131 Keira’s Husband?
Mrs. Olsen was slightly taken aback.
She then realized that if Keira hadn’t left, he was actually just in time.
Taylor frowned. “He’s here now. What’s there to panic
about?”
The nanny smiled awkwardly. “I was just a bit scared,
that’s all.”
Isla snickered. “You’re too timid. How intimidating can her husband be to scare you like that? Dad, Mom, let’s go and see for ourselves.”
She linked her arm through Jake’s and followed behind Taylor and Mrs. Olsen toward the front door.
Once there, they all frowned upon seeing the man i
front of them.
They saw a tall man standing there, wearing work clothes. He was dirty all over and covered in mud. His face was wiped clean, revealing delicate and deep features, but his hair was a mess. He had clearly just
come off a construction site.
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His eyes lit up slightly when he saw them. “Excuse me, is this Keira Olsen’s home?”
Scott Martin was an expatriate who had just returned to Crera to work on real estate projects this year. He didn’t understand Crera’s culture very well, let alone why, when he had knocked on the door and said he wanted to return Keira’s umbrella, the nanny turned and ran upon hearing him.
His Creran was a bit awkward, making it
uncomfortable to listen to.
www
Isla’s frown deepened. “What dialect is that? Why is his accent so heavy?”
Jake also showed a disdainful look.
The man in front of them had a decent face, w deep, thick brows and large eyes. He had a bit of an charm, but his clothes clearly showed he work
construction site…
He hadn’t expected Keira to end up with such a g
No wonder she clung to Lewis and wouldn’t let go.
Though this man was as handsome as Lewis, when it came to family background, they were worlds apart!
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After he and Isla showed their disdain, Mrs. Olsen promptly said, “Yes, are you here to pick up Keira? She’s already left.”
“Left?”
Scott was slightly perplexed. “She’s not here? Sorry, I’ll come another day.”
He nodded and was about to leave when Isla suddenly
said, “Wait a moment.”
Scott turned back and looked at her, puzzled.
Isla approached him. “Hello, I’m Keira’s half-sister. Why don’t we add each other on WhatsApp? It would be easier to contact you in case anything comes up. After all, we’re family now.”
Scott immediately nodded. “Sure, I have WhatsA
He had applied for an account upon returning to country and barely had any contacts.
He happily took out his phone, scanned Isla’s QR co to add her as a friend, and then said in his awkward
Creran, “We can keep in touch anytime.”
“Okay.”
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After leaving his contact information, Scott nodded to Mrs. Olsen and Taylor, then regretfully walked away with the small blue umbrella in hand.
Taylor snorted, “I thought she had married some impressive person. Now we can’t even tell her off as we used to when she was at home. Is this all there is to
her?”
Mrs. Olsen immediately looked at him. “Taylor, don’t judge a book by its cover. Keira and her husband are still young. They have potential for the future!”
Taylor muttered softly, “A common blue collar. What future is there in that?”
Mrs. Olsen wanted to say more, but Isla chuckled. “Dad, you can’t say that. Maybe if Keira is willing to support him financially, he could become a c
in the future, right? Then if we want to renov house, we could hire him.”
Mrs. Olsen immediately frowned. “Isla, watch yo mouth!”
Isla pouted.
ctor
With the drama at the Olsen family over, Isla and Jak
loft in his flamboyant enorte oor
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On their way back, Jake couldn’t help but ask, “Why did
add him as a friend? What kind of interaction
you ac
could we possibly have with such a low-life?”
Isla was busy texting and looked up at him with a smile. after hearing his question. “Tomorrow is Professor Miller’s birthday, and you’re planning to throw him a party, right? You’ve invited many classmates and joked about bringing family members. Keira will definitely be there, so we should make sure her family gets the invitation too, right?”
After saying this, she showed him her phone.
She messaged Scott on WhatsApp. “Tomorrow we have a class reunion. You should come too!”
Scott replied, “Will Keira be there?”
Isla said, “Of course. Why else would I invite yo
Scott said, “Okay, I’ll come too. Smiley face.jpg”
Isla sent him the hotel address. “See you tomorro
Jake immediately understood the implication and sneered.
What did it matter if Keira was Dr. South’s? Her own hard-earned company hadn’t vet gone public and the
O
annual profit was just tens of millions.
In this international metropolis, a decent house alone would cost twenty to thirty million. What could her money possibly amount to?!
And to be married to such a man…
Jake suddenly looked forward to tomorrow’s birthday
party.
Olsen residence.
After seeing everyone off, Mrs. Olsen went upstairs with a distant look in her eyes.
Taylor glanced outside and asked with some confusion, “Where’s Aunt South?”
“Well,” Mrs. Olsen paused for a moment and lie some reason. “I asked her to go buy something
Taylor thought it was some woman’s sanitary ite didn’t inquire further. “I see. I’m going to the study finish some work.”
“Sure, go ahead. I’m fine.”
Mrs. Olsen watched Taylor enter the study, and then
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<
she returned to her own bedroom.
She sat quietly on the sofa, staring blankly into the air.
Because of her poor health, she neglected Isla’s discipline, and now her daughter had become unrecognizable.
It was her fault…
While she was thinking about it, there was noise from outside. Aunt South had returned.
She warmed up herself before going into Mrs. Olsen’s room so as not to bring in the cold air and risk Mrs. Olsen catching a relapse of her cough.
Mrs. Olsen immediately stood up and asked, “How did
the DNA test results turn out?”
132 Show Support
Mrs. Olsen asked with a bit of urgency.
She didn’t know what result she wanted.
She was even less aware of what the future held. All she knew was that she urgently wanted to clarify whether Keira and Taylor were related!
After all, the amniocentesis Poppy had undergone. should have been impossible to fake.
So how could Poppy’s daughter not be Taylor’s
daughter?
