabbed him and shook my head at him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I was just haunted by a nightmare, but I woke up.¡±

    I pulled up the quilt, held it in front of my chest, still feeling lingering fear.

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    Anton patted my back and frowned, saying, ¡°Your clothes are all sweaty. I brought you some food. You eat first, and I¡¯ll go find a nurse to get you a clean hospital gown.¡±

    He went out as soon as he finished speaking.

    I stared nkly at the small table by the window, where there were two thermos boxes.

    I walked over, opened the insted lunch box, and a wave of delicious food aroma immediately hit my nose, stirring up the glutton in my stomach.

    I quickly put the lid on and waited for Anton toe back.

    Anton quickly came over, holding two sets of new hospital gowns in his hands.

    He looked at me sitting by the window in a daze, and couldn¡¯t help but pause: ¡°Why haven¡¯t you eaten? Is the food I made not tasty?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°I wanted to wait for you to eat together.¡±

    Anton smiled at me and said, ¡°No need, I have already eaten. You go ahead.¡±

    He gave me the new hospital gown and said, ¡°Go change your clothes first before eating.¡±

    I nodded and took the hospital gown, walking towards the bathroom.

    I just had a nightmare, I almost don¡¯t remember it anymore.

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    I vaguely remember dreaming about Winston, dreaming of him pleading with a mournful voice.

    When I came out after changing my clothes, Anton was sitting by the window waiting for me.

    He helped me open the insted lunch box and smiled at me, saying, ¡°I remember you used to love eating smoked spare ribs with honey when you were young. It¡¯s been so many years, I bet your taste hasn¡¯t changed.¡±

    I walked past silently, the food in the insted box still steaming hot, the smell of smoked spare ribs with honey was very fragrant.

    Anton opened another thermos, inside was chicken soup.

    He poured a bowl for me with a small bowl, and then handed it to me.

    I took a sip and felt much warmer all over, and the scare I had just experienced in the elevator had also dissipated a bit.

    I looked up at Anton.

    Anton suddenly tilted his head and smiled at me, saying, ¡°What¡¯s up? It seems like you have something to tell me.¡±

    After a pause, he chuckled to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not angry. Everyone has the right to like someone else, and I have no right to interfere with you.¡±

    ¡°If you like Reynaldo, then go ahead and like him. But when one day, you remember the time we spent together, and if you still say you like Reynaldo, then I will give up.¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°What I want to tell you is not about this.¡±

    Anton furrowed his brows slightly, and after a moment, as if guessing something, he chuckled and said, ¡°You want to talk to me about Winston,

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    don¡¯t you?¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°Did you call the police, right?¡±

    Anton suddenly chuckled, ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t want me to call the police. Why, feeling sorry for him?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± I still shudder at the scene in the elevator just now.

    I whispered, ¡°I saw him when he was taken away by the police.¡±

    Anton pursed his lips and remained silent.

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    I continued, ¡°He was in a very bad condition, he even begged me, begged me to let you see him. The pleading look in his eyes when he begged me, I still can¡¯t forget it.¡±

    Anton averted his gaze and looked out the window, his tense profile revealing a hint of irritation.

    He said, pulling his tie, ¡°So, you want to be a persuader and convince me to go see him.¡±

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    I shook my head and said, ¡°I have no right to demand anything from you. I am just conveying his plea to you. So, whether you are willing to see him or not is entirely up to you.¡±

    Of course, I still hoped he would go and see Winston.

    Because I think anyone who has been let down or deceived in a rtionship is very pitiful.

    Anton remained silent for a long time, then suddenly asked me, ¡°Do you know why I called the police to arrest him? I even had the video of him kidnapping you and threatening Reynaldo at the time. Once the video was exposed, he was definitely going to jail. However, I gave the video to Reynaldo.¡±

    I suddenly understood in my heart.

    You hated Reynaldo and Ronan in the past, that¡¯s why you called the police to arrest Winston, and deliberately gave the crucial video to Reynaldo. All you wanted was for Ronan and even the Humphrey family to hurt Reynaldo in order to protect Winston.

    ¡°You wanted to make both father and son unhappy, you wanted to make Ronan busy and worried about Winston, and you wanted to use Ronan¡¯s determination to protect Winston to chill Reynaldo¡¯s heart.¡±

    Anton smiled and said, ¡°What do you think of my revenge n?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

    Anton seemed gentle and refined, but in fact he was a killer in disguise.

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    Chapter498

    But what right did I have to judge him, after all, he had such a deep hatred towards the Humphrey family.

    288 Vouchers

    I didn¡¯t take his words, I just asked him, ¡°Are you going to see Winston?¡±

    ¡°Not see.¡±

    Anton answered very straightforwardly.

    He stood by the window, his tall figure looking unusually cold and stern.

    I lowered my head and ate, not saying anything more.

    The message was delivered, and I felt a lot more relieved in my heart.

    Anton stayed with me in the ward for a while and then left. His mood seemed particrly restless, and I didn¡¯t ask much.

    In fact, human emotions are veryplex.

    He hated Reynaldo and the Humphrey family, but he didn¡¯t hate Winston. On the contrary, Winston trusted him so much that he actually felt a little guilty when he was using Winston.

    Anton had not been gone for long when Vonnie arrived.

    When Vonnie arrived, her eyes turned red.

    ¡°Ralda, I heard all about your situation from Anton. Are you okay? Are the babies okay?¡±

    She said and then came to touch my abdomen.

    The abdomen had already bulged a bit noticeably, but it was not visible because it was covered by winter clothes.

    She touched my abdomen, looking surprised, ¡°Wow, I can feel them in

    20.028

    12.255

    there.¡®

    I shook my head andughed, ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate.¡±

    18

    Vonnie smiled at me, then after a while, she looked at me with concern and said, ¡°Ralda, are you okay? I can¡¯t believe Winston turned out to be like that. Luckily you didn¡¯t end up with him.¡±

    Originally, Winston pursued me because Reynaldo had a crush on me.

    Looking back now, everything has its reasons, and Reynaldo didn¡¯t just Jike me for no reason.

    I remembered inexplicably missing a memory, so I hurried to borrow Vonnie¡¯s phone to call Quentin.

    I called with Vonnie¡¯s number, Quentin answered quickly on the other end, but it was a woman¡¯s voice that came through.

    ¡°Hello, who is this?¡±

    I furrowed my brows, feeling a bit familiar with this voice.

    Thinking that the other person was very likely the girl Quentin liked, I quickly greeted, ¡°Hello, hello, you must be Kimora, right? Where¡¯s Quentin? I need to talk to Quentin about something.¡±

    73 19<b>% </b>

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    Chapter499

    Before I could finish my sentence, the other side suddenly hung up the phone.

    I was taken aback, and Vonnie and I looked at each other in surprise.

    Vonnie asked suspiciously, ¡°Did you dial the wrong number?¡±

    shook my head, ¡°No, I always remember Quentin¡¯s number.¡±

    As they were talking, Vonnie¡¯s phone suddenly rang, and it was Quentin¡¯s number calling.

    I quickly answered the call.

    Quentin¡¯s voice quickly came: ¡°Is it Ralda? Or Vonnie?¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips and muttered quietly, ¡°This guy still has a little conscience, he even kept my number.¡±

    I smiled and tapped her forehead, then said to the phone, ¡°It¡¯s me, Quentin.¡±

    ¡°Ralda?¡± Quentin quickly said, ¡°It was Kimora who just called. She told me that she didn¡¯t mean to hang up on you. She actually wanted to give me the phone, but identally pressed the wrong button.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect Quentin to be so eager to exin this little thing to me.

    It seems that he really loved this girl named Kimora to death, afraid that I might have any opinions about her.

    <b>13.36 </b>

    Chapter499

    288 Vouchers

    I said, ¡°Quentin,st time we didn¡¯t finish our meal. I have some free time recently. When are you free? Let¡¯s take your girlfriend out for a meal together.¡±

    Vonnie paused for a moment, then looked at me with a slight surprise and said, ¡°Quentin has a girlfriend?¡±

    I chuckled and looked at her, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell youst time?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ forgot, forgot¡­¡± Vonnie chuckled in surprise, then went to the bathroom.

    I frowned and watched her back, feeling that she suddenly seemed a bit strange.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Quentin said on the phone, ¡°Let¡¯s set a time for next time, I won¡¯t keep you waiting again.¡±

    ¡°Okay, great. Once you have set the time and ce, just let me know and I will bring Reynaldo over.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo?¡± Quentin asked in a not¨Cso¨Cfriendly tone, ¡°What do you want him for?¡±

    ¡°Of course, my brother¨Cinw, you have toe along.¡±

    ¡°Sister¡­ brother¨Cinw? Didn¡¯t you two get divorced? Wasn¡¯t that jerk out of line? How did he be my brother¨Cinw again?¡±

    Quentin was stunned by my words.

    But I couldn¡¯t suppress the joy and sweetness in my heart.

    Iughed and said, ¡°This is a long story. Let¡¯s talk about it in detail when we meet again. I will call you now because there is something I want to ask you.¡±

    30 <i>77</i>%

    <b>13.36 </b>

    <b>Chapter499 </b>

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°Yeah, did I have any serious illness when I was a child, like when I was twelve or thirteen?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Quentin said, puzzled, ¡°why are you suddenly asking?¡±

    Because I suddenly realized that I had lost some memories, it was when I was twelve or thirteen years old.

    But when I was twelve or thirteen, I don¡¯tpletely forget what happened back then. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t remember some special things and special people. What¡¯s going on?

    Quentin was confused, ¡°What does that mean? What exactly did you forget, forget who?¡±

    ¡°Did you ever meet Reynaldo and Anton when we were around thirteen years old?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯spletely unrted. Ralda, what on earth are you talking about? I can¡¯t understand a word.¡±

    Listening to Quentin¡¯s words, I was also at a loss.

    I was inseparable from Quentin since we were young. When I was 12 years old, if I had met Anton and Reynaldo and yed so well with them, Quentin couldn¡¯t have not known.

    ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong with you today? Why are you talking so strangely? Everything was fine, why suddenly bring up our younger days?¡± Quentin asked anxiously, his voice filled with confusion.

    66.24%

 Too Close 500

    11

    Cserhers

    I sighed heavily, ¡°Exactly, Reynaldo and Anton both said that they knew me when I was young and had made some kind of agreement with them. From the way they talk, it seems like I must have been good friends with them when I was young, but I have no memory of it at all.¡±

    So I wondered why I had lost that memory.

    But no matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t remember. I asked them, but they didn¡¯t say anything, so I thought of asking you. After all, we have never been apart since we were kids. You know my best friend, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember them either. I know Reynaldo, it was three years ago when you were going to marry him,¡± Quentin paused, saying skeptically, ¡°Did they mistake you for the person you were when you were young?¡±

    At first, I thought the same way.

    But if Reynaldo mistook someone, it doesn¡¯t make sense for Anton to make the same mistake.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Just as I was thinking, Quentin suddenly seemed to remember something and said, ¡°Did they meet you during the summer vacation when you were twelve?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±

    That summer, you stayed in the countryside with your grandmother for a while, while I didn¡¯t go because I had to attend the school¡¯s summer camp.

    0.00%

    ¡°So, are they the ones you knew back then?¡±

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    I remember that when I was twelve years old, I spent two months in the countryside with my grandmother during the summer vacation.

    I remember I helped my grandmother nt vegetables, feed chickens and ducks, and also helped my grandmother water the flowers.

    I even remember what the cats and dogs my grandmother raised looked like.

    But I just don¡¯t remember meeting Anton and Reynaldo during that time.

    And, if I met Reynaldo during that time, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for me to forget about him just because I started high school.

    After all, it had only been a few years since I graduated from high school.

    The more I thought, the more confused my mind became, and even my temples were faintly aching.

    When I was feeling ufortable, there were really some blurry images shing through my mind.

    When I tried to capture those images, I suddenly had a splitting headache.

    When Vonnie came out of the bathroom, she saw me hitting my head and hurried over, saying, ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you hitting your head?¡±

    I gasped for breath for a while and shook my head at her, ¡°No, nothing.¡±

    ¡°Still saying it¡¯s nothing, look at how pale your face is, quickly go lie down in bed,¡± Vonnie said, hurriedly helping me to the bed.

    25.20

    12.265

    256 Vouchers

    The phone was still connected, and Quentin¡¯s voice sounded anxious on the other end: ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you calling me from someone else¡¯s phone? Where are you now? I¡¯ming to see you.¡±

    ¡°Others?!¡±

    Vonnie bit her lip in anger and before I could say anything, she snatched the phone away from me, chuckling at the phone and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, Ralda has me to take care of this ¡®other person¡® well, you better go and be with your girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°¡®Tsk, Lavonne, what¡¯s wrong with the way you talk, did I offend you, huh, you¡­¡±

    Quentin hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Vonnie hung up the phone.

    I looked at her suspiciously and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Everything was fine, why are you angry with Quentin again?¡±

    It was always him who spoke inappropriately. I have been your best friend for so many years, I have been to your house so many times, and I often eat and sleep at your ce.

 Too Close 501

    <ul><li>Chapter 501Without saying anything else, I was quite familiar with him. Now, in hist mouth, I am actually a stranger.

    Oh, having a girlfriend is different.

    I stared nkly at Vonnie¡¯s indignant expression, suddenly thought of something, and my heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat.

    ¡°Vonnie¡­¡± I looked at him seriously, ¡°Quentin has a girlfriend now, are you, are you very angry?¡±

    Vonnie was stunned for a second, shaking her head busily, ¡°No, I¡¯m angry that he treated me like an outsider! I mean, I¡¯m supposed to be your best, best friend, right?¡±

    I frowned at her, feeling a slight sense of worry in my heart.

    It turned out that Vonnie was not as I had guessed, she was someone very important to me, and I didn¡¯t want her to get hurt.

    It seemed that my expression was somewhat serious.

    Vonnie shook my arm andughed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why so serious? No, <b>I¡¯m </b>not mad at Quentin either.¡±

    I was just wondering, Quentin is usually so clueless when ites to emotions, how did he suddenly get a girlfriend?

    ¡°When you told mest time, I thought you were joking.¡±

    Vonnie smiled somewhat forcedly, and I told her seriously, ¡°It was when Quentin was in the hospital with a leg injury that he met this girl, and

    then he got together with her.¡±

    Although I didn¡¯t know what story was between them, I could feel that Quentin really, really liked this girl, so Vonnie¡­¡±

    Good for him, Quentin finally came to his senses and doesn¡¯t have to be single anymore.

    ¡°When you have your wedding, remember to have Quentin invite me hehe.¡±

    Vonnie smiled hard, and I didn¡¯t know what else to say, so I just held her

    hand.

    Next, none of us mentioned Quentin again.

    We talked about happy things in the past, talked about school matters, and as we chatted, it quickly became evening.

    In the evening, Anton came and brought us dinner.

    He watched us finish eating, and then sat for a while before leaving.

    When he left, he also helped us take out the trash.

    I actually wanted to ask Anton if he had gone to see Winston.

    But seeing his gloomy face with a touch of irritability, I didn¡¯t feelfortable asking.

    After Anton left, Vonnie stayed behind to keep mepany.

    I had endless conversations with Vonnie, and before we knew it, we were chatting until after nine o¡¯clock.

    Vonnie said she would stay overnight with me in the hospital, but the bed in the hospital was small and hard, the conditions were really not <b>as </b>good

    Chapter501

    as at home, so I still hoped she would go home to sleep, so she could. sleep better.

    Vonnie was stubborn, insisting on apanying me and saying she would just curl up and sleep on the small sofa next to me.

    That sofa looked to be only 1.2 meters long, how can it amodate a person to sleep on it.

    I persuaded for a long time, and finally I said I wanted to eat the breakfast she made with her own hands. Then she reluctantly went back.

    By the time Vonnie left, it was almost ten o¡¯clock and I was feeling. sleepy.

    I quickly washed up, then turned off the main light and climbed into bed to get ready to sleep.

    Just as Iy down with the nket, I suddenly startled.

    Oh no!

    I forgot to go see Reynaldo!

    Today, I was first startled by Winston in the elevator, then I was haunted by nightmares, followed by reminiscing about my childhood memories, and then chatting with Vonnie, Ipletely forgot about Reynaldo.</li></ul>

 Too Close 502

    Chapter502

    Oh no, with that man¡¯s bad temper, he must have gone crazy again.

    I quickly threw off the covers and got out of bed.

    I don¡¯t know if that man had gone to sleep at that time.

    There was also Kimberly, I don¡¯t know if Kimberly left.

    I¡¯ll go up and see. If Kimberly is still there, I¡¯lle back down.

    Kimberly was so annoying, I didn¡¯t want to go and feel unhappy.

    I walked out while thinking.

    As soon as I opened the door, I ran into a figure.

    There was only a muffled groan.

    That sound made my

    art tighten: ¡°Reynaldo?¡±

    The other party did not respond to me, just stood there leaning against the door frame.

    I quickly reached for the light switch at hand.

    As the overhead light in the room turned on, I saw Reynaldo standing at the door, clutching his chest and looking pale.

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did I just bump into your wound?¡±

    I hurried over to help him.

    He angrily withdrew his hand, staring at me with eyes that were both

    1543

    Chapter500

    angry and aggrieved.

    I said sorry with my mouth, while my eyes anxiously nced at his

    wound.

    The man¡¯s chest was faintly oozing blood again..

    I felt so sorry for him that I scolded him angrily. ¡°You have injuries all over your front and back. Why didn¡¯t you stay in bed and came down in the middle of the night?¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath, as if suppressing his anger.

    He stared at me heavily and said through gritted teeth, ¡°I waited for you in the ward for a whole day, a full day, and you didn¡¯t evene up to see

    me.¡±

    The gloomy voice was tinged with a hint of grievance and resentment.

    This is indeed my fault, I forgot to go see him.

    I supported him again.

    He was obviously not happy and wanted to pull his arm back.

    I quickly held onto his arm and whispered to him, ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s my fault. I forgot toe see you. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you forget?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo became even angrier, ¡°I thought you were dyed by something, but I didn¡¯t expect you really forgot, Esmeralda, you really have no heart!¡±

    In thest sentence, he said through gritted teeth, word by word.

    I felt nervous in my heart, and I apologized with a smile, ¡°I won¡¯t do it

    again in the future, I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    Reynaldo pulled his arm forcefully, his face darkening: ¡°What do you mean you like me? Is this what you call liking someone?¡±

    You kept everyone in your heart, but you just threw me out of your mind. You didn¡¯t have me in your heart at all¡­hmm¡­

    The man became more and more absurd as he spoke, and more and more resentful.

    I

    had no choice but to tiptoe and cover his lips.

    Reynaldo¡¯s tall figure visibly stiffened, and his eyes darkened for at

    moment.

    He lowered his gaze and looked at me quietly.

    Such a close distance, I could see his eyshes clearly.

    Our lips touched, and I felt his breath be warmer.

    He stared at me without blinking, his dark eyes like an endless ck abyss, sucking my soul down.

    My heart suddenly raced, and for a moment I didn¡¯t know what to do next.

    I was about to leave.

    The midfielder suddenly had an extra big hand on my back, and with a slight force, that hand made me stick closely to him.

    He cradled the back of my head, taking the lead, and deepened the kiss gradually.

 Too Close 503

    Chapter <b>503 </b>

    The man¡¯s agile tongue slipped into my mouth, our lips and tongues intertwined, and the fiery kiss instantly plundered my thoughts.

    My mind was nk and my whole body felt numb.

    I don¡¯t know how long Reynaldo kissed me, but when I was about to copse, he finally let go of me.

    The gloom on his facepletely dissipated, and the grievances and resentments in his eyes also disappeared, reced by desire, intense desire.

    He held the back of my neck, pressed against my forehead, his voice hoarse: ¡°If I weren¡¯t injured now, I would definitely, definitely¡­¡±

    ¡°What is for sure?¡±

    I asked subconsciously.

    After asking, she realized what he meant, and her cheeks instantly flushed.

    I removed his hand from around my neck and said impatiently, ¡°Stop thinking about those unhealthy things¡­¡±

    ¡°Howe ¡®deepmunication¡® between spouses is considered unhealthy?¡± Reynaldo said earnestly.

    I felt so embarrassed that my neck started burning.

    How did he manage to say the words ¡®deepmunication¡® so ambiguously and seductively with a straight face.

    I rubbed my hot face and said, ¡°Just don¡¯t think too much about that kind of thing, be careful with your energy¡­¡±

    Ugh!

    I couldn¡¯t continue with this topic in front of his dark, brooding eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Reynaldo approached me with a hint of a smirk at the corner of his lips.

    stared nkly at him at that moment, momentarily stunned.

    I have to say, the way this man smirked was quite charming.

    When he was serious, he was abstinent and gloomy, but when he smirked, he was wicked and arrogant.

    Even though I have slept with him many times, I still blush and my heart beats fast when discussing such topics with him.

    I didn¡¯t want to talk to him, so I turned my back and walked into the room.

    Reynaldo quickly followed in, closing the door behind him with a backward motion.

    I was taken aback and turned to look at him. ¡°It¡¯s veryte, aren¡¯t you going to bed?¡±

    ¡°Just sleep here.¡± The man said, and casuallyy down on my sickbed.

    I was anxious: ¡°No, this bed is too small, and you have wounds on your body. What if 1 press on your wound?¡±

    The man, without saying a word, had already leaned against the head of the bed in a decent manner.

    Chapter503

    I was speechless, it¡¯s so much morefortable to sleep alone in a bed, why do you have to squeeze with me?

    If the wound was identally rubbed open by me, it was not him who felt the pain.

    I approached him and said, ¡°Reynaldo, you go to bed now. I wille to see you early tomorrow morning.¡±

    Reynaldo gave a cold snort, clearly not believing.

    I promised repeatedly, ¡°Really, tomorrow when I wake up, the first thing I will do is go see you.¡±

    The man acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard what I said, and lifted the covers for me to get into bed.

    I was really upset: ¡°Reynaldo, I¡¯m not kidding, you¡¯re injured now, can¡¯t share a bed.¡±

    ¡°Then youe up with me, my hospital bed is big enough for two people.¡±

    I was about to agree when I suddenly remembered Kimberly.

    We

    The woman would definitelye early tomorrow to see Reynaldo.

    If she had seen me sleeping with Reynaldo, she would have cried andined about me, beating around the bush. It¡¯s annoying just thinking

    about it.

    I said, ¡°It¡¯s better not to. Someone will definitelye to see you tomorrow morning. It¡¯s not good if they see us sleeping together.¡±

    ¡°Who do you mean by ¡°they¡°?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

 Too Close 504

    Heughed and said, ¡°You mean Kimberly.¡±

    When I opened up to him in the morning, I actually ignored a very realistic and cruel issue.

    That was Kimberly.

    After this incident, I could confirm that this man liked me.

    But what about Kimberly?

    What were his feelings towards Kimberly?

    If he also had Kimberly in his heart, and now he is with Kimberly, then am I considered as having gone from being his ex¨Cwife to being the third person in their rtionship.

    Thinking about this issue, I felt a little annoyed.

    Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my hand.

    He stared at me without blinking for a moment, and whispered, ¡°What are you thinking, or perhaps, what are you worrying about, tell me.¡±

    I bit my lower lip and still didn¡¯t say anything.

    He grabbed my shoulder and said earnestly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say this morning? From now on, we should be honest with each other. If there¡¯s anything to say, don¡¯t keep it in your heart.¡±

    I sighed lightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s just you and Kimberly¡­Reynaldo, what would you say our rtionship is now<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Chapter504

    ¡°Did you mind her?¡± the man asked in a low voice, with a slight curl of his lips.

    Iined. ¡°Nonsense, I don¡¯t want to be the third party between you guys.¡±

    Before, under the coercion of his power. I became his lover. unable to leave, unable to escape.

    He could only hide the feelings that unconsciously arose towards her.

    Now that all those emotions have been opened up, if I want to openly like him, then I must figure out his rtionship with Kimberly.

    Iined. ¡°Reynaldo, we have already divorced, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Who said we got divorced?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Reynaldo suddenly interjected.

    I was taken aback: ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    The man curled his lips into a slight smile, with a hint of meaning in his

    smile.

    I furrowed my brows and asked in confusion, ¡°We did indeed get divorced, I didn¡¯t remember it wrong, and I even signed the divorce. agreement myself.¡±

    ¡°The divorce agreement you signed¡­ I tore it up.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I looked at him in shock.

    Reynaldo wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his head in the nape of my neck, and said helplessly to me, ¡°I mentioned divorce to you.

    Chapter501

    just to test you, I didn¡¯t expect you to sign without even thinking about it.¡±

    Do you know how angry I was?

    The divorce agreement was torn to shreds by me on the same day.

    ¡°You heartless woman!¡±

    I furrowed my brow and asked again, ¡°So you¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t actually want to divorce me, you were just testing me?¡±

    ¡°And you tore up the divorce agreement, so our marriage never really ended, did it?¡±

    Reynaldo buried his head in the nape of my neck and murmured softly, his warm breath tickling my neck.

    But I was so angry with his ¡°hmm¡± that I almost couldn¡¯t catch my breath.

    I pushed him slightly and said, ¡°Are you sick? Everything was fine, why are you testing me?¡±

    Reynaldo propped himself up on the bed with one hand, leaning towards mezily, and said, ¡°Just testing to see if you have any feelings for me at all, testing to see if you have any nostalgia for our marriage.¡±

    I stiffly pulled my lips.

    That is to say, at the time of the divorce, he liked me and I liked him too, Are we still torturing each other because of his test back then?

    I red at him angrily, if it weren¡¯t for his injury now, I would have fought with him.

 Too Close 505

    Chapter505

    Reynaldo chuckled softly, ¡°So, you were my wife now, and you were not allowed to flirt with other men in the future.¡±

    ¡°I never flirted with other men,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but retort.

    The man smirked and chuckled, looking as if he had confirmed that I was a bad woman.

    Seeing his pale and weak face now, I didn¡¯t bother arguing with him.

    I choked back my anger and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Kimberly? I thought you said she was your moonlight.¡±

    ¡°That was meant to provoke you.¡±

    Reynaldo lightly said, ¡°Reynaldo, you really are¡­¡± and I gritted my teeth in anger.

    Isn¡¯t it possible that if Kimberly is not his white moonlight, why does he always protect Kimberly like that, and even hurt me for Kimberly?

    <b>I </b>stared at him suspiciously, doubting what he said.

    It seemed like Reynaldo had guessed what was on my mind. He put his arm around my waist and whispered, ¡°Come upstairs with me, I¡¯ll tell you about my rtionship with Kimberly.¡±

    And so, I followed him to his hospital room upstairs.

    His ward was a luxury suite, with a bed twice as big as the one below.

    He leaned against the head of the bed and patted the space beside him,

    Chapter <b>505 </b>

    motioning for me toe up.

    I nced at the sofa next to me and said, ¡°I can sit over there.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened.

    I smiled helplessly and said, ¡°Okay, okay, as you wish.¡±

    I mainly feel that it is not good to sleep so intimately with him in the hospital. It would be embarrassing if someone saw us.

    <b>11 </b>

    But there was no way, men, even when injured, still remained dominant and strong.

    As soon as I got into bed, Reynaldo hugged me into his arms.

    His embrace was wide and warm..

    Looking back, I had never felt as peaceful as I did now, leaning against

    his chest.

    This feeling, peaceful and happy.

    Reynaldo rested his chin on top of my head, his deep voice recounting to me the grievances of his parents¡® generation and his rtionship with Kimberly.

    Originally, when Ronan was the first to stray that year, Reynaldo¡¯s mother, Mika Versta, found out and then divorced Ronan in despair, taking the young Reynaldo away from the Humphrey family.

    Shortly after leaving the Humphrey family, Mika met Theodore Palmer, who had also been betrayed by marriage and love, Anton¡¯s father.

    The two of them sympathized with each other and ended up together.

    A few yearster, Ronan regretted it and came running to find Mika.

    Chapter505

    11

    But at that time, Mika and Theodore had already be husband and wife, and the two of them lived in seclusion in a small town.

    exceptionally loving.

    Ronan, in jealousy and rage, had someone injure Theodore.

    Originally, Theodore¡¯s body was fine, but because Mika had a serious. kidney disease, Theodore donated a kidney to Mika, so his body deteriorated a lot.

    After being injured by the people sent by Ronan, Theodore fell ill and soon passed away.

    When Theodore passed away, it was said that the only thing he couldn¡¯t bear to leave behind were his two children.

    One is Anton, the other is Kimberly.

    I realized with a shock when I heard this, that Anton and Kimberly were actually siblings.

    No wonder I always felt something strange between them every time they

    met.

    Before his death, Theodore entrusted the frail Kimberly to Reynaldo, hoping that Reynaldo would take care of Kimberly for the rest of her life.

    In order to reassure Theodore, Reynaldo agreed.

    After Theodore passed away, Anton left and no one knew where he went.

 Too Close 506

    And Reynaldo, in order to make himself stronger, returned to the Humphrey family.

    But during this time, he had always been taking care of his mother and Kimberly in the small town in the countryside.

    Three years ago, Mika¡¯s kidney disease recurred, and Kimberly¡¯s health deteriorated. So Reynaldo brought them back to Freybourne.

    So it¡¯s no wonder Johnathan said Kimberly was a country bumpkin, it¡¯s no wonder Johnathan said Kimberly was not ordinary in Reynaldo¡¯s heart.

    In this way, Kimberly could also be considered half a sister to Reynaldo.

    Thinking of this, I suddenly felt that woman wasn¡¯t so annoying after all.

    I looked at Reynaldo and said, ¡°So, your mother is in Freybourne now?¡±

    Reynaldo nodded.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Should I go see her?¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect my mother¨Cinw to be in Freybourne. Thinking that I would definitely meet Mika in the future, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous.

    However, faced with my question, Reynaldo remained silent, a hint ofplexity faintly visible in his deep eyes.

    I looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± Reynaldo smiled and kissed my forehead, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s

    Chapter500

    not see her for now. I¡¯ll arrange it and take you to meet her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­ okay.¡±

    I nodded, feeling a little bit disappointed in my heart.

    Suddenly remembered Anton¡¯s hateful look that day, I asked in confusion. ¡°Reynaldo, hearing you say this today, your mother didn¡¯t really ruin Anton¡¯s parents¡® rtionship, so why did Anton say it was because your mother seduced his father, that his parents¡­¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head and chuckled, saying, ¡°It has always been his fault. His father and my mother just didn¡¯t exin it to him clearly, but it was just to protect him.¡±

    ¡°Protect him?¡± I became more and more confused, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    His mother used to despise his father for being poor, so she ran off with a wealthy merchant. However, not long after, she was abandoned by the merchant.

    So she came back to find his father, but at that time his father was already with my mother.

    So his mother harbored resentment, repeatedly causing trouble and even instilling some hateful thoughts in the young children.

    His mother died of illness, heart disease, and Kimberly also had the same disease.

    Anton also knew that the disease had long been with his mother, but he believed that it was my mother¡¯s appearance that caused his parents¡® rtionship to break down, elerated his mother¡¯s illness, and even led to her death.

    Upon hearing this, I understood in my heart.

    It was probably that Mika and Theodore didn¡¯t want Anton to know how despicable their mother used to be, so they would rather have Anton hate them, and they didn¡¯t want their mother¡¯s image to copse in his

    mind.

    I lowered my head, with a mixture of feelings in my heart.

    ¡°But in this

    is way, Anton hated you and your mother.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way around it, hate if you must,¡± Reynaldo sighed softly, ¡°After all, it was because of my mother¡¯s appearance that his father got

    into trouble.¡±

    He paused and murmured, ¡°His father was really a very good man.¡±

    When Reynaldo said this, his expression was somewhat mncholic.

    I hugged him and said, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t think about the past anymore,

    let¡¯s move on.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and looked at me.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s live well in the future.¡±

    The hand around my waist tightened.

    He whispered my name in my ear, calling me Esmeralda. His gentle and deep voice, his intimate nickname, made me feel a bit ufortable, but my heart was still sweet.

 Too Close 507

    Chapter507

    He said to me, ¡°My mother was a woman of pure character back then. After she left the Humphrey family with me, she had a very difficult life. She suffered a lot in order to support me when I was young.¡±

    ¡°You and her are the most important people to me in this world, both of you, must be well.¡±

    ¡°Well, you take care too.¡±

    I buried my head in his arms and responded softly, not noticing theplexity and worry in his tone.

    The next morning.

    I was sleeping when I was suddenly awakened by a sobbing sound.

    I furrowed my brow and opened my eyes, only to see Kimberly standing at the door wiping away tears.

    Johnathan was also there, the man had a look of ambiguity on his face, holding back a smile.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡°?¡±

    I propped myself up with my arms, drowsily trying to sit up.

    Reynaldo suddenly pulled up the covers and tucked me in tightly, pressing down on my shoulders to keep me from moving.

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    The man murmured hoarsely, and hisrge hand instantly slid from my shoulder to my chest.

    The icy touch startled me, making me shiver all over.

    It was then that I suddenly remembered that the buttons on my clothes had all been torn off by this manst night, even my inner clothes were taken off by him, and there were ambiguous marks on my chest.

    Just now if I had sat up directly, I would have definitely been seen by those two pirs at the door.

    I red at him angrily, quickly felt for my inner clothes in the quilt, put them on, and buttoned them up quickly.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Reynaldo is really tough, he can still work even when injured.¡±

    I blushed and didn¡¯t say a word.

    Actually, Reynaldo did want to hang out with mest night, but I refused because I was worried about his injury.

    I have to say, this man was really full of desire. Last night, he was like he was going crazy, holding me and kissing me for a long, long time.

    I sorted out my clothes and crawled out from under the nket.

    Looking back at Reynaldo, the man was serious, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Johnathan¡¯s teasing.

    I had just gotten out of bed when Kimberly tearfully used me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, what¡¯s the matter with you? Reynaldo is already so badly injured, and you still won¡¯t let him go, you even want to flirt with him.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just control yourself? Is your desire really that strong?¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo speechlessly, this should be said to him.

    ¡°Kimberly!¡± Reynaldo called out to her with a furrowed brow.

    Kimberly was even more aggrieved, and tears fell even more fiercely.

    I busied myself, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Kimberly was right. You were so badly injured, I shouldn¡¯t have been lying in bed with you.¡±

    Kimberly suddenly looked at me, with a shocked expression, as if she hadn¡¯t expected me to apologize proactively.

    I took the thermos from her hand with a smile and said, ¡°Kimberly made. soup for Reynaldo again today. Let me see what kind of soup it is.¡±

    Today Kimberly cooked chicken soup, and it was quite delicious.

    I praised generously, ¡°So fragrant, Reynaldo must love to drink.¡±

    Kimberly was directly confused by my reaction and praise.

    Even Johnathan was dumbfounded.

    I calmly poured a bowl of soup and handed it to Reynaldo.

    Anyway, I had already made up my mind. Kimberly was Reynaldo¡¯s half- sister, so I just treated her like a little sister.

 Too Close 508

    Johnathan chuckled on the side, ¡°Reynaldo, you¡¯re really something. How did you manage to charm Esmie so easily? Look, she¡¯s not ring at Kimberly like before. I feel like she¡¯s about to be sisters with Kimberly.¡±

    Reynaldo took a sip of soup and casually said, ¡°Anyway, we are all family now, we will always make up in the end.¡±

    ¡°A family?¡± Johnathan asked in surprise, ¡°What family? Who with who?¡±

    Reynaldo and I exchanged a smile without saying a word.

    Just as I nced over, I noticed Kimberly staring at me coldly.

    I furrowed my brow and suddenly thought of a question.

    Reynaldo treated her like a little sister, but <b>it </b>seems like she never saw Reynaldo as a brother. She might have had different feelings towards Reynaldo, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have been so hostile towards me.

    So, did Reynaldo know about this? Did he exin it clearly to Kimberly?

    I suppressed the doubts in my heart and grabbed Kimberly¡¯s hand, sincerely saying to her, ¡°Reynaldo has told me that you are like a sister to him, and now you are like a sister to me too. Since you are not feeling. well, in the future¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Kimberly suddenly shook off my hand and yelled at me, ¡°Who is his sister, who <b>is </b>your sister, stop disgusting

    me!¡±

    Chapter508

    She finished yelling, red at Reynaldo with resentment, and then ran

    out.

    ¡°Kimberly!¡± Reynaldo shouted anxiously, wanting to chase after her, but he pulled on his wound, causing him to gasp in pain.

    I quickly supported him and said to Johnathan, ¡°You go out and take a look.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you take care of Reynaldo,¡± Johnathan said, and then quickly chased after him.

    The wound on Reynaldo¡¯s chest was actually bumped by mest night, and it cracked a little.

    He moved so violently that the wound waspletely torn open, and blood instantly soaked through the gauze on his chest.

    I was both angry and heartbroken: ¡°Can¡¯t you just lie in bed honestly and have to toss and turn like this?¡±

    Reynaldo anxiously looked towards the door, not saying a word.

    I pursed my lips, silently took out the ointment and gauze from the drawer, intending to rebandage him.

    ¡°Will you me me?¡± I asked him in a muffled voice as I unwrapped the bandage from his chest.

    He nced at me and said, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It was my own decision to call Kimberly my sister, and it made her angry.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my hand and said to me, ¡°These things should have been rified with her, and I have told her before that I have always treated her like a sister.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I looked at him skeptically.

    Seeing my skeptical look, the man¡¯s face instantly darkened, and he muttered, ¡°When have I ever lied to you? I¡¯m not like you!¡±

    ¡°Okay. I trust you.¡±

    I chuckled in disbelief as the man was nning to bring up old grievances again.

    Reynaldo gave me a disdainful look and then nced worriedly towards the door.

    I knew he was worried about Kimberly, so I whispered, ¡°Johnathan has already gone after her, she will be fine.¡±

    ¡°I was worried about her illness, a quite serious hereditary heart disease. When her father passed away, he entrusted me to take good care of her. But so far, I haven¡¯t been able to find a suitable heart donor for her, and I don¡¯t know how long she can wait.¡±

    When Reynaldo mentioned this, his expression was somewhat sad and

    ??????? guilty.

    I opened my mouth, about tofort him, when suddenly, the door of the ward was kicked open.

 Too Close 509

    I frowned deeply and saw Ronan and Julianne walking in with a look of indignation on their faces.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I told you, you quickly withdraw thewsuit for me, that¡¯s your own brother, not someone else!¡±

    Ronan came in and immediately started yelling at Reynaldo, without showing any concern for his son.

    The serious bias made a touch of anger rise in my heart instantly.

    I was about to go up when Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my hand.

    He shook his head at me, with a touch of self¨Cmockery and a cold sneer on his pale face.

    I looked at him sadly, and my heart clenched tightly.

    He had never felt the warmth of family affection in the Humphrey family since he was young, and now Winston was going to kill him, his so¨Ccalled father even used him for Winston like this.

    If Winston really killed him, Ronan probably wouldn¡¯t shed a tear, not even me Winston in the slightest.

    Although he had a distant rtionship with the Humphrey family and Ronan, after all, he was his father, and his father was so biased and

    heartless, how could he not feel sad.

    Ronan and Julianne burst in one after the other, both full of themselves. and acting as if they owned the ce.

    Chapter509

    Julianne rushed to the bedside and red at Reynaldo with anger and sorrow, saying, ¡°We are family, how could you sue your own brother? Withdraw thewsuit immediately and don¡¯t make a joke in front of

    others.¡±

    Reynaldo gave a cold snort and said, ¡°Who dares to look at jokes?¡±

    Julianne hesitated for a second, then shouted, ¡°Who isn¡¯tughing at the Humphrey family now? You are Winston¡¯s own brother, not only did you maliciously ruin his efforts, but now you want to send him to jail. How evil can your heart be?¡±

    J

    Why didn¡¯t you say Winston was cunning when he wanted to kill his own big brother?

    It¡¯s really funny. It was Winston who started the fight, and it was Winston who has always been jealous of Reynaldo that made himself in such a situation. Yet you still have the nerve to me Reynaldo.

    I couldn¡¯t help but retort, and as soon as the words fell, Julianne twisted her face and shouted at me, ¡°Shut up! You bitch, you have no right to speak here!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you who should shut up!¡±

    Julianne had just finished shouting when Reynaldo coldly spoke up.

    Julianne took a deep breath, then looked at Ronan with a moment of

    grievance.

    Ronan reprimanded Reynaldo in the face, ¡°How you talked to Julianne, apologize to Julianne right away!¡±

    ¡°How did he talk to my wife? You make her apologize to Esmeralda first!¡± Reynaldo said expressionlessly.

    Julianne¡¯s face turned red with anger, her voice raised a few notches,

    37834

    bing sharp and piercing, ¡°Do you want me to apologize to this despicable person? I am your elder.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°Elders should act like elders.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    <b>17 </b>

    Julianne was impatient and wanted to say something, but she was pulled back by Ronan.

    Ronan red at Reynaldo angrily and said, ¡°I won¡¯t discuss anything else with you for now. You need to withdraw thewsuit first. No matter what, Winston is your own brother. You can¡¯t be so heartless.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze, coldly pulling at the bandages on his body, without saying a word.

    Ronan, seeing the situation, became even more impatient, grabbing his shoulder and shouting at him, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, can¡¯t you hear me?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    Seeing Reynaldo tear open his wound, I eximed and forcefully pried his hand open.

    I yelled at Ronan with tears in my eyes, ¡°Winston is your son, isn¡¯t he your son?¡±

 Too Close 510

    In the end, it was Winston who first wanted to kill his big brother. Why do you have the right to ask him to withdraw thewsuit?

    Moreover, it was not him who told¡­¡°.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Reynaldo suddenly shouted at me.

    He raised his eyes slowly and said coldly to Ronan, ¡°If you ask for help, you should do it properly. You have never treated me like a son, and I have never treated you like a father.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Ronan said in anger, unable to speak, but a hint ofplexity shed across his furious face.

    After a while, he softened his tone and said, ¡°How would you be willing to withdraw thewsuit?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered and remained silent.

    Julianne urged, ¡°Just say it, do you need money? Just give me a price.¡±

    ¡°Money?¡± Reynaldo sneered at Julianne, ¡°You think this thing, you have more than me?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Julianne was momentarily rendered speechless by Reynaldo.

    I hung my head and silently applied medicine to Reynaldo¡¯s wound, feeling a sour ache in my heart.

    Didn¡¯t Ronan see that Reynaldo was still so badly injured? He really only

    cared about his youngest son.

    Feeling upset for a moment, I said to them, ¡°Please all of you leave, don¡¯t disturb the patient¡¯s rest.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you jerk, you¡­¡±

    Julianne cursed and raised her hand as if she was going to hit me, but Ronan quickly pulled her back.

    Ronan changed his arrogant attitude just now.

    He looked at Reynaldo with aplex expression and said earnestly, ¡°Reynaldo, I admit that I have neglected you in the past, but it cannot be denied that you are my son, Winston¡¯s older brother.¡±

    Winston, who had been pampered since childhood, couldn¡¯t bear the harsh environment of the jail with such heavy injuries on him.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it to me?¡± Reynaldo chuckled, his expression indifferent.

    Julianne was so angry that her eyes were red: ¡°What are you saying? He is your own brother.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°We didn¡¯te from the same womb, so how are we real brothers?¡±

    ¡°You you you¡­<b>¡± </b>

    This time even Ronan was angry.

    Reynaldo coldly issued a dismissal: ¡°I am going to rest, please leave.¡±

    Ronan didn¡¯t move, looking at him with red eyes, not with sadness and pity, but with anger.

    Julianne pulled on Ronan¡¯s arm, crying in distress, ¡°What are we going to

    Chaptersto

    do? Can you talk to him again? Winston can¡¯t stay in jail any longer.¡±

    Last night someone inside told me that Winston was sick. He was so badly injured, if they don¡¯t let him out soon, he won¡¯t make it.

    You quickly tell him, and that video can¡¯t be made public either. Winston is still so young, he can¡¯t go to jail, he can¡¯t have any stains.¡±

    I stared coldly at Ronan and Julianne.

    They now knew they were in a hurry.

    Just now, that arrogant appearance, just like Reynaldo owed them.

    Ronan furrowed his brows, his face filled with anxiety.

    He spoke to Reynaldo again, ¡°Just consider it a favor, please withdraw thewsuit quickly, okay? We are brothers, it would be so much better if we could live in peace and harmony.¡±

    Reynaldo leaned against the head of the bed andzily said, ¡°Back when I was being bullied by him and the Humphrey family, why didn¡¯t you say how nice it would be for everyone to get along peacefully.¡±

    Ronan pursed his lips, and a hint of guilt finally showed through theplex expression.

    He looked at Reynaldo, his old voice pleading, ¡°In the past, I was the one who wronged you. Tell me, what do you want me to do for you to drop. the charges?¡±

 Too Close 511

    Chapter511

    ¡°How to do it?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled softly and then suddenly nced towards the door.

    I raised my eyes in doubt.

    At the door, a corner of a robe was faintly visible, as if it were Anton.

    ¡°You tell us, what do we have to do for you to let Winston go?¡± Julianne asked urgently, sensing a change in the situation, to Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, his eyes calm as he looked at Ronan, and said word by word, ¡°It¡¯s simple, you go to Mr. Palmer¡¯s grave¡­ and kneel down.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    After hearing this, Ronan was furious, his face contorted as he red at Reynaldo, ¡°You better figure out who your father really is!¡±

    Reynaldoughed sarcastically, ¡°Since you found a new love and had a child out of wedlock, when have you ever treated me like your son?¡±

    You apologized to my mom, that¡¯s fine. My mom left the Humphrey family with a clean break, never owing you anything.

    She finally found happiness, why would you want to destroy it?

    ¡°It was already a mild gesture.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    Ronan yanked at his cor, his eyes bulging with anger, his expression

    contorted and terrifying.

    ¡°Your mom got involved with another man so quickly, didn¡¯t they already have something going on before?¡±

    Not everyone is as morally corrupt as you, being unfaithful in marriage.

    ¡°You were not a good father, let alone a good husband.¡±

    Reynaldo said expressionlessly, with a sneer in his eyes.

    Ronan was so angry that he was shaking all over, and even a terrifying murderous intent appeared in his crimson eyes.

    His hand, gripping Reynaldo¡¯s cor, tightened even more, his elbow pressing on the wound on Reynaldo¡¯s chest, fresh red blood oozing out continuously.

    I was so shocked that my heart was about to jump out, I quickly went to pull Ronan and said, ¡°What are you doing? Let go of him, he is your son, do you want him to die?¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I had just finished speaking when Ronan pushed me away.

    I took several steps back and quickly grabbed onto the wall next to me to barely steady myself.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face turned cold, and he said gloomily, ¡°With just you like. this, do you still expect me to let Winston go?¡±

    Julianne listened and became anxious, quickly pulling Ronan aside: ¡°What are you doing? We came here today for Winston, why are you acting crazy?¡±

    ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t it just going to the grave to kneel down? What¡¯s the big

    deal.¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°You shut up!¡± Ronan yelled at Julianne, leaving herpletely stunned.

    Julianne came to her senses and immediately burst into tears, wailing, ¡°Oh my goodness, I knew it! You¡¯re still thinking about your ex¨Cwife, even though she ran off with someone else. You¡¯re still thinking about. her.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mean anything to you in your heart, Winston. Oh, why am I so unlucky to have followed such an ungrateful person like you.

    Ronan nced at her, his face full of annoyance.

    Julianne insisted stubbornly, ¡°I don¡¯t care, you must save Winston

    anyway.¡±

    You don¡¯t even see what attitude Reynaldo has towards you now, you only have Winston as a son now.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t save him, be careful no one will see you off!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Ronan was so angry that he wanted to hit her, but he managed to restrain himself in the end.

    He looked at Reynaldo gloomily and asked, ¡°Are you going to withdraw thewsuit or not?¡±

    Reynaldo casuallyughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it? I¡¯ll withdraw thewsuit after kneeling down to Mr. Palmer¡¯s grave.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s hand clenched tightly at his side in anger.

 Too Close 512

    Chapter512

    Reynaldo nced coldly and sneered, ¡°If you want to save your beloved son, do as I say, otherwise, the two of you can leave.¡±

    Ronan red at him angrily, not saying a word.

    Julianne anxiously tugged at his arm, ¡°You promised, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s just a few kowtows, what¡¯s the big deal? Is Winston¡¯s life more important than that?¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and agree to him, Winston won¡¯tst long in jail, hurry!¡±

    Ronan was so angry that he almost crushed his fists.

    He red at Reynaldo viciously for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Fine, I promise you, but from now on, you are not my son, nor are you a member of the Humphrey family!¡±

    Reynaldo smiled indifferently and said, ¡°I had long stopped wanting to be a part of the Humphrey family.¡±

    ¡°This is what you said.¡±

    Ronan was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot, with <b>a </b>hint ofplexity mixed in them.

    He left angrily after finishing his words.

    Julianne hurriedly followed out, reminding Reynaldo repeatedly to keep his word before leaving.

    After the two of them left, the ward finally quieted down.

    Chapter512

    I looked at the door of our dynasty, and the hem of the robe was already gone. I didn¡¯t know when Anton left.

    I turned back to check Reynaldo¡¯s wound.

    The wound on his chest was torn open again and again, just pressed by Ronan a moment ago, and now the wound was bloody and messy.

    I shed tears of heartache, ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡±

    I was referring not only to the wound, but also to the heart.

    One¡¯s own biological father treated oneself with such an attitude that anyone would feel sad and upset.

    Reynaldo wiped away the tears on my face and smiled warmly at me, saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, as long as you¡¯re with me, it doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡±

    I looked at him with tears in my eyes, and in that moment, I saw deep love in his eyes.

    He has always liked me like this, and I didn¡¯t feel it at all.

    Luckily, we have now opened our hearts, and everything is still in time.

    In the following years, I was sure that we would be very happy together.

    However, reality is always cruel, and fate will always shatter those happiness when people think it is about toe.

    Later, even though I knew he loved me deeply, I was powerless to continue in this rtionship.

    When I came out of Reynaldo¡¯s ward, I ran into Anton.

    He leaned against the doorway, as if deliberately waiting for me.

    1545

    I walked over, hesitated for a moment, and asked him, ¡°Were you just at the door of the ward?¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t answer me, he just chuckled to himself.

    ¡°I never expected that he would actually make his father apologize to my father at the grave.¡±

    I nced at him and whispered, ¡°Actually, he respected your father a lot.¡±

    ¡°Respect?¡± Anton sneered, ¡°It¡¯s just that his father was a disgrace as a parent, my father was slightly kinder to him, and that¡¯s all there is to the stark contrast.¡±

    I frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°Anyway, he finally got back the apology his father owed to your father, and he was sincere.¡±

    Anton lowered his gaze and looked at me, his eyes slightly cold, ¡°What, do you feel sorry for him?¡±

    I met his slightly cold gaze and did not deny it, just said, ¡°Moreover, isn¡¯t this result exactly what you wanted? Making the father and son turn against each other, severing their rtionship, making both of them. miserable, making the Humphrey family fall apart, isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡±

 Too Close 513

    Otherwise, why would you give Winston our evidence to hurt us, and why would you pretend to be him to warn Winston? What you want is just the effect of today.

    ¡°So, are you satisfied now? Has the hatred in your heart dissipated?¡±

    ¡°Did you ask me if the hatred had disappeared?¡±

    Anton¡¯s face suddenly turned unusually cold.

    He lowered his gaze and stared at me, his eyes cold and terrifying.

    My father was killed by his father, my mother was also driven to death by his mother, and I was left destitute by them.

    ¡°Did you really ask me if my hatred has dissipated? Do you think my hatred can be dissipated?¡±

    He approached me step by step, his eyes full of hatred, chillingly cold..

    I unconsciously stepped back, tensely asking, ¡°So¡­ what do you want?¡±

    ¡°I thought, what do I want?¡± Anton suddenlyughed sadly, ¡°What do you think I want? I want them to pay with their lives¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said urgently, ¡°Reynaldo is innocent. He shouldn¡¯t have to bear the grudges of the previous generation, especially since your mother is not¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when a low drink suddenly came.

    Immediately, my back pressed against a familiar chest.

    Chapter513

    A strong arm wrapped around my waist, bringing a sense of security.

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo.

    He looked at Anton with a deep gaze and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the people who hurt you are the Humphrey family. Don¡¯t take your anger out on Esmeralda.¡±

    Anton sneered, ¡°When did you start defending her like this? Don¡¯t forget, when you were young, you always bullied her. Otherwise, how could she hate you so much?¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo in confusion, my mind still nk about that

    memory.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips tightly, his expression cold.

    But I felt his hand around my waist tighten slightly.

    Anton sneered, ¡°She was so disgusted by you back then, you should know that.¡±

    ¡°She just forgot for now, but once she remembers, do you think she will still like you?¡±

    The man¡¯s body stiffened, and his hand around my waist suddenly slowly withdrew.

    I panicked and quickly grabbed his hand, saying to Anton, ¡°Since some things have been forgotten, there is no need to remember them again. I only know that the person I like now is Reynaldo, and will be in the future.¡±

    ¡°Is there no need to think about it anymore?¡±

    Anton sneered at me coldly, his eyes momentarily turning crimson.

    Chapter$13:

    17

    He stared at me straight, with resentment in his eyes: ¡°You once said that you hated him the most, you said you liked me, you said you would be with me in the future, you told me not to forget you.¡±

    But now, you actually told me that you like him, and it will be him in the future.

    ¡°Esmeralda, are you even lying to me?¡±

    Anton¡¯s body was filled with a terrifying gloom as he approached me.

    I unconsciously stepped back, my back once again against Reynaldo¡¯s chest.

    Reynaldo suddenly took two steps forward and stood in front of me.

    He looked at Anton lightly and said, ¡°Sometimes, forgetting may be fate. and you shouldn¡¯t push it so hard.¡±

    ¡°Did I insist?¡±

    Anton suddenly burst intoughter, with a sneer on his face, ¡°Reynaldo, was it me who insisted or you who insisted?¡±

    She clearly despised you, but you insisted on forcing a rtionship with her while she remembered nothing.

    ¡°You are just like your parents, cunning and despicable.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly clenched the hand at his side, his expression stiff.

    I snapped at Anton, ¡°Enough, stop talking. No matter what, now I am married to him and he is the only one in my heart.¡±

 Too Close 514

    As for the promise made by the young man you mentioned, consider it my apology to you.

    Anton red at me sullenly, his eyes filled with resentment almost drowning me.

    Actually, looking at his eyes like that, I felt a bit sour and ufortable in my heart, and I would feel very guilty.

    But there was no way, I preferred Reynaldo more, I didn¡¯t want to make Reynaldo sad.

    I avoided eye contact, not daring to meet Anton¡¯s gaze, just pulling Reynaldo, wanting him to go back to the ward to rest.

    Anton suddenlyughed at Reynaldo with a sinister tone, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you promised my father to take care of Kimberly for the rest of her life.¡±

    Reynaldo stopped in his tracks, without looking back, and said in a t tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as her brother, I will take care of her for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°But what she wanted was never sibling affection.¡±

    ¡°But I have always just treated her as a sister,¡± Reynaldo said, taking my hand and intertwining our fingers.

    He turned to Anton and said, ¡°You should know that Esmeralda has always been the one in my heart, and it has never changed.¡±

    Anton stared at him heavily, the hatred in his eyes was so intense and terrifying.

    ¡±

    ¡°Your mother stole my husband, and you stole my woman. You and your mother are really¡­ despicable.¡±

    ¡°Anton!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but mutter under my breath.

    Anton sneered and shot me a resentful nce before turning around and, leaving.

    Back in the ward, Reynaldo and I were both silent.

    I nced at him and whispered, ¡°As for what Anton said, don¡¯t take it to heart. The matters of the previous generation have nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°Mm,¡± Reynaldo responded softly, without saying anything else.

    I helped him to the bed and said to him, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy some food and be back soon.¡±

    However, as I straightened up, Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my wrist.

    I looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes were dark and gloomy, his mood a little low, looking me hesitantly.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Tell me,¡±

    at

    He pursed his lips before speaking, ¡°That night at the ss reunion, I was actually afraid that you would be taken away by someone else, so I used some means to forcibly establish a rtionship with you.¡±

    As Anton said, ¡°I was indeed cunning and despicable.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I didn¡¯t me you.¡±

    Chapter514

    If I had known this truth when I still disliked him very much, I would have despised him even more and looked down on him even more.

    Things are different now.

    I liked him now, he is in my heart and eyes.

    I bent down, wrapped my arms around his neck, and smiled at him, ¡°Luckily you made the first move back then, otherwise I would have be someone else¡¯s wife.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply and said, ¡°So, I don¡¯t regret at all, even if you hate me in the future, I don¡¯t regret doing this.¡±

    ¡°I could never hate you.¡± I kissed his lips.

    It was obvious that the man¡¯s body stiffened, and the sadness and sorrow in his eyes slowly dissipated, finally turning into a glimmer of light.

    I looked into his eyes and said, ¡°Reynaldo, even though I really disliked you when I was young and liked Anton, it¡¯s different now.¡±

    I now clearly know that the one I like is only you.

    Even ifter I remember the time of my youth, my heart will not change.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes grew deeper, his low voice tense and suppressed: ¡°This is what you said, don¡¯t lie to me again.¡±

    1545

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, he just turned around and walked towards the parking lot.

    After walking a few steps and seeing that I hadn¡¯t caught up, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and said, ¡°What? Are you afraid I¡¯ll hurt you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said as I walked towards him.

    He helped me so many times, even in a situation where he hated Reynaldo so much, he still saved Reynaldo for me.

    So, for him. I was trusted.

    But still couldn¡¯t help but feel doubtful in my heart.

    Getting on the car, I couldn¡¯t help but ask him again, ¡°Where exactly are you taking me?¡±

    ¡°Once you go, you¡¯ll know,¡± Anton said lightly, then started the car.

    Seeing that he had nothing to say, I stopped asking and just sent a message to Reynaldo on my phone.

    This phone was confiscated by Reynaldo when he imprisoned me before, and he didn¡¯t give it back to me untilst night when he asked Johnathan to bring it to me.

    There were countless missed calls on my phone, most of them from Vonnie and my family.

    After Reynaldo¡¯s injuries stabilized, I went home to see my parents.

    I heard Quentin say before that my dad¡¯s investments were showing signs of improvement, but I don¡¯t know how they are now.

    I leaned back in the chair, my thoughts drifting.

 Too Close 515

    The faint sound of a cell phone suddenly brought me back to reality.

    I lowered my gaze and saw that Reynaldo had replied to me.

    What I just sent to him was: Anton is taking me to a ce, I wille backter to be with you.

    After that, a cute emoji was added at the end.

    He replied to me: ¡°Where does Anton want to take you?¡±

    looked out of the window and saw that the car had already left the city. and was heading towards the outskirts.

    I looked at Anton again and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    Anton¡¯s face was cold and he still had a look of unwillingness to speak.

    <b>I </b>pursed my lips, ready to reply to Reynaldo, when he suddenly said, ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s father is going to kneel down at my father¡¯s grave today, so I want to take you to see.¡±

    I was stunned for a second and asked, ¡°Where is your father buried?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still the same small town.¡±

    Anton said, then suddenlyughed, theughter inexplicably sad, ¡°We all came out of that small town, only my father¡­ stayed there forever.¡±

    I lowered my gaze and asked no more.

    Before long, Reynaldo¡¯s phone rang, and I suddenly remembered that I hadn¡¯t replied to him yet.

    I quickly answered the phone.

 Too Close 516

    Chapter516

    Reynaldo¡¯s anxious voice came instantly from the other end of the phone, ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    He knew he was worried about me.

    I busily smiled at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to be nervous. Anton just took me back to that small town to see his father.¡±

    The other end of the phone suddenly fell silent.

    I called out to him in confusion, ¡°Reynaldo?¡±

    The man remained silent. Just when I thought the call had been disconnected, he suddenly spoke in a low voice, ¡°Got it, take care of yourself.¡±

    ¡°Well, I quickly¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he hung up the phone.

    I stared nkly at the darkened screen of my phone.

    What¡¯s wrong? Is he angry again?

    But haven¡¯t we already opened our hearts and promised to trust each other in the future?

    Why was he being so petty again?

    With a heavy heart, Anton suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°Was he panicking?¡±

    I frowned and looked at Anton, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    <b>Chapter </b>16

    ¡°That small town, carrying our memories of youth, he¡¯s afraid you¡¯ll remember.¡±

    That is to say, I met them in that small town.

    Could it really be the small town where my grandmother lived?

    I lowered my gaze, with a hint of curiosity rising in my heart.

    The town was about a three¨Chour drive from the city.

    I slept in the car, and when I woke up, the car was almost entering the small town.

    Although I didn¡¯t visit my grandmother¡¯s house often, all the roads leading to the small town have undergone significant changes.

    But as the car drove into the small town, I immediately recognized it ¨C this was the town where my grandmother lived.

    The sign at the entrance of the vige still looks the same as in my

    memory.

    A sudden excitement surged in my heart.

    Iy on the window, excitedly looking at the scenes on both sides of the

    street.

    However, many low houses and tile houses in memory have now turned into high¨Crise buildings.

    The once scattered small grocery store has now be a neat and orderly shop.

    Now, apletely new scene, there is no longer the nostalgia of childhood.

    Chapas16

    The excitement in my heart dissipated little by little.

    I leaned back in the chair, feeling a little down in my heart..

    That year, my grandmother was taken to Freybourne by my parents. because she was sick.

    11

    Even the medical facilities in big cities couldn¡¯t cure my grandmother¡¯s illness.

    Two yearster, my grandmother passed away.

    Now my grandmother is no longer in this small town, this small town is just a strange town to me.

    Anton¡¯s car suddenly stopped, and I asked him in confusion, ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to go see your father?¡±

    ¡°No rush, let¡¯s eat first.¡±

    Anton got out of the car as he spoke.

    I also got off the bus.

    In front of me was a small restaurant.

    When I walked in with Anton, thendy gave us an extra look.

    I thought it was because Anton was too good¨Clooking.

    It turned out that thendy knew us unexpectedly.

    She said, ¡°Oh, is this Anton with Esmeralda?¡±

    I looked at Anton in shock.

    Anton smiled and nodded at thendy, then pulled me into the

    restaurant.

    Chapter516

    I couldn¡¯t contain my astonishment and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s going on? How does she know us?¡±

    ¡°During that time, we used toe here often for meals, and your favorite dish was their spaghetti.¡±

    Anton whispered, nced around, and murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this restaurant to still be here, but it¡¯s just not quite the same as before.¡±

 Too Close 517

    I furrowed my brows and looked around, but I didn¡¯t have any impression.

    As Anton said, my favorite food to eat was spaghetti.

    So none of us ordered, and thendy brought over a bowl of spaghetti and a bowl of risotto directly.

    ¡°Esmeralda, you liked tomato sauce, so I put extra for you. Enjoy it.¡±

    The bossdy smiled kindly at me, and I quickly smiled back and nodded.

    at her.

    Thendy looked at Anton again and sighed, ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t believe after so many years I still get to see you twoe back together. Are you two together now?¡±

    I didn¡¯t make a sound.

    Anton said, ¡°Auntie, help me get two bottles of juice.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± The bossdy replied warmly and quickly brought over two bottles of juice.

    She helped us open the lid and said, ¡°I remember there was a Reynaldo, that child was so strange, he liked to eat tortis, but always came to pack spaghetti.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, vaguely recalling something, but the images shing through my mind were always too jumbled and chaotic for me to see anything clearly.

    Anton saw me holding my head in distress and couldn¡¯t help but say to

    <b>1000 </b>

    thendy, ¡°We just came back to take a look. You go ahead and get busy.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±

    After the bossdy left, Anton handed me a ss of water and asked anxiously, ¡°Esmeralda, are you okay?¡±

    I drank some water and took a slight pause before saying to him, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a slight headache.¡±

    Anton pursed his lips, and after a moment of silence, he said, ¡°If you really can¡¯t remember, then just forget about it.¡±

    I lifted my head and saw his slightly turned profile, with a faint touch of sadness and loss.

    After finishing the noodles, Anton took me to the outskirts.

    Some fields and ponds remained the same as before.

    I even remember that stretch of reeds.

    In the summer, my grandmother even took me to the reed marsh to pull reeds. They said it could kill mosquitoes and insects.

    But why do I remember the countryside ponds and fields, remember the reed marshes, but just don¡¯t remember Anton and Reynaldo.

    It can now be almost certain that I stayed with my grandmother that year

    and then met them.

    But why, I just forgot them again.

    What exactly happened among them?

    I saw a familiar hillside, where my grandmother used to take me to graze

    Chapter517

    the cows. The grass there was the lushest.

    Grandma¡¯s little white dog would often follow along, rolling around contentedly in the grass.

    Looking at the familiar scene in front of me, all that shed through my mind were memories of the past with my grandmother.

    But why is it just without them.

    Past memories fluttered in my mind, unresolved doubts lingered in my heart, and eventually woven into an irritable web.

    I lowered my head and pressed my eyebrows, feeling ufortable.

    Anton nced at me and then slowly stopped the car.

    He looked at me sadly and said, ¡°Is that memory so painful for you? Do you have to forget it sopletely that even remembering it is so painful?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head, breathing heavily in difort.

    Anton rolled down the car window and murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after we visit my father¡¯s grave, I will take you back.¡±

    He finished speaking and then started the car.

    The cold wind from the suburbs poured into the car, making my head a little clearer, but those forgotten things, still couldn¡¯t be remembered at

    all.

    The car slowly drove into a narrow path.

 Too Close 518

    Chapter <b>518 </b>

    Far away, I saw a solitary grave in a deste field.

    In front of the lonely grave, there were still two figures standing.

    The two figures were indeed Ronan and Julianne.

    Ronan looked down at the grave in front of him, his expression stiff.

    Julianne pushed him hard, as if urging him to kneel down quickly.

    Ronan¡¯s face darkened, as if he had been holding back for a long time, before slowly kneeling down.

    Julianne quickly took out her phone to take a picture, as if to keep it as evidence to show Reynaldo when she got back.

    Anton looked ahead and suddenlyughed, his tone full of sarcasm.

    Look, Mr. Humphrey really doted on Winston.

    A cunning and selfish person like him actually knelt at my father¡¯s grave for Winston.

    ¡°Wow, to be honest, I kind of feel sorry for Reynaldo, his existence is really sad.¡±

    I felt particrly ufortable hearing this.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°His existence is not sad at all, loving him is enough for me.¡±

    Anton¡¯s hand on the steering wheel tightened suddenly.

    He suddenly looked at me heavily, his eyes filled with such coldness and

    resentment.

    ¡°Do you remember, you once said that as long as you love me, it¡¯s enough, but now you actually¡­ hehehe¡­¡±

    Heughed at himself, and hisughter sounded particrly deste and sad in this deste countryside.

    At that time, my parents divorced, and my mother lived in resentment all day, ignoring me and Kimberly.

    The father devoted himself to pleasing that woman, going to great lengths. to please Reynaldo for her.

    At that time, I met you.

    I told you that I should not have existed in this world, my existence is a kind of sadness.

    ¡°What did you say to me¡­¡±

    Anton smiled at me, tears streaming down his face, his eyes bloodshot.

    You said you would always be by my side, you said having your love was enough, but now you are doing this for what Reynaldo said.

    When I was young, he took away my father, why now even you have to stand on his side, why?

    At this moment, he suddenly grabbed my shoulder and shouted at me. emotionally, ¡°Why? Why have you changed too?¡±

    ¡°Anton!¡±

    I struggled to break free from his hand, leaning against the car door, looking at him in shock.

    Chapter518

    Anton stared at me heavily, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying, but a touch of sadness and self¨Cmockery curled his lips.

    ¡°Originally, my existence was the most tragic.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to think like that,¡± I said cautiously, ¡°It¡¯s not necessary for others to love you in order for your existence to have meaning. You can also love yourself, and you can also love others.¡±

    And your fans, they all loved you so much, how could your existence possibly be sad?

    Anton, there are many sad things in the world, life is short, forgive yourself, don¡¯t let yourself live in sadness and hatred all the time, okay?

    Anton stared at me intensely, his crimson eyes seemed to want to devour<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    He chuckled and said, ¡°You used to advise me like this before, but in the end, you also deceived me.¡±

    ¡°Anton¡­¡±

    Anton chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly and got out of the car.

    I watched his tall and lonely figure, feeling ufortable in my heart.

    I also hated myself for being useless, why couldn¡¯t I remember that

    memory.

    If I could remember, at least I could understand what happened back then, at least I could face him and rify those feelings face to face.

    He also had a hope that persisted, believing that as long as he could remember, he could go back to his youth with him.

 Too Close 519

    Anton leaned against the front of the car and smoked.

    Ronan was kneeling down towards Theodore¡¯s tombstone.

    He tried to get up several times, but was pushed back down by Julianne.

    I opened the car door and got out. Anton nced at me, then walked towards the grave.

    As we walked past, Ronan stood up and Julianne couldn¡¯t press it down.

    Julianne saw the situation and didn¡¯t insist anymore. She quickly said to me and Anton, ¡°You both saw it, he did indeed kneel down to this grave. When you go back, make sure to ask Reynaldo to drop thewsuit.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    Anton¡¯s cold gaze fell on Ronan.

    He blew a smoke ring and chuckled, ¡°Why does Mr. Humphrey seem so unwilling? What, is <b>it </b>so difficult for you to apologize to my father?¡±

    Ronan red coldly at Anton and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already knelt and knocked my head, what more do you want?¡±

    Well, you knelt down and kowtowed, but this reluctant apology, I don¡¯t think my father will ept it.

    It looks like I¡¯ll have to go back and talk to Reynaldo, can¡¯t withdraw thewsuit casily¡­¡±

    Julianne heard this, she immediately became anxious, and quickly

    Chapter <b>19 </b>

    grabbed Ronan¡¯s arm, crying out, ¡°You must kneel down quickly, repent sincerely to the people inside, I have told you earlier, you must be sincere, be sincere, quickly!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Ronan impatiently pushed Julianne aside, ring angrily at

    Anton.

    Antonughed casually, ¡°Since Mr. Humphrey is unwilling, we won¡¯t force it. After all, the pleasure of tormenting your son is much stronger than you apologizing here.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Ronan eximed, his face turning red with anger.

    Anton smiled at me and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should also tell Reynaldo about the situation here, so that someone doesn¡¯t think that just taking a photo can prove everything.¡±

    Anton said, pulling me along as if to leave.

    Julianne shouted in distress.

    Ronan finally softened his attitude and gritted his teeth, saying, ¡°Okay, I repent again!¡±

    With that, he knelt down in front of the tombstone.

    Anton drooped his eyelids and looked at him contemptuously, ¡°Remember, you must sincerely repent, otherwise, my father will not

    hear.¡±

    Julianne had also been emphasizing by his side.

    Ronan¡¯s face turned red with anger, he had probably never experienced such humiliation in his entire life.

    The bad things done in the past will always be repaid in the end.

    As Anton said, just making him kneel down and apologize in front of the tombstone was already considered lenient towards him.

    After Ronan bumped his head, he left angrily.

    Julianne urgently emphasized to us for quite a while that we must persuade Reynaldo to withdraw thewsuit.

    I nodded at her, and she finally agreed to leave.

    The deste outskirts finally quieted down.

    Anton suddenly took out a bunch of white chrysanthemums and ced them in front of the tombstone.

    On the tombstone, there was a handsome and rugged photo of the man, with a gentle smile.

    Anton didn¡¯t look much like his father, he should have looked more like

    his mother.

    Anton squatted down and quietly looked at the photo on the tombstone.

    As he watched, his eyes welled up with tears.

    I couldn¡¯t bear to see this scene.

    I turned away, feeling sad in my heart.

    Anton squatted in front of the tombstone for a long time before finally getting up to take me away.

    When I got on the car, I turned back and nced at the grave.

    In the deste outskirts, the lonely graves appeared even more deste

    and sad.

    15.461

    Chaptersis

    The car drove along the country road, and I saw the reed marsh again, thinking of my grandmother and recalling those hot yet cozy days.

 Too Close 520

    I asked Anton, ¡°Are we going back now?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Anton replied softly.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Can I¡­ go visit my grandmother¡¯s house first?¡±

    I don¡¯t know what grandma¡¯s small courtyard looks like now.

    When it got dark. I used to lie in the yard and count the stars.

    Grandma would bring me all kinds of fruits, with reeds burning beside to drive away the snakes, insects, mice, and ants.

    The fragrance of gardenia lingered in the courtyard, refreshing and calming.

    However, memories are always beautiful. Returning to reality, looking at the dpidated courtyard in front of me, my tears fell down all of a sudden.

    The wooden door was crooked and twisted, and it fell down with a push, thick dust flying up and blurring the sight in front of me.

    Anton stood in front of me, kicking away the weeds in the yard first.

    He led me into the yard, and the familiar setting brought back many

    memories.

    The beauty in my mind contrasted sharply with the destion in front of me, and my heart felt sad as well.

    Grandma is gone, that warmth and beauty, can never go back.

    Chapter520

    There was an orange tree in the yard, the tree grew very big, and the ground was covered with traces of rotten oranges.

    Anton stood by the orange tree, surprised and said, ¡°This tree is still here.¡±

    I looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Because this is what I nted.¡± He smiled at me and added, ¡°It¡¯s what we nted together.¡±

    I eximed, ¡°Did we nt it together?¡±

    Anton nodded, his gentle eyes and eyebrows seemed to be recalling something.

    There seemed to be carved marks on the trunk, so I crouched down and looked carefully. The names carved on it were none other than mine and

    Anton¡¯s.

    Anton reached out and touched the handwriting, saying to me, ¡°This is still the one you carved yourself. Do you remember?¡±

    I stared nkly at the handwriting, some fragmented and blurry images. churned in my mind.

    Will our names still be on it when this tree grows up?

    Definitely, we wille back to see then.

    Who was speaking, and who was making innocent promises.

    My head started to ache again.

    I closed my eyes tightly and took deep breaths in difort.

    Anton gently patted my back and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, just

    forget it.¡±

    He paused, then chuckled softly, ¡°Although I really hope you can remember that time, but if you really can¡¯t remember, I won¡¯t me you, after all, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±

    I slowly raised my eyes to look at him.

    Anton smiled gently at me, but there was still a hint of sadness and self- mockery hidden in his eyes.

    He got up and walked into the room.

    I reached out and touched the name on the tree trunk, then got up and followed.

    Grandma¡¯s house was a two¨Cstory attic.

    At that time, both my grandmother and I slept upstairs. The night breeze carried the scent of flowers into the window, which smelled particrly good.

    Now the corridor was full of dust and messy cobwebs.

    The table in the room was in a state of disrepair, and the bowl of the small white dog was still at the foot of the table, so dirty that its original color could not be seen.

    When grandma was taken to Freybourne, she took the little white dog with her.

    Just after my grandmother passed away, the little white dog also died not long after.

 Too Close 521

    I remember back then I begged my family to bury the little white dog next to my grandmother, and I knelt in front of the tombstone crying for a long, long time.

    Looking back now, the memories of being with my grandmother are as clear as if it were yesterday.

    But there was not a trace of memory about Anton and Reynaldo.

    Anton led me upstairs, where many old portraits were hanging in the hallway, including a photo of me with my grandmother, <b>a </b>photo of me with a little white dog, and others.

    I stopped in front of a portrait.

    In the portrait is a photo of me with two young boys.

    The portrait was covered in dust, looking blurry and unclear.

    I wiped my hand, and the next second, I waspletely stunned.

    Those <b>two </b>young men were none other than Anton and Reynaldo in their youth.

    In the photo, I was holding Anton¡¯s arm, smiling brightly, while Anton was smiling shyly.

    Looking <b>at </b>Reynaldo again, he stood coldly on the side, as if deliberately keeping his distance from me, his unwilling face seeming as if someone had forced him to take this picture.

    I looked at Anton in shock and said, ¡°This photo¡­¡±

    ¡°This was taken by your grandmother for us,¡± Anton took the photo down and smiled at me, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her toter have the photo developed and hung it here.¡±

    I took the photo frame and looked at the person in the picture in disbelief.

    Just from looking at this photo, it seems like I really liked Anton back then, and didn¡¯t like Reynaldo.

    And Reynaldo didn¡¯t seem to like me either.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, go up and take a look,¡± Anton said, bending down to clean the hallway. >

    I collected several portraits and followed him upstairs.

    Although I didn¡¯t live with my grandmother for a long time, this dpidated house holds many beautiful memories for me.

    I didn¡¯t have any feelings in my heart beforeing back here.

    Upon returning here, those memories came flooding back, the warmth and beauty that can never be returned, all eventually turned into sadness, lingering in this dpidated house.

    The potted nts on the balcony had long died. I still remember, they were bought by me for my grandmother.

    I pushed open the window on the balcony, and dust fluttered down.

    Anton came over and helped me fan the dust.

    He stood beside me, looking into the distance, murmuring, ¡°The town has really changed a lot.¡±

    Indeed, in the past, I used to stand by the window and all I could see were low buildings. If I leaped over the buildings, I could see the mountains in

    16 ?

    Chapter521

    the distance.

    When the sun was setting, the balcony was filled <b>with </b>golden light, beautiful and magnificent, the whole town was beautiful and peaceful.

    Now, the distant mountains are no longer visible, all that can be seen are towering buildings.

    Grandma¡¯s house was on the edge of the vige, not yet renovated much. Who knows, in a few years, this house might also be demolished and leveled.

    Thinking of these, I always feel a little sad in my heart, and couldn¡¯t help but hold the picture in my arms tightly.

    Fortunately, I came today and was able to take these rare portraits back with me.

    Anton suddenly raised his finger and pointed to a distance.

    He said lightly, ¡°At that time, Reynaldo and I were living there, at the other end of the town. I used to cross the whole town toe and y with you.¡±

    He said, looking at me with a faint smile of sadness, ¡°It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t remember.

 Too Close 522

    Chapter522

    Anton and I arrived at his former home.

    As he said, I lived with my grandmother at one end of the small town, and he lived with Reynaldo at the other end of the small town.

    In front of me was a rtively new three¨Cstory attic with a small courtyard.

    Reynaldo¡¯s mother and Kimberly were supposed to still be living here. before, they were just taken to Freybourne by Reynaldo not long ago.

    Otherwise, the house wouldn¡¯t be so new.

    Anton pushed the door open.

    I looked around.

    The courtyard was well¨Ckept, with traces of vegetables having been grown nearby. The flowers in the corner of the wall were still alive, with a few

    ha

    in bloom.

    Anton looked around like me, and after a while, he chuckled lightly, with

    no emotion in his tone.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been back here for many years, and I didn¡¯t expect it to still look the same, without any changes.¡±

    ¡°The old house after all carried some beautiful memories, when people are gone, many things are reluctant to move.¡±

    Anton sneered, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, my father wouldn¡¯t have died. Seeing things reminds me of people, but what moves me is only myself.¡±

    Chapter5zz

    I looked at his back, feelingplex in my heart.

    11

    He poured out his hatred and used me of forgetting him, and I did feel a little sorry for him in my heart..

    From an emotional perspective, what I liked was Reynaldo. I hoped more that he could let go of his hatred, forgive Reynaldo¡¯s mother, and be brothers with Reynaldo again.

    However, my wish was almost impossible to achieve.

    I hung my head in frustration and followed him into the house.

    Anton took me directly to the third floor.

    On the third floor, there are two rooms next to each other, with a balcony in front.

    He pushed open one of the rooms and said, ¡°I used to live here, Reynaldo lived next to me.¡±

    After hearing that, I instinctively looked towards the room next to me.

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t go in with him, Anton couldn¡¯t help but look back at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    His gaze followed mine to Reynaldo¡¯s room, and he chuckled, ¡°What? Do you want to go see his room?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Anton pursed his lips, then backed out and pushed open Reynaldo¡¯s room.

    Winter nights fall quickly, and the sky outside has already darkened.

    As the door was pushed open, the room was dark.

    Anton casually turned on the light.

    I looked up and saw that the room was simple and clean.

    The desk by the window was piled with books, and there was a small deskmp on the table, creating a strong atmosphere of reading.

    Reynaldo should have returned to the Humphrey¡¯s house very early, he hadn¡¯t been back here for many years.

    However, the room was still very clean, with no dust at all.

    I walked to the desk and casually flipped through it.

    Reynaldo¡¯s previous homework and notes instantly came into view.

    The man¡¯s handwriting has been very neat and clean since that time, with strong and vigorous strokes.

    I looked at the chair in front of the table, and in my mind, the scene of the boy studying at the table involuntarily appeared, causing a slight smile to appear on my lips.

    Anton¡¯s voice suddenly brought me back to my senses.

    You used toe here to y with us as well, but back then you never went into his room.

    Every time you came, you stayed in my room with me.

    ¡°Times have changed, and some things are just not the same anymore.¡±

    In the end, Anton chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly.

 Too Close 523

    Chapter523

    I looked at him, but he had already turned and walked out.

    I watched his back as he walked away, feeling a bit ufortable in my heart.

    Reynaldo¡¯s room didn¡¯t have much to see, just some things on the desk.

    I sat down on the chair, flipping through the man¡¯s old books and exercise books.

    A thick stack of exam papers, each subject scored full marks.

    Although he was a top student with excellent moral character, after returning to the Humphrey¡¯s house, he had to deliberately conceal his brilliance and be a student that everyone shook their heads at, a

    failure.

    I seemed to feel his hardships and sorrows at that time..

    The more I learned about Reynaldo¡¯s past, the more my heart ached for

    him.

    I was flipping through his notebook when I identally found a sketch. tucked inside.

    I curiously picked up the sketch and found, to my surprise, that the sketch was of me

    The heartbeat quickened slightly, and a hint of sweetness slowly rose int

    the heart.

    I didn¡¯t expect that at the time, Reynaldo secretly drew a sketch of me.

    Chapter523

    Has he had a crush on me since then?

    11

    But he was really silly. Since he had a crush on me, why was he always so cold to me, making me think he hated me all the time.

    I put away the sketches and then stayed in Reynaldo¡¯s room for a while before going to find Anton.

    Anton was leaning against the window, staring nkly outside.

    Theyout of the two rooms was the same, and Anton¡¯s desk was also piled with books.

    I walked over, about to speak, when he suddenly looked at me and said lightly, ¡°The sky ispletely dark now, the roads outside the suburbs. are narrow and winding, visibility is also poor. Let¡¯s just sleep here tonight, and I¡¯ll take you back in the morning.¡±

    I nodded.

    He got up again and quickly made the bed by taking out the bedding from the cab.

    ¡°You can sleep in my room.

    ¡°And what about you?¡± I asked instinctively.

    He smiled nonchntly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I can sleep anywhere, even on the sofa downstairs.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything else either. I was afraid that if I said too much, he would think I wanted to sleep in Reynaldo¡¯s room.

    ¡°¡°¡°¡±

    After Anton made the bed, he turned to me and said, ¡°You look very tired. I¡¯ll go out and buy dinner. You should wash up and go to bed early.¡±

    I nodded and watched him leave.

    It was very cold on the winter night, and Lonly fell warm after pulling the

    curtains

    I didn¡¯t take a shower, I just washed my face, soaked my feet, and theny down on the bed.

    I took out my phone and opened the chat interface with Reynaldo,

    On the interfice, it was still the morning when he sent me the message ¡°Where does Anton want to take you?¡± and then there was no further

    response.

    Throughout the whole day, he never sent me any other messages, nor did he give me a call.

    I didn¡¯t know if he fell asleep in the hospital, didn¡¯t y with his phone, or was angry with me.

    It was obviously not the first renson.

    He couldn¡¯t go a whole day without looking at his phone.

    I sighed softly and sent him a message.

    What are you doing?

    There was no reply for a long time.

    I stared at my phone and waited for a few more minutes, but Reynaldo¡¯s reply didn¡¯te. Instend, I ended up filling asleep waiting.

    Feeling dizzy and heavy¨Cheaded, with a throbbing headache.

 Too Close 524

    Chapter524

    I snuggled into the quilt, closed my eyes, and soon fell asleep.

    Perhaps because I was in a strange new ce, feeling insecure, I slept very restlessly.

    There always seemed to be various sounds lingering in my ears.

    Those voices, strange and urgent.

    Run, Esmeralda, run quickly¡­

    What do we do, we run together, and we¡¯ll be fine when we get to town.

    Hehe, these two children look so delicate, they must fetch a good price. Quickly grab them, don¡¯t let them escape..

    I don¡¯t know if I was dreaming or what, but it felt like a movie was ying in my head, shing countless images.

    Those images were blurry and messy.

    I seemed to see two fierce and evil¨Clooking men chasing me.

    A boy kept pulling me and running.

    I was eager to see his face clearly, but it always seemed like there was a dark mist blocking my view.

    I couldn¡¯t run anymore and I sat on the ground crying.

    The young man then turned around to look at me.

    At that moment, I suddenly saw it clearly.

    It¡¯s Anton!

    The boy who was pulling me and running forward desperately was Anton!

    Ile saw that I couldn¡¯t run anymore and was squatting on the ground, so he said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be afraid, I will protect you.¡±

    He turned back to stop the two men and shouted at me to run quickly.

    When I turned my head to look, the sight in front of me became blurry again.

    I seemed to see two young boys standing in front of those two fierce and evil men.

    Both of them told me to run faster.

    In the midst of chaos, I caught a glimpse of blood.

    The bright red blood was terrifying.

    Then one of the young men, with a thin and weak body, fell straight to the ground.

    I was greatly shocked.

    Who got hurt?

    Was it Anton? Was Anton injured?

    ¡°Anton! Anton¡­¡±

    I kept murmuring in my mouth, suddenly, a sharp pain came from my wrist, as if someone was squeezing my wrist hard.

    I suddenly opened my eyes, only to be met with a gloomy handsome face, those cold eyes shining with a terrifying crimson.

    I sat up in a panic, clutching the nket in front of me, and looked at the man in front of me in shock.

    ¡°Reynaldo, how did youe?¡±

    The man was still holding onto my wrist.

    His expression was restrained, but his whole body exuded gloom.

    I twisted my wrist, which he had pinched and hurt, frowned and looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t say anything, he just stared at me.

    There was anger, disappointment, and sadness in his eyes.

    I quickly exined to him, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, I didn¡¯t do anything with Anton. Today, I just went to see his father with him, and then I stayed in my grandmother¡¯s house for a long time.¡±

    The night fell quickly that day, and the road back to Freybourne was long and difficult, so we decided to stay here for the night.

    ¡°You used to live here too, right? I just went to your room to take a look.¡±

    Reynaldo still didn¡¯t say anything, and the look in his eyes made me a little scared.

    I couldn¡¯t help but shake his arm, ¡°Reynaldo, what¡¯s wrong with you? Didn¡¯t we agree on something before? You can¡¯t be so sulky.¡±

    ¡°Have you¡­ remembered everything?¡±

    Reynaldo finally spoke, his voice tense, but what he said was words I couldn¡¯t understand.

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    60 75%

    Chapter524

    ¡°During your youth, your past with Anton<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

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    Chapter525

    I shook my head hastily, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know. I only found out when I came here that I met you guys in this small town back then, and your house is so close to my grandmother¡¯s house.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking, his dark eyes making me feel at little uneasy.

    held his arm and softened my voice, ¡°Reynaldo, what¡¯s wrong with you? Do you not like me going out alone with Anton?¡±

    I won¡¯t go out with him in the future, okay? Please don¡¯t be angry.

    ¡°By the way, how is your injury? How could you just run out of the hospital like that?¡±

    I said, and then I pulled open his clothes, anxiously to see his wound.

    Fortunately, this time the wound did not open up, and the gauze was wrapped up nicely.

    Why did hee here instead of staying in the hospital and resting properly with such serious injuries?

    Is it because you are worried about us?

    Just then, Reynaldo suddenly nudged me slightly.

    His voice was cold and deep, with a touch of self¨Cmockery: ¡°Do you know how many times you just called Anton¡¯s name in your dream?¡±

    I was stunned, instantly recalling the scene in my dream.

    Chapter535

    I hurriedly exined, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°I never knew that Anton was so important to you.¡±

    I had just started speaking when Reynaldo interrupted me.

    Although he was smiling, his face was filled with sadness: ¡°Even though you haven¡¯t remembered that memory, but you see, deep down you still care about him.¡±

    In the past it was Winston, now it is Anton, in your dreams, it seems like I have never been there.

    Still, I never really entered your heart.

    The so¨Ccalled ¡®liking¡® is just because I risked my life to save you, and you are grateful.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I anxiously denied, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t overthink like this, okay?¡±

    I said, ¡°I have always liked only you, only you, why do you always have to overthink it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you have said countless times that you hate me, you disgust me.

    Reynaldo suddenly let out a low growl, his chest slightly heaving, hist eyes crimson, his expression both sorrowful and self¨Cdeprecating.

    I was sincerely worried and afraid that you would remember your past with him, and th

    your so¨Ccalled liking would transfer to him.

    But actually, without having to remember, he was always in your dreams.

    Esmeralda, I suddenly felt tired¡­¡±

    Chapter525

    Upon hearing hisst sentence, I felt a sudden panic in my heart.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I grabbed his arm.

    He withdrew his hand coldly.

    He stood up andughed at himself, saying, ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have followed you. He was the person you liked the most when you were young. How can Ipare to him when we return to this familiar ce?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, you misunderstood,¡± I said helplessly, feeling quite powerless in my heart.

    I never knew that Reynaldo¡¯s heart was so sensitive.

    ¡°Do you know what it feels like in my heart when you keep calling Anton¡¯s name over and over again in your dream?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me calmly, but the smile at the corner of his lips was so deste that it made my heart tighten.

    He said, ¡°I have been looking forward to hearing you say my name, even just once, but I never heard ¡®Reynaldo¡® until you woke up.¡±

    Esmeralda, don¡¯t deceive yourself, I don¡¯t need your ¡®grateful kind of liking¡® either.

    ¡°You have always wanted the freedom, and now I give it to you.¡±

    He finished¨Cspeaking, gave me a deep look, and then walked out.

    I waspletely panicked and hurriedly got out of bed to chase after him.

 Too Close 526

    Chapter526

    This was the ce where he had lived before. Even without turning on the lights, he seemed to be able to see clearly. He went downstairs. quickly.

    I was anxious in my heart, and almost stepped on air and fell down a few times.

    Arriving at the corner of the stairs, I quickly pressed the switch of the stairs and hurried down to chase.

    When I caught up, Reynaldo had already gotten on the car.

    I hurried over, but he instantly started the car and it shot away like an

    arrow.

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I shouted his name loudly from the back of the car, feeling a strong sense of grievance rising in my heart.

    He didn¡¯t listen to my exnation.

    He simply refused to believe my words.

    No matter how much I assured him that he was the only one I liked, he just wouldn¡¯t believe it.

    I suddenly didn¡¯t know what to do.

    I¡¯m not sure either how far a rtionship with such ack of trust can go.

    I watched as the taillights disappeared into the night, tears instantly

    Chapter526

    blurring my vision.

    Wasn¡¯t he saying he liked me?

    Why wouldn¡¯t you believe me?

    ¡°Esmeralda?¡±

    Anton finally came back. He hurriedly got off the car and anxiously grabbed my shoulder, ¡°Why are you standing outside and dressed so lightly? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo hade.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo?¡± Anton looked around in surprise. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he in the hospital? What is he doing here?¡±

    I shook my head randomly, grabbed his sleeve and cried, ¡°He came and then left, he always misunderstands me, he refuses to believe me, sob¡­no matter how I exin, he just won¡¯t believe¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Anton patted my back lightly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. first, it¡¯s cold outside.¡±

    Anton¡¯s few concerned inquiries made the grievances in my heart burst to the extreme.

    I cried and said to him incoherently, ¡°He won¡¯t talk to me anymore, Anton. He said he¡¯s tired, he wants to set me free. Does he not want this rtionship anymore?¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, he just silently pulled me into the house.

    After entering the house, I finally realized how cold it was outside.

    My hands and feet were icy cold, and I couldn¡¯t stop shivering all over.

    Chapter526

    Anton carried me directly to the bed on the third floor.

    He wrapped me tightly in the quilt, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at me intently.

    I choked and my body kept trembling.

    He sighed lightly, pulled the nket tighter around him, and asked me, ¡°What happened between you and him again?¡±

    ¡°He always misunderstood that it was you that I liked,¡± I choked out.

    Anton looked at me deeply and suddenly chuckled, ¡°No wonder he misunderstood, after all, you used to like me.¡±

    No wonder he followed even though he was injured, he was afraid that you would remember the past and run away with me.

    ¡°But I simply can¡¯t remember that past, and even if I do, it was just a childhood memory.

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    Antonughed and reached into his pocket for a cigarette, as if he was craving a smoke.

    When the cigarette case was taken out, he seemed to remember something and then pushed the cigarette case back into his pocket.

    He stood up and said softly, ¡°Even if you really can¡¯t remember anything, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you fought him for me back then.¡±

    ¡°I, I hit him?¡± I asked in surprise.

    Anton pursed his lips and smiled at me, ¡°Yes, you not only hit him, but also cursed at him. You called him garbage and said no wonder hist parents all abandoned him¡­¡±

 Too Close 527

    <b>Chapter </b>527

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not possible,¡± my heart tightened suddenly.

    How could I have said such harsh words to Reynaldo, especially considering how young I was at that time.

    Although I am not a good man or a believer, I would not unjustly say such hurtful words to a young man.

    Anton must have deceived me.

    I couldn¡¯t believe it. Anton didn¡¯t say anything more, just walked out and said, ¡°I packed some ravioli for you, along with some snacks and milk.¡±

    When the words fell, the others had already walked out.

    I looked out at the night outside, remembering the resolute look on Reynaldo¡¯s face when he had just left, feeling a pang in my heart.

    Reynaldo, even when I was young, I really was so terrible to you.

    But now we have turned the page.

    I personally told you that I like you, why don¡¯t you believe it?

    A sleepless night.

    The next day when I woke up, I was not feeling very well.

    Anton took me to have breakfast nearby first, and then drove me back to Freybourne.

    When the car entered the Freybourne city area, Anton asked me, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±

    Chapter527

    I lowered my head and nced at my phone.

    In the morning, I sent a message to Reynaldo, but he didn¡¯t reply. I also called him, but he didn¡¯t answer.

    There were no messages or phone reminders on the phone, quiet as if

    there was nowork.

    289 Vouchers

    I looked out of the window sadly, not knowing where to go for a moment.

    Reynaldo obviously didn¡¯t want to talk to me. I went to look for him now, but he probably won¡¯t see me either.

    Anton nced at me and sighed, ¡°Since you don¡¯t know where to go, you might as welle with me to see Winston first.¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°You¡­ want to go see Winston?¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, he just turned the car around and drove towards the direction of the jail.

    I looked at his cold profile and thought to myself, there must still be some feelings between him and Winston.

    In jail.

    Arge ss separated them.

    Winston was on the other side of the ss, and Anton and I were on this end of the ss.

    Just a few days without seeing each other, Winston looked much haggard.

    I remember thest time I saw him in the elevator, his eyes were fierce and terrifying, his expression was crazy and unwilling.

    And at this moment, his expression had clearly calmed down a lot.

    He stared at Anton without blinking, his eyes bloodshot and his expression filled with sadness.

    288 (<b>Vouchers </b>

    He smiled lightly with his lips hooked, but it was only self¨Cmockery that was dyed.

    ¡°I knew¡­¡±

    He spoke first, his voice hoarse, ¡°It was you who called the police to arrest me.¡±

    Anton neither admitted nor denied, just looked at him lightly.

    Winston pulled at his lips, the self¨Cmockery at the corner of his lips even more pronounced.

    I knew Reynaldo, he would let me have anything except for the woman beside you.

    So, with his personality, no matter what, he wouldn¡¯t call the police to

    arrest me.

    That¡¯s why I hated him.

    ¡°Hate his false benevolence and righteousness, hate his disdain, if it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t be like this.¡±

    I sighed in my heart, and to this day, he still mes all the mistakes on

    others.

    Anton chuckled lightly and said, ¡°Do you hate me?¡±

    Winston looked at him heavily, his crimson eyes like a stagnant pool, without a ripple.

    He said, ¡°When I first found out that you deceived me and used me, I hated you so much that I wished we could both die together.¡±

 Too Close 528

    ¡°And now?¡±

    ¡°Now¡­¡± Winston chuckled bitterly, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you anymore. The moment I realized it was you who called the police to arrest me, I didn¡¯t want to hate you.¡±

    It is obvious that you had no genuine feelings for me, so why should I waste emotions hating you.

    J

    My whole life was a failure, hating and ming others was useless.

    He paused, then continued, with a hint of resignation in his voice, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Anton was slightly stunned for a second, ¡°Where to?¡±

    My father said that Reynaldo had already withdrawn thewsuit and they nned to send me abroad.

    Actually, to be honest, life abroad suits me better.

    As for this ce¡­¡±

    He chuckled lightly, his thin face filled with sarcasm, ¡°I will nevere back again.¡±

    Anton remained silent, with a faint expression.

    Winston stared at him for a long time and finally asked, ¡°When you used me and deceived me, did you have any trace of regret?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    1547)

    Chapter528

    Anton¡¯s response was very straightforward and also very indifferent.

    ZRA (Vouchers

    Winston smiled and said self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°Well, I got it. Anyway, we won¡¯t see each other again in the future. I¡¯ll just pretend that I never knew you in this lifetime.¡±

    He finished speaking, got up and walked into the jail without looking at Anton again.

    That slender figure seemed to exude a touch of sadness no matter how you looked at it.

    I suddenly realized that Winston was actually quite pitiful.

    I turned my head to look at Anton.

    I thought he came to see Winston today to apologize to Winston.

    He didn¡¯t say anything.

    He drooped his eyelids, pursed his thin lips, and his face was terrifyingly indifferent.

    I pursed my lips and didn¡¯t say much, just waited quietly for him.

    After Winston entered, Anton sat in the chair for about ten minutes before getting up and saying to me lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I had just walked out of jail when I bumped right into Reynaldo who wasing towards me.

    I opened my mouth, subconsciously wanting to call out to him, but my voice got stuck in my throat the moment I saw his cold expression.

    Behind him were Ronan and Julianne.

    Julianne¡¯s face turned hateful when she saw me with Anton, and she

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    yelled at us, ¡°What are you two doing here? Want to make fun of my son, huh?¡±

    Anton ignored her.

    Just looking at Reynaldo, a hint of sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of his lips: ¡°It seems that Mr. Humphrey is still very soft¨Chearted. Winston almost killed you, and the Humphrey family has never treated you well. Yet you still came to deal with Winston¡¯s affairs.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know whether to say that Mr. Humphrey longs for family affection, or to say that Mr. Humphrey is kind¨Chearted and kind.¡±

    Reynaldo gave him a cold nce, and when his gaze fell on me, it was even colder, with a hint of mockery.

    My heart suddenly ached sharply, wanting to call out his name, but unable to.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, gave me a cold look, and walked into the jail.

    Julianne also wanted to exchange a few words of anger with me and Anton.

    Ronan quickly pulled her and said, ¡°Hurry up and go in, Winston is about to be released, don¡¯t make trouble.¡±

    ¡°Phew, dog couple!¡±

    When Julianne was dragged in by Ronan, she still managed to give me and Anton a sharp look.

    Anton¡¯s face turned cold, with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

    I nced at him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Anton snorted coldly and then walked towards the parking lot.

    <b>63 </b>442

 Too Close 529

    I nced back at Reynaldo, he had already walked in, leaving me with a gloomy and lonely figure.

    I sighed heavily, rubbing the sketch in my pocket with my fingers, feeling extremely mncholy.

    Even though we had made up and opened our hearts to each other that day, why is it still so chaotic now?

    Fingertips identally touched the abdomen, thinking of the two babies in my belly, my heart warmed, and a touch of excitement shed through.

    Yes, there is also a baby.

    Reynaldo always wanted to have a baby with me. If I told him that I was pregnant with his baby, would he stop being mad at me?

    I used to mistakenly think that he wanted me to have a baby, to give to Kimberly to raise.

    Now I understand his rtionship with Kimberly, so I¡¯m not worried about it anymore.

    These days I have been so busy that I almost forgot about the baby.

    Anton¡¯s car had already driven over.

    He rolled down the window and shouted to me, ¡°Let¡¯s go, get in the car.

    I pursed my lips and said to him, ¡°Um, you go first. I want to stay here a little longer.¡±

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    Anton¡¯s gaze darkened a bit when he saw mine.

    1 on Vose hard

    He chuckled lightly and said, ¡°You were waiting for Reynaldo, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    I nodded silently.

    He smirked sarcastically without saying anything, and turned the car key with his slender fingers.

    The car started instantly and merged onto the mainne.

    I watched as his car slowly merged into the traffic, feeling a wave of mncholy in my heart.

    Even though I didn¡¯t do anything, why do I feel like I hurt two men at the same time.

    It¡¯s all the fault of my youth!

    The weather was getting colder and colder.

    I straightened my coat and sat down on the flower bed next to me.

    I took out my phone and sent a message to Reynaldo: I am waiting for you outside.

    As expected, he did not reply to me.

    I sighed and stared nkly ahead.

    Anyway, the jail is just this gate, he will alwayse out.

    I don¡¯t know how long I waited, but the man finally came out from inside.

    He didn¡¯t even look at me, he walked straight to the parking lot without ncing back aftering out of jail.

    32 26

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    288 Vouchers

    I got anxious and quickly got up to chase after him, saying, ¡°Reynaldo¡­ ah¡­¡±

    I waited for so long that my legs and feet were numb.

    I had just stood up when a tingling sensation shot up from the soles of my feet and ankles, causing me to bend over in pain.

    The man in front finally stopped.

    I hobbled towards him as quickly as I could.

    ¡°Reynaldo,e here, I have something to tell you,¡± I shouted after his retreating figure.

    Reynaldo stood there for a few seconds before turning to look at me.

    His eyes were cold and indifferent, looking at me as if I were a stranger.

    He asked me lightly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Listening to his cold words, my heart suddenly twitched, with a touch of bitterness and grievance rising.

    I limped my way to him, finally reaching him.

    He lowered his gaze and looked at me, his cold eyes showing no signs of softening.

    I took a deep breath ufortably and asked him, ¡°Are you really not going to talk to me anymore?¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just stared at me coldly.

    I couldn¡¯t help but yell at him, ¡°Are you not going to talk to me anymore in the future?¡±

    Reynaldo then frowned slightly and asked me somewhat impatiently,

    ¡°What do you have to tell me?¡±

    97.03<b>% </b>

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    I bit my lower lip, ring at him angrily.

    Looking at his cold and impatient expression, the grievances in my heart kept growing and swirling. My eyes suddenly became hot, and a mist of

    water rose.

    Reynaldo stared at me, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

    He lightly eximed, ¡°What? Did Anton leave you here alone?¡±

    ¡°It was me who had to wait for you here!¡± I eximed angrily.

    Reynaldo chuckled and said, ¡°Oh really? Well, go ahead, tell me. What do you need?¡±

    He said, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a puff.

    I was so angry that I snatched the cigarette from his hand and put it out.

    His face darkened, and his voice turned colder: ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said, ¡°Reynaldo, listen carefully, I was pregnant¡­¡±

    The conversation was not finished when a crisp ringtone suddenly sounded.

    It was his phone.

    The moment he took out his phone, I saw the name ¡®Kimberly¡® jumping on the screen.

    I pursed my lips, only feeling the tip of my nose getting more and more

    sour.

    288 (Vouchers

    I don¡¯t know what Kimberly said to him, but I heard him say in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll be right there.¡±

    Upon hearing his words, my heart sank, a touch of bitterness, grievance, and anger rising within me.

    Although he told me in person that day that he only saw Kimberly as a sister.

    It cannot be denied that every time Kimberly called, he would drop everything and go.

    Even if he just treated her as a sister, didn¡¯t he think he cared too much about Kimberly?

    Watching him put away his phone and prepare to leave, a surge of anger instantly rose from the bottom of his heart.

    I grabbed his clothes and yelled at him, ¡°You always do this, every time she calls you, you go over there.¡±

    What else did you say you have liked me since you were young? Is this your love, leaving me for another woman?

    ¡°Reynaldo, who deceived whom?¡±

    ¡°I said, I just treated her as a sister.¡±

    ¡°Acting as a sister?¡± I chuckled sarcastically, ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have her own brother? Does she really need you to act as her brother, Reynaldo? Don¡¯t you think your concern for her has exceeded the normal brotherly care for a sister?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

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    15-48

    1288 Vouchers

    Reynaldo pushed my hand away and said coldly, ¡°You haven¡¯t even figured out your own feelings, so what right do you have to use me and misunderstand me here?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, before you question me, you better take a good look at your own heart!¡±

    I stared at him angrily and bit my lip, refusing to speak.

    He straightened his coat and said softly, ¡°Just wait here, I will have the drivere pick you up.¡±

    He finished speaking and then turned around, walking towards the car without looking back.

    I was so angry that tears were streaming down, and the grievance in my heart filled my whole heart.

    Reynaldo, this time it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to make up with you, or that I didn¡¯t want to exin to you, it¡¯s that you once again chose Kimberly

    over me.

    Your so¨Ccalled liking is probably just a kind of unwillingness in your youth.

    I did not wait for Reynaldo¡¯s driver toe.

    I called Quentin and asked for his address, then I took a taxi directly to Quentin¡¯s ce.

    As soon as I saw Quentin, my tears couldn¡¯t help but fall.

    Quentin saw me like this and guessed it was because of Reynaldo without asking.

    66038

 Too Close 531

    <b>Chapter531 </b>

    ¦§

    He scolded Reynaldo for a while, then he gentlyforted me, telling me not to cry and saying he would take me out to eat something delicious.

    But I was in a bad mood, so I didn¡¯t have much of an appetite.

    Quentin lived in a regr suite.

    I saw the room was tidy, but there were women¡¯s clothes besides his.

    I thought he was living with that girl named Kimora, so things should be looking up. My mood couldn¡¯t help but improve a little.

    Quentin saw that I was unwilling to go out, so he went to the kitchen to cook, saying he wanted to personally make delicious food for me.

    I wanted to know what the girl named Kimora looked like, so I looked around the room but didn¡¯t find any pictures of women.

    I walked to the kitchen door and asked Quentin, who was busy bustling around in an apron, ¡°Have you ever taken a photo with your girlfriend? Show me your phone.¡±

    Quentin was stunned for a moment, then turned back to me and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, I have never taken any photos with Kimora.¡±

    I stiffly pursed my lips and said, ¡°Really? <b>It </b>feels like you¡¯ve been together for a long time, howe you haven¡¯t even taken a photo together?¡±

    Couples in love, no matter where they go, will always take photos and check in to capture the moment.

    111

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t take any photos. Show me your phone quickly, I just want to see what my future sister¨Cinw looks like. I won¡¯t invade your privacy.¡±

    I said as I reached into Quentin¡¯s pocket for his phone.

    Quentinughed and said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t take any photos, I¡¯m not lying to you.¡±

    That being said, he still indulgently gave me the phone.

    I opened the album to look, but truly there was no one else in the album besides me and him, and my parents¡® photos.

    Quentin took the phone and smiled at me, saying, ¡°I told you, I really didn¡¯t take any photos.¡±

    ¡°This, this, this¡­ this is a bit unscientific.¡± I said in surprise.

    If it were me, I would definitely take a lot of photos with the person I like. In the future, looking back, that would also be a beautiful memory.

    Quentin put away his phone and stirred the spaghetti in the pot with a fork, saying to me, ¡°Kimora said she doesn¡¯t look good and doesn¡¯t photograph well, so she doesn¡¯t like taking pictures.¡±

    I once secretly took two photos of her, which were clearly beautiful, but she insisted that she looked ugly and strongly asked me to delete them.

    Soter, I didn¡¯t take any more photos.

    Actually, it¡¯s nothing. Anyway, she will always be by my side in the future. With her, a living person, by my side, why do I need photos?¡±

    Ugh!

    Thest sentence, he said as if it made some sense.

    ¡°Okay, you go outside and rest. I¡¯ll make spaghetti for you.¡±

    I looked at the pale noodles in the pot and felt doubtful, ¡°Are you sure you know how to make spaghetti?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Kimora taught me, it¡¯s so delicious, just wait and see.¡±

    I nodded and smiled, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    Being with family is always joyful, Ipletely forgot about the unpleasantness Reynaldo brought today.

    I had just walked out <b>of </b>the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

    Quentin didn¡¯t even look back and said to me, ¡°Kimora must have arrived. Can you help me open the door?¡±

    As soon as I heard that my future sister¨Cinw had arrived, I got excited and quickly ran to open the door.

    15110

 Too Close 532

    However, as I opened the door, there was not a single person outside.

    I walked out, looking around the corridor in confusion.

    It¡¯s really strange.

    I just heard a knock at the door, Quentin heard it too, there should be no mistake.

    But why was there no one outside the door.

    I didn¡¯t open the door slowly either.

    Full of doubts, I was about to enter the house when suddenly I noticed. that the shoes I had taken off and ced by the door when I first arrived seemed to have been touched.

    Because I remember when I arrived, there was a cleaningdy cleaning the corridor.

    I waited for her to clean up here on purpose before cing the shoes by this door, and I deliberately ced them neatly.

    But at this moment, one shoe was crooked.

    I squatted down, frowned and stared at the shoes in front of me that had been moved, a hint of doubt rising in my heart.

    Could it be that Quentin¡¯s girlfriend saw my shoes, mistook them for another womaning to see Quentin, and then got jealous and ran away?

    Chapter32

    Thinking about it, Quentin ran over with a spat and said, ¡°Ralda, is it Kimora?¡±

    He said, looking out.

    After a while, he asked me in confusion, ¡°Huh, why is there no one here? Wasn¡¯t there a knocking sound just now?¡±

    I shook my head, indicating my confusion as well.

    Quentin smiled at me and said, ¡°Forget it, someone must have knocked on the wrong door. Let¡¯s go in.¡±

    I closed the door and watched Quentin¡¯s back as he walked towards the kitchen. I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Do you want to call your girlfriend?¡±

    Quentin was taken aback and turned to look at me, ¡°Why do you suddenly want me to call her?¡±

    Because I felt that the person who knocked on the door just now was her, I was afraid that she would think you had another woman.

    You¡¯d better give her a call to exin, just to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.

    Quentin became nervous when he heard me say that.

    He quickly put down the spat and took out his phone from his pocket to dial the number of the girl named Kimora.

    Seeing his tense expression, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad in my

    heart.

    It seems that Quentin really fell in love with this girl.

    I just hope they can be well, I hope their rtionship can go smoothly,

    happy and perfect, but not like me and Reynaldo¡­

    11

    Suddenly I remembered Reynaldo, and my heart was filled with a pang of sadness and grievance.

    Even though he said with his own mouth that he treats Kimberly as a sister, it cannot be denied that, no matter when or where, he always puts Kimberly first.

    I am not a fool, he cares more about who, I am not unaware.

    I sat on the sofa, feeling sad as I thought about my rtionship with Reynaldo.

    Quentin suddenly eximed to me excitedly. ¡°Ralda, you are still thoughtful and considerate.¡±

    You¡¯re right, the person who just knocked on the door was indeed. Kimora.

    She saw a pair of women¡¯s shoes at the door and really thought <b>I </b>had another woman.

    Fortunately, you woke me up and I immediately went to exin to her, otherwise this misunderstanding would have been huge.

    Seeing Quentin¡¯s excited yet scared look, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    This is probably what it looks like to love someone deeply.

    I asked him, ¡°Did she believe your exnation?¡±

    Letter, whatever happens between us, we will exin it to each other ast soon as possible.

 Too Close 533

    Chapter <b>533 </b>

    ¡°I believed her, and she believed me.¡±

    I believed her, and she believed me.

    This sentence sounds so nice, even better than those gentle sweet words. and grand vows of eternal love by the sea.

    Unfortunately, this sentence was not said by me to Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t believe me, he never believed me.

    Thinking about the rtionship with Reynaldo, whichcked trust, made me feel ufortable.

    Kimora just said on the phone that she didn¡¯t know you were here, it was a sudden decision, and she didn¡¯t bring any gifts, so she won¡¯te today.

    The next time shees to see you, get to know her well.¡±

    ¡°What kind of gift do you need for a meeting?¡± I hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°This makes me a little embarrassed. No, I also need to prepare a gift

    for her.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I won¡¯t even mention you girls, making things soplicated.¡±

    Quentin chuckled and gave me a look, then went to the kitchen to bring me the cooked spaghetti.

    When I was cooking just now, I saw that the spaghetti had no color, and I thought Quentin¡¯s spaghetti would definitely be a disaster.

    Chaple50)

    I couldn¡¯t believe it, he just like performing magic, really made me a bowl. of spaghetti that was delicious in color, fragrance, and taste.

    The tomato beef sauce was spread over the noodles, looking especially tempting.

    I didn¡¯t have much appetite originally, but as soon as I smelled this aroma, my appetite came up.

    Quentin boasted to me, ¡°I¡¯m awesome, right?¡±

    I nodded with a smile, ¡°Impressive, impressive, you are the most. impressive.¡±

    Come on, eat quickly. If you like it, I will make it for you often in the future.

    Kimora also taught me other cooking skills. These days, you stayed at my ce, and I cooked delicious food for you every day.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I nodded, feeling a touch of emotion in my heart.

    In the end, it¡¯s always our own family who treat us the best.

    As for men¡­

    Oh!

    I stayed at Quentin¡¯s ce for the night.

    With family members nearby, one sleeps more peacefully.

    After a good night¡¯s sleep, when I woke up in the morning, I instinctively reached for my phone to check.

    15110

    Although I resented Reynaldo in my heart, my fingers unconsciously clicked open the chat box with him.

    Thest sentence in the dialogue box is still the one from the day before yesterday, and there is no other new information.

    There was also no disy of any missed calls on the phone.

    I stared at the familiar number, a touch of self¨Cmockery shed through my mind.

    It seems that Reynaldo really has no intention of ever speaking to me again.

    It doesn¡¯t matter, just ignore it.

    Anyway, I never thought about staying with him until old age at the beginning. Now, I am just back to the previous state with him.

    Althoughforting myself in this way, my heart still felt a wave of sadness and sourness.

    I took out the sketch from the pocket of my clothes, along with the photo brought back from my grandmother¡¯s house.

    Looking at the sketch in my hand, as well as the youthful appearance of Reynaldo in the photos, a touch of sour warmth inexplicably welled up in

    my eyes.

    I was really sad.

    Can¡¯t express the sadness.

    If I didn¡¯t know that Reynaldo used to like me, I might not be so sad.

    Unfortunately, I knew he had me in his heart, but what he cared more

    Chapter30

    about was Kimberly. This made me feel like I was holding onto

    happiness, but the gap between me and Kimberly ultimately made me even sadder and more powerless.

 Too Close 534

    Chapter534

    Just as I was lying in bed feeling sad and crying, Quentin suddenly knocked on my door.

    ¡°Ralda, are you awake? Have

    you awake? Have you had breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m awake, I¡¯ll get up right away.¡±

    I quickly wiped away my tears and got up to wash up in the bathroom.

    Looking at myself in the mirror, my face looked fine, there was nothing unusual, so I went out of the room.

    Quentin had just set the breakfast on the table when he saw meing out, and he quickly called me over.

    He made juice, risotto, and a sandwich for breakfast, which looked very

    nice.

    Before I could even ask, he smiled at me and said, ¡°Kimora taught me these, hurry up and try them.¡±

    Seeing Quentin looking so happy, I also genuinely felt happy for him.

    Just looking at the breakfast on the table, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the breakfast Reynaldo used to make.

    Looking back now, his breakfast that time was probably made for me on purpose, but he was too shy to say it, so he pretended to have made too

    much.

    That¡¯s it.

    15:111

    I couldn¡¯t think about this anymore. If he could make breakfast for me, couldn¡¯t he also do it for Kimberly?

    This gentle and considerate demeanor was not exclusively meant for me.

    So, there was nothing to be touched by

    Just as I was lost in my thoughts, Quentin suddenly eximed to me¡­

    ¡°Quickly eat, after breakfast, I will take you to see my parents.¡±

    When he mentioned his parents, I suddenly realized that I hadn¡¯t visited them for a long time.

    I nodded and quietly ate the sandwich.

    When Quentin and I were about to leave, Quentin¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    The moment I saw his happy expression and heard his gentle tone, I knew it was his girlfriend calling.

    I pursed my lips and stood aside, smiling.

    Before long, Quentin ended the call.

    He apologized to me, saying, ¡°Ralda, I¡¯m sorry, Kimora suddenly asked me to do something, so I can¡¯t apany you to visit your parents today.¡±

    It¡¯s okay, my future sister¨Cinw¡¯s situation is more important. I¡¯ll go back and see them myself.

    And you often go back as well, so it¡¯s no big deal if you don¡¯t go back this time.

    ¡°You go quickly find my future sister¨Cinw.¡±

    1511

    ¡°I can¡¯t stopughing, you keep calling her future sister¨Cinw, if she hears that, she might feel embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my boundaries. In front of her, I definitely wouldn¡¯t call her that. I would just call her ¡®sister¨Cinw¡®, hehe¡­¡±

    ¡°You, mischievous and elever.¡±

    Quentin affectionately ruffled my head and then drove off eagerly to see his girlfriend.

    I watched his car drive away, then went to the roadside to hail a taxi.

    Boredly waiting for a taxi, I suddenly saw Reynaldo.

    His car was waiting at the traffic light in thene right in front of me.

    I could see him clearly with just one nce.

    He was sitting in the back seat, with the window half down, revealing his cold, hard profile.

    He was on the phone with someone when his gaze suddenly nced towards me.

    However, with just one nce, he shifted his gaze elsewhere, and I don¡¯t know if he saw me.

    However, even if he saw me, so what?

    He had no intention of paying attention to me anymore. Yesterday when I called out to him, he responded indifferently with an impatient

    expression.

    Moreover, at this moment I was standing on the roadside, and he was sitting in a luxury car.

 Too Close 535

    <b>Chapter </b><b>535 </b>

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips, nced away, but a mist of tears. still uncontrobly welled up in my eyes.

    The taxi happened to arrive.

    I wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes and got on the bus.

    There is nothing to cry about.

    It¡¯s just to return our rtionship to what it used to be.

    My parents still live in the house that Reynaldo bought for them before.

    When I was younger, my dad wasn¡¯t home, only my mom was at home.

    When she saw me, she was first stunned, then she smiled at me happily and said, ¡°Ralda, it¡¯s you,e in quickly.¡±

    Although my mom smiled at me with a full face, I still noticed that her eyes were red.

    It was obvious that she had just cried.

    I looked around the room and it was tidy, butcked any liveliness.

    I asked her, ¡°Where¡¯s my dad?¡±

    ¡°My dad¡­¡± my mom said, suddenly giving a bitter smile, and said, ¡°His investments are starting to pay off, he¡¯s been busytely, probably socializing outside.¡±

    If that were the case, my mom wouldn¡¯t have this expression, and her eyes.

    wouldn¡¯t be red from crying.

    I pulled her to the sofa beside me and asked her, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t lie to me. Did my dad mess up again?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± my mom shook her head hastily, ¡°He has been making money recently, a lot of money. Really, he even transferred tens of thousands to me yesterday.¡±

    ¡°And what about the others? You call him back and I¡¯ll ask him myself.¡±

    There was no sign of life in this room at all, I even doubted whether my dad hade back for a long time.

    ¡°Better not,¡± my mom said, her eyes twinkling.

    At the sight of her sad and restrained expression, my heart began to sink.

    I knew that my dad¡¯s side would definitely not be so worry¨Cfree.

    Quentin also said that my dad¡¯s investment business had started to take off, and our family¡¯s life would only get better.

    It seems now that it was probably my mom who was afraid he would worry, so she deliberately lied to him.

    My mother has always been a soft persimmon, swallowing any grievances herself.

    Look, if I didn¡¯te back today, would she have cried her eyes out in

    this room?

    I picked up the phone on the table and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t call him, I haven¡¯t seen my dad for a long time. It¡¯s a good idea to ask him toe back today and have a meal together.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Ralda, don¡¯t¡­¡°.

    My mother anxiously tried to grab my phone, so I turned to the side and quickly dialed my father¡¯s number.

    My mother couldn¡¯t stop me, so she covered her face and cried.

    Seeing her like this, I felt both angry and heartbroken.

    The phone rang for a long time before it was answered at the other end.

    My dad¡¯s impatient voice came from the other end of the phone: ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t I just give you tens of thousands of dors? How did you spend it so quickly?¡±

    Didn¡¯t I tell you? Don¡¯t call me when I¡¯m busy making money, you don¡¯t

    know!¡±

    Listening to my father¡¯s tone of disdain and impatience, a surge of anger rushed into my chest.

    I couldn¡¯t help but sneer at him coldly, ¡°Making money? Making so much that you don¡¯t even want a family anymore, right?¡±

    Upon hearing my voice, my dad clearly hesitated, ¡°Ralda? Why is it you? Why are you calling me with your mom¡¯s phone? Where is your mom?¡±

 Too Close 536

    ¡°Do you still remember to ask my mom? I¡¯m asking you, how long has it been since youst came back?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I was just making money for you guys, don¡¯t you see? Everything your mom uses, cats, drinks, isn¡¯t it all earned by me¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I said angrily, ¡°Dad, you weren¡¯t like this before, yes, my mom doesn¡¯t have the ability to make money now, and she hasn¡¯t made much money before.¡±

    But have you ever thought that if it weren¡¯t for her orderly management of the house, taking care of your daily life, being your solid backing, could you have fought in the market without any worries?

    Now that you¡¯ve made a little money, you¡¯re all critical of my mom.

    ¡°And don¡¯t even think about who has always been with you, who has never left this home¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, Ralda, stop talking.¡±

    My mother tugged at my sleeve on the side, her eyes red with sorrow.

    My father angrily said on the phone, ¡°That¡¯s enough, you little brat. With Reynaldo backing you up, you¡¯re getting bolder and bolder. You dare to lecture me here, without even considering me¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Dufly, who is it? Hang up the phone quickly, people can¡¯t wait¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a seductive woman¡¯s voice came over the phone.<ol start="15"><li><b></b>110</li></ol>

    Chapter536

    I was frozen in shock, as if struck by lightning.

    ¡°Who is it? Who is speaking? Is it a woman? Who is she?¡±

    Because I was emotional, my voice became sharp.

    My dad hesitated and said, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t ask now. I¡¯ll tell you when I get back. Bye.¡±

    My father hung up the phone in a hurry after saying that.

    I held onto my phone tightly, I couldn¡¯t believe that my dad would¡­. would actually cheat?

    When I was a child, my mom used to tell Quentin and me about her love story with my dad.

    She said my father, in order to win her over, a proud young master from a wealthy family, worked as a farmer in their house for a month.

    She said my father never allowed her to suffer any grievances, and in order to be with her, my father even had to break with his family.

    She said my father treated her gently and thoughtfully, never getting angry with her, even after Quentin and I were born, my father took care of us without hiring any helpers or nannies.

    He told my mom that this was their child and he wouldn¡¯t feel at ease letting outsiders take care of him.

    It was such a man who used to be full of love and admiration for my mother, but he started to despise her and even had an affair.

    Ah, what is love after all?

    How much of the love in this world is truly real andsting?

    15.12 D

    I mechanically looked at my mom, feeling cold all over.

    My mother sat on the sofa with a face full of sadness.

    She used to be an elegantdy, but now her face is sallow and her figure is withered.

    I looked at her like this, and for a moment, sorrow came from my heart.

    I asked her, ¡°Actually, you already knew that my dad had another woman outside, right?¡±

    My mother smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I realized something was wrong with him ever since he started to show progress in his investments.¡±

    During that time, he didn¡¯te back for several days and nights, and when he dide back, he didn¡¯t say anything to me, just went straight to sleep.

    If I asked a couple of questions, he would get particrly impatient, and there was a hint of disdain in his words.

 Too Close 537

    Chapter537

    One dayter, I followed him and then I found him¡­ found him rolling around with a young woman.

    My mother, saying this, suddenly covered her face and cried sadly.

    I was so angry that I was shaking all over,

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find him now!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t, Ralda¡­¡±

    My mother hurriedly grabbed me and said sadly, ¡°Even if you go to find. him, it¡¯s useless. It will only make the situation more embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°Should we just let him be with other women? Does he still want us, does he still want this family?¡± I said sorrowfully and angrily.

    My mother, however, kept shaking her head, and tears of sadness kept falling down.

    You think I never argued with him? I confronted him that very night.

    But he said, he said he liked that woman, he said that woman was very rich, and also very business¨Cminded.

    He said that woman was the most outstanding woman he had ever met, and he only wanted to be with her.

    He said he could make money from this investment, all relying on that

    woman.

    Ralda, ah¡­¡±

    My mother held onto my arm, her tear¨Cstreaked face full of sadness and despair, ¡°It¡¯s no use, even if you go look for your father, it¡¯s no use. He only wants that woman, he doesn¡¯t want us anymore, he doesn¡¯t want this family anymore. He even mentioned divorce to me that day.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I looked at my mom in disbelief.

    Just now I thought my dad was just ying outside, but I didn¡¯t expect that even his soul was taken away by that woman.

    My mom pulled me back onto the sofa.

    She snatched the phone and cried out to me, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. It¡¯s up to your dad now.¡±

    ¡°How could this be possible?¡± I eximed in sorrow and indignation, ¡°I must find him and ask him clearly. I can¡¯t believe that so many years of feelings can¡¯tpare to a woman he just met not long ago.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking again? For someone who has changed their heart, why bother forcing them?¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± I looked at her sadly, ¡°You can¡¯t be so indifferent. This life is still long. We have to find Dad back. Our family can still be together like before, living in harmony.¡±

    ¡°Is a lifetime still so long?¡±

    My mother looked at me with a bitter smile and said, ¡°Ralda, actually, life is really short, so don¡¯t have any regrets in everything.¡±

    My mother, as she spoke, looked even more sorrowful, with an indescribable sense of despair on her face.

    15.12

    Chapter537

    I felt a tightness in my heart, a bad premonition lingering in my mind.

    I grabbed her hand and anxiously asked, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t scare me. Is there something else you¡¯re hiding from me besides Dad¡¯s matter?¡±

    My mother shook her head and forced a smile at me, ¡°No, I have nothing

    at all.¡±

    ¡°I have no other wishes now, I just hope you and Quentin are doing well.¡±

    ¡°Then my dad¡­¡±

    ¡°Let it be.¡± My mother sighed sadly, with a dead silence in her eyes. ¡°Once someone¡¯s heart has changed, you can¡¯t bring them back. Besides, <b>I </b>don¡¯t have the energy or time to try to turn him around.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®not having so much energy and time¡°?¡± I frowned. at my mom, feeling a stronger sense of unease in my heart.

    Especially the deathly silence in her eyes made me anxious.

    My mother smiled at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I just feel that it¡¯s not worth wasting the remaining energy and time on your father¡¯s affairs. Ralda, why don¡¯t you stay at my ce tonight? I want to talk to you.¡±

 Too Close 538

    Chapter538

    I nodded heavily, ¡°Okay, I will always live here in the future, and I will always be with my mother.¡±

    ¡°Later.ter¡­

    My mother hugged me, whispering these two words, her voice tinged with an indescribable sense of despair and sadness.

    I was very anxious, afraid that she might do something foolish.

    I said, ¡°Mom, you still have me and Quentin, we will always be with you. You must take care of yourself. Quentin is about to marry his beloved girl, and they will give you a chubby grandson in the future.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± my mom smiled, but tears filled her face, ¡°I will be fine. I still have to wait and see each of you settle down and start your own families. Ralda, I really can¡¯t bear to part with you all.¡±

    My heart tightened again, and I hugged my mom even tighter.

    ¡°I and Quentin also miss you very much, so you must take care.¡±

    I chatted with my mom for a while, and then I sent her back to her room to sleep.

    Watching her sleep peacefully, I quietly slipped out of the room.

    The room was cold and empty. I went to the kitchen and found that there was no food in the fridge, and the pots and pans looked like they hadn¡¯t been used for a long time.

    Chapters)

    I nced sadly at my mom¡¯s room.

    She definitely didn¡¯t even have a proper meal these days.

    I went to the market downstairs and bought some ingredients to bring back.

    My mother was still sleeping, so I closed the kitchen door and then took out the ingredients to clean them one by one.

    I cooked three dishes and a soup for my mom.

    Although it didn¡¯t look great, at least the whole room finally had some atmosphere.

    I warmed up the meal in the pot and then left a note on the dining table, instructing my mom to eat well after she woke up.

    After leaving a note, I grabbed my bag and quietly left the house.

    No matter what, I had to go and ask my dad for rification.

    Thinking back to the joy and liveliness of the family being together in the past, and then looking at the destion of the present, my heart felt a wave of sourness and sadness.

    To this day, I have finallye to fully understand the meaning of the phrase ¡°things have changed.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know where my dad was. I called him several times, but he didn¡¯t

    answer.

    I had no choice but to send him a message threatening him.

    He no longer cares about my mom or about me and Quentin.

    36 761

    So I thought about this threat for a while before I came up with it.

    I said, ¡°If you refuse to see me, then I will have Reynaldo ruin the project you invested in.¡±

    After sending out this message, my dad quickly replied to me, and he even called me directly.

    He first scolded me harshly, and I waited quietly for him. After he finished scolding, he asked coldly, ¡°Where are you? Send me the address.¡±

    My dad scolded me a few words again, and then sent me an address.

    After he finished giving the address, he hung up the phone directly.

    I looked at the address above, the words I threatened my dad with, a self- deprecating smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

    Look, I was about to settle things with Reynaldo, and then he had to go. and threaten my dad under the guise of him.

    I took a taxi and arrived at a club following the address my dad sent me.

 Too Close 539

    Chapter <b>539 </b>

    Looking at the magnificent clubhouse in front of me, a touch of irony rose in my heart.

    People, indeed, change.

    My dad never used toe to this kind of ce before. We used to have money at home, he had nothing to do, so he just stayed at home with my mom, nevering to such ces for entertainment.

    Now¡­

    The past is not worth looking back on.

    I suppressed the destion and indignation in my heart, and walked into the clubhouse.

    My dad said he was in a private room on the third floor.

    I went straight up.

    Pushing open the door of the private room, a pungent smell of smoke immediately hit my nose.

    I hurriedly covered my nose and frowned as I looked.

    I saw my dad sitting on the sofa, looking impatient, with a morous woman beside him.

    The woman looked very young, probably in her twenties.

    Heavy makeup, dressed up in a particrly morous and sexy way,

    although beautiful, but with <b>a </b>strong taste of dust.

    <b>? </b>

    From my mom¡¯s ount, the woman my dad had an affair with was very wealthy, capable, and exceptionally outstanding.

    At first nce, this woman has nothing to do with ¡®ability¡® and ¡®excellence¡® in my opinion.

    And how could a young, beautiful, wealthy, and capable girl possibly be interested in my

    and willing to be the third party.

    I frowned and stared at the woman, feeling that there was something suspicious about the whole thing.

    Noticing my gaze, the woman provocatively raised her lips at me.

    She was like a soft, boneless snake, clinging to my dad and cooing, ¡°Oh, Mr. Duffy, is this your disobedient daughter? Please call her in.¡±

    My father impatiently nced at me and said, ¡°Just say it if you have something to say, don¡¯t stand there ruining the mood.¡±

    Seeing my father¡¯s attitude, I felt a moment of sadness and anger that was hard to bear.

    Although he had tried every means to persuade me to set aside my dignity and borrow money from Reynaldo, there was still a hint of affection and concern in his eyes towards me.

    But now, he looked at me with eyes that were both unfamiliar and disdainful.

    Suppressing the sadness and destion in my heart, I took out a mask from my bag and put it on, then walked inside.

    The private room was in a mess, with overturned wine bottles scattered on

    Chapter539

    the table and floor, and the ashtray full of cigarette butts.

    It was obvious that there had just been a wild party in this room, but my dad probably cleared it out early when he knew I wasing.

    My father sat on the sofa, unabashedly embracing that woman.

    I clenched my fist tightly in anger.

    I walked up to him and looked at him coldly, ¡°Do you really not want our home anymore?¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡± My dad nced at me impatiently. ¡°Why are you just like your mom, always saying ¡®don¡¯t want that family¡°? I just happened to meet someone I really like and want to be with the person I like.¡±

    Howe each and every one of you always make it seem like I¡¯vemitted a huge crime?

    ¡°Are you no longer my children just because I am with the woman I love?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I growled lowly and pointed at the woman, saying, ¡°If you insist on betraying my mom, disappointing my mom, and being with this woman, then Quentin and I are not your children anymore, and you can nevere back to that home.¡±

    I had just finished speaking when the woman on the side started provoking: ¡°Oh, Mr. Duffy, how can your daughter be like this, not considerate of you at all.¡±

 Too Close 540

    They say blood is thicker than water, but I feel like she doesn¡¯t care about you as a father at all, pushing you in every way possible.

    ¡°Did you just find your love, or did he look like he was going to interrogate you?¡±

    Sure enough, my father¡¯s eyes looked even colder and more disdainful when he looked at me.

    He said, ¡°Besides spending my money, what else can each of you do?¡±

    Aiyana was different. She was not only beautiful but also capable. If it weren¡¯t for her, how could I have possibly turned my life around.

    ¡°Your mother just cried at home, what else can she do besides crying?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I yelled angrily, ¡°When you used to pursue my mom, you never onceined about her tendency to cry.¡±

    You thought you had some ability, but you were just enjoying the legacy left to you by your grandparents.

    It is no exaggeration to say that the Duffy family was defeated by you.

    ¡°You really thought that the woman next to you was interested in you, I¡¯m. telling you, she might be deceiving you, she might want to harm you¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    11

    Perhaps my words struck a nerve in my father¡¯s heart, as he suddenly stood up and pped me across the face.

    My eardrums were buzzing from being pped by him.

    I red at him fiercely, a surge of hatred rising in my heart.

    My mom was right, my dad cheated on her,pletely cheated on her.

    She was right, a person who haspletely changed their mind cannot be brought back.

    My dad hit me for the first time, and he looked at his hand in shock.

    Soon, the woman named Aiyana Croix seductively wrapped her arm around his, cooing, ¡°Oh, Mr. Duffy, don¡¯t be angry. If you don¡¯t want this disobedient daughter, we can forget about her. If you like children, I can give you one, a son or a daughter.¡±

    My father instantly rxed his brows and indulgently rubbed her nose, saying, ¡°My Aiyana is so understanding, much better than that crybaby in my family.¡±

    I stared at my dad angrily, shaking with rage.

    The woman named Aiyana provocatively smiled at me, then linked arms with my dad and said, ¡°Come on, your daughter is such a killjoy,e with me for <b>a </b>walk.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, whatever Aiyana wants today, I will buy for Aiyana.¡±

    So my dad didn¡¯t even look at me more, hugged the woman and walked

    out.

    I clenched my fists in anger, with my fingernails digging into the palms.

    It seems that he really didn¡¯t want us, nor our home.

    Bankruptcy not only changed our living environment, but alsopletely altered a person¡¯s character and conscience.

    I took a deep breath and turned to chase after him outside.

    ¡°Lukas!¡±

    <b>an </b>

    I was so angry that I lost my temper and called out my dad¡¯s name.

    My father turned around abruptly and shouted at me, ¡°You unfilial daughter, how dare you address me by my name, you get out of here!¡±

    He finished speaking and then hugged Aiyana in his arms, continuing to walk towards the elevator.

    I quickened my pace to catch up with him and pulled him back, saying, ¡°Since you have made up your mind to be with this woman, then you are no longer my father in the future, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, are you annoying or not!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when my father suddenly let go of my hand and pushed me hard.

    I staggered backwards immediately.

    Seeing that I was about to fall, my face turned pale and I cried out in rm.

 Too Close 541

    But the next second, my back suddenly hit a hard chest.

    The person behind me put his hand on my shoulder, so I didn¡¯t fall down!

    I hurriedly turned around to say thank you, but my heart trembled fiercely.

    It was Reynaldo after all!

    When Reynaldo saw me, he first frowned, then his cold eyes narrowed slowly, looking dangerously at my dad.

    My father was really wary of Reynaldo.

    He instantly put on a smile and said to Reynaldo, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just the usual arguments between father and daughter. And, Reynaldo, please try to talk some sense into her when you have the chance.¡±

    ¡°I am his father, I had the right to pursue my own happiness, and you advised her not to bother me again in the future.¡±

    Reynaldo withdrew his hand from my shoulder and said in a casual tone, ¡°This is your family matter, I can¡¯t interfere.¡±

    Listening to his indifferent words, my heart twitched and a touch of bitterness arose.

    Your family matters?

    His wordspletely severed our rtionship.

    I lowered my eyes to hide the sadness and self¨Cmockery in my eyes, and

    Chapter541

    said nothing.

    My father was stunned for a few seconds, then seemed to understand everything, and chuckled at me, ¡°Look at you, if you want to argue back, go ahead and argue back. Look, you¡¯re making a fool of yourself in front of others.¡±

    And Reynaldo doesn¡¯t take you seriously anymore. Don¡¯t threaten me with him in the future. Are you embarrassed or not?¡±

    My father¡¯s words made me feel embarrassed and ashamed.

    I kept my head down, afraid to look at Reynaldo¡¯s cold and mocking eyes.

    The elevator door opened, my dad hummed and then carried Aiyana.

    The elevator doors closed again, and the corridor was so quiet that it

    seemed like even the sound of a heartbeat could be heard.

    Reynaldo still stood in front of me, cold and aloof, just like when my family went bankrupt, his aloofness and nobility made me feel lowly.

    I was feeling very restless in my heart.

    During this period, I had a falling out with him, but strangely, every time I was down and out, I would run into him.

    However, in the past, he would mock me a little.

    And now, he didn¡¯t say a word to me, but leaped directly past me and walked towards the elevator.

    The sound of the elevator door opening came from behind.

    I mechanically turned around and saw him walk in.

    From start to finish, he didn¡¯t say a word to me, not even looking at me in

    the eye.

    Oh!

    Is he really nning to treat me as a stranger from now on?

    It doesn¡¯t matter, let him be.

    Anyway, we have never been well all along, except for those two days. when he was hospitalized.

    I returned home in a daze.

    My mom had woken up and was sitting on the sofa daydreaming.

    Afraid that my mom would worry, beforeing back, I specifically went to find ice cubes to apply on my face, until the palm print on my face was not so obvious, then I came back.

    My mother saw mee back and was clearly stunned.

    She hesitated for two seconds before smiling at me and saying, ¡°You¡¯re back, where did you go?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I went out to buy some fruits.¡±

    I ced the fruit I was holding on the coffee table and asked her, ¡°Did you see the note I left for you? I warmed up the food in the pot, have you

    caten?¡±

    My mother didn¡¯t say anything, she just looked at me.

    I nced at the dining table.

 Too Close 542

    The note on the table was gone, clearly my mom had seen the note I left for her.

    But there was no trace of having eaten.

    I quickly walked to the kitchen, and sure enough, the meal I had cooked was still warm in the pot.

    mom

    I helplessly said to my ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? It¡¯s already thiste, aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±

    My mother smiled faintly, but the smile seemed a bit broken no matter how you looked at it.

    She said, ¡°I wanted to wait for you toe back and eat together.¡±

    I pursed my lips, didn¡¯t say anything more, just silently reheated the cold. food.

    Thinking of my father¡¯s recent cruelty, my eyes stung and tears uncontrobly streamed down.

    My mom suddenly appeared at the door and asked me, ¡°Did you not go to look for your dad?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I quickly shook my head, turned away and wiped away the tears.

    My mom said again, ¡°It¡¯s fine not to go find him. I¡¯ve figured it out. As long as I still have you and Quentin, it¡¯s enough.¡±

    During this period, I just wanted to live happily and not think about those

    Chapter542

    upsetting things.

    So Ralda, don¡¯t worry about your dad, just let him be.

    If he insisted on divorcing me, then let him be, I don¡¯t care anymore.

    My mother¡¯s ability to think like this is good, but I still feel a little sad and unwilling in my heart.

    I brought out the hot meal and smiled at her, saying, ¡°Alright, these days I will take you around to have fun, rx, and we won¡¯t think about him.

    anymore.¡±

    Anyway, I think Dad will regret it one day. When that timees, he wille back to ask for forgiveness. Mom, you can¡¯t forgive him easily!

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    My mother smiled at me, but I always felt that her smile looked very unreal, shattered and made me anxious.

    I couldn¡¯t help but hug her and said, ¡°Mom, I will always be with you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± my mom lightly patted my back, murmuring, ¡°I just dreamed about you and Quentin when you were kids, how nice it would. be if everything now is just a dream.¡±

    ording to my mother, I was also overwhelmed with sadness and my eyes welled up.

    I quickly changed the subject and took her to the table to eat.

    After dinner, I took her to the nearby park to rx.

    My mom told me not to tell Quentin about these bad things happening at

    home.

    Chamer547

    She said Quentin had finally met the girl he loved, and their rtionship was going well. These upsetting things would affect his mood.

    I thought about it, after all, telling Quentin wouldn¡¯t help.

    He would at most do the same as me, go to my dad to settle the score.

    But what¡¯s the use of that? It only makes this family rtionship more embarrassing and colder.

    I asked my mom if she had ever seen Quentin¡¯s girlfriend.

    She said no.

    She said she had also let Quentin bring his girlfriend back to show them.

    Quentin had originally enthusiastically agreed, but then there were always some things that got in the way, so much so that my mom still doesn¡¯t know what Quentin¡¯s girlfriend looks like.

    The mystery and curiosity made me more eager to see what Quentin¡¯s girlfriend looked like.

    So that night I called Quentin and asked him to bring his girlfriend over to have dinner with me and my mom.

    Quentin happily agreed.

    The next day, I took my mom to the market to buy groceries, and I also nned to pick out a gift for Quentin¡¯s girlfriend.

 Too Close 543

    I thought that even though she stood me upst time, this time she was mainly having dinner with my mom and meeting her future mother¨Cin-w, so she should take it more seriously and not stand me up again.

    Thinking about meeting her future daughter¨Cinw, my mom was also very excited, but at the same time, she was also extremely nervous.

    In the morning, he asked me if my outfit was appropriate and if myplexion looked good.

    Her nervous look made meugh for a moment, and I joked with her, ¡°Mom, it seems like you¡¯re going to meet your inws, not your daughter- inw.¡±

    My mother smiled.

    Whileughing, a touch of sadness shed in his eyes.

    I knew she must have remembered the scene when she married into the

    Duffy family and met my grandparents.

    I quickly changed the subject, ¡°Mom, take a break here, I¡¯ll go to the mall across the street and pick a gift for my future sister¨Cinw.¡±

    My mother nodded, sitting on the bench beside me, smiling and instructing me, ¡°Then you must choose a better one, so that others can feel our attention.¡±

    ¡°I got it, I¡¯m going now.

    There weren¡¯t many people in the mall this morning.<ol start="11"><li>1959 vaj you ajdoveg</li></ol>

    I went to a jewelry store and picked out a beautiful ne.

    As soon as I came out, I saw a familiar figure.

    Kimberly?

    11

    When I saw Kimberly, I instinctively looked around to see if Reynaldo was there.

    After all, weren¡¯t she and Reynaldo always together, inseparable?

    However, I looked around and did not see Reynaldo.

    It was really strange that Kimberly went shopping at the mall without. asking Reynaldo to apany her.

    I looked at Kimberly carefully again.

    At that moment she was chatting with a woman, who had her back to me and I couldn¡¯t see her face clearly.

    However, the woman¡¯s back figure looked slightly familiar, and the clothing also seemed somewhat familiar.

    It¡¯s a bit like, a bit like the woman my dad had an affair with.

    That back, that big wave of hair, that dusty and sexy outfit, the more I look, the more it looks like.

    A sh of angry spection suddenly crossed my mind.

    I felt a chill in my heart, carrying the gift, I walked towards them.

    Just a few steps closer, Kimberly saw me.

    She frowned, not knowing what to say to the woman in front of her.

    The woman immediately walked quickly towards the aisle leading to the elevator ahead.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    I growled lowly and immediately quickened my pace to catch up.

    Kimberly grabbed me and smiled, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, what a coincidence.¡±

    I coldly shook off her hand and continued to chase after <b>the </b>woman I had

    just seen.

    When I reached the elevator corridor, the woman had already taken the elevator and left.

    I still hadn¡¯t seen her face clearly, but I strongly suspected that she was the woman who seduced my dad.

    Why was that woman with Kimberly?

    Did she hire Kimberly specifically to deceive my dad and seduce my dad?

    The thought of this possibility instantly sparked a touch of anger in my heart.

    What did that crazy woman want to do?!

    Kimberly had followed along.

    She smiled at me and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, what are you chasing after?¡±

    I asked her coldly, ¡°Who was the woman you were with just now?¡±

    Kimberly crossed her arms and smiled at me, saying, ¡°She¡¯s my friend. how about you? Do you know Ms. Duffy too?¡±

    151407

    Chaptarses

    You

    ¡°Your friend?¡± I snorted coldly, ¡°If she really is your friend, then why did

    tell her to run as soon as you saw meing?¡±

    Chapter

    TODO DI PAE DENIES

 Too Close 544

    apter <b>544 </b>

    Kimberly immediately burst intoughter as if she had heard a joke.

    She said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you are overthinking it. My friend just happened to have an urgent matter to attend to, so I let her leave first.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, what do you mean by that just now? Do my friends have to introduce you to me before we can get to know each other?¡±

    Seeing that she was always unwilling to tell the truth, I stopped beating

    around the bush with ho

    I went straight to the point and asked her, ¡°Was that woman you hired specifically to harm my father just now, right?¡±

    Kimberly immediately put on an innocent face and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t even know your father, why would I hire someone to harm him?¡±

    ¡°You pretend less here!¡±

    I approached her a few steps, squinted my eyes and coldly warned her, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you better not think about harming my family. If I find out that woman you hired to harm my family, I won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡±

    ¡°Who did you not let go?¡±

    No sooner had I finished speaking than a familiar cold voice sounded behind me.

    My heart trembled fiercely, and my back stiffened for a moment.

    Chapter544

    It was Reynaldo¡¯s voice.

    Oh!

    I said, wherever Kimberly was, Reynaldo would definitely be there.

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    Kimberly immediately ran over and said to Reynaldo pitifully, ¡°Ms. Duffy seems to have misunderstood something about me.¡±

    I turned around expressionless and saw Kimberly intimately linking arms with Reynaldo, looking aggrieved.

    Reynaldo stared at me quietly, his eyes still cold.

    I sneered in my heart.

    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.

    He loved Kimberly in whatever way he wanted.

    But my family, I absolutely would not allow this woman to harm half a point.

    I shifted my gaze away from Reynaldo¡¯s face and looked coldly at Kimberly, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend here. If you dare to harm my family, no matter who is protecting you, I will make you pay.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± Kimberly¡¯s expression became more and more aggrieved, tears welling up as she looked at Reynaldo, ¡°Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong either, she insists that I am plotting against her family. I am just a weak woman, without power or influence, how could I plot against her family.¡±

    Besides, I don¡¯t even know her family. I have no grudges with them. Is it

    necessary for me to hurt her family?¡±

    ¡°Are you willing to let that woman just now confront me face to face!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but growl.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes cooled down, his tone icy, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, take your time to exin.¡±

    I sneered in my heart and cast a resentful nce at him.

    He also said that Kimberly was just a little sister.

    Look, I just raised my voice a little and spoke a bit harshly to Kimberly, and he immediately gave me a cold look.

    Oh!

    The words of men really cannot be trusted!

    Reynaldo also gave me a cold nce and then lowered his gaze to ask Kimberly, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    When he asked Kimberly, his tone was gentle.

    This feeling, as if back to the beginning, he protected Kimberly everywhere.

    Kimberly shed tears, speaking softly and weakly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. Just when you went to buy me milk tea, I happened to run into a friend I had recently met¡­¡±

    Upon hearing Kimberly¡¯s words, I instinctively nced at Reynaldo¡¯s

    hands.

    The man was indeed holding a cup of milk tea in his hand.

    <b>15 </b>14

    Chapter544

    I sarcastically pursed my lips, silently shifted my gaze away, but soon felt

    a cold gaze fall on me.

    <b>15 </b>14

 Too Close 545

    Without looking up, I also knew that Reynaldo was watching me.

    Kimberly continued, sounding aggrieved as if I had bullied her.

    I was just chatting with my friend for a few minutes, and then she had. something urgent to do, so I let her go first.

    I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Duffy suddenly ran over to argue with me, saying that my friend was hired by me on purpose to harm her family.

    ¡°I really felt inexplicable, I didn¡¯t even know her family¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand seeing this woman pretending here, I coldly snorted, ¡°I said, do you dare to let that womane over and confront me face to face.¡±

    Reynaldo cast a nce at her, as if asking for her opinion.

    Kimberly wiped the tears from her face and said, ¡°What¡¯s the harm? I¡¯ll call her right now, just not sure if she¡¯s avable at the moment.¡±

    She said, and actually took out her phone, dialed a number.

    The call was quickly connected, and she said into the phone, ¡°Hello, Eileen? Are you done with your work?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, I have a friend who wants to meet you. Do you have time to

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    Chapter45

    ¦§

    11

    ¡°Well, at the mall where we just met, there is a cafe on the fifth floor. When do you have time toe over?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    She finished speaking and put away her phone, then turned to me and Reynaldo, saying, ¡°My friend said she has something to do in the morning and can onlye in the afternoon.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me and said coldly, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±

    I ignored him and just asked Kimberly, ¡°What time in the afternoon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that either. How about I give you a call when she

    arrives?¡±

    I frowned, feeling that this was not appropriate.

    What if she ys some tricks again?

    After I remained silent for a while, Reynaldo impatiently asked me, ¡°I have done everything as you requested, what else are you not satisfied. with?¡±

    <b>In </b>line with Reynaldo¡¯s words, Kimberly¡¯s expression became even more pitiful.

    It was as if I were a relentless and malicious person, specifically bullying

    her.

    ? Chapter 545

    I didn¡¯t bother to watch the woman pretending, I turned around and left.

    However, I had already entered the elevator when Reynaldo unexpectedly caught up.

    His big hand blocked the elevator door that was about to close, and then his tall and slender figure walked in.

    I frowned and moved to the corner, creating distance between us.

    He, however, approached me directly and cornered me in the elevator.

    I raised my eyes and looked at him expressionlessly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    He had just been protecting Kimberly like that, I don¡¯t think he suddenly caught up with me to make up.

    So, he was either for Kimberly¡¯s sake.

    Sure enough, he said in a cold tone, ¡°Kimberly may be a bit stubborn and have a lot on her mind sometimes, but she has a good heart.¡±

    My heart grew cold.

    He really wasn¡¯t blind after all, and he also knew Kimberly¡¯s mind.

    He just deliberately wanted to favor Kimberly.

    So, in his heart, it was obvious who was more important.

    I didn¡¯t want to say much to him, I pushed him away and wanted to leave, but he pulled me back, leaning against the elevator¡­

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him angrily.

    Chapter545

    11

    He lowered his gaze and stared at me, his icy eyes showing no sign of softening.

    I sneered in my heart, turned my face away, didn¡¯t want to look at him, and didn¡¯t want to talk to him.

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    Chapter546

    After a while, he suddenly spoke, but he was still speaking for Kimberly.

    ¡°If you have any grievances against me in the future, don¡¯t target her again.¡±

    Upon hearing his words, a surge of anger rushed straight to my chest.

    It¡¯s ridiculous. Every time it was that woman who did something wrong, but in his mouth, it became me targeting that woman!

    I was so angry that I was almost trembling, full of sarcasm in my heart.

    I pushed him away and sneered at him, saying, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I have no grudges in my heart, nor do I have any grudges against her. Even if you two love each other to death, it¡¯s none of my business¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    He suddenly growled at me, his brows furrowed, ¡°I said, she¡¯s just my sister.¡±

    Fuck off, sister!

    In my heart, I sneered and gave him a cold smile, ¡°Oh, then you better go and apany your delicate sister, or else she will cry.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened a few shades, and the hand on my shoulder suddenly tightened, the force almost as if he wanted to crush my shoulder.

    I winced <b>in </b>pain, and at that moment, the elevator door opened with a

    ChapterSto

    ding.

    I pushed his chest recklessly, ¡°Madman, let go of me!¡±

    After saying that, I rushed out of the elevator, and suddenly heard a painful groan from behind.

    I subconsciously turned around and saw Reynaldo clutching his chest, his eyes dark and coldly staring at me.

    Blood soon began to seep out of his chest.

    It was only then that I remembered his wound had not healed yet.

    However, that¡¯s none of my business. With Kimberly around, she would. naturally feel sorry for him and take care of him.

    With that in mind, I turned around and left without looking back.

    He heard a cold and deep growl behind him, saying ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    I still didn¡¯t turn around, walking quickly towards the outside of the mall.

    He kept saying he liked me, but I didn¡¯t think his liking for me could surpass his concern for Kimberly.

    We are not siblings, what sibling affection, who would believe it?!

    When I ran out of the mall, my eyes were filled with tears.

    My mother was still sitting across the street from the mall waiting for me. I took a deep breath, made an effort to adjust my emotions, and walked. towards the mall across the street.

    Seeing mee back, my mother quickly took the gift bag from my hand. and asked me, ¡°What gift did you choose? Is it suitable?¡±

    She opened the gift bag and took a look. Inside was just a delicate. ne worth tens of thousands of dors. She couldn¡¯t help but worry, ¡°Is this ne too tacky?¡±

    I smiled and took her arm, ¡°No, she met Quentin and fell in love with him. only after she fell on hard times in our family, proving that she doesn¡¯t care about money at all.¡±

    She might not ept anything too expensive as a gift.

    The ne at this price range is just right, quite friendly, and she would wear it regrly.

    My mother, after hearing this, finally nodded in relief.

    After a while, she said again, ¡°I just thought about it, we bought too little food just now. After all, it¡¯s his first time here, we should make it more. abundant. Ralda, let¡¯s go buy some more ingredients.¡±

    Seeing my mom looking nervous, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to myself.

    She really values her future daughter¨Cinw. She prepared more than ten dishes and still worried that it might not be enough.

 Too Close 547

    I thought to myself, so I smiled and prepared a few more dishes to apany her.

    The whole noon, my mom and I were busy in the kitchen.

    With this busy schedule, she also felt much better, and there was a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

    Until 2 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, <b>my </b>mom and I had all the dishes prepared andid out on the table, which was quite arge table.

    After preparing the meal, my mom went back to her room to tidy up. She double¨Cchecked her outfit and makeup with me several times before sitting on the sofa, waiting for Quentin and his girlfriend to arrive.

    Seeing my mom¡¯s expectant and nervous look, I joked with her, ¡°Mom,e to think of it, shouldn¡¯t it be the new daughter¨Cinw who should be

    nervous?¡±

    ¡°s, you don¡¯t understand. Mom is just afraid of neglecting others, which might affect Quentin¡¯s rtionship with that girl.¡±

    ¡°No, mom, you have already done very well.¡±

    I was speaking when my mother suddenly sighed again, with a somewhat worried look.

    She suddenly looked at me and said earnestly, ¡°Ralda, you and Quentin are the closest rtives in the world. Whatever happens in the future, you and Quentin must love and take care of each other.¡±

    Chapter547

    I nodded, ¡°I will, Mom.¡±

    ¡°I am no longer here¡­¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat, frowning and saying, ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t say that, what do you mean you won¡¯t be here anymore¡­¡±

    In my mother¡¯s eyes, there seemed to be a hint ofplexity. She smiled. at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just that I am getting older and can¡¯t always be with you forever.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, anyway my mother must be healthy and live a long life.¡±

    ¡°He lived to be a hundred years old¡­¡±

    My mother suddenly choked up, wiping away tears as she smiled at me and said, ¡°Our Ralda is really a silly child.¡±

    Just then, the doorbell rang.

    I was delighted in my heart, ¡°It must be Quentin and my future sister¨Cin-wing.¡±

    My mother quickly wiped away her tears and fixed her makeup.

    I hurried to open the door.

    As the door opened, I was taken aback.

    Outside the door, there was only Quentin.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my future sister¨Cinw?¡± I asked Quentin.

    Quentin pursed his lips and said nothing.

    I furrowed my brows, looked around persistently, and even ran to the

    elevator entrance to see if the girl was shy and hiding.

    However, I looked around for a long time but still didn¡¯t see anyone.

    Quentin¡¯s deep voice suddenly came from behind: ¡°No need to look¡­¡­. she didn¡¯te.¡±

    I was taken aback and turned to look at him, only to see him enter the room with a dejected expression.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Did he have a fight with his beloved girlfriend?

    I hurried back to the room, and my mom was anxiously asking Quentin, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why hasn¡¯t that girle? Does she¡­ does she not like our family?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Quentin shook his head and set aside the nutrients and supplements he had brought, exining to me and Quentin, ¡°Kimora suddenly had somethinge up, so she couldn¡¯t make it. Don¡¯t me her, she¡­¡±

    ¡°What does it mean to me her? She¡¯s always like this.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t hold back my anger in an instant and said angrily, ¡°Last time she stood me up, I let it go, it was just the first time, who doesn¡¯t have an emergency at thest minute.¡±

    ¡°But this time I mainly came to see my mother. Isn¡¯t it impolite and rude of her to stand me up like this?¡±

 Too Close 548

    ¡°Enough, Ralda!¡±

    Quentin suddenly growled at me and angrily said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her like that. She really had an emergency. She injured her legs trying toe and exin things to me. What more do you want from her?¡±

    What do you mean by ¡°What else do I want from her?¡± Couldn¡¯t she have let us know earlier if she couldn¡¯te?

    Do you know how much Mom looked forward to seeing her?

    Do you know how long we prepared for this meal?

    It doesn¡¯t matter how she treats me, but she can¡¯t have this attitude

    towards mom.

    ¡°Okay, Ralda¡­¡± my mom said, choking back tears as she held my arm, ¡°it¡¯s just one meal, you two siblings shouldn¡¯t argue because of this.¡±

    ¡°But this is not just a matter of a meal, it¡¯s about that girl¡¯s attitude,¡± I said ufortably.

    I used to think that the girl Quentin was interested in should be very nice, not minding our family¡¯s bankruptcy, not minding Quentin¡¯sck of

    money.

    But the girl stood me up time and time again, pretended to be mysterious. time and time again, instead made me feel like the girl was showing ofl.

    The moment I thought of how much my mom valued that girl, and how she had been busy since early morning preparing for this meal, eagerly

    15148)

    Chapter54

    anticipating it with all her heart and eyes, my heart couldn¡¯t help but feel

    sour.

    I couldn¡¯t help but growl at Quentin. ¡°She really thinks highly of herself. If she doesn¡¯te, so be it. From now on, I won¡¯t consider her as my future sister¨Cinw¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up. Esmeralda!¡±

    Quentin growled at me again, his angry eyes seeming to want to beat me up fiercely.

    From small to big, when has he ever been so harsh to me?

    He loved his girlfriend, protected his girlfriend, I could understand.

    But this time, it was clearly his girlfriend¡¯s fault. Can¡¯t I vent a few words?

    My mother wiped away tears and pulled me, saying, ¡°Forget it, Ralda. Maybe that girl really had something urgent. We¡¯ll get together next time, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    Quentin red at me angrily, his chest slightly heaving. However, a hint of guilt shed across his face when he saw therge table of food and the gifts ced on the side.

    He pursed his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. She can¡¯te. I didn¡¯t inform you in time.¡±

    Next time, whether I cane or not, I will let you know in advance.¡±

    ¡°There is no next time.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Quentin growled at me again, his handsome brows furrowed in a particrly intimidating manner, his face dark and irritated, ¡°Can¡¯t you stop acting like this? She really had an emergency and couldn¡¯te,

    it¡¯s not intentional.¡±

    11

    ¡°And even though she couldn¡¯te, she bought a lot of supplements for me to bring over. She still cares, so stop harping on this point.¡±

    Buying some supplements is considered thoughtful?

    ¡°Hey! Quentin, when did you be so easy to please?¡±

    ¡°Enough, shut up!¡±

    Quentin seemed really angry, he even raised his hand as if he wanted to

    hit me.

    Thanks to my mother quickly grabbing his hand, his p did notnd.

    I looked up, staring at him with red eyes.

    He did his best!

    If his p hadnded, I wouldn¡¯t have recognized him as my brother

    anymore.

    Alright Quentin, Ralda has been busy since early preparing this meal, her fingers are blistered from all the cooking.

    Originally full of joy to meet his future sister¨Cinw, but the joy turned into disappointment, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a little resentful.

 Too Close 549

    You know her personality well, she just loves to say some harsh words, so you shouldn¡¯t argue with her.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s angry expression softened slightly, and his gaze shifted towards my hand.

    I turned my back to him and said expressionlessly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t just talking nonsense. I don¡¯t like her when she acts like this.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Quentin¡¯s anger rose again, and he growled at me, ¡°How did I not notice. before that you are so unreasonable, so petty? No wonder Reynaldo doesn¡¯t like you and wants to divorce you.¡±

    It was as if I had touched a sore spot, and my heart suddenly stung.

    My mother nced at me and quickly pushed Quentin, saying, ¡°What are you talking about? Apologize to Ralda quickly. Who said Reynaldo doesn¡¯t like Ralda anymore? He likes Ralda the most.¡±

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips, feeling a bit sore around my nose and eye sockets.

    Quentin looked at me, his lips twitching as if he wanted to apologize to<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    He opened his mouth, about to speak, when suddenly my phone rang.

    I took a nce and saw that it was Kimberly calling.

    I said indifferently to Quentin, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say, I have something to do, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡±

    Quentin frowned and said coldly, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you again? I apologized to you, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡±

    I snorted coldly and looked at my mom, ¡°You go ahead and eat. I¡¯ll go out for a bit and be back soon.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, where are you going? Quentin didn¡¯t mean it either. Don¡¯t argue over such a small matter. I feel¡­¡±

    ¡°I really have something to do,¡± I didn¡¯t look at Quentin, justforted. my mom, ¡°You go ahead and eat, the food will get cold. I¡¯ll go to the mall we just visited and be back soon.¡±

    My mother looked at me, wanting to say something, but in the end, she just sighed.

    I patted her hand and then turned around and left.

    When I left the house, I could still hear my mom scolding Quentin, ¡°Ralda¡¯s temper is just a little impatient and straightforward, you really shouldn¡¯t have said that to her just now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not because she said that first about Kimora, I exined to her that Kimora couldn¡¯te because of something, it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡±

    I sarcastically pursed my lips.

    It seems that Quentin is also a romantic at heart.

    The first time he stood me up was forgivable, but after doing it several times, wouldn¡¯t he find it strange?

    Chapter341

    Moreover, this time it was to see my mom, to see her future mother¨Cin-w, and it was also the weekend today. If she still didn¡¯te, didn¡¯t he think that the attitude of the girl he liked was a problem?

    That being said, at first Ralda was also looking forward to meeting her and respected her.

    The gift was chosen by Ralda herself, and most of the food was also prepared by Ralda.

    To this extent, we can also see Ralda¡¯s sincerity, but what about that girl¡¯s sincerity? We did not see it.

    ¡°So Quentin, you really shouldn¡¯t have said that to Ralda just now.¡±

    Okay mom, you don¡¯t need to speak well of Ralda anymore, she was just spoiled by you.

    After getting to know Kimora, I realized how bad her temper was.

    I was her brother, and I always tolerated her little temper. But with that temper of hers, no man could stand it.¡±

    I lowered my head self¨Cdeprecatingly.

    Even Quentin started to despise me.

    I started to doubt whether I was really as annoying as he said.

    My mother has always been protecting me.

 Too Close 550

    Chapter550

    Nonsense, Ralda has a very good temper. It¡¯s you who have been spoiled all along. You really have been blinded by your girlfriend.

    Mom didn¡¯t care, anyway, you must apologize to Raldater.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°Ah, you guys, really don¡¯t let me rest assured. How can I be at ease when you argue like this?¡±

    I walked sadly with my head down, heading towards the elevator.

    In the past, I always thought he was the best brother in the world.

    In Quentin¡¯s mind, I was just a bad¨Ctempered, annoying sister.

    Thinking back to the once happy family, where loving rtives have turned into the current situation, my heart can¡¯t help but ache.

    My eyes welled up with tears unconsciously.

    I lifted my head and took a deep breath, then suppressed the overwhelming sadness and sorrow in my heart.

    Kimberly called again.

    I didn¡¯t answer just now, I just answered now.

    Kimberly¡¯s soft voice quickly came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Ms. Duffy, my friend has already arrived at the coffee shop on the fifth floor of this mall,e over.¡±

    Chapters

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±

    I responded lightly and then hung up the phone.

    The shopping mall is nearby, it¡¯s only a ten¨Cminute walk away.

    I arrived at the fifth floor and immediately spotted the Yeadon Cafe.

    Kimberly waved at me at the door and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, this way.¡±

    When I looked towards her, I saw Reynaldo standing behind her.

    The man¡¯splexion was even colder than when I saw him in the morning.

    <b>I </b>sneered in my heart,

    He really cared about Kimberly, afraid that I would bully Kimberly, always protecting her behind Kimberly.

    I tidied up my emotions and walked quickly over.

    As soon as I approached, Kimberly stared into my eyes and said, ¡°Hey, Ms. Duffy, why are your eyes so red, like you¡¯ve just been crying? Is everything okay?¡±

    When she said that, Reynaldo immediately looked at me, his eyes deep.

    I raised my eyes slightly and let them look at me.

    ¡°Where are the people?¡± I asked softly.

    Kimberly busily smiled and said, ¡°She¡¯s inside,e on, I¡¯ll take you in to see her.¡±

    She said, and then warmly came over to link arms with me.

    I avoided it expressionlessly and walked towards the coffee shop on my

    OWNL

    As I passed by Reynaldo, I could clearly feel the cold gleam in his eyes.

    I pursed my lips, ignoring him, and walked quickly into the coffee shop.

    As soon as I entered, I saw a woman dressed in bright colors sitting by the window.

    The woman had a big wavy curly hair, dressed sexily.

    Although it was just a back view, it was indeed identical to the back view of the woman I saw in the morning.

    I lowered my gaze and walked quickly towards the woman.

    ¡°Aiyana¡­¡±

    I deliberately imitated my father¡¯s tone to shout at that woman.

    However, the woman did not react.

    I furrowed my brows and quickly walked around to the front of the

    woman.

    However, to my disappointment, the woman in front of me was not my dad¡¯s mistress.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy¡­¡±

    At this time, Kimberly and Reynaldo also walked in.

    I was surprised to see that Kimberly was limping as she walked, as if her leg was injured.

    I frowned and watched her walking posture, something shed quickly through my mind, so fast that I could hardly catch it.

    ¡°Ms. Dully, my friend has arrived. Can you see if she is the one who seduced your dad?¡±

    Kimberly had just finished speaking when the woman immediately eximed unhappily, ¡°What? use me of seducing her dad? Is she crazy? I look even younger than her, why would I seduce an old man?¡±

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    Chapter551

    ¡°Oh Eileen, don¡¯t be angry first, just let her take a look, otherwise she won¡¯t give up.¡± Kimberly said apologetically to the woman.

    The woman hummed and a coquettish smile appeared on her face as she looked past Reynaldo.

    Oh, for your sake, I¡¯ll let it slide and take a little more time.

    ¡°But my time is very valuable, so Ms. Palmer better make sure Mr. Humphreypensates me for it.¡±

    A coldness shed quickly in Kimberly¡¯s eyes, but she smiled weakly and said, ¡°That¡¯s natural. You are so busy and still made a special trip for this. I originally felt guilty about it.¡±

    Kimberly said, looking at me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, how do you want to confront her? Please hurry, Eileen is very busy.¡±

    I stared deeply at the woman named ¡®Eileen¡®, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be Kimberly¡¯s so¨Ccalled friend.

    Otherwise, how could she directly address Kimberly as Ms. Palmer and speak so formally?

    And the woman would asionally flirt with Reynaldo, giving him suggestive looks.

    Kimberly was most disgusted when someone tried to steal Reynaldo from

    her.

    So how could she be friends with a woman who was trying to seduce

    15.150

    Chapter551

    Reynaldo.

    So there was only one exnation: the woman who spoke to her in the morning was not the same woman.

    The woman was probably someone she had asked toe at thest. minute, and she deliberately found a woman with the same figure, back, clothes, and hair as the one in the morning.

    So, the only exnation for her doing this is that the woman this morning was indeed the mistress seducing my dad.

    That means, the mistress who seduced my dad was hired by her!

    Thinking of my father¡¯s cruelty, thinking of my mother¡¯s haggard appearance as she washed her face with tears all day, a surge of sorrow and indignation rushed to my chest.

    I don¡¯t care how she tries to harm me, but she should never have thought of targeting my family.

    I turned around and raised my hand to p Kimberly¡¯s face.

    With a loud ¡®smack¡®, Kimberly¡¯s face was pped to the side by me.

    And the sudden p also stunned everyone.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    It was Reynaldo who first came to his senses and growled at me.

    Kimberly also quickly covered her face, looking at me in shock and innocence, ¡°Ms. Duffy, why did you hit me?¡±

    ¡°Why I hit you, you should know in your heart,¡± I said coldly.

    15.15

    <b>¡°</b>1

    Kimberly immediately shook her head innocently, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Ms. Dully means.¡±

    Following that, she looked at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes, her choked voice pitiful and innocent, ¡°Reynaldo, what¡¯s wrong with Ms. Dully? I¡¯ve already called my friend to confront her as she requested, why did she still hit me?¡±

    She said, her tears falling down like beads on a broken string.

    It was really a sight to behold.

    Reynaldo looked at me with a cold gleam in his eyes, surrounded by a chilling aura.

    ¡°You had better give me a reasonable exnation.¡±

    I faced his cold gaze and said, ¡°The reason is, she hired someone to seduce my dad, trying to harm my parents.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Kimberly denied urgently, looking truly innocent with tears in her eyes.

    I sneered in my heart.

    i

    Her talent is really wasted if she doesn¡¯t be an actress.

    Reynaldo stared at me intently and asked, ¡°Is there any evidence?¡±

    Evidence?

    Iughed. ¨C

    Don¡¯t say there is no evidence, even if there is evidence, will he believe it?

    ¡°Ms. Duffy¡­¡± Kimberly looked at me with tears in her eyes, ¡°Eileen is

    already here, is she really the woman who seduced your dad? At least

    give me an answer. You suddenly pped me and used me of hiring someone to seduce your dad, what does that mean?¡±

 Too Close 552

    Chapter552

    The tone, as much as it was aggrieved, was aggrieved; as much as it was innocent, it was innocent.

    Reynaldo also stared at me coldly.

    That look, it was as if I was being unreasonable, as if I was falsely using someone randomly.

    I sneered in my heart and didn¡¯t want to waste time exining to him.

    I approached Kimberly with a cold face.

    Reynaldo instantly shielded Kimberly behind him, his eyes coldly staring at me, ¡°Have you caused enough trouble?¡±

    ¡°Did you say I was making <b>a </b>scene?¡± I sneered at him,ughing in a way that was both mocking and disappointed.

    Reynaldo frowned and said coldly, ¡°You suddenly falsely used her of wanting to harm your family, and then inexplicably attacked her. What is this if not nonsense?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    I sneered and growled at him, ¡°Get out of the way!¡±

    Reynaldo stood still, but his gaze grew even colder, as if he had a posture that if I dared to touch Kimberly, he would tear me to pieces.

    Oh!

    How ridiculous, is this what he called liking me?

    Fuck off with your liking!

    Seeing that he didn¡¯t move, I reached out and pushed him, even deliberately pressing on the wound on his chest.

    He just groaned in pain and refused to let go.

    Kimberly suddenly grabbed his arm, screaming, ¡°Oh, Reynaldo, your wound is bleeding again!¡±

    Then she looked at me again, resentfully saying, ¡°How could you be so heartless? He got hurt for you, it seems like you really don¡¯t love him at all.¡±

    Reynaldo was sweating cold sweat on his forehead, but his eyes were staring at me fiercely.

    I looked away and avoided eye contact with him.

    Kimberly was still adding fuel to the fire on the side, I gave her a cold look and reached out to pull her over.

    Her leg must have been really injured.

    As soon as I pulled her, she fell awkwardly onto the coffee table, shouting ¡®Reynaldo, help me¡® loudly.

    The cry of fear, exaggerated.

    I had just pinned down the woman when Reynaldo¡¯s cold warning sounded behind me, ¡°If you dare to touch her, I won¡¯t be polite to you!¡±

    A sudden sharp pain pierced through the heart.

    I sarcastically pursed my lips and turned back to him, saying, ¡°Alright, I really want to see how impolite you can be to me.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± The man gritted his teeth, his face dark and terrifying

    I ignored him and just grabbed Kimberly¡¯s hand back, pressing it hard on

    the table.

    I bent down and coldly warned her, ¡°I know it was you who hired someone to seduce my dad.¡±

    It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t admit it, just listen to me. If anything happens to my parents, even if we both perish together, I will make you pay!¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­ I was so scared, Reynaldo save me¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, you¡¯ve had enough!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s cold voice drifted in.

    I pursed my lips, turned around and sneered at him, ¡°What, feeling sorry

    now?¡±

    ¡°Speak nicely!¡± The man furrowed his brows tightly, his eyes filled with

    anger.

    I smiled and sneered, ¡°Haven¡¯t I been talking to you nicely? What does Mr. Humphrey want me to say?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, his hand clenched tightly <b>at </b>his side in

    anger.

    I chuckled lightly and then let go of Kimberly.

    Kimberly immediately threw herself into his arms, crying in a very aggrieved manner.

    11

    Reynaldo did not look at her, but stared at me, his eyes as cold as frost.

    I nced past the bloodstain on his chest, and in an instant, the scene of him saving me that day shed through my mind, causing a wave of pain to resurface in my heart.

 Too Close 553

    I closed my eyes slightly and turned around, ready to leave.

    But in the moment I turned around, I was stunned.

    Anton was standing right at the entrance of the coffee shop.

    He stared at me quietly, with a dark and unclear expression..

    I didn¡¯t say anything else, I lowered my head and walked out of the coffee shop.

    Anton quickly caught up.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just followed behind me, and followed me out of

    the mall.

    I stopped in my tracks, turned around and smiled at him, ¡°I just bullied your sister, do you want to settle the score with me?¡±

    Anton frowned, looking a bit unwell.

    I pursed my lips.

    Kimberly was really happy, being pampered by Reynaldo as her fake brother and protected by Anton as her real brother.

    I stared at him expressionlessly and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that. If you want to seek justice for Kimberly, then bring it on.¡±

    In any case, if she dares to harm my family, even if she is your own sister, I will not show her any mercy.¡±

    Anton sighed at me, ¡°Do you really dislike her that much?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about liking or disliking.¡±

    If you didn¡¯t hate her, why would you misunderstand that she wanted to harm your family?

    Her mind may be a bit sharp, but her heart is not bad, and can even be said to be very kind.

    When she was young, she wouldn¡¯t even dare to step on an ant. If the cats. or dogs at home died, she would be sad for a whole year.

    Perhaps because she was spoiled since childhood, she became a bit delicate, but she definitely did not have any malicious intentions.¡±

    I chuckled immediately.

    It is said that the woman acted well, deceiving both him and Reynaldo.

    Was it that he and Reynaldo were both blind?

    I said coldly, ¡°No matter what kind of filter you have for her, in my eyes, she is just a cunning and malicious woman.¡±

    If you want to protect her, then go ahead and protect her, but don¡¯t say anything about her kindness in front of me.

    Her kindness orck thereof is not my concern, all I know is, ¡°she wanted to harm my family!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± Anton stared at me with deep eyes, ¡°just because she

    with </b>you for Reynaldo, do you have to look at her like this?

    Isn¡¯t it Reynaldo¡¯s fault for wavering between you and her?¡±

    I watched Anton quietly.

    <b>3031</b><b>% </b>

    15150

    11

    He was really a good brother, doing his best to speak well of Kimberly and helping her find excuses.

    Talking to him more was useless, so I turned around and tried to leave.

    He suddenly grabbed me, twisting my shoulder, and said urgently to me, ¡°What¡¯s so good about Reynaldo? He¡¯s still indecisive, besides hurting you, what else can he do?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda,e with me, leave here with me. When you remember our past, you will realize that you have always loved me.¡±

    ¡°You let go of me, Anton¡­¡± I struggled instinctively.

    However, Anton not only did not let go of me, but instead pulled me into

    his arms.

    He held me tightly and said sadly, ¡°These two days, I didn¡¯t n to talk to you, but I found out that I couldn¡¯t stay mad at you at all.¡±

    Just two dayster, I couldn¡¯t help bute to see you.

    ¡°Esmeralda, will youe with me?¡±

    Anton¡¯s hug almost suffocated me, and I struggled to tell him to let go of<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    But he just wouldn¡¯t listen.

    And just as I was entangled with him, a brute force suddenly pulled me apart from him.

 Too Close 554

    I took several steps back before I could finally stand firm due to inertia.

    At a nce, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s cold expression.

    His fist by his side clenched tightly, making a cracking sound, his eyes. ring at me with a crimson hue.

    I sneered in my heart.

    He could be all lovey¨Cdovey with Kimberly, but I couldn¡¯t even hug Anton?

    Kimberly limped over to Reynaldo, holding onto his arm, her eyes wide with surprise as she looked at me and Anton, ¡°Are you¡­ are you two together?¡±

    Anton took out a cigarette, lit it, took a puff, and said nothing.

    I was toozy to pay attention to her.

    But she suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Actually, I think it would be nice if Ms. Duffy could be my sister¨Cinw, I still¡­<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Kimberly had not finished speaking when Reynaldo suddenly coldly muttered at her, startling her into a shiver.

    Immediately, her eyes filled with tears, looking at Reynaldo with a look of grievance and pity.

    Chapters

    Reynaldo, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did I say something wrong?

    I just saw her and Quentin hugging each other tightly, thinking they should¡­

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    At that moment. Quentin suddenly ran over.

    It was at that moment that Kimberly, who had been adding fuel to the fire about me and Anton, suddenly threw herself into Reynaldo¡¯s arms.

    Reynaldo was about to push her away when she suddenly clutched at her chest and said in pain, ¡°It hurts, Reynaldo, my heart hurts.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face changed.

    He gave me a deep look, then picked up Kimberly and walked towards the parking area on the side.

    Anton also hurriedly followed up.

    They almost brushed past Quentin, while Kimberly kept burying her face in Reynaldo¡¯s arms, not showing a bit of her face.

    I furrowed my brows, feeling a bit strange, but couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint what exactly was strange.

    Quentin stared at Kimberly for a long time, a hint of doubt shing between his furrowed brows.

    After a while, he ran up to me and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, my mom asked me toe pick you up.¡±

    Quentin frowned, clearly still angry with me because of his girlfriend.

    15.15

    I sighed and said lightly, ¡°No need, I can walk back by myself.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    11

    Quentin frowned and scolded me impatiently, saying, ¡°Do you really need to be mad at me? I didn¡¯t say anything to you. I even came to pick you up in person. What else do you want?¡±

    Oh, I¡¯m really sorry to hear that you were wronged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to either. I said I¡¯ll just walk back by myself.¡±

    After saying that, I walked along the side of the street.

    I really couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him anymore.

    I never used to argue with him before.

    In the past, whenever I got angry, he woulde to coax me, buy me delicious food, give me surprises, take me out to y with his friends, and go crazy.

    Things are different now.

    It¡¯s not that he has a girlfriend now, I feel a big gap in my heart, but I feel that some emotions really change in the blink of an eye.

    Whether it¡¯s friendship, love, or even family.

    ¡°Esmeralda, you really should change your bad temper!¡±

    Quentin roared behind me.

    The next second, he rushed up and dragged me into his car.

    I stared at him gloomily and said, ¡°Quentin, what are you doing?¡±

    11

    I was only two years older than Quentin, and whenever I got angry, I liked. to call him by his name.

    He gave me a re and pushed me into the driver¡¯s seat without saying a

    word.

 Too Close 555

    Chapter555

    I sighed and didn¡¯t bother to struggle anymore, silently fastening my seatbelt.

    Quentin walked around the front of the car, sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and then turned around to grab a pastry box from the back seat and handed it to me, saying, ¡°Here, your favorite pastries.¡±

    I nced at it and didn¡¯t answer,

    He grabbed my hand, ced the pastry box in my hand, and sighed. helplessly, ¡°Alright, can¡¯t I just admit my mistake to you? I didn¡¯t mean to do it at that time either.¡±

    Originally I was not in a good mood, and you kept saying, ¡°Kimora is not good.¡±

    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t wrong either. She can even release her mother¡¯s pigeons. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something wrong with her?¡± I said, quietly opening the pastry box and putting a piece of pastry into my mouth.

    I haven¡¯t eaten anything from this morning until now, and I¡¯m really hungry.

    Quentin nced at me, with a slight curl of his lips.

    After a while, he whispered, ¡°Actually, Kimora really did have an urgent matter. When she told me, she was in a hurry and even cried. The supplements and everything were personally chosen by her.¡±

    I know she stood you up a few times, you were really upset with her.

    Chapters

    <b>11 </b>

    I promised you that next time I will definitely bring her back to meet you and our parents. By then, I will let her exin <b>to </b>you face to face, okay.¡±

    Talking about my dad, my heart felt sour again.

    Quentin still didn¡¯t know about my dad¡¯s affair, which is good. Not knowing can also save a lot of trouble.

    ¡°By the way, who was the woman in Reynaldo¡¯s arms just now?¡±

    ¡°She was Reynaldo¡¯s moonlight, as well as Reynaldo¡¯s childhood sweetheart, right?¡±

    I looked at Quentin andughed self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°Do you think that woman is much better than me, Reynaldo hates me, so it¡¯s normal for him

    to choose that woman?¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Quentin frowned and muttered, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever feel that way?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said my bad temper is the reason why Reynaldo doesn¡¯t like me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I was just talking nonsense, did you really take it seriously?!¡±

    Quentin gave me a disdainful look.

    After a while, he muttered to himself, ¡°I just felt that the woman looked a bit familiar, but it definitely couldn¡¯t be her.¡±

    I don¡¯t know who Quentin was talking about, but he looked determined.

    I turned to the side and silently ate the pastries in my arms, without saying a word.

    Chacters55

    After a while, Quentin indignantly said, ¡°Reynaldo already has a white. moonlight, so why was he looking for you like a mad dog before?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I mumbled as I chewed on the pastry, ¡°Maybe I owe him money and he¡¯s chasing me to pay it back.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, definitely not, he is a big CEO, why would he need that little money?¡±

    Then, the car had already arrived downstairs.

    He looked at me seriously and said, ¡°Ralda, listen to my advice, don¡¯t get involved with him anymore in the future. Just now, seeing how anxious he was for that woman, it¡¯s clear that he loves her.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯tpletely cut ties with him again, I¡¯m afraid that in the end, the only one who will get hurt is you.¡±

    Look.

    Even Quentin, an outsider, could see that Reynaldo loved Kimberly more.

    And where did Reynaldo get the confidence to say repeatedly that Kimberly is just his sister, and to say repeatedly that he likes me?

    My heart was in turmoil.

 Too Close 556

    Chapter556

    I pushed open the car door and got out. At a nce, I saw this very nice. residential building in front of me, and an indescribable feeling surged in my heart.

    I repeatedly said that I wanted to cut ties with Reynaldo.

    However, look, my family and I were still living in the house he bought.

    Quentin apanied me and my mom for dinner before going back.

    When he left, he also asked my mom why she hadn¡¯t seen my dad recently.

    I wanted to tell my dad¡¯s affair several times, but in the end, I held back.

    My mom told him, ¡°My dad¡¯s business is picking up, so he has been very busytely.¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t have any doubts either, just happily said, ¡°Our family will soon be able to go back to the past.¡±

    Seeing Quentin¡¯s happy and expectant look, I felt very ufortable in my heart.

    As soon as Quentin left, the smile on my mom¡¯s face disappeared and her eyes instantly turned red.

    She sat on the sofa again, silent and with a gloomy expression.

    I sighed sadly and quietly sent a message to Quentin, asking him toe. back and check on my mom.

    The house became lively, and my mom¡¯s mood improved.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    My mom suddenly called me.

    I poured her a ss of warm water and came over to sit with her.

    She held my hand and asked anxiously, ¡°It seems that Quentin¡¯s major life

    events are on:

    smoothly now. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he marries

    that girl.¡±

    I nodded and whispered, ¡°Actually, I said some harsh words today too, but don¡¯t worry, Mom. If Quentin really marries her in the future and she sincerely treats Quentin well, then I will definitely treat her as my sister- inw sincerely, with humility and respect.¡±

    ¡°I know you are polite in some important matters,¡± my mom lightly patted my hand and sighed, ¡°Actually, what I am most worried about now is your lifelong event, what is going on between you and Reynaldo?¡±

    As for my mom¡¯s question, I didn¡¯t know how to answer it for a moment.

    I used to think that Reynaldo and I were already divorced. When my mom asked me about it, at least I could say that ¡°Reynaldo and I have not rtionship anymore.¡±

    Now how should I answer.

    Saying it has nothing to do with Reynaldo, but I am still legally married to him.

    Speaking of rtionships, I had another falling out with him.

    My mother looked at me worriedly and said, ¡°Ralda, you are the one who worries me the most. In my opinion, Reynaldo is actually quite good. He

    15160

    will be a man worth entrusting your whole life to, really.¡±

    If there is any misunderstanding between you, resolve it as soon as possible, don¡¯t waste time, regret itter.

    Reynaldo was indeed quite good, you could even say, ¡°good in every way.¡±

    But the person he loved the most in his heart was not me, and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    I couldn¡¯t share his love with another woman.

    The love I wanted could only be pure and unique.

    Seeing my mom¡¯s worried face, I smiled and hugged her, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to worry. I will handle things between him and me.¡±

    My mother sighed deeply, didn¡¯t say anything more, just looked a little

    sad.

    I thought she was still being affected by my dad¡¯s affair. As long as I spend more time with her and guide her more, she will definitely get better.

    But I didn¡¯t know that there were even more desperate things happening

    to her.

    <b>151 </b>

 Too Close 557

    And when I found out, it was already toote.

    I have been staying here with my mom for over a week.

    Every day, I would get up early with my mom, exercise, have breakfast, and then go shopping and visit the park.

    Watching my mother¡¯splexion and spirits gradually improve, I also felt much more at ease.

    For over a week, my dad never came back.

    My mom and I also tacitly did not mention him.

    Quentin dide back to see my mom the next day, but not once did he bring his mysterious girlfriend with him.

    I didn¡¯t insist on it either, let it be.

    As long as he can really settle down with that girl in the future, that¡¯s all that matters for a happy ending.

    That day, I slept until noon because the previous night, I stayed up chatting with my mom untilte.

    My mother had already gotten up to make lunch.

    Seeing her in good spirits, my mood also improved.

    When I turned to go to the bathroom to freshen up, my mom suddenly said to me, ¡°Ralda, I have been feeling much better recently and there¡¯s

    <b>11 </b>

    nothing much going on. You can go ahead and do your own things, not need to apany me every day.¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°No, I promised to stay with you all the time.¡±

    My mother chuckled and said, ¡°Are you going to apany me for a lifetime?¡±

    ¡°Just for a lifetime, Mom, I will apany you for a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Silly child¡­¡±

    My mother smiled and patted my hand, but her eyes were somewhat dim. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± she said. ¡°You will also have your own career and family in the future. While I¡¯m still here, go talk to Reynaldo and settle down as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Mom? What do you mean by ¡®while you¡¯re still here¡°? Don¡¯t say things like that anymore!¡± I looked at her angrily.

    My mother busily smiled and said, ¡°Okay, okay, okay¡­ I won¡¯t say anymore, I won¡¯t say anymore. But you really need to have a good talk with Reynaldo, otherwise what exactly is going on between you and him

    now?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I got it. You don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore.¡± I smiled and pushed her to sit on the sofa, then went into the bathroom.

    I heard my mom¡¯s whisper from behind, a bit muffled, and I didn¡¯t catch it clearly.

    I sshed water on my face and looked at myself in the mirror. I sighed softly and felt conflicted about whether to take the initiative to talk to Reynaldo.

    At that moment, my phone suddenly vibrated.

    15160

    I lowered my gaze and saw a message from Kimberly.

    I reached out and clicked randomly, and the next second, I opened my eyes in astonishment.

    Kimberly¡¯s message was ¡°Do you want to meet Reynaldo¡¯s mother? I¡¯ll take you there!¡±

    Was Reynaldo¡¯s mother?

    Before, I had heard Reynaldo mention his mother, and I also knew that his mother is currently in Freybourne.

    Kimberly was perfectly fine, why did she suddenly take me to meet her mother?

    What trick is Kimberly ying again?

    I turned off my phone, put it aside, and didn¡¯t pay much attention.

    Before long, my phone suddenly rang again.

    Kimberly called directly.

    I stared at my phone for <b>a </b>few seconds, then answered the call.

    However, the voice that came from the other end of the phone was not Kimberly¡¯s, but a calm and serious woman¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Was it Ms. Duffy?¡±

    Thinking that she might be Reynaldo¡¯s mother, I quickly replied, ¡°Yes,

    you are¡­

    ¡°I am Reynaldo¡¯s mother.¡±

    Chapter557

    Sure enough.

 Too Close 558

    Chapter558

    However, I have been married to Reynaldo for three years, and his mother has never reached out to me.

    What¡¯s the matter with calling me suddenly this time?

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, can I see you? Is it convenient?¡±

    Various doubts shed through my mind, and for a moment, I forgot to

    answer.

    The voice on the other end of the phone suddenlyughed and said, ¡°What? Can¡¯t I persuade Ms. Duffy toe?¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± I quickly said, ¡°Please send me the address.¡±

    Hung up the phone.

    I stared nkly at the address sent on my phone.

    It was thergest hospital in Freybourne.

    It¡¯s just strange why Reynaldo¡¯s mother suddenly wanted to see me.

    I said goodbye to my mom and went to the hospital alone.

    As soon as we arrived at the hospital gate, Kimberly waved to me and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, this way.¡±

    I frowned at her and asked, ¡°What do you want to do again?¡±

    Kimberlyughed innocently, ¡°Ms. Duffy, don¡¯t be so hostile towards me. It wasn¡¯t my idea to have youe here today; it was Mika who

    <b>15 </b>16

    Chapter558

    wanted to see you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to say much to her, just said lightly, ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    Kimberly chuckled and led me into the inpatient department.

    Actually, when I went to see Reynaldo¡¯s mother, I was still a little

    nervous.

    Strictly speaking, Reynaldo¡¯s mother is still my mother¨Cinw now.

    The first time a daughter¨Cinw meets her mother¨Cinw, she should be nervous, right?

    Not to mention, I still didn¡¯t know why his mother came to see me in the first ce.

    And on the phone, his mother¡¯s voice was particrly cold.

    I followed behind Kimberly silently, suppressing the uneasiness in my heart.

    Arrived at the door of a ward on the 16th floor.

    Kimberly first knocked on the door, then shouted inside, ¡°Mika, I have brought Ms. Duffy over.¡±

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    A woman¡¯s voice came from inside, not as indifferent as on the phone, but with a hint of kindness, which made my heart rx a little.

    As the door was pushed open, I saw a middle¨Caged woman leaning on the hospital bed.

    The woman appeared to be in her fifties, with an elegant and kind.

    15 <b>16 </b>

    Chapter558

    demeanor.

    Although at this age, you can still see the beauty of her youth from the distinctive features between her eyebrows.

    If you look closely, you can also see that Reynaldo¡¯s features actually bear a resemnce to hers by three points.

    ¡°Are you Esmeralda, Reynaldo¡¯s wife, my daughter¨Cinw?¡±

    Mika stared at me for a moment, her tone neither challenging nor friendly.

    I nodded and somewhat awkwardly ced the fruit basket I brought on the bedside table. politely greeting her, ¡°Hello, Ms. Versta.¡±

    I should have used a more intimate name.

    Just now, with my current rtionship with Reynaldo, and also because it was my first time seeing her, I really couldn¡¯t bring myself to call her any other names.

    But Mika didn¡¯t seem to mind much either.

    She chuckled and said meaningfully, ¡°I heard that you didn¡¯t actually like my son at first, and that you were forced to marry him, is that true?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to deny it, just admit it openly and honestly.¡±

    Mikazily leaned against the head of the bed, smiling at me.

    ¡°After all, at that time you were a wealthy youngdy, and my son was nothing, so it¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t like him.¡±

    <b>15 </b>16

    Chapter5)

    I lowered my eyes, not knowing how to respond to her words.

    I could actually feel that Mika didn¡¯t like me.

    <b>11 </b>

    Kimberly poured a ss of warm water on the side, then walked over and considerately handed it to Mika.

 Too Close 559

    Mika smiled at her, the kind eyes contrasting sharply with the stem. gaze she had given me.

    Kimberly served Mika water and then sat down to peel fruit for her, which was so thoughtful.

    When Mika¡¯s gaze fell on her, her eyes were as kind as if she were looking at her own daughter.

    However, she was Kimberly¡¯s stepmother, and Kimberly was like her daughter.

    I was lost in my thoughts when suddenly Mika looked at me again, her eyes sharper than before.

    ¡°Since you never liked my son from the beginning, what does it mean to keep dragging on without divorcing him?¡±

    ¡°I did not¡­¡±

    It seems that even they knew the news that I hadn¡¯t divorced Reynaldo.

    Mika didn¡¯t say much to me either, instead she called Kimberly.

    Kimberly was like a chameleon, ¡°in front of me she was one way, in front of Reynaldo she was another way, and in front of Mika she was yet another way.¡±

    She spoke softly to Mika like a good girl, saying, ¡°Mika, did you call me?¡±

    15 16

    Chapter550

    11

    Mika lightly tapped the back of her hand, but her eyes were fixed on<ol><li>mc<b>. </b></li></ol>

    She said to me, ¡°You don¡¯t know yet, Reynaldo had promised myte husband that he would take care of Kimberly for the rest of her life.¡±

    ¡°So, you understand what I mean, right?¡±

    I watched her quietly, without giving any response, but my heart was

    clear.

    Mika called me today to ¡°support Kimberly¡± and to make me ¡°consciously divorce Reynaldo¡± in order to fulfill Reynaldo¡¯s rtionship. with Kimberly.

    I thought Mika might not like me.

    But I didn¡¯t expect that Mika actually ¡°hated¡± me.

    ¡°Still don¡¯t understand? Then let me exin it to you directly.¡±

    Seeing that I was silent, Mika smiled and said in a rtively friendly tone, ¡°In my heart, I will only acknowledge Kimberly as my daughter¨Cin-w.¡±

    As for you, to be honest, when Reynaldo married you, he didn¡¯t even notify me, and he never mentioned you in front of me.

    ¡°So, even though you have been married for more than three years, you are still not considered my daughter¨Cinw.¡±

    Well, that was really hurtful.

    I have never expected that my future mother¨Cinw would like me, I never expected that before getting married.

    15 16 K

    Because I knew that there has always been that kind of ¡°mother¨Cinw and daughter¨Cinw battle¡± since ancient times.

    I just thought at the time that if I got married in the future, I would get along with my mother¨Cinw politely, and no one would offend anyone.

    Little did she expect that, even if some daughters¨Cinw did nothing, the mother¨Cinw still did not like, or even hated them.

    ¡°So if Ms. Duffy had a sense of the big picture, she would have taken the initiative to divorce Reynaldo.¡±

    I know you were reluctant to get a divorce, it¡¯s just because you see he¡¯s sessful now.

    ¡°So, how much are you willing to offer to divorce him?¡±

    Even though I had always held <b>a </b>respectful attitude towards Mika, when I heard her words, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    I said in a low voice, ¡°Please understand, it has never been that I didn¡¯t

    want to divorce him, but that he refused to.¡±

    I had just finished saying this sentence when the door of the ward was suddenly pushed open forcefully by someone.

    I subconsciously turned around, but my heart trembled fiercely.

    It was Reynaldo.

    His deep eyes stared at me tightly,

    With a hint of anger.

    I averted my gaze and stood to the side with lowered brows and apliant expression.

    He came, which saved me from facing his mother alone.

 Too Close 560

    As for what I just said, he heard it, didn¡¯t he?

    Originally, I did want to have a good talk with him about the divorce.

    ¡°Reynaldo, you¡¯re here.¡±

    Mika shouted at him; her tone just as gentle as when she spoke to Kimberly.

    She was particrly cold and indifferent to me. It is clear that Mika just hates me.

    Reynaldo walked up to the bedside, nced at me, then looked at Mika, his calm voice still tinged with a hint of displeasure.

    ¡°I had told my mother before that I would bring her to see you, but it seems that she couldn¡¯t wait any longer.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I stayed in the hospital in Freybourne for so long, theoretically speaking, she as my daughter¨Cinw should indeede and see me, shouldn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t deny that she was your daughter¨Cinw, did you?¡± Reynaldo asked in a casual tone.

    Mika still smiled, appearing kind, but her eyes were sharp.

    She said, ¡°I may not admit it, but your rtionship is here, so she still has to observe the proper etiquette.¡±

    I sighed in my heart.

    15160

    She was the one who refused to acknowledge me as her daughter¨Cinw, and she was also the one who said Icked the proper etiquette of a daughter¨Cinw.

    It seems that being her daughter¨Cinw is not an easy task.

    I didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer.

    I said to Mika, ¡°I have something else to do, so I won¡¯t disturb your rest. I¡¯lle see you next time.¡±

    When I said this, Mika¡¯s face visibly darkened.

    I didn¡¯t want to consider her feelings either. She didn¡¯t like me anyway, so why should I care about her emotions.

    I turned around and left.

    §ß§Ö

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    However, I had only taken a few steps when Reynaldo called out to me.

    I furrowed my brows and turned to look at him.

    He just said to Mika, ¡°Mom, about her, I will talk to you next time. So, during this time, I hope you won¡¯t make things difficult for her.¡±

    ¡°I made things difficult for her?¡± Mika snorted coldly, ¡°You think too highly of me. I am almost useless, how could I make things difficult for her?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, didn¡¯t say anything else, turned around and pulled me out.

    Mika angrilyined from behind, ¡°Always protecting that woman, what¡¯s so good about that woman? Haven¡¯t you had enough of the

    Chapter

    three years of humiliation and degradation?<b>¡± </b>

    I instinctively looked at Reynaldo, but only saw his tall and rigid back.

    He didn¡¯t say a word, ¡°dragging me into the elevator without stopping.¡±

    When the elevator doors were about to close, a few more people squeezed in.

    Reynaldo calmly pulled me into his arms, shielding me with his tall figure.

    I looked at him, still not understanding in my heart, whether he really liked me or Kimberly.

    Sometimes I feel like he likes me, but how could he argue with me for Kimberly and even leave me behind.

    After getting out of the elevator, Reynaldo still didn¡¯t let go of my hand.

    He dragged me all the way to his car.

    I frowned and asked him, ¡°Reynaldo, where are you taking me?¡±

    The man still did not speak.

    The car door was pulled open, and he immediately pushed me into the passenger seat.

    I had just finished when he also came up.

    However, he did not start the car immediately, just holding the steering wheel, his face a little serious.

    I nced at his cold, hard profile.

 Too Close 561

    Chapter561

    However, as I was about to open the door, he suddenly pulled me back.

    Then he frowned at me and said, ¡°Who told you toe see her? Didn¡¯t I say before, wait until I arrange everything and then bring you to see her? Why didn¡¯t you listen? Coming alone like this, she will take advantage¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Without waiting for him to finish, I suddenly growled low, and the grievance in my heart surged instantly.

    ¡°You just knew to say it was me, when it wasn¡¯t me who wanted toe see your mother.¡±

    It was she who called me and asked me toe see her.

    She was your mother, can I as a junior not listen? Why do you always me me, saying everything is my fault?

    The umted grievances and resentments in recent days seemed to

    at <i>thi </i>

    find a vent moment. I stared <b>at </b>him, my eyes feeling sore and bitter.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, his brow furrowed tightly.

    I didn¡¯t want to argue with him at all.

    If his heart was set on Kimberly and his mother, then no matter how much I said, it would be useless.

    I took a deep breath and turned around to open the car door and get out.

    <b>15171 </b>

    Chapter561

    But he dragged me back again.

    Before I could react, he suddenly grabbed the back of my head and kissed me fiercely.

    I struggled instinctively, my fist pounding his chest relentlessly.

    The wound on his chest may not have fully healed yet, because when my fist hit him, he clearly groaned.

    However, he not only did not let go of me, but also firmly wrapped his other hand around my shoulder, pressing my whole body against him.

    He kissed urgently and dominantly.

    I thought of his injury and finally dared not struggle randomly.

    After a while, he finally let go of me.

    Due tock of oxygen, my head felt a bit heavy and dizzy, and even he looked a bit blurry.

    He stared at me with a deep gaze, and in those dark, deep eyes, there was. also a lingering resentment.

    He rolled down the car window.

    The cold wind blew in, and I shivered, instantly feeling much more.

    awake.

    He held the steering wheel with one hand, ying with a cigarette in the other, wanting to light it but not doing so.

    I watched him quietly, actually calming the emotions surging in my heart.

    After a while, it was finally him who spoke first. His deep voice, which

    was usually cold and intimidating, now sounded a bit sad.

    He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to me you just now, I was just a little anxious.¡±

    I looked at him in surprise.

    Was he exining to me, apologizing to me?

    He slightly lowered his head, and the profile of his side face appeared more three¨Cdimensional.

    ¡°Before, I said that after I arranged everything, I would take you to see her. Actually, it was because I <b>was </b>afraid that you would be bullied by <b>my </b>mother if you came to see her alone.¡±

    ¡°So, you knew from the beginning that your mother didn¡¯t like me?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and said, ¡°My mother really liked Kimberly, and Kimberly has been with her all these years. In addition, when Mr. Palmer passed away, he entrusted Kimberly to me.¡±

    So in my mother¡¯s heart, she would rather have Kimberly as her daughter-

    inw.¡±

    I just saw this in the ward.

    So, how great it was that he should be with Kimberly.

    He cared so much about Kimberly, and his mother wanted Kimberly to be her daughter¨Cinw, so they were meant to be together, right?

 Too Close 562

    Chapter562

    With that in mind, I smiled faintly at him and said, ¡°So three years ago, you really shouldn¡¯t have married me. You should have followed the wishes of your mother and thete Mr. Palmer, and been with Kimberly.

    Then there wouldn¡¯t have been so much trouble now.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly growled low, ring at me with red eyes.

    But I don¡¯t think I said anything wrong.

    Originally, he and Kimberly were in love with each other, and both sets of parents were very eager for them to be together.

    So in this way, I appeared to be a mistress who was breaking them up.

    I also understood that the purpose of Mika calling me today was <b>to </b>persuade me to divorce Reynaldo in order to make room for Kimberly.

    Actually, about this marriage, I also wanted topletely resolve it.

    All these stumbling blocks and endless entanglements really didn¡¯t make

    any sense.

    I looked at Reynaldo and calmly said, ¡°Ask yourself, who is the person <b>in </b>your heart?¡±

    ¡°If it was Kimberly, then let¡¯s go get the divorce certificate today.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Chapter562

    <b>¦§ </b>

    He growled my name again, looking full of grievances and with red eyes, as if he was about to cry.

    At that moment, I was quite shocked in my heart.

    He, Reynaldo, actually felt like crying because of a word I said.

    Seeing his appearance, my attitude couldn¡¯t harden again for a while.

    I said lightly, ¡°You better think it through first. I hope you can give answer before you get off work at the courthouse today.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever believe me?¡±

    me an

    I had just opened the car door when his voice suddenly came from behind.<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    The voice was very soft, with a touch of indescribable sadness and

    grievance.

    I was not afraid of his coldness, not afraid of his toughness, just afraid of his appearance of being hurt by me.

    I tightened the doorknob and turned around to look at him.

    He stared at me heavily, his eye sockets even redder than before.

    ¡°I said, Kimberly is just my sister, why don¡¯t you believe me?¡±

    ¡°But you always protect Kimberly, always choose Kimberly over me, how can I trust you anymore?¡±

    I¡¯m not a fool. ¡°Who you care about more, I can tell.¡±

    ¡°You are a fool!¡±

    1517

    Reynaldo growled low. His voice filled with bitterness.

    ¡°Why do I always protect her, why do I always leave you for her, don¡¯t you feel the reason?¡±

    I was confused, ¡°Isn¡¯t the reason that you care more about her?¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath in anger.

    But he did not vent his anger. Instead, in a deep voice, he said to me word by word, ¡°The main reason I sided with her in front of you was to see if you would be jealous.¡±

    A sentence was like a bolt from the blue, leaving mepletely stunned.

    I twitched my lips and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you sick?¡±

    I really don¡¯t know how to describe this man.

    I have never seen a man test whether a woman will be jealous for him <b>by </b>favoring another woman in front of that woman.

    This stupid method, really didn¡¯t produce any results, and it just made people angry first.

    It has to be said that, although Reynaldo is decisive and highly intelligent in the business world, his emotional intelligence is really low.

    ¡°Yes, I was sick. Not only was I sick, but I was also very sick!¡±

    I called him crazy, but instead of getting angry, he actually agreed with<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    He did this, and I waspletely confused.

 Too Close 563

    Originally, I had a lot of resentment and anger in my heart, and now I just don¡¯t know where to vent it.

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply, his eyes tinged with red, making my heart.

    race.

    I stuttered, ¡°You, you seemed a bit off today. It¡¯s not a good time to talk about these emotional issues. Let¡¯s discuss it next time.¡±

    After saying that, I hurriedly got out of the car.

    This time he didn¡¯t stop me

    However, I took a few steps and then realized that my phone and bag had been left in his car.

    I went back to get my bag again.

    However, when I opened the car door, I saw him lying on the steering wheel, his muscles tense as if in great pain.

    I took the bag and hesitated whether to ¡°check on him¡± or just leave.

    After much hesitation, I chose the former.

    I pursed my lips and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it!¡±

    Reynaldo spoke in a dull voice, tense and suppressed, with a hint of panting, clearly in pain.

    There was a moment when I really didn¡¯t want to care about him.

    However, looking at him like this, I still feel a little reluctant.

    I said to him, ¡°The hospital is right here, do you want to go in and have a look?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t move or make a sound.

    I sighed lightly and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m leaving, really leaving.¡±

    He still didn¡¯t react.

    I didn¡¯t say anything more, got out of the passenger seat, and mmed the door.

    As soon as I mmed the door, he looked at me fiercely, with a terrifyingly resentful look in his eyes.

    However, when he saw me standing outside and not leaving, a look of surprise shed across his face.

    I opened the car door again and looked at his pale face, sighing, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me first, your health is more important.¡±

    When I said this, his eyes welled up with tears again.

    He turned his face slightly away, his profile filled with grievances and

    stubbornness.

    He was like a young man with strong self¨Cesteem and sensitivity.

    I reached out to pull him, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk about our issuester, let¡¯s go see the doctor first.¡±

    He shook off my hand and said self¨Cmockingly, ¡°Sometimes, I feel like I¡¯m

    Chapter563

    sick and bing very abnormal.¡±

    Many times, I clearly liked you, cared about you, and worried about you, but the words that came out of my mouth ended up hurting you.

    Do you think that every time I hurt you with my words, my heart doesn¡¯t ache?

    Perhaps I really couldn¡¯t love someone, I don¡¯t know how to love.

    I seemed to only get angry. Every time I saw you with Winston or with Anton, I would be insanely jealous.

    When you were young, you liked Anton. Later, you liked Winston. You have never been kind to me.

    ¡°I was jealous, really, Esmeralda, I was jealous of them, almost to the point of madness.¡±

    I stared at him nkly, my heart trembling incessantly.

    I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but my throat seemed to be blocked by something, and I couldn¡¯t make a sound..

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, his face as white as a sheet.

    I instinctively looked at his chest, thinking his wound had split open.

    However, there was not a drop of blood on his chest.

    What¡¯s wrong with him?

    He closed his eyes slightly, and even his lips began to turn pale.

    There was a thinyer of fine sweat beads on his forehead.

    Chapter563

    It is evident that he was really in pain.

 Too Close 564

    Chapter564

    I was a little anxious.

    I pulled him, ¡°Alright Reynaldo, we can talk about itter, let¡¯s go see the doctor first.¡±

    ¡°Shall we talk about itter?¡±

    He opened his eyes and looked at me, with a tinge of sadness lingering in his red eyes.

    ¡°Will you have the patience to talk to me properly?¡±

    What else will you talk to me about besides saying you want to divorce

    me?

    Esmeralda, these days I have carefully considered that between you and me, it is nothing more than, ¡°you think I like Kimberly, I think you like. Anton.¡±

    But I tell you now, I was willing to believe you, believe that there was no Anton <b>in </b>your heart.

    ¡°Would you believe me then? Believe me that I didn¡¯t like Kimberly?¡±

    He looked at me steadily, his eyes filled with anticipation, and¡­ vulnerability.

    Reynaldo was really acting strange today.

    It was a fragility and sadness that I had never seen before.

    1517)

    ¡°Esmeralda, I had made a concession.¡±

    I was willing to trust you first and give each other a chance.

    ¡°So, do you believe me?¡±

    He asked again.

    I didn¡¯t know how to answer.

    I used to want to believe him, but every time he favored Kimberly, it was like trampling on the trust I had in him.

    He saw me not speaking.

    He suddenly self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at the corner of his lips and said, ¡°Look, even so, you still refuse to believe me, Esmeralda. In your heart, I really have no credibility at all.¡±

    Credibility¡­

    Apart from keeping his word in terms of money, he always let me down. emotionally.

    So, as for my level of trust in him, it was probably limited to financial

    matters.

    As for emotions, I dare not believe.

    Because he believed, he was the one who got hurt.

    Originally, his sacrificing himself to save me that time had already made mepletely believe that he liked me.

    But he always treated me differently in front of Kimberly.

    <b>11 </b>

    So I was thinking, if it had been Kimberly who was kidnapped that day, would he also have sacrificed himself to save her?

    And I was not the only one?

    My long silence caused a trace of gloom to sh across the man¡¯s pale. face.

    He closed his eves, remained silent for a while, and then uttered two words, ¡°You leave.¡±

    The voice was very soft, but it was more like the calm before the storm.

    I couldn¡¯t help but worry when I saw his appearance.

    I said, ¡°You can go to the hospital by yourself, or should I call Braylon for

    you¡­¡±

    ¡°You left!¡±

    Before I could finish speaking, he suddenly sat up and pushed me out of the car.

    Just the next second, he suddenly closed his eyes, and his whole body softly fell back on the chair¡­

    I was stunned.

    ¡°Reynaldo, what¡¯s wrong? Reynaldo¡­¡±

    However, no matter how I shook his arm, he did not respond at all.

    I quickly took out my phone and called for an ambnce, but I dialed twice in a row and it was busy.

    I had to get out of the car and run into the hospital to call for help myself.

    15170

    Chapter

    About ten minutester, I arrived with a few emergency doctors.

    Reynaldo still leaned back in his chair, unconscious.

    The doctors together lifted him out and ced him on the hospital bed.

    I was so anxious that my hands turned cold, and I asked in a tense voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±

    ¡°Did he take any medication or suffer any obvious external injuries?¡±

    151/0

 Too Close 565

    I shook my head, ¡°He just got injured in the chest a few days ago, but it¡¯s been so many days now, that injury should be almost healed, right?¡±

    But today he suddenly fainted, he seemed to be in great pain just now, hist face and lips were pale.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Will he be okay?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush.¡±

    The doctor pushed Reynaldo into the hospital and said to me, ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait for the examination to know the specific situation.¡±

    I pursed my lips and dared not ask too much, I could only anxiously follow by Reynaldo¡¯s bedside.

    Reynaldo was quickly rushed into the emergency room.

    I anxiously waited outside, not knowing who to notify for a moment.

    Reynaldo¡¯s phone happened to ring, and I nced down and didn¡¯t

    answer.

    Kimberly was so mean, if I told her that Reynaldo is in the emergency room right now, she would definitely immediately embellish it and tell Mika that I was the one who put Reynaldo in the emergency room.

    Mika already disliked me, so now she probably hates me even more.

    So I thought it over and decided to forget about it, even if they were at this hospital right now.

    15 17

    Chapter

    The phone ring stopped for a moment, then rang again.

    Kimberly called five times in a row and finally gave up.

    But she quickly sent another message.

    I didn¡¯t mean to look at the message she sent to Reynaldo, but my eyes happened to catch it.

    I could only see a few words disyed on the screen.

    About Ms. Dully¡­

    Upon seeing her suddenly mention me, my curiosity was immediately piqued.

    So, Kimberly wanted to talk to Reynaldo about ¡°something¡± with me?

    I frowned, engaged in a mental struggle, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t resist. the curiosity in my heart, and my thumb swiped across the phone screen.

    Mainly, from the conversation between Reynaldo and Kimberly, I might have been able to understand Reynaldo¡¯s true attitude towards me.

    The phone screen disyed a prompt to unlock the password.

    Subconsciously, I entered my own password.

    I was feeling frustrated about entering the wrong password, but I didn¡¯t expect the phone screen to actually unlock.

    I waspletely stunned, so I flipped my phone over to take a look.

    Yes, it was Reynaldo¡¯s phone.

    Howe his unlock password is exactly the same as mine, and¡­ it¡¯s

    even my birthday.

    I looked up at the emergency room, and my heart trembled slightly.

    Kimberly sent Reynaldo several messages in a row.

    Regarding Ms. Duffy, it was not intentional on my part. Mika really wanted to see her and told me several times, so I called her toe and see Mika.

    Reynaldo, I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t be mad at me, don¡¯t ignore my calls.

    I am very sad, my heart has been aching recently. I know I won¡¯t live long, so in these final days, I always hope that you can spend more time with<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    You can rest assured, I will not have any other thoughts about you. You said you only see me as your sister, so I will only be your sister in the future.

    You said you truly love Ms. Duffy, so I wish you both the best.

    Reynaldo, I beg you, please don¡¯t ignore me, otherwise I will be really sad, even if it¡¯s for my sister, please don¡¯t be mad at me.

    Not long after the information came in, Kimberly called again.

    I still didn¡¯t answer, just stared nkly at those messages.

    So, Reynaldo really saw Kimberly as a sister.

    He even told Kimberly in person, ¡°The person I truly love is me?!¡±

    67 12<b>. </b>

 Too Close 566

    When Reynaldo told me these words, I didn¡¯t believe them, because from my perspective, he really cared more about Kimberly.

    Looking at this information now, from Kimberly¡¯s perspective, Reynaldo¡® really did love me.

    I

    put away my phone and walked to the door of the emergency room, feeling a sudden warmth and soreness in my eyes.

    In terms of emotions, Reynaldo really was a big fool.

    How could he have thought of using Kimberly to make me jealous?

    Wasn¡¯t he afraid that I would really get angry and leave?

    Fool, Reynaldo really is a big fool.

    The door of the emergency room remained tightly closed, every minute and every second was torture.

    I closed my sore eyes, leaned against the cold wall, and my mind was

    nk.

    I didn¡¯t want to think about anything now, I just wanted to wait for him to wake up, to tell him myself that I was willing to trust him, and that we could start over.

    Reynaldo¡¯s phone kept ringing, and it was always Kimberly calling.

    She really ¡°persevered¡°.

    <b>11 </b>

    Not long after, she sent another message, ¡°I fell ill. Reynaldo, I feel really bad, can youe and keep mepany?¡±

    I pursed my lips, a hint of irony shing through my mind.

    So, every time Reynaldo left me, it was actually not because Reynaldo cared more about Kimberly, but because Kimberly was using her illness to y the victim to him?

    I took a deep breath, looked up at the white ceiling, and felt a bit ufortable in my heart.

    I don¡¯t know how long it had been when the door of the emergency room finally opened.

    I hurried over.

    Reynaldo had been brought out, his face still pale as a ghost.

    I looked at the doctor anxiously and asked, ¡°What¡­ what happened to

    him?¡±

    The doctor took off his mask and said, ¡°He had a stomach problem. We found a high level of alcohol in his blood. With such a serious stomach. problem, how could he still drink so much? Does he not care about hist life?¡±

    I nced at Reynaldo subconsciously and asked anxiously, ¡°How is it now?¡±

    ¡°He has already received the appropriate treatment, and he will need to stay in the hospital for observation for the next few days.¡±

    I nodded and followed Reynaldo to the ward.

    After settling down, I went to arrange hospitalization procedures for him

    Chapter566

    and also went to the window to get the medicine.

    The doctor prescribed a lot of medicine and instructed me to ¡°feed it to him when he wakes up.¡±

    When I returned to the ward, I made some hot water on the way.

    As soon as I returned to the ward, I found that the man had already woken up, leaning against the head of the bed, staring out of the window in a daze.

    When he saw meing back, his expression froze for a moment, then he pulled his lips and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet.¡±

    ¡°I left, who cares about you?¡±

    I replied, carrying water and medicine as I walked inside.

    ¡°The doctor said you had a stomach problem and also said that you were drinking so much alcohol, it¡¯s like you¡¯re asking for trouble.¡±

    He said lightly, ¡°Feeling upset, just want to drink.¡±

    My heart gave a slight tug, feeling a bit sour.

    These days, I had a falling out with him, and he definitely didn¡¯t have a good day.

    I lowered my gaze and handed him the capsule pill.

    ¡°Here, the doctor prescribed a lot of medication for you, instructing you to swallow a few pills of each as soon as you wake up.¡±

 Too Close 567

    I handed him the pills and the ss of water as I spoke.

    He nced lightly, then looked elsewhere, and said lightly, ¡°You can go, I don¡¯t need you to take care of me.¡±

    I frowned and said, ¡°Why are you acting like a child?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t speak, his whole demeanor was negative and gloomy, with a hint of shadow on his profile.

    I bet that when I left, he didn¡¯t take a single pill.

    He now does not regard his life as life, which is really very willful.

    ¡°Reynaldo, you took these medicines, be good!¡±

    I softened my tone.

    He furrowed his brows, looked at me, and said with a hint of sarcasm, ¡°You don¡¯t need to force yourself to please me, if you have any needs, you can just tell me directly.¡±

    As for the matter of divorce¡­¡±

    He suddenly lowered his gaze and smiled gently, ¡°If you really want to leave, then go ahead.¡±

    I am silent several seconds.

    The man, after fainting, seemed to have a new perspective on everything.

    I said to him, ¡°Actually, just now, I learned a lot of things and have a lot.

    Chapterte

    to say to you, so Reynaldo, could you please take all these medicines. first?¡±

    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want you to interfere, just leave!¡±

    His tone suddenly became heavier, with his chest slightly rising and falling.

    The handsome face was full of self¨Cdeprecation, ¡°Just because I fainted and got sick, you started to pity me, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I:

    This man, he is really sensitive and fragile.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity, just go!¡±

    He pointed to the door of the ward, with a cold and tough attitude..

    Before, I would definitely have turned around and left. Who can stand his sensitive and fragile emotions.

    Now things are different. After reading Kimberly¡¯s message, I basically understood everything.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Do you take your medicine or not?¡±

    Reynaldo fiercely raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°What are youughing at, you don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying¡­ um¡­¡±

    Before he could finish speaking, I bent down and covered his lips.

    This man had low emotional intelligence, he didn¡¯t talk much, and he didn¡¯t know how to make girls happy.

    I was worried that if I didn¡¯t shut his lips again, he would say something

    <b>30251 </b>

    15170

    offensive and make me angry.

    Although I am now very sure that he only loves me, I can¡¯t help but get angry when he speaks harshly.

    The moment I kissed his lips, he instinctively raised his hand to push my shoulder, as if trying to push me away.

    But in the end, he didn¡¯t push me away. Instead, he closed his five fingers and held me tightly.

    I had no tricks, unlike him, who kissed me every time with great passion<b>. </b>and urgency.

    I also only kissed his lips, carefully and cautiously, not daring to put my tongue into his mouth.

    I clumsily kissed him for a while, feeling his whole body tense up and hist breathing be rapid.

    I released his lips and looked into his dark eyes, breathing slightly, ¡°You, please take the medicine quickly, be obedient.¡±

    Hey!

    That kiss was quite effective.

    As soon as I finished speaking, he obediently picked up the pill from the palm of my hand and put it into his mouth.

    Then he took the water ss and drank it in one gulp.

    Seeing that he had taken all the medicine, I breathed a sigh of relief.

    I put the cup back on the table and put away the medicine.

    When he stood up, he saw that his IV drip had already finished, so I

    turned around to call the nurse to remove the needle.

 Too Close 568

    But I didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly grab my hand.

    I was stunned for a moment.

    He pursed his lips and awkwardly said, ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, recalling his firm demeanor when he had just told me to leave, and the corner of my lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch.

    It seems that the effect of that kiss was really good.

    Thinking about it, I couldn¡¯t help but bend down and kiss him on the lips.

    He froze for a moment, staring at me in a daze, ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯m just calling the nurse toe and give you an injection, otherwise your blood will have to be drawnter.¡±

    He immediately let go of my hand and awkwardly turned his head.

    I chuckled and walked quickly outside.

    After the nurse gave me the injection, I had a good chat with Reynaldo.

    I had just arrived at the nurse¡¯s station when I ran into a nurse.

    She was also looking for me, gave me some of Reynaldo¡¯s checklists, and told me to go see the doctor to ask about the situation.

    I told her that the medicine in ward 7 was finished, and then I went directly to the doctor¡¯s office to find Reynaldo¡¯s attending physician.

    After waiting in the doctor¡¯s office for about ten minutes, I returned to Reynaldo¡¯s hospital room.

    As soon as I walked in, I noticed that the medicine had been spilled all over the floor and the cup was broken on the ground.

    The ward was in a mess.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I looked puzzled.

    Reynaldo was originally hanging his head low, supporting his forehead, and shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

    Hearing my voice, he suddenly looked up.

    This sudden movement startled me.

    His eyes were bloodshot and his face was full of hostility.

    I felt a jolt in my heart and hurried over to ask, ¡°What happened? Did someonee and tell you something you didn¡¯t want to hear? Why are you so angry?¡±

    He grabbed my hand and said expressionlessly, ¡°I thought you had left.¡±

    I stared at him in surprise and said, ¡°Do you think that just because I left, you can throw such a temper and smash the medicine and water cup on the table?¡±

    Reynaldo turned his face away and remained silent.

    It should be said that this man had a rather unstable temper.

    I picked up the medicine that had fallen on the ground and said to him, ¡°You fell by yourself, if it¡¯s dirty, you can eat it yourself.¡±

    The man snorted and ignored me.

    I shook my head with a smile, I¡¯m getting old, but still so willful.

    After tidying up the medicine, I took a broom and swept the ss shards on the floor.

    After doing all this, I turned around and found Reynaldo staring at me without blinking.

    He remembered Kimberly calling him.

    I took out my phone from my pocket and said, ¡°Kimberly has called you many times, you should call her back.¡±

    Reynaldo took the phone and threw it aside, then looked at me with a bitter and resentful expression.

    I was puzzled, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°I said¡­¡± he stared at me, emphasizing in a deep voice, ¡°Kimberly is just my sister!¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I nodded, ¡°Yes, Kimberly is just your sister, you have no romantic. feelings for her.¡±

    ¡°So you

    still don¡¯t believe, do you?¡±

    ¡°I believe,¡± I said to him with a smile, ¡°why wouldn¡¯t I believe?¡±

    Now it was Reynaldo¡¯s turn to be astonished.

    He looked at me with a hint of disbelief and said, ¡°Do you really trust me? Are you¡­ trying to please me again because you want something from

    me?¡±

 Too Close 569

    I was speechless.

    I couldn¡¯t be nice to him. Whenever I was a little nice to him, he thought I had ulterior motives!

    I said, ¡°You first take a look at your phone.¡±

    Reynaldo threw his phone aside and sneered at me, ¡°Actually, if you have anything to ask of me, just say it directly. I don¡¯t need your false ttery and pity.¡±

    I:

    Reynaldo¡¯s words became more and more absurd.

    I sat on the edge of the bed and said to him seriously, ¡°First of all, I am not a saint, I will not pity people casually, and besides, you are not pitiful.¡±

    Secondly, I have no demands on you. When I say I trust you, it simply means I trust you..

    Reynaldo still looked <b>at </b>me in disbelief and said, ¡°But just now in the car, you clearly didn¡¯t believe me, why do you suddenly¡­ believe me now?¡±

    The change in my attitude cannot be exined clearly in just one or two sentences, and it is not convincing either.

    So I reached out and grabbed his phone, then unlocked it in front of him.

    He looked at me in surprise again, ¡°You¡­ you know the password?¡±

    Surprised, there was also some awkwardness and embarrassment.

    I nced at him and chuckled, ¡°You used my birthday as the unlock password, and you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll find out?¡±

    Reynaldo turned his face away again, with that awkward and proud look, which made me want tough.

    I pulled up the message Kimberly sent to him, then grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Take a look, once you see it, you¡¯ll understand why I suddenly texted you.¡±

    Reynaldo turned his head and picked up the phone with suspicion.

    He quickly nced at the message sent by Kimberly, then frowned at me and said, ¡°You actually believe her instead of me!¡±

    I:¡­

    Reynaldo put away his phone and chuckled at me, saying, ¡°In the end, you don¡¯t believe the words thate out of my mouth, but you easily believe them when theye from someone else.¡±

    ¡°You are not either!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but retort.

    ¡°Anton said that as long as I remembered things from my youth, I would fall in love with him and leave you. You believed it and now we are in this situation.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even believe me, and you have the nerve to use me?!¡±

    Reynaldo frowned with a handsome face, looking very angry, but the corner of his lips turned up slightly.

    He said, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, I¡¯m willing to trust you first, so, are you willing

    to trust me?¡±

    1518 D

    Chapter569

    ¡°I am willing, why wouldn¡¯t I be willing.¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    I said unconsciously, watching as the corners of Reynaldo¡¯s lips curved upwards.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°So, you are willing to start over with me.¡±

    ¡°Willing!¡±

    I answered decisively.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes lit up noticeably, reflecting my image in those dark, deep

    eyes.

    At this moment, I finally realized that ¡°in his eyes, there was only me.¡±

    I held his hand and said to him seriously, ¡°After reading the message Kimberly sent you today, I finally understandpletely that you really do see Kimberly as a sister, it¡¯s just that Kimberly is unwilling to let go and has been clinging to you.¡±

    So the problem lies with Kimberly, not with you.

    A good rtionship is a two¨Cway street, where problems are solved together.

    So I shouldn¡¯t have let you face Kimberly alone, let alone leave in anger. I should have been with you, solving the problem together.

    Reynaldo looked at me in disbelief, ¡°You¡­ you really think so.¡±

    I nodded heavily.

 Too Close 570

    ¡°Since we are starting over, I naturally want to face and solve problems. with you.

    As soon as I finished speaking, he suddenly pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.

    His voice was low, tense, and tinged with a hint of excited tremor.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start over, no more mistrust, no more suspicion towards each other.¡±

    ¡°Any problems, we faced together.¡±

    Although he looked weak, his arms were strong, and I almost couldn¡¯t. breathe because he was choking me.

    I patted his shoulder and reminded him, ¡°Be careful of the injury on your chest.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing serious, it¡¯s almost healed.¡±

    He let go of me, but still held my hand tightly.

    He looked at me, his deep eyes shining brightly, without a trace of shadow.

    I rubbed his pale lips and said angrily and helplessly, ¡°Take good care of yourself in the future, and don¡¯t degrade your body like this again.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± Reynaldo nodded, unusually obedient.

    Chapter570

    11

    I helped him lean against the head of the bed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy you some food, it¡¯s already thiste.¡±

    After all that fuss, it was already dark outside.

    Reynaldo, however, shook his head and didn¡¯t let go of my hand.

    He said, ¡°You can just call it takeout.¡±

    ¡°How about that? There are many restaurants downstairs. I¡¯ll go get you some light food.¡±

    The weather is cold now, and by the time the takeout arrived, it had all gone cold.

    ¡°Your stomach was already not good, how could you eat something cold.¡±

    ¡°Then you can apany me again, I¡¯m not hungry now,¡± Reynaldo said. to me with a smile.

    His genuine smile looked quite nice, clean and pure, without a trace of the usual sullenness and business¨Clike aura.

    However, he was not hungry, I was hungry.

    There were still two mouths to feed in the stomach.

    Thinking of the baby in my belly, I suddenly realized that I hadn¡¯t told him about the pregnancy.

    Last time I was going to tell him, but he made me so angry.

    Fortunately, we have made up now, and the past is considered water under the bridge.

    So, if I tell him <b>the </b>news of my pregnancy now, will he be surprised and

    happy again, and be dumbfounded?

    <b>11 </b>

    Thinking about this, I unconsciously started to imagine his dumbfounded expression of surprise.

    The more I thought about it, the more excited and sweeter I felt.

    I approached him and smiled mysteriously, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, I have another piece of good news for you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s deep eyes stared at me without blinking, filled with

    tenderness.

    My heart trembled, brushing against a soft touch.

    I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling full of tenderness in my heart.

    I looked into his eyes and said to him word by word, ¡°I am pregnant¡­¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when the door of the ward was suddenly pushed open.

    Just now, because of the tenderness in my heart, I unconsciously sat on Reynaldo¡¯sp, with my arms still around his neck.

    I hadn¡¯t even had time to get off Reynaldo when that person burst in.

    I furrowed my brows, feeling a hint of frustration in my heart.

    I turned my head and saw that not only had Kimberly barged in, but Mika was also sitting in a wheelchair.

    Kimberly looked at me and Reynaldo, tears welling up in her eyes.

    Mika stared at me heavily, her eyes cold and serious, as if I had done something to her son.

    I struggled to get down from Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo deliberately pinched my waist and wouldn¡¯t let me move.

    I red at him angrily and said, ¡°Someone is watching.¡±

    15100

 Too Close 571

    Chapter571

    ¡°What of it?¡± Reynaldo¡¯s voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for everyone in the ward to hear, ¡°It¡¯s normal for couples to be affectionate with each other, are you afraid of others seeing?¡±

    I pursed my lips.

    Okay.

    This man was shameless, no one couldpare to him.

    However, it was nothing for Kimberly to see this posture, the key was that Mika was still behind me, staring at me with eyes like needles.

    Reynaldo casually nced at Kimberly and Mika, then asked me, ¡°Did you inform them toe?¡±

    I shook my head in a hurry, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Huh, she got you into the emergency room, of course she didn¡¯t have the guts to notify us!¡± Mika sneered coldly, looking at me with even more disdain in her eyes.

    I took a deep breath andforted myself silently.

    It doesn¡¯t matter whether my mother¨Cinw likes me or not, as long as my own man stands by me.

    Reynaldo finally released the hand that was pinching my waist.

    I quickly got off him.

    15 18

    As soon as my feet touched the ground, he grabbed my hand and held it tightly.

    He said to Mika, ¡°I went to the emergency room because of my stomach problem, it had nothing to do with her.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t inform us about anything, and I had no idea you were also admitted to the hospital until the doctor mentioned it casually while doing a physical examination for me!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Reynaldo, she knew we were all in this hospital, and she didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    As soon as Mika finished speaking, Kimberly added.

    Reynaldo nced at her instantly, his face slightly darkening.

    Kimberly¡¯s expression froze for a moment, then tears welled up in her eyes, her voice choked with emotion as she said, ¡°Reynaldo, we were just worried about you¡­¡±

    Reynaldo leaned back and his gaze fell on Mika.

    He smiled at Mika and said, ¡°Mom, you misunderstood Esmeralda.

    She didn¡¯t inform you because she was afraid you would worry.¡±

    ¡°Huh, I think she was afraid of me ming her!¡± Mika said aggressively.

    Reynaldo suddenlyughed, ¡°You know your mother¨Cinw is fierce. Look, you scared her so much that she dares not even speak.¡±

    I happened to be hanging my head and looking down, which really confirmed his words.

    Mika nced at me and snorted coldly, ¡°What daughter¨Cinw? I

    Chapter571

    never considered her as a daughter¨Cinw.¡±

    As soon as you get better, hurry up and divorce her.

    Last time she almost killed you, and this time shended you in the

    emergency room.

    What else did she do besides hurt you?

    Kimberly was different¡­¡±

    Mika said, pulling Kimberly towards her and addressing Reynaldo, ¡°Kimberly is knowledgeable, understanding, caring, and good at taking care of people. If you are with Kimberly, you will definitely be happy.¡±

    On the contrary, this Ms. Duffy, she never regarded you as her husband, she looked down on you from the bottom of her heart.

    She is now all smiles to you, just because you are wealthy.

    ¡°I bet if you were to go back to your previous low point, she wouldn¡¯t. even give you a nce.¡±

    Although I strongly disagreed with Mika¡¯s words, I really wanted to

    retort her.

    But Vonnie had told me before that the problems between mother¨Cinw and daughter¨Cinw are best left to men to handle. This way, the mother- inw¡¯s resentment will be transferred to her son and not make things too difficult for the daughter¨Cinw.

    With these thoughts in mind, I pursed my lips and forced myself to remain silent.

    Reynaldo nced at me, with a slight curl of his lips.

 Too Close 572

    Chapter572

    He shook my hand and smiled at me, saying, ¡°It¡¯ste, you should go back. and have dinner first.¡±

    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll go back and cook some food to bring to you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded, his eyes filled with a gentle smile, making my heart feel sweet.

    I said to Mika again, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going back first, see youter¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Shut up!¡±

    Mika instantly realized what was happening and suddenly growled at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    Reynaldo frowned and said in a displeased tone, ¡°She is my wife, your daughter¨Cinw, not your mother, what should you call her.¡±

    ¡°You must have a lot of opinions if I call you something else.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Mika was so angry that her face turned red.

    I gestured with my finger to Reynaldo and said to him slightly reproachfully, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to Mom like that. I used to have a bad

    reputation, so it¡¯s normal for her to have opinions about me. We have a long way to go, let¡¯smunicate with Mom slowly, she will definitely like me.¡±

    Hehe, green tea, who doesn¡¯t know how to act.

    15 <b>18 </b>

    11

    Reynaldo stifled augh and nodded. ¡°Hmm, you make a good point.¡±

    And so, Reynaldo and I were showing affection to each other openly. making Mika and Kimberly green with envy.

    Especially Kimberly, that fragile and kind false face could hardly be maintained.

    In the resentful eyes of Mika and Kimberly. I left gracefully with my bag in hand.

    Just as I walked out of the ward, I heard Mika yelling at Reynaldo.

    With each word filled with anger, each word filled with me, even listing one by one my faults and shorings.

    In the morning, Mika¡¯s attitude towards me left me feeling a little disappointed and hurt.

    That night, my heart was filled with sweetness.

    was pr

    As long as Reynaldo me, I was not afraid of anything.

    When I got back, my mom had already prepared the meal, but she hadn¡¯t eaten yet. She was sitting on the sofa waiting for me.

    When she saw meing back, she quickly got up and said, ¡°The food is cold. I¡¯ll go heat it up for you.¡±

    I quickly took the te from her hand and said with a smile, ¡°You rest for a while, I¡¯ll go reheat it.¡±

    My mother brought two more dishes and followed me to the kitchen.

    She looked at me carefully and asked with a smile, ¡°Ralda seems to be in a good mood, is something good happening?¡±

    Chapter572

    ¡°Well, I made up with Reynaldo,¡± I said.

    My motherughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯ve always said that Reynaldo is a good kid, worth trusting.¡±

    ¡°Now that you have made up, I can finally be at ease.¡±

    In the midst of speaking, a fleeting sadness and reluctance passed through her eyes so quickly that I thought I must have been mistaken.

    But her red.

    ves were real

    My heart skipped a beat and I hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Is it because of Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± my mom quickly shook her head and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just happy, very happy, that you and Quentin have settled down.¡±

    I nced at my mom, feeling a vague unease in my heart.

    She must still be upset and distressed about my dad¡¯s affair, after all, decades of feelings cannot be let go of easily.

    No way!

    About the woman my dad cheated with, I decided to ask Reynaldo to help. me investigate.

    If Kimberly really wanted to harm my family, I would definitely not be nice to her!

    During the hot meal, I deliberately saved some.

 Too Close 573

    After I finished eating with my mom, I reheated the food I had just left, packed it in a thermos, and nned to take it to Reynaldo.

    Fortunately, the hospital was not far from here, and we could drive there. in just half an hour.

    arrived at the hospital building at half past eight in the evening.

    I nced upstairs, afraid that Mika and Kimberly were still there.

    I was hesitating whether to call Reynaldo first, but then his phone rang

    first.

    I quickly picked up the phone.

    As soon as he answered the phone, a man¡¯s voice of grievance came through from the other end, ¡°Are you trying to starve me to death.¡±

    I was dumbfounded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask Kimberly to buy you some food first?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Reynaldo paused, then smiled, ¡°I just wanted to eat what you

    made.¡±

    I looked at the lunch box next to me with embarrassment and said, ¡°I brought you some food, but it¡¯s not made by me. My mom made it before I left.¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak.

    I quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s just me who heated it up.¡±

    151

    Chapter573

    There came a muffledugh from over there, and he said. ¡°Hurry over.¡±

    The phone hung up, and I quickly picked up the thermos and walked into the hospital.

    I have to say, after making up with Reynaldo, this man¡¯s temper improved a lot, and he spoke with a gentle smile.

    I had never imagined that Reynaldo would be so gentle with me.

    In a great mood, I even hummed a little tune as I walked into the elevator.

    The elevator door was just about to close when it was pressed open by someone from outside.

    The narrow road of enemies, that¡¯s Kimberly and Mika.

    When Mika saw me, her eyes were like sharp knives.

    Kimberly still had a gentle demeanor.

    She whispered to me with a smile, ¡°Ms. Duffy, what a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I responded, greeting Mika with a smile, ¡°Hello, Mika.¡±

    As the saying goes, ¡°do not hit a smiling person with your hand.¡±

    Sure enough, Mika choked on her words when she opened her mouth to scold me, and coldly snorted at me, saying, ¡°Shut up, who do you think I am, don¡¯t call my name directly!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ms. Versta.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Mika was so angry with me that her face turned red.

    She angrily said, ¡°Don¡¯t let again in the future!¡±

    me see you

    ¡°Oh,¡± I responded again, making a submissive gesture with lowered. brows.

    Mika coldly snorted at me in disdain and then stopped talking.

    I shrank into the corner of the elevator, trying to minimize my presence.

    Kimberly suddenly nced at the thermos in my hand and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you brought lunch for Reynaldo, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Actually, it¡¯s not necessary. It¡¯s so far, you might get cold bringing it over.

    ¡°I just bought dinner for Reynaldo with Mika.¡±

    She said, and then she raised the takeout box in her hand in front of me.

    I said expressionlessly, ¡°Reynaldo specifically asked for the meal I made, so it¡¯s not up to you to decide whether we need it or not.¡±

    Kimberly immediately looked at Mika with a look of grievance, as if she wanted Mika to support her.

    Sure enough, Mika¡¯s eyes instantly ¡°cut like knives¡°.

    ¡°You get out of here. My son doesn¡¯t need you to visit, and he won¡¯t eat the food you bring.¡±

    Aren¡¯t you just clinging to him because you see he has money now?

    ¡°I already said before, you name your price, as long as you are willing to leave him, I will give you whatever amount.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll ask for a sky¨Chigh price, can you afford it?¡±

    <b>64 </b><b>85</b><b>% </b>

 Too Close 574

    Mika frowned deeply and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°What I want cannot be measured by money, and you cannot afford it either!¡±

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, how could you speak to Mika like that? After all, Mika is Reynaldo¡¯s mother.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve fooled Reynaldo, you can act like you¡¯re above everyone else.¡±

    As soon as Kimberly finished speaking, the elevator door opened.

    I ignored them and walked out without looking back.

    Kimberly called me from behind, but I ignored her.

    Mika scolded me for being rude behind my back.

    I saw her as Reynaldo¡¯s mother, gritted my teeth, and endured.

    Arriving at Reynaldo¡¯s ward, the man was reading a book.

    Seeing mee in, his eyes lit up and he smiled at me, saying, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I responded listlessly and ced the meal on the bedside table, ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    With that, I sat down on a chair beside.

    10101

    Chapter$74

    Reynaldo nced at me and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who upset you?¡±

    I shook my head and remained silent.

    At this moment, Kimberly pushed Mika in.

    Reynaldo nced at them, then looked at me, suddenly looking as if he understood everything.

    He frowned and said to Mika and Kimberly, ¡°Did you bully her again?¡±

    Mika was furious when she heard this, ¡°What do you mean ¡®we bullied her¡®? You are really taking her side in everything now, don¡¯t forget how she treated you in the beginning!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Reynaldo, Mika didn¡¯t bully her at all.¡±

    She looked down on Mika in the elevator, thinking that what she wanted. Mika couldn¡¯t afford.

    Reynaldo, no matter what, you can¡¯t just use Mika without any evidence.

    No matter what, Mika is also your mother, our elder.¡±

    Look at what Kimberly said, seemingly tactful, but actually stirring up the conflict between Reynaldo and Mika, and even shifting all the me

    to me.

    What a cup of green tea.

    Sure enough, after Kimberly said that, Mika was even more angry, her face turning red, her chest heaving, and her eyes looking at me as cold ast a knife.

    <b>25 </b>751

    Reynaldo nced at Kimberly and said in a low voice, ¡°She is not arrogant, or maybe you just misunderstood.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Kimberly wanted to say something more.

    I stood up and interrupted her, ¡°Reynaldo was right, you just misunderstood. When we were in the elevator, I was simply saying that my rtionship with Reynaldo is priceless, it cannot be measured in terms of money. Ms. Versta¡¯s price is naturally something I cannot afford.¡±

    Howe when ites out of your mouth, I be invisible in your eyes?

    She was Reynaldo¡¯s mother, my mother¨Cinw. How foolish I was to look down on her.

    ¡°I¡­ you¡­¡±

    ¡°Also, I have never said that Ms. Versta bullied me.

    It was you, Reynaldo just asked if you guys had bullied me again.

    As for you, youpletely distanced yourself and only mentioned Ms. Versta.

    ¡°Did you deliberately want Ms. Versta to have a bad rtionship with Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t!¡±

    Kimberly suddenly became anxious, looking at Mika with a sense of grievance and helplessness.

    Mika furrowed her brows and looked at me, her sharp eyes seeming as if they could see right through me.

    <b>15.18 </b>

    After a while, she chuckled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you were so eloquent.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,pared to some people, my mouth is as dumb as can be.¡±

    And some people, can turn good into bad, reverse ck and white, sow discord is a good hand.

    When I said this, I deliberately nced at Kimberly.

    Kimberly instinctively retorted, ¡°I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t distort the truth, nor did I sow discord. Please, Ms. Duffy, don¡¯t nder people here.¡±

    <b>87.55</b>%

 Too Close 575

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer is really interesting. I didn¡¯t even mention any names, but she somehow hit the nail on the head.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Kimberly was momentarily rendered speechless by me, her face turning pale with anger.

    She looked at Reynaldo with a grievance, but Reynaldo was busy lifting the food I brought and preparing to eat, without even looking at her.

    She looked at Mika again.

    Mika snorted at me and said, ¡°I really underestimated you.¡±

    After a pause, she turned to Kimberly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I can¡¯t stand seeing this woman.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Kimberly reluctantly responded, then leaned over and handed the packed meal to Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo nced casually and said tly, ¡°I¡¯ll just cat what Esmeralda brought.¡±

    ¡°This is what Mika and I personally went down to buy, specifically choosing the dishes you love to eat.¡±

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care about my face, you can¡¯t ignore Mika¡¯s face.¡±

    Chapter525

    #1

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help butugh,¡± I said, ¡°Reynaldo and Ms. Versta are mother and son, what kind of face should be maintained between mother and son? Isn¡¯t that something only outsiders should talk about? Ms. Palmer, your words really caused a rift between Reynaldo and Ms. Versta.¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    Kimberly finally couldn¡¯t pretend anymore, ring at me with a fierce look in her eyes.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow and unconsciously grasped my hand with hisrge hand.

    He said to Kimberly, ¡°You take my mother back to the ward first.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice seemed to suddenly snap Kimberly back to reality.

    She was also a skilled actress, and ¡°once she started crying, the tears would just flow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Reynaldo, I didn¡¯t mean to yell at Ms. Duffy.¡±

    I was just too anxious, I didn¡¯t mean that, but Ms. Duffy misunderstood, I was just in a hurry, I¡­

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Reynaldo interrupted her gently, ¡°I am a bit tired, you and my mom go back and rest first.¡±

    Kimberly still wanted to say something when Mika suddenly shouted at her, ¡°Kimberly, let¡¯s go. Some people are just too powerful, you can¡¯t fight them alone.¡±

    I pursed my lips in frustration.

    <b>¡°</b><b>1 </b>

    This was said as if I and Reynaldo were teaming up to bully Kimberly.

    Kimberly tearfully ced the packed meal on the bedside table and choked out to Reynaldo, ¡°I¡¯lle see you again tomorrow.¡±

    With that, she pushed Mika and walked out, taking three steps back.

    After they had all left, Reynaldo let out a heavy sigh and wearily leaned back against the headboard.

    I nced at him and couldn¡¯t help but joke, ¡°Having too many peach blossoms is tiring, right? You have to consider this and coax that.¡±

    Reynaldo gave me a look and said, ¡°You always like to tease me?¡±

    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    I unwrapped the meal Kimberly packed for you and handed it to him, ¡°Here, this is specially bought by Kimberly for you. You should eat it so she won¡¯t cry again.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned and red <b>at </b>me, ¡°Esmeralda, are you deliberately blocking me like this?¡±

    I chuckled, ¡°Kimberly said that the food I brought was all cold, and she also said that I didn¡¯t need to bring you food because they would buy it for

    you.¡±

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t eat mine, eat Kimberly¡¯s, she bought all your favorite.

    ones.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me with an expression of impatience and said, ¡°Speak properly.¡±

    ¡°I <b>was </b>just telling you with a smile,e on, the meal Kimberly bought for you is so delicious.¡±

    Chapter¡¯s

    I said, and then prepared to take away the meal I brought.

    Little did he know, the man quickly dodged.

    He frowned at me and said, ¡°Go away and don¡¯t disturb me while I¡¯m eating.¡±

 Too Close 576

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯lle see you again tomorrow.¡±

    Reynaldo became agitated again, ¡°You¡­you stop!¡±

    I turned back andughed at him, ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me to leave, you really are so fickle.¡±

    Reynaldo red at me with a handsome face and said, ¡°I told you to walk. beside me, not to walk away!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Why are you sitting here? I¡¯ve already brought you the meal, haven¡¯t I? It¡¯s time to go back to sleep.¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath, looking like he was about to get angry.

    The more he was angry, the happier I felt in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t expect that teasing Reynaldo would be quite fun.

    He stared at me with a calm face, a look of anger and helplessness, which made me feel soft¨Chearted.

    I sat down on the chair and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Well, it¡¯s still early, so I¡¯ll keep youpany for a while.¡±

    The gloom on the man¡¯s face finally dissipated.

    He snorted at me and then hung his head to eat.

    I pushed the lunch box in my hand towards him and said, ¡°What about

    Cha

    this meal Kimberly bought for you? You should eat it too.¡±

    ¡°Threw it away.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even look up and spat out two words.

    I smiled and threw the lunch box into the trash can.

    Kimberly packed the meal without a thermos, so it had already cooled down. His stomach really couldn¡¯t handle it, I was just teasing him earlier.

    Reynaldo was very polite and ate all the food I brought without leaving anything.

    I was afraid that his stomach couldn¡¯t take it, so I told him, ¡°If you can¡¯t eat, then don¡¯t force yourself.¡±

    He said it was very delicious and that he would eat the meal I gave him again tomorrow.

    Although it was not a love confession, when I heard it, I felt sweet inside.

    I put the thermos aside and was about to sit back in the chair when he suddenly pulled me into his arms.

    I struggled instinctively for a moment and then heard him say, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to hug you for a long time, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have eaten so quickly.¡±

    I chuckled, ¡°So

    <i>you </i>endured it?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Reynaldo¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened slightly, his gaze drifting down to my cor.

    I took a deep breath and stared at him in silence, ¡°It¡¯s really true that one is prone to indulgence when well¨Cfed and clothed.¡±

    Chapte

    <b>11 </b>

 Too Close 577

    Reynaldo smiled, put his arm around me, and just looked at me without saying anything.

    I stopped struggling and obediently leaned against his chest.

    The feeling was really good, listening to each other¡¯s heartbeat, very reassuring.

    Thinking of Mika, I said to Reynaldo, ¡°Your mom really doesn¡¯t like. me, what should I do?¡±

    Bringing this up, Reynaldo also furrowed his brow.

    ¡°<b>I </b>never dared to bring you to see her before, just because of this reason.¡±

    I originally wanted to first speak well of you in front of her, change her opinion of you, and then have you two meet.

    But obviously, the effect was not good. No matter how I told her about your goodness, she still had a deep prejudice against you.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I looked up and smiled at him, ¡°So tell m

    about me?¡±

    what do you think is good.

    It¡¯s really rare that there is still a good side in this man¡¯s heart.

    Reynaldo tightened his arm around me and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you something important.¡±

    ¡°Well, I was asking about serious matters too.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, what do you like about me in your heart?¡±

    I didn¡¯t even know how to respond.

    He hugged me tightly, resting his chin on the nape of my neck, and

    whispered softly to me, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about my mom, I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡±

    Also, you don¡¯t have to endure being treated unfairly just because she is my mother in the future.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get angry with your mother, I did get a lot of anger from Kimberly.¡±

    And Kimberly had a delicate posture again, unable to be scolded or scolded.

    ¡°So, how do you think I should treat her?¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent for a few seconds and said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡±

    ¡°What should I do if she insists on picking a fight with me?¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent for another two seconds and said, ¡°If shees looking for trouble with you, just hit back.¡±

    ¡°Haha, this is what you said. When the timees, she will be

    ¡°No way!¡±

    The man looked at me deeply, his tone firm.

    I lowered my gaze, the corners of my lips unconsciously curling up, feeling full of happiness in my heart.

    11

    I held his hand and whispered. ¡°I can¡¯tpletely rely on you to solve the problem of your mother hating me.¡±

    Just relying on your words alone definitely couldn¡¯t change her opinion of me, so what should I do as well?

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Reynaldo stroked my hair and asked softly, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I won¡¯t tell you now. I¡¯ll tell you when I seed.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± the man smiled and looked at me with a gaze full of indulgence.

    And at that moment. I felt like I was immersed in a honey jar, where everything was sweet.

    I didn¡¯t go back untilte at night after staying with Reynaldo.

    My mom was still not asleep.

    When I entered the house, I deliberately took off my shoes and tiptoed. towards the guest room. Unexpectedly, my mom suddenly came out of the bedroom.

    ¡°Sote, I warmed up some midnight snack for you, eat it before going to bed.¡± my mom said as she walked towards the kitchen. When she came out, she had a steaming bowl of soup in her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, you brought in the chill when you came back. Have some soup first to warm up.¡±

    I looked at my mother¡¯s dry eyes and asked with concern, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡±

    My mother sighed, looked at the dark night outside the window, and said,

    ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±

    I pursed my lips, feeling ufortable in my heart.

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 Too Close 578

    My mom suddenly said to me, ¡°Ralda, since you have made up with Reynaldo, then move in with Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apany me all the time. You, as a couple, should be together.¡±

    I shook my head hastily, ¡°No, I want to live with you.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, I will be with my mom during this time.¡±

    My mom¡¯s condition has improved a lotpared to the beginning, but she stillcks energy and her emotions are not quite right.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like if I left and left her all alone in this room, with no one to talk to.

    Reynaldo and I had a long time ahead of us, with plenty of time to spend together in the future.

    But I must help my mother out of her current predicament.

    The next day, I got up early and made a few breakfast dishes myself.

    My mom smiled at me from the kitchen door and said, ¡°When did our littlezy pig turn into a busy bee?¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°You go sit down first, I¡¯ll have breakfast ready in

    a minute.¡±

    Chapter

    ¡°Alright, I look forward to your skills.¡±

    I made several breakfasts, all following the recipes on my phone.

    Whether it¡¯s about being insightful or not, talented or not, it¡¯s all bullshit.

    With heart, what can¡¯t be done?

    Looking at the six or seven breakfast items I made, I felt a sense of aplishment in my heart.

    When breakfast was served, my mom was shocked.

    After having breakfast with my mom, I packed up the rest and took it to the hospital.

    I didn¡¯t go to Reynaldo¡¯s ward, but went straight to Mika¡¯s ward.

    Good, at this point, Kimberly had not arrived yet.

    Mika should have woken up earlier, she was already sitting in a wheelchair, staring out of the window.

    As soon as she saw me, her face darkened.

    ¡°Who let youe here, get out of here!¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°I came to bring you breakfast.¡±

    ¡°No, get out of here!¡±

    I ignored Mika¡¯s words of disgust and ced the homemade hamburger I made in front of her on the table, saying, ¡°Mom, these are all made by me, try them.¡±

    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t need it!¡±

    I had just ced the hamburger on the table when Mika waved her hand and swept all the breakfast I brought onto the floor.

    I quietly watched as the breakfast fell to the ground. After a while, I squatted down and silently picked them up to throw them into the trash.

    can.

    It¡¯s not that my temper is so good.

    But I could see that Mika was not the cunning and malicious person.

    She was against me, probablyrgely because Kimberly said a lot of bad things about me in front of her.

    People like Mika are clearly ¡°sharp¨Ctongued but soft¨Chearted.¡±

    I guessed that she would definitely sweep the breakfast I put in front of her to the ground, so I deliberately only put two hamburgers.

    The fact turned out just as I expected.

    Next, as long as I picked up those two hamburgers without saying a word, it would definitely trigger her guilt.

    Just now, after this round of operation, she didn¡¯t scold me and didn¡¯t tell me to get lost.

    He just frowned at me.

    ¡°What tricks are you ying again? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not Reynaldo, I¡¯m not that easy to fool.¡±

    I walked up to her and said with a humble attitude, ¡°You misunderstood, I just simply wanted to make you breakfast, although it may not be as good as what you can buy outside, but it is still a gesture from my heart.¡±

 Too Close 579

    In the course of the conversation, I deliberately showed my burnt fingers.

    Mika nced over and sneered, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t pretend in front of me, you should go pretend in front of Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t pretend either. I showed you my burnt fingers just to get your sympathy and approval.¡±

    Actually, I didn¡¯t need to please you so much, it¡¯s just that you are Reynaldo¡¯s mother, so I have a little more respect and liking for you.

    Reynaldo told me not to care about your opinion of me, but I couldn¡¯t do it. You are my mother¨Cinw, as a daughter¨Cinw, I naturally hope you ept me and like me.

    I knew that just a breakfast wouldn¡¯t change your opinion of me.

    It¡¯s okay, if I can¡¯t do it today, I¡¯lle back tomorrow. If I can¡¯t do it tomorrow, I¡¯lle back the day after tomorrow.

    ¡°As long as I persist, I believe you will definitely like it.¡±

    Mika sneered, ¡°You are really confident.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I am confident, but I feel that you are a good person and won¡¯t really make things difficult for me.¡±

    ¡°Cut it out, stop ttering me like this, I¡¯m not buying it.¡± Mika gave me a disdainful look.

    I smiled and ced the remaining breakfast in front of her again.

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    #1 288 uchers

    ¡°Mom, hurry up and eat while it¡¯s hot. I don¡¯t know what you like to eat, so I made a few extra dishes.¡±

    ¡°The taste may not be as good as outside, so you can only make do with it, mom.¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Mika snorted coldly, but instead of throwing the breakfast on the ground like before, she reluctantly ate it with a grim expression.

    She ate whileining, ¡°The taste is really not good. I really don¡¯t know how you can be proud of this breakfast.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°The first time doing it, I will improve next time.¡±

    Although Mika looked disgusted, she still ate all the breakfast items I brought, ¡°bite by bite.¡±

    I now understand that Reynaldo¡¯s arrogant attitude is inherited from

    someone.

    This is just ¡°inheriting his mother¡¯s genes.¡±

    At that moment, Kimberly suddenly arrived.\

    ¡°Mika, I brought you something I made myself¡­

    The words that followed were swallowed hard by her when she saw Mika eating the breakfast I had brought,

    A shadow flickered quickly in her eyes, just for a moment, and then she returned to her usual obedient and pitiful appearance.

    I furrowed my brows, and Kimberly¡¯s demeanor seemed to be getting darker.

    95.42%

    <b>15-19 </b>

    Chapter579

    ¡°Oh, Kimberly is here,e over quickly.¡±

    As soon as Mika saw her, she smiled and waved at her.

    Kimberly walked over with a look of innocence on her face, full of confusion, ¡°Mika, did Ms. Duffy buy you this breakfast?¡±

    288 Vouchere

    Before Mika could speak, she said, ¡°I know Ms. Duffy is also very kind¨Chearted, and she came early to bring you breakfast. It¡¯s just that the breakfast sold outside may not be clean. I¡¯m afraid you might get a stomachache.¡±

    Mika looked at me with aplex expression, as if she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    I smiled and said to Kimberly, ¡°It¡¯s my honor that Ms. Palmer thinks I bought this breakfast outside, it proves that my cooking skills are not bad.¡±

    Kimberly furrowed her brow and chuckled, ¡°Ms. Duffy, are you trying to say that you made this breakfast yourself?¡±

    ¡°You, a youngdy who has never touched the spring water with your ten fingers, don¡¯t pretend here.¡±

    I showed my burned fingers and casually said, ¡°Although I am ady who does not do any work, I am willing to endure any hardship for my mother- inw.¡±

    69.17%

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    Chapter <b>580 </b>

    It was Ms. Palmer who pretended that the breakfast she bought outside was made by herself.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Kimberly¡¯s face turned red and she hurriedly said, ¡°This breakfast was clearly made by me myself. This oatmeal was cooked by me at five in the morning, and this toast was also made by me personally.¡±

    Why do you say that I bought this outside!

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have that intention yourself, you bought it outside, and you still have the nerve to me me.¡±

    Kimberly spoke very excitedly, as if ¡°I had wronged her¡°.

    I waited quietly for her to finish speaking, then nced at the bag she was holding and said with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t this bag the exclusive bag of the breakfast shop downstairs, with the store¡¯s logo on it?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s expression froze for two seconds, then quickly said, ¡°This is the breakfast I bought from that store before, the bag has been kept for reuse.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Ms. Palmer is really thrifty, even recycling stic bags.¡±

    It is obvious that Kimberly¡¯s excuse was totally fake.

    Kimberly looked embarrassed and nced at Mika with a hint of grievance, ¡°Mika, I really made this breakfast myself, you saw me doing it, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I don¡¯t know why Ms. Duffy had to treat me so unfairly. She can treat me

    0.009

    <b>11 </b>

    unfairly in other ways, but she just can¡¯t treat me unfairly when ites to you.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Really sincere? Pretending that the breakfast from outside was made by yourself, that¡¯s really fake! If you had just said that you bought it outside, it would have been better than¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Mika suddenly growled at me.

    Looking at Kimberly again, she had already been teary¨Ceyed, standing next to Mika with a face full of grievances.

    Oh.

    Kimberly would pretend to be pitiful, and so would I!

    I stood there with my hands sped in front of me, bowing my head obediently and not saying a word.

    Mika nced at me and said, ¡°Alright, I have already eaten the breakfast you brought, you can go back now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I answered quietly, lowering my head even more, looking like I had done something wrong.

    Mika frowned and said displeasedly, ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? If you have anyints, just say it directly. Don¡¯t act as if you¡¯ve been greatly wronged and run to Reynaldo toin.¡±

    ¡°You can rest assured, I won¡¯t say a word to Reynaldo.¡±

    I said meekly, ¡°And besides, I won¡¯t say anything bad about Ms. Palmer in

    1519

    the future either. If she insists that she made the breakfast herself, then

    she made it herself.¡±

    288 Wouchers

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®I have to say that this breakfast was made by me¡®? This breakfast was made by me in the first ce, you, me¡­¡± Kimberly was so flustered that she couldn¡¯t exin clearly.

    I ignored her.

    Just hanging his head, looking like he had done something wrong, he said to Mika, ¡°I know, in your heart, I am just a stranger after all, it¡¯s normal for you to dislike me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be discouraged, I will work hard to make you like me.¡±

    Mika frowned disdainfully and said, ¡°Alright, just go quickly.¡±

    ¡°Well, you rest well then.¡±

    I finished speaking and was about to leave when a strong fishy smell suddenly hit my nose as I passed by Kimberly.

    She must have bought a Baja fish taco

    In an instant, my stomach suddenly ¡°turned upside down¡°.

    Although I didn¡¯t have much morning sickness now, I still can¡¯t stand the smell of strong odors.

    I didn¡¯t care about anything else, I hurriedly covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom.

    69.77%

    151977

 Too Close 581

    Outside came the affected voice of Kimberly, ¡°Ms. Duffy, what¡¯s wrong? She was fine just now, why did she suddenly feel like throwing up.¡±

    ¡°Mika. could it be that she saw you protecting me, and then deliberately vomited in front of you to disgust you?¡±

    I was kneeling in front of the sink, vomiting violently, wishing I could throw up all the breakfast I had eaten in the morning.

    I didn¡¯t have time to deal with Kimberly¡¯s malicious provocation.

    When I finished vomiting and rinsed my mouth, I thought Mika would be even more disgusted with me.

    But she didn¡¯t show any disdain on her face, just furrowing her brows and staring at me intently, with a hint of suspicion on her face.

    I wasn¡¯t afraid of her guessing anything, I calmly said to her, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I suddenly smelled a fishy smell just now. and then my stomach turned upside down. I couldn¡¯t hold it back for a while, so I ran to vomit.¡±

    I¡¯m really sorry, and I don¡¯t know where that fishy smell came from.

    Kimberly¡¯s face stiffened, and unconsciously she moved the bag in her hand behind her.

    I pursed my lips and said to Mika, ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t disturb your rest, I¡¯ll go back first.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    Mika nodded, her sharp eyes suddenly ncing at my stomach.

    Chapter541

    Mika, being an experienced person, was probably guessing whether I was pregnant or not.

    I wasn¡¯t worried either. Anyway, I didn¡¯t n to hide the fact that I was

    pregnant.

    Yesterday, if they hadn¡¯t suddenly burst into the ward, I would have already told Reynaldo.

    Aftering out of Mika¡¯s ward, I went straight to find Reynaldo.

    However, when I entered his ward, I found that it was empty,

    The bedding on the bed was neatly folded.

    Hmm, strange, has Reynaldo been discharged?

    A nurse passed by, and I hurriedly asked her, ¡°Hello, where are the patients inside?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he has just been discharged from the hospital.¡±

    I really got discharged from the hospital!

    He never told me a word.

    I gloomily took out my phone to give him a call, only to find that he had already sent me a message.

    Thepany had some things to deal with, so I was discharged from the hospital.

    Worried that you were still sleeping in, so I sent you a message.

    Although this information is not a love message, I feel warm inside just by looking at it.

    In the evening.

    1430

    I was making ravioli with my mom at home when suddenly it started snowing outside.

    <b>I </b>hurried to the window and said to my mom, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s snowing.¡±

    My mother smiled and seemed to reminisce, ¡°It hasn¡¯t snowed for a long time. Thest time it snowed, it seems like it was two years ago.¡±

    I had seen snow before when I went to Yoripero with Reynaldo.

    But it was still more surprising when it snowed at home.

    At that moment, Reynaldo¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    ¡°Come down!¡±

    The man¡¯s voice was deep and pleasant, with a touch of gentleness.

    I wondered, ¡°Go down, go where? It¡¯s snowing outside.¡±

    ¡°I knew you were reading down.¡±

    I opened the window a little bit, then stuck my head out and looked down suspiciously. At a nce, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s car.

    Reynaldo leaned against the front of the car, wearing a ck coat, elegant. and noble, standing out in the snowy scenery,

    He had one hand in his pocket and the other hand holding a phone, talking to me.

    ¡°Still noting down?¡±

    When asked, he looked up at me.

    The distance was a bit far, I couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly, but I felt like he was smiling.

 Too Close 582

    Chapter <b>582 </b>

    I pursed my lips and deliberately asked, ¡°What are you going down for?¡±

    ¡°Date.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and uttered two words, <b>his </b>gentle tone could almost melt one¡¯s heart.

    I naturally felt sweet in my heart, but couldn¡¯t help teasing him, ¡°We are an old married couple, why bother making an appointment, and besides, the weather is so cold.¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent for two seconds and said impatiently, ¡°Esmeralda, you even find dates too cold. Are you still a woman? You don¡¯t understand romance at all.¡±

    I covered my mouth andughed until my stomach hurt a little.

    What to do, I really enjoy teasing this man like this.

    ¡°Hurry down and wear more clothes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right down.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want him to catch a cold down there, so I stopped teasing him.

    I turned around and said to my mom, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while.¡±

    My mother seemed to have guessed that I was going out with Reynaldo, and she urged me to hurry up with a smile.

    When she was about to leave, she packed the freshly made ravioli in a food container for me.

    Arriving downstairs, just as he stepped out of the building lobby, Reynaldo came to greet him.

    After I made up with him, the man¡¯s eyes became bright, with no trace of darkness.

    He wrapped the prepared scarf around my neck, covering my mouth and nose, and put on a knitted hat for me, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed.

    He held my hand, put it in his pocket, and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Still cold?¡±

    I shook my head with a smile.

    It¡¯s not really cold, it wasn¡¯t cold to begin with. I just said it was cold earlier because I didn¡¯t want to go on a date, I was just teasing him.

    I handed him the lunch box and said, ¡°This is ravioli made by my mom. you go ahead and eat it first.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The man took the food box and pulled me into the car.

    The car was much warmer.

    I loosened my scarf and asked him, ¡°Is your stomach feeling better?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± he responded, turning to the back seat to get something.

    The next second, arge bunch of roses appeared in front of me.

    I was stunned for a second, tilted my head and looked at him, ¡°For me?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    The man nodded and handed me the flowers, saying, ¡°I have never given you flowers before, but today I am giving you some.¡±

    I looked at him, pursing my lips and smiling.

    Although giving roses is quite cliche.

    But really, the feeling Reynaldo gave was different.

    He must have been someone who didn¡¯t understand romance, so it must have been quite rare for him to send flowers like this.

    Sure enough, ¡°he blushed a little when he saw meughing all the time.¡±

    He opened the lunch box and muttered, ¡°Take a look and see if you like it. If you don¡¯t like it, just throw it away.¡±

    I chuckled, ¡°Even if you have money, it¡¯s not so wasteful. It¡¯s such a pity to throw away such a big bouquet of flowers.¡±

    ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    Reynaldo ate a ravioli, his eyes looking at me earnestly.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°The handsome guy gave me flowers, what do you think?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, ¡°What if a handsome guy gave you flowers, would you like it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    As the man¡¯s face grew darker, I could no longer pretend, so I threw myself at him and kissed him.

    ¡°Of course not, I only like the ones you give me.

    The man¡¯s face instantly went from dark to bright.

 Too Close 583

    Chapter <b>583 </b>

    He poked at the ravioli in the food box uneasily and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you like it, <b>I¡¯ll </b>bring something else next time.¡±

    I deeply smelled the fragrance of the rose and asked him, ¡°How many times have you given flowers to the opposite sex?¡±

    ¡°The first time.¡±

    Reynaldo buried his head in the food box, eating ravioli, and replied to<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    My lips unconsciously curled up, and for a moment, I felt a hint of sweetness in the fragrance of the flowers.

    Reynaldo quickly finished the ravioli.

    He put away the lunch box and said to me, ¡°Remember to thank Mom for the ravioliter.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    I nodded heavily, feeling a little guilty about how we used to treat him in our family.

    I asked him, ¡°Don¡¯t you me us?¡±

    Reynaldo was taken aback for a moment, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that my family and I used to treat you like that before, I¡­¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head with a smile and finally said to me self- deprecatingly, ¡°Do you believe that, in those three years at your house, I was much happier than I was at the Humphrey¡¯s house.¡±

    Chapter50)

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat, a touch of sourness passing through.

    When he was at my house, he was constantly being bullied by me and Quentin.

    My dad didn¡¯t give a good face to my mom either.

    And so, he felt happier than he had ever been at the Humphrey¡¯s house, indicating what kind of days he had spent there.

    Suddenly, I felt very sorry for this man.

    I regret not being nicer to him back then.

    Fortunately, I have made up with him now. From now on, I must, must be extra nice to him!

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I held his hand tightly.

    He instantly tightened my hand and held my fingers tightly.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with such a pitying look, you¡¯ve always treated me as a bad guy, look at me with the eyes of someone looking at a bad guy.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­..¡± I shook his hand in frustration, this man, bringing up old grievances again.

    Reynaldo tightened my hand and looked at me with deep eyes, saying, ¡°Now that I have you, I feel like the happiest person in the world.¡±

    This man, although not very good at sweet talk.

    But even so, as I listened, my heart was filled with sweetness.

    Reynaldo drove me to a high¨Cend restaurant.

    I saw that there was no one in the restaurant, and I thought it was because of <b>the </b>snow that there were no customers. It turned out that Reynaldo said he had rented out the whole restaurant.

    Iughed and said to him, ¡°Why did you book it? Such a big restaurant just for the two of us, it feels so empty.¡±

    Reynaldo gave me another nce and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s a date, it should be quiet, just the two of us.

    I nodded and smiled, ¡°Okay, okay, it¡¯s up to you.¡±

    Don¡¯t say Reynaldo isn¡¯t good at dating, isn¡¯t very romantic, in fact, I¡¯m not good at these either.

    This was my first real date with a man, and the person was my husband who had been married for almost four years.

    I was about to find a seat to sit down casually, when Reynaldo suddenly pulled me to the seat by the window.

    The window was a floor¨Cto¨Cceiling transparent ss window, offering an unobstructed view of the night scene outside.

    This was the first snow of the year in Freybourne, and even though the weather was cold, the streets were filled with people.

    14300

 Too Close 584

    Chapter584

    Under the neon lights, the traffic was bustling, pedestrians were moving slowly, and the air was filled with the smell of fireworks.

    Reynaldo specially prepared a candlelit dinner.

    The dishes were very delicate, the candles flickered, and the light reflected on the ss windows, which was quite dreamy.

    However, sitting face to face with Reynaldo and listening to the melodious soft music, I inexplicably felt a little embarrassed.

    What to do?

    I still prefer the way we used to interact before.

    He was so gentle and deliberately creating romance, I always felt ufortable.

    Reynaldo served me some dishes and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Eat, how about it? Not used to it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the first candlelight dinner in my life, always felt a bit strange.¡±

    ¡°So coincidental,¡± Reynaldo smiled at me, ¡°this is also my first proper candlelit dinner.¡±

    ¡°You can just think of us as dating, but, in fact, we were already dating.¡±

    I rested my chin on my hand and told him frankly, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m more used to the way we used to interact before.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by the previous¡­ way of getting along?¡± Reynaldo suddenly chuckled strangely.

    At the sight of his strange smile, <i>I </i>felt something was wrong.

    Sure enough¡­

    He started to get serious in the next sentence.

    ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t enjoy the forey of dating and prefer to go straight to bed when we first meet. Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind for next time.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    Sure enough, this man was serious for no more than three seconds.

    Reynaldo gazed at me with a deep look in his eyes.

    The man¡¯s eyes were always very deep, especially with this kind of lustful look, making people inexplicably anxious and hot.

    I grabbed my cor and red at him, ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his eyes and smiled, ¡°Okay, anyway I will have plenty of chances to watchter, and I can see ¡®more¡®.¡±

    He said ¡°more¡± with extra meaning.

    I poured the juice from the side into my mouth to ease the heat in my

    heart.

    Just then, there was a sudden ¡°bang¡± in the sky outside, bursting into fireworks.

    I was stunned.

    The colorful fireworks ¡°blossomed¡± brilliantly in the night sky.

    Reynaldo smiled at me and said, ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    Chapter564

    I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this sentence yet, I just nodded and said, ¡°So beautiful.¡±

    Just as the fireworks kept blooming, I slowly realized that something was

    Wrong.

    After the fireworks bloomed, how did a line of words form in the sky?

    ¡°Reynaldo loved Esmeralda forever.¡±

    At the same time, a confession appeared on the giant screen of the opposite mall.

    ¡°Reynaldo always loved Esmeralda.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo and Esmeralda were going to be together for the rest of their lives.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo and Esmeralda were going to be husband and wife for a lifetime.¡±

    ********

    Words of confession like this were scrolling on the giant screen, attracting everyone around to stop and stay.

    The murmurs of discussion and envy outside rose and fell, faintly reaching into the restaurant.

    Even the restaurant staff couldn¡¯t help but envy.

    ¡°Oh my goodness, Mr. Humphrey was so romantic, Ms. Duffy was so lucky.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t they say Mr. Humphrey was getting divorced from Ms. Duffy before? It seems like all rumors, look at how much Mr. Humphrey loves his wife.¡±

    Chupper$44

    ¡°Oh, I envy Ms. Duffy so much. If only there was a man who treated me like that, I would give my life willingly.¡±

    ¡°Being women ourselves, howe we are so much worse off than Ms. Duffy, ahhh!!!¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo in shock.

 Too Close 585

    Chapter585

    I didn¡¯t expect that this man would confess to her in this way regardless of everything.

    He wanted everyone in the world to know that Reynaldo loved Esmeralda for a lifetime.

    If it doesn¡¯t shake you, if it doesn¡¯t move you, it¡¯s fake.

    Reynaldo suddenly took out a ring and handed it to me, saying, ¡°This is for you.¡±

    ¡°Ring?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Reynaldo took my hand and put the ring on my ring finger. He smiled gently at me, ¡°When we got married, we didn¡¯t have rings ready, but I bought one for you in secret.¡±

    I thought. ¡°After all, it¡¯s marriage. How could my wife not have a ring?¡±

    It was just that at that time, you always detested me, hated everything about me, so this ring never had a chance to be given to you.

    Now I put her on your hand, and you will be my wife in the future, only

    mine.

    At the time of our marriage, due to my inner frustration and disgust, I indeed did not go to pick out a ring.

    Even at the wedding, he threw a tantrum, saying ¡°don¡¯t want the ring.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect that he actually bought a ring for me in private.

    The eyes suddenly became sour, with joy and sweetness in the heart, but

    Chapter <b>565 </b>

    also with a touch of sadness.

    He clearly liked me from beginning to end, but I always misunderstood him, bullied him, and treated him as a bad person.

    Looking back now, I was really confused at that time.

    ¡°Esmeralda, from now on you are my everything, don¡¯t leave me again, or else¡­ I won¡¯t be able to live.¡±

    I nodded with tears in my eyes, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t leave anymore. No matter what happens in the future, I will never leave you again.¡±

    However, promises are simple, but sticking to them is difficult.

    At this moment, Reynaldo regarded me as more important than his own life.

    Butter, Reynaldo, with his eyes bloodshot, grabbed my neck and told me to leave Freybourne forever.

    The things in this world always seem so unpredictable!

    Coming out of the restaurant, many passersby recognized us and wanted. to take photos with us, and even interviewed us about our love story.

    Reynaldo gave them a few perfunctory words and then pulled me to start running.

    That was the first time I ran freely in the wind and snow.

    He held my hand in front.

    Facing the cold wind, ¡°goose feather¨Clike snowkes floated on the face.¡±

    But I didn¡¯t feel cold, instead I felt warm in my hands and in my heart.

    I ran to a deserted riverside, with the cold wind whistling.

    <b>1431 </b>

    Chapter209

    Reynaldo helped me organize the scarf and hat, then asked me, ¡°Are you cold?¡±

    I shook my head andughed at him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for confessing to me so publicly, making me famous.¡±

    ¡°But I just want the whole world to know that I love you,¡± the man said firmly, with a hint of stubbornness.

    I looked at him and felt that at that moment, ¡°his eyes were full of stars.¡±

    Next, Reynaldo took me to see a movie.

    A good love movie, many people watched it, and they were all couples or

    spouses.

    I watched with relish.

    Reynaldo, feeling a bit tired, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

    to rest.

    The movie ended after two hours, and when we came out, it was already past ten o¡¯clock at night.

    I was about to ask Reynaldo to take me back, but he suddenly put his arm. around my waist and held out his phone in front of me.

    <b>1431 </b>

 Too Close 586

    Chapter586

    ¡°Look, my mother¨Cinw has already given me a task.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, let Esmeralda stay at your ce tonight. My sleep quality hasn¡¯t been greattely, so I need to go to bed carly. Tell that girl not toe back at night to avoid waking me up.¡±

    I was embarrassed, my mom really said¡­

    Reynaldo put his arm around me and said, ¡°So, you had toe to my ce tonight. I can¡¯t let my mother¨Cinw down.¡±

    I gave him a white look, and my face was slightly hot.

    Just as he got in the bus. Reynaldo¡¯s phone suddenly rang

    I nced casually.

    Um, great, Kimberly called.

    Just now Reynaldo confessed to me so openly, Kimberly must have already known.

    That woman must have been in a bad mood now.

    So when this phone call came in, chances are it wasn¡¯t for anything good.

    Reynaldo held his phone, but instead of answering Kimberly¡¯s call right away, he looked at me.

    Iughed and said, ¡°Watch what I do,e on.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you might misunderstand.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy, you turn on the speaker.¡±

    1431

    Chapter

    Reynaldo obediently turned on the external speaker.

    As soon as the phone was answered, Kimberly¡¯s weak and feeble voice. came through.

    ¡°Reynaldo, where are you? I feel so bad, what should I do? Can you¡­ can youe and keep mepany?¡±

    Reynaldo frowned and said, ¡°I had my assistant take you to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Do not¡­Reynaldo, I am afraid¡­my heart really hurts, am I going to die. soon.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo,e over and keep mepany, please. I¡¯m really¡­ I¡¯m really afraid that I may never see you again.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s voice was filled with a sobbing and pain, giving a sense of ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see it¡± feeling.

    I¡¯m afraid any man who hears this will not be able to help but feel sorry.

    I nced at Reynaldo.

    The man¡¯s brow furrowed tightly.

    He said, ¡°I am not a doctor either, I cannot help you cure the disease.¡±

    I informed Anton that he had specifically studied medicine for you, and he also had many friends in the medical field, so it would be more appropriate for them to take care of you.

    I was slightly surprised to learn that Anton went to study medicine for Kimberly.

    No wonder he said before that it was because someone in his family was sick, so he gave up his beloved performing arts major and switched to medicine.

    Chapter

    In the moment of distraction, Reynaldo had hung up the phone.

    I was stunned, ¡°How did he die?¡±

    Reynaldo put away his phone, took my hand, and smiled, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s go home.¡±

    Although he was smiling, there was still a hint of worry in his eyes.

    Also, even though he didn¡¯t have romantic feelings for Kimberly, he still had sibling affection.

    Moreover, Kimberly did get sick, so it is normal for him to worry now that Kimberly is sick.

    He watched as the man started the car.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Go check on her. If something really happened to her, you may never forgive yourself.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned and said to me very seriously, ¡°I have said that I will never leave you again. When I say I will apany you today, I will only apany you.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I said to him with a smile, ¡°So, I¡¯ll apany you to see her, and then we¡¯ll go back after seeing her.¡±

    Reynaldo was stunned.

    I said to him seriously, ¡°Since you treat her as your sister, then she is also my sister.¡±

    She fell ill now, as her sister¨Cinw, I naturally have to go and see her, right?

 Too Close 587

    Chapter587

    Listen to me, Reynaldo looked at me strangely and said, ¡°You¡¯re not jealous of her anymore?¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°You said you only treat her as a sister, why would I be jealous of her?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Reynaldo responded with a dull ¡°uh¨Chuh¡± and then started the car.

    I tilted my head and chuckled, ¡°Strange, it seems like you really want to see me jealous.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    The man hummed a sentence gloomily.

    Looking at his hypocritical and proud appearance, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    The car had just started when Kimberly¡¯s phone rang again.

    The first time he didn¡¯t answer.

    The second time I happened to be waiting at the traffic lights, he answered with a casual tone, ¡°Just wait a moment, I¡¯ll be right there.¡±

    After the phone call, things finally calmed down on Kimberly¡¯s end.

    Seeing her so persistently calling Reynaldo, one after another, it was clear that she was in high spirits, not at all like a sick person.

    I didn¡¯t say much either.

    14.31

    Anyway, now that I have reconciled with Reynaldo, it¡¯s better to make that woman understand that I am Reynaldo¡¯s wife. Tell her to back off in

    the future.

    Half an hour¡¯s drive, the car stopped in front of a two¨Cstory small vi.

    When the car drove in, a maid came forward to greet us.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you finally arrived. Ms. Palmer is in a lot of pain right now. Please go and see her.¡±

    The servant said, and then nced at me, with a somewhatplex expression:

    Reynaldo got out of the car and was about to lead me inside.

    The servant busily said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, it¡¯s better for you to go up alone. Ms. Palmer is ill and quite agitated. I¡¯m afraid seeing this youngdy will. worsen her condition.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes turned cold, and his tone was quite chilly, ¡°What¡¯s the problem with me bringing my wife to see her? And why do you have to makements about it?¡±

    ¡°I dare not,¡± the servant said, taking two steps back and bowing his head. ¡°I am just worried about Ms. Palmer¡­¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t need you to worry.¡±

    Reynaldo casually dropped a sentence and then led me into the vi.

    I nced at the man beside me, his cold expression was quite intimidating.

    I went to the second floor.

    A faint cry came from a room, sounding a bit creepy.

    Chapter587

    If it weren¡¯t for the lights in the middle of the night, I¡¯m afraid we would have thought there was a female ghost haunting around.

    Reynaldo led me to a door.

    He raised his hand and knocked on the door, soon, the door was pulled open from inside.

    Before I could fully open my eyes, I saw a slender figure throwing herself into Reynaldo¡¯s arms.

    When I took a closer look, I realized it was Kimberly.

    What made meugh coldly was that Kimberly, whether intentionally or unintentionally, was wearing only a white silk nightgown.

    The sleeping gown was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wings, and the spring light inside was faintly visible.

    And the cor was pulled down very low.

    She threw herself into Reynaldo¡¯s arms and said she had no intention of seducing him. I wouldn¡¯t believe it even if I were killed.

    ¡°Reynaldo, you finally came. I¡­ I feel so bad. My heart hurts, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    She said with a pained expression on her face, and she also grabbed Reynaldo¡¯s hand and ced it on her chest.

    I pursed my lips and smiled at her, ¡°Kimberly, you really look ufortable. Shall I call a doctor for you?¡±

    She seemed to have never seen me, so when I suddenly spoke, it really

    startled her.

 Too Close 588

    Chapter588

    She suddenly turned her head and looked at me, her tearful eyes filled with shock and anger.

    I smiled and said to her, ¡°Tonight, I was originally supposed to be on a date with Reynaldo, but then your call came in.¡±

    Reynaldo originally didn¡¯t want toe over, after all, he had promised to apany me tonight.

    But I found your voice on the phone so painful and unbearable, I felt uneasy in my heart, so I called Reynaldo toe with me.

    ¡°How is he now? Has hee to see you? Are you feeling better?¡±

    The resentment in Kimberly¡¯s eyes was about to overflow.

    But Reynaldo was here, she dared not show it, and could only smile at me with suppressed anger, saying, ¡°Much better, thank you foring to see me.¡±

    However, we are not rted, and Ms. Duffy came all the way to see me, I do feel a bit guilty in my heart.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s just the sister¨Cinwing to see her sick little sister. Isn¡¯t that the most normal thing to do?¡±

    ¡°Sister¨Cinw? Younger sister¨Cinw?¡±

    Kimberly red at me, so angry that her teeth were almost crushed.

    The angrier she got, the more Iughed brightly, ¡°Yeah, Reynaldo said. you¡¯re his sister, so I¡¯m his wife, then you¡¯re naturally my sister¨Cinw, and I¡¯m your sister¨Cinw.¡±

    Kimberly was shaking with anger.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°Look <b>at </b>you, wearing so little on such a cold day, that clothes are so thin that they are see¨Cthrough<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and go lie down, you¡¯re shivering from the cold.¡±

    Kimberly was so angry with me that her face turned pale and blue.

    Just the next second, she suddenly rolled her eyes and fell straight to the ground.

    Reynaldo quickly caught her and then picked her up, quickly entering the

    room.

    I chuckled and followed slowly.

    Kimberly was obviously pretending, I wonder if Reynaldo noticed.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    After putting Kimberly on the bed, Reynaldo was about to step back.

    Kimberly suddenly grabbed his arm and looked at him pitifully, ¡°Reynaldo, do you think I¡¯m about to die?¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t ask Reynaldo questions like that again.¡±

    He¡¯s not a doctor, how would he know?

    ¡°Shall we take you to the hospital, and after the doctor has done a thorough examination. I can help you ask the doctor about this issue?¡±

    Kimberly gritted her teeth in anger, and her resentful gaze seemed like she wanted to swallow me whole.

    Reynaldo suddenly said to her, ¡°Esmeralda is right, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡±

    Chapter

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡±

    Kimberly said, tears streaming down her face, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, I don¡¯t want to smell that disgusting disinfectant smell again, and I don¡¯t want to see the sickly appearance of those who are dying. It will drive me crazy.¡±

    Reynaldo, I just wanted you to spend more time with me.

    ¡°You let her go, did you let her go?¡±

    She held Reynaldo¡¯s arm with one hand and pointed at me with the other, crying miserably to Reynaldo.

    ¡°I know you two have made up now, and you love her very much.¡±

    But she clearly had a bias against me, she was against me everywhere.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her, Reynaldo¡­ cough¡­¡±

    She said, coughed again, that weak and feeble appearance, really looked like she was about to die.

    ¡°You let her go, let her go quickly.¡±

    Oh, my heart hurts so much, Reynaldo¡­ so much¡­.

    ¡°Let her go, I don¡¯t want to see her¡­ Oh, let her go¡­¡±

    I watched her performance quietly, and the more I watched, the more I wanted to vomit.

 Too Close 589

    Chapter589

    I snorted disdainfully and was about to turn around and leave.

    Reynaldo suddenly called me.

    He said, ¡°I will go with you.¡±

    Kimberly became anxious when she heard this, and she tightened her grip on Reynaldo¡¯s arm.

    ¡°No, Reynaldo, don¡¯t go.¡±

    ¡°I feel so sad and hurt, you left, I will definitely be in pain.¡±

    ¡°I am not a painkiller either. If I am here with you, will your heart stop hurting?¡± Reynaldo looked at her quietly, as if he had already seen through her act.

    Kimberly seemed to really get into character.

    Covering his chest, he shook his head in pain, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just know that when you are with me, I feel at ease and my heart doesn¡¯t hurt so much.¡±

    Reynaldo, don¡¯t go, I beg you don¡¯t go¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did you have to drive my wife away?¡±

    Let me make it clear to you now, I had promised Mr. Palmer to take good care of you, but only in the sense of a brother taking care of his sister.

    Mr. Palmer has always been kind to me and my mother, this I have always known.

    So all along, out of respect for Mr. Palmer, I have always indulged you and spoiled you.

    But you have to know, in my heart, you are different from Esmeralda.

    ¡°You were my sister, but Esmeralda was my wife, the love of my life.¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo in surprise.

    I didn¡¯t expect him to be so straightforward with Kimberly.

    Kimberly seemed as if she had been shocked.

    She no longer pretended to be weak, just yelled at him in exasperation, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your sister, you know, I never wanted to be your sister.¡±

    You promised my dad to take care of me for a lifetime, you promised, how can you go back on your word.

    Don¡¯t forget, Mika is alive today because my dad donated a kidney to

    her.

    My father was killed by you, and my mother died because of you.

    ¡°You promised my father on his deathbed, and now you can¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t you feel guilty at all?¡±

    ¡°Enough! Stop moralizing here!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but interrupt her.

    I never expected that this woman not only could act, but also was so shameless, actually starting to morally ckmail Reynaldo.

    Kimberly red at me resentfully and said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, just shut up!¡±

    ¡°What does my husband¡¯s business have to do with me?¡±

    Chapter589

    I walked over, holding Reynaldo¡¯s arm, and said coldly to her, ¡°Your father¡¯s willingness to donate a kidney to his mother proves that he loves her very much. The love between them should not be used as a bargaining chip to threaten Reynaldo.¡±

    Furthermore, the reason your father entrusted you to Reynaldo was simply because he trusted Reynaldo.

    He also did not explicitly insist that Reynaldo marry you, taking care of

    you in many ways, such as through affection, but when ites to you, it has to be love.¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    Kimberly went crazy in an instant, yelling at me hysterically.

    She was no longer pretending at this moment, her face full of undisguised

    resentment.

    At this moment, a faintugh suddenly came from the doorway.

    ¡°Why bother insisting on a man who doesn¡¯t love you.¡±

    It was Anton¡¯s voice.

    I quickly turned my head and saw Anton leaning against the door with his arms crossed, it seemed that he had arrived early.

    In the moment I averted my gaze, I unexpectedly locked eyes with Reynaldo.

    The man frowned slightly, his eyes showing a hint ofplexity and darkness as he looked at me.

 Too Close 590

    Afraid that he might misunderstand me and Anton, I unconsciously held

    his hand.

    , and then he st

    He first ¡°struggled¡± a moving.

    Anton nced over at our tightly sped hands with Reynaldo, his lips curling slightly.

    He walked in slowly and stopped by Kimberly¡¯s bed.

    He looked at Kimberly with apassionate look and said, ¡°Look at you, making yourself so miserable for a man who doesn¡¯t love you, why bother?¡±

    ¡°He promised my father to take care of me for the rest of his life, and he kept his promise.¡±

    Kimberly pointed at Reynaldo and yelled at Anton.

    Anton chuckled, ¡°And then, he actually married you, but then never touched you, just left you alone at home all day, while he built another life with his beloved woman outside, could you bear that?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Kimberly suddenly clutched her head and howled in pain.

    She screamed like crazy, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I just want him, I only want him.¡±

    As she spoke, she instantly put on a pitiful look, her eyes red as she looked at Reynaldo, making her face appear even paler and more pitiful.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have lost my temper just now, and I

    Chapter590

    shouldn¡¯t have used my dad¡¯s favor towards you guys to threaten you.¡±

    I¡¯m sorry, Reynaldo, don¡¯t be mad at me.

    I just loved you too much, you know, I have liked you since I was a child.

    Reynaldo, I won¡¯t live much longer. I beg you, in this final time, please. apany me, okay?

    I begged you¡­

    She said, and then climbed out of bed and threw herself into Reynaldo¡¯s

    arms.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow, but did not dodge.

    As she was about to fall into Reynaldo¡¯s arms, Anton suddenly reached out and pulled her back.

    Kimberly tearfully looked at Reynaldo, even clutching her chest, coughing painfully.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­.. cough, Reynaldo¡­¡­¡±

    Reynaldo watched her quietly, always indifferent.

    Anton suddenlyughed bitterly.

    The next moment, he threw Kimberly onto the bed and tightly wrapped her in the nket.

    He held down the corner of the nket, not letting Kimberly get up.

    With a look of sadness and sarcasm, he said to Kimberly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you figured it out yet? Your pitiful act, that man saw through it a long time ago.¡±

    I used to always protect you, spoil you, just because of our father¡¯s sake.

    ¡°He simply doesn¡¯t like you, face the reality!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! I don¡¯t believe he has no feelings for me as a man and a

    woman!¡±

    Kimberly screamed and looked at Reynaldo again, with a pitiful hope in her eyes, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Reynaldo looked at her and spoke without any emotion, ¡°I have no romantic feelings for you, indeed.¡±

    I have also told you this many times.

    ¡°I hope you can really believe this time!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not true¡­¡± Kimberly cried out like she was truly insane, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me, you must be lying to me. You treat me better than Esmeralda, how could you not like me, how could you?¡±

    ¡°I said you were different, you can¡¯tpare yourself to her.¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah¡­¡± Kimberly suddenly screamed as if she couldn¡¯t stand it.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    Anton suddenly looked at me and Reynaldo with cold eyes, ¡°Do you think you haven¡¯t provoked her enough? Do you really want her to die. before you stop?¡±

    I opened my mouth, wanting to say something.

    Anton coldly said, ¡°Get out of here!¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, Reynaldo pulled me out.

    Kimberly¡¯s pitiful and resentful screams came from the room, the sound. was chilling.

    ¡±

    I also felt a little uneasy in my heart, always feeling that this Kimberly was like a madman, afraid that she would do something terrible.

 Too Close 591

    Chapter591

    Heavilyden with thoughts, he walked out of the vi.

    I looked at Reynaldo and noticed that he also seemed to have something on his mind, tightly pursing his lips and remaining silent.

    He silently started the car, and it quickly drove out of the yard.

    I sighed lightly and asked him, ¡°Are you still feeling upset because of Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Reynaldo said lightly.

    Thinking of Kimberly¡¯s recent out¨Cof¨Ccontrol appearance, I pursed my lips. and asked uneasily, ¡°Didn¡¯t she just get seriously ill? Will the words you just said to her be too stimting for her¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I have always been very clear with her.¡±

    And not making her ept reality sooner will only make her sink deeper and deeper.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s better to make it clear.¡±

    ¡°Was her illness really that serious?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Reynaldo looked straight ahead, his tone t, ¡°her mother died of a heart disease, which is hereditary.¡±

    ¡°That Anton¡­¡±

    I was just about to ask if Anton had inherited this heart disease too, but before the words could leave my mouth, Reynaldo suddenly gave me a deep look.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I hurriedly exined, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. From a friend¡¯s perspective, I just wanted to ask if he inherited this disease.¡±

    Reynaldo gently tugged at the corner of his lips.

    After a while, he said quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he didn¡¯t inherit this disease.¡±

    ¡°Can this disease really not be cured?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, unless¡­ we find a suitable heart for her and perform a heart transnt.¡±

    I pursed my lips and stopped asking more questions.

    It seems that Kimberly¡¯s illness was indeed incurable.

    After all, heart transntation itself was already a high¨Crisk procedure, not to mention the difficulty of finding a suitable heart donor.

    Those things, ¡°cannot be bought with money.¡±

    Reynaldo took me back to the vi where we used to live, which was formerly ¡°the Duffy¡¯s vi¡°.

    When getting out of the car, Reynaldo suddenly said to me, ¡°We are good now, you are still my wife, so tell your family that they cane back to live whenever they want.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡±

    In the midst of the conversation, the man had already entered the room.

    I frowned and stared at his tall figure, always feeling that this man was

    angry.

    However, what exactly was he angry about?

    Chapped

    <b>11 </b>

    We were having a good time on our date today, and he was being quite gentle. Howe all of a sudden he changed his attitude?

    Was it because of Anton¡¯s appearance?

    In the end, what he cared most about was still Anton.

    I pursed my lips and followed him upstairs.

    Walking to the study door, he stopped and turned to me, saying, ¡°Your

    clothes are still in the bedroom, so go take a shower first. After showering, go to bed early.¡±

    I instinctively grabbed him and asked, ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I still have some business to take care of, I¡¯lle after I finish.¡±

    His tone was calm, and the look in his eyes was gentle.

    But I just felt ufortable in my heart, like he was angry.

    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have ignored me like that.

    I frowned at him and said, ¡°Are you misunderstanding something again? In fact, I was with Anton¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled faintly and ruffled my hair, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, go take a shower and go to bed.¡±

    With that, he pushed open the door to the study and went in.

    I stomped my feet in anger.

    He is not like himself at all, ¡°it¡¯s strange if he¡¯s not angry!¡±

    Forget it, don¡¯t bother with him. Let him be angry if he wants to be.

 Too Close 592

    Indeed, the one who believed in me was him, and now the one who

    doubts this and that is still him.

    Why was he so suspicious?!

    Just a moment ago it was still gentle and romantic, but now it¡¯s like this.

    Reynaldo was simply a master of changing faces!

    I returned to the bedroom angrily and took a shower to wash my clothes.

    After taking the clothes, I realized that the bedroom seemed a little different.

    Huh?

    There seemed to be a faint fragrance lingering in the bedroom, refreshing and soothing, as if it was the scent of the perfume brand I used to love the

    most.

    How¡¯s it going?

    Did Reynaldo spray perfume in this room

    I looked around the room and noticed a bouquet of lilies on the bedside. table, which I liked.

    There was also a group photo added to the head of the bed.

    It is a photo of me and Reynaldo.

    I frowned and stared at the group photo.

    Wasn¡¯t it when I went with him to Yoripero to see the Ice Pce and then

    bought a down jacket, that the boss wanted him to model for photos?

    I remember he strongly insisted that the boss take a photo of me at that time, so it became a photo of him and me.

    However, how did this group photo of him stille out and get framed?

    In my confusion, I also noticed that there were many more ornaments and dolls on the other side of the bed.

    A guess lingered in my mind. ¡°Had Reynaldo already made up his mind. to bring me back to stay tonight, so he cleaned the room in advance and even specially decorated it so much?¡±

    The quilt on the bed was neatly spread.

    Underneath the quilt, there seemed to be something pressed down, with a faint ck corner materializing.

    I curiously lifted the quilt.

    At this sight, the corners of my lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch.

    This man is really¡­.

    I restored the quilt to its original state, then picked up my bathrobe and went to the bathroom to take a shower as if nothing had happened.

    The warm water sshed down, and I let out afortable sigh.

    I was enjoying a hot shower when the sound of the bathroom door. opening suddenly rang out.

    I pursed my lips and pretended not to notice.

    Soon, a hard chest was pressed against my back.

    The man¡¯s strong arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly in front of

    him.

    <b>11 </b>

    I leaned against him and muttered, ¡°If you¡¯re still mad at me and ignoring me, then why did youe in? Just go out!¡±

    Reynaldo tightened his arm and, with both hands, moved upwards. My chest was instantly grasped by him, causing me to gasp in surprise.

    He hung his head, warm breath spraying on my neck, bringing a tingling

    sensation.

    He first vented his anger by biting me on the neck,

    Although the force was not very strong, the neck is still a more sensitive area after all.

    He bit me like that, and I winced in pain, took a sharp breath, twisted my head, frowned, and red at him, saying, ¡°What are you doing, you dog?¡±

    After I finished speaking, I realized how terrifyingly deep his eyes were.

    The hot water poured down, wetting not only me, but also him.

    His car¨Clength short hair waspletely wet with water, the scattered hair in front of his forehead was messy, but not at all embarrassed, instead exuding a captivating and sexy charm.

    I swallowed hard and couldn¡¯t bring myself to say the words to curse at him.

 Too Close 593

    Chapter593

    He stared at me deeply, so candidly, my heart beating like a drum, even my breath became tight..

    He suddenly grabbed the back of my head and kissed me aggressively and dominantly

    At that moment, I found it harder to

    , and my mind went nk.

    In his passionate kisses, my legs grew weaker and weaker, almost unable to stand, until finally my whole body could only lean against his chest.

    My whole weight also had to be supported by the hand on my waist.

    He kissed me for a long time, and besides feeling difficulty in breathing, I also felt my neck sore.

    He hugged me from behind and kissed me so closely that my neck felt like it had twisted more than two hundred degrees.

    I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so I raised my weak and limp hand to pound his shoulder, indicating him to let go of me.

    He then released my lips, but his big hand still held onto the back of my head.

    He hoarsely asked me, ¡°Do you know why I am angry?¡±

    My mind had already wandered far away, and when he suddenly asked this question, I waspletely caught off guard.

    He looked at me for a while without saying anything.

    He suddenly pinched my waist and repeated the same question as before,

    ¡°Do you know why I am angry?¡±

    He pinched me and it really hurt.

    I looked at him with blurred eyes.

    I didn¡¯t know whether the mist in front of my eyes was tears squeezed out by pain or hot water sprayed down from the shower.

    I opened my mouth and took a while to find my voice, ¡°You, you are just so suspicious, doubting me¡­doubting that I like Anton, right?¡±

    I gasped and finished speaking, feeling that even talking was a bit difficult at this moment.

    Reynaldo tugged at his lip and said, ¡°Doubt? Do you think there¡¯s a need for doubt?¡±

    I looked at him with a pair of watery eyes.

    In the mirror, my cheeks were flushed, and I looked like I had been. soaking in hot water.

    He suddenly pressed me against the wall.

    The icy coldness of the wall sent a shiver through my body, waking me up a bit.

    I frowned at him, almost on the verge of tears.

    He said he would trust me, but now it¡¯s like this.

    The man ¡°talked like farting¡°!

    It seemed that Reynaldo saw my grievances and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bully you tonight, just¡­ love you!¡±

    ¡°You are just a pervert without a heavy heart of doubt. I said I only like

    you, but you insist on doubting this and doubting that.¡±

    ¡°Why are you socking in confidence, so convinced that you are not match for Anton?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you confident?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled softly.

    He whispered in my car,ughing self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°You never knew, I wasn¡¯tcking in confidence, but in this rtionship, I never felt secure, never.¡±

    So Esmeralda, have you ever thought that you have always just said you like me, but never given me a sense of security?¡±

    My heart trembled fiercely, and I was speechless by his question.

    He nced at me sideways, very close, very close, and I could clearly see the hurt in his eyes.

    He said with a smile, ¡°Just now at Kimberly¡¯s ce, as soon as you heard Anton¡¯s voice, you couldn¡¯t wait to turn around and see his expression vividly.¡±

    ¡°Did you subconsciously think about him, miss him, right?¡±

    I shook my head hastily and said, ¡°No, no, really no.¡±

    ¡°I just haven¡¯t seen him for a few days, so I turned around instinctively to look at him. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±

 Too Close 594

    ¡°It¡¯s your subconscious that¡¯s scary, that¡¯s the consciousness hidden deep in your heart.¡±

    Perhaps you would say that I am narrow¨Cminded and making a mountain out of a molehill.

    But I just couldn¡¯t stand it, I was jealous to the point of madness.

    All along, have you ever been so eager to see me? It has always been me looking for you, chasing after you, hasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­¡±

    <b>I </b>was so anxious, I didn¡¯t know what this man was thinking at all.

    But he misunderstood, he really misunderstood.

    I put my hand around his neck and kissed him angrily, saying, ¡°Stop overthinking, you scare me like this, you know?¡±

    We agreed to start over, agreed to live a good life together.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t doubt me anymore, or I will be very hurt.¡±

    Reynaldo remained silent, pursing his lips tightly, his dark eyes fixed on<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I cried in a hurry, this man really can¡¯t beforted at all.

    I tiptoed to kiss him, my fingers freely teasing him.

    I stuck to him and deliberately breathed in his ear with that coquettish voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, didn¡¯t you prepare that kind of clothes in advance.

    and hide it in the quilt? I¡¯ll put it on for you now.¡±

    Reynaldo shuddered all over, his body visibly stiffening, and his eyes instantly darkened in a terrifying way,

    I was trembling inside, never expecting that this man would turn out to be so good.

    I hooked my arm around his neck, kissed him on the lips, and coquettishly said, ¡°Wait here, no peeking.¡±

    The man at the moment was like an obedient machine. ¡°Tell him to wait there, and he would just stand there obediently without moving.¡±

    I came out of the bathroom, my legs still trembling from the man¡¯s kisses. just now.

    I hurried to the bedside and picked up the ck nightgown hidden under

    the nket.

    I looked around with my clothes in hand, and the more I looked, the more my face burned.

    I didn¡¯t expect that man, who usually looks so serious, would buy this kind of clothes in private.

    Ah ah ah¡­

    In terms of rtionships, I really underestimated him.

    However, I liked him in my heart, so naturally I was willing to show it to

    him.

    but how do I wear this clothes.

    I took a few minutes to put on.

    I didn¡¯t even dare to look in the mirror, and went straight to the bathroom

    half¨Ccovered and half¨Chidden.

    <b>11 </b>

    As soon as I walked in, I felt a scorching gaze fall on me, almost burning

    me to ashes.

    I covered up and down, and finally found that I covered up loneliness, which made myself more reluctant to wee.

    I simply uncovered it and walked up to him, blushing, and asked, ¡°Does it look good?¡±

    Reynaldo pressed his thin lips downward, the tight curve making my heart race/

    I stuttered, ¡°Um, that, that doesn¡¯t look good, I¡­ I¡¯ll go take it off right

    now.¡±

    However, as I was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms.

    Before I could even speak, his lips came down on mine.

    The kiss was very hasty, and I could also clearly feel that his breathing became rapid, and his body became very tense.

    He lifted me onto the sink, his dark eyes staring at me without blinking.

    The hoarse and seductive voice said, ¡°Very good¨Clooking.¡±

    I was kissed by him so confusedly that I asked subconsciously, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You look very nice in this outfit.¡±

    I dizzily lowered my gaze to look at the clothes on my body.

    That was not called clothes.

 Too Close 595

    With this dress, I¡¯m afraid any woman could make a man¡¯s blood boil.

    Reynaldo seemed impatient, ¡°he hugged me and quickly returned to bed.¡±

    He seemed reluctant to take off my clothes, and he started right on top of them.

    From the moment he kissed me, I felt dizzy and disoriented.

    The snow was still falling outside the window, but it was very warm

    inside the house.

    The soft moans lingered in the dimly lit room, extremely ambiguous.

    Reynaldo seemed starving during this period, dragging me around for a long time.

    In the end, I waspletely exhausted and couldn¡¯t keep up with his

    pace.

    ¡°I was so tired that I just wanted to sleep, my eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand kilograms.¡±

    But he seemed not enough, as if there was endless strength in me.

    After a while, I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, pushing away his chest and crying incoherently, ¡°No, Reynaldo¡­ I¡¯m so tired, I want to sleep, no¡­.. no

    more¡­¡±

    ¡°Be good, hold on, it will be over soon¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s voice was hoarse, exuding a gentleness that could melt hearts.

    1432 I

    <b>11 </b>

    Finally, he let out a deep growl and slowly calmed down.

    Iy limp on the bed, feeling weak all over, so exhausted that I couldn¡¯t even move my fingers.

    At that moment, I suddenly felt him touching my abdomen, and those warm fingers asionally reached my chest.

    His voice was hoarse, yet with a hint of contentment after satisfaction.

    He said, ¡°Why do you seem to have gained a lot of weight? Here, and here, both have gained weight.¡±

    He was referring to my stomach and my chest.

    Thinking about the baby in my belly, I really wanted to tell him about the existence of these two babies.

    But I had no strength in my body, so I could only whisper to him, ¡°Reynaldo, I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    He seemed to not hear clearly, deliberately bringing his ear close to my lips, and asked me in a low voice, ¡°What did you say? What baby?¡±

    ¡°I was pregnant, pregnant¡­¡±

    As I was speaking, my consciousness began to drift.

    At the moment when I waspletely entering the dreand, I faintly heard him say, ¡°You want to deceive me again. That examination of yours clearly showed that you couldn¡¯t conceive.¡±

    The next day, when I woke up, the room was filled with bright light.

    I looked around and didn¡¯t see Reynaldo.

    I reached out to the edge of the bed, and it was also cold.

    Did that man get up so carly?

    Sometimes I really don¡¯t understand. Every time we have sex, it¡¯s clearly the man who is exerting himself, but why is it always me who ends up exhausted, while the man is full of energy.

    I shook my head, dispelling all these messy questions, put on a robe, and got out of bed.

    The curtain was half open.

    I walked over to look outside, the whole city was covered in silver, beautiful like a painting.

    At this moment, someone opened the door and came in.

    I turned my head and saw Reynaldo.

    He looked refreshed, wearing a gray home outfit, gentle and handsome.

    ¡°How long have you been awake?¡±

    ¡°I just woke up,¡± I said, unable to resist yawning.

    He smiled and said, ¡°How about taking a nap?¡±

    I shook my head and pointed outside, ¡°What about ying in the snow?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you out to build a snowmanter. Let¡¯s go eat first.¡±

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost twelve o¡¯clock. What do you want to eat if you don¡¯t want to

    eat?¡±

    ¡°What? Twelve o¡¯clock?!¡±

    Chapters

    Ah, I slept so deeplyst night.

 Too Close 596

    Reynaldo chuckled and shook his head, ¡°You are still aszy as before, but, indeed, you can¡¯t be bothered.¡±

    The word ¡°tossing and turning¡± was a bit ambiguous when he said it.

    I thought of the scenest night when I showed him the sunny dress, my face couldn¡¯t help but blush, and a touch of heat rose.

    Reynaldo chuckled softly, ¡°But it¡¯s nothing, just need to make up for it.¡±

    He turned around and left after he finished speaking.

    I hurried over and grabbed him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry anymore?¡±

    The man turned his face away and chuckled, saying, ¡°I wasn¡¯t angry in the first ce.¡±

    I wasughing to death, and he still arrogantly refused to admit it.

    The man¡¯s lips curled slightly as he ruffled my hair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs to cat.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    I grabbed him again, and the erotic costume was still piled on the ground, looking as provocative as ever.

    I touched my nose, pointed at the sexy costume, and smiled at him, ¡°Hey hey, I didn¡¯t expect you to have a taste for that.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s expression stiffened for a second, then a hint of unnaturalness shed across his face.

    He muttered, ¡°That wasn¡¯t bought by me.¡±

    I stared at him and said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you who bought it, then who did?¡±

    ¡°Johnathan, right.¡±

    Reynaldo said, ¡°When I came over to clean the room yesterday, that guy was following me around.¡±

    He was holding a bag at that time, mysteriously, saying it was a gift for you and me, saying congrattions on our reconciliation.

    Reunion of broken mirror?

    My lips twitched.

    Johnathan was quite good with words.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention to him at that time, just focused on cleaning up this room.¡±

    As for what he said about the gift, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.

    Looking back now, this clothing should have been prepared by him for us.

    Iughed incredulously and said, ¡°Don¡¯t y with him in the future, so as not to be led astray by him.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened a bit, he hugged my waist and smiled ambiguously at me, ¡°I actually think this gift is not bad, hmm, this kind of clothes, I will buy you more sets in the future.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    He let go of me after saying that, and walked outughing.

    Well, don¡¯t say he was ¡°led astray¡± by Johnathan..

    I think his bad is beyondpare with Johnathan¡¯s!

    After dinner, Reynaldo took me outside to build a snowman.

    When I was about to leave, he was afraid that I would feel cold, so he wrapped me up like a rice dumpling.

    The gloves he brought me were also those thick woolen gloves, or they were specially sent by his assistant.

    Last night it snowed heavily all night, the snow on the ground was up to my ankles, perfect for building a snowman.

    I and Reynaldo first piled up two big ones together.

    While he was using carrots and buttons to make the nose and eyes of the snowman, I piled up two small snowmen next to him.

    Heughed and said to me, ¡°Why pile up so much? You even piled up

    Iwo snowmen.

    ¡°The whole family naturally had to be neatly stacked together. The two big ones are the father and mother, and the two small ones are the babies.¡±

    ¡°How about this family of four, all neat and tidy, doesn¡¯t it look very happy.¡±

    ¡°A family of four?¡±

    Reynaldo murmured, and his eyes suddenly revealed a hint ofplexity as he looked at me.

    I was making the nose of a little snowman, and asked him inexplicably,

    ¡®Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

 Too Close 597

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    He suddenly shouted at me and stared at me with deep eyes without blinking, ¡°You were half asleepst night and said you were pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied naturally, smiling at him. ¡°So, what do you think? Surprised or not, pleased or not?¡±

    I thought the man would be very happy, but I didn¡¯t expect his brow to suddenly furrow a little.

    A shiver ran through my heart.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Didn¡¯t he like the baby?

    But it¡¯s not right. He had gone to great lengths before to make me pregnant with his baby.

    So there was only one possibility, he thought I was carrying someone else¡¯s baby!

    Thinking of this, I suddenly felt depressed.

    ¡°You, are you having wild thoughts again, suspecting that the baby I am carrying is not yours?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Reynaldo denied hastily, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    He looked at my eyes, suddenly bingplex again, with a hint of sadness shining through.

    1430

    Chapter50)

    ¡°I know, now we have made up and you also really want to have a baby with me.¡±

    But I also know that your body doesn¡¯t allow it, you can¡¯t even do test- tube babies.

    Actually, as long as you cane back to my side and stay with me, whether we have a baby or not is not important to me.

    Originally, I had thought so hard about wanting you to have my baby, just to use the baby to tie you to me.

    So Esmeralda, don¡¯t burden yourself too much, and don¡¯t intentionally say you¡¯re pregnant just to make me happy.

    ¡°Really, I don¡¯t care about the baby, I only care about you.¡±

    I was stunned in ce by the man¡¯s words.

    So, was he so calcting when he made me pregnant with the baby, just to use the child to tie me to him?

    Oh my god, I actually thought he was raising money for Kimberly.

    Originally, it was not only him misunderstanding me, but I also misunderstood him deeply.

    Quietly suppressing the shock in my heart, I walked up to him, put my arms around his neck, and smiled at him, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, I really am pregnant with your baby. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel it.¡±

    I said, holding his hand over my abdomen.

    Well, now there are too many clothes on, and I can only touch the fluffy down jacket.

    Reynaldo looked at me with a sad expression and said, ¡°Esmeralda, stop joking around. I told you I don¡¯t care about the baby, and I really don¡¯t

    1433

    Chapter547

    care about the baby.¡±

    ¡°So, you really don¡¯t have to lie to make me happy.¡±

    1: ¡­

    ¡°Reynaldo, I was really pregnant¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo tapped my shoulder and smiled gently at me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, if you like babies, we can also adopt one in the future.¡±

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s a baby you like, then I like it too.¡±

    I stared at him gloomily.

    I felt like I couldn¡¯tmunicate with him anymore.

    I stood with my hands on my hips, looking at him with great frustration, ¡°Tell me, what do I have to do for you to believe that I am really pregnant with your baby.¡±

    Reynaldo put on the ¡°noses¡± and ¡°eyes¡± of two big snowmen.

    Then a few more dry branches were bent and inserted into the snowman¡¯s body as arms.

    He looked at the snowman in front of him and said calmly, ¡°When you found out you were infertile for life, I was indeed very sad in my heart, so sad that I wanted to die.¡±

    1493

 Too Close 598

    At that time, I thought you really hated me to the extreme, so much so that you would rather harm your own body by taking contraceptives in order to leave me and not have any rtionship with me.

    At that time, I was extremely resentful towards you, not because I couldn¡¯t have our own baby with you, but because of your attitude.

    And at that time, I was also extremely panicked and extremely helpless.

    Because I couldn¡¯t have children with you, it meant that I couldn¡¯t use children to tie you down.

    But now things are different, now that you are back by my side, so really, ¡°I don¡¯t mind the child¡± anymore.

    I sighed silently in my heart.

    So, people, really can¡¯t lie.

    Sometimes lies are told so convincingly that when you try to exin, you find that the person has already believed your lie without a doubt.

    Just like now.

    I don¡¯t know what to say, Reynaldo didn¡¯t believe me at all, thinking that I was just trying to fool him.

    And I couldn¡¯t tell him directly that the infertility found in thest physical examination was because I asked Anton to help me make a fake test report.

    Otherwise, Reynaldo would go crazy again and start suspecting me of something with Anton.

    14:30

    So now, it seems that I can only show him the pregnancy test report, then he will believe that I am really pregnant.

    And in a very happy situation, I estimated that he would not pursue the results of my infertility examination anymore.

    Just a few dayster, I was going to have a four¨Cdimensional check¨Cup.

    At that time, call him to go together.

    Just then, Reynaldo suddenly patted my shoulder and said with a smile, J¡¯Alright, stop thinking about those things. As long as you stay by my side, nothing else matters.¡±

    The man looked at me deeply, in the dark and deep eyes of his, all I saw was my reflection.

    I held his waist and murmured in his arms, ¡°I will never leave you again,

    never¡±

    Now, all the misunderstandings between him and me have been cleared<ol><li>up.</li></ol>

    So I believe, no misunderstanding could ever separate us.

    A heavy snowfall plunged Freybourne into the depths of winter.

    As the end of the year approached, Reynaldo¡¯s work also became busier.

    And I, every day besides apanying my mom, would go to the hospital to visit Mika, trying to impress her.

    As for Kimberly, that night after Reynaldo made things clear to her, she suddenly became very quiet, didn¡¯t act up at all, and didn¡¯t pretend to be weak or sick in front of Reynaldo from time to time.

    This is a bit unusual.

    Chamedi

    I didn¡¯t think she suddenly saw the light, but rather felt like she was holding back some big move.

    ¡±

    Every time I see her now, I feel that she was gloomy and seemed to be brewing some conspiracy.

    That noon, I brought lunch to see Mika, and she happened to be there.

    She was still the same as before, gentle and quiet.

    He was a little less deliberate in his pitiful appearance, and a little more ?inister in a way that made people uneasy.

    That kind of feeling that makes your heart race, as if she would stab you in the back when you least expect it.

    Every time I saw her, I would deliberately keep my distance from her.

    In order to prevent her from suddenly going crazy and hurting me and the baby in my belly.

    I took out the lunch box and ced it on the table in front of Mika, smiling at her and saying, ¡°Today I stewed chicken soup. it¡¯s fresh and sweet, you should try it while it¡¯s hot.¡±

 Too Close 599

    Mika still didn¡¯t have a good expression on her face towards me now, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t start scolding me as soon as she saw me like before.

    Although she always turned up her nose at the food I brought, she still graciously ate a little bit each time.

    Kimberly used to make a fewments about the food I brought, but now she doesn¡¯t say anything and just stands quietly on the side watching me and Mika.

    The more silent she was, the more frightening she seemed.

    Mika drank most of the soup, then pushed it away, wiped her mouth, and casually said, ¡°This soup is nowhere near as good as the one Kimberly made, but I can still manage to drink it.¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°Then just make do with this drink for now, I¡¯ll improve it next time.¡±

    Mika nced at me, then her eyes flicked intentionally or unintentionally to my stomach.

    After a while, she said to Kimberly, ¡°The doctor just prescribed me some medicine. Could you go to the pharmacy window and pick it up for me? You¡¯ve been working hard these days.¡±

    ¡°Wherever you are, Mika, you are half a mother to me. If I don¡¯t take care of you, who will?¡±

    Kimberly spoke softly, then took the prescription handed to her and walked out.

    1443

    Chapterkos

    After Kimberly left, Mika leaned back in her chair, looking sharply <b>at </b>my stomach.

    ¡°I knew you were pregnant.¡±

    I was not very surprised in my heart. Last time when I vomited in front of her, she already had some suspicions about me.

    These days, he would asionally look at my stomach.

    So she guessed it was normal.

    I openly admitted, ¡°Well, it¡¯s been over four months.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, the first pregnancy is not very obvious, Reynaldo doesn¡¯t know yet, right?¡±

    I was relieved that Mika did not doubt that these two children were not

    Reynaldo¡¯s.

    I nodded and said, ¡°A few days ago I told him, but he didn¡¯t believe that I was pregnant, he thought I was just trying to trick him.¡±

    Mika sighed, seemingly not surprised by what I said.

    She eximed, ¡°Reynaldo grew up in hell since he was a child, he is very sensitive and extreme, he tends to reject and resist everything beautiful at first sight.¡±

    He was afraid of possessing, because after possessing, he could not bear the pain and blow of losing.

    And you were the only one he fought for by his own efforts.

    If it weren¡¯t for him promising Theodore to be with Kimberly for at lifetime, I wouldn¡¯t have any objections to him being with you.

    However, since the promise has been made, it must be fulfilled, even if

    1433

    you are now pregnant with his child, he can only end up with Kimberly in the end.¡±

    I frowned heavily and asked angrily, ¡°Then I have to ask you, what exactly is he in your heart?¡±

    ¡°Is it a son, or a tool for you to repay kindness?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Mika¡¯s face darkened.

    I took a deep breath and said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. What I wanted to say is that he is also a person, your own son.¡±

    He also had his own desires and emotions. Why did you have to sacrifice his lifelong happiness for the debt of gratitude you owed him?

    He had a hard time when he was young, that¡¯s one thing, but now he has grown up, are you still not letting him go?

    He said that in this world, you were the most important person to him¡­

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

 Too Close 600

    Chapter600

    Mika suddenly became a little excited.

    She coldly said, ¡°Reynaldo will not be happy with you, he will be happier with Kimberly.¡±

    Theyplement each other in personality, while you two are too simr in personality, which is simply not suitable.

    I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you, and I won¡¯t treat you unfairly. I gave you arge sum of money, a wealth that you can¡¯t spend in your

    lifetime.

    ¡°As long <b>as </b>you give birth to the child and then transfer custody to Kimberly¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it anymore and started tough coldly.

    ¡°I respected you as Reynaldo¡¯s mother, so I tried my best to please you, but you still wanted me to give up my own child for Kimberly.¡±

    You are also a mother, I really can¡¯t understand how you could have such thoughts.

    Also, have you ever thought about Reynaldo¡¯s feelings when you asked. me to give the child to Kimberly?

    You hurt your own son and your future grandson just for your own peace of mind, and to repay the kindness of Mr. Palmer.

    ¡°You are really selfish, really scared¡­¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­ I told you to shut up!¡±

    Mika pointed at me excitedly and then suddenly covered her mouth, coughing.

