《Mr. Billionaire Boundless Love》


 Chapter 1: To Get A Divorce

    To get back at her cheating boyfriend, Selene seduced and married his hot boss. However¨C


    Selene would never have thought that she would end up going to court twice in a single year someday. And she also could never have expected that it would be for divorce.


    Yes, today, she came to the court to file for divorce for a second time.


    The same thing happened as the first time she hade to court. She still came by herself without awyer or friends. Clint Denovan, the man she was divorcing, was not present. Instead, hiswyer, Matthew Ronald, was in attendance.


    Selene had researched thewyer¡¯s background and found that thewyer was famous for divorcewsuits in this city. To be more specific, he only worked with divorcewsuits for rich businessmen and sessfully helped his clients get divorced from their first wives without any property damage.


    All in all, thiswyer was notorious in his field.


    At the sight of thewyer, she thought that her husband must have hired him to protect his wealth, expecting her to fight over his huge property.


    Then she looked carefully at the documents in front of her. The only divorce was mentioned, and it clearly read that she would not get any of his assets.


    Also, to her surprise, the reason why Clint Denovan had hired thewyer was to persuade the judge to disallow their divorce.


    Selene sat at the court and reminded herself of the scene that had happened there several months ago. At that time, thewyer had emotionally and reasonably read out words written by his client in an attempt to save their marriage.


    His reasonable logic and sincere words seemingly touched the judge, who decisively disallowed their divorce. He asked Selene to get along with her husband and wished them a happy and longsting marriage.


    It took Selene a long time to realize what really happened between her and Clint. She was aware that a longsting marriage would never happen between them.


    So, she went to court again to get a divorce.


    As she went there for a second time, she had pondered a great deal of time about their divorce. Nowadays, divorce is verymon in their city, and the rate of divorce has soared to 30%. Because of this, she believed that what she was dealing with was just a small andmon case.


    Of course, she also knew that it wasmon among such cases that couples would sessfully get divorced on their second visit to the court, which would make that oue a certainty for herself as well. Usually, the court would refuse requests for divorce for couples on their first visit.


    Therefore, Selene felt very confident that she would sessfully divorce Clint this time.


    Though thewyer Matthew had a silver tongue and cited many examples to persuade the judge that the couple should not get divorced, when he read the words written by her husband, Selene thought it was ridiculous for the defendant¡¯s words to be exactly the same as what he had read before.


    The defense was that Clint considered the marriage holy, and he had profound respect for it and his wife. Clint maintained that the reason for their inharmonious rtionship was that they had just got married in a sh and had different personalities, and he would like to work on it together with Selene to keep their marriage.


    At first, Selene was touched by her husband¡¯s legal defense and, for a brief moment, believed that it was an urate representation of his thoughts on the matter. But this time, she realized that they were most likely written by thewyer or his assistant.


    And the judge seemingly had a simr opinion.


    The judge knew that there was no reason to keep them as a couple anymore, as the woman had filed for divorce twice in a year and had shown him evidence that they had been separated for several months. Moreover, she did not ask for alimony.


    As the divorcewsuit involved no property controversy, it was very easy to put it to an end.


    Selene felt that now that she was divorced, her life was again on the right track.


    Matthew Ronald, thewyer, had also predicted the result this time, and when he heard the judge¡¯s sentence, he smiled embarrassedly and shrugged toward Selene, who was expressionless.


    Selene then left the court, and thewyer followed.


    When she arrived at the gate, Matthew quickened his pace and caught up with Selene.


    ¡°Mr. Denovan really doesn¡¯t want to divorce.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Selene raised her eyebrows. She looked gorgeous. ¡°Why? Is it because the marriage is ¡®holy¡¯ to him?¡± She retorted coldly.


    Matthew worked as a proficientwyer who had dealt with lots of cases. But this was the first time he had met a woman who left such a deep impression on him. She seemed very sensible, indifferent, and distant but not greedy at all. She was very mysterious.


    Her ex-husband was his client. Though the ex-couples seemed very different from each other at first nce, they were simr to some degree. The client had asked thewyer to help them keep their marriage, but he felt quite indifferent about this case.


    Matthew answered back with a slight smile, ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job. Also, you should be more aware of what he thinks of his wife, oh, no, ex-wife.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Selene pursed her lips and raised her chin. She did not know her ex-husband at all, and she could even regard him as a stranger to her as they had only met several times.


    Then Matthew took two pages from his file package. ¡°Selene, as you did not sign a prenuptial agreement with Mr. Denovan, and you do not require any property from him after the divorce, so Mr. Denovan has prepared an agreement topensate you. You can check it, and if you agree with it, please sign your name. I will take care of the arrangements.¡±


    Selene felt somewhat shocked. She took and nced at the agreement, thenughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s so generous.¡±

 Chapter 2: Mentally Burden To Him

    After she finished her words, she handed back the agreement to Matthew and continued. ¡°But we barely even know each other. Why would I want anything from him? Tell him I said thanks, but I don¡¯t need anypensation.¡±


    Lawyer Matthew frowned with surprise. ¡°Think about it before you decide. As far as I know, you are in a good financial state, butpared with what Mr. Denovan is offering you, it¡¯s a drop in the bucket. This money could change your life.¡±


    Matthew hade across many divorces as awyer, and even those with deep pockets would fight ferociously for their property. How could this woman be so indifferent towards arge amount of money offered to her? Her attitude made him respect her more.


    Selene smiled with a sigh and exined. ¡°Our marriage was different than what you think.¡± Realizing it absurd to exin her abnormal marriage with a stranger, she tried to end the conversation. ¡°Anyway, I appreciate Mr. Denovan¡¯spensation, but I don¡¯t need it. And I sincerely wish him happiness, and I hope he will find his soulmate.¡±


    Her words came out drenched in irony.


    Matthew shook his head and put back the agreement. ¡°I will let Mr. Denovan know about your decision, and I will give him your message.¡±


    They both said their goodbyes, and Selene walked away expressionlessly.


    The breeze of the spring afternoon made her feel a little cold. The sky above her was perfectly blue.


    Her pointless marriage had finally ended after a year.


    Selene gave a deep sigh of relief and smiled. She then waved her hand to stop a cab.


    Seeing Selene away, Matthew also smiled to himself. At that moment, a ck car stopped by his side. The window lowered. He bent towards the car, recognizing the figure within. ¡°Mr. Denovan.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The man in the car asked emotionlessly. ¡°What did she say?¡±


    The man looked around 30 years of age and was very good-looking; his business suit fit him perfectly.


    ¡°Just like what I¡¯ve told you before, the second time someone goes in for a divorce, the judge will usually grant it,¡± Matthew exined.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Clint¡¯s face didn¡¯t betray any emotion, but his voice showed some weariness.


    Then Matthew took the agreement out from his business bag and handed it to Clint. ¡°Selene didn¡¯t sign it, and she said she doesn¡¯t want thepensation.¡±


    ¡°What else did she say?¡± Clint balled the agreement and casually threw it on the floor of the pavement outside.


    Lawyer Matthew smiled at Clint, then started exining patiently. ¡°She also wished you happiness and hopes that you will find someone better.¡±


    Hearing this, Clint gazed nkly for a while, then sneered. ¡°Thanks, Matthew. My assistant will pay you the rest of the fee.¡±


    Matthew smiled with gratitude. ¡°Honestly speaking, this is the easiest divorce case I¡¯ve dealt with. For the ex-wife not to ask for a penny. If there are more cases like this, please let me know.¡±


    Clint nced at him and snorted. Without saying a word, he rolled up the window and drove away quickly.


    Matthew resentfully touched his nose, thinking of Clint as strange. His joke hadn¡¯t even earned him a smirk from the billionaire. Lacking a sense of humor, Matthew started to understand why Clint¡¯s ex-wife had sought to divorce him twice in a single year.


    Sitting in the backseat of the cab, Selene caught a nce of Matthew talking with a man in a car by the court gate in the rearview mirror. The car seemed familiar to her, but before she could read the license te, the cab turned away.


    Selene thought deeply and leaned back against the seat. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overthinking this. Why would Clint be here? He doesn¡¯t care about the divorce, so he wouldn¡¯te here himself.¡± Having this burden mentally removed, she felt relieved and covered her eyes with one hand, smiling.


    The whole story of Selene¡¯s marriage had started about one year ago, or perhaps even earlier.


    Selene was born in a middle-ss family in Houston, Texas, and their parents got divorced when she was young. Though her family was not rich by any means, they were financially secure.


    Other than being deprived of motherly love at a young age, Selene¡¯s life went very well. She loved fashion design while growing up, which was further intensified by her grandmother being a tailor. She also ended up majoring in fashion design in college.


    When she was in junior high, she fell in love with her high school ssmate, Joseph Geoffrey. The two had been in contact with each other after meeting on a train on their way to school that year. After meeting a few more times, a romantic rtionship soon blossomed naturally.


    Until now, she had wondered whether she had truly fallen in love with Joseph. To her, it seemed that she just followed the high school trend of getting into a rtionship. Besides, Joseph seemed perfect; He was handsome and diligent, so shemitted to it.


    Selene and Joseph got along well with each other, and as they were in different colleges in the city, they did not meet each other every day. They just dated at weekends and phoned each other up during workdays. They were not very intimate, which was not umon for younger lovers like them.


    Joseph had majored in finance. Being from a poor family, he could not rely on his family financially. In order to enter the financial field after graduation, Joseph had to try harder than others. As a student, Joseph worked much harder and lived a thrifty life.


    At that time, Emily, Selene¡¯s best friend, had told her that Joseph was full of ambition and would try to fulfill his goals rather than focus on love. Selene thought about it very carefully and then admitted that Joseph was just the kind of man Emily had said he was. Selene then pondered whether she would continue the romantic rtionship with him or not.


    Finally, she came up with a satisfactory answer to this.


    As they aren¡¯t born equal socioeconomically, so Joseph tried his best and made greater efforts to climb higher on the socialdder. She didn¡¯t me him.

 Chapter 3: They Hated Each Other

    Moreover, Selene was not one to put love as the main priority in life. She believed that they were the same and that they might keep their rtionship steadier than many others.


    As time flew, the time for their graduation came. Joseph received a full schrship for his postgraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania. At the same time, Selene decided to start working in Houston and maintain her romantic rtionship with Joseph, even though arge distance would separate them. Joseph had also promised her that he would return to Houston to stay with her after graduation.


    After Joseph finished his postgraduate studies and returned to Houston one year ago, he almost reached his career goal of bing an executive at SSGB, one of the most influential asset managementpanies in the city. But to Selene¡¯s surprise, he did not contact her when he came back. Selene found this out from her old friends.


    When Selene finally met Joseph in the city, she saw a scene that shocked her to the core: Her boyfriend Joseph was sitting in the Royal Restaurant with a young and gorgeous girl, hugging and kissing her.


    Selene tried to rationalize Joseph¡¯s betrayal. She believed that she could maybe forgive him, as they had been apart for a long time, so it must have been very easy for Joseph to get into a rtionship with a lovely new girl.


    But when she saw that the girl who sat by Joseph was Jennifer Keller, her college ssmate, she exploded with anger. How small the world was!


    Jennifer was not only her ssmate but also her old rival.


    As students who majored in Fashion Design were mostly from middle- or upper-ss families, Selene did not stand out among them. However, Jennifer, who drove a luxury car to school and wore expensive designer clothes, considered herself unique.


    With different family backgrounds, they did not socialize with each other for a long time when they were in school.


    Until the first semester in junior high, the two took part in the same fashion design activity held by the school. Being overly pleased with herself, Jennifer thought that she would win first prize every time she took part in activities before. Unexpectedly, she did not. But Selene, whose design wasn¡¯t anything too special, won second prize.


    Jennifer was very ashamed and bitter about this, and she envied Selene for her prize. Why on Earth could Selene win the prize with such ordinary work? As a result, she started nning her revenge on Selene for this. Maybe spoiled silver-spoon girls were mostly naive.


    Though Selene kept a low profile during her daily life, she did not let people walk over her. When she was very young, whenever kids wouldugh at her when she was with her mother, she wouldter catch up with these kids alone and fight them. Seeking revenge for the smallest of grievances, that¡¯s who she was.


    So that¡¯s how a bitter rivalry had started between Selene and Jennifer.


    In fact, Selene did not want to interact too much with Jennifer, who was capricious and naive. What Jennifer did was just destroy her design and alienate her from her ssmates.


    Selene always shrugged off these petty urrences. However, Jennifer was very persistent in ying tricks on her. Selene could do nothing more than to ignore her.


    However, one day, Jennifer bes a love bandit by seducing Emily¡¯s boyfriend. As Selene¡¯s best friend, Selene could not help but hit back.


    It was very naive for Jennifer to do this to Selene, so Selene decided to treat her in a simr way.


    Out of anger, Selene asked one of her friends, a tech geek, to hack into Jennifer¡¯sputer, steal revealing photos of Jennifer with different boys, and post them on the school¡¯s forum online. Though the photos were just taken when they were partying in nightclubs, they were fresh news of the central heiress that many students enjoyed gossiping about in their leisure time.


    Jennifer was disgusting from Selene¡¯s perspective, but she was gifted, charming, and had a decent family background among the public. So, the photos that were posted online totally ruined her reputation.


    The posting of these photos escted the war between Selene and Jennifer. Maybe this was very typical among girls who didn¡¯t know each other well but became enemies over trivial things.


    They simply hated each other!


    They did not get a break until Jennifer moved to another city to further her postgraduate studies.


    Selene decided to stay in Houston with her family and start her career as an assistant in fashion design at a bigpany. After working at thepany for one year, she left and founded her own custom-made clothingpany and majored in custom tailoring, which she was quite good at. Also, thepany was doing surprisingly well.


    Selene¡¯s life became quite peaceful after that, and she gradually forgot what had happened in the past two years between her and Jennifer.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But now they met again in the city, and Jennifer gave Selene a devious smile and greeted her. ¡°Hi, Selene. Long time no see.¡±


    Ignoring Joseph, who was sitting by Jennifer with a pale face, Selene answered with a sneer. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really been a long time.¡±


    ¡°Let me make a brief introduction for you, Selene. This is my boyfriend, Joseph Geoffrey. Joseph, this is Selene. We went to college together.¡±


    Jennifer continued. ¡°It seems that you two were high school ssmates, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Joseph could only stand up and greet Selene with a quiet voice. That was the way they finally met after several years of separation.


    Selene snorted back. ¡°Yes, Jennifer. We are not only high school ssmates, but he is also my ex-boyfriend. I didn¡¯t expect you to like chewing others¡¯ leftovers!¡±


    Jennifer was too shocked by Selene¡¯s words to say anything, and before she retorted, Selene turned back and left, leaving them her back.


    I didn¡¯t want them to see how humiliated I felt. Selene thought. Though she felt really awkward, she tried to pretend to care nothing about Joseph¡¯s betrayal.

 Chapter 4: True Love Was Rare

    Like most girls, she also loathed being dumped by an ex-boyfriend who got into a rtionship with her old enemy.


    ¡°Why would Joseph be with Jennifer? He could pick any girl. Why her?¡± Selene angrily murmured to herself.


    The fact that she was still thinking about that whole ordeal showed that she still held a grudge against Jennifer for all her actions against her during college.


    Jennifer and Joseph getting together, however, filled Selene with resentment. It was something that continued to boil within her.


    Selene could also admit to herself that she loathed Jennifer not only because of what she had done to her during their college years but also because of envy.


    Jennifer had always had a strong and warm family to rely on when she came across difficulties in her life. This led her to act unscrupulously.