Unless…
A thought flickered through her mind.
As Mrs. Olsen was pondering, she heard Aunt South’s
voice.
“Madam, what’s the rush? The normal testing period is three days.”
“Right.”
Mrs. Olsen felt a little disappointed. The epiphany that had sparked in her mind was now gone because of the
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interruption.
Forget it. She would wait for the results.
Keira had no idea that such drama had unfolded at the
Olsen family’s doorstep.
At this moment, she had returned to the small villa in the Horton family compound, to her own bedroom. She had already messaged Lewis to tell him she was back, and there was no need for him to come and pick
her up.
But Lewis hadn’t replied to her message.
At first, Keira didn’t think much of it, but when it was midnight and there was still no message on her WhatsApp, she couldn’t help but glance at her phone.
She was usually a calm person; she never fretted when someone didn’t reply to her messages.
But this time…
Had Lewis run into some trouble?
She suddenly felt a little concerned, so she took out her phone and sent a WhatsApp message to Tom. “Is
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Mr. Horton still busy?”
Tom immediately replied, “Yes, it’s a bit troublesome.”
Keira said, “If there’s anything I can help with, just let
me know.”
Tom said, “Well, this isn’t really something you can
interfere with.”
Keira asked, “Why?”
Tom said, “I dare not say it. You should ask the boss when you have time.”
Keira frowned when she saw the last message.
What kind of matter couldn’t be mentioned?
She slightly tilted her head.
Could it be that Lewis had a mistress on the side?
The thought seemed ridiculous to her.
For some time now, Lewis had been spending almost every evening with old Mrs. Horton, and she was there too. Even when she was slandered as a murderer and locked up, Lewis spent those nights…
Oh, wait, that wasn’t right. The night she was
hornitolized I owic didn’t coma hack all night
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Was there any connection between these two days?
Keira shook her head and decided to stop thinking
about it.
She just lay down and went to sleep.
The next day, Keira slept in until nine o’clock before getting up. Pushing open the door, she saw Fiona and old Mrs. Horton sitting on the couch.
She casually walked over and asked, “Has Mr. Horton gone to work?”
Fiona hesitated.
Keira asked, “What’s the matter?”
Fiona cleared her throat and glanced at old Mrs.
Horton before speaking. “Well, Mr. Horton didn’t come back last night.”
Keira frowned.
She took out her phone, only to find out that her WhatsApp message hadn’t been replied to.
She tensed her jaw.
Old Mrs. Horton immediately picked up her phone upon seeing this. “What’s that brat up to? He didn’t
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come home last night. Doesn’t he know this affects you
two making a baby?”
Keira was speechless.
No sooner had old Mrs. Horton dialed out than a ringtone rang out outside the door.
Everyone looked up to see Lewis stride in.
He appeared to have gone without sleep all night, with a hint of weariness in his eyes and a touch of redness
in his eyes.
He was now pulling out a mobile phone from his pocket, saw it was old Mrs. Horton calling, hung up, and then said, “Sorry, I’m back for a shower and a change of clothes.”
After he hung up, he seemed to notice the message from Keira on WhatsApp, so he looked at her, “Sorry, I didn’t look at my phone last night.”
Too busy to look at his phone all night…
What was he busy with?
Although Keira was somewhat curious, she nodded all
the same.
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She was never one to make a fuss.
Lewis started walking to the bedroom, but then he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked toward
Keira.
She was wearing a casual blazer and slim-fit jeans today, looking more formal than usual-it was clear she was heading out.
He asked, “Are you… going out for something?”
“Yes, it’s…” Keira saw his tired face and swallowed the part about Professor Miller’s birthday. “There’s a bit of a situation at the company. I need to go there for a bit.”
She and Samuel had a company that was recently busy with the IPO, which Lewis knew about, so he nodded and left her with, “If you need help, just ask,” before entering the bedroom.
Keira wasn’t exactly lying.
After having breakfast, she did go to the company where there were documents needing her signature and some work waiting for her attention.
She used to handle these once a week.
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It had been busy recently, and things had piled up quite a bit, so she was busy until half past eleven before heading to Professor Miller’s birthday celebration after finishing up.
Lewis took a quick shower and then lay on the sofa to catch up on a couple of hours of sleep.
He didn’t set an alarm; his strong self-discipline meant he woke up precisely at eleven, changed into a new suit, readied himself, and headed out.
It was then he realized that Isla and Jake were also there, chatting with old Mrs. Horton.
Lewis originally didn’t want to bother with them, but just as he was about to leave, he heard Isla’s voice deliberately raised. “Grandma, later we’re going to Professor Miller’s birthday. Jake and I will attend his celebration. Keira is going too, oh, and her husband is also going.”
Lewis immediately stopped in his tracks.
Her husband was going too?
How come he didn’t know?
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His brows twisted in a frown. He halted, turned to pour a glass of water, and wasn’t in a rush to leave
anymore.
As expected, without him needing to say a word, old Mrs. Horton spoke up. “That brat is going too? Then why didn’t you leave with my granddaughter-in-law!”
Isla said, “Great-grandma, you must be mistaken. Keira isn’t your granddaughter-in-law. She’s married with a husband. Yesterday Jake and I saw him at the Olsen
house!”
Lewis, drinking water, was perplexed.
He suddenly frowned, his gaze turning sharp as he looked at her, a domineering pressure immediately bearing down.
Isla could feel the fury too. Standing up to that
intimidating look, she said, “Mr. Horton, it’s true. Her husband is a construction worker. He works on the building site, and he’ll be going to the class reunion as
well.”
A construction worker? Working on the building site?
Lewis felt like he could hardly breathe. Was this how
thana naonla lankad down on Vaira?