    I stared at her with my eyes red.

    The ttery these days really ¡°went to the dogs¡°.

    She insisted on setting up Reynaldo with Kimberly, and now she even has her eye on my baby.

    It was really heart¨Cwrenching.

    Mika coughed and then suddenly covered her face and started crying.

    I looked at her coldly, not knowing what tricks she was ying again.

    She covered her face and cried sadly for a while, then wiped her tears by herself, looking at me with a mournful expression, finally losing the sharp momentum she had just had.

    She said, ¡°I always wanted my son to be happy, and I always hoped that my future grandson would have a happy family.¡±

    But this is our debt to the Palmer family, Reynaldo had a responsibility to take care of Kimberly.

    Ms. Duffy, I¡¯ll be honest with you, anyway, Kimberly had that illness, the situation wasn¡¯t very optimistic, and I don¡¯t know how long she could live.

    You just pity her and let Reynaldo go first.

    After she left this world, no one will care about what you and Reynaldo do.

    ¡°Just grant me this favor, give Reynaldo to her.¡±

    I sneered in my heart.

    It seems that she was being tough, so she started to be soft.

    I said expressionlessly, ¡°This matter should be discussed with Reynaldo to see if he is willing.¡±

    Also, it¡¯s not ¡°you guys¡± who owe the Palmer family, it¡¯s you, just you alone who owes the Palmer family.

    ¡°And this debt of gratitude you owe should not be repaid by me or Reynaldo.¡±

    Mika pursed her lips, her expression bing more sorrowful.

    I said to her firmly. ¡°No matter what you say today, I will not give Reynaldo to Kimberly, let alone let my child be adopted by Kimberly.¡±

    That was the grudges of your previous generation, and it had nothing to do with us.

    Mika¡¯s shoulders shrugged slightly, and she instantly lost some of her

    momentum.

    She sighed, sadness evident in her tone.

    ¡°Well, anyway, I won¡¯t live much longer.¡±

    ¡°I have also tried my best to fight for Kimberly, but I really can¡¯t break you up. I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    Upon hearing her words, I suddenly understood.

    It seems that since that night, Kimberly has been crying and pleading in front of Mika, asking Mika to intervene and help her get Reynaldo. back.

 Too Close 601

    That day Kimberly could morally kidnap Reynaldo.

    It can be seen that she would also kidnap Mika.

    Reynaldo¡¯s tough attitude doesn¡¯t mean Mika could also have a tough attitude.

    After all, Mika was the fundamental reason that caused the Palmer family to be like that, so I suddenly understood why Mika stood up for Kimberly like that..

    I didn¡¯t say anything else, just packed up the food box and got ready to leave.

    Kimberly suddenly came in, looking both surprised and anxious, and asked Mika, ¡°Mika, why are your eyes so red? Did Ms. Duffy say something unpleasant to upset you again?¡±

    Mika shook her head, her eyes sad andplex, looking at me.

    I didn¡¯t look at her, just tidying up the food box by myself.

    After packing up the lunch box<b>, </b>I was ready to leave.

    But when I reached the door of the ward, the ground suddenly became slippery for some reason.

    I was caught off guard for a moment, and my feet suddenly slipped. My whole body shook and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Be careful!<b>¡± </b>

    Mika¡¯s scream suddenly rang out in the hospital room.

    At the same time, I quickly grabbed the door frame, using it to stabilize my body and prevent myself from falling heavily to the ground.

    But I still sat on the ground, because I didn¡¯t fall, so it was fine.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Mika hurried over.

    Her legs actually had no problem at all. It was just because she had been sick for many years and her body was very weak, so she often used a wheelchair.

    She came over to me anxiously and helped me up, saying, ¡°Esmeralda, are you okay? Don¡¯t scare me.¡±

    When I got up, I casually touched the ground.

    It was not water at all, but oil!

    Someone deliberately spilled oil at the entrance.

    I instantly thought of Kimberly, looking at her with a cold gaze,

    Kimberly stood behind Mika, also staring at me with a cold smile on her face, her eyes as malicious and sinister as a snake¡¯s.

    Reynaldo and Anton said that this woman was just a little bit scheming, but actually not bad.

    Oh, is this called not bad?

    She must have eavesdropped on my conversation with Mika, knowing that I was pregnant, so she deliberately spilled oil here, trying to harm my baby

    I tightened my grip on the side of my body and sneered at Kimberly, ¡°I bet Ms. Palmer just stood at this door for a long time. It¡¯s really hard for Ms.

    Chapter101

    17

    Palmer. She even went out of her way to sprinkle oil on the floor here. Is she afraid that no one will slip?¡±

    I finished speaking, and Mika instantly looked at Kimberly with an incredulous expression.

    Kimberly was also good at pretending, the cold smile and malice on her face disappeared instantly.

    Instead, he looked at the oil jug he was holding with a surprised look on his face.

    ¡°Oh no, <b>the </b>oil I just bought suddenly leaked. No way, I must go find the bosster and demand an exnation. He actually sold me a pot of resealed oil.¡±

    Even if Kimberly pretended to be innocent as naturally as possible, her excuse was still too false.

    Mika frowned at the oil jug in her hand, ¡°Why on earth did you bring up a jug of oil?¡±

    ¡°When the oil at home ran out, I thought about buying a pot to take backter.¡±

    ¡°When can you put it in the car first? Why do you bring it up?¡± Mika asked this, actually starting to doubt her a little.

 Too Close 602

    Chapter602

    After all, there were still servants <b>at </b>home, and these things like firewood, rice, oil, and salt were all bought by the servants.

    However, facing Mika¡¯s questioning. Kimberly also answered quite naturally. ¡°The car was parked a bit far, and I didn¡¯t want to walk over, so I just picked it up directly.¡±

    After a pause, she looked at me again and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Duffy, for almost making you fall.¡±

    Ms. Dully should be more careful when walking in the future, pay more attention to the ground, and not me me if she falls again.¡±

    I sneered in my heart.

    The meaning is, ¡°there will be a next time.¡±

    ¡°I would also like to advise Ms. Palmer that in the future, if you want to harm someone, you should find a better reason.

    ¡°Even pigs wouldn¡¯t believe those reasons Ms. Palmer just gave!¡±

    Kimberly casually tugged at her lips.

    Mika¡¯splexion, however, was not very good.

    She looked at Kimberly almost as if she were a stranger.

    At this moment, Kimberly seemed to have no intention <b>of </b>pretending in front of Mika.

    She asked me, ¡°Ms. Duffy said I harmed someone, but what evidence is there?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the oil pot you mentioned the evidence?¡±

    I stopped beating around the bush with her and warned her directly, ¡°Also, I want to tell you that the baby in my belly is Reynaldo¡¯s.¡±

    He cared so much about his children, you should know.

    So, you better not have any ideas about hitting my child, otherwise, regardless of any favors or not, he will definitely kill you to avenge our child!¡±

    Kimberly squinted her eyes coldly.

    There was no disguising the jealousy and resentment on his face.

    At this point, Mika also realized the seriousness of the situation.

    She closed her eyes slightly, seeming a little sad and tired.

    She held Kimberly¡¯s hand, her voice trembling as if she had aged ten

    years.

    ¡°So, you really wanted to harm the baby in her belly?¡±

    Kimberly smiled at her and said, ¡°You already doubted me when you kept questioning me about this oil earlier, so why ask again now?¡±

    Mika swayed unsteadily for a moment.

    She said sorrowfully, ¡°Confused! Even if you hate her so much, the child in her belly is still Reynaldo¡¯s after all.¡±

    ¡°So what?!¡±

    Kimberlyined, ¡°It¡¯s all because of her that Reynaldo ignored me.¡±

    But you clearly promised my father that you would take care of me for the rest of my life.

    But now, why are you all turning against this woman?

    ¡°I was just jealous of her, I just couldn¡¯t let her have Reynaldo¡¯s child, she didn¡¯t deserve it¡­¡±

    Pap!

    As soon as Kimberly finished speaking, a crisp p suddenly sounded, but it was Mika who pped her hard.

    Mika was disappointed and angry again.

    ¡°Kimberly, how did you be like this now? You used to be someone who couldn¡¯t even bear to step on an ant!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, you¡¯re the ones who caused me to lose my parents.¡±

    It was because of you that Anton and I were separated from childhood, all because of you.

    But now, all of you are willing to abandon me for this woman. I hate it, I really hate it!

    She covered her face, ¡°roared with resentment,¡± and then stormed out of the hospital.

    As he passed by me, he also bumped my shoulder hard, almost knocking me down again.

    No, I had to stay away from this Kimberly in the future, preferably not meeting this Kimberly.

    Mika called out to Kimberly in sorrow, but Kimberly did not turn back.

 Too Close 603

    Chapter603

    She leaned against the door frame, hunched her back, with an

    indescribable sorrow on her face.

    I thought, ¡°Reynaldo loved his mother so much,¡± so I helped her back into the wheelchair.

    She leaned back in the chair, one hand stroking her forehead, with her eyes half closed, not saying a word.

    I didn¡¯t intend to say much either, so I just got up and prepared to leave.

    She suddenly said to me softly, ¡°Today¡¯s events, I hope you don¡¯t tell Reynaldo.¡±

    I sneered in my heart, feeling a bit cold and angry at the same time.

    Kimberly was always spoiling her grandson, she even protected Kimberly like this.

    I said tly, ¡°I will definitely tell Reynaldo about this, I won¡¯t let my child. get into any idents.¡±

    After I finished speaking, I walked out of the ward, where I heard Mika let out a heavy sigh.

    Coming out of the hospital, I felt a bit depressed and a little scared.

    I touched my stomach and thought, ¡°Thank goodness nothing happened to the child just now, otherwise I really couldn¡¯t go on.¡±

    I don¡¯t n toe to this hospital in the future.

    Mika, I also do not intend toe and visit to please again, in order to

    <b>11 </b>

    avoid running into Kimberly.

    I took out my phone and checked the time, then dialed Reynaldo directly.

    At this point, he should have been taking a nap.

    The phone was quickly answered.

    Reynaldo¡¯s gentle voice soon came, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Listening to his voice, my uneasiness in my heart dissipated slightly.

    There was still the rustling sound of flipping paper and writing on the phone, and I paused, ¡°Are you still busy?¡±

    ¡°Well, there have been a lot of things going on recently, but I will spend time with you after I finish my work.¡±

    ¡°No problem, the important thing is to focus on the task at hand.¡±

    Seeing him so busy, I hesitated again whether to tell him what had just happened in the ward.

    At that moment, I heard Braylon¡¯s voice on the phone, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, the meeting arrangements have all been made, we are just waiting for you toe over.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go over there right now.¡±

    After Reynaldo finished talking to his assistant, he came over and called out to me, ¡°Esmeralda, I¡¯m about to go to a meeting. Can I pick you up after work and we can have dinner together?¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay, okay¡­ you go busy.¡±

    ¡°Well, rest well <b>at </b>home, call me anytime if you need anything.¡±

    He gave me a few more instructions and then hung up the phone.

    Chapter500

    I sighed softly, thinking to myself, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him about these troublesome matterster.¡±

    During this period, I just stayed at home obediently, so as not to identally fall into the trap of that cunning woman.

    In the afternoon, I went to the nearby supermarket with my mom and bought some vegetables.

    Reynaldo was originally going toe pick me up after work to go out to eat, but I decided it would be better to eat at home.

    Before cooking, I sent Reynaldo a message, ¡°Dinner at my mom¡¯s ce?¡±

    He quickly made a ¡°Hmm¡± sound.

    After receiving his message, my mom and I started preparing ingredients for cooking.

    We were just waiting for the meal to be ready, but Reynaldo didn¡¯te. Instead, all we got was a phone call from him.

    ¡°Sorry Esmeralda, I had to work overtime suddenly, so I won¡¯t be going back to eat. You and mom go ahead.¡±

    Looking at the information, I sighed softly.

    Reynaldo was really busy during this time.

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    Chapter604

    My mom smiled at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s like this, everyone is very busy during the New Year. Your dad and Quentin were the same way before.¡±

    When it came to my dad, my mom¡¯s expression had already be much more relieved.

    She said, ¡°After this busy period, Reynaldo will be able to spend time. with you.¡°.

    I nodded, but I felt a little worried in my heart.

    Tomorrow was the day we had agreed to do the four¨Cdimensional work. I had originally nned to take Reynaldo with me.

    One reason was to make himpletely believe that I was really pregnant with his baby.

    Secondly, I also wanted him to see what the baby looked like as soon as possible.

    Now it seems that he might not have had time to go.

    After dinner, I watched TV with my mom for a while, and then went back <b>to </b>my room to sleep.

    Just as Iy down on the bed and opened my phone, I saw that Reynaldo. had sent me a few messages.

    Kimberly brought me dinnerst night, but I didn¡¯t eat it. I had takeout.

    ¡°Takeout is fine, I ate a lot and you don¡¯t need to worry about my stomach. problem.¡±

    ¡°Rest early tonight, I have time tomorrow to apany you.¡±

    Although just a few simple messages, looking at them, my heart feels

    warm.

    Indeed, Reynaldo has truly changed now.

    Even this little thing, he would exin to me.

    The message was sent ten minutes ago, and I quickly replied to him.

    ¡°You should also rest early, don¡¯t stay up toote, take care of your health.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Although he replied with just one word, he replied instantly.

    I smiled and didn¡¯t bother him with his work, I threw my phone aside and got ready to sleep.

    After getting pregnant, I was more sleepy than before.

    Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, my phone rang a few times in at row, it was the sound of a message notification.

    I thought Reynaldo had sent another message, so I eagerly grabbed my phone again.

    However, when I opened my phone, I found that the message was not from Reynaldo, but from Kimberly.

    She didn¡¯t send any text, just sent me a few photos.

    The background is Reynaldo¡¯s office.

    In the photo, Reynaldo was working at his desk.

    Chapter

    11

    Next to her were several food boxes, and Kimberly¡¯s hand was resting on one of them, clearly meant to show me.

    There was another photo of Reynaldo leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. ¡°resting his eyes.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s hand was massaging his shoulders.

    I looked at the photo expressionlessly, then turned off my phone and went back to sleep.

    In a moment, the phone rang twice again.

    I opened my phone, and it was still a message from Kimberly.

    This time she sent a text.

    ¡°I just sent dinner to Reynaldo, he really enjoyed it and praised my cooking skills.

    ¡°Reynaldo even asked me to give him a massage, hehe, although he said he only loves you, in fact, he wouldn¡¯t refuse me either.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait for him tonight, he mighte back veryte because he wants me to apany him.¡±

    Looking at these few messages, I sarcastically pursed my lips,

    Kimberly was really childish.

    I didn¡¯t reply to the message and was about to turn off my phone to continue sleeping, when she immediately sent another message.

    ¡°How about it, is it very ufortable?¡±

    ¡°Esmerald?, I told you, Reynaldo could only be mine.¡±

    I chuckled and replied to her.

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    Chapter605

    Regarding the matter of you sending dinner, Reynaldo has already told. me. He said, ¡°he didn¡¯t eat a single bite of the food you sent, he ate takeout instead.¡±

    ¡°Also, I just called him and he said he was working overtime alone in thepany, there is no need for you to apany him.¡±

    ¡°Also, don¡¯t send me this fake and childish show¨Coff, it¡¯s very ridiculous.¡±

    After sending the message, I turned off my phone directly, which really affected my sleep.

    In the past, I might have been deceived by her, thinking that what Reynaldo liked was really her.

    Now that I have chosen to believe Reynaldo, I will not be instigated by her anymore.

    I have been sleeping well recently, I can sleep until dawn.

    Waking up to see my mom busy in the kitchen, it felt so good, warm and cozy, like going back to the past.

    After I finished washing up, I turned on my phone and immediately saw that Kimberly had sent me several messages.

    The previous few lines mocked me for deceiving myself, for not daring to face reality.

    The following few messages were probably because I hadn¡¯t replied to their messages, so they started cursing at me.

    Sometimes I really can¡¯t understand Kimberly¡¯s way of thinking. What¡¯s

    the point of doing this? Intentionally harassing me, trying to provoke me?

    How childish!

    In addition to the messages sent by Kimberly, Reynaldo also sent me at message.

    ¡°Wake up? Give me a call when you wake up.¡±

    I smiled, took a bite of the toast my mom made, and dialed Reynaldo¡¯s phone number.

    I dialed twice in a row, but no one answered.

    Thinking that he might be in a meeting, I didn¡¯t pay much attention and sat down at the dining table to have breakfast with my mom.

    ¡°Ralda, are you going out today?¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± I nodded, looking at her. ¡°Let¡¯s go out after breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± my mom chuckled, but her expression was a bit strange.

    I looked at her strangely and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± My mom smiled and picked up the juice to drink.

    I thought she felt bored at home, so I smiled at her and said, ¡°I should be back soon, and when Ie back, I¡¯ll apany you to go shopping.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± <b>my </b>mom quickly shook her head and smiled at me, ¡°Just spend some time with Reynaldo today. You haven¡¯t seen much of each. other these past few days, he must miss you.¡±

    ¡°Also, I had something to do today, so I will be going outter.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going? Let me take you there.¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯ll just take a taxi by myself. I made ns with a friend to go. shopping together, but we haven¡¯t decided on the location yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. Have a good time shopping today, buy whatever you like, and I¡¯ll reimburse you.¡±

    ¡°Got it, my Ralda is the best.¡± My mom patted my head and then lowered her eyes to eat breakfast.

    I looked carefully at her and saw that there was nothing unusual on her face, which slightly calmed me down.

    My mom was willing to go out shopping with friends, which was also a good thing.

    She proved that she was really about toe out of this gloom.

    After finishing breakfast, I went to the hospital alone.

    Before leaving, I called Reynaldo again, but no one answered.

    Strange, was the meeting time so long?

    I shook my head, put away my phone, and then started the car.

    I arrived at the hospital I had previously booked in just over half an hour.

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    Chapter606

    There were many people in the hospital, and there were also quite a few people in the obstetrics and gynecology department.

    I first took a number, then sat on a chair and waited slowly.

    I looked at my phone from time to time.

    But the phone was extremely quiet, Reynaldo neither sent me a message nor called me back, and I didn¡¯t know if he was really too busy or if something had happened.

    I felt a little uneasy in my heart.

    I waited for an hour, and it was still not my turn at the four¨Cdimensional.

    Reynaldo also did not return my call, and I became even more anxious.

    Just when I was feeling anxious and uneasy, Reynaldo finally called.

    I hurried to the window to answer the phone, but suddenly saw a familiar figure downstairs.

    I frowned deeply.

    My mom also came to the hospital.

    Didn¡¯t she say she was going shopping with friends?

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    The phone had been answered, and Reynaldo¡¯s slightly tired voice came through from the other end of the line.

    ¡°Sorry, something came up with my mom suddenly, so I can¡¯t go with you.

    Chapleton

    today.¡±

    I felt a jolt in my heart, ¡°What happened to Mom?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a recurrence of an old illness, you don¡¯t need to worry, I¡¯m here taking care of it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go take a look in a moment, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you take care.¡±

    I hung up the phone, feeling a bit heavy¨Chearted.

    What happened to Reynaldo¡¯s mother?

    Could it be that the stimtion received yesterday caused the condition to rpse and be more severe?

    Listening to Reynaldo¡¯s tired tone, it seemed like the situation wasn¡¯t that great either.

    And my mom, why did shee to the hospital alone again?

    If it was just a minor illness, she would have asked me to take her there just now.

    Keeping it from me like this, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s something bad.

    The more I thought, the more anxious I became.

    I didn¡¯t even have time to do the four¨Cdimensional, so I hurried downstairs.

    When I got to the first floor, I saw my moming in from outside.

    I quickly dodged and hid in the stairwell across the hall.

    Before long, I saw my mom walking over to press the elevator.

    After she entered the elevator, I came out of the hallway.

    I stared at the numbers on the elevator and saw it stop on the sixth floor.

    What department is on the sixth floor?

    I quickly checked the floor indicator next to me.

    Sixth floor, Nephrology, treatment of liver and kidney function.

    So, what illness did my mom get?

    I anxiously followed up to the sixth floor.

    I was wandering in the corridor, looking for my mom¡¯s figure, and then I saw hering out of a testing room holding a check¨Cup report.

    I hurried to catch up with her and saw her enter the doctor¡¯s office.

    I stood outside the office, anxiously listening to the conversation inside.

    The doctor said, ¡°Your kidney disease is very serious. There is already a trend of kidney failure. If you don¡¯t have a kidney transnt surgery as soon as possible, you may not make it through half a year.¡±

    I suddenly went ck in front of my eyes, as if struck by lightning.

    Kidney failure?

    How could my mom have kidney failure?

    My mother was fine, how could she have gotten such a serious illness.

    Serious illness is not formed overnight. When exactly did my mother start feeling unwell?

    I didn¡¯t know at all.

    I covered my mouth in sorrow, trembling all over.

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    Chapter607

    The doctor said, ¡°You should notify your family as soon as possible and have them alle for a match. Thepatibility of rtives is generally higher than that of others.¡±

    My mom asked, ¡°What is the sess rate of kidney transnt surgery?¡±

    The doctor said, ¡°About sixty percent. If there is a suitable kidney source, the chances of surgery are definitely higher.¡±

    My mom asked, ¡°After the surgery, will I have to take medicine for the rest of my life?¡±

    The doctor said, ¡°That is for sure, after all, transnts always have rejection reactions.¡±

    My mother said, ¡°Okay doctor, I understand.¡±

    I heard the ¡°heart as ashes¡± destion in my mother¡¯s voice.

    I knew my mom too well, she definitely wouldn¡¯t want to use her own family¡¯s kidney.

    There were not many people left in my mother¡¯s family. The closest to her were Quentin and me. How could she possibly use the kidneys of Quentin and me?

    No matter what, I had to save my mom.

    ¡°Make a match for me.¡±

    I rushed into the hospital and said to the doctor without any regard.

    My mother looked at me in shock, her voice trembling, ¡°Ralda, how¡­how

    ChaptersaT

    did you get here?¡±

    I looked at my mom, her eyes filled with tears in an instant, full of pain and difort in her heart.

    No wonder at that time my mother¡¯s eyes were filled with lingering sadness.

    No wonder my mom always said she couldn¡¯t bear to part with us back. then.

    I thought she was too emotional because of my dad¡¯s affair, but it turns out she was already seriously ill.

    At that time, none of us were by her side. My dad was like that again.. How helpless and fearful she must have been all alone.

    I hugged my mom, my voice choked up, ¡°How could this happen, mom, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±

    My mother patted my back, crying out, ¡°It¡¯s already incurable. How should I tell you?¡±

    My biggest wish now is that you and Quentin can be well, as long as you are happy, I can close my eyes even if I die.

    ¡°You won¡¯t, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I gently pushed her aside and looked at the doctor, ¡°I am her daughter, please do a match for me.¡±

    The doctor nced at the paper in my hand and asked in confusion, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re holding a prenatal examination form. Are you pregnant?¡±

    My mother¡¯s body shook, pulling me excitedly, ¡°Really, Ralda, are you really pregnant?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I nodded and said to my mom, ¡°I was originally nning to finish.

    the 4D ultrasound and show you and Reynaldo the B¨Cultrasound report, but I didn¡¯t expect that the 4D ultrasound was not done yet, and I saw you also came to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± my mom couldn¡¯t care less about discussing her own illness.

    She pulled me, and finally there was light in her dark eyes.

    She eximed with joy, ¡°Ralda, how many months has the baby been? You¡¯ve been feeling okay during this time, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? I could have helped you.¡±

    ¡°I will tell you about the childter.¡±

    My mother¡¯s condition is quite tricky now.

    When I remembered the doctor¡¯s words that ¡°I wouldn¡¯tst half a year,¡± my heart was filled with panic and fear.

    I anxiously said to the doctor, ¡°I am her daughter, my kidney must be a match with hers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true, it¡¯s just that thepatibility is slightly higher than with other people.¡±

    ¡°And now that you are pregnant, even if it is found that your kidney matches your mother¡¯s, you cannot undergo a transnt surgery, otherwise it will affect the development of the baby.¡±

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    Chapter608

    ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t mess around, I¡¯m fine, you can¡¯t donate your kidney to me!¡± my mom said urgently.

    But how could I possibly ignore my mom.

    I hesitantly asked, ¡°My child is now over four months old. If my kidney is a match with my mother¡¯s, would it be possible to wait until after I give birth to have the kidney transnt surgery for my mother?¡±

    The doctor pondered for a few seconds and said, ¡°Currently, your mother is mainly being treated with medication. If the condition is well

    controlled, theoretically speaking, there is still time, but we cannot rule <b>out </b>some unexpected factors.¡±

    ¡°Okay, now go ahead and do a matching test for me.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± my mother cried, pulling my arm, urging me not to do it.

    But I couldn¡¯t listen to any advice anymore, I just wanted to save her now, even if it cost me my life.

    The doctor quickly took me and my mom to have blood tests and examinations.

    My mother said, ¡°Even if your kidney matches mine, I don¡¯t want your kidney.¡±

    ¡°You are still pregnant now. When you give birth to the child, you will also be half dead. How can you still give me your kidney?¡±

    ¡°What should I do? I can¡¯t be without my mom,¡± I cried and said to her.

    My mother sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell Quentin about thister. Since you¡¯ve

    already found out, there¡¯s no need to hide it anymore.¡±

    This is not something that you can handle alone. If Quentin is avable, then use him.¡±

    I pursed my lips, said nothing, and felt both sad and heavy in my heart.

    The test results took a long time toe out, but the results showed that ¡°my kidney source did not match my mother¡¯s.¡±

    When my mom saw the test results, it was obvious that she ¡°breathed a sigh of relief.¡±

    My heart felt sour.

    I just knew that she couldn¡¯t bear to use the children¡¯s kidneys.

    ¡°Alright, Ralda, let¡¯s go back first.¡±

    I have been taking medication all this time, and my condition has been well controlled. ¡°There won¡¯t be any problems.¡±

    And the doctor also said that a file has been created in the system, which will constantly monitor for a kidney donor that matches with me.

    Once a suitable kidney source was found, the surgery would be arranged for me immediately.

    ¡°So don¡¯t worry, maybe by then the hospital had found a suitable kidney source for me

    I knew my mom was just trying tofort me when she spoke so optimistically.

    In order not to let my mother feel psychological pressure, I tried my best to suppress the sadness in my heart and smiled at her, saying, ¡°You are right, good things wille to good people, and a suitable kidney donor will definitely appear.¡±

    My mother smiled, with a kind and gentle expression.

    She touched my belly and said, ¡°I am happiest when you are pregnant. I hope to see your child born so I can hold my precious grandchild.¡±

    ¡°Definitely, by then your grandson will still need you to give him a

    name.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I will definitely give him a nice name.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s twins, you know. I¡¯m pregnant with twins. The doctor said it¡¯s very likely to be a pair of dragon and phoenix twins.¡±

    ¡°Really!¡±

    My mother looked at my belly with both surprise and joy, wishing that I could give birth to those two lovely little ones right now.

    Illness is the most ruthless, and now Reynaldo¡¯s mother doesn¡¯t know how she is.

    At this moment, how I wish there were no more sickness and no more parting in this world.

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    Chapter609

    After taking my mom back, I called Quentin and asked him toe over quickly.

    After notifying Quentin toe over, I thought for a moment and then called Reynaldo.

    However, Reynaldo did not answer.

    I clenched my phone, with a feeling that the situation on Reynaldo¡¯s mother¡¯s side was not optimistic.

    When Quentin arrivedter, I nned to pay a visit to Reynaldo.

    Quentin came quickly, and in less than an hour, he arrived in a flurry.

    ¡°Howe? Why did you call me back in such a hurry? Did something big happen on my dad¡¯s side again?¡±

    Quentin entered the room and asked while changing his shoes.

    Not hearing a response, he looked towards me, but his whole body was in a daze.

    ¡°Hey, why are your eyes red? Have you been crying?¡±

    Without waiting for me to speak, my mother came out of the kitchen with a bowl of soup and called Quentin over to drink, saying, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s cold outside, have some hot soup to warm up.¡±

    Quentin nced at me suspiciously and asked my mom, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Did she have a fight with a man?¡±

    My mother looked at me with aplicated expression in her eyes, but

    11

    she didn¡¯t say anything.

    I knew she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell her own children about her illness.

    If I hadn¡¯t happened to see her at the hospital, she probably wouldn¡¯t have told us until she died.

    I stood up and said to Quentin, who was drinking soup, ¡°Come with me to the room.¡±

    My mother opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she didn¡¯t say anything. Her eyes were just slightly red.

    Quentinughed at me and said, ¡°What¡¯s up, acting all mysterious? Did Reynaldo bully you? Do you want me to go beat up Reynaldo for you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, just walked into the room by myself.

    Quentin helplessly put down the bowl of soup and said, ¡°I really can¡¯t do anything with you.¡±

    After Quentin and I entered the room, I turned around to close the door and saw my mom sitting on the sofa, covering her mouth and crying.

    Yes, illness has always been a painful topic, but we have to mention it.

    In the room, I solemnly told Quentin about my mother¡¯s situation.

    I also told him about my dad¡¯s affair.

    Quentin stood there dumbfounded at the time, as if he hadn¡¯t reacted.

    After a while, he mechanically smiled and said, ¡°Ralda, did you have a nightmarest night and couldn¡¯t distinguish between dreams and reality for a moment?¡±

    How could mom possibly get sick like that? And how could dad possibly

    have an affair?

    Come on, if you weren¡¯t feeling well, just rest more. Don¡¯t create panic, okay?

    My young heart couldn¡¯t bear a scare from you.

    My eyes felt sore for a moment, and a mist of water slowly rose before my eves.

    I also wish so much that all of this is just a nightmare. When I wake up, our family is still together in peace.

    The Duffy family was still thriving, their home was still warm, and all their loved ones were healthy.

    Oh, yes.

    Reality is reality, avoiding it won¡¯t solve any problems.

    I wiped away my tears and choked out, ¡°I went to the hospital today for a kidney donor match, but it didn¡¯t match.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face stiffened.

    He stared at me fixedly, looking at me for a long time, until his face slowly turned white.

    Long ago, he asked me, ¡°When did it happen?¡±

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    Chapter610

    I shook my head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Thest time I came back from your ce, I found only my mom at home, andter discovered that dad was having an affair, nevering home.¡±

    Today I went to the hospital for a check¨Cup, and then I met my mom, only to find out that she was sick.

    Pap!

    Quentin suddenly pped himself hard.

    I grabbed his hand in a hurry and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I came back every few days and never noticed anything unusual in this house.¡±

    My mother was already critically ill, and I didn¡¯t even know.

    ¡°I really should die!¡±

    ¡°Okay, now is not the time for self¨Cme, we need to think of a solution.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed coldly and he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to find my dad right now. <b>I </b>want to see which woman is keeping him away from home every day<b>!</b>¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±

    I grabbed him and said weakly, ¡°When I just found out about this, I went to look for him. He didn¡¯t want toe back, and even told me to get lost.¡±

    He has changed, he is no longer the father who used to love and care for

    our family.

    We ignored him, the most urgent thing now is mom¡¯s illness.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go to the hospital for apatibility test now.

    Quentin said, and hurried out.

    When I came out of the room, my mom wasing towards me.

    Her eyes were red with self¨Cme, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for getting this terrible. illness, causing trouble for all of you.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Without you, how could I be with Ralda. Don¡¯t overthink it. This illness will be treated, there is no obstacle that cannot be ovee.¡±

    Quentin said, then looked at me, ¡°Take care of Mom, I¡¯m going to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Quentin went and didn¡¯te back for a long time.

    I felt a little uneasy in my heart.

    Because it didn¡¯t take long to do the matching check, unless he went to settle ounts with my dad again.

    Sure enough, in the evening, Quentin came back with a wounded face.

    I hurried up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you go to find dad?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention him!¡± Quentin¡¯s eyes were red, his face full of sorrow and indignation, ¡°I no longer have this father in the future.¡±

    As soon as I heard these words, I knew that my father still didn¡¯t want toe back.

    I¡¯m afraid Quentin told my dad about my mom¡¯s condition, and my dad didn¡¯t want toe back.

    My mother sat on the sofa and smiled indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s okay, with both of you apanying me, I am still very happy.¡±

    I sadly closed my eyes.

    After a while, Quentin asked, ¡°So, did your kidney match with Mom¡¯s?¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything, he just silently handed me a piece of paper to look at.

    However, the result did not match.

    I took a few steps back in despair.

    How could this happen?

    If even biological children cannot match, then who else can match?

    My mother looked at our expressions, as if she had guessed a few things.

    She couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief and said with a cheerful tone, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Every year so many people donate kidneys, the hospital has such arge system database, and there is so much time, they will definitely be able to find a suitable kidney source for me.¡±

    I exchanged a nce with Quentin, and neither of us said a word.

    The atmosphere in the room was heavy and oppressive.

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    Chapter611

    My mother sighed and smiled at me and Quentin, saying, ¡°Look at you two, making such a big deal out of nothing. What do you want to eat tonight? I¡¯ll cook it for you myself.¡±

    My mother went to the kitchen as she spoke.

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything, he just sat wearily on the sofa.

    I pursed my lips and followed my mother to the kitchen.

    After dinner, Quentin had no intention of going back. He wanted to spend more time with my mom here.

    I saw Quentin apanying my mother, so I went to Reynaldo¡¯s ce..

    When I arrived at Mika¡¯s ward, I found Mika in aa, with Reynaldo by her bedside, his eyes slightly red.

    R

    Kimberly was also there,forting Reynaldo.

    My heart skipped a beat as I walked in quickly and asked, ¡°How is she, Mom?¡±

    Upon hearing my voice, Reynaldo quickly turned around to look at me. and said, ¡°Esmeralda, how did youe here?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my calls all day today, I was a little worried.¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to have just remembered his phone, and he instinctively reached for his pocket, only to find it empty.

    At this moment, Kimberly picked up a phone from the foot <b>of </b>the bed and said, ¡°Reynaldo, your phone is here.¡±

    Reynaldo took the phone without even looking at her.

    He turned on his phone and indeed found many missed calls on it, most of which were made by me.

    He frowned and said, ¡°When did my phone go on silent mode?¡±

    I nced at Kimberly without leaving a trace and said, ¡°Maybe you pressed the wrong button by ident.¡±

    Reynaldo also nced at Kimberly, his face showing no emotion.¡±

    He put away his phone, took my hand and said, ¡°Sorry for making you. Worry.¡±

    I shook my head and looked at Mika on the bed, ¡°What¡¯s going on? How is mom?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°The situation is not very good. Even though Mr. Palmer gave my mom a new kidney years ago, there have been some rejection reactions over the years.¡±

    ¡°I could perform surgery back then, so I must have also done apatibility test, right?¡± I asked, puzzled.

    Reynaldo said, ¡°It¡¯s done, but even if the matching is sessful, there may still be some rejection reactions.¡±

    After listening, I couldn¡¯t help but think of my mother¡¯s situation, and my heart felt heavy again.

    ¡°What about now? What did the doctor say?¡±

    ¡°Now the other kidney is infected, and the kidney Mr. Palmer switched to also won¡¯tst long.¡±

    The doctor¡¯s advice was to ¡°find a more suitable kidney source for the transnt surgery.¡±

    I felt ufortable for a while in my heart, unexpectedly having to undergo a kidney transnt surgery just like my mom.

    Finding a suitable kidney donor can be quite diflicult.

    Reynaldo¡¯s forehead was marked with weariness, and there were bloodshot eyes in his eye sockets.

    I asked him, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    He did not make a sound.

    I sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy you some food to bring up. No matter what, you need to take care of yourself.¡±

    Reynaldo squeezed my hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go down together.¡±

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at Kimberly again and said, ¡°Could you please watch over here for a bit longer? My mom just woke up and I need to call her.¡±

    Kimberly didn¡¯t say a word, her hand clenched tightly at her side, her eyes. full of resentment.

    Reynaldo seemed to have no energy to care about her emotions.

    He was holding my hand and about to go out when Kimberly suddenly took a big step and stood in front of me.

 Too Close 612

    hapter612

    ¡°Reynaldo, it was her, she was the one who made Mika sick

    yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Mika was fine at first, it was just that she made Mika cry, and then Mika¡¯s illness red up.¡±

    I looked at her coldly and said, ¡°Whether it was me who made Mika sick or you made her sick, you should know in your heart.¡±

    ¡°What bad things did you do yesterday that I need to help you remember now?¡±

    ¡°You stop talking nonsense, I always listen to Mika and Mika likes me too.¡±

    It¡¯s you. Mika found you annoying, but you kepting in front of her every day, causing trouble.

    ¡°Who made her angry if not you?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    Reynaldo cut off Kimberly¡¯s words with a casual tone.

    He said tly, ¡°My mom needs quiet, I hope you don¡¯t make noise here!¡±

    ¡°Am I making noise here? Reynaldo, I¡¯m telling you, this woman is up to no good. As long as this woman is around, Mika¡¯s illness will never get better.¡±

    Reynaldo ignored her and pulled me past her, walking out.

    I turned around and saw Kimberly ring at me with a resentful look on

    her face.

    That look, like that of a twisted madman.

    Arriving downstairs, Reynaldo didn¡¯t have much of an appetite.

    I was about to take him to the nearby restaurant for a te of ravioli when he suddenly pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.

    I was taken aback and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you

    worried about Mom¡¯s condition?¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak, he buried his head in my neck, deeply.

    I could feel the heaviness of his mood and the tiredness of his body.

    I patted his back gently and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I will always be with you.¡±

    Reynaldo tightened the hand around my waist and said, ¡°The doctor¡¯s meaning is that my mom needs to arrange a kidney transnt surgery as soon as possible. The longer it is dyed, the more serious the kidney. infection will be.¡±

    Over the years, kidney disease has caused manyplications.

    The doctor said, ¡°My mother had held on for so long, it was already a

    miracle.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>worry</b><b>, </b>a suitable kidney source will be found.¡±

    I could onlyfort him in the same way as Iforted myself.

    Originally, I <b>was </b>going to tell him about my mom¡¯s situation.

    I could see that he was already exhausted from worrying about his mother¡¯s illness, so I didn¡¯t want to burden him with my mother¡¯s

    situation.

    <b>1202 </b>

    There was no other way at the moment, so we could only wait patiently. waiting for the hospital to find a suitable kidney source for our mother.

    The mealtime had long passed at this point, and there weren¡¯t many people in the restaurant,

    I ordered arge portion of ravioli for Reynaldo, but he didn¡¯t eat much.

    He leaned back in the chair with his eyes closed for a while, then turned to me and said, ¡°Esmeralda, will you apany me tonight?¡±

    I nodded.

    On my mom¡¯s side tonight, Quentin was there with her, so I wasn¡¯t worried.

    Reynaldo smiled and squeezed my hand, ¡°I¡¯m d to have you by my side.¡±

    I grabbed his hand and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Tonight Reynaldo seemed a bit fragile.

    He propped his forehead with one hand and suddenly whispered, ¡°Sometimes I really hate myself, always so useless.¡±

    Back then, I didn¡¯t want to owe Mr. Palmer a favor, so I went to the hospital without his knowledge to have a kidneypatibility test done, but it didn¡¯t match.

    Now my mother needs a kidney transnt again, but I still can¡¯t donate.

 Too Close 613

    Chapter613

    ¡°I always seemed tock the ability to save the person closest to me.¡±

    ¡°How can this be med on you again?¡±

    At this moment, I could really understand his feelings.

    Just like my kidney didn¡¯t match with my mom¡¯s today, I also felt guilty in my heart for a while.

    She gave birth to me and raised me, but I couldn¡¯t save her.

    When I returned to the ward with Reynaldo, Mika was still asleep and Kimberly was on the phone in the bathroom.

    She didn¡¯t know who she was talking to on the phone, and her voice was deliberately kept low.

    ¡®

    I vaguely heard her say, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s really bad news. I don¡¯t know how tofort you. You must take care <b>of </b>yourself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, with the advancement of medicine nowadays, this kind of illness can definitely be cured.¡±

    ¡°Well, bye bye, you also rest early, I wille to visit you when I have time.¡±

    When Kimberly came out of the bathroom, there was an unmistakable smile and pride on her face.

    This made me wonder if the person who just talked to her on the phone <b>was </b>her enemy, or some of her stic sisters.

    From her recent conversation, it seemed like the other party had ¡°caught

    11

    some kind of illness.¡±

    But she was in high spirits.

    She saw meing back with Reynaldo and instantly ¡°pressed down¡± the smile on her face.

    A hint of apology even appeared on her face as she said to me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Dully. I was just a little emotional earlier, so I didn¡¯t speak very nicely. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. I¡¯m just too worried about Mika.¡±

    I frowned and red at her, instinctively feeling that this woman was up to no good:

    After she finished speaking to me, she looked at Reynaldo and said, ¡°Reynaldo, I¡¯m sorry. I was just too worried about Mika, so I spoke to Ms. Duffy a bit harshly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I don¡¯t think Esmeralda would me you,¡± Reynaldo said. lightly.

    Kimberly nodded, her expression changing from resentment to one of apology and regret.

    ¡°Reynaldo, Ms. Duffy, I suddenly realized now that forced melons are not sweet, and forced rtionships are notsting.¡±

    You want to treat me as a younger sister, then I will be your younger sister in the future.

    Actually, thinking about it, it¡¯s nice to have one more brother and sister- inw to care for.¡±

    I furrowed my brows more tightly, watching the woman in front of me cautiously.

    I swear I will never believe that this woman wille to her senses.

    What trick did she want to y after all? With this sudden change, I became even more uneasy, feeling more and more like she was brewing some big move.

    I looked at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes shed with a touch of relief.

    She said to Kimberly, ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think like this. As long as you can be a good brother to me in the future, treat Esmeralda as your sister¨Cinw, then we will definitely treat you as a beloved younger sister.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm, sister¨Cinw!¡± Kimberly nodded, then affectionately called me ¡°sister¨Cinw¡°.

    This sudden change left me unsure of how to react.

    Kimberly suddenly looked at me with a face full of grievances and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, it seems like you don¡¯t really like it when I call you that, do you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I replied calmly.

    It was obvious that Reynaldo had already believed in the transformation. of this woman. Whatever else I might say, Reynaldo would probably be displeased and think I was being petty.

    I suppressed my doubts and unease in my heart, and just didn¡¯t say anything more.

 Too Close 614

    Chapter614

    Kimberly added, ¡°Reynaldo, Esmeralda, since you are both here, I will go back to rest first. I wille back to see Mika tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±

    After sending off Kimberly, Reynaldo hugged me from behind and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s rare that Kimberly could see the light. Now that she has, my mom won¡¯t pressure me to marry her anymore.¡±

    ¡°Now as long as my mom can get better, everything will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I pursed my lips and pondered, ¡°Do you really believe that Kimberly hase to her senses?¡±

    Reynaldo paused for a second, lowered his gaze and looked at me, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I just felt that she was quite obsessed with you, and suddenly I figured it out, it¡¯s a bit strange.¡±

    ¡°Just now she was talking on the phone in the bathroom, you should have heard a few sentences too.¡±

    Perhaps it was when one of her friends fell seriously ill, she might have felt the impermanence of life for a moment, and then she also figured out these emotional entanglements.

    ¡°Is that really the case,¡± that was just him not seeing the smug look on Kimberly¡¯s face when she came out of the bathroom.

    Reynaldo hadpletely believed in Kimberly¡¯s transformation, so I

    didn¡¯t have much else to say.

    Anyway, what needs to be prevented still needs to be prevented.

    Reynaldo stayed with me in the ward until midnight. In the end, he was afraid that I couldn¡¯t bear it, so he went to find a nurse toe and take care of Mika, and then took me back to the vi.

    He had been working continuously for the past few days, coupled with Mika¡¯s illness, he was already physically and mentally exhausted.

    Iy in bed with him, he hugged me, and soon fell asleep.

    He slept deeply, his breathing was heavy.

    I turned over in his arms, my fingertips caressing his eyebrows and eyes.

    Even in his sleep, his brow was furrowed tightly.

    I smoothed his eyebrows for a long time before finally smoothing them.

    out.

    I sighed and gently kissed the corner of his lips.

    I hope our mother was safe and sound in the end.

    The next day, when I woke up, Reynaldo had already gotten up.

    He left me a note, ¡°I have gone to the hospital first, breakfast is ready in the kitchen, remember to eat.¡±

    I put away the note and got up to wash up.

    Coming downstairs, I was about to eat the breakfast made by Reynaldo when my mom suddenly called.

    ¡°Ralda, you quickly go find Quentin, he went to settle ounts with your dad again.¡±

    Chapte

    I furrowed my brows, ignoring everything else, and walked outside while cating breakfast.

    I called Quentin and, me the

    r repeatedly asking him, he finally gave address.

    When I arrived, he was confronting my dad with a smile on his face.

    And my dad, holding Aiyana in his arms, red at Quentin with a face full of anger.

    ¡°You unfilial child, get out of here quickly, you¡¯re really ruining the atmosphere.¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t listen and reached out to hit Aiyana.

    While my dad protected Aiyana like nothing else, Quentin¡¯s fistnded on him and he didn¡¯t budge an inch.

    I furrowed my brows, suddenly thinking of something, and quickly took out my phone to snap a few pictures of Aiyana.

    Noticing the sh, Aiyana suddenly red at me and shouted sharply, ¡°What are you doing, taking pictures of me? Delete it now!¡±

    I sneered, ¡°You be someone¡¯s mistress, destroy their family, and still afraid of being exposed by others?¡±

    ¡°Ha, breaking up someone else¡¯s family?

 Too Close 615

    Chapter615

    ¡°You have to understand, your dad and I were in love,¡± Aiyana said, while seductively hooking her arm around my dad¡¯s neck.

    I sneered. ¡°The so¨Ccalled mutual affection is just nonsense. One is having an affair within marriage, and the other shamelessly seduces. Is this what you call mutual affection? Don¡¯t insult this term!¡±

    ¡°Hey. <i>Mr. </i>Duffy, look, your daughter is so rude.¡±

    My father red at me and Quentin, disdainfully saying, ¡°Go away, you two little animals, hurry up and roll back to me.¡±

    Is it that your mom is out of money again? Okay, I¡¯ll transfer a few thousand to herter.

    I asked her for a divorce and offered her arge sum of money, but she refused to listen.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of her dragging on like this?¡±

    ¡°My mother was sick. If you still have a bit of humanity, then go back and see her!¡± Quentin roared in sorrow and anger.

    My father, however, justughed indifferently twice, ¡°Oh well, you two little animals are really something. You even cursed your mother to get sick just to make me go back.¡±

    Is this sneaky method your mother¡¯s idea?

    She really is, without a man, she doesn¡¯t know what to do, always bothering me all day long.¡±

    Quentin was so angry that he was shaking all over, ¡°Lukas, are you still

    human!¡±

    With a loud p, my dad pped Quentin hard on the face, ¡°You ungrateful child, how dare you talk to your father like that, get out of here!¡±

    Quentin got so angry that he raised his fist and even wanted to go and hit my dad and Aiyana.

    I held his arm and gestured for him not to act impulsively.

    Now I have no illusions about my dad, and my mom feels the same way.

    It was as if my dad no longer existed.

    I said to my dad in a low voice, ¡°Lukas, if you don¡¯t want to go back and see my mom today, we won¡¯t force you.¡±

    ¡°But please remember, you are not our father anymore in the future, don¡¯te to us anymore, and don¡¯te to find my mom.¡±

    My father chuckled and said, ¡°Forget it, I have Aiyana. You can go. wherever you want, don¡¯t bother me anymore.¡±

    Also<b>, </b>you should advise your mom to quickly divorce this marriage. It¡¯s not good for anyone to drag it out.

    ¡°Okay, send me your address. I will help my mom send you the divorce. agreement.¡±

    After saying that, I dragged Quentin away.

    Quentin was furious.

    His face was covered with palm prints, and there were also bruises and bloodstains <b>at </b>the corners <b>of </b>his lips, indicating that he had not only been pped but also punched.

    He angrily said, ¡°Why did you pull me out? Today I had to kill that heartless person, and Aiyana too!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of killing them?¡±

    I looked at him coldly, ¡°Even if we kill them, our family can¡¯t go back to the past.¡±

    Killing them won¡¯t cure Mom¡¯s illness.

    Kill them, you would still go to jail, and mom would still worry.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s worth it?¡±

    ¡°I just can¡¯t swallow this!¡± Quentin gritted his teeth angrily.

    I eximed, ¡°I thought I could swallow my anger, if I had known you were so impulsive, I wouldn¡¯t have told you.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, Esmeralda, you really can keep a secret, to think you could hide such a big thing from me for so long!¡±

    ¡°I saw you and your girlfriend were deeply in love, I didn¡¯t want you to worry, I didn¡¯t want this to affect you.

    When it came to his girlfriend, Quentin¡¯s eyes instantly softened <b>a </b>lot.

 Too Close 616

    Chapter616

    He said to me. ¡°I have already told Kimora about our mother¡¯s condition¡­¡±

    I frowned heavily and said. ¡°Why did you tell her? You really can¡¯t keep a

    secret.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°What do you mean? She is my girlfriend, why can¡¯t I tell her?¡±

    And they said, ¡°They wille to visit our mother in a few days when they are free.¡±

    ¡°Hiss, Esmeralda, why do I feel like you have a lot of hostility towards her?¡±

    I chuckled twice and said. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. She is my ¡®future sister¨Cinw,¡® why would I have any hostility towards her?¡±

    I just feel that you told her the news you just found out right away, you really don¡¯t treat her as an outsider.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the distinction between outsiders and family members? She is your sister¨Cinw now, and we are all family. Your words are a bit too much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, when is ¡®soon¡°?¡±

    Did the parents see it?

    Was the wedding date set?

    ¡°If not, then don¡¯t speak so intimately!¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Quentin was upset with my dad, and now I was upset with him again, stumbling over my words, ¡°Esmeralda, I find you more and more unreasonable, I can¡¯t be bothered to talk to you!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to talk to you either!¡±

    I turned around and left.

    He grabbed me and said, ¡°Where are you going? Are you going back to your mom¡¯s? I¡¯ll take you there!¡±

    I shook off his hand and said, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll drive myself.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, your temper¡­¡± Quentin red at me, then finally gave up.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°You should go put some ice on your face quickly, swollen like a bun, so ugly. Be careful, Kimora might reject you!¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Quentin angrily waved his hand and walked away.

    I sighed.

    To be honest, I did have quite a few issues with that Kimora.

    The initial respect and expectation, which were originally there, werepletely worn out by her repeated intentional no¨Cshows and mysterious behavior.

    I took out my phone and looked at the photos I had just taken.

    The photo was taken very clearly, even though my dad had just held Aiyana in his arms, I still captured Aiyana¡¯s appearance very clearly.

    I had Reynaldo send someone to check out this woman¡¯s background.

    If it really was someone hired by Kimberly, I will definitely not spare Kimberly!

    Reynaldo¡¯s mother had woken up.

    However, the situation was still very bad. The doctor said, ¡°It would be best to find a suitable kidney donor within a month.¡±

    But that¡¯s very difficult.

    On my mom¡¯s side, I found the six¨Cmonth deadline difficult.

    Not to mention a month.

    After I parted with Quentin, I went to the hospital to visit Mika.

    When Reynaldo was not there, Kimberly was also not there, only the caregiver present.

    was

    Mika¡¯s face was ashen, and she wasn¡¯t feeling very well.

    She saw meing and her gaze subconsciously flicked towards my abdomen.

    I knew she was as excited as my mom for the birth of the baby in my belly.

    No matter how much she disliked me, those two children were ultimately her own grandchildren.

    ¡°Reynaldo had just left,¡± Mika said to me.

    I nodded and said, ¡°He called me and said he needed to go to thepany to take care of some things.¡±

    Mika sat in a wheelchair,pletely devoid of any vigor, truly as if struck down by a sudden illness.

    She told me, ¡°Reynaldo just told me that Kimberly hase to her senses. and is no longer fixated on him. That¡¯s great.¡±

 Too Close 617

    Chapter617

    ¡°You fell in love with Reynaldo, and then you had a child. Naturally, I still hope that you both can be happy.¡±

    I walked over and looked at her. ¡°Reynaldo said you would definitely get better.¡±

    Mika smiled resignedly and said, ¡°He was justforting himself.¡±

    Reynaldo just cried in front of me.

    Reality is just so cruel. I have survived for so many years, and what is supposed toe will stille.

    In the future, with you apanying Reynaldo, I feel relieved. That child has a sensitive and fragile heart, I hope you can be more tolerant towards him.

    Mika held my hand, her voice pale and weary.

    This time when she woke up from thea, it seemed like she saw through everything, and her attitude towards me also changed drastically.

    She said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t dislike you that much. I see the sincerity in the fact that you cook and bring food to me every day.¡±

    It¡¯s just that, with Kimberly, Reynaldo and I ended up owing her a promise.

    Now she can understand, and the knot in my heart can finally be let go.

    ¡°When the timees, even if I die, I will still have the face to meet Theodore.¡±

    ¡°You will be fine.¡±

    Mika spoke somewhat sadly, and my heart felt a pang, with a hint of bitterness rising in my nose.

    Mika lightly patted the back of my hand and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, that year I should have died, but Theodore saved me, and yet he left first.¡±

    ¡°Now I can finally be free to go see him.¡±

    ¡°But if you leave, what will Reynaldo do? He loves you so much.¡±

    ¡°There you are.¡±

    Mika smiled at me and said, ¡°Reynaldo really likes you. With you by his side, I believe he will be happy.¡±

    After a pause, she said, ¡°Actually, there was another reason why I initially rejected you.¡±

    I looked at her puzzledly, ¡°What reason?¡±

    ¡°Because many years ago, I saw you in that small town.¡±

    Back then, the one you liked was clearly Anton, you even fought Reynaldo for Anton.

    ¡°But now you are with Reynaldo, and I worry that you are deliberately ying with their feelings.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± I said firmly, ¡°I now know clearly that I like Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°I knew, when I asked Reynaldo to fulfill his promise to Theodore, your sadness, your indignation, and the pity in your eyes for Reynaldo, I knew, you had him in your heart.¡±

    In short, ¡°live a good life with Reynaldo, I wish you both well.¡±

    Chaptri617

    11

    Upon hearing herst sentence, my eyes instantly welled up with tears.

    Mika finally epted me, but it was under these circumstances.

    How I wish she could get better and no longer be tortured by illness.

    When I came out of Mika¡¯s ward, I met Anton.

    Anton stood with his hands in his pockets, looking indifferent.

    He tilted his head and smiled at me, ¡°Want to go out for a walk?¡±

    I nodded.

    There were many patients sunbathing in the yard downstairs.

    Anton sat down on a long bench and patted the seat next to him.

    I sat down and asked him, ¡°Are you here to see Reynaldo¡¯s mother too?¡±

    ¡°I have always hated his mother since I was a child, for this reason, my father often beat me.

    I pursed my lips, not knowing what to say.

    After all, very few children do like their stepmothers.

    ¡°But she was really good to me and my sister, even better than our own mother.¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s the use, after all she¡¯s not our real mother.¡±

 Too Close 618

    Chapter618

    ¡°Her condition has worsened now, she may notst long. Are you happy in your heart?¡± I looked at Anton.

    His handsome brows furrowed slightly as he gazed into the distance.

    It took a long time before he said, ¡°She has one of my dad¡¯s kidneys in her body, so of course I still hope she can live.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    See, sincerity can still be exchanged for sincerity.

    Just because Mika had always been sincere to them since childhood, so even though he said he hated Mika on the surface, deep down he still hoped that Mika would be fine.

    Anton suddenly looked at me fixedly.

    Looking <b>at </b>his deep and passionate eyes, my heart suddenly skipped a

    beat.

    I got up to leave, and he suddenly grabbed me.

    ¡°Esmeralda, I just wanted to ask you onest question.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No matter what, you couldn¡¯t be with me anymore? Even if¡­ you remember that memory from our youth?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I answered firmly.

    Anton suddenly smiled, a touch of relief shing between his eyebrows.

    11

    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±

    He finished speaking and let go of my hand.

    ¡°I wanted to leave here.¡±

    I was taken aback. ¡°Where are you going? When are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s travel around the world, there is nothing worth reminiscing about in this city anymore.¡±

    Before. Ronan had already gone to my father¡¯s grave to kowtow and apologize. Winston ended up in such a situation, he can be considered to have received hiseuppance.

    And now, Mika¡¯s condition has worsened, and her life ising to an end.

    So that¡¯s it, the Palmer family¡¯s revenge has been settled, and there is no reason to stay here any longer.

    I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but then I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Anton smiled at me and said, ¡°Speaking of which, the time we spent together when we were young here was happier, but you have forgotten it.¡±

    ¡°I tried to make you remember, but found it futile. Perhaps, that¡¯s fate.¡±

    I pursed my lips, feeling a bit ufortable in my heart.

    He said, ¡°I might be leaving in a few days, Esmeralda. Goodbye.¡±

    ¡°How is Kimberly¡¯s illness? You study medicine, isn¡¯t it to cure her illness?¡±

    Anton lowered his eyes and smiled self¨Cdeprecatingly.

    Chapter&t

    ¡°In this world, many cruel facts are actually unchangeable.¡±

    Birth, aging, illness, and death are the norms of this world.

    I had tried to delve into those diseases, such as Kimberly¡¯s heart disease, such as Mika¡¯s kidney disease, but ultimately to no avail.

    What must be transnted, will always be transnted. Human abilities are limited, and trying to change established facts will only be in vain.

    I don¡¯t know if it was the bleak winter or too many recent bad things happening.

    Listening to Anton¡¯s words, a sense of indescribable sadness and powerlessness surged in my heart..

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything more and turned away.

    I stared nkly at his lonely figure, my eyes suddenly feeling a bit sour.

    For a long time, until his figure disappeared at the hospital entrance, I turned around, but I was stunned.

    Reynaldo was seen not far behind me point.

    at some

    Afraid of any misunderstanding, I hurried over and told him, ¡°Just now, Anton came to see Mom and said goodbye to me.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at me.

    He brushed the hair floating on my face behind my car and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, I¡¯m not angry.¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief and held his hand tightly.

    ¡°Mom should have already gone to bed by now, I just came out from her

    room.

    §³§ä§Ñ§â§ä§Ö§Ý§î 18

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Reynaldo held my hand and led me around the yard.

 Too Close 619

    Chapter619

    He pursed his lips, remained silent, and had a look of concern on his face.

    I knew he was definitely worried about Mika.

    At that time, I couldn¡¯t say anyforting words either.

    Everything had to wait for the hospital to find a kidney source.

    Thinking of the photo I had just taken, I pulled it out to show him.

    ¡°That¡¯s the woman my dad had an affair with. Can you help me check out her background?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me, as if recalling something.

    He asked me, ¡°Are you still suspecting that this woman was deliberately hired by Kimberly to seduce your dad?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t afraid of him getting angry, so I nodded and said, ¡°Yes, so, are you willing to help me check with your gang members?¡±

    ¡°Of course, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    He sent the photo to his phone, then sent it to Braylon, giving Braylon some instructions, and then turned to me and said, ¡°Wait, there should be results soon.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ording to Reynaldo¡¯s investigation, there should be no more mistakes.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t dwell on the matter too much, he seemed very tired.

    When sitting on the chair, he always had his eyes closed.

    At night, I was originally going to stay at my mom¡¯s ce, but then I was ¡°kicked out¡± by my mom.

    She said these days she wanted Quentin to apany her, and she also said she had a lot to talk about with Quentin. I was not convenient at home, so she asked me to go to Reynaldo¡¯s ce.

    I knew she actually just wanted me to spend more time with Reynaldo, to strengthen our rtionship.

    Actually, these days I was very tired too.

    I sat in the car for a long time before driving to the vi to find Reynaldo.

    When I was there, Reynaldo happened to be at home.

    The whole vi was quiet, but the light in the study was on.

    On the way, I bought somete¨Cnight snacks.

    I went straight to the study carrying supper.

    Pushing open the door to the study, Reynaldo was working at his desk. When he saw me, his eyes lit up.

    ¡°Esmeralda, how did youe?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯lle and keep youpany.¡±

    I walked over with a smile and gave him the midnight snack, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you definitely didn¡¯t have a proper dinner.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at me helplessly, pulled me to sit on hisp.

    Actually, I was a little ufortable with this posture.

    He stood too close to me, so close that I could almost feel his body stiffen and his breathing be heavy with every move I made.

    Chapters19

    I wanted to get down from him, but he held me tightly around the waist,

    not letting me go.

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him angrily.

    He buried his head in the nape of my neck, kissed me, and said in <b>a </b>muflled voice, ¡°I miss you so much, let me hug you.¡±

    His breath sprayed on my neck, the hot air drilling straight into my clothes, tickling.

    I muttered, ¡°Aren¡¯t we seeing each other every day? We just parted ways in the afternoon, why do I miss you so much?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just thinking about you every minute and every second.

    He hardly ever says such straightforward words of love.

    But when spoken, it was particrly pure and moving.

    However, he got a little out of control as he kissed her.

    The coat was quickly stripped off by him and fell to the ground, and his slightly calloused hands slipped into my clothes, wandering over my body, making me shiver all over.

 Too Close 620

    Chapter620

    I leaned against his chest and said to him, ¡°You, you wait¡­ first have supper¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk about itter.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Before I could finish speaking, he sealed my lips.

    His anger came on fiercely, and the documents and pen holders on the desk were swept to the ground by him.

    Even thete¨Cnight snack I packed was swept to the ground by him..

    I red at him angrily and said, ¡°You¡¯ll starveter!¡±

    ¡°With you here, I won¡¯t go hungry.¡±

    Heughed wickedly and lifted me onto the desk.

    This time, he didn¡¯tst long, it ended in about an hour.

    I rubbed my sore back and stared at him.

    He took me to the bathroom with a smile.

    After the relief, he seemed much more rxed, and some of the gloom on his body also dissipated.

    She hugged me and rinsed in the bathroom.

    I lowered my gaze and looked at my already bulging belly, asking him, ¡°Reynaldo, do you really not believe that I am carrying your baby?¡±

    That day I suddenly found out that my mother had a serious illness, and on top of that, his mother¡¯s condition had worsened, so I still hadn¡¯t had time to reschedule that appointment.

    Facing my question, Reynaldo just smiled, obviously not believing.

    He even coaxed me in a joking tone, saying, ¡°Okay okay okay¡­ if you are pregnant, then you are pregnant. If you like daughters, we can adopt a girl.¡±

    ¡°If you like having a son, we can adopt a boy.¡±

    I was speechless.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I was really pregnant. If you don¡¯t believe me, go ask your mother¡±

    Reynaldo washed me and then carried me to the bedroom.

    He pinned me down on the bed and kissed me for a long time before. letting me go.

    He leaned on the bed with his elbow and looked at me gently, ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re pregnant, I believe.¡±

    I rolled my eyes, the tone was obviously one of disbelief.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out the man¡¯s mindset either.

    He was so sharp in the market, so shrewd in business, how could he be so stupid in thesemon sense matters.

    Whose wife only gained weight in her stomach and chest.

    Didn¡¯t he notice that my waist was getting thinner and my belly was getting bigger?

    This is obviously not ¡°getting fat¡°, right?

    Silly Reynaldo!

    Reynaldo rested on the bed for a while and then said, ¡°Take me out for supper.¡±

    I saw it was just after ten o¡¯clock, so I got up and changed clothes to go. out with him.

    After finishing supper, when I came back, it was already past twelve o¡¯clock, and I fell asleep as soon as Iy down.

    I slept until the next morning again, and I was woken up by the sound of knocking on the door.

    Knock, knock, knock¡­

    ¡°Ms. Versta, are you awake?¡±

    I was stunned, ¡°Braylon¡¯s voice?¡±

    Last night when Reynaldo was sleeping with me, he stripped me of all my clothes, so now I ampletely naked.

    I quickly got up and put on clothes, then wiped my face with a towel before running to open the door.

    Braylon stood outside respectfully, with his hands folded in front of him, holding a handful of documents.

    I looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°Are you here to see Reynaldo? He¡¯s up and not in the room.¡±

    Braylon respectfully said, ¡°I havee to see Ms. Versta on behalf of Mr. Humphrey. He said you were looking for a woman and asked me to inform you of any results as soon as possible.¡±

    So I came over now, Ms. Versta, and said, ¡°Look, this is the result we found.¡±

 Too Close 621

    Chapter621

    I just remembered that I had asked Reynaldo to help me investigate Aiyana¡¯s situation.

    I quickly took the documents and looked through them.

    Sure enough, the so¨Ccalled ¡°Aiyana¡± turned out to be not a wealthy. woman at all, but a dancer in a bar.

    The dancer had no background and usually loved to flirt with some wealthy merchants.

    There were several photos of her wearing revealing clothes, drinking and flirting with some fat¨Cheaded men.

    I looked at Braylon and said, ¡°Can I borrow a few people from you? It would be best if they were a bit fierce.¡±

    Braylon was taken aback and quickly nodded, ¡°Of course!¡±

    When I barged into the club where my dad was, he was flirting with that Aiyana while drinking.

    The two people had a great time ying.

    My dad <b>was </b>so angry when he saw my appearance that his face turned green.

    ¡°You unfilial daughter, are you helping your mother catch an air?¡±

    I sneered, ¡°You got it right, I¡¯m here to catch the adulterer.¡±

    With that, I gestured for the person behind me toe over and grab that Aiyana for me.

    Braylon was really efficient.

    I asked for some tough bodyguards, and he really arranged a few bodyguards who looked like street thugs for me.

    With that figure and that fierce face, I was afraid just looking at it.

    ¡°Oh, what are you doing, why are you grabbing me?¡± Aiyana screamed instantly.

    My father was also anxious when he saw the situation.

    He dragged me and said fiercely, ¡°Esmeralda, what are you doing, let go. of your stepmother quickly.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, a mistress, and a stepmother!¡±

    I shook off my dad¡¯s hand and then threw the pile of materials being investigated to him.

    ¡°Open your eyes and take a good look.¡±

    ¡°This is what you thought, willing to help you invest, excellent and ambitious woman!¡±

    My father inexplicably picked up the documents that had fallen <b>on </b>the ground.

    He trembled as he looked through the pages one by one, the more he read, the less he could believe, the more he read, the more he doubted.

    He frowned at me and said, ¡°You really went too far. In order to discredit her, you even made these fake photos. Are you kidding me?¡±

    ¡°I chuckled,¡± I sneered, ¡°It¡¯s really pitiful for those who deceive themselves.and refuse to ept reality.¡±

    Do you need me to find a technician to help you verify the authenticity of

    Chapter21

    this photo?

    Ah, forget it. With your self¨Cdeceiving personality, you must have thought that I bribed the technician again.

    So, you¡¯d better go find a technician to help you check it yourself, to see if what I investigated is true or false.

    My father stood still, his brows furrowed tightly.

    He was actually not unwilling to believe, but unwilling to believe.

    False things are too beautiful, real things are too cruel.

    So he would rather deceive himself and believe in those false things, and then sink into them.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I should also tell you that your so¨Ccalled investment project was just a deception to fool you.¡±

    The woman had no money, it was all someone manipting behind her back.

    And those so¨Ccalled money¨Cmaking projects were just deceiving you with words.

    ¡°Think back carefully, have you really taken over this project, understood this project, or even inspected the project on site?¡±

    My father¡¯s face turned pale, holding his breath without saying a word.

    I sneered, ¡°No, the money you invested, well, it¡¯s all with that woman.¡±

    I pointed at Aiyana.

    He sneered, ¡°She gave you back tens of thousands, saying it was earned, and you were so happy, even grateful.¡±

 Too Close 622

    Chapter622

    Oh, Lukas, you said you are not pitiful, living for so many years, and being yed with by others like this¡­

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    My dad couldn¡¯t stand it and yelled at me, ¡°Fake, this must be fake. You and your mom just want me to go back, right?¡±

    Come on, I went back and everyone said it clearly at once.

    You should also stop using these despicable means, deliberately ndering Aiyana.

    I burst outughing.

    He was really stubborn and ignorant.

    ¡°Mr. Duffy, help me, Mr. Duffy¡­¡±

    The bodyguards Braylon arranged for me were not easy to deal with.

    Just like that, the light pressed Aiyana¡¯s arm, causing Aiyana to cry out in pain.

    My father was really ¡°heartbroken¡°.

    Shaking my arms, I urgently said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else for now. You should release her first. Aiyana is delicate and can¡¯t bear their roughness.¡±

    I wasughing so hard, as if the bodyguards I brought were going to bully Aiyana.

    Chapter622

    I ignored my dad and walked straight up to Aiyana.

    Aiyana¡¯s face had turned pale with pain.

    Also, the bodyguard did put in a lot of effort. That force, it was as if he wanted to take her shoulders off.

    I wanted this effect.

    I lifted her chin and asked her, ¡°Did someone hire you to seduce my dad?¡±

    Aiyana shook her head directly, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at my father, ¡°I did not seduce Mr. Duffy, nor did anyone hire me. I met Mr. Duffy by chance, I admire his talent, and I admire his talent, so I was with him.¡±

    My father nodded vigorously on the side and said to me, ¡°Did you hear that? Aiyana truly cares about me. You should let her go.¡±

    I chuckled.

    Are men like my dad all fond of hearing such ttering words?

    Did you still appreciate my father¡¯s talent and admire my father¡¯s

    charisma?!

    I leaned close to Aiyana and asked her with a smile, ¡°So, tell me, what talents and abilities does my dad have?¡±

    When I asked this, Aiyana was left speechless.

    I sneered at my dad, ¡°See, in her heart, you simply have no talent or charisma at <b>all</b><b>!</b>¡±

    ¡°You asked for nothing, so easy to deceive, so easy to fool.¡±

    ¡°You shut up, do you talk to your father like that?¡± My dad¡¯s face turned red with anger, but he still couldn¡¯t help but look at Aiyana with concern.

    11

    Stubborn and ignorant!

    I really didn¡¯t want to say a word to my dad.

    I winked at the bodyguard.

    Those bodyguards immediately tightened their grip on Aiyana¡¯s arm.

    Aiyana instantly cried out in pain.

    My father felt so sorry, as if he wanted to take all of Aiyana¡¯s pain away.

    I

    nced at him and raised Aiyana¡¯s chin again, asking, ¡°You better tell me the truth, were you hired to seduce my dad?¡±

    ¡°You know, the people I brought here are not good people. Some of them have ways of torturing others.¡±

    Aiyana was in so much pain that tears were streaming down her face.

    My father was both distressed and angry, and he raised his hand as if to hit me.

    The bodyguard beside me immediately separated him with a firm hand.

    My father scolded me angrily, ¡°You really have some skills, where did you find these bullies? Do you know that this is illegal?¡±

    ¡°Oh, then you can call the police and arrest me.¡±

    I sneered, and my dad¡¯s face turned red with anger.

    I ignored him and looked coldly at Aiyana.

    ¡°Really, I have limited patience. This is yourst chance to answer properly.¡±

 Too Close 623

    Chapter623

    As I finished speaking, the bodyguard exerted force again, and another bodyguard took out a knife.

    Aiyana may have been really scared at this point, busy crying and saying, ¡°I said, I said¡­ indeed someone paid me to seduce this Mr. Duffy.¡±

    She gave me a lot of money, to deceive this Mr. Duffy, to lead this Mr. Duffy astray, to ruin this Mr. Duffy¡¯s home and family.

    My father the spot immediately.

    Con

    His fantasy was shattered, and he could no longer deceive himself.

    His eyes were red as he asked Aiyana, ¡°Why did you deceive me? Where did I wrong you?¡±

    Look at him, he really looks like ¡°he has lost in love¡°.

    I pulled out a photo of Kimberly from my phone and asked Aiyana, ¡°Do you think this is the woman who paid you?¡±

    Aiyana nodded and said confidently, ¡°Yes, it was her, it was definitely her.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes coldly, and sure enough, it was Kimberly who caused the trouble.

    My dad waspletely going crazy now.

    He shook Aiyana¡¯s shoulders and hoarsely shouted, ¡°I have been so good to you, I love you so much, are you really just here to deceive me? Do you really not like me at all?¡±

    11

    I gestured for the bodyguard to pull my dad away.

    Next, it was time to confront Kimberly with this woman.

    The time was in the afternoon.

    I called Reynaldo and asked him where he was now.

    He said he was apanying his mother in the hospital.

    I casually asked Kimberly, and he said, ¡°Kimberly was with him at the hospital apanying his mother.¡±

    That¡¯s perfect.

    So I took the person directly to the hospital, but I was afraid this would upset Mika, so I didn¡¯t go <b>up</b>, instead I called Reynaldo to bring Kimberly down.

    I was waiting in the yard.

    No matter what, this time I was determined to expose Kimberly¡¯s malicious true colors.

    Even if Reynaldo wanted to protect her, I must make sure she receives the punishment she deserves this time.

    If it weren¡¯t for her using such insidious and malicious tactics, our family wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this.

    I couldn¡¯t understand how a person could be so malicious.

    I deliberately chose a secluded corner in the yard, with no one around.

    I sent Reynaldo my location, and he came over with Kimberly following behind him.

    Reynaldo was taken aback when he saw me in such a grand manner.

    Chapter23

    After a while, he seemed to have thought of something again, frowning and looking at Kimberly.

    And Kimberly still had a pure and innocent look on her face.

    She didn¡¯t even look at Aiyana, but instead shouted affectionately at me, ¡°Esmeralda, Reynaldo said you were looking for me, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    He really can put on an act!

    I sneered in my heart, pointing at the woman kneeling on the ground, tightly guarded by bodyguards, and asked her, ¡°Do you know this.

    woman?¡±

    Kimberly shook her head in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, really?¡± I sneered, ¡°But does she know you?¡±

    ¡°Ah? Really? But I really don¡¯t know her.¡±

    Kimberly said, looking carefully at Aiyana, pretending to be innocent.

    After a while, she said, ¡°Look closely, this woman does look a bit like my previous friend, but she is not my friend.¡±

    After a pause, she seemed to remember something and looked at me in surprise, ¡°No way, Esmeralda, you¡¯re not still suspecting that the woman your dad cheated with was hired by me, are you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t waste words with her, I kicked the woman on the ground.

    ¡°Speak up, tell the truth!¡±

 Too Close 624

    Chapter624

    The woman moved slightly and looked up at Kimberly.

    What made my heart skip a beat was the look in that woman¡¯s eyes as if there was a hint of fear when she looked at Kimberly.

    Kimberly, on the other hand, held her head high and had a frank expression on her face.

    I furrowed my brows fiercely.

    What¡¯s going on?

    In theory, I brought this woman to confront Kimberly, and Kimberly should have felt very nervous and scared.

    But Kimberly not only did not panic, but also had a slight smile at the corner of her mouth as if she had a winning hand.

    And Aiyana was also acting a bit unusual.

    Why was she so afraid of Kimberly?

    My thoughts were racing in all directions, and in the blink of an eye, I suddenly realized something, feeling a sense of unease in my heart. g a sense of unease in my heart.

    I was just about to speak.

    Aiyana on the ground spoke first, ¡°Ms. Dully, how do you want me to tell the truth, I really don¡¯t know this woman in front of me.¡±

    Sure enough!

    When she came, I really didn¡¯t expect that Aiyana would turn against us

    at thest moment.

    It seems that I really underestimated this Kimberly

    But I don¡¯t understand, how could <b>a </b>woman like her have such great power, and be able to do bad things so seamlessly?

    And it made Aiyana so scared.

    Unless someone was helping her behind the scenes.

    Who could that person be?

    Her only support was Reynaldo and Anton.

    Reynaldo and Anton couldn¡¯t have helped her do such a bad thing, then who could it be?

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, did you hear that? She said she didn¡¯t know me.¡±

    Kimberly looked at me, and then started to cry again with a look of grievance.

    ¡°I know you have never liked me and have had a lot of opinions about me. but you really didn¡¯t need to nder me like this.¡±

    I ignored her and looked coldly at Aiyana on the ground.

    ¡°Some words, you¡¯d better think twice before saying them!¡±

    ¡°I was telling the truth, Ms. Dully. I really didn¡¯t know this woman.¡±

    Aiyana said miserably, ¡°Just now at the club, you had those bodyguards torture me. I had no choice but to admit what you said, that I was hired to seduce your father.¡±

    And the photo of the woman you just showed me, I was afraid that you would let these bodyguards torture me even more perversely, so I

    11

    admitted that the woman in the photo was the one who hired me.

    Actually, I didn¡¯t know this woman at all, and I have said many times, ¡°Your dad and I fell in love with each other.¡±

    I closed my eyes and felt that there was no need to press on with further questioning.

    The woman ¡°turned traitor¡± at the critical moment.

    Or, one could say, this is actually also a part of Kimberly¡¯s design.

    She had long suspected that I would hire Reynaldo to investigate this woman. so when she hired this woman, she had already rehearsed this scene with her.

    Ah. I was so naive in the end.

    Kimberly was so upset that tears were streaming down her face.

    She took Reynaldo¡¯s arm and choked out, ¡°Reynaldo, I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    For your happiness, for the sake of fulfilling you, I have already made concessions, I have already given up.

    I even regarded her <b>as </b>my sister¨Cinw, but why wouldn¡¯t she let me go?

    Her father had an affair, that was a family matter.

    I know, most people couldn¡¯t bear this kind of thing, but she shouldn¡¯t have imagined that I specifically hired someone to seduce her father.

 Too Close 625

    Chapter625

    She framed me by even forcing this woman to confess, she stooped to such a level.

    I said, I had already let go, not fighting with him for you anymore, and she still wouldn¡¯t let me go.

    How can I satisfy her, does she have to wait until I die to feel at ease?

    Kimberly became more and more excited as she spoke, and the more she spoke, the more tears fell, her expression bing increasingly pitiful and aggrieved.

    He was truly a genius at acting.

    She even held her chest, looking as if she was about to die.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, his eyes looking at me.

    No questioning, no coldness, no me.

    Only doubt..

    He said, ¡°She had indeede to her senses, why do you still¡­¡±

    I chuckled, my lips pulled back in a cold smile.

    Even though I made up with him, these days were still sweet.

    But he still believed Kimberly.

    Indeed, Kimberly acted very realistically, and on top of that, Aiyana switched sides at thest minute.

    He believed Kimberly wouldn¡¯t be surprised either.

    However, he didn¡¯t believe me or trust me. In this matter, he even thought of me as very malicious.

    Seeing me smile like that, he suddenly fell silent, his brow furrowed. tightly.

    I took a deep breath and said calmly, ¡°me it on my naivety, thinking too simply.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, you would never imagine how wicked this woman beside you truly was.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­

    There was a hint of helplessness in Reynaldo¡¯s tone.

    He said, ¡°Since she has already figured it out and no longer interferes between us, why do you still need to target her.¡±

    I chuckled and said nothing.

    Aiyana¡¯s betrayal at the critical moment cost me all chances of winning.

    I don¡¯t me Reynaldo, really.

    Putting myself in Reynaldo¡¯s shoes, I¡¯m afraid I would have believed Aiyana¡¯s words as well.

    After all, the person was caught by me personally.

    I was just a little disappointed in my heart.

    I gestured for the bodyguard to release Aiyana.

    Aiyana quickly got up and ran anxiously outside the hospital.

    I smiled wryly and suddenly felt that I had made such a big effort, but it was all meaningless.

    I waved off the bodyguards and turned around to leave.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    Reynaldo called out to me.

    He might have wanted to catch up.

    But then his phone suddenly rang.

    He shuddered all over, his voice tense, ¡°Is what you said true?¡±

    When I turned around and looked back, I saw Reynaldo running anxiously towards the hospital ward.

    It seems that something happened on his mother¡¯s side.

    I took a few steps forward, wanting to catch up and see what was happening, but Kimberly suddenly stood in front of me.

    When Reynaldo left, the look of vulnerability on Kimberly¡¯s face could no longer be maintained.

    She looked at me sinisterly, with a triumphant smirk on her lips.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, if you want topete with me, you¡¯re still a bit green.¡±

    ¡°So, all this talk about being open¨Cminded and wanting to give up on Reynaldo, it¡¯s all fake?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, give up?¡±

    There was <b>a </b>hint of almost twisted determination on Kimberly¡¯s face, ¡°Do you know how many years I have liked him? Letting go, it¡¯s not that easy!¡±

    It¡¯s all because of your appearance, otherwise I would have been with him long ago.

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    Chapter626

    Do you know how much I hated you? Since that time, I wished you were dend, wished to cut you into a thousand pieces.

    But unfortunately, you didn¡¯t die, you just lost a small piece of memory and forgot about them.

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s really fate ying tricks on us. Why is it not them forgetting. you, but you forgetting them?¡±

    I shuddered all over and stared at her coldly, ¡°My initial amnesia, is it rted to you?¡±

    ¡°haha¡­¡±

    Kimberlyughed triumphantly, ¡°Yes, you just realized it. Originally, I wanted to take your life, but unexpectedly, your worthless life is just too stubborn.¡±

    Listening to her words, I was trembling all over.

    At that time, I was only twelve or thirteen years old.

    Kimberly is about the same age as me.

    But at that time, was her heart so dark that she wanted to harm others? Did she even really do it?

    Kimberly¡¯s face still looked so pure, and she appeared to be a delicate and harmless girl next door.

    But who could have imagined that there was a demon living in her heart.

    I sarcastically said, ¡°Anton, and Reynaldo, they both actually think you

    are very kind.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so special about that? Not only them, even Mika, my friends. around me, including those who admire me.¡±

    None of them thought I was a kind angel.

    Kimberlyughed smugly, ¡°You can now go and tell Anton and Reynaldo what I said, see if they will believe it or not.¡±

    In their eyes, I was so kind that I wouldn¡¯t even step on an ant.

    So, Ms. Duffy, I advise you that, ¡°you¡¯d better not make a fuss like today.¡±

    One is my own brother, the other is my childhood friend who has lived with me for many years. Who do you think they would rather believe?

    ¡°Don¡¯t say they like you, but in their hearts, my kindness is also deeply rooted.¡±

    Indeed, thest sentence, what she said is a fact.

    No matter how much she made a scene,

    made a scene, her ¡°kindness¡± was deeply rooted. in Reynaldo and Anton¡¯s hearts, and those two men only thought she was throwing a tantrum.

    She never thought of her in a malicious way at all.

    But I was different.

    The outside world¡¯s reputation of me was that of an arrogant and domineering rich youngdy.

    I did not have the blessing of kindness in their hearts.

    Even if they did like me, they liked the wed version of me.

    In their hearts, Kimberly was much kinder than me.

    I might have done bad things, but they believed that Kimberly would

    never.

    It has nothing to do with kindness, nor trust.

    It can only be said that Kimberly has been pretending too well in front of them since childhood, and their deep¨Crooted impression of Kimberly as gentle and kind cannot be changed.

    I came home exhausted, Quentin was cooking in the kitchen, and my mom was sitting on the sofa flipping through old photos.

    When I came back, my mom hurriedly called me over to look at the photos together.

    The whole album was filled with photos of our family of four, mostly solo shots and group photos of Quentin and me.

    Childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, all have.

    My mom pointed to a photo of me when I was a child, smiled at me and said, ¡°Look at you, with tears in your eyes. Do you still remember?¡±

    I shook my head with a smile.

    Quentin leaned in and chuckled, ¡°I remember, this was when she ran off, got lost, and then started bawling when she was found.¡±

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    Chapter627

    My mother smiled and tightly held Quentin¡¯s hand, murmuring, ¡°Yes, when Ralda went missing, our whole family was extremely worried.¡±

    Back then you were only seven years old, you went out to look for yourself, searched all night, and finally found Ralda.

    At that time, when you came back hand in hand with Ralda, I was so excited that I almost fainted with your dad.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I remember it very clearly, I found her next to a trash can.¡±

    It was in the middle of the night when I found her, she wasn¡¯t crying.

    When I led her towards home, she didn¡¯t cry either.

    She held back her tears all night, and then when she came home and saw you guys, she burst into tears. It cracked me up.

    Upon hearing what they said, I did have some recollection.

    My mother put Quentin¡¯s hand and mine together, and said earnestly, ¡°You are siblings, the closest people in the world. Now that your father is no longer with you, and I won¡¯t be here in the future, you must love and support each other.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    Recent events have been somewhat sentimental, and even childhood memories have started to be bitter.

    I held her in tears, ¡°You will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mom, you will definitely live a long life,¡± Quentin chimed in,

    2 (Vouchers

    ¡°When you get better. I will take you and Ralda on a trip, and we will take many, many photos. This time, we won¡¯t bring Dad, just the three of

    us.¡±

    My mother held me and smiled at Quentin, but there was always a hint of sadness in her expression.

    At this point. Quentin changed the subject and asked me, ¡°By the way, Ralda, didn¡¯t you say that your father was deliberately set up and seduced by Reynaldo¡¯s white moonlight?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who caught Dad¡¯s mistress and confronted Reynaldo? What happened in the end?¡±

    I lowered my head and said somewhat dejectedly, ¡°That woman is too cunning, and it seems like she knew in advance what I was going to do, so she was prepared in advance¡­¡±

    However, Quentin did not believe my words.

    He jumped up and said angrily, ¡°Reynaldo must be favoring his white moonlight, right?¡±

    I went to settle ounts with him now, protecting Kimberly on one side and holding onto you on the other side.

    And that despicable white moonlight of his, the idea actually came to our house, I¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡±

    Quentin rolled up his sleeves and rushed out as he spoke.

    I quickly grabbed him and said, ¡°Quentin, calm down. It¡¯s not that he¡¯s trying to protect his white moonlight. It¡¯s just that this time his white moonlight was prepared in advance, and Aiyana also turned against me at thest moment, falsely using me, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still making excuses for him. It¡¯s a fact that he¡¯s protecting

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    Chapter627

    Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°If he really loves you, he should trust you unconditionally!¡±

    Did you trust me unconditionally?

    288 Vouchers

    I stared at Quentin in astonishment and asked, ¡°Do you have 100% trust in your girlfriend? Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I loved her, so in my eyes, everything about her was good, everything she did was right.¡±

    I pursed my lips, feeling an indescribable taste surging in my heart.

    The biggest issue between me and Reynaldo was actually not Kimberly, but ack of trust.

    Just then, Reynaldo¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    Quentin nced at my phone and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t answer! He must have just finished sweet¨Ctalking White Moonlight, and now he¡¯sing to sweet¨Ctalk you. He¡¯s ying both sides.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s just his sister, despite being called White Moonlight,¡± I said softly.

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    Quentin sneered, ¡°Come on, what kind of sister is a sister without blood ties? I am also a man. Reynaldo just wants to have the best of both worlds. He can¡¯t bear to let go of either of you.¡±

    I hung my head and said nothing, while my mom grabbed Quentin¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Enough, stop talking nonsense here, Reynaldo is not like you men.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face darkened, ¡°What do you mean ¡®us men¡®? I am much more loyal than Reynaldo, and besides, Mom, I am your own son, why do you always side with Reynaldo?¡±

    My mother nced at me and said, ¡°Think for yourselves, how did Reynaldo treat us?¡±

    Quentin remained silent.

    My mother added, ¡°Not bad, since he became sessful, he not only paid off all our debts, but also bought us this house, giving us a ce to live.¡±

    But think about how we used to treat him before?

    If he didn¡¯t truly like Ralda, how could he have gone this far?

    Everyone has family, and everyone will protect their family first time.

    He treated that woman as his sister, that¡¯s why he would protect her like a brother.

    Quentin, just say if the situation fell on you, if one day, Ralda had a little dispute with your girlfriend, wouldn¡¯t you defend Ralda?

    ¡°Does it mean that you don¡¯t love your girlfriend if you are maintaining a

    rtionship with Ralda¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Quentin was speechless by my mom.

    And at this time, Reynaldo¡¯s phone had already been disconnected.

    He called three times in total, but I didn¡¯t answer any of them. I just held onto my phone, feeling a bitplicated.

    My mother pushed Quentin into the kitchen and said. ¡°Alright, you must have something cooking in your pot. Go check it quickly, or it will burnter¡±

    Quentin seemed to have just remembered the kitchen, and he rushed into it in a panic, saying, ¡°I made Beet Wellington. I forgot it you didn¡¯t mention it.¡±

    My mother came up to me, took my hand, and said, ¡°No matter how Reynaldo defends that woman, his love for you is real, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­ do you think it¡¯s possible for someone to fall in love with two people at the same time?¡±

    My mother shook her head and said. ¡°In my opinion, he treats you differently than he treats that woman.¡±

    If he truly loved that woman, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to marry you in the first ce.

    After our family went bankrupt, he wouldn¡¯t help you either, wouldn¡¯t continue to entangle with you.

    So, children, emotional matters must not be too entangled in a small matter, and ignore his original sincerity

    You shouldn¡¯t always think that he was defending that woman. He was just deceived by that woman. He is also a victim, isn¡¯t he?

    What you should do is not to get angry with him, nor to stay away from him, otherwise you will really fall into that woman¡¯s trap and push him towards that woman.

    What you had to do was to help him see the truth, help him see the true face of that woman.¡±

    Listening to my mother¡¯s words, I vaguely understood something.

    I said, ¡°So I shouldn¡¯t have ignored his call just now, right?¡±

    My mother nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s better to rify things. If you don¡¯t answer the phone, misunderstandings will only get worse.¡±

    I pursed my lips and smiled, saying, ¡°I understand, I will go find him now.¡±

    Quentin muttered at the kitchen door, ¡°What are you still looking for? I¡¯m almost done with dinner.¡±

    ¡°You guys go ahead and eat first.¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± then ran out.

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    Chapter629

    This year, winter in Freybourne was particrly cold.

    Upon exiting the elevator, the cold wind rushed in.

    I tightened my down jacket around me and took out my phone from my pocket to dial Reynaldo¡¯s number,

    Just as I had dialed out, I heard a familiar ring at the door.

    I subconsciously looked up and saw Reynaldo leaning against the car, looking at me pitifully,

    He was dressed in a ck coat, with a light gray scarf around his neck. His facial features were deep¨Cset and stern in the cold wind, but his eyes looking at me were somehow watery, with a hint of pity.

    I sighed in my heart and walked over.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    He silently took my hand and ced it over his heart, warming it.

    He looked at me and said after a long pause, ¡°I hade earlier and called you, but you didn¡¯t answer,¡±

    He paused and then said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to see me anymore.¡±

    ¡°How could it be?¡± I said.

    He stared at me intently and sighed softly, ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±

    I shook my head and said nothing.

    He exined to me, ¡°Regarding today¡¯s matter, I was not favoring

    12.04

    7 Vouchers

    Kimberly.¡±

    I was just worried that you misunderstood her, after all, she really didn¡¯t need to treat your family like that, and she¡­

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not mention her anymore.¡±

    I really don¡¯t want to mention Kimberly at all now.

    And my mom was right, he was deceived by Kimberly.

    So with the deception and the illusion of that woman, I could only convince him with strong evidence.

    Besides, what I said was of no use.

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply.

    He thought I was angry, and he tightly held my hand against his chest.

    I looked behind him and saw that it was snowing again.

    I said to him, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s go eat.¡±

    He stood still.

    I sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. If you don¡¯t want to eat, then you can go back. Anyway, the food at my home is almost ready, I¡¯ll go up and eat.¡±

    With that, I was about to pull my hand out, but he unexpectedly pressed my hand harder, looking at me with a hint of resentment in his eyes.

    I furrowed my brows and looked at him, ¡°So what do you want to do? Tell me! And why did you suddenlye to find me?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me steadily, with a slightly aggrieved and awkward expression.

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    218 inters

    After half a day of silence, I forcefully pulled my hand out and said, ¡°I¡¯m really hungry. If you have nothing to say, I¡¯ll go back to eat.¡±

    However, as soon as I turned around, he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me into his arms.

    The man¡¯s chest was cold and hard.

    I frowned and pushed him.

    He held me tighter.

    J

    He whispered in my ear, his low voice wrapped in difort and

    awkwardness.

    ¡°I came to coax you, I was afraid you would be angry.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t actually angry, really.

    I was very frustrated that I couldn¡¯t expose Kimberly¡¯s malicious true colors.

    At that moment, the man spoke to me in a low and pleasing tone, and my heart softened.

    I raised my hand around his strong and thin waist, and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not angry, I¡¯m just really hungry. How about you take me out for a big meal?¡±

    Reynaldo paused for two seconds, then chuckled softly, ¡°Okay, you can have whatever you want to eat.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to eat the dishes cooked by Mr. Humphrey himself.¡±

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s up to you. Shall we go buy groceries now?¡±

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    I didn¡¯t say a word, but he had already pushed me into the car, as if afraid that I would change my mind and run away.

    I looked at him and saw that the man¡¯s face had improved a lotpared to just now, with a slight smile at the corner of his lips.

    Actually, I wasn¡¯t mad at him at all. On the contrary, he was able toe and coax me, which made me very happy.

    We went to the supermarket to buy groceries like a normal couple.

    After buying the groceries, we cooked together in the kitchen.

    He was the head chef, and I was his assistant.

    A warm and joyful meal was prepared, and I ate a lot too.

    The snow outside fell heavier and heavier, and soon there was ayer of white on the ground.

    Reynaldo hugged me from behind and kissed my neck.

    He whispered in my ear, ¡°Tonight¡­ stay with me?¡±

    Because I just said, ¡°After eating, I have to go back to apany my

    mom.¡±

    He was holding me tight at the moment, not letting me go.

    The breath sprayed in my ear was all ambiguous.

    I shrank my neck and felt his breath scratching me so itchy.

    Reynaldo suddenly turned me over and gently kissed my lips.

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    The heater was on in the room, so when I entered, I took off my down jacket and was only wearing a thin undershirt inside.

    His hand slipped into the hem of my clothes, igniting me wantonly.

    I couldn¡¯t stand still, leaning against his chest, and vaguely shouting to him, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t¡­¡±

    283 Vouchers

    Reynaldo stopped and fixed his dark eyes on me without blinking, full of suppression, his muscles tense as if he was enduring great difort.

    I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed his arm, and stood firm, but my legs still couldn¡¯t support me.

    His kissing skills are getting better and better now. He kissed me for a while, and it made me feel tingling all over.

    The man¡¯s slightly callousedrge hand was still in my clothes, but it didn¡¯t move.

    He stared at me and said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡±

    I was willing, where am I unwilling.

    Didn¡¯t I just do it with himst night?

    Doing it so frequently, will it be bad for the baby?

    Just as I hesitated, the man kissed my lips again.

    This kiss was more intense than before, he pushed up my clothes, and his strong body pressed me against the window.

    I turned my head to avoid his forceful kiss and seized the opportunity to say, ¡°Reynaldo, you¡­ you need to be gentle, I¡¯m serious¡­¡±

    12041

    Soon, the three words ¡°I¡¯m pregnant¡± were swallowed by him.

    Ves

    But his actions did soften a lot, his slender fingers were rubbing gently on the side of my waist, causing my whole body to tremble.

    His chest was upied by his big hand.

    I could no longer stand, and I slid softly to the ground.

    Reynaldo¡¯s strong arm hastily embraced me.

    He stared at me with a sly smile and said, ¡°Look at you, you can¡¯t even handle it before it starts. What are you going to doter?¡±

    I grabbed hispel and stared at him.

    He gently kissed me on the lips with a smile, then picked me up and carried me towards the soft big bed.

    He said he would be gentle, but the bedding beneath me was crumpled beyond recognition.

    He said he would finish soon, but in the end¡­ it waste into the night.

    Sure enough, ¡°a man¡¯s mouth is a lying ghost.¡±

    Afterwards, Reynaldo considerately carried me to the bathroom for a wash.

    12:04

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    Chapter631

    Back in bed, I surprisingly didn¡¯t feel sleepy, just a little sore all over.

    I leaned softly against the head of the bed, looking at him.

    In the middle of the night, someone called him. He probably thought I was going to sleep, so he ran to the window to answer the phone, deliberately keeping his voice very low.

    ¡¸

    In less than two minutes, he ended the call and turned to look at me.

    When he saw me looking at him with my eyes open, he paused for a moment and then smiled, ¡°You¡¯re not asleep?¡±

    ¡°I got upte during the day.¡±

    Looking at his spirited appearance, I was actually quite puzzled.

    Every time we make love, he is the one who puts in the effort, while I lie there motionless.

    Howe he never seems tired at all, but instead keeps getting more energetic, while I feel sore all over every time. It¡¯s really strange.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t know what I was thinking, he sat down and asked me with a smile, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    When he asked me this, I did feel a little hungry.

    I nodded and said, ¡°You go cook spaghetti for me, I want two eggs.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Reynaldo rubbed my head, looking at me with eyes so gentle it seemed like water could drip out of them.

    14:35

    Chapter631

    After Reynaldo left, I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore, so I got up from bed.

    put on a robe and walked to the window to watch the snow.

    There was so much snow in Freybourne this year.

    The cold wind howled outside the window, snowkes fluttered, and it made the indoor warmth even more cozy and peaceful.

    288 Vouchers

    I suddenly remembered the scene of ying in the snow in the yard with Quentin and mom when I was a child.

    At that time, Dad sat under the eaves, reading the newspaper and smiling as he watched us ying around.

    Childhood was so wonderful, carefree.

    But now¡­

    Thinking about my mother¡¯s illness, I felt like a huge stone was pressing on my heart, making it hard to breathe.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Suddenly, a pair of strong arms appeared around my waist.

    Immediately after, a warm chest pressed against my back.

    From the silhouette printed on the window, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s gentle handsome face.

    He lowered his head and kissed me on the neck, saying, ¡°The spaghetti is cooked, let¡¯s go eat.¡±

    I nodded and turned to walk towards the coffee table.

    Reynaldo suddenly furrowed his brows.

    14.35

    #1

    718 Vouchers

    He grabbed me and stared into my eyes, ¡°Why are your eyes red, have you been crying?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°No.¡±

    His face darkened suddenly, he pulled me towards him, and a pair of sharp eyes stared at me as if trying to see through me.

    ¡°Your eyes are so red, have you cried? Can¡¯t I tell?¡±

    I lowered my gaze and held back my emotions without speaking.

    He pulled me into his arms and whispered, ¡°Are you once again overthinking my rtionship with Kimberly? Or are you still upset about what happened at lunch today? Or maybe you¡¯re mad at me for being too rough just now?¡±

    I still shook my head.

    He sighed lightly, cupped my face, and whispered softly, ¡°Have you been wronged? Tell me, I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡±

    If it was really because of what happened at noon, then I apologize to you. You can hit me, scold me, but please don¡¯t keep it all inside, okay?

    Reynaldo had neverforted me like this before, his worried eyes and gentle tone seemed to melt the iceberg.

    I had been holding back my emotions and not crying.

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    With his coaxing, my tears couldn¡¯t help but fall uncontrobly.

    He panicked instantly, hastily wiping away my tears in confusion.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t cry¡­ Esmeralda, don¡¯t cry¡­¡®

    People¡¯s emotions are really strange.

    ??

    When he was fierce and menacing towards me at first, I always stubbornly refused to shed a tear.

    But when he was gentle with me, I suddenly felt vulnerable.

    Later I thought, this is probably the difference between being loved and not being loved.

    When you were not loved, crying your eyes out was of no use.

    When you are loved, even if you frown, he will be nervous.

    Under Reynaldo¡¯s gentle coaxing, I could no longer hold back my emotions and blurted out to him, ¡°My mother is sick.¡±

    Reynaldo was stunned for a moment, and then he hugged me andforted me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, nowadays medical science is advanced, and mostmon diseases can be treated.¡±

    I shook my head and said sorrowfully, ¡°She has the same kidney disease as your mother, a very serious one that could lead to kidney failure.¡±

    The doctor said, ¡°If a suitable kidney donor is not found within six months, my mother will not survive.¡±

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    Reynaldo¡¯s expression stiffened, and he said incredulously, ¡°How could this happen?¡±

    I shook my head frantically, unable to hold back any longer, and started crying with my face covered.

    I vaguely said to him, ¡°Actually, you have been tired recently, and your mother¡¯s situation is not good, so I have never dared to tell you about my mother¡¯s illness, for fear of affecting your mood.¡±

    But today, I don¡¯t know why, I suddenly became sentimental, feeling particrly sad and worried about my mom.

    Then you just asked like that, and I¡­ I couldn¡¯t help it¡­

    ¡°Reynaldo, what should I do, my mother got very sick.¡±

    Reynaldo hugged me, gently patting my back to help me calm down.

    After I cried for a while, he said to me, ¡°Actually, I have some good news that I haven¡¯t had a chance to tell you yet.¡±

    I was stunned, tears welling up in my eyes as I looked at him, ¡°What good news?¡±

    I feel that everything that has happened recently has been bad, not a single piece of news can be considered good.

    Reynaldo gently wiped away the tears from my face and whispered, ¡°This afternoon, the doctor called and said they found a kidney donor that matches my mom.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    I looked at him in surprise.

    This is indeed a piece of good news, a very good piece of news.

    <b>14.36 </b>

    1288 (Vouchers

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°I have already confirmed that the kidney

    source matches my mom with over ny percent, even higher than Mr. Palmer¡¯s match back then.¡±

    ¡°When will the surgery be scheduled?¡± I asked anxiously.

    After all, the doctor said his mother only had one month left.

    Reynaldo said in a low voice, ¡°In about a week, the doctor will schedule the surgery. In the meantime, my mom needs to get injections to reduce inmmation to ensure that her body is in good condition for the surgery.¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problem. With the advancement of medical technology, the surgery will definitely be sessful. Your mother will definitely get better.¡±

    N

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply, he rubbed my hair and said, ¡°So, don¡¯t worry too much, your mom will definitely get better.¡±

    I lowered my head, feeling a touch of sadness in my heart. ¡°But the doctor said my mom only has six months left at most. If we can¡¯t find a suitable kidney donor for her transnt surgery, she may die of kidney failure.¡±

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    Chapter633

    Reynaldo sat next to me on the couch, handing me the cooked spaghetti. He said, ¡°Give me your mother¡¯s medical report and some test data tomorrow, and I will ask some doctor friends to help me pay attention to a suitable kidney source for your mother.¡±

    You see, my mother¡¯s situation was so urgent that a suitable kidney donor could be found for her.

    ¡°I believe your mother can do it too.¡±

    Reynaldo had great influence and a widework of contacts, so it was certainly helpful to have his doctor friends keep an eye out.

    I sighed in my heart, hoping that both my mother and Reynaldo¡¯s mother could get through this difficult time.

    The next day, I went to the hospital and asked my mother¡¯s attending physician to make copies of her physical examination data and medical reports for me, so that I could give them to Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo went to thepany early in the morning, and I called him after receiving my mother¡¯s medical report.

    He answered the phone quickly, and there was a faint sound of flipping paper and the sound of a pen writing on paper on the other end of the line.

    He seemed very busy.

    I asked him, ¡°Are you avable now?¡±

    ¡°Well, you said.¡±

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    Chapter633

    288 vouchers

    ¡°I have already received my mother¡¯s medical report, and I want to give it to you now.¡±

    This way he could take it to his doctor friends earlier, and let those doctor friends help my mom find a suitable kidney source.

    Reynaldo asked, ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯lle pick you up. It¡¯s noon now, let¡¯s have lunch together.¡±

    I reported the address.

    In less than half an hour, Reynaldo arrived.

    Braylon followed along.

    Reynaldo took the medical report I handed him, passed it to Braylon, and gave a few instructions before taking me out to eat.

    Seeing me looking worried, he held my hand tightly andforted me, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. During this time, I will also keep a close eye on the doctor¡¯s screening situation. Once a suitable kidney donor for your mother is found, I will notify you immediately.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I smiled at him, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Reynaldo gave me a disdainful look and said, ¡°Thank you? This is all expected. Don¡¯t forget, we are husband and wife, and your mother is my mother too.¡±

    I held his hand back, looking at his gentle eyes and eyebrows, and the haze in my heart finally dispersed a bit.

    Reynaldo took me to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

    He was really busy. In the time it took to have a meal, he received four phone calls, all about work.

    When he answered the phone, he still remembered to look at me and saw

    <b>14:36 </b>

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    that there was no tea in my cup, so he considerately refilled it for me.

    After making a few basic phone calls, he didn¡¯t eat much, but his gaze kept drifting towards me.

    288 Vouchers

    After the call ended, he apologized to me and said, ¡°There have been a lot of things recently. After I finish this busy period, I will spend more time with you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, the important thing is to focus on the task at hand.¡±

    I served him a bowl of warm soup and said, ¡°I finally understand why your stomach hasn¡¯t been feeling well. You see, when you get busy, you don¡¯t eat properly.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at me helplessly and drank up all the soup I had poured for him.

    I saw that he didn¡¯t call again, so I said to him, ¡°Tonight,e to my mom¡¯s ce for dinner.¡±

    Reynaldo paused for a second and said with a smile, ¡°Quentin didn¡¯t dislike me, did he?¡±

    FA

    <b>14.36 </b>

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    ¡°Where, after my family went bankrupt, you helped us a lot, he knows.¡±

    He just didn¡¯t like you on the surface, at most he just med you for ying both sides, protecting Kimberly and not letting go of me¡­

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have it!¡±

    Reynaldo hurriedly denied, ¡°You know, in my heart, there is only you.¡±

    I lowered my gaze, and the corners of my lips unconsciously lifted.

    Reynaldo was a man who was not good at sweet talk, he didn¡¯t know how to coax people, and he didn¡¯t understand romance.

    But if he can say ¡°there is only you in my heart,¡± then it proves that his heart really only has me.

    The most touching words in the world are not sweet words, but his anxious and clumsy confession.

    ¡°Esmeralda, I really only had brotherly feelings for Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± I looked up and smiled at him, ¡°I believe you.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me carefully for a while, making sure that I truly believed, before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    He held my hand tightly, pursed his lips and said, ¡°After all these things are over, I want to have a wedding with you again.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I looked at him in surprise, ¡°Why do you want to have another wedding?¡±

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    208 Vachers

    Reynaldo seemed to recall our wedding, his handsome brows furrowing slightly.

    He spoke to me with a slightly aggrieved tone.

    ¡°You used to dislike me so much that you didn¡¯t even have a proper wedding. You only invited close rtives as guests, and you didn¡¯t evenplete the wedding ceremony before you angrily ran away.¡±

    So, I wanted to hold a wedding for you again, a grand one that everyone would envy.

    ¡°I want to tell the whole world that you, Esmeralda, are still my wife, Reynaldo, forever my beloved wife.¡±

    I stared at his serious look nkly, with a slight warmth in my eyes, feeling happy and touched in my heart.

    In fact, his sweet talk was very cheesy and straightforward.

    It was Reynaldo who touched my heart the most.

    I nodded to him, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting for that grand wedding from you.¡±

    However, reality is always cruel.

    I did not wait for the wedding, instead I waited for his hatred.

    After dinner, Reynaldo ¡°drove me back to my mom¡¯s ce and then hurried to thepany.¡±

    I told my mom that Reynaldo wasing over for dinner tonight.

    My mom was very happy.

    She said she had wanted Reynaldo toe over for dinner a long time ago, but she was afraid he was too busy and wouldn¡¯t want to.

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    After knowing that Reynaldo wasing for dinner, my mom immediately took me out to buy groceries and even dragged Quentin along to be aborer carrying the bags.

    1 yes

    Quentin looked at the threerge bags of ingredients, feeling speechless, ¡°Is this necessary? Isn¡¯t it just Reynaldoing over for a meal?¡±

    I nced back at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, one day when you marry your girlfriend and be her parents¡® son¨Cinw, they will also be so enthusiastic towards you.¡±

    When ites to Quentin¡¯s girlfriend, my mom suddenly said to him, ¡°Quentin, is your girlfriend busy today? Why don¡¯t you invite her toe over for dinner tonight, since I bought so many groceries.¡±

    I looked at Quentin and couldn¡¯t believe that he could bring his girlfriend this time.

    Quentin looked at his phone with aplicated expression and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll give her a callter to see if she¡¯s free tonight.¡±

    ¡°Hey, if she ising over, just let me know in advance so I can prepare a gift for her.¡±

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    110 wonder

    When my mom said this, Quentin felt even more guilty.

    He immediately changed his mind and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely bring her back to see you tonight.¡±

    Quentin looked quite upset, so I didn¡¯t say much either. I just silently took the bag from his hand and helped him share the weight.

    Quentin smiled at me and said, ¡°Ralda is still the best.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, in the future, if your girlfriend has a little disagreement with me, you must not just take her side.¡±

    Quentin smiled at me foolishly.

    I red at him impatiently and said, ¡°What are youughing at? I¡¯m serious. I haven¡¯t met your girlfriend yet, so I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s like.¡±

    But you also know, the first few times she really made a bad impression.

    If she was kind and good¨Cnatured, I would definitely respect her.

    But if she was tricky and dares to bully me and my mom in the future, then I will definitely not be polite to her.

    ¡°If you dare to favor her without distinguishing right from wrong, then I won¡¯t recognize you as my brother anymore.¡±

    Quentin paused for a moment, then suddenly pped the back of my head, saying in frustration, ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying, Kimora is not some ferocious beast, how could you have such a big conflict with her? And you even said you don¡¯t recognize me as your brother, are you trying to scare me to death?¡±

    14 36

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± my mom chuckled as she looked at me and Quentin, ¡°Stop arguing, both of you. When she arrives, we can all meet and it will be fine.¡±

    78 tirs

    ¡°Yes!¡± Quentin said to me, ¡°You worry too much. Kimora is fine, she is the kindest and purest girl I have ever met.¡±

    Seeing Quentin speak so highly of his girlfriend, I couldn¡¯t say anything negative about her either.

    When I got home, I was nning to take a rest first, and then clean up the ingredients.

    Just as Iy down on the sofa, I saw a message from Reynaldo.

    I probably won¡¯t be done until around 6 o¡¯clock in the evening, I¡¯ll try to go over as early as possible.

    I smiled and replied to him with a message, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll wait for you.¡±

    Reynaldo replied instantly, ¡°Esmeralda, I miss you so much, what should I do? I want to see you all the time, to hold you.¡±

    Um¡­

    I couldn¡¯t help blushing.

    When did Reynaldo be so cheesy?

    This lovey¨Cdovey talk is really cheesy and straightforward.

    However, I really like it!

    I touched my nose and replied to him, ¡°Work diligently, don¡¯t get distracted! The sooner you finish, the sooner you cane back for dinner!¡±

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    Reynaldo replied instantly, ¡°I have made up my mind!¡±

    I: ¡°9¡±

    112 chro

    Reynaldo said, ¡°After I finish this busy period, I will leave the secretary position for you, so that we can meet anytime, anywhere.¡±

    Um!

    What¡¯s wrong with Reynaldo today? He¡¯s like a clingy spirit, didn¡¯t we just have lunch together at noon?

    I was looking at my phone, covering my mouth and chuckling.

    Quentin suddenly approached and said, ¡°Who are you chatting with,ughing like a flower.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even had time to exit the chat interface when Quentin immediately saw that the nickname of the person chatting was

    ¡°Reynaldo,¡± and also immediately saw the straightforward words sent by Reynaldo.

    He immediately looked disgusted and said, ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t expect it. That man looks serious on the surface, but he¡¯s really sly inside. Look at these sweet words, one after another, so cheesy.¡±

    I kicked him and said, ¡°Get lost. You must be even more cheesy when you¡¯re with your girlfriend.¡±

    1435

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    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it. These cheesy and unpoetic sweet nothings, I just can¡¯t say them.¡±

    Quentin straightened his cor and said with a pretentious look, ¡°When ites to sweet talk, it¡¯s definitely poetic and picturesque.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± I wrinkled my nose disdainfully.

    My mother looked at us with a smile and said, ¡°If you two don¡¯t argue for a day, you won¡¯t feel happy in your heart.¡±

    With that, he looked at Quentin and said, ¡°How about you? Is your girlfriending over?¡±

    Quentin said, ¡°I just called Kimora, she was busy and not sure if she has time, I¡¯ll have to checkter.¡±

    My mother didn¡¯t ask any more, and I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Quentin exined, ¡°Kimora is a nurse and sometimes she has to work night shifts. She works very hard, so¡­¡±

    ¡°No problem, I understand,¡± Quentin smiled at him and then went to the kitchen to clean up the ingredients.

    Quentin looked at me and said, ¡°I will go see her now. If she¡¯s done with her work, I¡¯ll bring her over.¡±

    I nodded.

    After Quentin left, I went to the kitchen and cooked the ingredients we had just bought together with my mom.

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    11

    Bought a lot of vegetables, just cleaning them probably took two hours.

    My mother suddenly sighed.

    I looked at her in confusion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡±

    My mother looked at me and said earnestly, ¡°Quentin ispletely immersed in this rtionship. I just hope that the girl is sincere and worthy of his trust.¡±

    Otherwise, it would have cost Quentin his life.¡±

    I pursed my lips, feeling a bit worried in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t realize it before, but now I suddenly realize that Quentin is actually a romantic.

    Love brain is fine when it meets someone who truly loves it, but if that person disappoints it, isn¡¯t that like taking its life?

    Quentin came back at five o¡¯clock and as soon as he came back, he silently went straight into the kitchen.

    I exchanged a nce with my mom and knew in my heart that this time, Quentin still hadn¡¯t brought his girlfriend back.

    My mother shook her head at me, indicating that I shouldn¡¯t say anything.

    I pursed my lips and silently tidied up the dining table.

    Before long, Quentin suddenly stood at the kitchen door, exining to my mom and me, ¡°Kimora is working the night shift tonight, so she can¡¯te. She said she will definitelye visit another day.¡±

    The more times, even the most reasonable exnation seems like an

    excuse.

    I opened my mouth, about to speak, and my mom quickly smiled at

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    1

    Quentin and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. It will be the same next time youe. Remind her to take good care of herself, don¡¯t ruin her health for work.¡±

    ¡°Um!¡± Quentin nodded heavily, ¡°She said she works so hard, it¡¯s also for our future, she wants to earn more money, so when we get married, life won¡¯t be so difficult.¡±

    It¡¯s all my fault. At this age, I haven¡¯t achieved anything. The family went bankrupt, and the current job is not that great either. I don¡¯t make much money in a month.

    It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m so useless, can¡¯t give her a good life, and make her so tired. I really deserve to die!

    Quentin said, looking extremely guilty.

    I sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, just cook well.¡±

    Quentin looked like he had been ¡°picked up¡± by his girlfriend no matter how you looked at it.

    Forget it, I haven¡¯t figured out the situation yet, so I really can¡¯t say anything.

    Just then, the door was suddenly knocked.

    Chapter637

    H

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    I was stunned and hurried to open the door.

    As the door opened, Reynaldo, with a gentle smile on his face, stood outside the door.

    He also carried a lot of fruits and nutritional supplements in his hands.

    I looked at the time and it was only five thirty.

    I busily took the things from his hand and asked him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be busy until six o¡¯clock?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me steadily and whispered to me, ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to see you, so I quickly finished all my work.¡±

    Out of the blue, another cheesy line.

    I awkwardly looked back over my shoulder.

    My mother covered her mouth and chuckled, while Quentin hummed arrogantly.

    Reynaldo, unaware of how cheesy he sounded, remained calm andposed, without blushing or skipping a beat.

    My motherughed for a while, then quickly pulled him in and said, ¡°Just in time, the food is almost ready.¡±

    Turning back to Quentin for confirmation, he said, ¡°There¡¯s only one soup left, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, you guys go ahead and eat,¡± Quentin said, then disappeared into the kitchen.

    <b>14:36 </b>

    1

    Chapter637

    Reynaldo was still wearing a ck overcoat.

    He was tall with long legs, in great shape, like a walking coat hanger, and the ck coat looked especially good on him.

    Today, although it did not snow, the temperature was very low.

    When Reynaldo entered, there was a chill in the air.

    He took off his coat and handed it to me, respectfully calling out ¡°Mom¡± to my mother.

    My motherughed so much that she couldn¡¯t close her mouth, warmly pulling him to sit at the dining table.

    Reynaldo was particrly sincere. He not only came, but also brought a gift.

    My mom, Quentin, and Quentin¡¯s girlfriend all attended.

    Because I mentioned it to him, Quentin¡¯s girlfriend might alsoe, and

    he took note of it.

    The gift was very valuable. My mother¡¯s was a natural jade bracelet. At first sight of the ice¨Cclear and sun¨Cgreen mat¨¨rial, I knew it was worth a lot.

    Quentin had a luxury watch, the brand of which I knew. Any watch from that brand costs millions of dors.

    Quentin¡¯s girlfriend wore a delicate diamond ne.

    It must be said that Reynaldo¡¯s appearance was really like a boyfriending to visit the girlfriend¡¯s side.

    The key is, after Reynaldo came in, his expression still had a hint of restraint.

    14.36

    Chapters 3*

    We wereughing so hard. He had been our son¨Cinw for three years, but he really acted like a new son¨Cinw.

    My mother saw Reynaldo¡¯s attitude andughed again with her mouth wide open.

    She returned the bracelet and said with a smile. ¡°We are all family, your presence is enough, there is no need to bring such a valuable gift,¡±

    Quentin wore the watch on his wrist and showed off. ¡°Mom, this is his intention, you should ept it.¡±

    Saying that, he took the ne he had bought for his girlfriend and smiled at Reynaldo, ¡°It¡¯s on me, Reynaldo. Come over for dinner more often in the future.¡±

    I red at him and said, ¡°Vulgar!¡±

    My mother chuckled and shook her head, saying to Reynaldo, ¡°Quentin is just like a child, don¡¯t mind him.¡±

    ¡°I thought Quentin was great, he could make mee back for dinner often, I was happy.¡±

    Quentin hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°You guys go ahead and cat. The dishes will get cold. I¡¯ll go check on the soup in the kitchen.¡±

    I knew Quentin must have been touched by what Reynaldo had just said.

    After all, Quentin had humiliated Reynaldo before, and now Reynaldo can overlook the past and be so kind to us, which is really rare.

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    A meal, eaten by the whole family, created a very pleasant atmosphere.

    Although the cold wind was biting outside, the inside was full of warmth and harmony.

    After dinner, Reynaldo took the initiative to clean up the tableware.

    My mom and I both told him to sit down and rest, but he wouldn¡¯t listen. He even ¡°chased me out of the kitchen.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s My mother pulled me and nced at the kitchen, whispering to me, been a long time since I saw Reynaldo. Now it seems like he is starting to like you more and more. Seeing how much he cares about you, I feel more

    at ease.¡±

    Quentin has always disliked Reynaldo.

    At this moment, there was also a change in attitude towards Reynaldo. He said to me, ¡°Reynaldo is a good person. You two must get along well in the future, trust each other, and stop being bothered by unnecessary misunderstandings.¡±

    Um!

    Quentin¡¯s attitude changed so quickly!

    I don¡¯t know who said yesterday that Reynaldo was trying to have it both ways, or who said that Reynaldo was a scumbag.

    When Reynaldo came out of the kitchen after cleaning up, Quentin poured him a cup of tea.

    Reynaldo looked at him and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    <b>14:36 </b>

    11

    Quentin scratched the back of his head ufortably, ¡°Thanks, we¡¯re family.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s lips curled slightly.

    He said, ¡°The position of project director is still vacant in mypany. Do you want to consider taking it?¡±

    Quentin was taken aback, ¡°Me? Me?¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°Actually, you are quite smart and capable. It¡¯s just that because you came from a wealthy background, youcked a bit of ambition.¡±

    ¡°If you enter the workce now, I will have Braylon guide you, and I believe you will soon achieve something.¡±

    Praise and affirmation came unexpectedly, Quentin waspletely

    stunned.

    My mother quickly bumped his elbow and said, ¡°Reynaldo asked you to go to hispany, why don¡¯t you respond?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Quentin said, suppressing the excitement in his heart, ¡°If I get that position, I will definitely work hard and not let you down.¡±

    I knew that Quentin was so excited because, for one thing, someone finally gave him a chance and was willing to acknowledge his abilities.

    Secondly, he also wanted to achieve something in his career so that he could provide better material conditions for his girlfriend.

    That night, I was still ¡°driven out¡± of the house.

    This time it wasn¡¯t my mom who was rushing me, but Quentin.

    He said, ¡°Mom, I have me with you, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

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    ¡°Don¡¯t wander around the house, it affects mom¡¯s sleep.¡±

    285 chery

    ¡°The room was too small, it was too crowded for three people to live in. You¡¯d better move in with Reynaldo.¡±

    Hisst words deeply touched Reynaldo.

    When Reynaldo left, he also gave him a sports car, which made him very happy.

    After we left the house, Reynaldo didn¡¯t rush to take me back to the vi. Instead, he held my hand and strolled along the street.

    The snow in winter was romantic, with a hint of sweetness even in the

    wind.

    Reynaldo took me to the riverside, where there were many couples having

    dates.

    He helped me wrap the scarf properly, only revealing a pair of eyes.

    He said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, actually I also prepared a gift for you.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I tilted my head to look at him, ¡°What is it?¡±

    He smiled and made a phone call with his mobile phone.

    He immediately gestured for me to look up at the sky.

    In an instant, with a bang, countless fireworks bloomed in the sky above

    the river.

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    The colors of purple and red were reflected on the river, beautiful to the

    extreme.

    Fireworks bloomed one after another, forming words of love in the air, extremely romantic.

    There were exmations and admiring voices all around.

    Reynaldo hugged me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder, and asked me softly, ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    I nodded.

    Liked, really liked, there is no woman who doesn¡¯t like this kind of

    romance.

    Recently, there have been too many surprises and favorsing too suddenly. While I was immersed in them, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little dazed.

    There is often an illusion that all the happiness at the moment is just a fleeting mirage.

    The hand wrapped around my waist was real, and the hot breath sprayed on my neck was also very real.

    This is not unreal, all this happiness is real.

    Later, I concluded that the reason for my inexplicable anxiety and sadness must have been because I was pregnant, with hormonal imbnces leading to emotional instability and sensitivity.

    In the evening, Reynaldo was surprisingly gentle.

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    He asked me twice and it wasn¡¯t enough. It was only when I begged for mercy that he let me go.

    I was thinking, recently I have been doing it quite frequently, almost every day. I need to go to the hospital for a pregnancy test.

    Should we bring Reynaldo along?

    I don¡¯t know if he had time.

    When I drifted off to sleep, a thought popped into my head.

    The next day, I was awakened by a sudden ringing of my cell phone.

    I groggily felt around under the pillow for my phone. When I found it, I didn¡¯t even look at it, I just answered the call.

    The next second, I was so shocked that I sat up directly from the bed, wide awake!

    It was Quentin who called, he said he had found a suitable kidney source for my mom and asked me toe back quickly.

    When I hurried back home, Quentin was waiting for me in the house with

    my mom.

    There was also a doctor in a white coat at home.

    I vaguely recognized the doctor, as if I had seen him somewhere before.

    I contained my excitement and asked Quentin, ¡°Did you really find a kidney donor that matches with Mom?¡±

    Quentin nodded heavily, his eyes brimming with joy.

    My mother was also standing aside, crying with joy.

    Quentin pulled me aside and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Kimora. Kimora told

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    Dr. Laurent about my mom¡¯s situation, and that¡¯s why Dr. Laurent paid extra attention to finding a suitable kidney donor for my mom.¡±

    70s where

    It was not until these days of non¨Cstop screening by Kimora and Dr. Laurent that a kidney source matching with the mother was finally found.

    No wonder Kimora didn¡¯t have time toe for dinnerst night, it turns out she was busy with her mom¡¯s affairs, we were wrong to me her.

    Quentin said hastily, with a tone that couldn¡¯t hide his joy and guilt towards his girlfriend.

    But I felt a little strange about it in my heart.

    Does his girlfriend really have such great ability?

    And there¡¯s this Dr. Laurent¡­

    R

    I turned my head to look at the doctor beside me, who was wearing a pair of gold¨Crimmed sses, looking gentle and elegant, with extraordinary temperament.

    But the more I looked, the more familiar it seemed.

    Seeing the inquiry in my eyes, the doctor smiled at me and said, ¡°Hello, I am Zackery Laurent, Kimora¡¯s senior brother.¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°Hello.¡±

    After a pause, I asked him, ¡°What about the source of the kidney¡­¡±

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    ¡°Well, I have found it.¡± Zackery said seriously. ¡°After Kimora gave me your mother¡¯s condition, as well as the relevant medical records and test data, I started looking for a kidney source that matches your mother.¡±

    Kimora has also been looking with me during this time.

    The reason she didn¡¯t tell you about this in advance was also because she was afraid that the greater your expectations, the greater your

    disappointment.

    However, the heavens do not disappoint those who work hard. After strictparison and screening of various data, a matching kidney source for your mother was finally found in the medical human tissue bank.

    Zackery said, taking out a small stack of documents from his bag and handing them to me.

    ¡°This is aparison table of kidney sources and various data of your mother¡¯s body, with a matching rate as high as 93%.¡±

    I took the information and carefully looked at it. The data did show the variousparison data between my mother and the kidney donor.

    There were some professional terms that I couldn¡¯t understand, but the final result did show a match rate of 937%.

    Quentin pulled me excitedly and said, ¡°Great, Ralda, Mom is finally saved, we must thank Kimora well.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I just asked the doctor, ¡°Where is Ms. Kimora? Why didn¡¯t shee with you?¡±

    Zackery said softly, ¡°She hasn¡¯t slept for days and nights because of your

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    Chapter640

    mother¡¯s matter. After finding a kidney donor, she fell ill.¡±

    11

    credas

    Quentin quickly added, ¡°Yes, Ralda, Kimora is really worried sick about her mom. I went to see herst night, she looked very pale, and she is quite ill.¡±

    When Quentin said this, there were worries, heartache, and guilt between his eyebrows.

    ¡°Ralda, go back and see her with me, then apologize to her.¡±

    I furrowed my brows.

    Quentin quickly changed his tune, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t really want you to apologize, I just hope you won¡¯t hold such a big bias against her in the future. She doesn¡¯t mean to stand you up every time, she¡¯s just really busy.¡±

    ¡°Look, if it weren¡¯t for her painstaking efforts to help, how could we have found a suitable kidney donor for Mom so quickly, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°If this kidney source can really save my mother¡¯s life, I don¡¯t need you to say, I will personally go to apologize to her, of course, if you want me to apologize to her, that¡¯s no big deal either.¡±

    ¡°As long as it could save my mother, I was willing to do anything for her.¡±

    ¡°No, Ralda, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Quentin hurriedly tried to exin.

    I interrupted him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand.¡±

    After that, I looked at Zackery and asked the question in my mind, ¡°Dr. Laurent, have we met somewhere before? Why do I feel like Dr. Laurent looks familiar.¡±

    Zackery paused for a second and said with a smile, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I

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    288 Vouchers

    have ever met Ms. Duffy. Perhaps someone who looks a bit like me is the one Ms. Duffy has seen.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    I smiled and asked him, ¡°Is Ms. Kimora your junior sister?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we graduated from the same medical school. She is currently working as an intern nurse at our hospital.¡±

    I wanted to ask some more questions, Quentin tugged at my arm and whispered to me, ¡°What are you doing, asking so many questions, it¡¯s so rude.¡±

    You know, Dr. Laurent did help my mom find a suitable kidney donor.

    ¡°You should just thank Dr. Laurent a lot, why ask so many questions?¡±

    I nced at Quentin.

    He didn¡¯t think, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too easy to find this kidney source?¡±

    14:36

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    Chapter641

    It seemed to see my suspicion.

    Zackery took out his work ID and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, this is my work badge.¡±

    I quickly nced.

    Zackery, internal medicine professor at Ormond Hospital.

    I noted down the name of the hospital and eximed to Zackery, ¡°Dr. Laurent is really promising.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Duffy is too kind,¡± Zackery put away his name badge and said to me, ¡°I just did a full body examination for your mother. Her current physical condition is not very optimistic. I suggest she be hospitalized as soon as possible for relevant anti¨Cinmmatory treatment.¡±

    ¡°After the inmmation subsides, we can schedule surgery for your

    mother.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Also, there is nothing else, so I will take my leave.¡±

    ¡°I came over today mainly because Kimora asked me to. She insisted that Ie in person to tell you about the situation.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Quentin said to Zackery, feeling extremely grateful.

    Zackery smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kimora¡¯s business is my business.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brows.

    <b>14:36 </b>

    Chapter641

    Was Kimora¡¯s business his business?

    What does this mean?

    Howe I feel like the rtionship between that Kimora and Dr. Laurent was not ordinary?

    It seemed that Zackery could see my doubts, and he smiled at me, saying, ¡°I have known Kimora for a long time, she is like a sister to me.

    ¡°Since Mr. Duffy was Kimora¡¯s boyfriend, I naturally had to do my best to help with Mr. Duffy¡¯s family affairs.

    ¡°I am so grateful to Dr. Laurent. After this is all over, I will treat Dr. Laurent to a meal.¡±

    Quentin escorted Zackery to the elevator.

    Zackery didn¡¯t turn back until he got into the elevator.

    When he came back, he immediately reprimanded me, ¡°Ralda, you were really rude just now. Dr. Laurent came specifically to examine Mom and share this good news with us.

    But just now, you were not only asking questions left and right, but also looking very doubtful.

    Thanks to Dr. Laurent¡¯s consideration for Kimora¡¯s sake, he didn¡¯t argue with you. Otherwise, if he had argued, who else could our mother rely on to save her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about you anymore. You really need to change your ways.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mean to doubt anything.

    If the doctor had simply helped my mom find a kidney source, I wouldn¡¯t have minded.

    14:36

    Chapisted!

    The key was that Kimora had this doctor arranged.

    When did Kimora be so capable?

    11

    Originally, I had many doubts and dissatisfaction towards that Kimora.

    That moment she suddenly became so powerful, I naturally became more suspicious.

    And these are also rted to my mother¡¯s safety, so I naturally have to be more cautious.

    Quentin kept on nagging at me.

    My mother pulled him and gestured for him to be quiet.

    I nced back towards the direction of the elevator.

    That doctor, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve seen him somewhere, but where exactly?

    I rubbed my head and racked my brains to try to remember.

    Suddenly, I was shaken all over and suddenly remembered!

    Before, I once went to the hospital for a pregnancy test and happened to see Anton chatting with a doctor.

    Now thinking back carefully, the doctor I chatted with Anton seems to be this Dr. Laurent.

    I said, ¡°I always feel familiar with Dr. Laurent.¡±

    At that time, I just took a quick nce from a distance, so the impression was not very deep, but Dr. Laurent¡¯s appearance and temperament were outstanding, so I still had some impression.

    So, Dr. Laurent was Anton¡¯s friend?

    <b>14 </b>360

    Chapter¨C41

    Was the infertility test result that Anton helped me forge before also done with the help of Dr. Laurent?

    14<b>:</b>370

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    While I was thinking, Quentin suddenly tugged at my arm and said, ¡°What are you staring at? I¡¯m talking to you.¡±

    I came to my senses and nced at him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Kimora fell ill because of our mother¡¯s matter. I want to go see her. Will youe with me?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I was of course delighted, I had always wanted to see his girlfriend¡¯s true colors.

    I added a sentence, ¡°You set the time, I¡¯m avable anytime.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it first, in front of Kimora, you can¡¯t talk nonsense, you can¡¯t show dissatisfaction with her, you can¡¯t throw a face at her, and you can¡¯t¡­¡±

    Seeing my frown deepening, Quentin finally fell silent.

    My mom chuckled and said to me, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at Quentin, he was just talking.¡±

    Quentin touched his nose and chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not favoring Kimora, it¡¯s just that you didn¡¯t see the suspicious look you had in front of Dr. Laurent just

    now.¡±

    Dr. Laurent didn¡¯t argue with you, but that doesn¡¯t mean Kimora didn¡¯t

    care.

    You will go see Kimora with meter. If you still have that skeptical look on your face, Kimora will definitely be angry.

    14:37

    Chapter642

    So I want to remind you in advance to always pay attention to your attitude.

    No matter how much you dislike her, she also helped our mother find a kidney source, right?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as I can see your girlfriend, I will definitely be very respectful in front of her as her sister.¡±

    After saying that, I went to the room.

    Quentin¡¯s cautious voice came from behind, ¡°Mom, is she angry?¡±

    My mom said, ¡°It should be, you are a bit too much.¡±

    Quentin said, ¡°Where did I go too far? I was just stating the facts! Kimora has always been wholeheartedly dedicated to us, but she always has something against Kimora.¡±

    My mom said, ¡°Well, you¡¯ll see when you take her to meet your girlfriend, Ralda knows how to handle things.¡±

    I closed the door, shutting out the conversation outside.

    Dr. Laurent gave me the matching data sheet for the kidney donor just

    now.

    I took out my phone, found Anton¡¯s number, and dialed out.

    A few secondster, Anton answered the phone, his deep voice tinged with a hint of surprise, ¡°Esmeralda?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Anton smiled and said, ¡°Why did you suddenly think of calling me? Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Do you know Zackery?¡±

    14.37

    ¡°Zackery?¡± Anton eximed, ¡°I know him, he¡¯s my friend, the one who gave you the infertility certificatest time, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Sure enough!

    If Anton and Zackery were friends and college ssmates, does that mean Anton also knew the girl named Kimora?

    With these thoughts in mind, I quickly asked him, ¡°Do you know a girl named Kimora?¡±

    ¡°Kimora?¡±

    Anton thought for a moment and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t know, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Dr. Laurent said Kimora was his junior sister. I thought since you are friends with Dr. Laurent, maybe you know this Kimora.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know<i>,</i>¡± Anton confirmed, thenughed, ¡°Zackery is in good shape himself, with a lot of fangirls among his juniors. I didn¡¯t pay much attention. Maybe I have seen the junior you mentioned, Kimora, but I really don¡¯t remember that name,¡±

    Anton paused and asked again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Esmeralda?¡±

    I told Anton the whole story in detail.

    Anton remained silent for a while and asked in a heavy tone, ¡°How is Mrs. Duffy¡¯s condition now?¡±

    ¡°The condition is stable at the moment, but the doctor saidst time that there is only half a year left. If a suitable kidney donor is not found for a kidney transnt after half a year, my mother may suffer from kidney failure.¡±

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    1 teachers

    So I wanted to ask you about the character of this doctor Zackery.

    After all, it was a matter of my mother¡¯s life safety, so I had to be cautious.

    Actually, I didn¡¯t doubt Zackery, I doubted Quentin¡¯s girlfriend.

    Anyway, no matter how you think about it, this thing feels weird.

    Of course, I also hope it¡¯s just me being overly sensitive and overthinking.

    Anton paused for a few seconds and said, ¡°Zackery is a very nice person, very professional, and extremely knowledgeable in the field of internal medicine.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, ¡°he found a kidney donor that matches your mother, so it should be fine. Just follow his instructions and prepare Mrs. Duffy for the surgery.¡±

    Hearing Zackery say this, my heart was slightly calmed.

    I looked at the matching data table in my hand and asked him, ¡°Where are you now? I have a matching data table for kidney sources here. I want to send it to you to see if there are any problems.¡±

    ¡°Okay, take a picture of that spreadsheet and send it to me, try to capture each page clearly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look first, and if there are any issues, I¡¯ll let you know promptly.¡±

    ¡°Um, thank you.¡±

    After hanging up the phone, I found a ce with better lighting, spread

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    Chapter643

    out the data sheets, and then took pictures of them one by one.

    1298 Wouchers

    Just as I had sent all the photos, Quentin suddenly knocked on the door from outside, saying, ¡°Ralda, I bought your favorite dessert, do you want to eat it?¡±

    I put away my phone and got up to open the door.

    As the door opened, Quentin stood at the doorway with a smile on his face, holding a small and delicate cake in his hand.

    That was my favorite rose velvet cake.

    Quentin handed me the cake and smiled at me, trying to please me, saying, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be angry, okay? I will definitely pay attention to my words and actions in the future, and not say things that upset you.¡±

    I lowered my eyes and said expressionlessly, ¡°I thought that once you had a girlfriend, Quentin, you would forget about my existence.¡±

    ¡°Wow, look at you, saying that. You are my own sister, a rtive who shares the same blood as me. I will never forget you, no matter what.¡±

    My mother walked over with a smile, holding hands with me and Quentin, and said, ¡°You two are the closest people in the world. Anyway, no matter what happens in the future, you siblings must love each other and cannot turn against each other.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I will never fall out with Ralda, it¡¯s actually her,¡± Quentin said, ncing at me, ¡°She has been really mad at metely because of Kimora.¡±

    ¡°Go away, when did I ever say I hate you? It¡¯s you who always protect your girlfriend, like protecting something.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but retort.

    Quentin grinned smugly, that smug look, I wanted to punch him in the face.

    14.37

    Chapter643

    284 Mouchers

    My mother chuckled and said, ¡°You guys, it¡¯s like something¡¯s missing if you don¡¯t argue for a day.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t argue with her at all, she was just giving me the silent treatment,¡± Quentin said gloomily.

    I snatched the cake from his hand and snorted, ¡°I¡¯m not angry either. It¡¯s you who did something wrong and thought I was angry!¡±

    After saying that, I carried the cake to the coffee table to taste it, ignoring

    him.

    Quentin smiled, leaned in, and like performing a magic trick, conjured up a steaming cup of milk tea for me.

    ¡°I know you like this, eat it, and after you¡¯re full, I¡¯ll take you to see

    Kimora.¡±

    14:37

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    Chapter644

    I looked at him in surprise and said, ¡°Your girlfriend finally agreed to meet us? Did you not tell her explicitly to bring me along to see her?¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Look at you, always suspecting others¡® intentions. I clearly told her that I wanted to bring you over to see her.¡±

    She initially said that she wasn¡¯t feeling well and her house was messy, afraid of giving you a bad impression.

    Later, I talked to her properly and said, ¡°You won¡¯t mind,¡± and then she agreed to go with us.

    ¡°But look, you are trying to figure her out with bad intentions again.¡±

    I nced at Quentin and couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him.

    With his attitude of taking care of his girlfriend, I would be wrong to say one more word.

    Forget it, as long as I could go and see his girlfriend, and make sure there was nothing wrong with his girlfriend.

    I really hoped that his girlfriend was fine, and Quentin was sincere. In this way, the probability of finding a kidney source without any problems would be high.

    At noon, Quentin took me out.

    Just as he got in the car, Reynaldo¡¯s phone rang.

    ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s have lunch together at noon? Shall I pick you

    Chapter644

    up?¡±

    788 Vouchers

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice was filled with a captivating tenderness.

    I unconsciously smiled, feeling warm and soft in

    my

    heart.

    I said, ¡°I can¡¯t do it this afternoon. I have something to do right now. Remember to eat well by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± There was a hint of disappointment in Reynaldo¡¯s voice.

    I quickly added, ¡°I should be free tonight, shall we have dinner together tonight?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The man quickly agreed, saying, ¡°I wille pick you up tonight.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    After hanging up the phone, Quentin looked at me disdainfully and said, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ I¡¯m lucky I haven¡¯t eaten lunch yet, otherwise this wave of dog food would have killed me.¡±

    I gave him a cold look and didn¡¯t want to talk to him.

    Quentin gripped the steering wheel and muttered to himself, ¡°But Reynaldo is really something. Look at this sports car, it¡¯s worth at least a million, and he just gave it to me like that.¡±

    I took a look and realized that the car Quentin is driving now is brand new, which I have never seen before.

    I asked him, ¡°When did you go to hispany for orientation?¡±

    Speaking of this, Quentin stopped joking and became serious, ¡°I am also worried about my mother¡¯s current situation, so I made it clear to him that after our treatment situation is settled, I will go to hispany and work

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    hard for him.¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    1288 Winchers

    ¡°He promised and said the position was being kept for me.¡± Quentin said with a touched expression, ¡°Ralda, when you think about it, Reynaldo really likes you a lot.¡±

    I touched my nose and nced out the window a little embarrassed.

    Indeed, Reynaldo has recently changed as if he were a different person, being unusually gentle towards me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but think of the past.

    If he had been half as good to me in the past as he is now, I wouldn¡¯t have had to argue with him until now.

    Fortunately, we timely opened our hearts to each other, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t know how long we would have to endure.

    The car parked in front of a high¨Cend apartment building.

    Quentin got out of the car and ran into the nearby store.

    I quickly caught up with him and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Kimora got sick and probably hasn¡¯t eaten anything yet. I bought her some oatmeal, snacks, and fruits.¡±

    14.3713

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    H

    Chapter645

    I nced back at the apartment behind me and asked him, ¡°Which floor does your girlfriend live on?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong on the 15th floor?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I just looked up at the 15th floor.

    In terms of appearance, the apartment in front of us was very nice. On the electronic screen downstairs, rental and sales information for the apartment was scrolling, and the price was not cheap at all.

    Just then, the question arose.

    I caught up with Quentin briskly and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that your girlfriend¡¯s hometown is in a mountain vige where there is no signal at all? Then how does she still have money to rent such a nice apartment?¡±

    Quentin squinted his eyes and looked at me with a dissatisfied

    expression, ¡°Look, you are doubting this and doubting that again. Her hometown is in the mountains, but that doesn¡¯t mean her family has no money, and it doesn¡¯t mean she herself doesn¡¯t carn money, right?¡±

    You see, our grandmother also lived in a remote town, but that doesn¡¯t mean our mother didn¡¯t have money back then, right?

    I pursed my lips and remained silent.

    His words did make some sense.

    Well, we¡¯ll see what¡¯s going on when we go upter.

    Quentin bought several light foods and some warm fruits.

    14.370

    Chaptereds

    I took out the prepared gift from the car and followed him into the apartment.

    The decoration in the apartment was very good, almost decorated ording to the standards of a star¨Crated hotel.

    Took the elevator to the 15th floor.

    Quentin led me to the door of a room at the far end of the corridor.

    I thought he was going to knock on the door, but he turned around and instructed me, ¡°Ralda, pay attention to your smile. Don¡¯t look so

    expressionless, or Kimora will misunderstand and think you don¡¯t like

    her,¡±

    288 Mauchers

    I rolled my eyes in silence, then shed him a bright smile and asked, ¡°Is this good enough?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Is it true?¡±

    I immediately stoppedughing and grunted, ¡°Then I won¡¯tugh, I can¡¯tugh!¡±

    Quentin clicked his tongue and stopped insisting on me, raising his hand to ring the doorbell.

    She rang the doorbell and told me, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything randomter, just ask about her health, show more concern for her.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Also, try to smile sincerelyter, don¡¯t fake it, and don¡¯t keep a straight face.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Did you bring the other gift as well? When you give it to herter, say a few nice words, or I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t ept it.¡±

    <b>14:37 </b>

    Chapter645

    288 Vothers

    I suppressed the anger that was building up inside me, gritting my teeth. and muttering, ¡°Oh!¡±

    Quentin saw my dark expression, chuckled in surprise, and stopped talking.

    He rang the doorbell three times in a row, but no one came to answer the door.

    Quentin busily exined to me, ¡°Kimora must have fallen asleep and

    didn¡¯t hear the bell, or maybe she¡¯s just getting up to open the door now. Let¡¯s wait a bit.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say a word.

    After waiting for a while, Quentin rang the doorbell again, but no one came to answer the door.

    ¡°She might have actually fallen asleep.¡±

    Quentin muttered to himself, and then took out the key from his pocket to unlock the door.

    I was speechless, ¡°I have the key, why knock on the door? It¡¯s like I¡¯m afraid of scaring his girlfriend.¡±

    As the door opened, a faint fragrance wafted into the room.

    I looked around and saw that the room was well¨Clit, with a fresh and elegant decoration.

    This is a two¨Cbedroom, one¨Cliving room suite.

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    Chapter646

    At first nce, it was neat and clean, butcked any vitality.

    I was about to walk into the house.

    Quentin stopped me and said to me, ¡°Well, you just wait here, I¡¯ll go to the room and check on her first.¡±

    ¡°Quentin!¡± I stared at him in exasperation.

    Quentinughed in surprise, ¡°Well¡­ why don¡¯t you sit on the sofa first. After all, we barged in suddenly. I¡¯m afraid she might get angry, so I¡¯ll go in first to check the situation and talk to her.¡±

    I tried hard to suppress the anger in my heart and walked over to the sofa to sit down.

    This Quentin is really annoying!

    He doesn¡¯t deserve to be my brother, so annoying!

    Typically, once they have a girlfriend, they ¡°turn their back on their own family.¡±

    Quentin looked at me angrily and cautiously, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, it¡¯s all my fault. You can punish meter, just please don¡¯t be sternter, smile, you must smile.¡±

    I fiercely shed with one knife eye.

    Quentin immediately shut his mouth, touched his nose, and walked towards the master bedroom sullenly.

    I took another look at the room in front of me.

    <b>14:37 </b>

    Chapter646

    288 Vouchers

    In terms of living environment, Quentin¡¯s girlfriend should also be a clean and elegant girl.

    If she hadn¡¯t stood me up several times, making it all mysterious, I really wouldn¡¯t have wanted to suspect her like this.

    However, I would soon be able to see her true colors!

    Thinking to myself, I looked towards the direction of the master bedroom.

    Just the next second, I saw Quentine out of the master bedroom dejectedly.

    I furrowed my brows, probably guessing a bit.

    I stepped forward and asked him, ¡°She¡¯s not here again, right?¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything.

    I snorted and said, ¡°To put it bluntly, she has a guilty conscience and doesn¡¯t dare to see us.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that about her.¡±

    Quentin defended the woman, ¡°Kimora had an urgent matter to attend to, so she couldn¡¯t wait for us at home. She left me a note as well.¡±

    She had sent me a message, but I was driving just now, so I didn¡¯t see it.

    You see, in this note it was written the reason why she didn¡¯t wait for us, she was full of guilt between the lines of the words.

    Quentin said, handing me the note to read.

    I impatiently waved his hand away and growled at him gloomily, ¡°Can¡¯t you be more alert? Obviously, that woman has something to hide and doesn¡¯t dare to meet your family.¡±

    14:37

    Chapter646

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    Quentin also got angry, his face flushed as he said to me, ¡°She just stood you up a few times, is it necessary for you to have such a big prejudice against her?¡±

    It was said that she was working as a nurse in the hospital. She was originally sick and resting at home, but a patient in the hospital

    specifically requested her care. If she didn¡¯t go, that patient would cause trouble in the hospital.

    The head nurse had no choice but to call her and ask her toe over quickly.

    She wrote in the note that she was very sorry to you, said she stood you up several times, and felt very guilty in her heart. She also said that she would definitelye to apologize to you in personter.

    She has been so sincere, why do you always have to use malicious thoughts to guess at her?!

    ¡°You don¡¯t even think about it. You were supported by Reynaldo, while she had to work. Not everyone is as idle as you.¡±

    ¡°Quentin!¡±

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    Chapter647

    I was so angry that my whole body was shaking, and I red at him with red eyes.

    He actually said that to me for the sake of his girlfriend!

    Quentin also red at me, his face full of anger and frustration.

    I took a deep breath, suppressed my anger and grievance as much as possible, and said to him in a low voice, ¡°Fine, if you insist that there¡¯s nothing wrong with your girlfriend, then show me her picture.¡±

    You said before that she didn¡¯t let you take photos of her because she didn¡¯t look good in pictures, but there must be photos of her at home after all.

    ¡°You found her photo and showed it to me!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Quentin scolded me angrily, ¡°Why are you being so unreasonable? Who says she has to have her picture disyed at home?¡±

    Kimora was simple and pure, yet not conceited. She didn¡¯t like taking photos.

    I snorted coldly, ¡°It means there are no photos.¡±

    Quentin stared at me without saying a word.

    I turned my face away and sneered, ¡°No matter what you say, I just feel like there¡¯s something wrong with her.¡±

    From the beginning until now, how many opportunities have there been

    to meet, but each time she has a different excuse. What is this if not guilty conscience?

    14:37

    Chapelet?

    ¡°Can you please stop this?!¡±

    11

    Quentin furrowed his brow and said irritably, ¡°Kimora has important things to do. She works in healthcare and is busy and tired every day. It¡¯s not like you, who are unemployed and idle.¡±

    You, a pampered youngdy who has never experienced hardship, will never understand!

    Anyway, New Year¡¯s Eve ising soon. She should have some time before the New Year¡¯s Eve. By then, I will definitely make sure you guys meet her. Is that okay?¡±

    I never knew Quentin could be so infuriating when he spoke.

    I never expected his love¨Cstruck brain could go to such an extent.

    His words directly made me so angry that my stomach hurt.

    I supported my waist and abdomen, leaning against the wall ufortably.

    Quentin nced at me and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you again?¡±

    I ignored him,

    He pursed his lips and came over to support me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, we didn¡¯t meet today, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. The future is long, what are you afraid of.¡±

    ¡°Go away!¡±

    I angrily pushed away his hand and walked out.

    The reason why I was so eager to find out who his girlfriend was, was mainly to confirm that there was no problem with the kidney donor for my

    mom.

    14373

    Quentin simply did not understand.

    Even when I told him these things, he would still rebuke me for being

    suspicious and for trying to specte about his girlfriend with malicious intentions.

    Anyway, I didn¡¯t want to say a word to Quentin now.

    People with love brains are really scary,

    I was so angry,

    Quentin followed me downstairs and saw me walking towards the roadside without looking back. He quickly ran over and pulled me, saying, ¡°Where are you going? Come on, I¡¯ll take you back.¡±

    I shook off his hand and said, ¡°No need, you go back by yourself!¡±

    ¡°Oh, what do you want to do again?!¡±

    Quentin red at me, his handsome face full of annoyance.

    I sat on the flower bed beside me and said lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything. You can go back, I¡¯ll just sit here for a while.¡±

    Quentin looked at me suspiciously and said, ¡°Are you¡­ nning to go to Kimora¡¯s hospital to look for her?¡±

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    Chapter648

    She didn¡¯t wait for me to speak.

    He suddenly rushed to me anxiously and warned, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re not allowed to go.¡±

    She told me that recently it was crucial as she waspeting for a position. Don¡¯t go bother her and bring her any negative impact.¡±

    I nced at him and couldn¡¯t be bothered to say a word.

    He put his hand on my shoulder and his tone softened, ¡°Oh, Ralda, please stop it, okay? Just consider it my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at you like that earlier.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,e back home with me. After we get home, you can scold me however you want.¡±

    I brushed off his hand and said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go to her hospital to look for her. After all, I don¡¯t even know which hospital she works at.¡±

    After hearing this, Quentin breathed a sigh of relief.

    Looking at his appearance, I was really about to faint with anger.

    He really treated his mysterious girlfriend like a treasure.

    Quentin sighed and said to me, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe back with me? I¡¯m worried about you being alone outside.¡±

    Besides, we hadn¡¯t even had lunch yet. Come on, I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal.¡±

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    Chapter648

    ¡°I have no appetite, I¡¯m full of anger,¡± I muttered.

    Quentin pursed his lips, wanting to say something more.

    I frowned at him and impatiently said, ¡°Alright, you go back and apany Mom. I¡¯ll sit here for a while to cool off.¡±

    120 Vouchers

    ¡°In the middle of winter, you must be freezing sitting here. How about I take you shopping?¡±

    ¡°You can decide what you wantter, just buy whatever you like, I¡¯ll pay.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to talk to him.

    Quentin estimated that he felt a little guilty because he had just yelled at<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    He came over and pulled me, ¡°Come on, I apologize to you, don¡¯t be mad at me.¡±

    I impatiently waved his hand away, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to find Reynaldoter.¡±

    Upon hearing that I was going to look for Reynaldo, Quentin didn¡¯t say anything else, just said, ¡°You be careful, I¡¯m heading back now.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I responded lightly without looking up.

    After Quentin¡¯s car drove away, I got up and went to the taxi stand to hail a cab.

    Who said I didn¡¯t know which hospital his girlfriend was in.

    Ah, Ormond Hospital!

    When Zackery showed his work badge in the morning, I secretly noted down the name of the hospital.

    <b>1437 </b>

    Chapter648

    This time, I had to see the true colors of his girlfriend!

    286 (Vouchers

    Arriving at Ormond Hospital, I headed straight to the nurse station work desk in the inpatient department.

    ¡°Hello, do you have a nurse named Kimora here?¡±

    The nurse in front of the workstation nced at me and nodded, ¡°We do have a nurse named Kimora here. May I ask what you need from her?¡±

    ¡°I had some personal matters to discuss with her. Could you please help me call her over?¡±

    ¡°Sorry miss, it¡¯s working hours now, Kimora should be busy at the moment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait here on the side, if she¡¯s free andes over, please let me know, thank you.¡±

    After greeting the nurse at the front desk, I sat on a bench nearby and waited.

    Not long after I had waited, someone suddenly called out to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy?¡±

    I was startled and turned my head to see Zackery walking towards me.

    Zackery still wore a white coat, with a gentle and elegant temperament, a pair of gold¨Crimmed sses that made him look refined.

    ¡°How did Ms. Duffye to the hospital? Did she bring your mother here toplete the admission procedures?¡±

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    I shook my head and said to him, ¡°I came here specifically to thank Dr. Laurent and Kimora for helping my mother find a suitable kidney donor. So, I would like to invite both of you to have a meal together.¡±

    But I just asked them, and they said Kimora was still busy.

    Zackery smiled gently and said, ¡°Recently the weather has been getting colder, and there have indeed been more patients in the hospital than usual, so we have been very busy during this time.¡±

    In addition, Kimora is your brother¡¯s girlfriend. As Kimora¡¯s senior brother, it is only right for me to help you find a kidney source, so Ms. Duffy, you don¡¯t have to be polite.

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll just wait here for a bit, until Kimora is free. I want to thank her in person.¡±

    After saying that, I nced at Zackery and deliberately mentioned Anton, ¡°I just talked to Anton on the phone earlier, and that¡¯s when I found out that Dr. Laurent is Anton¡¯s friend.¡±

    Zackery nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, my rtionship with Anton is very good.¡±

    He asked me to help him forge a fake infertility test reportst time, that was for you, right?

    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded, ¡°I asked Anton for help at that time.¡±

    After a pause, I said meaningfully to Zackery, ¡°Anton just praised you on the phone, saying that you are extremely talented and have very good professional ethics.¡±

    14.37

    He made mepletely trust you, saying that the kidney source you found must not have any problems.

    288 Vouchers

    Anton never makes mistakes when judging people. With his approval, I naturally have more faith in Dr. Laurent.

    With that, I stared at Zackery¡¯s face without blinking for a moment.

    See if you can find a trace of unusual expression on his face.

    However, he just smiled gently all the time, with no ws on his face.

    ¡°Kimora!¡±

    At that moment, Zackery suddenly shouted towards the corridor next to him.

    I was taken aback and quickly followed his gaze.

    Two nurses were carrying a medicine tray, chatting andughing as they walked towards the nurse station.

    When Zackery shouted, one of the nurses immediately looked over in our direction.

    ¡°Youe over here,¡± Zackery said to the nurse.

    The nurse nodded and handed the tray to another nurse before walking

    over.

    I stared at her without blinking.

    The nurse in front of me was wearing a mask, and I could only see a pair of eyebrows and eyes.

    However, the figure bore a slight resemnce to the silhouette I had vaguely seen before.

    14.37

    Chadst

    ¡°Zackery, do you need me to call you for something?¡± The nurse walked over and asked Zackery respectfully,

    Zackery smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, this is Quentin¡¯s sister, Esmeralda.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Are you Ralda?¡±

    The nurse looked at me busily, with a slightly nervous and excited tone, ¡°Quentin often mentions you in front of me, and I have always wanted to meet you and Mrs. Dully,¡±

    But I have been too busy recently, busy with work, busy with jobpetition, and even busy finding a suitable kidney source for Mrs. Duffy, so I haven¡¯t been able to visit you and Mrs, Duffy,

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve stood you up a few times before, I¡¯m really sorry, I¡¯ve been wanting to apologize to you.¡±

    The nurse in front of me spoke with such sincerity that it didn¡¯t seem like

    an act

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Could it be that I was just being too picky and overthinking it?¡±

    Actually, Quentin¡¯s girlfriend really didn¡¯t have any problems. She did cancel our date because she was too busy.

    14

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    Chapter650

    ¡°Ralda, you weren¡¯t mad at me, were you?¡±

    Just as I was thinking, the nurse suddenly asked me cautiously, as if she was afraid of offending me.

    I shook my head and gave her a gentle smile.

    ¡°No, Quentin has already told me the reason why you stood me up.¡±

    ¡°You were indeed very busy, just as Dr. Laurent said that there were a lot more patients in the hospital, so you can¡¯t be med for that.¡±

    When I said this, she visibly rxed and said, ¡°As long as Ralda doesn¡¯t me me, it¡¯s fine. Quentin often tells me that you were spoiled by your family since you were young, have a princess¨Clike temper, and may say things that are not pleasant to hear.¡±

    ¡°But I thought you were easy to get along with. That stinky Quentin made me anxious for a long time, afraid that you all wouldn¡¯t like me.¡±

    The woman in front of him spoke with a hint of coquetry, and when she mentioned Quentin, there was indeed a hint of the shyness between

    lovers.

    So, this woman was either really Quentin¡¯s girlfriend.

    If not, it can only show that the woman¡¯s acting skills have reached the peak.

    I smiled, pursed my lips, turned my eyes, and said to her, ¡°Ms. Kimora, Quentin often mentions you in front of me and my mom, so my mom really really wants to meet you.¡±

    <b>14370 </b>

    Chapter650

    294 Washers

    But you never had time, so, Ms. Kimora, can I take a picture? Or we can take one together.

    ¡°I want to show your photo to my mom, so she won¡¯t always worry about it. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    The woman in front of me hesitated for a moment.

    Zackery suddenly smiled at her and said, ¡°Kimora, it¡¯s just a photo, let her take one.¡±

    Anyway, these days, they were also going to bring your future mother¨Cin-w to the hospital for admission, so you would still meet each other then.

    So first let her show your photo to your future mother¨Cinw, so that when you actually meet, you won¡¯t be so nervous, right?

    Zackery called her ¡°prospective mother¨Cinw¡± one after another, making the woman in front of him blush a little.

    Although she was wearing a mask, her shy and demure look with lowered eyebrows was still very obvious.

    After a few seconds of hesitation, she finally reluctantly agreed.

    ¡°Well, okay then,¡± she looked at me and said, ¡°Ralda, you are very beautiful, and Quentin is very handsome. I have always felt inferior in

    front of him.

    Actually, I don¡¯t dislike taking photos either, it¡¯s just that my appearance is too ordinary and doesn¡¯t look good in pictures.

    Especially when I took a photo with Quentin, I felt like an ugly duckling.

    ¡°No,¡± I said, ¡°Quentin loves you very much, and he loves your innocence, simplicity, and kindness. So you don¡¯t need to feel inferior, inner beauty

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    Chapter650

    is true beauty.¡±

    I was saying this while waiting for her to take off her mask.

    After waiting for about ten seconds, she finally reluctantly took off the mask on her face.

    That awkward and constrained appearance really resembled the

    nervousness of an ugly daughter¨Cinw meeting her inws.

    288 Vouchers

    When she took off her mask, I quickly looked at her and couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.

    The woman in front of me looked extremely ordinary.

    A t nose, slightly thick lips, and not very big eyes, overall, really don¡¯t match the word ¡°beautiful.¡±

    The only advantage is that she is fair¨Cskinned.

    She didn¡¯t put on much makeup, just a little light pink lipstick.

    So even though the facial features and face shape are not outstanding, at first nce, there is indeed a hint of purity and cleanliness.

    15.000-

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    Chapter651

    However, this appearance was simply not in line with Quentin¡¯s aesthetic.

    So why was Quentin so obsessed with this woman, as if he had been poisoned?

    ¡°Ralda, am I very ugly? Will Mrs. Duffy not like me?¡±

    Just as I was thinking, the woman in front of me suddenly asked me uneasily.

    I came to my senses and smiled at her, saying, ¡°No, my mom doesn¡¯t have strict requirements for our choice of spouse. As long as it¡¯s someone Quentin truly likes, she will support it.¡±

    We also prepared a gift for you. Next time we meet officially, we will give it to you.

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    The woman nodded, her face full of happiness and anticipation, really not like pretending.

    I suppressed the doubts in my heart and picked up my phone to say to her, ¡°Then I¡¯ll start taking pictures.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I quickly took two photos of the woman in front of me, and then chatted. with Zackery and the woman for a while before leaving the hospital.

    I didn¡¯t find any ws in their conversation.

    So, did I really overthink it?

    12ND

    Chapter651

    Was this woman just too busy, not pretending to be mysterious?

    No, I took the photo back to confirm with Quentin.

    If Quentin said that this woman is indeed his girlfriend, then I admit that I was just being suspicious of myself. His girlfriend actually has no

    problem.

    After leaving the hospital, I took a taxi back to my mom¡¯s ce.

    When I got back, Quentin had just made some soup and was drinking a big bowl of it.

    When he saw meing back, he was surprised, ¡°Howe you¡¯re back so soon? Weren¡¯t you going to find Reynaldo? What happened? Did you have a fight with him?¡±

    I changed my shoes and walked towards him with my phone in my pocket, asking, ¡°Where¡¯s mom?¡±

    ¡°I was sleeping, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I sat down across from him and casually said, ¡°I just wanted to show her a photo of her future daughter¨Cinw.¡±

    Quentin furrowed his brow and stared at me with a look I couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Did you go see Kimora?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, just took out my phone from my pocket and showed him the woman¡¯s photo,

    ¡°Is she your girlfriend, Kimora?¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t answer me right away, but instead angrily said to me, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t go to the hospital to see her? I told you, she¡¯s currentlypeting for a position. If you suddenly go see her, what if it

    Chuper51

    has a negative impact on her?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t going to shout and cause a scene. Besides, Dr. Laurent was there at the time, we just had a peaceful conversation, okay?¡±

    Quentin stared at me, not saying a word.

    That expression, however, was clearly one of anger.

    I pushed the photos on my phone closer to him again and said, ¡°Look, is this your girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Quentin pushed my phone towards me, angrily asking, ¡°Do you suspect that Kimora found someone to

    impersonate her?¡±

    ¡°Well, I did have my suspicions, after all, the woman in this photo is not at all your type.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Quentin also didn¡¯t know what happened, suddenly he was very angry, so angry that his face darkened.

    Iughed at myself in my heart.

    He cared so much about his girlfriend that when I just had a suspicion, he got so angry.

    ¡°What kind of girl I like, what do you know? Why do you always have to doubt her, what is it that you have such a strong bias and hostility

    towards her.¡±

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    Chapter652

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, I don¡¯t have any bias or hostility towards her, I just want to figure out what your girlfriend really looks like.¡±

    ¡°And then, what about her appearance?¡±

    Quentin stared at me heavily, with a strange expression, like he was angry and irritated.

    I turned away and said lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t care about the details, just tell me if the woman in this photo is your girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Yes! She was my girlfriend, even though she was not very attractive, I still loved her.¡±

    ¡°In my heart, she was the purest and kindest girl in the world.¡±

    I nced down at my phone and said to him, ¡°Take another look, look carefully. Let me ask you again, is she really¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, Esmeralda!¡±

    Quentin stood up abruptly and angrily eximed to me, ¡°She is my girlfriend, she is indeed my girlfriend, are you satisfied now?¡±

    He walked angrily to his room after finishing speaking.

    I turned around and said to his back, ¡°Since you admitted it yourself that she is your girlfriend, then I believe she really is that Kimora.¡±

    I admit, I did have a lot of doubts about her before.

    But now that it¡¯s confirmed that there¡¯s nothing wrong with her, she just stood me up because she was too busy, then I will personally go to her

    and apologize.

    ¡°You can rest assured that no matter how arrogant and domineering I am, I will not bully your girlfriend again.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, then he turned around and looked at me with a somewhatplex expression in his eyes.

    He said, ¡°Ralda, I didn¡¯t mean to get angry at you on purpose, it¡¯s just that you always doubt her, which makes me feel really ufortable.¡±

    If I always suspected Reynaldo of being unfaithful, if I always had a bias against Reynaldo, how would you feel?

    My love didn¡¯te easy. I just want to be with her until we grow old. Your doubts will scare her away, you know?

    I understand to tell you that I had already fallen into it, couldn¡¯t leave her, and couldn¡¯t lose her in this lifetime.

    I lowered my head, not knowing what to say.

    It seems that Quentin really loved this Kimora to the core.

    But fortunately, this Kimora doesn¡¯t seem to have any problems.

    ¡°You can rest assured, since you have admitted in person that she is your girlfriend, I will not doubt her anymore in the future.¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and said, ¡°Ralda, I hope that in the future, when she gets married andes over, you can get along peacefully with her.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Quentin gave me a deep look and then entered the room.

    I stared nkly at the closed door, feeling that Quentin had been a bit strange just now.

    Chapter

    Just then, my phone suddenly rang, it was a call from Anton.

    ¡°Esmeralda, I have carefully reviewed the matching report you sent me,

    and there are no issues.¡±

    Thepatibility of this kidney source with your mother¡¯s body indicators is indeed over ny percent. As long as the surgery is sessful andbined with medication, I believe Mrs. Duffy will definitely get better slowly.

    After listening to Anton¡¯s words, my worries and concerns werepletely swept away.

    After hanging up the phone, I looked down at Kimora¡¯s photo and smiled. contentedly.

    It seems that I was really too sensitive and suspicious.

    Quentin¡¯s girlfriend had no problem, and my mom¡¯s kidney source had no problem either.

    In this way, Quentin could stay with his girlfriend until they grew old together, living a loving life.

    My mother¡¯s illness was also saved.

    ¡±

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    ??

    Chapter653

    Everything was developing in a good direction at the moment, which was

    so nice.

    The next morning, Quentin and I took my mother to the hospital toplete the admission procedures.

    After everything was settled, I went to see Zackery to inquire about my mother¡¯s health condition.

    Zackery said, ¡°Although my mom¡¯s condition is still stable for now, the surgery cannot be dyed and must be done as soon as possible. The sooner, the lower the risk.¡±

    So he scheduled the surgery for the 20th of this month.

    But I was stunned because Reynaldo¡¯s mother also had surgery scheduled for the 20th.

    Reynaldo came over to have dinner with me in the evening.

    He first

    Visited my mom in the ward, and then took me to the restaurant

    we had booked in advance.

    This year¡¯s Freybourne can be said to be the coldest year.

    The biting cold wind blew on people¡¯s faces like a knife.

    Reynaldo wrapped me up with a scarf and then led me into the car.

    These days, I haven¡¯t had the chance to visit his mother much because of my mom¡¯s situation.

    I fastened my seatbelt and asked him, ¡°Is your mother doing well these

    days?¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°I received treatment with injections on time every day, just waiting for the surgery on the 20th.¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°On the 20th, I might not be able to visit your mother or apany you while she undergoes surgery.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Reynaldo squeezed my hand and smiled gently at me, ¡°On that day, your mother also had surgery, even though you are my wife and my mother¡¯s daughter¨Cinw, you are also your mother¡¯s daughter, it¡¯s very normal.¡±

    After a pause, he sighed and said, ¡°A lot has really happened this year. Once our mother¡¯s surgery is sessful, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Then we can have a good year together.¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

    I nodded heavily, full of anticipation for the uing new year.

    Reynaldo suddenly leaned in and kissed me on the lips.

    His dark and deep eyes stared at me without blinking, and in those tender eyes like water, there was only my shadow.

    He stroked my hair and the back of my neck, whispering, ¡°Wait until next year, I will start preparing for our wedding. By then, I will personally design your wedding dress and ring.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, ¡°You still remember those?¡±

    ¡°My dear, you have no idea,¡± the man affectionately patted my head, then stepped back and started the car.

    I stared at his perfect profile, feeling more and more fascinated by this

    man.

    Chapter

    Oh, how could I have been so blind before, thinking that such a handsome guy with a great figure and good looks was annoying.

    Reynaldo¡¯s lips curled slightly, indicating that he was in a good mood.

    He held the steering wheel with one hand and tightly grasped my hand. with the other.

    I pulled my hand out with force.

    He frowned at me and I chuckled, reminding him, ¡°Drive carefully, no distractions!¡±

    The man shook his head with a smile, and after a while, he asked me, ¡°After dinner, are youing to my ce?¡±

    I hesitated for two seconds and said, ¡°No, Quentin rented a temporary room near the hospital. I want to stay there, it¡¯s also convenient to take care of my mom these days.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t insist either, just said with a hint of disappointment, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy these days, running between thepany and the hospital. So, it seems that we may not be able to see each other again in these days.¡±

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    Chapter654

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s still a long way to go. Everything will be fine after our mother finishes the surgery.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°I hope everything goes smoothly.¡±

    After dinner, Reynaldo ¡°took¡± me back to the rental near the hospital.

    As I got out of the car and walked into the corridor, he caught up with me in a few steps and reluctantly held my hand.

    I turned back and smiled at him, ¡°In 7 days, it will be the 20th. It won¡¯t be long. These days, you just focus on work and take good care of your mother. After the surgeries are sessfullypleted on the 20th, we will get together again.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me steadily, his warmrge hand holding mine. tightly.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Reynaldo shook his head, ¡°I just really miss you.¡±

    I chuckled and looked at him with a smile.

    didn¡¯t realize how clingy he was before.

    ¡°Esmeralda, while taking care of your mother these days, you must also take good care of yourself.¡±

    He stroked my hair hanging on my chest and instructed, ¡°You must remember to eat well, it¡¯s getting cold, wear more clothes, don¡¯t kick the nket at night, remember¡­¡±

    Chapter54

    ¡°Okay!¡± I interrupted him with augh. ¡°When did Mr. Humphrey be so chatty, like a gossiping old woman.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.

    ¡±

    He rested his chin on my neck and murmured. ¡°Although it¡¯s only seven days apart, I feel like these seven days will be very difficult to endure.¡±

    You remembered to send me a message every day and call me when you had time.

    No matter how busy I was, as long as it was your call, I would answer.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s reluctance softened my heart to a great extent.

    At this moment. I truly felt his love, intense and unwavering.

    However, there seemed to be a hint of worry hidden in his love.

    My heart also rose with a touch of bitterness and unease.

    I asked him, ¡°What are you worried about? Is it your mother¡¯s surgery?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head and said, ¡°The doctor said that for this type of surgery, as long as the kidney source is suitable, the sess rate is very high.¡±

    ?? ???

    ¡°What are you worried about?¡± I could clearly feel his fear from his reluctant love.

    So I don¡¯t understand, besides his mother¡¯s illness, what could someone like him fear?

    Reynaldo looked at me steadily, he caressed my cheek, his voice very low.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I just felt a little uneasy in my heart, very afraid that I won¡¯t see

    you again in the future.¡±

    ¡°Fool!¡±

    I threw myself into his arms, holding his thin waist tightly, murmuring, ¡°It¡¯s only been seven days since we parted, how could we not see each other?¡±

    And we were not far apart, so we could also talk on the phone in our spare time.

    ¡°So Reynaldo, why did you have that kind of anxiety?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Reynaldo said gloomily, ¡°maybe it¡¯s because you used to sneak away all the time before, and it scared me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it anymore!¡± I assured him earnestly, ¡°I will never run away again in the future, and Esmeralda will never leave Reynaldo.¡±

    Reynaldo then smiled, and the sadness and unease in his eyes dissipated a little.

    He pulled the scarf around my neck and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go up, it¡¯s cold. outside.¡±

    ¡°Well, you should go back and rest early too.¡±

    After saying that, I tiptoed and kissed his cheek before turning around and going upstairs.

    Just the next second, he suddenly grabbed me again.

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    Chapter655

    I was taken aback and turned to ask him, ¡°Is there anything else¡­ um¡­¡±

    Before I could finish my sentence, he silenced me with a kiss and gently embraced me.

    He kissed me for a long time, then let me go, his deep eyes dark and heavy as he looked at me, ¡°Go, rest early.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡±

    I was kissed by him until I was dizzy.

    Until he let go of me, the cold wind blew over, and I finally sobered up a bit.

    When he opened the car door, he looked back at me again before getting in and driving away.

    Not until his car merged into the mainne and disappeared from sight did I turn around and walk into the building

    Reynaldo was really strange just now.

    It¡¯s only been seven days since we parted, but why does he act as if we are going to say goodbye forever.

    Ugh!

    I quickly shook my head to dispel these ominous feelings.

    I can only say that just a few days after Reynaldo and I made up, all sorts of things kept happening, which made it impossible for us to spend quality time together.

    Chapter555

    11

    He originally had no sense of security in love, and now he has to be apart for a few days, so he can¡¯t help feeling a little uneasy in his heart.

    Hmm, that must be the reason!

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Just as I was thinking, I suddenly ran into someone head¨Con.

    Fortunately, I had just stepped onto the first step.

    Due to inertia, when I stepped back, there was t ground behind me.

    I swayed for a moment before I could stand firm.

    I looked up in shock and saw that it was Quentin.

    ¡°What are you doing? You suddenly rushed down and almost knocked me over.¡±

    Quentin nced in the direction Reynaldo had left and snorted, ¡°What suddenly came rushing down? I¡¯ve been standing here the whole time, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°You were so absorbed in thinking about your husband that you bumped into me!¡±

    I nced at him speechlessly.

    What does ¡°missing my husband¡± mean? I found that Quentin¡¯s words were really getting more and more out of line.

    Eh?

    No!

    If he had been standing here all the time, then I just kissed and hugged. Reynaldo, and said so many affectionate words, wouldn¡¯t he have seen

    11

    and heard everything?

    Just as I was thinking this, Quentin came over, touched his nose and smiled at me, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, Reynaldo is so clingy, but it¡¯s only been. seven days apart, and look at how reluctant he is to leave you.¡±

    ¡°If we were separated for seven years, that would be unbearable. He probably wouldn¡¯t even survive, hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°Quentin!¡±

    I stared at him gloomily.

    He has been enjoying spending time with me and Reynaldo more and more these days.

    ¡°Okay okay¡­ I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Come on, go upstairs. I stewed some soup, just gave a bowl to our mom, and left a bowl for you at home. Hurry up and drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    He said, and then put his arm around my shoulder and walked upstairs.

    The house we rented was a typical walk¨Cup apartment, just a few steps away from the hospital. It was specifically rented out to family members who needed to take care of patients for a long time. The environment was simple but clean, and the surrounding area was lively with convenient transportation.

    Quentin rented the third floor.

    In the morning, Quentin brought over some necessary daily necessities that were rented in the afternoon.

    Two bedrooms and one living room, we each had our own room.

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    Chapter656

    Quentin had just taken a walk around the neighborhood, and I saw that there were a lot more ingredients in the kitchen.

    He took a bathrobe and as he walked towards the bathroom, he said to me. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower and go to bed early. I have to get up early tomorrow. to make breakfast for our mom. You should go to bed early too, ande with me to the hospital tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I nodded and asked him, ¡°So, what about your work? During these days you¡¯ve been dyed, how is work going over there?¡±

    ¡°I quit,¡± Quentin said nonchntly, ¡°Reynaldo asked me to work at hispany, so once my mom¡¯s situation is settled, I¡¯ll go report to hispany directly.¡±

    Listening to his constant praise of Reynaldo, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°Oh, Reynaldo is quite a prominent figure in Freybourne now, he calls the shots and no one dares to mess with him.¡±

    ¡°But he turned out to be my brother¨Cinw, not only polite to me, but also trying to please me. Just thinking about it, I feel so happy in my heart.¡±

    I gave him a speechless look, this Quentin, really¡­

    Quentin leaned against the bathroom door and suddenly sighed, ¡°Only our dad is so silly, rejecting such a golden son¨Cinw and insisting on hanging out with that Aiyana, who doesn¡¯t even acknowledge us. Just wait, when he gets dumped by Aiyana, he wille back crying and begging us.¡±

    When ites to my dad, I also feel a bit sad and angry in my heart.

    Chapter

    Since that day when I exposed Aiyana as not a sessful wealthy woman but just a hostess in front of my dad, I haven¡¯t seen much of him.

    I heard that my dad was still hanging out with that woman..

    s, it is really a matter of minutes for a person to want to fall.

    His downfall also destined that he would note back, destined that our family could not return to the past.

    ¡°Did you tell him about mom¡¯s condition and the time of the surgery?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face turned cold, and he snorted, ¡°He no longer cares about people like us in his heart, so what¡¯s the point of talking to him?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want him toe see our mother either. If he dide, it would just be a nuisance for our mother.¡±

    Yes. Quentin was right.

    A person who has changed their mind, telling them these things won¡¯t change anything.

    The next morning, I went to the hospital with Quentin to see my mom.

    As soon as I reached the door, I heard a burst of arguinging from my mother¡¯s hospital room.

    I also faintly heard my dad¡¯s voice.

    I nced at Quentin and said, ¡°How did Dad know?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, damn it, I knew he would cause trouble for our mom when he came,¡± Quentin said, pushing open the door to the ward.

    I saw my father standing by the hospital bed with his hands on his hips,

    his face full of anger.

    While my mother sat on the sickbed, silently wiping away tears.

    Quentin was instantly furious, taking a big step forward and pushing my dad away, saying, ¡°What are you doing here? How dare you bully my mom again?¡±

    I quickly went over and, supporting my mother¡¯s shoulder, asked her what had happened.

    She didn¡¯t say anything, just shook her head.

    Quentin was even angrier, grabbing my dad¡¯s cor and angrily asking, ¡°What did you do to my mom again?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you little rabbit, how dare you talk to me like that, let go!¡±

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    Chapter657

    My dad grabbed Quentin¡¯s hand and his face turned red with anger, ¡°Let go quickly, I am your father!¡±

    Quentin shook him off fiercely, his eyes red with anger as he growled at him, ¡°Get out of here, you¡¯re not wee.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What nonsense are you talking about? I am your father, how dare you drive me away?!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I impatiently interrupted him, ¡°Tell me, how did you know <b>my </b>mom was sick? And also, are you here today just to see my mom, or do you want to discuss some conditions with her?¡±

    ¡°I was justing to see your mother, of course.¡±

    He said, looking at my mother again, with a hint of the old affection in his

    eyes.

    He said to my mom sadly, ¡°Honey, when did you get so seriously ill? I had no idea at all. You, you are just too sentimental. This illness is all caused by you keeping it to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Quentin immediately growled at him.

    My mother leaned against the head of the bed and said weakly to my father, ¡°You go, I don¡¯t need you toe and see me, and I won¡¯t use your kidney. You go!¡±

    I looked at Quentin in shock.

    What?

    Did my dad agree to donate a kidney to my mom?!

    Chapter657

    Would he be so good?

    If my dad had been alive before, he would have been willing to donate a kidney to my mom, and I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised at all, after all, we were a loving family back then.

    Ever since my family went bankrupt, I know exactly how my dad has changed.

    He waspletely fascinated by Aiyana again recently, so he wouldn¡¯t make such a big sacrifice for my mom.

    So, was he suddenly enlightened by someone and realized his mistake?.

    And who exactly told him about my mom¡¯s condition?

    When he said he was going to donate a kidney to my mom, Quentin¡¯s attitude softened.

    Quentin asked him, ¡°Is your kidney a match for my mom?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t gone for testing yet. I will go to have the doctor

    check itter.

    ¡°No need! I said I won¡¯t use your kidney, you go!¡±

    As soon as my dad finished speaking, my mom started shouting excitedly with emotions.

    Quentin nced at me and quickly pushed my dad out.

    Iforted my mom, saying, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, mom? If dad¡¯s kidney is a better match for your body, wouldn¡¯t it be better to use dad¡¯s kidney?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want his kidney. He¡¯s not that kind¨Chearted,

    Ralda, you made him leave, let him go quickly, I don¡¯t want to see him, I don¡¯t want to see him in this lifetime.

    <b>17753 </b>

    My mom used to love my dad very much.

    I loved to the extent that my heart and eyes were full of my father.

    11

    At that time, she was thinking about my dad all the time, relying on my dad for everything.

    But now, my mother only has ¡°hatred¡± towards my father, which shows how deeply my father hurt my mother.

    Afterforting my mom, I came out of the ward and saw my dad Jeaning against the corridor window with Quentin, <b>as </b>if they were waiting for me.

    I walked over and asked my d

    bying here today?¡±

    in a deep voice, ¡°What do you want to do

    My father choked up for a moment and said sorrowfully, ¡°I never expected your mother to get so seriously ill. You guys didn¡¯t even tell me about such a big thing happening.

    Quentin sneered and taunted, ¡°Tell me, will you just abandon Aiyana ande back?¡±

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    Chapter658

    Can you tell me if my mom will get better? After all, it was you who made my mom sick with anger.

    J

    ¡°If you have any sense of propriety, just get out of here and stop pretending to be sentimental,¡±

    ¡°You¡­ How dare you talk to me like that!¡± My dad¡¯s face turned red with

    anger.

    I gave Quentin a wink, signaling him to stop talking.

    I looked at my dad and asked coldly, ¡°Did you just say you want to donate a kidney to my mom?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true,¡± my dad said, wiping away tears as if feeling sad. ¡°I admit, I have changed, I have had an affair, I am sorry to you all, but your mom and I have been married for decades, after all, there are still feelings.

    between us.¡±

    No matter what, I still hope that your mother will be fine, isn¡¯t it?

    He spoke with tears in his eyes, and I couldn¡¯t help but look at Quentin.

    Quentin seemed to be touched by my father¡¯s words, he turned his face away, wiping the corners of his eyes sadly

    I let out a sigh, suppressing the sadness in my heart, and said to my dad, ¡°Then you shouldpare yourself with my mom. If your kidney is a better match for her body, then it¡¯s best to use your kidney.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll go now,¡± my dad said, his eyes flickering slightly <b>as </b>he looked at me, hesitating to speak.

    <b>12:35 </b>

    I frowned and said to him, ¡°Just say it if you have something to say!¡±

    ¡°First of all, I want to make it clear that I sincerely want to save your mother and hope she will get better.¡±

    11

    Next, Ralda, if Dad¡¯s kidney is a match with your mom¡¯s, Dad would definitely have noints and immediately donate the kidney to your

    mom.

    ¡°So, can you lend me one billion?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even reacted yet when Quentin grabbed my dad¡¯s cor and angrily shouted, ¡°I was wondering why you suddenly became so kind. Turns out you didn¡¯t really want to save my mom¡¯s life, you just wanted money.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not, it¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not like that!¡± my dad forcefully pushed away hist hand, saying angrily, ¡°I borrowed it, it¡¯s from Ralda! No matter what, if my kidney is a match, I will definitely save your mom. I just took this. opportunity to borrow some money from Ralda.¡±

    ¡°Can I borrow some money?¡± I sarcastically remarked, ¡°Is one billion just ¡®a little money¡® in your mind? Do you really think that other people¡¯s moneyes so easily?¡±

    ¡°Look at you, saying that. Nowadays, who is Reynaldo in Freybourne? That one billion is just a drop in the bucket for him.¡± My dad said. nonchntly, as if Reynaldo¡¯s money should all belong to him.

    Quentin was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Get out, we don¡¯t need your kidney. Even if your kidney is the most suitable, we don¡¯t need it!¡±

    I quietly watched my father, feeling a hint of sadness in my heart.

    No wonder my mom said he wouldn¡¯t be so kind¨Chearted.

    His real purpose turned out to be ¡°money¡°.

    I sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t Aiyana very capable? You should go ask her for money.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this. I didn¡¯t ask you for money for no reason. It¡¯s just that the project I invested in is not turning around quickly enough, and I urgently need money. Aiyana has already invested all her assets with me, but it¡¯s still not enough.¡±

    You know, once the project started, it couldn¡¯t be stopped. Otherwise, the losses would be even greater. By then, I would be in debt up to my neck.

    <b>1215 </b>

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    Chapter659

    You just helped me by going to Reynaldo to get one billion funds.

    I promised you that as long as this project made money, I would definitely give the money back to you, okay?

    I lightly brushed off his hand and said expressionlessly. ¡°I won¡¯t lend you the money, as for my mother¡¯s life, if you want to save her, go ahead. If you don¡¯t want to, we won¡¯t force you. It¡¯s all up to your own conscience.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if you didn¡¯t talk about money, I would have thought highly of you. It¡¯s a pity that now all you care about is money and your little lover.¡±

    Quentin red at my father angrily and said, ¡°Get out, don¡¯t show up in front of us again, or don¡¯t me me for being rude to you!¡±

    My father looked pitiful, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but Quentin had already dragged me towards the elevator.

    While waiting for the elevator, I couldn¡¯t help but nce back at my dad.

    He was on the phone, not knowing who he was talking to, nodding and bowing.

    Worried that he would secretly go to Reynaldo for money, I sent a text message to Reynaldo in advance, instructing him not to lend money to my father under any circumstances.

    ording to my dad¡¯s current momentum, he has be a bottomless pit.

    After the message was sent out, Reynaldo replied instantly.

    He replied with a ¡°good¡± and didn¡¯t ask much more.

    1235

    Today was a sunny day, and many patients were sunbathing in the yard.

    Quentin found a secluded corner and sat down to smoke.

    His eyes were red, obviously feeling a bit sad.

    I leaned against a tree trunk two or three meters away from him andforted him, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t be sad. Let¡¯s just pretend we don¡¯t have this father anymore.¡±

    This used to be what Quentinforted me with.

    Actually, when ites down to it, my dad can¡¯t let go of hist transformation either.

    Quentin took a deep drag on his cigarette and said, ¡°It¡¯s one thing if he doesn¡¯t talk to us about money, but as soon as he brings it up, I just want to punch him.¡±

    ¡°What does he think of you? A cash machine? Damn it! We are his own. children, how can someone¡¯s heart turn so dark?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡±

    I patted my pocket, looked away, and sarcastically said, ¡°In the end, there are too many temptations in this world, and it only takes a minute for a person to turn bad.¡±

    The cigarette between Quentin¡¯s fingers was soon smoked up.

    He leaned back on the chair restlessly, muttering, ¡°It would be better if it were like before.¡±

    Yeah, it was better before.

    Who doesn¡¯t want to go back to the happy past.

    I walked over and sat down beside him, smiling and asking, ¡°Quentin,

    1235

    Chapter650

    you haven¡¯t changed, have you?¡±

    ¡°Rubbish! Even if you change, I won¡¯t change!¡±

    Quentin angrily patted my head and firmly said, ¡°No matter how poor or how tough I am, I will always be the brother who loves you the most. This will never change in my whole life.¡±

    I smiled, and a lot of the indignation and sadness in my heart dissipated.

    With my mother and Quentin by my side,

    also had Reynaldo.

    So the father who had a change of heart, don¡¯t want it anymore!

    Quentin said, ¡°Luckily, my mother¡¯s kidney donor has been found. Otherwise, this time we would really have been at the mercy of our ipetent father.¡±

    We sat in the yard for a while, adjusted our mood, and then went back to the ward to apany my mother.

    Chapter

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    Chapter660

    Just as I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Kimora walking past us.

    I subconsciously looked at Quentin, but Quentin was clearly staring ahead.

    It¡¯s like his girlfriend had just walked past him, right under his nose, but he seemed to have no reaction at all.

    This is very strange.

    In theory, he loved his girlfriend so much that when he saw her suddenly, he should have been very excited and happy to rush up to her.

    But he not only did not react at all, he didn¡¯t even look at his girlfriend more, just walked towards my mother¡¯s ward as usual.

    With a puzzled look in his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but turn around and look at me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I stared at him and said, ¡°I saw your girlfriend.¡±

    Quentin was taken aback and instinctively looked around, ¡°Where is it? Why didn¡¯t I see it?¡±

    I frowned and looked at him, ¡°Your girlfriend just walked past us, didn¡¯t you really see her?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and he chuckled, ¡°I was just thinking. about our dad, still feeling angry, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention.¡±

    I stared at him without blinking for a moment, feeling that his answer was

    a bit strange.

    <b>1235 </b>

    Chapter650

    After all, he always treated his girlfriend like a treasure, it was impossible for him not to see his girlfriend passing by him.

    Originally I was full of doubt in my heart, but I didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly shout behind me, ¡°Kimora<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    I was stunned and quickly turned around.

    Yes, it was the ordinary¨Clooking girl I saw the day before yesterday.

    ¡°Kimora, this is my sister Ralda, you must have met before, right?¡±

    Quentin walked up to the woman and introduced me to her.

    The woman smiled at me and said to Quentin, ¡°Well, she came to see me the day before yesterday, had a conversation with me, and even took two photos of me.¡±

    ¡°Quentin, you too, Ralda is obviously so nice, and you still say she has a bad temper, making me always afraid to see them.¡±

    Quentin smiled and looked at me, ¡°Now you¡¯re not curious about the appearance of your future sister¨Cinw?¡±

    I shook my head and looked at them, feeling a strange surge in my heart that I couldn¡¯t describe..

    At this moment, Kimora added, ¡°I just went to the ward to visit Mrs. Duffy. Mrs. Duffy is really nice. Not only did she not mind my ugliness, but she also gave me a gift when we met.¡±

    Indeed, that day I also showed my mom the photo of that woman.

    When my mom was hospitalized, she even brought a gift with her, saying that if she ran into Kimora, she could give the gift to her in person.

    Quentin said to Kimora, ¡°You should go busy yourself and don¡¯t let malicious people catch you making mistakes that could affect your

    promotion.¡±

    ¡°Mm, then I¡¯ll go busy first, Ralda. Let¡¯s chatter.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The woman left after she finished speaking.

    I stared at her back for a long time, until Quentin patted my shoulder and I came back to my senses.

    Quentin smiled at me and asked, ¡°So, is your future sister¨Cinw easy to get along with?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I nodded without saying anything.

    Quentin said, ¡°Rest assured, she has always been such a good person, simple and kind. Even if you have had a falling out, she won¡¯t hold it against you.¡±

    I frowned and asked, ¡°What do you mean? Have I had a conflict with

    her?¡±

    Quentin paused for a second and said with a smile, ¡°I mean in the future, if you two have any conflicts, she definitely won¡¯t hold it against you.¡±

    12:350

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    1

    Chapter661

    I chuckled, ¡°Is he so sure?¡±

    If his girlfriend bullies me in the future, always picks on me for everything, I¡¯ll see if I don¡¯t p his face!

    In the following days, my mother received timely injections for inmmation and took medication.

    Quentin and I took turns taking care of my mother, talking to her, and sitting in the sun with her.

    asionally, I would also give Reynaldo a call in my spare time.

    If he was not busy and it was convenient, we would also have a video call.

    Every time I would ask about his mother¡¯s situation.

    He said the situation on his mother¡¯s side was rtively stable, and he

    also said his mother missed me and wanted to see me.

    I was thinking that after the surgery on the 20th was all done, I would go visit his mother.

    Speaking of which, I almost forgot about someone ¨C Kimberly.

    These days, Kimberly was unusually quiet, not a bit of mischief was done.

    Based on her past behavior, I didn¡¯t have time to meet with Reynaldo these days. She would definitely go out of her way to show off in front of Reynaldo, then take some photos that would make me misunderstand and send them to me, just to show off and provoke me.

    But she didn¡¯t do anything at all, which is really rare.

    <b>1235 </b>

    Chapter661

    I didn¡¯t believe at all that she woulde to her senses and turn to

    goodness.

    As the saying goes, ¡°A barking dog seldom bites, and a biting dog seldom. barks.¡±

    So, someone as cunning as her suddenly stopped doing anything, which made me even more uneasy.

    Fortunately, time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the

    19th.

    As long as the surgery tomorrow goes smoothly, I won¡¯t have anything to worry about.

    At night, Quentin couldn¡¯t fall asleep and paced back and forth in the living room.

    I looked at him inexplicably and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you so nervous?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Quentin leaned against the window and lit a cigarette. He took a puff and asked me, ¡°You think Mom¡¯s surgery went well, right?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask like this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Quentin said, pulling at his cor anxiously, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but my heart was beating fast, and I just had this feeling that something bad was going to happen.¡±

    ¡°Ah, phew!¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and take back those unlucky words of yours. Reynaldo consulted experts in this type of surgery, and as long as the kidney source is suitable, the surgery is likely to be sessful.¡±

    ¡°So, don¡¯t create panic and anxiety here, our mother definitely didn¡¯t have any problems.¡±

    <b>1235 </b>

    Chapterdet

    ¡°Um!¡± Quentin nodded heavily.

    He turned around and pushed open the window, and the smoke rising from his fingers drifted into the room with the wind.

    With the wind came his elusive voice, ¡°Ralda, if one day you find out that I have deceived you, will you hate me?¡±

    I frowned heavily and said, ¡°Where did this start? What did you deceive me about?¡±

    Quentin was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly turned around and smiled at me, saying, ¡°No, I was just asking casually.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± I red at him. ¡°You definitely lied to me about something. Come clean right now, or I won¡¯t talk to you anymore!¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Quentin smiled at me helplessly, ¡°Look at you, so suspicious. I shouldn¡¯t have casually asked you questions.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I was about to speak when suddenly <b>my </b>phone rang.

    It was a video request from Reynaldo.

    Quentin joked with a smile at me, ¡°Tsk tsk, Reynaldo, one video a day, you really never stop, huh.¡±

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    hapter662

    ¡°You used to call your girlfriend five times a day.¡±

    After saying that, I went into the room, closed the door, and heard Quentin¡¯s muffledughter outside.

    I leaned against the door and turned on the video.

    ¡°What are you doing?<b>¡± </b>

    Reynaldo seemed to be in the study, he was leaning over the desk, drawing something on the paper with a pen, and his gaze asionally nced towards me.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Nothing much, just came back from the hospital and getting ready to wash up and go to bed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go to bed. Did the doctor mention what time the surgery is tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, because it was a major surgery that would take several hours, the doctor tried to schedule it in the morning. The same goes for your mother, right?¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± Reynaldo nodded, carefully drawing on the paper.

    I curiously peered, my eyes almost wanting to dive into the phone, but still couldn¡¯t see clearly, as the books on the desk blocked my view.

    I asked him, ¡°What are you drawing?¡±

    Reynaldo did not look up, a low and hoarse voice came from the phone.

    ¡°I was designing your wedding dress.¡±

    I was stunned, with a hint of sweetness overflowing in my heart.

    I said to him. ¡°You should rest early. The wedding dress doesn¡¯t have to be designed right now. We have plenty of time in the <b>future</b>.¡±

    Reynaldo sketched a few lines on the paper.

    He put down his pen. leaned back in his chair and stretchedzily. smiling at me. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. it will take some time to make the wedding dress, so I have to hurry up and design it.¡±

    He paused, then suddenly stared at me without blinking, his deep voice filled with intoxicating tenderness. ¡°I want to tell the whole world early. you are <b>my </b>one and only beloved wife. Reynaldo.¡±

    Although we were separated by the phone, the man said sweet words so seriously that I felt a little embarrassed.

    My cheeks were slightly flushed, I avoided eye contact and smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯ste, go to bed early, Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°I really want to hold you while sleeping.¡±

    The man suddenly said, with a serious tone.

    I touched my nose, sat on the bed, and said to him, ¡°I remember we had a pretty big doll in our bedroom, do you want to sleep with it?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s handsome face darkened, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have your fragrance, it doesn¡¯t have your softness, and it doesn¡¯t have warmth, nor does it move.¡±

    Um!

    Can I understand that this man was making suggestive remarks?

    Ah ah ah ah!!

    Sure enough, this man has always been just ¡°superficially decent.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, after all these things were over, we were going to be together

    forever.

    ¡°Only when you are by my side, my heart is the most at ease.

    I looked at him, in the video, there was a strong fatigue between his eyebrows, but in those gentle eyes were all expectations for our future. life.

    I nodded heavily, ¡°Okay.¡±

    After ending the video call with Reynaldo, I didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all.

    I noticed that the light in Quentin¡¯s room was also on for most of the night.

    I think Reynaldo might have had trouble sleeping tonight.

    Everyone was worried about the surgery tomorrow.

    The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye.

    Now it¡¯s winter, the sun riseste, and it¡¯s still dark outside after six

    o¡¯clock.

    When I got up, Quentin was busy in the kitchen.

    He said to me, ¡°Have breakfast before going to the hospital.¡±

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    Chapter663

    I nodded and looked at his dark circles under his eyes, ¡°Did you not sleep wellst night?¡±

    ¡°Well, I yed games untilte at night.¡±

    Quentin ced the cooked spaghetti and milk in front of me, and then he

    himself also brought his breakfast and sat across from me to eat.

    Afraid of causing tension and anxiety, none of us mentioned the uing surgery.

    After finishing breakfast, when we arrived at the hospital, it was exactly 7:20, and the sky was slowly getting brighter.

    At this moment, my mother was sitting quietly in the hospital room, seeming not nervous at all about the uing surgery.

    She looked rxed, smiled at me and Quentin, and said, ¡°I can tell from a nce that you two didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, but actually, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    I thought I was a goner this time, but I didn¡¯t expect to find a kidney source again.

    No matter how today¡¯s surgery turns out, I won¡¯t lose, so you guys don¡¯t worry too much, take it easy on everything.

    I held her hand and said firmly, ¡°Mom, your surgery today will definitely go smoothly. It¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s, and we will celebrate the new year together as a family.¡±

    My mother smiled and lovingly stroked my hair, ¡°Okay, have a good year, have a good year in an orderly manner.¡±

    Chapters

    <b>11 </b>

    At that time, my good son¨Cinw Reynaldo, and my good daughter¨Cinw Kimora, they both came.

    The Duffy family, it had been a long time since they had been so lively, this New Year¡¯s, it was sure to be lively and warm.¡±

    Soon, the nurse came to take my mom to change clothes, have a full¨Cbody examination, and then prepare to enter the operating room.

    When my mother was leaving, she held Quentin¡¯s hand and mine

    together, and said earnestly, ¡°The thing I worry about the most is you two. No matter what happens in the future, you must love and care for each other, understand?¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Quentin put his arm around me and said firmly to my mom, ¡°Whatever happens in the future, I will always love and take care of Ralda.¡±

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t love me anymore, I¡¯m not afraid. After all, Mom has always been there. If you dare to scold me for your wife in the future, I¡¯ll let Mom hit you.¡±

    My mother was amused by me and Quentin, she patted our hands and then followed the nurse out,ughing heartily.

    I nced at Quentin.

    Quentin first spoke tofort me, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, although this is a major surgery, I have checked and the sess rate is quite high.¡®

    I chuckled and actually I was also prepared to say this tofort him.

    I was getting ready to go to the operating room with Quentin.

    Suddenly a nurse ran over and called Quentin away, saying there were some forms to fill out and some medical fees to pay.

    Quentin had just left when Zackery suddenly came running anxiously.

    1%D

    Chapter

    ¡°Oh no, Ms. Duffy¡­¡±

    My heart skipped a beat and I hurriedly asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something go wrong with the preparation for the surgery?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±

    Zackery said urgently, ¡°The surgery is about to start, and your mother is already in the operating room prepared, but we just received news that the vehicle transporting the kidney suddenly broke down on the way.¡±

    You also know that the conditions for preserving living organs like kidneys are extremely strict, and all of these are uniformly stored in the medical human tissue bank.

    If any hospital needs to be called, it must be applied for in advance and urgently sent over within half an hour before the surgery.

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    Chapter <b>664 </b>

    Now the car has broken down on the road, the freshness of the organs may weaken, and the worst part is, if time drags on, these living organs will die.¡±

    After hearing that, my face changed, ¡°What should we do? Can we have an ambncee to assist?¡±

    Before, I heard Anton say that ¡°organs for these pairings are all kept in a medical tissue bank, usually delivered promptly before surgery.¡±

    Zackery sounded anxious, ¡°The ambnce can be allowed to go over for assistance, but the ambnce needs a description and report of the casualties during the journey, and the speed of the journey is also difficult to control. By the time you finish exining to them, it may be toote.¡±

    The location where the car broke down is not far from here, about a ten- minute drive.

    Zackery said anxiously, then looked at me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, did you drive? I will give you the address and the transport vehicle number, hurry up and bring back the kidney source.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now.¡±

    This kidney is rted to my mother¡¯s life. I dare not dy for a minute or a second.

    I got in the car and hurried to the address without even informing Quentin.

    The road was very congested at this point, so I took a shortcut, but it still took me nearly twenty minutes.

    Chapter

    When I passed by, I indeed saw an ambnce parked by the roadside.

    The driver was drilling into it to check it thoroughly, not knowing whether the tire was punctured or what.

    Another person was answering the phone.

    I looked at the license te number, which matched what Zackery had said, and then I quickly walked over.

    As soon as I approached, the person who answered the phone came forward to greet me.

    ¡°Is that Ms. Duffy?¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°Dr. Laurent asked me toe and get the kidney

    source.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡± the man nodded quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the car right now to get it for you. After you take it, hurry and deliver it to the hospital, otherwise the organ will soon go bad.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The man quickly took a box down from the car.

    I quickly took the box and, as I was leaving, I confirmed with them again, ¡°This is to be sent to Ormond Hospital for patient 377, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, you hurry up and send it.¡±

    At the same time, Dr. Laurent¡¯s phone also rang.

    ¡°Ms. Dully, did you get the kidney source?¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± I carefully ced the box in the car, sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and said to my phone, ¡°Just got it, I¡¯ll bring it over right away.¡±

    Chapters

    1

    ¡°Hurry up, your mother has been injected with anesthetic, now we just need this kidney source.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    When Zackery urged me, my heart became even more anxious, afraid that this organ would fail, and afraid that my mom couldn¡¯t wait.

    Quentin¡¯s phone rang again.

    I turned on the external audio.

    ¡°Ralda, Dr. Laurent said you went to get the kidney source, did you get

    it?¡±

    ¡°I got it and I¡¯m on my way to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Well, you be careful too. I¡¯ll wait for you at the door.¡±

    I hung up the phone and tried to speed up the car. In no time, I arrived at the hospital.

    Far away, I saw Quentin running towards me.

    I got out of the bus with a box in my arms.

    Quentin nced at the box and asked urgently, ¡°Is this the kidney that saved my mother¡¯s life?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up, Dr. Laurent is almost impatient.¡±

    Quentin was also in a panic, pulling me anxiously as we ran into the outpatient building.

 Too Close 665

    When I got out of the elevator, I saw Zackery anxiously pacing outside the operating room.

    Seeing meing over, he hurriedly came up to me and asked, ¡°Where are the kidneys?¡±

    I handed the box to him.

    He took the box and walked into the operating room.

    I quickly asked the doubts in my heart, ¡°Dr. Laurent, is this really my mother¡¯s kidney source? Isn¡¯t there an application form and a number tag on it?¡±

    Zackery paused for a moment and turned back to me, saying, ¡°This is the kidney source that matches with your mother, the transport vehicle can¡¯t

    go wrong.¡±

    I stared nkly at Zackery¡¯s back, feeling anxious in my heart, and at the same time, there was a faint sense of unease.

    Quentin noticed my anxiety, he put his arm around my shoulder, led me. to sit on the bench, andforted me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a small problem that urred during the transportation of the kidney source. Now that you have timely delivered the kidney source, everything will be

    fine.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom will definitely be fine.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I nodded and looked towards the tightly closed door of the operating

    room.

    ?

    1236

    Chapters

    However, why was it so coincidental that a malfunction urred during the transportation of the kidney source?

    Thinking about this, my heart was filled with unease.

    Even though there were many doubts and uncertainties in my mind, the urgent situation did not allow me to think too much, and there was no time for me to verify anything.

    I leaned wearily against the back of the chair, feeling my eyes sore and swollen.

    J

    Quentin looked at me and whispered, ¡°Ralda, you¡¯ve been running back and forth between the hospital and home for the past few days and must be really tired. Why don¡¯t you go back and get some rest first? The surgery will take several more hours, I can stay here.¡±

    I shook my head.

    The current situation, no matter how tired and sleepy I was, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    I was just worried, I don¡¯t know why, and I was especially scared.

    This inexplicable fear lingered in my heart, not dispersing for a long time, making my hands and feet icy cold, and my whole body shivering.

    Quentin shook my hand and looked at me with concern, ¡°Ralda, yourplexion doesn¡¯t look good. Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just rest for a while.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll go pour you a cup of hot water.¡±

    Quentin got up and went to the tea room. He quickly brought a cup of hot water and handed it to me.

    I looked up at him and said, ¡°Quentin, you said the kidney source is fine.

    right?¡±

    ¡°Sure, no problem. This was personally figured out by Dr. Laurent and Kimora after staying up for several nights.¡±

    ¡°Why did that transport vehicle break down on the road?¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Quentin hesitated for a moment, then sighed and rubbed my head, ¡°Ralda,

    I think your suspicion is unusually heavy. What¡¯s so strange and

    suspicious about this?¡±

    The car breaking down on the road is not very normal, isn¡¯t it just a

    coincidence.

    ¡°But don¡¯t you think, this is too much of a coincidence.¡± I looked at Quentin, feeling more and more anxious, ¡°Think about it, for a medical vehicle transporting live organs like this, wouldn¡¯t it be thoroughly checked before hitting the road? Why would there be a possibility of the vehicle breaking down?¡±

    In the face of my questions, Quentin just smiled indifferently.

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    Chapter666

    <b>11 </b>

    gall

    He put his arm around my shoulder and said, ¡°Ralda, I think you just have too much stress in your heart. You are like mest night, thinking all kinds of nonsense, afraid that mom¡¯s surgery will go wrong.¡±

    But I was much better today. ¡°When my mother entered the operating room and when the kidney donor arrived in time, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my heart.

    Because I believed that my mother¡¯s surgery would definitely be

    sessful, in a few hours, she would be able toe out of the operating

    room.

    So Ralda, don¡¯t overthink it, there are countless coincidences in the world, that car breaking down was just a coincidence, nothing else.¡±

    I lowered my head, staring at the water in the cup, murmuring, ¡°Maybe I was too anxious.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, you look really pale. I think you need to rest properly now.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to sleep in the hospital room with mom for a while? Maybe when you wake up, mom will havee out of the operating

    room.¡±

    I shook my head and sat outside the operating room, not wanting to move.

    Quentin was worried that my mom had note out of the operating room yet, but I ended up getting sick first, so he insisted on taking me back to my mom¡¯s hospital room.

    He helped me lie down on the bed and said to me, ¡°Look at yourplexion, so pale that it¡¯s scary. Listen to me, have a good sleep, I will be outside the operating room keeping watch. If anything happens, I will

    ¡°Okay<b>.</b>¡±

    Just now I was too anxious, my stomach was also a little ufortable, so I didn¡¯t persist anymore.

    Quentin tucked me in and gave me a few instructions before leaving and closing the door.

    I turned over andy on my side in the hospital bed, unable to stop thinking about the source of the kidney.

    Hopefully the breakdown of the vehicle was just a coincidence.

    I don¡¯t know when I fell asleep, but I felt like I slept for a long time and

    had a dream.

    I dreamed of my mom.

    She smiled at me in the dream and said, ¡°She was going to a very faraway

    ce.¡±

    She told me to take care of myself and instructed me to always love Quentin in the future.

    She turned around and walked into a vast mist after she finished. speaking.

    In my dream, I was extremely anxious, rushing to chase after something, and shouting for my mom at the top of my lungs.

    But she never looked back.

    I ran in panic in the fog, but I could no longer find my mother¡¯s figure.

    In the vast mist, only I was left, and the vast loneliness and fear enveloped me like a giant beast.

    I was finally woken up by a scare.

    The sun was shining brightly outside, and the ward seemed to be covered with ayer of golden sunlight.

    It was warm, but I was shivering with cold all over.

    Why did I have such a dream.

    What did that dream mean?

    Where was my mom going and why was she ignoring me in my dream?

    I felt inexplicably flustered and fearful in my heart.

    Yes, my mom was still undergoing surgery,

    How long did I sleep? How did her surgery go?

    I quickly got out of bed and prepared to go to the operating room to take a look. Suddenly, Quentin¡¯s voice on the phone came from outside the door.

    ¡°How could this happen? What should we do now?¡°

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    Chapter667

    ¡°I know you wanted to help me, you have good intentions, but they just made up, how can you do this to them? What about Ralda?¡±

    I furrowed my brows, what does Quentin mean by this?

    What do you mean by ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±

    Who was he talking to on the phone after all?

    Pushing down the doubts in my heart, I walked slowly to the door.

    Quentin¡¯s voice became clearer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, I didn¡¯t mean to me you, I was just a little anxious.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s voice, though urgent, also carried a hint of gentleness and appeasement.

    Was it his girlfriend on the other end of the phone?

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Kimora. No matter what, you have a good heart. You did it for me. Whatever happens, I won¡¯t me you.¡±

    I pursed my lips, Quentin was indeed talking on the phone with his girlfriend.

    ¡°What exactly are they talking about?¡± I faintly sensed the seriousness of the situation from Quentin¡¯s anxious tone.

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    I was feeling puzzled in my heart when Quentin suddenly shouted outside. the door, which startled me and identally kicked the door.

    ¡°No, no, absolutely not, I absolutely cannot do this!¡±

    Quentin said in a low voice, and the next second he pushed open the door, followed by hanging up the phone.

    He stared at me, looking a bit flustered, ¡°Ralda, are you awake? When did you wake up?¡±

    I looked at him inexplicably, ¡°Just woke up, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Quentin breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head, ¡°No, nothing.¡±

    I noticed Quentin didn¡¯t look quite right and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Who were you talking to on the phone just now? Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡± Quentin¡¯s face didn¡¯t look too good, and he also had a hesitant look as if he wanted to say something.

    My heart fluttered, ¡°Is it Mom¡¯s surgery¡­¡±

    ¡°No, my mother¡¯s surgery has not finished yet, and so far, there have been no problems.¡±

    ¡°What were you talking about on the phone just now? You mentioned me, and your tone sounded anxious, Quentin, what exactly¡­¡±

    ¡°No worries, Ralda. Don¡¯t overthink it. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to see the operating room.¡±

    Quentin interrupted me and walked out.

    I frowned and stared at his back, always feeling like he was hiding something from me.

    But at the moment I was more worried about my mom, so I didn¡¯t pester him with more questions, but followed him to the operating room.

    The operating room¡¯s door remained tightly closed.

    Chapter

    I stood outside the door, twisting my hands anxiously.

    Because of the nightmare I just had, a lingering shadow remained in my. heart.

    I looked at Quentin, who was sitting on the bench, head down, frowning. tightly as if he was texting someone.

    I had just walked past when he quickly put away his phone, looking nervous and strange.

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°What are you hiding from me?¡±

    Quentin shook his head and spoke grimly, ¡°Ralda, you better not ask.¡±

    He paused and then inexplicably asked me, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Reynaldo called you today?¡±

    I instinctively reached into my pocket for my phone, only to realize that I had left it in the car when I rushed to get the kidney just now.

    Hastily arriving at the parking lot, I opened the car door and indeed saw my phone lying on the passenger seat.

    I quickly picked up the phone and unlocked it. In an instant, 39 missed calls appeared on the screen, which startled me.

    I opened it, and all of them were calls from Reynaldo, and almost all of them were made at the same time, my phone was almost out of battery.

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    Chapter668

    Strange, why did Reynaldo suddenly call me so many times?

    Has his mother¡¯s surgery beenpleted?

    He called to ask about my mother¡¯s condition and to tell me about his mother¡¯s condition,

    Without much thought, I quickly called him back.

    I just dialed twice in a row and no one answered.

    I persistently dialed several more times, but still no one answered.

    So abnormal, it made my heart race again.

    Back outside the operating room, Quentin hurried up to meet her, ¡°Ralda, how is it? Did Reynaldo call you? Did he say anything to you?¡±

    I furrowed my brows and looked deeply at Quentin.

    His words clearly indicated that he thought Reynaldo would call me and tell me something.

    So, what did Quentin know? And what was he afraid of?

    I grabbed his arm and asked urgently, ¡°Why do you think Reynaldo will definitely call me? What are you hiding from me?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips tightly and said nothing.

    I got anxious and shouted at him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something?!¡±

    However, faced with my anxious questioning, Quentin just turned his face away, with a sad and painful expression, and still refused to tell me

    anything.

    I shook off his hand and said angrily, ¡°Since you won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll go ask Reynaldo myself.¡±

    ¡°He called me so many times all of a sudden, there must be something urgent he wants to tell me.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t¡­¡± Quentin suddenly grabbed my hand, and said with difficulty, ¡°Don¡¯t go to find him, don¡¯t go, at least, not now.¡±

    What do you mean. ¡°Don¡¯t go now¡°?

    My heart skipped a beat and I asked in a deep voice, ¡°What happened? Tell me!¡±

    In the end, ¡°I shouted very loudly.¡±

    People around me were all looking this way, but I didn¡¯t care about anything.

    My intuition told me that something might have happened on Reynaldo¡¯s mother¡¯s side, and even more, the incident might be rted to me. Otherwise, Quentin wouldn¡¯t have such an expression, nor would he look at me with such a hesitant gaze.

    I grabbed Quentin¡¯spel, tightened my voice and roared at him, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on? Is there anything between us siblings that needs to be kept secret like this?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s mother passed away!¡±

    Quentin couldn¡¯t resist my questioning and finally said, ¡°Fine.¡±

    That sentence, however, struck me like a p of thunder. fiercely hitting me on the head.

    I shook my head in disbelief and said. ¡°How

    Chapter

    said his mother had found a suitable kidney donor, and he had also

    consulted that the sess rate of this type of surgery is quite high. Why¡­ why did his mother still pass away?¡±

    ¡°Where did you get the news from? Are you lying to me, are you deceiving me?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin broke the news to me with a heavy tone, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, his mother really passed away, just half an hour ago.¡±

    Half an hour ago?

    Reynaldo called me an hour ago.

    At that time, his mother had not passed away yet, she should still have been on the operating table, so why did he call me so many times at that time?

    Also, why did Quentin keep all these things from me?

    Why didn¡¯t he let me go see Reynaldo?

    And what did he mean by saying ¡°What should Ralda do¡± outside the ward just now?

    Did Reynaldo¡¯s mother pass away? Is it rted to me?

    My mind was in a mess for a moment.

    I didn¡¯t even dare to think further.

    I steadied my mind and pushed Quentin¡¯s hand away, my eyes red as I said to him, ¡°If Reynaldo¡¯s mother really passed away, he must be feeling very sad right now.¡±

 Too Close 669

    Chapter669

    ¡°Quentin, please stay here and watch over Mom for me. I have to go find him now, I can¡¯t just leave him alone.¡±

    After saying that, I turned around and walked anxiously towards the elevator.

    Quentin grabbed me again, his face looking serious as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t go, listen to me, don¡¯t go find him now.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say much to Quentin, just forcefully pushed his hand away and turned around decisively.

    It was just Quentin¡¯s next words that instantly plunged me into hell.

    ¡°His mother could be said to have been killed by you.¡±

    I stiffened all over, a bone¨Cchilling coldness quickly rushing from the soles of my feet to my whole body.

    I turned stiffly and looked at Quentin, it took me a long time to find my voice, ¡°What are you joking about, how could Reynaldo¡¯s mother have been killed by me.¡±

    ¡°I have always been by my mother¡¯s side, I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    That being said, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the incident when I went to get the kidney source in the morning.

    A terrible guess shed through my mind in an instant.

    I swayed unsteadily for a moment.

    Quentin quickly supported me.

    closed my eyes for a while before looking at him and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Exin it to me clearly!¡±

    Quentin took a deep breath ufortably and said in a low voice,

    ¡®Actually, this kidney was originally meant for Mika, but Dr. Laurent and Kimora didn¡¯t know. They only knew that it was a match for my nom, so they used it.¡±

    Even in the morning, the transport vehicle was originally supposed to deliver the kidney to the hospital where Mika was.

    Unfortunately, the car broke down on the road just as Mika was already on the operating table, waiting for this kidney donor urgently.

    Reynaldo received the news that the car broke down and sent someone to quickly get the kidney source, but they were far from that location, so Ralda, you first bring the kidney source back for our mother to use.

    So, Mika did not wait for this kidney source and died on the operating table.

    ¡°Absurd!¡±

    After listening to Quentin¡¯s ount, I just felt that the whole thing was full of loopholes.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? If Mom¡¯s kidney source is the same as Mika¡¯s kidney source, do you think there would be no record or note in the medical database?¡±

    If Mika¡¯s mother¡¯s kidney source is used by the doctor on Mika¡¯s side, do you think Dr. Laurent can still apply for it?

    How could Mom¡¯s kidney source possibly be Mika¡¯s kidney source, and how could it be so coincidental that the car broke down on the road,

    forcing me to personally go and get the kidney source back.

    Chapte

    Quentin, if everything you said is true, don¡¯t you think all of this is a trap?

    Also, who told you this information, was it that Kimora? If it was her, where did she get this information from.

    ¡°So Quentin, don¡¯t you think your Kimora is strange?¡±

    ¡°No, Ralda, listen to me¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    waved his hand away, not wanting to hear a word he had to say.

    Zackery was full of doubts, and his girlfriend was even more suspicious.

    But at this moment, I didn¡¯t have time to investigate with him, let alone Quentin had already been brainwashed by that Kimora, I even said. nothing.

    The only thing I could do now was to go find Reynaldo.

    If everything Quentin said is true, how much should Reynaldo hate met right now?

    The thought of this made me shiver all over

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    Chapter670

    Quentin also tried to stop me, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t go. He hates you now, and I¡¯m afraid he might hurt you.¡±

    Iughed at him sarcastically, ¡°If I really killed his mother, where do you think I could hide?¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t mean to, you didn¡¯t even know beforehand that it was his mother¡¯s kidney source.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so I have to exin to him quickly, right?¡±

    Quentin opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything.

    I called Reynaldo several times on the way, but he still didn¡¯t answer.

    I went directly to the hospital where Mika was.

    But Reynaldo was nowhere to be found in the hospital, and even Mika¡¯s ward had been rearranged, with no trace of anything rted to Mika

    I asked a nurse and found out that Mika had indeed passed away.

    Reynaldo had already taken the body back.

    When the nurse mentioned this, there was a hint of fear on her face. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it, but when the patient passed away, Mr. Humphrey¡¯s face was so terrifying. He looked like he was going to overturn the whole hospital. None of us dared to approach him at that time.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know who to call and dialed for half a day, but no one answered on the other end. He smashed his phone, it was really scary.

    Chapter670

    Listening to the nurse¡¯s words, my heart tightened inch by inch.

    Reynaldo must hate me now.

    I had to find him as soon as possible and exin things to him.

    But where is he now?

    After such a big thing happened, he definitely couldn¡¯t go to thepany.

    And his mother had long since cut ties with the Humphrey family, so her passing had nothing to do with the Humphrey family, and he couldn¡¯t go back to the Humphrey¡¯s house..

    Where would he go?

    He didn¡¯t evene to me, even if he hated me, he didn¡¯t think about.ing to me.

    When I found Reynaldo, it was almost evening, and at that time, my mother¡¯s surgery had not yet finished.

    I found Reynaldo in our vi.

    He sat in the chair in the study, without turning on the light, the curtains were tightly closed, and not a single ray of light came in.

    So the whole study was dark, and if you didn¡¯t look carefully, you wouldn¡¯t even notice that there was a person sitting in the chair.

    The study was filled with a strong smell of smoke, and the heavy and oppressive atmosphere made me feel anxious.

    I turned on the light, and the first thing that caught my eye was the mess on the floor.

    Looking up along the mess on the ground.

    Chapterp

    I saw him leaning back in the chair, his tired face expressionless, but his eyes were terrifyingly bloodshot.

    His hand casually rested on the armrest of the chair, with a cigarette between his fingers that was about to burn out.

    There was blood on the back of his hand, and the joints of his bones. looked like they had been hit by something, with very clear blood marks.

    My heart tightened involuntarily.

    I walked over and called out to him in a low voice, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t react, his eyes just stared nkly at the desk.

    Reynaldo¡¯s silence made my heart race to the extreme.

    I steadied myself and went to get the first aid kit, then squatted in front of him, holding his hand, ¡°How did you hurt your hand? Let me bandage it for you first.¡±

    He then slowly lowered his gaze to look at me, his movements were mechanical, and his eyes were lifeless.

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    Chapter671

    For a long time, he suddenly pulled a touch of sadness and loneliness at me and said, ¡°My mother is gone.¡±

    I subconsciously held his hand tightly, for a moment I didn¡¯t know what to

    say.

    I took out alcohol and carefully disinfected the back of his hand.

    He smiled strangely, then suddenly said to me, ¡°My mother is gone.¡±

    His voice was very soft, so soft that it seemed like it could shatter, yet it was mixed with a chilling coldness that sent shivers down the spine.

    I clenched the cotton swab in my hand, and a touch of sour tears welled up in my eyes.

    Why did this happen?

    Everything was going well, why did something like this happen?

    Bang!

    Reynaldo suddenly overturned the medicine box in front of him.

    He shook off my hand, his crimson eyes filled with resentment, staring at me tightly, ¡°I said my mother is gone, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡±

    ¡°Do I need to tell you why my mother died on the operating table?¡±

    His voice was clearly calm, calm without any ripples, not even a hint of expression on his face.

    But I just felt cold, cold all over from head to toe.

    11

    Chapter671

    I shook my head, my voice trembling slightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t know that was your mother¡¯s kidney source.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t turn his face away, and I faintly saw a glimmer of tears in the corner of his eyes.

    The cigarette between his fingers had burned to the end, but he seemed not to feel any pain, allowing the burning cigarette butt to scorch his fingers.

    He tilted his head slightly, took a deep breath, and looked at me¡­

    ¡°Do you know how desperate my mother and I were waiting for that kidney donor?¡±

    I was overjoyed that my mother finally recovered. Next, we could finally have a good year together. I could finally hold a grand wedding for you. We could finally be together properly.

    But why did you have to take her kidney? Your mother¡¯s life is a life, isn¡¯t my mother¡¯s life a life too?

    I shook my head urgently, suppressing the bitterness in my heart, and choked out, ¡°Reynaldo, I really didn¡¯t know that was your mother¡¯s kidney source, otherwise I would never havepeted with you. You believe

    me.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe me?¡±

    Reynaldo raised his hand to cover his face, a sad and despairingughter spilling out from between his fingers.

    Opening his mouth again, his voice was low and suppressed, tinged with a broken pain.

    ¡°My mother¡¯s kidney was indeed

    to

    can I trust you? Esmeralda¡­¡±

    He stood up from the chair, his crimson eyes filled with tears, ¡°Why did you do this? I also wish your mother could get better, because she is your mother. No matter what it takes, I will do everything I can to save her.¡±

    But why did you have to secretly take away my mother¡¯s kidney source, which was matched with my mother first? She only has one month left, but your mother still has six months. Why did you do this?

    I always had you in my heart, the people around you, your family, I will treat them sincerely and wholeheartedly.

    But why did you have to kill my mother just because she disliked you and refused to ept you?

    ¡°But do you know, she was my only rtive in this world.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I grabbed his clothes and my heart ached so much that I almost couldn¡¯t breathe.

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that was your mother¡¯s kidney source, someone framed me, Dr. Laurent from Ormond Hospital, and Quentin¡¯s girlfriend, it must be them who framed me.¡±

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    Chapter672

    They told me they had found a suitable kidney source for my mother, but they didn¡¯t tell me it was your mother¡¯s kidney source.

    There was also the strange incident of the transport vehicle breaking down, and even Zackery deliberately asking me to fetch the kidney source. Now it is clear that all of that was clearly a trap.

    I really wanted to save my mom, but I never thought about harming your mother.

    ¡°Reynaldo, do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°But why did they want to harm you?¡±

    One sentence left me speechless.

    Yes, Zackery, and Quentin¡¯s girlfriend, I had no grievances with them, not even any intersection, why did they want to harm me?

    At that moment, I thought of Kimberly.

    I even suspect that Zackery and Quentin¡¯s girlfriends are both ¡°Kimberly¡¯s people.¡±

    But now I have no evidence, just empty words saying Kimberly is harming me, will Reynaldo believe me?

    In his mind, Kimberly was gentle and kind, with no background to speak of How could he believe that Kimberly had the ability to create such a huge trap seamlessly.

    If I said it was Kimberly who harmed me, he would definitely think I was trying to frame Kimberly.

    Chapter672

    What made me most desperate was the fact that I did take away his mother¡¯s kidney, and that is an unchangeable fact.

    I suppressed the pain and despair surging in my heart, and told him, ¡°Reynaldo, you go check Zackery from Ormond Hospital, and Quentin¡¯s girlfriend Kimora, you investigate them, this is a trap, someone is trying. to harm me.¡±

    Reynaldo closed his eyes slightly, and when he opened them again, his eyes were a deep red, filled with chilling irony and disappointment.

    He turned around, picked up a piece of paper from the table, and said coldly to me, ¡°Are you still going to say that your father is also harming you?¡±

    ¡°My dad?¡±

    I took the slip of paper in confusion.

    The next second, a sudden chill surged in my heart.

    That turned out to be the kidney matching report between my dad and my

    mom.

    The match rate was as high as 943%.

    When did my dad go for the matching? Since thepatibility is so high, why didn¡¯t he tell me?

    What did he even want to do by suddenly giving this typing report to Reynaldo?

    Terrifying spections shed through my mind, sending a chill rushing up from the soles of my feet, leaving me ice¨Ccold all over.

    I looked at Reynaldo, trembling, and asked, ¡°What did my dad say to you?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me sadly, with a smile full of sorrow and disappointment, ¡°Your father told me himself that he wanted to save your mother. He wanted to donate his kidney to her, but you didn¡¯t agree!¡±

    He said, ¡°You couldn¡¯t bear him missing a kidney, saying you were worried about his health after losing one kidney.¡±

    Oh, your rtives are human beings, their lives are precious, does my mother¡¯s life not matter at all?

    ¡°Esmeralda, you were really selfish.¡±

    ¡°Lying, that¡¯s not true at all, he is lying!¡±

    I grabbed his sleeve and said urgently, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to my dad, he¡¯s talking nonsense. He didn¡¯t actually go get tested with my mom, and he didn¡¯t tell me that they were such a good match. Someone must have put him up to this to harm me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, money! He must have done it for money!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    Reynaldo closed his eyes sorrowfully and his tone was extremely disappointed, ¡°That¡¯s your father, you said others harmed you, I can understand, but you said your father harmed you?¡±

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    Chapter673

    Esmeralda, why were your lies always so many, why was your heart always so selfish and malicious?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever believe me?¡± I cried out to him, ¡°Who says a father will always love his own child, my dad has changed a long time ago, this matching report is fake, my dad¡¯s words are also fake, all fake, all traps!¡±

    ¡°I also want to believe you.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes turned red again, with tears welling up in them.

    He clenched his hands tightly to his sides, with a look of pain mixed with despair, ¡°But I don¡¯t know how else to reach out to you, this time it was my mother who died.¡±

    I opened my mouth, but I didn¡¯t know what else to say.

    The fact before him was that I pitied my own rtives, stole his mother¡¯s kidney source, and caused his mother to die on the operating table.

    And I, without even the evidence to exin.

    Reynaldo took two steps back, leaning against the desk, his crimson eyes. gazing at me deeply.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you onest chance.¡±

    I looked at him, bit my lip, and didn¡¯t let myself cry.

    He said, ¡°I will invite all of them over right now. If anyone can prove that you really didn¡¯t know it was my mother¡¯s kidney source, then I will believe you are innocent.¡±

    Chapter673

    He said this sentence very calmly, but there was a hint of anticipation in his tone, hoping that I was truly innocent.

    So, did he really want to believe me?

    An hourter, the sound of brakes could be heard downstairs.

    At this moment, the sky had already turnedpletely dark, and the headlights shone on Reynaldo.

    He had been standing by the window for an hour.

    During that hour, he didn¡¯t say a word to me, and the room felt terribly oppressive.

    Before long, footsteps could be hearding from the corridor outside.

    The footsteps were chaotic, as if ¡°many people had arrived.¡±

    For some reason, my heart suddenly became fearful.

    Because I was not sure, who can prove that I am innocent in the current.

    situation.

    The door was quickly pushed open by someone.

    The first toe in was Braylon, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, I have brought everyone, except for Dr. Laurent from Ormond Hospital, who is still performing surgery on Mrs. Duffy.¡±

    All day long, my mother¡¯s surgery had not finished yet.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t look at me, he just nodded at Braylon.

    The next second, people outside walked in.

    There was my dad, there was Quentin, and there was Quentin¡¯s girlfriend Kimora, and even the two drivers transporting the kidney source.

    1237¨C

    Chapter

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin saw me and hurried over, grabbing my hand and asking, ¡°Are you okay? Why are your eyes so red? Did Reynaldo do something to you?¡±

    Quentin said, looking me up and down anxiously, as if he thought Reynaldo hadid a hand on me.

    Originally my heart was full of fear, but at the moment I saw Quentin, my heart calmed down a bit.

    I choked out to him, ¡°Quentin, we don¡¯t know if that kidney source is from his mother, do we? I have no idea at all.¡±

    Quentin patted my back tofort me, but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    I looked at my dad again, and what¡¯s funny is that he avoided my gaze, not daring to look me in the eye.

    Reynaldo sat down on the chair.

    His cold and sinister eyes first looked towards the two drivers.

    ¡°So, you casually gave away the kidney that should have belonged to my mother?¡±

    Even though Reynaldo was exhausted at the moment, the cool voice still carried a daunting pressure.

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    Chapter674

    The two drivers were so scared that they immediately knelt down.

    ¡°No, no, Mr. Humphrey, how could we casually give that kidney source to someone else? It was this woman, she said you asked her toe and assist.¡±

    One of the drivers said, pointing at me suddenly.

    I stared at him in astonishment.

    Even these two drivers were bought off, which was unexpected.

    Yes, since the transport vehicle broke down for no reason, it proves that these two drivers have colluded with the people who want to harm me.

    All of this had been arranged long ago.

    Quand

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey,¡± another driver said anxiously, ¡°She said you and your mother were waiting for this kidney, we were afraid of dying the surgery, and afraid the kidney would go bad, so we gave it to her right away. We had no idea she would take that kidney to save someone else.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, this really has nothing to do with us. We really thought she was sent by you to pick us up.¡±

    ¡°Lies! You are all lying!¡± I shouted urgently, my heart sinking continuously.

    ????

    The two drivers looked at me and innocently said, ¡°We did ask at the time if you were sent by Mr. Humphrey. You said yes, and even threatened us, saying if the surgery was dyed, we would not escape responsibility. We were scared, so we hurriedly gave you the kidney. Why are you now denying it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, girl, it wasn¡¯t easy for us to make a living and support the family. Why did you still harm us?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, you¡¯re lying, it¡¯s you who are framing me,¡± I looked anxiously at Reynaldo.

    However, Reynaldo never looked at me.

    He closed his eyes, raised his hand and waved it, and Braylon immediately stepped forward and led the two drivers out.

    In the room, the witnesses were reduced to just my dad and Quentin, along with Kimora.

    My heart had sunk to the bottom of the valley.

    Kimora had a problem, and my dad ¡°disowned his rtives for money.¡±

    Who else can prove that I am innocent?

    As if grasping at thest straw, I looked at Quentin in desperation and cried. ¡°They are all framing me. It was Dr. Laurent who asked me to get the kidney source, you know that, right? It was Dr. Laurent who asked me to get it. What should I do? They are all lying.¡±

    Quentin patted my back reassuringly, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Ralda. I¡¯m here, don¡¯t be afraid.¡±

    I grabbed his sleeve and pointed to Kimora, saying to him, ¡°You make your girlfriend speak up. It was she who told us that a suitable kidney donor for Mom had been found, but she didn¡¯t tell us that the donor was Reynaldo¡¯s mother, did she? You make her speak, you make her speak quickly.¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and looked up at that Kimora.

    Kimora, however, did not look at Quentin, but turned to Reynaldo and said, ¡°Although I am Quentin¡¯s girlfriend, at this point, I cannot lie.¡±

    I frowned heavily and said to her coldly, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    What did she mean by ¡°although she is Quentin¡¯s girlfriend¡°? What did she want to say?

    Kimora looked at me, her face full of sadness, and said, ¡°We told you at the time that the kidney donor was already matched with Mika. We also advised you that when Mrs. Duffy still had six months left, we were not in a hurry and could take our time to find another donor. Within six months, we would definitely find one.¡±

    You had promised so well at that time, but unexpectedly, you actually snatched Ms. Versta¡¯s kidney on the way.

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    Chapter675

    You knelt in front of me and Dr. Laurent, begging us to use that kidney on Mrs. Duffy first.

    It was against medical ethics in the first ce, but there was no other way. The kidney had already been taken by you and sent over to Mika. It was probably toote, so we reluctantly used the kidney on Mrs. Puffy.¡±

    ¡°Lies, you are all lying!¡± I growled, shaking with anger.

    I guessed that this Kimora had a big problem, and I guessed that she wouldn¡¯t prove my innocence.

    I didn¡¯t expect that she could fabricate facts so brazenly.

    I looked at Quentin and smiled sarcastically, ¡°This is the girlfriend you found, I told you long ago that she has issues, but you never listened.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s eyes flickered and he remained silent.

    I furrowed my brows, and a bone¨Cchilling feeling suddenly surged in my heart.

    No!

    Quentin loved his girlfriend so much, thinking that she was gentle, kind, and pure.

    But now, his girlfriend lied and framed me in front of him, and he didn¡¯t react at all.

    This is not normal at all.

    Chapter675

    So, what went wrong in the end?

    Wasn¡¯t this Kimora really his girlfriend?

    But if this woman is not his girlfriend, why did he lie to me?

    Could it be that even Quentin was bought by them? Even my own brother wants to harm me?

    Thinking of this, I felt a chill run through my whole body, as if I had fallen into an ice cave.

    At that moment, my father also spoke up, ¡°Yes, Ralda, you really made a mistake in this matter. Your mother¡¯s life is precious, and Reynaldo¡¯s mother¡¯s life is also precious. Moreover, she is your mother¨Cinw. How could you do this?¡±

    I told you and Quentin at that time, ¡°My kidney can be given to your mom. It¡¯s no big deal to lose one kidney, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±

    ¡°Now that things havee to this, what do you think we should do?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I looked at my dad, smiling sadly, ¡°For money, you can really do anything, you really¡­ unworthy of being a father!¡±

    ¡°Ralda, you can¡¯t say that to me. Even though you are my daughter, Reynaldo is also my son¨Cinw. I can¡¯t always take your side and cover up for you.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    I gave a coldugh and looked at Quentin, ¡°Quentin, do you really have nothing to say?¡±

    Quentin looked pained, he looked at me and said with difficulty, ¡°Dad was right, you shouldn¡¯t have taken Ms. Versta¡¯s kidney to save mom.

    Boom!

    Chapter675

    It felt as if something had copsed in my heart.

    The person who was familiar to the bone suddenly became extremely strange.

    I let go of his cuff, took two steps back, and looked at him with a strange and resentful look in my eyes.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face showed a hint of panic, reaching out to grab me.

    your

    ¨ª avoided it, thest time I asked him, ¡°Quentin, are you confused, girlfriend, and our father, they are all lying, they are all setting me up, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    However, faced with my question, Quentin just turned his face away and didn¡¯t answer me.

    Look, he refused to admit that my dad and that woman were lying to frame me.

    So it was obvious that he also ¡°stood on their side¡°.

    Oh, my dear brother, who has always loved and cared for me since childhood, actually ended up helping someone harm me one day.

    And my biological father, for the sake of money, ¡°disowned¡± his own rtives.

    So, what on earth has happened to this world?

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    Chapter676

    I chuckled and looked at Quentin coldly and decisively, ¡°Our father is no longer my father, and you are no longer my brother.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin called my name with a look of sorrow on his face, wanting to

    I staggered back a few steps, looking at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, his face very calm.

    His crimson eyes stared at me without any emotion, ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡±

    Is there anything else you would like to say?

    Hehe¡­

    Everyone was using me, even my closest brother was helping them to

    use me.

    So, what else could I say.

    I smiled coldly, with a sad and ironic gaze that passed over all of them.

    Reynaldo slightly closed his eyes, a clear expression of disappointment and sadness shing across his cold handsome face.

    Braylon shouted at him with some concern, ¡°Mr. Humphrey¡­¡±

    Reynaldo leaned on the edge of the table with one hand, he remained silent for a long time with his eyes closed before speaking. His low voice.

    Chapter

    was very soft, tinged with an unprecedented weariness.

    ¡°Esmeralda stayed, everyone else went out.¡±

    I watched him quietly, my eyes sore and my heart feeling like it had been stabbed with a knife, aching intensely.

    My father looked at me, his eyes shing, and advised me, ¡°Apologize to Reynaldo sincerely. As long as you are sincere, I think Reynaldo will forgive you. After all, you were also trying to save your mother, and you didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    It was as if it was a huge joke, Iughed,ughed sarcastically.

    This time, Reynaldo¡¯s mother died, his closest rtive passed away.

    And the ¡°culprit¡± was me, even all the evidence pointed to me, how could they expect Reynaldo to forgive me?

    I looked coldly at my father and sneered, ¡°Whether he will forgive me or not, I don¡¯t know. All I know is that I will never forgive you, not even until death.¡±

    ¡°Ts!¡± My father frowned and looked at me disapprovingly, ¡°I am your father, and that¡¯s a fact that will never change in this lifetime.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a dad like you!¡±

    I red at him with crimson eyes and growled lowly, filled with sorrow and indignation.

    My father was startled by my yelling, and he frowned, saying, ¡°You are really stubborn and ignorant, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore.¡±

    He said and went to pull Quentin, wanting Quentin to leave.

    Quentin pulled his hand away and hurriedly said to Reynaldo, ¡°No matter what, the tragedy now cannot be changed. Ralda didn¡¯t mean it either

    Chapter676

    She was just desperate to save her mother. I hope you won¡¯t hurt her.¡±

    I looked at him, ¡°sarcasticallyughing,ughing until tears streamed. down.¡±

    ¡°Quentin, did you feel that your words were really insincere?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face was full of sorrow, with deepplexity lingering in his red eyes.

    He walked up to the desk and said to Reynaldo again, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, in consideration of the rtionship you had with Ralda in the past, I hope you won¡¯t hurt her. She loves you very, very much, really.¡±

    ¡°Very much in love?¡±

    Reynaldo chewed on these words carefully for a while, then suddenly pulled his lip in self¨Cmockery.

    That self¨Cdeprecating remark stung my eyes and caused my heart to ache in waves, making it difficult to even breathe.

    Reynaldo looked at Quentin and chuckled sarcastically, ¡°So, tell me, shouldpensate me for my mother¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey¡­¡­¡±

    who

    Quentin wanted to say something, but my dad quickly grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Ralda is his wife and the person he likes. No matter what, he won¡¯t harm Ralda. Let¡¯s go!¡±

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    Chapter677

    My father said, ¡°he dragged me out with that Kimora.¡±

    After they had all left, Braylon also quietly left and closed the door to the study.

    At one point, there was only me and Reynaldo left in the study.

    The atmosphere was even more oppressive than it was at the beginning.

    Reynaldo stood up and walked towards me step by step.

    He stood in front of me, his eyes filled with a hatred that made me despair.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I called out his name, my voice choked with sobs and pain.

    Reynaldo turned his face away, and his profile showed a pale and sad smile.

    For a long time, he looked at me and asked me without any tone, ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡±

    ¡°I said they were all framing me, I said this was a trap, I said the person behind all this maniption is Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°But will you believe me?¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze, disappointed and sarcastically smiling, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying Quentin, your beloved brother, is also using you?¡±

    I bit my lower lip sadly.

    Chat677

    I thought Quentin would be my lifesaver, but he ended up being thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.

    I couldn¡¯t believe that Quentin would help those people frame me, and yet I wanted Reynaldo to believe it!

    I took a deep breath and looked at him with red eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t believe a word I say, so how do you n to punish me? Kill me to atone for your mother?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    The man¡¯s long¨Csuppressed emotions seemed to finally erupt at this

    moment.

    He grabbed my shoulder, his eyes red with anger, and growled at me, ¡°Do you know how much I like you?¡±

    Even though I knew you were full of problems, constantly lying, selfish and malicious, I still epted it, I just like you, no matter what kind of person you are, I like you.

    I wished I could give you everything, even ¡°take out my heart and give it to you¡°.

    But why did you have to take away my mother¡¯s kidney source? When you did this, did you ever think of me? She is my mother!¡±

    With that, Reynaldo pushed me away with disgust.

    I staggered back several steps in a hurry, finally grabbing onto the nearby cab to barely steady myself.

    However, the next second, the man¡¯s cold and ruthless words came.

    ¡°Get out of Freybourne and never let me see you again in my life!¡±

    This sentence felt like a thousand arrows piercing my heart, causing me to

    12371)

    tremble all over in pain.

    I mechanically lifted my head to look at him, but only saw his sinister and cold back.

    I slid slowly down the cab and sat on the floor, asking him, ¡°Are we done in this lifetime?¡±

    When I stumbled out of the vi, Quentin was anxiously waiting for me

    in the yard.

    Seeing meing out, he hurried up to support me, ¡°Ralda, are your okay? Did Reynaldo do anything to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over, everything is over, it¡¯s all finished.¡±

    Reynaldo did not answer my question.

    But his silence had already indicated his attitude.

    Yes, in the past, the misunderstandings between him and me could all be rified and resolved.

    And now, between him and me there is a life, his mother¡¯s life.

    No matter what, this life cannot be erased.

    ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare me, Ralda¡­¡± Quentin¡¯s anxious call rang in his ears.

    I slowly turned my head and looked at him mechanically, ¡°Quentin?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯ll take you back now. Reynaldo is in a rage at the moment, so his words may be harsh. Wait until the hatred subsides, and then you

    can¡­

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    Chapter678

    Pap!

    Before Quentin could finish speaking. I raised my hand and pped him hard.

    Quentin¡¯s face was punched to one side.

    Time seemed to have frozen, and everything around me had also frozen.

    For a long time, Quentin wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his lips. and said to me sadly, ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry for what I did to you.¡±

    ¡°So why? Why did you help them frame me?¡±

    I grabbed his arm, crying out in sorrow and anger. ¡°You are my own brother, you are my most trusted brother.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin looked at me, his eyes instantly turning red, his voice hoarse and choked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear sorry, I just want to know the reason!¡±

    I coldly cut off Quentin¡¯s words, staring at him with sorrow and anger.

    Quentin, however, clenched his lips tightly and refused to reveal the reason no matter what.¡±

    At this moment, my dad drove over, he stuck his head out of the car window and shouted to us, ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s go quickly, don¡¯t wait for Reynaldo to get angryter, he wants us to bury his mother with him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ralda, let¡¯s leave here first and then talk.¡±

    Quentin said, pulling me towards the car.

    I pushed him hard, took two steps back, and sneered at them, ¡°One of your for money, the other for women, right?¡±

    Quentin turned his face away in shame, his profile haunted by unspeakable pain and guilt.

    But so what?

    No matter how much he valued this sibling rtionship, the fact remains that he helped outsiders frame me.

    He is no longer my brother.

    And that once warm and happy home, in the end, fell apart.

    I lowered my head and said coldly, ¡°You guys go, in the future. I have no rtionship with you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Quentin grabbed me anxiously, ¡°I know we both let you down, but now is not the time to act impulsively,¡±

    I just saw that Reynaldo was very depressed, he appeared calm on the surface, but there was already a cold murderous look in his eyes.

    You stayed here, and he could hurt you at any time.

    ¡°Listen to me,e back with me first, Ralda, listen to me¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh, mocking them with a sneer, ¡°When you conspired with outsiders to frame me, you should have thought that Reynaldo would retaliate against me.¡±

    Whether he would hurt me or take my life, isn¡¯t it all because of you?

    So, you didn¡¯t care about my safety at all, why bother with this hypocritical act!

    ¡°Hey, why are you so petty, girl?¡±

    I naturally guessed that Quentin knew Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t bear to do anything to you, so he reluctantly helped others to set you up. Why did you still take it seriously?¡±

    My dad looked at me and said indifferently, ¡°Besides, we are all family, can¡¯t you understand me a little bit?¡±

    ¡°You see, now Reynaldo hasn¡¯t done anything to you, and I¡¯ve also received the money. Isn¡¯t this a win¨Cwin situation?¡±

    I trembled with anger as I listened to my father¡¯s words.

    Quentin shouted angrily at him. ¡°Enough, don¡¯t say it anymore.¡±

    ¡°You kid, what are you pretending for? You also tricked her, and you dare to yell at me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    At that moment, I almost saw through the ugliness of human nature.

    I pointed at the dark night and growled at them, ¡°Get out, all of you, get

    out!¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin writhed his lips, unable to speak from the pain.

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    My father looked around the yard and snorted, ¡°Speaking of which, this is the Duffy family¡¯s vi. Well, you just wait and see. Now that I have money, when I be sessful, I will definitely snatch back this vi!¡±

    ¡°Go away! Go away!¡±

    held my head and roared hoarsely.

    Quentin busily said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t get excited, we¡¯re leaving now.¡±

    Quentin got into the car as he spoke.

    He rolled down the window and said to me anxiously. ¡°Reynaldo is in danger now. You shouldn¡¯t stay here for long. If anything happens, be sure to call me.¡±

    I sneered and did not respond.

    My father said, ¡°Alright, Reynaldo likes her so much, he won¡¯t do anything to her. Let¡¯s just worry about ourselves.¡±

    After my dad finished speaking, he looked at me and said, ¡°And also, Ralda, there are nosting grudges among family members. Just be mad for a few days, and everything will be fine. Dad will still love you in the future, and Quentin will still care for you as your brother.¡±

    I sneered andughed coldly, not wanting to say a word to them.

    Quentin looked at me, tears welling up in his eyes, and said nothing.

    My father sighed and said, ¡°When your mother gets better, we will buy a new house and not live in the one given to us by Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°When I be sessful, I will take you all to live a good life, just like before.¡±

    The cold wind at night scattered my father¡¯sst words.

    I watched the taillights disappear into the night, smiling foolishly, feeling a sense of sadness in my heart.

    Just like before?

    Hehe, it¡¯s not possible.

    In the end, it was a change of heart. Even if he makes more money and achieves greater wealth in the future, he can never go back to the way things were.

    The night wind was cold and bleak.

    Small snowkes were drifting in the air again, floating on the face, chilling the heart.

    I turned around slowly and looked up towards the direction of the study on the second floor.

    The air was cold and damp, and a mist rose before my eyes.

    Reynaldo¡¯s gentle affection was still present yesterday.

    Last night he was still designing wedding dresses for me, promising me a grand wedding.

    However, everything changed overnight.

    The days of anxiety and unease finally proved to be true.

    How can I prove to him that I didn¡¯t kill his mother?

    It¡¯s ridiculous that not a single person stood by my side, even my closest

    ones betrayed me.

    It felt as if a sharp de had cut open a wound in the heart, and the intense pain spread from the heart to the whole body.

    <b>11 </b>

    I hugged my arms helplessly as the cold wind and snow engulfed me.

    At this moment, someone walked out of the vi.

    I mechanically lifted my head.

    It was Braylon.

    He walked over with an umbre and said to me expressionlessly, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you may leave.¡±

    I suppressed the sadness and sorrow in my heart, and slowly said, ¡°His mother really wasn¡¯t killed by me.¡±

    Braylon pursed his lips and said nothing.

    A self¨Cmocking feeling arose in my heart.

    Look, no one believed me.

    They all believed that I ¡°stole Mika¡¯s kidney¡± to save my mother,

    Braylon looked into my eyes, no longer as respectful as before, but with a hint of coldness and resentment.

    He said lightly. ¡°To tell the truth, it¡¯s obvious to everyone how Ms. Duffy treated Mr. Humphrey before he became sessful.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± I could clearly feel Braylon¡¯s hostility towards me.

 Too Close 680

    Braylon expressionlessly said, ¡°Ms. Duffy did not love Mr. Humphrey. The only reason she was willing to be with Mr. Humphrey was because he was wealthy.¡±

    Actually, none of us wanted him to be with you, but there was nothing we could do. He loved you so much that he went crazy, loving you without caring about anything.

    Even if he was cheated and hurt countless times by you, he still only wants you.

    Unfortunately, you didn¡¯t have him in your heart, so naturally you

    wouldn¡¯t consider his feelings when doing something, let alone care about his mother¡¯s life,¡±

    I stared at him fixedly and said. ¡°So, this is what you all think, even he himself thinks so, right?¡±

    Braylon didn¡¯t answer my question, he just handed me the umbre and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey wants you to leave immediately. He said, don¡¯t make him hurt you.¡±

    The heart seemed to have been hurt to numbness.

    I didn¡¯t take the umbre, I just turned around slowly and walked outside step by step.

    Braylon¡¯s businesslike voice sounded behind me¡­

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey said, that you must leave Freybourne within three days, and from now on, you are not allowed to set foot in Freybourne again.¡±

    ¡°He never wants to see you again in his life!¡±

    Chapter50

    The heart throbbed painfully, and that gnawing pain instantly spread from the heart to the whole body, causing my steps to be a little unsteady.

    I staggered to the gate of the courtyard, leaning against the cold iron gate, and paused for a long, long time before my vision gradually cleared.

    Let me leave within three days?

    So when he said for me to leave Freybourne, it wasn¡¯t just empty words. He truly didn¡¯t want to see me for another second.

    I closed my eyes, and the hot tears instantly slid down from the corners of

    my eyes.

    I lifted my face towards the night sky, took a deep breath, and then staggered into the darkness.

    I never knew that Reynaldo and I would end up like this in the end.

    This time, in the end, he didn¡¯t want me.

    The snow fell heavier and heavier.

    The cold wind mixed with snowkes howled in the air.

    I stood nkly under the dim streetmp, suddenly remembering the dream I had during the day.

    In my dream, I stood alone in the vast fog, feeling lost and helpless, just like I do at this moment.

    A bone¨Cchilling cold enveloped my whole body, I hugged my arms tightly, feeling only darkness in front of me.

    At the moment when I was about to faint, a figure suddenly rushed out and caught me.

    I looked at him, a hint of sarcasm curling at the

    It was Quentin.

    Hehe. it was my dearest and most beloved brother who helped outsiders. betray me and set me up.

    Quentin took me back to the rental house.

    He helped me onto the bed, brought a basin of hot water, and then gently. wiped my face and hands with a towel soaked in hot water.

    I didn¡¯t say anything. I just looked at him with a mocking expression in

    my eyes.

    He initially hung his head and dared not look at me.

    In the end, it seemed that she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, with red eyes she choked out to me, ¡°Ralda, please don¡¯t look at me like that, okay?¡±

    ¡°What kind of look do you want me to give you?¡± I smiled at him, a light, mocking smile.

    Quentin turned his face away, his handsome profile showing unbearable pain.

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    Chapter681

    I sneered and said, ¡°To be honest, you¡¯ve done it all, there¡¯s no need to show this painful expression in front of me. The more you do this, the more I feel it¡¯s fake.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­.¡± Quentin squeezed my hand tightly, asking sorrowfully, ¡°What will it take for you to forgive me?¡±

    ¡°Then you tell me, who is the mastermind behind killing Ms. Versta and framing me behind my

    my back?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and still did not answer my question.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Is it Kimberly?¡±

    Quentin was slightly taken aback.

    Seeing his reaction, my guess in my heart was instantly confirmed.

    An indescribable sadness and anger filled the heart.

    I closed my eyes and asked him, ¡°Actually, Kimora is not your girlfriend, Kimberly is, right?¡±

    Quentin remained silent.

    I opened my eyes and looked at him, sadness and anger intertwined in my heart, and for a moment I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    I knew Kimberly was cunning and malicious.

    Whenever Quentin¡¯s girlfriend stood me and my mom up, I should have guessed that his girlfriend was Kimberly.

    But I never expected that she would actuallye forward to seduce Quentin herself, deceiving Quentin¡¯s feelings.

    She first hired someone to seduce my dad, and then pretended to be a pure and weak girl to seduce Quentin.

    Hehe¡­

    How much hatred and resentment does she have towards me, to go to such lengths to sneak into my home and slowly dismantle the once warm and cozy ce, tearing it apart step by step.

    The most terrifying thing is not those who are born poor and evil, but women like her who appear harmless, gentle and pure on the surface, yet are treacherous and vicious inside, like snakes and scorpions.

    I looked at Quentin and said, ¡°You love her, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Quentin did not remain silent this time, nor did he deny.

    He choked up and spoke with a hint of sadness in his voice.

    ¡°She was the first girl I liked, and the only girl I ever loved.¡±

    It can be said that ¡°I loved her, loved her so much that I would give my life for her.¡±

    I took a deep breath, feeling a dull pain in my heart that was hard to bear.

    I thought Quentin¡¯s girlfriend might not be easy to get along with, maybe not sincere to Quentin.

    But I really didn¡¯t expect it to be Kimberly.

    Why does it have to be Kimberly?!

    Quentin squeezed my hand and said urgently, ¡°I know, Kimberly is

    Reynaldo¡¯s unrequited love, and because of Reynaldo, you don¡¯t like her.¡±

    Chapter

    But she was innocent, she told me she was just Reynaldo¡¯s sister, just a decoy Reynaldo used to provoke you.

    Ralda, she was really good and kind, you shouldn¡¯t have such a big hostility towards her.¡±

    As if hearing a huge joke, I couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, while my heart was filled with sadness and anger.

    I yelled at him, ¡°She hired someone to seduce my father, killed Ms. Versta, instigated you to frame me. You said she was kind and innocent, huh, Quentin, you actually said she was kind and innocent?!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Quentin said anxiously, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Ms. Versta who killed her, she really did her best to help our mother find a kidney source, she didn¡¯t even know it was Ms. Versta¡¯s.¡±

    Until¡­ until the morning, she heard that Ms. Versta¡¯s kidney had been. taken by you, and Ms. Versta couldn¡¯t get off the operating table, she realized something was wrong.

    She was very scared at the time, after all, it was she and Dr. Laurent who matched Ms. Versta¡¯s kidney source with our mother¡¯s, so to speak, Ms. Versta was indirectly killed by her.

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    Chapter682

    She said that Reynaldo did not love her, and if Reynaldo found out that she identally killed Ms. Versta, he would definitely kill her.

    So she begged me to temporarily push all the me onto your head. Reynaldo loves you, no matter what, he would not harm your life.

    ¡°And just as we suspected, Reynaldo really didn¡¯t do anything to you.¡±

    ¡°But I back with Reynaldo, he hates me, he told me to get

    n never on out of Freybourne, he said I can nevere back!¡±

    I cried out to Quentin, ¡°Quentin, I am your own sister. Is this how you are hurting me for a woman who deceived you?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t lie to me.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if Quentin was deceiving himself or not, but his tone was surprisingly firm.

    I sneered at him and said. ¡°She said her name is Kimora, she said she works as a nurse in the hospital, she said she doesn¡¯t have time to have dinner with your family¡­¡°.

    ¡°Quentin, aren¡¯t all these just deceiving you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because she was wary of you. When I first met her, she didn¡¯t tell me her name.¡±

    Later, when she found out that I was your brother, she hid her true identity and only told me her name was Kimora.

    Until recently, she stood me up several times after making ns with you. She was afraid that I would be angry and even more afraid that I would

    misunderstand her. So she tearfully confessed to me, saying that she was the ¡®moonlight of Reynaldo¡® Kimberly that you mentioned.

    She exined to me that because you didn¡¯t like her, she had been afraid to interact with me as Kimberly, fearing that I would take your side and be hostile towards her.

    She also made it clear to me that she was not Reynaldo¡¯s ¡°moonlight¡°, but just grew up with Reynaldo since childhood, like a sister to Reynaldo.

    The reason why she became Reynaldo¡¯s unrequited love was simply because Reynaldo deliberately used her to provoke you.

    Ralda said¡­¡±

    Quentin looked at me seriously, his tone filled with sadness and pleading, ¡°Kimberly, she really is innocent, she¡­¡±

    ¡°Then am I not innocent?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo loved you, he would not harm your life.¡±

    Oh!

    Iughed sarcastically.

    What a grand excuse.

    Just because Reynaldo loved me, did I deserve to be wrongly used by them, framed, and take the me for his girlfriend?

    Why?!

    ¡°You go out!¡± I pointed to the door coldly.

    Quentin looked at me anxiously and said, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this. Once Reynaldo calms down, everything can go back to how it was before. By then, we¡­¡±

    §³§á§Ñ§â?§ß 80

    ¡°I can¡¯t go back.¡±

    I looked at him with extreme indifference and sneered, ¡°In the future, I have no father, and you are no longer my brother, so do you think we can go back to the way we were?¡±

    ¡°Ralda,¡± Quentin¡¯s face was full of sorrow, ¡°What do I have to do for you to forgive me?¡±

    ¡°Forgive you?¡± Iughed coldly, ¡°Sure.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face lit up with joy as he grabbed my hand excitedly and said, ¡°Ralda, I knew you couldn¡¯t really be mad at me, couldn¡¯t really not recognize me.¡±

    ¡°Hehe!¡±

    I withdrew my hand with a cold smile. ¡°Unless you can go to Reynaldo and expose Kimberly¡¯s true face, reveal the truth of how she killed Ms. Versta, then I will forgive you.¡±

    A look of pain appeared on Quentin¡¯s face.

    you can¡¯t do it! So, c

    I sneered coldly, ¡°Sec, mention anything about forgiveness in front of me in the future. I will never forgive you in my whole life!¡±

    In the end, I said firmly and coldly.

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    Chapter683

    Quentin¡¯s expression stiffened, and a hint of crimson slowly filled hist

    eyes.

    He said in pain, ¡°Kimberly is really not what you imagine, you still have some misunderstandings about her.¡±

    She was really kind. In her spare time, she would go to the orphanage to visit those orphans. She also donated money to children in remote mountainous areas every year.

    She even went to nursing homes to take care of the elderly. She loves small animals and can¡¯t bear to even step on ants.

    ¡°She was such a kind person, how could she possibly have intentionally killed Ms. Versta?¡±

    I lowered my gaze, feeling a strong sense of sarcasm in my heart.

    Whether it was Anton, Reynaldo, or even Quentin, they all had unwavering faith in the kindness of that woman.

    Whether that woman¡¯s acting skills are too good or what, I don¡¯t know why the Kimberly I saw waspletely different from what they saw.

    ¡°Ralda, she was also so anxious to save our mother that she identally matched Ms. Versta¡¯s kidney to our mother.¡±

    ¡°You can consider it as her saving her mother, consider this time taking er, consider this time taking the me for her as repaying her a favor, okay?¡±

    I clenched the bedding tightly, my hands trembling slightly from exertion.

    I smiled solemnly and said word by word, ¡°No good! From now on, I have

    Chapers

    an irreconcble feud with Kimberly, and I am also breaking off all ties with you, Quentin.¡±

    ¡°Do not, Ralda, I beg you not to be so heartless,¡± Quentin anxiously pleaded with me, his voice filled with panic.

    Iughed sarcastically, ¡°You should ask yourself, whether it is you as a brother who is heartless, or me as a sister who is heartless.¡±

    Quentin was suddenly speechless when I asked him.

    I pointed to the door again and said, ¡°Go out!¡±

    By now, Quentin had beenpletely fascinated by Kimberly. Whatever Kimberly said, he believed.

    In this way, I didn¡¯t need to say more to him.

    And at that moment, Quentin¡¯s phone rang.

    He got up to answer the phone, but the next second, his face changed drastically.

    Looking at his face, which instantly turned stiff and pale, my heart sank slightly.

    Is there something bad happening again?

    Could it be my mom¡¯s surgery?

    Just as I thought of this, Quentin looked at me, his tense voice filled with fear, ¡°Ralda, something happened to mom.¡±

    When Quentin and I arrived at the hospital, the door of the operating room was still tightly closed.

    That is to say, my mother has note out of the operating room since this morning.

    Chapteru

    Nurses were delivering blood bags inside.

    The operating room door closed again.

    I clenched my hands tightly, waiting anxiously outside the door.

    On the way there, Quentin told me that my mom¡¯s surgery was going well, but then a blood vessel burst and they couldn¡¯t stop the bleeding.

    And due to the heavy bleeding, my mother¡¯s various indicators were also affected.

    Quentin paced back and forth outside the operating room.

    He murmured to me, ¡°Will mom be okay with so many blood bags being sent in?¡±

    If there is not enough blood, use mine, you can also draw my blood.

    ¡°Mom will be fine, right Ralda?<b>¡± </b>

    I did not respond to his words.

    Actually, at this moment, what I was more worried about was Zackery.

    Zackery was obviously Kimberly¡¯s man, and he listened to Kimberly very well, otherwise Kimberly¡¯s plot could not have proceeded so smoothly.

    And Kimberly was so malicious.

    Mika was at least half a mother to her, and she had watched her grow up since she was a child. They had lived together for so long that she could even harm Mika, let alone my mother.

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    Chapter684

    If she wanted to take my mother¡¯s life in order to deal with me, all she had to do was inform Zackery and have him tamper with the surgery. Then, taking my mother¡¯s life would be as easy as pie.

    Or, it could be said, the kidney source didn¡¯t actually match with my

    mom.

    Kimberly wanted me to ¡°steal¡± Mika¡¯s kidney, so she conspired with Zackery to deceive me and Quentin, saying that the kidney was a match for my mom.

    If this is a possibility, then what is this kidney transnt surgery all about.

    Didn¡¯t it be a ¡°talisman¡± for my mother to urge me on?

    Thinking of this, a touch of coldness and anxiety inevitably rose in my heart.

    I walked to the door of the operating room and wanted to push it open.

    Quentin quickly grabbed me and said, ¡°Ralda, what are you doing? The doctor is trying to save Mom. How can you just barge in like this?¡±

    ¡°Dr. Laurent was in cahoots with Kimberly. If Kimberly wanted to harm her mother, do you think the surgery would go smoothly?¡±

    Quentin frowned deeply, ¡°Ralda, I know you have a lot of hostility and misunderstanding towards her, but your guess is simply impossible.¡±

    ¡°How is it not possible? She even harmed Ms. Versta, let alone our mother.¡±

    Chapter

    ¡°I said, killing Ms. Versta was just an ident, she didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Quentin even said helplessly to me.

    I coldly pursed my lips, not wanting to hear a single word he said.

    No matter whether my previous guess was true or not, now it¡¯s a matter of my mother¡¯s life, I dare not take the risk.

    Anyway, I had to make them change the doctor for my mom¡¯s surgery.

    I pried open Quentin¡¯s hand and pushed open the door to the operating room once again..

    But he was still caught by Quentin.

    He looked at me helplessly and anxiously, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t mess around. It¡¯s a critical moment for the surgery now. Your presence will definitely affect their operation.¡±

    ¡°Listen, we were waiting outside. Don¡¯t let your guess affect mom¡¯s surgery and endanger her life.¡±

    ¡°Quentin, can you please sober up a bit?¡±

    I yelled at him angrily, ¡°Now my mother¡¯s surgery has encountered problems, and her condition is very critical!¡±

    It is said that Zackery, with his high talent, was an internal medicine professor, so performing such surgery was a piece of cake.

    So don¡¯t you think it¡¯s suspicious that the surgery suddenly went wrong

    now?

    He was Kimberly¡¯s man, he was the one who wanted to harm mom¡¯s life, ¡°Let me go, I want to save mom!¡±

    ¡°Then you think about it carefully, Dr. Laurent is so aplished in the medical field, would he jeopardize his own future for Kimberly¡¯s sake by

    Chapter <b>84 </b>

    harming Mom?¡±

    Moreover, was it necessary for them to take such a big risk to harm our mother?

    Ralda, I know you were very tired and exhausted these days, and you also suffered a lot of setbacks, so it¡¯s understandable that you felt a bit down.

    ¡°Be good, let¡¯s not overthink it. Let¡¯s just think, so many doctors are in there saving mom, mom will definitely be fine. If you rush in now, on the contrary¡­¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I pushed Quentin aside without bothering to listen to his nonsense, and quickly made my way to push open the door of the operating room.

    However, just as my hand touched the cold door panel, the door was suddenly pushed open from the inside.

    I quickly took two steps back and saw a doctoring out.

    It was not Zackery, but another doctor slightly older in age.

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    Chapter685

    His hands were covered in blood, which almost made me suffocate.

    That was my mother¡¯s blood!

    I was anxious to go in, but the doctor stopped me and said. ¡°The patient is undergoing surgery. Family members are not allowed to enter, otherwise it will cause bacterial infection.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Quentin hurried over and pulled me, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡±

    The doctor seemed too busy to pay attention to me, and he anxiously looked at the nurse beside him, saying, ¡°Hurry up and get another 800CC of blood transfusion, it needs to be quick!¡±

    Upon hearing the doctor¡¯s anxious words, my heart suddenly tightened and I almost couldn¡¯t stand.

    Seeing the doctor about to close the operating room door, I quickly shouted at him. ¡°I want to change doctors, I want to rece that Zackery, I don¡¯t want him to operate on my mom!¡±

    The doctor turned to me and frowned, saying, ¡°Dr. Laurent is the lead surgeon for this operation, and it is currently in progress. How can we just change him casually?¡±

    I understand your family members, there was a situation during the surgery, you must have been anxious, and inevitably suspicious of us doctors.

    But Dr. Laurent is a professor and expert in this field, with a lot of experience in this type of surgery. He is also doing his best to save your

    Chapleas

    mother. If even he can¡¯t handle this surgery, then no one can.

    ¡°Yes, Ralda, don¡¯t be like this. The surgery has been going on for so long, and it¡¯s in the emergency phase. Even if we change doctors, the new doctor won¡¯t know the specific situation. It will only lead to bigger errors and problems.¡±

    ¡°What should I do? Am I supposed to just stand by and watch them kill mom?¡±

    I grabbed Quentin¡¯s cor, crying out in sorrow and anger, ¡°Why do you have to go find Kimberly to be

    whoever

    you want? Why does. Our girlfriend? Why can¡¯t you love

    have to be her?¡±

    It was all you, you attracted a poisonous snake and harmed mom.

    I told you, if anything happens to my mother, I want her to be buried with

    me!

    The doctor inexplicably nced at me as if he thought I was crazy, afraid that I would barge in, and quickly closed the door to the operating room.

    I leaned helplessly against the wall, ring at Quentin with resentment.

    Quentin choked up with red eyes and said to me, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this. Those are just your guesses.¡±

    There is no surgery without risks, let alone such a major surgery.

    Are you okay, just apany me quietly and wait, okay?

    ¡°Maybe mom will be out soon.

    I clenched my fists by my side, looking at the operating room, gritting my teeth and saying, ¡°They had better have some conscience. If they really dare to harm my mother¡¯s life, I will fight them to the end!¡±

    Quentin sighed heavily, then covered his face and sat down on the bench

    Chuplentes

    beside him in pain.

    11

    It was at this moment that two figures suddenly appeared on the other side of the elevator.

    As I approached, I was surprised to see that it was Reynaldo and Braylon.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes still had a touch of crimson, his face devoid of any expression, and a chilling aura enveloped his entire body.

    Quentin was also shocked, he looked at me and said, ¡°What is he here for?¡±

    I didn¡¯t make a sound, just stared heavily at the man whose eyes no longer held any warmth.

    Before long, Reynaldo came over.

    Quentin quickly stood up and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, how¡­how did youe here?¡±

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    Chapter686

    I was sarcastic in my heart.

    Quentin covered up for the person who actually killed Mika, and he was feeling guilty after all.

    Reynaldo never looked at me, his cold gaze sweeping over the door of the operating room, and he said to Braylon, ¡°The cost of this surgery, medication, and medical equipment should all be paid for with the best.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    After receiving the order, Braylon quickly went to handle it.

    Quentin looked at Reynaldo in shock and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you¡­¡±

    Reynaldo turned and sat on the bench, his cold eyes finally looking at me, his calm tone devoid of any warmth, ¡°I really want to know, what exactly did you go to such lengths to steal the kidney source, the thing you stole, can it really save your mother¡¯s life.¡±

    His words had no great fluctuations.

    But as I listened, my heart clenched fiercely and a sharp, sour pain surged

    Look, at this moment, I was like a despicable thief in front of him.

    I curled my fingers and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Quentin nced at me, his expressionplex.

    The three of us, none of us spoke again.

    Chapter

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, his eyes faintly fixed on the door of the operating room.

    His expression, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes with a touch of destion.

    He must have been thinking. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t taken away that kidney source, then it would have been his mother undergoing the kidney transnt surgery in the operating room, his mother would still have a chance to live.¡±

    But now, that glimmer of hope is gone forever.

    After about an hour, the door of the operating room finally opened again.

    I saw Reynaldo¡¯s back straighten instantly as he slightly bent down, and Quentin also quickly stood up.

    I was closest to the operating room, so I hurried over.

    This time it was Zackery who came out, and as he came out, the door of the operating room waspletely pushed open, and the doctors almost all walked out.

    So, the surgery is over?

    What about my mom?

    I anxiously looked inside, and at that moment Zackery took off his mask, and said to me and Quentin in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the surgery was unsessful.¡±

    With a bang, I felt a darkness in front of me.

    Quentin hugged me from behind and anxiously asked Zackery, ¡°What does it mean that the surgery failed? Where is my mom, how is she?¡±

    ¡°The patient¡¯s physical condition was not very good, and she had many

    Chapter

    hidden chronic diseases that were not detected, which was our mistake.¡±

    ¡°You just tell me, what¡¯s wrong with my mom¡­ what¡¯s wrong with her?¡± I trembled, struggling to ask.

    Zackery paused for two seconds and said, ¡°The patient¡¯s hidden illness suddenly urred during the surgery, causing a blood vessel to rupture and blood to flow uncontrobly. The surgery was not sessful, and the patient did note down from the operating table.¡±

    ¡°The meaning is, the meaning is my mom¡­ she¡¯s gone?¡± Quentin asked incredulously, his voice trembling.

    Zackery hung his head in silence.

    Soon, my mother was pushed out, covered with a white cloth.

    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes as I looked at the figure protruding from the hospital bed, feeling like I was about to go crazy

    My vision darkened and everything around me became noisy.

    I covered my head and screamed hoarsely.

    How could my mom be gone?

    In the morning, she smiled and told me, ¡°This year, our family will celebrate the New Year together in a neat and orderly manner.

    She said she would be fine, she said she would apany me.

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    Chapter687

    What to do?

    What should I do?

    I lost my mother, the mother who loved me the most.

    It was them who killed mom, it was Kimberly and Zackery!

    Everything around became chaotic, screams, roars, and sounds of fear intertwined.

    I used to grab the scalpel from the te and stabbed at Zackery like crazy.

    The knife stabbed into Zackery¡¯s chest, and fresh red blood flowed out.

    Looking at the bright red blood, I went crazy.

    My mother shed so much blood, he had to shed so much blood too.

    My mother passed away, and I also wanted to kill him, to apany my mother.

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Quentin held me tightly, crying bitterly, ¡°Don¡¯t do this, calm down, Ralda, calm down.¡±

    I was trembling all over, my vision was going ck, and my temples were throbbing.

    In the chaos, I met Reynaldo¡¯s eyes.

    He looked at me quietly, with a hint of sadness and irony in his eve

    It¡¯s as if mocking me, ¡°Look, even though you schemed to steal the kidney that belonged to my mother, you still couldn¡¯t save your own mother, how pathetic!¡±

    I still couldn¡¯t save my mother.

    Even!

    My mother was killed by me. It was because I didn¡¯t see through Kimberly¡¯s scheme earlier that I killed my mother.

    What to do?

    I killed my dearest and most beloved mother, what should I do?

    Give my mom back to me, who can give my mom back to me?

    The coldness of the forest seeped through my limbs, and a deep sense of fear and helplessness intertwined in my heart, causing me to tremble in pain.

    The chaos around me, I could no longer hear.

    Those people were clearly screaming, running, and trying to save the person I had stabbed.

    Quentin was also crying and saying something to me.

    But it was strange, I couldn¡¯t hear any sound, only a buzzing noise in my

    ears.

    It was cold!¨C

    It was so cold, so cold!

    I reached out my hand trembling towards Reynaldo, wanting so much for him to hug me.

    Chapter587

    But he stood there motionless, his crimson eyes looking at me without any warmth.

    I wriggled my lips to speak, only to find that I couldn¡¯t make any sound at all.

    Ouch!

    The five viscera and six bowels felt like they were being torn apart.

    I cked out in front of my eyes, and Ipletely lost consciousness.

    I didn¡¯t know where I was.

    In front of me was a vast white fog, and I couldn¡¯t see anything.

    The emptiness and destion brought by the silence hovered over my head, like the gaping mouth of fear ready to swallow me.

    I ran in the vast white fog with fear.

    Mom, Reynaldo, Quentin¡­

    Where have all my loved ones gone.

    Why was there no one around, why did they all leave me behind.

    Suddenly, my feet stepped into the air, and then my whole body instantly fell as if into an abyss, plummeting rapidly downwards.

    I screamed and suddenly opened my eyes.

    What caught the eye was the white ceiling, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

    I paused for a moment before realizing that I had just had a nightmare.

    But why, my heart hurt so much, with a painful sense of fear permeating

    my heart, I felt it was difficult to breathe.

    I seemed to¡­ seemed to dream that my mother was gone.

    I also dreamt that I ¡°crushed¡± a doctor in a breakdown.

    Fortunately, that was just a dream.

    Thank goodness, thank goodness¡­

    I wrapped myself tightly in the nket, recalling the helplessness and despair in my dream, still feeling lingering fear in my heart.

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    Chapter688

    Just then, a familiar voice was suddenly heard outside the door.

    It was Vonnie¡¯s voice.

    Did Vonniee back?

    ¡°How long have I been away, why did things turn out like this? And, you are Ralda¡¯s beloved brother, how could you force her into this?¡±

    Was Vonnie talking to Quentin?

    Quentin¡¯s voice was filled with deep exhaustion and pain. ¡°Have all the police left?¡±

    ¡°Well, Dr. Laurent was injured quite badly, and both the hospital and Dr. Laurent¡¯s family were moring for the police to arrest Ralda.

    Fortunately, Reynaldo stepped in, and only then did the hospital and the Laurent family agree to drop the matter.¡±

    I listened nkly to the conversation outside the door, fear and chill gradually rising from the bottom of my heart.

    Why did the police arrest me?

    What does it matter to me that Dr. Laurent was injured?

    ¡°What do we do now? Mrs. Duffy has left, and Ralda simply couldn¡¯t handle that blow.¡±

    ¡°And what about Mrs. Duffy now that you have be so decadent?¡±

    What does it mean?

    Did my mom pass away? What about my mom¡¯s funeral arrangements?

    In an instant, the terrifying and helpless scenes in the dream suddenly returned to reality.

    Those were not dreams, my mother really passed away.

    The despair that was difficult to face once again stood before me, and I covered my mouth, sobbing in pain.

    The door of the ward was pushed open,

    Vonnic walked in and saw that I was awake, she quickly rushed up and said, ¡°Ralda, you¡¯re awake?¡±

    I bit my hand back tightly and cried uncontrobly.

    Vonnie saw the situation and quickly pulled my hand away, saying with tearful eyes, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this.¡±

    I looked at her, my voice choked up and out of tune. ¡°I have no mother, what should I do?¡±

    Vonnie held me tight, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, you still have me, you still have Quentin, you still have many, many people who love you.¡±

    When I mentioned Quentin, I instinctively looked towards the door.

    He stood quietly at the door, his eyes bloodshot, his face pale and haggard.

    I clenched the bedding tightly, with an unquenchable hatred in my heart.

    If it weren¡¯t for him bringing that poisonous snake Kimberly into the house, how could my mother have died.

    Even if Mom did get sick, there was still half a year to go. In that half

    Chapter

    year, there was always hope of finding a matching kidney for Mom.

    But now, there is no hope at all.

    It¡¯s all because of my elder brother.

    He even made me the scapegoat for Mika¡¯s death and made it impossible for me to be with Reynaldo, all for Kimberly.

    Oh, brother? Dear brother?

    This title, it¡¯s really ironic.

    Perhaps she saw the hatred and sarcasm on my face.

    Quentin shed tears and trembled as he called out to me. ¡°Ralda¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡±

    ¡°This apology, you keep it to tell your mother.¡±

    I looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Now that my father has disowned me and my mother is gone, do you still want to protect that Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°How can I exin to you so that you will believe that Kimberly is innocent?¡±

    Upon hearing Quentin¡¯s words, I trembled with anger, hatred surging straight into my chest.

    ¡°Was she innocent?¡±

    ¡°In this surgery, Dr. Laurent has openly admitted that it was his mistake.

    ¡°After being stabbed by you, he had already resigned from the hospital and promised that he would never set foot in the medical field again in his life.

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    Chapter689

    ¡°So Ralda, things may not be as you imagine. After all, how could Dr. Laurent intentionally harm our mother for Kimberly and ruin his own bright future.

    ¡°And Kimberly, upon hearing the news of her mother¡¯s death, also cried uncontrobly, feeling truly sad and guilty.¡±

    ¡°If she was truly sad and truly remorseful, why didn¡¯t she just die!¡± I shouted coldly, looking at him with disgust.

    Quentin looked pained and said, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me like that, you are not my brother!¡±

    Quentin wanted to say something else, but Vonnie suddenly said to him coldly, ¡°If you still want to protect that bitch Kimberly, then get out.¡±

    Quentin was taken aback, a shadow passing through his eyes in an instant.

    He stared at Vonnie heavily and said, ¡°This is our family affair, and the one who should leave is you.¡±

    ¡°The doctor said that Ralda had moved the amniotic fluid and could not be stimted anymore.¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to the baby in Ralda¡¯s belly, then you should just leave!¡±

    When ites to the baby, I instinctively touched my swollen belly and felt a deep sorrow in my heart.

    Quentin opened his mouth, looked at me, and ultimat

    anything more.

    He turned around and walked outside.

    When he reached the doorway, he whispered to me, ¡°Ralda, you must take good care of yourself and the baby. In this world, you are the only family I have left.¡±

    I sarcastically curled my lips, with a touch of sadness flowing through my heart.

    No, from now on, I am no longer your sister, you have no rtives in this

    world.

    After Quentin left, Vonnie cried bitterly, ¡°I just found out that his

    girlfriend is that bitch Kimberly. Is he blind and foolish to like that bitch Kimberly and treat you like this for Kimberly? Is he possessed or something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not possession, just¡­ people change, that¡¯s all.¡±

    I murmured and looked out of the window.

    It snowed again in Freybourne, with big snowkes floating down like goose feathers, giving off a chilling feeling.

    It was soon going to be New Year¡¯s Eve, and this year¡¯s New Year was supposed to be the warmest and most lively year.

    But all of this will be no more.

    Kimberly¡­

    Oh, how could I possibly let this venomous snake go?!

    In the afternoon, I went to the morgue to see my mom.

    Shey quietly in the white cloth be **

    Chapter

    But she would never open her eyes to look at me again, never call my name kindly like she used to.

    I no longer had a mother, and I could no longer lean on her chest and confide in her.

    Thinking back, ¡°grief and despair overflowed the entire heart.¡±

    Iy on the edge of the bed, crying uncontrobly.

    I kept shouting at her, but she could no longer respond to me.

    The grief in my heart almost took my breath away.

    It was at this moment that my phone suddenly rang a few times, and it turned out to be a message from Kimberly.

    Ralda, I am really sorry for your mother¡¯s death. I didn¡¯t know that Dr. Laurent¡¯s surgery would go wrong.

    It¡¯s all my fault for introducing Dr. Laurent to you. Otherwise, your mother might have lived for another six months. During this time, miracles could have happened.

    Ralda, you must take good care of yourself, don¡¯t hurt yourself because of guilt in your heart, after all, people can¡¯te back to life.

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    Chapter690

    Also, although you stole Ms. Versta¡¯s kidney, causing her to die on the operating table, I believe Ms. Versta will not me you in the underground, and Reynaldo, he will definitely forgive you.

    Ralda, don¡¯t overthink it. Your mother¡¯s death was just an ident, not some kind of retribution. We are all saddened by your mother¡¯s death, and we don¡¯t me you either.

    Looking at the information above, I was so angry that my whole body was shaking.

    These words, on the surface, seemed like they wereforting me, but cach one carried sarcasm and provocation.

    I clenched my phone tightly andughed coldly.

    Since you are so eager to seek death, then I will fulfill your wish!

    I knew Kimberly was intentionally sending these messages to provoke me, even if it was, a trap, I was not afraid.

    After all, I had nothing left.

    I just wanted her to die now, just wanted her to bury my mother with me!

    When I came out of the morgue, I ran into Quentin and Vonnie.

    They were full of anxiety.

    As soon as she saw me, Vonnie¡¯s eyes filled with tears. She hugged me and cried, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay in the hospital room? We were looking for you everywhere, I was so scared.¡±

    I patted her back and whispered, ¡°I just came to see my mom.¡±

    Vonnie was even sadder, crying andforting me, ¡°It will pass, all the pain will pass.¡±

    Quentin looked at me anxiously, his expression filled with sorrow and distress.

    I looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Quentin.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s eyes lit up and he eximed excitedly, ¡°So, what do you want to cat? I¡¯ll go buy it for you right now¡±

    ¡°If you want to cat the ravioli from the restaurant in the south of the city. the one we used to go to often.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I¡¯ll go now,¡± Quentin said, and then hurried off to buy ravioli for me.

    Watching his excited figure disappear, a hint of irony shed through my mind.

    Wrong is wrong, no matter how hard you try to please!

    After Vonnie helped me back to the ward, I made an excuse to brush her ofl.

    After leaving the hospital, I bought a fruit knife in a nearby store and put it in my pocket.

    When I found Kimberly, she was crying in front of Mika¡¯s coffin.

    Mika¡¯s coffin was ced in the center of the room, surrounded by flowers and wreaths.

    There were many people in the funeral parlor, Kimberly cried the hardest, her eyes and nose were all red from crying, the look of grief on her face truly seemed as if she had lost her mother.

    ?

    Chapter

    Reynaldo knelt quietly on the side burning paper, with no expression on

    his face.

    There was no reaction from the people who came to pay their respects at the funeral parlor when I appeared.

    So they probably didn¡¯t know the cause of Mika¡¯s death.

    Only Johnathan hurried up to me, grabbed my arm and urgently said. ¡°Why are you here? Hurry, let¡¯s go,e on.¡±

    I gave Kimberly a cold nce and said to Johnathan expressionlessly, ¡°In the end, I am Reynaldo¡¯s wife, his mother¡¯s daughter¨Cinw. Now that my mother¨Cinw has passed away, shouldn¡¯t Ie to pay my respects?¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Johnathan was extremely anxious, pulling me aside and lowering his voice, ¡°If Ms. Versta had passed away normally, it would have been fine. But the key is that you caused her death. You need to leave quickly and not provoke Reynaldo anymore. Otherwise, he might go crazy and harm youter. I won¡¯t be able to protect you.¡±

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    Chapter691

    I looked at him and sarcastically curled my lips. ¡°They all say I killed Ms. Versta, so who told you that? Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Reynaldo hasn¡¯t said a word to me yet.¡±

    Thinking that we still had some rtionship in the past. I advised you to leave quickly, really.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t Reynaldo who told you.¡± I nced at Kimberly and sneered, ¡°Then I know who did.¡±

    ¡°Oh my God, did you even listen to me? I told you to leave right away, or else if Reynaldo wants to take your lifeter, I really can¡¯t stop him.¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly suddenly walked over wiping tears and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy is here,e quickly, bow to Ms. Versta. Although you took away Ms. Versta¡¯s life¨Csaving kidney source. I believe it was unintentional. If Ms. Versta knew, she wouldn¡¯t me you.¡±

    Her voice was hoarse as if she had been crying, filled with sadness, not too loud or too soft, but everyone in the whole funeral parlor heard it.

    At that moment, everyone looked at me in shock.

    I ignored the shocked looks of those people and just said meaningfully to Kimberly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to bow and apologize.¡±

    After saying that, I pulled away the hand that Johnathan was still holding onto my arm and walked slowly towards the coffin.

    I stood beside Reynaldo, looking at the coffin in front of me.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    A barely audible cold voice sounded in the ear.

    My body hesitated for a moment, and then I pretended not to hear, bowing my head to bow towards Mika¡¯s coffin.

    A big hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.

    He used a lot of force, my wrist hurt a lot, and his knuckles also turned a pale shade of blue.

    I suppressed the pain in my heart, turned slowly, and met Reynaldo¡¯s crimson and cold eyes.

    He red at me with disgust, his thin lips slightly parted, but still uttered the same word, ¡°Get out!¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly walked over and cried to Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, just let Ms. Dully bow to Ms. Versta as an act of contrition.¡±

    Oh!

    What a redemption!

    I hid the killing intent in my eyes and watched Reynaldo quietly.

    Kimberly was still pretending to cry. ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be like this, after all, Ms. Duffy¡¯s mother has just passed away, she must be very sad too.¡±

    She must have realized it and feared retribution, so she came specially to confess to Ms. Versta. Let her make a sacrifice.¡±

    Reynaldo said nothing, just stared at me coldly, the chill in his eyes. colder than the wind and snow outside,

    Johnathan also came over and said, ¡°Reynaldo, just let her pay her respects and then let her leave quickly.¡±

    ¡°And I saw that she was sincerelying to offer incense to Ms. Versta,

    Chapter201

    so just let her be, don¡¯t argue with her here, disturbing Ms. Versta¡¯s peace.¡±

    Thest sentence seemed to finally persuade Reynaldo.

    His fingers loosened slightly, and after a while, hepletely let go of my wrist.

    And there was clearly a circle of bruises on my wrist.

    He turned around and threw yellow paper into the brazier, his tone cold and eerie, ¡°After you finish worshipping, get out of here!¡±

    Kimberly followed up, crying and said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, please bow to Ms. Versta, and sincerely apologize to Ms. Versta. She is so kind, I believe she will forgive you.¡±

    I slowly tugged at my lips, a cold smile rising in my heart.

    I bent down and respectfully bowed three times towards Mika¡¯s collin.

    When I stood up, I faced the coflin and said word by word, ¡°Ms. Versta, Mom, you watch closely. I will avenge you now!¡±

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    Chapter692

    With a swift motion, I pulled out the fruit knife hidden in my pocket and turned around to stab Kimberly fiercely, amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd.

    This scene happened too quickly, too quickly.

    It wasn¡¯t until Kimberly¡¯s abdomen was covered in arge pool of blood that everyone finally snapped out of it.

    In an instant, screams, cries of terror, and the sound of footsteps filled the air, creating a scene of utter chaos.

    Kimberly¡¯s face turned pale with pain, and she looked at me in disbelief.

    I sneered at her. ¡°Go to hell!¡±

    With that, I viciously pulled out the knife, ready to stab her again.

    But in the next second, a strong force suddenly pulled me, and then I was grabbed by the neck and pressed against the wall.

    It was Reynaldo.

    At this moment, Braylon also realized and quickly evacuated the people who came to pay their respects with bodyguards.

    Soon, only a few familiar people were left in the spacious hall.

    Reynaldo stared at me with a fierce look in his eyes and said, ¡°Do you know what you are doing?¡±

    ¡°Revenge.¡±

    I smiled at him and didn¡¯t want to care about anything.

    ¡°She killed your mother and my mother, but you all don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Since none of you believed my words, I took revenge by myself, even if it meant going down with you all.¡±

    ¡°Die together?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s body was tense for a long time, and he was almost shaking as he squeezed my big hand.

    He red at me with crimson eyes and said, ¡°It was clearly your own. fault. Why do you always like to me others for your mistakes? Do you think that by killing her, you can absolve yourself of this sin?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, it¡¯s clearly her fault, why do you all have to cover up for her?!¡± I yelled at him madly.

    Reynaldo looked at me with a sad and hateful expression.

    ¡°Last night, I gave you a chance, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    I even invited all the relevant people toe and confront each other, but what was the result?

    I also hoped that you were innocent, really, Esmeralda, I really hoped that you were innocent.

    ¡°Even your father and your brother are pointing fingers at you. How can I believe you?¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    Listening to his words, Iughed in despair,ughing until the end, and in the end, I didn¡¯t care anymore.

    Indeed, even my biological father and my beloved brother were pointing

    fingers at me, how can I prove my innocence?

    It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, whether he believes me or not, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.

    The important thing is, today I finally ¡°killed¡± the snake Kimberly.

    Seeing her face turn pale with pain, seeing blood flowing from her abdomen, I was excited beyond measure.

    My gaze fell on Reynaldo¡¯s sullen face, and I said to him softly. ¡°I don¡¯t want your trust anymore, and I don¡¯t want your forgiveness either.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, nothing matters anymore. All I want now is that bastard¡¯s life!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me intently and said, ¡°Do you think that by killing

    her, you can get away with it? You stabbed her in front of everyone, you her, you can get away

    can¡¯t escape responsibility.¡±

    ,

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, even if I die, as long as I can avenge my mother, nothing else matters to me.¡±

    ¡°Is it worth dying over?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand around my neck was shaking even more violently.

    At this moment, Johnathan¡¯s anxious voice came, ¡°Reynaldo,e quickly, Kimberly has lost a lot of blood, she seems to be in critical condition, hurry and take her to the hospital.¡±

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    Chapter693

    Reynaldo stared at me intently and said, ¡°I won¡¯t let her die.¡±

    After speaking, he approached me, his dark eyes staring at me coldly, and his slender fingers, with a chill, touched my cheek.

    He spoke with the lowest and gentlest voice, saying the coldest and most ruthless words, ¡°Get out of Freybourne quickly, don¡¯t force me toy hands on you.¡±

    My heart was twisted into a knot, causing sharp and bitter pain.

    I smiled at him and said. ¡°If you hate me so much, then just kill me.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s tall body trembled slightly, his eyes momentarily turning a terrifying crimson, filled with resentment and pain.

    He rubbed my chin, his sad tone tinged with self¨Cmockery, ¡°You know I love you, you know I can¡¯t bear to kill you, so you deliberately provoke me, right?¡±

    Esmeralda, I have said before that you have no heart, and it seems to be true.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want your life, but I also didn¡¯t want to see you again in the future.¡±

    He finished speaking, released me, took two steps back, and said to Braylon, ¡°Kick her out.¡±

    After saying that, he no longer looked at me, but turned to check on Kimberly¡¯s condition.

    Braylon walked up to me and made a ¡°please¡± gesture towards me.

    I didn¡¯t move, I just stared heavily at Kimberly lying on the ground, curled up in pain.

    Johnathan called for emergency assistance while applying pressure to her wound.

    She grabbed Reynaldo¡¯s hand and looked at me in horror, ¡°Reynaldo, she¡­ she¡¯s gone mad, she¡¯s going to¡­ going to kill me¡­¡±

    ¡°It was she who killed Ms. Versta and¡­ and her own mother. Why did she want me to be buried with her?¡±

    Even though she was injured like this, Kimberly still did not forget to disguise her weakness and innocence.

    I clenched the knife in my hand, cager to make a few,

    more cuts.

    Braylon saw my intention and reminded me expressionlessly. ¡°Ms. Duffy had better think carefully. If Ms. Palmer dies at Ms. Duffy¡¯s hands, Ms. Duffy will not escape legal sanctions.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I just turned around and walked silently towards the outside.

    Braylon followed behind me.

    Passing by Kimberly, my eyes darkened, and I quickly lunged forward and viciously stabbed her leg.

    Just heard a scream.

    Kimberly hugged her legs, trembling with pain.

    Johnathan was so scared that he couldn¡¯t even speak, ¡°Esmie, you, you¡­¡±

    I coldly squinted my eyes, pulled out the knife, and stabbed Kimberly again.

    But the next second, my raised wrist was grabbed by Reynaldo.

    He looked at me heavily and said, ¡°You are crazy!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I went crazy, driven crazy by you all!<b>¡± </b>

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze, and with a strong grip. I felt pain as the knife in his hand uncontrobly fell to the ground.

    I stared at the screaming Kimberly on the ground unwillingly.

    I just regretted that I was too slow to act and didn¡¯t stab her a few more times.

    ¡°Braylon, hurry up, hurry!¡±

    Johnathan urgently shouted to Braylon. ¡°Hurry up and get her out, or she will stab someer.¡±

    Braylon quickly pulled me outside.

    I turned around and sneered at Kimberly, ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because they are all protecting you, you can escape unscathed. As long as I am alive. I want you to pay for my mother¡¯s life!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes were fixed on me, his hands tightly clenched at his side.

    He must hate me now.

    Hehe, it doesn¡¯t matter, nothing matters anymore.

    Braylon threw me out of the yard, standing at the gate, he said to me lightly, ¡°Ms. Duffy, leave quickly, stop challenging Mr. Humphrey¡¯s bottom line, and you should also see that even if Mr. Humphrey hates you again, he doesn¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±

 Too Close 694

    Chapter694

    You keep provoking him like this, it will only hurt him even more.

    Speaking of which, such a thing happened, he lost his dearest mother and beloved woman overnight, and he was more painful than anyone else.

    I suddenly remembered something Reynaldo had said to me in the past.

    He said, ¡°His mother and I are the two most important people to him in this world.¡±

    But now, the two most important people to him, one is gone, and the other has be the killer of the person closest to him.

    But now he is still protecting the one who started it all, the real culprit.

    Oh, how ironic.

    ¡°Esmeralda?¡±

    Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.

    I turned around slowly, and through the wind and snow, I saw Anton getting out of the car and quickly walking towards me.

    He looked at me in shock and said, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    When his gaze fell on my bloodied hands, his eyes changed and he grabbed me anxiously to check, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you injured somewhere? Esmeralda, say something, what happened? Did Reynaldo hurt you?¡±

    I stared at him nkly and said, ¡°You heard too, I killed his mother, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Chapter604

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you back first,¡± Anton led me to the car.

    I pulled my hand back forcefully and asked him with a gentle smile, ¡°So, do you believe it too?¡±

    Anton opened his eyes and whispered, ¡°They all said you were desperate to save your mother, so you secretly took away the kidney that belonged to his mother.¡±

    So, looking at his appearance, he must have believed the words of those people.

    At that moment, sadness welled up in my heart, and I couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, the person who really killed Ms. Versta and my mother was actually your sister, Kimberly.¡±

    Anton¡¯s face changed slightly, his brows furrowed, ¡°How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°How is it not possible? Go investigate properly, look into Zackery¡¯s rtionship with her.¡±

    She was able to do this without leaking a drop, Zackery, and my foolish brother helped a lot.

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, and I didn¡¯t bother to exin too much to him. either.

    After all, Kimberly was his sister, his only rtive in the world.

    Even if he truly believed that all these people were killed by Kimberly, what could he do? Would he help me kill his own sister?

    I chuckled and took two steps back, holding out my blood¨Cstained hand in front of him, ¡°Do you know whose blood this is?¡±

    Anton seemed to have guessed something, his face turning slightly pale.

    I stared at him and said. ¡°This is Kimberly¡¯s blood. I killed Kimberly. I avenged my mother. Ha ha ha¡­ Ha ha ha¡­¡±

    Anton¡¯s face changed, he ¡°rushed past me and ran quickly towards the yard.¡±

    I walked forward in a daze, facing the wind and snow

    The body was cold, but the heart was even colder.

    I really wanted to throw myself into my mother¡¯s arms, eat the ravioli she made, it must have been very warm.

    I don¡¯t know how long I walked.

    I felt my hands, feet, and face were all numb from the cold.

    I slowly lifted my head and unexpectedly saw on the huge electronic screen opposite me the words of Reynaldo confessing his love to me scrolling.

    That was the day when he gave me a surprise on our first date.

    He was not a romantic person, even the surprises and romance he created were filled with a conventional and tacky taste.

    <b>11</b>

 Too Close 695

    Chapter695

    He was a quirky and reclusive person, who couldn¡¯t speak sweet words and didn¡¯t bother to do so, but he would bluntly tell the whole world that he loved me, loved Esmeralda, and even let those confessions scroll through the screen one after another until today.

    He was disdainful of many things, but he had a soft spot for me.

    The warmth and sweetness of that time seemed like just yesterday.

    In just a few days, everything changed.

    I no longer had a mother, and I couldn¡¯t go back to the past with Reynaldo either.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Vonnie ran towards me in a hurry and hugged me tightly. ¡°I finally found you. Please don¡¯t run around anymore. Don¡¯t scare me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Iy on her shoulder, and my cold heart finally felt a hint of warmth.

    Quentin parked the car and hurried towards me, but he was shocked when he saw my hands covered in blood, ¡°Why do you have blood on your hands? Are you injured?¡±

    Vonnie then noticed the blood on my hands and anxiously checked me

    over.

    Quentin was even more anxious to take me to the hospital.

    I looked at him and smiled faintly, ¡°This is not `

    Kimberly¡¯s.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face suddenly changed, ¡°What did you do to her?¡±

    ¡°I stabbed her twice, avenging our mother, hehe, are you happy, Quentin?¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡± I shook my shoulders, almost copsing as I cried out to her, ¡°I told you, this has nothing to do with her, why are you doing this, why?¡±

    ¡°Hate? If you hate, just kill me. Anyway, my mother is no longer here, I might as well go down and apany my mother.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    Quentin tightly gripped my shoulder, his crimson eyes filled with pain.

    Vonnic became agitated and shouted, pulling his arm, ¡°What are you doing? Quentin, let go of Ralda, she is your sister, your own sister!¡±

    Quentin pushed me away and muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s dead. I¡¯m going to find her right now. I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s dead.¡±

    How much sentiment did Quentin have after all, he didn¡¯t push me very hard.

    I took a few steps, steadied myself, but suddenly everything went ck before my eyes.

    I shouted ¡°Vonnie¡± and then copsed softly to the ground.

    At the moment when I lost consciousness, I heard Vonnie anxiously calling Quentin¡¯s name.

    Waking up again, I found myself back in the hospital.

    Vonnie stood by the bed, looking at me with red eyes and said, ¡°Ralda you¡¯re awake.¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Vonnie squeezed my hand and choked out. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid in the future. Kimberly, that wicked woman, will definitely get hereuppance. We don¡¯t need to risk our lives and futures because of her.¡±

    ¡°Is she dead?¡± Mentioning Kimberly, my heart was filled with lingering hatred.

    Vonnie pursed her lips and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t die, but he was seriously injured. I heard that he won¡¯t be able to get out of bed for at least half a year. This can be considered as his just punishment.¡±

    I stared nkly at the ceiling, not saying a word.

    The woman was still alive.

    I said, I should have acted faster at that time and stabbed the woman more times.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Vonnie looked at me with concern. ¡°Just leave it at that, stop trying to confront that woman. She has done so many bad things, karma will catch up with her eventually.¡±

    The most important thing for you now is to take care of your body and protect the baby in your belly.

    It¡¯s not worth hurting myself and the baby for that scumbag, and Mrs. Duffy in heaven wouldn¡¯t rest easy either.

 Too Close 696

    <b>Chapter </b>696

    Thinking of my mother, a touch of sour tears welled up in my eyes.

    I choked out, ¡°Did Quentin go to see Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Vonnic nodded, and then quickly added. ¡°But he took you to the hospital first before going to see Kimberly.¡±

    So what?

    I was really curious about how Quentin would react when Kimberly¡¯s true identity was revealed and all the bad things she had done came to light. He loved his mother¡¯s killer so deeply

    I looked slowly at Vonnie and said, ¡°Do you like Quentin?¡±

    Vonnie didn¡¯t open her eyes, her expression was somewhat unnatural.

    Sure enough.

    But Quentin is now infatuated with Kimberly, he is now just like my dad, turning a blind eye to his rtives. Vonnie is so good, it¡¯s not worth liking him.

    I held her hand and cried sadly, ¡°If it were in the past, I really wished you could be with Quentin and be my sister¨Cinw.¡±

    But now, I hope you didn¡¯t like him.

    Although he was deceived by Kimberly, his life was also over, there was no redemption.

    Because it was hisplete trust in Kimberly that killed my mother, and he conspired with Kimberly to frame me, I cannot forgive him. And in the

    Chapter

    future, when he sees Kimberly¡¯s true colors, he will surely not be able to forgive himself either.

    She had already been dragged into the quagmire by Kimberly, and you are so good, you deserve a better man to love and care for you. I also believe that our Vonnie will definitely be very happy in the future.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s tears kept falling uncontrobly, and she choked out. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll listen to you. I won¡¯t like him anymore. He¡¯s not the same Quentin he used to be.¡±

    As soon as she finished speaking. Quentin suddenly appeared at the door, his face dark and unclear.

    Vonnic wiped the tears off her face and said to me, ¡°Ralda, are you hungry? I¡¯ll go buy you something to cat.¡±

    I nodded and watched her leave.

    As she passed by Quentin, he nced at her sideways, a hint ofplexity shing across his face.

    After Vonnie left. Quentin walked over.

    He said to me, ¡°I didn¡¯t know if Vonnie liked me.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± I sarcasticallyughed at him, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know now, anyway she won¡¯t like you in the future, and you, just stick with your Kimberly.¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips, his tired face filled withplexity.

    When ites to Kimberly, the sarcasm on my lips was even more pronounced, ¡°It¡¯s strange, howe you didn¡¯t stick with that wicked woman, or are you here now to settle scores for her with me.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, can you please not talk to me like this?¡±

    Chapte

    Quentin choked up, his face full of pain. ¡°We are siblings, Mom once said, no matter what happens, we must love each other, have you forgotten?¡±

    ¡°That was what my mom said to my brother, and you are not my brother, you are just Quentin.¡±

    Seeing my cold expression and eyes full of sarcasm, Quentin sadly took a deep breath.

    He walked to the bedside and stared at me without blinking, his tone pleading, ¡°Ralda, promise me, don¡¯t go looking for Kimberly to fight with her anymore.¡±

    I clenched my hand under the quilt and smiled coldly at him, ¡°What? Afraid that I will hurt your beloved one? Let me tell you clearly, as long as I am alive, I will never let her off easily. She was lucky this time, but next time might not be the same.

    ¡°So, if you want to protect her, then you have to deal with me first.¡±

 Too Close 697

    Chapter697

    ¡°Ralda, I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Quentin said urgently, ¡°but you killed Kimberly, you can¡¯t escape thew, and Reynaldo won¡¯t let you go. I¡¯m the only family you have left, and I¡¯m afraid something will happen to you.¡±

    Moreover, all of this is a misunderstanding. Dr. Laurent has already admitted that it was her own mistake that caused her mother¡¯s death. Why do you have to doubt her?

    Ralda, promise me, okay, don¡¯t think about those guesses anymore, and don¡¯t fight with Kimberly anymore, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Did my mother¡¯s life go in vain?¡±

    I coldly said to him, ¡°If you are here to persuade me to let go of that wicked woman, then you can leave, get out!¡±

    Quentin looked at me with a sad gaze, and after a long pause, he wearily said, ¡°I have already taken care of my mother¡¯s funeral arrangements. Her ashes will be taken to the cemetery this afternoon for burial.¡±

    I covered my mouth and sobbed, my heart aching so much that it trembled.

    I no longer had a mother, what a cruel fact.

    Freybourne had two days of continuous snowfall.

    The heavy snow covered the road leading to the cemetery.

    When we arrived at the foot of the mountain, all of us got out of the car and walked up to the cemetery on the mountain.

    Quentin walked at the front, holding my

    mother¡¯s

    I walked with my mother¡¯s ashes box on his right side.

    Following were some rtives and friends.

    My father also came, his eyes red from crying, his face full of sorrow.

    I just feel ironic, when he was alive, he didn¡¯t cherish it, now that he¡¯s dead, who is he showing this sad face to.

    The snow was obviously trampled by many people. turning wet and muddy.

    The road was slippery, and we walked slowly as a group.

    The cold wind was bleak, the heavy snow was flying, and the sky above the cemetery was pale, with a thick sense of sadness lingering in the air.

    As we entered the cemetery and climbed the steps, a group of people came towards us.

    Through the wind and snow, I saw Reynaldo.

    Originally, his mother was also buried today.

    Mika¡¯s funeral had just ended, and Reynaldo and his group were walking down the mountain.

    His face was calm, but there was a cold and distant look in his eyes and eyebrows that was intimidating.

    I brushed past him, but he didn¡¯t even nce at me. He was wearing a ck coat, and his whole demeanor was colder than this icy weather.

    I pursed my lips, feeling a sharp pang of bitterness in my heart.

    Arriving at a brand new tombstone, I looked at the photo on the tombstone and my eyes welled up again.

    In the photo, my mother smiled so kindly, but I can no longer see her, nor hear her voice.

    Quentin ced my mother¡¯s urn inside and then knelt in front of the tombstone, knocking his head.

    My father also knelt in front of the tombstone, crying his heart out.

    I believe that my dad truly loved my mom. It¡¯s just that people have their ws, and in the face of great temptation, how many can stay true to themselves?

    However, this is not enough to be a reason to forgive him.

    He, like Quentin, was wrong, and he never deserved to be forgiven!

    Surrounded by wailing cries, it was already impossible to distinguish what was true and what was false.

    I knelt down and burned paper in front of the tombstone in silence.

    My father cried with snot running down his nose, his eyes swollen and red, as if he could faint at any moment

 Too Close 698

    <b>Chapter698 </b>

    He looked at me and used me in despair, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you crying? Your mom always dotes on you the most.¡±

    cing chrysanthemums in front of my mother¡¯s grave, I looked at her portrait and said softly, ¡°You cried so sadly, if you were so sad, why didn¡¯t you follow my mother.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    My father red at me angrily and impatiently said. ¡°Just asked you to carry a pot, what¡¯s the big deal? Why are you still holding a grudge against me?¡±

    Look at you, you¡¯re fine now, and Reynaldo didn¡¯t do anything to you, did he?

    Ralda, no matter what, I am still your father. Now that your mother is gone, the three of us should love and support each other.¡±

    I lowered my head and tugged at my lips, feeling extremely sarcastic in my heart, but in front of me was a mist of bitterness.

    Why was the person who died my mother?

    Why?!

    ¡°Ralda, your mother left so early, from now on I am the closest person to you in this world. You must take good care of me in the future, and try to get some money from Reynaldo for me when you have the chance.¡±

    This man, no matter how crazy he loved when he was young, when he reaches a certain age, he still can¡¯t resist the temptation from outside and cheats.

    11

    ¡°Making money is the most practical thing. Don¡¯t worry, I will save all the money you make for you.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Quentin coldly interrupted him,menting, ¡°Don¡¯t say these nonsense words in front of my mother¡¯s grave. Do you want my mother to rest in peace?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, nonsense? I¡¯mughing to death. When you helped that woman frame Ralda, why didn¡¯t you think you were being foolish?¡±

    And also, I was teaching Ralda the ways of survival and making a living, so don¡¯t interrupt.¡±

    ¡°What way of making a fortune, you just treated Ralda as an ATM, as Ralda said, you are really unworthy of being a father!¡±

    Quentin said, pulling my arm worriedly, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t listen to him. Even though mom is gone now, you still have me. I will take care of you.¡±

    As for his father, who disowned his own family, let¡¯s just forget about him.

    ¡°You little rabbit, how dare you say such words in front of your mother¡¯s grave. I think you are the one who truly doesn¡¯t want your mother to rest in peace.¡±

    I quietly looked at the portrait of my mother, my heart filled with sorrow.

    Originally, when a person was so grief¨Cstricken that not a single tear could be shed, not a single word wanted to be spoken.

    My dad argued with Quentin for a while before finally stopping. I paid no attention to what they were arguing about, just silently staring at the portrait of my mom.

    After the funeral, I slowly stood up, but because I had been kneeling for too long, my legs and feet werepletely numb.

    Chapter698

    I staggered for a moment, almost falling, but luckily Vonnie quickly caught me.

    Quentin looked at me with concern and said, ¡°Ralda,e back with me. I will take care of you.¡±

    My father disapproved and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of going back with you? If she wants to go back, she will go back to Reynaldo. Take advantage of the fact that Reynaldo still has some feelings for her and go make some money.¡±

    When Reynaldo got tired of her novelty, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything, thanks to that.

    After hearing this, Quentin was so angry that he trembled all over and said, ¡°What do you take Ralda for? How could you be like this?¡±

 Too Close 699

    Chapter699

    ¡°What has be of this? Your old man can see through everything

    now.¡±

    In this world, you can have everything, except money!

    Back in the day, our Duffy family was quite famous and influential in Freybourne. But look at us now, once we fell from power, anyone can ride on our heads.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t talk about useless things, making money is the only way!¡±

    Quentin angrily said, ¡°It¡¯s your business if you want to make money, but don¡¯t suck Ralda¡¯s blood.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she suck your blood? Do you have blood for me to suck?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You have be unreasonable and hopeless. I really don¡¯t have a father like you. Don¡¯t ever call me your son again!¡±

    ¡°Tsk, now you look down on me, despise me. When your girlfriend looks. down on you for being poor and having no money, you still have to rely on Ralda to make money!¡±

    ¡°I would never do that. Ralda is my dearest and most beloved sister, not some ATM.¡±

    I ignored their quarrel and just walked down the mountain step by step.

    Vonnie supported me and worriedly said, ¡°Ralda, are you okay? If you want to cry, just let it out, don¡¯t hold it in.¡°.

    I shook my head, took heavy steps, and walked forward with difficulty.

    Chapter

    The cold wind mixed with snowkes drifted on the face, causing a pain. like a knife cut.

    In front of me was a misty and cold fog.

    Through the wind and snow, I saw Reynaldo and his group walking further and further away, until they disappeared from sight.

    I should have been very happy, with my loving parents and brother, as well as a husband who loved and protected me.

    But now, there is nothing.

    From then on, in this vast world, there was only me left.

    Mom never came back, Dad and brother are never worth forgiving, Reynaldo never wants to see me again.

    Those who loved me and those I loved all left me.

    The former happiness was like a bubble,pletely shattered.

    The suppressed sadness and grief in my heart burst out at this moment, and I felt like my whole body was cramping with pain.

    A strong smell of blood surged in my throat, and I couldn¡¯t control myself from vomiting. A mouthful of blood suddenly sprayed out, sshing on the pure white snow, which was particrly ring.

    Vonnie was scared, ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong with you, Ralda?¡±

    Quentin and my dad hurried over.

    I felt as if all my strength had been drained away, leaning weakly against Vonnie and sliding to the ground.

    I stared nkly at the deste cemetery, feeling only very tired.

    Chapter199

    I really want to have a good sleep, just like my mom, sleep and never

    wake up.

    ¡°Ah¡­ blood, Ralda, you are bleeding¡­¡±

    Vonnie pointed at me and screamed in horror.

    Quentin frantically called for an ambnce.

    My father stared nkly at the bloodstain, ¡°What, what happened? Why is there still bleeding?¡±

    Vonnie cried anxiously, ¡°Reynaldo and the others just left, they can¡¯t have gone far. I¡¯ll go find them, sob¡­ Ralda, you¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll go find him and have him save you.¡°.

    I grabbed her and shook my head weakly.

    Quentin picked me up and said, ¡°Can¡¯t wait for the ambnce, I¡¯m taking Ralda to the hospital right now.

    The cold wind blew in gusts, and I shivered in Quentin¡¯s arms, feeling chilled to the bone, my mind in a daze

    Everything in front of me was slowly disappearing, the worried cries, the urgent calls all fading away gradually, until finally, there was only a vast expanse of white left in my world.

 Too Close 700

    At the moment when Ipletely lost consciousness, I thought of my baby.

    In the end, it was me who let them down.

    I was not a good mother.

    The patient showed signs of threatened miscarriage, with low blood pressure and rapid heart rate, so I hurried to call the chief physician.¡± ¡°First, set up the equipment and stabilize all the patient¡¯s vital signs.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Palmer, you came, please save Ralda, I beg you to save Ralda.¡±

    ¡°Ralda mentioned that you were a doctor and very skilled in medicine. You must save Ralda and the child in her belly¡±

    ***

    So noisy!

    There were chaotic footsteps and voices in my ears, mixed with the sound of instruments beeping.

    Vonnie seemed to be crying beside me.

    Quentin seemed to be anxiously calling my name on the side.

    I tried hard to open my eyes, but everything in front of me was still blurry.

    I only saw a crowd of people next to me, but I couldn¡¯t see who they were.

    The dripping sound of the instrument made people anxious, and the smell of disinfectant in the air was particrly pungent.

    I really wanted to leave.

    I didn¡¯t want to stay here. I really wanted to leave.

    I struggled to raise my hand to grab Vonnie.

    A warm big hand suddenly held my hand.

    I couldn¡¯t see his face, only a familiar voice echoed in my ears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I will definitely save you, and the baby in your belly.¡±

    was Anton¡¯s voice.

    Anton also came.

    Where was Reynaldo?

    Did hee? Did he believe that I was carrying his baby?

    Consciousness was gradually dissipating

    Vonnie¡¯s crying and Quentin¡¯s anxious calls, sometimes distant and sometimes close, were somewhat elusive.

    ¡°Ralda, you must pull yourself together, even if not for yourself, then for the baby.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ralda. It¡¯s my fault. I was wrong. You must get better. As long as you get better, I promise you everything.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ralda¡­ you must pull yourself together¡­¡±

    Slowly, I couldn¡¯t hear anything, and there was only darkness left in my world.

    I didn¡¯t know how many days I had been unconscious, I just felt like I had been having a very long dream.

    In my dream, there was my childhood.

    Back then, the family was still doing well, with my parents loving each other. Although Quentin found me annoying, he always took me

    wherever he went.

    When I was sick, my dad would cancel everything and stay at home to take care of me.

    Mom would hug me and tell me stories.

    When Quentin came back from school, he would bring a lot of little things to cheer me up.

    In childhood, the years were carefree.

    Mom and Dad used to take Quentin and me to grandma¡¯s house to escape the summer heat.

    In the summer, we ate chilled watermelon and watched the stars in the yard.

    Quentin would take me to catch fireflies and crickets, and during the day he would run with me in the wheat field and fish for crayfish by the pond.

    On rainy days, we stood under lotus leaves and watched the small fish and frogs in the pond.

    Everything in the dream was as beautiful as a fairy tale.

    But when I grew up, everything changed.

    Dad changed, Quentin changed, Mom left.

    The beautiful fairy tale suddenly returned to the cruel reality.

    Chapter?DO

    The piercing pain spread in the depths of my heart, spreading throughout. my body, making it impossible for me to indulge in dreams anymore.

    Sure enough, only beautiful things can make people indulge.

    Once that thing became unbearable, it forced me to wake up.

 Too Close 701

    ¡°Ralda, you woke up!¡±

    There came a surprised cry from Vonnic¡¯s car.

    I raised my hand to shield the light shining towards me, feeling ufortable.

    Vonnie quickly pulled down the sun visor next to her.

    I stared at her nkly, feeling a slight sourness in my heart.

    Vonnie must have cried for a long time, her eyes were swollen from

    crying.

    I held her hand and choked out, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    As I was speaking, I suddenly remembered the baby in my belly, and my heart skipped a beat.

    I instinctively reached towards my abdomen.

    When I touched the swollen belly, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

    Thank goodness.

    The baby was still there.

    Vonnie wiped away her tears and said to me, ¡°I was really scared this. time. The doctors said the baby couldn¡¯t be saved and they were going to perform an abortion on you. Luckily, Anton arrived just in time.¡±

    ¡°Did Anton save me?¡±

    1219

    When I was in a daze, it seemed like I heard Anton¡¯s voice.

    Vonnie nodded at me with tears in her eyes.

    ¡°I saw you spitting blood and bleeding so much at that time, I was scared. to death. I was going to call Reynaldo toe and see you, but Quentin wouldn¡¯t let me.¡±

    Quentin said that Reynaldo still misunderstood you now, afraid that when Reynaldo came, he would say some cruel words to you, which would be even more stimting.

    I was at a loss, suddenly remembered you had told me before that Anton. is studying medicine, so I quickly called him over.

    ¡°Fortunately, he arrived just in time, otherwise your baby¡­¡±

    Vonnie said, touching my abdomen, tears falling from her eyes.

    ¡°Ralda, you must promise me that you will not be so sad anymore, everything has passed, we all have to be fine.¡±

    You think about the baby, think about them.

    Before long, they were about to be born, how lovely.

    Let the sadness of this period of time pass, Ralda, ¡°people need to look forward.¡±

    I remembered my mother¡¯s kind smile, remembered that when she left, I hadn¡¯t had a chance to talk to her properly.

    Thinking about it, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but well up with hot tears again.

    Vonnie hugged me and choked up, saying, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t dwell on the past, Mrs. Duffy in heaven wouldn¡¯t want to see you like this.¡±

    Chapter201

    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°I was just so sad, uncontrobly sad. I never thought that one day, my family would drift apart, scatter, and in the end, only I would be left.¡±

    I used to be so happy, and my home used to be so warm and peaceful, but now everything has changed.

    That feeling, as if forcibly dragging me from the clouds into hell, was very painful, very painful.

    ¡°It will be fine, Ralda, everything will be fine. Kimberly, that bitch, is not dead yet. We have to pull ourselves together and go back to settle the score with that bitch.¡±

    When Vonnie said this, the door next to her suddenly opened by

    someone.

    Yes, it was the cabin door.

    I looked around in confusion and realized that I was not in a hospital at the moment, but in a helicopter.

    Next to it was a sunshade that Vonnie had just pulled up.

    The person who came in was Anton.

    Anton¡¯s face was pale, showing no signs of joy or anger.

    Vonnie grunted, ¡°Sorry for talking bad about your sister, but she¡¯s just so cheap. Look at how she made Ralda suffer.¡±

    Although you saved Ralda¡¯s baby, it doesn¡¯t make up for the sins your

    sistermitted.

    I pulled Vonnie¡¯s hand, signaling her to stop talking.

 Too Close 702

    Because Anton simply did not believe that Kimberly was so malicious, not matter how much we said, he would only think that we were ndering his sister.

    Vonnie pursed her lips, fell silent, and just went to the side to pour me a ss of water to drink.

    Anton gave me a deep look and then walked up to me, saying, ¡°I went to look for Zackery.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°I just found out that Zackery has always liked Kimberly, you could even say he was head over heels in love with Kimberly.¡±

    I tugged at my lips, a touch of irony crossing my mind.

    Quentin was so in love with that woman that he lost his mind, and now there is another Zackery.

    I really don¡¯t know what charm Kimberly had.

    Vonnie sneered, ¡°Sure enough, men all like those affected, pretending to be pitiful women. In my opinion, those men are just blind.¡±

    Anton ignored Vonnie¡¯s sarcasm.

    He looked at me and whispered, ¡°Zackery used to be Kimberly¡¯s attending physician. Because of our friendship, he always took good care of Kimberly. At that time, I didn¡¯t know he had fallen in love with Kimberly.¡±

    11

    Until yesterday, he admitted to me in person that he helped Kimberly carry out this conspiracy.

    I never expected that he would sacrifice everything, even his own life and future, for Kimberly.

    ¡°What, so you knew all along that Kimberly was behind all these bad things?¡±

    It was Kimberly who killed Ms. Versta and pinned the me on Ralda.

    She also killed Ralda¡¯s mother, you know that, right?

    Vonnie angrily interrogated Anton.

    Anton fell silent for a moment, looking at me with a hint of remorse in hist eves.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ralda, I am her older brother, her only family in this world.¡±

    Even though I knew she was behind <b>all </b>this, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to expose her in front of Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo treated her differently from you. Look, Reynaldo believed that you had killed his mother, but he didn¡¯t harm you, he just drove you out of Freybourne.

    But it¡¯s different with Kimberly. If he knew that all this was done by Kimberly, he would have Kimberly¡¯s life.¡±

    Listening to his words, I wanted tough, but as Iughed, tears streamed down my face.

    My heart was heavy with aching pain, so much so that it felt suffocating.

    It¡¯s really ironic, really.

    He like Quentin. knew that I was innocent, but both chose to make me the guilty one and endure these usations for Kimberly

    Just because, well, just because they all thought Reynaldo favored me

    It¡¯s really funny

    When did Reynaldo¡¯s love for me be their reason to hurt me?

    I closed my eyes and didn¡¯t want to say a word.

    <b>Vonnie </b><b>angrily </b>sshed a ss of water on Auton¡¯s <b>face </b>

    ¡°Kimberly was a human, so Ralda wasn¡¯t? Why should Ralda take the me for what she <b>did </b>wrong¡±

    Is this how you loved Ralda¡± I used to think highly of you, thinking that you were better than Reynaldo, and <b>that </b>Ralda would be more suitable for

    VOLL

    ¡°Now, it seems that you are not as good as Reynaldo.¡±

    <b>Anton </b>was sshed with <b>water </b>but did not get angry. He just looked at me calmly, his eyes bing moreplex.

    That look. just like when Quentin looked at me, was filled with guilt and repression.

    What¡¯s the use of feeling guilty?

    I turned away and said lightly. ¡°Kimberly is your only sister aller all, you are protecting your sister<b>. </b>I have nothing to say¡±

    ¡°But from now on. let¡¯s just pretend we don¡¯t know each other, as for that childhood memory, it¡¯s better not to remember.¡±

 Too Close 703

    11

    Anton¡¯s face changed, and he said to me urgently, ¡°I had severely reprimanded Kimberly, and I will not acknowledge her as my sister from

    now on.¡±

    ¡°As for the sins shemitted, I will definitely make it up to you.¡±

    ¡°Compensate me?¡± I looked at him, smiling lightly. ¡°Then how do your want topensate? Can you bring my mother back?¡±

    Anton pursed his lips and said nothing.