    While Selene was her father¡¯s happiness and joy, that was the only thing she had. Since she was very young, she had seen her drunken father hold the photo of her mom against his chest, looking sad and helpless. She knew that her father was too weak to always support her unconditionally. She needed to learn to depend only on herself.


    Several dayster, when Joseph came to find her and tried to exin something, she simply asked him to leave without giving him a second chance.


    She would not forgive him.


    They had been nning a future together, and she had honestly waited for Joseph to be back for a long time.


    But Joseph¡¯s actions made her look like aplete joke and hurt her more than she cared to admit.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    During those four years in which they had been apart, she lived by herself and remained loyal to him. Even though she had met someone else who was handsome and rich, she turned him down. Not even going to the nightclub to enjoy herself, she acted like an abstinent monk while waiting for his return.


    But, unexpectedly, he betrayed her without any warning.


    Selene found it too difficult to face reality, and she became depressed and even had trouble sleeping at night.


    Right after that, however, she came across her future husband, Clint Denovan.


    That was not their first encounter, as Clint Denovan had been a customer of her clothing store for the past two years. He usually came to the store once a month to have them make custom-made suits for himself.


    However, Selene and Clint were not even acquaintances, as Selene was not good at dealing directly with customers, so she left that to the store assistant. She mainly dealt with disying clothing styles and taking measurements.


    Clint was also not good at small talk. Every time he came to the store, he would choose fabrics and clothing styles, then leave.


    So, for a long time, all Selene had learned was that his name was Mr. Denovan and not much else.


    Mr. Denovan was not the most handsome man she had ever seen, but he was the one with the most distinctive temperament. Wearing just a simple shirt or suit, he looked smart and charming.


    She could guess that he must be an elite in his industry.


    She had seen the car he drove, which was luxurious, but since he always came to her store for his suits, she didn¡¯t think that he was a billionaire.


    But he was one of them. He cared little for renowned luxury brands but enjoyed pursuing minor special brands. After all, he was a man that really stood out from the crowd.


    No matter who he was, he and Selene hardly interacted with each other.


    He was just one of her customers. That was all.


    But something urred two after Selene¡¯s encounter with Jennifer and Joseph.


    It was the day that Clint was toe to the store to collect his suits. But he himself did not appear, and a new young guy came for it.


    The man was much more talkative than Clint. He talked a lot with Selene, and Selene knew that his customer, Clint Denovan, was the man¡¯s boss. When he left, he gave her his business card.


    Selene casually took it and nced that he was from the SSGBpany where Joseph worked.


    Out of curiosity, she searched for information about thepany on the Inte and found that the founder of the bigpany was none other than Clint Denovan.


    As far as she knew, the man was a golden bachelor.


    Selene was surprised. Oh, the irony! It was a small world. Joseph¡¯s new girlfriend was her old enemy, and Selene¡¯s regr customer was Joseph¡¯s boss.


    Selene felt like she was on fire with zeal about this new finding. She had not interacted much with Clint over the two years in which he had been her regr customer. She did not think she was attractive to men due to her coldness, so she never showed her hospitality to them.


    Men are different from women. Men don¡¯t usually decline women¡¯s advances. Selene thought. Joseph, being a utilitarian, never really loved Jennifer. He just took what he needed from her.


    In the world, true love was rare.


    ¡°Go to hell, true love,¡± Selene murmured. In her opinion, the quest to find true love was a bane.


    Her mother deserted her and her father to follow her true love; her father stayed single and became an alcoholic out of sorrow. He considered her mother his true love.


    What she wanted to do was to take revenge on Joseph and Jennifer.


    Selene thought: I could take my revenge on Joseph by being with Clint Denovan. But she pushed this idea away as soon as it came. But it came back, niggling her in the back of her mind. She confirmed again mentally that Clint Denovan was not the man with whom she could make friends. They belonged topletely different social circles.


    Selene knew there was a great social distance between her and Clint. The thought that being with Clint could be the perfect opportunity to take revenge popped back into her mind.

 Chapter 5: To Take Revenge

    Two weekster, Clint Denovan came to Selene¡¯s store once again.


    As usual, he entered the store and sat on the couch. When the assistant handed him the new catalog, he started flicking through the pages, looking at the various styles of suits.


    He was, in fact, very casual when it came to suit styles. He would normally pick two suits without much thought or hesitation.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    However, this time, Selene gave Mr. Denovan one cup of tea and asked her assistant to tend to something else.


    She smiled at Clint. ¡°Hi, Mr. Denovan. Please try this wonderful tea and let me know if you¡¯d like a cup.¡±


    Maybe Clint was surprised at her sudden enthusiasm as he raised his head, looked at her nkly, and nodded. With his clean and long fingers, he took the cup and smelled it without drinking. He then lowered his head and continued flipping through the pages.


    Without leaving, Selene took a seat across from him.


    Clint realized that and looked at her expressionlessly. But his eyes gave away intrigue.


    Selene wore a beautiful white silk skirt and lipstick. Her close friend, Emily, had helped her pick out this dress, as it made her look charming and sexy. But for her, it was cold and beautiful, which she thought would make her seem unapproachable.


    But undeniably, she looked very attractive.


    Selene looked directly into his eyes and smiled slightly. ¡°Mr. Denovan, thank you for patronizing my store for two years. I would like to show you my gratitude. How about having dinner with me this weekend?¡±


    Clint frowned slightly, and Selene could see that he was pondering over her invitation, but she was not sure whether he realized what her intentions were or not.


    After a while, he smiled and replied. ¡°Miss Morris, thanks. It is the quality of your work that attracts customers. You do not need to invite me to dinner.¡±


    It sounded like a direct but gentle rejection.


    Hearing this, Selene froze briefly but quickly smiled and asked. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re not from this city. But when you first came to the store, I felt a familiarity between us. Maybe we¡¯ve met somewhere before.¡±


    It may have sounded cliche for Selene to talk like this to a regr customer who had been her regr customer for two years.


    But her words sounded sincere, which made her intentions seem genuine.


    Clint seemed somewhat confused and frowned, then answered back coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before. Maybe you¡¯ve seen me in the newspaper, and you mixed it with reality.¡± After saying this, he pointed at two suits in the album. ¡°Just the two, and I will pick them up in two weeks.¡±


    He then closed the album, stood up, and left the store without looking at her.


    It all felt like a gust of cold wind, and she felt embarrassed.


    Selene realized that maybe she was too innocent for a scheme like this. To her, Clint Denovan was a luxury that was way out of her reach. Seducing him in order to take revenge on Joseph was something unlikely ever to happen.


    But sometimes, fate has other ideas.


    During Selene¡¯s college study, she only had one close friend, Emily. It was well known that Selene was Jennifer¡¯s enemy, so few people dared to make friends with Selene in case of upsetting Jennifer. Emily was the exception.


    Selene and Emily were very close. Even when they lived far apart after graduation, they still managed to meet up twice a month.


    Emily worked in the fashion field. More specifically, she worked as an editor for a famous fashion magazine. She knew many famous celebrities from different walks of life, and she would introduce Selene¡¯s store to them even though Selene did not ask her for help.


    Selene valued their friendship very much, which deepened her hatred towards Jennifer, who had hurt Emily emotionally.


    ****


    It was three days after Clint¡¯s refusal of Selene¡¯s dinner invitation when Selene was having a good time with Emily, venting her anger outdoors until midnight. The two then said their goodbyes, and each returned home.


    Selene took a taxi. When she went through a secluded road, she spotted a familiar figure in the dim light outside who was leaning against a tree and vomiting by a car that looked familiar to her.


    She went nk for a second and immediately asked the driver to stop before they could go too far.


    Selene got out of the car and turned back to the man. She approached the figure slowly until she realized that the vomiting man was Clint Denovan.


    ¡°Mr. Denovan.¡± She shouted, standing two meters away from him and smelling heavy wine.


    Clint Denovan turned his head after he heard someone calling him. And his face looked pale under the street light. Some people became red-faced after drinking, but some pale. Clint was indeed one of thetter.


    He did not respond. With one hand against the branch and the other lifting the water bottle, he was gargling, trying to clean his mouth with the water.


    Selene tilted her head and continued. ¡°Mr. Denovan, what can I do for you?¡±


    He spat out the water and then turned to look at Selene. ¡°Miss Morris. Can you drive a car?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded.


    ¡°How about driving me home? I¡¯ve had a lot to drink, and I don¡¯t think I can drive like this.¡±


    Selene smiled and answered. ¡°I would be happy to.¡±


    They two got into the car, and Clint told Selene his address.


    Selene thought for a moment, then realized that he lived just two streets away from her store. No wonder he was her customer. Maybe one day, he just happened to pass by her store, nced at the suits in the disy, and liked what he saw. That¡¯s probably why he came to my store, she guessed.


    Clint Denovan lived in a very luxurious apartment, which was unsurprising.


    When she parked the car, she asked. ¡°Mr. Denovan. We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Clint was in a daze and opened his eyes slowly. When he saw Selene in front of him, he felt somewhat stunned but soon sumbed back to his drunken state.

 Chapter 6: How About Driving Me Home?

    Selene wasn¡¯t fond of intoxicated men. In fact, she detested them. Her father often consumed alcohol and would cry bitterly alone when drunk. She felt she grew somber and depressed about this behavior.


    But obviously, Clint Denovan held it together much better than her father. Clint was not rowdy or depressed. Maybe he drank for socializing rather than for his mood.


    After a while, Clint finally awoke and got out of the car. ¡°Thank you, Selene. You should take my car with you. It¡¯s not safe for you to go home alone thiste. I wille to pick it up tomorrow.¡±


    His voice sounded weary as if he was about to fall over and pass out at any second.


    Seeing Clint staggering towards his apartment, Selene thought for a while, then finally decided to get out of the car and went after him.


    She grabbed his arm and said. ¡°Mr. Denovan, you¡¯re too drunk. I¡¯ll help you get into your apartment.¡±


    Clint looked hazily and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She helped him into the hall and entered the lift.


    Clint pushed her away gently and backed himself against the metal wall of the lift. His eyes were now clearer than before, and he stared at Selene, who stood in the center.


    Selene looked very calm and smiled. She raised her hand to the buttons and asked. ¡°Which floor?¡±


    ¡°Ninth.¡±


    Selene pushed the button delicately with a slender finger.


    When she turned to look at Clint, he seemed to be in pain, one hand covering his eyes and the other supporting his forehead.


    Selene did not say anything.


    When they got to the ninth floor, Selene held his arm and helped him walk to his door.¡± Mr. Denovan. Is this your door?¡±


    Drunk and swapped with energy, Clint leaned his whole body against Selene. They walked slowly to the door of his room.


    Clint¡¯s eyes were closed, and it seemed as if he were asleep.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Selene called his name, but he did not answer back.


    She thought for a while, then reached her hand into his pocket to take the room key card. She felt Clint freeze slightly.


    She opened the door and saw a spacious and orderly room. This suited his identity and temperament quite well.


    Selene helped him onto the bed in his bedroom. He didn¡¯t move, seemingly asleep.


    After all the physical effort, Selene was sweaty. She stood by the bed, simply arranging her hair, and looked at the man¡¯s sleeping form.


    Undoubtedly, Clint looked very handsome but cold. Together with his pale face and closed eyes, this made him look even more distant.


    Selene curled her lips and thought, ironically. Will he remember that I helped him?


    She bent down and said, ¡°Mr. Denovan, have a good rest. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    Before she could stand up straight, Clint caught her hand with his and then pulled her onto the bed.


    She whispered out and turned to the man by her side. Before she could react, she calmed down at the sight of Clint¡¯s face.


    She kept still and looked at him silently.


    Clint opened his eyes and looked directly into hers. His gaze gave away his drunkenness, perplexity, and curiosity. After a few moments, he leaned closer. The heavy smell of alcohol hit Selene¡¯s nostrils.


    She frowned.


    She hated the stench of booze, but she didn¡¯t react.


    Clint kissed her lips tentatively. Selene looked up slightly, and under the faint light, his drunkenness seemingly disappeared.


    Selene was unsure if he was sobering up, but she knew that the man was struggling with hesitation.


    She smiled slightly and stretched out her arms to hug his neck.


    They felt each other¡¯s breath, and Clint looked at her silently for several seconds, then kissed her again.


    Selene found his alcoholic breath repulsive and even thought of pushing him away and just making a run for it. But the image of Joseph and Jennifer together briefly yed in her mind. The thought of revenge made her stay.


    She did not push him away or move her lips from his but instead justy there like a puppet, waiting for it to end.


    Clint continued kissing her with eagerness. His alcohol-stained lips pressed repeatedly against her cold ones. Though she was not reciprocating the kiss, he seemingly did not seem to take his mind or take notice.


    Clint¡¯s lips felt burning hot. Admittedly, she hated the alcohol breath, but she was still thrilled as if she was about to lose something precious.


    She would absolutely lose something that night.


    Of course, Selene did not think of her virginity as something very precious. Consensual affairs weremon in the modern world. She was still a virgin, not because she attached great importance to it but rather because the right moment for her to lose it hadn¡¯te until now.


    At her age, sacrificing her virginity to such a handsome and rich man would be worthwhile, she thought.


    Having had no motherly love, Selene appeared calm, yet truthfully, she was unsympathetic. Even having sex with an unknown man didn¡¯t make her nervous. He was just drunk. She wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all and silently hoped for it to end soon.


    Some people say that a girl¡¯s first time is very painful, which makes it quite memorable.


    Selene thought it was a joke ¨C she did not feel any pain.


    Maybe it was because of Clint¡¯s good moral upbringing. Although he was drunk, he was gentle with his kisses and strokes. When he finally climaxed, she did not cry with tears but breathed a sigh of relief instead.


    Finally, it ended. Clint pulled himself out andy on his stomach, falling asleep almost instantly. His breath stinks of alcohol, and he looks like a passed-out drunkard.


    He probably wouldn¡¯t remember what had happened the next day.


    In the dim light, she watched as the man lying beside her suddenly started to awake.


    It may have been the longest night she had gone through in her whole life. She had lied on the bed with her eyes closed beside the stranger with whom she had had intercourse. Though she had been very calm after the ordeal, she still found it nearly impossible to fall asleep.

 Chapter 7: I Will Marry You

    After Selene counted for several hours and seconds in an attempt to enter the dreand, she finally saw morning light from the half-opened curtain. Dawn had arrived.


    She propped herself up on her elbows and leaned her back on the bedside, waiting for the man to wake up.


    Not having washed her face or brushed her teeth the previous night, with the light makeup still on her face and messy hair, she must¡¯ve looked like a scary ghost from a Japanese horror movie.


    When Clint opened his eyes, his reaction was exactly what she had expected.


    Clint looked at her with surprised eyes, his face going nk for quite a while. He then rubbed his head and finally got up. He squinted his eyes and frowned. ¡°Miss Morris, why are you here?¡±


    This situation wasn¡¯t like in the movies, where the drunk strangers who had made love would wake up the next day naked, next to each other. That was because Selene, unlike the women in the movies, was not used to being naked in front of strangers, so she put on her clothes as soon as they had finished having sex.


    Maybe Clint was the same, as when he asked the question, he realized that he was naked, and his reaction hinted that he was notfortable with the predicament they were in.


    Last night, Selene had thought of him as someone who enjoys the bachelor life, sleeping with various women in one-night stands. But his expression revealed that this was not the case with Clint.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene managed to smile in a casual way. ¡°Last night, I saw you when I was on my way home. You were really drunk and needed some help, so I offered it. I drove you to your apartment.


    ¡±And then?¡± He asked, suspecting the answer.