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He suddenly realized that when he asked Keira where she was going today, she had hesitated before
replying… It was obvious that she was worried she might disturb his rest.
He hadn’t accompanied her to the Olsen house last
night, and today’s class reunion was sure to be another affair full of comparisons.
Lewis asked, “Where is the gathering?”
Isla promptly said, “It’s arranged by Jake, at the Emperor Palace Hotel.”
Lewis grabbed his suit jacket and turned to leave.
Getting into the car, the driver asked, “Sir, where to?”
“Emperor Palace Hotel.”
133 Old Classmate
Keira had been dealing with some documents in the office, and by the time she finished, it was already eleven o’clock. Samuel had an engagement at the Emperor Palace Hotel, so the two went together.
Underground parking garage.
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Samuel grabbed the driver’s side door, looking unsurely at Keira. “Boss, are you sure you’re driving?”
Keira raised an eyebrow. “Got a problem?”
Of course, Samuel wouldn’t say anything.
He walked to the passenger seat with great inner conflict, then buckled up his seatbelt with a look of despair.
Keira sat excitedly in the driver’s seat, starting the car.
The intense roaring sound of the sports car echoed in the underground garage, making Samuel cringe and close his eyes.
Then, he felt the car shake violently for a moment before it slowly started moving.
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He wished he could shrink into his seat so no one
would see his face.
Embarrassing!
So embarrassing!
Who would drive a sports car at thirty miles per hour?
He quietly turned his head to look at Keira, who was driving carefully. “Boss, aren’t you in a hurry?”
“Nope.”
Keira said, “The birthday banquet doesn’t start until twelve, and it’s just a five-kilometer journey from here to the Emperor Palace Hotel, An hour is more than enough.”
Samuel twitched the corner of his mouth. “Boss, don’t you think… you’re driving too slowly?”
Keira looked seriously ahead. “It’s much faster than walking. I’m not on a highway, and besides, I lack iron in my system. I usually need to pay attention to safety. What if there’s a car accident?”
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133 Old Classmate
Samuel covered his face, feeling the other cars whizzing past, their curious glances making him want to crawl into a hole in the ground.
The dignity of his sports car had been lost all along the way!
Finally, the car arrived at the Emperor Palace Hotel
parking lot, and Keira got out of the driver’s seat. “Haven’t driven for a long time. The experience was quite nice this time.”
Turning her head and seeing that Samuel hadn’t gotten out of the car, she went around to the passenger side and opened the door. “Mr. Morgan, aren’t you getting
out?”
Samuel twitched the corner of his mouth and then go out of the car, taking the keys Keira threw to him. “I have an appointment with a client at eleven-thirty. I’
off.”
He hurried up the stairs.
Keira went to the elevator entrance and waited for the elevator.
Suddenly, someone spoke up. “Keira Olsen?”
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133 Old Classmate
Keira turned around in surprise, only to see a college peer, Charles Riley, standing next to her, also waiting for the elevator.
When Charles saw her turn around, a flash of shock passed through his eyes. “It really is you!”
Keira nodded, greeting him. “Hello.”
Charles was a bit surprised.
Keira was truly stunning. Even in college where she was a loner and didn’t interact much, she was voted the campus belle. But she rarely communicated with her classmates. Even if someone greeted her, she would just nod and leave as if nothing happened.
It was as if she wouldn’t consider anyone worth her
attention.
But now, she has changed a lot. There seemed to be light in her eyes, which made Charles unable to recognize her for a moment.
However…
Charles glanced a few times toward the sports car parked in the parking lot and then asked, “Haven’t you found a job yet? Graduation was almost two months
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ago, right?”
Keira looked at him blankly. “What?”
Charles pointed at the sports car. “I just saw you get out. Are you working as a designated driver now?”
Keira was perplexed.
Just as she was about to say something, Charles said, “I’ve just joined a really awesome company. Do you know who the head of that company is?”
Keira shook her head.
Charles smiled. “It’s Dr. South! Surprised?”
Keira was indeed quite surprised. “What?”
Charles pointed to the sports car. “You just took that order, right? You don’t even know what you miss That Mr. Morgan who was just here is the person charge of our company, but actually, the boss of c company is Dr. South!”
Charles lifted his chin, his face showing a smile and pride. “Dr. South, eh? Who in the new energy sector doesn’t know him? He’s simply awesome. In these two months at the company, just by looking at internal documents, I’ve learned so much.”
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Keira nodded. “I see.”
Charles looked at her again. “Keira, it’s indeed a bit tough for college graduates to find jobs. I remember you had good grades in college. Do you want me to refer you internally?”
When Keira was in college, she always kept a distance
from Isla.
She strived to minimize her presence.
Therefore, very few of her college classmates knew of her relationship with Isla.
Besides, the worldviews of her college classmates were pretty much set in stone, and most of them had sympathy for the underdog.
Keira felt the kindness in Charles’s offer and smiled. “Thanks, but that won’t be necessary.”
Dazzled by her smile, Charles scratched his head in an honest manner. The bubbly young man didn’t think much about it. He thought she was just being shy, so he immediately said, “Our company is quite hard to get into, but I’ll refer you. Keira, you don’t need to be shy. It’s common for college classmates to ask each other
for referrala”
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133 Old Classmate
The elevator arrived, and the two entered. The elevator doors slowly closed.
Charles continued. “Back in college, I didn’t interact with you much, but we were all classmates. We should get in touch more. Let’s exchange WhatsApp details,
shall we?”
He took out his phone and opened up a QR code, “You
can scan me.”
Faced with such an enthusiastic classmate, Keira hesitated for a moment but eventually scanned and added him as a friend.
Charles saw her friend request and immediately smiled. “Your avatar is the same as Dr. South’s, all yellow. It’s pretty rare to see that kind of avatar.”