    Vonnie angrily said, ¡°If you truly love Ralda, you should go to Reynaldo and report Kimberly. She has done so many bad things, even <b>if </b>she is killed by Reynaldo, she is not wronged!¡±

    Anton lowered his gaze, looking sad, ¡°But she was ultimately the only rtive I had in this world. When my mother and father passed away, they both told me to take good care of her. I really¡­ I really have no way.¡±

    ¡°So you had to take Ralda away from Freybourne overnight?¡±

    Vonnie sat down beside me, bending over in anger, pointing at Anton and saying, ¡°I thought you took Ralda away because you loved her, wanted to protect her, take care of her.¡±

    But as it turned out, you were just afraid of her staying in Freybourne, fearing that one day she would expose Kimberly¡¯s malicious mask and go after Kimberly again.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Anton denied hastily.

    §Ó§Ö§â§î

    I slowly sat up, leaning against the cabin, and pulled open the sunshade.

    At this moment. <i>I </i>was flying at an altitude of ten thousand meters, surrounded by clouds.

    So, have I already left Freybourne now? Have I left Reynaldo?

    Anton¡¯s restrained voice sounded beside me. ¡°Reynaldo has given you three days to leave Freybourne. If you refuse to leave, he will send someone to make you leave.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Vonnie started swearing angrily, ¡°Reynaldo likes Ralda, even if he hates Ralda, he wouldn¡¯t kick Ralda out of Freybourne. When Ralda left quietly before, he was almost going crazy, how could he possibly¡­¡±

    I pulled her hand and said with pursed lips, ¡°He spoke the truth, Reynaldo did indeed give me three days to leave Freybourne.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Vonnie looked at me with a puzzled expression, ¡°But he loves you so much, how could he bear to do that?¡±

    ¡°You have to know, this time it was his mother who died, the most important person to him in this world. His love for me was real, and his hatred for me was real too.¡±

    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t you who killed his mother.¡±

    ¡°However, he didn¡¯t know, everyone said that I killed his mother because I was eager to save her, even my own father and brother said so, if you were me, would you believe it?¡±

    Vonnie lowered her head in silence, and finally said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that bitch Kimberly, why is she so malicious? She will definitely get what she deserves!¡±

    Anton stood quietly on the side, not saying anything.

    Chaptereda

    Vonnie cursed for a long time before feeling relieved. Her mouth was so dry from cursing that she quickly ran to pour herself a ss of water to

    drink.

    Anton looked at me and continued the conversation from earlier, ¡°I was worried that Reynaldo¡¯s men might harm you on the way, so I personally took you away to protect you. I feel more at ease knowing that I am watching over you.¡±

    ¡°You were worried that Kimberly would y tricks on me on the way,¡± I chuckled, ¡°She has so many admirers, and she¡¯s not short of money. She could easily bribe a few people to create an ident for me on the way, and then I would disappear from this world without a sound.¡±

 Too Close 704

    ¡°And now she is seriously injured in the hospital, pretending to be pitiful and acting, no one would have thought it was her, right?¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything.

    And his silence just confirmed my guess.

    See, he also guessed Kimberly¡¯s malicious means, but even though he knew Kimberly wanted my life, he still kept silent, unwilling to report Kimberly.

    Iughed, ¡°After the nended, you and I went our separate ways, and there was nothing left between us.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    Anton looked at me deeply.

    He was born very handsome.

    Kimberly was a delicate and poignant feeling, with a pair of watery ck eyes that could easily captivate a man¡¯s soul.

    Quentin couldn¡¯t help but fall in love with Zackery, and half of the reason. might also be because of her ethereal beauty.

    Anton, on the other hand, was even more handsome than Kimberly, with well¨Cdefined features and perfect facial contours.

    Those eyes were narrow and a bit enchanting, carrying a deep affection. when looking at people.

    §æ§à§â

    <b>11 </b>

    At this moment, it was a pair of eyes, staring at me without blinking, as if I was the most loved person in the world by him..

    But he was still able to hurt me in order to protect Kimberly.

    Actually, he wanted to protect his family, I didn¡¯t have much anger in my heart.

    After all, people are selfish, not to mention I have no rtionship with him. The only bond is just the childhood memories, and I have long forgotten that memory.

    So he had to protect his family, I couldn¡¯t me him for that.

    But I couldn¡¯t stand each of them, clearly doing things that hurt me, yet still trying to show repentance and please me in front of me.

    That really made me feel ironic and ridiculous.

    Anton¡¯s expression was somewhat sad, with a hint of water mist floating. in his narrow eyes, which made me suddenly feel a little confused.

    An image quickly shed through my mind.

    He was a very handsome young man, looking at me quietly, with beautiful eyes covered in ayer of mist, making him look pitiful and making people want to hug him and protect him.

    My head suddenly started to ache.

    I held my head, feeling a bit ufortable.

    Anton saw it at a nce and hurried forward, ¡°Esmeralda, are you okay?¡±

    I shook my head, pushed away his hand resting on my shoulder, and said lightly, ¡°Just a headache.¡±

    <b>122 </b>

    Vore angel sand. ¡°I was already upset by the distrust of people like you thinking that Reynaldes distrust was moving enough, but I didn¡¯t expect your and Quentin¡¯s rockless behavior to be even more infuriating

    ¡°You went out, went out, don¡¯t make Ralda angry again¡±

    Anton parsed bis hips he didn¡¯t say anything more, and turned to the adjacent cabin

    Vorrie supported me as I sat back in the cabin, saying. ¡°Ralda, let¡¯s not pay attention to those people. They will regret it sooner orter. Don¡¯t be angry, its not worth getting upset over those people¡±

    Come, let¡¯s take the medicine, this is the medicine for preventing

    miscarriage

    Vonnie said, handing me the water and medicine

    I looked at the swollen belly, my eyes sore. ¡°Did Reynaldoe to see me when I was unconscious¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Vonnie looked at me and said thoughtfully. ¡°He definitely doesn¡¯t know that you were unconscious, and <b>with </b>this misunderstanding between you now. Anton definitely hasn¡¯t told him your specific

    situation¡±

    I lowered my head and drank the medicine in one breath.

    If Reynaldo had note to see me, it means he still doesn¡¯t know about

    the existence of these two babies.

 Too Close 705

    So be it, he didn¡¯t know that from then on there would be no more ties. between him and me.

    As for these two babies, I would give birth to them and then raise them well.

    I gazed nkly at the vast clouds outside the window, recalling everything that had happened during this period.

    The former warmth and happiness have be an irretrievable pain.

    The changes were so great that I felt like I was dreaming.

    If it was just a dream, how nice it would be.

    Reynaldo, I left.

    As you wish, for the rest of my life, I will never appear in your world. again.

    However, what I never expected was that, because of my baby, I eventually broke into his life and became entangled with him again.

    But by then, he was no longer the unpredictable Reynaldo he used to be, and had be the terrifying Mr. Humphrey in the mall.

    ***

    Iy down and squinted lightly for a while, and then I felt the helicopter preparing tond.

    I looked at Vonnie, who was studying the entertainment magazine on the

    side, and asked, ¡°Do you know where Anton is taking us?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head and said, ¡°I just wanted to get you out of this sad ce as quickly as possible, so I didn¡¯t ask him.¡±

    By the way, when we left, it was Quentin who saw us off. He told me and Anton to take good care of you.

    ¡°So why didn¡¯t hee with us?¡± I casually asked.

    Vonnie gave me a bitter smile.

    Actually, the answer to that, Vonnie and I both knew in our hearts.

    Because he couldn¡¯t bear to part with Kimberly, he couldn¡¯t rest assured about Kimberly, so he stayed by Kimberly¡¯s side without leaving a step.

    Oh!

    It doesn¡¯t matter!

    After the great sorrow, I also became indifferent to these affections.

    Half an hourter, the helicopter slowly descended and finallynded on

    awn.

    I looked out of the window and saw a castle¨Clike vi, very grand.

    Vonnie eximed, ¡°Where is this? Could it be Anton¡¯s house outside? Damn, he¡¯s quite wealthy.¡±

    As he was speaking, the cabin door opened.

    Anton brought over two fur coats.

    He said, ¡°Yoripero is much snowier, the weather is not as warm as Freybourne, put this on.¡±

    12 20

    11

    I was taken aback, ¡°Is this Yoripero?¡±

    When I was on a business trip to Yoripero with Reynaldo. I had a disagreement with Matthew,

    And Matthew is the overlord of this Yoripero. If Ie to Yoripero now and happen to run into Matthew, wouldn¡¯t that cause a lot of trouble again?

    Other troubles are not a big deal, I¡¯m just afraid that Matthew will take me to deal with Reynaldo again.

    But I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Reynaldo anymore.

    I sat still.

    Vonnie took the fur coat and snorted, ¡°You¡¯re quite considerate, huh.¡±

    After a pause, she draped one of the fur coats over me and saw that my face didn¡¯t look too good. Worriedly, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ralda? Is there something else bothering you?¡±

    I shook my head and looked at Anton, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you brought me to Yoripero, but I don¡¯t like this ce. Please take me and Vonnie to the airport.¡±

    Vonnie looked at me in astonishment and said, ¡°You¡­ you used to love snow, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    After speaking, she quickly covered her mouth, as if realizing she had said something wrong.

    Anton looked at me deeply and said, ¡°So, where do you like? No matter where it is, I will take you there.¡±

    Vonnie turned to look at me.

 Too Close 706

    I pursed my lips and couldn¡¯te up with a ce name,

    The sudden change happened so suddenly, I left Freybourne in a hurry without any ns for the future.

    I lived in Freybourne for so long, so long that I only got used to the life in Freybourne and couldn¡¯t find any other city that I could adapt to.

    But I also knew clearly that this was Matthew¡¯s territory, I couldn¡¯t stay

    here.

    And I also didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Anton again.

    I said lightly, ¡°Wherever I go has nothing to do with you. Please ask Mr. Palmer to send a driver to take us to the airport.¡±

    Anton pursed his lips, his narrow eyes staring at me without blinking.

    The cold air outside crept in, and there was a hint of mist in his eyes, a delicate and handsome face full of injuries, looking somewhat pitiful.

    I turned away, thinking to myself, ¡°He and Kimberly really do look like siblings, with that pitiful expression on his face.¡±

    Vonnie put on the fur coat and looked at me without saying a word.

    Anton fell silent for a moment before speaking again, ¡°I know that you had a little disagreement with Matthew when you were here on a business trip with Reynaldo to Yoripero before.¡±

    ¡°But if you are worried about running into Matthew, there is no need to worry.¡±

    §à§é§Ö§ä§î

    Chapte=206

    17

    I looked at him with a sinking heart and asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°After you returned from Yoripero, Reynaldo concentrated his financial and manpower resources specifically to deal with Matthew.¡±

    Matthew had been dominant in the Yoripero family for a long time, facing numerous enemies and constant internal conflicts within the Gtea family.

    Reynaldo took advantage of an opportunity and, together with other members of the Gtea family, brought down Matthew. Now, the Gtea family is not ruled by Matthew.

    Matthew had already left for abroad with money rolled up a month ago.

    ¡°So Yoripero is absolutely safe for you now, no one will trouble you.¡±

    I was shocked.

    Matthew had quite a bit of influence, and Reynaldo actually said, ¡°If we take him down, we take him down.¡±

    The key is, wasn¡¯t he still cooperating with Matthew? If Matthew is taken down, what about the cooperation that was painstakingly negotiated before, and won¡¯t all the ongoing projects be affected?

    Why did he suddenly want to deal with Matthew?

    Was it because Matthew almost bullied me that time?

    It seemed that Anton could see what I was thinking, and he said, ¡°Actually, Matthew has good abilities, with strategy and courage. He would be a great partner, but he shouldn¡¯t have targeted you.¡±

    Anton paused suddenly while speaking, then chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly

    at me.

    11

    ¡°To be honest, Reynaldo is quite strange. He likes to keep to himself no matter what he does.¡±

    Like when we were kids, I knew he liked you, the way he looked at you was different.

    ¡°In front of you, he always has a cold face and even looks like he hates you. Do you think he is very contradictory?¡±

    I took a deep breath and said softly, ¡°Is there any point in saying these things now?¡±

    Anton lowered his gaze and chuckled, but his smile was tinged with

    sadness.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. I just suddenly realized that, in terms of my feelings for you, I really don¡¯tpare to him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, at least he didn¡¯t do what some people did, knowing full well that Ralda was innocent, yet still deliberately framing Ralda.¡± Vonnie couldn¡¯t help but retort.

 Too Close 707

    Antonughed self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°Yes, if he knew Esmeralda <b>was </b>innocent, he wouldn¡¯t let her suffer injustice no matter what, so that¡¯s why I said I¡¯m not as good as him.¡±

    Even in dealing with the matter of Matthew, if it were me, I might not have thought of retaliating against Matthew. After all, he was a good partner in cooperation. On the contrary, if I spent so much money and effort to retaliate against him, it would undoubtedly be hurting the enemy and hurting myself.

    He finished speaking, looked at me steadily, with a sad expression, ¡°Perhaps¡­ from the moment I left that small town, I was destined to lose

    you.¡±

    Although he was reserved and contradictory in his emotions, at least he was always chasing after you. As for me, after all these years, I have done. nothing except keep you hidden in my heart¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    I interrupted him lightly. ¡°It¡¯s meaningless to talk about this now. Please ask Mr. Palmer to send someone to take us to the airport, or we can take a

    taxi ourselves.¡±

    This was already the third time I had made such a request.

    I really didn¡¯t want to have any rtionship with these people now.

    Anton looked at me deeply, and his eyes immediately turned red.

    ¡°I know you me me¡­¡±

    <b>11 </b>

    ¡°You are wrong, I don¡¯t me you.¡± I looked at him calmly, truly not ming him. ¡°You are protecting your family, which is understandable, after all, I have no rtion to you.¡±

    Anton turned his face away,

    sa lear of

    at the corner of his eye.

    ¡°No matter what, just stay here for now. When you decide where you want to go, I will take you there.¡±

    After all, you were pregnant now and your body had not fully recovered, so it was inconvenient to go anywhere.

    ¡°And I am a doctor, I could take better care of you and the baby.¡±

    I sat quietly, unmoved.

    Vonnie gently pulled my hand and said, ¡°Ralda, although he is despicable, what he said is true. You are pregnant now, very weak, and really not suitable for long journeys.¡±

    Let¡¯s settle down here first, and then look online to see which ces have good environment and are suitable for living.

    ¡°Once we have chosen the ce, shall we go together?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Vonnie shook my arm and said, ¡°Come on, Ralda, I am really tired and hungry.¡±

    ¡°And you must be hungry too. Even if you¡¯re not hungry, the baby in your belly must be hungry.¡±

    With Vonnie¡¯s strong persuasion, I finally agreed to stay temporarily.

    Anton was very happy. He came over to help me out of the helicopter, but I avoided his hand.

    <b>11 </b>

    Vonnie quickly supported me and said to Anton, ¡°You¡¯d better go in and have your servant prepare some food for us.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Palmer, the meal is all ready, just waiting for everyone toe in and eat.¡±

    Before Anton could speak, the butler outside quickly said.

    Vonnie sighed and asked Anton, ¡°This vi is like a castle, is it really bought by you? It must be very expensive, right?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    Anton suddenly nced at me and whispered, ¡°There was once a little girl who said she loved snow. If she could live in a castle when it snowed. she could be like the ice princess in the movie.¡±

    After Anton finished saying this, he turned and walked away.

    Vonnie was confused, ¡°What does he mean? What does this have to do with buying this vi?¡±

    And I roughly understood the meaning of his words.

    Perhaps I said such a sentence to him when I was young, and then he kept. it in his heart.

 Too Close 708

    So, this vi, ¡°he bought it for me.¡±

    Unfortunately, now things have changed.

    The vi had a magnificent appearance, and the interior decoration was luxurious like a pce.

    The dining table was filled with a variety of delicious dishes.

    Vonnie took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting hungrier, let¡¯s go eat quickly.¡±

    Anton seemed guilty and spoke to me cautiously, ¡°Let me see if there is anything you like to eat. If not, I will have the chef make it for you again.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, and with Vonnie¡¯s support, I came to the table.

    In the past few days, there have been too many changes in my life. I didn¡¯t have much appetite, so I ate a few bites of food casually, drank a bowl of soup, and then put down the fork

    Anton looked at me and then called the chef over.

    ¡°She was pregnant, so bring her some food that pregnant women like to

    cat.¡±

    The chef looked hesitant and said, ¡°Pregnant women love to eat?¡±

    I said lightly, ¡°No need, the food he cooks is very good, it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t eat it myself.¡±

    After a pause, I got up and said, ¡°You guys enjoy your meal, I want to

    rest.¡±

    It was at this moment that the electronic screen across suddenly switched. to an interview with Reynaldo.

    My back stiffened, and my feet couldn¡¯t help but stop.

    Vonnie saw the situation and quickly said, ¡°Who changed the channel? Quickly switch to another channel.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    I quietly watched the huge electronic screen on the wall, and my fingers curled unconsciously at my side.

    On TV, Reynaldo was being surrounded by reporters.

    He was dressed in ck, wearing sunsses, his jaw clenched, thin lips. pressed into a straight line, looking very cold and ruthless.

    Anton followed my gaze and looked at the electronic screen.

    He said, ¡°When Reynaldo dealt with Matthew before, things got really big, and almost everyone was paying attention to the two of them.¡±

    So now, even though the struggle between them has ended, the Yoripero people¡¯s attention to Reynaldo remains undiminished.

    I quietly watched the man on TV, who was familiar to the core, and my heart was filled with a dense pain.

    Mr. Humphrey, I heard that your mother was killed by Esmeralda, is that

    truc?

    Where is Ms. Dully now, and has she offered any exnation for this?

    Did you hear that Ms. Dully¡¯s mother passed away on the same day as

    <b>17 </b>

    your mother, and from the same illness? Is there any connection between them?

    Mr. Humphrey, just a few days ago you made a high¨Cprofile confession to Ms. Duffy, but now that this has happened, do those confessions still

    count?

    ***

    Countless sharp questions were thrown at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word, but his thin lips tightened even more.

    He was suppressing his emotions.

    Braylon, standing in front of him, calmly told the reporters, ¡°These are all Mr. Humphrey¡¯s private affairs. Please forgive me for not being able toment. Everyone, please make way.¡±

    At this moment, Vonnic huffed and said, ¡°It must have been that bitch Kimberly who spread the news. She wanted to make sure you couldn¡¯t stay in Freybourne! Luckily, we escaped early.¡±

    Otherwise, if you were surrounded by reporters, they would peel off ayer of skin from you in order to create a topic.

    Anton lowered his gaze and looked at the wine ss in front of him.

    Vonnie shrugged and reluctantly said, ¡°Sorry, I scolded your good sister again.¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say a word.

    I said lightly, ¡°Vonnie is telling the truth, all of this is only done by Kimberly, her malice is beyond your imagination, there is nothing she can¡¯t do.¡±

 Too Close 709

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like us cursing at her, you can just kick us out,¡±

    Anton tugged at his lips, smiling bitterly.

    ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t me you for scolding her.¡±

    Vonnie snorted, ¡°We didn¡¯t know, we only knew that you could make Ralda endure any grievance for Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore,¡± Anton looked at me and said very seriously, ¡°I

    won¡¯t protect her anymore.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, turned around and followed the servant upstairs.

    He said he would no longer protect Kimberly.

    But what he didn¡¯t know was that the first time chilled his heart, so whether he would continue to support Kimberly in the future was not important.

    I had just entered the room when Vonnie followed.

    Vonnie specifically requested to share a room with me for the convenience of taking care of me.

    Fortunately, the room was spacious, the bed was alsorge, more than enough for two people to sleepfortably.

    I sat by the window and thought about my future ns.

    Looking out of the window, Yoripero was covered in silver, very beautiful.

    11

    If Anton were not here, it would actually be nice to stay in Yoripero.

    Vonnie leaned in, propping her chin up to look at me, ¡°Ralda, are you still thinking about Reynaldo?¡±

    She paused andforted me, ¡°Actually, you see, he didn¡¯t say anything in front of the reporters, which proves that he still wants to protect you.¡±

    You also said that his mother died, and under the influence of grief and misunderstanding, he couldn¡¯t help but feel some resentment towards you.

    Maybe in a while he will¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about those anymore.¡±

    I leaned back in the chair and looked at the pale sky, murmuring, ¡°I was thinking about how to make money in the future, how to survive, how to raise children.¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback and after a moment, she smiled and said,

    ¡°Indeed, you should really think about it. Anton is wealthy and willing to give you money to spend.¡±

    But since he is protecting that poisonous snake, we don¡¯t want to use him.

    Have you figured out what you want to do for work in the future? Or, like me, do you want to try acting?

    ¡°I am quite famous in the circle now, and I can just take you

    around.¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°I wanted to act when I just graduated, but now I don¡¯t want to anymore. And as a public figure, I will inevitably be exposed to the public eye.¡±

    Reynaldo once said, ¡°He never wants to see me in this lifetime, so¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hey, then he could just not watch TV, not watch entertainment news.

    11

    I lowered my head and said, ¡°Actually, I prefer to work behind the scenes. now, such as writing scripts and being a screenwriter. However, this may not necessarily make money, after all, not everyone may want the scripts I Write.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Vonnie patted her chest and said, ¡°I¡¯m here for you. You just focus on writing. I have plenty of savings to support us for a while. You can rx and work on your script, while I go out and take on acting. jobs.¡±

    ¡°Fool, you don¡¯t have any savings at all.¡±

    I rubbed her hair again, feeling both heartache and touched.

    Last time she filmed the movie with Winston, the character was very likable and had a decent amount of screen time. If that movie bes a big hit, Vonnie will definitely be famous.

    Unfortunately, that movie didn¡¯t even have a chance to be released.

    Now she actually doesn¡¯t have much fame in the circle, what she just said was just tofort me.

 Too Close 710

    She left Freybourne a few days ago to go back to the countryside to take care of her mother.

    In order to treat her mother¡¯s illness, she spent almost all the money she earned, and there was no savings left on her body.

    Vonnie always liked to hide her bitterness, alwaysforting me with a cheerful tone, like a little sun, warming me up.

    I hugged her and said, ¡°Once things settle down, I will look for a job and write scripts at the same time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not feasible, it¡¯s too tiring. You should just rx and focus on giving birth peacefully.¡±

    ¡°You can rest assured that although my savings are not much, they will definitely be enough until you give birth to the child.¡±

    and with her hands on

    I wanted to say something else, Vonnie suddenly her hips, angrily said to me, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care about yourself, you have to think about the baby. I don¡¯t care, if anything happens to my godson or goddaughter, I will ignore you.¡±

    I looked at her, and a mist of water rose unconsciously in my eyes. In my heart, besides being moved, there was nothing else.

    I choked out, ¡°Okay, I will definitely safely deliver them.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Palmer¡­¡­¡±

    But at this moment, the voice of the servant suddenly sounded outside the door.

    Vonnie was taken aback, ¡°Anton was eavesdropping outside?¡±

    I didn¡¯t make a sound.

    Soon, there was a knock on the door.

    Vonnic eximed, ¡°Come in.¡±

    As the door was pushed open, Anton walked in carrying a tray.

    He walked straight towards me and ced a bowl of minestrone soup in front of me, saying quietly, ¡°I just bought this from outside. They said it¡¯s appetizing and pregnant women like to eat it.¡±

    The sour and sweet smell prated into the nostrils, indeed arousing a little appetite.

    However, I just want to draw a clear boundary with him now, and I don¡¯t want to please him at all.

    I pushed the minestrone soup towards him and said lightly, ¡°No need, I¡¯m full. And, there¡¯s no need to do this in the future.¡±

    The hand by Anton¡¯s side tightened slightly.

    He said sadly, ¡°Whether you me me or hate me, I just hope you don¡¯t have trouble with your own body.¡±

    Your baby is already quite big in your belly. You eat so little, how can you get enough nutrition?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, Anton was right.¡±

    Vonnie pushed the minestrone soup back in front of me again and said, ¡°You barely took a few bites just now. The babies must still be hungry. Eat some more, I¡¯m still waiting for you to have two chubby babies.¡±

    <b>17 </b>

    I lowered my head and said nothing.

    Anton sighed lightly and turned to walk out.

    Vonnie nced at his lonely figure and sighed, ¡°Actually, when you. think about it, Anton is quite pitiful, having such a malicious sister.¡±

    Unfortunately, his parents, on their deathbed, morally ckmailed him into taking good care of his sister.

    ¡°Kimberly was also lucky, and everyone protected her.¡±

    I threw the minestrone soup into the trash can and said lightly, ¡°What¡¯s the use of good luck? If she doesn¡¯t cherish it herself, you¡¯ll see, she will eventually face the consequences of all the bad things she has done.¡±

    Vonnie watched as the minestrone soup was thrown into the trash can, aplex expression shing across her face. ¡°Actually, Anton was¡­¡±

    ¡°We should choose a ce to live as soon as possible,¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Which cities do you like? Let¡¯s research them quickly. When the timees, we can also bring your mother over to live together.¡±

    12210

 Too Close 711

    Chapter711

    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Vonnic nodded heavily and quickly took out her phone to search for the ranking of livable cities.

    At night, maybe because I was in a new ce, I just couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    Scenes from the past always reyed in my mind, and that indescribable pain was magnified countless times in the quiet of the night.

    I tucked Vonnie in and then got up from the bed quietly.

    Yoripero seemed to have endless snow falling.

    Outside the window, ¡°goose feather¡± snowkes were falling again.

    When I looked into the yard, I unexpectedly saw Anton.

    He sat on the stone bench, ayer of white on his shoulders, the spark between his fingers flickering.

    He stared into the night, surrounded by an indescribable loneliness.

    I pursed my lips and closed the curtains.

    Everyone has their own constraints, I don¡¯t me him, but I can¡¯t be

    friends with him like before.

    For two consecutive days, Anton did not appear in front of me again,

    And Vonnie and I also settled on the city we would live in, uvale, located in the south, where the weather is like spring all year round.

    Early that day, after Vonnie and I had booked our ne tickets online, we called a taxi and got ready to go to the airport.

    §ë§â

    <b>11 </b>

    Vonnie and I didn¡¯t have much luggage. When we left, the butler thought we were going out shopping and even specially called the driver to act as our tour guide.

    Vonnieughed and said. ¡°Thank you, Stephen, but we are not going to

    airport.¡±

    Yorpero now, we are going to 11011

    Could you please tell Anton for me when you see him that we have left? Thank him for his hospitality these past few days.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Are you leaving? Why?¡± Stephen looked at me and Vonnie in surprise. ¡°Did we do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± Vonnie shook her head in a panic. ¡°You are all very nice. very warm, and hospitable. It¡¯s just that this is not the ce where we want to stay for long. When the timees, please help us inform Anton, just tell him that we have left. Thank you.¡±

    Stephen sighed and didn¡¯t say anything more.

    Yoripero was covered in snow everywhere, but fortunately the roads had been cleared and the cars were not driving slowly.

    In less than an hour, the car arrived at the airport.

    Getting out of the car, a cold wind blew over, making Vonnie shiver with cold.

    ¡°Hiss, Yoripero is beautiful, but it¡¯s really cold.¡±

    I took off the scarf and wrapped it around her neck, saying unkindly, ¡°Youined that the coat was too big, now you feel cold, right??¡±

    ¡°Hiss, let¡¯s go in quickly.¡±

    Two hours before the ne took off, Vonnie ran to buy milk tea.

    Not long after, she hurried towards me with two cups of milk tea in her hands, looking surprised as she said to me, ¡°Do you know who I ran into?¡±

    I pulled her to sit down, took the milk tea she handed me, and chuckled, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Did you bump into someone?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that¡­ that Johnathan.¡±

    I was taken aback. Mentioning Johnathan, I couldn¡¯t help but think of Reynaldo.

    Vonnie put in a straw, took two big sips, and said to me, ¡°I didn¡¯t see him at first, he saw me first and waved at me.¡±

    He was also lining up to buy milk tea. You said it¡¯s funny or not, a grown man still likes to drink milk tea.

    I didn¡¯t say anything, just looked around.

    Vonnie nced at me and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Reynaldo didn¡¯te.¡±

 Too Close 712

    Chapter712

    I also knew that Johnathan had a very good rtionship with Reynaldo. Wherever he appeared, Reynaldo might also be there.

    So I just asked him intentionally or unintentionally just now, asked him if Reynaldo came to Yoripero, he said no, just him.

    ¡°By the way, he also asked me about you, and I said I didn¡¯t know where

    you were.¡±

    I smiled and shook her hand.

    Actually, looking back now, it¡¯s not surprising <b>that </b>Johnathan often appeared in Yoripero.

    Thest time I went on a business trip with Reynaldo, it seemed like most of the projects in Yoripero were being managed by Johnathan.

    ¡°Esmie?¡±

    Just then, a familiar voice suddenly drifted over, it was Johnathan.

    Vonnie¡¯s face darkened as she said, ¡°Mr. Dup, you¡¯re going the wrong way. The exit is over there!¡±

    Johnathan red at her and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t know where Esmie was? Such a little liar, always lying.¡±

    ¡°You are just a little liar, your whole family are all little liars!¡±

    I held onto angry Vonnie and looked at Johnathan, ¡°Mr. Dup, do you need me for something?¡±

    ???

    <b>11 </b>

    Johnathan frowned and said, ¡°Esmic, when did you start talking to me so distantly?¡±

    I smiled and said to him, ¡°What do you mean by saying such things now?¡±

    You see, I ¡°killed Reynaldo¡¯s mother¡°, you should be as disgusted with me as he is.

    ¡°So, what are you up to by suddenlying to me for a chat?¡±

    ¡°Look at you, talking about me as if I¡¯m plotting against you.¡±

    Johnathan pulled Vonnie away and plopped down next to me.

    Vonnie angrily said, ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±

    Johnathan smiled at her and said, ¡°I just talked to her for a few words, and then I left. See you next time, I¡¯ll treat you to bubble tea.¡±

    Vonnie rolled her eyes at him <b>and </b>ignored him.

    Johnathan looked at me and sighed, ¡°How should I put it? Even though you killed Reynaldo¡¯s mother, we still have a rtionship.¡±

    I tugged at my lips, a touch of self¨Cmockery shing through my mind.

    Johnathan continued, ¡°Besides, even though Reynaldo hates you, you are still the person he loves the most. As his brother, how can I hold any hostility towards his beloved?¡±

    ¡°You have no idea, Reynaldo has been drinking heavily recently, he has been to the hospital several times for stomach bleeding.¡±

    I subconsciously tightened the hem of the clothes covering my legs.

    Johnathan sighed deeply, ¡°Every time he gets drunk, he shouts your

    name.¡±

    11

    It used to be like that, now even if I hate you, it¡¯s still the same.

    I didn¡¯t know what to do either. I had advised him countless times to forget about you, but he just remained silent.

    Then I said, ¡°If you really can¡¯t bear to let go, just go find him,¡± but he punched me in the face with a cold expression.

    In short, he has be more and more contradictory now, and has

    be a bit abnormal.

    I came to Yoripero now, and I don¡¯t know how he is now. ¡°Ah!¡±

    I smiled calmly and asked, ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything, just venting to you.¡±

    Reynaldo, that guy, he really had issues. When he wasn¡¯t feeling well emotionally, he would take it out on his own body.

    I saw that his body would sooner orter copse under him.

    ¡°That was his own business, and his body was his own. If he didn¡¯t cherish it, he couldn¡¯t me others,¡± I said lightly.

    Johnathan pulled his lips and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. If I bring back your words to him, he¡¯ll probably spit blood again.¡±

 Too Close 713

    ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡±

    I looked at Johnathan with a hint of impatience and asked, ¡°What are you trying to achieve by telling me all this on purpose?¡±

    Johnathan didn¡¯t beat around the bush either, he naturally handed the

    milk tea in his hand to Vonnie.

    Vonnie took it over with a puzzled look on her face.

    He stood up, put his hands on his hips, took a deep breath, and said to me. ¡°I just thought, can you go back and see him, persuade him.¡±

    Upon hearing these words, I immediatelyughed, but a hint of mist inexplicably rose before my eyes.

    I took a deep breath and sneered at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I was driven out of Freybourne by him?¡±

    He said he didn¡¯t want to see me in his lifetime, and I will grant his wish.

    ¡°Ah, that was just empty talk from him. You know him well, he talks tough but he actually has a soft heart.¡±

    ¡°If he really hated you so much, then when he was drunk, he wouldn¡¯t have just been calling out your name.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything anymore.¡±

    I said coldly, ¡°It was he who didn¡¯t trust me, it was he who drove me out. of Freybourne, it was he who said he never wanted to see me again, so now, how he drinks excessively, how he abuses his own body, that¡¯s all

    <b>17 </b>

    his own business, nothing to do with me.¡±

    Yeah. he¡¯s so protective of Kimberly, why don¡¯t you have Kimberly go talk to him.¡± Vonnie couldn¡¯t help but say.

    Johnathanined, ¡°Don¡¯t mention that Kimberly. Ever since she got injured, she has been crying and howling in the hospital every day, wanting Reynaldo to go see her.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t go, so she asked me to take care of her.

    I was feeling annoyed, and then Yoripero showed up out of nowhere.

    After Johnathan finished speaking, he looked at me and said. ¡°Esmie, not matter what, it was you who caused his mother¡¯s death, it was your fault. you just¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Johnathan hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Anton suddenly ran over anxiously.

    Johnathan saw Anton, and he was stunned for a moment.

    After a while, he suddenly seemed to understand something and chuckled. ¡°I was wondering how you could be so heartless to Reynaldo, turns out, you have a new man again.¡±

    Vonnie exploded with anger the moment she heard this, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®having a new man¡°? Are you out of your mind?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t believe Ralda, shouted and scolded at Ralda, and even drove Ralda out of Freybourne.

    Now you¡¯re ming Ralda, where do you get the nerve?

    ¡°Don¡¯t say Ralda has nothing to do with Anton. Even if there is

    1723

    Chapter 13:

    something, what right do you have to mock Ralda?¡±

    Johnathan nced at her, his lips curling into a more mocking arc.

    ¡°Reynaldo drove her out of Freybourne, but wasn¡¯t it because she had already killed Reynaldo¡¯s mother?¡±

    If it had been someone else, Reynaldo would have killed him long ago.

    Reynaldo eventually softened towards her, and even now he still thinks

    about her.

    But she, unexpectedly, turned around and got together with another man.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I mock her, scold her?¡±

    Vonnie was furious, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Ralda who killed the person, it was that Kimberly. You are not only blind, but also unclear in your mind!¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Kimberly? Who does she think she¡¯s fooling? Does she really have that much ability?¡±

    I looked at Anton beside me, Anton lowered his eyes and said nothing.

 Too Close 714

    I smiled and said to Johnathan, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be indignant here. It was Reynaldo who didn¡¯t trust me and drove me away first, so now it doesn¡¯t matter who I am with, it has nothing to do with him, let alone

    vou.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t even figure out the situation, why are you barking so randomly?¡± Vonnie couldn¡¯t help but snort.

    Johnathan suddenly nced at her coldly, startling her.

    I said quietly, ¡°Mr. Dup didn¡¯t need to get angry about this, you were just standing up for Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°But I tell you, it was never that I let him down, but that he did not believe me.¡±

    Johnathan sneered, ¡°Say whatever you want, you have plenty of men. around you now, so you naturally wouldn¡¯t care about Reynaldo¡¯s life or death.¡±

    Vonnie wanted to say something else, but I gestured for her not to.

    No matter what he thought, there was no need to exin too much to him.

    Johnathan nced at me and Anton mockingly, then turned around angrily and walked towards the exit.

    I said to his back, ¡°If you want Reynaldo to forget me as soon as possible, then don¡¯t tell him about meeting me in Yoripero.¡±

    Johnathan paused for a moment, ¡°he snorted coldly,¡± and then walked

    11

    away.

    After his figurepletely disappeared, Vonnie came over and said to me angrily, ¡°That Johnathan must be sick. Why does he use you like that? It makes me so angry.

    I patted her shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, that¡¯s just how he is. He gets all worked up whenever it involves Reynaldo, but he doesn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±

    ¡°Look at him, silly as can be, he just forgot the bubble tea he queued up to buy.¡± Vonnie raised her bubble tea in her hand, looking speechless.

    Iughed and said, ¡°Then you can have double the amountter.¡±

    After that, I nced at the time and said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to board.¡±

    Anton¡¯s expression changed suddenly, and he quickly grabbed my hand.

    His eyes were red as he looked at me and said, ¡°Why did you leave? Did you have to leave without a word? Wasn¡¯t it good to stay at my ce?¡±

    I looked at him calmly and said, ¡°From the beginning, I told you that I was just temporarily staying at your ce until I chose a city where wanted to settle down, then I would leave.¡±

    Anton suddenly grabbed my shoulder, his hoarse voice tinged with a hint of choking and pleading, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Esmeralda, please don¡¯t go, I beg you, please don¡¯t go, okay?¡±

    I turned my face away andughed mockingly, ¡°Actually, I really don¡¯t understand you guys. Each one of you seems to love me and cherish me, but all of you are hurting me.¡±

    Reynaldo was like this, Quentin was like this, and you were like this.

    17

    I was really tired, really didn¡¯t want to have any rtionship with you again, just consider it as me begging you, let me go, okay?

    Anton froze, his hand on my shoulder trembling slightly.

    He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    I closed my eyes and shook my head with a smile, ¡°I had heard enough, really.¡±

    It seems like many people have been saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± to me, but what¡¯s the use of saying sorry.

    I pushed away his hand, no longer looking at him, just pulling Vonnie towards the boarding gate.

    Just a few steps into the walk, my abdomen suddenly cramped in pain, causing me to bend over involuntarily.

    Vonnie¡¯s face changed, ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t scare me!¡±

    Cha71

 Too Close 715

    Chapter <b>715 </b>

    I covered my stomach, feeling anxious in my heart, ¡°My stomach suddenly hurts.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Vonnie panicked and turned to shout at Anton, ¡°Come over here and take a look, Ralda is not feeling well.¡±

    Before Anton arrived, Ipletely passed out.

    Waking up again, I found myself back at Anton¡¯s vi.

    Vonnie sat on the edge of the bed, looking at me with red eyes.

    I hung up the water, the water had just been hung up, and Anton was taking out the needle for me.

    I closed my eyes ufortably and asked Vonnie, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? Is the child okay?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head in a panic, ¡°The babies are fine, it¡¯s just that your emotional fluctuations have caused fetal movement and false

    contractions.¡±

    With that, she said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that Johnathan. What¡¯s the point of himing to you and saying those things? Luckily, you and the baby are fine.¡±

    I touched my swollen belly, feeling both self¨Cmockery and sadness in my

    heart.

    I said in my mouth that I had no more connection with Reynaldo, but when I heard Johnathan say that he was torturing his body like that, I couldn¡¯t help but worry and feel anxious.

    Croartier (15)

    11

    Anton removed the IV drip and looked at me, saying, ¡°Your body was not fully recovered to begin with, and with excessive worry, sadness, and emotional stress, it led to a miscarriage.¡±

    Actually, babies can feel what emotions you are in.

    ¡°So Esmeralda, stop thinking about the past, and focus on the days ahead.¡±

    I looked at the bright light outside the window and said softly, ¡°I want to leave here, no longer have any involvement with you, just to live the rest of my days well.¡±

    Anton tightened his hand on my side and suddenly with a thud, knelt in front of me.

    Vonnie was startled, ¡°What are you doing? Get up quickly!¡±

    Anton looked at me sadly and said, ¡°I know you resent me and don¡¯t want to see me, so these past two days, I have been staying outside, afraid to appear in front of you. But why do you still want to leave?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, will you stay? As long as you stay, I promise, without your permission, I will never appear in front of you.¡°.

    Looking at him like that, a touch of indescribable sadness and irony crossed my heart.

    I said, ¡°Why do you have to be so humble, you are forcing me, do you know?¡±

    ¡°No, I just want you to be well. Your body is very weak, and there is always a risk of miscarriage. I simply can¡¯t bear to let you leave.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, Kimberly betrayed you, and I¡¯m sorry. Please stay, let me make it up to you.¡±

    25,000

    11

    I stared nkly at the ceiling, saying nothing.

    They all didn¡¯t believe me, they all wronged me, they all were forcing me

    1 suddenly felt very tired, very tired.

    Vonnie looked at me and said quietly, ¡°Ralda, why don¡¯t you just stay here? Even though Anton is despicable, his medical skills are truly excellent. With him here, I can also feel at ease.¡±

    You see, in a few months, the babies were going to be born, and it wouldn¡¯t be toote for us to leave after the babies were born.

    I know you were feeling bitter, but the safety of the babies is more important.

    You didn¡¯t know, you suddenly said you had a stomachache today, and then fainted. It really scared me to death.

    If he hadn¡¯t been there, I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do.¡±

    Vonnie said, and then burst into tears out of fear.

 Too Close 716

    Chapter716

    I held her hand tightly and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, don¡¯t cry.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid, so many bad things have happened recently, you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight, you look haggard, and your health has deteriorated.¡±

    What if something else happens, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to take care of you properly.

    Ralda, let¡¯s stay for now and have the baby first.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s face, full of tear marks, was filled with shock and unease.

    I knew that if something happened to me again, this silly girl would. definitely feel very sad and guilty, thinking that she hadn¡¯t taken good.

    care of me.

    But I really can¡¯t me her. She was able to apany me like this all the time, and I was already very

    very touched.

    So, I shouldn¡¯t have let her bear such a great pressure because of the resentment in my heart, right?

    I shook her hand and said to her, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll stay.¡±

    Anton¡¯s eyes lit up.

    I looked at him lightly and said, ¡°After the child is born, I will leave with the child.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything else, he just packed up the medical equipment

    and left.

    Vonnie visibly breathed a sigh of relief and said to me, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t want to live here either, but to be honest, given your current physical condition, living here is the most suitable.¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will just wait peacefully for the baby to

    be born.¡±

    In the following days, Anton didn¡¯t reallye back to this vi.

    But Stephen would report my daily physical condition and three meals at day to him.

    About every half month, he woulde back with medical equipment to ne back with medical equipment to give me a full¨Cbody check¨Cup, ensuring that the baby in my belly was healthy.

    These days, sometimes I would go out with Vonnie and buy some baby supplies.

    Vonnie liked girls, always picking out pink items.

    And I picked a few of each color.

    The doctor had previously said, ¡°It is possible that I am pregnant with

    twins.¡±

    So I bought some items for both boys and girls.

    There were a lot of baby supplies in the room, which looked warmer.

    Even Stephen said that looking at those baby products made him feel a little bit of ¡°fireworks.¡±

    Chapter716

    Stephen said that this vi, Anton had bought a long time ago, but no one had ever lived in it.

    Vonnie and I were the first ones to arrive and stay.

    Vonnie listened and said straight out that Anton was wasting money, buying such a luxurious vi and leaving it empty like that.

    During the day, I continued to write the script that I hadn¡¯t finished before, while Vonnie watched some big¨Cname actors¡® performances to study their acting skills.

    J

    At the appointed time, we would go to bed together to sleep, and before sleeping, we would chat about some intimate and heartfelt matters.

    I have not heard any news about Reynaldo again. Only Quentin would often send me some messages, asking how I have been recently, if I am feeling well, if the baby in my belly is behaving, and so on.

    Of course, I never replied to a single word of the message he sent

    Later he just called directly, and I didn¡¯t answer.

    In the end, I was really annoyed by him, so I blocked all of his contact

    information.

    Then he went to ask Vonnie.

    Vonnie saw that I really didn¡¯t want to contact Quentin at all, so she followed me and blocked him too.

    With no one disturbing, the days gradually returned to warmth and tranquility, and the scars in the heart seemed to fade away slowly.

 Too Close 717

    However, in the midnight dreams, that bone¨Cchilling pain in my heart would still awaken, gnawing at my nerves.

    That noon, I waspletely focused on writing the script.

    Vonnie suddenly came over and excitedly said to me, ¡°Ralda, Yoripero has an Ice Pce, I saw it online, it looks so beautiful, and those ice sculptures are so magical.¡±

    ¡°The key is, online it said there are rare treasures on disy today. I really

    want to go and see.¡±

    Mentioning this Ice Pce and the treasures of the town pce, I couldn¡¯t help but think of Reynaldo.

    The time he took me to see the ice sculptures seems like it was already a thing of thest century.

    That time should have been when he deliberately wanted to take me to see the ice sculptures, but felt awkward and hesitant to speak up, so he pretended that he wanted to see them and asked me, his secretary, to apany him.

    Looking back now, he was really strange back then, acting so aloof that it left people speechless.

    Lost in thought, Vonnie¡¯s voice suddenly brought me back.

    ¡°Ralda, the weather is so nice today. Let¡¯s go see the ice sculptures. together. I checked, it¡¯s only a one¨Cand¨Ca¨Chalf¨Chour drive away.

    I lowered my gaze and looked at my high, bulging abdomen.

    ¡±

    In the past few months, my belly grew very quickly, and even wearing. oversized coats couldn¡¯t cover it up.

    Counting the days, there was about a month left before giving birth.

    Vonnie thought I was worried about the baby, so she said, ¡°Anton told me that the babies are doing well now, and your physical condition is also. stable.¡±

    On the contrary, he suggested that you should move around more on a daily basis, as it will help with the deliveryter on.

    ¡°So. Ralda, shall we go for a walk?¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

    Indeed, for people like us who are not particrly hot in our hometown and not particrly cold, ice sculptures are indeed very attractive.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°I can apany you, but there are a lot of people at the scene. Look at me, with such <b>a </b>big belly, I might just have to wait for you in a remote corner.¡±

    ¡°No problem, you just rest in the rest area, I will go take more photos for you to see, and buy some souvenirs on the way back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± I shut down theputer and smiled at her, ¡°then you can go ask Stephen to borrow his car.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Vonnie ran out with a smile on her face.

    These days we really didn¡¯t go out, she must have been bored to death.

    Stephen knew we were going to see the ice sculptures, so he specially prepared thick down jackets for us and also provided us with a map of the

    area. The popr areas were even circled in red with a pen.

    Vonnie smiled and said she brought back a souvenir for Stephen, which made Stephen very happy.

    The ground of Yoripero was very clean. with snow piled on both sides of the road, and the bare tree trunks reflecting the azure sky were quite beautiful, a kind of simple and clear beauty.

    I took out my phone and took a few photos along the way.

    About an hourter, the car arrived at the parking lot near the scenic area.

    Vonnie parked the car, then quickly got out and walked around the front of the car to help me.

    Iughed and said. ¡°No need, my belly is big, but walking is not a problem.¡±

 Too Close 718

    Vonnie circled around me and eximed enviously, ¡°You, pregnant with twins, howe only your belly is big while the rest of your body hasn¡¯t gained any weight at all? Look, if you were seen from behind, nobody would even know you are about to give birth.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s her first child.¡± I smiled at her, ¡°When you get married and have a baby, you¡¯ll definitely be like me too.¡±

    ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t want to get married and have babies. I already have stepsons. and stepdaughters, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±

    Vonnie touched my stomach and then linked arms with me as we walked into the scenic area.

    .

    Yoripero¡¯s Ice Pce seemed to always be bustling. Thest time I came. there were also quite a few people.

    After buying the ticket and just entering, Vonnie was immediately attracted by a store.

    Indeed, in that row of shops, the one with the storefront was bustling with people inside and out, while the other shops had hardly anyone.

    Vonnie looked curious and asked, ¡°What does that store sell? Why are there so many people?¡±

    I shook my head, but indeed I did feel that the shop looked a bit familiar.

    ¡°You wait for me here, I¡¯ll go take a look. If there¡¯s anything interesting. I¡¯ll bring one back for you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I sat down on a nearby lounge chair and waited for her

    After waiting for about five minutes, she came back with an excited look on her face.

    ¡°Ralda, Ralda, do you know what I saw?¡±

    I shook my head with a smile, she always had this habit of being so casily startled.

    I said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you ran into Johnathan again, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh, why did I run into him?¡± Vonnie looked at Johnathan with a face of disgust.

    After a pause, she said excitedly, ¡°I have to tell you, I saw your photo, and Reynaldo¡¯s photo too, a few big ones of you two together, framed and hanging in that store, like wedding photos.¡±

    I was taken aback, suddenly remembering that the owner of a down jacket. store had asked Reynaldo to be a model before.

    That was the down jacket store we visited at the beginning.

    I didn¡¯t expect the business to be so good.

    Vonnie excitedly asked me, ¡°Have you been here before with Reynaldo¡®?¡±

    I nodded and didn¡¯t say much.

    Vonnie looked curious and said, ¡°This is strange. Howe you two are willing to endorse down jackets for that ordinary down jacket store? It doesn¡¯t seem like Reynaldo¡¯s style.¡±

    ¡°I was

    really curious about what kind of threat the shop owner used to make him take those photos at that time.¡±

    I lowered my head and stared nkly at the snow piled up <b>in </b>the corner.

    No one threatened him, I guess he just wanted to take a picture with me. He was just too awkward at the time and wouldn¡¯t say anything.

    The shop owner happened to want him to endorse the store, so he went along with the shop owner¡¯s idea and took a few photos.

    Now I understandpletely why he insisted on taking pictures with me. It was just a way for him to have a few photos with me.

    Thinking of this, my heart uncontrobly twitched and a touch of sour pain arose.

    Up to now, all the sweet love in the past has turned into a hurtful de, and every time I think back, it is a heart¨Cwrenching pain.

    ¡°I just went in to take a look. The customers who went in to buy down jackets were all going for Reynaldo¡¯s photo.¡±

 Too Close 719

    Chapter719

    Wow, Reynaldo really got Yoripero fired up.

    And, the figure is just different, Reynaldo¡¯s down jacket has sold out several times, both men and women are buying it.

    Reynaldo really missed out on asking the boss for some endorsement. fees.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s voice suddenly brought me back to my senses.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Reynaldo doesn¡¯tck this endorsement fee. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going in.¡±

    ¡°Huh, why don¡¯t you go in and take a look at your photos?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing interesting to see,¡± I said, pulling up my scarf a bit to cover my mouth and nose.

    Vonnic looked at me and said with a smile, ¡°Yeah, that shop owner has no photography skills at all. He made you look so fat. After you give birth, I¡¯ll take some nice pictures of you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I was walking into the Ice Pce with Vonnie, chatting andughing.

    A figure suddenly stood in front of me.

    I was taken aback and quickly steadied myself.

    Vonnie frowned and said, ¡°Who are you? Why did you suddenly block

    us?¡±

    Chamer719

    The man looked at me, pointed to the down jacket store, and chuckled at me, saying, ¡°I am the owner of that down jacket store. I thought I saw someone who looked like you just now, and it turns out it really is you.¡±

    ¡°Is this another time you came with your boss?<b>¡± </b>

    It turned out to be the owner of that shop. I have to say, the owner of this shop has a good memory and sharp eyes. He could recognize me even after all this time.

    I said to him lightly, ¡°No, I came with my friend.¡±

    The shop owner nced at my belly again and said, ¡°Congrattions! Last time I saw you, you didn¡¯t even look pregnant. I didn¡¯t expect you to be about to give birth. You¡¯re going to be a shop owner¡¯s wife soon, right?¡±

    Vonnie was confused and whispered in my ear, ¡°Is he referring to Reynaldo when he mentioned the boss?¡±

    I nodded and smiled at the boss, saying, ¡°Congrattions on your business booming several times. If you don¡¯t move aside, I might consider asking you for some endorsement fees.

    The shop owner¡¯s face changed slightly, and he chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just that I want to thank you guys, so I thought of giving you gloves and hats.¡±

    He said and actually handed me a bag.

    Vonnie took it suspiciously and opened it. It was indeed a furry hat and gloves, which looked warm.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    With that, Vonnie and I walked past him, ready to leave.

    <b>12.22 </b>

    The muttering of the shop owner suddenly came from behind me,

    ¡°Strange, howe the current owner and the future owner¡¯s wife arrived one after the other.¡±

    My back stiffened.

    The first thought was, ¡°Did Reynaldoe?¡±

    I quickly turned around and called out to the shop owner.

    ¡°Are you saying that my boss came here?¡±

    ¡°Well, he came to my store an hour ago, and I was surprised that he was alone.¡±

    ¡°Now it seems that it may have been inconvenient for you toe with your big belly, so I didn¡¯t bring you.¡±

    An hour ago?

    Is he still around here now?

    At one point, my heart was a bit confused.

    Vonnie looked at me and said to the shop owner, ¡°What is he doing in your store? Buying a down jacket?¡±

    The shop owner shook his head and said, ¡°He just stared at those few photos for a long time. You guys don¡¯t know, I was so nervous at that time, afraid that he would get angry, use me of viting his image. rights, and even afraid that he woulde to me for endorsement fees.¡±

    20415

 Too Close 720

    Fortunately, he stared at the photo for half an hour and then quietly left.

    Looking back now, it must have been because my photos were taken so well that he came specially to admire them.

    Vonnie smiled silently.

    I was in a state of confusion.

    If I were to meet Reynaldo again, how should I face him with what kind

    of mood.

    Those who promised never to see each other again, so now I don¡¯t want to see him at all.

    The shop owner had already returned to his own shop.

    Vonnie squeezed my cold hand and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, the shop owner said it was an hour ago, so Reynaldo must have already left.¡±

    Besides, even if he was still around here, with so many people, it¡¯s not likely that we would run into him by chance.

    ¡°Moreover, even if we really encounter him, so what? Are we afraid of him?¡±

    The words were spoken like this.

    But¡­

    I lowered my gaze and looked at my high, bulging belly.

    What if Reynaldo tried to steal the baby from me?

    Chapter250

    He hated me, but he definitely wouldn¡¯t hate me with his baby.

    I followed Vonnie into the Ice Pce absent¨Cmindedly.

    The ice sculptures inside were as exquisite and beautiful as ever. Vonnie took out her phone and snapped away, just like I did the first time I came.

    At that time, Reynaldo was walking beside me the whole time without taking out his phone or paying much attention to the ice sculptures.

    Looking back now, he just wanted to find an excuse to be with me.

    It was just those subtle feelings of his that I finally understood toote.

    Knowing that Reynaldo had also been here today, I was distracted the whole time and had no interest in admiring the ice sculptures.

    Vonnie apanied me to find the lounge.

    The lounge was warm, with hot food and drinks.

    She brought over a lot of food and drinks, and after eating a bit with me, she asked me to wait for her in the lounge, she woulde back after taking a walk.

    I nodded.

    She still said anxiously, ¡°If anything happens, remember to call me. And if you happen to run into Reynaldo, don¡¯t be afraid. There are many people here. No matter how much he hates you, he won¡¯t do anything to you in front of so many people. If he dares to bully you, just call for help. You are pregnant, you don¡¯t need to be afraid of him.¡±

    vor

    ¡°Well, you should go quickly, or else you won¡¯t be able to see the treasure of the town pceter.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going now. Remember what I said, okay?¡±

    12 <b>23 </b>

    ¡°Okay, got it,¡± I chuckled as I handed her the steaming hot milk tea.

    She took the milk tea, and then anxiously instructed me a few words. before leaving.

    Most of the people who came here were attracted by the ice sculptures and treasures of the town pce, so there were not many people in the lounge.

    Only three pairs of couples by the wall, and a family of four at the table behind me.

    The lounge was very quiet, with only the yful voices of the two little boys at the back table.

    I leaned back in the chair and took out my phone to scroll through it.

    Anton sent me two messages, I don¡¯t know when he sent them, I didn¡¯t have them when I was taking photos on the road just now.

    I casually clicked open, and they were all words of exhortation.

    You will give birth next month, it¡¯s good to go out and walk around, pay attention to keep warm.

    72,87%

 Too Close 721

    Chapter721

    Ice Pce was crowded, be careful, and call me if anything happens.

    I didn¡¯t reply, switched the interface, and continued to swipe my phone.

    I deliberately didn¡¯t pay attention to any news about Reynaldo recently. but when I was scrolling through my phone, I identally came across news about him.

    In just two months, he acquired the Humphrey Group and ¡°kicked out all the people who had once bullied him¡± from the Humphrey Group.

    The Humphrey Group has undergone a major overhaul, and everyone has be his people.

    The Humphrey¡¯s manor was also bought by him, and Ronan and Julianne. were driven to the countryside.

    I pursed my lips. with a slight ripple in my heart.

    Reynaldo did hate his father after all, and if it weren¡¯t for his father, his all, and if it weren¡¯t for his father, his mother wouldn¡¯t have suffered for a lifetime.

    Now that his mother was gone, he began to let go and seek revenge on the entire Humphrey family.

    And those people from the Humphrey family, had they been a little kinder to Reynaldo, they wouldn¡¯t have ended up being kicked out of the

    Humphrey Group.

    People always hold grudges.

    Reynaldo had not retaliated against them before, probably because there

    Chapter721

    was still a soft spot in his heart.

    Now, his heart is filled only with cold resentment.

    The apanying photo in the news showed Reynaldo dressed in ck, with a strong sense of hostility in his eyes.

    I was thinking, ¡°If he wanted to retaliate against me, what would be my fate?¡±

    Just then, a person walked into the lounge.

    I subconsciously turned my head and took a nce, but my heart was shaken violently.

    The man¡¯s breath was cold, and a ck coat draped over him, making his figure tall and straight.

    He had his hands in his pockets, wearing a hat and a scarf.

    The scarf was pulled up high, covering the mouth and nose.

    But I could still recognize him at a nce, he was Reynaldo!

    He was Reynaldo!!

    My heart suddenly raced, and my hand at the side trembled slightly.

    I heard footsteps approaching slowly, and I felt that he wasing towards me.

    I hung my head very low, very low, with all my nerves stretched tight.

    The ck coat brushed past my desk, bringing with it a chill that made my heart tighten instantly.

    Fortunately, he just ¡°walked past¡± to order at the window.

    1223

    Chapter721

    I forced myself to calm down, pulled up the scarf again, put on the hat, and only showed a pair of eyes.

    I was wrapped up tightly now, with such a big belly, he shouldn¡¯t recognize me.

    Reynaldo ordered two cups of milk tea at the window.

    I was taken aback, didn¡¯t the shop owner say he came alone?

    Why did he order two cups of milk tea?

    Who was the other cup for?

    Kimberly?!

    Thinking of Kimberly, I clenched the hand at my side and felt a surge of deep hatred in my heart.

    After Reynaldo finished his bubble tea, he turned back and sat at the table in front of me.

    My back was only two meters away from his.

    Across the table, I could still feel the chill lingering around him.

    I slowly raised my eyes and stared at his back.

    He has be thin, very thin.

    For some reason, at this moment, as I watched his thin figure walking away, a touch of bitterness welled up in my eyes.

    It¡¯s not heartache, but grievance.

    I remembered the time when he grabbed my neck and told me to get out of Freybourne decisively.

    <b>1221 </b>

    Chapter21

    In my mind, however, echoes the surprises he created for me, the tenderness when he said he loved me, and those words of confession.

 Too Close 722

    The past sweetness and pain intertwined in my heart, forming an. imprable that made it hard for me to breathe.

    I lowered my head, pulled open my scarf, and took a deep breath.

    When I had pulled my scarf up to cover my mouth and nose, and then raised my head, he suddenly turned around and looked towards me.

    My heart skipped a beat, and my whole body tensed up suddenly.

    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t look at me, he just looked at the door behind me.

    He seemed to be waiting for someone, nced towards the door, and then turned back.

    From beginning to end, his gaze never fell on me.

    I breathed a sigh of relief and thought to myself, ¡°Should I quietly leave from here?¡±

    But outside were all people who came to see the ice sculptures, and today happened to be the day when the treasure of Zhen Gong was open to the public, so there were more people than usual.

    Now that Vonnie is not around, I am afraid of bumping into people when I go out with such a big belly.

    I was thinking to myself when a familiar ringtone suddenly sounded on my phone.

    I slowly raised my eyes and saw Reynaldo taking out his phone to answer

    the call.

    ¡°Did youe over?¡±

    ¡°Well, Lounge 103.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve ordered for you.¡±

    The man¡¯s voice, although cold and indifferent, could be heard with a hint. of helplessness and tolerance.

    So, was that milk tea really ordered for Kimberly? Was he here with Kimberly today?

    The thought had just shed through my mind when a figure suddenly rushed in like a gust of wind, passing by my desk and stirring up a gust of

    cold wind.

    ¡°Oh, you said to go buy milk tea, how did we end up in this lounge?¡±

    The person who came was not Kimberly, but Johnathan!

    Reynaldo and Johnathan, two big men, came to see the ice sculptures, and they even drank milk tea?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You said you wereing all the way to see the ice sculptures, but in the end, you didn¡¯t even look at them. What¡¯s your deal?¡±

    Johnathan took a sip of his milk tea, inserted a straw, and took a big gulp. He continued toin to Reynaldo, ¡°You, you came to see such a beautiful ice sculpture, but you didn¡¯t even look at it. Not taking photos is one thing, but you followed me like a ghost the whole way, bumping into people several times. If it weren¡¯t for people thinking your face is good- looking, they would have already cursed you.¡±

    Johnathanined vigorously, and Reynaldo suddenly nced at him faintly.

    Johnathan immediately shut his mouth and his gaze suddenly flicked towards me.

    My heart skipped a beat, before I could lower my head, he had already shifted his gaze away.

    He half sat on Reynaldo¡¯s table, sipping his milk tea vigorously, and said in a muffled voice; ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to look down on you, but since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s just take a good walk and have a good time. Look at you, always absent¨Cminded, it¡¯s really boring to hang out with you.¡±

    Reynaldo ignored him and did not drink the milk tea he ordered.

    Johnathan finished his milk tea in one gulp, threw the empty cup into the nearby trash can, and then picked up his milk tea to sip noisily.

    After a while, he said to Reynaldo, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    Reynaldo half leaned back in his chair and looked at him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going out anymore?¡±

 Too Close 723

    Chapter723

    ¡°You don¡¯t even want to go shopping, so why should I? Besides, I just ran into a real killjoy, and I¡¯m feeling annoyed.¡± Johnathan said gloomily.

    ¡°Ruining the mood?¡± Reynaldo smiled faintly, ¡°Can you still run into. people you know here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what a bad luck.¡± Johnathan said, sitting up straight and

    continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go back, it¡¯s freezing out here. I¡¯d rather snuggle in bed. at the hotel.¡±

    I quickly lowered my head as the two of them passed by my desk, one in front and one behind.

    I didn¡¯tpletely rx until they all left the lounge.

    Strange, I feel like Johnathan just said that ¡°killjoy¡± was Vonnie.

    While I was thinking, I suddenly noticed that Reynaldo had something left on his desk, like a photograph.

    When the boss was cleaning up the table, he saw it and thought it was unwanted junk, and was about to throw it away.

    I quickly stood up and said to the boss, ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    The boss was taken aback, looked at me, then looked at the photo in hist hand, and finally handed it to me.

    I took a look and it was indeed a photo, exactly the one that the owner of the down jacket store had taken for us before.

    Reynaldo looked very handsome, with a straight figure.

    11

    I stood beside him, a head shorter, dressed so bulky like a small ball.

    Looking at this photo, a touch of sourness surged in my nose, feeling a bit sad and somewhat ridiculous.

    He actually went to ask the shop owner for the photo.

    What was the point of this again?

    Since you drove me out of Freybourne and decided not to see me again, why bother holding onto old photos to reminisce about the past.

    Have you forgotten that I am not good?

    Feeling sad in my heart, the photo in my hand was suddenly taken out by a slender hand.

    ¡°This is mine.¡±

    The clear and familiar voice sounded in my car, and I froze, not daring to move a muscle.

    It was Reynaldo who came and went.

    He flipped through the photos carefully, making sure they were not. damaged, before turning around and walking out.

    From beginning to end, he never looked at me.

    I pursed my lips and secretly breathed a sigh of relief in my heart.

    Fortunately, he did not recognize me, otherwise it would have been troublesome.

    As Vonnie said, I have a clear conscience, I don¡¯t owe him anything, and there is no need to be afraid of him.

    Chapte

    But my baby was about to be born, if he recognized me, he would definitely try to take my baby.

    Now, I only have my baby. I can¡¯t let him take away these two treasures from me.

    I suppressed the waves surging in my heart, and slowly sat down, leaning on the table.

    The two little boys who didn¡¯t want to y in the back suddenly bumped into my chair while chasing and ying.

    I was caught off guard for a moment and sat directly on the ground.

    In an instant, a sharp pain suddenly came from my abdomen, and then I felt something flowing out from under me.

    Baby!

    My first thought was, ¡°Will my baby be okay?¡±

    A sense of indescribable panic and fear surged in my heart.

    The fear and the intense pain in my abdomen forced me to the brink of fainting.

    At that moment, I didn¡¯t care whether Reynaldo would try to snatch the baby from me.

    The safety of the baby is the most important.

    Intense pain came in waves, as if my entire waist had been cut off by a big knife, shaking me with pain.

 Too Close 724

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I shouted the man¡¯s name at the door with difficulty.

    The sound that could be heard was quickly overwhelmed by bursts of

    screams.

    ¡°Oh, blood, she¡¯s bleeding, call an ambnce quickly.¡±

    The two little boys who knocked over my chair were directly scared and stood dumbfounded on the side.

    The parents gathered around, their anxious voices getting louder and louder.

    ¡°Oh my God, how did you fall so hard? What should we do? What should we do?¡±

    ¡°My child was careless, youngdy. I have called an ambnce for you. The ambnce will arrive soon. Hang in there, you must hang in there.¡±

    With urgent cries one after another, everyone around gathered around.

    And at that moment, Reynaldo clearly turned around and nced at me.

    He nced at me, but he didn¡¯t recognize me.

    And so, I watched him walk out with my own eyes.

    At the door, there came Johnathan¡¯s shouting, ¡°It¡¯s just a photo, isn¡¯t it? Look how anxious you are. If only you had taken more photos when people were still around. This photo isn¡¯t even good¨Clooking, look at how

    precious you are¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, what happened inside?¡±

    Reynaldo, ¡°I don¡¯t know, did a pregnant woman fall down?¡±

    Johnathan, ¡°Ah? Isn¡¯t that serious? Did you call an ambnce?¡±

    Reynaldo said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, someone must have called.¡±

    Their voices gradually faded away, and through the gaps between the people around me, I saw them disappear at the corner of the door.

    The abdominal pain increased, and the blood beneath the body also increased.

    I closed my eyes in pain, and my heart was instantly reced by an unprecedented fear.

    ¡°Oh my goodness, with such a big belly, is the baby okay after such a fall?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, she lost a lot of blood, the situation doesn¡¯t look good. When will the ambnce arrive?¡±

    I

    ¡°Hurry up and contact the person in charge of this scenic area to see if there is a medical room. We need to get her to the medical room as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°What can we do? What can we do? My child didn¡¯t mean it. If anything happens to her and the baby in her belly, how are we going topensate our family?¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ Wow¡­ Wow¡­¡±

    The lounge quickly became chaotic, with the onlookers¡® discussions, the parents¡® panicked voices, and the little boy¡¯s cries all merging into one.

    I anxiously stroked my greatly swollen abdomen, the pain causing ck. spots to appear before my eyes.

    I dragged the person next to me with hands full of blood, pleading in pain, ¡°Baby, save¡­ save my baby¡­¡±

    The people beside me were talking to me, but I couldn¡¯t hear a word, just kept begging them to save my baby<b>. </b>

    Just when I was filled with fear and despair, a figure suddenly rushed in.

    The man¡¯s face was full of anxiety and worry.

    It turned out to be Anton.

    ¡°Esmeralda, how could this happen? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll save you, I¡¯ming

    to save you¡­¡±

    He said, ¡°and then he picked me up and rushed outside anxiously.¡±

    I looked at the pool of blood on the ground behind me, trembling with

    fear.

    I grabbed Anton¡¯spel tightly and struggled to speak to him, ¡°Save the baby, you must save¡­ save the baby¡­

    Anton walked quickly, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, his tense face filled with anxiety and gloom.

    The excruciating pain kepting, devouring my consciousness.

    I could no longer hold on. At the moment when I was about to lose consciousness, I whispered to him, ¡°If¡­ if we can¡¯t save both in the end, then¡­ then save the child¡­¡±

 Too Close 725

    After saying that, Ipletely fell into the endless darkness.

    I didn¡¯t know where I was, everything around me was dark, with only a bright moon hanging in the sky.

    The ground was bathed in silver moonlight.

    The surroundings were silent, only the faint sound of the wind.

    I walked aimlessly ahead, and at a nce, the road ahead was nowhere to be seen.

    The deste and empty outskirts were filled with unknown fears.

    I hugged my arms tightly and started to run a little on the road.

    Why was there no one?

    Where are those people? Where are the people I love?

    I called for Mom, I called for Reynaldo, I called for Vonnie¡­

    But no one answered my call.

    Suddenly, there came a series of noisy sounds from the night sky.

    Some were crying, some were calling my name.

    There were also many strange and peculiar sounds.

    ¡°The parturient¡¯s blood pressure was unstable, so the instrument was

    quickly used to stabilize her blood pressure.¡±

 Too Close 726

    ¡°But fortunately both babies are very healthy.¡±

    When it came to thest sentence. Vonnie¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.

    I frowned deeply and anxiously asked, holding her hand, ¡°Are the babies really healthy? Where are they? I want to see them.¡±

    Vonnieforted me to sit down and smiled at me, saying. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the babies are in the incubator now, doing well.¡±

    ¡°Why did you go to the incubator?¡±

    I don¡¯t know why, but when I couldn¡¯t see the baby, my heart was very

    anxious.

    ¡°Because he inhaled amniotic fluid and had some other minor issues, the

    nurse took him to the incubator.¡±

    Don¡¯t worry, Ralda. I just went to check, the two babies are doing well.

    ¡°And my brother may have eaten. The nurse just told me that he can now drink 60 milliliters of milk powder.¡±

    I had no concept of how long it had been, I just asked her, ¡°How long have I been unconscious?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been three days, but your wound hasn¡¯t healed yet, and your body is also injured, so you have to stay in the hospital for another week.¡±

    I looked at her and thought of the babies who had not yet been masked, my heart clenched tightly.

    ¡°How much longer do the babies need to stay in the incubator? I want to go see them.¡±

    Vonnie couldn¡¯t resist my pleading, and in the end, she helped me to the neonatal department.

    When we arrived. Anton was waiting outside the neonatal department.

    Seeing meing over, he hurried over to help me, ¡°How did you fall?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look at the baby,¡± I said to him.

    Anton nced at Vonnie.

    Vonnie lowered her gaze and said, ¡°Ralda was very worried about the baby, so I helped here over to take a look.¡±

    I looked at the two of them.

    I don¡¯t know if I was too nervous or sensitive, but I vaguely felt that they were hiding something from me about the children.

    While I was thinking, Anton smiled at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, the babies. are fine. I just checked on them.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    With Vonnie¡¯s support, I quickly arrived at the entrance of the neonatal department.

    Apart from nurses, family members were not allowed to enter.

    I could only lie on the door, looking inside through the ss on the door.

    There were many incubators inside, I didn¡¯t know which incubator my babies were in.

    Anton said, ¡°Counting from the left, the third and fourth incubators are your babies, the one in front is the brother, and the one behind is the

    sister.¡±

    I listened and tiptoed to look inside, but still couldn¡¯t see anything.

    Vonnie supported me and said with a smile. ¡°Ralda, we don¡¯t need to rush. In another ten days. they wille out from inside, and then you will have two chubby little babies to cherish.¡±

    ¡°Are they going to stay in there for ten more days?¡±

    For a woman who has just given birth, those ten days were really hard to get through.

    Since I woke up. I felt like ¡°the days were dragging on like years¡°, counting them one by one.

    The longing for the babies has overshadowed the pain at the wound.

    Finally, on the day when the baby was discharged from the hospital. Vonnie asked me to wait in the ward, and she and Anton went to bring the babies over.

    But I couldn¡¯t wait, so I followed them directly.

    The wound was not healed yet, and it hurt to walk.

    Arriving at the entrance of the neonatal department, I gave my name and the nurse went in to pick up the baby.

 Too Close 727

    I unconsciously twisted my fingers, feeling both nervous and excited in my heart.

    A few minutester, two nurses carried the baby out.

    I eagerly took one of the pink nkets, and Vonnie took the one with the blue nket.

    I looked at the baby sleeping sweetly in the nket, my heart was melting.

    I was holding a baby girl, with a chubby little face, pink and tender.

    In just a blink of an eye, he looked so much like Reynaldo.

    Vonnie came over and showed me another baby, saying, ¡°Ralda, look, this is your son. Isn¡¯t he cute? Look at his little mouth, he looks just like you.¡±

    Yes, our son¡¯s mouth looks more like mine, but overall, both babies look more like Reynaldo.

    I hope they grow up to be more like me.

    Watching the two babies healthy and well, with no worries at all, the uneasiness in my heart finallypletely dissipated.

    My attention was solely on the babies, and I didn¡¯t notice theplex. expressions of Anton and Vonnie, who were hesitant to speak.

    Afterpleting the discharge procedures, Anton took us back to the

    vi.

    Chapter727

    Stephen had been waiting at the door early, and when the car drove in, he quickly took his cloak and went to meet it.

    I hadn¡¯t even gotten out of the car when Vonnie took the cloak from Stephen¡¯s hands and wrapped me up tightly.

    Vonnie said, ¡°Women who have just given birth should avoid exposure to wind and cold, and should be careful to prevent illness.¡±

    Two babies were carried in by the servants.

    The baby carriage had been prepared long ago.

    As soon as the two babies were put in, the surrounding servants all gathered around.

    It can be seen that everyone liked the baby, praising my two babies as cute and beautiful.

    Vonnie helped me sit on the sofa, and Stephen handed me a cup of hot cocoa, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, the meal will be ready soon. Please have this. to warm yourself up.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±

    Vonnie nced at the babies and asked me, ¡°Did you think of the babies¡® names like you said you wouldst time?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡± I nodded, ¡°The boy is named Roderick Duffy, and the girl is named Estelle Duffy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are all names so simple? Do they have any special meaning?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°There are many perfect names online, and I randomly picked two from them.¡±

    Vonnie looked speechless and said, ¡°You are really casual.¡±

    ¡±

    After a pause, she sat up excitedly and said, ¡°The nicknames for those dolls will be chosen by me, as their godmother. Well, the boy doll will be called Roddy, and the girl doll will be called Essic.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I smiled at her, then finished the hot cocoa in one gulp, and leaned over to the side of the crib, staring at the babies without blinking.

    I felt like I couldn¡¯t get enough of watching them.

    And I feel so amazing, they were just in my belly a few days ago, and now they have turned into these two adorable babies all of a sudden.

    I really wanted to hug and kiss them, but I didn¡¯t dare.

    Anton looked at me, hesitated, and asked, ¡°Now that the babies are born, what do you think¡­ should we tell Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter to him?¡±

    The heater in the room was on full st, and I was afraid the babies would be too hot, so I loosened their nkets.

    I said tly. ¡°This is my baby, born from me, so naturally it belongs to me. Why would I ask him toe and fight me for it?¡±

 Too Close 728

    Anton pursed his lips and looked at Vonnic.

    Vonnie chuckled, ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t tell him. If we do, he will definitelye and try to snatch the baby from Ralda.¡±

    This was born after Ralda risked half of her life, we can¡¯t let him take it

    away.

    At that moment, Essie suddenly started to cry. When Essie cried, Roddy also started to cry.

    I was taken aback and looked at them in panic, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are they all crying?¡±

    Antonughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they are just hungry. I¡¯ll go make some form milk.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better for me to go.¡± I quickly stood up and frantically searched for those baby supplies.

    Anton held my hand and said gently, ¡°Let me do it. You just watch carefully. Making form milk also requires the right water temperature.¡±

    Vonnie helped me back to the sofa and whispered to me, ¡°Just let Anton go. Although he used to always protect Kimberly before, you have to admit that he is quite thoughtful. Like changing diapers, he just changed them earlier. His technique was so skilled, someone who didn¡¯t know would think he had studied infant care.¡±

    Thinking that Anton was a doctor, I didn¡¯t push it any further.

    Vonnie nced at Anton, then took my hand and whispered, ¡°Actually,

    17

    Anton has been quite goodtely. Every time you are in danger, he always shows up in time.¡±

    Last time at the Ice Pce, you fell down and went into prematurebor. but luckily he arrived in time.

    I was so scared when I saw you covered in blood at that time. Luckily. you and the baby were fine, otherwise I would have felt guilty to death.

    So, considering the care he has given us during this time, let¡¯s not me him.¡±

    I shook her hand and said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t me him, really.¡±

    After saying that, I looked at Anton, ¡°the man¡¯s skill in making form milk was quite proficient.¡±

    Before long, he prepared two bottles of milk powder, one a little more. one a little less.

    He handed me the smaller bottle and said, ¡°Essie is only taking 30 milliliters now. Hold her in your arms to feed her. Babies always eat slowly at first, so be patient.¡±

    I nodded busily and carefully picked up my daughter who was still crying.

    It was amazing that as soon as the pacifier was brought close, she stopped. crying. her pink little mouth immediatelytched onto the pacifier and sucked on it continuously.

    I eximed in surprise, ¡°She was eating, so cute.¡±

    Anton smiled and picked up Roddy to feed him.

    ¨¢

    Stephen on the side sighed, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since this room has been

    so lively. It would be great <b>if </b>it could always be this lively.¡±

    Chapter728

    11

    I pursed my lips and watched my daughter eating with relish, without. saying a word.

    The days with the baby passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.

    The two babies were fine, and they didn¡¯t cry much at night.

    And they were changing every day. When I teased them, they would still smile at me.

    Vonnie watched on the side, her heart melting, and openly said that in the future she also wanted to find a man with excellent genes to have a baby, and then leave the child to the father.

    After staying in Yoripero for such a long time, it¡¯s time for me to leave.

    After two babies turned 100 days old, I took Vonnie and the babies to uvale.

 Too Close 729

    On the day of departure, the servants in the vi were reluctant to leave. They gathered around the two babies for a long time, and some even gave gifts to the babies as a memento.

    Stephen shed tears unwillingly.

    Anton didn¡¯t say a word, and his face showed no expression at all.

    He personally took us to the airport.

    When we parted, he only said one sentence to me, ¡°Take care.¡±

    He turned around and left after he finished speaking, his back showing an

    indescribable sense of loneliness.

    I quietly watched his back, thinking of his care during this period and the life¨Csaving grace at several critical moments. There was still a touch of emotion in my heart.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say to him, ¡°I don¡¯t me you for standing up for Kimberly, really.¡±

    Anton paused for a moment, he didn¡¯t look back, just smiled faintly and said, ¡°But we never had a chance, even without Reynaldo, we never had a chance, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Since it was destined to disappoint, I can¡¯t let him have any thoughts

    about me anymore.

    Anton smiled, and hisughter sounded increasingly lonely.

    For a long time, he turned around and looked at me, with a smile on his delicate face, sadness, but very beautiful.

    He said, ¡°Let me know once you have settled there, so that I don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Okay<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°And take good care of the babies, if¡­ if they feel ufortable in any way, be sure to let me know.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Take care, Esmeralda.¡±

    He said ast word, then turned around and left, never looking back.

    Beside her, Vonnie suddenly sighed heavily, ¡°Oh, how mncholy. I suddenly realized that Anton is actually quite nice.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, just took Essie through security.

    Vonnie held Roddy and followed behind me.

    Actually, I still had some doubts in my mind, for example, Anton just said, ¡°If the babies feel ufortable in be sure to inform him.¡±

    any <b>wa </b>

    What does this mean?

    Generally speaking, he must have wanted my babies to be healthy, and this was a farewell, so he shouldn¡¯t have said such words.

    Looking back now, when he said those words, his expression was quite serious and solemn.

    The more I thought, the more anxious I became.

    After passing through security, I asked Vonnie, ¡°Were there any problems.

    when the babies were born?¡±

    ¡­No,¡± Vonnic said without even looking up.

    I asked repeatedly. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Look at them, cating and sleeping. What could be the problem?¡±

    How did Anton suddenly say those words just now?

    Vonnie was stunned for a moment before she realized what Anton had just said.

    Sheughed and said, ¡°You know, these two kids are basically taken care of by Anton. He doesn¡¯t trust nannies and babysitters, and he¡¯s afraid you won¡¯t rest well, so he personally puts these two babies to sleep at night.¡±

    So he had a deep bond with these two treasures.

    Now we are about to leave, he must be feeling reluctant and worried again, so he just told you that sentence. Don¡¯t take it to heart, and don¡¯t overthink it.¡±

    While Vonnie was speaking, she had already walked in front of me with Roddy in her arms.

    Seeing that what she said made sense, I didn¡¯t think about it anymore.

    However, a yearter, the ident still happened.

    Yoripero flew to uvale, probably taking about three hours.

    When the nended, it was a little after four in the afternoon.

    As soon as we got off the ne, we could clearly feel a wave of heat.

 Too Close 730

    This uvale is not even a half degree warmer than Yoripero.

    Vonnie and I went to the mother and baby room to change clothes, changed the nkets of the two babies to thin ones, and fed them a meal before heading to the house Vonnie had bought long ago.

    Vonnie purchased a suite in the city center, the suite was notrge, but it was enough for a few of us to live in.

    She said. ¡°When we make a lot of money in the future, we will buy a vi.¡±

    Looking at Vonnie¡¯s bright eyes, I was deeply moved.

    During this period, I really owe it to her for being with me.

    I also secretly vowed in my heart that I must make a lot of money, I must be strong, and then go back to seek revenge on Kimberly.

    She killed my mother, how could those two stabs be enough.

    As for Quentin<b>, </b>after blocking him, we had no further contact.

    It doesn¡¯t matter what happened between him and Kimberly now, because the moment he opened his mouth to falsely use me, I no longer had a brother.

    The temperature in uvale was pleasant.

    I used to write scripts at home while taking care of the baby.

    And Vonnic took on some acting roles.

    Chapter 30<b>. </b>

    In order to make money, she took almost any role and often shuttled between cities.

    Seeing her working so hard. I couldn¡¯t help but work even harder.

    I hired a nanny, and during the day, most of the time she was taking care of the baby, so I could focus on writing the script.

    At night. I put the babies to sleep.

    About four monthster, my script was finallypleted, it was a pce drama.

    I also know that in the market, this type of script is quite popr.

    So when I submitted my work, I was really nervous.

    However, to my surprise, two days after submitting the manuscript, they replied to me, saying ¡°they had epted my submission.¡±

    Then came the bargaining process.

    The price offered by the other party was quite high, and they even said that if the script was filmed and the y became a hit, they would give me a share of the profits ording to the proportion.

    I was pleasantly surprised by this. It was my first work, and although I put a lot of effort into it, I really didn¡¯t have much confidence.

    I didn¡¯t expect that a mediapany would buy it all of a sudden, and the price they offered was pretty good.

    I told Vonnie the good news that day.

    Vonnie was also thrilled to bits, her scenes in the y had just wrapped up, and she was flying back that evening.

    Chapter330

    Because there was a baby to take care of, I was not able to go to the airport to pick her up, nor was I able to take her out to have fun.

    In the end. I had to cook some dishes myself, and then ordered some grilled skewers and beer.

    Vonnie arrived home at seven¨Cthirty in the evening, gave me a bear hug as soon as she walked in, then washed up and changed clothes before eagerly going to the nursery to see the babies.

    I served the meal and smiled at her, saying, ¡°They are all asleep, you can y with them again tomorrow.¡±

    Then my script was sold, the contract was signed, and the money was received. During this time, you can take a break.¡±

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a long time since I left, I really miss these two little ones so much, I miss them so much, thinking about them eating and sleeping.¡±

 Too Close 731

    Chapter731

    I woke up suddenly at night and started ¡°scratching¡± their photos, which made it hard for me to fall back asleep.

    ¡°Ah. I will also have two such adorable babies in the future!¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Then pay more attention to the single good ment around you. If you like someone, be brave and make a move.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, when you give birth, I want to be the godmother of your baby.¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips and said, ¡°There are no good single men at all!¡±

    She sat down at the dining table, skillfully opened a bottle of beer, and was pouring it into a ss when she suddenly remembered something and said to me, ¡°Oh, right, I forgot to tell you something.

    I ced the skewers on the te in front of her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I went to Freybourne a while ago.¡±

    My hand paused as I scooped the soup, and I looked at her, ¡°You went to Freybourne?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Vonnie skewered a kebab and said, ¡°The agency took us there, me and a few other actresses. Basically, it was just a social event to apany those wealthy and powerful people for drinks.¡±

    I pursed my lips, feeling uneasy in my heart. ¡°Vonnie, don¡¯t attend those social events in the future. Even if it offends the agency, don¡¯t be afraid. You can just stop acting. I can earn money by writing scripts now, I can support you.¡±

    Vonnie was straightforward, she never attended social events like that.

    before.

    The reason why he went this time was probably to earn more money to support me and our babies.

    Thinking of this, my heart was filled with guilt and heartache.

    However, I was both heartbroken and guilty over here, but she just chuckled.

    ¡°The point I want to tell you is not about socializing, but, guess who I ran into at the drinking party?¡±

    I was taken aback and, I don¡¯t know why, instinctively said, ¡°Johnathan?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head, ¡°It was him, but not only him.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head again, ¡°Even more than before, this time I ran into a lot of familiar faces.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t keep me in suspense, tell me quickly, who did you meet?¡±

    ¡°I also ran into Quentin and Kimberly!¡±

    When she mentioned Quentin, her eyes dimmed imperceptibly.

    She skewered two more skewers and hummed, ¡°You don¡¯t know, at the party, Kimberly was so mean. She knew I am your good sister, and she kept picking on me at the party.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see her affected and pretentious, pretending to be innocent, it was really disgusting.¡±

    She said, making a vomiting expression.

    11

    I tightened the spoon in my hand and asked her, ¡°How did Kimberly bully. you back then? Tell me.¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback and looked at me, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not thinking of going back to Freybourne, are you?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Kimberly, I was never going to let go of you, it was just a matter of

    time.¡±

    ¡°But Quentin was very protective of her,¡± Vonnie said, tilting her head back and finishing the drink in her cup,ughing self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°You didn¡¯t see how Quentin protected her, really, I¡¯ve never seen Quentin protect a woman like that, except for you.¡±

    When Vonnie said this, there was sadness in her eyes.

    I knew that Vonnie had promised mest time that she would no longer like Quentin, but in reality, she still couldn¡¯t let go in her heart.

    I said to her, ¡°You better tell me quickly how that woman bullied you, I will get back at her for you!¡±

 Too Close 732

    #

    ¡°Humph!¡± Vonnie poured another ss of wine and said angrily, ¡°Kimberly, she deliberately came over to toast me in front of so many people, and deliberately mentioned you, saying that she saw me as your good friend and specially toasted me.¡±

    I think many people were watching, so I put aside my grievances and prepared to ept her drink calmly.

    Little did I know that as soon as <b>I </b>touched the wine ss, she let go, the ss fell, and the wine spilled all over her.

    Quentin immediately got up and anxiously held her in his arms, asking if there was anything wrong.

    It¡¯s so funny, ¡°it¡¯s just red wine spilled on clothes, what could possibly happen?¡±

    ¡°It was the wine ss that fell to the ground, and the shards scraped my leg.¡±

    I instinctively looked at her legs.

    She shrugged her legs and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine now.

    Pausing for a moment, she said angrily, ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not the worst. part. The key is, I didn¡¯t even say anything, and Kimberly started crying. saying sorry and using me of retaliating against her. Her tearful eyes were so pitiful.¡±

    As soon as I saw her acting like that and remembered all the bad things she had done to you before, I couldn¡¯t help it and stood up to scold her and p her.

    ????

    <b>11 </b>

    Quentin immediately pushed me away and even asked me to apologize to her. Can you believe it?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    I sat beside her, put my arm around her shoulder, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s ignore Quentin, just ignore him.¡±

    With myforting words, Vonnie suddenly burst into tears.

    I was startled and quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe her tears.

    She took the tissue, turned her face to the side, wiped it randomly a few times, and then turned back to me with a smile.

    Seeing her like this. I felt extremely sorry, and my resentment towards Quentin became even stronger.

    She said. ¡°I didn¡¯t cry, it¡¯s just that this skewer is so spicy, it made me cry from the spiciness.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expose her either, and poured her a ss of wine.

    Drink, getting drunk might make it easier on the heart.

    She gulped a few times and drank all the wine in the ss in one breath,ughing at me sarcastically, ¡°Do you think they are all blind, Kimberly¡¯s acting is so clumsy, and yet they all believed it.¡±

    You didn¡¯t know that no one spoke up for me at the scene, everyone just watched the show.

    Oh, your Reynaldo didn¡¯t pay attention to the show. It seems like your Reynaldo was always wandering in his mind, not in the private room. Many bosses tried to talk to him, but he ignored them all.

    I furrowed my brows.

    It was strange that Kimberly felt wronged and tearful, but Reynaldo didn¡¯t feel sorry or worried. This was really unlike him.

    Also, Quentin and Kimberly actually appeared together in front of Reynaldo, which proves that her ¡°boyfriend¨Cgirlfriend¡± rtionship with Quentin has been confirmed in front of Reynaldo.

    If so, then she should be even less likely with Reynaldo.

    But that¡¯s not right, she didn¡¯t really like Reynaldo, did she like him to the point of madness?

    Even to the extent of causing the death of Reynaldo¡¯s mother in order to break up me and Reynaldo.

    So, she schemed to break up Reynaldo and me, kicked me out of Freybourne, all just to be with Quentin?

    This just doesn¡¯t make sense at all, these two things don¡¯t even rte to each other.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention that Johnathan.¡±

    The skewers in front of Vonnie were almost finished.

 Too Close 733

    Chapter <b>733 </b>

    I took out another chair and ced it in front of her. I heard her say, ¡°That Johnathan is not a good person. He actually said in front of so many people that I am his woman. Come on, he has so many women, he must have remembered wrong, right?¡±

    I chuckled.

    That silly Vonnie.

    I said to her, ¡°Johnathan is trying to help you out.

    ¡°How is it possible? Is this how the siege is lifted?¡±

    And he had watched the show enough, waiting for me to be scolded by the agent, waiting for me to be bullied by them all, before he spoke.

    If he had really wanted to help me out, he should have spoken up when Kimberly started acting and causing trouble for me in the first ce.

    I saw that he was just making fun of me! The tastes of these wealthy young gentlemen are really nothing to be praised.

    I shook my head with a smile.

    It seems that Vonnie had quite a strong opinion about Johnathan..

    ¡°Also, when the party was over and I was about to leave, Johnathan stopped me and said he had helped me out, and asked how I could repay him.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea how frivolous he looked, I wanted to p him in the face.¡±

    Um¡­

    It cannot be denied that Johnathan, when he was not serious, was really not serious, and he was quite good at teasing girls.

    Back then when I went to sign up for that Dance G, I saw him for the first time, and he had a frivolous andzy look.

    That button was not properly fastened, and he didn¡¯t smile properly either. To put it bluntly, he looked like a hooligan.

    No wonder Vonnie had such strong opinions about Johnathan.

    Vonnic disliked the slick and insincere men the most.

    The reason she liked Quentin so much was mostly because Quentin waste to emotional matters, there was no gossip, in terms of emotions, he was simply a nk sheet, pure to the extreme.

    Unfortunately, this nk piece of paper was still ¡°snatched away¡± by Kimberly.

    The topic circled back, and I hugged her and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s just how he is, we just ignore him.¡±

    ¡°This is not over yet,¡± he said, as Quentin came out to find me while he was bothering me.

    Seeing Quentining out to look for me, Johnathan smiled at me, how to describe it? Oh, yes, secretive, yes, he smiled with a secretive look on his face.

    ¡°What does it mean? Ralda, why is heughing like that? Is it very funny? Is he sick?¡±

    I covered my mouth and chuckled, ¡°Yeah, he was sick.¡±

    Chapter733

    After a pause, I asked her, ¡°Why did Quentine out to look for you? To apologize to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous, you¡¯re dreaming. Kimberly is his everything, no matter what, he would never think that his everything is wrong!¡±

    Vonnie said angrily, took a sip of her drink, and continued, ¡°He first told me not to have any contact with Johnathan, saying that Johnathan has too many women. If I get involved with Johnathan, I will only end up getting hurt in the end.¡±

    I ignored him, he was also sick. Just a moment ago he was still protecting Kimberly, asking me to apologize. Now he reminds me to stay away from scumbags. What¡¯s the point of pretending to be kind?¡±

    I silently patted her back, letting her vent.

    It seems that she was quite angry and suffered a lot of grievances at that banquet.

    ¡°When I ignored him, he started asking about you. I still didn¡¯t respond to him. But guess what?¡±

    1227

    After a pause, I asked her, ¡°Why did Quentine out to look for you? To apologize to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous, you¡¯re dreaming. Kimberly is his everything, no matter what, he would never think that his everything is wrong!¡±

    Vonnie said angrily, took a sip of her drink, and continued, ¡°He first told me not to have any contact with Johnathan, saying that Johnathan has too many women. If I get involved with Johnathan, I will only end up getting hurt in the end.¡±

    I ignored him, he was also sick. Just a moment ago he was still protecting Kimberly, asking me to apologize. Now he reminds me to stay away from scumbags. What¡¯s the point of pretending to be kind?¡±

    I silently patted her back, letting her vent.

    It seems that she was quite angry and suffered a lot of grievances at that banquet.

    ¡°When I ignored him, he started asking about you. I still didn¡¯t respond to him. But guess what?¡±

 Too Close 734

    I looked at her.

    Honestly, Vonnie really liked to ¡°sell suspense¡°.

    After she finished her skewer, she chuckled and said, ¡°Quentin actually cried in front of me. He said he really misses you, is very worried about.

    you, and wants to see you. He asked me to give him your address.¡±

    you,

    ¡°Hehe, is it possible? It¡¯s really funny. Is it because he wanted to protect Kimberly that you ended up in such a situation? And he still has the nerve to cry?¡±

    I lowered my gaze, and an indescribable feeling surged in my heart.

    It was indeed a mother who gave birth to me, and Quentin has been by my side for so many years, always protecting and loving me. It¡¯s not true to say that I don¡¯t feel sad.

    It¡¯s just sad, it doesn¡¯t mean you have to forgive him.

    If he were willing to go to Reynaldo and expose that Mika killed Kimberly, then I would forgive him.

    Unfortunately, this is almost impossible.

    Vonnie looked at me, and her voice suddenly lowered.

    ¡°Ralda, actually, at that time, I saw Quentin crying, and I felt a little sorry for him.¡±

    He humbly asked me about your situation, how your health was, and how the baby in your belly was doing.

    Chapter234

    His eyes were red, and he had lost a lot of weight. I couldn¡¯t bear it for <b>at </b>moment, so I told him.

    I said you had given birth, and now you are fine, no need for him to worry!

    After a pause, Vonnic said, ¡°He was happy at that time, but tears were streaming down his face. That look, really, it was heartbreaking to see, I had never seen him like that before.¡±

    ¡°But, wasn¡¯t that also his own fault?¡±

    hung my head and drank two sips of soup.

    I don¡¯t know if it was the steam from the soup or something else, but a mist appeared before my eyes.

    Vonnie said, ¡°At that time, Quentin was crying andughing, saying he was going to be an uncle and that he was going to buy his nephew a lot of gifts.¡±

    He also begged me to show him the photos of the babies.

    him, but you weren¡¯t

    Ralda, I know I shouldn¡¯t have paid attention to him, but

    there, you really can¡¯t understand the pleading look in his eyes at that moment, with red eyes and tears, I really couldn¡¯t refuse.

    ¡°Then I¡­ I showed him the pictures of the babies.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s voice trailed off as she spoke.

    Vonnie was definitely afraid that I would me her.

    I patted her shoulder and chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s nothing wrong with showing him. He already knows I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    ¡°The key is¡­¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s voice grew even softer, and I felt a sense of unease.

    Then she continued. ¡°I had just shown Quentin the photos of the babies. when I turned around and saw Reynaldo leaning against the wall nearby smoking.¡±

    I felt a sudden panic in my heart.

    No!

    Wasn¡¯t it just a coincidence?

    Was Reynaldo eavesdropping there?

    Vonnie looked at me and quickly made an excuse for herself, ¡°Reynaldo really walks so quietly, I didn¡¯t even know when he appeared there, clearly when Johnathan was bothering me, he wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    He was like a ghost, but at that time his face was calm and he just leaned there, puffing away, probably didn¡¯t hear my conversation with Quentin.

    It makes sense when you think about it.

    Based on Reynaldo¡¯s character, if he knew <b>I </b>had a baby, he would definitely immediately start sending people to find out my whereabouts, and thene to snatch the baby from me.

 Too Close 735

    Chapter <b>735 </b>

    ording to Vonnie, the party had been over for many days.

    But during these days, no one came to disturb me and the babies.

    So, Reynaldo probably didn¡¯t hear the conversation between Vonnie and Quentin at that time.

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    Vonnie muttered to me, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that Quentin, with his tearful eyes, knowing full well that I¡¯m a soft¨Chearted person.¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Next time you see him, just leave, don¡¯t pay attention to him.¡±

    ¡°Definitely!¡±

    Vonnie hummed and buried her head to eat.

    I nced at her and knew in my heart that she was still somewhat unhappy because of Quentin, so I didn¡¯t mention those people again.

    I changed the subject and told her some interesting stories about the babies, and showed her the recent photos of the babies.

    The babies are almost eight months old now, super cute, and they love to smile a lot..

    Especially Roddy, he always smiled when meeting people, while Essie was a bit introverted and quiet. Essie needed someone to tease her in order to make her smile.

    Roddy crawled around all day, while Essie just sat there quietly ying with toys.

    Every day, with two lovely little babies apanying me, my heart was always soft.

    Vonnie couldn¡¯t resist going to the nursery again to see the two babies. after I described them as so adorable.

    She said she would temporarily stop taking on acting jobs and stay at home to spend time with me and the baby.

    I naturally agreed happily, as I had hoped she would take more rest.

    Vonnie drank several bottles of wine again and ended up a little drunk.

    I helped her to the room to rest. Just as I tucked her in, I heard her crying.

    Shey curled up in the quilt, crying softly.

    I sighed and gently stroked her back, feeling sorry for her.

    She turned over, held my hand, and mumbled, ¡°What¡¯s so good about Kimberly, why does Quentin like her?¡±

    Quentin was blind, blind in his heart and blind in his eyes. He clearly was not sensitive to emotions, he clearly said he didn¡¯t want to fall in love, didn¡¯t want to get married.

    Why is it that Kimberly can, oh¡­ Ralda, am I not good, not as good as Kimberly¡­

    ¡°How is it possible, Vonnie is the best, what is Kimberly, just pretending a little bit, what advantages does she have, affected, disgusting.¡±

    ¡°But men all like that kind of her, don¡¯t they?¡°.

    ¡°Men who like her type are all blind, especially Quentin.¡±

    ¡°Vonnie, don¡¯t be sad. Quentin is a fool in love, he is not worthy of you. You deserve the best man to protect you.¡±

    ¡°But I liked Quentin, I really liked Quentin¡­¡±

    She held my hand and said incoherently, tears smudging on the back of my hand.

    I sighed with pity, not knowing how tofort her for a moment.

    I didn¡¯t even know when her subtle feelings for Quentin started.

    I patted her shoulder and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, rest early. The babies all miss their godmother. Tomorrow we will take them out to y.¡±

    Vonnie did not respond to my words, her slender body trembling with

    sobs.

    I waited for a while, but still didn¡¯t hear her voice. I thought she had fallen asleep.

    As she was about to turn off the light and leave, she suddenly muttered, ¡°That year, I went to your house to look for you, but you weren¡¯t there. Only Quentin was there, ying games. When he saw me, he asked me to y with him.¡±

    <b>12.28 </b>

 Too Close 736

    I didn¡¯t know that my period hade at that time, and he saw it. I was very embarrassed at that time and felt very ashamed.

    But he didn¡¯tugh at me, instead he went out and bought sanitary pads. for me himself, and even made me a cup of hot cocoa.

    He was careful and gentle, but, that kind of gentleness, I only enjoyed once, and never again.

    Ralda¡­ there would never be again¡­¡±

    I lowered my head, and a touch of sadness surged in my heart.

    Quentin used to be very nice.

    People will change after all, just like my dad.

    Vonnie didn¡¯t say anything more.

    After a while, I heard a steady breathing sound.

    I carefully withdrew my hand, tucked her in, turned off the light, and then tiptoed out.

    I leaned against the door panel and took a deep breath.

    I thought for a moment, took out my phone, and removed Quentin¡¯s number from the cklist.

    I dialed the number directly.

    Almost immediately, Quentin¡¯s excited voice came through the phone.

    ¡°Ralda, is that you? Ralda?¡±

    Listening to the excitement and urgency in his tone. my heart skipped a beat, and a hint of sourness uncontrobly rose in my nose.

    I took a deep breath and suppressed my emotions, and said to him coldly. ¡°Take care of your Kimberly. If she dares to bully Vonnie again, I don¡¯t mind stabbing her a few more times!¡±

    Quentin hesitated for two seconds, and then smiled almost ingratiatingly, ¡°Ralda, what are you talking about? Kimberly didn¡¯t bully Vonnie, are you misunderstanding something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say much about that drinking party, but if you and your Kimberly dare to mistreat Vonnie again. I will definitely not spare you!¡±

    Also, if you want to know about me, just ask me directly, and don¡¯t bother Vonnie anymore in the future.

    ¡°You can love your Kimberly all you want, no one is stopping you, but bullying Vonnie is not allowed!¡±

    Quentin fell silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone and said softly. ¡°Ralda, let¡¯s not talk about that. Can I see your babies? I miss you and I really want to meet my nephew and niece.¡±

    ¡°It was you who chose to stay in Freybourne, it was you who abandoned. me, so don¡¯t say such things anymore.¡±

    I and my babies have nothing to do with you anymore.

    ¡°I have said what I wanted to say, goodbye!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Ralda, wait, don¡¯t hang up,¡± Quentin urgently spoke, his choked voice full of pleading, ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I¡¯m sorry, but I really miss you so much.¡±

    You came back, bringing the babies back.

    No one mentioned the past anymore, and Reynaldo never brought you up again. These things are all in the past.

    Youe back,e back to Freybourne, Reynaldo won¡¯t mind.

    Even if he wants to make things difficult for you. I will protect you this

    time.¡±

    I sneered and said. ¡°Let me go back, sure, but you have to show some

    sincerity.¡±

    Quentin was immediately excited and said, ¡°What do you want me to do? You tell me. I will definitely agree to everything.¡±

    ¡°You went to Reynaldo and told him that his mother was killed by Kimberly. You told him that all the bad things were done by Kimberly.¡±

    If you can do this, then I will forgive you. You will still be my good. brother. How about that?

    Quentin fell silent in an instant.

    I smiled with pursed lips, tears filling my eyes.

    In the end, even though it has been so long, guessing that he still chooses to defend Kimberly, my heart still aches.

 Too Close 737

    I sneered, ¡°So, Quentin, if you ever try to feed me those high¨Csounding words again, I won¡¯t believe a single word you say.¡±

    ¡°Ralda,e back, I just hope you cane back, and we can be together as a family.¡±

    am now working in the film and media industry, and my career has started to take off.

    ¡°You came back, bringing the babies back, I supported you, took care of you.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡± I said coldly, ¡°As long as Kimberly is around, we can never be a family again!¡±

    After saying that, I hung up the phone.

    Quentin called back soon.

    I wiped away the tears from the corner of my eyes and blocked his number. again.

    Oh, go back?

    Where can we go back to!

    The next day, I was woken up by two little treasures.

    The two little ones woke up very early, and as soon as they woke up, they were ying with their feet in the cradle, babbling <b>in </b>their mouths.

    I got up and changed their diapers, made form, just fed them, and

    Chapter737

    Vonnie came running in excitedly.

    ¡°Hehe, I want to see my godson and goddaughter.¡±

    Vonnie picked up Essie and yfully teased her, making Essie giggle.

    Roddy, who was standing aside, felt neglected. He pouted and then opened his arms towards me, crying loudly.

    I picked him up with a smile.

    He looked at Vonnie with tears in her eyes, her small mouth pouting. looking so pitiful, which made Vonnieugh until her stomach hurt.

    Vonnie quickly came over to exchange with me, holding Essie. Unexpectedly, the little guy was so proud that he immediately turned his little body and hugged my neck, obviously angry with Vonnie.

    Vonnie chuckled, ¡°Look at this little guy, already so temperamental, it¡¯s really something.¡±

    Well, indeed, a bit like Reynaldo¡¯s proud temperament.

    No, I had to slowly change this little guy¡¯s proud temperament, can¡¯t let Reynaldo inherit it, otherwise when he talks about his girlfriend in the future, the girlfriend might be in trouble.

    I coaxed him with a smile for a couple of words, but Roddy was still not feeling well.

    In the end, Vonnie took a toy to coax him, and he finally calmed down, allowing himself to be held in Vonnie¡¯s arms.

    Vonnie smiled and sighed, ¡°Roddy is quite stubborn. He knew I made him unhappy, but he still insisted on me coaxing him before he would give up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just like his dad,¡± I hummed.

    Vonnie¡¯s lips twitched, ¡°His dad is really not good. Now I think of his dad¡¯s gloomy face, I feel scared.¡±

    Vonnie said, lifting Roddy up andughing at him, ¡°You can¡¯t be like your jerk of a dad, we have to be cheerful, we have to smile often, that¡¯s how we¡¯ll be loved by everyone.¡±

    Roddyughed as if he understood Vonnie¡¯s words, ¡°ha ha ha.¡±

    Roddyughed, and Essicughed along, holding her own fingers,ughing until her eyes were squinted.

    Just the next second, she suddenly vomited and spit up milk.

    Vonnie was startled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Essie spitting up milk was not the first time, and I was basically used to it.

    I put Essie on my shoulder, gently patted her, made sure she was okay, and then went to change her clothes.

    Vonnie followed along anxiously, ¡°Does Essie often spit up like this?¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, just asionally, I guess it was when you came back, Essie was so happy, so excited.¡±

    I bent down to change Essie¡¯s clothes and did not see theplexity that shed in Vonnie¡¯s eyes.

    After changing clothes, Vonnie looked at me and asked worriedly, ¡°Apart from spitting up milk, Essie isn¡¯t ufortable anywhere, right?¡±

 Too Close 738

    Chapter <b>738 </b>

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that Essie¡¯s body is probably a little weaker. These two children are the same size, but Essie¡¯s milk supply is 60 milliliters less than Roddy¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°You see, Roddy is a whole circle older than her.¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips and said, ¡°No rush, girls don¡¯t need such big pieces.¡±

    I thought so too, as long as the two babies are healthy and well without any illness or disaster.

    The only thing that bothered me was that these two little guys were starting to look more and more like Reynaldo.

    Especially Essie, the eyes, nose, and that small mouth, are just like Reynaldo, it¡¯s like a miniaturized + female version of Reynaldo.

    But I have to say, it¡¯s really quite beautiful.

    Just looking at Essie on weekdays, it¡¯s hard not to think of Reynaldo, and my heart feels a little bitter.

    My mind was wandering when Vonnie¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    She held the baby in one hand and took out her phone from her pocket with the other hand.

    As soon as she saw the caller ID, she furrowed her brow.

    I asked her, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    <b>?? </b>

    ¡°s, it was still that money¨Cminded agent.¡±

    ¡°He probably arranged a job for you. You can turn it downter. Take this time to rest well. Anyway, the role he arranged for you can¡¯t be anything good.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    Vonnie answered the phone.

    If it was as we thought, the agent arranged a job for her, Vonnie directly refused with a hint of anger, ¡°I have been having some health issues recently and can¡¯t take on any new projects, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ah? What? Really?¡±

    I was taken aback, looking at Vonnie in confusion.

    I don¡¯t know what was said on the other end of the phone.

    Vonnie nodded and said, ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    ¡°Um, it¡¯s nothing, just a little issue with my body, I¡¯ll be fine tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, these days I will get ready and report to the crew on time next week.¡±

    I turned ck in the face and looked at Vonnie like this, ¡°She has taken on another role again.¡±

    After she hung up the phone, I anxiously said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were

    going to take a good rest next? Look at how thin you¡¯ve be recently.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, my agent got me a pretty good role this time, the second female lead in a pce drama.¡±

    This y was a big production, the characters were likable, and the ratings were not bad.

    ¡°If the y bes a hit, I am sure I will also rise to fame with this y. By then, my value may increase several times. Wow¡­¡±

    I deeply doubted, ¡°Would that agent suddenly be so nice to you?¡±

    ¡°How could he think of giving you such a good role?¡±

    ¡°Um, maybe thepany suddenly wanted to cultivate me.¡±

    This reason is particrly far¨Cfetched, if thepany wanted to cultivate. Vonnie, they would have done so long ago.

    I didn¡¯t even think about the roles I usually y for Vonnie.

    As long as it was a character who was suppressed, who needed to be beaten, or even a vicious supporting female character with a very poor image, Vonnie would y it.

    Otherwise, Vonnie¡¯s poprity among passersby over the past two years would not have been so poor, and she also lost quite a few fans.

    Ah.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this agent is just trying to deceive you, painting a rosy picture for you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, hehe, I¡¯m not afraid of him painting a rosy picture for me. However much he paints, I¡¯ll eat however much. I can eat it all.¡±

    I still couldn¡¯t rest assured.

    17-785

 Too Close 739

    Chapter <b>739 </b>

    Vonnieforted me, saying. ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is always an opportunity. This role is much better than my previous one by more than a star and a half. Just wait for me to be popr, and then I¡¯ll buy a big vi for you and the kids!¡±

    I smiled and felt a touch of emotion welling up inside.

    This silly girl, always thinking about me.

    The next day, the agency sent the script to Vonnie and asked her to think it over carefully.

    Just when I saw that script, I was dumbfounded. Isn¡¯t that the script I

    Wrote?

    Vonnie also eximed, ¡°What a coincidence!¡± and marvelled with surprise, ¡°This is a chance given to us by fate.¡±

    But I always felt that something was not quite right about this.

    There is no such good thing in the world.

    If my script was bought by a mediapany at a high price on the first submission, that was my luck.

    So what¡¯s the deal with Vonnie suddenly taking on the role of the second female lead in this script?

    I dare not believe it when they say ¡°no one is helping us behind our backs.¡±

    In the evening, I called Anton on the balcony.

    Chapter739

    Anton was a person in this circle, and at this point, it was only possible that he was helping me.

    The phone was answered, Anton¡¯s voice was low and gentle, with a hint of subtle surprise.

    ¡°Esmeralda, how have you beentely? How are the babies?¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, we are all fine.¡±

    After exchanging a few pleasantries, I went straight to the point, ¡°Did you buy my script?¡±

    Anton fell silent for two seconds and then smiled, saying, ¡°You can never hide anything from you.¡±

    I self¨Cdeprecatingly tugged at my lips.

    I said, how could the first script I ever wrote in my life be sold so smoothly and for a good amount of money.

    Originally, it was still relying on connections.

    At that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but think of all the things I went through when I was looking for a job.

    In the past, I encountered obstacles everywhere when looking for a job, it was also because Anton helped me through the back door that I was able to work at Winston¡¯spany.

    It seems that I was really worthless and achieved nothing.

    Thinking about it, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little defeated.

    I said lightly, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to do this. When yourpany loses money, I will feel guilty too.¡±

    Chapter739

    ¡°How could you lose money? Why are you always socking in confidence in yourself?¡±

    Indeed, it was ourpany that bought your script, but that script also underwent strict scrutiny by senior management.

    Don¡¯t think that the person who bought your script was me, and then think that I was helping you, pitying you, or even making up for you.

    I looked at your script from a businessman¡¯s perspective, and I thought it was very good with a lot of selling points, regardless of who the

    scriptwriter was.

    Including, your script was first seen by the review department, they thought it was excellent, selected it, and then sent it to me, that¡¯s when I found out it was written by you.

    Apart from this, there is nothing else.

    ¡°So Esmeralda, never underestimate yourself.¡±

    Anton spoke earnestly and firmly, and for a moment I didn¡¯t know what to

    say.

    After a pause, he added, ¡°As for giving the role of the second female lead in the script to Vonnie, I admit I was a bit selfish.¡±

    But don¡¯t you think Vonnie worked really hard on acting and did a good job?

 Too Close 740

    So I assigned the role of the second female lead to Vonnie. I thought we were all friends, so giving her a pretty good role was normal.¡±

    Anton was right about this.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, Esmeralda, we are friends.¡±

    I pursed my lips and did not argue,

    Antonughed again and said, ¡°Actually, I really miss the babies, but I¡¯m afraid to see you, afraid that you will be unhappy, and afraid of disturbing

    you.¡±

    ¡°If possible, could you please tell me your address? I will be on a business trip to uvale next time and would like to visit you.¡±

    He spoke very humbly, I couldn¡¯t refuse.

    In the end, he just knew but didn¡¯t report, he didn¡¯t falsely use me in front of Reynaldo like Quentin did.

    I sighed lightly and said, ¡°I will send you the addresster.¡±

    ¡°Okay, take care of yourselves, all of you.¡±

    After hanging up the phone, I leaned against the window, my moodplex and indiscernible.

    The theater for this y was chosen in uvale. Apart from some special scenes that required on¨Clocation shooting and needed to fly elsewhere,

    Chapter240

    most of the other scenes were filmed in uvale.

    This made Vonnie very happy, saying that ¡°Heaven has finally opened its eyes, and good luck has finallye to her.¡±

    She has been studying the script these days because it was written by me. So, I have been exining to her about the characters¡® psychology and emotions to help her better embody the role.

    When I got busy, time always passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, three months had passed, and I had to start preparing for the second birthday party for my two babies.

    Vonnie and I didn¡¯t have many rtives or friends over here.

    I brought Anton over, while Vonnie brought her mother over.

    On the second birthday of the two babies, we decorated the house a bit and then prepared a table of delicious dishes.

    Anton ordered a cake, a very exquisite multiyered cake.

    Vonnie bought a lot of gifts for the two babies, including lucky draw gifts.

    My Essie grabbed a pen, and Roddy grabbed the money.

    Vonnieughed and said, ¡°Roddy will be a money maker in the future, and Essie will definitely be a top student.¡±

    I smiled, just as a way to liven things up.

    uvale was like spring all year round, with afortable temperature inside the house.

    I put the two babies in the ypen and got ready to go celebrate their second birthday with them by having a drink.

    Little did I know that as soon as I turned around, Essie suddenly started crying loudly, the cry was very sharp, unlike usual.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly picked up Essie.

    Essie suddenly vomited, his face turning red.

    And when she had just cried, her voice was very sharp. After a while, her voice became hoarse and noticeably weaker.

    I thought she was going to spit up milk as usual, so I held her on my shoulder and patted her back as usual.

    But it was no use, this time it waspletely useless.

    Vonnie and Anton hurried over..

    ¡°What happened to Essie?¡±

    I shook my head in panic and said helplessly, ¡°She seemed very ufortable, but I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her.¡±

    At this moment, Essie was basically out of spirits, lying limp on top of me, and the crying had subsided a lot.

    Anton quickly hugged Essie, but his face changed.

    ¡°Hurry to the hospital.¡±

    He only said this sentence, then hurriedly walked out while holding

    Essie.

    1229

 Too Close 741

    <b>Chapter </b>741

    I was suddenly at a loss for what to do.

    If Anton reacted so seriously, then there must have been a serious problem with my Essie.

    I was still in a daze, but Vonnie had already packed up Essie¡¯s things.

    She handed Roddy over to her mother to take care of, and then hurriedly

    chased after Anton with me.

    I got in the car, holding Essie in my arms, looking at my daughter who was almost unconscious, with cold hands and feet.

    Anton had started the car, and Vonnie remained rtively calm.

    I suddenly remembered when they had intentionally or unintentionally asked about the two babies¡® situation before, and the asional hesitant. expression they showed. In my heart, I suddenly understood a few things.

    I asked Vonnie, ¡°Was Essie having issues from birth?¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips and pondered, ¡°Well, Essie had discovered a very rare disease at that time. Because you were weak, we were afraid you would worry, so we didn¡¯t tell you.¡±

    Then, Anton had been studying this method of curing the disease, thinking that if he found a way, he would tell you.

    Little did we know that Essie would get sick so quickly.

    My eyes welled up for a moment, ¡°What about Roddy?¡±

    Chapter741

    ¡°Roddy was fine, but Essie wasn¡¯t, so Essie¡¯s body wasn¡¯t as strong, and her milk supply wasn¡¯trge either, probably somewhat rted to that

    illness.¡±

    I looked at my daughter in my arms.

    At this moment, her small face was tinged with a hint of abnormal redness, <b>her </b>small mouth slightly open, her eyes closed, motionless. I tried to tease her, but she didn¡¯t react.

    I pressed down my inner fear and asked her, ¡°Is it treatable? What will happen if it¡¯s not treated?¡±

    Vonnie nced at Anton, who was driving in front.

    I said in a low voice, ¡°No need tofort me, just tell the truth. I also want to know Essie¡¯s actual physical condition. In this way, no matter what the final result is, at least I am mentally prepared.¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips, unsure of what to say.

    Anton said, ¡°Although this disease is rare, it does exist. Most children. develop it between the ages of two and three, and if not treated properly before the age of ten, there is a high probability of premature death.¡±

    My heart tightened sharply, holding Essie¡¯s arm almost trembling.

    Did he die young?

    My Essie was so lovely, she had already be a part of my life. How could I possibly ept it if she passed away?

    Why did God have to be so cruel?

    If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d rather not have been given her in the first ce.

    Tears uncontrobly streamed down, and I asked in a tense voice, ¡°Is

    <b>12:29 </b>

    Chaple1741

    there a cure? I mean, have there been any sessful cases of treatment.¡±

    ¡°Of course there is, and the sess rate is very high.¡±

    Upon hearing this sentence, my fear dissipated slightly.

    ¡°What is the treatment, can Essie be treated now?¡±

    Anton fell silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°Actually, this disease is not that scary. It¡¯s a blood disorder. All you need to do is¡­ treat her with the umbilical cord blood from your and Reynaldo¡¯s third child.¡±

    I waspletely stunned.

    It took me a few seconds to realize the meaning of his words.

    I asked him, ¡°If we have the umbilical cord blood of this third child, can it

    cure my Essie?¡±

    ¡°The chances of a cure are as high as 60% to 70%,¡± Anton said, pausing for a moment before adding, ¡°Even if there is only a one or two percent chance, you would still try, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    <b>70 </b>524

 Too Close 742

    So when you first gave birth to them, I asked you if you wanted to tell Reynaldo about their existence.

    Since the existence of the disease Essie, it was destined that ¡°you cannot sever ties with Reynaldo in your lifetime.¡±

    I pursed my lips, didn¡¯t say a word, just held my daughter tightly in my

    arms.

    This illness, it¡¯s like a joke that God yed on me.

    That day, the image of Reynaldo kicking me out of Freybourne in disgust is still vivid in my mind.

    Now, I had to go back to him again, trying every means to ask him for

    another child.

    Looking back now, it¡¯s really fate at work.

    Essie was quickly taken to the children¡¯s hospital.

    The doctor gave Essie a full¨Cbody examination and administered some

    basic treatment.

    Fortunately, the child woke up in the evening and seemed to be in good spirits. She knew she needed to eat, and Vonnie and Anton teased her, and she would smile.

    The doctor said Essie¡¯s condition needed further observation, so I arranged for her to be hospitalized.

    Vonnie was afraid that Roddy would cry at home, so she stayed with me

    in the ward for a while and then went back.

    I originally wanted Anton to go back and rest, but he was worried about me and Essie, and insisted on staying to apany me.

    With one more person, it should be more rxed.

    Whether it was preparing form, changing diapers, or seeking a nurse, he could help me.

    At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, Essie fell asleep again.

    I leaned against the head of the bed, closed my eyes, and my mind was in

    a mess.

    Anton pulled the window up a bit and said to me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. There are ways to treat it and a timeframe for treatment. Essie will be fine.¡±

    However, <b>if </b>possible, I really don¡¯t want to have any more dealings with Reynaldo.

    I had two lovely babies is enough.

    However, Essie¡¯s illness, I had to treat it again.

    was

    Going back to find Reynaldo was certain, but Kimberly still in Freybourne.

    The hypocritical true face of that woman had not been revealed yet, they still chose to believe her and support her.

    And now I have no money or power, returning to Freybourne with my child, I will surely be persecuted by that woman.

    Before I had the ability to protect my children, I dared not go back.

    1220

    Fortunately, Essie is not so urgent, and can be well controlled after

    treatment.

    So, I had to make myself stronger as soon as possible, so that I could have the confidence to go back and deal with Kimberly, and protect my babies.

    Over the next two years. I worked even harder on writing scripts.

    The script I wrote before, after being filmed and released, really achieved. a very good result.

    At that time, the drama was like a hit, and Anton¡¯spany gave me a lot of money.

    The most exciting thing was that Vonnie¡¯s poprity soared because of that drama, and she quickly became a rising star in the entertainment industry.

    At that time, the y was a big hit, and Vonnie¡¯s poprity was not. inferior to the female lead. The number of fans also increased rapidly.

    After I became famous for this y, several scripts I wrote afterwards. were highly sought after by manypanies, and the feedback from the films that were made was very positive.

    The industry professionals evaluated that the script I wrote was full of emotions, rich in story, and profound in meaning.

    So I, this little transparent person, also became famous in the circle.

 Too Close 743

    Two and a half years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Vonnie and I have moved from our original small apartment to a spacious vi.

    Roddy and Essie are also over three years old.

    The two little rascals were mischievous.

    On weekdays, Vonnie and I were quite busy. When we attended events, it was Vonnie¡¯s mother, Hailey, and the household help who took care of the two babies.

    That night, there was anotherrge cocktail party to attend.

    People became famous, and activities like this really happened quite frequently.

    Vonnie, Anton, and I all received the invitation.

    Anton would sometimes stay with us for a period of time to make it easier to take care of Essie.

    That day he happened to be in uvale as well.

    Anton said, ¡°For this party, the organizers invited prominent figures from all over the world.¡±

    I might run into Reynaldo at this party.

    I smiled indifferently, ¡°If it happens, it happens.¡±

    Originally, it was time to go back and find him.

    Before the party, Vonnie picked out a light purple evening gown for me.

    12300

    When she put the pearl ne on me and looked at myself in the

    mirror, she eximed, ¡°Ralda, howe I feel like you are getting more beautiful as you get older? Look at this temperament, these eyes and eyebrows, so feminine.¡±

    And this figure, with a protruding front and a raised back, is amazing, really, if I were to say you have given birth to two babies, probably no one would believe it.

    ¡°If I were a man. I would have been enchanted by your face. As for that Kimberly, pfft, what is shepared to you? There is noparison.¡±

    I smiled, didn¡¯t say anything, just pulled her over and helped her straighten out her evening gown.

    Over the past two years, Vonnie grew her hair long and permed it into big. waves at the ends.

    She said I had a feminine charm, and I said she had a feminine charm too.

    Back then, she had short hair and a carefree personality, just like a tomboy.

    Now, with her hair in waves and delicate makeup, she wore a ck strapless fishtail evening gown that entuated her figure.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°If you keep dressing like this in the future, I bet you will definitely have a lot of admirers.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡±

    Vonnie found a shawl draped over her shoulders and said sullenly, ¡°My mom sees how big your kids are and keeps pushing me to find a boyfriend. She even set up two blind dates for me.¡±

    ¡°You know, during the blind date, I didn¡¯t speak, and the guy didn¡¯t speak either. I was so embarrassed that my toes were about to dig into the

    <b>12.30 </b>

    NEW! Chapter 743

    ground.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Hailey is also doing it for your own good. The only thing she¡¯s really worried about now is probably your future.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so it¡¯s quite annoying. I said I won¡¯t get married or have children in this lifetime, and she knocked my head, saying I¡¯m unfilial.¡±

    She was just old¨Cfashioned, she didn¡¯t even think about what she had gained when she got married in the first ce, marriage is still not happy.

    ¡°There are a few good men in this world, I don¡¯t want to get married.¡±

    ¡°Well, she didn¡¯t have a happy marriage, but she had you.¡±

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±

    While speaking, two small figures suddenly ran towards us.

    It was Roddy with Essie.

    I looked in the direction they were running, and then I saw Hailey standing at the door, ring angrily at Vonnie.

 Too Close 744

    Vonnie touched her nose, turned to me and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s not mention blind dates at home in the future, or my mom will scold me again.¡±

    I nodded with a smile.

    Hailey grunted. ¡°I stewed some soup,e and have some before you leave, so you won¡¯t feel ufortable drinking on an empty stomachter.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay, thank you Hailey.¡±

    Hailey smiled at me, then red angrily at Vonnie.

    After Hailey left, Essie tugged at my sleeve, wanting me to hug him.

    I picked her up tenderly.

    Because of her illness, my care and love for her were more than usual.

    Fortunately, Roddy is quite sensible and didn¡¯t get jealous. Instead, he even helped me take care of Essie.

    Essie had two small ponytails, a chubby little face, pink and tender, all baby fat, super cute.

    Roddy kept his hair short to his ears, his features delicate. When not smiling, he looked like a little adult, exuding a sense of dominance in his eyebrows and eyes.

    I touched Essie¡¯s little face and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to a party with Vonnieter, so you and Roddy need to listen to Hailey at home, okay?¡±

    <b>12:30 </b>

    ¡°Well, okay mommy, Essie will behave.¡±

    ¡°Mommy, can you take us to the party?¡± Roddy asked me, tilting his little

    head.

    Before I could answer, Vonnie picked him up and chuckled, ¡°What are you doing at the party, you little brat? Wait until you grow up to talk about it.¡±

    Roddy pursed his lips and said. ¡°I heard that my idiotic father will show up at this party. I¡¯m going to help Mom scold him.¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡± Essie also frowned and said sulkily, ¡°Scold Daddy, help Mommy scold Daddy, he actually dared to bully Mommy.¡±

    I massaged my temples with a headache.

    Where did they hear these words from?

    It seems that in the future, in front of these two little kids, we can¡¯t mention their father whom we have never met before.

    Vonnie squatted down and asked Roddy with a smile, ¡°There were so many people at the party, even if I took you there, how would you know which one is your daddy?¡±

    ¡°You always say we look like dad, right? Well, let me see, whoever looks. like Essie, he is dad.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Vonnie nced at me, ¡°Roddy is quite smart, huh.¡±

    I had to say, ¡°Don¡¯t mention their father in front of them anymore in the future.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Vonnie pouted, ¡°Kids are no fun when they grow up, you have to watch what you say around them.¡±

    Chapter24

    Indeed, since the two little ones grew up, Vonnie no longer mored to go find a man to have children, or to leave a son for her father.

    The party started at eight o¡¯clock in the evening, and Anton came to pick us up at seven o¡¯clock.

    The address where the party was held was the Savoy Hotel in the center of uvale.

    The Savoy Hotel was thergest international hotel in uvale.

    That night, the organizers booked the entire hotel.

    When we arrived, there were already many luxury cars parked in front of

    the hotel.

    Anton found a parking space only with the help of the waiter.

    The car parked, as I was about to get out, he suddenly asked me, ¡°Esmeralda, if¡­ Reynaldo reallyes to this party, what are you going

    to do?¡±

    I tightened my hand on the doorknob, and after a while, I whispered, ¡°Actually, when you think about it, this is also an opportunity, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    If I could sessfully get him drunk during this party, sessfully have another child with him.

    So from then on, I could also be with him like now, without any

    connection.

    12:30

 Too Close 745

    Anton looked at me, sighed lightly, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go,e in.¡±

    The party was held in extreme luxury. As soon as you entered, there were sses and cups everywhere, and the light reflected by the champagne tower was shining with a luxurious halo.

    There were many people on the scene.

    There are well¨Cknown figures in the industry, wealthy socialites with a strong background, and even big celebrities¡­

    Almost all the well¨Cknown and influential people were invited.

    Vonnie and I only had a little bit of fame, and it was only in the past two years. Compared to those people, we were really just small fry.

    Anton had a big reputation¡­

    As soon as he came in, someone came over to chat with him, and even a beautiful socialitedy came over to talk to him.

    Also, like Anton¡¯s perfect face, there were few people who didn¡¯t like it.

    Soon, Anton was surrounded by many people.

    I quietly went to a secluded corner with Vonnic.

    Vonnie picked up a te and chose some snacks for me, then picked some for herself, and while eating, sheined.

    ¡°Such parties are actually the most boring, to put it bluntly, it¡¯s just a bunch of powerful people bragging, and those beautiful youngdies

    <b>12:</b><b>301 </b>

    showing off their family background and elegance.¡±

    Every time I participated in such activities, it was all about eating. My former agent always told me that I needed to socialize with important people and find opportunities on my own.

    I didn¡¯t want to go at all. Last time, there was an artist in ourpany who was so beautiful. She would go talk to those rich people as soon as she participated in an event. But in the end, she didn¡¯t gain much fame or opportunities.

    The most terrifying thing was when she came back crying once, covered in those kinds of wounds. Ah, it¡¯s really hard to say.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to get close to those big shots. If we have a y, we¡¯ll film it. If not, forget it. The most important thing is to protect yourself.¡±

    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Vonnie smiled at me and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to cozy up to big shots anymore. My value has skyrocketed now, so I¡¯m not worried about. not getting any roles.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    At this moment, a familiar call came from behind.

    My heart trembled fiercely.

    It was Quentin¡¯s voice, he also came to the party?

    Vonnie looked behind me, and her face immediately darkened.

    If she had seen Quentin, she wouldn¡¯t have reacted like that, unless¡­ Kimberly was also there.

    I turned around and sure enough, I saw Quentin and Kimberly walking towards me.

    Quentin, a few steps away from me, pushed away Kimberly¡¯s hand that was linked with his arm. quickly walked up to me, grabbed my shoulder, and looked at me with red eyes.

    ¡°Ralda, it¡¯s really you, long time no see.¡±

    He said, and then he hugged me.

    Once this embrace was solid and reliable, now I just find it ironic.

    Vonnie grunted on the side. ¡°Be careful, you¡¯ve messed up all the

    hairstyles Ralda did.¡±

    Quentin hesitated for a moment, then quickly let go of me.

    Vonnie was fixing my hair and said to Quentin in a displeased tone. ¡°Are you jealous that Ralda is prettier than your woman, so you¡¯re doing this on purpose?¡±

    Quentin furrowed his brow and looked at her with a cold gaze.

    I stood in front of Vonnie and said softly to him, ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything Wrong, did she?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips, his face showing aplex expression.

    Kimberly came up and boldly took Quentin¡¯s arm, smiling at me, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, long time no see, how have you been?¡±

 Too Close 746

    ¡°Nature was good.¡±

    I looked her up and down.

    The woman still looks the same as before, with no changes, except that her eyes seem less innocent than before, with a hint of fierceness and malice in them.

    Her current demeanor, I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t even pretend to be innocent and weak anymore.

    However, if some men trust her wholeheartedly, then she can still pretend.

    Quentin.

    ¡°Think about it.¡± Kimberly stared at Vonnie and me, smiling

    meaningfully, ¡°But in just two or three years, you two have made a big name for yourselves in the industry. I guess you must have ¡®worked hard¡® in private.¡±

    She emphasized the word ¡°effort¡± quite heavily, with a hint of ambiguity.

    It¡¯s as if we rely on sleeping with men to get ahead in private.

    Vonnie¡¯s face turned ck.

    I held her hand and smiled at Kimberly, saying, ¡°That¡¯s right, no matter how hard we try, we can¡¯t match Ms. Palmer¡¯s ability. Ms. Palmer only needs to shed a few tears, pretend to be pitiful, and she can win the hearts and protection of many men. Ms. Palmer is the real master of tactics.¡±

    <b>12:30 </b>

    §³§á§à§â§ä 46

    I just wonder, Ms. Palmer did so much, just to get Reynaldo, right?

    I didn¡¯tpete with you, didn¡¯t I give him to you? How strange it is that you still didn¡¯t end up with him, but instead settled for Quentin.

    Could it be that Reynaldo still refused to ept you?

    I knew that Reynaldo was a knot in Kimberly¡¯s heart, an obsession that could never be erased.

    Therefore, using Reynaldo to provoke her was absolutely effective.

    Sure enough, as soon as I finished speaking, Kimberly¡¯s face changed, full of fierce and malicious.

    However, she just took it for granted that Quentin loved her so much and would never leave her, so now she doesn¡¯t bother pretending in front of Quentin, does she?

    Vonnie took the opportunity to sneer, ¡°Needless to say, Reynaldo definitely didn¡¯t want her.¡±

    The whole Freybourne, who doesn¡¯t know that Reynaldo loved you the most, even if she schemed so much, what¡¯s the use.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t want her even without a woman, thinking about her is really sad and ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    Kimberly raised her hand as if to p Vonnie.

    I grabbed her wrist and said coldly, ¡°If you dare to touch her, just give it a try. Are you still unsatisfied with the two stabs back then?¡±

    Talking about the two knives back then, Kimberly looked at me with even more resentment in her eyes.

    Chapter?

    <b>|| </b>

    Quentin suddenly said to me, ¡°Okay Ralda, we are siblings reunited, let¡¯s not bring up the past.¡±

    I shook off Kimberly¡¯s hand and sneered, ¡°You bring Kimberly to me and expect me not to mention the past, Quentin, do you think I am that easy to talk to?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and looked at Kimberly with aplex expression.

    Kimberly straightened her evening gown, took a deep breath, and said to Quentin, ¡°I¡¯ll go over there and take a look, so as not to disturb you reuniting with your sister.¡±

    Quentin nodded and watched her leave.

    He didn¡¯t look at me until her figure disappeared into the crowd.

    His eye sockets were red, with a deep sense of exhaustion and sadness in his eyes.

    He said to me, ¡°Ralda, you don¡¯t know, that stab you made in her abdomen back then was very deep, so she will never be able to have her own children in this lifetime.¡±

    I listened and my heart was calm.

    She was so malicious that it was her retribution not to have children.

    31 135

 Too Close 747

    Chapter747

    I looked at Quentin¡¯s sad expression and said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know <b>if </b>she told you, but she has a serious heart disease and doesn¡¯t have long to live.¡±

    Quentin was not surprised, it seemed he knew.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°So, the fact that she¡¯s still alive now is already a win

    for her.¡±

    Think about our mother, who should have been by our side, but ended up being ¡°killed by her.¡±

    ¡°So, she couldn¡¯t have children, what does it matter!¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡± Quentin stared at me with unfamiliar eyes.

    I sneered, ¡°What? Do you think I am indifferent and malicious?¡±

    Compared to your Kimberly, I was much kinder. At least I didn¡¯t kill the aunt who had been with me for many years.

    And Kimberly, to put it bluntly, was ¡°insane!¡±

    Quentin stared at me without blinking, his face filled with indescribable. sadness.

    He had long lost his former vigor and vitality. Now he gives me the feeling of being very heavy, with many unresolved knots in his heart and

    worries.

    So, why did he have to like Kimberly? What¡¯s good about liking that malicious woman?

    11

    I smiled faintly at him and said, ¡°Do you think what I said is unpleasant? If you don¡¯t like it, you can just leave and go find your Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin took my hand and, with a low voice choked with emotion, said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about her, okay? I really miss you and I want us to find a ce to talk, can we?¡±

    I withdrew my hand and said with <b>a </b>faint smile, ¡°No, I came to this party not to catch up with you, but to do many other things.¡±

    Yes, I went to the party, the main purpose was to get close to Reynaldo, get him drunk, and then¡­ have his baby.

    Although it was difficult, it had to be tried after all.

    Essie¡¯s illness has always been a knot in my heart, not cured, that knot cannot be untied.

    Quentin looked at me and Vonnie, suddenly as if he understood something.

    His eyes lit up slightly, and he said to me urgently, ¡°Ralda, did youe to the party to expand yourwork and find more opportunities?¡±

    In the past two years, I have done well in the media industry. In the future, if you have a script, you can sell it to mypany. I will offer you a high price, and you can even have shares.

    And Vonnie, I heard that her previous agency was not good, so both of youe to mypany, I will have the top agent take care of her.

    ¡°No need,¡± Vonnie said lightly, ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®two tigers cannot share one mountain.¡® Yourpany has Kimberly, the big shot, so what chance do other artists have?¡±

    12:311

    Yes. Quentin¡¯s media career has done well, and now he is considered a prominent figure in Freybourne.

    And the first female star theirpany made popr was Kimberly, who would also be the future boss of hispany.

    As Vonnie said, with that malicious woman Kimberly in theirpany, other female stars had no chance to stand out.

    Even if there were days when she stood out, that momentum would never surpass Kimberly

    The agency Vonnie belongs to, although the agent was a bit strict, at least everyone had simr opportunities.

    Quentin looked at Vonnie with aplex expression in his eyes, and then looked down with a sad smile, saying, ¡°Do you all really dislike her

    that much?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± I said emphatically, ¡°Not only do I dislike her, but I also hate her. Don¡¯t forget, there is a deep¨Cseated enmity between us.¡±

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    So Quentin, since you have chosen her, please do note to recognize me as your sister in the future, so as not to make everyone unhappy.

    ¡°But you were my only sister, my closest kin.¡±

    ¡°But who would harm their own loved ones like that, you don¡¯t know. When Ralda gave birth, it was very dangerous, almost a matter of life and death.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s expression changed, looking at me with guilt and tenderness.

    I pulled Vonnie¡¯s hand, signaling her not to speak anymore.

    Vonnie said.

    She angrily said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you framing her like that in the first ce, she would have definitely stayed by Reynaldo¡¯s side peacefully, and there wouldn¡¯t have been such a critical situation during childbirth.¡±

    Ralda and the babies were lucky, nothing happened.

    ¡°If something really happened, you, as the older brother, will feel guilty for the rest of your life.¡±

    Quentin was stiff all over, with his hand trembling slightly at his side.

    I pulled Vonnie and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say so much to him, let¡¯s

    go.¡±

    I didn¡¯t look at Quentin anymore, and took Vonnie elsewhere.

    Vonnie huffed and said, ¡°Quentin is deliberately trying to annoy us. He

    121

    knows how much we dislike Kimberly, yet he still brought her in front of us.¡±

    I looked at her carefully and was surprised to find that, apart from anger, there was not much sadness on her face.

    This is a good thing, it proves that she has slowly let go of her feelings for Quentin,

    Vonnie said, ¡°There are still a lot of delicious food over there. I¡¯ll go get some and you wait here for me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I looked around the banquet hall.

    The entire banquet hall was bright and luxurious, with a dazzling disy of jewels and treasures.

    There were many peopleing, but after looking around carefully, I didn¡¯t see Reynaldo.

    Did he note?

    Do I have to go back to Freybourne to find him?

    Just as I was thinking, suddenly there came a burst of arguing from beside<ol><li>me.</li></ol>

    I followed the sound and saw that Vonnie was arguing with a man.

    I hurried over and realized that the man was actually Johnathan.

    If Johnathan were here, did Reynaldo alsoe?

    ¡°It was you who bumped into me first, how can you say that I bumped into you,¡± Vonnie blushed and argued.

    12 31

    Johnathan said angrily and awkwardly, ¡°I was walking normally, and you cut in front of me. And you¡¯re saying it¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    Where did you spill the drink on me? The banquet had just begun, how do you expect me to continue like this.

    ¡°Goodness, every time I run into you, nothing good ever happens!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a jinx, your whole family is a jinx!¡± Vonnie said, her chest heaving with anger, her face flushed red..

    I looked back at Johnathan and saw that the drink had just spilled onto his crotch, leaving arge wet spot there.

    Well, it was quite embarrassing.

    Johnathan came with a femalepanion, and at that moment thepanion cooed to Johnathan, saying, ¡°Mr. Dup, look at her, isn¡¯t she just a third¨Crate little star? How dare she say your whole family is cursed, she¡¯s got some nerve.

    Johnathan gritted his teeth and red at Vonnie with hatred.

    I hurried over and smiled at Johnathan, saying, ¡°Mr. Dup, long time no see. So, have you changed your femalepanion again?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, the femalepanion proudly straightened her chest and lifted her chin high.

    Iughed and said, ¡°Oh, Mr. Dup¡¯s taste is getting worse and worse. This one, in terms of looks, figure, and temperament, is not as good as the previous one.¡±

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    Actually, I was just talking nonsense, I hardly ever saw the woman who was with Johnathan.

    I just wanted to annoy that woman.

    As soon as I finished speaking, the woman sadly shook Jonathan¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Mr. Dup, she said you have poor taste, and she even said I am not as good as your previouspanion. What does she mean?¡±

    She¡¯s just a mediocre actress who doesn¡¯t even have a foothold in the industry. I don¡¯t know how she managed to get in. She¡¯s quite bold, though. You should teach her a lesson.

    ¡°Oh, you were a little better than his previous partner.¡±

    The woman snorted, clearly pleased.

    I smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s your sharp and sweet voice. Just listen, as soon as you speak, people¡¯s goosebumps will fall to the ground.¡±

    ¡°Few people can match such powerful skills.¡±

    Vonnie chuckled.

    The woman was so angry that her face turned red, shaking Jonathan¡¯s arm and saying, ¡°Mr. Dup.¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡±

    Johnathan pushed her away irritably, ¡°Just a few sarcastic remarks, if you can take it, then listen, if you can¡¯t, then just leave. Are you annoyed or not?¡±

    J

    Johnathan was still adjusting his pants, his face full of frustration.

    The woman was defeated and immediately dared not make a sound, just ring fiercely at me and Vonnie.

    Johnathan tugged at his pants and red at Vonnie, ¡°What do you suggest? There are so many people here today, countless media reporters. I can¡¯t afford to lose face over this trivial matter.¡±

    ¡°You speak any louder, and you¡¯ll attract all the media reporters over here. Then your face won¡¯t be able to bear the shame.¡± I said expressionlessly.

    Johnathan took a deep breath in anger and said, ¡°Esmie, it¡¯s been over three years and you¡¯re bing more and more blunt in your words.¡±

    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t swear.¡±

    ¡°You choked more than swearing!¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°But I didn¡¯t see Mr. Dup choke on me either.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Johnathan red at me angrily.

    I held Vonnie¡¯s hand and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Come on, Mr. Dup, don¡¯t be angry. Getting angry here won¡¯t solve our problem, will it?¡±

    ¡°And it was no use trying to stop Vonnie, she couldn¡¯t conjure up a pair of pants for you.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest then?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll spend money to have the waiter buy you a new set and bring it over. Let¡¯s go to a secluded corner first and catch up, shall we?¡±

    ¡°I had this tailor¨Cmade with the finest fabric, can you find something so fitting?¡± Johnathan huffed, ¡°Besides, I have important matters to discuss with the investors, dying the real business is the key!¡±

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    <b>12.31 </b>

    ¡°Then you take it off, I¡¯ll blow it for you with a hairdryer, your ck pants, should be dry after blowing.¡± Vonnie suddenly said out of the blue.

    Johnathan was speechless with anger.

    But there was no other way at the moment.

    This was not a costume party, and the organizers did not prepare any clothes.

    And going out to buy it was quite troublesome, and you might not even be able to find one that fits so well.

    After thinking it over, Vonnie¡¯s method was still the best.

    So in the end, Johnathan reluctantly went to the guest room with us.

    His femalepanion originally wanted to go with him.

    I said I couldn¡¯t stand the coquettish voice, it made me ufortable all over, and Johnathan finally sent the femalepanion away.

    Arrived at the guest room.

    Johnathan¡¯s first move was to enter the bathroom.

    After he went in, he was still lying at the bathroom door, warning us, ¡°No peeking!¡±

    I chuckled.

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    Chapter <b>750 </b>

    Vonnie rolled her eyes directly and said, ¡°Who¡¯s looking at you? Even if you strip naked, I can¡¯t be bothered to look. You act like you have a great body or something.¡±

    Bang!

    Johnathan was so angry that he didn¡¯t win Vonnie, he mmed the door of the bathroom.

    I wasughing to death.

    Reynaldo was abnormal, and the people around him were also abnormal.

    There were drinks and snacks in the room.

    Vonnie crossed her legs and ate snacks, feeling veryfortable.

    She said, ¡°Ralda, I think the guest room is much morefortable than the banquet hall below. I¡¯ll just rest hereter, anyway I¡¯m just a small fry, it doesn¡¯t matter to me how lively it is downstairs.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I leaned against the window, waiting for Johnathan toe out.

    I needed to check with him to see if Reynaldo had arrived.

    Before long, Johnathan came out of the bathroom..

    He changed into a bathrobe and shouted at Vonnie at the door, ¡°I knew you were eating,e over and dry my pants for me!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have to make it clear first, I only blow the outside pants, you blow

    <b>12:31 </b>

    your own underwear.¡±

    ¡°Rubbish!¡± Johnathan gritted his teeth, ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you deceive

    me!¡±

    Vonnie rolled her eyes andzily got up to walk over.

    a

    Johnathan hummed and took a step to sit on the sofa.

    He poured a ss of red wine, took a sip, then raised his wrist to check the time, urging Vonnie, ¡°Hurry up, I have things to do!¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Vonniezily replied.

    I looked at Johnathan for a while, then walked over and sat across from him, smiling at him and asking, ¡°Why are you alone this time? Aren¡¯t you always inseparable from Reynaldo?¡±

    Johnathan took a sip of his drink.

    He suddenly looked at me fixedly.

    Not to mention, when he looked at me with this serious expression, his eyes really had a bit of a deterrent effect.

    He leaned back and smiled at me, ¡°It¡¯s really strange, you actually took the initiative to mention Reynaldo to me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, I¡¯m just curious? Why didn¡¯t hee to this party?¡±

    ¡°Did you care whether he came or not?¡± Johnathan sneered, ¡°Haven¡¯t you already stopped caring about him long ago?¡±

    I pulled my lips and said, ¡°Just tell me, did hee to the party today or

    not?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯te.¡±

    Johnathan sneered, ¡°Just because he knew you would be at the party, <b>he </b>didn¡¯t want toe.<b>¡± </b>

    Even though I had made up my mind not to have any more dealings with Reynaldo, over the past three years, I have rarely thought about those emotional entanglements with him.

    But at this moment, listening to Johnathan¡¯s words, my heart still uncontrobly twitched, a little painful, and a little inexplicable grievance.

    I curled my fingers and smiled, saying, ¡°It¡¯s just as well that he didn¡¯te. I was actually worried about running into him at the party. He doesn¡¯t want to see me, and I don¡¯t want to see him either!¡±

    ¡°You are really heartless!¡± Johnathan used me through gritted teeth.

    I couldn¡¯t helpughing,ughing sarcastically.

    ¡°You are really funny. I don¡¯t want to see him, so you can say I am

    heartless.¡±

    ¡°Then he didn¡¯t want to see me, does that mean he¡¯s heartless?¡±

    ¡°But there was one time he almost died because of your alcoholism. In my opinion, he was crazy about you, but you, you have no feelings for him at all, speaking so coldly.¡±

    Iughed in anger, ¡°You just said he didn¡¯t want to see me, and now you¡¯re saying he¡¯s going crazy missing me. Don¡¯t you think what you¡¯re saying is contradictory?¡±

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    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Johnathan was momentarily speechless when I caught him off guard.

    I really thought he was quite funny, not clear about the situation and right or wrong, every time just ring at me angrily, as if I owed Reynaldo a life.

    Johnathan muttered, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not going to tell you. It¡¯s useless to say anything to a woman with a heart of stone like you.¡±

    At this moment, the phone on the coffee table suddenly rang.

    It was Johnathan¡¯s phone.

    I nced subconsciously and saw Reynaldo¡¯s name jumping on the screen, which made my heart tremble inexplicably.

    Johnathan nced at me and then picked up the phone to answer.

    ¡°1

    11

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go back after finishing the matter.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what Reynaldo said to him again, but he suddenly looked up and nced at me, muttering, ¡°I saw him, and he¡¯s doing well.¡±

    And the next second, they ended the call.

    Johnathan threw his phone to the side and sarcastically eximed, ¡°Reynaldo is such a fool, for the past three years, he¡¯s been on the brink of death, in unbearable pain.¡±

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    Some people, she lived better than anyone else, lived more freely than anyone else.

    ¡°Ah, poor Reynaldo, it was all in vain, it was all in vain¡­¡±

    His words had just fallen when a pair of pants suddenlynded in his

    <b>arms</b>.

    Vonnie snorted, ¡°Blow¨Cdried, here you go!¡±

    Johnathan gave her a re and didn¡¯t say anything else, picked up his pants and went to the bathroom to change

    I slowly got up and walked outside.

    Vonnie hurried to catch up.

    She looked at my face and <b>asked </b>me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ralda? You seem unhappy¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°Nothing¡±

    After a pause, I said to her, ¡°I will probably go to Freybourne in a few days.¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback and said. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll apany you. Mypany ispeting for a role in a movie, which is said to be filming in Freybourne. The news hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet, so I¡¯ll go to Freybourne in advance to take a look¡±

    ¡°Okay

    I walked absentmindedly towards the banquet hall

    Since Reynaldo was not present, I had no desire to continue staying at

    the banquet

    288 Voghera

    Just our group, we still have to give the organizers some face, we can¡¯t leave early.

    After returning to the banquet hall, I found a secluded corner to sit and

    rest.

    Vonnie originally said she was going to stay in the lounge, but she was called away by her agent.

    The agent took her around toasting everywhere.

    I saw them also go to toast Quentin.

    At that time, Kimberly¡¯s eyes towards Vonnie were full of mockery and contempt, making me so angry that I wanted to go over and p her.

    I sat in the corner for a while, and then Anton came over.

    He loosened his tie and said, ¡°Such banquets can be really tiring.¡±

    ¡°This proves that you have a great reputation in the industry.¡±

    I paused and nced in Kimberly¡¯s direction, saying to him, ¡°Kimberly is here too. Did you catch up with him?¡±

    Anton hung his head and said in a t tone, ¡°Back then, I didn¡¯t expose her crime, also out of thest bit of sibling affection.¡±

    From the moment she killed Ms. Versta, she was no longer my sister.

    I couldn¡¯t understand either, that stepmother who had been with her for many years, also considered half a mother to her, how could she do such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, even you can¡¯t figure it out, so no one believes she would harm Ms. Versta, so I have to take the me, right?¡± Iughed self- deprecatingly.

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    Anton immediately looked at me, his eyes filled withplexity. ¡°Anyway. Esmeralda, apart from that incident back then, I have said that I will not protect her again, and I definitely won¡¯t.¡±

    I pursed my lips and said nothing more.

    The banquet didn¡¯t end until close to midnight.

    Just as I was about to leave, Quentin suddenly called out to me.

    He ran up to me briskly.

    I nced back at him, and Kimberly didn¡¯t follow.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    He urgently grabbed my hand, with a hint of pleading in his eyes, ¡°Will youe back with me? It¡¯s not easy for me to run into you this time. I don¡¯t know when we will meet again next time.¡±

    Ralda, as long as you are willing toe back with me, you can punish me however you want.

    And also the babies, bring all the babies with you, I will take you all home together.¡±

    ¡°What are you going back for? To let your Kimberly hurt Ralda?¡± Vonnie standing beside me couldn¡¯t help but angrily say, ¡°Have you forgotten how that woman hurt Ralda back then? I¡¯m asking you, even if Ralda goes back with the babies, what will you do if Kimberly wants to harm the babies?¡±

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    ¡°No way!¡± Quentin asserted firmly, ¡°No matter what, Kimberly wouldn¡¯t harm two children.¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡± Vonnie sneered, ¡°That malicious woman, there¡¯s nothing she wouldn¡¯t do!¡±

    ¡°Enough, Lavonne, shut up!¡± Quentin suddenly barked at Vonnie.

    Vonnie was startled by his yelling.

    I furrowed my brows, broke free from Quentin¡¯s hand, and said coldly to him, ¡°It¡¯s you who should shut up.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡± Quentin looked at me, his face full of helplessness and sadness.

    And I didn¡¯t want to say anything to him.

    He didn¡¯t even allow us to say a word about Kimberly, and he actually wanted me to go back with him.

    Oh, he really is my good brother!

    Vonnie was clearly hurt when Quentin yelled at her like that.

    She was seen with red eyes, biting her lips, staring at Quentin without saying a word.

    Johnathan happened to pass by.

    He first nced at Quentin, then looked at Vonnie, with a meaningful curve at the corner of his lips.

    ¡°Hey, are you guys fighting?¡±

    Johnathan said, pointing in the direction of the hotel entrance with a smile, ¡°I suggest you go there to make a scene. There are a lot of

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    <

    people there, and the media are all there taking pictures of the big shots. Hurry up and go there to make some noise, maybe you can even stir up some heat.¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡± Vonnie red at him fiercely.

    Johnathan chuckled, but the smile was not the usual worldly¨Cwise one, instead it carried a hint of sarcasm and a touch of inexplicable coldness.

    He chuckled, withdrew his gaze, and walked past Vonnie towards the parking lot.

    I frowned and stared at Johnathan¡¯s back, feeling that his strange smile just now.

    No, it was really weird. Who was he just mocking?

    Vonnie was yelled at by Quentin, then teased by Johnathan with a couple of remarks. At that moment, she clenched her fists tightly by her side, her eyes red as if tears were about to fall.

    Quentin looked at her, seeming a little guilty.

    He pursed his lips and said to Vonnie, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯m an impatient person, you know that, I just¡­¡±

    ¡°You just couldn¡¯t stand anyone saying bad things about Kimberly!¡±

    Vonnie wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and said coldly, ¡°But I¡¯m telling you, if Kimberly dares to hurt Ralda again, I will not be polite to her. You don¡¯t want Ralda as a sister, I do! If you refuse to protect her again, I will do it!¡±

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    Chapter753

    Quentin frowned and said, ¡°What do you mean? When did I ever say don¡¯t want Ralda as my sister? She is my only sister, the closest person to me in this world. How could I possibly not want her? Stop talking nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Was I talking nonsense? Didn¡¯t you already abandon her when you chose to protect Kimberly and falsely use Ralda?¡±

    Quentin opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn¡¯t speak, just looking at me with guilty eyes.

    I said lightly, ¡°Vonnie is right. Since you have already abandoned me as a sister, why bother toe back now and entangle me?¡±

    You go back by yourself. Let me make it clear to you again, I will not go back with you, never!¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Quentin looked at me, with a hint of red slowly appearing at the corner of his eye.

    I am

    He choked out, ¡°I know I am deeply sinful and do not deserve your forgiveness, but you are out there alone with the children, and I worried.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. You should hurry back, so that certain people don¡¯t get impatient.¡±

    After speaking, I gave him a cold look behind him.

    Kimberly was standing a few meters away, staring over here with cold

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    eyes.

    At first, I felt that this Kimberly was a bit strange, too enthusiastic. Later, because of some things, I gradually discovered her malicious true colors.

    At that time, when I saw her, I felt like she was a snake.

    At this moment, in the shadow of the light, she looked more like a snake, spitting venom like a snake.

    Sinister, twisted, ugly!

    I really can¡¯t understand how Quentin could have fallen head over heels in love with such a woman, and even thought she was kind.

    Love brain is really hopeless.

    Quentin nced back in the direction I was looking.

    I didn¡¯t want to deal with him anymore, so I walked with Vonnie towards the parking area.

    Quentin quickly grabbed me again.

    He looked at me deeply, his voice choked up, ¡°If you don¡¯t want toe back with me, I won¡¯t force you. But, c¨¢n you let me see my nephews?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± I refused directly.

    Kimberly was still by his side, just because he wouldn¡¯t harm his nephews doesn¡¯t mean Kimberly wouldn¡¯t.

    Quentin became anxious and said, ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient now, then just tell me where you live, and I¡¯ll go see them tomorrow.¡±

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    That day Vonnie showed me the photos, two very cute babies. I really, really want to see them, hold them, and hear them call me ¡®uncle¡®.

    Ralda, your child is also my treasure, our whole family¡¯s treasure.¡±

    When Quentin spoke at the end, a tear shed in his eyes.

    I turned away and said quietly, ¡°There¡¯s no need for this. I¡¯ve said before that from now on, you¡¯re no longer my brother, so my child has nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say. I¡¯m going back. If you still cherish our sibling rtionship, then don¡¯t linger here.¡±

    With that, I pushed his hand away and hurriedly walked with Vonnie to the parking lot.

    Vonnie turned back and nced at me, saying, ¡°Quentin was still standing there, motionless like a log, hmm, quite pitiful, but then again, he brought it upon himself!¡±

    I pursed my lips, and a hint of mist gradually appeared before my eyes, even the lights began to be colorful.

    Suddenly I remembered my childhood, when I was sick and lying in bed with an IV drip, unable to go anywhere.

    My mother sat by the bed and told me a story, but I was feeling listless and couldn¡¯t muster the energy.

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    Then Quentin came back, and as soon as he finished school, he ran to my bedside to cheer me up.

    He blew a lot of bubbles for me and even performed magic tricks to produce many new and interesting toys for me.

    I have never seen those things.

    He said those were things he had run around a lot of ces to specially pick out, thinking that I hadn¡¯t seen them before and would probably like them.

    He said, ¡°As long as I am happy and get better soon, he, as an older brother, is willing to do anything.¡±

    Such a good brother, the brother who has cared for me for over twenty years, has disappeared.

    After the banquet, Quentin stayed in uvale for another two days.

    Of course, all of this was what Anton told me.

    Quentin wanted to see his nephew, couldn¡¯t reach me and Vonnie, so he turned to Anton.

    He only stayed with Anton for two days, and Anton still didn¡¯t tell him any news about me and the babies.

    He saw no hope and there were many things happening in Freybourne, so he had to go back first.

    After the banquet came to an end, I started nning my return to

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    Freybourne.

    Anton said, ¡°Vonnie¡¯s role in Freybourne has been set, she will go to Freybourne in about ten days.¡±

    He asked me to go back with them, which was a good reason.

    Yes, Reynaldo himself said that I am never allowed to return to Freybourne in this lifetime.

    So this time when I went back, I had to have a reason.

    Just the thought of Essie¡¯s illness made me feel very restless and

    anxious.

    Four yearster, I still didn¡¯t know how to face that man with what kind of mood.

    Not to mention having a third child with him.

    Thinking about it made me feel annoyed.

    Three days after the banquet ended, Vonnie came to tell me that she was going on a blind date and asked me to lend her Essie and Roddy.

    And I never expected that her blind date this time turned out to be an acquaintance.

    Vonnie most detested blind dates in her daily life.

    Hailey introduced her to many potential suitors, including the sons of her ssmates, her friends, her colleagues, and even her friends¡® friends. Any eligible young man, Hailey would try to set her up with.

    Vonnie now gets a headache whenever she hears the words ¡°blind date¡°.

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    At first, she would go to meet the blind date, butter on, as the number of times increased, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to go anymore.

    Hailey said that she was just ¡°going in one ear and out the other.¡±

    Hailey saw that she was bing more and more resistant to blind dates, so she finally took a break for a while.

    I didn¡¯t expect that just half a yearter, Hailey started again.

    What surprised me was that Vonnie actually agreed to meet the blind date this time.

    This made Hailey very happy, so she quickly pulled out a few sets ofdylike dresses from the closet and asked me to help Vonnie choose.

    Those several dresses were all bought by her specifically for Vonnie to wear on blind dates.

    Vonnie didn¡¯t like her own clothes, she thought they were too revealing and too shy.

    Hailey was a very conservative and traditional person.

    She eagerly asked me to help Vonnie choose, and I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her that the styles of those dresses had been out of date for a long time, and the colors were also very outdated.

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    Vonnie went on a blind date, and Hailey was especially happy today.

    She said, ¡°This blind date was introduced to me through the connection of my old ssmate.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t been in touch with my old ssmate for more than ten years. We just got in touch the other day, and she found out that my daughter is almost thirty and still single. So, she quickly introduced her friend¡¯s

    son to me.

    Sitting aside with his legs crossed, cracking sunflower seeds, Vonnie muttered, ¡°I¡¯m only 29, where did 30e from? You¡¯re making me feel old just by saying that.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, what¡¯s the difference between 29 and 30, look at Ralda, even kids can get soy sauce, what about you, what about you, you don¡¯t even have a partner.¡±

    Vonnie heard the sound and pursed her lips at me speechlessly.

    Iughed and said to her, ¡°Just listen to Hailey, give this blind date a chance, maybe this time the blind date will turn out great.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, my old ssmate said that her best friend¡¯s son is a talented young man, full of promise, and just two or three years older than you. She doesn¡¯t have a daughter, otherwise she would have taken him as a son¨Cinw herself, but it¡¯s not your turn.¡±

    Vonnie chuckled and said, ¡°If that guy is really as good as you all say, why is he still single and even trying to set up a blind date with me, who is two or three years older? Hmm, doesn¡¯t seem that great after all.¡±

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    ¡°Oh, you child, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll lose a piece of meat by meeting him. He happens to be on a business trip to uvale these days,¡± Hailey rolled her eyes at her.

    Vonnic pursed her lips and said, ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t go.¡±

    Yes, Vonnic agreed to this blind date very decisively.

    I think it was partly because I was still upset by Quentin three days

    ago.

    She promised me that she would no longer like Quentin, but that subtle crush still lingers to this day, she has notpletely let go.

    Hailey asked me to pick a dress for her.

    I hadn¡¯t even spoken yet, and she just randomly picked a pink one herself, which was the most outdated style and color.

    It seems that Vonnie was just paying lip service to blind dates and didn¡¯t take it seriously.

    She even asked me to bring Essie and Roddy with me, saying that she would introduce them as her children to her blind date and scare him

    away.

    Then I definitely quit.

    I really hoped that he would meet a good person. Before even meeting this blind date, she scared him away. This is simply not wanting to get married.

    She finally changed her mind when she saw that I was unwilling, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to scare people away from the beginning. I just wanted to take the two little ones to have a look first.¡±

    If the man was still around, I would say these two little ones are my

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    godson and goddaughter; if he wasn¡¯t, I would say they are my own biological children.

    ¡°You know, blind dates are the most awkward. If I¡¯m not interested, I can¡¯t reject directly. But if I lie and say I already have two kids, then the guy naturally won¡¯t be interested in me, so there won¡¯t be a series of awkward problems. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Even though she said so, I still felt it was inappropriate.

    She kept begging me, so I finally agreed.

    She also asked me to go back with her, but she asked me to hide in the corner and observe.

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    I asked her why she was hiding in the corner.

    She exined, ¡°You are silly. Your two babies look so much like you, anyone can tell at a nce that they are your babies. How can I lie and im they are mine?¡±

    I really couldn¡¯t helpughing at her exnation.

    In the afternoon, Vonnie was ¡°dressed up¡± and went out with me and the two little ones in a high¨Cprofile manner.

    I really didn¡¯t want to talk about her.

    She didn¡¯t put on any makeup, and her hair wasn¡¯t properlybed, just messy and scattered behind her head.

    Wearing a bright pinkce dress with a pair of sandals, she looked like a typical loser girl.

    Hailey sighed and said, ¡°I can¡¯t even be bothered to talk about her.¡±

    As soon as we arrived at the reserved restaurant, Vonnie asked me to get out of the car and find a secluded corner to sit in. She then came in with the two babies.

    Essie also asked her in confusion, ¡°Vonnie, Hailey said we are here to see the godfather, is that true?¡±

    Vonnie smiled and said, ¡°Without a godfather, how can there be a godfather? You will see my actionster. If I drink the tea on the table, you can call me your godmother. If I don¡¯t drink it, you can call me mommy, okay?¡±

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    Essie nodded vaguely.

    Roddy asked her with his head tilted, ¡°Why? What does this have to do with drinking tea?¡±

    Um!

    Vonnie rubbed her temples with a headache and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions, just do as I say.¡±

    I shook my head with a smile and got out of the car first with my phone in hand.

    Vonnie told me that the blind date had reserved seat number 08.

    I looked around at the elegant seats, and number 08 should be in the middle, so I found a rtively secluded spot on the side.

    The seat by the window, with a screen next to it.

    After sitting down, I started looking for table 08.

    Let me take a look at what Vonnie¡¯s blind date looks like first!

    Beside each seat, there is a wooden screen with a number on it. ¡°Number 08¡± was easy to find, and I found it right away.

    It was just to my left, three seats diagonally.

    I leaned in and looked inside.

    The man was on the phone, looking at his back, his sitting posture, seemed pretty good, estimated to be over 1.8 meters tall, with long legs, and a perfect body proportion.

    Hey, this fits Vonnie¡¯s handsome guy standard.

    Hey, this is going to be fun.

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    I took a sip of water and continued to look around.

    Hey, why didn¡¯t you turn around?!

    Spinning, spinning¡­

    Perhaps God heard my prayers, and the man really did turn his head towards the door.

    Just as he turned his body slightly, I was so shocked that I almost sprayed out the water I had just drunk.

    No way?!

    How could Vonnie¡¯s blind date be¡­ be Johnathan!!!

    Wasn¡¯t that a coincidence?

    Worried that I might have read it wrong, I leaned forward again.

    Now it was really clear, whose distinct profile was that if not Johnathan¡¯s?!

    Oh no!

    Vonnie and this Johnathan never got along, and this Johnathan always had a problem with Vonnie.

    The two of them will soone together and have a big fight.

    I quickly took out my phone, ready to give Vonnie a call to let her know, but before I could dial, the woman walked in with a child in

    each hand.

    That posture, as if afraid that others wouldn¡¯t see her.

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    Did she forget that she was a public figure, a little star?

    But she didn¡¯t put on makeup today, and her hair was also messy.

    Even if others thought she looked like a celebrity, they probably wouldn¡¯t dare to confirm that she really was a celebrity.

    I was still thinking whether I should seize the opportunity to rush over and pull her out before Johnathan noticed her.

    The thought had just shed through my mind when a sound of ¡°grass¡± suddenly came from my left front.

    Immediately after that, I heard Johnathan muttering to himself, ¡°How did that troublemaker show up? Could my blind date be her?¡±

    ¡°Huh, definitely not possible. Mom would never push such a tasteless woman onto me!¡±

    I touched my nose in embarrassment.

    It must be said that Johnathan and Vonnie had quite a connection.

    Vonnie saw me as soon as she came in.

    When she looked towards me, I desperately winked at her, but unfortunately she didn¡¯t understand.

    Then the next second, Vonnie walked to table 08.

    I saw her clear her throat and then say to the table, ¡°Oh, handsome, sorry to keep you waiting¡­ Oh my! Is it you? Did you sit in the wrong seat?¡±

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    Sure enough, she ¡°exploded¡± halfway through her speech.

    What¡¯s even more annoying is Johnathan, ¡°You must have sat in the Wrong ce, yes, it must be you who sat in the wrong ce. How could my blind date be someone like you, tasteless, uncultured, and still grumpy woman¡°?¡±

    ¡°You were fierce, you had no taste, you were uncultured, your whole family was!¡±

    Johnathan was so angry that he took out his phone and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to call back and ask, this must be a mistake, how could you be my blind date?¡±

    Vonnie also took out her phone and angrily said, ¡°Exactly, I need to make a call too. That person who introduced you must be blind, how could they introduce me to a man like you.¡±

    So the two of them called their own mothers at the same time, and even put it on speakerphone, as if afraid that the other person wouldn¡¯t be able to hear their own mother¡¯s evaluation of their blind date.

    I was worried just now that they would argue fiercely, but now they have made meugh directly.

    Johnathan¡¯s mom said, ¡°Nathan, this time Tabitha introduced you to her old ssmate¡¯s daughter. I saw the photos, she is so beautiful, and I heard she is gentle, kind, and has a great personality.¡±

    ¡°You must seize the opportunity, I don¡¯t care. If you are still single this year and don¡¯t bring back a proper wife, then you can get out. There is no ce for single dogs in this house.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s mom said, ¡°Vonnie, the blind date set up by my old ssmate for you this time is so handsome. She just showed me the photo, and at first nce, I thought, oh, isn¡¯t this exactly your type.¡±

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    And I heard that he was young and promising, polite and gentle, considerate. Oh, Vonnic, you really hit the jackpot. I don¡¯t care, you must seize this opportunity this time. If you are still single this year, don¡¯t call me mom in the future.

    Listening to the voicesing through the phone, Iughed so hard that my stomach hurt.

    Johnathan and Vonnie were really destined to be together, hahaha¡­

    Johnathan and Vonnie each said a few angry words to their own phones, then ended the call. After that, they red at each other, not liking what they saw.

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    In the end, Roddy said clearly, ¡°You are both single, one without a girlfriend, one without a boyfriend, and your mothers are both urging you to find someone, so why not just pair up? Wouldn¡¯t that be perfect?¡±

    Roddy said, still staring at the two angry parties with a pair of clear big eyes without blinking, his pink face full of confusion.

    I wasughing my head off, my eldest son, as if it made some sense.

    Just as I hadughed for less than two seconds, suddenly I thought of something, and my heart skipped a beat.

    Oh no!

    Did Johnathan see Essie and Roddy? Will he suspect that these two children are mine and Reynaldo¡¯s, and then go tell Reynaldo?

    In terms of the resemnce between these two children and Reynaldo, it is not impossible!

    Sure enough, the next second, Johnathan¡¯s attention was drawn to Roddy.

    He lowered his head, as if just noticing the presence of Roddy and Essie, staring at the two kids carefully.

    Vonnie quickly pulled the two kids behind her and growled at Johnathan, ¡°What are you looking at? You scared my two babies. I¡¯m not done with you!¡± /

    ¡°Your babies?¡± Johnathan¡¯s voice was full of doubt. ¡°I was just

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    wondering where these two kids came from. You¡¯re saying they¡¯re your babies? No way. Where did you suddenly get these two big babies from?¡±

    ¡°Of course I was born that way!¡± Vonnie said, puffing out her chest.

    Johnathan clicked his tongue twice, looking Vonnie up and down, his tone increasingly suspicious, ¡°Are you his child? Are you Quentin¡¯s child?¡±

    Vonnie neither denied nor admitted, just said, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business, but why do these two kids look familiar to me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Vonnie was probably afraid that Johnathan would notice, so she quickly took the two babies and tried to leave.

    Johnathan quickly grabbed her and said, ¡°You can¡¯t leave. We haven¡¯t finished our kiss yet.¡±

    He said, and then pushed Vonnie away, pulled Roddy and Essie to him, and looked at them carefully.

    I massaged my temples with a headache.

    This is really over now!

    ¡°Hey, no, I said what are you looking at, rare dolls should find their own way in life, why are you staring at my treasure!¡±

    Vonnie wanted to snatch Roddy and Essie away, but was waved aside by Johnathan.

    Johnathan nced at her disdainfully and said, ¡°Why are you acting so guilty?¡±

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    ¡°Who¡¯s feeling guilty? You¡¯re the one feeling guilty!¡± Vonnie growled softly, but with a clearck of confidence.

    Johnathan hummed, ¡°Since you have nothing to hide, just sit properly in the chair, dressed so tacky and yet so ostentatious, as if afraid that others wouldn¡¯t know you have no taste.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Vonnie was so angry that she couldn¡¯t speak for a moment.

    At this moment, Essie suddenly said to Johnathan in a soft voice, ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t speak ill of my mother. She just doesn¡¯t want to go on a blind date, so she deliberately dresses up ugly. In fact, my mother is very beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Your mom?¡± Johnathan still sounded skeptical.

    Vonnie snorted, ¡°I said these two kids were born to me, and you still don¡¯t believe it!¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°I am really curious, how did you manage to have two kids with Quentin that look so much like Reynaldo?¡±

    Um¡­

    I was about to cry, this Johnathan really doubted.

    Vonnie became impatient, ¡°Open your eyes wide and take a good look, do they look like Reynaldo, do they?!¡±

    ¡°Where is not like, just say this little girl, it¡¯s just like Reynaldo when he was a child, except Reynaldo didn¡¯t have these two little ponytails.¡± Johnathan said, and amusingly touched the two ponytails on Essie¡¯s head.

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    Vonnie became even more anxious and quickly looked at me, her eyes filled with urgency, pleading, and guilt.

    I gave her aforting smile.

    At this moment, I couldn¡¯t show up anymore, otherwise it would only make Johnathan more convinced that these two kids are Reynaldo¡¯s.

    Ah!

    I really never expected that Vonnie¡¯s blind date this time would turn out to be Johnathan.

    The world is really small.

    Johnathan ignored Vonnie¡¯s denial.

    The man grabbed Essie¡¯s shoulder and said earnestly, ¡°Child, you must tell me the truth, is she your mother?¡±

    Essie pursed her rosy lips, her face full of hesitation.

    Johnathan smiled and said, ¡°You can¡¯t lie, lying is not a good thing for children.¡±

    Essie then opened his mouth and said slowly, ¡°She was Essie¡¯s mother, Essie and Roddy¡¯s godmother.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ godmother, so you are just their godmother.¡±

    Johnathanughed triumphantly, Vonnie was furious, she tried to leave with the two children in tow, but he stopped her.

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    ¡°What are you walking for? We are here for a blind date.¡±

    ¡°The devil wants to blind date with you. I¡¯m going back. I shouldn¡¯t havee today!¡± Vonnie regretted.

    I regretted it in my heart too.

    Ah!

    Johnathanughed. ¡°But I want to go on a blind date with you. I suddenly realized that the little boy just now made sense. Our mothers are so anxious, even if our blind date is canceled today, they will definitely still urge us.¡±

    ¡°So, for the sake of peace and quiet, why don¡¯t we just make do for now?¡±

    Vonnie stared at him warily and said, ¡°Why did you suddenly change your attitude? Are you nning to harm our two babies?¡±

    I told you, even though they were not born to me, they are not Reynaldo¡¯s children!

    I covered my face speechlessly.

    My dear Vonnie, aren¡¯t you ¡°giving away the game¡± here?

    Sure enough, Johnathanughed and said, ¡°I never said they were Reynaldo¡¯s kids. Look at you, why did you admit it yourself?¡±

    Wow¡­

    Vonnie was on the verge of tears, looking at me with a mixture of anger and urgency.

    I shook my head at her, indicating that she should calm down first.

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    Just then, the waiter brought the dishes over.

    Johnathan smiled and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? I ordered a lot, so you can take the kids to eat first. I¡¯ll go to the restroom.¡±

    He finished speaking and then walked towards me without waiting for Vonnie to say anything.

    I quicklyy on the table pretending to be asleep.

    By now, I also didn¡¯t know if there was any way to save it.

    Johnathan passed by my desk, still humming a song.

    Reynaldo had a baby, look how happy he is, as if he had just be a father.

    With a feeling of disdain in his heart, he heard his voice making a phone call not far behind him.

    Wow, was he so eager to report to Reynaldo?

    Ah ah ah¡­

    Is this necessary?

    What if Reynaldo came to steal my child?

    Sure enough, the excited voice of Johnathan quickly came from behind.

    I nced back and saw a self¨Cservice tea area.

    Johnathan¡¯s voice, filled withughter, wafted through the entire tea area, prating my eardrums through the wooden screen, sharply stimting my nerves.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I have a huge piece of good news to tell you, you lucky

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    guy, you have puppies, and not just one, but two.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡® what does that mean? My goodness, did you not understand what I meant? I mean, you have a doll, you have a child, you have offspring.¡±

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    ¡°Why are you still saying ¡®Hmm¡®, aren¡¯t you excited at all? No, do you not believe what I said, I really saw your baby, both eyes saw it.¡±

    ¡°You look so much like you, especially that little girl, she¡¯s like a mini version of you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the tone of your voice?¡±

    ¡°What are you hanging up for? I haven¡¯t finished yet. Don¡¯t hang up!¡±

    Huh? No, it¡¯s impossible for you to hear this news so calmly. Did you already know that you have a child?

    Oh, I remember now, no wonder that day you were staring nkly at someone else¡¯s doll, turns out you already knew.

    ¡°Ah, you are so thoughtless, you didn¡¯t even tell me about such a happy event.¡±

    Listening to Johnathan¡¯s roar, my heart trembled.

    Did Reynaldo already know about the existence of Essie and Roddy?

    But he didn¡¯te to take the child from me?

    It seems that if he really didn¡¯t care about these two children, he wouldn¡¯te topete with me. So I have nothing to worry about, and there is no need to hide the children in the future.

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    ¡°Ah ah ah¡­¡±

    Johnathan roared again.

    ¡°You, of all people, have kids now, and such cute and pretty ones at that. No way, I¡¯m jealous, I¡¯m envious, I want to be the godfather of your kids. I don¡¯t care, I just want to be their godfather.¡±

    ¡°This is what you said, right? Follow me, right? No, I¡¯m puzzled. You know the existence of these two dolls, why don¡¯t youe and take them back to the Humphrey¡¯s manor? Don¡¯t you like them?¡±

    I pursed my lips and listened quietly as Johnathan made the phone call.

    Unfortunately, he did not turn on the external audio.

    However, they quickly ended the call, and then Johnathan muttered to himself, ¡°Damn, why did he hang up? Acting all high and mighty, huh? I¡¯ll send you the photos of those two kidster, let¡¯s see if you¡¯re interested! Hmph!¡±

    Johnathan hummed and muttered, his voice gradually fading away.

    I nced back and saw that the bathroom was right behind.

    As soon as he left, Vonnie rushed over to me, crying in a panic, ¡°What do we do? What do we do? He knows that Essie and Roddy are Reynaldo¡¯s children now. Look at the way he just acted, he must have told Reynaldo about the existence of these two children. What are we going to do?!!

    It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have brought the babies here. I didn¡¯t expect him to be my blind date.

    ¡°What if Reynaldo came to snatch the treasures from you, how can we

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    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t scare the babies.¡±

    Vonnie listened and then turned to look back at her seat.

    The two little ones indeed looked at her steadily, their little faces filled with worry.

    Vonnie pursed her lips, steadied her emotions, and asked me, ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    I smiled at her and whisperedfortingly, ¡°Maybe things aren¡¯t asplicated as we think. I just overheard Johnathan on the phone, and from what he said, Reynaldo actually knew about Essie and Roddy¡¯s existence a long time ago.¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback, and then felt guilty for a while, ¡°It must have been when I gave the photo to Quentinst time and he overheard me talking about the babies with Quentin.¡±

    I said he was like a ghost leaning there in silence, definitely not simple, so annoying. I wish I hadn¡¯t mentioned the babies to Quentin.¡±

    ¡°No problem, you have to think, since he already knew about the existence of these two treasures, but he didn¡¯te to snatch them from us, what does that mean?¡±

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    Vonnie¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°So he never intended toe and take the child from you?¡±

    I nodded, feeling relieved in my heart, but also a touch of indescribable¡­ loss.

    Originally, Reynaldo did not like children as much as I had imagined.

    He¡­ didn¡¯t seem to have any expectations for Essie and Roddy.

    I nced at the two children and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sour in my heart.

    On the other hand, it¡¯s good to think from another perspective.

    Since Reynaldo had no intention ofpeting with me for the children, I could safely bring Essie and Roddy with me back to Freybourne this time.

    When Johnathan came back from the bathroom, Vonnie and I had already returned to table 08.

    Since Reynaldo already knew about the existence of the children, I didn¡¯t need to avoid Johnathan anymore.

    Johnathan was taken aback when he saw me, then he smiled and greeted me, ¡°Oh, Esmie, you¡¯re here too.¡±

    I nodded and smiled at him, which was my way of responding.

    The man looked extremely happy, with a big smile on his face.

    He already had the appearance of a yboy, and this smile added a few

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    more touches of unruliness and charm.

    He was indeed handsome, and he was exactly the type that Vonnie liked.

    If he hadn¡¯t had any grudges with Vonnie before, this blind date today might have really worked out.

    It¡¯s just a pity that these two people didn¡¯t get along from the beginning.

    After Johnathan sat down, he waved to the waiter and ordered some food specifically for Essie and Roddy. He then sat there, smiling at the two little ones.

    They stared at the two little ones in a daze.

    Roddy asked him, ¡°Sir, why have you been staring at me and Essie andughing?¡±

    ¡°Because I like you guys.¡±

    Johnathan reallyughed like a flower.

    He looked at Essie and Roddy with the gentle and loving eyes, as if he were looking at his own offspring.

    It can be seen from this that the man definitely liked children.

    I leaned back in my chair, feeling depressed, and wondered, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Reynaldo like children?¡±

    Vonnie sneered at Johnathan, ¡°They are mine and Ralda¡¯s babies. If you like them so much, why don¡¯t you go ahead and have your own.¡±

    ¡°I, a grown man, who should I me for giving birth? You?¡± Johnathan retorted immediately.

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    After he retorted, he seemed to realize that his retort was a bit off, and a hint of unnaturalness shed across his handsome face.

    Vonnie also looked unnatural, grunting, ¡°Dream on. Who wants to have a child with you, a big radish who can¡¯t stay faithful? Isn¡¯t that just asking for trouble?¡±

    ¡°Humph, you want to give birth to me and I don¡¯t want it.¡± Johnathan picked up the teacup and drank tea angrily.

    Vonnie wrinkled her nose and gave him a disdainful look.

    I nced at the two of them and, for some reason, felt like they were quite a good match.

    Just now, the interaction between the two of them. I feel like this blind date has some potential.

    Actually, leaving aside everything else. ¡°Johnathan seems pretty nice too.¡±

    Family background and appearance are both top¨Cnotch, and on top of that, she is warm¨Chearted and loves children. If she starts a family and has children in the future, she will definitely be the type who takes care of the family and dotes on the children.

    So, if Vonnie could really be with him, that would be nice.

    Emma, no. I couldn¡¯t be a third wheel here.

    I smiled at Johnathan and said. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll take Roddy and Essie back first. You two continue to chat.¡±

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    ¡°No way!¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    The two of them said in unison, leaving Essie and Roddy, who were eating, stunned.

    Vonnie grabbed my arm and said, ¡°I¡¯m going back with you. I don¡¯t want to keep talking to him.¡±

    Johnathan also came over to pull me, ¡°You can¡¯t leave. If you leave, how am I supposed to take care of these two little treasures? I haven¡¯t had enough of them yet.¡±

    Or you can go back yourself and leave these two treasures behind.

    ¡°You wish!¡± Vonnie retorted, ¡°What does our baby have to do with you? Stop scheming here and don¡¯t even think about taking them away!¡±

    ¡°Oh, look at what you¡¯re saying, howe it has nothing to do with me? I am their godfather!¡±

    ¡°What? Godfather?¡± Vonnie frowned and sneered, ¡°Who do you think you are, a godfather? Who recognizes you? Oh, just because you think someone else¡¯s baby is cute and lovely, you im to be their godfather? Ha, it¡¯s reallyughable, building rtionships is not done shamelessly like you.¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­¡±

    Johnathan was speechless with anger, then turned to me.

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    I chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, my darlings indeed only have a godmother, not a godfather.¡±

    ¡°Esmic, you¡­ you¡­ you are so heartless!¡±

    Johnathan was even more angry, his handsome face flushed with

    anger.

    Vonnie smiled proudly and said, ¡°Haha, did you hear that? The biological mother of these children said that her children don¡¯t have a godfather. So stop trying to boast about your connections here, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    Johnathan was so angry that he pulled his tie and said, ¡°My godfather was acknowledged by their own father, howe it doesn¡¯t count?¡±

    Why can you be their godmother, and I can¡¯t be their godfather?

    ¡°You are their biological mother¡¯s sister, and I am their biological father¡¯s good brother!¡±

    Johnathan said angrily, as if every word made sense.

    I continued to remain silent.

    Vonnie chuckled, hands on hips, and said, ¡°Are you kidding me? Even the biological fathers of children can¡¯t necessarily be legitimate, let alone you, this godfather who came out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°Stop kidding, if you really like children that much, go find someone to start a family with yourself, don¡¯t have ideas about our baby.¡±

    ¡°You, you, you¡­ You are simply a shrew!¡±

    Johnathan was so angry that his handsome face turned red, his eyes were watery, as if he was about to cry, and he looked a bit funny for no

    reason.

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    I touched my nose, picked up the drink and took a sip, and continued to be invisible.

    My two babies didn¡¯t interrupt, they focused on eating their food.

    Hey, looking at it this way, the three of us really looked like third wheels.

    I was thinking about taking the babies out for a walkter, when a resentful, aggrieved, and fiery gaze suddenly shot towards me.

    I was taken aback, and as I looked up, I saw Johnathan ring at me with deep resentment.

    Um!

    Did this man go crazy wanting a baby?

    ¡°Esmie, did you forget the conversation we had in Yoripero before?¡±

    Ah?

    I really forgot about that.

    Did I say anything to him at Yoripero?

    After thinking it over, it was just the time when I went on a business trip to Yoripero with Reynaldo earlier, and stayed a few extra days with him in Yoripero.

    So, did I say anything to him those days that is rted to the topic at hand?

    Seeing me looking confused, Johnathan angrily looked up and took a deep breath, then stared at me with a face full of grievances, ¡°At that time, Reynaldo said he wanted me to be his child¡¯s godfather, and you were there at the time, you heard it, and you agreed.¡±

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    So, why aren¡¯t you admitting it now? I don¡¯t care, I just want to be the godfather of these two little babies.

    Um¡­

    Johnathan has a good memory, anyway I don¡¯t remember.

    Johnathan red at me with a huff, looking very aggrieved.

    Vonnie stood aside and sneered, saying that he, a big man, was made up like a woman.

    I couldn¡¯t stand Johnathan¡¯s resentful look, and finally said helplessly, ¡°Do as you wish, if you want to be their godfather, go ahead, anyway, it won¡¯t cost them a thing.¡±

    ¡°Wow, the words you said to Reynaldo are exactly the same, you two are really a perfect match.¡±

    Vonnie nced at me and retorted, ¡°What ¡®born to be together¡°? Don¡¯t mention that man to me. Hasn¡¯t he caused enough misery for Ralda?¡±

    ¡°How could Reynaldo have hurt her, it was she wh¨°¡­¡±

    Johnathan suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°Forget about it, all of that is in the past. Now you even have children, what obstacles can¡¯t you ovee?¡±

    ¡°Oh, if Reynaldo could see his two little treasures, he would be overjoyed.¡±

    I frowned and stared at him, sincerely feeling that Johnathan¡¯s words

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    were exaggerated.

    Did he forget that just now he had called Reynaldo and told him this news, and Reynaldo was very calm?

    How do you see it, Reynaldo doesn¡¯t seem like a person who likes children!

    ¡°Esmic¡­¡±

    Johnathan suddenly looked at me and said seriously, ¡°I am going back to Freybourne tomorrow. Shall I take these two treasures back for Reynaldo to see?¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡±

    Before I could even speak, Vonnie immediately growled and eximed urgently, ¡°I knew it! You are eyeing our babies. I¡¯m not trying to criticize you, but what right does that man have to look at these two treasures?¡±

    Did he not only heartlessly drive Ralda out of Freybourne, but was he present when Ralda gave birth? Did he show any concern for Ralda?

    When Ralda gave birth to these two children, she almost lost her life, did you know that?

    He just knew ¡°Ralda was fierce, just knew to suspect Ralda.¡±

    ¡°Why does he have the right to see the child now, why?!¡±

    Vonnie became more and more angry as she spoke, her eyes even turning red with anger

    I shook her hand andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    Johnathan stared at her nkly for a moment, then muttered,

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    ¡°Reynaldo, he didn¡¯t know about the children, how could he have possibly kicked Esmie out of Freybourne if he knew she was pregnant and struggling on her own?¡±

    He pursed his lips, and his tone suddenly lowered, with a hint of sadness.

    ¡°In fact, he was also feeling very ufortable in his heart. Do you think he was willing to drive Esmie away?¡±

    However, the one who died at first was his beloved mother, and he was more upset than anyone.

    He loved Esmie, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to hurt her. However, he didn¡¯t know how to face Esmie, so he could only drive her away.

    ¡°Have you ever seen him cry?¡±

    Vonnie hesitated for a moment, unable to speak.

    Perhaps no one could imagine that a man as sullen and cold as Reynaldo could also have a vulnerable, crying side.

    Johnathan lowered his gaze and whispered, ¡°I have seen him, when he was drunk, crying with red eyes, shouting Esmie¡¯s name.¡±

    You may not know, but Esmie didn¡¯t smile at all during the years he

    was away.

    He was like a walking dead, just ¡°alive¡°.

    I took a deep breath and an indescribable feeling surged in my heart.

    Feeling a bit sad, a bit wronged, and a bit ridiculous.

    Who caused such a result?

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    In the end, it was that he didn¡¯t believe me.

    Vonnie said to Johnathan in a low voice, ¡°In your opinion, that man is pitiful, but who told him not to believe Ralda, everyone said, Ms. Versta was killed by Kimberly, but you all refuse to believe it!¡±

    ¡°But this kind of thing is all about evidence, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    You said it was Kimberly, but where is the evidence, and what about her motive for doing so?

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Ms. Versta has been living with her stepmother for many years, so there must be some emotional connection.¡±

    Yes, normal people couldn¡¯t believe that Kimberly would harm Mika.

    There was also no evidence, not a single person was on my side.

    So, all along, my exnations were pale, and even my grief and anger were powerless.

    Vonnie angrily said, ¡°Her motive was just to break up Ralda and Reynaldo, so she could steal Reynaldo away!¡±

    Johnathan furrowed his brow, puzzled, ¡°Are you mistaken? She may have liked Reynaldo before, but after Mika passed away, she got together with Quentin.¡±

    She had also told Reynaldo in person that she only saw him as a brother, and that she truly liked Quentin.

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    ¡°So if it¡¯s true, as you say, that she was trying to steal Reynaldo away. then why did she end up with Quentinter?¡±

    Vonnie was not convinced and wanted to say something more.

    I pulled her and gestured for her to stop talking.

    Kimberly ran a tight ship, and with so many people backing her up, we were left with no evidence. Anything we said would not be believed, making us look like the viins using Kimberly.

    Johnathan looked at me and said to Vonnie, ¡°We are both doing this for the sake of our good friends, so let¡¯s not argue, okay?¡±

    Actually, Reynaldo still loves Esmie. Now that they have children, can¡¯t we help them reunite as a family?

    Vonnie opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed her words and turned to look at me.

    Also, Vonnie was on my side. She definitely wanted to hear my opinion on this matter.

    I said to Johnathan in a calm tone, ¡°Child, I will not let you take it to show Reynaldo.¡±

    In addition, no matter whether he still loves me or not, I and him can¡¯t be together anymore in the end.

    ¡°Unless he is willing to believe me, his mother¡¯s death has nothing to do with me.

    ¡°Esmie¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop talking about this.¡±

    I interrupted him, poured another cup of tea for him and Vonnie, and

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    smiled. ¡°Today is your blind date, why are you talking about me and Reynaldo? Come on, you guys keep talking, pretend that me and the babies don¡¯t exist.¡±

    Vonnie awkwardly touched her nose and muttered, ¡°What kind of blind date is this, it doesn¡¯t count!¡±

    Johnathan suddenly stared at her intently and said, ¡°I actually think my godson made a good point just now. In order to avoid our respective mothers from pressuring us to get married again, let¡¯s just make do for now.¡±

    ¡°Who, who¡­ who wants to settle for you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, we were just boyfriend and girlfriend in name only, to put our mothers¡® minds at ease.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t reached the point of being so hungry that I would eat anything, I won¡¯t touch you.¡±

    ¡°You, you¡­ Get lost! Who asked you to touch me!¡±

    I nced at Vonnie and suddenly noticed that her face was a little red.

    At this moment. Roddy suddenly asked Johnathan, ¡°Are you really the godfather of me and Essie?¡±

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    Johnathan puffed out his chest and said with a smile, ¡°Well, it¡¯s confirmed by your own father, so it¡¯s as good as gold. From now on, you can call me godfather.¡±

    Essie asked in confusion, ¡°So are you and Vonnie a couple? Like Mommy and Daddy?¡±

    Um¡­

    I didn¡¯t know how to answer the question for a moment.

    Vonnie muttered, ¡°No.¡±

    Johnathan touched Essie¡¯s hair andughed.

    Roddy suddenly tugged at Johnathan¡¯s clothes again and asked him, ¡°Are you familiar with my father?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Your dad and I grew up together, like two peas in a pod. We were as close as can be.¡±

    Roddy suddenly pursed his lips, hung his little head, and didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.

    I looked at him and felt a sense of unease in my heart.

    Did Roddy want to go see his dad with Johnathan?

    Roddy had asked me many times before about his ¡°dad¡°.

    So, although he didn¡¯t usually mor for his father, deep down he still had a strong yearning and fantasy for him?

    ??? ?

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    No wonderst time I went to the banquet, he wanted to follow me, saying he wanted to scold my father for me, but actually he just wanted to see his father, right?

    Thinking of this, I didn¡¯t know what it felt like in my heart, a little

    sour

    On the way back, I carefully observed the expressions of the two little

    ones.

    Essie fell asleep in the car shortly after, and I held her in my arms.

    Roddy was leaning on the car window, obviously preupied.

    Vonnie was driving in front, and seeing that none of us were speaking, she couldn¡¯t help but worry, ¡°Ralda, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Jonathan just said so much about Reynaldo, I thought you were¡­ well, as long as everything is okay.¡±

    While waiting for the traffic lights, she suddenly turned her head and nced at Roddy, ¡°Roddy, tell me, what secret did you whisper to Johnathan in the corner just now?¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°Did he whisper to Johnathan?¡±

    ¡°Well, when you went to the bathroom just now, he took Johnathan to the corner and said something, and Johnathan wasughing like crazy.¡±

    Wow, they had just met and he was already so familiar with Johnathan.

    Ralda, these days I was busy, you must keep an eye on them, be careful they really were kidnapped by Johnathan.¡±

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    I looked at Roddy, who remained silent, feeling a bitplicated.

    The next morning. Vonnie hurriedly burst into my room.

    ¡°Ralda, something terrible happened, the babies are gone, gone!¡±

    At this moment, I was lying on the bed flipping through the photos of my babies.

    Upon hearing Vonnie¡¯s anxious cry, I felt no fluctuation in my heart.

    Vonnie rushed over with disheveled hair, grabbing my arm and crying. ¡°The babies are gone, they must have been kidnapped by Johnathan.¡±

    Oh, I have been restless since I came back yesterday, worrying that my babies were taken away by Johnathan, so I got up early to check their

    room.

    The result was that the room was indeed ¡°empty¡±

    ¡°What should we do. Ralda? Johnathan must have taken them back to Freybourne. What should we do?¡±

    Seeing me calm, he didn¡¯t say anything.

    Vonnie got anxious and pulled me up from the bed, saying. ¡°I said the babies are missing, did you hear me?¡±

    I just asked my mom, and she said she didn¡¯t see it either. She must have been taken away by Johnathan.

    ¡°Oops, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have brought both of them yesterday. Now, I¡¯ve really caught Johnathan¡¯s attention.¡±

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    I patted her back and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know about this.¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback. ¡°You, you knew?¡±

    I nodded, a strong sense of mncholy rising in my heart.

    ¡°Since yesterday, Roddy has been feeling down and looking like he has something on his mind.¡±

    He locked himself and Essie in the room, and I was worried, so I sneaked up to the door to eavesdrop.

    Then I heard him telling Essie that he was going to look for his dad.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Vonnie muttered. ¡°Does he really like his daddy that much?¡±

    ¡°Which child doesn¡¯t want to be like those normal children, with a mommy and a daddy?¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips and fell silent.

    I sighed and said, ¡°Yesterday he didn¡¯t whisper anything to Johnathan, but asked for Johnathan¡¯s phone number.¡±

    You said Roddy was only a little over three years old, but he was quite clever, always acting like a little adult.

    He asked Essic if she wanted to go with him to find their father, and Essie immediately said she did.

    When it was just getting light. I watched as two little guys left. watched them get into Johnathan¡¯s car

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    When they left, they even tiptoed into the room to take a look at me. I was pretending to be asleep. They kissed me on the face and said they were just going to see daddy and would be back soon.

    They also said that their favorite is only mommy, and this time they went to scold daddy for me.

    I don¡¯t know why, but as I was speaking, my tears just started falling.

    Actually, I knew that those two little ones still longed for a daddy in their hearts.

    Vonnie asked me quietly, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop them?¡±

    ¡°Could you stop it?¡±

    I smiled bitterly at her and said, ¡°Adults¡® grievances, they won¡¯t understand. They only know that there is finally news about daddy, finally a chance to see daddy.¡±

    If I stopped them, with the mentality of a child, they would only want to see their father more. From then on, their father would be the most persistent presence in their hearts.

    So, since they were so eager to see their father, it might as well let them go and see him, which could also be considered as settling their minds.

    Vonnie held me and sighed, ¡°Oh well, after all, he is Reynaldo¡¯s child. No matter what, Reynaldo won¡¯t harm them. Besides, I see that Johnathan likes children and takes good care of them along the way.¡±

    Yes, that¡¯s what I thought, so I could confidently let the children leave with Johnathan.

    However, I still had to hurry to Freybourne as soon as possible.

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    After all, there was still Kimberly¡¯s snake in Freybourne.

    At this time, Essie and Roddy had already boarded the ne.

    The two little guys were both excited beyond words.

    Johnathan carefully fastened their seatbelts, patting their heads and saying, ¡°Behave and sit tight when the ne takes offter, okay? Once we arrive in Freybourne, I¡¯ll take you to see your dad and give him a big surprise.¡±

    Essie eagerly asked him, ¡°Will Daddy be really surprised when he sees us?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s on me.¡±

    ¡°Why did he drive our mommy away in the first ce, why did he bully mommy, why did he hurt mommy, he is a bad daddy,¡± Roddy said with a frown.

    The angry look on her face caught Johnathan off guard.

    He found that, although Roddy looked quite simr to Esmeralda, his expression when angry was quite simr to Reynaldo¡¯s.

    Wow, gics is really a magical thing.

    ¡°Yes sir¡­¡±

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    ¡°Hmm?¡± Johnathan corrected Essie with a smile, ¡°Call him godfather.¡±

    ¡°Oh, godfather.¡±

    Essie¡¯s voice was soft and sweet, particrly pleasing.

    ¡°Godfather, why did my father bully my mother like that? Does he not like my mother?¡±

    ¡°How could that be? Your father loved your mother the most.¡±

    ¡°Why did he still have to drive my mom away? He just doesn¡¯t like my mom, and he doesn¡¯t like us either.¡±

    Roddy had just been in high spirits, but now he was getting tangled up in this issue, and his temper followed suit, his little face scrunching up into a frown.

    Johnathan chuckled and whispered to them, ¡°No, your dad really didn¡¯t dislike your mom, nor did he dislike you guys.¡±

    ¡°You will see himter, and you will know. Be good, lean back on the chair and take a nap, we will arrive soon.¡±

    Roddy pouted and turned his little head away, saying, ¡°This time I¡¯m going to scold him. If he dares to bully my mom again, I¡¯ll beat him up!¡±

    Johnathan touched his nose, thinking about the scene where Reynaldo was beaten up by his son, suddenly feeling a little amused, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

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    He coaxed the two little ones for a while before making them happy.

    In my heart. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°This little baby is cute, but really hard to please.¡±

    He said he would buy them toys and candies, but they didn¡¯t want them until he promised that if their father dared to bully their mother again, he would help them beat their father, and then theyughed.

    The ne arrived at Freybourne after eleven o¡¯clock in the morning.

    Upon getting off the ne, Johnathan took the two little ones out for a meal.

    The two little ones were both carrying furry doll backpacks, one was a rabbit¡¯s, and the other was a strawberry bear¡¯s. From behind, they looked adorable.

    At one point, Johnathan wanted to have a baby again, it was just too

    cute.

    When they arrived at the restaurant, Johnathan originally wanted to take off the backpacks of the two little ones, fearing that they were too heavy for them to carry.

    Little did he know that Roddy was holding his backpack tightly in his arms, not allowing him to touch it.

    Johnathan was stunned for two seconds, then chuckled and said,

    ¡°What¡¯s up, there really is something in your backpack, hrious. Even kids who run away from home know to pack luggage.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±

    Roddy arrogantly said, ¡°That little look and expression are just like Reynaldo¡¯s, making Johnathan click his tongue.¡±

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    After dinner, Johnathan took them directly to ¡°the Duffy¡¯s vi¡°.

    Although now, the Humphrey¡¯s manor was also Reynaldo¡¯s.

    However, Reynaldo hardly ever stayed at the Humphrey¡¯s manor, but instead lived at the Duffy¡¯s vi.

    However, there was Danielle in the Humphrey¡¯s manor, so he would asionally go back to apany Danielle.

    Originally, Ronan and Julianne were also ¡°driven out of the Humphrey¡¯s manor.¡±

    But because of Danielle¡¯s plea, coupled with Reynaldo¡¯s fear of Danielle being lonely living alone in the Humphrey¡¯s manor, heter brought Ronan and Julianne back.

    During the time when Ronan and Julianne were kicked out, they may have suffered a lot, so when they came back, they behaved much better, not daring to cause any trouble, and only focusing on apanying Danielle.

    This made Reynaldo feel much more at ease, no longer worrying about whether Danielle would be lonely.

    The car stopped in front of the Duffy¡¯s vi.

    Essie looked around and asked, ¡°Godfather, is this my father¡¯s house?¡±

    Johnathan thought for two seconds and said, ¡°To be precise, this is your mommy¡¯s home.¡±

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    ¡°Mommy¡¯s home?¡± Essie was puzzled again, ¡°Then why has mommy never brought us back here? Is it because daddy doesn¡¯t allow us toe back?¡±

    Johnathan didn¡¯t know how to answer the question, so he got out of the car directly and carried the two little ones out.

    He greeted Reynaldo in advance and asked him to wait for him at home.

    Of course, when ites to surprising that guy, he naturally didn¡¯t mention these two little treasures at all on the phone.

    He held one in each hand and walked excitedly into the yard with the

    two little treasures.

    The two babies¡® little hands were soft and cute.

    He was really looking forward to Reynaldo¡¯s expression when he saw these two treasures.

    It was definitely a mix of surprise and excitement.

    To be honest, in all the years I¡¯ve known Reynaldo, I have never seen him so excited that he lost control.

    This time he must see it!

    Ah ah ah¡­

    The more I thought about it, the more excited I became.

    Perhaps heughed too obviously, Roddy looked up at him and said,

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    ¡°Johnathan, why are you so happy? Do you like my dad and want to see him soon?¡±

    Um¡­

    Children¡¯s minds are really strange, huh.

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Essie looked at the wide open door, but suddenly felt a little timid.

    She tightened her grip on Johnathan¡¯s hand and asked him, ¡°Johnathan, will my father really be happy to see us? I¡¯m afraid he will dislike us.

    ¡°How could it be?¡±

    Johnathan squatted in front of her, looking at her expectant yet somewhat timid appearance, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did your mom say a lot of bad things about your dad in front of you?¡±

    Essie shook her head and said, ¡°No, Mommy has never said anything bad about Daddy in front of us.¡±

    Roddy said, ¡°But I overheard Mommy talking to Vonnie, they said Daddy was very bad and mean, always hurting Mommy and even drove her away.¡± *

    So this dad must be no good, if he dares to be mean to me and Essieter, I¡¯ll beat him up.

    Johnathan touched his little head and said with a smile, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you beat himter. With me here, you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±

    ¡°Well, if he doesn¡¯t want me and Roddy, if he wants to drive me and Roddy away, will you take me and Roddy to find mommy?¡±

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    Essie said nervously, she was afraid that her father, who she had never met before, would scold her, dislike her, and drive her away.

    Johnathan smiled and agreed, but in his heart he was filled with mixed emotions. Their father loved them so much, how could he possibly not want them?

    These two little guys were just ¡°overly worried¡°.

    The yard was very quiet, with no one around.

    The gate was wide open.

    Johnathan led the two babies into the house, looked around first, didn¡¯t see Reynaldo, but saw two aunties busy in the kitchen.

    Two aunts were also stunned when they saw the three of them. After a while, one of the aunts hurriedly approached and said, ¡°Mr. Dup, you¡¯re here. Oh, who are these two kids? Are they yours, Mr. Dup?¡±

    Johnathanughed, ¡°I wish it were mine.¡±

    He paused, looked upstairs, and said, ¡°You guys keep busy, I¡¯ll go find Reynaldo.¡±

    He said, and then took the two babies upstairs.

    Aunt busily said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey is not at home right now.¡±

    Johnathan paused, his brows furrowed fiercely, ¡°Not here?¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Humphrey left two hours ago. He knew you wereing and thought you probably hadn¡¯t eaten at this time, so he specifically asked us to prepare the meal.¡±

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    ¡°Mr. Dup, the meal is almost ready, you go first¡­¡±

    ¡°No, didn¡¯t I tell him to wait for me at home? Why did he go out?¡± Johnathan said angrily.

    Essie saw this and pursed his lips.

    Finally, choking back tears, she said, ¡°Daddy must not want to see us, Daddy hates us.¡±

    Essie said, and in her bright eyes instantly filled with mist.

    Johnathan panicked and quickly picked her up tofort her, saying, ¡°No, no,

    he didn¡¯t even know you wereing. He must have had something urgent to attend to and went out for a moment. He¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he just didn¡¯t like Essie and Roddy, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have driven Mom away.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t want to see daddy anymore, sob¡­¡±

    Essie was just holding back tears with a choked voice, but now she is crying loudly.

    This left Johnathan in a state of panic.

    The servant on the side also looked nkly.

    ¡°Mr. Dup, these two children are¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Reynaldo¡¯s, why don¡¯t you quickly find something to appease him.¡±

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    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The servant, after hearing this, was both surprised and delighted, and quickly rummaged through the house to find things that could be used to appease the child.

    I searched for a long time, but found nothing.

    Essic cried with sobs, his small eyes and nose all red.

    Roddy didn¡¯t cry, but his chubby little face was cold and icy, with a hint of Reynaldo¡¯s demeanor.

    Johnathan thought to himself, ¡°These two little guys must both hate Reynaldo now.

    Reynaldo, this guy, originally the two babies hadints against him, now it¡¯s even worse, he doesn¡¯t even show his face directly.

    The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

    He quickly took out his phone and dialed Reynaldo¡¯s number.

    He held the baby in his arms and it was inconvenient to hold the phone, so he turned on the speakerphone and ced it on the dining table.

    The two babies stared at the phone without blinking, as if they were both eagerly waiting for their dad to answer the call.

    The phone rang for a while before it was answered.

    The other party¡¯s voice came cold and indifferent, ¡°I¡¯m busy, what¡¯s up, speak!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m busy as hell, busy busy busy¡­ Hurry up ande back to me!¡±

    ¡°Johnathan!¡±

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    The voice on the phone became a little deeper.

    Essie unconsciously grabbed Johnathan¡¯s sleeve tightly, clearly a little scared.

    Johnathan gently patted Essie¡¯s back tofort her.

    He suppressed his anger and shouted into the phone, ¡°I have brought your two brats back, you hurry back, hurry!¡±

    Silence.

    The other end of the phone suddenly fell silent, only the sound of extremely deep and suppressed breathing could be heard.

    Johnathan grew impatient, ¡°Damn it, did you understand what I said? I brought your two kids back. If you want to see them,e back to me quickly!¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    The other party said three words lightly and then hung up the phone, leaving Johnathan feeling stunned.

    Essie looked at the darkened phone screen, pursed her lips, unable to hold back any longer, and started crying loudly.

    This time she cried especially sadly.

    Roddy frowned and took Essie¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Essie. I¡¯ll take you back to find mommy. We don¡¯t see daddy anymore, we don¡¯t need him, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Essie struggled to wriggle out of Johnathan¡¯s arms, took Roddy¡¯s hand, and walked out, choking and sobbing.

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    Johnathan, feeling both angry and anxious, quickly stopped the two little guys.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, wait and see, he might being back.¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Roddy pouted and turned his little face to one side.

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    Essie sobbed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him when hees back, bad daddy.¡±

    Looking at the two little guys with a sulky look, Johnathan felt a headache for a while and didn¡¯t know how to coax them.

    He winked at the two servants.

    The two maids hurried over, each holding a child and sitting them at the dining table, coaxing, ¡°Be good, little ones. Daddy is on his way back. Come, let¡¯s eat something first.¡±

    Johnathan then ran to the side and directly sent Reynaldo a video call request on his phone.

    He wanted to let that guy see his two kids with his own eyes, he didn¡¯t believe that if he saw them with his own eyes, he could resisting

    back.

    Humph!

    The video call was not answered for quite a while.

    Before Johnathan could even turn his phone camera towards the two babies, Reynaldo¡¯s cold voice came through, ¡°In a meeting, call backter.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡±

    He hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when Reynaldo really hung up the video call.

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    Johnathan blinked his eyes twice, so angry that he wanted to throw his phone.

    In the blink of an eye, he saw Essie looking at him with tears in his eyes, her little mouth pouting, which softened his heart.

    He lowered the air pressure and walked up to Essie with a smile.

    ¡°Your father said he¡¯s on the way and will be back soon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Essie said with a sob, ¡°He was clearly in a meeting and didn¡¯te back. He just doesn¡¯t want to see Essie and Roddy.¡±

    ¡°No, how could he think so!¡±

    ¡°He just doesn¡¯t like us, you¡¯re also a big liar, I don¡¯t want to call you godfather anymore, I don¡¯t want a father either.¡±

    ¡°Whimper, I want to go home, I want mommy, whimper, mommy¡­¡±

    Johnathan was dumbfounded. ¡°This is bad,¡± he thought, ¡°now my position as godfather is also at risk.¡±

    He originally wanted to go out and buy some toys to amuse them, but he was worried about leaving them alone in the vi, so he asked the servant to go out and buy them.

    The servant was quick too, and soon bought a bunch of toys back.

    What Barbie dolls, various model cars, airnes, Ultraman, and so on, a lot of them.

    But the two little guys didn¡¯t even nce at it.

    Roddy even took Essie by the hand, repeatedly saying ¡°let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go find mommy.¡±

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    This made Johnathan extremely anxious, rushing around to bring back the two little ones who had already walked out the door.

    Worried that the two little guys would run away while he wasn¡¯t paying attention, he also had the servant close the door.

    Still not reassured, he coaxed and tricked the two little ones upstairs.

    He said this room was their mother¡¯s former home, and there must be a lot of things about their mother inside.

    The two little ones indeed did not say they were leaving, but instead began searching the house for things about their mommy.

    Johnathan finally breathed a sigh of relief, sulking in the chair in the study, cursing Reynaldo in his heart a thousand and eight hundred times.

    He took out his phone and sent a few messages to that guy, typing with hatred in every word.

    If you don¡¯te back soon, your two children will run away!

    I told you, if he doesn¡¯te back within an hour, I will take them away. It¡¯s not like you want them anyway.

    You can pretend to be aloof now, but when they find a new daddy, you¡¯ll be the one crying!

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    After sending the message, he still didn¡¯t feel satisfied, so he sent several fierce images over.

    Without exception, Reynaldo did not reply to any of his messages.

    He threw his phone on the table and closed his eyes to calm down.

    He finally understood Esmie, that guy Reynaldo could be really annoying sometimes.

    It¡¯s so frustrating!!!

    ¡°Johnathan, Johnathan¡­¡±

    The fire was raging, and suddenly Roddy and Essie ran in excitedly.

    Roddy held several photo frames in his arms, while Essie held a photo album in hers.

    Essie might have been too excited and she fell while running, which really worried Johnathan.

    He hurried over and embraced Essie.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this?¡±

    ¡°Johnathan, I found a photo of my mom, and and¡­ the person in it, is he my dad?¡±

    Essie gasped, ¡°.

    Johnathan nced at the thick album in her arms and felt curious.

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    Reynaldo actually had a photo with Esmic, and it was in such a thick album.

    That guy said he hardly had any photos with Esmic, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have gone all the way to the Yoripero down jacket store to ask for photos.

    Roddy also came over, holding several photo frames of Esmic¡¯s solo portraits in his arms, which were not very attractive.

    Johnathan told Essie to quickly open the photo album.

    The first page he turned to left him stunned.

    Only to see that was a photo of Reynaldo and Esmie, it seemed to be a selfie.

    In the photo, Esmie was clearly drunk, with her eyes closed, furrowed brows, and a red face, looking very ufortable.

    Reynaldoy beside her, his head resting on her shoulder, with a faint smile on his face.

    Looking at the second picture again, Esmie was still unconscious from drinking, with Reynaldo holding her in his arms, his face showing a satisfied and happy smile.

    This looks like Reynaldo took a selfie sneakily while someone was drunk.

    Tsk tsk, how humble this man used to be in front of Esmie, he didn¡¯t even dare to openly mention taking a photo together, and had to secretly take pictures.

    Continuing to flip through, almost all of them were candid photos like this, including the solo shots he took of Esmeralda.

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    No photo was taken with Esmeralda facing the camera.

    Ahahaha¡­

    I reallyughed to death. This man used to be so humble.

    Essie¡¯s chubby little finger pointed at Reynaldo in the photo and asked him, ¡°Johnathan, is this my daddy¡°?¡±

    ¡°Well, he is your father.¡±

    Essie pursed her lips and stared at Reynaldo¡¯s photo,

    Roddy nced at Essie, then at the photo, and said, ¡°No wonder Mommy and Vonnie both say Essie looks like Daddy, he does resemble him a bit.¡±

    Johnathan also thought that the gic inheritance was so amazing that there was no need to do a paternity test.

    ¡°Johnathan¡­¡­¡±

    Roddy picked up the few photo frames again and asked him, ¡°My mom¡¯s photos are so beautiful, why does dad hide them all? Does he not want to see my mom?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Essie said sulkily, ¡°Mom is so beautiful, but he still hides her picture in such a deep cab, making Roddy and me search for half a day.¡±

    Johnathan found it amusing.

    These are all photos taken by that guy secretly, which can be

    considered as his little secret, so he naturally wanted to hide them.

    Just tell these little ones, but they don¡¯t understand.

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    He closed the album and said to the two little ones, ¡°These, are all treasures collected by your dad, very precious, of course they need to be hidden, what if someone steals them?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    The two little ones looked at each other suspiciously, and temporarily forgave their ¡°wicked¡± father.

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    Finally, Roddy asked again, ¡°So why hasn¡¯t hee back yet? Is it because we¡¯re here that he¡¯s noting back? Okay, then Essie and I will leave.¡±

    Roddy took Essie¡¯s hand and shouted that he wanted to go and find mommy.

    Johnathan rubbed his temples with a headache.

    Here we go again!

    Damn it, Reynaldo,e back quickly!!

    I coaxed them all afternoon, really coaxed them all afternoon, until around seven in the evening, the two little ones finally got tired and fell asleep in bed.

    This time, Johnathan was truly exhausted, sitting slumped on the end of the bed, cursing Reynaldo from head to toe in his mind.

    He opened the phone to look.

    Sure enough, Reynaldo didn¡¯t reply to any messages, didn¡¯t make any phone calls.

    Good air!

    This point also got off work, and Reynaldo should be back.

    But he just wouldn¡¯t reply!

    As Essie and Roddy said, Reynaldo probably didn¡¯t want to see his offspring.

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    If at that time, Esmeralda had told him that she wanted to find a new father for these two children, he would have definitely agreed with both hands raised.

    Ah. I was so damn angry.

    Just as he was thinking about whether to sneak over while the children were asleep and grab Reynaldo, a beam of headlights suddenly came <ol><li>on. </li></ol>

    Right after that, there was a screech of brakes downstairs.

    He burst into tears of joy all of a sudden, ignoring his exhaustion, and rushed out in one go!

    He had just rushed out when the two little ones woke up.

    Roddy rubbed his eyes and looked around the room, ¡°Johnathan?¡±

    No one responded, but there was the sound of a car downstairs.

    He quickly got out of bed and pulled open the curtains to look down.

    Essie rubbed his eyes and asked him, ¡°Roddy, has daddye back?¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    After Roddy finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something and quickly turned back, took out his strawberry bear bag, and pulled out the monitor his mom had given him.

    He looked around the room, then turned on the monitor and ced it in a hidden corner.

    Downstairs, Reynaldo closed his eyes and leaned back on the chair for a while before pushing open the car door and getting out.

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    Just got out of the car, a fist came swinging towards me.

    ¡°You, you actually came back.¡±

    Reynaldo dodged to the side.

    He leaned against the car and looked at the angry man in front of him, asking softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°You still ask me what¡¯s wrong? Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for you here?¡±

    Why didn¡¯t you reply to my messages? Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?

    ¡°Do you still want your two kids, don¡¯t let me take them away!¡±

    Good gas!

    Johnathan¡¯s handsome face turned red with anger.

    Reynaldo¡¯s body shook slightly.

    He paused for a moment before speaking, ¡°Did you really bring all her children back?¡±

    ¡°What else could I do? I¡¯ve been trying to appease them all day. You haven¡¯te back, so they all think you hate them.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice was tense, filled with an indescribable sense of oppression.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe back? I sent you so many messages.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

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    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and spoke after a long pause, ¡°I thought

    you were joking with me, after all, how could she possibly agree to let you bring the child back.¡±

    ¡°She was unwilling.¡±

    ¡°Sure enough!¡± Reynaldo suddenlyughed, his tone turning cold.

    Johnathan busily said, ¡°Well, listen to me, she didn¡¯t want to, but the two little ones wanted toe back with me. They want to see you, their dad.¡±

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    After Johnathan finished speaking, the man¡¯s tall figure shook again, and his handsome face showed an indescribableplexity.

    There was excitement, joy, and a touch of indescribable nervousness.

    Johnathan nced at him and said with a smile, ¡°Those two little rascals are mischievous and very likable. Don¡¯t worry, they may have some preconceptions about you being their dad, but they are still looking forward to meeting you.¡±

    So, when you see themter, don¡¯t have a stern face, be careful not to scare them.¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak.

    Johnathan patted his shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, go up and see them. The two little guys have been waiting for you all day, and all their anticipation has turned into resentment.¡±

    Johnathan said, taking the car keys from his hand and getting ready to leave.

    Reynaldo grabbed him by the arm and said, ¡°You, don¡¯t go yet.¡±

    Johnathan looked at him nervously and awkwardly for a few seconds, then burst intoughter.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t tell me that you, the dignified, gloomy, and intimidating Mr. Humphrey, would actually be afraid of two soft and tender little children?¡±

    ¡°Go away, I¡¯m afraid they will cryter. I hate it when children cry.¡±

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    ¡°Oh!¡± Johnathan¡¯s eyes twinkled as he grinned mischievously, ¡°How about 1 bring them to my house? I¡¯m not afraid of their tears, nor am I afraid of their tantrums.¡±

    And I also consider myself half of their father, they really like me, I don¡¯t mind helping you take care of the children.

    ¡°Hehe, if you don¡¯t want them, give them to me, I want them.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, and his tone turned several degrees colder as he said, ¡°Say that again and see what happens.¡±

    Looking at him, clearly eager but always pretending to be aloof and disdainful, Johnathan couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Afraid of really angering the man, Johnathan held back hisughter and said, ¡°Alright, go up and take a look. I have to go back now. My mom has been urging me to go back since noon. I have to go back and check in quickly.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow, still looking very annoyed and nervous.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s your child, not some ferocious beast. Look at how scared you are.¡±

    As soon as the words fell, a knife¨Clike gaze swept over, and Johnathan instantly shut his mouth.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything else, just opened the back door and took out a few toys from inside.

    Johnathan was dumbfounded by this.

    Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t believe he would bring the baby back? Howe he even bought toys?

    Iughed to death, he is clearly a guy who says one thing but means

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    another!

    I really don¡¯t know how Esmic used to put up with him.

    The room was very quiet.

    Reynaldo loosened his tie and carried his toys upstairs.

    With each step closer to the room, his heart tightened a little, and in the end, even the bag of toys he was carrying was crumpled in his grip.

    Finally reaching the door of the room, he raised his hand and grabbed the doorknob, but he never managed to turn it.

    After hesitating and struggling for a long time, he ended up backing down instead.

    Thest time he learned from Lavonne and Quentin¡¯s conversation that Esmeralda had given birth to two babies, he was overjoyed.

    No one knew that, on the surface he appeared calm, but in reality a terrifying storm had already been brewing in his eyes.

    He thought about going to see the babies and bringing them back.

    But he was afraid again.

    He was afraid that the babies would hate him, detest him.

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    Today, Johnathan told him, ¡°Bring the babies back to him.¡±

    He was initially shocked and delighted.

    And then there was doubt, disbelief.

    Because Esmeralda had deceived him so many times, she initially hid the existence of the babies from him, let alone now with such hatred between them, how could she possibly allow Johnathan to take the children back to Freybourne.

    However, even though he had doubts in his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but buy the toy.

    He was absent¨Cminded all day at thepany today.

    He would wonder what the babies looked like and what expression he would see when he saw them.

    Did you like him or dislike him.

    His mind was full of these things, he waspletely unable to focus on work<i>. </i>

    He wanted to rush back countless times, but a trace of timidity arose in his heart.

    Afraid that Johnathan was teasing him, he couldn¡¯t bear the disappointment thates with unmet expectations.

    At the same time, he was also afraid that the babies would hate him.

    He didn¡¯t even know how to interact with the babies.

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    The initial expectations and excitement, at this moment,pletely turned into nervousness and awkwardness.

    He took two steps back and finally let go of the door handle.

    He was still not mentally prepared to see them in the end.

    He gently ced the toy on the ground and then turned around to leave.

    And at that moment, a sound of the door opening was heard.

    Reynaldo shuddered all over, frozen in ce.

    Roddy opened the door a little crack and peered outside, only to see a very tall figure.

    Not Johnathan.

    So, that¡¯s dad?

    He shouted at the back, ¡°Are you, daddy?¡±

    The soft and mellow voice came from behind, Reynaldo¡¯s fingers curled, and his heart beat fast with excitement.

    He turned around slowly and saw a little boy and a little girl standing side by side at the door, looking at him.

    The little boy looked like Esmeralda, but the cold expression on his face waspletely out of ce for his age.

    The little girl is just like him, yes, Johnathan was right, the little girl is almost a spitting image of him.

    The little girl stared at him without blinking, her timid expression tinged with a hint of anticipation.

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    Reynaldo quietly watched them, his empty and cold heart gradually bing soft.

    There were countless emotions shing through the heart.

    Excited, joyful, nervous, and even a touch of indescribable sadness.

    Various emotions surged in his heart, but he couldn¡¯t say a word.

    Roddy frowned and looked at him, ¡°Speak up, are you really our father?¡±

    Reynaldo opened his mouth, his throat moving, but he never spoke.

    He really didn¡¯t know how to get along with these two little guys.

    He wanted to get close to them, to hug them, but he was afraid.

    Essie looked at him and whispered to Roddy, ¡°He looks just like the photo, he must be dad, but how can dad be mute?¡±

    Roddy looked Reynaldo up and down with a fierce expression on his face, and finally said in a threatening tone, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak up, be careful, I¡¯ll hit you.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow, feeling like something had pricked his heart, causing a slight pain.

    Sure enough, the two little ones did not like him.

    He pursed his lips, then suddenly bent down and picked up the two little ones, one in each hand.

    Essie was startled and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, looking at him timidly.

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    Essie¡¯s small, soft hand was resting on his neck, and his little body still carried the scent of milk. His chubby little face was cute and adorable, and his watery big eyes were looking at him in a way that melted his heart.

    Roddy was actually a little afraid of him.

    After all, in Vonnie¡¯s mouth, this daddy was very fierce and bad, always bullying mommy, it was hard to say he wouldn¡¯t bully him and Essie.

    But he was the older brother, no matter what, he had to protect Essie.

    He mustered up the courage and stared at Reynaldo, ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t think that we are afraid of you just because you are not talking. Where is Johnathan? You bring Johnathan here.¡±

    Johnathan promised him that he would help him beat his father.

    With Johnathan around, he was not afraid.

    Reynaldo was originally a little sad, and now he heard that the little guy wanted Johnathan, he felt even sadder.

    He sat the two little guys on the cab by the window, then took two steps back and stared at them without blinking.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just stared, with deep eyes and a furrowed brow.

    That gloomy and serious look was indeed a bit scary.

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    Here, I had just connected to Roddy¡¯s surveince when I saw Reynaldo ring at the babies with a dark expression on his face, which made my heart skip a beat.

    Vonnie huddled next to me, angrily saying, ¡°That Reynaldo, scaring the babies like that, it makes me so mad. I shouldn¡¯t have let the babies go see him.¡±

    Really, it¡¯s one thing to have a gloomy face all day long, but to treat his own child like that.

    Even though he was not naturally inclined to smile, ¡°but this was his child.¡±

    Essie was in a bad mood. He was so gloomy that it would be strange if he didn¡¯t scare Essie and make her cryter!

    I clenched the hand beside me, unable to describe the feeling in my heart.

    It was a bit ufortable.

    It seems that Reynaldo really didn¡¯t like children much.

    Vonnie was furious and then said to me, ¡°Thank goodness you gave Roddy the surveince in advance, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t know how this man was going to bully our baby.¡±

    That day, I saw that Roddy wanted to follow Johnathan to see his dad, knowing that I couldn¡¯t stop him, so I gave him a small monitor.

    I didn¡¯t expect that, as soon as I turned on the monitor, I saw this scene.

    Watching Essie almost crying in the video, my heart tightened sharply.

    No matter how Reynaldo wanted to hurt me, how to deal with me didn¡¯t matter, but he couldn¡¯t hurt my babies.

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    On the monitoring side, Reynaldo stared silently at the two little ones for a long time, but his beautiful brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

    His appearance was as if he was looking at Esmeralda through them.

    Sure enough, his throat rolled, and finally he spoke, his tone low and suppressed, terrifyingly, as if he was holding back great hatred.

    He said, ¡°Your mother is a fraud, the biggest fraud in the world.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t their mother just a big liar?

    I lied to him at the beginning, saying that he could never have children in his whole life, and even had the test reports.

    It¡¯s ridiculous that he actually believed it and suffered for a long time because of it.

    Calcting the time, she was already pregnant with these two children.

    But she actually made a fake medical report to deceive him.

    Did she think he was easy to deceive, so she always deceived him.

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    She, Esmeralda, really deceived him so painfully, so painfully.

    The more he thought about the hatred in his heart, the stronger it became, and his hands clenched tightly at his side.

    Roddy, although afraid, couldn¡¯t help but speak up for his mother, ¡°My mother is not a liar. She is the best mother in the world. It¡¯s you, always bullying my mother and driving her away. We hate you.¡±

    ¡°Do you hate me?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenlyughed,ughing coldly and self¨Cdeprecatingly.

    Sure.

    They all ¡°hated¡± him as their father.

    They came with Johnathan this time, not because they really wanted to see their ¡°daddy¡°, but just to stand up for their mom, right?

    !

    Reynaldo¡¯s already wounded heart was stabbed several times, bleeding profusely, and sinking and painful.

    His tall body was tense, and his hand by his side was clenched into a fist.

    Essie was afraid of his appearance, his mouth puckered and puckered again, but he never dared to cry, just pulling at Roddy¡¯s clothes.

    Roddy was also scared, but more than that, he was angry.

    He stretched out his little arm in front of Essie, red at Reynaldo with a fierce face, and said, ¡°You bad daddy, you go away, you leave,

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    we don¡¯t want you, we want Johnathan, you call Johnathan quickly¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    When they mentioned Johnathan again, Reynaldo¡¯s suppressed emotions could no longer be held back, and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a low growl.

    The low shout directly scared Essie, making her cry.

    Even Roddy was holding back his tears, with tears swirling in his eyes.

    On my end, when I saw Essie crying, my heart was immediately wrenched.

    Vonnie was furious, ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Let¡¯s not wait for Anton. Let him handle the follow¨Cup matters in Freybourne on his own.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, we will fly to Freybourne and snatch our babies back. I can¡¯t believe Reynaldo would bully our babies like this!¡±

    I took a deep breath, but still couldn¡¯t help the bitterness in my eyes.

    He hated me, that¡¯s one thing, but why did he have to be mean to the children as well?

    Wasn¡¯t that his child? Did he really dislike him so much?

    Here, Reynaldo saw Essie crying, and immediately panicked, fumbling to hug her.

    But Roddy suddenly pped his hand away and said angrily, ¡°Go away, we want Johnathan, we don¡¯t want you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, mommy, mommy¡­ I want mommy¡­¡±

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    Essie cried for her mommy.

    Roddy looked at her and suddenly remembered his gentle mother. The emotions he had been holding backpletely broke at this moment.

    His little mouth pouted, and he started crying too.

    ¡°You bad daddy, you go away, we want mommy, we want Johnathan, not you, go away¡­¡±

    Reynaldo looked at them intently, his hand in the air clenched and then rxed, rxed and then clenched.

    He didn¡¯t say a word and turned around to walk outside.

    Vonnie stared at the surveince video, ¡°stomping her feet in anger.¡±

    ¡°Damn Reynaldo, he didn¡¯t even put the babies down when he left. They were sitting on that high shelf, how are they supposed to get down.¡±

    ¡°I was so angry, I just wanted to fly over there right now and bring my babies back. It made me so mad.¡±

    Vonnie paced back and forth in the room, ¡°She was angry.¡±

    I stood up and said to her, ¡°You hurry to book the ne tickets, I will pack up.¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback, staring at me incredulously, ¡°You, you¡¯re telling the truth?¡±

    I asked her expressionlessly, ¡°Do you think I am joking?¡±

    I can tolerate everything else, but the children are my bottom line.

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    Reynaldo didn¡¯t believe me, hated me, but how could he be cruel to the children, how could he?

    Vonnie saw my firm attitude and quickly took out her phone to book the tickets.

    I went to tidy up some clothes and itemsmonly used by the children.

    I finished tidying up in less than half an hour.

    Vonnie¡¯s flight, the earliest, didn¡¯t take off until 1 a.m.

    After we packed up, we went straight to the airport.

    The moment I saw Essie crying, I truly regretted it, regretted not stopping them from meeting Reynaldo.

    I thought that Reynaldo might not like them.

    !

    But I really didn¡¯t expect Reynaldo to be mean to them.

    Essie was the most timid, and I don¡¯t know what Reynaldo scared her

    into.

    The thought of this made me feel resentful.

    I hated Reynaldo so much!

    Here, after Reynaldo walked out of the room, he quickly dialed Johnathan¡¯s phone.

    At that time, Johnathan was being lectured by his own mother.

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    He was said to be quite old, they said people his age already have children, they said he is still single and not ashamed.

    When he was feeling annoyed, Reynaldo¡¯s phone rang.

    He quickly found an excuse to answer the phone.

    Johnathan¡¯s mother, Gracie Dup, was afraid that Reynaldo woulde looking for Johnathan to go out drinking again, so she strongly insisted that he turn off his phone.

    Johnathan couldn¡¯t, so he had to turn on the speakerphone on his phone.

    As soon as the phone was answered, Reynaldo¡¯s urgent voice came through, ¡°The two little ones are crying, what should we do now? Hurry over!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why are you crying? When I left, weren¡¯t they still fine?¡±

    ¡°Are you scolding them with a straight face?¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak.

    Johnathan took a deep breath in anger and said, ¡°No, why would you be mean to such a cute little doll?¡±

    ¡°And they are your children, how could you bear to scold them? Do you have a problem?¡±

    ¡°Youe over quickly, they want you!¡± Reynaldo said sullenly, consumed with jealousy.

    He was their father, why did they not want him but this unrted godfather instead?!

    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ming right now. Geez, I¡¯ve never seen a dad like

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    you,¡±

    Johnathan hung up the phone and hurriedly left, but the next second he was stopped at the door by Gracie.

    ¡°What did Reynaldo mean on the phone just now? What ¡®little one¡®, ¡°baby¡°? Does he, does he have a child?¡±

    Seeing his mother¡¯s excited and anxious appearance, Johnathan felt

    uneasy.

    He hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°No, no? I found two dolls outside.¡±

    ¡°You still dare to lie to me! He does have a child, right?¡±

    Oh my god, his ice cube actually has children, but you don¡¯t.

    No, this is absolutely not eptable. You must give birth to two big fat grandsons for me quickly, otherwise I won¡¯t have you as my son.

    Johnathan looked speechless and said, ¡°How can I, a grown man, give birth to a chubby grandson for you? You alwayse up with such ideas.¡±

    ¡°Where is that blind date from yesterday? You should contact her quickly, develop feelings quickly, get married quickly, and quickly give me a chubby grandson! Quickly!¡±

    Johnathan looked speechless.

    He felt that his mother was so eager to hold a grandson that she was starting to be a little bit abnormal.

    Before long, Reynaldo¡¯s phone rang again.

    He was so anxious that his heart flew to Roddy and Essie, but his mother kept insisting on having grandchildren.

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    He had no choice but to finally hang up on Reynaldo¡¯s call and sneakily sent him a message.

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    I am now in a difficult situation and can¡¯t walk away.

    It¡¯s you who made the child cry, so you shouldfort him.

    Reynaldo stared at the message sent by Johnathan for two seconds, then silently put away his phone.

    He hesitated in the corridor for a few seconds, then picked up the toy ced at the door, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to walk in.

    Seeing hime in again, Roddy immediately stared at him warily.

    Roddy¡¯s eyes were still filled with tears, his chubby little face wrinkled into a ball, pretending to look fierce and fierce, which was both funny and heart¨Cwrenching.

    Essie then tugged at Roddy¡¯s sleeve, her big teary eyes timidly staring at him, that look really softened his heart.

    Reynaldo¡¯s pent¨Cup anger and jealousy suddenly dissipated by half.

    He walked over, wanting to ¡°coax¡± them, but not knowing how to ¡°coax¡± them.

    He was never a person who would coax others. In the beginning, he didn¡¯t even know how to coax Esmeralda, let alone these two children

    now.

    He walked up to them and stood still, his face much calmer than it had just been.

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    He actually wanted to show them a gentle and kind smile, but he couldn¡¯t

    Even though his face had softened a lot, Roddy still stared at him with a guarded look.

    ¡°What are you doing here again? Where is Johnathan? I want Johnathan! Go find him now!¡±

    Roddy was shouting for Johnathan again.

    Reynaldo tried hard to suppress the anger and jealousy surging in his heart, and said in a muffled voice, ¡°Johnathan had somethinge up

    and can¡¯t make it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying! He said he was going to help us beat you up, howe he didn¡¯t show up.¡±

    It must have been you who drove him away and didn¡¯t allow him to

    ¡°You give me back Johnathan, I want Johnathan!¡±

    When Roddy insisted on having a godfather, Essie pouted her lips and cried for her mommy.

    Reynaldo¡¯s jealousy and anger surged in his chest.

    He gritted his teeth, handed the toy to them, and said in a gentle tone, ¡°This is for you.¡±

    Roddy looked at him, then looked at the toy in his hand, and asked, ¡°Is this what our godfather bought for us?¡±

    Godfather! Godfather!

    It¡¯s ¡°The Godfather¡± again!

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    Damn his godfather! There¡¯s no such thing as a godfather! There is no godfather!

    Only my biological father!!

    Reynaldo roared inwardly, suppressing his anger as he said, ¡°This is what I bought for you.¡±

    After hearing this, a hint of doubt appeared on Roddy¡¯s face, ¡°Will you buy us toys?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled.

    He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°How could it not be?¡±

    ¡°Because you were a bad dad, you didn¡¯t like mommy, you hated us, so you wouldn¡¯t buy us toys!¡±

    Well, this logic is correct.

    Who the hell said he didn¡¯t like their mother and that he hated them?

    Who the hell said that!

    Reynaldo suppressed his anger and said, ¡°Do you really want it?¡±

    He just asked, ¡°His voice was not loud, his face was not dark, and his tone was not fierce.¡±

    The little girl pouted her small mouth and started crying again.

    She even held her brother, looking at him with a face of grievance and fear.

    Reynaldo felt a surge of frustration in his heart.

    Was he really that scary?

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    ¡°Bad daddy, so you are really so fierce, no wonder mommy doesn¡¯t want toe back.¡±

    ¡°You are a bad father. Get out. I won¡¯t allow you to scare my sister again. Leave!¡±

    No wonder Mommy didn¡¯t want toe back¡­

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    Chapter779

    Reynaldo¡¯s heart was suddenly filled with a dense and intense pain, a pain that even prated his internal organs, causing him to tremble.

    However, what is ridiculous is.

    He was the one who drove her away and ordered her not to set foot in Freybourne, wasn¡¯t he?

    Vonnie and I waited at the airport for over two hours, and finally, the flight was about to board.

    I was about to wake up Vonnie, who was sleeping in the chair, when her phone suddenly rang.

    I saw on the caller ID that it was an unfamiliar number, from Freybourne.

    Vonnie closed her eyes and felt for her phone. Without even looking, she swiped to answer and pressed the speakerphone button.

    Shezily leaned back in the chair, weakly asking into her phone, ¡°Hello, who is it?¡±

    There was a moment of silence over there, and then a man¡¯s hesitant voice came, ¡°Um, that¡¯s me.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s personality was originally easy¨Cgoing, and on top of that, she hadn¡¯t slept well and her mind was all fuzzy.

    I could tell it was Johnathan¡¯s voice, but she couldn¡¯t tell at all. She furrowed her brow and impatiently asked, ¡°Who am I? Who are you?¡±

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    As soon as I heard her impatient tone, there was clearly a burst of angry gasping on the other end of the phone.

    After a while, Johnathan suppressed his anger and said through gritted teeth. ¡°The one I went on a blind date with!¡±

    Vonnie, with sleepy eyes, inexplicably said, ¡°Which blind date? I¡¯ve been on so many blind dates, how am I supposed to know who you are? Hurry up and tell me your name, or else I¡¯ll hang up!¡±

    Phew¡­

    Johnathan was obviously very angry, and there was a deep breath on the other end of the phone.

    Vonnie looked at her phone in confusion and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll hang up, okay?¡±

    ¡°Lavonne, do you dare to hang up the phone and see what happens!¡±

    A loud roar came from the other end of the phone.

    Vonnie blinked at me, as if asking me, ¡°Where did this crazy persone from?¡±

    I shook my head helplessly and leaned in to her ear, saying, ¡°This is Johnathan¡¯s voice.¡±

    Vonnie widened her eyes, covered the phone receiver, and eximed to me, ¡°Is it him? No way! How did he get my number?¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°The blind dates arranged for you by your elders are naturally the numbers given to them by their elders.¡±

    ¡°Why did he suddenly call me in the middle of the night? Could it be that something happened to the babies?¡±

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    When she said that, my heart suddenly tightened as well.

    At this moment, Vonnie waspletely awake, and she said to her

    phone. ¡°Is

    the babio at you? Why are you calling me? Did something happen to

    ¡°Ah, the two babies are having a good time at Reynaldo¡¯s, they are probably already asleep by now.¡±

    ¡°Who are you trying to fool? That damn Reynaldo made the babies cry. Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ How did you know? Did you bug the baby?¡±

    Vonnie nced at me anxiously and stammered, ¡°No, I was just guessing. And you, you took our treasure away. I haven¡¯t evene to settle the score with you, but you¡¯vee to me.¡±

    You went to tell that damn Reynaldo, if he dares to bully our baby again, we will not let him off.

    Don¡¯t think we can¡¯t do anything to him now that we are in uvale. I¡¯m telling you, Ralda and I are at the airport right now, about to fly over. Tell Reynaldo to be ready and give us back the babies.

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    ¡°Huh, are youing to Freybourne? Is Esmieing too?¡±

    ¡°How, scared?¡± Vonnie sneered, ¡°We will be there soon. You better bring your treasures to us early tomorrow morning, or else I will not let you off the hook!¡±

    ¡°What time did you arrive? I wille pick you up,¡± Johnathanughed over there.

    Vonnie snorted, ¡°No need, just take good care of our babies. If any of them loses a single hair, you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±

    Vonnie hung up the phone after saying, ¡°Phew, I almost let slip about the surveince just now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I pulled her up and walked towards the boarding gate, whispering, ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re going to get our babies back now. They know there¡¯s surveince, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    When ites to having children, I still feel a little uneasy.

    I also don¡¯t know if Reynaldo will return the children to me.

    Although he didn¡¯t like children very much and didn¡¯tpete with me for the children, now that the children are with him, there is no guarantee that he won¡¯t hold onto them to retaliate against me.

    I was so annoyed that I shouldn¡¯t have let the two little ones go see their ¡°cold¨Cblooded and heartless¡± dad.

    Here, Johnathan hung up the phone and immediately made a call to Reynaldo.

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    At this moment, Reynaldo was sitting by the window, absentmindedly looking at the photos in the album.

    These photos were all hidden by him, and he hadn¡¯t looked at them for a long time.

    I didn¡¯t expect to be discovered by two little guys today.

    These photos were all taken by him secretly for Esmeralda during those three years.

    During that time, although she always bullied him and humiliated him, it could also be considered as one of the few happy days for him.

    At least back then, they could be together every day, even when she was asleep or drunk, he could unabashedly look at her, apany her.

    At that time, she simply hated him, rejected him, and there was no knot that couldn¡¯t be untied or hatred that couldn¡¯t be dispelled between them.

    So at that time he was always full of hope, believing that as long as he persisted, perhaps one day she would fall in love with him.

    And unlike now, there was no hope at all.

    Long slender fingertipsnded on the woman¡¯s drunken sleeping face, and the pain that he had hidden in his heart instantly surged from all directions, fiercely gnawing at his nerves.

    The crisp ringtone of the phone shattered the loneliness and pain of this moment.

    Johnathan¡¯s voice came through the phone with a smile, ¡°Reynaldo, where are those two little ones? Have you put them to bed?¡±

    Reynaldo quietly closed the photo album and ced it in the deepest

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    drawer of the cab.

    Then I picked up my phone and said lightly, ¡°They have all fallen asleep.¡±

    Of course it wasn¡¯t him who put her to sleep.

    Those two little guys had a strong opinion of him, not allowing him to get close, and they looked at him with a sullen face full of guard.

    He had no choice but to call the servant in the end.

    In less than an hour, the maid had coaxed the two little ones to sleep.

    Thinking of this, he felt somewhat defeated and sad in his heart.

    Those two little ones wanted everything, except for their daddy.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s good that they fell asleep. When they wake up tomorrow, spend some quality time with them and bond with them. I believe it won¡¯t be long before they start to like you as their dad.¡±

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    Chapter <b>781 </b>

    ¡°Have you finished speaking? Hang up after you finish.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice was cold and indifferent.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°What, are you still mad at me? I was just being scolded by my mom, couldn¡¯t get away.¡±

    Besides, the babies were made to cry by you, so it must be you whoforted them.

    ¡°You should also change your temper, don¡¯t frown all day long. Don¡¯t just talk about the little ones, even I am afraid when I see it.¡±

    Reynaldo was a little impatient, ¡°Hung up.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait a minute¡­¡± Johnathan paused for a second, then carefully stated the main point of the phone call, ¡°Um, Esmeralda ising back to Freybourne, she should be arriving early tomorrow morning.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand tightened around the phone in an instant.

    He breathed calmly and did not speak.

    Johnathan sighed and said, ¡°Reynaldo, let bygones be bygones. You have a child now, and she has returned. Just don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Never mind? Then who willpensate for my mother¡¯s life?¡±

    Johnathan instantly fell silent.

    It was like an unsolvable knot, causing despair.

    Hanging up the phone, Reynaldo stood quietly by the window, and the

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    hatred buried deep in his heart instantly awakened.

    He smiled, but his thin lips slowly curved up with a touch of coldness.

    How dare shee back?

    Was sheing to ask him for a child, or was she convinced that he wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to her?

    That night, Reynaldo couldn¡¯t sleep at all.

    At three in the morning, there was suddenly a crying from the babies¡® room.

    His heart tightened, and he quickly got up and rushed out.

    I pushed open the door and turned on the light in the room.

    He looked over anxiously and saw Essie sitting on the bed rubbing her eyes and crying loudly, while Roddy patted her back tofort her.

    As soon as he saw him, Roddy became guarded, ¡°Bad daddy, what are you here for, go away!¡±

    Reynaldo stood quietly at the door, his hand at his side clenched tightly.

    Although he was anxious in his heart, he couldn¡¯t stand the little guy¡¯s disgusted and guarded eyes.

    His own child despised himself so much, his heart was really hurt.

    Essie was still crying, wailing in a sad and fearful voice, crying so much that it broke his heart.

    He suppressed the sadness and frustration in his heart, and asked Roddy gently, ¡°Sweetheart, please tell daddy, what¡¯s wrong with your

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    sister? Is she feeling unwell?¡±

    ¡°It was all because of you searing me that Essie had nightmares.¡±

    ¡°You bad daddy, we don¡¯t want you to control us, you go out, you leave!¡±

    Roddy said angrily, his little face full of grievances and resistance.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, he nced at Roddy, then at the crying Essic, and finally said nothing, turning to walk out.

    Since the children hated to see him so much, he no longer appeared in

    front of them.

    Seeing that he was about to leave, Roddy¡¯s chubby little hand instantly clenched the nket.

    He couldn¡¯t help but shout at the tall figure¡¯s back, ¡°You, you¡­e back!¡±

    Reynaldo was taken aback and turned to look at him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who didn¡¯t want to see daddy? Well, daddy has left, so he won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±

    Roddy pouted and turned away, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you, but you can¡¯t just leave like this. You need to go and call my godfather.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened.

    Roddy kept saying that he was the ¡°godfather¡°, did he really like Johnathan so much?!

    He suppressed his anger and smiled at the little guy, saying, ¡°There is no godfather here, only daddy!¡±

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    Roddy frowned and red at him, ¡°Go call him over.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Reynaldo made his attitude clear, ¡°There¡¯s only daddy here. Whatever you want, just tell daddy.¡±

    Roddy red at him sullenly, not saying a word.

    Essie rubbed his teary eyes, looked at him with sobs, and said, ¡°Then I want my mommy, you, go find my mommy.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened again and he said, ¡°There is no mommy here, only daddy.¡±

    After hearing this, Essie pouted and was about to cry.

    Reynaldo looked on, feeling extremely sorry, but not knowing how to soften his attitude.

    He wanted to be nice to these two little guys, but they were like hedgehogs, not allowing him to get close.

    He opened his mouth, and finally only said, ¡°Go to sleep quickly.¡±

    After saying that, he walked out again.

    The little ones cried as soon as they saw him, so he didn¡¯t bother them anymore, right?

    ¡°You, stop right there!¡± Roddy shouted breathlessly, grabbing the nket as he tried to walk away.

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    Reynaldo stopped in his tracks, turned around, and met Essie¡¯s teary eyes, which softened his heart once again.

    He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°You can have anything you want, just not Johnathan and Mommy.¡±

    Roddy sulked, stopped someone, and said nothing.

    Essie rubbed the nket and said cautiously, ¡°I, I want to drink milk.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned and said, ¡°Drink milk?¡±

    Has Essie not been weaned yet?

    ¡°I¡­ I want my grandma,¡± Essie sobbed, her small body trembling with sobs.

    Roddy looked at her, pouted his lips, and felt aggrieved for a while, ¡°I want to drink milk too, I want to drink milk.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened slightly, ¡°What kind of boy drinks milk? And besides, you¡¯re already this big and still drinking milk, isn¡¯t it embarrassing?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to drink milk, oh, I wanted to drink milk, mommy used to give me milk to drink every night, I wanted mommy.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened again, suppressing his anger as he said, ¡°No drinking, no more drinking your mother¡¯s milk in the future!¡±

    The two little guys were startled by the scolding, both staring at him with tears in their eyes.

    Reynaldo tightened the hand on his side and said in a deep voice, ¡°Go to sleep, once you fall asleep, you won¡¯t want to drink milk.¡±

    Roddy pursed his lips, tears in his eyes, staring at him without saying a

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    word.

    Essie pinched the quilt, tears welled up in his eyes full of fear.

    But she was really addicted to milk.

    She choked up and whispered, ¡°I want to drink milk.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and said to Essie that he couldn¡¯t get angry.

    Essie hesitated for a while when he saw that he was silent, and finally plucked up the courage to climb down from the bed.

    Reynaldo saw her take her bunny backpack and then pull out a pink baby bottle from inside.

    She stood by the bed holding a small milk bottle, looking at him. Her chubby toes curled up shyly.

    When Reynaldo saw the baby bottle, he was stunned for a moment.

    Did he make a mistake?

    Was drinking milk just drinking milk powder?

    Essie hesitated for a while, then asked him cautiously, ¡°Dad, can you go and buy some milk powder for me?¡±

    With a single ¡°Daddy,¡± Reynaldo¡¯s heart softened instantly.

    Forget about making milk powder.

    Even if she wanted the moon in the sky now, he would find a way to pick it for her.

    He walked towards Essie.

    Essie saw himing towards her, and her small body unconsciously

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    moved backwards.

    Roddy hurried over and stood in front of Essie.

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    He raised his little head and stared at the tall man in front of him, saying, ¡°Bad daddy, you can¡¯t bully my sister.¡±

    Reynaldo squatted down and looked at him up closely.

    Roddy¡¯s eyes and eyebrows were just like Esmeralda¡¯s.

    He unconsciously raised his hand, wanting to touch his eyebrows.

    Then his hand was raised halfway in the air, only to be swatted away by Roddy¡¯s small hand.

    Roddy was covered in spikes like a hedgehog, ring at him defensively, ¡°Bad guy, what do you want, go away!¡±

    Look!

    He is not even a bad father now, he has turned into a bad person directly.

    He sighed lightly in his heart and said, ¡°You guys want to drink milk, right? Give me the milk bottle, I¡¯ll go prepare it for you.¡±

    Roddy paused for a second, without any reaction.

    Essie hesitated for a while, but still handed the bottle to him.

    Reynaldo smiled and then looked at Roddy, ¡°What about yours?¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Roddy turned his face away ¡°haughtily¡°.

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    Reynaldo held back augh and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to drink, then I¡¯ll just go get some for my sister.¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Roddy was still humming.

    Reynaldo chuckled and said nothing, then walked out with the bottle in his hand.

    Roddy saw the situation and quickly shouted to him, ¡°Wait!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s footsteps halted, and a smile unconsciously tugged at the corner of his lips.

    He turned around and saw the little guy rummaging through the strawberry bear backpack, and soon found a blue bottle.

    Roddy handed him the bottle and said, ¡°I drank 300, my sister drank

    200.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and patted his head, ¡°Got it, wait for it.¡±

    Roddy was taken aback by his head¨Ctouching gesture, and when he realized it, he immediately pped the ces where he had been touched with disgust.

    Reynaldo felt very happy when he saw that appearance.

    After he went out with the milk bottle, he called Johnathan directly.

    Johnathan was sleeping at the time, and he was rudely awakened by the phone call, which made him very angry.

    ¡°What are you doing? Did you make the babies cry again? Why are you so annoying?¡±

    27.93%

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    12:03

    ORK NO

    Reynaldo said tly. ¡°The two little ones need milk. Ask their mother what kind of form they drink, and once you find out, bring the form over within half an hour.¡±

    Johnathan, with sleepy eyes, stared nkly for a while before digesting the words.

    He was speechless and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you ask their mom yourself? Don¡¯t you know their phone number? I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent, anger simmering on the other end of the phone.

    Johnathan realized and chuckled, ¡°No, what I meant was, it¡¯s already thiste, where can I go to get you milk powder?¡±

    ¡°The two little ones were crying for milk. They love you so much as their godfather. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for you, as their godfather, to get some milk powder for them, right?¡±

    ¡°No, this is really difficult. If you want me to do something else, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s sote, where do you expect me to go get milk powder?¡±

    ¡°Then youe over to take care of them, I¡¯ll go get it.¡±

    Reynaldo said heavily, with a serious tone, really looking like he wouldn¡¯t give up until he got the milk powder.

    Johnathan had no choice but to ept the unpleasant task of getting the milk powder.

    When Johnathan ran over with a box of milk powder, it had already been half an hour.

    At this moment, Reynaldo was waiting for him at the door. When he arrived, he immediately went up to greet him.

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    Johnathan, holding the milk powder, panted andined, ¡°Do you know how the milk powder seller scolded me? They said I didn¡¯t know to stock up on food early, disturbing people¡¯s sleep in the middle of the night, and calling me crazy.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t listen to his nonsense, took the milk powder directly, opened the box, but he was dumbfounded.

    There were more than ten cans of milk powder inside, all small cans of different brands.

    Johnathan said, ¡°I just called Lavonne, but couldn¡¯t get through. I

    guess she and Esmeralda haven¡¯tnded yet, so I don¡¯t know what kind of form the babies usually drink. That¡¯s why I bought a small can of every brand.¡±

    Upon hearing Esmeralda¡¯s name, Reynaldo¡¯s heart trembled slightly.

    He pursed his lips, said nothing, and carried the milk powder upstairs.

    Johnathan hurried to catch up, ¡°Are the babies okay? I¡¯ll go check on them.¡±

    Little did he know, Reynaldo suddenly turned around and said to him expressionlessly, ¡°Just find a room to sleep in, I¡¯ll take care of them.¡±

    ¡°Ah! No, I just went to take a look at them. Didn¡¯t you say they wanted me?¡±

    ¡°Now I don¡¯t want it,¡± Reynaldo said without looking back, and went straight up with the milk powder in his arms.

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    12:03

    || pakd??

    Johnathan stared at his back, his lips twitching.

    Could it be that this man was jealous that the babies liked him and was afraid that he would steal his favor in front of the babies?

    Tsk tsk tsk¡­

    I have never seen such a jealous man.

    When Reynaldo returned to the room with the milk powder, Roddy and Essie were sitting on the bed waiting for him.

    The two little guys still felt very strange to him. When they saw himing in, they didn¡¯t dare to greet him, just looked at him.

    Reynaldo sighed inwardly and walked quickly over, handing them the milk powder, and asked gently, ¡°Look, which one do you usually drink?¡±

    Essie nced at him and then looked into the box.

    Roddy went straight to the box and rummaged through it, finally pulling out a can of 4¨Cstage form milk.

    ¡°Daddy, please go make us some milk quickly, we really want to drink it.¡±

    Seeing the two little ones looking impatient, Reynaldo smiled rarely.

    He quickly got up to make form for the two little ones.

    Before Johnathan arrived, he had already checked and researched how to prepare this form/milk.

    So he mixed the milk powder quite handily and quickly.

    He gave the blue bottle to Roddy and then gave the pink one to Essie.

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    28 W

    Roddy took the bottle andy down to drink, which was extremely cute.

    Essic, however, held the bottle but did not drink from it, just timidly looking at him.

    Reynaldo paused and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Essie picked at the pacifier, timidly not daring to speak.

    Roddy took the bottle away and said to him, ¡°Essie needs my mom to hold her when she drinks milk, otherwise she might choke on it. Dad, you hold her in your arms.¡±

    ¡°Choked on milk?¡±

    Reynaldo thought it wasmon for children to choke on milk, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention.

    Just reached out to hug Essie.

    Essie was a little scared of him, and he moved his small body to the side.

    Reynaldo tried to make himself smile more gently, and he whispered to Essie, ¡°Be good, daddy hug.¡±

    Essie looked at the milk in the bottle, pursed her lips, and finally nodded.

    Seeing her nod, Reynaldo was absolutely overjoyed.

    He reached out and carefully held the little girl in his arms, letting her small head rest in the crook of his arm.

    71.03%

 Too Close 785

    Essie found afortable position for herself, then picked up the bottle and eagerly started sucking.

    Reynaldo held the soft body of the baby in his arms, his heart also soft as can be.

    He just hoped that this moment couldst a little longer, just a little longer.

    However, the two little ones quickly finished drinking the milk.

    Reynaldo busily said, ¡°Do you still want to drink? There¡¯s more.¡±

    Essie shook her head and said, ¡°I wanted to go to bed.¡±

    Roddy had already put the bottle on the bedside table by himself, and then crawled into bed and fell asleep.

    Essie got up from his arms and crawled into the quilt, snuggling up to his brother.

    At one point, Reynaldo felt useless.

    But he was reluctant to leave, really reluctant to leave.

    He tried to ask the two little ones, ¡°Can Daddy sleep with you?¡±

    Essie looked at Roddy./

    Roddy frowned at him and asked, ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you dislike us?¡±

    ¡°Like, Daddy really likes you guys,¡± Reynaldo said earnestly.

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    O

    <

    <b>Chap </b>70%

    Roddy still frowned slightly, a little skeptical of his words.

    Reynaldo hurriedly said. ¡°Daddy has nightmares when he sleeps alone. and is very scared. Daddy wants to sleep with you guys.¡±

    Essie softened as soon as he heard this.

    The small hand held his arm, and the small body also moved to the side. ¡°Then youe into the nket, I¡¯ll move over for you.¡±

    Looking at his affectionate daughter, Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were full of tenderness and his heart was warm.

    He had been suffering from insomnia for a very long time.

    When did it start?

    It seems that he hasn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep since his mother passed away and Esmeralda left.

    Everyone said he was sinister and cruel, cold¨Cblooded and ruthless, but no one knew that he was actually very fragile.

    How manyte nights, he woke up from nightmares, his heart aching, tears on his face.

    Waking up and unable to fall asleep again, even memories are a heart- wrenching pain.

    Now, holding the lovely baby, he soon fell asleep.

    In the dream, it was no longer the despairing pain, but the joyful scenes of him and the children together, and in the dream, there was¡­ Esmeralda.

    This dream was so beautiful, so beautiful that he almost didn¡¯t want to

    wake up.

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    ¡°Daddy. Daddy

    Suddenly there came a soft and tender call in my ears.

    He slowly opened his eyes, the sun was already shining brightly, and the room was filled with sunlight.

    Two little guys huddled beside him, their innocent faces all showing a worried expression.

    He smiled at the two little guys and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Roddy didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at him, his little face not as angry as yesterday, but with a hint of sympathy.

    Essie reached out his little hand and wiped the corner of his eye, saying, ¡°Daddy, why are you crying?¡±

    He was startled and raised his hand to touch, and his fingertips did touch something wet indeed.

    Is it?

    How did he cry?

    Last night he dreamed of something beautiful, why did he still cry?

    He couldn¡¯t exin the reason, he just felt a heavy pain in his heart.

    Essie was a little worried and asked, ¡°Dad, are you okay?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head, patted the little one¡¯s head and said with a smile, ¡°Daddy is fine.

    Last night, after preparing milk powder for these two little guys, their hostility towards him clearly disappeared.

    Roddy looked at him and said awkwardly, ¡°Seeing you look so pitiful,

    6331%

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    Chapter785

    288 Vouchers.

    we won¡¯t dislike you anymore.¡±

    However, if you dare to bully my mom in the future, I will still beat

    you up.¡±

    96.77%

 Too Close 786

    Reynaldo did not respond, just smiled faintly.

    He got up and said, ¡°You guys y in bed for a while, I¡¯ll go make breakfast for you.¡±

    Just as he got up, he noticed the faint light in the corner.

    He furrowed his brows and took a step forward.

    I was watching the babies through the monitor when suddenly I saw Reynaldo walking towards the monitor, my heart tightened instantly.

    Vonnie eximed, ¡°Oh no, he found out, he actually found out!¡±

    Ah!

    As soon as Vonnie finished speaking, there was a sudden cold snort from the monitor.

    The voice was extremely cold, with a strong sense of sarcasm.

    The next second, my monitoring screen went ck.

    He turned off the monitor.

    Vonnie stomped her foot in frustration, ¡°This man, you say he¡¯s smart, but he¡¯s so easily fooled by Kimberly.¡±

    You said he was stupid, but he would make a lot of money, get rich, and quickly discover the monitors hidden in the corners by the

    treasures.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to describe him.¡±

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    12:03

    11 ??

    I turned off my phone and said lightly. ¡°Forget it, as long as my babies are okay

    Vonnic and I took a flight around four in the morning. As soon as we got off the ne, I turned on my phone and connected to the monitor.

    However, what I never expected was that from the surveince footage, I actually saw Reynaldo falling asleep while holding Essie, with Roddy beside them.

    The father and his two sons slept soundly, the atmosphere was very harmonious.

    While on the ne, I imagined countless scenes of Reynaldo bullying the children. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became, wishing I could fly to Reynaldo¡¯s ce at any minute and bring the children back.

    When I saw the three of them sleeping so soundly, my anxiety disappeared in an instant, reced by a touch of indescribableplexity

    Sometimes I really couldn¡¯t see through that man.

    He clearly didn¡¯t like children, being so harsh with them, but why did he still agree to coax the children to sleep, and even put on a fatherly appearance in front of them.

    What was he thinking in his heart after all?

    ¡°Ralda, oh¡­

    Vonnie suddenly called out to me, astonished, and asked, ¡°Just now on the monitor, was Reynaldo really crying?¡±

    I pursed my lips, remembering the glint of tears in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes just now, and my heart twitched slightly.

    12.03

    68.74%

    755 Word

    Vonnic sighed, ¡°I never thought that someone like him would actually cry. It seems like he was quite pitiful just now.¡±

    ¡°Why was he crying? He was the one who drove you away, and you didn¡¯t even cry. What¡¯s he crying for?¡±

    I put aside theplicated emotions in my heart and snorted coldly, ¡°Who knows.¡±

    Vonnie nced at my face and chuckled, saying, ¡°Oh, forget about him, forget about him. That dog of a man, there¡¯s nothing worth mentioning.¡±

    In the end, she worriedly asked me, ¡°What should we do next? How can we get our treasures back?¡±

    And so we went to his house to demand, that dog of a man definitely wouldn¡¯t give us, and¡­

    Vonnie paused, then suddenly hesitated, ¡°Have you figured out how to face him? And what about Essie¡¯s illness?¡±

    I lowered my head, and in my heart, that sense of annoyance rose again.

    Indeed, I was not mentally prepared to see Reynaldo.

    But Essie¡¯s illness could not be cured.

    Reynaldo obviously still hated me and wanted to have that third child. I couldn¡¯t think of any other way except to get him drunk.

    Èý

    <

    12:03

 Too Close 787

    I sighed heavily and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else for now, let¡¯s first figure out a way to get the children back.¡±

    However, I went directly to Reynaldo to ask for a child, and that was definitely not an easy task.

    Reynaldo hated me so much, he might have had his bodyguards throw me out of Freybourne again.

    I discussed with Vonnie for half a day, and finally decided to let Johnathan quietly take the child out first before discussing further.

    Of course, the call from Johnathan was still made by Vonnie.

    The man answered the phone quickly and was smiling on the other end, saying, ¡°Have you arrived in Freybourne? Where are you? Send me the address, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡±

    ¡°Eating is not necessary, you can help us bring the babies out first.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Johnathan agreed quickly, ¡°Just send me the address and I¡¯ll bring the kids to meet you.¡±

    Seeing him agree so readily, Vonnie was a bit suspicious and looked at me inquiringly.

    I nodded to her.

    Vonnie then said to her phone, ¡°Okay, 11 o¡¯clock, at the Starlight za entrance. I¡¯m telling you again, I must see the babies. If you dare to bring Reynaldo, you¡¯re dead.¡±

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    Johnathan was smiling over there and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡±

    After hanging up the phone, Vonnie was still full of doubts.

    ¡°No, isn¡¯t this Johnathan always on Reynaldo¡¯s side? Howe he agreed so readily to take our babies out? Could it be a trap?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°What traps could there be?¡±

    Vonnie thought for a moment and said, ¡°What if he brings Reynaldo with him?¡±

    ¡°Not likely,¡± I said confidently.

    Because Reynaldo said he never wanted to see me again in his life.

    So that man was unlikely toe and see me on his own initiative.

    ¡°Why did he agree so readily?¡± Vonnie was still puzzled, ¡°I always feel like there¡¯s something strange about Johnathan.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°What¡¯s so strange?¡±

    ¡°In the past, wasn¡¯t he a pretty arrogant and extravagant young master? He used to really dislike me, feeling annoyed whenever he saw me.¡±

    But did you see how heughed on the phone just now, like a fool.

    Why do I always feel like he has some kind of conspiracy?

    I shook my head, also indicating my confusion.

    But actually it¡¯s not that surprising, after all, there weren¡¯t many normal people around Reynaldo.

    Starlight za is nearby, just a ten¨Cminute walk away.

    33.36%

    III

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    12:03

    At half past ten, Vonnie and I set off.

    Four yearster, returning to the old ce, everything was familiar. familiar to the point of causing a faint ache in the heart.

    Everything in Freybourne remained the same, only the people had changed.

    It really lived up to the saying, ¡°the things have changed, but the people have not.¡±

    Vonnie and I walked and looked around as we arrived at Starlight za, it was already ten fifty.

    Johnathan arrived earlier than us and as soon as he saw us, he quickly greeted us with a big smile.

    ¡°Esmie, we meet again.¡±

    He said to me, but his eyes were fixed on Vonnie without blinking.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but I feel like Johnathan¡¯s gaze towards Vonnie has changed a bit.

    Huh?

    Could it be true that sparks flew on a blind d¨¢te?

    Vonnie has always been slow in matters of the heart. She ignored Johnathan and instead looked around behind him, asking, ¡°Where are Essie and Roddy? Didn¡¯t you bring them?¡±

    It should not have been brought.

    When I arrived here just now, I had already searched all around Johnathan and did not see the two treasures.

    68.01<b>% </b>

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 Too Close 788

    Sure enough, Johnathan said gloomily. ¡°I did want to bring them, but Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t let me. That guy is so protective of the babies, he doesn¡¯t let them out of his sight for a second.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I really couldn¡¯t help it. I did my best too.¡±

    Vonnie frowned and eximed angrily. ¡°So you couldn¡¯t bring them out, you should have told us in advance, we made a wasted trip.¡±

    ¡°How can it be considered a wasted trip? I treated you to a meal.¡±

    ¡°Who asked you to treat us to a meal, just one meal, we can afford <b>it</b>.¡± Not seeing the babies. Vonnie was a little disappointed in Johnathan.

    Johnathan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look very good at the moment.

    Also, he was known as a yboy, but he didn¡¯t expect to meet Vonnie. this girl who didn¡¯t understand romance.

    I smiled and said. ¡°Vonnie, you didn¡¯t eat much just now, did you? Why don¡¯t you go have dinner with him, I have something to do and need to leave first.¡±

    Vonnie became anxious and said. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    I fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°I went back to Freybourne. I should go visit my mother¡¯s grave.¡±

    Vonnie listened and couldn¡¯t say anything more.

    She said to Johnathan. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s eat.¡±

    Johnathan snorted in anger, but still obediently followed her.

    0.00%

    280 Wuchen

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I watched their backs, one in front of the other.

    Actually, it was quite nice when they were together.

    This morning was sunny, but by noon, the weather had turned cloudy. The clouds were low and dark, as if it was going to rain.

    I had just arrived at the cemetery when the sky really started to drizzle.

    The slight cold rain added a touch of sadness to the surroundings.

    I walked up to my mother¡¯s tombstone and found several bouquets of flowers in front of it, as if they had just been ced there not long ago.

    Who has juste to see my mom?

    Was it Quentin, or was it my dad?

    I ced carnations in front of the tombstone, looked up at my mother¡¯s photo, and tears fell uncontrobly..

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    I leaned against the tombstone, choking with sorrow, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it took me so long toe see you, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    The memories of the past came flooding back.

    The warm home, the father who spoiled me, and the brother who cared for me have all turned into unforgettable pain.

    Originally, the most sorrowful thing is not the changes of the world, but the changes of people and things.

    Everything in Freybourne remained unchanged, even the air was so familiar.

    37.32%

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    12:04

    Chapte

    260 Wopher

    But those who loved me and those I loved, they have all disappeared, never to be found again.

    I touched my mother¡¯s photo and remembered my mother¡¯s warm embrace, my heart trembled with pain.

    I wiped away the tears on my face little by little, smiling at my mother¡¯s photo and saying, ¡°Mom, I am doing well now, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    And your two grandchildren that you were looking forward to, they are also doing well. They have grown up and be very cute. I will bring them to see you soon.

    ¡°Mom¡­ I wille to see you often in the future.¡±

    I wiped the dust off the tombstone, and for a moment, sorrow overwhelmed me, tears uncontrobly streaming down my face.

    I held the cold tombstone in my arms and couldn¡¯t help but burst into

    tears.

    The wind was slightly cool in my ears, and fine raindrops drifted onto my face, as if my mother was caressing my face,forting me.

    73.11%

    12:04

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    O

 Too Close 789

    Sure enough, Johnathan said gloomily. ¡°I did want to bring them, but Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t let me. That guy is so protective of the babies, he doesn¡¯t let them out of his sight for a second.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I really couldn¡¯t help it. I did my best too.¡±

    Vonnie frowned and eximed angrily. ¡°So you couldn¡¯t bring them out, you should have told us in advance, we made a wasted trip.¡±

    ¡°How can it be considered a wasted trip? I treated you to a meal.¡±

    ¡°Who asked you to treat us to a meal, just one meal, we can afford <b>it</b>.¡± Not seeing the babies. Vonnie was a little disappointed in Johnathan.

    Johnathan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look very good at the moment.

    Also, he was known as a yboy, but he didn¡¯t expect to meet Vonnie. this girl who didn¡¯t understand romance.

    I smiled and said. ¡°Vonnie, you didn¡¯t eat much just now, did you? Why don¡¯t you go have dinner with him, I have something to do and need to leave first.¡±

    Vonnie became anxious and said. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    I fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°I went back to Freybourne. I should go visit my mother¡¯s grave.¡±

    Vonnie listened and couldn¡¯t say anything more.

    She said to Johnathan. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s eat.¡±

    Johnathan snorted in anger, but still obediently followed her.

    0.00%

    280 Wuchen

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I watched their backs, one in front of the other.

    Actually, it was quite nice when they were together.

    This morning was sunny, but by noon, the weather had turned cloudy. The clouds were low and dark, as if it was going to rain.

    I had just arrived at the cemetery when the sky really started to drizzle.

    The slight cold rain added a touch of sadness to the surroundings.

    I walked up to my mother¡¯s tombstone and found several bouquets of flowers in front of it, as if they had just been ced there not long ago.

    Who has juste to see my mom?

    Was it Quentin, or was it my dad?

    I ced carnations in front of the tombstone, looked up at my mother¡¯s photo, and tears fell uncontrobly..

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    I leaned against the tombstone, choking with sorrow, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it took me so long toe see you, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    The memories of the past came flooding back.

    The warm home, the father who spoiled me, and the brother who cared for me have all turned into unforgettable pain.

    Originally, the most sorrowful thing is not the changes of the world, but the changes of people and things.

    Everything in Freybourne remained unchanged, even the air was so familiar.

    37.32%

    O

    <i>L </i>

    12:04

    Chapte

    260 Wopher

    But those who loved me and those I loved, they have all disappeared, never to be found again.

    I touched my mother¡¯s photo and remembered my mother¡¯s warm embrace, my heart trembled with pain.

    I wiped away the tears on my face little by little, smiling at my mother¡¯s photo and saying, ¡°Mom, I am doing well now, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    And your two grandchildren that you were looking forward to, they are also doing well. They have grown up and be very cute. I will bring them to see you soon.

    ¡°Mom¡­ I wille to see you often in the future.¡±

    I wiped the dust off the tombstone, and for a moment, sorrow overwhelmed me, tears uncontrobly streaming down my face.

    I held the cold tombstone in my arms and couldn¡¯t help but burst into

    tears.

    The wind was slightly cool in my ears, and fine raindrops drifted onto my face, as if my mother was caressing my face,forting me.

    73.11%

    12:04

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    O

 Too Close 790

    With thin lips slightly parted and smoke swirling around, his appearance seemed even more unreal through the rain curtain.

    I didn¡¯t expect to run into Reynaldo here.

    I was also not more prepared to see him.

    I originally wanted to leave, but at this moment, my feet felt like they were glued to the ground and couldn¡¯t move an inch.

    The things of the past have nothing to do with me. I am innocent and I am a victim of injustice.

    He drove me out of Freybourne without any reason. I should hate him, not fear him, shouldn¡¯t I?

    When his mind was wandering, Braylon had already gotten out of the

    car.

    He held a ck business umbre over my head and said in the same cold tone as his boss, ¡°Mr. Humphrey asks you to get in the car.¡±

    With that, he opened the back seat door.

    I looked at Reynaldo.

    The man remained silent, his breath heavy with cold.

    I lowered my gaze and bent down to get in the car.

    I happened to go there and bring the children back.

    The air outside was cool, but it was a bit stuffy inside the car.

    0.00<b>% </b>

    <i>L </i>

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    The wet clothes stuck to the body, making it even more ufortable.

    Fortunately, Braylon quickly started the car

    The car cut through the heavy rain curtain and drove towards the foot of the mountain.

    From start to finish. Reynaldo did not say a word, and the atmosphere in the car was oppressively heavy.

    I looked out the window at the misty rain scene, with a touch of indescribable sadness lingering in my heart.

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, the car finally came to a slow stop.

    Looking at the familiar vi in front of me, my eyes welled up with tears again, and a sourness filled my heart.

    He took me back to the Duffy¡¯s vi.

    When I walked into the vi, the more familiar smell, like a sharp de, pierced my heart.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word, not even looking at me, just went upstairs by himself.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out what his intention was in bringing me back.

    He clearly hated me, but why did he still bring me back?

    Four years have passed, and I increasingly can¡¯t figure out the heart of this man.

    Braylon drove us back and then left in the car.

    The vi was so quiet, not a single person was there.

    I looked around and didn¡¯t see Roddy and Essie.

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    12.04

    286¨CVouchers.

    Obviously, Roddy and Essie were not here.

    Did Reynaldo know I was back, so he hid the children?

    Pushing down the spection in my heart, I dragged my heavy wet clothes up the stairs.

    Passing by the study, I took a nce inside, and Reynaldo was not there.

    I walked into the bedroom again and saw him sitting on the sofa in the bedroom, with a lonely and cold expression.

    In these four years, he hasn¡¯t changed anything else, but the hostility on his body has be heavier.

    I stood at the door, hesitated for a while, and then asked, ¡°Where are Roddy and Essie?¡±

    Reynaldo then looked at me, his eyes dark and oppressive.

    He smiled at me, with a very cold smile.

    ¡°You told me, who are they?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my child, of course,¡± I said lightly.

    Heughed even colder and walked towards me.

    He stood in front of me, his dark eyes staring at me intently.

    The cold and oppressive atmosphere enveloped me, leaving me with nowhere to escape.

    ¡°Your child?¡±

    He leaned close to my ear, with a sinister smile, ¡°How could I not know that a person diagnosed as permanently infertile, unable to even

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    undergo IVF, could still have a child?¡±

 Too Close 791

    Chapter <b>791 </b>

    His cold breath, following the side of my neck, slipped into my cor, causing my body to tremble slightly.

    I tightened my hand by my side, looked into his ck eyes, and said softly, ¡°Yes, I lied to you at the beginning. The infertility test report was fake, I had Anton forge it.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡±

    He sneered and his eyes were filled with coldness.

    ¡°So, I didn¡¯t say wrong, you are the biggest liar in the world.¡±

    ¡°I have never lied to you, but you are always lying to me.¡±

    His body was tense, clearly suppressing a strong hatred and anger.

    I unconsciously took two steps back, but he followed closely behind.

    Finally, I was pushed to the wall by him.

    He raised his hand and ¡°pinned me between him and the wall.¡±

    He stared at me with slowly reddening eyes and asked, ¡°So, tell me now, who is the biological father of those two children?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°I want you to say it in person!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes had turned a deep crimson, the look in his eyes, ¡°as if he hated me intensely, yet also tinged with otherplex emotions.¡±

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    2

    In short, ¡°it¡¯s iprehensible.¡±

    I took a deep breath and said to him, ¡°Everyone knows who the biological father of those two children is, so why are you asking me to say it?¡±

    ¡°I just want to hear you say it in person!¡±

    Reynaldo was being stubborn at that moment, as if he had to ask for a result, but his whole body¡¯s breath and eyes were still cold, with a strong hatred.

    I couldn¡¯t understand why he had already ¡°seen¡± those two children and confirmed that they were his own.

    Why did he insist on me admitting it in person?

    His body slowly approached.

    My clothes were already soaked, sticking to my body. As he approached, I could clearly feel the desire suppressed in his tense body.

    My heart trembled, and I tried to shrink back against the wall.

    He suddenly lifted my chin, his cold gaze locking onto me, ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± I was very helpless.

    Four years have passed, Reynaldo is still a lunatic, even crazier than before.

    ¡°You told me who the biological father of those two children was!¡±

    I don¡¯t know why he had to dwell on this issue, an issue that he clearly already knew the answer to.

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    12.04

    66.71%

    <b>Chapter </b>791

    Wan Natalen

    Faced with his cold coercion, I couldn¡¯t help butugh and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I was the biggest liar in the world? If you ask me to speak, aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll lie to you again?¡±

    He looked at me and smiled deeply.

    I don¡¯t know if it was my feeling wrong, his smile, as if tinged with a hint of bitterness, a hint of self¨Cmockery, looking somewhat pitiful.

    He said, ¡°It¡¯s because of this that I want to know if you will still fabricate lies to deceive me about these two children,¡±

    His eyes were so determined that it was frightening, as if he would not recognize those two children whenever I said their biological father was someone else.

    Actually, upon second thought, it doesn¡¯t make any sense to be tangled up in this issue.

    Everyone knows who the child¡¯s biological father is.

    He just wanted to hear me admit it in person, that¡¯s all.

    Just because I always lied to him, so this time he wanted to hear the truth once, right?

    I looked at him and whispered, ¡°Since you are so eager to hear me say it myself, then I will tell you that the child¡¯s biological father is you.¡±

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    12:04

    2P hers

 Too Close 792

    Although the answer was already known, at the moment when I admitted it with my own mouth, his body still trembled, and there was a hint of emotion in his eyes that I couldn¡¯t understand, like excitement, yet also like joy.

    I don¡¯t know why, but his reaction made me feel a little bitter and sad in my heart.

    He clearly still cared about the child, but why wouldn¡¯t he believe that my rtionship with his mother had nothing to do with her death.

    We, as a family of four, could have been happy together, but he just wouldn¡¯t believe me.

    Reynaldo¡¯s breath drew closer, and he kissed the corner of my lips, his voice hoarse and restrained, ¡°Why did you dare toe back? Huh?¡±

    Look, as soon as the child¡¯s issue was settled, he started to bring up his mother¡¯s matter with me again.

    Even though he had children, his hatred towards me did not diminish in the slightest.

    I avoided his breath and said lightly, ¡°I have a clear conscience, why wouldn¡¯t I dare toe back?¡±

    ¡°Did you forget what I said before? Why do you dare to appear in front of me?¡± His tone was harsh and cold, as if he wanted to tear me apart.

    I clenched my fists tightly by my side and smiled at him, ¡°If you let go of me now and give the children back to me, I will disappear

    immediately and stop bothering you.¡±

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    Reynaldo¡¯s face, on the other hand, grew even colder, with a deeper hatred in his eyes.

    He didn¡¯t speak anymore, just stared at me fiercely.

    Wrapped in wet clothes, I was already extremely ufortable, and now he was pressing against me, making it even harder for me to breathe.

    I couldn¡¯t help but push him, but his tall figure remained motionless.

    I was about to say something when suddenly I sneezed twice in a row.

    He gave me a cold nce, suddenly let go of me, and said in a cold tone, ¡°Go take a shower.¡±

    ¡°Essie and Roddy¡­¡±

    ¡°Go! Take a shower!¡±

    The three words ¡°ice¨Ccold¡± carried an irresistible pressure and hostility.

    Anyway, I was feeling ufortable all over now, it would be morefortable to take a bath.

    The familiar bathroom remained the same as before, and even my toiletries were still there.

    Aplex feeling that couldn¡¯t be described surged in my heart again.

    I picked up the couple water cup and felt so sad that I wanted to cry.

    That was when we opened our hearts to each other and made up, I specifically went to buy it.

    He was so happy at that time, he could even be described as ¡°overwhelmed with joy¡°.

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    He cherished the cups at that time, reluctant to use it, just kept it there and looked at it, he would smile

    The past sweetness contrasts sharply with the present, always making people sad.

    I put the cup away and turned to turn on the shower

    The warm water sshed on my body, instantly soothing my tense

    nerves.

    At first, I didn¡¯t know what mood to say goodbye to Reynaldo with

    And now, everything has fallen into ce.

    After taking a shower, my mind calmed down a lot.

    I put on a bathrobe, opened the door of the bathroom, and walked out.

    Reynaldo did not leave.

    He leaned against the window and smoked.

    When I came out, the cigarette in his hand had just burned out.

    He put out the cigarette butt, closed the window a little, and then turned to look at me.

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 Too Close 793

    My turbulent emotions calmed down, and his emotions seemed to have also settled. The look in his eyes was no longer so sinister and cold, nor was it so turbulent.

    However, the desire in his eyes was even more intense than before.

    At that moment, he looked at me with a deep, aggressive gaze.

    He loosened his tie and walked towards me.

    Indeed, after four years of not seeing each other, when they met again, how could certain things in their bodies not be stirred up.

    He walked over, put his arm around my waist, held the back of my head with his other hand, and then a domineering kiss followed.

    As if suppressed for a long time, he kissed me wildly, as if he wanted to swallow me alive.

    His touch always easily made my body go weak.

    I couldn¡¯t stand still, tightly grasping thepel of his chest so that my body wouldn¡¯t slip down.

    He kissed me for a long time, finally let go of me, but his lips were close to my car, hoarse voice, word by word, ¡°I love you very much, but, I also hate you.¡±

    I nced sideways slightly and met his crimson eyes.

    In those eyes, there seemed to be a hint of tears.

    The bathrobe he had just put on slipped to the ground in his hurried

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    298 Nagherd

    movements.

    He sat me on the windowsill, his tall body pressed tightly against mine.

    He looked at me deeply, and in his eyes, there was not only coldness, but also sadness and pain.

    Look, whether he loved me or hated me, it was a painful thing for him.

    So, our acquaintance was a mistake from the beginning.

    Reynaldo¡¯s long fingers pinched my shoulder, leaning in close to me with his cold breath brushing against me, making me shiver.

    I pulled the curtains tightly behind me and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Reynaldo, you said I am the biggest liar in the world, but you have never believed me, have you?¡±

    ¡°Many facts are right in front of me, how can you expect me to believe you?¡±

    He chuckled and said, ¡°I wanted to believe you, you are the person I most want to believe, but you are also the person who deceived me the

    most.¡±

    Esmeralda, I really hated you so much, but I didn¡¯t know what to do with you.

    You said¡­why did youe back?¡±

    His voice was full of sadness, his eyes were bloodshot as if he was about to cry.

    My heart was also tightly clenched, filled with a strong sense of sourness and pain.

    I was not wrong, and he was not wrong.

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    <

    12:05

    Chapter

    The biggest mistake was those pointing at me, ndering me with irond evidence.

    The physical evidence and testimonies from those people made my exnations seem pale.

    J4jitnag

    I encircled his strong and slender waist, choked up and whispered, ¡°I have indeede back. This is my hometown, the ce where I grew up since I was a child. I had toe back.¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t hate enough, then you just kill me.¡±

    ¡°Kill me?¡± he chuckled darkly, with a somewhat deste smile, ¡°That¡¯s too difficult. How about you kill me instead?¡±

    Once dead, it¡¯s all over. There¡¯s no need to be so sad and in so much pain.

    ¡°Esmeralda,e and kill me.¡±

    Looking at the pain and despair in his eyes, my heart tightened in waves, making it difficult to even breathe.

    Honestly, I feel like in this lifetime, I shouldn¡¯t have met him.

    If we had never met, there wouldn¡¯t have been so much pain and torment, and even my mother wouldn¡¯t have died.

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 Too Close 794

    But the man suddenly hugged me, his sad voice choked and whispered in my car, ¡°Even though it¡¯s so painful, I have never regretted knowing you,¡±

    I have never regretted meeting you, which made me unable to hold back anymore, and tears instantly fell down.

    I have always regretted meeting him, but he has never regretted it,

    never.

    In this rtionship, it has always been me thinking about backing off, but he never did.

    It seems that from the very beginning, he forcefully barged into my life, maintaining our rtionship in a domineering way.

    He has always been the one to take the initiative, and he has never been willing to give up.

    Realizing this, my heart felt bitter waves.

    The one who tortured him was never others, but himself.

    He refused to let himself go.

    Behind me was the sound of rain pattering outside the window, and in front of me was the man¡¯s heavy breathing.

    His body was pressed against the cold, hard window, feeling a bit sore.

    Just that slight pang of pain was quickly reced by the tingling pleasure rising in my body.

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    The light seemed to be flickering, and the man¡¯s face in front of me slowly became blurred.

    <b>With </b>a low roar, my eyes seemed to explode like fireworks in front of me, colorful.

    Afterwards, Reynaldoy on top of me, breathing heavily, his big hands still tightly gripping my waist.

    I stood still, staring nkly at everything familiar in the bedroom.

    Memory was like going back four years ago, when all the sad things had not happened yet, his mother and my mother were still fine.

    Well¡­

    Fantasies are always false.

    Reynaldo¡¯s stem gaze and cold voice brought everything back to reality.

    He brushed away the sweat¨Cdampened hair on my forehead, kissed my lips, and said the harshest words in the gentlest voice. ¡°Just now, for a moment, I really wanted to kill you.¡±

    Indeed, just now his actions were very fierce and ruthless, as if he wanted to torment me to death.

    At this moment, as the tide of emotions receded, the ces where I was hurt behind became especially clear and painful.

    His fingers rubbed my shoulder, his tone restrained. ¡°Wee back. I won¡¯t drive you away again, but I won¡¯t let you off either.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t matter, anyway, we have been tormenting each other for most of our lives, and I don¡¯t care about the future.

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    0 9707546

    As long as he didn¡¯t stand in my way to retaliate against Kimberly.

    He looked at me deeply for a long time, his dark gaze moving down andnding on my chest full of marks.

    His throat rolled, his eyes gradually darkened.

    Sure enough, after enduring for four years, how could one time satisfy him.

    He suddenly picked me up again and pressed me down on the bed.

    Without much words, he lowered his head and kissed me.

    At this moment, all grievances have dissipated, and in his eyes there seems to be only desire, that surge of impulse that had been trapped in his body for four years, now seems to be breaking free from its cage, ready to eruptpletely.

    I grabbed his arm, my heart trembling.

    The love, hatred, and grievances buried in the heart all emerged at this

    moment.

    He was really hateful and outrageous.

    He always said he loved me, but never trusted me, and kept me out of Freybourne for four years.

    He didn¡¯t know that when I was giving birth, it was touch and go, and all I could think of was him.

    She didn¡¯t know at that time, my child and I almost disappeared from this world.

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 Too Close 795

    He knew nothing.

    He just knew ¡°hate me, just knew torture me!¡±

    Was this what he called love?

    At that moment, sadness and grievance surged in the heart.

    I turned my head, avoiding his kiss, tears kept falling down.

    Reynaldo propped himself up and stared at me with a deep gaze, ¡°Don¡¯t want me to touch you?¡±

    I bit my lip and didn¡¯t say anything.

    He rubbed my waist side andughed coldly, ¡°But who let youe back? I said I couldn¡¯t hurt you, but I definitely won¡¯t let you go.¡±

    With that, he firmly grasped my chin and forced me to face him.

    I looked into his eyes filled with deep hatred and said hoarsely, ¡°Reynaldo, you will regret this.¡±

    When he found out that all those evil things were done by Kimberly, he would definitely regret treating me like this now, definitely!

    Knock, knock, knock¡­

    Just as I was at a standoff with him, a sudden knock on the door broke the ambiguous and charming atmosphere in the room.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes darkened.

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    Chapless

    208 others

    He looked at me deeply for a long time, and finally spoke when the knocking sounded for the third time, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Braylon respectfully said at the door, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, Mr. Roderick, and Miss Estelle followed Quentin.¡±

    Upon hearing this, my heart tightened and I quickly tried to stand up.

    Reynaldo grabbed my shoulder and asked in a deep voice as he looked out the door, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go to the amusement park? Why did you end up going with Quentin?¡±

    ¡°Quentin told the two little ones that he was their uncle, and even showed them a photo of him with their mother. The two little ones were curious about this uncle, so they went with him.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Reynaldo said lightly towards the door.

    But I was feeling a little anxious in my heart.

    Quentin wouldn¡¯t harm these two children, but that doesn¡¯t mean Kimberly wouldn¡¯t.

    I had to go to Quentin¡¯s ce as soon as possible to bring the children back.

    I pushed Reynaldo hard and hurriedly got out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.

    I only had that set of wet clothes, so I endured the difort and put on the pile of soaking wet clothes.

    The next second, a set of clean clothes was suddenly thrown over.

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo leaning against the bathroom door, looking at me coldly.

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    ZBE Wouchers

    These clean clothes are still my old clothes, he didn¡¯t throw them away.

    I didn¡¯t think much, quickly putting on the clothes.

    Just now, I was struggling a lot, my legs were a bit weak, leaning on the sink, I barely managed to put on my pants.

    After getting dressed, I didn¡¯t look at him, and hurriedly walked outside with my eyes downcast.

    As he passed by me, he suddenly grabbed me.

    He smiled coldly at me and said, ¡°What, because Quentin used you back then, you don¡¯t let the children get close to him?¡±

    The false usation by Quentin back then has always been a pain in my heart.

    I don¡¯t care when others falsely use me, but it just so happens that the person is my own brother who has loved me for over twenty years.

    Who can understand that kind of pain?

    Four years ago, the disaster surged back. Reynaldo stared at me coldly, his eyes filled with deeper hatred.

    He clenched his five fingers as if he wanted to break my wrist.

    A touch of indescribable bitterness welled up in my heart.

    I suppressed the pain in my heart, approached him, and sneered at him, ¡°I said, if you hate me so much, then just kill me.¡±

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 Too Close 796

    His cor was loose, under the ck shirt was his strong chest, on which were the scratches I left behind when we were just having fun.

    I raised my hand, touched those scratch marks, looked into his eyes full of hatred, and smiled gently, ¡°If you don¡¯t kill me now, one day, I will definitely kill Kimberly. By then, you better not regret it.¡±

    As the words fell, my fingers slid down to his lower abdomen.

    His eyes darkened, and he pushed me away with a swift motion.

    I lowered my head and saw that there was a red mark on the wrist that he had just grabbed.

    I pursed my lips, took two steps back, and looked at him deeply, ¡°The child is mine alone. What father, what uncle, stay away from my child.¡±

    The reason I was willing to let Johnathan bring the children back for you to see was simply because those two children were very curious about you as their father, and there was no other reason.¡±

    Reynaldo tightened the hand at his side, his face cold.

    He said in a deep voice, ¡°But no matter what, I am their biological father.¡±

    ¡°Well, indeed,¡± I smiled brightly at him and said deliberately, ¡°but I can also find them a new father.¡±

    ¡°Did you dare?!¡±

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    255 ouders

    The man in front of me seemed impatient, he growled lowly and then pressed me against the door frame of the bathroom by grabbing my neck.

    Look, it¡¯s been four years, and his habit of grabbing people¡¯s necks when he gets angry hasn¡¯t changed.

    He red at me angrily, ¡°Find them a new father? Ha, how dare you say that?¡±

    I admit, I did provoke him on purpose.

    Seeing him so angry, a sense of satisfaction truly shed through my heart.

    I stared into his cold eyes and chuckled, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare? If you dare to protect Kimberly, why wouldn¡¯t I dare to find a new father for the children?¡±

    ¡°So who do you want to be the father of the child? Anton?¡± Reynaldo¡¯s voice was cold and suppressed, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, you¡¯ve been with him for the past four years.¡±

    ¡°So what? At the moment you drove me out of Freybourne, who I am with has nothing to do with you, right?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda Duffy!¡± he growled coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we are not divorced yet!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we didn¡¯t get divorced,¡± I looked at him, smiled faintly, ¡°Then let¡¯s go get divorced another day.¡±

    I felt therge hand around my neck tighten.

    The look in his eyes was deep and cold, filled with hatred and urgency, as if he wanted to tear me into a thousand pieces.

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    I was being extremely sarcastic in my heart.

    He clearly hated me so much, but he refused to divorce me no matter what. He is really contradictory.

    I had no intention of getting involved in these things with him again.

    The more the children pestered Quentin, the more dangerous it became for them.

    I pushed him with all my strength.

    Looking at his extremely cold expression, I said in a low voice, ¡°I am not afraid of the children being taken away by Quentin, but I am afraid of Kimberly hurting my children.¡±

    No matter how kind that woman may seem in your eyes, if she ever harms my child in the slightest, I will definitely fight her to the end!

    ¡°Of course, if you want to protect that woman, then I will fight you to the death!¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak, he just narrowed his eyes slowly and looked at me gloomily.

    I walked out quickly without trying to guess his inner thoughts.

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 Too Close 797

    This time he didn¡¯t stop me again.

    The rain had stopped outside.

    Everywhere was wet and muddy, the sky was gray and dark, with a hint of cool breeze.

    I called a car on my phone and waited for it in the yard. Reynaldo came down and stood at the door, looking at me.

    He was dressed in all ck, exuding a cold and solemn aura as if the passionate embrace just now had never happened.

    Luckily, the car I called arrived quickly.

    As I was about to get in the bus, his low and cold voice suddenly drifted over.

    ¡°What did youe back for this time?¡±

    !

    My hand tightened slightly as I opened the door, my cold expression reflected on the car window.

    I lightly dropped two words, ¡°Revenge!¡±

    Actually, the most important thing for me toe back this time was to have a third child with him to treat Essie¡¯s illness.

    However, he still hated me so much, and his eyes always looked at me so fiercely, as if he wanted to kill me.

    If I told him about Essie¡¯s illness, told him that she was pregnant with their third child, our involvement would only grow deeper and deeper

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    in the future.

    So, I didn¡¯t want to tell him about this.

    If it weren¡¯t for Essie¡¯s illness, I wouldn¡¯t want to have any rtionship with him for the rest of my life.

    I took out my phone and dialed Quentin¡¯s number.

    They answered quickly over there, with a hint of excitement and joy in Quentin¡¯s voice, ¡°Ralda, have you¡­ have you returned to Freybourne?¡±

    ¡°Where are my children?¡±

    ¡°They were here, with me, where are you, I wille pick you up.¡±

    ¡°No need, just send me the address and I will pick up the child.¡±

    Quentin was silent for two seconds and then said, ¡°Ralda, can you let the kids stay with me for a while? I really like them.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I refused directly, ¡°If you still care about family ties, then send me the address.¡±

    I hung up the phone as soon as I finished speaking.

    After about five minutes, Quentin finally sent the address.

    I turned on the navigation and asked the driver to follow this address.

    About forty minutester, the car stopped in front of a vi.

    I got out of the car and/looked at the luxurious vi in front of me, a touch of irony rising in my heart.

    It seems that after I left, Quentin¡¯s luck turned around, and he could afford such a luxurious¨Cvi.

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    Back then, my family went bankrupt and had countless debts. I was at my wit¡¯s end, so I went to find Reynaldo.

    If Quentin had been so capable at that time, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have gone to find Reynaldo, and I wouldn¡¯t have had such a deep involvement with him in this lifetime.

    I waved away the confusion in my heart and walked quickly into the courtyard.

    The gate was open.

    As soon as I reached the door, I heard Quentin¡¯s gentle voice soothing the children.

    ¡°Is it delicious? Your mom used to love this the most. I used to line up for a long time to buy it.¡±

    ¡°If you also like to eat, then I will go line up to buy for you every day

    in the future.¡±

    ¡°When was this photo taken? Is that mommy? Why is mommy so small?¡±

    ¡°This is a photo of me and your mom when we were kids catching fish in the river. Your mom was so naughty back then, like a boy.¡±

    ¡°And this one, this is your grandmother, she was knitting scarves for me and your mom.¡±

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    ¡°Oh, there is also a New Year¡¯s Eve photo, where your mom and I set off fireworks and built a snowman together.¡±

    ***

    With Quentin¡¯s narration, those beautiful past scenes shed through his mind, followed by the irretrievable pain.

    Those pains were like a sharp knife, fiercely stabbing into my heart, causing a bloody and painful sensation.

    Essie was the first to see me, running towards me excitedly, ¡°Mommy, mommy¡­¡±

    Essie threw herself into my arms, holding me tightly, tears in her eyes as she said, ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much, I never want to leave you again.¡±

    Roddy also ran over, holding my hand, pouting his little mouth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave mommy in the future, sob¡­¡±

    I sighed as I looked at the two tearful little ones.

    From the surveince footage, although Reynaldo¡¯s attitude towards these two little guys improvedter, these two little guys still suffered some grievances from him.

    This time seeing dad, also considered fulfilling a wish for them.

    They probably won¡¯t mor for their father anymore in the future.

    Quentin hurriedly came forward, holding a photo album in his hand.

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    On the table behind him were velvet cakes and many toys.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    He looked at me, his eyes red, with excitement and guilt in them, in short, aplex mix of emotions.

    I didn¡¯t say anything, ¡°I took the two children and got ready to leave.¡±

    He hurriedly stopped me and said to me with red eyes, ¡°Do you really not want to see me at all now?¡±

    ¡°I was wrong, Ralda, I know I was wrong, I really want to make it up to you.¡±

    ¡°Compensate?¡± I sarcasticallyughed, ¡°Well then, why don¡¯t you tell me, how do you n topensate me?¡±

    <i>¡°</i><i>I. </i>¡±

    ¡°Was it to give me delicious food and drink? Or to give me luxurious amodation? Or to give me meticulous care?¡±

    I looked at him, smiling sarcastically, ¡°Do you think Ick those things?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s throat rolled, but he didn¡¯t speak, j¨²st looked at me with a sad and guilty look in his eyes.

    I took a deep breath and said to him coldly, ¡°In the future, don¡¯t get close to my children again. They have no rtionship with you.¡±

    After saying that, I took the children and walked outside.

    He suddenly grabbed me and, with red eyes, asked me, ¡°Are you really going to be so heartless?¡±

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    Upon hearing the words ¡°heartless¡°, I couldn¡¯t help butugh, my eyes filled with a bitter smile.

    I confronted him. ¡°Who is really heartless? When you were helping Kimberly nder me, did you ever think about the word ¡®heartless¡°?¡±

    When Quentin mentioned the incident four years ago, he was tense all over and even his hands were shaking.

    At this moment, a figure came down from upstairs.

    I took a closer look and it turned out to be my dad.

    He was holding several photo albums in his hands, as if they had just been flipped through.

    As soon as he saw me, he rushed over, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at me. ¡°Oh, Ralda, you¡¯re back,e on, let me have a look.¡±

    He said, and then looked me up and down.

    I coldly shook off his hand, took two steps back, and looked at him and Quentin, smiling sarcastically, ¡°It seems like you and your son are doing better without me and my mom.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡± Quentin looked at me sorrowfully, his eyes red as if he was about to cry. ¡°Without you and Mom, we don¡¯t have a home. Come back, Ralda, stay with me. I¡¯ll take care of you and the children.¡±

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    ¡°No need!¡± I said coldly, ¡°I warn you, do not approach my child again in the future.¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡± As soon as I finished speaking, my dad frowned and said, ¡°Look at you, it¡¯s been four years already, why are you still mad at us?¡±

    Ah, how could there be any lingering grudges among family members? It¡¯s fine to have a temper tantrum. It¡¯s been four years since west met, and I really miss you.

    Just listen to Quentin, move back and live here, I still want to spend more time with these two grandchildren.¡±

    He said, reaching out to touch Roddy and Essie.

    I shielded two children behind me and sneered at them, ¡°Fine, you can let me stay here, unless¡­ you drive Kimberly away!¡±

    As soon as I walked in, I saw thedy¡¯s shoes.

    So, Kimberly should also have been living here, after all, she had been openly dating Quentin.

    ¡°Who are you going to drive away?¡±

    At this moment, a clear and bright woman¡¯s voice came from the door.

    I frowned heavily and turned around to see Kimberly indeed!

    She used to always dress in a pure and innocent way, but now her style has be more elegant, and her makeup is no longer youthful and innocent, but rather sophisticated, with a touch of mour.

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    Kimberly¡¯s face was indeed beautiful, it used to be pure beauty, now it is morous beauty.

    No wonder Quentin waspletely enchanted by her.

    And there was Zackery, who had helped her do bad things and ruined his own bright future, also lost his mind to her.

    I shielded two children behind me and looked coldly at the woman at the door.

    Kimberly first nced at me with a sneer, then her gaze fell behind <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    She looked at the two children behind me with an almost incredulous look in her eyes.

    As if confirming something, she pointed behind me at Essie and Roddy, her voice bing sharp, ¡°Whose children are they?¡±

    I was about to speak when suddenly I remembered that she couldn¡¯t have children, and I immediately held back my words.

    This woman was just a lunatic, now she¡¯s in her territory again, Essie and Roddy are also there, it¡¯s better not to provoke her, in case she suddenly goes crazy and hurts the child, that wouldn¡¯t be worth it.

    I didn¡¯t say anything, just took Essie and Roddy¡¯s hands and wanted to leave.

    Kimberly stood at the door for a moment.

    She stared at Essie and Roddy with a nervous look in her eyes, a look that reminded me of a lunatic in a mental hospital.

    My heart was a little flustered.

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    I turned back and shouted to Quentin, ¡°If you still have a little bit of family affection in your heart, then let this woman step aside!¡±

    Quentin walked over with aplex expression on his face. He reached out to grab Kimberly, but she pushed him away.

    She pointed at Essie and Roddy, and asked Quentin, ¡°Whose children are they? Tell me, where did theye from?¡±

    Before Quentin could even speak, my dad said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to guess? Isn¡¯t it just Ralda and Reynaldo¡¯s child?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s¡­ child?¡±

    Kimberly nervously tilted her head and stared at me with eyes like a snake, ¡°You and him already have children, and they¡¯re so big? Why? Why can you have children and I can¡¯t, why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, Esmeralda, it¡¯s all because of you that I can never be a mother in my whole life, it¡¯s all because of you!¡±

    She screamed and looked like she was about to pounce on me and the

    children.

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    Quentin hurriedly held her, ¡°Kimberly, calm down, don¡¯t be like this, Kimberly¡­¡±

    Kimberly was held by Quentin, unable to move, and could only stare at me with a fierce and terrifying look in her eyes.

    Essie and Roddy were obviously a little scared, both hiding behind me and tightly clutching my clothes.

    Quentin saw the situation and quickly carried Kimberly inside.

    At this moment, my dad suddenly came over and sighed helplessly at me, ¡°You, why did you stab her belly like that back then, causing her to be unable to have children, and also causing me to have no grandchildren to hold.¡±

    Upon hearing these words, an indescribable anger surged straight into my chest.

    I yelled at him angrily, ¡°It was my mother that she killed, I would be doing her a favor by not killing her!¡±

    Lukas, I just want to ask you if you still have a conscience. My mother was once sincerely pursued by you, sincerely loved by you, and was your devoted wife for decades.

    How could you be so heartless? Haven¡¯t you ever dreamed of her? Is there not a single trace of guilt in your heart?

    I red at him with crimson eyes, shaking with anger.

    A sh of guilt quickly passed over my dad¡¯s face, he lowered his gaze

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    and said softly. ¡°Your mom has passed away for four years, this matter is considered over, people should look forward, no matter what she is Quentin¡­¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see a way forward.¡± I wiped the tears from my face and stared coldly at the almost frantic Kimberly. ¡°I will definitely avenge my mother.¡±

    After saying that, I quickly led Essie and Roddy outside, not wanting to stay there for another moment, feeling very unlucky.

    Just as I reached the gate of the courtyard, I heard Quentin¡¯s voice from behind.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    Before I could even turn around, Quentin embraced me from behind.

    He held me tightly, his voice choked with sorrow in my ear.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you really forgive me once?¡±

    His voice was filled with strong pleading and sorrow.

    I lifted my head and looked at the darkening horizon.

    The past happiness, really became so far away, so far away.

    I said lightly, ¡°In the past, no matter how we argued, we would always make up in the end.¡±

    ¡°But this time it¡¯s different, mom is gone, and we can never make up again.¡±

    ¡°But mom also said that no matter what happens in the future, we should support each other and be good siblings for life. Have you forgotten?¡±

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    Upon hearing this, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°Mom also said that I am your only real sister, asking you to take good care of me and protect me. But you, have you forgotten?¡±

    Quentin tightened the hand around my waist and fell silent.

    I sarcastically pursed my lips and said, ¡°Four yearster, do you still think that the deaths of Mom and Ms. Versta were just idents caused by Kimberly and Zackery?¡±

    Quentin remained silent.

    I sneered, ¡°Have you ever thought about¨CDad¡¯s affair back then, and his sudden usation of me killing Ms. Versta?¡±

    Who do you think would set up such a big trap, leading our foolish father into it, making him owe countless debts, and then using money to tempt him to frame me, besides Kimberly?

    ¡°My dear brother, who do you think there is besides her?¡±

    Quentin remained silent, not even offering a single word of rebuttal.

    He was not unwilling to argue, but unable to argue.

    That is to say, during these four years, he act¨²ally understood it.

    It¡¯s just that his obsession with Kimberly far exceeded my imagination.

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    Even though he knew that those were all traps set by Kimberly, that it was Kimberly who caused his family to be destroyed, he could still choose to forgive!

    This is what makes me feel the most cold¨Chearted.

    I didn¡¯t say anything more, just squeezed his hand tightly.

    However, he refused to let go.

    He choked and said to me, ¡°I also hate her, really, when I found out that all those bad things were her doing, I really hated her, I wanted to kill her.¡±

    But I couldn¡¯t do it, Ralda, do you understand? I really couldn¡¯t do it, I hated her, but I also loved her to the core.

    She also told me that she regretted it, saying she would definitely turn over a new leaf, she was also very painful, she didn¡¯t want that, she was just blinded by jealousy.

    Iughed coldly.

    Up to now, he has still been speaking up for Kimberly.

    Honestly, I felt that I had said enough to him.

    I forcefully pushed away his hand and turned to look at him.

    Passing him, I also saw Kimberly standing in the house, her eyes like a snake¡¯s or a scorpion¡¯s.

    In this way, a malicious and insane woman, Quentin actually believed

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    that she would reform, which is ridiculous.

    I coldly said to Quentin, ¡°I don¡¯t want to say more about the others. If you don¡¯t want to avenge my mother, then I will do it.¡±

    Also, in the future, it¡¯s best to stay away from my children. I don¡¯t want them to be bothered by some lunatic.

    ¡°Fortunately, nothing happened today, otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t like this before, she clearly liked children very much, and was very gentle with the children in the orphanage, I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you think? Did you think she would like my child with Reynaldo, did you think she would treat my two children well, like all ¡®aunts¡®, care for them, love them?¡±

    I coldly sneered, ¡°Quentin, you are really naive and somewhat ridiculous. She is Kimberly, the one who was so jealous of me that she didn¡¯t hesitate to harm my mother and Ms. Versta. Do you think she would treat my child kindly?¡±

    Quentin was left speechless by my words, his face full of despair.

    I didn¡¯t want to say a word, just took Essie and Roddy and left.

    Walking out of the yard, Roddy turned back and said to me, ¡°Mom, Uncle is still standing there, as if crying.¡±

    I said lightly, ¡°He is not really an uncle, so don¡¯t follow him in the future.¡±

    Essie nced at me and asked quietly, ¡°Mommy, are you angry?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, holding my breath and taking them into the taxi.

    The two little ones saw that my face was not right, and they dared not

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    speak

    When I got back to the hotel, Vonnie hadn¡¯t returned yet.

    I ordered dinner for the two little ones on my phone and then prepared to take a shower and rest.

    Today, perhaps because of getting caught in the rain, my head hurt a lot, as if it was going to explode.

    Roddy poured me a ss of warm water with a keen eye.

    Essie nestled into my arms and timidly asked, ¡°Mommy, are you really angry?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I said listlessly.

    Essie pouted, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Every time Mom gets angry, it¡¯s like this.¡±

    I sighed and pulled them over, asking very seriously, ¡°Who allowed you to follow strangers so casually? It¡¯s one thing for you to secretly go find your father, but why do you believe whatever others say and follow them?¡±

    Roddy pouted and said, ¡°Johnathan is not a stranger.¡±

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    Essie nodded on the side.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Johnathan, I¡¯m talking about that ¡®uncle¡®, who told you to follow him.¡±

    Essie and Roddy exchanged a nce.

    Roddy said, ¡°He showed us a photo of him with his mom, and I thought he looks a bit like her.¡±

    Essie continued, ¡°Hmm, he said he is an uncle, and we also asked people from dad¡¯s side, and they also said he is an uncle.¡±

    And my uncle even cried when he saw us, looking so pitiful.

    ¡°Then¡­ then he said he would take us to see photos of Mommy when she was young, and we¡­ we followed him.¡±

    Roddy looked at me in confusion and asked, ¡°Mommy, is he really my uncle?¡±

    Actually, I really didn¡¯t know how to answer this question.

    I touched his head and said, ¡°It used to be, but not anymore. You will understand when you grow up.¡±

    In short, you must promise Mommy that you can¡¯t just go with anyone casually in the future. If you get lost, where should Mommy find you?¡±

    Essie quickly hugged me and said, ¡°Mommy, Essie will never go anywhere in the future, just stay by mommy¡¯s side.¡±

    Roddy nodded in agreement, ¡°Me too.¡±

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    I hugged them with a smile, and the knot in my heart finally loosened a bit.

    That night, Vonnie called me and said, ¡°she wasn¡¯ting back.¡±

    On the phone, she was huffing and puffing, and I was about to ask her what had happened.

    She seemed very busy and it was really noisy over there. She said to me, ¡°Let¡¯s talkter,¡± and then quickly hung up the phone.

    Not long after her phone hung up, Anton¡¯s phone rang again.

    Anton¡¯s tone was a bit urgent, ¡°Esmeralda, why did you suddenly return to Freybourne?¡±

    Yes, I hurried back to Freybourne with Vonnie and forgot to tell Anton.

    ¡°Did Reynaldo do anything to you when you went back?¡±

    When he asked me this, I remembered the passionate encounter I had with Reynaldo that afternoon.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything to me, and he said he wouldn¡¯t kick me out of Freybourne again.¡±

    ¡°Did he forgive you then?¡±

    ¡°Forgiveness¡± sounds really ironic.

    I didn¡¯t do anything wrong at all, what do I need forgiveness for?

    I said lightly, ¡°No, he still hates me.¡±

    Anton fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°Where are you staying now? I booked a flight to Freybourne early tomorrow morning.¡±

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    Vonnie¡¯s role had been finalized, and I had a lot of things to discuss with her

    I finished listening and immediately sent him an address.

    The head was aching in waves, and I couldn¡¯t open my eyes. I didn¡¯t chat much with Anton, hung up the phone, and fell into a deep sleep.

    Waking up again, I felt a small hand touching my forehead.

    Next, there were two little ones with worried voices.

    Essie, ¡°Mom seems to have a fever, what should we do?¡±

    Roddy called Vonnie with Mommy¡¯s phone and asked Vonnie toe back quickly

    After Roddy finished speaking, the sound of dialing could be heard in the room.

    The little guy just called Vonnie several times, but no one answered.

    Essie said, ¡°Vonnie might be busy, why not give Johnathan a call.¡±

    Then there was another dial tone, but Johnathan also did not answer the phone.

    Essie was anxious, ¡°What should we do, Roddy, Anton is not here again.¡±

    Roddy seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said, ¡°How about I call Dad? Although Dad is always grumpy, but Mom is sick now, he shouldn¡¯t ignore Mom, right?¡±

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    I got a little anxious when I heard the little guy was going to call Reynaldo.

    I didn¡¯t want Reynaldo to see me in this weak state, lest he think I was pretending to be weak.

    I struggled to prop myself up and weakly smiled at the two little ones, saying, ¡°Mommy is fine, Mommy just needs to rest for a while, be good, give Mommy the phone.¡±

    Roddy handed me the phone as soon as he finished listening.

    I just took the phone and found that Roddy had already dialed the phone out, and he dialed Reynaldo¡¯s number.

    No, how did they know that Reynaldo was this number?

    It¡¯s really strange!

    The phone rang cheerfully, and I was about to press the button to end the call when the other party unexpectedly answered right away.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the man asked in a low, tense voice.

    My heart trembled inexplicably, pretending to be calm, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just dialed the wrong number.¡±

    After saying that, I hung up the phone.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t call back soon.

    I furrowed my brow, staring at the name on my phone that hadn¡¯t been very active for the past four years, feelingplicated.

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    He didn¡¯t hate me to death, why did he call back?

    Roddy urged me, ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s Daddy¡¯s phone, answer it.¡±

    In a moment of hesitation, Reynaldo had already dialed for the third time.

    This persistence, it¡¯s like if I don¡¯t pick up, he will keep calling.

    I rubbed my almost exploding head and answered the call.

    The man chuckled nonchntly and said, ¡°In broad daylight, would you randomly dial the wrong number? Come on, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Thest sentence was asked coldly and indifferently.

    I suppressed the mes surging in my heart and said lightly, ¡°I just dialed the wrong number by ident, believe it or not.¡±

    After saying that, I hung up the phone again.

    He didn¡¯t call again this time.

    I leaned on the bed, my head aching terribly, and my eyes were also very swollen.

    The two little guys looked at me anxiously, and Roddy even brought me a ss of water.

    Essie held my hand, with big eyes full of fear and worry.

    Essie was a miniature version of Reynaldo, her cute and adorable appearance always reminded me of Reynaldo¡¯s serious expression.

    Two extreme dissonances sometimes really make meugh and cry.

    ¡°Mummy¡­¡± Essie pressed my hand against her face, almost in tears with worry.

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    I touched her head and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll just buy some medicine on my phone. By the way, what do you want for breakfast? I¡¯ll order for you.¡±

    The two little guys didn¡¯t say a word.

    I ordered two hamburgers for them on my phone, and then I ordered two cups of juice.

    They followed me and especially liked to eat ¡°beef hamburger¡°.

    After finishing breakfast, I bought some medicine on my phone.

    Roddy stared at me, as if he had something on his mind.

    I got up and washed my face, then asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Mom, you were sick, why didn¡¯t you let dad take care of you?¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°I just had a fever, I don¡¯t need anyone to take care of me.¡±

    Roddy pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, ¡°Mommy, do you really hate daddy?¡±

    I was taken aback, really not sure how to answer this question.

    As for my rtionship with Reynaldo, I don¡¯t know how to exin it to these two little guys.

    Adults¡® grudges, they simply won¡¯t understand.

    But blood is thicker than water, even if Reynaldo was harsh to them that night, they would still love Reynaldo as their father.

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    Roddy and Essic stared at me without blinking, waiting for my answer

    1 smiled and shook my head at them, ¡°No, Mommy didn¡¯t hate Daddy¡±

    Upon hearing my answer, the two little ones immediatelyughed.

    Roddy held me and said. ¡°As long as Mommy doesn¡¯t hate Daddy, it¡¯s okay¡±

    I nced at him inexplicably and felt that his words were strange. Could he be up to something?

    Breakfast and medicine were delivered very quickly,

    I took two fever¨Creducing pills, then watched the two little ones finish their breakfast. Finally, I instructed them to y with their toys in the room and not run around. Only then did I lie down on the bed to rest

    After taking the fever¨Creducing medicine, half an hourter, my head started to feel heavy.

    I don¡¯t know when I fell asleep, but I slept very deeply.

    When I woke up groggily, I felt someone probing my forehead.

    Next, a wet towel was ced on my forehead.

    I struggled to open my eyes and faintly saw a tall figure walking towards the bathroom/

    Before long, he brought out another basin of water.

    I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them again, only to see that the

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    person was actually Anton.

    When I opened my eyes, Anton smiled and said, ¡°Awake?¡±

    ¡°Howe you are here?¡±

    Anton helped me up and said, ¡°You forgot, I told youst night that I would take the early flight to Freybourne today. As soon as the nended, I came over. I didn¡¯t expect to see you almost burning.¡±

    Did it burn?

    I touched my face and it was still burning hot.

    Did the fever¨Creducing medicine not work?

    Anton handed me a ss of water and said, ¡°I bought you medicine again, so take it first.¡±

    I nodded and took the pill and water cup he handed me.

    Roddy and Essie came over and asked him, ¡°Anton, is my mom okay?¡±

    Anton pulled them over and smiled softly, saying, ¡°With me here, your mommy will be fine. I am a very skilled doctor.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I knew Anton was the best. I like Anton the most.¡±

    Essie said, circling Anton¡¯s neck, and kissed him on the face.

    Anton smiled, but the smile looked unnatural no matter how you looked at it.

    I have always known that Anton and Essie always had a bit of awkwardness in their interactions, just because Essie looks so much like Reynaldo.

    When Essie kissed him, he definitely thought of Reynaldo.

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    Ah, there was no <b>way </b>

    I used to hope that my daughter would grow up to look like Reynaldo, she would definitely be a beauty in the future.

    And now, I just hope she grows up to be more like me, not like Reynaldo anymore.

    Otherwise, when I see her in the future, I will inevitably think of that

    man.

    The medicine Anton bought worked very well. In less than half an hour, I was sweating all over and my head didn¡¯t feel so heavy.

    I went to the bathroom to take a shower, while Anton went outside to buy food.

    I looked at the time and it was only 11 o¡¯clock in the morning. It seemed that I hadn¡¯t slept for long.

    I had just finished showering and was drying my hair when Anton happened toe back with the food.

    He nced at me, his eyes deepening slightly.

    I always wore pajamas, of course, a very conservative type.

    I didn¡¯t know if it was appropriate or not. Just as I hesitated whether to change it, I saw him raise his hand to his lips and cough twice,

    shouting to me, ¡°Esmeralda,e and eat.¡±

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    ¡°¡­Oh, okay.¡± I casually grabbed a coat and draped it over myself, then sat down.

    Anton nced at me and said as he lifted the lid of the box, ¡°It¡¯s hot now, and you have a fever again. It¡¯s best not to cover up.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I felt a little cold.¡±

    Anton lowered his gaze and smiled, not saying anything more.

    And at that moment, a sudden doorbell rang.

    Roddy instantly put down his fork and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go open the door.¡±

    Vonnie had a room key, this shouldn¡¯t be Vonnie.

    I instinctively looked at Anton and said, ¡°You ordered takeout again?¡±

    Anton shook his head.

    At this moment, Roddy had already opened the door.

    I turned my gaze and my heart suddenly trembled, the fork in my hand almost fell to the ground in shock.

    It was Reynaldo after all.

    No, how did hee?

    How could he know the address here?

    The man stood at the door, a pair of dark eyes fell on Anton, his face indescribably gloomy.

    Anton greeted him with a smile, ¡°Long time no see, Reynaldo, oh, I mean, now I should call you Mr. Humphrey,¡±

    Mr. Humphrey¡¯s position in Freybourne now is even more superior than before.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything. He stared at Anton for a while, then turned to look at me, his eyes as cold and chilling as a dark pool.

    I looked away, hung my head, ate silently, as if he didn¡¯t exist.

    He kept saying he hated me, didn¡¯t want to see me, and didn¡¯t know why he suddenly came to me.

    Just as I took a bite of food, a deep, coldughter came from the doorway, ¡°It seems like I arrived at the wrong time.¡±

    Anton ?smiled and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that all the dishes on my table were brought in from outside. If Mr. Humphrey doesn¡¯t mind, you cane over and have some together.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡±

    Reynaldo said coldly and then turned to leave.

    Roddy quickly grabbed him, ¡°Dad, Mom is still sick, you can¡¯t leave!¡±

    I think I understood.

    Reynaldo was the one Roddy called for.

    No wonder Roddy asked me if I disliked Reynaldo. When he heard me say I didn¡¯t dislike him, he was so happy. It turns out he had already nned to call Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo looked down at Roddy, his expression somewhatplicated.

    In the end, Roddy dragged him in.

    Roddy also handed him a set of disposable tableware.

    Essie was still a little afraid of Reynaldo. She looked at Reynaldo, appearing as if she wanted to get closer but didn¡¯t dare to. In the end, she obediently sat next to Anton.

    Anton handed me a bowl of soup and said, ¡°This is specially made for me by the boss. It¡¯s best for people who are sick and have a fever to drink this soup.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, then hastily took it and said, ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t move, a pair of cold eyes just looked back and forth between me and Anton.

    I have to be honest, I really didn¡¯t like the look in his eyes, it always made me feel ufortable.

    I don¡¯t know why Roddy called him over, thinking he would be so kind to take care of me.

    ¡°Hey, Dad, is the medicine you¡¯re holding for Mommy?¡±

    At this moment, Roddy suddenly asked in surprise.

    I was taken aback and instinctively looked at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo chuckled and casually said, ¡°No, it¡¯s for the dog.¡®

    Essie asked quietly, ¡°Does Dad have a dog at home? Why didn¡¯t I see it that day?¡±

    ¡°He ran away.¡±

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    Reynaldo said without much emotion, and then threw the box of medicine into the nearby trash can.

    Essie pursed her lips and once again felt that her ¡°daddy¡± was very fierce.

    Roddy thought he really had a dog and said, ¡°Daddy, go find the dog.¡±

    I looked at Roddy, for a moment not knowing what to say.

    Reynaldo looked up at me, his ck eyes cold, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips, ¡°A dog that has run away, there¡¯s no point in finding it back.¡±

    I put down the fork irritably.

    I was already sick and had no appetite. Now, listening to this man, I lost even more appetite.