    ¡±When I was ready to leave, you took my hand. You can probably guess what happened after that even if you don¡¯t remember it.¡±


    Clint touched his forehead as if thinking something. He then pulled the sheet to cover his naked body, which revealed the red marks on the bed.


    Clint stared at the blood marks with disbelief, then looked at Selene. Though his expression was cold as always, his voice trembled. ¡°Sorry, Miss Morris. I didn¡¯t know-¡±


    Selene despised him, but she pretended not to care. ¡°Mr. Denovan, you don¡¯t need to worry. It was an ident, after all.¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s my fault. Miss Morris, if you need anypensation, please let me know. I will do what I can.¡± Clint looked at her with bloodshot eyes and a worried expression.


    Selene was just calm and regarded his exnation as finding a solution when dealing with a whore. But he was at least a gentleman.


    Her original intention to do this came into her mind, and she hesitated that it may be a great opportunity to make Joseph lose his job or ask for arge amount of money to ruin Joseph¡¯s dignity.


    But atst, when she nced at his meticulous expression, she felt that it was the right time to crack a joke. ¡°If I ask you to marry me-¡± Selene drew out her words.


    Clint blinked his eyes and kept silent for a while. Finally, he nodded his head. ¡°No problem. I will marry you.¡±


    Selene¡¯s jaw dropped.


    Her request had only been a joke. They were far from a couple.


    Selene said nothing. Clint frowned. ¡°But my schedule in the next months is very busy, so we may not have time for a marriage ceremony. We could register first. Is that okay with you?¡±


    Selene smiled incredulously. She could not believe what she was hearing. ¡°You must be joking. Asking for marriage after a one-night stand?¡±


    Clint¡¯s facial expression gave away no emotion, but he looked at her sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I would like to take responsibility for this. I hope you will think about my offer carefully.¡±


    Selene couldn¡¯t remember how she left his apartment. She vaguely remembered that Clint wanted to drive her home, but she refused.


    Selene had imagined all of Clint¡¯s possible reactions for when he would wake up. She expected him to be red with anger, pretending not to know what was going on, offering her lots of money to forget the whole thing and keep quiet about it, or asking her to be his long-term sexual partner.


    But one thing she did not expect was for him to offer to marry her.


    That was ridiculous and absurd.


    Clint was a billionaire with a good head on his shoulders. Why would he possibly consider marrying a woman after a mere one-night stand?


    Moreover, rich men from the upper sses tend to be very discreet with their marriages.


    Selene did not know him well enough, so she thought that there might be something wrong with him.


    One weekter, Clint came to her store to fetch his customized suits. Everything seemed normal, and he behaved the same way he did on his regr visits. He nced at Selene, who was busy working on a piece of clothing. The assistant handed him his suits, and he thanked her in his usual polite but nonchnt way.


    After taking his suits, Clint walked over to Selene.


    Selene could not pretend not to see him, and she looked up, smiling politely. ¡°Hi, Mr. Denovan.¡±


    Clint wore a slight frown on his face. ¡°Miss Morris. Have you thought about what we had discussedst time? I will be avable next Monday, and if you are also free, we could register for marriage on that day.¡±


    Selene froze, unsure how to exin to him that she had only joked when she had requested that they marry. What she really wanted was for him to fire his employee, Joseph Geoffrey.


    Before she spoke, her mobile phone rang, and she saw on the screen that it was calling. She suddenly became agitated and angrily tapped the ¡±reject call¡± option on her phone.


    She turned to Clint. ¡°No problem. I¡¯m avable at any time.¡± She said without hesitation.

 Chapter 8: I’m Not Joking

    Clint caught a glimpse of her phone and quickly averted his eyes. ¡°I have no time to prepare my suits for taking photos on that day. Would you please help me with it?¡±


    Selene paused for a moment and smiled. ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Selene had a sudden realization. This was just what she wanted: to be Clint Denovan¡¯s wife in order to take revenge on Clint and Jennifer.


    Besides, she felt that she was lucky to marry such a handsome and rich guy.


    In any case, she would finally get married. And she was not good at dealing with men when it came to rtionships, and she sucked at romance. So, when the opportunity to marry a handsome billionaire presented itself to her, it was no surprise that she epted it without much hesitation.


    The day of their marriage registration was a normal Monday, like all others.


    Clint came to pick her up. He wore the ck suit that she had prepared for him. It looked great on him.


    On their way to the registration office, neither of them spoke. There was a slight sense of unease between them.


    Until now, they had been mere acquaintances who had a one-night stand. Selene knew little about him except for the articles written about him that she had read on the Inte. She was oblivious to his personality or past.


    It was the same for Clint. He also knew nothing about her.


    But their silence and uneasiness didn¡¯t prevent them from registering their marriage and making it official.


    Maybe this was the way mature men behaved, owning up to their decisions and dealing with the consequences ordingly.


    Finally, without a ring, flowers, or friends¡¯ blessings, Selene and Clint were legally married.


    When they finished registering, Clint¡¯s phone rang, and he answered it briefly, then hung up. ¡°Sorry. I intended to have dinner with you to celebrate, but there is something urgent at work that I need to attend to. I need to get to the airport right now.¡±


    Selene shook her head, smiling. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Thepanyes first. I can go back by myself.¡±


    Clint nodded and turned to leave and, after a short moment, turned back again to her. ¡°Our new apartment- I¡¯ve already prepared it. You should start packing, and when I¡¯m back, we can move in together.¡±


    Selene¡¯s face went nk for a moment. ¡°Mr. Denovan-¡± She was about to refuse his request, but then she remembered the marriage certificate in her hands. She forced a smile on her face, then nodded.


    ¡°Selene. We are now husband and wife. Just call me Clint.¡± He smiled slightly. He was normally very calcted with all the emotions he showed, but this time, the smile on his face was sincere.


    Clint gave Selene a strange look, then quickly turned to leave again.


    Watching him drive away, Selene took a look at the certificate and the photo of them together. They were both smiling, as per the photographer¡¯s instructions. Though their smiles weren¡¯t genuine, they looked great together in the photo.


    Clint came back three dayster.


    Selene had packed up her things. She had her own ce, which was not very big. Though she felt reluctant to leave her apartment, she chose to respect the fact that she was Clint¡¯s wife now, which meant that they should live together like a normal married couple.


    The new apartment that Clint had prepared for their new life was not far away from Selene¡¯s own apartment and her store. It was not a high-end residential area, but it also wasn¡¯t bad at all. The rooms weren¡¯t big but had a very cozy feel to them. It was quite different from the apartment where she had lived before.


    That night, they had their first real sex. Clint wasn¡¯t drunk this time, but she still felt very uneasy despite him being her legal husband now.


    After they were done, theyy on the big, new bed.


    When Clint leaned to her side to kiss her, she turned away instinctively. The kiss, which should havended on her lips, ended up on her ear.


    Clint went nk for a while, then smiled mischievously. He nted a few light kisses on the sensitive spot on her ear.


    He knows what he¡¯s doing, Selene thought.


    There was no romantic talk. The night ended with silence between them.


    Maybe it was because she was no longer a virgin or due to the fact that Clint didn¡¯t stink of booze, but the sex felt somewhat good this time.


    This was a good start, and their married life had begun.


    Even though they were not as sweet and intimate as most newlyweds, the conflicts and disagreements that Selene had expected did note.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    They lived under the same roof and maintained the rtionship of a couple. The embarrassment and uneasiness they initially felt had soon disappeared. The much-needed romantic intimacy and bond, however, failed to develop.


    They had different daily schedules: Selene stayed up veryte and woke up whenever she felt like it, whereas Clint was a very disciplined person. He would go to bed early every day and wake up just as early.


    He kept himself busy, even at home, working on hisputer.


    Their totally different lifestyles did not cause any disputes between them. On the contrary, they both felt very free to be themselves.


    Their main interaction was to share the bed for seven or eight hours every night.


    Despite their personality differences, they shared a harmonious life with each other in their marriage.


    Also, the sex was great.


    Selene liked this arrangement, as she hated rtionship drama. She felt that Clint was the perfect partner to avoid that problem.


    Though she was not a greedy person, she enjoyed the financial security that came with having a billionaire for a husband.


    Selene would have been happy if their marriage had continued just like this. She didn¡¯t see anything wrong with the spontaneous way they had gotten married and felt very lucky. She even imagined a lifelong marriage with Clint and nned to have a child in two years.

 Chapter 9: After The Instant Marriage

    She also did not doubt much about Clint¡¯s motivation. Maybe he was in a hurry to get married and somehow ended up sleeping with a virgin, so he decided, on a whim, to marry her.


    Also, being a workaholic, he simply couldn¡¯t put love in the first ce. Work was the priority, regardless of who his marriage partner was.


    In any case, Selene was happy with the way things were.


    But the newlyweds soon ran into a problem.


    It was two months into their marriage that Selene realized that she still didn¡¯t know anything about Clint¡¯s family background and that she hadn¡¯t met any of his friends. Clint also never invited her to any public activities.


    Selene had let him know about her worries, but Clint simply shrugged them off. Heforted her that they had gotten married on a whim, and this would have caused problems among his peers if he had introduced her to them all of a sudden. He exined to her that he was breaking it slowly to them, for instance, by telling them that he was seeing a girl.


    Hearing this, Selene joked that maybe his prestigious family would not ept her.


    Clint, however, replied with seriousness, stating that his parents were very open-minded. They would never interfere with his marriage.


    Selene was not convinced by his exnation, but she didn¡¯t dwell on it, as she knew nothing about his family.


    She realized that their marriage wascking something very important, but she shrugged it off, thinking that things were great the way they were.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    This unexpected marriage turned out to be just as good for Selene as a marriage could be, and she couldn¡¯t believe how lucky she was. But she did not forget her real reason for marrying Clint.


    Jennifer and Joseph would pay them back for what they had done to her, for making her feel the way she did.


    Though Selene felt a little ashamed about her thoughts, she took pleasure in knowing that the time for revenge woulde.


    But, the perfect opportunity never arrived.


    And she did not meet the two together.


    Selene wanted to ask Clint about Joseph¡¯s current situation. She knew that Clint, as Joseph¡¯s direct boss, would know Joseph.


    But every time she was about to ask about Joseph, she swallowed her words just before she could speak.


    Selene felt somewhat guilty about it, and she didn¡¯t know why.


    It was three months after their marriage when she finally met Joseph.


    That day, she was in her store alone as her assistant was on holiday. Joseph walked in. He looked thinner than before and sad, which was unlike a man who had just found a new love partner.


    ¡°Selene, could you please talk with me?¡± He begged.


    This time, Selene did not ask him to leave her store straight away.


    However, Selene was not always a woman who was full of sympathy. She expressionlessly looked at him and thought of a way to show off to him that she was married and her husband was Joseph¡¯s boss, Clint Denovan.


    She then replied. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Jennifer was actually not my new girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Really? But I saw you two together.¡±


    ¡°When I worked at the investment bank in Wall Street, I got involved in an illegal trade just to make some quick money. But things didn¡¯t go as nned, and I was in danger of being exposed. Jennifer helped me.¡±


    A sudden realization dawned on Selene¡¯s face. She sneered, ¡°So you choose her. You¡¯re lucky! She was born into money, so she can help you with your career.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. In fact, we¡¯re not even in a rtionship.¡± Joseph frowned.


    He felt guilty, and after a few seconds of silence, he continued. ¡°She helped me get through the crisis under the condition that I would be her boyfriend. Of course, it wasn¡¯t for real. She knew that I was your boyfriend, and she wanted to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but she really hates you. I did what she wanted because I didn¡¯t want to go to prison.¡±


    ¡°Jennifer forbade me from telling you the truth for three months. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I had no choice. Besides, I thought three months were short and wouldn¡¯t hurt you much.¡±


    Hearing Joseph¡¯s exnation, Selene considered his words calmly. He believed his story, not because she trusted Joseph, but rather because she knew Jennifer well enough to know that this was just the kind of cruel trick that she would y on her.


    It was just like during college when Jennifer had stolen Emily¡¯s boyfriend and then showed off in front of her and Selene.


    This time, Selene was once again the target of Jennifer¡¯s nasty trick. When she saw Jennifer with Joseph, she should not have jumped to conclusions so quickly. If only she had not been so dense, she would not have been fooled as easily.


    It showed that Selene herself was too naive.


    Seeing her expressionless face, Joseph asked carefully. ¡°Selene, now that you know the truth, how about we make peace?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s toote,¡± Selene replied calmly.


    ¡°What?¡± Joseph seemed very confused.


    ¡°I got married.¡±


    Joseph¡¯s eyes went wider than saucers. ¡°Married?¡± He repeated incredulously.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Obviously, Joseph was innocent, but his selfishness had made her suffer from the great humiliation of being betrayed. So, she decided to go through with her n for revenge.


    ¡°I¡¯m married, and my new husband¡¯s name is Clint Denovan. You¡¯re probably familiar with him, as he is your boss at SSGB.¡±


    Joseph reacted as if being struck by lightning, ¡°Yeah, right!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Joseph¡¯s openmouthed expression soon dissipated, and heforted her. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry with me for what I did, but you don¡¯t need to make up such ridiculous stories.¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe it at all.


    Selene felt that her n had failed, and she felt angry.


    ¡°Selene, maybe now we could be together again.¡±


    Selene mocked him. ¡°Joseph, how can you be so arrogant? You break up with me and get together whenever you please? What do you think I am, an object for you to use and discard whenever you please?¡±

 Chapter 10: I Wish You A Happy Marriage

    ¡°We¡¯ve been in a rtionship for many years. You waited for a long time when I was doing my postgraduate studies. And now, three months? Couldn¡¯t you wait three months? How could you fall for Jennifer¡¯s trick like that?¡± Joseph exined.


    ¡°I¡¯m not good at telling when people are lying,¡± Selene said, then continued. ¡°I waited for you for a long time, not because I was so in love with you, but because I just didn¡¯t meet someone better. That¡¯s until I met Clint Denovan. Why should I go back to the man who cheated me with my old enemy?¡±


    ¡°Selene, please stop joking. I know you well, and it will take a long time for you to get into a rtionship. There¡¯s no way you married someone in just three months.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking!¡±


    Before Selene could try to convince him further, Clint walked into the store and walked up to them expressionlessly.


    Joseph watched in disbelief as his boss walked in, then greeted him dumbly, ¡°Mr. Denovan.¡±


    Clint nodded and went by Selene¡¯s side to confirm. ¡°Hello, Joseph. Selene is my wife. We¡¯re married.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Joseph was bbergasted. He turned to Selene.


    Selene did not hear Clint¡¯s approach, and she didn¡¯t know how much he had heard of their conversation. But she felt ecstatic that he came right on time. Looking at Joseph¡¯s pale face, she felt proud and ted.


    She smiled brightly. ¡°You see, I¡¯m not joking. Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t cheat on you. We got together only after me and you broke up.¡±


    Joseph shook his head incredulously. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you believe it or not. But please, don¡¯t bother me again.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Joseph calmed down, thenughed all of a sudden. ¡°Selene, this is shocking. You are thest person I¡¯d expect to do something like getting married on a whim. But it makes sense -Mr. Denovan is a billionaire, and many girls want to marry him. It¡¯s just that I thought you were different than the other girls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea,¡± Selene said expressionlessly.


    In Selene¡¯s opinion, Joseph was a real utilitarian; Clint was his boss, and he could control himself enough to act properly. He was, like always, putting his career in the first ce, as it was his priority in life.


    But what Joseph didter proved her wrong.


    Joseph became calm andposed himself, then spoke to Clint and Selene. ¡°I wish you a happy marriage.¡±


    Selene did not reply, but Clint thanked him.