Keira said, “…It’s a sunflower
“Really?” Charles opened Keira’s avatar and looked at it closely. “Haha, it really is.”
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Just as he was thinking this, Charles suddenly realized something, and he quickly opened up the company’s WhatsApp group.
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The group owner of the WhatsApp chat group was Dr. South.
Charles had already tried to click on the big boss’s WhatsApp countless times to study it in detail.
Even though on the first day of joining the company, Samuel sternly instructed them not to add Dr. South on WhatsApp privately, curiosity was hard to resist. Unfortunately, Dr. South had disabled the feature to add him through group chat, so ordinary employees in the company could only look longingly at that avatar.
At this moment, Charles couldn’t help but look at that avatar again.
Was it a sunflower?
Because the photo was taken so close, the entire ima was just a field of yellow, so he had never paid attention before.
He tapped on the avatar, wanting to enlarge it for a
closer look.
But as soon as he clicked on it, he discovered…
Huh?!
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How come he and Dr. South were friends?!
He rubbed his eyes, thinking he saw it wrong.
But looking at it again, they definitely were friends.
Charles was stunned, and then he suddenly realized something and abruptly looked up at Keira!
134 Comparison
The elevator arrived. O
Keira stepped out of the elevator and headed toward the reserved private room.
Charles swallowed hard, took a few quick steps, and
came up beside her. He still couldn’t believe it and wanted to confirm something, but he didn’t know what
to say.
It was then he realized that when someone was extremely surprised, they actually couldn’t speak.
Charles pointed to his phone, then pointed at Keira.
Keira smiled at him kindly, and then Charles just followed her into the private room, looking so
dumb.
The Horton family had a solid status in Oceanic Emperor Palace Hotel was a part of Horton Grou enterprises, so it was very easy for Jake to book a private room here.
The large private room featured a huge table that could seat twenty to thirty people.
what
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When Keira entered the room, there were already a dozen or so people inside.
They all just graduated this year, so the discussion wasn’t about trivial family matters but about work.
As soon as Keira and Charles entered, the room quieted down momentarily.
The gaze of the male students all fell on Keira.
After all, during their school days, this seemingly unapproachable beauty was so aloof that the only legends in the class were about her, and the only person who could have a few words with her was Jake.
Keira was the goddess in the hearts of many male students.
Seeing Charles entering with Keira, and noticing that his eyes were somewhat glazed over as he dumbly followed her, it wasn’t until she reached a seat that he suddenly realized something and hurriedly pulled out a chair for her. “Please… please have a seat.”
This was his boss, the owner of the company!
Charles’s actions, however, led to a misunderstanding, and everyone started teasing him.
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134 Compariso
“Charles, what’s your relationship with Keira?”
“How did you come together? Come on, what happened after graduation that we don’t know about?”
Charles panicked and immediately waved his hands. “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Him with Dr. South?!
He wouldn’t!
Leaving these words, Charles took a seat next to Keira.
This was an opportunity to get on good terms with the boss, and he couldn’t let it slip by.
Next to them was a young woman named Erin Davis. She had kept an eye on them since they entered the room. She had always liked Charles during colle They were WhatsApp friends and had been in f touch over the past two months, but nothing wa settled yet.
Now, Charles’s attentive gesture to Keira was more
than Erin could bear.
She spoke in a sarcastic tone. “Keira, I heard from Isla that you hadn’t found a job yet.”
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Keira raised an eyebrow and looked at her without saying a word.
Erin continued. “You don’t have to feel embarrassed. There are so many classmates here today. If you haven’t found a job, you can ask everyone to introduce you to one. Oh, our receptionist just quit, and we’re hiring. Do you want to give it a try?”
Keira frowned.
Charles then spoke up. “Don’t be ridiculous. How could D… I mean, how could Keira possibly work as a receptionist!”
Erin scoffed. “What? Do you look down on receptionists? It’s a proper job! And do you think being a receptionist is so easy?”
Charles immediately said, “That’s not what I meant, Keira… the field she studied doesn’t match with being
receptionist!”
“But she hasn’t been able to find a job. Maybe because her grades in her major weren’t that good, right? Keira has one advantage, though; she’s pretty and could be the face of the company. I’m thinking of her best. interests. After all, it’s been more than two months
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since graduation. Doesn’t Keira feel the pressure to earn a living?”
Keira frowned and snorted. “I don’t need you to worry
about my affairs.”
She knew that at a class reunion like this, she was
bound to encounter ostracism.
After all, when Isla transferred to her department in the university, she had indeed spurred the other girls to isolate Keira.
But today was Professor Miller’s birthday; he was like a teacher and a father to her, so she had to be here.
Keira carried an air of aloofness. With her words, Erin was speechless and seemed a bit angry as she said condescendingly, “I overstepped. I was just worried that you were struggling to find a job. Since you’re ungrateful, I’ll just drop it!”
A young man also thought Keira’s attitude a bit inappropriate, so he frowned and said, “We’re all classmates here. Maybe the tone of our conversation isn’t the best, but it’s for your own good, Keira. There’s no need to be so dismissive, right?”
Erin pretended to be apologetic. “Don’t say that. I
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shouldn’t have brought it up at the reunion. After all, this is Keira’s private matter, and it was indeed embarrassing for her. Keira, if you’re really bothered by this, then I apologize.”
The young man let out a cold laugh. “I don’t understand why we can’t talk about this at a class reunion. Isn’t this a fact? Is it all about saving face without asking for help? Keira, sometimes in life, you shouldn’t care about such ethereal things too much. It’s better to be down-to-earth!”
Keira was perplexed,
Her gaze became even colder. “Sometimes, the best thing to do is not to meddle in others’ business, right?”
“You!”
The young man was angry and pointed at her. He on managed to say one word before Erin grabbed his ar “Okay, okay, let’s not talk about this anymore. Next topic?”