    I don¡¯t know who he was referring to when he was ¡°pointing at the mulberry tree and cursing the locust tree¡°!

    Anton looked at me and said with a gentle smile, ¡°The takeout food from outside can¡¯tpare to homemade food. I have a private vi in Freybourne. Later, you and the children wille with me, and I will cook for you myself.¡±

    I nodded.

    Now Anton, Vonnie, and I had a close working rtionship.

    I wrote the script, Anton was raising funds for the film, and Vonnie

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    was acting in it.

    So when uvale was around, the three of us often lived together, not only taking care of each other, but also facilitating discussions on work

    matters.

    This time back in Freybourne, besides Essie¡¯s illness, I also had to deal with Kimberly, so it was natural to live together.

    However, as soon as I nodded, I felt a shadowy gaze shooting towards <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    I slowly raised my eyes and met the gaze of the man opposite.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Why is Mr. Humphrey looking at me like that?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face was dark and gloomy, with a fierce air swirling around him.

    Essie leaned towards Anton with some fear.

    Anton held her in his arms and whispered softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Essie, I¡¯m here.¡±

    Essie encircled Anton¡¯s neck, affectionately leaning against his chest, while looking at Reynaldo with a hint of fear and resistance in his

    eyes.

    Reynaldo nced at her, a quick sh of hurt and destion passing through his eyes.

    However, soon he looked at me again, with a cold sneer in his eyes, saying, ¡°Esmeralda, you really did a great job.¡±

    He finished speaking and stood up with a whoosh.

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    Because the movement was too big, he knocked over the stool, hitting the coffee table next to it, making a loud noise.

    Roddy quickly burrowed into my arms, his eyes full of confusion, staring fearfully at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo was tense all over, with his hand clenched into a fist at his

    side.

    He looked at me coldly, his eyes filled with the same deep hatred as yesterday.

    He didn¡¯t say a word, he just turned around and left.

    Roddy watched his back and thought about catching up with him, but in the end, he hesitated.

    The atmosphere in the room wasn¡¯t very good until he left.

    Anton propped up the chair and called the two little ones to continue eating.

    And I had no appetite at all, so I drank a few sips of soup and went to my room to rest.

    Before long, Anton came over and stood at the door, saying to me, ¡°Just now¡­ I deliberately provoked Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± I said lightly.

    ¡°I just wanted to see if he still cared about you.¡±

    ¡°So, what did you see?¡±

    Anton stared at me with his dark eyes, his voice low, ¡°As I expected, he still cares about you just like before.¡±

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    ¡°So what?¡± I looked at him, smiled without much expression, and asked, ¡°Both of us still care about each other, so are you going to go to him and expose your sister¡¯s wrongdoing, so that we can reconcile as before?¡±

    Anton remained silent.

    And what I hate the most is silence.

    I said lightly, ¡°You go out, no matter what attitude Reynaldo has towards me now, it has nothing to do with you.¡±

    Anton tightened the hand by his side, looked at me for a long time, and then turned silently to walk outside.

    Iy down and stared nkly at the ceiling.

    My head felt heavy and dull, so dull that I didn¡¯t want to think about anything.

    In the afternoon, Anton moved into his vi with me and the kids.

    There were always servants cleaning the vi, so it was very clean.

    The two little guys looked around as soon as they arrived at the new ce, getting familiar with the surroundings, while I first sent the address here to Vonnie, and then went back to the room to rest.

    After getting sick, my body always felt tired, and I didn¡¯t have much energy all day today.

    I fell asleep in the room and dozed off again. When I woke up again, it

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    was already evening.

    Anton had already prepared the meal, and he made it himself.

    I went downstairs and he called me over to eat.

    He didn¡¯t eat, he seemed to be in a hurry. After settling us and the children, he went out again, saying he had business to discuss with the investors.

    He never came back after he left.

    Vonnie didn¡¯te back until after nine o¡¯clock in the evening, her expression was strange and absent¨Cminded.

    After I put Essie and Roddy to sleep, I waited for her in the living room on the first floor.

    After taking a nap in the afternoon, Ipletely recovered from the fever.

    Oversleeping during the day, there was no drowsiness at that time.

    Seeing Vonnie walk in with her head down, I quickly called out to her.

    With such a small sound, it scared her so much that she almost lost her

    soul.

    Seeing her distracted look, I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. I pulled her over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s eyes flickered as she held her bag and mumbled, ¡°Nothing, nothing happened?¡±

    I frowned, shrinking back like this, being evasive is not her style.

    Thinking that she had dinner with Johnathan yesterday afternoon, and

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    when she called back in the evening, it was very noisy on the other end and she sounded angry, I started to worry.

    I asked her, ¡°Did something unpleasant happen between you and Johnathan yesterday, he¡­¡±

    ¡°No, there was no unpleasantness, he¡­ he didn¡¯t do anything to me. I went up to take a shower first. Ralda, you should go to bed early too.¡±

    She said, and then she got up and ran upstairs.

    I subconsciously pulled her, but only grabbed her sleeve.

    With the force, her cor slid down, and then I saw¡­ I saw a lot of¡­ love bites on her neck and shoulders?

    Vonnie quickly pulled up her cor, her eyes flickering, ¡°I, I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡±

    She was so absent¨Cminded that, without paying attention, she bumped her leg against the coffee table, causing her to almost fall to the ground in pain.

    I hurriedly supported her and asked anxiously, ¡°Vonnie, what¡¯s wrong? Tell me.¡±

    Don¡¯t be fooled by Vonnie¡¯s usually carefree demeanor, in fact, she was

    very conservative.

    Her appearance, coupled with those marks that looked like ¡°kiss marks,¡± made me anxious, afraid that she had been bullied.

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    Upon my questioning, Vonnie took a deep breath and said, ¡°I was slept with by Johnathan.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Although I thought she and Johnathan made a good couple, was this moving too fast?

    And judging by Vonnie¡¯s reaction, it seems like she wasn¡¯t willing either.

    Could it be that Johnathan forced it?

    Thinking of this, a touch of anger suddenly rose in my heart.

    I asked her urgently, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What does he mean?¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips, her eyes turning red, with a look of regret on her face. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone to the bar with himst night, it¡¯s my own fault.¡±

    ¡°How can I me you? me Johnathan instead. He always jokes around, but who knew he was also a creature of lower body thinking!¡±

    I said angrily, hugging Vonnie and sitting back on the sofa.

    Vonnie was red¨Ceyed and frustrated, saying, ¡°Yesterday afternoon, I should havee back after having dinner with him, but I ran into his mother. His mother found out that I was his blind date and was very enthusiastic towards me, even inviting me to their house as a guest.¡±

    Originally just drinking tea and chatting, nothing special.

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    When he was about to leave, a few good buddies invited him to go to the bar again. He said, ¡°Take me there, I wasn¡¯t nning to go anyway.¡± As a result, he provoked me, saying I was scared and all that

    ¡°You know, I am not easily provoked. Once provoked, I will take the bait.¡±

    ¡°So you went to the bar with him?¡± I asked in a low voice as I rubbed her sore leg.

    She nodded and said, ¡°Then we yed games at the bar, there were a lot of people in the private room, both men and women, the atmosphere was quite good. Amidst some people¡¯sughter, I had a few drinks.¡±

    When I looked at the time, it was alreadyte, so I wanted to go back, but Johnathan wouldn¡¯t let me, and neither would his buddies.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave and was afraid you were waiting for me, so I decided to call you and say I¡¯m noting back.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I suddenly understood. No wonder she called back at that time, it was noisy over there, and she sounded angry.

    ¡°Did Johnathan take advantage of youter?¡± I asked angrily, shocked to think that Johnathan could be like that.

    Vonnie pursed her lips and took a deep breath, saying, ¡°me me, I lost the game and when those drinks were brought over as a penalty, he said ¡®don¡¯t worry, drink up¡®, and with him around, I really let my guard down and drank all those drinks.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how I went back with him. When I woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day. The bed was messy and there were clothes all over the floor.

    When he was not in the room, he left me a note and a bank card.¡±

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    I listened and instantly felt anger rising up, ¡°Bank card? What does he mean by that?¡±

    ¡°The note said there were five million in the card, if it¡¯s not enough, you can ask him for more.¡± Vonnie said, suddenly burst into tears, feeling both regretful and wronged, ¡°Ralda, what do you think he means by this? What does he take me for?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I kicked the coffee table in anger, ¡°What does he mean? Sleeping with you and then just giving you a bank card? He doesn¡¯t want to take responsibility, just sleep with you and then pay you off? Damn it, do we need his money that badly?¡±

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    Vonnie lowered her head, bit her lower lip, and choked back tears quietly.

    I still remember, she once said, ¡°The first time should be saved for the wedding night, for her beloved man.¡±

    Such a thing happened now, she should be both sad and upset in her heart.

    I suppressed the anger in my heart, hugged her, and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, nothing happened, I¡¯ll settle the score with himter.¡±

    Vonnie shook her head and said, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not going to look for him anymore, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by not looking for him anymore?! He is taking advantage of the situation! We must find him and demand an exnation!¡±

    Speaking of taking advantage of someone¡¯s weakness, I remembered Reynaldo from the past.

    It¡¯s true, ¡°people who are not the same cannot y together!¡±

    Vonnie always kept her eyes downcast, feeling low, with aplex expression on her face, tightly clutching the strap of her bag with both hands.

    I didn¡¯t know how tofort her for a while.

    Now they even have a substantial rtionship, and I don¡¯t know how things will develop between them in the future.

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    I looked at her and asked seriously, ¡°Um, do you dislike Johnathan?¡±

    Vonnie did not answer me immediately.

    She was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it, but I can¡¯t say I like it either. I should say, we both find each other unpleasant, but¡­¡±

    She cried in grievance as she spoke, ¡°He did such a thing to me, what does it mean to give me a bank card? Does he think of me as one of those women he can take advantage of?¡±

    And afterwards I called him, but he didn¡¯t answer. What does he mean by that? Is he afraid that I will bother him?

    Oh, Ralda, you said, how could he do that, just this card, who wants it, I don¡¯t even want it for a billion.¡±

    She said, took out the bank card from her bag, and mmed it hard on the ground.

    I held her and whispered, ¡°There, there, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll go find him and settle the score. Don¡¯t cry, Vonnie. Watch me this time, I won¡¯t beat him to death.¡±

    Vonniey in my arms and cried for a while.

    ¨C

    I was just confused by the fact that she was clearly ¡°annoyed by Johnathan.¡±

    But why did she cry so sadly?

    Could it be that¡­

    I didn¡¯t guess blindly, ¡°I calmed her emotions and saw her go upstairs to take a bath and sleep.¡± Only then did I take out my phone and dial Johnathan¡¯s number.

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    I dialed twice, but no one answered on the other end.

    A touch of cold smile rose in my heart.

    Johnathan hid himself because he knew he had done something wrong.

    When I dialed for the third time, they finally answered the phone.

    I coldly said, ¡°What? Did you do something wrong and now you¡¯re afraid to answer my call?¡±

    However, the one who replied was not Johnathan, but¡­Reynaldo!

    The man¡¯s voice was low and steady, with no hint of emotion, ¡°So, tell me, what did he do to wrong you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect it to be Reynaldo who answered the phone.

    I said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Johnathan, let him answer the phone!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business?¡± Reynaldo chuckled lightly, his voice tinged with a hint of coldness. ¡°My wife is having some unclear phone call with my good friend, and you¡¯re telling me it¡¯s none of my business?¡±

    I was just very confused.

    It was none of his business to begin with, why was he being so strange here?

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    And what do you mean by ¡°unclear phone calls¡°?

    Also, who is his wife? Hating me so much, even treating me as his wife, there is really no one else.

    There was anger in my heart, and I impatiently asked, ¡°Where is Johnathan? Quickly have him answer the phone!¡±

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t answer!¡± Reynaldo replied coldly.

    I grumbled, ¡°Is he paralyzed or dead? Why can¡¯t he answer the phone?!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, watch your tone,¡± Reynaldo coldly warned over the phone.

    Ipletely lost my patience and asked directly, ¡°So where is he now? Send me the address.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo hung up the phone.

    I frowned and stared at the darkened screen. ¨C

    What¡¯s the meaning? Is he going to send the address or not?

    Just as I was thinking, my phone suddenly rang with a messageing <ol><li>in. </li></ol>

    Nikita Club.

    Oh, back at the club again. Howe we didn¡¯t drink Johnathan to death, really.

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    In the evening when Anton left, he told me, ¡°There is a car in the yard. and the car keys are right there in the hallway.¡±

    I went to have a look and there were three car keys.

    I randomly picked one, and then I drove out of the yard in a ck car.

    Following the navigation, in about half an hour, I arrived at the Nikita Club.

    As soon as I got out of the car, I felt a scorching gaze shooting towards me. I looked up and met a pair of dark, cold, and fierce eyes.

    It was really strange.

    Reynaldo leaned against a pir outside the club and smoked.

    Dressed in all ck, the cold air was intense.

    I walked over to him and asked, ¡°Where is Johnathan?¡±

    He, however, ignored me, a pair of gloomy eyes coldly staring at the ckmercial vehicle that I arrived in.

    I nced back at the car and thought, ¡°Is there something wrong with that car? Is it the same model as his?¡±

    But even if it¡¯s the same model, what¡¯s the point of getting angry?. Aren¡¯t there many cars of the same model?

    Just then, a man¡¯s low and cold voice suddenly floated down from above, ¡°Is that Anton¡¯s car?¡±

    I took two steps back and looked at him, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, but his eyes were icy cold.

    He flicked the ash and casually asked, ¡°Did you really move in with

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    Anton?¡±

    I frowned, feeling a bit impatient.

    The one who didn¡¯t believe me was him, the one who drove me away was also him, and the one who hurt me was even him.

    What qualifications did he have to ask questions here and there?

    The man took two steps closer, his sinister gaze locking onto me, his cold tone casual, ¡°Really, you took my child and went to live with Anton?¡±

    I faced his cold gaze and said indifferently, ¡°These have nothing to do with you!¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo pulled his lip.

    He turned his head to the side and took a puff of his cigarette, but his jaw tightened even more.

    When he looked at me again, there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± he leaned in close to me, his tone icy, ¡°After being away for four years, you seem to have be mor¨¦ arrogant. Do you really think I wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to you?¡±

    I was originally going to settle ounts with Johnathan at this moment, and I didn¡¯t n to get entangled with him.

    I didn¡¯t say anything else, I walked past him and into the clubhouse.

    He grabbed me, deliberately exerting a lot of force, his ck eyes filled with coldness and anger.

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    I frowned and said, ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡±

    ¡°With my child, I moved out from Anton¡¯s ce!¡± Reynaldo¡¯s cold tone carried amanding voice, leaving no room for argument.

    I ignored him and pulled my hand away forcefully.

    Just then, Johnathan stumbled out of the club.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you came to drink with me, why stand outside? Come in, keep drinking!¡±

    Reynaldo ignored him, his cold eyes ring at me fiercely.

    Johnathan hesitated for a moment, then turned his head to follow his gaze, as if he had just noticed my presence.

    Just usually see me, are always a hippie smiley face, this will see me, suddenly cold face.

    ¡°It¡¯s you. Well, you guys chat outside. I¡¯m going to have a drink.¡±

    He said, and then staggered into the private room.

    I forcefully shook off Reynaldo¡¯s hand and followed him in.

    After Johnathan entered the club, he walked upstairs and headed straight to the private room on the second floor.

    Worried that there might be other people in the private room, I

    hesitated to confront him about Vonnie, so I approached him and said, ¡°Come with me for a moment, I have something to ask you.¡±

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    Johnathan looked annoyed and said, ¡°Why do you ask? Is it about Lavonne? I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s nothing to ask.¡±

    As soon as I saw his attitude, I got angry and said, ¡°You¡¯re feeling guilty, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m telling you, no matter what, you have to give me an exnation today.¡±

    I said, and then I led him to the restroom at the end of the corridor.

    ¡°Go away!¡±

    However, after only taking two steps, he impatiently waved me away.

    I couldn¡¯t steady myself for a moment, and hurriedly stepped back until my back hit a hard chest.

    The familiar cold air surrounded me.

    No need to look, I knew it was Reynaldo.

    I quickly stood still and took two steps back, then I heard Reynaldo coldly sneer, ¡°It¡¯s okay to argue, but blocking someone¡¯s way is not good.¡±

    Shortly after, I saw him enter the adjacent private room.

    Johnathan snorted at me and then followed into the private room.

    I nced inside and saw that it was just the two of them, with no one else around.

    I also followed in.

    There was not much smoke in the private room, but there was a strong smell of alcohol.

    Johnathan sat down on the sofa as soon as he entered, picked up the

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    bottle of wine and started drinking.

    I frowned at him and suddenly realized that this man¡¯s emotions were also a bit off.

    Johnathan used to be carefree, easygoing, and quite enthusiastic.

    In theory, he bullied Vonnie, he should feel guilty, remorseful, and even a little ashamed.

    Looking at him like this, it seems as if he is sulking with someone.

    So what exactly happened between him and Vonniest night?

    ¡°You stared at him like that, and those who didn¡¯t know thought you had a crush on him, huh?¡±

    Just then, a cold and mocking voice came from the side.

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes staring at me intently.

    I took a deep breath and calmly said to him, ¡°I came to ask Johnathan something, and this matter has nothing to do with you, so please don¡¯t interrupt, okay?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, turned his head to the side to smoke, didn¡¯t say another word, but his face was cold and grim.

    I averted my gaze, walked up to Johnathan, took the wine ss from his hand, and said to him in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you and Vonnie.¡±

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    Chapter812

    Johnathan¡¯s hand by his side tightened slowly, and he suddenly shouted at me, ¡°What is there to talk about, what else is there to talk about?¡±

    I had never seen Johnathan so angry before.

    His roar really startled me.

    Reynaldo¡¯s faint voice suddenly sounded beside me, ¡°Speak properly, you¡¯re disturbing me.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Johnathan suddenly cursed under his breath and violently kicked the bar counter.

    The wine bottle ¡°ttered¡± onto the table in an instant.

    He shouted at Reynaldo, ¡°If you find it noisy, then you can leave!¡±

    I looked at the man in front of me in shock.

    Did he eat gunpowder? Did he eat bear¡¯s heart and leopard¡¯s gall?

    How dare you roar at Reynaldo?

    Looking at Reynaldo again, the man¡¯s eyes narrowed coldly, and his already cold face now looked even darker as if it could drip water.

    He coldly said to Johnathan, ¡°Try yelling again?¡±

    Johnathan snorted in anger, but eventually stopped yelling and just opened a bottle of wine to continue drinking.

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    Reynaldo stood up, casually straightened his clothes, and said to Johnathan, ¡°Remember, when discussing things, stay calm andposed.¡±

    He finished speaking, without even looking at me, and walked out directly.

    In the private room, only Johnathan and I were left in an instant.

    As for Vonnie¡¯s matter, I might as well ask him directly.

    I asked him, ¡°What do you mean now?¡±

    Johnathan tugged at his lip and said, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡±

    Johnathan leaned back on the sofa, smiling at me with a rebellious look and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I tightened the hand on my side.

    No wonder Vonnie was so angry, Johnathan was really annoying.

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    I made a great effort to suppress the anger rising in my heart, and I didn¡¯t beat around the bush with him. I asked him directly, ¡°Did you ever think about taking responsibility for what happened with Vonniest night?¡±

    Johnathan sneered, ¡°A one¨Cnight stand like that, a fleeting romance, and you expect me to take responsibility for her? Do you really think I¡¯m Reynaldo?¡±

    I instantly turned cold and asked, ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t want to take responsibility?¡±

    Johnathan took another sip of wine and chuckled, saying, ¡°Men enjoy

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    women¡¯s love, we are willing, what responsibility do we bear?¡±

    I took a deep breath in anger and said, ¡°You deliberately took her to the bar to drink until she got drunk. Taking advantage of her vulnerability, do you call this ¡®consensual¡°?¡±

    ¡°Was I fucking drunk? Why is it that when she¡¯s drunk and throws herself into my arms, it bes me taking advantage of her vulnerability?¡±

    ¡°Just because I am a man, so she is the one who suffers, I am the one who is wrong, right?¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s words, filled with resentment, instantly left me speechless.

    He drank a few more cups of alcohol and sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give her five million? What else does she want? Is it not enough? Fine, you tell her to name her price¡­¡±

    Pap!

    As soon as he finished speaking, I couldn¡¯t help but rush up and p him hard.

    Although I¡¯m not sure what exactly happenedst night, I don¡¯t think he would humiliate people like that.

    I took out the card from my pocket and mmed it hard on him, saying, ¡°Who needs your dirty money? Let me tell you, Vonnie is a conservative and innocent girl, different from those flirty girls like you.¡±

    I asked you, now that this has happened, what are you going to do?

    Johnathan sneered at me and said, ¡°What do you want me to do? Marry her?¡±

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    I was momentarily stumped by him because I didn¡¯t know what Vonnie was thinking.

    Vonnie came back just now feeling angry and sad again, and his behavior of not answering the phone after giving money is really humiliating.

    I just wanted him to give Vonnie an exnation.

    Johnathan took another two sips of wine and chuckled, ¡°Whoever wants to marry her can go ahead and marry her, anyway, don¡¯te looking for me.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    I was so angry that I grabbed his cor and said, ¡°Are you still a man? You slept with someone else and still have the nerve to say such irresponsible things.¡±

    ¡°I really misjudged you. I used to think you and Vonnie would make a great couple, but now it seems you don¡¯t deserve her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t deserve it, Quentin does, she deserves Quentin, isn¡¯t that clear!¡± Johnathan suddenly growled at me, leaving me stunned.

    I frowned and asked, ¡°What does this have to do with Quentin?¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, his casual tone tinged with heavy self-

    deprecation, ¡°You know,st night when she was in bed with me, she was actually calling out Quentin¡¯s name.¡°¨C

    ¡°What?¡±

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    ¡°Heh, the repeated Quentin¡­¡± he said, his face suddenly turning cold, kicking the table in front of him and growling, ¡°I fucking became someone else¡¯s substitute, in bed, became another man¡¯s substitute.¡±

    When she was with me, she actually mistook me for Quentin. Damn, she likes Quentin so much, let Quentin marry her!¡±

    After he finished shouting, he picked up the bottle and drank heavily.

    I stared at him nkly, finally understanding why he was so full of resentment.

    Watching him drink one ss after another, looking ufortable, I didn¡¯t feel like saying anything more.

    I never would have imagined that Vonnie still had Quentin in her heart.

    I pursed my lips and asked Johnathan, ¡°So, do you like Vonnie?¡±

    Johnathan didn¡¯t answer me, just drank heavily, one ss after another.

    I thought for a moment and said, ¡°When you went on a blind date with her before, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to make do with her? So¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not working out.¡±

    Johnathan suddenly hummed lightly, then sneered, ¡°I haven¡¯t reached the point ofcking women. What¡¯s the point of settling for a woman who is thinking about other men in her heart?¡±

    He finished speaking, then suddenly looked at me with a mocking expression and said, ¡°I¡¯m not as persistent as Reynaldo. He was just being stubborn. He knew you didn¡¯t like him at first, but he kept trying to get close to you, deliberately trying to keep you by his side, trying to win you over with sincerity.¡±

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    I am open¨Cminded. A woman who has other men in her heart, well, that¡¯s really boring.

    Johnathan was very angry.

    I sighed and said, ¡°Feelings are cultivated slowly. If you have even a little interest in her, then don¡¯t treat her like that.¡±

    ¡°When she went back just now, she cried very sadly.¡±

    Johnathan didn¡¯t say anything, but the more he drank, the more aggressive he became.

    I didn¡¯t say anything more, turned around and walked out silently.

    As soon as I walked out of the room, I saw Reynaldo leaning against the corridor smoking, truly a cigarette addict.

    The lights in the clubhouse were always so dim and ambiguous that he looked a bit unreal.

    I averted my gaze, hung my head, and walked silently towards the staircase.

    As I passed by him, he didn¡¯t stop me, not even a nce.

    Until I walked past him, his lightughter rang out behind me, ¡°You seem to care a lot about other people¡¯s business.¡±

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    I hesitated for a moment, said nothing, and continued walking forward.

    As I walked out of the club, the man actually followed me and grabbed me, pushing me against the wall next to me.

    The business of this club was good, with many peopleing in and

    out.

    I stared at the man in front of me and said, ¡°Are you sick?¡±

    Reynaldo leaned against the wall with one hand and gripped my waist with the other, his low voice tinged with coldness, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, move out of Anton¡¯s with my child!¡±

    ¡°Move out from there?¡± I pursed my lips and smiled lightly at him, ¡°Have you forgotten that since the moment you kicked me out of Freybourne four years ago, I have had no home in Freybourne? If I don¡¯t live with him, then where should I live? With you?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes darkened, and his hand on my waist tightened slightly.

    His throat rolled as he was about to speak.

    I said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, you believe I am the killer who caused your mother¡¯s death, so you definitely won¡¯t let me stay at your ce to cause trouble for you.¡±

    So, since you can¡¯t trust me, don¡¯t act like a madman and restrict me,mand me, okay?

    With that, I pushed him and tried to leave.

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    He pushed me back in an instant, mming me hard against the wall.

    He red at me, with the corners of his eyes turning red.

    ¡°You always say that I don¡¯t trust you, but do you know that I also checked back then? I really wanted to find some evidence to prove your innocence, but there was none!¡±

    Everyone said that the kidney source was taken away by you halfway, even the surveince on the road showed that, even your own father and brother said so!

    Yes, even my own father and brother didn¡¯t want me, betraying me.

    So, how else could I exin.

    At that moment, sadness overwhelmed me, and I hung my head, not wanting to say anything.

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand on my shoulder was tight.

    He said coldly, ¡°I know you were desperate to save your mother at that time. Even if you admit your mistake to me in person, I wouldn¡¯t feel so ufortable.¡±

    But what about you? It¡¯s been four years, and you haven¡¯t repented at all!

    ¡°I even¡­ I even don¡¯t know how to treat you!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s expression was contradictory, with dark eyes suppressing pain, staring straight at me.

    I suddenly realized that there was a deadlock between him and me.

    And this deadlock can only be broken by the truth of that year.

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    Before uncovering the truth and proving innocence, anything I said to him was in vain.

    I said lightly, ¡°Let go of me, I want to go back.¡±

    I raised my hand to push him, but I couldn¡¯t move him. His chest was like a block of ice, cold and hard.

    ¡°Let her go.¡±

    Just then, a slow and deep voice came drifting in.

    I nced sideways and saw Antoning out of the club.

    He was apanied by Quentin and several other men I didn¡¯t know, who all seemed to be here for business.

    It¡¯s just a coincidence.

    Such a big Freybourne, why do they all like toe to this club to y.

    Anton and Quentin seemed a bit busy. They had just nced over in our direction when they were approached by a few men who came out together and greeted them.

    I was in the dark with Reynaldo, and those men probably didn¡¯t recognize him.

    Otherwise, relying on Reynaldo¡¯s current status in Freybourne, those few people would definitelye over to chat with Reynaldo.

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    Just as I was thinking, Reynaldo¡¯s eyes suddenly turned colder, and the chill on his face made me shudder.

    I frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you again?¡±

    He pursed his lips and sneered coldly, ¡°I see that your real purpose foring here tonight is not to find Johnathan, but to find Anton.¡±

    I:¡­

    It must be said that Reynaldo¡¯s suspicious and paranoid nature has not changed.

    His big hand suddenly moved from my shoulder to the side of my neck, probing at the hollow of my neck.

    I shrank back in shock and heard his tone turn even colder and more mocking, ¡°How dependent on Anton are you,ing to see him before you¡¯re even fully recovered from your illness!¡±

    As soon as I heard his sarcastic remarks, I got angry.

    I couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°If you¡¯re sick, go get treatment. Don¡¯t act so weird here, okay?¡±

    Who else did I go to see besides Johnathan when I came here?

    If it weren¡¯t for you going crazy and holding me here, not letting me leave, I would have left long ago. And what¡¯s the matter with him, Anton?

    What else do you do besides indulging in wild thoughts and baseless

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    suspicions all day long?

    ¡°You are so fond of suspecting me and Anton, then you have the ability to catch us red¨Chanded in bed!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda Duffy!¡±

    A suppressed low growl escaped from his thin lips, and the man¡¯s cold eyes stared at me fiercely, as if he wanted to swallow me whole.

    At this moment, Anton and Quentin finished exchanging pleasantries with those men.

    Until those men drove away in their respective cars, the two of them walked over in this direction.

    Quentin saw Reynaldo holding me tightly and quickly came over to pull Reynaldo¡¯s arm, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you let go of Ralda first, let¡¯s talk nicely.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t persistently bother me either.

    He quickly let go of his hand, stepped back a few steps, and leaned against the pir behind him.

    He took out a cigarette case from his pocket, shook out one, lit it, and looked at me with cold eyes, saying casually, ¡°I have nothing to say to

    her.¡±

    Quentin lowered his gaze, his expressionplex.

    Anton walked up to me and asked with concern, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    For some reason, in this situation, I just felt ironic.

    Anton nced at Reynaldo and then asked me, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you rest at home and came here instead?¡±

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    ¡°I have something to do.¡± I replied casually.

    Anton gave me a deep look and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He just said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going back.¡±

    The phrase ¡°we¡¯re going back¡± seemed to suddenly stimte Reynaldo.

    The man suddenly looked at me, his eyes cold and fierce.

    In the end, he has always cared about me, it¡¯s just that he ¡°mes me for killing¡± his mother.

    I lowered my gaze and looked sharply at Quentin.

    ¡°Quentin, everyone is here today, it¡¯s rare. About what happened four years ago, do you really have nothing to say?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Since Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t pursue your guilt anymore, the incident from four years ago is in the past. Why do you keep holding on to it?¡±

    Iughed. ¡°I am the most wronged one, the injustice has not been washed away, I naturally have to hold on tightly.¡±

    ¡°My dear brother, are you really going to treat your own sister so unfairly for a Kimberly?¡±

    I finished speaking, Reynaldo immediately looked at Quentin, squinting his eyes with curiosity.

    However, Quentin had just had a guilty andplex expression on his face, but now it has turned into sadness.

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    He earnestly said to me, ¡°I know you have never liked Kimberly, but why do you have to bring up that incident from four years ago and me it on her?¡±

    Ralda, listen to me, ¡°those things that happened in the past are over, so let them go, and don¡¯t bring them up again.¡±

    Mr. Humphrey cared about you. He knew that you were just desperate to save your mother. As long as you are willing to admit your mistake, he will definitely forgive you.

    Sure enough!

    I overestimated this family affection.

    Four years ago, Quentin ndered me in person, how could he now speak the truth to prove my innocence.

    Quentin looked at Reynaldo again, his voice tinged with pleading, ¡°I also had a great deal of responsibility for what happened back then.¡±

    Four years have passed now, Ralda has suffered a lot outside, ording to Vonnie, when she gave birth to Essie and Roddy, she almost lost her life.

    When Quentin said this, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s hand hanging by his side curl slightly.

    Did he¡­ still care about me in the end?

    But between him and me, there was always that inexplicable ¡°hatred for killing one¡¯s mother¡°.

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    So hateful!

    I really hated it.

    It¡¯s ridiculous that those in the know were still hypocritically interceding for me.

    Quentin continued to Reynaldo, ¡°For the sake of the two children, forgive Ralda.¡±

    If you really can¡¯t let go of your hatred, want revenge, want punishment, thene at me.

    ¡°Even if it means an eye for an eye, taking my life to save your mother¡¯s life¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    I interrupted Quentin lightly and smiled at him mockingly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that what you¡¯re saying is hypocritical?¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything more, he didn¡¯t even dare to look at me

    now.

    I shook my head and smiled lightly.

    Family affection, this is my family affection, it is really unbearable.

    Reynaldo looked at me quietly, with dark eyes swirling with emotions that were hard to read.

    I didn¡¯t want to say anything more, so I turned around and left.

    Anton followed behind me silently.

    I almost forgot, he was also an insider, but he chose to remain silent.

    Just think, Kimberly was really lucky, she did something bad, and so

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    many people were desperately protecting her.

    When I came, I came in Anton¡¯s car.

    When we went back, he sat in the same car with me.

    On the way, neither of us spoke a word.

    Just back at the vi, he called me to a stop.

    First I got sick, then there was the Vonnie situation, and just now Reynaldo has got me all worked up.

    I am so exhausted now.

    I stood at the top of the stairs and asked him casually, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Anton poured a ss of warm water and handed it to me, but I didn¡¯t take it.

    A touch of bitterness shed across his lips, and after a two¨Csecond pause, he said to me, ¡°The casting for the y Vonnie arranged in Freybourne has changed.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, turned around and looked at him, ¡°What do you mean? Vonnie¡¯s role was taken by someone else?¡±

    Vonnie took on this y in a bit of a hurry.

    Her agent was originallypeting for a role in a big production on the uvale side for her. Even if it was just a small supporting role, there were many well¨Cknown artistspeting for it.

    As expected, Vonnie¡¯s agent did notnd the role.

    Later, it was Anton who stepped in. Anton had good connections on

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    Freybourne¡¯s side, and he quickly arranged another film for Vonnie, this time as the female lead.

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    I saw Anton silent and thought that Vonnie, the female lead character, was probably taken by someone.

    The path said, ¡°Forget it, if the role is taken by someone else, then so be it. It¡¯s a good opportunity for Vonnie to take a break.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Anton nced at me and said hesitantly, ¡°It¡¯s just that Kimberly also has a role in this y.¡±

    I gave a cold nce.

    Mentioning this name, a touch of hatred shed through my heart.

    I thought of him and Quentin just talking business at the club.

    I pursed my lips, leaning on the stair railing, and smiled at him, ¡°What? Quentin using the entirepany¡¯s resources to support her wasn¡¯t enough, so you had to go lend her a hand too?¡±

    Oh, it¡¯s up to you to praise her, but please don¡¯t use Vonnie as a stepping stone!

    Anton looked at me quietly, waiting for me to finish venting my emotions before speaking, ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea to have her star in this movie, it was Quentin¡¯s idea. You probably don¡¯t know yet, but the script for this movie is written by you, and Quentin is the one who bought the rights to this y.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, pondered for a while, and asked him, ¡°Is it ¡®Rose Queen¡°?¡±

    Anton nodded.

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    ¡°The Rose Queen¡± was a script I finished writing a month ago, and it sold in less than three days.

    The buyer was indeed a mediapany from Freybourne, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be Quentin.

    I lowered my head and smiled, asking Anton, ¡°So, Quentin wanted to give Kimberly the role of the female lead?¡±

    Anton held a cup of water, looking gentle and graceful.

    He said gently, ¡°Initially Kimberly didn¡¯t want to act in this y, so the female lead role was given to Vonnie.¡±

    However, it was probably because she knew that you were the ywright of this y, and the leading female role was set as Vonnie, so she suddenly wanted to act in it.

    Quentin originally had her y the second female lead, after all, the casting for the second female lead had not been finalized yet.

    But as the biggest investor, Johnathan designated Kimberly to y the leading actress.

    I finished listening andughed.

    This Johnathan!

    ¡°Is this the result of your discussion today?¡±

    After all, Johnathan only had a falling out with Vonnie today.

    Anton nodded and said, ¡°This afternoon, Quentin suddenly called me and said the female lead role had been changed to Kimberly. I asked for the reason and found out it was Johnathan¡¯s decision.¡±

    Then that evening I arranged to meet with Quentin and Johnathan, as

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    well as a few other investors, to discuss the matter. Of course, Johnathan didn¡¯t show up.

    The discussion tonight was still effective, Quentin and several other investors decided to have Vonnie y the leading actress.

    To avoid staying upte and having too many dreams, I will buy some datater and release the news that Vonnie is going to y the leading actress in this movie.

    I sneered, ¡°No need.¡±

    Anton frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Why? Although this y is not a big production, it is directed by the well¨Cknown director Gilbert Russell. The effect of its release will definitely not be bad.¡±

    If Vonnie had been in this y, her achievements in the entertainment industry would have definitely been enhanced. This would have been a great opportunity for her.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say she wasn¡¯t going to participate.¡± I chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that Kimberly is talented and versatile, with outstanding acting skills. Not only does she have her protective older brother, but also Quentin and Reynaldo as powerful backers. If she doesn¡¯t y the leading role, I¡¯m really afraid that her fans wille after me and Vonnie.¡±

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    So, let her y the leadingdy, Vonnie can condescend and y the supporting role, it¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    Anton¡¯s eyes darkened as he said, ¡°Esmeralda, do you have to speak like this? I have said that I will not protect her anymore, and I really won¡¯t.¡±

    This time, I also tried my best to keep Vonnie¡¯s role.

    ¡°Yeah, so I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult position either, in case Kimberlyes and asks you why you¡¯re helping outsiders instead of helping her.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Anton furrowed his brow, looking slightly angry.

    I smiled and said seriously, ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking with you, nor was I speaking sarcastically. Vonnie is going to y the second female lead. As for the first female lead, let her have it. We don¡¯t need topete with her.¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything more, he just tightened his grip on the cup.

    I turned and walked upstairs, saying lightly, ¡°In the next few days, I will go to see the house, and then move out.¡±

    In the end, I agreed to move in with Anton at the time, partly out of annoyance towards Reynaldo.

    At that moment, the illness had cleared up, and my mind was clear. Suddenly, I realized that being angry at Reynaldo was quite pointless.

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    I went upstairs to see if Vonnie was feeling better.

    Unexpectedly, just as I quietly pushed open the door, she shouted at me, which startled me.

    The bedsidemp lit up, Vonnie leaned against the head of the bed, looking at me.

    ¡°Why are you still not asleep?¡± I walked over and smiled at her.

    Vonnie shook her head,

    She hung her head, feeling a bit down, ¡°I just heard your conversation with Anton at the staircase.¡±

    I was taken aback and then heard her say, ¡°Johnathan wants to give my leading role to Kimberly. He hates me and is afraid I will cling to him, so he did this on purpose to make me give up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    I held her hand and said to her seriously, ¡°I just went to the club to find him. Do you know why he gave you money and then disappeared after sleeping with you?¡±

    Vonnie looked at me quietly.

    Because she had cried, her eyes were a little red.

    I put my arm around her shoulder and sighed, ¡°Because, you still have Quentin in your heart.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have it!¡±

    Vonnie retorted quickly, then lowered her head and added softly, ¡°I really didn¡¯t.¡±

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    ¡°However, when you were with himst night, you called out Quentin¡¯s name, and he was very upset.¡®

    Vonnie looked at me in shock and said, ¡°How could this happen?¡±

    I looked at the night outside the window and sighed, ¡°You have forgotten Quentin, really,pletely forget him from the bottom of your heart.¡±

    Vonnie fell silent, perhaps without even realizing it herself, deep down in her heart, she was still caring about Quentin.

    In order not to upset her about this matter, I changed the subject and said, ¡°Regarding what I just discussed with Anton, about you ying the supporting role in this movie, do you have any thoughts?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head and held my arm, saying, ¡°Whatever role you want me to y, I will y. You will never harm me.¡±

    I smiled and ruffled her head, saying, ¡°This y is the script I wrote a month ago, ¡®Rose Queen¡®. Do you remember when you read it back then?¡±

    Vonnie frowned for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something, andughed at me, saying, ¡°No wonder you gave the female lead to that Kimberly and let me y the second female lead. You are so naughty.¡±

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    I sneered, ¡°She brought this upon herself, so let her enjoy the spotlight as the leadingdy.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    Just now, Vonnie, who was feeling low, suddenly perked up when talking about ying a trick on Kimberly, saying, ¡°I heard that this time it¡¯s that director Gilbert again, who is known as a tough critic. No matter how famous the star is, he will scold them without mercy. Hehe, this time Kimberly is in for a tough time.¡±

    ¡°So, don¡¯t go easy on the female supporting role when the timees.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Vonnie smirked at me,ughing like a little fox.

    The next day.

    I was woken up by a pair of small hands before I had fully woken up.

    I groggily opened my eyes and found it was Roddy.

    I propped myself up and looked at the rm elock beside me, and it was already past nine in the morning.

    ¡°Mummy, mummy¡­¡±

    I was yawning when Roddy said to me anxiously, ¡°Hurry up, my dad is here.¡±

    I was shaken to the core, and I instantly became sober.

    ¡°What did you say? Your father came?¡±

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    Roddy nodded frantically. ¡°He was talking to Anton downstairs, but I felt like they were about to fight, Mommy, you should go down and check.¡±

    After hearing that, I quickly got out of bed to wash up, then hurriedly changed clothes and went downstairs.

    When I went down, Reynaldo was staring at Anton with a knife¨Clike

    gaze.

    Looking at Anton again, he was holding Essie in his arms, holding a storybook in his hand, and telling a story to Essie as if no one else was around.

    Essie seemed to be listening attentively, but in reality, his round eyes kept ncing at Reynaldo, and there was a hint of shyness on his rosy face.

    I was speechless.

    Reynaldo always had such a gloomy expression in front of the children, it would be strange if the children were not afraid of him.

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    Essie saw me and sweetly called out to me.

    In an instant, Anton and Reynaldo both looked towards me.

    A warmplexion, with a smile on the face.

    A dark and gloomy face, as cold as ice.

    I couldn¡¯t quite understand this Reynaldo, he always had a gloomy face, wasn¡¯t he tired?

    Anton said to me gently, ¡°I made breakfast and warmed it up for you in

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    the kitchen. Go ahead and eat first.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you, thank you.¡±

    The atmosphere was a bit strange, and I didn¡¯t know what Reynaldo¡¯s sudden visit was all about.

    Seeing that they wouldn¡¯t start fighting for the time being, I went to the kitchen.

    Anton made three kinds of breakfast, each of which he warmed up a little for me.

    Seeing these breakfasts, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the ones Reynaldo used to make for me.

    At that time, he was also kind to me.

    I took a deep breath, suppressed the emotions of the past, and ate a hamburger.

    I didn¡¯t know if Reynaldo came to talk business with Anton.

    I leaned against the kitchen door and quietly observed the situation on their side.

    Vonnie suddenly rubbed her eyes and came down from upstairs, seeing me leaning against the kitchen door eating a hamburger, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you doing standing here, go to the dining table over there?¡±

    I raised my chin.

    Vonnie looked in the direction and eximed, ¡°How did hee?¡±

    ¡°Who knows.¡±

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    I hummed a sentence gloomily, couldn¡¯t help but criticize in my heart. ¡°If you¡¯re here, you¡¯re here, why do you have to look so gloomy as if you¡¯re scaring someone!¡±

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    Vonnie leaned in closer to me and asked in a low voice, ¡°Um, you¡¯ve been back for two or three days now, and you¡¯ve seen Reynaldo, so, did you guys¡­you know?¡±

    I knew what Vonnie said, it¡¯s just a little hard to say.

    Vonnie nced at me and touched her nose, saying, ¡°Um, just a reminder. Essie¡¯s illness cannot be left untreated.¡±

    On one hand, we have to deal with Kimberly, but it is also imperative that you have a third child with Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°I knew.¡±

    I sullenly took two bites of the hamburger, only hoping in my heart that the reunion with him on that day would be sessful, otherwise, I would have to rack my brains again for this third pregnancy.

    Vonnie went to the kitchen and grabbed two slices of toast. Like me, she leaned against the kitchen doorway, biting into one slice while observing the situation with Anton and Reynaldo.

    At that moment, Roddy also sat next to Anton, and Essie was chatting andughing with Anton, showing a very loving interaction.

    Looking at Reynaldo again, his face full of resentment, the gloom all over his body almost spreading over here.

    Vonnie choked on her toast, so she quickly went to the kitchen and poured two sses of juice, handing one to me.

    She took a big sip, looked over at Reynaldo, and said to me vaguely,

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    ¡°Is he jealous that Anton is holding Essie?¡±

    ¡°God knows, he probably has some kind of illness.¡±

    After some time had passed, Reynaldo suddenly raised his hand to check his watch.

    Hey, great, this man was in a hurry, he should be leaving soon.

    Reynaldo was really sick in the head, and he came over just to give us a cold look. He was really idle.

    I was thinking disdainfully in my heart when I heard Reynaldo say to Roddy and Essie, ¡°The amusement park is now open, Dad will take you to the amusement park to y.¡±

    When they heard they were going to the amusement park, both children¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Roddy approached him directly and asked eagerly, ¡°Really?¡±

    It was as if finally a child was willing to get close to him, Reynaldo¡¯s eyebrows were rarely touched by a smile.

    He patted Roddy¡¯s head and said, ¡°Of course, daddy is not doing anything today, he is just ying with you guys.¡±

    He finished speaking and then looked at Essie.

    Essie also had expectations on his face, but he was still a little hesitant towards this daddy.

    She tugged at Anton¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°If Anton goes, Essie will go too. Essie wants to go with Anton.¡±

    The smile at the corner of Reynaldo¡¯s eyes visibly disappeared.

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    Vonnic chuckled beside me and whispered, ¡°It seems like Reynaldo came today just to please his little darling. But Essic is not buying it, look how angry he is.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

    He took a sip of tea from the low table and said to Essie in a warm tone, ¡°Anton is still busy with work and doesn¡¯t have time to join us.¡±

    Anton dressed very casually today, wearing light gray sportswear and a pair of sses on his eyes.

    He straightened the small hair bun on Essie¡¯s head and said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t have much to do today, very leisurely. If Essie wants to go to the amusement park, I can apany her, so Mr. Humphrey doesn¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    ¡°Really? Anton, are you really taking me to the amusement park today?¡± Essie was overjoyed, looking at Anton with anticipation all over her face.

    Anton scratched her little nose and said, ¡°Of course, I love Essie the

    most.¡±

    ¡°I also like Anton the most,¡± Essie said, with his chubby hand around his neck, and kissed him on the cheek.

    In an instant, a chill came rushing from Reynaldo¡¯s direction.

    Vonnie touched her nose and whispered to me, ¡°Look at how scary Reynaldo¡¯s expression is, he can¡¯t even please his own daughter and can¡¯t stand seeing her like someone else. It¡¯s really unbelievable.¡±

    I nced at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand, ced on his knee, clenched and then rxed a few

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    secondster.

    He suddenlyughed and said to Anton, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not busy today?¡±

    Anton chuckled and said, ¡°I know my schedule best. These two

    children want to go to the amusement park, so I will take them. It¡¯s not the first time anyway.¡±

    As for Mr. Humphrey, you were busy all day, so when you have some free time, you should take a good rest.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo gave a cold snort and casually said, ¡°If I must say, Mr. Palmer, you were quite busy today, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    As soon as Reynaldo finished speaking, there was a sound of brakes in the yard.

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    Chapter821

    What happened?

    I stretched my neck and looked outside curiously, and soon I saw a tall figure walking in with hands in pockets, taking confident and unrestrained steps.

    And that person was none other than Johnathan.

    Strange, what is Johnathan here for?

    Wasn¡¯t it because of Vonnie?

    I subconsciously nced at Vonnie and saw her clutching the cup tightly, her head slightly lowered, with a frown full of unnaturalness between her brows.

    She said, ¡°I, I¡¯ll go up first.¡±

    She said, and then she ran upstairs.

    Johnathan came in, nced at her, and a touch of anger shed across his handsome face that was always wearing a smile.

    I sighed in my heart.

    Judging from Johnathan¡¯s reaction, he seemed to be somewhat concerned about Vonnie.

    Looking at Vonnie¡¯s reaction again, it seems that she didn¡¯t have no feelings for Johnathan either.

    So the issues between them need to be resolved properly; don¡¯t let them escte like they did with Reynaldo and me, where small problems

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    turned into big ones.

    In a moment of distraction, Johnathan had already walked up to Anton.

    He hade to see Anton today.

    I walked over holding the cup.

    Johnathanughed at Anton and said, ¡°<i>Mr. </i>Palmer, I called you; why didn¡¯t you answer?¡±

    Anton nced at Reynaldo and said with a faint smile, ¡°Oh, really? The phone is charging on top, didn¡¯t you see it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay. I cane pick you up myself.¡±

    Anton frowned slightly and chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t remember having anything to discuss with Mr. Dup today. Who is Mr. Dup?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I told you not to bring your phone with you!¡±

    The group had already sent messages about the casting issue of the y ¡°Rose Queen¡± in the group chat, and several investors decided to hold another meeting.

    The meeting venue has been booked, and two investors have already arrived. You didn¡¯t reply, and I called you, but you didn¡¯t answer.

    Just now, I happened to pass by here, so I decided to personally call you to go together.¡±

    Anton held Essie and smiled nonchntly, ¡°Reorganize the meeting? Howe I didn¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I tell you that this was also decided by several major investors at thest minute, and it¡¯s better to start shooting as soon as the roles are set?¡±

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    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Anton chuckled. ¡°You investors can attend this meeting. after all, the decision¨Cmaking power for selecting roles is in your hands. Whether I go or not doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you got it wrong. Aren¡¯t you now reluctantly considered Lavonne¡¯s agent? If you don¡¯t go, do you not want Lavonne to participate in this y? After all, her role depends on your half as an agent to fight for it, right?¡±

    Anton frowned deeply and looked at Reynaldo again.

    Reynaldo, however, seemed to be oblivious to their conversation, casually sipping the tea in his cup as if he hadn¡¯t heard a word they said.

    I looked at him speechlessly.

    Even a fool could see that the so¨Ccalled meeting was something he put together at thest minute, and Johnathan was someone he called in.

    He went to great lengths to make sure Anton didn¡¯t have time to fight for the child.

    ¡°Alright, Mr. Palmer, go change your clothes quickly. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±

    Johnathan said, sitting on the sofa, urging him with his eyes.

    Anton saw through everything, but he wasn¡¯t angry. He just said to him lightly, ¡°Okay, then please ask Mr. Dup to wait for me for a while.¡±

    With that, he looked at Essie again and said, ¡°I have something to do today, so I can only apany you to the amusement park next time.¡±

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    Essie felt a little disappointed, but she said understandingly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Anton¡¯s work is important. I¡¯ll wait for you to take me to the

    amusement park next time.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anton smiled indulgently at her, then after a while, he patted her head and said, ¡°You can go with your dad today.¡±

    Essie pursed her lips and cast a cautious nce at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo hastily pulled out a smile at her, but that smile was forced and really not as good as not smiling.

    Sure enough, Essie clearly did not feel fatherly love from that smile.

    Her chubby little hand tugged at Anton¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°I just want to go with you. I¡¯m waiting for you to take me.¡±

    Reynaldo instantly took a deep breath in anger, and his face began to darken.

    Johnathan nced at him and quickly smiled at Essie, saying, ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t have to be Anton, I¡¯m also free. I¡¯ll take you next time.¡±

    Essie nodded and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    ¡°Definitely, I won¡¯t forget no matter how busy I am, I promised Essie.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, Essie liked you.¡±

    Actually, I could tell that Johnathan was afraid that Reynaldo would be jealous of Essie getting too close to Anton, afraid that Reynaldo would go crazy, so he quickly interjected.

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    But he seemed to have overreached himself, look, Reynaldo¡¯s face was getting darker and darker.

    At that moment, he must have been thinking, ¡°My daughter is close to everyone, except me.¡±

    It was obvious that Johnathan also noticed Reynaldo¡¯s darkening face, so he hurriedly urged Anton, ¡°Mr. Palmer, hurry up, we¡¯re going to bete for the meeting, and I haven¡¯t even had breakfast yet.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s not me saying this to you, with such a big vi, howe there¡¯s no maid to make breakfast?¡±

    ¡°The breakfast at this spot had already closed. If Mr. Dup wants to eat, I will buy you a meal on the wayter.¡±

    Anton said, cing Essie on the sofa, and then walked towards the

    staircase.

    I thought there was still so much breakfast in the kitchen, it would be a waste not to eat it, so I turned around and took out a few slices of toast

    from the kitchen.

    Anton saw it, smiled stiffly, and a hint of obvious disappointment shed in his eyes.

    I was stunned for a moment, looking repeatedly at the toast in my hand.

    No, this breakfast is too much, can¡¯t we give it to Johnathan?

    ¡°Oh Esmie, you always take care of me. Bring the toast over quickly, I¡¯m starving.¡±

    Johnathan suddenly shouted at me, with a careless and dandy

    appearance, as if he had already forgotten the unpleasantness we had at the clubst night.

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    He seemed to suddenly turn back into the previous Johnathan.

    I walked over and handed him the toast.

    He took two big bites in a row and eximed, ¡°This toast is really good, so delicious, even better than what they sell outside. Who made it?¡±

    ¡°What Anton did.¡±

    Seeing him gobbling up the food, I poured him a cup of tea, afraid that he might choke.

    He picked up the teacup, smiled at me and said, ¡°Thank you, Esmie. I didn¡¯t expect Anton to have this skill. It seems that his cooking skills must be very good too. Oh, Esmie, you have a good taste.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, a cold gaze shot over.

    I silently finished the juice in the cup, thinking to myself, ¡°Johnathan¡¯s words can be a bit too much sometimes.¡±

    Seeing Reynaldo¡¯s cold expression, Johnathan hesitated for a moment and handed him the remaining piece of toast in his hand, saying, ¡°You haven¡¯t had breakfast either, here, have a piece.¡±

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    The heavy two words, suppressing anger.

    Johnathan was surprised and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat, then don¡¯t eat. I don¡¯t have enough to eat anyway.¡±

    With Reynaldo¡¯s icy demeanor present, the atmosphere in the living room was not very pleasant.

    Anton quickly changed into a suit with a leather cor, and the casual andzy demeanor he had just now instantly became capable and steady

    He walked towards Essie as if he still wanted to say something to

    Essie.

    Johnathan quickly got up and took his arm, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, the meeting is going to bete.¡±

    ¡°Also, thank you for making the toast, it was delicious. Teach me how to make it next time.¡±

    And so, Anton was dragged out by Johnathan, leaving only me and Reynaldo in the living room, along with two children.

    Anton left, and Essie snuggled into my arms.

    No matter what, she was unwilling to take the initiative to get close to Reynaldo.

    That day she was willing to let Reynaldo hold her to sleep, probably

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    because Reynaldo sounded so pitiful.

    My Essie, though small in size<i>, </i>had the softest heart.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t speak, and I didn¡¯t speak either. The atmosphere slowly became oppressive.

    Thest two children were unwilling to stay in the <b>living </b>room

    anymore.

    Essie held my hand and said, ¡°Mommy, I want to go up.¡±

    Roddy kept thinking about the amusement park and kept ncing at Reynaldo.

    It¡¯s strange, that day I saw from the video, Roddy was the most annoying to Reynaldo.

    I didn¡¯t expect it to be Roddy who took the initiative to get close to Reynaldo.

    Roddy tugged at Reynaldo¡¯s sleeve and asked him in a low voice, ¡°Dad, are we still going to the amusement park?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Reynaldo smiled at him, ¡°we just need to invite Essie too, otherwise Essie will be bored at home.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± Roddy ran over and took Essie¡¯s little hand, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the amusement park with daddy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you haven¡¯t yed at this amusement park yet, it¡¯s very fun, and I have also arranged some children¡¯s programs, you will definitely like

    it.¡±

    Reynaldo also tried to coax Essie, and that gentle look left me dumbfounded.

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    He was suddenly so patient and gentle with the children, it was really

    rare.

    Essie became curious and asked him, ¡°What children¡¯s show?¡±

    Reynaldo pretended to be mysterious, ¡°You¡¯ll know once youe with me.¡±

    When he said that, Essie was clearly moved, but she was still a little afraid of Reynaldo.

    She held my hand and said, ¡°Mommy, can we go together?¡±

    Roddy nodded vigorously, ¡°Mommy,e too.¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo.

    The man casually picked up the teacup and savored it slowly. After finishing one cup, he leisurely poured himself another.

    The tone was casual: ¡°If the kids want you to go, just go with them. Anyway, I identally bought a lot of tickets, so it would be a waste if you don¡¯t go.¡±

    Actually, taking the kids to the amusement park with Reynaldo wasn¡¯t a big deal, after all, the two kids really wanted to go.

    Vonnie was just in a bad mood, and I had promised herst night¨Cthat I would go shopping with her today.

    I held Essie¡¯s small shoulders and said, ¡°How about we don¡¯t go to the amusement park this time, we¡¯ll go next time. Next time, Mommy and Vonnie will take you guys together.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned and said coldly, ¡°Esmeralda, is this how you prevent the children from getting close to me? I am their biological father!¡±

 Too Close 824

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, that¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t stop the two kids from going with me. If it weren¡¯t for Essie insisting that youe along, do you think I would want you to go?¡±

    Reynaldo said angrily, with a tone of disdain.

    I was speechless and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say they couldn¡¯t go with you either.¡±

    It was true that I had never stopped them from seeing each other since I was sure he wouldn¡¯tpete with me for the child.

    I said, ¡°Essie insisted that I go before she would go, and I had no choice.¡±

    But today I promised Vonnie again to go shopping with her, so I¡­

    ¡°No problem, you can take the kids with you to see him.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Vonnie¡¯s voice drifted over.

    She walked over from the staircase, nced around first, then smiled at me, ¡°I happen to be toozy to go shopping, so I¡¯ll just stay home and rest.¡±

    I nced at Reynaldo.

    The man snorted coldly and then led Roddy outside.

    Roddy turned back and shouted to me and Essie, ¡°Mommy, Essie, Dad and I are waiting for you outside.¡±

    After Reynaldo mentioned that ¡°children¡¯s show¡± just now, Essie really

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    wanted to go and see it.

    She tugged at my sleeve and said, ¡°Mommy,e with me, I don¡¯t want to go with daddy, he¡¯s really mean.¡±

    Vonnie covered her mouth and chuckled. ¡°You better fulfill Essie¡¯s wish. I¡¯m afraid if you don¡¯t go, Reynaldo will scare the children again.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Vonnie poured herself a ss of water and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just be in my roomter, scrolling through my phone and sleeping.¡±

    Thinking back to when Johnathan had juste over, their reactions, I hesitated and said, ¡°Aboutst night, you see¡­ maybe we should find a time to talk to him properly.¡±

    Vonnie lowered her eyes for two seconds, forced a smile, and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a drunken confusion of emotions, nothing to talk about, let¡¯s leave it at that.¡±

    I was about to say something when Roddy suddenly appeared at the door and shouted at me, ¡°Mommy,e quickly with Essie, Daddy is about to drive.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then you let him drive, you two go.¡±

    Roddy pursed his lips and muttered, ¡°Mom is a bit annoying.¡±

    I smiled, got up and started packing.

    The weather was quickly turning into autumn, with sudden changes between cold and hot. I brought a few sweat¨Cabsorbing towels for the two children and filled two insted cups with warm water.

    When he came out, Reynaldo was leaning against the front of the car,

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    with a sullen expression on his face.

    He nced at me, then took a few steps over, snatched the canvas bag and thermos cup from my hand, with great force, wrapped in anger.

    I was speechless.

    Why was he angry all the time?

    The amusement park was not far away, and we arrived there by car in half an hour.

    As soon as they got off the car, the two children ran excitedly towards the entrance.

    Reynaldo quickly called out to them, and then took one by the hand and led them inside.

    I watched his back and suddenly felt that at this moment Reynaldo looked quite like a caring father.

    When we reached the entrance, Reynaldo suddenly stopped and turned

    to look at me.

    I was stunned, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Take the ticket!¡±

    I frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy the tickets?¡±

    ¡°In your pocket, you took it out and checked the ticket.¡±

    ¡°You pay for it yourself.¡±

    ¡°What if I let go of these two little guys, what should I do if these two little guys run away?¡±

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    I thought it made sense, so I reached into his pocket and felt for the ticket.

    I didn¡¯t find anything in this pocket, so I went to that pocket to search.

    I quickly pulled out four tickets.

    I was speechless. ¡°So you identally bought a lot of tickets?¡±

    These are exactly four, aren¡¯t they?

    The moment I looked up, my gaze identally met his.

    Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes startled me.

    Wasn¡¯t the deep dark color surging in those eyes¡­

    Ah!

    Couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°clear skies and bright sun!¡±

    I held up the ticket in front of him and stammered, ¡°You, your ticket.¡±

    ¡°Ticket inspection.¡±

    Reynaldo said indifferently, with a faint expression that seemed to suggest, ¡°It was my impure thoughts that made it seem like we just had a moment of eye contact.

    ¡±

    I pushed him away and took four tickets to the gate for ticket inspection.

    The more I thought about it, the more wrong it seemed.

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    He could have just let one of the kids hold it and taken the ticket out of his pocket himself, why did he have to ask me to do it?

    In the midst of his reverie, Reynaldo had already led two children inside.

    I realized I was falling behind, so he turned back and shouted at me indifferently, ¡°Are you nning to stand at this gate all day<i>? </i>It¡¯s fine if you want to stand, but don¡¯t block others¡® way.¡±

    I turned around and saw three or five people lined up behind me, so I quickly picked up my pace and followed them in.

    The amusement park was very big, and there were a lot of different rides to y on.

    And this amusement park was specifically designed for children, with many cartoon devices and fantasy scenes inside.

    Thebination of various colors made the children¡¯s eyes light up.

    After the two children came in, they looked around everywhere like released birds, everything was new and exciting to them.

    Perhaps because I was walking a bit slowly, Reynaldo suddenly turned back to look at me.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have the energy to y with them, just find a ce to sit down properly. Your slow pace really affects their progress in ying.¡±

    I was speechless with anger for a moment, and finally managed to squeeze out one word, ¡°Okay!¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even bother to give me a nce, he just took two children and was ready to go y the project.

    Suddenly, a familiar and piercing sound came.

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    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Upon hearing this voice, the coldness and hatred in my heart surged instantly.

    I turned to the side and sure enough, I saw Kimberly walking towards <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    She was followed by several assistants, with several people wearing the uniform of a certain orphanage beside her.

    Kimberly held two children in her hands, while others held one or two children in their hands.

    I was sarcastic in my heart.

    Was Kimberly trying to create a persona of kindness by relying on the orphanage?

    No wonder Quentin would think that Kimberly really likes children and would never harm my child.

    Wow, this woman can really disguise herself.

    ¡°Oh, Ms. Duffy is here too.¡±

    Kimberly seemed to have just seen me, greeted me with a smile and said, ¡°Long time no see, Ms. Duffy. Oh, wait, I am now Quentin¡¯s fiancee, soon to be your sister¨Cinw. I should call you Ralda along with Quentin.¡±

    I pursed my lips and sneered, ¡°Ms. Palmer really is forgetful of her benefactors. Didn¡¯t we just meet at Quentin¡¯s ce the day before yesterday?¡±

    I remember Ms. Palmer¡¯s reaction at that time was quite big, a look so malicious as if she wanted to kill me. Ms. Palmer forgot?¡±

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    Kimberly appeared to have a bodhisattva heart and a pure and innocent look in front of everyone.

    When I said that, the few staff members at the orphanage immediately looked at her in disbelief.

    Kimberly was not in a hurry either, with a polite smile on her face: ¡°It¡¯s been so long since Ist saw you, Ralda, I was so excited, especially when you brought two children back. Quentin and I were thrilled.¡±

    I took the children to Quentin¡¯s ce the other day, ¡°I prepared a lot of surprises for the kids.¡±

    When she said these words, she was still patting the heads of the few children in front of her, and that gentle and loving look was really

    amazing.

    I chuckled lightly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not go after all. After all, I stabbed you twice back then, causing you to never be able to have children. Bringing a child to visit you would just be pure provocation.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s face darkened for a moment, but then she quickly put on a smile and said, ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. I know, back then you were just panicking and didn¡¯t know what to do because you had made a mistake. That¡¯s why you tried to me me for everything and even attempted to stab me, so there would be no evidence against you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, anyway, it¡¯s been so long since it happened, I don¡¯t me you. I really like those two dolls of yours now, they are so cute.¡±

    Listening to her fake words that couldn¡¯t be more fake, Iughed so hard holding my stomach that it hurt, even tears came out of the

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    corners of my eyes.

    I said to her. ¡°Ms. Palmer is indeed as kind as rumored. Even though someone stabbed you with a knife and made you unable to have children, you still generously forgave that person and even liked that person¡¯s child.¡±

    I really don¡¯t know if I should say, ¡°Ms. Palmer, you are really kind,¡± or if I should say, ¡°you are pretending too much, so much that it¡¯s unrealistic,¡± hahaha¡­

    Kimberly¡¯s face changed slightly, she turned her back to the crowd, and a hint of anger and malice shed in her eyes.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did I hit the nail on the head with your disguise, and now you don¡¯t know how to continue acting?¡±

    With that, I nced at Reynaldo.

    The man just seemed to be not paying attention to this side, just holding a thermos cup, bending down to feed water to two children.

    What¡¯s up?

    Four yearster, Reynaldo finally realized that he was no longer protecting Kimberly.

    If it were in the past, I would have said to Kimberly, he would definitely have yelled at me again.

    While I was thinking, one of Kimberly¡¯s assistants suddenly said to me, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Kimberly is too kind to argue with you. Only malicious people like you would specte on others, whether they are pretending or not.¡°.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I smiled sarcastically at the assistant, ¡°Do you really think there are such kind people in the world? Then I¡¯ll stab you twice too, leaving

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    you infertile for life, let¡¯s see if you can still be so kind.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± I chuckled at her, ¡°That¡¯s why I said, Kimberly went overboard with the disguise, and you guys still don¡¯t believe me!¡±

    The assistant was speechless when I blocked him, looking cautiously at Kimberly

    Kimberly lowered her eyes and smiled, saying to me. ¡°It¡¯s human

    nature to hate in your heart, but who told you that you are my fiance¡¯s sister? I love Quentin so much, so I can only forgive you for his sake.¡±

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    Besides, isn¡¯t it just about not being able to have children? We are so close now, your child is my child, right?

    My aunt also treated them as if they were her own children.

    She said, then went to touch my Essie and Roddy with a gentle smile on her face.

    The two children were scared by Kimberlyst time at Quentin¡¯s.

    Kimberly approached, naturally hiding behind Reynaldo with a guarded expression on her face.

    Kimberly saw the situation and joked softly, ¡°Oh, why are these two kids still so shy? Don¡¯t be afraid, I am very nice, and I have prepared a lot of gifts for you. You shoulde to my house to y next time.¡±

    Roddy hid behind Reynaldo and peeked out a little head, saying directly to her, ¡°I don¡¯t want to, you are a bad aunt.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Essie also hid behind Reynaldo, staring at Kimberly with a look of resistance, ¡°We don¡¯t want to go to your house, you were scarier than my dadst time, you are a bad person.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned, his sharp ck eyes staring straight at Kimberly.

    Kimberly stiffly pursed her lips, her expression always maintaining her ¡®kindness¡®: ¡°Reynaldo, have these two children heard some gossip and misunderstood me?¡±

    Thest time I saw them, they were clearly too excited, saying, ¡°I¡¯m so happy, Reynaldo, you finally have such a lovely son and daughter.¡±

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    But howe when it gets to their mouths, I be a scary bad guy, did someone overinterpret me in front of them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey¡­¡± the people from the orphanage started speaking up for Kimberly, ¡°Ms. Palmer¡¯s contributions in the charity world, that is well known, our orphanage was also built with her donations.¡±

    And Ms. Palmer often brought gifts to the orphanage to visit these poor children, and today she took the time to bring the children to the amusement park to y.

    How could these two little ones still think that Ms. Palmer, who is so gentle and kind, is a bad person? Could she really be their mother¡­?

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Reynaldo looked at the orphanage staff with a t expression, and his unchanging tone was enough to make the staff¡¯s face turn pale.

    ¡°Are you saying that my child doesn¡¯t know right from wrong? using people randomly?¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo in surprise.

    The sun was setting in the west, and Reynaldo actually defended his child so obviously in front of Kimberly, whom he always

    unconditionally trusted and favored.

    Seeing the scene before me, I was truly shocked.

    At the same time, seeing Kimberly¡¯s ugly face as if she had eaten a fly, he felt even more pleased.

    She said softly to Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be angry, they were just guessing.¡±

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    After all, I was so good to your two children, but they always thought I was a bad person.

    Thinking back, I realized that ¡°I had too little contact with them, they were shy.¡±

    So, today I happened to bring the children from the orphanage to y, and let these two children y with me, it¡¯s lively with more people.¡±

    I was just about to refuse.

    Reynaldo suddenly took the hands of two children and said to her in a low voice, ¡°No need,pared to you, their biological father needs to build a better rtionship with them.¡±

    The man finished speaking, without even looking at Kimberly, he took the two children¡¯s hands and walked towards the nearby children¡¯s roller coaster.

    I watched his back, a touch of surprise and tenderness shed through my heart.

    I didn¡¯t expect Reynaldo to care so much about these two children. When I saw his attitude towards them on the surveince footage that day, I thought¡­

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    ¡°Kimberly, don¡¯t be angry. It must be someone who said something negative about you to Mr. Humphrey, that¡¯s why he treated you this way¡±

    After all, in Freybourne now, who doesn¡¯t know you are Mr. Humphrey¡¯s most beloved stepsister.¡±

    When I heard ¡°stepsister.¡± I justughed.

    It seems that Kimberly saw no hope in Reynaldo, so she settled for Quentin instead, openly stating that she is Reynaldo¡¯s stepsister.

    In this way, she not only coaxed Quentin into revealing everything, but also did not lose the protection from Reynaldo¡¯s side, and even managed to cover up her motive and suspicion of killing Mika.

    I have to say, ¡°this woman is quite scheming.¡±

    However, no matter how deep her scheming was, the day would eventuallye when the bad things she did would be exposed.

    I coldly smiled at Kimberly. ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy too soon. Some people have done bad things, it¡¯s not that they won¡¯t be punished, it¡¯s just not the right time yet.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Kimberly smiled at me kindly, ¡°I am also looking forward to the day when the bad guys get theireuppance. But Ralda, do you think that day wille?¡±

    With that, she walked up to me, leaned in close to my ear, and in a volume that no one else could hear, she said to me arrogantly and triumphantly, ¡°I bet that even after you die, you won¡¯t be able to see

    21-37

    Chapart

    that day.¡±

    Oh. I almost forgot, Mika was really looking forward to the baby in your belly

    You see, why don¡¯t I take those two kids down to see her one day?¡±

    This sentence clearly indicated that she wouldy hands on Essie and Roddy.

    The hatred and anger in my heart surged straight to my chest.

    I clenched my fists tightly by my side and said to her coldly, ¡°It seems that the two stabs four years ago were too light. If you dare to touch my child. I don¡¯t mind poking you into a ho¡¯s nest.¡±

    Four years ago, the pain brought by those two knives may have been too intense for her. At the mention of it, the woman¡¯s face twisted.

    The child from the orphanage behind her carefully tugged at her sleeve, indicating a strong desire to y. Her face only returned to normal then.

    She smiled kindly at me and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s it for now, Ralda. Remember to take the kids to visit Quentin.¡±

    She said, and then she rubbed my shoulder and walked into the amusement park, with a look of satisfaction in her eyes.

    I lowered my head and quietly tripped over something.

    With a scream, Kimberly immediately fell to the ground in a sorry

    state.

    The ground had undergone special anti¨Cslip treatment, with a rough texture, and she was dressed lightly. With such a fall, her knees and elbows were scraped, looking quite disheveled.

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    I deliberately eximed ¡°Oops¡± and quickly went to help her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to, I didn¡¯t expect you to brush against my shoulder.¡±

    ¡°You are so kind, you shouldn¡¯t me me for this unintentional mistake, right?¡±

    I said, cing my hand deliberately on her elbow, pressing hard on the injured area.

    She turned pale with pain, pushed me away abruptly, and red at me fiercely.

    I quickly put on a sad expression and said to her, ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to, I also apologized to you, are you still unwilling to forgive me?¡±

    Didn¡¯t you say you were my kind sister¨Cinw? You didn¡¯t even hold a grudge against me for stabbing you four years ago. Are you really going to hold a grudge against me for this stumble?

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    ¡°Or are you saying that you forgave me just verbally, but deep down you still hold a grudge against me?¡±

    Kimberly red at me angrily, so mad that her teeth were almost grinding.

    Her assistant¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she angrily said to me, ¡°You clearly tripped Kimberly on purpose, I saw it all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­ we all saw it,¡± the staff at the orphanage echoed.

    The assistant angrily said, ¡°What do you mean Kimberly is holding a grudge against you, when it¡¯s actually you taking advantage of the opportunity to retaliate against Kimberly¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha, revenge? So you also think Kimberly did something to me, so I want to revenge on her?¡±

    In one sentence, the assistant¡¯s face turned pale and blue with anger.

    Kimberly quickly said softly, ¡°Forget it, forget it. I don¡¯t think she did it on purpose. Besides, she¡¯s about to be my sister¨Cinw, so let¡¯s just let it go.¡±

    The assistant said, ¡°Kimberly, you are just too kind. We can¡¯t indulge people like this who are so malicious, otherwise she will just take advantage of it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I think we should call the police and teach this wicked woman a lesson.¡±

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    ¡°Yes, Ms. Palmer is about to be her sister¨Cinw, and she still acts like she¡¯s above everyone else. She really needs to be taught a lesson this time.¡±

    ***

    Several people were talking all at once, looking like they all wanted to ¡°punish¡± me.

    Kimberly was still pretending to speak well of me on the side, that fake appearance, I wanted tough just looking at it.

    Falling so hard and still having to pretend, it¡¯s really tough for her.

    Just as everyone was considering sending me in to teach me a lesson.

    Roddy¡¯s voice suddenly came: ¡°Mommy,e over quickly, Dad and I have been waiting for you for a long time.¡±

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo standing not far away, leading two little

    ones.

    The man¡¯s face turned cold, and his indifferent gaze nced at

    everyone.

    Just now, those few who threatened to send me in were suddenly silent.

    I smiled at them and said, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Humphrey is waiting for me over there. I have to go first, or he might get angry ande looking for you.¡±

    Those few people instantly stepped back a few steps, creating distance between us, and didn¡¯t dare to shout at all.

    I smiled, took two steps forward, and said to them, ¡°And another thing, if you really want to send me in, you¡¯ll have to wait until I poke a few

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    more holes in her first.¡±

    ¡°After all, such minor injuries really aren¡¯t worth the cost of sending me in.¡±

    Those few people werepletely speechless, hanging their heads one after another

    Inced at Kimberly¡¯s furious face, then walked towards Reynaldo with a sense of relief

    Unexpectedly, Kimberly quickly caught up.

    She approached Reynaldo and showed him her scraped knees and elbows, tearfully saying, ¡°Reynaldo, Ralda tripped me and made me fall down. Look. I¡¯m bleeding from the fall.¡±

    Reynaldo immediately looked at me.

    I looked into his deep eyes and said expressionlessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    In the past, if something like this happened, Reynaldo would definitely make me apologize to Kimberly

    Because of simr situations that had happened too many times in the past, he always showed favoritism towards Kimberly

    And now, how will he handle this matter again?

    I suddenly wanted to see his next reaction.

    However, Reynaldo looked at me and didn¡¯t say anything for a while.

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes turned and she gently said, holding his arm. ¡°Forget it. Reynaldo. I don¡¯t think Ralda really meant it. If you want to me someone, me me for being careless and not seeing clearly¡­

 Too Close 830

    ¡°You let go of my dad!¡±

    Kimberly hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Roddy suddenly jumped up and pushed away her hand that was linked with Reynaldo¡¯s arm.

    ¡°My dad¡¯s arms could only hold me, Essie, and my mom. You, bad auntie, are not allowed to hold!¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    Kimberly wanted to get angry.

    However, Reynaldo pulled Roddy closer to him, clearly with a protective intention.

    Kimberly bit her lip, and in the end could only swallow the anger, instead putting on a pitiful look.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    With tears streaming down her cheeks, she cried, ¡°My arms and knees hurt so much, I feel a bit ufortable¡­¡±

    ¡°Did it hurt a lot?¡± Reynaldo looked at her injured area, seeming to be somewhat concerned.

    Kimberly nodded tearfully, ¡°My arms hurt, my knees hurt, and I¡¯m having trouble breathing, Reynaldo¡­ Am I getting sick again? I feel so ufortable¡­¡±

    Cheated again!

    I was sarcastic in my heart, four years have passed, and this woman¡¯s

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    heart disease hasn¡¯t worsened at all.

    She looked at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes.

    Reynaldo stared at her bruise for a while, and her beautiful eyebrows slowly furrowed.

    I pursed my lips, ¡°He seemed a little concerned about Kimberly.¡±

    Let him apany this woman then!

    It doesn¡¯t matter!

    Just as I was about to take Essie and Roddy for a walk, nning to take these two children to y by myself.

    Reynaldo¡¯s dull voice suddenly sounded, saying to Kimberly.

    ¡°Since you are feeling so unwell, I will send someone to take you to the hospital.¡±

    I looked at him in shock.

    1

    Wasn¡¯t it him who personally took Kimberly to the hospital?!

    If this had been in the past, he would have already run away with Kimberly, leaving me alone here.

    Today the sun really ¡°came out from the west¡± time and time again.

    After Reynaldo finished speaking, he actually took out his phone and dialed his assistant¡¯s number.

    Kimberly was dumbfounded: ¡°No, Reynaldo, I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, I¡­¡±

    ¡°You had pain in your arms and knees, so you had to go to the hospital for disinfection and pain relief. And your heart disease, you must go

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    for treatment as soon as possible, dying it could be life¨Cthreatening.¡±

    I smiled at Kimberly and said, ¡°Unless you¡¯re not feeling ufortable and just pretending to be all dramatic.¡±

    ¡°L¡­you¡­¡±

    Kimberly was both angry and anxious, staring at me and unable to speak for a moment.

    Reynaldo had already called the assistant toe over. When I saw him put down the phone, I said to him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to take the kids to the amusement park? You¡¯ve been dying here, and the kids will be mad at youter.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo gave me a strange look, and that look, I really couldn¡¯t understand.

    He took two children by the hand and said to me, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After saying that, he didn¡¯t even look at Kimberly and walked away.

    Kimberly was so angry that her face twisted in anger.

    She gritted her teeth and whispered to me in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky either. Reynaldo saw me with Quentin, got jealous, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s been distant with me. What he really cares about is still me.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Since he cares so much about you, why didn¡¯t you get together with him when I left, but instead went after Quentin? Or is it that you never really liked Reynaldo?¡±

    Kimberly stared at me, as if ¡°I had left her speechless.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Should I go remind Reynaldo that you don¡¯t like him, so he doesn¡¯t end up with unrequited love?¡±

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    ¡°You let go of my dad!¡±

    Kimberly hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Roddy suddenly jumped up and pushed away her hand that was linked with Reynaldo¡¯s arm.

    ¡°My dad¡¯s arms could only hold me, Essie, and my mom. You, bad auntie, are not allowed to hold!¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    Kimberly wanted to get angry.

    However, Reynaldo pulled Roddy closer to him, clearly with a protective intention.

    Kimberly bit her lip, and in the end could only swallow the anger, instead putting on a pitiful look.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    With tears streaming down her cheeks, she cried, ¡°My arms and knees hurt so much, I feel a bit ufortable¡­¡±

    ¡°Did it hurt a lot?¡± Reynaldo looked at her injured area, seeming to be somewhat concerned.

    Kimberly nodded tearfully, ¡°My arms hurt, my knees hurt, and I¡¯m having trouble breathing, Reynaldo¡­ Am I getting sick again? I feel so ufortable¡­¡±

    Cheated again!

    I was sarcastic in my heart, four years have passed, and this woman¡¯s

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    heart disease hasn¡¯t worsened at all.

    She looked at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes.

    Reynaldo stared at her bruise for a while, and her beautiful eyebrows slowly furrowed.

    I pursed my lips, ¡°He seemed a little concerned about Kimberly.¡±

    Let him apany this woman then!

    It doesn¡¯t matter!

    Just as I was about to take Essie and Roddy for a walk, nning to take these two children to y by myself.

    Reynaldo¡¯s dull voice suddenly sounded, saying to Kimberly.

    ¡°Since you are feeling so unwell, I will send someone to take you to the hospital.¡±

    I looked at him in shock.

    1

    Wasn¡¯t it him who personally took Kimberly to the hospital?!

    If this had been in the past, he would have already run away with Kimberly, leaving me alone here.

    Today the sun really ¡°came out from the west¡± time and time again.

    After Reynaldo finished speaking, he actually took out his phone and dialed his assistant¡¯s number.

    Kimberly was dumbfounded: ¡°No, Reynaldo, I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, I¡­¡±

    ¡°You had pain in your arms and knees, so you had to go to the hospital for disinfection and pain relief. And your heart disease, you must go

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    for treatment as soon as possible, dying it could be life¨Cthreatening.¡±

    I smiled at Kimberly and said, ¡°Unless you¡¯re not feeling ufortable and just pretending to be all dramatic.¡±

    ¡°L¡­you¡­¡±

    Kimberly was both angry and anxious, staring at me and unable to speak for a moment.

    Reynaldo had already called the assistant toe over. When I saw him put down the phone, I said to him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to take the kids to the amusement park? You¡¯ve been dying here, and the kids will be mad at youter.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo gave me a strange look, and that look, I really couldn¡¯t understand.

    He took two children by the hand and said to me, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After saying that, he didn¡¯t even look at Kimberly and walked away.

    Kimberly was so angry that her face twisted in anger.

    She gritted her teeth and whispered to me in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky either. Reynaldo saw me with Quentin, got jealous, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s been distant with me. What he really cares about is still me.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Since he cares so much about you, why didn¡¯t you get together with him when I left, but instead went after Quentin? Or is it that you never really liked Reynaldo?¡±

    Kimberly stared at me, as if ¡°I had left her speechless.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Should I go remind Reynaldo that you don¡¯t like him, so he doesn¡¯t end up with unrequited love?¡±

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    Reynaldo gave me a nce, then reached out and grabbed my arm, and with a strong pull, he dragged me towards him.

    His dark eyes stared at me, his tone restrained, ¡°Is it fun to tease her?¡±

    I felt a slight sourness in my heart, so, was he ¡°heartbroken for Kimberly¡°?

    Iughed at him, ¡°It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it? Seeing her rolling her eyes in anger, I felt so happy.¡±

    ¡°Are you here today to tease her, or to y with the children?¡± Reynaldo said, suppressing his emotions.

    I was stunned for a moment.

    From what he said, he wasn¡¯t feeling sorry for Kimberly, but rather angry that I had spent all my timepeting with Kimberly?

    Essie and Roddy nced at me, not waiting for me to speak.

    Reynaldo had already let go of me and was walking ahead with two children.

    Roddy suddenly turned back and looked at me, saying, ¡°Mommy, hurry up.¡±

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t move, Roddy simply broke free from Reynaldo¡¯s hand, ran over, and pulled me to Reynaldo¡¯s side.

    He took Reynaldo¡¯s big hand again, put my hand into Reynaldo¡¯s hand, and frowned, saying, ¡°Daddy, you better hold mommy¡¯s hand. Mommy

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    always looks absent¨Cminded. I¡¯m afraid she will get lostter.¡±

    The temperature in the palm of the man¡¯s hand came through his fingertips, unusually scorching.

    My heart trembled, and I instinctively tried to pull back my hand, but Reynaldo tightened his grip on my palm, seizing it tightly.

    I looked up at him and only saw his cold and indifferent profile.

    He looked straight ahead and said in a t tone, ¡°Even the children find you slow and sluggish. You really should reflect on yourself. Why waste so much time talking nonsense with irrelevant people?¡±

    Doesn¡¯t matter who?

    So his words should have made it very clear that he didn¡¯t care about Kimberly at all.

    For me, Kimberly was not an insignificant person, but a mortal enemy.

    As long as I lived, I would never let that wicked woman have an easy time!

    Roddy saw Reynaldo leading me and couldn¡¯t help but cover his mouth and chuckle.

    He ran over to me, holding my other hand, bouncing and jumping, looking so happy.

    I could tell that he really wanted me to make up with Reynaldo, after all, which child doesn¡¯t want their parents to be loving and

    harmonious.

    Just four years ago, the truth had not been revealed, how could Reynaldo and I possibly reconcile?

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    However, how can I uncover the truth from four years ago?

    This was really a difficult problem, I didn¡¯t even know where to start.

    Just then, Kimberly¡¯s deste and sorrowful voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°Reynaldo, I dreamt about Mika a couple of days ago¡­¡±

    My heart grew cold.

    This malicious woman, she deliberately brought up Mika to subtly remind Reynaldo, ¡°Did I ¡®kill¡® his mother?¡±

    Sure enough, Reynaldo¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, then slowly released my hand.

    Kimberly continued, ¡°In the dream, Mika told me she was very cold and she really wanted to see your children. Let¡¯s go to her grave another day and burn some paper with the children.¡±

    I turned coldly and said to Kimberly, ¡°What a coincidence, I dreamt of my mom yesterday too. She said she would definitely make the person who killed her suffer!¡±

    I stared coldly at Kimberly, while Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything and just took the two children and left.

    Reynaldo was indeed affected by Kimberly¡¯sst two sentences.

    When I caught up with him, he was looking at me with eyes full of hatred.

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    Perhaps because Essie and Roddy were nearby, he didn¡¯t say anything cruel to me. He just pointed to the spinning roller coaster nearby and said lightly, ¡°They want to y that, but only one child can be apanied by a parent.¡±

    I nodded and automatically took Essie¡¯s hand.

    The spinning roller coaster, which is supposed to be suitable for children to y, was not very scary. However, after a few spins, I felt dizzy and nauseous.

    When I got off the roller coaster, I just felt a whirlwind, and I fell directly to the ground.

    Essie was startled and pulled me anxiously, shouting to Reynaldo, ¡°Daddy, Daddy¡­ Mommy fell down¡­¡±

    Ever since Kimberly mentioned his mother, Reynaldo has not intended to talk to me.

    So after getting off the roller coaster, he ¡°directly led Roddy to the next project.¡±

    When he heard Essie calling him, he stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me.

    However, he did note over to help me, just looked at me coldly with a hint of hatred in his eyes.

    I scratched the ground, endured the dizziness, and slowly climbed up from the ground.

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    Roddy ran over, with Essie on one side and him on the other, helping me to sit down on a bench nearby.

    Roddy looked at me with concern and said, ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    I patted his head and smiled, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just got a little dizzy from that roller coaster.¡±

    Essie said, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t y this anymore. Just rest here, Essie will stay with you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said, as I put my hands on the shoulders of the two children and chuckled softly, ¡°I¡¯ll just rest here by myself for a while, you go y with your dad.¡±

    ¡°But I am so worried about you,¡± Essie held my hand, her face full of

    concern.

    Afraid that the two children would lose their mood for ying, I twisted my neck, suppressed the dizziness in my head, and smiled, saying, ¡°I¡¯m really fine, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m not dizzy now, we can continue to y the next game with you.¡±

    The two children looked at me and finally smiled reassuringly.

    Just as I walked up to Reynaldo, he coldly said to me, ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, find a ce to rest. If you feel dizzy after every ride, ¡®do they still want to y?¡±

    I felt a sourness in my heart, lowered my gaze, and said nothing.

    Reynaldo took Essie and Roddy by the hand and said gently to them, ¡°Your mommy needs to rest. Come on, daddy will take you to y.¡±

    The two children looked at me uneasily.

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    I quickly smiled at them and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just sit on this chair. and rest, you can still see me while ying the game.¡±

    After listening, the two children followed Reynaldo to y with peace of mind.

    But they still kept turning back to look at me every few steps.

    I waved to them, with a smile on my face, but feeling a bit sour and bitter inside, mixed with a sense of grievance.

    Reynaldo really can¡¯t stand it when I mention Mika. Just now, he was clearly on my side with the children.

    I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair, letting out a long sigh.

    Just yed the spinning roller coaster, I never feltfortable, my head was spinning badly, and my stomach was churning.

    Just as I was feeling dizzy and about to fall asleep, someone suddenly tugged at my arm.

    I slowly opened my eyes and saw Roddy standing in front of me with a bottle of water.

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    ¡°Mommy, this is for you to drink. You should feel better after drinking it.¡±

    I smiled and took the water, ¡°Thank you, Roddy. Did you buy this? Did you bring money?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    Roddy initially nodded his head, but the next second, he turned back and nced in Reynaldo¡¯s direction.

    Reynaldo was seen ying on the carousel with Essie, not looking this way, so his little face slowly twisted up.

    I chuckled and pointed at his nose, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I have something to tell you, don¡¯t tell dad, okay?¡±

    I took a sip of water and replied with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Then Roddy mysteriously approached my ear and whispered, ¡°This bottle of water was bought by dad, and he asked me to bring it to you¡­¡±

    I shuddered all over and instinctively looked towards Reynaldo, feeling a dense and tingling pain in my heart.

    This man, he clearly hated me, why did he still care about me?

    He was always so contradictory, in the end, the one who was always tortured was himself.

    Roddy held my hand and said, ¡°Dad said you got dizzy from that roller

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    coaster, probably feeling both dizzy and nauseous, drinking this will make you feel better.¡±

    But dad told me not to tell you, and told me to say that I bought it for

    you.

    But I think Daddy is not right like this. Daddy is always grumpy and doesn¡¯t admit to buying water for Mommy. How can Mommy still like him like this!

    Roddy almost said these words with a tone of ¡°hating iron for not bing steel¡°.

    Just as he finished speaking, Reynaldo was called by the carousel.

    Roddy hurriedly said to me, ¡°Dad is calling me, so I¡¯ll go first. Mommy, you rest a little longer.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I nodded and looked towards Reynaldo¡¯s direction, but only saw his back.

    That back was cold and lonely.

    I lowered my head sadly, ¡°How nice it would be if there were no misunderstandings and hatred between him and me.¡±

    Reynaldo yed many activities with two children, and the two children had a great time. The smiles on their faces never disappeared.

    By lunchtime, Reynaldo had nned to take them out to eat.

    But both children said they hadn¡¯t had enough fun and didn¡¯t want to go eat.

    Reynaldo had no choice but to continue ying with them.

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    By one thirty in the afternoon, Reynaldo was really worried that the two children would starve, so he insisted on taking them out to cat.

    But the two children still wanted to y and were reluctant to leave, so Reynaldo had no choice but to take them to have a simple meal in the shop at the amusement park.

    I never used to think that Reynaldo would be a thoughtful and considerate person.

    When I saw him busy pouring water for the two children, rolling up their sleeves,ying out napkins, and carefully wiping away the crumbs from the corners of their mouths, I realized that he was actually quite attentive.

    Basically, the children didn¡¯t need me to manage, he was in charge the whole time.

    After spending the morning together, Roddy clearly liked Reynaldo more, and even Essie was not as afraid of Reynaldo anymore, asionally even smiling at Reynaldo.

    Just like that, without fear, Essie also willingly approached Reynaldo.

    After finishing the food on her te, she leaned over to Reynaldo, took his arm, and asked him softly, ¡°Daddy, didn¡¯t, you say you arranged a children¡¯s program for Essie? When are we going to show Essie?¡±

    Essie¡¯s proactive approach made Reynaldo very happy, even the light in his eyes softened.

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    He patted Essie¡¯s head and said, ¡°I had already arranged everything. I will show youter.¡±

    ¡°Yay, Dad is really nice.¡±

    Essie jumped up happily and then tugged on Reynaldo¡¯s arm, saying, ¡°Daddy,e over here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Reynaldo asked gently with a smile, leaning his face closer to hers.

    I thought Essie was going to tell him something in secret.

    I didn¡¯t expect Essie to tiptoe and give him a kiss on the face with a smack.

    The power of this bite might be a bit too strong.

    Because Reynaldo was frozen stiff, maintaining that posture sitting in the chair without moving.

    The man who has always been good at hiding his emotions, twitched his lips and revealed a joyful and pleasantly surprised smile.

    Originally, he really loved his child very, very much.

    I was just being overly worried before.

    After dinner, Reynaldo took them to continue ying at the amusement park.

    Essie had been looking forward to that ¡°children¡¯s show¡± Reynaldo mentioned for a long time, and by 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the show

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    finally began.

    It was originally an animation role¨Cying game, the animation that Essie liked the most.

    The scene setting and character portrayal are exactly the same as in the

    cartoon.

    Essie was overjoyed.

    Holding Reynaldo¡¯s hand, Essie hopped and skipped, saying, ¡°Daddy, Daddy, Essie¡¯s favorite is the fairy princess, the witch riding a broomstick, the mischievous pumpkin ghost, and the magic wand. Essie loves them so much.¡±

    I stared nkly at Essie.

    Essie was weak and quiet since she was young.

    This was the first time I had seen her so happy.

    Seeing his daughter happy, Reynaldo couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face.

    He touched Essie¡¯s little head and said, ¡°Daddy had someone prepare your character costume, it¡¯s a green elf, hurry up and change into it.¡±

    ¡°What was Roddy ying?¡± Roddy hurriedly asked Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo smiled softly at him and said, ¡°You can y the princess¡¯s knight, daddy has prepared a costume for you.¡±

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    The two children immediately went excitedly to change their clothes.

    This program was arranged in advance by Reynaldo, the venue had

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    been fenced off early, and staff and hosts were specially arranged, so the order on site was very good.

    There were also spectator seats next to it.

    Watching as the two children had already changed their clothes, Reynaldo then turned and sat down on the chair.

    He said in a faint voice as he saw me not moving, ¡°You can either go up and perform with them, or just sit here and watch. Standing there will only disrupt the order.¡±

    I pursed my lips, lowered my eyes, and sat down on the chair, leaving two empty seats between us.

    Reynaldo nced at me, his eyes cold.

    This program quickly attracted many parents and children.

    The host also collected children on the spot to y this role¨Cying game. There were many children raising their hands at that time.

    But because of the limited number of roles, the host recruited six

    children.

    With the children joining in, Essie had more fun ying.

    She was dressed as a green elf, holding a magic wand, chanting ¡°magic change change change¡± innocently.

    Children were happiest when they dressed up as their favorite characters and experienced the joy within.

    ¡°Hey, have you heard? It seems like this show was specially prepared by a father to make his daughter happy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard about it too. I heard that this father loves his daughter

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    very much, and goes out of his way to make her happy. Oh, unlike my husband, he is just like a absentee shopkeeper. Not to mention caring about the child¡¯s emotions, even taking the child out to y, he is impatient.¡±

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    ¡°Yeah, yeah, my family¡¯s ghost is the same. Letting him y with the children is like asking for trouble. This father is really thoughtful.¡±

    A few young mothers beside me suddenly started talking, their voices filled with envy.

    I subconsciously looked back and unexpectedly met eyes with Reynaldo, causing a slight flutter in my heart.

    The man first averted his gaze, his profile cold and indifferent.

    I was about to look away when the young mother next to me suddenly looked around and said to me, ¡°Are

    ¡°Are you

    also here with your child alone?¡±

    She didn¡¯t even wait for me to speak.

    That young mother said angrily, ¡°Have you noticed that it seems like after the child is born, it¡¯s all up to us women? Isn¡¯t it frustrating?¡±

    I smiled and nodded, ¡°Hmm, frustrating, frustrating.¡±

    The mother pointed to the stage again and said, ¡°Look at how good other people¡¯s husbands are. They not only y with their children, but also create surprises for them. Is it unfair that good husbands are all taken by others? And howe these exceptional child ves are also from other families? Oh,parison is the death of joy.¡±

    I always smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, yes, there¡¯s noparison.¡±

    Then my mother sighed again, patting my leg tofort me, ¡°Forget it, forget it, we really can¡¯tpare, it¡¯s all because we chose such a

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    man.¡±

    Girl, don¡¯t be sad. Most men are like that, they don¡¯t care about children. If it doesn¡¯t work out, we can always go to the father and leave the child.¡±

    ¡°You watch the child, I¡¯ll make a phone call.¡±

    Just as the young mother finished speaking, Reynaldo, sitting beside her, suddenly said to me in a casual tone.

    I didn¡¯t know how he suddenly wanted to say such an irrelevant thing

    to me.

    I nodded at him and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    The young mother who was talking to me was shocked and widened her eyes, then she paused for two seconds before asking me, ¡°Is he¡­ Is he your husband?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I answered instinctively.

    Just as I answered like that, Reynaldo turned around and gave me a cold look.

    I lowered my gaze and thought bitterly in my heart, ¡°He hates me so much, why bother caring about the rtionship between him and me.¡±

    The young mother looked at me suspiciously and chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t think you two look like a couple, otherwise why sit so far apart, haha, I always say our men are all the same, they don¡¯t want to spend time taking the kids out to y.¡±

    I pursed my lips and smiled, not saying a word.

    The role¨Cying game didn¡¯t end until two hourster.

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    At the end of the game, the host also gave each child a souvenir, and the children were thrilled.

    Essie received a Barbie doll, while Roddy got an Ultraman.

    Essie liked Reynaldo even more now, bouncing over to him and sweetly calling him ¡°daddy¡°.

    Reynaldo gently lifted her up in his arms.

    ¡°Did you have fun?¡±

    ¡°Happy!¡±

    Essie held Barbie doll in one hand and Reynaldo¡¯s neck in the other, and said softly, ¡°Today was the happiest day Essie has ever had, Essie really likes daddy.¡±

    With that, he nted a kiss on Reynaldo¡¯s face.

    Although not as surprised as before, this still made him smile heartily.

    The man, who had always been cold and gloomy, now seemed to be bathed in sunlight, warm all over.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡®

    ??

    Just then, Anton¡¯s voice suddenly came.

    Before I could even look back, Essie was already struggling to get out of Reynaldo¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Anton¡­¡±

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    Essie ran excitedly towards Anton and happily showed him the Barbie doll, ¡°I had so much fun today, ying as a green elf. This is the souvenir that the host sister gave me.¡±

    Roddy also joined: ¡°I yed the role of the princess¡¯s knight, and my sister had a magic wand while I had a sword.¡±

    As soon as Anton appeared, the atmosphere around him seemed to change.

    I nced at Reynaldo, only to see the man who had just been full of tenderness had turned cold¨Cfaced at some point.

    He stood there stiffly, his hand clenched at his side in anger, the terrifying gloom creeping over him.

    I walked over to him and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. The children like Anton because they have spent more time with him. But no matter what, you are still their biological father, and that will never change.¡±

    Perhaps my words had an effect, as I saw the hand he was tightly holding onto loosen slightly.

    Anton patted Roddy on the head, then picked up Essie and asked her what she had been ying with.

    Essie was so happy, she hugged his neck and excitedly told him about the activities they had done today, of course, focusing on the role- ying they had just done.

    One spoke happily, the other listened with a smile on their face, the scene was so intimate.

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    Just like that, Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened again.

    He must have been thinking that, despite all he had done, in his daughter¡¯s heart, he still couldn¡¯tpare to an ¡°Anton¡°.

    The hand by his side tightened again, and after a while, he suddenly shouted to Roddy, ¡°Come over here to daddy.¡±

    Roddy looked at him in confusion, then nced at Anton, and finally came over to Reynaldo.

    He looked up and asked Reynaldo, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    However, Reynaldo said nothing and just picked him up.

    Roddy didn¡¯t quite understand what Daddy was up to, but he seemed to sense that Daddy was unhappy, so he hugged Daddy¡¯s neck and coaxed softly, ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t be unhappy, Roddy really likes you, Roddy hopes Daddy is happy every day.¡±

    Reynaldo touched his forehead and murmured ¡°good,¡± but his gaze flickered towards Essie.

    I knew that Essie was close to Anton, he must have been very upset, so he soughtfort from Roddy.

    I didn¡¯t expect Anton toe. I walked over and asked him casually, ¡°How did youe?¡±

    Anton nced at Reynaldo and said to me, ¡°Actually, the meeting ended a long time ago, but Johnathan wouldn¡¯t let me leave and insisted on talking nonsense for half the day.¡±

    ¡°After I got back, I saw that you weren¡¯t at home, so I came looking for you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this either, we are just about to go back,¡± I said

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    Antonughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s perfect, let¡¯s go back together.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± I instinctively refused, ¡°I can take Roddy and Essie back by myselfter, you go back first.¡±

    Anton pursed his lips, looking somewhat disappointed, ¡°Do you still want to stay with Reynaldo a little longer?¡±

    I naturally said, ¡°He loves these two children very much, so I want the children to be closer to him, after all, he is their father.¡±

    After a pause, I added, ¡°I will go see the house with Vonnie tomorrow. I¡¯ve been bothering you these past few days.¡±

    Anton suddenly fell silent, only looking at me with a sad expression in his eyes.

    I reached out, ready to lift Essie out of his arms.

    Suddenly, there was an unusual sounding from beside, like the sound of wood breaking with a ¡°crack¡°.

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    Before I had a chance to look to my side, a shadow fell down, and lo

    and behold, the newly constructed stage copsed.

    Therge backdrop wall fell towards me and Anton.

    ¡°Be careful!¡±

    A sudden cry rang out, and I was pushed hard by someone.

    I stumbled to one side and fell down, in the confusion, I saw the backdrop falling on Anton.

    My heart almost jumped into my throat, and I cried out, ¡°Essie.¡±

    Fortunately, Anton quickly turned around and held Essie tightly in his

    arms.

    With a muffled sound, the backdrop wall broke into several pieces.

    I quickly got up, rushed over, and checked Essie in Anton¡¯s arms, ¡°How are you? Are you hurt? Tell mommy, is there anywhere that hurts?¡±

    Essie seemed stunned, shaking her head nkly.

    I carefully checked her all over to make sure she had no injuries, and then I breathed a sigh of relief.

    In the blink of an eye, I suddenly noticed that Anton¡¯s arm was bleeding.

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

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    The broken part of the backdrop wall was lined with thin steel wires, he must have been scratched by the steel wires.

    Fortunately, the wound was not very deep.

    But just then the backdrop really fell on him, and he shielded Essie with his whole body, so I don¡¯t know if he was injured on his back.

    I asked him worriedly, ¡°Besides your arm, are you injured on your back? Do you need to go to the hospital?¡±

    Anton shook his head at me and smiled, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    He paused, then patted Essie¡¯s head again, feeling fortunate, ¡°Fortunately, Essie is fine, otherwise I would be heartbroken.¡±

    Yes, fortunately Essie was fine.

    ¡°Mummy, mummy,e quickly, daddy is bleeding!¡±

    Just then, Roddy panickedly called out to me.

    I turned around quickly and met Reynaldo¡¯s cold and gloomy eyes in an instant.

    He covered his shoulder, which was bleeding profusely, and stared at me with a look of resentment.

    I suddenly remembered when the backdrop wall fell just now, the ¡°be careful¡± was Reynaldo¡¯s voice, and it seemed like Reynaldo pushed me.

    With a tremble in my heart, I hurried over and saw on the ground a piece of steel bar as thick as a finger at the broken part of the backdrop wall, all covered in blood.

    Was Reynaldo¡¯s shoulder pierced by this steel bar?

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    My heart tightened, and I reached out to check the injury on his shoulder.

    However, just as his hand reached out, it was pped away by him.

    He smiled at me and said sarcastically, ¡°You just go take care of him, anyway, this little injury of mine won¡¯t kill me.¡±

    He finished speaking, didn¡¯t look at me again, and walked away.

    Roddy was so anxious that he jumped up and down, saying, ¡°Daddy, please don¡¯t go, Daddy¡­¡±

    Watching as my father walked further and further away, without even looking back.

    Roddy anxiously grabbed my hand and said, ¡°Mommy, Daddy is angry, you need to go after him quickly.¡±

    I watched Reynaldo¡¯s lonely and cold figure, my feet moved slightly, just about to catch up.

    Anton suddenly shouted at me in a panic, ¡°Esmeralda, Essie seems

    off.¡±

    My heart suddenly jumped, I turned around quickly, and saw Essie leaning dejectedly in Anton¡¯s arms, her face blushing abnormally.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I hurried over and felt Essie¡¯s forehead, which was a bit warm.

    Anton said, ¡°She must have just been scared and triggered an old illness. We need to take her to the hospital right away.¡±

    And so, Anton hurriedly took me, Roddy, and Essie to the nearest hospital.

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    But just then, I had some doubts that the ident was caused by Kimberly, so I called Vonnie and asked her to find someone to investigate.

    Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctor promptly conducted a full- body examination on Essie.

    Anton exined Essie¡¯s situation and medical history to the doctor, who quickly prescribed medication for Essie based on the current examination.

    By a little after ten o¡¯clock in the evening, Essie¡¯s condition had finally started to improve.

    When she woke up, she said to me, ¡°I¡¯m hungry and want to eat something.¡±

    Just as Vonnie came to see her, I asked Vonnie to bring her some food.

    After Essie woke up, she was in good spirits, focusing intently on ying with her Barbie doll.

    Looking at that Barbie doll, I thought of Reynaldo.

    Today he was also attentive to the children.

    I don¡¯t know how he is now, whether the wound on his shoulder has been properly treated.

    I took out my phone, opened the chat box with him, hesitated for a long time, typed a line of words, and sent it out.

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    Roddy asked if your injury was getting better.

    They replied instantly over there, but there was a hint of coldness between the lines.

    Since it was he who asked, let him ask me in person.

    I pursed my lips, suddenly at a loss for words, and in the end, I simply didn¡¯t reply.

    Seeing how angry he was and how quickly he replied to messages, I figured that injury couldn¡¯t have been too serious.

    Vonnie soon arrived, bringing oatmeal and a hamburger.

    I asked her, ¡°Did Roddy fall asleep?¡±

    As soon as Essie¡¯s condition stabilized, I had Anton take Roddy back.

    Vonnie nodded, ¡°Slept, asleep in your room.

    Vonnie said, handing a hamburger to Essie.

    Essie smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Vonnie.¡±

    Vonnie indulgently patted her head and asked me, ¡°Is Essie doing okay? Did the doctor say how many days she needs to stay?¡±

    ¡°No big deal, after all, it¡¯s an old problem. As long as the condition is under control, it¡¯s fine.¡± I nced at Essie with a heavy heart, ¡°If this illness is not cured, I always feel uneasy.¡±

    Vonnie patted my shoulder and said, ¡°Take it easy, didn¡¯t Anton say so? This disease is easy to control, the onset is slow, and there is no life¨Cthreatening danger before the child is ten years old. You and Reynaldo¡­¡±

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    She said, looking at Essie, and then whispered to me in a lowered voice. ¡°Just hurry up and have a third child with Reynaldo.¡±

    When ites to expecting this third child, I think of all the hatred between Reynaldo and me, feeling restless in my heart.

    How can I openly bear this third child with him when those misunderstandings and hatred are not resolved?

    Hatred does not dissipate. With the arrival of a third child, the bond between him and me will only grow stronger. Those bonds will eventually turn into the sharp des of contradiction, piercing each other.

    Vonnie said, ¡°Roddy just told me everything that happened today, I didn¡¯t expect you guys to run into Kimberly at the amusement park.¡±

    I was also quite suspicious that the ident was caused by Kimberly, but the person sent to investigate said that when dismantling the stage, the staff did not control it well, which led to the stage copsing all of a sudden.

    And at that time, Kimberly was not at the amusement park, but at the hospital.

    ¡°So this matter couldn¡¯t find her head either.¡°,

    ¡°Well, as long as nothing serious happened, we still need to be more cautious of Kimberly in the future.¡±

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    Vonnie nodded, paused for a moment, then lowered her head, a few traces of abnormality shing across her face.

    I nced at her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has something happened?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Vonnie pursed her lips, ¡°today, Johnathan got into a fight with Quentin.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was drinking water, and when I heard that, I was so shocked that I almost spit out the water.

    ¡°Fighting? Why were they fighting?¡±

    Seeing Vonnie¡¯s face looking a bit off, I immediately realized.

    Jonathan probably called out Quentin¡¯s name while still worrying

    about Vonnie.

    Vonnie said, ¡°At that time they were fighting quite fiercely, and Anton called me to help break it up¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, who did you help?¡± I asked hastily.

    Vonnie hesitated for two seconds and said, ¡°I helped Johnathan.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Iughed.

    Vonnie hurriedly exined, ¡°It¡¯s just that Quentin always protects Kimberly. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of him and Kimberly causing you harm like this. So when they were fighting, I grabbed the chair next to me and hit him.¡±

    ¡°You draw well,¡± I asked her with a smile, ¡°and then what?¡±

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    ¡°Then miraculously, they stopped fighting and just looked at me with an incredulous expression in their eyes.¡±

    I just felt quite inexplicable, Quentin was so confused, can¡¯t I smoke? Why are they all staring at me dumbfoundedly.

    I wasughing so hard, I guess Quentin thought Vonnie still liked him, so he didn¡¯t expect Vonnie to actually help Johnathan pull a prank on him.

    As for Johnathan, he certainly didn¡¯t expect Vonnie to help him.

    This time, Johnathan¡¯s heart was probably ¡°blooming with joy¡°.

    ¡°Anyway, Quentin got angry at that time, saying he never wanted to see me again, and told me not to lick him in the future!¡± Vonnie said, furious, pulling my arm. ¡°Hey, Ralda, you tell me, isn¡¯t he annoying? Who licked him and ran away, shameless!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, he thought he was a hot cake, all contaminated by that malicious white lotus flower, couldn¡¯t see straight. I don¡¯t know where he got his confidence from, thinking you still liked him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    While I wasining about Quentin with Vonnie, her phone suddenly rang.

    When she took out her phone, I nced at it and saw that it was a call from Johnathan.

    Hehe, these two are really interesting.

    Vonnie just nced at the phone screen and hung up the call directly.

    I asked her wonderingly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer?¡±

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    ¡°He was being annoying when he spoke, so I didn¡¯t feel like responding.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°How annoying is it?¡±

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    ¡°Anyway, it was really annoying. He sarcastically asked me if I couldn¡¯t see clearly and had hit the wrong person, mocking me that the person I originally wanted to hit was him, but I ended up hitting the wrong person. He said that I hit Quentin and must be feeling heartbroken.¡±

    ¡°Listen, this is what people say, it¡¯s just annoying!¡±

    I touched my nose, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say.¡±

    Johnathan usually appeared careless and indifferent, just like Reynaldo.

    A big mouth is simply ¡°enough to drive someone crazy¡°.

    Just then, Johnathan called again.

    I smiled at Vonnie and said, ¡°You go ahead, or else he might keep hitting.¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips before answering Johnathan¡¯s call.

    Because we were close, I could hear the voice on the phone very. clearly.

    Johnathan¡¯s voice still carried a hint of nonchnt world¨Cweariness.

    ¡°Where are you? I treated you to supper.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Vonnie muttered, ¡°Inviting me for supper out of the blue, it¡¯s either a scam or a robbery.¡±

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    Johnathanined, ¡°Is this how you look at me? Do I look like a bad guy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is!¡± Vonnie said bluntly.

    Iughed my head off.

    Johnathan may have been upset, he remained silent for two seconds before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s have supper, consider it as a thank you for helping me beat Quentin today.¡±

    Vonnie said, ¡°Better not. Didn¡¯t you say I mistook someone and hit the wrong person? Well, you guessed right. I did mistake someone, and it was actually you that I meant to hit.¡±

    Ouch, my stomach hurts fromughing.

    Johnathan was directly criticized to the point of speechlessness.

    Vonnie impatiently said, ¡°Okay, you go eat supper by yourself, I¡¯m not going.¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on, stop messing around. It¡¯s so boring t¨° eat supper alone. Why don¡¯t youe with me? I¡¯lle pick you up right now,¡± Johnathan¡¯s tone softened, finally with a hint of coaxing.

    It¡¯s really rare. He, a yboy, actually knows how to coax a woman like this.

    Vonnie hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯te over, I¡¯m not home right now.¡®

    ¡°Where are you? It¡¯s sote¡­¡± Johnathan¡¯s voice suddenly turned

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    dangerous.

    Vonnie rolled her eyes in silence and mouthed to me, ¡°Does he think I¡¯m out fooling around?¡±

    I shook my head andughed.

    Men¡¯s minds arepletely unpredictable.

    ¡°Send me the address, I¡¯lle pick you up,¡± Johnathan said, his tone surprisingly firm.

    Vonnie said in exasperation, ¡°What am I supposed to pick up? I¡¯m at the hospital, not out drinking with people.¡±

    On the other end of the phone, Johnathan clearly hesitated for a moment, and then quickly asked, with a hint of urgency in his tone, ¡°Why are you in the hospital? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Vonnie suddenly looked at me and Essie on the sickbed.

    Before I agreed, she naturally wouldn¡¯t talk about Essie¡¯s illness.

    She paused for two seconds and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just came to see a friend.¡±

    ¡°See a friend?¡± Johnathan questioned, ¡°Is it Esmie? What happened to her?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not Ralda, don¡¯t curse Ralda.¡±

    ¡°Who else do you have as a friend? You¡­¡±

    As if afraid that Johnathan would keep asking, Vonnie muttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to take me out for supper? What are we going to eat?¡±

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    The topic turned back, and it was Vonnie who took the initiative to bring it up again, and Johnathan¡¯s tone became cheerful.

    ¡°Would you like to go for supper with me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, suddenly feeling a bit hungry.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, address sent, I¡¯lle pick you up.¡±

    ¡°No need, I drove here. Just send me your address and I¡¯lle find you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, hehe.¡±

    When Johnathan hung up the phone, he was always smiling, looking as if he was in a really good mood.

    Soon, Vonnie¡¯s phone rang once, and Johnathan sent the address.

    Vonnie asked me, ¡°What do you want to eat? I will bring it back for youter.¡±

    I shook my head and smiled, ¡°No need, I¡¯m not hungry, you go ahead.¡±

    Seeing Johnathan¡¯s earnest and urgent demeanor, it was still unknown whether Vonnie woulde backter.

    Vonnie touched Essie¡¯s head, kissed her, and then left reluctantly..

    She had just walked out of the ward when Johnathan¡¯s phone rang again, asking her where she was. Vonnie cursed and said she had just left the ward, as if he expected her to fly over like a rocket.

    Johnathanughed on the phone and told her to drive carefully.

    As I heard Vonnie¡¯s voice arguing with him gradually fading away, I

    smiled.

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    This is so nice.

    Johnathan was obviously interested in Vonnie, and Vonnie also had some feelings for Johnathan. They were able to clear up misunderstandings and get along well, which was really nice.

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    A few minutes after Vonnie left, Reynaldo¡¯s phone suddenly rang again.

    I stared at the jumping names on the phone screen for several seconds before answering the call.

    Strange, wasn¡¯t Reynaldo ignoring me? Why did he suddenly call?

    The phone was answered, and a calm male voice came through on the other end, ¡°Are you at the hospital?¡±

    I was taken aback. Johnathan had just hung up on Vonnie and called Reynaldo right away?

    I shook my head andughed, ¡°Johnathan really is a big mouth.¡±

    ¡°Are you in the hospital? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    In a daze, Reynaldo¡¯s cold voice suddenly came again, thest sentence with a hint of tension.

    I nced at Essie and said calmly, ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t in the hospital.¡±

    The man seemed to let out a sigh and then said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    He was about to hang up after he finished speaking, but I quickly shouted, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t hang up yet.¡±

    The man was silent for a few seconds and asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Um, is your shoulder injury better now?¡±

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    ¡°This is not the issue that the son wants to care about, right? What are you asking?¡± Reynaldo said casually, with a cold tone.

    I didn¡¯t know how to answer for a moment.

    Howe I cared about his injury, and he still looked very angry.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else, I hung up.¡±

    Reynaldo said lightly and then really hung up the phone.

    Watching the phone screen dim, I leaned back on the chair and sighed helplessly.

    Compared to Johnathan, Reynaldo was really difficult to get along with.

    With his attitude, I really couldn¡¯t bring myself to mention the fact that he was expecting a third child.

    Essie was discharged from the hospital after staying for two days.

    The day Roddy was discharged from the hospital, Anton came to pick him up in person.

    The man always had a gentle smile on his face, and he was especially attentive to both me and Essie.

    As soon as we got back to the vi, he asked me to go eat first, while he busied himself taking care of Essie.

    He spooned a bowl of oatmeal and fed Essie bite by bite, his gentle and patient demeanor making my mood somewhatplicated.

    Anyway, I still had to move out with the children as soon as possible.

    Anton suddenly nced at me and said, ¡°Vonnie¡¯s role has been

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    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked with a faint smile, ¡°What role did you assign to her?¡±

    Anton was silent for two seconds and then said, ¡°The second female lead.¡±

    ¡°So, Kimberly is the first girl, right?¡± I double¨Cchecked.

    Anton nodded and looked at me apologetically, ¡°There was no way around it. That day, during thest¨Cminute meeting, the investors suddenly unanimously decided to have Kimberly y the leadingdy role, and Quentin, as the producer, also changed his mind and chose Kimberly as the leadingdy.¡±

    The only thing I could get for Vonnie was the role of the second female lead, so, I¡¯m sorry, Esmeralda.

    I smiled and said, ¡°No need to apologize, I actually prefer Vonnie to y the second female lead, really.¡±

    Anton slightly furrowed his brows, a hint of doubt shing across his handsome face.

    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°If you read this script, you will understand my intention.¡±

    Anton lowered his gaze and didn¡¯t say anything more, just gently. feeding Essie oatmeal.

    For three days in a row, I didn¡¯t see Vonnie again.

    I called her, she was with Johnathan.

    Finally, I was too embarrassed to call her again, so as not to affect her date with Johnathan.

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    But I had to find a house as soon as possible, I couldn¡¯t wait for her

    anymore.

    She told me before that the house had to be found with me, she wanted to find a dream house of hers, and she also wanted to personally design and supervise the decoration.

    It seems now that it was toote.

    As for her dream bedroom, she went to pick it out with Johnathan.

    The next morning, I contacted the real estate agency.

    I had arranged to meet the agent at ten in the morning. When I was leaving, Anton said he wanted to apany me, but I declined.

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me now. The more Anton is nice to me, the more attentive he is, the moreplicated my heart bes, the more I want to escape from him.

    I took Essie and Roddy with me to look at the house, to get their opinions.

    I just didn¡¯t expect to run into Reynaldo at the sales center.

    At first, I didn¡¯t see Reynaldo. I was listening to the sales consultant exin theyout of the house and the surrounding nning.

    Essie suddenly shouted ¡°Daddy¡± and then let go of my hand and ran off.

    I quickly looked over and saw Reynaldo in the lobby.

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    What? Is he alsoing to buy a house?

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    Reynaldo saw Essie, and immediately a smile appeared on her usually cold face.

    He bent down, opened his arms, and lifted Essie up in one go.

    Roddy also approached, grabbing Reynaldo¡¯s sleeve, and eagerly asked, ¡°Dad, what are you doing here too?¡±

    Reynaldo touched his head and then looked up at me.

    Mingming showed a gentle smile to the child, but her face darkened when she looked at me.

    Well, it was beyond my expectations that he could like these two children so much.

    I walked over to him and asked, ¡°Are you here to buy a house too?¡±

    Without waiting for him to speak, a man in a suit with a leather cor beside him said, ¡°You don¡¯t know yet, this area is all developed by Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    He paused, looked at me, then at the child in Reynaldo¡¯s arms, and suddenly had a look of realization, saying, ¡°No wonder Mr. Humphrey kept asking me if there was a kindergarten nearby, and even said he wanted to find a house with a better floor and lighting.¡±

    ¡°So this house was actually meant for you guys.¡±

    Seeming to think he talked too much, Reynaldo gave him a cold nce.

    Just one nce carried a strong sense of oppression, and the man immediately dared not say much more..

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    Roddy suddenly asked him, ¡°Is there a kindergarten around here? Essie and I are about to start kindergarten soon.¡±

    ¡°Some do.¡± the man quickly added, ¡°There is a kindergarten in themunity, so it will be very convenient for you to go to school.¡±

    After the man finished speaking, he looked at me as if he still wanted to say a few more words to sell his point.

    Reynaldo suddenly said to him. ¡°You go busy first.¡±

    The man nodded busily and said, ¡°Okay, Mr. Humphrey, you can call me if you need anything.¡±

    After the man left, Reynaldo stared at me with his ck eyes.

    He opened his mouth, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, ¡°Are you willing to move out from Anton¡¯s ce?¡±

    I was feeling a bit down.

    He asked why he had to ask in such a tone that sounded so harsh.

    I said lightly. ¡°These two children are about to start kindergarten soon, living with Anton has always been inconvenient.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

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    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled inexplicably, his tone bing more mocking. ¡°So it¡¯s because it¡¯s inconvenient for him to go to kindergarten there, that¡¯s why you moved out with the children. If it weren¡¯t for this reason, you probably wouldn¡¯t have been willing to move, right?¡±

    I:¡­

    Reynaldo gave me a cold look and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it. I have already picked out a house for my two children.¡±

    ¡°No, I will buy it myself.¡±

    The next time Ie to see the house, I must first check who the developer is!

    With his heart darkening, Reynaldo coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you want to buy it, but I¡¯ve already picked out the house for them. From now on, they will live with me.¡±

    I frowned deeply.

    What does it mean? Is he going to fight me for the child after all?.

    I frowned and asked him irritably, ¡°Are you sick? Why don¡¯t you live in such a big vi and instead meddle around here?¡±

    I called him crazy, but he didn¡¯t get angry, just smiled and shrugged.

    ¡°You remind me that I can just take these two children back to the vi to live. Anyway, there is also a kindergarten nearby, so it won¡¯t be troublesome to send them thereter.¡±

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    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Reynaldo ignored my anger and asked Roddy and Essie gently, ¡°Do you want to live with daddy?¡±

    Roddy nodded without hesitation.

    Essie hesitated for three seconds and said, ¡°After living with Dad, can I still go see Anton?¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and forced a smile, saying, ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°I would like to live with Daddy.¡± Essie¡¯s eyes smiled like crescent moons as she said softly, ¡°Besides Anton, I also like Daddy.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled, but there was a hint of resentment in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind topletely erase the name ¡°Anton¡± from Essie¡¯s world.

    He suddenly looked at me again and said to the two children, ¡°Then you can go home with daddy today.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    I spoke up at the same time as Roddy, who stared at me nkly and asked, ¡°Why not?¡±

    I suppressed my anger and patiently exined to him, ¡°Your father is very busy every day, and when you were younger, there was no one to take care of you.¡±

    ¡°I have not been busy these days, so I can stay at home with them every day,¡± Reynaldo said casually, staring at me. ¡°At the very least, I still have the old servant who has been with me for many years. He is much better than you at casually handing them over to that man.¡±

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    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°You must remember, as a father, I would never harm my own child, but some people might not be the same.¡±

    He interrupted me lightly, with a firm gaze.

    It seems that he insisted on taking Roddy and Essie away today.

    I was so annoyed. I wish I hadn¡¯te here to look at houses.

    ¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t you going to stay with us at Daddy¡¯s ce?¡± Essie suddenly asked me, her big eyes filled with anticipation.

    I nced at Reynaldo, the man¡¯s face was cold.

    I pursed my lips and said to Essie, ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s just that Mommy can¡¯t stay there.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Roddy asked, furrowing his little brow, ¡°Is it because Daddy doesn¡¯t allow you to stay at his ce?¡±

    He guessed and looked at Reynaldo sullenly, ¡°I almost forgot, they all say it was you who drove Mom away, you didn¡¯t let Mome back home, so, are you really unwilling to let Mom stay with you.¡±

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    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Roddy and Essie don¡¯t need toe to your ce either.¡±

    Reynaldo squinted slightly, a hint of coldness clearly visible on his face.

    But he didn¡¯t say anything harsh to the children after all, just said lightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say you couldn¡¯t let your mother go back to live.¡±

    I was stunned.

    What does this mean? Is he willing to let me go back to the Duffy¡¯s vi?

    ¡°Great, Mom¡­¡±

    Roddy held my hand and said, ¡°Daddy is willing to let youe back to live. Let¡¯s go live with Daddy together. Roddy likes to see Daddy and Mommy together.¡±

    I nced at Reynaldo.

    The man¡¯s face was very cold, as if he was so aggrieved to let me stay with him for the sake of the child.

    I lowered my head and said to Roddy, ¡°Forget it, you guys don¡¯t need to today¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly warned me in a cold voice.

    Without waiting for me to speak, he put down Essie, grabbed my arm,

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    pulled me aside, and whispered, ¡°Do you have to stop the kids from getting close to me? It was the samest time we went to the amusement park, and it¡¯s the same this time when we stay at my ce. Do you really want Anton to be their father so badly?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± I muttered, thought for a moment, and finallypromised, ¡°Forget it, forget it. If you want them to stay at your ce so much, then you take them away. I¡¯lle pick them up in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you live together?¡± The man¡¯s tone was restrained.

    I looked at him inexplicably and said, ¡°If you hate me so much, wouldn¡¯t it be more troublesome for you if I went? Besides, aren¡¯t you mainly interested in getting close to the children? It¡¯s not like you want to get close to me.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how these words made him so angry, the force on my arm increased a lot, making me frown in pain.

    He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t go, will they go? You are deliberately not letting theme to me!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wronging me again.¡±

    I patted his hand on my arm and said, ¡°Let go. I¡¯ll go talk to them and make sure they behave and follow you.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned, his eyes coldly staring at me as if he were extremely angry.

    I said with a pout, ¡°You Reynaldo are still as difficult as ever to please. I was willing to persuade them to stay at your ce for a few days, why are you still angry?¡±

    Reynaldo was so angry that he poked his cheek with his tongue, and finally sneered, ¡°Fine, you go ahead and say it.¡±

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    ¡°Then you let me go.¡±

    I nced at the hand that was still pinching my arm.

    He turned his face away, took a deep breath, and then let go of me.

    Both children stared at me and Reynaldo with a look of confusion on their faces.

    Roddy asked, ¡°Mommy, did daddy argue with you?¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°No.¡±

    Essie held my hand and asked, ¡°So are we still going to stay at Daddy¡¯s ce?¡±

    ¡°Did you want to go?¡± I asked them.

    The two children nodded together.

    ¡°Then you guys can go back with him today.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s mommy?¡± Essie instantly tightened her grip on my hand.

    I smiled and patted her little head, ¡°You guys go stay for a few days first, mommy wille pick you upter.¡±

    Reynaldo loosened his tie on the side and said softly, ¡°This time, they are going to stay at my ce.¡±

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    Essie looked at me expectantly and said, ¡°Mommy, are you going too?¡±

    Roddy also nodded on the side, ¡°We all went to dad¡¯s.¡±

    I looked at the two children withplex emotions.

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to stay at Reynaldo¡¯s ce, it¡¯s just that he hates me now. We see each other every day, isn¡¯t that a recipe for disaster?

    After thinking for a moment, I said to them, ¡°You guys go with him first today, Mommy needs to go back and pack some things.¡±

    The two children nodded as I said this.

    As they followed Reynaldo, Roddy turned back reluctantly and said to me, ¡°Mommy, you have toe quickly, both Dad and we are waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I smiled at them and watched as they left.

    Reynaldo led two children away without even looking back at me.

    Reynaldo left, and the man in the suit with the leather cor came running back.

    ¡°Madam, did you just see that house? And the one Mr. Humphrey just saw, are they both taken?¡±

    ¡°What he is interested in, I¡¯m not sure. You can ask him yourself. As for the one I¡¯m interested in, let¡¯s finalize it today.¡±

    Although Reynaldo took the children away today, in a few days, I was

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    still going to bring them back, so I still have to buy this house.

    In order to move in directly, I bought a house that had already been renovated.

    After getting the house keys, I first went into the house to open the windows for venttion, and then went to the kindergarten in themunity to take a look. It wasn¡¯t until evening that I returned to Anton¡¯s to pack up.

    I didn¡¯t have a lot of things, but the children¡¯s stuff was a bit more, so I cleaned up two big boxes full.

    As I was moving the box outside, Anton came back.

    He saw me moving luggage, standing still, and didn¡¯t speak for a while.

    I said to him, ¡°The car keys, I left them in the hallway. Thank you for your help these days.¡±

    Anton looked at me with a sad expression.

    For a long time, he took the cardboard box from my hands and then helped me move it directly into his trunk.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°I have called a car, it should be here in a moment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out.¡±

    I wanted to refuse, but he suddenly chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly and said, ¡°Because Kimberly, you don¡¯t even want to be friends with me anymore, right? But when we were kids, you¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember things from my childhood,¡± I said lightly.

    He suddenly fell silent and after a while said, ¡°You still have luggage, I¡¯ll go and bring it down for you.¡±

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    With that, he quickly walked into the house.

    I looked at his back, feeling veryplicated,

    The second box was also stuffed into his own trunk.

    He nced at the huge vi, suddenly smiled bitterly at me, ¡°You have all moved out, here, suddenly not at all like home, just a cold house.¡±

    ¡°When you meet the right person and get married and have children, you can also feel the warmth of home.¡±

    Anton, people always need to look forward. ¡°If you lock yourself in those memories of the past, in the end, the only one who will suffer is yourself.¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t remember those memories, so you should forget them

    too.¡±

    Anton smiled bitterly and said, ¡°So, why wasn¡¯t I the one who forgot that memory in the first ce? Or, erase all my past memories, so I wouldn¡¯te back to Freybourne for revenge, and wouldn¡¯t meet you again.¡±

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 Too Close 847

    Chapter847

    Yes.

    My acquaintance with Reynaldo was a mistake, and our acquaintance was also a doomed fate.

    That summer vacation, I shouldn¡¯t have stayed alone at my

    grandmother¡¯s house, then I wouldn¡¯t have met them, let alone provoke Kimberly.

    The meeting and parting are all wrong.

    When he saw my emotions turning sad, Anton smiled at me and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not dwell on the past. I promise you, I will try my best to forget about those past events and focus on moving forward.¡±

    However, this time let me send you off, otherwise I will feel uneasy in my heart.¡±

    I could not resist his persistence, so I had to nod.

    The house I bought is about a forty¨Cminute drive from here.

    Plus the traffic jam, by the time we arrived, the sky was alreadypletely dark.

    Anton was strong. He didn¡¯t let me carry the luggage. He carried the tworge suitcases from the car to my room by himself.

    The house I bought was very spacious, with good lighting, and decorated in a simple and elegant style.

    Anton looked around and said with a smile, ¡°There are at least four

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    rooms here.¡±

    ¡°Five, plus a study.¡± I poured him a ss of water and said, ¡°Vonnie hasn¡¯t shown up these days. When shees back, she will definitely stay with me, so I have reserved a room for her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Anton got up and stood by the French window, looking out. Across the street was a riverside park, the environment was very nice.

    At this moment, the whole river is surrounded by colorful night lights, very beautiful.

    He stood silently by the window, gazing outside, his tall figure exuding an indescribable loneliness.

    I couldn¡¯t ask him to leave right now, so I just opened the suitcase in silence and started sorting out the luggage inside.

    Anton suddenly turned around and smiled at me, saying, ¡°At this time, you haven¡¯t had dinner yet, right? Come on, I¡¯ll take you out to eat.¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°You go ahead, I¡¯m not hungry.¡±

    Anton¡¯s dark eyes stared at me for a few seconds and he smiled, saying, ¡°I can tell you¡¯re trying very hard to keep your distance from me.¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, Anton¡­¡±

    I directly told him, ¡°Reynaldo and I already have two children, and we haven¡¯t even divorced yet.¡±

    ¡°I know you often want to help me, but I also don¡¯t want to be dragged into unnecessary misunderstandings.¡±

    Anton slowly lowered his gaze and, after a long pause, said, ¡°I¡¯m

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    sorry.¡±

    I turned my face away ufortably.

    In my whole life, what I hated most to hear was probably this sentence.

    I said lightly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. You¡¯ve also helped me a lot. It¡¯ste, you should go back soon. Drive safely on the way.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Anton finished speaking and slowly walked out.

    The door opened and closed, and I leaned back on the chair, tiredly pinching the bridge of my nose.

    Sometimes, Anton¡¯s sadness and deep affection would make me feel a bit suppressed, even to the point where I couldn¡¯t breathe.

    I wiped my face and sat up to continue packing.

    Just finished packing a box, when the phone on the sofa suddenly

    rang.

    It was Reynaldo who sent the video request!

    Surprised for two seconds, I answered the video call.

    The next second, Reynaldo¡¯s cold and handsome face appeared on the video.

    I was taken aback and instinctively asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Essie wanted to see you.¡±

    The man said lightly and then handed the phone to Essie.

    Soon, Essie¡¯s lovely little face appeared in the video, calling out

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    Chapter$47

    ¡°Mommy¡± to me in a soft and sweet voice.

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    Seeing Essie, my mood instantly improved.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s just Dad asking Essie if she wants to see Mommy, and if she wants to video call Mommy. Essie said yes, and then Dad video called Mommy.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    It sounded as if Reynaldo wanted to see me.

    I didn¡¯t think much, I smiled and asked Essie, ¡°Was it fun at Dad¡¯s? What about Roddy?¡±

    ¡°Roddy was assembling a model airne, saying he would give it to you when you arrived. Essie also prepared a gift for Mommy. When is Mommying over?¡±

    In the video, Essie looked at me expectantly with a small face.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Mommy has been a little busy these days. Can I pick you up after Mommy has prepared the new house for you?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright then.¡±

    Essie pouted and looked unhappy, when suddenly Roddy seemed to be calling her.

    She said, ¡°Mommy, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore, Roddy is calling me.¡®

    After Essie finished speaking, the video shook for a moment, and then, after a dozen seconds, the phonended in Reynaldo¡¯s hands.

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    Reynaldo still had that cold look on his face, and his tone was indifferent. ¡°Just hang up if there¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± I hurriedly called out to him.

    In the video, the man ¡°frowned slightly, looking somewhat impatient.¡±

    ¡°What else is there? Are youing over? Do you have a lot of luggage? Do you need someone to pick you up?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t go, but I want to tell you about Roddy and Essie¡¯s sleeping habits.¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and remained silent.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°Roddy and Essie both went to bed at nine o¡¯clock at night, don¡¯t let them stay up toote.¡±

    The man kept a straight face, not saying a word for a while, and it was unclear whether he was really listening.

    I couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°Did you hear what I just said?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me and then said lightly, ¡°Got it!¡±

    ¡°Also, they have to drink some milk powder before going to bed. Roddy drinks 300 milliliters, Essie drinks 200. Don¡¯t get it wrong, the kind of milk powder they often drink, I will send it to your pher. As for how to mix the milk powder, you can check on Google¡­¡±

    ¡°I know all of this without you telling me!¡± Reynaldo impatiently interrupted me before I could finish my sentence.

    I pursed my lips, suppressed the frustration in my heart, and said, ¡°Also, if you have time, please tell them two more stories. They like to hear stories before bedtime.¡±

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    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Jun Westche

    ¡°Roddy used to kick the nkets when he slept at night, so don¡¯t sleep¡­ too soundly at night. If possible, you should help cover them with nkets.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Also, prepare two extra sweat towels. If they sweat while sleeping at night, you can cover them with the towels to prevent catching a cold.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    ¡°And also¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, are you done yet? They are with me now, and I will naturally take care of them.¡±

    ¡°If you really don¡¯t trust them, thene along to take care of them!¡±

    I: ¡­

    Reynaldo¡¯s tone was so annoying, as if I had to leave the child with him to take care of alone.

    He insisted on taking the child away himself, why couldn¡¯t I give a few more reminders?¡¤

    Feeling depressed in my heart, suddenly there was a knock on the door outside.

    Thinking that the property management said they woulde to register the residents¡® information, I instinctively went to open the door.

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    However, as the door opened, it was not the property management standing outside, but Anton who hade back.

    ¡°What brought you back again? Did you forget something?¡±

    ¡°No, I thought you hadn¡¯t had dinner yet,, so I packed a meal for you and brought it up. You should eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    Anton said, handing me the takeout box in his hand..

    I hesitated for two seconds, took it and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I turned around and ced the packed meal on the coffee table. When I lowered my eyes, I met Reynaldo¡¯s cold expression in the video.

    He sneered coldly, ¡°I was wondering why you refused to move in with the children. So, this is what you meant by moving out from Anton¡¯s ce? You moved from that house to this one with him, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Reynaldo hung up the video call.

    I looked at the darkened screen of my phone, feeling extremely tired at

    that moment.

    Anton walked over to me and apologized, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for

    causing you to be misunderstood by him again. Do you want me to go exin to him?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I politely declined, ¡°It¡¯s veryte, you should go back and rest.¡±

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    Reynaldo had a very strong bias against Anton, he exined, fearing that it would only make matters worse.

    Anton stared at me for a few seconds, then smiled gently and said. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back now. You finish up early and rest early.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I saw Anton off at the door, then leaned against the door panel and let out a tired sigh.

    I took out my phone, opened the chat box with Reynaldo, and sent a message.

    Anton just helped me move my luggage over.

    After sending the message, I threw my phone on the sofa and prepared to continue tidying up.

    I thought that man wouldn¡¯t reply, after all, every time he misunderstood me and Anton, he would be angry for a long time.

    I didn¡¯t expect that after I sent the message, he replied within just a few seconds.

    However, the content of his reply waspletely unrted to what I had said.

    He said, ¡°Tomorrow, I will take Roddy and Essie to the nearby kindergarten to register.¡±

    I widened my eyes in shock.

    Did he really want to let the two children stay with him permanently?

    I quickly replied: ¡°No need, I will sign them up over here.¡±

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    However, this time, Reynaldo did not reply to the message anymore.

    I got impatient and called him directly.

    The phone rang for a long time before they answered on the other end.

    Roddy answered, ¡°Hello, Mommy!¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°How did you know it was Mommy?¡±

    ¡°When you called, your photo would appear on daddy¡¯s phone, so I knew it was you, mommy,¡±

    I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t even speak.

    Reynaldo clearly hated me so much, yet he still set my photo as the caller ID on my phone?

    The man, who four years ago repeatedly said he never wanted to see me again, still kept my photo.

    Thinking of this, my eyes suddenly felt a bit sour.

    I asked Roddy, ¡°Where¡¯s your dad?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    The man¡¯s faint voice suddenly came, and I was startled to realize that Roddy had already given the phone to Reynaldo.

    Suppressing the surging emotions in my heart, I said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t register the two children for now. I will go pick them up in a few days and have them attend the kindergarten here with me.¡±

    ¡°Then you just tell the two children directly.¡±

 Too Close 850

    Next, the phone was back in Roddy¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    ¡°Roddy, there are still more than ten days left for kindergarten registration. By then, mommy will pick you up and take you back. Mommy will take you to register near this new house, okay?¡±

    ¡°No good!¡±

    Roddy directly refused me, ¡°I just want to attend the kindergarten here with Dad. The kindergarten here is so big and beautiful. Essie and I want to go to school to experience it tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes mommy, Essie also likes the kindergarten here, daddy said he will take us to register tomorrow, so happy.¡±

    Listening to the words of the two children, I was at a loss for words for

    a moment.

    The phone was in Reynaldo¡¯s hand again, and Reynaldo¡¯s voice was faint: ¡°Did you hear that? They like the kindergarten here.¡±

    He paused and then said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll hang up. I need to take them to wash up and go to bed.¡±

    After I remained silent for a while, he directly hung up the call.

    I sat wearily on the sofa, feeling upset and restless.

    I had originally thought that, on this return to Freybourne, I would do everything I could to conceive a third child with Reynaldo.

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    If I could get pregnant sessfully, I would quietly leave Freybourne with two children.

    This not only cured Essie¡¯s illness, but also spared her from

    entanglement with Reynaldo.

    Until this moment, I realized that things hadpletely deviated from what I had originally imagined.

    Don¡¯t mention having a third child, now Essie can¡¯t bear to let go of Roddy and Reynaldo.

    What to do?

    Could I still leave Freybourne with Essie and Roddy after getting pregnant with a third child?

    But if he stayed, his mother¡¯s death would always be a thorn in his heart, and there would always be a hint of resentment towards me.

    That hatred will torment me and him until death.

    I closed my eyes, leaned back on the sofa, feeling both agitated and heavy in my heart.

    For the next half month, the two children stayed at Reynaldo¡¯s ce and had already started going to kindergarten.

    The first time they started school, I couldn¡¯t help but worry a little, afraid that they wouldn¡¯t adapt.

    So every day I would go to the school gate and watch them do morning exercises, and I would also add the teacher on WhatsApp to ask the teacher to send more videos of the children in kindergarten.

    They seemed to adapt quite well, so I also temporarily let go of my

    worries.

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    As for Vonnie, after she went out for supper with Johnathan that night, she never came back and didn¡¯t even give me a call.

    I don¡¯t know how she is now.

    I was about to call her to ask if the filming date for that movie had been set, but she sent me a message first, asking me to send her the location of the new house.

    Thinking that she wasing over, I didn¡¯t ask much and just sent the address.

    In less than an hour, the door was knocked on.

    I hurried to open the door, only to find not only Vonnie but also Johnathaning over.

    The two of them just didn¡¯t look very good, as if they had had an

    argument.

    Vonnie had a cold face, while Johnathan seemed a little guilty and a little eager to please.

    ¡°Hi, Esmie.¡±

    Johnathan greeted me with a smile and then spontaneously carried the suitcase into the house.

    Vonnie snatched the suitcase away and said coldly, ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°I had just arrived and hadn¡¯t even had a sip of water yet.¡±

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    Chapter851

    ¡°Plenty of water being sold outside, go buy some yourself!¡± Vonnic said expressionlessly, then with a smile on her face when she looked at me, ¡°Ralda, which room am I in?¡±

    I pointed to the room on the left and said, ¡°The bed sheets and nkets are allid out for you. Go in and see if you like it.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, Ralda is still the best,¡± Vonnie said, giving me a kiss on the cheek before grabbing her suitcase and heading to the room without even looking at Johnathan.

    I nced at Johnathan and said, ¡°What did you do to upset her again?¡±

    Johnathan sat down on the sofa with a sigh and said somewhat indignantly, ¡°Women are really hard to please.¡±

    ¡°If you find it difficult to coax, then you don¡¯t have to coax. Who asked you to coax?¡± Vonnie, who had already entered the room, suddenly ran out and said a sentence.

    Johnathan turned around in a hurry and smiled at her, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re hard to please.¡°¡±

    Vonnie snorted coldly, entered the room, and mmed the door shut.

    Johnathan sighed and slumped on the sofa.

    I poured him a ss of water and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong again?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Johnathan sighed heavily, then drank all the water in one gulp, got up and said, ¡°Esmie, I¡¯m leaving, take care of her for me.

    I nodded and followed him out the door.

    He stood at the doorway, nced back at Vonnie¡¯s room, and said with a sad expression on his face, ¡°Since I¡¯ve been with her, I haven¡¯t paid attention to those past flings. Why doesn¡¯t she believe me?¡±

    Having listened, I suddenly understood in my heart.

    I said to him, ¡°Vonnie has a straightforward personality. She gets angry quickly but also calms down quickly. Wait until she calms down, then exin things to her properly.¡±

    Johnathan cast his eyes down, looking very mncholy.

    I was sighing in my heart, ¡°This yboy, unexpectedly also had a day of being troubled by love.¡±

    He grinned at me and said, ¡°I heard that Roddy and Essie are staying at Reynaldo¡¯s ce. Why didn¡¯t you go with them? Leaving those two little kids with that big ice cube, can you really trust her?¡±

    The moment I saw his smiling face, I wanted to retort to him, ¡°You better solve your issues with Vonnie first before you start worrying about other people¡¯s problems.

    ¡°Oh, no problem, Vonnie may have a bit of a temper, but there¡¯s no woman <i>I</i><i>, </i>Johnathan, can¡¯t handle.¡±

    ¡°Youfort her first, I¡¯lle to see her in a couple of days.¡±

    He said, then nced at Vonnie¡¯s room before leaving.

    After he left, I knocked on Vonnie¡¯s door.

    Vonnie opened the door, looked around outside, and asked, ¡°Has he left?¡±

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    ¡°Hmm. ¡±

    I pulled her to sit on the sofa and asked her, ¡°What¡¯s going on with your guys?¡±

    Vonnie lowered her gaze and fell silent for a moment. Before she could speak, her eyes welled up with tears.

    I was taken aback to see Vonnie looking so aggrieved, as if it wasn¡¯t as easy as Johnathan had said.

    I hugged her and asked anxiously. ¡°What happened? Don¡¯t scare me

    ¡°Last night. I heard him talking to his former flings outside the private room, saying he didn¡¯t want to marry me.¡±

    ¡°Howe?¡± I asked in confusion, ¡°When he went on a blind date with you that day, didn¡¯t he say something about wanting to make do with you? Since it¡¯s making do, it must be about getting married, and besides, he cares about you.¡±

    Chapter852

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    ¡°Who knows, he told his friends that he was pressured into marriage by his mother before, and seeing that Reynaldo has two children, he impulsively wanted to get married and have children.¡±

    But recently calmed down, he found that marriage is not that great either, not as carefree and free as before.

    ¡°No!¡± I eximed angrily, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to marry you, why would he provoke you.¡±

    Vonnie shook her head and said chokingly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what he was thinking. When he found me outside the private room, he was also anxious and chased after me.¡±

    He pulled

    me a

    and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t want to get married, he just isn¡¯t ready yet.¡±

    He also said that his words just now were a moment of madness, not his true feelings.

    I didn¡¯t believe it at all. If those words weren¡¯t what he was thinking in his heart, why would he say them?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he, Ralda, just a yboy? Can I expect a yboy to change his ways?¡±

    I hugged her and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s see how he behaves next.¡±

    ¡°Actually, during this period of time together, I could feel that he cared about me, but I couldn¡¯t ept his words.¡±

    Ralda, did I ever mention marriage to him? Did I pressure him to marry

    Chiple52

    me?

    Why did he say those things to his friends? It made me feel like I had to marry him!

    Vonnie said angrily with red eyes, and in the end, she choked up with a sense of grievance.

    I sighed and suddenly remembered the scene when I first met Johnathan.

    At that time, he was in the club with his friends, looking carefree and debonair, like a yboy.

    Indeed, Johnathan was a yboy from the very beginning.

    However, the prodigal son may one day really turn back, just need a little time.

    But who can say for sure about these things, so I didn¡¯t know how tofort her for a while, I could only let her vent her emotions first.

    Fortunately, Vonnie has always been an optimistic girl.

    She cried and scolded Johnathan, and her grievances were finally calmed down.

    When her mood calmed down, she started to think about the important matters.

    ¡°By the way, Ralda, there¡¯s a party tomorrow night, we should go.¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°What drinking party?¡±

    ¡°Anton informed me that he wanted me to tell you that the investors, producers, director, and several lead actors of the film ¡®Rose Queen¡® will all be attending.¡±

    1288 Vouchers

    Anton told me that actually this gathering was mainly to wee Mr. Russell and get to know each other.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Has the shooting day been set?¡±

    ¡°Okay, tomorrow we have a drinking party. If everything goes well, I will probably go to the film crew the day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Well, have you familiarized yourself with the script recently?¡±

    ¡°I certainly watched it again.¡± Vonnie said excitedly when mentioning this. ¡°Let me tell you. I imagined myself as the second female lead, and when I read the script, it really made me feel so happy.¡±

    Ralda, you used to visit me every day, see if I don¡¯t p Kimberly to death.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will definitely go every day.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s mood improved, and I felt more at ease.

    Vonnie suddenly looked around the living room again and said, ¡°Ralda, this house is really nice, it has theyout and decoration style that I like. It¡¯s just that without Roddy and Essie¡¯s two kids, this house feels so empty.¡±

    Re

    ¡°So, did you just let those two kids stay at Reynaldo¡¯s ce like that?¡±

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    Chapter <b>853 </b>

    I sighed leaning back in my chair, ¡°Not only that, Reynaldo also enrolled them in a nearby kindergarten, they have been in school for half a month and are adapting quite well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it. Reynaldo probably won¡¯t give the child back to you, so why don¡¯t you just move in with him.¡±

    With that, Vonnie shook her head again and said, ¡°No, no, Reynaldo still hates you. Every time he sees you, he refuses to give you a good face. If you move over, you will definitely be bullied by him, but¡­¡±

    She said, then nced at my stomach, ¡°With this situation between you and him, how can you still ask him for a third child?¡±

    This is also what bothers me.

    The day I returned to Freybourne, I did it with him, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get pregnant.

    Next, I didn¡¯t know what to do either.

    With Reynaldo¡¯s cold attitude, if he didn¡¯t take the initiative, I really didn¡¯t have the courage to make a move on him.

    Unless you get him drunk, it¡¯s almost impossible to put him to sleep when he¡¯s not in his senses.

    But the man was very dunning, and I realized that it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to get him drunk,

    The more I thought about it, the worse I felt.

    Chapte853

    Vonnic was also in a bad mood, so the two of us went downstairs again to buy a bunch of alcohol and grilled skewers.

    Vonnie said she wanted to get drunk, preferably enough to forget. about that annoying Johnathan.

    She used to curse Quentin in her mouth, now it has be Johnathan, which shows that in her heart, Johnathan has slowly reced Quentin.

    It¡¯s just Johnathan, why did he suddenly not want to get married again? Could it be that he is afraid of marriage?

    When ites to Johnathan, I think of his good buddy Reynaldo, feeling equally annoyed.

    I had a drink with Vonnie and we both downed all the alcohol in the

    bottle.

    I haven¡¯t enjoyed drinking like this for a long time, probably since I was pregnant and didn¡¯t drink much.

    This time I suddenly drank so much, I really felt a little ufortable, and I choked and coughed for a while after drinking.

    Vonnie leaned against the French window and smiled foolishly at me, saying, ¡°Ralda, I remember you used to be able to drink three bottles without any problem, not even blushing or panting But now you can¡¯t even handle one bottle.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    I wiped my mouth, opened two more bottles of wine, and handed one to her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist drank, so I¡¯m feeling a bit out of practice.¡±

    After that, I ate a few skewers to fill my stomach.

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    Vonnie held a bottle of wine, looking suddenly mncholy.

    I asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Still thinking about Johnathan?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head and said. ¡°I was just thinking about when we had just graduated, how good it was back then. We were young, with a good mindset, and would go to the bar to dance and have fun from time to time.¡±

    At that time, Quentin was still good. Every time we went to the bar, he was always worried and brought a few brothers to act as bodyguards.

    We used to go to the movies, travel around, take lots and lots of photos to post on Instagram, and create memories.

    Back then, it seemed like there were no worries, right? Every day was. spent ying crazily, drinking carelessly, and people were happy, unlike now¡­¡±

    Yeah, back then there really were no worries.

 Too Close 854

    Chapter854

    Everything was fine, there was no bankruptcy at home, mom and dad were still there, Quentin also loved me, everything was happy and

    warm.

    Until Vonnie was sent abroad. I got involved with Reynaldo.

    Slowly, everything changed.

    Vonnie suddenly took a deep breath and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Forget about the past,e on, let¡¯s drink, let¡¯s drink.¡±

    Yes, those past memories, when recalled, only add to the sadness.

    Everyone will grow up, and growth alwayses with a price.

    Feeling like the atmosphere wasn¡¯t lively enough, Vonnie turned up the music again.

    Suddenly, rhythmic and lively music filled the living room.

    She was holding a bottle of wine, dancing to the music, and shouting at me, ¡°Come on, Ralda, let¡¯s dance.

    I smiled, picked up a bottle of wine and walked over.

    She gulped down a few sips of wine, dancing and saying. ¡°Screw Johnathan, do I look like someone who needs a man?¡±

    He said he didn¡¯t want to marry me. It¡¯s really funny. I don¡¯t want to marry him either

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And that dead ghost Reynaldo, always walking around with a gloomy face, as if someone owed him billions.¡±

    Oh my god, didn¡¯t I lend him tens of millions earlier? I have money now, I will pay him backter, so annoying!

    ¡°Yeah, those men, each one of them is so self¨Cconfident and likes to put on a stinky face. Damn, do we owe them anything?¡± Vonnic angrily cursed, clinking sses with me. ¡°Come on, Ralda, drink! Let¡¯s not bother with those stinky men, the two of us can just live together, much better than watching their faces,¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes,e on, drink! Don¡¯t mind those stinky men, drink!¡±

    In the end, I got drunk with Vonnie.

    I don¡¯t know how much I drank, I just felt dizzy and saw bottles of wine all over the floor.

    Vonnie mored for more to drink.

    I staggered to the French window and looked around for a while, only to find that all the wine had been drunk, and those were all empty bottles.

    Vonnie was also searching for wine on the ground.

    It was just an ident that she stepped on an empty wine bottle and fell to the ground instantly.

    I staggered over to help her up, saying. ¡°Get up, be careful.¡±

    Vonnie got drunk and was so heavy that I had to exert a lot of effort to pull her up.

    Just as I was pulling her and we hadn¡¯t taken two steps, we fell together onto the sofa.

    She pushed me with her eyes closed, saying, ¡°I still want to drink, buy alcohol, go buy alcohol¡­¡±

    C

    Chipler54

    I also wanted to drink, actually.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Wait

    moment, I¡¯ll go buy some wine. Today

    we¡­ um¡­ we won¡¯t get drunk¡­ won¡¯t go home¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehe, not going home until I¡¯m drunk,¡± Vonnicy on the sofa. giggling.

    I groggily climbed down from the sofa, only to find my hand grasping

    at thin air.

    The body suddenly fell down, and the head hit the coffee table.

    I couldn¡¯t feel the pain, but I felt something flowing down from my forehead.

    I went to touch it with a dazed look.

    Red? Is it blood?

    But it didn¡¯t hurt.

    I shook my head and stood up unsteadily.

    I burped after drinking, and Iughed foolishly at Vonnie on the sofa, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy more alcohol, don¡¯t fall asleep, wait for me!¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Vonnie muttered with her eyes closed.

    I went to look for my phone again, only to find that the phone left in the corner of the sofa was still on.

    <b>12.99</b>%

 Too Close 855

    Chapter855

    It seems like someone was calling me.

    I fished out my phone and answered with a smile, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Open! The door!¡±

    The cold and restrained voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding somewhat familiar.

    The stereo in the room was still on, and the music was ring.

    The person on the other end of the phone seemed to have said. something, but I couldn¡¯t hear clearly, but the voice sounded more and more familiar.

    It seems like¡­ um, it seems like that annoying Reynaldo.

    ¡°Drink! Keep drinking!¡±

    Vonnie, lying on the sofa, suddenly raised her hand and shouted loudly.

    I looked at her in confusion and smiled, ¡°Drink, I¡¯ll go buy some alcohol, hehe, keep drinking¡­¡±

    I hung up the phone and walked unsteadily to the door with my phone in hand.

    Just as I opened the door, a tall figure suddenly rushed in, pres against my shoulder, and quickly pinned me against the coat rack in the hallway.

    I stared at him dazedly and said, ¡°Who are you? Get out!¡±

    10 14

    Chapter855

    11 288 Vouchers

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    The man in front of me gritted his teeth and roared, then reached out and pressed the switch beside him..

    Just now, Vonnic turned off all the main lights in the room on purpose to create a more lively atmosphere, leaving only the dim small lights.

    As the man in front of me pressed the switch, the room suddenly lit up.

    I also recognized at a nce that the man in front of me was Reynaldo.

    Iughed foolishly at him and said, ¡°What¡­what are you here for?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, and when his gaze fell on my forehead, his handsome brows instantly furrowed deeply.

    Then he nced into the room.

    When he saw the floor littered with bottles and in a mess, he seemed to take a deep breath in anger.

    He grabbed my cor, lifted me up, and gritted his teeth, saying. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I drink you to death?!¡±

    I knew that this man hated me, always hoping for my death.

    Feeling suddenly wronged in my heart, I pushed him and shouted at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to care even if I drink to death, just get lost.¡±

    ¡°Get lost? Who do you think you are telling to get lost?¡±

    The man¡¯s face suddenly darkened.

    I looked at him dazedly, feeling very puzzled.

    This is home, the new house I bought. He suddenly barged in and

    me to die. Is it wrong for me to tell him to get lost?

    cur ny

    ¡°You told me to leave, so you must be expecting Anton toe, right?¡± He leaned in close to me, asking me darkly.

    I muttered a crazy sentence, pushed him, and said, ¡°Let go want to go buy wine, I still want to drink¡­¡±

    ¡°Drink, drink, drink! Just drink yourself to death!¡±

    of me, I

    The man gritted his teeth and hummed, then really let me go.

    I walked unsteadily to the door and smiled at him, ¡°Do you want to drink? If you do, I¡­ um¡­ I¡¯ll buy more wine¡­¡±

    ¡°No! Don¡¯t drink!¡±

    The man coldly spat out two words, took out his phone, and dialed a number without knowing who he was calling.

    I curled my lips and said, ¡°I don¡¯t drink, anyway you¡¯re a killjoy.¡±

    After saying that, I ignored his cold face and walked unsteadily outside.

    He heard a frantic low roar behind him, ¡°Your woman is about to die of thirst,e and get her!¡±

    Um¡­

    her!¡±

    Who was he talking to on the phone?

    Who is whose woman?

    Ah, never mind him. I wanted to drink, and I wanted to keep drinking with Vonnie.

    Chapter856

 Too Close 856

    Chapter856

    I had just arrived at the elevator door.

    There was suddenly a strong arm around my

    Next, I was lifted up by that person.

    waist.

    Reynaldo red at me gloomily and said, ¡°Being drunk like this, where do you still want to run to?¡±

    ¡°Let me go¡­ You let me go¡­¡±

    I struggled in his arms, ¡°I still want to drink, let me go. I want to buy alcohol!¡±

    However, the more I struggled, the tighter the man held me in his arms.

    I was angry, so I bit him on the chin while grabbing his neck.

    He grunted and red at me fiercely, ¡°Are you a dog?¡±

    I shrugged and said, ¡°Put me down, I want to go buy some wine.¡±

    The man didn¡¯t say anything, he just quickly carried me into the house, and then roughly pushed me down onto a chair.

    I was about to get up when he suddenly yelled at me fiercely, move!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t

    I was soothed by him to the point of trembling all over, and the grievances in my heart surged even more.

    Thinking of how much he hated, how rude he was, barging into my house, and yelling at me at the drop of a hat, I felt even more wronged.

    10 <b>30 </b>

    I choked out, ¡°This is my home, get out.¡±

    H

    Reynaldo stood in front of me, looking down at me with a cold and

    angry gaze.

    I pursed my lips, picking at the edge of the table, and whispered. ¡°You re at me. I¡¯m not afraid of you, you¡­ you still have to get out¡­

    Reynaldo gave a cold snort, ignored me, and took out his phone again to make a call.

    ¡°When youe, bring some ointment and gauze.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your woman is not hurt,e over quickly!¡±

    After the call ended, Reynaldo did not look at me, but went to turn off the sound system.

    Immediately, he crouched down to pick up the messy bottles on the ground.

    I was about to get up when his cold eyes nced over and said. ¡°You¡¯d better sit there obediently!¡±

    I sneered, ¡°This is my house!¡±

    ¡°The whole neighborhood belonged to me,¡± the man said softly.

    I immediately fell silent, just ring at him angrily.

    I don¡¯t know what this man suddenly ran over to do, I hadn¡¯t finished drinking yet, I still wanted to continue drinking with Vonnie.

    I was so annoyed, when will this man ¡°get lost¡°?

    Reynaldo put all the wine bottles into the box, and threw the skewers¡®

    10 70

    Chapter856

    signs and the uneaten barbecue into the trash can.

    I opened my mouth, about to say that I wanted more to cat, when he suddenly nced at me coldly, and I instantly dared not speak again.

    He was so angry, this man was still so fierce, so scary!

    The man turned around and opened two windows for venttion, then nced at Vonnie, who was sleeping on the sofa like a dead pig, before finally walking over to me.

    He sneered at me and said, ¡°You guys are living quite carefree lives. It¡¯s like a bar at home. Do you want me to bring in a couple of male models for you two again?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± I nodded subconsciously, smiling at him.

    When did Reynaldo be so considerate and thoughtful.

    The man narrowed his eyes slowly, as if ¡°angry, yet not quite¡°.

    s, the man¡¯s emotions were, as always, difficult to guess.

    I don¡¯t care, the male model is more important.

    I held his hand and said with a smile. ¡°Two male models seem not enough, you give us four, um¡­ two for Vonnie and two for me.¡±

    285 Wouchen

    Chapter857

 Too Close 857

    Chapter857

    I¡­ um. I wanted to have someone on my left and someone on my right¡­

    Hehe. I have money now. Find us four top male models, the best ones with abs.

    ¡°I¡­ um. I gave you money, gave you money¡­¡±

    As I spoke. I went to look for my phone, not noticing that Reynaldo¡¯s eyes had turned as cold as a frozen pond.

    ¡°Abs?¡±

    A deep and secretive sneer came from above.

    The shadow fell.

    Reynaldo trapped me between him and the chair, leaning in close and asked with a sinister smile. ¡°Do you still like abs?¡±

    The man was right in front of me, his breath warm, his eyes dark and burning.

    He was like a scorching whirlpool, wanting to suck me in and then melt me.

    I pushed his chest and said. ¡°You go away, it¡¯s hot.¡±

    His wrist, however, was grabbed by him.

    He sneered at me and said, ¡°Come on, do you like abs?¡±

    I nodded in confusion, ¡°Like, want to touch, I want a male model.¡±

    0.00%

    Reynaldo coldly curled his lips, his big hand leading mine down to rest on his abdomen.

    My hand randomly touched his stomach and I asked inexplicably, ¡°What are you doing? Is there something on your stomach?¡±

    Reynaldo took a breath, as if I had angered him.

    He gritted his teeth, clenched his jaw, and said, ¡°Esmeralda, open <b>your </b>eyes wide and look carefully!¡±

    With that, he straightened up and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his chest and abdomen.

    I blinked twice and asked him, ¡°What do you want me to see?¡±

    The man turned his face away, ¡°heaved a deep sigh in anger.¡±

    I immediately grabbed my hand and pressed it on his abdomen, gritting my teeth and saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t this abs? Don¡¯t you like touching them? I¡¯ll let you touch enough!¡±

    I shrugged and shook my head, ¡°I wanted to touch the male model¡¯s abs, the male model¡¯s abs look good.¡±

    The man took another deep breath and growled at me, ¡°Which male model has better abs than me, go find him!¡±

    ¡°Damn, I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anyone with better abs than mine! You must be blind!¡±

    ¡°No swearing!¡± I red at him. ¡°Swearing will make your mouth dirty.¡±

    Reynaldo touched his forehead, as if he had been rendered speechless by me.

    27 63%

    C

    <b>1034 </b>

    He turned around to pour himself a ss of water. Just as he finished. drinking, there was a knock on the door.

    I was about to get up to open the door when he coldly said to me, ¡°Sit down!¡±

    I had to sit down again, ring at him angrily.

    Is this my house or not? Howe it looks like his!

    He opened the door, and then a familiar man appeared at the doorway.

    I furrowed my brow and thought for a moment before I remembered.

    This was Johnathan, the Johnathan who had angered Vonnie.

    I staggered over and grabbed the broom on the side, then without hesitation, I swung it towards Johnathan.

    Johnathan was probably not expecting me to show up, and then he got a good beating.

    He stared at me, feeling wronged and shocked, and said, ¡°Esmie, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°You made Vonnie angry. I won¡¯t allow you toe to my house, get out, all of you get out¡­¡±

    I said, and then I picked up the broom to drive people away.

    Reynaldo stood aside as if making way for me.

    Forget it, I¡¯ll clean up this grumpy manter, let¡¯s get rid of Johnathan first, so he won¡¯t bully Vonnie again.

    The broom swept back and forth on Johnathan¡¯s body.

    64 62<b>% </b>

 Too Close 858

    Chapter858

    Johnathan suddenly got angry, grabbed the broom I was holding up, and shouted at me. ¡°Esmie, what kind of rtionship do we have? Why are you hitting me too? Are you going crazy because of Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°I was going to hit you, who made Vonnie angry.¡±

    She told me that she never thought about marrying you either. You are such a scumbag, saying you don¡¯t want to marry her right off the bat.

    It¡¯s really hrious. Where did you all get the confidence from? Did she say she wants to marry you?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t marry her, naturally there were plenty of people lining up to marry her. You get lost, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Johnathan suddenly shouted at me and snatched the broom from my hand, ready to strike back.

    Reynaldo suddenly came over and hugged m¨¦ from behind, and said coldly to him. ¡°Are you crazy? Do you still want to hit her? Do you still want your woman¡±

    Johnathan pouted aggrievedly. ¡°Who told her that Vonnie doesn¡¯t want

    to marry me.¡±

    ¡°What she said was the truth, you better watch your own mouth first.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± Johnathan frowned at him, feeling aggrieved, ¡°You always protect her. She just hit me with a broom, and you didn¡¯t even

    0.00%

    1037

    try to stop her. Have you ever thought about who was there for your when you were sad, upset, and drinking too much?¡±

    PPR.Vouchers

    ¡°Alright, your woman is almost drunk to death, and you¡¯re still talking nonsense here, take her away quickly.¡±

    Upon hearing this. Johnathan seemed to be really anxious.

    Hastily threw the ointment and gauze he had bought in his hands to him, and then hurriedly ran into the house.

    I pushed Reynaldo, wanting to stop him.

    Reynaldo firmly encircled my waist, not¨Callowing me to move!

    I red at him angrily and said. ¡°Let go of me. You can¡¯t let him take Vonnie away. He will bully Vonnie.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Reynaldo said decisively.

    I didn¡¯t believe his words at all. ¡°Johnathan is his brother, he will definitely protect Johnathan.¡±

    I tried to break his hand around my waist, but couldn¡¯t move it, so I simply bit his shoulder.

    He just grunted and red at me angrily with his dark eyes.

    ¡°You were just hoping to bite me, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    I shook my head in confusion. I never thought about biting him. I just wanted him to let go of me.

    However, I just lightly bit his shoulder, and blood oozed out. His white shirt quickly stained with a small cluster of blood.

    1034

    Chapserass

    Hmm¡­

    The man¡¯s shoulders were even more tender than a woman¡¯s.

    Just then, there was a sudden sound of cursing and pping in the

    room.

    I nced at Reynaldo, and then he hugged me into the house.

    Then, I saw a clear p mark on Johnathan¡¯s face at a nce, and Vonnie was pulling Johnathan¡¯s cor for a while.

    ¡°You scumbag, you heartless radish, what are you doing here, get out, go away!¡±

    Who said I wanted to marry you? I don¡¯t want to marry you at all. I¡¯m not worried about getting married.

    There were many good men who admired me, ¡°I could marry anyone else and they would be better than you.¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡± Johnathan roared angrily.

    Vonnie also shouted, ¡°Do you think I dare?! I¡¯ll marry you tomorrow and show you. Our agent is even better than you, he¡­¡°¡±

    ¡°Your manager, right?¡± Johnathan interrupted her with a sneer, ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to have a drink with your manager tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Drink up, go ahead and drink with him. He said if I¡¯m not married in six months, he¡¯ll marry me.

 Too Close 859

    He is much better than you, he at least has amitment, what do you have.

    ¡°You ate without taking responsibility, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Lavonne!¡±

    Johnathan yelled in anger, but seemed unsure of what to do with Vonnie, so he ended up just picking her up in one go.

    I was furious and wanted to rush over, ¡°You let go of me, Vonnie. All of you, get out and stop bullying Vonnie¡­¡±

    But I had only taken two steps forward when Reynaldo pulled me back.

    1 red at him angrily. ¡°Why are you holding me? He¡¯s going to bully Vonnie!¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Reynaldozily said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that guy wouldn¡¯t even hit himself, let alone hit you Vonnie, you only care about others.¡±

    ¡°She is my Vonnie, not someone else!¡± I said angrily, trying to shake off his hand, but I couldn¡¯t.

    I couldn¡¯t shake it off, and the man kept staring at me with a cold expression.

    Really sick!

    Johnathan angrily loosened his tie, carried Vonnie, and said to

    285 Muchare

    Reynaldo, ¡°I¡¯m taking off first.¡±

    And Vonnie was probably not veryfortable being carried like that by him.

    She didn¡¯t say anything, just looked like she was covering her mouth to vomit.

    Reynaldo waved to Johnathan and said, ¡°Go out and close the door.¡±

    Johnathan suddenly nced at the shirt he had pulled open and chuckled, ¡°Got it, won¡¯t disturb your good time!¡±

    After that, he nced at me and said, ¡°Esmie is still bleeding on her forehead, so be careful.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    Johnathan chuckled twice, picked up Vonnie, and left.

    I was

    so anxious that I wanted to go after him.

    The door suddenly mmed shut, and Reynaldo pulled me back. carrying me to the bathroom.

    I stared at him dazedly and asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    He said, ¡°I¡¯ll show you my abs.¡±

    I nced at the shirt he had opened and shook my head, ¡°Yours is not good¨Clooking, they say, male models¡® abs are good¨Clooking, I want to see male models.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened.

    He suddenly smiled at me and said, ¡°Okay, I will fulfill your request.¡±

    After saying that, he went to fill the bathtub with water.

    27.81<b>% </b>

    284 Moushen

    I went up to him, tugged at his sleeve, and asked, ¡°Are you really going to introduce me to some male models?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.

    The man hummed, ¡°cold and gloomy.¡±

    I nced at him and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°When are you going to give me some male models?¡±

    The water ¡°gurgled¡± into the bathtub.

    He turned around, leaned against the sink, and looked at me with a smirk. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve dated quite a few male models before.¡±

    ¡°The male model was handsome and had a good figure.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, then calmly took off his shirt.

    Then I saw his blood-stained shoulder.

    There was clearly a wound there, obviously not bitten by me.

    He piled the shirts on the sink and then slowly walked towards me.

    I subconsciously took two steps back and looked at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He backed me into a corner, his strong and powerful chest, his slender waist, and his clearly defined abdominal muscles made my face flush and my heart race.

    I felt even dizzier, and it was so difficult to breathe.

    I turned my face away and pushed his chest, saying, ¡°Step bac.. you¡¯re too close, I can¡¯t breathe.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t see clearly what a good figure is, what good abs look like,

    without getting this close.¡±

    He said in a strange way, then pinched my chin, turned my face. towards him, and made me look directly at his chest.

    258 vouchers.

 Too Close 860

    He took my hand again and ced it on his abdominal muscles. chuckling at me. ¡°If you want to touch abs so much. I¡¯ll let you touch enough, definitely better than a male model¡¯s.¡±

    In the midst of chaos, the faces of the men were shrouded in ayer of mist, not quite real.

    The touch under the fingertips was smooth and hard, with clear barriers, feeling very powerful when touched.

    However, Vonnie and her friends said that male models¡® abs are the

    best.

    I still wanted to touch the male model¡¯s abs.

    Hey hey¡­

    I chuckled at the man in front of me and said. ¡°I still want to be a male

    model.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face suddenly turned cold, he grabbed my face and kissed me fiercely.

    His lips pressed against mine, and for a moment, I felt it harder to breathe.

    I pushed his chest hard and said, ¡°Let go, it¡¯s ufortable.¡±

    Reynaldo stepped back a bit, staring at me coldly and said, ¡± still want a male model?¡±

    Vou

    I nodded honestly.

    1034)

    Alright, the man kissed my lips again, kissing very fiercely, <b>as </b>if intentionally trying to steal away my breath.

    I pushed him, crying out in difort.

    He finally let go of me again, his pair of dark, oppressive eyes staring at me fiercely. ¡°Do you want to be a male model?¡±

    I nodded and watched as the man approached again, and I quickly shook my head.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. I want to sleep¡­¡±

    Reynaldo tugged at my lips, lifted my chin, and still held onto my lips.

    But this time, he was very gentle.

    Slowly kissing. I felt his lips bing sweet and soft.

    I held onto his strong and slender waist, my hand unconsciously moving downwards.

    He suddenly grabbed my hand and said hoarsely to me, ¡°Go take a shower, you smell like alcohol.¡±

    I leaned softly against the wall, with all my weight pressed on the arm wrapped around my waist.

    I stared at him nkly, my mind a jumble like a mess of paste, my face burning hot.

    Drowsiness hit me in waves, and I could barely keep my eyes <ol><li>en. </li></ol>

    I leaned against his chest and shook my head, ¡°Don¡¯t take a shower. <i>I </i>want to sleep.¡±

    ¡°I must wash it, and then I will treat the wound on your forehead.¡±

    #1

    He said, and then pulled me to the bathtub, and quickly stripped me of my clothes

    1le looked at my eyes and they immediately darkened

    After a while, he turned his face away and said lightly. ¡°Sit in the bathtub yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I nodded and lifted my foot to step into the bathtub.

    However, in a drunken state, I, with an unstable center of gravity. suddenly screamed and fell to the ground.

    Fortunately, just as I was about to have a close encounter with the ground, my body was suddenly lifted up by someone.

    Reynaldo hugged me. his eyes dark and burning, but his tone was both angry and cold. ¡°You can¡¯t handle alcohol, why drink so much? How didn¡¯t you fall to your death?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your fault. You held me tight. How could I fall to my death?¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to be about to explode.

    He took a deep breath, as if he was going to crush it, and his jaw tightened.

    Scary.

    I pushed him away and staggered towards the bathtub.

    He quickly supported me and muttered, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t fa.. to your death, you¡¯ll drownter.¡±

    I ignored him and sat in the bathtub by myself.

    1031

    The warm water rushed over in an instant.

    It was

    veryfortable, and my mind also became a bit clearer.

    Chapter861

 Too Close 861

    Chapter861

    I looked towards the edge of the bathtub, where a man was squeezing e bathtub, where a man was squeezing shower gel, and I could see his face much clearer.

    His handsome face was still cold and indifferent, as if the whole world owed him something.

    No. he was just cold and indifferent to me, not to the whole world.

    He just hated me alone.

    Thinking back, he was always cold towards me, so hateful, and even said I killed his mother.

    A strong sense of sadness and sorrow welled up in my heart.

    I was lying on the edge of the bathtub, tears streaming down my face in the mist.

    Reynaldo squeezed out the shower gel and was about to apply it on but suddenly saw me crying while leaning over the bathtub, his handsome brows furrowed instantly. <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you again? Didn¡¯t I give you a male model, and you still got upset?¡±

    I shook my head and choked out, ¡°If you hate me so much, if you dislike me so much, why did you stille to my house?¡±

    Reynaldo rubbed the shower gel into bubbles and then carefully applied it to my body humming to me, ¡°You think <i>I </i>wanted toe, it¡¯s two kids who missed you, begging me toe pick you up and stay overnight.¡±

    <b>TO </b><b>J </b>

    Chapter861

    ¡°So, you still hate me, don¡¯t you? You wish I were dead, right?¡±

    The sadness and sorrow in my heart seemed to be unresolvable.

    200

    In the chaotic mess of my mind shed images from four years ago, when he grabbed my neck and told me to get out of Freybourne.

    Feeling wronged?

    Can you not be wronged?

    I really feel wronged when I think about it.

    I lifted my head and looked at him with tears in my eyes, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to see me so much, hate me so much, then I¡¯ll leave, I¡¯ll nevere back again.¡±

    You asked me not to appear in front of you. Haha, as if I wanted to appear in front of you.

    If it weren¡¯t for Essie¡­ uh¡­ ugh¡­

    I was halfway through my sentence when my stomach suddenly churned.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes darkened, and he quickly pulled the trash can next to <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    I crouched on the edge of the bathtub, vomiting violently, feeling like my whole stomach was about to explode with pain, and my head was aching.

    After vomiting for a while, my stomach finally felt empty.

    Iy softly on the edge of the bathtub and said aggrievedly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t give me a hard time in the future. Actually, I don¡¯t want to see you either.¡±

    You wait, I would leave here with my Roddy and Essie, leaving you

    ¡°We will hide far away, so you can never find us again.¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    The cold voice fell from above, but Reynaldo¡¯s big hand gently applied the shower gel on my body.

    So, what kind of person was he after all, saying ¡°never want to see <b>me </b>again,¡± but always taking the initiative to provoke me.

    He kept saying he hated me and wished I were dead, but when I was <b>in </b>danger, he rushed to save me

    I remembered those awkward colloquial expressions he used to say to me before.

    I felt even sadder in my heart.

    He actually liked me, but he thought I ¡°killed his mother¡°.

    I leaned against the edge of the bathtub, crying as I said to him. ¡°Reynaldo, I didn¡¯t kill your mother, it really wasn¡¯t me

    Reynaldo remained silent.

    He lowered his eyes and just bathed me seriously.

    I bit my lip, tears kept streaming down.

    He probably didn¡¯t believe it.

 Too Close 862

    If he had believed me, he wouldn¡¯t have treated me like that four years

    ago.

    My body suddenly felt weak, and I leaned softly against the bathtub.

    The hot steam in the bathtub kepting in waves, making my head feel dizzy and confused.

    I really wanted to sleep..

    I closed my eyes and let drowsiness engulf my consciousness.

    Suddenly. Reynaldo seemed to have said something, with a very indifferent tone..

    He seemed to be saying, ¡°Have you heard the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf? People who lie often are destined to not be trusted.¡±

    Is it?

    So in his mind, I was always a person who told lies from beginning to end, to the point that he wouldn¡¯t believe anything I said anymore.

    As I was about to drift off to sleep.

    His body was suddenly lifted up by Reynaldo.

    Immediately, he took the towel from the side and wrapped it around. me, saying to me without any tone, ¡°Go to bed.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I responded drowsily, feeling him pick me up again and carry me

    outside.

    Coming out of the bathroom, he asked me again, ¡°Which one is your

    room<b>¡°</b>?¡±

    Which one is my room?

    I didn¡¯t know, did I?

    I couldn¡¯t remember.

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t speak, he carried me to the center of the living room, made me face those few rooms, and asked, ¡°Which one is your room?¡±

    I looked over dazedly and finally pointed towards the window by the ground.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything and silently carried me to the room.

    He seemed afraid that I might have mistaken the room, so he opened the cab and took a look.

    After making sure that the clothes in the cab were all mine, he turned back and said to me lightly, ¡°You go to sleep. I¡¯ll go get some medicine to treat the wound on your head.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Watching him leave, my mind was once again in a state of confusion.

    Before long, he walked in carrying a small bag.

    I groggily opened my eyes and immediately saw his prominent abs.

    A thought suddenly popped into my head: ¡°Are those male models¡® abs really as good¨Clooking as his?¡±

    <b>2031</b><b>% </b>

    Just then, Reynaldo walked over

    He sat on the edge of the bed, with no excess fat on his stomach and waist, looking very strong

    As if possessed, I reached out and touched his abdomen again.

    He suddenlyughed and smirked at me, saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that <b>my </b>abs are not good¨Clooking, not as good¨Clooking and touchable as male models?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ there were no male models, so I had to make do.¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, ¡°<b>You </b>are really obsessed with abs, so obsessed that you are willing to settle.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, poking my fingers on his abdominal muscles.

    He hummed and took out alcohol and cotton swabs to disinfect the wound on my forehead.

    I hissed in pain, wondering what was going on.

    I grabbed his hand and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Cut off your forehead!¡± Reynaldo muttered, ¡°Your eyes are so blind, why not bump into them too, maybe it will clear your eyes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re blind too, why don¡¯t you go bump into your own eyes!¡± I muttered.

    Reynaldo snorted, ¡°Even if I¡¯m blind, I¡¯m not as blind as you. Do male models have abs as good¨Clooking as mine? What kind of look is that?!¡±

    I poked

    Covas hard and scratched randomly on his stomach,

    Il not

    1200 Moliners

    I lowered my head and stared at him, with a dark look in my eyes, ¡°Fire broke out, are you responsible?¡±

    ¡°No fire? Where is the fire?¡± I looked around.

 Too Close 863

    He touched his forehead and said softly, ¡°Forget it, you go to sleep.¡±

    With that, he continued to treat my wound.

    But then I suddenly couldn¡¯t fall asleep again.

    I felt like I had forgotten something important.

    What on earth happened?

    I bit my quilt, pondering deeply.

    His cheek was suddenly patted by him, and he said speechlessly, ¡°Why are you biting the quilt? Do you not care about hygiene?¡±

    I released the quilt and looked at him, ¡°Did I forget something?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me inexplicably and said, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Did you forget something again?¡±

    With that, he furrowed his brow and his face seemed to tense up again, ¡°Do you¡­ remember what happened with Anton when we were kids?¡±

    I shook my head and said. ¡°I remembered that I wanted to have a third child with you.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s brow suddenly furrowed even tighter.

    He chuckled and said, ¡°What trick do you want to y again?¡±

    I shook my head like a tambourine, stood up and circled his neck, saying, ¡°I really want to have a third child with you, and I must have a

    child with you.¡±

    He frowned, pulled my hand, and pushed me onto the bed.

    ¡°Stop messing around, I¡¯m treating your wound. Otherwise, the bed will be stained with bloodter.¡±

    I obedientlyy down and asked him. ¡°After you finish treating my wound, will you have a third child with me?¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and asked me, ¡°Why did you want to have a third child?¡±

    Yeah, why did we have a third child?

    I scratched my head.

    He suddenly pushed away my hand and angrily said. ¡°The ointment I just applied for you was scratched by you again. Are you annoying?¡±

    I stared nkly at his angry look, feeling a sense of grievance in my heart, and tears welled up uncontrobly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it either.¡±

    I choked up and said.

    He seemed to sigh, then picked up the ointment from the side and applied it to me again.

    After applying the ointment, he quickly took a piece of gauze and bandaged me, as if afraid that I would scratch again.

    In no time, he bandaged the wound on my forehead.

    He put away the ointment and gauze, ced them on the bedside table, and then got up to leave.

    I quickly hugged him from behind, pressed against his back, and

    mumbled, ¡°Give birth, give birth with me!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s body stiffened.

    After a while, he forcefully pushed away my hand, as <b>if </b>afraid that I would touch him again, he tightly gripped my wrist.

    He turned around and looked at me. ¡°Tell me, why did you still want to have a baby?¡±

    Why?

    I furrowed my brows for a while, but couldn¡¯t figure out a reason. I just remembered. ¡°I must, must have another¨Cchild with him.¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°There is no reason, I just want to have another child with you, and it is necessary to do so.¡±

    Reynaldo listened and sneered. ¡°Are you thinking of having another child with me for no reason? Are you up to some conspiracy again?¡±

    I tilted my head and looked at him. ¡°Why did you ask that?¡±

    Heughed, with a hint of self¨Cmockery in hisughter.

    ¡°Because you, Esmeralda, did not willingly conceive a child for me, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that Roddy and Essie were idents for you.¡±

    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t¡­¡±

    I shook my head hastily. ¡°I love Roddy and Essie very much, they were not idents.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they already existed, and you gave birth to them, that¡¯s why you love them.¡±

 Too Close 864

    At the beginning, you never thought about ¡°having a baby for me.

    So, you suddenly said. ¡°you want to have a third child with me, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit far¨Cfetched?¡±

    I didn¡¯t quite understand what Reynaldo said.

    What did he mean by this?

    Did you want to have a third child with me, or did you not want to have one with me?

    Ah. I don¡¯t care anymore.

    Whether he is willing or not, I will have a third child with him.

    This idea, like a task that had to bepleted, was deeply rooted in

    the heart.

    ¡°Get drunk and go to sleep, you¡¯re talking nonsense.

    Reynaldo let go of me and, as he got up and left, he couldn¡¯t help but throw a disdainful remark over his shoulder.

    Seeing that he was about to leave, I quickly got out of bed and grabbed him.

    When he turned around, I tiptoed and kissed him on the lips, my hands also fumbling on his abdomen.

    He grunted, twisted my shoulder, pushed me slightly away, d asked me, ¡°What are you doing again?¡±

    1040

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go crazy.¡±

    I pulled his pants waist and said to him seriously, ¡°Reynaldo, let¡¯s have a third child in the next life, hurry up.¡±

    After saying that, I ignored his astonished look, pushed away his hand, hooked my arm around his neck, and kissed him again.

    He looked at me quietly, his eyes dark and suppressed, as if shing through countless emotions.

    But there was none that I understood.

    He was very tall, I was almost ¡°hanging on¡± him.

    He didn¡¯t move when I saw him.

    I simply pushed him against the wall.

    I went to kiss his lips, kiss his neck and Adam¡¯s apple, kiss his chest¡­

    His eyes grew heavier, his breathing became somewhat rapid, and his chest rose and fell noticeably.

    His body gradually stiffened, and the breath he exhaled was scorching

    hot.

    I saw that we had kissed enough, so I went to unbutton his pants and my hand slipped into his trousers.

    Then before I even touched him, he grabbed my hand again.

    He stared at me heavily, his voice hoarse, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Having a baby, hurry up.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes slowly, pursed his thin lips into a straight line, furrowed his brows tightly, and looked at me with a serious

    Chapte

    expression, as if he wanted to see through me.

    I tilted my head and looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t recognize him.¡±

    He chuckled and then his long arms went through the bend of my legs. lifting me up horizontally.

    I thought he was finally going to have a baby with me.

    But he put me on the bed, covered me with a nket, and then got up and left.

    I quickly grabbed his hand and looked at him pitifully, ¡°Where are you going again? Hurry up and have a baby.¡±

    Reynaldo turned back and stared at me for a few seconds, saying, ¡°Come find me when you¡¯re sober.

    With that, he broke free from my hand, walked out quickly, and even hurried to turn off the light for me.

    The moment the door was closed, the room also darkened.

    Iy in bed, blinked twice, and thought to myself, ¡°Reynaldo doesn¡¯t want to have a third child with me, what should I do?¡±

    After Reynaldo left, my head waspletely turned into a mess.

    In a few seconds, I fell into a deep sleep.

    Waking up again, I didn¡¯t know what time it was, and the room was brightly lit.

    66.64%

    C

 Too Close 865

    The closed curtains couldn¡¯t block the bright sun outside.

    Waves of pain came from my forehead.

    I subconsciously reached out to touch, but identally touched the wound, causing even more pain for a moment.

    Not only my forehead, but my whole body felt like it had been in a fight, as if I had fought with someone.

    I sat up with a confused head, the quilt slipped down, and then I found. myselfpletely naked.

    Feeling a sudden panic. I quickly pulled the nket up to protect myself, anxiously looking towards the door.

    What¡¯s going on?

    What happenedst night?

    Where are my clothes? Who took them off, who came in?

    The pain came in waves, like a drill boring into my head.

    I buried my face in the nket, trying to recall what had happenedst night.

    Last night Vonnie came back, feeling very upset. I was also feeling down, so the two of us went downstairs to buy some alcohol to drink.

    Then it seemed like both of us were drunk.

    Later, someone called me on the phone, someone knocked on the door?

    I rubbed my eyes, and some blurry fragments shed intermittently in my mind.

    It seemed like no one knocked on the door, and when I went to open it, someone barged in.

    That person¡­ seems to be Reynaldo.

    Hiss!

    I pressed my temples, and the images in my mind became clearer

    It was Reynaldo.

    Who is the man who always wears a cold face if not Reynaldo?

    I¡¯m naked now, so what happened between me and Reynaldost night? Did we actually do it?

    If it really happened, then I would have hope for my third child again

    I pulled up the quilt and looked at myself.

    The more I looked, the more disappointed I felt in my heart.

    There was absolutely no trace of me from head to toe.

    So,st night, nothing happened between me and Reynaldo.

    I leaned against the head of the bed and sighed silently.

    Last night, such a good opportunity, why didn¡¯t I seize it?

    There was also Reynaldo.

    Wasn¡¯t he always thinking about that kind of thing before? and wanting to sleep with me?

    ing me

    Howe he acted like a gentleman against night?

    He was at a loss for words.

    When he was supposed to be a gentleman, he acted like a rogue, and could have evil intentions anywhere.

    When he shouldn¡¯t have been a gentleman, he was as serious as anything.

    They stripped me naked and yet he didn¡¯t do anything to me.

    This time he was a bit less like himself, Reynaldo, a true gentleman.

    I sighed on the bed for a while, and then slowly got up from the bed.

    I don¡¯t know if that man is still here now.

    Dressed, I opened the door and looked around.

    The room was quiet, and the wine bottles and skewers had been cleared away. The trash in the trash can was also gone.

    It seems that Reynaldo has left.

    By the way, where is Vonnie?

    1

    I quickly went to her room and looked around, but no one was there.

    I closed my eyes and thought for a while, then remembered that Vonnie seemed to have been taken away by Johnathanst night.

    Oh no, she was still mad at Johnathan.

    Johnathan took her away like that, nothing will happen, rig¡®

    I hurried to look for my phone and searched around before I found it dropped in the corner at the door.

    Luckily there was electricity

    I turned on my phone and found several missed calls.

    The first few were all hit by Reynaldo, they were hitst night.

    1040

 Too Close 866

    The closed curtains couldn¡¯t block the bright sun outside.

    Waves of pain came from my forehead.

    I subconsciously reached out to touch, but identally touched the wound, causing even more pain for a moment.

    Not only my forehead, but my whole body felt like it had been in a fight, as if I had fought with someone.

    I sat up with a confused head, the quilt slipped down, and then I found. myselfpletely naked.

    Feeling a sudden panic. I quickly pulled the nket up to protect myself, anxiously looking towards the door.

    What¡¯s going on?

    What happenedst night?

    Where are my clothes? Who took them off, who came in?

    The pain came in waves, like a drill boring into my head.

    I buried my face in the nket, trying to recall what had happenedst night.

    Last night Vonnie came back, feeling very upset. I was also feeling down, so the two of us went downstairs to buy some alcohol to drink.

    Then it seemed like both of us were drunk.

    Later, someone called me on the phone, someone knocked on the door?

    I rubbed my eyes, and some blurry fragments shed intermittently in my mind.

    It seemed like no one knocked on the door, and when I went to open it, someone barged in.

    That person¡­ seems to be Reynaldo.

    Hiss!

    I pressed my temples, and the images in my mind became clearer

    It was Reynaldo.

    Who is the man who always wears a cold face if not Reynaldo?

    I¡¯m naked now, so what happened between me and Reynaldost night? Did we actually do it?

    If it really happened, then I would have hope for my third child again

    I pulled up the quilt and looked at myself.

    The more I looked, the more disappointed I felt in my heart.

    There was absolutely no trace of me from head to toe.

    So,st night, nothing happened between me and Reynaldo.

    I leaned against the head of the bed and sighed silently.

    Last night, such a good opportunity, why didn¡¯t I seize it?

    There was also Reynaldo.

    Wasn¡¯t he always thinking about that kind of thing before? and wanting to sleep with me?

    ing me

    Howe he acted like a gentleman against night?

    He was at a loss for words.

    When he was supposed to be a gentleman, he acted like a rogue, and could have evil intentions anywhere.

    When he shouldn¡¯t have been a gentleman, he was as serious as anything.

    They stripped me naked and yet he didn¡¯t do anything to me.

    This time he was a bit less like himself, Reynaldo, a true gentleman.

    I sighed on the bed for a while, and then slowly got up from the bed.

    I don¡¯t know if that man is still here now.

    Dressed, I opened the door and looked around.

    The room was quiet, and the wine bottles and skewers had been cleared away. The trash in the trash can was also gone.

    It seems that Reynaldo has left.

    By the way, where is Vonnie?

    1

    I quickly went to her room and looked around, but no one was there.

    I closed my eyes and thought for a while, then remembered that Vonnie seemed to have been taken away by Johnathanst night.

    Oh no, she was still mad at Johnathan.

    Johnathan took her away like that, nothing will happen, rig¡®

    I hurried to look for my phone and searched around before I found it dropped in the corner at the door.

    Luckily there was electricity

    I turned on my phone and found several missed calls.

    The first few were all hit by Reynaldo, they were hitst night.

    1040

 Too Close 867

    Chapter <b>867 </b>

    Night fell in the blink of an eye.

    The appointment for the gathering was set for 8 o¡¯clock in the evening.

    At six o¡¯clock, Vonnie changed the medicine on the wound on my forehead.

    She looked at the scar, feeling so guilty that her eyes turned red.

    ¡°It must have been when you got drunkst night and identally bumped into something.¡±

    It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have dragged you out for drinks.

    ¡°He was lucky he didn¡¯t hit his eyes, otherwise he would have been blinded.¡±

    Speaking of eyes, I remembered Reynaldo saying that I was blind.

    The bastard Reynaldo, he was even blinder than me.

    ¡°What to do, Ralda, we are going to a partyter, your scar is very noticeable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not a big star, no one will notice this scar on me.

    Vonnie didn¡¯t say anything, she just brought over a pair of scissors and silently cut the gauze.

    I looked at her inexplicably and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I gave you a nice shape bandage, I¡¯m not like that Reynaldo, wrapping it up like what.¡±

    1040

    Vonnie¡¯s disdainful expression made meugh.

    I said. ¡°It would be nice if he would bandage me up, but don¡¯t forget, he still holds a grudge against me.¡±

    Vonnie sighed and said nothing more.

    It took me an hour to deal with the wound like this.

    Just as I was packing my bag with Vonnie, getting ready to go out, the doorbell suddenly rang.

    I subconsciously went to open the door, and standing outside the door was Anton.

    I was stunned for two seconds, then smiled and asked him, ¡°Howe you¡¯re here? Wasn¡¯t there a party tonight that everyone was supposed to attend?¡±

    ¡°Well, I came to pick you up for a party.¡±

    Anton smiled warmly and said, ¡°Finally, his gaze suddenly fell on my forehead.¡±

    He frowned and asked anxiously, ¡°How did you get hurt?¡±

    Before I could even speak, Vonnie leaned in and said, ¡°We drank too much at homest night, and then Ralda probably identally bumped into something.¡±

    Anton paused for two seconds and said, ¡°In the future, you should be more careful and not drink so much. I will give you a ointmentter, if you apply it for two months, it won¡¯t leave a scar.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Anton personally came to pick up Vonnie and me. <i>We </i>couldn¡¯t refuse

    10401

    Choper67

    his kindness, so we simply got in his car and went together.

    We didn¡¯t arrive toote, we got there at 7:40.

    However, as soon as I entered the private room. I saw Reynaldo sitting at the head of the table.

    I instantly widened my eyes.

    Who can tell me, how did Reynaldo alsoe?!

    Vonnic nced at me, quickly grabbing my arm and whispered, ¡°It seems like Johnathan is working under Reynaldo, so if Johnathan is the biggest investor, can we say that the actual biggest investor is Reynaldo¡¯spany?¡±

    Ugh!

    It seems to be the case.

    However, isn¡¯t it enough for Johnathan to attend as a representative at gatherings like this? Why did Reynaldoe in person?!

    Thinking to myself, I instinctively nced at the man

    It didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t nce at him, but as soon as she did, she locked eyes with his cold gaze.

    Reynaldo also pursed his lips, chuckled at me, and I didn¡¯t know what

    he meant.

    ¡°Go in, who are you trying to block by crowding at the door?!¡±

    At this moment, a strange and eerie voice suddenly came from above.

    I turned my head and saw Johnathan.

    Johnathan scowled at Vonnie.

    Chapter867

    Not to mention, that appearance, is reallyparable to Reynaldo,

    they truly are two good brothers.

 Too Close 868

    Anton smiled gently and said, ¡°Mr. Dup, why get so angry? When ites to girls, it¡¯s better to be gentle.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Johnathan mocked. ¡°You. Anton, are the dream of thousands of girls. handsome and charming. gentle as jade, and with a mouth as sweet as honey¡±

    When ites to coaxing women, we naturally can¡¯tpare to you.

    Wow, this weird tone of voice is getting on my nerves.

    Johnathan also learned how to be two¨Cfaced, could it be that he learned it from Reynaldo?

    s, instead of learning the good things. I ended up learning the bad things with Reynaldo.

    I was silently criticizing myself in my heart when Reynaldo suddenly spoke slowly.

    ¡°They were all stuck at the door. how are the others supposed toe in?¡±

    Besides Reynaldo, a few other small investors also showed up.

    They echoed, ¡°Yes, yes, since everyone is here, let¡¯s take a seat quickly.¡±

    Johnathan hummed and walked past Vonnie, brushing her shou I, and sat down next to Reynaldo.

    Chapter

    Vonnie was furious and gave him a fierce re.

    I shook her hand and pulled her to sit on the other side.

    Anton sat down next to me.

    Reynaldo nced lightly at my forehead and chuckled, ¡°What? Do you think I did a terrible job bandaging youst night, so I brought a flower specially for you today?¡±

    Anton poured a cup of tea.

    He looked at me with aplex look in his eyes, but didn¡¯t say anything. He just handed me one of the two cups of tea he had poured. and handed the other cup to Vonnie.

    Johnathan across from me suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°Since Mr. Palmer has poured the tea, why not pour it for everyone and give each of us a cup.¡±

    Anton set down the teapot, leaned back in his chair, and casually said. to Johnathan, ¡°I only pour tea for pretty girls. If Mr. Dup wants to drink my tea, then he should change his appearance. With Mr. Dup¡¯s looks, a change in appearance would definitely turn him into a beauty.¡±

    Johnathan mmed the table in anger and eximed, ¡°If anyone

    should undergo a sex change, it should be you. You¡¯re a big man, even prettier than a woman. It would be a waste not to undergo a sex change.¡±

    Anton was not angry either, just smiled gently and said, ¡°Mr. Dup, can I understand that Mr. Dup is praising me for being good- looking?¡±

    ¡°Damn, how thick¨Cskinned are you?¡± Johnathan stared at him in astonishment, ¡°No wonder you enjoy stealing other people¡¯s wives, you

    have no shame!¡±

    When Johnathan blurted out the swear word, the atmosphere in the private room immediately froze.

    No matter how well Anton maintained hisposure, his face still darkened.

    The other few small investors buried their heads and didn¡¯t dare to say a word.

    Reynaldo gave Johnathan a tug and said slowly, ¡°We are here to discuss serious matters, why are you suddenly acting so strange?¡±

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t like him, acting like a little white face,¡± Johnathan sneered at Anton.

    Anton sneered, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then leave. With Mr. Humphrey here, you¡¯re just unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up, what are you arguing about? When Mr. Russell arrivester, won¡¯t it be embarrassing if he sees this!¡±

    Johnathan was about to get angry when Vonnie suddenly yelled at him out of the blue, leaving himpletely stunned.

    When he realized what was happening, he mmed the table and was about to argue with Vonnic.

    Reynaldo suddenly gave him a nce and said, ¡°Watch your image!¡±

    7042%

 Too Close 869

    Chapter869

    Johnathan took a deep breath in anger, but in the end, he had to give up and sat back on the chair with a huff..

    I touched my forehead and thought to myself, ¡°Why was Johnathan so angry today, snapping at everyone he saw?¡±

    He seemed to pick a fight with everyone except Reynaldo.

    At that moment, a familiar face hurried over, it was Vonnie¡¯s agent Hudson Norton.

    Huh?

    Didn¡¯t Hudson fight for Vonnie in the y on Freybourne¡¯s side?

    And ¡°Rose Queen,¡± this y, was also arranged for Vonnie by Anton through a friend, it has nothing to do with Hudson.

    Howe Hudson also showed up at this party?

    When Vonnie saw Hudson, she was also taken aback.

    ¡°How did youe?¡±

    Hudson first greeted Reynaldo respectfully, then bowed to the others.

    When asked about Johnathan, he coldly snorted and left Hudsonpletely baffled.

    Hudson inexplicably nced at Vonnie and then respectfully asked Johnathan with a smile, ¡°Mr. Dup, what¡¯s the matter with you s our Vonnie offended you in some way?¡±

    1041 m

    Chapte

    He was fine until he asked, but once he did, Johnathan¡¯s face darkened

    even more.

    Upon seeing Johnathan¡¯s expression, Hudson really thought that Vonnie had offended Johnathan. He quickly smiled at Johnathan and said, ¡°Vonnie is straightforward and sometimes speaks without thinking. If she has offended you in any way, Mr. Dup, I apologize on her behalf.¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re somebody? Who do you think you are to apologize for her?¡± As soon as Hudson finished speaking, Johnathan coldly snorted.

    Vonnie was annoyed and said, ¡°I¡¯m really amused. Who do you think you are? Why should I apologize to you?¡±

    After Vonnie said this, Hudson was immediately stunned, ¡°No, Vonnie, what are you doing? Why are you talking to Mr. Dup like this? Quickly apologize to Mr. Dup!¡±

    Vonnie snorted, ¡°He was the one who bullied others first, he can go apologize!¡±

    ¡°Hudson was so anxious that sweat was dripping from his forehead.¡±

    I busily shouted to him, ¡°Hudson, don¡¯t rush,e over here and sit down first.¡±

    I had just finished shouting when Reynaldo nced at me again, ¡°lightly and lightly.¡±

    Those eyes were slightly raised, as if mocking someone.

    I clenched my fist under the table and wanted to say to him, ¡°What are you looking at?!¡±

    However,

    with so many people around, I felt embarrassed to confront

    1041

    him, so I just turned my face away and tried to avoid eye contact with him.

    As soon as I shouted, Hudson quickly turned around and sat in the empty seat next to Vonnie.

    As soon as he sat down, he grabbed Vonnie¡¯s arm and whispered in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re confused, that¡¯s Mr. Dup, the biggest investor in your current y. If you offend him, do you still want to make this y?¡±

    ¡°The investor is not the only one, and besides, the roles have already been decided. He wouldn¡¯t change them just for me, would he?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say!¡±

    Hudson was thirsty, picked up the tea cup in front of Vonnie and drank it, instantly a cold nce shot over.

    This time it was not Reynaldo¡¯s gaze, but Johnathan¡¯s.

    Fortunately, Vonnie¡¯s cup of tea remained untouched.

    Otherwise, Johnathan was really going to explode, it was possible that he would even flip the table.

    Vonnie ignored Johnathan¡¯s cold gaze and poured Hudson another cup

    of tea.

    Hudson wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and whispered to

    Vonnie, ¡°Come on, listen to me, just apologize to Mr. Dup. I really went through a lot for you.¡±

    As far as I know, the director of this y is Gilbert, and every y he directs is a hit..

    1041

 Too Close 870

    This is <b>a </b>great opportunity for you to truly be a top yer. No matter what, you must seize it.

    Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Dup, ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll lose a piece of flesh.¡±

    Hudson said, pulling Vonnie¡¯s arm, urging.

    Alright, now Johnathan¡¯s face had turned ice¨Ccold.

    I was getting anxious.

    I whispered to Hudson, ¡°Hudson, please stop talking. This is Vonnie¡¯s and Mr. Dup¡¯s private matter. It¡¯s best for us not to get involved.¡±

    ¡°Wow, what a private matter this is. In our line of work, thest thing we want to do is offend the investors.

    ¡°Vonnie was immature, how could you be immature too, Ralda.¡±

    Um¡­

    What does it mean to be mature?

    Hudson spoke as if he were an old father.

    Hudson was still urging Vonnie to apologize to Johnathan.

    Vonnie was annoyed: ¡°I don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll just quit this movie.¡± Upon hearing this. Hudson became even more anxious.

    But he had no choice, so he ended up apologizing to Johnathan

    himself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Dup. Vonnie is a bit immature. I apologize to you here, and I will definitely discipline her properlyter.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you apologized to me.¡±

    Johnathan chuckled softly, then poured a few sses of strong liquor and ced them in front of him, saying, ¡°Since it¡¯s an apology, show some sincerity and drink all of these.¡±

    ¡°Johnathan!¡± Vonnic stood up and red at him, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡±

    Johnathan leaned back and smirked at her, saying, ¡°Have I been too arrogant?¡±

    Vonnie had more to say.

    Hudson quickly pulled her to sit down, signaling her to stop talking.

    Immediately he apologized to Johnathan with a smile, ¡°Drink, drink, I¡¯ll drink right away.¡±

    Hudson said, then picked up the strong liquor in front of him and drank it in one gulp.

    The first three cups were fine, but when he got to the fourth cup, Hudson¡¯s face didn¡¯t look too good, his whole face turned red.

    The wine was very strong, and I didn¡¯t have anything to eat before drinking it, so naturally I felt ufortable.

    Johnathan was also ruthless, pouring eight cups of wine for Hudson.

    The guest hadn¡¯t even arrived yet, and he was already giving Hudson so much alcohol, not afraid of getting someone drunk to death.

    I couldn¡¯t just stand by and handed the remaining four cups of wine

    back to Johnathan, saying to him. ¡°That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t let your personal feelings with Vonnie harm innocent people.¡±

    Hudson burped and looked at me with a puzzled expression, ¡°Private emotional issues, what does that mean?¡±

    With outsiders present, I didn¡¯t know how to exin it to him.

    So he said to him. ¡°It¡¯s the meaning you think.¡±

    Hudson slowly furrowed his brow, looking back and forth between Johnathan and Vonnie.

    In just a few seconds, his face had already changed several times.

    He seemed to have guessed something, pulling Vonnie¡¯s arm and asking in a low voice, ¡°Are you in love? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Do you still think I¡¯m your agent?¡±

    In this way. Hudson looked a bit lost and bewildered,pletely devoid of the joy of Vonnie ¡°getting close to¡± thergest investor.

    I was shocked to the core.

    Really? Hudson likes her?

    Hiss!

    So, it¡¯s not entirely unfounded to say that Johnathan harbored such animosity towards Hudson, is it?

    I nced at Johnathan and noticed that the man was staring darkly at Hudson holding Vonnie¡¯s hand.

    That cold gaze could really rival Reynaldo¡¯s

    With a dark thought in my mind, Johnathan suddenly cast a gloomy

    Chapter870

    look at me.

    I was taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

 Too Close 871

    Chapter871

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you just feeling sorry for Mr. Norton and couldn¡¯t bear to see him finish the remaining few sses of wine? Then you drink it.¡±

    I went!

    This Johnathan, he really got into a fight with the whole world.

    But what does it have to do with me?

    I just said a few words for Hudson.

    Those four sses of wine slowly turned in front of me.

    Anton suddenlyughed beside me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make it difficult for thedy. I¡¯ll drink these four sses of wine on her behalf.¡±

    With that, he reached over and poured the wine in front of me.

    Just the next second, the desktop spun again, and the four sses of wine slowly moved towards Reynaldo.

    To the astonishment of everyone, the four sses of wine sat steadily in front of Reynaldo.

    He smiled at Anton leisurely. ¡°Anyway, these four sses of wine shouldn¡¯t be drunk by you.¡±

    Anton chuckled, ¡°So. was Mr. Humphrey trying to drink these four sses of wine for Esmeralda?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say she had to drink these four sses of wine, so why are you in such a hurry?¡± Reynaldo said with a sardonic smile, his eyes <b>fil </b>with mockery.

    1041

    Chopin 971

    No one could understand what he meant, and no one dared to interrupt.

    Hudson was restless, after all, the wine was all because of him.

    He hesitated for a while and said, ¡°Since this wine was given to me by Mr. Dup as a punishment, I might as well drink it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly, then raised his wrist to check the time.

    After a while, he said slowly, ¡°You all just wait, someone will naturally drink this wine.¡±

    Hardly had he finished speaking when there was a noise at the door.

    I turned my head and saw that Quentin and Kimberly wereing

    over.

    There was another young man.

    The man looked neat and tidy, with shoulder¨Clength hair tied back, and his expression seemed somewhat serious, clearly the type who didn¡¯t smile easily.

    Thinking that they said, ¡°this dinner party was mainly to wee Gilbert.¡±

    Plus, Quentin and Kimberly were quite polite to him.

    So I think this man is Gilbert.

    ¡°Sorry, there was a traffic jam on the way, so I arrivedte.¡±

    When Quentin came in, he bowed to Reynaldo and said,

    Reynaldo smiled and gestured for them to take a seat.

    1041)

    Quentin quickly motioned for Gilbert to take a seat.

    Other investors also greeted Gilbert one after another.

    However, this man probably just had such a serious expression, so when those people greeted him. he just nodded in response.

    Reynaldo looked at him, then nced at Quentin.

    Finally, the four cups of wine were ced in front of them, and he smiled and said, ¡°Since you arete, each of you will have to drink two cups as a punishment.¡±

    Quentin looked at Gilbert, smiled at Reynaldo, and said, ¡°Mr. Russell is a guest, so I¡¯ll drink all four cups.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking. Gilbert picked up a ss of wine and drank it all by himself.

    To the astonishment of everyone, he picked up a second cup.

    Reynaldo pped his hands and said with a smile. ¡°Mr. Russell <i>is </i>indeed a straightforward person, no wonder the outside world speaks so highly of him.¡±

    I believe this ¡°Rose Queen¡± will definitely be a hit under Mr. Russell¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey praised it,¡± Gilbert said lightly, his expression still

    serious.

    I nced at Gilbert and thought to myself. ¡°He is truly a

    straightforward person, always wearing a serious expression no matter who he is with.¡±

 Too Close 872

    Quentin saw Gilbert had drunk both of those two sses of wine, so he drank the remaining two sses of wine himself.

    I looked at the four empty wine sses and paused.

    So, were those four sses of wine just consumed by Reynaldo like that?

    I nced at Johnathan again.

    A nce was enough to leave me speechless.

    Until now, Gilbert had already arrived and he was still ring at Vonnie with a sullen expression.

    Vonnie was also calm and collected.

    She sat up straight, lifted her head, and faced his cold gaze expressionlessly, just like nothing had happened.

    The atmosphere at the dinner table was rather strange.

    Fortunately, the waiter came over to serve the dishes.

    The atmosphere in the private room turned cold again only after the waiter served the dishes.

    In my heart, I secretly thought. ¡°If those investors knew that Gilbert turned out to be such a cold person, they probably wouldn¡¯t have set up today¡¯s situation.¡±

    After a brief silence, Quentin was the first to break the awkward atmosphere.

    He nced at Johnathan and chuckled, ¡°Strange, Mr. Dup seems to be in a bad mood. Did someone offend you?¡±

    Johnathan slowly turned his head and nced at him, snickering. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get punched again, then shut up!¡±

    Quentin frowned and sneered, ¡°We are discussing business now, so please Mr. Dup, pay attention to your image and attitude, don¡¯t let othersugh at you.¡°.

    ¡°Oh¡­ talking business?¡± Johnathan smiled at him coldly, ¡°Was that question you just asked me business?¡±

    Quentin: ¡­

    ¡°Also, you said to make othersugh at it.¡±

    ¡°But I see that there are only a few of us in this room. I really want to see who dares to make fun of me!¡±

    With that, his gloomy eyes swept around the dining table.

    Those few small investors all hung their heads.

    Gilbert was eating by himself.

    Kimberly pretended to cough against her lips.

    Vonnie rolled her eyes in silence.

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, drinking alcohol absentmindedly.

    I was speechless.

    Johnathan really had seizures regardless of the asion.

    There was also Reynaldo, who didn¡¯t care either and let that man go

    crazy.

    <b>10 </b>

    Quentin almost looked at him with disdain, then shook <b>his </b>head in silence, as if he didn¡¯t want to deal with him.

    But now Johnathan was relentless.

    He was like someone who had been holding his breath all along, and just then someone ran into the barrel of his gun, so that breath exploded out.

    He shouted at Quentin, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Duffy? Why are you silent again? Come on, say something, who wants to see me make a fool of myself!¡±

    Quentin disdainfully ¡°tsk¡°ed, about to lose his temper, when Vonnie suddenly stood up and shouted at Johnathan, ¡°It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me who wants to see your joke, is that okay?¡±

    With that, she walked around the table and pulled Johnathan out.

    ¡°Youe out to me!¡±

    Johnathan initially refused, patting her hand to signal her to let go.

    Vonnie was impatient and gave his arm a hard twist. He winced in pain and then reluctantly went out with her, his face showing a hint of grievance.

    I touched my forehead and felt that this farce was just too ridiculous to watch.

    Fortunately, today was not about discussing cooperation, otherwise Johnathan¡¯s expression would have scared off the business partners long ago.

    After Vonnie left, I saw Hudson staring nkly at the door.

    Oh no, Hudson definitely liked Vonnic.

    Chapte/6/2

    Just then, a piercing sound suddenly rang out, and it was Kimberly

    who spoke.

 Too Close 873

    Chapter <b>873 </b>

    She pointed at me and smiled gently at Gilbert, saying, ¡°Mr. Russell, that is Ms. Dully, the ywright of this ¡®Rose Queen.¡® Didn¡¯t you just say you wanted to meet her on the way?¡±

    As soon as Kimberly finished speaking, I instantly felt several pairs of eyes shooting towards me.

    One gaze was particrly intense.

    I nced up slightly and saw Reynaldo staring at me intently, with a faint smile ying at the corner of his lips,

    That smile was particrly striking, always seeming to be wrapped in a hint of sarcasm.

    The key is, what was he mocking?

    Gilbert, such a talented director, wanted to meet me. This shouldn¡¯t have been my honor and appreciation from others.

    So he mocked what¡¯s the point of mocking.

    He shouldn¡¯t have thought ¡°I was quite capable and talented too.¡±

    While <i>I </i>was lost in my thoughts, a ss of wine suddenly appeared in front of me.

    <i>I </i>was taken aback, and when <i>I </i>turned my head, I saw Gilbert standing beside me, I don¡¯t know when he had arrived.

    He stood beside my chair and said to me with a faint smile, ¡°I have read all of your scripts and liked them very much. I am d to meet

    <b>12412 </b>

    Chapt873

    you. Here, let me offer you a drink.¡±

    I was simply overwhelmed and quickly found a ss to pour the wine.

    Fortunately, Anton quietly poured me a ss and handed it to me.

    I smiled at Gilbert and said, ¡°You tter me, you tter me. I am also very happy to meet you.¡±

    Having said that, I finished the wine in the cup in one gulp.

    Gilbert finished his drink and smiled at me again, making me feel a little dazed.

    So, this serious man is not unable tough. nor is he naturally unloving ofughter, he just doesn¡¯t want to smile at them.

    Wow, people in the art world really do have personality.

    At this moment. Kimberly spoke again, but this time she was speaking to Anton, saying, ¡°Anton, Mr. Russell has always appreciated Ms. Duffy¡¯s talent and has been saying on the way that he wants to meet Ms. Duffy.¡±

    And they were both big director and big screenwriter, so they must have had a lot inmon.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you switch ces with Mr. Russell and have him have a good chat with Ms. Duffy about the script?¡±

    Anton nced at her with a cold expression.

    Kimberly immediately said innocently and aggrievedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Anton? Did I say something wrong?¡±

    Did Mr. Russell appreciate Ms. Duffy¡¯s talent like this, isn¡¯t it a good thing?

    Besides, Mr. Russell just sat next to Ms. Duffy for a while, chatting with her, he won¡¯t do anything to your Ms. Dully! Do you have to be like this?

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Anton coldly shouted at her.

    Kimberly looked even more aggrieved, wanting to say something, but Quentin suddenly tugged at her arm, signaling her not to speak

    anymore.

    However, at this moment, Reynaldo, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.

    Still in his usual leisurely tone, he said, ¡°Mr. Palmer, since Kimberly has already said so, why don¡¯t you switch seats with Mr. Russell?¡±

    ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you see Mr. Russell standing behind you, watching you eagerly?¡±

    Anton frowned and turned around, and sure enough, he saw Gilbert standing straight behind him.

    Anton was fairly well¨Cbehaved, and there was a look of anticipation on his face as he waited for me to switch seats with him, a hint of exasperation shing across his handsome face.

    He said lightly, ¡°Since Mr. Russell is so eager to get to know Esmeralda, I will switch seats with Mr. Russell.¡±

 Too Close 874

    Chapter874

    With that. he got up and sat in the seat where Gilbert had just been sitting.

    Gilbert also sat down in his seat without any hesitation.

    I just felt like there was a cold gaze looking at me.

    I nced at Reynaldo across from me, and sure enough, that man was looking at me, his eyes cold and mocking.

    I really didn¡¯t know what he was mocking.

    The person who insisted on having Anton switch seats with Gilbert was none other than him.

    In other words, the person sitting next to me was Gilbert, with a cold pair of eyes, and I didn¡¯t know who he was looking at.

    I ignored him and poured wine for Gilbert.

    Other investors saw the atmosphere cooling down and also began to find words to say.

    With the sound of conversation, the atmosphere in the private room soon livened up.

    However, after Vonnie dragged Johnathan out, those two never came back again, and it¡¯s unknown whether they left or were arguing outside.

    Hudson kept looking towards the door, with a hint of worry on his face.

    10427

    Chapt874

    If Gilbert hadn¡¯t suddenly pulled me aside to talk about the script and the industry. I would have gone out to look for Vonnie long ago.

    Gilbert was not as serious as he was at the beginning.

    He talked about his beloved director industry with great enthusiasm, his eyebrows were full of pride.

    He said he really liked my script.

    I had wanted to coborate with me before, but never had the opportunity.

    Just at this time, Quentin contacted him¨Cabout the ¡°Rose Queen.¡±

    He was originally going to refuse, but after knowing <i>that </i>I wrote the script, he directly epted.

    Being appreciated by Gilbert like this really made me feel a bit overwhelmed.

    I kept pouring him drinks, smiling and chatting with him about the characters in the script and the general story of the script.

    He would asionally mention his opinions.

    As we chatted, I opened up to him, not as reserved and awkward as at the beginning.

    I don¡¯t know how much wine I had drunk.

    A ambiguousughter suddenly rang out in the private room: ¡°Oh, Mr. Russell has always been serious and cold, cold to all of us.¡±

    But you see, he was particrly different towards Ms. Duffy.

    I had never seen Mr. Russell smile all the way, only <i>Ms. </i>Duffy could

    make Mr. Russell smile.

    Ms. Duffy¡¯s ability is really extraordinary.¡±

    No one dared to respond to her words.

    And did she not feel awkward saying these words?

    However, some people are just unaware of their own stupidity.

    She was still pretending to smile and said, ¡°Ah, I can only say that Ms. Duffy¡¯s charm is great, even the iceberg¨Clike Mr. Russell can be conquered.¡±

    Ms. Duffy said¡­.

    She said, looking at me, ¡°Can you teach me how to make so many outstanding men favor you?¡±

    I doubted whether I could learn or not, after all, ¡°Ms. Duffy¡¯s methods are not something an ordinary person can learn.¡±

    I looked at her like a fool and sneered, ¡°Sorry, you are too stupid, afraid you won¡¯t be able to learn.¡±

    ¡°Really, Ms. Duffy is so clever, she knows all the tricks to seduce men.¡±

    When she said this, Quentin tugged at her arm again, indicating for her to stop.

    But she didn¡¯t listen.

    She shook off Quentin¡¯s hand and sneered at Quentin, ¡°I praised your sister, aren¡¯t you happy?¡±

    Quentin furrowed his brow and fell silent.

    I pulled my lips and smiled at her, saying, ¡°Thank you for your praise, but I also wanted to praise you. After all, girls should praise each

    other.¡±

    75

    Chapter875

 Too Close 875

    Chapter875

    ¡°You¡¯re just too stupid. I racked my brains and couldn¡¯t think of anything worth praising about you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I certainly don¡¯t have the ability to seduce men like Ms. Duffy, I can¡¯t learn those seduction techniques either.¡±

    She said hesitantly, with a pretentious innocent look, which made people feel fake.

    She seemed to bepletely unaware of all this.

    Quentin kept pulling her arm, but she pretended not to see.

    I smirked and said, ¡°I called you stupid, not trying to seduce men.¡±

    I said your mind was stupid, your eyes were stupid, and everything was stupid.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your face seducing so many men who were devoted to you. <i>I </i>reckon you would have died several times.¡±

    Kimberly squinted her eyes and still looked at me with a smile on her face, but the hatred in her eyes towards me was almost impossible to hide.

    In the end, it was me who hated her.

    She was the murderer who killed my mother.

    Her eyes turned cold, and I smiled at her, saying, ¡°Do you know why I called you stupid?¡±

    Kimberly appeared gentle and calm, and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m all ears.

    ¡°Because, your disgusting eyes make everything look disgusting¡±

    Mr. Russell appreciated me, but you insisted on calling it me seducing Mr. Russell.

    It doesn¡¯t matter if you ruin my reputation, but don¡¯t ruin Mr. Russell¡¯s. good name.

    Furthermore, Mr. Russell is the director of this y. Are you here to entertain him like this, deliberately creating rumors between him and me? Do you not want to film this y anymore?

    Your man, including Mr. Humphrey¡¯spany, and several other investors, were all eagerly anticipating this y, and had full confidence in Mr. Russell.

    ¡°Are you spreading rumors like this randomly, trying to ruin this y?<b>¡± </b>

    When I said this, those investors immediately looked at Kimberly with a hint of disdain on their faces.

    Kimberly was also stunned by my words.

    She hurriedly exined. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I just noticed that Mr. Russell treats Ms. Duffy differently, so I was wondering if Mr. Russell might like Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°You are so good at reading fate, why don¡¯t you be a matchmaker!¡± I retorted coldly.

    Kimberly immediately welled up with tears and looked a sense of grievance.

    Juentin with

    Quentin pursed his lips and smiled at me and Gilbert, saying, ¡°Oh well, Kimberly was just joking with you all. I hope you won¡¯t take it too seriously.¡±

    30.65%

    C

    <

    I thought I hadpletely chilled my feelings towards family, but at this moment, seeing Quentin clearly defending Kimberly, my heart still couldn¡¯t help but feel cold.

    Gilbert was aid¨Cback person, he waved his hand to indicate that everything was fine.

    Reynaldo drank alcohol absentmindedly, like a detached spectator.

    I suddenly felt quite boring.

    Kimberly was born with a delicate constitution, destined to be protected by many people. Even if she said something overly harsh, no one would take it seriously.

    I got up and said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom, you guys continue.¡±

    After saying that, I walked outside.

    Coming out of the private room, the air outside was fresh.

    I walked alone towards the end of the corridor to the bathroom. Just as I reached the corner. <i>I </i>was startled.

    Johnathan was seen pressing Vonnie against the sink, kissing passionately.

    My appearance may have startled them, and I heard Vonnie exim, ¡°Someone¡¯s here!¡±

    I was so scared that I quickly stepped back, only to bump into a hard chest behind me.

    I turned around quickly and saw Reynaldo looking down, staring at me with a smile that was not quite a smile.

    ¡°How, do guilty¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Chapter876

 Too Close 876

    Chapter876

    ¡°Shh!¡±

    Afraid of disturbing the two of them, causing an awkward situation for Vonnic.

    I quickly covered his lips and pushed him out.

    He furrowed his brows fiercely, and although his tall figure was moving back in syne with me, he still didn¡¯t forget to re at me.

    Just as I was leaving, I heard Vonnie¡¯s shy voice around the corner: ¡°Johnathan, don¡¯t do this, someone is reallying!¡±

    ¡°Where is everyone? Vonnie, you were not paying attention when you kissed me!¡±

    ¡°Go to hell. who kisses in public like a good person? And still be focused? Those who can be focused are shameless.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you are simply incorrigible!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Immediately after, there came waves of indescribable noises from inside.

    I blushed and grabbed Reynaldo, ready to turn back to the private

    room

    However, halfway there, the man suddenly stopped.

    I tugged again, but couldn¡¯t move it. I couldn¡¯t help but turn around

    and look at him.

    Chapel

    The man was standing with his hands in his pockets, lookingzy and rxed.

    I frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, why are you standing here?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me with a yful expression, not quite smiling. His gaze made me inexplicably nervous.

    thought he had just gone to the bathroom.

    I said to him. ¡°Um, were you just trying to go to the bathroom? It¡¯s just that those two are in there now. If you barge in, it will definitely be awkward. So, I suggest you go to the restroom downstairs or upstairs.¡±

    Actually, it didn¡¯t matter how Johnathan was doing, I was mainly worried about Vonnie feeling embarrassed, That girl, although carefree, has thin skin.

    Reynaldo did not respond to my voice, still staring at me with azy look in his eyes, his hands in his pockets, looking a bit disdainful of others and a bit arrogant.

    I didn¡¯t know what he meant by making such a face.

    I cursed silently in my heart, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± and smiled at him, ¡°If you like standing here, then go ahead, I¡¯ll go back to the private room first.¡±

    However, as soon as I turned around, hiszy voice came from behind me, ¡°You¡¯re blushing like this, still dragging me back to the private room, are you eager for everyone to specte that we were flirting outside?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but turn around and re at him.

    The man didn¡¯t say a single nice thing.

    Chop76

    Reynaldo chuckled, ¡°Do you want to look in the mirror and see how red your face has be?¡±

    I was also puzzled. The two of them were being affectionate inside, why are you blushing?¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

    Isn¡¯t it awkward to catch someone being intimate with someone else?

    And, no one¡¯s face canpare to his thick skin.

    I muttered, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to the private room by myself. This way, whether my face turns red or not has nothing to do with you, and no one will specte that we were flirting outside, right?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and snorted coldly, ¡°Is there a difference between you going back to the private room by yourself and going back with me? The important thing is, we both came out, and with your face all red like this, how do you expect them to guess?¡±

    And what about Mr. Russell who admires you? Aren¡¯t you afraid he might guess randomly? You know, those in your line of work have the most vivid imagination.

    I:¡­

    So, what¡¯s the matter with Gilbert?

    He made wild guesses about what connection I might have with him, why should I be afraid?

 Too Close 877

    Chapter <b>877 </b>

    Reynaldo nced at me coolly, with a hint of sarcasm in the corner <b>of </b>his eye.

    I tightened my hand by my side, wanting to curse him <b>as </b>¡°crazy¡°.

    But when it came to my lips, I choked it back.

    Forget it, scolding him may have satisfied my momentary anger, but if it angers him, he might just pin me against the wall and start yelling and hitting me, which wouldn¡¯t be worth it.

    After some thought. I politely asked him. ¡°So. Mr. Humphrey, should I go back to the private room now or not?¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly, ignoring me, just staring at me with a careless look, which made me angry.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, aren¡¯t you going to the bathroom? Standing here all the time, aren¡¯t you afraid of holding it in too long!¡±

    The three words ¡°driving me crazy¡± seemed to have struck a chord with him.

    He furrowed his brows and his eyes instantly darkened, then he chuckled at me and said. ¡°Do you want to see if you¡¯ll suffocate?¡±

    I:..

    See? How do I see?

    Can I suspect that he was up to no good?

    ¡°He left.¡±

    Just as I was lost in my thoughts, he suddenly tugged at my sleeve. signaling me to follow him.

    I furrowed my brows in doubt and followed him

    We followed him all the way to the rooftop.

    He stood at the edge of the rooftop, his tall figure blending into the night, with only a spark flickering between his fingers, brightening and dimming with the breeze.

    I patted my slightly feverish cheeks and walked towards him.

    ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡±

    Reynaldo took a puff of his cigarette. then lowered his eyes and crushed the cigarette butt

    He turned around and leaned against the fence.

    The neon lights around him shone on his body, casting a hazy color. making him appear less cold and serious, and a bit more gentle.

    He stared at me for a few seconds and said lightly. ¡°Take you out for some fresh air, wait until your face stops burning before going down.

    This reason also makes sense.

    However¡­

    I asked him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the bathroom?¡±

    Reynaldo frowned slightly and said, ¡°Who said I needed to go to the bathroom?¡±

    ¡°Then you went to the bathroom to dry off.¡±

    Halfway through the conversation, I suddenly realized.

    Chame877

    Wasn¡¯t he going to the bathroom to look for me?

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but look at him and asked tentatively, ¡°So, were you deliberately looking for me just now? Is there

    something?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t be so presumptuous, who asked for your help?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I obediently closed my mouth and didn¡¯t want to talk anymore.

    I moved to the side and leaned against a spot about a meter away from him, nning to wait for the heat on my face to subside before returning to the private room.

    I just realized now that Reynaldo was actually quite awkward, unpredictable, and had a bad temper. It was really difficult to be with

    him.

    I took out my phone and scrolled through it absentmindedly, trying my best to ignore him.

    Just as I nced over for a few seconds, I felt a burning gaze on me.

    I turned around and found that he was indeed staring at me, his eyes dark and deep.

    I frowned and said impatiently, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, just say what you have to say.¡°.

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t like the look in his eyes at all, it made cople feel ufortable all over.

    He pursed his lips, remained silent for two seconds, and said, ¡°Do you still remember the scene when you were drunkst night?¡±

    6429%

 Too Close 878

    Chapter878

    When he asked me like that, those scattered images fromst night when I was drunk came back to me.

    I seemed to be holding him and saying that I wanted to have a baby with him.

    I seemed to have also ripped off his clothes, pulled down his pants, touched his abs and¡­

    Thinking of this, my face suddenly flushed again.

    I turned my face away, took a deep breath, paused for a few seconds. and calmly said to him, ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t you remember?¡±

    Reynaldo nced down and smiled lightly, casually saying. ¡°Then let me help you remember, okay?¡±

    When asked at the end, he suddenly turned his head and smiled at me, smiling mysteriously.

    I shook my head hastily and said with ack of confidence, ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to recall. Whatever happens after getting drunk, it¡¯s all not real.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ So after getting drunk, I slept with you, does that mean it doesn¡¯t count?¡±

    I:¡­

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°At the graduation party that night, you

    seemed quite serious, almost like you wanted to devour me alive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that you took advantage of me when I was in trouble, I was just too angry¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but retort, but when I saw his ink¨Cck eyes, the words behind were swallowed by me.

    That¡¯s it.

    The current state of mind ispletely different from the state of mind in the past

    Originally, I had no feelings for him, only disgust.

    Now. I have developed feelings for him and I understand that he also has me in his heart.

    So some words, when spoken, can hurt others.

    At this moment, a shadow suddenly loomed over.

    Reynaldo appeared in front of me at some point.

    He leaned on the fence with both hands, trapping me between him and the fence.

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of taking advantage of someone¡¯s weakness, I did think of something¡­¡±

    See, I shouldn¡¯t have said the four words ¡°take advante of someone¡¯s misfortune¡°, he took it seriously.

    ¡°I rememberedst night when you went crazy with alcohol, you tore off my clothes, touched my abs, and even kissed me forcefully.¡±

    So, if I don¡¯t help you remember, you might think I took advantage of you again.¡±

    Look, he really took it seriously.

    I shook my head hastily and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, how could you take advantage of someone like me? It must be because of my poor drinking skills that offended you. Please don¡¯t take it seriously, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    He lowered his gaze and stared at me, with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°So, the matter of having a third child with me, is it really not possible?¡±

    Thinking about this, I hesitated slightly.

    For Essie, the third child had to be born.

    However, how should I tell him about this when he hates me so much

    now.

    So, either get him drunk or put him to sleep.

    Either way, I would either seduce him or invite him to sleep with me. After much thought, the first method seemed more reliable.

    After all,st night when I was drunk, I boldly tried to seduce him, but he didn¡¯t respond, so I decided to give up on using this method to get him to sleep with me.

    et as was los

    I in my thoughts, he suddenly approach warm breath brushing against my face.

    <i>¡®</i><i>me</i>, his

    Heughed at me and said, ¡°Last night you were drunk and almost

    Chapte

    forced me, saying you wanted to have a third child with me.¡±

    10:41

 Too Close 879

    Chapter879

    ¡°So, tell me, why did you suddenly decide to me?¡±

    have a third child with

    His breath was too hot, burning my checks even more.

    I turned my face away and muttered, ¡°They say that everything that happens when you¡¯re drunk shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously.¡±

    Moreover, Essie and Roddy are so lovely, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange to have a third child.¡±

    He stared at me for a long time and suddenly asked, ¡°Do you really want to have a third child with me?¡±

    When he asked this question, his eyes were burning intensely, as if he wanted to melt me.

    In a moment of confusion, I pushed his chest, not wanting to continue this topic with him..

    ¡°The package has arrived, it¡¯s not good to keep them waiting for too long.¡±

    With that, I bent down and slipped out from his side.

    Just a few steps away, his deep voice sounded behind me, ¡°If you want to give birth, it¡¯s not impossible.¡±

    I hesitated for a moment, recalling all the misunderstandings and torment that had arisen between us along the way.

    Thinking back to when his mother passed away, his cruelty and

    Chapter870

    ruthlessness were evident.

    Thinking back to when I gave birth to those two children, the <b>fear </b><b>and </b>sadness in my heart.

    My heart couldn¡¯t help but ache.

    I didn¡¯t turn around. I just asked him, ¡°Do you really believe that your mother¡¯s death has nothing to do with me?¡±

    There was no response for a long time behind.

    Ah, I knew it would be like this.

    His silence represented that he would not believe me.

    I said lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t trust me, so I don¡¯t want to have a third child with you.¡±

    I could only give birth to this third child secretly.

    In addition to borrowing his sperm, this third child had no rtionship with him.

    I followed Reynaldo back to the private room.

    When they went back, Johnathan and Vonnie also went back, and their faces looked rtively normal.

    And after Johnathan went out for a while, his mood improved significantly, no longer as aggressive as he was at the beginning, picking on people.

    The key was that he also switched seats with Hudson, sitting next to Vonnie.

    Looking at Hudson again, with a dull expression on his face, he sat

    71.975

    1043

    Chapter879

    there eating his vegetables gloomily.

    Reynaldo sat back in his chair as if nothing had happened.

    I came in, just sat down, and Kimberly asked me with a concerned look on her face. ¡°Ms. Dully, where have you been? Why did you take so long? Is everything okay?¡±

    As soon as I heard the woman¡¯s voice, I felt annoyed, especially when I was already in a bad mood.

    I snorted at her and said, ¡°You even care about going to the bathroom. why don¡¯t you just stop being an actress and be my personal servant instead?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I was just worried that Mr. Russell would be concerned since you¡¯ve been gone for so long.¡±

    As soon as I heard this. Iughed and said, ¡°Are you crazy? Why do you always have to bring up Mr. Russell in everything?¡±

    And, regardless of whether he is worried about me or not, what does it have to do with you? Why should you be afraid?

    Could it be that you have a crush on Mr. Russell? Well, since we¡¯re all here, if you really like him, just say it, so Quentin doesn¡¯t have to work like a horse for you¡­

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Quentin suddenly shouted at me.

    He frowned and said, ¡°Mr. Russell is a guest. Didn¡¯t yo see that Mr. Russell¡¯s face doesn¡¯t look good?¡±

    C

    11 S

 Too Close 880

    Indeed, the serious Gilbert, who rarely smiles, was frowning at the moment, looking displeased.

    He put down his wine ss heavily and said softly, ¡°You can argue if you want, but please don

    me.¡±

    Other small investors also criticized me one after another, saying, ¡°Exactly, you can argue among yourselves, why involve Mr. Russell.¡±

    Kimberly acted with tears in her eyes, and said to me with a look of grievance, ¡°Yes, Ms. Duffy, I was just trying to show concern for you. Why would you use Mr. Russell to mock me?¡±

    I knew you hated me, but you could just target me, bring up Mr. Russell¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and mmed the table, ¡°Who was the first to bring up Mr. Russell? Everyone saw it clearly. Do you feel embarrassed to act like this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, first you linked Mr. Russell with Ralda, and now you¡¯re crying and ying the victim. It¡¯s really disgusting, you know.¡±

    Thinking about acting with you in the future, my heart feels so

    nervous

    Vonnic echoed me with a look of disdain on her face as she stared at Kimberly.

    Kimberly choked back two sobs and said, ¡°Since Ms. Av doesn¡¯t

    Toucher

    want to act with me, I¡¯ll have Quentin rece Ms. Avter, so Ms. Av won¡¯t feel ufortable in the future.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kimberly, I was the biggest investor in this y after all.¡±

    Esmie was still the ywright of this y.

    Mr. Russell was also the director of this y.

    ¡°You changed such an important role as the second female lead in front of the three of us. Isn¡¯t that a bit disrespectful to us three?¡±

    Johnathan rarely said a word to Vonnie.

    And these words directly stunned Kimberly.

    She shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s Ms. Av who said she didn¡¯t want to act with me, so I¡­¡±

    ¡°Since she said she didn¡¯t want to act with you, why does it have to be Vonnie who reced you?¡±

    Johnathan leaned back in his chair, smiling at Kimberly nonchntly.

    And with this sentence, he also directly rified his rtionship with Vonnie in public.

    Vonnie was a bit shy and quietly tugged on his arm, indicating for him to keep it low¨Ckey.

    Unfortunately, Johnathan was not a low¨Ckey person. Instead, in front of everyone, he held Vonnie¡¯s hand andughed a little arrogantly, saying. ¡°I just want to ask everyone, who wants to rece Vonnie?¡±

    Everyone was silent.

    Kimberly¡¯s face looked rather unpleasant.

    Chapter30

    Johnathan smiled and said in a friendly tone, ¡°It¡¯s okay, whoever wants to rece Vonnie can juste forward and tell me.¡±

    Seeing Johnathan¡¯s arrogant and proud look, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    He was so tantly protecting Vonnic, with Reynaldo¡¯s big Buddha statue behind him, in Freybourne, their territory.

    Who else dares to rece Vonnie.

    Vonnie blushed and shook off his hand, but didn¡¯t shake it off

    Quentin suddenly nced at Vonnie and said lightly to Johnathan. ¡°The roles have all been cast, posters have been released, and promotions have been done. It wouldn¡¯t be good to change now.¡±

    ¡°If Mr. Dup insisted on recing Kimberly, then I don¡¯t mind going back to attract investors again. As for Mr. Dup, we can only look forward to working together next time.¡±

    I gave him a cold nce and sneered in my heart. ¡°He really does protect Kimberly tightly.¡±

    Johnathan shrugged, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, anyway we don¡¯tck partners.¡±

    And Mr. Duffy had better understand that the person suggesting a change of roles was none other than Ms. Palmer beside you, not us

    Quentin looked at Kimberly, his expressionplex.

 Too Close 881

    Indeed, the serious Gilbert, who rarely smiles, was frowning at the moment, looking displeased.

    He put down his wine ss heavily and said softly, ¡°You can argue if you want, but please don

    me.¡±

    Other small investors also criticized me one after another, saying, ¡°Exactly, you can argue among yourselves, why involve Mr. Russell.¡±

    Kimberly acted with tears in her eyes, and said to me with a look of grievance, ¡°Yes, Ms. Duffy, I was just trying to show concern for you. Why would you use Mr. Russell to mock me?¡±

    I knew you hated me, but you could just target me, bring up Mr. Russell¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and mmed the table, ¡°Who was the first to bring up Mr. Russell? Everyone saw it clearly. Do you feel embarrassed to act like this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, first you linked Mr. Russell with Ralda, and now you¡¯re crying and ying the victim. It¡¯s really disgusting, you know.¡±

    Thinking about acting with you in the future, my heart feels so

    nervous

    Vonnic echoed me with a look of disdain on her face as she stared at Kimberly.

    Kimberly choked back two sobs and said, ¡°Since Ms. Av doesn¡¯t

    Toucher

    want to act with me, I¡¯ll have Quentin rece Ms. Avter, so Ms. Av won¡¯t feel ufortable in the future.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kimberly, I was the biggest investor in this y after all.¡±

    Esmie was still the ywright of this y.

    Mr. Russell was also the director of this y.

    ¡°You changed such an important role as the second female lead in front of the three of us. Isn¡¯t that a bit disrespectful to us three?¡±

    Johnathan rarely said a word to Vonnie.

    And these words directly stunned Kimberly.

    She shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s Ms. Av who said she didn¡¯t want to act with me, so I¡­¡±

    ¡°Since she said she didn¡¯t want to act with you, why does it have to be Vonnie who reced you?¡±

    Johnathan leaned back in his chair, smiling at Kimberly nonchntly.

    And with this sentence, he also directly rified his rtionship with Vonnie in public.

    Vonnie was a bit shy and quietly tugged on his arm, indicating for him to keep it low¨Ckey.

    Unfortunately, Johnathan was not a low¨Ckey person. Instead, in front of everyone, he held Vonnie¡¯s hand andughed a little arrogantly, saying. ¡°I just want to ask everyone, who wants to rece Vonnie?¡±

    Everyone was silent.

    Kimberly¡¯s face looked rather unpleasant.

    Chapter30

    Johnathan smiled and said in a friendly tone, ¡°It¡¯s okay, whoever wants to rece Vonnie can juste forward and tell me.¡±

    Seeing Johnathan¡¯s arrogant and proud look, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    He was so tantly protecting Vonnic, with Reynaldo¡¯s big Buddha statue behind him, in Freybourne, their territory.

    Who else dares to rece Vonnie.

    Vonnie blushed and shook off his hand, but didn¡¯t shake it off

    Quentin suddenly nced at Vonnie and said lightly to Johnathan. ¡°The roles have all been cast, posters have been released, and promotions have been done. It wouldn¡¯t be good to change now.¡±

    ¡°If Mr. Dup insisted on recing Kimberly, then I don¡¯t mind going back to attract investors again. As for Mr. Dup, we can only look forward to working together next time.¡±

    I gave him a cold nce and sneered in my heart. ¡°He really does protect Kimberly tightly.¡±

    Johnathan shrugged, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, anyway we don¡¯tck partners.¡±

    And Mr. Duffy had better understand that the person suggesting a change of roles was none other than Ms. Palmer beside you, not us

    Quentin looked at Kimberly, his expressionplex.

 Too Close 882

    My poor brother, who is a ¡°licking dog¡°, was yed around by you. Ms. Palmer is also quite cunning.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Quentin looked at me somewhat embarrassed, as if pleading with me to give him a little bit of face.

    I reallyughed to death.

    When they dealt with Vonnie, they never thought about giving her a way out.

    Kimberly said anxiously, ¡°Ms. Duffy, please don¡¯t speak recklessly. It¡¯s fine if you tarnish my reputation, but don¡¯t involve Reynaldo.¡±

    And Reynaldo, wasn¡¯t he also nice to you, but you were still thinking about my brother Anton.

    So Ms. Duffy should stopughing at others.

    Suddenly being called out, Anton furrowed his brows tightly.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face hadpletely darkened.

    The other onlookers all turned to look at me.

    I sneered in my heart.

    Kimberly really did it, she ¡°dragged everyone into it¡°.

    Come on, who¡¯s afraid of her.

    I was about to retort, but Reynaldo suddenly ced the wine ss on

    the table, with a subtle movement but a loud voice.

    100%

    C

    He said without much emotion, ¡°Have you had enough of the fuss<b>?</b>¡±

    A very calm sentence, but it made those few small investors all bury their heads and remain silent.

    Gilbert wiped his mouth slowly and leisurely, as if he had eaten and drunk his fill.

    Anton turned his wine ss, his face calm andposed.

    Vonnie red at Kimberly, her face full of disgust.

    Johnathan hung his head, looking a bit pale, and it was unclear what he was specting in the dark.

    Hudson was on pins and needles, looking cager to end the ufortable dinner party.

    Quentin¡¯s face wasplex, his brows furrowed in thought.

    Kimberly pouted, tears in her eyes, still looking aggrieved.

    My gaze passed over everyone and finallynded on Reynaldo¡¯s indifferent face.

    I chuckled and said. ¡°Then please, Mr. Humphrey, make it clear who was causing the trouble.¡±

    Reynaldo leaned back slightly, resting against the back of the chair.

    He looked at me, half¨Csmiling, and said, ¡°Am I bothering you?¡±

    I:¡­

    The crowd looked at Reynaldo suspiciously, but dared anything.

    say

    The atmosphere at the dinner table became increasingly strange and

    oppressive.

    Everyone seemed to be waiting for a ¡°hero¡°, waiting for the ¡°hero¡± to speak up and say, ¡°Let¡¯s end this dinner party and go our separate ways.¡±

    But the scene remained silent for a full minute, and there was no hero¡®

    appearing.

    Those small investors even frequently looked towards Gilbert, cing all their hopes on him.

    Unfortunately, Gilbert always acted like an outsider, only caring about his own eating and drinking.

    In the end. Reynaldo opened his mouth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a night for this dinner party. Did everyone enjoy the meal?¡±

    ¡°I have eaten, I have eaten¡­¡±

    The crowd waited for this sentence, nodding in agreement and waiting for him to say ¡°The end.¡±

    Little did they know that his next sentence would leave everyone dumbfounded.

    ¡°I heard that the male models at Twilight Club are very good, shall we go and have some fun?¡±

    Everyone stared at each other with wide eyes, looking puzzled.

    They must have been thinking. ¡°They are all big men, going to the club to have fun, not to watch male models.¡±

    It seems that no one present could guess why Reynaldo mentioned ¡°male model¡°.

    Only I knew the reason behind it.

    I got drunkst night and apparently asked him to find me a male model.

    I have to say, Reynaldo really ¡°sweats the small stuff¡± in some things.

    Vonnie quietly tugged at my sleeve under the table.

    ¡°Ralda, why did Reynaldo suddenly invite us to see male models? It¡¯s so random.¡±

    Chaptent

    Chapter883

 Too Close 883

    Chapter883

    Um¡­

    ¡°Maybe he wanted to see it himself, you know, people like him with unpredictable moods, their interests and hobbies are all very strange.¡±

    Vonnic nodded in agreement.

    In the end, he chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea to go take a look. I¡¯ve heard before that the male models in Twilight Club are top¨Cnotch. those abs, simply¡­¡±

    A shadowy nce flickered over.

    I quickly tugged on Vonnie¡¯s arm, signaling her to stop talking.

    That silly Vonnie, did she forget that she is already taken now?

    And her husband was sitting right next to her now.

    Just now Kimberly provoked a bit, and Johnathan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good to begin with.

    Vonnie was drooling over the male models in Twilight Club, which made Johnathan extremely angry. His eyes, burning with fury, were fixed on Vonnie.

    Vonnie didn¡¯t seem to realize yet, she eximed to me excitedly. ¡°I wanted to take you to y at Twilight Club before, to see a couple of male models, but unfortunately it¡¯s a members¨Conly club, people without status can¡¯t get in.¡±

    Just then, the opportunity came. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect Reynaldo to be so

    0.00%

    thoughtful, taking care of usdies.¡±

    When she said these words, I pulled her arm for a long time, even winked at her to indicate that Johnathan was still sitting over there.

    Unfortunately, Vonnie had no eye strength at all.

    I touch

    my forehead and said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t feel very well, Vonnie, let¡¯s go back carly and rest today.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s a male model, a male model from Twilight Club. Let¡¯s just take a look, take a look and leave.¡±

    ¡°Are you dare to look. I will dig out your eyeballs!¡±

    As soon as Vonnie¡¯s words fell, Johnathan suddenly said in a sinister tone in her ear.

    Vonnie stiffened all over, as if just then remembering the presence of Johnathan beside her.

    She looked at me, then at Johnathan.

    Finally, he smiled at Johnathan and said, ¡°Look, Mr. Humphrey invited us to y, we should show some face, right?¡±

    Johnathan red angrily at Reynaldo, as if questioning him, ¡°What are you going to see a male model for?¡±

    Reynaldo ignored his anger,zily leaning back in his chair, and said in a slow voice. ¡°Today I am treating,e on, let¡¯s all go.¡±

    Several small investors echoed, ¡°Go, go, go, we must all go to Mr. Humphrey¡¯s game.¡±

    Kimberly stared at Reynaldo in confusion for a few seconds, not saying anything. She probably couldn¡¯t figure out what Reynaldo was up to.

    Chapter3

    Johnathan looked angry and said to Reynaldo, ¡°What are you looking at, male models? What¡¯s so good¨Clooking about male models.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to see, but there were plenty of people who did.¡±

    Reynaldo said, ncing at me lightly, and chuckled, ¡°Some people. dreaming of touching a male model¡¯s abs, I have to let her have her wish, and show her if a male model¡¯s abs are really as good¨Clooking and touchable as she says!¡±

    Oh, this¡­

    He was ying mind games with me.

    I¡¯m so frustrated, I really can¡¯t get drunk in front of this man in the future.

    He really believes everything!

    Johnathan nced at me following Reynaldo¡¯s gaze.

    He seemed to understand something, and he fell silent, just holding Vonnie¡¯s arm and warning her not to stare at the male modelter, nor touch the male model¡¯s abs.

    Vonnie promised eagerly, with excitement shining in her eyes.

    I shook my head helplessly, knowing that these two would definitely start arguing againter.

    Kimberly also nced at me following Reynaldo¡¯s gaze.

 Too Close 884

    Chapter884

    She suddenly smiled at me meaningfully and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Duffy to like watching male models, touching their abs. Maybe we are too naive, never been to such ces, and don¡¯t know if male models¡® abs are as good¨Clooking as Ms. Dully thinks.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and lit a cigarette, taking a casual puff. His eyes nced at me with a hint of yfulness.

    I straightened my cor and sneered at Kimberly. ¡°Ms. Palmer is really funny. Who told you that I like to touch male models¡® abs?¡±

    Ms. Palmer kept directing the conversation towards me, I really don¡¯t know what Ms. Palmer was up to.¡±

    Kimberly was taken aback and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t direct the conversation towards you, it was just Reynaldo who said¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, what did he say?¡± I asked, tilting my head and smiling at her. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he talking about someone else? Why do you always automatically assume it¡¯s about me? Saying you¡¯re not targeting me, I bet no one believes that.¡±

    Kimberly looked at Reynaldo pitifully and exined softly, ¡°No, I just heard that Ms. Duffy used to be a wealthy heiress and often went to those upscale clubs to have fun.¡±

    So I thought, Ms. Duffy must have really liked y g with those male models.

    Unlike us good girls, who stay at home all day, Ms. Duffy must have a much broader perspective.

    Chaple

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know what male models do, Ms. Dully will have to exin it to meter.¡±

    I chuckled, ¡°Ms. Palmer, stop pretending to be innocent. If you don¡¯t know what male models are for, how do you know they are meant to be yed with?¡±

    Kimberly was taken aback by me, her face pale and blue.

    Those investors also looked embarrassed.

    Gilbert took a sip of wine, shook his head, and muttered to himself. ¡°Such an affected woman, I wonder if she can handle the leading role in this y.¡±

    With that, he also frowned and nced at Kimberly.

    At that moment, Kimberly was almost brought to tears.

    Vonnie covered her mouth and chuckled on the side, ¡°Exactly!¡±

    Afraid that Gilbert would rece Kimberly, Vonnie didn¡¯t have the chance to p that woman. I hurriedly said to Gilbert, ¡°Give it a try. Although she is artificial, she is really good at acting. With the innocence and kindness of the female lead plus the saintly heart, she can definitely pull it off.¡±

    Gilbert nodded, ¡°Yeah, she seems to really enjoy ying this type of role, so let her give it a try first.¡±

    My conversation with Gilbert was a great humiliation for Kimberly.

    She looked at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes.

    Reynaldo lowered his eyes and smiled lightly, ignoring her.

    She looked at Quentin again, with a look of grievance, as if asking

    11

    Quentin to speak up for her.

    Quentin patted her back soothingly with aplex expression on his face, but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    I looked at Reynaldo with aplex mood.

    He no longer takes care of Kimberly at all now, which is really rare.

    Just at the beginning, if only he had had such an attitude, I wouldn¡¯t have been tortured by him for so long, and it wouldn¡¯t have evolved into the current situation.

    After the dinner party ended, our group went directly to Twilight Club..

    No one dared to be absent from Reynaldo¡¯s group.

    Reynaldo was the guest here.

    The boss directly reserved a luxurious private room for him.

    Upon entering, Reynaldo ordered a row of male models.

    Those male models stood neatly in a row in the middle of the private

    room.

 Too Close 885

    Chapter885

    The male models all had exceptional looks, with long legs and perfect body proportions.

    Wearing work clothes, exuding a strong hormone scent all over the body.

    Vonnie¡¯s eyes lit up as she grabbed my arm and said, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing, just as I said, the male models in Twilight Club are top- notch.¡±

    ¡°There must be eight abs inside that shirt. I¡¯m going to have a good lookter.

    With a gloomy look, Johnathan nced at her and smiled

    incredulously. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Johnathan¡¯s abs must be good too. just look at his.¡±

    ¡°How could I miss it? The male models in Twilight Club are famous. This time, I finally have such a good opportunity, I must make the most of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh my goodness, I increasingly feel that your Reynaldo is too thoughtful and considerate towards usdies.¡±

    1:¡­

    Is giving a male model considerate and thoughtful?

    Who knows what that man was up to, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be so kind as to give me a male model.

    Sure enough,ter he sarcastically mocked me again.

    0

    Reynaldo sat on the sofa, with his long legs crossed,zily looking towards me.

    ¡°Take a look to see if it¡¯s enough, if not, you can order a few more.

    After all, I remember someone saying, ¡°Have a few more, so you can have one on each side.¡±

    I picked up the wine ss and took a sip leisurely, without saying at word.

    As long as I didn¡¯t speak, what he said wasn¡¯t me.

    Vonnie nodded repeatedly. ¡°Enough, enough. There are already eight male models here, even if Ralda. Ms. Palmer, and I each have two.

    there are still two extra.

    Kimberly quickly pretended innocently, saying. ¡°I, I don¡¯t want male models. Ms. Av can y with Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°I have never hired a male model before, so I¡¯m not used to it.¡±

    Vonnie wrinkled her nose disdainfully and whispered to me, ¡°That woman is really disgusting, acting like she¡¯s so pure and noble.¡± so pure and noble.¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind her.¡±

    Vonnie nodded and smiled at Kimberly, saying, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard before that Ms. Palmer is a country bumpkin, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be true.¡±

    Since Ms. Palmer didn¡¯t want male models, that¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll go with Ralda, one person for four.¡±

    ¡°Four more?¡± Johnathan was furious, grabbing Vonnie¡¯s arm roughly.

    Vonnie looked at him inexplicably, ¡°You want some too? Shall I split it into two for you?¡±

    ¡ª

    C

    Chaple: 15

    Johnathan took a deep breath in anger, and finally red at the instigator.

    And the initiator Reynaldo, without even looking at him, just flicked the cigarette ash and said to the row of male models, ¡°Take off <b>all </b>your shirts.¡±

    This sentence directly ¡°stunned¡± the row of male models.

    Several male models stared at each other, not understanding what Reynaldo meant.

    Even the other people in the private room looked confused.

    Reynaldo smiled and casually said to those male models, ¡°How can you show off your abs without taking off your clothes? I heard that the male models here have the best abs.¡±

    With that, he nced at me lightly and said to those male models, ¡°Hurry up and take off, someone can¡¯t wait, his eyes are almost piercing through your clothes to see inside.¡±

    I:¡­

    He is so childish, Reynaldo!

    After Reynaldo finished speaking, the male models then began to take off their shirts one after another.

    The rumors were indeed true.

    These male models¡® abs/are really good¨Clooking, with clea.. cut lines and bronze skin, they look so strong.

    And she had a standard wide shoulder <i>and </i>narrow waist<i>, </i>just <i>looking </i>at her figure made people blush and heart race.

    Chapter886

 Too Close 886

    Chapter886

    Even though I was used to Reynaldo¡¯s perfect physique, at this moment a row of top male models stood bare¨Cchested in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.

    Vonnie¡¯s eyes widened, and a silly smile appeared on her face.

    Johnathan beside her was almost going crazy, reaching out to <b>cover </b>her eyes, only to be pushed away by Vonnie.

    Kimberly suddenlyughed and said, ¡°It seems like Ms. Av and Ms. Duffy really do like male models.¡±

    Look, when the male models took off their clothes, both of them couldn¡¯t take their eyes off.

    I just can¡¯t keep up with the trends, I¡¯m so conservative in my thinking.

    I just felt that as a person who now belongs to the Lord, I shouldn¡¯t be engaging in these activities outside.

    Speaking of which, Ms. Av and Ms. Duffy had a st.¡±

    When Kimberly said this, Reynaldo was staring at me with dark, intense eyes, and a hint of coldness.

    I have to say, this man is a bit neurotic.

    Isn¡¯t that him, the male/model, who is about to get angry again? I really saw it.

    I sat up straight, puffed out my chest, and sneered at Kimberly, ¡°Look at what Ms. Palmer said, today¡¯s game is organized by Mr. Humphrey,

    <b>10:45 </b>

    and the male model was also chosen by Mr. Humphrey

    Ms. Palmer just said ¡°we shouldn¡¯t hire male models, and now she¡¯s saying ¡°we shouldn¡¯t be ying these games¡±

    Your point is that Mr. Humphrey shouldn¡¯t have organized this gathering tonight, and it was also wrong for Mr. <b>Humphrey </b>to hire male models

    Ah, it was Mr. Humphrey¡¯s stepsister, acting all high and mighty. constantly embarrassing Mr. Humphrey ¡±

    Kimberly looked at me nkly, as if she hadn¡¯t expected me to refute like that.

    She spoke anxiously, as if wanting to exin.

    The investor on the side smiled and said. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, just have fun with Mr. Humphrey¡¯s team. If you think you shouldn¡¯t y, then be conservative and go back to stay, but don¡¯t embarrass Mr. Humphrey here<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just having a male model apany you for drinks. nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we used to order prostitutes when we were doing business outside before.¡±

    Seeing that the investors were all speaking up for me. Kimberly¡¯s expression changed again and again. In the end, she could only bite her lip and suppress her resentment, no longer making a sound.

    Vonnie was thrilled and muttered ¡°serves them right

    Kimberly did deserve it, always fooling around and seeking attention

    She was not embarrassed, the investors next to her were embarrassed

    |||

    Èý

    for her.

    I was criticizing myself in my heart when a low voice came faintly.

    ¡°Are male models¡® abs¡­ attractive?¡±

    I was taken aback, and instinctively turned my head, only to meet Reynaldo¡¯s cold and stern gaze.

    This question, although he did not directly ask who, his gaze was towards me.

    So everyone automatically assumed that Reynaldo¡¯s question was directed at me, and no one stepped forward to answer it.

    Kimberly also reminded me with a smile, ¡°Ms. Duffy, Reynaldo asked you a question. Are male model¡¯s abs attractive?¡±

    At that moment, everyone was staring at me.

    Anton wriggled his lips as if to help me speak.

    I beat him to it and smiled at Kimberly, ¡°So handsome, I mean, which woman wouldn¡¯t be dazzled by so many perfect abs.¡±

    Of course, Ms. Palmer may not be a woman.¡±

    With that, I smiled at Quentin and said, ¡°Quentin, you should take your girlfriend for a check¨Cupter, just to make sure she¡¯s not a transsexual.¡±

    Kimberly was so angry that she held her breath.

    Chapte37

 Too Close 887

    Quentin looked at me helplessly and said, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t talk like that.¡±

    I pursed my lips, ignored him, and justughed at the people sitting there, asking, ¡°Who else wants a male model?¡±

    No one answered me..

    I smiled and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t be polite, I¡¯ll go pick a few first.¡±

    After saying that, I got up and walked over to the row of male models.

    I felt a cold and sharp gaze shooting towards me.

    I snorted in my heart, ¡°Reynaldo is really messed up, thinking I would be polite to him.¡±

    Since he introduced me to so many top male models, it would be foolish of me not to y along.

    I picked out four male models and smiled at Reynaldo, saying, ¡°It¡¯s rare that Mr. Humphrey is in such a good mood today, giving us so many male models, so I won¡¯t be polite.¡±

    Reynaldo leisurely smoked his cigarette, looking unassuming, but the coldness in his eyes could kill.

    I ignored him and sat back on the sofa with the four male models I had chosen.

    Vonnie also got excited and immediately ran over, ready to pull the remaining four male models over to her side.

    She had just walked up to the male model when Johnathan grabbed

    0.005

    Chapter887

    her and warned menacingly, ¡°Dare to touch any of these male models. and see what happens!¡±

    Vonnie blinked twice and said, ¡°I just wanted them to have a drink with me, nothing more!¡±

    ¡°I apanied you for a drink, isn¡¯t that enough?!¡± Johnathan eximed impatiently.

    Vonnie frowned. ¡°How can this be the same? Male models, the male models in Twilight Club, a rare opportunity.¡±

    When Vonnie said this, her gaze couldn¡¯t help but sneak a peek at the male model¡¯s abs.

    Johnathan looked as if he was about to spit blood, but he couldn¡¯t do anything to Vonnie, so he could only re resentfully at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo blew a smoke ring and said softly, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? If you don¡¯t let her see the male model¡¯s abs, she might be thinking about it, dreaming about it, or even secretly watching it, having a st.¡±

    This time let her see enough under your nose, and she won¡¯t be so arrogant in the future, isn¡¯t that better.

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey still has a big vision.¡±

    Vonnie pushed Johnathan aside and happily pulled the four male models to sit next to her.

    Johnathan was furious: ¡°Big picture my ass, he¡¯s just being ridiculous!¡±

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes, his face looking displeased.

    Other investors, seeing the situation, quickly livened up the atmosphere: ¡°Come on,e on, drink, let¡¯s drink.¡±

    ¡°Drink what? Just male models, no beautiful women, how can I drink this wine?¡± Johnathan said with a disgruntled face, but his fiery eyes were staring at Vonnie

    It was obvious that he was trying to make Vonnie jealous with that remark, but Vonnie now has a top male model to keep herpany, so she doesn¡¯t have time to pay attention to him.

    Kimberly followed him and said, ¡°Yes, Reynaldo, it¡¯s not enough to just have male models apany Ms. Av and Ms. Duffy. Why not call a few more beautiful women to join <b>us</b>?¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak, which was considered as consent.

    Before long, a few hot girls walked in.

    The beauties looked around the private room and then sat down next to the men spontaneously.

    I looked around.

    Gilbert seemed to not like women very much. When a beautiful woman

    sat ne

    to him, he moved away from her with obvious reluctance.

    The beauty, seeing the situation, did not approach again, but instead moved to the side of another man.

    Chach¨CBe

    Chapter888

 Too Close 888

    Chapter888

    Anton also looked indifferent. When the beauty clinked sses with him, he just casually touched it without drinking.

    As for those investors, as soon as the beautiful woman sat down, they started drinking with their arms around her.

    Looking at Johnathan again, he seemed to deliberately provoke Vonnie by sitting next to her with a beautiful woman.

    Unfortunately. Vonnie just nced at him and then continued to admire the male model¡¯s abs.

    Johnathan got even angrier and kept drinking heavily with the beautiful woman.

    I smiled helplessly and caught a glimpse of Reynaldo as I turned my head.

    The man¡¯s icy cold eyes were staring at me.

    There was a very morous woman sitting next to him, with a great figure, gracefully pouring him wine.

    He took the wine, drank it, but did not look at the woman, his pair of cold and heavy eyes staring at me without blinking.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out what he meant by setting up this situation.

    Is it to make yourself feel ufortable?

    Ah, never mind him, enjoy my male model.

    ¡°Beauty, among the four of us, whose abs look the best?¡±

    10.45

    Chapter888

    A young male model suddenly asked me, with a low and slightly hoarse voice, mixed with a bit of soft and sweet ¡°beauty¡°, which made my heart melt.

    I poured a ss of wine for each of them and said with a smile, ¡°You all look good, your abs look good, I like them all.¡±

    As I spoke, I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to reach out and touch their abs.

    In an instant, a colder gaze drifted over.

    I knew without looking that Reynaldo was staring at me with eyes of death.

    I ignored him, anyway the male model was his treat for me.

    And liking beautiful things is human nature.

    With such amazing abs in front of me, it would be strange if I could control my hands.

    Vonnie was even more excessive, she even went to touch someone¡¯s chest muscles.

    The look of drooling three feet is simply unbearable.

    I figured with a body like Johnathan¡¯s, his abs and chest muscles shouldn¡¯t be too bad either.

    How did Vonnie be so greedy?

    Looking at Johnathan again, he was so angry that he didn¡¯t even drink alcohol and ignored the beautiful women, just staring at Vonnie

    gloomily.

    ¡°Beauty, I salute you,e and y often in the future.¡±

    10-45

    I took the wine handed to me by the male model and said with a smile, ¡°Okay, okay, I wille next time when I have the chance.¡±

    ¡°Beauty, you are so beautiful, can I add you on WhatsApp?¡±

    ¡°I want, I want too. Beauty, add me on WhatsApp. I will send you photos of my abs every day.¡±

    ¡°And there were also many beautiful women who asked me to send them photos of my abs every day. They really liked my abs.¡±

    ¡°Beauty, I can still dance. Add me on WhatsApp, and I¡¯ll dance for you in a videoter.¡±

    Several male models took out their phones one after another, asking to add me on WhatsApp.

    I nodded with a smile, ready to add each of them on WhatsApp one by

    one.

    Every day I heard them calling out ¡°beauty¡± and saw their sent photos of their abs, which seemed pretty cool.

    However, I had just scanned the QR code of a male model, and before I could add him as a friend, my phone was suddenly snatched away by a big hand.

    I furrowed my brow and looked up, only to see Reynaldo standing beside me, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

    Chapter <b>889 </b>

 Too Close 889

    He directly deleted the QR code I scanned, his cold gaze sweeping past the male model beside me, and said without much emotion, ¡°Everyone leave.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s tone, although very calm, was extremelypelling.

    In an instant, the four male models beside me all stood up and grabbed their shirts, getting ready to leave.

    Two male models turned back reluctantly, as if they wanted to say something to me, but when they saw Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy expression, they held back their words.

    After the male model next to me left, Johnathan instantly perked up and quickly chased away the four male models next to Vonnie.

    Vonnie resisted, but Johnathan eventually dragged her out.

    I was about to leave when Reynaldo suddenly sat beside me, smiling and asking, ¡°How does it feel to touch a male model¡¯s abs?¡±

    I nodded honestly.

    He gave a light sigh and said, ¡°How does thatpare to mine?¡±

    I:¡­

    So, tonight he brought me to see the male model¡¯s abs, was he actually secretlypeting with those male models? Comparing me, him and those male models, whose abs look better?

    Can¡¯t believe it, is he really this childish?

    10450

    288 Vascheri

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t answer, he smiled and raised his lips, pouring me a full ss of wine.

    He didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry either,zily leaning back on the sofa, smiling at me.

    So, did he have toe up with a result?

    Looking at the full ss of wine in front of me, my eyes flickered and suddenly a thought popped into my mind.

    Tonight seemed like a good opportunity to get him drunk.

    As long as I get him drunk and sleep with him, I might be able to conceive a third child, then Essie will be saved, right?

    There were high¨Cproof spirits on the table.

    I picked up a wine ss and filled five sses of strong liquor in front of him all at once.

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow and looked at me with interest.

    I pursed my lips and asked him. ¡°Do you really want to know whose abs feel better, yours or those male models¡°?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and ignored me,

    With a try¨Cit attitude, I pushed the five

    cups of wine in front of him

    and said. ¡°If you drink all of these, I¡¯ll tell you the answer.

    Reynaldo did not speak, nor did he touch the five sses of wine, just lowered his eyes and twirled the ring on his index finger.

    And when I saw that ring, I was momentarily stunned.

    The ring was originally a pair, it was when we made up back then, he

    104

    ?§³§ä§Ñ§â§Ú§Ü§Ñ§ß§à

    specially went to buy it.

    He gave me that woman¡¯s ring, and wore the man¡¯s ring on his hand,

    It was just thatter, such a thing happened.

    When I was driven out of Freybourne by him, feeling utterly hopeless, I threw away that ring.

    Including when he publicly dered his love to me and promised to prepare a grand wedding for me again, the diamond ring he gave me, I also threw away.

    At that time, I resented him, resented him to the core.

    I couldn¡¯t believe that over the past few years, he had still been wearing this men¡¯s ring on his finger.

    If it weren¡¯t for him standing there, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed.

    Thinking of those happy yet bittersweet past, a touch of bitterness slowly welled up in my eyes.

    I turned my face away, took a deep breath, and smiled at him, ¡°How about it, Mr. Humphrey? Five drinks for one answer, deal?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Reynaldo said expressionlessly.

    I choked.

    This man is really hard to figure out.

 Too Close 890

    With such a strong desire to win, he should have made this deal, right?

    I felt really frustrated when he straightforwardly rejected me, I was at a

    loss.

    What should we do now? If we don¡¯t find a way to get him drunk this time, we won¡¯t have another chance next time.

    I was secretly calcting in my heart, but Reynaldo was staring at me as if he was watching a show.

    After some thought, I picked up a ss of wine and said to him, ¡°Here, Mr. Humphrey, I toast to you, thank you for your hospitality today.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at the wine in my hand, half¨Csmiling, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re trying to get me drunk?¡±

    ¡°What are you scheming in your heart again?¡±

    I:¡­

    Reynaldo had a really poisonous look in his eyes, you could tell.

    I calmed down and smiled at him calmly, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you¡¯re overthinking it. Since we¡¯re here at the club to have fun, drinking is inevitable,¡±

    And Mr. Humphrey was really generous, ordering so many top male models for Vonnie and me, allowing me to feast my eyes.

    So, I sincerely thank Mr. Humphrey and would like to raise a toast to Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Chapter

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, every word tinged with a gloomy tone. ¡°Feast for the eyes? Howe I didn¡¯t know you were so lecherous before?!¡±

    I was speechless, what does this have to do with being colorful?

    I told him seriously. ¡°I just simply appreciate the good¨Clooking abs and perfect physique of those male models, don¡¯t use your improper thoughts to specte about others.¡±

    ¡°Good¨Clooking abs and a perfect body?¡±

    Reynaldo sneered, the gloom on his handsome face deepening

    I nced at him expressionlessly and said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? How else could they be famous male models in this Twilight Club?¡±

    ¡°So, do you still think their abs look better?¡± Reynaldo asked in a muffled voice.

    I frowned and stared at him.

    Reynaldo was so indecisive, why did he bring up this issue with me again.

    Could it be that he had to hear me say that his abs were the best looking before he would stop?

    I nced at the five sses of wine, then looked at his gloomy face, my brain working quickly.

    How can he

    <i>De </i>made to drink these five cups <i>of </i>wine?

    However, since he was so eager to hear me say that sentence, can <i>I </i>exchange that sentence with him?

 Too Close 891

    After a while, he chuckled and sneered, ¡°Stop trying to provoke me. who¡¯s afraid of you?¡±

    With that, he took out a cigarette, bit it between his lips, lowered his eyes, and lit it, lookingzy.

    I pursed my lips, holding a ss of wine, and approached him again.

    This time he didn¡¯t push me away again.

    I quickly leaned in to his ear and whispered softly, ¡°Actually, I still think your abs, Mr. Humphrey, are the best looking.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s breathing paused noticeably, and his body also stiffened slightly.

    He nced at me sideways.

    Such a close distance, I could feel his scorching breath and the fiery darkness in his eyes.

    It was me who flirted with him, but at this moment, it was me whose cheeks were flushed and whose heart was beating fast.

    I steadied my mind and brought the wine to his lips, whispering. ¡°Drinking with those male models is actually meaningless, I still want to drink with you.¡±

    Saying that, I put my arm around his shoulder and slowly fed the wine in my hand into his mouth.

    He actually cooperated and drank the whole ss of wine.

    10.40

    Sure enough, this man had to rely on coaxing.

    After finishing his drink, he suddenly turned his face away and took a pull of his cigarette, not looking at me for a long time.

    But I was surprised to find that the tips of his cars were a little red.

    Oh my god, in the past it was Reynaldo who besieged me. domineeringly seduced me, I didn¡¯t know that this man was so bad at flirting,

    Looking at it this way, ¡°saying things that he likes to hear was very beneficial to him.¡±

    I quickly seized the opportunity and brought another ss of wine.

    ¡°Actually. I just touched the abs of those male models earlier, but to be honest, none of them feel as good as yours.¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly at this moment, still not looking at me, nor saying anything.

    He estimated in his heart that my words must have been apliment to him.

    Actually, this was not really apliment to him, his abs were really not bad to touch.

    However, this man, although he thought I wasplimenting him, it cannot be denied that he really enjoyed hearing me say these words.

    Look, although he snorted coldly, he didn¡¯t make me shut up.

    If he didn¡¯t like to listen, he would have shut me up and kicked me out.

    I brought the second ss of wine to his lips and whispered softly, ¡°I used to think that male models¡® abs were the best, but today you

    showed me so many top¨Cnotch male models, I understand now that your abs are the best.¡±

    Saying that. I fed the second cup of wine into his mouth.

    He drank the ss of wine clean again in cooperation.

    I was delighted and quickly picked up the third cup of wine to bring it to his lips, my hand resting on his abdomen.

    He suddenly grabbed my hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°If the fire is lit. will you be responsible for putting it out?¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, then managed to blurt out, ¡°¡­okay, sure.¡±

    I actually didn¡¯t think about flirting with him like that.

    After all. I couldn¡¯t flirt when I was sober.

    Maybe it was in the ambiguous lighting and atmosphere of the private room that I dared to be so bold, and didn¡¯t feel that awkward.

    But he didn¡¯t say anything, it was fine. Suddenly he said. ¡°I was so embarrassed that I almost bit my tongue.¡±

 Too Close 892

    Chapter892

    I steadied my mind again and smiled at him with flushed cheeks.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey had a good tolerance for alcohol, much stronger than those male models. Come on, have another drink.¡±

    Saying that. I fed the third cup into his mouth.

    Fortunately, he also drank the third cup very cooperatively, but his gaze towards me became much deeper, shining with obvious desire.

    I touched my burning cheeks and quickly lifted the fourth cup of wine to his lips.

    He suddenly hummed. ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡±

    I: ¡­

    ¡°Who do you see drinking four sses of strong liquor in a row without stopping, if you want to drink me to death, just say it.¡±

    Um

    I was just too impatient.

    I pursed my lips, put the fourth ss of wine back, and chuckled at him. ¡°Then you take a break first, take a break.¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly and turned his face away, silently smoking a cigarette.

    I nced at his profile, and his profile was slightly red, as if he had already had a little bit of a buzz.

    10.49 1

    I didn¡¯t know when the strength of this strong liquor hit me.

    And, after he got drunk, I had to figure out a way to get him into the guest room.

    Hey, you can ask Johnathan for help.

    Thinking to myself, I quickly took out my phone and sent Vonnie a few messages, sinctly telling her that I wanted to get Reynaldo drunk, sleep with Reynaldo, and asking her to help me book a room upstairs. I also asked her to convince Johnathan toeter to help get Reynaldo upstairs.

    After the information was sent out, about five minutester, Vonnie finally replied to me, saying ¡°OK¡°.

    With everything arranged, I finally felt at case in my heart.

    However, as soon as I put away my phone, I looked up and saw Reynaldo staring at me.

    At this moment, the drunkenness on his face was a bit stronger than before, but he had not reached the point of being drunk enough to lose control.

    I smiled at him and was about to go get the fourth ss of wine.

    Suddenly, a charming figure approached.

    I looked up and saw that it was Kimberly.

    She held a ss of wine and smiled softly at Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, why are you only drinking with Ms. Dully?¡±

    I sneered in my heart!

    I also said, ¡°When I was just flirting with Reynaldo, why was she so

    quiet

    She had been watching there gloomily all the time.

    It suddenly ran over, probably couldn¡¯t sit still.

    As luck would have it, I was just wondering how to keep pouring. Reynaldo¡¯s wine, and she came at just the right moment.

    1 obediently kept silent, casting a nce at Quentin across from me.

    He was just staring nkly at Kimberly, with a hint of loss and sadness between his eyebrows.

    At that moment, I felt that he was really quite sad.

    The licking dog went to such an extent, but still did not get sincerity.

    Thinking of his past kindness towards me, sadness welled up in my heart once again.

    In this world, how much better it would be if there were no one like Kimberly.

    ¡°Reynaldo, you and Ms. Duffy had so many drinks, why don¡¯t you do me a favor and have a few drinks with me?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s gentle voice brought me back to my senses.

    I turned my gaze to her and saw her looking at Reynaldo with anticipation on her face.

    she gave

    Reynaldo

    Perhaps this woman is used to ying the role of a weak image, always with a pitiful appearance, even the look she carried a hint of sadness.

 Too Close 893

    And men may naturally have a protective instinct towards this type of

    woman.

    No wonder so many men were protecting her.

    I looked at Reynaldo again, but suddenly our eyes met.

    He slowly smoked, his eyes staring at me faintly.

    I quickly squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer wanted to have a drink with you, didn¡¯t she? Mr. Humphrey, why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to drink with her?¡± he suddenly asked.

    This question really made Kimberly feel wronged.

    The woman¡¯s eyes were filled with tears in an instant, her face full of grievance and pity.

    She said, ¡°Reynaldo, I just wanted to have a few drinks with you, why do you need to ask her opinion?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at her, then his dark eyes turned to me.

    I looked at Kimberly with a look of grievance on her face, her eyes shing, and deliberately leaned close to Reynaldo¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, if you only drink with me, someone is bound to feel unfair.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better have a few drinks with her, or I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be too sadter, her old illness will recur, and then it will be bad for me.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at me with a slight frown.

    But he didn¡¯t say anything<b>, </b>just picked up the wine on the table and said lightly to Kimberly, ¡°Then drink it.¡±

    With that, he finished the drink in one gulp.

    Kimberly saw the situation and was on the verge of tears.

    The two sentences I whispered in Reynaldo¡¯s ear just now were enough to make her start overthinking and feel jealous.

    She came to drink with Reynaldo, originally to show her presence, even wanting to show off in front of me.¨CReynaldo still cared about her and defended her.

    But I didn¡¯t expect that Reynaldo was willing to drink with her, and I had to persuade him.

    She must be insanely jealous now.

    <i>I </i>was so happy, not only did I get Reynaldo to drink, but I also really pissed off Kimberly.

    Seeing her clutching her chest, pretending to be sick.

    I quickly smiled at her and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer, you are sick, so you shouldn¡¯t drink that ss of wine.¡±

    Originally, tonight was supposed to be <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey¡¯s gathering. It wouldn¡¯t be good if you fell ill at this time.

    We knew you were sick, but we didn¡¯t think much of it. However, there were many other people present, and they would definitely think that you deliberately embarrassed Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Kimberly paused, clutching her chest, and red at me fiercely.

    1253 Mouchers

    I smiled kindly at her and said. ¡°Ms. Palmer, why are you looking at me like that? I¡¯m saying all this for your own good.¡±

    After all, you couldn¡¯t drink because of that illness. If you really drank and <b>got </b>sick, Quentin would probably me me and Mr. Humphrey, right, Mr. Humphrey?

    I asked Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word, just stared at me as if he didn¡¯t know me.

    I ignored him and just smiled kindly at Kimberly.

    Kimberly tightly held the wine ss in her hand and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy is still considerate. I won¡¯t drink this ss of wine, so please help me drink it, Ms. Duffy.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Ms. Palmer got it wrong. I said those words for your own good, but it doesn¡¯t mean I have to drink for you.¡±

    Besides, your boyfriend and your own brother are both here, so it¡¯s not my turn to drink for you, right?

    ¡°At the very least, you could have asked Reynaldo to help you drink

    it.¡±

 Too Close 894

    I had just finished myst sentence when Reynaldo¡¯s gaze turned a bit colder.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly, turned his head, and stopped looking at me.

    Kimberly stood in front of Reynaldo for a few seconds, and when Reynaldo still didn¡¯t look at her, she finally gave me a fierce re before returning to Quentin¡¯s side.

    I sneered coldly at her back.

    Thought it was the old times.

    Although there were misunderstandings and hatred between Reynaldo and me, I also knew clearly that Reynaldo loved me.

    She actually wanted to use the same old tricks to provoke me, which is ridiculous.

    I looked at Reynaldo again.

    The man lowered his gaze and stared at the ring on his hand, lost in thought.

    At that moment, Vonnie messaged me.

    The room has been prepared for you, has Reynaldo gotten drunk?

    I looked at Reynaldo, not knowing how drunk he was at the moment. To be on the safe side, I stood up and smiled at everyone, saying, ¡°Is

    10.ÞD„Ó

    Mr. Humphrey hosting us tonight? Let¡¯s all raise a ss to him and thank him for his generous hospitality.¡±

    My words did have the desired effect.

    In an instant, everyone stood up and approached, holding their wine sses.

    Reynaldo nced at me coldly, with a look that seemed to suggest that I was going to drink him to death.

    I dared to pour him wine like this only after seeing him eat something at the dinner party just now.

    Otherwise, if he were hungry, how could I dare to force¨Cfeed him.

    While those investors were alling to pay their respects to him, I quickly took the opportunity to call Vonnie while I went to the bathroom.

    out of

    However, when I came bathroom, the man was already leaning on the sofa, lookingpletely drunk.

    Kimberly was standing next to him, calling out in a sweet voice, ¡°Reynaldo,¡± but he did not respond.

    The person next to him shouted for him to keep drinking, but he ignored it.

    Huh?

    Did he really get drunk by those people while I was making a phone call?

    Indeed, there is strength in numbers!

    I walked over hesitantly, and pulled Reynaldo¡¯s arm, saying, ¡°Mr.

    Humphrey? Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    ¡°Go away!¡±

    Reynaldo muttered with his eyes closed, then got up unsteadily.

    I didn¡¯t know where he was going, so I hurried to help him.

    But my outstretched hand was suddenly pushed away by Kimberly

    Kimberly naturally supported Reynaldo and smiled at me, saying, ¡°It seems like Reynaldo has had a bit too much to drink. I¡¯ll take him back to rest, so you don¡¯t have to worry, Ms. Dully¡±

    Upon hearing this, I burst outughing in anger.

    ¡°Ms. Palmer, you seem to have forgotten that I am Reynaldo¡¯s. legitimate wife, while you, at best, are just a stepsister who may not even be acknowledged yet.

    If he needs to be sent back to rest, it should be me who does it. Why are you getting involved?¡±

    Kimberly was not annoyed by these words.

    She affectionately supported Reynaldo and smiled at me, saying. ¡°Of course I remember, Ms. Dully, you are Reynaldo¡¯s wife, but, just his ex¨Cwife now, don¡¯t forget, you two are divorced

    ¡°Haha,ughing to death!¡±

    I looked at her mockingly, as if hearing a big joke. ¡°Who said I divorced him, do you want to go check it out yourself?¡±

    Kimberly furrowed her brows slightly and cast a skeptical nce at Reynaldo, but the hand entwined with Reynaldo¡¯s arm did not loosen at all

 Too Close 895

    She smiled at me and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are divorced or not, but I won¡¯t hand over a drunk Reynaldo to you.¡±

    You not only killed his mother, but now you¡¯vee back to entangle him. Who knows if you will harm him again behind his back.¡±

    Oh!

    The ability of this woman to distort right and wrong is really top¨Cnotch.

    I couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to her, I looked at Quentin coldly and said, ¡°What, are you just going to stand there and watch your woman try to steal my man without a care in the world?¡±

    Quentin stared heavily at Kimberly, with a sense of loss, resentment, and a touch of madness in his eyes.

    He got up and came over, taking Kimberly¡¯s arm and saying, ¡°Stop messing around, let¡¯s go back.¡±

    ¡°Who caused themotion?¡± Kimberly impatiently brushed his hand aside and said coldly. ¡°Reynaldo was drunk. For his own safety, shouldn¡¯t I have taken him back?¡±

    ¡°Who is responsible for what really happened to Ms. Duffy?¡±

    Quentin stared at her intensely, his hand clenched tightly at his side, his gloomy face full of restraint and resentment.

    He said in a low voice, ¡°It seems like you still have Reynaldo on your mind, don¡¯t forget, you promised me.¡±

    Chapas

    In the end, his tone was filled with a sense of pain and sadness.

    I quietly watched Quentin, feeling an indescribable taste in my heart.

    Kimberly nced at Quentin, a hint of wariness shing in her eyes.

    Her voice quickly softened, ¡°No, don¡¯t get me wrong, I wasn¡¯t thinking about him at all.¡±

    Just so you know, he was my stepbrother and he always took care of <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    This time he got so drunk, and there was no assistant brother or anything by his side, I should take care of him, shouldn¡¯t I?

    ¡°Who said he doesn¡¯t have any brothers by his side? Am I a ghost?¡± As soon as Kimberly¡¯s words fell, Johnathan suddenly swaggered in. I was secretly delighted that Johnathan came at just the right time.

    With Kimberly¡¯s shameless and affected behavior, Quentin would most likely end up going along with her in the end.

    By then, I really didn¡¯t know how to snatch Reynaldo from Kimberly¡¯s hands.

    Luckily, Johnathan appeared just in time.

    Vonnie followed behind Johnathan as he entered.

    As soon as she came in, she pulled me aside and whispered, ¡°Everything is ready, don¡¯t worry. I just told Johnathan that you still love Reynaldo and want to improve your rtionship with him. I didn¡¯t say anything else.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Vonnie,¡± I sincerely said to her.

    Vonnie chuckled and patted my back, saying. ¡°What are you thanking me for? What kind of rtionship do we have? Ralda¡¯s matters <b>are </b>always the most important, they have toe before Johnathan¡¯s

    ¡°Shh!¡± I quickly covered her mouth and said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, or Johnathan will get jealous again if he hears.

    ¡°Hehe!¡± Vonnie took my hand away, looked towards Johnathan, and smiled mischievously, ¡°It¡¯s okay, that man is easily appeased.

    Um¡­

    Was Johnathanpletely in Vonnie¡¯s grip?

    However, Johnathan had to truly love her in order to be controlled by her.

    How wonderful it was that Vonnie finally met a man who truly loved her.

    Over there, Johnathan had already ¡°snatched¡± Reynaldo away from Kimberly

    Kimberly¡¯s face turned red, indicating that Johnathan must have said a lot of harsh words.

    Johnathan was really good at arguing with people.

    While I was thinking. Johnathan suddenly turned around and shouted at me, ¡°Hurry up and have your man support you.¡±

    I came to my senses and didn¡¯t even have time to say anything. I hurried over to help Reynaldo.

 Too Close 896

    Johnathan straightened his suit jacket and smiled at the crowd, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey has had a bit too much to drink, so I¡¯ll take him back first. You guys keep ying and having fun, just put the expenses under my name.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, thank you Mr. Dup for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°Thanks also to Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Dup for their hospitality tonight.¡±

    Several investors exchanged pleasantries with Johnathan, then sat down on the sofa and continued drinking and ying dice.

    Kimberly was still standing there, staring at me with a resentful look in her eyes.

    Johnathan nced at me along her gaze, furrowing his brow slightly. then chuckled at her and said, ¡°Kimberly, Reynaldo is not your man, why are youpeting with Esmie?¡±

    ¡°Besides, your man is right by your side.¡±

    With that, he nced meaningfully at Quentin.

    Quentin¡¯s face was very bad, dark and gloomy with a hint of resentment and coldness!

    fault.¡± Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Why is Mr. Duffy looking at me like that? Your woman is thinking about other men, and it¡¯s not my

    ¡°If you¡¯re not happy, then go back and spend more time to please your woman, instead of looking like someone owes you something all the

    time.¡±

    The hand by Quentin¡¯s side slowly clenched, and a terrible sense of malice engulfed his whole body.

    Quentin and I grew up together since we were kids. He usually had this look on his face that indicated he was already extremely angry and could potentiallysh out at any moment.

    I tugged at Johnathan¡¯s sleeve, signaling him to stop getting involved with Quentin and Kimberly.

    Johnathan was obedient this time. He didn¡¯t provoke Quentin again, but instead, he smiled and said to Quentin, ¡°This round is for <b>you </b>guys. We¡¯ll leave first. Have fun!¡±

    With that, Johnathan helped me support Reynaldo as we walked outside.

    I casually turned around and saw not only Quentin and Kimberly standing there gloomily, but also Anton.

    He didn¡¯t drink, just sat in the corner quietly watching me, with a touch of sadness and a hint of understanding on his handsome face.

    I pursed my lips, averted my gaze, and walked out of the private room with Reynaldo..

    Twilight Club, except for the first three floors which are for drinking and entertainment, is all guest rooms above.

    The room Vonnie assigned to me was on the eighth floor.

    After leaving the private room, Johnathan supported Reynaldo and led Vonnie and me to the guest room with ease.

    He threw Reynaldo onto the bed and smiled ambiguously at me.

    ¡°Esmie, you are quite good at ying.¡±

    I:¡­.

    ¡°Hehe, if you want to sleep with Reynaldo, just tell him directly, there¡¯s no need to get him drunk, after all, he dreams of sleeping with you.¡±

    Oh, this¡­

    Johnathan spoke too bluntly, directly making me feel embarrassed.

    Vonnie nced at me, then pped Johnathan on the shoulder and snorted. ¡°What do you know? Have you forgotten how Reynaldo treated Ralda four years ago?¡±

    He actually said himself that he hated Ralda and never wanted to see Ralda again.

    So, even though Ralda still loved him. this love and longing could only be revealed discreetly, understand?¡±

    Johnathan nodded hesitantly, then shook his head at the end.

    Johnathan straightened his suit jacket and smiled at the crowd, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey has had a bit too much to drink, so I¡¯ll take him back first. You guys keep ying and having fun, just put the expenses under my name.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, thank you Mr. Dup for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°Thanks also to Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Dup for their hospitality tonight.¡±

    Several investors exchanged pleasantries with Johnathan, then sat down on the sofa and continued drinking and ying dice.

    Kimberly was still standing there, staring at me with a resentful look in her eyes.

    Johnathan nced at me along her gaze, furrowing his brow slightly. then chuckled at her and said, ¡°Kimberly, Reynaldo is not your man, why are youpeting with Esmie?¡±

    ¡°Besides, your man is right by your side.¡±

    With that, he nced meaningfully at Quentin.

    Quentin¡¯s face was very bad, dark and gloomy with a hint of resentment and coldness!

    fault.¡± Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Why is Mr. Duffy looking at me like that? Your woman is thinking about other men, and it¡¯s not my

    ¡°If you¡¯re not happy, then go back and spend more time to please your woman, instead of looking like someone owes you something all the

    time.¡±

    The hand by Quentin¡¯s side slowly clenched, and a terrible sense of malice engulfed his whole body.

    Quentin and I grew up together since we were kids. He usually had this look on his face that indicated he was already extremely angry and could potentiallysh out at any moment.

    I tugged at Johnathan¡¯s sleeve, signaling him to stop getting involved with Quentin and Kimberly.

    Johnathan was obedient this time. He didn¡¯t provoke Quentin again, but instead, he smiled and said to Quentin, ¡°This round is for <b>you </b>guys. We¡¯ll leave first. Have fun!¡±

    With that, Johnathan helped me support Reynaldo as we walked outside.

    I casually turned around and saw not only Quentin and Kimberly standing there gloomily, but also Anton.

    He didn¡¯t drink, just sat in the corner quietly watching me, with a touch of sadness and a hint of understanding on his handsome face.

    I pursed my lips, averted my gaze, and walked out of the private room with Reynaldo..

    Twilight Club, except for the first three floors which are for drinking and entertainment, is all guest rooms above.

    The room Vonnie assigned to me was on the eighth floor.

    After leaving the private room, Johnathan supported Reynaldo and led Vonnie and me to the guest room with ease.

    He threw Reynaldo onto the bed and smiled ambiguously at me.

    ¡°Esmie, you are quite good at ying.¡±

    I:¡­.

    ¡°Hehe, if you want to sleep with Reynaldo, just tell him directly, there¡¯s no need to get him drunk, after all, he dreams of sleeping with you.¡±

    Oh, this¡­

    Johnathan spoke too bluntly, directly making me feel embarrassed.

    Vonnie nced at me, then pped Johnathan on the shoulder and snorted. ¡°What do you know? Have you forgotten how Reynaldo treated Ralda four years ago?¡±

    He actually said himself that he hated Ralda and never wanted to see Ralda again.

    So, even though Ralda still loved him. this love and longing could only be revealed discreetly, understand?¡±

    Johnathan nodded hesitantly, then shook his head at the end.

    He frowned and asked Vonnie, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand, why can¡¯t she just tell Reynaldo that she wants to sleep with him, after all, Reynaldo is very willing.¡±

    ¡°You know again? You¡¯re not Reynaldo!¡± Vonnie muttered.

    Johnathan hurriedly said. ¡°Reynaldo is crazy about Esmie, he doesn¡¯t even need Esmie to speak, he just wants to sleep with her.¡±

    The conversation between these two people became more and more embarrassing.

    He frowned and asked Vonnie, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand, why can¡¯t she just tell Reynaldo that she wants to sleep with him, after all, Reynaldo is very willing.¡±

    ¡°You know again? You¡¯re not Reynaldo!¡± Vonnie muttered.

    Johnathan hurriedly said. ¡°Reynaldo is crazy about Esmie, he doesn¡¯t even need Esmie to speak, he just wants to sleep with her.¡±

    The conversation between these two people became more and more embarrassing.

 Too Close 897

    I awkwardly said, ¡°You¡­ you guys should go out first.¡±

    Johnathan paused for two seconds, then quickly smiled and said, ¡°Yes, yes, we have to leave now, we can¡¯t dy your celebration.¡±

    With that, he dragged Vonnie outside.

    Walking to the door, he smiled at me and said, ¡°Esmie, take it easyter, Reynaldo is very fragile when he¡¯s drunk.¡±

    I:

    Did he want to listen to himself and hear what he was saying?

    ¡°Also, uh¡­¡± Johnathan nced at Reynaldo on the bed and smirked at me, ¡°How about we film a videoter, and show it to him when he wakes up? I guarantee he will treasure that video¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe it, I couldn¡¯t believe it, I couldn¡¯t bear to hear a single word of what Johnathan said./

    I rushed over in a few steps and mmed the door shut.

    Outside the door, there came faint sounds of Johnathan¡¯sughter and Vonnie scolding him.

    When the sound gradually faded away, until I couldn¡¯t hear anything, I slowly walked to the edge of the bed.

    Reynaldo was already so drunk that he waspletely unconscious, lying motionless on the bed.

    I used to take off his shoes and then push him to sleep in the middle of

    Just, what should be done next?

    I thought for a moment, then straddled him and tremblingly reached for his belt.

    I didn¡¯t know how the belt was fastened, so I spent a long time trying to undo it before finally managing to unfasten it.

    By this point, I was nervous, nervous.

    Luckily Reynaldo waspletely drunk, otherwise I would have just found a hole to crawl into.

    Really?

    Was Reynaldo not okay after getting drunk?

    Or should I say, need to stimte again?

    Ah. it¡¯s so difficult.

    Why was it so easy for him to sleep with me when I was drunk?

    After he got drunk, why was it so difficult for me to sleep with him?

    I brushed the sweat¨Cdampened hair from his forehead and bent down to kiss his lips.

    If Reynaldo really couldn¡¯t handle it after getting drunk, then the method of getting pregnant with triplets by getting him drunk would bepletely ineffective.

    Ugh, so annoying!

    How could this happen?

    Didn¡¯t Reynaldo used to go berserk at the slightest touch before?

    Chapt897<b>. </b>

    Forget it, let¡¯s try to ¡°stimte¡± him again.

    Thinking in my heart, I kissed his lips again, kissed his neck, kissed his Adam¡¯s apple and chest¡­

 Too Close 898

    Chapter898

    His hand ¡°recklessly¡± ignited at his waist.

    However, the next second, I found a pair of dark, deep eyes staring at me faintly.

    I: ¡­

    Time seemed to have frozen, even the sound was silent.

    I matched his posture and we locked eyes for several seconds.

    Finally, I screamed and scrambled down from his body.

    How could this happen?

    How did Reynaldo suddenly wake up?

    Wasn¡¯t hepletely drunk?

    Was he not drunk at all? Was his recent ¡°unconsciousness¡± all an act?

    If he wasn¡¯t drunk at all, then everything I just did was¡­

    Ah ah ah ah!

    I lost face.

    After he got off me, I hurriedly rushed under the bed.

    Just the next second, there was suddenly a strong arm around her waist.

    Immediately, with a great force, I was flipped over and pinned down by

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    the man.

    He stared at me straight, his eyes dark and terrifying, his chest <b>heaving </b>heavily.

    At this moment, there was not a hint of drunkenness on his face.

    I wanted to cry to death.

    He actually pretended to be drunk.

    What should I do?

    What have I just done?

    At this moment, I simply dare not recall.

    Ah ah ah ah!

    My face ¡°burned¡± all the way down to the base of my neck.

    I avoided eye contact with him, not daring to look at him at all.

    Reynaldo held my wrists and propped up his upper body, looking at me quietly.

    What I fear most is when the air suddenly bes still.

    I actually hoped that he would say something first, instead of just staring at me like this.

    I would be really embarrassed if you look at me again!

    Oh, I want to cry!

    I don¡¯t know how long it had passed, but just as my face was getting hot with embarrassment, he finally spoke.

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    In a low and calm voice, ¡°What were you doing just now?¡±

    I: ¡­

    This question is better left unasked.

    He was clearly pretending to be drunk. What did I just do? Doesn¡¯t he feel it?

    What else do you want to ask?

    I still turned my face away, didn¡¯t dare to look at him, and didn¡¯t answer his questions.

    He suddenly chuckled lightly and directly came to a conclusion, ¡°Do you want to sleep with me?¡±

    I closed my eyes, ¡°since they were already seen through by him, I might as well admit it.¡±

    Thinking in my heart, I said recklessly, ¡°Yes, I want to sleep with you, I dream of sleeping with you. Your figure is so good, it would be a pity not to sleep with you.¡±

    Little did I know that as soon as I said these words, the man¡¯s brow furrowed slowly.

    He squinted his eyes, looking as if he didn¡¯t recognize me, and said, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you again?¡±

    I: ¡­

    Did I want to sleep with him because I was crazy?

    What about when he wanted to sleep with me?

    In an instant, a strange feeling of anger and embarrassment welled up

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    in my heart.

    I struggled to get up, ¡°Yes, I was being nervous. Let go of me quickly, or I¡¯ll go crazyter and take care of you.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned tightly, his gaze at me bing more and more unfamiliar.

    He said in a deep voice, ¡°Do you want to hear what you are saying?¡±

    ¡°Sure, tell me what happened.¡±

    The moment I thought of how he had just pretended to be drunk, and I had foolishly made those gestures towards him, I felt so embarrassed and frustrated in my heart.

    What kind of man was he after all.

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    Wasn¡¯t he always wanting to sleep with me? Why did he suddenly change his mind this time, when the opportunity was so good?

    Since he pretended to be drunk, he might as well keep pretending until I fell asleep and left. Then he could just wake up.

    Why did he suddenly open his eyes just as I was about to take the final step?

    He was just trying to embarrass me to death!

    The more I thought about it, the angrier and more annoyed I became.

    I stared at him and said, ¡°Come on, what did I just say? Repeat it to me.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s brows furrowed tightly, his sharp ck eyes seemed to be trying to see through me.

    But I could see that his chest and waist were still tight, as if ready to burst out at any moment¡­

    That is to say, he clearly had a feeling now, and that feeling was still very strong.

    Why did he endure it, why didn¡¯t he just give in to me?

    What was he really struggling with?

    Am I not flirting enough?

    Furrowing my brows, I¨Cnced at his cold and handsome face, then, as if possessed, I lifted myself and kissed him on the chest.

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    With a muffled groan, he pushed me back and said hoarsely, ¡°Behave yourself!¡±

    I waspletely speechless.

    What is this?

    If he didn¡¯t want to sleep with me, then he should have let me go.

    What did you want to do by being so ambiguous, staring at me like that?

    It¡¯s rare that I took the initiative this time, and he responded like that.

    He really shattered my self¨Cesteem.

    I was shameless.

    I was thinking gloomily in my heart.

    He suddenly lowered his voice and added another conclusion, ¡°You have a conspiracy.¡±

    I: ¡­

    I suppressed the mes and embarrassment surging in my heart, and muttered to him, ¡°Yes, I have a conspiracy, a big conspiracy. My conspiracy is to sleep with you, keep sleeping with you, and sleep you enough.¡±

    I finished speaking, and his brows furrowed again, those beautiful brows almost forming a character for ¡°river¡± when wrinkled.

    He suddenly reached out and touched my forehead, then carefully examined myplexion, and said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re not running a fever, nor are you drunk, so why are you talking nonsense?¡±

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    I was frustrated: ¡°Why do you think that I want to sleep with you <b>is </b>nonsense and talking nonsense?¡±

    ¡°Because you had no heart, no true feelings, you never had such thoughts about me.¡±

    I opened my mouth to retort, but he said again, ¡°Ask yourself, when was thest time you took the initiative?¡±

    Of course, except for that time when you were set up by the mother and son, but that time was a special case. If it were another man, you might also be so proactive.

    ¡°So strictly speaking, from beginning to end, you never took the initiative with me.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s tone was calm and steady, but if you listened carefully, there was a hint of resentment in it.

    But I thought he was wrong.

    The period when we reconciled with each other was truly ¡°eaten¡± by him.

    During that time, I also took the initiative many times.

    Forget it, there¡¯s no benefit in arguing with this

    man.

    I forcefully pulled my hand out from under his big palm, pressed it against his chest, and said, ¡°However you want to think, your thoughts are all correct, isn¡¯t that enough?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes narrowed coldly, ¡°So, what exactly is your conspiracy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been said, go to sleep.¡±

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    Reynaldo snorted coldly, his jaw tightening, clearly <b>disbelieving </b>

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    Anyway, I could talk until I¡¯m blue in the face and he still wouldn¡¯t believe me, so I didn¡¯t bother.

    His n to sleep this time went down the drain again, losing face and losing big.

    I was feeling extremely agitated in my mind.

    I pushed his chest and said, ¡°Get out of the way, I¡¯m going back.¡±

    However, just as his body was lifted up, he was pushed back down by him.

    He said in a deep voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t make yourself clear, don¡¯t even think about leaving.¡±

    I was speechless inside, but I smiled at him and said, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±

    You don¡¯t believe what I said, do you? So you only believe what you like to hear?

    ¡°If you were a king, you would definitely be a tyrant!¡±

    ¡°Stop beating around the bush with me,¡± Reynaldo interrupted me in a deep voice, coldly snorting, ¡°Today you deliberately got me drunk again, and did those unspeakable things to me¡­¡±

    I: ¡­

    Unspeakable actions?

    Ah, this will be the ck of my life!

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    He stared at me and said, ¡°Your behavior is too abnormal, so you must give me a reasonable exnation before you can leave.¡±

    I stared at him in embarrassment and said, ¡°So what reasonable exnation do you want? You don¡¯t believe me when I speak, so why don¡¯t you just tell me the exnation you want to hear, and I¡¯ll repeat it to you. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡±

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes, and the hand on my shoulder tightened slowly.

    He usually looks like this when he is about to get angry.

    I was so depressed.

    I didn¡¯t fall asleep, and I was still being pestered by him like this.

    The key was that he became stubborn, and I just couldn¡¯t reason with him.

    Reynaldo stared at me without blinking, his eyes deep.

    His shirt was still open, and his firm chest and powerful abdominal muscles looked particrly attractive.

    I touched my nose and turned my face away, my cheeks slightly flushed.

    Actually, setting aside Essie¡¯s illness, I also desired his body.

    After all, it was the person I loved, how could I not be moved in such an ambiguous atmosphere?

    With his mind wandering, Reynaldo¡¯s breath suddenly drew near.

    I subconsciously turned around and ran into his deep¨Csea¨Clike ck

    eyes.

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    The heartbeat quickened involuntarily.

    ¡°What¡­ What are you going to do?¡± I asked, my voice tense.

    Whether it was him or me who took the initiative, I would always <b>get </b>nervous and sweaty palms when faced with this kind of situation.

    He stared at me quietly, his arm propped tightly against my side, his handsome face clearly filled with desire and restraint.

    Sometimes I couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    He used to be so willful when he slept with me before, he woulde directly if he wanted to. Why is he enduring so hard this time?

    What was he really concerned about? What was he struggling with?

    After a long silence, he finally spoke again, his voice even hoarser than before.

    ¡°You told me why you suddenly wanted to sleep with me, as long as your exnation is reasonable, I will let you go.¡±

    I understood.

    He still didn¡¯t believe that I wanted to sleep with him, thinking that my desire to sleep with him was just a conspiracy.

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t quite describe the feeling in my heart, feeling a bit sad.

    Even in this matter, he was unwilling to trust me at all.

    Reynaldo¡¯s breath was getting closer and closer.

    It¡¯s as if he kept restraining me because I didn¡¯t give him a reasonable exnation.

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    ¡°Tell me, why were you suddenly so proactive?¡±

    He asked again, with a hoarse voice faintly tinged with a hint of seduction.

    I shrank back against the bed, trying hard to avoid his breath, but he kept getting closer, his scorching lips almost brushing against my cheek as they reached my ear.

    I was made by him to have a heart that was beating wildly.

    What to do?

    He didn¡¯t believe what I said. If he continues like this, it will really torture people to death.

    He whispered in my ear, his warm breath drilling straight into my ear, making me shiver all over.

    He said, ¡°You had better tell the truth.¡±

    Honestly¡­

    For him, what exactly is considered the truth.

    I nced sideways at his handsome face close at hand, and suddenly my heart skipped a beat/

    I slowly raised my hand and encircled his strong and slender waist.

    He clearly felt himself stiffen all over.

    He pushed me slightly and frowned at me, saying, ¡°What trick do you

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    want to y again?¡±

    I climbed onto his waist, my fingers caressing his chest, and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear a reasonable exnation? I¡¯ll tell you now.

    With that, my fingertips traced along his chest, all the way down to his abdomen.

    He suddenly grabbed my restless hand, and the mes in his dark eyes burned brighter and brighter.

    I pushed away his hand, wrapped my arms around his neck, and stood up to press against him.

    He subconsciously wrapped his arms around my back, and in an instant, our positions changed. He was holding me as we sat on the bed.

    He stared at me intently, with a faint sweat on his forehead, as if he was enduring something very difficult.

    He was also a tough guy, clearly wanting to do it, but stubbornly holding back.

    I circled his neck, imitating his previous posture, leaned close to his ear, and whispered softly.

    ¡°I am an adult, I also have needs.¡±

    ¡°But I also knew that you hated me, and were not so willing to be intimate with me, so I thought about getting you drunk and secretly enjoying a moment with you.¡±

    Reynaldo was stiff all over, with his cheeks and ears turning red.

    He nced at me sideways, his hoarse voice tly stating, ¡°You are

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    lying.¡±

    I smiled at him, and my hand slid down to his waist and abdomen, teasing him wantonly.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, believe it or not, after all, I have no reason to lie to you about this kind of thing.¡±

    Moreover, Mr. Humphrey is also an adult, and his needs are much greater than mine.

    ¡°So, after all this time, doesn¡¯t Mr. Humphrey want it?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Perhaps unable to resist my teasing, he grabbed my wrist and pushed me down underneath him.

    His eyes narrowed, his breathing quickened, his throat rolled, and the trapped beast inside him seemedpletely uncontroble.

    He looked at me for a few seconds, then suddenly bent down and kissed my lips, like a storm, crazy and terrifying.

    I really wanted to be intimate with him, but I was also very afraid of his crazy momentum, and my body uncontrobly shrank upwards.

    Reynaldo suddenly lifted my clothes, his strong hand firmly gripping my waist, not allowing me to escape even a bit.

    I was kissed by him until I was dazed, and my clothes were unknowingly stripped clean.

    I thought everything would fall into ce next, but at thest moment, he suddenly stopped.

    I clung to his arm, my eyes zed as I looked at him and asked,

    Chapter901

    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±

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    He stared at me fixedly for a long time, then suddenly pushed my hand away and got up from me directly.

    The chill came suddenly, extinguishing the just ignited enthusiasm.

    I pulled the quilt over myself and looked at him inexplicably.

    He was doing well, why did he stop again?

    What¡¯s gotten into him again?

    Reynaldo was seen meticulously arranging his clothes, fastening buttons and belts, putting on his coat, and instantly restoring his well- groomed appearance.

    I blinked my eyes twice, and my confused thoughts instantly cleared.

    Is he¡­ going to leave?

    So, this celebration ended up being a flop?

    Good nerves, what¡¯s wrong with this man again?

    Reynaldo turned to look at me.

    I sat up in bed, holding the quilt, and looked at him with a hint of sadness.

    When Reynaldo looked at me, there was still desire in his eyes, with a restrained expression

    So, why did he stop?!

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    Feeling angry in my heart, I softly asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Humphrey?¡±

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    Reynaldo took out a cigarette pack, he casually shook one out, bit it in his mouth and lit it.

    Took a deep drag.

    The smoke wrapped around a faint tone as it was exhaled from the man¡¯s thin lips: ¡°You think too deeply, Esmeralda, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll fall for your tricks again.¡±

    As soon as I heard this, I burst outughing,ughing andughing, feeling particrly sad inside.

    I sneered at him, ¡°What do you think, can I still harm you now?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡±

    ¡°I only knew that Esmeralda would never be so proactive towards Reynaldo.¡±

    So he thought that there must be something unusual happening, thinking that I was intentionally seducing him, harming him?

    I was still wondering why he had endured so much hardship, and it turned out that he had always been struggling with this.

    At this moment, I couldn¡¯t tell whether there was more resentment, sadness, or embarrassment in my heart.

    I tightened the quilt around me and sneered at him, ¡°If you are afraid of my thoughts and afraid that I will harm you, then you better not touch me in the future!¡±

    Also, when I say I have needs, I have needs. If you¡¯re not willing, then you can bring those four male models over here!

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    ¡°I¡¯m not indispensable to you either!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold, ¡°Just say it if you want to die!¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, just say so!¡±

    With that, I angrily slipped under the covers, not wanting to see him at all, and not wanting to pay any attention to him at all.

    He didn¡¯t say anything more, but the atmosphere in the room was very heavy and cold. I could faintly hear his angry inhales.

    After a while, the sound of the door opening was heard, followed by a m of the door.

    A few secondster, I pulled down the covers, only to find that there was no one in the room.

    Reynaldo did leave after all.

    I stared nkly at the ceiling, feeling sad, wronged, embarrassed, and angry at different times.

    Reynaldo is crazy!

    When I got pregnant with my third child, he could forget about touching me again!

    I was so angry.

    I was really angry, ¡°I can¡¯t stand him torturing people like this.¡±

    The more I thought about it, the sadder I felt, and a mist of tears welled up in my eyes unconsciously.

    At that moment, Vonnie¡¯s phone rang.

    I took a deep breath, adjusted my emotions, and answered the phone.

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    ¡°Ralda, I just saw Reynaldo storming out of the club with a furious expression on his face.¡±

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    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t Reynaldo already drunk, and he was with you¡­ doing, you know, that thing?¡±

    Faced with this problem, I was at a loss for words for a moment.

    I thought for a moment and said weakly, ¡°He wasn¡¯t drunk, he was just pretending to be drunk the whole time.¡±

    ¡°Ah? I didn¡¯t expect the president to be so cunning.¡±

    ¡°Did you guys¡­ did you guys¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I sighed, ¡°He thinks I initiated sleeping with him with a hidden agenda, wanting to harm him, so he is unwilling to be intimate with me. In the end, he still has his guard up against me.

    ¡°He¡¯s crazy, who hurt him?¡±

    Love to sleep, good Ralda, we are not sad, after getting pregnant with the third child, we will ignore him.

    Really, you took the initiative to get close to him, and he started acting

    coy.

    ¡°He is treating you like this now, if he dares toe back and beg you in the future, it will make me so angry.¡±

    The n was repeatedly frustrated, and my mood plummetedpletely.

    It can be seen that it was really difficult for the third child to conceive.

    Vonnie was afraid that I was in a bad mood, so she came over to keep

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    mepany.

    He started by ¡°scolding Reynaldo¡± several times.

    I sat by the window, not saying a word.

    Vonnie scolded enough, sat down, and asked me worriedly, ¡°So what should we do next? He is so guarded against you, even if you tell him about Essie¡¯s illness and sessfully conceive this third child, there will still be a lot to deal with in the future.¡±

    Yes, I just didn¡¯t want to have more entanglement with him, so I didn¡¯t dare to tell him about Essie¡¯s illness, thinking that it would be enough to secretly get pregnant.

    In hindsight, I realize that my thinking was too simplistic.

    Reynaldo was too unpredictable.

    When feeling down, Vonnie suddenly eximed, ¡°You can just stay at his vi, that way you¡¯ll have more opportunities.¡±

    I was stunned, furrowing my brow without saying a word.

    Vonnie nced at me and understood the concerns in my heart.

    She sighed and took my hand, saying, ¡°I know you still mind that Reynaldo kicked you out of Freybourne, that he hates you, that he said he never wants to see you again.¡±

    Isn¡¯t it possible now?

    Don¡¯t think too much, just move in directly. He wouldn¡¯t kick you out, would he?

    Besides, even if he drives you away, just be thick¨Cskinned and refuse to leave.¡±

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    I looked at Vonnie gloomily and said, ¡°Can this work?¡±

    Vonnie packed her ticket and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible, isn¡¯t Essie assisting Roddy? If Reynaldo wants to drive you away, the two children will definitely not agree, then Reynaldo will definitely have no way to deal with you.¡±

    And I tell you, men generally can¡¯t hold it in.

    You just keep holding onto the past, tease him a little, I don¡¯t believe he can still resist.

    Let¡¯s not think too much about it, ¡°it¡¯s important to have a third child.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s words seemed to make some sense, but¡­

    I hesitated.

    Vonnie hugged me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, just listen to me. The crew is about to start working soon, and Johnathan insisted that I stay at his ce, saying that it¡¯s close to the set.¡±

    With that, I couldn¡¯t apany you for a long time, so you better stay at Reynaldo¡¯s ce with the kids, so I can feel more at ease.¡±

    This seems to work too.

    However, Reynaldo¡¯s icy face and the cold look in his eyes when he looked at me really affected my mood.

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    Ah, forget it, I don¡¯t want to think too much, having a third child is more important.

    The next day, I asked the school teacher what time the children finished school, and then I deliberately went to the school twenty minutes early.

    At that time, it was not yet time to finish school, Essie and Roddy were brought out by the teacher.

    The two children ran towards me excitedly when they saw me, teacher couldn¡¯t stop them.

    and the

    The teacher smiled at me and said, ¡°Usually it¡¯s their dad who picks them up, but today it¡¯s rare for their mom toe, the two kids are so happy.¡±

    Originally, Reynaldo used to personally pick them up from school every day.

    I pursed my lips, a touch of emotion shing through my heart.

    The teacher shouted at me, ¡°Essie¡¯s mom, this Friday the school is organizing a parent¨Cchild activity. Do you think it¡¯s better for mom toe or dad toe?¡±

    Before I could answer, Roddy said, ¡°Of course it was my dad and mom who came together.¡±

    The teacher smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s best if both mom and dade together, that way the little ones¡® happiness will double.¡±

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    After that, the teacher handed me the pick¨Cup record form and asked me to sign it.

    I nodded with a smile, signed my name on the pick¨Cup record, and then got on the car with two children.

    As soon as he got on the car, Roddy excitedly said to me, ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much.¡±

    I nced at them and missed them dearly in my heart.

    I smiled at them and said, ¡°Mommy misses you too.¡±

    After saying that, I asked them to sit down and then started the car.

    Essie suddenly asked nervously, ¡°Mommy, where are you taking us? Are you picking us up to go to your ce, or are youing with us to stay at Daddy¡¯s ce?¡±

    ¡°Of course Mommy went to stay with Daddy with us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy, I can finally see Daddy and Mommy every day.¡±

    Roddy danced with joy.

    Essie asked me anxiously, ¡°Is it true? Mommy, are you going to stay with us at Daddy¡¯s ce today?¡±

    Essie¡¯s tone was full of anticipation.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Yes, Mommy moved in today to live with you and Daddy.¡±

    ¡°Yay, that¡¯s great, Essie loves being with daddy and mommy.¡±

    If we all left, only dad would be left, so pitiful, dad would cry.

    Upon hearing Essie¡¯s words, my heart was instantly filled with mixed

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    emotions.

    Reynaldo¡¯s hatred towards me did not dissipate. Even after bing pregnant with my third child, I still left with these two children.

    Now, just like those two children, they liked Reynaldo so much. When he leaves, who knows how they will react?

    Since returning to Freybourne, it seems like there have been more and more troubling things.

    I looked ahead at the road with a sense of unease, not knowing how our family of four could be as harmonious and happy as a normal family.

    Or maybe, that day will nevere.

    The car pulled into the Duffy¡¯s vi, and as soon as I got out of the car, I saw a familiar faceing towards me. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Madisyn.

    When Madisyn saw me, she was also stunned, and it took a while before she tearfully eximed, ¡°Ms. Duffy, it¡¯s really you.¡±

    I was both surprised and delighted.

    Madisyn used to be the old maid of the Duffy family, butter all the maids in the Duffy¡¯s vi were dismissed by Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo has brought Madisyn back again, unexpectedly.

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    After the two children got off the car, they first greeted Madisyn and then huffed and puffed to drag my suitcase into the house, as if afraid that I didn¡¯t live here, which made me feel both amused and a littleplicated.

    Madisyn nced at my suitcase and eximed, ¡°Ms. Duffy, are you staying over?¡±

    I nodded and asked her, ¡°Howe you are here?¡±

    ¡°It was Mr. Humphrey who asked me toe back and take care of Mr. Roderick and Miss Estelle. He said I am the old man in the Duffy¡¯s vi, and he wanted me to look after the children. He would feel more at ease that way.¡±

    Madisyn said, looking at me with a surprised expression, ¡°Ms. Duffy, I didn¡¯t realize you and Mr. Humphrey both had two such adorable children, if Mrs. Duffy were still alive, she would definitely¡­¡±

    Madisyn suddenly stopped speaking in the middle of her sentence.

    She looked at my face, as if afraid that I would be upset.

    The ¡°Mrs. Duffy¡± in her mouth refers to my mother.

    The incident back then was so big, Madisyn must have heard about it

    too.

    No matter what the truth is, the deaths of my mother and Mika are pains that cannot be mentioned.

    I smiled at Madisyn and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all in the past.¡±

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    Chapter905

    262 Mouchers

    ¡°Ah, yes, it¡¯s all in the past now, but I¡¯m d you and Mr. Humphrey are doing well.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Madisyn nced at me and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you go inside quickly. Dinner is already being prepared. I will get some personal hygiene items ready for you.¡±

    Madisyn said, walking into the room.

    I shouted to her, ¡°By the way, help me tidy up a room.

    Madisyn was taken aback, ¡°Aren¡¯t you sharing a room with Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s tidy up another room first.¡±

    Madisyn sighed and didn¡¯t ask any more questions, just walked into the room by herself.

    The two children were panting as they dragged my suitcase upstairs.

    Madisyn saw the situation and quickly went over to pick up the suitcase, smiling at them and saying, ¡°I can take this up, you guys go have fun.¡±

    Roddy shook his head, ¡°We had to help Mommy pack her luggage.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Essie replied, ¡°sort out mommy¡¯s luggage, and mommy won¡¯t leave.¡±

    I looked at the two children with mixed feelings, they really hoped that I could be with Reynaldo.

    The more it was like this, the more reluctant and lost they might be when they left.

    36.43%

    O

    14:24

    Chaplords

    288 Vouchers

    Soon, Madisyn took the two children up.

    I stood in the middle of the room, staring nkly at everything familiar before me, and memories of when I had just married Reynaldo came flooding back.

    ¡°You, a scheming son¨Cinw who married into our family, have no right to sit at the table and eat. Get out of here.¡±

    Reynaldo, although obediently stood aside at the time, now looking back, there was a hint of gloom and stubbornness hidden in those dark, deep eyes.

    Later, I couldn¡¯t stand being stared at by him, so I let him eat on the table.

    But neither Quentin nor I allowed him to mix his food, and he obediently ate white rice for many days.

    Looking back now, Reynaldo at that time was really easy to bully, making people feel guilty.

    Another time, both mom and dad went out to socialize, and Quentin was also called out to drink by his friends.

    As for Reynaldo, he also didn¡¯t know where the hell he had gone.

    That night, I curled up on the sofa alone, my stomach rolling with pain.

    70.20%

    14:24

    O

 Too Close 906

    I called Quentin, but no one answered.

    I called my mom, and she said she couldn¡¯te back temporarily, and asked me to drink some hot water.

    After hanging up the phone, I curled up on the sofa and cried.

    At that moment, Reynaldo suddenly appeared.

    He stood by the sofa, looking at me expressionlessly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    I already disliked him at that time, and when I was feeling ufortable all over, I found him even more unpleasant.

    So I told him to ¡°get lost.¡±

    He didn¡¯t move at that time, stared at me for a long time before turning around and leaving.

    I thought he had been driven away by my scolding, but to my surprise, he came back after a while and handed me a cup of steaming ¡°ginger

    tea¡°.

    I looked at him in astonishment at that time.

    He still said without any expression, ¡°I checked and found out that drinking ginger tea during menstruation can relieve menstrual cramps.¡±

    Upon hearing the words ¡°menstrual pain,¡± I felt a bit embarrassed.

    But for the sake of ginger tea, I managed to hold back the urge to curse

    Chapter906

    at him.

    After I took the ginger tea, he didn¡¯t say anything and left.

    I was annoyed when I saw him, so when he left, I didn¡¯t care.

    After drinking ginger tea, my stomach slowly stopped hurting so much.

    I went upstairs to change out of the dirty pants, only to find that the sanitary napkin was missing.

    While I was in the bathroom feeling troubled, he suddenly appeared again, standing outside the restroom door and said to me, ¡°I have bought both the daytime and nighttime ones, and left them at the door.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment and thought, ¡°What can be used during the day and at night?¡±

    When I carefully opened the door of the bathroom, I found several packs of sanitary pads ced at the entrance.

    I raised my head in astonishment, but only saw his back as he walked

    away.

    Perhaps from that time, my feelings towards him started to change a little.

    Scenes from the past suddenly became particrly clear at this moment, the once annoying Reynaldo, and the tedious married life that used to bother me, now all seem especially precious.

    I wish I could go back to that time, but it¡¯s impossible now.

    <i>As </i><i>I </i>was reminiscing about the past and feeling sad, suddenly a hurried footsteps came from behind.

    Chapter206

    289 Woucher

    I instinctively turned around and saw Reynaldo walking quickly into the room, his face filled with anxiety.

    He probably didn¡¯t expect to see me here. When he saw me, he was stunned for two seconds, then quickly walked up to me and grabbed my hand.