    Joseph walked to the door of the store and was about to leave when, to their surprise, he turned back to them. ¡°Mr. Denovan, tomorrow I will hand in my registration letter and hand down the business I¡¯m in charge of.¡±


    Both Clint and Selene were a little shocked by Joseph¡¯s sudden decision. After a few moments, Clint replied. ¡°Okay, no problem. I respect your decision.¡±


    After Joseph disappeared, Clint turned to look at Selene.


    Selene smiled and shrugged her shoulders indifferently. ¡°He is my ex-boyfriend, and he betrayed and broke up with me. Now he¡¯s asking for reconciliation.¡±


    Clint smiled slightly. ¡±He works for me. Well, not anymore.¡± He said.


    ¡°Really? What a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a good worker. This is unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Is this bad?¡± Selene looked at him and asked.


    ¡°Just a bit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s better than facing my wife¡¯s ex every day at work.¡±


    Then Clint stretched out his hand to touch Selene¡¯s pink lips and smiled. ¡°You looked really cold and merciless just now.¡±


    Before Selene reacted, Clint leaned forward to kiss her.


    They had kissed each other many times, but it was usually before they made love.


    It was just forey without any real meaning.


    So, this time, the kiss surprised Selene. Even after the kiss, Selene was still dumbfounded.


    Seeing her surprised expression, Clint touched her soft lips again. ¡°It seems that I am a bad kisser.¡± He joked, which was uncharacteristic of him.


    Evading Clint¡¯s deep and serene gaze, Selene smiled embarrassingly. Though she showed nothing on her face, her inner heart rippled.


    She couldn¡¯t look into his eyes. A sh of a strange emotion came into her mind. She didn¡¯t know what it was, and she felt frightened by it and wanted to suppress it, but she failed. So she just ignored it.


    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day. And I¡¯m not busy today, so I thought maybe we could go on a date together. Are you free?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Selene smiled.


    In the three months they had been married, they rarely ever went on dates.


    Clint invited her to have dinner in the Royal Restaurant, which was the most popr in the city.


    Although they didn¡¯t say much to each other during dinner, they both enjoyed the harmonious atmosphere between them.


    Selene knew Clint had carefully nned this dinner. Though it was a trivial matter, it still showed that he valued their marriage.


    Thest dish of the dinner was dessert, and Selene was not crazy about dessert. But it looked so good that she couldn¡¯t refuse it, even though she was very full.


    She took a small piece with her spoon and ate it.


    Oh gosh, she felt queasy and was pale in the face. She left the dessert on the table and rushed towards the toilet.


    As soon as she entered the toilet, she vomited up all the food she had just eaten. She then rinsed her mouth with water. Once she got rid of the taste of chocte in her mouth, she felt a little better.


    When she left the toilet, she met Clint, who was waiting for her at the door. He wore a little frown and asked. ¡°Are you feeling better? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was chocte cream in the desert,¡± Selene said.


    Clint frowned deeper. ¡± You can¡¯t eat chocte?¡±


    Selene nodded.


    ¡°You barely took a bite, then reacted the way you did. Are you terribly allergic to it? How about going to see your doctor? You look pale.¡±


    ¡°No. In fact, I¡¯m not allergic to it.¡±

 Chapter 11: How Are You Feeling?

    Clint looked confused.


    Selene smiled. ¡°Long story. As you know, I only had my father to depend on when growing up. I was still very young when my mother abandoned us. She left me a big box of chocte and told me that she would return it when I finished eating it. I was so hungry that I finished the big box that afternoon.¡±


    She paused for a few moments, then continued with an ironic smile. ¡°But my mom did note back as she had promised. Since then, I feel disgusted when I eat chocte.¡±


    In fact, she did not have a good memory, and all things about her childhood were almost a blur. The memory about the chocte, however, still persisted in her mind.


    On the day that her mom took her to meet a new man who was her new boyfriend, her mom gave her a box of chocte.


    She asked her mom. ¡°Mom, when will you be back?¡±


    ¡°When you finish eating the chocte.¡±


    Then she saw her mom driving away with the man she did not know. She kept eating the chocte all that afternoon and finished it.


    But her mom did note back.


    Her fatherter told her. ¡°Mom will nevere back.¡±


    When she recovered from her memory, she saw Clint looking at her with concern. He frowned. ¡°Your mother left you with trauma, and it can be called a mental block. You should see a psychologist.¡±


    He was very sincere when giving this advice, and he seemed worried about her.


    But Selene smiled. ¡°I can barely remember what my mother looked like. How could she possibly still have this effect on me? It was because of that chocte cream.¡±


    Seeing her uncaring expression, Clint moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but he decided against it and stayed quiet.


    Selene had vomited up all she had just eaten, and her stomach was empty, so all she could do when she got home was to sit wearily on the couch.


    Clint was actingpletely out of the ordinary. Instead of continuing his work in the study, he went to the kitchen to cook some porridge for Selene.


    In Selene¡¯s mind, Clint was a man who surely knew nothing about housework. The kitchen in their apartment, for instance, was rarely ever used. Only Selene would asionally do some cooking when sudden inspiration would hit her.


    She leaned her back on the couch and tilted her head to look at Clint in the distance. He was wearing a housecoat, which made him look more approachable than his usual intimidating self.


    His movements were not clumsy at all. It seemed that he had some skill in cooking. The fresh smell of porridge began spreading in the kitchen. Clint was standing in front of the stove and patiently stirred the food asionally.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    His actions made him look very gentle. It warmed Selene¡¯s heart.


    To her surprise, the porridge Clint had just made tasted amazing, though it was just made with oats and blueberries.


    Selene smiled. ¡°I thought you knew nothing about housework.¡±


    ¡°I learned how to cook when I was in college,¡± Clint replied. ¡°Next time, when I¡¯m free, I could do some cooking for you. And you could tell me whether you like it or not.¡± He said, looking at Selene.


    Selene nodded in agreement, continuing to eat her porridge.


    Clint frowned and did not say anything.


    When Clint got up, he cleared away the dishes and then went to the kitchen. Selene started to look up at him.


    She squinted at his back. He looked very tall and a little thin, but Selene knew that, in fact, he was very muscr.


    Maybe it was because of the dim light, but while watching Clint¡¯s back, Selene¡¯s mind started wandering to lustful ces.


    Shocked at her sudden, unruly thoughts, she stopped herself. Smiling ironically, she covered her eyes with one hand, leaning back again against the couch.


    After a moment, she heard Clint¡¯s stepsing towards her. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± He asked.


    Without moving her hand away, she answered coldly. ¡°Much better.¡±


    Her behavior was a way for her to block herself from him. Clint stood still and looked at her without any expression. Finally, he relented and then spoke softly. ¡°You should rest well tonight. I will have an important Skype conference callter.¡±


    That night, Clint went to sleep veryte indeed. Selene could not fall asleep, and she heard his voiceing from the other room until the early morning.


    The reason why she could not sleep was that the day that had just passed had been a big day for her;


    She finally took revenge on Joseph. In addition to that, the events that had transpired with her and Clint, such as the kiss he gave her in her store, his cooking porridge for her, and the lewd thoughts she got from staring at him from behind, kept her from calming down enough for her to fall asleep.


    Suddenly, her mind became chaotic. The strange emotion she had mentally suppressed that day came back flooding in. This made her panic a little.


    But the kiss in the store, the porridge, and the image of his back were just idental. The next day, they treated each other politely but distantly. Things were back to normal, and neither of them did any romantic deeds after that.


    Though Selene¡¯s store was not very famous in the clothing industry, some customers of the shop were celebrities, and Mrs. Caroline was one of them.


    Mrs. Caroline was around 50 years old, and her husband was one of the richest men in the country. Thanks to Emily¡¯s rmendation, she knew Selene¡¯s store and liked her clothing design very much, so she often bought clothes from Selene¡¯s store.


    But Mrs. Caroline barely came to the store herself. It was Selene and her assistant who often went to Mrs. Caroline to introduce new clothing styles.


    Mrs. Caroline was very nice. Selene made a lot of money from her, and the rich woman never looked down on her.

 Chapter 12: This Isn’t For Vanity

    On this day, however, when Selene took Mrs. Caroline a new volume of clothing for her to pick a new style, Mrs. Caroline gave her an invitation card to a wine party for charity.


    Selene had no interest in these kinds of events as she believed that it was just thrown by celebrities and the rich to interact with each other. She was not one of them, so she was surprised when Mrs. Caroline just casually gave it to her.


    But when she spoke to Emilyter that day, she unintentionally told Emily about the invitation card, and Emily implored her to attend the party together with her, as thepany Emily worked for was a co-organizer of the wine party, which meant that Emily would attend the party, too.


    Emily said that it would be better for her to attend the party together with someone who was from the same social background as her, as the party would be filled with the elite of society.


    Strictly speaking, Selene was from a middle-ss background, but she earned quite a lot of money.


    Despite this, however, the wealth gap between Selene and the people who would be attending the party was enormous, to say the least.


    Selene¡¯sck of interest in the wine party was not because of her social background but simply because she knew how boring it would be. She had been a member of the fashion circle, and she knew what kind of people frequented these parties.


    Emily would be free to enjoy herself during the party, despite herpany organizing it, so she wanted Selene to go together with her.


    The party was thrown in a ballroom in the famous Hotel ICAN. Under the glistening light, every guest looked very neatly dressed, and they all wore nearly identical smiles.


    When Emily met Selene in the ballroom, she noticed that Selene was only wearing a simple dress with light make-up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dress hotter? You might meet your rich Mr. Right tonight.¡±


    Selene nced at Emily and saw that she had really put a lot of effort into her outfit for the evening. The dress she wore was designed by Selene, her handbag was Givenchy, and the shoes she wore were Chanel. The cost of them far surpassed her one-month sry.


    In the fashion circle, however, this behavior wasmon.


    And now, finding a rich boyfriend was Emily¡¯s goal.


    ¡°I hope you will meet your rich Mr. Right tonight.¡± Selene smiled.


    ¡°No. It would be best if you said ¡®we both will.¡¯ You¡¯ve been single for several months now. It would be best if you didn¡¯t date poor guys anymore. This isn¡¯t for vanity. I just think rich men with good upbringing make better husbands.¡±


    Selene was not the one who was good at sharing her life with others. Of course, she had always shared most of her secrets with Emily, including her rtionship with Joseph. But her sh marriage with Clint had remained a secret that Selene had kept, even from Emily.


    This was mainly because she simply didn¡¯t know how to tell her.


    After keeping silent for a while, Selene answered Emily. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Hearing this, Emily felt very d, and her eyes glistened. She dragged Selene into the ballroom. ¡°Go and fix your make-up, then I¡¯lle and take a look.¡±


    Selene went to the washing room to ¡®upgrade¡¯ her make-up situation. She applied red lipstick, giving her a beautiful shine.


    Selene was not particrly beautiful or gorgeous, but she would surely stand out from the crowd when she wore a dress and red lipstick.


    When she returned to the ballroom, she did not see Emily in the crowd.


    She looked around and walked to a waitress to take a ss of champagne. She then sat herself in a corner to look at the vanity coldly.


    Unexpectedly, she saw Clint Denovan, her legal husband.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Among many gorgeous people, he wore a ck suit without a zer, with his shirt buttoned up and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.


    The ck suit was designed by Selene, and she had never seen him wearing it before. And now that she saw him wearing it, it looked far better than she had thought it would.


    She could hardly imagine that a suit designed by her could give off a serious yet casual vibe.


    Clint was greeting and mingling with other rich men who all seemed older than him but treated him as their equal.


    Clint wore a light smile on his face. What he did was no different from others in this show of vanity. But his expression looked colder, and his movements seemed more calcted.


    Selene had always known that Clint was a promising youngster. But now, she knew that he was not only a diamond but also a shining star among the upper ss.


    How does it feel to have a star for a husband? Selene thought and drank a little champagne. It was fragrant with vor but somewhat bitter.


    She soon finished the champagne ss, then Emily suddenly appeared in front of her, out of breath. ¡°What are you doing alone in this corner? I¡¯ve been looking for you. Guess who I just came across!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Selene asked casually, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Jennifer Keller!¡±


    Selene frowned.


    ¡°She really is like a specter, haunting us forever. Remember what she did to us in college? She even destroyed your rtionship with Joseph yearster. And now we meet her again. Why!?¡±


    Selene said nothing and remained expressionless.


    Emily sniffed and turned to pull at Selene¡¯s dress. ¡°Oh, my god! She ising towards us. There¡¯s no way to avoid her.¡±


    Selene squinted and looked towards the way Emily was pointing. She saw not only Jennifer but also Clint beside her.


    What a small fucking world!


    Jennifer held Clint¡¯s arm as they walked and chatted casually. Clint looked very gentle with her. It was apparent that the two had known each other for a long time.


    ¡°Eh, is the man next to Jennifer Clint Denovan, the president of SSGB? I¡¯ve heard some girls here talking about him. He is a top bachelor in the ballroom, and he looks really handsome.¡± Emily said.

 Chapter 13: Doubt It

    ¡±It seems that he and Jennifer know each other quite well.¡± Emily continued. ¡±Oh, yes, they were both born into money and the upper ss, so they have probably known each other for a long time. The bitch stayed close to Clint.¡± Emily eximed.


    ¡±No wonder that she flirts with a lot of men but rarely builds romantic rtionships with them. She is hoping to win against Clint. But I¡¯ve heard from the interviewers who interacted with Mr. Denovan that the man is really arrogant and distant. I guess that Jennifer is not Mr. Denovan¡¯s girlfriend now, or she would not flirt with others.¡±


    Selene drank thest drop of champagne in her ss, then smiled. ¡°Emily. If I were to be Clint Denovan¡¯s wife, would that make Jennifer angry?¡±


    Emily went nk for a while, then shook her hands. ¡°You¡¯re hot, and you have a great career, but you¡¯ve only ever dated one guy, Joseph. Even that was a long-distance rtionship. How could you possibly know how to seduce a man- a billionaire like Clint Denovan?¡±


    Emily calmed down, then continued. ¡±All girls are after him. Maybe you¡¯d have a chance if he were a yboy. But he is cold and distant. YES, she would be angry, but I don¡¯t think that you and Clint would happen in the first ce.¡±


    Selene smiled in her heart and looked at Clint and Jennifer as they walked towards her. They must have seen her, too.


    Seeing the arrogant and cynical expression on Jennifer¡¯s face, Selene had thought to call out to Clint Denovan with ¡±My dear¡± to beat Jennifer back.


    But when they two came closer, Selene became somewhat angry when she noticed Clint¡¯s cold expression.


    She felt she was pretty to involve her husband in their meaningless rivalry. It was really absurd. However, their marriage also started in an absurd way.


    Jennifer¡¯s eyes swiped across Selene and Emily; then she smiled with sarcasm. ¡°Hi, old friends, long time no see. I¡¯ve never imagined that I would meet you in a ce like this. I¡¯m really happy for you.¡±


    Her implication was that they did not belong in a ce like that, and they should not have been there.


    Emily rolled her eyes and did not respond.


    Jennifer also does not care about Emily because the person she considers her rival is Selene. ¡°Hi, Selene. Joseph and I, it was just a joke. You should not have taken it so seriously. How could I possibly date someone as poor as Joseph? I wish you two a happy marriage.¡±


    After a while, she hypocritically asked. ¡°Did you two break up? What a shame!¡±


    Clint Denovan kept silent and said nothing. But he stared at Selene as if thinking something.


    Clint¡¯s gaze made Selene feel somewhat guilty and agitated. She was ashamed about her fight with Jennifer.


    She evaded Jennifer¡¯s question. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t take it seriously. And it is you who helped me realize what kind of person he was. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Jennifer sneered in response.


