"This is for you," Kirk said. Their marriage was a contractual one. There was nothing besides a marriage certificate to prove it. However, after spending time with Caroline for the past few days, Kirk felt that he did not treat her well enough. So now, he was giving her a small gift. Caroline accepted the box and opened it carefully. She was stunned at what she saw; in the box sat an emerald bracelet with a bluish-green hue to it. She knew it was a prized emerald just by looking at it. It was cold and comfortable to the touch, and Caroline loved it. However, when she thought of its price …"This must cost a fortune. It's better if you'd return it," she said with reluctance. "It's not expensive." Kirk plucked the bracelet from Caroline's hands and helped her to put it on. It fit snugly and perfectly on her wrist. Her wrist was slender as it was, and the bracelet gave her an air of exquisiteness. Kirk could not help but stare at her. But then, Caroline became anxious and started
In the store, a woman in an elaborate dress sat at the counter trying on different bracelets. Gwen saw her and, disgusted, she exclaimed, "It's Brie Collins!" Caroline's hands balled into fists immediately.The Collinses had devised the downfall of the Evanses many years ago. After that, the Collinses took over her family's place as one of the four most influential families in the city. However, they were different from the other families with considerable lineage because, being nouveau riche, they did not have concrete support or power. So others often criticized them, notably after Caroline returned to the country.As the heiress of the Morrisons, Caroline had gone through rigorous etiquette training since birth. Regardless of the size of any event, she always appeared elegant and poised. However, the children of the Collins family were different and often made a fool of themselves in the eyes of the media. Even Brie Collins, the favorite daughter of Howard Collins—the head of th
Caroline smiled and held Gwen's hands gently in hers. "I believe in him!" she said. This was not only a bet with Brie but also a bet on Kirk. This time, she would see whether her hopes were placed on the right person. With the help of the shopkeeper, Caroline finally managed to take the bracelet off. Mr. York had finally arrived too. He put on some gloves, gently took the bracelet in his hands, and inspected it thoroughly. As they looked on, Brie muttered gleefully, "Caroline Evans, you're going broke today." Caroline ignored her and kept her eyes on Mr. York. After a moment, he put down the bracelet. His eyebrows were knitted together tightly. Hastily, Caroline asked, "Mr. York, is something wrong?" The appraiser was silent. Brie sauntered to the counter. "Mr. York, you're a professional in this field. Tell us the truth if it's counterfeit. You shouldn't keep quiet just because she's supposed to marry Eddy Morrison. Mr. York wore a stern expression. "That's not it, Ms. Collins
Once again, Gwen's imagination rendered Caroline speechless. "If he truly is some rich man's son, why would he marry me so quickly?" Gwen scratched her head, searching for an answer that never came to her. Caroline smiled, amused. "Fine. I'll ask him about it when I go back home. Then we'll get our answer." "Oh, right," Gwen said, beaming. After the two of them said goodbye, Caroline gave Kirk a call. "Let's have dinner together tonight." Even though they were married, they stayed in their respective homes. Strictly speaking, they had never even had lunch or dinner together. "Sure," Kirk replied, the corner of his lips already tilting upward in a smile. "Well then, come to my house. What do you want for dinner? I'll go buy the ingredients to make it." "Just cook something you like." Eddy's face suddenly popped into her mind. Whenever she made dinner for him over the past eight years, he would always list out the dishes that he wanted. He never asked her about the food she l
"It proves just how good he is at his job. So, what did you make for us today?" Kirk changed the topic so flawlessly that Caroline did not notice it and went ahead introducing the food she made. Kirk volunteered to do the dishes after enjoying the scrumptious food she prepared. Caroline had nothing to do, so she took out her computer and searched for a movie to watch. She picked a comedy and completely forgot that another human being was present in her home as she indulged herself in the movie. When Kirk emerged from the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of Caroline sitting on the carpet in an unladylike fashion, laughing her head off. In that instant, she did not look like the elegant and poised Ms. Evans that she usually appeared to be. Abruptly, Kirk was reminded of the time when Caroline was still Eddy Morrison's fiancée. He once flipped through an album of young Caroline attending events held by the Morrisons. She had always looked prim and proper in those pictures, as th
"Why don't you spend your time being a pushy parent on improving yourself instead?" Sarah recognized Kirk's voice right away. Raising her voice, she said, "My family's affairs are none of your business! Where are you two? Don't you dare tell me you're at Caroline's!""Don't you worry." Kirk had a bad impression of his mother-in-law. His voice dripped with bitterness. "If Caroline's your daughter, stop telling her to marry Eddy Morrison. She doesn't like hearing it, and neither do I." Sarah snorted derisively. "How dare you compare yourself with Eddy. He's the most influential figure in Osbury. In Easton, no one could—" Kirk hung up instantly. Caroline noticed his pursed lips and thought that he had gotten pissed off again. This time though, she was not afraid of him. On the contrary, she felt something warm spread in her chest. "Thank you," she said. Kirk looked up from the phone and was met with her clear, pristine gaze. He wanted to say something, but the words lodged in hi
Caroline was thunderstruck. "How can the company still be so intertwined with Morrison Corporation after so many years of in the business?" She had always thought the Evans Group had long since broken free from Morrison Corp's influence. Even if they had help from Morrison Corp, it was just the occasional business deal recommendation. Dan's face became flushed. The Evans Group had indeed contemplated becoming independent of Morrison Corporation, but the competition was too fierce. If they lost Morrison Corp's support, it would already be a miracle if they didn't suffer a loss. Earning money would be out of the question. Caroline let out an abrupt laugh. No wonder her father was so determined to kiss up to those big guns."Carrie, I don't want it to be this way either. Only you can save me now. I'm sure you wouldn't want the Evans family to be ruined either, would you?" Caroline said through her tears, "So you're willing to sacrifice me for the family?" Dan dared not meet her gaz
Without even looking up, Eddy said, "You should be at City Hall right now." Caroline took a deep breath and sat down opposite him. "I won't divorce if you're going to divest," she said. Eddy looked up and smiled. "Caroline, do you know what you're saying?""Of course I am," said Caroline calmly. "I only found out today that the Evans family is only still standing on its feet thanks to the Morrison family's support. It's indeed reasonable for you to ask for one of my kidneys." She lowered her head and her red lips formed a smile. "But, if you want me to die so that you can be with Layla, that's too much."Eddy frowned. "Caroline, don't put words in my mouth. When did I say I wanted you to die—" Caroline waved a hand and cut him off. "The money spent on the Evans Group is yours. There's nothing wrong with you wanting to divest, but at least give my family a chance to do something about it. I've done the math. As long as the company has 50 million in its accounts, that will be eno