The man scoffed, “She really doesn’t appreciate good intentions!”
Seeing she had the upper hand, Erin laughed and changed the subiect. “Actually talking about iobs.
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among us, Charles found the best job! Do you know who he’s working under?”
Everyone became curious all at once. “Who?”
Erin looked at Keira and asked, “Keira, do you know?”
Keira didn’t know what to say.
She didn’t understand why this person suddenly called her out; she simply took a sip of her tea, glanced at Charles, and said, “I’m not too sure.”
Erin immediately laughed. “Hasn’t Charles told you? He works under Dr. South!”
As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned, and then they turned toward Charles with curiosity, bombarding him with questions.
“Is Dr. South a man or a woman?”
“What kind of question is that? Definitely a man, a cultured and scholarly middle-aged man!”
“Charles, have you met Dr. South in person? Can you get me his autograph?”
“My gosh, to think a classmate of mine works under Dr. South. I’ll be proud to tell everyone about it!”
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“Charles, come on, tell us about Dr. South’s work!”
“Even if you can’t reveal Dr. South’s private matters, you can talk about your new research projects!”
Charles, who was already impatient with everyone ridiculing Keira, immediately turned to her upon hearing this. “Dr. South is not as far away as you think, but rather right before your eyes.”
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135 True Identity
When Charles made this statement, everyone was stunned and looked at him in confusion.
“What do you mean? Will Dr. South come today?”
Charles couldn’t help but feel a vague sense of exhilaration.
It was as though a maestro was right beside them, yet these people were blissfully unaware.
He was about to say something…
Keira gave him a fleeting glance.
Even though she didn’t speak, Charles immediately understood.
Dr. South had kept her information so confidential because she didn’t want to be exposed.
Thinking about it, he could understand why.
With so many classmates here, all involved in new
energy, if they knew she was Dr. South, Keira would never have a moment’s peace.
He coughed and frowned, saying, “Is Dr. South’s
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business something you can inquire about? Honestly, I just met Dr. South in person today myself!”
That’s how cheeky boys often talked, and it sparked laughter among the crowd.
“Right, right, we’re not worthy of inquiring…”
“Dr. South is now the top expert in our industry. Our company has always wanted to cooperate with him, but Mr. Morgan from your company is impenetrable. No matter how many gifts our boss has sent him, it’s
been no use.”
“Your Mr. Morgan is pretty slick, too…”
The conversation veered off as everyone started to complain about their bosses and corporate life, including someone who said, “Interns at our company have absolutely no rights! They spend their days
buying coffee for the staff, dealing with printing, doing grunt work – it’s ridiculous!”
“Same with us, but I don’t indulge them. I’m a graduate of Oceanion University, so why should I do menial tasks for them? They don’t pay me double the salary!”
“Hahaha, looks like college graduates are reforming the
workplace!”
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Amidst the lively discussion, more people continued to
arrive.
They were old classmates, each joining in the chat.
Keira was low-key and didn’t talk much. She was soon overlooked by others, which she found rather pleasant.
After a while, most of the classmates almost arrived. High-profile individuals like Jake and Isla finally made
their entrance.
The moment the two appeared at the entrance, everyone immediately stood up.
“Mr. Horton is here!”
“Whoa, today we’re feasting in such a fancy hotel, and
it’s all thanks to Mr. Horton!”
“I hesitated at the door and hardly dared to come in.
It’s so luxurious – how much would a meal here cost?”
“You don’t know? This hotel is owned by the Horton family. Mr. Horton is treating us to dinner, and it probably doesn’t cost him a thing!”
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The crowd jested playfully, each chiming in as they gathered around Jake, escorting him to the table and offering him a seat next to the place of honor.
Seeing these old classmates, Jake felt a tinge of nostalgia for the innocent days of college, and the austerity in his eyes seemed to lessen for a moment.
Isla was like a perfect ornament, gracefully sitting next to him, arm in arm.
After he and Isla sat down, he looked around and asked, “What’s everyone talking about?”
“Hey, aren’t we just discussing work? It’s been two months since graduation, and most of us have found jobs or have been admitted to grad school…”
Jake took the opportunity to speak. “Well, if ther anything work-related that I can help with, just le
know.”
Someone immediately laughed and said, “Forget it. Who doesn’t know that the Horton Group only hires masters and doctoral graduates? We’re only
undergraduates. Even if we got in through your
connections we would only amharrage von if we can’t
C
do the job well!”
“Hahaha, we don’t want to struggle at the Horton Group. There’s no way we can keep up!”
While everyone was laughing, Erin shifted her glance and suddenly said, “Speaking of which, there’s actually someone among us who hasn’t found a job yet. Mr. Horton, do you remember Keira? Maybe you could help her out?”
Erin and Isla still kept in touch, but not much.
By bringing this up, her intention was to embarrass
Keira.
Everyone knew that during college, Jake pursued Keira for four whole years! It had started from the first year, and the entire college knew about it.
Unfortunately, at the graduation ceremony, Jake held bouquet of flowers but proposed to Isla instead.
Erin felt that mentioning this was an insult to Keira.
But as soon as she said this, she failed to notice both Jake and Isla’s expressions stiffen momentarily.
Give Keira a job at the Horton Group?
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Dr. South didn’t need a job referral. Not only that, but Isla was currently hell-bent on getting Keira out of the Horton family. How could she possibly allow Keira to become even more entangled with the Horton family?
Isla, displeased, looked down and said nothing.
Jake also abruptly clenched his fists, his gaze falling on
Keira.
But Charles couldn’t listen to this anymore. “Erin, what’s wrong with you? Why are you always targeting Keira? You know perfectly well what happened
between Keira and Mr. Horton. Is it fun for you to deliberately bring it up?”