    ¡°Jennifer, why not introduce your two friends?¡± Clint asked all of a sudden.


    Selene had thought that maybe Clint would tell them about their rtionship, but now she realized that it was unlikely to happen. He did not intend to announce his marriage to others. He was still the shining bachelor of the party, though they had been married for more than three months.


    Meeting on this asion and pretending not to know each other made Selene feel disappointed, even though she, herself, had never told others that she was married. Maybe she was hypocritical.


    Being disappointed but still feeling a sense of relief, Selene was unwilling to involve others in her personal life, especially when it came to emotions. Obviously, Clint had the same attitude as her when it came to this.


    Compared to her fight with Jennifer, crossing that line with Clint was much worse.


    Jennifer leaned by his side and said in a cutesy voice. ¡°Clint. These are my college ssmates, Selene and Emily.¡±


    Clint stretched out his hand to Selene. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Clint Denovan.¡±


    Selene shook his hand briefly, then pulled her hand back.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She could see a slightly mocking expression on Clint¡¯s lips. He stopped talking with Selene and turned to Jennifer. ¡°Jenni, I will go and say hello to several of my business partners.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Jennifer replied quickly.


    Clint just nodded expressionlessly. He turned around without looking at Selene. Jennifer followed him and turned back to smile jauntily at them after several steps. She won Clint over her side as if Clint were her trophy.


    Selene sneered.


    ¡°This guy lives up to his prideful reputation. He didn¡¯t even look at me!¡± Emily said. ¡°But he gave you a look of pure arrogance.¡±


    Was Clintughing at me? Selene thought in her mind. Maybe he noticed the petty war happening between Selene and Jennifer.


    She suddenly felt less interested in the wine party.


    ¡°Emi, it¡¯s boring here. I¡¯m leaving. This kind of event is really not my cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°There will be a ballter. Some handsome guys might invite you to dance.¡±


    ¡°Doubt it.¡±


    ¡°Selene, don¡¯t be so indifferent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯m leaving with you.¡±


    When they went to the exit of the ballroom, Selene got a new message.


    It was from Clint.


    ¡°Please dance with meter.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Selene replied to him. ¡°I can¡¯t dance. I¡¯m going home now. Enjoy yourself.¡±


    In fact, she had practiced dancing for a very long time.


    After she sent the message, she turned back to see the crowds and soon located Clint, who was arm-in-arm with Jennifer, talking about something.


    When Clint received Selene¡¯s message, he lowered his head to read it. At the same time, Selene turned to leave.


    ¡°Clint, who are you texting?¡± Seeing Clint absent-minded, Jennifer shook his arm and asked, wanting to look at his phone. Clint put the phone in his pocket.


    He looked at the exit and saw Selene¡¯s back disappearing from view.

 Chapter 14: Why I Am Disappointed

    When Clint got home, it was nearly 11 pm. Selene was still sitting on the couch, watching TV. The only light in the room was thating from the TV, which shined dimly on Selene¡¯s face, giving her an eerie look.


    ¡°Why did you leave the ball early? Did you find it boring?¡± Clint asked her.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene could smell the alcohol on his breath and frown.


    ¡°If you found it boring, you could¡¯ve joined me.¡±


    ¡°You seemed very busy,¡± Selene answered briefly.


    Clint kept silent for a while, then went and sat down next to her on the couch. ¡°Selene, I think we need to talk.¡±


    Finally, Selene turned to look at him and then asked. ¡°What do we need to talk about?¡± Her face was devoid of emotion, almost like a puppet.


    ¡°Jennifer is like a sister to me. We grew up together. I didn¡¯t introduce you to her at the party because I didn¡¯t think it was the right time.¡±


    Selene listened intently, thenughed. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me an exnation, Clint. We both know that we didn¡¯t get married because we love each other, but because of that one-night stand. I¡¯m sure you hold me responsible for it because you were drunk that night.¡±


    Selene pushed a bang of hair away from her face. ¡±But you didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, you chose to use this opportunity to get married, even though, in this day and age, one-night stands are verymon.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Clint frowned.


    Selene smiled again, slightly. ¡±You probably get a lot of stress from work, and age-wise it¡¯s time for you to get married. But you don¡¯t have time to manage a rtionship; having a one-night stand with me was the perfect opportunity to skip that stage and jump straight to marriage. You don¡¯t tell others about it because you worry it may notst for long.¡±


    Clint¡¯s facial expression remained unchanged. Maybe something was brewing up in his mind, or perhaps he was forbearing himself from saying the wrong thing. ¡°What about you? Why did you say ¡®yes¡¯ when I asked you to marry me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not holding any secrets. You¡¯ve seen my ex-boyfriend before and know about the fight between Jennifer and me. Your ¡®sister¡¯ and I have been fighting since college, and she stole my ex-boyfriend before our one-night stand happened. I knew, by coincidence, that you were my ex¡¯s boss, but I also married you because it¡¯s high time for me to get married, and I don¡¯t have time for managing rtionships.¡±


    Selene paused for a moment, then continued. ¡±I thought this would be a good way to hit two birds with one stone. Besides, I¡¯m only human; I had no reason to decline a marriage proposal from a handsome and rich man.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me the real reason for it,¡± Clint said, maintaining a calm tone.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I tell you the truth. Maybe we both did it for the same reason. What you want is an easy, stress-free marriage and an undemanding partner. So do I.¡± Selene said.


    She sighed. ¡±You just exined to me the rtionship between you and Jennifer, and I¡¯m afraid that you may think of me as trouble, so I just want to exin to you my attitude about this marriage.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that we should just treat each other like strangers and not interfere with each other much?¡± Clint asked with a light smile.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve been like that since we got married. And it seems to be working, doesn¡¯t it? If we get to a point in a few months where we think this marriage has a long future, we could let others know about our rtionship and maybe talk about kids. What do you think?¡±


    Clint curled his lips and smiled. ¡°Sounds great. We are very honest about our marriage, and I think it¡¯s a great idea.¡± He then held out his hand. ¡°For a good marriage!¡±


    Selene did not shake his hand but indifferently nodded her head.


    She had never talked so much with Clint before. She did not talk much in her daily life. It took a lot of effort to do it.


    But to her puzzlement, she did not feel relieved when she finished her speech. And seeing Clint¡¯s uncaring expression, she also felt unknowingly disappointed.


    Why am I disappointed? I shouldn¡¯t have any expectations for this marriage! Selene thought to herself.


    After this conversation, they interacted with each other less and less, even though they lived in the same apartment. Most of the time, Clint got home veryte. The few times he came back early, he chose to work alone in his study.


    In all, they never went to sleep together.


    They didn¡¯t even say much to each other.


    Selene was unwilling to get intimate with others. She should have been happy with this ¡®non-interfering¡¯ marriage arrangement, but now that she had experienced it, she realized that maybe it was not what she really wanted.


    This was especially apparent to her when she realized that they had not made love for nearly a month after that day.


    ****


    The light was still on in Clint¡¯s study.


    Selene looked at the clock on the wall; it was early in the morning.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She pushed the door of his study open and saw Clint asleep on his desk.


    She frowned and was about to wake him up. However, she stopped herself after noticing several parenting books on his desk. Feeling a little surprised, she took back her hand but touched the mouse beside theputer. There was a single folder on the screen titled ¡°HER.¡±


    Before Selene could regain herposure, Clint woke up, rubbed his eyes, and looked up at her. Seeing Selene staring at hisputer screen, he silently moved the mouse and turned off theputer.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Clint asked.


    ¡°I noticed that the light was still on, so I came to see you,¡± Selene replied.


    ¡°We have agreed to leave each other to our own business. I hope you have a good reason foring here.¡±

 Chapter 15: I Don’t Play Games

    ¡°Yes, we agreed to that, but not to a sexless marriage. Sex is essential for asting marriage.¡± Selene chuckled.


    Clint also smiled, then sneered. ¡°Do you like sex without love? Did you marry me because you enjoyed the sex that much?¡±


    Selene frowned, aware of the implications of his words. But she did not know why he said it. And the unopened file named ¡°HER¡± appeared in her mind again.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s important for a healthy rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Only the sex?¡±


    ¡°I thought we agreed on it.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Clint exploded with anger.


    Selene silently looked at him and found the repressed anger on his face.


    She had never seen him like this before. Clint was usually very adept at hiding his emotions.


    Selene¡¯s mind wandered once again to the ¡°HER¡± file on Clint¡¯sputer.


    Maybe every man has an ideal lover in mind, and so did Clint.


    Was ¡°HER¡± that lover?


    After thinking for a while, Selene replied, ¡°Okay, sorry for disturbing you. I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    Before she went back to the bedroom andy herself on the bed, Clint suddenly caught up with her and pushed her onto the bed.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Selene was frightened.


    Clint was violently tearing Selene¡¯s home dress and groaned. ¡°Fulfilling my obligation as a husband!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Clint Denovan!¡±


    Selene wanted to push his hands away, but her hands were pressed by Clint by her head. Clint coldly said, ¡°You want me to fulfill my duty as a husband. Why are you suddenly so reluctant?¡±


    When he said this, he bent down to kiss Selene. But before he stuck out his tongue into her mouth, he felt pain, then pulled back.


    Selene had bitten him.


    Clint looked at her.


    Selene looked very distant and cold. ¡°Will you stop?¡± She asked emotionlessly.


    The woman always had the power to soften his anger and make him lose his lust.


    He suddenly felt depressed.


    He got off her and said in a low voice, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m in a bad mood today.¡±


    Selene straightened out her dress and turned her back to him. ¡°It¡¯s your business to take care of your mood, and you should not vent your anger on me. I must remind you that I will not tolerate any sexual violence.¡±


    Maybe Clint was in a bad mood just because of ¡°HER.¡± Selene thought.


    Clint raised his right hand, covering his eyes.


    ¡°It will never happen again.¡± He muttered after a long silence.


    The next morning, when Selene woke up, she found the other half of the bed empty.


    It didn¡¯t surprise her much, as he always got up early.


    When Selene walked into the living room, she saw Clint finishing making breakfast and then starting to eat it.


    He rarely had breakfast at home, so Selene felt a little shocked when she saw him at the table.


    ¡°I have cooked breakfast for us. When you finish brushing your teeth and washing your face, you cane to eat with me.¡± He said calmly, with an inviting gesture.


    Selene walked into the washing room and looked at her messy hair and pale face in the mirror.


    She had not slept well the previous night.


    She was a decisive person, having taken only several minutes for her to decide to marry Clint.


    Butst night, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about their marriage.


    When she got up in the morning, she had figured it out.


    She was barely in her twenties- too young to live such a monotonous life locked in a strange marriage.


    She decided to end it.


    The ¡°HER¡± file on hisputer, the parenting books on his desk, and his sudden sexual violence made her feel the marriage was totally different from what she had previously imagined.


    Though it was normal for a couple to have children after marriage, Selene felt reluctant to the idea when she realized that she might just be a tool for making babies for the billionaire.


    Her husband probably loved another woman but nned to give birth to children with her. Being the innocent party, Selene felt it very unfair.


    And she was unwilling to bear it by herself.


    When she finished brushing and washing, she sat across from him at the table.


    Clint lowered his head and did not look at her. ¡°I did something wrongst night. I apologize. It will never happen again.¡± He said calmly.


    Selene had to admit that the man was very polite, well-spoken, and educated, even though he was arrogant and proud.


    ¡°Okay. I ept your apology.¡± She paused and continued. ¡°Mr. Denovan. I¡¯ve been thinking for the whole night, and I think it would be better for us to just divorce.¡±


    Clint¡¯s hand, which was holding the fork, froze. ¡°Divorce?¡± He asked without looking at her.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought this through?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    After keeping silent for several seconds, he finally raised his head up and expressionlessly looked at her. ¡°Marriage is a contract between man and woman. Do you agree?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, so I¡¯m discussing it with you.¡± Selene nodded.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll say no.¡± He replied.


    Selene was stunned.


    Clint continued. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re not executing your part of the promise, and you¡¯re ying games, so I¡¯ll not agree.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not ying games. It¡¯s just you and me¡­.¡±


    ¡°If you feel unhappy about something, you can tell me. But I won¡¯t agree to a divorce. Unlike you, I don¡¯t y games.¡±


    After he finished his words, he stormed out through the door without turning back.


    ****


    Clint did note back home for several days.


    Selene knew that he had many ces where he could have gone to live, such as his former luxury apartment. He was a billionaire, after all.


    Selene tried to get in contact with him to discuss their divorce. She texted him, but he never replied to her. When she phoned him, he would answer. But whenever she mentioned the divorce, he would always hang up immediately.


    Selene could not put up with this anymore. After two weeks, she went to court herself to file for divorce.

 Chapter 16: Who Are You To Say This To Me?

    After more than a month, the court held a hearing to deal with the case.


    Clint did not attend. It was the notoriouswyer, Matthew Ronald, who came instead. Thewyer skillfully read out the defendant¡¯s words, which had been written by his client in a sincere attempt to save their marriage.


    Thewyer¡¯s precise logic and seemingly sincere words touched the judge, who decisively disallowed their divorce. Selene was also affected.


    The five-month marriage would continue.


    When Selene left the court and phoned Clint, he quickly answered.


    ¡°Clint. Why are you doing this?¡± She asked coldly.


    There was no response. Selene was about to check whether she had a signal when Clint¡¯s voice came. He was coughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Selene asked, frowning.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the hospital.¡± Clint croaked.


    Selene hurried to the hospital and found Clint lying on the bed with his eyes closed. It seemed that he was sleeping. When she went closer, Clint suddenly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Hey. You¡¯re here.¡± Clint got up and leaned his back on the bed.


    He looked thinner, and his face was very pale.


    ¡°I spoke to the doctor. He said you¡¯re suffering from excessive fatigue. I know that work¡¯s important, but maybe you should take better care of your health.¡±


    ¡°Who are you to say this to me?¡± Clint sneered as he looked at her.


    ¡°We¡¯re still a couple, as yourwyer will soon tell you,¡± Selene answered expressionlessly.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re still my wife?¡±


    Selene said nothing and remained silent.


    Clint looked at her sincerely and spoke. ¡°Selene. I¡¯m aware that our marriage arrangements are ¡®unique,¡¯ but we should treat them with more reverence. We¡¯re not children. We made a decision, and now we must go through with it and stay married.¡±


    This time, it was Selene who sneered. ¡°Clint. We got married after a one-night stand. It was hardly a thought-out decision. If we got married on a whim, who says we can¡¯t also divorce on a whim?¡±


    Her expression was saddened. ¡°This is not the marriage I want.¡±


    ¡°We may be different, but the main reason for these problems is that we didn¡¯t get to know each other before marrying. I admit that getting married on a whim may have been a rash decision. But regardless of why we got married, I hope you can agree with me that we should respect ourmitment to enter this marriage.¡±


    Selene remained silent.


    Clint spoke again. ¡°What kind of marriage life do you expect? Tell me, and I will try my best to fulfill it.¡±


    Selene felt very surprised by his willingness topromise. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    Clint avoided her gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t want to divorce after only a few months of marriage. It¡¯s shameful. Also, I respect our marriage.¡±


    Shit!


    Selene sniffed. ¡°Then you will be disappointed when I try to divorce you again since I don¡¯t think you genuinely want us to stay together.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it really was a mistake.¡± Clint smiled helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll think about what you said. By the way, it will still take you six months to file for divorce again.¡±


    When Clint recovered and left the hospital, he lived his life the same as before. Although he returned home veryte and went out very early in the morning, he never stayed outside overnight. Their rtionship once again became easy and regr. Each did their own thing while respecting the other.