    ¡°Who asked you to pick up the children? Where did you hide them all?¡±

    I furrowed my brows and was about to speak.

    He suddenly said to me in a cold tone, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Esmeralda, don¡¯t think about using the children to y tricks in front of me.¡±

    Since I recognized them, I wouldn¡¯t let go.

    ¡°You can¡¯t take them away from me!¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me fiercely, his eyes filled with coldness.

    I was shocked in my heart.

    This is bad.

    His concern for the children seemed to far exceed my imagination.

    So, how was I going to slip away from under his nose with Essie after getting pregnant with our third child.

    Lost in thought, suddenly felt a pain in my wrist.

    I frowned and stared at him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Where is Essie with Roddy? Give him back to me!¡±

    Gave it back to him?

 Too Close 907

    Chapter907

    As soon as I heard this, I felt depressed.

    I just let the two children stay at his ce for a few days, and he really thought the two children belonged only to him?

    ¡°Esmeralda, it doesn¡¯t matter how you deal with me, but you are not allowed to use the children.¡±

    Otherwise, I will absolutely never forgive you!

    Reynaldo spoke urgently, his usually calm face now filled with anxiety.

    I was suddenly pletely dumbfounded¡± by him.

    He wouldn¡¯t think that I hid the children and then used them to negotiate with him, would he?

    Seeing Reynaldo¡¯s angry and anxious look, it was totally possible.

    I was a bit speechless.

    How evil and selfish must I have been in his heart, to not even spare my own child?

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    Just

    then, two soft and tender shouts suddenly came from the staus.

    Reynaldo was stunned for two seconds, then turned to look.

    Chapter907

    The two children ran over excitedly.

    Essie held his hand and said happily, ¡°Daddy, mommy is here. Mommy said she wants to live with us. Essie is so happy.¡±

    Reynaldo, after listening, suddenly looked at me.

    His face first showed a touch of astonishment, then his handsome brows furrowed slowly, his eyes half¨Cclosed, revealing a hint of doubt.

    By this moment. I really wanted to lose my temper.

    I wanted to sleep with him, which he saw as a conspiracy.

    I came to live with them, which he saw as another conspiracy.

    How malicious must I have appeared in his eyes, for him to be so wary of me.

    Reynaldo squinted at me for a while, his deep voice tinged with a bright suspicion, ¡°Do you¡­ really want to stay here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±

    Before I could even speak. Roddy eagerly said, ¡°Mommy brought all the luggage over, and Essie and I went to organize it.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned at me and said, ¡°What trick are you ying again?¡±

    Phew!

    A surge of anger instantly rushed up, unable to be suppressed.

    I sneered at him coldly and said, ¡°Indeed, I was ying tricks, everything I did was just ying tricks!¡±

    Since Mr. Humphrey did not wee me, I will just leave,¡±

    Chapter907

    With that, I shook off his hand and turned around to leave.

    This man was so annoying.

    In his eyes, I was a despicable snake and scorpion, no matter what I did, it was seen as having a conspiracy.

    Since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s not much point in me staying here. It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t gotten pregnant with a third child, but I was actually infuriated by him first.

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t go!¡±

    However, I had only taken two steps when Reynaldo and two children suddenly grabbed me.

    Reynaldo pulled my arm.

    Two children tugged at the hem of my clothes.

    When <i>I </i>looked back at the past, a flicker of unnaturalness quickly passed over Reynaldo¡¯s face.

    He let go of my arm and said expressionlessly, ¡°Since both children are reluctant to see you leave and are eager for you to stay, then you can stay.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, there are many rooms in this vi, so it doesn¡¯t matter if you stay alone.¡±

    I sneered at him, ¡°<i>Mr. </i>Humphrey, are you not afraid of my tricks this time?¡±

    Reynaldo sat down with the children at the table and said to me leisurely. ¡°You can give it a try.¡±

    Chapter907

    His tone, although calm, carried a clear warning.

    I ignored him and sat down at the dining table.

    Anyway, since we had settled down sessfully, the next step was to work hard to conceive our third child with him.

 Too Close 908

    Thinking back tost night when he pretended to be drunk, my cheeks couldn¡¯t help but flush at his actions.

    Just then, he looked at me again.

    At just one nce, my heart skipped a few beats.

    I picked up the water ss and drank water calmly and strongly.

    Reynaldo just kept staring at me without blinking for a moment, and his eyes were calm and peaceful, with no expression on his face.

    But I just felt that he was also thinking aboutst night¡¯s scene at the

    moment.

    My face grew hotter and hotter, unable to bear it. I stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go wash my hands first, you guys go ahead and eat.¡±

    Reynaldo hummed and served the two children their food.

    I rushed into the bathroom and washed my face with cold water.

    Looking at the red¨Cfaced self in the mirror. I felt both embarrassed and regretful.

    I will never try to get Reynaldo drunk again.

    That man¡¯s capacity for alcohol was truly unfathomable.

    I was so upset. If only I could forget the scene fromst night.

    In the evening, Madisyn promptly told the two children to go to bed.

    09.19

    Chapter908

    And I searched for my phone for a long time, only to remember in the end that I had left it in the car.

    When I found my phone in the car, I realized there were several missed

    calls on it.

    The first dozen calls were all from Reynaldo, I noticed the time, it was right when I had just picked up Essic and Roddy from school.

    Besides the phone call, Reynaldo also sent me a few messages.

    The information was filled with hostility between the lines.

    You actually dared to secretly take away Essie and Roddy, where do you want to hide them?

    I warn you, do not hide them or use them, otherwise I will not be polite to you!

    Esmeralda, if you dare to run away with my child secretly, I will kill you!

    The short three messages were filled with killing intent, indicating how angry he was at that time.

    <b>I </b>suddenly understood in my heart.

    No wonder just now when he came back, he dragged me without saying a word, saying I had hidden the children.

    It turned out that I didn¡¯t answer his phone calls or reply to his messages.

    He thought I was going to disappear with the children again.

    Wasn¡¯t he the one who wanted me to get out of Freybourne in the first ce?

    Now I left secretly, and why is he unwilling again?

    Is it that he only cares about the child now, whether I leave or not doesn¡¯t matter?

    I couldn¡¯t figure out the man¡¯s thoughts.

    I stared at those messages for a few seconds, then continued to scroll down and found that Vonnie had also missed three calls.

    It was a few hours ago when she called, I was worried that she might have something urgent to tell me, so I quickly called her back.

    The phone rang once without anyone answering, so I couldn¡¯t help but dial again.

    The second bell rang for quite a while before they answered on the other end.

    As soon as the phone was answered, I regretted it.

    The moment the call connected, I heard two breaths that made my face flush and my heart race, as well as Vonnie¡¯s seemingly pleading tone, carrying a coquettishness I had never heard before.

    So, what was Vonnie up to now?

    All adults, I almost instantly understood!

    Ah ah ah¡­

    Did I interrupt something good between Vonnie and Johnathan?

    Thinking of this, I hurriedly hung up the phone, but my hand shook and identally pressed the speakerphone button.

 Too Close 909

    Chapter909

    Almost the next second, a furious roar from Johnathan came: ¡°What are you doing, Esmie? Interrupting others will bring down the wrath of the heavens.¡±

    ¡°If you feel lonely, go find your man. Why are you looking for Vonnie?¡±

    ¡°I. I. I¡­ I made a mistake, sorry, sorry¡­¡± I felt embarrassed and awkward, unable to speak fluently.

    Good things were interrupted, and Johnathan seemed to be furious.

    ¡°Oh, I was so angry, so angry. Why didn¡¯t Reynaldo pin you down on the bed at that time, letting you run out and disturb me? It made me so angry!¡±

    ¡°You, you, you¡­ continue, continue.¡±

    ¡°People were all scared away by you, how can we continue?!¡±

    I told you. Esmie, if you ever feel lonely at night, go find Reynaldo, and don¡¯t call Vonnie again!

    With that, Johnathan angrily hung up the phone.

    I embarrassingly touched my forehead.

    I realized that Vonnie now also had a boyfriend.

    Ahh, I really need to be more careful in the future.

    In the midst of the embarrassing situation. I suddenly noticed a figure standing not far away.

    I turned my head and looked back, feeling even more embarrassed for a moment. It was Reynaldo.

    That is to say. I identally turned on the speakerphone on my phone just now, and then Johnathan¡¯s roar was heard loud and clear by him!

    I covered my face and pretended not to see him, silently running towards the pavilion in the backyard.

    As I passed by Reynaldo. I heard a cold snort from him, tinged with obvious sarcasm.

    Look. he was humming and mocking all day long.

    No normal person can stand it.

    After I became pregnant with my third child, I was determined to stay away from him, so as not to live with him and endure his dead face!

    The night wind brought a hint of coolness, blowing the familiar scent in the courtyard, reminding me of the carefree summer days.

    It also reminded me of Reynaldo at that time.

    Back then, he always wore clean and simple T¨Cshirts, looking quite clean and handsome overall, but his eyes, they were too gloomy.

    I leaned against the stone pir, looking up at the top of the pavilion.

    I don¡¯t know what happened, but this timeing back, scenes of when I just got married to Reynaldo alwayse to mind.

    Those days used to be the most annoying and disgusting to me.

    Looking back now, I can still feel a hint of sweetness and sadness in my heart.

    Chapter904

    I really want to go back to that time, hug Reynaldo, and say to him. pitifully, ¡°I will never bully you again.¡±

    If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t he have be the suspicious, sensitive, irritable and gloomy Reynaldoter on?

    I sat in the pavilion for a while, unable to recall the past. Just as I was about to return to my room, Vonnie¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    I was afraid ¡°Johnathan¡± would call and scold me.

    I hesitated for a while before answering.

    It wasn¡¯t until my phone rang for the second time that I finally answered, cautiously asking, ¡°Vonnie?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Vonnie¡¯s voice sounded a little embarrassed, ¡°Well, actually, nothing happened between me and Johnathan just now.¡±

    ¡°Oops.¡± I grimaced, it was all my fault, making Vonnie feel embarrassed and having to exin to me.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about Johnathan, I just scolded him for daring to yell at you.¡±

    I chuckled in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, he was right to yell.¡±

    After a pause. I changed the subject and asked her, ¡°By the way, Vonnie, what was the reason for your three phone calls to me in the evening?¡±

    Chap 010

 Too Close 910

    10

    Chapter910

    ¡°Oh, I just wanted to ask you, did you move in with Reynaldo? Did he not kick you out?¡±

    ¡°No, I had already moved in with him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Let me tell you, next you can flirt with him as much as you want, wear less after taking a shower, preferably nothing, and then deliberately show off in front of him¡­¡±

    Ah¡­

    Can this topic be discussed seriously?

    I blushed just listening to it over the phone.

    I said. ¡°Vonnie, why don¡¯t we talk about something else.¡±

    ¡°Ah. what could be more important than sleeping with Reynaldo?¡±

    Next, she was eloquent on the phone, teaching me a bunch of tricks to flirt with men.

    But I felt like those tricks were all taught to her by Johnathan.

    After all, Vonnie in the past didn¡¯t understand any of these at all.

    When Vonnie got to the end, she suddenly changed the subject and became suspicious. ¡°No, theoretically speaking, although he pretended to be drunkst night, you really did flirt with him, right? How could he really resist not making a move on you?¡±

    ¡°Could it be¡­ he has been holding it in for four years?¡±

    O

    I:¡­.

    ¡°No, Ralda, this is really serious. Why don¡¯t you secretly buy some medicine to improve his health? If he still refuses to touch you, then he is probably not capable anymore.¡±

    I was dumbfounded: ¡°Does holding it in for four years really affect that aspect?¡±

    ¡°It should be, as Johnathan said.¡±

    ¡°But, the day I just returned to Freybourne, I did¡­ have a moment with him.¡± I said, feeling very embarrassed.

    Vonnic said, ¡°Well, that was the first time after four years, so it¡¯s normal to be excited. But if he still refuses to touch you no matter how you flirt with him afterwards, then there might be a problem.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What should we do then? Is there any medicine that can help with the recovery? Will that medicine really work?¡±

    ¡°You will know once you try.¡±

    No sooner had I finished speaking than a cold and eerie voice suddenly pierced through my eardrums.

    I was struck as if by lightning, leaning motionless against the stone pir.

    The voice did note from the phone, nor was it Vonnie¡¯s voice, but Reynaldo¡¯s!

    Vonnie was earnestly saying on the phone. ¡°Buy some kidney-

    tonifying medicine or ingredients, take medicine and food together. I heard from Johnathan that even if a man is not doing well, eating those things¡­¡±

    O

    Just now, in order tofortably lean against the stone pir. I turned on the speakerphone of my phone and ced it on the stone table.

    Because the pavilion was so far from the house and no one came.

    So I thought, no matter what I talked about with Vonnie, no one would hear.

    God knows how Reynaldo suddenly showed up again.

    Vonnie was still talking when I quickly hung up the phone, then pretended nothing had happened, burying my head in my phone

    During that time. Vonnie called again, and I quickly hung up and sent her a message: ¡°Reynaldo is here.¡±

    Vonnie grinned and then added a wink and a thumbs up emoji.

    I looked at him in silence.

    Just as I was trying my best to ignore the cold gaze behind me. Reynaldo suddenly appeared in front of me.

    He was tall with long legs, standing in front of the stone table, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

    I continued to bury my head, pretending to be calm as I scrolled through my phone, as if I hadn¡¯t seen him.

    The fact is, this man really loved eavesdropping.

    Chapter911

 Too Close 911

    Chapter911

    My heart was filled with turmoil when suddenly a te of fruit was pushed in front of me.

    I was stunned for a moment before I lifted my head to look at him.

    He first gave me a cold smile, then casually said, ¡°Roddy and Essie asked me to bring this over, afraid you wouldn¡¯t have any fruit to eat.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Thank you, thank you.¡±

    Finishing speaking. I took a bite of watermelon and thought to myself. ¡°It¡¯s good that he didn¡¯t bring up the topic from earlier or get angry.¡±

    After all. Vonnie and I had just been talking behind his back, which is a great shame for a man.

    If it were him in the past, he would probably have pressed me against the stone table long ago to prove it to me with actions.

    Now he can keep calm.

    Then, thinking back to how patient he wasst night, a hint of doubt arose in my heart.

    Could it be that Vonnie really hit the nail on the head?

    Did four years of time make him feel suffocated?!

    Thinking. I instinctively aimed at Reynaldo¡¯s waist and abdomen.

    A coolugh suddenly fell from the top of the head: ¡°Do you want me to undo my clothes and let you have a good look?¡±

    Chapter111

    I was embarrassed, quickly avoiding eye contact, pretending to casually bite into a watermelon.

    He snorted coldly and growled at me, ¡°Esmeralda, you are really something, actually shamelessly gossiping about a man¡¯s skills in bed behind his back!¡±

    He got angry, he really got angry.

    I buried my head and took a piece of watermelon, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. we weren¡¯t talking about you just now.¡±

    ¡°So, you still want to give other men tonics and supplements, to see if they work?!¡±

    I¡­..

    If admitting is to say about him, then it also admits that I did indeed criticize him behind his back in that aspect.

    If I don¡¯t admit that it was him, it means I have another man outside, and I have to give my body to another man.

    Ah, at this moment, it seems like everything I say is wrong.

    I was eating watermelon and didn¡¯t say a word.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened even more.

    He bent over, leaning on the stone table, his shadowed eyes staring at me up close.

    I was so scared by him that even the watermelon didn¡¯t taste sweet.

    I handed him a piece of watermelon and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat?¡±

    He waved my hand away and said, ¡°Stop changing the subject!¡±

    Chapter911

    I pursed my lips, set down the watermelon, and looked at him seriously.

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Humphrey, go ahead, <b>I¡¯m </b>listening carefully.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows fiercely, his face turning extremely cold.

    I tilted my head and waited for him to speak.

    Anyway, whatever I say is wrong, so I try not to speak if I can.

    The man gripped the edge of the stone table, his cold eyes ring <b>at </b>me fiercely.

    It seems like I was really his sworn enemy as if ¡°I was his sworn enemy¡°.

    They stared at each other for a long time, and he didn¡¯t say a word.

    I couldn¡¯t stand being looked at by him in the end.

    o say, I will go back

    I said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, if you have nothing else to say, I will to my room and rest.¡±

    With that, as I was about to get up and leave, he suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back down into my

    I looked at him somewhat helplessly.

    cat.

    <i>¡°</i><i>Mr. </i>Humphrey, you just stared at me without saying anything, what do you want to do?¡±

    Chapter912

 Too Close 912

    Chapter912

    If you have any dissatisfaction in your heart towards me, then you should speak it out.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything, how would I know what you were thinking?¡±

    Four yearster, this reunion, I felt that Reynaldo simply ¡°hated¡± me, as if he didn¡¯t know how to treat me.

    Many times, I felt that he ¡°hated me to the extreme¡°, but didn¡¯t know what to do with me.

    He may have wanted to love me very much, but restrained himself because of the insurmountable gap with his mother.

    He must have been very contradictory, always contradictory.

    Thinking of this, a touch of emotion shed through my heart, and a difficult¨Cto¨Cexpress feeling surged.

    I reached out, unable to resist the urge to touch his cheek.

    But when I was about to touch his chin, he suddenly waved my hand

    away.

    He straightened up and looked at me, his eyes shining brightly with a hint of resentment.

    ¡°You tell me clearly, who exactly were you just saying is not good enough?!¡±

    Ugh!

    He did care more about his dignity as a man after all.

    Chapter12

    780 enchere

    To avoid angering him, I smiled at him and said, ¡°We were just saying that Johnathan is not good.¡±

    Reynaldo coldly pursed his lips and said, ¡°So, you want to give Johnathan some tonic to see if it works?¡±

    ¡°Yuck! Do you even listen to what you¡¯re saying?!¡±

    Reynaldoughed and sneered at me, ¡°Do you want to hear what you¡¯re saying again?¡±

    ¡°What can I say, Vonnie justined to me about Johnathan, so I suggested she give him some dietary supplements.¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡± The man sneered, ¡°Why do I feel like you wereining to her about me, and she suggested you give me tonics and supplements?¡±

    I stiffly tugged at my lips.

    Sure enough, Vonnie heard every word of the conversation we had afterwards.

    He saw me without saying a word.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes turned fierce again, almost gritting his teeth as he said, ¡°Esmeralda, it¡¯s been four years, and you¡¯ve really be capable, actually finding fault with me?!¡±

    I awkwardly said, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not rejecting you, I just have doubts.¡±

    ¡°Doubt?¡± Reynaldo sneered coldly. ¡°So, was it that I couldn¡¯t satisfy you the day you returned to Freybourne? I didn¡¯t realize your appetite had grown so much.¡±

    I:¡­

    Chapw012

    Reynaldo stared at me. his eyes suddenly deepening.

    He suddenly approached me, his big hand holding the back of my neck, and said to me softly, ¡°You think I¡¯m not good enough now, but when I really get going, you won¡¯t be able to resist, crying and begging for mercy. Are you asking for trouble?¡±

    ¡°I, I, I¡­ No, I¡­¡±

    Without waiting for me to say aplete sentence, Reynaldo released me and warned me with dark and stern eyes, ¡°You better not challenge my bottom line again in the future.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what happened, but at that moment I waspletely ¡°chickened out¡°.

    I swallowed and nodded at him.

    He didn¡¯t even look at me for a second, turned around and left.

    After he left, I slumped on the bench as if all my strength had been drained.

    So, is this man capable or not?

    I ended up listening to Vonnie and giving him some dietary supplements.

    I sat in the pavilion for half a day again, and after my mind calmed down, I returned to the room.

    Madisyn had already cleaned a room for me, but when I finished showering and went to change clothes, I realized that my luggage was not in the room.

    I wrapped a towel around me and asked Madisyn, only to find ou the two children had put my luggage in Reynaldo¡¯s room.

    it

    67-931

 Too Close 913

    Chapter913

    The room Reynaldo lived in was actually the former ¡°bridal chamber¡± that we shared.

    Arriving at the door, I hesitated for a while before raising my hand to knock on the door.

    I just waited for half a day and no one opened the door.

    Wasn¡¯t Reynaldo in the room?

    I hesitantly turned the doorknob, stuck my head in, and took a peck.

    At first nce, there was no one in the room, but the bathroom door was closed, with the sound of watering from inside.

    Reynaldo was taking a shower.

    Thinking of this, I tiptoed in, thinking of grabbing the luggage anding out.

    Just now in the pavilion, I angered that man. If he sees me in this state running in, he will definitely not be able to resist mocking me.

    I looked around the room and saw the suitcase ced against the wall.

    I was walking past the bathroom door when suddenly it ¡°opened¡± with a bang.

    I was taken aback and instinctively turned my head to look, locking eyes with Reynaldo.

    When he saw me, he first ¡°raised his eyebrows¡± and then his eyes scanned me from head to toe, the gaze gradually turning dark and

    Howhere!

    intense.

    I knew all too well what that dark shadow was.

    I swallowed and smiled at him, ¡°Taking a shower?¡±

    The man averted his gaze and walked out of the bathroom on his own. As he passed by me, I felt a damp and cold airing from him.

    Huh? Did Reynaldo take a cold shower?

    Although it iste summer and early autumn now, it is still quite cool. at night, isn¡¯t he cold?

    He only wrapped a bath towel around his waist, revealing his strong upper body, with particrly smooth lines on his back, and a slim and powerful waist.

    I couldn¡¯t help but sneak a few more nces at him.

    He just walked to the table and poured himself a ss of water as if I didn¡¯t exist.

    As he drank water, his Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down, and his hard chest rose and fell slightly.

    Sexy!

    The two words suddenly popped into my head.

    I have to say, this man¡¯s figure is damn good.

    If he were to be a male model, I wonder how many rich women he could charm.

    Just as I was staring at his body absentmindedly, he suddenly spoke out of the blue. ¡°You¡¯re not even wearing clothes, running in fron, f

    me, your intentions are too obvious.¡±

    1:

    ome

    So, did Vonnie also hear those words I said about him making me take a shower without clothes on in front of him?

    I tightened the towel around my body and said, ¡°I just came to get my luggage.¡±

    He chuckled, crossed his arms,zily leaned back on the armrest of the sofa, looking as if he was watching me perform.

    I bit my lip and turned to walk towards the suitcase in the corner of the wall.

    When I walked over, I realized that the suitcase was actually empty.

    I wonder if those two children have already put my luggage in the cab.

    I nced back at Reynaldo, who met my gaze with a smirk and a hint of mockery.

    I pursed my lips and quietly got up to go to the wardrobe.

    I opened the cab, and my clothes and luggage were neatly ced. inside the cab.

    I first grabbed a set of pajamas, then without even looking at him, I walked quickly outside, thinking to myself that when he¡¯s not at home tomorrow, I¡¯lle back and pack my things properly.

    Chapter914

    1

    Chapter914

 Too Close 914

    Chapter914

    Just as I reached the doorway, the man¡¯s sneer suddenly came from behind: ¡°Madisyn has already tidied up the room for you, and yet your deliberately put your luggage in my room. You really stop at nothing to seduce m

    huh.¡±

    I stopped in frustration and really wanted to shout, ¡°The luggage was brought in by the children.¡±

    I thought about it and then I felt it was unnecessary to exin so much to him.

    And then I thought to myself, enduring his cold face and moving in with him, wasn¡¯t it just to sleep with him and get pregnant?

    So, what was I feeling embarrassed about again, and what was I trying to avoid?

    Anyway, the face had already beenpletely lost, so it didn¡¯t matter.

    I don¡¯t care, when the opportunityes, just go for it.

    With that in mind, I turned to look at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo was seen walking towards the bed, as if he was getting ready to sleep.

    I gritted my teeth and rushed over suddenly.

    When Reynaldo was about to get into bed, I wrapped my arms around

    his waist.

    He shuddered.

    Chapter214

    1288 Voucher

    I didn¡¯t give him a chance to react at all, and went straight to kiss his

    back.

    He had just taken a shower, with a pleasant scent of body wash on

    him.

    With my kiss, his muscles gradually tensed up.

    Just as I was about to untic his bath towel, he suddenly grabbed my hand and then turned to look at me.

    His eyes were very dark and deep, with a sense of impending storm.

    Without waiting for him to say those harsh words, I forcefully broke free from his hand, then pressed against his chest, and pushed him directly onto the bed, my body following suit.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo whispered, leaning against my shoulder, his eyes seeming to be on fire, ¡°Are you crazy? Get out!¡±

    It seems that my teasing and provocation are no longer effective.

    He clearly had feelings for me, but unfortunately, because of those defenses and suspicions, he restrained himself from touching me.

    Was it that my teasing was not enough, or my skills were not good enough.

    How can I make this man unable to resist and have a good time with me?

    Without waiting for me to take any further action, Reynaldo suddenly pushed me away.

    His strength was surprisingly great, and he pushed me down to the

    ground in one fell swoop, causing me to sit down in pain and unable to help but let out a cry.

    He seemed flustered and hurried over to help me.

    I shook off his hand, feeling a sudden sourness in my nose and a few tears welled up in my eyes.

    What he didn¡¯t know was that the push he gave me so hard hadpletely hurt my heart.

    I had done this to such an extent, and he actually rejected me like this.

    Even if I tempted him with some conspiracy, with his current power, what could I do to him? Is he avoiding me like a snake and scorpion? Didn¡¯t he think this would hurt someone¡¯s self¨Cesteem?

    Thinking back to Freybourne. his various cold sneers and insults towards me filled my heart with a strong sense of grievance and sadness.

    At that moment, the despair and pain from four years ago also came flooding back.

    In his mind shed the cold and heartless look he had once, his heart, which he thought had been repairedpletely, was once again like being stabbed with a bloody hole, filled with deep pain and grievance.

    Even if he once said ¡°I love you¡± so many times, what does it matter?

 Too Close 915

    Chapter915

    His hatred towards me, has never been less than his love.

    Reynaldo looked at me heavily, his hand frozen in midair, before. slowly clenching into a fist.

    I clumsily got up from the ground, picked up the pajamas that had fallen on the ground, and silently walked outside.

    He suddenly grabbed me and there was a hint of panic in his eyes.

    He started, his tone stiff and awkward, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to just now.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    I said lightly, trying to pull his hand off mine, but I couldn¡¯t.

    He stared at me intently, as if exining, ¡°I had asked you toe and live with the children before, but you refused. Then suddenly you started flirting with me in various ways, and even moved in suddenly, so I¡­¡±

    ¡°Because in your heart, I was always a bad person, so you always thought that everything I did was with the intention of harming you.¡± I looked at him expressionlessly, feeling really hurt inside.

    What does it matter if you love me?

    Kimberly was always kind in his heart, while I was always malicious.

    This is the difference.

    <i>I </i>was in a terrible mood, and I didn¡¯t want to say a word to him.

    Chap 015

    I tried to push his hand away again, and this time he did let go of me.

    I walked out without looking back, holding my pajamas.

    His deep voice suddenly sounded behind me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were malicious, nor did I think you wanted to harm me.¡±

    I just¡­ can¡¯t believe it, four yearster, you actually took the initiative

    intimate with me. to want to be

    After all, you still hold a grudge against me for kicking you out of Freybourne, don¡¯t you?

    I stood at the door, with my back to him, sadly smiling, smiling until tears fell down.

    ¡°Yes. I was still ming you.¡±

    How can we notin?

    Although his mother passed away that year, didn¡¯t my mother also pass. away?

    Why wouldn¡¯t he believe me and even drive me away?

    At that time, I lost my mother, and my only father and brother betrayed <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    At that moment, the world was all dark.

    I longed for hisfort, for his warmth, but all I received was his hatred and rejection.

    Those dark days really cannot be recalled, recalling them is all bone- deep pain.

    Returning to the room. I cried under the covers for half the night.

    The next day I got up a littlete.

    Reynaldo had already left, and the two children had also gone to school.

    The whole vi was very quiet.

    When I got up. I found two cards on the bedside table.

    A card was drawn with several little figures that looked like a family of four.

    On another card was drawn a smiling face.

    You can tell at a nce that this was drawn by two children.

    It seems that the two children sneaked in to see me in the morning.

    Looking at the card, a warm feeling rose in my heart.

    No matter how my rtives betrayed me, how Reynaldo hated me, I still had two lovely children, didn¡¯t I?

    Just after lunch. Vonnie called me and asked me to visit her on the set

    of the set.

    when I had time. She also sent me the loca <i>10 </i>visit her o

    There was nothing urgent at the moment, so I drove straight to the film

    crew.

    Today was the first day of the crew reporting. The y had not been officially filmed yet, so only the staff were busy on the scene, while the actors were just there for makeup trials, quite leisurely.

    66.15%

 Too Close 916

    When I arrived, Vonnie had just finished putting on her makeup.

    She yed a princess this time.

    The character was daring in love and hate, arrogant and proud, although bad, but bad in a straightforward manner, with a very distinctive personality and an independent storyline.

    Her makeup. while in the pce, was elegant and luxurious, but on the battlefield and outside the pce, she was valiant and heroic.

    As for the leading actress Kimberly, she yed the role of a kind- hearted pce maid, with a strong and helpful personality. In the face of great temptations, she was still able to stick to her principles and keep her original intentions.

    The main storyline of this script is about Kimberly¡¯s character, who went from a humble maid to the throne of the queen.

    This character, from beginning to end, maintained pure kindness and original intentions, and I don¡¯t know if Kimberly can bring it out.

    The role of the female lead was actually quite difficult to y. If yed well, the audience wouldn¡¯t think it was artificial, and she would gain a lot of fans.

    If the performance is not good, then what you will receive is a barrage of criticism.

    So this role can also be considered a double¨Cedged sword.

    And Vonnie¡¯s character was different, that character was very

    Chapter16

    appealing from the perspective of character design.

    And looking at Vonnie¡¯s makeup, she was trying a confident makeup. look, which matched her very well.

    I nced at Kimberly again.

    She was still doing her makeup, with several stylists surrounding her.

    No one knew who had upset her, the woman looked very pale.

    Vonnie saw me and ran over joyfully.

    She pulled me to a corner and started asking me about my progress with Reynaldo.

    Whenever I think of this, I am reminded ofst night when Reynaldo pushed me so hard, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little aggrieved and disheartened.

    I sighed to Vonnie, ¡°Let¡¯s take it slow.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Why? Could it be that he really couldn¡¯t do it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will work, I just know that he is really resisting me

    now.¡±

    Vonnie looked incredulous and said, ¡°Is he sick?¡±

    I shook my head and sighed.

    Pregnancy may have toe slowly. I feel that the more I push Reynaldo, the more counterproductive it is.

    Fortunately, Essie¡¯s condition is now very stable, and Anton has also promised that Essie will not have any problems before she turns ten

    Over there, Kimberly suddenly threw a tantrum and swept all the

    makeup stuff on the floor.

    Vonnie covered her mouth and chuckled with schadenfreude.

    I asked her. ¡°What happened to that woman?¡±

    Vonnie chuckled and said, ¡°You said this woman always pretends to be innocent, this kind of kind and simple character, she seems unable to act it out.¡±

    Several famous stylists did her makeup, but it seems that none of them really matched her well.

    Anyway, Mr. Russell shook his head at every makeup look she had.

    If it weren¡¯t for Quentin¡¯s pressure and earnestly speaking good words to Mr. Russell, Mr. Russell would have probably requested a recement long ago.

    ¡°But wasn¡¯t the poster released a long time ago? I thought the makeup on that poster was pretty good, right?¡±

    Vonnie chuckled. ¡°Those are all P¡¯s.¡±

    With that, she nced maliciously at Kimberly and said to me, ¡°Look, it¡¯s already morning to afternoon, and she hasn¡¯t even done her makeup yet. It¡¯s really hrious.¡±

    Perhaps realizing that we were mocking her, Kimberly suddenly turned her head and gave Vonnie and me a cold look.

    I gave her a cold smile.

    Chapter917

 Too Close 917

    Chapter917

    Vonnie sneered, ¡°Let her re for now. Once the y officially starts. watch me beat her to death.¡±

    Indeed, this drama has many scenes of abusing the female lead to show her resilience.

    In general. scenes like the female lead being beaten are usually filmed using the technique of ¡°stunt doubles¡°.

    However, it is said that Gilbert was very meticulous in filming, always strictly pursuing the ultimate perfect effect.

    So, for things like fight scenes, he would probably demand authenticity.

    In the drama, the scene where the second female lead abuses the female lead the most.

    If someone else had yed the second female lead, maybe they would have been more gentle. gentle.

    The key is that the supporting actress is yed by Vonnie.

    I absolutely believed that Vonnie would take strong action at that time.

    Hehe, this y really took a toll on Kimberly.

    With a dark thought in my mind, suddenly there was amotion at the entrance.

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo and Johnathan walking in.

    Our eyes met unexpectedly, and I looked away first, casually opening

    208 Mechers

    my phone to browse..

    Suddenly, a bottle of drink was handed to me.

    I raised my head in a daze and found it was Gilbert.

    On the set, Gilbert looked more serious than he did at the dinner party.

    But fortunately, he smiled at me and said, ¡°Please have a drink.¡±

    I took it and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    No sooner had the words fallen than two shadows appeared beside me.

    Johnathanughed at Gilbert and said, ¡°Mr. Russell, Mr. Humphrey and I are also thirsty. Can you get us two bottles of drinks?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±

    Gilbert said two words expressionlessly, then opened a bottle, took a sip, and handed it to him, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can have the rest.¡±

    Johnathan:¡­

    Just say it if you don¡¯t want to give!

    Johnathan suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°Esmie, I¡¯m thirsty. Give me a sip of your drink.¡±

    Vonnie suddenly said to him. ¡°There is a water dispenser and cups over there. Are you not thirsty enough to go pour yourself a drink?¡±

    Johnathan looked at Vonnie gloomily.

    Vonnie blinked at him and said, ¡°What? Do you want me to pour for you?<b>¡± </b>

    Johnathan rolled his eyes in silence.

    Chapter917

    ? 2014 Mouchers

    Since he and Reynaldo came in, I have always felt a burning gaze on. <ol><li><b>me</b><b>. </b></li></ol>

    I hardly needed to look up to know it was Reynaldo¡¯s gaze.

    It¡¯s just ridiculous, he didn¡¯t think I was malicious, thought I was full of tricks, and wouldn¡¯t even let me touch it?

    What are you staring at me for again?

    Thinking about the forceful push he gave mest night, my hip bone

    hurts.

    The momentary good mood waspletely gone when I

    Just then, a affected voice came.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Hmm!!!

    Whim.

    I felt nauseous for a moment, goosebumps covered the floor, and my mood became even more gloomy.

    Kimberly¡¯s makeup was not yet finished, and she ran over with slightly messy hair, smiling sweetly at Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, you came to visit. me.¡±

    I looked up just in time to see her ¡°affectionately linking arms with Reynaldo.¡±

    And Reynaldo didn¡¯t break free from her either, just quietly watching me, making a hint of sarcasm rise in my heart.

    He was really funny, that expression of his, as if he still wanted me to help him push away that woman¡¯s hand.

    I didn¡¯t refuse others, see what I did?

    I casually looked away, buried my head in my phone, pretending those. annoying people didn¡¯t exist.

    Just the next second, I felt a cold air pressure rising beside me.

 Too Close 918

    Chapter918

    I furrowed my brows, raised my head again, and saw Reynaldo had already pushed away Kimberly¡¯s hand, his ck eyes looking at me with a hint of resentment.

    I sneered in my heart.

    This man was really funny. I tried to get close to him, but he kept rejecting me and making fun of me.

    I didn¡¯t care about him, and he got angry.

    I really don¡¯t know what he wanted.

    Kimberly nced at me and said sweetly to Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, you are so busy yet you came to visit me, I am really happy¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± Before Reynaldo could speak. Johnathan exined, ¡°Reynaldo isn¡¯t here to visit you, I came to visit Vonnie. Reynaldo happened to be in my car, so I brought him along.¡±

    When he originally arrived here, he was nning to leave, but when he heard that Esmie was here, he followed her in. hehe.

    ¡°Puff¡±

    After hearing it, Vonnie covered her mouth and chuckled, ¡°Some people just like to be sentimental, it¡¯s really funny.¡±

    As she spoke, she nced meaningfully at Kimberly, which made Kimberly blush with anger.

    Reynaldo seemed to be not involved in their conversation at all, his

    dark eyes staring at me heavily as if wanting to poke a few holes <b>in </b>me.

    Because of what happenedst night, I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him.

    I deliberately smiled at Vonnie and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Ms. Palmer. Maybe someone really dide to visit her, using me as an excuse.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. Ralda, you really know how tofort Ms. Palmer.¡±

    People just have to ept reality. Youfort her like this, be careful. she doesn¡¯t be infatuated with Mr. Humphrey again,

    daydreaming.¡±

    Even a fool could tell that I and Vonnie were deliberately humiliating

    Kimberly.

    Johnathan happened to nod in agreement, ¡°Yes, Vonnie makes sense.¡±

    Kimberly was so angry that her face turned green. She looked at Reynaldo with a grievance and choked out, ¡°Reynaldo, I am your sister. When you suddenly showed up, I thought you were here to visit me. Isn¡¯t that normal?¡±

    Why did they treat me like this? Humiliate me?

    She said, wiping her tears in a grievance, looking as if she had been bullied.

    Just as Reynaldo was about to take charge, Quentin suddenly appeared.

    Quentin saw her crying, hurried over, and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kimberly? What happened?¡±

    Kimberly seemed reluctant to see Quentin, she furrowed her brows slightly, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    Chapter th

    Only those tearful eyes still looked sadly at Reynaldo, as if hoping that Reynaldo could protect her as before.

    However, Reynaldo never looked at her directly.

    Johnathan looked at her in confusion and said, ¡°It¡¯s strange, Kimberly. Isn¡¯t your man here? You should just cry to your man. Why are you staring at Mr. Humphrey with tears in your eyes? It¡¯s not like Mr. Humphrey bullied you.¡±

    When Johnathan said this, Quentin looked at Kimberly with aplex. look in his eyes, and a hint of gloom quickly shed across his handsome face.

    Kimberly seemed afraid that Quentin might misunderstand, so she threw herself into Quentin¡¯s arms and choked out, ¡°You know, I am Reynaldo¡¯s stepsister, grew up with Reynaldo since childhood, and have a good rtionship with him.¡±

    So when Reynaldo suddenly showed up today, I thought he wasing to visit me.

    They allughed at me, saying I was ¡°being sentimental¡°.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m not likable, but do they all have to be against me like this?¡±

    The woman said, crying more and more pitifully and sadly.

    And Quentin, as if unable to bear her tears, showed a touch of pity on his face.

    Chapter <b>19 </b>

    Chapter919

 Too Close 919

    Chapter919

    He looked over with a cold face, as if he was going to speak up for Kimberly.

    Vonnic saw it and instantly got angry..

    He said with his chest puffed out, ¡°I told Ralda she was being overly sentimental, so what?¡±

    Originally, Mr. Humphrey came to see our Ralda, and she ran over excitedly saying. ¡°Mr. Humphrey came to see her. Isn¡¯t that being presumptuous?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face instantly darkened: ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips, not only did she not shut up, but also coldly snorted. ¡°Being apdog to this extent is really enough. She chases after Mr. Humphrey all day long, calling out ¡®Reynaldo, Reynaldo¡®, acting all sweet and fake, and you actually can tolerate it!¡±

    ¡°Lavonne!¡±

    Quentin roared, as if he was going toe over to Vonnie.

    I quickly stood up and stood in front of Vonnie, while Johnathan also held Vonnie in his arms.

    Johnathan hummed, ¡°Mr. Duffy is really strange. The problem lies with your woman. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t talk about your woman, but you even started yelling about my woman. Do you really think I¡¯m dead?¡±

    Quentin stared heavily at Vonnie, his hand at his side tightening w.

    anger.

    <i>J </i>

    Chaps10

    I smiled faintly at him and said, ¡°Mr. Duffy, did Vonnie say something wrong? It¡¯s one thing to deceive yourself, but why not let others speak the truth?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s gaze shifted to me, carrying a hint of indescribableplexity and sadness.

    He gave me a deep look and didn¡¯t say anything else, then he took Kimberly and left.

    Kimberly had something on Quentin and didn¡¯t dare to make a scene, so she obediently followed Quentin.

    When Kimberly left. the air around became much fresher.

    No, it was still a bit oppressive, because Reynaldo was still there, and that dark, oppressive gaze was still there.

    I wanted to leave. I was about to ask Vonnie when she finished work today, so we could go out for a mealter.

    But Vonnie was flirting with Johnathan.

    s, my Vonnie is no longer just my Vonnie.

    At that moment, Reynaldo suddenly said to me, ¡°I didn¡¯t drive here, can you give me a ride on your way back?¡±

    ¡°Who said I was going back?¡± I instinctively replied.

    Reynaldo instantly frowned, a little annoyed, ¡°Where are you going then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s any of your business where I go,¡± I said tly.

    Since this man resisted me so much, he would give me a cold look whenever he saw me, so why bother caring about me so much?

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkenedpletely, and he stared at me coldly

    And at that moment. Gilbert, who had been sitting beside me cracking sunflower seeds, suddenly said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?¡±

    I was taken aback, looking at Gilbert inexplicably.

    All of a sudden, what was he up to?

    And Gilbert didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who enjoys joining in

    the fun.

    Sure enough, the next second, Gilbert solemnly said to me. ¡°I really admire Ms. Duffy¡¯s talent. I was actually nning to invite Ms. Duffy to dinner yesterday, but I was worried that Ms. Duffy might not have time.¡±

    Today Ms. Duffy seemed to be free, so we will have a meal togetherter, mainly about the details of this ¡°Rose Queen¡°, I still need to learn more from Ms. Duffy.

    I told you, Gilbert was famous for being a workaholic and a perfectionist.

    If it weren¡¯t for work, why would he suddenly ask me out for dinner?

    Thinking about work. I nodded at him and said, ¡°Okay, so about¡­<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Chapter920

    Chapter920

 Too Close 920

    Chapter920

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when a low growl suddenly sounded beside <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    I furrowed my brows and saw Reynaldo staring at me with a fierce look between his eyebrows.

    It was as if saying. ¡°If you dare to go cat with him, I will kill you!¡±

    The key is, with his attitude towards me, why does he have the right to control me?

    Moreover, when I go out to eat with someone, it¡¯s always about work, not something else.

    Thinking about how he treated mest night, I was so angry that I couldn¡¯t help but hold a grudge against him for a while.

    I ignored him and turned to Gilbert, saying, ¡°You reserve a seat that night.¡±

    Gilbert said, ¡°I had made a reservation at the Natural Serenity Restaurant, in private room number 7.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Okay. Mr. Russell, just let me know the specific time when you arrive.¡±

    I took out my phone and added WhatsApp with him as we spoke.

    During this process, I felt Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were almost ¡°shooting fire¡±

    at me.

    Johnathan smelled gunpowder and finally stopped flirting with

    0.00%

    08:22

    Chapter920

    Vonnie.

    He leaned over and grinned at Gilbert, saying, ¡°Mr. Russell, we are all human beings too. Why don¡¯t you treat us all while you¡¯re at it?¡±

    Gilbert looked down at his phone, added my WhatsApp, and said without looking up, ¡°No, I only invited Ms. Duffy.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s face darkened, ¡°After all, we are the biggest investors. The day you came to Freybourne, Mr. Humphrey warmly weed you. And yet, when it came time to treat you to a meal, you refused?¡±

    Gilbert looked at him expressionlessly and said, ¡°When you can write such an excellent script like Ms. Duffy, I will treat you.¡±

    Johnathan blinked twice, waited for Gilbert to walk away, and then realized angrily, ¡°You arrogant director, who do you think you are looking down on?¡±

    Vonnie looked at him coldly, as if to say, ¡°I look down on you.¡±

    Johnathan was feeling down, staring at Vonnie with a poker face and said, ¡°Can <i>I </i>have a word with you?¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s face turned red inexplicably, and she tossed her high ponytail, saying, ¡°No, I still need to do my makeup.¡±

    With that, she walked towards her dressing table.

    Johnathan followed along eagerly.

    <i>At </i>that moment, there was only Reynaldo and me left in the corner, and the man¡¯s gaze seemed even more intense and oppressive.

    I always ignored him and walked away with my bag.

    Just as he left the crew, Reynaldo chased after him.

    Chapter920

    ¡°Esmeralda, stop right there!¡±

    A deep voice, with a clear sense of oppression and threat.

    120oucher

    I stopped, turned around, and saw him walking towards me with a serious face.

    ¡°No going out to eat with him alone!¡±

    A cold voice, amanding tone.

    Ha, that¡¯s hrious, why shouldn¡¯t he be allowed?

    I looked up into his angry eyes and smiled lightly at him, ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡±

    Reynaldo squinted gloomily, anger gathering between his brows.

    I ignored him and turned to walk towards the car.

    He grabbed me tightly, his voice deep with a hint of restraint.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you again, no going out to eat with him alone.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong

    with you? Let go of me!¡±

    I really hated hismanding tone, especially the way he treated me like an enemy and wanted to control me. Why should he have the right to do that?!

    The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I forcefully shook his hand, but to my surprise, he didn¡¯t pull me with much force, so I exerted too much force and ended up taking a few steps back, bumping into the car behind me.

    Chapter921

 Too Close 921

    Last night, the push he gave me really hurt my buttocks when I fell.

    This hit the car, pulling the ce where I fellst night, and I immediately frowned in pain, reaching for my hip.

    He must have fallen and bruised there.

    Reynaldo was stunned for two seconds, his dark eyes fixed on the ce I was covering.

    He seemed to have guessed something, aplex expression shed across his handsome face, which I couldn¡¯t understand, like guilt, yet also like heartache.

    He took two steps closer, his voice low and somewhat awkward, ¡°Did you hurt yourselfst night?¡±

    I turned my face away, my eyes reddening with anger. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. It¡¯s my own fault for lowering myself and desperately trying to get close to someone, only to have that person despise me, reject me, and ruthlessly push me away.¡±

    ¡°Ah, people have their pride, I won¡¯t do that again.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that.¡±

    Reynaldo reached out as if he wanted to see where I had been hurt from being thrownst night, but his hand stopped halfway in the air.

    He looked at me steadily, his eyes deep like a vast sea.

    He seemed to exin, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to use so much force, I¡­ didn¡¯t do

    0.00%

    17229 Mochers

    it on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Hey, when you pushed me away, it was just instinct, after all, detest me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t despise you.¡± Reynaldo said, frowning seriously.

    you just

    I smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, anyway I won¡¯t be so stupid to flirt with you in the future.¡±

    Of course, as an adult, I inevitably have needs.

    Since you wouldn¡¯t let me touch you, I couldn¡¯t help but find someone else at that time. You better not¡­.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly leaned against the car and trapped me between him and the car body.

    The moment of heartache and guilt just now disappeared instantly.

    He red at me fiercely, ¡°Esmeralda, if you dare to look for someone else, I will really kill you!¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want!¡±

    I hummed and pushed his chest, wanting to leave.

    He suddenly pushed me back again, with great force, and for a moment, it pulled on my already sore waist and hips.

    My face wrinkled with pain.

    He stared at me for two seconds, then his big hand suddenly slid to m waist and gently pressed down.

    I immediately cried out in pain, ring at him with resentment.

    Chapter921

    He pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll take a look when we get back. I think you might have bruised it.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡± I turned my face away, annoyed.

    He stared at me in silence for a while, then suddenly let go of me, and his tall figure also took two steps back.

    He whispered to me, ¡°Okay, stop making a fuss. I¡¯ll buy some medicine for bruisester and apply it to you when we get back.¡±

    I ignored him, opened the car door, and got in by myself.

    When I was about to close the car door, he grabbed my door and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I said, it¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, his jaw tightened, and he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother you either, but the kids said they wanted you to pick them up after school today.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to tell me, I will go pick them up too.¡±

    As I was speaking, I was about to close the car door, but unfortunately, I pulled for a long time and couldn¡¯t move it.

    I frowned and red at him, ¡°Let go!¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t move, and his dark eyes instantly took on a sense of oppression.

    Chapter922

    Chapter922

 Too Close 922

    Chapter922

    He argued with me for a long time, but in the end, he still issued that warning: ¡°At night, you are not allowed to go out to dinner alone with Gilbert!¡±

    Oh, look, a nominal husband who wouldn¡¯t let me touch is now meddling in my personal life.

    Back in the day when I had just married him, even though I didn¡¯t let him touch me. I didn¡¯t interfere with his private life at all, did I?

    So, as I said, why does he have the right to control me?!

    The pain in my waist and hips brought my resentment to the extreme.

    Seeing his gloomy face, he refused to open the car door.

    I was so angry that I got out of the car and pushed him hard, saying, ¡°If you want to show your attitude, do it in front of the mirror, not in front of me!¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to have softened at this moment, and he was pushed back a few steps by me in an instant.

    He red at me angrily and said, ¡°Esmeralda, you¡­¡±

    <i>I </i>was toozy to listen to him, so I mmed the car door shut and started the engine.

    In the rearview mirror/was his extremely gloomy face.

    The car merged into the mainne, and Reynaldo¡¯s figure slowly disappeared in the rearview mirror.

    <b>UB </b>

    Chapter922

    Actually, I didn¡¯t know where to go now, I just simply didn¡¯t want to see Reynaldo.

    When I passed through an intersection, I turned onto a side road and then parked the car on the side of the road.

    I leaned back on the chair, feeling bored, and stared nkly at the trees. on the street.

    Ipletely couldn¡¯t understand Reynaldo now.

    Hate me, but still like to control me.

    He rejected me, but couldn¡¯t stand to see me talking to other men.

    What did he really want?

    Thinking back tost night¡¯s scene, I felt a little low and sad.

    Damn Reynaldo!

    I really don¡¯t want to take the initiative anymore.

    If it doesn¡¯t work, I might as well knock him out and then have a professional doctor extract his sperm?

    While lost in my thoughts, I suddenly saw a familiar figure getting off

    a car.

    I furrowed my brows and sat up straight, looking carefully.

    The man was seen walking towards a nondescript house on the side.

    However, strangely enough, looking at that figure, it kind of resembles Kimberly, doesn¡¯t it?

    Wasn¡¯t she just taken away by Quentin on set just now? How did she suddenly appear here?

    Chapter922

    The woman sneaked into the room surreptitiously.

    I quickly got off the car and followed up.

    Crossing the flowerbed by the roadside, there was a very small courtyard.

    Behind the courtyard was a three¨Cstory small Western¨Cstyle building, which looked quite ordinary and a bit run¨Cdown.

    I walked into the yard and stood in front of the door, looking around.

    The woman went in, and then the door closed again.

    I didn¡¯t dare to knock on the door again. If that woman really was Kimberly, then her sneaky arrival here must have some kind of conspiracy.

    If I suddenly knocked on the door, wouldn¡¯t it be like ¡®beating the grass to scare the snake¡°?

    Should we continue to secretly follow that woman and observe for a couple more days?

    I was thinking in my heart when suddenly a hoarse sound of a wooden door opening was heard, and the old wooden door in front of me was suddenly pulled open from the inside.

    I was startled and quickly took a few steps back.

    Out came a woman in her fifties.

    Chapter972

    The woman sneaked into the room surreptitiously.

    I quickly got off the car and followed up.

    Crossing the flowerbed by the roadside, there was a very small courtyard.

    Behind the courtyard was a three¨Cstory small Western¨Cstyle building, which looked quite ordinary and a bit run¨Cdown.

    I walked into the yard and stood in front of the door, looking around.

    The woman went in, and then the door closed again.

    I didn¡¯t dare to knock on the door again. If that woman really was Kimberly, then her sneaky arrival here must have some kind of conspiracy.

    If I suddenly knocked on the door, wouldn¡¯t it be like ¡®beating the grass to scare the snake¡°?

    Should we continue to secretly follow that woman and observe for a couple more days?

    I was thinking in my heart when suddenly a hoarse sound of a wooden door opening was heard, and the old wooden door in front of me was suddenly pulled open from the inside.

    I was startled and quickly took a few steps back.

    Out came a woman in her fifties.

    Chapter923

    Chapter923

 Too Close 923

    Chapter923

    She also paused for a moment when she saw me, then she asked me. ¡°May I ask who you are looking for?¡±

    Suppressing the panic in my heart, I calmly said, ¡°Hello, I am selling insurance. Do you need to buy insurance?¡±

    The woman furrowed her brows and impatiently said, ¡°No need, no need. Just go quickly and don¡¯t disturb people resting here.¡±

    The woman had a basket hanging on her arm, as if she was going out to buy vegetables.

    I didn¡¯t linger and quickly returned to the car.

    I drove the car to a more secluded ce and parked it. I looked at the house and thought. ¡°If it really is Kimberly, what would she be doing in that house?¡±

    I thought for a moment, then took out my phone and gave Quentin a call.

    Quentin seemed quite busy, and there was the sound of rustling water over there.

    However, when he answered my call, his voice still carried a hint of joy, ¡°Ralda, is there something you need by calling me?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked lightly, unable to resist a hint of sarcasm in my voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t I interrupt your lovey¨Cdovey time with Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°Ralda, what are you talking about,¡± Quentin said urgently, ¡°Whenever

    Qupter923

    you call me, it¡¯s never a bother.¡±

    ¡°Ha. Kimberly is right next to you. If she hears what you just said, she might start crying again.¡±

    After all, she wanted to dominate everyone, whether it was Reynaldo, you, or even her own brother.

    Her main selling point was that ¡°all the men in the world had to revolve around her.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Quentin¡¯s voice sounded somewhat helpless.

    He paused and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kimberly is not at home, she is still at the set doing makeup. Ralda, I am cooking,e to my ceter¡­¡±

    ¡°No need, I hung up.¡± I interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

    He seemed anxious and quickly called out to me, ¡°Ralda, wait, you¡­ you suddenly called me, is there something you want to tell me?¡±

    ¡°No problem. I dialed the wrong number by ident, but you happened to answer, so I just said a few words and then hung up.¡±

    Without waiting for Quentin to respond, I hung up the phone expressionlessly.

    Next, I called Vonnie again.

    As soon as the phone was answered, Vonnie immediately asked me, ¡°Ralda, did you just have another argument with Reynaldo?¡±

    I was stunned, ¡°Why would you say that?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see Reynaldo¡¯s face, scared the hell out of me, and he just

    Chapter923

    went crazy, dragging Johnathan away.¡±

    I:¡­.

    He was really acting crazy.

    Returning to the point, I asked her, ¡°Is Kimberly on set?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not here,¡± Vonnie said. ¡°She left early, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I lowered my gaze, and it seemed that the woman I saw just indeed Kimberly.

    now was

    However, she suddenly ran into this remote house, what kind of conspiracy is she brewing after all?

    Who was in that room?

    With doubts in my mind. I observed that room for a long time.

    I had been waiting for almost an hour, but that

    out.

    Woman still didn¡¯te

    As it was almost time for the babies to get out of school, I had to go pick them up first.

    When I arrived at school. I was about five minuteste.

    The teacher was waiting at the school gate, holding Essie and Roddy¡¯s hands.

    As I passed by, two children ran towards me.

    ¡°Mommy, mommy<b>¡­ </b>

    Essie was so excited that she plunged into my arms, but bumped into my hip all of a sudden.

    The pain was so intense that I couldn¡¯t help but hiss.

    Chapter924

    im your reward! Do not miss today¡¯s check¨Cin!

    Chapter924

 Too Close 924

    Chapter924

    It¡¯s strange,st night when I fell, it didn¡¯t hurt this much, but today it¡¯s getting more and more painful, I can¡¯t even touch it.

    Essie looked at me with a worried expression and asked, ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong? Are you in pain?¡±

    I smiled and shook my head at her, ¡°No, just Mommy almost got knocked over by you.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Essie¡¯s eyes widened, surprised as she said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll gently rush into mommy¡¯s arms in the future.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Kids say the darndest things.¡±

    I walked to the car with two children.

    Roddy suddenly asked me, ¡°Mommy, why are you picking us up again today? Where¡¯s daddy?¡±

    I was taken aback. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it your mom who was supposed to pick you up today?¡±

    The two children nced at each other.

    Then she shook her head at me and said, ¡°No, there isn¡¯t.¡±

    Um.

    Reynaldo was also strange. He didn¡¯t have time to pick up the kids, so why lie to me and say the children wanted me to pick them up?

    As I was about to start the car, my phone suddenly rang, it was a message from Gilbert.

    He had already set the dinner time at six o¡¯clock and then sent me an address.

    At six o¡¯clock, after I had dropped off the child. I rushed to the restaurant, and the timing was just right.

    Just as I returned to the <b>vi </b>and walked in with two kids in tow, I saw Reynaldo sitting in a prominent position on the living room sofa.

    It turns out he had a lot of free time today, so why did he still lie to me to pick up the babies?

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    The two little ones saw him and ran happily towards him.

    Reynaldo ced the magazine in his hand on the coffee table, opened his arms and embraced the two little ones, a rare touch of tenderness shing in his eyes.

    He touched the heads of the two little ones and said gently, ¡°Go wash your hands, we will have dinnerter.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The two little ones were very obedient. They put down their school bags and went to the bathroom one after the other.

    The child was brought back, and I had to go to the restaurant.

    I looked at the time and there were forty minutes left until six o¡¯clock.

    When I was about to turn around and leave, Reynaldo suddenly called out to me, his voice not as cold and indifferent as before, but also not

    very warm.

    He said. ¡°The meal at home is almost ready, where are you going

    again?¡±

    What? This man has amnesia?

    I turned around and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you forgot that Mr. Russell invited me to dinner. I have to hurry over there now.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face visibly darkened.

    ¡°So, you had to go to his dinner, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I shrugged andughed at him, saying, ¡°Why not? Mr. Russell invited me to dinner because of work, why wouldn¡¯t I go?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly sneered, ¡°If it¡¯s for work, then why only invite you?¡±

    ¡°How would I know?¡± I rolled my eyes at him and huffed. ¡°If you want to know the reason, then go ask him yourself.¡±

    Reynaldo looked as if I had angered him again, ring at me fiercely with a cold and stern expression.

    I could really see his expression clearly.

    I ignored him and walked away.

    Madisyn suddenly called out to me again.

    She came out of the kitchen with a dish in her hand and smiled at me. saying. ¡°Ms. Duffy, today Mr. Humphrey specially bought a lot of ingredients you love, and many dishes were personally made by Mr. Humphrey. Come and have a taste.¡±

    Chapter925

 Too Close 925

    I suddenly looked at Reynaldo, full of disbelief in my heart..

    Really?

    With his cold and fierce attitude towards me every time, would he personally cook delicious food for me?

    Faced with my skeptical gaze, Reynaldo turned his face away somewhat angrily.

    He loosened his tie and hummed lightly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I identally knock you overst night? So I made you a meal aspensation.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I stared at him expressionlessly. ¡°There¡¯s no need forpensation, after all, the fallst night was my own fault, right Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    Reynaldo red at me sullenly, as if too angry to speak.

    At that time, the angrier he got, the happier I felt.

    I smiled and said to him. ¡°Mr. Humphrey, don¡¯t stare at me. Take the kids to eat quickly, be careful not to let the food get coldter.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡± Reynaldo spat out the word darkly.

    I snorted andughed, then turned and left.

    I got into the car and started the engine. Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw Reynaldo standing at the door with a gloomy expression, with two little ones holding onto his coat, one on each side.

    This scene looked like three abandoned father and son, pitiful.

    Ugh!

    What are you thinking about?

    With Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy and aggressive temperament, as well as his arrogant attitude, could he be the one who was abandoned?!

    I rolled down the window and smiled at the two children, saying. ¡°Mommy has something to do and will be backter to be with you.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, Mom, be careful on the road.¡±

    The two children kindly reminded me, and in the end, they even shook Reynaldo¡¯s hand, as if signaling Reynaldo to say something.

    However, Reynaldo just gave me a fierce look and then turned around and went into the house.

    <i>The </i>

    two children stomped their feet in anger, chased into the house. and shouted ¡°stinky dad¡± in their mouths.

    I pursed my lips.

    Look, even two children can coax people better than him.

    Looking back now, whether it was four years ago or four yearster, Reynaldo always had such a cold attitude towards me, never patiently coaxing me.

    Thinking about Reynaldo¡¯s attitude towards me these days, I felt very upset.

    If it weren¡¯t for Essie, the devil would have had a third child with him.

    It¡¯s really annoying.

    There was some traffic around six o¡¯clock,

    and by the time I arrived at

    Chap 25

    the restaurant, it was already six ten.

    I hurriedly arrived at the private room reserved by Gilbert.

    Gilbert was already in the private room, studying the script.

    The restaurant he chose had a lot of style, and the decoration in the private room was fresh and elegant.

    Seeing meing over, he stood up and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you¡¯re here.¡±

    I nodded, pulled out a chair and sat down, apologizing to him. ¡°There was a bit of traffic on the road, sorry for keeping you waiting.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, I had just arrived a moment ago.¡±

    He said, and then instructed the waiter to start serving the dishes.

    I took another look at the private room.

    The private room was very spacious, with calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, and two pots of orchids ced in the corner, emitting a faint fragrance.

    The dining table was square and veryrge.

    I sat with him alone on one side, and it felt a bit awkward no matter how I looked at it.

    Gilbert poured me a ss of water, his hand stretching so far to reach me that I felt a little embarrassed.

    I busily took the water and said ¡°thank you¡± to him.

    Chap976

    Chapter926

 Too Close 926

    He replied with a straight face, ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± without a hint of embarrassment.

    The waiter quickly brought the dishes over, and soon the table was filled with a variety of dishes.

    Gilbert handed me the menu again and said to me expressionlessly, ¡°Ms. Duffy, what else would you like to eat? Just order whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Enough, that¡¯s enough. I love to eat everything you ordered.¡±

    I chuckled at him and thought to myself. ¡°Gilbert¡¯s personality is really upright.¡±

    In front of him, why do I feel a sense of oppression as if facing a strict teacher?

    As I was thinking to myself, Gilbert suddenly looked at me with a straightforward and honest gaze.

    He said, ¡°Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t need to be polite to me. Just tell me what you want to eat.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I smiled at him and finally couldn¡¯t help but say to him, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s just the two of us eating. We can reserve a table in the downstairs hall, that table is small, more convenient.¡±

    ¡°But the hall downstairs was too noisy, so I wanted to stay quiet with Ms. Duffy for a while.¡±

    Ugh!

    This sounds a bit strange.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy is dining,¡± Gilbert said, picking up his fork to start eating.

    And I just felt embarrassed for no reason.

    This table is fine being a bit smaller.

    This table is so big that it can seat more than ten people, but in the end, only the two of us sat here, which felt strange no matter how you looked at it.

    Gilbert didn¡¯t say a word while cooking.

    I didn¡¯t know how to speak up either, so I just buried my head and ate the dishes in front of me.

    This meal, ¡°ate out¡± a strange atmosphere.

    Ah ah ah ah!

    This Gilbert is so boring. If you stay with him for a long time, you will probably get internal injuries.

    In the spacious private room, there was no music.

    I felt so quiet that I thought even the sound of my swallowing was too loud.

    I don¡¯t know how long it had passed when I suddenly felt a gaze fixed

    <b>on </b>me.

    I slowly raised my eyes and saw Gilbert had already put down his fork, staring at me without blinking.

    I was taken aback, ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong? <i>Mr. </i>Russell?¡±

    O

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can continue cating.¡± Gilbert said calmly.

    I put down my fork and smiled at him, saying, ¡°I have finished eating. What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Russell, you can tell me.

    ¡°Since Ms. Duffy has also caten, let¡¯s officially start discussing this script.¡±

    I:¡­

    What on earth is Gilbert?

    However, chatting about the script is always better than the atmosphere. during the meal just now, at least there is some talking.

    Ah!

    If this man invites me to dinner alone in the future, I definitely won¡¯t

    While I was chatting with Gilbert about the script, a sudden knock on the door was heard.

    I was about to get up to open the door.

    Suddenly, the door was violently pushed open by someone.

    The first one toe in was Kimberly, looking as if she was here to catch someone in the act.

    After she came in, all the people behind her also followed in.

    There was Quentin, there was Johnathan, there was Vonnie, and¡­ Reynaldo.

    Oh, they all arrived quite punctually

    Reynaldo seemed to be forced by Johnathan, his arm being pulled by

    Chapter925

    Johnathan, his dark face full of reluctance.

    Vonnie looked around the private room with a curious expression on her face.

    Quentin then grabbed Kimberly¡¯s arm as if to prevent her from doing something.

    08231

 Too Close 927

    Kimberly did not pay attention to him, her eyes filled with surprise. looking back and forth between me and Gilbert. Finally, she turned to me, angry and reproachful, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, how could you secretly rendezvous with Mr. Russell here?¡±

    Although Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, you are still his wife, the mother of his children. On one hand, you are entangled with Reynaldo, on the other hand, you are having an affair with Mr. Russell.

    ¡°Can you justify this to Reynaldo, to your children?¡±

    Oops!!!

    Kimberly suddenly became so righteous.

    I said to her with a forced smile, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you, Ms. Palmer, who deliberately introduced me to Mr. Russell in the first ce, and went to great lengths to connect me with Mr. Russell?¡±

    Howe when I have dinner with Mr. Russell, you suddenly be the embodiment of justice?¡±

    ¡°I¡±

    ¡°Also, you know that I am married to Reynaldo and we have two children.¡±

    Why do you always cling to him, even used to throw yourself into his arms at the drop of a hat?

    Since you are so righteous, why don¡¯t you p yourself in the face a

    couple of times to atone for your past interference?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Quentin suddenly called out to me in a low voice, his eyes filled withplexity and pleading.

    It was as if he was begging me to stop talking.

    I turned my head and pretended I hadn¡¯t seen it.

    Kimberly persisted in telling me, ¡°Ms. Dully, my rtionship with Reynaldo is purely sibling, don¡¯t confuse it.¡±

    Moreover, we are talking about you now, hoping Ms. Duffy will not change the subject, okay?

    I smiled, leaned back in the chair, and looked at her with a casual nce that passed over the various faces behind her.

    I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.

    Kimberly came to ¡°catch someone cheating¡°, I can still understand.

    After all, this woman always wanted to harm me. Even without any reason, she would still find ways to create some trouble.

    Reynaldo came, I could understand.

    After all, he had never allowed me to have dinner alone with Gilbert, so it was eptable for him toe and check the situation.

    The question was, ¡°What are Vonnie and Johnathan up to now?¡±

    I looked at Vonnie, ready to glean some information from her eyes.

    When that woman came in, her eyes were wandering around, she didn¡¯t even look at me.

    Looking at Johnathan again, he was pulling Reynaldo, with a big grin

    3147%

    on his face.

    However, Reynaldopletely ignored him, his cold eyes staring at <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    Silently withdrawing my gaze from the three of them, I looked at Kimberly with a smile that was not quite a smile, nodding at her and saying, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t change the subject. Ms. Palmer, please continue.¡±

    Kimberly was taken aback for a moment, as if she hadn¡¯t expected me to suddenly cooperate like this.

    Quentin kept pulling her arm as if to signal her to stop messing around.

    But Kimberly finally caught this opportunity to nder me, how could she listen to him!

    Kimberly said to me

    been here for a few <i>with </i>a look of reproach, ¡°Mr. Russell has only

    days, and you¡¯ve already seduced him. Do you

    think you¡¯re being fair to Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever thought about his feelings when you meet other men behind his back like this?¡±

    Look at the indignant look on this woman¡¯s face, I couldn¡¯t help but feel likeughing.

    Looking at Gilbert sitting on the other side of the dining table, his face had turned as dark as a potsticker.

    Kimberly must have some skills to turn Gilbert, who is so stiff, into this.

 Too Close 928

    Kimberly was still saying indignantly.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°So, Ms. Palmer came to catch the adulterer with a group of people?¡±

    ¡°If you can walk the straight and narrow on your own, why would you be afraid of me catching you?¡± Kimberly said to me, looking excited and angry.

    It made it seem like I ¡°cheated on¡± her man.

    What¡¯s even funnier is that the guys behind her all kept their mouths. shut and let Kimberly nder me.

    Izily leaned back in the chair and smiled faintly at Kimberly, saying, ¡°It¡¯s really a trap for catching adulterers, but what kind of adultery is Ms. Palmer trying to catch?¡±

    Seeing Ms. Palmer¡¯s angry look, one would think that Mr. Russell was

    your man.

    ¡°You always care about other men like this, what do you think Quentin?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face darkened, revealing a hint of indescribable suppressed forbearance.

    Kimberly nced back at him, her face slightly changing.

    She eximed to me angrily, ¡°You are fooling around outside by yourself, how dare you bring others into this? Reynaldo is so sincere to you, can you treat him like this?¡±

    O

    ¡°Making a mess?¡± I chuckled, ¡°Then may I ask. Ms. Palmer, how do you know that your eyes saw me and Mr. Russell messing around in here?<b>¡± </b>

    Kimberly was taken aback by me and finally said, ¡°It¡¯s all because we arrived early. If we hadeter, you might have done something dirty to Mr. Russell.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ You really hit the jackpot this time, finally catching such a good opportunity to nder me. Howe you haven¡¯t seized it yet?¡±

    ¡°You should have timed it right to barge in, catch me and Mr. Russell red¨Chanded, and take photos as evidence. That¡¯s what catching an affair effectively means, understand?¡±

    ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± Kimberly seemed speechless after I confronted her, and finally turned to Reynaldo in a hurry, pretending to say, ¡°Reynaldo, look, she admitted it herself that she was going to do that inappropriate thing with Mr. Russell. Luckily we arrived early, or else¡­¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡±

    Without waiting for her to finish, Gilbert, who had been silent with a stern face, suddenly mmed the table.

    The sound was not small at all, and it came suddenly. Except for Reynaldo, who remained expressionless, everyone else was startled.

    Johnathan came to his senses and embraced Vonnie, giving Gilbert a big eye roll.

    Gilbert ignored him and just frowned at Kimberly, ¡°I invited Ms. Duffy to dinner openly. You said we were having an affair. Your imagination is so rich, why don¡¯t you go write a script and be an actor?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am not, Mr. Russell, I¡­¡±

    O

    Chapter928

    ¡°And another thing! Your acting is so bad, instead of staying at home. to work on your acting skills and script, why are you here causing trouble?¡±

    Who am I to you<b>, </b>Ms. Duffy? Do we have any rtionship with you at all? What are you trying to catch?

    ¡°You are so eager to catch someone cheating, why don¡¯t you go have an affair yourself, or let your man have an affair, and then you can catch each other cheating, wouldn¡¯t that be more fun.¡±

    I stared at Gilbert in astonishment.

    I didn¡¯t expect this man to be so good at arguing, hisbat power is simply off the charts.

    Kimberly was dumbfounded for a second, then her face turned crimson. with embarrassment.

    Quentin¡¯s face looked even worse.

    Vonnie hung her head, her shoulders shaking constantly, presumably trying to hold backughter.

    Johnathan pursed his lips, flipped his eyelids and looked at the ceiling, also with a suppressed smile.

    Reynaldo frowned slightly, his sharp eyes scanning Gilbert up and down.

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    Chapter929

    Indeed, Gilbert¡¯s output at that moment stunned me.

    Kimberly came to her senses and quickly said to Gilbert, ¡°Mr. Russell, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m not here to catch a cheater, it¡¯s at

    misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°I see you enjoy catching adulterers the most. Wasn¡¯t it you who broke into this door? If it wasn¡¯t you leading the way, then who was it?¡± Gilbert said to her expressionlessly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to y the leading role in this y, just say so. There¡¯s no need to provoke me like this.¡±

    Kimberly seemed to bepletely desperate.

    After all, she also wanted to act in Gilbert¡¯s y and hoped to be a top star with this y.

    Although the producer is Quentin, with Gilbert¡¯s fame and status in the industry, it is not impossible for him to insist on changing the leading

    actress<b>. </b>

    Kimberly hurriedly said to Gilbert, ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me, it was Mr. Dup, Mr. Dup brought me to catch the adulterer.¡±

    Johnathan, who was originally just watching the excitement on the ceiling, was immediately angered when he heard this: ¡°Hey hey hey¡­. You wanted to catch the adulterer yourself, why did you drag me into this? When did I ever say I would bring you to catch the adulterer?¡±

    Weren¡¯t you the one who burst into this room with us? Weren¡¯t you the one who pointed at Esmie and kept saying that Esmie was having an affair with Mr. Russell?

    §±

    <

    ¡°Howe you¡¯re ming me now?¡±

    Kimberly listened, feeling both anxious and angry, ¡°It was you who told me that Mr. Russell took Ms. Duffy out to dinner alone, and even suggested that they might be having an affair.¡±

    He also said that if he hade over at that time, he might have caught them red¨Chanded.

    ¡°It was you who told me the location of the private room, and it was you who encouraged me toe. Why are you now denying it?¡±

    Johnathan rolled his eyes and said, ¡°You know that was just a guess, said ¡®maybe¡®, who knew you would take it seriously.¡±

    Besides, did I tell you the location of the private room was for you to catch the affair?

    ¡°I clearly invited you toe over for a meal, don¡¯t you know how to appreciate it?¡±

    Kimberly was on the verge of tears.

    Vonnie chuckled at her again and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer, it¡¯s not me who¡¯s saying this, but you have a suspicious mind, always thinking that everyone is having an affair. But you can¡¯t suspect Mr. Russell either.¡±

    Mr. Russell was a man of integrity, you are simply ruining hist reputation.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Kimberly said urgently, her tearful eyes ring fiercely at Vonnie.

    Vonnie pursed her lips and said, ¡°If it¡¯s not about you, don¡¯t tell Mr. Russell.¡±

    I

    me,

    tell

    Gilbert was really angry this time. His normally serious and stern

    <b>39.35</b><b>% </b>

    ???

    personality was now even more intimidating with a stern face.

    Kimberly was so angry that her eyes were red, shaking Quentin¡¯s hand as if she wanted Quentin to stand up for her.

    Quentin nced at me and finally just patted her back and said, ¡°Okay Kimberly, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding, don¡¯t be angry, it¡¯s not good for your health.¡±

    Kimberly shook off his hand and didn¡¯t want to talk to him.

    Quentin pursed his lips in disappointment, then turned to Gilbert and said, ¡°Mr. Russell, this was just a misunderstanding. Kimberly is just a jealous and vindictive person. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Actually, she was also studying the script carefully every night. I believe she could y this role well.

    Listening to Quentin¡¯s praise for Kimberly, Vonnie rolled her eyes on the side.

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    <b>Chapter930 </b>

    Johnathan nced at her, his eyes slightly cold, as if a little suspicious.

    I sneered at Quentin, ¡°What¡¯s the use of your belief? Acting skills speak for themselves. How can you draw conclusions with just a few words?¡±

    However, Mr. Russell was broad¨Cminded and would not argue with your Kimberly.

    Since the female lead has been set as her, as long as the mischief she does is not too excessive, then Mr. Russell will not rece her, right, Mr. Russell?

    With that, I looked at Gilbert inquiringly.

    I naturally couldn¡¯t let him rece Kimberly, otherwise how could Vonnie take the opportunity to fan her.

    Just as Gilbert was about to speak, a cold sneer suddenly came.

    ¡°Were you Mr. Russell? I had no idea when the famous Mr. Russell became yours.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, turned my head, and saw Reynaldo staring at me with a dark and sinister look in his eyes.

    I was speechless.

    Did he misunderstand? When did I say Gilbert was mine?

    Wasn¡¯t he eating vinegar hard?

    So jealous, should I go back and pour two bottles of vinegar for him?

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    O

    09:28

    Chapte 930.

    Johnathan¡¯s <b>eyes </b>twinkled as he chuckled, ¡°Oh, why <b>is </b><b>everyone </b>standing at the door?¡±

    Today Mr. Russell treated us to dinner. ¡°Come on, take a scat, everyone. Why are you all standing at the door like that?¡±

    He said, then pulled Reynaldo over to sit down, and even specifically had Reynaldo sit next to me.

    He then pulled Vonnie to sit on the other side.

    Quentin and Kimberly stood at the door for a while, then sat down.

    Kimberly didn¡¯t say anything at the moment, her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had been greatly wronged, feeling both angry and resentful.

    I think I understood.

    Kimberly seemed to have been used as a pawn by Johnathan and Vonnie.

    Johnathan deliberately revealed to her that I was going to have dinner alone with Gilbert, and even deliberately hinted to her that I was having an affair with Gilbert.

    Actually, he just wanted to encourage her toe over and catch us cheating, and then he and Reynaldo came over openly to ruin the dinner between Gilbert and me.

    Although, his purpose with Reynaldo is quite speechless.

    But seeing Kimberly so angry, my heart really felt so happy.

    After everyone had taken their seats, Johnathan smiled at Gilbert and said, ¡°We just wanted toe for a free meal, Mr. Russell, hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    09:2800

    Gilbert said expressionlessly. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind eating <b>leftovers</b>, then I <b>don¡¯t </b>mind either.¡±

    Johnathan was taken aback and looked at me.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°You¡¯rete. I just finished dinner with Mr. Russell.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Reynaldo gave a cold snort.

    I buried him with a silent nce, not knowing what he suddenly started humming.

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve all eaten it before. It¡¯s rare for us to gather together, so let¡¯s just chat.¡±

    Gilbert buried himself in the script, ignoring him.

    Kimberly was still in a bad mood, and Quentin was trying to calm her down in a low voice, but she ignored him.

    And Reynaldo, from the moment he walked in, his gloomy gaze never left me, so he ignored Johnathan too.

    Vonnie pulled his arm and said, ¡°It¡¯s so awkward, shall we go back?¡±

    Johnathanughed and said, ¡°Okay, Esmie and <i>Mr. </i>Russell have finished eating, so let¡¯s all go our separate ways.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s disperse, everyone has dispersed.¡±

    Gilbert suddenly stood up and said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, the atmosphere was ruined by them this time. Let¡¯s discuss the issues in the script next time.¡±

    09,28

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>931 </b>

    ¡°Oh, okay, sure.¡±

    Gilbert nodded at me and then left.

    I faced Reynaldo¡¯s extremely gloomy eyes and inexplicably said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Atmosphere? I don¡¯t know. When ites to discussing the script, do we really need an atmosphere? Just tell me, what kind of atmosphere do we need?¡±

    I looked at him speechlessly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that people in media arts have unique ideas? If you really want to know what the atmosphere is like, just go ask him directly, I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to ask, it was definitely a ambiguous atmosphere, otherwise why would they want to be alone¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± Johnathan suddenly snapped at her impatiently, ¡°Tell me about the ambiguous atmosphere, did you feel any ambiguity when you barged in just now? Did you?¡±

    Kimberly was yelled at by Johnathan, and instantly tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Quentin with a sense of grievance.

    Quentin tightened her grip on her hand and stared coldly at Johnathan, ¡°Watch your attitude, Kimberly didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you mean you also think your own sister is having an affair with Mr. Russell?¡± Vonnie suddenly spoke up.

    Quentin was taken aback and quickly looked at me, as if he wanted to

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    <b>Chapter931 </b>

    exin.

    I was tired and really didn¡¯t want to listen to his ¡°false and useless exnations.¡±

    I picked up my bag and left directly, let them argue in the room.

    However, to my surprise, as soon as I came out, they all came out too.

    What? Am I the center of attention now?

    Quentin seemed to want toe over and say something to me.

    But Kimberly was angry, so she got into the car directly.

    Quentin looked at her, then at me, and finally got into the car with her.

    The two seemed to be arguing about something in the car, and the car didn¡¯t move for a while.

    I averted my gaze and was about to get on the car.

    Reynaldo suddenly followed.

    I looked at him inexplicably and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t drive, I¡¯ll take your car back,¡± Reynaldo said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°So how did youe just now? Just go back the same way you came.¡±

    ¡°I just came here by Johnathan¡¯s car, but he is now¡­¡±

    He was speaking halfway when his meaningful gaze suddenly looked behind me.

    I turned around inexplicably and saw through the half¨Copen car window that Johnathan was kissing Vonnie passionately in the seat.

    35.41<b>% </b>

    09:28

    Chapter931

    That action looked a bit fierce and domineering, as if punishing Vonnie for something.

    Vonnie pounded his shoulders, but he didn¡¯t let go.

    Strange, what¡¯s Johnathan up to again? Why does it feel like there¡¯s some emotion behind the scene of him kissing Vonnie.

    When Quentin praised Kimberly just now, Vonnic had a somewhat disapproving and disdainful look on her face, and Johnathan gave her a cold nce at that moment.

    So, Johnathan probably thought that Vonnie cared about Quentin.

    Did Vonnie think Quentin was jealous of Kimberly?

    Oh my god, why is this Johnathan so prone to overthinking.

    It turns out that Johnathan is also a jealous person.

    I was thinking in my heart, when suddenly the car window rolled up, separating the inside from the outside.

    I suppressed the slight surprise in my heart, turned around, and suddenly ran into Reynaldo¡¯s dark, fiery eyes, and my heart skipped a beat again.

    I quickly averted my gaze and muttered, ¡°What are you looking at?!¡±

    Reynaldo loosened his tie and casually said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a habit of interrupting people¡¯s good deeds, so I¡¯ll take a ride in your car back.¡±

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    Chapter932

    ¡°Whatever you want!¡±

    I muttered three words and then got on the car.

    He quickly followed up, sat in the passenger seat, and fastened his seatbelt leisurely.

    I nced at him.

    I don¡¯t know if he still holds a grudge against me for pushing me downst night. I look at him now, and I¡¯m not happy with anything.

    I couldn¡¯t help but hum.

    He frowned and looked at me inexplicably, ¡°What are you humming?!¡±

    ¡°Learn from you!¡± I muttered back, then fastened my seatbelt with a huff.

    He frowned at me, looking as if he was looking at a lunatic.

    He often snorted at me inexplicably, but didn¡¯t realize he was acting like a lunatic.

    With a sense of unease in my heart, just as I was about to start the car, I suddenly saw Quentin¡¯s car still parked there.

    Thinking about Kimberly¡¯s sneaky behavior in the afternoon, I nced over, unbuckled my seatbelt, and got out of the car.

    Reynaldo suddenly grabbed me and angrily said, ¡°Where are you going again? The children are all waiting for you at home!¡±

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    09:28

    Chapter932

    ¡°You care about me?!¡± I forcefully pushed away his hand and got out

    of the car.

    Anyway, since he pushed mest night, my opinion of him has changed a lot.

    I walked up to Quentin¡¯s car, and to my surprise, Reynaldo followed along.

    It¡¯s really strange. The always aloof and mysterious Reynaldo has actually be a copycat?

    I ignored him and just knocked on Quentin¡¯s car window.

    The car window slowly rolled down.

    Kimberly sat in the passenger seat, her eyes red from crying, looking pitiful and sorrowful.

    Quentin must have been coaxing her, and when he saw me, a sh of joy passed through his eyes.

    He said, ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something you need to tell me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s just that you and I haven¡¯t had a chance to get together as siblings for a long time. Do you mind if I stay in your room for a couple of days?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, I instantly felt Reynaldo¡¯s gaze towards me ¡°suddenly turn cold.¡±

    While Quentin was all smiles, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    He opened the door and got out of the car, excitedly grabbing my shoulder, ¡°Ralda, you finally agreed toe stay with me, that¡¯s great. Don¡¯t even mention two days, you can stay as long as you want.¡±

    29.70%

    09.28

    You care about me?!¡± I forcefully <b>pushed </b><b>away </b><b>his </b><b>hand </b>and got out of <b>the </b>car.

    Anyway, since he pushed mest night, my opinion <b>of </b>him has changed a lot.

    I walked up to Quentin¡¯s car, and to my surprise, Reynaldo followed along.

    It¡¯s really strange. The always aloof and mysterious Reynaldo has actually be a copycat?

    I ignored him and just knocked on Quentin¡¯s car window.

    The car window slowly rolled down.

    Kimberly sat in the passenger seat, her eyes red from crying, looking pitiful and sorrowful.

    Quentin must have been coaxing her, and when he saw me, a sh of joy passed through his eyes.

    He said, ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something you need to tell me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s just that you and I haven¡¯t had a chance to get together as siblings for a long time. Do you mind if I stay in your room for a couple of days?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, I instantly felt Reynaldo¡¯s gaze towards me ¡°suddenly turn cold.¡±

    While Quentin was all smiles, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind.

    He opened the door and got out of the car, excitedly grabbing my shoulder, ¡°Ralda, you finally agreed toe stay with me, that¡¯s great. Don¡¯t even mention two days, you can stay as long as you want.¡±

    <b>09</b><b>:</b>280

    Chapter <b>932 </b>

    I gently pushed away his hand and nced at Kimberly, saying. ¡°You don¡¯t mind, but some people might.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s body stiffened slightly, as if he had just remembered Kimberly

    He pursed his lips and looked into the car.

    Kimberly wiped away her tears and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind. Ralda is going to be my sister¨Cinw in the future, so when she moves in with us, she is naturally wee.¡±

    And those two lovely nephews, Ralda will also bring them over at that time.

    I really liked those two children.

    Quentin nodded approvingly, looking pleased: ¡°See, Kimberly doesn¡¯t mind, and she also said you can bring the two kids along.¡±

    So you came over with the two kids, and I cooked delicious food for you all.

    Looking at the satisfaction and joy on Quentin¡¯s face, my heart was full of sarcasm and sadness.

    I have to say, Quentin was really silly and naive.

    He actually thought that I and Kimberly could get along peacefully one day.

    Honestly, this kind of love brain ispletely beyond redemption.

    When Reynaldo got back to the car with me, his face was very gloomy and he exuded a strong sense of hostility, as if someone had offended him.

    09-23 ¡ª

 Too Close 933

    <b>Chapter933 </b>

    I ignored him and just silently started the car.

    He didn¡¯t say a word all the way, the air conditioning pressure was simply suffocating.

    While waiting for the traffic lights, I rolled down the car window and nced at him.

    Reynaldo crossed his hands in front of him, his eyes staring straight ahead, lost in thought.

    But the sharp jawline was tightly clenched, and the side of the face was cold and stern.

    Honestly, the way he looks, even a second nce is torture to himself.

    Who doesn¡¯t want someone by their side who is emotionally stable and gentle and considerate.

    But Reynaldo, in front of me, always had a cold attitude.

    The car drove into the yard.

    I parked the car and muttered to him, ¡°We¡¯re home.¡±

    He didn¡¯t move, nor did he pay any attention to me.

    I pushed the car door open and prepared to get out.

    He grabbed me, his dark eyes filled with a touch of anger, and asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly want to go live with Quentin? Isn¡¯t it good to stay here with me?¡±

    <b>09:30 </b><b>1 </b>

    Chapter933

    ¡°What do you think? You mock me every day, looking fierce <b>and </b><b>evil </b>Am I living here to be bullied by you?¡±

    As I spoke, I unconsciously touched the ce where I had fallen and hurtst night.

    He nced at the movement of my hand, his throat rolling, and his tone, for the first time ever, lowered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll change.¡±

    I looked at him ¡°in surprise and delight¡°.

    Really?

    He said he changed?

    Does he need to change his attitude towards me?

    Huh!!

    Is this still the cold and heartless Reynaldo?

    Faced with my skeptical gaze, the man¡¯s face darkened again.

    I didn¡¯t have the energy to argue with him, so I said, ¡°Whether you change or not, tomorrow, I will still go to Quentin¡¯s ce for a few days.¡±

    After saying that, I wanted to get off the car.

    Little did I know he would pull me back, pressing me against the back of the chair, and angrily saying, ¡°I¡¯ve already said I will change, why are you still making a fuss? Esmeralda, what do you really want?¡±

    What did I want?

    I mocked myself in my heart, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I have asked him this?¡±

    He always treated me as an enemy, being fierce and cold towards me,

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    and on one hand not allowing me to touch, and on the other <b>hand </b>imposing various restrictions on my freedom.

    I really wanted to ask him what he was thinking.

    I stared at his slightly reddened eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡­ um¡­¡±

    However, before I could finish my words, Reynaldo forcefully covered my lips.

    I stared in astonishment at the handsome face magnified before my

    eyes.

    Wasn¡¯t he the one who didn¡¯t allow me to touch him? Why did he take the initiative to kiss me?

    Reynaldo¡¯s breath was hot, his movements hurried, and his nimble hands unconsciously slipped into the hem of my clothes.

    I was so shocked that my whole body was trembling when I realized that my fate was in his hands.

    I pushed him instinctively, but he instantly grabbed both of my wrists and held them high above my head.

    The temperature inside the car rose sharply, and the atmosphere instantly became fiery and passionate.

    A wave of shock passed through my heart.

    He wouldn¡¯t be trying to¡­

    But how strange he was.

    I was not allowed to touch, but you wanted to touch me.

    09:3001

    <b>Chapter </b><b>33 </b>

    Under his fierce attack. I was limp in the seat, my hands unconsciously wrapped around his neck¡­

    Bang!

    Just then, the car window was suddenly knocked on by someone.

    <b>09:30 </b>

 Too Close 934

    Chapter934

    Reynaldo ate a meal.

    He pressed my shoulder, his hot eyes staring straight at me as if he wanted to devour me.

    I was so overwhelmed by him that I couldn¡¯t say a word, just staring at him with misty eyes.

    The sound of knocking on the window was still echoing.

    I came to my senses slightly, pushing his chest and pulling up the cor and inner strap that had slipped down to my wrist.

    If it weren¡¯t for the sound of the window being mmed, Reynaldo and I would probably have done it in this car.

    Who is so boring?

    My third child! What a great opportunity!

    Reynaldo tidied up casually, and his clothes were impable.

    I hesitated and trembled for a long time before finally buttoning up the few buttons he had unbuttoned.

    He saw that I had finished organizing the clothes, and then slowly rolled down the car window.

    Suddenly, two adorable little heads popped up.

    ¡°Haha, Mom and Dad, Essie and I knew you wereing back together,¡± Roddy smiled at me happily.

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    11 783 Vend her

    I also returned a smile to him.

    Essie leaned on the car window and asked me and Reynaldo, ¡°Mom, Dad, what are you doing in the car? I saw your car back a long time ago, why haven¡¯t you gotten out of the car for so long?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Roddy tilted his head and looked at me and Reynaldo, ¡°Essie and I waited for you guys upstairs for half an hour, but you just wouldn¡¯t get out of the car. What were you doing in the car?¡±

    Faced with the innocent questions of the children, my brain short- circuited for a moment, and I didn¡¯t know how to answer them.

    Thinking about the passionate kiss I had with Reynaldo just now, I blushed and my heart raced. I almost made out with Reynaldo in the car just now.

    Reynaldo nced at me calmly and said to the two children, ¡°Dad has something to tell Mommy, you guys go inside first.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    The two little guys nodded and ran into the house in a sh.

    Reynaldo nced at me again and chuckled nonchntly, ¡°Just like that, blushing and heart racing. I really don¡¯t know what gave you the courage these past two days to dare to tease me like that.¡±

    In the past, when I heard him speak in this tone and say such things, I would definitely get angry.

    And this time, anger rose to his chest, then turned into a cold smile.

    I said with a sneer, ¡°Physiological needs give me courage! Are you satisfied?¡±

    Reynaldo frowned and gave me a nearly unfamiliar look.

    09:30

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    1282 Mouchers

    Then he straightened his cor, opened the door, and got out of the

    car.

    I straightened my clothes again, making sure they were neat and tidy, before getting off the car.

    As soon as he entered the room, Reynaldo was pulled away by Roddy.

    Roddy showed Reynaldo the airne model he had put together, as if presenting a treasure.

    Essie nestled in my arms and acted coquettishly.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Essie¡¯s bright eyes looked at me curiously, ¡°What delicious food did you and dad just go out to eat?¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°Eating something delicious?¡±

    Essie nodded and said, ¡°Daddy didn¡¯t eat with me and my brother just now. He said he was going out to find you and eat with you, so you must have gone out to eat something delicious.¡±

    I suddenly looked at Reynaldo, my heart trembling slightly.

    No wonder just now in the private room, when I said Gilbert and I had finished eating, he snorted coldly.

    Originally, he hadn¡¯t eaten yet.

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    Chapter935

    288 Vouchers

    Thinking of this, aplex feeling surged in my heart.

    Reynaldo did not look towards me, nor did he know what Essie was saying to me.

    At this moment, the desire in his face faded away, leaving only gentleness on his handsome face.

    He rubbed Roddy¡¯s little head, carefully looked at the model Roddy had put together, and praised Roddy with sincerity.

    Honestly, this scene was really warm and happy.

    The two children also enjoyed this kind of atmosphere.

    However, with such a misunderstanding and hatred, this touch of warmth and happiness is ultimately just a fleeting moment.

    Tomorrow I was going to stay at Quentin¡¯s ce. This time, I was determined to uncover Kimberly¡¯s secrets and expose her past crimes!

    Reynaldo apanied the child for a while, then went upstairs.

    I stared at his back for a few seconds, then silently went to the kitchen.

    Forget it, let¡¯s cook Reynaldo a bowl of spaghetti after all, he has a stomach problem, it¡¯s not good to get sick.

    Madisyn took the children to bathe and put them to bed on time.

    When I finished cooking the spaghetti, the room was very quiet.

    Reynaldo was not in the bedroom, so I carried the spaghetti to the

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    study.

    Za Wahore

    I knocked on the door, and a cold voice from inside said, ¡°Come in.¡±

    I nced at the spaghetti in my hand, and then pushed the door open.

    Reynaldo was making a phone call.

    He stood by the window, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his strong forearms, coupled with his lean waist and upright figure, how could he look so sexy and attractive?

    I quickly averted my gaze and silently ced the bowl of spaghetti on the desk.

    I don¡¯t know what happened. Four yearster, when I saw him again, I always had this feeling about his body, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Think about it, in the past, ¡°he would see me and immediately want to sleep with me.¡±

    Now I really became someone who just wants to sleep with him as soon as I see him.

    The more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I felt. I didn¡¯t dare to look at him, so I put down the spaghetti and left.

    Suddenly, a voice said ¡°Stop,¡± which startled me into stopping unconsciously.

    He had finished the call, then nced at the spaghetti on the table and slowly asked me, ¡°Did you cook this yourself?¡±

    I nodded.

    He chuckled and said, ¡°No wonder.¡±

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    I looked at him in confusion and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°No wonder the color and appearance are not good.¡±

    Hiss!

    I took a deep breath and forcefully extinguished the mes of anger rising in my heart.

    I said, ¡°Eat if you want, throw away if you don¡¯t!¡±

    I said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    He grabbed me, his eyes deep, his thin lips moving slightly, and the words he spoke carried a hint of awkwardness.

    ¡°Why did you suddenly cook spaghetti for me? What¡¯s the asion?¡±

    I was choked with anger again.

    Honestly, talking to him would drive you crazy.

    I looked at him expressionlessly and said, ¡°Yes, I spiked that bowl of spaghetti with an aphrodisiac. Mr. Humphrey, you better not eat it. Be careful, I might drain you dry!¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo growled at me, his handsome face disying a mix of emotions, like anger, embarrassment, and a hint of disbelief.

    It¡¯s hard to imagine that I have be such a licentious woman.

    I smiled and said to him, ¡°I really added an aphrodisiac, so you must not eat it.¡±

    After saying that, I ignored the excitement on his face and walked out of the study.

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    Chapter936

    This man always suspected me of having a n. This time I provoked him like this, I don¡¯t know if he will ¡°eat that bowl of spaghetti¡°.

    Forget it, anyway, the stomach is his, if he starves himself, then it¡¯s his own fault!

    Upon returning to the room, I first went to the bathroom to take a shower.

    When I was taking a shower, I deliberately looked at the ce where I fell and hurt myselfst night.

    Wow.

    I didn¡¯t pay much attentionst night, and today I have a big bruise.

    That bastard Reynaldo, the push he gave me was absolutely brutal!

    Wasn¡¯t I just pinning him down, getting ready to make a move on him?

    Was he really that important?

    I gently poked the green area, it hurt as soon as I touched it, and I didn¡¯t know how many days it would take to get better.

    Thinking of this, I cursed Reynaldo several times.

    When I came out of the bathroom, I suddenly saw Reynaldo standing by the window, which startled me.

    This person, he just came in without saying a word.

    Reynaldo turned around to look at me, but in the moment he saw me,

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    Zas Noucen¨¦s

    his eyes darkened suddenly, filled with a strong desire.

    I tightened the towel around my body and said tly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would sneak in so quietly, so I wasn¡¯t intentionally not wearing clothes. Don¡¯t use me of seducing you again.¡±

    Reynaldo snorted and turned his gaze out the window, his prim and proper appearance making people want to curse out loud.

    I muttered ¡°for no reason¡± and then went to the closet to get my pajamas.

    After changing into my pajamas in the bathroom, when I came out, Reynaldo was drinking water from my cup.

    The rolling Adam¡¯s apple and gurgling sound inexplicably exuded a touch of sexiness, making people unconsciously indulge in fantasies.

    Thinking of Reynaldo¡¯s recent refusal of me, I pursed my lips and silently crushed all the yellow waste in my head.

    I ignored him and halfy on the bed, ying with my phone.

    He nced at me, set down the water ss, and suddenly walked towards me.

    The atmosphere in the room was actually quite normal.

    But for some reason, as soon as he came over, the atmosphere became a bit ambiguous.

    Especially his eyes, ¡°burning hot¡°, made me feel restless all over.

    I couldn¡¯t help but look up at him and said, ¡°What? Do you want to continue what we didn¡¯t finish in the car just now?¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and said to me somewhat speechlessly,

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    ¡°Esmeralda, you are bing more and more shameless.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the first time, so what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?¡±

    With that, I disdainfully nced at him and said, ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before. Howe I find you pretending to be serious more and more now.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to be angry with me, ring at me fiercely.

    I also didn¡¯t know what he was angry about.

    Is it only allowed for him to be a rogue in the past, but not for me to be a rogue now?

    Izily leaned against the head of the bed and asked him, ¡°May I ask, Mr. Humphrey, why did you suddenlye to my room? Could it be just to drink a sip of water from my cup?¡±

    Reynaldo turned his face away angrily and sulkily, not saying a word.

    I nced at him and thought of the spaghetti I had cooked earlier, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you eat the spaghetti I cooked?¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly, still not saying a word.

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    Chapter937

    I pursed my lips and sneered, ¡°I bet you wouldn¡¯t dare to eat it, after all, I put some aphrodisiac in that spaghetti¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it really that fun to deceive me?¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly bent down and approached me.

    A handsome face suddenly erged in front of my eyes, startling me.

    I unconsciously leaned back and said, ¡°What¡­ What are you doing? What are you lying to me?¡±

    ¡°There was nothing in that spaghetti at all,¡± Reynaldo¡¯s voice was mysteriously hoarse and alluring, very pleasant to listen to.

    I swallowed hard and said, ¡°How do you know? You never dare to eat what I cook.¡±

    ¡°I ate, finished eating,¡± he said hoarsely, with deep, bottomless eyes.

    I unconsciously tightened the bedding: ¡°Oh, oh¡­ it¡¯s good after eating.¡±

    The scorching breath of Reynaldo blew over, and my heart raced for a moment.

    Faced with his dark, fiery eyes, I found myself at a loss for words for a moment.

    I stammered and asked him, ¡°Is that spaghetti¡­ tasty?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not tasty,¡± Reynaldo bluntlyined, ¡°one could even say, it¡¯s very unpleasant.¡±

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    In an instant, a hint of ambiguity and charm waspletely dispelled by his disdain.

    I frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s so bad that you haven¡¯t finished eating yet. If you have the ability, then don¡¯t cat.¡±

    ¡°There is no way.¡±

    Reynaldo concealed the desire in his eyes, stood up straight, looked down at me, and smiled slowly, ¡°You said there¡¯s something inside, so I¡¯m very curious. If I eat it, how will you squeeze me dry?!¡±

    ¡°Come on, tell me, how do you want to drain me dry?¡±

    I: ¡­

    Just say it, Reynaldo has been pretending to be serious all this time.

    I raised my hand to my lips, coughed twice, and said, ¡°Actions speak louder than words. Since you are so curious, I will demonstrate it for you.¡±

    ¡°Come on¡­ take off your clothes first and lie down here.¡±

    Saying that, I also patted the bed and moved it to the side, making room for him.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow and stared at me with that unfamiliar look in his eyes.

    He probably didn¡¯t expect that I would be so open.

    Indeed, he used to flirt with me like that before, I was definitely blushing with embarrassment, wishing I could find a hole to hide in.

    However, after being openly flirted with a few times, my face seemed to have thickened.,

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    Reynaldo took a deep breath, looked at me steadily for a while, and suddenly whispered, ¡°The ce where I got hurtst night, let me see

    I suddenly realized in my heart that he hade to my room suddenly to see where I was hurt.

    Ah, even if everyone mes me, what¡¯s the use of feeling guilty afterwards?

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°I can show you, after you see it¡­ what will you do?¡±

    Reynaldo paused for a second before realizing what I meant.

    He furrowed his brows, staring at me in disbelief, ¡°Esmeralda, you really are¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I blinked at him, ¡°You¡¯re allowed to have strong needs in the past, but I¡¯m not allowed to have strong needs now? But it¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t, I can find someone else¡­¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to go crazy, ring at me angrily, ¡°How did you be like this?¡±

    I: ¡­

    What did I be?

    I just didn¡¯t want to hold back my emotions now, so I said whatever I wanted.

    Why does he seem like he can¡¯t stand it?

    Just then, a bottle of medicine was suddenly thrown in front of me with the words, ¡°Apply it yourself.¡±

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    Before I could even pick up the medicine to take a closer look, he quickly walked out.

    It felt like if I stayed there for one more second, something indescribable would happen between him and me.

    However, despite my bold words just now, as soon as the man left, my face uncontrobly flushed.

    However, it was quite fun to speak rudely to him, just look at how scared that man was.

    The next day I got up early.

    While I was tidying up two pieces of clothing, the two children suddenly pushed open my door cautiously, with their little heads poking in.

    I smiled at them and said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone to school yet?¡±

    ¡°Daddy was making breakfast, he said he would take us to school after we finished breakfast,¡± Roddy said.

    I nodded and continued folding the clothes.

    Essie came over andy on my legs, looking gloomy: ¡°Mommy, are you folding clothes to move out?¡±

    I shook my head and said with a smile, ¡°No, my mom has some things to take care of and needs to stay out for a few days.¡±

    Roddy quickly asked, ¡°How many days are you going to stay out, and

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    when will you be back?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± I said as I packed the clothes into my backpack, ¡°IIIe back once Mom finishes her business.¡±

    Roddy also held my hand gloomily and said, ¡°One day, can you just stay outside for one day and thene back, okay?¡±

    Before I could even speak, a cold and indifferent voice suddenly came from the door, saying, ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡±

    I instinctively looked up and saw Reynaldo¡¯s back as he turned and walked away, that back looked cold.

    Who has upset this man again?

    Roddy nced towards the door and whispered to me, ¡°Mommy, Daddy doesn¡¯t want you to leave.¡±

    Eh?!

    I looked at Roddy with a smile and said, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Because dad asked us toe up and ask you how many days you will be staying out.¡±

    Dad also told us, ¡°You must convince her, at most she can only stay outside for one day.¡±

    Roddy spoke very seriously.

    I looked at Essie in surprise.

    Essie nodded, indicating that it was true.

    After Roddy finished speaking, he leaned in close to my ear and whispered, ¡°Daddy also told us not to tell you about this, so mommy,

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    just pretend you don¡¯t know.¡±

    But don¡¯t worry, Mommy, Essie and I will always be by your side.

    Daddy wanted us to keep the secret, we would all tell mommy.

    As soon as I heard this, my heart warmed up and I hugged them tightly and kissed them twice, saying, ¡°You are really good obedient babies of mommy.¡±

    During breakfast, Reynaldo¡¯s face looked very bad.

    The two children nced at him, and then one of them took hold of my hand.

    Roddy said, ¡°Mommy, I really don¡¯t want to be apart from you. Can you go out for a day ande back?¡±

    Essie said, ¡°It¡¯s best toe back tonight. I want to sleep with Mommy.¡±

    I pulled out my hand, put my arms around them, and was about to say a few words tofort them.

    Reynaldo suddenly said coldly, ¡°Both children are so reluctant to leave you, can¡¯t you just settle down here and have to run over to Quentin¡¯s side?¡±

    How could we expose Kimberly¡¯s misdeeds without going to Quentin¡¯s side?!

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t believe me. Bringing up what happened four years ago not only affected the atmosphere at the moment but also increased animosity.

    After breakfast, Reynaldo was ready to take the children to school.

 Too Close 939

    When he was leaving, he said to me lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, there is a parent¨Cchild activity at school tomorrow!¡±

    I was taken aback. He didn¡¯t say anything, and I really almost forgot.

    I asked him, ¡°Are you free tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t worry about me, anyway, the children all hope you can go<i>.</i>¡±

    The two children in the back nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Mommy, you muste tomorrow,e with daddy.¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°Okay, Mom, I¡¯ll remember to go to school tomorrow.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything else and drove away.

    After they left, I tidied up a bit and followed them out.

    I didn¡¯t go directly to Quentin¡¯s vi, but first went to the market to buy a few mini cameras.

    Now Quentin and Kimberly, along with my father, all lived under one roof.

    And four years ago, they knew it better than anyone else.

    When interests cannot be reconciled or conflicts arise, they inevitably bring up ¡°that thing from four years ago.¡±

    As long as I quietly/installed these few miniature cameras in their rooms, there would always be a chance to capture the scene of them

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    09:31

    Chapter939

    mentioning the incident from four years ago.

    Once I had the evidence, I could prove that everything four years ago. was done by Kimberly.

    By then, Reynaldo probably wouldn¡¯t hate me anymore.

    However, it is ridiculous to say that these pieces of evidence that can prove my innocence ultimately have to be collected by myself.

    My older brother, my father, they clearly knew the truth, but they never wanted to say anything.

    Thinking of this, I felt a little sad in my heart.

    On the way to Quentin¡¯s house, Quentin suddenly called me.

    I was asked why I hadn¡¯t left yet and if he shoulde pick me up.

    I said I was on the way, and he was so happy on the phone, saying he bought a lot of the dishes I love to eat and nned to cook a meal for me himself.

    I pursed my lips, feeling only irony.

    When I arrived at Quentin¡¯s house, it was exactly noon.

    As soon as I drove into the yard, I saw Quentin and Kimberly, along with my dad, standing at the door as if they were weing me.

    All three of them had smiles on their faces.

    But only Quentin¡¯s smile on his face was genuine, while Kimberly¡¯s smile was as fake as it could be.

    I had just parked the car when Quentin came up to greet me.

    ¡°Ralda, you finally came.¡±

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    He helped me open the car door and nced inside.

    It seemed that a touch of disappointment shed across his face because he didn¡¯t see the two children.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring Essic and Roddy over? I even prepared gifts for them.¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly also came over to my dad and me.

    My dad¡¯s face fell when he heard that Essie and Roddy didn¡¯te. He said disappointedly, ¡°Ralda, where is my lovely grandson? Why didn¡¯t you bring him over? I only saw them brieflyst time, and I¡¯ve been thinking about him for days.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes twinkled and she smiled, saying, ¡°Oh, Mr. Duffy, I heard that Roddy and Essie have already started kindergarten. Today is not the weekend, so they must be at school now. We can pick them up when they have a break.¡±

    My father nodded after listening, his face still full of disappointment.

    Quentinughed and said, ¡°Well, it was already good enough that Ralda came.¡±

    He said, looking at me, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ralda, we¡¯re going inside, my meal is almost ready.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, took my backpack, and got off the car alone.

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 Too Close 940

    Kimberly suddenly grabbed me and said with a smile, ¡°I suddenly remembered that tomorrow is Friday. How about we go pick up Essie and Roddy tomorrow?¡±

    I gently brushed off her hand and smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to bring those two children over, it¡¯s just that Reynaldo really likes them, he can¡¯t bear to be apart from them for a moment. He even personally takes them to school.¡±

    You want to bring them over, then you have to talk to Reynaldo first.

    After all, those two children are his lifeblood now.

    I said this on purpose for Kimberly to hear.

    Let her know that Reynaldo cared so much about those two children, and see if she still dares to have any ideas about them.

    Kimberly narrowed her eyes coldly, but still smiled on her face, ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯ll talk to Reynaldoter, I think he will let me bring those two children over.¡±

    After all, Reynaldo never seemed to have refused my requests.¡±

    I sneered with a cold smile.

    It¡¯s been four years already, and this woman is still unting in front of me about how Reynaldo treats her well. Does she really think I¡¯m still the old Esmeralda?

    The key was that Quentin was still standing by her.

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    ?

    09.31

    Chapter940

    She said she had never even considered Quentin¡¯s feelings.

    So, what did Quentin actually like about her?

    I don¡¯t believe Quentin didn¡¯t understand that Kimberly didn¡¯t love him at all.

    He was just deceiving himself.

    Kimberly smiled smugly at me as if she owned the ce.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Sure, you can give it a try and see if Reynaldo is willing to entrust the children to you.¡±

    Anyway, I was very sure that Reynaldo would not let Kimberly take Essie and Roddy away.

    Last time, I just picked up the kids from school early, and that man was about to go crazy.

    His love and care for the children were beyond doubt.

    Kimberly gave a light sigh and turned into the house.

    I nced at Quentin and saw him staring at Kimberly¡¯s back, looking a bit absent¨Cminded.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Quentin, do you really think that I can get along peacefully with her under the same roof?¡±

    Quentin pursed his thin lips and said after a while, ¡°Yes, she promised

    me.¡±

    This sentence, I don¡¯t know if he was convincing himself or convincing <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    I sneered, ¡°Well, just wait and see. If anything happens in your room,

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    she will definitely be the first suspect.¡±

    Quentin looked at me with aplex expression and said, ¡°Ralda, believe me, she wouldn¡¯t do anything to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? And what about that thing four years ago?¡±

    My eyes shed slightly, and I sneered at him, ¡°Four years ago, wasn¡¯t it her who killed Mika and med me? Wasn¡¯t it her who killed our mother?¡±

    I finished speaking and stared at him without blinking.

    However, Quentin¡¯s eyes dodged, and his tone seemed to deliberately convey a hint of surprise.

    ¡°Ralda, what are you talking about? How could Mika possibly have killed Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°Mika was like a half mother to Kimberly, their rtionship has always been good. No matter what, Kimberly would never harm Mika.¡±

    I subconsciously tightened my grip on the voice recorder in my pocket, staring at him coldly.

    It seems that my sudden move¨Cin has aroused Kimberly¡¯s suspicion.

    Look, Quentin has be more cautious in his speech now.

    Quentin gave me aplex look and reached out to pull me, saying, ¡°Alright, Ralda, let¡¯s go inside.¡±

    I hatefully shook off his hand and walked into the room.

    67.10%

 Too Close 941

    My father had already served the meal for me.

    He almost ingratiatingly pulled me to sit beside him.

    Sitting across from me were Quentin and Kimberly.

    Quentin also kindly served me food and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ralda, since you¡¯re here this time, why not stay with me for a few more days? It¡¯s been a long time since our family gathered together.¡±

    I sneered and said, ¡°Have you visited Mom¡¯s grave in the past few years?¡±

    Quentin nodded, ¡°I used to go several times a year to chat with my mom.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°So, what mood were you in when you were talking to your mom at that time?¡±

    You said, ¡°If she knew that you were protecting someone who killed her, do you think she would rest in peace underground?¡±

    Quentin lowered his gaze and pursed his lips, saying nothing.

    ¡°And, before my mother passed away, she had told us for the first time that no matter what happens in the future, we siblings must love and care for each other.¡±

    But Quentin, you, for the sake of a woman, ndered me like this.

    So Quentin, when you went to see your mom, did you mention this to her?¡±

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    Quentin tightly pursed his lips, still not speaking, but his hand resting on the table was trembling slightly.

    I sneered, ¡°You dare not argue with mom¡­¡®

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when my dad suddenly mmed the table and said to me, ¡°Eat properly. What nonsense are you talking about again? It¡¯s such a nice atmosphere, why do you have to ruin it?¡±

    Kimberly suddenly wiped away tears and said with a look of grievance, ¡°Ralda, I know you really dislike me. Indeed, sometimes I do things very poorly, and my sickly body also makes my personality a bit extreme.¡±

    But between you and me, it has always been just minor quarrels, without any deep hatred. Why do you always want to nder me?

    Four years ago, that incident had a significant impact on you, but <i>Ms. </i>Versta, who had been with me for many years, also passed away. My pain is actually no less than yours.¡±

    Listening to her words, I felt sick to my stomach.

    She shed tears and looked very pitiful.

    But all of us present here were very clear about what happened four years ago.

    So who is she pretending for?

    There was only one possibility, she guessed that I wanted to trap them and took the opportunity to record it.

    I took a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°Ms. Palmer really got addicted to acting. I wonder if you will dream of Ms. Verstaing to take your

    ANCIE

    09.31

    life at night.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, I had a close rtionship with Ms. Versta, and her death has already left me deeply saddened. So please, I beg you, stop ndering me, okay?¡± Kimberly cried, feeling very wronged.

    Quentin hurriedly said to me, ¡°Ralda, let¡¯s eat, hurry up and eat. Let¡¯s not mention those unpleasant things from the past.¡±

    He said, and then handed me the well¨Cprepared soup.

    Looking at his almost ingratiating smile, I clenched the hand at my side and felt a sudden surge of horror and indignation in my heart.

    I suddenly waved away the soup he handed me, and the hot soup sshed all over Kimberly in an instant.

    At the sound of a scream, Kimberly jumped up immediately.

    Her movements were so big that several dishes on the table were swept to the floor by her.

    A burst of ping¨Cpong¨Clike clinking and ttering of broken dishes sounded in the spacious living room, particrly jarring.

    The ground was instantly in a mess.

 Too Close 942

    Quentin didn¡¯t care about anything else, and quickly supported Kimberly, who was crying out in pain.

    Kimberly¡¯s clothes were covered in soup, her hands were bright red from the burns, and there were a few red marks sttered on her neck.

    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get to see her pretending¨Cto¨Cbe¨Celegant face.

    ¡°How are you, Kimberly?¡±

    Quentin asked urgently, his angry eyes suddenly looking at me.

    I nced at him lightly and sarcastically said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t pretended to serve me soup, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. So, Quentin, be more careful next time. Your pretense disgusts me.

    Quentin pursed his thin lips tightly, endured for a few seconds, and ultimately said nothing.

    Kimberly hated me so much, her eyes red at me fiercely, as if she wanted to tear me apart.

    Quentin hugged her and said tenderly, ¡°You sit down, I¡¯ll go get the first aid kit.¡±

    At that moment, my dad scolded me, ¡°Look at you, a good meal all ruined by you.¡±

    Can¡¯t we just eat well? Why do we have to say things that make everyone unhappy?

    ¡°Are we all treating you badly now? Why do you have to nitpick and

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    ??? ??? 10 saily a

    make everyone unhappy?¡±

    If it were in the past, when I heard my dad say this, I would definitely have been very angry, very sad, very aggrieved.

    But now, besides sarcasm, I have nothing in my heart.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t like me so much, why did you invite me to stay over and even try to please me in various ways?¡±

    ¡°Is it really a matter of conscience? But do you think that by doing this, my deceased mother will forgive you?¡±

    My father was taken aback, but only for a few seconds. Then he angrily shouted at me, ¡°You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about again.¡±

    Your mother didn¡¯t make it, that¡¯s not anyone¡¯s fault, that¡¯s fate.

    can¡¯t ¡°I know you couldn¡¯t ept the passing of your mother, but you go crazy like this, making everyone restless.¡±

    ¡°Did I go crazy?¡±

    I stared at my dad fixedly and chuckled sarcastically.

    My dad seemed a little guilty when I looked at him.

    He averted his gaze, clearing up the mess on the floor, and said to me, ¡°Some things should be let go, it¡¯s better for everyone that way.¡±

    Oh, is everything okay with everyone?

    I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s only good for the father and son.

    One ¡°carries the beauty back¡°, one no longer needs to worry about

    money.

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    Quentin hurried over with the medicine box.

    He nced at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ralda. Don¡¯t take Dad¡¯s words to heart.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better sit down quickly, the food is getting cold.¡±

    I disgustingly pushed away his hand and sneered at him, ¡°In the future, you don¡¯t have to pretend to be a good brother in front of me.¡±

    ¡°You want both love and family, but in this world, where can such good things be found?¡±

    With that, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at them anymore, and I carried my bag upstairs.

    Quentin had a room prepared for me in advance, right next to his and Kimberly¡¯s bedroom.

    Perhaps feeling a little guilty, my dad brought a te of fruit up in the afternoon.

    He earnestly said to me, ¡°Ralda, your mother is no longer here. You shouldn¡¯t keep dwelling on past pain. The most important thing is for our family to live well.¡±

    He said, and then ced the fruit in front of me.

    Before long, Quentin also came over, bringing with him the velvet cake that I used to love the most.

    I used to enjoy eating because I was pampered by my family.

    09,31

 Too Close 943

    Chapter943

    Now, looking at that cake, I only felt repulsion in my heart.

    ¡°Ralda, you didn¡¯t eat just now, this was bought by Quentin himself, you should eat some quickly, don¡¯t starve yourself.¡±

    My dad smiled at me and said, ¡°You see, Quentin still loves you the most.¡±

    This is probably the most ironic thing I have ever heard in my life.

    Looking at the cake, I squinted slightly, trying to bring a touch of sadness and grievance to my face.

    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t want to be immersed in the pain of the past. Do you know how difficult these four years have been for me? Several times, I almost lost my life.¡±

    As I finished speaking, my dad and Quentin both looked at me with a pained expression.

    My father even held me in his arms and said kindly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s over, it¡¯s all in the past, Quentin and I have always been by your side.¡±

    Quentin nodded beside, his eyes turning red.

    I nced over, my heart filled with icy sarcasm.

    My father¡¯s embrace used to be warm, but now it is cold and disgusting.

    I gently pushed my dad away, wiped away tears, and said with a heart full of grievances, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t ask for much. I just want an

    2004

    09:31

    Chapter943

    attitude from you, an apology.¡±

    You guys wouldn¡¯t go to Reynaldo and expose Kimberly, I don¡¯t me you either.

    But who would be willing to endure such injustice and persecution? All the sins let me bear alone, it has been four years, I have not lived a day without pain and resentment.

    So, Dad, Quentin, I just want an apology from you, an exnation, is that too much to ask?¡±

    After I finished speaking, Quentin was already in tears.

    My dad also looked sad.

    I thought this should have worked out, they should have apologized to me because of their guilt, and then revealed the truth from four years

    ago.

    The next moment, Kimberly appeared at the door.

    She applied burn ointment on the back of her hand, tears hanging on her face, looking pitiful and wronged.

    She said to me, ¡°Ralda, why are you still talking nonsense? In the past, you were so eager to save your mother that you identally caused the deaths of Ms. Versta and your own mother. Mr. Duffy and Quentin couldn¡¯t bear to me you, so why do you now want them to apologize to you? Just because they pointed you out in front of Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, what sin did youmit to bear alone? Although we know that you didn¡¯t want it at that time, <i>it </i>was an unintentional mistake, but you can¡¯t distort the truth like this.¡±

    Well, Kimberly showed up.

    09.31

    Chapter943

    I finally managed to bring out the guilt and conscience in my dad and Quentin, and now it¡¯s all gone.

    I nced at my dad and Quentin.

    The two of them indeed pursed their lips and remained silent.

    Iughed coldly.

    The next second, I picked up the piece of velvet cake and mercilessly pped it towards Kimberly¡¯s face.

    Kimberly screamed, quickly retreated, and finally fell awkwardly to the ground.

    His face was covered in cake, looking extremelyical.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± she hissed at me, as if she wanted toe over and bite me to death.

    Quentin hurriedly helped her up and looked at me helplessly, saying. ¡°Ralda, what are you doing again?¡±

    I leaned back against the armrest of the chair and smiled at him, ¡°Hit her, can¡¯t you see?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Quentin seemed to want to say something serious to me, but when he saw the sarcasm on my face, he forcibly held back.

 Too Close 944

    Kimberly, however, had had enough: ¡°She just deliberately burned me again, and now she deliberately threw the cake in my face. And you still haven¡¯t gone to discipline her.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I was the one you loved the most? But it turns out, in your heart, I still can¡¯tpare to her!¡±

    Quentin looked pained and conflicted, his face aplex mix of emotions as he nced at me.

    Without waiting for him to speak, I said lightly, ¡°You think I¡¯m causing trouble, right? Fine, I¡¯ll leave. After all, I don¡¯tck a ce to stay.¡±

    With that, I picked up my bag and made as if to leave.

    Quentin was in a hurry and didn¡¯t even bother to help Kimberly. He quickly grabbed me and said, ¡°Ralda, I have never said I dislike you. Please don¡¯t be like this. You have finallye to stay, so stay a few more days. I will cook delicious food for you every day.¡±

    My father also came over and sighed to me, ¡°Yes, Ralda, where have weined about you? I have been thinking about you these days. This time, just spend more time with me.¡±

    Kimberly, upon seeing this, clenched her fists in anger, with her face covered in cake, lookingical and ridiculous.

    She yelled at Quentin, ¡°She burned my hand like that, and now she¡¯s bullying me again, and you really have nothing to say.¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and whispered to her, ¡°Ralda, she¡­ she probably didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

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    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± my dad interjected, ¡°We are all family, I think we should just let it go. Ralda will be more careful next time.¡±

    Kimberly was almost going crazy, shouting, ¡°You are all family, I am just extra!¡±

    She ran out of the room angrily as soon as she finished speaking.

    Quentin got anxious and hurried to chase after her.

    I coldlyughed and asked him as he walked away, ¡°Actually, Quentin, I¡¯m curious, it¡¯s been four years, why haven¡¯t you married her yet?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s footsteps suddenly stopped.

    He stood there stiffly with his back facing me, his hand at his side slowly tightening.

    I sneered, ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t love you, doesn¡¯t want to marry you, right?¡±

    Quentin fell silent for two seconds, sadly saying, ¡°Ralda, why stab the knife into someone¡¯s heart?¡±

    ¡°Is it? This knife of mine is just returning to you.¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything else and walked out quickly.

    My father grabbed my arm and earnestly said, ¡°Ralda, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m scolding you, why are you bullying her so openly? After all, she is Quentin¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Get lost, you too, get lost!¡±

    My father was startled by my yelling, and he muttered a sentence in reproach before finally leaving in disappointment.

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    Chapter44

    I leaned wearily back in the chair, took out the recorder from my pocket and looked at it, feeling very annoyed.

    There were two arguments, and not a single useful word was recorded.

    Looking back now, there were such good opportunities in the past, but I forgot to record because of excessive grief, it¡¯s a pity.

    However, even though evidence has not been found, punishing Kimberly in this way is also good.

    Maybe one day she was so angry with me that she had a heart attack and died, that would also be considered as avenging my mother

    After Quentin chased after Kimberly, he never came back.

    My dad was ying with the birds in the yard, but he was called away by a phone call after a while.

    I saw him smiling a bit creepily, and faintly heard him saying something to his phone like ¡®little devil¡®.

    So he was seeing another woman again?

    09:32

 Too Close 945

    Chapter945

    Oh, my dad haspletely fallen,pletely changed as a person.

    After my dad left, I dismissed the maid and then carefully observed the vi inside out.

    Not seeing any surveince cameras in the corner of the hallway, I quietly made my way to Quentin and Kimberly¡¯s bedroom.

    Not daring to dy, after confirming that there were no surveince cameras in the bedroom, I quickly hid the purchased mini recorder in the vase next to the bedside table.

    After hiding it, I quickly went to the study and hid a recorder there as well.

    Until evening, Quentin and Kimberly had not returned, of course, neither had my dad.

    The servant made me a dinner.

    I took a few bites casually and then went back to the room to wait.

    Quentin and Kimberly didn¡¯te back until veryte.

    Just as Quentin may not have calmed Kimberly down yet, the door mmed loudly when Kimberly got out of the car.

    Quentin followed her into the house.

    I pulled my lips, drew the curtains, andy back on the bed.

    Before long, my door was knocked on.

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    Quentin¡¯s concerned voice came through, ¡°Ralda, have you slept? I brought you a midnight snack.¡±

    I ignored him.

    Quentin seemed to stand at my door for a while, and then the sound of footsteps leaving could be heard outside.

    I took out my phone, silently connected the mini recorder, and then put on the headphones.

    As long as Quentin and Kimberly were talking in the bedroom or study, I could hear it from my end, and I could also record it and save it on my phone.

    After waiting for about half an hour, I finally heard their conversation through the earphones.

    urately speaking, it was Quentin who coaxed Kimberly¡¯s voice.

    In the headphones, Quentin¡¯s voice was yed very softly, with a hint of ttery.

    Kimberly seemed to be indifferent, with a touch of aloofness in her voiceing through the headphones.

    Slowly, they started arguing again.

    I perked up and quickly propped myself up on the bed, sitting up straight, carefully listening to the movement on the other side.

    I was hoping that they would bring up the incident from four years ago, hoping that this time I could gather some useful evidence.

    However, the two of them argued for half a day, but they never mentioned what happened four years ago.

    09:32

    I frowned deeply and thought to myself, ¡°Kimberly wouldn¡¯t be so meticulous, even in her own bedroom at this time.¡±

    And Quentin really went to extremes in pleasing Kimberly, even though they had argued so much, he still listened to Kimberly and refused to bring up what happened four years ago.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t love me at all, did you?¡±

    In his headphones, Quentin suddenly asked Kimberly with a tone of humility and self¨Cdeprecation.

    Kimberly hesitated for a moment, crying as she said, ¡°I gave you everything, how could I not love you?¡±

    Quentin, why do you always have to doubt my love for you?

    ¡°What do you need to believe that the only person I love is you?¡±

    Upon hearing this, a hint of sarcasm rose in my heart.

    Kimberly brainwashed Quentin with these words, spinning him around.

    After Kimberly said those words, she cried, and her headphones were filled with her sorrowful sobs.

    To be honest, Kimberly¡¯s pretending to be so pitiful was really easy for her.

    If I didn¡¯t know her well, I would have thought she was an innocent and pitiful woman when I heard that cry.

    Quentin also fell silent for a moment and asked her, ¡°Since you said you love me, why have you still refused to marry me after four years?¡±

    09:32

 Too Close 946

    ¡°I didn¡¯t not want to marry you, it¡¯s just that, as you know, these four years have been a time of career advancement for me.¡±

    ¡°And we had also agreed to get married in two years.¡±

    Quentin fell silent again.

    Kimberly was worried that she couldn¡¯t reassure him, so she said, ¡°If you really don¡¯t feel secure about our rtionship, then¡­ let¡¯s get married.¡±

    Because I could only hear the sound in my headphones, I also didn¡¯t know what Quentin¡¯s reaction was when he heard Kimberly¡¯s words.

    There was a full three seconds of silence over there, and Quentin was so tense that an incredulous voice finally sounded, ¡°What you said¡­ is it true?¡±

    ¡°Well, after this y is finished, we will get married.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great, Kimberly¡­¡±

    Quentin¡¯s voice was full of excitement and joy.

    After a while, there came a series of ambiguous sounds in the

    headphones.

    Then there were the man¡¯s low gasps and the woman¡¯s soft moans, and even¡­ the sound of impact.

    I silently took off my headphones.

    It seems that we couldn¡¯t record any useful information tonight either.

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    Chapter946

    However, as long as my recorder was hidden in their bedroom<b>, </b><b>I </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>believe they could guarantee not to let slip.

    I put my phone aside andy down, ready to sleep.

    The phone suddenly received a message.

    I was surprised that it was actually from Reynaldo.

    I quickly clicked on it, but the next second I was a little speechless.

    There was nothing in the message, just a ¡°.¡°.

    What¡¯s wrong with him? Did he identally click the wrong thing?

    I sent a question mark over, thinking to myself.

    Reynaldo quickly replied, with just a few words: ¡°Sent by Roddy.¡±

    I furrowed my brows deeply, ¡°It¡¯s already half past eleven at night, are Roddy and Essie still not asleep?¡±

    Just then, Reynaldo¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    I was stunned for a second, and quickly answered the call.

    Just as the phone was answered, the other party didn¡¯t speak, leaving me unsure whether it was Roddy, Reynaldo, or Essie on the other end of the line.

    I waited for two seconds, seeing that the other party didn¡¯t speak, took the initiative to ask tentatively, ¡°Roddy?¡±

    The other party took a/deep breath.

    I knew right away when I heard the voice, it was Reynaldo calling.

    so I

    I asked him, ¡°It¡¯s sote, has Essie not gone to bed yet with Roddy?¡±

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    ¡°He slept,¡± Reynaldo said casually.

    I frowned and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Roddy just send me a period and then fall asleep so quickly?¡±

    It had only been a minute.

    Reynaldo said lightly, ¡°He fell asleep right after he texted you.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if what he said is true or false, but there¡¯s no need to dwell on this issue.

    I asked him, ¡°Is there something you suddenly called for?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a reminder that there¡¯s a parent¨Cchild activity at school tomorrow, don¡¯t forget.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already remind me this morning?¡±

    ¡°You are thoughtless and forgetful, I have to remind you several times.¡± Reynaldo said lightly, with a hint of disdain in his tone.

    I was speechless and said, ¡°I got it, I won¡¯t forget.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly stopped talking.

    After a silence of about three seconds, I couldn¡¯t help but yawn and said, ¡°It¡¯ste, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to bed.¡±

    ¡°Essie asked when you woulde back.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ not sure yet,¡± I said.

    Although the micro recorder had been discreetly hidden in their bedroom and study, I had not yet figured out why Kimberly was sneaking around the house that day.

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    Chapter946

    So I had to observe for a few more days.

 Too Close 947

    Chapter947

    ¡°That¡¯s up to you!¡±

    Reynaldo replied briefly and then hung up the phone, seeming a little bit angry.

    I stared inexplicably at the darkening screen of my phone.

    Why was Reynaldo angry again?

    I thought about it and sent him a message: ¡°Can you help me cheer up Essie? I will be back in a few days.¡±

    Reynaldo did not reply.

    I waited for about half an hour, but he still didn¡¯t reply. In the end, I fell asleep unknowingly.

    The next day when I woke up, I only saw Quentin making breakfast in the kitchen, and didn¡¯t see Kimberly.

    Quentin seemed to be in a good mood, with no trace of the gloom between his eyebrows.

    When I woke up, I took my phone and listened to the voices in the recorder again.

    Quentin and Kimberly were messing aroundst night, it seemed tost until the early hours of the morning.

    And Kimberly even promised to marry him after the y was finished, no wonder Quentin was in such a good mood.

    ¡°Ralda, you¡¯re up,¡± he said warmly as he ced the freshly made

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    Chapter947

    289 Wouchers

    breakfast in front of me, all my favorites.

    I nced casually and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°She was still sleeping.¡±

    When Quentin said this, there was tenderness between his eyebrows.

    I frowned and thought to myself, ¡°Quentin was really obsessed with Kimberly.¡±

    After that, if Kimberly died, would he also follow Kimberly?

    However, Quentin¡¯s ending was something I never expected.

    Quentin left after breakfast, saying he was going to thepany.

    Kimberly burned the back of her hand, so Quentin helped her ask for a day off from the crew.

    That is to say, Kimberly stayed at home all day today.

    I went back to my room after finishing breakfast.

    With the recorder on, I could also know when Kimberly got up and what she did.

    Around 10:30, there was suddenly a burst of cell phone ringing in the recorder.

    I thought it was Quentin who called Kimberly, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention at first.

    Suddenly heard Kimberly say, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you no to call me unless it¡¯s urgent?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s tone carried a hint of annoyance.

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    And this, also doesn¡¯t seem like something she said to Quentin.

    So, who was the person that talked to her?

    Kimberly instantly changed her tone, saying in a intive voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m just a little tired, not intentionally trying to take it out on you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle to you right away, so wait for me.¡±

    Upon hearing this, a surge of excitement suddenly rose in my heart.

    The person who talked to her definitely, definitely wasn¡¯t Quentin, after all, she went crazy with Quentin justst night, it¡¯s impossible for her toe andfort Quentin now.

    So, who would that person be, and why was Kimberly trying so hard to please and appease, as if afraid of angering the other party?

    Thinking this way, that person is very likely to be the informant of the incident four years ago.

    Could it be¡­ Zackery?

    After Kimberly hung up the phone, she appeared downstairs half an hourter.

    She wore a white dress, looking very innocent and

    pure.

    She looked around carefully before getting into the car, as if she was afraid of being followed.

    Seeing her about to get on the bus, I hurriedly r and ran downstairs.

    ed out of the room

    However, when I came down, Kimberly had already left.

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    11

    When I tried to catch up by driving, the woman¡¯s car had already merged into the mainne and disappeared.

 Too Close 948

    Chapter948

    Thinking of the ce she went to sneakily that day, I immediately turned the car around and took the small road to get there.

    Luckily, I was very familiar with Freybourne, and I knew my way around all the big and small roads.

    So that day, the ce Kimberly went to, I also remember where it was.

    After about half an hour, I arrived near the house.

    I parked the car in a hidden spot, looked around, and was wondering if I had guessed wrong, when I saw Kimberly¡¯s car slowly stop in front of that house.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly took out my phone to capture the scene of her walking into that room.

    After waiting for about ten minutes and seeing that Kimberly did note out again, I got out of the car and followed towards the house.

    Last time I met a woman, I don¡¯t know if that woman is here today.

    I lingered at the door for a while, seeing that there was no one around, so I carefully tried to push the door in front of me.

    I pushed the door open a crack and peered inside.

    At first nce, there was no one in the room, w

    ¡®n was eerily quiet.

    The furnishings in the room were very old, and there was even dust on the nearby staircase, as if it hadn¡¯t been lived in much.

    No way, there was definitely a woman in this roomst time.

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    Chapter948

    And Kimberly sneaked over, just to have a secret meeting with

    someone.

    So this room must have been lived in for a long time.

    With a puzzled mind, I suddenly noticed a small arch on the left side.

    I entered the room, gently closing the door behind me, and then quickly walked over to the archway.

    Originally, on this side of the archway, there was a small courtyard. Passing through the courtyard, there was a two¨Cstory vi.

    The yard was surrounded by a wall, and the small vi was inside the wall, so from the outside, you couldn¡¯t see at all that behind this old house there was also a small vi connected.

    The front room didn¡¯t look like it had been lived in, so Kimberly probably went straight to this small vi aftering in.

    Thinking to myself, I looked around and then, when no one was looking, quickly rushed into the small vi.

    The furnishings in the vi were quite new, and there was even a faint smell of fooding from the kitchen.

    I nced carefully towards the kitchen and realized that there was someone in there, it was the same woman I had seen that day.

    She was cooking in front of the stove, without looking towards me.

    I suppressed the panic in my heart and quietly went upstairs.

    Just as I reached the second floor, I heard a sound that cannot be described.

    I followed the sound and saw a partially open door.

    2060

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    Chapter948

    I carefully pushed the door open a little bit, and at a nce, I saw Kimberly

    She was embracing with a man.

    And who was that man if not Zackery?

    I excitedly took out my phone, ready to record the scene in front of me

    As long as Quentin saw this scene, he might not be so obsessed with Kimberly anymore, and thus reveal the truth from four years ago.

    Even if he still refused to speak, I could still show these to Reynaldo, make Reynaldo understand that Kimberly was in cahoots with that Zackery, and then investigate the matter from Zackery¡¯s side.

    I quickly unlocked the phone.

    08:02

 Too Close 949

    Chapter949

    However, before I could even open the camera function, a phone call suddenly came in.

    I was suddenly startled in my heart, and quickly hung up the phone.

    At the same time, Kimberly suddenly screamed, ¡°Who? Who is at the door?¡±

    Seeing Zackery quickly putting on his clothes to catch up.

    I gritted my teeth unwillingly and ran quickly towards the stairs.

    Fortunately, the woman was still busy in the kitchen, so I quickly ran through the yard and into the house in front.

    As soon as I ran in, I heard Zackery shouting loudly behind me to the woman, ¡°Someone hase in, quickly go catch them, quickly go stop that person!¡±

    Upon hearing this, I dared not dy and quickly ran out of the room.

    No sooner had I caught my breath than a strong force suddenly pulled me into the nearby bushes.

    I almost screamed out, my mouth was covered by arge hand.

    I just realized that the person who was pulling me is Anton.

    At that moment, my phone rang again. It was Ronaldo calling, just like the call earlier.

    Anton said in a low voice, ¡°Hang up and put it on silent, quickly.¡±

    08.02

    Chapter949

    I nodded, quickly hung up the iing call and switched my phone to silent mode.

    Having just finished everything, Zackery rushed out in disarray.

    He first looked around, then took two steps outside the courtyard.

    Maybe because he saw that there was no one outside in the yard, he turned back.

    Kimberly also followed along.

    But she didn¡¯te out, just hid behind the door and asked Zackery, ¡°How did it go, did you catch the person? Who is it?¡±

    Zackery shook his head.

    Kimberly bit her lip, her face full of panic.

    She said, ¡°Come in first and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    Zackery looked around the yard again before entering the house.

    After they entered the house, Anton quickly pulled me and ran outside.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for long, let¡¯s leave quickly.¡±

    Anton¡¯s car was parked right next to it.

    As soon as he got in the car, he started the engine.

    Once the car drove away, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling a little restless in my hear

    With all thismotion, I was afraid that Kimberly would guess that it was me who had just been peeking outside the door. <i>It </i>would be much harder to catch her in the act again in the future.

    08:02 D

    Chapter949

    <b>283 </b>Vouchers.

    Anton suddenly stopped by the roadside, not knowing how far he had driven.

    He nced at me and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    I shook my head and finally asked him, ¡°You already knew about Kimberly and Zackery being here, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Anton remained silent.

    I pursed my lips and, regarding what had just happened, I didn¡¯t want to say much to him either.

    After all, he was Kimberly¡¯s own brother.

    After a moment of silence, he suddenly took out his phone and dialed Kimberly¡¯s number.

    I was taken aback, looking at him in confusion.

    What did he want to say to Kimberly? It wasn¡¯t to advise Kimberly not to associate with Zackery in the future, was it?

    If that¡¯s the case, then wouldn¡¯t I have even less chance of catching the evidence of those two people cohabiting?

    Just then, Anton¡¯s phone rang and he intentionally put it on speakerphone.

    Anton looked at his phone and said, ¡°Just now, I went to find Zackery,

    and then I saw you guys¡­

    ¡°So, the person who was just outside the door

    ¡°Um,¡± Anton admitted directly.

    <i>is </i>you?¡±

    Kimberly was silent for two seconds, and asked in disbelief, ¡°Is it

    09:02

    Chapter949

    really you?¡±

 Too Close 950

    Chapter950

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can describe in detail the scene I saw at that time.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Kimberly said hastily, with a hint of embarrassment in her voice, ¡°As for what you just saw, I hope you won¡¯t mention it to anyone.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Anton replied casually before hanging up the phone.

    After hanging up the phone, he smiled at me and said, ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to worry about her suspecting you.¡±

    ¡°I said lightly, ¡®It would be even better if you could make their ugly deed public.¡°¡±

    However, Anton remained silent.

    I lowered my head and smiled.

    Well, he did not reveal the truth from four years ago, so naturally he would not disclose this ugly incident.

    It¡¯s just a little regretful to think about it. It was so close, just a little bit more, just a moment ago, I could have captured the scene of Kimberly and Zackery together.

    me it on that phone call!

    By the way, it seems like those two calls just now were both from Reynaldo.

    He usually called me in a row, just to find me for something.

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    Oh no!

    The school¡¯s parent¨Cchild activities!

    When I hurried to the school, there wasn¡¯t a single child in the school, the teacher was cleaning up the activity site on the yground.

    I asked the guard and found out that the parent¨Cchild activity had ended half an hour ago.

    After the event ended, the parents then took their children back home respectively.

    Upon hearing this, my heart turned cold¨Chalfway.

    Yesterday Essie reminded me toe to their family activity, and Reynaldo also reminded mest night,

    I said firmly at that time that I would definitelye.

    And what about the result?!

    This is bad, the two little ones must be very disappointed.

    And Reynaldo, he was definitely going to be angry again.

    When I rushed over just now, I called Reynaldo twice on the way, but that man never answered.

    At that time, the parent¨Cchild activity should have just ended, and he should have been busy greeting Essie and Roddy, not hearing my phone call.

    Thinking of this, I quickly took out my phone and called Reynaldo back.

    But he still did not answer.

    30.35<b>% </b>

    08.02

    I was getting a little impatient.

    At this point, he should have already taken Essie back to Roddy, even in the car, he should have been able to hear the iing call.

    Unless he was really angry, he didn¡¯t want to answer my calls.

    Anton looked at me and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, maybe he didn¡¯t hear the phone ring.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    I said wearily, turned around, and walked silently towards the direction of the Duffy¡¯s vi.

    The kindergarten is located near the Duffy¡¯s vi, just a ten¨Cminute walk away.

    Just as I had taken a few steps, Anton caught up with me and said, ¡°Where are you going? Let me give you a ride.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I declined lightly.

    Reynaldo might have been at home at that time. If Anton had taken me back and Reynaldo had seen us, that man would have definitely started to have all sorts of wild ideas/

    Anton seemed to read my mind.

    He lowered his gaze and smiled somewhat forlornly, ¡°You really, really care about him now.¡±

    ¡°I have always cared about him,¡± I said firmly

    Anton looked at me, with a hint of hurt in his eyes, ¡°But in my youth¡­¡±

    08 620

    Chapteryg

    ¡°But now is not the time of youth,¡± I said to him seriously. ¡°Have you noticed that the person who has been trapped in that memory all along is you, and the person trapped in that period is also you.¡±

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    Chapter951

    Anton, life is short, don¡¯t always dwell on the past, okay?

    Anton smiled faintly, ¡°That¡¯s because you forgot. If you remembered, perhaps you wouldn¡¯t say such things.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t remember, I just know that the person I love now is Reynaldo.¡±

    Anton suddenly couldn¡¯t speak, he looked deeply at me, slightly red.

    his eyes

    The wind blew, lifting the hem of his clothes, bringing a few traces of loneliness and sadness.

    I didn¡¯t say anything more, I turned around and left.

    But the next second, Anton suddenly hugged me from behind.

    I was startled and struggled suddenly.

    Anton¡¯s deep voice sounded in my ear, ¡°If you ever remember, be sure to tell me.¡±

    He let go of me after saying this.

    I turned around and red at him angrily, but he suddenly nced meaningfully at a spot not far away.

    I followed his gaze and my heart skipped a beat.

    Just a few meters away on the side of the road, there was a ckmercial van parked.

    08:02

    Chapter951

    And that car, I recognized, was Reynaldo¡¯s car.

    Õˆ

    My heart tightened, and I quickly took a step forward to prepare to go

    over, but unexpectedly the car started instantly and in the blink of an eye merged into the mainne.

    I stared nkly at the disappearing taillights, my heart tightening.

    Reynaldo must have been waiting for me near the school.

    Even though I didn¡¯t make it in time, even though I didn¡¯t answer his call.

    But he still believed that I woulde and waited for me nearby.

    However, just now I was entangled with Anton, the scene where Anton hugged me, he must have seen it, and he must have misunderstood.

    What to do?

    He was difficult to coax in the first ce, and this time he definitely couldn¡¯t be coaxed.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± Anton walked over.

    I turned cold¨Cfaced and gave him a p.

    His face was hit to one side, but he didn¡¯t look angry.

    I asked him, ¡°Did you see his car a long time ago? Did you hug me on purpose to make him¨Cmisunderstand?¡±

    Anton raised his hand and wiped away the tiny specks of blood at the corner of his lips.

    He looked at me, his smile breaking, ¡°Yes, I did it on purpose.¡±

    08:02 00

    Chaptery51

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°I know I should have given up long ago, I should have let go, couldn¡¯t.¡±

    but I

    Back in uvale, without Reynaldo, even if you still didn¡¯t have me in your heart and mind, there were only two children, I still felt happy at that time.

    At least back then we could be friends, could meet often, and the two children were close to me too.

    But when you returned to Freybourne, all you could think about was Reynaldo.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take it, Esmeralda, I really can¡¯t take it.¡±

    I took two steps back, looking at him in shock.

    I thought he had let go, but it turns out he is as persistent as Reynaldo.

    When Anton said those words, his chest heaved violently.

    After a while, his emotions calmed down.

    He said to me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Esmeralda, I scared you.¡±

    I shook my head and said calmly, ¡°You see, Reynaldo and I are -husband and wife, and those two children are also Reynaldo¡¯s. We¡­

    are a family of four.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Anton murmured, then suddenlyughed, ¡°It¡¯s okay Esmeralda, <i>I </i>was just venting my emotions.¡±

    He paused and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, <i>I </i>won¡¯t force it.¡±

    08:02

    Chapter951

    He turned around and left after he finished speaking, the back view was filled with indescribable loneliness and sadness.

    I think he was still unwilling in his heart after all.

    08.02

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    Chapter952

    Perhaps, only when I remember that memory, will he truly give up and let gopletely.

    I hurried back to the Duffy¡¯s vi, only to find that there was nobody at home.

    I found out from Madisyn that Reynaldo never came back with the children.

    So just now, where was Reynaldo taking the children?

    I took out my phone and dialed Reynaldo¡¯s number again.

    However, the man I just called didn¡¯t answer, but instead he blocked me directly!

    I pulled up his WhatsApp chat page again, ready to exin to him what happened at the school gate just now.

    Little did I know that I sent a grinning emoji, but it disyed a red exmation mark!

    I: ¡­

    Did Reynaldo delete my friend too?

    It seems that this time Reynaldo was really angry.

    In the past, when we argued, he never blocked me, let alone deleted me as a friend.

    Oh no, this time Reynaldo definitely messed up.

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    Feeling troubled in my heart, a car suddenly drove into the yard.

    11 20

    Thinking it must be Reynaldo, I felt a surge of joy in my heart and rushed out immediately.

    However, it was Johnathan and Vonnie who got off the car.

    I was stunned for a moment and asked Vonnie, ¡°Did you not film today?¡±

    ¡°Wow, didn¡¯t Kimberly take a leave? She¡¯s the leadingdy, and she¡¯s not here. Why bother shooting? So Gilbert just gave the crew a day off.¡±

    Vonnie smiled and walked towards me.

    Hey, why does this woman look so good today?

    Her skin was fair and rosy, and her eyes seemed to sparkle like stars.

    And she also became more and more feminine.

    What good news did she encounter?

    Thinking to himself, Vonnie had already walked over.

    I casually looked up and saw the kiss mark on her neck that couldn¡¯t be covered.

    I touched my nose and thought. <i>¡°</i>Are these two just getting up?¡±

    Johnathan didn¡¯t know what he was rummaging in the trunk.

    He rummaged around for a while and finally brought over three ck bags.

    <i>I </i>looked at him inexplicably and said, ¡°What is this?<i>¡± </i>

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    289 Vouchers!

    Johnathan gave me a mysterious smile and said, ¡°Good stuff.¡±

    He said, and then strode into the house.

    I looked at Vonnie in confusion.

    Vonnie smiled at me ambiguously and said, ¡°It¡¯s really good stuff.¡±

    I was speechless.

    These two people, howe they are bing more and more alike.

    I followed into the house with suspicion.

    Johnathan was looking around the living room and said, ¡°Huh, isn¡¯t Reynaldo at home?¡±

    Thinking of Reynaldo, I felt like a heavy stone was pressing on my heart, making it difficult to breathe.

    Before I could say anything, Johnathan had a look of remembering something again, muttering to himself, ¡°Oh, I almost forgot, that guy told me yesterday that he was going to attend the parent¨Cchild activity with his kids today, so he must still be at the kindergarten, right?¡±

    Johnathan said, and then he walked to the kitchen with a ck bag in his hand.

    As we walked, he said, ¡°You have no idea how proud

    wuy was yesterday when he told me he was going to participate in the parent- child activity with his kid, as if he was the only one in the world with a child, and the rest of us without children were nothing.¡±

    I said expressionlessly, ¡°What he said is true, you have no children.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Esmie, who¡¯s looking down on who? In the future, I¡¯m going to have a whole football team with Vonnie, then you¡¯ll be jealous.¡±

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    ¡°Ugh, who wants to start a ser team with you? You just talk nonsense all the time!¡± Vonnie retorted in embarrassment.

    08.03

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    Johnathan chuckled and identally bumped into Madisyn, who was justing out of the kitchen.

    Madisyn nced at the ck bag in his hand and asked with a smile, ¡°Hey, Mr. Dup, what¡¯s in the bag?¡±

    ¡°Good stuff,¡± Johnathan replied again.

    I was speechless again. ¡°If it¡¯s a good thing, then what is it?¡±

    Mysterious.

    Really.

    Madisyn was curious and reached out to grab the ck bag, but Johnathan yfully dodged away.

    ¡°Madisyn, Mr. Humphrey hasn¡¯t given you a day off in a long time, right? Today, I¡¯m giving you two days off.¡±

    Madisyn just thought he was joking: ¡°Mr. Dup, stop kidding me. have to take Mr. Roderick and Miss Estelle out tonight.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Roddy and Essie, I was going to take them awayter.¡±

    ¡°Madisyn, go back and see your newborn grandson,e over again on Monday.¡±

    Madisyn did indeed have a newborn grandson.

    So when Johnathan said that, Madisyn was smitten.

    She said, ¡°You really want to let me go on leave, then Mr. Humphrey

    I

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    mes¡­¡±

    ¡°How is that possible? Mr. Humphrey is very kind¨Chearted. Think about how you treated him in the past, but he never retaliated against you at all, right? He even treated you so well. So, why would he me you for such a small matter?¡±

    When ites to this, Madisyn felt a little ashamed.

    After being tempted by Johnathan repeatedly, Madisyn finally took a vacation with peace of mind.

    I looked at Johnathan suspiciously.

    What trick is this guy ying again?

    It was taking Essie and Roddy away again, and now they were sending Madisyn away too. It feels like there¡¯s a strong conspiracy going on.

    Sensing my suspicious look, Johnathan grinned at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t harm you guys. I¡¯m just hoping you and Reynaldo will get along.¡±

    I was about to speak when Vonnie suddenly eximed, ¡°Oh, Ralda, I have a gift for you, I forgot to bring it in the car, wait for me, okay.¡±

    She said, and ran out in a hurry.

    Before long, she brought over a paper bag and mysteriously handed it to me, saying, ¡°This is for you.¡±

    I was about to open it when she stopped me and giggled, ¡°Don¡¯t open it now. You go upstairs first, and then you can look at it after we leave.¡±

    I frowned and looked at her with a face of doubt.

    What were these two people doing?

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    Vonnie ignored my suspicion and pulled me upstairs, saying, ¡°I¡¯d better go up with you to put this gift away, so you don¡¯t peek.¡±

    I: ¡­

    When he set the gifts down, Johnathan wasing out of the kitchen, and the three ck bags were gone.

    I asked him, ¡°What did you just take to the kitchen?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I saw something interesting on the way and bought some to bring to you guys.¡±

    ¡°Esmie, Vonnie and I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Can we join you for a mealter?¡±

    I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s possible, but Reynaldo is not at home, and he may note back here today.¡±

    That man was still angry, he even blocked me.

    From what I knew about him, he probably wouldn¡¯te back tonight.

    Johnathan and Vonnie exchanged a nce, and after a moment, both of them anxiously asked me if I had another argument with Reynaldo.

    So I briefly told them about the parent¨Cchild activities I missed and what happened at the kindergarten gate.

    Vonnie listened, pursed her lips, and remained silent.

    Johnathan nced at me with his chin resting on his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Look how worried you are. You don¡¯t know, that man is easily appeased. Just try to coax himter.¡±

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    Chapter954

    ¡°But he blocked me, I can¡¯t reach him.¡±

    ¡°s, here Ie!¡±

    Johnathan said, and then he took out his phone and dialed Reynaldo¡¯s number.

    He dialed twice in a row before they answered.

    Johnathan turned on the speaker, and Reynaldo¡¯s faint voice came through, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I came to your house for a free meal, why weren¡¯t you home?¡±

    ¡°What do you want to eat, let Madisyn make it for you, I¡¯m not going back tonight.¡±

    Look, as I expected, Reynaldo really didn¡¯te back today. I guess he won¡¯t be back here for a while.

    Johnathan nced at me and said to his phone, ¡°Madisyn went back to see her grandson, I don¡¯t care. I came all the way here, you have toe back and entertain me.

    Also, I really miss Roddy and Essie, you need to bring the kids back

    soon.

    Oh, by the way, Esmie is not at home either. I just called her and she said she¡¯s noting back either.

    ¡°s, I don¡¯t care, you muste back to entertain me and my Vonnie alone.¡±

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    Reynaldo: ¡­

    Johnathan stubbornly insisted on having his way again.

    Reynaldo seemed annoyed by him and finally said lightly, ¡°Okay, see you in two hours!¡±

    After hanging up the phone, Johnathan smirked at me and said, ¡°See, I had to step in!¡±

    I gave him a thumbs¨Cup.

    Indeed, Johnathan became naughty, and no one could stand it.

    Johnathan quickly gave me some advice, ¡°I have already bought the ingredients for you. You can cook a meal for him yourselfter, say a few nice words, and I guarantee he won¡¯t be mad at you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    I felt deeply doubtful.

    Was it that Johnathan didn¡¯t understand Reynaldo, or that Reynaldo always liked to get angry in front of me?

    Why do I feel like Reynaldo is harder to please than anyone else?

    After finishing the recruitment, Johnathan took me to the kitchen and taught me how to handle the ingredients he brought.

    Just now, three ck bags were made mysteriously, but it turned out to be just a few meaty ingredients. I thought it was something scary.

    Johnathan and Vonnie helped each other, and the side dishes and ingredients were quickly prepared.

    However, it seems that none of us three are very good at cooking.

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    288 Vocrats

    When I was cooking, Johnathan suggested to me, ¡°Why don¡¯t you search for a cooking app and follow the instructions on it.¡±

    Vonnie nodded in agreement.

    I poured oil directly into the pot and said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s meat or vegetables, oil and salt are essential. Just cook it until it¡¯s done.¡±

    Johnathan and Vonnie looked at each other in silence.

    After a while, Johnathan smiled and said, ¡°Well, as long as it¡¯s made by you, Reynaldo loves to eat it.

    About an hourter, I had basically finished cooking the meal.

    Just then, a screech of brakes could be heard in the yard.

    Johnathan said, ¡°It must be Reynaldo who hase back. I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡±

    He said, and then ran out in a sh.

    I wiped my hands and was about to follow him out.

    Johnathan suddenly rushed back and pushed me into the kitchen, saying, ¡°Reynaldo is really back, hurry up and hide in the kitchen, don¡¯te out.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I looked at him in confusion.

    Johnathan rolled his eyes at me and said, ¡°I just told him on the phone that you wouldn¡¯t be back, and only then did he agree toe back. To put it bluntly, he¡¯s just avoiding you.¡±

    ¡°Are you going out now? I bet as soon as he sees you. Do you believe it?¡±

    1

    ¡®ll run away.

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    Chapter955

    Johnathan was right, Reynaldo did note back because he was angry with me.

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Well, okay then.¡±

    Vonnie greeted the two children at the door, blocking Reynaldo from entering.

    Johnathan grinned at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Reynaldo is soft- hearted and won¡¯t really be mad at you.¡±

    Later, Vonnie and I took the kids back to y for two days, the rest is up to you.¡±

    Johnathan closed the kitchen door after he finished speaking, and then ran towards the entrance.

    ¡°Oh, Reynaldo, you¡¯re justing back now, Vonnie and I were starving.¡±

    Through the transparent ss door, I saw Johnathan pick up Essie and give her a big kiss.

    Reynaldo frowned instantly, snatching Essie away and saying, ¡°Have you brushed your teeth? You¡¯re so close, not at all concerned about hygiene.¡±

    ¡°You¡­me¡­¡± Johnathan blinked twice before realizing he was being looked down upon, and angrily said, ¡°Just because you have a daughter, you think you¡¯re so great. Hmph, Vonnie ar

    to have daughters, not just one, but two, no, three!¡±

    are also going

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    Vonnie gave him a disdainful look and couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to him.

    Reynaldo asked him casually, ¡°What do you suddenlye to me for?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say so, free meal,¡± Johnathan said, picking up Roddy and sitting on the sofa.

    Reynaldo nced at him, his eyes passing over him and looking towards the kitchen behind him.

    I was startled and quickly drew back, pressing myself tightly against the wall.

    Johnathan coughed twice and said, ¡°Um, Vonnie and I were really hungry just now. Since there¡¯s no one in your house, I thought I¡¯d make myself a meal in the kitchen. But identally cut my hand. Look, it¡¯s bleeding. Could you please help me find the first aid kit?¡±

    Johnathan said, showing the one¨Ccentimeter wound on his index finger.

    That was when he identally cut himself while cutting the ingredients.

    The wound was not deep, so much so that it could be ignored.

    Look, Reynaldo just stood there without moving, no one even bothered to pay attention to him.

    At this moment, Roddy said to Reynaldo with some concern, ¡°Dad, Johnathan¡¯s finger seems to be really bleeding, it must be very painful, go find the first aid kit.¡±

    After listening, Johnathan was moved and immediately sat Roddy on hisp, saying, ¡°Oh, Roddy, you really care about me. You are such a

    08.03

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    warm¨Chearted guy. In the future, I must marry my daughter to Roddy. Hehe.¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head, looking somewhat speechless.

    He didn¡¯t say anything more, but went upstairs to get the medicine box.

    As soon as Reynaldo went upstairs, Johnathan hurriedly brought Essie and Roddy to me.

    The two children¡¯s eyes lit up as soon as they saw me.

    Just the next second, they pouted again, looking very angry.

    ¡°Mommy didn¡¯t keep her word, Mommy didn¡¯te to the parent¨Cchild activity.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s so annoying. All the other kids¡® moms came, but Essie¡¯s mom didn¡¯te.¡±

    When I heard them say that, my heart tightened and a touch of guilt shed through.

    I held them in my arms and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy was dyed today because of something, it wasn¡¯t intentional to forget.¡±

    Essie circled my neck and pouted, saying, ¡°Forget it, I forgive Mommy.¡±

    Roddy also said, ¡°I have forgiven Mommy, after all, we both love her the most.¡±

    My heart warmed, and I kissed them fiercely on their faces.

    Johnathan sourly said, ¡°Okay, stop kissing, it¡¯s so u¡­.ygienic.¡±

    He paused and then said to the two children, ¡°Do you want your

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    mommy and daddy to get along well and stop fighting?¡±

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    The two little ones nodded in unison.

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you guyse with me now and let your parents have some alone time.¡±

    Essie and Roddy exchanged a puzzled look.

    Vonnie covered her mouth andughed, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand, you just need to know that if youe out with us for two days, your mom and dad will make up.¡°/

    Although a little confused, the two children nodded in agreement when they heard that their parents would reconcile with each other, indicating their willingness to go with Johnathan and Vonnie.

    And so, while Reynaldo was looking for the medicine box, Johnathan and Vonnie quickly abducted Essie and Roddy.

    When Johnathan left, he said, ¡°I cane out now, no need to hide in the kitchen anymore.¡±

    But when I think of Reynaldo¡¯s cold and sinister look, I feel a bit intimidated.

    Just two minutes after Johnathan and Vonnie had left with the children, Reynaldo came down from upstairs carrying a medical kit.

    Afraid that he would notice me, I shrank back into the room and secretly peeked at his side.

    He looked around the living room and then nced outside, his handsome brows furrowing instantly.

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    He took out his phone, as if he was dialing Johnathan¡¯s number.

    ¡°Did you dare to steal my child?!¡±

    ¡°1

    ??

    ¡°I gave you ten minutes, hurry up and bring my child back!¡±

    28 Nouchers

    ¡°You like children so much, why don¡¯t you have your own? Are youing here today just to suggest having my child?¡±

    ??

    ??

    ¡°Are you sick? Is stealing my child a surprise for me? Do you want this surprise?¡±

    ¡°Hello? Johnathan, hello¡­¡±

    Johnathan seemed to have hung up the phone abruptly.

    Reynaldo loosened his tie in anger and threw the first aid kit onto the sofa.

    He stood with his hands on his hips, looking dark and fierce.

    I don¡¯t know if it was just my imagination, but in the spacious living room, he stood there alone, with a hint of loneliness.

    Looking back now, he was lonely all those four years.

    I had at least two children, while he seemed to have nothing.

    Ugh!

    Couldn¡¯t feel sorry for this man!

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    In the end, it was all because he ¡°kicked me out of Freybourne¡± in the first ce, he was lonely, he deserved it.

    Thinking angrily, the soup in the pot suddenly started bubbling.

    I was startled and hurried over to lift the lid of the stew pot.

    ¡°Who?!¡±

    Suddenly, a cold shout apanied by the sound of a door opening rang out.

    I was startled by the sudden sound, and the back of my hand was identally sshed with the scalding hot soup, which hurt so much that I cried out and quickly shook my hand.

    However, the next second, the tall man leaned over and took my hand, and then rinsed my hand under cold water without saying a word.

    Although the cold water relieved the burning pain, arge red patch still appeared on the back of the hand, and blisters were faintly emerging.

    Reynaldo¡¯s angry voice was tinged with reproach: ¡°If you can¡¯t cook, don¡¯t try to show off. And if you get burned, don¡¯t bother others!¡±

    I was originally nning to apologize to him and exin the incident at the school gate.

    As soon as he heard these words, anger and grievance surged up instantly.

    I pulled my hand back forcefully and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor burn, not worth bothering Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply.

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    His brow furrowed tightly, his face looking very bad, his tall figure

    standing in front of me, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

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    Chapter957

    I couldn¡¯t stand this kind of oppression.

    I reached out and turned off the fire on the stove, then turned around and was ready to go out.

    His despondent murmur suddenly sounded behind me, with a hint of self¨Cmockery: ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy being with Anton? Whye back?¡±

    I stopped in my tracks, remembering the scene of him waiting for me at the kindergarten gate just now, feeling a slight pang in heart.

    my

    In the end, it was me who broke the appointment and also made him misunderstand.

    ¡°Anton was so important to you that you even forgot about the children¡¯s parent¨Cchild activities when you were with him.

    I called you, and you didn¡¯t even answer.

    ¡°Esmeralda, tell me, what were you and Anton doing at that time?¡±

    By the end, Reynaldo¡¯s voice had gained a hint of usation.

    I frowned, ¡°This man won¡¯t mistakenly think I was having sex with Anton at that time.¡±

    After all, I had tried to flirt with him countless times these days without sess, and then deliberately said a lot of provocative words about finding other men to stimte him.

    So, he probably thought that I didn¡¯t answer his call because I was doing that kind of indescribable thing with Anton.

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    Oops, now the misunderstanding is even bigger!

    In the past, when I heard him say these words, I would feel very angry and wronged, thinking that he did not trust me enough, thinking that he was suspicious and prone to overthinking.

    Now let¡¯s try to put ourselves in their shoes.

    If he also told me that he was dissatisfied and wanted to go find his beloved, and even spent the whole day with his beloved, I called him, but he didn¡¯t answer.

    Then I also doubted whether he was doing that kind of thing with his beloved at that time?

    Trust is something that needs to be slowly built up in a situation of mutual honesty.

    Now thinking back, from beginning to end, it seems like I told him a lot of lies.

    False true, true false, who can tell the difference?

    I was too young before, with a big temper. Whenever he said something unpleasant, I would leave angrily.

    Now things are different. When something happens now, my first instinct is to exin it to him properly.

    I turned around and threw myself into his arms.

    Reynaldo shuddered all over, lowered his head to look at me, and frowned even more tightly. <ol><li>h. resting on his I encircled his strong and slender waist, with my he chest, and said in a muffled voice, ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions, just listen to me first.¡± </li></ol>

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    And he seemed unable to bear me holding him like that.

    He tensed up for a moment, then grabbed the back of my cor and pulled me away forcefully.

    He red at me, his tone as if wrapped in a ball of air, ¡°If you want to speak, speak properly, don¡¯t be like this!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to say it like this!¡±

    I broke free from his hand and threw myself into his arms again, ¡°regardless of everything.¡±

    I wanted to learn the ¡°never say die¡± attitude from Johnathan.

    He always used to coax Vonnie like this, and now look how well he has coaxed Vonnie.

    Of course, most importantly, I couldn¡¯t stand Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy and sullen look.

    He gave me a cold look, and I would easily say something angry.

    ¡°Esmeralda, let go of me!¡±

    Reynaldo growled with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, ¡°Do you think that by doing this, I will forgive you for standing me up today?¡±

    You can even forget about the children, what else can you remember?

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    Was it that I overestimated myself, always hoping day and night that you had me in your heart?

    ¡°Ha, to put it bluntly, you Esmeralda have no heart!¡±

    His tone was full of usations, and he grabbed my shoulder with his big hand, trying to push me away.

    I held onto his waist tightly and said urgently, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to stand you up. I was dyed by something important today, so I couldn¡¯t make it to the parent¨Cchild activity.¡±

    You see, the two children were my life. How could I forget about them because of Anton?

    As for Anton, I also met him by chance, because I was in a hurry to get to the kindergarten, and he brought me here.

    ¡°Also, the image of Anton hugging me was actually him noticing you nearby and deliberately provoking you.¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly, wanting to say something more.

    I quickly reached out and pressed my hand against his lips.

    His eyes narrowed slightly, and there was a hint of danger in the way he looked at me.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? I cooked a meal for you with my own hands. Let¡¯s eat togethe

    Reynaldo¡¯s brow never rxed.

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    He held my wrist, took my hand away from his lips, and said to me coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject, let¡¯s cat, if we haven¡¯t finished talking, what¡¯s the point of eating?!¡±

    I nced outside in the morning and said, ¡°It¡¯s already evening, I haven¡¯t eaten all day, I¡¯m so hungry I could starve, I don¡¯t have the energy to talk to you.¡±

    Reynaldo coldly said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you with Anton all day today? Howe you didn¡¯t go out to cat together?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I said I met him by chance, by chance, can¡¯t you understand?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t want to eat with him again. I just wanted to eat at home with you.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly fell silent, quietly looking at me, his eyes bing deep and inscrutable.

    I ignored him and turned around, carrying the prepared dishes to the dining table in the living room.

    He snorted at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can coax me like this, I will believe your nonsense, and forgive you!¡±

    I turned around and smiled at him, ¡°Am I kidding you? I am telling the truth, how could you think I am kidding you?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened with anger.

    I suddenly realized that dealing with this man, the tactic of being persistent and shameless seems to work quite well.

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    No wonder Johnathan always used this trick.

    Look, even a sinister man like Reynaldo is at a loss with this set.

    I ced all the dishes on the dining table.

    Reynaldo, however, was still standing in the kitchen, angry.

    I sat down at the dining table, served myself a bowl of soup first, and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Come and have a meal, all of these are made by me.¡±

    Reynaldo stood still, looking at me with a dark and gloomy gaze.

    I ignored the gloom on his face, took a sip of soup, and smiled, ¡°Oh, I forgot, you must have already eaten with Essie and Roddy outside, so I¡¯ll just start eating by myself.¡°.

    Reynaldo still did not speak, but he came over and sat across from me.

    He looked at me coldly, frowning and using, ¡°How can there be a woman like you, making mistakes and still eating and drinking as if nothing happened!¡±

    ¡°What else can we do? Cry while eating? It¡¯s mealtime, we can¡¯t let people go hungry.¡±

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    I said, got up to serve him a bowl of soup, then walked around the table and ced it in front of him, ¡°Here, Mr. Humphrey, taste my cooking.¡±

    Reynaldo looked down at the soup in the bowl, his expression momentarily startled.

    He looked at the dishes on the table again.

    The next second, his face darkened again, and his brows furrowed even more fiercely than before.

    ¡°Esmeralda, what do you mean?!¡±

    Reynaldo growled at me, as if he had been deeply offended again

    I looked at him inexplicably.

    Was he looking down on the food I cooked?

    Even if the dishes I cooked didn¡¯t look good, he shouldn¡¯t have been so

    angry.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say to him, ¡°Although I¡¯m not good at cooking and what I make doesn¡¯t look very appealing, but you should try it, the taste is not bad.¡±

    I said, and then I picked up a piece of meat and handed it to his lips.

    However, he coldly pushed my hand away

    I said gloomily, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat, I¡¯ll eat by myself!¡±

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    After saying that, I returned to my seat and put a little bit of each dish on my te, then buried my head and ate without looking at him.

    Johnathan lied to me again.

    I said I cooked a meal for Reynaldo myself. This man loves to eat, and he even said, ¡°After eating the food I cooked myself, Reynaldo will forgive me.¡±

    Look, Reynaldo wouldn¡¯t even ¡°lift a finger¡°.

    Feeling bored in my heart, I suddenly felt a hot gaze cast upon me.

    I frowned and looked up, then I saw him staring at me with deep eyes.

    He slowly opened his mouth and said, ¡°Do you know what you are eating?¡±

    I was stunned and said inexplicably, ¡°Food, what else could it be?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and his expression was indescribably strange.

    He asked me, ¡°Is it delicious?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious, of course it¡¯s delicious.¡±

    Just kidding, this was made by me personally: Even if it¡¯s not delicious, I still have to say it¡¯s delicious!

    Reynaldo looked at me, but said nothing, just smiled.

    The smile was just too piercing to look at, as if mocking me: ¡°You think you can still eat after what you¡¯ve done?¡±

    In order to make him believe that the meal was re.. y delicious, I ate a few more bites in front of him.

    Then he took a big sip of soup and said to him, ¡°It¡¯s really super

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    delicious, you have to try it.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at me mysteriously and said, ¡°If you like it, eat more. Here, try some of the dishes we have on this side. Don¡¯t waste it.¡±

    The man said, and then pushed several tes of dishes that were ced on his side in front of me.

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°You really don¡¯t eat?¡±

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair and said with a forced smile, ¡°No! I won¡¯t eat!¡±

    I curled my lips and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat, it¡¯s your loss!¡±

    After saying that, I buried my head and ate the dishes in front of me angrily.

    To put it simply, Reynaldo was still mad at me.

    Otherwise, it would be impossible to even move a fork.

    I cut my fingers and burned the back of my hands just now to make this meal.

    But this man refused to eat a single bite, and wouldn¡¯t give any face.

    Humph, I will never cook for him again in the futur¨¨!

    While I was eating my head off, Reynaldo kept looking at me with a strange look in his eyes, making me feel ufortable all over.

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 Too Close 960

    I put down the fork and said to him, ¡°Just say what you have to say, don¡¯t look at me like that!¡±

    Reynaldo nced at the dishes on the table and suddenly asked me, ¡°Have you eaten enough?¡±

    These dishes were all brought by Johnathan just now, ¡°good stuff¡°, not a lot in quantity but quite a variety in types.

    I made a total of six dishes, plus a soup./

    Because Reynaldo refused to share the fork, I got angry and ended up eating a lot by myself, so much so that there wasn¡¯t much left of those six dishes.

    So even though I hadn¡¯t eaten all day and had so much food in my stomach, at this moment I waspletely full, and even a little bit stuffed.

    I nodded to him and said, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±

    Reynaldoughed a little, and thatugh looked a bit strange no matter how you looked at it.

    I furrowed my brows and thought to myself, ¡°Is this man okay? Why is he smiling so creepily?¡±

    In my heart, I secretly criticized myself, ¡°I had another half bowl of soup.¡±

    However, the next second, Reynaldo slowly said to me, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? All the dishes on this big table are all, tonic for yang and

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    kidney, good products.¡±

    ¡°Puff!¡±

    ¡°cough¡­ cough¡­¡±

    Upon hearing the words ¡°tonifying yang and nourishing the kidneys¡°, I was suddenly startled and choked, spraying the soup in my mouth, looking quite embarrassed.

    Reynaldo looked at me with a deep gaze.

    After a while, he suddenly got up, his slender fingers pinching thedle, scooping out a bowl of soup.

    He walked up to me with the soup, held the bowl to my lips, and chuckled, ¡°You choked, here, have some soup.¡±

    He said all of these are for tonifying yang and nourishing the kidneys, so I didn¡¯t dare to drink them.

    I pushed the bowl of soup away, shaking my head, ¡°No need¡­ cough¡­ I¡¯m fine, no need¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Reynaldoughed meaningfully, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the dishes you made were all delicious? Come on, don¡¯t waste it, have some more to

    drink.¡±

    The man said, then he held the back of my head and forcefully fed me the soup in the bowl.

    The smile at the corner of the lips was truly wiel

    And how could he be like this?

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    He deliberately waited for me to eat so much, until I was full, and then he said, ¡°These are all tonics for men.¡±

    I was so angry. Couldn¡¯t he tell me before I started eating?

    Oh, no wonder he refused to cat.

    If he ate, then he admitted that he couldn¡¯t do it himself.

    This man really made a big deal out of the issue of ¡°whether it works or not¡°!

    And so, I was forcibly fed a bowl of soup by Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo ced the bowl on the table, took two steps back, and smiled at me, ¡°How does it feel to eat something that strengthens the yang and nourishes the kidneys?¡±

    Reynaldo smiled in a way that was somewhat smug and with a hint of enjoying the spectacle.

    I was so angry.

    I gritted my teeth and red at him angrily.

    Reynaldo ignored my anger and turned back to sit down on the chair.

    He smiled at me with interest and said, ¡°Come on, how does it feel to eat something that tonifies yang and nourishes the kidneys?¡±

    I stared at him for several seconds, but the man¡¯s expression became more arrogant and smug, which made me very angry.

    With a turn of my eyes, I suddenly stood up and walked towards him.

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    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair, looking at me with a calm expression.

    It¡¯s like saying, ¡°Come on, what can you do to me again?!¡±

    I made up my mind and suddenly straddled hisp under his indifferent gaze.

    Reynaldo froze on the spot.

    She stared at me in astonishment and said, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    I circled his neck, leaned in close to his ear, and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what it feels like to eat those things?¡±

    Reynaldo was tense all over, with his ears turning red.

    He pushed my shoulder and said, ¡°You go down first and talk nicely.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we talk nicely like this? What is Mr. Humphrey afraid of?¡±

    I said as I brought the bowl of soup that I had originally given him to his lips, and smilingly said to him, ¡°Here, drink it down. After you drink it, you will know what it feels like to tonify yang and nourish the kidneys.¡±

    However, Reynaldo stubbornly turned his head away and coldly said, ¡°I don¡¯t drink, take it away!¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­¡±

    I deliberately provoked him, ¡°Actually, people have <b>to </b>ept reality. If they are not good at something, they have to admit it openly <b>and </b>then

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    make efforts to improve, don¡¯t you think so, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    The stimting effect of my words was simply incredible:

    Reynaldo¡¯s face instantly turned extremely gloomy, with his eyes zing as if on fire.

    He snatched the bowl of soup from my hand and smirked at me coldly. saying, ¡°So, you think I can¡¯t perform, that¡¯s why you made me so many aphrodisiac foods?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not just me who thinks you can¡¯t do it.¡±

    And your good brother also believed that you couldn¡¯t do it.

    Look, all these aphrodisiacs and kidney tonics were brought by him.¡±

    ¡°This is outrageous!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly shouted in a low voice, lifted my waist and hips, and sat me down on the dining table.

    Immediately his thin waist pressed against me.

    And then I realized that he¡­ he had actually already had a reaction.

    Reynaldo leaned on the table with both hands, his tal

    over me.

    As he approached, I could feel the strong scent of desire.

    gure looming

    At that moment, our posture was so ambiguous that it could even be described as somewhat/¡®erotic¡®.

    Because he stood between my legs, forcing me to open them.

    It feels really embarrassing!

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    And, also, I don¡¯t know if those supplements worked.

    At that moment, I suddenly felt a fever all over my body, and the blood

    my body seemed to be boiling.

    My face and neck were burning hot.

    But it¡¯s strange, aren¡¯t those ingredients for tonifying yang and nourishing the kidneys only useful for men?

    Why do women have such big reactions even when they eat?

    And I was almost like a CD just now.

    So, am I ovepensating for my mistake? Will I have a nosebleedter?

    I was getting hotter and hotter, feeling restless.

    I tugged at my cor, pushing his chest and saying, ¡°It¡¯s so hot, please step back a bit.¡±

    However, the man¡¯s chest was as hard as iron, and I pushed for a long time, but he remained unmoved.

    Reynaldo¡¯s dark, intense eyes stared straight at me, the fire in them bing more and more frightening.

    Huh?!

    Did he really get upset by me this time?

    Will he refuse me this time?

    Thinking of this, I put my hand on his chest and slowly climbed up to his shoulders, and my lips carefully kissed his chin.

    I kissed him very gently, afraid that he would push me away like he

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    did the previous times.

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    Chapter962

    I was pushed into a psychological shadow by himst time.

    I kissed his chin, he didn¡¯t move, his whole body tense.

    I kissed his lips boldly again.

    And that kiss was like lighting a fire in an instant.

    Reynaldo suddenly wrapped his arm around my shoulder, his other hand cradling the back of my head, and deepened the kiss fiercely.

    He seemed to have been holding back for a long time, and his kiss came aggressively, the crazy force as if to devour me.

    I had eaten so many tonics, and my body was already too hot.

    Such a crazy kiss, instantly like dry tinder meeting a raging fire, burning rapidly.

    I couldn¡¯t wait to grab his clothes.

    After talking for a long time without being able to untie it, he ended up tearing off a few buttons from his shirt.

    And Reynaldo took off my clothes very easily.

    A few tugs and my shirt was pulled up to my elbows,

    I even felt like he had ¡°unhooked¡± my bra.

    Without the restraint in front of the chest, that sense of rxation is more like the catalyst of this fire, making the fire burn more and more vigorously.

    The man¡¯s kiss trailed from my neck to my chest.

    I felt weak all over, I could hardly sit still.

    With both hands propped back on the table, my fingers touched the utensils, and only then did I realize, ¡°I was sitting at the dining table.¡±

    Oh¡­ so embarrassing!

    I quickly grabbed Reynaldo¡¯s shirt cor and said to him, ¡°Change¡­change the ce¡­¡±

    The sound came out, and I realized that my voice had be so soft that it was out of tune.

    Reynaldo stared at me deeply for a few seconds, then suddenly picked me up and pushed me down onto the nearby sofa.

    He straightened up slightly and quickly took off his shirt.

    The clearly defined abdominal muscles appeared before my eyes, igniting the fire in my body once again.

    I couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touch it twice.

    The man grunted and his eyes grew deeper.

    He took my hand and ced it on the belt around hoarse, ¡°Untie it yourself.¡±

    waist, his voice

    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­¡±

    I was stuttering and fumbling as I reached for his belt with trembling hands.

    He bent down and kissed me, his lipsing to my ear, a hint of ruthlessness in his suppressed voice: ¡°Don¡¯t beg for mercyter.¡±

    Chapter962

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say a word anymore before I finished speaking.

    It¡¯s me who can clearly cat tonics, but why do I feel like he¡¯s the one who¡¯s being nourished.

    Reynaldo may have been really holding back in the previous few times, but this time he let out all that fierceness.

    The lights began to blur, and my thoughts started to scatter.

    Eventually, I didn¡¯t know how I got back to the bedroom.

    I was so tired in the end that I didn¡¯t even want to move a finger, ¡°whatever.¡±

    And this man was really bad.

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore in the end, and I was forced to beg for mercy by him.

    Still begging for mercy with tears.

    Seeing me begging for mercy, he kissed my lips and then leaned close to my ear, hoarselyughing and asking, ¡°Dare to say I can¡¯t do it?¡±

    ¡°I dare not,¡± I said hastily.

    I secretly thought, ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s desire for revenge was really strong.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t stand it when I said he couldn¡¯t do it, and he wanted to kill <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    Reynaldo smiled at me, but there was a hint of fierceness in his voice, as if he was both angry and annoyed.

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    He said, ¡°You are just not obedient, not obedient at all.¡±

    I stared nkly at the smile on his face.

    I don¡¯t know if it was the effect of the lighting or if the atmosphere in the room was too hazy and romantic, everything was blurred.

    I suddenly realized that he looked so handsome when he smiled, warm and charming, that smile even seemed to be tinged with a hint of indulgence, something I had never seen on him before.

    I couldn¡¯t help myself, I reached out and hooked my hand around his neck, lifting my upper body to hug him.

    I stuck by his ear and called out ¡°husband¡± inexplicably.

    This was almost the first time I shouted at him in a sober state.

    Reynaldo froze on the spot.

    He twisted my shoulder, gently pushed me away, and asked incredulously, ¡°What did you call me?¡±

    ¡°Honey.¡±

    I said, hugged him, and kissed his lips again.

    The moonlight was quiet, and the autumn night was cold.

    The room was filled with a charming crimson color.

    When dawn broke, only a small wallmp was lit in the room.

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    The lights were dim, and I could vaguely see Reynaldo leaning against the window smoking.

    The window was opened, and a cool breeze blew in, quickly dispersing the crimson color in the room.

    I quietly watched his tall figure recede.

    I don¡¯t know why, at this moment, I felt like he had something on his mind, looking very unhappy.

    But I was really tired tonight, too tired to think too much, and I quickly fell asleep.

    I didn¡¯t know how long had passed, when I felt a cool sensation around my waist and hips.

    I subconsciously reached out to grab it.

    My wrist was suddenly grabbed by arge hand.

    Immediately, Reynaldo¡¯s slightly reproachful low voice came into my ears: ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you the medicinest time and tell you to apply it yourself? You didn¡¯t apply it, did you?¡±

    I muttered, without even the strength to speak.

    elids were so

    I wanted to open my eyes and take a look, but my heavy that I could only half open them and see that it was already daytime.

    After Reynaldo applied the medicine to my hip, he also put some medicine on the burn on my hand.

    When I was about to fall asleep drowsily, I suddenly felt the bed next to me sink slightly.

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    Immediately, my whole body fell into a warm and strong embrace.

    He hugged me and whispered, ¡°Sleep, let¡¯s sleep together.¡±

    This is probably the most reassuring sentence I have ever heard.

    I snuggled into his arms, found afortable position, and then fell into a deep sleep.

    I slept very deeply this night.

    Waking up again, I stared at the dim room, unable to remember where I was for a moment, unable to distinguish tonight fromst night.

    I stared nkly at the ceiling for a while, and the memories ofst night flooded into my mind like a tide.

    Last night I ¡°went crazy¡± with Reynaldo almost all night, so this time I should be able to get pregnant, right?

    I touched my t stomach and then nced beside me.

    Reynaldo had already gotten up, the whole room was quiet.

    Iy down for a while, then dragged my sore body, getting ready to get <ol><li>up. </li></ol>

    Suddenly, there came a hurried sound of footsteps at the door.

    The footsteps stopped at the door.

    Immediately, Reynaldo¡¯s faint voice sounded, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not toe up? Go down!¡±

    I was stunned.

    Who was he talking to? Were there other people outside the door?

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    Thinking to myself, I grabbed a robe and draped it over my body.

    As soon as my feet touched the ground, I heard Kimberly¡¯s pitiful voice.

    ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t be like this, I just wanted toe up and see Ralda.¡±

    She was living with us just fine, butst night she didn¡¯te back all night. We called her but no one answered. Quentin and I were both so worried.

    I sarcastically tugged at my lips.

    This woman always dressed up when she went out, talked in a pretentious way, and was always pretending.

    I was still in a hurry, how could she have the nerve to say it out loud?!

    However, she came today, not to make sure if I am here or not, but for my two children.

    I rubbed my sore legs, stood up, and then realized I was wearing Reynaldo¡¯s bathrobe.

    So long and so big!

    I tied the belt of my robe tightly and dragged my sore body to the door. Reynaldo was really ruthless, he made me feel like I was falling apart.

    Outside the door, Kimberly was still crying sadly, ¡°Reynaldo, to be honest, when Ralda stabbed me those two times, causing me to never be able to conceive, I was actually quite resentful towards her.¡±

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    However, who called her Quentin¡¯s sister, the woman you loved.

    For you, I was willing to forgive her and tried my best to treat her as family, as a sister.

    Hmm!!!

    Listening to her words, I felt like ¡°I was going to throw up.¡±

    She continued, ¡°I also know that you have always loved her very much, loved her so much that you can even overlook Mika¡¯s death four years ago. Actually, I can understand, I won¡¯t me you for anything.¡±

    ¡°I think Mika is in heaven, she wouldn¡¯t me you, as long as you are happy, we will all be happy for you¡­¡±

    Depend on¡­

    This woman is really cunning and despicable, bringing up that incident from four years ago to remind Reynaldo.

    He even went so far as to say these words on purpose, making Reynaldo feel guilty towards his mother.

    I felt a chill, and with a cold gaze, I pulled open the door.

    When Kimberly, who was talking non¨Cstop, saw me, she suddenly froze.

    And when her gaze fell on my robe and around my neck, a sh of sinister jealousy quickly passed through her eyes.

    And Reynaldo, stood quietly on the side, holding a tray in his hands, on the tray were steaming hot meals.

    Perhaps because Kimberly mentioned Mika¡¯s death, Reynaldo¡¯s face looked very bad at the moment, a little cold and a little heavy.

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    I averted my gaze and smiled at Kimberly, saying, ¡°Ms. Palmer, what brings you here.¡±

    Kimberly quickly put on a friendly and concerned face and said, ¡°Quentin and I were worried sick when you didn¡¯te back all night, so we came to look for you and see if you were here.¡±

    Ralda, you were living so well with us, why did you move back?

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t even say a word when you moved back, Quentin was so worriedst night that he didn¡¯t sleep all night.¡±

    Izily leaned against the side door frame, absentmindedly tapping my leg.

    Kimberly frowned and said, ¡°Ralda, I was talking to you.¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Sorry,st night was too intense. Now standing for a long time, my legs are sore.¡±

    I knew that Kimberly had always wanted Reynaldo.

    Her obsession and possessiveness towards Reynaldo had reached a twisted point.

    My friendship with Reynaldo naturally drove her crazy.

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    Sure enough, the woman¡¯s face darkened and darkened again, and the viciousness in her eyes was almost overflowing.

    Unfortunately, Reynaldo just stared at me with deep eyes, not looking

    at her.

    Kimberly hesitated for a few seconds before concealing the maliciousness in her eyes.

    She smiled and said, ¡°It seems that your rtionship with Reynaldo is still as good as ever, Ralda. You are really lucky, even though four years ago you caused¡­¡±

    ¡°Ms. Palmer!¡±

    This woman is bringing up Mika¡¯s death from four years ago again. I sneered at her, ¡°Putting aside whether you really came to see me out of concern, do you think it¡¯s appropriate to suddenly rush up to me like this?¡±

    After all, this is the home of Reynaldo and me. Even if you are a guest, without the permission of the host, shouldn¡¯t you also stay in the living room downstairs?¡±

    ¡°But this is Reynaldo¡¯s vi, and as Reynaldo¡¯s sepsister, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s your own sister, when your brother is married, you should still have some boundaries. You can¡¯t just suddenly run into their bedroom, right?¡±

    ¡°If you identally walk in on your brother and sister¨Cinw being intimate, that would be so awkward, especially since you¡¯re just a

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    stepsister, right, Ms. Palmer.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, you¡­¡±

    Kimberly was left with a pale and bruised face after I scolded her, and she immediately looked at Reynaldo with a sense of grievance

    ¡°Reynaldo, what is she talking about? She is treating me like a

    stranger, even though we have had a rtionship for over ten years, we¡­¡±

    ¡°Honey!!¡±

    Before Kimberly could finish speaking, I immediately copsed and threw myself towards Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo jerked suddenly at the sound of my cry.

    He wrapped his arm around my waist with a deep, dark gaze like a deep pool.

    I encircled his strong and slender waist, leaning against his chest, frowning and saying, ¡°Look, just anyone can easilye up to our building like this. I think we should be less affectionate in the future, it¡¯s too insecure.¡±

    When I said this, Kimberly was so angry that her face turned green.

    She bit her lip and said tearfully, ¡°Ralda, I know

    i hate me, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You go down first.¡±

    Without waiting for her to finish, Reynaldo suddenly said to her in a casual tone.

    Kimberly¡¯s breath caught, and her face looked even worse.

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    She stood there, not moving for a while, just staring at Reynaldo with a pair of tearful eyes, as if pleading.

    However, Reynaldo didn¡¯t even look at her, just frowned and looked at me with an inquisitive gaze, as if trying to see into my heart.

    I felt disgusted when I saw Kimberly¡¯s pitiful appearance.

    I deliberately hooked my arm around Reynaldo¡¯s neck and kissed him on the corner of his lips.

    Turning back, he sneered at the woman, ¡°What? Does Ms. Palmer want to watch how intimate my husband and I are in person?¡±

    Kimberly was furious and nced at Reynaldo again.

    Seeing that Reynaldo did not look at her, she gritted her teeth and then whispered softly, ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb you being intimate with Reynaldo.¡±

    After a pause, she said to Reynaldo, ¡°Reynaldo, after this autumn passes and winteres, Mika¡¯s death anniversary will soon be here. Let¡¯s go together to visit her grave then.¡±

    After she finished saying this sentence, she looked at me meaningfully and then turned to walk towards the staircase.

    I stared at her back coldly.

    It seems that Mika¡¯s death is something she will talk about for the rest of her life.

    When Kimberly went by, Reynaldo just casually pushed me aside.

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    I was really sore and weak all over. With just one push from him, my legs went weak and I was about to fall.

    Before he reached out to pull me, I had already grabbed onto the door frame.

    He pursed his thin lips and silently withdrew his outstretched hand.

    I leaned against the door frame, quietly watching him.

    Look,st night he was so crazy with me, as soon as he mentioned his pants, he didn¡¯t recognize anyone, and turned into such a cold and distant¨Clook.

    There was some anger in my heart, but more of it was helplessness and sadness.

    He probably didn¡¯t want this either, but the death of his mother was ultimately a chasm in his heart that he couldn¡¯t cross.

    He looked at me deeply, and the repression and contradiction in his eyes were still evident.

    For a long time, he said to me lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s ea

    With that, he carried the tray into the bedroom.

    I nced at his cold back, sighed, and followed him.

    The man put down the tray and was about to leave.

    I hugged him tightly.

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    He furrowed his brows, gently pushed me away, and spoke in a calm tone that didn¡¯t reveal any emotion, ¡°Kimberly is not here right now, and you don¡¯t need to use this tactic to provoke her anymore.¡±

    s, why does this man always speak so unpleasantly?

    I shamelessly wanted to snuggle into his arms.

    He held my shoulders and wouldn¡¯t let me get close.

    He emphasized to me again, ¡°I told you, Kimberly is not here, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it only when she is here that I can be close to my own husband?¡±

    When I said this, Reynaldo was stunned and looked at me with that unfamiliar look in his eyes.

    Actually, I feel quite unfamiliar with myself now.

    I used to not have such thick skin.

    I really couldn¡¯t stand being with Johnathan for too long. Look, now both Vonnie and I have thickened skin.

    However, strangely enough, Reynaldo and Johnathan were good brothers for many years, why didn¡¯t Reynaldo learn the art of thick skin from Johnathan?

    In a puzzled moment, Reynaldo muttered, ¡°Do you have another conspiracy?¡±

    As soon as I heard the word ¡°conspiracy¡°, I started to get a little angry.

    I sneered at him, ¡°You said before that I was flirting with you and wanted to sleep with you, it was a plot against you.¡±

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    Did we go crazy all nightst night, did you discover my conspiracy?

    You said, ¡°Did I steal something from you, or did I poison you, ¡®conspiracy conspiracy,¡® just came out of your mouth.¡±

    ¡°But why did you suddenly call me ¡®husband¡°?¡± Reynaldo asked, feeling a bit awkward.

    That ¡°innocent¡± appearance really makes it hard to imagine the wild energy he had in bed.

    Is it true that the more refined and elegant a man looks on the outside, the crazier he is in bed?

    With his mind wandering, Reynaldo suddenly approached me and asked again, ¡°Why did you suddenly shout at me?¡±

    ¡°Why else?¡± I frowned at him. ¡°Are you not my husband? Or do you not want to be my husband?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, and my gaze suddenly became a little deep, even a bit bitter.

    He said, ¡°You never used to shout at me like this before.¡±

    ¡°That was in the past,¡± I said.

    ¡°Why are you willing to shout now?¡± Reynald pproached me again, his eyes intense and deep.

    He stared at me in such a way that I was a little afraid to meet his gaze.

    Because actually, calling him her husband just now was indeed to provoke Kimberly.

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    I hugged him and said, ¡°He is my husband,¡± also to please him.

    Just now, Kimberly¡¯s words, his attitude towards me clearly cooled down and became more distant.

    Although I went crazy all nightst night, whether I can sessfully conceive a third child is still unknown.

    So I had to coax him, otherwise if he refused me like the previous few times, then I would really be at a loss.

    Thinking about it now, calling him ¡°husband¡± was indeed purposeful.

    I licked my lips and asked him with ack of confidence, ¡°So, do you not like it when I call you like this? If you don¡¯t like it, then I won¡¯t do it in the future¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t like it.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly interrupted me and said with a slightly unnatural expression, ¡°I just think you¡¯re a bit strange.¡±

    I nced at him and muttered, ¡°I am your wife, hat¡¯s so strange about me calling you husband.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly fell silent, just staring at me intently.

    Fortunately, his expression was not as cold, with a hint ofplexity in his eyes, seeming to be restrained and sad.

    He was probably thinking, ¡°It would be better if <i>I </i>were not his ¡®mother¡¯s killer¡®.¡®

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    The incident from four years ago remains unsolved to this day.

    But when I thought of the miniature recorder I had hidden in Kimberly¡¯s room, a glimmer of hope still shed through <b>my </b>mind.

    I didn¡¯t believe Kimberly could always be so wless.

    The truth alwayses to light one day.

    By then, there was no need for such torment between Reynaldo and <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    I looked at hisplicated expression and then pulled him to sit by the window.

    The dishes in the tray were delicious in color, fragrance, and taste.

    I asked him, ¡°Did you make it yourself?¡±

    He was silent for two seconds and nodded.

    I picked up the utensils and took a bite, the taste was not bad at all.

    Really, you can question his performance in bed, but you just can¡¯t question his cooking skills.

    Reynaldo sat silently across from me, with his head bowed, lost in thought.

    I turned my eyes and lifted my foot to rest on his leg.

    He was stunned, looking at me expressionlessly.

    I muttered, ¡°My legs are sore, can you help me massage them?¡±

    His thin lips tightened slightly, his eyes darkened again, probably thinking about the madness ofst night.

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    But he didn¡¯t say anything, just pulled the chair closer, let my legs restpletely on his legs, and then started massaging me.

    I watched him while I was eating.

    But he never looked up the whole time, just earnestly massaged my legs.

    In the evening, the setting sun shone through the window, falling on him, casting a soft glow.

    The air was quiet, the atmosphere warm, giving a feeling of a peaceful time.

    I stared at him for a long time, and something in my heart moved slightly.

    It would be so nice if we could always be so warm and cozy.

    I shouted at him, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    The man paused, raised his head and looked at me.

    I said to him seriously, ¡°I know that because of your mother¡¯s death, you still harbor hatred towards me in your heart, so we can never be able to love each other and live like a normal couple, right?¡±

    He massaged my legs for a while.

    However, it was just a moment, and he lowered his head, continuing to massage my legs.

    But his silence also confirmed my previous statement.

    I smiled sadly and said to him, ¡°I know you will never believe without evidence, but the person who actually killed your mother is Kimberly.¡±

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    But it¡¯s okay, I will go find evidence myself, I will prove my innocence myself.

    So, Reynaldo, can you¡­ just trust me for now, I really didn¡¯t kill your mother.¡±

    When I reached thest sentence, all the past sorrow and grievances instantly flooded back, and even my voice carried a hint of choking.

    He slowly raised his head to look at me.

    The moment I locked eyes with him, a hint of mist inexplicably rose before me.

    I bit my lip, my voice trembling with injustice: ¡°Please believe me, I really, really did not kill your mother.¡±

    That day, my mother passed away, and Quentin and my father also used me.

    ¡°I was also in pain, I was also in despair, if it weren¡¯t for the children, I might have given up long ago, I¡­¡±

    Before I could finish speaking, he suddenly pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.

    At that moment, an unprecedented sense of grievance surged like a mountain copsing and the sea pouring in.

    I couldn¡¯t hold back and burst into tears in his arms.

    Really, after all this time, this was the first time that when mentioning

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    the incident from four years ago, he didn¡¯t show any hatred towards me, instead he tenderly embraced me.

    This embrace, I had been longing for four years.

    Reynaldo held me silently, allowing me to vent my emotions.

    After a long time, he finally spoke, as if coaxing me, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, promise you, I will temporarily believe you.¡±

    I

    ¡°I will also wait until the moment you find evidence to prove your innocence.¡±

    Originally, after being greatly wronged, just aforting word from the loved one could make a person unable to hold back from crying loudly.

    I was in his arms, crying uncontrobly, as if I wanted to let out all the grievances umted in my heart over the years.

    He stroked my back, his deep voice tinged with a hint of sadness.

    ¡°Esmeralda, I always wanted you to live well, even if I hated you again, I still hope you are well.¡±

    You wouldn¡¯t know, every day after we kicked you out of Freybourne was dark<i>. </i>

    Every winter, the cold is chilling to the bone.

    Sometimes I hate myself for driving you away, but I don¡¯t know how to treat you.¡±

    ¡°I knew¡­¡±

    His contradictions, how could I not know?

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    So, if I want to be with Reynaldo forever, happy and old together, then I must let the truth from four years agoe to light.

    This time, I will definitely not let Kimberly get away with it again!

    Last night was tough, after dinner I feltpletely exhausted.

    Reynaldo¡¯s spirits were excellent.

    He pulled me up from the bed, hugged me and kissed me, and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you out to see a movie.¡±

    Huh?

    I looked at him in astonishment, ¡°Watch a movie?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    He found my hand, his long fingers slipping through mine, intertwining with my own.

    He said to me, ¡°Even though we are no longer young, I still want to have a romantic date with you.¡±

    Now that I think about it, from the beginning until now, the number of times we went on dates was very few.

    ¡°I also want to be with you, like those ordinary couples, like husband and wife, going on dates, taking walks, admiring the night view.¡±

    When Reynaldo said these words, his eyes looked deeply into mine, with infinite tenderness shining in them.

    However, he was right. We really haven¡¯t dated much from the beginning until now.

    Except for the time/when we made up.

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    But that period of time was so short¨Clived.

    I hugged him and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go watch a movie.¡±

    The temperature on the autumn night was very pleasant.

    I wore a light¨Ccolored camisole maxi dress, paired with a knitted cardigan.

    Reynaldo wore dark trousers and a shirt, exuding a refined and noble temperament, with a mature man¡¯s charm all over his body.

    He booked the tickets in advance for a romantic love movie, which attracted quite a few viewers.

    The movie wasn¡¯t long, it ended in just an hour and a half.

    Reynaldo looked very attentively

    I was feeling a bit drowsy, and in thest half hour, I just fell asleep leaning on his shoulder.

    When I woke up, there was no one in the auditorium.

    The administrators all started to drive people a <ol><li></li></ol>

    Reynaldo smiled at me helplessly and said, ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t enjoy watching movies/¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of youst night¡­¡±

    The conversation was not finished yet, Reynaldo¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened, making me feel embarrassed to continue.

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    Reynaldo smiled and led me out of the movie theater.

    He asked me, ¡°Where else do you want to go for fun?¡±

    I thought for a moment and said, ¡°I want to take a walk by the river.¡±

    This season, it was mostfortable to go to the riverside and enjoy the breeze.

    As soon as he arrived at the riverside, Reynaldo was grabbed by a little girl.

    Looking back, it turned out to be a little girl selling flowers.

    The little girl smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Sir, buy a bouquet of flowers for your girlfriend, they are very fresh.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me.

    I tilted my head and smiled, ¡°Girlfriend, huh.¡±

    Reynaldo humorously squeezed my hand and then bought the little girl¡¯s flowers.

    But I only took one, it¡¯s not convenient to take too many.

    The little girl was very happy, repeatedly saying ¡°thank you¡± to me and Reynaldo.

    It was a rose, very fresh.

    I sniffed at the tip of my nose and smiled at the man in front of me, saying, ¡°Thank you, boyfriend.¡±

    Reynaldo, however, pulled me into his arms and authoritatively corrected me, saying, ¡°You should call me husband.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ But I have never experienced what it feels like to be a

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    girlfriend, I really want to experience it.¡±

    Before being with Reynaldo, I had never been in a rtionship.

    I had no idea what it felt like to be in love.

    Ah, I really wanted to experience it.

    Reynaldo jokingly hugged me and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you be my girlfriend for a while.¡±

    People always say that falling in love is romantic.

    It may really be so.

    It was just an ordinary autumn night, a simple rose, ayer of boyfriend¨Cgirlfriend rtionship.

    Even just walking hand in hand with him by the river, I felt incredibly romantic.

    The cool breeze blowing from the Taiwan Strait was filled with a hint

    of sweetness.

    I really hope that I could always be like this with him.

    Reynaldo may have been really holding back too muchtely.

    As soon as we got home, he couldn¡¯t wait to hug and kiss me.

    The consequence of tossing and turning all night was that the next day I slept all day in a daze.

    When I woke up in the evening, Reynaldo wasing out of the bathroom after taking a shower.

    He wrapped a towel around his waist, with ambiguous scratch marks visible on his chest and abdomen.

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    I blushed as soon as I saw it, and unconsciously nced away.

    He chuckled softly, leaned in, and cupped the back of my neck before leaning in to kiss my lips.

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    I was startled and quickly dodged backwards.

    He asked with a smile, ¡°Am I that scary?¡±

    I nodded vigorously.

    I felt that in the past, although he had a strong desire, he always wanted to sleep with me whenever he saw me.

    But it wasn¡¯t as crazy as those two times.

    For two consecutive nights, I felt like my whole body was being taken apart and put back together again, and every part of me was so sore and tender.

    Reynaldo saw my reaction and chuckled, saying, ¡°Now you¡¯re scared? When everyone was saying I couldn¡¯t do it, I didn¡¯t see you¡­¡±

    I quickly hooked his neck and kissed him on the lips, smilingly saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you¡¯re great. I didn¡¯t know your strength. I hope Mr. Humphrey won¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze, suddenly looking down, his voice hoarse and low: ¡°Why don¡¯t you try lighting it again?¡±

    Wow!

    Suddenly realizing that I waspletely naked, my face flushed, and I quickly pulled the nket over me, smiling at him incredulously, ¡°I believe Mr.. Humphrey has the strongest self¨Ccontrol and patience, clearly in great pain but still keeping hisposure.¡±

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    So, this little spark definitely wasn¡¯t enough to ignite Mr. Humphrey¡¯s desire, right Mr. Humphrey.

    Reynaldo frowned and corrected me, ¡°Call him husband!¡±

    ¡°Honey¡­¡± I called out to him with a smile.

    He shook his head speechlessly, ¡°Thick¨Cskinned.¡±

    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m so hungry.¡±

    I smiled at him cheerfully.

    He got up and put on his robe, rubbing my hair, saying, ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go cook.¡±

    I watched his back as my heart overflowed with a hint of sweetness.

    Thick¨Cskinned is thick¨Cskinned, and the fact proves that there is really nothing wrong with being thick¨Cskinned.

    After dinner, Reynaldo and I were nning to go to Johnathan¡¯s to pick up the two children.

    But Johnathan said they were outside ying with the two children, and they would take them to school tomorrow, allowing us to continue enjoying some alone time.

    Reynaldo had no objections to this, which made me a little suspicious that he was going to keep me up all night again.

    Fortunately, that night he didn¡¯t do anything to me, just ¡°held me and fell asleep together.¡±

    Although I was eager to conceive a third child now, my body simply couldn¡¯t handle such frequent and crazy revelry.

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    Anyway, I have temporarily made up with Reynaldo now. I have been working hard during this period, and this child always manages to get pregnant.

    It¡¯s just about Essie getting sick¡­

    I thought about it and decided to wait until Kimberly¡¯s true identity is revealed before telling him.

    The primary goal now was to find evidence of all the bad things Kimberly had done.

    Thinking, I picked up my phone and opened the connected recorder to listen. Besides the sweet nothings from Kimberly PUA Quentin, there was no useful information at all.

    The next morning, Reynaldo went to thepany.

    When I woke up, he was already not at home, but he left me a note saying ¡°breakfast is warm in the pot, remember to eat when you get up.¡±

    He also said he woulde back early in the evening to apany <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    Emma, I didn¡¯t expect Reynaldo to be so thoughtful and considerate.

    Madisyn also returned from vacation and brought Essie and Roddy a lot of homemade snacks from their own home.

    Just as Madisyn had returned not long ago, a figure suddenly rushed in hurriedly.

    Madisyn eximed in surprise, ¡°Mr. Duffy?¡±

    I looked up and saw that it was indeed my dad.

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    My father nced around at the door, saw me sitting at the dining table eating breakfast, and quickly walked over.

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    Chapter971

    ¡°Ralda, this time you must help me.¡±

    I nced at him coldly and ignored him.

    He nced at my dining table and chuckled, ¡°Ralda, you have such a rich breakfast all by yourself.¡±

    With that, he sat down across from me and picked up a sandwich to

    eat.

    I coldly said, ¡°Put it down!¡±

    The breakfast that Reynaldo made for me with his own hands, what right does he have to eat it.

    My father was taken aback and frowned, saying, ¡°Look at you, just because I ate one of your sandwiches, do you have to be so fierce? I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet.¡±

    He said, while putting the sandwich into his mouth.

    I got up and rudely snatched the sandwich, throwing it directly into the trash can.

    Reynaldo made it himself, even if I didn¡¯t eat it, I wouldn¡¯t let him eat it.

    My father¡¯s face immediately darkened, ¡°Ralda, do you have to be like this? I am your father!¡±

    ¡°When you publicly expose Kimberly¡¯s wrongdoing in front of Reynaldo, that¡¯s when I¡¯ll consider you my dad.¡±

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    My fatherughed, ¡°Ralda, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand. What crime could Kimberly havemitted?¡±

    288 Vouchers

    I almost guessed he would say that, and I didn¡¯t feel any fluctuations in my heart.

    Actually, up to now, I really admire Kimberly. What method did she use to make my dad, Quentin, and Zackery all listen to her so well?

    I said lightly, ¡°This is my and Reynaldo¡¯s home, you are not wee here, please leave.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, no matter what, I am still your father. Be careful, you will be struck by lightning for treating your father like this!¡±

    ¡°I would rather be struck by lightning than call you ¡®dad¡®, get lost!¡±

    My father¡¯s face darkened again in an instant.

    I ignored him and continued to eat my breakfast.

    Really, the morning just ruined my mood.

    My father red at me angrily for a while, and then his attitude softened.

    ¡°Let it go, let it go. You are my good daughter after all, I won¡¯t be mad at you.¡±

    ¡°I actually came today because I have something I want to ask for your help with,¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ then you go to Reynaldo and report Kimberly, I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, you child, why are you saying this again? I didn¡¯t even know what bad things she did. How can I report her?¡±

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    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say, get out!¡±

    My dad sat still, and I felt annoyed when I looked at him. I also had no appetite for breakfast.

    I got up and was about to go upstairs when he suddenly grabbed me and said urgently, ¡°Ralda, you can¡¯t just leave like this, you must help me, Kimberly actually put a camera in her room.¡±

    I was taken aback and frowned at him, ¡°Kimberly installed a camera in her own room?¡±

    No, it¡¯s not.

    I had carefully observed their bedroom that day, and there were no cameras in that room at all.

    And, if there really were cameras, wouldn¡¯t Kimberly have seen the scene where I secretly hid the recorder?

    But this doesn¡¯t make sense. If Kimberly already knew about the existence of the recorder at that time, how could she still have the nerve to spend the whole night with Quentin?

    Wasn¡¯t she afraid that her embarrassing voice would be heard by others?

    The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

    I asked my dad, ¡°How did you know there wer Where were the cameras installed?¡±

    meras in their room?

    ¡°s!¡± my dad sighed heavily and said urgently, ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯ve been investing again recently and trying to develop some hobbies, which has made my finances a bit tight.¡±

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    Go ask Quentin for some money, that ungrateful child refuses to give any.

    So I thought about sneaking into their room to find some valuable stuff, but identally knocked over the vase next to the bedside table.

    I was shocked in my heart.

    Could it be the vase next to the bedside table¡­?

    The next second, I heard my dad say, ¡°At that time, the vase broke, and then I saw a very small thing in the fragments, like a camera or something.¡±

    My heartpletely cooled.

    That was indeed the recorder I had hidden inside.

    I didn¡¯t expect that the recorder was not found by Kimberly in the end, but by my dad instead.

    ¡°And then?¡± I asked in a calm voice.

    My dad sighed and said, ¡°At that time, I was so anxious, thinking that there were cameras everywhere. If I searched their room for things, wouldn¡¯t they see it all?¡±

    In this way, they would definitely be even less willing to give me money in the future.

    So I took the camera and went up to them to apologize, thinking that apologizing proactively might leave a good impression on them.

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    Little did I know, I had already taken the initiative to admit my mistake, but they still refused to give me a single penny. What should I do, Ralda? I really need money urgently these days.¡±

    After listening to my father¡¯s words, I was so angry that I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    My recorder was found by him, which was bad enough, but he even took it to Kimberly.

    Now Kimberly definitely knew that the recorder was hidden by me.

    It was almost impossible to use this method to record evidence again.

    A touch of annoyance surged in my heart, and my dad happened to be pulling my arm, saying, ¡°Ralda, can you lend me some money? I don¡¯t need much, just a few million.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I impatiently waved away his hand and said coldly, ¡°You are not like Quentin, always trying to cover up for Kimberly. Why don¡¯t you just go ask them for money.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®sheltering or not sheltering¡°? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡°.

    The key is that I went to ask them for it, but maybe I asked too many times, this time they just refused to give me th

    honey.¡±

    I chuckled, ¡°Then just threaten them with the truth from four years ago. Bring up Mika¡¯s death, they¡¯ll definitely pay up, won¡¯t they?¡±

    My father frowned deeply, ¡°Ralda, please stop talking nonsense. Everyone in Freybourne knows that Mika is because of you¡­¡±

    ¡°I coldly cut off his words, ¡®Get out!¡® showing no hope for him at all.¡±

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    My father opened his mouth, as if wanting to speak.

    I coldly growled, ¡°Get out!¡±

    My father scolded me as a ¡°disobedient daughter¡± in anger, and then left in a huff.

    I stared at his angry back, full of sarcasm in my heart.

    I never expected it, my father actually defended Kimberly so much Kimberly refused to give him money, but he was not willing to use Mika¡¯s death truth to threaten Kimberly.

    Well, just let Kimberly be his own daughter.

    And he was so short of money, yet he still refused to switch sides and stand by my side at such a critical moment.

    I really don¡¯t know what he was doing, ¡°sheltering Kimberly like this.¡±

    Could it be that he didn¡¯tck money to the point of being desperate?

    If I push him to a dead end, will hee to me and be willing to testify for me?

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    I was staring thoughtfully at my dad¡¯s retreating figure when Madisyn suddenly leaned in and sighed, ¡°Ms. Duffy, Mr. Duffy seems to have changed a lot, he wasn¡¯t like this before.¡±

    He used to love Mrs. Duffy so much, and care for you and Mr. Quentin.

    But now, it seems like all he cares about is money.¡±

    Yes, my dad is now ruthless and corrupt, with only money and women in his heart.

    I said to Madisyn, ¡°People will change,¡± and then I went upstairs.

    In the afternoon, I was thinking about how to find a breakthrough from my dad, and then Reynaldo¡¯s call came in.

    The man¡¯s voice sounded particrly deep and gentle on the phone, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, just daydreaming.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled softly, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon to keep youpany. You don¡¯t need to go pick them up, I¡¯ll bring them ck when I return.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said.

    Reynaldo fell silent for two seconds, then suddenly hesitated before saying, ¡°Esmeralda, are you¡­ bored at home?¡±

    I looked at the book in front of me and said, ¡°Not bad, not boring.¡±

    These past few days, he really put me through the wringer, and my

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    body is still sore and weak. So, lounging in the recliner and reading a book doesn¡¯t feel boring at all, it just feels incredibly rxing.

    Reynaldo suddenly stopped talking, and I waited for half an hour, but he didn¡¯t speak again.

    I thought he was busy working, so I said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave it at that. Bye.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡±

    As I was about to hang up the phone, he suddenly shouted at me.

    I was stunned for a moment and asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and muttered, ¡°No!¡±

    After saying that, he hung up the phone, really leaving me puzzled.

    Listening to his dull tone, why do I feel like he was angry?

    Did I say anything wrong just now?

    At that moment, Madisyn suddenly brought a bowl of sweet soup to <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    Looking at that sweet soup, I was moved.

    If I suddenly went to give Reynaldo sweet sou surprise him?

    at this time, would it

    Thinking of this, I quickly asked Madisyn to pack a bowl of sweet soup, and then eagerly vent to Reynaldo¡¯spany.

    Arriving at Reynaldo¡¯spany, I carried the sweet soup and headed straight to the CEO¡¯s office.

    When I arrived at the door of the president¡¯s office, the secretary

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    informed me that Reynaldo had gone to the meeting room for a meeting.

    I thought about waiting for him in the president¡¯s office, but the secretary wouldn¡¯t let me in.

    <b>11 </b>288 Wouchers

    Fortunately, at that moment Braylon passed by and when he saw me, he clearly hesitated, ¡°Ms. Duffy?¡±

    I said to him lightly, ¡°I came to look for Reynaldo.¡±

    Braylon used to respect me a lot, but since Mika¡¯s incident happened, Braylon¡¯s attitude towards me has not been very good.

    Now I have temporarily made up with Reynaldo, I don¡¯t know if he knows about it.

    At this moment, the secretary said to him, ¡°Braylon, she said she was going to the president¡¯s office to wait for Mr. Humphrey, you see¡­¡±

    ¡°Let her in,¡± Braylon said, looking at me. ¡°Mr. Humphrey¡¯s meeting should be over in half an hour. You can go in and wait for him.¡±

    I looked at Braylon in surprise and said, ¡°So, you¡¯re not afraid of me doing something to harm Reynaldo now? Like leaking files or stealing secrets?¡±

    Braylonughed and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey was in a particrly good mood today, he even asked me to customize a gift for you, so I thought Mr. Humphrey must have made up with you.¡±

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    Chapter974

    In this world, only you could make Mr. Humphrey happy.

    During those four years¡­

    He suddenly stopped and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s all in the past. Now, as long as Mr. Humphrey is happy, nothing else matters.¡±

    I have to say, Braylon was really loyal to Reynaldo.

    Huh?

    Should I borrow Braylon from Reynaldo?

    If I wanted to push my dad to a dead end and force him toe to me for help, then I would have to find someone to assist me.

    But if I spend money to hire people, those people are very likely to turn against me.

    After all, the hired people only care about money, and it¡¯s hard to guarantee that Kimberly won¡¯t spend money to bribe them.

    So, Braylon turned out to be a good choice.

    Reynaldo¡¯s office was very spacious, with excellent lighting.

    I put the sweet soup on the office desk, and at a nce I saw the scattered documents on the desk.

    I reached out to organize those documents, then nestled in his big armchair to contemte my father¡¯s affairs.

    Time passed quickly. I had only been sitting in the CEO¡¯s office for a

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    while when the door was suddenly pushed open by someone in a hurry.

    Reynaldo came running as if in a hurry.

    He breathed slightly and looked at me, with a hint of surprise shing in his eyes.

    ¡°How did you get here?¡± he asked, closing the door behind him and striding towards me.

    Honestly, he always had a mature and steady demeanor, keeping a low profile. This was the first time I had seen him looking so pleasantly surprised.

    My heart moved, I got up to greet him, took his hand and said, ¡°I missed you.¡±

    The next second, the man embraced me and kissed me.

    I encircled his strong waist and warmly responded to him.

    Reynaldo¡¯s kiss was so gentle, as if he wanted to melt me.

    The temperature in the office kept rising, and my body also felt weak.

    Unconsciously, Reynaldo¡¯srge hand slipped into the hem of my clothes, his slender fingers tracing along my waistline to my back¡­

    I just felt his fingers lightly hooking onto the c. of my bra, and the restraint in front of my chest disappeared.

    Immediately after, my chest was held by a warm touch, startling me.

    My wandering consciousness slowly returned, and I suddenly realized that I was now in his office.

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    It is possible that someone coulde in at any time!

    I pushed his chest, blushing and heart pounding, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t do it here.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, his eyes as dark as night.

    His hand was still in my clothes.

    I rubbed my burning cheeks and took his hand out.

    Although we were very close, we had countless intimate moments.

    But doing such things in the office just feels a little embarrassing.

    Reynaldo¡¯s chest rose and fell slightly, he took a deep breath, and the desire in his eyes gradually faded.

    I quickly fastened his bra hooks and straightened his clothes, then turned around and asked with a smile, ¡°So, weren¡¯t you in a meeting?¡±

    Braylon clearly said his meeting still had half an hour left, howe he showed up in less than ten minutes?

    Reynaldo loosened his tie and said, ¡°There was nothing important, the meeting ended early.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I pursed my lips and suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say.

    What¡¯s going on with the awkward atmosphere?

    Reynaldo sat down on the chair, looking at me deeply and said, ¡°Come here.¡±

    I stood still.

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    I was afraid that he would lose his mind and make a move on me in the office, even on that office desk¡­

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    Chapter975

    After all, the former Reynaldo was really carefree and didn¡¯t care about anything.

    It seemed as if he had seen through what I was thinking.

    He chuckled and said, ¡°Scared? What about the enthusiasm you showed when you flirted with me a few days ago?¡±

    I: ¡­

    A few days ago, I have never had such thick skin in my life.

    ¡°Come here.¡±

    Reynaldo called out to me again, his eyes looking so tender it was almost unbelievable.

    I felt a sweet feeling in my heart and walked towards him with light steps.

    As soon as I walked up to him, he pulled me into his arms and made me sit on hisp..

    Well, the intimacy just now has left me feeling all tingly all over now.

    She would sit on hisp, her face blushing a¡­ heart beating fast.

    And I was afraid that someone would suddenlye in.

    I pushed his chest and said, ¡°I, I¡¯ll just sit on the sofa next to me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.

    Chapter975

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    Reynaldo circled my waist, rested his chin on the nape of my neck, and whispered, ¡°I just want to hug you.¡±

    The man¡¯s voice was soft, and my heart softened along with it.

    I stopped moving around and let him hold me.

    Thinking of him just being in a meeting, I asked him, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this dy your work?¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡±

    Reynaldo paused for two seconds, then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe to thepany to see me. Just now on the phone, I thought¡­¡±

    Just as he said this, he suddenly stopped talking, and a look of awkwardness quickly shed across his handsome face.

    I nced at him and thought about the phone call I had just made.

    Suddenly, it seemed like I understood something.

    Hiss!

    He just asked me on the phone if I was bored at home, could it be that he wants me toe to thepany to apany him?

    But at that time, I didn¡¯t realize what he meant, so I just said, ¡°Not boring.¡±

    So my ¡°not boring¡± is, in his opinion, that I don¡¯t want toe to thepany to apany him? So he got angry?

    Oh, the more I think about it, the more it seems like that.

    After all, when he hung up the phone, he always had a small puff of

    anger.

    09:25

    Chapter975

    Thinking about this, I was really speechless.

    Why is this man so stubborn? He misses me but doesn¡¯t say it directly. He has to be so vague. Who can understand that?

    Although there were many criticisms of him, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of sweetness in my heart.

    I turned my head and kissed the corner of his lips, saying, ¡°Although I was lyingfortably at home, not bored at all, but I still prefer to be with you.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenlyughed, and when heughed, there seemed to be stars in his dark eyes.

    I brought the takeout box in front of him and said, ¡°Here, a sweet soup specially brought for you.¡±

    Reynaldo took the package and set it aside, then hugged me tightly, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me hug you first.¡±

    And so, he hugged me for half an hour, hugging me until I was starting to feel sleepy.

    At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.

    I was startled and about to get up.

    Reynaldo arrogantly held onto my waist, not allowing me to move.

    I awkwardly said, ¡°What¡¯s up, someone ising in.¡±

    ¡°Come in if you want to, what are you afraid of.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and then said lightly at the door, ¡°Come in.¡±

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    As the door was pushed open, in came Braylon.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey¡­¡­¡±

    Braylon was about to say something, but his words were <b>abruptly </b>cut off when he saw me and Reynaldo like this.

    He suddenly lowered his head as if ¡°look away when you see something improper¡°.

    I saw that his ears were a little red.

    I was a little embarrassed at first, but when I saw his reaction. I forgot all about my embarrassment.

    Wow, Reynaldo is so innocent, howe all the people under hismand are also innocent gentlemen.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, this is the material from the meeting just now. I have already organized it, please take a look.¡±

    He finished speaking, walked over quickly, put down the documents, and then ran away.

    I turned my head to look at Reynaldo and said, ¡°Look at you, scaring Braylon away.¡±

    Reynaldo said earnestly, ¡°So, you shoulde to mypany more often, get closer to me, he will get used to it, and then it won¡¯t be a big deal.¡±

    I: ¡­

    What kind of twisted reasoning is this.

    However, when Braylon arrived, I did remember.

    I asked Reynaldo, ¡°Can you lend me Braylon for a while?*

    Reynaldo frowned.

    ¡°Can I borrow you? How do you want to use it? He doesn¡¯t have much abdominal muscles.¡±

    Poof!

    Where did this man go?

    Did you think I was going to borrow Braylon back to observe?

    The man¡¯s way of thinking was really strange.

    I said to him impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the point of having abs? He is so pure and cute. Just borrow him back to tease and y with, isn¡¯t it fun.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± Reynaldo red at me angrily, his eyes turning red with

    rage.

    I circled his neck with a smile and said, ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore.¡±

    Reynaldo snorted coldly, turned his face away, and said angrily, ¡°Then tell me, what do you want to borrow him

    ¡°He helped me collect evidence.¡±

    Reynaldo was taken aback and looked at me.

    ?¡±

    I put away my joking attitude and said seriously to him, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it? I¡¯m going to find evidence to prove my innocence.¡±

    09:25

    But I didn¡¯t have anyone reliable and capable to help me.

    Braylon was so loyal to you, he¡¯s a good hand, so I want to borrow him. for a while.

    ¡°After all, I have a lot of things to do, it¡¯s not convenient for me toe forward, someone has to do it for me.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just looked at me deeply.

    For a long time, he said, ¡°You can tell me what you want to do, actually I can¡­¡±

    ¡°No no no¡­¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°I have a n now, but neither you nor I can show up, so you can just lend me Braylon for a while.¡±

    I wanted to make my dad feel trapped, so naturally it was easier for Braylon to do these things behind the scenes.

    I looked at Reynaldo and asked him, ¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Believe!¡± The man uttered a word in a deep voice, with almost no hesitation.

    And all along, what I have been waiting for is his trust.

    Braylon was soon called in again.

    When he came in, he kept his head down. d still had a look of ¡°discourtesy is not allowed¡°.

    Iughed and said to him, ¡°Come on, you can look up, I didn¡¯t do anything with Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    After listening, Braylon slowly raised his head.

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    Seeing me standing next to Reynaldo, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Reynaldo told him, ¡°She has some things to take care of recently, go help her out.¡±

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    Chapter977

    Braylon hesitated for a moment, took two seconds to react, and seemed to realize that the ¡®she¡® in Reynaldo¡¯s mouth was referring to me.

    He nced at me and asked Reynaldo in confusion, ¡°Did you ask me to help Ms. Dully?¡±

    ¡°Well, these days, you just follow her orders in everything.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Braylon nodded, then fell silent with worry, ¡°I¡¯m just following up on the big project in the south of the city, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°No problem, I will find someone else to take over that project. Just make sure you do a proper handover.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    After Braylon left, Reynaldo smiled at me and said, ¡°If you need any manpower, resources, or financial support, just let me know.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, husband.¡±

    I bent down as I said that, and kissed him on the shoulder.

    His eyes dimmed and he said hoarsely, ¡°You are tempting me. My face turned red, and I quickly tried to step back.

    He suddenly held onto my back, not letting me move away, then pressed his lips against mine, kissing and caressing freely.

    He may have been really afraid of identally firing a gun in the CEO¡¯s office, so this time he just kissed me for a while and then let me <ol><li>go. </li></ol>

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    His deep and hoarse voice carried a touch of sexy charm: ¡°Tonight, shall we continue?¡±

    My face turned red instantly.

    I pushed him away and muttered, ¡°Who wants to continue with you.¡±

    I said, and then I ran out.

    I felt like ¡°I would eventually catch fire¡± if I were alone with him in that office.

    When I ran out, Reynaldo was stillughing,ughing like crazy.

    When Essie and Roddy finished school, Reynaldo and I left thepany and went straight to the school to pick up the children.

    Today, if the children saw me going to pick them up with Reynaldo, the two kids would definitely be overjoyed.

    As soon as Reynaldo and I arrived at the kindergarten gate, we saw two familiar figures, looking inside the gate, it was Johnathan and Vonnie.

    The key was that there was als¨® a woman with them.

    I had never seen that woman, but her eyebrows and eyes bore some resemnce to Johnathan.

    ?

    This was the time when Essie and Roddy s parents were picking up the children from their ss

    Essie and Roddy were sent by Johnathan and Vonnie in the morning.

    So at this point, the teacher also confidently handed the two children over to them.

    09:25

    Chapter977

    As soon as the two children came out, the woman joyfully picked up Essie.

    I looked at Reynaldo in confusion.

    Reynaldoughed and said, ¡°That is Johnathan¡¯s mother.¡±

    Oh!

    I said, ¡°The woman¡¯s eyebrows and eyes bear some resemnce to Johnathan.¡±

    Reynaldo added, ¡°Ms. Valois especially loves children, especially girls.¡±

    She used to always sigh and say to me, ¡°If only Johnathan were a girl.¡±

    In that way, she could dress her daughter in pretty floral dresses, style her hair in pretty braids, and also¡­

    I looked at him curiously as he hesitated to speak, ¡°What else can it be?¡±

    Reynaldo clenched his fist against his nose and coughed, saying, ¡°I could even be her son¨Cinw.¡±

    Ha¡­hahaha¡­..

    ¡±

    ¡°Sure, you two are a great match. Let hir go through a transformation, with his looks, he will definitely be a beauty after the transformation.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore.¡±

    Imagining Johnathan turning into a woman and bing a couple with Reynaldo.

    09:257

    Chapter977

    One is a weeping little wife, the other is a stubborn and arrogant little husband.

    Haha, reallyughed until my stomach hurt.

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    At that moment, a clear shout was heard.

 Too Close 978

    Chapter978

    I turned my head and saw Roddy running towards me excitedly.

    ¡°Mummy¡­¡± Roddy hugged my waist, smiling with his eyes crinkled. ¡°Both you and daddy came to pick me up from school.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I patted his head and looked at Essie.

    Gracie had already brought Essie over.

    Johnathan and Vonnie followed behind.

    ¡°Oh, these two kids are just too adorable,¡± Gracie said kindly to me after finding out that I was their mother.

    I smiled and said, ¡°These two little rascals are quite mischievous, thank you for liking them, Ms. Valois.¡±

    ¡°Naughty is good, that¡¯s called clever.¡± Gracie said, holding Essie and refusing to let go.

    Essie also had a sweet mouth.

    ¡°Grandma¡± called out one after another, making Gracie unable to close her mouth.

    ¡°Oh, my granddaughter is so adorable, I

    e her to bits.¡±

    Granddaughter?

    Um, okay.

    Johnathan was their godfather, and with a godfather naturallye a grandmother and a grandson.

    Chegler 28

    Well, no problem

    Reynaldo looked at Johnathan and said, ¡°How did you guys get here?¡±

    Before Johnathan could speak, Gracic hurriedly said, ¡°Reynaldo, I really love these two dolls of yours, so I want to take them to my ce to y for a few days, can I?¡±

    Reynaldo was suddenly speechless, looking at Johnathan.

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Just try to understand my mom¡¯s desire to hold a grandchild.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said seriously, ¡°Yes, you really should try to understand Ms. Valois¡¯s desire for a grandson, so you really should make an effort.¡±

    With that, he gave him and Vonnie a meaningful look.

    Vonnie blushed directly and kicked Johnathan in the shin.

    Johnathan rubbed his legs in frustration and said to Reynaldo, ¡°This can¡¯t be rushed, so why don¡¯t we let Essie and Roddy go to my mom¡¯s for a few days.¡±

    These days, they were also at my mom¡¯s.

    You have no idea how much my mom likes them, she wants to hold them in her hands all the time.

    ¡°And also, I see that you and Esmie have

    had enough of your alone

    time, so why don¡¯t you two spend a few more days in your own little

    world.¡±

    Reynaldo seemed to be persuaded by Johnathan and turned back to me with a questioning look.

    09:25

    Chapter978

    Johnathan quickly tugged Vonnie¡¯s hand again, signaling Vonnie to persuade me.

    Vonnie busily assured me, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t worry, I live with Johnathan and Ms. Valois, we can all take care of the two little ones together, and there will definitely be no harm to them.¡±

    After Vonnie finished speaking, Gracie looked at me expectantly, making me feel a little embarrassed.

    But no matter what, we still had to follow the wishes of the two children.

    I took Essie from Gracie¡¯s arms.

    Gracie simply couldn¡¯t bear to let go.

    I pulled Essie and Roddy and asked them, ¡°Did you tell Mommy that you want to stay at Ms. Valois¡¯s house for a few days?¡±

    Roddy nced back at Johnathan and Gracie, then turned to me and said, ¡°Roddy thinks Gracie is great, Roddy likes Gracie.¡±

    Next, Essie said, ¡°Essie also wants to go to Gracie¡¯s house. Gracie has a cute little dog.¡±

    After listening, Gracie couldn¡¯t stopughing and said, ¡°They are two adorable and well¨Cbehaved kids, my heart is melting.¡±

    <i>It </i>was obvious that Gracie really ¡°likes children¡± a lot.

    With the addition of the two little ones willing to go for a few days, I didn¡¯t say anything either.

    Just warned them, ¡°You must behave well at Ms. Valois¡¯s house, no causing trouble.¡±

    09:25

    Chapter978

    ¡°Mm, Mommy, rest assured, Essie and I will definitely behave well.¡±

    Essie also nodded beside me, then pulled me and said, ¡°But Mommy has toe over to see me and Roddy.¡±

 Too Close 979

    Chapter979

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I smiled and touched her little ponytail, then said to Gracie, ¡°So these days, I have been bothering you, Ms. Valois.¡±

    ¡°Wherever, I wish these two children could live with me every day* With that, she sighed again and gave Johnathan a sideways nce ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s all my son¡¯s fault for being so useless<b>. </b><b>He¡¯s </b>already so old, but still hasn¡¯t given me a grandchild.¡±

    Johnathan looked at Vonnie with a bewildered expression

    Gracie¨Csnorted, ¡°Look at what Vonnie is doing, me you just me you, if you had caught Vonnie earlier, maybe this baby would have more fingers than Reynaldo¡¯s.¡±

    Um¡­

    I finally found out where Johnathan¡¯s blunt personalityes from it¡¯s from his mother.

    Vonnie blushed on the side.

    Johnathan¡¯s face also looked embarrassed, and he said to Gracie. ¡°Oh. Mom, didn¡¯t you say you made somethi: delicious for Essie and Roddy? Let¡¯s hurry back¡±

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot if you didn¡¯t mention it.¡±

    Gracie hurriedly said to me, ¡°Esmeralda. I will take these two children back first. You and Reynaldo can rest assured that <i>I </i>will take good care of them.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°I really like Gracie, who is friendly and easy- going.¡±

    Vonnie would definitely be happy with Johnathan in the future, at least for now, there would be no mother¨Cinw conflicts.

    Reynaldo gave Madisyn a break as soon as he returned.

    Madisyn was taken aback, after all, she had just finished her vacation.

    However, when she saw that the children did note back, she also immediately understood that Reynaldo probably wanted to have some alone time together.

    So I packed up and went on vacation.

    When she left, she told us, ¡°Dinner is ready, it¡¯s in the kitchen.¡±

    I shouted to her, ¡°Eat before you leave.¡±

    She nced at Reynaldo, covered her mouth and said with a smile, ¡°No, no, Ms. Duffy, you go ahead and have dinner with <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey, the two of you can even have a candlelit dinner.¡±

    I: ¡­

    As soon as Madisyn left, Reynaldo pushed me against the wall and kissed me passionately.

    I suspected that the fire in his body had been building up since he was in the office.

    Just as we were kissing passionately, Madisyn suddenly walked in awkwardly.

    09:26

    ¡°Um, I, I forgot to bring my phone¡­ you guys, you guys go on¡­¡±

    After Madisyn finished speaking, she grabbed her phone from the table. and ran off in a hurry.

    I was so embarrassed.

    The old servant who had watched me grow up in my family was so embarrassed to see me kissing a man so passionately.

    I pushed Reynaldo¡¯s chest and blushed, saying, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Madisyn saw us!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were dark and his expression was restrained and patient.

    He said hoarsely, ¡°Shall we go upstairs?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, I want to¡­ eat first!¡±

    Reynaldo smiled mysteriously, leaned towards my ear, his voice low and ambiguous, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will feed you well.¡±

    Ah ah ah ah¡­¡­

    What kind of words are these tiger and wolf words?!

    Hooligan!

    So, Reynaldo ¡°dragged me upstairs to the

    droom.¡±

    The clothes on his body/were stripped clean by him when he went upstairs.

    In the bathroom filled with swirling smoke.

    Reynaldo hugged me from behind.

    09:26

    Chapter979

    He found my hand, held my hand against the wet wall, and then supported my waist.

    Even if it was just for one night yesterday.

    But the man¡¯s physical strength was still astonishing.

    The mist lingered, the sound of water gurgled, filling the room with a sense of ambiguity and romance.

    Perhaps it was because he was worried that I hadn¡¯t had dinner yet.

    <i>09.26 </i>

    Chapter980

    ¸Ê232

    Chapter980

 Too Close 980

    Chapter979

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I smiled and touched her little ponytail, then said to Gracie, ¡°So these days, I have been bothering you, Ms. Valois.¡±

    ¡°Wherever, I wish these two children could live with me every day* With that, she sighed again and gave Johnathan a sideways nce ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s all my son¡¯s fault for being so useless<b>. </b><b>He¡¯s </b>already so old, but still hasn¡¯t given me a grandchild.¡±

    Johnathan looked at Vonnie with a bewildered expression

    Gracie¨Csnorted, ¡°Look at what Vonnie is doing, me you just me you, if you had caught Vonnie earlier, maybe this baby would have more fingers than Reynaldo¡¯s.¡±

    Um¡­

    I finally found out where Johnathan¡¯s blunt personalityes from it¡¯s from his mother.

    Vonnie blushed on the side.

    Johnathan¡¯s face also looked embarrassed, and he said to Gracie. ¡°Oh. Mom, didn¡¯t you say you made somethi: delicious for Essie and Roddy? Let¡¯s hurry back¡±

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot if you didn¡¯t mention it.¡±

    Gracie hurriedly said to me, ¡°Esmeralda. I will take these two children back first. You and Reynaldo can rest assured that <i>I </i>will take good care of them.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°I really like Gracie, who is friendly and easy- going.¡±

    Vonnie would definitely be happy with Johnathan in the future, at least for now, there would be no mother¨Cinw conflicts.

    Reynaldo gave Madisyn a break as soon as he returned.

    Madisyn was taken aback, after all, she had just finished her vacation.

    However, when she saw that the children did note back, she also immediately understood that Reynaldo probably wanted to have some alone time together.

    So I packed up and went on vacation.

    When she left, she told us, ¡°Dinner is ready, it¡¯s in the kitchen.¡±

    I shouted to her, ¡°Eat before you leave.¡±

    She nced at Reynaldo, covered her mouth and said with a smile, ¡°No, no, Ms. Duffy, you go ahead and have dinner with <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey, the two of you can even have a candlelit dinner.¡±

    I: ¡­

    As soon as Madisyn left, Reynaldo pushed me against the wall and kissed me passionately.

    I suspected that the fire in his body had been building up since he was in the office.

    Just as we were kissing passionately, Madisyn suddenly walked in awkwardly.

    09:26

    ¡°Um, I, I forgot to bring my phone¡­ you guys, you guys go on¡­¡±

    After Madisyn finished speaking, she grabbed her phone from the table. and ran off in a hurry.

    I was so embarrassed.

    The old servant who had watched me grow up in my family was so embarrassed to see me kissing a man so passionately.

    I pushed Reynaldo¡¯s chest and blushed, saying, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Madisyn saw us!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were dark and his expression was restrained and patient.

    He said hoarsely, ¡°Shall we go upstairs?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, I want to¡­ eat first!¡±

    Reynaldo smiled mysteriously, leaned towards my ear, his voice low and ambiguous, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will feed you well.¡±

    Ah ah ah ah¡­¡­

    What kind of words are these tiger and wolf words?!

    Hooligan!

    So, Reynaldo ¡°dragged me upstairs to the

    droom.¡±

    The clothes on his body/were stripped clean by him when he went upstairs.

    In the bathroom filled with swirling smoke.

    Reynaldo hugged me from behind.

    09:26

    Chapter979

    He found my hand, held my hand against the wet wall, and then supported my waist.

    Even if it was just for one night yesterday.

    But the man¡¯s physical strength was still astonishing.

    The mist lingered, the sound of water gurgled, filling the room with a sense of ambiguity and romance.

    Perhaps it was because he was worried that I hadn¡¯t had dinner yet.

    <i>09.26 </i>

    Chapter980

    ¸Ê232

    Chapter980

 Too Close 981

    Chapter981

    Upon opening it, it turned out to be a valuable diamond ne.

    No wonder Braylon said today that Reynaldo asked him to help me order a gift.

    He really wanted to give me a gift.

    Just, out of the blue, howe he suddenly gave me a gift?

    I asked him in confusion, ¡°Why did you suddenly give me a gift?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just wanted to give it.¡± Reynaldo said tly, burying his head and continuing to eat.

    I looked at the gift in my hand, then at the candlelit dinner in front of me, and then thought of his sulky appearance. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.

    He suddenly made it so ceremonial, it must be an important day today.

    My birthday?

    No way, it¡¯s not even my birthday yet!

    That is¡­

    I looked at him suddenly and said, ¡°Is today your birthday?¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and muttered, ¡°No!¡±

    He paused, frowned, and added somewhat resentfully, ¡°You didn¡¯t even remember my birthday!¡±

    0.00%

    09.267

    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget, you didn¡¯t tell me.¡±

    I seemed to have angered him again with my words.

    He said with restraint, ¡°In the second year of our marriage. I told you, but you just didn¡¯t take it to heart!¡±

    Oh?

    Memories flipped backwards.

    The once blurry memories also gradually resurfaced.

    I vaguely remember one time when I was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t like

    anyone.

    He insisted on having dinner with me.

    I vaguely remember that he took me to a small ordinary house at that time, just me and him.

    He prepared a table of food himself, with a birthday cake on the table.

    He asked me to have dinner with him at that time.

    But I was annoyed at that time, wanting to leave, he held me back, wanting to keep me.

    When I pushed him away, I identally Anocked over the dining table.

    The dishes and the cake were all spilled on the floor.

    He was squatting on the ground at that time, staring at the mess on the ground with red eyes, and remained silent for a long time.

    Perhaps out of guilt, I told him at the time that I would treat him to a

    09.20

    Chapters1

    meal.

    He seemed to just say emotionlessly, ¡°Today is my birthday,¡± at that time.

    Upon reflection, this matter becamepletely clear.

    Counting the days, today was indeed not his birthday.

    I nced at Reynaldo across from me and whispered, ¡°I will remember your birthday in the future,¡±

    The man sighed and made noment.

    I licked my lips and asked, ¡°So the gift you gave me today is¡­ Oh, I remember now, our wedding anniversary, today is our wedding anniversary, right?¡±

    Reynaldo sighed again, turned his face away to look outside, as if saying, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you still remember.¡±

    This time I really remembered it. Today is our wedding anniversary, and it¡¯s also the day he asked me to sign the divorce agreement.

    Emma, I actually forgot such an important day.

    Reynaldo prepared a candlelit dinner again and also prepared a gift for me. It turns out he wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary with <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    Thinking of this, I felt a sweet feeling in my heart, walked over, and sat on hisp.

    He naturally put his arm around my waist and spoke to me in a dull tone, ¡°You don¡¯t care about anything, you just have no heart.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault, I forgot,¡± I coaxed him, gave him a

    09:20

    kiss on his lips, and said, ¡°What should I do, I didn¡¯t prepare a gift for

    you.¡±

    09:26

 Too Close 982

    Chapter982

    ¡°No problem, you have already given it to me.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at me mysteriously and said in a serious tone, ¡°Just now in the bathroom, you were very cooperative¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah! Stop talking.¡±

    I shyly covered his mouth with my hand.

    He smiled and pulled my hand down, ced it near his lips and kissed it, then asked me, ¡°Do you like the gift?¡±

    ¡°I like everything you give me, as long as it¡¯s from you.¡±

    This sentence clearly pleased him,

    He hooked his lips and his eyes were full of tenderness, ¡°In the future, we will celebrate every wedding anniversary together.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    I leaned against him with a smile, but couldn¡¯t help thinking back to the day we signed the divorce agreement

    That day was our wedding anniversary, and I also prepared a gift for him.

    I was filled with joy, wanting to celebrate our wedding anniversary with him for the first time.

    I didn¡¯t expect to receive only a divorce agreement and a heart full of

    <b>2009 </b>

    09:26

    sadness and grievances,

    The sadness and grievances from before had already been dispelled by Reynaldo¡¯s love.

    Although we have been married for so many years<b>, </b>this is the first wedding anniversary we have celebrated

    But it¡¯s okay, we will celebrate together every year <b>in </b>the future

    We would always be together!

    In the following days, I devoted myself wholeheartedly to collecting evidence of Kimberly¡¯s wrongdoing

    I calcted and decided to start from two aspects.

    First, starting from Kimberly herself.

    Kimberly and Zackery¡¯s affair was a perfect breakthrough. As long as I get the evidence of their collusion, Quentin will definitely copse, he will definitely be extremely disappointed in Kimberly, and then stand by my side.

    Moreover, even if Quentin really loved Kimberly deeply, he still chose to remain silent.

    But Reynaldo was also suspicious of the abnormal rtionship between Zackery and Kimberly.

    Second, find a breakthrough from my dad.

    My father has be selfish and money¨Cminded now.

    As long as I backed him into a corner, he waspletely capable of agreeing to expose Kimberly¡¯s true colors for me.

    09.26

    Chapter982

    290 Mothers

    So, based on these two points, I instructed Braylon to send two people to take turns guarding near the house.

    Once Kimberly went into that house, be sure to notify me immediately.

    At the same time, I also had him check on my father¡¯s situation.

    Braylon was very efficient, truly living up to his role as Reynaldo¡¯s chief assistant.

    In less than two hours, he had thoroughly investigated my father¡¯s recent situation.

    My father said he was investing in a project, but in reality, he had fallen back into gambling addiction.

    He also had two mistresses outside.

    He had be a chronic gambler, coupled with a life of debauchery, he really was no longer the father I remembered.

    Quentin may still have some resentment towards him for treating my mom that way, so he wasn¡¯t very generous in terms of funding.

    ording to the data found by Braylon, Quentin gave my dad five million dors as living expenses every month.

    But the way he gambled, plus having two mistresses, five million naturally wasn¡¯t enough for him to spend

    A few days ago he came to me to borrow money, just because he lost money gambling, the people from the casino were looking for him, he couldn¡¯t get it from Quentin, so he came to me.

    So, the casino aspect/can be well utilized.

    I had Braylon send a few people to sneak into the casino, pretending to

    50 24%

    09.26

    Chapter982

    be good guys to apany my dad gambling. First, let my dad win some money, and then let him lose big.

    09:26

 Too Close 983

    <b>Chapter983 </b>

    And when he lost, he kept borrowing money from my dad.

    Once my dad had lost to a point where he couldn¡¯t recover, even Quentin was at a loss, I could close the deal.

    After giving these instructions to Braylon, Braylon quickly went to do <ol><li>it. </li></ol>

    And during this period, all I had to do was wait for the oue.

    Kimberly was burned by mest time, and she rested at home for five days before returning to work on the set.

    She was the leading actress, and this was another drama with a strong female lead.

    So when she was not around, the crew also took a five¨Cday break.

    Today was the third day of official shooting for the crew. Vonnie called me early in the morning to visit the set, saying she had a scene with Kimberly today.

    I wouldn¡¯t miss such a wonderful scene, so I immediately got up from the bed.

    Last night Reynaldo kept me up half the night again, covered in little marks.

    Fortunately, the weather was not hot now. I wore a half¨Chigh¨Cnecked knitted sweater, paired with a light¨Ccolored pair of jeans.

    I looked in the mirror and made sure I couldn¡¯t see those ambiguous

    0.00%

    III

    traces. Only then did I hurry to the set.

    When I arrived at the set, I caught Gilbert in the act of training Kimberly.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to stay at home and study the script carefully, pondering the character¡¯s psychological changes? How did you ponder this time?¡±

    ¡°Five days, I gave you five days off, not your pig brain five days off.¡±

    ¡°The director!!¡±

    Kimberly softly called out Gilbert, looking pitiful as if on the verge of

    tears.

    Just as she was about to continue pretending, Gilbert mmed the table and eximed indignantly, ¡°How many times have I told you, the female lead should start off as a pure and kind¨Chearted character, with a strong sense of maternal love.¡±

    But look at what you yed, look at your eyes, just like a vicious supporting actress.

    ¡°What were you thinking when you were acting at that time?¡±

    Kimberly was scolded by Gilbert until her face turned red.

    The young actors on the side all hung their heads, not knowing whether they were holding backughter.

    Only Vonnie,ughed without restraint.

    She quickly handed Gilbert a bottle of water and said, ¡°<i>Mr. </i>Russell, <i>Mr. </i>Russell, after training for so long, you must be thirsty too.¡±

    ¡°First drink some water, then continue training her properly, right?¡±

    09:07

    Chapter <b>983 </b>

    Gilbert took the water and then ¡°began to scold Kimberly¡±

    ¡°Despite your participation in several big productions <b>and </b><b>ying </b>many leading roles, I didn¡¯t expect your acting skills to be so poor

    You see, Vonnie, she didn¡¯t have as many leading roles or <b>as </b><b>many </b>resources as you, but her acting skills were really good.

    It¡¯s not me who¡¯s saying this, but you should use your brain more when you have nothing to do, instead of crying all day long, pretending <b>to </b><b>be </b>very sad.

    Kimberly was scolded badly this time, and Quentin is not here again.

    Her face was pale and blue, and she dared not argue back. She could only clench her fists secretly, trembling with anger.

    Gilbert said disdainfully, ¡°Alright, you go down first. Having you around really slows down the progress.¡±

    Kimberly gritted her teeth and unwillingly made her way to her resting spot.

    As we passed by Vonnie, she gave us a fierce re.

    Vonnie sneered, ¡°Your acting skills are terrible, yet you have the nerve to re at others.¡±

    Kimberly seemed as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything this time, and just kept walking towards her resting ce.

    §³§á

 Too Close 984

    §Ñ§â§ä§Ö§â§å84

    Chapter984

    But this time when I saw her back, there was always a strange feeling in my heart.

    I felt that the yin energy on this woman was getting stronger and stronger.

    That feeling, it¡¯s like a poisonous snake coiled in a dark corner, ready to strike, just waiting for you to let your guard down, and then bite you hard, a bite to kill.

    Vonnie held my hand and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to doter, right?¡±

    I shook my head.

    Vonnie eximed, ¡°Then don¡¯t leaveter, my scene where I p her should be in the afternoon.¡±

    The scene should have been shot by now, but the woman¡¯s acting was really bad, Mr. Russell had to stop several times.

    ¡°Why do you think Mr. Russell got so angry?¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Then I won¡¯t leave.¡±

    I looked up at Kimberly.

    At the moment, Kimberly¡¯s face was calm, allowing her makeup artist to touch up her makeup.

    I thought of the strange feeling that had juste over me.

    I said to Vonnie seriously, ¡°No matter what, on the set, you still need

    0.00%

    09:07

    Chapter984

    to be careful, be on guard against Kimberly at all times, and avoid being alone with her unless necessary,¡±

    Vonnie disdainfully said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Can she really cat me?¡±

    When I heard that she was so indifferent, I was a little anxious.

    I said, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t eat you, but she is malicious and cunning¡±

    She was like a snake, sneaking into your life, attacking your loved ones and partners.

    Causing your loved ones to turn against each other, tearing your family apart, leading to misunderstandings and deep¨Cseated resentment with your partner.

    She would push you into hell, she would¡­

    ¡°Okay, Ralda,¡± Vonnie suddenly hugged me tightly and eximed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have underestimated her. You were right, the scary thing is not that woman, but her malicious thoughts and soul.¡±

    Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of her.

    In the past, let¡¯s not mention it, okay? ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t think about those things.¡±

    Vonnie knew, ¡°those were all my pains, excruciating pains, cannot be mentioned.¡±

    After a short break, the shooting continued.

    After being scolded by Kimberly, the situation improved a bit.

    Although Gilbert still shouted ¡°stop¡°, he was not as angry as before.

    09.07 0

    Chapter984

    W

    The morning passed in the blink of an eye.

    At noon, the staff brought box lunches.

    The actors each took a box lunch and sat down to cat on the side.

    I saw Kimberly sitting on her break spot without moving, thinking she was upset because the director scolded her and didn¡¯t feel like eating.

    Little did I know, Vonnie came over with two boxed lunches and disdainfully said to me, ¡°You have no idea how delicate Kimberly is. She won¡¯t even take a bite of this boxed lunch. She waits every day for Quentin to bring her delicious food. So affected.¡±

    Whenever people in the crew envied her, she would have that proud look on her face.

    She handed me the boxed meal and said to me, ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot, it¡¯s quite delicious.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I looked at Vonnie¡¯s sour expression and asked her, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Johnathan ever brought you any delicious food?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention that dog of a man. A few days ago, we had a fight because of getting married and having children, and then he went on a business trip out of town.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± I asked her, ¡°Don¡¯t you want children?¡±

    ¡°You know the nature of my work, once I get married and have children, all the efforts of the past few years will be in vain.¡±

    Besides, I wanted to y for two more years.

    09.07

    C

 Too Close 985

    hapter985

    So I discussed with him and decided to get married and have children in two years.

    He didn¡¯t agree, so be it. He even wrongly used me of still thinking about Quentin. I was so angry in my heart that I had a quarrel with him.

    The next day, he went on a business trip to another city.

    Vonnie said, stuffing her food into her mouth gloomily.

    I patted her shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Johnathan¡¯s temper doesn¡¯tst long. When hees back, you can talk to him again.¡±

    Vonnie nodded and said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not mention him. Talking about him ruins the mood. By the way, how are you? After being so close to Reynaldo for so many days, did you get pregnant?¡±

    I pursed my lips and shook my head silently.

    I tested yesterday and also tested this morning, the pregnancy test showed negative.

    Vonnie nced at me and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you have plenty of opportunities with Reynaldo now, I believe you will get pregnant soon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I nodded, but in my heart I was thinking, ¡°I still need to go to the hospital to get a check¨Cup.¡±

    2008

    09.08

    za distres

    Since giving birth to Essic and Roddy, my menstrual cycle has be very irregr, maybe there is some issue with my body.

    Just then, Gilbert suddenly came over.

    He asked me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, can you eat this box lunch? If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll take you to a nearby restaurant.¡±

    Oh?

    I was about to refuse when a familiar voice came from behind me, saying, ¡°If we¡¯re going out to eat, I¡¯ll be the one taking my wife out.¡±

    The familiar deep voice sent a shiver down my spine.

    I quickly turned my head and saw Reynaldo walking towards us.

    Vonnie was also stunned because Johnathan had also arrived.

    As soon as they arrived, I saw Anton and Quentining in from the

    entrance.

    Except for Reynaldo, the other three men didn¡¯t look

    very well.

    How¡¯s it going?

    These four people met outside and even had a quarrel.

    Quentin carried a takeout box in his hand.

    As soon as he came in, he walked straight towards Kimberly.

    Anton nced at me, hesitated for two seconds, and then followed Quentin to Kimberly¡¯s/side.

    I looked away and immediately saw Reynaldo¡¯s cold, sharp, and slightly domineering eyes.

    09:08

    I followed his gaze and realized that he was staring at Gilbert.

    Gilbert was a very straightforward person.

    He stared at Reynaldo expressionlessly for a few seconds, then his gaze shifted to Johnathan.

    At that moment, Johnathan was dragging a chair over and cing the packaged food on the chair.

    The food he brought was very abundant, with meat, fish, and seafood.

    Especially that bowl of chicken, from the renowned Freybourne restaurant nearby, just the smell alone would whet the appetite.

    Gilbert was obviously also attracted by that bowl of chicken.

    He directly said to Johnathan, ¡°That dish, give me half.¡±

    Johnathan widened his eyes in astonishment, staring at him as if he had been startled by his thick skin.

    He hesitated for two seconds before saying, ¡°The portion was not enough to begin with, you should go buy it yourself!¡±

    Gilbert said expressionlessly, ¡°Okay, then you send me the address.¡±

    Johnathan looked surprised again, as if he hadn¡¯t expected himself to be so serious about a dish.

    Under Gilbert¡¯s determined gaze, Johnathan felt himself shiver all over.

    There was no other way, so he had to take out his phone, add his WhatsApp, and then send him the name and address of the store.

    After receiving the message, Gilbert left.

    Johnathan whispered to Reynaldo, ¡°This man probably has some

    09:08

    Chapter985

    serious illness.¡±

 Too Close 986

    Chapter986

    Reynaldo bluntly replied, ¡°You are just as bad as him.¡±

    This was a toss¨Cup, and it made Vonnie and meugh.

    Johnathan suddenly nced at Vonnie and silently ced a beef meatball in front of her.

    Vonnie was obviously a little angry with Johnathan.

    She didn¡¯t even look at Johnathan, just silently pushed the beef meatball back.

    Upon seeing this scene, Johnathan took a deep breath, as if suppressing his anger.

    I nced at Vonnie.

    Vonnie quietly picked at her boxed lunch, not even ncing at Johnathan.

    Ah, these two.

    I put a piece of chicken on Vonnie¡¯s te and said with a smile, ¡°Vonnie, look, Johnathan specially brought you some delicious food.¡±

    Before Vonnie could say anything, Johnathan muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not for her, Reynaldo insisted on sending you some delicious food. These are all bought by Reynaldo, I just helped to deliver.¡±

    I: ¡­

    Did he learn the essence of Reynaldo¡¯s learning?

    ~20w

    09.08

    1288 Moucre

    That beef meatball was Vonnie¡¯s favorite. If it wasn¡¯t for him buying it, I would have eaten the te.

    Fortunately, Reynaldo immediately exposed him the next second: ¡°beef meatball is not bought by me, Esmeralda doesn¡¯t like that.¡±

    I don¡¯t know who it was, but I waited in line for an hour just to buy the beef meatball. I won¡¯t say anything.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s face darkened, he red at Reynaldo gloomily and said, ¡°No, you¡­¡±

    ¡°s!¡±

    Without waiting for him to finish, I sighed heavily and deliberately picked up a beef meatball, saying, ¡°This someone, refusing to admit that he bought this dish, and that someone, refusing to eat it, what should we do? I don¡¯t like it either, so let¡¯s give it to the crew to eat.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Oh, Vonnie and Johnathan spoke in unison.

    Vonnie endured for a while, but in the end she pushed the beef meatball back in front of her and muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t eat

    it.¡±

    Hey, look, look.

    With just a few words from Vonnie, Johnathan¡¯s lips curled up inexpensively.

    Ugh, why did Johnathan have to learn arrogance from Reynaldo, of all things.

    09:08

    If it weren¡¯t for me deliberately provoking them, who knows how long they would continue to sulk.

    Did Johnathan¡¯s shamelessness suddenly disappear?

    While lost in thought, Reynaldo suddenly pushed the chicken dish towards me and said with a warm smile, ¡°I know this is your favorite, so I specifically waited in line to buy it for you.¡±

    ¡°Wow, Mr. Humphrey still spoils his wife. That dish in the restaurant has always been the hardest to buy, limited every day. Many people line up for over an hour and still may not be able to buy it.¡±

    Just then, the nearby young actors suddenly began to talk excitedly, their voices filled with envy.

    ¡°Oh? Are you talking about the restaurant in the south of the city? I¡¯ve heard others say that ordinary people can¡¯t just go in and eat there, you need to be a member.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that restaurant, every time I can only look from the outside, I heard the food inside is amazing.¡±

    ¡°No wonder the dishes brought by Mr. Humphrey were so delicious, I stood so far away, and they smelled so appetizing.¡±

    ¡°And Mr. Dup, that beef meatball was also hard toe by, oh my, so envious of Ms. Av and Ms. Duffy.¡±

    Such a tant disy of envy made both Vonnie and me feel a little embarrassed.

    Vonnie gave Johnathan a nce and said, ¡°You¡¯re so high¨Cprofile, just bring me anything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, bring the best if you¡¯re going to bring something, your favorite.¡± Johnathan said, smiling as he leaned towards Vonnie.

 Too Close 987

    Vonnie irritably flicked his forehead and then picked up the beef meatball, happily eating it.

    I smiled, and the two of them finally made up.

    The person next to me was still envious of me and Vonnie.

    I saw Kimberly¡¯s face had turned a bit scary.

    She had just been upset by Gilbert and was already holding it in.

    This estimate that the food Quentin brought was not to her liking made her anger explode instantly.

    She threw the food Quentin brought on the ground and yelled at Quentin, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to bring it, then don¡¯t bring it. No one is forcing you. Are you trying to make me look bad by being so perfunctory?¡±

    I thought that Quentin would be somewhat angry at Kimberly¡¯s attitude.

    But he didn¡¯t, he even apologized to Kimberly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was a bit busy at thepany today, and when I came out, I was running a bitte, so I just packed a meal for you at a nearby restaurant.¡±

    Although these dishes are not as good as theirs, they are also very good, you used to like them too.

    ¡°Enough, you are just trying to appease me. It¡¯s one thing for them to bully me, but now eyen you are bullying me. All of you are bullying me. Leave, just leave¡­¡±

    annG

    09:08

    298 Wo

    Chapter987

    Vonnie irritably flicked his forehead and then picked up the beef meatball, happily eating it.

    I smiled, and the two of them finally made up.

    The person next to me was still envious of me and Vonnie.

    I

    saw Kimberly¡¯s face had turned a bit scary.

    She had just been upset by Gilbert and was already holding it in.

    This estimate that the food Quentin brought was not to her liking made her anger explode instantly.

    She threw the food Quentin brought on the ground and yelled at Quentin, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to bring it, then don¡¯t bring it. No one is forcing you. Are you trying to make me look bad by being so perfunctory?¡±

    I thought that Quentin would be somewhat angry at Kimberly¡¯s attitude.

    But he didn¡¯t, he even apologized to Kimberly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was a bit busy at thepany today, and when I came out, I was running a bitte, so I just packed a meal for you at a nearby restaurant.¡±

    Although these dishes are not as good as theirs, they are also very good, you used to like them too.

    ¡°Enough, you are just trying to appease me. It¡¯s one thing for them to bully me, but now even you are bullying me. All of you are bullying me. Leave, just leave¡­¡®

    IT

    0.00%

    (

    09:08

    Kimberly cried as she drove Quentin away,

    Quentin was originally squatting in front of her, but with a push, Quentin ended up sitting awkwardly on the ground.

    Anton furrowed his brow, muttered ¡°Kimberly¡± under his breath, and then pulled Quentin up.

    He said to Kimberly, ¡°Don¡¯t be unreasonable anymore. You should know that Quentin is the person who loves you the most in the world.¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything, he just looked deeply at Kimberly and left.

    I looked at Kimberly¡¯s tearful appearance and sneered in my heart.

    Go ahead, just do it to your heart¡¯s content.

    It would be best to y dead with Quentin¡¯s heart, that way Quentin might be utterly disappointed in her and stop covering up for her.

    Kimberly was still hesitating about Quentin in the end.

    As soon as Quentin left, she followed him out crying.

    No need to guess, Quentin, the love brain, was definitely able to be coaxed by her in minutes.

    After Kimberly and Quentin left, Anton suddenly walked towards me.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes cooled down, suddenly as if dering sovereignty, he held my hand.

    I nced at Reynaldo

    Does this man still not feel secure about his feelings towards me until now?

    09.08

    Thinking of this, I reached back and held his hand, interlocking our fingers.

    Anton¡¯s gaze passed over the handshake between me and Reynaldo. After a moment, he lowered his eyes and smiled, then turned and walked towards the exit.

    And my recent actions clearly pleased Reynaldo.

    The man looked at me with eyes so gentle that I almost drowned.

    I shook off his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, he¡¯s gone, you can let go.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and said to me, ¡°Just want to hold like this, hold for a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Huh!!!¡±

    Next to him, Johnathan suddenly shivered and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey is either not cheesy at all, or too cheesy, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    The conversation was not finished when Reynaldo suddenly gave him a cold, sinister look.

    ¡°I see you still prefer to go on business trips out of town. Otherwise, tomorrow I¡­¡±

    ¡°No no no¡­¡± Johnathan panicked, covering his mouth and mumbled, ¡°I won¡¯t say anything, I just want to stay in Freybourne.¡±

    In the midst of theughter, Gilbert came over again.

    09.08 0

 Too Close 988

    <b>Chapter988 </b>

    He frowned and said to Johnathan, ¡°The store you just sent me to, I sent someone to buy from, but they weren¡¯t allowed in.¡±

    ¡°Next time you bring delicious food over, bring me a portion of this.¡±

    He said, pointing to the chicken in front of me.

    Just then Johnathan froze again, as if once again shocked by Gilbert¡¯s thick skin.

    He reacted angrily, ¡°Why should I? I¡¯m not your subordinate, I don¡¯t owe you anything, I¡­..¡±

    ¡°If you bring it to me, I won¡¯t scold Vonnie, not a single word.¡±

    At this point, someone mentioned the incident where Kimberly had just been scolded harshly by Gilbert.

    Someone said that if they were scolded by the director like that, they would feel like banging their head against the wall.

    Some people also said, ¡°Kimberly¡¯s heart is really strong. She was scolded by the director like that, but she can still be so strong. The people listening on the side couldn¡¯t bear it.¡±

    The waves of discussion made Johnathan shiver, looking at Gilbert as if he were a monster.

    He must have been thinking, ¡°Is this man really that terrifying?¡±

    I whispered to him, ¡°Mr. Russell is really scary. The way he scolded Kimberly this morning scared me too.¡±

    0.00%

    ?

    <b>09.08 </b><b>1 </b>

    Johnathan blinked twice and quickly got up, <b>smiling </b><b>at </b><b>Gilbert</b>, saying ¡°Just bring some delicious food, no problem, <b>as </b>long <b>as </b><b>Mr. </b>Russell wants to eat, I can bring it to Mr. Russell every day.¡±

    Vonnie was a bit timid. You said not to scold her, so you¡¯re not allowed to scold her at all.

    ¡°If one day Vonnie cried in grievance, I would ask Mr. Russell to vomit all the chicken he had eaten.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I want to eat this dish tomorrow,¡± Gilbert pointed at the chicken in front of me again before turning away.

    As soon as he left, Johnathan started to criticize, ¡°What a lousy director, so weird.¡±

    It was this entric devil director who could handle the mischievous

    Kimberly.

    If it had been another director, Vonnie might have suffered.

    Reynaldo left the theater after spending some time with me, saying he had work to do.

    Johnathan just came back from a business trip outside, missing Vonnie so much.

    He lingered in the theater, his eyes never leaving Vonnie.

    After Kimberly chased Quentin out, she came back in half an hour.

    The two came back hand in hand, with a sweet smile on Kimberly¡¯s

    face.

    Quentin¡¯s face also had a gentle smile.

    Ha, I knew it, Kimberly could charm Quentin in minutes.

    33.38%

    <b>09:08 </b>

    I really wished Quentin could see the scene of Kimberly and Zackery being together soon.

    I was really curious to know what his reaction would be when he saw Kimberly and Zackery making love in bed, and whether he would still be as submissive as he is now.

    At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Vonnic found herself in Kimberly¡¯s

    scene.

    Johnathan also specifically bought melon seeds and fruits.

    He didn¡¯t know where he had dragged a small table over, ced melon seeds and fruits on the small table, thenfortably leaned back in the chair, coughing melon seeds while watching Vonnie and Kimberly act.

    It was really a live show to watch.

    At this moment, Quentin had not left yet.

    He sat on the other side, his eyes fixed on Kimberly in the shooting

    location.

    When he learned that Kimberly was going to be pped in the scene, he quickly ran over and strongly demanded that Gilbert use the technique of borrowing positions, not allowing real hitting.

    At that time, Gilbert said to him expressionlessly, ¡°I will only give five chances, using the borrowing method. If she fails to pass all five times, then I¡¯m sorry, I will resort to ¡®real hitting¡®.¡±

 Too Close 989

    <b>Chapter989 </b>

    Quentin pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything more.

    After all, five chances are not few.

    He retreated to the rest area, watching Kimberly with concern.

    Johnathan coughed while eating sunflower seeds, disdainfully saying, ¡°He¡¯s afraid that his Kimberly will really get pped, I still feel sorry for my Vonnie who got her hands hurt, really.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s words just cracked me up.

    In the past, perhaps because he had to consider Reynaldo¡¯s face, he was still polite to Kimberly.

    At that time, Kimberly kept saying ¡°Johnathan¡± repeatedly, and he didn¡¯t mind at all.

    Ever since he started dating Vonnie, I feel like he has been looking down on Kimberly.

    Haha, Vonnie definitely didn¡¯t hold back in front of Johnathan when criticizing Kimberly.

    Next, the long¨Cawaited scene of ¡°Kimberly getting pped¡± finally arrived.

    Vonnie was particrly funny.

    She just ate voraciously and finished therge portion of beef meatball.

    I thought it was because it was bought by Johnathan, so she was happy in her heart and ate it all.

    0.00%

    09:08

    Chapter989

    Little did I know, she told me that she wanted to cat <b>more </b><b>so </b><b>that </b><b>she </b>could have more energy to beat Kimberly.

    t

    Iughed at that time.

    Ah, I was really looking forward to Kimberly not being able to pass those five borrowed positions.

    This way, Vonnie could rightfully p her hard.

    ¡°The first round of being beaten: Start!¡±

    With Gilbert¡¯s prompt, the actors on stage instantly got into character.

    This scene was two pce maids walking the Empress Dowager¡¯s dog, unexpectedly the dog suddenly broke free from the leash and ran over to bite the princess¡¯s cat.

    In a fit of anger, the princess ordered the execution of two pce maids.

    The usually innocent and kind female protagonist was suddenly anxious when she saw her sister, who had always been by her side, was about to be executed. She immediately knelt in front of the princess and begged for mercy, taking all the me upon herself.

    The princess was already angry as she held her injured cat in her arms.

    The main character was used like this, and the princess sentenced her to death directly.

    Fortunately, the Empress Dowager felt that she still had some use, so she pleaded for her life to be spared.

    But while the death penalty can be avoided, the guilt of the living is hard to escape.

    30 <b>07</b>%

    09:08 <b>1 </b>

    Than

    So the death penalty turned into a p on the wrist.

    128 Vo

    The princess felt that it was not enough to let her subordinates fight, so she took matters into her own hands and fought herself.

    This led to the scene of the female lead being pped.

    At first, the method of borrowing was used.

    With everything ready, Vonnie raised her hand and started.

    Just borrowing a ce doesn¡¯t seem quite real no matter how you look at it.

    After Vonnie pped her, Kimberly just turned her face to the side without any expression on her face.

    Oops!

    The expected ¡°card¡± arrived.

    The first time, Gilbert was not angry yet.

    After all, his demands were already high, and there were too few instances of passing at once.

    ¡°The second round of the fight began!¡±

    The scenes before the p have basically beenpleted, we just need to reshoot the scene where the p happens.

    This time, after the staff/signaled ¡°OK¡°, Vonnie raised her hand and once again pped Kimberly.

    Just like the first time, Kimberly simply turned her head in the direction Vonnie pointed, her face still devoid of any emotion.

    This time, Gilbert was a little angry.

    09:09 (1

    Chapter989

    After shouting ¡°Cut¡± loudly, he yelled at Kimberly, ¡°Are you paralyzed in the face? Everyone else is hitting you, don¡¯t you have even a hint of

    expression on your face?¡±

 Too Close 990

    You were a pce maid, she was a princess, when she hit you, shouldn¡¯t you have felt scared?

    Also, the female lead has a tough personality, so you have to show that kind of toughness after being beaten, too.

    ¡°Who are you trying to act for with such an expressionless face?!¡±

    When Kimberly was scolded, Quentin couldn¡¯t sit still.

    Johnathan gave him a disdainful look and bluntly said, ¡°They are all acting, so don¡¯t go causing trouble!¡±

    Otherwise, it would dy the progress, and the wasted time would be Vonnie¡¯s time. I was still waiting to have a date with Vonnie.

    Quentin snorted coldly at him, then sat down on the chair, enduring without moving.

    Following the third round.

    After being scolded, Kimberly finally made some progress.

    But only managed to squeeze out two tears forcefully after being beaten, shouting ¡°Princess, have mercy¡± from his mouth.

    Gilbert closed his eyes directly, turned his face away, looking as if he had no eyes to see.

    He took a deep breath and couldn¡¯t be bothered to curse, so he just said, ¡°One more time.¡±

    The fourth and fifth times were the same, after Kimberly was beaten,

    0.00%

    09-09 0

    228 <b>NGCOOLE </b>

    she just said in horror, ¡°Princess, spare me¡± ¡°Princess, calm down¡°.

    Her eyes showed no emotion, and her face was deliberately contorted into a look of fear.

    So it seems that the performance traces are too heavy, fake to the

    extreme.

    He failed to pass five times of borrowing a base.

    Gilbert said directly, ¡°Take a ten¨Cminute break and then switch to realbat!¡±

    Quentin really couldn¡¯t sit still this time.

    He hurriedly approached Gilbert and said urgently, ¡°We can¡¯t really fight. With your high standards, if we really fight, her face will be swollen, won¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Then you tell me, did she do a decent job in these five scenes she shot?¡±

    Faced with Gilbert¡¯s inquiry, Quentin fell silent.

    I wasughing to death.

    Kimberly¡¯s acting was so bad that even Quentin, who adored her, couldn¡¯t bear to watch.

    Quentin had more to say.

    I said to him lightly, ¡°So you want the whole crew to be stuck on this scene?¡±

    Instead of doing this, just don¡¯t make this movie, and you might as well stop thinking about making money.¡±

    32.60%

    09:09

    Chapter990

    Quentin looked at me, hesitated to speak, with aplex expression.

    I pursed my lips and smiled at him, ¡°Quentin, do you know why you haven¡¯t been able to make a fortune?¡±

    Because you always let this woman with terrible acting skills y the leading role, none of the dramas produced by yourpany have been a big hit.

    The reason you were able to make some money was simply because the script was good and you were lucky.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    Quentin looked at me ufortably and said, ¡°Can you please not talk to me like that.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°I really can¡¯t be bothered to argue with you. It¡¯s just a pity that my script was wasted, and such a good director as Mr. Russell was wasted.¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips, his face full of restraint.

    Johnathan suddenly handed me an orange and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, let¡¯s eat oranges and watch the show.¡±

    Ten minutes passed quickly.

    Next, it was time to arrange the real fight.

    Before they even started, Kimberly looked at Quentin with a pitiful expression.

    Quentin was extremely anxious, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about Gilbert.

    In the end, all Vonnie could do was warn, ¡°It¡¯s just acting, you better

    09:09

    Chapter990

    not use too much force.¡±

    Vonnie smiled at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Duffy, I <b>will </b>just gently tap Ms. Palmer¡¯s face, I won¡¯t hurt her at all.¡±

    09:09

 Too Close 991

    Suddenly, a strange voice full of yin and yang came from beside me.

    ¡°You see, how sweetly that woman smiled at Quentin!¡±

    I looked to the side speechlessly and saw Johnathan stuffing oranges into his mouth while ring angrily at Vonnie.

    I rolled my eyes.

    Was he still thinking he wasn¡¯t sour enough?

    When the first round started, my spirit also came.

    I sat up straight instantly and looked towards the field.

    Only a crisp p was heard.

    Kimberly, who was originally kneeling on the ground, was directly knocked down.

    Oh no!

    With the first p, Vonnie really got into it, didn¡¯t she?!

    Quentin looked almost crazy with anger and quickly shouted towards the field, ¡°Ka! Ka! Ka!¡±

    Gilbert gave him a white look and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t steal my lines.¡±

    With that, he shouted/¡°Cut¡± while holding a horn.

    Quentin rushed over eagerly, tenderly helping Kimberly up, and shouted at Vonnie, ¡°Who gave you permission to hit her with such

    0.00%

    09:09

    Chapter991

    $<b>209 </b>Mouchers

    force? Seeking revenge is not something you should do!¡±

    Vonnie was scolded, and Johnathan couldn¡¯t sit still again.

    He angrily threw away the orange peel and stood up, ready to rush

    over.

    I quickly grabbed him and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t go looking for trouble. Rest assured, this is a set, Quentin wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to Vonnie.¡±

    ¡°You came over to make trouble again. Do you still want to continue filming this drama? I haven¡¯t had enough of pping you yet.¡±

    After listening, Johnathan sat back in his chair and angrily said, ¡°Yes, Quentin should be tough on her, let¡¯s see if she still thinks Quentin is good, if she still thinks about Quentin!¡±

    I: ¡­

    This Johnathan, he¡¯s such a stubborn person who can¡¯t even handle a little vinegar.

    Kimberlyy in Quentin¡¯s arms, crying in a pitiful manner, with a clear palm print on her fair face.

    Quentin nced over, feeling both angry and heartbroken.

    He red at Vonnie fiercely, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

    Vonnie blew on her palms and said to him coldly, ¡°Why are you staring at me? If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Russell¡¯s request for a real fight and the script calling for a tough approach, do you think I wanted to hit her.¡±

    ¡°Really, hitting her made my hand hurt so much, look, it¡¯s all red.¡±

    09:09

    286 Wouchers

    Vonnie said, showing Quentin her bright red palm.

    Quentin was furious and pushed Vonnie¡¯s hand away, saying, ¡°I told you it¡¯s just acting, the action can be real, why do you have to use so much force?¡±

    You were just airing your grievances in public, you just didn¡¯t like Kimberly!

    I told you, even without Kimberly, I wouldn¡¯t like a woman like you, with such narrow¨Cminded and despicable thoughts.¡±

    Vonnie frowned, ¡°Are you sick? Who asked you to like me? If you don¡¯t like me, I don¡¯t like you either.¡±

    As soon as you fell ill, you should have taken the medicine quickly, don¡¯t ¡°dy our shooting schedule¡°!

    Vonnie¡¯s retort to Quentin really pleased Johnathan, look at the corner of Johnathan¡¯s mouth, it¡¯s cocked up in a smug way.

    After arguing for half a day, Gilbert had long been impatient.

    He sneered at Quentin, ¡°This is just a movie, no one is bullying your woman, can you leave?!¡±

    Quentin showed Gilbert the p mark on Kimberly¡¯s face and eximed angrily, ¡°She¡¯s been pped like this, isn¡¯t that considered bullying?¡±

    Gilbert said expressionlessly, ¡°Can a p not leave a mark? Unless her face is as thick as a city wall.¡±

    ¡°Yes, there were marks from the ps, but don¡¯t you think Lavonne was too heavy¨Chanded?!¡± Quentin yelled angrily.

 Close 992

    Chapter992

    Gilbert always had a nk expression on his face as he said, ¡°The script calls for a strong punch, that¡¯s the only way to make it look real.¡±

    ¡°If Mr. Duffy thinks an actor who has urately grasped the character¡¯s psychology and integrated into the role is not good, but instead the actor in your arms who is affected and has bad acting is good, then this y really doesn¡¯t need to be filmed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I ponder the script and characters every day untilte at night, while the woman in your arms, I¡¯m afraid, hasn¡¯t even bothered to read the script properly,¡± Vonnie sneered.

    Johnathan was furious, ring at Gilbert fiercely.

    Gilbert always had a poker face, and he red at Vonnie.

    Vonnie just ignored him, rolling her eyes and looking up at the canopy above.

    Gilbert impatiently said to Quentin, ¡°Alright, move aside. Don¡¯t dy the progress here. Everyone is still waiting to finish work.¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and looked at Kimberly with reluctance. Kimberly tugged at his sleeve, tears in her eyes, truly looking pitiful.

    Quentin suddenly asked Gilbert, ¡°Can we use a stunt double for this scene?¡±

    ¡°What, a stand¨Cin?!¡±

    The Gilbert reaction was quite significant.

    09:09

    Chapter992

    It should be noted that Gilbert generally doesn¡¯t have much emotional fluctuations, indicating how much he dislikes the word ¡°stand¨Cin¡±

    Gilbert said, ¡°In the movies I direct, not a single one uses a stunt double.¡±

    ¡°If you want to use a stand¨Cin, just let the stand¨Cin y the female lead.¡±

    One sentence left Quentin speechless.

    This time it seemed like he really had no way out, so he could only shout at Vonnie again, ¡°If you dare to use such force again, I won¡¯t be polite to you.¡±

    Vonnie looked at Gilbert with a sense of grievance: ¡°Mr. Russell, you see, I strictly followed the script, urately controlling the character¡¯s emotions and actions, but instead I received threats from the producer. Oh, can this y still be filmed?¡±

    Quentin:

    Johnathan chuckled on the side, ¡°My Vonnie is quite a little trickster.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Both of you are clever.¡±

    Gilbert was thoroughly fed up and said to Quentin, ¡°Either you quit this y, or I¡¯ll go find a new producer.¡±

    Either release our leadingdy and return to your visiting area.

    ¡°If you continue to make trouble like this, no one in our crew will be able to go off work!¡±

    Thest sentence can be described as brilliant, and instantly everyone in the crew started toin.

    09:09

    Who wouldn¡¯t want to leave work carly, but they had to stay because <b>of </b>the two of them.

    Even though Quentin was the president of the productionpany. the crew still didn¡¯t want to give him any face.

    Quentin¡¯s face looked extremely ugly, but there was nothing he could do about it.

    He had to let go of Kimberly and said in a low voice, ¡°Then you just do it well and try to get it done in one go.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Kimberly felt even more wronged, crying and saying, ¡°Quentin, what do you mean? Are you also going to say that my acting is terrible?¡±

    I was beaten and that¡¯s fine, but I didn¡¯t expect you to say that to me.

    ¡°No, Kimberly, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Quentin quickly exined to her, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll get hit again.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you go out, alright?¡± Gilbert said calmly, word by word.

    Quentin nced at Kimberly with a heartache, then turned back to his own visiting area every three steps.

    Gilbert keptining, ¡°With all the time spent arguing, we could have filmed five retakes, really!¡±

    09:09

    §á§Ñ§â§ä§Ô§å§å3

    <b>Chapter993 </b>

 TOO Close 993

    <b>Chapter993 </b>

    The second round of the fight begins!

    Kimberly was about to get beaten up again.

    That was great!

    Bang!

    Another crisp p rang out.

    This time, Kimberly did not fall to the ground because two maids were holding her arms back, forcing her to kneel on the ground.

    Actually, just now, she was also forced to kneel on the ground.

    But maybe Vonnie used too much force, and she fell to the ground all

    at once.

    Just as Vonnie was about to p for the second time, Gilbert shouted ¡°Stop¡± again.

    ¡°The female lead¡¯s eyes, the eyes are wrong! And the expressions, all wrong.¡±

    You see, you were just a little maid, and the one who hit you was a princess.

    How could there be hatred and resentment on your face.

    Did you use your pig brain to think carefully, can a pce maid dare to show that kind of expression to a princess?

    Also, your initial character was simply kind and good, but when you

    09:09

    were being beaten, what was in your eyes besides malice and cunning<b>? </b>

    ¡°Start over!¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly¡¯s face on the side that was hit had already swollen up.

    To avoid disrupting the filming, Gilbert asked her to touch up her makeup beforeing back.

    Quentin was in a hurry, so while Kimberly was touching up her makeup, he ran back to Gilbert and begged him to be his stand¨Cin.

    Gilbert couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to him.

    At this moment, Reynaldo suddenly came over.

    He walked up to me, nced at the scattered fruits and melon seeds on the table, and smiled at me, saying, ¡°You two are quitefortable.¡±

    ¡°Of course, watching the show live.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and ruffled my hair, asking me, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say there were only two scenes in the afternoon? It¡¯s already evening, why haven¡¯t they finished shooting yet?¡±

    ¡°Sigh,¡± I sighed, ¡°Someone¡¯s acting skills were too poor and dyed the progress.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at Johnathan again.

    Johnathan nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, that person¡¯s acting skills were not bad at all, I was speechless just watching.¡±

    When Quentin saw Reynaldoing, it was like seeing a savior.

    He hurried to Reynaldo and said urgently, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you must

    09:09

    save Kimberly this time, she is almost beaten to death.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow and asked incredulously, ¡°Was she almost beaten to death?¡±

    Iughed sarcastically at Quentin.

    That¡¯s really exaggerated!

    He said he was almost beaten to death with two ps.

    I wish Kimberly could have died so easily.

    Quentin avoided my gaze and said anxiously to Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, for the sake of her past rtionship with you, you must save her.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    As soon as Quentin finished speaking, Kimberly suddenly ran towards us crying.

    She also wiped off the powder on the half of her face that was pped in advance, so that the palm print was even more obvious.

    ¡°Reynaldo, you finally came.

    Kimberly cried so pitifully, as if she was about to throw herself into Reynaldo¡¯s arms.

    Reynaldo discreetly shifted his feet and stood behind me.

    Kimberly missed her target, looking a bit upset, but more pitiful and aggrieved.

    She didn¡¯t pounce on Reynaldo, but instead pounced into Quentin¡¯s

    arms.

    09:09

    This time, Quentin, who originally had a somewhat gloomy expression, was cheered up again.

    Reynaldo nced up and down at Kimberly, then asked Quentin without much emotion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she was almost beaten to death?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey, look at how swollen her face has be.¡±

    Dames

    Even when filming, you can¡¯t hit so hard for real. I asked Mr. Russell to use a stunt double, but he refused to switch.

    This was clearly all about bullying Kimberly.

 TOO Close 994

    Chapter994

    Reynaldo finished listening, then nced at Kimberly¡¯s face.

    Kimberly immediately said pitifully, ¡°I know Ralda and Vonnie have never liked me, they always look at me with disdain.¡±

    Today¡¯s performance was indeed an opportunity to bully me.

    As the leading actress, the scenes were arranged in such a way that I have nothing to say.

    I can report private revenge like this, I really¡­ really¡­¡±

    She said, and then started crying again, looking even more aggrieved and pitiful than before.

    She even pulled out her trump card.

    She was seen clutching her chest, saying weakly, ¡°Well, anyway, I won¡¯t live much longer. If pping me a few times can make Ralda feel better, then I think it¡¯s worth it,¡±

    I¡¯m just so sad, Ralda, why do you hate me like this? And Vonnie.

    Did you treat me as a thorn in your side just because the men you like paid a little attention to me?

    ¡°But what did I do wrong? Why do you all treat me like this?¡±

    She said, and then tightened the cor of her own clothes, looking very painful.

    I felt cold in my heart, this woman was most adept at pretending to be like this.

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    09:09

    I turned my head to look at Reynaldo behind me.

    The man looked at Kimberly intently, his thin lips tightly pressed together, his brow furrowed.

    Oh, he was feeling sorry for Kimberly.

    Even if he didn¡¯t have romantic feelings for Kimberly, he still had some other emotions towards her.

    After all, his anxiety and nervousness towards Kimberly in the past were not fake.

    Quentin also chimed in, saying, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, really, I don¡¯t know why, but everyone in this cast is bullying Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you mean Vonnie and Esmie, they¡¯ve been spreading rumors about your Kimberly to everyone on the set,¡± Johnathan suddenly snorted coldly.

    Quentin frowned and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±

    Johnathan snorted, ¡°So you¡¯re that kind of person!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Reynaldo suddenly spoke lightly.

    He looked at Gilbert, who was expressionless, not far away, and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t we use a stunt double and a stand¨Cin?¡±

    ¡°Using fake punches, but after filming five scenes of fake punches, none of them worked. Mr. Russell then switched to real punches.¡±

    me her poor acting skills, which also held back the crew.

    Before Gilbert could speak, Johnathan said disdainfully, ¡°As for the stunt double, Mr. Russell has always been strict, pursuing the best performance in the industry. Asking <i>Mr. </i>Russell to use a stunt double

    09:09

    <b>§á§Ñ§â§Õ§Ö§Ô§å§µ4 </b>

    de weefs

    would be tarnishing his reputation.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips, his brow still furrowed.

    I nced at him and couldn¡¯t help but snort, ¡°If you really care about her, then write a script where the female lead doesn¡¯t get beaten up, and let her be your female lead.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows and stared at me with a lowered head, looking somewhat angry.

    He felt sorry for Kimberly. I wasn¡¯t even angry yet, why was he getting all worked up?

    Kimberly¡¯s good mood of being beaten up disappeared instantly.

    I was about to leave when Gilbert suddenly said in a bored tone, ¡°That¡¯s a wrap, folks. There¡¯s no way we can shoot this scene today. Starting tomorrow, none of you are allowed to visit the set, especially you.¡±

    Gilbert said, looking at Quentin disdainfully.

    Quentin¡¯s face darkened, and he was about to protest, but Gilbert turned around and walked away to get his camera.

    I furrowed my brows in frustration.

    Couldn¡¯te to visit, how could that be?

    I haven¡¯t seen enough of the scenes where Kimberly gets beaten up.

    Johnathan and I exchanged a nce, then we went together to find Gilbert.

    09:09 0

 TOO Close 995

    I smiled at Gilbert and said, ¡°Mr. Russell, I think I shoulde to the set after all. After all, this script is written by me, and I can also provide some reference for the character positioning and scene shooting, right?¡±

    Gilbert hesitated for two seconds, nodded, and said, ¡°Makes sense, then you cane visit.¡±

    ¡°And me, and me,¡± Johnathan quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I also bring you delicious food every day.¡±

    Gilbert didn¡¯t hesitate for a second and nodded directly, saying, ¡°Hmm, you can alsoe for a visit.¡±

    So, is this Gilbert a foodie?!

    Quentin saw that both Johnathan and I coulde to visit, and he immediately became anxious. ¡°Mr. Russell, then what about me¡­

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t do it!¡±

    Gilbert was extremely disdainful towards him, ¡°Today¡¯s filming schedule was dyed because of you, so you should nevere again.¡±

    After Gilbert finished speaking, Johnathan still gave Quentin a smug smile.

    Quentin was so angry that his face turned green.

    Kimberly nestled in Quentin¡¯s arms with a look of grievance on her face, but her hesitant gaze flickered towards Reynaldo.

    09:10

    Chapter995

    I didn¡¯t want to pay attention to Reynaldo now.

    He actually felt sorry for Kimberly just now!

    #33)

    I went straight to find Vonnie and went to the locker room with her.

    Vonnie asked me while changing clothes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ralda?¡±

    I shook my head leaning against the cab.

    Vonnie changed her clothes and approached, ¡°Is it because Reynaldo just spoke up for Kimberly?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

    Vonnie put her arm around my shoulder and said, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be upset. We finished work early today. Come on, I¡¯ll take you dancing.¡±

    I looked at her in surprise, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back to be affectionate with Johnathan? After all, you two haven¡¯t seen each other for a few days.¡±

    Vonnie looked at me with a disgusted expression and said, ¡°Who do you think you are? Not everyone

    are? Not everyone is like you, clinging to each other like glue after being apart from their partner for a few days.¡±

    Um¡­

    Did I? Did I have that?

    ¡°Okay Ralda, don¡¯t be upset, I pped Kimberly hard twice today, I felt so relieved.

    As they were talking, a slender figure walked in, it was Kimberly. The woman was ring at Vonnie with a resentful look in her eyes. My heart tightened inexplicably, and I even felt a little flustered.

    09:10

    288 Vouchers

    The woman¡¯s eyes were too much like a snake¡¯s, staring at Vonnie like that, I felt like she was about to pounce and bite Vonnie to death in the next second.

    Vonnie saw that it was her and immediately chuckled, ¡°So it¡¯s our leadingdy. Sorry, I identally hit you just now and my hand hurts.¡±

    I also implored Ms. Palmer to really improve her acting skills, otherwise next time, I will have to p many more times, my hand hurts.¡±

    Kimberly didn¡¯t say anything, she just walked to her own locker in silence.

    But she would always look at me and Vonnie from time to time with a malicious look.

    Vonnie also wanted to provoke her.

    I quickly pulled Vonnie out.

    I was familiar with Kimberly¡¯s character, and I knew very well how cunning and malicious Kimberly could be.

    I was very guarded against her, not afraid of what she might do to me.

    But Vonnie was different. Vonnie didn¡¯t know Kimberly very well, and she was also veryid¨Cback in personality.

    I was afraid that Kimberly would harm Vonnie behind the scenes.

    The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became. I had to remind Johnathan to keep an eye on Vonnie.

 TOO Close 996

    Chapter996

    As soon as I walked out of the women¡¯s changing room, I saw three men standing outside.

    Reynaldo and Johnathan stood together.

    Quentin stood alone on the other side.

    Three people, no one said a word.

    But judging from his expression, it seemed like Johnathan was in an especially good mood.

    The other two, one gloomy and the other pale as earth.

    As soon as Vonnie and I came out, Johnathan hurriedly came up to greet us.

    He automatically took the bag on Vonnie¡¯s shoulder.

    Vonnie shrugged and dodged his outstretched hand.

    Johnathan was taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Vonnie? Can I help you carry it?¡±

    ¡°cough¡±

    Vonnie raised her hand to her lips and coughed twice, then said to him, ¡°Um, you go back/first, I¡¯m not going back for now.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s smile instantly fell.

    He frowned and asked, ¡°If you¡¯re not going back, where are you going?¡±

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    09.1007

    Chapter996

    Vonnie linked arms with me and said cheerfully, ¡°I¡¯m going clubbing with Ralda.¡±

    Reynaldo, who had been silent on the side, suddenly looked at me with dark, cold eyes, carrying a hint of anger that seemed to sweep everything away.

    It seemed to be saying to me, ¡°Hurry up and go try clubbing!¡±

    Thinking about how he actually felt sorry for Kimberly just now, I felt a surge of anger in my heart.

    I hugged Vonnie¡¯s waist and said to Johnathan, ¡°Yes, we are going to the club, you go back by yourself first.¡±

    Johnathan exploded in anger.

    ¡°Esmie, what¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re not without a man, why are you trying to steal my woman?!¡±

    I: ¡­

    Men? Women? What¡¯s going on?

    Johnathan red angrily at Vonnie again and said, ¡°And you, can¡¯t you focus more on me?¡±

    We haven¡¯t seen each other for a few days. I finally came back, can¡¯t you just spend some time with me? You always know how to apany Esmie.

    ¡°You know, you are a married man now. Why do you always hang out with Esmie?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    As soon as Johnathan¡¯s words fell, Quentin beside him suddenly

    25.07%

    09.10

    chuckled.

    With this sound, all of Johnathan¡¯s anger that had been building up suddenly ignited.

    He rolled up his sleeves and was about to pick a fight with Quentin, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±

    Vonnie and I were both startled, and quickly grabbed him.

    He shook off Vonnie and me, didn¡¯t let go, and finally angrily shouted at Quentin, ¡°Do you think your woman really likes you? Don¡¯t forget, your woman used to hang around Mr. Humphrey every day, calling him ¡®Reynaldo¡® all the time.¡±

    It was only because Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t fancy her that she ended up with you.

    ¡°You thought she liked you so much, huh, and you still have the nerve to mock me.¡±

    ¡°Back then, wasn¡¯t your woman also constantly thinking about me? I didn¡¯t want her, that¡¯s why she¡­¡±

    Quentin was speaking when suddenly his gaze met Vonnie¡¯s.

    Whether out of guilt or out of the loyalty of youth, he retracted his words.

    Johnathan kept shouting relentlessly, ¡°Come on, keep talking!¡±

    At that moment, Kimberly came out dressed.

    He threw a ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to talk to you, lunatic!¡± at Johnathan and then walked away with Kimberly in his arms.

    I frowned and watched Kimberly¡¯s back.

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    09.1

    Chapter996

    Why do I feel like she suddenly became quiet in a somewhat cere way?

    Is there another big conspiracy brewing<i>? </i>

    This woman was just too insidious, it¡¯s like all of us were in the light. and she was in the dark, and she still had so many die¨Chard supporters

    Quentin and Kimberly finally walked away,

    I finally let go of Johnathan with Vonnie.

    09:10

 TOO Close 997

    Chapter997

    Johnathan was furious, he red at Vonnie and said, ¡°I just got back, you have to apany me!¡±

    I really didn¡¯t want to interfere with Vonnie and Johnathan¡¯s rtionship

    I pulled Vonnie into a corner and whispered to her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back with him¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Vonnie frowned and said, ¡°We just agreed to go clubbing together, right? Hey? Don¡¯t tell me you want to go back and be with your Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°No way, I¡¯m still mad at him. Even if I don¡¯t go clubbing, I don¡¯t want to go back now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, let¡¯s go clubbing now, without men.¡±

    Iughed at Vonnie.

    I finally understood, it was this woman who always wanted to go clubbing.

    ¡°Hey, what are you whispering about, and is there something that Reynaldo and I can¡¯t hear?¡± Johnathan impatiently shouted at us.

    I turned around and saw him squatting in the corner smoking.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t smoke, he justzily leaned against the wall, his dark eyes fixed on me, with a hint of coldness in them.

    Vonnie pulled her bag onto her shoulder and said to Johnathan, ¡°Ralda

    0.00%

    09:10

    Chapter997

    288 Wechers

    and I are really going to the club, you should go back now, I¡¯ll be backter.¡±

    Johnathan took a deep breath in anger.

    The next second, he came over and said angrily, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go clubbing too, and go with you guys.¡±

    Vonnie frowned disdainfully, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with you, I just want to go with Ralda.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Johnathan asked, feeling both angry and aggrieved, ¡°In your heart, am I important, or is Esmie important?¡±

    ¡°Who is more important in your heart, me or Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    Oh no!

    Vonnie was really good at rhetorical questions.

    Johnathan was stunned for a second, and angrily said, ¡°How can this bepared? The concepts arepletely different.¡°,

    ¡°Yeah, you know yourself that there¡¯s noparison, and you still ask me who is more important between you and Ralda. I¡¯m speechless!¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I go clubbing with you guys? Why do you have to look down on me like that?¡± Johnathan was so angry that his eyes turned red, of course, there was definitely some sadness mixed in as well.

    Vonnie sighed and said, ¡°I went with Ralda to reminisce about the past, to search for the youth that I and Ralda have lost. What are you doing following us?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    As soon as Vonnie/finished speaking, Reynaldo, who had been silent

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    09:10

    Chapter997

    all along, suddenly let out a cold snort.

    He looked at me and said coolly, ¡°It seems like you used to go to that kind of ce a lot before.¡±

    I: ¡­

    ¡°Hey, are you guys ever going to stop? I finished work early today, don¡¯t you dare dy me from going out to y with Ralda.¡±

    Vonnie said, ¡°and then she took my arm and led me outside the set.

    Johnathan was angry and anxious, looking at Reynaldo and saying. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop them? They are going to the club!¡±

    ¡°People can be stopped, but what¡¯s the use if their hearts can¡¯t be stopped.¡± Reynaldo said expressionlessly.

    When I heard him say this, I wanted tough.

    If he really thought so, he wouldn¡¯t have used that method to marry me in the first ce.

    He, Reynaldo, has always been a guy who ¡°speaks with a forked tongue¡°!

    ¡°You just watched your woman go clubbing like that? No, Reynaldo, when did you be so calm, this is not like you at all¡­¡±

    Behind him came the angry and urgent voice of Johnathan.

    Iughed and said to Vonnie, ¡°You really made Johnathan quite angry this time.¡±

    09:10

 TOO Close 998

    Chapter998

    ¡°Who asked him to argue with me and then go on a business trip without saying a word? I¡¯m not that casy to coax, hmph!¡±

    I smiled and suddenly thought of Kimberly¡¯s quiet and overly eerie appearance just now. I couldn¡¯t help but remind Vonnie again to be very careful and watch out for Kimberly.

    Whether it was during filming, resting, or even eating, one had to be on guard against Kimberly.

    Vonnie obviously had heard enough, shouting that she knew it, andining about when I had be an old nagging wife.

    Simple¨Chearted Vonnie.

    She could never have imagined how malicious Kimberly, that woman, could be.

    When I went to college with Vonnie, we often went to the dance hall we used to frequent.

    That dance hall was high¨Cend and well¨Cmanaged.

    The membership system was adopted.

    There were hardly any ¡°riffraff¡± or low¨Cquality people inside.

    They were all quite polite and gentlemanly.

    They came to the disco, almost all for fun, to rx.

    Many years have passed, and at first nce, the ballroom still looks the same as before, but upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the

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    09:101

    Chapter998

    interior has all been renovated.

    Some things, once refurbished, basically can¡¯t find the original taste

    anymore.

    Vonnie wore a mask and a duckbill cap, and changed into a tight- fitting top and shorts.

    Her wavy hair cascaded down her back.

    At first nce, she looked like a ¡°Tai Mei¡°.

    Vonnie used to always have short hair, but I suddenly realized that she looks better with long hair, more feminine.

    Since I had a child, I no longer like wearing shorts or skirts.

    For the convenience of clubbing, I also changed my clothes.

    I changed into a more fitted knit sweater and jeans. Upon arriving at the ballroom, Vonnie and I looked around.

    In the past, there was also a nostalgic wall in this dance hall. Fortunately, that wall was not demolished and still remains.

    Vonnie and I ran excitedly over there, looking for the marks we had left.

    This nostalgic wall has been around for many years, covered with inscriptions and patterns.

    Many people also posted ¡°wishing posts¡°.

    But over time, many of them fell off

    ¡°Oh, Ralda, I found it, look, I found our names.

    09:10

    Vonnie suddenly eximed with joy, pulling my arm and asking <b>me </b>to

    I followed her pointing and saw several names stacked on top of each other.

    But I could still make out the words ¡°Esmeralda¡± and ¡°Lavonne¡°.

    Next to it was Winston¡¯s name.

    Back then, the three of us would oftene together and carve our names on it.

    Not to recall what Winstonter looked like, simply to remember that period of time, it was really very beautiful, very beautiful.

    Most importantly, at that time, all my rtives were still around.

    Just as she was thinking of the sad part, Vonnie screamed again.

    ¡°Ralda, look, look, whose name is this?¡±

    I looked in the direction she was pointing.

    The ce she was pointing to was right next to my name.

    At first nce, it was really hard to tell what name it was.

    Because it was too long ago,yer uponyer, many names were covered on top.

    I was fine with Vonnie and Winston. Maybe because someone had posted wishing papers there before, but they fell offter.

    But as I looked closely at where Vonnie was pointing, my heart skipped a beat.

    Because upon closer inspection, it looked a bit like ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s¡± name.

    09:13

    Chapter998

    Upon further examination of the strokes, it became increasingly apparent that it resembled Reynaldo¡¯s name.

    2

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    Chapter999

    Vonnie simply reached out and traced those strokes,ughing at me in surprise, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m mistaken, but why do I feel like this line was written by one person, and it seems like it says ¡®Reynaldo loves Esmeralda¡®.¡±

    I frowned and said, ¡°No¡­ it can¡¯t be, right?¡±

    ¡°You can feel it yourself.¡± Vonnie pulled my hand over to touch.

    The more I touched, the faster my heart beat.

    That line of words seemed to really be ¡°Reynaldo loves Esmeralda¡°.

    The key is, as if afraid of being discovered, he wrote five lines, ovepping and slightly offset.

    So at first nce, it looked like many names were stacked on top of each other, making it difficult to see exactly what names they were.

    Vonnie eximed to me, ¡°Could it really be written by Reynaldo? Judging by the age marks of these handwriting, it is very likely that he came over secretly and wrote this when we were in college.¡±

    Wow, I can¡¯t believe it. He, who used to be quiet and mysterious, actually came to the ballroom.

    However, it seems that he really liked you back then.¡±

    I touched those characters.

    I couldn¡¯t quite describe the feeling in my heart, it was a bit painful and a bit sad.

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    At that time, he must have always been secretly watching me from the

    corner.

    And at that time, I gave all my attention and focus to Winston.

    He must have felt very ufortable at that time.

    Vonnie looked at me and smiled, saying, ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to feel sad and guilty. At that time, you didn¡¯t know he liked you, and you didn¡¯t mean to hurt him.¡±

    It¡¯s good that you are now together.

    ¡°If we really missed it, that would be regrettable.¡±

    Well, Vonnie has a point too.

    Having truly missed it, looking back and seeing these words again, that is what real regret is.

    I smiled at Vonnie and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go dancing.¡±

    ¡°Um,

    Vonnie nodded and pulled me into the dance floor.

    The music in the ballroom had a very strong sense of rhythm.

    With that music, bouncing around freely, stretching out all the muscles in my body, it was really rxing.

    It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t jumped in many years. After a few minutes of bouncing, I was panting heavily. No wonder Reynaldo alwaysins about myck of stamina.

    Struggling to jump, a man in a suit with a leather cor suddenly approached me and asked, ¡°Is this your first time jumping too?¡±

    09.30

    Chapter999

    The man had a handsome appearance, and his clothing and demeanor made him look like a white¨Ccor worker in apany.

    I didn¡¯t answer his question. He jumped and said to me, ¡°I can see that you are clumsy and struggling, you must be here for the first time.¡±

    Today ourpany organized a gathering, and it was my first timeing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be friends, and when you have time,e over and y together.¡±

    I really didn¡¯t expect that, as a mother of two, always in¨Cfaced and conservatively dressed, I could still be approached by men¡­

    I smiled at the man and said, ¡°No need, I don¡¯te here often. This might be thest time Ie.¡±

    The man didn¡¯t give up either, smiling and saying, ¡°That¡¯s perfect, I don¡¯t really like noisy gatherings either.¡±

    I liked sports, liked reading, looking at you, our interests and hobbies should be simr.

    I thought we could be friends, and we would probably have a lot in

    Oh, by the way, I also really like raising small animals, do you girls like it too?

    09.10

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    The man said a lot of words in one breath, and he was still jumping along with the music rhythm, so he was panting when he spoke.

    I didn¡¯t really feel that great either.

    After not exercising for a long time, suddenly jumping around is really tiring.

    After a while, my back was all wet from sweating.

    The man looked at me with a determined gaze, as if he was determined to be friends with me.

    I smiled politely at him and was about to say, ¡°I was already married.¡±

    Vonnie suddenly bumped my arm and looked towards the bar counter, saying to me, ¡°Hey hey, your man, your man seems to have arrived.¡±

    I was startled and followed her gaze, and sure enough, I saw Reynaldo.

    He was leisurely leaning back on the sofa, gently swaying a ss of wine in his hand..

    A pair of unpredictable eyes looked straight at me.

    It¡¯s strange, why hasn¡¯t Johnathane?

    Reynaldo came running to catch me, and Johnathan didn¡¯t evene to look for Vonnie?

    This is not scientific is it?!

    I asked Vonnie, ¡°Has Johnathane?¡±

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    11

    Vonnie shook her head, ¡°It seems like he didn¡¯te, probably waiting for me to go back and coax him.¡±

    I thought it was unlikely.

    Reynaldo came, and Johnathan didn¡¯t seem like someone who could keep calm.

    At that moment, the man who had just struck up a conversation with me looked Vonnie up and down.

    When he saw Vonnie wearing hot pants, exposing her white legs, he frowned and a hint of disgust shed across his face.

    Vonnie also noticed his gaze.

    She put her arm around my shoulder and said to the man, ¡°Do you want to pursue my sister?¡±

    The man still smiled politely even though he looked down on Vonnie for not being a proper girl.

    Faced with Vonnie¡¯s question, he neither admitted nor denied.

    Vonnie chuckled and said, ¡°You can¡¯t flirt like this, my sister is really naive. If you don¡¯t make it clear to her, she will really think you just want to be ordinary friends with simr interests.¡±

    When Vonnie said that, the man suddenly looked at me again, and there was a burst of gaze in his eyes, as if he was looking at prey, which made me quite ufortable.

    I pulled Vonnie out of the dance floor.

    Vonnie seemed to want to tease the man a little more.

    She hooked my shoulder and giggled at the man, asking, ¡°Come on, do

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    <

    09:10

    you want to pursue my sister?¡±

    17 <b>288 </b>Nouriere

    ¡°Yes, this youngdy looks like a well¨Cbehaved type, exactly the kind I like.¡±

    The man admitted without hesitation this time, and then said to me, ¡°I am a senior white¨Ccor worker of a listedpany, with considerable ie. If you can marry me, I can add your name to the property deed after marriage.¡±

    After getting married, you didn¡¯t have to do anything. You just needed to take care of my parents, do the housework, cook for the family, and then work hard to give birth to a few chubby boys for me.

    ¡°And I promise to give you a monthly living allowance of five thousand, you just need to stay at home and enjoy yourself every day, I will support you.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Vonnie¡¯s eyebrows visibly furrowed.

    She hugged me and asked with a smile, ¡°Ralda, what was the lowest sry for a housekeeper in Freybourne?¡±

    As soon as I saw Vonnie¡¯s expression, I knew she was about to start mocking people.

    Iughed and said, ¡°Ten thousand, it seems to be the going rate. Our family servant was paid eighty thousand years ago.¡±

    09:11

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    The man, upon hearing me say this, probably thought I was bragging, a hint of mockery shing in his eyes.

    Vonnie smiled at the man and said, ¡°Did you hear that? You don¡¯t even have enough money to hire a maid for five thousand, and you still want to find a wife. You must be dreaming.¡±

    The man frowned and said somewhat displeased, ¡°I knew women like you are insatiable, finding 5,000 still too little.¡±

    Vonnie rolled her eyes and said with a smile, ¡°Well, five thousand is really not much, after all, it¡¯s supposed to be the living expenses for my wife, but in fact, it¡¯s also the living expenses for all of you as a family. When divided equally, the monthly living expenses are only a little over a thousand.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ Ralda, there are really a lot.¡±

    Vonnie¡¯sst sentence was extremely sarcastic.

    The man waspletely furious and said to Vonnie, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your sister looking innocent and honest, suitable to be a good wife and mother, do you think I would be interested in her? She¡¯s so

    unsophisticated, yet she wants to find someone wealthy, it¡¯s simply a dream!¡±

    Oh, this¡­

    This description just left mepletely dumbfounded.

    A virtuous wife and loving mother?

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    <b>Chapter1001 </b>

    How are you?

    No way?!

    In the past, whoever looked at me didn¡¯t say I was sexy, pretty, and stylish.

    How did it be so shabby?

    Although my thinking is somewhat conservative and I haven¡¯t been wearing makeup recently, I am still a standard beauty!

    Vonnie covered her mouth and chuckled, saying to the man, ¡°You broke the defense.¡±

    The man could not maintain his initial ¡°gentlemanly demeanor¡± anymore and said, ¡°Women like you who appear in such ces, one dressed so provocatively and the other pretending to be a virtuous wife and mother, are just trying to attract wealthy men¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brow

    I didn¡¯t like what he said, huh, he actually said that about Vonnie.

    I was about to retort.

    Vonnie suddenly tugged at me and said to the man with a smile, ¡°Are you really interested in my sister?¡±

    The man sneered, his expression disdainful.

    Vonnie said again, ¡°This is not impossible either.¡±

    I looked at Vonnie in astonishment, ¡°What kind of trick is this woman thinking of again?¡±

    The man was slightly stunned when he heard her words, then

    confidently and smugly smiled, ¡°Right, regretting it now, aren¡¯t you? Well, after all, with my qualities, women like you wouldn¡¯t even be able to find me with antern.¡±

    Vonnie smiled mysteriously, then nced over at Reynaldo and said to the man, ¡°If you want to win over my sister, you better deal with that guy first. If you can handle him, then my sister is all yours.¡±

    The man followed Vonnie¡¯s gaze and looked towards Reynaldo.

    The next second, a look of astonishment shed across his face as he asked Vonnie. ¡°What¡¯s the connection with that man? And that man seems to be¡­¡±

    ??

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s rted, it¡¯s a big deal,¡± Vonnie said, ¡°because that man is also pursuing my sister.¡±

    Upon hearing this, the manughed disdainfully, saying, ¡°I was thinking, this ballroom is not suitable for dreaming, why are you suddenly dreaming?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Vonnie sighed, ¡°It¡¯s all because someone started dreaming earlier.¡±

    After Vonnie finished speaking, the manughed even more

    disdainfully, ¡°I knew it, that man is elegant and extraordinary, how could he possibly be interested in your sister, this country bumpkin. It turns out he was really dreaming.¡±

    At this moment, I felt a cold gaze cast upon me frequently.

    Chapter1002

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    I looked up and saw Reynaldo staring at me with a cold look in his

    eyes.

    It was just for fun.

    He was the one who felt sorry for Kimberly first, how could he still have the nerve to be angry there, and even stare at me with such a cold and gloomy look.

    Shouldn¡¯t he havee to coax me?

    All day long he just waited for me to coax him!

    The more I thought, the more depressed I felt.

    At this moment, Vonnie suddenly shook my arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we went.¡±

    I was stunned, looking at her inexplicably, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Vonnie chuckled and said, ¡°This guy absolutely refuses to believe that there are top¨Cnotch men chasing after you, so let¡¯s go prove it to him.¡±

    ¡°No, how¡­ how can you prove it?¡±

    Was this woman trying to drag me to find Reynaldo and then show off our love in front of him?

    I didn¡¯t want to!

    I was still angry with Reynaldo in my heart, I didn¡¯t want to actively look for that man.

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    Chapter1602

    Seeing my resistant expression, the disdain and smugness on the face of the mediocre but blindly confident man became even more apparent.

    He even sneered openly.

    The sneer stimted Vonnie so much that she dragged me out of the dance floor.

    Finally off the dance floor, I said to Vonnie, ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s no need to argue with a stranger,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be serious, it¡¯s driving me crazy, to actually encounter mediocre but blindly confident men here!¡± Vonnie said angrily.

    I suddenly remembered the blind date experience that Vonnie had mentioned to me before. At that time, she also met several mediocre but blindly confident men.

    So she really hated those stingy men from the bottom of her heart.

    No wonder she insisted on teasing this man today.

    Just teasing this mediocre but blindly confident man would have been enough, why did he have to get himself so worked up?

    I said along her back, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go for a drink.¡±

    ¡°What are you drinking? We should go find Reynaldo and show some affection. Didn¡¯t you see that man looking at us with a disdainful and mocking look?¡±

    I listened and, subconsciously, turned back to look, and indeed it was.

    The mediocre but blindly confident man stopped dancing, just stood with his hands on his hips in the dance floor, looking like he ¡­ watching a show, watching me and Vonnie.

    10.27

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    1288 Nouchers

    It seemed as if we dared not approach the distinguished man in the

    corner.

    Honestly, the mediocre but blindly confident man¡¯s sneering and smug appearance really looked a bit annoying.

    No wonder Vonnie was so angry.

    Vonnie dragged me along,ining as we walked, ¡°Is that guy out of touch or what? He doesn¡¯t even know you, Esmeralda, in Freybourne, and he¡¯s not even sure if that guy in the corner is the real Reynaldo?!¡±

    ¡°Ralda, let me tell you, men who are stingy and calcting like this are the most disgusting. They just want to marry a virtuous wife and mother toe back and be a free maid for them, take care of their parents, cook and doundry for their whole family, and then act like they¡¯re the boss at home.¡±

    Looking at her indignant appearance, I chuckled and said, ¡°You seem to know this kind of person quite well, huh?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I have been on blind dates several times, very experienced. Like the man just now, as soon as I saw the way he looked at you, I knew what he was up to.¡±

    I gave Vonnie a thumbs¨Cup admiringly.

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    Finally, I asked her speechlessly, ¡°Do I really look like a good wife and mother?¡±

    Vonnie suddenly took two steps back, frowned, looked me up and down, then nodded and said, ¡°Yes, indeed.¡±

    I was dumbfounded, is it because of giving birth to a child?

    Vonnie seemed to read my mind and chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t me

    everything on the kids. Look at your outfit now, all wrapped up tightly to go to the ballroom. It¡¯s no wonder others don¡¯t see you as a virtuous wife and mother.¡±

    ¡°Why are you still chatting here? Are you afraid to go talk to that man?¡±

    Just as I was talking to Vonnie, the mediocre but blindly confident man suddenly approached like a ghost, startling me.

    Vonnie rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Just wait and keep your eyes wide openter.¡±

    The man ignored Vonnie and, in a very gentlemanly manner, said to me, ¡°Actually, I noticed too. You are quite nice, it¡¯s just that your sister, not only dresses provocatively, but also has a deceitful heart¡­¡±

    ¡°You say one more word to her and see what happens,¡± I coldly

    ¡°I interrupted the man in front of me.

    The man was taken aback for a moment, then smiled at me and id, ¡°I knew it, you are a serious woman, you have been led astray by your sisters.¡±

    Really, with my good conditions, being able to like you <b>is </b><b>also </b><b>your </b>blessing.

    As for your sister, she was jealous of you, so she spent all day <b>filling </b>your head with dreams of rich men.

    Honestly, a woman¡¯s vanity is not a good thing at all.

    You just admit that you were bragging just now, I won¡¯t make fun of you or anything¡­..

    Vonnie was toozy to listen so she grabbed me and walked towards Reynaldo.

    As we walked, she whispered to me, ¡°This is not the time to be angry with Reynaldo. We must not let this mediocre but blindly confident man look down on us!¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± I nodded angrily.

    Originally, I didn¡¯t want to deal with Reynaldo because of the anger in my heart, but this mediocre yet blindly confident man¡¯s words were really annoying.

    At this time, most people were on the dance floor, not many people were at the bar.

    Reynaldo always sat in that inconspicuous corner.

    I just saw two beautiful girls approaching him, but in less than two seconds, those two girls walked away.

    The man waszily leaning back in his chair, his eyes smiling yfully at me as if he were waiting for me to approach him.

    Ah, his gaze instantly reminded me of the scene when I dressed sexy and went to him for money in the past.

    208 crouchers

    So, as soon as I saw the look in his eyes, I didn¡¯t really feel like going

    over.

    When I got close to Reynaldo, I unconsciously took two steps back.

    Vonnie narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Ralda, what are you doing?¡±

    I smiled at her incredulously and said, ¡°The dance is over, the atmosphere is felt, let¡¯s go back, no need to argue with that mediocre but blindly confident man.¡±

    Vonnie chuckled twice and said to me expressionlessly, ¡°Do you want to turn around and see what kind of look that mediocre but blindly confident man is giving us?¡±

    I nced back.

    The man stood with his arms crossed, about three or four meters away from us, looking at us with a more pronounced sneer on his face than before.

    Vonnie said to me, ¡°Now face is important. You can go back and settle ounts with your Reynaldoter.¡±

    Oh, this¡­

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    I nced at Reynaldo, and the man met my gaze, suddenly curling his lips at me.

    That smile, how should I put it, was a bit mischievous, a bit devilish, and a bit yful.

    Good air.

    He was the one who felt sorry for Kimberly, I should be the one who

    gets angry.

    Howe all my emotions were controlled by this man at that time.

    The man seemed to be certain that I was going toe to him.

    My heart hesitated for a moment.

    Was I really charging forward, embracing Reynaldo, sharing an intimate moment with Reynaldo, and then fiercely pping the face of that mediocre but blindly confident man?

    Did I turn around and leave, continue to sulk with Reynaldo, waiting for Reynaldo to coax me?

    Just as I hesitated, before I could even make a decision.

    Vonnie suddenly pushed me towards Reynaldo, saying, ¡°Go on, Ralda, it¡¯s up to you to p him!¡±

    I was speechless for a while.

    This woman¡­

    10.28

    Menu04

    Luckily I was facing Reynaldo directly, only about two meters away from him, with no obstacles in between.

    She was quite strong.

    I staggered towards Reynaldo, unable to stop the momentum.

    Then I threw myself into Reynaldo¡¯s arms.

    Reynaldo did not move, allowing me to lie on his chest.

    His heartbeat was strong and powerful, and his hard chest gave a sense of security that was indescribable.

    He lowered his gaze and looked at me, with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, as if smiling but not smiling.

    The dark and deep eyes were unfathomable, yet always seemed to carry a hint of mischievous yfulness.

    I calmed down and slowly climbed out of his arms.

    The palm identally pressed on something it shouldn¡¯t have pressed.

    In an instant, the man grunted, and even his breathing tightened.

    He gazed at me faintly, and his eyes suddenly became dark and oppressive.

    Realizing where I had just pressed, my face suddenly turned red, and that hand also started to heat up, with the palm burning fiercely.

    ¡°Intentional?¡±

    He suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and unsettling

    I shook my head hastily and stammered, ¡°No¡­ it wasn¡¯t intentional!¡±

    10:28

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1004 </b>

    How could it be intentional?

    This is a public ce, even if I am tempted by his body, I would not deliberately press on him there in such a situation.

    Reynaldo, however, seemed incredulous, staring at me with a secretive look as if to say, ¡°Wasn¡¯t intentional, can you still press so urately?¡±

    I was burned all over by his gaze, really living up to the saying: ¡°blushing and heart racing!¡±

    ¡°It really, really wasn¡¯t intentipfal.¡®

    I finished speaking, then quickly stepped back, sat down properly on one side, and kept a distance of about fifty centimeters from him.

    He nced at me, his lips slowly curling up with a hint of unknown meaning.

    I stepped back, and he didn¡¯t say e closer.¡±

    He just looked at me as if he didn¡¯t know me, picked up his ss, and drank the wine by himself.

    Not far away, Vonnie was so angry that she stomped her feet, constantly gesturing for me to hurry and throw myself into Reynaldo¡¯s

    arms.

    I gave her a furious look.

    Just sayin¡®, Reynaldo was a really bad man.

    He must have guessed what was going on between me and that mediocre but blindly confident man, so he was sure I woulde over to flirt with him.

    Unfortunately, he deliberately refused to cooperate with me!

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    Chapter1004

    He was just that bad!

    Just like before, in order to conceive a baby, I pulled out all the stops to seduce him.

    P

 TOO Close 1005

    He clearly wanted to go crazy, but he just wouldn¡¯t do as I wished.

    Naughty Reynaldo!

    It¡¯s dead!!!

    Just then, the mediocre but blindly confident man suddenly approached with a smug look on his face.

    The mediocre but blindly confident man first nced at Reynaldo, then sat down next to me.

    Although he still maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, the look in his eyes had taken on a distinct air of superiority.

    The contempt and mockery at the corner of the eye were not even concealed.

    He said to me somewhat smugly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say this gentleman was pursuing you? From what I see, it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, right?¡±

    He said, nodding towards Reynaldo as if greeting him.

    Reynaldo raised his lips and lifted his cup towards him.

    In an instant, that mediocre but blindly confident man was filled with a sense of superiority.

    He said to me, ¡°This gentleman looks like an upper¨Css person, with extraordinary temperament. People like me, a senior white¨Ccor worker in a listedpany, belong to the same ss as them and can only blend into their circle, while you¡­¡±

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    10:28

    He looked me up and down and said with a smile, ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but if a woman wants to attract wealthy men, she must first recognize her own conditions. Someone like you, who can catch my eye, is truly fortunate.¡±

    Oh my god, this man¡¯s words are really insulting!

    This immediately stimted me, so I forgot to be angry with Reynaldo.

    I approached Reynaldo again and tugged at his sleeve, ¡°Hey, say something!¡±

    Reynaldoughed at me and said, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±

    At that moment, the mediocre but blindly confident man was staring at me and Reynaldo without blinking, a hint of doubt shing in his eyes, probably thinking, ¡°Would such a high¨Cquality man really go after a in woman like her?¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man in our dynasty raised his chin and said to Reynaldo, ¡°You tell him what our rtionship is!¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and asked me, ¡°So, what would you say is our rtionship?¡±

    ¡°I was asking you!¡± I red at him in frustration.

    The man ¡°oh¡°ed and said expressionlessly, ¡°You don¡¯t even know what kind of rtionship we have, so how would I know?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man, upon hearing this, immediatelyughed mockingly at me, saying, ¡°Alright, stop trying towork here. Luckily this gentleman has a good temper, `erwise with you throwing yourself at him like this and deliberately trying to entangle him, he would have been angry long ago.¡±

    I stared at Reynaldo,

    Reynaldo, however, just casually drank his wine, as if he didn¡¯t know me at all.

    The dog man, indeed refused to cooperate with me to p the face of this mediocre but blindly confident <b>man</b>.