Charles’s blunt words made everyone at the table look disapprovingly at Erin.
If Erin had initially appeared to be concerned about her classmate, now it was crystal clear to everyone that she was targeting Keira.
Reprimanded by Charles, Erin felt a wave of mortification, and anger rose in her chest. She bit her lip in fury as she glared at him, then snapped angrily. “I just think Keira is the worst off among us, and I wanted Mr. Horton to help her out for old time’s sake!
O
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She probably wouldn’t dare to ask for help herself! What’s wrong with that?”
Although few people believed her, someone still
stepped up to mediate. “Okay, that’s enough. Let’s stop there. Charles, really, we’re having a reunion. Why are
you so sensitive?”
That made Erin instantly feel wronged, and tears welled up in her. She looked at Keira, who sat there as if it had nothing to do with her and sneered. “Exactly, what’s with all the fuss, Charles? If others didn’t know
better, they might think you’re hooking up with Keira!”
Charles was astonished.
He was taken aback and immediately exclaimed, “How am I worthy! Don’t be ridiculous!”
His words further agitated Erin.
She liked Charles, but he just said he was unworthy of
Keira. Didn’t that mean she ranked below Keira?!
Erin immediately sneered. “How are you not worthy? I heard Keira’s master’s degree recommendation was canceled, and now she hasn’t gone on to grad school, nor found a job. She’s always been working part-time all through college right? And now without a proner
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O
job, she’s just relying on her looks. What use is that? No wonder Mr. Horton didn’t choose her in the end! Look at Isla. She was admitted to Dr. South’s graduate program! Charles, don’t think you’re any better just because you work under Dr. South! Isla is Dr. South’s graduate student. Has she ever boasted or been
arrogant?”
Isla was shocked.
She immediately clenched her fists, wishing she could silence Erin!
It was true that after Keira’s identity as Dr. South was revealed, she accepted an offer from Oceanion University, but the graduate program was left behind.
Bringing up that now was so embarrassing!
She was about to change the subject when Charles already looked at Keira with surprise, asking, “Dr. South, did you accept Isla as your graduate student?!”
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Charles was truly shocked.
Isla and Keira had always had a strained relationship at the university; it was something everyone vaguely sensed.
They just didn’t know why.
Later at the graduation ceremony, when Jake proposed to Isla, it led everyone to speculate that the two women had tensions because of a man.
So, why had Dr. South taken on Isla as her research
student?
Without thinking, he blurted out the question.
And with those words, everyone at the dinner table turned to look at him, their eyes wide with shock.
Someone couldn’t help but ask hesitantly, “Charles, what did you just say?”
Charles was speechless.
Isla smiled. “Yesterday, there was a light rain, but Keira had cars to pick her up and drop her off. She wouldn’t need an umbrella. You’re way too anxious about her… Keira, although your husband’s job isn’t great, he really does care about you. It’s not very nice of you to treat
him like this”
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138 Here He Comes
Her tone of reproach was as though Keira had let
down Scott.
Keira was utterly baffled. “I honestly don’t know him.”
Scott immediately waved his hands in apology/ “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this was the situation. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come looking for you. I am truly not Miss Keira’s husband; please, everyone, don’t misunderstand her, my apologies!”
However, the more he said this, the more the people around them were convinced.
Who hadn’t seen one or two TV dramas before?
Children were ashamed of their parents picking up trash or collecting bottles at school and would pretend not to recognize them. The audience knew this plot all
too well!
At this moment, Scott looked just as pitiable as those parents who didn’t dare acknowledge their own
children.
Everyone began to speak.
“Keira, every profession deserves respect. Without people like your husband, there would be no high-rise
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138 Here He Comes
buildings for us to live in. You shouldn’t look down on
him.”
“Dr. South, it’s really okay for you to admit it. After all, you have your own status here, you don’t need to marry someone so amazing anymore. You’re a tycoon on your own! You have a gigolo, but we won’t say anything…”
“Dr. South’s husband indeed looks very handsome, and he doesn’t rely on marrying Dr. South or living off a woman. He continues to work outside, making a living
with his own hands, so he can’t be bad…”
Charles was also baffled.
The company was recently preparing to go public. He was aware of that, and not long ago, when he went to report to Mr. Morgan, he had overheard a
conversation.
It was about how Dr. South would marry someone- anyone-just to help with the company’s IPO.
So Dr. South and Scott really were husband and wife,
right?
They must be a contractual couple…
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But seeing Scott’s expression, it was clear that he was deeply in love with Keira, while she was very cold to
him.
Even though he understood the marriage was for show, Charles still felt Keira was being too harsh. Not yet sure of the truth, he kept silent.
Erin then said sarcastically, “Keira, you say he’s not your husband, but do you have any proof? Unless you call your actual husband over here and show us your marriage certificate, otherwise, stop putting on this
act here!”
Just as she finished speaking, the door to the Purple Bamboo Garden Room was pushed open, and Lewis
strode in!
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Ch.138
Everyone turned their heads to see Lewis and were
stunned.
Someone who didn’t know who that was asked, “Who
is this?”
The person next to them immediately replied, “That’s Jake’s uncle, the current man in charge of the Horton family! I saw him on the financial news channel just a few days ago…”
No sooner had they finished explaining than Professor Miller stood up, exclaiming in surprise. “Mr. Horton?”
The Horton Group gave a substantial amount of support to Oceanion University’s labs every year, and now that Professor Miller had become the dean of the Energy College, of course, he had dealt with Lewis before.
As he stood up, the others immediately followed suit.
Jake and Isla exchanged glances and both smiled.
What a large-scale adultery bust!
Jake looked down and politely called out, “Uncle, what
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brings you here?”