    Selene began to, once again, see their marriage as ideal.


    ****


    Two months passed by quite uneventfully, and they both got along well with each other.


    One time, after they had just finished a bout of pure physical love-making, Clint got up and went to take a bath. Just as he entered the bathroom, the phone he put on the bedside table rang. At first, Selene ignored it. But it continued ringing for such a long time that she finally relented and picked it up. It was from Clint¡¯s Mom.


    She thought for a while, then answered the phone. ¡°Hello!¡±


    ¡°Is Clint there?¡± The older woman asked in a surprised tone.


    ¡°Clint is taking a bath. I will tell him that you called, and he will call you back.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ Are you Clint¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Selene replied, aware that Clint had told his mom that he was dating some girl.


    His mother seemed very happy to hear that. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Clint¡¯s mom. He has mentioned you many times, and I¡¯ve wanted to see you for a long time, but he said he was too busy to arrange a meeting between all of us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Denovan, He¡¯s really very busy,¡± Selene replied, forcing a more pleasant tone.


    Just when she finished thest word, Clint walked out of the bathroom. He looked terrified and strode towards to grab his phone back.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ming.¡±


    ¡°Clint, why don¡¯t you arrange for us to meet? I¡¯ve wanted to talk to your girlfriend face to face.¡±


    ¡°You can tell me what you want to tell her.¡± Clint looked at Selene, then left the living room.


    Selene smiled with irony and thought to herself. ¡®You take our marriage so seriously, yet you don¡¯t even allow me to talk with your mom!¡¯


    After a long time, Clint returned to the living room.


    Selene threw up her hands in defense.¡± Your phone kept ringing, and on the screen, it said it was your mother, so I answered it. Are you angry with me?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Clint shook his head and kept silent for a while. ¡°What did you two talk about?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Your mom asked if I¡¯m your girlfriend and when we could meet,¡± Selene said, then paused for a moment. ¡°Clint, when can I see her? You¡¯ve already told your mom that I¡¯m your girlfriend, so we should meet.¡±


    Clint¡¯s eyes nced at her for a second, and he moved away quickly as if he was avoiding something.


    ¡°Please be patient. I¡¯m really busy with work nowadays.¡±


    Selene noticed the subtle expression on his face. ¡°Do you not get along well with your parents? Or are they very picky?¡±

 Chapter 17: Are You Free Tonight?

    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this. They¡¯re good people. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m really busy and I hope we can work out a good time for a future meeting. A time that will suit everyone.¡±


    ¡°How about inviting my father here so he can meet you? I know you¡¯re busy, but that wouldn¡¯t take much of your time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can tell your family about our marriage, but it would be more proper if we would be the ones visiting them. We¡¯ll do that when I get some time off.¡±


    Seleneughed.


    She felt like she truly couldn¡¯t understand his motivations. On the one hand, he t-out refused to divorce her, but on the other, he was incredibly reluctant to develop their rtionship.


    Of course, Selene also hadn¡¯t told her father about her marriage.


    Two dayster, when Selene was on her way to her store, she passed by the luxury apartment Clint had previously lived in. She spotted a familiar car, out of which four people got off.


    From the back, she recognized two of them; One was Clint Denovan, and the other was Jennifer Keller. The two others were older. It seemed that they were Clint¡¯s parents.


    She stopped her taxi and watched as the four people talked,ughed, and walked into the apartment.


    Pondering for a few moments, she took out her mobile phone and called Clint.


    She rarely called him. When Clint answered the phone, he seemed a little surprised. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Are you free tonight? Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t make it tonight. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Busy with work?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Before she hung up the phone, she vaguely overheard the conversation happening around Clint from the other side of the phone. ¡°Clint, is that your girlfriend calling? You could ask her out to meet with us.¡±


    ¡°Clint, you¡¯ve got a girlfriend; why don¡¯t you share the good news with me?¡±


    The call then ended, and she turned to look at the apartment across from her. She could not see them anymore.


    What would his parents and Jennifer think if I were to go right now and tell them that I¡¯m his wife? Selene wondered.


    But that was only a thought; she wasn¡¯t actually going to do it.


    She felt somewhat disappointed all of a sudden.


    ¡°Hi, are you going to make me drive, or will you get off?¡± The cab driver asked impatiently, snapping Selene out of her reverie.


    ¡°Just keep driving.¡±


    Clint¡¯s defense statement and the words he had uttered in the hospital raised Selene¡¯s standards when it came to marriage. She wanted something new. But now, it was obvious that Clint had made an excuse to save their marriage.


    Why did he really want to keep their marriage?


    To respect the ¡®holy union of matrimony?


    No way!


    What he really needed was a wife who would not interfere much with his work life and would give birth to his children. It didn¡¯t matter whether he would respect the idea of marriage or not. It was also certain that Clint did not respect her.


    She had always known that Clint had no affairs with other women but felt terrible that he deeply loved someone else. Not only that, but he built a long, private rtionship with Jennifer. He would take Jennifer with his parents, but not her, who was his legal wife.


    ¡°Am I that ugly¡±?


    Selene sat up in the taxi to look at herself in the rearview mirror.


    She looked lovely indeed.


    When Selene moved into the new apartment that Clint had prepared for their marriage, she did not take many of her things. But after half a year, she had amassed much more than before.


    But they were just articles of daily use, and it only took her one hour to pack.


    She was never sloppy.


    That night, she moved back to her own small apartment andy on her own bed that had not beenid on for a long time. She had thought she would feel relieved and have a sense of belonging.


    But the fact was that she was used to the bed she had been sleeping on with Clint for half a year.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She couldn¡¯t sleep for the whole night.


    Selene awoke the next morning with tired eyes and a slight headache. She switched on her cellphone, only to find that someone was calling her. It was Clint Denovan.


    She answered the call.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Selene. What are you thinking?¡± Clint barraged her, most likely due to having found out that she was moving away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve moved back to my old apartment. You didn¡¯t agree to a divorce, so I¡¯ll just go ahead and wait for six months, then file for separation in court.¡± Selene replied calmly.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? Why can¡¯t we just discuss the problems in our marriage together? Surely, we could solve these problems without divorcing.¡±


    ¡°Clint. It¡¯s not that you aren¡¯t kind enough. The problem is that you yourself are not ready for this marriage. You always refuse to let me meet your friends and family. You¡¯re too hesitant when ites to that, and I see it as a major red g.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like socializing, so I thought you were reluctant to meet them,¡± Clint replied after a few moments of silence.


    ¡°But this is what marriage is about.¡±


    ¡°I do want you to meet my friends and family. I just haven¡¯t found the perfect opportunity for it yet.¡± Clint answered, a little hesitant this time.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be perfect. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m meeting the president. I¡¯m not a child, and your excuse sucks.¡±


    ¡°Give me more time, I will-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision¡­¡± Selene interjected. ¡±Getting married was a mistake. It¡¯s better to fix it sooner thanter. I¡¯m still young, and I¡¯d like to live the rest of my life with someone I love.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to love?¡± Clint sneered.


    ¡°Yes, I do, and I will ¨C when I meet the right person,¡± Selene answered calmly after a few moments of silence.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Clint snorted.

 Chapter 18: I Don’t Care At All

    ¡°When will you be free? Let¡¯s submit our papers to court and get the divorce.¡± Selene said.


    ¡°What a boring process.¡±


    For Clint, getting a divorce was boring, so he surely also considered their marriage boring. Or that¡¯s what Selene thought, at least. ¡°If you don¡¯t have time to do it, I will go to court myself.¡± She continued.


    ¡°Up to you!¡±


    Clint hung up angrily.


    Selene stared at her phone and curled her lips.


    Clint was also very strange. He did not agree to the divorce, yet he still went to Selene¡¯s store himself to request suits to be made for him as if nothing happened.


    Their rtionship was the same as before: one was the storekeeper and the other the customer.


    Clint picked the suit style that he wanted to be made. Before he could leave the store, Selene confronted him. ¡°If you have time, we could go to court now to get that divorce. It¡¯s better for both of us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not better for me,¡± Clint answered back without any expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s more expensive to hire awyer to deal with the divorce.¡±


    ¡°Money is not really a problem for me.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene finally became speechless.


    Yes, he really had lots of money, so it was easier for him to ask awyer to deal with the case.


    But of course, she also knew that he did this on purpose. He just did not want to get a divorce. He also did not want to get into trouble finding a new wife to give birth to his children.


    Selene gave him trouble, and he was angry with her for it.


    Selene also felt very helpless. She could not understand why he was up for getting married to her in a sh but waspletely reluctant to also get a divorce on short notice.


    Selene, however, already had an alternative solution in mind. She would go to court twice, and everything would be much easier.


    In fact, she also felt a little disappointed because she would probably be losing a rich and loyal customer, even though she still had plenty of customers other than Clint. But that was alluding to the fact that she had made a lot of money off Clint¡¯s patronage in recent years.


    Shortly after Selene left the court and returned to her apartment, someone knocked at the door.


    She looked through the peephole and saw that it was Joseph.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did anything happen?¡± Selene asked coldly as she opened the door.


    ¡°May Ie in?¡± Joseph threw up his hands in defeat.


    Selene moved back and let him in.


    ¡°I heard that you divorced Clint Denovan,¡± Joseph said.


    ¡°You¡¯re really well-informed.¡± Selene sneered, even though she was a little surprised.


    ¡°Thewyer, Matthew Ronald, was my roommate when I was in college. He unintentionally mentioned that he worked for Clint Denovan¡¯s divorce case, and I found out from him that you got divorced from him today.¡±


    ¡°So you came here to mock me?¡± Selene smiled coldly.


    ¡°Selene!¡± Joseph frowned and turned to look at her. ¡°You know I¡¯m not like that. I¡¯m sorry for what I did, but surely you know it wasn¡¯t for real, but only a trick. Nothing really happened between Jennifer and me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And such a trick it was, you and Jennifer pranking me in order to humiliate me, which ended up with me having a one-night stand with Clint, which led to a brief marriage and divorce. My whole life is now a joke because of that ¡®trick¡¯.¡± Selene spat out with venom in her voice.


    Joseph looked at her and sighed. After a while, he looked at her sincerely. ¡°Selene, it¡¯s all my fault. Now that you are single again, how about we start together again from zero? Let¡¯s forget this ever happened, okay?¡±


    ¡°Pretend that nothing happened? I just got married and divorced within half a year. Do you even care about what happened?¡± Seleneughed at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care at all.¡± Joseph continued. ¡°Selene, we¡¯re different from Clint and Jennifer. No matter what happened before, it¡¯s behind us now.¡±


    Selene went nk for a moment, walked over to the couch, and sat down. Finally, she sighed. ¡°Yes, everything is over.¡± She looked at Joseph, who stood still and continued. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. We¡¯re different from Clint and Jennifer.¡±


    She paused for a few moments, then continued. ¡±Maybe I¡¯m being foolish. I forgive you, Joseph. It wasn¡¯t easy for you to work at SSGB, and Jennifer took advantage of you. To be honest, I was very surprised when you resigned from thepany. You really earned my respect with that.¡±


    ¡°You probably thought that I would do anything for my career.¡± Joseph smiled with irony.


    ¡°Yes. And I still do.¡± Selene raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that. Ie from a poor family, and I was taken out alone to get through college. It¡¯s not a surprise that I want to be sessful, in spite of my background.¡± Joseph shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Yes, I can understand that. I wasn¡¯t born into wealth either.¡± Selene nodded. ¡°What have you been doing recently, job-wise?¡± She asked casually.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning on starting my own business soon. I¡¯ve umted enough experience and resources from SSGB. I¡¯m ready now to do something on my own. Though recently I¡¯ve not made much money, everything¡¯s going smoothly.¡± Joseph said.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    Joseph smiled and asked. ¡°What happened between you and Clint?¡±


    ¡°We had a one-night stand. He is handsome, rich, and¡­ your boss. I had the opportunity to marry him on a whim, and I went for it. But it didn¡¯tst long, as I¡¯m sure you know.¡±


    ¡°I know little about his private life, but he seemed quite calcted at work. He doesn¡¯t strike me as someone who¡¯d get married on a whim after a one-night stand.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we got married because we fell in love? Just like you said, he is calcted, meaning that he doesn¡¯t have much time for rtionships. He¡¯s also at an age where he should get married, so when the opportunity presented itself to him, he took it.¡±

 Chapter 19: I Came To Get My Belongings

    ¡°So why did you two get a divorce then?¡±


    ¡°We just aren¡¯tpatible.¡±


    ¡°Did you get a lot of money from the divorce?¡± Joseph joked.


    ¡°I could have, but I refused it. Even though I wouldn¡¯t mind the money, I do have principles.¡±


    Josephughed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me, unlike your marriage.¡± He said, then paused for a moment. ¡°Getting married on a whim? I would maybe expect this from you, but not from Clint. He¡¯s pragmatic, as a machine.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m like that even though I¡¯ve waited for you for that long?¡± Selene sneered.


    ¡°Selene, I know you. You look very reasonable and sane but are, in fact, very stubborn. When under pressure, you¡¯re unpredictable.¡±


    Selene went nk for a while, then suddenlyughed. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°You know me very well, Joseph. We can forgive each other, but we won¡¯t be together again as friends. We should celebrate, though, so let me cook dinner for us.¡± Selene said and stretched out her hand.


    ¡°Sounds like a n.¡± Joseph also held out his hand and shook Selene¡¯s.


    Joseph rolled up his sleeves, took off his watch, and followed her into the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°You could help me with the washing up,¡± Selene said, unable to refuse the offer for help.


    Back when they were in a rtionship, they had always lived apart due to Joseph¡¯s studies. This was the first time in a very long time they were in the same room.


    He was very skilled at doing housework, mostly due to having had to do chores around the house from an early age. Selene realized that this was most likely why he had rough hands with thick fingers.


    Subconsciously, her mind wandered to Clint, whose hands were totally different from Joseph¡¯s. Clint had long, slender, and wless fingers. It was obvious that they had hadpletely different upbringings.


    After they finished dinner, Joseph was getting ready to leave.


    Selene saw him off beside the door. ¡°I wish you sess with yourpany. Good night.¡± She said casually.


    Joseph went to give her a hug, but Selene blocked him with her palm. Joseph was visibly embarrassed and gave an awkwardugh before leaving.


    Selene was in a good mood. After Joseph left, she tidied up her bedroom and went to work on designing a new style for a suit.


    From now on, she would finally be left alone to herself without anyone disturbing her.


    But obviously, things are never so simple.


    She switched herputer on and started to work but found that she was having trouble focusing on her task. Her mind simply went nk.


    It was midnight when she realized that she had still made no progress whatsoever.


    At that moment, she heard someone knock at her front door.


    She checked the time, which was disyed at the bottom-right corner of herputer screen. It was exactly 12 o¡¯clock. Is there someone at the door? Selene wondered.


    There was another knock at the door.


    Women who live alone should be careful- Selene knew that.


    Selene was not easily scared, however. She frowned and stood up, then went to the living room. She looked through the peephole to look at the person who was knocking.


    Though she could only make out the profile of the man who was knocking due to the lighting, he seemed familiar, and it didn¡¯t take her long to realize who it was- Clint Denovan.


    She opened the door, and the heavy stench of booze came flooding in.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Why are you here? The court has allowed our divorce. I¡¯m sure yourwyer has told you.¡±


    It was obvious that Clint Denovan was drunk once again. He put one of his hands on the door and stared at Selene with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± He said, speaking in a surprisingly sober way.


    ¡°So then, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I came to get my belongings.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Selene frowned again.