    I was so angry.

    Not far away, Vonnie couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.

    She rolled up her sleeves and was about to rush over<b>, </b>but the next second, she unexpectedly collided head¨Con with a man who was passing by in front of her.

    The man wore a mask and a dance costume that was slim¨Cfitting and had a split in the front, just enough to show off his perfect chest and abs.

    Sure enough, Vonnie was about to start scolding, but when she saw the man¡¯s amazing body, she instantly changed to a smiling face.

    I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying.

    But seeing Vonnie nodding enthusiastically, I guessed that the man had probably invited her to dance.

    Sure enough, just as I suspected, Vonnie went to the dance floor with that man.

    I was speechless.

 TOO Close 1006

    <blockquote>

    This annoying woman couldn¡¯t take her eyes off handsome guys!

    Did she forget about Johnathan? If he sees this, she¡¯s really in trouble!

    Vonnie was no help, so I turned to Reynaldo and asked him, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Reynaldo shook the wine in his ss and said expressionlessly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man followed my gaze and nced at Reynaldo.

    Although he did not recognize that it was the real Reynaldo, that noble demeanor of Reynaldo, he probably wanted to tter him a little.

    So he ordered a drink, approached Reynaldo, and greeted him with a smile, ¡°Hello, nice to meet you, you really look like someone on TV.¡±

    Reynaldo gave him a lightugh and said nothing.

    The mediocre but blindly confident man looked a bit embarrassed, so he nced at me and started talking about me.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that my blind date, she was a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Blind date?¡± Reynaldo/squinted his eyes for a moment¡® and looked straight at me.

    I straightened my chest and let him look openly.

    Weren¡¯t you pretending not to know me? Why such a big reaction when you heard ¡®blind date partner¡°? Really!

    2002

    10:28

    The mediocre but blindly confident man was taken aback, but he may have mistakenly thought that Reynaldo thought he had poor tacte, so he exined. ¡°Well, my parents just wanted me to marry a virtuous wife and good mother to bring home. I think she looks quite like a virtuous wife and good mother in temperament, so I thought I¡¯d give it a try.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, a virtuous wife and loving mother?¡± Reynaldo suddenly chuckled at me inexplicably.

    I wanted to punch him when heughed.

    The mediocre but blindly confident man continued, ¡°She, always dreaming of marrying into a wealthy family, even said that you were pursuing her.¡±

    Look, just now he was deliberately throwing himself into your arms and trying to establish a rtionship with you. He really has no shame.

    However, she is just too vain, and she was also influenced by her sisters, so don¡¯t mind what just happened.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Reynaldo said with a smile that seemed almost mocking, his noble demeanor seeming to be innate.

    The mediocre but blindly confident man couldn¡¯t help but look at him a few more times, then sat back beside me after a while.

    After just a few words with Reynaldo, he felt his own style rise as well.

    The look in my eyes became more and more contemptuous, and there was also a sense of superiority all over my body.

    He said to me, ¡°Look at her, that temperament, that den not something a woman like you canpare to.¡±

    nor, really

    1078

    ¡°I was probably the best among the younger generation. If you <b>miss </b>me, you won¡¯t find anyone better.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    I nodded and deliberately looked at Reynaldo, ¡°Hey, this gentleman here said I missed out on him and won¡¯t find anyone better, what do you think?¡±

    Reynaldozily leaned back in his chair and said to me with a look of amusement, ¡°It¡¯s your own business, you have to ask yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    Ha, alright, so the dog man wants to watch a show, huh.

    Then I¡¯ll show you!

    I instantly put on a bright smile and said to the mediocre but blindly confident man, ¡°Well, I think you make a lot of sense. With such good qualities like yours, they are indeed rare.¡±

    As soon as I said that, the mediocre but blindly confident man¡¯s eyes lit up, looking even more pleased with himself.

    ¡°Right, you finally came to your senses. Don¡¯t let your sister lead you astray again in the future.¡± </blockquote>

 TOO Close 1007

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I waved my hand to cool myself down and said, ¡°It¡¯s so hot. I just danced and now I¡¯m feeling a bit thirsty. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man immediately summoned the waiter.

    I nced at the plum wine in front of Reynaldo and deliberately said, ¡°The gentleman seems to be enjoying the plum wine.¡±

    ¡°Ah, what kind of alcohol do girls drink, they should drink more in water,¡± the mediocre but blindly confident man said, and then ordered a free ss of in water for me.

    I was speechless in my heart, ¡°Vonnie was right, this man is so stingy.¡±

    I originally thought of using this man to stimte Reynaldo, but I didn¡¯t expect this man to be so ineffective.

    Sure enough, there came a faintughter from Reynaldo¡¯s side.

    I red at Reynaldo gloomily

    Little did I know, the man smiled at me even more teasingly, as if saying to me, ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s very good and rare? Why are you still reluctant to buy you a ss of fruit wine? What kind of look is that!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s yful expression killed me.

    After some thought, I said to the mediocre but blindly confident man, ¡°Well, it¡¯s you who is so thoughtful. If it were another man, he probably wouldn¡¯t have thought so carefully. You are re¡­¡­y nice.¡±

    10:28

    As soon as I finished speaking. Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened,

    I snorted in my heart, ¡°I asked you to pretend not to know me! I¡¯m going to say other men are good, to make you mad!¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± The mediocre but blindly confident man was instantly inted with a sense of superiority by my praise.

    He said to me excitedly, ¡°So you see, I am talented, I take my work seriously, and I have a house and a car. If you miss me, where else will you find such a high¨Cquality man?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± I nodded in agreement, deliberately looking at him with an admiring gaze, ¡°You are simply the most gentlemanly, most cultured man I have ever met, much better than those men who easily lose their temper.¡±

    Oh my, if any woman married you, she would definitely be the happiest woman in the world.

    You are simply the prince charming in the hearts of thousands of girls, the perfect match for marriage, the best man in the world!

    The mediocre but blindly confident man was almost floating with pride after I praised him.

    And at that moment, Reynaldo¡¯s face hadpletely darkened.

    But this is far from enough.

    I continued to praise the mediocre but blindly confident man, telling him, ¡°If I had missed you, I would never have met a better than than you, because you are the best man in the world.¡±

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s exchange WhatsApp numbers and chatter. Let¡¯s hang out and talk about life.¡±

    10.728

    Chapter1007

    I said as I took out my phone, pretending to add the WhatsApp of <b>a </b>mediocre but blindly confident man

    The mediocre but blindly confident man also excitedly took out his phone.

    And just as I was about to scan his code to add him as a friend, my phone in my hand was suddenly snatched away by a big hand.

    As I looked up, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s face, so dark it could almost drip

    water.

    I chuckled at him and said, ¡°This gentleman is so strange. You don¡¯t even know me, right? Why are you still trying to snatch my phone? Give me back my phone quickly, or I will call the police and report you for robbery.¡±

    Reynaldo red at me darkly, with anger swirling between his eyebrows.

    Chapter1008

 TOO Close 1008

    The mediocre but blindly confident man opened his mouth, about to say something to him.

    Reynaldo suddenly gave a cold stare, and the mediocre but blindly confident man immediately fell silent.

    Indeed, Reynaldo¡¯s gloomy appearance was truly intimidating.

    But I wasn¡¯t afraid of him at all. Speaking of which, I was the one who should have been angry.

    ¡°Sir, please give me back my phone and don¡¯t dy me from adding friends.¡±

    The man coldly snorted, ¡°Did I dy you from adding a male friend?¡±

    He pronounced the word ¡°man¡± very heavily.

    I muttered, ¡°Who are you to meddle in this?¡±

    As I was speaking, I reached out to grab my phone.

    Little did I know, the next second, my wrist was held by Reynaldo.

    Before I could even react, my ring finger suddenly felt cold.

    Next, a shiny diamond ring was ced on my ring finger.

    I stared at him in surprise, ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Make sure to wear your wedding ring properly for me, so those clueless men won¡¯t think you¡¯re single ande both

    one!¡±

    g you one by

    70

    Chapter1008

    ¡°No, this ring¡­¡±

    This ring looks so familiar, no¡­ could it be the one I threw away four years ago?

    It¡¯s hard to imagine.

    That day, heavy snow covered the entire Freybourne.

    I casually threw the ring into the snow, ¡°Don¡¯t mention that he wasn¡¯t even there at the time, even if he saw me throw it, it would be very difficult to find, right?¡±

    And he hated me so much at that time, he wouldn¡¯t even bother looking for me.

    Just as I was lost in my thoughts, the excited voice of that mediocre but blindly confident man suddenly brought me back to reality.

    ¡°What¡­ what exactly is your rtionship?¡±

    Before I could say anything, Reynaldo forcefully embraced me and said to him word by word, ¡°This blind date of yours, she is my wife.¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man was directly stunned: ¡°How¡­how is it possible? Just her?¡±

    Reynaldo narrowed his eyes coldly and said, ¡°Who dares to look down on my wife, Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man was shocked to the point that his face turned pale, ¡°You, are you really Mr. Humphrey?!¡±

    ¡°Then she¡­¡±

    512

    Chapter1008

    The mediocre but blindly confident man looked at me again, incredulously saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ms. Duffy?!¡±

    ¡°Oh, let go of me, don¡¯t pull me!¡±

    At this moment, Vonnie also came over.

    What surprised me was that the man wearing a mask and in great shape just now turned out to be Johnathan.

    At that moment, he took off his mask and was angrily dragging Vonnie.

    Vonnie¡¯s mask was also torn off, and she angrily pushed away Johnathan¡¯s hand.

    And when the mediocre but blindly confident man saw Vonnie, he was shocked in ce.

    ¡°¡­Lavonne? My idol!¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man no longer dared to doubt the identities of us few.

    Reynaldo smiled at him lightly, with a smile that was almost insidious.

    ¡°I just heard you say that my wife is your blind date, and I also heard you say that my wife is vain and not ashamed?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, no¡­¡± the mediocre but blindly confident man shook his head hastily.

    Reynaldo smiled again and said, ¡°I heard you say that you could fancy my wife. It would be my wife¡¯s good fortune to catch the eye of such an outstanding man like you. If she missed out on you, she wouldn¡¯t find anyone better, which means I¡¯m not as good as you.¡±

    10

    Chapter1008

    ¡°There was no no no¡­¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man shook his head in a <b>pile </b><b>of </b>¡°no¡± sounds, like a tambourine.

    <b>Chapter </b>

 TOO Close 1009

    1009

    Reynaldo suddenly looked to the other side of the bar and said meaningfully, ¡°The person over there, is that the CEO of yourpany?¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man said nothing, but his face turned paler inch by inch.

    Reynaldoughed and said, ¡°He just came to toast me, but I didn¡¯t even bother to drink with him. If he finds out that an employee from hispany ispeting with me for a woman, what do

    you think¡­¡®

    ¡°Have mercy, Mr. Humphrey!¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man was so scared that he copsed on the ground, his face pale as if he was about to cry, ¡°I was blind and didn¡¯t recognize you. Please don¡¯t say anything to our boss. I have family to support and can¡¯t afford to lose this job, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Vonnie was enjoying herself so much that she didn¡¯t even care about -being mad at Johnathan.

    She was about toe over and criticize this mediocre but blindly confident man, but then she was pulled away by Johnathan.

    There¡¯s no need to think about it, Vonnie was definitely in for a rough night.

    Johnathan wore a mask and showed off his sexy figure, definitely to

    test Vonnie.

    Little did I know that Vonnie, who never came online, would disappear at the sight of a handsome guy.

    Chapter1009

    W221 Mar

    Johnathan must have been furious, you could tell by the way that man was pulling Vonnie.

    When I was lost in thought, Reynaldo suddenly hugged me, which startled me.

    I frowned at him, and he snorted coldly at me, ¡°Having a husband and still daring to flirt outside, I think you need to be disciplined!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not because of you¡­¡±

    Seeing the dangerous gleam in Reynaldo¡¯s narrowed eyes, I immediately dared not say the words behind.

    The mediocre but blindly confident man was still lying on the ground, and Reynaldo looked down at him, casually smiling and saying, ¡°I¡¯ll spare you this time, but remember, don¡¯t ever think about my wife again, okay?¡±

    ¡°I dare not, I dare not¡­ Thank you, Mr. Humphrey, thank you, Mr. Humphrey¡­¡±

    The mediocre but blindly confident man kept saying, ¡°I was almost ready to kowtow to Reynaldo.¡°,

    Reynaldo really scared the hell out of people, look at the mediocre but blindly confident man with sweat on his forehead.

    I was soon ¡°dragged out of the ballroom¡± by Reynaldo.

    As soon as he came out, he pushed me against the wall and said fiercely, ¡°Esmeralda, you are really something,ing to the club and even daring to attract attention!¡±

    It seems that I haven¡¯t been taking good care of you these past two days, making you forget that you also have a husband!

    Reynaldo was angry, his handsome face full of rage.

    11 286 (Vercher

    I could clearly be angry, it was him who first cared about Kimberly, and then pretended not to know me in front of mediocre but blindly confident men.

    He made me angry, and he still had the nerve to lose his temper!

    I pushed him angrily and said, ¡°You are a domineering lunatic. Why can you feel sorry for Kimberly, but I can¡¯t go dancing or attract attention outside?¡±

    When you can draw a line with Kimberly, thene and ask me again!

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you at all now, you are not allowed to follow me anymore!¡±

    I turned around angrily and ran towards the parking lot after I finished speaking.

    Reynaldo did not catch up anymore.

    I pursed my lips sadly.

    He never once softened his attitude to coax me, never once!

    However, just as I arrived at the car and before I could open the door, a strong arm suddenly appeared around my waist.

 TOO Close 1010

    1010

    Next, my whole body was lifted up by someone.

    I was startled and furious when I realized it was Reynaldo, I pounded on his shoulders forcefully, ¡°What are you doing? Put me down, you put me down!¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word, just silently pushed me into the back seat.

    I quickly sat up and went to open the car door.

    The next moment, his big hand pressed down on my hand and said to me heavily, ¡°Sit down!¡±

    I red at him angrily.

    The man was really fierce and domineering!

    Braylon in front was already confused.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, Mrs. Humphrey, you¡­ you are¡­..

    ¡°Drive.¡±

    Reynaldo said to him casually, then sat down next to me.

    I didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near him now.

    I moved to the side and leaned against the car door.

    Reynaldo gave me a nce and didn¡¯t say anything.

    At this moment, Braylon asked with a puzzled smile, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, where are we going?¡±

    10:291

    ¡°Greeke Vi.¡±

    18 288 Van

    Upon hearing ¡°Greeke Vi,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brow

    Greeke Vi was his own private vi. He didn¡¯t take me back to be with the children, why did he take me to his private vi?!

    I nced at him.

    Reynaldo loosened his tic, his profile dark and brooding, anger lingering in the slight rise and fall of his chest.

    So, is he taking me to his private vi now just to bully me easily?

    Thinking of this, I quickly said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to Greeke Vi, I want to go home, I want to go back to be with the children.¡±

    Reynaldo raised his hand to check his watch and said tly, ¡°The children are already asleep now. If you go back, you will wake them up.¡±

    ¡°Well, then I won¡¯t go to your Greeke Vi either. I want to go back to my own house, back to the one I bought before.¡±

    Reynaldo leisurely looked at me and asked with a smile, ¡°Do you have the keys to that house?¡±

    I was taken aback by the question.

    Indeed, I did not have that key with me.

    Reynaldo added, ¡°If you have the key to that house, I wouldn¡¯t mind us staying there tonight.¡±

    Us?

    Does it mean that no matter where I go tonight, this man will follow

    me?

    The dog man made me angry. It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t coax me, but he still clings to me so shamelessly!

    Good job!

    I red at him angrily, turned my head to look out the window, and ignored him.

    The atmosphere in the car may have been a bit dull and awkward, and suddenly Braylon in the front turned on the music broadcast.

    As luck would have it, the song that was ying happened to be one released by Kimberly.

    That affected voice, even with a million sound cards for modification, made people feel ufortable all over.

    Quentin went to great lengths to make Kimberly famous.

    Kimberly clearly wasn¡¯t cut out for singing, yet she insisted on spending money to develop her skills in all aspects.

    Braylon knew that Kimberly and I were not getting along, so when he saw that this song was sung by Kimberly, he quickly switched to the next channel.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Braylon, why are you changing the channel?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that song just now didn¡¯t sound very good, I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t like it, Mrs. Humphrey.¡±

    ¡°Ah, what does it matter whether I like it or not, as long as Mr. Humphrey likes it.¡±

    Hurry up, call back, Mr. Humphrey hasn¡¯t heard enough yet.

    10.29

    Chapter1010

    Reynaldo stared at me coldly, with a chill emanating from his entire body.

    ww

 TOO Close 1011

    1011

    Braylon chuckled and said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey didn¡¯t really like listening to music.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ But what Mr. Humphrey wanted to hear wasn¡¯t a song, but the charming voice of the female singer just now.¡±

    ¡°Listen to me, switch the channel back quickly, don¡¯t keep Mr. Humphrey waiting for too long.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Braylon awkwardly smiled, not sure whether to go back or not.

    After all, Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything.

    After pausing for a few seconds and seeing that Reynaldo still hadn¡¯t spoken, Braylon silently switched the channel back.

    Little did he know, the next second, Reynaldo suddenly spoke in a cold and eerie tone, ¡°Are you going to listen to her, or to me?¡±

    Braylon: ¡­

    After a pause, Braylon said quietly, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you told me the other day to listen to everything Mrs. Humphrey says.¡±

    ¡°Puff!¡±

    Upon hearing Braylon¡¯s words, I couldn¡¯t help but best intoughter.

    Reynaldo¡¯s cold gaze immediately turned towards me.

    I quickly covered my mouth and pretended to look out the window as

    10:29

    Chapter1011

    if nothing had happened.

    Reynaldo took a deep breath for a few seconds, as if holding his breath.

    After a while, he said to Braylon in a casual tone, ¡°Turn off the radio, it¡¯s annoying.¡±

    Braylon quickly turned off the radio, and the car instantly returned to its original dull and oppressive atmosphere.

    Fortunately, we soon arrived at Greeke Vi.

    As soon as the car came to a stop, Braylen quickly got out and helped me open the door for Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo went down first.

    He said expressionlessly, ¡°Do you need me to carry you down since you¡¯re not moving?¡±

    I bit my lip in anger and reluctantly got out of the car.

    I got off the car with Reynaldo, and Braylon couldn¡¯t wait to say, ¡°<i>Mr. </i>Humphrey, Mrs. Humphrey, if it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll head back first.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even look up and waved his hand at him.

    I also wanted to make onest effort, ready to let Braylon take me somewhere else along the way.

    I just didn¡¯t want to be with Reynaldo now.

    Before I could say anything, Braylon hurriedly got in the car. Then, the car drove away in a hurry, as if escaping for his life.

    In an instant, ¡°the spacious courtyard was left with only me and

    30-20

    Reynaldo.¡±

    The man¡¯s pair of dark eyes looked at me quietly.

    The dim light in the courtyard fell on him, making the man¡¯s face look somewhat dark and unclear.

    Thinking about the anger of men along the way, I felt a little scared in my heart.

    Although I was the one who was angry, I couldn¡¯t afford to provoke this version of Reynaldo.

    After all, he was really scary when he went crazy, especially in bed.

    The tall man stood in front of me, his oppressive presence looming

    over me.

    I twisted my fingers and thought, ¡°I won¡¯t be angry with him tonight.¡±

    Can I settle the ounts with himter?

    Thinking this, I said to him calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy all day, you should go rest. Vonnie is still in the ballroom, I can¡¯t leave her there alone. I have to go back and find her.¡±

    ¡°Having Johnathan with her, don¡¯t you think it would be awkward for you to go over there?¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± I said, pretending to be surprised, ¡°Is Johnathan with her right now? Howe I didn¡¯t know?¡±

    Huh? No, Johnathan didn¡¯t go to the dance hall, did he? I didn¡¯t see him just now.

    No, I have to go back and check it out. I have to go back and confirm it, otherwise it¡¯s too dangerous for Vonnie to be alone in the ballroom.

 TOO Close 1012

    1012

    ¡°You go to sleep first, don¡¯t worry about me.¡®

    After saying that, I turned and ran outside the courtyard.

    Little did I know, the next second, Reynaldo picked me up.

    I was startled and struggled toe down, ¡°What are you doing, let me go!¡±

    Reynaldo carried me into the room and smiled at me coldly, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t you think your acting is very clumsy?¡±

    I ignored him and just pounded on his chest, wanting to get out of his

    arms.

    However hard I struggled, the man held me tighter.

    Soon, he ced me on the sofa.

    I was about to get up when he pushed me back down into the seat, his other hand resting on the back of the sofa next to me, trapping me between him and the sofa.

    He stared at me heavily, with a clear anger jumping in his dark eyes.

    I really wanted tough out loud. What kind of temper did he have?

    I felt ufortable all over by his re.

    I couldn¡¯t help but push him, ¡°Get out of here! Eitl

    let me go?up and

    sleep, or let me leave! I hate it when you just stare at me without saying a word!¡±

    10:30

    Reynaldo tightened his jaw, clearly suppressing his anger.

    He smiled at me coolly and said, ¡°You dislike someone like me the most, then what kind of person do you like?¡±

    I red at him angrily, without saying a word.

    He suddenly reached out and stroked the hair on my forehead, saying, ¡°You like the man you met in the ballroom, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s the kind of man you like, right?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°I didn¡¯t go on a blind date with him, why do you believe whatever others say, what I say, you don¡¯t believe!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t go on a blind date with him, but you must have praised him, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°You praised him for being gentle and considerate, a gentleman with cultivation, the best man in the world, the dream of countless young girls, the perfect match for marriage¡­¡±

    I was speechless in my heart.

    Reynaldo had a good memory. I don¡¯t even remember how I praised that man at the time, but he remembered it word for word.

    Reynaldo smiled at me faintly, but that smile somehow sent shivers down my spine.

    He suddenly got up and poured himself a ss of wine at the wine cab.

    He forcefully pulled off his tie and threw it on the ground, then picked up the wine ss and walked over.

    10:30

    Chapter1012

    #

    The man¡¯s shirt buttons were torn open, and his originally meticulous and dignified appearance now appeared somewhat wild and devilish.

    And Reynaldo¡¯s look in my eyes at that moment was also a bit off.

    It was like burning with anger and¡­ desire.

    I swallowed hard and unconsciously shifted to the side.

    Reynaldo smiled at me, a cold smile: ¡°Esmeralda, I bet you wish you had married that man, don¡¯t you?¡±

    I shook my head hastily, ¡°No, no, don¡¯t wrongly use me!¡±

    Reynaldo took a sip of wine and then smiled at me, saying, ¡°Wronged you? But I saw you praising that man so much at the time, it seemed like you were eager to marry him on the spot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you pretended not to know me in front of that man on purpose. If you had told him from the beginning that we are husband and wife, there wouldn¡¯t have been so much trouble.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you who forced me to praise others, you¡¯re so annoying!¡± I said angrily.

    Reynaldo looked at me coldly and said, ¡°Do you know why I was angry?¡±

    Chapter1013

 TOO Close 1013

    1013

    ¡°Who knows!¡±

    I said in a dull tone, unable to help but criticize in my heart: ¡°You enjoy being angry, don¡¯t you? You feel ufortable all over if you don¡¯t get angry all day.¡±

    Reynaldo drank all the wine in the cup in one gulp.

    He tugged at his cor again, revealing his perfect and sexy corbone, looking wild.

    I swallowed my saliva again without any resistance, and shifted to the side.

    But unexpectedly he suddenly put his arm around my waist, and with a strong force, he sat me on hisp.

    Still sitting astride hisp.

    I was startled and reflexively wanted toe down.

    But unexpectedly, in a hurry, my hand pressed against him again.

    When I saw the man¡¯s eyes dark as fire, I almost cried.

    Reynaldo chuckled softly, hugged me tightly, and whispered hoarsely in my ear, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re even more anxious than I am.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I was about to cry. This man not only didn¡¯tfort me, but also just

    knew how to tease me!

    10:30

    Reynaldo humorously kissed my <b>lips </b>and stared at <b>me </b>with his fiery ck eyes, saying. ¡°I was angry because you were chatting andughing with that man on the dance floor<i>¡± </i>

    I had been staring at you for a long time, <b>but </b>you didn¡¯t even bodice. and you were chatting andughing with that man.

    ¡°Hey, you said it¡¯s not a blind date! But they all treated you as a blind date directly!¡±

    When Reynaldo said this, he <b>angrily </b><b>bit </b>my earlobe.

    I shuddered all over, and my face burned straight to the base <b>of </b><b>my </b>neck.

    I grabbed his shoulders and stammered, ¡°You, you don¡¯t do <b>this</b>, L.. Im tired, I want to go upstairs to sleep.¡±

    ¡°What sleep? Tonight, I had no intention of letting you off.¡±

    Reynaldo said, kissing my lips again.

    He held my waist with one hand and cradled the back of my head with

    the other, not allowing me to move away even a bit.

    The man¡¯s kiss carried a hint of punishment, yet it did notck tenderness.

    His hand slipped into the hem of my clothes, his slender fingers feeling like they were on fire. Everywhere he touched seemed to leave a tingling sensation.

    My hands involuntarily wrapped around his neck, and I went limp in

    his arms.

    His kisses became more and more lingering and urgent, I was kissed by him so much that I felt dizzy, even breathing became a bit difficult.

    Chapter1013

    I couldn¡¯t help but pound his shoulders, signaling him to let go of me.

    He then took a step back, looking at me with deep cycs.

    The fresh air entered my nostrils, and my mind also cleared up a bit.

    Hey, what was I just doing? How did I suddenly get lost in his kisses?

    Wasn¡¯t I still mad at him?!

    Reynaldo tightened my waist and kissed towards my neck, pulling down the cor of my shirt.

    I pressed against his chest and muttered,. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows, his dark eyes staring at me deeply, his voice hoarse, ¡°Why? Are you still mad at me?¡±

    ¡°Did you know that I was mad at you for giving birth to you?!¡± I red at him angrily.

    He smiled, pecked me on the lips, and said, ¡°I know, you¡¯re making me feel sorry for Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± I became even angrier when I heard him say that.

    I used to think that he didn¡¯t know that I was angry with him, and didn¡¯t know what I was angry about, so he didn¡¯t know how to appease <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    Little did he know that he knew everything!

    10:30

 TOO Close 1014

    r 1014

    He knew everything, but he still didn¡¯te to coax me!

    Just as I was about to get off him in anger, he held me tighter and said to me earnestly, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, I don¡¯t care about her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still trying to argue!¡± I said angrily, ¡°You don¡¯t care about her, you even let Gilbert use fake punches, use a stand¨Cin? That¡¯s clearly because you care about her.¡±

    ¡°There really isn¡¯t,¡± Reynaldo said urgently.

    He paused and then added, ¡°But you also know, her father died because of my parents, I owe her a life after all.¡±

    No owe!

    Your mother was the one who killed that evil woman, you don¡¯t owe her anything.

    Without concrete evidence proving that Mika is the one who killed Kimberly, saying so would be in vain.

    I didn¡¯t say a word for half a day.

    Reynaldo was a little impatient and a little aggrieved.

    He hugged me tightly and said urgently, ¡°Believe me, I really didn¡¯t hurt her, it¡¯s just her father¡­¡±

    I reached out and pressed his lips, whispering, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anything, I understand.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply and said, ¡°Do you¡­ really understand?¡±

    10:30

    Chapter1014

    ¡°Okay, understood.¡±

    ¡°Are you not mad at me anymore?¡± Reynaldo asked again. looking a bit tense, as if he was a little nervous.

    Hehe, it¡¯s rare that he would still get nervous.

    Look at his fierce and domineering appearance just now, so bad and arrogant, oh, I wasn¡¯t even angry yet, but he got angry first.

    I turned away and muttered, ¡°Who said I¡¯m not mad at you? I¡¯m still full of anger inside!¡±

    Upon hearing my words, Reynaldo indeed became anxious, so anxious that even his eyes turned red.

    But he, as if he didn¡¯t know how to coax people, just looked at me foolishly and said pitifully, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me, Esmeralda, don¡¯t be mad at me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to cate me,¡± I said.

    What I really wanted most was for him to coax me.

    But he really doesn¡¯t seem to know how to coax people.

    I let him coax me, and he came over and kiss¨¦d me directly.

    Tickled by him, I couldn¡¯t help but scratch. Suddenly, my eyes were pricked by a sh of light.

    I looked closely and noticed that the diamond ring on my ring finger was reflecting the light.

    I held the diamond ring out in front of me and exained it carefully, the more I looked, the more familiar it seemed.

    10-201

    Chapter1014

    Although engagement rings all look simr, this ring just looks inexplicably familiar.

    Reynaldo lifted his head from my chest and nced at the ring along my line of sight, his eyes darkening slightly.

    He asked me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I waved the ring in front of him and asked, ¡°Is this ring the one I threw away four years ago?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his thin lips remained silent for two seconds, and muttered, ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I nced at his expression and felt like he seemed a little angry.

    He seemed unwilling to say much more to me on the ring, so he just held me and continued to bury his head in my chest, kissing me gently.

    The dense and tickling kisses moved from my chest to my neck, tickling and itchy.

    He even yfully bit me on the side of my neck, somewhat like it carried a hint of punishment.

    This man, didn¡¯t he promise to coax me?

    Oh, that¡¯s not right.

    Recalling the gleam in his eyes as he just looked at this ring, it seemed to carry a hint of resentment.

    So, does that mean¡­

    Chapter1015

 TOO Close 1015

    1015

    Is this ring really the one I threw away four years ago, and he secretly went to retrieve it?

    With that in mind, I turned my gaze and called out to him in a low voice, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    He kissed my corbone, murmured a response, and his big hands skillfully unfastened the sp of my bra.

    I licked my lips, dug my fingers into his shoulder, and deliberately said to him, ¡°So, this ring, is it the one I threw away four years ago and you picked it up?¡±

    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment.

    He looked at me heavily and said without any tone, ¡°No, you angrily threw it into the snow, where can I pick it up in the vast snow?¡±

    ¡°Puff!¡±

    As soon as I heard what he said, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    His handsome brows furrowed slowly, looking at me gloomily, ¡°What are youughing at?!¡±

    ¡°Fool!¡±

    rily. Oh,

    I tapped on his forehead and said, ¡°I never said I threw it in the snow, how did you know? And you even knew I threw it Reynaldo, were you hiding in the dark at that time?¡±

    10:30

    Chapter1015

    I finished speaking, and Reynaldo was clearly taken aback.

    After a while, he seemed to realize, and a hint of obvious awkwardness shed across his face.

    He turned his face away and muttered, ¡°If you dare to throw away the engagement ring I gave you again, I will¡­¡±

    ¡°How about it?¡±

    I kissed him on the side of his ear while holding onto his neck.

    He shuddered all over, and the hand around my waist tightened suddenly.

    He turned back and looked at me heavily, his voice hoarse, ¡°I just¡­ just¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything more, just suddenly pressed his lips against mine and kissed deeply.

    My heart softened, and I couldn¡¯t help but respond to his kiss.

    Originally, this wedding ring was indeed the one I threw away four

    years ago.

    He clearly hated me at that time, saying ¡°we should never see each other again,¡± but still quietly took back the ring.

    Why was he always so contradictory, so contradictory that it even made people feel a little heartbroken.

    Reynaldo breathed heavily, hisrge hand pressing against my back, burning like fire.

    The shirt was taken off by him, and the bra ambigu ly hung on his

    arm.

    10:30

    Chapter1015

    I was so embarrassed that my face was burning, and I almost tore his shirt on the shoulder.

    His eyes were dark and fiery, holding my wrist and leading my hand to the buckle of his belt.

    He looked at me deeply and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°This time, are you taking the initiative?¡±

    I shook my head, buried in the nape of his neck, too embarrassed to say a word.

    He put his arm around my waist, kissed me on the shoulder, and in a low, hoarse voice with a hint of coaxing, he said, ¡°Esmeralda, this time it¡¯s your turn to take the initiative¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it good?¡±

    He kept asking me, with a soft voice, full of charm.

    I just felt like my whole body was on fire.

    I buried my head in his neck and muttered, ¡°Not good.¡±

    However, Reynaldo did not give up, his voice bing even lower, softer, and richer.

    He called my name one by one.

    The low, hoarse voice seemed to have a kind of magic, slowly enticing me to undo his belt, and then¡­

    Later on, he carried me upstairs.

    The whole first half of the night was filled with ¡°romantic love¡°, as if he was tireless, enjoying himself to the fullest.

    10.30

    Chapter1016

 TOO Close 1016

    1016

    Finally satisfied, he held me tightly in his arms and said he loved me, saying he wished he could blend me into his body.

    I suddenly remembered the words on the nostalgic wall.

    Suddenly, my heart felt soft, bitter, and a little bit painful.

    I held him tightly and said I love him too, saying we should never be apart again.

    When I fell into a deep sleep, I had a nightmare.

    I dreamed that he said ¡°he hates me¡± with his eyes red.

    Dreamt that he said, ¡°In this lifetime, in the next lifetime, never meet me again.¡±

    In the dream, he said ¡°he regretted meeting me, regretted falling in love with me, otherwise so many painful things wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    I chased after him in a state of copse, but there always seemed to be a barrier in between.

    I could only helplessly watch as he walked further and further away, until he finally disappeared from my sight.

    I was startled awake.

    The moment I woke up, my heart was still beating so fast, filled with that sense of helplessness and pain.

    The room was pitch ck, silent and still, magnifying all fears in an

    10.30

    Chapter1016

    instant.

    I reached out hurriedly to my side, only to find emptiness, even the nket was cold.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly turned on the bedside wallmp.

    At a nce, there was no trace of that man in the room.

    Where was Reynaldo?

    Where did Reynaldo go sote?

    I don¡¯t know if I was scared by the dream I just had, but now I don¡¯t see that man, and I feel very anxious.

    I quickly put on a robe and went outside.

    The lights in the corridor were voice¨Ccontrolled.

    As soon as I walked out, the corridor lights turned on.

    I searched through every room until I finally found that man in the study.

    When I saw him, my panicked heart slowly calmed down.

    A touch of inexplicable sourness rose in my heart, and even my eyes became misty with bitterness.

    Reynaldo was sitting in front of theputer, as if he was dealing with official business.

    When he saw me running in a panic, he clearly hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Esmeralda?¡±

    I watched him quietly, feeling inexplicably sad in my heart, so sad that

    10:30

    Chapteridis

    I couldn¡¯t find the words to say

    He hurried over, hugged me tightly, and asked anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s Wrong¡°?¡±

    I shook my head, buried myself in his arms, and tears fell uncontrobly.

    Seeing me cry, Reynaldo immediately panicked.

    He wiped away my tears in a fluster and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s Wrong, Esmeralda? Don¡¯t scare me.¡±

    I looked at him and choked out, ¡°I had a nightmare. I dreamt that you said you hated me, that you said you never wanted to see me again. You left, no matter how I called out to you, you ignored me¡­¡±

    Reynaldo breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that.

    He embraced me and murmured, ¡°Fool, that was just a dream, dreams are all backwards.¡±

    Even now that I have woken up, I clearly know that those were just ¡°dreams¡°.

    But my heart just couldn¡¯t calm down.

    Perhaps it was too difficult for me to walk this road with him all the way, and such tranquility and happiness were so rare that I always felt a little uneasy in my heart.

    I was always afraid that the tranquility and beauty of this period of time were just ¡°a sh in the pan.¡±

    Like the pain I experienced four years ago, I simply did not have the courage to endure it a second time.

    10:30

    Chapter1017

 TOO Close 1017

    I was really scared, scared that I always thought I was going to be happy, but reality always unexpectedly gave me a heavy blow.

    Reynaldo gently stroked my back and whispered, ¡°All along, I have been chasing after you, it was me who was entangling you, including at the beginning, it was me who used some means to keep you by my side.¡±

    I have always been afraid of losing you, while you never took me seriously.

    So how could it be me who left you, ignored you, if anyone were to leave, it should be you leaving me, ignoring me.

    It seems that in dreams, things happen in reverse.

    ¡°Is it really¡­ing backwards?¡±

    I mumbled, with memories of our past flooding my mind.

    There was initial disgust, there was joy and disappointment in the middle, and then there was bitterness and painter on.

    I looked at him, and a mist of water still rose uncontrobly in front of

    my eyes.

    I choked up as I said to him, ¡°Anyway, you promised me that from now on, no matter what happens, you won¡¯t drive me away again.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes stung, and a touch of heartache shed between his eyebrows.

    10:30

    Chap 1 1

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said to me, ¡°the thing I regret the most is kicking you out of Freybourne in the first ce.¡±

    I asked Vonnie about the situation when you gave birth back then. <b>If </b>something had happened to you at that time, I think I wouldn¡¯t have been able to live alone.

    Yes, the moment Essic and Roddy were born, my heart was filled <b>with </b>fear and helplessness.

    Looking back now, there was a wave of fear in my heart.

    I lowered my gaze and said nothing.

    But there was an inexplicable sadness in my heart, and tears kept falling inexplicably.

    Reynaldo lifted my face, wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes, and asked me softly, ¡°Esmeralda, what are you still afraid of? Tell me.¡±

    I shook my head and said sadly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m afraid of. I just woke up from a nightmare and felt so anxious when I didn¡¯t see you.¡±

    ¡°Fool.¡± Reynaldo rubbed my hair and smiled helplessly, ¡°I just got up to take care of some business, you know, I won¡¯t leave you behind, I can¡¯t bear to leave you behind.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I murmured softly, feeling very low at that moment.

    He held my hand and smiled, ¡°Are you hungry? Shall I make supper for you?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, just very tired. I want you to apany me to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± He smiled and picked me up, his eyes filled with a gentle

    33.61%

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1017 </b>

    indulgence that was enough to make anyone feel <b>intoxicated </b>

    Back in the bedroom, he put me on the bed, then took off his robe <b>and </by down beside me, holding me in his arms.

    Tears were still hanging in the corners of my eyes. He reached out <b>and </b>wiped them away, and his dark eyes suddenly looked at me seriously

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, I Reynaldo can lose everything, only I cannot lose you, do you understand?¡±

    I stared nkly at the affection in his eyes, and at that moment, my heart was still touched.

    I found his hand and held his ten fingers, saying to him, ¡°If you dare to drive me away again, I willpletely disappear from your world, so you will never find me in your lifetime.¡±

    The man¡¯s hand tightened slightly, holding my hand firmly in his palm.

    He said in a deep voice, ¡°I won¡¯t, no matter what happens, I will never let go of your hand again.¡±

    10:30

 TOO Close 1018

    I threw myself into his arms, holding his strong and slender waist tightly, listening to the powerful heartbeat in his chest, and my anxious heart finally began to calm down.

    Reynaldo, you must remember your promise.

    Otherwise, I will never, never forgive you again.

    With Reynaldo by my side, I slept soundly in thetter half of the night.

    Waking up again, the sky was already bright.

    I just moved slightly, and the arm around my waist tightened a bit.

    With his back against the man¡¯s hot chest, the temperature inside the nket instantly rose a little.

    I pulled the quilt down a bit, then turned over in the man¡¯s arms.

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were closed, breathing evenly, as if he were still in a dream.

    Even in his sleep, his arm was still tightly wrapped around my waist, as if afraid I might run away.

    He looked very obedient when he was asleep, with his eyebrows rxed, without a trace of the usual gloom and hostility.

    I was observing his sleeping face up close for the first time, and suddenly noticed that his eyshes were quite long.

    It seems that Essie inherited his long eyshes.

    0.00%

    10:31

    Chapter1018

    The man¡¯s facial features were three¨Cdimensional and deep, with

    slightly pursed thin lips that were sexy and enticing. Even his Adam¡¯s apple emitted an indescribable allure.

    My hand involuntarily touched his abdominal muscles, and I impulsively kissed his lips.

    I swear, I really just brushed his lips, like a dragonfly touching the

    water.

    However, when I stepped back, the man opened his eyes.

    I don¡¯t know either, whether he had already woken up or I woke him up myself.

    Anyway, at that moment, I felt quite embarrassed.

    After I kissed him, he woke up and looked at me with a secretive gaze. making me feel like I had been caught doing something wrong.

    The man still stared at me with that secretive look in his eyes, and a hint of a mischievous smile yed on his lips.

    I rubbed my slightly feverish cheeks and smiled at him in surprise, ¡°Awake, let¡¯s get up then.¡±

    As I spoke, I was about to get up from his arms.

    But he didn¡¯t want to let me go, his arms tightly wrapped around my waist, not allowing me to get up.

    I looked at him angrily and said, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    Reynaldoughed at me, his deep gaze suddenly shifting downwards, and his eyes instantly bing fiery again.

    I really, this man..

    33.68%

    10:31

    Chapter1018

    Last night when I was sleeping, he took off my robe, so now I can say we are ¡°even¡°.

    His ck eyes stared straight at my chest..

    I covered his eyes in embarrassment and threatened him fiercely, ¡°If you look again, I will gouge out your eyeballs.¡±

    Reynaldo humorously pulled my hand down and said to me, ¡°Are you willing?¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you bear to part with it? Who told you to always look where you shouldn¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t look at it?¡± The smile at the corner of his lips deepened, and there was a bright and gentle smile in his eyes. He said to me, ¡°How can my wife¡¯s body be called a ce that shouldn¡¯t be looked at?¡±

    ¡°I not only want to watch, but I also want to¡­

    ??

    He said, then suddenly grabbed the back of my neck and kissed me on the lips, with a bright desire rising in his dark eyes.

    s, when Reynaldo went crazy, I really couldn¡¯t bear it.

    I leaned against his chest, blushing and heart pounding, saying, ¡°It¡¯ste, you still have to go to work, hurry up and get up.¡±

    10-21

 TOO Close 1019

    He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulled me closer, his hot chest pressed against me, and hoarsely whispered in my ear, ¡°One more time?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± I quickly refused, shaking my head like a rattle drum.

    I now understand that from the beginning until now, this man¡¯s sexual desire has been very strong.

    I suddenly remembered that a few days ago, I teased him like that, and he could endure not touching me. He is really a tough guy.

    He was lucky not to have suffocated him.

    While I was lost in my thoughts; the man suddenly turned over and pinned me down.

    I was startled, leaning against his chest: ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Reynaldo rubbed my shoulders, kissed my lips, and whispered, ¡°Come on, just this once:¡±

    However, he was a big liar in bed.

    He said he woulde once, but in the end he came three times, so that when I got out of bed, I had to support my waist and my legs were weak.

    Good job!

    When I hurried to the set, the scene where Kimbe.

    was being beaten

    10:31

    had already been filmed.

    However, when I passed by, I was really startled by Kimberly¡¯s high and swollen cheeks.

    Today Quentin didn¡¯te, probably Gilbert had someone guarding the door, not allowing Quentin toe in.

    Because when I arrived just now, there were several bodyguards at the door.

    Johnathan should have arrived long ago, he was still sitting at his small table, ¡°eating melon and watching the show¡± just like yesterday.

    Seeing meing over, he quickly waved at me and said, ¡°Hey, Esmie,e over here, I have some delicious food saved for you.¡±

    I nced into the set and then walked awkwardly towards Johnathan.

    Johnathan nced at me, his eyes suddenly taking on a strange look.

    He touched his nose, looked at me and chuckled, ¡°Esmie, Reynaldo is quite strong, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    I was stunned, looking at him mexplicably.

    He clenched his fist against his nose and coughed twice, then smiled at me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s just sit back and enjoy the show.¡±

    He said, and then pushed a pile of snacks in front of me.

    I nced at him suspiciously, why does Johnathan seem so strange today?

    Just as I was about to look away, I suddenly noticed several obvious scratch marks on Johnathan¡¯s neck.

    10:31

    imm, it seems he had quite an intense night with Vonnie yesterday. I touched my nose and ate snacks dryly.

    On set, Kimberly¡¯s scene where she gets beaten up is being re¨Cshot.

    At this moment, Kimberly¡¯s face had been heavily made up, but the traces of her swollen face were still visible.

    I asked Johnathan, ¡°Was the scene we shot today always the same?¡±

    Johnathan said gloomily, ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±

    He paused, then said with a look of disdain, ¡°It¡¯s all because Kimberly¡¯s acting is so so so bad, it made my wife Vonnie¡¯s hand swell from pping it, I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in her head, why can¡¯t she act well in this scene.¡±

    ¡°What did Mr. Russell say?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Russell said, ¡°Keep shooting until he is satisfied.¡±

    ¡°How many times have you taken this?¡±

    ¡°About a dozen times.¡± Johnathan counted on his fingers and said, ¡°Sixteen or seventeen times, I think.¡±

    I was startled.

    So, Kimberly got at least seventeen ps?

    Tsk tsk tsk, if Quentin were here, he would definitely be heartbroken.

    ¡°Ka!¡±

    mewhat irritably

    At this moment, Gilbert called a halt again, and said, ¡°Everyone, take a break for twenty minutes and then continue!¡±

    After taking a break, Vonnie ran over excitedly.

    Johnathan hurriedly handed her the water.

 TOO Close 1020

    Chapter1020

    Vonnie took a sip of water andined to me, ¡°Why are you sote today? You missed all the fun.¡±

    I took her hand and looked at it.

    The woman¡¯s palms were red.

    I asked her, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    She shook her head with a smile.

    I didn¡¯t believe it at all. Her hand looked swollen.

    I frowned and deliberately poked her palm.

    The next second, she suddenly hissed and drew back her hand.

    Johnathan was anxious: ¡°Esmie, what are you doing?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said to Vonnie with aplicated mood, ¡°Let¡¯s forget about it. Counting yesterday, I have already pped her twenty times. That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°How is that enough? She hurt you so much back then, how can a few ps be enough? I just wish I could p her to death,¡± Vonnie said angrily.

    Johnathan stood aside, frowning and pursing his lips, looking displeased.

    I knew he ¡°was heartbroken over Vonnie.¡±

    I also felt sorry for Vonnie. Let¡¯s just say a few ps to Kimberly

    would have been enough, but pping herself until her hand swelled up was really not worth it.

    I pulled Vonnie to sit beside me and said to her, ¡°Later on, just pretend to p that woman, don¡¯t use too much force, look at how swollen your hand is, it must be very painful.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I have thick palms, Kimberly¡¯s face hurts more.¡±

    I was about to say something when Vonnie interrupted me with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, my hand will stop hurting after a rest.¡±

    Besides, it¡¯s not that I wanted to p her, it¡¯s that she was being so ipetent. She just couldn¡¯t act well in this scene. Who can we me for this?

    You see how she made Mr. Russell angry, Mr. Russell was so angry that he wanted to personally teach her a lesson.

    Gilbert was watching the footage he had just taken, shaking his head as he watched.

    Vonnie cracked sunflower seeds handed by Johnathan, then suddenly changed the subject and asked me, ¡°Ralda, howe you left early with Mr. Humphreyst night? Where did you guys go afterwards?¡±

    Thinking back tost night, I coughed ufortably and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t go anywhere, just went home to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Going home to sleep? Can you really fall asleep so early?¡± Vonnie said skeptically, wanting to ask more.

    Johnathan suddenly kicked her toe and said, ¡°Vonnie, let¡¯s not ask too many questions that we shouldn¡¯t ask, okay?¡±

    do I have with

    Vonnie¡¯s face darkened, ¡°What kind of rtions. Ralda? Is there anything between us that shouldn¡¯t be asked? We tell

    Chapter1020

    each other everything.¡±

    Once Vonnic said that, Johnathan started feeling jealous again.

    ¡°You and I have not reached the point of talking about everything. I just know, in your heart, Esmic is the most important!¡±

    You were still a flirtatious womanst night at the ballroom. If I hadn¡¯t worn a mask to seduce you, you probably would have run off with another man.

    You just didn¡¯t care about me. When you saw someone with a good figure, you just¡­ um¡­

    Before Johnathan could finishining, Vonnie stuffed the peeled orange into his mouth and said with a smile, ¡°I looked around, and you are still the most handsome with the best body.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the break time is over again, I¡¯m off to shoot the film.¡±

    Johnathan took the orange out of his mouth, smiled indulgently at her back and scolded, ¡°You lucky woman, your eyes are sharp.¡±

    I awkwardly touched my nose, seriously suspecting that I had been forcibly fed a mouthful of solid dog food.

    I had been sitting on the set for a while when Reynaldo arrived.

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    Chapter1021

    Quentin also came in with him.

    Did Quentin really sneak in with Reynaldo?

    At that moment, Kimberly had just been pped, Quentin looked over, feeling both anxious and angry, his eyes instantly turning red.

    Seeing that he was about to rush over, I coldly said to him, ¡°We are filming now, you¡¯d better not go over to affect the rhythm, otherwise, you will only dy the time of the whole crew, and Mr. Russell will have to rush people again.¡±

    Quentin tightened the hand at his side and finally resisted the urge to rush forward.

    I looked at Reynaldo again.

    The man was looking inside the studio, with no expression on his handsome face.

    I wrinkled my nose and tugged at the hem of his clothes.

    He lowered his gaze and looked at me, with a hint of a smile in his eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Here¡­¡± I raised my chin towards the set and said, ¡°Your Kimberly got beaten up again, feeling sorry for her, huh?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face turned ck.

    He was already standing behind me, when suddenly he bent <b>down</b>, his hands resting on the arms of my chair, so that my whole body <b>was </b>

    0.00%

    Chapter1021

    enveloped in his embrace.

    I panicked and instinctively remembered.

    He then grabbed my shoulder, his lips close to my ear, and whispered in a voice only he and I could hear, with

    hint of ambiguity in his smile, ¡°It seems like I didn¡¯t try hard enoughst night and this morning. I¡¯ll have to work harder tonight to make you behave.¡±

    I naturally understood what he meant by ¡®effort¡®, and my face turned <b>red </b>in an instant.

    me me, why did I have to go and provoke Kimberly with my big mouth?!

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­¡®

    Just then, Johnathan beside suddenly made a yful ¡°tsk¡± face.

    I felt embarrassed again.

    I couldn¡¯t help but push the man behind me, and Reynaldo slowly straightened up.

    He looked at Johnathan with a sigh and said, ¡°What are you ¡®tsk¨Ctsking¡® about?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Johnathan changed his expression quickly too, he said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t ¡®tsk¡¯ing at you, I was ¡®tsk¡¯ing at that person, see.¡±

    He said, pointing solemnly at Quentin across the table.

    At that moment, Quentin¡¯s face was dark, and his eyes were fixed on Kimberly in the scene.

    The hand by the side, it was gripping and then releasing, releasing and then gripping, looking like it was about to burst into a panic.

    Johnathan leaned back, sighed, and said in a voice that was neither loud nor soft. ¡°Ah, some people, their acting skills are just terrible.

    At that time, some people should not me everything on Vonnic again, saying that Vonnie is seeking revenge and deliberately bullying others¡±

    Quentin looked at him coldly

    But <b>today </b>he could still bear it, just ring at Johnathan a few times, and didn¡¯t say anything

    And this scene probably drove Gilbert crazy

    After countless times of ¡°getting stuck¡°, Gilbert finally lost control and kicked over the small table next to him in anger

    The essones, mobile phone, cup, bottles and cans on the small table suddenly fell to the ground, startling the people around.

    I also felt a deep sigh in my heart

    Kimberly must be really something to have gotten Gilbert, who is usually so easy going, so worked up

    Gilbert angrily shouted into the trumpet, ¡°Today is the end, tomorrow we start shooting something else, saving this scene forst!¡±

    Gilbert smashed the horn after speaking, angrily packing up his

    At that moment, no one dared to provoke him, and all remained silent

    Chapter1022

 TOO Close 1022

    Quentin couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and immediately rushed into <b>the </b>set, pushing aside Vonnie, who was rubbing her hands, and holding Kimberly, who had a face full of grievances, in his arms.

    Upon seeing this, Johnathan cursed loudly, saying ¡°grass,¡± and then suddenly stood up and rushed over.

    It can be imagined that the two big men each protecting their own women, started arguing directly on the set.

    Gilbert nced inside and then shook his head in extreme disgust.

    He put away the camera and suddenly walked towards me.

    As he approached, Reynaldo¡¯s hand on my shoulder tightened slightly.

    I subconsciously nced at him.

    Sure enough, the man¡¯s face had darkened.

    I was speechless for a while, could he be afraid that Gilbert would steal me away?

    Not to mention that Gilbert is a foodie without any emotional cells, even if there is a little bit of emotional cells, I am not so easily taken away, right?!

    Why did he always like to create anxiety for himself all day long?

    I patted Reynaldo¡¯s hand and smiled at him.

    The man, inexplicably, hummed and turned his face away.

    Chapter1022

    I:¡­

    Gilbert hade over.

    He stood in front of me, his usually stern and upright face now looking as ufortable as if he had eaten shit.

    He said, ¡°Ms. Dufly, I have something to say, but I don¡¯t know who to say it to, so I can only say it to you.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I was taken aback, ignoring Reynaldo¡¯s increasingly gloomy expression, and smiled at Gilbert, saying, ¡°Sure, sure, what¡¯s on your mind, go ahead and tell me.¡±

    ¡°I felt that this y was very likely to fail.¡±

    Um¡­

    Gilbert said so, I guess he really was desperate for Kimberly¡¯s acting.

    I raised my eyes and nced at the biggest investor of our y ¨C Reynaldo, ready to see his reaction.

    However, the man¡¯s face showed no expression at all, as if whether the y lost money or made money had nothing to do with him.

    Gilbert suddenly nced at the two men arguing loudly on the set and said to me, ¡°I think they are not suitable for acting, nor for working in film and television.¡±

    I was taken aback and instinctively asked, ¡°Then what are they suitable for?¡±

    ¡°Suitable for dating!¡±

    Chapter1022

    283 Vouchers

    Gilbert said disdainfully, and then walked away with his camera on his back.

    I stared at his angry figure in silence, thinking to myself that this man probably has some bias against ¡°love¡°.

    ¡°Hey,e back to life.¡±

    Just then, Reynaldo¡¯s cool voice suddenly came down from above me.

    I looked up and saw his gloomy expression.

    He muttered to me, ¡°You can stare at anyone, except me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. It¡¯s when I look at your body that I¡¯m most likely to get distracted. And you have the nerve to say that.¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath, as if he hadn¡¯t expected me to be so straightforward.

    His eyes suddenly deepened a few shades, leaning closer to me, his face slightly blushing as he asked me, ¡°So, do you like it?¡±

    He was very close, and the ambiguous warm breath sprayed over, making my face start to blush.

    Although we had long been very close, I could sometimes naturally say some ambiguous words to him.

    But once he stared at me with those deep and fiery eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but blush and my heart would race.

    As soon as he leaned in, I felt like the air around me was about to catch fire.

    The arguing over there, along with the surrounding chatter, seemed to be instantly ¡°blocked out¡± as if from the outside.

 TOO Close 1023

    The only thing in my ears was the deep and seductive voice of the man in front of me.

    ¡°Esmeralda, do you like looking at my body?¡±

    ¡°I. I¡­..¡±

    ¡°If you like watching, I¡¯ll show you every day.¡±

    ¡°Good, good.¡±

    Under his scorching gaze, my brain seemed to lose all thinking ability in an instant, just nodding awkwardly along with his words.

    The man smiled, the smile melting into his eyes, gentle like the spring breeze in March.

    Reynaldo looked so handsome that I couldn¡¯t help but stare at him for a moment.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    Just then, Vonnie suddenly rushed over and forcefully pulled back my wandering consciousness.

    Emma, I almost forgot, I am on set right now.

    I quickly rubbed my burning face and sat up straight.

    Reynaldo nced at me and his lips curled slightly.

    He straightened up slowly, leaning against the fence on the side, with no trace of the charm and smirk just now on his face, only seriousness.

    <b>08.37 </b>

    Chapter1023

    Vonnie looked back and forth between me and Reynaldo, a strange expression shing across her face.

    She chuckled, ¡°Oh, did Ie at the wrong time?¡±

    I shook my head hastily, ¡°No, you came just in time.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha!¡± Vonnie said, shaking my arm, ¡°Come on, hurry up and apany me to change clothes. Later we will go together to eat at a Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant.¡±

    ¡°Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant?¡±

    I instinctively looked at Reynaldo, ¡°Are you going?¡°.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Reynaldo smiled at me, ¡°Wherever you go, follow.¡±

    I will

    ¡°Oh my, Mr. Humphrey has changed his gender, and now speaks so sweetly.¡±

    ¡°But you must have loved hearing that, Ralda, look how happy it made you, smiling like a flower.¡±

    Ah ah ah!!

    I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, even Vonnie started teasing me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, change clothes.¡±

    I hurriedly pulled Vonnie towards the changing room.

    Reynaldo¡¯s deepughter sounded behind me, with a hint of indulgence and tenderness in thatughter.

    When we arrived at the changing room, Kimberly was already inside.

    Because they were female lead and female supporting role, their

    08:37

    Chapter1023

    dressing rooms were separate, so they wouldn¡¯t be crowded when changing costumes.

    Kimberly was basically all set to go.

    Vonnie nced at her indifferently, ignoring her, and went straight to her wardrobe.

    Just the next second, a strange smile suddenly appeared at the corner of Kimberly¡¯s lips.

    The lighting in her room was not very bright to begin with, and on top of that, her makeup was heavy, making her face look quite pale.

    She smiled so much that she looked just like a female ghost.

    When I saw her smile, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    It¡¯s not because sheughed too insidiously, but I always felt like she was brewing some kind of conspiracy.

    And her recent smile was like a conspiracy about to seed, waiting for Vonnie and me to jump in.

    The more I thought, the more anxious I became.

    I stared at her intently, wanting to see what tricks she was up <ol><li>to. </li></ol>

    After she changed her clothes, she locked the cab door and then put on her backpack and walked outside.

    And in this process, she did not look back at me and Vonnie, but walked past me with a calm expression, as if that strange smile just now did not exist.

    I frowned and watched her back, feeling that the woman had been unusually quiet these past few days.

    Chapter1023

    Was she holding back some big move?

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Just then, Vonnie suddenly screamed.

    My heart tightened suddenly, and I hurried over.

    Vonnie was seen clutching her wrist, staring fearfully at her wardrobe.

    I followed her gaze and suddenly felt a tingling sensation on my scalp.

 TOO Close 1024

    A snake as thick as a thumb was coiling around the clothes hanger.

    The snake was standing with its head raised, spitting venom towards me and Vonnie.

    Vonnie was so scared that she was trembling all over and could hardly speak clearly, ¡°Snake, snake, there¡¯s a snake¡­¡±

    Vonnie was most afraid of this kind of creature.

    I quickly hugged her back and found blood on her wrist. When I pulled it open, there were two tooth marks.

    ¡°Did you get bitten by a snake?¡± I eximed in horror.

    Vonnie was so scared that she couldn¡¯t speak, her face was as white as a sheet.

    I was afraid that the snake was poisonous, so I didn¡¯t dare to drag her around casually. I could only shout anxiously at the door, ¡°Reynaldo, Johnathan,e in, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly had disappeared without a trace, and the door was quiet.

    I wanted to call an ambnce, but my phone and purse were with Reynaldo, and Vonnie¡¯s phone was with Johnathan. I was so desperate that I started crying.

    ¡°Vonnie, don¡¯t worry, I will go out now and find someone.¡±

    After saying that, I helped Vonnie sit on the sofa bench next to me,

    08.371

    Chapter1024

    288 Vouchers

    and then quickly mmed the cab door shut to prevent the snake from crawling out.

    Vonnie hugged her knees, shaking all over, her face looking very

    scary.

    I was afraid that snake was poisonous.

    I ran out like crazy, and just as I reached the door, I bumped into a figure head¨Con.

    Raising his eyes, it was Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo nced at me, his eyes darkening, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Johnathan also followed behind him, his voice tense: ¡°Where¡¯s Vonnie? Just now I thought I heard you calling¡­¡±

    ¡°Vonnie was bitten by a snake,¡± I said anxiously before he could finish.

    The next second, Johnathan¡¯s face changed drastically, and he rushed into the locker room like crazy.

    Reynaldo urgently asked me, ¡°Where is the snake? Did you see what it looks like?¡±

    I shook my head and cried, ¡°The snake is still in the wardrobe.¡±

    Reynaldo patted my back soothingly and then walked quickly inside.

    Johnathan was holding Vonnie anxiously, at a loss: ¡°Vonnie, how do you feel? Don¡¯t scare me.

    me.¡±

    Vonnie trembled all over as she looked at him, constantly saying in terror, ¡°There¡¯s a snake, there¡¯s a snake.¡±

    Suddenly she rolled her eyes and fainted in Johnathan¡¯s arms.

    08:37

    Chapter1024

    Johnathan turned pale with fright, as if he were stunned for a moment, at a loss.

    Reynaldo urgently eximed, ¡°Quickly take her to the hospital!¡±

    Johnathan finally came to his senses and hastily picked up Vonnie, running outside.

    I was about to follow when suddenly I saw Reynaldo going to pull that cab door.

    I was startled and quickly grabbed him, asking anxiously, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°The snake that bit Vonnie was of unknown species and it was unclear whether it was venomous or not.¡±

    It¡¯s best to catch the snake and take it to the hospital. If the snake is really highly venomous, the doctor can quickly find the corresponding antiserum.

    I nodded, ¡°He was thoughtful.¡±

    I pointed to the spot on the cab door and reminded him, ¡°The snake was just coiled on the hanger in this spot a moment ago, it should still be there now, so be careful when you open the cab door.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Reynaldo pulled me back a little, making me stand further

    away.

    He then reached out to pull the cab door.

    I stared at his hand tightly, my heart almost jumping out of my throat.

    And Reynaldo was extremely fast.

    He quickly pulled open the cab door and, with lightning speed,

    08:37

    Chapter1024

    grabbed the snake by its neck.

    09:37

 TOO Close 1025

    Chapter1025

    I was so shocked that my mouth dropped open.

    That snake was about one meter long.

    Reynaldo took out the snake and said to me, ¡°Go get a bag.¡±

    I nodded and quickly went outside to find a cloth bag.

    Reynaldo put the snake in the bag and tied it up.

    And just as Reynaldo and I were about to take the snake to the hospital, Kimberly suddenly stood in front of us.

    She asked Reynaldo in a frightened tone, ¡°Is there a snake in our dressing room? I heard them say there¡¯s a snake inside, and Vonnie got bitten by a snake. Is it true?¡±

    I looked at her coldly.

    I can almost be certain that the snake in Vonnie¡¯s cab was ced there by that wicked woman.

    I only knew that this woman was cunning and malicious, but I really didn¡¯t expect that she would actually let a snake bite Vonnie.

    ¡°Is Vonnie okay? Was the snake poisonous?¡±

    Kimberly was still asking, and the anxiety on her face didn¡¯t even seem fake.

    You said she is a good actress, but she just couldn¡¯t get through that scene where she gets beaten up.

    08.37

    Chapter1025

    You said she was a bad actress, but she yed this anxious and innocent look so effortlessly.

    Quentin also asked me, ¡°Ralda, is Vonnie okay? I saw Johnathan taking her to the hospital.¡±

    I coldly told him, ¡°If you really don¡¯t want her to get hurt, then step aside for me.¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and was about to step aside.

    Kimberly suddenly grabbed him and tearfully said to me in a intive tone, ¡°Ralda, why do you always have to speak to Quentin in that way? He is genuinely worried about Vonnie, why do you have to be like this?¡±

    The woman in front of me was clearly ¡°dragging her feet.¡±

    I said to Reynaldo, ¡°You go to the hospital first.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded without saying much, picked up the snake, and left.

    Kimberly pretended to intercept him and ask him questions.

    I pulled her back and pped her in the face.

    This p directly stunned her and left Quentin stunned as well.

    When he came to his senses, he quickly held Kimberly in his arms and asked me urgently, ¡°Ralda, what are you doing? Why did you suddenly hit her?¡±

    ¡°I only regret that those two stabs didn¡¯t kill her back then!¡±

    ¡°If anything happens to Vonnie this time, I will risk my life to bury this wicked woman with Vonnie!¡±

    08:37

    Chapter1025

    Quentin looked at me incredulously and said, ¡°Ralda, what are you talking about? Vonnie was bitten by a snake, and it has nothing to do with Kimberly? Why are you ming her for everything?¡±

    ¡°Heh, not her business? Wasn¡¯t it her who secretly put that snake in Vonnie¡¯s wardrobe?¡±

    ¡°How is this possible?!¡±

    Quentin was shocked and said, ¡°Kimberly was most afraid of soft- bodied creatures, she was even afraid of a small insect, how could she have the courage to catch a snake?¡±

    The field was already in a remote area, and not far from the dressing room there was a stream and a forest, it¡¯s hard to say that the snake didn¡¯te from the forest.

    Ralda, I beg you, don¡¯t me everything on Kimberly, okay?

    Quentin waspletely under Kimberly¡¯s spell.

    Whenever, he would always be the first to defend Kimberly.

    He also didn¡¯t think about why, if the snake had crawled out of the

    ?

    woods, it just happened to slither into Vonnie¡¯s closet.

    I really didn¡¯t want to say a word to him.

    I looked coldly at Kimberly in his arms and said, ¡°You should know very well what I look like when I go crazy, four years ago.¡±

    08.37

 TOO Close 1026

    You had better pray that Vonnie is safe and sound, otherwise, I don¡¯t mind throwing you into a snake pit and let you experience what it feels like to be bitten by a snake.¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes shed with a hint of malice, but she cried to me with a look of grievance, ¡°Ralda, this time the snake incident really has nothing to do with me.¡±

    Vonnie was bitten by a snake, and I was very worried and sad.

    Snakes are so scary, how many women dare to catch snakes, and even use them to harm others.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just assume that the snake was released by me just because there were only the two of us in the locker room,¡°.

    Kimberly spoke with tears in her eyes.

    And surrounded by the crew of the crew, there were also other supporting actors.

    When she said that, everyone couldn¡¯t help b¨²t start speaking up for her.

    Quentin was even more convinced that she was innocent.

    Quentin said to me, ¡°Ralda, this was an ident, so stop ming Kimberly.¡±

    The weather was not too cold that day, and we were in the outskirts again. There were already many snakes, insects, mice, and ants, but we had underestimated this danger from the beginning.

    08:37

    Chapter1026

    228 s

    I had someone clean up the entire crew, disinfect, sprinkle some sulfur, and hopefully such incidents will not happen again.

    I hadpletely lost touch with them.

    No matter how much you say, it¡¯s just a waste of breath. It¡¯s better to go to the hospital to see Vonnie.

    I don¡¯t know how Vonnie is doing now, my heart is full of anxiety and panic.

    I ignored him and Kimberly, and walked quickly towards the outside of the set.

    Quentin suddenly grabbed me.

    I frowned at him and said, ¡°Let go!¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and looked at me with a hint ofplexity in his eyes, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to inform me about the situation over at Vonnie¡¯s when the timees.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Just stick with your Kimberly, no need to be so hypocritical.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    I forcefully pushed away his hand and said disappointedly, ¡°You are no longer our brother, so our life and death have nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°Please stop being so hypocritical, I feel disgusted.¡±

    Quentin moved his lips, looking at me with a sad gaze, but he didn¡¯t say anything more.

    Kimberly nced at him, a sh of calction quickly passing

    <b>08:27 </b>

    Chapter1026

    through her malicious eyes.

    I furrowed my brows.

    What, Kimberly wanted to y tricks on Quentin?

    Ah, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, anyway Quentin has already turned into this.

    No matter how Kimberly schemed against him, it had nothing to do with me anymore.

    When I hurried to the hospital, Reynaldo was sitting in the hospital lobby talking on the phone.

    I looked around again and didn¡¯t see Johnathan.

    I hurried over and sat down beside him.

    On the way here just now, I called Johnathan twice, but unfortunately, no one answered.

    I called Reynaldo again, but his phone kept showing as online.

    Because I didn¡¯t know what Vonnie was up to, I was anxious all the

    way.

    It took a long time to get to the hospital, but Reynaldo kept making phone calls.

    He was talking about work, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb him.

    I opened my phone and dialed Johnathan again.

    But still no one answered.

    At that moment, Reynaldo suddenly took my hand in his palm.

    08.37

    Chapter1026

    I looked at him subconsciously.

    He was found looking ahead, politely ending the call with the other party.

    After he hung up the phone, I anxiously asked him, ¡°How is Vonnie?¡±

 TOO Close 1027

    Chapter1027

    Reynaldo smiled at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the doctor has already given her the serum in time, she will bepletely fine after resting for another week.¡±

    Hearing him say that, my anxious heart finally ¡°came down¡°.

    ¡°Where is Johnathan? I called him, but no one answered.¡±

    ¡°He was up there with Vonnie, his phone must have fallen in the car.¡±

    ¡°I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t find the ce, so I kept waiting for you in the lobby.¡±

    Reynaldo said, paused, and then took my hand, saying, ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you up to see her.¡±

    When I arrived at Vonnie¡¯s ward, Vonnie was already awake.

    Johnathan was standing by her bed, earnestly advising her.

    I told her to be more careful in the future, to sprinkle more sulfur powder on the set, and to be careful when opening the wardrobe in the future.

    So, it seems that Johnathan and the others also believed that the snake suddenly appearing in Vonnie¡¯s closet was purely a coincidence, right?

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    Vonnie started crying when she saw me, obviously quite scared by the snake, reaching out for a hug.

    Johnathan nced and said, ¡°You woke up and didn¡¯t cry when you

    08:38

    Chapter1027

    288 Vouchers

    saw me, didn¡¯t let me hold you, but cried when you saw her, and wanted her to hold you!¡±

    Vonnie nced at him and said, ¡°I wanted Ralda to hold me.¡±

    I went over and hugged her with a smile, patting her back and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°That snake was too scary, oh, you know, I¡¯m most afraid of that thing.¡±

    I decided to change my wardrobe. No, I decided to change my dressing room. I also threw away all the clothes inside.

    ¡°Ah, now I think of that snake, my scalp¨Cwas tingling.¡±

    I followed her back and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here.¡±

    Johnathan nced at me and Vonnie, and smiled at Reynaldo, saying, ¡°Oh, we two really feel like extras.¡±

    Reynaldo snorted and said nothing.

    Johnathan nced at Vonnie and then became serious again, ¡°The doctor said the snake was very poisonous. Luckily, you caught the snake and got the antivenom injected in time for Vonnie, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow and asked Johnathan, ¡°So, why were there poisonous snakes in the locker room?¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback and whispered, ¡°The changing room was built temporarily with boards. I remember there were trees and a pond nearby, so it¡¯s possible that it crawled in from the woods.¡±

    Johnathan nodded, ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±

    Reynaldo, however, furrowed his brow and said nothing.

    08.38

    Chapter1027

    I think he also had some doubts about this matter.

    In the evening, while Reynaldo went out to buy food with Johnathan.

    I asked Vonnic, ¡°Do you really think that snake crawled out of the nearby woods?¡±

    Vonnie paused for a moment and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Even if it crawled out of the woods, with so many ces around, why did it crawl into your closet?¡±

    Vonnie narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Oh, you do have a point.¡±

    She paused for a moment, then suddenly thought of something and eximed to me, ¡°Could it be Kimberly?¡±

    I sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always warned you to be careful of her, she¡¯s really malicious.¡±

    Although you were lucky this time and nothing happened, I am really afraid that there will be a next time.

    You turned around and told Johnathan about Kimberly, really, give Johnathan a heads up.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say anything without evidence because I have too many grievances with Kimberly and Reynaldo was just here.¡±

    ¡°Thinking about it, it must have been Kimberly who did it, definitely because I pped her so many times, she held a grudge!¡±

    08.38

    Chapter1028

 TOO Close 1028

    Vonnic angrily said, ¡°I¡¯m so angry, there is no evidence, so that wicked woman can just get away with it?¡±

    ¡°Heh, get away with it? How is that possible?!¡±

    Vonnie stared at me with a cold smile on my face, ¡°Ralda, you¡­ you¡¯re not going to do something to her, are you?¡±

    I patted Vonnie on the shoulder and said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely avenge this grudge for you!¡±

    Vonnie looked at me anxiously and said, ¡°No, don¡¯t mess around, that woman is really cunning and malicious, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, four years ago I dared to stab her, and now I dare to treat her the same way.¡±

    ¡°She likes to y tricks, doesn¡¯t she? Then I¡¯ll y tricks with her!¡±

    Vonnie stared at me nkly, as if she didn¡¯t recognize me all of a sudden.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry about me, just take care of yourself in the hospital.¡±

    Vonnie giggled and said, ¡°Now that you have Reynaldo backing you up, I¡¯m not worried about you at all. Back then, he hated you so much but was still willing to protect you. And now that you two have made up and are inseparable, he will protect you even more fiercely.¡±

    I curled my lips and said, ¡°No way, when he hated me before, he didn¡¯t protect me at all.¡±

    08.38

    Chapter1028

    288 Waucovers

    ¡°No no no¡­yes, yes¡­¡±

    Vonnie suddenly stopped here when she said that.

    I stared at her inexplicably.

    She sighed and said, ¡°Originally, Johnathan didn¡¯t want me to tell you. He said that those unhappy things in the past are over and done with, so we shouldn¡¯t bring them up to avoid affecting our mood.¡±

    ¡°But I feel it¡¯s necessary to tell you.¡±

    I stared at her in confusion and asked, ¡°What did Johnathan tell you again?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he said, one of the reasons why Reynaldo was in such a hurry to kick you out of Freybourne was because you stabbed Kimberly twice in front of so many people, and Kimberly was going to sue you.¡±

    Reynaldo promised Kimberly to send you away overnight, only then did Kimberly withdraw thewsuit.

    Johnathan also told me that after Reynaldo saw you off, he personally went to Yoripero to ask a shop owner for a photo of you guys.

    Hmm, Iter realized, no wonder I ran into Johnathan at Yoripero¡¯s Ice Pce back then, turns out they were both going there to get a photo from the owner of the down jacket store.¡±

    After listening, aplex feeling shed through my mind.

    That time he appeared at Yoripero, it was specifically to take a photo with me.

    Reynaldo¡¯s emotions have always been obscure, these he has never told <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    08:380

    Chapter1028

    At this moment, hearing these words from Vonnie, for some reason, a touch of inexplicable bitterness welled up in my heart, with a hint of sadness.

    He always said nothing.

    If I had missed him at that time, many yearster, when I learned about these things again, how regretful I would be.

    In the evening, I wanted to apany Vonnie in the hospital, but Johnathan wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    After finishing the meal, Johnathan rushed me and Reynaldo to the hospital.

    Reynaldo looked helpless and said, ¡°You¡¯re always thinking about having a private moment even in the hospital.¡±

    Johnathan gave him a look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to? Stop pretending, just take Esmie to your own little world.¡®

    11

    Reynaldo chuckled and shook his head, finally, under Johnathan¡¯s constant urging, leading me outside the hospital.

    On the way back, I nced sideways at the man next to me.

    no.28

    Chapter1029

 TOO Close 1029

    The man was driving attentively, looking straight ahead, with a gentle profile.

    The car slowly stopped at the traffic light intersection.

    Reynaldo suddenly turned his head and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Have you seen enough?¡±

    I was taken aback, and then I realized that I had been staring at his profile for quite a while.

    I turned my face away in a hurry and said with a puzzled smile, ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking at you, I was just thinking about something.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Reynaldo elongated the final note, with a hint of a smirk in his tone, ¡°Are you staring at me and thinking about something? Is that something about me?¡±

    I smiled with pursed lips, without saying a word.

    He suddenly became serious and asked, ¡°Tell me, what were you just thinking about me?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to know?¡± I teased him on purpose.

    He raised his eyebrows, waiting for my answer.

    I smiled and said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±

    The man grunted and started the car.

    08:38

    Chapter1029

    1288 Vouchers

    A cool breeze seeped into the car, wrapping around him as he put on a fierce, evil smile and said, ¡°Then you go back and wait for me!¡±

    Reynaldo had a lot of energy.

    He had onlye a few times in the morning, but as soon as we returned to the vi, he couldn¡¯t wait to drag me to the bathroom.

    The steam filled the bathroom, causing the mirror to be covered with ayer of mist.

    I leaned weakly against the sink.

    If it weren¡¯t for the man¡¯s arms around my waist, I would have probably slipped to the ground long ago.

    The mirror in front of me was foggy, and I could vaguely see a man behind me¡­

    At the moment it ended, Reynaldo held me very tightly, very tightly.

    But he had a good memory, especially for holding grudges.

    He still remembered me teasing him in the car.

    He held me tightly, his hot breath spraying all over my ear, his voice hoarse and unrecognizable.

    He asked me, ¡°What were you thinking when you were looking at me in the car just now?¡±

    My consciousness had long been scattered by him.

    I stared nkly at my flushed face in the mirror, as well as the man¡¯s enchanting eyes and eyebrows to the extreme, and for a long time, I couldn¡¯t say a word./

    08:38

    Chapter1029

    Seeing that I was not speaking, he suddenly mischievously pinched <b>my </b>

    waist.

    The low, hoarse voice was warm, soft, and sweet: ¡°Tell me, Esmeralda, what were you thinking at that time?¡±

    I waspletely limp like a puddle of water, leaning weakly in his arms, my mind aplete mess.

    His hot breath was in my ears, and pressed tightly against my back was his fiery chest.

    His heartbeat, through my spine, seemed to be entwined with mine, impossible to separate.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t get any answers, and finally he sighed softly in my ear and said with a smile, ¡°Tired, aren¡¯t you? I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±

    I raised my hand to hit him in embarrassment, but my weak and powerless hand just waved past him like scratching an itch, which actually made himugh.

    He looked so happy, with a smile in his eyes and on his face, his dark eyes filled with tenderness.

    Finally, he was carried to the bed.

    I fell asleep as soon as I touched the bed.

    He pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear, ¡°Esmeralda, I love you.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    This Reynaldo, either kept silent like a mute, but once he spoke, he was brutally frank.

    Chapter <b>1030 </b>

 TOO Close 1030

    <b>Chapter1030 </b>

    I turned over and snuggled into his arms, whispering, ¡°Just now in <b>the </b>

    car,

    I was thinking that in the future, if my husband loves me, he must say it clearly and not be so ambiguous anymore.¡±

    Because I am so stupid, if he doesn¡¯t say it, I won¡¯t know.

    Reynaldo paused for a moment, his eyes gazing deeply at me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but climb onto his shoulder, kissed him on the lips, and whispered, ¡°Honey, I love you too.¡±

    At that moment, he smiled, a smile that reached his eyes.

    Just as he had been walking alone in the darkness for a long time, suddenly a beam of light shone in, dispelling the clouds and fog, and everything became clear.

    Reynaldo, in the days toe, ¡°you and I will be together, it will definitely get better and better.¡±

    After Vonnie was bitten by a snake, the crew gave her a week off.

    But Vonnie was just the second female lead, so the crew did not stop working and continued to shoot other scenes.

    Vonnie took a few days off, so Johnathan naturally didn¡¯te to the

    set.

    But he was worried that Vonnie would be scolded by Gilbert in the future, so he entrusted me with the task of bringing delicious food to Gilbert.

    Chapter1030

    20% 100

    When I arrived at the set carrying the packing box, Gilbert was eagerly looking towards the entrance, which made me chuckle.

    This foodie attribute is unmatched.

    As soon as I arrived, Gilbert hurried over to greet me, without saying a word, he took the takeaway box from my hand.

    When he turned around to go eat, he remembered something and turned back to me, saying ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I smiled and said to him, ¡°Mr. Russell, take your time. I¡¯ll go to the dressing room to get something for Vonnie.¡±

    Gilbert waved to me, indicating that I could go ahead.

    I tightened the backpack on my shoulders and walked towards the changing room.

    As I passed by Kimberly, she frowned and gave me a suspicious look, with a hint of doubt on her face.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Last time Vonnie was bitten by a snake, she identally left her bag in the changing room. I¡¯m just going to help her look for it now.¡±

    However, Ms. Palmer looked at me with such eyes, was there

    something important in the locker room that she was afraid I would steal?

    ¡°If Ms. Palmer is not at ease, she cane with me, and she can also help me find my bag.¡±

    After listening, Kimberly¡¯s face, which pretended to be innocent and harmless, was immediately filled with grievances: ¡°Look at what Ralda said, why would I be afraid of you stealing.¡±

    <b>08.38 </b>

    Chapter1030

    728 Nouchers

    Ralda, you can¡¯t always be so hostile towards me. I just nced at you, why would you say such things to confront me?¡±

    I coldly said, ¡°Who told you to look at me, I hate it the most when dirty things look at me, especially¡­¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even finished my sentence when Quentin beside her suddenly shouted at me.

    Although not threatening me, that look was definitely asking me not to speak about Kimberly like that.

    Look, Quentin has turned Kimberly into what.

    I didn¡¯t say a word.

    I didn¡¯t bother talking to them, so as not to dy my important matters.

    I sneered at Quentin and then turned and walked away.

    Quentin quickly stood up and blocked me in front.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± he looked at me with aplex gaze, ¡°How is Vonnie¡­ how is she?¡±

    ¡°Are you close with Vonnie? Why should I tell you about her situation?¡±

    08.38

 TOO Close 1031

    Chapter <b>1031 </b>

    And also, no one is stopping you from maintaining your Kimberly, but please really don¡¯t pretend to care about me and Vonnie in front of me in the future, okay?

    Quentin stared at me heavily, and in his slowly reddening eyes, there seemed to be a hint of mist.

    It was obvious that he was very sad, and that sadness even carried a touch of mncholy.

    But what¡¯s the use of being sad, all of this was his own choice.

    Seeing his guilty and sad look, I felt annoyed in my heart.

    I shouted to Gilbert, ¡°Mr. Russell, didn¡¯t you say <i>Mr. </i>Duffy wasn¡¯t allowed to visit? Howe he¡¯s here again?¡±

    Gilbert, who was eating, nced over and said expressionlessly, ¡°He sneaked in while the bodyguard at the door was eating.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Russell should assign more bodyguards to take turns guarding the gate in the future, otherwise some people wille in and like to dy the progress of the crew. When will this y be finished?¡±

    ¡°Not only did it waste everyone¡¯s time, but it also cost money!¡±

    Gilbert nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll hire a few more bodyguards

    tomorrow.¡±

    After saying that, he went back to eating.

    I <b>looked </b>away and met Quentin¡¯s bloodshot <b>eyes </b>at once,

    <b>He </b>stared at me with a look of sadness almost on the verge of tears<b>. </b>

    Kimberly saw the situation and said, ¡°Ralda, he is your own brother after all, why would you go to such lengths¡­¡®

    ¡°Ms. Palmer, you better hurry up and cat, don¡¯t be the only one left behindter, dying everyone¡¯s time.¡±

    After speaking, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to Kimberly¡¯s slowly darkening face, and I naturally walked towards the changing

    room.

    The set was obviously disinfected and fumigated, with traces of disinfectant powder and sulfur powder on the floor of the dressing

    room.

    I looked around and then walked up to Kimberly¡¯s wardrobe.

    Taking out the pre¨Cprepared key, I quickly opened Kimberly¡¯s wardrobe.

    Perhaps for fear of the clothes getting a smell, there was no sulfur powder sprinkled in the closet!

    I quickly opened my bag and tremblingly took out a bottle containing a poisonous snake.

    Although I had the snake/ stunned by the person who raises snakes in advance, and it was also through a bottle.

    But holding it in my hand, my heart was still uneasy.

    I quickly poured the snake into the wardrobe and then locked the door.

    After doing all this, ¡°goosebumps¡± rose on my skin.

    <b>0946 </b>2

    Chapter1031

    I was just as scared of these soft¨Cbodied creatures as Vonnic.

    1285 Wacherk

    When I returned to the set carlier, Kimberly was filming, with Quentin standing by her side.

    I walked expressionlessly to the visiting area, and as soon as I sat down, Quentin came over.

    He sat beside me and didn¡¯t say anything for a while.

    I didn¡¯t want to talk to him either.

    I turned my body to the side, ¡°not even bothering to look at him.¡±

    After a long silence, Quentin finally spoke, his voice filled with sadness, ¡°Dad got into trouble again recently, and lost a lot of money.¡±

    The creditor kepting to his door every few days, and even his mistress came to visit him.

    Honestly, I was so disappointed in him that I didn¡¯t even want to bother with him anymore. I just let him do as he pleased.

    But there was no way around it, he was still our biological father.

    Upon hearing this, I unconsciously straightened my back.

    A few days ago Braylon did tell me that he had started to lure my dad into the game.

 TOO Close 1032

    I didn¡¯t expect it to happen so quickly, my dad had already lost to Quentin and didn¡¯t want to talk to him.

    I leaned back in my chair and sneered at him, ¡°Why are you telling me this? Are you trying to get me to help share his debt too?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    Quentin said urgently, ¡°Dad¡¯s matter, I definitely won¡¯t trouble you, I just feel upset and want to find someone to talk to.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I felt even more ironic in my heart.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you confide in your Kimberly? She is your favorite person, isn¡¯t she? Just confide in her.¡±

    Quentin suddenly fell silent. After a few seconds, he spoke again, his voice tinged with sadness and self¨Cmockery.

    ¡°With our dad looking like this, who wouldn¡¯t find him annoying and irritating?¡±

    Kimberly used to give him some money at first, enough for him to livefortably, but he insisted on messing around.

    Later, Kimberly promised to give him five million, but he was still not satisfied. Now he has lost so much money, poking such a big basket.

    The debt collectors and his two mistresses came almost every day, Kimberly was also annoyed, telling me not to bother about him and let him fend for himself.

    I could tell that Kimberly was really fed up with him too, so I didn¡¯t feel right talking about him in front of Kimberly all the time, after all, he is her father.

    I lowered my head, with a hint of joy in my heart.

    With that being said, Kimberly had also had enough of my dad¡¯s bottomless pit and would no longer pay attention to my dad.

    So, if the debt collectors push harder, will my dade begging to me?

    However, although things were developing as I had expected, perhaps they were progressing too smoothly, and I still felt a slight unease in my heart.

    Quentin noticed that I had been silent for a while, he pursed his lips and smiled at me, saying, ¡°I¡¯m just venting to you, it¡¯s okay if you listen, don¡¯t let my words affect your mood.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let some insignificant people affect my mood.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s smile froze on his face, and he looked at me deeply without saying anything more.

    In order to see the scene where Kimberly was bitten by a snake, I stayed on set for the whole afternoon,

    Honestly, it was quite boring without Johnathan around.

    Finally heard Gilbert say ¡°It¡¯s a wrap.¡±

    I saw Kimberly take off her makeup and wig, and walk towards the dressing room.

    Quentin also followed.

    Chapter1032

    To avoid arousing suspicion, I quickly took the script and went to find Gilbert, pretending to discuss the script with him, but actually waiting for Kimberly to be bitten by a snake.

    After waiting for about ten minutes, a sharp and piercing scream suddenly came from the direction of the changing room.

    The scream was much more exaggerated than Vonnie¡¯s scream that day, and it startled everyone present.

    Everyone ran towards the locker room.

    I pretended to be surprised and asked Gilbert, ¡°What¡¯s happening over there? Shall we go and take a look?¡±

    Gilbert said uninterestedly, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±

    Finishing speaking, he pointed to a certain part and continued to discuss with me, ¡°Right here, I think the psychology in this section can be strengthened a bit more, and also, the female lead here¡­¡±

    I: ¡­

    This man was really obsessed when talking about the plot. I wish I hadn¡¯t pretended to discuss the plot with him.

    Thinking about it, Quentin suddenly ran towards us with a look of anxiety on his face, holding Kimberly, followed by a group of people.

    09:16

    Chapter1033

    10 <b>zes </b>Nouchers

 TOO Close 1033

    ¡°Mr. Russell, Mr. Russell, Kimberly was bitten by a snake.¡±

    Before the people arrived, Quentin¡¯s anxious shouts came first.

    Gilbert turned around expressionlessly and said to him, ¡°If you¡¯ve been bitten by a snake, then go to the hospital quickly. What¡¯s the use of telling me?¡±

    Quentin furrowed his brow, and without bothering to argue with Gilbert, he grabbed Kimberly and ran out of the set.

    I stood in front of him with a quick step and asked in surprise, ¡°Oh, Ms. Palmer was bitten by a snake too? It seems that the disinfection of this field is not thorough, and the sulfur powder is not spread well enough.¡±

    Kimberly nestled in Quentin¡¯s arms, her eyes coldly staring at me.

    She didn¡¯t pretend anymore, she just growled at me, ¡°Did you put that snake in my locker?¡±

    Quentin looked at me in shock and said, ¡°Ralda, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Quentin, she was just using me unfairly.¡± ¡±

    I interrupted him innocently, ¡°You know, I have always been most afraid of those soft¨Cbodied creatures since I was a child, so how could I dare to catch a snake and put it in her closet.¡±

    You should also talk to your girlfriend properly and tell her that I am your real sister, and ask her not to always target me like this.

    09:16

    Chapter1033

    ¡°I just wanted to show some care for her, but she used me of releasing the snake. This is so unfair to me.¡±

    ¡°It was you! It was only you who went to the locker room just now, who else could it be?!¡± Kimberly trembled all over, still not forgetting to growl at me.

    I chuckled and said to her, ¡°Ms. Palmer is really strange. I just went to the locker room to look for my bag, and I was used like this by Ms. Palmer.¡±

    ording to Ms. Palmer¡¯s logic, doesn¡¯t that mean everyone on set is a suspect? After all, the dressing room wasn¡¯t locked, anyone could have gone in.

    When I said this, everyone on set became anxious and repeatedly denied it.

    Others said, ¡°The snake must have crawled out from the woods behind.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there are ponds, ditches, and small hills nearby, all ces where snakes are more likely to appear. It¡¯s really not umon to see snakes in the outskirts.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, besides, the weather is getting cooler soon. Snakes are afraid of the cold, so it makes sense for them to crawl into the closet. How can Ms. Palmer keep saying it¡¯s man¨Cmade?¡±

    The people on set were talking all at once.

    Kimberly was angry.

    She didn¡¯t know if it was snake venom, her face was ck and purple

    She pointed at me tremblingly and screamed, ¡°It was her who released the snake, it must have been her. My cab was locked, how could.

    09:16

    <b>Chapter1033 </b>

    the snake have crawled into my cab.¡±

    Besides, the ground was all cleared of poison, sulfur powder was sprinkled, how could snakes possiblye over.¡±

    ¡°How is it not possible? That day, didn¡¯t the snake also crawl into Vonnie¡¯s cab?¡±

    Howe, it¡¯s only allowed for the snake to bite her, but not allowed for the snake to bite you, right?

    ¡°So the snake was yours, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ cough¡­¡±

    Kimberly coughed suddenly because of my anger, and even coughed up blood.

    Quentin became impatient and growled at me, ¡°Ralda, move out of the way!¡±

    ??

    ¡°Quentin, why are you in such a hurry? Your girlfriend was bitten by a snake, I¡¯m worried.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t she as anxious as Vonnie that day?

    I needed to ask her how she was feeling.

    ¡°Where were you bitten by the snake? Does it hurt? Is it serious?¡±

    Chapter1034

    Chapter <b>1034 </b>

 TOO Close 1034

    Chapter <b>1034 </b>

    ¡°Ralda!¡± Quentin shouted in desperation, his eyes ring at me with a deep red color.

    I sneered in my heart, at that moment, he must have also realized that the snake in Kimberly¡¯s closet was the one I put in.

    Actually, that day, the snake in Vonnie¡¯s closet, he could also guess was put there by Kimberly.

    He just turned a deaf ear and pretended to favor Kimberly on purpose.

    I deliberately put on a look of innocence and helplessness, and said to him, ¡°Quentin, I was just watching her being bitten by a snake, feeling anxious and worried about her.¡±

    ¡°Why did you treat me so harshly, yelling at me like that?¡±

    Quentin closed his eyes and suppressed his anger, saying, ¡°Okay, you step aside first, we¡¯ll talk about itter.¡±

    ¡°Quentin, I feel terrible, I feel so terrible¡­¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s snake venom must have taken full effect, her lips were starting to turn dark purple.

    I red at her with hatred, wishing she would be killed by snake venom at that moment, as a way of avenging my mom and Mika.

    ¡°Make way!¡±

    Just then, Quentin suddenly ¡°violently pushed me away¡± while holding Kimberly

    09:16

    I stumbled sideways and fell into a familiar embrace.

    As soon as I looked up, I met Reynaldo¡¯s furrowed brow

    I was taken aback, I didn¡¯t even realize when he had arrived.

    He was not here just now.

    Reynaldo helped me up, without saying anything, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, as if he was a little angry.

    I furrowed my brows, not understanding what was going on with him again.

    I didn¡¯t have time to think about him for the moment, I hurriedly looked towards Quentin and Kimberly, only to find that Quentin had already run out anxiously holding Kimberly.

    Thinking of my mother¡¯s death, I felt extreme hatred in my heart.

    Originally, I just wanted to ¡°fight fire with fire¡± and get a poisonous snake to teach her a lesson, to avenge Vonnie.

    But at that moment, I didn¡¯t care about anything, I just wanted her dead, just wanted to avenge my mother.

    Hatred umted in the heart.

    I tightened the hand at my side and was about to step out to chase.

    But Reynaldo suddenly pulled me back.

    He twisted my shoulder, looking at me with dark eyes, and asked in a tense voice, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    In my mind shed scenes of my mother¡¯s death, as well as the betrayal of my father and older brother, and the sadness of the once harmonious

    0916

    <b>Chapter1034 </b>

    family falling apart.

    Intense hatred surged in my heart, almost consuming all of my rationality.

    The hand by my side couldn¡¯t help but tremble slightly.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly shouted at me in a low voice.

    I shuddered all over, the blood in front of me gradually dissipated, and Reynaldo¡¯s face slowly became clear. I saw the worry in his tightly furrowed brows and eyes.

    Strange, what just happened to me?

    There was a moment when it seemed like I couldn¡¯t see anything, all I could see in front of me was that kind of misty blood red.

    I took a deep breath quietly, waited for a while, and then let my emotions calm down slowly.

    Reynaldo stared at me, his brow furrowed in a somewhat terrifying

    manner.

    I pulled him out with a smile and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at me with eyes as dark as night.

    After a while, it seemed that he found nothing unusual about me, and then he slowly released my shoulder.

    As soon as I let go, I realized that my shoulder hurt a lot.

    TUNT

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1035 </b>

 TOO Close 1035

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1035 </b>

    Opening the cor to take a look, sure enough, it was all red.

    This man, knowing full well that he had strong hands, still used so much force!

    I nced at him gloomily, only to find his face very dark, obviously angry.

    I furrowed my brows and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you again?¡±

    Thinking that he had alreadye over, Kimberly being bitten by a snake, he must have known as well.

    So, he probably guessed that the snake was released by me, angry because of it, right?

    Thinking of this, I took two steps back and said to him

    and got

    expressionlessly, ¡°If you are worried about Kimberly, then you should have followed them to the hospital just now. Why are you showing me this attitude here? Do you also think that I released the snake?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes narrowed suddenly, and a chill ran through his body.

    He suddenlyughed at me, and thatughter sounded as if it was tinged with a hint of disappointment and self¨Cmockery.

    My heart skipped a beat, just about to ask him what he meant, but he turned around and walked outside, his back figure cold and distant.

    I looked inexplicably at Gilbert, who was watching the show on th side.

    09.17

    Chapter1035

    Gilbert said without expression. ¡°He was angry, hurry and chase.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why he was angry?¡±

    Gilbert shook his head and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    However, even though they are both men, Gilbert is emotionally dense.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out Reynaldo¡¯splex emotional personality and mind, and neither could he.

    I hurriedly followed Reynaldo out.

    When I chased out of the set, I found that the man had already gotten into the car.

    However, he did not start the car, as if he was specifically waiting for <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    I hurried over, opened the door of the passenger seat, and sat down.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say a word, not even looking at me.

    He stared ahead, one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding a cigarette, smoking gloomily.

    I silently fastened my seatbelt and didn¡¯t say a word.

    After so many days of getting along, I discovered a pattern.

    That was, when he was angry, as long as I kept silent, things would usually calm down.

    The atmosphere inside the car was stuffy, indeed making it a bit hard to breathe.

    I silently opened the car window a little wider.

    09:17

    The cool breeze and the fine drizzle came in, quite refreshing.

    I couldn¡¯t help but reach out of the window to catch the rain.

    Suddenly, a deep voice sounded beside me, ¡°Just now, there was a murderous look in your eyes.¡±

    I was taken aback, turned around to look at him, and instantly met his deep dark eyes.

    His cigarette was finished, but the gloom on his face deepened.

    He said to me, ¡°You just wanted to kill Kimberly.¡±

    It is not a question, but a statement.

    But I have nothing to deny about this.

    After all, four years ago, I stabbed Kimberly twice in front of him.

    I leaned against the car door.

    The cool breeze wrapped in raindrops floated above my head, making me extremely awake at this moment.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Yes, I wanted to kill her, you knew that four years ago, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened instantly.

    He suppressed his anger and said, ¡°Do you think you can get away with killing her so recklessly?¡±

    ¡°So what? I just want her dead, I don¡¯t care about anything else.¡±

    I spoke without thinking, but as soon as the words came out, I regretted it.

    <b>Chapter </b>1036

 TOO Close 1036

    <b>Chapter </b>1036

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand on the steering wheel tightened gradually, and his knuckles were tinged with an abnormal shade of blue due to excessive force.

    Yes, I almost forgot.

    I was able to say such words before because I had nothing left.

    Now, I had him, and two children.

    Everything has changed.

    He smiled at me, the same disappointed and self¨Cdeprecating smile as before.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t care about anything?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Esmeralda, I have never been wrong, you just have no heart.¡±

    Looking at the hurt in his eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a tightening in my heart, a touch of bitterness rising.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± he asked me with a smile, ¡°How much space do I and the children upy in your heart?¡±

    I tugged at the hem of my clothes and looked at him intently.

    The smile at the corner of his lips was deeper, but his eyes were cold.

    ¡°You always say that I am unpredictable, but what you don¡¯t kn that I never feel any love from you.¡±

    I felt like in your heart, everything was more important than me.

    is

    09:17

    Really, Esmeralda, you put everything in front of me.

    ¡°I often wonder, without me, could you live a better life.¡±

    He said, with a sudden hint of brokenness in his smile.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t, without you, I simply can¡¯t go on.¡±

    This is the difference between you and me. I was always afraid of losing you, but you, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care.

    So, is hisck of confidencee from this?

    Is it because I expressed too little love to him, is it?

    Aplex feeling surged in my heart all of a sudden.

    Sometimes I even doubt myself, whether I am not suitable for loving someone, not knowing how to love someone.

    Reynaldo gave me a deep look.

    He chuckled and turned his head to look out the car window.

    The sharp profile, however, revealed a clear sense of sadness and self- mockery.

    He fell silent for a few seconds and said lightly, ¡°I know that snake you put in Kimberly¡¯s locker, you wanted to avenge Vonnie.¡±

    I watched him quietly.

    He could think of this, I was not surprised.

    So¡­

    ¡°You were angry on set just now because I let the snake bite Kimberly, right?¡± I said tly.

    09:17

    But he suddenlyughed at himself.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand.¡±

    No matter how much I said, you didn¡¯t understand.

    I couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    I didn¡¯t understand anything.

    He turned his head slowly, looked at me, and smiled sadly at me, ¡°What makes me angry is that you would do anything to get revenge for Vonnie, regardless of the consequences!¡±

    When you put the snake in Kimberly¡¯s locker, did you ever think that you might get bitten by that snake too?

    If you were bitten, who else could save you so promptly.

    In case you were gone¡­

    When he got to this point, his voice suddenly choked up, and he never said the rest of the words.

    His eye sockets were already a deep crimson.

    He should have been angry, but at that moment, he was just smiling at me, smiling with self¨Cmockery and disappointment, and with an indescribable sense of powerlessness.

    That kind of smile, like a sharp needle, pricked my heart painfully.

    I couldn¡¯t help it anymore, and I threw myself into his arms.

    I said to him urgently. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I didn¡¯t disregard everyt1ng.¡±

    In my heart, you and the children are the most important existence, surpassing everything.

    09:17 00

    Maybe I¡¯m not very good at expressing myself, but I really care about

    you, really care about you.

 TOO Close 1037

    Reynaldo, don¡¯t be like this, I have only loved one man in my life, and that is you.

    Reynaldo looked at me quietly, letting me hold him.

    I didn¡¯t know whether he believed my words or not.

    I only felt a calmness in his ck eyes, a calmness like dead water.

    That calmness made me anxious.

    I got impatient and went to kiss his lips, but he still didn¡¯t respond.

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I cried in his arms, ¡°Kimberly actually dared to mess with Vonnie, I have no evidence, I can¡¯t bring her to justice, what can I do, I can only fight fire with fire, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    You said that was dangerous behavior, without considering you and the children.

    But I was well prepared, I had the snake charmer stun the snakes in advance, and they were all neatly packed in bottles.

    I didn¡¯t catch it bare¨Chanded like you did. I made sure my safety was guaranteed before doing anything.

    I¡­ ¡®

    ¡°!

    ¡°What if the snake suddenly woke up and bit you when you opened the bottle cap?¡±

    You haven¡¯t heard of someone soaking a venomous snake in liquor, letting it soak for a few months, and when they open the lid, the snake

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    09:17

    can still crawl out and bite someone to death<b>? </b>

    You never told me anything before you did it, you never treated <b>me </b>as

    your man.

    When you were in desperate need of money before, at least you would still think of me.

    ¡°You don¡¯tck money now, you wouldn¡¯t even think of me!¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly interrupted me angrily and went on to say a lot of things, as if he was venting all the resentment that had been building up in his heart.

    I stared at him nkly, a little slow to react.

    Was he angry with me or something?

    All of a sudden, saying so much, it didn¡¯t seem like him, Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo¡¯s chest heaved violently, his dark eyes ring at me fiercely.

    But when he got angry like that, I didn¡¯t panic.

    He just now appeared so calm as if he didn¡¯t care about anything, as if nothing mattered to him, with a look ofplete disappointment and silence towards everything, which made me extremely anxious.

    This is the Reynaldo I am familiar with.

    I reached out and stroked his heaving chest, soothing him, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be angry. I won¡¯t do this again next time. I will discuss with you in advance what I am going to do, okay?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just red at me angrily.

    Knowing that this man was difficult to coax, I simply hugged his neck,

    09:17

    Chapter1037

    rubbed against his neck, and acted coquettishly towards him.

    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be mad at me.¡±

    You really misunderstood me just now. What do you mean by saying that I only think of you when I need money, and forget about you when I don¡¯t need money.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. You¡¯re my husband, and no matter if I need money or not, you¡¯re the first person I think of.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Reynaldo snorted in disbelief.

    But his hand still wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me into his embrace.

    Obviously, at that moment, he wasn¡¯t really angry.

    I rubbed against him more and more unscrupulously, smiling at him and asking, ¡°Not angry anymore?¡±

    He turned his face away and didn¡¯t say a word.

    I reached out and turned his face towards me, then kissed him on the lips.

    His eyes darkened a bit, looking at me in silence.

    Although still wearing the same expressionless face, the eyes were no longer as terrifyingly lifeless as they were just now.

 TOO Close 1038

    I tugged at his tie and coaxed, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, okay? If you keep looking so serious, I won¡¯t dare to be intimate with you tonight.¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow and looked at me with a slightly strange expression.

    ¡°Are you going to be intimate with me tonight?¡±

    I was speechless for a moment, the question asked, I didn¡¯t even know how to answer.

    He was a dominant person in that aspect, whether to be affectionate or not was up to him.

    He asked me what I was doing.

    I nced at Reynaldo, and the tension on his face finally eased.

    I approached him and asked with a smile again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry anymore?¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me intently, his thin lips pressed tightly together.

    After a while, he responded gloomily, ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I hugged him and whispered, ¡°You really scared me just now. I would rather you be angry with me than see that disappointed look in your eyes.¡±

    We all agreed that we would never separate again in the future. If you are disappointed in our rtionship, then what should I do?

    You said you were afraid of losing me, and I was no different.

    0.002

    09:17

    Chapter1038

    Perhaps when we first got married, I had a dislike and indifference towards you, butter on, it has been different all the way up to now.

    ¡°The person I care most about now is you, and our baby.¡±

    I said this very seriously.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything more, but his arm around my shoulder tightened discreetly.

    After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice very low.

    ¡°I have never been worried about Kimberly, I have always been worried about you.¡±

    ¡°I knew you wanted to kill her all along¡­¡±

    I was shaken to the core, and that deep¨Cseated hatred surged up again.

    I unconsciously tightened Reynaldo¡¯s cor.

    Reynaldo nced at me and said in a deep voice, ¡°But have you ever thought about what you would do after killing her?¡±

    I suddenly remembered, four years ago, I stabbed Kimberly twice.

    Kimberly wanted to sue me, forcing him to kick me out of Freybourne overnight.

    So, what he feared most was not that Kimberly was killed by me, but that after I killed Kimberly, it would cause trouble. He was afraid that he would have to send me away again, or even watch me go to prison. Is that right?

    Reynaldo stroked my hair and said softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to think about anything now, and I didn¡¯t want to force anything either.¡±

    09:17

    Chapter1038

    I just wanted you to stay with the children and me, I just wanted you

    all to be safe and sound.

    ¡°So I was afraid, really afraid that any of you might have an ident, understand?¡±

    Listening to his words, my heart couldn¡¯t help but tighten.

    What he said, how could I not understand.

    However, Kimberly went unpunished for a day, and the hatred in my heart was never able to be extinguished.

    I pulled away from his embrace, my eyes red with tears as I said to him, ¡°But Kimberly first killed our mother, and now she¡¯s starting to harm Vonnie.¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do something, would I just let her go free?¡±

    ¡°I never said I wanted to let her go unpunished,¡± Reynaldo said solemnly.

    I pursed my lips and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. You always said you would still owe her a life and protect her everywhere. I don¡¯t think you do anything to her.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly narrowed his eyes, his voice as cold as ice, ¡°If four years ago, my mother really was killed by her, then I will be the first one not to spare her.¡±

    09:17

 TOO Close 1039

    ¡°This is what you said. I am now collecting evidence. Just wait, if you still want to protect her life at that time, I will never talk to you again in my life,¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows fiercely, and his big hand suddenly clenched mine.

    I shook it hard, but it didn¡¯te off.

    He stared at me intently and said, ¡°So, in the future, don¡¯t use such dangerous methods to deal with her. Once all the evidence is gathered, she will naturally be punished by thew.¡±

    She didn¡¯t care about anything, I just wanted you to be well, understand?¡°.

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

    He stared at me for a while and suddenly smiled, ¡°What? Do you want me to coax you again?¡±

    I turned my face away sullenly and said, ¡°I just want you to coax me!¡±

    Can¡¯t I always be the one to coax him, right?!

    He was stubborn, I had to be even more stubborn!

    Reynaldoughed and ruffled my hair, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to eat something delicious.¡±

    I hummed, ¡°What¡¯s a little bit of good food? I have money to buy

    11

    Reynaldo started the car and said with a smile, ¡°So what do you want,

    000/

    09:17

    Chapter1039

    you tell me.¡±

    ¡°Um, I haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡±

    ¡°Okay, when you have made up your mind, just let me know. Even if you want the moon in the sky, I will find a way to pick it for you.¡±

    I smiled and looked out of the window.

    It was a gloomy day with a cold wind blowing loudly.

    If it had been any other day, I would have surely felt mncholic and sorrowful again.

    But at that moment, my heart was full of sweetness and warmth.

    Originally, as long as the beloved one was by my side, no matter what the weather was like, my mood would be good.

    The next day at noon, Reynaldo apanied me to the hospital to see Vonnie.

    Upon entering the ward, Vonnie anxiously called me over to her.

    She seemed to want to tell me something, but with Reynaldo around, she also seemed to have some reservations.

    Reynaldo also noticed and said to Johnathan, who was busy cutting fruit, ¡°I¡¯m going out to buy food.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not time yet,¡± Johnathan said without even looking up.

    The next second, he was dragged out by Reynaldo.

    When he left, he didn¡¯t forget to shout and hand the almost peeled fruit to Vonnie.

    ¡°Why bother, you can just go buy it by yourself.¡±

    09.17

    Chapter1039

    you tell me.

    ¡°Um, I haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡±

    ¡°Okay, when you have made up your mind, just let me know. Even if you want the moon in the sky, I will find a way to pick it for you.¡±

    I smiled and looked out of the window.

    It was a gloomy day with a cold wind blowing loudly.

    If it had been any other day, I would have surely felt mncholic and sorrowful again.

    But at that moment, my heart was full of sweetness and warmth.

    Originally, as long as the beloved one was by my side, no matter what the weather was like, my mood would be good.

    The next day at noon, Reynaldo apanied me to the hospital to see Vonnie.

    Upon entering the ward, Vonnie anxiously called me over to her.

    She seemed to want to tell me something, but with Reynaldo around, she also seemed to have some reservations.

    Reynaldo also noticed and said to Johnathan, who was busy cutting fruit, ¡°I¡¯m going out to buy food.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not time yet,¡± Johnathan said without even looking up.

    The next second, he was dragged out by Reynaldo.

    When he left, he didn¡¯t forget to shout and hand the almost peeled fruit to Vonnie.

    ¡°Why bother, you can just go buy it by yourself.¡±

    33.88%

    09:17

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what Vonnie liked to cat.¡±

    ¡°Um, yeah, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Their voices gradually faded away.

    Vonnie then asked me seriously,

    ??

    ¡°I heard Kimberly was bitten by a snake too, was it you¡­¡±

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Vonnie is really smart.¡±

    Vonnie took a deep breath and said in a mixture of astonishment and anger, ¡°This is too dangerous. How dare you go catch snakes? What if you get bitten by a snake? You are so reckless. You can¡¯t do this next time.¡±

    I held her hand and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I went to buy one from a snake charmer, and I had the snake stunned in advance, so it¡¯s safe.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ then this matter won¡¯t be traced back to you.¡±

    I chuckled and patted her head, ¡°You silly, even if Kimberly is convinced that I released this snake, she wouldn¡¯t dare to investigate.¡±

    You see, if she insisted on making a fuss about this matter and called the police to investigate, then the fact that she put a snake in your closet would also be revealed.

    69.56%

 TOO Close 1040

    She hadn¡¯t been stupid enough to expose herself, so she had to swallow this loss silently.

    Vonnie nodded after listening and said, ¡°You do have a point.¡±

    He paused and then said to me, ¡°Do you know? Kimberly has also been sent to this hospital.¡±

    I was not surprised by this, after all, ¡°this hospital is the closest to the

    crew.¡±

    Vonnie continued, ¡°When she was brought in yesterday, I saw it, a face all purple and lips turning blue, enough to scare anyone to death.¡±

    Quentin was frantic, carrying the woman around looking for a doctor.

    ¡°Oh, did that woman die?¡± I asked casually.

    Vonnie shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I was thinking, why don¡¯t we go see herter?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I looked her up and down, seeing that she looked fine, and smiled at her, ¡°So, shall we go now?¡±

    ¡°Sure, why not.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Vonnie immediately jumped out of bed, looking very excited.

    After inquiring from various sources, we finally found out about Kimberly¡¯s current situation.

    Because Kimberly was brought inte yesterday, and Quentin didn¡¯t

    0.00%

    09:18

    know what kind of snake bit Kimberly, the serum injection was a bit dyed

    She was still in danger and was still in the emergency room removing toxins from her body.

    When Vonnie and I arrived at the emergency room, Quentin and Anton were standing guard outside the door.

    The two of them, one leaning quietly against the wall next to the emergency room, the other with head down, sitting on a chair in the emergency room.

    When Vonnie and I passed by, Quentin¡¯s eyes slowly turned red as he looked at me.

    That look was even moreplicated than before.

    Before, he looked at me with guilt and sadness in his eyes.

    And now, in his eyes, there was a touch of resentment towards me.

    He said to me, ¡°Kimberly is still in danger, are you satisfied?¡±

    Before I could even speak, Vonnie immediately made a look of grievance and innocence, saying, ¡°Quentin, why would you say that about Ralda? Do you suspect that Ralda put the snake in Ms. Palmer¡¯s locker?¡±

    Please, Ralda is even kinder and more timid than Ms. Palmer. Ms. Palmer doesn¡¯t even dare to catch snakes, how could Ralda dare.

    Quentin, it¡¯s not me saying this, but you can¡¯t forget about your little sister just because you have a girlfriend¡­

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    30.57%

    09:18 C

    Quentin suddenly roared at Vonnie, his eyes zing red

    That look, it was quite scary.

    Vonnie unconsciously moved closer to me.

    I stood in front of her, staring coldly at Quentin, ¡°The way Kimberly ended up like this is her own retribution.¡±

    Having done so many bad things, how could one not suffer the consequences.

    Even if she died in the emergency room today, that would be the fate she deserved.

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    Quentin growled lowly and raised his hand as if he was going to hit <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    A sense of sadness shed through my heart, and I looked at his raised hand with a cold smile, ¡°Go ahead, anyway, you are no longer my real brother.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s eyes red at me crimson, his raised hand trembling almost imperceptibly.

    At this moment, Anton suddenly walked over.

    He pulled Quentin¡¯s hand down, his faint gaze falling on me

    After a while, he asked Vonnie, ¡°You were bitten by a snake, are you okay?¡±

    Vonnie hesitated for a moment, shook her head, and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you for your concern, Mr. Palmer.¡±

    65.97%

    09.18

    Chapur1540

    ¡°It¡¯s okay as long as you¡¯re fine

    Anton said lightly, and then turned to Vonnie and asked, ¡°Have you had dinner? Let me treat you to a meal.¡±

    Chapter1041

 TOO Close 1041

    <b>Chapter </b>1041

    Vonnie inexplicably nced at me, then smiled quizzically at Anton and said, ¡°Actually, if you want to invite Ralda, you can talk to her alone.¡±

    Vonnie directly pointed this out.

    Anton straightforwardly asked me, ¡°Is it possible?¡±

    I was about to say no, when the next second, a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind.

    Immediately after, a tall figure pressed against my back, and I was instantly enveloped in a familiar embrace.

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo smiling at me.

    A faint smile, with a touch of tenderness at the corner of the lips.

    I was delighted: ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±

    Reynaldo rubbed my head and said, ¡°All the way asking.¡±

    I smiled and in the blink of an eye, I met Anton¡¯s calm and slightly broken eyes.

    I didn¡¯t like the way he looked at me. It made me feel like I owed him something.

    I pursed my lips and said to him, ¡°Just now you said you would treat me to a meal. What I want to say is, it¡¯s not necessary, thank you. I will go eat with Reynaldoter.¡±

    Anton¡¯s face turned slightly pale.

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    09.18

    Chapter1041

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    With that, he returned to his chair and sat down again.

    Quentin also continued to lean against the wall, hanging his head, not speaking, and not looking at anyone.

    I nced at them lightly, turned my head and smiled at Reynaldo, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded, with a smile in his eyes.

    And just as we turned around to leave, the door of the emergency room suddenly opened.

    I hesitated for a moment, turned my head, and saw two doctorsing out from inside.

    Quentin hurried up and asked, ¡°How is my girlfriend?¡±

    The doctor took off the mask and said, ¡°Fortunately, all the toxins in the patient¡¯s body have been eliminated, and there is no longer any life- threatening danger.¡±

    Upon hearing this result, a touch of disappointment shed through my heart.

    Goodness, how lucky can Kimberly be?!

    Quentin¡¯s tense nerves seemed to rx in an instant, and he leaned against the wall, covering his face, almost in tears of joy.

    Anton quietly watched the door of the emergency room, his face very calm, calm as if the person in the emergency room was not his own

    sister.

    I nced at Reynaldo again, his face even paler, as if whoever was in

    09.18

    Chapter1041

    the emergency room had nothing to do with him.

    Thinking back, he used to always leave me for Kimberly, and now the contrast is really big.

    Oh, that¡¯s not right.

    Didn¡¯t Kimberly have a very serious heart condition?

    When she was bitten by the snake, she must have been greatly frightened. Not to mention, her serious heart disease would have been triggered by the scare.

    Upon reflection, she seemed to show no signs of illness at all at that time, only a fear of being bitten by a snake.

    At that time, I was so focused on her reaction to being bitten by a snake that I actually forgot about her illness.

    At this moment, Kimberly has been pushed out of the emergency room.

    The woman kept her eyes tightly closed, still unconscious, her face pale as death.

    Reynaldo suddenly shook my hand and said, ¡°What are you looking at? Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh.¡±

    I came to my senses and followed him to the elevator.

    The more I thought about it, the more ¡°off¡± it felt in my heart.

    I pulled away from Reynaldo¡¯s hand and quickly called out to the doctor who was about to leave.

    ¡°Hello, how is her heart disease?¡±

    09:18

    Chapter1041

    The two doctors were both taken aback.

 TOO Close 1042

    Chapter1042

    One of the doctors asked me in confusion. ¡°Who are you asking? Whose heart disease?¡±

    I was about to speak when Quentin suddenly rushed over and tugged at my arm, saying, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t ask too much. As long as Kimberly is okay, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    I frowned at him.

    Quentin¡¯s reaction was really abnormal.

    In theory, shouldn¡¯t he be more nervous about Kimberly¡¯s illness than anyone else?

    Unless Kimberly was not sick, and he knew it beforehand.

    Thinking of this, I shook off his hand and pointed to Kimberly on the sickbed, asking the doctor, ¡°Is it her, she has a serious heart disease, is her condition not serious?¡±

    When I asked this question, Reynaldo and Anton both stared at the doctor, with a hint of suspicion between their eyebrows.

    The doctor looked even more puzzled.

    He said, ¡°No, we had done a full body examination on her before starting the treatment.¡±

    Apart from being bitten by a snake and poisoned, she had no other symptoms in her body.

    The so¨Ccalled serious heart disease simply did not exist.

    <b>2008 </b>

    09:18

    (9:1047

    I listened and my heart trembled fiercely

    Sure enough!

    Kimberly was indeed faking that illness!

    I said, even if she really was sick, how could the illness always re up so conveniently.

    That was clearly a pretense, and those blind men were really fooled by her. Each one of them believed in her illness without any doubt, and some were even extremely nervous!

    I was angry when I remembered that Reynaldo had abandoned me several times before because of her illness.

    I sneered and hummed, clutching my chest, and smiled meaningfully at Reynaldo, saying, ¡°Reynaldo, it hurts so much¡­ I feel so ufortable¡­¡±

    ¡°Puff!¡±

    Vonnie covered her stomach,ughing so hard that her shoulders shook.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, pressing on the back of my neck, his voice restrained, ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I pretended to be sick just to make trouble, and you despised me.

    Kimberly pretended to be sick, which was pitiful. You felt sorry for her, you were nervous.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    ??

    Reynaldo looked at me helplessly, but his big hand slid down from the back of my neck, caught my hand along my arm, and held it tightly in

    0018

    his palm, as if afraid I would get angry and run away.

    I shook off his hand, but it didn¡¯te off.

    His other hand simply wrapped around my shoulder, locking me directly in his arms.

    I stared at him.

    He smiled at me instead.

    I was so angry that I didn¡¯t want to talk to him, so I turned my head to look at Anton and Quentin¡¯s expressions.

    Quentin anxiously stood guard by Kimberly¡¯s hospital bed, as if afraid someone woulde looking for Kimberly to settle a score.

    He obviously knew that Kimberly was pretending to have a heart disease.

    I didn¡¯t know how to talk to Quentin anymore. It seemed like no matter what Kimberly did or lied about, he didn¡¯t care. He just blindly defended and protected Kimberly.

    I really don¡¯t know what attitude Kimberly would have if she came to kill me one day.

    Go see Anton again.

    Anton frowned tightly and stared at Kimberly for a while before asking the doctor, ¡°Have you checked thoroughly? How could her illness not be hereditary?¡±

    Exactly, I was also feeling confused.

    In theory, if Kimberly had this illness since childhood, Anton, who is a doctor, should have also examined her. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible

    09-18

    <b>Chapter </b>1042

    for him not to have discovered that she was faking the illness.

    You could see from Anton¡¯s shocked expression that it didn¡¯t seem like he was acting.

    The doctor was asked somewhat annoyed.

    C

 TOO Close 1043

    hapter 1043

    ¡°The instruments in our hospital are very urate. If she really had a serious heart disease, our instruments would not have missed it.¡±

    At this moment, Quentin said to Anton, ¡°Anyway, as long as Kimberly is okay, right?¡±

    Anton pursed his lips and said nothing more.

    Quentin nced at me and Reynaldo again, then quickly called for the nurse to take Kimberly to the ward.

    Anton stood still in ce, his face looking a bit pale.

    I suddenly remembered that he had told me before.

    He said that the reason he went to study medicine was because someone in his family was sick, and he wanted to learn medical skills well to treat his own rtives.

    So, Kimberly must have really deceived even her own brother.

    But then came the question.

    How did Kimberly manage to deceive everyone, even fooling Anton, who is a medical student?

    To figure out this issue, I called out to Anton, who was walking aimlessly towards the elevator.

    Reynaldo squeezed my hand tightly, frowning and staring at me.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°I just have some questions to ask him. If you don¡¯t believe me, you cane along.¡±

    09.18

    C

    hapter1043

    Reynaldo stared at me heavily for a few seconds, then turned away <b>and </b>said, ¡°No need.¡±

    The words were like this, but that big hand didn¡¯t loosen its grip on me

    at all.

    I couldn¡¯t help but shake his hand.

    He gave me a nce before letting go of my hand.

    Vonnie stifled augh on the side.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the ward to rest first.¡±

    She said, looking at Reynaldo, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, Johnathan should still be upstairs, do you want to go up with me? Anyway, Ralda will also go upter.¡±

    Reynaldo paused for a second and said lightly, ¡°No need.¡±

    Vonnie chuckled at me and said, ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll go up by myself first, okay?¡±

    I nodded to her.

    After Vonnie took the elevator up, the down elevator stopped right in front of us.

    The elevator door opened, and at that moment, there was nobody inside.

    I went in first, and Anton followed me in.

    Reynaldo stood outside for two seconds, not moving.

    I thought he wouldn¡¯te in, so I went to ¡°check out Kimberly.¡±

    Little did I know, just as the elevator doors were about to close, he

    09.18

    + Chapter 1043

    suddenly reached out to stop <b>the </b>elevator doors, and then wal

    I looked at him speechlessly, ¡°If you want to <be </b><b>in</b>, just <be </b>in quickly. It¡¯s very dangerous to block the door <b>with </b>your <b>hand</b>.¡±

    Reynaldo stood beside me, took my hand, and said nothing<b>, </b>

    I: ¡­

    Wasn¡¯t he saying, ¡°Don¡¯t youe down with me?¡±

    Anton nced at Reynaldo, and when his gaze fell on my hand holding Reynaldo¡¯s, a hint of self¨Cmockery crossed his lips.

    He turned around and stared at the numbers on the elevator, his profile looking a bit absent¨Cminded.

    When we walked out of the outpatient building, Reynaldo suddenly let go of my hand.

    I turned back to him in surprise and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Reynaldo said without expression, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to ask him something? I¡¯m not going with

    Huh?

    He changed!

    you.¡±

    With his usual suspicious nature, he was definitely going to follow me to listen in on what questions I was going to ask Anton, after all, he always suspected me of having an affair with Anton.

    I held his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Okay, you wait here, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled, with a touch of tenderness in his eyes, particrly

    charming <b>in </b><b>the </b>warm sunshine<b>. </b>

    Anton and I sat down on the bench in the <b>yard</b>.

 TOO Close 1044

    Before I could even speak, heughed at himself with self¨Cdeprecation.

    ¡°You want to ask me, after so many years of studying medicine, how could I not have realized that Kimberly was faking her illness, right?¡±

    I looked at him, without denying.

    The self¨Cdeprecation between his eyebrows deepened.

    ¡°You must also think that all along, I have been helping her to fake illness, right?¡±

    ¡°If I thought that way, I wouldn¡¯t have called out to you,¡± I said to him seriously.

    He lowered his eyes, gave a somewhat sad smile, and remained silent.

    I shouted at him, ¡°I stopped you because I wanted to figure out what was going on.¡±

    Anton remained silent for so long that I thought he didn¡¯t want to speak anymore.

    Worried about Reynaldo and others, I was getting ready to leave.

    He finally spoke, his voice was very faint, but also with a touch of bitter self¨Cmockery, which made people¡¯s hearts ache.

    He said, ¡°My father was still alive when her illness was diagnosed.¡±

    That day, it was my father who brought her back from the hospital.

    My father¡¯s eyes were red, and he told me, ¡°Kimberly has the same

    0.00%

    09:18

    Chapter1044

    illness as her mother, she is weak and needs to be taken care of <b>You </b>must be kind to Kimberly and protect her.¡±

    At that time, Reynaldo was also there with Mika, so he also said the same to Reynaldo.

    So from that time on, we were very careful with Kimberly, everything went along with her, protecting her.

    In hindsight, this was just a lie from my father.

    ¡°It was just a lie to make sure his beloved daughter received all the favor.¡±

    I pursed my lips, not knowing what to say.

    Being betrayed by the person closest to you is really painful.

    I think Theodore must have been afraid that after his death, Kimberly would not have anyone to rely on and take care of, so he used this lie to manipte everyone.

    That lie kidnapped Anton, and also kidnapped Reynaldo.

    Anton looked up at the distant horizon.

    His eye sockets were red.

    ¡°My father doted on his precious daughter, preparing for her future without knowing that because of this lie, I left that small town early.¡±

    In order to save Kimberly¡¯s life, I had to give up my favorite major and force myself to study medicine.

    When I had no money to study medicine, and no money to buy her medicine, I even went to a foreign country to endure humiliation and hardship.

    09:18

    Chapter1044

    ¡°He never knew how much I had given up and suffered because of his lie.¡±

    When he mentioned this, there was a slight tug at the corner of his lips, but what emerged was increasingly rich self¨Cmockery and sadness.

    I pursed my lips, feeling a bit ufortable in my heart, but not knowing how tofort him.

    For a long time, he suddenly covered his face.

    The silent grief made people feel ufortable in their hearts.

    I patted his shoulder lightly andforted him, saying, ¡°Anton, don¡¯t be like this. Just think¡­ maybe her illness suddenly got better.¡±

    I¡¯m not very good atforting people. After hesitating for a long time, all I could say was this.

    He remained silent for a long time, lifted his face, looked at the sky, and said expressionlessly, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that, besides my father, even my best friend would deceive me.¡±

    I furrowed my brows.

    His best friend?

    He continued, ¡°After Kimberly was diagnosed with heart disease, her father took her for every check¨Cup.¡±

    Later, when my father passed away, I left the small town and never went back. I just sent money back every month to buy medicine for her.

    09:18

 TOO Close 1045

    Reunited once again, I had returned from studying medicine. It was Kimberly¡¯s first meeting with Zackery, and I never expected Zackery to fall in love with her at first sight.

    That day I happened to have a surgery to do, so the person who examined Kimberly¡¯s body was Zackery.

    He imed to have an understanding of the illness as the reason, saying that he would be in charge of controlling and taking care of Kimberly¡¯s condition in the future. Kimberly also expressed her wish, saying that she preferred to talk to him and did not want me to be sad and worried because of her illness.

    I didn¡¯t think much either, so I agreed.

    Upon hearing this, I suddenly understood.

    ¡°Meaning, you never really understood or examined Kimberly¡¯s condition?¡±

    Anton nodded, ¡°Zackery always showed me the test results and discussed the treatment n with me.¡±

    He said, then suddenly grinned, ¡°My good friend here really went to great lengths to help Kimberly keep things under wraps.¡±

    I recalled how Kimberly used to have seizures.

    Apart from those few times when she was really faking it, sometimes, that woman pretended to be sick quite convincingly.

    Anton was kept in the dark all along, and no wonder.

    0.00%

    09:19

    First, his father deceived him, deceiving him from <b>a </b><b>young </b><b>age</b>.

    So the awareness that ¡®Kimberly had a serious heart condition¡® was almost ingrained in his mind.

    So much so that when Zackeryter helped Kimberly cheat him, he didn¡¯t even have the awareness to suspect anything.

    Reynaldo took Kimberly to the hospital for check¨Cups and medication several times,

    Those hospitals should have also been designated by Kimberly, all of which are somewhat rted to Zackery.

    Reynaldo must have had the same belief as Anton that ¡°Kimberly was sick¡± deeply ingrained in his mind.

    So he never doubted anything.

    Even though Kimberlyter pretended very clumsily, he did not doubt anything.

    Thinking of these, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    I really don¡¯t know whether to say they were easy to deceive, or to say Kimberly was so lucky in her life, always having so many people protecting and helping her.

    From childhood, her father nned for her, and that was that.

    Even Zackery and Quentin, as if possessed by demons, followed her

    now.

    Anton said this and then said no more.

    He stared nkly at the distant horizon.

    09:19 0

    For a long time, he suddenlyughed ¡°hehe¡°.

    Although it was deep autumn, the sun was shining brightly today, but heughed with extreme sadness.

    ¡°Speaking of which, my whole life was just a joke.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I frowned at him and said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s birth and existence have their own meaning, even though it¡¯s a deception, your closest people and friends have deceived you.¡±

    But you had at least achieved great sess in medicine, and you had saved many people with your medical skills.

    Including me, if it weren¡¯t for you, my child and I might have been

    gone.

    So Anton, don¡¯t think like that. Whether it¡¯s from a medical perspective or from an entertainment perspective, you were sessful.

    You see, you studied medicine, you could save lives, you became a star, you could provide entertainment emotions to many people, such a wonderful life, how could it be a joke.¡±

    Anton suddenly turned his head and looked at me deeply.

    In those reddened eye sockets lingered a strong sense of sadness and helplessness.

    He whispered, ¡°But back then, if I hadn¡¯t left the town, the person with you might have been me.¡±

    I took a breath and said nothing.

    Heughed self¨Cdeprecatingly and said, ¡°He Reynaldo is the one who is moving forward emotionally, and I can be too.¡±

    09:19

 TOO Close 1046

    Although you have forgotten about us, but if I had not left, the possibility of chasing after you, clinging to you, and bing your spouse would have been me.

    You always said that I ¡°trapped myself in the past¡°, but I really couldn¡¯t ept it.

    Esmeralda, I really couldn¡¯t bear it.¡±

    He was smiling at me, but there were tears in his eyes.

    I really hoped that he could move on from the past, but I didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Sometimes I also hate myself, why can¡¯t I remember that past.

    Because there was still hope in my heart, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t ept it. If I had remembered, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have been so unwilling.

    Anton looked at me deeply, then turned away suddenly, and said with a smile, ¡°Sorry, I said something that made you ufortable again.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said quietly.

    Anton lowered his gaze and said with a faint smile, ¡°You can go now, don¡¯t keep Reynaldo waiting for too long.¡±

    I really didn¡¯t know how tofort him anymore.

    I got up and said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Your father cares for Kimberly and surely loves you too.¡±

    0.00%

    09:19

    Kimberly has always been good at pretending to be weak. Who <b>knows </b>if this whole illness scam was her idea, getting your father to go <b>along </b>with it.¡±

    Anton shook his head and disagreed, saying, ¡°It¡¯s unlikely, she was still so young at that time.¡±

    I chuckled.

    ¡°Some people are just born bad, with deep and malicious intentions, regardless of age.¡±

    I said to him seriously, ¡°Anton, never underestimate your dear sister. After all, the reason I forgot about that memory back then was also because of her masterpiece.¡±

    Anton shuddered all over and said incredulously, ¡°How¡­ is this possible?¡±

    Look, Kimberly just has this kind of magic.

    Even though all the bad things were done, even though the lies were exposed, no one dared to believe that she could be so malicious.

    I smiled at Anton and said, ¡°She admitted it herself. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask herter.¡±

    That¡¯s enough said here.

    As for whether Anton would believe what I said, that doesn¡¯t matter

    anymore.

    When I returned to the entrance of the outpatient department, I did not see Reynaldo.

    I thought he had left, but as I was walking towards the outpatient department, I suddenly heard his voice again.

    20 44%

    09.19

    <b>aning </b>against the pir by the door making a phone call, and

    the pir happened to block my view

    ¡°Kimberly¡¯s attending physician, please investigate thoroughly. If you find anything, inform me immediately.¡±

    I was stunned.

    Was Reynaldo finally going to start investigating Zackery?

    Could he follow Zackery to find out about the incident four years ago<i>? </i>

    Thinking about Kimberly¡¯s constant lies, deceitful ways, and so many supporters, I felt a bit anxious.

    The truth about that incident four years ago is probably not easy to

    uncover.

    After all, the physical evidence was in Zackery¡¯s hands, and the eyewitnesses were all willing to protect Kimberly even to death.

    Even though Reynaldo suspected Kimberly¡¯s involvement in the incident four years ago because of Zackery, without concrete evidence or witnesses, it was unlikely that Kimberly could be brought to justice.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I was thinking when Reynaldo¡¯s deep voice suddenly came.

    I came to my senses and looked up.

    He had finished the call and was walking towards me.

    He patted my head and asked with a smile, ¡°What are you daydreaming about?¡±

    I shook my head at him and said, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Chapter1046

    He lowered his gaze, took my hand, and smiled, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I was stunned, ¡°Where to?¡±

    09:19 01

 TOO Close 1047

    <b>Chapter </b>1047

    ¡°Today was the weekend, and I took you and the kids out to y.¡±

    His mood seemed to be quite good, with a slight curl at the corner of his lips.

    It¡¯s strange, Kimberly didn¡¯t seem to be affected by the illness at all.

    And I just talked to Anton for a while, and he didn¡¯t ask a single question.

    He wasn¡¯t the one who most liked to doubt what I had with Anton.

    Hiss!

    Why do I feel like this quiet and gentle Reynaldo is a bit unusual?

    Reynaldo silently started the car after getting in.

    I nced at him and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You, don¡¯t you want to know what I talked to Anton about just now?¡±

    Reynaldo looked ahead and said with a faint smile, ¡°If you want to say it, you will say it even if I don¡¯t ask. If you don¡¯t want to say it, it¡¯s useless even if I ask.¡±

    When the man said this, not only was his voice gentle, but his handsome profile was also soft.

    I stared at him nkly, feeling a bit unustomed to this kind of Reynaldo.

    After a pause, I said to him, ¡°I was just talking to Anton about Kimberly¡¯s heart disease.¡±

    0.00%

    Reynaldo said nothing, and there was no <b>extra </b><b>expression </b><b>on </b>his profile

    I continued, ¡°Anton said that Kimberly¡¯s illness was diagnosed <b>by </b>Theodore, and he always thought that Kimberly was really sick. He didn¡¯t expect that it was just a scam.¡±

    And you, you were also kidnapped by her illness from a young age, so you always unconditionally protect her, right?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    Reynaldo spoke in a low voice, but his tone was unusually firm, ¡°Whether she is sick or not, it doesn¡¯t matter to me anymore.¡±

    ¡°You are my wife, the only person I will care about in the future.¡±

    After listening, the corners of my lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up, and a touch of sweetness unconsciously rose in my heart.

    Reynaldo has been quite straightforward in his speech recently, but I really love listening to him.

    No wonder this man didn¡¯t have much of a reaction when Kimberly¡¯s plot of pretending to be sick was exposed today.

    He had already made up his mind long ago that he would no longer care about Kimberly, whether she was sick or not.

    Just thinking back, whenever Kimberly ¡°fell ill¡± in the past, he would just leave me without a care in the world, and I would feel a bit upset.

    Especially in Yoripero, he made me go out to buy medicine in the middle of the night, almost getting me bullied by Matthew.

    I muttered to him, ¡°You used to really care about her. Luckily. I have a good temper and didn¡¯t argue with you. If it were another wo¡­.n, she

    00210

    would have left you a long time ago.¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak.

    But he slowly stopped the car on the side of the road.

    I looked at him in astonishment, ¡°What are you doi¡­?¡±

    The conversation was not finished when he suddenly turned sideways and pulled me into his arms.

    He held me quietly without saying a word.

    I poked his abdomen and said, ¡°Reynaldo, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing,¡± Reynaldo¡¯s voice was low and slow, ¡°I¡¯m just grateful that you¡¯re back by my side, otherwise, what would I do.¡±

    At that moment, he was like a child with no sense of security, suddenly grasping at a lifesaving straw and feeling at ease.

    I patted his shoulder lightly and said with a smile, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so sentimental. Aren¡¯t we fine now? In the future, everything will develop in a positive direction.¡±

 TOO Close 1048

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just held me quietly.

    For a long time, he finally released me slowly, but his face became serious.

    ¡°But you also have to promise me that you won¡¯t be so reckless in dealing with Kimberly in the future.¡±

    Her life and death don¡¯t matter, but you are different. I am most afraid of something happening to you. I don¡¯t want you to get involved because of her. Do you understand?

    I nodded.

    Regarding Kimberly¡¯s issue, he exined it to me very clearly these past few days, how could I not understand.

    I kissed him with a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be impulsive anymore. I will wait until all the evidence is collected, and then, I will send her in!¡±

    Kimberly killed my mother, ruined my father and brother, left my family in ruins, and it was too easy for her to die like that, dirtying my hands.

    I want her to suffer for the rest of her life and repent in prison!

    After Kimberly was bitten by a snake, the crew went on vacation directly, taking a ten¨Cday break.

    It¡¯s funny to say that, after the crew took a break, Gilbert went straight to Johnathan and asked him to take him to taste all the delicio

    food

    00:21

    Chapter1048

    in Freybourne.

    He said he didn¡¯t know at first that the food in Freybourne was so delicious.

    But Johnathan had to apany Vonnic in the hospital, so he ignored him.

    So Gilbert came to me.

    But whenever I think about the awkwardness of having dinner alone with him that time, I feel ufortable.

    That day, Gilbert went straight to ¡°the Duffy¡¯s vi¡± here.

    He looked at me eagerly and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you are a native of Freybourne, you must know a lot of Freybourne¡¯s delicious food.¡±

    At that time, Reynaldo was also there.

    He sat on the sofa next to him, holding a magazine and reading it carefully.

    I don¡¯t know if he read it or not, the magazine wasn¡¯t turned over for half a day.

    Faced with Gilbert¡¯s request, I was at a loss f¨®r how to respond.

    As the host, it was only right to take him to taste all the delicious food in Freybourne.

    But I just couldn¡¯t stand the awkward atmosphere of having a meal alone with him.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy,¡± Gilbert called me again, looking serious.

    I smiled wryly and thought, ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s just taking him out for od

    Chapter1048

    food.¡±

    In the worst case, he would do his own thing while I sat next to him ying on my phone.

    Thinking this, I smiled at him and said, ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    Before I could finish myst note, Reynaldo suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Did Mr. Russell want to taste all the delicious food in Freybourne?¡±

    He put down the magazine andzily leaned back on the sofa, smiling at Gilbert, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo in astonishment.

    Isn¡¯t it? Hasn¡¯t he always had a problem with Gilbert? And yet, he went so far as to personally take Gilbert to Freybourne for some delicious food?

    Gilbert immediately looked at Reynaldo and said seriously, ¡°Then let¡¯s trouble Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Reynaldoughed and said, ¡°No problem, in the future, if Mr. Russell has any needs, juste to me directly. Ralda is usually very busy and probably doesn¡¯t have time to take Mr. Russell out for good food.¡±

    Um¡­

    Was Reynaldo talking nonsense with his eyes wide open?

    Am I, a semi¨Cunemployed wanderer, supposed to be as busy as him, a big CEO?

    Gilbert didn¡¯t care about these things, let alone feel that there was anything inappropriate or awkward about Reynaldo taking him out to

    eat.

    0021

 TOO Close 1049

    He seemed to be satisfied as long as someone was willing to take him to eat good food, no matter who that person was.

    He said to Reynaldo earnestly, ¡°Alright, I wille find Mr. Humphrey every time I arrive at the dining time.¡°.

    ¡°Sure, but¡­¡± Reynaldo saidzily, ¡°after the crew starts working, don¡¯t look for me anymore, Johnathan will bring you delicious food.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte, so if there¡¯s nothing else, Mr. Russell, please go back.¡±

    Reynaldo said, and then nced towards the door.

    The meaning of driving people away was already very clear.

    However, Gilbert sat still.

    He remained silent for two seconds and said to Reynaldo without much expression, ¡°I haven¡¯t had dinner yet.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow.

    I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brow.

    What, Gilbert couldn¡¯t eat without delicious food?

    It was already past eight o¡¯clock in the evening, and he hadn¡¯t even had dinner yet?

    Judging by his attitude, does he want Reynaldo to take him to

    t

    0021

    Chapter1049

    delicious food now?

    Sure enough, Gilbert said earnestly, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, what delicious food are you nning to take me to cat today?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s face turned ck.

    ¡°It¡¯s veryte today, tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to cat again tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t had dinner yet today.¡±

    ¡°There are so many restaurants outside, and plenty of street food vendors as well. Mr. Russell condescended to just eat something casually,¡± Reynaldo was starting to get a little impatient.

    Gilbert suddenly fell silent.

    I nced at him and thought, ¡°Could this serious Gilbert also be throwing a tantrum?¡±

    However, two secondster, he said solemnly, ¡°Anything you eat casually is not delicious.¡±

    Oh, this¡­

    Gilbert was a picky eater.

    Reynaldo became visibly more impatient, as he took a slight breath and smiled at Gilbert, saying, ¡°Then you go back and wait, I¡¯ll have someone send you some delicious food.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll send my address to Ms. Duffy first.¡±

    Gilbert said, and actually took out his phone, meticulously sending me the address information.

    After sending it, he also asked me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, did you receive the

    00 2

    Chapter1049

    message?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I quickly took out my phone to check, and it was indeed a detailed address.

    I said to him, ¡°Mr. Russell, I received the message.¡±

    Gilbert looked at Reynaldo again and said, ¡°Then Mr. Humphrey, please remember to send someone to bring the food over.¡±

    Reynaldo closed his eyes and nodded slightly.

    Reynaldo nodded, and Gilbert then got up and walked out.

    After seeing off Gilbert, Reynaldo adjusted his tie, looking somewhat speechless.

    ¡°His eyes seemed to be only for food.¡±

    ¡°No, there is also the script.¡±

    I operated my phone and without lifting my head, I smiled and said a

    sentence.

    Just as he finished speaking, Reynaldo came over.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    In the course of the conversation, he nced at my phone.

    When I saw that I was forwarding Gilbert¡¯s address to Braylon, he suddenly chuckled strangely and said, ¡°You seem quite nervous about him, afraid he might go hungry.¡±

    I wordlessly poked his ehin.

    Chapter1049

    ¡°Did you have someone send him good food while you made him wait

    at home?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. So, what¡¯s the rush?¡±

    Reynaldo said, then snatched my phone, his big hand on the back of my neck, leaning in for a kiss.

    I dodged to the side and asked, ¡°Reynaldo, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It was warm.¡±

    Reynaldo said solemnly, but his hand was not serious at all as it slipped into the hem of my clothes¡­

    I shook all over and red at him angrily, ¡°Mr. Russell went back happily waiting, you quickly send someone to give him food.¡±

    00-22

 TOO Close 1050

    Reynaldo frowned unhappily and clenched his fists tightly.

    I gasped in surprise and quickly grabbed his hand.

    Heughed at me and said, ¡°He¡¯s a grown man, he won¡¯t die from missing a meal, look how worried you are.¡±

    I: ¡­

    ¡°Besides, did I ever say not to send him food?¡±

    You see how anxious you are. Just as soon as the person in front of you left, you quickly instructed Braylon.

    ¡°Are you afraid that he will be hungry for that half a second? Why have I never seen you so nervous?¡±

    Huh?

    Is this man getting jealous again?

    Realizing this, Iughed and hugged his neck, saying, ¡°Silly, I wasn¡¯t nervous about him, but Mr. Russell is so straightforward. I was afraid that if you didn¡¯t feed him, he would just wait at home.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say not to send someone to him.¡±

    Reynaldo said gloomily, ¡°He had just left, and I had someone sent to him right away. He might not have even arrived home yet.¡±

    Um.

    Reynaldo¡¯s words make sense.

    0.00<b>% </b>

    00:22

    The man looked at me gloomily and said, ¡°Look, you care about everyone else¡¯s business, except mine.¡±

    When he said this, there was a hint of grievance in his voice.

    Seeing him like this, I couldn¡¯t help but reflect on myself.

    In the past, how bad he was really made him socking in confidence and security now.

    I sighed lightly and kissed his lips, saying, ¡°Silly, you are different from them. They are just friends and colleagues, but you are my man, my husband, the one I care about the most.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me fixedly, and the dark, deep gaze suddenly became scorching, making me feel all hot and bothered.

    I instinctively pushed his chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t, it¡¯s still early.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not early.¡±

    The man hoarsely said a sentence, and then his big hand came out of my clothes, holding me and kissing me recklessly.

    These days I have been apanying Essie and Roddy, sometimes the two children even sleep with us.

    So these two days, I didn¡¯t really get close to him.

    This time, he seemed to have been holding back for a long time, and the kisses were passionate and urgent.

    No wonder in the evening, Gracie came to visit and said she wanted to take Essie and Roddy to her ce for a few days, and Reynaldo didn¡¯t object at all.

    Even after Gracie took Essie away with Roddy, he immediately took a

    00:22

    Chapter1050

    day off for Madisyn.

    It turns out he did it for the sake of convenience.

    If Gilbert hadn¡¯t suddenlye to me just now, I would have been taken to bed by him several times by now.

    In a moment of absent¨Cmindedness, my shirt had already been unbuttoned by the man, the cor slipping off my shoulders and falling to my waist.

    Reynaldo hugged me, and a passionate kiss traveled from my lips down my neck¡­

    The dense kisses spread in my heart like his gentle love, filling my heart.

    The temperature around was rising steadily.

    When the passion reached its peak, I unbuttoned his shirt and touched his abdominal muscles.

    Perhaps it was his fingernail identally scratching him.

    He grunted, with a smile in his voice, soft and numb, prating deep into one¡¯s bones.

    Reynaldo, this guy, when he gets gentle, he really can drown people.

    Just as we were getting intimate, a crisp ringtone suddenly sounded from the phone.

    In this ambiguous and enchanting atmosphere, it seemed particrly abrupt.

    I shivered all over, and my confused thoughts gradually became a little clearer.

    00221

    Chapter1050

    The phone was ringing happily next to me, it was my phone.

    Chapter1051

 TOO Close 1051

    I leaned against Reynaldo¡¯s shoulder and turned my head to see that it was Braylon calling.

    Reynaldo was not pleased with my distraction, he just kissed me on the lips as if he hadn¡¯t heard the phone ring, pinching my chin.

    I pushed his chest and dodged his kisses.

    She spoke unsteadily, ¡°Wait, wait¡­ the phone, it¡¯s Braylon calling¡­¡±

    ¡°It was no use whoever called.¡±

    The man was very domineering, pressing against my back and not allowing me to move away, his dark and intense eyes staring at me. like fire.

    He made me all hot and bothered, but the constant ringing of the phone really made it hard to focus.

    And I was afraid that Braylon was looking for me for something urgent.

    Reynaldo lit a fire on me, making me feel even more ufortable.

    I kissed his lips and coaxed him, ¡°Can I take a call first?¡±

    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment, he didn¡¯t answer me, but the fiery gaze softened slightly.

    He reached out his long arm and grabbed the phone, then pressed the speakerphone button to answer the call.

    After doing all this, he hugged me and continued to kiss me.

    00:22

    Chapter1051

    I took a deep breath.

    Why is this man in such a hurry? I just answered a phone call, it wouldn¡¯t take long.

    ¡°Mrs. Humphrey¡­¡­¡®

    Braylon¡¯s voice quickly came through from the other end of the phone.

    ¡°Was there any purpose behind the address you sent me? I waited for half a day and still didn¡¯t receive any further information from you.¡±

    I was taken aback, only then did I remember that I had just sent Gilbert¡¯s address to him, and my phone was snatched away by Reynaldo.

    Humph!

    All in all, it¡¯s all Reynaldo¡¯s fault!

    It seemed to sense my resentment.

    The man smirked and suddenly bit my lip.

    I couldn¡¯t help but hiss, ring at him angrily.

    This sound scared Braylon.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey¡­ Are you with Mr. Humphrey now? Then I¡­ I¡­.. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡®

    The next second, Reynaldo spoke indifferently, ¡°Go to the restaurant in the south of the city where we often go, pack some dishes, and deliver them to that address.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    I felt that Braylon¡¯s suspended heart finally died.

    00-22

    Chapter1051

    He just said, ¡°Okay. Mr. Humphrey, I¡¯ll go right away¡±

    Hardly had the words fallen, Braylon quickly hung up the phone.

    1 blushed and stared at the man in front of me.

    He was just solemnly instructing Braylon when his hand was still freely teasing on my waist.

    I was trying very hard to restrain myself, so as not to make a sound.

    The more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I felt.

    What kind of monster is this man after all, he simply has no shame.

    The phone was thrown away by him.

    He held my waist, rested his forehead against mine, and chuckled softly, ¡°Now that it¡¯s quiet, can we continue?¡±

    I rubbed my flushed face and red at him gloomily, ¡°Braylon must have imagined it. Can¡¯t you just let me answer the phone honestly? You really embarrass me like this.¡±

    Reynaldo kissed me and grinned mischievously, saying, ¡°How do I look?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I was so angry that I almost cried. This man is shameless, and he even pretended to be innocent.

    Just now on the phone, his hand never stayed still.

    I was so angry.

    Reynaldo simply picked me up and carried me upstairs.

    00:22

    Chapter1051

    He smiled and teased me, ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore, let¡¯s go to bed.¡±

    I turned my face away and struggled to indicate that I wanted to get down and walk by myself.

    00:22

 TOO Close 1052

    Little did I know that my struggle only made the man¡¯s body tense even

    more.

    His fiery ck eyes stared at me deeply, his voice hoarse as he chuckled, ¡°If you move again, I won¡¯t mind pushing you down the stairs¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    I quickly covered his mouth.

    This man can say anything, he has no shame, I still have face.

    Reynaldo smiled at me, his eyes full of tenderness shining like stars.

    When heid me down on the bed, I had already been kissed by him all over.

    When he gently held me, he smiled down at me and said, ¡°You, you just can¡¯t take a joke.¡±

    I waspletely speechless, gradually sinking and getting lost in his gentle love and affection.

    I don¡¯t know how long Reynaldo stayed.

    ±¸

    Later, I fell asleep, only vaguely feeling that he took me to the bathroom to take a shower after he was done.

    After getting back to bed, I fell asleep immediately.

    Reynaldo had a great demand.

    00:22

    Chapter1052

    For three consecutive days, I spent almost all my time in bed.

    I told the man to take it easy, ¡°don¡¯t hurt your back.¡±

    How did he say it?

    He said, ¡°It¡¯s rare that both children are not at home, it¡¯s rare that it¡¯s so quiet, of course he has to make the most of it.¡±

    He said, ¡°Let¡¯s have enough once,¡± but it seems like he always wants

    more.

    Every time we finished, he would still hold me tenderly in bed for a long time.

    And if I dared to say that his waist was not good, he would find ways to make trouble for me.

    These three days, I was ¡°tortured¡± by him enough, and I just wanted to sleep every day.

    That day, he was probably very busy with work at thepany and did not cuddle with me in bed.

    I half¨Copened my sore eyes and saw him tying his tie in front of the mirror.

    That being said, this man¡¯s figure was really good, and his temperament was exceptional.

    He wore a well¨Ctailored suit and shirt, looking elegant and mature.

    However, when he was dressed, he looked particrly serious and restrained.

    Taking off clothes is like going crazy.

    Chapter1052

    I turned to the side, holding the nket, and stared at him without blinking.

    I found that I really enjoyed watching him now, and it was the kind of enjoyment that I couldn¡¯t get enough of no matter how much I watched.

    He suddenly nced at me and saw that I was awake, so he couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off today. I have to go to thepany.¡±

    ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±

    These three days have been tough, I didn¡¯t have much energy to speak.

    He walked over with a smile, ruffled my hair and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try toe back early, and then take you out to y.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I held his hand weakly and said, ¡°You¡¯d bettere backter. I want to get some good sleep.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and said, ¡°I told you to exercise more, look at how weak you are¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything afterwards, but he thought it was embarrassing.

    I was speechless.

    He was too crazy, okay? No matter how much I exercised, I couldn¡¯t stand his frequent and crazy demands.

    Reynaldo smiled and kissed me on the cheek, saying, ¡°Alright, you get some rest. I¡¯lle backter, call me if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Okay, be careful on your way.¡±

    Reynaldo kissed me again and then left reluctantly

    00:22

    Chapter1052

    When he went out, he considerately drew the curtains, turned off <b>the </b>

    lights, and closed the door for me.

    00:22

 TOO Close 1053

    <b>Chapter </b>1053

    The room instantly became dark and quiet.

    I was almost about to fall asleep.

    Just as I was about to fall asleep, I suddenly remembered the three years I spent married to him.

    For a man as sexually demanding as Reynaldo, how could he resist not touching me during the three years we spent together every night in the

    same room.

    I now increasingly feel that he is a ruthless person!

    I slept deeplyst night.

    I also had a dream where I married Reynaldo. On our wedding night, I pinned him down on the bed and teased him mercilessly.

    In the dream, he looked at me pitifully and begged me to spare him with tears in his eyes.

    And in my dream, I was really mean, not only did I not let him go, but I also forced him to say a lot of embarrassing things.

    In the dream, I saw him under me with red eyes, crying, and I burst outughing.

    Just as I wasughing heartily, a loud noise suddenly sounded in my dream.

    I suddenly woke up from a beautiful dream, for a moment I thought there was an earthquake.

    00:22

    Chapter1053

    I stared nkly at the dark room, feeling a bit confused.

    Not until the loud noise came again did I realize that someone was knocking on the door downstairs.

    What kind of lunatic is this,ing to knock on my door for, no

    reason..

    I didn¡¯t even know whether it was day or night now.

    I didn¡¯t know whether the person knocking on the door was there to rob or seek revenge.

    The sound of the door being knocked made me feel a little nervous.

    I was going to call Reynaldo on the phone.

    After searching for a long time without finding my phone, I suddenly remembered thatst night he pulled me into his study twice, so my phone must have been left in his study.

    The knocking sound came one after another.

    If it weren¡¯t for the sturdy door of my house, it would probably have been crashed long ago.

    I quickly got up and turned on the light, then put on a robe and went to the window to look out.

    Fortunately, it was daytime now, and when the curtains were pulled open, the room brightened up.

    I was lying on the window and looking down carefully, and the person who knocked on the door happened to raise his head and look towards <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    The next second, I was stunned.

    00:22

    Chapter <b>1053 </b>

    286 WOU

    That person turned out to be my dad.

    My dad saw me and quickly shouted something at me.

    Because the soundproofing of the window was good, I couldn¡¯t hear clearly what he was shouting.

    From the mouth shape, it looked like it was telling me to ¡°hurry down.¡±

    I went back, quickly changed my clothes, and then went to the study to find my phone.

    I opened my phone and saw many missed calls, all from my dad.

    Then there were two more messages, sent by Reynaldo.

    I miss you so much, ¡°have you woken up?¡±

    The second one is: ¡°Whatever you want to eat, I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡±

    I was feeling happy in my heart, about to reply to him, when my dad called again.

    The phone was answered, and my dad¡¯s anxious voice instantly came through from the other end of the line.

    ¡°Ralda,e down quickly, I need to talk to you about something urgent, hurry up.¡±

    I furrowed my brows and thought to myself, ¡°Is my dad suddenly so urgent because he¡¯s at the end of his rope and nning toe to me for help to expose Kimberly¡¯s crimes?¡±

 TOO Close 1054

    Chapter1054

    Yesterday Braylon did give me a report on my dad¡¯s situation.

    The people under hismand designed to make my dad ¡°lose¡± a lot of money, and the people under hismand also acted as debt collectors,ing to my dad¡¯s door every day to threaten him.

    My dad¡¯s two mistresses also ran away.

    My dad asked Quentin and Kimberly for money but didn¡¯t get any.

    Indeed, the amount was toorge, even though Quentin wanted to help him out of some family affection, Kimberly probably wouldn¡¯t agree.

    The situation my father is in now is like ¡°being abandoned by the crowd and having nowhere to go.¡±

    My dad was still urging me toe down on the phone.

    I asked indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Just say it over the phone.¡±

    My father clicked his tongue and urged, ¡°You can¡¯t make it clear over the phone, Ralda. Hurry down, I¡¯m really getting anxious. If you don¡¯te down soon, I might not be able to hold on.¡±

    Listening to his voice, it did sound like he was on the verge of tears.

    I said lightly, ¡°Okay, you wait down here for a while.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hurry up, or those debt collectors will chop me into five pieces.¡±

    ¡°You deserved it when you were dismembered by five horses,¡± I said tly.

    00:22

    Chapter1054

    Before he could me me, I just hung up the phone directly.

    Although my dad came to stay with me this time, there is a high probability that he will help me expose Kimberly¡¯s wrongdoing.

    But I still felt that everything was going too smoothly, just like when my mom found a kidney source back then, smoothly enough to make me feel uneasy.

    So in order to prevent him from going back on his wordter, before going down, I deliberately turned on the recording on my phone.

    As soon as I pushed open the door, my dad hurriedly came up to greet <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    ¡°Ralda, you finally agreed toe and see me.¡±

    I nced at the imprint on the door and sneered at him, ¡°Dad,e to think of it, this the Duffy¡¯s vi has been passed down to us from our ancestors, the Duffy family. You almost took off this gate today. How can you let my grandfather rest in peace underground?¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    My father obviously did not like hearing these words, and his brow instantly furrowed.

    He said, ¡°Ralda, am I really your father? Do you really want to humiliate your father like this?¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m just temporarily down on my luck, it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t have the chance to make aeback. When I make big money, I will definitely buy back this vi.¡±

    I pulled my lips and said, ¡°Stop dreaming, get to the point, what do you want from me?¡±

    Chapter1054

    When I asked this, my father immediately looked at me with a pitiful expression.

    ¡°Ralda, can you lend me some money?¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me for money, go find Quentin and Kimberly.¡±

    Don¡¯t forget, when you helped Kimberly smear me four years ago, I was no longer your daughter.

    ¡°So, borrowing money, don¡¯te to me!¡±

    ¡°It was not my choice.¡±

    My heart trembled, and I unconsciously clenched my phone.

    My dad didn¡¯t deny it this time, as he had done several times before.

    Did he really fall out with Kimberly and Quentin?

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I just looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

    He sighed and said somewhat regretfully, ¡°I had no choice at that time. I was in desperate need of money, and the woman Kimberly arranged to be by my side was also scheming.¡±

    00:221

 TOO Close 1055

    I had several dark secrets in that woman¡¯s hands, Kimberly teamed up with that woman to threaten me, so I had no choice but to nder you.

    Actually, I was also feeling extremely upset inside. For those four years, you were driven out of Freybourne by Reynaldo. Did you think my heart was any better?

    ¡°I used to live in guilt every day, feeling ufortable, so I could only go to the cemetery to talk to your mother.¡±

    He said, and even wiped away tears with a touch of sadness.

    I looked at him indifferently, never believing that he had any remorse for ndering me four years ago.

    His image as a kind father had long copsed in my heart.

    Now standing in front of me is just a stranger who is rted to me by blood.

    At this moment, he spoke so sincerely, but it was just to move me, to borrow money from me.

    Sure enough, the next second, he grabbed my hand and anxiously said, ¡°Ralda, please, can you lend me three billion? Otherwise, those debt collectors wille after me.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°I said, go find Quentin and Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t even mention that white¨Ceyed wolf Quentin, he listens to everything Kimberly says now. Kimberly doesn¡¯t allow him to give me any money, so he really doesn¡¯t give me a penny.¡±

    00:23

    Chapter1055

    And Kimberly, I threatened her with something that happened four years ago, but she wasn¡¯t scared at all.

    She said confidently, ¡°No matter how I am ndered, saying that I am now at the end of my rope, saying that I am a universally despised rat in the street, no one will believe me.¡±

    Ralda, I really have no way out now, so I can onlye to beg you.

    Didn¡¯t you make a lot of money writing scripts? And isn¡¯t Reynaldo also very wealthy?

    Whether it¡¯s from you or from Reynaldo, you quickly get me three billion, okay? Even if I beg you, Ralda¡­

    I carefully watched my father¡¯s expression.

    His anxious and fearful look did not seem like an act.

    And during this time, he did look quite haggard.

    It seems that he really had a falling out with Quentin and Kimberly.

    I said to him lightly, ¡°So are you willing to expose Kimberly¡¯s crimes in front of Reynaldo and clear my name?¡±

    ¡°As long as you are willing to lend me money, what¡¯s so difficult about it?¡±

    ¡°But you have to make sure Reynaldo won¡¯te after me, after all, four years ago I ndered you and deceived him.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    So, my dad has never dared to tell the truth from four years ago, is he afraid that Reynaldo wille looking for trouble with him?

    Chapter1055

    Just as I was thinking, my phone suddenly rang

    I nced down and saw that it was Braylon calling.

    The phone was answered, and Braylon¡¯s voice came through quickly

    ¡°Mrs. Humphrey, didn¡¯t you ask me to have someone guarding around that house before?¡±

    My heart skipped a beat, was there a new discovery on Kimberly and Zackery¡¯s end?

    Braylon continued, ¡°Just now, someone under mymand informed me that they saw Ms. Palmer go to that house, so I quickly notified you.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I was suddenly struck.

    As long as I quickly took Quentin to ¡°catch them in the act¡°, Quentin would definitely be disappointed with Kimberly.

    By then, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be ¡°protecting Kimberly¡± like that

    anymore.

    With my dad and Quentin testifying, Reynaldo would definitely believe that four years ago, I really had nothing to do with his mother¡¯s death.

    Although he said he believes me now.

 TOO Close 1056

    But in the end, the truth from four years ago must bepletely revealed, so there will be no resentment between him and me

    This way our rtionship will be more stable and canst longer.

    And, at that time, my mother¡¯s death was orchestrated by Zackery and Kimberly, with Zackery abusing a lot of medical authority to help Kimberly.

    Afterwards, he escaped the me by the surgical error, only losing his future and some money.

    So if this time we can catch him in the act with Kimberly, we can also uncover the truth about my mother¡¯s death four years ago, and force him to hand over the evidence of Kimberly¡¯s wrongdoing back then.

    By then, both of them could be sent in!

    Thinking that the injustice of these four years can finally be cleared, thinking that I can finally avenge my mother, a touch of excitement rose in my heart.

    Afraid of missing this opportunity, I quickly took my dad to find Quentin.

    At this time, Quentin was in thepany, perhaps because he had been constantly keeping an eye on Kimberly these days, not very busy with official business, so he was now busy and overwhelmed.

    But when he saw me, he patiently smiled and asked, ¡°Ralda, why did youe to mypany? Is there something you need from me?¡±

    0.00%

    00:23

    Chapter1056

    My father followed in behind.

    As soon as he saw my dad, his face darkened.

    Before I could even speak, he said to me, ¡°Ralda, has hee to you again, crying and pretending to be pitiful?¡±

    My father frowned and was about to speak.

    Quentin suddenly red at him and pulled me aside, saying, ¡°Raida, listen to me, he is just a bottomless pit, don¡¯t worry about him, leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡± my dad yelled angrily, ¡°I am your father, how dare you speak to me like that?!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Quentin was about to speak, and I impatiently interrupted him.

    Quentin pursed his lips and looked at me with aplex expression on his face.

    I didn¡¯t have time to listen to their argument, so I said to him lightly, ¡°Youe with me to a ce now.¡±

    Quentin furrowed his brows in confusion, ¡°Where to? I still have a lot of official business to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions. If you still have a little bit of sibling affection, you should hurry up and follow me.¡±

    Quentin smiled at me helplessly and said, ¡°Where are we going after all? I¡¯m really busy, I have a meeting to attendter.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Fine, it seems like there is really no brother¨Csister

    rtionship left in your heart¡­¡±

    26.528

    00:23

    Chapter1056

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    Quentin looked at me helplessly.

    I turned around as if to leave, and he quickly grabbed me, saying, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have my assistant reschedule the meeting, and I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Kimberly was very clever. In order to prevent these two people from telling Kimberly anything halfway, I confiscated their phones.

    Quentin was very helpless andughed, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing, all mysterious.¡±

    My father was surprisingly quiet.

    Before heading to the house, I instructed Braylon to bring Reynaldo along as well.

    My dad sat in the back row with Quentin.

    Quentin was still full of doubts and asked my father, ¡°Where is Ralda taking us?¡±

    My dad was still ming him for not giving money to himself, and he hummed in a not very good tone, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there, why ask so many questions?!¡±

    Quentin sighed and didn¡¯t ask any more questions.

    I nced in the rearview mirror and saw that the faces of the father and son didn¡¯t look very good.

    0023

    Chapter1057

 TOO Close 1057

    Chapter1057

    I asked Quentin, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Kimberly for a few days, she got bitten by a snake, is she okay?¡±

    ¡°Can you

    believe you

    sarcasm in his tone.

    still care about her?¡± Quentin said, with a hint of

    I sneered, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, I just wanted to know if she was dead.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    Look, as soon as I mentioned something bad about Kimberly, his expression changed.

    I sneered and chuckled, ¡°She was so fragile, bitten by a snake, and you didn¡¯t even stay with her in the hospital all the time. You¡¯re not doing a good job as apdog.¡±

    The words ¡°licking dog¡± seemed to trigger Quentin.

    He said in a bad tone, ¡°Can you stop always saying that about me? We are in love with each other. I love her, and she loves me. How am I apdog?¡±

    Upon hearing what he said, Iughed directly.¡±

    He was really looking forward to seeing the woman rolling around with Zackeryter, and what expression he would have.

    Quentin paused for two seconds, then said, ¡°Kimberly saw me staying at the hospital day and night these days, looking much thinner, so she asked me toe back and rest for two days. I happened toe to thepany to deal with some business.¡±

    0.00%

    00:23

    Chapter1057

    17205 MOURNE

    She was not as you said, ¡°emotionless towards me¡°, she still cared for <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    ¡°I went to the hospital to see herter.¡±

    I pursed my lips, ¡°Quentin really is a sentimental fool.¡±

    What can be certain is that Quentin thought Kimberly was still in the hospital.

    In the rearview mirror, my dad suddenly nced at Quentin, a fleeting look ofplexity shing across his face.

    I furrowed my brows.

    What did my dad¡¯s expression mean?

    Did my dad also know that Kimberly was just ying with Quentin?

    But since he knew, why had he never tried to stop Quentin from being with Kimberly?

    Moreover, my dad was extremely disgusted with Kimberly at first because he believed that Kimberly had ruined my marriage with Reynaldo.

    I remember at the beginning, he even went to Reynaldo¡¯spany to see Kimberly.

    Butter, he ended up protecting Kimberly just like Quentin did.

    This is very suspicious.

    If Quentin protected Kimberly because he was blinded by love.

    Why was my dad protecting Kimberly?

    If it¡¯s because of money, Reynaldo is richer than Kimberly and

    00.23

    Quentin. Isn¡¯t it better to rely on this son¨Cinw than to rely on Kimberly and Quentin?

    But he chose to side with Kimberly and nder me.

    This is very strange.

    Unless my dad had some unspeakable secret caught by Kimberly in his hands.

    After much thought, what secrets could he have that he couldn¡¯t tell?

    After all, his bankruptcy, gambling, and keeping a mistress, these are not secrets, are they?

    The car soon arrived near the house.

    I had just arrived when Reynaldo also arrived.

    When Reynaldo saw me, a touch of tenderness flickered in his eyes.

    He ruffled my hair and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted toe back and be with you, but I was afraid of waking you up. Braylon said you were waiting for me here, so I immediately put down what I was doing and came to find you.¡±

    It was rare that Reynaldo would exin so much to me.

    I smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you ask me why I called

    you here.¡±

    Reynaldoughed and said, ¡°You called me, there must be a reason, you wouldn¡¯t harm me after all, right?¡±

    Hearing him say this, my heart warmed.

    It feels really good to be trusted by others.

    When Reynaldo arrived, Quentin¡¯s face became even more serious.

 TOO Close 1058

    <b>Chapter </b>1058

    He might have guessed that this had something to do with Kimberly, and he was all tense, constantly pulling me and asking what I was going to do, making it all so mysterious.

    I didn¡¯t want to say more to him, and he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t go with you.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it and had to blurt out, ¡°I saw Kimberly sneaking around herest time, having an affair with Zackery¡­¡±

    ¡°How is this possible?!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Quentin jumped up angrily and said, ¡°I know you¡¯ve never liked Kimberly, but you really don¡¯t need to nder her like this!¡±

    1

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I just showed him the picture I took of Kimberly walking into this roomst time.

    Quentin looked and still couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°This photo doesn¡¯t mean anything, maybe she came here for some reason.

    I snorted coldly.

    Quentin really didn¡¯t shed a tear until he saw the coffin.

    At this time, Braylon¡¯s men also came over to join.

    Braylon¡¯s men had been watching around here.

    They said, ¡°After Kimberly went in, she never came out.¡±

    When they mentioned Kimberly, Quentin¡¯s facepletely changed.

    00-231

    <b>Chapter1058 </b>

    He said, ¡°What do you mean? Monitoring Kimberly?¡±

    I sneered at him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your Kimberly was in the hospital? If she¡¯s only here to do something, why would she deceive you?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s brow furrowed deeply.

    I think at that moment, he ¡°was starting to believe my words a little bit, but still unwilling to fully believe.¡±

    He asked me for the phone: ¡°You give me back the phone first, I¡¯ll call and ask her.¡±

    See, I was worried about this situation.

    Whenever he made that phone call, why would I still catch him cheating?

    I sneered at him, ¡°We¡¯re already at the door, why don¡¯t youe in with me and see for yourself? Or are you really afraid of seeing some images you don¡¯t want to see, Quentin?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    Quentin impatiently said to me, ¡°Kimberlying here must have some business to attend to, it¡¯s not right to have someone monitor her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, even if I¡¯m not right.¡±

    I sneered at him, ¡°And even if you don¡¯t believe what I¡¯m saying, aren¡¯t you curious about why she came over quietly three or five times, what she was doing, who she was seeing?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face was dark and tense.

    He said, ¡°Anyway, no matter what, I absolutely would not believe that Kimberly would betray me.¡±

    * SER

    00:23 00

    Chapter1058

    ¡°Oh, since you trust her so much, why are you still afraid toe <b>in </b>with me and take a look?¡±

    Quentin opened his mouth, suddenly seeming powerless to argue,

    Reynaldo said lightly, ¡°Just go in and see for yourself.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Exactly! To be honest, you are just a coward, full of doubts but too afraid to confirm them.¡±

    Quentin held the hand by his side tightly, without saying a word.

    I sneered, ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to go in, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll go in and take a look, then we¡¯ll take pictures of the results to show you.¡±

    After saying that, I walked into the room with Reynaldo.

    Quentin suddenly grabbed me.

    He said with aplicated expression, ¡°I¡­I will go in with you.¡±

    However, just as we reached the door of that room, my dad suddenly grabbed me again.

    I frowned at him and asked, ¡°What? Do you have something on your mind again?¡±

    Aplex expression quickly shed across my dad¡¯s face, which I couldn¡¯t understand.

    I felt a sudden thud in my heart, as if something was not quite right.

    00.23

 TOO Close 1059

    But they had already arrived here, even though they couldn¡¯t sessfully capture the scene of Kimberly and Zackery being together.

    But I have already recorded all the things my dad said when he asked me for money just now.

    Reynaldo would believe me after listening to that recording.

    And Reynaldo is right beside me now, no matter what happenster, we can face it together, can¡¯t we?

    Thinking of this, the uneasiness in my heart dissipated slightly.

    I asked my dad, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s up?¡±

    My father shook his head and smiled somewhat strangely, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­ I just wanted to ask you about the money¡­¡±

    ¡°As long as the truth from four years agoes to light, money will naturally not becking for you.¡±

    After saying that, I pushed away his hand and walked towards the room with Quentin, who had a serious and tense expression on his face.

    ording to my previous observation, there was no one in the room except for a woman in her fifties.

    And the front room was just for show, all the secrets were in the back

    room.

    I took Reynaldo, and my dad and Quentin went straight to the bac

    600%

    00:231

    Chapter1050

    room.

    I looked around the room and the woman seemed to be gone.

    To avoid disturbing Kimberly, I asked my dad to keep quiet as much as possible with Quentin.

    They both cooperated with me quite well.

    From the first to the second floor.

    I heard a woman¡¯s scream, which even had a hint of panting.

    And it was Kimberly¡¯s voice that could be heard.

    I was startled and looked at Quentin beside me.

    Quentin¡¯s face changed immediately.

    He walked towards the room where the sound wasing from, his face filled with disbelief.

    I nced at Reynaldo and quickly followed him.

    Arriving at the door of the room, the enticing sound that could make one¡¯s mind wander became even clearer.

    ¡°Ah¡­ gently¡­¡±

    With a light chuckle, it sounded so embarrassing and heart¨Cpounding.

    I looked at Quentin again.

    He could be seen tremblingly holding onto the door handle, standing still as if he had lost his soul.

    I looked at my dad again.

    00:23 m)

    My father¡¯s face looked a bit unnatural, with a hint of <bplexity </b><b>and </b>embarrassment.

    As for Reynaldo, he always had a nk expression.

    I was a bit skeptical, if he saw the ¡°Spring Pce¡±ter, I doubt he would show any expression.

    ¡°Ouch, it hurts¡­slow down¡­¡±

    An indescribable gasp was heard again.

    A sh of indignation quickly crossed Quentin¡¯s face, and he finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer as he twisted¨Copen the door handle.

    ¡°What are you two lovebirds doing?!¡±

    The moment the door was mmed open, Quentin yelled inside in anger and sorrow.

    However, the next second, he stood still in ce.

    Not only him, but I also stood still in the same ce.

    I thought I would see the same/scene asst time, seeing her ¡°cuddling¡± with Zackery in bed.

    But this time itpletely caught me off guard.

    Kimberly was lying on the bed with her clothes half off, and the person

    in bed with her was not Zackery, but a woman in her fifties.

    The woman knelt neatly beside Kimberly, with essential oils and incense burning nearby.

    It was obvious that this was a scene of a woman giving Kimberly a

    massage.

    00.221

    Chapter1059

    Seeing someone break in, Kimberly immediately looked terrified <b>and </b>pulled the nket to cover her almost bare back.

    The woman looked surprised and asked us, ¡°Who are you? How can you just barge into someone else¡¯s house?¡±

    After the woman finished speaking, she suddenly saw Reynaldo again, her eyes immediately turning red, with a hint of tears welling up, ¡°Young master?¡±

    Chapter1060

 TOO Close 1060

    I furrowed my brows and looked at Reynaldo in confusion.

    How?

    Did this aunt know Reynaldo?

    Reynaldo was also shocked to see that woman.

    He shouted at the woman, ¡°Le.¡±

    I became even more puzzled in my heart, what is the rtionship between this woman and Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo seemed to be quite respectful to this woman.

    Before I could even figure it out, Kimberly¡¯s voice, full of grievances and sadness, suddenly sounded.

    ¡°Quentin, why did youe, what do you want to do?¡±

    I frowned and saw Kimberly staring at Quentin with a look of tears andints.

    Quentin felt sorry for her at the sight of her like this, with a look of guilt even on his face.

    Before Quentin could speak, Kimberly said, ¡°Are you suspecting me of fooling around outside, or are you monitoring me?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Quentin quickly interjected.

    Kimberly smiled wryly and said, ¡°You still want to deceive me, I know exactly the indignant expression you had when you barged in just

    0.00%

    <b>00:24 </b>

    now.¡±

    In the end, you just didn¡¯t trust me.

    I was still feeling sorry for you taking care of me every day, feeling too tired, letting you go home and rest, but I didn¡¯t expect you to doubt me like this!

    Quentin, you really disappointed me so much, you hurt my heart too much,¡±

    Kimberly said, tears streaming down her face, looking very aggrieved.

    Quentin waspletely furious.

    Rushing over in a panic, I exined, ¡°Kimberly, it¡¯s not like that. I didn¡¯t doubt you.¡±

    ¡°It was Ralda, it was Ralda who misunderstood, it was all a misunderstanding, don¡¯t be sad, don¡¯t be angry with me.¡±

    Kimberly looked at me immediately after hearing that.

    ¡°It turns out to be Ralda.¡±

    Her face was full of tears, looking extremely aggrieved, as if I had bullied her.

    ¡°I know you have never liked me, but you really didn¡¯t need to bring so many people here to ¡®catch us in the act.¡±

    You might as well hire two people to bully me and film the process to show Quentin.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a more direct way to nder me for betraying Quentin?¡±

    I stared at her deeply and sarcastically said, ¡°Where do I have your

    deep scheming and meticulous thoughts? Look at you, you can <b>carry </b>on an affair so seamlessly, I admire you, who else should I admire?¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Quentin suddenly growled at me.

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow and pulled me behind him.

    He looked at Quentin coldly and said, ¡°Watch your tone.¡±

    At this moment, Kimberly suddenly started crying sadly.

    ¡°I know all of you were protecting her, but what did I do wrong?¡±

    The only thing I did wrong was to ¡°follow my father¡¯s arrangement and pretend to be sick.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wearing this for over twenty years, do you think I¡¯m not ufortable?¡±

    Kimberly said, covering her face with sadness, tears streaming through her fingers.

    At that moment, I really had to admire her acting skills.

    Awesome!

    Quentin was heartbroken, sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching through the covers to gently stroke her back, repeatedly saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± under his breath.

    Kimberly choked up and continued, ¡°So many times I wanted to confess to you guys about faking sick, but I was too scared. I was afraid you would all hate me.¡±

    Actually, my dad was not wrong, he was just afraid that I would have

    00.24

    Chapter1060

    no one to take care of me.

    Originally his body was very healthy, enough to raise me well, but he fell in love with Mika, not only giving her a kidney, but also being harmed by Mika¡¯s ex¨Chusband¡­¡±

    When Kimberly said this, I saw Reynaldo¡¯s body tremble slightly.

 TOO Close 1061

    I knew, his guilt towards Theodore resurfaced.

    No matter what kind of person Kimberly was, and no matter whether Theodore was right or wrong, but Theodore gave his kidney to Mika, and waster harmed by Ronan, leading to a deteriorating condition until his death, this is a fact.

    The kindness of the dead has always been the hardest to repay.

    I couldn¡¯t help but reach out and shake Reynaldo¡¯s hand.

    Reynaldo nced at me slightly.

    Seemingly afraid that I would worry, he smiled at me, but the smile seemed a bit forced.

    Over there, Kimberly was already crying so hard that she was out of breath.

    The speech was intermittent.

    ¡°Actually, Mika was not wrong. My dad¡­ ?my dad was not wrong either. Their genuine love for each other was not wrong. The mistake was that I became a burden to my dad.¡±

    In order to have someone to rely on and be better taken care of by you, he had toe up with the trick of pretending that I was sick.

    Actually, I felt really bad in my heart, living in guilt every day¡­

    ¡°Oh, really? Are you still feeling guilty?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear to listen anymore and couldn¡¯t help but sneer at her ¡°If

    you really felt guilty, you wouldn¡¯t keep pretending to be sick in front of Reynaldo time and time again.¡±

    The trouble you brought upon yourself, don¡¯t me everything on your father. If your father knew you were shifting the me onto him like this, he would be so angry that he would climb out of his coffin.

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Quentin suddenly growled at me, but I ignored him and sneered at Kimberly, ¡°Besides, are we going to investigate your pretending to be sick now? Stop pretending to be pitiful here and change the subject.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can cover up the fact that you cheated on Zackery by deliberately creating this scene of essential oil massage?¡±

    ¡°Enough, Ralda!¡± Quentin said to me angrily, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, please stop defaming her, okay?¡±

    ¡°He¡­hehe¡­ndering her?¡±

    I sneered coldly, mocking bitterly in my heart.

    Quentin trusted Kimberly extremely.

    At this moment, Kimberly suddenly sat up with the nket wrapped around her.

    Her tears fell down ¡°pitter¨Cpatter¡°.

    Honestly, if I didn¡¯t know her true character, I would have been deceived by her pitiful appearance.

    She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, ¡°Ralda, I really don¡¯t know why you always seem to be hostile towards me.¡±

    You first had your best friend help you by acting in a movie to attack

    me, then you let a snake bite me, and now you are even falsely using me of having an affair with another man.

    I know you hated me for taking Quentin away, but you didn¡¯t have to resort to such despicable means to separate me from Quentin.

    ¡°As long as you say the word, I will leave Quentin¡¯s, why do you have to be like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Kimberly!¡±

    Upon hearing Kimberly say she wanted to leave him, Quentin panicked immediately, grabbing her shoulders and urgently saying, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I won¡¯t allow you to leave me.

    Kimberly looked at him with pain on her face and said, ¡°I know, actually you don¡¯t really love me, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have followed Ralda to ¡®catch us in the act¡®.¡±

    I really didn¡¯t expect that you would be so suspicious of me.

    Quentin¡­¡­

    Kimberly said, covering her chest as if in extreme sorrow.

    I sneered in my heart, ¡°She must be pretending to be sick as a habit.¡±

    She cried to Quentin with a face full of disappointment and sorrow, ¡°After being with you, my heart and eyes were full of you, but you actually¡­¡±

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    Chapter1062

    ¡°Go away, I don¡¯t want to see you again,¡± she said.

    Quentin was really panicked, he suddenly red at me, his eyes ring red as he shouted at me, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! I told you Kimberly would never betray me, but you had to pull this stunt. Are you trying to kill me or what?¡±

    I stared at him expressionlessly, with nothing in my heart but

    sarcasm.

    Quentin finished yelling at me, then quickly went to appease Kimberly.

    Hooked at Kimberly coldly, a hint of doubt shing through my

    mind.

    Based on Kimberly¡¯s sneaky behaviorst time she came here to have an affair with Zackery, she definitely didn¡¯te here for a massage.

    That is to say, the scene of this massage was deliberately arranged for Quentin and me to see.

    So the question is, how did she know that I would bring Quentin to catch the affair?

    Did she already realize that I had people watching her around here?

    No way, Braylon told me that the people he sent to guard here are the most steady and have the highest surveince skills

    <b>Chapter1062 </b>

    under hismand, and they are all stationed <b>one </b><b>kilometer </b>away from here, observing with binocrs.

    In theory, Kimberly couldn¡¯t have found it, right?

    And there was this woman, who actually knew Reynaldo, so her appearance here was definitely not a coincidence.

    Thinking deeper, ¡°this woman was herest time.¡±

    So, Kimberly may have already nned everything.

    It can even be said that the scene of ¡°catching adultery¡± today was deliberately set up by her to lure me here.

    Thinking of this, a chill ran down my spine.

    The cunning of this woman was truly deeper and more intricate than I had imagined.

    At that moment, the woman suddenly spoke as well.

    ¡°Kimberly has beening to me for massages frequentlytely, she says my technique is good.¡±

    I also don¡¯t know why this youngdy wanted to nder Kimberly. She camest time and said she was selling insurance.

    This time she came again, and brought all of you along. In my opinion, she seemed to be looking for an opportunity to harm Kimberly.

    I furrowed my brows and walked up to the woman with a cold expression on my face.

    08:46

    Chapter1062

    1280 vouchery

    Seeing me approaching with an unfriendly expression, the woman couldn¡¯t help but take two steps back, and asked with some fear, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    She didn¡¯t even wait for me to speak.

    Reynaldo suddenly walked over, put his arm around my shoulder, and called out to me in a low voice, ¡°Esmeralda.¡±

    I blinked and looked up at him.

    He shook his head at me, as if asking me not to make things difficult for the woman.

    I almost forgot, Reynaldo was quite respectful when he saw this woman just now.

    That is to say, this woman has some connection with Reynaldo, perhaps she is also one of Reynaldo¡¯s benefactors.

    Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a little annoyed.

    The viin was not caught, and now there is another person supporting Kimberly, who is likely Reynaldo¡¯s benefactor.

    Reynaldo touched my hand and held it tightly.

    He asked the woman, ¡°Le, weren¡¯t you in the countryside? When did youe over?¡±

    <i>? </i>

    The one called Le said, ¡°It was Kimberly who brought me here. She saw me all alone and helpless in the countryside she brought me here to enjoy a better life.¡±

    I was a little embarrassed at first, and she said, ¡°Then schedule a massage therapy session for her. You know, I used to work as

    08:47

    Chapter1062

    a masseuse in the vige.¡±

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    Chapter1063

    Kimberly looked at Reynaldo and choked out, ¡°Ms. Versta used to be very close with Le, and I saw that Le was struggling in the vige, so I brought her here.¡±

    Since Ms. Versta left, I often think of her in my heart, but there is no one to confide in.

    So I often ran to Le¡¯s ce, Le, like me, missed Ms. Versta very much. We often mentioned Ms. Versta, talking about the past, and then we hugged each other and cried.

    Reynaldo, I really miss Ms. Versta so much¡­¡±

    When Kimberly said these words, the woman named Le also wiped away her tears.

    What a sorrowful look of mourning for the deceased.

    But I was clear in my heart that their words and tears were all just an act.

    That time, I clearly saw Kimberly and Zackery rolling on the bed with Le giving them cover.

    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t capture the videost time, so this time I can only let them argue cunningly, which is really annoying!

    Le suddenly looked at Reynaldo, her face full of sauness, ¡°Reynaldo, it was Kimberly who told me, that¡¯s how I found out about your mother.¡±

    08:47

    1 288 Noveler

    When you took her away from the vige, she was still fine.

    ¡°And besides, Theodore also gave her a kidney back then, how could she just say no and that¡¯s it?¡±

    Le said, tears streaming down her face.

    His acting skills were really on par with that of Kimberly.

    Reynaldo did not speak, but his body was tense, and the hand he was holding mine with tightened slightly.

    Le wiped away her tears and said, ¡°That day, Kimberly took me to see your mother. I saw the photo on the tombstone, and the tears just wouldn¡¯t stop.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, how could someone as good as your mother be gone?¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and said softly, ¡°Things havee to this point, Le, don¡¯t be too sad.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Le sighed and then said cautiously, ¡°I also heard that your mother¡¯s death was suspicious, that someone secretly stole your mother¡¯s kidney to save their own mother.¡±

    Reynaldo, who is that person, why is she so mean, so selfish¡­

    When Le mentioned this, Kimberly still looked taboo and shouted at her, ¡°Le, please stop, Reynaldo is the one who harmed Ms. Versta¡­¡±

    Kimberly paused intentionally at this point and then nced at me with a meaningful look.

    I couldn¡¯t bear watching them act like this anymore.

    ???? ?????????????? ?????

    Chapter1063

    Kimberly brought this Le over, with only two purposes in mind.

    One is to use Le to express his ¡°longing¡± for Mika in front of Reynaldo.

    Secondly, through the mouth of Le, once again attributed Mika¡¯s death to me.

    Others talking about these things in front of Reynaldo may not have much effect, but when a close friend of Mika talks to him about them, it¡¯spletely different.

    I looked at Kimberly coldly and asked directly, ¡°Are you trying to say that I am the one who killed Ms. Versta?¡±

    Kimberly looked sad and said to me, ¡°Ralda, we all know that you were also desperate to save your mother at that time. Since Reynaldo has chosen to forgive you, we certainly won¡¯t me you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Just, please go and confess to Ms. Versta in the future, I believe she will forgive you¡­¡±

    ¡°You farted!¡±

    Without waiting for her to finish, I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and muttered, ¡°Enough.¡±

    Kimberly furrowed her brow, as if she found my words coarse.

    I snapped at her coldly, ¡°Everyone knows who killed Ms. Versta in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that everyone is protecting you, covering up for you, so you can deceive everyone?¡±

    08:47

 TOO Close 1064

    Chapter1064

    Kimberly immediately looked at me with an innocent look and said, ¡°Ralda, what are you talking about? It¡¯s been so long, do you still want to me me for everything?¡±

    I ignored her and just took out my phone to y the recording I made today.

    In the quiet room, only my father¡¯s voice suddenly came out from the phone.

    I had to frame you, I had no choice¡­

    I was short of money, and the woman next to Dad arranged by Kimberly had my handle. I really had no choice but to help her frame you¡­

    ***

    The most surprised person after listening to this recording was Quentin.

    He looked at my dad almost incredulously.

    My heart grew cold to the extreme.

    He refused to help me rify, that¡¯s fine, but howe he doesn¡¯t allow my dad to help me rify?

    I nced at Reynaldo again, but his face was surprisingly calm.

    I also don¡¯t know what he thought when he listened to that

    08:47

    Chapter1064

    recording, and I don¡¯t know whether he believed it or not.

    This was not the time to ask him.

    Since the issue has been brought up again, let¡¯s confront Kimberly directly.

    I quickly looked at Kimberly.

    At this moment, Kimberly pulled the quilt tightly around her, and a hint of panic seemed to sh across her tear¨Cstained face.

    She looked at my father pitifully and said, ¡°Mr. Duffy, what nonsense are you talking about? When did I ask you to nder Ralda?¡±

    I knew this woman would quibble.

    I sneered at Quentin beside her, ¡°Look, even my dad has a conscience now, starting to testify for me. Howe you, as my brother, are suddenly silent?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and looked at me with aplex expression, saying, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±

    ¡°To be honest!¡± I said word by word, coldly.

    Kimberly innocently started to cry again, ¡°Ralda, you bought off Mr. Duffy with money, and now you want to use family ties to manipte Quentin?¡±

    ¡°You stop pretending in front of me!¡±

    Seeing her pretending to be so innocent, I felt disgusted to the

    core.

    ????? ? ??????

    08:47

    Chapter1064

    288 <b>Vunchers </b>

    I coldly said, ¡°Four years ago, didn¡¯t you hire someone to seduce my father, leading to his downfall? Didn¡¯t <i>you </i>seduce Quentin, causing him to¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, Ralda!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when my dad suddenly grabbed my

    arm.

    I furrowed my brows, turned around and saw my dad looking at me with aplicated expression on his face.

    Theplexity of this is exactly the same as theplexity when he grabbed me at the door just now.

    My heart suddenly skipped a beat, a bad premonition instantly surged in my mind.

    I stared at him coldly and asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±

    My father hardly dared to look me in the eye.

    But his words were particrly precise and smooth, as if they had been arranged in advance.

    He said, ¡°Ralda, I have thought about it and I believe that people should not speak or act against their conscience.¡±

    I sneered and said, ¡°So, what do you want to say?¡±

    My father even pretended to sigh and said, ¡°Actually, I know that it was the person you hired who tempted me to gamble,

    deliberately causing me to lose so much money, and  ?orcing me to be at the mercy of debt collectors.¡±

    I frowned deeply.

    19.47

    Chapter1064

    How could he have known this?

    In theory, Braylon was Reynaldo¡¯s chief assistant and had been following Reynaldo for so many years, his loyalty to Reynaldo should be beyond doubt.

    Secondly, Braylon must have had abilities as well.

    I had dealt with Braylon a few times, ¡°he was meticulous and efficient.¡±

    no 17

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    Chapter1065

    So in my dad¡¯s case, he shouldn¡¯t have been found out by Kimberly.

    So, where did the problem arise?

    I carefully went over my n from beginning to end.

    The more I thought, the heavier my heart sank.

    I suddenly remembered the time when my dad came to me asking for money after the recorder I had ced in Kimberly¡¯s room was found.

    If that time, it was Kimberly who arranged for him toe over.

    It was Kimberly who deliberately let him tell me that the recorder had been found, and it was Kimberly who deliberately let my dade to me andin, saying that she and Quentin both ignored him.

    Then I mistakenly thought that he was about to fall out with Kimberly, and mistakenly believed that as long as I pushed him a little harder, he wouldpletely break with Kimberly ande to me to expose Kimberly.

    If that¡¯s the case, then I probably fell into the trap set by Kimberly since the first time my dad came to ask me for money.

    Neither Kimberly nor Quentin cared about my dad a..ymore.

    My dad was going to ¡°fall out¡± with Kimberly.

    Chapter1065

    1721 vouco

    All of these were illusions deliberately revealed to me by my father.

    Thinking of this, I once again experienced the terror of Kimberly.

    Her terror was never about being outwardly gentle but inwardly malicious.

    But it was her deep cunning since childhood.

    I underestimated her after all.

    A person who has been so calcting since childhood, as they grow up, that calction will only be deeper and more terrifying.

    My dad was still talking, and even pretended to look sad.

    ¡°You hired someone to force me into a corner, just to make me cooperate with you to finish this recording, right?¡±

    Actually, you are my own daughter, so naturally I wouldn¡¯t me you for designing me like this, and I even went along with you to record this audio, ignoring my conscience.

    But seeing Kimberly being wrongly used by you like this, I still feel guilty in my heart after all.

    I am a middle¨Caged person, and I don¡¯t want to be condemned by my conscience when I die.¡±

    Listening to my father¡¯s words, I uncontrobly burst intoughter,ughing sarcastically to the extreme.

    I looked at him and said softly, ¡°Are you the kind of person who still has a conscience?¡±

    08:47 1

    Chapter1065

    ¡°Tsk, Ralda, how did you be like this?¡±

    My dad frowned and looked at me with disappointment, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Kimberly, but she is Quentin¡¯s fiancee after all, your future sister¨Cinw.¡±

    You designed me, forced me to cooperate with you to record this voice message, and now you even dare to nder her for cheating on Quentin behind his back.

    ¡°What are you doing? Do you have to break up with her and Quentin before you are willing to ept it?¡±

    I always smiled and looked at Quentin.

    I said to Quentin, ¡°Did you hear what Dad just said? So, you really have nothing to say?¡±

    Quentin was still sitting next to Kimberly.

    The hand beside him tightly grasped the bedding and said to me, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything, what do you want me to say?¡±

    ¡°Ha, what a know¨Cnothing.¡± I sneered coldly, the bitterness and anger in my heart beyond words.

    At this moment, Kimberly started crying again with a sense of grievance, ¡°Ralda, it¡¯s been four years already, why do you still hold such a grudge against me?¡±

    You nder me about other things, that¡¯s one thing, but how can you nder me for betraying Quentin.¡±

 TOO Close 1066

    ¡°You stop arguing here!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but growl, ¡°I saw you with Zackery on this bed with my own eyes, if you dare, swear it!¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Quentin suddenly shouted angrily at me, ¡°You can say anything about Kimberly, but you can¡¯t defame Kimberly like this!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this room has always been just me living in it, where would there be any man?¡±

    Le also spoke up at this point, reprimanding me, ¡°You really need to provide some evidence when you use someone.¡±

    Kimberly was such a good child, oftening to see me, helping me out. Howe in your mouth, it turned into a shameful affair.

    Sure enough, people with evil intentions¡­

    ¡°Le!¡±

    Le had not finished speaking when Reynaldo suddenly shouted at her.

    Le was taken aback: ¡°Mr. Humphrey, she, she¡­¡±

    ¡°She was my wife,¡± Reynaldo said tly.

    Le was Kimberly¡¯s person, and that was helping Kimberly

    08-47

    harm me, so she definitely knew about my rtionship with Reynaldo.

    But Reynaldo said so, she just pretended <i>to </i>know and said, ¡°Oh, so she is your wife, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know, I was just a little angry when she ndered Kimberly for cheating¡­¡±

    ¡°She did not nder Kimberly, I will investigate it myself, so please Le, do not speak out <i>of </i>turn until the truthes out.¡±

    Le pursed her lips and said, ¡°Okay, Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Le called Mr. Humphrey and got along well with Mika. It seems that Le used to be a trusted servant by Mika¡¯s side.

    I just didn¡¯t expect that Mika¡¯s trusted servant could be bought by Kimberly.

    It is evident that Kimberly was really good at winning people

    over.

    Just then, Kimberly¡¯s sad crying sound suddenly came again.

    ¡°It seems that Reynaldo still believes Ralda, not me.¡±

    Reynaldo nced at her indifferently and said in a t tone, ¡°Whether I believe you or not doesn¡¯t matter, your fiance believes you.¡±

    ¡°I believe you, Kimberly, no matter what, I believe you.¡±

    As soon as Reynaldo finished speaking, Quentin hurriedly spoke <ol><li>up. </li></ol>

    I sarcastically pursed my lips.

    Chapter1006

    There is no secret that can be kept forever in this world. When Kimberly and Zackery¡¯s affair was exposed, let¡¯s see if he will regret the words he said at this moment.

    Even though Quentin expressed his feelings and trust to Kimberly, she was still dissatisfied.

    She covered her face and cried, looking heartbroken and desperate, saying, ¡°You lied to me, how could you believe me? If you believed me, you wouldn¡¯t have followed Ralda to catch us.¡±

    I knew that you said <i>so </i>on the surface, but deep down you still had doubts about me, and so did Reynaldo, you both actually preferred to believe in Ralda.

    At this point, I have nothing more to exin, only to prove my innocence with death.

    She said, and suddenly grabbed the fruit knife on the bedside table and stabbed it towards her abdomen.

    I looked at her coldly, never believing that she would be willing to end her own life.

    Sure enough, the next second, Quentin grabbed her wrist.

    I sneered in my heart, ¡°Look, she was just watching Quentin get closer to her, knowing that Quentin would stop her, so she deliberately staged this suicide scene for everyone to see.¡±

    It¡¯s funny that my brother, who is always in love,pletely got into character.

    He angrily snatched the knife from Kimberly¡¯s hand,rew it on the ground, and yelled at Kimberly in anger, ¡°Why are you so

    Chapter1066

    stupid? I said I would believe you and I will definitely believe you!¡±

    Kimberly covered her face and started crying again.

    Chapter1067

    JER MANNE

    Chapter1067

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    Chapter1067

    ¡°Spreading rumors has always been the most terrible thing. Today Ralda will take you to catch the adulterer, and he will definitely do the same in the future.¡±

    Did you trust me this time? What about next time?

    Once the seed of doubt takes root and sprouts in your heart, you will only trust me less and less, and then our rtionship will simply not be able to continue.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Quentin was almost going crazy, he looked at me sharply, his eyes red with anger, and said, ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done, what¡¯s wrong with me falling in love with her, why do you have to do this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Kimberly is such a good and self¨Crespecting girl, and you actually ndered her like that.¡±

    Fortunately, this gentleman reacted quickly just now, otherwise Kimberly would really havemitted suicide because of this groundless usation of yours,¡± Le said.

    My father also scolded me, ¡°Look at you making such a scene, the consequences could have been so serious. If Quentin had reacted a little slower just now, Kimberly would havemitted suicide.¡±

    You can falsely use someone of anything, why falsely use her of cheating?

    08:47)

    ¸Ê˜·

    If she had reallymitted suicide just now<i>, </i>Quentin probably wouldn¡¯t be able to live on either. I doubt if you can live in peace for the rest of your life!¡±

    At that moment, there seemed to be only the sound of their usations in my ears, along with Kimberly¡¯s soft and innocent crying.

    I stared at my dad and Quentin, never imagining that one day they would turn out like this.

    Four years ago, when they ndered me together, my heart was shocked and indignant.

    At that moment, I felt like the sky was falling, like the whole world was dark.

    I almost spent a very long time to get out of the pain caused by being betrayed by loved ones.

    I used to think that my inner strength was strong enough, and I would not be hurt by this ridiculous family affection anymore.

    But at that moment, watching my father once again nder me, even colluding with my enemies to plot against me.

    My heart still tightened uncontrobly, causing pain.

    The indescribable sadness, grievance, and disappointment, along with hatred, instantly grew like vines in the heart.

    The huge fluctuations in emotions made me tremble involuntarily.

    The sight in front of me suddenly became blurry, sometimes darkening, sometimes as bright red as blood.

    08:47

    I suddenly couldn¡¯t hear any sound, but a surge of angry roar suddenly rose in my mind.

    They wanted them dead!

    Let them all die!!

    It seemed as if nothing could be seen in front of me, and all I could see in my line of sight was the knife on the ground.

    All reason almost copsed in an instant, with only one belief in mind: ¡°I want Kimberly dead! I want her dead!¡±

    I don¡¯t know how I picked up that knife.

    I don¡¯t know how it happened to Kimberly.

    A sudden scream rang in my ears.

    The knife in hand was suddenly blocked by something.

    In the blurred vision, a touch of blood suddenly appeared.

    That touch of blood red drove me crazy in an instant.

    Was that Kimberly¡¯s blood?

    Is this wicked woman finally going to die?

    I pushed the knife forward with increasing force.

    Suddenly, my other hand was enveloped in the palm of a warmrge hand.

    A hint of warmth seeped through the fingertips into the heart.

    08:471

    As if someone had pulled me out of a bone¨Cchilling ice cer, warmth gradually approached.

    I shivered all over, and my vision gradually cleared. Reynaldo¡¯s worried face also became clearer.

    08:48

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    Chapter1068

    The next moment, I was scared to shiver by the scene in front of me.

    Reynaldo stood in front of Kimberly, holding the de tightly in one hand.

    The ring blood crazily overflowed from between his fingers, dripping onto the ground.

    My chest heaved violently, shaking all over, and my throat felt as if it were blocked, unable to utter a word.

    He let go of my hand, ced it on my shoulder, and looked at me with concern, ¡°Esmeralda, you promised me.¡±

    Yes, I promised him that I wouldn¡¯t impulsively kill Kimberly like that again.

    I will not get myself into trouble because of Kimberly again.

    But at this moment, what was I doing again?

    The man held the de of the knife tightly in my hand, the bright red blood stinging my eyes.

    I actually hurt Reynaldo.

    Realizing this, a mix of sadness, anger, frustration, and self- me surged in my heart, making it hard for me to breathe.

    Emotions copsed in an instant, and my temples

    robbed with

    08:48

    Chapter1068

    pain.

    I felt ufortable all over, inside and out, as if I were going to die.

    I trembled, covering my head with my hands, and a scream finally escaped from my throat.

    The next second, my body fell into a warm embrace.

    Reynaldo¡¯s deep voice sounded above my head, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here, I believe in you.¡±

    I stared nkly at the bloody knife lying on the ground, tears uncontrobly streaming down my face.

    Just a few days ago, I had promised him that I wouldn¡¯t be so impulsive again.

    But I still didn¡¯t do it, still didn¡¯t control my emotions.

    Not only that, I also stabbed him.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± I murmured, not daring to even touch his hand.

    Reynaldo gently patted my back,forting me, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Esmeralda, I¡¯m not hurt, not at all.¡±

    Feeling the warmth and sense of security provided by the man, a sense of inexplicable grievance surged up in my heart.

    I looked at Quentin, with different expressions on his face behind him, and my father, who finally couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears and cry out, ¡°But they are all ndering me, Reynaldo, they are all ndering me.¡±

    32 42

    They didn¡¯t want me as their daughter, didn¡¯t want me as their sister.

    Reynaldo, I only had you, only you¡­¡±

    Quentin turned his face away, with a hint of tears glistening in the corner of his eyes.

    My father hung his head, silent.

    Reynaldo held me tighter and said in a deep voice, ¡°They don¡¯t want you, I want you.¡±

    I will not leave you, I will never leave you again in this lifetime.

    Even if the whole world doesn¡¯t believe in you, I believe in you.

    ¡°Esmeralda, you were my everything, you were my destiny,¡± said Reynaldo.

    I tightly held onto hispel, and the intense fluctuating emotions at that moment gradually calmed down.

    Reynaldo stroked my long hair and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Esmeralda, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±

    I nodded nkly, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Just as Reynaldo was hugging me and leaving, Kimberly suddenly, without caring about her image, grabbed Reynaldo¡¯s

    arm.

    ¡°Reynaldo, how could you believe her? Have you forgotten how Ms. Versta died?¡±

    Reynaldo coldly shook off her hand, saying, ¡°I will investigate the

    08:48

    ??] ????? ??

    true cause of my mother¡¯s death myself, you don¡¯t need to bother.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly looked at him incredulously, ¡°What <i>do </i><i>you </i>mean by this? Do you really believe what she said, that Ms. Versta is me¡­¡±

    Reynaldo gave her a cold look.

    Kimberly trembled all over, her face pale and unable to speak.

    She probably thought that my dad suddenly turning against me and helping her this time further confirmed my guilt of killing Mika.

    Chapter1069

    Chapter1069

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    Chapter1069

    She must have thought that Reynaldo would still hate me to the bone and shout at me like he did four years ago.

    Little did I know, Reynaldo and I had been through so much together, we had already built trust between each other.

    Reynaldo just now expressed clear suspicion that Mika¡¯s death was caused by Kimberly.

    At the moment, there was just ack of evidence.

    Almost all the evidence was in Zackery¡¯s hands.

    However, Zackery, like Quentin, was Kimberly¡¯s loyal pdog.¡±

    How can we get Zackery to cooperate and hand over the evidence?

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    Quentin suddenly stood in front of me, his face full ofplexity and concern, and asked me, ¡°Are you okay just now?¡±

    My dad also came over, looking at me with apparent concern, ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Who are you guys? Do I know you?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face changed color, his eyes turning red ¡¤¡¤¡¤**hout saying a word.

    08.48

    Chapter1069

    288 Vouchers

    My father sighed and said, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this. No matter what, I am your father after all. This blood rtionship is something that can never be cut off.¡±

    I really didn¡¯t want to pay any attention to them.

    I closed my eyes and wearily snuggled into Reynaldo¡¯s arms.

    Reynaldo understood, he held me tightly and looked coldly at my dad and Quentin, saying, ¡°From now on, Esmeralda has nothing to do with you anymore, please don¡¯t bother her.¡±

    ¡°No, Reynaldo, she was not mature, are you also¡­¡±

    My father hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Reynaldo immediately looked coldly and said, ¡°My wife, Reynaldo, knows how to behave. You don¡¯t need toment.¡±

    ¡°If you still want to stay in Freybourne, then shut up!¡±

    My father moved his lips and suddenly dared not say anything.

    Reynaldo suddenly looked up and gazed at everyone in the room, ¡°Today, no matter how you all act, what I believe in is always my wife.¡±

    Upon hearing Reynaldo¡¯s words, I couldn¡¯t help but think of four years ago, when I was abandoned by everyone, betrayed by all, and hated by the one I loved.

    Tears welled up in the eyes.

    Four years passed, and Reynaldo finally agreed to trust me unconditionally.

    If today, even Reynaldo didn¡¯t believe me, I really don¡¯t know

    08 48

    what I would be.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly tearfully looked at Reynaldo, looking so pitiful.

    Reynaldo nced at her lightly and walked out with his arm around me.

    This time, no one dared to stop us again.

    Finally walked out of that house.

    Even though the sun was shining brightly outside, I felt so cold.

    I unconsciously grabbed Reynaldo¡¯spel.

    Reynaldo nced at me and stroked my back, sighing softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I will always be by your side.¡±

    Water mist kept rising in front of me.

    I rubbed against his chest, and all my tears rubbed onto the front of his shirt.

    He smiled helplessly and said, ¡°Four years ago, you didn¡¯t cry like this.¡±

    I shook my head, choked up and unable to speak.

    I also don¡¯t know why.

    Four years ago, my mother died, and my father and brother both ndered me, and my beloved husband did <i>not </i>believe me.

    At that moment, my world was filled with darkness.

    But I just didn¡¯t cry, feeling like I couldn¡¯t shed a tear.

    However, now, with Reynaldo believing in me and protecting me<b>, </b>I have be fragile instead.

    I felt wronged and bitter in my heart.

    It feels so good to be taken care of, I can vent my emotions in front of him.

    Reynaldo hugged me tightly, his chin resting on the top of my head, and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t believe you before, and caused you so much suffering.¡±

    08.48

 TOO Close 1070

    I couldn¡¯t even imagine how sad and helpless you were four years ago.

    ¡°If I could have trusted you and protected you back then, you wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much in those four years.¡±

    I shook my head quickly, wanting to say ¡°It¡¯s not his fault.¡±

    But as soon as I opened my mouth, I couldn¡¯t speak for crying.

    Reynaldo hugged me tighter and whispered to me, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Esmeralda. I¡¯ll take you home.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I choked up and tears seemed to be unstoppable.

    The idiot still kept his injured hand behind his back, not letting me see it.

    Did he think that if he didn¡¯t let me see, I would forget about his injured hand and not feel guilty?

    What a fool!

    I looked at him tearfully and said, ¡°Reynaldo, let¡¯s go to the hospital first. Your hand needs to be bandaged.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    The man smiled at me, his smile was extremely gene, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury, go back and help me bandage it.¡±

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    Chapter1070

    EZRA VALKOHTU

    How could it be just a minor injury?

    He gripped the de so hard at that moment, the sharp edge. cut open every one of his fingers.

    How could it be just a minor injury?

    I knew he said that on purpose, just tofort me.

    He didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital first, but I could see that he wasn¡¯t feeling well and wanted me to go back and rest.

    ¡°Are you trying to shed all the tears you¡¯ve umted in the first half of your life today?¡±

    The man wiped the tears from my face with a smile.

    The more heforted me in this light tone, the sadder and guiltier I felt in my heart.

    ¡°Okay, little crying cat, let¡¯s go home.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything else, just nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    As soon as I got home, I searched everywhere for the medicine box.

    Perhaps it was because I ran too fast, or maybe it was because I hadn¡¯t eaten anything all day, coupled with the fact that my emotions had been fluctuating too much just now.

    to the point where my head was spinning.

    When I was carrying the medicine box downstairs, I almost fell down.

    08:48

    Fortunately, Reynaldo quickly caught me.

    He furrowed his brows and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where does it hurt?¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°Maybe I hadn¡¯t eaten anything and had low blood sugar.¡±

    I said, pulling him quickly towards the sofa.

    Just as he sat down on the sofa, he suddenly got up and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll make you something to eat first.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I pushed him down on the sofa with force, looking at him with red eyes, ¡°Let me bandage you first, okay? Seeing you like this, I really feel heartbroken, do you know?¡±

    After saying that, my tears started to fall again.

    As he said, I was going to shed all the tears I had umted in my half life at this moment.

    Reynaldo panicked immediately, he quickly pulled me to sit beside him, wiping the tears from my face, and soothingly said, ¡°Okay, okay¡­ don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, you bandage me first, today everything depends on you.¡±

    I pursed my lips, tears in my eyes, and took out the iodine and cotton swabs.

    I pulled his hand onto hisp, and then carefully spread out his fingers.

    He must have been in pain, his fingers slightly trembling.

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    Chapter1070

    Note fochers

    I looked up at him and he just smiled at me, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, <b>just </b>a little shake of the hand.¡±

    I bit my lip, didn¡¯t say a word, just used a cotton swab dipped in iodine to wipe away the bloodstains on his hands, little by little.

    08:48 T

 TOO Close 1071

    After the bloodstains on his hands were cleaned up, I finally saw the wounds on his hands.

    All five fingers were injured, with wounds deep enough to see the bones, and a long cut across the palm.

    How painful must such a deep wound be.

    In an instant, my tears couldn¡¯t stop falling.

    Reynaldo whispered, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t hurt, Esmeralda, it doesn¡¯t hurt¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, just silently gave him the medicine and took the gauze to bandage him.

    After I finished bandaging, he raised the hand that had been wrapped in front of me and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Look, my wife is really skillful, the wrapping looks so nice.¡±

    I stared at him without blinking.

    Aplex emotion surged in my heart, difficult to put into words, like heartache, like guilt, like touched.

    He stared for a moment and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I threw myself into his arms, holding him tightly, and choked out, ¡°Reynaldo, it¡¯s so good to have you.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and kissed the hairline of my forehead, leaning

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    Chapter1071

    over my ear and whispered, ¡°I am the lucky one to have you.¡±

    After bandaging Reynaldo¡¯s wound, he cooked me a bowl of noodles.

    Today my emotions fluctuated greatly, to the point where I feltpletely lost and dispirited, with no energy and no appetite.

    After eating a few bites of noodles, I couldn¡¯t eat anymore.

    Reynaldo saw the situation and <i>took </i>me to the bedroom.

    He put me on the bed, tucked me in, touched my forehead, and said softly to me, ¡°Sleep well, everything will be better when <i>you </i>wake up.¡±

    He stood up straight after finishing speaking.

    I thought he was going to leave, so I quickly grabbed him.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving, I¡¯ll stay with you.¡±

    With that, he took off his coat,y down, and pulled me into his

    arms.

    I turned my back <i>to </i>him, leaning against his warm chest, and my heart gradually settled down.

    The wind inte autumn was cool, and the fallen leaves outside the window fluttered against the window.

    I stared nkly at the deste scenery outside the window, but what came to mind was the warm scene of my family being together in the past.

    I could never understand why the once happy and wann family

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    Chapter1071

    turned out like this.

    After being betrayed by the closest person to me, all the warmth that once existed turned into sharp des at that moment, stabbing at my heart again and again.

    I bit my lip, reached for Reynaldo¡¯s arm, and held on tightly.

    Reynaldo kissed the back of my neck and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything, just sleep well.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand¡­¡± I looked out the window, nkly saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t they want me? They used to be so caring and loving towards me.¡±

    If from the beginning, they were not good fathers, good brothers.

    <i>So </i>I didn¡¯t care that they backstabbed me time and time again like this.

    They used to love me, but now they don¡¯t.

    From extreme care <i>to </i>heartless betrayal, that kind of hurt is really not something that can be let go of all at once.

    I thought that after four years, I could do without such a father and brother.

    Originally, being betrayed by them again, my heart would still be hurt, my emotions would still copse.

    I closed my sore eyes, and for a moment, how I wished, ¡°I had no blood rtion with them, I was just a child picked up by the Duffy family.¡±

    08:48

    At least in this way, my heart wouldn¡¯t feel so deste.

    08.43

 TOO Close 1072

    ¡°Esmeralda, actually it¡¯s not a big deal. My father, he also doesn¡¯t like me. When I and Winston were both in danger, he even wished that the one who had an ident was me.¡±

    I have never had high expectations for family affection.

    I felt very happy now that I had you and the children, as if I had the whole world.

    So Esmeralda, when you are feeling sad, don¡¯t keep thinking about those sad things.

    Think of me, think of our children, we all love you very much.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s gentle voice entered my ears, warming my heart little by little.

    I leaned into his arms and said hoarsely, ¡°When will youfort people again.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and tightened the hand around my waist, saying, ¡°Comforting my wife, of course, is something I must learn to do.¡±

    I smiled, and the sadness in my heart gradually dissipated under the gentle coaxing of the man.

    No matter what, things are ultimately much better now than they were four years ago.

    Four years ago, I had nothing but Vonnie, but now,

    nave

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    Reynaldo and two lovely children.

    Lying in Reynaldo¡¯s arms was veryforting, my emotions rxed and the exhaustion all over my body also hit me.

    I fell asleep unknowingly.

    Waking up again, I was awakened by a severe abdominal pain.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I murmured his name in pain, reaching out to the side, only to touch emptiness.

    At this moment, it was dusk, and the room was dimly lit.

    I sat up, clutching my aching stomach, and looked to the side.

    There was no longer the figure of that man beside me, and the ces where he had slept were all cold. It seemed that he had been up for a while.

    I moved to the bedside and was about to pick up the phone on the nightstand to call Reynaldo when I noticed there was a note left on the nightstand.

    I have some things to take care of, I will try toe back early in the evening and then take you <i>out </i>for dinner.

    Reynaldo had gone out for something.

    I opened my phone <i>and </i>dialed his number.

    However, the phone rang twice with no one answering.

    The pain in the abdomen came in waves, different from the pain

    08.49

    Chapter1072

    of menstruation, and not like the pain of food poisoning.

    I furrowed my brow, suddenly remembering something.

    My period seems to have note for a long time.

    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m pregnant, but I just tested with a test strip not long ago and I¡¯m not pregnant.

    Could it be that there was some other problem with the body?

    How could my stomach suddenly hurt?

    Without much thought, I quickly put on a loose piece of clothing and drove to the hospital.

    In the evening, the road was a bit congested.

    When I arrived at the hospital, the abdominal pain had be stronger. I was in so much pain that I broke out in a cold sweat all over my body.

    When I got off the car, my vision went ck for a moment.

    I supported the body of the car, took a deep breath, and then walked unsteadily into the outpatient department.

    However, just as I reached the entrance of the outpatient department, my vision suddenly went ck, and I instantly copsed to the ground.

    At the moment when I lost consciousness, it seemed like I heard someone calling my name.

    Another endless expanse of darkness.

    08.49

    Chapter1072

    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been unconscious. I heard the sound of instruments ¡°beeping¡± and the voices of doctors in a daze.

    08:49

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    Chapter1073

    However, I only stayed awake for a few seconds before falling into a deep sleep again.

    When I fully woke up, the day had already dawned.

    I nced sideways and saw Anton sitting by the hospital bed.

    His eyes were slightly red, and he looked at me without blinking: ¡°Esmeralda, you¡¯re awake.¡±

    At this moment, my stomach didn¡¯t hurt at all.

    I sat up and asked him, ¡°Did you save me?¡±

    I said that when I fainted, it seemed like I heard someone calling my

    name.

    Anton nodded and smiled at me, saying, ¡°I had juste out of the outpatient department when I saw you faint, which scared me.¡±

    ¡°Howe you are in the hospital?¡± I asked him.

    Antonughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re silly, I am a medical student, so I naturally frequent hospitals.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°That makes sense.

    However¡­

    ¡°I thought you would/specialize in the film and television industryter.¡±

    I was not surprised, after all, he had interests in the film and <b>television </b>

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    Chapter10731

    industry in both Yoripero and uvale.

    Anton smiled, still as gentle as before.

    He said, ¡°I have thought about it and decided to make being a doctor my main profession after all, because doctors can save lives.¡±

    I nodded without saying anything.

    Just woke up, my head was still a bit foggy.

    Anton suddenly turned to me and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, there¡¯s something I forgot to tell you.¡±

    I looked at him in surprise and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± he pondered for a moment, and said, ¡°After the incident when you caught Kimberly with Zackery, she might be suspicious of you.¡±

    I frowned deeply and said, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°She tested me a few times, although she didn¡¯t show anything, but I think she must be suspicious of you, so be carefulter.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I suddenly understood.

    Did my n to catch the adulterer fail? Kimberly has been suspicious of me since then.

    If Anton hadn¡¯t told me about this today, I would have suspected that there was a problem on Braylon¡¯s end.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    At that moment, Anton called out to me again.

    He looked at me with a hesitant look, ¡°Doctor¡­ gave you a full body

    examination¡±

    I was taken aback and asked him. ¡°Is there anything wrong??¡±

    Seeing Anton like this, I suddenly felt a little flustered

    Perhaps sensing my nervousness, Anton smiled again and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, nothing¡¯s wrong

    ¡°Why did <b>my </b>stomach suddenly hurt?¡±

    ¡°Appendicitis, oh, appendicitis can also make your stomach ache unbearably,¡± Anton said nonchntly. ¡°The doctor gave you an anti- inmmatory injection, and once the inmmation goes down, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I stared at him without blinking for a moment, still feeling strange in my heart

    If it was just appendicitis, why did his face look so strange just now<b>? </b>

    Anton smiled and patted my head. ¡°Alright, stop overthinking, you¡¯re fine, just a mild appendicitis.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really!¡±

    Seeing Anton speak so confidently, I didn¡¯t think any further

    Just a touch of loss shed through my mind.

    I thought I was pregnant

    My head was still dizzy and ufortable

    1 pinched <b>my </b>brow and remembered what happened yesterday, my heart suddenly skipped a beat

    Chapter1073

    By the way, Reynaldo!

    I hadn¡¯t told Reynaldo that I wasing to the hospital.

    I didn¡¯t go back all night, he must have been very anxious.

    I hurriedly searched around for my phone.

    Anton saw the situation and quickly handed me my phone, saying, ¡°I was worried that you would wake up and look for your phone. I took <b>it </b>from your car, but it¡¯s already turned off and I haven¡¯t had a chance to charge it for you.¡±

 TOO Close 1075

    If I could never conceive again, and can¡¯t do IVF anymore, what about Essic? What about my Essic?!

    This is like retribution.

    I deceived Reynaldo with such lies in the past.

    Now this lie has been proven true.

    Why did God treat me like this.

    It¡¯s fine to punish me, but why not give Essie a way out?

    What should I do? What should I do about Essie¡¯s illness?

    I didn¡¯t know how I ¡°walked out of the hospital¡°.

    Even though the sun was shining brightly, I felt cold.

    The chill spread from head to toe, reaching every part of my body, making me shiver with cold.

    What shed through my mind were all the adorable looks Essie had from childhood to adulthood.

    She would happily shout ¡°mommy¡°.

    He would share interesting things with me, pour tea considerately for me, leave delicious food for me, and snuggle into my arms¡­

    She was so obedient and lovely, ¡°she was the flesh that fell from my body, she was my life.¡±

    1401

    If I can¡¯t be saved in the end, how should I live?

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    Anton chased after me at some point, grabbing me urgently with red- rimmed eyes, ¡°Did you hear my conversation with the doctor?¡±

    I looked at him, tears had already blurred my vision.

    ¡°Can I really never get pregnant again?¡±

    Anton did not give me a direct answer, he just said urgently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have been trying to find a solution for Essie¡¯s illness. I have been staying at the hospital these days, studying her condition.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there is still time, I will definitely research a solution to save Essie.¡±

    ¡°Have you been researching Essie¡¯s illness in recent years, right?¡±

    Anton nodded silently.

    I looked at him, with a touch of despair in my heart.

    ¡°Look, you have been researching for so long and still haven¡¯te up with a solution to save her.¡±

    You said there is still time, but counting the days, how much time can there be?

    The disease was like a time bomb, and no one was sure how long it could remain stable.

    ¡°Anton, you told me, in the history of this disea

    can it only be cured

    sessfully with another child¡¯s umbilical cord blood, and nothing else?¡±

    Chapter1075

    722 00

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Anton, are you sure you answered me?¡±

    Essie is almost four years old now.

    I didn¡¯t want to think that there was still hope, still time, but in the end, I found out that there was no time at all, no way.

    I always thought that I could sessfully conceive a third child and sessfully cure Essie¡¯s illness.

    But now, cruel reality has dealt me a heavy blow.

    I really got sick of that kind of hopefulness, which ended up in despair and powerlessness.

    I wasn¡¯t even mentally prepared at all.

    Anton fell silent for two seconds and whispered, ¡°Indeed, in this medical history, there is only one sessful case of treatment using umbilical cord blood, and none of the other methods have been sessful.¡±

    The only remaining fantasy in my heart waspletely shattered.

    I staggered back two steps.

    Anton quickly supported me and urged, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be like this. You are notpletely unable to get pregnant, you just have difficulty conceiving.¡±

    ¡°Maybe after a period of conditioning, you will get pregnant.¡±

    I knew Anton was just forting¡± me.

    The doctor just now had made it very clear that it was almost

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    impossible for me to get pregnant.

    I looked at Anton and asked sadly, ¡°You knew a long time ago, didn¡¯t you? When I gave birth to Roddy and Essie, you knew I couldn¡¯t get pregnant again, didn¡¯t you?¡±

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    Chapter1076

    Anton pursed his lips and remained silent.

    I took a deep breath sadly and said, ¡°No wonder you looked strange at that time, always hesitating to speak.¡±

    I thought you were only hiding Essie¡¯s illness from me, but it turns out you were also hiding this from me.

    So, why didn¡¯t you tell me from the beginning?

    ¡°Even back when I was nning to go back to Freybourne to have Reynaldo¡¯s baby, you didn¡¯t say a word.¡±

    ¡°I told you, wouldn¡¯t youe back to find him?¡±

    She just didn¡¯t wait for my answer.

    A cold and self¨Cdeprecating voice suddenly sounded behind me.

    ¡°So, you came back to Freybourne just to have a baby with me?¡±

    I shuddered all over and turned around quickly.

    Reynaldo was just standing not far behind me.

    He was dusty and tired, with red eyes, looking at me quietly.

    The wound on his hand must have split open.

    The originally bandaged gauze was somewhat messy, covered in bloodstains.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I subconsciously walked towards him,

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    but he suddenly took two steps back,

    I froze all over, my footstepsing to a sudden halt.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I called out to him, my voice hoarse and choked.

    He smiled at me, smiling very pale and self¨Cdeprecatingly

    ¡°No wonder you were always trying to sleep with me during that <b>time</b>, turns out it was to get pregnant and save Essie.¡±

    In other words, during this period, you were kind to me, your <b>warmth </b>towards me, your love, were all purposeful, right?

    If it weren¡¯t for Essie¡¯s illness, would you never think of me? Would you nevere to find me?

    Oh, Esmeralda, it must have been so hard for you, to have to sleep with a man you despise in order to save your daughter¡¯s life¡­¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    I spoke hastily.

    He shook his head with a sad and disappointed look, saying, ¡°Essie is my daughter, do you think I wouldn¡¯t try to save her? Do you have to hide it from me so hard?¡±

    ¡°If you had really sessfully conceived this time, would you have already left me with Essie and Roddy, right?¡±

    I shook my head desperately, tears kept streaming down.

    Reynaldo chuckled lightly.

    He seemed exhausted, as if he had had enough.

    He said to me with red eyes, ¡°Esmeralda, you say you love me, trust me, but you have never done it, have you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± I looked at him sadly, not even knowing how to exin to him.

    At this moment, Anton suddenly walked over.

    He said to Reynaldo in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t me Esmeralda either. Esmeralda only found out about Essie¡¯s illnesster.¡±

    When she had just given birth to the baby, her physical condition was

    very poor.

    I was also afraid that she couldn¡¯t bear the blow, so I kept these things from her.

    ¡°I think she was also afraid that you would worry, so she didn¡¯t tell you about Essie¡¯s illness.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply, he looked at me for a long time, until his crimson eyes slowly becameplex and indistinguishable.

    In those eyes, there was sadness, disappointment, heartache, and self- mockery.

    He muttered to me, ¡°It¡¯s strange to say, I shouldn¡¯t have driven you out of Freybourne.¡±

    If you had not been driven out of Freybourne, you would not have gone to Yoripero, nor would you have fallen.

    It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me who caused you so much pain, it¡¯s me who made you unable to conceive again.

    ¡°I treated you so badly, yet I still fantasized that you would fall in love with me.

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    Chapter1077

 TOO Close 1077

    He suddenly covered his face, his voice sounding as if he had experienced all the vicissitudes of life, exhausted.

    ¡°Throughout, it was my insistence that harmed you.¡±

    He put down his hand and looked at me with red eyes, ¡°That day, I said, no matter what, I have never regretted meeting you, but now, I regret it¡­¡±

    My heart gave a sharp tug.

    He smiled at me sadly and said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t met me, you would definitely be happier now.¡±

    Now thinking back, I really brought you too much disaster and pain¡­

    ¡°No!¡± I cried out to him, my heart aching with heaviness.

    Reynaldo looked at me and slowly backed away.

    He said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, I regret it. It turns out that forcing someone who dislikes me to love me is really a lose¨Close situation, it hurt you and also made me suffer.¡±

    I don¡¯t hate you anymore, and I don¡¯t force you anymore.

    From now on, who you want to love is your freedom, really.

    He turned around and left after he finished speaking, his back rmination. revealing a touch of indescribable sadness and

    I felt a sudden panic in my heart and hurriedly tried to catch up.

    14:02

    Chapter1077

    Anton suddenly grabbed me and said in a low voice, ¡°He is not in the right mood now. Whatever you say, he won¡¯t believe it. Let him calm down first.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t calm down.¡±

    I cried to him in despair, ¡°He has never given up on this rtionship.¡±

    He said this today, proving that he really wanted to give up.

    ¡°I admit I didn¡¯t like him before, I even hated him, but now I love him, now I really love him¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, Esmeralda, you calm down, don¡¯t rush, wait until he calms down, then you exin to him properly, he will believe you.¡±

    I covered my head in pain, emotionally breaking down.

    I don¡¯t know why things turned out this way.

    The n to expose Kimberly¡¯s crimes failed, Essie¡¯s illness couldn¡¯t be

    cured, and now Reynaldo is extremely disappointed in me.

    Wasn¡¯t it said that everything was going to develop in a good direction?

    Why have all things turned out so bad now.

    The head started to ache as if it had exploded, and the chest felt like a lump of air was stuck, making it difficult to even breathe.

    I painfully clenched the cor of my chest, feeling dizzy.

    Anton urgently eximed, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be like this, things haven¡¯t reached a desperate point yet.¡±

    I would definitely try my best to figure out a way to save Essie, you

    14.02

    Chapter1077

    trust me.

    And Reynaldo, when you both calm down, you exin to him again, he will definitely believe you.

    You have been through so much, and now you love each other, what obstacle can¡¯t be ovee.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Esmeralda,e back to the ward with me first. okay? Your condition is very bad, you need to rest¡­¡±

    I breathed heavily and pushed away Anton¡¯s hand,

    I said to him, ¡°I can¡¯t just let him go like this, I need to find him and exin things to him right now.¡±

    ¡°If we miss the present, then we¡­ might really be finished.¡±

    Actually, from the beginning until now, Reynaldo has been insecure in this rtionship.

    Although he was always the one taking the initiative, in fact, he didn¡¯t have a sense of security in his heart.

    No matter how much I told him, made promises, deep down he never truly believed that I would fall in love with him.

    I must have hurt him too deeply in the past.

    However, if it was just me who hurt him, maybe he would still persist.

    14.02

    Chapter1078

    Chapter1078

 TOO Close 1078

    But now he believes that this rtionship has also caused me unbearable pain, he believes that his insistence and dominance have ruined my life.

    This was the fundamental reason why he retreated in this rtionship.

    No matter how hard and tired he was, he never thought of giving up. But when he realized that it was causing me great harm and pain, he backed off.

    Reynaldo, like this, how can one not feel sorry for him.

    I choked up to Anton, ¡°I wanted to tell him that I didn¡¯t feel pain because of this rtionship.¡±

    My life was not ruined by his appearance either.

    I wanted to tell him, ¡°I love him, just because of him, I feel that my life is happy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the past and the future, I only know that I love him now and cannot lose him.¡±

    Anton looked at me deeply, his eyes filled with sadness and loss.

    He didn¡¯t say anything else, nor did he pull me again.

    I turned around and hurried in the direction Reynaldo had left.

    There was a lot ofing and going at the hospital entrance, and a ck business car was parked on the side of the roa

    I recognized Reynaldo¡¯s car at a nce.

    1400

    Chapter1078

    the rouchers

    The heart trembled slightly.

    I wiped away the tears from the corner of my eye and hurried over.

    He hadn¡¯t left yet, he was still waiting for me, proving that there was still a chance, right?

    Opening the passenger door, I saw Reynaldo lying on the steering wheel.

    He remained motionless, but his body was tense, and the air inside the car was heavy and stifling.

    I took a deep breath ufortably and silently sat down.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± I called out to him in a low voice.

    It seemed like there were so many things I wanted to say to him, but I didn¡¯t know where to start.

    There were too many misunderstandings between him and me, those misunderstandings piled up together, making even the exnations seem so pale and difficult.

    I also don¡¯t know why the trust between him and me was so fragile.

    For a long time, Reynaldo slowly stood up.

    He looked ahead calmly and said, ¡°I will find relevant experts to research Essie¡¯s illness. In any case, I will not let anything happen to

    her.¡±

    I tightened my grip on the hand on my knee and choked out, ¡°Indeed, I returned to Freybourne for her illness.¡±

    I also thought that if I could sessfully get pregnant with you, I would take them away quietly again, so at first, I never nned to tell

    14:02

    Chapter1078

    11289 Mouchard

    you about it.

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and said nothing.

    His calmness made me very anxious.

    I rushed to him and said, ¡°But things were differentter. When we made up and agreed to search for the truth from four years ago, dismissed the idea of leaving.¡±

    I just didn¡¯t have time to tell you about Essie¡¯s illness.

    I

    I thought that once I got pregnant, everything would fall into ce, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­

    At this point, I covered my face in despair.

    I never thought that I would never be able to have children again, and Essie¡¯s condition would eventually reach a dead end.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin so much to me.¡±

    Reynaldo spoke in a low voice, his tone unnaturally calm.

    He never looked at me, e to think of it, it was me who harmed you, you gave birth to Essie and Roddy, almost died, and developed a chronic illness, but I knew nothing about it.¡®

    I even hated you and threatened not to let you return to Freybourne.

    1402

 TOO Close 1079

    Those four years, I only knew that I was in unbearable pain, but I never thought about how you were coping with two children and worrying about Essie¡¯s illness, you must have been going through a very difficult time as well¡­

    I bit my lip tightly, recalling the despair when I left Freybourne, tears kept streaming down.

    He whispered, ¡°Actually, looking back, although you lied to me many times, it was also due to my persistence and insistence.¡±

    When we were young, I was jealous of your affection for Anton.

    In college, you liked Winston, and I was equally jealous to the point of madness.

    That night at the ss reunion, you got drunk. I made great efforts to take you away before Winston did.

    I could have taken you home, and we could have had no rtionship at

    all.

    But that crazy possessive heart made me have a hint of evil thoughts.

    I was afraid that you

    never see you again.

    would abroad with Winston and that I would

    go

    And so there was that illusion of happiness, forcibly binding you to me, making you my wife.

    Everything in the past is vividly remembered.

    14:02

    Chapter1079

    The mixture of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and astringency in my heart made my heart ache intermittently.

    I covered my mouth, unable to speak.

    Reynaldo calmly recounted our past, his tone steady without any fluctuations, but there was a hint of sadness lingering in his words.

    ¡°After tying you to me in the name of husband and wife, I was still not satisfied, deluding myself into thinking that I could make you fall in love with me.¡±

    So there were countless attempts and demands afterwards.

    Perhaps I really couldn¡¯t love someone, only knowing how to possess arrogantly, coerce and force.

    Looking back now, it was my fault from the beginning. It was my greed, my stubbornness. What fault do you have?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±

    I looked at him and choked out, ¡°Although at first, I didn¡¯t like you, but after we got married, I really started to like you slowly.¡±

    ¡°But if it weren¡¯t for my initial insistence, I wouldn¡¯t have selfishly bound you to me.¡±

    You will definitely find someone you like, marry him, and live happily ever after.

    You will have lovely children and a warm and happy family.

    Instead of suffering like now, enduring hardships, and ending up with

    or life.¡± a child falling ill, and oneself bing inferti.

    ¡°It¡¯s not, it¡¯s not¡­¡± I cried to him in a breakdown, ¡°Besides you, I won¡¯t

    fall in love with anyone else, I have a lovely child with you, a warm and happy family, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­

    Reynaldo suddenly looked at me, his eye sockets red and his pupils very deep.

    He raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears on my face, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s my fault. I was wrong from the beginning.¡±

    No wonder they say ¡°a melon forced off the vine is not sweet,¡± it¡¯s my fault that you suffered like this.

    I didn¡¯t used to think so much before, but now I suddenly realize, maybe we really aren¡¯t meant to be together¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    I grabbed his hand and held it tightly, ¡°You said that you have never regretted meeting me, you said that no matter how difficult it is, you will not give up on this rtionship, Reynaldo, you said so.¡±

    I yelled at him, tears kept streaming down.

    Reynaldo rubbed my hair and whispered, ¡°I used to not think so much, just stubbornly believed that keeping you by my side was enough.¡±

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    When I suddenly realized that you had suffered so much in those four years, almost died on the operating table when giving birth, one life for three, and now ended up infertile for life.

    Your life was originally fine, but it became so bad because of me, even your body had problems.

    I suddenly realized that maybe all my persistence was wrong, my persistence caused you a lot of pain.

    Esmeralda, I let you go, this time, I really let you go.

    Anton was still waiting for you, he was also in the depths of your heart, being with him might make you happier.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°Our daughter, I will do my best to heal.¡±

    So, you don¡¯t have to deliberately try to please me because of these things, and have a rtionship with me.

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡± I almost copsed as I pounded his shoulders.

    I really don¡¯t know how we ended up in this situation.

    It¡¯s not just that he doesn¡¯t believe me now, it¡¯s that he haspletely lost confidence in our rtionship.

    I cried to him, ¡°Can you not do this? I liked lying to you, liked keeping everything from you.¡±

    But that was all in the past, we promised to trust each other, we

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    promised to be together forever.

    ¡°We had a deal, Reynaldo, we had a deal!¡±

    I shook him in despair, wishing I could smash his head open and see what was going on inside.

    I cried and screamed at him, ¡°You didn¡¯t reflect on yourself like this at the beginning, what¡¯s the use of reflecting now?¡±

    You only came to tell me these things after I fell in love with you and couldn¡¯t live without you. What¡¯s the point?

    Why didn¡¯t you let me go from the beginning? We even have a child now. What right do you have to say these things to me?

    Reynaldo, you jerk, you really are a jerk¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, stop deceiving yourself. I caused you so much pain, how could you possibly love me.¡±

    The person you truly liked was Anton. You were entangled with me just because we had two children.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for those two children, you and I¡­ would have had no rtionship long ago, wouldn¡¯t we?¡±

    When I heard him say these words, Iughed,ughing until tears streamed down my face.

    In the end, he was just not confident and did not trust me.

    Since no matter how I exin it, it¡¯s useless, so I don¡¯t need to exin it anymore.

    I wiped the tears from my face and looked at him coldly.

    Chapter1080

    ¡°Since you insist on saying that the person I love is Anton, then so be

    it.¡±

    Reynaldo¡­ It was you who ruined my life, ruined everything¡±

    ¡°I hate you!¡±

    The man shuddered all over, and the blood drained from his face in an instant.

    I didn¡¯t look at him again, I pushed open the car door and got out.

    But as soon as my feet touched the ground, everything spun around me, and before I knew it, I cked out and lost consciousnesspletely.

    Waking up again, the air was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

    I stared nkly at the pale ceiling above, for some reason, my heart was aching intermittently.

    There seemed to be moisture in the corners of my eyes, so I raised my hand and touched it, all tears.

    ¡°Esmeralda, you woke up.¡±

    At this moment, a joyful voice suddenly came from the side.

    I slowly nced sideways and saw Anton.

    Anton was wearing a white coat, looking at me with slightly red eyes.

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    He asked me, ¡°Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡±

    I shook my head and said to him, ¡°I had a dream.¡±

    Anton was taken aback for a moment, ¡°What did you dream about?¡±

    ¡°I dreamt that I had a big fight with Reynaldo, a really fierce one.¡±

    He actually told me, ¡°We are not suitable for each other.¡±

    He also said that he regretted meeting me and shouldn¡¯t havee to provoke me in the first ce.

    He also said, ¡°A forced melon is not sweet,¡± and said he would let me go from now on.

    You said, ¡°What does he mean by this? He doesn¡¯t want me anymore, right?¡±

    I was clearly speaking with a smile, but I don¡¯t know why, as I kept talking, bitter tears fell from the corner of my¨Ceyes.

    Iughed at Anton and said, ¡°Do you think he¡¯s crazy? When I didn¡¯t love him, he chased me relentlessly, but when I did love him, he wanted to give up.¡±

    You said, ¡°Is there something wrong with his personality? You are a doctor, can you check on himter?¡±

    Anton looked at me deeply, his face full of co. exity and tenderness.

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t be like this, he was just angry and hadn¡¯t

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    figured out a lot of things.¡±

    The front was gradually covered by water mist.

    My heart ached as if it were suffocating

    I covered my lips, unable to speak.

    ¡°So, none of that was a dream. I really did have a fight with Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°He really didn¡¯t want me.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    Anton sat on the edge of the bed, looking at me sadly, ¡°He didn¡¯t reject you. When he carried you into the hospital, he was almost frantic.¡±

    I closed my eyes, letting tears fall, my heart aching as if it had been torn apart.

    Anton whispered, ¡°In fact, Reynaldo was verycking in love, but he didn¡¯t understand what love was, he only knew to hold on tightly as if it were his own.¡±

    He was too afraid of losing, so he always sought, plundered, and demanded in his own way.

    When he realized, those methods had caused harm and pain to the person he loved, his heart was actually breaking.

    He didn¡¯t not want you, he just didn¡¯t dare to love you again. He was afraid that his almost obsessive love would hurt you again. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡±

    I choked out, ¡°I only knew that Reynaldo, who had always been harsh

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    and domineering towards me, suddenly said he regretted it, suddenly said he didn¡¯t want to continue this rtionship.¡±

    What for? What for did he say such words only after we had been through so much together?

    ¡°Why? Why¡­¡±

    Suddenly, waves of dizziness hit me, and a hint of sweetness and fishiness overflowed from my throat.

    I stiffened all over and suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood.

    Anton¡¯s expression changed suddenly, and he quickly took out a stethoscope and pressed it against my chest.

    I wiped the blood from the corner of my lips and smiled at him, saying. ¡°I¡¯m fine, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    After listening for a while, Anton breathed a sigh of relief, put away the stethoscope, and said to me, ¡°You are too sad, which has led to an attack of anger on your heart.¡±

    He paused and then added, ¡°Your emotions have always been very vtile, and you can¡¯t handle any more stimtion.¡±

    Listen to me, stop overthinking and rest well.

    Even if you don¡¯t think about yourself, you have to think about the two children.

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    ¡°Essie and Roddy have always been sensible. If they see you like this. they will worry a lot.¡±

    I smiled at him and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Anton opened his mouth, wanting to say something more.

    I closed my eyes and said softly, ¡°I want to be alone for a while.¡±

    Anton seemed to let out a sigh, and after a while, the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

    I slowly opened my eyes until the sound of the door closing.

    Even though I keptforting myself in my heart, it was just a falling out with him, Reynaldo, and it wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    But my tears kept falling uncontrobly.

    Before long, the pillow was soaked.

    In the evening, Vonnie and Johnathan came to see me.

    These two individuals basically understood the ins and outs of the matter from Anton.

    When Vonnie came over, she scolded Reynaldo mercilessly.

    Johnathan moved his lips, intending to speak for Reynaldo.

    However, Vonnie gave him a fierce look and he shut up.

    ¡°Ralda, do you think Reynaldo has some emotional barriers?¡±

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    You finally managed to ovee all the difficulties and be together. and then he did this.

    ¡°What is he trying to do?¡±

    I stared nkly at the ceiling, not wanting to speak or move.

    Vonnie sat on the edge of the bed, holding my hand, looking indignant.

    ¡°He was just a lunatic, a tyrannical bastard.¡±

    Why did he start when he said start, and end when he said end

    ¡°Why? Listen to me, take good care of yourself, then go to hispany and make a scene until he goes crazy.¡±

    I shook my head and said lightly, ¡°No need, I don¡¯t want to see him.¡±

    At that moment, Johnathan suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°In fact, this matter cannot be entirely med on Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°Why not me him? From the deliberate scheme of marriage from the beginning, toter not trusting/Ralda, bullying Ralda, and now starting chaos and abandoning her, every point has caused Ralda to suffer so miserably.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, if you haven¡¯t learned the idiom well, don¡¯t use it randomly, okay?¡±

    ¡°What starts in chaos ends in chaos,¡± Reynaldo was always faithful to Esmie, he would even give his life for her, so how could he really abandon Esmie.

    He is either on a roll right now or heading down dead end, not thinking straight.

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    In a few days it will be fine, you guys calm down, don¡¯t scold him. he is also very pitiful.

    ¡°PM! Feel sorry for him? He¡¯s the one who drove us to the hospital with Ralda, and now you feel sorry for him?¡± Vonnie eximed angrily. ¡°Anyway, if it weren¡¯t for him, Ralda might have found a really good man to marry, and who knows how happy she would be now.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t say that. What if she found a jerk? After all, there are so many jerks out there.¡±

    You have to think, Esmie¡¯s family went bankrupt, and they have no

    support.

    If she had found a scumbag, she would have been bullied to death by the scumbag. Who knows, the scumbag might even have cheated on her and provoked her in front of her face.

    ¡°Ah, how could it be possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, no more joking.¡±

    Johnathan followed Vonnie¡¯s back, his expression suddenly serious, ¡°Although Reynaldo¡¯s personality is a bit quirky, he was truly devoted

    to Esmie.¡±

    Mainly, because of Esmie¡¯s previous attitude towards him, he still didn¡¯t have much confidence in this rtionship.

    ¡°Ralda said she loved him in person, what else does he want? Does he have to dig out Ralda¡¯s heart to show it to him?¡± Vonnie said angrily.

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    Johnathan patted her back lightly and suddenly looked at me.

    ¡°Just tell me, Esmic, are youing back to Freybourne this time just to have a baby with Reynaldo, then disappear with Essie and Roddy once you¡¯re pregnant? Are you nning to have no further involvement with Reynaldo?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    In my mind now, all that lingers is Reynaldo¡¯s words ¡°I regretted.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even want to mention him, didn¡¯t want to discuss anything about him.

    Vonnie pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Johnathan nced at me and Vonnie, sighed, and said, ¡°See, I guessed it right. He must be thinking the same thing.¡±

    So, it¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s that he didn¡¯t dare to believe that you would love him.

    He felt that you didn¡¯t love him, and he felt that his strong and crazy love hurt you, so he retreated, do you understand?

    Johnathan said to Anton almost the same thing.

    I didn¡¯t know why each of them men had to make things soplicated.

    I only knew that not loving in the past was not loving, now loving is loving.

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    Why do we have to bring up the past now?

    Johnathan nced at me and whispered, ¡°And Essie¡¯s illness is also a big blow to Reynaldo.¡±

    He must have been both sad and anxious in his heart now, and also

    afraid.

    It was hard¨Cwon to have a lovely daughter, but she ended up getting sick again.

    Forget about him. I felt really upset when I heard this news.

    Yes, Essie¡¯s illness was the most despairing.

    I didn¡¯t even want to think deeply about what I would do if something really happened to Essie.

    Johnathan took off his sses, rubbed his red eyes, and said, ¡°And, you falling down and having a difficult birth, he thinks it¡¯s his fault for kicking you out of Freybourne.¡±

    You couldn¡¯t get pregnant now, and he must have felt it was his fault.

    So, he must have felt guilty and broken inside.

    ¡°If I had caused such great harm to the woman I deeply love, I would probably feel so guilty that I wouldn¡¯t want to live anymore.¡±

    Vonnie nced at him, squeezed his hand, and said, ¡°No way.¡±

    Johnathan smiled at her his eyes still a little red.

    He said to me, ¡°I have been watching you all along the way, and to be honest, Reynaldo is just a person with a sense of depression and mncholy.¡±

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    When you first got married, he woulde to me whenever he was

    hurt.

    He always asked me if he had done something wrong, if he was very bad, very annoying, why you just don¡¯t like him.

    I also advised him many times to just let it go, there are plenty of girls out there, no need to hang himself on your tree.

    But he just wouldn¡¯t, he said, ¡°As long as I keep treating you well, you will eventually fall for me.¡°.

    I turned away and didn¡¯t really want to hear about the past.

    Vonnie kicked Johnathan and said, ¡°Okay, Ralda is still sick, you are not allowed to say those things that upset Ralda in the past.¡±

    Johnathan shook her hand and suddenly asked me, ¡°Do you know why your family went bankrupt and Reynaldo¡¯spany took off?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    I still harbored resentment in my heart, to the point where I now feel very resistant to everything in the past.

    Vonnie was quite curious: ¡°Why?¡±

    In fact, Reynaldo had known for a long time that the Duffy Group was in crisis. He even lent money to the Duffy Group in the name of anotherpany, hoping to help the Duffy Group through the difficult times.

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    But you also know that Mr. Dully was never cut out for business

    These one or two difficulties were ovee, but in the end, they could not escape the fate of bankruptcy

    At that time, ourpany was not yet big, but Reynaldo saw that the Duffy Group was about to go bankrupt, so he was anxious and took a risk, trying to achieve great se¡­

    ¡°What was he in such a <b>hurry </b>for? Vonnie suddenly asked

    Johnathan nced at me again and said to Vonnie, <b>It¡¯s </b>just that I¡¯m worried Esmie <b>might </b><b>run </b><b>off </b><b>with </b>someone.¡±

    Vonnie eximed, ¡°<b>Then </b>he is toocking in confidence.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Johnathan sighed, ¡°When <b>he </b>found out that Winston was also going back to his country, he was afraid that Esmie would go to Winston after the Duffy Group closed down. So, he was desperate and invested all his umted wealth in a very risky project.¡±

    I was scared to death at that time.

    You see, once this investment failed, not to mention all the previous hard work would be in vain, he would also have to shoulder a huge amount of debt.

    Fortunately, God had mercy and let him win the gamble.

    Vonnie hummed from her nose, ¡°He¡¯s pretty lucky.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just luck, Reynaldo is also very bold and resourceful in

    Chapter1084

    business. If it were me, I might not seed.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡± I looked at Johnathan and sneered, ¡°You need to understand, the one who needs to give up this

    rtionship is not me, it¡¯s him. This time, it¡¯s not me who doesn¡¯t want him, it¡¯s him¡­ not wanting me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Reynaldo¡¯s personality is just so quirky, Esmic. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you beat him upter,¡± Johnathan said cheerfully, even making a punching gesture with his hand.

    I watched, and a hint of warmth flickered in my heart.

    I knew he was ¡°trying to coax me andfort me.¡±

    Great job, Johnathan, like a big brother.

    I said to him and Vonnie, ¡°You have been with me for half a day, go back. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Vonnie said, holding onto my arm with her face pressed against the back of my hand, ¡°I¡¯m going to stay with you at the hospital tonight.¡±

    Johnathan also said, ¡°Wherever Vonnie is, I¡¯ll be there. Esmie, we¡¯ll be at the hospital with you tonight so you don¡¯t get bored and start overthinking.¡±

    I smiled faintly.

    Indeed, when alone, it feels like being trapped in a dead end. The more painful it is in the heart, the more one thinks, and the more one thinks, the harder it is to get out.

    Johnathan looked at me and said earnestly, ¡°Esmie, actually I have said so much to you with the purpose of hoping that y. . will not hate Reynaldo and not give up on Reynaldo.¡±

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    I smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand yet? This time, he really wants to give up on me.¡±

    ¡°So you can¡¯t give up even more, if both of you retreat, then your rtionship, this marriage, will really be over.¡±

    The most fearful thing in a rtionship is when both people are unwilling to take the next step.

    In the past, Reynaldo always moved forward without regret, which has led to the current rtionship between you and the birth of two lovely children.

    He just fell into a misconception now, his belief copsed, from love to fear, so that he wanted to retreat.

    At this point, it was necessary for Esmie to move forward, following his footsteps, and pull him out of that dark mental misconception.

    I closed my eyes and didn¡¯t want to respond to Johnathan¡¯s words.

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    Johnathan sighed and then, with a cheerful tone, smiled, ¡°Esmie, I have some good news to tell you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t react.

    Vonnie muttered, ¡°At this point, what good news could there be? The recent news has been all bad.¡±

    ¡°Hehe!¡± Johnathan smirked and said to me, ¡°Esmie, you would never have guessed that the Duffy¡¯s vi is under your name.

    I was taken aback, furrowing my brows as I looked at him, feeling like he was joking to cheer me up.

    Vonnie said, ¡°How is that possible? Who doesn¡¯t know that after Ralda¡¯s family went bankrupt, the Duffy¡¯s vi was bought by Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°You guys didn¡¯t know about this, did you? When Reynaldo found out that the Duffy¡¯s vi was going to be auctioned off, he dropped everything he was doing and rushed to the auction site in a hurry, and he bid a sky¨Chigh price to buy the Duffy¡¯s vi.¡±

    To be honest, the Duffy¡¯s vi was old and dpidated, still carrying the humiliating memories of Reynaldo¡¯s three years as a son¨Cinw.

    If it were me, I would definitely not have spent such a high price to buy ¡°the Duffy¡¯s vi¡°, so much money, buying the most luxurious new vi in Freybourne would have been more than enc h.

    But there was no way around it, after all, ¡°the Duffy¡¯s vi¡± had been Esmie¡¯s home for over twenty years.

    14:03

    In order to ensure that Esmie could still live in her former home even after going bankrupt, he went to great lengths and secretly transferred the Duffy¡¯s vi into Esmic¡¯s name.

    After listening to Johnathan¡¯s words, I bitterly tugged at my lips.

    I always thought that Reynaldo intentionally bought the Duffy¡¯s vi to humiliate me and my family, but it turns out, he just wanted me to have my old home back.

    ¡°So Esmie, if you really get angry with Reynaldo, just kick him out of the Duffy¡¯s vi, after all, the Duffy¡¯s vi is yours, hehe.¡±

    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, the Duffy¡¯s vi was bought with his money, so it¡¯s his.¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be like this,¡± Johnathan sighed heavily again.

    At that moment, my phone suddenly rang.

    I hadn¡¯t had time to look at my phone when Johnathan dragged a chair over and said, ¡°It must be Reynaldo calling.¡±

    My phone was still charging on the bedside table.

    Vonnie nced over and eximed, ¡°Oh, it really is Reynaldo calling.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I knew it, Reynaldo must have been worried about Esmie.¡±

    Johnathan said, urging me, ¡°Esmie, answer the phone quickly.¡±

    I turned to the side, not wanting to answer the phone.

    In the morning, the man said so decisively, I cried 1e that, he didn¡¯t believe that I loved him.

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    So, I didn¡¯t think that when he called, he would have anything good to

    say.

    I was feeling a little better now, and I didn¡¯t want to get upset again because of this phone call.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    Vonnie shook my arm and said, ¡°Where is Reynaldo¡¯s phone? Answer it, he must be calling to cheer you up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Reynaldo must have suddenlye to his senses and decided to apologize to you,¡± added Johnathan.

    I said lightly, ¡°If you want to pick them up, go ahead. I don¡¯t want to pick them up.¡±

    The phone rang once, and then rang again a few secondster.

    Johnathan said, ¡°This is what you said, so I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    He hung up and answered the phone, then put it on speakerphone.

    Soon, a soft and tender voice came.

    ¡°Mommy?¡±

    It was Essie¡¯s voice.

    My heart suddenly softened, and at the same time, a touch of bitterness

    arose.

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    ¡°Mommy, what are you doing?¡± Essie asked on the phone, and I could hear Roddy¡¯s voice too.

    I quickly sat up, took the phone, and smiled with red eyes, saying. ¡°Mom didn¡¯t do anything? And how about you guys, have you been having fun at Ms. Valois¡® these days?¡±

    ¡°Well, I had a great time ying with Roddy.¡±

    After Essie finished speaking, Roddy asked, ¡°Mommy, when are youing back? We asked Daddy when you wereing home, but Daddy didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    ¡°Um, Daddy is so annoying. Whenever I ask him something, he never answers,¡± Essieined, then added, ¡°Mommy, Essie misses you so much.¡±

    ¡°Mommy misses you too,¡± I said, tears uncontrobly streaming down my face.

    The thought of Essie¡¯s illness made my heart ache.

    Vonnie shook my hand and chuckled at her phone, saying, ¡°Sweetie, you guys rest early today. Tomorrow, Mommy and I wille back to see you, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yay,¡± Essie and Roddy eximed happily at the same time.

    Just a secondter, Roddy hesitated again, ¡°When will you guys be back tomorrow? Daddy said he¡¯s taking me and Essie abroad

    tomorrow.¡®

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    I was stunned.

    Was Reynaldo taking the children abroad? Could it be for Essie¡¯s treatment?

    Just then, Essie said, ¡°Mommy, Roddy and I are going to y first. You muste back early tomorrow to see us, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, good,¡± I nodded heavily.

    The next second, the phone seemed to fall into someone else¡¯s hand, and the breathing over there became heavier.

    My heart trembled slightly.

    Is that Reynaldo?

    Sure enough, Reynaldo¡¯s voice came through the phone at once.

    ¡°I contacted several experts in this field abroad, and I n to take Essie over to have a look.¡±

    His voice was very calm, with no emotions detectable.

    I took a deep breath and said softly, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°The flight at ten o¡¯clock tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After a few seconds of silence, Reynaldo suddenly asked, ¡°How are you feeling physically?¡±

    When Reynaldo asked this question, Johnathan raised his eyebrows at <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    It¡¯s like saying, ¡°Look, Reynaldo was still worried about you.¡±

    Chapter1086

    Yes, Reynaldo was worried about me, he also loved me.

    I knew all of these.

    But these still could not change his determination to give up this rtionship.

    I said lightly, ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡±

    Johnathan frowned and looked at me intively.

    Vonnie also sighed on the side.

    On the other end of the phone, Reynaldo was silent for two seconds and then said, ¡°You must take good care of yourself.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry!¡±

    After I finished speaking, I hung up the phone and felt a sudden tightness in my heart.

    Everyone had to give up on me, give up on this rtionship. So why did he bother saying these seemingly caring words? It¡¯s just annoying to hear.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°See, Reynaldo is just worried about you. In a few days, he wille back to you after he figures it out.¡±

    Vonnie also persuaded me at this time, ¡°Yes, Ralda, don¡¯t overthink it and don¡¯t be too sad. This is something that man has to figure out for himself.¡±

    These days let him take Essie abroad for medical treatment.

    Maybe by then, Essie¡¯s illness had improved, he and everything had gotten better.¡±

    nd also figured it out,

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    I don¡¯t ask for anything now.

    I just hope Essie¡¯s illness really got better.

    After hanging up the phone, I realized that I had missed many calls on my phone, all of which were fromst night.

    The vast majority were yed by Reynaldo.

    There were also some calls from Quentin to my dad.

    Last night, Reynaldo probably couldn¡¯t find me, and then he went to Quentin¡¯s ce with my dad.

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    But who would have thought thatst night Reynaldo and I were still loving each other, trusting each other, and promising each other that we would never leave each other.

    But this morning, Reynaldo suddenly backed out, suddenly didn¡¯t want

    me anymore.

    Thinking about everything that happened this morning, I felt upset.

    I threw my phone aside,y down in the nket, not wanting to think about anything, not wanting to say anything.

    Johnathan and Vonnie exchanged a nce, both sighed, and neither spoke again.

    That night, when Johnathan went out with Vonnie to buy me dinner, Quentin suddenly called again.

    The first and second time he called, I didn¡¯t answer.

    I thought he called twice, but I didn¡¯t answer, so he gave up.

    I didn¡¯t expect that after two minutes, he called again for the third time.

    I furrowed my brows and irritably swiped towards the answer button.

    I wanted to hear what else he had to say to me after ¡°taking care of Kimberly¡± like that.

    The phone was answered.

    Quentin¡¯s anxious voice came through immediately: ¡°Ralda, you finally answered my call, are you okay?¡±

    14:03

    I pursed my lips and felt his anxiety was a bit ridiculous.

    I said softly, ¡°Thanks to you, I didn¡¯t die.¡±

    Quentin paused for two seconds, as if he had let out a sigh of relief.

    He said, ¡°You didn¡¯t talk much with Reynaldo, did you? Last night he was looking for you and ended uping to me and dad.¡±

    He burst in like a madman, with people following him, pressing us and asking about your whereabouts.

    He also said that if anything happened to you, he would want all of us to be buried with you.

    ¡°Ralda, tell me what happenedst night, why didn¡¯t you answer our calls, not even Reynaldo could find you.¡±

    Reynaldo really ¡°lost it¡± looking for mest night.

    Why did the man who clearly loved me so much give up on me?

    Just thinking about these things made my heart ache.

    Quentin was still on the phone, asking me urgently.

    I sneered coldly and said, ¡°Thanks to your girlfriend, I almost diedst night.¡±

    ¡°Ralda, what are you talking about again? Kimberly was with me all nightst night, how could she have gone to harm you?¡±

    ¡°Look, no matter what happens, your first priority is to protect her, so what is the purpose of you making this call?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous how fake your co erns about me are?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­

    ¡°1

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    Chapter1087

    ¡°Quentin!¡± I interrupted him coldly, sneering, ¡°If one day, your Kimberly kills me, will you avenge me?¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Quentin said firmly.

    I sneered and said, ¡°What if one day it really happens?¡±

    1288 Moochers

    Quentin remained silent for a long time, and said word by word, ¡°Then I will definitely avenge you!¡±

    Listening to Quentin¡¯s promise, I just chuckled sarcastically and didn¡¯t take it seriously.

    He loved Kimberly so much that he didn¡¯t care about right or wrong, ck or white, and even disregarded his mother¡¯s death. He even wished he could give his life to Kimberly.

    To the extent that he licked Kimberly like that, how could I possibly believe that he would avenge me.

    ¡°Ralda, tell me quickly, what happenedst night? What went wrong between you and Reynaldo?¡±

    Quentin asked anxiously again.

    I sneered coldly, ¡°What? Did Kimberly specifically send you to inquire about me and Reynaldo?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Quentin sighed helplessly, ¡°Why do you always think of me in such a bad way? I just simply want to care for you.¡±

    ¡°Concerned?¡± I sneered, ¡°When Kimberly falsely used me, where was your concern then? So, my dear brother, you really don¡¯t need to be so hypocritical in front of me, really, you just disgust me even more.¡±

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    ¡°Ralda, why did you have to say that about <b>me</b>.¡± <b>Quentin¡¯s </b>voice sounded extremely sad.

    I justughed, looking at the ceiling,ughing coldly and mockingly

    Fake, they all were fake to the extreme.

    Quentin had more to say.

    I impatiently said, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mr. Duffy. I have nothing to do with you anymore, so I hope you won¡¯t call me to bother me again.¡±

    I hung up the phone right after I finished speaking

    A few secondster, he called again, and I immediately turned off my phone.

    Feeling bored, I threw my phone aside. In the blink of an eye. I suddenly saw a figure sh by the peephole on the door.

    I furrowed my brows, got up and went over to take a look.

    However, when I opened the door and looked outside, I didn¡¯t see any suspicious people. Instead, Johnathan and Vonnie were walking towards me carrying a package box.

    Johnathan saw me at a nce and joked, ¡°Oh, Esmie, even when you¡¯re sick, you still remember to get up and greet me.

    Vonnie gave him a nk look and then rushed over to me in a quick step, saying, ¡°Ralda, how did you get up?¡±

    I shook my head and asked them, ¡°Did you see anyone suspicious just

    Chapter1088

    now?¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback and exchanged a nce with Johnathan, saying, ¡°No, it¡¯s quitete now, there¡¯s no one in the elevator?

    Johnathan nodded, ¡°Yes, no one, so, Esmie, who did you see?¡±

    ¡°I just saw someone peeking at me from this window.¡± I said, pointing to the peephole on the door.

    Vonnie eximed, ¡°Could it be that Kimberly sent someone to spy on you?¡±

    Johnathan clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Why did that woman send someone to monitor Esmie? I think the person just <b>now </b>must be Reynaldo. He can¡¯t let go of Esmie, so he came over to secretly watch her.¡±

    I chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything, just turned around and went back to the room.

    Johnathan pursed his lips and followed in with a takeout box.

    He said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll give him a call to test it out.¡±

    I was about to say it was unnecessary, but he quickly dialed Reynaldo¡¯s phone.

    The phone rang for a few seconds and then was picked up, Johnathan put it on speaker.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Reynaldo asked in a casual tone.

    Johnathan giggled and said, ¡°What are you doing? Do you want toe out for a drink?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t coax the baby to sleep.¡±

    ahoochers

    I pursed my lips and smiled at Johnathan.

    Johnathan was unwilling to ept it: ¡°Are you really trying to coax the baby? Then why don¡¯t you send me a couple of photos of the little one?¡±

    ¡°Boring!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you definitely didn¡¯t coax the baby, nor were you at home.¡±

    ¡°Speak when you have something to say, otherwise hang up!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, just admit it, you went to see Esmie just now, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Beep¡­ Beep¡­¡±

    However, as soon as Johnathan¡¯s words fell, a busy tone came from the phone.

    Johnathan said confidently, ¡°The person who was peeking at Esmie just now must be Reynaldo. Hmph, that guy still won¡¯t admit it, and even says he was just ying with the kids. I¡¯ll show him a video right now.¡±

    I thought Johnathan was quite boring.

    Even if it were proven that the person who was just peeking outside was Reynaldo, so what?

    The point was not that I didn¡¯t believe in his love for me, but that he didn¡¯t believe in my love for her.

    Vonnie handed me the packed meal and said to me, ¡°Ralda, I just asked Anton, he said once your emotions stabilize, you can be

 TOO Close 1089

    I nodded, ¡°Whether I could be discharged tomorrow or not, I <b>still </b>have to rush to the airport to meet Essic and Roddy,¡±

    Over there, Johnathan was still video chatting with Reynaldo.

    He probably sent several videos over, but Reynaldo never answered.

    After a while, he turned around and smiled at me, saying, ¡°See, Reynaldo is just a liar and coward, he doesn¡¯t even dare to answer my video call.¡±

    ¡°Well, I believe the person who came to see me just now was Reynaldo, and then?¡±

    I asked Johnathan seriously, which caught him off guard.

    ¡°And¡­ And what then? And then what¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°Okay, stop trying to influence Ralda¡¯s thoughts. The problem is not with Ralda, the problem lies with Reynaldo. You should go talk to Reynaldo instead.¡±

    Johnathan seemed to suddenly realize, ¡°Oh, right, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go find Reynaldo now and see if I can get some information out of him over a drink.¡±

    Vonnie waved to him, saying, ¡°Go on, go on, go on¡­¡±

    After Johnathan left, Vonnie climbed into bed andy down next to <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    She held my arm andforted me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ralda.

    Chapterioko

    Reynaldo is just being neurotic. Let¡¯s just ignore him, I will always be here with you.¡±

    My heart warmed, and I smiled at her, saying, ¡°Okay.¡±

    That night, I talked to Vonnic about a lot of past events.

    Vonnie didn¡¯t fall into a deep sleep until thete night.

    But I couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    I turned to the side and stared nkly out the window, worried about Essie¡¯s illness and annoyed by Reynaldo¡¯s fussiness.

    Anyway, this time I won¡¯t actively look for Reynaldo again.

    After all, he refused to believe that I loved him and refused to get out of that mindset.

    So I moved forward, I chased after him, only to hurt myself even more.

    Whatever, he can do whatever he wants.

    What I care most about now is Essie¡¯s illness.

    I almost didn¡¯t sleep the whole night, and just as it was getting light, I closed my eyes for a moment.

    When I woke up, it was alreadyte.

    Vonnie was still asleep.

    I didn¡¯t wake her up, got out of bed quietly, put on my coat, and hurried to the airport.

    When I arrived at the airport, I saw my two children stretching their necks and looking towards the entrance.

    14.04

    Chapels

    The next second they saw me as soon as I are them

    The two children immediately ran excitedly towards me

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    My heart softened, and I hurriedly went up to them, opening my arms to embrace them

    ¡°Mummy, you finally came. Roddy and I have been waiting for you for so long.¡± Essic said to me, looking a bit aggrieved with tears in her

    eyes.

    I touched her head and kissed her on the forehead, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. mommy was wrong.¡±

    Essie hugged my neck and shook her head, ¡°Essie didn¡¯t me mommy, when mommy came, Essie was very happy.¡±

    I hugged Essie tightly, unwilling to let go, thinking about her illness, which made my heart ache.

    Essie touched my head and coaxed me softly, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be sad. Essie doesn¡¯t me you. Essie loves you.¡±

    ¡°Mommy wasn¡¯t sad, Mommy just couldn¡¯t bear to part with you,¡± I choked out.

    In the blurred vision, a tall figure walked over.

    It was Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo looked down at me, his eyes deep, but his tone calm, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take care of them.¡±

    Chapter1089

    Roddy wiped the tears from the corner of my eye and kissed me, saying, ¡°Originally, we wanted Mommy toe with us, but Daddy said Mommy hasn¡¯t been feeling welltely.¡±

 TOO Close 1090

    Mom, you must take good care of yourself. Wait for us toe back. By then, Essie and I will bring gifts for Mom.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mommy, whatever you like, I¡¯ll ask daddy to buy it for you,¡± Essie said softly, hugging my neck with her little face against my cheek.

    I nced at Reynaldo subconsciously.

    The man¡¯s face was calm and expressionless, showing no emotion.

    I touched the heads of two children and smiled, saying, ¡°As long as it¡¯s from you to mommy, mommy will like it.¡±

    At this moment, the boarding announcement was made.

    I stood up and looked at the man in front of me, saying lightly, ¡°After you go over there, I hope you can report to me about the situation of the two children every day.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Also, regarding Essie¡¯s illness, no matter what progress there is, I hope you can inform me in a timely manner.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I no longer looked at him, lowered my head and smiled at the two babies, saying, ¡°After you get there, you must behave well, remember to call mommy often, okay?¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    1404

    The two children nodded heavily.

    The boarding announcement was made again.

    No matter how reluctant, it can only end here,

    The scene of parting is always sad. With tears in my eyes, I smiled at the two children and said, ¡°Go board the ne quickly, mommy should go back too.¡±

    I finished speaking, and tears still couldn¡¯t help but fall.

    Afraid that the two children would see me cry, I quickly turned my back and said with a softugh, ¡°Mommy has gone back first, remember to call her when you arrive.¡±

    ¡°Well, Mommy, be careful on the road,¡± Essie said softly.

    I smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    After saying that, I walked towards the exit, tears had already blurred my vision.

    My Essie, you must be fine.

    Mom¡¯s only wish in this life was for you and Roddy to be healthy and safe throughout your lives.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    I had just taken a few steps when Reynaldo suddenly called out to me.

    I hesitated for a moment, didn¡¯t turn around, just asked lightly, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, do you have something else?¡±

    There was a moment of silence behind.

    He was silent until I thought he had left.

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    I was about to leave when his deep and restrained wie witbaby care from behind, ¡°You must take care of yourself¡±

    I pulled my lips,ughed sarcastically, but tears kept falling down.

    There was a lingering sense of indescribable bitterness and grace in my heart.

    I coldly said, ¡°Mr. Humphrey was about to give up on me, so why bother saying such misleading words? Whether I am good or not has nothing to do with Mr. Humphrey,¡±

    With that, I quickly walked towards the exit.

    I was afraid that if I stayed any longer, I would end up arguing <b>with </b>him.

    I didn¡¯t want to argue with him in front of the children.

    After leaving the airport, I looked nkly at the pedestrians <bing </b>and going outside, not knowing where to go next and what to do.

    I sat down on a stone pedestal in a daze, staring nkly at the distant horizon, feeling empty, sour, and painful inside.

    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been sitting outside the airport until

    of it. Vonnie¡¯s call came, and then I snapped out

    Vonnie was anxious and asked me where I had been.

    I said goodbye to the children at the airport.

    Vonnie just remembered that the children were supposed to take a ne to go abroad today. She immediately felt extremely regretful, ming herself for oversleeping and noting to see the children.

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    I smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, they mighte back in a few days.¡±

    Vonnie wanted to say something else, and I asked her, ¡°Vonnie, can you¡­ apany me to have a drink?¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback, ¡°Drinking?¡±

    She paused and eximed urgently, ¡°How can this be possible? Your body is not fully recovered yet.¡±

    ¡°But I just want to drink, I feel upset.¡± I said, my voice choked up.

    After hearing this, Vonnie became anxious and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go ask Anton. If he says you can drink, then I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    I hung up the phone and covered my face, crying quietly on the stone pedestal.

    Mother¡¯s revenge was not avenged, Essie¡¯s illness had no hope, and Reynaldo cruelly decided to give up on me.

    At that moment, it felt like my world was copsing again, everything plunged into endless darkness, and there was no glimpse of light.

    Vonnie found a clean bar with a good environment.

    She was worried about me, so when she apanied me for a drink, she also invited Anton/and Johnathan.

    Anton didn¡¯t drink alcohol, he sat on the sofa, quietly watching me <b>drink</b>.

    Johnathan <b>was </b>just there to liven up the atmosphere, his mouth never

    Chapter1091

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    stopped talking, asionally clinking sses with me.

    Vonnie was with me the whole time, drinking.

    I hadn¡¯t drunk so heartily and thoroughly for a long time, thinking that alcohol could numb the pain in my heart.

    The more I drank, the more sour and bitter I felt in my heart.

    I had no way to deal with either my mother¡¯s grudge, Essie¡¯s illness, or my rtionship with Reynaldo.

    After another ss of wine, with red eyes, I asked them, ¡°Do you think Reynaldo is being too much?¡±

    ¡°Outrageous, outrageous!¡± Vonnie nodded vigorously. ¡°He is the most outrageous of all. If I had known back in school, I should have found someone to beat him up hard. Now he¡¯s so powerful, I dare not hire someone to beat him.¡±

    Johnathan rubbed her head in frustration.

    After a while, he sighed and said to me, ¡°Esmie, don¡¯t me Reynaldo. Last night when I was drinking with him, he was crying.¡±

    ¡°He was just afraid of identally hurting you again, so he was so h¨¦sitant, he really loves you so much¡­¡±

    ¡°He said he loved me!¡±

    Great grievance and anger lingered in my heart, almost consuming all of my rationality.

    I yelled at him, ¡°All my pain and wounds were caused by him, and now he wants to give up on me. I hate him, hate him so much.¡±

    In the future, none of you are allowed to say ¡°he loves me¡°, none of

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    you are allowed!

    ¡°If I hear you say he loves me again, I¡¯m done with you!¡±

    Johnathan seemed to be startled by my appearance all of a sudden-

    He quickly poured me a ss of wine and said cautiously, ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t say it, I won¡¯t say it¡­ Esmie, don¡¯t be so fierce, it¡¯s scary.¡±

    I ignored him and just picked up the wine he poured, then drank in one gulp.

    After drinking, I pushed the cup in front of him again.

    all

    He quickly poured me another ss and said to Vonnie with a look of grievance, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Esmie could be so fierce, she scared me.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯d better not speak well of Reynaldo anymore, or I won¡¯t talk to you either!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t¡­¡± Johnathan quickly embraced Vonnie, saying pitifully, ¡°If you ignore me, I¡¯ll end up crying like Reynaldo.¡±

    Vonnie pushed him aside ¡°disdainfully¡± and then continued to drink with me.

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    Anton didn¡¯t drink alcohol the whole time, his calm gaze always fixed on me, wondering what he was thinking.

    I don¡¯t know how much alcohol I drank, but I saw Vonnie lying on the table in a daze, as if she had drunk too much.

    Johnathan had also had quite a bit to drink, and he staggered as he pulled Vonnie, as if to get Vonnie to get up and continue drinking with him.

    Later, I didn¡¯t know what happened. I vaguely heard Anton making a phone call, as if instructing his men to send Vonnie and Johnathan back.

    I was helped out of the bar, and as soon as I came out, my stomach was in turmoil.

    I hurriedly ran to the trash can on the side of the road and vomited wildly.

    Someone patted me on the back to help me rx.

    Was it Reynaldo?

    With a sudden pang in my heart, I turned around and threw myself into the arms of that person.

    The man stiffened for a moment, but did not speak. Instead, he gently patted my back tofort me.

    The sadness and grievance in my heart were magnified to the extreme in this moment.

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    Chapter1092

    Iy in his arms and cried out loud, ¡°Reynaldo, why do you say give up?!¡±

    It was you who insisted on marrying me, it was you who used all¡® means to tie me to you, at this moment, what qualification do you have to say separation?!

    Why do you always do this? You never consider my feelings.

    I hated you, I detested you, I loathed you to death¡­ sob¡­

    A light sigh came from above.

    I couldn¡¯t tell whose voice it was.

    The headache was so severe, my head was in a fog, and my heart was aching.

    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been crying, and I felt like I was being carried into a car in a daze.

    The bumpiness of the car made my stomach churn again, but there was nothing left in my stomach to vomit.

    I was lying on the car seat, ¡°constantly retching.¡±

    My stomach cramped in waves, hurting more than death.

    The speed of the car seemed to slow down.

    Iy back in the car seat, feeling powerless, my whole body aching as if it had been torn apart.

    Originally, alcohol really couldn¡¯t numb the heartache, it only brought unbearable stomach pain.

    I suddenly remembered Reynaldo¡¯s stomach problem.

    Chapter1092

    * 288 Vouchers

    Is his stomach problem just like this?

    When sad, go get drunk.

    Everything was going well, why did he have to leave me?

    The throbbing head was filled with Reynaldo¡¯s resolute words that day.

    I held my head and screamed in pain.

    Suddenly, the car stopped, and then I was carried out by someone.

    The body fell into a warm embrace.

    That warmth, just like Reynaldo.

    He couldn¡¯t bear to see me sad and in pain, so he came back to find me, right?

    I grabbed his cor tightly, choked up and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me again, I beg you, don¡¯t leave me again¡­¡±

    His arm tightened, holding me even closer in his embrace.

    It was just the sound of something falling on top of his head, but it wasn¡¯t Reynaldo¡¯s voice.

    He said, ¡°I will never leave you again, never.¡®

    I felt extremely ufortable all over my body, as if every organ was cramping.

    I rolled in pain on the bed.

    Suddenly, a crisp ringtone of a cellphone sounded.

    I covered my ears and only heard the noise.

    <b>66.97 </b>

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    The phone rang for a long time, and finally, it seemed like someone answered.

    Chapter1093

    288 Vouchers

 TOO Close 1093

    Immediately, the phone was pressed against my ear, and a warm voice said, ¡°It¡¯s Reynaldo on the line, he has something to tell you.¡±

    Upon hearing Reynaldo¡¯s name, my heart clenched again, it hurt.

    This pain, even overshadowed the other pains on my body.

    I suddenly became quiet.

    I stared nkly at the ceiling, quietly listening to the other end of the phone, the sound of steady breathing, tears falling inexplicably.

    I didn¡¯t speak, and he didn¡¯t speak either.

    We both seemed to be waiting for each other to speak first.

    For a long time, the calm and deep voice of Reynaldo finally came from the other end of the phone.

    He said, ¡°I have safely arrived at Roxafito with the children, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    I pursed my lips.

    Originally, he called just to ¡°check in.¡±

    I clenched the bedding and asked word by word, ¡°Is there anything else you want to tell me?¡±

    The other end of the phone was silent.

    I coldly said, ¡°Since there isn¡¯t, then just hang up.¡±

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    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    The next second, the man shouted at me.

    His voice was deep, with a hint of restraint, ¡°Since you are already with Anton, then live well with him, forget about me, and forget about the various grievances between us in the past.¡±

    In the future, I won¡¯t call and bother you anymore, except for Essie¡¯s illness.

    ¡°He¡­hehe¡­¡±

    The waves of pain rising in the heart slowly turned into resentment.

    I yelled at my phone, ¡°Reynaldo, I hate you, I really hate you. If you dare, don¡¯t ever show up in front of me again!¡±

    After saying that, I smashed my phone out.

    There was a sudden sound of shattering, and the phone hit the wall, falling to the ground in pieces.

    Feeling extremely upset in my heart, my head was throbbing with pain.

    I covered myself with the nket, willing to be swallowed by darkness, and not wanting to think about anything rted to Reynaldo

    anymore.

    The name ¡°Reynaldo¡± is now a curse to me, whenever it is mentioned, I cannot help but go crazy.

    Someone was gently patting my back through the nket.

    A gentle voice came through the nket, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything, just have a good sleep, and everything will be better when you wake up.¡±

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    I clutched the bedding tightly, and finally couldn¡¯t help but sob uncontrobly.

    My whole body ached, inside and out.

    The invisible pain made me wish I could just die like that.

    I didn¡¯t know when I fell asleep.

    Waking up again, my head hurt badly, as if it had been smashed open.

    I pounded my head and sat up with difficulty.

    The room was pitch ck, and I stared nkly into the darkness, not knowing whether it was day or night.

    There came bursts of bird calls from outside the window, along with faint voices.

    It should be daytime now.

    I fumbled out of bed and searched around the bedside for a while without finding the switch for the light.

    Feeling my way in the dark, I slowly pulled open the curtains by the

    window.

    In an instant, a dazzling sunlight suddenly shone over, making it impossible for me to open my eyes.

    I covered my eyes with my hand for a while, and then slowly removed my hand.

    The dazzling autumn sunlight shone on the earth, as if giving a halo to everything in the world.

    Yes, this world was still very beautiful, full of vitality.

    <b>64.14</b>%

    So why should I live or die for a man.

    I had a lot of things to do.

    I also wanted to avenge my mother and find a way to cure Essie¡¯s illness.

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    I hadn¡¯t aplished anything yet, so what right did I have to be in despair?

    I stared nkly at the sunlight outside the window for a long time, then went to the bathroom to freshen up and tidy myself up.

    When I went downstairs, I found that Anton, Johnathan, and Vonnie were all there.

    Vonnie saw me and instantly rushed towards me, grabbing my hand and anxiously asking, ¡°Ralda, are you okay? It¡¯s all my fault. I drank too much yesterday. I was supposed to apany you for a drink, but ended up drinking too much myself.¡±

    I patted her hand and smiled, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m good.¡±

    Anton and Johnathan stared at me without blinking, their expressions strange, as if suddenly not recognizing me.

    In the end, Johnathan said, ¡°Oh, Esmie really changed after getting drunk once.¡±

    Look how spirited and neat he looks.

    He was much better than the crazy and crazy appearance of the previous two days.

    Wow, alcohol is really a good thing, no wonder Reynaldo always goes to drink when he is heartbroken.

    As soon as Johnathan¡¯s voice fell, the living room suddenly fell eerily silent, and the atmosphere instantly became particrly strange.

    a fre

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    Johnathan hesitated for a moment, staring at everyone awkwardly, ¡°Did I, did I say something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you better not mention Reynaldo to me again, otherwise I won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± Vonnie huffed at Johnathan.

    Johnathan looked aggrieved and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, why are you scolding me?¡±

    ¡°You are¡­¡±

    Vonnie still wanted to tease Johnathan, and Iughed and said to her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, mentioning Reynaldo is not a taboo, it¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    With that, I looked at Johnathan and Anton, smiled calmly, and said, ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Since he is determined to give up on this rtionship, I will just let him go.¡±

    Letting him go is also letting go of myself.

    In the future, you don¡¯t have to deliberately avoid the topic of him in front of me. Just do whatever you want.¡±

    As soon as I said this, the three of them all looked at me in surprise.

    Johnathan was the most anxious.

    He said urgently, ¡°No, Esmie, you can¡¯t have this idea.¡±

    He gave up, you gave up, so how are you going to handle this rtionship, this marriage.

    ¡°There were two more children, what should we do with two more children?¡±

    I smiled calmly at him and said, ¡°Just because Reynaldo and I are separated doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t care about our child.¡±

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    The child was willing to stay with him, so he stayed on his side; if he was willing to be with me, he stayed on my side.

    No matter where we stayed, we could both go visit the children, after all, ¡°both he and I love those two children very much.¡±

    ¡°No, Esmie¡­¡±

    Johnathan was frantic, ¡°If you two really separate like this, Reynaldo will be devastated. I beg you, Esmie, please don¡¯t have such thoughts.¡±

    He fell into a mental trap, you can¡¯t fall into it too.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cruel to him, okay? He can¡¯t live without you.¡±

    Before today, I would feel very angry, very wronged, and very sarcastic when I heard Johnathan¡¯s words.

    But at this moment, my heart was only calm.

    Vonnie looked at me and said to Johnathan, ¡°Stop talking, do you think Ralda hasn¡¯t been hurt enough?¡±

    ¡°But Reynaldo was also very bitter. He had been bitter all along, and now that things were about to turn sweet, he couldn¡¯t let him go back to the bitterness of the past.¡±

    Johnathan looked anxious and urgently said to me, ¡°Wait for me

 TOO Close 1095

    He said, and then quickly took out his phone, dialed Reynaldo¡¯s number.

    However, he dialed three times in a row, but Reynaldo did not answer.

    I smiled and walked slowly towards him.

    Vonnie nced at me worriedly, quickly caught up, and grabbed my

    arm.

    Johnathan was still calling Reynaldo.

    I reached out and took his phone, ending the call.

    I smiled faintly at him and said, ¡°No need to call, Roxafito is in a different time zone, it should bete at night over there now.¡±

    With that, I handed the phone back to Johnathan.

    Johnathan looked at me, his eyes red with tears, ¡°Esmie, you really scare me like this. Please, don¡¯t give up on Reynaldo, okay?¡±

    Vonnie frowned and kicked him.

    Johnathan seemed unresponsive, just staring at me.

    I said to him lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything anymore. In the future, I just want to live my own life well.¡±

    As for Reynaldo, I no longer wanted to have any involvement or entanglement with him.

    I was very tired, really tired.¡±

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    Johnathan opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything more, just hung his head ufortably.

    Vonnie also looked at me with a sad face.

    Anton looked into my eyes, there was a hint of worry in his gaze.

    Seeing that none of them spoke, the atmosphere in the living room was strangely heavy.

    I smiled at them and said, ¡°Alright, alright, why be so negative and pessimistic.¡±

    The world was so beautiful, and our world was not just about the entanglement of love between men and women.

    There were many interesting things waiting for us to do, and many beautiful sceneries waiting for us to appreciate.

    Every day was filled with sadness and difort, making oneself so miserable, what¡¯s the point of wasting the best years of youth like that.

    So,ter I treated you to a meal, and you ordered the most expensive dishes as much as possible.

    Life is about ¡°eating, drinking, and having fun.¡±

    After I finished speaking, the three of them stared at me in disbelief.

    Vonnie also reached out and felt my forehead, as if checking to see if I had a fever.

    Anton pursed his lips and said to me seriously, ¡°Esmeralda, those negative emotions are best to be released, they must not be kept inside.¡±

    Now we are all family, if you feel really ufortable, just cry it out,

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    crying will make you feel better physically.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ralda¡­¡± Vonnie was also anxious. ¡°Mr. Palmer is right, don¡¯t keep your emotions bottled up, cry if you need to, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    I smiled at them cheerfully and said, ¡°I really figured it out. Now, besides a slight headache, I don¡¯t feel anything in my heart.¡±

    Vonnie looked at me skeptically and asked, ¡°Really?¡±

    I nodded heavily, ¡°Really can¡¯t be more real.¡±

    Anton stared at me for a while and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s good if you can figure it out. Anyway, you must never keep bad emotions bottled up inside, after all, your physical foundation is not good to begin with.¡±

    ¡°I got it, Dr. Palmer.¡±

    I smiled at Anton and said to Vonnie, ¡°In the future, I will go to the set every day to watch you film. Of course, I also need to continue writing the script. I will enrich my life every day from now on.¡±

    Vonnie stared at me carefully.

    It¡¯s like looking for traces of my disguised strength.

    I pinched her face andughed, saying, ¡°What are you looking at? Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head, hugged me, and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t care

    Detween

    what will happen you and Reynaldo in the future, I just hope you will be well and happy every day.¡±

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    17 200 (ouchere

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    I patted her back and said with a smile, ¡°Yes, I will definitely be fine.¡±

    In that moment of lowering my gaze, I saw Johnathan frowning tightly, looking very ufortable.

    He wriggled his lips, wanting to say something to me several times.

    But at the moment of opening his mouth, he swallowed all the words he was about to say.

    Finally, he covered his forehead and sighed heavily.

    Aftering out of Anton¡¯s vi, I didn¡¯t go back to the Duffy¡¯s vi, but returned to the house I had bought myself some time ago.

    Vonnie was a little worried about me.

    She said to me, ¡°Ralda, I¡¯ll stay here with you these days.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    I opened the window in the room to let in some fresh air and smiled at her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own, besides, I go to the set every day, so you can see me.¡±

    Passing by Vonnie, I saw Johnathan standing at the door, looking

    annoyed.

    Iughed and said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take over your Vonnie.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>It was not¡­

    4000

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    Johnathan looked at me, hesitated, and said, ¡°If you do this, Reynaldo will really be in danger.¡±

    Ah, I didn¡¯t want to sarcastically retort to him, but he just wouldn¡¯t

    stop.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do that, he will also be in big trouble.¡±

    Johnathan furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Because whether or not I had given up on him, he thought I was with Anton.¡±

    If I were to give up on him, he would be desperate.

    ¡°Then if I were with Anton, wouldn¡¯t I be even more likely to die.¡±

    Johnathan hissed and thought for a while, then said, ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with what you said, but I don¡¯t know what it is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem.¡±

    Iughingly poured them each a ss of water and said, ¡°You take care of yourselves, you¡¯re better off that way, better than anything else.¡±

    Johnathan chuckled twice and pulled Vonnie¡® into his arms, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re doing just fine.¡±

    Vonnie nudged him with her elbow, ¡°Go on, who¡¯s getting along with you? I¡¯m staying here to keep Raldapany today.¡±

    Johnathan frowned slightly and said, ¡°Then I will stay too!¡±

    I massaged my temples with a headache and said, ¡°You all leave, no showing affection in front of me!¡±

    <b>20.25</b>%

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    Vonnie and Johnathan were both eventually driven away by me.

    I heard that the crew will resume work tomorrow. It¡¯s quite far from where I am, and Vonnie lives here, so it¡¯s definitely not suitable.

    As soon as they left, the whole living room instantly quieted down, so quiet that it was almost a bit deste.

    I sat on the sofa for a while, and then I gathered myself up to do some cleaning.

    The floor was mopped over and over by me until it was shiny enough to reflect light.

    After mopping the floor, I went to wipe the tables and cabs.

    Finally, I went to take off the bed sheets and covers in the bedroom and washed them, then put on new ones.

    After doing all this. I sat on the sofa and stared nkly, thinking for a while about what else I could do. Finally, I remembered that I hadn¡¯t turned on my new phone yet.

    The new phone was bought for me by Anton.

    He saidst night Reynaldo called me. I don¡¯t know what Reynaldo told me. I got so angry that I smashed my phone.

    Although I drank too muchst night, I still remember that Reynaldo, on the phone, told me to forget about him and to live a good life with Anton.

    12.50

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    He used to pester me, now he has given up on me, and that¡¯s all.

    Why did he take it upon himself to make me be with Anton again?

    The depression and anxiety that had been simmering in the heart finally grew stronger and stronger, as if covering the entire heart.

    Feeling blocked in my heart, everything seemed to have entered a dead end again.

    I ran around in all directions, but I couldn¡¯t find the way out.

    Intense anger and suppression, like a strong, came towards me, making it hard for me to breathe.

    I suddenly screamed and raised my hand, ready to throw the new phone in my hand.

    Suddenly, a loud knocking sound was heard.

    I shuddered all over and suddenly came to my senses.

    What was I just doing?

    I pulled my hand back and stared nkly at the phone in my hand, my face turning slightly pale.

    I actually wanted to smash this new phone just now.

    Why did this happen?

    Why did my emotions be so unstable now, why am I so easily out of control now.

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    Wasn¡¯t I already fine?

    Wasn¡¯t I already determined not to grieve for that man anymore?

    But why did I lose control again all of a sudden, in that moment of losing control, I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing.

    I covered my face and a sense of panic shed through my mind.

    Am I sick like this?

    Knock, knock, knock¡­

    The knocking on the door was still echoing.

    I panted heavily, trying hard to calm my emotions.

    After a while, I got up slowly and walked towards the door.

    As the door was pulled open, Anton appeared at the doorway.

    He looked at me intently, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

    ¡°Why did it take so long for you to open the door, and you don¡¯t look very well. Is there something wrong?¡±

    I shook my head and turned back into the room.

    He followed in, cing the things in his hands on the coffee table.

    I saw ¡°a meal¡± and several boxes of medicine.

    He looked at me carefully for a while, then handed me the meal and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t had dinner yet, have you? I brought some for you on my way.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

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    I took the takeout box, opened the lid, and then picked up a fork, eating bite by bite.

    Anton went to pour me a ss of water.

    He stared at me for a while and suddenly asked me, ¡°Is it to your taste?¡±

    Inodded without saying anything.

    He asked again, ¡°Very spicy, specially made the spiciest vor for you.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s very spicy, thank you.¡±

    However, as soon as I finished speaking, my wrist was suddenly tightly grasped by him.

    I raised my head to look at him in confusion.

    He stared at me, his brow furrowed tightly, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t do this, it will only harm your body more.¡±

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°What else do you want to say? I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You were still pretending!¡±

    He nced at my bowl and said in a deep voice, ¡°I prepared light meals for you, not spicy at all,

    Don¡¯t you think you are like a ¡°walking dead¡± right now?

    Esmeralda, it¡¯s okay to be sad, it¡¯s not embarrassing to be upset, what¡¯s important is to be able to pick yourself up, instead of pretending to be okay like nothing happened.

    ¡°You keep hiding all your emotions deep inside, it will only drive

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    yourself crazy, do you understand?¡±

    I stared at him nkly, suddenly remembering the moment when I had just lost control, my body trembling slightly.

    Chapter1098

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 TOO Close 1098

    Will I one day be crazy, be mentally ill?

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    Anton broke my shoulder and said seriously, ¡°Listen to me, cry when you need to cry, make a scene when you need to, emotions need to be released, that¡¯s how your body will get better.¡±

    Ralda suppressed the faint fear rising in his heart, and I smiled at him, saying, ¡°I really have no disguise, I¡¯m fine now, you see, my home is cleaned up by me.¡±

    I proudly pointed to the ground.

    Anton nced over, his brows furrowed with seriousness and concern.

    ¡°Esmeralda,e and stay at my ce, it will be convenient for me to take care of you.¡±

    I shook my head hastily, ¡°I have a home, why should I stay at your ce?¡±

    Anton had more to say.

    I urged him with a smile, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯ve been cleaning for half a day just now, and I¡¯m exhausted. After eating, I¡¯m going to wash up and go to bed. You should go back now.¡±

    Finishing speaking, I continued to eat with the takeout box in my hand, enjoying it very much.

    Anton looked at me deeply for a long time, then suddenly sighed.

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    He pushed the medicine on the table in front of me and said to me, ¡°Your body has not fully recovered yet. Here are some calming pills and some to regte your body.¡±

    I have written the instructions on the packaging box. When you take it, pay attention.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded at him with a smile.

    He looked at me for a long time, then stood up and said, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb your rest. If you need anything, you can give me a call.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I got up and walked him to the door.

    When he reached the door, he suddenly turned around and looked at <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    ¡°Esmeralda, always prioritize your own body, your life is not just about Reynaldo, you have two children, and us, who love and care for you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I smiled, but my voice was a bit choked up.

    Anton patted my shoulder and said, ¡°Rest well, we will go to the set tomorrow to watch Vonnie filming.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I watched Anton leave, and only closed the door after he entered the

    elevator.

    I turned around, leaning my back against the door panel, mechanically putting food into my mouth, but tears kept falling inexplicably.

    Suddenly, there was a surge in my stomach.

    I hurried into the bathroom, bent over the sink, and vomited violently.

    ninmen

    12:50

    1 288 Vouchers

    Almost everything I had just eaten came back up.

    In the end, only yellow bile was left to vomit.

    My stomach cramped in spasms of pain.

    I leaned against the sink, slid down to the floor, and really felt worse than death.

    I had already pulled myself together and decided not to think about Reynaldo anymore.

    But why was my heart still so heavy.

    That heart, as if missing a piece, aches empty.

    I sat in the bathroom for a long time before getting up and stumbling into the living room.

    The new phone was still left on the sofa by me.

    I walked over, inserted my SIM card first, and then turned on the phone.

    With the sound of the startup, countless missed call notifications rang one after another.

    I looked and saw that basically all of them were from Reynaldo.

    I pulled my lip, not knowing if it was the children who hit me, or him.

    My fingers unconsciously tapped on that name.

    In an instant, Reynaldo¡¯s number dialed back.

    After hanging up, I remembered that there was a time difference over there. At this time, it should still be dark over there.

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    I was about to hang up the phone, but unexpectedly, the other end picked up.

    The calm breathing sound instantly came from the other end of the phone.

    I gripped my phone tightly, and my heart tightened involuntarily.

    The man remained silent for a long time.

    And I, from the beginning until now, have always detested this kind of silence.

    I asked lightly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with calling me so many times?¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent for a moment and whispered, ¡°It was the children who did it.¡±

    I pursed my lips, feeling a surge of indescribable resentment in my heart.

    I sneered, ¡°Is that so? Then let them answer the phone.¡±

    ¡°They were already asleep.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how to talk to him anymore, with a strong sense of resentment and grievance lingering in my heart.

    I yelled at him, ¡°Reynaldo, what do you want to do?¡±

    f you insist on giving up our rtionship, then please stop calling me

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    for no reason.

    If you really can¡¯t trust me, then speak up, and we can start over, start

    over.

    I really dislike the way you are. Either we make up and start over, or wepletely cut ties and never see each other again.

    After saying these words, I was so angry that my chest heaved violently.

    Worried about doing something irrational againter.

    I quickly bent over in front of the coffee table and found the box of tranquilizer pills.

    Without time to read the instructions on the packaging, I quickly tore open the package and poured out a few pills, putting them in my mouth and swallowing them.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination.

    After taking the calming pill, my mind seemed to gradually calm down.

    I leaned back on the sofa, smiling at my phone, ¡°If Mr. Humphrey doesn¡¯t have anything else, then just hang up and don¡¯t disturb my rest.¡±

    ¡°Last night, I was talking to you on the phone just fine, when suddenly there was a loud bang.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t reach you when I called you again, I was just a little worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ Mr. Humphrey was about to give up on me, so why worry about me.

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    Also, in the future, besides matters concerning the children, please do not call me again, Mr. Humphrey.

    Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind smashing another phone.¡±

    The breathing on the other end of the phone suddenly became heavy, as if holding back some emotion.

    I covered half of my face, feeling extremely agitated.

    I didn¡¯t want to say anything to him anymore, nor did I want to specte on what he was thinking. I just hung up the phone.

    The room fell silent for a moment.

    And this quietness inexplicably made people feel anxious.

    I think I was really sick.

    I used to never be afraid of silence, but now, I just feel anxious.

    I quickly turned on the TV and put on aedy movie.

    In an instant, the room was filled withughter.

    I huddled on the sofa,ughing heartily along with the people on TV.

    Just as she was smiling, she felt a chill on her face.

    I reached out and found tears.

    The next day, I slept until noon before getting up. When I arrived at the film crew, it was already afternoon.

    Quentin was watching over Kimberly on set, and Johnathan was

    nowhere to be found.

    As soon as I arrived, Quentin called out to me and beckoned me over.

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    I ignored him and walked towards Gilbert.

    Gilbert had a pile of food over there, all kinds of snacks, and also some

    treats.

    Vonnie was acting with Kimberly at that time.

    04 87%

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    But it was not Gilbert who was filmed, but Gilbert¡¯s disciple.

    As soon as I approached, Gilbert pushed the snacks towards me and said, ¡°You look like you just woke up and haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡±

    I was dumbfounded, is it so obvious?

    I sat down and took a few skewers to eat.

    The taste of the skewers was very good, especially like the one Vonnie and I used to eat at.

    I smiled at Gilbert and said, ¡°Mr. Russell is now very familiar with the cuisine of Freybourne, knowing which restaurants are good and which ones are not.¡±

    Gilbert shook his head and said, ¡°These were all brought by Mr. Dup, I was only responsible for eating.¡±

    I was stunned, turns out Johnathan had been here before.

    At that moment, Quentin suddenly walked over.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Quentin looked at me with a concerned expression, ¡°Are you okay these days? You don¡¯t look too good.¡±

    I lowered my head and peeled the lobster shell, saying lightly, ¡°Mr. Duffy, rest assured, I won¡¯t die for a while, and please tell your girlfriend not to be too anxious.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Quentin growled low, his tone a mix of sorrow, anger, and sadness.

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    I put the peeled shrimp tail into my mouth, looked up, and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Mr. Duffy, what are you going to do? I said I won¡¯t die for a while, Mr. Duffy seems very angry.¡±

    ¡°Is it that I am dead, Mr. Duffy would be happy?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Quentin seemed anxious, grabbing my shoulders and urgently saying, ¡°You are not allowed to say such things again. I only have you as a sister. You cannot have any trouble. I am worried about you, really worried about you.¡±

    He said, with red eyes, as if tears were about to fall.

    I sarcastically pursed my lips, waving away his hand, ¡°Mr. Duffy wants to be sentimental, he should go find Ms. Palmer, don¡¯t dy me from eating lobster.¡±

    With that, I took another lobster and focused on peeling it.

    Quentin stood by my side like a pir, motionless, but his hand on the side was clenched tightly.

    At this moment, Vonnie ran over and said, ¡°Hey, Mr. Duffy, your sweetheart is calling for you. If you don¡¯t go over now, she will get angry.¡±

    Quentin nced heavily at Vonnie and then walked towards Kimberly.

    Vonnie pursed her lips and said, ¡°He¡¯s such a fake. If he really cared about you, he would help you punish Kimberly, really!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    I fed her the peeled shrimp and smiled at her, saying, ¡°Just now Johnathan came and left?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Vonnie nced at Gilbert and said, guy came over

    That

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    mainly to bring food for Mr. Russell.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ This thing is so delicious.¡±

    As they were talking, Gilbert¡¯s voice suddenly sounded.

    He was seen holding a shrimp in one hand and a beer in the other, although his face was red from the spiciness, he still enjoyed sucking the lobster with relish.

    After finishing the shrimp and taking a big sip of beer, he solemnly said to Vonnie and me, ¡°When I go back, I will bring back a few more of these things, Vonnie, remind your boyfriend then.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ oh¡­¡± Vonnie blushed and smiled at me.

    After a while, she pulled me aside and asked me worriedly, ¡°Ralda, did you sleep wellst night?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡± I rubbed my face and said, ¡°Look, I¡¯m so energetic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    Vonnie said, then hesitated, ¡°Johnathan told me that Reynaldo and the children may have to stay abroad for a while.¡±

    I was stunned, lowered my eyes, and said nothing.

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    ¡°I heard that doctors overseas havee up with a n to try it out on Essie first.¡±

    My heart tightened: ¡°Is that n reliable? Can it cure Essie¡¯s illness?¡±

    ¡°I heard it was just a trial, even if it didn¡¯t work out, it wouldn¡¯t hurt Essie.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s idea was to give it a try first, which would also provide a specific understanding of Essie¡¯s condition, making it easier to conduct specialized researchter on.

    I pursed my lips, full of worries in my heart.

    Vonnie put her arm around me andforted me, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Reynaldo is taking care of them over there, everything will be fine.¡±

    ¡°During this time, Johnathan was quite busy because Reynaldo was not in the country, so he had to handle all the big and small matters in thepany.¡±

    ¡°He worked hard,¡± I said.

    Vonnieughed and said, ¡°What¡¯s the hard work for? That¡¯s theirpany, they earn the money themselves, hard work is to be expected.¡±

    I smiled, but deep down I still felt a faint worry.

    After Vonnie told me about Reynaldo¡¯s situation abroad, Reynaldo sent me a message that evening.

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    The information was long, but there was basically no nonsense.

    I told him what Essie and Roddy had done and yed today.

    He took two children to the amusement park today and both children were very happy.

    It was said that the two children had noodles for dinner, went to bed at nine in the evening, and were told two stories before going to sleep.

    The information behind said is about Essie¡¯s condition.

    What he said was basically the same as what Vonnie told me.

    I stared at the message for a long time, then replied with a ¡®good¡®.

    No more messages came from the other side, so I threw my phone aside and continued watching theedy on TV.

    For several days in a row, Reynaldo did not call me again.

    But he would send me a message every day on time, reporting on how the two children were doing over there, as well as Essie¡¯s treatment progress.

    Whether I replied or not, there was no follow¨Cup from his end.

    And I still had to watchedy movies every night before going to sleep.

    That day, I was on set watching Vonnie filming.

    Johnathan suddenly arrived, his expression somewhat serious.

    As soon as I saw his expression, my heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat, and I would unconsciously specte, ¡°Has something happened over there in the foreign country?¡±

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    It seemed like he could see my worries, Johnathan walked up to me and said, ¡°Reynaldo met Matthew abroad.¡±

    I furrowed my brow, almost forgetting about this character named Matthew.

    Johnathan said, ¡°You know, Matthew used to have a lot of power in Yoripero, he was like a force to be reckoned with.¡±

    Just because Reynaldo secretly conspired with other members of the Gtea family, he was set up and fell from power, fleeing abroad.

    It can be imagined how much Matthew hated Reynaldo.

    I listened and felt my heart tighten involuntarily.

    ¡°What is the situation now, will Reynaldo and the children be in any danger abroad.¡±

    Johnathan said in a low voice, ¡°Essie and Roddy should be safe, because Matthew has a principle that he can harm women, but he would never harm children.¡±

    Mainly, Essie¡¯s illness is being treated now, and she definitely can¡¯te back for the time being.

    I was worried about Reynaldo.

    After all, Reynaldo dismantled his power in Yoripero, forcing him to hide in a foreignnd.

    He was a person who would definitely seek revenge, he must have wanted to skin Reynaldo alive and drink his blood.

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    I suppressed my worries and asked in doubt, ¡°But it also depends on whether he has the ability. After all, he couldn¡¯t even beat Reynaldo. How did he suddenly be so powerful overseas?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you fool, Reynaldo was able to defeat him in Yoripero because that man was arrogant and made many enemies.¡±

    In addition, there were many branches of the Gtea family, and many people coveted the Gtea family¡¯s wealth.

    Reynaldo, together with those people, easily brought him down.

    It¡¯s different overseas. I had someone over there investigate this morning.

    Matthew ate very well abroad, and his influence was no less than when he was in Yoripero.

    This is bad, if Reynaldo falls into the hands of Matthew, the consequences would be unimaginable.

    I wasn¡¯t too worried at first.

    After all, in my opinion, Matthew was never Reynaldo¡¯s match from the beginning, and he certainly wasn¡¯t Reynaldo¡¯s matchter on.

    With Johnathan saying that, I also became afraid.

    Although I still harbored resentment towards that man in my heart, I ultimately did not want anything to happen to him.

    Johnathan nced at me and whispered reassuringly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry fo

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    much, I¡¯ve sent some more people over there.¡±

    ¡°And Reynaldo also has connections over there, so he shouldn¡¯t fall into Matthew¡¯s hands so easily.¡±

    I pursed my lips and said nothing.

    Johnathan sighed again, patting his thigh and said, ¡°I wish I hadn¡¯t told you. I thought you wouldn¡¯t worry about Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried about him, I was just worried about my two children,¡± I said lightly, ncing towards the filming location.

    Johnathan hummed, ¡°Say one thing, mean another! I told you, the two kids will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Who can guarantee? After all, that is Reynaldo¡¯s child.¡±

    Matthew hated Reynaldo so much that he might use the child to control Reynaldo.

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s face turned serious again, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I heard that his childhood was very tough, so he has a soft spot for children.¡±

    I lowered my gaze, still feeling anxious and wishing I could fly over there right now.

    Johnathan nced at me and seemed to guess what I was thinking. He quickly said, ¡°You can¡¯t just run over there. Matthew may not harm the child, but that doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t harm you.¡±

    Did you forget about Yoripero?

    If you go over there, you will only hinder Reynaldo and won¡¯t be able to help him at all.¡±

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    I nced at him and said nothing.

    Johnathan chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being straightforward, I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡±

    Don¡¯t mention you, I dare not go rashly. I¡¯m not afraid of anything else, just afraid of dragging Reynaldo¡¯s hind legs.

    And Reynaldo had also repeatedly instructed me to stay in Freybourne and take care of thepany¡¯s affairs.

    In addition, he also instructed me not to tell you about the situation on his end.

    Actually, I am a big mouth, I can¡¯t keep things in my heart. So, this morning he told me, and now I can¡¯t help bute to tell you everything.¡±

    Indeed, what Johnathan said is true.

    If we go over there, not only will we not be able to do anything, but if we fall into Matthew¡¯s hands, we will be a bargaining chip for Matthew to threaten Reynaldo.

    I said to him lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t rush over.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯ll just wait peacefully in Freybourne for Reynaldo to bring the children back safely.¡±

    Even though Johnathan said so, there was still a touch of seriousness and worry lingering in his eyes.

    Yes, I have also seen Matthew¡¯s cruelty.

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    When there was no deep hatred between them, Matthew just didn¡¯t like Reynaldo, and as a result, I almost got killed by him.

    Now, having made an enemy, Reynaldo is back in his territory, not knowing how he will deal with Reynaldo.

    It¡¯s annoying, the world is so big, but I had to run into that jinx.-

    In the evening, Reynaldo still messaged me, reporting on the situation of the two children.

    Seeing him send a message, I also felt much calmer in my heart.

    For several days, I was looking forward to him sending a message.

    That information was like a ¡°report of his safety¡± to me.

    Of course, besides the children¡¯s situation, he wouldn¡¯t tell me much else.

    It really feels like now the rtionship between him and me is only maintained by those two children.

    If it weren¡¯t for these two children, I probably wouldn¡¯t have any contact with him.

    Reynaldo messaged me saying that it would probably take another month before Essie¡¯s initial treatment could bepleted.

    That is to say, it would take another month for him to bring the two children back.

    Thought of Matthew.

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    I replied to him with a message: ¡°Be safe over there.¡±

    Of course, Reynaldo still did not reply to me.

    No other information was sent except for information about the children every day.

    On the Freybourne side, Vonnie and Kimberly¡¯s y also gradually entered the filming track.

    In order to increase publicity, Quentin also released a lot of behind- the¨Cscenes footage.

    It was just something he never expected.

    After the behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes footage was released, Vonnie received unanimous praise.

    Almost allizens praised Vonnie for her natural acting, saying that the role was simply tailor¨Cmade for Vonnie, and even said that Vonnie has a limitless future.

    In just half a month, Vonnie gained countless fans.

    With theparison, Kimberly¡¯s scolding increased significantly.

    She said her expression was stiff, her face looked like it had been ¡°done¡°.

    She became the leading actress despite being said to have no acting skills.

    Evenizens leftments under the behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes footage, telling her to ¡°get out of the entertainment industry.¡±

    Actually,izens¡® evaluation of Kimberly is quite urate.

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    Kimberly did have a stiff expression, and she didn¡¯te from a professional background. She also didn¡¯t have any particrly well- known works before.

    Her poprity was all bought by Quentin, pushing it up forcefully-

    And this y was a big production directed by Gilbert, attracting a particrlyrge number of people.

    In addition, Vonnie acted naturally, with both acting skills and reputation. In contrast, Kimberly was naturally criticized harshly.

    Quentin saw a lot of online abuse towards Kimberly, and he was stunned. He immediately took down some promotional materials overnight.

    The more he retreated, the moreizens scolded him, saying he was feeling guilty.

    He was used of tantly favoring artists under his own management and favoring his girlfriend.

    At one point, Quentin¡¯spany was being heavily criticized.

    Quentin had no choice but to release those details again.

    However, ck and red are also red. The more this y is criticized, the more attention it attracts.

    Vonnie¡¯s number of fans also skyrocketed, however Kimberly¡¯s number of fans remained basically unchanged.

    This almost drove Kimberly crazy, so much so that her face was particrly gloomy every day when filming.

    That day, the crew finished work early, so Vonnie decided to treat the crew to a big meal.

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    When ites to eating, Gilbert is naturally the most enthusiastic. He quickly packed up the camera and followed Vonnie.

    But I was somewhat absent¨Cminded because today, Reynaldo¡¯s message had not arrived yet.

    During this period, he would send the message promptly every night at seven o¡¯clock.

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    But today, it was already 7:15, and the message still hadn¡¯t arrived. I couldn¡¯t help feeling a little anxious, worried that something had happened to him over there.

    Absentmindedly, I followed the crew to the restaurant.

    Vonnie was generous and booked the entire second floor of the

    restaurant.

    Everyone sat at their own tables.

    I was originally sitting with Vonnie and Gilbert, but just as we sat down, Kimberly pulled Quentin over to sit with us.

    As soon as she saw the two of them, Vonnie¡¯s smile froze on her face.

    She said to Kimberly with a meaningful look, ¡°Oh, I can see that you haven¡¯t been in a good moodtely. The way you look at me always seems like you want to stab me, but I didn¡¯t expect you would still be willing toe and support me.¡±

    ¡°Vonnie!¡±

    Quentin called out to Vonnie in a low voice, as if to draw Vonnie¡¯s attention to his tone.

    Vonnie wrinkled her nose and said in exasperation, ¡°Did I say something wrong? Why are you so impatient?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips, looking at me and Vonnie with aplex expression on his face, not saying a word.

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    At this moment, Kimberlyughed and said, ¡°Look at what <b>Ms. </b>Av just said, we are all part of the same cast, and Ms. Av is <b>now </b>a big star in the cast.¡±

    When Ms. Av¡¯s group had a gathering, I naturally had to attend, otherwise some people would say I was showing off.

    ¡°Hehe, you know you like to show off too,¡± Vonnie sneered.

    Quentin instantly became impatient: ¡°Alright Lavonne, since you said you¡¯re treating the crew to a meal, stop being so ambiguous.¡±

    ¡°Tsk. I was just joking with Kimberly, but look how worked up Mr. Duffy got.¡±

    You were so nervous, Kimberly might end up with no friends.

    Because, whenever anyone talked to Kimberly, you always thought those people were bullying Kimberly.

    ¡°You are not protecting Kimberly at all, you arepletely ruining Kimberly¡¯s reputation.¡±

    Vonnie spoke andughed at the same time,ughing quite sarcastically.

    Quentin was so angry that his face turned red. ¡°How could you be like this? It¡¯s really unreasonable!¡±

    ¡°You are unreasonable!¡± Vonnie retorted, picked up a bottle of wine and couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him.

    Gilbert, sitting across from the dining table, had already started eating.

    Gilbert was serious in everything he did, whether it was studyi scripts or eating. Once he got into the zone, even if there was a bombardment next to him, he didn¡¯t react.

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    I lowered my head and looked at my phone again, still no messages.

    At that moment, Kimberly suddenly smiled at me and said, ¡°Ralda, do you have something on your mind? Why do you look so distracted?¡±

    As soon as she asked, Quentin instantly looked at me with a hint of concern in his eyes, ¡°Ralda, what happened?¡±

    I put away my phone and said lightly, ¡°No, you guys got it wrong.¡±

    Kimberly pursed her lips and smiled, ¡°I heard Reynaldo took your two children abroad. I suppose you must miss them a lot, right?¡±

    Because Reynaldo did not send me a message, I was already feeling very anxious and agitated.

    Kimberly kept saying this.

    I coldly told her, ¡°Ms. Palmer, you¡¯d better take care of yourself. Instead of having the time to manage other people¡¯s business, it¡¯s better to improve your acting skills a bit more, so you won¡¯t be criticized by the whole inte.¡±

    Whenever this was mentioned, Kimberly¡¯s face darkened.

    She chuckled and said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me attracting all the criticism on the inte, how could Ms. Av have received so many good reviews and fans?¡±

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    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Vonnie replied sarcastically, ¡°I didn¡¯t really think my acting was that great either, it¡¯s all thanks to someone else¡¯s performance.¡±

    We also have Kimberly, who is beautiful and kind. She deliberately hides her superb acting skills and uses her poor acting skills to act with me, which has made my reputation.

    No, I had to buy Kimberly a drink. Kimberly is really selfless.¡±

    Vonnie said, then quickly stood up and poured wine for Kimberly in a decent manner.

    The key is, Vonnie deliberately raised her voice, so that what she said, almost everyone present heard.

    At one point, many people covered their mouths and sneered at Kimberly.

    Kimberly¡¯s face turned red with anger.

    I nced admiringly at Vonnie.

    Having been in a rtionship with Kimberly for so long, Vonnie has really toughened up her face and mouth.

    ¡°Enough, Lavonne. Stop being so two¨Cfaced,¡± Quentin shouted angrily at Vonnie.

    Vonnie rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I was just praising your girlf nd for being selfless, why are you still angry?¡±

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    ¡°Lavonne!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Duffy!¡± I impatiently interrupted Quentin, ¡°Can¡¯t other people. praise your girlfriend?¡±

    Howe, is your girlfriend a celestial being or a rare treasure? Can¡¯t praise, can¡¯t scold, just take a few more nces and you will feel like others are eyeing your girlfriend. Instead of saying a few more words, you will feel like others are speaking to your girlfriend in a bad tone.

    Since that¡¯s the case, you might as well keep your girlfriend locked up at home, keeping her for yourself, why let her out for what.

    ¡°I did not¡­¡±

    ¡°Today, the crew finally finished work early, and Vonnie kindly treated everyone to a good meal.¡±

    Howe other people treating you guys can¡¯t shut your mouths?

    You should learn from Mr. Russell, who focused on his work when it was time to work, instead of constantly thinking about how to harm others and embarrass them.

    After arguing with Quentin and Kimberly, I felt a lot more relieved.

    Anton was right indeed, emotions should not be kept inside, they need to be released.

    Kimberly¡¯s face turned even redder with anger.

    Quentin¡¯s face was pale and greenish.

    Vonnie covered her mouth and chuckled, pushing the dishes towards Kimberly and Quentin, saying, ¡°Eat, hurry up and eat. Today I¡¯ treating, Ms. Palmer and Mr. Duffy must enjoy themselves.¡±

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    Kimberly pushed away the wine ss irritably and got up to leave.

    Quentin angrily red at Vonnie, then quickly chased after Kimberly.

    Vonnie leaned back in her chair, holding her stomach andughing, ¡°Finally got rid of those two troublemakers, haha, my appetite is back.¡±

    She said, and then went to clink sses with Gilbert.

    I tugged at her and asked her, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Johnathane over?¡±

    Vonnie said, ¡°I just called him, but he said he was busy with something urgent and couldn¡¯te over.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what the urgent matter is?¡± I asked in a low voice, feeling anxious.

    Vonnie shook her head and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about that. Hey, it¡¯s not about the things in thepany. Come on, Ralda, let¡¯s eat. You¡¯ve lost weight during this time, eat more.¡±

    Vonnie said, and then gave me some dishes.

    But I had absolutely no appetite.

    I looked at my phone again, and it was still quiet with no messages.

    I furrowed my brows, got up and walked out.

    Upon arriving at the bathroom, I couldn¡¯t help but dial Reynaldo¡¯s phone number.

    He used to send me updates on Essie and Roddy¡¯s situation every day without fail, so there was no reason for him not to send one today.

    Unless something really happened on his end.

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    The phone rang again and again, but no one answered.

    I leaned irritably against the sink, feeling damn ufortable with this anxiety and confusion of not being able to reach anyone.

    I finally understand the feeling of Reynaldo not being able to find me and me not answering his calls when I fainted from stomach pain that night.

    It was really harder than death.

    At that moment, I really wished I could fly over immediately, regardless of any danger over there.

    I called Reynaldo many times in a row, but he didn¡¯t answer any of them.

    I squatted on the ground, painfully pulling my hair, not knowing who else I could contact over there.

    Yes!

    And there was Johnathan.

    Go find Johnathan, he must know about the situation over at Reynaldo¡¯s.

    Thinking of this, I quickly dialed Johnathan¡¯s phone number.

    But when the number was dialed, it was indicated that the other party¡¯s phone was turned off.

    I frowned deeply.

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    What¡¯s going on, why did Johnathan shut down for no reason?

    Various abnormal signs made me increasingly uneasy.

    Back at the restaurant, Vonnie quickly called out to me, ¡°Ralda, where did you go? Come over and cat quickly, the dishes will be cold soon.¡±

    I shook my head and asked her, ¡°Why did Johnathan turn off his phone?¡±

    Vonnie was taken aback and quickly said, ¡°He called me just now and said he had to go on a business trip suddenly, it was urgent, so he should be on the ne now.¡±

    ¡°Business trip? Did he mention where he was going on a business trip?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head, ¡°He seemed very anxious, panting, saying he was rushing to catch a flight. After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone, so I don¡¯t know where he is going on a business trip, let alone when he will be back.¡°.

    I lowered my head, clenched my phone, and said nothing.

    My intuition told me that Johnathan definitely did not go on a business trip.

    Unfortunately, today Reynaldo did not send me a message, and when I called, he did not answer.

    So, it is highly likely that something happened to Reynaldo.

    Johnathan was probably not on a business trip at the moment, but was rushing to Reynaldo¡¯s ce.

    Even Johnathan hurried over, proving that the situation on Reynaldo¡¯s side was indeed very critical.

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    I have truly witnessed Matthew¡¯s cruelty.

    Moreover, Reynaldo had such a deep bond with him.

    If Reynaldo really fell into his hands, the oue can be imagined.

    Thinking of this, I sat down on the chair in confusion, and a chill ran through my whole body.

    Vonnie looked at me with concern and said, ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong? Why did your face suddenly turn so pale?¡±

    She said, holding my hand and even more surprised, ¡°Why is your hand so cold? What happened? Don¡¯t scare me.¡±

    I forced a smile at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, just wearing too little clothes, feeling a bit cold.¡±

    ¡°Hey, look at you, it¡¯s already deep autumn, and you¡¯re wearing a skirt. It would be strange if you¡¯re not cold.¡±

    After saying that, Vonnie took off her windbreaker and put it on me, then she served me a bowl of soup, ¡°Eat quickly, go back and rest after finishing.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I lowered my head and absentmindedly drank the soup.

    Vonnie suddenly asked me again, ¡°By the way, do you have something to find Johnathan for?¡±

    I shook my head heavily and smiled at her, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just have a few things to ask him,¡±

    Vonnie was very busy and tired from filming.

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    Johnathan lied to her, saying he was going on a business trip, definitely not wanting to make her worry.