Lewis glanced at Keira and Scott before looking away and said in a deep voice, “I heard it’s Professor Miller’s birthday, and I happened to be in the area, so I came to have a look. Why? Am I not welcome?”
“How could that be!”
Jake gestured toward Keira’s seat. “Uncle, please take a
seat.”
The seat of honor belonged to Professor Miller, who as today’s birthday star and elder, couldn’t possibly give up his seat. Given Lewis’s status, Keira immediately moved down one spot.
Lewis walked over without ceremony and sat between
her and Professor Miller.
Upon seeing this, Isla cheerfully said, “Mr. Martin, what are you waiting for? Please, take a seat.”
Scott, hearing this, gave Keira a look, thought for a moment, and sat next to her. The classmate who had been sitting next to Keira immediately stood up and vacated his seat, allowing Scott to sit down without
hesitation.
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And so…
Keira found herself sandwiched between Scott and
Lewis.
Keira, suddenly feeling a chill coming from Lewis, was puzzled.
She looked at Lewis, bemused.
Just as she was about to ask why he came over, Professor Miller spoke first. “Keira, didn’t you have some misunderstanding with Mr. Horton before? Has it been resolved now?”
Keira smiled. “Yes.”
“That’s good to hear.” Professor Miller sighed in relief.
Even though Keira was Dr. South, she was merely a research staff, and for the Hortons, the wealthiest family in Oceanion, snuffing her out was as simple as lifting a finger.
Professor Miller then turned to Lewis. “Mr. Horton, it’s good that you’re here. I have some experimental data that I was just about to report to the Horton Group…”
He began to talk to Lewis.
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This left Keira with no chance to inquire further. She sighed in resignation and suddenly felt a tug at her
sleeve.
Keira turned her head to see Scott looking at her.
The man’s expression was warm and smiling. “Miss Olsen, do you remember who I am now? Could we add each other on WhatsApp?”
Keira had already figured out what was going on.
This man had no ill intent. He was called over for no reason, and considering he had taken time off from his construction site to come here, Keira found it difficult to refuse outright, so she merely nodded and took out her phone.
Scott scanned her QR code and sent a WhatsApp
request.
Not far from them, Charles saw what happened and immediately said, “Did you see that? Dr. South and this gentleman just added each other on WhatsApp. They really didn’t know each other!”
Erin couldn’t stand him speaking up for Keira and immediately scoffed. “Brown-noser, you’re so eager to
clear things un for your hood What? Is she going to
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give you a promotion and raise?”
Charles said, “You….!”
Erin instantly turned her gaze to Keira. “Who can’t act? It’s just a scan of a code.”
However, Charles had already believed Keira, and at the same time, he had realized something. Even if she really wanted a temporary, there was no need for her to marry a construction worker from a job site.
He hadn’t spoken yet when a male student beside them spoke up. “Erin, that’s enough. Targeting Keira over and over today is indeed too much! I also think that Keira wouldn’t marry a migrant worker. In college,
she didn’t even give Mr. Horton….”
The words “a second thought” were forcibly swallowed
down.
He gave a sheepish smile.
Jake’s gaze, however, turned gloomy.
Erin snorted. “She was just putting on airs, right? Later, she wanted him, but Mr. Horton didn’t want her. I remember sitting behind Keira at the graduation ceremony. When I saw Lewis proposing to Isla, Keira’s
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eyes widened! Do you think she really didn’t want it? She just couldn’t have it!”
Upon hearing this, Jake was slightly startled and suddenly turned his gaze toward Keira.
Did Erin’s words mean… that if the surprise he had prepared for Keira at graduation had been given to her, she would have accepted his love?!
Jake had pursued her for four years, always feeling like
he had no chance.
The final act was merely to draw a conclusion for
himself.
3
It never occurred to him that she would be an illegitimate daughter. Upon learning of this, he was furious, yet all the surprises had already been arranged, and his classmates were ready to play along Out of desperation, he intentionally chose Isla.
For a moment, Jake didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh.
She had cared about him at one point!
But what of it?!
Her background doomed her to be someone he could
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never truly consider.
His mother would never allow him to marry an
illegitimate daughter!
Jake steeled himself, and when he looked up again, the bewilderment in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a more forbidding air.
Erin continued. “Isla comes from a wealthy family and has a well-matched marriage with Mr. Horton. The two together make a powerful union. And what is Keira?”
Charles sneered. “Keira is my boss, Dr. South! What do you think? Certainly better than someone like you, right? But would you go for a migrant worker as a
husband?”
Erin was speechless.
And just then, Isla suddenly spoke up. “Actually, I’m also puzzled, Keira. Why would you choose such a person? When he came to visit yesterday, Dad and
She deliberately emphasized this sentence, leading Erin to question in confusion. “Isla, you’ve been saying all along that she went to your place. Why would she
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take her husband there?”
Isla immediately showed a look of embarrassment. “That… Well, Keira, I’m sorry, I let it slip by accident…”
Keira suddenly tensed up.
Beside her, Lewis’s gaze darkened. Just as he was about to speak, Keira suddenly grabbed his hand under the
table.
Lewis was taken aback, then saw Keira slowly raise her
head.
Her back was straight, her eyes shifting from despair
to a slow determination.
Her identity had always been a pain she didn’t want to talk about, but she knew she had to learn to face it
openly.
Keira began to speak, enunciating each word deliberately. “Because I am the Olsen family’s illegitimate daughter.”
Although Keira knew that she wasn’t Taylor’s daughter, she was indeed raised as the illegitimate daughter of the Olsen family
In the past, she cared a lot about this and even felt
that her blood was tainted.
Under Poppy’s relentless brainwashing, she felt she had let down the Olsen family and Isla.
She recalled that when she was going to leave the Olsen family, Poppy wouldn’t let her go and wanted her to slave away for the family. She knelt for ten grueling hours.