    ¡°When you moved away from my apartment, you took my stuff. I need it back.¡±


    After thinking for a while, Selene furrowed her brows. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I didn¡¯t take anything that wasn¡¯t mine.¡±


    ¡°But you have.¡±


    ¡°Please, Clint. Just be honest. Why are you here? You know I¡¯m not a thief.¡±


    Clint rubbed his eyebrows as if he was very tired. ¡°You took my suit.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Why would I take them? It¡¯s not like I could wear them.¡±


    ¡°You took the suit that I wore to the wedding registration when we got married.¡±


    Hearing it, Selene realized that she really did take that suit away when she packed up her things.


    She took the suit that Clint had worn to the wedding because she had worked hard to make it, and Clint did not pay for it. So, of course, she wasn¡¯t going just to leave it there.


    ¡°That suit doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t pay you for it?¡± Clint snorted.


    ¡°I just think it¡¯s of no use to you anymore, so why should you take it back? I made it!¡± Selene answered after thinking for a moment.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s of no use to me. But I don¡¯t want your next husband to wear it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good at designing and making new suits. Why would I allow my future husband to wear an old suit to our wedding?¡± Selene sneered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not strange at all that you would give it to your future husband since you always do as you please anyway.¡±


    Though they had very different personalities, they barely ever quarreled with each other. This was the most intense argument between them that had ever urred.


    Clint closed his eyes for a second and lowered his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you about this. Please just go and find me the suit.¡±


    Selene didn¡¯t agree with him and didn¡¯t want to give him the suit, but finally gave in, as she didn¡¯t think she would be able to change his mind.


    She opened the door and held the door open for him. ¡°Take a seat on the couch. I¡¯ll go and find it.¡±

 Chapter 20: Drink Less If Possible

    Clint followed her and sat on the couch.


    Selene went into her bedroom to find it.


    She had lots of clothes in her wardrobe. It took her a long time to find the suit in one corner.


    Her mind went nk while looking at the suits. It was like she was operating on autopilot.


    At that time of the wedding, Selene and Clint knew very little about each other. Despite this, Selene still had high expectations about the marriage, for some reason. But, in the end, it was apparent that he was not the one who would apany her for the rest of her life.


    After letting out a long sigh, she took the suit to her living room.


    Clint was now sleeping on the couch. He was breathing evenly and heavily.


    ¡°Hey. I¡¯ve found the suit,¡± Selene shouted with a frown.


    There was no response. Clint continued sleeping.


    Selene walked over to him, bent down over him, then shook him with her hands. ¡°Clint, wake up!¡±


    Clint mumbled vaguely and turned over a little without waking up.


    He stunk of alcohol. He must¡¯ve passed out due to being so drunk.


    Selene looked at his face. Though they had slept in the same bed many times before, she had rarely ever seen him sleeping, as he always got up earlier than her.


    With closed eyes, Clint looked very gentle and innocent, which was very unlike his normal appearance. He seemed like a different person to her.


    He had dark circles under his eyes, probably fromck of sleep.


    Then, after thinking for a while, she put the suit on the table and walked back to the bedroom to fetch a nket to cover him.


    He was drunk and unconscious, and it was veryte. So the best thing for him would be to just sleep until the morning.


    Selene felt sorry for him, so she just decided to let him sleep on her couch.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene woke up very early the next morning, as she was aware that there was a man sleeping in the living room.


    She walked to the living room and found that Clint was still asleep.


    She patted him on his back and shouted. ¡°Clint Denovan, wake up, wake up!¡±


    Finally, Clint came back to consciousness and woke up.


    He opened his sleepy eyes and saw Selene in front of him. Seemingly shocked for a moment, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard.


    All of a sudden, Selene was under him.


    Selene looked up at him with utter shock. Before she could even react, Clint bent down to kiss her. Selene felt very hot around her lips.


    He was great at kissing. Every spot he kissed with his lips and tongue left shockwaves of ecstasy rippling across Selene¡¯s body.


    The two locked onto each other on the small couch.


    Clint was strong, and it felt very exciting. Selene could feel his erection and reminded herself of the nights of passionate sex they had previously enjoyed.


    She was an adult, and she had sexual urges.


    But reason conquered her desire.


    She did not struggle to push him away but spoke coldly. ¡°There is no condom here.¡±


    Clint froze for a moment and raised his head, looking at the woman from hair to toe.


    They kept very close to each other.


    Selene¡¯s cold face became flushed with pink. She looked more attractive and softer than before. Clint squinted at her as if he hadn¡¯t heard her speak.


    He kissed her again.


    As he kissed her, his hands by her head moved a little and touched a cold and hard object. He picked it up and nced at it.


    It was a man¡¯s watch.


    Clint suddenly froze. He paused for a few seconds, got back to his feet, and rubbed his eyes. ¡°Sorry, I was too drunkst night, and I feel dizzy. Give me a minute.¡±


    For some reason, Selene felt a little disappointed. She fixed her hair and slowly stood up. ¡°It¡¯s a bad habit to sleep with others when you¡¯re drunk. You should quit drinking.¡± Selene smiled with contempt.


    Selene did not know why she had said it so bitterly. After all, Clint hadn¡¯t done anything to her.


    Clint ignored her mocking tone. ¡°Yes, you should also remember not to sleep with strange men when you¡¯re angry with someone.¡± He said calmly. ¡°Why did you refuse the money?¡±


    Selene went nk for a second, thenughed. ¡°We¡¯re not in a rtionship anymore, so I have no right to your things.¡±


    ¡°More money never hurts. Also, when others find out that you¡¯re my ex-wife and you got nothing from the divorce, they will think I¡¯m a miser. It¡¯s bad for my reputation.¡±


    Selene had previously thought that he offered her money because he really cared about her. But now she couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Trust me, no one will find out about our marriage. We livepletely different lives, and I doubt we will meet ever again.¡±


    She then picked up his suit. ¡°Last night, by the time I found your suit, you had fallen asleep on the couch. I didn¡¯t want to wake you up. Here it is.¡± She said, handing it over to him.


    Clint took it, ¡°I¡¯ll go now. Take care!¡±


    Out of politeness, Selene went to see him off. When he turned to look at her, she suddenly felt the urge to joke with him. ¡°Will youe to my store to buy more suits?¡±


    Without showing any emotion, Clint nodded. ¡°Yes, I will. They¡¯re great.¡± He said sincerely.


    Selene felt surprised. ¡°Take care.¡± Then, she added, ¡°Drink less if possible. It¡¯s bad for your health.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Clint nodded.


    It turned out Clint saying that he would continue purchasing suits from Selene¡¯s store was out of politeness; if anything, as of next month, he didn¡¯t even bother visiting her store once.


    However, Selene hadn¡¯t expected Clint to go through with what he had said anyway. In addition, Clint¡¯s not going to her store was actually very good for her. Crazy and bad things tended to happen when they were together, so because they had nothing to do with each other anymore, she would finally get the opportunity to forget about Clint and her time with him.

 Chapter 21: I’ll Be There Soon

    Despitecking the fixed ie from Clint¡¯s custom, her clothing store remained prosperous. When spring became summer, Emily introduced her to a client who was a famous painter. Her name was Belinda Carter, and she came from nobility.


    Mrs. Belinda¡¯s husband was a financier who was well-known in the city. Being a popr painter, as well as a wealthy woman, she was certainly difficult to serve. After Emily contacted Mrs. Carter¡¯s assistant, she didn¡¯t receive any detailed requirements, but rather, she was asked to send several clothing samples to consider.


    It was normal to send samples. But when Selene arrived at Mrs. Carter¡¯s gallery, she learned that there were also other designersing to send sample clothes, too. The noble painter must have wanted topare what everyone had to offer before making her decision.


    It turned out that one of the designers was Jennifer Keller.


    Selenemented once again how small the world is.


    ¡°Just my luck.¡± She said to herself sarcastically.


    She was not very clear about the rtionship between Jennifer and Clint other than that they were well acquainted with each other. Before that asion, when Selene and Emily ran into Jennifer and Clint at that fancy event, after seeing the look that Jennifer gave Clint, it was obvious to Selene that Jennifer most likely wanted to be more than friends with Clint.


    Jennifer hadn¡¯t been aware of the rtionship between Selene and Clint. If she would now find out, would she explode with anger? Of course, she might be happy, showcasing a ssic example of Schadenfreude, as Selene and Clint were now divorced.


    Selene did not intend to tell Jennifer about what had transpired between her and Clint. Firstly, she felt that there was no need to continue their petty grudge. And secondly, she was unwilling to bring Clint into it as well.


    ¡°I never knew I was so kind-hearted.¡± Selene joked with herself.


    The gallery was well-known in the upper social circles of this city, as it was a good ce for the more arty types of the upper ss.


    Selene came alone, but Jennifer Keller was apanied by her two assistants.


    Naturally, when sheid her eyes on Selene, Jennifer turned her nose up at her.


    Though Jennifer¡¯s personal brand had only been founded a few months ago, due to her deep pockets and her connections, she had be a new star in this trade.


    The other two designers also seemed to know Jennifer and greeted her with enthusiasm. The three designers sat in the lounge, talking andughing. It was only Selene Morris who was like an outsider.


    However, Selene was not a person who liked to socialize, so despite Jennifer¡¯s best efforts to exclude her and make her feel rejected, Selene did not feel ufortable.


    When Mrs. Carter walked in, Jennifer smiled and warmly greeted her. ¡°Aunt Belinda! Long time no see!¡±


    Mrs. Carter smiled at her. ¡°Little Jenny, it¡¯s really been a long time. Your mother called me a few days ago, saying that you¡¯ve created a clothing brand. It makes me realize that you¡¯re all grown-up now.¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯vee to visit you earlier, but I was too busy with creating the brand. When I heard that you want to hold a personal exhibition, I thought that it would have been rude for me to be absent again.¡± Jennifer said.


    Mrs. Carter smiled at her and turned to greet the other designers who were standing by. ¡°I will hold a painting exhibition as well as a charity auction, so what I wear will be very important. I¡¯ve seen your designs, and I like them very much, so I want to choose two sets of clothes for next week¡¯s art exhibition and auction activities.¡± Before the designers could greet her back, she waved her hand and said. ¡°Please take out your samples, and I will take a look.¡±


    The four designers took out and prepared their dresses.


    Although Mrs. Carter was externally amiable, it was obvious that she was very picky. Otherwise, she would have stuck to one of the big brands instead of searching out lesser-known designers.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jennifer took out her own work first and did not forget to self-praise. ¡°Aunt Belinda, I¡¯ve specially designed two sets of dresses for you, and I think they match your style very well.¡±


    Selene, who stood by her silently, simply ignored this.


    Mrs. Belindaughed, ¡°The design is very unique, and I can¡¯t say no to your designs. I will keep these two sets, and I¡¯ll also introduce your brand to my friends and invite them to visit your workshop.¡±


    Hearing this, Jennifer beamed with delight. Naturally, she did not forget to give Selene a shy grin.


    Did she really choose Jennifer¡¯s dress only because of their rtionship? Then why would she bother asking the rest of the designers toe here?¡± Selene thought to herself.


    If it weren¡¯t for Selene¡¯s good manners, she would have undoubtedly walked out then and there.


    Unexpectedly, however, Mrs. Carter then turned to the other designers.


    The designs of the other two designers were probably not to her liking, as she directly but euphemistically rejected them before inviting them to the exhibition and auction.


    The two designers were not disappointed at all. They two felt happy to be invited to such a well-known painting exhibition. They would most likely meet many celebrities there and have a chance to mingle with them.


    Mrs. Carter finally picked up Selene¡¯s designs. She looked at them, then turned to Selene. ¡°I saw Miss Morris¡¯s designs in magazines before. I like them very much. I also like the design of these two sets. Could you help me add some ink elements that are consistent with my painting style on them?¡±


    Selene went nk for a while before she could react. ¡°Yes, I can, but it will take a few more days for me to change the fabric and make a new one.¡±


    ¡°My painting exhibition will be held next Saturday. Is that okay?¡± Mrs. Carter asked.


    Realizing that the famous painter chose and loved her design, Selene quickly replied. ¡°Yes, it will be ready by Saturday.¡±

 Chapter 22: Today’s A Depressing Day

    ¡°Thank you! Miss Morris.¡± Mrs. Carter smiled.


    Jennifer, who had stood by watching as this conversation transpired, was now seething anger.


    When they left the gallery, Jennifer got in a fancy convertible sports car and stopped in front of Selene, who was at the roadside waiting for a cab.


    ¡°Selene, are you proud that Mrs. Carter chose your designs?¡±


    Selene looked at her coldly. ¡°I am happy about it, but I can see that this makes you very angry.¡±


    Jennifer was stunned, and her face turned pale. ¡°Selene, don¡¯t be too pleased with yourself. If you¡¯re really that great, why do you still only run a small store after so many years?¡±


    ¡°I only said I¡¯m happy about it. This was the whole point of meing here, wasn¡¯t it? I run my small shop only to make a living. I¡¯m not like you. I¡¯ve never been a designer, just a craftswoman. I don¡¯t understand why you treat me like an enemy.¡±


    Jennifer smiled. ¡°Yes, it is really off-putting treating you as an opponent.¡±


    She snorted smugly, and suddenly, the phone in her hand rang.


    ¡°Johnson, What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in a bad mood today; I have no appetite to go to a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Will Clint also be there? Okay, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    She hung up the phone, and her mood soon changed back to normal.


    Selene frowned and looked at her. ¡°You know, Clint?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve known him since I was a child. Do you really think that I like guys like your ugly duckling boyfriend? The one whom I will get married to will be someone like Clint, who¡¯s rich and handsome.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yes.¡± Selene nodded. ¡°But it seems that Clint will never fall in love with you since you¡¯ve known each other for such a long time, and you¡¯re still just friends.¡±


    Jennifer¡¯s weak point was revealed, but she retorted. ¡°You know nothing. When I marry Clint, I might consider sending you an invitation to the wedding.¡±


    Selene kept calm, and when Jennifer Keller went into her car, she bent down and knocked on her window.


    Jennifer Keller pulled down the window. She looked at Selene through a pair of sunsses and asked in a sarcastic tone. ¡°You¡¯re gonna ask me for a ride, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± Selene smiled. ¡°But there is something you should know.¡±


    Jennifer raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, your beloved Clint seems to have been married recently.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Jennifer was very convinced that what Selene had just said was bullshit. ¡°We grew up together. If it were true, he would tell me. How could you possibly know? You¡¯ve probably read some fake article online. I can¡¯t believe you still love gossip!¡±


    Selene knew that she stood no chance of convincing Jennifer. ¡°Since you know Clint so well, you could just ask him and see if what I said is true or not.¡±


    Of course, she was actually very certain that Clint would not admit that he had been married. He never publicized his marriage before they divorced, and it would be even less probable that he would talk openly about it after their divorce.


    Jennifer apparently didn¡¯t take her words seriously, either.


    Jennifer¡¯s brother, Johnson, called her to go to have dinner together. At first, Mrs. Carter chose Selene¡¯s clothing, which made Jennifer very angry. However, after being invited to have dinner with Clint, she suddenly forgot most of her anger.


    Clint was busy, so she rarely got the opportunity to have dinner with him. It was only when Clint met with her brother that she got the chance to enjoy herself with them.


    When Jennifer arrived at the reserved room, Clint and Johnson were sitting down.