    So, it¡¯s better not to tell her about this matter.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Vonnie took a few sips of soup and said to herself, ¡°Then wait until he gets off the ne and give him a call.¡±

    These days, I was so exhausted from filming that I didn¡¯t help you ask.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go back in a while, I guess I¡¯ll be able to fall asleep as soon as I lie down.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After finishing dinner and returning home, it was already past eleven o¡¯clock at night.

    My phone remained silent.

    I leaned against the door panel, staring at the chat interface with Reynaldo for a while, and then dialed his phone number again.

    This time, still no one answered.

    I hung up the phone, slid down along the door panel, and sat on the ground, painfully pulling my hair.

    I don¡¯t know how that man is doing now, let alone whether the two children are okay.

    Worries and fears swelled in my heart, almost suffocating me.

    I hugged my knees ufortably, burying my face between them. feeling that every minute and every second at that moment was unbearable.

    Suddenly, a crisp ringtone of a cell phone sounded.

    I shuddered all over and quickly picked up my phone to answer the call.

    However, the one who called was not Reynaldo, but Johnathan.

    ¡°Hello, Esmie, did you call me for something? I was on a ne just now, so my phone was off.¡±

    ¡°What happened with Reynaldo?¡± I asked in a low voice.

    Johnathan paused for a moment and said with a smile, ¡°Nothing happened, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare or just overthinking?¡±

    ¡°I called him, but he didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°Um¡­ he was probably busy, or maybe he was sleeping. You know, there¡¯s a time difference between his ce and Freybourne. Come on, Esmie, don¡¯t overthink it, he¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, can you just tell me the truth!¡± I furrowed my brow, feeling somewhat frustrated as I cut him off.

    Johnathan fell silent for a moment, and after a while, he said, ¡°He is really fine over there, don¡¯t worry, take care of yourself. Oh, by the way, the two children are also fine, rest assured, they are all fine.¡±

    ¡°And what about you? Why did you rush over to his ce in the middle of the night?¡±

    I really hated their self¨Crighteous deception.

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    I thought I could keep it from me, so I wouldn¡¯t worry, but little did <b>I </b>know, the more you hide, the more anxious I be.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Esmic, what are you talking about? Didn¡¯t Vonnie tell you? I rushed to catch the ne overnight for a business trip, not to Reynaldo¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me Reynaldo¡¯s address abroad?¡±

    ¡°Oh no¡­ Esmie, are you going to fly over there?¡±

    Listen to my advice, don¡¯t act impulsively, what if you run into Matthew?

    It seems that Johnathan ¡°couldn¡¯t say anything¡± anymore.

    I slowly closed my eyes and hung up the phone directly.

    I leaned against the door panel and tugged at my lips.

    Don¡¯t want me to worry at all?

    Okay, then I¡¯m not worried.

    Let them be, let Reynaldo be dead or alive, as long as my Essie and Roddy are fine.

    Although I tried to hypnotize myself like this in my heart, I couldn¡¯t help but cry, full of confusion and helplessness.

    Just then, my phone suddenly rang.

    I nced down and my heart skipped a beat when I saw that it was a message from Reynaldo.

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    The text message was the same as a few days ago, all about Essie and Roddy¡¯s daily life, as well as Essie¡¯s treatment progress.

    So, why did he wait until this time today to message me?

    Was it even right after I finished talking to Johnathan?

    I pursed my lips and dialed Reynaldo¡¯s number directly.

    Sure enough, no one answered over there.

    I chuckled, so it was obvious who sent this message.

    Iy exhausted on the carpet, staring nkly at the ceiling.

    In the restless and uncertain night, every minute and every second felt as long as a century.

    I don¡¯t know how long had passed, when a hint of light appeared on the horizon.

    I slowly got up from the ground, leaned against the window, and quietly watched the sun rise.

    At this moment, my phone rang again.

    I mechanically looked at the phone on the ground, hesitated for a while, and then got up and walked over.

    I was surprised that this time, it was Reynaldo who called.

    I unconsciously tugged at my lips and pressed the answer button.

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    There was silence at the other end of the phone.

    Silent until I wanted to scream, to go crazy.

    But in the end, I managed to suppress my emotions.

    I looked at my phone and asked lightly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Last night I drank too much, so I didn¡¯t send you the message in time, nor did I answer your call in time.¡±

    ¡°Have you had too much to drink?¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me like this. Do you think I would worry about you?¡±

    I told you, ¡°No way!¡±

    You are dead or alive has nothing to do with me, I will not worry about you, nor will I rush you.

    ¡°No! Never ever!¡±

    I growled lowly, tears falling uncontrobly.

    My heart was twisted into a knot, hurting badly.

    I smiled at the phone and said, ¡°You really are quite self¨Crighteous and opinionated.¡±

    You were going to give up on me, you were going to cut ties with me, and I was worried about what you would do? What a joke!

    I told you, ¡°I was worried about the two children, not you!¡±

    ¡°Cough¡­cough¡­¡±

    There was a sudden suppressed cough on the other end of the phone.

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    His breath seemed a little unstable, and his breathing became very heavy.

    I unconsciously grabbed my phone tightly, and after a while, I said in a low voice, ¡°Reynaldo, shall we have a video call?¡±

    Reynaldo paused for two seconds and said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m a bit busy right now, so let¡¯s just talk on the phone.¡±

    I smiled and said, ¡°Inconvenient? What¡¯s inconvenient? Is there another woman lying beside you?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    The man suddenly growled at me, but then he coughed, as if covering his mouth with his hand, coughing very suppressed.

    He seemed afraid that I would discover something, and hurriedly said, ¡°The children¡­ the children are fine. You don¡¯t need to worry. Just hang up for now.¡±

    Immediately after that, there was a busy tone on the phone.

    I slowly put down my phone, silently chuckled, butughed with tears all over my face.

    It doesn¡¯t matter, they were all afraid that I would worry, iming to be considerate of me, for my own good.

    Then I followed their wishes, not worrying, not asking.

    Anyway, Reynaldo also wanted to distance himself from me. He wouldn¡¯t tell the truth on the phone, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about him anymore.

    I slowly wiped away the tears on my face, and then went

    It doesn¡¯t matter, they were all afraid that I would worry, iming to be considerate of me, for my own good.

    Then I followed their wishes, not worrying, not asking.

    Anyway, Reynaldo also wanted to distance himself from me. He wouldn¡¯t tell the truth on the phone, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about him anymore.

    I slowly wiped away the tears on my face, and then went to the bathroom to freshen up.

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    I don¡¯t know if I was in a hurry all night, my body was exhausted, so Iy in bed and fell asleep deeply in just a few seconds.

    I woke up again in the afternoon.

    The phone was quiet in my hand, and I didn¡¯t call Reynaldo again to ask about the situation over there.

    I got up and cooked something to cat casually, then went straight to the

    set.

    As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the set, I heard a burst of arguinging from inside.

    Upon hearing Vonnie¡¯s voice, my heart tightened and I quickly ran in.

    As soon as I walked in, I saw Vonnie and Kimberly ¡°fighting and wrestling¡± with each other.

    Quentin intervened on the side.

    Even though the two were fighting, he insisted on going to Vonnie.

    When Kimberly had the chance, she took the opportunity to p Vonnie twice.

    I saw that scene as soon as I came in, and I was furious right away.

    I rushed up without hesitation and pped Quentin.

    Quentin looked at me nkly, as if I had caught him off guard, and said, ¡°Ralda?¡±

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    I ignored him and kicked Kimberly who wasing towards me.

    Kimberly was knocked down by me directly, then shey on the ground, exaggeratedly crying and screaming.

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    288 Vouchers

    When I kicked Kimberly, Quentin got anxious and quickly grabbed my arm, yelling at me, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I shook off his hand and then pped him directly.

    I was already feeling upset in my heart, so when I pped him, I was a bit harsh.

    His cheeks swelled up with two p marks directly.

    But he may have felt guilty towards me, never fighting back, just looking at me with aplex expression on his face, and then went to help Kimberly.

    Because Quentin intervened, Vonnie¡¯s hair was all messed up by Kimberly, with obvious handprints on her face.

    It was quite embarrassing.

    I pulled Vonnie up from the ground and coldly said to Quentin and Kimberly, ¡°As soon as Johnathan left Freybourne, you bullied his girlfriend like this?¡±

    How? Just like that, you don¡¯t put him in your eyes?

    ¡°It¡¯s not an exaggeration, if he wanted to bring down yourpany, make it impossible for you to survive in Freybourne, it would be <b>a </b>piece of cake<b>.</b>¡®!

    Quentin <b>frowned </b><b>and </b>said, ¡°She went too far first, mocking Kimberly

    Chapter1109

    288 Wouchers

    in all sorts of ways!¡±

    ¡°When did I mock her? It was her own terrible acting that kept causing retakes, not me.¡±

    I just gave her a few pointers, but she thought I was mocking her, thought I was looking down on her, and pped me without hesitation.

    I asked you, whose problem is it after all?

    Vonnie angrily shouted at Quentin.

    Kimberly was still lying in Quentin¡¯s arms, crying softly and pitifully.

    Quentinforted her back while saying to Vonnie, ¡°If anyone should give pointers, it should be Mr. Russell. Why do you think you can give pointers on her acting?¡±

    ¡°Damn it, I was the one acting opposite her! She kept messing up, causing us to reshoot over and over, and I can¡¯t even say anything?¡± Vonnie was quickly losing her temper.

    I grabbed Vonnie¡¯s hand and coldly said to Quentin, ¡°You better protect this woman until death, otherwise I¡¯m afraid you¡¯lle back crying and begging for my forgiveness.¡±

    Because I, as a person, will no longer bother about any face with you.

    ¡°Even if youmit suicide and apologize in front of me, I will not forgive you!¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face turned noticeably pale.

    Chapter1110

    11 288 Wouchers

    Chapter1110

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    I coldly warned. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen youy hands on Vonnie. If I see it again, I won¡¯t mind going down with you.¡±

    Perhaps it was when I said this, my face was so cold that it was a bit scary, even scaring Vonnie.

    Vonnie quickly pulled me aside and whispered to me, ¡°Don¡¯t act recklessly, we don¡¯t need to go down with them, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    I tidied up her hair and smiled, saying, ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry, those were just empty threats.¡±

    ¡°But you looked really scary just now,¡± Vonnie looked at me witn concern. ¡°You and Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m fine. We even talked on the phone this morning.¡±

    Vonnie breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Did the mane to his senses and call to coax you?¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    I responded lightly and looked up to see Gilbert filming other scenes on the set.

    I said this man was focused on his work, everything was a mess over here, but he seemedpletely oblivious over there.

    Other people on set also witnessed the dispute here, but because Quentin is the president of the productionpany, they didn¡¯t dare toe over and intervene.

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    This upset Vonnie, which in turn offended Johnathan.

    Pulling Kimberly meant offending Quentin.

    I¡¯m d I came today, otherwise Vonnie might have been bullied by Quentin and Kimberly.

    When Johnathanes back, I will definitely have a good talk with him and tell them everything.

    In my heart, I thought to myself, in the blink of an eye, I suddenly saw Kimberly ring at Vonnie with a sinister look, as if brewing some kind of scheme.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I said to her coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want your eyeballs, just say so.¡±

    Vonnie paused, looking at me in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Quentin also looked at me helplessly and said, ¡°Ralda, what¡¯s wrong with you again? Kimberly didn¡¯t say or do anything this time, why do you have a problem with her?¡±

    I ignored him and just stared coldly at Kimberly.

    Kimberly was also disgusting, and when Quentin looked at her, she quickly put on a pitiful and weak look.

    I¡¯m no longer surprised by her ability to change faces.

    I pulled Vonnie aside and sat her down in a corner, then I told her about the look Kimberly had just given.

    Vonnie wrinkled her nose and hummed, ¡°Now the whole inte is criticizing her. I even suspect she has been criticized into a mental illness. That look you mentioned, I have seen it several times.¡±

    Wetty, the wa wa jedne of my good reputation andrge fan

    You have to turn, the is the fire female lead, and I <b>am </b>the wynt. WAAN Wuh, me my organspletely overshadowed her the world be chartbea

    I held her hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°No matter what, you have t wach one for her¡±

    ¡°the defumery won¡¯t harm me this time, don¡¯t worry<b>.</b>¡±

    I nodded, nch as wortved as Vast time in my heart, because this time, Vonnie was really on guard against Kimberly

    At 7 delock in the evening, Reynaldo promptly sent over <b>the </b>information

    I nced at it and didn¡¯t reply to any messages.

    Three dayster, Johnathan came back.

    The first thing Johnathan did when he came back was to run to the set to see Vonnie

    At this time, Vonnie was acting with someone, and he was smart enough not to disturb, just letting his men distribute the small gifts brought back to everyone in the crew.

    <b>Chapter1111 </b>

    Chapter1111

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    Chapter1111

    His sincerity made everyone in the crew happy.

    The crew praised him repeatedly, saying he was handsome and wealthy, a gentleman and easy to get along with.

    When everyone praised him, they also praised Vonnie at the same time, saying Vonnie was lucky, saying that he and Vonnie, were a perfect match, with him being talented and her being beautiful.

    Amidst the praise, I saw Quentin sitting sullenly in the corner.

    Johnathan also brought a snack care package specifically for Gilbert.

    Just foreign snacks may not be as delicious as the delicacies here in Freybourne, Gilbert opened a pack of snacks and took a bite, only to spit it out the next second. He then handed out those snacks to his

    assistant.

    Johnathan nced over and muttered to me, ¡°Gilbert is really picky.¡±

    I ignored him and just lowered my head in silence, pondering my new script.

    He also threw aside the gift he brought me; without even opening it.

    Johnathan came over and nced at me, asking, ¡°Are you still angry?¡°.

    I closed the script and said to him expressionlessly, ¡°Mr. Dup ¡®still in¡® these two words are really rare, so may I ask, what did Mr. Dup do wrong? Why would he think I ¡®still in¡® angry?¡±

    Johnathan was taken aback for a moment, then he chuckled at me and

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    <b>Chapter1111 </b>

    said, ¡°You have ¡®anger¡® written all over your face, do you really need me to notice?¡±

    ¡°Besides, you didn¡¯t even nce at the gift I brought you.¡±

    I pursed my lips, not really wanting to talk to him.

    He was in the same boat as Reynaldo, keeping everything from me.

    Johnathan nced at me again and said, ¡°Okay Esmie, don¡¯t be mad at me, or Vonnie will think I¡¯m bullying you again ande after me.

    ¡°I was not angry.¡±

    I said lightly, then took the gift and stood up to leave.

    Johnathan hurriedly stopped me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Esmie? If you¡¯re mad at me, just say it, don¡¯t ignore me like this.¡±

    ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t angry, nor was I ignoring anyone, I was just a little tired and wanted to go back to rest.¡±

    Johnathan clicked his tongue and said, ¡°You say you¡¯re not angry, but look at your face, you were never like this before.¡±

    I sighed deeply and said without much emotion, ¡°It seems that Mr. Dup really did something wrong, otherwise why would he always think I am angry.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Johnathan was at a loss for words.

    I didn¡¯t say anything more, just lowered my head and looked outside.

    Now that Johnathan is back, I don¡¯t have to keep watching over Vonnie all the time.

    Chapter1111

    1288 (Vouchers

    Little did I know, I had only taken a few steps when Johnathan blocked my way again.

    He stood with his hands on his hips, looking like he couldn¡¯t stand it and said, ¡°Forget it, forget it, I¡¯ll tell you everything, is that okay?¡±

    I looked at him expressionlessly.

    After all, I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Johnathan nced at me and said, ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t go on a business trip these days, I went to Reynaldo¡¯s ce.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I responded lightly without asking further.

    Johnathan instantly frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you ask me about Reynaldo¡¯s situation?¡±

    ¡°You were all afraid that I would worry, so you kept things from me, right?¡± I looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Therefore, I will obediently and cleverly stop asking more questions.¡±

    Johnathan said, ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If Mr. Dup has nothing else to say, then I¡¯will go back first,¡± I said as I was about to leave.

    Johnathan pulled me back again.

    He said angrily, ¡°You really have a lot of patience! Well, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

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    Chapter1112

    Johnathan looked at me and said, ¡°He was injured, and, moreover, he was seriously injured.¡±

    My heart tightened, and I couldn¡¯t help but think of the restrained cough in his voice when he called me that day.

    Johnathan sighed and said, ¡°He identally offended Matthew, got stabbed a few times, and I rushed over that night to find him being treated in the emergency room.

    I actually saw the phone call you made to him.

    But he wouldn¡¯t let me answer, nor would he let me tell you about his injury.

    ¡°I was afraid you might get the wrong idea, so I imitated his tone and sent you a message from his phone¡­¡±

    I tugged at my lips, feeling a surge of indescribable sadness in my heart.

    I said, ¡°It¡¯s really hard for you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Esmie, don¡¯t be angry. Reynaldo is just afraid that you will worry.¡±

    That day, he really almost lost his life.

    Upon waking up, he saw that you had called him so many times that he was almost going crazy, enduring the pain and quickly returned your call.

    Chapter1112

    1288 Nouchers

    But you seemed to have said something hurtful to him again, and at that time his wound burst open, and a lot of blood flowed out, which almost scared the do

    I smiled sadly, but a touch of bitterness welled up in my eyes unconsciously.

    That day, he didn¡¯t want to video chat with me, hurriedly hung up the phone, probably afraid that I would find out he was injured.

    But actually, I guessed it, I guessed it a long time ago.

    I said to Johnathan, crying andughing, ¡°He¡¯s really strange, isn¡¯t he? Doesn¡¯t he think I don¡¯t love him and want to keep a distance from me?¡±

    Why did he still think that I would worry about him and hide from me

    the fact that he was injured? 9

    You said, ¡°Is he contradicting himself, or is he actually wanting to break up with me, saying that I don¡¯t love him, but it¡¯s just an excuse¡­..

    ¡°Phew¡­ How is that possible!¡± Johnathan eximed, ¡°You can doubt anything in this world, except his love for you. He has loved you so much all along this journey, and I have seen it all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because love was too painful, so he didn¡¯t want to love anymore.¡±

    After I finished saying this, Johnathan was dumbfounded.

    He hurriedly said, ¡°No, you arepletely thinking in the wrong direction¡­¡±

    ¡°I interrupted Johnathan and said calmly, Tell him for me that I am not worried about him. What concerns me are my two children, not him. So please let him know that there is no need to go to such lengths to

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    hide it from me if he gets hurt in the future.¡°¡±

    ¡°No, your words are a bit hurtful, the way you¡­¡±

    ¡°A few days ago, your woman was bullied by someone.¡±

    Johnathan blinked his eyes, took a few seconds to react to what I was saying, and then raised his voice a bit, ¡°Vonnie was bullied? By who? Who has the audacity to bully my woman?¡±

    I nced faintly towards Quentin and Kimberly.

    Johnathan understood in a second, and immediately rolled up his sleeves and rushed over.

    I lowered my head and walked out silently.

    The sun was shining nicely today. I sat down on a bench by the road and took out my phone.

    Johnathan said he was very, very seriously injured and had lost a lot of blood.

    I actually really wanted to call and ask him, ¡°Is the injury getting better?¡±

    But when I opened his phone number, I hesitated again.

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    He probably wouldn¡¯t tell me the truth, and he might not even answer my calls when I tried to reach out to him.

    So, why did I have to pester him again and again about his injuries?

    I leaned back in the chair, closed my eyes, and just felt exhausted both physically and mentally these past few days.

    I wanted Essie and Roddy, of course¡­ also him.

    The next day when I arrived on set, I noticed that Quentin and Johnathan had bruises on their faces, and Kimberly¡¯s face looked slightly swollen.

    Vonnie told me that yesterday Johnathan ¡°had a fight¡± with Quentin.

    It was said that Johnathan deliberately pulled Kimberly so that she could p Kimberly twice.

    The funniest thing is, Kimberly deliberately did not fight back in order to create the appearance of being bullied, and even arranged for someone to hide in the dark to take pictures of her being ¡®bullied¡®.

    The person hiding in the dark was once again dragged out by ti. crew, and the recorded video was immediately destroyed on the spot.

    Kimberly was angry and said she wanted to intercept the surveince video of the crew, but the staff said the surveince had just broken down.

    That is to say, Kimberly and Quentin had a fight, and Kimberly fainted on the spot.

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    When I heard this, I was about to dieughing.

    It seems that Johnathan giving gifts to everyone is effective, look, now the crew is all helping him and Vonnie.

    In the following days, Johnathan visited the film crew every day to prevent Vonnie from being bullied. He also used various delicacies to ¡°bribe¡± Gilbert, hoping Gilbert would take better care of Vonnie.

    Perhaps because many people are now wearing Vonnie, Kimberly finally stopped misbehaving.

    If we didn¡¯t demand so much from Kimberly¡¯s acting, the rest of the y would have gone smoothly.

    Unconsciously, half of the y had also been filmed.

    And during this time, Reynaldo would message me every day on time, reporting to me about the daily lives of the two children and Essie¡¯s treatment.

    Everything seemed to have returned to its original state.

    In the calm, but it seemed to be hiding some kind of storm.

    That day, I was watching Vonnie filming when a sharp shout suddenly came from behind me, sending a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    It was really the voices of two children!

    I turned around quickly and saw Essie and Roddy running excitedly towards me.

    <b>13</b>:1800

    <b>Chapter1113 </b>

    I stared at them nkly, my eyes suddenly turning red, feeling both sour and bitter, tears welling up.

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±

    The two little ones suddenly threw themselves into my arms and snuggled in.

    ¡°Mommy, Essie misses you.¡±

    ¡°And me, Mommy, Roddy missed you so much he was going crazy.¡±

    The two little ones were hiding in my arms, eager to speak.

    I stroked their heads and choked out, ¡°Mommy misses you so much, thinking of you every day.¡±

    ¡°Mommy, I brought you a gift,¡± Essie said, quickly taking off her small backpack and rummaging inside.

    Roddy also took off his backpack and rummaged through it, saying, ¡°I also brought gifts for Mommy, as well as for my godmother and godfather.¡±

    I looked at them, ¡°my heart was clearly happy and excited to death, but tears blurred my vision.¡±

    Essie presented the gift to me like a treasure, and eagerly said, ¡°This is chosen by Essie herself, Mommy, you¡­¡±

    She paused before finishing her sentence, looking at me with concern, ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡±

    I quickly wiped away my tears and smiled at her, saying, ¡°No, Mommy was just too happy.¡±

    Chapter1114

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    Essie was puzzled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy when you¡¯re excited? Why are you crying?¡±

    Roddy also looked puzzled and said, ¡°Yes, Mommy, how can happiness make you cry?¡±

    I smiled and patted their heads, ¡°You are still young. When you grow up, you will understand a word called ¡®tears of joy¡®.¡±

    The two little ones nced at each other as if they understood, then as if offering treasures

    they eagerly presented their gifts to me.

    I took them one by one with a smile, and then carefully put away these gifts in front of them.

    But what worried me the most was Essie¡¯s illness.

    Reynaldo said in the message that Essie has onlypleted the first stage of treatment now.

    The treatment at this stage did not bring significant breakthroughs to Essie¡¯s condition, but it was able to temporarily stabilize her condition, and she should not rpse within the next two to three years.

    Most importantly, this treatment provided a basis for their future research.

    The medical team over/there promised Reynaldo that they would develop a targeted treatment n for Essie within three years.

    I looked carefully at Essie and asked her if there was anywhere that didn¡¯t feelfortable, if it hurt a lot when she was being treated

    Chapter1114

    288 Nouchers

    there.

    Essie shook her head and said to me softly, ¡°Essie is not ufortable, and she is not afraid when she sees the doctor. They y games with Essie and make her happy.¡±

    Daddy also took Essie and Roddy to y every day.

    Just a few days after Dad disappeared, Johnathan came running and said, ¡°Dad has something to do and needs to leave for a few days.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and then those days, it was Johnathan who took us to y,¡± Roddy said.

    I hugged them with a smile, thinking to myself, ¡°The days when Reynaldo disappeared must have been the days when he got injured.¡±

    Fortunately, the two children were unharmed.

    Matthew couldn¡¯t have not found out that Reynaldo was also with two children.

    It seems that Matthew did live up to his reputation and ¡°did noty a hand on the children.¡±

    After receiving their gifts, Essie rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a gift box for me, saying, ¡°Mommy, this is picked out Daddy for you.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± Roddy added, ¡°Daddy took a long time to choose, and he only brought a gift for mommy.¡±

    Mentioning Reynaldo, my heart ¡°twitched uncontrobly¡± and hurt a little.

    Just then, someone came in through the entrance.

    13:19

    Chapter1114

    I instinctively looked up and met a pair of dark, mncholic eyes in an

    instant.

    My heart skipped a beat unconsciously.

    The man first looked away.

    He might not have fully recovered from the injury yet, and his face looked a little pale.

    He coughed into his hand, exuding a sickly weakness.

    ¡°Oops¡­ Esmie¡­¡±

    Johnathan also traveled with him.

    Johnathan ran over with a big bag of gifts,ughing at me and said, ¡°Reynaldo and the kids are back, are you excited or surprised?¡±

    He said, then nced at my red eyes, chuckled, ¡°I deliberately didn¡¯t tell you in advance, just to give you a surprise, hehe, look at you crying, you must be so excited.¡±

    I gave him a forced smile and said, ¡°Well, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re wee, you¡¯re wee. I love to surprise people the most. Next time you want a surprise, just let me know, okay?¡±

    He said, and then generously distributed gifts.

    As soon as he left, Reynaldo behind him slowly walked towards me.

    The man became thinner, with a hint of sickness recing the former dignity and coldness.

    Especially his eyes.

    Chapter1115

    288 Vouchers

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    Chapter1115

    Before, when he looked at me, his eyes were dark and oppressive, full of a sense of oppression.

    And there were signs of anger at every turn.

    But now he looks at me, his eyes are calm, with a hint of sadness hidden in them.

    He stood in front of me and spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°Long time no

    see.¡±

    I lowered my eyes, studying the gift Essie and Roddy had given me, and said lightly, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long, just over a month.¡±

    The hand by Reynaldo¡¯s side curled slightly, without saying a word.

    Essie suddenly stuffed the gift box into my hand and said, ¡°Mommy, Daddy¡¯s gift, you haven¡¯t opened it yet.¡±

    I smiled and patted her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy will open it when she gets back.¡±

    Essie pouted and said, ¡°Let¡¯s open it now. Dad will be very happy if we open it in front of him.¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°There are too many people here, Mommy wants to go back and quietly open it to see.¡±

    Essie frowned and said, ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    After giving me the gifts, the two children ran over to Johnathan and Vonnie¡¯s side, and Vonnie happened to be resting at that moment.

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    As soon as they left, the atmosphere between me and Reynaldo became subtle in an instant.

    I don¡¯t know what I am to him now.

    Strangers with marriage certificates and children?

    I returned the gift to him and said to him lightly, ¡°Since Mr. Humphrey said he wanted to part ways with me, from now on, you and I are like strangers. So why bother Mr. Humphrey to carefully choose a gift for me.¡±

    ¡°You do this, but it will make me misunderstand.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his thin lips..

    He looked at me for a while before speaking, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse.

    He said, ¡°Just consider it as a gift between ordinary friends.¡±

    ¡°Just friends?¡± I chuckled sarcastically, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I can¡¯t be just friends with a man who has emotional entanglements with me.¡±

    Furthermore, Mr. Humphrey, did you forget that there is also ayer of marital rtionship between us?

    So, if Mr. Humphrey wants to be just friends with me, then he should first end that rtionship.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s body trembled slightly.

    His eyes suddenly became very dark, as if in an instant he had lost all his radiance.

    He asked me in a low voice, ¡°Do you want to break up?¡±

    13.19

    Chapter1115

    I furrowed my brows, and a sense of indescribable annoyance surged in my heart.

    He is the one who wanted to draw a line with me, and he is also the one who said he wanted to be just friends with me.

    He didn¡¯t want me to have thisyer of marriage with him.

    So, why did he have to question me like that again? Why did he have to throw the question back at me?

    It¡¯s as if I made it seem like I abandoned him, as if I betrayed his deep

    affection.

    It was him who retreated, wasn¡¯t it?

    The more I thought about it, the more intense the resentment in my heart became.

    I clenched my hand tightly by my side and sarcastically said to him, ¡°Release? Of course I want to be released, so that I can fulfill Mr. Humphrey¡¯s wish and be just a regr friend with <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply, his eyes filled with an indescribable sadness.

    I looked away in annoyance, feeling both angry and wronged in my

    heart.

    Everything went as he wished, so why did he have to put on such a sad look for me to see?!

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    Chapter1116

    Are you really trying to make me feel bad?

    My gaze fell on the gift box in front of me, and I handed the gift back to him again, saying, ¡°Since Mr. Humphrey and I have not yet be ordinary friends, I cannot ept this gift between friends.¡±

    The man had a pair of ck eyes, like dried¨Cup wells, dark and dull, without a glimmer of light.

    Looking at it, it inexplicably reminded me of the word ¡°despair¡°.

    I took a deep breath and said softly, ¡°Actually, <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey didn¡¯t have to do this. After all, everything is ording to Mr. Humphrey¡¯s wishes, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    As for this gift, please take it back, Mr. Humphrey. I will not ept it.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me stiffly for a long time, then slowly raised his hand to take the gift box I handed to him.

    Just as his hand was about to touch the gift box, he suddenly coughed violently.

    My heart tightened and I stood up subconsciously.

    He suddenly shouted at me, ¡°Don¡¯te over,¡± then turned his back to me, covering his mouth with his hand and coughing continuously.

    Because of the cough, those broad shoulders shook violently.

    I stared at him nkly, this was the first time I had seen him look so vulnerable.

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    I still remember that he took several knives to save me, almost <b>lost </b><b>half </b>of his life, and didn¡¯t end up as fragile as he is now.

    I slowly reached out my hand, wanting to touch his back.

    But he didn¡¯t even look back at me and said, ¡°Tomorrow is the weekend, the courthouse staff won¡¯t be working. Monday¡­ Monday we¡¯ll go again and dissolve that marriage.¡±

    A sudden pang struck my heart, bringing a wave of dense sourness and pain.

    There was also a touch of inexplicable grievances and resentments.

    I bit my lip and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything else, he just hunched his back slightly and walked out slowly.

    I stared at his back firmly until tears blurred my vision.

    I even thought, if he just turned around and looked at me, really, if he just turned around and looked at me, I would have hugged him without hesitation, clung to him without hesitation, and annoyed him.

    But no, not until he walked out of the set did he ever look back at me.

    I gritted my teeth fiercely, my chest heaving with anger, and my whole body trembling.

    I would no longer pay any attention to him, really don¡¯t want to pay any attention to him at all.

    I suspected that if I continued to ignore him like this, one day he would anger me to death.

    Johnathan suddenly ran over and looked around, then asked me in

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    confusion, ¡°Where is Reynaldo? How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?¡±

    ¡°He left,¡± I said lightly.

    ¡°Ah? He left?¡± Johnathan eximed, ¡°No way, he said he wasing over as soon as he got off the ne, he missed you so much, how could he suddenly leave alone. Esmie, did you say something offensive again¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes! It was me who said harsh words, it was me who made him angry

    and leave!¡±

    I looked at him sharply and sneered, ¡°He said he wanted to be just friends with me, so I reminded him that the prerequisite for being just friends is to first dissolve thatyer of marital rtionship.¡±

    Then he asked me, ¡°Do I want to break up?¡±

    Ah, in order to fulfill his wish, I said, ¡®I think so,¡® and then he told me to go to the courthouse on Monday to handle the formalities. After saying that, he left.

    Chapter1117

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    So, this has be my fault again?

    He wanted to be just friends with me, he asked me to file for divorce on Monday, he left without a word, so now it¡¯s my fault that he left?

    Anyway, I know that everything was my fault, it was my fault from the beginning.

    I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have met him, shouldn¡¯t have liked him, and definitely shouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with him¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Esmie, you calm down.¡±

    Seeing me in tears, Johnathan immediately became anxious and quickly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to me you, I was just wondering how he suddenly left without a word.¡±

    ¡°Who knew him!¡±

    I wiped away the tears on my face little by little.

    Thinking of Reynaldo¡¯s fragile appearance when he left just now, my heart couldn¡¯t help but tighten..

    I whispered to Johnathan, ¡°When he left, he was coughing badly. His injury hasn¡¯t healed, right?¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s face darkened, and he frowned, saying, ¡°Matthew, in order to avenge Yoripero from years ago, used a cunning scheme to capture Reynaldo.¡±

    You should also know that Matthew was a person who ¡°an eye for an

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    eye, a tooth for a tooth¡°, and he was ruthless in his methods.

    It can be imagined that Reynaldo fell into his hands.

    In short, when I rescued him, he was seriously injured, almost half of his life was gone, and some of them were internal injuries.

    Coughing is caused by internal injuries.

    Listening to Johnathan¡¯s words, my sadness and resentment unconsciously transformed into worry.

    Johnathan nced at me and said, ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry too much about him. The doctor said he¡¯s out of danger, but he still needs to take good care of his injuries.¡±

    And Esmie, don¡¯t say mean things to him in the future.

    You also know him, gloomy and paranoid, and twisted to death. Sometimes the angry words you say, he takes them seriously.

    Once he took those heartless words of yours seriously, he would be consumed by them and unable to move on.

    I pursed my lips, not knowing what to say.

    Johnathan sighed again and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think he¡¯s annoyir That¡¯s just his personality ¨C needy and afraid of losing love.¡±

    ¡°Scared of losing, does he still want to abandon me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he thought that not having meant not losing, right?¡±

    After all, he didn¡¯t have much confidence in his feelings for you. Maybe, when he was/happy with you, he was also restless inside, afraid that one day you would leave him.

    Chapter1117

    In short, he was aplicated person, and most of the time I couldn¡¯t understand him either.

    ¡°If you ask me, he just has a wed personality,¡± I muttered, ¡°Someone like him, whoever is with him will be exhausted, but only I don¡¯t mind him. And what¡¯s worse, he actually wants to draw a line with me!¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°Yes, yes, Esmic is the best, Reynaldo is just taking things for granted.¡±

    After he suffered for a while, he realized his mistake. By then, he woulde back begging you not to leave him.

    Johnathan was speaking and smiling at me, obviously deliberately echoing my words.

    I turned away and didn¡¯t respond.

    Johnathan chuckled twice and asked me, ¡°Do you still want to divorce Reynaldo now?¡±

    ¡°Leave, of course I have to leave. He has already agreed, we will meet at the courthouse entrance on Monday, I naturally cannot break my promise.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s handsome face darkened, ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve been talking in vain for half a day.¡±

    I said to him expressionlessly, ¡°I think you should go out and see that man now, don¡¯t faint on the roadside, and lose the dignity of Mr. Humphrey.¡±

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    ¡°Tsk, worrying about Reynaldo just say it straight, really one mouth harder than the other.¡±

    Johnathanined and then hurried out, possibly really worried that Reynaldo would faint on the side of the road.

    I sighed softly and sat back in my chair.

    Although sometimes this Johnathan can be quite annoying when he speaks, and he always likes to me me for everything, he never mentions Reynaldo.

    However, venting to him about Reynaldo really improved my mood.

    was really on the verge of suffocating just now, but now it¡¯s much better.

    I lowered my head and looked at the gift box on the table, a hint ofplexity shed through my mind.

    After a while, I opened the gift box, inside of which was a set of expensive jewelry.

    I pursed my lips.

    Just friends?

    Who would give such a valuable gift to an ordinary friend?

    Sometimes I really didn¡¯t know how to say ¡°that man¡°.

    Giving a gift can still make people so angry.

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    Feeling <b>angry </b><b>in </b><b>my </b>heart, a <b>sudden </b><b>cry </b>came <b>from </b><b>not </b>far away

    My heart tightened, that was Essic¡¯s cry.

    <b>He </b>quickly got up to take a look.

    Vonnie was seen picking Essie up from the ground.

    And standing next to them were Quentin and Kimberly.

    It was easy to tell who made Essie cry.

    Anger surged in my chest, I hurried over and took Essie from Vonnie¡¯s arms, asking her, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Before Vonnie could even speak, Kimberly innocently said, ¡°I just identally tripped over this little girl, and she started crying.¡±

    ¡°This kind of coquettishness is not eptable.¡±

    ¡°You lied, you deliberately tripped Essie, I saw it all,¡± Roddy pointed at Kimberly angrily.

    Kimberly chuckled and said, ¡°Are you mistaken? She¡¯s just a little girl. Do I need to deliberately trip her?¡±

    Besides, both of you are my future nephews. I care about you so much, how could I trip you up?

    Children must learn well and not be influenced by adults to lie.¡±

    I looked at her coldly.

    Quentin on the side kept pulling her arm, signaling her to stop talking.

    However, Kimberlypletely ignored him, still looking at Roddy arrogantly with a teaching expression.

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    Roddy¡¯s face darkened with anger.

    Essie stretched out her palm to show me, choking back tears as she said, ¡°Mommy, Essie¡¯s hand hurts so much¡­ sniff¡­ it hurts so much¡­¡±

    I took a nce and saw that Essie¡¯s palm was all scraped and bleeding.

    Kimberly still had a teaching look on her face, smiling and saying, ¡°Oh, just fell down, what¡¯s the big deal?¡±

    And, Ralda, not to criticize you, but your two children were really spoiled by you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I saw that you couldn¡¯t have children on your own, jealous of Ralda!¡±

    Vonnie angrily said, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that these two children are Mr. Humphrey¡¯s pride and joy.¡±

    I told you, you deliberately made Essie fall down now, and her palm was bleeding. Just wait to see how Mr. Humphrey punishes you!¡±

    Mentioning that she couldn¡¯t have children, Kimberly¡¯s face twisted slightly.

    Without waiting for her to speak, Quentin got angry first and said to Vonnie, ¡°Do you need to use other people¡¯s pain to stimte others?¡±

    Even if Kimberly can¡¯t give birth, so what? We can still adopt one at that time.

    ¡°Oh, with your bad intentions, it¡¯s better not to harm other children.¡±

    ¡°Originally, it was a good seedling in someone else¡¯s family, but it was twisted by you two unscrupulous people!¡± Vonnie sneered.

    13:20

    Chapter1118

    Quentin snapped, ¡°Shut up! When did you be so talkative<b>? </b>It¡¯s really annoying!¡±

    Bang!

    As soon as Quentin finished speaking, a loud p rang out.

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    Quentin and Vonnie both paused for a moment.

    The next second, Quentin was supporting the beaten Kimberly and growled at me, ¡°Ralda, what are you doing? Why did you suddenly hit her?¡±

    ¡°She deliberately caused my daughter, who is your niece, to fall and get hurt. Shouldn¡¯t I have hit her?¡±

    I looked at Quentin coldly.

    Quentin opened his mouth, as if he wanted to retort, but it seemed like he had no way to retort.

    Seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything, Kimberly pulled his arm in grievance and said, ¡°Esmeralda hit me again. Shouldn¡¯t you say something or do something?¡±

    It seems that all the things you said about loving me before were also fake.

    I know, you are a family, that is your nephew, they are closer to you!¡±

    ¡°No, Kimberly, don¡¯t be like this, there¡¯s no need to argue with the kids,¡± Quentin said, hugging her tenderly and looking helpless.

    Kimberly instantly teared up and said, ¡°Am I arguing with the kids?¡±

    I was arguing with Esmeralda, she hit me several times, but what about you, when did you ever protect me.¡±

    ¡°Kimberly, don¡¯t be like this, you know, in my heart there is only

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    <b>Chapter1119 </b>

    you¡­¡±

    I was toozy to watch them show affection.

    I handed Essie over to Vonnic, then grabbed Kimberly¡¯s arm and immediately tripped her in front of her.

    In an instant, the woman fell awkwardly to the ground.

    When I realized what I had done, Quentin jumped up in anger.

    ¡°Ralda, what are you doing?¡±

    He hurried to help Kimberly.

    I pushed him away and deliberately lifted my foot to step on Kimberly¡¯s hand.

    In an instant, the woman grimaced in pain and looked at Quentin with a look of grievance.

    Quentin went crazy and rushed over to push me away.

    I coldly told him, ¡°If you dare to touch me, don¡¯t ever call yourself their uncle in front of my two children again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, how could an uncle allow his woman to bully his nephew.¡± Vonnie sneered.

    Quentin pursed his lips with aplex expression and stood there motionless in the end.

    Kimberly looked at him with tears in her eyes and said sadly, ¡°I knew it, you are a family, I have always been an outsider.¡±

    Quentin, don¡¯t ever say ¡°I love you¡± to me again.

    I didn¡¯t believe, I won¡¯t believe anymore¡­

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    Quentin looked at her with concern and eximed to me, ¡°Enough, Ralda. You openly trample on her like this, aren¡¯t you afraid of being photographed and spread out, damaging your reputation?¡±

    I gave a cold snort and looked at everyone present.

    ¡°Is that so? Well, I¡¯d like to see who dares to take a picture and spread

    it!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Vonnie chuckled, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that Ralda and I are Johnathan and Mr. Humphrey¡¯s treasures, these two children are Mr. Humphrey¡¯s favorites.¡±

    Who dares to take a video to ruin Ralda¡¯s reputation, unless, that person is out of his mind and seeking death!

    ¡°We dare not, we didn¡¯t see anything, we didn¡¯t see anything at all¡­¡±

    When Vonnie said that, instantly, everyone on set shook their heads, indicating that they did not see me bullying Kimberly.

    Kimberly was furious and said coldly to me, ¡°Even if no one dares to take a video, so what? I can still ess the surveince footage of this location.¡±

    ¡°The surveince camera was broken that day and hasn¡¯t been fixed yet.¡±

    As soon as Kimberly finished speaking, Gilbert, who had been attentively reading the script, suddenly said a sentence out of the blue.

    The corner of my lips couldn¡¯t help but twitch.

    Gilbert used to pay attention to the situation around him.

    13:20

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    I used to think that once he entered a certain state, he would turn a deaf ear to everything outside.

    Seeing Gilbert, who has always avoided conflict, standing on my side, Kimberly was even more furious, her face turning green with anger.

    In an instant, her misery seemed too much to bear.

    She began to struggle frantically, her eyes ring at me fiercely.

    The more she struggled, the harder I stomped on the back of her hand with my foot.

    She winced in pain, her face creased, ring back at Quentin as if she was venting all her anger on him.

    ¡°Did you just stand there and watch me being trampled under her feet without any reaction?¡±

    Quentin, are you still considered a man?

    If you can¡¯t even protect your own woman, what use do I have for you?

    ¡°Don¡¯t say you love me anymore in the future, it¡¯s really false to death.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face turned pale and then green.

    He looked at Kimberly, his eyes filled with obvious pity, embarrassment, and concern.

    He looked at me again, almost pleadingly, and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ralda. Let her go. Consider it a favor from me.¡±

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    I coldly pursed my lips, bent down, and felt the gravity increasingly concentrated on my feet.

    Kimberly was even paler with pain, ring at me viciously.

    I chuckled at Quentin and said, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? She caused Essie to hurt her hand, so I naturally have to pay her back.¡±

    Otherwise, when Reynaldo retaliates against her, it won¡¯t just be as simple as stepping on her hand.

    Quentin, look at it from a different perspective, you should be thankful to me.

    ¡°Maybe Reynaldo thought I had already punished her, so he didn¡¯t punish her anymore.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Kimberly red at me bitterly. ¡°Reynaldo would never punish me for such a trivial matter. Reynaldo has always been the most loving towards me.¡±

    After hearing what she said, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Where did this woman get her confidence from, thinking that Reynaldo loved her the most.

    If it were at the beginning, I might have believed her words.

    But now, I just find it funny.

    Not only me, Vonnie alsoughed at her words.

    ¡°Some people, I really don¡¯t know if they have thick skin or just can¡¯t see reality clearly.¡±

    Vonnie mocked Kimberly, saying, ¡°You said <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey loves you the most, then may I ask, where did you put our two treasures?¡±

    13-20

    Chapter1120

    223 Nichers

    Do you think, in Mr. Humphrey¡¯s heart, you can stillpare to his own children.

    I wasughing so hard.

    ¡°You shut up!¡± Kimberly suddenly yelled at her.

    She suddenly seemed to go

    ¡°Reynaldo cares about me <i>crazy</i>, her face faintly grimacing,

    me.¡±

    no matter what I do, he won¡¯t be mad at

    Look, even though I pretended to be sick for so many years and deceived him for so many years, he never scolded me or med me.

    So, in Reynaldo¡¯s heart, I am the most important, he always indulged me unconditionally.

    Vonnie sneered, ¡°He just didn¡¯t care, toozy to scold you, and you actually thought he was pampering you, indulging you.¡±

    I wasughing so hard, I have seen people who are self¨Crighteous, but I have never seen someone as self¨Crighteous as you!

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Kimberly roared, her face nowpletely contorted.

    I looked at Quentin and smiled at him, ¡°You should be able to feel very clearly who she prefers, right?¡±

    Quentin¡¯s face was extremelyplex.

    He stared at Kimberly without blinking, his eyes full of sadness.

    Kimberly suddenly twisted her neck, looking nervous, then turned her head abruptly and cried to Quentin, ¡°It hurts, Quentin, save me¡­.. save me, I love you, Quentin¡­¡±

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    I frowned and stared at the woman on the ground.

    I felt like there was something wrong with the woman¡¯s spirit.

    When Quentin saw her like this, he felt sorry for her, walked over, grabbed my arm, and pleaded with me with red eyes, ¡°Ralda, I beg you, let her go, please?¡±

    ¡°Quentin¡­¡­

    ¡°1

    Kimberly cried to him pitifully, with a look of ¡°I see pity¡± on her face, really like a different person from the twisted and malicious look she had just now.

    This extreme change shocked Vonnie.

    Vonnie leaned in next to me and whispered, ¡°Is this woman mentally

    ill?¡±

    I frowned and stared at Kimberly, also feeling that the woman¡¯s spirit was not quite normal.

    The woman cried out ¡°Quentin¡± one after another, her voice pitiful, -soft, and innocent.

    Perhaps any man who heard it would not be able to help but feel ? for her.

    Vonnie rubbed her arm and said, ¡°Hiss, screaming like a female ghost, really scary.¡±

    And Quentin couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he pushed me away.

    <b>Chapter1121 </b>

    I staggered and almost fell, but luckily Vonnic caught me <b>in </b><b>time</b>.

    Vonnie was about to scold Quentin, I pulled her arm to signal her to stop.

    Anyway, I didn¡¯t have any expectations for Quentin, so as to avoid Vonnie scolding him and him retaliating, causing unnecessary unhappiness.

    Quentin hurriedly helped Kimberly up, carefully examining her hand with a look of concern on his face.

    However, I did step on her quite hard, and the back of her hand was even cut open.

    Quentin looked at me with red eyes, ¡°with a mournful expression.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°An eye for an eye, if she didn¡¯t harm my child, do you think I would harm her?¡±

    ¡°It was also unintentional on her part, why do you¡­¡±

    I sneered coldly, ¡°Then I was also unintentional, do you believe it?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and was momentarily speechless.

    I sneered, ¡°You just protect her, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    However, you¡¯d better keep an eye on her. If she dares to hit my child again next time, I don¡¯t mind chopping off her hands.

    I said and did it!

    Quentin opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

    And I was already toozy to listen to his nonsense.

    I didn¡¯t even bother to look at him, I just grabbed Vonnie and walked

    Chapter1121

    1788 Vouchers

    towards the visiting area with the two children.

    Vonnie held Essie in her arms, tenderly squeezing Essie¡¯s hand, furious: ¡°Bitch! Malicious! Evil! Not even sparing the child.¡±

    A sudden chill came over me from behind.

    I couldn¡¯t help but look back for a moment.

    Kimberly was ring venomously at Essie and Roddy!

    I felt a sinking in my heart, subconsciously gripping Roddy¡¯s hand, a touch of unease rising in my mind.

    No, for the safety of the two children, it was better to have them follow Reynaldo.

    Not only that, but we also had to hire bodyguards for the two children.

    Thinking about these things made me upset.

    Kimberly was like a ticking time bomb, ¡°as long as she wasn¡¯t removed for a day, the safety of my two children would not be guaranteed.¡±

    In the evening, I brought the two children back to my ce.

    When Essie was treating the wounds on her hands, Roddy asked me in confusion, ¡°Mommy, why aren¡¯t we going back to daddy¡¯s ce?¡±

    I thought about it and could onlye up with an excuse, saying, ¡°Mom has been busytely, so it would be more convenient to stay here.¡±

    After the weekend, Mommy sent you to stay with Daddy, okay?

    The two children did not doubt anything, they just obediently nodded their heads.

    Chapter1122

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    Finally, Essic added, ¡°When mommy is done being busy, remember toe back and live with us and daddy.¡±

    Seeing the children¡¯s expectant eyes, I could only nod in agreement first.

    Anyway, I had already made up my mind in my heart.

    If on Monday Reynaldo called me to go to the courthouse, then I went.

    Once the divorce certificate was obtained, I would have no more rtionship with him.

    But if¡­ if he didn¡¯t call me to go to the courthouse, then I would live with the children over there.

    Although he still harbored resentment in his heart.

    But I still wanted to give each other a chance.

    After all, as Johnathan said, it was really not easy for me toe this far with him.

    Watching us about to be happy together, and then breaking up like this, it¡¯s really heartbreaking.

    Over the weekend, I took Essie and Roddy to the nearby amusement park for two days.

    And these past two days, there has been no news from Reynaldo¡¯s side, he hasn¡¯t even sent a message to ask about the children¡¯s situation.

    I also endured the fact that he was injured.

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    Chapter1122

    As long as he didn¡¯t contact me on Monday, it was fine. If he really called me to go to the courthouse on Monday, then I would never talk to him again, never give him any chance again.

    Blink and it was already Monday.

    In the early morning, I first took the children to school, then returned to the residence to wait for Reynaldo¡¯s message.

    That day he only said ¡°see you at the courthouse entrance on Monday¡°, but didn¡¯t mention the time¡­

    The morning had passed, and he hadn¡¯t received a single message. He probably forgot about it himself.

    Thinking of this, my mood improved slightly.

    It seems that the man also couldn¡¯t bear to divorce me.

    When in a good mood, appetite follows suit.

    I went to the kitchen and pulled out some ingredients, preparing to cook something delicious for myself.

    Just finished, the phone in the living room rang.

    I furrowed my brow, ¡°Could it be Reynaldo calling me to go to the courthouse?¡±

    Picking up the phone on the sofa, it was indeed Reynaldo calling.

    My mood instantly hit rock bottom.

    I pressed the answer button hard, holding my breath in my chest, and didn¡¯t say anything.

    There was also a moment of silence over there, a silence that made me

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    want to throw my phone.

    In the end, I couldn¡¯t hold it in and asked, ¡°If you have something to say, say it. If not, just drop it!¡±

    It was really frustrating. Who wants to listen to his calm and suppressed breathing, it¡¯s so ufortable.

    Reynaldo paused for two seconds before speaking, and asked me in a calm voice, ¡°Do you have time this afternoon?¡±

    Why did you suddenly ask me that?

    Are you calling me to get divorced? Or to ask me out for a meal?

    A touch of annoyance surged in my heart.

    I impatiently said, ¡°Just tell me directly if you have something to say, don¡¯t ask if I¡¯m free or not!¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent again.

    Honestly, I really hate talking to him on the phone.

    It was a tough time.

    The air in the chest kept rising.

    I impatiently said again, ¡°Just say it if you have something to say! I don¡¯t have time to listen to your silence here!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re free, let¡¯s meet at 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon at the courthouse.¡±

    Oh!

    I pursed my lips and indeed he shouted at me to divorce.

    15.26

    Chapter1122

    288 Note

    The nose suddenly felt sour, and a touch of moisture quickly appeared in the eye sockets. ¡°Hot tears.¡±

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    Chapter <b>1123 </b>

    There was silence again on the other side, as if waiting for my response.

    I smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo paused for two seconds and said, ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll meet at the courthouse entrance.¡±

    After hearing what he said, I hung up the phone directly.

    The anger that had been suppressed in the chest could no longer be held back and surged up directly.

    I mmed my phone on the sofa and angrily scolded Reynaldo for a few words.

    Just as I was cursing, I squatted down, covered my face, and couldn¡¯t help but cry.

    He actually wanted to divorce me.

    Actually, as long as he doesn¡¯t bring up the topic of divorce, then I won¡¯t either.

    What was said that day about ¡°dissolving the marriage rtionship,¡± we can both choose not to take it seriously, not to count it.

    However, he eventually proposed.

    My mood suddenly became very irritable.

    The food on the table had already gone cold.

    I threw the bowl into the trash can.

    Reynaldo said, ¡°See you at 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon at the courthouse entrance.¡±

    To avoid letting him see that I had cried, I deliberately washed my face and put some eye patches on before driving to the courthouse.

    When I arrived, it was only 2:50.

    As soon as I got off the car, I saw his car parked on the side of the road.

    Oh!

    He actually arrived earlier than me. ¡°He is really proactive in getting divorced.¡±

    Not seeing him get out of the car for half a day, I couldn¡¯t help but walk over.

    Just passed by, I saw him through the car window, lying motionless on the steering wheel, I don¡¯t know if he was asleep or what.

    I waited for two minutes and when I saw that he still hadn¡¯t moved, I couldn¡¯t help but knock on the car window.

    The man then moved slightly and slowly lifted his head to look towards me.

    His face was slightly pale, and his eyes were dim and colorless.

    Seeing me standing outside the car, he pursed his lips, and pain seemed to sh across his face.

    int of

    When I carefully looked at his expression, his face returned to calmness and indifference.

    Chapter1123

    Honestly, I really hate his calm and indifferent appearance now.

    His calmness would make me look like a crazy person in love but unable to obtain it.

    Thinking of this, I turned my face away and didn¡¯t look at him.

    I heard the sound of car doors opening and closing, and I said lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I walked towards the courthouse by myself as I spoke.

    However, just after taking two steps, a windbreaker suddenly appeared on his shoulders.

    I stopped in my tracks, furrowing my brow as I looked at him.

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply, his voice calm and hoarse, ¡°It¡¯s already deep autumn, and you¡¯re still dressed so lightly.¡±

    Now, any concern he showed towards me was filled with great irony.

    After all, it was him who wanted to abandon me, who wanted to divorce me.

    So, what does his various concerns for me count for?

    I took off the windbreaker and handed it back to him, saying, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I¡¯m not cold.¡±

    Mr. Humphrey is now seriously injured and weak, so he dressed himself.

    ¡°In case he falls illter, I¡¯ll have to bother to take <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey to the hospital.¡±

    As Johnathan said, I was a bit hurtful in what I said just now.

    Chapter1123

    But his actions, Reynaldo¡¯s, were driving me crazy.

    I didn¡¯t look at him, I just turned around and continued walking towards the courthouse.

 TOO Close 1124

    I had already reached the door, but I didn¡¯t see him following behind.

    I furrowed my brows and looked back.

    Reynaldo was seen standing still in ce, holding his overcoat, with a nk expression on his face, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

    Seeing him like this, a touch of annoyance surged in my heart.

    The children would be getting out of school soon.

    I had to be on guard against Kimberly¡¯s persecution now, so when the children finished school, either I or he had to pick them up in person.

    He dawdled like this, when will this matter be finished?

    I took a deep breath and shouted impatiently at him, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey who asked me toe here for a divorce? What¡¯s the point of Mr. Humphrey standing there?¡±

    Mr. Humphrey was not only a president, but also a prominent figure in Freybourne, and he tended to be a bit slow in his actions.

    If <i>Mr. </i>Humphrey were still a man, then please Mr. Humphrey be more efficient, don¡¯t be so fussy!

    Reynaldo suddenly looked at me deeply.

    Those eyes, dark as ink, like a dry well that makes one¡¯s heart race, filled with a deep, deathly silence.

    Every time I nced at him now, it was just making myself feel ufortable.

    <b>Chapter1124 </b>

    I ignored him and walked straight into the courthouse.

    The windows for divorce and marriage were separated and ced <b>on </b>either side.

    The middle is the inquiry counter and the registration counter.

    I nced up and then walked towards the window on the divorce <b>side </b>

    As soon as I sat down, the staff said to me, ¡°One person cannote to handle a divorce.¡±

    I turned around and looked back, and sure enough, Reynaldo had note in yet.

    I suppressed my anger and said to the staff, ¡°He is right outside, he should being in soon.¡±

    The staff didn¡¯t say anything, they just gave me two forms to fill out.

    I picked up the pen next to me and filled in some basic information.

    There were some parts that I wasn¡¯t sure how to fill out, so I was about to ask the staff.

    The staff then approached me and said, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t your husbande in yet? It¡¯s been almost ten minutes, even theme have entered.¡±

    I actually think he didn¡¯t want to divorce you, he was just dragging his feet.

    I suggest you go back and calm down, think carefully, after all, marriage and divorce are major events in life, don¡¯t make a hasty decision, regret itter.

    Don¡¯t you want to divorce me?

    Chapter1124

    298azhes

    Oh, how is that possible?

    If he didn¡¯t want a divorce, why did he bother calling me over the phone?

    I said to the staff, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but it was him who wanted a divorce and invited me here.¡±

    The staff¡¯s face showed a hint of surprise, and after a while, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡±

    After waiting for another five minutes, Reynaldo still didn¡¯t show up.

    I was so angry that I was in a bad mood.¨C

    The person who called me to divorce was him, and now he¡¯s causing trouble for me again. What does he mean by that?

    I took out my phone and angrily dialed his number.

    The phone rang for over ten seconds before Reynaldo answered.

    He took the call and said nothing.

    Somehow, I now feel angry when I look at him, and I feel even angrier when I hear him silent.

    I

    suppressed the anger in my heart and said word by word, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me toe for a divorce? Where are you?¡±

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    Chapter1125

    Reynaldo paused for two seconds before speaking, his voice very <b>low</b>, ¡°Come in.¡±

    I frowned and looked towards the door, and sure enough, I saw him standing at the doorway.

    I hung up the phone angrily and turned my head without looking at him.

    Reynaldo came over slowly and sat down beside me.

    The staff looked at me, then at him, and asked us, both of you really sure about getting a divorce?¡±

    I didn¡¯t speak, and he didn¡¯t speak either.

    ¡°Excuse

    me, are

    The staff helplessly shook their head and asked again, but Reynaldo remained silent.

    I thought, maybe he really doesn¡¯t want to get divorced as the staff member said.

    Afraid that the staff might get impatient, I was about to say, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it first.

    Little did I know that as soon as I opened my mouth and before I could even say a word, Reynaldo suddenly uttered a soft ¡°H.¡±

    I was so angry that I choked and didn¡¯t want to say a word.

    I angrily threw another form in front of him and said tly, ¡°Fill this one out first.¡±

    Chapter1125

    Reynaldo suddenly looked at me deeply, with a hint of redness in his

    cycs.

    His thin lips were slightly pursed, as if he wanted to say something to <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    But in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything, just picked up the pen beside him and lowered his head to fill out the form.

    A wordless anger surged in my heart, I pursed my lips, ignored him. and continued to fill out my form.

    After some time passed, Reynaldo still hadn¡¯t finished.

    I handed the form to the staff first, and the staff then said to me, ¡°Please show your ID card and marriage photo.¡±

    When I heard the words ¡°marriage certificate¡°, I was stunned for a

    moment.

    Yeah, where is my marriage certificate?!

    There seems to be no such thing in memory.

    I furrowed my brow and thought carefully for a while, and then I remembered that I didn¡¯t want to go get the marriage certificate with him back then because I was too angry.

    In the end, under the pressure of the media, we hurriedly went to the courthouse to handle the formalities with him.

    Vaguely remembering, I filled out the form, submitted the documents, and then took a photo with him before leaving.

    I didn¡¯t even wait for the marriage certificate toe out.

    So, up to now, I have never seen what our marriage certificate looks

    09:37

    like.

    If the staff hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have forgotten about the existence of the marriage certificate.

    I looked at the man beside me and said, ¡°Where is our marriage certificate?¡±

    Reynaldo paused with his pen, not looking up, and after a few seconds of silence, he whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    I: ¡­

    Staff: ¡­

    I got impatient and said, ¡°How could you not know? We went to get the certificate together. Even though I left first, you must have taken the documents.¡±

    ¡°Think again, where did you put that document?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and remained silent.

    I was so angry that I turned my face away and didn¡¯t want to say anything.

    The staff looked speechless, ¡°Divorce requires presenting your ID card and marriage certificate. Both are necessary. If you don¡¯t have both documents, please go back and get them beforeing back.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Reynaldo replied softly, putting down his pen and folding up the half¨Cfilled form. ¡°Let¡¯s gather our documents ande back.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the way you guys are dragging your feet doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re here for a divorce.¡±

    So it is still rmended that you must consider carefully whether

    65,52%

    09:37

    Chapter1125

    you really want to divorce.

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    <b>Chapter1126 </b>

    didn¡¯t say anything, I just looked at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°Okay, we will consider it carefully.¡±

    He turned around and walked out as soon as he finished speaking. walking very quickly.

    I got up and was ready to leave when the staff suddenly stopped me and said, ¡°Look at your husband, he came in slowly, but now he¡¯s walking out with a purpose. No need to say, he definitely doesn¡¯t <b>want </b>a divorce.¡±

    So, girl, think carefully about divorce, don¡¯t be impulsive.

    I stared at Reynaldo¡¯s back without blinking, my heart filled withplexity and confusion.

    Did he really want a divorce?

    ex

    If he didn¡¯t want me to leave, then why did he call me?

    When I walked out of the courthouse, Reynaldo was standing at the door, as if ¡°waiting for me.¡±

    He said to me calmly, ¡°Let me take you back.¡±

    ¡°No, I drove here,¡± I pointed to my car parked on the side of the road.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and fell silent.

    I had gotten used to his silence.

    I was about to tell him about the children, but before I could speak, he

    <b>Chapter1126 </b>

    suddenly said in a low voice, ¡°The marriage didn¡¯t end<b>, </b><b>you </b><b>must </b>be disappointed, right?¡±

    Hiss!

    In an instant, the anger I had just managed to suppress surged back <b>up</b>.

    I looked at him and asked him without any tone, ¡°Do you know what you are talking about?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t look at me, he just half¨Clowered his eyshes, looking very pitiful.

    ¡°Since the marriage didn¡¯t work out, you can¡¯t be with Anton officially, right?¡±

    Fuck that!

    I wanted to swear, but I held back.

    I smiled at him coolly and said, ¡°Think whatever you want.¡±

    The man kept his eyes downcast and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will go back and look for that marriage certificate carefully.¡±

    ¡°No need to look anymore.¡±

    Reynaldo trembled slightly and looked at me, with a hint of brightness shining through his dark eyes, as if he was expecting something.

    I really couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on in this man¡¯s mind.

    The one who wanted a divorce was him, and he was also the one who randomly spected that I was with Anton.

    He was still the one who was cold and indifferent to me, so what was he hoping for me to say again?

    Chapter1126

    I really couldn¡¯t figure out his temperament at all.

    Sometimes, I feel like ¡°whatever I say is wrong.¡±

    Facing hisplicated gaze, I said softly, ¡°I just asked the staff, she said that even if the marriage certificate is lost, you can still get a divorce by applying for a marriage proof.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to go back and rummage through everything to find that marriage certificate.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    He remained silent for a long time, then suddenlyughed strangely.

    I red at him gloomily and said, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±

    He didn¡¯t speak, just lowered his eyes again, and a touch of gloom slowly spread around him, making people feel oppressed.

    And so he stood there, motionless like a statue, without saying a word.

    The lowered eyes also did not know what they were thinking.

    After waiting for about five minutes, he still didn¡¯t say anything and showed no intention of leaving.

    I checked the time and it was almost time to pick up the children.

    So I asked him, ¡°Are you busy next?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked me in a low voice.

    alked to them in

    I said quietly, ¡°If you¡¯re not busy, go to the school to pick up the kids and bring them to your ce to stay. I have alread advance.¡±

    C

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    hapter1127

    1288 Vainer

    Chapter1127

    Originally, I thought this was just a very ordinary andmon reminder.

    After all, it¡¯s quite normal for children to stay with their father.

    Little did I know that as soon as I finished speaking, the man¡¯s face suddenly turned pale.

    He slowly raised his eyes to look at me, with a hint of disbelief and sadness in his slightly reddened eye sockets.

    I frowned.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Did I say something wrong again?

    I unconsciously took a step back and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you again?¡±

    He stared at me intently, about to speak, when suddenly he coughed.

    Like ¡°anxiety attacking the heart¡°, he covered his lips and coughed somewhat violently.

    I thought of Johnathan saying he had internal injuries.

    My heart tightened and I was about to help him.

    He suddenly took two steps back and distanced hi elf from me.

    So my outstretched hand came to a halt in midair.

    Chapter1127

    ¤Á¤ç¤¦

    I tugged at my lips, feeling a touch of bitterness in my heart.

    Look, he wouldn¡¯t even let me touch it now.

    Reynaldo took a while to calm down gradually, but his face looked even paler than before, with a few traces of blood seeping from the corners of his lips.

    He looked at me and smiled palely, ¡°In order to be with Anton wholeheartedly, you¡­ actually gave up the children.¡±

    Oh, this¡­

    No, what on earth was Reynaldo¡¯s head doing?

    How could he think like that?

    Essie and Roddy were my life and soul, how could he think I didn¡¯t want the children?

    Even if I abandon anything in this world, I could never abandon my two children.

    She didn¡¯t even wait for me to speak.

    He said again, with a slightly excited and indignant tone, ¡°You don¡¯t want them, I want them.¡±

    They were the best gift that heaven had ever given me. Even if I had to give up all my wealth and status, I would never give them up.

    You can rest assured, I will go and bring them back now, from now on they don¡¯t need you to worry about.¡±

    He said he was ready to leave.

    I grabbed him and said in silence, ¡°Can you stop overthinking like this,

    Chapter1127

    and can you wait for me to finish talking first?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me, his eyespletely red.

    He said, ¡°The two children love you so much that when they were abroad, the word ¡®mommy¡® never left their mouths.¡±

    But you¡­ But you didn¡¯t want them anymore?

    You could be with Anton, I have let go as well, but why do you still want to abandon them?

    Did Anton mind that they were our children, so he didn¡¯t ept them?

    ¡°You did it for Anton, after all¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, so I interrupted him.

    Reynaldo really went too far with his words.

    I said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to abandon them, and I definitely won¡¯t abandon them.¡°,

    I asked you to take them to your ce to stay because I was worried that¨CKimberly would go after them.

    I also loved them very much and was very reluctant to part with them.

    For their safety, I had to let them follow you, after all, you are more capable of protecting them than I am, aren¡¯t you?

    Reynaldo stood there in shock.

    He stared at me nkly, his thin lips moving as if he wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say.

    09:37

    Chapter1127

    I looked at him speechlessly.

    288 Nourers

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know why you thought I was going to abandon them.¡±

    Children are not born from you, so you can¡¯t understand a mother¡¯s. love for her children.

    Chapter1128

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    Chapter1128

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and fellpletely silent.

    Look, this man is either lost in thought or silent.

    I grumbled, ¡°Forget it, forget it. I told you, but you don¡¯t understand.¡±

    Anyway, whether you want to pick up the children or not, if you don¡¯t, I can also try to protect them as much as possible.

    ¡°I went.¡±

    Reynaldo then spoke, his tone returning to the low calmness of before.

    It seems that the person who just used me of ¡°abandoning my husband and children¡± was not him.

    When he was leaving, he suddenly said to me, ¡°Although we didn¡¯t sessfully process the divorce today, it doesn¡¯t prevent you from being with Anton, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I interrupted him angrily, ¡°Do you have to assume that I am with him?¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent for two seconds, lowered his gaze, and said quietly, ¡°I saw it all, that night, you¡­ embracing each other.¡±

    And I called you, and he answered.

    Actually, I had already been learning to slowly let go, really.

    I was so angry that I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    When did I embrace Anton?

    09:37 CO

    Chapter1128

    1280 Vouchers

    ¡°Between you and me, now it¡¯s just the bond of children, wait until they grow up¡­¡±

    I really didn¡¯t want to hear a single word he said.

    Without waiting for him to finish, I turned and walked towards my car.

    I felt like I really couldn¡¯tmunicate with this man normally now.

    I got into the car, and Reynaldo stood still at the courthouse door until I drove away.

    Worried that he had forgotten to pick up the child.

    I called him.

    This time he responded quickly.

    Without waiting for me to speak, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will go pick up the children now.¡±

    ¡°He called me to let me know.¡±

    After saying that, I hung up the phone.

    Feeling extremely upset, as soon as I got home, I took out a few bottles of wine to drink..

    Originally thinking that getting drunk would help me sleep, but after drinking several bottles in a row, I still wasn¡¯t drunk. Instead, I felt more and more restless in my mind.

    I opened another bottle of wine and, halfway through drinking it, couldn¡¯t help but take out my phone, pull up his photo, and curse at it.

    Just as I was getting into my stride with the scolding, suddenly a phone call came in

    09.370

    Chapter1128

    I looked over dazedly and realized it was Reynaldo calling

    In an instant, the resentment and irritability in my heart seemed to have found an outlet.

    As soon as I answered the phone, I started cursing at it.

    ¡°Reynaldo, you were just a self¨Crighteous, fickle bastard, a lunatic.¡±

    When did I get together with Anton, when did I hug him? You always like to wrongly use me.

    Back then, you used to hug Kimberly in front of me, and you always protected Kimberly. What did I say?

    You just didn¡¯t believe me, you just liked to falsely use me, you just liked to PUA me, you just liked to get angry at me for no reason.

    I hated you. I was annoyed to see you now. I didn¡¯t want to see you anymore. I ignored you.

    Reynaldo, you are so annoying, so annoying¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t care if anyone was listening on the other end of the phone, I yelled at my phone for quite a while.

    Finally, I got tired of scolding, and I also got tired of scolding.

    I leaned on the sofa, closed my eyes, feeling drowsy, and couldn¡¯t help but curse a few more times.

    20.27

    Chapter1129

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    Chapter1129

    When I was half asleep, I seemed to hear the person on the phone say, ¡°I called just to tell you that I have picked up the kids and they have already had dinner. They are doing well, with good appetites. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    I responded with a daze andy directly on the sofa.

    The phone dropped to his ear, and then his voice became clearer.

    ¡°I also know that you really dislike me.

    ¡°You can rest assured that I won¡¯t bother you anymore, except for the children.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­ I hated you¡­¡±

    I muttered a sentence and fell into a deep sleep.

    The next day when I woke up, my head was pounding like an explosion, and there were bottles all over the floor, in a mess.

    I covered my head in difort, thinking to myself, ¡°Hangover is really painful.

    No, in the future, even if you feel bad, you can¡¯t drink too much. It¡¯s better to go shopping of go dancing.

    Drinking too much is really harmful to the body,d it feels terrible.

    I paused for a moment, then found my phone, intending to check the

    time.

    19.37

    Chapter1129

    As soon as I opened my phone, it was the screen where Reynaldo and I ended the call.

    Strange?

    Last night I talked to Reynaldo on the phone.

    The callsted for over an hour.

    Hiss!

    Last night, I was so drunk that I could still chat with him for over an hour?

    Moreover, what will he say to me during this more than one hour call with his cold and indifferent attitude towards me now?

    I tapped my head, but couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    This wine was still the one Vonnie had sent over before, saying it was bought by Johnathan.

    I don¡¯t know what kind of wine it was, but it was really strong. It actually made me pass out directly.

    I stared at the call log for a long time, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    I simply threw my phone aside and got up to tidy up the room.

    For nearly half a month, Reynaldo did not appear in front of me again.

    He didn¡¯t even send me a text message, nor did he call me once.

    Sometimes I miss the children, so I call him to as

    situation.

    The result was always picked up by the children.

    bout the children¡¯s

    09:37

    Chapter1129

    Of course, sometimes the children would also use his phone to video call me.

    But I never saw Reynaldo once, nor heard him speak.

    I began to wonder if he had just given the phone directly to the children.

    Sometimes I would ask the children what Reynaldo was doing, and they would tell me, ¡°Reynaldo is busy in the study.¡±

    I thought he had been busy with work for most of the past half month.

    One time on set, Johnathan told me that thepany had been very quiettely, with basically nothing going on.

    Since then, I knew that Reynaldo was intentionally avoiding me.

    When I realized that, I couldn¡¯t describe how I felt in my heart, a little sad, and a little self¨Cdeprecating.

    As for the divorce, he never mentioned it again.

    He didn¡¯t mention it, so naturally I wouldn¡¯t bring it up either.

    I was just feeling a little frustrated and sad in my heart, and these frustrations and sadness eventually turned into a hint of resentment.

    I started to resent Reynaldo.

    I med him for ignoring me, med him for making me so miserable.

    That day, the set closed early, as if Johnathan had intentionally said goodbye to Gilbert.

    09375

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    Chapter1130

    I thought he was going to meet Vonnie and was about to go back by myself when he suddenly stopped me.

    ¡°Esmie, where are you going?¡±

    The crew on set were all packing up, getting ready to wrap up for the day.

    Vonnie also went to the locker room to change clothes.

    Since thest ¡°snake bite¡± incident, Vonnie and Kimberly¡¯s dressing rooms have been separated and made independent, located at opposite ends of the set.

    I looked at Johnathan with a puzzled expression and he said with a smile, ¡°Where else to go, let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡°Huh!!!, what time is it now? Why go home? I¡¯ll take you to y.¡±

    I stared at him with a look of doubt on my face.

    Is this still the Johnathan I know?

    Vonnie has been working overtime filming almost every day these days.

    The chance he finally got to date Vonnie, he actually had to bring along me, a bright light bulb with high wattage?

    Incredible, truly incredible!

    Johnathan slowly furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue, saying, ¡°Esmie, why are you staring at me like that?¡±

    09.37

    Chapter1130

    */hip A+No+

    ¡°No, I just thought you were acting a bit strange today.¡±

    Johnathan immediately looked down at himself and said, ¡°Nothing strange, still handsome as ever.¡±

    I:¡­

    Seeing that Vonnie had changed clothes and was walking towards me, I smiled at him and said, ¡°Alright, go on your date with Vonnie, I¡¯m heading back now.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    Johnathan teleported and appeared in front of me again.

    I looked at him speechlessly, ¡°Are you really sure you want to bring me along as a third wheel? Don¡¯t me me for not warning you, if you bring me, you won¡¯t be able to do anything with Vonnie tonight.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s face darkened as he said, ¡°Esmie, have you been learning bad things from Reynaldo? All you think about is nonsense.¡±

    Did I say I was going to do something with Vonnie?

    ¡°I made Gilbert close early today, all for you.¡±

    ¡°For me?¡±

    I looked at him in full doubt, what does this Johnathan want to do again?

    At this moment, Vonnie had already walked over.

    She took my arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ralda, let¡¯s y together.¡±

    ¡°No, you two go on a date alone, it¡¯s rare that we get off work early today.¡± I pulled away from Vonnie¡¯s hand and pushed her towards

    00-37

    Chapter1130

    Johnathan.

    Vonnieughed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go on a date with him. I want to hang out with you. If you don¡¯t go, I¡¯d rather go back to sleep.¡±

    Oh, this¡­

    Johnathan looked at me with a resentful expression, as if saying, ¡°See, in Vonnie¡¯s heart, you are more important than me. If you don¡¯t go, she won¡¯t go either.¡±

    Actually, going out for fun is not a big deal.

    I haven¡¯t been out for a long time either, and I feel really bored.

    But I was still afraid of disturbing their world of two.

    Since they didn¡¯t mind, they kept persuading me to go y with them, so I didn¡¯t refuse and got in the car with them.

    Vonnie and I sat in the back seat, while Johnathan drove alone in the front.

    I thought they were going to take me to a nightclub, after all, Vonnie also likes clubbing.

    So I asked Johnathan, ¡°Which bar are we going to next? Are we going directly or having dinner first?¡±

    Because I looked at the street view outside, this road doesn¡¯t seem to lead to the bar that Vonnie and I often go to.

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    1280 Waters

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    Little did I know that as soon as I finished asking, Johnathan in front of me clicked his tongue and said in a lecturing tone, ¡°I say, Esmie, why are you always thinking about bars? Is that a good ce?¡±

    Listen to me, don¡¯t go to those kinds of ces when you have nothing to do, it¡¯s easy to be led astray.¡±

    I was speechless: ¡°That¡¯s not a good ce, Mr. Dup, you used to go to that kind of ce often before, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that every pub in Freybourne had a private room reserved just for you, Mr. Dup?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Vonnie hummed from her nose.

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°I had ¡®turned over a new leaf a long time ago. You can see that I rarely go to those ces now.¡±

    So in the future, you guys shouldn¡¯t go to that kind of ce anymore, even if you do, remember to call me along.¡±

    Vonnie pursed her lips and ignored him.

    I suddenly remembered the scene when I first saw Johnathan.

    Back then, Johnathan had a debonair yboy look.

    The shirt was always unbuttoned improperly, with a few buttons deliberately loosened, revealing half of the chest, giving off a feeling of impropriety and indecency.

    And I remember at that time, he had quite a lot of ¡°gossip news¡°.

    09.38

    Chapter1131

    Reynaldo, who was always silent, was theplete opposite of me.

    I never expected a yboy like him to actually settle down one day.

    Indeed, since he was with Vonnie, he really had no gossip.

    And it was clear that his heart and eyes were full of Vonnie. On weekdays, he would visit the set to see Vonnie after work.

    Vonnie also quietly told me.

    He said that the man had not wanted to settle down before, and had not wanted to marry her.

    The result now ¡°begged¡± her every day, ¡°begging¡± her to marry him, and proposing to <i>he </i>

    in different ways every day.

    Vonnie also said that she was not going to agree to Johnathan¡¯s proposal so easily.

    She demanded that Johnathan propose to her 99 times before she agreed, just to test that man.

    When Vonnie said those words, her eyes were filled with happiness.

    Seeing how well they are doing now, I am also filled with joy and happiness in my heart.

    Thoughts were wandering, and then Johnathan¡¯s earnest preaching voice came again, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Esmie, listen to me, don¡¯t go to the bar anymore in the future.¡±

    Back in the day, you often disregarded Reynaldo¡¯s feelings and went to the bar to have fun, sometimes noting home all night. He was really upset.

    I remember one time, you insisted on going to the bar to have fun, he

    09.38

    Chapter1131

    couldn¡¯t stop you, felt very sad, so he came to drink with me.

    The result was that it suddenly started raining, and he was so anxious that he said he would go to bring you an umbre.

    I even scolded him as a fool at that time, ¡°You, a youngdy, still need that umbre?¡±

    He insisted on going, I was not happy in my heart, quietly followed him, and then saw him waiting for you outside with an umbre, getting soaked through.

    What made me the angriest was that you came out and even scolded him.

    ¡°You mean you, huh!¡±

    I do not deny that I was indeed ¡°extremely terrible¡± to Reynaldo in the past.

    But what¡¯s the point of bringing up those past things now?

    The issues between me and Reynaldo now are not just about the three years of marriage, but also about all the humiliation and bullying <i>I </i>endured from him.

    09:38

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    Chapter1132

    There have been disputes and misunderstandings in recent years.

    Those bittersweet emotions have been swirling in our hearts, long ago changing our moods towards each other.

    At first, he persistently wanted to be with me, even if it meant using all means to force it.

    And now, it turns out that he was the one who gave up on me first.

    So, the biggest issue I have with him now is his mindset, it¡¯s the change in his mindset.

    Johnathan said a lot along the way.

    Vonnie looked at me and saw my gloomy face, then shouted at him, ¡°Okay, stop talking, don¡¯t say so much, are you thirsty or not?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty.¡± Johnathan replied, ending with a silly smile, ¡°Vonnie still cares about me, worrying if I¡¯m thirsty or not.¡±

    I covered my mouth and chuckled.

    Vonnie shook her head in silence.

    The car didn¡¯t know where it was going, and it became more and more remote as it drove.

    Along the way, I asked Johnathan several times, ¡°where are you taking us?¡±

    Johnathan, however, beat around the bush and didn¡¯t tell me.

    09:38

    Chapter1132

    Vonnie was surprisingly quiet.

    If it had been a normal day, Vonnic would have already forced Johnathan to reveal where he was going.

    So, Vonnie¡¯s silence proved that she knew where Johnathan was taking <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    So I asked Vonnie, only to find out that this woman suddenly sided with Johnathan and didn¡¯t tell me.

    The weather was getting colder as winter approached, and it was getting dark very quickly.

    The car had been driving for over an hour, and the sky had long since turnedpletely dark.

    Key, Johnathan seemed to still be driving out to the outskirts.

    If it weren¡¯t for my firm belief that neither of them would betray Reynaldo, nor would they betray me, I would have suspected that they were trying to kidnap me.

    Seeing that both of them were being secretive, I didn¡¯t bother to ask.

    Anyway, they wouldn¡¯t harm me.

    The car continued to drive for about ten minutes, and finally came to a

    stop.

    I frowned and stared at the vi in front of me nestled in the darkness of the night, then turned to look at Vonnie.

    Vonnie shook her head hastily, ¡°I don¡¯t know where this is either.¡±

    As she spoke, she also pointed at Johnathan and said to me, ¡°Anyway, he told me that if I wanted you to make up with Reynaldo, then I had

    09.38

    Chapter1132

    <b>78</b>Äê

    to help him bring you here.¡±

    I clenched my fists secretly, and a touch ofplexity rose unconsciously in my heart.

    I should have guessed earlier that they were acting so strangely today, not even in a hurry to have some alone time. Most likely they were worrying about me and Reynaldo again.

    However, what¡¯s the point of them putting in effort on my side unterally?

    For the past half month, Reynaldo has been avoiding me.

    Not even one call was answered by me, all of them were answered by the children.

    So, what¡¯s the point of them bringing me to this remote vi now?

    At this moment, Johnathan had already gotten out of the car, and was kindly opening the door on my side, smiling at me and saying, ¡°We¡¯re here, Esmie. Get out of the car.¡±

    I didn¡¯t move.

    Vonnie shook my arm and said, ¡°Come on, Ralda, let¡¯s go downstairs and take a look first.¡±

    I asked Johnathan, ¡°Is Reynaldo in there?¡±

    Johnathan shook his head hastily, ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Then he should be on his way too, right?¡± I said with a faint smile.

    Johnathan immediately fell silent.

    Sure enough, I guessed it right.

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    <b>Chapter1133 </b>

    It should be Johnathan who ¡°kidnapped¡± me, also managed <b>to </b><b>deceive </b>Reynaldo with some lies.

    Just because they arranged for me to meet Reynaldo, so what?

    That man might have turned and walked away as soon as he saw <b>me</b>.

    So, what was the point of this trip?

    ¡°Oh, Esmie, since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you get off the car first,¡± Johnathan urged me.

    Vonnie also chimed in, ¡°Yeah, Ralda, let¡¯s go down first. It¡¯s quite a long way here, we should at least go in and have something to eat, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips, didn¡¯t say anything more, just got out of the car.

    Johnathan led us into the yard.

    As we walked, he introduced us, ¡°This is a vi that Reynaldo bought before, quite remote, but the scenery is absolutely stunning.¡±

    I fell in love with it at first sight, and Reynaldo gave it to me in one go.

    However, it¡¯s been so long that I haven¡¯t had a chance to stay there, after all, it¡¯s too far from the city center.

    Just now, I returned the vi to him, and now you can spend a few more days alone with/him here.

    No one will disturb you here, away from the hustle and bustle. Between you, no matter what misunderstandings there may be, calm

    <b>Chapter1133 </b>

    down and have a good chat.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t believe it. With all the time you had and <b>in </b><b>such </b><b>a </b><b>quiet </b>environment, those issues couldn¡¯t be resolved!¡±

    Johnathan said, leading Vonnie and me into the vi.

    The lights turned on, and the vi instantly lit up as bright as day<b>. </b>

    At first nce, the decoration in the vi was very elegant.

    And it was obvious that someone had cleaned up.

    Johnathan said to me again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have arranged for someone toe and clean today, and we have also prepared plenty of daily necessities for you. Just rx and stay here for a few days, stay calm and talk things out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ralda, Essie and Roddy, don¡¯t worry. They are in good hands with me and Johnathan.¡±

    Vonnie replied, ¡°And Johnathan also told me that Reynaldo had already stationed many bodyguards at the Duffy¡¯s vi, so you don¡¯t need to worry about their safety.¡±

    I knew that the issues between me and Reynaldo were ¡°weighing heavily on their minds¡°.

    Seeing how much effort they put in, my heart was truly touched.

    For some reason, my eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

    I hung my head, not knowing what to say.

    Vonnie took my arm and whispered to me, ¡°Actual from the very beginning, I didn¡¯t really think you and Reynaldo were a good match.¡±

    Chapter1133

    Especially considering the hardships you endured <b>during </b>those four years, I actually harbored quite a bit of resentment <b>towards </b><b>Reynaldo </b>and was not very willing for you to be with him.

    I think, what he brought you was only ¡°pain.¡±

    Johnathan got anxious, opened his mouth, and was about to <b>say </b>something.

    Vonnie added, ¡°But I also found that if you really separate from Reynaldo, you seem even more miserable.¡±

    It seems that in this world, ¡°he¡± is the one who brings you pain, but the one who can bring you happiness seems to be only ¡°him¡°.

    These days, although you came to visit me every day, I could also see that your heart was not really here, and the sadness in your eyes.

    So Ralda, don¡¯t think too much, and don¡¯t think about who is right or

    wrong.

    He may not have known how to love, but at least he still loved you.

    ¡°So, if you want to be happy, just go ahead and untie the knot in his heart.¡±

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>1134 </b>

    When Vonnie said these words, it was as if she had suddenly be <b>a </b>different person.

    She has always been carefree, and has never spoken about these emotional issues so seriously and solemnly before.

    Even Johnathan beside was surprised, staring at Vonnie in astonishment.

    Vonnie hugged me and sighed, ¡°I am very happy now, so I hope you can be happy too. I hope all four of us are doing well.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s gaze suddenly deepened as he looked into her eyes, which were filled with tenderness.

    At that moment, Vonnie suddenly transformed into an emotional master and told me a lot.

    I listened carefully, but felt inexplicably sad in my heart.

    I looked out into the dark night outside the door and said with a bitter smile, ¡°What if he doesn¡¯te tonight?¡±

    Johnathan said confidently, ¡°He will definitelye. If he doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll chop off my head and use it as a ser ball for you.¡±

    Vonnie kicked him in silence and said, ¡°You¡¯re ruining the mood, get

    out!¡±

    I was amused by them for a moment.

    Just as she was smiling, tears welled up in her eyes.

    Having such a friend by my side is really nice.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Vonnie suddenly looked at me seriously and said, ¡°No matter what, give yourself a chance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was Reynaldo who used to try hard, it was Reynaldo <b>who </b><b>did </b>everything he could to reach you, no matter what.¡±

    This time, it¡¯s your turn to approach him, okay?

    His whole life was really too bitter, various causes and effects <b>led </b>to the distortion, extremism, andck of confidence in his heart.

    Johnathan¡¯s eyes suddenly became sad.

    He changed his usual cynicism and said seriously, ¡°I have no other request, I just hope you can go to him this time.¡±

    ¡°If this time still can¡¯t solve the problem, then I won¡¯t force it anymore, and I won¡¯t interfere in your affairs anymore.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect that the situation between me and Reynaldo would worry them so much.

    They really, really feel like my family.

    I choked out, ¡°Okay, this time, I¡¯ll be the one to approach him.¡±

    Vonnie just said something quite right.

    If you love and have made amitment to that person, then in matters of the heart, there is no need to argue about who is right or

    wrong.

    During this time, I have been ming Reynaldo for abandoning me, for ignoring me.

    <b>Chapter1134 </b>

    But he never made an effort to approach <b>him</b>.

    My hesitation may have made him feel that I didn¡¯t love <b>him</b>, causing him to be more insecure and withdrawn in this rtionship

    The more he retreated, the more I resented him in my heart, and <b>the </b>less I wanted to deal with him.

    This created a vicious cycle, to the point where none of us took another step forward.

    Even they each kept retreating in order to protect themselves.

    Having figured this out, I suddenly felt a sense of rity in my heart.

    Yeah, after all, you have to try to approach him first, and then see the result.

    At this moment, a car suddenly drove into the yard.

    Johnathan grinned at me and said, ¡°See, I told you he woulde, and he did.¡±

    I didn¡¯t make a sound, just stared nkly at the door, my heart tightening slightly.

    Johnathan suddenly walked up to me, smiled and asked, ¡°Do you want to know how I tricked him intoing?¡±

    This time Johnathan didn¡¯t beat around the bush. Before I could even ask, he said, ¡°I lied to him, telling him that you were injured, and seriously injured at that, and I gave him the address here.¡±

    <b>Chapter1135 </b>

    <b>Chapter1135 </b>

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    <b>Chapter1135 </b>

    Look, in just one hour, he rushed over.

    Look, he was so worried about you, worried to the point that he couldn¡¯t even distinguish my low¨Clevel lies.¡±

    I opened my mouth, about to say something, when Reynaldo hurriedly ran in.

    His brows furrowed, breathing slightly ragged, looking weary and dusty, his handsome face filled with anxiety.

    Just as he saw the few of us standing there, he suddenly stopped at the door.

    He looked at me intently, his gaze moving from top to bottom and then back up again, as if he was trying to figure out where I had been hurt.

    After watching it back and forth several times, he finally spoke lightly, ¡°Since everyone is fine, I¡¯ll go back first.¡®

    ¡°Ah ah¡­¡±

    Johnathan took a step forward and grabbed his arm, saying, ¡°Oh, what are you talking about? It¡¯s as if Esmie wasn¡¯t hurt, you seem disappointed.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any!¡±

    Reynaldo frowned tightly, his face not looking very good.

    He didn¡¯t look at me just lowered his eyes slightly, with a sense of grievance and indignation after being deceived.

    <b>Chapter1195 </b>

    His face still looked a little pale.

    The person looked a bit thinner than thest time I <b>saw </b>them <b>at </b>the courthouse entrance.

    I don¡¯t know how he spent the past half month. Not only did he <b>lose </b>weight, but he also looked particrly weak, like a sickly seedling.

    This appearance actually reminded me of him when we first got married, sickly gloomy, with no trace of brightness on his body, making people unconsciously want to stay away.

    After all, between mncholy sensitivity and sunny cheerfulness, everyone naturally chooses thetter.

    Ah, I don¡¯t know how I fell for him either.

    Looking back, his personality really wasn¡¯t the type I like.

    Thoughts were wandering.

    Johnathan suddenly sighed heavily and said to Reynaldo, ¡°To tell you the truth, Esmie is really injured.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes widened suddenly and he looked straight at me.

    My heart tightened, and I suddenly felt a little guilty under his gaze.

    After all, I wasn¡¯t injured, this Johnathan, he lies without blinking an

    eye.

    Vonnie quickly pulled my arm, as if reminding me to quickly pretend to be injured.

    But I really didn¡¯t know how to dress.

    I wasn¡¯t sick or in pain, I¡¯m not Kimberly, I really can¡¯t pretend.

    09:38 1

    Reynaldo looked me up and down again, then said to Johnathan, ¡°Actually, if you want me toe over, you can just say it directly. there¡¯s no need to make up such lies.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, she was really injured. If you don¡¯t believe me, go ask her yourself,¡± Johnathan said, looking aggrieved.

    And this time Reynaldo seemed genuinely angry, saying quietly. ¡°If you are really injured, you should be looking for a doctor, not me.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ so you¡¯re not a doctor, why did you still rush over so eagerly when I called you?¡± Johnathan grinned at him mischievously, ¡°You said it yourself, admitting that you care about Esmie, being nervous about Esmie dying.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at him coldly.

    Johnathan quickly suppressed his smile and eximed, ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, sit down and have dinner with Esmie.¡±

    Reynaldo fell silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°You guys go ahead and eat.¡±

    After saying that, he turned around and walked outside.

    Johnathan pursed his lips and looked at me with a face full of speechlessness, as if saying, ¡°I finally understand you.¡±

    Actually, Reynaldo thought that I truly liked Anton and was entangled with him, trying to keep him, just because of the child.

    So I had to exin this to him.

    Even if he didn¡¯t believe, I still had to prove it to him with actions.

    09:38

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    Chapter <b>1136 </b>

    Vonnie shook my arm anxiously and said, ¡°What should we do? Just let him go like this?¡±

    ¡°This guy is so stubborn, just wait, I¡¯ll go wake him up with a beating,¡± Johnathan said as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to go find Reynaldo for a fight.

    I hurried over and grabbed him, saying, ¡°Let me do it.¡±

    At this moment, Reynaldo had already reached the car.

    But he didn¡¯t rush to open the car door and get in, but suddenly turned around and looked towards me.

    The lights in the courtyard were dim, so much so that he seemed to be enveloped in shadows, looking somewhat deste and lonely.

    He stared at me for a long time, because the light was too dim, I couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly, but I could feel the sadness emanating from him.

    After a long time, he finally withdrew his gaze and opened the car door.

    I whispered to him, ¡°Johnathan didn¡¯t lie to you, I was indeed injured.¡±

    When I said this, both Johnathan and Vonnie were stunned, looking at me in surprise.

    Especially Johnathan, his eyes were full of the words ¡°a promising young person can be taught¡°, he almost wanted to give me a thumbs up.

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    09:39

    Chapter1136

    Reynaldo stood there, silent for two seconds, then asked me in a low voice, ¡°Where are you injured? Is it serious?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s urgent. If this wound is not treated soon, I reckon I won¡¯tst long.¡±

    ¡°No nonsense allowed!¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, the man suddenly growled at me.

    He might have thought I was cursing myself, so he was a little angry.

    He stared at me heavily, his hand gripping the door handle, and didn¡¯t move for a while.

    I looked at him and said seriously, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking nonsense, it was my heart that got hurt.¡±

    Johnathan seemed to suddenly realize and quickly agreed, ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­ Esmie¡¯s hurt is in her heart, this heartache can be big or small.¡±

    ¡°During the time you took the children abroad, Ralda was so hurt that she was vomiting blood and had to take medicine every day,¡± Vonnie added.

    As soon as Vonnie¡¯s words fell, the man¡¯s body trembled slightly, looking at me with an incredulous gaze.

    Look, he always thought that I liked Anton, couldn¡¯t believe that I. would be heartbroken for him.

    I looked at him and said tly, ¡°As the saying goes, a wounded heart is hard to heal. If this wound is not healed, how long do you think¡­ I can still live?¡±

    ¡°No nonsense!¡± Reynaldo growled again, then after a moment, he murmured, ¡°You will be fine, you will always be fine.¡±

    09:39

    Chapter1136

    I chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly and said, ¡°So, you must leave tonight? Even if¡­ I feel so heartbroken that I¡¯m almost dying inside?¡±

    Reynaldo was taken aback, looking at me again with that incredulous

    gaze.

    Perhaps the previous pent¨Cup emotions in my heart had not dissipated, and on top of that, I was provoked by him again.

    The blood in my heart suddenly surged up, and I couldn¡¯t help but cough.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    Reynaldo shouted in a low voice and quickly walked towards me.

    Upon seeing the situation, Johnathan quickly rushed to his car, propped open the door, and grinned at him, saying, ¡°My car is out of gas, so why don¡¯t you drive yours back.¡±

    With that, he winked at Vonnie, signaling her to get in the car quickly.

    Vonnie quickly understood and ran over to him.

    When the two of them got on the car, they even raised their thumbs at me one after another, as if they were praising me, pretending to cough really like.

    09:39

 TOO Close 1137

    But God knows, I really suddenly felt a rush of blood and couldn¡¯t help coughing.

    I coughed for a while, until Johnathan drove Reynaldo¡¯s car away, then I slowly caught my breath.

    Arge hand gently stroked my back, and a deep voice came down from above.

    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±

    I muttered along the trembling chest, ¡°Aren¡¯t you ignoring me? Why bother pretending to care about me here?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ignore you.¡±

    The man said hastily.

    Finally, his tone lowered, as if with a touch of indescribable loss and sadness, ¡°Just, you hate to see me, so I dare not appear in front of you again.¡±

    ¡°Who said I¡­ cough¡­?¡±

    I coughed again in anger.

    Reynaldo quickly supported me, his big hand patting my back, anxiously asking, ¡°How are you?¡±

    I coughed for a while, took a deep breath, tried to steady my breath, and looked at him angrily, ¡°When did I say I hate you? Vy do you always like to make wild guesses like this?¡±

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    09:39

    Chapter1137

    The man¡¯s eyes dimmed.

    He lowered his gaze slightly and said in a low voice, ¡°Many times you have said that you hate me, that you hate me to death, and you also said that you don¡¯t want to see me.¡±

    Seeing his appearance, I was so angry that I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He didn¡¯t believe a word of the truth I spoke.

    The harsh words I said, he believed them without a doubt.

    Others picked up the words they liked to listen to.

    Why did he always choose to listen to words that made him feel ufortable?

    His hand was still on my arm, his eyes slightly lowered, looking very aggrieved and sad.

    This appearance really made me feel like I was dreaming back to when we had just gotten married.

    He lowered his head in silence for a while, then said, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to keep me because I am the father of the child. You should go pursue your own happiness.¡±

    ¡°What do you think, what is my happiness?¡± I looked at him and asked calmly.

    His thin lips were slightly pursed, still hanging his eyes without looking at me.

    I pursed my lips and asked him, ¡°Tell me, what do you think is my happiness?¡±

    ¡°Anton.¡±

    09:39

    Chapter1137

    Reynaldo said the name as if it were difficult for him, murmuring, ¡°You have always liked him since you were young. You will definitely be happier and more joyful with him than with me.¡±

    ¡°The truth that ¡®forced melons are not sweet,¡® I finally understood toote, trapping you, hurting you, and ultimately ruining you for a lifetime.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I burst outughing.

    He asked coldly, ¡°If you think my happiness is Anton, then why did you go to such lengths to marry me in the first ce?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s body trembled slightly, and his eyes dimmed even more.

    His hand on my arm tightened discreetly.

    It took a long time before he finally said ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡°.

    But what I wanted to hear was not ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± at all.

    I took a deep breath and tried my best to suppress the anger in my

    heart.

    Stay calm, you must stay calm

    Reynaldo spoke like this, I couldn¡¯t argue with him, I mustn¡¯t argue with him.

    I promised to have a good talk with him this time and help him untie his knot.

    So, it was important to stay calm, otherwise all the efforts made by Johnathan and Vonnie would have been in vain.

    Continuously hypnotizing myself, the anger in my heart unally subsided a little.

    40 240

    Chapter1137

    I pushed away his hand and said to him coldly, ¡°It¡¯s freezing, let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

    719:

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    Chapter <b>1138 </b>

    After saying that, I turned and walked into the room.

    The man did not catch up and remained standing still in the same ce.

    At this moment, my phone suddenly rang.

    I took it out and saw that it was actually a message from Johnathan.

    Hehe, I took Reynaldo¡¯s car and the keys to my own car. Now he can¡¯t

    run away.

    You guys take your time to talk, seize the opportunity.

    This Johnathan, thought quite considerate.

    I took another look outside the door.

    Reynaldo still stood there, like a piece of wood.

    Realizing that he couldn¡¯t escape, I ignored him and went to the kitchen by myself.

    I actually didn¡¯t tell Johnathan and Vonnie that today is this man¡¯s birthday.

    That day when Reynaldo suddenly gave me a gift for our wedding anniversary, I inadvertently remembered his birthday.

    Perhaps he didn¡¯t even remember his own birthday, but from that day on, I kept his birthday in my heart.

    Originally, I hesitated for a long time today, whether to send him a

    09:39

    Chapter1138

    17

    message to wish him well.

    But thinking that he had been avoiding me all along, and even refusing to answer my calls, I secretly dismissed that idea.

    However, since I have now figured it out and want to help him untie his knot, and we happen to be together, I will personally make him a birthday cake.

    Just consider it as apensation for his birthday back then.

    Thinking back to that year, he was clearly looking forward to celebrating his birthday alone with me, but I impatiently knocked over the carefully prepared table of food and the cake.

    Since then, Reynaldo has never mentioned his birthday in front of me.

    Thinking of these, my heart felt a little sore and painful.

    When I arrived in the kitchen, I opened the refrigerator and saw that there really was all kinds of ingredients.

    I took some flour, and then I took some eggs.

    I first separated the egg white and yolk.

    Not very skilled, the first one didn¡¯t have control, and some of the egg whites didn¡¯t separate.

    Fortunately, the second one had more experience.

    The egg whites were set aside after being handled well, and I added flour, milk, and oil to the egg yolk mixture.

    Then beat the protein with sugar.

    Then put it in the oven right after mixing the batter.

    09:39

    Chapter1138

    <b>28 </b>Vers

    Hmm¡­ the cake seems to be like this.

    The cake was cooked for about an hour.

    And for nearly an hour, Reynaldo stood outside the door, like a statue.

    I carried the cake to the dining table, waited for two minutes, and when Reynaldo still hadn¡¯te in, I couldn¡¯t help but go out and call him.

    When I came out, I realized that it was already windy outside.

    The wind was still mixed with fine rain, making the night wind of early winter even colder.

    Seeing Reynaldo standing there in the wind, my heart suddenly felt

    uneasy.

    I grabbed his arm and shouted at him impatiently, ¡°Are you stupid? Standing outside in such a strong wind, do you think your body is too good?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if you catch a cold, I won¡¯t take care of you!¡±

    I tried to drag him into the room as I spoke, but I couldn¡¯t move him at all.

    I didn¡¯t expect that Reynaldo looked so thin and frail that I couldn¡¯t even pull him.

    The wind was really cold, I was shivering, and the key is that Reynaldo was still giving me attitude.

    I gritted my teeth and prepared to shout at him again.

    He suddenly looked up at me, his eyes red, which made my heart skip a beat.

    ng¨C29

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    Chapter1139

    Chapter1139

    He whispered, ¡°You hate to see me, so, in order not to affect your mood, I¡¯ll just stay outside.¡±

    Although I was very angry in my heart, angry at the man¡¯s stubbornness and awkwardness.

    However, listening to his words, I did feel a bit sour and a bit heartbroken.

    I touched his cold hand and held it tightly.

    I whispered to him, ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you,e with me.

    11

    His hand shrank slightly, as if he wanted to pull his hand back from mine.

    I clenched my fist instantly and angrily said to him, ¡°After traveling abroad, have you be more precious? You won¡¯t even let me hold your hand?¡±

    He furrowed his brows slightly and looked at me with a hint of unfamiliarity in his eyes.

    Also, I basically don¡¯t joke around with him.

    Today I was probably really annoyed by him, but I didn¡¯t want to say angry words like before, so I started joking with him.

    Reynaldo seemed very down, he just wouldn¡¯te into the house with me.

    I said to him impatiently, ¡°If you want me to freeze to death, just say it.

    09.39

    Chapter1139

    Ha couchere

    Since you won¡¯te inside, I won¡¯t either.¡±

    He furrowed his brows again and then followed me into the room.

    As soon as he entered the room, he stopped again.

    I stared at him gloomily and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you again?¡±

    He withdrew his hand from mine, hanging his head and murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll just stand here.¡±

    I was taken aback, about to say ¡°Are you crazy?¡°, when he spoke again, ¡°You hate seeing me, I know I bother you, my presence only affects your mood.¡±

    ¡°You go in, I¡¯ll just stand here. You can treat me as if I¡¯m transparent.¡±

    As soon as I heard him say this, I inexplicably felt angry.

    What on earth did Reynaldo do to deserve such a character.

    How did it be like this?

    I let him in, doesn¡¯t he understand or what?

    I give up!

    I was toozy to talk to him, so I grabbed him and started walking towards the dining table.

    He, however, withdrew his hand again.

    I was annoyed and couldn¡¯t help but growl at him, ¡°Reynaldo, what do you want?¡±

    He looked at me deeply, his eyes faintly tinged with red.

    He was silent for two seconds before he spoke, his voice slightly

    09.39

    hoarse, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll hate me even more.

    ¡°You are so evasive and hesitant, I dislike it even more!¡± I muttered.

    He trembled slightly, pursed his thin lips, and then spoke, ¡°So what should I do? Or should I just stay outside, so you won¡¯t have to see me?¡±

    I took a deep breath and tried my best to suppress the anger rising in my heart.

    He asked him, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡±

    He was stunned for a second, then shook his head.

    Atst, she added quickly, ¡°The children have already eaten, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    Um¡­

    I don¡¯t know if there was a generation gap between us or what, but we just couldn¡¯t seem to see eye to eye.

    After he finished speaking, he fell silent.

    If I didn¡¯t speak up, he definitely wouldn¡¯t speak up either.

    He stood at the door like that, with his head slightly lowered, looking pitiful.

    I couldn¡¯t help but pull him and said to him with a forced smile, ¡°Will youe with me to have dinner obediently?¡±

    ¡°You go and eat.¡± he said.

    Iughed in anger.

    Go ahead, eat if you love to eat, if not, forget it!

    09:39

    Chapter1139

    I was toozy to argue with him, so I turned around and went back to the dining table, ready to eat by myself.

 TOO Close 1140

    As soon as I saw the cake, ¡°I felt uncasy again.¡±

    The cake was made specifically for him, but he didn¡¯te to eat it. I felt like all my hard work was in vain.

    Reynaldo looked at me, thought for a moment, and said to me, ¡°Today is your birthday, right?¡±

    The man was taken aback, suddenly looking at me as if in disbelief.

    I hummed andughed, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with that kind of eyes, and don¡¯t always think of me as so heartless.¡±

    You see, this time no one remembered your birthday, probably including yourself.

    But I still remember, and I have always remembered.¡±

    Reynaldo looked deeply at me, with aplexity and entanglement in his ink¨Cck eyes that I couldn¡¯t understand.

    I really don¡¯t know what he was fussing about.

    I said, ¡°I loved him, I just wanted to be with him.¡±

    He believed, that¡¯s all.

    But he insisted on doubting himself, wanting to be self¨Crighteous for my own good, which made him suffer and also made me angry.

    If I had really died of anger, I wouldn¡¯t let him off even.. I became a ghost.

    09:39

    Chapter1140

    So angry, so angry!

    With the anger in my heart, I pointed to the small cake on the table and said to him, ¡°Here, the birthday cake I made for you by myself. You decide whether to eat it or not. If you don¡¯t eat it, I¡¯ll just throw it away.¡±

    He stared at me for a while, then slowly walked towards me.

    He sat down beside me, looking at the small cake in front of him, and after a long pause, he said softly, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to make it up to me deliberately. That birthday back then, I was the one who insisted you celebrate it with me.¡±

    I knew you hated me like that, but I still greedily brought you over, still greedily wanted to spend that birthday alone with you.

    Speaking of which, it serves me right, it¡¯s me¡­¡­

    Without waiting for him to finish speaking, I picked up a small piece of cake and stuffed it into his mouth.

    He furrowed his brows and looked at me.

    I also picked up a small piece and took a bite, muttering, ¡°Say less, it affects the mood.¡±

    He took the cake down and pursed his lips, looking at me.

    I leaned to the side, half leaning against him, eating cake by myself.

    This cake wouldn¡¯t be so soft if we didn¡¯t eat it now.

    And I was starving to death, who wants to listen to his twisted words.

    If he doesn¡¯t eat, I don¡¯t want to force it either.

    719-39

    Chapter1140

    20

    After a while, I had almost finished my cake, but he still hadn¡¯t touched his.

    I rolled my eyes in anger, then picked up the cake in front of him and prepared to dump it in the trash can.

    He suddenly grabbed my arm and looked at me with a hint of grievance in his eyes, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Throw it away, no one is going to eat this, why keep it?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and silently took the piece of cake from my hand.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just picked up the fork and ate the cake with his head down.

    Honestly, this man eats very elegantly.

    Eating was done by taking small bites.

    Eating cake is also eating bit by bit.

    Howe I seemed a bit rough and arrogant whenpared like this?

    I touched my nose, drank two big mouthfuls of soup, and finally my stomach waspletely full.

    The man was still eating.

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    Chapter1141

    I leaned my elbows on the edge of the table, propping up my chin <b>to </b>

    look at him.

    To be honest, during this period, this man seemed to have changedpletely.

    Before, he was so fierce, so domineering, always gloomy and full of malice.

    But now, not to mention domineering and fierce, he looks like a poor creature abandoned by others.

    Actually, no one abandoned him, he just liked to fight with himself.

    Thinking of his awkwardness just now, I suddenly became interested and deliberately teased him, ¡°Mr. Humphrey, if it¡¯s really bad, you don¡¯t have to eat it, so as not to embarrass you.¡±

    His movements paused for a moment, then he frowned and looked at me, saying, ¡°Not bad.¡±

    ¡°Ah, actually you don¡¯t have to coax me like this.¡±

    Originally in your heart, I was just a person who ¡°only knows how to eat and can¡¯t do anything¡°.

    So, if it¡¯s not tasty, just don¡¯t eat it. Look at you, even frowning while eating.¡±

    As soon as I said that, the man¡¯s brow rxed a bit.

    He hung his head low and paused for two seconds before saying, <b>¡°</b><b>In </b>

    Chapter1141

    the past, it was my fault.¡±

    Actually, at that time, I didn¡¯t really want to hurt you.

    Many times, I actually wanted to get close to you, but as soon <b>as </b><b>I </b>thought about you hating me, I unconsciously said some harsh words to you.

    ¡°In my heart, you have always been the best.¡±

    By this time, Reynaldo finally spoke a human word.

    My heart also suddenly felt much morefortable.

    However, the next second, Reynaldo started to act awkwardly again<b>. </b>

    He said, ¡°Actually, up to now, I havepletely let go. Love is fulfillment, is blessing, not like before, selfishly trying to possess, to plunder.¡±

    So Esmeralda, if you wanted to be with Anton, then go find him.

    Really, I will not restrict your freedom anymore, nor will I insist that you must like me.

    I¡­

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I mmed the table in anger and growled at him, ¡°I said I don¡¯t like Anton, I don¡¯t like Anton.¡±

    I only like you now, I only want to be with you now.

    ¡°Are you unable to understand humannguage or something?!¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his eyes, surprisingly calm.

    After <i>a </i>long pause, he finally spoke, his tone calm but somewhat <b>terrifying </b>

    ¡°Have you ever thought that Anton would know a lot about you early on, while I always end up being thest to know?¡±

    Have you ever noticed that you never lie to Anton, but you always tell me a pack of lies.

    Even when you encounter something, encounter danger, the first person you think of is him, not me¡­.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± I growled at him, my eyes turning red with

    anger

    He shook his head, supporting my shoulder, ¡°Esmeralda, you need to calm down first.¡±

    Actually, I said these things not to me you, but to make you understand your own heart.

    Perhaps because you have forgotten the memories of your youth, you always thought that you didn¡¯t like Anton

    Perhaps, deep down in your heart, Anton was the most important.

    You would unconsciously want to get close to him, and feel a strange sense of familiarity and trust towards him

    So Esmeralda, I didn¡¯t not want you, I didn¡¯t want to abandon you, it¡¯s just that I also hope you can find the happiness that tr¡­. belongs to you

    I didn¡¯t want one day, you suddenly realize your inner self,pletely see that the person you truly love is him, not me, the pain and regret at that time

    Chapter1141

    ¡°No, no way!¡±

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    Chapter1142

    I shook my head at him urgently.

    I made an effort to calm myself down and said to him, ¡°Reynaldo, I am telling you very clearly and distinctly now that I love only you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.¡±

    I admit, I have deceived you many times and kept many things from you, but there were reasons for that.

    Stop overthinking, okay?

    ¡°We were doing well, the four of us, being together, right Reynaldo?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red.

    He looked at me and said, ¡°What if one day you regret it?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± I said firmly, ¡°I will never regret it.¡®

    He suddenly raised his hand and looked at the palm of his hand, almost painfully saying, ¡°But I really did a lot of things that hurt you.¡±

    I ruined your once brilliant life, destroyed your happiness, and forcefully dragged you into the mud with me.

    I brought countless disasters upon you, I even¡­ever made it so you could never have children.

    I really should have died!

    He said, ¡°Atst,¡± and then suddenly covered his face, almost copsing

    142

    I knew.

    Losing my ability to conceive was the final straw that broke his inner belief.

    It was not just a matter of giving birth, but also a matter of Essie¡¯s <b>life</b>.

    He must have been afraid deep down, afraid that Essie¡¯s illness wouldn¡¯t be cured.

    Once Essie had any mishaps, with his personality, he would absolutely not forgive himself.

    He would me all the faults on himself, he would not let himself go, he would never let himself go in his whole life.

    So, these issues would soon be a big problem between him and <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    All those problems could also potentially break apart the feelings

    between us.

    So he dared not go any further.

    He hesitated, pushing me towards Anton, thinking that following Anton was my best destination.

    Is it like this?

    But that was just his opinion.

    I don¡¯t care about the future, at this moment, I just can¡¯t ept parting with him like this.

    I just wanted to seize the happiness in front of me, and then do my best to maintain this happiness.

    I put my arm around Reynaldo¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t think like that, all of that is in the past.¡±

    And I made it very clear to you that I only saw Anton as a friend, I didn¡¯t want to be with him.

    ¡°I just wanted us, and our children, the four of us together.¡±

    Reynaldo slowly raised his eyes to look at me.

    His eyes were bloodshot, filled withplexity and pain.

    He smiled at me almost sadly and said, ¡°Why¡­ do you have to hold on to me like this, hold on to this rtionship, this marriage? Just because you want to give the children a healthy home?¡±

    I was stunned, looking at him intently,

    So I said so much, and he still didn¡¯t believe, right?

    A sense of defeat suddenly surged in my heart.

    That sense of defeat slowly swelled in the chest, eventually turning into an indescribable sense of grievance and resentment.

    ¡°Reynaldo, what do you want me to do before you understand?!¡±

    Since you have no confidence in our rtionship, why did you start with me?!

    I said, ¡°I don¡¯t love Anton, I don¡¯t like Anton, why don¡¯t you believe

    me!¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do before you¡¯re willing to give up?!¡±

    I shouted at him hoarsely.

    I felt like he was driving me crazy.

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    Chapter1142

    I told him nicely, but he didn¡¯t believe me.

    I yelled at him hysterically, but he just looked at me calmly.

    L

    1288 Vouchers

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    This situation was really driving me crazy.

    I suddenly didn¡¯t want anything, didn¡¯t want to love, and didn¡¯t want to force anything.

    I tried, I really tried.

    It was just a failure.

    So, that¡¯s it.

    I sneered at him and said, ¡°Reynaldo, you are not worthy of courting love.¡±

    After saying that, I got up and ran outside regardless.

    I also didn¡¯t know where I was going.

    I only knew that, at that moment, being with him, I almost felt suffocated.

    I just wanted to stay away from him, to find a ce where no one was, to hide quietly, not wanting to see anyone or talk.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    He heard the anxious shout behind him.

    I ignored it.

    I just felt ironic and sad in my heart.

    I ran aimlessly into the night.

    09:25

    288 Vondary

    The cold wind was howling outside, with raindrops swirling around.

    Everything in front of me was blurry, I couldn¡¯t even tell if the wetness. on my face was tears or rain.

    Reynaldo¡¯s anxious cries echoed behind him.

    Suddenly, he seemed to groan in pain.

    My feet involuntarily stiffened.

    I turned around slowly, in the dim light, I could vaguely see him bending over, clutching his chest.

    There was a sound of violent coughing in the distance.

    My heart tightened a bit in an instant.

    Hasn¡¯t his wound healed yet?

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    He suddenly shouted at me, his deep voice filled with sadness and

    restraint.

    ¡°It¡¯s remote here, don¡¯t wander around, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    Thinking of his words just now, my eyes welled up and tears gushed out instantly.

    He walked towards me step by step, apanied by the anxious coughing sound.

    I looked at him with tears in my eyes, my heart aching.

    I really didn¡¯t want to see him anymore, didn¡¯t want to have any involvement with him.

    Chapter1143

    288 Wouters

    I was really tired, so tired.

    I choked up and said to him, ¡°You don¡¯t need to chase after me anymore, my business doesn¡¯t need your concern.¡±

    After saying that, I turned around and continued to run into the night, with only one thought in my mind: ¡°Stay far away from him, so he can never find me again.¡±

    However, the next second, my body was suddenly embraced by Reynaldo.

    He held me tightly, apologizing to me over and over again.

    In this way, my heart felt even more aggrieved for a moment.

    I beat his chest recklessly, crying and shouting at him, ¡°I spoke to you so kindly and sincerely to confess my feelings, wanting to help you open up, why do you have to be like this?¡±

    How many times did I say I don¡¯t like Anton, I don¡¯t love Anton, why do you always not believe?

    ¡°Reynaldo, do you have to torture me to death before you¡¯re happy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    2

    Reynaldo suddenly tightened his arms, holding me even closer in his embrace.

    T

    The more he apologized to me, the more wronged I felt.

    At that moment, all the anger, all the sadness burst out in this moment.

    I beat him and yelled at him recklessly, ¡°I have never seen such a hateful person like you before.¡±

    The RET 1145

    You always doubted the truth and believed in jest without reservation.

    You always suspected and imposed your own thoughts on others.

    You always made decisions for others with a ¡°know¨Cit¨Call¡± attitude, and you always hurt others without realizing it!

    ¡°I remembered your birthday, I even made a birthday cake for you by myself, what else do you want¡­¡±

    In the end, I cried bitterly with a sense of grievance.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    He kept apologizing to me.

    I cried out in anger, ¡°Is that all you can say?¡±

    hapter 144

    1 201

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    Chapter1144

    The next second, he suddenly cupped my face, and his warm lips instantly touched down.

    The wind was cold, and the rain was cool.

    Only his lips, warm and soft, lingered and rubbed against mine.

    He wrapped his whole body around me, kissing me gently and tenderly, with a hint of restraint and sadness.

    So, what does this count as now?

    He kissed me passionately, and then said to me, ¡°We are not suitable for each other. Let¡¯s break up. It¡¯s better for both of us.¡±

    Thinking of this, I pushed him hard, but I couldn¡¯t move him.

    Just now he was still bent over coughing, looking like he hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his injury.

    It became domineering, with surprisingly great strength.

    I pushed him with all my strength, but he remained unmoved, still holding me tightly in his arms.

    His kiss became gradually deep and dominant, his agile tongue prying open my lips and teeth, advancing step by step like a conqueror.

    The thoughts in my head were gradually stripped away, leaving my mindpletely nk.

    Even the resentment in his heart seemed to be sucked away by him.

    With his deep kiss, I felt weak all over, almost unable to stand, and could only copse into his arms.

    He kissed her eagerly.

    I grabbed thepels of his chest and gasped urgently.

    Perhaps sensing my difort, he slowly let go of me.

    He breathed slightly, his eyes fixed on me.

    In the dim light, his eyes were dark and terrifying.

    I went limp all over, my hands resting on his chest, feeling his strong and powerful heartbeat.

    The wind was clearly cold, blowing icy raindrops on the face and down the neck.

    It was so cold, but the temperature between him and me seemed to be gradually rising.

    None of us said a word, we just looked at each other, the long- suppressed desire in our bodies suddenly ignited like a prairie fire.

    I didn¡¯t know how I got back to the house with him.

    The door closed, shutting out the cold from outside.

    From the gate to the sofa, a short distance, I had already shed half of his wet clothes on the ground.

    He supported my waist kissed me, and pushed me down onto the sofa.

    I randomly pulled at the shirt on his body.

    I don¡¯t know if it was too hasty or what, but I identally ripped off a few buttons from his shirt.

    09:25)

    238 Vouchers

    His eyes darkened, following my strength directly, and he pulled off his shirt.

    Just the next second, several horrifying wounds instantly caught the eye.

    Reynaldo had wounds on his chest, abdomen, and waist.

    The wound was long and deep, and it had not fully healed.

    Even after all this time, it still looks terrifying.

    The heart tightened in an instant.

    I trembled as I touched his wound, tears blurring my vision for a moment.

    Originally, he was really hurt so badly.

    There are also those invisible internal injuries.

    No wonder Johnathan said he almost died that day.

    That day, he really almost died at the hands of Matthew.

    The thought of ¡°death¡± made me shudder all over, and a indescribable fear and dread rose in my heart.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine what I would do if he died.

    The hand covering his wound was suddenly grasped by him.

    He looked at me deeply and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    I bit my lip, looked at his wounds, and felt so heartbroken that I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    How could it not hurt?

    09:25

    Chapter1144

    282 Mouchers

    These wounds, no matter which one falls on my body, hurt me terribly.

    289 Vouchers

    A

 TOO Close 1145

    But he was clearly so badly injured, yet he kept everything from me.

    That day he almost died, but he was still afraid that I would worry and hurry to call me back.

    He always had my best interests at heart, clearly loved me so much, but how could he bear to part ways with me.

    Thinking about his avoidance and indifference during this period, my heart felt sour and painful again.

    Resentment, sadness, and heartache intertwined in my heart like a tangled web, tearing at my heart.

    I leaned against his shoulder, sat up, and kissed his lips recklessly.

    His eyes darkened, he wrapped his arms around my waist, deepening the kiss in an instant.

    The clothes slipped off, the skin touched each other, and it was as hot as fire.

    Reynaldo¡¯s breathing grew heavier.

    He hugged me and instantly pressed me against the back of the sofa, preparing for the next step.

    I hurriedly dodged his kiss, tremblingly saying, ¡°Wait¡­ wait¡­¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s actions stopped, his eyes staring at me heavily, filled with patience and restraint.

    His hoarse voice carried a hint of obvious loss: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    09:26

    Just as he was about to finish, I leaned against his shoulder and pushed him down onto the sofa.

    He was stunned for two seconds, then his handsome brows furrowed slightly.

    He looked at me with deep eyes and said, ¡°Esmeralda, what are you doing?¡±

    I skillfully undid his belt and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move around, just lie down obediently, I¡¯ll do it.

    Actually, looking at all the wounds covering his body, and not knowing the extent of the internal injuries.

    I¡¯m not sure if he can do it now, and if he does, whether it will worsen his injury or not.

    But we had already reached this point, our clothes were almostpletely off, in a state of neither on nor off. If we didn¡¯t continue, I would feel extremely ufortable with him again.

    So, after thinking it over, I decided to take the initiative.

    Although¡­ although it¡¯s a bit embarrassing.

    But, but I guess that¡¯s just how it had to be.

    However, to be honest, personally, I still want to win once.

    That day I was not dreaming, I dreamt that I was bullying him badly. even making him beg for mercy.

    That dream, every time I thought of itter, I couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly pleased.

    So, I just wanted to take advantage of this man¡¯s injury not being

    09:26

    Chapter1145

    healed yet and turn that dream into reality.

    Mainly, I still harbored some resentment towards him, so I wanted to bully him severely.

    Bullied him until he begged for mercy, bullied him until he cried!

    Thinking of this, I said to him again, ¡°You see, you have been so weak recently, so stop messing around and just lie down and enjoy.¡±

    As soon as I finished my sentence, he suddenly chuckled, as if he wasughing out of anger.

    He looked at me, with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, ¡°So, you are looking down on me?¡±

    ¡°No, how could I dare to look down on Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even look up and said a word, continuing to undo his belt.

    Strange, is there a trick to undoing a man¡¯s belt?

    Why couldn¡¯t I figure it out every time?

    While I was struggling with the belt, he suddenly put his hand on my shoulder, and then with a quick move, he flipped me over and pinned me down.

    My hand was still holding onto his belt, and it took me a full two seconds to realize that I was back down again.

 TOO Close 1146

    His brows furrowed, and the corners of his lips were slightly upturned, as if a little angry and a little amused.

    He said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. Even if I am weak, I can still make you cry. Do you believe it?¡±

    When he said thest three words, a hint of a smirk appeared on his handsome face.

    And those eyes suddenly seemed to light up.

    In stark contrast to his gloomy and listless appearance just now.

    Before this, he seemed to be shrouded in gloom, with a heavy air of death about him.

    And at that moment, it was as if the sunlight had shone into the deep mountains, dispersing the clouds and fog, and his whole world brightened up.

    He lowered his head and kissed the corner of my lips, chuckling hoarsely, ¡°Daring to be so arrogant in this matter, don¡¯t beg for mercyter.¡±

    In an instant, the man in front of me seemed to transform back into that domineering and wicked Reynaldo.

    His strength in bed, I naturally couldn¡¯t be more clear.

    I shook my head hastily and stammered, ¡°No, no¡­ I wasn¡¯t being

    arrogant.¡±

    09:26

    I just saw that you were covered in injuries, afraid that if you tossed and turned, the wounds would open up.

    ¡°Will you please lie down obediently?¡±

    After all, I just wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to tease him.

    But would he let me bully him?

    But thinking about it, with his strong personality, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let me have the upper hand.

    Sure enough, Reynaldo smiled at me, kissed my ear, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this little injury won¡¯t affect anything.¡±

    He finished speaking and then kissed my lips.

    The kiss was very dominant, even more dominant than before.

    Everything that followed fell into ce.

    And during this time, he seemed to have been enduring for a long time.

    Even though his injuries had not fully healed, he still showed no restraint, with each movement bing mor¨¦ fierce than thest.

    As he said, he really made me cry.

    I begged so much that my throat went hoarse, but he didn¡¯t let me go. In the end, he even carried me to the bedroom u irs.

    The fact is, when ites to this kind of thing, Reynaldo¡¯s ability really cannot be questioned at all.

    I remember thest time I said he couldn¡¯t do it, and he ended up

    We146

    tossing and turning in bed for several days and nights.

    The man¡¯s self¨Cesteem in this matter was really strong to the point of being outrageous.

    I also don¡¯t know how many times he pulled me after we returned to the bedroom.

    I just vaguely felt that he, as if tirelessly, changed several positions and tossed me around.

    It¡¯s strange, Reynaldo has been like a sickly child these days.

    Why are you suddenly so fierce about this matter?

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± I pounded his shoulders uncontrobly, my throat hoarse, ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ I really can¡¯t take it¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just be good¡­¡±

    He coaxed softly, his voice hoarse.

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, but he finally let gopletely, satisfiedly lying next to me with his arms around me.

    I looked at him dazedly, almost without the strength to speak.

    Good job!

    I was thinking of taking advantage of his injury this time to fulfill the dream I hadst time, and bully him hard.

    The result ended up being bullied by him again.

    Where did the weakness and internal injuries of these days go?

    When I saw him do this, he didn¡¯t even cough, and he was fierce as hell.

    09:26

    Chapter1147

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    Chapter1147

    He hugged me tightly, his chin resting on the top of my head, his chest rising and falling rapidly against me.

    I could feel his heart beating very fast, very fast.

    Vivid, passionate.

    I buried my head in his chest, listening to his strong and powerful heartbeat, feeling myself drifting off to sleep.

    Suddenly, my hand resting on his waist faintly touched a dampness.

    Thinking of the wound on his waist, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    I pushed him away hastily, got up to take a look, and saw that the bandage on his waist hade loose, with blood oozing out from the wound and trickling down along his waistline.

    Although there was not much blood, it was still a shocking sight.

    I asked urgently, ¡°What should we do? The wound really opened up.¡±

    Reynaldo, however, appeared indifferent.

    He pulled me into his arms, speaking softly with his voice still husky, wrapped in a hint of post¨Csatisfaction andziness.

    ¡°No problem, it will be done in a while.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bleeding, how could it be okay?¡±

    I said to him anxiously.

    <b>rst </b>24

    Qagter1147

    The next second, I saw that the wounds on his chest and abdomen had also opened up a bit, and fresh blood was oozing out.

    I became more anxious and pulled him, ¡°You need to get up quickly and go to the hospital to have these injuries checked.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me quietly for a while and said, ¡°There is no car.¡±

    ¡°Then you quickly call your assistant over and have him take you to the hospital as soon as possible.¡±

    Or¡­ or you call an ambnce quickly¡­

    Before I could even finish speaking, he pulled me into his arms again and chuckled softly, saying, ¡°You seem to still have a lot of energy left. How about we do it again?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I frowned and red at him.

    I was so anxious, and he was still joking with me.

    It seemed that he could tell I was angry.

    Reynaldo kissed my forehead and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s really nothing. Those wounds have been torn open before, I¡¯m used to it. They will scab over on their own soon.¡±

    I watched the blood oozing out, feeling a bit of heartache, regret, and

    anger.

    I angrily said to him, ¡°Calcte the time, how lor have these wounds been, and they can still split open. It shows how crazy you were just now.¡±

    You are really something, knowing that you are injured, why do you

    Chapter1147

    283 2

    still have to go through all that trouble.

    I told you to lie down obediently, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen!

    Lying down is not ufortable, why do you have to¡­?

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    Reynaldo interrupted me with a smile, ¡°Do you want to listen to what you are actually saying?¡±

    I was stunned for two seconds, and muttered, ¡°What did I say? I said you don¡¯t listen! I said you¡¯re crazy! I said it¡¯s your own fault if your wound opens up!¡±

    I was so angry!

    This manpletely ¡°doesn¡¯t care at all about his own body¡°!

    Reynaldo held my hand, ced it on his chest, and chuckled softly, saying, ¡°What you just said wasn¡¯t this.¡±

    I grunted, ¡°Then you tell me, what did I just say?¡±

    The man stared at me without blinking, his gaze focused and intense.

    ¡°You just said, lying down is not ufortable.¡±

    It¡¯s really strange.

    When this man said these words, the atmosphere instantly became extremely ambiguous.

    No, it was Reynaldo¡¯s gaze that was too scorching.

    I turned away and muttered, ¡°No way.¡±

    Reynaldo whispered in my ear, ¡°You seem to really enjoy being on

    Chapter1147

    top.¡±

    I was taken aback and shook my head, ¡°No.¡±

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    <b>Chapter1148 </b>

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there?¡±

    His smile deepened, and the tenderness in his eyes seemed to <b>melt </b>away, making him look incredibly gentle at that moment.

    He hugged me, kissed my earlobe, and chuckled softly, ¡°Do you <b>want </b>to ¡®bully¡® me up there, too, make me cry, and force me to beg for mercy?¡±

    As if my thoughts were instantly exposed, I hurriedly denied, ¡°No, no, definitely not!¡±

    He smiled at me.

    He remained silent.

    He just smiled at me like ¡°I know, I know everything.¡±

    I blushed at hisughter.

    I rubbed my face and pushed him, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anymore, I¡¯m¨Cgoing to take a shower.¡±

    However, as soon as I had just propped myself up, he suddenly hugged me into his arms, leaned close to my ear, and ambiguously whispered, ¡°Next time¡­ next time I¡¯ll let you be on top.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say these things, but as soon as he did, my face turned even redder.

    I pushed him and said, ¡°Who said there will be a next time? There won¡¯t be a next time.¡±

    <b>Chapter1148 </b>

    With that, I broke free from his embrace and ran <b>into </b><b>the </b>bathroom with weak legs.

    He heard a gentle chuckle behind him.

    I ran into the bathroom, closed the door, and leaned my back <b>against </b>it.

    The icy coldness of the door seeped through my back, waking me <b>up </b><b>a </b>bit.

    Just now, I ¡°did it¡± with Reynaldo again.

    Did that man look like the knot in his heart had been untied?

    Is he going to make up with me?

    Just as she was thinking, he suddenly knocked on the door and said, ¡°Are you hungry? Shall I go downstairs and make supper for you?¡±

    ¡°Hungry¡­ hungry¡­¡±

    I stammered in response, feeling inexplicably awkward with him at the moment.

    Mainly, neither of us explicitly stated whether we wanted to reconcile, and then we just inexplicably slept like that.

    No matter how you think about it, it feels strange.

    Reynaldo said outside the door, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go downstairs for ate- night snack. If you¡¯re tired, just take a rest.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay¡­ okay.¡®

    I replied hastily, and then I heard the sound of his footsteps leaving

    I gently opened the door and looked outside.

    Chapter1148

    He was wearing a robe and walking towards the room.

    Perhaps sensing my gaze, he suddenly turned around.

    In an instant, our eyes met.

    My heart skipped a beat unconsciously.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He smiled very gently, without the previous gloom and decadence.

    I shook my head hastily, ¡°No, nothing.¡±

    Having said that, I quickly closed the door.

    I leaned against the door, looked up at the ceiling, and wondered, ¡°Has Reynaldo really untied the knot in his heart?¡±

    But I just slept with him for one night.

    Oh my gosh!

    If I had known that a nap could solve the problem, I should have put him to bed earlier.

    Thanks to the fact that I have been so painful and bored during this period of time, I almost gave up.

    Ah!

    It seems that in the future, whenever I have a quarrel or lisagreement with him, I can just go to sleep directly.

    My body was so sore and weak, and there were marks everywhere.

    Reynaldo was like that, once in bed, he would ¡°toss and turn¡± people to death.

    09.2607

    Chapter1148

    289 (VOCs

    I turned on the shower head and stood under the hot water for a while, finally feeling a bit morefortable.

    After taking a shower, I opened the bathroom door and found that Reynaldo had note up yet.

    I walked up to the wardrobe, opened the door, and looked inside.

    <i>09 </i>20

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    Chapter1149

    I didn¡¯t expect there to be any clothes inside, but to my surprise<b>, </b>there was a row of clothes neatly hung inside.

    There are clothes for men and women, daily, home, and casual.

    The key is that they were also divided into spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and all of them were new.

    Wow, Johnathan really did prepare quite thoroughly.

    Was he nning for me to stay here with Reynaldo?

    I put on ady¡¯s robe and thought to myself, ¡°He is so well¨Cprepared with supplies, I wonder if he also prepared a first aid kit.¡±

    Thinking this way, I searched around the room, but I didn¡¯t find it.

    I still couldn¡¯t shake off my worries about the injuries on Reynaldo¡¯s body.

    What if I get infected?

    Thinking about the wound as long as a p on the face, my heart tightened.

    I took out my phone and sent a message to Johnathan, ¡°Are you asleep?¡±

    It¡¯s almost 12 o¡¯clock now, Johnathan and Vonnie may have already gone to sleep.

    However, I had just thought about it when the other party immediately called me.

    0.00<b>% </b>

    09:17

    I was startled and quickly answered the <b>call </b>

    However, the voice of Vonnie came over the phone: ¡°<b>What¡¯s </b>wrong Ralda?¡±

    Vonnie¡¯s voice waszy and somewhat charming.

    I unconsciously started to have crooked thoughts.

    I touched my nose and asked her, ¡°Did I interrupt your good time?<b>¡± </b>

    Vonnie hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly said, ¡°What are <b>you </b>thinking? We justy together and watched a movie¡­ just, just watched a movie.¡±

    I wasughing so hard, Vonnie¡¯s exnation was a bit ¡°too good to be true¡°.

    I held back myughter and asked her, ¡°Where is your Johnathan?¡±

    ¡°He went downstairs to make supper for me.

    Hmm!!!

    Johnathan and Reynaldo were indeed two peas in a pod, even theirte¨Cnight snacks were synchronized.

    ¡°Ralda, did you have something to talk to him about?¡±

    ¡°How are you guys doing now, Reynaldo? Have you made up?¡±

    Vonnie hurriedly asked again, her voice full of concern.

    Iughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Reynaldo and I are fine for now. I just wanted to ask Johnathan if there is a first aid kit prepared in this vi.¡±

    ¡°First aid kit?¡±

    29.61%

    <b>Chapter1149 </b>

    This time it was Johnathan¡¯s voice.

    It was obvious that Vonnie had turned on the speakerphone.

    Johnathan seemed toe over all of a sudden and quickly asked, ¡°What do you need the first aid kit for? Are you guys going to fight?¡±

    ¡°Was it him who got hurt, or was it you?¡±

    I: ¡­

    ¡°Hiss, I hope it¡¯s not bleeding?¡±

    Oh! Esmie, did you get angry and stab Reynaldo with a knife?

    I was speechless.

    Johnathan had quite an imagination.

    Who else have I stabbed besides Kimberly?

    Why did you think of me as so cruel?

    I charged him, ¡°Reynaldo¡¯s wound had burst open.¡±

    ¡°Ah?!¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s voice was full of disbelief, ¡°This is unlikely, even though his injury is quite serious.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s only been a month since his injury, how could he possibly have recovered?¡±

    Before I could say anything, he suddenly had a sudden realization and eximed, ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°I got it!¡± he chuckled, ¡°By the way, you guys didn¡¯t do any strenuous exercise, did you?¡±

    <b>60.00</b>%

    <b>09.17 </b>

    <b>Chapter1149 </b>

    I: ¡­

    Vonnie was still there, this man didn¡¯t know how to hold back <b>when </b>speaking.

    I remained silent.

    He looked surprised again and said, ¡°Oh my, you guys are so intense, the wound from a month ago could still be torn open.¡±

    Ts, ts, ts¡­ I was worried that you were worried to death.

    Well, I was worrying for nothing.

    ¡°Look at you, look at you, your bodies are much wiser than your mouths¡­¡±

    Chapter1150

    Chapter1150

 TOO Close 1150

    Chapter1150

    I blushed.

    Johnathan really can say anything!

    I interrupted him speechlessly, ¡°Just tell me, is there any medicine prepared in this vi¡­¡±

    However, before I could finish my sentence, a hand suddenly reached out from behind me and snatched my phone out of my hand.

    I was taken aback, and quickly turned around, only to see Reynaldo standing behind me, I don¡¯t know when.

    He held the phone to his ear, his other hand stroking my hair hanging down behind my head, his deep gaze fixed on me, but his words were directed at the phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s veryte, I won¡¯t disturb you rest, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±

    I got anxious as soon as I heard this, and hurried to grab the phone.

    I just grabbed the phone, and the call had already ended.

    I red at him gloomily, ¡°What are you doing? I haven¡¯t even figured out yet, Johnathan, whether there is a medicine cab in this room.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and took my hand, saying, ¡°Supper is ready, let¡¯s go down and eat together.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I looked at him angrily, ¡°I told you about the first aid kit, I v. about your injury.¡±

    J

    worried

    0.00%

    09.17 0

    Chapter1150

    ¡ï 288 (Vouchers

    Reynaldo suddenly looked at me deeply, as if finally believing that I had him in my heart, and that I was worried and anxious about him.

    He looked at me for a long time before saying gently, ¡°My injury is fine, there is no more bleeding.¡±

    I didn¡¯t believe in pulling his nightgown open.

    Although the blood that had just flowed, he had already wiped it all off.

    But the wound still had blood oozing out, and it looked very painful.

    I red at him angrily, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this hurt?¡±

    It¡¯s been a month already, and the wound should have healed almostpletely with the medication. Why is it still like this?

    ¡°Did you always manage to make them all snap?¡±

    Reynaldo did not speak, he just smiled.

    The moment I saw his appearance, I knew I guessed right.

    Reynaldo really didn¡¯t take care of his body.

    During this period, I felt depressed and gloomy, and he definitely felt the same.

    So, he definitely didn¡¯t spare himself and probably often abused alcohol.

    This man, whenever he was unhappy, would torture himself.

    I really didn¡¯t want to talk about him.

    I feel sorry for myself when I talk too much.

    09:1700

    Chapter1150

    I ignored him and walked out of the room.

    He chuckled softly, came forward, and shook my hand.

    I shook it off, but I couldn¡¯t shake it off.

    I stared at him.

    He chuckled and said, ¡°You have be so precious that you won¡¯t even let me hold your hand.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    I was so angry that I didn¡¯t want to talk to him.

    I was worried sick about his injury, but he seemedpletely unconcerned.

    Good job!

    Forget it, anyway, ¡°the one who is in pain is him, not me!¡±

    When I was going downstairs, Johnathan sent me a message.

    I didn¡¯t prepare a first aid kit because I never expected you guys to be so intense.

    The sentence was followed by a smirk.

    I was speechless for a while.

    He then sent another message.

    You should take it easy, Reynaldo. Your health is important.

    I turned my head and looked at the man beside me.

    Take it easy on him?

    Chapter1150

    But am I the one who gets to decide?

    Thinking about his ferocity in bed just now, I doubted life.

    Just a moment ago he looked so weak, like a sickly person, but the next moment he was like a wild beast breaking free from its restraints.

 TOO Close 1151

    Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly stepped into a void under my feet, and my whole body instantly lost bnce and fell down.

    Fortunately, Reynaldo timely hugged my waist and pulled me back.

    In the midst of all the pulling and tugging, my robe slipped down from my shoulders, revealing arge expanse of chest.

    The man¡¯s eyes darkened suddenly, his hot gaze staring straight at me.

    It is not¡­

    Wasn¡¯t it just over? Hasn¡¯t he had enough yet?

    I said, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that he can tolerate such high demands every

    time.¡±

    The thought of him parting ways with me during this time made me

    angry.

    I stared at him and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to treat me as a stranger and never see me again? Then don¡¯t look at me with that kind of gaze.¡±

    Reynaldo cleared his throat ufortably, raising a hand to his lips.

    He straightened my nightgown and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s have a midnight snack.¡±

    Humph!

    Changed the subject again!

    I ignored him and rushed down the steps.

    09-1700

    <b>He </b>caught up with augh and <b>said</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re </b>running <b>so </b>fast, be caref not to fall again.¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s strange, aren¡¯t you supposed to treat me like a <b>stranger</b>? <b>Why </b>are you so concerned about a stranger?¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡± he smiled at me helplessly.

    Oh, does he know helplessness now?

    I didn¡¯t even think about how he almost drove me crazy during <b>this </b>

    time.

    He pulled me to sit down in front of the dining table.

    I nced at the table in the morning and saw that he had prepared some delicate snacks.

    I once again marveled at his skillful hands, the appearance of these snacks could be sold in a shop window.

    I said, ¡°If he went bankrupt, he would definitely make a good chef.¡±

    The mind was diverging.

    He suddenly pushed the snack in front of me.

    I subconsciously looked up at him, but inadvertently saw the clock hanging on the wall behind him.

    There were five minutes left until midnight.

    His birthday was approaching, and I hadn¡¯t said ¡°happy birthday¡± to him yet.

    Thinking of this, I impulsively wrapped my arms around kissed him on the lips.

    neck and

    Chapter 1151.

    <b>He </b>shuddered all over.

    In his astonished gaze, I leaned in to his car and whispered, ¡°Happs birthday, husband.¡±

    He shook again, looking at me with an incredulous expression.

    I stepped back slightly.

    He tilted his head and chuckled at him, ¡°Why are you looking <b>at </b><b>me </b><b>so </b>surprised?¡±

    Isn¡¯t today your birthday?

    ¡°Are you not my husband?¡±

    He stared at me deeply for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

    This smile, like melting away all the gloom, like finally someone pulling him out from the darkness.

    The sunlight finally enveloped him, dispelling the gloom and destion that had shrouded him.

    His smile, as if softened the years in an instant, warming everything.

    I stared nkly at the smile on his face.

    He suddenly pulled me into his arms and gently kissed my lips.

    Dong¡­ dong¡­

    The clock struck midnight, ringing softly and lingering in the room.

    Reynaldo then let go of me.

    He looked at me deeply, his eyes slightly red, and then, aer a long time, he hugged me and said, ¡°Esmeralda, thank you for spending my

    09:17

    Chapter1161

    birthday with me.¡±

    Over the years, this is the first birthday I have spent with him.

    I patted his back and whispered, ¡°From now on, I will celebrate every birthday with you.¡±

    ¡°And our children, we raised them together for you.¡±

    He still held me tightly, his face buried in my neck.

    I suddenly felt something hot dripping onto my neck.

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    Chapter1152

    A shock in the heart.

    Was he crying?

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    He suddenly shouted at me, his low and helpless voice sounding so fragile that it broke my heart.

    ¡°I knew my personality was quirky, and no one could stand it.¡±

    Most of the time, my inner self was contradictory. I was ¡°eager to be with you¡± on one hand, but ¡°afraid to be with you¡± on the other.

    I was afraid that as I indulged in happiness, you would eventually leave me.

    The pain of losing happiness after gaining it is more painful than death.

    ¡°But I also said that I won¡¯t leave you, never will.¡±

    He tightened his arms and held me close.

    After a long silence, he whispered, ¡°I seem to have not done anything right for you.¡±

    I did not protect you, did not give you a peaceful happiness.

    Looking back at the harm I caused you in the past, fear would consume all my courage.

    I was afraid of unintentionally hurting you again, so I kept avoiding

    09:18

    and retreating.

    But do you know? I couldn¡¯t bear to, couldn¡¯t bear topletely break clean with you.

    ¡°That marriage certificate¡­ actually wasn¡¯t lost, I, hid it away.¡±

    I was taken aback, instinctively pushing him away, looking at him in astonishment.

    He gave me a bitter smile, but his eyes were red.

    ¡°Yeah, I was sensitive, selfish, and cowardly again¡­¡±

    This is me, how could you like me¡­

    I quickly covered his lips.

    Reynaldo kept talking and then started to dig himself into a dead end.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°Is the photo on the marriage certificate good- looking?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me in astonishment, staring nkly.

    After a while, he nodded.

    ¡°When you get back, take it out and show it to me.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

    Iughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t divorce you.¡±

    Why is it you who decides to get married, but also you who decides to get divorced?

    I refused to!

    09.1800

    Chapter1152

    Since you decided to get married, then it¡¯s up to me to decide on divorce, it¡¯s up to me to speak up!

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply for a while, then nodded with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°So, you were not allowed to overthink anymore.¡±

    I was a person who hated evil like an enemy. If I disliked you and wanted to leave you, I would tell you directly, there¡¯s no need for you to guess randomly!

    ¡°Are you sure you will tell me directly?¡± He looked at me, his eyes suddenly showing a hint of grievance.

    I was taken aback and said, ¡°What? You still don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    He lowered his gaze slightly and said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t not believe you.¡±

    However, every time you want to leave me, you make the decision quietly.

    By the time I realized it, you had already left.

    Um¡­

    It seems like that¡¯s the case, and all of a sudden I felt powerless to argue against it.

    I held his hand and said seriously, ¡°Okay, it was my fault before. I promise you, if I really don¡¯t want you anymore in the future, if I want to leave you, I will tell you directly.¡±

    He still hung his head, with a touch of mncholy lingering around him.

    na <b>18 </b>

    Chapter1152

    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not your fault. Emotions can¡¯t be forced,¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± I nodded, ¡°You can¡¯t force feelings, indeed.¡±

    He suddenly looked up at me, his hand instinctively pulling back, the mncholy in his eyes deepening.

    I held his hand tightly and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Before, it was you who insisted, now it¡¯s me who insists. Isn¡¯t it even now? It doesn¡¯t count as insisting, right?¡±

    09:18

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    Chapter1153

    A look of astonishment shed across his face, and he stared at me in surprise.

    For a long time, he murmured, ¡°But Anton¡­¡±

    Hiss!

    As soon as he mentioned Anton, I got angry.

    I frowned and red at him, ¡°Do you like Anton? Always mentioning Anton. Should I just leave and let you two be together?¡±

    He furrowed his brows, and stared at me with a look of astonishment.

    I stood up, sat directly on hisp, hooked his neck, and said fiercely, ¡°If you keep twisting and turning like this, do you believe I will push you onto the bed and bully you until you beg for mercy?¡±

    Now, Reynaldo¡¯s look at me could no longer be described as ¡°surprised¡°.

    His eyes suddenly darkened like fire, with a hint of unfamiliarity and a touch of wicked smile.

    Suddenly, I felt a little embarrassed by the way he looked at me.

    I supported his shoulder¡¯s and was about to go down.

    He suddenly pinched my waist and looked at me with dark and deep

    eyes.

    I can¡¯t help but think randomly all the time. His eyes, they really seem to have a hint of color!

    0.00%

    09:18

    zas Vouters

    My face couldn¡¯t help but start to flush.

    I found that I just couldn¡¯t look him in the eye.

    Every time we lock eyes, I am always the first to back down.

    I lowered my eyes, moved his hand pinching my waist, and muttered, ¡°Let go quickly, I want to get off.¡±

    However, Reynaldo¡¯s hand did not loosen at all.

    He suddenly sat up straight, and in an instant, the distance between us was shortened.

    I was practically glued to his chest, clearly feeling the changes in his body.

    My face turned even redder.

    I don¡¯t know why, every time it was clearly me who wanted to tease him, but every time I was the one who felt embarrassed first.

    I nced up at him and saw that he was smiling at me, with a slightly mischievous smile.

    I poked his chest and said, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head and suddenly hugged me, whispering in my ear with a hoarseugh, ¡°I found out that you quite like being on top.¡±

    I was taken aback, turned my head to look at him, and in an instant, our fiery gazes met.

    My heart suddenly ¡°began to beat wildly.¡±

    I mumbled, ¡°No, no,.. I don¡¯t want to be on top, I, I don¡¯t want to on

    the bottom¡­ I don¡¯t want to be with you, with you¡­¡±

    00:18

    Chapter1153

    ¡°What¡¯s with me?¡±

    The man chuckled mischievously, his ck eyes staring at me without blinking, not a trace of gloom or pity anywhere on his body.

    ¡°Nothing!¡±

    I blushed and hummed a sentence, then struggled to get off him.

    It¡¯s really strange, Reynaldo and I have been married for so long, but I just can¡¯t resist his ¡°teasing¡°.

    Every time he teased me, I felt embarrassed.

    Looking at the man again, hezily leaned back in the chair, smiling at me with a wicked face.

    Sure enough, my face wasn¡¯t as thick as Reynaldo¡¯s.

    I ignored him and buried my head in the food on the table to eat.

    He suddenly sat up and looked at me, chin in hand.

    I frowned and said, ¡°What am I doing? You should eat too!¡±

    He shook his head and said, ¡°The cake you made for me just now was delicious. I am full now and not hungry.¡±

    ¡°Are you still going to part ways with me? Do you consider me a stranger?¡± I asked him bluntly.

    He suddenly fell silent.

    I frowned deeply.

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    Chapter1154

    What does it mean? Hasn¡¯t this mane out of the dead end yet?

    Did he never intend to make up with me?

    What about the recent revelry and ¡°flirting¡°?

    Thinking of this, I felt depressed and lost my appetite.

    I dropped the food and chuckled, ¡°Alright, I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    I was toozy to advise you, and toozy to coax you.

    ¡°You can do whatever you want, however you want.¡±

    After saying that, I got up and went upstairs, thinking to myself that I would leave this ghostly ce early tomorrow morning.

    That¡¯s really annoying!

    He slept, he was also coaxed.

    Why couldn¡¯t he just coax her?!

    Still say I¡¯m hard to please?

    Who was being difficult to coax in the end? Who was being stubborn?

    Feeling angry in my heart, I had just taken two steps when he grabbed <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    He looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°What do

    you understa

    ?¡±

    09:18

    Chapter1154

    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re thinking!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s smile deepened on his face, ¡°So, tell me, what was I thinking?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you think that I loved Anton and wanted to push me towards Anton?¡±

    I just asked you if you still want to treat me as a stranger, and you remained silent.

    So, you still didn¡¯t n to make up with me, you still want to push me to Anton.

    The recent joy was just because you couldn¡¯t hold back the needs in your body and went to bed with me, you¡­

    Reynaldo suddenly reached out and pointed to my lips.

    He looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°Do you want to hear what yourst sentence was?¡±

    I turned my face away angrily and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen, I don¡¯t want to listen to anything.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly pulled me into his arms and chuckled softly, saying, ¡°I was silent just now, was I not thinking about these things?¡±

    I ignored him.

    Even if it¡¯s not these things that you¡¯re thinking about, it¡¯s definitely not something good.

    The man¡¯s head ¡°was up in the clouds.¡±

    In matters of the heart, I always tend to go down the wrong pat

    09:18

    <b>Chapter </b>ifad

    I suddenly felt a hot breath <b>in </b>my car.

    The man was kissing my car.

    I shuddered all over and instinctively dodged.

    The next second, I heard him say, ¡°I was just silent, thinking about something improper.¡±

    I was taken aback, looking at him, ¡°Something¡­ improper?¡±

    He smirked and smiled, looking quite mischievous, ¡°I was thinking, what would it look like if you were ¡®bullying¡® me up there.¡±

    I was stunned for a second before I realized what he was saying, and my face turned red in an instant.

    ¡°Reynaldo, you really are¡­ really are..¡±

    s!

    At one point, I ran out of words and didn¡¯t know how to describe him

    anymore.

    He ruffled my hair, smiled at me ambiguously and indulgently, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m quite curious. Next time, I¡¯ll give you a chance to ¡®bully¡® me.¡±

    ¡°Humph, I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    I turned my head and muttered a sentence.

    He smiled and pulled me to sit down, holding my hands tightly with his big hands.

    I couldn¡¯t help but look at him, and I noticed that there was wicked smile on his face and a little more seriousness.

    ttle less

    Chapter1154

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    He looked at me and said seriously, ¡°I have figured it <b>out</b><b>. </b><b>In </b><b>the </b>future. I will not leave you again, nor will I push you away.¡±

    I no longer think about the past and the future.

    I should have seized the present and been with you well.

 TOO Close 1155

    Even in the future, when you recall that memory, you will clearly understand that Anton is the one your heart loves.

    As soon as I heard this, I felt anxious and was about to exin.

    He tightened my hand and said firmly, ¡°Even if Anton is the one you truly like, I will never leave you again.¡±

    Unless¡­ you tell me in person, ¡°You don¡¯t love me anymore, you don¡¯t want me.¡±

    ¡°So, I wouldpletely disappear from your world, no longer disturbing you and Anton.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I held him tight and said firmly, ¡°I will never leave you, so you must stop overthinking.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and said, ¡°Okay, I trust you. I won¡¯t overthink it anymore.¡±

    Anyway, in the future, unless you tell me to leave in person, I swear I will never leave you again!`

    ¡°That¡¯s what you said,¡± I red at him menacingly, ¡°If you dare to go back on your word, you¡¯ll regret it!¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and held me tightly in his arms.

    At that moment, I felt peace and happiness from him.

    Great, Reynaldo finally came out of the dead end.

    <b>Chapter </b>155

    <b>It¡¯s </b>not easy to think about it.

    Reynaldo made delicious food, and I ate a lot.

    But he didn¡¯t eat at all, he just watched me cat.

    After eating, he led me back to the bedroom.

    I thought he was going toe again, and I was feeling a little embarrassed, wondering if I should ask him toe upter.

    But as soon as Iy down on the bed, he touched my forehead and said, ¡°You go to sleep first, I¡¯ll go take a shower.¡±

    He showed no sign of desire on his face.

    I was dumbfounded.

    This made it seem like my needs were even greater than his.

    I pulled up the nket, covering half of my face and said, ¡°Okay, you go wash up.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at me and then turned to walk into the bathroom.

    Just as the sound of water in the bathroom had juste out, the man¡¯s phone suddenly rang.

    I thought it was Johnathan who sent the text message.

    So he took his phone and checked it, only to find that it was a message from Kimberly.

    Really?

    Does this man still have contact with Kimberly?

    I furrowed my brows, hesitating whether to sneak a peek at what

    21.41%

    09 180

    Chapter1155

    Kimberly had posted.

    But unexpectedly, my fingers moved faster than my brain, and I identally opened the message.

    Reynaldo, are you still with that woman?

    Isn¡¯t the photo I sent youst time clear enough?

    That woman likes Anton, not you at all. She is with you just because you have be wealthy and powerful.

    Reynaldo, all my life I have asked for nothing, only hoping that you can be happy, but Esmeralda is really not the right person for you. I am really afraid that you will get hurt.

    Reynaldo, can you reply to my message, Reynaldo!!!

    Huh!!

    Thest sentence, even through the screen, I could feel that woman¡¯s coquettishness.

    But is Kimberly sick? What¡¯s the point of sending so many defamatory messages to Reynaldo in the middle of the night?

    Was Quentin nearby when she sent these messages? She wasn¡¯t afraid of Quentin seeing them!

    Also, in the message, what does she mean by the photos she sent to Reynaldo?

    I couldn¡¯t help but flip through it, thinking to myself.

    Wow.

    This woman sent Reynaldo a lot of messages.

    Chapter1155

    Most of the messages were sent in the middle of the night.

    And in the messages, all were ndering me, trying to drive a wedge between me and Reynaldo.

    ¤¤

    <b>Chapter1156 </b>

    <b>Chapter1156 </b>

 TOO Close 1156

    <b>Chapter1156 </b>

    Seeing this, I felt a surge of anger in my heart.

    No wonder Reynaldo was socking in confidence, so awkward, it turns out it was this cunning woman who was instigating trouble <b>in </b>the middle of the night.

    Even though Reynaldo initially believed that I loved him.

    Every night, several messages were sent, each one saying that I didn¡¯t love him, that I loved Anton, that I was after his money.

    Over time, ¡°it¡¯s not a big deal¡± also became ¡°a big deal¡°.

    Besides, Reynaldo was always a sensitive and neurotic person.

    This information undoubtedly pushed him into a dead end.

    I looked up again and suddenly, a photo appeared in front of my eyes.

    The scene of me throwing myself into Anton¡¯s arms was vividly in front of me.

    Scroll up a little more, there are a few more photos.

    All the photos of me tightly embracing Anton.

    I frowned deeply.

    When was this photo taken? Why don¡¯t I remember?

    a

    I looked at the background of the photo and suddenly remembered, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the day when I was upset and dragged Vonnie out drink, and ended up getting drunk?¡±

    0.00%

    09:18 <b>1 </b>

    Oh my god, no wonder that day Reynaldo <b>said </b>he <b>saw </b>it, <b>saw </b>me tightly embracing Anton.

    No wonder he always thought that the person I loved was <b>Anton</b>.

    No wonder he was always avoiding, always giving in, always pushing me towards Anton.

    It turned out that he wasn¡¯t too stubborn, he just misunderstood.

    And Kimberly added fuel to the fire.

    I could almost imagine how heartbroken and painful he must have felt when he saw those photos and Kimberly¡¯s messages.

    Kimberly was really cunning!

    She was like a snake, slithering into the conflict between me and Reynaldo, and then stirring up that conflict more and more!

    Kimberly sent numerous messages to Reynaldo, but he didn¡¯t reply to a single one.

    I thought for a moment, and then replied to her message using Reynaldo¡¯s phone.

    You¡¯re right, she didn¡¯t love me at all.

    I now realize that only you are truly loyal to me.

    If I wanted to be with you, would you be willing to give up Quentin for

    me?

    The message was sent out, and after a dozen seconds, Kimberly replied to the message.

    I would love to, Reynaldo. I have been waiting for this sentence for a

    09:16 7

    Chapter1156

    long time.

    I never loved Quentin at all. I was only with him because I didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for you back then.

    Looking at the message she sent, I felt a wave of disdain in my heart.

    She was with Quentin, clearly just to take advantage of Quentin.

    Look at her message, it¡¯s so selfless, as if saying ¡°Forget about me, just make Reynaldo happy.¡±

    I took a screenshot of the chat interface, then sent it to my phone, and then forwarded it to Quentin.

    Sure enough, less than a minuteter, Quentin called.

    He must have found a remote ce to make the call, speaking in a slightly lowered voice.

    I was ¡°chatting¡± with Kimberly on Reynaldo¡¯s phone while answering Quentin¡¯s call.

    ¡°Ralda, what does the screenshot you sent mean?¡±

    ¡°Quentin, when did you be so blind? I can¡¯t even read the chat records in the screenshot.¡±

    ¡°Not¡­¡± Quentin hesitated for two seconds, then spoke with some difficulty, ¡°Is the screenshot content real?¡±

    Oh!

    Look, he wouldn¡¯t doubt Kimberly, he would only doubt me.

    1 know.¡±

    I coldly said, ¡°You can just look at Kimberly¡¯s phone and y At the moment, I was still chatting with Kimberly on Reynaldo¡¯s

    09.19

    Chapter1156

    phone, and she wouldn¡¯t delete this chat record so promptly.

    I don¡¯t know what Quentin was thinking.

    <b>no19 </b>

 TOO Close 1157

    The feeling he gave me was that he might have known that Kimberly didn¡¯t love him, but he was just too afraid to believe it, too afraid to face this reality.

    I said indifferently, ¡°Anyway, I sent you the screenshot, believe it or not.¡±

    After I finished speaking and was about to hang up the phone, he suddenly shouted at me.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    I frowned and said coldly, ¡°Just say it!¡±

    He fell silent for two seconds, and then smiled sadly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just that I keep dreaming about the past recently.¡±

    Dreamt that our family was doing well, dreamt that I was still your good brother, you were clinging to me, asking me to take you to y everywhere.

    I also dreamed¡­¡±

    ¡°Quentin!¡±

    I interrupted him coldly, ¡°Is there anything else to say? If not, just hang up.¡±

    Quentin suddenly fell/silent and didn¡¯t speak again for a long time.

    But I faintly heard his sobbing, very suppressed.

    I suddenly felt a wave of annoyance in my heart.

    09:19

    Chapter1157

    * <b>288 </b>Vouchers

    I didn¡¯t say anything else and hung up the phone directly.

    Reynaldo was still in the bathroom.

    I leaned against the headboard, looking at thetest message sent by Kimberly.

    Reynaldo, shall Ie to see you now?

    I didn¡¯t want to stay here for a moment, I didn¡¯t want to be with any other man for a moment, I just wanted to be with you.

    I coldly pursed my lips and sent a few screenshots to Quentin.

    Then Reynaldo replied to Kimberly with his phone: ¡°Dream on!¡±

    Although with Quentin¡¯s ¡°licking dog¡± nature, making such a fuss was still not enough to make him betray Kimberly.

    But it definitely made the two of them unhappy all night, and it definitely made Kimberly angry enough to stomp her feet.

    Just as I was thinking about it, Kimberly called me directly.

    Even through the screen, I could feel her anger.

    I smiled and pressed the answer button directly.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s voice was almost unable to contain the anger.

    I deliberatelyughed in a triumphant tone and said, ¡°Yes, Ms. Palmer

    is really smart, she guessed it was me right away.¡±

    Kimberly almost gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Where is Reynal

    ??

    ¡°Oh¡­ your Reynaldo, he was taking a shower, what do you need him

    09.19

    Chapter1157

    for?¡±

    ¡°Shower?¡± Kimberly gritted her teeth again.

    I smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°Of course, after exercising, don¡¯t we all need to take a shower?¡±

    Well, speaking of which, Ms. Palmer should thank me too. I stayed up sote chatting with Ms. Palmer for so long, it can be considered as providing emotional value to Ms. Palmer, right?

    After all, if it were Reynaldo, he wouldn¡¯t even reply to you at all!¡±

    ¡°You scum!¡±

    Kimberly finally couldn¡¯t help but start scolding me.

    I sneered in my heart as the person got out of bed and quietly walked towards the bathroom.

    When Kimberly was cursing loudly and happily, I quietly opened the bathroom door and then turned on the outdoor speaker.

    At that time, Reynaldo had just finished showering, turned off the shower head, and hadn¡¯t even had time to wrap himself in a towel.

    The moment I twisted open the bathroom door, I saw his strong chest and lean waist at a nce, and, below the waist¡­

    In the bathroom, steam lingered.

    Water droplets hung on his chest, rolling down one by one along the perfectly sculpted chest muscles.

    Even though there were wounds on the man¡¯s chest and waist, it added a touch of wildness to his whole person.

    09:19

    Chapter1157

    Phew!

    A rush of heat instantly surged and collided within the body, then

    quickly expanded and spread.

 TOO Close 1158

    Chapter1158

    Soon, I felt like I was ¡°almost burning up¡± all over.

    When we were in a good rtionship, we were honest with each other and touched each other wherever we could.

    But looking at his body so naked, I still felt hot all over and couldn¡¯t

    move my eyes away.

    Reynaldo stared at me for a while, then furrowed his brows gently.

    He took the towel from the side and leisurely wrapped it around his waist.

    But it was his calm demeanor that made me feel embarrassed, as if I couldn¡¯t wait to rush in and see his body.

    Although his figure was quite good, it was hard to take your eyes off him.

    But I really didn¡¯t mean to barge in.

    I lowered my gaze and awkwardly touched my nose.

    At this moment, the man had already walked towards me.

    Meanwhile, Kimberly was still over there cursing, apanied by the sound of her argument with Quentin.

    Kimberly probably didn¡¯t expect that I would sneakily bring the phone to the bathroom for Reynaldo to listen to.

    She cursed me vigorously on the phone, using all kinds of dirty and offensive words against me, as if she were a vicious shrew who had

    0.00%

    Chapter1158

    lost her mind,pletely different from her usual gentle and pitiful appearance.

    Reynaldo nced at the phone in my hand, his handsome brows furrowing even tighter.

    He asked me, ¡°Have you heard enough?¡±

    Before I could even speak, the curses from Kimberly on the other end abruptly ceased.

    She paused for two seconds, her voice filled with disbelief and almost trembling, ¡°¡­.Reynaldo?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s dark eyes stared at me without blinking, and he asked in a indifferent tone, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you looking for me sote?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!!!¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s voice instantly turned pitiful, with a hint of grievance and coquetry.

    ¡°Just now, Ms. Duffy took your phone and yed a trick on me.¡±

    She deliberately provoked me, deliberately making me say those irrational words to you.

    She was really cunning, Reynaldo!!!¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t even know if he was listening to Kimberly.

    His hand absentmindedly stroked my hair by the ear, and his gaze suddenly becamezy and wicked.

    My ear is originally very sensitive. He kept teasing me on and off, making me itch all over.

    I took his hand away and deliberately reminded him, ¡°Ms. Palmer is talking to you. At least say something back and show some respect for others, okay?¡±

    Sure enough, my words really ¡°struck a nerve¡± with Kimberly.

    There was clearly a burst of angry gasping on the other end of the phone.

    Reynaldo seemed to see through my intentions, he looked at me with a yful expression.

    ¡°What do you want me to say to her?¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    I stuffed the phone into his hand, then crossed my arms and looked at him with a smile, ¡°At least she called you ¡®Reynaldo¡® one by one, can¡¯t you at least say something back to her?¡±

    Reynaldo jokingly tapped my forehead.

    On the other end of the phone, Kimberly was about to explode with anger at me.

    She almost gritted her teeth and shouted at me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you have gone too far. You were the one who killed Reynaldo¡¯s mother¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Just tell me what¡¯s going on!¡±

    Reynaldo interrupted her words lightly.

    I looked at the man in front of me in astonishment.

    He seemed to have truly believed that my mother¡¯s death had nothing

    to do with me.

    09:19

    <b>Chapter </b>1158

    When Reynaldo spoke, Kimberly¡¯s bristled fur seemed to <b>instantly </b>le back down.

    Her voice instantly became soft and pitiful again.

    ¡°Reynaldo!!! I, I¡­..¡±

    ¡°By the way, you seemed to be cursing happily just now, so who <b>were </b>you cursing at just now?¡±

    <b>Chapter1159 </b>

 TOO Close 1159

    I stared nkly at the man in front of me.

    His voice was calm and steady, but there was a chilling sense of oppression in it.

    Kimberly seemed like she was about to cry, sobbing on the other end of the phone.

    ¡°Reynaldo!!!¡±

    She choked out, her voice pitiful and intive, with a touch of seductive charm.

    Tsk tsk¡­

    Setting aside her malicious nature, just this voice alone would probably be unbearable for any man to listen to.

    However, Reynaldo¡¯s face showed no expression at all.

    He said lightly, ¡°If you have nothing to say, just hang up.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    Kimberly hurriedly stopped him and then said pitifully, ¡°Reynaldo, it has been hard for you all these years. When my father was dying, he entrusted me to you, and I¡­¡±

    Without waiting for her to finish, Reynaldo hung up the one.

    His move directly amused me.

    ¡°How did it end? Did you listen to her finish? Maybe she mentioned

    Chapter1159

    her father, and you would start thinking about your ¡®responsibility to her again.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brow and pulled me into his arms.

    I was startled and quickly put my hand behind my back.

    I was so scared, my hand almost poked his wound.

    This man, he¡¯s really thoughtless, not caring at all about his wound.

    The man stared at me with a pair of dark eyes, seeming angry and helpless.

    ¡°I found that you were really not obedient at all.¡±

    ¡°You act as if you¡¯re very obedient.¡± I muttered.

    Reynaldo seemed to chuckle, wrapping his arm around my waist, kissing my earlobe and asking with a smile, ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Hiss!

    My most sensitive spot is my ears. When he kissed me there, I went weak all over.

    I shrank back to avoid his kiss, and in the struggle, identally loosened the towel around his waist.

    The towel slipped off the ground in an instant.

    So I saw what I should have seen and what I shouldn¡¯t have seen.

    My face turned red, and I instinctively covered my eyes.

    The lowughter of a man came from above.

    ¡°You are really strange. Just now you couldn¡¯t wait to barge in and

    Chapter1159

    1788 Vouchers

    couldn¡¯t take your eyes off my body. Now you are shy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± I mumbled, covering my eyes.

    The man smiled more broadly, ¡°What¡¯s the difference, isn¡¯t it all about looks?¡±

    ¡°Howe? In just a short while from earlier until now, did I do something that made you feel embarrassed?¡±

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    I turned away in shame and indignation.

    I also don¡¯t know how to say it.

    Anyway, when I just barged in to see him naked, I really didn¡¯t feel embarrassed.

    But at that moment, he ¡°bared himself in front of me, and I inexplicably felt shy and couldn¡¯t look.¡±

    When I suddenly burst in just now, he waspletely stunned, not that bad.

    He clearly changed for the worse.

    A few words from him could make me blush.

    I was so annoyed, when will my face be as thick as a city wall.

    ¡°Alright, turn around,¡± the man behind me chuckled.

    I ignored him.

    The next second, my shoulder was twisted by someone.

    ¡°Okay, hands cane down now.¡±

    Chapter1159

    I still covered my eyes,

    Suddenly, my whole body was lifted up by his bear hug.

    1280 No

    I screamed and instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, only to see him smile at me, a smile that was both wicked and indulgent.

    He had wrapped the towel around himself again and carried me towards the bed.

    His body was pressed into the soft bedding.

    He stared at me fixedly, with dark, burning mes in his eyes.

    Mapter 100

    jos Pl

    Chapter1160

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    Chapter1160

    He had a wound on his chest, so I didn¡¯t dare to push him around.

    I could only poke his chest with my finger and say, ¡°What are you doing? Get up.¡±

    Reynaldo propped himself up on the bed, caressing my face with one hand, and whispered hoarsely to me, ¡°One more time?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I was shocked when I saw the wound on his chest, and quickly shook my head, ¡°No, no, no¡­ I don¡¯t want it, I don¡¯t want it¡­¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at me helplessly and said, ¡°But what can I do? I was nning to have a good sleep next.¡±

    But you just suddenly burst into the bathroom, saw me naked, and made me feel embarrassed again.

    ¡°Esmeralda, what do you think we should do?¡±

    He said, still holding my hand, and ced it on his strong but thin abdomen.

    The man looked thin, but when he touched the texture of his abdomen, he felt particrly powerful.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    The man whispered my name and kissed me on the cheek.

    Although, after hanging out with Kimberly, I feltpletely rejuvenated.

    09.19

    Chapter1160

    220Vouchers

    But I also couldn¡¯t ignore his wound, what if the wound reopened?

    I pounded his shoulder and said, ¡°Go to sleep, Reynaldo.¡±

    The man, however, grabbed my wrist and pressed down on the top of my head.

    He kissed my earlobe, his voice low and seductive, saying, ¡°This time, you¡¯re on top.¡±

    Ah ah ah ah¡­

    Does that mean I can bully him?

    No, no, no!

    Still no, this man always ¡°talked the talk but didn¡¯t walk the walk¡± in bed.

    This would be like saying, ¡°He must have gone crazy again, picking on me.¡±

    His wound had notpletely healed yet, so he couldn¡¯t move around vigorously anymore.

    I twisted my body and struggled, ¡°Okay Reynaldo, I want to go to sleep.¡±

    The man smiled helplessly, then kissed my lips, like extinguishing a fire, kissing me fiercely on the lips for a while before letting go andzily lying beside me.

    I nced at him sideways and silently cursed him as a ¡°beast¡± in my heart!

    s!

    09:19 T

    Chapter1160

    1788 wouchers

    His lips were so chapped that they were almost bleeding.

    At that moment, his phone rang again.

    I took a nce and it was Kimberly calling.

    Tsk!

    Kimberly had a thick skin, doesn¡¯t Reynaldo realize that he doesn¡¯t want to pay attention to her?

    Sure enough, Reynaldo hung up the phone directly.

    Just the next second, he saw the chat history between me and Kimberly.

    He flipped through it quickly.

    As she flipped through the pages, her beautiful eyebrows also furrowed.

    I pursed my lips and quietly turned over to the edge of the bed.

    However, as soon as I moved to the edge of the bed, my whole body was pulled back by him.

    He¨Cstretched the phone screen in front of me and asked with a forced smile, ¡°Take a look, what have you posted?¡±

    I lowered my head and whispered, ¡°All the characters I sent aremon, which one do you not recognize, you tell me.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo shouted my name slowly, looking angry.

    I quickly hugged his neck and coaxed him in a soft voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, I was just teasing her. She always bothers you in the middle of

    <b>Chapter1160 </b>

    the night.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled, ¡°Tease her? Sending flirtatious <b>messages </b><b>to </b><b>her </b>using my phone, do you have the nerve to do that?¡±

    I hung my head in guilt.

    Alright, I admit, just to provoke Kimberly, I did send a lot of ambiguous messages to Kimberly using Reynaldo¡¯s phone.

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    <b>Chapter1161 </b>

    I was just thinking about making Kimberly happy first, getting her excited, and then coaxing out those words about breaking up with Quentin. And then when she realizes that the person flirting with her is actually me, she will be furious.

    There, my goal was really achieved.

    What should I do? I made my easily angered husband angry again.

    I wish I had deleted the chat history just now.

    I supported his waist and, with a look of apology, lowered my head in his arms and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t do this again next time.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m angry?¡± Reynaldo¡¯s muffled voice sounded above.

    I nodded, ¡°You were mad at me for using your phone to chat with Kimberly.¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath.

    He lifted my chin, smiled at me, clearly with a suppressed anger.

    He brought the phone screen close to me and pointed to a few lines of text on it.

    Kimberly, I realized that you are still my favorite person.

    I just wanted to be with you now, I didn¡¯t want to think about Esmeralda anymore./

    Kimberly, leave Quentin ande back to me.

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    Chapter1161

    ¡°You see, what are you doing with your hair?¡± Reynaldo stared at me with a forced smile.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°I told you, I was just teasing her. Why are you getting angry?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just ignore her like this!¡±

    The man seemed to be getting angrier, ¡°Esmeralda, I¡¯m telling you, I, Reynaldo, have only ever loved one woman in my life, in the past, now, and in the future!¡±

    Who was her favorite person, who only wanted to be with her?!

    ¡°Fart! I just want to be with you, I only want to be with you even in death!¡±

    It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over.

    Reynaldo was really angry, so angry that he lost hisposure and started swearing.

    I quickly covered his lips and kissed him pleasingly.

    He held my shoulder and pushed me slightly, as if he wanted to push

    me away.

    He pushed me a little, then pulled me into his arms.

    He cradled the back of my head and deepened the kiss gradually.

    He didn¡¯t let go of me until a long timeter.

    I was kissed by him until I was out of breath, and my face turned red. Fortunately, the anger on his face had clearly dissipated.

    He lowered his gaze, deleted all those chat records, and then blocked

    21.43%

    Chapter1161

    Kimberly as well.

    I wanted tough but didn¡¯t dare to, afraid that he would get angry again.

    Why didn¡¯t this man block Kimberly earlier, so they wouldn¡¯t have had to fight for so long?

    This is ridiculous. I had already made up with him, and he went ahead and blocked Kimberly again.

    It turns out he had deliberately kept Kimberly around to provoke himself.

    Reynaldo was like this, the more he didn¡¯t want to hear something, the more he didn¡¯t want to face something, the more he had to go and listen, the more he had to face it, and then he would consume himself in solitude.

    He really enjoyed torturing himself.

    Reynaldo dealt with all of Kimberly¡¯s contact information, then hugged me and muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I obediently snuggled in his arms and then reached out to turn off the bedside wallmp.

    Unfortunately, my arms couldn¡¯t reach the switch. I was about to get up to turn off the light when a long arm reached over me and turned off the light directly.

    Reynaldo locked my whole body in his arms and muttered, ¡°Sleep!¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    09:03

    Chapter1161

    [5]}

    I obediently responded with a sound, and as soon as my hand found his hand back, he held it back tightly.

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    <b>Chapter1162 </b>

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile, turned over from his arms, and hugged him, ¡°Husband, I only love you, I just want to be with you, I only want <b>to </b><b>be </b>with you even in death!¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s body trembled slightly, then he hugged me tightly and his voice softened, ¡°Go to sleep, I¡¯ll make you breakfast tomorrow.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I responded with a sound, leaningfortably in his arms.

    A good night¡¯s sleep and sweet dreams.

    The next day when I woke up, it was already bright outside, and asionally I could hear a few pleasant bird calls.

    I got up and walked to the window, pulled back the curtains and looked outside.

    Before my eyes was a magnificentndscape of mountains and rivers.

    Actually, the mountains and rivers are a bit far away, but from this angle, it looks like a very magnificentndscape painting, especially beautiful.

    No wonder Johnathan was immediately attracted to this ce, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, there was a kind of peaceful

    beauty.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t know when he got up, the ce beside the bed was already cold.

    09:04

    Chapter 1622-

    I went <b>downstairs </b>and looked around, but <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t find <b>him</b>. <b>However</b>, there was freshly made breakfast <b>in </b>the kitchen.

    He should still be in the vi, because usually when he goes <b>out</b><b>, </b><b>he </b>

    leaves me a note.

    Thinking, I went upstairs again.

    Every room was searched, and he was finally found in the study

    The door of the study was slightly ajar.

    When I pushed the door open, I saw him sitting with his back to the door, leaning against the desk.

    The man was shirtless, revealing his strong and muscr back.

    He hung his head low, not knowing what he was doing.

    I furrowed my brows and walked over slowly, ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    My shout seemed to startle him.

    He quickly put on his shirt and turned to me, asking, ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    I nodded and quickly walked around to stand in front of him.

    He buttoned his shirt while smiling at me, ¡°Why not get some more sleep?¡±

    ¡°You were not here, I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± I whispered, my gaze fixed on his hand.

    He buttoned up his buttons in a hurry, as if afraid I would notice something.

    And, he was actually wearing a ck shirt today.

    09:04

    I remember he used to wear ck only when he was in a very hod

    mood.

    In the first three years of their marriage, he always wore ck

    Today, he was clearly happy, with a gentle smile in his eyes.

    Why did he choose to wear ck again? There are other colored shirts in the wardrobe.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t know what I was thinking.

    After buttoning up his shirt, he took my hand and smiled at me, saying, ¡°After breakfast, shall I continue sleeping with you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer his question, I just asked him, ¡°What were you doing with your head down just now? And you even took off your clothes, could it be because of your wound¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Reynaldo interrupted me with a smile, gripping my hand and standing up straight. He smiled at me and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, have breakfast downstairs. I made several dishes for breakfast today.¡±

    There was a trash can under the desk, and I vaguely saw what seemed to be bloodstains on the tissues inside.

    Maybe the man¡¯s wound had opened up again.

    He must have been afraid that I would worry, and was ready to hide it from me.

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brows fiercely.

    When he wasn¡¯t paying attention, I grabbed his arm and pushed him to sit on the desk, then I straddled hisp.

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    Chapter1163

    He seemed afraid that I might slip, so he quickly put his arms <b>around </b>my waist.

    He smiled at me helplessly and said, ¡°It¡¯s early in the morning, you seem to have a lot of energy. How about after we finish breakfast¡­¡±

    Before he finished speaking, I reached out to unbutton his shirt.

    He seemed to have also understood my intention, grabbing my hand and smiling ambiguously at me, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my Esmeralda to be so impatient in this regard. Alright, I¡¯ll satisfy you now.¡°.

    He smirked and leaned in to kiss my ear and my neck.

    But he just wouldn¡¯t let go of my hand.

    This man is so annoying, what is he hiding from me every time he gets hurt?!

    I turned my head and kissed his lips, gently kissing and caressing his lips.

    He gave a slight tremble, and the depth of his gaze increased a few degrees in an instant.

    I was close to him, his deep eyes almost sucking me in.

    Suddenly, he closed his eyes, let go of my hand, cradled the back of my head, and deepened the kiss.

    When he kissed me almost to the point of forgetting myself.

    I quietly undid the buttons of his shirt.

    <b>09:04 </b>

    Chapter1163

    I was afraid that he would wake up sober and stop me.

    After unbuttoning the first button, I simply pinched his cor and pulled it hard in both directions.

    There was only a ¡°tearing¡± sound.

    The man¡¯s shirt buttons instantly scattered on the ground.

    Reynaldo¡¯s kiss came to a sudden halt.

    He took a step back and frowned slightly, looking at his shirt.

    After a while, he smiled at me almost helplessly and said, ¡°You¡¯re a woman, how can you be more rude than me when taking off your clothes.¡±

    I awkwardly touched my nose and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just that the quality of this clothing is not good.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay¡­ It was just that the quality of my clothes was not good.¡±

    The clothes on me, once they reached your hands, the quality was not good.

    Hmm!!!

    Why does this sound strange?

    It¡¯s as if I¡¯m always so rough when I take off his clothes.

    I didn¡¯t dwell too much on his words, I just opened his shirt and looked at his wound.

    He seemed to want to stop me, stubbornly pulling his shirt to try to close it.

    09:04

    Chapter1163

    I red at him angrily.

    He also smiled at me and said, ¡°Do you want me to strip naked and show you enough?¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, are you joking again?!¡± I yelled at him angrily.

    He then unbuttoned his shirt and gave me a helpless smile.

    And I guessed right, his wound indeed had not healed yet, and it was a little inmed.

    The edge of the wound was oozing blood.

    touched my

    Reynaldo suddenly head and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, just a minor injury, it will scab over soon.¡±

    ¡°Since it was just a minor injury, why did you hide it from me?¡±

    I said gloomily, picking up my phone to make a call.

    He covered my phone screen with his hand, frowned at me and asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Call Johnathan and ask him toe pick us up.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, he pulled out my phone.

    He hugged me and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want him toe over.¡±

    ¡°So, do you want to call Braylon to pick us up, or should we call a ride¨Csharing car?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Would

    Reynaldo hugged me, resting his chin on my shoulder, and muttered, ¡°Now you know why I kept it from you, right? I was afraid yo rush to take me away from here.¡±

    09:04

    Chappartie

    <b>Chapter1164 </b>

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    <b>Chapter1164 </b>

    Esmeralda, I didn¡¯t want to leave here, I wanted to stay here <b>with </b><b>you </b>for a while longer.

    There was no one else here, no noise or misunderstanding, just you and me.

    ¡°If possible, I even hope to stay with you here for the rest of my life.¡± In Reynaldo¡¯s words, there was still a lot of unease.

    Until this moment, I finally feltpletely ¡°fear of losing¡± from him.

    He was still afraid that when he went back, I would have something to do with Anton, right?

    I raised my hand and gently stroked his back, whispering, ¡°Reynaldo, we have to go back eventually. After all, Essie and Roddy are still waiting for us.

    ¡°1

    Reynaldo was taken aback, and then his hand around my waist loosened slightly.

    I stepped back from his embrace and saw the disappointment written all over his face.

    He lowered his gaze and said almost inaudibly, ¡°Yes, after all, we have to go back.¡±

    I held his hand and said to him seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to go back. When we go back, we will still be together every day.¡±

    Oh, I forgot to tell you, the photo Kimberly sent you was actual

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    <b>09:04 </b>

    <b>Chapter </b>164-

    misunderstanding.

    Actually, that day it was because you made me unhappy, <b>made </b>me sad so I went to drink with Vonnie.

    ¡°Then I got drunk, mistook Anton for you, and hugged him tightly.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes widened, almost in disbelief, as he looked at me.

    ¡°Are you saying that at that time¡­ you mistook him for me?¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    I nodded vigorously, afraid that he might get the wrong idea. I quickly exined, ¡°But

    that night. I S. assured,

    nothing happened between me and Anton

    that night. I swear to God, I.¡­..¡±

    As I was raising my hand to take an oath.

    He suddenly pressed my lips and pulled down the hand I was holding <ol><li>up. </li></ol>

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°I believe you. I believe everything you say, no need to swear.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    I tilted my head and leaned in to look at him.

    He nodded at me and said, ¡°Really.¡±

    After a while, he lowered his eyes and said, ¡°But if you don¡¯t want to stay here, then we¡¯ll wait a while¡­¡±

    ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t want to live here anymore?¡±

    <i>?? </i>

    Reynaldo was taken aback again, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say we have to go back eventually? Our two children are still waiting for us.

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    Chapter1163

    ¡°It is the end after all, but not now.¡±

    I hugged his neck and said to him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. It¡¯s the same to have Johnathan bring over a medicine chest. The scenery here is nice, and I want to stay here for a few more days.¡±

    The most important thing is that I can continue to have a world of two with my husband.

    I said, and pecked him lightly on the lips.

    Heughed in an instant, with a smile in his eyes, like a gentle spring breeze.

    His eyes were really beautiful, deep and affectionate, making people unconsciously fall for them.

    I couldn¡¯t help but kiss his lips again.

    He tightened his arms, held me close, and deepened the kiss gradually.

    A clean kiss, without any desire.

    I had been messing around in the study for a long time, and by the time I went downstairs to have breakfast, it was almost noon.

    The breakfast in the kitchen had also mostly gone cold.

    Reynaldo originally ¡°had me rest on the living room sofa¡± while he went to the kitchen to cook.

    But I felt that just resting was boring, so I went to the kitchen to help him.

    09:04

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    Reynaldo worked methodically, washing the ingredients, cutting them,bining them, and then cooking them.

    Each process was smooth and handy, and the kitchen was always kept very clean.

    Unlike me, she was always in a rush when cooking.

    When the vegetables were put into the pan, I was afraid of being sshed by oil, so I dodged far away, and the kitchen was made a mess by me.

    Looking at the man in front of me again, even cooking looks so handsome.

    I stood in the kitchen for half a day, suddenly feeling like I couldn¡¯t help much, but rather getting in the way around him.

    As I was about to leave in a hurry, he suddenly called out to me, ¡°Esmeralda, help me get a t¨¦, a big one.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay, okay¡­¡±

    I hurried to the cab to search for the tes.

    When I handed it to him, he smiled at me very gently and said, ¡°Thank you, please help me bring the ingredients for the next dish, and take out the cooked dish first.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    When I brought out the dishes he had cooked, I suddenly found that it

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    Chapter1165

    was snowing outside.

    The tiny snowkes fluttered in the wind and melted as soon as they touched the ground.

    The snow came really early this year.

    I turned around and could see Reynaldo busy in the kitchen at a nce.

    Even though the man was wearing an apron, holding a spat, and standing by the stove, his noble gentlemanly demeanor was not diminished at all, but rather added a few more touches of gentleness.

    I stared at him nkly, thinking of the scene just now when he asked me to help him carry the tes and ingredients, a warm feeling flowing through my heart.

    He was always careful and attentive, always taking care of my emotions, afraid that I would feel down, so he made me pass the tes and carry the ingredients.

    How could such a gentle and caring Reynaldo not be worthy of love.

    The window beside the man was printed with fluttering snowkes. In the warm light of the kitchen, there were the busy figures of men.

    An indescribable warmth and tranquility lingered throughout the entire room, making people feel peaceful and happy.

    Reynaldo was in a good mood and made several dishes.

    Just as the meal was being served, the door was knocked on.

    I was taken aback, about to open the door.

    09:04

    Chapter1165

    Reynaldo suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

    I looked at him in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It must be Johnathan bringing the first aid kit.¡±

    ¡°I know, I went to open the door, you cat first.¡±

    Reynaldo said sullenly, and then got up very reluctantly to open the door.

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as I watched his back recede.

    It was clear that he really didn¡¯t want anyone to disturb our world of

    two.

    As the door was only slightly opened, a cold wind blew in.

    ¡°Reynaldo, I brought you the medicine.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s loud voice instantly drifted in with the cold wind.

    The next second, heined, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Open the door a little, I want toe in, it¡¯s freezing.¡±

    Reynaldo leaned against the door, refusing to open <ol><li>it. </li></ol>

    He said lightly, ¡°Give me the first aid kit, you can go, it¡¯s warmer in the car.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­ I came all the way to bring the medicine box, and you won¡¯t even give me a sip of hot water to drink?¡±

    Also, did you cook? It smells so good.

    ¡°No, no, I want to freeload. I want to eat before I leave.¡±

    So, Johnathan started squeezing into the room.

    09.04

    C

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    hapter1166

    Chapter1166

    Reynaldo stood against the door, refusing to budge at all, which made meugh for a while.

    I got up and walked over, only to see Johnathan wearing a thin leather coat, looking at me pitifully, ¡°Esmie, it was you who sent me a message to bring the medicine box over.

    ¡°I came all the way through wind and snow, and you really won¡¯t even give me a hot meal to eat?¡±

    Tsk!

    Johnathan pretended to be pitiful, and he really looked pitiful.

    I looked at Reynaldo and said, ¡°Let him in. He has worked hard, traveling so far just to deliver the medicine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, and the weather is so cold, I even managed to crawl out of bed,¡± Johnathan said, looking even more pitiful.

    And that leather coat was definitely not windproof, the man¡¯s nose was frozen red.

    It really proves the saying, ¡°It¡¯s about attitude, not temperature.¡±

    Reynaldo still leaned against the door and refused to move.

    Iughed and took his hand away, then pulled the door open.

    Johnathan burst in as if afraid that Reynaldo would m the door shut again.

    I closed the door, shutting out the cold wind outside.

    Chapter1166

    1238 wachers

    The room suddenly became warm again.

    Reynaldo stood quietly by the door, with his head down and looking anything but happy.

    I pulled his hand and whispered to him, ¡°Okay, he¡¯s leaving after dinner, won¡¯t disturb our time together.¡±

    Little did I know that as soon as I finished speaking, Johnathan, who was already sitting at the dining table, suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s warm in this room. I think I¡¯ll stay here today and leave when the weather is better tomorrow.¡±

    Reynaldo furrowed his brows heavily and looked at me with a sense of grievance.

    I touched my nose, took a few steps to the dining table, and asked Jonathan, who was pouring soup, ¡°What about Vonnie, since you live here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, really!¡± Johnathan took a sip of soup and said, ¡°Then shall we also call Vonnie? The four of us can still y mahjong together.¡±

    I was speechless and touched my forehead.

    No need to look, I could feel the gloomy aura emanating from Reynaldo¡¯s body.

    I was starting to wonder if Johnathan was intentionally trying to provoke Reynaldo.

    Before long, Reynaldo sat down and coolly asked Johnathan, ¡°Is the soup tasty?¡±

    ¡°The drinks were great. I have to say, I can doubt you in any aspect, except for your cooking skills.¡±

    ¡°Well, if it tastes good, drink more.¡±

    Reynaldo said, and then he served him some vegetables, saying, ¡°If you like it, eat more.¡±

    Hiss!

    Johnathan shrank back, looking at him with a bit of fear.

    Forget about Johnathan.

    Reynaldo suddenly became so considerate, even taking the initiative to serve dishes for others, which made me a little ufortable.

    I picked up the fork and silently took a bite of the dish.

    After a while of Reynaldo not moving, I couldn¡¯t help but pull his hand and say, ¡°You should eat too.¡±

    One morning, neither of us had eaten anything. I was so hungry that my front chest was touching my back, wasn¡¯t he hungry too?

    However, Reynaldo shook his head at me and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, you guys go ahead and eat first.¡±

    He said, leaning back in the chair with azy posture, and gazing at Johnathan.

    The key was that he stared at it for a long time.

    Johnathan was probably starting to feel a little creeped out by his stare.

    He took a few bites of his food, nced at Reynaldo, then took a few more bites of his food, and nced at Reynaldo again.

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    Chapter1167

    Finally, he couldn¡¯t bear it and said, ¡°Are you going to cat too? Why are you staring at me like that?¡±

    With that, he shouted at me, ¡°Esmic, you should talk to Reynaldo, he has been staring at me instead of looking at you.¡±

    I buried my head in my own meal and didn¡¯t care about them.

    So as not to bring the fire upon myself.

    Seeing that I didn¡¯t respond, Johnathan clicked his tongue and continued eating.

    Reynaldo just had that dead stare, as if he couldn¡¯t move either.

    He finally put down his fork and asked Reynaldo helplessly, ¡°Reynaldo, why are you staring at me? Aren¡¯t you eating?¡±

    Reynaldo leaned back in his chair,zily crossing his arms over his chest, and smiled at him lightly, ¡°You braved the wind and snow to bring me medicine, indeed it was hard work.¡®

    So, to show my gratitude, I want to look at you more.

    ¡°In case you catch a cold or something on this trip, I can still notice it right away, right?¡±

    Johnathan:

    ¡­

    I was also speechless,

    What ame excuse, Reynaldo.

    ¤½¤Î

    09:04

    Saw Johnathan throw the fork and stand still.

    Reynaldo smiled at him and said, ¡°Come on, cat up. Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s delicious? Eat more.¡±

    ¡°Oh, by the way, the room on the left upstairs is reserved for you.¡±

    Johnathan stood up straight, furrowed his brow, and asked him, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Look at you, you forget what you said as soon as you turn around?¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at him warmly.

    But I couldn¡¯t help feeling that the more Reynaldo smiled warmly at the moment, the more terrifying he seemed.

    Heughed at Johnathan, who looked almost dumbfounded, and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to stay here today?¡±

    ¡°So after you finish eating, just go upstairs and rest. I¡¯ll be by your bedside.¡±

    Poof!

    Upon hearing this, I almostughed out the soup in my mouth.

    That is to say, Johnathan would lie in bed, staring at death like that, how could Johnathan sleep?

    I said that the more gentle Reynaldoughed, the scarier it was.

    He was not sheltering people at all, he was simply forcing Johnathan to leave.

    Sure enough, Johnathan immediately frowned, looking as ufortable as if he had eaten shit.

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    Chapter1167

    He stared at Reynaldo for a long time before saying. ¡°Are you <b>sick</b>?¡±

    Reynaldo rarely got angry, instead he smiled particrly gently, ¡°I¡¯m not sick, I¡¯m just concerned about you, after all, Esmeralda said you¡¯ve been working hard.¡±

    ¡°You worked so hard, I naturally have to take good care of you, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s handsome face darkened, and he looked at me speechlessly.

    I awkwardly lowered my gaze, avoiding his eyes.

    Reynaldo was quite cunning, not directly asking people to leave but instead using a smiling face to hide his true intentions.

    ¡°Eat, Johnathan. Why aren¡¯t you eating again? Are you full or the food doesn¡¯t suit your taste?¡±

    Reynaldo asked Johnathan again.

    Anyway, a pair of eyes, just staring at Johnathan in death.

    Johnathan was both angry and speechless, and he muttered, ¡°I¡¯m full!¡±

    ¡°Oh, then let me take you to the room and snuggle under the covers, this cold wind is howling, perfect for snuggling under the covers.¡±

    As soon as Reynaldo finished speaking, Johnathan quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll leave in a few minutes!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to stay here today?¡±

    Reynaldo smiled warmly at him, ¡°Don¡¯t be polite with me, just stay here, I n to sleep with you tonight.¡±

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    Hiss!

    Johnathan rubbed his arm directly, then looked at me with a face of

    ¡°speechlessness¡°.

 TOO Close 1168

    I was speechless too, ¡°What am I doing?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Johnathan.¡±

    This time, Reynaldo stood up directly and shouted at him, ¡°I¡¯ll take you upstairs.¡±

    I buried my head and chuckled. ¡°Reynaldo is really serious this time. He almost scared Johnathan away.¡±

    Sure enough, Johnathan suddenly got up and said, ¡°I¡¯m full, I should go back, Vonnie is still waiting for me at home.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the rush? Look at you,ing all the way in the wind and snow to deliver medicine, you¡¯ve really worked hard.¡±

    No matter what, I have to let you rest for a night.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you up,¡± he said.

    Johnathan waspletely speechless, he hurried towards the main gate, saying as he walked, ¡°I really have to go back, I have a date with Vonnie tonight.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t disturb your world of two anymore, I¡¯ll leave first, ha.¡±

    In the midst of the conversation, the others had already reached the entrance gate.

    Reynaldo also kindly/urged him with a smile, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay the night? You¡¯ve worked so hard to bring me the medicine, and you haven¡¯t even had a sip of hot water. Esmeralda will me

    eter.¡±

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    ¡°It¡¯s not hard, it¡¯s not hard,¡± Johnathan waved his hand repeatedly, ¡°It¡¯s all part of the job.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly looked at me again, ¡°He said he wasn¡¯t tired.¡±

    I was speechless.

    Was he jealous? Jealous that I sighed for Johnathan¡¯s hard work all the way?

    Johnathan seemed like he couldn¡¯t stay for a moment longer.

    He opened the door and was about to leave, but suddenly seemed to remember something, turned to me and Reynaldo, and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, Vonnie¡¯s film is almost finished shooting, and they are nning to hold a wrap¨Cup ceremony in the middle of next month.¡±

    Don¡¯t forget the time while staying here, remember to go back for the wrap¨Cup ceremony.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m out of here!¡±

    After Johnathan finished speaking, he ran out in a hurry, and the door was shaken by him.

    After Johnathan left, Reynaldo sat down and leisurely picked up his utensils, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±

    I chuckled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you not hungry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry now.¡±

    Iughed and touched my forehead.

    I think I understood.

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    In front of Reynaldo, there was absolutely no chance for the light bulb to survive, which scared Johnathan.

    You know, Johnathan, who is known for his thick skin, was actually scared away by him.

    I reallyughed to death.

    When I was cooking just now, I discussed with Reynaldo.

    He cooked, I washed the dishes.

    Little did they know that as soon as the meal was finished, Reynaldo automatically got up and started clearing the table.

    I tried to grab the utensils, but he avoided my hand and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Go see what medicines Johnathan has sent over, and help me take themter.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡±

    I nodded, walked to the door, and took the medicine box ced on the cab.

    This medicine box has two moreyers.

    On the topyer were several ointments for treating wounds, as well as iodine swabs and gauze.

    I picked up a tube of ointment and was about to read the instructions on it when I suddenly noticed a note underneath the ointment.

    Huh?

    What is this?

    I curiously picked up the note and unfolded it: ¡°There is a urprise

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    underneath.¡±

    Looking at this handwriting, it seems to be Vonnie¡¯s.

    Was there a surprise on the next level?

    Hmm, what did this woman put on the lower floor?

    I curiously peeled back theyer above.

    The next second, I was stunned, and then my face started to blush slightly.

    09:05

 TOO Close 1169

    I thought what was ced below?

    It turned out to be the kind of clothes that ¡°flirted¡°.

    Ah ah ah ah¡­

    Vonnie followed Johnathan and ¡°went bad¡°!!

    The heart was roaring, and suddenly Reynaldo walked towards me. ¡°What kind of medicine did he bring? Did he bring the wrong one?¡± I quickly covered the topyer and smiled at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t send the wrong thing, it¡¯s medicine for treating wounds. I¡¯ll apply it to youter.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and then looked at me intently.

    Thinking about that set of casual clothes, my cheeks were a little flushed.

    He suddenly stared at me so straight, and my face got even hotter.

    ¡°Um, I¡­ I went up first.¡±

    I was carrying a medicine box and getting ready to go upstairs.

    He suddenly grabbed me, his ck eyes staring at my face without blinking for a moment, ¡°Strange, why are you blushing? I didn¡¯t tease you.¡±

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    ¡°No, no¡­¡±

    I touched my face, smiled at him, ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit hot, I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯ll go up first and change into something thinner.¡±

    Reynaldo stared at me strangely and asked, ¡°Are you hot?¡±

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s hot!¡±

    With that, I broke free from his hand and rushed upstairs quickly.

    Returning to the room, I took out that set of clothes, and the more I looked at them, the redder my face became.

    This outfit is even more embarrassing than the one Johnathan secretly left in Reynaldo¡¯s room before.

    Suddenly, another piece of paper fell out from the clothes.

    It was still Vonnie¡¯s handwriting.

    Ralda, the clothes I picked out are sexy and good¨Clooking, hurry up and put them on, see if they don¡¯t drive that stubborn man of yours crazy!

    If he doesn¡¯t listen to you in the future, put on this dress to seduce him, guaranteed he will obey your every word!

    Ah ah ah¡­

    Howe I feel like Vonnie has be even worse than Johnathan.

    I carried the clothes and looked at them carefully, the more I looked, the more embarrassed I felt.

    The set of clothes that Johnathan had left in Reynaldo¡¯s room before could at least be called clothes, although the fabric was a bi¡­cking.

    308

    09.05

    But this clothes¡­.

    No, this can¡¯t be considered as clothes, at most it can be considered as a piece of cloth.

    I looked around and wondered where to hide this clothes.

    Suddenly the door was pushed open by someone.

    I was startled and quickly hid the clothes behind me.

    Reynaldo looked at me strangely and asked, ¡°What are you hiding?¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°No, nothing?¡±

    The man was walking towards me, his eyes burning into me, ¡°Why do I feel like your face is getting redder?¡±

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t.¡±

    I stuffed the clothes tightly into the quilt.

    The man stood in front of me.

    He frowned and looked down at me, his gaze deep and intense.

    ¡°Did they deliver the right medicine for Johnathan?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I shook my head quickly and smiled at him, ¡°Do you want to take a shower first, and then I¡¯ll bandage your wounds?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    Reynaldo buttoned up his shirt and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just go with this.¡±

    That ck shirt I wore this morning has been torn by me.

    1020

    09:05

    Chapter1169

    Heter changed into a smoke¨Cgray shirt.

    Others look old¨Cfashioned in ash gray, but he looks even more steady and handsome in ash gray.

    Reynaldo quickly unbuttoned his shirt.

    He didn¡¯t take off his clothes directly, but instead peeled them down to his shoulders and wrists, revealing his chest muscles and abdominal muscles.

    This actually made it look even wilder and more powerful.

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    Chapter1170

    I involuntarily remembered the embarrassing clothes hidden in the quilt, and my whole body burned up.

    Ah ah ah¡­

    It¡¯s really a disaster!

    Reynaldo tilted his head and a mischievous smile crept between his eyebrows, ¡°Esmeralda, are you thinking of some unhealthy images?¡±

    I was taken aback, realizing what he was saying, and quickly shook my head, ¡°No no no¡­ definitely not.¡®

    ??

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Reynaldo pursed his lips, smiling knowingly, ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t, you¡¯re not that lecherous, I understand.¡±

    Ah ah ah!

    What does ¡°Reynaldo¡± mean?

    His words seemed to be sarcastic!

    I wiped my face and said seriously, ¡°Alright, stop overthinking. I¡¯ll give you the medicine.¡±

    ¡°Well, I was just overthinking,¡± Reynaldo chuckled, ¡°I was the one imagining unhealthy scenarios, not you. My wife is the most proper one.¡±

    ¡°Ah, shut up!¡±

    I angrily growled at him.

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    ane

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    Chapter1170

    He would tease me when he was in a good mood.

    Seeing me angry, the man over there chuckled,ughing so much that I really wanted to pounce on him and bite him.

    But seeing all the injuries on his body, I also swallowed this anger.

    I took out iodine and cotton swabs, ready to disinfect his wound.

    He leaned back with both hands, half reclining, and stared at me without blinking for a moment.

    The eyes were affectionate and focused, with a hint of warmth.

    I said to him, ¡°It might be a little painful. Why don¡¯t you y with your phone to distract yourself?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to watch my wife.¡±

    Hmm¡­

    The man¡¯s words started to be cheesy again.

    I lowered my head, avoiding his gaze, carefully disinfecting his wound with a cotton swab dipped in iodine.

    Just without looking up, I could feel his gaze burning hotly.

    I couldn¡¯t help but think again, ¡°I must not let Reynaldo see that outfitter, or his eyes will be aze.¡±

    Just what excuse should I use to get rid of him for a while and then hide the clothes?

    Perhaps I was too engrossed in my thoughts, and for a moment I didn¡¯t control my strength.

    Reynaldo just made a hissing sound.

    09.05

    Chapter1170

    I was startled and quickly looked at him, ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯m <b>sorry</b>, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and ruffled my hair, saying, ¡°Just kidding.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    I red at him gloomily, but in the end, I still felt sorry for his injury. I didn¡¯t think too much anymore and carefully treated his wound.

    After applying the ointment, I took a piece of gauze and prepared to bandage his wound.

    Reynaldo, however, was unwilling to bandage.

    The reason he gave was this: ¡°His chest, one side of his abdomen, and his waist all had wounds, all of which were bandaged. Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s wearing a gauze shirt? How can we still have marital rtions?¡±

    Listening to his reason, I was both angry and amused.

    In the end, under Reynaldo¡¯s insistence, the wound was still not bandaged.

    I put the ointment, iodine, and gauze into the medicine box without looking up and said to him, ¡°Do you want to go to the study to take care of things?¡±

    ¡°No, there hasn¡¯t been much to keep me busytely.¡±

    I bit my lip, ¡°Was Reynaldo lingering in the room?¡±

    How can I hide my clothes then?

    I absentmindedly put away the first aid kit.

    09.05

    Chapter1170

    At that moment, I saw Reynaldo pulling the nket onto the bed,

    I was shocked and hurried over, grabbing him and asking, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    The man looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°Sleeping, want to sleep together?¡±

    I shook my head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy. Don¡¯t go to sleep either. Get up and keep mepany.¡±

 TOO Close 1171

    Reynaldozily leaned against the head of the bed, smiling at me and said, ¡°Okay, how do you want me to apany you?¡±

    Thatst sentence, he asked in a very ambiguous way.

    And all of a sudden, he caught me off guard with his question.

    I was stuttering, trying toe up with an excuse, when he suddenly pulled me into his arms.

    Luckily, I reacted quickly and propped my hand against the head of the bed, so I didn¡¯t bump into his wound.

    I red at him angrily and said, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t suddenly pull me into your arms in the future. What if you reopen your wound?¡±

    ¡°With you here, I¡¯m not afraid.¡±

    Reynaldoughed gently and his eyes slowly took on a hint of color as he looked at me.

    I stared at him in shock as his eyes slowly grew deeper. It was only then that I realized my hands were resting on his side, my body draped over his.

    This position, like ¡°imprisoning him between me and the head of the bed.¡±

    There was an ambiguous atmosphere circting between each other.

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand was around my waist, he looked up at me and whispered seductively, ¡°Do you want the chance to ¡®bully¡®

    or not?¡±

    0.00%

    09:05)

    Oh, this¡­

    I wanted to, but I was afraid he wouldn¡¯t keep his word.

    The man straightened up and pecked my lips, leaning over my ear. smiling seductively, ¡°This is the only chance, I won¡¯t let you bully me in the future.¡±

    He paused and then said, ¡°Esmeralda, admit it, deep down you actually want to ¡®tease¡® me, just like I ¡®tease¡® you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± I denied instinctively, my face turning red with embarrassment.

    He said with a smile, ¡°I wasn¡¯t making it up, you said everything in your sleepst night.¡±

    Oh?

    I looked at him in shock.

    Really?

    I had that pleasant dream against night, and I even talked in my sleep.

    Reynaldo, you begged me for mercy, begged me to make youfortable, quickly!

    He cried and called me, otherwise I would kill you!

    The thought of possibly saying such nonsense in front of him and having him hear it made me wish I could find a hole to hide in.

    Just as I was about to cry my heart out, he suddenly hugged me and pushed me down onto the bed.

    09.05

    Chapter117)

    I was surprised, ¡°What¡­what are you doing? Didn¡¯t we agree that I would be on top?¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you unwilling?¡±

    With that, his hand suddenly reached into the quilt.

    The next second, that embarrassing outfit was taken out by him.

    Seeing that embarrassing outfit, I was dumbfounded.

    Ah ah ah¡­

    What a pity!

    Reynaldo had always been waiting for the opportunity to see what I had hidden under the covers.

    The so¨Ccalled ¡®flirting¡® was just a way to distract me.

    s¡­

    Thanks to a few flirtatious words from him that made me blush, he just wanted to find out what I was hiding in the nket.

    Just as I was secretly berating myself for being so ipetent, Reynaldo suddenly held out a few ck cloth strips in front of me and asked, ¡°What is this?¡±

    I was so embarrassed, how should I answer him?

    Reynaldo shook the bundle of cloth and looked at me with a puzzled expression, ¡°Come on, what is this? Is it hard to say?¡±

    I bit my lip in secret, and I was starting to doubt if he knew what this thing was.

    I could see the clear and misty look in his eyes, and I dismissed this

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    guess.

    Also, he had no idea what this was.

 TOO Close 1172

    I said, ¡°It¡¯s a piece of cloth.¡±

    As I spoke, I reached out to snatch back the eyeless clothes.

    Little did I know, with a light lift of his hand, he dodged mine.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s a piece of cloth for tying things, why did you hide it?¡±

    Um.

    His question really caught me off guard.

    He was seen with a slight curl of his lips, his slender fingers hooking the bundle of cloth, looking with interest.

    Even if his eyes were hazy and clear again, the movement looked extremely flirtatious!

    The key is that the piece of cloth had already beenpletely shaken out by him, forming a bikini shape.

    I buried my face in the quilt in embarrassment.

    The next second, he was dug out by him.

    He kissed my lips, brought the clothes close to my face, and smiled somewhat strangely, ¡°You tell me, is this a piece of cloth for tying things?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, forcing calmness.

    Reynaldo nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Okay, then tell me, ..hat is

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    Chapter1172

    this strip of cloth for?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it can be anything.¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow, then suddenly smiled meaningfully. ¡°Can you do it too?¡±

    I was taken aback, not yet understanding the meaning behind his words.

    He suddenly pulled me up and hugged me, leaning close to my ear and chuckled, ¡°Esmeralda, you really treat your husband like a naive fool.¡±

    ¡°What, what?¡±

    I looked at him in confusion.

    Where do I start with this, when did I consider him a fool, how could I dare to consider him a fool?!

    He smiled without saying a word, just stuffing the piece of cloth into my arms.

    I looked at him in confusion.

    He shook his head helplessly, then leaned in close to my ear, his voice hoarse and unsettling: ¡°Be good, show me what you¡¯re wearing.¡±

    ¡°Ah?!¡±

    I shuddered all over, looking at him in disbelief.

    He actually knew what this piece of fabric was!

    Then he actually pretended to be ignorant and asked me, making me lie to him like a fool

    Good air!

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    Reynaldo stared at me intently, his deep, rich voice carrying a hint <b>of </b>seduction.

    ¡°Try it on for me, just once, okay?¡±

    I shook my head like a tambourine.

    Couldn¡¯t wear it, couldn¡¯t wear it at all.

    I also said the set of clothes that Johnathan gave mest time was embarrassing.

    Compared to this set, that can be considered conservative.

    This set is really embarrassing just to look at, let alone wearing it.

    However, Reynaldo was determined to see it.

    He hugged me, coaxing me with soft and seductive words.

    ¡°Good, as long as you show it to me, this time, you can bully me however you want.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­ just once, okay¡­ just once¡­¡±

    Ah ah ah ah¡­

    The man who used to be gloomy, irritable, and extremely unsociable suddenly transformed into a gentle and charming little darling.

    Couldn¡¯t resist it!

    Who can resist this?!

    Reynaldo¡¯s enchanting soft calls softened my bones.

    I leaned softly in his arms, my face already blushing to the roo. of my neck.

    09 06

    wind was bowling outside, I felt like I was burning up

    My load was a mess, confused and dazed, just following his kisses by

    The whispered in my car his boarse voice seemed to carry some kind of magic, ¡°tempting¡± me

    in the and, I muhed at him dazulis

    The what, and his smile was very attractive

    The dark eyes were filled with unsopation and affection

    <b>Chapter1172 </b>

    The clothes also slipped down below his shoulders under <b>his </b>kisses<b>. </b>

    It was hot, very hot!

    Even though the wind was howling outside, I felt like I was burning <b>up </b>all over.

    My head was a mess, confused and dazed, just following his kisses by instinct.

    He whispered in my ear, his hoarse voice seemed to carry some kind of magic, ¡°tempting¡± me.

    In the end, I nodded at him dazedly.

    He smiled, and his smile was very attractive.

    The dark eyes were filled with anticipation and affection.

    <b>Chapter1173 </b>

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1173 </b>

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>1173 </b>

    When I stumbled into the bathroom, holding the bundle of cloth, I became a little more awake.

    I shook my head while holding the piece of cloth, thinking to myself, ¡°When did Vonnie be so open like this.¡±

    I also gave her a set like this to make Jonathan crazy about her!

    No, I want to give a set even more extravagant, even more embarrassing than this!

    I held the piece of cloth for a long time, and in the end, I felt too embarrassed to put it on.

    This is better off not wearing.

    It¡¯s morefortable to wear nothing than to wear this thing.

    With a sense of shame and anger in her heart, Esmeralda heard Reynaldo¡¯s hoarse voiceing from outside, saying, ¡°Esmeralda, are you okay?¡±

    What to do?

    I had already promised Reynaldo, ¡°I have to wear it.¡±

    He hesitated for a while!

    Reynaldoughed outside and said, ¡°What are you afraid of? I¡¯ve seen you in all kinds of situations.¡±

    The words were sp?ken like this.

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    But it¡¯s really a different story to wear nothing and wear such embarrassing clothes!

    Thinking always couldn¡¯t escape, lingering like this seemed a bit affected.

    So I gritted my teeth, quickly stripped off my clothes, and then hung that embarrassing piece of cloth on my body.

    After I got dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror.

    That was beyond embarrassing.

    I just took one look, and my face felt like it was boiling.

    I dared not look a second time, I went straight to the door, and then sneaked out.

    As soon as I walked out, I felt a hot gaze shooting towards me.

    Blushing and heart pounding, I lifted my head and saw Reynaldozily leaning against the head of the bed, his gaze fixed on me.

    That look was too intense, as if it wanted to melt me.

    I stood at the doorway of the bathroom, my toes nervously picking at the carpet.

    Although I was very close to Reynaldo, it was really embarrassing to dress like this in front of him.

    The man had walked up to me.

    As he approached, I felt his gaze be even more intense.

    He lowered his gaze and stared at me without blinking for a mon. his eyes shining with desire.

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    He raised his hand, took down my hand blocking his chest, and said hoarsely, ¡°Nice.¡±

    I was so embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t lift my head.

    What looks good, exactly what looks good?!

    As I was nervously twisting my hands, he suddenly picked me up.

    I instantly became stuttering nervously, ¡°Reynaldo¡­ you, you¡­ I, I¡­¡±

    Reynaldo put me on the bed, and his tall figure followed closely.

    His eyes ran over me from top to bottom, and wherever his gazended, it was like sparks flying, igniting a wildfire in an instant.

    The man ran his slender fingers along the cloth strip, his gaze gradually darkening, as if the desire in his body had reached its peak at that moment.

    He softly called my name, then lowered his head and kissed me.

    I hurriedly lowered my head on his shoulder and said aggrievedly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say, this time let me ¡®bully¡® you?¡±

    He hesitated for a moment, then smiled at me indulgently and said, ¡°Okay, this time I¡¯ll listen to you for everything.¡±

    With that, he turned me over and in an instant, I was lying on top of him.

    Hey on his arms, smiling at me and said, ¡°Come on, do whatever you want to ¡®bully¡® me.

    The saying goes that the scenes of ¡°bullying¡± him in the dream were indeed very enjoyable.

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    But when ites to really ¡°bullying¡± him, I feel a little at a <b>loss </b><b>and </b>don¡¯t know where to start.

    Ah ah ah¡­

    Esmeralda, you are so damn useless!

    I cursed myself inwardly, and when I looked up, I met his smiling eyes.

    Heughed at me and said, ¡°I give you a chance, but you seem to be useless again.¡±

    ¡°Who said that? Just wait, I¡¯ll make you beg for mercy!¡± I said angrily.

    His smile grew wider, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    While speaking, his gaze remained fixed on those few strips of cloth on me, his eyes burning frighteningly.

    I blushed and looked away from his gaze, then followed the scene in my dream to unbutton his shirt and unbuckle his belt.

    He didn¡¯t move at all, just looked at me like that, letting me busy myself on him.

    Anyway, just treat all of this at the moment as a dream.

    Yes, it¡¯s a dream!

    Hypnotized by myself <i>in </i>this way, and then thinking of the refreshing feeling in the dream, so Ipletely let go.

    When he reached the final step, Reynaldo frowned tightly, his

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    <b>09:06 </b>

    <b>expression </b>showing great <b>restraint</b>,

    I propped up his shoulder and deliberately blew <b>in </b><b>his </b><b>car</b><b>, </b>¡°We agreed. that no matter how I bully you, you are not allowed <b>to </b>move<b>. </b>

    Reynaldo nced at me sideways, smiled at me with restraint<b>, </b><b>and </b>said, ¡°Then you¡¯d better hurry up.¡±

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re asking me.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Reynaldo was both angry and amused, and in the end could only helplessly watch me.

    Seeing his appearance, I felt so happy in my heart.

    After a while, he seemed to have had enough, looking at me pitifully and said, ¡°Esmeralda¡­ darling¡­ please don¡¯t make a scene, it could be fatal¡­¡±

    I still smiled at him, with a hint of arrogance in my smile, ¡°Then beg me,e on, beg me to make youfortable.¡±

    Reynaldoughed with an extraordinary sense of helplessness and restraint.

    He suddenly sat up, embraced me, and his indulgent voice was gentle to the extreme: ¡°Esmeralda, you have be naughty.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get the idea that you¡¯re bad?¡± Iughed at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t even crossed the line yet, and you don¡¯t even think about what you used to do¡­¡±

    Before I could finish/my sentence, Reynaldo covered my lips, seemingly shifting from passive to active.

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    283 Mouchere

    Is this okay?

    How can I still ¡°bully¡± him like this.

    I quickly dodged his kiss, pressed against his shoulder, and whispered, ¡°Lie down and don¡¯t move!¡±

    Reynaldoughed even more helplessly, ¡°Bullying is one thing, but not with someone as annoying as you.¡±

    ¡°I was about to, you begged me.¡±

    I wrapped my arms around his neck, continuing to whisper in his ear, ¡°Reynaldo, beg me, please beg me.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and said, ¡°You just wait for me!¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m waiting.¡± I nodded earnestly and then smiled at him and asked, ¡°So, are you going to ask me out this time?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± he gritted his teeth and red at me.

    Reynaldo may have been really struggling, with veins almost popping out on his arms.

    It was clearly him who said, ¡°This time everything depends on me.¡±

    And when coaxing me to wear this embarrassing outfit, he also said, ¡°I will listen to whatever you say.¡±

    The result made him not even willing to ask me for a word.

    Humph!

    Grind him to death!

    With anger in my heart, I teased him for a while again.

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    The man couldn¡¯t hide it anymore, he grabbed my arm and asked me with a hoarseugh, ¡°Tell me, how do you want me to beg you?¡±

    Ð¡

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    I gave him a mischievous smile¡­

    Next, Reynaldo was forced by me to say a lot of embarrassing things.

    Just like in a dream.

    I let him say whatever he wanted to say.

    I made him beg me, and he begged me.

    In the end, I made him cry and shout my name, but he wouldn¡¯t do it.

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t push your luck.¡±

    Joke!

    A rare opportunity, I definitely took advantage of it!

    Otherwise, where will there be another chance next time?

    So I bullied, definitely bullied enough.

    Under my deliberate teasing and coercion, Reynaldo finally broke down and made a crying plea for mercy towards me.

    In order to recreate the refreshing feeling in the dream, I specifically pressed his hands on top of his head.

    I looked down at him and said with a smile, ¡°Come on, do it again, cry and beg me to make youfortable, beg me to let you go.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡± he red at me through gritted teeth.

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    I pursed my lips and said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t want to? Well, I knew it, Mr. Humphrey doesn¡¯t keep his word. He clearly promised me just now when he was coaxing me¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­

    He suddenly called out to me, his eyes <b>instantly </b>bing teary and filled with emotion.

    Tsk!

    This born actor, oh my god!!

    ¡°Wife¡­ I feel so bad, please don¡¯t torture me like this¡­¡±

    I beg you, wife¡­ I beg you¡­

    He said, with his eyes turning red, as if tears were hanging on them, looking pitiful.

    Emma, I looked at it and my heart softened all of a sudden.

    ¡°Wife, I beg you¡­¡±

    He even shook my arm, with a look on his face that seemed like he was about to cry.

    Seeing that he had been bullied enough, I hugged his neck and softly said, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t torture you anymore.¡±

    Everything that followed was a matter of course.

    The whole process was almost entirely led by me, and Reynaldo let me have my way with everything.

    However, after the wait, the man suddenly seemed to have changed as if he were a different person.

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    In an instant, he went from being gentle <b>to </b><b>evil</b>,

    He turned over and covered me, his eyes dark and fierce <b>like </b><b>fire </b>

    I was originally feeling sore all over and almost falling asleep<b>, </b><b>but </b>when I saw him like that, I was instantly scared awake.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand game to my waist side, smiled at me very badly and mischievously, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it¡­ Isn¡¯t it over?¡±

    ¡°You ended it, but I haven¡¯t.¡±

    Reynaldo still smiled, smiling so much that it made me nervous.

    I stuttered, ¡°You, don¡¯t mess around, we agreed that this time it¡¯s me ¡°bullying¡® you.¡±

    ¡°Well, it was agreed, but haven¡¯t you already ¡®bullied¡® me enough?¡±

    Next, it was my turn.

    Reynaldo almost ¡°spoke through gritted teeth.¡±

    I just realized that he was here to ¡°avenge¡°.

    Ah ah ah¡­

    I knew that someone like him would not willingly let me ¡°bully¡± him into bed.

    It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over.

    I had just bullied him so badly that he had to retaliate fiercely.

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    Sure enough, Reynaldo quickly turned <b>into </b>a <b>¡°</b><b>beast</b>¡°, and started finding ways to torment me.

    I was already feeling weak all over, and after such a struggle, <b>I </b><b>was </bpletely exhausted, and finally fell into a deep sleep.

    I also didn¡¯t know when he ended.

    I woke up once in a daze, but it was already midnight.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t sleep, he leaned against the head of the bed reading, his hand gently patting my shoulder.

    In the room, only a warm yellow wallmp was lit, looking especially

    cozy.

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    I didn¡¯t disturb him, I just leaned into his arms, then reached out and hugged his waist, and fell asleep peacefully again.

    In my sleep, I faintly heard himughing and calling out to me.

    The fine snow fell intermittently for two days before stopping.

    After the weather cleared up, Reynaldo took me for a walk nearby to enjoy the surrounding scenery.

    Living here was peaceful, with no one to disturb and pleasant scenery.

    I often yed chess and drank tea with Reynaldo in the yard, giving me a sense of tranquility.

    Living here, the thing I did most with him was still ¡°bedroom matters¡°.

    His demand in this area was very high, often spending two consecutive days in bed with him.

    The sweet days always passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day when the crew wrapped up filming.

    However, the wrap¨Cup ceremony was scheduled for a weekter.

    Vonnie had already sent me the specific time and location, the location was in a luxury hotel in the city center.

    It is said that at that time, there were many media reporters on the scene, and some senior fans came to interact with their idols.

    Speaking of which, this wrap¨Cup party can also be considered as a publicity stunt.

    Chapter1176

    That day, I was tidying up my things, nning to go back <b>to </b><b>the </b>city

    center.

    Reynaldo leaned against the window, looking at me in silence, <b>with </b><b>a </b>gloomy expression on his face.

    He didn¡¯t say a word until I had finished tidying up everything.

    It was obvious that he was in a bad mood.

    I walked over, took his hand, and asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Reynaldo pulled me into his arms and spun me around.

    In an instant, a picturesque scene imprinted on the eyes.

    He kissed my neck and asked softly, ¡°Is it not good to live here?¡±

    I was taken aback. ¡°Does he not want to go back to the city center, so he¡¯s in a bad mood?¡±

    But we have been living here for half a month already, we should go back no matter what.

    Essie and Roddy were still waiting at home, and he had hispany to take care of, how could he just keep avoiding living here like this.

    doesn¡¯t

    I turned in his arms and looked into his eyes, filled with sadness, and whispered, ¡°Actually, as long as we are together as a family matter where we live.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, are you worried about something?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just looked at me deeply, with a hint of unease lingering/in his mncholic eyes.

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    Chapter1176

    I hugged him and said, ¡°Silly, we have already made up, nothing can separate us in the future,¡±

    ¡°What about the memories of youth?¡±

    He tightened his arms around me, his tone was ultimately uneasy.

    I knew that going back to the city center meant facing Anton.

    And here it was different, here it was just him and me, as if the whole world had only him and me.

    He didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone ¡°stealing me away from him.¡±

    But what he didn¡¯t know was that all of this was caused by hisck of confidence leading to unfounded worries.

    Actually, the memories of my youth have lost their significance to me.

    Even though that memory was restored, I clearly understood in my heart that the only one I loved was him.

    I looked at him and said seriously, ¡°Reynaldo, don¡¯t overthink it.¡±

    ¡°That memory doesn¡¯t necessarily mean anything, does it? Just because I remember that, does it mean I don¡¯t love you anymore?¡±

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    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment and said nothing.

    I found his hand and held his ten fingers tightly.

    ¡°I am already your wife, and we have two lovely children together. So, what are you still afraid of?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his thin lips, gazing at me steadily for a long time, then suddenly pulled me into his arms.

    His chin rested on my shoulder, his voice deep and muffled, ¡°Anyway, you can¡¯t leave me again, no matter what the reason, you can¡¯t leave me again.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just tightened his arms.

    I patted his back gently and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be afraid, we will always be together as a family.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    The man responded with a dull sound, without speaking again, nor letting go of me.

    He just kept holding me like that, without letting go for a long, long time.

    I humorously reminded him, ¡°The driver has been waiting downstairs for a long time.¡±

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    Reynaldo suddenly looked at me with a displeased expression and said, ¡°It seems like you can¡¯t wait to leave here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I smiled at him.

    Reynaldo¡¯s face visibly darkened.

    I tiptoed and kissed him on the face, smiling and saying, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see our two children, don¡¯t you miss them?¡±

    Mentioning Essie and Roddy, Reynaldo¡¯s eyes softened noticeably.

    He said, ¡°I miss them very much too.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s hurry back, back to our home.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply for a while, then nodded and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home.¡±

    After spending half a day with Reynaldo, when we set off back to the city, it was already getting dark.

    I reckon if it weren¡¯t for the Gilbert group¡¯s party in the evening, Reynaldo would have had to drag me to stay here for the night.

    Vonnie¡¯s y waspletely finished today.

    So Gilbert organized a gathering and invited everyone from the crew to join in the fun.

    I was amazed when I heard what Vonnie said at the time.

    Heart said, ¡°People like Gilbert, actually still take the initiative to organize gatherings to y.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until Gilbert personally called and invited me that I truly believed he had set up a scheme.

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    And it is said that he rented out the bar we usually go to tonight.

    It should be said that Gilbert, although not understanding romance, was still quite generous in his actions.

    When we returned to the city center, the sky was alreadypletely dark.

    Reynaldo and I both missed the child very much.

    So the first thing after returning to the city center was to head straight to the Duffy¡¯s vi.

    As soon as the car pulled into the yard, I saw those two children rushing out of the house eagerly.

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    The crisp shout came, and as I got off the car, two little ones rushed into my arms.

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±

    Essie looked up at me with tears in her eyes, ¡°Essie misses you so much, really misses mommy.¡±

    Roddy didn¡¯t cry. He looked at me,

    He looked at me, then at Reynaldo, and then asked me, ¡°Mommy, did you and daddy go on vacation?¡±

    I was taken aback, before I could even respond, Es said, ¡°Johnathan said you guys went on vacation, hmph, you went on vacation without bringing me and Roddy.¡±

    I looked at Reynaldo with a smile, it turned out that Johnathan was coaxing these two little guys like this.

    Chapter1177

    Reynaldo picked up Essic and said softly, ¡°Okay, next time we will go on vacation together as a family, me, Mommy, and you and Roddy, all of us.¡±

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    ¡°Mmm, Essie really liked daddy.¡±

    Essic instantly felt happy again, hugged Reynaldo¡¯s neck, and gave him a kiss on the face.

    Reynaldo was thrilled to be kissed by his loved one.

    Well, if I can¡¯t coax this man in the future, I¡¯ll ask Essie to do it.

    When I entered the house, I looked around the courtyard.

    There were indeed many more bodyguards in the courtyard.

    It seems that what I said to Reynaldost time, he did take it to heart and did start to be wary of Kimberly.

    ¡°Ah, you finally decided toe back.¡±

    Reynaldo and I had just entered the house when a yfulughter suddenly rang out.

    I looked up and saw both Johnathan and Vonnie.

    The two of them sat on the sofa, cracking sunflower seeds, looking at me and Reynaldo with big smiles on their faces.

    Give me a feeling: ¡°They had just gossiped about me and Reynaldo.¡±

    Madisyn was busy in the kitchen, but when she sawse back, she quickly came out and/smiled at me and Reynaldo, saying, ¡°Mr. Dup said you would be going out to a partyter and not eating at home, so I didn¡¯t cook dinner, just¨Cmade some sweet soup.¡±

    Chapter1178

    ¡°Later, you guys can have some warm drinks to warm up your bodies.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°Thank you, Madisyn.¡±

    Reynaldo and I had just returned, and the two children were clinging to us tightly.

    Essie wanted Reynaldo to hold her all the time.

    Roddy¡¯s little hand kept holding onto my hand, refusing to let go.

    Johnathan looked and said, ¡°Our own parents are back, we are no longer free to do as we please.¡±

    Reynaldo held Essie as they sat down.

    This time, Reynaldo did not insult Johnathan, but instead earnestly said to Johnathan, ¡°Thank you for taking care of these two children during this time.¡±

    Also, the conflict between me and Esmeralda was resolved thanks to your intervention and suggestions.

    ¡°Johnathan, really, thank you.¡±

    However, as soon as he uttered these words of thanks, he directly scared Johnathan:

    Johnathan frowned, looking as if he didn¡¯t recognize him, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not Reynaldo, you¡­ you took the wrong medicine?¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly being so cheesy? Ew!!! I¡¯m etting goosebumps.¡±

    Vonnie covered her mouth and chuckled on the side.

    I was also holding back myughter.

    Chapter1178

    Johnathan did too.

    11

    Reynaldo finally thanked him in earnest, but he was not used to it.

    Just then, Reynaldo¡¯s face darkened, and he said to him with a forced smile, ¡°You really are asking for trouble.¡±

    The key is, when Reynaldo insulted him like that, he was actually quite pleased.

    He just put his arm around Reynaldo¡¯s shoulder and chuckled, ¡°This is our familiar Mr. Humphrey, why suddenly say those sentimental words of thanks to me.¡±

    ¡°You scared me, I thought you had been possessed.¡±

    Reynaldo coolly brushed off his hand, looking like he didn¡¯t really want to deal with him.

    Also, Reynaldo rarely sincerely thanked someone, but the person said he must have taken the wrong medicine.

    This made Reynaldo feel so embarrassed.

    Johnathan grinned and asked him, ¡°How was it? Did you enjoy the bted honeymoon I arranged for you?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at him and said with a smile that was not really a smile, ¡°You really are not suited for serious conversations.¡±

    With that, he picked up Essie and walked away, leaving Johnathan sitting on the sofa with a confused look on his fac

    Johnathan blinked twice and looked at me, ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    I chuckled and said. ¡°It means you never have a serious moment.¡±

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    ¡°Who said that?!¡± Johnathan immediately raised his voice to retort, ¡°I am the most serious one, among all of you, am I not?!¡±

    I nodded and chuckled, ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­ you are the most serious, I understand, I understand.¡±

    This remark really angered Johnathan.

    He angrily said to me, ¡°Esmie, why have you be just like Reynaldo.¡±

    ¡°Did Vonnie be just like you?¡±

    Innocently named, Vonnie instantly widened her eyes and stared at me.

    But the next second, she grinned at me like a thief.

    Oh no, what does this girl want to do again?

    I hurriedly made an excuse to go upstairs.

    She quickly caught up with me and dragged me to a corner,ughing mischievously and asking, ¡°How did the outfit I gave youst time? Does your man really like it?¡±

    Ah ah ah¡­

    Vonnie really changed!

    Can this embarrassing topic be asked directly?!

    She used to never talk to me about this kind of topic.

    Chapter1179

    So, during this time, what did she learn from Johnathan?

    Ah, I¡¯m so embarrassed!

    She waited for me for half a day without me answering.

    Vonnie was very curious: ¡°Come on, do you like that outfit or not? Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t use it!¡±

    ¡°Well, it just wasn¡¯t used.¡±

    I made a serious face and said to her, ¡°The ribbon¨Clike thing was taken by me to tie something, but it was not useful.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Vonnie looked at me in shock and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t use it? That¡¯s not right, Johnathan said all men like that.¡±

    ¡°Huh!! Your man actually didn¡¯t let you try it on, this is not right, not right at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe he¡¯s not into that.¡± I said with a straight face, talking

    nonsense.

    Vonnie clearly believed it, scratching her head and muttering, ¡°This is so unscientific. Could it be that the clothes I chose are not sexy enough?¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe.¡±

    I nodded, then quickly walked upstairs while she was still confused.

    Vonnie mentioned that outfit just now, and it reminded me that Reynaldo used to ask me to wear it for him every day back then.

    Until one time, when the emotions were strong, he didn¡¯t pay attention

    Chapter1179

    for a moment and identally tore the clothes, making it unwearable. He didn¡¯t wear itter.

    It seems that Reynaldo is not just good at this, he is simply ¡°too good at this.¡±

    The passionate scenes of those days kept echoing in my mind, and I could clearly feel my face burning up.

    As I was rushing upstairs with my head down, I bumped into Reynaldo who wasing down the stairs.

    He reacted quickly and grabbed my arm.

    I didn¡¯t fall back afterwards.

    He had changed his clothes and looked at me with a frown, his deep voice tinged with reproach, ¡°Always so reckless, what if you fall down?¡±

    I quickly stood up, buried my head, and said with a guilty look, ¡°I will pay attention next time.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly lifted my chin and stared at me for a while, then asked with a smile, ¡°Why is your face red again? Is it because of Johnathan?¡±

    I bit my lip and said nothing.

    I couldn¡¯t tell him that I blushed because I remembered the passionate scenes of these days, right?

    Reynaldo smiled and tapped my forehead, ¡°You need to toughen up, you couldn¡¯t even beat Johnathan.¡±

    Oh my goodness, what is this?

    Chapter1179

    How thick¨Cskinned Johnathan is, there are probably not many people who canpete with him.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t make fun of me anymore.

    He ruffled my hair and said with a smile, ¡°Go change your clothes quickly, we¡¯re about to leave.¡±

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    I nodded and continued to rush upstairs with my head down.

    Reynaldo¡¯s anxious voice sounded from behind: ¡°Watch the road, watch the road, you must watch the road when walking!¡±

    Back in the room, I washed my face with cold water, and the heat on my face finally subsided.

    I leaned against the sink, wondering to myself how I could practice to be as shameless as them.

    Otherwise, I always blushed and felt shy like this, so much so that I was always at the mercy of Reynaldo.

    Leaning on the sink for a while, I sighed and then went to change my clothes.

    A few days ago, there was a light snowfall, and the weather was getting colder.

    I changed into a thermal shirt, and then put on a thin down jacket.

    When I changed my clothes and put on makeup, and came downstairs, I felt that the atmosphere in the living room downstairs was strange.

    Johnathan was sitting on the sofa, his handsome face all red, and no one knew what had happened.

    Vonnie sat beside him, looking equally embarrassed.

    Looking at Reynaldo again, he sat on the sofa next to them ying with the children¡¯s toys, with a carefree expression on his face.

    2

    09.47

    Chapter1180

    I walked over curiously and asked them, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±

    Johnathan buried his head and remained silent.

    Vonnie smiled at me quizzically and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Reynaldo slowly stood up and said to me, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can set off now.¡±

    I nodded and looked at Johnathan in surprise.

    This is really strange, huh.

    How did this man suddenly be so quiet, and he even blushed.

    It¡¯s unbelievable!

    Reynaldo greeted Essie and Roddy gently, then took my hand and walked out.

    Johnathan and Vonnie followed behind us silently.

    Weird, it was really weird.

    What¡¯s wrong with Johnathan?

    Because we were all going to Gilbert¡¯s party, we drove there.

    Reynaldo was driving, and Johnathan was sitting beside him.

    I sat behind Vonnie.

    Johnathan was usually the most talkative, but strangely quiet this time.

    I nced at the two people in front of me, and the more I looked, the stranger they seemed.

    20-47

    Chapter1180

    Suddenly, Vonnie tugged at my sleeve.

    I looked at her in confusion and saw her motioning for me toe

    closer.

    I obediently leaned in with my ears, only to hear her whisper to me, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into Reynaldo? Just now in the living room, he suddenly started teasing Johnathan, making Johnathan blush.¡±

    This was the first time I saw Johnathan blush, the first time I saw him blush so silently, it¡¯s really amazing.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I was stunned.

    Why did Reynaldo go and embarrass Johnathan like that?

    Did¡­

    Was he avenging me?

    Did he think I was too thin¨Cskinned to take on Johnathan, so he had to step in himself?

    Poof!

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    This time Johnathan was indeed a bit wronged.

    You know, I was blushing with embarrassment just now, but it had nothing to do with Johnathan.

    I was quite curious about what Reynaldo said th

    who has always been thick¨Cskinned, blush like that.

    made Johnathan,

    I quickly asked Vonnie in a low voice, ¡°So tell me, how did Reynaldo entertain himself just now?¡±

    09-47

    Chapter1180

    283/2/20chers

    Vonnie opened her mouth, about to say something to me.

    Suddenly, a cold gaze swept over.

    Apanied by Johnathan¡¯s gritted teeth low hum, ¡°Vonnie, if you dare to say, wait for me tonight!¡±

    Vonnie quickly closed her mouth, covering it with her hand as she shook her head at him, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not telling¡­ I won¡¯t say¡­¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    Johnathan huffed at me again, then turned his head to look ahead.

    Chapter1181

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    Chapter1181

    I was puzzled.

    Humph, what did I do?

    ¡°Hum¡± to Reynaldo!

    About half an hourter, the car stopped at the entrance of the bar.

    Reynaldo let us get off first and went to find a parking spot.

    I had intended to wait for him, but Vonnie eagerly pulled me out of the

    car.

    Johnathan vented all his anger towards Reynaldo on me, as soon as he got out of the car he started to ¡°blow his beard and stare at me¡°, which made meugh.

    Vonnie said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± and then excitedly pulled me into the bar.

    I turned around and saw Johnathan standing there, pouting with a look of grievance on his face.

    I asked Vonnie with a smile, ¡°Do you want to go and cheer up Johnathan? He¡¯s really about to explode.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, he will catch up in a moment.¡±

    As soon as Vonnie finished speaking, Johnathan indeed rushed over and grabbed Vonnie¡¯s hand tightly in his palm.

    Vonnie pursed her lips and chuckled.

    09.47

    Chapter1181

    Johnathan puffed out his cheeks, then immediately pulled the <b>person </b>into a hug.

    Emma, I identally became a ¡°third wheel¡°.

    I took a look at the two of them, just one word: ¡°sweet!¡±

    When Gilbert invited me, he told me the time was 8 o¡¯clock in the evening.

    When we arrived at the hotel, it was not yet eight o¡¯clock.

    But almost everyone had already arrived.

    After entering the bar, I looked around and saw that it was full of people, all familiar faces.

    The first people I saw were Kimberly and Quentin.

    Emma, the first person I saw was Kimberly, what a mood killer.

    Quentin sat next to Kimberly and considerately poured wine for her.

    I sneered in my heart.

    It seems that the screenshots of our chat that I sent to him that night had no effect on him at all.

    His ¡°licking dog¡± nature was beyond redemption.

    When I looked at Quentin, Quentin was also looking at me.

    Perhaps he also felt that he had already done som

    ng without

    dignity as a ¡°licking dog¡°, he nced at me and quickly looked away.

    The profile was tinged with a hint of bitterness and sadness.

    I still don¡¯t understand what he was pursuing until now.

    09:47 <b>7 </b>

    Chapter1181

    Knowing full well that Kimberly never loved him, the so¨Ccalled love was just a scam, why did he keep insisting on it?

    Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in front of me.

    I fixed my gaze and saw that it was Anton.

    Anton smiled at me, a smile that seemed a bit forced, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while. I heard you went on a honeymoon with Reynaldo.¡±

    Um¡­

    I knew right away that it was Johnathan who said that.

    At this moment, Vonnie has been taken to dance by the crew.

    Johnathan was a copycat of Vonnie, so naturally he followed along

    Everyone in the crew was ying together, the dance floor was lively, and Vonnie just got there and started having fun.

    averted my gaze and smiled at Anton, saying, ¡°Yes, a bted honeymoon.¡±

    Anton¡¯s smile froze for a moment, then he whispered, ¡°That¡¯s good, at least you made up with Reynaldo, so you won¡¯t be in pain anymore.¡±

    ¡°Well, it was the lowest point of my emotions recently, thank you for -taking care of me.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Anton looked at me steadily, with a hint of affect mncholy in his eyes.

    and a touch of

    I avoided his gaze and said earnestly, ¡°No, I really should thank you. As a friend, you have truly helped me a lot.¡±

    09:48 1

    Chapter1181

    ¡°Friend¡­¡±

    He murmured these two words, under the dim light, his face appearing even more obscure and gloomy.

 TOO Close 1182

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    ??

    He suddenly smiled at me, as if making a final confirmation, ¡°In the end, can we only be friends?¡±

    ¡°Well, we can only be friends!¡± I answered firmly, not daring to give him any ideas.

    He suddenly fell silent, bowing his head.

    The kind of mncholic and oppressive atmosphere made me feel a bit ufortable.

    I wanted to leave.

    Kimberly suddenly brought a few more people over.

    She greeted me warmly and eximed, ¡°Ms. Duffy, why are you just arriving? Anton has been waiting for you for a long time. He won¡¯t dance with anyone else, he just wants to dance with you.¡±

    I frowned, ¡°What does this woman want to do again?¡±

    Anton frowned and nced at Kimberly, as if signaling her not to speak out of turn.

    However, Kimberly seemed to ignore his eye contact and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you go¡­.nce with Anton? He has been waiting for you for so long.¡±

    ¡°Kimberly!¡± Anton immediately growled at her.

    Then Kimberly didn¡¯t hold back at all, instead sheughed and said to

    09:48

    the few people with her, ¡°Did you all see that? Mr. Palmer <b>has </b>been waiting for Ms. Duffy, hasn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw Mr. Palmer looking towards the door all the time.¡±

    ¡°Sure enough, as soon as Ms. Duffy appeared, Mr. Palmer¡¯s eyes lit up and he stood up to greet her directly.¡±

    ¡°I saw the first dance, Ms. Duffy should have danced with Mr. Palmer, and Mr. Palmer waited wholeheartedly for Ms. Palmer in vain.¡±

    It was obvious at a nce that these few people had already been ¡°bought off¡± by Kimberly.

    Anton gave Kimberly a cold look, then turned around and prepared to leave.

    Kimberly quickly grabbed him and smiled meaningfully, saying, ¡°Anton, Ms. Duffy finally came over, why did you leave again?¡±

    You didn¡¯t seize the opportunity to dance with Ms. Duffy and improve your rtionship.

    In my opinion, the reason you lost to Reynaldo is because you didn¡¯t know how to fight, didn¡¯t know how topete.

    You see, what you want has always been something you have to fight for yourself. If you don¡¯t fight for it, no one will give it to you.

    When Kimberly¡¯s words fell, Anton¡¯s expression changed.

    I frowned deeply.

    Was Kimberly brainwashing Anton?

    I coldly said to Kimberly, ¡°Feelings are never obtained by fighting for them. Stop using your crooked ways to brainwash Anton!¡±

    09:48 D

    As soon as I finished speaking, Kimberly covered her moult and chuckled, saying, ¡°Look at you, Ms Dufy, I just wanted

    with Anton, that¡¯s all

    to ca

    ¡°You¡¯re good at it, opening your mouth and saying that what i eat crooked and evil. It seems that Ms. Duffy has a deep replies against

    me.¡±

    ¡°I was there to have a drink with Mr. Russell, but you immekateh asked me to dance with Anton¡±

    It seems that Ms. Palmer couldn¡¯t stand me either, so as soonal walked in, Ms. Palmer started picking on me

    Kimberly pursed her lips and smiled, ¡°Ms. Duffy really misindemod I just saw you alone and was afraid you might feel lonely<b>, </b><b>so </b><b>I </b>fought Anton should spend more <b>time </b>with <b>you</b><b>.</b>¡±

    You see, you said you were <b>so </b><b>in </b>love with Reynaldo, but in the end he wouldn¡¯t even apany you to such a simple gathering

    ¡°Who said I wouldn¡¯t apany Ralda?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s voice had not <bpletely </b>fallen yet.

    A familiar voice suddenly came from behind.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I turned around to see Reynaldo walking in from outside.

    The man wore a ck coat, his gaze cold and impeg

 TOO Close 1183

    In an instant, the people around who were echoing Kimberly dared not say another word.

    Reynaldo walked over, reached out and pulled me into his arms, his eyes ncing coldly at Kimberly and the few people surrounding me.

    He sneered, ¡°I just stopped the car outside, I really don¡¯t know why you guys are bullying my wife by blocking her at the door like this.¡±

    Those who had been agreeing with Kimberly instantly changed their facial expressions and shook their heads repeatedly.

    ¡°We dare not, we did not bully Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we were just saying hello to Ms. Duffy.¡±

    ¡°Say hello?¡± Reynaldo chuckled softly, ¡°Is this how you say hello?¡±

    Several people were so scared that their faces turned pale, and they didn¡¯t dare to say much. They didn¡¯t even dare to stay for another second, and they all ran outside the bar.

    Kimberly¡¯s face turned pale with anger.

    But in front of Reynaldo, she still pretended to be kind and pitiful.

    She even cooed and called out to Reynaldo in a s. et voice, ¡°Reynaldo!!!¡°.

    Sometimes I really feel like this woman is sick.

    She knew that Reynaldo ¡°was very disgusted with her¡± now.

    Even that night, her malicious and sinister side was exposed over <b>the </b>phone.

    How could she still have the face to pretend in front of Reynaldo.

    I just realized now, in terms of thick skin, Kimberly is definitely number one.

    Johnathan still had to be at the back.

    ¡°Reynaldo!!¡±

    Kimberly looked at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes, her voice filled with grievance, ¡°How could you block me? After so many years of rtionship, how could you be so heartless?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not because you¡¯re annoying.¡±

    Without waiting for Reynaldo to speak, I chuckled coldly.

    Kimberly ignored me.

    Just looking at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes, hoping Reynaldo would stand up for her and give her an exnation.

    My heart skipped a beat.

    No, this woman wouldn¡¯t think that I used Reynaldo¡¯s phone to block her, would she?

    Sure enough, Kimberly looked at Reynaldo with tears in her eyes and said, ¡°I know, it must not be you who blocked me, ..ght?¡±

    ¡°You have always been the best to me, it¡¯s impossible for you to be so cruel to me, right, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°It was me who blocked you,¡± Reynaldo interrupted her calmly, with

    no expression on his face.

    Kimberly was taken aback, then she looked at him with an expression of extreme sadness and asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Just as Esmeralda said, you are very annoying,¡± Reynaldo¡¯s tone remained t, looking into Kimberly¡¯s eyes without any emotion.

    Now, Kimberly seemed to havepletely let her guard down.

    Tears welled up in her face as she slowly expressed her indignation, ¡°Why did you treat me like this? Have you forgotten how you promised my father? Have you forgotten our feelings for over a decade?¡±

    Reynaldo quietly watched her, his gaze really was like looking at a

    stranger.

    I had long believed that Reynaldo did not love this woman.

    Until this moment, I truly realized that Reynaldo really had no feelings for this woman.

    Reynaldo spoke in a t tone, ¡°To be honest, I have no rtionship with you at all. The extra care I showed you before was also out of respect for your father.¡±

    Originally, you were quiet and didn¡¯t have any other thoughts. I could still treat you as a sister.

    Unfortunately, you always annoyed me, so in order to prevent my wife from misunderstanding, I had to block you.

    When Reynaldo said this, he even deliberately hugged me into his

    arms.

    He kept calling me ¡°wife¡± repeatedly, which made me blush a little.

 TOO Close 1184

    Anton stared at me without blinking, his dark eyes unreadable.

    Kimberly was about to lose her mind with anger, she cried out to Reynaldo, ¡°But you promised my father to take care of me for the rest of my life, don¡¯t forget, my father gave your mother a kidney and was killed by your father.¡±

    ¡°In the end, you owe the Palmer family a life!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Reynaldo smiled coldly, ¡°Then shall I return the Palmer family a life for a life?¡±

    Upon hearing this, I was startled and anxiously looked at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo soothingly patted my shoulder.

    He looked at Kimberly indifferently and said, ¡°If you insist on me returning the Palmer family a life, then fine, I will give you mine.¡±

    Kimberly looked at him in disbelief, tears streaming down her face, her eyes bloodshot.

    She didn¡¯t look pitiful at all, but rather a bit neurotic.

    Suddenly, she went crazy, her face twisted and shouted at me, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Anton quickly grabbed her and said sadly, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Reynaldo would rather die than have anything to do with you. What are you still clinging to?!¡±

    09.43

    Chapter1184

    Wasn¡¯t Quentin good? Quentin loved you so much, obeyed your everymand, why do you always have to long for things that don¡¯t belong to you?

    ¡°Quentin?¡±

    Kimberly murmured these two words, then suddenly, as if remembering something, turned around quickly.

    Quentin was watching her not far away.

    Actually, Quentin had been standing there for a long time, rtively quiet by the main gate.

    Our conversation, including Kimberly¡¯s persistent behavior towards Reynaldo, was probably heard and seen by Quentin.

    Quentin¡¯s face was hidden in the shadows, not very clear to see, but I could feel a strong sense of sadness and despair emanating from him.

    He was like being pushed into an abyss of no return, unable to climb out no matter what.

    When Kimberly saw Quentin, a look of panic shed across her face.

    She hurried over and took Quentin¡¯s hand, as if she was exining something to Quentin.

    Until then, I couldn¡¯t figure out what her feelings were for Quentin.

    It was only for the sake of using and fearing that entin would expose his handle, so he had to coax Quentin.

    Did she really have some feelings for Quentin when she was alive? Of course, I dare not think of thetter.

    09:43

    Chapter1184

    Because in my eyes, Kimberly was just a heartless lunatic.

    She was not necessarily in love with Reynaldo, but only had a twisted possessiveness andpetitiveness.

    I don¡¯t know how Kimberly ¡°coaxed¡± Quentin.

    Quentin barely smiled and then led her back to the booth.

    I frowned as I watched Quentin¡¯s thin figure, always with a sense of foreboding.

    Anton nced at me and then said to Reynaldo, ¡°Don¡¯t take Kimberly¡¯s words to heart.¡±

    Actually, you didn¡¯t owe the Palmer family anything.

    I gave your mother a kidney, and that was also a voluntary act by my father, a voluntary sacrifice he made for his beloved.

    This kind of deep affection should not be used as a bargaining chip to ask for something in return from you.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t have any psychological burden, the grievances of the previous generation are ultimately the affairs of the previous generation, and have nothing to do with you.¡±

    I looked at Anton in surprise, never expecting him to think like that.

    It should be noted that he once harbored thoughts of killing Reynaldo in order to avenge his father.

    Now that he can say such words, it means that he has truly let go of the hatred in his heart.

    ¡°Furthermore¡­¡±

    Chapter1185

    Chapter1185

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    Chapter1185

    Anton pursed his lips and smiled, with a hint of self¨Cmockery in his smile, ¡°You don¡¯t have to take my father¡¯s dying wish seriously.¡±

    After all, it was him who deceived us first, wasn¡¯t it?

    He said that Theodore entrusted Reynaldo to take care of Kimberly for the rest of her life.

    And the so¨Ccalled ¡°Theodore deceiving them¡± is probably Kimberly¡¯s illness.

    I looked at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo quietly put his arm around my shoulder and nodded at Anton, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Anton grinned and said, ¡°Thanks for what? It was always like this.¡±

    After Anton finished speaking, he nced at me and then turned to walk towards the booth.

    Reynaldo stared at his back without blinking, his handsome brows slightly furrowed.

    I asked him in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head and said with a bitter sle, ¡°He is so carefree, which makes me look like a despicable unef.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked at him in confusion.

    He rubbed my hair and sighed, ¡°A thief¡­ stole his love, stole his happiness.¡±

    Chapter1185

    ¡°Ugh!¡± I frowned and interrupted him, ¡°Are you talking nonsense again? Be careful, I¡¯ll punch you!¡±

    Reynaldo humorously pulled me into his arms and said, ¡°No more talking¡­ you are mine, no matter what, you belong only to me.¡±

    I nced at him and thought, ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡±

    Otherwise, always thinking like that, it¡¯s easy to push oneself into a dead end.

    There was arge booth in the lobby, where Gilbert and some of the crew members were sitting.

    Reynaldo originally wanted to take me to the small booth on the side, but Gilbert suddenly waved to the two of us.

    I nced carefully in that direction, luckily Kimberly wasn¡¯t there.

    I really didn¡¯t want to go

    back.

    Reynaldo and I had just sat down when the sweaty Vonnie and Johnathan came over, saying hi.

    Johnathan hugged Vonnie and smiled at me and Reynaldo, saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you two go dance?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t love dancing.¡±

    Johnathan chuckled, ¡°You must be kidding, let Esmie teach you.¡±

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes and gave him a cold

    nce.

    Johnathan instantly chickened out, quickly shutting his mouth, which made meugh for a moment.

    Johnathan was always picking on Reynaldo, unable to beat him and

    FQ¨CAR

    Chapter1185

    constantly provoking him.

    This time, Reynaldo failed, and then he shifted the ¡°attack¡± to me.

    ¡°Come on, Esmic, just take Mr. Humphrey to dance, he¡¯s never danced before in his life.¡±

    I smiled at him seriously and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like dancing either.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­¡±

    Johnathan immediately wrinkled his nose, looking ¡°disgusted,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you used to study dance before and don¡¯t like to dance.¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you just focusing on Reynaldo? Is this the so¨Ccalled ¡®husband and wife singing together¡°?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I snuggled affectionately into Reynaldo¡¯s arms, openly admitting.

    Johnathan shook his head, making a clicking sound again. Vonnie couldn¡¯t stand the ¡°clicking¡± and covered his mouth in silence.

    And at that moment, I always felt a scorching gaze, sometimes there, sometimes not, staring at me.

    But when I looked around, I didn¡¯t see anyone looking at me.

    In a dark corner on the side, Anton was sitting alone, drinking heavily, which made people feel a bit ufortable.

    I took a deep breath and casually looked away.

    But in an instant, she met Reynaldo¡¯s dark, gloomy eyes.

    With a slight surprise in my heart, I was worried that he was

    09.48

    Chapter1185

    overthinking, but he suddenly patted my back and smiled at me, saying, ¡°You stay here and y with them, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±

    I instinctively grabbed his hand, a little worried that he and Anton might not get along.

    288 Novehers

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    He smiled and shook my hand, indicating that I didn¡¯t need to worry.

    Reynaldo now ¡°smiled warmly and reassuringly.¡±

    I nodded and just went along with him.

    Reynaldo and Anton had known each other since childhood and had also lived together for a period of time when they were young.

    Perhaps we really need to sit them down and have a good chat, only then will the barrier between them disappear.

    Reynaldo started drinking with Anton as soon as he arrived.

    Looking at the expressions of those two, it seemed like they were getting along well.

    With that, I was also at ease.

    I was just looking away when Gilbert suddenly asked me, ¡°Ms. Duffy, when are you going to travel to Churulega? Remember to tell me, I will take you to eat snacks in Churulega and see the scenery of Churulega.¡±

    I was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded and said, ¡°Oh, okay, sure.¡±

    At this moment, Johnathan sourly said, ¡°Oh, Mr. Russell, I bring you

    ot me.¡± delicious food every day, and you only invite Esmie

    ¡°You go too,¡± Gilbert said to him expressionlessly.

    The expression made Johnathan choke for a moment.

    09:48

    Chapter1186

    He hummed, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? It¡¯s as if I¡¯m just an essory, as if I actually want to go to Churulega.¡±

    Speaking of which, Churulega is nowhere near as good as Freybourne,

    Freybourne was known as a great ce, with plenty of snacks, beautiful scenery, distinct four seasons, and rich cultural history¡­

    ¡°Mr. Russell, I heard that the scenery in Churulega is very beautiful and the weather is like spring all year round, is that true?¡±

    Before Johnathan could finish speaking, Vonnie suddenly eagerly asked Gilbert.

    Gilbert nodded, ¡°Yes, the temperature in Churulega is very pleasant, with flowers everywhere. If youe over, I will take you to see thergest flower sea in the world.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Vonnie was obviously excited, pulling my arm and saying, ¡°Ralda, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go together.¡±

    Johnathan on the side immediately became anxious, frowning and ring at her.

    She acted as if she hadn¡¯t seen me, shaking my arm and insisting that I go on a trip to Churulega with her.

    To be honest, I really wanted to go too.

    I had long heard that the scenery of Churulega was very beautiful, producing various kinds of flowers, and also ranki.

    livable cities.

    in the top ten of

    There were still many things left unattended for the time being.

    Chapter1186

    For example, Kimberly was a time bomb.

    I smiled at Vonnie and said, ¡°Sure, when we have some free timeter, we can go together.¡±

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± Vonnie nodded busily, then looked at Gilbert again, ¡°There have always been flowers, right? And the flower sea will always bloom, right?¡±

    Gilbert nodded, ¡°Even in winter, the sea of flowers is very beautiful, because Churulega¡¯s winter is not cold, and there is no snow.¡±

    ¡°Wow, then I will go with Ralda after the New Year. By then, Mr. Russell must be our tour guide.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Johnathan became anxious and quickly eximed, ¡°I want to go too!¡±

    Gilbert nced at him lightly and said without much emotion, ¡°Churulega is no match for Freybourne. Mr. Dup should stay in Freybourne and experience the distinct four seasons.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s handsome face darkened as he said, ¡°I brought lobsters over.¡±

    Gilbert frowned slightly, ¡°You, a grown man, only bringing lobsters, seems a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    Gilbert sat up straight instantly and said seriously, ¡°re, Churulega is always weing Mr. Dup toe and visit.¡±

    When Mr. Dup, Vonnie, and Ms. Duffye over, make sure to let me know

    Chapter1186

    ¡°I treated everyone with the highest courtesy.¡±

    17 Wexners

    <b>Chapter1187 </b>

    <b>Chapter1187 </b>

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    <b>Chapter1187 </b>

    Oh.

    I didn¡¯t expect Gilbert to change his mind.

    And he was such a big foodie,ughed to death.

    Gilbert said that after thepletion of the wrap¨Cup ceremony, he would set off back to Churulega.

    There wasn¡¯t much else going on afterwards, just waiting for the <b>movie </b>to be released.

    Speaking of the

    issue of the movie being released.

    I felt a vague unease in my heart.

    I still remember that Winston¡¯s y was also stuck at the release, and then it failed.

    I don¡¯t know if there will be any unexpected events this time.

    However, upon further thought, the only danger factor was Kimberly.

    Kimberly also starred in the y, and she was the leading actress. In theory, she shouldn¡¯t have made any changes during the screening process.

    Thinking to myself, I looked around and noticed that Kimberly was sitting quietly with Quentin in the corner.

    When I looked back, Kimberly was also looking towards me.

    Then, she suddenly grinned at me.

    Chapter1187

    Suddenly, a chill ran straight to <b>the </b><b>top </b><b>of </b><b>my </b><b>head </b>

    How should I put it, the light over there was <b>already </b><b>quite </b><b>dim</b><b>, </b>and <b>half </b>of her face was hidden in the shadows.

    Plus, with her sinister grin, she looked just like a spooky female <b>ghost</b>. and she was also a neurotic ghost.

    I quickly averted my gaze, feeling a bit frightened in my heart.

    At this moment, Vonnie suddenly handed me a ss of wine. <b>Seeing </b>my expression was off, she couldn¡¯t help but pause.

    ¡°Hey, Ralda, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?<b>¡± </b>

    I shook my head, ready to let her see Kimberly¡¯s gloomy look, so she could be on guard secretly.

    Little did I know that when I gestured for her to look back, the woman continued to talk to Quentin as if nothing had happened.

    It was as if the scene I had just seen was just my illusion.

    Vonnie thought I wanted to tell her about Quentin¡¯s emotional entanglement with Kimberly, and couldn¡¯t help butugh, saying, ¡°Come on, Ralda, I havepletely let go of my feelings for Quentin a long time ago. He is now a stranger to me.)

    11

    ¡°So you don¡¯t have to worry about me either, I won¡¯t do stupid things for him anymore.¡±

    This happened to be overheard by Johnathan.

    Johnathan¡¯s lips curled unconsciously, and he somewhat dominantly pulled Vonnie into his arms, leaning in to kiss her lips.

    When there were many people, Vonnie still felt shy, blushing as she

    Chapter1187

    pushed Johnathan away, and then she pulled me to the dance floor to dance.

    I had just blended into the dance floor with her when Johnathan and Gilbert unexpectedly followed.

    Johnathan followed along, which I thought was quite normal, after all, he is very attached to Vonnie and is always afraid that someone will make advances on her.

    But Gilbert came anyway, could he still dance?

    Sure enough, appearances can be deceiving.

    Gilbert¡¯s moves and energy on the dance floor were simply killing everyone in the club!

    I doubted if he had ever specialized in dancing.

    The fast¨Cpaced dance music melody made people unconsciously move their bodies.

    The lights in the bar cast changing colors on everyone¡¯s faces, blue, red, purple.

    I made my way through the crowd dancing with abandon, and saw Reynaldo sitting in that corner, staring at me without blinking.

    The man¡¯s gaze was focused, with a rare tenderness and deep affection in his eyes and eyebrows, just one nce, and people werepletely captivated.

    That night, almost everyone had a great time.

    I also let go and drank a lot of alcohol.

    With Reynaldo around, I was not afraid of anything.

    0949

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    Chapter1188

    When they were going back in the evening, Reynaldo called Braylon to drive.

    He had Braylon take Vonnie and Johnathan back first.

    Vonnie drank a lot, but Johnathan didn¡¯t drink much this time.

    In the back seat, Johnathan was holding Vonnie, and Reynaldo was holding me.

    It¡¯s fortunate that this car is the extended version, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t even fit in.

    Braylon had originally asked at the beginning who wanted to sit in the front, but no one spoke, so Braylon didn¡¯t know what to say.

    The car drove smoothly on the road.

    Vonnie seemed to bepletely drunk in Johnathan¡¯s arms.

    I was fine, although a little tipsy from the alcohol, my mind was still clear.

    I leaned against Reynaldo¡¯s chest, staring nkly out the window, and involuntarily recalled Kimberly¡¯s strange grimace just now.

    Just then, Johnathan suddenly sighed deeply and said, ¡°Reynaldo, do you feel¡­ the happiness we have now seems like a dream.¡±

    I frowned deeply, ¡°Why did Johnathan suddenly say that, making me feel inexplicably flustered.¡±

    Look at Reynaldo again.

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    Chapter1188

    He was seen with his eyes half closed, and his thin lips coldly uttered, ¡°Get lost, you¡¯re just asking for it!¡±

    Johnathan scratched his head and grinned foolishly.

    He looked down at Vonnie in his arms and said with a sad expression, ¡°I don¡¯t know how I ended up feeling this way. Maybe because I used to enjoy ying around all the time and never thought I would settle down one day.¡°.

    And now I suddenly had a very important person, suddenly had the idea of getting married and having children, and had the wish to settle down with my beloved.

    These feelings I had never experienced before always made me feel like everything I have now is a dream.

    Upon hearing this, I breathed a slight sigh of relief.

    I thought something bad was going to happen.

    Originally, he just wasn¡¯t very ustomed to his current mindset, ¡°it really startled me!¡±

    Reynaldo nced at him and said lightly, ¡°When happinesses, just hold onto it well. Don¡¯t overthink it and end up losing the happiness.¡±

    Poof!

    As soon as Reynaldo said this, Johnathan burst outughing without any reservation, ¡°You act as if you never have any wild thoughts, but in fact, you are the one who loves to overthink the most.¡±

    ¡°Just because I loved to overthink, I almost lost the person I loved the most.¡±

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    <b>09:36 </b>

    <b>Chapter1188 </b>

    Reynaldo said, tightening the hand that was around <b>me </b><b>slightly</b>,

    He said to Johnathan seriously, ¡°Now that you have clearly <b>known </b>what happiness you want, hold onto it firmly, don¡¯t be like me¡­!

    ¡°Hehe, I wouldn¡¯t be like you.¡®

    I am a person who is open¨Cminded. ¡°She loved me, and I would also spend my whole life loving and caring for her.¡±

    If she didn¡¯t love me, I could let go too.

    I would never consume myself like you did.

    And I am quite narcissistic. In my opinion, I am the best. Besides me, no man can make her happy.

    ¡°So, I wouldn¡¯t push her towards other men.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and murmured, ¡°Your idea is pretty good. If I had your mindset, I wouldn¡¯t have had such a long¨Cstanding conflict with Esmeralda.¡±

    The man said, looking a little sad.

    I shook his hand and smiled at him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡±

    Reynaldo paused for a moment, then smiled at me helplessly and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t fall asleep, huh?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to sleep either,¡± Iughed at him.

    Reynaldo rubbed my hair and helped me sit up.

    Just when they both knew I was awake, suddenly they stopped talking

    Chapter1189

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1189 </b>

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>1189 </b>

    Johnathan even shook Vonnie in his arms, as if to make sure whether Vonnie had fallen asleep or not.

    Vonnie¡¯s sweet dream was disturbed, she raised her hand and pped Johnathan¡¯s chin, then muttered a sentence, and fell back into a deep sleep.

    Knowing that Vonnie was indeedpletely drunk, Johnathan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    I jokingly asked Johnathan, ¡°Are you so afraid that Vonnie will hear your true feelings?¡±

    Johnathan touched his nose and said a little awkwardly, ¡°Such sentimental and cheesy words, I definitely don¡¯t want her to hear, otherwise she will make fun of me again.¡±

    Being sentimental and cheesy?

    I wasughing to death, where did his words be so sentimental and cheesy?

    Johnathan really couldn¡¯t have a serious conversation. He always turned genuine emotional topics into cheesy ones.

    Thinking about the 99 times Vonnie had told me about proposing to her, I smiled at Johnathan and asked, ¡°How many times have you proposed to Vonnie? Did you seed?¡±

    Talking about this, a hint of happiness shed in Johnathan¡¯s eyes.

    He said, ¡°I have asked her 98 times already, and there is onest time.¡±

    <b>09:36 </b><b>D </b>

    <b>Chapter1189 </b>

    I was nning to propose to her these days, but she said she <b>was </b>too tired from filming and needed to rest well these days.

    So I wanted to wait until after the wrap¨Cup ceremony to officially <b>ask </b>her for thest 1

    As expected, after the New Year, you two just wait to attend our wedding banquet, hehe.¡±

    In fact, the so¨Ccalled ¡°99 proposals¡± were also Vonnie¡¯s way of testing Johnathan.

    These 98 attempts have all passed, so it was no surprise that the 99th attempt was sessful without any unexpected events.

    Oh, I had to start preparing Vonnie¡¯s wedding gift.

    Vonnie and Johnathan were finally able to settle down and start a family, which is great.

    When I got home, Essie and Roddy were already asleep.

    After being away from the children for so many days, I went to a party as soon as I came back. I really missed these two children in my heart.

    After taking a shower, I quietly went to Essie and Roddy¡¯s room with Reynaldo.

    They were still young and had to live in the same room, so there were two beds arranged in the room.

    A pink princess bed, a children¡¯s bed in shades of blue.

    Roddy slept very well with his small body under the cove pressed on top of the covers, sleeping soundly.

    his hands

    I couldn¡¯t help but kiss his forehead. As I straightened up, I saw

    09:36

    Chapter1189

    Reynaldo sitting on the edge of Essie¡¯s bed, staring nkly at <b>Essie</b>.

    He was thinking of Essic¡¯s illness.

    I walked over, took his hand, and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there <b>are </b>still a few years left, we will definitely find a way to save Essie.¡±

    Actually, I was also very anxious and worried in my heart.

    Every time I think of Essie¡¯s illness, my heart feels like it¡¯s been weighed down by a big stone, very heavy.

    But what can we do? We can¡¯t both be so negative.

    Reynaldo reached out and hugged my waist, burying his face in my chest.

    He remained silent for a long time before murmuring in a muffled voice, ¡°No matter what, I will cure Essie¡¯s illness.¡±

    I pursed my lips and looked at my daughter sleeping soundly on the bed.

    Her small body was lying on her side, holding a cute cat doll in her arms, with chubby little arms that were especially adorable.

    Essie¡¯s features closely resembled Reynaldo¡¯s.

    But what is amazing is that those features on Reynaldo¡¯s face looked calm and wise, with a hint of mncholy.

    Chapter1190

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    On Essie¡¯s face, she looked just like a cute cartoon doll, so adorable that it made people want to kiss her fiercely.

    I think Reynaldo was also so cute and lovely when he was young.

    It was the misfortune of his childhood that shaped his gloomy and sensitive personality.

    Fortunately, I was there, along with two lovely children, everything would be fine.

    I put my hand on Reynaldo¡¯s shoulder and said to him, ¡°Essie¡¯s illness will definitely be cured. She is so lovely, how could God bear to take her away.¡±

    This was tofort Reynaldo, and also tofort myself.

    Reynaldo tightened his hand around my waist.

    For a long time, he finally loosened his grip on me, and then pulled me into his arms, sitting on hisp.

    He looked at me deeply, his voice low and filled with a touch of emotion.

    He said to me, ¡°Esmeralda, why are you always so kind?¡±

    I was stunned, ¡°This praise left me at a loss for words.¡±

    He rested his chin on my shoulder and murmured, ¡°Tru when we were young, you used tofort me like this.¡±

    You were obviously feeling upset and worried in your heart, but you

    <b>Chapter1190 </b>

    always used warm words tofort others.

    You were like a little sun, shining on my originally dark world.

    Thank you for¡­willing to apany me.

    He held me tightly, his voice faintly tinged with a hint of joy.

    When I think back to my youth, my mind is nk.

    I asked him in confusion, ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that when I was young, I liked Anton and disliked you? Then howe I stillfort you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    He straightened up, looked at me, and smiled slightly with a hint of grievance, ¡°You said back then that I always had a gloomy face, ruining the mood, told me to get lost, and said you never wanted to see me again.¡±

    You deceived me and hit me for Anton.

    But when I was sad, you would sit beside me and chatter on and on.

    Your voice and smile always seemed to dispel the gloom in my heart.

    I was thinking at that time, who would like such a verbose girl.

    Butter, you left the town, even without saying a word to me before leaving.

    At that time, I didn¡¯t know why, I felt particrly sad, as if the world that had just added a little color suddenly turned dark again.

    Back then, I really resented you.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°me me, you stille to provoke me?¡±

    Chapter1190

    255 Vers

    Reynaldo smiled with pursed lips, and that smile seemed to carry a hint of sadness.

    ¡°Later I also went back to the Humphrey¡¯s house, and then I saw you at school, my heart was filled with excitement.¡±

    But you hadpletely forgotten about me.

    Ironically, you may have forgotten me, but your disgust towards me has not changed at all, even worse than before.

    In the past, you would at least talk to me andfort me when I was sad.

    ¡°Butter on, you gave all your attention and focus to Winston, not even looking at me, and even said I was trash¡­¡±

    I quickly covered his mouth and said, ¡°You know, I lost my memory.¡±

    Reynaldo still held grudges.

    Saying ¡°trash¡± to him, he¡¯s probably going to remember it for a lifetime, sobbing¡­

    I retorted to him, ¡°Then you also curse me with ¡®garbage¡®, and we¡¯ll call it even.¡±

    Reynaldo hugged me tightly and chuckled, saying, ¡°Silly, how could I bear to call you trash.¡±

    With that, heughed a little pale and sarcastic, ¡°After we reunited, I had the idea of holding you firmly in my hands.¡±

    09:37

 TOO Close 1191

    At that time, I was grateful that fate allowed me to reunite with you first, grateful that Anton was not there.

    But there was another Winston by your side, and I knew that Winston¡¯s motives for getting close to you were impure, but I was helpless, after all, you despised me like that.

    Finally, on the night of the ss reunion, my selfish possessiveness destroyed all my rationality.

    Speaking of it, the happiness I have now is also obtained by despicable means, so I am filled with trepidation and fear, always afraid that

    everything I have is just a sh in the pan.

    ¡°That mentality of being anxious and worried even turned me into a sensitive, suspicious, and unpredictable lunatic, causing me to do so many bad things to you¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. In the first three years of our marriage, I wasn¡¯t good to you either. Besides, you at least paid off the debts for our family, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°By the way, where is our marriage certificate? Take it out and show it to me.¡±

    Speaking of the first three years of marriage, I immediately remembered that marriage certificate.

    Reynaldo touched Essie¡¯s forehead and then led me to the study.

    I was speechless when he locked the marriage certificate in the safe!

    69.97

    Chapter1191

    1285 Waders

    This¡­

    Curious! Who would steal his marriage certificate?!

    I opened the little red book, and the photos and papers inside were a little worn.

    It¡¯s as if someone had often rubbed on paper and photos.

    In the photo, I was facing the camera with Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo¡¯s lips curled slightly, with a gentle smile in his eyes and eyebrows, his handsome face radiant andpletely different from hister gloomy and depressed appearance.

    And I didn¡¯t even want to get close to him, I kept my distance.

    Frowning, sulking, his eyes full of unwillingness and annoyance.

    Just looking at this photo, I could feel how much I hated that man at the time.

    Ah, no wonder this man was always suspicious and especiallycking in confidence.

    I said to him, ¡°Throw away this marriage certificate, so that you¡­¡±

    The words were not finished yet, and the man snatched the marriage certificate from her hand.

    Reynaldo frowned at me, sounding a bit aggrieved and angry, ¡°You¡¯re going to throw away the marriage certificate?!¡±

    ¡°It was not¡­¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°The wedding certificate photo didn¡¯t turn out well, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be happy when you see it.¡±

    25202

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    Chapter1191

    282 s

    ¡°I was not unhappy.¡±

    Reynaldo said, and then he put the marriage certificate into the safe, just like hiding some treasure.

    Iughed and said, ¡°We can go get a new marriage certificate and take a nice photo again.¡±

    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment.

    After a while, he locked the safe door and stood up, saying to me, ¡°No need to reissue, this one is fine.¡±

    I looked at the locked safe andughed, ¡°What¡¯s inside the lock, no one will steal!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case.¡®

    Reynaldo took my arm and said, ¡°I feel at ease only when the marriage certificate is in my hand, so you won¡¯t suddenly want to divorce me.¡±

    ¡°Pah, I wouldn¡¯t do that!¡±

    That night, Reynaldo held me and did nothing, just ¡°chattering¡± about our youth.

    I listened drowsily, and in the end I didn¡¯t even know when I fell asleep.

    The next day, I was woken up by a small hand touching me.

    I groggily opened my eyes to see Essie¡¯s lovely smiling face.

    ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re awake!¡±

    I yawned and sat up, looking at Roddy beside me, ¡°Hey, you guys didn¡¯t go to school today?¡±

    09:37

    Chapter1191

    ¡°Mummy overslept, today is Saturday, no school,¡± Roddy said.

    <b>Chapter1192 </b>

    <b>Chapter </b>1192

 TOO Close 1192

    <b>Chapter </b>1192

    It was only then that I realized, looking at Reynaldo beside me, that Reynaldo had already gotten up, and the bedding next to him was cold.

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±

    Essie climbed up and happily said to me, ¡°Dad said he¡¯s taking us out to y today.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Speaking of which, our family of four hasn¡¯t had a good time out yet.

    Although we had gone out together once before, at that time Reynaldo and I had not reconciled yet.

    The atmosphere was not very good throughout the whole ying

    process.

    Things are different now.

    Now, even going out, the whole family is harmonious and happy.

    Reynaldo was driving in front, and I was sitting in the back with two children.

    The cheerful music was ying in the car.

    The two children would asionally tell Reynaldo and me interesting stories from school.

    Essie said she made two very good friends and she wants to invite them to her house to y next time.

    Chapter1192

    Roddy said the games in kindergarten were all too childish<b>, </b><b>and </b>every time the teacher liked to y ¡°eagle catching chicks¡± with them.

    The teacher said he was tall, so he was always made to act as a mother hen to protect the little chicks behind him, which was really boring.

    Listening to them talk about the funny things in kindergarten, I wasughing my head off.

    Both babies grew up slowly, and gradually developed their own thoughts and emotions.

    Children¡¯s favorite ce to y is nothing but the amusement park.

    Reynaldo took us directly to a newly built amusement park that had only been open for two years.

    Upon arrival, I realized that this was exactly the construction site where I hade to work as a data clerk years ago to avoid Reynaldo.

    In other words, isn¡¯t the big boss of this amusement park Reynaldo!

    Thinking back to that time now, it really feels like ¡°yesterday¡°.

    At that time, Essie was still in the womb with Roddy.

    Now these two kids are so big.

    Time is really amazing.

    Reynaldo bought the ticket and handed it to me.

    Iughed at him teasingly, ¡°You, the grand boss of this amusement park, still have to buy a ticket?¡±

    Reynaldo joked, ¡°I am the big boss, but I am not the one scanning the QR codes at the gate.¡®

    Chapter1192

    Hmm, that seems to make sense.

    Upon entering the amusement park.

    Reynaldo pointed to a ce and said, ¡°Later you will go there to take a photo as a souvenir.¡±

    I looked at him in confusion.

    He leaned in close to my car, smiled meaningfully at me and said, ¡°That¡¯s where you used to work as aborer.¡±

    I red at him.

    He still had the nerve to say that!

    At that time, I was still pregnant with his baby, and he actually made me move bricks for the whole afternoon!

    How hateful!

    Reynaldoughed and hugged me, saying, ¡°I apologize to you, I will never let you do any rough work in the future.¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡±

    I pretended to be angry and turned my face away. When I turned back,

    I saw my two children covering their mouths andughing at us.

    Oh!

    So embarrassing!

    I quickly pushed Reynaldo away.

    Reynaldo looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°The babies are here, be careful.¡±

    09:37

    Chapter1192

    288 Wouthere

    Reynaldo was speechless, ¡°What did I do?¡±

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not doing anything, you still need to be careful. Your words are a bit cheesy.¡±

    I finished speaking and then took the two children to y on the project.

    Reynaldo chuckled and shook his head, following behind us.

    Some gentle activities, I yed with two little ones separately with Reynaldo.

    09.37

 TOO Close 1193

    <b>Chapter1193 </b>

    But there were some slightly more exciting activities that I <b>didn¡¯t </b><b>dare </b>to y, so Reynaldo took turns ying with the two children.

    Even so, after ying all afternoon, I was still exhausted.

    Reynaldo¡¯s spirits were really high.

    The key was that he was also carrying a backpack, and inside the backpack were two thermos cups with water filled to the brim.

    But he was not tired at all, full of energy.

    At nearly five o¡¯clock, I was so tired that I sat on the bench and didn¡¯t

    want to move.

    Reynaldo had just finished riding the rtively gentle roller coaster with his two little ones.

    He walked towards me with two little treasures in tow.

    The afterglow of the setting sun fell behind them, beautiful like a painting.

    The happiness of the family I long for is probably like this.

    Reynaldo walked over, took out a thermos from his bag, unscrewed it, and then handed it to the two babies respectively.

    While the two babies were drinking water, he hugged me andughed, saying, ¡°What? Are you tired already?¡±

    I was really tired, even more tired than doing that kind of thing with him, at least that kind of thing could still be done lying in bed.

    <b>Chapter1193 </b>

    I said sullenly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t need to <b>worry </b><b>about </b><b>me</b><b>, </b><b>just </b>take them to y.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s time to cat, and the children are hungry.¡±

    After the two children finished drinking water, they obediently covered the cups themselves, and then yed together with the <b>toys </b>they had just bought.

    Reynaldo kissed my cheek and looked into my eyes with such tenderness that they could almost overflow with water.

    I pushed him away with augh, ¡°I told you to be careful, the kids <b>are </b>around.¡±

    ¡°You have nothing to worry about, they often show affection in front of me.¡±

    I: ¡­

    Reynaldo hugged me, his eyes looking tenderly at our two babies.

    He murmured, ¡°I never thought I could truly have happiness.¡±

    At that moment, there was not a trace of malice on him, he was gentle all over.

    Reynaldo was supposed to have such a gentle personality, but the misfortune of his childhood, coupled with the three years of bullying and humiliation I subjected him to, led him to be a sensitive, suspicious, and capricious person.

    On the way back, Essie fell asleep in my arms, while Roddyy on the seat and also fell asleep with his head on myp.

    I was afraid that Reynaldo would get drowsy while driving, so I didn¡¯t dare to sleep and kept talking to him.

    Chapter1193

    After all, he must have been tired after ying for a whole afternoon.

    It seemed that he could hear the weariness in my tone.

    While waiting for the traffic lights, he suddenly turned back and smiled at me, saying, ¡°You can take a nap too, I¡¯m not sleepy at all, not even a bit.¡±

    Indeed, his eyes were bright, and he looked very energetic, with no trace of fatigue between his eyebrows.

    Looking back, his energy seemed to have always been particrly good.

    I smiled helplessly at him and asked, ¡°Are you still a human?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s handsome face darkened.

    Realizing what I had asked, I quickly changed my tone and said, ¡°I mean, howe you, in this mortal body, have so much energy, as if you never get tired.¡±

    The red light turned into a green light.

    The car started, apanied by Reynaldo¡¯s voice: ¡°Because being with someone you like is the happiest, you won¡¯t feel tired.¡±

    Being together with someone you like¡­

    I smiled.

    The simplest words of love spoken from his mouth always touched my heart.

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    <b>Chapter1194</b><b>. </b>

 TOO Close 1194

    At that moment, I just wanted to be with him forever, never to be <b>apart</b>.

    The heater was on in the car, and I eventually fell asleep deeply.

    When I woke up again, I found myself already in the bed in the bedroom.

    How could I sleep so deeply?

    Reynaldo sat beside me, leaning against the head of the bed and reading a book.

    I didn¡¯t expect that he was quite fond of studying.

    I nced up at the cover and saw that it was still a collection of essays.

    I woke up and he looked down at me and smiled, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    I felt much better after a good night¡¯s sleep.

    I sat up and asked him, ¡°When did you start liking essays?¡±

    ¡°During the years when you left Freybourne, I suffered from insomnia every night, so I started reading a few books, and it soon became a habit.¡±

    He finished speaking, closed the book, put it aside, then turned to me, kissed my lips, and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    His eyes were burning with a desire.

    I subconsciously pulled up the nket and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?

    Chapter1194

    Children?¡±

    ¡°The children had already gone to bed, and they didn¡¯t even bother to check the time.¡±

    ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°It was two o¡¯clock in the morning.¡±

    The man said lightly, but I was stunned.

    What kind of monster is this man, doesn¡¯t need to sleep? Clearly <b>so </b>tired during the day!

    Reynaldo kissed my neck, his voice hoarse as he called my name, making my bones feel a little weak.

    ¡°Three days without doing it, want to do it once?¡±

    He kissed my neck gently, his kisses spreading along my corbone to my chest.

    I was taken aback by his kiss and stammered, ¡°Only¡­ only if you have the energy, then¡­ thene¡­

    Reynaldo chuckled softly and rolled over onto me.

    His eyes were dark, and the smile on his face was a bit sinister and a bit wicked.

    He said, ¡°I have endless energy to spend on you.¡±

    Ah ah ah ah¡­

    What kind of words are these tiger and wolf words?!

    I felt so embarrassed that I turned my face away and didn¡¯t look at him.

    Chapter1194

    He indulgently smiled and said, ¡°Are you blushing? My wife really has thin skin.¡±

    With that, he bent down and pressed his lips against mine.

    His gentle kisses, like intoxicating wine, were addictive and mesmerizing.

    The temperature in the room kept rising, the dim and soft light falling gently on both of us like a thin veil.

    The ambiguous atmosphere permeated the air.

    It seemed like the wind picked up again outside the window.

    The cold wind mixed with dry branches and leaves, fiercely beating against the window, but it couldn¡¯t break the warmth and heat inside the house.

    Reynaldo¡¯s fingers lightly slid through my hair, the movement gentle yet tinged with urgency.

    I raised my eyes slightly and saw in his dark and deep eyes full of affection and longing.

    He lowered his head, and tender kisses swept over every inch of my skin, finally lingering softly on my lips, gradually deepening, filled with passionate love and urgency.

    His hand slowly moved down my shoulder, igniting clusters of mes wherever it touched.

    My body trembled uncontrobly.

    I raised my hands ufortably, wrapped around his ck, and fingers unconsciously wandered through his hair.

    my

    09:37

    Chapter1194

    Clothes faded away unconsciously, and the blushes on each other¡¯s bodies seemed to be responding to this intense feeling.

    In a daze, he suddenly hugged me, his hot breath spraying in my car.

    He said, ¡°Esmeralda, I love you, I really love you¡­¡±

 TOO Close 1195

    I raised my hand and encircled his strong and slender waist, at that moment I didn¡¯t want to think about anything, I just wanted to immerse myself in our world.

    The next few days passed peacefully and pleasantly.

    Every morning, after I dropped off my two children at school, I would meet up with Vonnie to go shopping and watch a movie.

    As for Reynaldo.

    He had said before that thepany was not busy and there was nothing to do, but in fact he was lying to me.

    As soon as he finished spending time with the children over the weekend, he went to thepany early on Monday morning.

    This busy schedule,ing homete every day, made it difficult for me to even catch a glimpse of other people.

    I also went to thepany to bring him food a few times.

    However busy Reynaldo was, he didn¡¯t miss out on the intimate moments with his wife at night, and they were lively in bed.

    I eximed once again, ¡°His physical strength is really impressive.¡±

    That day, I was out shopping with Vonnie when we coincidentally ran into Kimberly and Quentin.

    I felt contempt in my heart.

    Quentin was really idle, always talking about love and romance, no

    20-27

    Chapter1105

    wonder thepany didn¡¯t grow.

    ¡°Ralda, Vonnic, what a coincidence.¡±

    Kimberly greeted Vonnie and me first, calling out quite warmly.

    Vonnie wrinkled her nose and muttered disdainfully to me, ¡°Ralda, we¡¯re really unlucky today, we just ran into a real party pooper.¡±

    Quentin frowned, looking a bit displeased.

    Kimberly was not angry at all, instead she had a warm smile on her face.

    As the saying goes, when things go against the norm, there must be something supernatural at y.

    I don¡¯t know if Kimberly was holding back any big moves.

    I stared at Kimberly intently, a sense of caution rising in my heart.

    This woman herself is not scary, what is scary is her cunning tricks.

    Her insidious tricks were hard to guard against. Once you fell victim to them, you would either die or be injured. That¡¯s why every time I saw this woman, a sense of unease would involuntarily rise in my heart.

    Reynaldo said that he had already sent someone to investigate the events of that year, but he didn¡¯t know how the investigation turned out.

    In short, my heart was restless until Kimberly was gone for a day. ¡°Hehe, Ralda, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me lik

    hat?¡±

    Just then, Kimberly suddenly smiled at me and asked, ¡°with a warm and friendly smile.

    Chapter1195

    ??? ?? ???? (?) ???

    The malice in those eyes could not be concealed, no matter <b>how </b>well disguised.

    Quentin looked at me.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but now he looks at me with a moreplicated expression, always with a look of wanting to speak but stopping himself.

    And there was no light in his eyes, only deathly silence and sorrow.

    It was the same feeling, as if he had already realized that he was wrong, but maybe he felt there was no turning back, so he just kept on making do with his mistakes.

    I avoided eye contact and didn¡¯t want to look at him.

    No matter what his path was like, that was his own choice.

    I gave him a chance, I also begged him, however, it was he who insisted on choosing Kimberly, not me, his own sister.

    So now, who was he doing this appearance for?

    I smiled faintly at Kimberly and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just that I feel like Ms. Palmer suddenly became much kinder today, as if she had a change of heart.¡±

 TOO Close 1196

    ¡°Look at what Ralda said, was I not kind before?¡± Kimberly smiled at me knowingly.

    Before I could even speak, Vonnie sneered, ¡°Oh, Ms. Palmer, are you sure you haven¡¯t mixed up the meanings of ¡®kindness¡® and ¡®malice

    Even though Vonnie mocked like that, Kimberly wasn¡¯t angry.

    She looked at Vonnie with a smile on her face and said, ¡°Not long ago. Mr. Dup proposed to you, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    That scene was really grand, it was even trending topic.

    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect that Mr. Dup is such a romantic person.¡±

    Vonnie stood with her hands on her hips, chuckling, ¡°What? Are you jealous? If you¡¯re jealous, then let Quentin propose to you like that too!¡±

    I told you, Johnathan had to propose to me 99 times before I agreed.

    It seems that Quentin had to ask you at least 100 times, otherwise, with Ms. Palmer¡¯s jealous nature, she might secretly envy me to the point of madness¡­

    ¡°Vonnie!¡± Quentin hissed at her.

    Vonnie smirked at him and said, ¡°What, did I say something wrong¡±

    Was it difficult for you to ask Ms. Palmer to marry you!

    times?

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve been so sweet to her, 100 proposals are just a piece of cake for you, right?¡±

    Chapter1196

    284 does

    Quentin¡¯s face was full of anger, but he seemed to not know what to say to retort her, so he could only re at her resentfully.

    It was strange that Kimberly today was quite patient, not getting angry at all, and even had a smiling face.

    She said, ¡°Congrattions to Vonnie, having a good man like Mr. Dup loving her. Don¡¯t forget to invite me to the wedding.¡±

    ¡°Can you please stop it?¡± Vonnie said with a disgusted look, ¡°Your negativity is so strong, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll ruin the atmosphere of my wedding.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    Kimberly immediately covered her mouth and chuckled, ¡°Look at what Vonnie said, I don¡¯t have that much ability.¡±

    Vonnie frowned at her, then looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if asking me, ¡°Why isn¡¯t she getting angry? Has she changed?¡±

    I was also very surprised, ¡°Kimberly was really acting very strangely today.¡±

    It seemed that no matter how much Vonnie and I teased her, she always had a smiling face, which was not like her usual self.

    ¡°Vonnie, there is one more thing I want to congratte you on.¡±

    After Kimberly finishedughing, she suddenly said to Vonnie, ¡°You are so popr now. It is said that there will be arge fan interaction event at the wrap party, and most likely all the attendees will be your fans.¡±

    The limelight of this second female lead really overshaved me, the first female lead.

    09:38

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    Your

    Congrattions Vonnic, you are about to be a top streamer with this show.¡±

    Vonnie frowned and said lightly, ¡°Oh, thank you for your congrattions, goodbye.¡±

    After saying that, Vonnie pulled me towards the outside of the mall.

    As soon as we left the mall, Vonnie grabbed my arm and asked, ¡°Ralda, did you think that woman we just saw was a bit strange?¡±

    ¡°Hiss! Why do I feel that she is so gloomy, like a mental patient.¡±

    ¡°You just started feeling this way?¡± Iughed at her, ¡°I¡¯ve felt like she¡¯s been having mental issues for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm!!! Scary, it¡¯s better for us to stay away from her.¡±

    Vonnie said and then pulled me towards the parking lot.

    I recalled Kimberly¡¯s words just now, always feeling like there was more to what she said.

    She also mentioned the wrap¨Cup party, could she be nning to cause trouble at the wrap¨Cup party?

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    Chapter1197

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 TOO Close 1197

    Thinking of this, I quickly said to Vonnie, ¡°The wrap¨Cup ceremony will be held tomorrow night. You must pay extra attention at the banquet.¡±

    After a pause, I added anxiously, ¡°I always feel like she¡¯s going to cause trouble at the banquet tomorrow. If it¡¯s not possible, you can make an excuse not to attend tomorrow night.¡±

    ¡°No, I have already made ns to meet and interact with my fans tomorrow. If I don¡¯t go, they will be disappointed.¡±

    Seeing me looking worried, Vonnie took my arm and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all my fans will be there, and Mr. Russell and the friends from the set will take care of me, and Johnathan will be with

    me.¡±

    Moreover, with so many news media outlets at the time, how could Kimberly still do anything to me in public?¡±

    The words were like this, but Kimberly was really gloomy.

    Having suffered too much, I am scared in my heart.

    I am now afraid that the people around me will have idents, and I am afraid that the happiness in front of me is just a sh in the pan.

    I held Vonnie¡¯s hand tightly and said to her earnestly, ¡°Anyway, you must be fine, nothing can happen to you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Vonnie smiled and hugged me, saying eriously, ¡°I will definitely take care of her. Look, the four of us are about to be happy,

    we can¡¯t let her ruin it.¡±

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    I, at that time, had Johnathan always by my side.

    Even if Kimberly wanted to harm me again, she wouldn¡¯t have a chance, right?

    Besides, we were just specting now. Maybe she was just mentally unstable carlier, that¡¯s why sheughed foolishly at us, not really intending to cause trouble at the banquet.

    It would be better that way, it would be better if I was just being oversensitive and suspicious.

    I hope the uing wrap¨Cup ceremony and the film can both go smoothly.

    In the afternoon, Vonnie went to school with me to pick up the children after school.

    She didn¡¯t want to have children before, but now she suddenly has some thoughts.

    However, she is currently in the prime of her career, so she definitely wouldn¡¯t want to go back and get married and have children right

    away.

    She told Johnathan that they could get married after the New Year, but they should wait two more years before having children.

    Johnathan had no objections either.

    She said Johnathan would be fine as long as she was willing to give birth to him, and when to give birth was entirely up to her.

    After Vonnie finished dinner, I had the driver take her back.

    Recently Reynaldo was busy, so Johnathan was naturally busy too.

    09.38

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    In the evening, after I had put the children to bed, I went back to the bedroom andy down to look at the gift I had picked out for Reynaldo at the mall during the day.

    I don¡¯t know if he liked it or not.

    Upon further thought, I hardly ever gave him any gifts.

    Although hecks nothing now, asional surprises still need to be created.

    Reynaldo has beening backte these days.

    When I was dozing off, the door was finally twisted open by someone.

    These days he came backte, so I would always leave a small wallmp on in the room.

    In the dim light, I saw a man walking slowly towards me.

    I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

    He soon walked over, with the chill from outside clinging to his body.

    Next, a cold kiss was imprinted on my forehead.

    Chapter1198

    223

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    Chapter1198

    Reynaldo whispered in my car, ¡°After I finish my work, I will spend some quality time with you.¡±

    He turned around and left after saying that.

    When I opened my eyes, he had already gone to the bathroom.

    I instinctively touched my forehead and couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    After a while, I got up from the bed and then quietly walked to the bathroom door.

    I waited at the door for over ten minutes, and finally the bathroom door slowly creaked open.

    The moment Reynaldo walked out, I immediately pounced on him, hooked my arms around his neck and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Honey, you¡¯re back!¡±

    Reynaldo was stunned, staring at me nkly.

    I tilted my head and looked at him, ¡°What? Did I scare Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    Reynaldo jokingly put his arm around my waist.

    I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like he has been smiling so beautifullytely.

    She smiled, and her eyes were filled with a gentle smile.

    He touched my head and said, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±

    09:38

    Chapter1198

    ¡°No,¡± I kissed his lips, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep to begin with, I was just pretending.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    Reynaldo helplessly tapped my forehead and said, ¡°Trying to tease me again?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I pulled him onto the bed with a smile and said, ¡°I went shopping with Vonnie today and picked out a gift for you.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, and he said in disbelief, ¡°You were thinking of me while you were out shopping?¡±

    Um¡­

    I stared at him speechlessly.

    The way he said that, it¡¯s as if I am heartless and unfaithful.

    He grinned foolishly at me, his eyes filled with happiness.

    Since we made up this time, he has really changed a lot, bing cheerful and smiling more, and bing gentle and considerate.

    I no longer saw the gloom and hostility in him.

    Reynaldo was so nice.

    I handed the gift box to him and said, ¡°You open it and take a look.¡±

    Reynaldo seemed very eager, couldn¡¯t wait to open the gift box.

    He didn¡¯tck anything, but just because it was from. extra expectation.

    he had an

    09:38

    Chapter1198

    1

    The man¡¯s love, sometimes obscure, sometimes awkward, sometimes very passionate, ispletely irresistible.

    I looked at him with a smile, also hoping that he would like the gift I gave him.

    However, after he opened the box, he was stunned for a moment.

    I frowned and looked at him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t like it? Or haven¡¯t taken a fancy to it?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    Reynaldo spoke urgently.

    After a while, he picked up the wine red tie from the box and asked me with a smile, ¡°Is this your choice?¡±

    I nodded, ¡°I personally picked it out, limited edition, the only one in all of Freybourne.¡±

    ¡°At that time, there was someone else who wanted to buy it, so I quickly snatched it away.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled even more: ¡°Well, thank you, I really like it.¡±

    But he just hesitated for a moment, making me doubt whether he really liked it.

    I said to him, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t like it, you can return it.¡±

    ¡°I really like it, I will wear it tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡­ that expression just now¡­¡±

    d chuckled

    ¡°I was just a little surprised¡­¡± Reynaldo hugged me softly, ¡°How could my wife choose such a shy and colorful color for

    09.38

    Chapter1198

    me.¡±

    ¡°I was just thinking that you would look great in a ck shirt paired with this tic¡­¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Reynaldo nodded, saying seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll wear it like that tomorrow.¡±

    After saying that, he picked me up, pressed me onto the bed, leaned down and chuckled at me, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re in exceptionally high spirits tonight.¡±

 TOO Close 1199

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡±

    He usually says this, meaning he wants to do that thing with me.

    Actually, I also enjoyed hanging out with him, but maybe I did it too often recently, which led to my mental state not being very good.

    Today while shopping, I yawned all the way, and Vonnie even joked about me, saying I had turned into a robber at night.

    I hooked my arm around his neck and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed early tonight, I have to attend the wrap¨Cup ceremony tomorrow night.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and kissed me, saying, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you off the hook for today.¡±

    He said and theny down beside me, holding me in his arms, burying his face in the nape of my neck.

    After a moment¡¯s pause, he spoke again, with a hint of apology in his tone, ¡°Esmeralda, tomorrow night, I may have to meet an important client and may not have time toe.¡±

    I rolled over, wrapped my arms around his waist, and chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, anyway tomorrow is Vonnie¡¯s home game, as long as Johnathan can go.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°I thought so too, so I went to meet the client while he apanied Vonnie to the wrap party.¡±

    He paused for two seconds and then said, ¡°We¡¯ll see¡­ try toe pick you up then.¡±

    <b>000 </b>

    09:38

    Chapter1199

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I snuggled into his arms, feeling only peace and warmth.

    Just as he was about to fall asleep, his deep voice suddenly came from above.

    ¡°Four years ago, that thing¡­ might be hard to investigate.¡±

    I was startled and looked up at him.

    Because that thing four years ago was a pain that neither he nor I could mention.

    So we rarely mention this.

    Tonight he suddenly brought up, ¡°Was there any obstruction during the investigation process?¡±

    The man stroked my long hair and said in a deep voice, ¡°Back then, all the relevant surveince was damaged. Couldn¡¯t find out anything?¡±

    The other two transporters seemed to have disappeared into thin air, I sent many people to look for them but they were not found.

    As for Zackery, he consistently maintained that your mother¡¯s death was his fault, and he refused to say anything else.

    So, the clues were almost cut off.

    I frowned and said, ¡°The two people transporting the kidney source, I¡¯m afraid they have already been silenced, otherwise, two living people could not have disappeared without a trace.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and remained silent.

    My heart, however, was a little restless.

    That is to say, the only person who is now informed and has evidence in hand is Zackery.

    Zackery was just as devoted to Kimberly as Quentin was.

    Finding a breakthrough from Zackery was almost impossible, unless¡­ Zackery hated Kimberly, hated her enough to want to die with her.

    Thinking of this, I shook my head again.

    A super lickspittle who licked Kimberly until his future was ruined, and even didn¡¯t mind Kimberly being with Quentin, willingly became Kimberly¡¯s underground lover, how could he possibly hate Kimberly to the point of wanting to die with her.

    The more I thought about it, the more agitated I became.

    The enemy who killed my mother was right in front of me, but I couldn¡¯t bring her to justice, even my father and brothers were still protecting her.

    Just thinking about it made me feel sad and angry.

    Feeling my sadness and anger, Reynaldo hugged me and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there will always be loopholes. If necessary, I will go kill her.¡±

    I was shocked to the core, and I looked at him suddenly, only to see his eyes cold and deep, with a strong sense of killing intent.

    Chapter1200

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    Oh my God!

    He even had murderous intentions towards Kimberly.

    But he used to spoil Kimberly so much before.

    I thought, even if he didn¡¯t love Kimberly, he must have some feelings for her after living with her for several years.

    Surely he wouldn¡¯t have the heart to ¡°deal a fatal blow¡± to Kimberly.

    But the cold and murderous intent in his eyes was really strong, as if he would not hesitate to stab Kimberly in the heart if she were here right now.

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze, the dark gaze falling on my face.

    He raised his hand, his slender fingertips brushing across my cheek, and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t let her affect your mood. If you want revenge, then I will send someone to¡­ get rid of her.¡±

    I shook my head hastily, ¡°She is a public figure now, and there are many people paying attention to her.¡±

    And Anton cared a lot about his sister, Quentin also cherished her, as did Zackery.

    If something happened to her, these people would not let it go.

    quietly get

    I knew about your influence in Freybourne. It¡¯s one thing rid of one person, but if those few individuals make a big deal out of it and point fingers at you, yourpetitors will definitely take

    &

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    11:25 M

    advantage of the situation and attack you all at once.

    Once they use online public opinion to push you to the forefront, it is very detrimental to you.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, his eyes were just very cold.

    I knew he didn¡¯t want to see me ¡°upset because of Kimberly.¡±

    But I also didn¡¯t want him to get into a lot of trouble because of a ¡°Kimberly¡°.

    I certainly wanted revenge.

    When the hard¨Cwon happinesses, I would rather hold on to this happiness.

    Before, I repeatedly lost my temper and wanted to ¡°kill¡± Kimberly.

    However, after calming down, I slowly began to understand Reynaldo¡¯s good intentions.

    Having blood on your hands is never a good thing.

    I killed Kimberly to avenge, but if Zackery and others insist that I pay for Kimberly¡¯s life, making a big fuss and letting everyone know, how will¨CReynaldo protect me?

    What he hoped for more was that I could be well.

    At that moment, I also wished for him to be well, clean and not to be tainted by the dirty blood of Kimberly.

    I held him tightly, resting my head on his chest, and whispered, ¡°You advised me not to act/impulsively before, and now, I also ope you don¡¯t act impulsively.¡±

    09.38

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    *!!<+9

    The of heaven is wide and tight, and there are always ws in the bad things she did.

    ¡°I had a feeling that her retribution was not far off.¡±

    The coldness on Reynaldo¡¯s body finally dissipated a little.

    He tightened his arms and held me tightly in his arms,ughing, ¡°You can still predict, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my intuition was right on point. Just wait and see, she will soon get hereuppance.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and hugged me, sighing softly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how she is, as long as you and the children are all okay.¡±

    I buried my head in his arms and murmured, ¡°Yes, we will be fine.¡±

    That night was warm and cozy, I slept deeply.

    The next day when I woke up, Reynaldo had already left.

    The children were also taken to school by him.

    I got up and washed up, ¡°ate something and it was already noon.¡±

    In the afternoon, Vonnie invited me to pick out a dress and do some styling.

    Time passed by so quickly that by the time we finished, it was already dark outside.

    09:38

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    Chapter1201

    The wrap¨Cup party was scheduled to start at 7 o¡¯clock in the evening.

    At six o¡¯clock, Johnathan came to pick us up.

    Johnathan didn¡¯t wear his leather coat today, which is rare.

    He was dressed in a suit with a leather cor, and his face was framed by a pair of gold¨Crimmed sses, making him look particrly refined.

    At first nce, he looked quite dignified and gentlemanly.

    Of course, he ¡°blew it¡± as soon as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Oh, Esmie, you look so beautiful today. Too bad Reynaldo isn¡¯t here, otherwise his eyes would be shining again when he sees you, hehe.¡±

    I: ¡­

    This man really couldn¡¯t be serious for a moment.

    I came out first, Vonnie was still in the dressing room arranging her

    gown.

    Johnathan couldn¡¯t wait to see Vonnie, he craned his neck to look

    inside.

    Before long, Vonnie came out.

    At the wrap party, Vonnie can be said to be the absolute protagonist.

    Although Kimberly was the female lead, her poprity was far from Vonnie¡¯s.

    0.00%

    14:09

    ???????????, ?? ????

    Vonnic dressed up particrly beautifully today, wearing a M floral strapless evening gown. The skirt was like a dreamy sea of flowers,yered and swaying gracefully, showing off luxury without losing agility.

    The seaweed¨Clike long hair draped behind her head, the agility and charm between a girl and a mature woman are the most charming.

    As soon as Vonnie appeared, Johnathan¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Perhaps true love really can make people more beautiful.

    I felt that Vonnie became very feminine and beautiful since she started dating Johnathan.

    Especially those eyes, when she smiled, they curved like they were filled with stars.

    Johnathan stared at Vonnie without blinking, with only a reflection of Vonnie in his eyes.

    He didn¡¯te to his senses until Vonnie walked up to him.

    Vonnie waved her hand in front of him and said, ¡°Hey,e back to life.¡±

    ¡°Puff!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    Johnathan came to his senses and said to me without blushing or skipping a beat, ¡°What are youughing at? Isn¡¯t it normal for me to be stunned by my wife?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Reynaldo didn¡¯t look at you like that.¡±

    Iughed and said. ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­ normal, too normal.¡±

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    300

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    Johnathan snorted at me, then wrapped Vonnie in his arms and said, ¡°Baby, you look beautiful today.¡±

    Hmm!!!

    So cheesy!

    Vonnie probably felt cheesy too, waving her arms and saying, ¡°Don¡¯t call me baby, I¡¯ve got goosebumps all over the floor.¡±

    ¡°Also, who is your wife, don¡¯t shout randomly.¡±

    ¡°Very soon, I¡¯m going to shout it out in advance, you are my wife..:¡± Johnathan arrogantly embraced Vonnie, calling her his wife..

    The voice was soft, like a little dog¡¯s.

    Vonnie pursed her lips and smiled, her face flushed with shyness.

    Hmm!!!

    I was instantly ¡°filled up¡± by this bowl of dog food.

    I joked with them, ¡°I won¡¯t be in the way here, I¡¯ll go wait for you in the car first.¡±

    ¡°Good girl, Esmie is sensible.¡± Johnathan chuckled at me and then threw a coat to me. ¡°It¡¯s Reynaldo¡¯s. He asked me to take care of you and not let you freeze.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    The coat in hand seemed to still retain Reynaldo¡¯s body temperature.

    I put on the coat, my heart filled with tenderness and warmth.

    Reynaldo could even think of such details, how could I not be moved.

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    In winter, indoors and outdoors are two extremes.

    I straightened my coat and got into Johnathan¡¯s car.

    It was warm in the car, so I took out my phone and found that Reynaldo had sent me a message.

    I want to see you, send me a photo to take a look.

    iple)

    1

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    He must still be busy now, otherwise I would just video call him directly.

    I put my phone further away, took a selfie, and sent it to him.

    Two minutester, he replied to the message.

    My wife looked really beautiful today.

    Even though I saw such praise through the screen, my face still turned red, and the corners of my lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up.

    I asked him, ¡°Are you busy?¡±

    A few minutester, he replied: ¡°Hmm, I¡¯lle pick you up after I finish my work. Take care of yourself and don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±

    Okay, you go ahead.

    After sending this message, I suddenly felt yful and quickly sent him two words: ¡°Husband!!!¡±

    Emma, in reality, she didn¡¯t dare to use that kind of coquettish voice to call her husband, so she could only send a text message.

    I don¡¯t know if he could feel my ¡°coquetry¡°.

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but smile foolishly.

    Sometimes it was actually quite fun to tease Reynaldo.

    But after I sent it, he didn¡¯t reply for half a day.

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    I thought he was busy and wouldn¡¯t reply, but unexpectedly he suddenly called directly.

    I hurriedly answered the call and asked him, ¡°Are you done with your work?¡±

    The man on the other end of the phone remained silent for a while, breathing heavily.

    I stared for a moment, ¡°Reynaldo?¡±

    Reynaldo finally spoke, his deep voice tinged with a hint of hoarseness, ¡°Read out the message you just sent.¡±

    Huh?

    What does it mean?!

    ¡°Um¡­ Well, you go ahead and busy yourself first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not this one.¡±

    Um¡­

    ¡°Husband?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Reynaldo¡¯s voice was hoarse with a hint of restraint, ¡°just like thest message, that tone,e on, say it to me.¡±

    No, isn¡¯t this man busy?

    Why are you nitpicking my tone with me?

    ¡°Be good, wife, I want to listen.¡± The man¡¯s voice was soft, with a hint of coaxing.

    Emma just wanted to tease him at first, to add some fun to his busy schedule, but little did she know he would take it seriously.

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    ?, ???? (??

    I said. ¡°I¡¯ll call you next time.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Reynaldo said, aggrieved and determined, ¡°I want to hear it now. Be a good wife and call it out for me. I¡¯ll let you bully me again.¡±

    1:¡­.

    He also said.

    I bullied himst time, and in return, he spent a whole day and night finding ways to retaliate.

    I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m really scared.

    Iughed and said, ¡°You go busy, I¡¯m going to a party.¡±

    I was about to hang up the phone after saying that.

    He stopped me again, breathing heavily, his tone seductive, ¡°Darling, I really want to hear.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand his ¡°soft words and coaxing¡± the most.

    The repeated calls of ¡°wife¡± made my bones feel a little soft.

    I pursed my lips and shouted at my phone, ¡°Honey!!!¡±

    The other end of the phone suddenly went silent, and I could only hear the deep sound of breathing.

    I was puzzled for a while.

    What¡¯s up? Did I not shout to his liking?

    Thinking about it, I called out to him in a more coquettish tone, ¡°Honey!!!¡±

    The breathing on the other end of the phone became even heavier.

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    He finally spoke, his hoarse voice clearly tinged with a hint of restraint: ¡°You are just a fairy, I really want to¡­ now.¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    I hastily interrupted his next harsh words, muttered to him, ¡°It was you who told me to call you that way, and now you¡¯re calling me a demon, Reynaldo, I will never call you that again.¡±

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    Reynaldo chuckled softly, his voice deep and hoarse. ¡°I really enjoy listening, truly, shout more in bed in the future.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, you go ahead and busy yourself, hang up!¡±

    After I finished speaking, I hung up the phone, my face was already a little flushed.

    Indeed, this Reynaldo seemed to be serious and abstinent, as, if he had no interest in women.

    Actually, he was both bad and mischievous, and he was also greedy, which led me astray.

    I raised my hand and rubbed my cheeks, little did I know they were getting hotter and hotter.

    At that moment, the phone rang again, and it was a message from Reynaldo.

    I love you, wife, I¡¯m going to be busy.

    Looking at the message, Iughed.

    Reynaldo was really ¡°so cheesy¡±.

    Recalling the sullen and irritable Reynaldo from before, it is really hard to imagine that such information would be sent by him.

    In order not to disturb his work, I did not reply to him again.

    At this time, Johnathan and Vonnie finally arrived.

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    Vonnic wore a down jacket and walked ahead, with Johnathan following behind

    I approached and noticed that Vonnie¡¯s checks were flushed and her eyes were watery.

    Looking at Johnathan behind her, his eyebrows rxed and his spirits high.

    Oh no.

    What were these two people doing in there?

    My thoughts are not dirty either.

    But seeing them like this, I couldn¡¯t help but have some inappropriate thoughts.

    I felt like they were in there.

    s¡­

    I was really ¡°led astray¡± by Reynaldo.

    Vonnie got into the car and sat in the back seat with me.

    I nced at her and found that her cheeks were really red.

    The eyes were filled with ripples of tenderness.

    I touched my nose, dared not ask, and it was not appropriate to ask.

    Johnathan sat in the driver¡¯s seat and suddenly nced at me, saying, ¡°Hey, Esmie, why is your face all red?¡±

    I turned to him and said expressionlessly, ¡°Take a good look, is it my face that¡¯s red, or Vonnie¡¯s face that¡¯s red?¡±

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    Johnathan nced at Vonnie, his eyes instantly soft and dark, bringing a warmthi

    Vonnie probably couldn¡¯t stand his gaze and quickly said, ¡°Oh, hurry up and drive, we¡¯re going to bete.¡±

    Johnathan came to his senses, cleared his throat twice, and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to drive now, so buckle up.¡±

    He started the car as soon as he said that.

    As the car started moving, Vonnie suddenly turned to me and said, ¡°Hey, Ralda, don¡¯t overthink it. I was just inside with Johnathan, organizing our clothes and hair. Nothing else happened.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I understand.¡±

    I stifled augh, this silly Vonnie, really ¡°giving away the game¡°.

    Vonnie nced at me again and chuckled, ¡°As long as you understand, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    Johnathan in front was almostughing hysterically, muttering ¡°silly wife.¡±

    I nced at Vonnie and thought, ¡°Luckily she met Johnathan.¡±

    Otherwise, she was so naive and silly, what if she meets a bad man?

    The journey to the hotel was not far, and we arrived in less than half an hour.

    Vonnie¡¯s assistant, along with the bodyguard arranged by Johnathan, had been waiting at the hotel entrance.

    Vonnie and I got out of the car, and the assistant and bodyguard came to greet us.

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    I looked at the time and it was already past seven o¡¯clock. The banquet should have already started.

    The bodyguard took the lead spontaneously.

    The hotel lobby was crowded with people, including fans and media.

    The fans¡® cheers, mixed with shes and shutter sounds, came from all directions.

    Vonnie walked gracefully in high heels.

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    Wearing a M floral princess dress adorned with silver sequins, the skirt shimmered and sparkled under the refracted light of the chandelier, dazzling and eye¨Ccatching.

    The tassel hair essory hanging from the hair swayed gently with each step, shining brightly and dynamically under the light.

    Vonnie always had a calm smile on her lips, waving and greeting the fans around her.

    I walked behind her, staring at her nkly.

    At that moment, I finally believed that ¡°people do shine¡°.

    At this moment, Vonnie was beautiful, dazzling, and shining brightly, everything around her was just a backdrop.

    The banquet hall was on the second floor.

    From the elevator to the entrance of the banquet hall, posters of this y were hanging on the walls all around.

    Vonnie had the most elegant posters.

    In the banquet hall, posters were hung all around, and on the innermost wall, a banner celebrating thepletion of the ¡°Rose Queen¡± was disyed.

    The scene was already filled with countless fans and news media. At first nce, it was extremely lively.

    And Vonnie¡¯s appearance pushed the atmosphere at the scene to its

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    peak.

    The fans¡® cheers echoed in the banquet hall.

    I looked around and, believe it or not, the banquet was quite luxurious.

    The bodyguards cleared a path through the crowd.

    Vonnie greeted fans as she walked.

    I followed behind Vonnie and walked inside, only to realize that Kimberly had already arrived.

    The fans were shouting almost exclusively Vonnie¡¯s name, making me think Kimberly hadn¡¯t arrived yet.

    ¡°Vonnie!¡±

    ¡°Vonnie!¡±

    ¡°Vonnie, we love you!¡±

    ¡°Only love Vonnie!¡±

    The scene was filled with the sound of Vonnie¡¯s name being called out one after another.

    A sh of jealousy passed through Kimberly¡¯s eyes.

    She chuckled lightly at Vonnie, ¡°When someone bes popr, they really change. They start acting all high and mighty, making all of us wait just for you.¡±

    Those who don¡¯t know might even think you are the leadingdy.

    Vonnie smiled brightly at her and said, ¡°Just because I¡¯m the supporting actress and you¡¯re the leading actress, that¡¯s why I intentionally arrived a littlete, just to avoid stealing your spotlight.¡±

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    This sentence was undoubtedly a disgrace to Kimberly.

    288 Vouchers

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, hiding a deep sense of cunning and jealousy.

    But that malice and jealousy were only momentary, the scene was filled with media reporters and fans.

    Kimberly didn¡¯t dare to show too obviously, always wearing a pure and kind smile on her face.

    She smiled at Vonnie and said, ¡°Thank you so much, Vonnie, for considering it so thoughtfully.¡±

    Vonnie smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    After fans and media reporters took their seats, the scene finally quieted down.

    Next, it was time for the main actors to take the stage and give their speeches.

    The first one to go on stage was the leadingdy, Kimberly.

    Kimberly was like two different people in public and in private.

    She, who took the stage to give a speech at this moment, had a face full of innocent and kind expression.

    With tears in her eyes, she thanked her fans for their love, thanked the staff of the crew for their warm hospitality, and thanked the director for his guidance and teachings.

    He even thanked me once.

    I am grateful that I wrote such a good script, giving her the opportunity to perform it for everyone.

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    She looked extremely sincere and touched, I almost wanted to <b>vomit</b>.

    How could someone pretend to be like this?

    After she finished her speech, there was a round of warm apuse at the scene.

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    Although her character in the drama is not very likable, she also looks like a white lotus flower in real life, but she can pretend, so she still has some fans.

    Butpared to Vonnie¡¯s number of fans, it is almost negligible.

    After the male protagonist finished his speech, it was Vonnie¡¯s turn to speak.

    When Vonnie took the stage, the apuse, the cheers, literally echoed throughout the banquet hall.

    I nced at Johnathan beside me.

    He stared at Vonnie without blinking, his eyes focused and gentle, his handsome face filled with pride.

    It¡¯s like showing off to the whole world: ¡°My woman, Johnathan, is the best!¡±

    I turned my gaze towards Vonnie on the stage.

    Vonnie, who has always been close to me and has a tomboyish personality, is now shining brightly on the stage, looking radiant and elegant.

    She held the microphone and talked confidently.

    Compared to Kimberly¡¯s vivid and colorful expression, Vonnie¡¯sposure and smile/seemed more sincere.

    She first thanked the fans for their love, then thanked Gilbert for his

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    guidance and teachings, and finally briefly talked about the hardships and joys of filming in the past few months.

    At the same time, in the banquet hall, some behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes footage was also being yed on therge electronic screen.

    After Vonnie finished her speech, the apuse was deafening, and the fans¡® cheers grew even louder.

    This poprity is truly something Kimberly cannotpare to.

    Johnathan proudly said to me, ¡°Isn¡¯t my Vonnie amazing?¡±

    Iughed and said, ¡°Great, great, great¡­. Your Vonnie is the best. With such a great Vonnie, isn¡¯t she worth cherishing for a lifetime?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± Johnathan said firmly, his gentle gaze never leaving Vonnie.

    Actually, at first, these two people didn¡¯t see eye to eye.

    I never thought Vonnie would be with Johnathan.

    Fate is a wonderful thing. If two people are destined to be together, no matter what happens in between, in the end they wille together in a serendipitous marriage.

    Seeing Johnathan love Vonnie so much, I was filled with joy, and Ipletely let go of my worries about Vonnie¡¯s future.

    After the speech session, it was time for the group photo.

    Even though Vonnie and Kimberly didn¡¯t get along, in front of the media, they still had to pretend to be friendly, posing for photos together.

    Finally, it was time for the idol to interact with the fans.

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    Many fans asked Vonnic for autographs.

    1288 Vouchers

    Johnathan was always by Vonnie¡¯s side, helping her sign autographs.

    I looked up to find Kimberly¡¯s figure.

    Kimberly also had a lot of fans over there, and she seemed quite busy, signing autographs for fans with her head down.

    It¡¯s strange, why hasn¡¯t Quentine?

    Quentin had time to go shopping with Kimberly, but didn¡¯t have time to apany Kimberly to the banquet?!

    Are you also going to meet some important clients tonight, like Reynaldo?

    I shook my head and dismissed the spection in my mind.

    In order to keep a close eye on Kimberly at all times and prevent her

    from causing trouble, I specifically found a corner with a good line of sight.

    From this corner, her every move could be observedpletely.

    Everyone on the scene seemed very busy, and the atmosphere was extremely lively. ¡¤

    I saw Kimberly busy interacting with fans, with a sweet smile on her face.

    Looking around the entire banquet hall, Gilbert was chatting andughing with industry/bigwigs, while others were busy with their own affairs, eating and drinking. The whole banquet seemed to have no difference at all.

    The clock had already pointed to ten o¡¯clock.

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    The wrap¨Cup time of this wrap party was 12 o¡¯clock in the early morning, and it was going to end in another two hours.

    And I stared at Kimberly, as well as the people around her, observing for a long time and not finding anything unusual.

    So, did I overthink it? Was she actually not nning to cause trouble in this situation?

    Thinking of this, I felt slightly rxed.