At thirteen years old, she dressed in thin clothes, kneeling in the cold winter.
After a full ten hours, she stubbornly looked at Poppy and asked, “Can I now leave the Olsen family?”
Ever since then, she never brought up her own identity
again.
Jake accused her of deceiving him and keeping it from him, but in reality, she didn’t intentionally hide it. She
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140 Husband
just didn’t know how to break the news. She had already decided, back then, that if Jake confessed his love to her by graduation, she would reveal her identity.
Looking back now, she suddenly felt that her past twenty-something years were actually confined by
Poppy.
Poppy crafted a cage called “illegitimate daughter” and firmly bound her within it.
But how important was a person’s background, really?
Keira had already come to terms with it. She just hadn’t learned to face it openly.
Now, she was finally able to face it.
|| ||
The whole private room was silent.
Everyone looked at Keira with disbelief, then turned toward Isla and began whispering among themselves:
“Oh my God, are they actually sisters?”
“What sisters? That’s an illegitimate daughter, which means Keira’s mother is ‘the other woman’! If I were
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Isla, I would hate her to death, right?”
“But it doesn’t seem like it, right? Keira has always been working hard on work-study programs. I heard she earned her tuition by working part-time…”
While a few people were whispering among themselves, Erin suddenly realized something and burst out loudly. “Keira, so that’s what you are. Why didn’t you tell everyone?! Your background is just disgusting! Your mom is the mistress, isn’t she? She wrecked another family, and you yourself are a vixen, seducing every man. How could I have a classmate like
you?!”
She turned to Isla. “Isla, aren’t you too kind to her? Why didn’t you speak up about this earlier?”
Back in primary and middle school, Isla would stir things up so that all her classmates knew, and at that age, children knew that stepmothers and mistresses- were the scariest, which would make them detest
Keira.
But since high school, that trick no longer worked.
After all, there were few people like Erin who harbored personal prejudices against Keira, and most
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were…
“This is the 21st century already. Is there still anyone who judges others by their background? What’s the matter? You’re so arrogant! Is your family royalty or what?”
“That’s so funny. My ancestors are relatives of aristocrats, but am I arrogant? What’s wrong with someone’s background? Can a person choose their own parents?”
“Really? You’re a descendant of a noble family?”
“Can’t you tell a joke? Go away…”
A few people couldn’t stand Erin’s attack and shot back
at her.
“Heroes are not judged by their origins, and whatever Keira’s background may be, it isn’t something she chose. As long as she’s outstanding in her own right, who would bother asking about her origins?”
“Speaking of origins, if we dig three generations back, who isn’t descended from humble beginnings?!”
“Erin, how great is your background? What do your parents do? Does your family own a palace?”
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Erin was struck speechless by the questions. She then retorted angrily, “You’ve all been bewitched by that seductress, haven’t you? All the boys are speaking up for her! Unbelievable!”
Her words enraged the silent female classmates.
The girls spoke less not because they were less straightforward than the boys, nor did they rant and rave like them. But now that they were called out, they started chattering.
“Erin, you’ve gone too far! We’re all classmates, and even though Keira might have been a bit reclusive at school, she’s actually got a nice personality! There was a time when I was on duty and couldn’t reach something up high, and it was Keira who helped me!” said a petite girl.
Another voice chimed in. “I think you’re just jealous because you like Charles, but he’s always speaking up for Dr. South. Don’t make it about boys and girls. People are annoyed with you, regardless of gender because of the way you act!”
“Exactly, you think you’re so great, that your background is so superior. Can you surpass Dr. South
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in terms of research achievements?”
Everyone was denouncing Erin.
Isla watched from the side, lowered her gaze, and let out a cold laugh.
See, if she told the truth, she would end up just like
Erin…
Watching Erin about to be reduced to tears by the crowd’s scolding, Isla said, “I agree with you guys. So Keira, you really shouldn’t just marry someone at random because of your background… You should ask Dad for his opinion… Dad was very upset and felt sorry for you when he saw your husband yesterday…”
At these words, Erin suddenly found a new angle attack. She stood up abruptly as if this posture w give her an advantage over everyone else!
She let out a cold laugh and then confronted the me who had just spoken. “You say you don’t care about family backgrounds, but would you really be willing to marry her?”
All those men were immediately at a loss for words.
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Erin sneered. “Her mother is a notorious
homewrecker. A daughter born from such a woman is bound to be lascivious by nature. Aren’t you afraid she’ll make a cuckold out of you someday? Moreover, if your relatives and friends ask about your wife’s family, what will you say? Marriage isn’t just between two people but between two families. Can you honestly say that your parents, knowing her circumstances, would agree you to marry her?”
Her words left most of the men dumbfounded.
Everyone had just graduated. Who was thinking about marriage yet?
Erin then let out a defiant laugh. “Ha! None of you dare to guarantee that you could marry her for sure, do you? With her kind background, which decent family would accept her?
“Whoever marries her will be a laughingstock! Mr. Horton liked her so much that he pursued her for four whole years, but isn’t it for this very reason that he
didn’t end up with her? Even someone like Mr. Horton couldn’t settle the problem, so what makes you think you could?”
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Erin then turned to Scott. “So, she just randomly
picked a construction worker, right? Only someone of that status wouldn’t mind her background! After all, an illegitimate daughter can only be matched with a
lowlife!”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Isla smiled triumphantly at this turn of events.
That was exactly the effect she wanted!
Keira was really that shameful, huh? No matter how impressive she was, she could only match up with a
construction worker!
Just as this thought crossed her mind, a deep voice from Lewis broke the silence. “Have you said enough?”
Everyone turned to look at him, only to see the man deep gaze and hear his calm voice. “Who says her
husband is a construction worker?”
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