    I had just taken a few bites of the cake in front of me when Johnathan hurried over.

    He asked me anxiously, ¡°Have you seen Vonnie?¡±

    My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly stood up, ¡°What do you mean? Wasn¡¯t Vonnie always with you? Weren¡¯t you interacting with fans?¡±

    Johnathan furrowed his brow, his face filled with anxiety. ¡°We were just interacting with fans, but she suddenly needed to go to the bathroom.¡±

    I was supposed to go with her, but at that time fans were asking me about my emotional issues with Vonnie, so Vonnie asked me to stay and interact with the fans.

    I was worried that she might have an ident, so I sent two bodyguards to apany her.

    ¡°I thought with the bodyguard there, nothing would happen.¡±

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>1206 </b>

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded.

    It was just a trip to the bathroom, this is a public ce, everywhere is under surveince, and there are bodyguards following, what could possibly happen?

    Comforting myself in my heart, I asked him, ¡°And then? Did Vonnie note back? Or did she go somewhere to rest?¡±

    Johnathan shook his head and said urgently, ¡°Later, the two bodyguards came back, but they didn¡¯t see Vonnie.¡±

    I asked the bodyguards where Vonnie had gone. The two bodyguards said, ¡°After Vonnie came out of the bathroom, she didn¡¯t let them follow her, saying she had something to take care of.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I felt that something was wrong, so I quickly called Vonnie, but no one answered.

    After listening to Johnathan¡¯s ount, my heart sank heavily, and I instinctively looked towards Kimberly not far away.

    Kimberly was still interacting with fans, smiling sweetly and innocently.

    What did she do to Vonnie behind the scenes?

    Without any evidence, I didn¡¯t feelfortable questioning her rashly.

    And with so many media fans here, if I were to question her rashly, not only would she not tell the truth, but she might also wrongly use me of bullying her.

    At the moment, all I could do was hope that Vonnie was tired and had gone somewhere to rest.

    Thinking of this, I quickly took out my phone and called Vonnie.

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    Johnathan stared at my phone without blinking, his furrowed brow filled with anxiety.

    However, when I called, Vonnie¡¯s phone showed as turned off.

    Johnathan¡¯s face changed and he looked at me, ¡°How could this happen? She couldn¡¯t have just shut down for no reason, could she¡­¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    I interrupted him in a low voice, but my heart also sank to the bottom.

    Vonnie never made us worry like this, she always let us know where she was going.

    However, why did she dismiss the bodyguard?

    And she told the bodyguard that she had something to do. But at that time, we were all at the wrap¨Cup party. What could be more important than that?

    Moreover, both Johnathan and I were here, so if there was really something urgent to do, she could have just told us, there was no need to make an excuse to go to the bathroom and leave.

    There were also these fans.

    She cared so much about her fans, I saw it all. There was no way she would just abandon her fans and leave quietly like that.

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    Chapter1207

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    Chapter1207

    Not to mention her phone.

    With the level of affection between her and Johnathan now, how could she possibly not answer his phone call, let alone turn off her pher?

    Unless her phone was also being controlled by someone.

    The more I thought about it, the more wrong it seemed.

    Various abnormal signs indicated that Vonnie might have been in trouble.

    One more second dyed, Vonnie¡¯s situation would be one more dangerous.

    I said to Johnathan, ¡°You sent the bodyguards out to search.¡±

    Johnathan nodded and said, ¡°I had already sent them all out just now, but couldn¡¯t find her. I thought she might havee to you, so I came to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not make any guesses first, let¡¯s check the surveince footage. We need to find her as soon as possible.¡±

    Johnathan nodded and quickly took me to the monitoring room backstage.

    With the monitoring footage from that time point pulled up, I immediately caught sight of Vonnie¡¯s figure.

    She came out of the banquet hall, then turned left and went to the

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    <b>Chapter </b>1207

    restroom at the end of the corridor.

    The monitoring speed increased, and Vonnie quickly came out of the bathroom.

    She did stop and say something to the two bodyguards. The two bodyguards nodded respectfully at her and then turned to walk towards the banquet hall, while Vonnie entered the elevator next to her.

    Johnathan tightened his grip on the edge of the desk, his eyes fixed firmly on the numbers disyed on the floor monitor.

    The number stopped at 20.

    Johnathan asked the staff next to him in a low voice, ¡°What is the 20th

    floor for?¡±

    ¡°The 20th floor is the presidential suite.¡±

    Johnathan didn¡¯t ask anything else. In the 20th floor surveince, Vonnie came out of the elevator and walked towards the corridor on the right.

    She walked while looking at the door numbers, obviously searching for

    a room.

    Before long, she stopped in front of a suite.

    She paused for a few seconds, then turned the door knob and went in.

    The monitoring progress has elerated, and up to now, Vonnie has

    note out.

    Johnathan clenched his hand on the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white.

    I looked at him with some rm.

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    Not knowing what he was thinking or guessing, his face looked very bad. The usually unrestrained handsome face was now only gloomy.

    I pulled his arm and said, ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions, let¡¯s go find her first.¡±

    He didn¡¯t move, so I helplessly pulled him along, and only then did he follow me out.

    When he was riding the elevator, he kept his head down and his breath was very tense.

    At that time, I didn¡¯t know what to say either.

    Vonnie deliberately sent away the bodyguard, then quietly went to the presidential suite without saying a word, didn¡¯t answer Johnathan¡¯s calls, and even turned off her phone.

    As her boyfriend, Johnathan was indeed hard to figure out.

    But I absolutely believe Vonnie, she would never do anything to hurt Johnathan.

    I also witnessed their feelings.

    Whenever Johnathan was mentioned, happiness and shyness were revealed in Vonnie¡¯s eyes, that¡¯s the expression of loving someone.

    Moreover, they were about to get married soon, how could Vonnie mess around? She¡¯s not that kind of person.

    As it stands now, Vonnie¡¯s various actions clearly exude strangeness and abnormality.

    I could only find Vonnie as soon as possible now, and then ask her specifically to know what happened.

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    The elevator door opened.

    I hurriedly walked out.

    Johnathan suddenly grabbed me.

    There was no longer the previous cynicism and yful smile on his

    face, only heaviness and gloom.

 TOO Close 1208

    He asked me, ¡°Did you notice that Quentin was not present at today¡¯s banquet?¡±

    He asked this question, basically indicating that he suspected Vonnie came up to meet Quentin, and they were even doing unspeakable things in the suite.

    I took a deep breath and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to overthink either.¡±

    Johnathan smiled at me, his eyes turning red withughter.

    ¡°But you know, she used to really like Quentin.¡±

    She was with me only because Quentin didn¡¯t like her, so she settled for me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡±

    I also said that Reynaldo was awkward, and Johnathan¡¯s personality was the kind that is outgoing and easygoing.

    Little did I know, when ites to matters of the heart, everyone has their moments of confusion.

    The elevator doors closed several times.

    I quickly pulled him out of the elevator.

    I urged him impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Let¡¯s go find her first. Maybe she¡¯s just tired and went upstairs to rest.¡±

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    <b>Chapter </b>1208.

    Johnathan gave me a bitter smile and said, ¡°Do you <b>believe </b><b>that </b>yourself?¡±

    Why did the rest suddenly leave, why did the rest dismiss the bodyguards, and even turn off the phone?

    ¡°Johnathan!¡±

    I shouted at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t always think in that direction. Don¡¯t you find Vonnie¡¯s behavior just now very unusual? I¡¯m afraid this whole thing is a conspiracy.¡±

    Johnathan¡¯s body trembled, and he didn¡¯t say a word.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s find her first, her safety is the most important.¡±

    The sentence seemed to wake him up, and he immediately walked towards the room number.

    Just at the door of that room, he stopped again.

    He seemed afraid to see the scene he didn¡¯t want to see, his hand hanging in the air, afraid to turn the doorknob.

    I looked at his tense profile and whispered, ¡°We should trust Vonnie, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±

    Johnathan pursed his thin lips, took a slight breath, and finally grasped the door handle with his slender hand.

    And this door was not locked either, giving me the feeling that it was waiting for someone to open it on purpose.

    Johnathan gently turned the knob, and the door opened.

    However, the next second, both Johnathan and I stood still in ce.

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    <b>16.09 </b>

    Chapter1208

    289 Voucher

    The dark carpet was scattered with clothes.

    There were men¡¯s shirts, ties, and suits, as well as women¡¯s dresses and

    underwear¡­

    And that dress, lo and behold, was the M floral dress that Vonnie wore today.

    In an instant, Johnathan¡¯s eyes were filled with a terrifying crimson.

    He clenched his fist by his side, his tall body trembling slightly with anger and sorrow.

    I took a deep breath in shock, about to exin something for Vonnie.

    He suddenly said coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything anymore.¡±

    With that, he walked towards the bedroom, exuding a cold and resentful air.

    I hurried to catch up.

    He stopped at the bedroom door, and in an instant, a coldness I had never seen before shed across his tall figure.

    My heart was pounding wildly, and I hurriedly rushed over.

    On therge bed, Vonniey in Quentin¡¯s arms, the nket sliding down to their chests, both of them naked.

    And Vonnie happened to wake up, her eyes bleary and her expression nk.

    She looked towards the door, and when she saw me and Johnathan standing at the door, she shouted at me and Johnathan in surprise, ¡°Ralda, Johnathan, what are you doing here?¡±

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    16:10

    Seeing Vonnie¡¯s stunned expression, <b>i </b>

    set up by someone.

    However, Johnathan probably wouldn¡¯t believe it.

    16.10

    Seeing Vonnie¡¯s stunned expression, it was obvious <b>that </b><b>she </b><b>had </b><b>been </b>set up by someone.

    However, Johnathan probably wouldn¡¯t believe it.

    <b>Chapter1209 </b>

    1298 Voucher

 TOO Close 1209

    After all, his beloved woman suddenly left quietly, taking the bodyguard with her to this room, lying naked with the man she used to like.

    This is difficult for anyone to ept.

    What to do?

    If at that moment, Johnathan did not believe Vonnie and said something cruel to her, Vonnie might have broken down.

    What should we do now?

    I looked at Johnathan in shock, only to see him staring at Vonnie with a fierce gaze, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying.

    And Vonnie clearly hadn¡¯te to her senses yet, staring at him and asking, ¡°Johnathan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Your eyes look so scary, what happened?¡°.

    Johnathan never spoke, but the chilling aura surrounding him became increasingly terrifying.

    I licked my lips and hurriedly said to him cautiously, ¡°You, don¡¯t act like this first, this is a trap¡­ Let¡¯s talk first, let¡¯s investigate first¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when suddenly Vonnie let out a sharp

    scream.

    My heart trembled

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    16:10 D

    <b>Chapter1209 </b>

    I quickly looked over and saw her holding the nket, looking <b>at </b>Quentin lying next to her in horror.

    She was pale and trembling.

    She seemed to remember something again, and hurriedly looked towards Johnathan.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±

    She shook her head in fear, crying helplessly to Johnathan, ¡°It¡¯s really not like that, I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s like this? I didn¡¯t betray you, Johnathan, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    I hurried over to Vonnie, hugged her, and whispered to her, ¡°Vonnie, don¡¯t rush, be good, let¡¯s talk slowly¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid, we believe in you, we all believe in you¡­¡±

    And at that moment, Quentin also woke up.

    The first thing he did when he woke up was to sit up quickly and look anxiously to the side.

    And when he found himself lying naked in bed with Vonnie, a sh of inscrutable gray defeat and sadness passed through his eyes.

    Just the next second, Johnathan rushed over and punched him hard on the chin.

    Johnathan went crazy and growled at him, ¡°Why did you touch her? If you don¡¯t like her, why did you touch her?¡±

    She was going to marry me, she was going to marry me, why are you doing this?

    Johnathan¡¯s eyes were red, and he kept punching Quentin over and over again.

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    <b>16:10 </b>

    I quickly looked over and saw her holding the nket, looking at Quentin lying next to her in horror.

    She was pale and trembling.

    She seemed to remember something again, and hurriedly looked towards Johnathan.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±

    She shook her head in fear, crying helplessly to Johnathan, ¡°It¡¯s really not like that, I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s like this? I didn¡¯t betray you, Johnathan, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    I hurried over to Vonnie, hugged her, and whispered to her, ¡°Vonnie, don¡¯t rush, be good, let¡¯s talk slowly¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid, we believe in you, we all believe in you¡­¡±

    And at that moment, Quentin also woke up.

    The first thing he did when he woke up was to sit up quickly and look anxiously to the side.

    And when he found himself lying naked in bed with Vonnie, a sh of inscrutable gray defeat and sadness passed through his eyes.

    Just the next second, Johnathan rushed over and punched him hard on the chin.

    Johnathan went crazy and growled at him, ¡°Why did you touch her? If you don¡¯t like her, why did you touch her?¡±

    She was going to marry me, she was going to marry me, why are you doing this?

    Johnathan¡¯s eyes were red, and he kept punching Quentin over and over again.

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    Chapter209

    At that moment, Quentin did not fight back, allowing <b>Johnathan¡¯s </b><b>fist </b><b>to </b>hit him hard.

    <b>I </b>faintly heard him murmuring ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± in his mouth.

    I squinted my eyes and quickly pushed Johnathan, pulling him over, ¡°This is a trap, isn¡¯t it? Tell me, do you know anything?¡±

    All of this was not voluntary, right? Vonnie was also designed, right?

    However, no matter how much I pressed him, Quentin just wouldn¡¯t speak.

    I was both anxious and angry, and I pped him hard across the face, saying, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on, you tell me?!¡±

    In the end, I was almost at my wit¡¯s end.

    But he still said nothing, just buried his face in the quilt, crying andughing, like a madman.

    Vonnie also cried in despair.

    She crawled over with the nket, wanting to hold Johnathan¡¯s hand, but Johnathan avoided her.

    Johnathan looked at her almost disappointedly, ¡°Is it because we are getting married soon, you can¡¯t bear to leave him, so you eagerly went to meet him in your most beautiful posture?¡±

    Vonnie shook her head quickly.

    ¡°It was because he wasn¡¯t so happy with Kimberly that he suddenly thought of you, wanted to see you, so he made a phone call, sent a message, and you couldn¡¯t wait toe and throw yourself into his arms?¡±

    63.71%

 TOO Close 1210

    At the end of the day, what you love in your heart is always him, and what am I, just a spare tire without choice.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± Vonnie screamed shrilly.

    Johnathan smiled at her, tears streaking his face, ¡°So, what do you think?¡±

    Vonnie opened her mouth, as if wanting to exin, but it seemed like she couldn¡¯t exin it clearly.

    She searched anxiously in the bed.

    I hurriedly asked her, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°My phone, my phone, Ralda, please help me find¡­¡±

    I nodded, and as I lowered my gaze, I saw her phone on the carpet.

    I handed her the phone.

    She quickly took it over, opened her phone, and said to Johnathan, ¡°Look at the messages we sent each other, it¡¯s not what you think¡­¡±

    However, before she could finish her sentence, her face suddenly turned pale.

    ¡°How could this happen?¡±

    She murmured, trembling all over.

    Johnathan came over to take her phone, but she seemed to be afraid that Johnathan would see it, so she hid the phone behind her.

    16.10

    Chapter1210

    288 Wouchers

    Johnathan¡¯s eyes turned cold as he said, ¡°Give it to me!¡±

    Vonnie shook her head, tears streaming down her face, ¡°Wrong, all Wrong, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡±

    Just the next second, Johnathan snatched the phone from behind her.

    He lowered his gaze to the screen of his phone.

    He didn¡¯t know what he saw, only saw him trembling with anger, his eyes red and cold.

    He tightly gripped the phone, and the next second, suddenly mmed the phone hard on the carpet, roaring at Vonnie, ¡°What else do you have to say?¡±

    Lavonne, did you think I, Johnathan, was easy to fool and deceive?

    How could you, how dare you¡­

    ¡°No, all this information is fake, it¡¯s a trap, it¡¯s all a trap¡­¡±

    Johnathan shook his head, constantly stepping back, his eyes full of hatred and disappointment, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you, never want to see you again.¡±

    He turned around abruptly and ran outside after he finished speaking.

    ¡°Johnathan¡­¡­¡±

    Vonnie cried and wanted to go after him, but suddenly fell off the bed wrapped in a nket.

    I hurriedly hugged her and picked up the phone on the ground.

    Quentin: ¡°Vonnie, I have been so sad and in so much paintely. I feel like Kimberly doesn¡¯t love me at all.¡±

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    1610

    Vonnie: ¡°Whether <b>she </b><b>loves </b>you <b>or </b>not <b>has </b>nothing <b>to </b><b>do </b><b>with </b>me.

    Quentin: ¡°I wanted to see you, really wanted to see you. I just <b>saw </b><b>you</b><b>, </b>you looked so beautiful tonight. I never knew you could be this beautiful.¡±

    Quentin: ¡°Vonnie, can you¡­ give me another chance? I suddenly realized that I don¡¯t love Kimberly as much as I thought, and I think I still prefer you.¡±

    Vonnie: ¡°Is it true what you said?¡±

    When I saw this, I felt like there was a problem.

    I knew exactly how far Quentin had gone in licking Kimberly, there was no way he could have sent such a message to Vonnie.

    Vonnie now deeply loves Johnathan, and there is absolutely no way she would respond to Quentin like that.

    I continued reading.

    Quentin: ¡°Vonnie, I know that Johnathan proposed to you, you must have said yes to him, congrattions, after all, it was my own fault for not knowing how to appreciate you and missing out on someone as wonderful as you.¡±

    Vonnie: ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Actually¡­ actually I didn¡¯t like Johnathan that much either. It¡¯s just that you rejected me, my mom was pushing me, and I had no choice but to choose him.¡±

    Vonnie said, ¡°All this time, the one I liked in my heart was still you.¡±

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 TOO Close 1211

    Quentin: ¡°Really? Can youe up and keep mepany? <b>I¡¯m </b><b>really </b>sad, and right now I just want to be with you.¡®

    Vonnie: ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    Quentin: ¡°I was waiting for you at this hotel in 2028.¡±

    The conversation ended here.

    I took a deep breath.

    No wonder Johnathan felt so sad and disappointed.

    What he cared most about in his heart was Vonnie¡¯s past affection for Quentin.

    But this conversation was telling him that Vonnie had always truly loved Quentin, and he was just the spare tire Vonnie settled for when she had no choice.

    The misunderstanding has really escted this time.

    What should we do now?

    Now Vonnie is with Quentin like this, can she still be with Johnathan?

    Vonnie cried to me in despair, ¡°Ralda, I didn¡¯t betray him, and I don¡¯t know why it turned out this way.¡±

    What to do? He didn¡¯t believe me, he didn¡¯t want me, what to do?

    ¡°Oh my God, what are you doing?¡±

    0.00%

    <b>16:11 </b>

    <b>Just </b>then, <b>a </b>loud scream came from the doorway.

    My heart sank heavily, and I turned to look.

    Kimberly was standing at the door, with a bunch of media reporters following behind her.

    And with her scream, countless shes instantly shot towards this direction, the sound of shutters echoing one after another.

    ¡°Oh my goodness, how could Ms. Av sleep with Mr. Duffy?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Mr. Duffy engaged to Ms. Palmer?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and it seems like Ms. Av and Mr. Dup are a couple, not long ago Mr. Dup even proposed to Ms. Av, right?¡±

    ¡°My goodness, it looks like these two were having an affair?¡±

    As sharp discussions arose one after another.

    Kimberly also began her performance, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Quentin, ¡°How could you do this? How could you betray me? You clearly said that I was the one you loved the most.¡±

    Quentin looked at her, not saying a word, just smiling, a smile that was particrly sad and deste.

    I stared at him coldly, feeling extremely sad and angry in my heart.

    He must have known that all of this was designed by Kimberly.

    But he just wouldn¡¯t say, not a word.

    Kimberly cried to Vonnie again, ¡°I always gave in to you during filming, but why did you have to steal my fiance?¡±

    You already have Mr. Dup, Mr. Dup loves you so much, why do

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    Chapter1411

    you <b>still </b><b>have </b><b>to </b>seduce <b>my </b><b>man</b>? Why?

    <b>With </b>Kimberly¡¯s questioning, the sharp and unpleasant gossip <b>resurfaced</b>.

    ¡°Wow, I thought she was genuine, but it turns out she¡¯s just a shameless interloper. I can¡¯t believe I used to be such a big fan of hers.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she looked so heroic in the y, but who would have thought she was actually a fox spirit seducing someone else¡¯s fiance in real life. It¡¯s just disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly, I must have been blind. During this period, she was still being so popr, it¡¯s really disgusting.¡®

    The debate grew more intense.

    JI

    And Vonnie didn¡¯t care about those anymore, she kept crying and calling out Johnathan¡¯s name.

    Over there, Kimberly was still putting on an act, crying crocodile tears, portraying herself as a pitiful victim.

    The news media took pictures frantically, and fans cursed Vonnie one after another, standing up for Kimberly.

    The scene was suddenly thrown into chaos.

    I gritted my teeth and red at Kimberly, feeling extreme hatred in my heart.

    Her move not only broke up Vonnie and Johnathan, but also aimed topletely ruin Vonnie¡¯s reputation.

    What a vicious move.

    I grabbed the robe from the side and draped it over Vonnie, then

    161100

    <b>growled </b>at Quentin, ¡°If <b>you </b>don¡¯t speak <b>up </b><b>to </b>rify, Vonnie¡¯s life will <b>be </b>ruined <b>by </b>you.¡±

    Chapter1212

 TOO Close 1212

    Quentin lowered his gaze, his voice sounding desperate as if ¡°there was no life left in it.¡±

    ¡°Destroy, destroy everything, it doesn¡¯t matter, nothing matters anymore¡­¡±

    I pped him again in anger, turned around and shouted at the people at the door, ¡°Get out, all of you! Get out!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, who is this person? Why are they telling us to get lost?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so I did something wrong and now I can¡¯t even talk about it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I remember, isn¡¯t that the ywright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, she was still Mr. Humphrey¡¯s wife, and a few years ago it seemed like she was used of killing Mr. Humphrey¡¯s mother, but it seems like that incident was suppressed.¡±

    ¡°But Mr. Humphrey seemed to quite like her. Hmm, I wonder what kind of charm she used.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know that? She is best friends with Lavonne, who specializes in seducing other people¡¯s husbands. What good can she be?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I picked up the pillow and the ornament on the bedside table and smashed them hard against the door.

    <b>Chapter1212 </b>

    <b>288 </b>Vouchers

    I didn¡¯t care about anything now, I just wanted them all to ¡°get lost¡±

    Kimberly looked more like a victim in her outfit at that time.

    ¡°Ralda, you have long wanted Quentin to be with Lavonne, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    When Quentin was with me before, you always tried to set Quentin up with Lavonne.

    I knew you didn¡¯t like me, but why did you go so far as to create opportunities for them behind my back.

    ¡°You clearly told me to leave, why did you hurt me like this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, poor Ms. Palmer, she was really yed by them like this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they really are a bunch of troublemakers, bullying Ms. Palmer like that is despicable.¡±

    With those discussions, Kimberly cried more and more pitifully and grievously.

    I was furious and went straight over to drive them away.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    I stood in front of Vonnie and shouted at them, ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you.¡±

    The shlights kept shining on my face, and I stared at them coldly.

    Until Gilbert came up.

    The usually honest and reserved man was now thoroughly angry.

    He shouted loudly at the media and fans, and they slowly dispersed.

    Chapter1212

    111 288 Workchme

    Gilbert nced into the room and shook his head helplessly, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s quickly tidy up and leave this ce, this y¡­ probably won¡¯t be released.¡±

    pursed my lips and said, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    He was a well¨Cknown director, and every movie he directed was very popr.

    And this y was about to be a stain on his career, and just a few roars he had just driven away those media reporters, I don¡¯t know how the media reporters will write about him.

    Gilbert sighed, ¡°It¡¯s okay, maybe it was meant to be.¡±

    After saying that, he threw the clothes in his hand over, nced at Vonnie, and said to me, ¡°Take her away first, the media reporters tonight probably won¡¯t let her go.¡±

    The clothes Gilbert threw over were a casual outfit, along with a scarf

    and a hat.

    It seems that he ¡°heard about the situation here, so he hurriedly came up.¡±

    After Gilbert left, I quickly took Vonnie to the bathroom to change clothes, put on hats and scarves.

    When Quentin came out, he was already dressed.

    I didn¡¯t even look at him, I just helped the lost and dejected Vonnie walk outside.

    Quentin suddenly grabbed me.

    He nced at Vonnie with aplex look in his eyes, a touch of pain shing across his face.

    63 160

    Chapter1212

    289 Mouther

    After a while, he whispered to me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I did

 TOO Close 1213

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1213 </b>

    I nced at Vonnie.

    Her face was pale, her eyes swollen, and she kept murmuring ¡°Johnathan¡¯s¡± name, as if she no longer cared about whatever had happened between her and Quentin.

    What she cares about now is only Johnathan.

    But Johnathan misunderstood, he left, he didn¡¯t believe her, didn¡¯t want her anymore.

    I looked at Quentin coldly and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying all thi now? Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier?¡±

    Quentin, did you really love Kimberly so much that you were willing to help her do something wrong?

    I am your own sister, and Vonnie is our childhood ymate. Even if you don¡¯t like her, don¡¯t you have a little bit of nostalgia for our childhood friendship?

    ¡°How could you be like this? How could you¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    Quentin¡¯s eyes were red, and a big man finally shed tears.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why things turned out this way. I didn¡¯t help her, and I didn¡¯t participate in her n either.¡±

    She just said to me toe up and wait for her, but when I came up, I was knocked out by someone. When I woke up again, I found Vonnie

    <b>Chapter1213 </b>

    288 Vouchers

    lying naked next to me.

    Even worse, I found out that I had been drugged with that kind of medicine.

    But I also knew that I couldn¡¯t touch Vonnie, absolutely couldn¡¯t touch her.

    In order to suppress the effect of the medicine, I resorted to all kinds of self¨Charm, and even thought about suicide¡­

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go and die then?¡±

    I coldly interrupted his words, clearly seeing him shudder all over, his face instantly pale as paper, a touch of disbelief shing in his eyes, which slowly turned into despair.

    I said coldly, ¡°Just now, with so many media reporters and fans attacking Vonnie, howe you didn¡¯t say a word?¡±

    And Johnathan, when Johnathan misunderstood Vonnie, why were you still silent.

    All in all, aren¡¯t you just covering up for that malicious woman?

    What¡¯s the use of telling me now? Ha¡­

    I sarcasticallyughed and said to him coldly, ¡°Now your wish has finallye true, breaking up Johnathan and Vonnie, and ruining Vonnie¡¯s reputation. You and that malicious woman are truly made for each other!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Quentin suddenly roared in pain, ¡°I didn¡¯t help her, Ralda, trust me once, no matter what I do, I won¡¯t harm you or Vonnie, do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Then you go rify in front of the media!¡±

    <b>Chapter </b>1213

    I yelled at him angrily, ¡°Those media, those fans are still squatting down there, you want me to believe you, okay, then you go rify <b>in </b>front of those people.¡±

    You went to tell them, ¡°Vonnie did not seduce you.¡±

    You told them that you were framed, that you were framed by Kimberly.

    ¡°By the way, spill all the bad things Kimberly has done, if you want me to believe you, then just go!¡±

    Quentin looked at me with red eyes, suddenly unable to speak.

    Look, as long as you get him to expose Kimberly, he will keep

    The sadness and anger filled the entire chest.

    I coldly smiled at him, ¡°Do you think there is a difference between shielding and being an aplice?¡±

    Even if you did not participate in her conspiracy, your silence, your protection, is equally unforgivable. <ol><li>it. </li></ol>

    ¡°Quentin, in the past, I thought you were the best brother in the world, and even Vonnie was always envious that I had such a good brother like you¡­¡±

    Quentin looked slowly at Vonnie, his eyes filled with tears and sorrow.

    I brushed off his hand and said to him with extreme disappointment, ¡°But now, I feel ashamed to have a brother like you!¡±

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1214 </b>

 TOO Close 1214

    Quentin¡¯s face turned even paler, with almost no trace of color on his face.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    He was trembling all over, reaching out as if he wanted to touch me.

    I avoided him disgustingly and said coldly, ¡°You are no longer my brother. Don¡¯t let me see your disgusting appearance again in the future.¡±

    With that, I helped Vonnie turn around and walked away.

    Behind him came Quentin¡¯s restrained and suppressed sobbing, sounding extremely deste.

    I bit my lip tightly, trying hard to hold back the tears in my eyes, but eventually they couldn¡¯t help but fall.

    The sibling rtionship of more than twenty years has trulye to aplete end.

    And those beautiful memories of the past can only be regarded as memories of the previous life.

    Gilbert told me that media reporters were all waiting outside the hotel gate, and the hotel lobby was full of people.

    He asked me to quietly leave with Vonnie through the side door.

    When I was going down in the elevator, Reynaldo called me.

    He said he knew everything.

    0.00<b>% </b>

    1614 00

    Chapter <b>214 </b>

    <b>Yes</b>, ¡°big news¡± like this must have been exaggerated and <b>spread </b><b>like </b>wildfire online, even the scene of Vonnie and Quentin disheveled <b>in </b>the room has been circting on the inte.

    Reynaldo said that he had already sent someone to suppress these

    messages.

    As for Johnathan, he said he called ¡°Johnathan,¡± but no one answered.

    Listening to Reynaldo¡¯s steady narration, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but turn red, and my voice choked up.

    ¡°What to do? Vonnie and Johnathan¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as it¡¯s a misunderstanding, it will be exined clearly. Take care of yourself and Vonnie. I¡¯m on my way and w there soon.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I hung up the phone and walked towards the side door with Vonnie.

    In order not to be recognized, beforeing down, I also changed my clothes.

    There weren¡¯t many people on the side door, and at this moment Vonnie and I were both wearing hats and scarves, so no one should recognize us.

    ¡°Did you hear that there was a car ident just now at the hotel entrance?¡±

    ¡°Ah? Really? Who got hit by a car?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, after all, this is a bustling area, the scene was quickly cleaned up, I just curiously took a look, there were still some bloodstains on the ground.¡±

    <b>30.10</b><b>% </b>

    ¡°Wow, just now everyone ran upstairs to see the big star <b>cheating</b><b>, </b><b>not </b>many people saw the ident, but I heard that the scene of the ident was terrible, it seems that person died on the spot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ I heard too, it seems the person who had the car ident was called Dup¡­ I think¡­¡±

    A sudden murmur of voices broke out, and Vonnie and I, who had not been paying attention, were walking with our heads down towards the exit.

    When I suddenly heard thest sentence they said, I clearly felt Vonnie shudder all over, and her legs could hardly stand.

    I quickly supported her and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it won¡¯t be Johnathan¡¯s.¡±

    Vonnie was trembling all over, her hands ice¨Ccold.

    She looked at me, her face pale, and in her bright red eyes was nothing but fear.

    ¡°Is it Dup? Is it Johnathan Dup?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible. I heard that person ran out of the hotel and got hit by a car.¡±

    ¡°Looking at it this way, maybe it was his girlfriend cheating on him upstairs, he couldn¡¯t handle the blow, broke down and ran out, didn¡¯t watch the road, and then got hit by a car?¡±

    Upon hearing this, Vonnie¡¯s legs went weak and her body suddenly started to copse.

    <b>Chapter </b>1215

 TOO Close 1215

    Those people were still saying, ¡°One after another, Johnathan was hit by a car.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but shout at those few people, ¡°Shut up! If you keep spreading rumors here, be careful I¡¯ll report you for nder.¡±

    ¡°Huh!! Who are you? We¡¯re chatting here, it¡¯s none of your business!¡±

    I was about to retort, but Vonnie suddenly broke free from my hand and ran madly towards the big door.

    I faintly heard her murmuring, ¡°saying she was going to find Johnathan.¡±

    I was startled in my heart and quickly caught up with her.

    The hotel lobby was crowded with people, and media reporters were waiting there.

    The fans were discussing heatedly.

    Amidst the noisy.mor were curses directed at Vonnie, as well as voices defending Kimberly.

    I gritted my teeth and quickened my pace to catch up with Vonnie.

    But there were too many people in the hall, and someone was constantly blocking the way.

    Suddenly, I saw Vonnie running outside when she was suddenly knocked down by someone, and her hat fell off her head.

    Someone recognized her instantly.

    0.00<b>% </b>

    ¨C 16:12] 3.

    ¡°Lavonne was here!¡±

    ¡°Lavonne came down!¡±

    With the sharp shouts of the two, suddenly, the crowd rushed towards Vonnie.

    I was so anxious that I pushed through the crowd in front of me.

    ¡°Ms. Av, when did your affair with Mr. Duffy start?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Av, I heard that Mr. Dup proposed to you, and you haven¡¯t said yes because of Mr. Duffy, is that right?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Av, when you slept with Mr. Duffy, did you ever consider that Mr. Duffy is Ms. Palmer¡¯s fiance? Where is your moral line?¡±

    ***

    One sharp question after another hit Vonnie.

    Vonnie covered her ears and screamed in despair.

    I finally pushed through theyers of people in front of me and hugged Vonnie, then I said to the reporters, ¡°Seeing is not necessarily believing. What I want to say is, she didn¡¯t have anything with Quentin, this is all Kimberly¡¯s trap.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Duffy said it was a trap set by Ms. Palmer, so may I ask if Ms. Duffy has any evidence?¡±

    ¡°Was Ms. Duffy covering up for her brother and best friend? Birds of a feather flock together, it seems that Ms. Duffy is not a good person either.¡±

    ¡°It is said that Ms. Duffy maliciously stabbed Ms. Palmer four years ago, causing Ms. Palmer to almost lose her life, but it seems that Ms.

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    Duffy did not receive any punishment. Is this the power of capital?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, with Mr. Humphrey backing you up, did you feel like <b>you </b>could do whatever you wanted in Freybourne, bullying vulnerable groups like Ms. Palmer?¡±

    I looked heavily at those reporters who were like jackals, and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, everything that happened at the banquet tonight was a trap, please let it go.¡±

    2.er all

    ¡°I will go collect the evidence, please be patient, the evidence is collected, Ms. Av and I will give everyone an exnation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is Ms. Duffy deliberately stalling for time?¡± a reporter suddenly confronted me aggressively.

    I sneered at her, ¡°So, tell me, what was my purpose in deliberately dying the time?¡±

    Also, I had promised everyone that I would gather evidence to prove Ms. Av¡¯s innocence.

    So, what are we still doing here? Do you want to ¡°tear Ms. Av apart alive¡°?

    ¡°We just wanted Ms. Av to give fans an exnation.¡±

    ¡°Instructions will definitely be given, after all, Ms. Av has always been very fond of her fans.¡±

    Rest assured, when Ms. Av has recovered her emotions and state, she will naturally hold a press conference to exin to the fans.

    16 131

 TOO Close 1216

    With my answer, the hall gradually quieted down.

    At this moment, someone suddenly asked, ¡°I heard that someone was hit by a car in front of the hotel just now. Was the person who was hit Mr. Dup?¡±

    And this question seemed to have struck a chord with Vonnie.

    Vonnie suddenly broke free from me and desperately pushed through the crowd to run outside.

    I called out to her anxiously and hurried to catch up with her.

    The reporters also chased after her, one after another sharp questionsing at her again.

    I finally chased out of the hotel¡¯s main door, when suddenly I heard a loud bang.

    Just then, a car sped by and hit Vonnie, who was running to the middle of the road, sending her flying.

    My legs went weak, and my body immediately swayed unsteadily for a few steps, almost falling down.

    ¡°Vonnie!¡±

    I cried out in anguish and ran over without hesitation.

    Vonnie¡¯s body rolled to one side, with blood underneath.

    I copsed beside her, trembling all over as I tightly held her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t do this¡­ Vonnie¡­¡±

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    16.13

    Chapter1216

    I hastily took out my phone and dialed the emergency ambnce number, my heart trembling uncontrobly.

    Vonnie looked at me, blood kept flowing from the corner of her lips.

    She struggled to move her lips.

    I leaned in closer, only to hear her shouting ¡°Johnathan¡± over and over again.

    I burst into tears instantly.

    I called an ambnce and frantically dialed Johnathan¡¯s phone, but no one answered, no one at all.

    I shook my head at her, crying, ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Vonnie. Johnathan must be fine, he must just be hiding away in sadness.¡±

    You didn¡¯t have any trouble, you had to get better, you had to exin to him.

    go

    and

    ¡°He would believe you, he loves you so much, Vonnie, don¡¯t do this, I beg you, don¡¯t do this¡­¡±

    Vonnie smiled at me, but there was only defeat in her eyes.

    She raised her hand shakily, as if wanting to touch my face.

    I quickly grabbed her hand, which was covered in blood, and despair and fear almost engulfed me.

    ¡°Vonnie¡­¡­

    11

    It was Quentin¡¯s trembling voice.

    I turned around and saw Quentin staggering and sitting on the ground, looking incredulously at Vonnie lying in a pool of blood.

    <b>30.38</b>%

    16:13

    Chapter1216

    I ran over like crazy, pounding him desperately, ¡°Why did you <b>do </b><b>this</b><b>? </b>It¡¯s you who harmed her, it¡¯s you, the one who deserves to die the most¡­¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Vonnie called me.

    I knelt beside her, crying, not knowing what to do.

    Vonnie smiled at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯m not hurt¡­¡±

    She said, her voice choking, ¡°If¡­ if Johnathan is still alive, please¡­ please tell him for me that I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything to betray him¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, don¡¯t say anything yet, don¡¯t say anything at all. The ambnce is on its way, you will be fine, you will definitely be fine.¡±

    Vonnie kept smiling at me, but her eyes were filled with sadness. She said, ¡°The four of us¡­ still can¡¯t¡­ all be happy¡­¡±

    She finished speaking and slowly closed her eyes.

    I cried out in despair, ¡°No, Vonnie, don¡¯t do this¡­ Wake up, I beg you¡­¡±

    The surrounding reporters were still frantically taking pictures.

    I suddenly pounced.

    Like a madman, he snatched their camera and smashed it hard on the ground.

    I shouted at them, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, all because of you.¡±

    ¡°If she had anything, I wanted you all to be buried with her, all of you!¡±

    <b>63.12</b>%

    16:13

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    288 Vouchers

    I went crazy and fought those people, ignoring the shing lights and curses constantlying towards me.

    What is image?

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    What does reputation matter?

    The health and happiness of the people around me are the most important.

    But my Vonnie, can she get better?

    The surroundings were in chaos, countless sharp voices pierced through my eardrums, and my world was spinning.

    My body was shaking, and ck spots were swirling before my eyes.

    Suddenly, a pair of hands rested on my shoulders, and a familiar chest pressed against my back.

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo.

    Tears burst out like a broken dam.

    I cried to him in a breakdown, ¡°Vonnie had a car ident, what should we do? Will she¡­ die?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s voice was very firm.

    He looked around at the crowd with a sinister gleam in his eyes and said, ¡°Try taking another picture if you dare.¡±

    In an instant, the sh disappeared, and the murmurs and curses vanished.

    The surroundings, suddenly became extremely quiet, so quiet that in

    0.00%

    <b>Chapter1212 </b>

    my eyes there was only Vonnic lying in a pool of blood, <b>only </b>the sound of blood gushing out of her body.

    ¡°Vonnie¡­¡­¡±

    called her name softly, walking towards her step by step.

    Suddenly, my vision went ck, and I instantly copsed softly <b>to </b><b>the </b>ground.

    The moment I fell, Reynaldo caught me.

    The moment when consciousnesspletely dissipated, I heard him anxiously calling my name.

    It was as if I had had a long dream.

    In the dream, a vast sea of flowers shone brightly under the azure sky, beautiful as if in a fairy tale world.

    The spring sunshine cast a honey¨Ccolored halo over the entire sea of flowers.

    The breeze brushed over the continuous waves of flowers, carrying a sweet fragrance that wafted into the nostrils, refreshing the heart and soul.

    Vonnie wore a white wedding dress, barefoot on the soft grass, the white skirt was lifted and dropped by the wind, like a butterfly about to take flight.

    Johnathan wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, leaning in close to her ear, and whispered sweet nothings.

    Vonnie¡¯s cheeks were flushed, contrasting against the white shirt he was wearing.

    Chapter1217

    Behind me was a vast sea of flowers, blooming in various colors

    The two of them seemed to have walked out of a painting by M

    Suddenly, Vonnie waved at me.

    ¡°Ralda,e over quickly, let¡¯s take a photo together with the four of us.¡±

    Reynaldo gave me a gentle smile and led me by the hand towards them.

    But at this moment, the sky and earth suddenly changed color, and a strong wind rose.

    In an instant,rge swathes of flower fields withered and fell

    The air was no longer filled with the refreshing scent of flowers, but with a terrifying and despairing smell of blood.

    In the strong wind, Johnathan suddenly disappeared, leaving Vonnie standing there all alone.

    I wanted to rush over and hug her.

    But she was so close to me, yet I couldn¡¯t touch her no matter what.

    Suddenly, she smiled at me, a pale and broken smile.

    She said to me, ¡°Ralda, you must be happy.¡±

    In an instant, a strong wind rose and buckets of rain poured down.

    What flowed from Vonnie was not rainwater, but bloodwate

    ¡°Vonnie!¡±

    I shouted her name, but she was getting farther and farther away from

    Chapter1217

    288 Wouchers

    me, farther and farther¡­.

    Until it disappeared.

    ¡°Vonnie¡­¡­ Vonnie¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda, wake up, Esmeralda¡­¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s low call came, instantly cutting through the thick clouds and rain curtain.

    I woke up suddenly, to see the worried look in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes.

    He held my hand tightly and asked worriedly, ¡°How are you feeling? Is there anywhere ufortable?¡±

    His palm was warm, and a gentle warmth spread throughout his body through the palm of his hand.

 TOO Close 1218

    I stared at him nkly, so, those just now¡­ were all dreams?

    However, at that moment I was still rejoicing, ¡°Thank goodness all that terrible stuff was just a dream.¡± The next second, I remembered, ¡°That wasn¡¯t a dream, Vonnie and Johnathan really are having problems, Vonnie really did get hit by a car.¡±

    Tears welled up in the eyes in an instant.

    I grabbed Reynaldo¡¯s arm, sat up, and asked him urgently, ¡°How is Vonnie? What happened to her?¡±

    Reynaldo held me in his arms and sighed silently, ¡°She was still being treated in the emergency room.¡±

    A hint of light appeared on the horizon.

    Several hours passed, and the lights in the emergency room were still <ol><li>on. </li></ol>

    No one dared to inform Vonnie¡¯s mother about what had happened.

    Outside the emergency room, not a single person was there, the cold and pale light spilled into the lobby, especially deste.

    I choked up and asked Reynaldo, ¡°What about Johnathan? Is that Dup guy who had the car ident¡­?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Reynaldo said in a low voice, ¡°He was just a fan who came to attend the banquet, coincidentally surnamed Dup.¡±

    10.3707

    Chapter1218

    ¡°Where is Johnathan?¡± I cried sadly, ¡°After what happened to Vonnie, is he still ming Vonnie and refusing toe see Vonnie?*

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    Reynaldo wiped the tears from my face and whispered, ¡°I called <b>his </b>phone, but no one answered. Later, we sent someone to look for him and found him at the bar,pletely drunk. So, he had no idea what happened after the party,¡±

    I sat on the cold chair, burying my face in my hands.

    All that shed through my mind was the scene of Vonnie being hit and thrown by a car.

    I felt both anxious and sad in my heart.

    Everything was going well, she and Johnathan were about to enter the ¡°hall of marriage¡°, and the four of us could finally be happy.

    But why did this happen.

    At that moment, I felt extremely guilty and hated my own uselessness.

    I already felt that Kimberly might cause trouble at the wrap party, but I still couldn¡¯t protect Vonnie, and even watched as things got so

    serious.

    I was really useless, unable to take revenge and unable to protect the people around me.

    Reynaldo hugged me tightly and whispered, ¡°Esmeralda, don¡¯t worry. Vonnie will be fine.¡±

    I threw myself into his arms and cried helplessly.

    At this moment, Braylon suddenly came over.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1218 </b>

    He respectfully said to Reynaldo, ¡°The reporters and <b>fans </b><b>outside </b>have. already left, and now it¡¯s all our people around the <b>hospital</b>. There shouldn¡¯t be any more reporters sneaking in.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°Has everything that happened tonight been suppressed?¡±

    Braylon said, ¡°It¡¯s all been suppressed, and all traces online have <b>been </b>cleared.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded slightly and said nothing more.

    Braylon suddenly looked at me, hesitated to speak.

    I asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Braylon pursed his lips and said, ¡°Quentin was outside the hospital, saying he wanted toe in and see Ms. Av.¡±

    When ites to Quentin, my heart is full of sorrow and indignation.

    If he had exined clearly in front of Johnathan at that time, Johnathan would not have left disappointed, and Vonnie would not have had a car ident!

    Even if he did not participate in the conspiracy, even if he did not intend to be an aplice.

    But he shamelessly covered up for Kimberly, favored Kimberly, which is even more unforgivable!

    Reynaldo nced at me and said to Braylon, ¡°You let him go.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Braylon turned and walked out.

    I called out to him lightly, ¡°Let him in.¡®

    <b>Chapter1219 </b>

 TOO Close 1219

    I wanted to see if he had any ¡°remorse¡± at all for what he did to Vonnie.

    Before long, Quentin slowly approached under Braylon¡¯s guidance.

    Quentin hunched over as if he had been dealt a heavy blow, his <b>eyes </b>bloodshot, and his face a pallid gray.

    When he saw me, a glint of tears instantly appeared in his crimson

    eyes.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­

    He shouted at me, his hoarse voice filled with endless sorrow and destion, ¡°Vonnie, she¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, Vonnie is still being treated in the emergency room,¡± I looked at him with disgust, sneering coldly, ¡°What? Came to me again to pretend to be sad, to pretend to repent?¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­

    Tears fell from Quentin¡¯s eyes, and his ashen face was filled with a look of pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry Vonnie, if¡­ if she can¡¯t make it¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    I coldly interrupted him and shouted emotionally, ¡°Vonnie will be fine, you must not curse her!¡±

    Reynaldo put his arm around me and gently patted my back.

    I took a deep breath and looked at Quentin¡¯s red eyes, saying coldly,

    Chapter1219

    288 Vouchers

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again, do you want toe forward to rify for Vonnie, do you want to expose Kimberly¡¯s malicious true colors?¡±

    Quentin covered his face in sorrow, followed by a moment of silence.

    Iughed,ughed bitterly and sadly.

    I shouted at him, ¡°Then you get out of here!¡±

    Since you refused toe forward to rify, to expose Kimberly¡¯s true face, why are you here?

    ¡°Get out of here, just go!¡±

    I rushed over and started pounding Quentin as if I were crazy.

    Quentin let me beat him up without fighting back.

    He looked at me with dead eyes and said, ¡°If Vonnie doesn¡¯t make it, then I¡¯ll give my life for her.¡±

    ¡°Who wants your life, who wants your miserable life.¡±

    ¡°I just want Vonnie, I just want my Vonnie to live well.¡±

    I squatted down, covering my face and cried in sorrow.

    ¡°You once said that I am your favorite sister, Vonnie is your best friend, and you promised to protect us for a lifetime.¡±

    But look, what have you done to us again for a Kimberly?

    Kimberly disregarded your feelings, disregarded your reputation, designed you against Vonnie, and even caused the death of our mother. Why do you still want to cover up for her?

    ¡°Quentin, really, the most damn person is you, it¡¯s you¡­¡±

    Chapter1219

    The intense despair and sorrow almost engulfed me, and for a moment, it felt like the air in my chest couldn¡¯te up.

    I gasped for breath, almost stumbling.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡± Quentin hurriedly approached.

    The next second, Reynaldo coldly pushed him away and held me in his arms, saying to him in a cold voice, ¡°If you only feel guilty and want to see Vonnie¡¯s treatment results without being willing to make any

    amends, then please leave.¡±

    Esmeralda never wanted useless apologies and guilt, what she wanted was for you to help clear Vonnie¡¯s name and expose Kimberly¡¯s crimes.

    If you can¡¯t do these things, please leave and don¡¯t provoke Esmeralda here.

    Quentin looked at me with bloodshot eyes.

    But at this moment, a figure hurriedly ran over.

    I turned my gaze and saw Johnathan.

    His face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and fear was written all over his features.

    ¡°Reynaldo, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    He ran up quickly, grabbing Reynaldo¡¯s arm tightly, his voice trembling with anxiety, ¡°Where¡¯s Vonnie? How is she? Where is she?¡±

    ness and

    Thinking that he and Vonnie could soon enter the ¡°hall of marriage¡°, but then such a thing happened, I was overwhelmed with couldn¡¯t help but cry,/covering my mouth.

    Johnathan nced at me, his face turning pale.

    19:38

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    ¡°What happened to her? Please tell me quickly,¡± he asked anxiously, looking at Reynaldo with fear in his voice.

    Reynaldo looked towards the direction of the emergency room and said, ¡°She had been in there for 7 hours already, and the doctor still hasn¡¯te out.¡±

    Johnathan hurriedly walked to the entrance of the emergency room.

    But outside the door, nothing could be seen.

    He held his head in pain and said, ¡°How could this happen?¡±

    I didn¡¯t mean it, I was just talking nonsense. I didn¡¯t reject her, and I didn¡¯t not want to see her either.

    I thought, ¡°when the anger in my heart subsided, I woulde back to find her.¡±

    But why did it be like this? What should I do? Why isn¡¯t the person inside me?

    ¡°I should really die, Vonnie, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Johnathan slowly squatted down, holding his head and crying in pain.

    Quentin looked at him with aplex gaze, and after a while, he walked towards him.

    ¡°In fact, nothing happened between me and Vonnie,¡± Quentin told Johnathan.

    Just the next second, Johnathan suddenly stood up and swung a fist

    19:38

    fiercely towards him.

    Quentin was immediately knocked to the ground.

    Before he could even get up, Johnathan grabbed his cor and yelled at him, ¡°Why are you only saying this now? What¡¯s the point of saying it now?¡±

    I didn¡¯t care about anything, I just wanted Vonnie, I just wanted her to be okay.

    Why? She liked you so much, why did you hurt her like this, why?

    Johnathan¡¯s fists keptnding on Quentin¡¯s body, one after another.

    Quentin never fought back, his face filled with a gray, defeated silence.

    I really don¡¯t understand. Why did he still have to protect Kimberly when it¡¯s like this?

    What he was seeking, after all.

    At that moment, the door of the emergency room finally opened.

    The two men on the ground suddenly got up and hurriedly approached each other.

    But my feet felt like they were filled with lead, avoiding, afraid to hear the results that would make me despair.

    ¡°Doctor, how is my fiancee?¡± Johnathan asked the doctor urgently.

    The doctor took off his mask and sighed, ¡°The life was saved, but he may never wake up again.¡±

    I suddenly cked out in front of my eyes and fell to the ground.

    Reynaldo quickly wrapped his arms around my waist.

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    <b>283 </b>Nouch

    He hugged me, walked over, and said to the doctor in a deep voice, ¡°Treat as much as possible, no matter how much money it costs.¡±

    However, the doctor just shook his head helplessly.

    Soon, Vonnie was pushed out.

    She wore an oxygen mask, with tubes inserted all over her body, her eyes tightly closed, lookingpletely motionless.

    Johnathan threw himself in pain, grabbing Vonnie¡¯s hand, crying out in sorrow, ¡°Wake up, Vonnie, wake up.¡±

    I¡¯m not mad at you anymore. I beg you, open your eyes and look at me, okay?

    I am not jealous anymore, I don¡¯t care who you like, I just want you to be well.

    As long as you get better, I will depend on you for everything, listen to you for everything, please Vonnie, wake up, wake up, okay¡­

    Johnathany by the bedside, crying uncontrobly like a helpless child.

    This was the first time I had seen a man cry so bitterly, so despairingly.

    The once carefree and unrestrained man now seems to have lost everything.

    Quentin stared nkly at Vonnie on the sickbed.

    He shook his head, staggered backwards, and finally slid down the wall to sit on the ground.

    He covered his face and cried in sorrow, murmuring ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± over and over again.

    <b>10.28 </b>

    Chapter1221

    17

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    Chapter1221

    Unfortunately, Vonnie couldn¡¯t hear.

    Vonnie stayed in the hospital for a month, and her external injuries improved a bit.

    And this week, Johnathan stayed by the bedside taking care of him, ¡°clothes not even loosened.¡±

    Quentin also often went to the hospital to visit Vonnie.

    But strangely, Johnathan did not stop him, and even let him talk to Vonnie alone every time.

    Perhaps in his eyes, Quentin might have been able to awaken Vonnie.

    All he prayed for now was that Vonnie could wake up.

    Reynaldo and I also went to the hospital to visit them every day.

    As the days went by, I watched Johnathan, who was usually carefree and yful, be a bit more serious and sinister.

    He used to have endless words and always liked to joke.

    Now, he often remained silent, just sitting by the bed, staring at Vonnie without blinking.

    Others also lost a lot of weight, with bloodshot eyes.

    I originally wanted him to go back and rest for a few days, and I would take care of Vonnie, but he didn¡¯t agree.

    A monthter, Johnathan ¡°brought Vonnie back home.¡±

    10.28

    Chapter1221

    He said he believed Vonnie would wake up one day.

    He would always keep watch over Vonnie, waiting for her to wake up.

    As for the ringleader Kimberly, she did not receive any punishment at all.

    The events that happened on the night of the wrap¨Cup party can no longer be found online.

    However, Vonnie¡¯s image in the hearts of fans has beenpletely ruined, and fans inevitably curse Vonnie privately.

    I had gone to see Quentin and finally asked him if he was willing to hold a press conference to rify what happened that night and clear Vonnie¡¯s name.

    I didn¡¯t want Vonnie to be involved in such a thing and still be scolded with a finger on the spine.

    What Quentin gave me was silence.

    His silence almost drove me crazy.

    At that moment, I really wanted to stab the knife into his heart.

    I scolded him harshly and then walked away. ?

    He suddenly told me that he was going to marry Kimberly, and the date had already been set,

    Upon hearing this news, Iughed,ughed sarcastically.

    I think this wedding was what he had always wanted.

    I began to wonder if his persistence was for love of Kimberly or for this wedding.

    19:38

    Chapter1221

    <b>288 </b>Vouchers

    Did he feel that he had done so many wrong things after getting this wedding, and finally got rewarded after being alienated by everyone, at least not ending in regret?

    I couldn¡¯t figure out Quentin¡¯s mind anymore, and I didn¡¯t want to try.

    ? ? ? 1:|:|:? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    I thought, in this lifetime, there was no brother like him.

    That day, Johnathan suddenly called me to go to his house.

    When I arrived, Gracie was sitting on the sofa wiping away tears.

    Seeing meing, she quickly wiped away her tears and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ralda, you¡¯re here. I¡¯ve stewed some soup in the kitchen. Let me serve you a bowl.¡±

    Gracie said, and then walked into the kitchen.

    I quickly grabbed her arm and said, ¡°Ms. Valois, you don¡¯t need to hurry. Johnathan called me over, saying he had something to tell me. I¡¯ll go up and check first.¡±

    Mentioning Johnathan, a touch of sorrow immediately appeared on Gracie¡¯s face.

    She wiped away tears and choked out, ¡°Johnathan has always had a hard life since he was young, not being treated well by people in the family. Finally, he managed to get along with Reynaldo and even met someone he liked. He was about to be happy, but then¡­¡±

    I patted Gracie¡¯s shoulder lightly and said ufortably, ¡°It will be okay, Ms. Valois, everything will be okay.¡±

    <b>Chapter </b>1222

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    <b>Chapter </b>1222

    Gracie shook her head, choking back tears, ¡°You didn¡¯t see how Johnathan has beentely.¡±

    He sat by the bed every day, staring at Vonnie foolishly, not eating or drinking, nor speaking. He seemed to have changedpletely, and I really worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on.

    ¡°Vonnie was also unfortunate. How could such a well¨Cbehaved and cheerful girl have such a thing happen to her?¡±

    Speaking of this, Gracie paused sorrowfully, clutching her chest.

    She took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and said, ¡°Not long ago, Johnathan told me that he was going to marry Vonnie and asked me to pick a good day for him.¡±

    I even went to see a fortune teller specifically, set a good date, prepared everything, and was just waiting for him to marry Vonnie. But now it has turned out like this.

    Heaven is so cruel, why punish them like this, whye after me, juste after me¡­

    Speaking of this, Gracie couldn¡¯t help it anymore and started crying, covering her face.

    I helped Gracie sit on the sofa and gently patted her back tofort her.

    ¡°It used to be so difficult, but both you and Johnathan made it

    through.¡±

    19 38

    Maple LLL

    I believed he could get through this time, and Vonnie, she loves Johnathan so much, she wouldn¡¯t bear to see Johnathan sad.

    ¡°She will definitely wake up, Ms. Valois. You must take care of yourself. In case you also fall ill, what will Johnathan do?¡±

    Iforted her for a while, and finally Gracie¡¯s emotions stabilized.

    But that touch of sadness still lingered like an undispersed haze, enveloping her.

    I sighed weakly

    Only when Vonnie woke up, everything would get better.

    But Vonnie, will she wake up again?

    When I entered the second¨Cfloor bedroom, Johnathan was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at Vonnie.

    He stoodpletely still, like a statue.

    There was a dim yellow light on in the room, and the curtains were tightly closed.

    The whole room looked dim and oppressive, with the smell of medicine and disinfectant permeating the air.

    I walked over and pulled back the curtains, saying, ¡°Why are you closing them so tightly? The sun is shining today, Vonnie also needs to bask in the sun.¡±

    Johnathan didn¡¯t say anything, he just stared at Vonnie without blinking.

    As Gracie said, during this period, Johnathan ¡°became so thin.¡±

    33.23%

    Chapter1222

    The once free and easy, handsome and charming man can no longer be seen in his former spirited state. All that remains is decadence and gloom.

    I walked to the bedside and looked at Vonnic lying on the bed.

    Her slender wrists were covered in needle marks from injections, and there was also a drip of nutrients hanging on the back of her hand.

    Her face was as pale as paper, showing no sign of anger.

    Every time I see Vonnie like this, my heart can¡¯t help but feel sour, and tears fall uncontrobly.

    I haven¡¯t told Hailey about Vonnie yet, not because I don¡¯t want to, but because I¡¯m afraid.

    Hailey¡¯s health has never been good, and she had a major surgery before.

    Because of the good temperature and environment in uvale, we let Hailey stay there all the time, and Vonnie would fly over to visit her when she had time.

    If the situation on Vonnie¡¯s side were told to Hailey, Hailey would probably not be able to bear this blow.

    I didn¡¯t know how long this could be kept secret.

    This morning, Hailey called me and asked, ¡°Vonnie hasn¡¯t visited her for a long time, and no one answered her calls. Did something happen to Vonnie?¡±

    19.38

 TOO Close 1223

    I could only lie and say, ¡°Vonnie took on another movie and is very busy, very busy.¡±

    I also promised her, saying that when I had time, I would go with Vonnie to see her.

    Hailey finally believed it to be true, and then she told Vonnie and me to take care of our bodies and not to get too tired.

    Upon hearing Hailey¡¯s gentle and kind voice, I felt both sorrow and guilt in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t know how long I could keep it a secret, I just hoped for a miracle to happen and for Vonnie to wake up soon.

    Johnathan went to the bathroom and brought out a basin of hot water.

    He gently wiped Vonnie¡¯s face and hands with a damp towel.

    He looked at Vonnie, his thin lips tightly pressed together, his eyes reddened.

    It took a long time before he spoke, his voice hoarse and unrecognizable.

    ¡°I really miss¡­ miss her voice, her smile.¡±

    ¡°I would rather she scold me, hit me, as long as she can wake up, no matter how she scolds me or hits me, I am willing.¡±

    I turned my face away in distress, covering my mouth, crying silently.

    Johnathan carefully turned Vonnie over and gently wiped her body,

    0.00%

    30209

    muttering to Vonnie.

    ¡°Actually, I regretted running out of the hotel that day. It was so obvious a calction, how could I not have seen through <b>it</b>.¡±

    But I still cared in my heart, caring about your <b>liking </b>for Quentin

    Even if I had turned back to tell you that I was <b>willing </b>to believe you, nothing would have happened.

    But I was jealous, I was petty, even though I suspected that the whole scene was carefully orchestrated, I still felt resentful.

    You liked Quentin, so you sent him a text message and dropped everything to go find Quentin.

    I was also angry that you treated me as a spare tire.

    It was these anger and jealousy that clouded my mind, so I recklessly went to drink, which resulted in causing such a thing to happen to you.

    I should really die, Vonnie, please wake up, no matter how you want to punish me when you wake up.

    Even if¡­ even if you want to go back to Quentin, I am willing to let go, I just hope you can be well.

    Vonnie, wake up, okay¡­¡±

    Johnathan finally copsed at the edge of the bed, crying in sorrow

    The feeling of despair and sadness seemed to have been suppressed for a long time, and then itpletely erupted at this moment.

    I bit my lip ufortably, not knowing how tof like my heart was about to break.

    her, feeling

    Chapter22%

    I remembered thest words Vonnie said before she passed out for me to pass on to him.

    I choked out to him, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Vonnie really doesn¡¯t like Quentin anymore.¡±

    When she was unconscious, she asked me to tell you that she had never done anything to hurt you.

    ¡°So Johnathan, Vonnie¡¯s heart, really only had you.¡±

    Johnathan slowly raised his eyes, looking at Vonnie with red eyes.

    I don¡¯t know if it was just my imagination, but I felt a quick sh of deathly silence and determination in his eyes, which made my heart skip a beat.

    ¡°Johnathan¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but call out to him.

    He lowered his gaze and suddenly smiled. ¡°I heard that Quentin is going to marry Kimberly.¡±

    I was taken aback, I didn¡¯t expect him to know about this news as well.

    Johnathan nced at me and sneered coldly. ¡°Nowadays, all over the inte are news about their uing marriage, with a lot ofments wishing them well.¡±

    Chapter1224

 TOO Close 1224

    Chapter1224

    Wish them a hundred years of happiness and eternal bliss, praise them as a golden boy and jade girl, a perfect match.

    Oh, even though Quentin was also caught ¡®cheating¡® in bed, why was it only my Vonnic who got scolded.

    My marriage with Vonnic couldn¡¯t be finalized, why could they get married?

    ¡°Hehe, happiness? My happiness with Vonnie was destroyed, do you think they can get it?¡±

    When Johnathan said these words, a gleam of crazy hatred and malice shone in his crimson eyes.

    I was surprised and asked him urgently, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    Johnathan lowered his gaze, gently and attentively wiping Vonnie¡¯s fingers one by one.

    The words spoken were extremely cold: ¡°They have harmed Vonnie like this, and it seems like they haven¡¯t received any punishment, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips.

    Indeed it is so.

    There seemed to be a mysterious force behind Kimberly.

    After the incident involving Vonnie, Reynaldo immediately s people to search for evidence.

    0.00%

    19:38

    However, unexpectedly, all the surveince cameras in the hotel disappeared in an instant.

    The people sent out to investigate, whether it was investigating events from four years ago or investigating the Vonnie incident, were met with some obstacles.

    The so¨Ccalled evidence was also nowhere to be found.

    With Reynaldo¡¯s influence in Freybourne now, all he could do was to remove the online videos and insults against Vonnie,pletely burying what happened at the wrap party that night.

    Reynaldo said, ¡°There must be someone behind Kimberly.¡±

    That person couldn¡¯t have been Zackery, let alone Quentin and Anton.

    But as for who it was, there was no trace to be found.

    But as I thought carefully about the people around Kimberly, it was always the same group of people around her.

    Who else besides Zackery and Quentin loved her like a lick dog, unconditionally helped her, sheltered her, and who else would help her like this?

    And that person¡¯s power was so great that even Reynaldo couldn¡¯t find out?

    What¡¯s more, what is the purpose of that mysterious person helping Kimberly?

    That mysterious man shouldn¡¯t be as captivated by Kimberly as Zackery and Quentin, otherwise, with his power, he could easily snatch Kimberly away from Quentin, there¡¯s no need for n to suppress himself and share a woman with Quentin and Zackery.

    26.25%

    19-38

    Chart224

    So, who exactly was that mysterious person? Why did they help Kimberly like that?

    I couldn¡¯t help but think of either my enemy or Reynaldo¡¯s.

    Because that person could only have been two possibilities for Kimberly.

    One was like Zackery and Quentin, that person loved Kimberly to the point of madness.

    Another possibility is that the person wanted to use Kimberly to deal with me and Reynaldo.

    But since I was born, besides Kimberly, I haven¡¯t had any other enemies.

    That was Reynaldo¡¯s enemy.

    To my knowledge, apart from thepetitors in Freybourne, the only ones who truly had a feud with Reynaldo were Winston and Matthew.

    So, could that mysterious person be one of them?

    My mind was guessing, when suddenly Johnathan¡¯s voice brought me back.

    Heughed at me,ughing very self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°I finally understand why you seemed like you were crazy back then, wanting to kill Kimberly.¡±

    I looked into his eyes filled with cold killing intent, my heart trembling, ¡°Johnathan, don¡¯t act recklessly. Vonnie still needs you to take care of her. When she wakes up, the first person she will want to see is definitely you.

    And there¡¯s Ms. Valois, she has been worrying about you these days,

    1938

    Chapter1224

    you can¡¯t have any more idents.¡±

    Johnathan lowered his eyes and coldly chuckled, ¡°Back then, I shouldn¡¯t have stopped you. I should have let you ruthlessly stab that woman¡¯s heart with the knife.¡±

 TOO Close 1225

    Chapter <b>1225 </b>

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that. Back then, you were just like Reynaldo, not wanting me to pay for killing her.¡±

    Listen to me, take good care of Vonnie, I believe she will definitely wake up.

    As for the rest, leave it to me and Reynaldo.

    ¡°That woman harmed one after another, I will never let her go no matter what!¡±

    Johnathan said nothing, just stared at Vonnie without blinking, his crimson eyes deep and terrifying, faintly hinting at a touch of murderous intent.

    I was a little worried, afraid that he might act impulsively.

    If there was really someone secretly helping Kimberly behind the scenes, and that person¡¯s ultimate goal was to deal with Reynaldo, whether Kimberly lived or died would be secondary.

    He was afraid that he would impulsively kill Kimberly, and that person would use this as an excuse to go crazy and retaliate against him and Reynaldo.

    When I came downstairs, Gracie had already served me the soup.

    She smiled at me and said, ¡°Ralda, it¡¯s cold outside, have a bowl before you leave.¡±

    I nodded.

    Chap 11228

    It snowedst night, today is sunny, the snow outside <b>has </b><b>already </b>started to melt, the air is very cold.

    The hot soup held in the palm of my hand, warm andforting, reminded me of a time when I had a home and a mother.

    When my mother left, it was winter, and heavy snow covered the whole of Freybourne.

    That year, it was very cold.

    Now Vonnie is in trouble, it is also a bone¨Cchilling winter.

    The sorrow and despair, like a cycle.

    I started to hate winter. It seems that every time I think I can finally have a good year with the people around me, something bad always happens.

    I finished the soup, chatted with Gracie for a while, and then got up to leave.

    It was only when I went out that I realized the sky had darkened at some point and snowkes were falling from the sky.

    A ck business van slowly drove into the yard.

    I stared nkly at the man getting off the car.

    Reynaldo actually came, wasn¡¯t he busy recently?

    Reynaldo walked towards me with a business umbre in his hand.

    He nodded at Gracie and called out, ¡°Ms. Valois.¡±

    all.

    Gracie looked at him kindly and said, ¡°Thank goodness for you Otherwise, I really don¡¯t know what to do with Johnathan in this state.¡±

    Chapter1223

    ¡°I went to see him.¡±

    Reynaldo handed me the umbre and then walked into the house.

    I watched his back, hoping he would notice Johnathan¡¯s strangeness.

    The snow fell heavier and heavier, and soon ayer of white covered the ground.

    Gracie sighed sadly, ¡°This New Year¡¯s, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy

    Yes, there is only one month left until the new year.

    I just hope that during this period of time, no more bad things happen.

    Reynaldo stayed upstairs for half an hour and then came down.

    On the way back, he was silent, as if he had something on his mind.

    I stared at the snow outside the window for a while and said to him. ¡°Johnathan called me today and talked a lot with me. In the end, he even entrusted me to take good care of Vonnie.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and said, ¡°You noticed it too?¡±

    I nodded, ¡°What should we do? There is clearly someone behind Kimberly. What if he impulsively seeks revenge on Kimberly? What should we do if something happens?¡±

    Vonnie was still in aa, and Ms. Valois was in tears all day, ¡°What if something happens to him again¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I had Braylon keep an eye on him.¡±

 TOO Close 1226

    <b>Chapter </b>1226

    I sighed, looked out the window, feeling heavy and sorrowful.

    I joked, ¡°Honestly, I often think, how much better the world would be without Kimberly.¡±

    She really ¡°ruined everything for me, even my best friend.¡±

    What I hated the most was that she did so many bad things, and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    ¡°She would disappear from this world.¡±

    I was startled and turned to look at him.

    He was.seen staring ahead, his profile cold and stern.

    ¡°She would soon disappear from this world.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, and a hint of unease rose unconsciously in my heart.

    He said, ¡°Is he going to¡­ kill Kimberly himself?¡±

    It seemed that he noticed my concern. While waiting for the traffic lights, he suddenly turned his head and smiled gently at me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. What I mean is, she has done so many bad things, she will definitely get hereuppance soon.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be as impulsive as Johnathan, would you?¡± I frowned at him.

    He smiled and touched¨Cmy head, ¡°How could I? I have you, and the children, Before doing anything, I will definitely consider you all

    0.00%

    15:47

    Chapter <b>1226 </b>

    <b>first</b>.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    I held his hand tightly and said in a low voice, ¡°I certainly hate Kimberly, wishing to tear her apart.¡±

    Back then, I had nothing. I could fight with her recklessly, but now <b>I </b>dare not.

    Now that I have you and the children, I am happy. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth fighting with her for my own happiness.

    My biggest wish now is that the people around me can all be safe and healthy.

    As for Kimberly, I would prefer her to be punished byw.¡±

    Reynaldo held my hand back and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t act impulsively.¡±

    The main thing was that the mysterious person behind Kimberly was not identified.

    It¡¯s like we are in the light, and that person is in the dark.

    That person might be hiding in the corner, constantly observing our every move, waiting for the opportunity toe after us.

    This was the most terrifying.

    After picking up Roddy and Essie from school, we returned to the vi together.

    By evening, the wind and snow grew stronger.

    The snowkes outside the window were mixed with ice chips, like

    31.60%

    15:47

    countless small flying knives, crazily beating <b>against </b>the <b>ss </b><b>in </b>the <b>fierce </b><b>wind </b>

    The branches were twisted and deformed by the blowing <b>wind</b>, emitting a painful whimper in the howling cold wind, as if they <b>could </b>be broken at any moment.

    On the snow¨Ccovered streets, there were few pedestrians, and the few figures struggled to move forward in the wind and snow, hunching their backs, wrapping their cors tightly, and each step was extremely difficult.

    And inside the house, the mes leaped in the firece, licking the wood cheerfully, making crackling sounds, and filling the whole room with warmth and light.

    3

    On the soft sofa, Reynaldo held Essie in his arms, with a storybook in his hand, gently telling Essie a story.

    Roddy was carefully building blocks next to him.

    Madisyn was busy cooking dinner in the kitchen, and the smell of food filled the house.

    The hot tea on the table was steaming with a faint warmth, outlining a hazy sense of warmth in the cold winter days,

    I stood by the window, feeling the warm and peaceful atmosphere inside the room, but there was a touch of unease lingering in my

    Happiness leads to sorrow.

    I was too happy, and always afraid of losing it.

    heart.

    Especially after Vonnie¡¯s ident, I became even more uncertain ab my current happy life.

 TOO Close 1227

    <b>Chapter1227 </b>

    I was worried about my child getting into trouble, worried about Reynaldo getting into trouble.

    If any of them had an ident, I would copse.

    In the evening, Reynaldo put the children to bed early.

    When he returned to the room, I had just finished talking to Gracie <b>on </b>the phone.

    Gracie said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because Reynaldo and I went tofort Johnathan today, his mood improved a lot, and he finally agreed to <b>eat </b>and sleep well.¡±

    I could not help but feel a hint of strangeness in his actions, recalling the words Johnathan said today.

    Thinking that Braylon now lives in their house, constantly observing Johnathan¡¯s every move, I didn¡¯t say much to Gracie so as not to worry her too much.

    Reynaldo sat down and pulled me into his arms, saying, ¡°What, still worried about Johnathan?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I responded softly and looked out the window.

    The wind and snow outside had not stopped yet.

    And the bad weather always seemed to magnify the uneasiness in people¡¯s hearts.

    1547

    <b>Reynaldo </b><b>kissed </b>my <b>forehead</b><b>, </b>he bent <b>his </b><b>legs </b>to encircle me in tis <b>arms</b><b>, </b><b>his </b><b>chin </b>rubbing against the top of <b>my </b><b>head</b>, <b>the </b><b>warm </b>breath seemed to dispel the uneasiness in my heart.

    He chuckled softly and said, ¡°Alright, stop overthinking. Let me tell you something interesting.¡±

    I was stunned and looked up at him, ¡°What interesting thing?<b>¡± </b>

    Reynaldo smiled at me.

    The dim yellow light seemed to cast a soft halo on him.

    His eyes were deep and he stared at me without blinking, the gaze gentle as if it could drip water.

    He chuckled softly and said, ¡°It¡¯s Essie. She just said that when she grows up, she will buy me a colorful car.¡±

    ¡°Colored¡­car?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Essie was very filial, and she even said she wanted to buy you lots and lots of colorful princess dresses. She said she wanted to dress mommy up as the most beautiful mommy in the world.¡±

    She also said, ¡°I want to buy a magic wand for mommy, so she can do magic.¡±

    I chuckled and shook my head, ¡°Has Essie been watching too many princess cartoonstely?¡±

    Reynaldo tightened his arms around me and continued to tell me stories about Essie and Roddy.

    The wind and snow outside the window gradually subsided, only his low and gentle voice, like the most soothing luby in this quiet nignt.

    Chapter1227

    I fell asleep unknowingly.

    I don¡¯t know how long I had been sleeping when I suddenly had a nightmare.

    When I woke up again, Reynaldo was not by my side.

    I quickly turned on the wallmp in the room.

    As the lights came on, I looked around the room and still didn¡¯t see that man, and there was no one in the bathroom either.

    I took a nce at my phone and it was just after midnight.

    Thinking that Reynaldo might be working in the study, I put on a coat and went to the study.

    However, the study was also dark, with not a single person

    inside.

    I furrowed my brows and quietly went to the children¡¯s room, wondering if he had gone to see the children again.

    Little did they know that the rooms of the houses also did not see his figure.

    Strange, in the middle of the night, in a snowy night, where could he go?

    Suddenly I remembered the sentence he said during the day, ¡°Kimberly will disappear from this world,¡± and my heart skipped a beat.

    He wouldn¡¯t¡­

    Thinking of this, I quickly took out my phone and called Reynaldo.

    However, he did not answer even after three consecutive calls.

 TOO Close 1228

    Chapter1228

    I was going crazy, not knowing what to do, when suddenly a text message came in.

    I opened it and saw that it was actually from Kimberly.

    She sent a screenshot of the chat.

    The text below is full of boasting.

    Did you see that Reynaldo asked to meet me in the middle of the night? He still likes me.

    Exactly, the twenty¨Cyear rtionship between me and Reynaldo is not something you canpare.

    Even if you gave Reynaldo two children, so what? He still got tired of

    you.

    Guess what, Reynaldo asked to meet me in the middle of the night, what does he want to do with me?

    I ignored her boasting and carefully looked at the chat screenshots.

    Reynaldo did ask Kimberly out to meet and also sent her an address for the meeting.

    The screenshot just happened to show that address.

    Kimberly even kept sending me messages to ¡°show off¡± to me.

    Haha, just you wait, Reynaldo will dump you sooner orter.

    Oh, by the way, when Reynaldo leaves tomorrow, you¡¯d better pretend

    15:47

    you don¡¯t know anything, or else I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll confront him <b>face </b><b>to </b>face, and he might not even act anymore, and he might just dump <b>you </b>in person.

    Haha¡­ I won¡¯t talk to you anymore, I¡¯m going to see Reynaldo.

    When Kimberly was showing off to me, she probably didn¡¯t notice that there was an address in the screenshot.

    I didn¡¯t dare to dy, so I quickly put on a down jacket and went out.

    The wind and snow had lessened a lot, and under the lights, everything was covered in a vast expanse of white. There were many traces left by the wheels of cars on the road.

    Reynaldo arranged to meet Kimberly at a location by the river in the south of the city.

    I know that ce, it¡¯s a bit remote, usually not many people go there.

    On this snowy day, at this time again, there were even fewer people

    there.

    Did Reynaldo want to solve Kimberly there and then throw Kimberly¡¯s body into the river?

    Thinking of this, I shook my head again.

    No, for something like this, he just needed to ask Kimberly out, and the rest could be done by his subordinates. There was no need for him to personally get involved.

    But why did he have to run over there at this point?

    The more I thought about it, the more I felt that something was wrong, but when I called Reynaldo, he refused to answer.

    15:47

    Chapter1228

    I was so anxious in my heart, but the road was slippery, so I didn¡¯t dare to drive fast.

    I finally arrived at the riverside, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it took.¡±

    This river was very long, running through several cities.

    The streetmps by the river were sparse, and at a nce, it was quite dark.

    I parked the car by the side of the road, then crossed the flower bed on the roadside, and walked along the riverbank corridor to look for Reynaldo¡¯s figure.

    Reynaldo was not found, but I saw Kimberly standing on the bridge.

    There was a row of lights on the bridge, so it was very bright over there, and I saw Kimberly at a nce.

    She looked around with her phone in hand, not sure if she was waiting for Reynaldo or someone else.

    Strange, hasn¡¯t Reynaldoe to see her yet?

    Neither did I.

    ording to the time Reynaldo invited her, Reynaldo should have been here long ago, right?

    My heart was full of doubts.

    Worried about what ns Reynaldo might have, I didn¡¯t dare to show up abruptly and be discovered by Kimberly.

 TOO Close 1229

    I hid under a big tree, carefully watching Kimberly over there.

    The midnight winter is really cold, especially by the river. The wind feels like ice knives cutting into people¡¯s faces.

    I shivered from the cold, pulled the hat of my down jacket tighter, and covered my mouth and nose, which made me feel a little better.

    Kimberly seemed to have grown impatient, pacing back and forth on the bridge.

    However, she also went all out to show off in front of Reynaldo.

    In the severe winter of December, she was wearing a short skirt and a tight¨Cfitting top that entuated her figure.

    At first nce, the front is protruding and the back is raised, which is quite sexy.

    She just stood on this bridge for half a day, it was strange that the piercing cold wind didn¡¯t freeze her legs.

    She was probably quite cold, hugging her chest and shivering.

    I was a bit suspicious that Reynaldo suddenly asked her out, not impulsively wanting her life, but intentionally letting her stand on the bridge in the cold wind/

    I don¡¯t know how long I waited, my hands and feet were almost frozen, but Reynaldo still didn¡¯t show up.

    I was so cold wearing all this, Kimberly was probably so cold she

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    15:48

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1229 </b>

    couldn¡¯t even speak.

    Just then, the woman was leaning against the railing of the bridge without moving, probably too cold to walk.

    At this moment, a car suddenly stopped by the bridge.

    I perked up, could it be Reynaldo?

    Kimberly finally moved, staggering towards the car.

    She just took a few steps and then suddenly stopped again.

    I squinted my eyes and looked carefully, only to see that the person who came was not Reynaldo, but Quentin.

    Quentin quickly walked up to Kimberly.

    The distance was a bit far, and I didn¡¯t know what the two of them were saying. Kimberly suddenly raised her small fist and kept pounding Quentin¡¯s chest.

    Quentin didn¡¯t fight back either, just picked her up horizontally and walked towards the car.

    Soon, the car drove away, and the two of them disappeared into the night.

    I squatted under the tree in astonishment.

    No!

    Where was Reynaldo?

    Where are the others?!!

    Did he really stand Kimberly up like that?

    But <b>he </b><b>wasn¡¯t </b><b>at </b>home either!

    Where was he then? Why didn¡¯t he answer my call?

    Dazed and confused, I rubbed my hands and quickly walked <b>towards </b>my car.

    It was freezing cold.

    If Reynaldo¡¯s intention was really just to make Kimberlye over and feel cold, to punish her.

    Then am I not silly toe here and freeze with you?

    If Reynaldo finds out about this, won¡¯t he make fun of me for being silly?

    I opened the car door and was about to get in.

    Suddenly a familiar voice sounded behind me.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    I was startled and quickly turned around.

    On the other side of the flower garden, a slender figure stood in the dim¨Clight.

    Who else could that figure be if not Reynaldo?

    It is not¡­

    Where did hee from all of a sudden?!

    I hurried towards him.

    Perhaps it was too hasty, or perhaps my legs were numb from the cold, my foot suddenly caught on a branch or vine in the flower bed.

    1288 Vouchers.

    I stumbled towards him.

    Fortunately, he quickly stepped forward and supported me.

    Otherwise, I would have ended up nted in that row of low green

    trees.

    He was also filled with cold air.

    I asked him, ¡°Where did youe from?¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°Where did youe

    from?¡±

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    <b>Chapter1230 </b>

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find you at home, and I didn¡¯t see you around here after observing for a while. And now, all of a sudden, you just appeared. What do you call this if not popping out?¡±

    ¡°I have been around here all along.¡±

    Reynaldo shook my hand and then ced it inside his shirt over his chest.

    Although there was a chill on his body, his chest was warm.

    What he felt under his fingertips was the strong and powerful heartbeat of his.

    ¡°Look at you, your face is all red from the cold.¡±

    He said, ¡°and then he picked me up horizontally, and with a long leg he crossed over that row of low green trees.¡±

    I got on the car, and the warm air came in finely, and I finally felt a little warm all over.

    My feet were still so cold that I couldn¡¯t feel them.

    Reynaldo suddenly lifted my leg.

    I was surprised, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just took off my shoes and socks, then immediately put my numb feet into his clothes.

    I stared in shock, instinctively curling my toes, ¡°No¡­ no need¡­¡±

    0.00%

    ¡°Don¡¯t movel¡±

    The man domineeringly pressed down on my legs.

    I said apologetically, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not necessary. There is heating in the car, it will be warm in a while.¡±

    ¡°You have a cold body and your hands and feet are always cold. How could you warm up so quickly? I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even be warm when you get hometer.¡±

    Indeed, I was always cold, and my hands and feet never warmed up.

    After sleeping with himter, he was hot and always held me in his arms, so I would quickly get hot all over.

    However, if he got up, not long after, the warmth in the nket would also disappear, so I was often awakened by the cold.

    My thoughts drifted away again.

    I scratched my head, about to ask him what was going on.

    I didn¡¯t expect him to be the first to ask me.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you sleeping at home? Why did you suddenly appear here?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I just showed him the message Kimberly sent to <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    He saw it at a nce.

    He paused, then smiled at me helplessly and said, ¡°You are silly,ing out to feel the northwest wind sote.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault!¡± I stared at him.

    The thought of him not answering my calls made me angry.

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    Reynaldo smiled and ruffled my hair, saying, ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s <b>my </b><b>fault</b>, all my fault.¡±

    After saying that, he continued to rub on my calf.

    Before long, my feet and calves warmed up.

    He whispered to me, ¡°I didn¡¯t answer your call because my phone was on silent mode at that time, so I didn¡¯t hear your call.¡±

    I stared at him without blinking for a moment and asked, ¡°So, when you suddenly asked Kimberly out tonight, were you nning to¡­ kill her, or just wanted to punish her?¡±

    you about Reynaldo nced at me and said, ¡°When I talked to Johnathan during the day, I did consider getting rid of her.¡±

    Because of her, Johnathan and Vonnie became like this.

    Because of her, you were restless all day.

    Because of her, both you and I lost our mother, and even separated for four years.

    Not only you, but I also wished to ¡°tear her into a thousand pieces.

    I looked at him in surprise.

    He had alreadye to believepletely that Mika was the one who had killed Kimberly at this point.

    ¡°And you, why haven¡¯t you shown up all this time?¡±

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1231 </b>

    <b>Chapter1231 </b>

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    <b>Chapter1231 </b>

    I thought you were really impulsively going toe and kill her, my heart was so anxious, afraid that Kimberly might have some

    preparation, but instead you got hurt, after all, you said there were people behind her.

    ¡°That person was in the dark, definitely a threat to you.¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°Iter realized this too, and as you said, you are happy now, it¡¯s not worth fighting with her using your own happiness.¡±

    You also said that you only wish everyone around you to be well, so I changed my mind temporarily.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°That is to say, you deliberately brought her to this remote bridge in the middle of the night just to let her freeze for nothing?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s not that simple.¡±

    When he said this, his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of coldness.

    I was about to ask for rification when he suddenly smiled at me and said, ¡°Let me take you to a ce first.¡±

    Soon, Reynaldo took me to a secluded vi.

    The vi was brightly lit, and there were several bodyguards guarding

    the entrance.

    <b>15:48 </b>

    <b>Chapter </b>1231

    I looked at Reynaldo in confusion and asked, ¡°Where are <b>we</b><b>?</b>¡±

    Reynaldo did not answer me, he just held my hand and led me inside

    Walking into the house, I only then discovered that several people were tied up and thrown on the ground.

    I became even more puzzled in my heart.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, they still wouldn¡¯t say anything,¡± the bodyguard next to Reynaldo respectfully said.

    Reynaldo pursed his thin lips.

    He led me to sit on the sofa, his eyes coldly staring at the few people on the ground.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t say anything?¡±

    He chuckled lightly, leaning back slowly, and casually said, ¡°Then cut off their limbs, let them slowly bleed out, and carefully feel the approach of death.¡±

    The man¡¯s tone was clearly gentle and calm, as if he was asking ¡°What are we eating tonight?¡± in a casual manner.

    The tone was like this, but it gave people an indescribable sense of oppression and chill.

    In an instant, the few people tied up on the ground were suddenly scared pale.

    I instinctively looked at Reynaldo.

    He was seen leaning against the back of the sofa, looking down at the few people on the ground like an emperor, with a hint of coldness at the corner of his lips.

    Chapter1231)

    28 Vouchers

    It seemed that he noticed my gaze, and suddenly he looked at me, his eyes as gentle as ever,pletely different from his previous appearance.

    He smiled at me and asked, ¡°Scared?¡±

    I shook my head.

    I was not scared, just a little surprised.

    In my impression, although he always looked gloomy and capricious, he didn¡¯t seem bloody.

    I don¡¯t know if what he just said scared the people on the ground.

    And, who exactly were these people on the ground? Where were they captured from?

    Reynaldo brought me here, definitely not just to see him catch a few people.

    Just then, the man suddenly grabbed my hand and said to the person under his hand with a smile, ¡°Take him out and deal with him, don¡¯t dirty my wife¡¯s eyes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Humphrey!¡±

    Just as the bodyguards were about to drag those few people out.

    Those who had long been scared and copsed on the ground began to cry out in distress.

    ¡°We said¡­ we said¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, have mercy¡­¡±

    ¡°We said, we said everything¡­¡±

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    Chapter1231

    Several people looked at each other tremblingly, and then fearfully said, ¡°We are¡­ we are Matthew Gtea¡¯s people.¡±

    I frowned deeply.

    Matthew?

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    <b>Chapter1232 </b>

    Only a few people continued, ¡°We followed Mr. Gtea¡¯s instructions toe and observe Ms. Palmer¡¯s every move, and to assist Ms. Palmer in carrying out all her ns.¡±

    I was startled.

    So, my previous guess was correct.

    The mysterious person behind Kimberly is Matthew.

    Matthew helped Kimberly not because he liked Kimberly, but to use Kimberly to deal with Reynaldo!

    However, from when did Kimberly start colluding with Matthew?!

    ¡°Matthew¡­¡­¡±

    Reynaldo chewed on the name, his hand on his knee slowly tightening.

    Thinking about the time he almost died at the hands of Matthew abroad, a strong sense of unease rose in my heart.

    It seems that Matthew¡¯s influence abroad is really not to be underestimated.

    With Matthew backing her up behind Kimberly, she became even more difficult to deal with.

    With the honest confession of the people on the ground, I finally understood the true purpose of Reynaldo inviting Kimberly out tonight, which was actually to bring out the person behind Kimberly.

    The people on the ground also admitted that they had just been hiding

    in the dark by the river, not actually to protect Kimberly<b>, </b><b>but </b><b>to </b>wait for someone toe and kill Kimberly, and then they <b>only </b><b>needed </b><b>to </b>film the scene of Kimberly being killed,

    That is to say, Matthew first helped Kimberly harm me and the people around Reynaldo, fueling our hatred and murderous intentions towards Kimberly, and then used Kimberly¡¯s life as bait to catch Reynaldo or those around Reynaldo.

    What a cunning trick, Kimberly probably didn¡¯t even know that her <b>life </b>had be the bait for Matthew.

    Even she didn¡¯t know that tonight these few people on the ground were hiding in the dark waiting for her to be killed.

    After the bodyguards dragged the few people on the ground out, the living room suddenly quieted down.

    Reynaldo¡¯s brows furrowed, his face looking somewhat gloomy.

    He said coldly, ¡°I should have killed Matthew offpletely in the first ce!¡±

    I shook his hand and said, ¡°Well, no one could have expected that he would escape abroad at first, and thene back to stir up trouble.¡±

    Speaking of which, it was because of me that you two formed such a deep enmity in the first ce.

    ¡°Fool, how could I me you.¡±

    When ites to the events of that year, Reynaldo¡¯s eyes are filled with deep regret and heartache, ¡°me me, if it weren¡¯t for me being clouded by jealousy and suspicion at that time, letting you go out to buy medicine for Kimberly, you wouldn¡¯t have met Matthew, and wouldn¡¯t have been bullied by him.¡±

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    <b>288 </b><b>Waurner </b>

    Esmeralda, I often think, ¡°if only time could turn back.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I will definitely love you well and never do anything to hurt you again.¡±

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s not toote for you to start loving me properly from now on.¡±

    Although my words were light¨Chearted and joking, they still could not dispel the seriousness between Reynaldo¡¯s eyebrows.

    I couldn¡¯t help reaching out and gently smoothing his furrowed brow, asking in a deep voice, ¡°Is the current Matthew more difficult to deal with than before?¡±

    Reynaldo sighed and said, ¡°Matthew, this man, had great ambitions, was arrogant and stubborn, but also very patient.¡±

    When he escaped to Roxafito, he quickly infiltrated thergest gang in Roxafito.

    And humbly served as a bodyguard for the youngdy of the gang for several years, now he is a prominent figure in front of that youngdy, ruling the entire Roxafito with an iron fist.

    ¡°But we are in Freybourne. If he can¡¯t even go back to Yoripero, how can he stir up trouble in Freybourne?¡±

 TOO Close 1233

    ¡°The words were one thing, but he had already quietly been building his own power in Freybourne.¡±

    The people caught today may just be the tip of the iceberg. This Freybourne, who knows how many people are his henchmen and informants.

    Even some of mypetitors in the market may have been coborating with him behind the scenes.

    Upon hearing Reynaldo¡¯s words, my heart couldn¡¯t help but sink.

    If the influence that Matthew was secretly cultivating on Freybourne¡¯s side really started to grow, it would indeed pose a significant threat to Reynaldo.

    It¡¯s not just dealing with Kimberly now, there¡¯s a tricky Matthew added to the mix.

    Just thinking about it is annoying.

    With a worried heart, I was thinking to myself when Reynaldo suddenly put his arm around my shoulder and said, ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry too much. Now that we know Kimberly¡¯s secret backer is Matthew.¡±

    Next, all we need to do is to find out the influence Matthew has cultivated here and then remove it thoroughly as soon as possible.

    Once Matthew¡¯s influence was removed from this side, we could slowly deal with Kimberly.

    No matter how difficult things were, we tackled them one by one and

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    15:49

    <b>always </b>managed to solve them.

    Believe me, I will definitely make sure Kimberly receives the punishment she deserves, for you and Vonnie, and also for myself.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s calm tone, like a tranquilizer, slowly calmed down my restless heart.

    Looking back now, no wonder it was so difficult to investigate what happened four years ago, and the relevant witnesses were nowhere to be found.

    Matthew was actually helping Kimberly behind the scenes.

    It can be seen from this that Kimberly and Matthew should have been colluding as early as four years ago.

    It could be that when Yoripero was on a business trip, the two of them reached some kind of agreement.

    Thinking back now, these two really ¡°hid deep¡°.

    Seemingly afraid that I might overthink, with a worried heart, Reynaldo brought up the incident by the river just now to divert my attention.

    He said he asked Kimberly out just to test if anyone would show up behind Kimberly.

    He didn¡¯t expect that when he and his men were ambushing in the dark, they actually found another group of people hiding in the dark.

    After sessfully capturing those few people, he was originally nning to leave together, but unexpectedly saw me when he was about to get on the car.

    Originally he was not sure if it was me, only vaguely seeing a figure

    sitting foolishly <b>in </b>the shade <b>of </b><b>a </b>tree and freezing.

    When he said this, he also smiled at me, smiling quite mischievously

    I couldn¡¯t help but scold him again.

    He didn¡¯t answer my calls, making me worry and freeze, and he had the nerve tough!

    The angrier I got, the more heughed heartily.

    He hugged me and said, ¡°Quentin wasing to pick up Kimberly, so I walked towards me to confirm whether the fool squatting under the tree was my wife.¡±

    ¡°You are such a fool!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but retort.

    His smile grew wider, ¡°Before I even got close, I saw that fool standing up and limping towards the car on the side of the road.¡±

    I took one look at that figure, one look at the way she walked, isn¡¯t that my silly wife?¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, you are the fool, you are the biggest fool!¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled and hugged me tightly, his voice suddenly

    lowering, ¡°I didn¡¯t answer your call because I was lying in wait in the shadows with my phone on silent.¡±

 TOO Close 1234

    I always thought you were sleeping peacefully at home, but I didn¡¯t expect you toe over.

    ¡°Was it Kimberly who woke you up?¡±

    I shook my head and said deliberately, ¡°Because you weren¡¯t here, the nket got cold, and I woke up from being frozen.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes softened, a touch of tenderness swirling in his gaze.

    He picked me up horizontally and chuckled, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, I¡¯ll warm the bed for you.¡±

    I was startled and awkwardly pounded his shoulder, saying, ¡°What are you doing? Put me down, there are bodyguards outside!¡±

    ¡°What are you afraid of? I didn¡¯t show affection to you in front of them.¡±

    Besides, even if I show affection to you in front of them, do they dare to say anything?

    ¡°You, you¡¯re just thin¨Cskinned.¡±

    Reynaldo said thest sentence with a helpless smile.

    I looked at him speechlessly.

    Okay, sometimes this man¡¯s face is really thick.

    In the following days, Reynaldo became even busier.

    He had to deal with the affairs in thepany on one hand, and

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    154957

    investigate <b>the </b>influence Matthew <b>was </b>hiding <b>on </b>this side <b>on </b><b>the </b>other

    The end of the year was approaching, and Essic and Roddy were <b>both </b>on winter break.

    Every day I would take the two children to see Vonnie, and have a heart¨Cto¨Cheart talk with Gracie,forting her.

    Essie and Roddy were good at coaxing people, and the two children always managed to make Gracieugh heartily.

    With these two children, the room was filled with muchughter and joy.

    For more than ten days, I hardly saw Reynaldo¡¯s figure.

    That day, I made a meal by myself and took it to hispany, but he was still in a meeting.

    He was really busy, it was already time to get off work.

    When I was almost falling asleep in the president¡¯s office, he finally came back.

    ¡°Esmeralda?¡±

    When he saw me, there was a sh of surprise in his eyes.

    Indeed, I came quietly without telling him.

    Reynaldo took three quick steps and then two more to reach me, bending down to encircle me in the oversized armchair.

    Before I could say anything, his lips pressed towards me.

    He kissed fiercely and urgently, with deep longing and dominance.

    We kissed for a while, and then he finally let go of me, his eyes staring

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    deeply at me.

    I was breathing heavily, almost out of breath from the kiss he just gave <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    His eyes were dark and deep, making my heart beat faster.

    This is the office, someone coulde in at any time. He better not have those indescribable thoughts again.

    Just as I was thinking this, he slightly stepped back from me and leaned against the desk in front of me.

    I lowered my eyes awkwardly.

    Well, prejudices in people¡¯s hearts are really a big mountain.

    Although he was eager, it seemed like he didn¡¯t have the eagerness to the point of feeling it in this office.

    I misunderstood him and wrongly med him.

    Reynaldo looked at me gently, his eyes were quite clean and clear.

    I felt even more embarrassed and guilty in my heart. My own thoughts were impure, how could I always think of him in a twisted way.

    Under the gentle gaze of the man, I pushed the thermos in front of him and said, ¡°Here, this is for you, and I made it myself. You, you should eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo gently responded and sadly opened the thermos next to him.

    The dishes were average, and the aroma was average.

    He held it as if it were a treasure, cherishing it like a precious gem.

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    14 <b>van </b>Volener

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    Before eating, he happily said to me, ¡°So fragrant, the dishes cooked by my wife are always delicious.¡±

    Hmm!!!

    It¡¯s so cheesy.

    I scratched my arm, although silentlyining that Reynaldo was really cheesy, but my heart was full of sweetness.

    However, he was also funny, Reynaldo.

    Before we made up, he was so arrogant, always saying that the food I cooked was ugly and tasteless.

    This would be reconciled, he was not stingy with his praise, even to the point of saying it was ¡°talking nonsense with eyes wide open¡°.

    In short, after we made up, he looked at me and everything was pleasing and beautiful in his eyes.

    Before we made up, I found fault with everything about you.

    The man ate quietly and politely, and soon finished all the food I had brought him.

    After eating, he also cleaned up the tableware.

    Afraid of disturbing his work, I got up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back first. Don¡¯t just focus on being busy, take care of yourself.¡±

    However, as I was about to leave with the thermos in hand, he suddenly grabbed me.

    15:49

    11 <b>248 </b>Voeren

    ¡°Don¡¯t go, stay with me a little longer.¡±

    At this moment, someone knocked on the door, as if they wanted to ¡°report work¡± to him.

    I smiled at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re busy, I might be bothering you at work.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Reynaldo said decisively.

    But I still wanted to leave. Later when he got busy, I would be bored here. I might as well go back and apany those two children.

    However, looking at Reynaldo¡¯s pitiful eyes, I couldn¡¯t bear it and ended up staying.

    Reynaldo was indeed very busy, with people constantlying in to report work, ask for his signature, and inquire about his instructions.

    Iy on the sofa chair next to me, feeling drowsy.

    However, from their reports, I vaguely learned that Reynaldo had already investigated several forces that Matthew had hidden on this side.

    In just ten days, he had already uprooted all of Matthew¡¯s forces, and several businesses that had been working with Matthew had now switched sides to join him.

    This was also the only good news during this period.

    And the situation on Johnathan¡¯s side was also quite stable.

    Braylon was always ¡°eating and sleeping together¡± with Johnathan over there.

    He said Johnathan¡¯s emotions had stabilized a lot, he ate on time every

    15:49

    Chapter1235

    day, went to bed on time, and talked a lot with Vonnie.

    Listening to Braylon¡¯s narrative, I also felt much more rxed.

    1285 Vouchere

    Reynaldo probably talked to him about the consequences of impulsively killing Kimberly and the situation with Matthew, so he slowly came to his senses.

    However, I still did not dare to let my guard down with Reynaldo, and I continued to have Braylon keep an eye on Johnathan at all times.

    What puzzles me, though, is that the news of Quentin¡¯s engagement to Kimberly is now all over the ce, probably spread all over the world.

    The headlines every day were about their wedding.

    Kimberly was at most just a somewhat famous actress, and Quentin¡¯spany wasn¡¯t very big either.

    They were not celebrities, so why was their wedding so widely publicized?

    Every day, when I opened my phone, there were reports about their wedding all over the inte, as well as blessings and praises fromizens, and various voices singing praises of their beautiful love.

    Such a high¨Cprofile publicity stunt seemed very deliberate, almost as if it was intentionally provoking someone.

    Was it to provoke Zackery or to provoke Johnathan?

    Stimting Zackery did them no good at all, so it is very likely to be

    thetter.

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    Chapter <b>1236 </b>

    Thinking of this, I quickly had Reynaldo arrange a few more bodyguards to keep an eye on Johnathan.

    These past ten days, Reynaldo has been so busy that he ate and slept almost entirely at thepany.

    Today, because I came to deliver food to him, he took the time toe home with me.

    But he was already ten o¡¯clock at night when he finished his work.

    I slept in his office, so now I feel refreshed.

    But he seemed very tired, very tired.

    He sat in the passenger seat, with his eyes half closed and a look of weariness on his face.

    When I got home, I saw that he was really asleep, and I didn¡¯t have the heart to call out to him, so I just stared at him quietly.

    In the quiet car, the warmth melted.

    The dim light in the courtyard shone in, casting a hazy halo on him, making him look extremely gentle.

    Reynaldo¡¯s profile was really handsome.

    When he had just gotten married, although he was handsome, the overall feeling he gave off was gloomy and made people not like him.

    Now, with the precipitation of years, he has be more introverted and steady.

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    I took out my phone, turned it on silent mode, and quietly took <b>a </b><b>few </b>pictures of him.

    Then, I leaned over gently.

    Afraid of waking him up, I didn¡¯t dare to really lean on his shoulder, just leaning towards his shoulder.

    I took the phone away, picked a satisfactory angle, and then pressed the shutter button.

    However, in the moment captured by the photo, Reynaldo suddenly woke up.

    Oh, this is a bit awkward.

    I quickly sat back in my seat and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±

    Reynaldo nced at my phone screen.

    The screen disyed was a group photo I had just taken sneakily.

    Reynaldo woke up facing my phone camera.

    So this photo looks pretty good.

    I was in front, he was behind, both facing the camera, and even the corners of his lips were slightly curved, making me unconsciously suspect that he had already woken up.

    The man¡¯s eyes were deep, staring at the photo without blinking.

    I pretended to cough twice, put away my phone, and said, ¡°We¡¯re home. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±

    As I was speaking, I pushed open the car door and prepared to <b>get </b><b>out </b>

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    2

    He suddenly pulled me back and said to me with a smile, ¡°Why do you want to take a picture secretly? Just tell me, I will definitely cooperate with you to take photos.¡±

    ¡°I, how could I have taken a sneak shot?¡±

    Although we have been married for a long time, I felt a bit embarrassed when he caught me taking a sneaky photo.

    I stuttered, ¡°The lighting in from outside was very dim, and the way you were sleeping just now looked really nice, so I couldn¡¯t help but take two photos. How can you call that sneaky? I won¡¯t tell you anymore.¡±

    I said, ¡°and then I pushed his hand away and got off the car.

    He heard his gentle and deepughter behind him.

    When I entered the room, Reynaldo followed and ¡°wrapped my hand in his palm.¡±

    He smirked at me and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing embarrassing about taking sneaky photos, after all, I used to do it too.¡±

    I was taken aback and instinctively looked at him, but only saw him gazing ahead, with a slow smile creeping up at the corner of his lips, as if savoring some beautiful memories.

    I tightened his hand and said, ¡°Then we won¡¯t take sneaky photos anymore in the future, we¡¯ll take them openly and honestly.¡±

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    ¡°Okay.¡± He smiled at me, the tenderness in his eyes seeming to melt away the cold of the winter night.

    Reynaldo rarely came home.

    After he had taken a shower, he went to the children¡¯s room to check on Essie and Roddy.

    He hadn¡¯t seen the children for about ten days, and he missed them dearly in his heart.

    After watching the children, I had just finished taking a shower andy down on the bed when he returned to the bedroom.

    I thought he was so tired that he would go to bed and fall asleep as soon as he got in.

    So I specially tidied up the pillow for him, and also straightened out the nket next to it, so that he could sleep as soon as he came up.

    Little did I know, from the moment he returned to the bedroom, his gaze towards me was no longer so innocent. In those dark and deep eyes, there was clearly something burning.

    Unspeakable images popped into my mind involuntarily.

    My cheeks were burning again.

    I patted my hot cheeks and said to him, ¡°It¡¯s veryte, you must be tired. Come over and go to sleep.¡±

    Reynaldo said nothing, just walked in silence.

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    <b>Chapter </b>1237

    <b>He </b>stood by the bed, his eyes dark and deep staring at me, <b>his </b><b>bony </b>hands, however, untying the belt of his robe.

    Although he usually sleeps naked, it is also verymon for him to take off his robe when getting into bed.

    But at that moment, I felt that the atmosphere was so ambiguous, and I thought his action of taking off his clothes was particrly sexy and provocative.

    Ah!

    Sure enough, there were unhealthy images lingering in my mind, everything I saw had a tint of color.

    Just as my heart was pounding, the man suddenly smirked at me and said, ¡°I take off my clothes to sleep, why are you blushing?¡±

    I was taken aback and quickly shook my head, ¡°No, no, too thick, it¡¯s hot.¡±

    the nket is

    I finished speaking and then fanned the nket with a serious look.

    Reynaldo smiled even more.

    He had taken off his robe, revealing his strong chest and sexy waist muscles.

    I don¡¯t know if it was because we hadn¡¯t been intimate for over ten days, but that longing was particrly strong.

    Looking at his strong and sexy chest, I just felt a rush of heating up, and my whole body felt hot and ufortable.

    The key was that Reynaldo was still making fun of me.

    ¡°Esmeralda, why is your face getting redder and redder?¡±

    Chapler1237

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen everything on me, why are you still shy?¡±

    ¡°No, I said it¡¯s hot!¡±

    I said angrily, then turned around and faced away from him, but <b>my </b>heart was pounding and I felt hot all over.

    A low chuckle came from behind.

    I pouted in frustration.

    This man just knew how to make fun of me.

    I don¡¯t believe it. He didn¡¯t want it for more than ten days.

    Really, if he wanted to, he could juste directly or just tell me directly.

    Just knew how to tease me!

    Do I have to be the one to initiate things like this?

    Feeling depressed in my heart, suddenly, the quilt beside me was lifted, and the soft mattress also sank down.

    I pursed my lips and instinctively moved to the side.

    But the next second, an iron arm was ced across my waist, and then my whole body was scooped into his arms.

    A hot chest suddenly pressed against my back.

    The hot breath brushed against the nape of my neck.

    That heat made my heart tremble.

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    His hand was not honest either, and quickly slipped into my clothes.

    The fingertips with a slight callus brushed against my chest, startling me and making me tremble all over.

    I quickly grabbed his hands that were causing trouble and struggled to turn over in his arms.

    The man¡¯s gaze was even deeper than before, staring at me without blinking.

    I licked my lips and cursed myself for being weak.

    Mingming also wanted to be affectionate with him.

    I really had to do it, and I was inexplicably nervous.

    The uninformed might think we were just a new couple, not at all like an old married couple.

    I held his big hand on my chest and said to him earnestly, ¡°You have been working overtime every day recently, and you look very tired. You even fell asleep in the car just now.¡±

    So let¡¯s note, let¡¯s sleep well.

    ¡°Doing nothing, just going to sleep?¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow at me, ¡°¡°Are you¡­ sure?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know why he asked me in such a joking tone, which made me feel quite embarrassed.

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    298 Mouchery

    He looked at me, and even a hint of a smirk was hidden in his beautiful eyes and eyebrows.

    I subconsciously turned my face away and muttered, ¡°Hmm, sure, go to sleep!¡±

    Goodness gracious!

    Why am I always ¡°controlled tightly¡± by him in matters of love?

    Oh, how I miss the time when I bullied him.

    But I didn¡¯t dare.

    Reynaldo¡¯s vengeful heart was simply too strong.

    While lost in thought, Reynaldo suddenly rolled over and pinned me down.

    was startled, leaning against his chest, ¡°You¡­¡±

    Reynaldo kissed my lips and chuckled, saying, ¡°Just tell me if you want it, what¡¯s so embarrassing about it?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any!¡±

    I instinctively retorted, my face growing even hotter.

    It¡¯s strange, where did he see what I wanted?

    I said I was going to sleep, how did he see that I wanted to¡­

    Reynaldo leaned on my side with both hands and chuckled as he looked at me, ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t want it, it was me, it was me who wanted it, that¡¯s okay, right?¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes, shining with a smile, were already handsome, but now he looked even more charming.

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    288 Vouchers

    His chest and abdominal muscles were also smooth and perfect in line.

    Because of the posture of leaning on the mattress, the vicle inadvertently outlined a sexy line.

    I couldn¡¯t help but stare in a daze.

    When I came to my senses, I saw a man with a wicked smile ying at the corner of his lips.

    I hurriedly lowered my eyes, cursing myself for being so weak.

    I have seen this handsome guy since I was a child.

    And this man had never caught my eye before.

    Howe nowadays I am always captivated by his face and figure.

    It¡¯s really strange.

    Ah ah ah ah¡­

    Just now I caught him staring at me again, he must be going to make fun of me again.

    Esmeralda, oh Esmeralda, howe you always let him have the upper hand, why can¡¯t you find a way to corner him instead.

    The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

    At this moment, Reynaldo suddenly bent down and kissed my lips.

    His kiss was gentle, tender, and lingering.

    I was just feeling extremely frustrated, but now, under his gen.. attack, my mind slowly became confused.

    He kissed me for a long time before letting go, smiling at me

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    indulgently, ¡°You¡¯re such a shy silly wife.¡±

    I stared at him dazedly, feeling that my eyes were all moist.

    It was hot, the whole room was hot.

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    My mind was a mess, I didn¡¯t even care if what he said was cheesy.

    She just instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting <b>to </b><b>be </b>close to him.

    The bathrobe on his body was quickly taken off by him.

    He bent down and hugged me tightly, his voice suddenly bing hoarse, ¡°I miss you so much.¡±

    ¡°I am too.¡±

    I unconsciously replied, my breath bing unsteady.

    In the warmth and ambiguity, I saw a gentle and soft smile spread across his eyebrows.

    In the soft light, we embraced each other tightly, intertwined and lingering.

    The familiar scent of the man wafted over my nose, and my heart was gentle and soft.

    At that moment, ¡°I loved him to the core.¡±

    The hand on his shoulder involuntarily tightened.

    I held him close, and our heartbeats gradually merged into the same frequency.

    I don¡¯t know how long it took, but he finally finished, sweating profusely as he enveloped me underneath him.

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    I was so tired that my fingers didn¡¯t even want <b>to </b><b>move</b><b>, </b><b>just </b><b>weakly </b>pushing him.

    His chest was very hard, I pushed for a long time, but he didn¡¯t <b>budge </b>

    I simply ignored him and fell asleep with my eyes closed, in a daze.

    Little did I know, the next second, he suddenly hugged me and sat <b>up</b>.

    I leaned softly against his chest and weakly said, ¡°What¡¯s the point, forget it.¡±

    He has alreadye twice, isn¡¯t he tired?

    Reynaldo put one arm around my waist, the other hand on my back, gently pressing me against his shoulder, letting me rest my head on his shoulder.

    He leaned against my ear, spoke in a hoarse voice, with a faint hint of grievance.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had enough yet¡­¡±

    I: ¡­

    Sure enough, he couldn¡¯t be hungry in a short time.

    How long has it been since we were intimate?

    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, just lie on me and sleep, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    I was speechless once again.

    What is this?

    He kept bothering me like this, I couldn¡¯t sleep no matter how tired I

    was.

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    Thinking about how busy he has been recently, not eating well and not sleeping well, I am still a little worried about his health.

    Not to mention, he will be busy tomorrow.

    I leaned against his shoulder, slightly pulled away from him, and said to him, ¡°You¡¯ve been so busytely, and you¡¯re messing around again tonight. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be tired tomorrow¡­¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Reynaldo kissed my lips and chuckled hoarsely, saying, ¡°I purposely took care of everything for tomorrow at thepany just now.

    ¡°So, tomorrow I could stay at home with you and the kids all day.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Reynaldo jokingly poked my forehead.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, when have I ever lied to you.¡±

    I pursed my lips, he had never not lied to me, he especially liked to lie to me in bed.

    Reynaldo had a lot of energy.

    When he was in the car, he looked exhausted, and even fell asleep in the car.

    When he got into bed, he became full of energy.

    We didn¡¯t know what kind of monster he was.

    In short, this man is like two different people when he is dressed and when he is undressed, two extremes.

    A passionate affairsted until thete hours of the night before finally

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    I was so exhausted by him that I didn¡¯t even have the strength to move my fingers.

    In a daze, I felt him pick me up.

    I vaguely heard him say, ¡°Wash up before going to bed.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with him, muttered ¡°so sleepy¡°, and thenpletely entered dreand.

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    I slept very deeplyst night.

    After a lot of exercise, it¡¯s good to sleep.

    When I woke up, the bedroom was dark, and I didn¡¯t know what time it

    was.

    There were a few rays of light shining through the crack in the curtains.

    It looked like it was a cloudy day today.

    It seemed to be windy outside, with the sound of wind blowing dry branches and fallen leaves against the window.

    I rubbed my eyes and, after my head cleared a bit, I looked to the side.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t know when he got up, the seat next to him had already gone cold.

    However, this man is also considerate. Remember I told him that when we get up together, the warmth in my nket disappears? Well, he put a hot water bottle at the foot of my bed.

    Reynaldo said he would stay at home with me and the children today, but I don¡¯t know if what he said is true.

    I touched the phone on the bedside table, opened it and found that it was already one o¡¯clock in the afternoon.

    Oh my, the days in winter were already short.

    After sleeping for more than four hours, the day was almost over.

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    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Reynaldo wake me up?¡±

    My whole body was sore and weak.

    I huddled under the covers, not wanting to move at all.

    I didn¡¯t know if Reynaldo was at home.

    I opened the chat interface with him and sent him a message.

    ¡°Where are you? What are you doing?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t reply to me for half a day.

    Thinking that he might be busy, I didn¡¯t bother him. I opened the news app and habitually scrolled through the current affairs of Freybourne.

    Just the next second, I sat up abruptly from the bed, shocked as I looked at the headline of today¡¯s news in Freybourne.

    Today¡¯s headline in Freybourne was: ¡°Johnathan attempted to assassinate Kimberly, has been arrested, and the victim has been rushed to the hospital!¡±

    Several photos are also included below.

    Johnathan viciously stabbed the knife into Kimberly¡¯s photo.

    In the photo, the scene was very messy.

    Kimberly and Quentin were both injured, with blood on their bodies and on the ground.

    There is also a photo of the scene where Johnathan was grabbed by the bodyguard.

    The background in the photo was outside a shopping mall, surrounded by people.

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    Oh no, how could this happen?

    Wasn¡¯t Braylon always watching him? And the bodyguards that were sent over, weren¡¯t they always keeping an eye on Johnathan?

    So many people, howe they couldn¡¯t keep an eye on one Johnathan.

    I quickly looked at the time when the incident urred.

    It was around eleven o¡¯clock in the morning.

    It has only been two hours since now.

    Reynaldo, did he go to deal with this matter?

    I quickly put on my clothes and rushed outside.

    Why is Johnathan still so impulsive?

    Did the online blessings for Quentin and Kimberly and the curses for Vonnie really get to him?

    If it weren¡¯t for Matthew, just Quentin and Kimberly alone, something like this wouldn¡¯t have happened, in this Freybourne, Reynaldo could have kept Johnathan safe and sound.

    It is clear now that it was Matthew¡¯s conspiracy.

    This matter may not have been handled so well.

    I was afraid that Matthew would threaten Reynaldo with Johnathan.

    1 out

    Alternatively, Matthew knew that Johnathan was Reynaldo¡¯s good brother, so in order to retaliate against Reynaldo, he would g against Johnathan.

    I ran downstairs in a hurry.

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    1 702 Mouchers

    Just as I reached the corner of the stairs, I heard a frantic cry, it was

    Gracie¡¯s voice.

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    ¡°What should I do, Reynaldo? I just went to the jail to see him, but they wouldn¡¯t even let me see him. They said I can¡¯t visit him yet.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo, you must find a way to save Johnathan, Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I came downstairs and saw Gracie wiping tears in front of Reynaldo.

    A series of events made the gentle and kind Gracic age a lot in an

    instant.

    Reynaldoforted Gracie in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Valois, rest assured, I will save Johnathan no matter what.¡±

    Beside stood Braylon and the security guards.

    Braylon didn¡¯t handle things well, he kept his head down, with a touch of guilt all over his body.

    It was still his bodyguard who exined the situation at that time.

    ¡°At that time, Mr. Dup said he was feeling very ufortable, with his internal organs hurting as if he was about to die.¡±

    Mr. Shaffer did look very pale, and I was afraid he might be in trouble.

    So we quickly took him to the hospital.

    Upon arriving at the hospital, as soon as he got out of the car, pushed us aside and quickly ran towards the hospital entrance.

    Mr. Shaffer was hit by a car while trying to chase after him¡­

    ¡°Yosef!¡±

    he

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    Before the bodyguard could finish speaking, Braylon immediately growled at the bodyguard.

    The bodyguard pursed his lips and said nothing more.

    I nced at Braylon and indeed saw blood on the back of his hand.

    He lowered his gaze and spoke to Reynaldo, his voice filled with guilt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Humphrey, the task you assigned to me¡­ I didn¡¯t handle it well.¡±

    ¡°You trusted me like that, but I¡­¡±

    ¡°Never mind,¡± Reynaldo interrupted him in a low voice, ¡°go to the hospital and get your wound treated. If you don¡¯t take care of your arm soon, it might be useless.¡±

    Braylon stood still, always keeping his head down.

    Gracie wiped away her tears and said, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault either. Who knew Johnathan could be so impulsive.¡±

    He was doing well during this period and he promised me to take good care of himself.

    I never expected him to be so impulsive and fight those bad guys, how could you have predicted that.

    After all, you were also worried about his health.

    me Johnathan for never getting over Vonnie.

    After Gracie finished speaking, she said to Braylon, ¡°Braylon, it¡¯s not your fault, listen to me, go to the hospital quickly.¡±

    Braylon still stood motionless, just slowly lifting his head, his eyes

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    suddenly red.

    He choked out, ¡°Ms. Valois, I will definitely save Mr. Dup.¡±

    ¡°I understand your heart, go, quickly go to the hospital¡­¡±

    Gracie was like a kind elder, patting his shoulder and urging him to go to the hospital.

    Braylon¡¯s tears fell down all of a sudden.

    In the end, it was still those few bodyguards who forcibly took Braylon to the hospital.

    I helped Gracie sit on the sofa.

    Gracie cried even more sadly and anxiously than she did that day.

    ¡°Looking back now, Johnathan¡¯s normalcy during this time was all a facade, he had actually been wanting to avenge Vonnie all along.¡±

    Sigh¡­ How could he be so stubborn, you guys.

    What should I do now? Vonnie hasn¡¯t woken up yet, and he¡¯s like this again.

    The two people who were stabbed by him didn¡¯t know what was going on, the news media reported, ¡°but whenever a life is lost, he has to pay with his own life.¡®

    ¡°1

    What am I going to do? Now I only have him. If something happens to him, how can I go on living?

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    He, the unfilial son, did all these without thinking about his old mother like me? Oh¡­.

    ¡°Ms. Valois, don¡¯t worry first.¡±

    I held Gracie¡¯s hand tightly and said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely save Johnathan.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Valois, Johnathan was my best brother, and I would save him no matter what it takes.¡±

    When Reynaldo said this, his tone was very firm.

    Gracie covered her face again and cried in anger and sorrow.

    ¡°You guys are still the best. Compared to you, the Dup family is just too heartless.¡±

    When Gracie said this, we realized that after the incident happened, she was the first one to go to Ahmed Dup for help.

    She said Ahmed was too heartless. After this incident, Ahmed was afraid of getting into trouble, so he quickly held a press conference and imed that he had cut off all ties with Johnathan.

    Johnathan was expelled from the Dup family at a young age and was never considered part of the Dup family.

    When Gracie talked about these, she couldn¡¯t help but curse those snobbish merchants.

    She said angrily, ¡°Before this happened, members of the Dup family

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    used toe to him to build rtionships and ask him to <b>speak </b><b>more </b>positively about the Dup family in front of Reynaldo.¡±

    But as a result, when this happened, they changed their attitudepletely.

    And there was Ahmed, that old man, who in his youth ¡°abandoned his wife and children, remarried an interloper, and kicked us out of the Dup¡¯s house.¡±

    Later, Johnathan got better, and he would tell everyone that ¡°Johnathan is his son, his most outstanding son,¡± afraid that he wouldn¡¯t get any credit from Johnathan.

    Now, when Johnathan had an ident, he immediately cut off all ties with him.

    You said, ¡°How could there be such a heartless father in the world.¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t help me save Johnathan, and on top of that, they gloated and taunted me. How could people be so cruel¡­¡±

    I followed Gracie¡¯s back and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s human nature, luckily Johnathan didn¡¯t pay attention to them before.¡±

    Ms. Valois, don¡¯t worry, Johnathan will definitely be fine. By then, ¡°he will give them a good beating.¡±

    Gracie wiped away her tears and said guiltily to Reynaldo, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reynaldo. No one else can be relied on, so I have to trouble you.¡±

    ¡°Wherever it is, even if you don¡¯t speak, I would definitely save Johnathan, let alone¡­¡± Reynaldo paused, his tone lowering, ¡°Strictly speaking, this whole thing started because of me.¡±

    Gracie may not have understood the meaning of this sentence.

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    000

    <b>17:19 </b>

    But I understood.

    If it weren¡¯t for the enmity he had with Matthew in Yoripero at the beginning, just relying on a Kimberly, perhaps these things wouldn¡¯t have happened.

    Gracie also did not delve into Reynaldo¡¯s words.

    After receiving Reynaldo¡¯s promise, her emotions gradually stabilized.

    She said she had to go back to take care of Vonnie, so she didn¡¯t stay long and went back.

    I was originally nning to bring Vonnie over.

    But Gracie said that Vonnie was there with her, sort of keeping her

    Although Vonnie and Johnathan had not yet held a wedding, she had long regarded Vonnie as her daughter¨Cinw.

    She said she would take care of Vonnie and wait for Johnathan toe back safely with Vonnie.

    After sending Gracie away, <i>I </i><i>fe </i>

    very heavy¨Chearted.

    Day and night vignce, the thing I was most worried about finally happened.

    Reynaldo rubbed my head, hugged me and said with a smile, ¡°Why the long face? Just smile.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡± I looked at him with concern, ¡°Johnathan, he¡­¡®

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    <b>Chapter </b>1243

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a small matter, I will take care of it,¡± Reynaldo said softly, smiling, as he pulled me to sit on the other side of the dining table. ¡°I just cooked, waiting for you toe down and eat together, are you hungry?¡±

    He said and went to the kitchen.

    I frowned and stared at his back.

    With Matthew pulling the strings behind the scenes, how could this be a small matter.

    He was afraid that I would worry, so he deliberately appeared rxed in front of me.

    Reynaldo brought the dishes to the table one by one, smiling at me and saying, ¡°These are all your favorite dishes, and they are still hot. Hurry up and eat while they¡¯re hot.¡±

    I lowered my gaze, suppressed the difort in my heart, and did not expose his disguise.

    He wanted me to be happy, without worries or troubles.

    Then I agreed to his proposal.

    <i>At </i>least this way, he didn¡¯t have to be distracted to take care of my emotions anymore.

    After finishing his meal, Reynaldo went to the study.

    I didn¡¯t go to disturb him, but went to the backyard greenhouse to

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    apany two children.

    Just now Gracie came, and Madisyn deliberately brought two <b>children </b>to the backyard greenhouse to y with the birds.

    In winter, most of the flowers in the flower house had withered, leaving only a few wintersweets.

    There were two birds in the cage, Essie and Roddy were feeding them with food.

    These two birds are the same asst time, when Reynaldo took them out to y, they were picked out at the bird and flower market.

    After buying them, the two children adored them so much that they wanted toe and feed them every day.

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±

    Essie saw me and ¡°plunged into my arms, her two small hands wrapped around my waist.¡±

    ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s daddy? Roddy and I want to go out to y. Can you ask daddy to take us out to y?¡±

    Thinking about Johnathan, my heart felt like a big stone was pressing on it.

    I touched the two small buns on her head and said gently, ¡°Daddy is very busy today and can¡¯t take us out to y. How about we y at home today?¡±

    Essie was still sensible.

    She nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for daddy to finish his work before taking us out to y.¡±

    17190

    Essie said, moving closer to Roddy to feed the birds.

    I sat in the flower room for a while, but I couldn¡¯t sit still.

    Gracie just said that the media has imed, ¡°whoever dies from being stabbed by Johnathan, Johnathan must pay with his life.¡±

    This was clearly Matthew pulling the strings behind the scenes.

    He just wanted to use this matter to ¡°hit the nail on the head¡± with Reynaldo.

    So, did Matthew send someone to secretly kill Kimberly and then frame Johnathan?

    Thinking of this, I furrowed my brows fiercely.

    Matthew was a person who ¡°held grudges and sought revenge, cunning and ruthless.¡±

    He is now in Roxafito, ¡°he has everything, hecks nothing.¡±

    So, he might not necessarily use this to negotiate terms with Reynaldo.

    If he only wanted to retaliate against Reynaldo, to avenge Yoripero¡¯s grudge from that year, then he was very likely to use this matter to kill Johnathan, so that Reynaldo would feel guilty and remorseful.

    The more I thought, the more anxious I became.

    I quickly contacted Braylon and asked him to send his bodyguards to the hospital to protect Quentin and Kimberly.

    It¡¯s ironic when you think about it.

    I had a deep¨Cseated hatred towards Kimberly, wishing to ¡­ her into a thousand pieces.

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    But now, I had to protect her miserable life again.

    It¡¯s ironic to think about.

    Braylon happened to be at the hospital.

    He quickly transferred several bodyguards over.

    As luck would have it, when those bodyguards went past, someone just happened to be trying to kill Kimberly.

    Braylon told me that Kimberly was suffocated with a pillow at that time, and her legs were almost straightened.

    At the critical moment, those bodyguards rushed in to stop the murder.

    The only regret was that the killer slipped away from the bathroom window.

    After listening to Braylon¡¯s ount, I personally went to the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, Braylon was waiting for me at the door.

    His right arm had been put in a cast, hanging from his neck with a bandage.

    I asked him, ¡°Is your arm okay?¡±

    Braylon shook his head, his mood was very low, his face still full of guilt.

    But he didn¡¯t say much, just said to me, <i>¡°</i><i>Mrs. </i>Humphrey, they are on the second floor of the inpatient department, I¡¯ll take you up.¡±

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    I nodded and followed him towards the inpatient department.

    280 Wourrec

    I asked him, ¡°Do you think the situation with Johnathan was handled well?¡±

    Braylon fell silent for a few seconds, then shook his head.

    I sighed and didn¡¯t ask any more questions.

    When I arrived at Kimberly¡¯s ward, I saw Kimberly leaning wearily on the hospital bed.

    Her face was as pale as paper, and there was blood on her chest.

    The doctor had just finished treating her wound and walked out.

    Quentin looked at her anxiously by the bedside, his face full of

    concern.

    Compared to the injuries on Kimberly, Quentin¡¯s injuries were much lighter, as if he had just been injured on his shoulder.

    Kimberly nced at me, as if she didn¡¯t even have the energy to talk to <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    Quentin was a bit excited when he saw meing.

    He stood up instantly, looking at me with red eyes, ¡°Ralda, are you here to see me? Are you still worried about me, right?¡±

    Looking at his excited appearance, I just felt ironic and ridiculous.

    He didn¡¯t want this sibling rtionship, didn¡¯t want this blood rtionship, why did he have to show such a look at this moment.

    I nced at him coldly and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I just came to see if you were dead.¡±

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    Quentin immediately staggered back two steps.

    He lowered his eyes, gently tugged at the corners of his lips, and smiled, a smile that was full of sadness and self¨Cmockery.

    I didn¡¯t look at him again, I just said to Kimberly, ¡°Do you know who wanted to kill you just now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s you¡­¡± Kimberly said, her voice trembling with anger, her

    eyes

    filled with resentment as she looked at me.

    I pursed my lips.

    Kimberly was sometimes indeed clever, setting traps without a single leak.

    Sometimes I was really stupid, I didn¡¯t even realize I was being used as ¡°bait¡± by Matthew.

    I sneered at her and said, ¡°The media has already imed that if you die, Johnathan will have to pay for your life. Do you know that?¡±

    Kimberly suddenlyughed, with a hint of pride in herughter.

    ¡°How? Are you afraid that I¡¯m dead? Because if I¡¯m dead, your good friend Johnathan won¡¯t survive either, right?¡±

    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I even sent a few bodyguards to protect you.¡±

    ¡°So, can you guess now who was the person trying to kill you just now?¡±

    After I finished speaking, Kimberly just stood there in shock.

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    After a moment of hesitation, she seemed to realize and eximed excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­ he couldn¡¯t possibly want to kill me¡­ we had an agreement, he¡­ cough¡­ vomit¡­¡±

    Kimberly said excitedly, then suddenly coughed.

    In an instant, the wounds on his body burst open and he also spat out a mouthful of blood.

    Upon seeing the situation, Quentin panicked and urgently pressed the bedside bell, shouting loudly at the door, ¡°Doctor! Doctor!¡±

    Soon, the doctor and nurse hurried in.

    Just the next second, I saw a familiar figure.

    Anton?

    At this moment, the person who came over to treat Kimberly¡¯s wound was Anton?!

    Anton did not look at me.

    He lowered his gaze and focused on treating Kimberly¡¯s wound.

    Kimberly still stared at me, murmuring incredulously, ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­ he wouldn¡¯t do that, he wouldn¡¯t want to kill me¡­

    It must have been you, it was you who sowed discord.

    The killer was sent by you, all of this was orchestrated by you¡­ it was all you¡­

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    Listening to Kimberly¡¯s words, I was filled with a coldugh.

    Was she used to being licked by people, thinking that every man who helped her was her ¡°licking dog¡°, who would be devoted to her and infatuated with her.

    But didn¡¯t she realize that Matthew waspletely different from Zackery and Quentin?

    Did she not feel that, back in Yoripero, Matthew almost hated her?

    So, why did she think Matthew would help her unconditionally?

    Oh, I really thought I was infinitely charming, loved by everyone, and flowers bloomed wherever I went.

    Kimberly was murmuring there, as if she had been struck by something.

    Quentin anxiously asked her on the side, ¡°Kimberly, what are you talking about? Who is that person? Who are you talking about?¡±

    Kimberly did not respond to him, she just stared at me fiercely.

    I sneered at her, ¡°Actually, I know who the person behind you is. Just think for yourself, what is that person¡¯s purpose in helping you do these bad things?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Anton suddenly looked towards me.

    However, he just nced at me and then lowered his gaze to continue treating the wounds on Kimberly¡¯s body.

    I furrowed my brows.

    What did it mean when he suddenly looked at me?

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    I stared at him in confusion for a while, but I didn¡¯t see him make any other moves, nor did I hear him say a word. He just lowered his gaze and earnestly dealt with the wounds on Kimberly¡¯s body.

    Kimberly¡¯s injury was very serious, and the blood was gushing out as if it couldn¡¯t be stopped.

    I suspected that if the wound had been a little deeper, it could have taken her life directly.

    Quentin looked on, feeling extremely sorry for her, as if he wanted to shed blood for her.

    Kimberly didn¡¯t even look at him directly, still ring at me with a look of sadness and anger, saying that the killer just now was sent by <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    I coldly curled my lips and smiled at her, ¡°Think whatever you want. If you think Matthew is just like Quentin and Zackery, all loyalpdogs who help you unconditionally and without purpose, then go ahead and believe that¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­you shut up¡­¡±

    As if revealing her unspeakable secret, Kimberly suddenly growled at me anxiously, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­ What Matthew, what Zackery¡­ cough, get out, get out of here¡­¡±

    I nced at Quentin, who was silent beside me, and sneered at her, ¡°You said you don¡¯t know Matthew, okay, anyway, my silly brother doesn¡¯t know him either!¡±

    But Zackery, I think you all know him well.

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    ¡°After all, it was you who arranged for my mother¡¯s kidney <b>transnt </b>surgery back then.¡±

    At this point, I gave Quentin a cold look.

    He was seen covering his face with both hands, filled with a sense <b>of </b>sadness and guilt all over his body.

    I grinned and asked Kimberly, ¡°Ms. Palmer, who do you think, Zackery or Quentin, licked you better?¡±

    ¡°You¡­you go¡­¡±

    ¡°It was Zackery after all, being a lickspittle, he could tolerate you marrying Quentin and willingly became your secret lover.¡±

    But if it were Quentin, he definitely wouldn¡¯t tolerate you being openly with Zackery.

    ¡°So, in terms of being a lickspittle, Zackery ranked first, and Quentin could only rank second.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    As if not liking me to describe him as a ¡°licking dog¡°, Quentin immediately shouted sadly at me.

    <i>At </i>this point, Kimberly seemed a little anxious and said to Quentin, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, I¡­ I don¡¯t have anything with Zackery¡­¡±

    We¡­ we were about to get married, and in my heart, there only. only you¡­¡±

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    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    Before Kimberly could finish speaking, I burst into sarcastic <bughter</b>.

    ¡°Ms. Palmer, are you used to telling lies like this? Just spouting <b>off</b>¡±

    I don¡¯t know who it was the other day, dressed beautifully, waiting anxiously for Reynaldo on the bridge in the middle of the night.

    Is that Ms. Palmer?

    Yes, Ms. Palmer also boasted to me for a while at that time.

    I just remembered that I haven¡¯t asked Ms. Palmer yet, did she see Reynaldo that night?

    ¡°You¡­you¡­¡±

    Kimberly was so angry that she couldn¡¯t even speak, pointing at me with trembling hands.

    I sneered, ¡°So, you still have the nerve to say that you only have Quentin in your heart, Ms. Palmer, your cheek is really beyondparison¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, Ralda.¡±

    Quentin suddenly interrupted me, looking at me with a sad sigh, ¡°Enough, you¡¯re making her angry, Johnathan is beyond help, why bother?¡±

    I pulled my lips and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s useless to say more. After all, you believe whatever this woman says.¡±

    0

    With that, I looked at Kimberly, who was trembling with anger on the bed, and chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve already warned you, Matthew is go to kill you, believe it or not.¡±

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    However, if you insist on sending your life to Matthew, then I can¡¯t do anything about it.

    Although the media said, ¡°You are dead,¡± Johnathan was going to take the me for you.

    But with Reynaldo around, it might not necessarily be the case, and you, once dead, are dead,

    ¡°So, you really thought your life was tied to Johnathan¡¯s life?¡±

    Upon hearing this, Kimberly¡¯s face turned a few shades paler.

    She was really scared, and she urgently grabbed Quentin¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Save me, Quentin, quickly¡­ quickly send bodyguards to protect me¡­¡®

    ¡°So¡­¡± Quentin looked at her with red eyes, ¡°everything she said is true, you really with that Matthew¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Kimberly immediately denied loudly, possibly because she was too excited, and then she vomited another mouthful of blood in an instant.

    Upon seeing the situation, Quentin was frightened and quickly said, ¡°Okay, okay, okay¡­ I believe you, I believe everything you say. Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t get upset first¡­¡±

    Seeing Quentin¡¯s expression, I sarcastically pursed my lips and turned around to leave.

    I had Braylon¡¯s few bodyguards continue to stand guard around Kimberly¡¯s hospital room.

    Kimberly cherished her life, and Quentin cherished her too.

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    Quentin was expected to bring more bodyguards to protect Kimberly soon, so there was no need to worry about Kimberly¡¯s safety for the time being.

    It was about how to get Johnathan out of jail next.

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    While he hasn¡¯t been sentenced yet, we need to act quickly. Once he is sentenced and sent to prison, it may not be so easy to get him out.

    My mind was elsewhere as I walked, thinking about things.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    At that moment, Anton¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind.

    I was stunned for a moment, then turned around.

    Anton was running towards me.

    He seemed to have chased after her directly after dealing with Kimberly¡¯s injuries, his clothes still unchanged, and even the bloodied gloves on his hands had not been removed yet.

    There was a trash can next to it.

    He took off his gloves, threw them into the trash can, and then strode towards me.

    He was also wearing a mask, only revealing a pair of eyes.

    Those eyes always carried a touch of mncholy and deep affection, very charming, yet also made people hesitant to approach easily because of some hidden traces of indifference and aloofness.

    I looked at him and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    Anton stared at me for a while, then took off his mask and spoke to me

    with a deep voice tinged with sadness, ¡°I heard about Vonnie¡¯s

    incident, but unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t there that night¡­¡±

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    ¡°Even if you are, so what?¡±

    I sarcastically said, ¡°The one who harmed Vonnie is your own sister. If you were there, could you have prevented this tragedy from

    happening?¡±

    Anton opened his mouth, about to say something.

    I shook my head and said, ¡°No, you can¡¯t. After all, she is your own sister. You wouldn¡¯t really go against her, otherwise¡­ four years ago you wouldn¡¯t have protected her.¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say,¡± I said lightly, ¡°You are different from Quentin after all. Quentin is my real brother, but you are not. So, you have your own choices, your own principles, and I have nothing to say.¡±

    ¡°I was just frantically trying to save her, just worried that she was dead, and Johnathan would be in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    As if seeing a glimmer of hope in an instant, I asked him urgently, ¡°Do you have any way to save Johnathan, or maybe you can persuade Kimberly to drop the charges.¡±

    Anton pursed his lips, remained silent for a while, and then said reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not possible. As you said, behind Kimberly stands Matthew. Even if I could persuade Kimberly to withdraw thewsuit, Matthew wouldn¡¯t agree.¡±

    I slowly lowered my gaze, and the little hope in my heart shattered in an instant.

    Sure.

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    The person leading this matter was Matthew, and Matthew would not allow Kimberly to withdraw thewsuit.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    Just as Anton reached out to put his hand on my shoulder, Reynaldo¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind.

    His hand paused in midair for a moment, and the next second, it dropped down.

    I looked up and saw a bitter smile leap across his lips.

    I said lightly, ¡°Reynaldo hase, you, go back.¡±

    As for Kimberly, I had toe and protect her this time only for Johnathan.

    ¡°But one day, I will make her pay for my mother and Mika¡¯s lives!¡±

    Anton lowered his gaze and remained silent.

    I didn¡¯t say much to him either, just gave him a casual nce and then turned around to leave.

    Reynaldo came over, ¡°he put his arm around my shoulder and looked at Anton.¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, just nced at him and then turned to walk into the hospital.

    Not until Anton left did Reynaldo lower his gaze to look at me.

    He straightened my down jacket and whispered, ¡°You came to the hospital without telling me. I finished my work and looked for you at

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    home for half a day but couldn¡¯t find you.¡±

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    Later, Braylon reported to me that you hade to the hospital.

    ¡°I suddenly thought that Matthew might want to kill Kimberly, so I hurried over¡­¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°Braylon has already told me the details. Luckily you arrived in time, otherwise Kimberly would have died and Matthew would have definitely used this opportunity to kill Johnathan.¡±

    He paused, and then his eyes suddenly dimmed again.

    He held my hand tightly and whispered, ¡°You clearly hate Kimberly so much, but for Johnathan, you¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just temporarily saving her life.¡±

    Compared to her miserable life, Johnathan¡¯s life was much more precious, so it was not worth it for Johnathan to bury her.

    ¡°We¡¯ll save Johnathan first, and then it won¡¯t be toote to deal with her.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything more, just led me towards the parking lot.

    He said, ¡°I have already contacted thewyer, we are going to jail to see Johnathan now.¡±

    I stared at him for a moment and asked, ¡°Is there a way to save

    Johnathan?¡±

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    Reynaldo fell silent for a second, rubbing my hair and saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, it¡¯s not difficult, just a matter of agreeing to Matthew¡¯s terms.¡±

    When Reynaldo said this, his tone was light and cheerful.

    But my heart still felt a little heavy.

    Just as I guessed earlier, Matthew was all¨Cpowerful abroad,cking nothing.

    What he wanted was nothing but revenge on Reynaldo, to take Reynaldo¡¯s life.

    So, what if the conditions set by Matthew were Reynaldo¡¯s fate?

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but tightly hold his hand.

    Reynaldo paused for a moment, lowered his gaze and looked at me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I shook my head and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just hoping you¡¯re doing well too.¡±

    Johnathan, we need to save you, but you also must be okay.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me deeply for a while, then nodded heavily and said, ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The weather today was not very good, ¡°overcast¡°, and there was a cold wind blowing.

    The leaves on the roadside had turned yellow, and when the cold wind blew, they fell to the ground, looking very deste.

    When I arrived at the jail with Reynaldo, thewyer was already waiting at the jail door.

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    Actually, Johnathan stabbed Kimberly in public this time, and he injured her quite severely.

    Plus the publicity and Matthew¡¯s maniption behind the scenes.

    Lawyers are basically useless.

    But on the way, Reynaldo exined to me that visits had to be approved by thewyer before entering.

    I just realized, no wonder when Gracie came over at noon, the person at the door wouldn¡¯t let her in.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, you have arrived,¡± thewyer greeted Reynaldo first, then led us inside.

    He said that all the application procedures had beenpleted and he could go in for a visit directly.

    The jail was very dark.

    Even with the lights on, it still felt dim and gloomy.

    When I entered with Reynaldo, I immediately saw Johnathan.

    He sat on the other side of the ss wall, with handcuffs on his hands, and police officers guarding on both sides.

    His eyes were bloodshot, and he lookedpletely dejected.

    He only brightened up slightly when he saw meing with Reynaldo, but quickly dimmed again.

    Reynaldo and I sat on this side of the ss wall.

    Reynaldo first nced at him, then picked up the phone on the table.

    After he picked up the phone, Johnathan also picked up the phone.

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    Johnathan remained silent for a while, just covering his face, looking sad and mournful.

    Seeing him like this, I felt really ufortable.

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    Johnathan, what a carefree and unrestrained man he used to be.

    He was like a gentle big brother,forting me at times and teasing me at times.

    Actually, I had unconsciously regarded him as family a long time ago.

    There¡¯s also Vonnie, they are all very important, very important family

    to me.

    It¡¯s all Kimberly¡¯s fault.

    I must, must make that wicked woman suffer a fate worse than death.

    Thinking about the past happiness between Johnathan and Vonnie, and seeing Johnathan like this now, I was filled with hatred.

    I wished I could have cut that wicked woman into a thousand pieces right now.

    One should never act impulsively in the end.

    At the moment, the most important thing is to rescue Johnathan first.

    Reynaldo remained silent for a while before speaking, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, Ms. Valois is doing fine. I talked to her and she will definitely get you out.¡±

    Because I was very close to Reynaldo, I could also hear Johnathan¡¯s voice very clearly.

    He looked up at me and Reynaldo, his eyes red with tears, and smiled at us, ¡°No need, you don¡¯t have to worry about me, don¡¯t follow

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    Matthew¡¯s path because of me.¡±

    He paused for a moment, then smiled again, with a hint of self- mockery.

    Speaking of which, it¡¯s my fault for being too impulsive. You already told me that behind Kimberly is Matthew, all of this is Matthew¡¯s conspiracy.

    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t help it, I went to seek revenge on Kimberly.¡±

    He finished speaking, thenughed a little, his face full of indignation.

    ¡°Do you know, online are all news about Kimberly and Quentin¡¯s wedding, all are blessings to them.¡±

    Even though they were the murderers, the scum, Vonnie was an innocent victim.

    But they indiscriminately cursed my Vonnie, blessed the murderer, and sang praises to their love.

    Why?! Why do they have the right to insult my Vonnie like this?!

    There were also Kimberly and Quentin, why could they get married, why could they be happy.

    ¡°I was going to kill them, I was going to avenge Vonnie!¡±

    When Johnathan said this, his crimson eyes were full of hatred.

    Originally, the extensive publicity of the wedding, along with the online blessings for Kimberly and Quentin, and the curses for Vonnie, were really meant to provoke Johnathan into assassinating Kimberly.

    Even back then, I had the PR department try their best to suppress those messages, but it was still no use.

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    Speaking of which, these online posts were just the catalyst, he had actually wanted to get revenge on Kimberly a long time ago.

    ¡°Kimberly would always get what wasing to her,¡± Reynaldo said solemnly.

    Speaking of this, Johnathan became angry again, ¡°At that time, I could have killed that wicked woman, it¡¯s all Quentin¡¯s fault!¡±

    Quentin blocked a knife, otherwise I would have avenged Vonnie.

    It¡¯s all his fault! Vonnie liked him before, but how could he still protect a culprit who hurt Vonnie like this!

    ¡°He deserved to die, just like Kimberly deserved to die!¡±

    Thest sentence was almost gritted out by Johnathan.

    With a touch of sadness in her tone, she was heartbroken that Vonnie would actually like a man like that.

    I said into the phone, ¡°Fortunately, Vonnie had long stopped liking him. Now Vonnie only likes you. At the moment of her car ident, she only thought of you and mentioned only you.¡±

    When I mentioned this, Johnathan covered his face and cried again, murmuring Vonnie¡¯s name.

    I said to him, ¡°You also need to pull yourself together, Vonnie is still waiting for you at home, and so is Ms. Valois.¡±

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    You can rest assured, not only you have a grudge against Kimberly, we all have a grudge against her, and we will definitely seek revenge for this grudge.

    ¡°You stay put, I¡¯ll go get Reynaldo to help you out.¡±

    Johnathan shook his head.

    He looked at me and Reynaldo, ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to worry about me, really.¡±

    The moment I went to seek revenge on Kimberly, I didn¡¯t give myself a way out.

    The only regret is that I still couldn¡¯t kill that wicked woman, couldn¡¯t avenge Vonnie.

    ¡°You have done a great job, really,¡± Iforted Johnathan with a smile, ¡°If it were me, I probably wouldn¡¯t have had the courage.¡±

    Johnathan seemed to be suddenly amused by me, but his eyes were still red and swollen.

    Heughed and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have the courage yet? I remember four years ago, you were much fiercer than me, and you even knew how to take advantage of the opportunity to go in for the kill.¡±

    I smiled.

    Yes, at that time, regardless of everything, all thoughts and actions were dominated by overwhelming grief, anger, and murderous intent.

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    At that time, there was no consideration of anything else in my mind, just one thought, ¡°Kill Kimberly, make Kimberly die.¡±

    I smiled at Johnathan and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t kill her four years ago. It seems like she¡¯s really hard to kill.¡±

    ¡°I can finally understand how you felt at that time.¡±

    Johnathanughed at me self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°You must have hated us who were blocking you back then, just like I hate Quentin now.

    ¡°s, it¡¯s okay, I guess the heavens didn¡¯t want her to die so easily, so they deliberately left her with a miserable life.¡±

    You just wait, she will definitely get hereuppance in the end, better off dead.

    Johnathan just smiled at me as if I wasforting him, with a hint of bitterness in his smile.

    After a while, he looked at Reynaldo, his voice filled with guilt, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reynaldo, I¡¯ve caused you trouble again.¡±

    ¡°Wherever you say.¡± Reynaldo said in a deep voice, ¡°You better pull yourself together, I¡¯ll need you¡¯to help me expand thepanyter.¡±

    Johnathan looked at him, tears welling up in his eyes.

    He said, ¡°This time I really lost control. When I went to kill Kimberly, my mind was nk, I just wanted to kill her to avenge Vonnie.¡±

    Now that I have calmed down, just thinking about Matthew manipting everything behind the scenes, I just¡­

    ¡°So what?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s eyes were cold, with a hint of disdain in his tone, ¡°Even if

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    he is manipting behind the scenes, I will still rescue you.¡±

    ¡°That was Matthew, who almost killed you back when you were abroad.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly chuckled, ¡°He only knows these mean tricks.¡±

    He paused and said to Johnathan, ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t need to worry, and you shouldn¡¯t feel guilty about it.¡±

    Speaking of which, it was to deal with me that he teamed up with Kimberly to go after you and Vonnie.

    Strictly speaking, it was also my fault that I involved you all¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Johnathan eximed emotionally, ¡°You didn¡¯t bring me down, I won¡¯t allow you to say such things!¡±

    I looked at them with a smile and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop saying things like that. No one is to me anyone because¡­ we are all family, and no matter what happens, we must face it together.¡±

    I had just finished saying this sentence when suddenly two men both stared at me.

    At this sight, I was instantly a little embarrassed.

    I asked in surprise, ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong?¡±

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    ¡°No.¡± Reynaldo gently rubbed my hair and whispered, ¡°I just suddenly realized how wonderful my wife is.¡±

    ¡°You said that, was I not good before?¡±

    ¡°You were good before, you are good now, and you have always been good.¡±

    On the other side of the ss wall, Johnathan suddenly eximed, ¡°Huh!!,¡± and said, ¡°So cheesy.¡±

    Iughed at him, ¡°This man, finally regained a bit of his former self.¡±

    After joking with me, Johnathan¡¯s face suddenly turned serious.

    He said to me, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you are quite good atforting people.¡± After a pause, he said ¡®thank you¡® to me again, with a sincere

    tone.

    I shouted at him, ¡°Just wait patiently for us to rescue you, don¡¯t wait for Vonnie to wake up and want to see you, but can¡¯t find you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I took turns chatting with Reynaldo for a long time, and finally his face was no longer as depressed as it was at the beginning, and his overall emotional state also improved a lot.

    When he came out of jail, it was already evening.

    Reynaldo held my hand tightly and didn¡¯t say a word.

    He talked about this matter very casually in front of me and Johnathan.

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    However, I knew that when it came to Matthew, things were never going to be easy.

    After all, Matthew was apetitor who had almost taken his life.

    ¡°What do you want to eat? Shall I take you out to eat?¡±

    I was thinking when Reynaldo suddenly lowered his eyes and smiled

    at me.

    I was stunned for a moment and said, ¡°Either is fine.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ fondue it is.¡±

    Huh?

    Didn¡¯t this man dislike eating out?

    I remember a long time ago, the people in thepany organized a trip to a Michelin¨Cstarred restaurant, but he didn¡¯t go.

    I still don¡¯t know what ¡°eating fondue¡± looks like for him, who eats so elegantly.

    And, with his calm and dignified appearance, I really can¡¯t imagine him wandering around, rolling up his sleeves, sweating profusely to gather ingredients.

    The weather was such that there were many people eating fondue.

    We arrived rtively early, and the first floor lobby was almost full.

    Reynaldo booked an elegant private room on the second floor.

    Just as Reynaldo and I were walking down the hallway, we suddenly heard the name Matthew.

    Reynaldo paused for a moment and nced at the private room beside

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    him.

    It was a wooden private room in the restaurant, and the soundproofing effect was not that good.

    There were faint murmurs of deliberately lowered voices.

    ¡°You mean, how Matthew used to enjoy eating this troublesome stuff.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I had already made a reservation at Vast Wilderness Restaurant, but then he said he wanted to have fondue.¡±

    ¡°I heard he was Yoripero, Yoripero is so cold, icy and snowy, I guess they are used to eating hot and spicy things.¡±

    ¡°Ah, let him be. We¡¯ll just apany him in whatever he likes to eat. After all, his current status is quite extraordinary. In our Freybourne, only Mr. Humphrey can rival him.¡±

    ¡°It is said that Mr. Humphrey recently removed several forces cultivated by Matthew here. This time Matthew came over, I don¡¯t know if he came to seek revenge on Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    ¡°Who knows, if Mr. Humphrey doesn¡¯t like us, let¡¯s just cling to his thigh, as long as we help Matthew bring down Mr. Humphrey, Freybourne will be ours.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­ this time we must take good care of Matthew.¡±

    Listening to the voices of discussion inside, I was shocked.

    Did Matthew actuallye to Freybourne?

    What did hee to Freybourne for? To personally retaliate against Reynaldo for what he did to Johnathan?

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    I looked at Reynaldo with concern.

    Reynaldo, however, seemed not too surprised, just smiled at me reassuringly.

    It was at this moment that a faintly familiarughter suddenly came from behind.

    ¡°Mr. Humphrey, how have you been?¡±

    I instinctively turned around and saw ¡°Matthew¡± standing there.

    Long time no see, this man is still as unruly and wild as in my memory, with a hint of hostility in his deep eyes, clearly not someone to mess with.

    At the same time, the door to the private room next to Reynaldo also opened.

    It was just a few people who were whispering inside earlier.

    When they saw that both Reynaldo and Matthew had arrived, their faces turned pale all of a sudden, looking a bitical.

    They looked at Reynaldo, then at Matthew, and in the end chose to suck up to Matthew.

    ¡°Mr. Gtea, you came, you came¡­¡±

    Five people swarmed towards Matthew, the words ¡°ttery and sycophancy¡± were interpreted by them to the fullest.

    And Matthew¡¯s interest at the moment was all on Reynaldo.

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    He waved away the few people with his hand and walked towards Reynaldo with his two bodyguards behind him.

    He gave Reynaldo a once¨Cover and chuckled yfully, ¡°Mr. Humphrey¡¯s physical condition is quite good. Last time I stabbed him so many times, he was almost dead. But now, he¡¯s all better in an instant. Looks like I¡¯ll have to stab him more next time.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and said in a calm tone, ¡°Mr. Gtea also had a good physical condition. I remember that Mr. Gtea was once surrounded and severely injured by distant rtives of the Gtea family, and managed to escape from Yoripero.¡±

    I really thought that Mr. Gtea had died on the other side of the ocean, but it turns out that Mr. Gtea is quite resilient, and is even doing better than before.

    It seems next time, I have to make sure to eliminate all possibilities, can¡¯t let anyone ¡°let you go¡± again.

    Matthew slowly narrowed his eyes, with a fierce look in his eyes.

    Honestly, this person looks quite scary to me. I feel like the aura of killing on this person is really heavy.

    I was thinking in my heart when suddenly a cold gaze fell on me.

    I subconsciously looked up and found Matthew staring at me.

    Reynaldo raised his eyebrows, and a chill ran through his body.

    He shielded me slightly behind him and smiled at Matthew, saying, ¡°Mr. Gtea, it¡¯s best not to let your gaze wander and not to have any crooked ideas. After all, this is Freybourne, not your former Yoripero, and certainly not Roxafito.¡±

    Matthewughed, ¡°Look how nervous Mr. Humphrey is, I just thought

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    this woman looked familiar.¡±

    He paused, and suddenly he seemed to recognize me, smiling, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Ms. Duffy? What? After so many years, you¡¯re still following Mr. Humphrey around, tsk tsk tsk¡­ Sticking with one man, you don¡¯t find it boring.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s words left me at a loss for how to respond.

    Afraid of making a mistake again, he shifted his focus onto me.

    I lowered my gaze and hid behind Reynaldo without saying a word.

    Matthew made a series of ¡°tsk tsk¡± sounds again, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a few years, and Ms. Duffy¡¯s courage seems to be getting smaller.¡±

    That night, where was Ms. Duffy¡¯s wildness?

    ¡°You know what, I really miss that night with Ms. Duffy.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s words were very ambiguous, clearly intending to provoke Reynaldo.

    And Reynaldo also fell for it.

    Reynaldo felt the chill on his body getting stronger and stronger, and the hand by his side also clenched secretly.

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    As for the few people next to him who wereplimenting Matthew, they looked at Reynaldo, then at Matthew, and not a single person dared to speak.

    Matthew was still saying these suggestive words.

    At one point, the tension between the two men grew increasingly

    intense.

    Reynaldo was about to start a fight with Matthew.

    I quickly grabbed his hand and smiled at Matthew.

    ¡°Look at what Mr. Gtea said, not afraid of Mr. Gtea making fun of me. Back then, I was still young, inexperienced, naturally bold, and my personality was also strong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different now. I¡¯m getting older now, and I¡¯m not as active as before. Naturally, my courage has slowly diminished.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Ms. Duffy¡¯s way of speaking is quite amusing.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gtea came here today, I suppose he came to talk business with these few?¡± I said, pointing to the silent executives next to me.

    Those old bosses smiled at me in surprise, while nodding and bowing to Matthew.

    I smiled at Matthew and said, ¡°I still have some impression of these bosses.¡±

    As soon as I said this, those few people looked at me with a puzzled

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    expression on their faces.

    It was as if saying, ¡°When did we see you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t see them, I just blurted out to Matthew seriously, ¡°These people, they used to tter Mr. Humphrey.¡±

    Mr. Humphrey just didn¡¯t pay attention to them, but little did he know, they quickly started to tter Mr. Gtea again.

    Well, it¡¯s okay. Even though they don¡¯t have much real talent, just know how to tter, they will definitely capture you to Mr. Gtea¡¯s satisfaction.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you woman, what nonsense are you talking about¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Those few people just angrily growled at me, and Reynaldo

    immediately looked at them coldly, and they instantly dared not speak.

    Matthew yfully curled his lips and asked me, ¡°So, Ms. Duffy, what do you want to tell me?¡±

    ¡°What I want to say is, working with big shots like Mr. Gtea really lowers their value.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Those people wanted to get angry, but because Reynaldo was present, they forcibly suppressed their anger.

    Matthew smiled at me and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that in Ms. Duffy¡¯s mind, my evaluation is quite high. So, how do Ipare to Mr. Humphrey?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Humphrey only did business with reputable people for

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    legitimate transactions, as for Mr. Gtea¡¯s requirements for partners, I do not know.¡±

    However, Mr. Gtea seemed like a decent person, and probably didn¡¯t think much of those who tter others, right?

    The people next to me who dared not make a sound were itching with anger, ring at me resentfully.

    I nced at them coldly.

    Tell them to use Matthew¡¯s influence to bring down Reynaldo.

    Ah, after my outburst, Matthew probably won¡¯t pay any attention to them.

    After all, in my impression, Matthew was very enthusiastic and found the use of provocation very effective.

    Sure enough, Matthew nodded with a smile, blowing smoke rings and saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy really hit the nail on the head. I really can¡¯t stand those brown¨Cnosers.¡±

    Only Mr. Humphrey could make me look up to him.

    ¡°Mr. Gtea¡­¡­¡±

    Those people immediately became anxious and hurriedly approached Matthew in a ttering manner.

    Matthew waved his hand disdainfully and said, ¡°Go away, go away, go away¡­¡±

    The purpose of seeing has been achieved, I politely said to Matthew, ¡°We won¡¯t disturb you to go in for a meal, we¡¯ll leave first.¡±

    With that, I grabbed Reynaldo and prepared to leave.

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    Who knew the next second, his two bodyguards blocked in front of me and Reynaldo.

    1 furrowed my brows and turned to look.

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    Matthew smiled at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare to meet today. Shall we eat together?¡±

    I did not speak, I turned to look at Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo squinted his eyes and smiled faintly, saying, ¡°Alright, then let me be the host for Mr. Gtea today, after all, he hase from afar.¡±

    Those people also wanted to curry favor with Matthew.

    Matthew directly had the bodyguards drive those people out.

    Reynaldo took Matthew to the private room we had reserved.

    At this moment, all kinds of ingredients have been prepared.

    The soup base in the middle of the table was bubbling vigorously, with a waiter adding ingredients into it.

    I sat next to Reynaldo.

    Matthew was sitting across from me.

    His bodyguard stood behind him.

    Although we came to eat fondue, the atmosphere was really tense.

    The two looked at each other, the oppression and coldness in their eyes, neither losing to the other.

    I didn¡¯t dare to say anything more.

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    I felt ufortable ever since Matthew recognized me in the hallway just now and started staring at me, the look in his eyes was quite unsettling.

    I lowered my head and ate my food in silence.

    Matthew suddenlyughed inexplicably and went to get some food to

    eat.

    Only Reynaldo didn¡¯t eat.

    He took off his coat, rolled up his shirt sleeves halfway to iron the vegetables for me, and then put the ironed vegetables into my bowl.

    At this moment, Matthew across from me suddenly chuckled softly again.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy and Mr. Humphrey haven¡¯t divorced yet. I thought your marriage had ended a long time ago.¡±

    Reynaldo raised an eyebrow and casually asked back, ¡°Mr. Gtea was joking, why would we divorce when our marriage is happy?¡±

    Matthew remained silent, chewing on the words ¡°happy marriage¡± with a meaningful expression.

    After a while, he suddenly pulled at his lips.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but I feel like I saw a hint of confusion in his eyes.

    After a meal of fondue, neither of them mentioned Johnathan.

    I actually wanted to ask Matthew how to let go of Johnathan, but I was afraid of asking the wrong question and making things worse.

    When they came out of the restaurant, Matthew still had a friendly

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    look on his face, thanking Reynaldo for his hospitality.

    When he left, he gave me a meaningful look again, which made me feel uneasy.

    Reynaldo frowned and watched his back until Matthew got on the car and left, then the man looked away.

    I asked him anxiously, ¡°What do you think Matthew came to Freybourne for this time?¡±

    Reynaldo led me into the car.

    He helped me fasten my seatbelt and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯sing. Dealing with Johnathan¡¯s situation will be easier, at least I can talk to him face to face.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention this to him just now?¡±

    Reynaldo leaned back against the chair, silent for a moment, and then said in a low voice, ¡°Did you notice that his gaze was fixed on you just now?¡±

    I nodded without saying anything.

    He sighed and said, ¡°He initially wanted to retaliate against me using Johnathan, but obviously, after seeing you today, he wants to target you again.¡±

    I shook his hand and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will be fine. I will protect myself.¡±

    Reynaldo held my hand tightly.

    He looked at me deeply and said, ¡°Actually, I am very afraid that he will shift his target to you.¡±

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    I could save Johnathan at all costs, but I can¡¯t use you as a trade.

    I also knew that you were very worried about Johnathan and wanted to

    help.

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    5

    But please promise me, no matter what, you cannot go see Matthew alone, no matter what he uses to tempt you, you cannot go.

    When he said this, his eyes were full of tension and anxiety.

    I couldn¡¯t help but hug him and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, during this time I will stay at home obediently, waiting for you to rescue Johnathan.¡±

    Of course, you must also prioritize your own safety.

    ¡°He clearly came for you this time. Who knows what cunning means he will use to deal with you.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    Reynaldo stroked my long hair, and his warm embrace always made me feel at ease.

    When I went back, the two children were still not asleep.

    Essie was telling stories to Reynaldo.

    Roddy showed me the airne model he had built.

    The four¨Cyear¨Cold child had a particrly strong ability to work with his hands, and he built the airne model vividly.

    The family had a great time ying together for a while, and then Madisyn took them upstairs to go to bed.

    I watched Essie¡¯s cute little figure, feeling quite mncholy in my heart.

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    Fortunately, Essie¡¯s condition remained stable during this period, otherwise it would have been really difficult to know what to do if she had fallen ill at such a critical moment.

    After dealing with these matters, I really had to take her to see a doctor.

    The other day I asked Reynaldo if there had been any progress in the research on this disease by the medical team Roxafito.

    Reynaldo said, ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any progress so far.¡±

    Also, Essie¡¯s illness is not the first case. After so many years, if a way to ovee this disease could have been researched, it would have been discovered long ago. Why would there only be the method of using umbilical cord blood left?

    Thinking of this, I unconsciously stroked my t stomach.

    If we could have another child with Reynaldo, how wonderful that would be.

    Recently there have been quite a few troubling things, one after another, like big stones weighing on my heart.

    Even at night when I went to bed, I was a little out of breath.

    When I woke up, it was past one in the middle of the night, and Reynaldo was not by my side.

    I rubbed my eyes and woke up a bit.

    Thinking that he might be working in the study, I got up and put on a robe to go find him.

    As soon as I reached the study, I faintly heard the sound of him making a phone call.

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    His voice lowered slightly, with a clear hint of coldness.

    17 288 Vouchers

    ¡°You tell him, it¡¯s best not to covet things that don¡¯t belong to him. I was able to bring him down four years ago, and I can still kick him out of Freybourne four yearster!¡±

    ¡°I wanted my life, huh, then you tell him, I am always ready.¡±

    I stood quietly outside the door, my heart pounding.

    He was talking to Matthew¡¯s people.

    It seems that Johnathan¡¯s situation was really tricky, Matthew wouldn¡¯t even talk to him personally.

    Was Matthew forcing Reynaldo toe to him?

    Now he had Johnathan as a threat, Reynaldo¡¯s situation was extremely passive.

    At present, it seems that we can only go along with the conditions set by that Matthew, which is the most hateful part.

    I didn¡¯t go in to disturb him, but quietly returned to the bedroom.

    Just as I got back into bed, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep no matter what.

    All that lingered in my mind were these troubling matters.

    What Matthew asked for was fine if it was just some material things.

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    I was afraid he really wanted Reynaldo¡¯s life.

    I tossed and turned in bed for a long time, until Reynaldo came back, I didn¡¯t fall asleep.

    He saw the room light on and saw me tossing and turning in bed. couldn¡¯t help butugh and said, ¡°When did you wake up? Can¡¯t sleep?¡±

    I sat up and reached out to him for a hug.

    He chuckled indulgently and pulled me into his arms.

    ¡°How? Without me, you really can¡¯t sleep?¡±

    His tone was cheerful, with a smile on his face, but there was clearly a hint of sadness in his eyes.

    I leaned against him and asked, ¡°What does Matthew want?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand on my shoulder tightened slightly, and he said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, I will personally talk to him tomorrow.¡±

    I sighed softly and said nothing.

    Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head.

    I quickly backed away from his embrace and asked him, ¡°Does Matthew have any weaknesses?¡±

    Reynaldo was taken aback for a moment, then he asked me, ¡°Are you trying to find his weak spot and then use it to threaten him?¡±

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    I nodded, ¡°He can threaten us with Johnathan, why can¡¯t we threaten him with what he cares about?¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s things or people, as long as it¡¯s something he cares about, this move will definitely work.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Reynaldo thought for a moment and said, ¡°He is a person with thin family ties, cruel and ruthless, without much emotion towards anyone or anything, quite cold¨Cblooded, so he shouldn¡¯t have any weaknesses.¡±

    ¡°His lover, his children?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head, ¡°No, he yed with women, but he didn¡¯t love them, let alone let any woman have his child.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, so does that mean Matthew has no ws to exploit at all?

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly seemed to remember something and said, ¡°ording to my previous investigation, there seems to be a woman who is quite special to him.¡±

    I was taken aback and quickly asked, ¡°Who? Where is that woman now?¡±

    ¡°That woman¡­ seems to have died.¡±

    I was shocked, ¡°Dead?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s also something I found out recently. He just met that woman in Roxafito after escaping.¡±

    I¡¯m not very clear about what exactly happened between them, but I found out that the woman seemed to have died, and then he seemed to

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    have gone crazy for a while.

    So it seems that, that woman was quite special to him.

    Reynaldo paused, put his arm around me, and sighed, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Anyway, it¡¯s quite a sad story.¡±

    I pursed my lips, remembering the time when he, along with the other members of the Gtea family, brought down Matthew. I couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°Can¡¯t we go find the people from the Gtea family again this time and unite to deal with him?¡±

    Upon hearing this, Reynaldo chuckled and said, ¡°They now control all the economic lifelines in Yoripero, so they call the shots there. Naturally, they won¡¯t get involved in this mess, after all, they are not the ones being threatened.¡±

    Moreover, Matthew is not what he used to be. In their eyes, it¡¯s already good enough that Matthew didn¡¯te back to settle scores with them. They wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke Matthew anymore.¡±

    I sighed with a heavy heart.

    It seems that there really was no way to deal with Matthew.

    Reynaldoy down with me and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry anymore, I¡¯ll take care of these things.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and go to sleep, you can see dark circles under your eyes.¡±

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    I leaned towards him and buried my head in his arms.

    Well, I didn¡¯t ask him, and I didn¡¯t tell him these things either.

    Talking too much also creates anxiety for him.

    The next day, when I woke up, Reynaldo had already left.

    I picked up the phone at the head of the bed and habitually scrolled through today¡¯s news.

    Because of Matthew¡¯s maniption behind the scenes, the assassination of Kimberly by Johnathan has now bemon knowledge, and everyone is closely watching this case.

    As soon as I opened the webpage, almost all I saw was reports on this

    matter.

    Netizens were all calling for the quick trial of this case, and Johnathan, the attempted murderer, must be sentenced heavily.

    Even the Dup family had people who, in order to gain a reputation for ¡°sacrificing family for justice,¡± specifically leftments below the news iming to be members of the Dup family, deliberately

    smearing Johnathan, and then deliberately demanding a harsh sentence for Johnathan in a self¨Crighteous tone.

    The more I read thosements, the angrier I got.

    Gracie saw these news and didn¡¯t know what to make of it.

    I got up, washed up quickly, and went straight to Gracie¡¯s to see

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    ¨C Chapter1257.

    <b>Vonnie</b>.

    When I was there, Gracie was upstairs taking care of Vonnie.

    asionally, her angry and sorrowful curses could be hearding from the room.

    Sheined to Vonnie about the cruelty of the Dup family and cursed the unfairness of fate.

    In the end, she was crying sadly while holding Vonnie¡¯s hand.

    She begged Vonnie over and over again to wake up, saying she couldn¡¯t hold on by herself anymore.

    I don¡¯t know how Gracie got through that day and night, all I know is that her eyes were red and swollen.

    In order to console her, I recounted to her the events of yesterday when I went to the jail with Reynaldo to see Johnathan.

    Gracie¡¯s emotions had finally stabilized a bit.

    Gracie asked me if I had found a way to save Johnathan.

    1

    Regarding Gracie¡¯s question, I didn¡¯t know how to answer, so I could only tell her, ¡°Reynaldo is dealing with this matter, and once there is any news, I will inform her immediately.¡±

    Gracie didn¡¯t ask much, just said ¡°thank you¡± to Reynaldo, but in her weary eyes, there was nothing but worry and anxiety.

    Worried about Gracie¡¯s emotional and physical well¨Cbeing, I stayed here specifically to keep herpany and chat with her all afternoon.

    I didn¡¯t go back until evening.

    Chapter1257

    As soon as I got home and stepped out of the car, Essic ran over and immediately threw herself into my arms.

    ¡°Mummy, mummy, someone gave me and Roddy a present.¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°Gifts for you guys? Who?¡±

    Essie shook her head and eagerly pulled me into the house.

    As soon as I entered the house, I saw the living room filled with gifts of all sizes.

    From small crystal balls and model cars torge Transformers and dolls as tall as a person.

    Roddy stood to the side, frowning, holding a small card in his hand.

    Madisyn came up to me and said, ¡°These were all delivered an hour ago. They said they were for Mr. Roderick and Miss Estelle.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were a friend of Mr. Humphrey¡¯s,¡±

    If Johnathan and Vonnie hadn¡¯t had an ident, it could have been their gift.

    Now both Vonnie and Johnathan have had idents, who else in Freybourne will specifically give gifts to my children.

    Suddenly, I thought of ¡°Matthew¡± whom I had seen yesterday.

    I walked up to Roddy and said, ¡°Is this card inside the gift?¡±

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    Roddy shook his head, ¡°It was those people who gave me the gifts.¡±

    Roddy handed me the card as he said.

    I nced down and saw that it was indeed a gift from Matthew.

    On the white card were written a few lines of text.

    ¡°Upon arriving in Freybourne, I brought some gifts to these two adorable little ones. Ms. Duffy, did you like them?¡±

    Last time at Roxafito, I saw these two little guys and thought they were adorable.

    When did Ms. Duffy bring these two little ones out to meet me?

    Hehe, Ms. Duffy refused to answer my call, so I had to leave a note for Ms. Duffy, looking forward to Ms. Duffy¡¯s call back.

    The unfamiliar numbers from that afternoon turned out to be calls from Matthew.

    After chatting with Reynaldost night, I was worried that Matthew would shift his focus onto me.

    So to avoid falling into his trap, I didn¡¯t answer any unfamiliar calls.

    Just, didn¡¯t Johnathan tell me before that Matthew wouldn¡¯t harm the children because of some childhood experiences?

    Howe he suddenly started to have ideas about Essie and Roauy again?

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    Oper1704

    What does Matthew want to do after all?

    The thought that he wanted Reynaldo¡¯s life filled me with unease.

    The only thing I could do now was to protect myself and not hold Reynaldo back.

    I didn¡¯t return Matthew¡¯s call, who knows what he had in mind.

    When it was almost dinner time, I called Reynaldo and asked him if he wasing back for dinner.

    He seemed quite busy at the time, as if he was in a meeting.

    He said he mighte backter, so he didn¡¯te back for dinner.

    I had intended to talk to Matthew about giving gifts to the children, but seeing how busy he was, I decided not to.

    After hanging up the phone, I called Braylon again.

    Although Braylon¡¯s injury had not healed yet, he continued to work without taking a break because he felt guilty.

    Braylon told me that Reynaldo didn¡¯t see Matthew at all today.

    Matthew even refused to take their calls, only letting one of his subordinates deal with them.

    urately speaking, Matthew deliberately kept a low profile, deliberately making us anxious.

    Braylon also told me that Reynaldo went to the office today, trying to postpone the hearing of Johnathan¡¯s case.

    Once Johnathan was convicted, it became even harder to get him o. of prison.

    19:52

    Chapter1258

    When Braylon talked about these, he was furious.

    ¡°Matthew was really arrogant. First, he made Mr. Humphrey wait downstairs for three hours, and then he had the nerve to say he was tired and wanted to rest, so he asked us to leave.¡±

    Mr. Humphrey even ¡°calmly¡± called him, but he didn¡¯t even answer the call.

    ¡°You said, ¡®Is Mr. Humphrey ever been so wronged?¡±

    I sighed in my heart.

    Now Johnathan¡¯s safety is in Matthew¡¯s hands, can his arrogance be any bigger?

    ¡°Moreover, after Matthew arrived in Freybourne, the factions he cultivated in Freybourne began to stir restlessly.¡±

    Mr. Humphrey wasted three hours there for nothing and had to rush back to deal with matters in thepany.

    Fortunately, Mr. Humphrey was prepared in advance, and thepany did not suffer much loss.

    Mr. Humphrey was in a meeting with senior executives, discussing strategies to deal with those forces.¡±

    I said in a low voice, ¡°He must have been very tired these days. Please help me take care of him and remind him to eat on time.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know, Mrs. Humphrey.¡±

    Thinking about Matthew sending gifts, I said to Braylon, ¡°Send a few more bodyguards to the Duffy¡¯s vi, just in case. I¡¯m afraid Matte

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    Chapter1259

    Upon hearing this, Braylon¡¯s voice also tensed up, ¡°Okay, Mrs. Humphrey, I will go do it now.¡±

    After hanging up Braylon¡¯s call, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little heavy- hearted.

    What does it mean that Matthew deliberately avoided seeing Reynaldo and not answering Reynaldo¡¯s calls?

    Was it intentional to make all of us anxious, or¡­ trying to force me to contact him first?

    I looked at the card just now, lost in thought.

    ¡°Ah¡­ mommy, mommy¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a series of terrified cries rang out from the yard, it was Essie¡¯s voice.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I hurriedly ran outside.

    Just as I reached the doorway, a massive ck creature suddenly leaped past me.

    I fixed my eyes on it, and it turned out to be a Tibetan Mastiff.

    The scalp suddenly tingled.

    Essie, my Essie¡­

    I quickly looked around.

    The yard was in a mess.

    10-53

    Chapter1259

    The Tibetan Mastiff was really scary, and the bodyguards dared not <b>get </b>too close, so they had to use weapons to drive away the Tibetan

    Mastifl

    Following Essie¡¯s terrified cry, I saw two children being blocked by the bodyguards.

    Essie didn¡¯t know if she was hurt or not, she fell to the ground, her face turning pale with fright.

    Roddy stood in front of him, his little face tense as he stared at the snarling Tibetan mastiff.

    I hurried over, one hand protecting Roddy and the other holding Essie, anxiously asking, ¡°What happened? Are you hurt? Quickly tell mommy if you are hurt.¡±

    ¡°Wu¡­ Mommy, wu¡­¡±

    Essie was clearly stunned, crying non¨Cstop while holding onto my neck.

    Roddy was also scared, with a pale little face, and his small hand tightly clutching my clothes.

    But he calmly replied to me, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry, Essie and I are not hurt.¡±

    Upon hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief.

    At this moment, the bodyguard in front of me anxiously shouted, ¡°<i>Mrs. </i>Humphrey, please take Mr. Roderick and Miss Estelle into the house.¡±

    At this moment, the bodyguards had already surrounded the Tibetan Mastiff in a circle.

    Perhaps because the bodyguards were all armed, the Tibetan mastiff

    19:52

    Chapter1259

    did not dare to attack rashly, but just snarled at the crowd.

    I lowered my

    and quickly protected the two children as we walked towards the gate.

    There were also several bodyguards blocking the entrance, and Madisyn anxiously looked over in this direction behind the bodyguards.

    However, just as I was walking with two children to the steps in front of the gate.

    Suddenly, I heard a terrifying bark, my heart skipped a beat, I quickly looked over, only to see the Tibetan Mastiff leaping up and knocking down a bodyguard, then swiftly rushing towards me.

    I was instantly scared nk in my head, with only one thought in my mind.

    Essie and Roddy couldn¡¯t have any trouble.

    Subconsciously, I shielded Essie and Roddy under me, with my back facing the Tibetan mastiff.

    ¡°Mrs. Humphrey!¡±

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    There were suddenly several terrified screams in the courtyard.

    I closed my eyes in fear, thinking that this time I was surely going to die, but to my surprise, a strange whistle suddenly sounded.

    The expected dreadful bite did not happen.

    Next to me, there was the sound of the Tibetan Mastiff panting.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1259 </b>

    I turned <b>my </b>head in terror.

    Just now, the fierce Tibetan mastiff, who was just fierce and <b>evil</b>, is now sitting obediently on the side, with its mouth open and <b>drooling</b>, just wagging its tail.

    The bodyguards quickly helped me, Essie, and Roddy up.

    Roddy was also frightened this time, his little hands tightly clutching onto my clothes.

    Iforted two children and looked towards the gate of the courtyard.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1260 </b>

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1260 </b>

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>1260 </b>

    The whistle came from the gate of the courtyard.

    Before long, several figures resembling bodyguards emerged in the darkness.

    The one who blew the whistle, I recognized at a nce, was the bodyguard who was following Matthew yesterday.

    As soon as those people appeared, the Tibetan Mastiff ran towards them, obediently rubbing against their legs like a Ha Ba dog.

    The whistle stopped, and the bodyguard took the whistle and smiled at me, saying, ¡°Ms. Duffy, this is the second gift from Mr. Gtea to Mr. Roderick and Miss Estelle, surprise?¡±

    I tightly grasped the hand beside me and asked coldly, ¡°What does he want to do?¡±

    The bodyguard smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, you can call and ask him yourself.¡±

    I gritted my teeth in anger.

    Matthew was so mean and despicable that he actually released a Tibetan Mastiff to scare my Essie and Roddy.

    Matthew avoided Reynaldo and instead deliberately targeted me and the children. It was clear that he was trying to provoke Reynaldo using me and the children.

    I stared heavily at the few people at the door.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1260 </b>

    The leading bodyguard smiled at me and said, ¡°Mr. <b>Gtea </b>mentioned. that he deliberately brought his beloved pet to y with Mr. Roderick and Miss Estelle, but Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t seem to like it very <b>much</b>.¡±

    Mr. Gtea also said that if Ms. Duffy did not like this second gift, then he would prepare a third gift for Mr. Roderick and Miss Estelle.

    Ms. Duffy was told to ¡°please look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡± I coldly muttered.

    The bodyguard smiled and then disappeared into the night with his men and the Tibetan mastiff.

    As soon as they left, the bodyguards in the yard quickly closed the courtyard gate.

    My tense nerves finally rxed slightly, and I quickly checked on the condition of the two children.

    Roddy was fine, although he was scared, his face was very pale, but he remained calm.

    But Essie was really scared, she cried in my arms, her voice getting quieter, and her whole spirit starting to wilt.

    I panicked, afraid that her illness had recurred, so I quickly picked her up and rushed into the house.

    Madisyn saw the situation and quickly called the family doctor to

    The bodyguard told me that ¡°Essie and Roddy were originally ying games in the yard.¡±

    Suddenly, a Tibetan Mastiff rushed out from somewhere and headed straight for Essie.

    Chapter1260

    Although the bodyguards in the yard quickly grabbed weapons <b>to </b>stop it, the Tibetan Mastiff did not encounter Essic.

    But because the Tibetan Mastiff was closest to Essie at that time, Essie was so scared that she fell to the ground and cried out in terror.

    Listening to the bodyguards¡® descriptions, I felt a tightness in my heart.

    I sat on the edge of the bed holding Roddy, gently stroking Essie¡¯s forehead with a heartache.

    Before long, Essie¡¯s forehead started to feel hot.

    Realizing that Essie might have developed a high fever due to being scared, I panicked even more and quickly asked Madisyn to call the doctor.

    Essie was almost incoherent now, with her eyes closed, her little head constantly shaking from side to side, and a continuous whimper of fearing from her mouth.

    Her small body kept trembling.

    Roddy tightly held Essie¡¯s hand and anxiously asked me, ¡°Mommy, will Essie be okay?¡±

    I shook my head and said firmly, ¡°No, the doctor will be here soon, Essie will be fine.¡±

    Roddy pursed his lips, didn¡¯t ask anything else, just climbed down from me, then got into bed and held Essie in his arms.

    19:52

 TOO Close 1261

    He whispered to Essie, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Essie. I am here, and so are Daddy and Mommy. We will all protect you, so don¡¯t be afraid, Essie¡­¡±

    Maybe it was because of Roddy¡¯s gentle coaxing, slowly, Essie stopped trembling, but her forehead was getting hotter.

    Fortunately, the doctor soon came over.

    I quickly gave up my seat and let the doctor examine Essie, feeling extremely anxious.

    At that moment, my phone suddenly rang.

    I nced down and saw the unfamiliar number again in the afternoon.

    Matthew!

    I gritted my teeth as I chewed on the name, and then angrily answered the phone.

    Seeing my two children so scared, as soon as the phone was answered, I angrily shouted into the phone, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    On the other end of the phone came Matthew¡¯s heartyughter, ¡°Ms. Duffy finally agreed to take my call?¡±

    I knew that getting angry like this was useless, and might ever amuse the other person.

    took a deep breath and suppressed my anger, saying in a low voice, ¡°I

    19:52

    Chapter1261

    heard that Mr. Gtea, due to some childhood experiences, has <b>a </b>soft spot for children and would never harm them.¡±

    ¡°Those rumors turned out to bepletely false.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, look at what Ms. Duffy said, I was just giving two little guys a gift when we first met, how could Ms. Duffy mock me for attacking them?¡±

    I sneered and said, ¡°There are no outsiders here, Mr. Gtea, you don¡¯t need to pretend to be clueless with me.¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Matthew looked somewhat displeased and said, ¡°I really like your two children, so I carefully selected a few gifts for them. Why is Ms. Duffy still saying that I am pretending to be confused? Ms. Duffy¡¯s words are really quite hurtful¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    I coldly interrupted him and said bluntly, ¡°Letting the Tibetan Mastiffe and harm my child, is this also called a gift?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Mr. Gtea¡¯s gift was truly extraordinary, we ordinary people really couldn¡¯t handle it.¡±

    ¡°Look what Ms. Duffy said, that Tibetan Mastiff is my most beloved pet, I specifically sent it over to apany those two little ones to y with you.¡±

    Speaking of injuries, that really ¡°unfair¡± to me.

    My pet may look a bit fierce, but it didn¡¯t hurt anyone, did it, M Duffy?

    I looked up, took a deep breath again, and said in a deep voice, ¡°So,

    3052

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1261 </b>

    why does Mr. Gtea repeatedlye to harass me and <b>my </b>child<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    To my knowledge, Reynaldo visited Mr. Gtea several times<b>, </b><b>and </b>it seems that Mr. Gtea deliberately avoided him.

    ¡°Hehe, what¡¯s the point of seeing a big man like him, what I really want to see is Ms. Duffy,¡± Matthew said over there, with a malicious smile.

    I frowned and asked with a faint smile, ¡°So, Mr. Gtea, may I ask what brings you here to see me?¡±

    ¡°There is something, of course there is something, but I want to talk to Ms. Duffy in person. I just don¡¯t know if Ms. Duffy will agree to meet me.¡±

    If willing, Ms. Duffy coulde out now, because¡­.. I am near <i>Ms. </i>Duffy¡¯s house.¡±

    I frowned deeply.

    Was Matthew around here?

    He must have taken the telescope and leisurely enjoyed scaring us with his precious pet.

    Sure enough, the next second, Matthew said, ¡°Actually, Ms. Duffy doesn¡¯t need to be so wary of me.¡±

    I had two principles, first, ¡°must cherish and respect women,¡± and second, ¡°will not harm children.¡±

    now

    You see, just my pet was about to pounce on you, and I had to have someone stop it in time.¡±

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1262 </b>

    <b>Chapter </b>1262

 TOO Close 1262

    <b>Chapter </b>1262

    So, at that time, did Matthew really use a telescope to observe everything in my yard?

    Just then, Matthew chuckled and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, rest assured, I am an honest person. When I said I was just going to talk to Ms. Duffy about business, I meant just that ¨C business.¡±

    ¡°So, Ms. Duffy, would you like toe out and meet someone?¡±

    Matthew¡¯s intention was already very clear, he wanted to deceive me into meeting him, then set a trap for me to fall into, and then use me to restrain Reynaldo.

    He never showed up for his appointment.

    I was toozy to engage in useless entanglement with him.

    I cut to the chase and asked him, ¡°So, Mr. Gtea, could you tell me about your terms?¡±

    ¡°What will it take for you to let Johnathan go?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, you are just as boring as Reynaldo, solving riddles is much more fun, instead of asking everything so clearly, it¡¯s not fun at all.¡±

    Mr. Gteaughed and said, ¡°For something as important as this, of course you have to ask clearly.¡±

    ¡°So, <i>Mr. </i>Gtea, tell me, what were your conditions?¡±

    Matthew didn¡¯t answer me immediately, instead he stood thereughing,ughing mysteriously.

    Upon hearing his voice, a wave of disgust swept over <b>my </b><b>heart</b>.

    I was just about to urge him to answer quickly.

    He suddenly chuckled, ¡°Actually, I had already told Reynaldo <b>the </b>conditions I wanted, but he refused to agree. Since he wouldn¡¯t <b>agree</b>, <b>I </b>had to talk to Ms. Duffy myself.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I sneered, ¡°If your condition is to take his life, even if he doesn¡¯t agree, I wouldn¡¯t agree either.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I was overthinking. I don¡¯t want his life. If he dies, how can we continue ying this game?¡±

    I furrowed my brow, increasingly puzzled about Matthew¡¯s purpose ining to Freybourne.

    He did so much just to retaliate against Reynaldo. If he didn¡¯t want Reynaldo¡¯s life, or his financial status in Freybourne, then what did he want?

    Before I could even ask, Matthew suddenly chuckled softly and said, ¡°I told him that what I wanted was you, to exchange you for Johnathan.¡±

    Unfortunately, Reynaldo disagreed.

    ¡°s, they say men are like brothers, women are like clothes. It seems he values clothes more.¡±

    Want to trade me for Johnathan?

    Then I¡¯ll be the one to distract Reynaldo?

    Ha, he sure made his calctions loudly.

    I said bluntly, ¡°Mr. Gtea helping Kimberly so much was just a way to use Johnathan to threaten Reynaldo.¡±

    <b>Chapter1262 </b>

    <b>Now </b>that Reynaldo seems to be interested in me again<b>, </b><b>you </b><b>want </b><b>to </b><b>use </b>me to control Reynaldo, right?

    Mr. Gtea just didn¡¯t think that, no matter who was used to restrain Reynaldo, the effect would be the same, right?

    ¡°So, why did you think Reynaldo would do this deal with you?¡±

    ¡°Just with my¡­ I had plenty of ways to kill Johnathan.¡±

    ¡°Matthew!¡±

    ¡°Oh, is Ms. Duffy angry?¡± Matthew chuckled, ¡°Or is angry Ms. Duffy more fun¡­¡±

    I was about to speak when, the next second, the phone in my hand was suddenly snatched away.

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo.

    He put the phone to his ear and said in a deep voice, ¡°Matthew, let¡¯s meet up.¡±

    Because the phone was not on speaker, I didn¡¯t know what Matthew said.

    Reynaldo gave a cold sneer and said, ¡°I thought Mr. Gtea was

    fearless, but it turns out he¡¯s too scared to even see me. What a fallen man.¡±

    ??

    ¡°If you dare to touch a single hair on my wife and children again, I won¡¯t mind turning Freybourne into your burial ground.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if Matthew got angry.

    <b>19/53</b>)

 TOO Close 1263

    Chapter1263

    Reynaldo slowly drew a bloodthirsty curve at the corner of his lips, looking quite terrifying.

    The call was cut off, and Reynaldo handed me back the phone.

    The cold and sinister air in his eyes had not dissipated, and he also carried a hint of the chill from outside, giving off a whole feeling of eerie coldness.

    ¡°Reynaldo¡­¡±

    I unconsciously called out to him.

    I seemed to have juste to my senses, and the gloom in my eyes dissipated slightly.

    He held my hand tightly and said in a deep voice, ¡°Matthew is cunning and vicious. It¡¯s better not to answer his calls in the future.¡±

    I nodded heavily.

    I hadn¡¯t thought about answering Matthew¡¯s call, it was just that I was really annoyed by that Tibetan Mastiff just now.

    Matthew was despicable enough to use a Tibetan Mastiff to scare Essie and Roddy, which is simply despicable.

    The Tibetan Mastiff was so terrifying that even adults were afraid to look at it, let alone two four¨Cyear¨Cold children.

    Reynaldo was notified by a bodyguard about the incident, and he seemed to rush back.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1263 </b>

    At this moment, the doctor was still examining Essic.

    Roddy sat next to him, staring at the doctor without blinking<b>, </b><b>his </b>little face full of tension and worry.

    Reynaldo held Roddy in his arms and looked down at Essie on the bed.

    At this moment, Essie¡¯s little face turned slightly red, and she kept babbling nonsense with tears in her eyes.

    Reynaldo reached out and touched her head, his face full of tenderness.

    He said to me in a deep voice, ¡°I overestimated Matthew. I thought he really wouldn¡¯ty a hand on children.¡±

    I whispered, ¡°Well, some rumors really can¡¯t be taken seriously. We should be more cautious of him in the future.¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not a rumor, because when he was in Roxafito, that man clearly knew about Essie and Roddy¡¯s existence, and with his power in Roxafito, he could have easily abducted Essie and Roddy.¡±

    ¡°But he didn¡¯t do anything to hurt Essie and Roddy. I thought¡­ I was careless.¡±

    I walked over and held his hand, saying, ¡°It must be because I never answered his calls. In order to force me toe find him, he shifted his target to the two children.¡±

    Reynaldo listened and then grasped my hand tightly, very tightly.

    He said in a low voice, ¡°No matter what, no matter how attractive the conditions he offers, even no matter how he treats me, you must not go to him.¡±

    <b>Chapter </b><b>1263 </b>

    He used ¡°Johnathan¡± as a threat, and I was still able to <b>confront </b><b>him </b>rationally.

    After all, Johnathan was in jail, and I had also sent many people to guard around the jail. Everything inside was arranged properly, <b>and </b><b>he </b>couldn¡¯t do anything to Johnathan.

    <i>At </i>most, it was just using ¡°Johnathan going to jail¡± to force me to beg him.

    ¡°But he¡¯s a pervert. If you fall into his hands, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll go crazy.¡±

    I reached out and hugged him, whispering reassuringly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know, you can trust me, I will definitely not go see him alone.¡±

    His intentions were so obvious, and I am not a fool.

    ¡°I have already arranged for Braylon to send over some more bodyguards, so a situation like the Tibetan Mastiff suddenly barging in just now should not happen again.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just held my hand tightly.

    That force made me deeply feel his tension and fear.

    He was afraid of losing me.

    After a while, the doctor finally finished examining Essie.

    The doctor said, ¡°Essie¡¯s illness did not rpse, it was just caused by excessive fright, leading to a fever.¡±

 TOO Close 1264

    He gave Essie some fever¨Creducing medicine and sedatives.

    After giving Essie fever¨Creducing medicine, it took an hour for her fever to slowly go down.

    But Essie slept restlessly, tossing her head and talking in her sleep.

    Finally, Reynaldo ¡°held her in his arms, and then he slept more peacefully.¡±

    Roddy was also scared and didn¡¯t dare to sleep alone at night.

    That night, the four of us slept together.

    Two children were in the middle, with Reynaldo and I lying on either side.

    Roddy was still a little worried about Essie, imitating me, gently patting Essie¡¯s small shoulders.

    Just as he was pping, he fell asleep.

    I tucked him in and looked up to see Reynaldo leaning against the head of the bed, lost in thought.

    I sat up and asked him, ¡°Are you still not sleeping?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head and, holding my hand across two children.

    He chuckled softly at me and said, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep for now, you go a and sleep, I¡¯ll watch you sleep.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep either.¡±

    id

    <b>Chapter </b>1264

    I looked down at the two children sleeping soundly, with some <b>worries </b>in my heart.

    Matthew¡¯s current goal is clearly me.

    If I kept avoiding Matthew like this, I don¡¯t know if he would try to harm my child again.

    It seemed that he could see my concerns.

    The man suddenly tightened my hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when dealing with Matthew, if being gentle doesn¡¯t work, then we¡¯ll have to be tough.¡±

    He actually dared toy a hand on my child, then I can only confront him head-on!

    At this point, his eyes suddenly narrowed coldly, with a hint of hostility.

    My heart suddenly tightened.

    Did Reynaldo really want to have a physical confrontation with Matthew?

    Although this is Freybourne, it was his territory.

    Matthew came aggressively, even bringing a terrifying Tibetan Mastiff.

    Fighting with force, even if you win, I¡¯m afraid the damage is not small.

    I knew that this time Matthew had crossed the line by targeting the children.

    He didn¡¯t want to endure it anymore.

    Chapter1264

    Indeed, the current situation is that Matthew is ying us through what happened with Johnathan.

    Continuing to give in blindly, we might not be able to save Johnathan, and instead, we would be yed around by that Matthew.

    I could have stood my ground, but I was afraid ¡°Reynaldo¡± would get

    hurt.

    The thought of him almost dying at the hands of Matthewst time abroad made my heart race.

    Matthew was no different from otherpetitors.

    Otherpetitors are just apetition of means in the market.

    Matthew was different.

    He did not want any material gain, and thepetition between him and Reynaldo was not like the fairpetition in the market.

    He used some insidious tricks to frame the people around you, using them as a threat to leave you helpless, even driving you crazy.

    Tricks like Matthew¡¯s were truly outrageous, pushing people to the limit.

    I saw the hostility in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes getting stronger and even a . terrifying murderous aura emanating from him.

    The hostility in the air was so strong that even Essie, who was asleep, could feel it.

    Essie suddenly cried uneasily.

    Reynaldo came to his senses, and the hostility in him instantly disappeared.

    Chapter1264

    He gently patted his daughter¡¯s back and whispered softly. ¡°Essic, Daddy is here, be good, don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡±

    I touched Essie¡¯s forehead.

    At this moment, Essie¡¯s fever hadpletely subsided.

    Under Reynaldo¡¯s gentle murmurs, she slowly drifted back into the realm of dreams.

    Reynaldo looked at Essie with pity and said coldly, ¡°This time I will definitely not let Matthew go.¡±

    Chapter1265

 TOO Close 1265

    ¡°So, are you really going to take someone to fight him?¡± I asked softly, voicing my suspicion.

    Reynaldo pursed his thin lips.

    After a while, he said in a deep voice, ¡°In fact, I have already made a great concession to him. I even promised to give him half of my property in Freybourne as long as he spares Johnathan.¡±

    But he did not agree, he said that what he wanted was not these.

    He said he wanted to retaliate against me, wanted to see me in agony, so he turned his target to you again, this time even daring to go after my child.

    But how could I possibly give you to him, forget about it!

    Since we couldn¡¯te to an agreement, let¡¯s just face it head¨Con. Actually, four years ago in Yoripero, I shouldn¡¯t have let him go!

    But Matthew had a Tibetan Mastiff.

    And the bodyguard next to Matthew didn¡¯t look simple either.

    At first sight of the bodyguard who had just blown the whistle, it was clear that he was a tough guy, with a sinister look in his eyes.

    Actually, today I came up with a way that might save Johnathan, but I¡¯m not sure if it can be done.

    Wasn¡¯t Kimberly the one who didn¡¯t believe that Matthew would kill her?

    Chapter1265

    1288 Vouchers

    So, if I arranged for Kimberly to meet Matthew, would she immediately ask Matthew if he killed her?

    And then they brought up those shady dealings between them?

    Then we secretly recorded their words or filmed the scene at that time and posted it online.

    Won¡¯t this help clear things up for Vonnie and Johnathan?

    This method may not necessarily be sessful, but it¡¯s worth a try.

    In the end, ¡°ying tough¡± is thest resort, and I don¡¯t want Reynaldo to be in any danger.

    Thinking of this, I quickly told Reynaldo about my thoughts.

    Reynaldo shook his head after listening, ¡°Matthew is very clever, how could he be deceived toe out and see Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± I said to him, ¡°He wants to see me, right? I¡¯ll just call him and arrange to meet, he shoulde out, right?¡±

    When the timees, I will take Kimberly over. With Kimberly¡¯s incredulous look that day, she will most likely confront Matthew in person about killing her.

    Upon hearing this, Reynaldo instantly furrowed his brow and said, ¡°No! You can¡¯t go see him!¡±

    I shook his hand and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you just need to bring someone to protect me in the dark at that time.¡±

    Moreover, this is Freybourne. By then, I¡¯ll pick a lively ce to¡­eet him, and he won¡¯t dare do anything to me, right?

    And we can also hide a miniature camera in that ce in advance.

    19:53

    Chapter1265

    By the way, you guys also need to make sure Kimberly¡¯s life is protected at that time.

    After all, this move cannot guarantee one hundred percent that it can help Johnathan clear his name, so Kimberly¡¯s life still needs to be protected.¡±

    Reynaldo lowered his gaze and shook his head without hesitation, ¡°No, I can¡¯t let you be in any danger.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just give this method a try.¡±

    You didn¡¯t want me to be in any danger, and I was afraid of you getting hurt.

    You said you wanted to confront him head¨Con, but I was also afraid, afraid that something might happen to you.

    ¡°If something happened to you, what should I do with the children?¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s lips turned downward and he shook his head, ¡°Everything else is fine, except you can¡¯t meet Matthew in person.¡±

    <b>Chapter1266 </b>

    <b>Chapter </b>1266

 TOO Close 1266

    <b>Chapter </b>1266

    I had actually thought about it too, not showing up in person, just arranging a meeting ce with Matthew, and then tricking Kimberly into going there.

    But as Reynaldo said, Matthew was very clever.

    If I didn¡¯t show up, Matthew didn¡¯t see me, only saw Kimberly, he must have instantly thought this was a trap.

    By the time Kimberly had a chance to say anything, he had already left, or maybe even taken care of Kimberly right then and there.

    Actually, it would be even better if we could film the scene of him resolving Kimberly¡¯s issue.

    He was afraid that he might guess there were cameras around, it would be bad if he pulled out the cameras.

    In that case, if Kimberly were to die, Johnathan would have to pay with his life, which would be a loss.

    So all things considered, I decided to step forward, at least to have some control over the situation.

    And if I hadn¡¯t stepped in, Kimberly might not have gone to see Matthew alone.

    Only when I mentioned the fact that Matthew killed her did she get agitated, and she might follow me to confront Matthew.

    However, I talked to Reynaldo for a long time, and he still didn¡¯t agree with this method.

    19.53

    Chapter1266

    Finally, I got angry, and then he reluctantly agreed.

    I really couldn¡¯t think of any other way.

    Being led by Matthew like this was really unbearable.

    We had to take the initiative and think of other ways to save Johnathan.

    Otherwise, if it dragged on, when Johnathan was imprisoned, things would be even more difficult.

    The next day, I did not actively make ns with Matthew.

    With Matthew¡¯s shrewdness, if I take the initiative to invite him, he will definitely be suspicious.

    I had to wait for him toe and bother me first. I needed to show that I was fed up with him, and then ask him out. That way, he probably wouldn¡¯t suspect anything.

    Sure enough, as I expected, he called me several times in the morning.

    I didn¡¯t answer, as usual.

    Reynaldo stared at me from the side.

    Whenever Matthew¡¯s phone rang, he stared at the string of jumping numbers on my screen, the murderous intent in his eyes almost spilling

    over.

    I could only put my phone on silent mode, throw it away, and then hug him. The hostility on his body dissipated a bit, and the look in his eyes softened.

    For three consecutive days, I didn¡¯t answer the phone calls from Matthew, nor did I reply to the messages he sent.

    288 Voucher

    Finally, he started sending some strange things under the pretext of giving gifts to Essie and Roddy, and even sent me some word cards.

    I was afraid that the man might have hidden something terrible in the ¡°gifts¡± to scare the children, so I had the bodyguard reject all the ¡°gifts¡± he brought.

    I didn¡¯t even look at the card.

    It took a week like this.

    On the eighth day, I finally answered his call.

    As soon as the phone was answered, I couldn¡¯t help but growl lowly at my phone, ¡°Matthew, what do you want to do?¡±

    Matthew sneered over there, ¡°Ms. Duffy is really patient, finally willing to answer my call.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°No matter how patient you are, you are no match for Mr. Gtea. Look, he has been sending gifts to me for a week, and calling me for a week. Mr. Gtea is really persistent.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way around it, Ms. Duffy is such an interesting person. I miss her a lot.¡±

    I just wanted to see Ms. Duffy, just to see Ms. Duffy¡­¡±

    19:53 7

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    ¡°Miss me very much?¡± I chuckled, unable to resist asking, ¡°Does Mr. Gtea still remember a woman named Cecelia¡­¡±

    Before I could finish speaking, instantly, I felt a heaviness in the air on the other end of the phone.

    Even through the phone, I could almost feel the chill in Matthew¡¯s breath.

    He fell silent for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled softly, a chuckle that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine.

    It seems that Ms. Duffy has investigated me a lot.

    I advised Ms. Duffy that it would be best not to mention that name in front of me again.

    The feeling Matthew gave me was arrogant, domineering, and vicious.

    This was the first time I felt a chill from hisughter.

    Just¨Clistening to his voice sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°Cecelia¡± was the name of the woman Reynaldo mentioned that day.

    So it can be seen that this ¡®Cecelia¡® was really special to Matthew.

    I wish that woman were still alive.

    After a brief silence, Matthew suddenlyughed again.

    Theughter was gone, the chill from earlier reced by a thick sense of threat.

    19:54<b>) </b>

    Chapter1267

    He smiled at me and asked, ¡°Ms. Dully, are your two lovely children. okay?¡±

    She didn¡¯t wait for me to answer.

    Heughed again and said, ¡°Actually, my pet really likes children.¡±

    If your two children had spent more time with my pet, maybe they would have liked my pet too.

    ¡°So, do you want me to let my pet y with your child again?¡±

    Look, he was threatening me again with Essie and Roddy.

    When the opportunity presented itself, I spoke up, ¡°Alright, Matthew, I agree toe out and see you, but you can¡¯t have any more ideas about my child.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, look at what Ms. Duffy said. I, Matthew, have said many times that my principle is not to harm children. Why doesn¡¯t Ms. Duffy believe it?¡±

    ¡°Stop talking big.¡± I said indignantly, ¡°You won¡¯t hurt children yourself, but you will use Tibetan mastiffs to scare them.¡±

    My daughter was scared by your so¨Ccalled pet and even got a high fever. It¡¯s a wonder Mr. Gtea can still say with a straight face that principles don¡¯t apply to children.

    ¡°Are you feeling nauseous?¡±

    Matthew chuckled over there, ¡°No way, it¡¯s just that Ms. Duffy is too hard to make ns with.¡±

    Speaking of which, this was also forced by Ms. Duffy.

    I sarcastically pursed my lips, ¡°Matthew sure can talk.¡±

    Chapter1267

    I coldly said, ¡°You cane out to meet me, but I will choose the location, and I will bring bodyguards. Who knows what you might <i>do </i>to me?¡±

    Matthew chuckled, ¡°Okay.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything else, I just hung up the phone.

    After hanging up the phone, I breathed a sigh of relief, but unconsciously thought of Matthew¡¯s reaction when I mentioned ¡°Cecelia¡± just now.

    It¡¯s rare that someone like Matthew, who has no emotions, would actually care about a woman.

    Lost in thought, Reynaldo suddenly walked in.

    Seeing me staring at my phone, he walked over and ruffled my hair, asking with a softugh, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    I shook my head.

    After a while, I looked up at him and asked, ¡°How did Cecelia die?¡±

    Reynaldo hesitated for a moment and asked me, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡±

    ¡°There was no¡­¡±

    how

    Thinking about Matthew¡¯s coldness just now, I whispered, ¡°I just find it strange that since Matthew cares so much about that woman, could he bear to let that woman die?¡±

    I felt that with his power and arrogant personality, he shoul protect the people he cares about.¡±

    e able to

 TOO Close 1268

    Reynaldo shook his head and suddenly stared at me with a strange look.

    I was stunned for a moment and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just¡­ if I tell you that woman was killed by Matthew, you¡¯ll be surprised again.¡±

    ¡°Ah?!¡±

    I was indeed shocked and asked hastily, ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t he very concerned about this woman? Why would he want to kill her again? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Reynaldo shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not very clear on the specifics, I could only find out roughly what happened in Roxafito.¡±

    In short, it seemed that woman was the one he killed, and he went crazy because of it for a while.

    So, I was also not sure what his feelings were for that woman.

    ¡°And even if that woman were still alive, I¡¯m not sure if that woman could have restrained him.¡±

    Well, they are all dead, so there¡¯s no point in asking any further.

    Reynaldo lowered his head and put his arm around my shoulder, smiling as he asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly so interested in this woman?¡±

    ¡°I just answered Matthew¡¯s phone call.¡±

    Chap 1566

    In an instant, Reynaldo¡¯s nerves tightened and his tone became serious<b>. </b>

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but mention the name ¡®Cecelia¡® to him just now, and his reaction was a bit scary.¡±

    So I was a little curious in my heart, the story between him and Cecelia, and also puzzled, how could Cecelia die.

    Reynaldo shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    He paused for a moment, his tone bing a bit more serious, ¡°Have you, already agreed to go see him?¡±

    I looked up at him and saw his face full of displeasure, with worry and nervousness in his eyes.

    I smiled and took his hand, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t we agree on that day?¡±

    I was responsible for guiding Kimberly and Matthew to confront each other, then took the opportunity to record their conversation, while you and the bodyguards were responsible for secretly protecting me.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t we all in agreement that day? Why are you upset again?¡±

    ¡°I was still afraid you would have an ident.¡±

    Reynaldo frowned deeply and looked at me intently, ¡°Can you not go see him? Let¡¯s think of another way. Worst case scenario, I¡¯ll confront him. I really don¡¯t want you to take this risk.¡®

    ¡°But you fought with him, and besides ending up with a re mutual harm, you still couldn¡¯t solve the fundamental problem.¡±

    For example, what happened to Johnathan.

    of

    19:5400

    Chapter1268

    If you were injured again, who woulde to save Johnathan.

    And what about me and the children? If you are hurt, who will protect.

    us?¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his thin lips and remained silent.

    But the tense expression was tinged with a hint of coldness, and the hand by the side was clenched tightly.

    I touched his tightly clenched fist and slowly loosened it.

    I held him and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s just try this method first. It¡¯s the only one. If it works, we can save Johnathan without any loss.¡±

    ¡°What if¡­ it failed?¡± Reynaldo asked, his voice tense.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if it fails. If this method fails, Matthew won¡¯t be pressuring us step by step like he has been recently. He won¡¯t kill you and me in Freybourne unless he really doesn¡¯t want to leave Freybourne.¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, he just raised his hand and put it around my shoulder, hugging me very tightly, very tightly.

    I patted his back and said cheerfully, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be upset. I promise you, I will definitely protect myself.¡±

    Besides, I was just going to see him once, and Kimberly would be there too. He couldn¡¯t do anything to me, right?

 TOO Close 1269

    And I just asked him earlier, saying that I wanted to bring a bodyguard, and he agreed.

    So, you just bring your most powerful bodyguard with you, and there will definitely be no problem at that time.

    Reynaldo still did not speak.

    His thin lips were tightly pursed, with the corners of his mouth slightly downturned, clearly showing his displeasure.

    I couldn¡¯t help but shake his arm and coquettishly say to him, ¡°Come on, honey!!! just give it a try, just try it, Reynaldo!!!¡±

    Reynaldo took a deep breath and then turned his face away.

    I thought he was still angry, so I leaned over to look at him, ready to coax him again, but found that the man¡¯s lips were slightly curled upwards, obviously chuckling.

    I couldn¡¯t help but pound his chest, ¡°Okay Reynaldo, you actually fooled me!¡±

    Reynaldo grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms.

    He looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t ying a trick on you, just¡­ just¡­¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking yet, and then he startedughing again.

    I angrily punched him and said, ¡°Just what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that you really aren¡¯t suited for acting cute. Every time you act

    19.54

    Chapter1269

    cute with me, I just want tough.¡±

    ¡°Reynaldo!¡±

    I red at him angrily.

    This man didn¡¯t give me any face at all.

    I usually don¡¯t act coquettishly with him, I¡¯m not a person who would act coquettishly in the first ce.

    It was hard for me to act coquettishly with him, and he even made fun of me.

    They also said I was not suitable for acting cute.

    Good air.

    I was not suitable for acting coquettishly, then who was suitable? Kimberly?!

    Hmm!!!

    I pushed him in anger and said, ¡°Fine, then I won¡¯t act cute with you ever again, never!¡±

    I pushed him, wanting to leave angrily.

    He held me tightly in his arms,ughing, his voice so gentle it was unbelievable.

    ¡°Although you are not good at acting like a spoiled child, I really like it when you act like a spoiled child towards me. I really, really like it.¡±

    As for your coquetry, I can say, ¡°there is no resistance.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Chapter1269

    <b>22 </b>Vouchers

    I looked at him suspiciously.

    The one who said I am not suitable for acting coquettishly is him, and the one who said he likes me to act coquettishly is also him.

    This person is really contradictory.

    ¡°Is it true, of course?¡±

    Reynaldo tightened his arms around me, holding me tightly in a gentle smile that exuded a sense offort and happiness.

    It¡¯s as if as long as I was by his side, he was satisfied as if he had the whole world.

    I looked at him, smiled and asked, ¡°So, shall we give that method we just talked about a try?¡±

    The smile on Reynaldo¡¯s face visibly disappeared.

    He pursed his lips and fell silent.

    I hurriedly said, ¡°You said that my coquetry has no resistance to you, which means that you will agree to whatever I say.¡±

    But now you have this unhappy expression again, hm, Reynaldo, you really did deceive me.

    The sweet words of men are indeed not to be taken seriously.

    Reynaldo, you are just a liar, saying one thing and doing another, you are heartless, you don¡¯t keep your word, you¡­..

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Reynaldo suddenly reached t and pressed his hand against my lips.

    He looked at me helplessly and said, ¡°Why is your mouth suddenly so

    Chapter1269

    glib? If you keep on being glib, will I be a heartless man?¡±

    I blinked my eyes and looked at him.

    19.54

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    298 Vouchers

    He sighed at me again, and said helplessly, ¡°Well, as you wish, it¡¯s all up to you.¡±

    I think, if you don¡¯t listen to me this time, you¡¯ll have to say that I¡¯m dead.

    I pulled his hand down and looked at him with a smile, ¡°So you¡¯re actually afraid of me bothering you. If I had known earlier, I should have bothered you like this when I asked you for money before. I would have annoyed you to the point where you had no choice but to immediately hand me your bank card, tell me to go away as far as possible, and not even want the money back.¡±

    Reynaldo gave me a disdainful look and said, ¡°Indeed a screenwriter, with such a vivid imagination.¡±

    The man¡¯s lips curled slightly, with a gentle charm shining through his faint smile.

    I really liked this kind of Reynaldo.

    As if possessed, I grabbed his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips.

    He shuddered all over, then cupped the back of my head and deepened the kiss.

    Since that day Essie got scared, Reynaldo, Roddy, and I have been by her side.

    In the evening, the four of us slept together.

    The first two nights, Essie still had nightmares and would wake up

    19:54 0

    Chapter1270

    crying.

    Later, with ourpany, things gradually got better.

    And these days, Reynaldo didn¡¯t go out anymore, he stayed at home with me and the children.

    Even for work, all meetings were conducted via video conference at home.

    If there was something very important, they would have them bring the documents to the house for a meeting and discussion.

    Continuing like this was definitely not a solution, so Matthew¡¯s threat had to be eliminated as soon as possible.

    After agreeing to meet with Matthew, I did not immediately confirm the time and ce to meet with him, but instead went to the hospital.

    I had to make sure Kimberly was willing to go.

    If Kimberly was not willing to go, then this method was almost certain to fail.

    I hadn¡¯t seen Kimberly for over ten days, and herplexion looked much better thanst time.

    I have to say, the vitality of this woman is really strong.

    Quentin still stayed by Kimberly¡¯s bedside like a loyalpdog.

    When I came over just now, I saw a man wearing a duckbill cap sneaking a peek outside the door.

    Look at that figure, it looks like Zackery.

    It seems that Zackery really loved Kimberly. Not only could he tolerate

    1954

    Kimberly being openly with Quentin, but he was also willing to worry about her, want to see her, and even sneak around like this.

    I wonder if Zackery, this person, will be able to make good use of it at that time?

    In the twinkling of an eye, a bold idea shed through my <b>mind</b>.

    If¡­ using Quentin to turn Zackery against Kimberly¡­

    ¡°Ralda, how did youe?¡±

    Lost in thought, Quentin suddenly approached me.

    I nced at him lightly, the wound on his arm had healed, but my Vonnie was still lying in bed unconscious.

    As soon as I saw these two people, my heart was full of sorrow and indignation.

    I said tly, ¡°Do I even need to ask? Of course I came to see if you were dead.¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and fell silent.

    Kimberly leaned against the hospital bed, ring at me with

    resentment in her eyes, ¡°That would disappoint Ms. Duffy, my brother is very skilled in medicine, I am almost healed.¡±

    When she said that, Anton happened toe over and was standing right at the door.

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    Chapter <b>1271 </b>

    Anton looked at me with aplex gaze, he opened his mouth as if he wanted to exin something to me.

    I casually averted my gaze and ignored him.

    After a while, he walked past me and went to examine Kimberly.

    Kimberly looked at me smugly and said, ¡°I¡¯m almost recovered, but your best friend is still lying in bed, turned into a motionless vegetable. Are you angry?¡±

    I secretly clenched my hand tightly by my side.

    I was really angry, very indignant, and wished I could tear this woman in front of me to pieces.

    But I also knew that I couldn¡¯t be impulsive, couldn¡¯t go down the path of Johnathan.

    Otherwise, Reynaldo would really go crazy.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, are you now like Johnathan, wishing to kill me¡­¡±

    ¡°Kimberly!¡±

    ¡°Kimberly!¡±

    Quentin and Anton suddenly whispered in unison at her, as if to signal her to stop talking.

    I sarcastically pursed my lips and said, ¡°Really?¡±

    Quentin nced at me and whispered to Kimberly, ¡°Don¡¯t speak, rest

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    14 zad Vouchers

    well, be careful not to reopen the wound.¡±

    ¡°How could that be possible?¡± Kimberlyughed, ¡°Ralda came all this way to see me, so I have to spend some time with her, right? Sigh¡­

    <b>f </b>

    Suddenly, she gasped in pain and looked at Anton, who was changing her bandages, with a look of grievance.

    ¡°Anton, what are you doing? It hurts, be gentle.¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t say anything, he just silently changed her bandages.

    I don¡¯t know if he did it on purpose to show me or what, but his way of changing the medicine was indeed not very gentle.

    Kimberly seemed to be in some pain, her face was pale.

    Quentin watched anxiously on the side and couldn¡¯t help but whisper to Anton, ¡°Should I¡­ should I do it?¡±

    ¡°Are you a doctor?¡±

    Anton didn¡¯t even look up, his tone indifferent, ¡°If the wound gets infected, are you responsible?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and said displeasedly, ¡°You¡¯re not usually like this when changing medication. Without Ralda here, you just¡­¡±

    ¡°Hiss!¡±

    Quentin hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Kimberly took a sharp breath, her face turningpletely pale as a sheet of paper, with even a thinyer of sweat breaking out on her forehead.

    Quentin stood up instantly in a hurry, ¡°Anton!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I changed to a different medicine, so it¡¯s normal to

    27.22%

    17.31

    Chapter1271

    feel a bit of a stinging sensation.¡± Anton¡¯s tone remained calm.

    This time, Kimberly looked at Anton with tears in her eyes.

    Pea Wouchers

    She said to Anton weakly and aggrievedly, ¡°When my parents were around, they never let me suffer even a little bit.¡±

    At that time, Anton also cherished me very much. If I got hurt, you would feel as painful as I did.

    ¡°Since when did you change? If our parents knew that you intentionally made me suffer like this, I wonder if they would be sad?¡±

    Theodore seemed to always be the ace up this woman¡¯s sleeve.

    Whenever Lauryn Wilson, the mother of Theodore and Kimberly, is mentioned, their attitude towards Kimberly changes.

    Anton, now, and Reynaldo, in the past, were both like this.

    This woman, she only knows how to morally ckmail Reynaldo and the others who have passed away, which is really disgusting.

    However, her trick also worked. The movement of Anton changing the medicine was visibly gentler.

    Look, when ites to his deceased parents, Anton still feels sorry for his sister.

    But Quentin wouldn¡¯t.

    I mentioned the deceased mother in front of Quentin more than once, but Quentin still stubbornly shielded Kimberly.

    The most chilling thing is probably the transformation of this sibling rtionship, from beautiful and warm topletely unrecognizable

    now.

    62019

    17:31

    <b>Chapter </b>1272.

    Chapter1272

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    62019

    17:31

    <b>Chapter </b>1272.

    Chapter1272

    1208 Vouchers

    Quentin seemed to havee up with an idea with me.

    He suddenly looked at me, with emotions tooplex to be expressed in his eyes.

    He seemed to have a lot to say to me, but in the end, all the words and thoughts only converged into a soft call: ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    When he used to call my name, his voice always carried indulgence and affection.

    And now¡­

    Oh!

    I closed my eyes slightly and let out a sarcasticugh.

    Quentin pursed his lips and dared not look at me again.

    Before long, Anton had changed the medicine for Kimberly.

    He tidied up the medical instruments on the tray, and as he was leaving, he suddenly said to me, ¡°Let¡¯s chat, shall we?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think I had anything to. talk about with him.

    Originally, my purpose ining here today was to ¡°encourage Kimberly to go see Matthew.¡±

    I politely declined, ¡°No, thank you. I came over because I have something to discuss with Ms. Palmer, so I would appreciate it if you could step aside.¡±

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    288 Youth12

    As soon as I said this, Quentin became anxious: ¡°Ralda, what are you going to do?¡±

    I sarcasticallyughed at him, ¡°What? Afraid I¡¯ll kill your beloved woman?¡±

    Quentin pursed his lips and remained silent.

    I chuckled, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, her life now is closely tied to Johnathan¡¯s, very precious.¡±

    Quentin still didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at Kimberly inquiringly.

    While Kimberly kept shaking her head at him, seeming a little afraid to be alone with me.

    Yes, back in the day, I stabbed her twice and almost took her life.

    Now she was seriously injured, surrounded by my bodyguards. If I really intended to stab her a few more times, she would have had no chance to resist.

    Kimberly also reached out to hold Quentin¡¯s hand, clearly afraid Quentin would leave.

    I sneered at her, ¡°Ms. Palmer has so many followers, is so capable, resourceful, and talented in acting. When would she still be afraid of someone like me?¡±

    ¡°You can stop pretending. You sent them all away just to take the opportunity to seek revenge on me.¡±

    Kimberly was obviously afraid of death, she said to me urgently, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if I die, Johnathan won¡¯t survive either. You better think it through!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, looking down and smiling lightly, ¡°Since you know this,

    27.91%%%

    17:31

    why would you still think I want to kill you? Do you really think that your worthless life canpare to the precious life of Johnathan?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Kimberly red at me in anger.

    Quentin looked at me helplessly and said, ¡°Ralda, what do you want to say to her? Can¡¯t you say it in front of all of us together?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I stared at him coldly. ¡°I¡¯m just asking you, are you going to avoid it or not?¡±

    Quentin clenched his fists tightly, as if struggling a little.

    Kimberly saw the situation and quickly grabbed his hand, anxiously saying, ¡°Stay with me, Quentin, please don¡¯t go out, otherwise she will really kill me, Quentin¡­¡±

    Quentin tenderly patted her hand and then turned to me, saying, ¡°Ralda, don¡¯t be like this. What do you have to say¡­¡±

    ¡°Go out!¡±

    I suddenly impatiently muttered under my breath.

    Quentin looked at me sadly and said, ¡°Ralda¡­¡±

    I closed my eyes and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, all of you get out!¡±

    Quentin was still hesitating and struggling, after all, Kimberly had been holding his hand tightly.

    At this moment, Anton suddenly said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go, get out. If she really wants Kimberly dead, you won¡¯t be able to stop her even if you want to. Don¡¯t forget, she has bodyguards all around here.¡±

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    <b>Chapter </b>1273

    Quentin pursed his lips and then slowly removed Kimberly¡¯s hand.

    Kimberly became even more panicked: ¡°No, please don¡¯t leave. If you leave, she will definitely torture me.¡±

    ¡°Quentin, stay with me, just stay with me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Ralda won¡¯t hurt you, after all, she still cares about Johnathan¡¯s life. Be good, I¡¯m just outside watching over.¡±

    After Quentin finished speaking, hepletely pushed her hand away and walked out.

    Before long, Anton and Quentin went out one after the other.

    After Quentin left, he still refused to go far and just stayed at the door.

    I used to get annoyed when I saw him.

    She took a few steps forward.

    He saw me approaching and seemed to think that I had something to say to him, a sudden joy appearing on his face.

    I pursed my lips, mmed the door shut, cutting off his annoying expression.

    At that moment, I saw Kimberly leaning against the hospital bed, looking at me cautiously.

    She warned me, ¡°You better not mess around, they are all still outside watching.¡±

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    I sneered and sarcastically said, ¡°I have to say, Ms. Palmer is really lucky.¡±

    With that, he walked slowly towards her.

    Kimberly was really panicked.

    She propped herself up on the bed, her body constantly shrinking back, ¡°What are you going to do? I¡¯m telling you, this is a hospital. If you kill me, you and Johnathan will be in trouble.¡±

    To be honest, Kimberly¡¯s terrified look was really a sight to behold.

    I walked slowly to her bedside, bent down and asked her with a smile, ¡°Do you think the knife I stabbed back then was deep, or is it the one Johnathan stabbed now?¡±

    Kimberly shook her head and moved her body to the side.

    I grabbed her cor and pulled her over, sneering at her, ¡°Come on, who stabbed the knife deep?¡±

    Still, do you remember what it felt like when I stabbed you those two times back then?

    ¡°Should I help you remember again? Hmm?¡±

    Upon hearing this, Kimberly¡¯s face turned pale again.

    She rushed to the door in panic and shouted, ¡°Help, Quentin, save me¡­ She really wants to stab me with a knife, Quentin, save me¡­.. Anton, save me¡­¡±

    She shouted and cried at the same time, her voice full of weakness and pity.

    Ah, this fear is real, this fragility is truly pitiful and cannot be more

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    fake.

    Quentin was really anxious outside the door.

    Desperately pounding on the door panel, ¡°Don¡¯t, Ralda, calm down, listen to me, don¡¯t hurt her, otherwise you will not escape the consequences, Ralda¡­¡±

    ¡°You howl outside the door again, believe it or not, I¡¯ll kill her right now!¡± I shouted impatiently at the door.

    Next, that annoying Quentin seemed to have been taken away by Anton.

    The outside of the door finally quieted down.

    I sneered at the woman in front of me, ¡°Alright, now that they¡¯re all gone, you don¡¯t have to pretend to be weak and pitiful.¡±

    Sure enough, the next second Kimberly looked at me with a resentful look in her eyes.

    She sneered at me, ¡°If you have the ability, just kill me. Anyway, with Johnathan buried with me, I won¡¯t lose out.¡±

    I threw her onto the bed.

    Perhaps because I touched the wound, she suddenly felt a sharp pain and grimaced, her eyes looking more resentful and sinister at me.

    I wiped my hands and said disdainfully, ¡°I don¡¯t want to dirty my hands by killing you.¡±

    I paused and sneered at her, ¡°However, there is someone who always wants to take your life.¡±

    Kimberly bit her lip and secretly tightened the bedding.

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    I bent down, leaned close to her, and chuckled, ¡°After these days, you probably have figured out who really wants to kill you, right?¡±

    Kimberly leaned back slowly against the headboard and sneered at me, ¡°Stop trying to sow discord here, he couldn¡¯t possibly kill me.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    I straightened up and smiled lightly, saying, ¡°Since you are so confident, okay, from now on, I will remove all the bodyguards I arranged around here.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Palmer will have to fend for herself by then.¡±

    After listening, Kimberly¡¯s face clearly panicked: ¡°Don¡¯t scare me here. If I die, Johnathan won¡¯t survive either, so you dare not withdraw all the bodyguards.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Ms. Palmer¡¯s idea is really naive, thinking that if you die, Johnathan has to be buried with you?¡±

    Do you think, in this Freybourne, Reynaldo would not spare Johnathan¡¯s life? It¡¯s just a matter of inconvenience, losing some profits.

    Ms. Palmer was different. Now Matthew wanted to use Johnathan¡¯s life to retaliate against Reynaldo, and in his eyes, Johnathan¡¯s life was tied to your life, Ms. Palmer.

    So, in order to take Johnathan¡¯s life, he was constantly thinking about Ms. Palmer¡¯s life.

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    ¡°Thanks to Ms. Palmer¡¯s intelligence, I can¡¯t figure this out at all.¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    Kimberly clenched the bedding and muttered to me, ¡°All of this is just your spection, or perhaps, those two bodyguards who tried to

    suffocate me that day were sent by you, orchestrated by you, trying to trick me and then drive a wedge between me and Mr. Gtea.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± I chuckled with my head down, ¡°Ms. Palmer really trusts Matthew, huh? Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely convey this trust to him on your behalf.¡±

    In this way, if Ms. Palmer died at his hands one day, there would be no regrets, right?

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Kimberly was so angry that her face turned green.

    I sneered in my heart, really wondering where this woman got the confidence, thinking that Matthew wouldn¡¯t have the heart to kill her.

    What kind of person Matthew was, doesn¡¯t she really know?

    I nced at her and chuckled, ¡°I bet Matthew hasn¡¯t contacted you during this time, has he?¡±

    Before Kimberly could speak, I chuckled again, ¡°That¡¯s right, once the role of the chess piece is yed out, it bes dispensable.¡±

    Kimberly bit her lip, a look of embarrassment shing across her face.

    If I¡¯m not mistaken, after she was murdered that day, she must have also called Matthew to ask him what was going on.

    Matthew probably didn¡¯t answer her call.

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    After all, for Matthew, her role was to ¡°get Johnathan imprisoned.¡±

    The role was over, with Matthew¡¯s cold and ruthless personality, he certainly wouldn¡¯t bother with her anymore.

    So, at this moment, Kimberly must have wanted to meet Matthew and confront him face to face.

    With a nce, I sneered at Kimberly and said, ¡°I had already made ns to meet Matthew at a tea house, we¡¯ll see if Ms. Palmer is willing to join me.¡±

    Kimberly lowered her gaze, a hint of confusion shing across her face.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Ms. Palmer very confident that Matthew won¡¯t kill you? Why are you even afraid to confront him now?¡±

    Kimberly rarely did not argue with me at this moment.

    I lowered my gaze and saw her hand on the quilt tighten, as if she was still hesitating.

    I pulled my lips and chuckled lightly, saying, ¡°It seems that Ms. Palmer really dare not confront, so be it, Ms. Palmer, rest well.¡°

    I bent down, leaned close to her, and chuckled, ¡°After these days, you probably have figured out who really wants to kill you, right?¡±

    Kimberly leaned back slowly against the headboard and sneered at me, ¡°Stop trying to sow discord here, he couldn¡¯t possibly kill me.¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    I straightened up and smiled lightly, saying, ¡°Since you are so confident, okay, from now on, I will remove all the bodyguards I arranged around here.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Palmer will have to fend for herself by then.¡±

    After listening, Kimberly¡¯s face clearly panicked: ¡°Don¡¯t scare me here. If I die, Johnathan won¡¯t survive either, so you dare not withdraw all the bodyguards.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Ms. Palmer¡¯s idea is really naive, thinking that if you die, Johnathan has to be buried with you?¡±

    Do you think, in this Freybourne, Reynaldo would not spare Johnathan¡¯s life? It¡¯s just a matter of inconvenience, losing some profits.

    Ms. Palmer was different. Now Matthew wanted to use Johnathan¡¯s life to retaliate against Reynaldo, and in his eyes, Johnathan¡¯s life was tied to your life, Ms. Palmer.

    So, in order to take Johnathan¡¯s life, he was constantly thinking about Ms. Palmer¡¯s life.

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    ¡°Thanks to Ms. Palmer¡¯s intelligence, I can¡¯t figure this out at all.¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡±

    Kimberly clenched the bedding and muttered to me, ¡°All of this is just your spection, or perhaps, those two bodyguards who tried to

    suffocate me that day were sent by you, orchestrated by you, trying to trick me and then drive a wedge between me and Mr. Gtea.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± I chuckled with my head down, ¡°Ms. Palmer really trusts Matthew, huh? Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely convey this trust to him on your behalf.¡±

    In this way, if Ms. Palmer died at his hands one day, there would be no regrets, right?

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Kimberly was so angry that her face turned green.

    I sneered in my heart, really wondering where this woman got the confidence, thinking that Matthew wouldn¡¯t have the heart to kill her.

    What kind of person Matthew was, doesn¡¯t she really know?

    I nced at her and chuckled, ¡°I bet Matthew hasn¡¯t contacted you during this time, has he?¡±

    Before Kimberly could speak, I chuckled again, ¡°That¡¯s right, once the role of the chess piece is yed out, it bes dispensable.¡±

    Kimberly bit her lip, a look of embarrassment shing across her face.

    If I¡¯m not mistaken, after she was murdered that day, she must have also called Matthew to ask him what was going on.

    Matthew probably didn¡¯t answer her call.

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    After all, for Matthew, her role was to ¡°get Johnathan imprisoned.¡±

    The role was over, with Matthew¡¯s cold and ruthless personality, he certainly wouldn¡¯t bother with her anymore.

    So, at this moment, Kimberly must have wanted to meet Matthew and confront him face to face.

    With a nce, I sneered at Kimberly and said, ¡°I had already made ns to meet Matthew at a tea house, we¡¯ll see if Ms. Palmer is willing to join me.¡±

    Kimberly lowered her gaze, a hint of confusion shing across her face.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Ms. Palmer very confident that Matthew won¡¯t kill you? Why are you even afraid to confront him now?¡±

    Kimberly rarely did not argue with me at this moment.

    I lowered my gaze and saw her hand on the quilt tighten, as if she was still hesitating.

    I pulled my lips and chuckled lightly, saying, ¡°It seems that Ms. Palmer really dare not confront, so be it, Ms. Palmer, rest well.¡±

    Oh, by the way, my bodyguards will continue to stay here to protect Ms. Palmer, after all, Ms. Palmer¡¯s life is still valuable.

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    Chapter1275

    One day, when Reynaldo was sure he could save Johnathan, Ms. Palmer had better be careful.¡±

    With that, I gave her a meaningful look and then turned around to walk outside.

    When we were about to reach the door, Kimberly couldn¡¯t help but shout at me, ¡°Wait!¡±

    I raised my lips, stopped in my tracks, and smiled at her, asking, ¡°Does Ms. Palmer have something to tell me?¡±

    Kimberly stared at me coldly and said, ¡°You agreed on the location and time with Matthew.¡±

    ¡°How? Ms. Palmer finally came to her senses and decided to meet that man with me?¡±

    Kimberly didn¡¯t say anything, but that expression was equivalent to a nod.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer, just wait. I will arrange everything ande to pick you up.¡±

    Kimberly nced at me quietly and didn¡¯t say anything.

    When I came out of the ward, I saw Quentin smoking in the smoking room from a distance.

    Anton leaned against the wall next to him.

    Seeing meing out, Quentin quickly stubbed out his cigarette and

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    hurried towards me.

    ¡°Ralda, did you do anything to Kimberly?¡±

    Seeing the anxious look on his face, I was sarcastic in my heart.

    I said lightly, ¡°I killed her.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Quentin took a breath and didn¡¯t even have time to ask me any more questions. He hurriedly ran to Kimberly¡¯s ward.

    I sarcastically watched his back.

    Sooner orter, I will make that woman pay with her life for my mother and Vonnie.

    Anton walked towards me.

    He looked at me with a moreplicated look in his eyes than before.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    He hesitated for two seconds before speaking to me, ¡°I heard that a few days ago, Matthew¡¯s Tibetan Mastiff scared Essie and made her sick. Is Essie okay?¡±

    She didn¡¯t even wait for me to speak.

    He added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me take care of Essie? I¡¯m a doctor, I

    can¡­¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    I interrupted him lightly, saying without much emotion, ¡°Essie would rather be with her parents and Roddy, and Reynaldo has arranged a family doctor for her, so there¡¯s no need to bother Dr. Palmer. Dr.

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    Palmer should take care of Ms. Palmer.¡±

    After saying that, I turned around to leave, but I didn¡¯t expect Anton to suddenly grab me.

    He frowned slightly, with a few traces ofplexity in his

    mncholic eyes, and said, ¡°Please believe me, I tried my best to treat Kimberly, it was also for Johnathan¡¯s sake, I¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I interrupted him, smiling faintly at him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me who you are treating Kimberly for.¡±

    Moreover, you were a doctor, she was a patient, and she was your own sister.

    ¡°Whether from a doctor¡¯s professional ethics or from a family perspective, you don¡¯t need to exin these to me.¡±

    Anton stared at me intently.

    He suddenly gave me a faint smile and said, ¡°Esmeralda, do you really want to talk to me like this?¡±

    ¡°How did Dr. Palmer want me to speak?¡±

    I looked at him indifferently, as if he were a stranger.

    Anton pursed his lips and suddenly fell silent.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Actually, deep down you still care about your little sister.¡±

    So, why do you always have to show the appearance of standing on my side in front of me?

    You should be like Quentin, wanting to protect her, wanting to cherish her, then just cherish and protect her openly.

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    Why do you always have to show such a sad and aggrieved look in front of me?

    First it was Quentin, now it¡¯s you. To be honest, I¡¯m really tired of your hypocritical appearance.

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

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    Quentin¡¯s sad voice suddenly sounded behind me.

    I turned around instinctively and saw his hesitant look as if he wanted to say something.

    A sense of indescribable irritability surged in my heart.

    If possible, I really never wanted to see these two people forever.

    I would rather they ¡°openly¡± go and support Kimberly, ¡°openly¡± break up with me, I can¡¯t stand their hypocritical and disgusting appearance.

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Just then, a familiar and gentle voice came, instantly dispelling the annoyance and disgust in my heart.

    I looked up and saw Reynaldo striding towards me.

    A touch of joy surged in my heart.

    I unconsciously went up to him and hugged him, ¡°How did youe?¡±

    ¡°You said it!¡±

    Reynaldo was clearly a bit angry, his brow furrowed tightly.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even tell me when he went to the hospital. I was so worried.¡±

    He said, holding my shoulders tightly with both hands, as if afraid that I would disappear in the blink of an eye.

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    My heart was filled with sweetness, and I smiled at him, saying, ¡°I saw you having a meeting with the people from thepany in the study, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡±

    But don¡¯t worry, didn¡¯t you give me your most powerful bodyguards?

    I came over today with them, and there are bodyguards around the hospital, so everything is fine.

    Reynaldo pursed his lips and didn¡¯t speak, just stroking my hair, his ck eyes carefully watching me, as if checking to see if I was hurt anywhere.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t notice his presence until Anton walked over, then he slowly raised his eyes to look at him.

    ¡°Dr. Palmer, what were you just talking to my wife about?¡±

    ¡°Madam¡­¡±

    Anton murmured these two words, and after a while, he gave a bitter smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ I just suddenly realized that no matter what I say or do, it¡¯s all useless now.¡±

    I have only that memory.

    And what some of you have is the years we have experienced together through thick and thin.

    ¡°It¡¯s just not the same, not the same¡­¡±

    Anton murmured, slowly turned around, and walked aimlessly towards the elevator.

    Reynaldo frowned and stared at his back, with a hint ofplexity in his dark eyes: ¡°He seems to have not given up yet.¡±

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    I knew what Reynaldo was referring to.

    It was Anton¡¯s persistence and dedication to me.

    I said to him seriously. ¡°It¡¯s his business if he didn¡¯t give up. Anyway. I like you, and only you.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled and ruffled my hair, but the smile didn¡¯t reach his

    eyes.

    In the depths of his eyes, there seemed to always be a hint of worry.

    In the end, I didn¡¯t recall that childhood memory, and he could never

    be at ease.

    Quentin looked at me and Reynaldo for a while, then leaned in and whispered to me, ¡°Ralda, actually, I have something I want to ask you.¡±

    I stared at him nkly without saying a word.

    He pursed his lips and said with difficulty, ¡°It¡¯s Vonnie, how is she

    now?¡±

    As soon as he asked about Vonnie, Iughed,ughed with extreme

    sarcasm.

    ¡°How strange, why didn¡¯t you ask me in the ward just now? Are you afraid to ask in front of Kimberly?¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything.

    I said bitterly with augh, ¡°Really, put away your fake concern, Vonnie doesn¡¯t need it!¡±

    I¡¯m also really lucky that Vonnie didn¡¯t end up liking you. You don¡¯t deserve Vonnie at all.

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    ¡°You and Kimberly are a perfect match.¡±

    ¡°Ralda!¡±

    Quentin stared at me with crimson eyes, his voice full of sadness and hurt. ¡°Are you really going to humiliate me like this?¡±

 TOO Close 1277

    ¡°Embarrassment?¡±

    I chuckled, ¡°To humiliate you, I find it a waste of words. If possible, I really hope to never see you again in my life.¡®

    With that, I turned and left with Reynaldo.

    11

    Behind him came Quentin¡¯s stifled sobs, which were annoying to listen <ol><li>to. </li></ol>

    Leaving the hospital, the air instantly felt much better.

    Reynaldo personally came to pick me up, and I got into his car directly.

    And the bodyguards I brought just now, I had them follow right behind <ol><li>us. </li></ol>

    After getting in the car, Reynaldo didn¡¯t immediately start the car, he just smiled at me and asked, ¡°Where do you want to go, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±

    I was taken aback, ¡°Take me to y?¡±

    Reynaldo nodded and said, ¡°These days, you haven¡¯t been going out much because you¡¯re afraid of Matthew, right? Must be driving you crazy.¡±

    Just at this moment, I have finished what I had to do, so, ¡°shall I take you out for a walk?¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk by the river. When we go backter, we can pack some of their favorite snacks for the two kids.¡±

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    Chapus 1277

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Reynaldo smiled at me and then started the car.

    The car quickly drove out of the hospital, merged into the mainne, and drove smoothly.

    I nced at his profile and hesitated, saying, ¡°Um¡­ I have already arranged with Kimberly on this side. She is willing to go see Matthew with me.¡±

    ¡°So, regarding meeting with Matthew, I think we can schedule it for tomorrow.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s hand tightened on the steering wheel for a moment, and his profile also tensed slightly.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, and kept staring ahead.

    But obviously, he was not happy.

    I lowered my head and whispered, ¡°I just want to get this thing resolved quickly.¡±

    If everything went smoothly, then we could ¡°save Johnathan out.¡±

    After all, Johnathan¡¯s situation couldn¡¯t be dragged on any longer, and Matthew was also keeping a close eye on me and the children.

    So, I wanted to resolve this matter as soon as possible, so that you wouldn¡¯t be constrained by Johnathan everywhere.¡±

    Reynaldo pursed his thin lips and after a long pause, he finally spoke in a low voice, saying/one word, ¡°Okay.¡±

    The weather was good today, and there were still many people taking a walk by the river.

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    <b>17:32 </b>07

    New Year ising soon, and the festive rednterns have already been hung on the streetmps by the river

    After rescuing Johnathan, everyone could have a good New Year together.

    If Vonnie could wake up by then, that would be great.

    Thinking positively about everything, people¡¯s moods improved a lot.

    I held Reynaldo¡¯s hand and smiled at him, asking, ¡°What New Year gift do you want? I will give it to you then.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me, with a faint smile on his lips, smiling in a way that seemed not quite genuine, with a hint of sadness hidden in his

    eyes.

    I stopped and put my arm around him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Still worried about tomorrow?¡±

    Reynaldo brushed away the stray hairs on my forehead, he looked at me deeply and whispered, ¡°The new year gift I want is for you and the children to stay by my side, our family of four will never be separated.¡±

    I nodded and smiled, ¡°This gift is simple, I will give it to youter.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly ¡°embraced¡± me.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just ¡°held me tightly¡± like that.

    I clearly felt his concern and fear.

    I patted his back gently and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, the worst that can happen tomorrow is just a fight with Matthew.¡±

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    Chapter <b>1278 </b>

    Moreover, this ne may not necessarily engage inbat, after all, a head¨Con confrontation with you is not the oue he desires.¡±

    Reynaldo sighed softly.

    He whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but these days I have been feeling restless. I have a sense that something is going to happen.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± I pushed away from his embrace, frowned and red at him, ¡°No jinxing!¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I won¡¯t say anything.¡±

    He paused, and his handsome brows furrowed again.

    ¡°You told Kimberly that you were going to take her to see Matthew, aren¡¯t you afraid that she will tell Matthew about this in advance, and then conspire with Matthew to harm you?¡±

    I shook my head and analyzed seriously, ¡°Kimberly couldn¡¯t reach Matthew now, she also desperately wants to see Matthew, to find out if it¡¯s really Matthew who wants to kill her.¡±

    In fact, deep down she also suspected that it was Matthew who wanted to kill her.

    So, in order to save her life, she is unlikely to work with Matthew again.

    And even if she had told Matthew about this in advance, she wasn¡¯t afraid.

    ? <b>?? </b>

    17:32

    Chapter1278

    <b>238 </b>Wochen

    I was going to take her to see Matthew anyway, so it didn¡¯t matter that Matthew knew in advance.

    Reynaldo sighed again, squeezed my hand, and said, ¡°No matter what, be careful tomorrow and prioritize your own safety in everything.¡±

    I nodded heavily, ¡°You too.¡±

    I walked along the river with Reynaldo for over an hour.

    When I went back, I picked out a few small toys for Roddy and Essie, while Reynaldo went to pack their favorite snacks for them.

    Both children still didn¡¯t understand why they had to stay at home all the time and couldn¡¯t go out to y.

    Essie told me several times that she wanted to go to the amusement park, but I could only make excuses saying it was too cold outside, and promised to take her when the weather warmed up.

    Fortunately, both children were very obedient. I exined to them, and they basically listened.

    Just seeing how eager they were to go out, but had to stay hidden at home, I felt uneasy in my heart, and more urgently wanted to solve that ¡°Matthew¡°.

    If everything goes smoothly tomorrow, the shady dealings between Matthew and Kimberly will be recorded, and then publicized through the media.

    Not only could Johnathan be saved, Kimberly also fell from grace, and even Matthew would be driven out of Freybourne.

    It was really nice to think about.

    I guess it¡¯s because I thought about these things too much that I had a

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    simr dream at night.

    Everything in the dream unfolded in the direction I wanted.

    Johnathan was saved, Vonnie woke up, Kimberly fell from grace, everyone turned against her, and Matthew, under the pressure of the media, fled Freybourne in a sorry state.

    At the end of the dream was a festive red, everyone sitting around a warm firece, happily celebrating the New Year.

    This dream was so beautiful that when I woke up, I was smiling.

    The moment I opened my eyes, I met Reynaldo¡¯s deep gaze.

    He looked at me strangely and said, ¡°What kind of sweet dream did you have to make you smile like that?¡±

    I encircled his neck and told him all the beautiful things in my dream.

    He nodded with a smile, ¡°Well, it is indeed very beautiful. You are quite good at dreaming. Such beautiful dreams can be dreamt by you.¡±

    Um¡­

    I felt like there was something strange about Reynaldo¡¯s words.

    Was he implying something to me?

    72.90%

 TOO Close 1279

    Reynaldo and I cuddled in bed for a long time. When I got up, it was already past eleven in the morning.

    After having a simple meal at home, I went to the hospital to pick up Kimberly

    I had arranged to meet Matthew at two o¡¯clock in the afternoon at a tea house in the north of the city.

    Originally, I was nning to hide the miniature camera in the private room I had reserved.

    Butter on, thinking about it, with Matthew¡¯s cunning, he would probably search the private room and eliminate anything unfavorable.

    Soter I only prepared a mini recorder hidden in my ear, basically can¡¯t be seen.

    When I arrived at the hospital, there was only Kimberly in the ward.

    She must have sent Quentin away ahead of time.

    After all, Quentin did not know about Matthew¡¯s existence, let alone the dealings between her and Matthew.

    If Quentin had known that I was going to take Kimberly to see Matthew, with Quentin¡¯s simping nature, he would definitely have insisted oning along.

    Kimberly had changed all her clothes.

    Seeing me approaching, she warned me coldly, ¡°You better not y

    0.00<b>% </b>

    17:32

    1288 Vouchers

    any tricks.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°These are all my bodyguards here. You could say that your life is in my hands now.¡±

    If I were to remove all these bodyguards, do you think you would still be alive to see the sun tomorrow?

    ¡°So, do you think I needed to y tricks with you?¡±

    After listening, Kimberly¡¯s face showed a hint of fear and hesitation again.

    ¡°Since you said that Matthew wants to kill me, wouldn¡¯t I be going to my death if I go see him now?¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you so sure that Matthew wouldn¡¯t kill you? Why are you suddenly scared now?¡±

    Kimberly stared at me coldly and said, ¡°I firmly believe he wouldn¡¯t kill me, but who knows what tricks you yed or how you tried to drive us apart.¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Since you have so many concerns, then fine, don¡¯t go see him.¡±

    With that, I turned around and left.

    Kimberly hurriedly called out to me.

    She had changed all her clothes, surely she was even more eager than me to go see Matthew.

    Just then, as I pretended to leave, she hurriedly grabbed me.

    She warned me again, anxiously, ¡°You had better ensure my safety, otherwise, Johnathan won¡¯t survive either.¡±

    31.92%

    17:32

    I coldly smirked and pursed my lips, ignoring her.

    288 <b>Vouchers </b>

    I brought four bodyguards, all of whom were Reynaldo¡¯s best men..

    After about half an hour, the car arrived at the teahouse in the north of the city.

    The teahouse was usually very busy, with the parking lot downstairs full of cars.

    However, today there were not many cars in the parking lot.

    Thinking back, Matthew arrived early and ¡°reserved this teahouse.¡±

    Sure enough, as soon as I walked into the teahouse, the manager of the hall told me, ¡°Matthew has already arrived, he¡¯s in the private room I reserved.¡±

    The manager also told me that this teahouse had been booked by Matthew, and the venue had just been cleaned up.

    I looked around and indeed, there wasn¡¯t a single guest on the first

    floor.

    I had guessed it would be this situation early, fortunately Reynaldo had already arranged for people to ambush in this teahouse.

    Thinking that Reynaldo was in this tea house, I was not worried at all.

    Kimberly seemed to be in a panic.

    As I led her upstairs, she grabbed me anxiously and said, ¡°What if Matthew wants to kill meter?¡±

    I sneered at her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, for Johnathan¡¯s sake, I will also have bodyguards protect your miserable life.¡±

 TOO Close 1280

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Kimberly growled at me coldly.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°You¡¯d better save some energy to argue with Matthew.¡±

    She stared at me gloomily, not saying anything more.

    I couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with her, as long as she coulde with me to see Matthew.

    I turned around and continued walking upstairs.

    Looking back to see if she was keeping up, I found her constantly looking outside the door, as if waiting for someone to arrive.

    I frowned and smiled at her, asking, ¡°Who is Ms. Palmer waiting for?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes seemed to flicker for a moment.

    She looked up and smiled at me, saying, ¡°I was just wondering why Reynaldo didn¡¯te out with you to see Matthew.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you always say that Reynaldo loves you? How could he bear to let youe out to see Matthew alone?¡±

    I sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t it with you? In Reynaldo¡¯s heart, you are so cunning and powerful. With you by my side, he naturally feels at ease.¡±

    I said this in a very sarcastic tone.

    Kimberly also noticed, looking at me with a cold gaze.

    0.00%

    17:32

    Chapter <b>1280 </b>

    BasVouchers

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Hurry up and go upstairs, Mr. Gtea¡¯s temper is not very good. If you keep him waiting for too long, he will get angry.¡±

    With that, I gestured with my eyes for the bodyguard to keep an eye on Kimberly, and then headed upstairs.

    Upstairs was also quiet, not even a waiter in sight.

    Reynaldo and his bodyguards were ambushed somewhere, but it is not known where.

    Turning a corner, I saw two bodyguards standing at the door of the private room I had reserved.

    When I took Kimberly over there, the two bodyguards stopped us.

    I sneered in the private room, ¡°Did Mr. Gtea make a mistake? This private room was booked by me. In theory, I am the host and Mr. Gtea is the guest. How dare Mr. Gtea let the bodyguard stop me outside?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Matthew appeared.

    He walked over slowly with a cigarette in his mouth, wearing a smug and unrestrained smile on his face.

    Just, when he saw Kimberly behind me, his face immediately darkened.

    ¡°Did Ms. Duffy also make a mistake? I wanted to see Ms. Duffy, not you. What¡¯s the meaning of bringing that thing behind you over here?¡±

    What is that thing?

    Is this a reference to Kimberly?

    Wasn¡¯t this a huge humiliation for Kimberly, who is extremely proud

    <b>20 </b>17<b>. </b>

    17:32

    2

    and quite narcissistic?

    230 NEPA/3

    I couldn¡¯t help but look back at Kimberly, and sure enough, I saw that the woman¡¯s face was extremely ugly.

    This way, the more Matthew treated Kimberly like this, the more Kimberly was likely to confront Matthew face to face about those shady dealings between them.

    I smiled at Matthew and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea¡¯s words were a bit hurtful, after all, we all know each other, so what¡¯s wrong with meeting up together?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Matthew blew a smoke ring, not hiding his disdain for Kimberly, and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that you brought that thing to stab my eyes, that¡¯s not Ms. Duffy of you.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gtea¡­¡­¡±

    Before I could even speak, Kimberly suddenly shouted at Matthew.

    This sound, gloomy and eerie, was like a female ghost gritting her teeth.

    There was a hint of resentment and forbearance in the way he spoke.

    I reckon Kimberly was so angry she was about to spit blood.

    Matthew nced at her and a yful smile tugged at the corner of his lips, ¡°What is it, Ms. Palmer? Do you have something to say to me?¡±

    Upon hearing Matthew¡¯s question, Kimberly immediately changed her expression.

    66.98%

    17:32

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    <b>Chapter1281 </b>

    She bit her lip, looking on the verge of tears, about to speak, but Matthew turned and walked into the private room, not giving her a chance to perform.

    Seeing this. I chuckled inwardly.

    So, why was Kimberly so convinced that Matthew couldn¡¯t bear to kill her?

    I turned back to look at Kimberly and deliberately smiled, saying. ¡°I really thought, with your firm tone earlier, that Mr. Gtea had a special rtionship with Ms. Palmer.¡±

    It seems that Mr. Gtea didn¡¯t really like Ms. Palmer at all.¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡± Kimberly gritted her teeth, her eyes red with resentment, ring at me.

    I smiled at her and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer is injured, so don¡¯t get angry. After all, getting angry will only harm your body. There is no one here tofort Ms. Palmer.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Kimberly gave me a cold re and then walked towards the private room, but was once again stopped by the two bodyguards at the door

    I furrowed my brows and looked at Matthew sitting inside smoking.

    ¡°What does this mean, Mr. Gtea? I remember, it was you who insisted on meeting with me.¡±

    0.00%

    Does it mean you don¡¯t want to see me just because I brought Ms. Palmer with me?

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know you disliked Ms. Palmer so much.¡±

    After I finished speaking, Kimberly¡¯s face turned red with anger and she red at me fiercely.

    I chuckled and said, ¡°Ms. Palmer, don¡¯t stare at me like that. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you, it¡¯s just that Mr. Gtea doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡±

    You see, now I can¡¯t even go in because of all this.¡±

    After saying that, I looked at Kimberly mockingly, hoping that Kimberly would start arguing with Matthew soon.

    Kimberly gritted her teeth, called me a ¡°bitch¡°, and then red fiercely in Matthew¡¯s direction.

    She was about to question Matthew when he suddenly smiled faintly and said, ¡°I think you misunderstood. I never said that I didn¡¯t let you in because I dislike Ms. Palmer.¡±

    After listening, Kimberly even raised her eyebrows at me smugly.

    I was full of sneers.

    This woman is crazy. Matthew said he hates her, but she still acts so pleased with herself.

    Just then, the next second Matthew said, ¡°But before youe in, you have to be searched.¡±

    ¡°Frisking?¡±

    I furrowed my brow and stared at Matthew.

    21:54

    Matthew smiled and took a puff of his cigarette, <b>saying </b>nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m new here, so I definitely need to get rid of <b>anything </b><b>that </b><i>might </i>he harmful to me, don¡¯t you think, Ms. Duffy¡®?¡±

    I was secretly shocked in my heart.

    He even searched my body, so he must have searched every corner of this room as well.

    Fortunately, there was no recorder ced in the private room, otherwise he would definitely have found it.

    After Matthew finished speaking, the two bodyguards came forward to search Kimberly and me.

    The bodyguard behind me saw the situation and quickly walked up, standing in front of me for protection.

    I looked angrily at Matthew and said, ¡°You were the one who forced me toe out and meet, and now you¡¯re the one causing all this drama, Matthew, you shouldn¡¯t push people too far!¡±

    Matthew leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, andughed wildly and unrestrained.

    ¡°Look at what Ms. Duffy said, it¡¯s just a frisk, not taking advantage of you. Why is Ms. Duffy so upset?¡±

    ¡°You see, Ms. Palmer was quite cooperative.¡±

    Indeed, Kimberly was very cooperative, even opening her arms to let the two bodyguards search her.

    As if being praised, Kimberly smiled proudly at me.

    Sometimes I really feel like this woman is sick!

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    <b>Chapter1282 </b>

    I red at Matthew and said, ¡°I was extremely reluctant toe <b>out </b>and meet Mr. Gtea, but since he insisted on searching me, I had <b>no </b>choice.¡±

    I¡¯ll take my leave now, whether we meet again or not.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy!¡±

    With a lightugh from Matthew, five or six bodyguards instantly rushed out from the private room, blocking the way for me and the bodyguard behind me.

    The bodyguard behind me instantly brandished his weapon.

    The two sides were about to start fighting.

    I quickly waved to the bodyguard behind me.

    My purpose ining to see Matthew was not to fight with Matthew.

    Matthew wanted to search me, so I naturally had to show resistance. Otherwise, if I cooperated too much, that man would definitely start to suspect.

    I was extremely reluctant to see him in the first ce, so I naturally had to show this ¡°extremely reluctant¡± attitude.

    I turned around and looked at Matthew.

    Matthew got up and walked over, smiling arrogantly at me, ¡°Since <i>Ms. </i>Duffy is here, how could I let Ms. Duffy leave so easily, after all, <i>Ms. </i>Duffy is so hard to schedule.¡±

    <b>21:54 </b>

    Chapter1282

    I sneered at him. ¡°So, Mr. Gtea had to search me?¡±

    Matthew, with a cigarette in his hand, shrugged and said, ¡°Sorry, Ms. Duffy, I have always been cautious in my actions, so I have to inconvenience you.¡±

    He said, gesturing once again for his bodyguard to search me.

    At this moment, Kimberly¡¯s body had been almostpletely searched.

    Suddenly, I saw one of the bodyguards go check Kimberly¡¯s ears.

    I was shocked in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t expect Matthew to be so cautious, he didn¡¯t even let go of ces like ears.

    Was he afraid that he had guessed I wasing to record, guessed that I would hide a miniature recorder on my body?

    What should we do now?

    If even my ears were to be checked, then the recorder hidden inside would definitely be found by them.

    Feeling anxious, Kimberly¡¯s sneer suddenly came: ¡°Just a frisk, seeing Ms. Duffy so nervous, do you really think yo¨² are some kind of celestial being, that everyone wants to take advantage of you?¡±

    I ignored her and just watched as the bodyguard threw the phone he had found on her to the side.

    It can be safely assumed now that Matthew had suspected I would be recording.

    Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t he even be allowed to bring his phone in?

    21:54 D

    Chap 1282

    <b>What </b><b>should </b><b>we </b><b>do </b><b>now</b><b>? </b>

    <b>I </b><b>calcted </b>and calcted, but I didn¡¯t expect Matthew <b>to </b><b>actually </b>frisk me, not even letting go of my ears.

    Seeing his bodyguard approaching again to search me, I quickly said, ¡°Wait!¡±

    Matthew looked at me yfully and said, ¡°What? Is Ms. Duffy really so afraid of me searching her that she has something shady hidden on her?¡±

    I secretly steadied my mind and nced at his bodyguards.

    His bodyguards were obviously well¨Ctrained, they must have searched thoroughly.

    If I had asked him to randomly find a waiter to search, maybe might have been able to escape by luck.

    Thinking this way, I coldly said to Matthew, ¡°After all, I am

    Reynaldo¡¯s wife. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a great shame for me to let a man search my body so casually?¡±

    Searching is fine, but please have Mr. Gtea find a woman to search me, it¡¯s also a bit of respect for me.¡±

    I finished speaking, and Kimberly ¡°snorted¡± beside me.

    I gave her a cold look and red at Matthew.

    Matthew smiled and said, ¡°Okay, Ms. Duffy is willing to meet me, so I definitely agreed to this small request.¡±

 TOO Close 1283

    After saying that, he sent a bodyguard down to bring the waitress op

    Kimberly sneered at me on the side, ¡°Some people are just so pretentious, just a body search, and they make it soplicated

    ¡°I really thought I was too precious, couldn¡¯t even touch me through my clothes,¡±

    I sneered at her and said, ¡°It seems that Ms. Palmer really enjoys being touched by men, huh? Well, why don¡¯t you just tell Mr. Gtea¡¯s bodyguards directly, tell them that you think they didn¡¯t search thoroughly enough, and ask them to search you again.¡±

    When I said that, Matthew¡¯s bodyguards looked a little embarrassed and hung their heads.

    Matthew chuckled wryly

    I turned my eyes and pretended to be surprised as I said to Kimberly, ¡°Oh, Ms. Palmer, is it possible that you want Mr. Gtea to personally search you?¡±

    Hey, why didn¡¯t you tell Mr. Gtea in advance?

    Hurry up, go talk to Mr. Gtea quickly, with Mr. Gtea¡¯s extraordinary attitude towards you, he will definitely personally search you from head to toe.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Matthew frowned disapprovingly

    He said to me, ¡°Ms. Duffy is really interesting. It¡¯s one thing to bring this thing to poke my eyes, but to say such things to disgust me.

    To search. I personally searched for Ms. Duffy, and I was <b>afraid </b><b>of </b>dirtying my hands when searching for her.

    Phew!

    Matthew, although annoying, sounded really refreshing with the things he said.

    I just deliberately suggested that Matthew personally search Kimberly, just to provoke Matthew¡¯s disgust for Kimberly.

    I didn¡¯t expect the man¡¯s words to be even harsher than I had imagined.

    Kimberly was furious now.

    I subconsciously nced at Kimberly and indeed saw the woman¡¯s face turn red with anger.

    She stared at Matthew intently and almost gritted her teeth as she said, ¡°Mr. Gtea didn¡¯t say that when he persuaded me to cooperate with him in the first ce.¡±

    In an instant, Matthew seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world.

    He sneered, ¡°Ms. Palmer must be delusional. How could I, Matthew, ever cooperate with someone like you, let alone tter you? Do you really think I¡¯m one of your little followers?¡±

    I gasped in surprise.

    Matthew didn¡¯t expect that he knew the few ¡°licking dogs¡± around Kimberly.

    Also, since he chose to work with Kimberly, he must have thoroughly investigated everything around Kimberly.

    <b>18:29 </b>

    Matthew was also quite cunning.

    One¡¯s own purpose has been achieved, now it¡¯s time to burn one¡¯s bridges and deny one¡¯s face.

    Kimberly was probably furious.

    She was seen leaning against the door frame, clutching her chest, looking like she couldn¡¯t catch her breath.

    Matthew nced at her and bluntly said, ¡°You better die far away from me, don¡¯t die here and cause trouble for me.¡±

    Upon hearing this sentence, I almost burst outughing.

    No way!

    I couldn¡¯tugh, absolutely couldn¡¯tugh, otherwise it would be very easy to attract Kimberly¡¯s resentment.

    The best thing now is to make her fall out with Matthew, so Kimberly is likely to ignore Matthew and I can take the opportunity to record it.

    In his heart, he was secretly calcting, and then Matthew¡¯s bodyguard brought a waitress over.

    I really couldn¡¯tugh anymore.

    What if the recorder hidden in my ear is found out?

    Matthew took a puff of his cigarette, and as the smoke slowly escaped, his sharp eyes scanned the waitress from head to toe.

    If Reynaldo¡¯s gaze was very intimidating, then Matthew¡¯s gaze was definitely aggressive, making people unconsciously afraid.

    Look, the waitress was trembling slightly as he looked at her.

    18.291

    Chapter1284

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    Chapter1284

    The waitress asked him cautiously, ¡°Please¡­ may I ask why you called me up here? Do you have any orders?¡±

    Matthew smirked wickedly and said, ¡°What are you afraid of? Juste up and let the woman next to you pat you down, don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t miss out on the tip.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ okay.¡±

    The waitress never dared to look up at him.

    Matthew spoke to her in a rtively gentle tone.

    It was this gentleness that seemed to provoke Kimberly.

    She red fiercely at Matthew.

    She probably thought to herself in a very unbnced way, ¡°Why is it that Matthew can speak gently to a waiter, but only use harsh words to insult her?¡±

    I have known Kimberly for so many years, and I gradually realized that Kimberly doesn¡¯t really love Reynaldo.

    What she wanted was for all the men in the world to love her, for all the men in the world to revolve around her.

    She was like having a disease in her heart, whatever others had, s had to snatch it away. She was like unable to see others happy and

    content.

    In a moment of distraction, the waitress had already walked up to me.

    130

    Chapter1284

    She said to me respectfully, ¡°Ms. Duffy, L¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it was the gentleman who asked me to search you.<i>¡± </i>

    She finished speaking and then tremblingly pointed at Matthew

    It was obvious that she was really afraid of Matthew

    Also, Matthew was originally burly <b>in </b>stature, although his face was deep and three¨Cdimensional, very handsome, but the hostility and murderous aura on his body were particrly strong, just looking at him like that, indeed a bit scary.

    No wonder when I was in Yoripero before, when I heard others mention him, they all called him the ¡°living Yama¡°.

    That temperament, really looks like a Yama.

    Seeing the waitress trembling, I whispered to her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can search.¡±

    The waitress nodded at me and then reached out her hand tremblingly to feel around on my body.

    Matthew smiled, blowing smoke rings, and said, ¡°You better search carefully. If anything is missed, I¡¯ll have to find someone to chop off your hands.¡±

    ¡°After all, things that are useless are just extra when kept.¡±

    The waitress¡¯s hand trembled visibly in fear.

    Matthew was stillughing there, speaking of bloody tortures in a casual tone.

    The waitress was on the verge of crying because of him.

    I couldn¡¯t help but say to Matthew, ¡°Do you really need to scare her

    31.40%

    like that? She¡¯s just a co¨Cworker

    ¡°You obediently kept your mouth shut, and she naturally searched you carefully.¡±

    Matthew sneered at me and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ms. <b>Duffy </b><b>to </b>be such a kind¨Chearted person.¡±

    I ignored him and just opened my arms to make it easier for the waiter to frisk me.

    As she searched through it bit by bit, my heart started to tighten.

    Matthew kept warning the waitress. ¡°You must search carefully Every possible ce must be searched, not a single one can be missed. If you miss one ce. I will chop off one of your fingers.¡±

    In the end. Matthew said lightly, but the waitress¡¯s mentality almost copsed, and a few tears welled up in her eyes instantly.

    She trembled and fumbled all over me, right under Matthew¡¯s nose, she did search very carefully, even more carefully than his bodyguard searched Kimberly.

    Oh no, I searched so carefully, it would be strange if my recorder in my ear wasn¡¯t found.

    Just then, the waitress ¡°leaned over to my ear.¡±

    My heart almost jumped out of my chest.

    No, don¡¯t panic!

    Until thest moment, you must not panic!

 TOO Close 1285

    Chapter1285

    The waitress finished searching my right car and then came to check my left car.

    And I hid the recorder in my left ear.

    I secretly clenched the hand beside me, and my whole body tensed up instantly.

    Just when I thought the recorder was going to be found and the n was going to be ruined, the waitress, as if she hadn¡¯t noticed anything, surprisingly didn¡¯t say anything.

    She took two steps back and nervously said to Matthew, ¡°This gentleman, she¡­ she only has one cell phone on her.¡±

    I was secretly surprised.

    She was leaning over my ear like that, it¡¯s impossible that she didn¡¯t notice the recorder.

    But why didn¡¯t she say it?

    Did¡­

    Reynaldo guessed that Matthew would frisk me, guessed that I would ask a woman to frisk me, so he bribed the female server in the teahouse in advance?

    I can¡¯t think of any other reasons besides this possibility.

    Matthew tilted his head slightly and looked at the waitress meaningfully, smiling lightly, ¡°Really?¡±

    Matthew smiled sinisterly, his voice filled with thes

    The waitress was so scared that she trembled all over and almost koch

    down

    I watched her tensely, afraid that she would be sexed by Mathew ad reveal my recorder

    Matthew suddenly took two steps closer to the waitress, searing her so much that <b>she </b>didn¡¯t even dare to lift her head

    He lowered his gaze, looked down at the waitress, and smiled gently, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance to answer, there really is nothing on her body?¡±

    ¡°If you answer incorrectly again<b>, </b>I will really have to chop off your hand.¡±

    The casual tone of voice, yet every word oozed with blood

    Fortunately, the female waitress had a <b>strong </b>inner strength.

    She tremblingly handed over the phone, fearful yet resolute, and said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s true, she only had this phone on her.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s gaze fell on my phone.

    His lips curled slightly, smiling in a way that was hard to decipher

    I frowned and stared at that Matthew.

    I wonder if he doubted the waitress.

    Thinking of this, I sneered at Matthew, ¡°I have to say, Mr. Gal really cautious, suspecting everyone he approaches.¡±

    13

    Oh, being so cautious, one would think Mr. Gtea was timid.

    D

    Chapter1285

    ¡°True, after all, I was once Reynaldo¡¯s subordinate, it¡¯s better <b>to </b><b>be </b>cautious in the end, so as not to¡­ ah¡­¡±

    I hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Matthew suddenly grabbed my neck and pushed me against the wall behind me.

    My bodyguard, seeing the situation, instantly pulled out a weapon and aimed it at Matthew.

    Matthew¡¯s bodyguards also all brandished their weapons.

    The atmosphere became tense for a while.

    Matthew had just had a carefree and mischievous look on his face, but now his expression instantly turned dark and menacing.

    It seems that the defeat by Reynaldo four years ago was the stain of his life, whenever mentioned, this man wants to kill.

    However, it¡¯s better to divert his attention so that he doesn¡¯t scare the waitress¡¯s mindset.

    I smiled at Matthew and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Gtea? Did I say something wrong?¡±

    Matthewughed coldly, ¡°You are right, indeed, four years ago, I was ackey under him, Reynaldo.¡±

    However, this time, you just wait and see, watch how <i>I </i>will torture him, Reynaldo, until he wishes he were dead!

    Matthew spoke through gritted teeth.

    I sneered coldly, ¡°It seems that <i>Mr. </i>Gtea is indeed as rumored, holding grudges and seeking revenge, winning and losing in the market is just amon urrence.

    Chap1205

    Mr. Gtea was defeated in the first ce, and yet he came back for revenge like this.

    Chapter178

 TOO Close 1286

    ¡°You have the ability topete openly with Reynaldo in the mall¡±

    ¡°Ha, openly and aboveboard?¡±

    A sneer also appeared on Matthew¡¯s face, ¡°When Reynaldo conspired with my people to design me back then, he wasn¡¯t exactly honorable either.

    However, I am the kind of person who always seeks revenge. Once someone dares to provoke me, the only oue is death.

    And before he died. I also wanted to torment him, make him suffer unbearably.¡±

    After Matthew finished speaking, evilughed recklessly, with a wickedness in his eyes and eyebrows, like a bloodthirsty demon.

    At this time, Kimberly did not forget to add fuel to the fire.

    ¡°Oh, Ms. Duffy, you really don¡¯t know how to talk. How could you say that Mr. Gtea is ackey of Reynaldo?¡±

    Mr. Gtea was so powerful, but back then he was just careless for a moment, that¡¯s why he fell into Reynaldo¡¯s trap.

    You see, how can you praise your man like this just because you are Reynaldo¡¯s woman, and look down on Mr. Gtea.

    I felt like throwing up when Kimberly said that.

    I said she didn¡¯t really love Reynaldo, it was just that perverse possessiveness and that sick mentality that thought all men in the

    200%

    <b>18:30</b>ÖÁ2

    4786

    world had to revolve around her

    Look, she was saying all these things just to please Matthew

    I sneered at her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to love your Reynaldo the most? How can you still speak ill of your Reynaldo like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your Reynaldo will hear these words?¡±

    Kimberly sneered, ¡°He doesn¡¯t love me at all, repeatedly hurting me for you, a despicable person. Why should I still like him?¡±

    To be honest, he really wasn¡¯t as good as Mr. Gtea. Back then, he was able to defeat Mr. Gtea, but that was just luck.

    Matthew must have enjoyed hearing suchpliments.

    I couldn¡¯t help but look at Matthew, only to find a sneer of disdain ying at the corner of his lips.

    Hmm!!!!

    Matthew was so disgusted with Kimberly. She was trying so hard to please him, but he just looked at her with disdain.

    Kimberly kept on stepping on Reynaldo and praising Matthew.

    Matthew¡¯s brow furrowed gradually, clearly showing his impatience.

    Just as Kimberly was busy ttering him, Matthew suddenly turned around and yelled at her, ¡®Shut up, you¡¯re so annoying!¡±

    Kimberly was startled by his yelling, instantly looking at him with red eyes.

    Matthew sneered, ¡°If/Ms. Palmer got pink eye, she should go see an ophthalmologist right away, don¡¯t infect us.

    Phapter12BA

    I was stunned by what Matthew said.

    It¡¯s really hard to believe that a man like Matthew, who is surrounded by gossip and has a dark and fierce demeanor, actually has such a keen ability to judge people.

    Kimberly was humiliated by him to the point where she couldn¡¯t breathe, clutching her chest and looking unable to catch her breath.

    Matthew cast a disdainful nce at her, as if she had dirtied his eyes.

    At this moment, the waitress seemed a little impatient, and she bravely asked Matthew, ¡°May I¡­ may I ask, sir, is there anything else you need me to do?¡±

    Matthew then looked back at the waitress, and with just one nce, the waitress¡¯s slender body trembled in fear.

    Matthew suddenly chuckled, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I¡¯m not a monster that eats people.¡±

    As long as you do what I told you to do well, I naturally won¡¯t do anything to you, and I will even reward you.¡±

    Matthew said, gesturing to the bodyguard beside him.

    <i>I </i>was on edge, really afraid that the bodyguard would do something to the waitress.

    18.30

 TOO Close 1287

    Chapter1287

    Fortunately, the bodyguard just took the phone that the waiter had searched from me, and then gave a stack of banknotes to the waiter.

    The waiter¡¯s face lit up with a smile, and he quickly bent down to say thank you.

    Actually, all the performances of this waitress were very real, and this person was brought by his bodyguard, so Matthew shouldn¡¯t doubt anything.

    Just now, he kept scaring the waitress, probably trying to get some information out of her.

    Without saying a word, Matthew just waved his hand and dismissed the waiter.

    I didn¡¯t rx until the waiter¡¯s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

    Although Matthew was fierce, he kept his word. If he promised to tip the waiter, he would tip the waiter.

    Just then, Matthew slowly released my neck.

    He also gently smoothed out the cor he had crumpled on me, and said with a smile, ¡°Sorry, Ms. Duffy, I couldn¡¯t control my emotions for a moment.¡±

    Ito

    end and

    I waved his hand away and sneered, ¡°Mr. Gtea doesn¡¯t m apologize to me. After all, Mr. Gtea threatened my good scared my child with a Tibetan Mastiff. How dare I say Mr. Gtea is not right.¡±

    Matthewughed twice, then said, ¡°Come on in,¡± before <b>turning </b>and entering the private room.

    Kimberly hurriedly followed Matthew into the private room, and crucially, before she entered the room, she gave me a cold stare

    I furrowed my brows inexplicably.

    This woman is crazy, why is she staring at me? It¡¯s not like I said those nasty words to embarrass her!

    Both Kimberly and I left our phones on the shelf by the door of the cloakroom.

    Matthew wouldn¡¯t let my bodyguard in.

    After several disputes, in the end, both sides¡® bodyguards stayed outside the door.

    So, in the private room, there were only me and Matthew, along with Kimberly.

    Matthewzily slouched in the chair.

    On the elegant wooden table sat a teapot and a few small snacks, with a diffuser ced on the nearby cab.

    Just the tea and snacks, no one touched them.

    Matthew absentmindedly smoked a cigarette, with a yful smile always ying at the corner of his lips.

    Kimberly then tugged at her clothes, adopting a coy and awkward posture.

    The atmosphere in the private room was quite dull.

    <b>18.382 </b>

    Chapter1287

    I nced at Kimberly again, feeling a bit anxious.

    Kimberly suddenly became mute again.

    After a pause, I smiled faintly at Matthew and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea went to great lengths to invite me out to meet him. I suppose it¡¯s not just to sit around, right?¡±

    Matthewughed, with a hint of yfulness at the corner of his lips.

    He said, ¡°What reaction did Reynaldo have when you met me alone? He is not afraid¡­ of what I might do to you?¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°What can you do?-You are so despicable that you would even threaten us with our children.¡±

    Honestly, I always thought you were a decent man, but I never expected that you would be more despicable than anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Is this important?¡± I frowned at him. ¡°Tell me, Mr. Gtea, what did you want to achieve by inviting me out to see you?¡±

    Matthew clicked his tongue andughed nonchntly, ¡°Come on, Ms. Duffy, did I just scare your child a little? Is it necessary to say that about me?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I impatiently interrupted him, ¡°Spit it out, what do you want by asking me out?¡±

    ¡°What I can do, of course, is to make a deal with you.¡±

    I frowned at him, waiting for him to continue.

    He didn¡¯t rush to speak, instead calmly poured a cup of tea and himself.

    both me

 TOO Close 1288

    Honestly, the man did a really terrible job.

    Kimberly sat between me and him, and he actually ignored Kimberly directly, let alone pouring tea for Kimberly, he didn¡¯t even hand a cup to Kimberly.

    Kimberly, who has always been surrounded by ¡°licking dogs,¡± may not be able to bear this humiliation.

    Sure enough, Kimberly¡¯s face turned red with anger again.

    I quickly lit a fire.

    ¡°Mr. Gtea, you always im to be so considerate and attentive, but look, Ms. Palmer, such a beautifuldy, sitting next to you, and you didn¡¯t even offer her a cup of tea.¡±

    Matthew sneered disdainfully.

    ¡°Beauty? Am I blind? Or is Ms. Duffy blind?¡±

    ¡°It was clearly a dirty thing that hurt my eyes: I was being nice by not kicking her out and even poured her some tea.¡±

    Hiss!!

    I really discovered for the first time that Matthew was so sarcastic.

    His words would have infuriated anyone who heard them let alone someone as self¨Cabsorbed as Kimberly.

    Kimberly stood up angrily and coldly said to Matthew, ¡°Mr. Gtea, don¡¯t forget the things you said to me before.¡±

    <b>18:30 </b>L

    I was secretly delighted

    Are they finally going to tear it up?

    I leaned back in my chair, restraining the excitement in my heart, and watched them as if I were watching a y.

    Matthew exhaled a smoke ring and disdainfully said to her, ¡°It¡¯s funny, what can I say to someone like you?¡±

    Kimberly clenched the edge of the table in anger.

    She seemed to havepletely lost her temper and reason at the moment, ring at Matthew with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°You told me before that you really liked me, that you wanted to protect me, and that you would do everything to help me achieve my wishes.¡±

    You did live up to your words. No matter what I wanted to do, you would always help me and take care of the aftermath.

    You used to be so good to me before, why have you be like this now?

    Matthew, what do you mean?¡±

    Upon hearing this, I roughly understood as well.

    It was Matthew who helped her harm Vonnie, and then went on to scheme against Johnathan.

    Eighty¨Cfour years ago, that incident was also the kindness Mat showed her.

    Kimberly also narcissistically thought that Matthew helped her unconditionally because he liked her

    Chapter1288

    She probably thought that Matthew, like Quentin and Zackery, was her loyal pdog¡°,

    No wonder she was so emotional when I said it was Matthew who really wanted to kill her.

    She had no idea that Matthew was actually using her to harm Vonnie and Johnathan, in order to seek revenge on Reynaldo,

    It¡¯s just that what Kimberly said was rather vague. Even if it were recorded and made public, it would only prove to the outside world that Matthew liked her.

    But it did not prove that Vonnie and Johnathan were the ones they framed.

    I steadied my mind and continued to watch them silently.

    Matthewughed more and more scornfully

    ¡°Ms. Palmer, I advised you to see a doctor if you are sick. How could I possibly like someone like you?¡±

    To like, that is to like Ms. Duffy.

    And you¡­¡±

    Matthew said, looking Kimberly up and down with a very

    contemptuous look, and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re only good at disgusting

    people. Those who like you probably have something wrong with their brains, like your two loyalpdogs.¡±

    ¡°Matthew!¡±

    Kimberly was furious, one hand tightly clutching the hem of her wound, the other hand gripping the edge of the table.

    Chapter1288

    I began to suspect that no matter what harsh words Matthew said to her, she would be infuriated on the spot.

    18.50

 TOO Close 1289

    Chapter <b>1289 </b>

    Matthew took a puff of his cigarette and looked directly at me, as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered to even acknowledge her.

    Matthew smiled at me and said, ¡°Ms. Duffy, today there was this noisy thing that really disturbed both of us.¡±

    Kimberly red at him through gritted teeth.

    He continued to me, ¡°However, since it¡¯s rare for Ms. Duffy to agree to meet me, I¡¯ll keep it short.¡±

    Matthew said, and suddenly smiled at me with a meaningful look.

    ¡°At the moment I saw Ms. Duffy, I suddenly thought of a more interesting game to retaliate against Reynaldo.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, a sense of unease rising in my heart.

    Then he said, ¡°Reynaldo, doesn¡¯t he love you very much?¡±

    So, I wanted Ms. Duffy toe to my side and follow me back to Roxafito, which would make Reynaldo ¡°wish he were dead.¡±

    Ms. Duffy, what do you think?

    ¡°Impossible!¡± I coldly refused.

    Matthew smiled at me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t refuse so decisively. If you

    ¡°Matthew!¡±

    Chapter1289

    Here, Kimberly couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and angrily <b>said </b>to <b>him</b>, ¡°So, you helped me frame Lavonne and Johnathan just to conveniently seek revenge on Reynaldo? You were just using me?!¡±

    I was overjoyed, just having this sentence is enough.

    As long as Kimberly admits in person that Vonnie and Johnathan were framed by them, then Johnathan can be saved, and Vonnie can also be vindicated.

    Kimberly was so angry that her eyes turned red and her face was full <b>of </b>sorrow and indignation.

    This should have been the first time she was used by a man like this.

    Because Quentin and Zackery listened to her and treated her like a treasure, she really thought that all men in the world would treat her like a treasure.

    This woman really had not an ounce of self¨Cawareness.

    Faced with Kimberly¡¯s angry questioning, Matthew just casually smoked a cigarette, with a sneer on his face, as if mocking her stupidity.

    I turned my eyes and deliberately brought up with Kimberly thest time she was almost murdered in the hospital.

    ¡°Ms. Palmer, now you understand who wanted to kill you that day at the hospital, right?¡±

    Actually, judging from Kimberly¡¯s previous reactions, she should have had some doubts about Matthew too.

    She was probably too aggressive in conquering men, as if she couldn¡¯t believe that Matthew would kill her unless he admitted it himself.

    Chapter1200

    Just then, she turned to Matthew with sorrow and anger<b>, </b><b>asking</b>, ¡°The

    person

    who sneaked into the hospital that day, trying to kill <b>me</b><b>, </b><b>was </b><b>it </b>really sent by you?¡±

    Matthew sneered and shrugged, ¡°You are even more foolish than I imagined, to need Ms. Dully to remind you of such an obvious fact.¡±

    ¡°Matthew!¡±

    Kimberlypletely lost her temper, mming the table and cursing at Matthew, ¡°They all say Mr. Gtea is powerful and dominant, but he is just a smooth talker who uses the guise of ¡®love¡® to take advantage of a woman¡¯s despicable nature.¡±

    My purpose was achieved, and then you wanted to burn bridges and kill the witnesses, Matthew, you really are not a man.¡±

    Matthew disdainfully nced at her, coldly chuckling, ¡°I suggest Ms. Palmer control her temper, watch her mouth. My bodyguards are right outside the door, you don¡¯t want a tongue, you can speak directly.¡±

    I also looked at Kimberly with some surprise.

    In theory, the current situation has basically been controlled by Matthew.

    Even though I had bodyguards with me, from her perspective, my bodyguards couldn¡¯t guarantee her safetypletely.

 TOO Close 1290

    So, Kimberly could almost be said to havee alone, she must <b>have </b>felt scared.

    You can see her current appearance, with anger and hatred on her face, as well as humiliation, and almost no trace of fear.

    Key, she also asionally nced at the clock on the wall, as if waiting for someone toe.

    This inevitably reminded me of the scene when she had just gone upstairs and kept looking outside, feeling a little uneasy in my heart.

    I wonder if this woman had any tricks up her sleeve.

    Anyway, what I wanted to record has already been recorded, staying longer will only be more dangerous..

    Thinking of this, I smiled at Matthew and said, ¡°Mr. Gtea, it really doesn¡¯t seem like a good time to meet today.¡±

    ¡°I think we should wait until the conflict between you and Ms. Palmer is resolved before we make ns to meet.¡±

    After saying that, I stood up and was about to leave.

    Matthew¡¯s lightughter sounded behind me, ¡°Well, Ms. Duffy, my suggestion just now, you can consider it seriously.¡±

    After all, your good friend can¡¯t wait for too long, right?

    As long as I applied pressure again, he would soon be imprisoned.

    So, Ms. Duffy should consider it as soon as possible, looking forward

    <b>18:36 </b>

    to Ms. Duffy¡¯s reply.¡±

    I turned around and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Okay, I will definitely consider your proposal.¡±

    The key evidence has been recorded, the most important thing now is to leave here and talkter.

    Luckily, Matthew didn¡¯t stop me.

    He just called out to me, which startled me. I was really afraid that he wouldn¡¯t let me go.

    What puzzled me, however, was that Kimberly had no intention of leaving with me.

    Now, I was even more suspicious that she had left herself a backdoor.

    However, on her side, is there anyone who canpete with Matthew? Can anyone make her face Matthew with such confidence and fearlessness?

    Ah, forget it, I don¡¯t care about her anymore.

    I had the evidence in hand, whether she was alive or dead was no longer important.

    It would be best if Matthew could take care of this woman, so that my mother¡¯s and Mika¡¯s grudges can be considered settled.

    Just then, there was a sudden sound of chaotic footsteps outside the door, apanied by a low shout from the bodyguards, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    Right after that, it seemed like a fight broke out outside, with sounds of fighting and shouting.

    35.68%

    18<b>:</b><b>3 </b>

    Chapter1290

    I was shocked in my heart.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Who came?

    Was it Reynaldo or Kimberly¡¯s person?

    Is it safer to go out now or to stay in this room?

    I turned back in astonishment and looked at Matthew.

    Matthew¡¯s eyebrows furrowed instantly, and he clearly heard the sound of fighting outside the door. He got up and walked quickly towards the door.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked him.

    Matthew chuckled, ¡°Wasn¡¯t I going to ask Ms. Duffy about that? Those people who suddenly came to the door, weren¡¯t they here to ¡®save¡® you, Ms. Duffy?¡±

    It shouldn¡¯t be Reynaldo.

    I had already arranged a secret signal with Reynaldo. If I throw a cup out the window, that means I need him toe and rescue me.

    But this time I clearly didn¡¯t give the signal, and I had only been in th room for a short while, Reynaldo couldn¡¯t have been so impulsive to suddenly barge in.

    If it¡¯s not Reynaldo, and it¡¯s not Matthew, then it must be¡­

    I frowned and looked at Kimberly.

    Matthew squinted and looked towards Kimberly, as if he had though of something along with me.

 TOO Close 1291

    At this moment, Kimberly sat near the table with an almost smug look, not a bit flustered.

    Matthew suddenly sneered at her, ¡°I really underestimated you, you little bitch.¡±

    However, do you really think that by calling a few people over, I, Matthew, would be afraid?

    ¡°Is it?¡± Kimberlyughed even more smugly. ¡°Mr. Gtea¡¯s words may be a bit premature.¡±

    I stared at Kimberly intently.

    No!

    Who did this woman bring in that even Matthew wasn¡¯t afraid?

    Matthew was already arrogant and fierce enough, how dare she be even more arrogant than Matthew?!

    It seems that the people she called were definitely not simple.

    And Matthew seemed to be amused by what Kimberly said.

    He smirked at Kimberly, his eyes filled with a sinister grin, ¡°Speaking of being early, it¡¯s Ms. Palmer, right? Ms. Palmer, just be patient and wait a bit. I¡¯ll let Ms. Palmer see for herselfter, what is the most gruesome way to die.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s words were extremely sinister, and the murderous intent in his eyes was also very obvious.

    <b>18:31 </b>

    If it had been someone else, I¡¯m afraid I would have knelt <b>down </b><b>long </b>

    ago.

    However, Kimberly showed no fear at all, instead she smiled

    triumphantly at Matthew and said, ¡°Well, okay Mr. Gtea, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    Matthew snorted and pulled me behind him, then went to open the door to the room.

    The fighting outside was getting more and more intense at the moment, and it seemed like there were more and more people.

    Just as Matthew was pulling the door handle to open the door, a great force suddenly broke the door open.

    Matthew¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and in an instant he dodged the force of the broken door.

    And at a nce, I saw clearly that the figure breaking through the door was Reynaldo.

    With a sudden shock in my heart, I quickly shouted at him and rushed towards him.

    But in my heart there were doubts.

    Reynaldo really came.

    But I had made an appointment with Reynaldo, he shouldn¡¯t have acted so impulsively.

    And if the person who came was him, Kimberly wouldn¡¯t have been so calm and confident.

    What on earth is going on?

    28.57%

    <b>18</b><b>:</b>311

    001291

    My heart was full of doubts.

    Reynaldo quickly grabbed my arm and urgently said, ¡°There <b>is </b><b>danger </b>here,e with me quickly.¡±

    ¡°Danger?¡±

    Although full of doubts, I didn¡¯t have time to ask more questions, <b>so </b>I hurriedly followed him.

    But then Matthew suddenly grabbed me and said, ¡°Well, Ms. Duffy, since Mr. Humphrey is here, shouldn¡¯t Ms. Duffy¡­¡±

    Bang!

    Matthew hadn¡¯t finished speaking when a loud noise came from the window.

    Immediately, a huge ck creature lunged towards me.

    Everything happened too fast.

    Ipletely forgot to react, just staring nkly at that huge ck object.

    It was the Tibetan Mastiff again that day.

    ¡°Be careful!¡±

    Reynaldo shouted urgently and quickly grabbed me, pulling me to the side.

    Matthew also quickly dodged.

    The Tibetan Mastiff lunged at nothing.

    ¡°The little beast is looking for death!¡±

    18.31

    Matthew seemed to have just realized, cursed loudly, then <b>picked up </b><b>a </b>chair next to him and smashed it towards the Tibetan Mastiff.

    I waspletely confused, my mind was a mess.

    What on earth is going on?

    Wasn¡¯t this Tibetan Mastiff Matthew¡¯s pet?

    Howe this Tibetan Mastiff even attacked Matthew.

    However, the next second, the answer came out.

    The bodyguard who was with Matthew before suddenly appeared at the door, ying with a small whistle in his hand, with a wicked smile at the corner of his mouth.

    The first time I saw that bodyguard, I felt that his temperament was extraordinary, and the sinister aura all over his body was not at all like an ordinary bodyguard.

 TOO Close 1292

    He seemed like a cold¨Cblooded killer who had been kept in the dark <b>for </b>

    years

    ¡°Moshe Linister, what are you doing! Do you want to die?¡±

    Matthew fought with the Tibetan Mastiff while coldly asking the man named Moshe.

    The manughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s best not to get involved in Mr. Gtea¡¯s affairs. Be careful, if Tyke identally hurts you, it won¡¯t be good.¡±

    The man said, and then he blew the whistle again.

    In an instant, the Tibetan Mastiff lunged towards me and Reynaldo.

    It was obvious that this man was the one training the Tibetan Mastiff. and the Tibetan Mastiff only listened to this man, not recognizing Matthew at all.

    Wasn¡¯t it Matthew who was supposed to deal with me and Reynaldo?

    Why was it this man who wanted to kill me and Reynaldo instead.

    Was this man Kimberly¡¯s man?

    It was unlikely, if not impossible, for Kimberly to conquer such a dangerous and cold¨Cblooded man.

    The Tibetan Mastiff was agile, constantly attacking me an Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo could only hold me tightly and dodge desperately.

    <b>18:31 </b>

    He seemed like a cold¨Cblooded killer who had been kept in the dark for

    years.

    ¡°Moshe Linister, what are you doing! Do you want to die?¡±

    Matthew fought with the Tibetan Mastiff while coldly asking the man named Moshe.

    The manughed and said. ¡°It¡¯s best not to get involved in Mr. Gtea¡¯s affairs. Be careful, if Tyke identally hurts you, it won¡¯t be good.¡±

    The man said, and then he blew the whistle again.

    In an instant, the Tibetan Mastiff lunged towards me and Reynaldo.

    It was obvious that this man was the one training the Tibetan Mastiff, and the Tibetan Mastiff only listened to this man, not recognizing Matthew at all.

    Wasn¡¯t it Matthew who was supposed to deal with me and Reynaldo?

    Why was it this man who wanted to kill me and Reynaldo instead.

    ? Was this man Kimberly¡¯s man?

    It was unlikely, if not impossible, for Kimberly to conquer such a dangerous and cold¨Cblooded man.

    The Tibetan Mastiff was agile, constantly attacking me and Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo could only hold me tightly and dodge desperately

    Chapter1292

    In the midst of the chaos, I saw Kimberly sittingfortably <b>on </b><b>the </b>side, watching me with a smug smile.

    Matthew probably didn¡¯t want me and Reynaldo to die.

    He rushed over, grabbed Moshe¡¯s cor, and warned him coldly, ¡°Get your beast out of here right now!¡±

    Moshe smiled at him and said, ¡°The youngdy said that if you dare to like any woman, she will make that woman die.¡±

    ¡°Are you sick? How could you not see that I liked her? I was just getting back at them, ying games with them. Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see that?!¡±

    ¡°Get your little animal out of here quickly, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    At this moment, Reynaldo and I were already forced to the corner of the private room.

    The Tibetan Mastiff hunched over, baring its teeth and ring at me and Reynaldo, looking even more fierce.

    Reynaldo held me tightly and whispered to me. ¡°I will distract that beastter, you quickly hide behind Matthew.¡±

    ¡°Do not¡­¡±

    However, before I could finish my sentence, the Tibetan Mastiff suddenly lunged towards me and Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo shouted ¡°Run¡± and then pushed me.

    In an instant, I stumbled and fell onto the table beside me.

    I quickly turned around and saw Reynaldo fighting with the Tibetan Mastiff

    The Tibetan Mastiff was too fierce, and its body was veryrge. Soom Reynaldo was defeated, and his arms were bitten and bleeding

    I went crazy

    I grabbed the chair at hand and smashed it towards the Tibetan Mastiff

    Suddenly, the eerie whistle changed, and the Tibetan Mastiff roared and attacked me again.

    I was startled and hastily retreated to dodge, but was suddenly knocked down by the Tibetan Mastiff

    ¡°Esmeralda!¡±

    Reynaldo shouted urgently and quickly rushed over, grabbing the Tibetan Mastiff¡¯s neck.

    The Tibetan Mastiff snarled at me, and the foul¨Csmelling saliva dripped onto my face, one drop at a time.

    I waspletely stunned.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Reynaldo grabbing the Tibetan Mastiff¡¯s neck in time, my neck would probably have been bitten off by the Tibetan Mastiff

    ¡°Enough!¡± Matthew coldly snapped at Moshe.

    Moshe¡¯s whistle changed again, slowly, and the Tibetan Mastiff became gentle.

    It let out a howl, then broke free from Reynaldo and ran towards Moshe, wagging its tail.

    Reynaldo quickly helped me up and anxiously checked my body, ¡°Tell me quickly, are you injured anywhere?¡±

    18,31 13.

    <b>Chapter1202 </b>

    I shook my head and looked at his arm with pity.

    Both of his arms were covered in blood and flesh.

    I looked at Moshe angrily and said, ¡°How dare you let dogs bite <b>people </b>openly in Freybourne, you are really outrageous.¡±

 TOO Close 1293

    <b>Chapter </b>1293

    Moshe smiled and said confidently, ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t trained this dog well. I will train it properlyter.¡±

    With that, he looked at Matthew.

    I followed his gaze and was shocked.

    Matthew was seen carefully examining a tiny object, and what else could that be but the recorder hidden in my ear?

    I subconsciously touched my left ear, and my heart sank even more.

    It must have been when the Tibetan Mastiff knocked me down that the recorder was thrown out.

    How hateful!

    They were on the verge of sess, but halfway through, this Moshe and Tibetan Mastiff had to show up.

    Matthew instantly crushed the recorder.

    He smirked at me and said, ¡°It seems like I not only underestimated Ms. Palmer, but also underestimated you, Ms. Duffy.¡±

    Ms. Duffy designed me so deliberately, it really made me sad.

    ¡°I should have just let that little beast bite Ms. Duffy to death.¡±

    Reynaldo gently pulled me behind him and coldly said to Matthew, ¡°It is I who have a grudge against you, soe at me.¡±

    ¡°Did youe for me?¡±

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    Chapter1293

    Matthew chuckled. ¡°But you¡¯re no fun, just killing you like this, there¡¯s even less satisfaction in revenge,¡±

    I just want to take away the things you love, then slowly enjoy the sight of you in unbearable pain, isn¡¯t that fun?¡±

    I stared at him coldly.

    A crazy Kimberly was not enough, then came a mad Matthew.

    The world is so big, why are there so many ¡°abnormal¡± people?

    He calmly scattered the fragments of the recorder on the ground andughed at Reynaldo, saying, ¡°Same proposal as before, give me the woman next to you and I¡¯ll let Johnathan go.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±

    Reynaldo tightened my hand and looked coldly at Matthew, his tone full of hostility.

    Matthew smirked and said, ¡°Well, it all depends on whether you can really protect it.¡±

    After saying that, Matthew prepared to leave with his men.

    Kimberly saw Moshe about to leave, and quickly stood up and called out to him, ¡°Wait, Mr. Linister, wait for me.¡±

    Matthew stopped, turned around to look at Kimberly, and sneered at Moshe, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually like this kind of stuff.¡±

    Moshe sneered and chuckled, showing his disdain.

    Kimberly had already run towards Moshe, passing by me and Reynaldo, she barely even nced at Reynaldo.

    30.21%

    21.10

    Chapter1293

    I thought to myself, ¡°What a sarcastic woman she is.¡±

    When he argued with me, he seemed to love Reynaldo more than anything, and he did all sorts of despicable things to ruin my rtionship with Reynaldo.

    He would see other powerful men, fawning all over her, it was really disgusting.

    However, it¡¯s no wonder she wasn¡¯t afraid of Matthew just now, turns out she¡¯s got Moshe backing her up.

    So she had long known that Moshe was not an ordinary bodyguard, and even knew that Moshe could restrict Matthew.

    However, what is the rtionship between her and Moshe, and is there any shady coboration between them?

    My heart sank quietly.

    Now it seems that things are getting more and moreplicated.

    Originally, dealing with just one Matthew was difficult, and now there is an unknown origin Moshe added.

    If Kimberly really found Moshe as a backer again, wouldn¡¯t Kimberly be even more difficult to deal with.

    After all, now it seems that not even Matthew could deal with this Moshe.

    Thinking about it, Kimberly had already ingratiatingly approached Moshe and cooed to him, ¡°Mr. Linister, Mr. Linister¡­¡±

    The voice was soft and charming, it gave me goosebumps just listening

    to it.

    21:1000

    Cur$299

    1 subconsciously nced at Reynaldo.

    I was originally nning to see how he would react to seeing Kimberly like this.

 TOO Close 1294

    Little did I know, his dark eyes were fixed on me, not even ncing at Kimberly.

    Matthew next to Moshe slowly furrowed his brow and sneered at Kimberly, ¡°Oh, almost forgot, I just said, let Ms. Palmer experience the most miserable way to die in the world.¡±

    Matthew, having said that, was ready to attack Kimberly.

    Kimberly instantly screamed in a hoarse voice and reached out to grab Moshe¡¯s hand.

    Moshe frowned and avoided her touch, but still reached out to stop Matthew.

    Matthew looked at Moshe with interest, his lips curling in a more mocking smile, ¡°What, have you really fallen for someone like her?¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Moshe sneered, ¡°Just that, that person, let me protect her life for the time being.¡±

    I frowned deeply.

    Who is ¡°that person¡± in Moshe¡¯s mouth?

    Why did ¡®that person¡® want to save Kimberly¡¯s life, and what is Kimberly¡¯s rtionship with that person?

    I was afraid that ¡°that person¡± in Moshe¡¯s mouth was the enemy of Reynaldo and me.

    Did that person really want to use Kimberly to harm me and Reynaldo?

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    Chapter1294

    Thinking of this, a touch of uneasiness and irritability surged <b>in </b><b>my </b>heart.

    Matthew was already so difficult to deal with, how could Reynaldo possibly handle it if there were even more powerful mysterious figures behind him?

    I just don¡¯t understand why Matthew had to deal with me and Reynaldo, but I guess it¡¯s understandable, after all, Reynaldo did have a grudge against Matthew four years ago.

    What¡¯s the deal with ¡°that person¡± in Moshe¡¯s mouth wanting to deal with me and Reynaldo?

    Besides Matthew, I haven¡¯t offended anyone else, ¡°Reynaldo.¡±

    If it was because of Kimberly, then it was even less likely.

    From the attitudes of Moshe and Matthew towards Kimberly, Kimberly was just a pawn in their eyes.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy¡­¡­

    While I was analyzing, Matthew suddenly shouted at me.

    I instinctively looked up and saw Matthew smiling at me with a knowing look.

    ¡°My recent proposal, Ms. Duffy said she would consider it carefully, so I am looking forward to Ms. Duffy¡¯s response.¡±

    Reynaldo instantly clenched my hand and stared coldly at Matthew, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±

    Matthew smirked arrogantly and said, ¡°I was expecting a response from Ms. Duffy, not from you.¡±

    21 103

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to, maybe Ms. Duffy did.¡±

    As soon as Matthew said this, Reynaldo tightened his grip on <b>my </b><b>hand </b>even more, the tight force making me feel a little pain.

    I gently stroked his arm with my other hand.

    Reynaldo was slightly startled, lowering his gaze to look at me, with a hint of nervousness and mncholy in his eyes.

    I smiled at him, then turned to Matthew and said coldly, ¡°Yes, Reynaldo is right, don¡¯t even think about it.¡±

    Matthew smirked,ughing arrogantly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to think about it.¡±

    Before I could even speak, Kimberly suddenly interrupted, saying, ¡°Oh Mr. Gtea, didn¡¯t your youngdy say that? If you like a woman, she wants that woman dead.¡±

    ¡°You like Ms. Duffy so much, it¡¯s like asking Ms. Duffy to die.¡±

    Matthew held a cigarette in one hand and his other hand <i>in </i>his pocket, casually smiling at her, ¡°I don¡¯t like Ms. Duffy, so maybe I¡¯ll just like you instead.¡±

    Ms. Duffy didn¡¯t go back to Roxafito with me, ¡°you cane back and y with me.

    Our youngdy, she really enjoyed tormenting women like you who are gentle and weak.

    Not long ago, she threw a woman into a cage to feed Tyke, Ms. Palmer, who is delicate and tender, Tyke must have liked it.

    After Matthew¡¯s words, Kimberly¡¯s face turned pale all of a sudden.

    Chapter1295

 TOO Close 1295

    She took two steps back in a hurry, looking at Moshe in terror.

    Mosheughed at Matthew and said, ¡°Be careful not to scare people to death, I don¡¯t want to be held ountable.¡±

    ¡°Pfft, what¡¯s that man so afraid of? He¡¯s just a coward like you,¡± Matthew sneered.

    Moshe snorted coldly, ¡°Who made him the red man in front of the youngdy? Why don¡¯t you fight for some prestige and take his ce?¡±

    One day, when you also became a celebrity in front of Miss, I listened to you.

    ¡°Unfortunately, you didn¡¯t have the ability.¡±

    Moshe snorted coldly and then left.

    Kimberly was afraid that Matthew was going to kill her, so she quickly caught up with Moshe

    Matthew disdainfully snorted and left with his several bodyguards who had been beaten up with bruised faces.

    I waspletely lost in the conversation between Moshe and Matthew.

    As it stands now, the person who wanted to protect Kimberly and deal with the mysterious individuals Reynaldo and Lencountered is the celebrity in front of them.

    Who could that be?

    Chapter1295

    The bodyguards I brought, including those brought by Reynaldo, were all injured.

    Just now, if it was only dealing with a Matthew, then my n <b>would </b>have worked, and everything would have been much easier

    Kimberly quietly called Moshe over.

    This is something none of us ever imagined.

    Moshe not only brought many people, but also brought a fierce Tibetan Mastiff.

    If it weren¡¯t for Reynaldo rushing in to save me. I might have been half dead by now from being bitten by that Tibetan Mastiff

    Seeing Reynaldo¡¯s arm still bleeding, I felt both heartache and anxiety Without thinking about anything else, I quickly took him to the hospital.

    Driving was Braylon, who had hurriedly rushed over.

    I sat behind Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo held my hand tightly and never took his eyes off me

    I knew what he was worried about.

    He was afraid that I would agree to Matthew¡¯s proposal to save Johnathan.

    I held his hand back and said to him earnestly. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I promised you that <i>I </i>will never leave you again. The four of us will always be together.¡±

    Reynaldo suddenly hugged me, holding me tightly

    Chapter1295

    At that moment, I felt his nervousness<b>, </b>fear<b>, </b>and guilt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­

    He said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect you and the children well, making you <b>all </b>so worried and scared, Esmeralda¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    He said, burying his head in the nape of my neck, with a low, hoarse voice tinged with a hint of defeat.

    I patted his back gently and whispered, ¡°You were great. If it weren¡¯t for you just now, I would have been bitten by the Tibetan Mastiff.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t say anything, his mood was a bit low.

    The ce on his arm where the Tibetan Mastiff bit him was bloody and fleshly, it looked painful.

    But he seemed to not feel any pain, and kept holding me tightly.

    I wanted to touch his arm, but I was afraid of hurting him, so I could only look at his wound with heartache, my eyes getting hot.

    Reynaldo held me quietly for a long time before he spoke, his voice very low, ¡°Sometimes I really feel useless, unable to protect my wife and children, and unable to save my good brother.¡±

    This was the first time I saw him so defeated, the look of defeat was heartbreaking

    I choked out, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Just now, you risked your life to save me. You protected me so well, really.¡±

    Reynaldo stopped talking.

    For a long time, he let me go.

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    He siniled and ruffled my hair, then looked out the window. His low voice suddenly turned cold and sinister.

    ¡°In the future, when dealing with Matthew, there is no need to think too much about strategies. In the end, we have to be tough with him.¡±

    My heart sank and I quickly asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t answer me. He remained silent for a while, then suddenly smiled at me and asked, ¡°Esmeralda, do you think we can have a good year this year?¡±

    I nodded heavily, ¡°Definitely, it¡¯s only half a month until the new year.¡±

    ¡°This New Year, me and the children, we all spent it with you.¡±

    Looking back, Reynaldo and I have been married for so many years, and we have never had a good year together.

    This time, it will definitely work.

    I held his hand tightly and said earnestly, ¡°You have to be well, so that the children and I can be well.¡±

    Reynaldo looked at me steadily for a while, then he smiled and said, ¡°Well, we are all fine.¡±

    Reynaldo¡¯s arm was bitten in several ces by the Tibetan Mastiff, and each bite mark was very deep.

    The doctor spent quite a while just disinfecting his wound and also

    Chapter1296

    gave him a rabies vine as a preventive measure.

    After the bloodstains were cleaned up, the wound that was revealed was even more shocking.

    I stood by and watched, my heart aching so much that tears streamed down my face.

    Reynaldo didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain at all when the doctor was treating his wound. He didn¡¯t even furrow his brow, but instead, he still managed to tell me funny stories to cheer me up.

    I cried,ughed, and scolded him, saying ¡°he is not human, without any sense of pain.¡±

    He said his pain was not there.

    After arguing with Reynaldo for a while, the heavy mood did rx a bit.

    I asked him about what had just happened at the teahouse, only to find out that the female waitress who searched me at the teahouse was actually arranged by him in advance.

    He said he and his men had been hiding in the dark, waiting for an opportunity to act.

    Outside the teahouse, people were also arranged, always observing ¡°every move I made¡± in that private room.

    Whenever I was in danger, he would rush in with people to rescue me at the first time.

    The Tibetan Mastiff was also discovered by the person arranged outside the teahouse first, and he promptly informed him.

    He was worried that I was in danger, so he rushed in with people

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    <b>285 </b>Ventur

    without hesitation, wanting to take me away.

    It just so happened that Moshe also brought arge group of people over, which ultimately left him outnumbered.

    Just now, it was indeed dangerous to think about.

    The Tibetan Mastiff opened its mouth wide at me, and I felt the stinky smell of its saliva on my face until now. I quickly went to wash my face.

    By the time Reynaldo finished treating the wound on his arm, it was already evening.

    Reynaldo covered the wound tightly.

    It¡¯s fortunate that it¡¯s winter now, otherwise being so stuffy like that would have caused the wound to be inmed.

    Reynaldo said, ¡°We can¡¯t let the two children see, otherwise they will cry.¡±

    On the way back, Reynaldo specifically went to a toy store to pick out a few gifts for the two children,

    I knew that, because of Matthew, the two children could only stay at home and couldn¡¯t go out to y, and he also felt very guilty in his heart.

 TOO Close 1297

    As long as Matthew and Moshe were still in Freybourne, the threat to me and the children could not be lifted.

    It¡¯s really frustrating to think about.

    When I got home, I suddenly found out that Quentin had actually

    He paced back and forth in the yard, looking very anxious.

    Our car had just pulled into the yard when he hurriedly came up greet us.

    At the same time, my two children also came out to greet me.

    I ignored Quentin and just bent down to hug my two children.

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±

    to

    Essie nuzzled into my arms and said, ¡°Mommy and Daddy, where did they go today? They didn¡¯t take me and Roddy.¡±

    I touched her little head with guilt in my heart and said, ¡°Today mommy and daddy went out to do something, but daddy brought toys for you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Essie happily went to hug Reynaldo.

    Reynaldo lifted her up and kissed her chubby cheeks, saying, ¡°In a few days, daddy will take you out to y. Daddy will y with toys with you at home first, okay?¡±

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    21.11

    ¡°Mm, with daddy apanying Essic to y, Essic is happy wherever she is.¡±

    Essie said, and then she nted a big kiss on Reynaldo¡¯s face, which made Reynaldo very happy.

    Roddy suddenly tugged at my sleeve and pointed to Quentin standing on the side with aplicated expression on his face, saying, ¡°This man, is he your uncle? When he just arrived, Madisyn wouldn¡¯t let him <i>in</i><i>.</i>¡±

    ¡°He called me and Essie toe out and y, but Madisyn wouldn¡¯t let us. Is he a bad person?¡±

    When Quentin heard Roddy¡¯sst words, a sh of hurt crossed his face.

    Before he could even speak, Madisyn was alreadying over in this direction.

    Madisyn nced at Quentin sideways and walked over to me, saying, ¡°Mr. Duffy said he wanted to see you. I thought since he was rude to Ms. Duffy before, I didn¡¯t let him in.¡±

    Then I was afraid that he would hit the children, so I didn¡¯t dare to let the children get close to him until you came back, and then I dared to let the children out.¡±

    When Madisyn said these words, Quentin was both angry and upset, with red eyes.

    He angrily said, ¡°They are all my nephews. I spoil them so much, how could I possibly have any ill intentions towards them?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true, after all, you have hurt Ms. Duffy before,¡± Madisyn said unapologetically.

    201100

    Quentin became even angrier, but he had nothing to say, just looking at me pitifully

    Thinking back, he was also ¡°the young master of the Dully¡¯s vi <b>in </b>the past.

    He was never harsh <b>with </b>his servants, and would reward them at any time when he was pleased.

    At that time, the servants at home really liked <b>him</b><b>. </b>

    The whole family almost ¡°got along with <b>him</b>¡± from top to bottom.

    Madisyn sometimes acted more like a mother, nagging <b>him </b>to drink less and spend less time with his ¡°bad influence¡± friends.

    But now, people were still the same people, and the Duffy¡¯s vi was still the same Duffy¡¯s vi.

    Everything has changed after all.

    Those past memories, when recalled, only bring sadness and irony

    I looked at Quentin faintly and said, ¡°Madisyn is right. It¡¯s better for you not toe in the future. I don¡¯t want my child to be in any danger.¡±

    After hearing this, Quentin¡¯s face showed a hint of hurt.

    He sadly said to me, ¡°Do you also think that I have lost all sense of decency and would hurt my own nephew?¡±

 TOO Close 1298

    ¡°I am your younger sister who you have always pampered since childhood, but haven¡¯t you also hurt me in the <b>same </b>way<i>?</i><i>¡± </i>

    ¡°So, there is nothing that cannot happen in this world.¡±

    Quentin turned his face away sorrowfully, a tear glistening in the corner of his eye.

    A touch of annoyance surged in my heart, and I asked him softly. ¡°What do you suddenlye over for?¡±

    Quentin took a deep breath and turned to me, hesitating for two seconds before speaking, ¡°Kimberly is missing. I can¡¯t reach her on the phone.¡±

    The nurse said, ¡°She went out with you, so¡­¡±

    Without waiting for him to finish, I suddenly chuckled.

    ¡°So, you think I lured her to some remote ce and killed her, right?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that way!¡± Quentin suddenly growled at me.

    Reynaldo frowned and pulled me behind him, saying coldly to him, <i>¡°</i><i>If </i>you want to find your woman, then go find Matthew and Moshe, don¡¯t bother Esmeralda here.¡±

    ¡°Matthew? Moshe?¡±

    Quentin did not know these two people, so when he heard them, he looked confused.

    To be honest, looking at him like this, I really feel sorry for him.

    Chapter1298

    He poured his heart and soul into it, what exactly did he fall <b>in </b><b>love </b>with.

    I told him lightly, ¡°She went out with me to see other men.¡±

    Whether you believe it or not, she was involved with many men

    anyway.

    You couldn¡¯t find her now, maybe she was with some man.

    That man might have been Matthew, might have been Moshe, or perhaps¡­ Zackery¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Quentin interrupted my words with a bitter tone.

    His eyes were red as he said to me, ¡°You just need to tell me where she is, who you took her to see.¡±

    At this moment, Quentin seemed like he didn¡¯t want to hear anything.

    He was just immersed in the lie Kimberly had woven for him.

    Perhaps he himself also knew that there was no turning back.

    My once closest brother has be like this, how could my heart not be moved at all.

    Pushing down the sadness welling up in my heart, I said to him quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is, I only know that she left with Matthew and Moshe in the end.¡±

    As for who Matthew and Moshe were, you can look it up.

    In addition, you should have guessed that she was deliberately avoiding you and deliberately not answering your calls.

    So, it wasn¡¯t me who wanted to take her to see someone, but she

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    Chapter1298

    herself wanted to see those people.

    Anyway, all I can say is this, believe it or not. If you insist that I hid your Kimberly, you cane and kill me, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°Ralda¡­¡­¡±

    Quentin looked at me, a hint of tears in his crimson eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you hid her, I just couldn¡¯t find her. I was so worried, I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    He said, then covered his face, crying suddenly with sadness and suppression.

    To be honest, his appearance really ¡°affects the mood¡°.

    Kimberly harmed so many people, yet he still treated that woman as a treasure, and wept bitterly for her.

    I was thinking, ¡°I really hate it so much.¡±

    I coldly told him, ¡°Since you don¡¯t know what to do, you might as well go die.¡±

    His body suddenly stiffened.

    I ignored him and walked into the house with Roddy.

    Madisyn¡¯s voice came from behind, full of resentment: ¡°You, just for a

    bad woman, have made yourself like this, it¡¯s really not worth it.¡±

    ¡°You think of Ms. Duffy, think of the deceased Mrs. Duffy.¡±

    Quentin didn¡¯t say anything.

 TOO Close 1299

    I mocked in my heart

    If Quentin had considered me and my mom, he wouldn¡¯t he protected Kimberly like that

    In the end, in his eyes, ¡°family is everything ¡±

    Quentin stood alone in the yard for a long<i>, </i>long time, until it waspletely dark, and then he walked out aimlessly

    The warmth inside the house contrasted sharply with his deste figure

    After dinner, Reynaldo sat cross¨Clegged on the nket ying chess with two children.

    After spending time together, the two children became more and more attached to Reynaldo, even more so than they were attached to me

    I sat beside Essic,ughing as they yed.

    The firece next to it crackled.

    Madisyn came over with a pot of brewed tea, poured hot tea into my and Reynaldo¡¯s porcin cups, and the steam wrapped around the tea fragrance wafted up.

    Madisyn had a kind smile on her face as she said, ¡°Today, let¡¯s see who is more impressive, the little ones or you parents.¡±

    Reynaldo slowly unfolded the chessboard on the coffee table

    Essic held up the chess piece excitedly and eximed, ¡°I must be the

    0.00%

    Roddy immediately packed up a chese prace and wan of a knight, waving. ¡°Watch me trap you and the cat

    The sound of chess pieces colliding was crip like a be

    Reynaldo always pretended to calcte the route with and then pretended to always be ambushed by Ese

    As soon as he lost, he exaggeratedly shook his head and mahed making the whole family burst intoughter

    When the moonlight climbed up the windowsill, the ¡°stars <b>and </b>¡°knights¡± on the chessboard were locked in <i>a </i>fierce battle that was hard to <b>distinguish </b>

    The soft light cast warm halos as the shadows of several people ovepped, and steam rose gently from the tea cups.

    Essie was really good at ying chess, she always came in first ce after ying a few rounds, while Reynaldo always ended up inst ce.

    They agreed that whoever <b>won </b>would go and pinch the loser¡¯s nose

    Reynaldo would always lean in and rub his nose against the two children whenever he lost.

    In the end, Reynaldo was at a loss. Essie couldn¡¯t bear to see it, so she sat directly in Reynaldo¡¯sp, holding his big hand<i>, </i>and said in a helpless tone, ¡°Oh, daddy, you are so clumsy. Let Essie teach you<i>¡± </i>

    Iughed so hard next to him and said to Reynaldo, ¡°This is really a criticism from your own daughter.¡±

    Reynaldo chuckled as he patted Essie¡¯s head affectionately, saying,

    ¡°Okay, Essie, teach Daddy, Daddy will definitely win this game.¡±

    Roddy across from me chuckled, ¡°Not necessarily, I¡¯m pretty good <b>at </b>this, I was just going easy on you guys.¡±

    Seeing them having so much fun, I couldn¡¯t help but join in.

    I just haven¡¯t yed chess before, really.

    After a few rounds, the one who lost in mahjong turned out to be me.

    Essie sighed on the side, ¡°Oh, Mommy and Daddy are so silly, Essie wille and teach Mommy.¡±

    After a few games of chess, the living room was filled withughter and cheers.

    Originally, happiness often does note from how fun the game is, but from thepany of family.

    The family yed a chess game until almost nine o¡¯clock. When Madisyn called the two children to go upstairs to wash up and go to bed, they said they hadn¡¯t yed enough yet.

    Reynaldo had to promise them that he would continue to y other games with them tomorrow, and then they obediently went upstairs.

    After the two children followed Madisyn upstairs, the living room instantly quieted down.

 TOO Close 1300

    When I calmed down, those troubling thoughts immediately came to mind.

    Today my n did not seed, Reynaldo got injured again. Quentin also annoyed me a bit, I was feeling a bit frustrated.

    Reynaldo seemed to have noticed my mood.

    As I was tidying up the chessboard, he suddenly came up behind me, hugged me, and whispered to me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, before the New Year, I will take care of all the threats.¡±

    I stared at him and turned back, asking, ¡°What¡­ do you want to do?¡±

    Reynaldo did not answer me, he just pressed his lips against mine and kissed me deeply.

    His kiss was still gentle, but it still carried a hint of dominance.

    With his deep kiss, my thoughts were gradually stripped away.

    I don¡¯t know how long it was before he finally let go of me and my head had already be a mess.

    Sometimes I think, ¡°I¡¯m really unreliable. As soon as he touches me all my thoughts disappear.¡±

    Reynaldo gently rubbed the ends of my hair and chuckled selfly at me. saying, ¡°Alright, stop thinking so much and go to bed early.¡±

    I nodded at him nkly.

    This evening I really didn¡¯t have the energy to think about those things

    <b>Chapter </b>1300

    I just wanted to sleep.

    He smiled and took me upstairs in his arms.

    I slept fairly well that night.

    The next day when I woke up, Reynaldo was still by my side, holding <ol><li>me. </li></ol>

    He seemed to have woken up early, just holding me like that, staring at me without blinking.

    As they got closer, they increasingly found his eyes and eyebrows attractive.

    I couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touch his eyebrows, and jokingly asked him, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping? What are you looking at me for?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I just wanted to see you more.

    The first thing I saw when I woke up was you, which was also a kind of happiness.

    Upon hearing his words, I felt sweet in my heart and couldn¡¯t help but wrap my arms around his waist, saying, ¡°Me too.¡±

    In the inadvertent eye contact, the ambiguous atmosphere suddenly ignited.

    ¡°Esmeralda¡­¡­¡±

    He suddenly shouted at me in a hoarse voice.

    I lowered my gaze to avoid his piercing eyes, and nervously asked, ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    2018

    Chapter) D

    He didn¡¯t say anything, but I felt his breath getting closer <b>and </b>clover that scorching breath slipping down the back of my neck and into my clothes, especially hot.

    I understood too well what he was about to do, and quickly said. ¡°Wait, you¡­ you don¡¯t, you have a wound on your arm.¡±

    I said, wanting to take back my hand that was circling his waist, but <i>he </i>held it firmly.

    He smiled at me and said, ¡°As long as you cooperate, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡±

    With that, he flipped over and pressed down on top of me.

    He looked at me deeply, and in his dark eyes there was tenderness. Just as he had undone my pajamas, there was a knock on the door.

    I thought it was two babiesing to y with me <i>and </i>Reynaldo, so I quickly pushed Reynaldo away and closed my pajamas.

    But what sounded outside the door was Madisyn¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Ms. Duffy, someone brought an invitation for you.¡±

    Invitation?

    I instinctively looked at Reynaldo.

    It¡¯s not another trick yed by Matthew, is it?

    The desire in Reynaldo¡¯s eyes dissipated in an instant.

    He slowly got up, put on his robe, and then walked towards the door.

    It¡¯s just that tall figure, no matter how you look at it, it exudes a cold

    and sinister air.

    212

    The dear opened, and Mga sof spent at The Gourwa

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