    ¡°Clint.¡± Jennifer greeted him with a smile on her face when she entered the room. ¡°I¡¯ve never had the chance to invite you for dinner. It seems that you only allow that brother that opportunity. Have you lost weight?¡±


    Clint nced at her and smiled. ¡°Probably. Lots of work stress recently. How have you been?¡±


    Johnson knew about Jennifer¡¯s secret crush on Clint, so he chimed in with a joke before Jennifer could answer. ¡°It¡¯s really unfair. Your brother has recently lost almost ten pounds, but Jenny hasn¡¯t noticed.¡±


    Jennifer rolled her eyes at Johnson, then spoke to Clint. ¡°I¡¯m very busy, too. I¡¯ve just set up my own clothing brand. There are so many things that I don¡¯t understand. I could use your expert advice.¡±


    Clintughed. ¡°Differences in the profession make one feel worlds apart. I know nothing about your trade.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! Just take time toe to my studio and purchase clothes. That¡¯s enough. ¡±


    Clint nodded. ¡°Of course I will.¡±


    Johnson interjected. ¡°Well, Jenny. You said that you were in a bad mood, so what happened?¡±


    Hearing this, Jennifer pouted. ¡°You Know that Belinda Carter is going to hold a painting exhibition and an auction next week, and she wanted to order two sets of clothes. I never imagined that if I went to take her a sample dress, she would choose someone else¡¯s.¡±


    Johnson burst intoughter. ¡°That¡¯s just a little setback. So what? Don¡¯t take it so seriously.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t normally care that much, but she chose the dress of the woman I hate the most.¡±


    Johnson raised his eyebrows. ¡°Mrs. Carter chose the design from your old college enemy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did.¡± Jennifer snorted.


    Clint¡¯s eyebrows wavered slightly, then he smiled. ¡°Well, ask the waiter to serve our food quickly; if not, Jenny will be angry.¡±


    Jennifer pouted. ¡°Well, the woman said that Clint was married. I don¡¯t know where this piece of gossipes from.¡±


    Clint was stunned and did not say anything.


    Johnsonughed happily. ¡°It seems that Clint is still very popr on the Inte! I heard that there is a lot of gossip about your mystery wife on the Inte.¡±


    Clint took his ss and took a sip of his drink. He put it back down. ¡°She wasn¡¯t lying. I was married.¡± He said without showing any emotion.


    ¡°What?¡± Johnson and Selene asked in unison.

 Chapter 23: You Look Stunning

    ¡°Is it strange? I¡¯m 30, after all! And having a family is reasonable,¡± He said.


    ¡°Yeah, right¡­¡± Johnson had trouble getting words out of his mouth. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard about your marriage?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve not told anyone,¡± Clint said calmly.


    Jennifer felt as if struck by lightning. ¡°How is this possible? I don¡¯t understand! My brother said that you¡¯d not had a girlfriend in years. I was surprised when I heard your parents saying that you have a girlfriend. I can¡¯t believe you got married on a whim.¡±


    Clint shook his head andughed. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Anyway, I¡¯ve been divorced since then.¡±


    Hearing this, Johnson waspletely like a wooden chicken. It took several seconds for him to recover. ¡°You mean you got married, then divorced?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Clint shrugged off.


    ¡°Who¡¯s your wife, no¡­ your ex-wife?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know her.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Johnson swore. ¡°The question is, why didn¡¯t you tell me when you got married? We¡¯re friends, right?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even get the chance to tell my parents before the divorce. I intended to tell everyone before the wedding, but I didn¡¯t expect that day would evere.¡±


    ¡°sh marriage and divorce?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not an impulsive person!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable that everyone will sometimes do something impulsive. Anyway, it¡¯s over, so no need to dig into it. And please, don¡¯t tell my parents. I don¡¯t want them to worry needlessly.¡± Clint said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend it never happened. I¡¯m still a bachelor.¡± Clint continued, then waved his hand. ¡°After the meal, we should hit up the other guys for some drinks and karaoke. I haven¡¯t rxed in a long time.¡±


    Jennifer sighed. ¡°Today¡¯s a depressing day.¡±


    Johnsonughed. ¡°Then you should go shopping tonight. My treat!¡±


    Jennifer felt slightly better. ¡°You said it. I¡¯ll go shopping and buy a lot of clothes!¡±


    ****


    When Selene arrived home, Emily called her before she even got the chance to put down her things.


    ¡°Hi, Selene. I heard Mrs. Carter picked your samples!¡± Emily said excitedly.


    ¡°Yes, she has. Thank you for the rmendation. Let¡¯s go for dinner and celebrate. My treat!¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a n. And I have some good news to share with you. Do you know Enzo, that popr male model? He posed for our magazine recently, and I asked him to take some photos of him wearing clothes you designed.¡± Emilyughed.


    ¡°You always manage to advertise my clothing brand when you work. Will your boss find out and fire you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m the sub-editor and have the right to do that. If your designs be popr, I¡¯ll feel very proud of you. I¡¯ll invite Enzo to dinner tonight. It¡¯s good for you to know more models as a clothing designer.¡±


    After Emily said that, she chuckled slightly. ¡°Besides, he¡¯s gay, so he won¡¯t fall in love with you.¡±


    ¡°Emi, you¡¯re so nice to me. How about we fall in love with each other? Then, no men will evere between us!¡± Selene jokes,ughing.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll marry a rich and handsome guy. That¡¯s my goal!¡±


    Enzo was a very popr and well-known male model and had many Instagram followers, so they chose a very private restaurant to celebrate. The restaurant was very high-end and allowed them a private room. After they had dinner, they went to a karaoke ce where they also got a private room for some singing and dancing.


    When Selene saw Enzo, she was struck by just how good-looking he was. His face was so chiseled and perfect that Selene could not help liking him. But, knowing that he was gay, she didn¡¯t get too far ahead of herself.


    Enzo and Emily were very good at socializing, and the three people enjoyed themselves very much in their private room. They drank and talked very happily. But the more they drank, the more times they needed to use the toilet.


    When Enzo came back from his third trip to the toilet, he looked utterly shocked. ¡°Would you girls like to check out who¡¯s in the next room?¡±


    ¡°Why? A friend there?¡± Emily ogled at him.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my boss. He asked if I was with some beauties and asked us to go there to ¡®y¡¯ together.¡±


    ¡°Shit! Are you really asking Selene and me to drink with your boss?¡± Emily shouted at him.


    Enzo walked towards her and took her hand. ¡°My dear Emi, you want to marry a billionaire, don¡¯t you? I nced around my boss¡¯s room, and all I saw were handsome billionaires. They are almost celebrity-status.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Emily rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Seeing is believing.¡±


    Eventually, Selene and Emily followed Enzo to the next room.


    When they pushed the door open, less noise than expected came out of the room. The four men sitting on the couch looked serious and business-like. It was obvious that all of them were very sessful.


    One of the four men stood up and shook Enzo¡¯s hand. ¡°Enzo. I knew you came together with beautifuldies. Come in and introduce them to us. Sausage parties are so boring!¡±


    Emily knew the man, Enzo¡¯s boss. His name was Eric ck, and he was also the CEO of the Legend Entertainmentpany. Emily put on her best smile and went forward. ¡°Hi, Mr. ck. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Emily, and I work for DG Magazine.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I know that Enzo posed for your magazine this month.¡± Eric made space near him on the couch and motioned Emily to sit by him. ¡°Sit here, please. What would you like to drink? I¡¯ll tell the waiter.¡±


    He then turned to Selene, who stood behind Emily. ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is Selene. She¡¯s a clothing designer.¡± Emily replied.


    Selene wore a beautiful dress, high heels, and red lipstick. She looked very attractive today. Mr. ck looked her up and down and finally praised her. ¡°You look stunning. Come here and join us. You can sit there with Clint and Johnson.¡±


    Selene did not move, as this Clint was none other than her ex-husband, Clint Denovan.

 Chapter 24: This Song Sucks

    She saw him when she entered the room. He sat on the right side of the three men with a ss of wine in his hand. Hezily leaned back on the couch. He looked very calm when he saw her but kept staring at her.


    Selene frowned and pondered if she should find an excuse to leave.


    ¡°Take it easy, Selene,¡± Mr. ck continued. ¡°Let me introduce these gentlemen to you. This guy is the big boss of SSGB, Mr. Clint Denovan, and the other Mr. Johnson Keller, a well-known architect.¡±


    Before Selene made any response, Emily grinned. ¡°We all know these two sessful men.¡± She then blinked towards her good friend, Selene. ¡°Selene, sit down, please. How about singing a song for us? You¡¯re really good at singing. Show us your beautiful voice.¡±


    Emily soon started enjoying herself with the men in the room. Hypnotized by the fact that they were handsome and rich, she soon forgot all other considerations and talked happily with Eric beside her.


    Selene silently judged and did nothing.


    Johnson and Clint sat by each other, and when Johnson saw Seleneing towards them, he moved to make some space between him and Clint for her.


    When Selene got to the couch, Clint quickly moved to Johnson and left no space for her.


    Selene froze.


    Confused about what had just happened, Johnson moved himself away from one again to leave some space for Selene while Clint followed him.


    ¡°Clint, what are you doing?¡± Johnson asked, frowning.


    ¡°Sit here,¡± Clint said calmly, patting the empty space to his right.


    Johnson grinned and whispered. ¡°Clint, your dog.¡±


    Ignoring him, Clint looked at Selene.


    Selene moved the corner of her lips and sat down by him.


    Now, only Enzo stood there. Wanting to act as a wingman and not get in the girls¡¯ way, he walked towards Selene and sat by her.


    Clint nced at him and pointed the opposite way. ¡°There is enough space by Eric. You should sit there.¡±


    ¡°Enzo,e sit here,¡± Eric called out.


    Enzo felt speechless and moved to sit near Eric.


    After they all sat down, Mr. ck couldn¡¯t wait anymore for the singing to start. He took a microphone and spoke into it. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Selene has a beautiful voice. How about singing a song with me? You guys just keep drinking. Keep on being boring. Selene and I will sing the first song.¡±


    Though Selene had a beautiful singing voice, few people except Emily knew that. But Selene did not hesitate to sing as Eric invited her. She took another microphone.


    Eric picked a ssic love song and asked Selene if she could sing it with him.


    Selene knew it.


    But it was a love song, and she felt a little uneasy singing it with a man who was a stranger to her.


    As the CEO of the Legend Entertainment Company, Eric was very good at singing. He easily sang the beginning part of the love song. However, before the song got to Selene¡¯s part, Clint grabbed her mic and took it away.


    ¡°Clint, what are you doing?¡± Eric protested.


    ¡°This song sucks. Why did you pick it?¡± Clint rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Okay, if you know a better one, then here you are. Sing it!¡± Eric put down his mic.


    Sure enough, Clint picked a new song. It was also a love song, but softer than the previous one.


    He calmly took Eric¡¯s microphone and handed it to Selene. ¡°Sing!¡±


    Grabbing the mic from his hand, Selene felt a little speechless. But when she heard Clint singing, she felt very surprised.


    She had never heard him sing before. She had assumed that the workaholic knew nothing about singing. Unexpectedly, he sang very well. The love song sounded very attractive to her ears.


    When it was her turn to sing, she came back to life and nearly missed the tempo.


    After Clint and Selene finished the song, all apuded in the room.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never shown us how well you can sing, Clint.¡± Ericughed.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re really good at hiding things. Maybe you will get married one day without telling us.¡± Johnson said ironically.


    Clint red at Johnson. Johnson quickly changed the topic and grinned, ¡°Selene, you have a beautiful voice. And you¡¯re a clothing designer like my younger sister. I¡¯ll introduce you to her.¡±


    Selene soon realized that Johnson must be Jennifer¡¯s older brother.


    Jennifer¡¯s brother is not an asshole like she is. Selene thought to herself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue singing,¡± Eric said and poured some wine into his ss. He walked to Selene and invited her to drink with him. ¡°Drink with me, Selene.¡±


    Before Selene could respond, Clint grabbed Selene¡¯s ss and drank it.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Go away, Eric,¡± Clint shouted.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Clint? There are twodies here; what¡¯s gotten into you today? Have you been single all your life?¡± Eric joked.


    Eric went back to his seat and continued ying and joking with Emily. He decided to leave Clint alone by himself.


    Clint stopped singing and started drinking by himself silently.


    Selene sat by him and was seemingly excluded by the others. She felt a little bored. Seeing him drinking so much, she stretched out her hand to grab his ss. ¡°Stop drinking. Your face is pale now.¡± Selene said quietly.


    Clint put down his ss and stood up, then left. Maybe he went to the toilet.


    Johnson walked over to her and asked, ¡°What did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°I asked him to stop drinking because he looks like he¡¯s about to throw up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s weird. He rarely drinks so much.¡± Johnson said. ¡°Do you know my sister, Jenny? She¡¯s also a clothing designer.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded honestly.


    Before Selene and Johnson could continue their conversation, Clint staggered towards them and sat by them, pushing Johnson away.


    ¡°Clint. Why did you drink so much? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Johnson asked.


    Clint touched his forehead. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Other than Selene, Clint, and Johnson, everyone else enjoyed themselves.


    Selene was very bored. Sitting by her ex-husband, she felt awkward. She stood up and turned to Emily and Enzo. ¡°I think I¡¯ll call it a night and head home. I¡¯m feeling tired. But you guys should stay.¡±

 Chapter 25: They Made Passionate Love

    At this point, she knew that the men in the room were trustworthy, so she feltfortable leaving her friends with them.


    Emily waved her hand excitedly and replied. ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll stay. Take care!¡±


    Seeing Selene leaving, Clint also stood up and turned to his friends. ¡°It¡¯s too noisy here, and I¡¯ve got a headache. I think I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Johnson looked surprised. ¡°Clint, what¡¯s wrong with you? You promised that we would hang out, and now you decided to leave early?¡±


    ¡°I just need some quiet. You guys make too much noise. See youter.¡± Clint answered impatiently, then left without any hesitation. The others seemed unaffected by his departure, maybe because they were used to his strange outbursts and his odd personality.


    Selene felt refreshed by the air outside. It seemingly sobered her up a little. She hailed a cab and was about to get in it before a familiar voice stopped her.


    ¡°Selene!¡±


    Selene turned around and saw Clint walking towards her.


    He staggered heavily and stared at her. He must¡¯ve been very drunk.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She frowned and asked.


    Clint walked to her, and Selene noticed how nk his eyes were. He muttered something, then suddenly ckened towards her.


    The heavy smell of alcohol surged towards her. Selene felt the urge just to leave. But she thought that would be too mean and unconsciously stretched her hand to hold him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Clint?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Selene¡­¡± He leaned on her shoulder and muttered something inaudible.


    Selene wondered what he was talking about as the only word she could make out was her name.


    Selene briefly considered calling Clint¡¯s friends to take him back but then decided to drag him into the cab. She then told the driver the address of Clint¡¯s apartment so they could stop there first.


    When they arrived, Selene felt it very familiar, as she had lived there for several months.


    Clint was half-unconscious with drunkenness by the time they arrived at his apartmentplex.


    Selene had to help him get upstairs.


    When they got to his front door, she asked Clint for the key, as she no longer had it since moving away from there.


    Clint didn¡¯t respond.


    Selene went through his pockets in an attempt to find his keys. It was summer, so Clint wore very thin fabric trousers. She could feel the hot-to-the-touch thigh muscles through the fabric.


    She soon found the key and then opened the door.


    The apartment looked pretty much the same. Nothing had changed at all.


    She dragged Clint onto the bed and took a deep breath.


    She looked at the man lying on the bed and realized that things had happened the same way on that fateful day her life changed.


    She coldly looked at the man and left him alone. She turned to go to the bathroom to wash her hands and face.


    She sshed cold water on her face, which sobered her up.


    Just when she raised her head and looked at the mirror in front of her, she saw Clint silently standing behind her.


    Selene was frightened, and before she came to reality, Clint hugged and kissed her.


    What happened next was a blur.


    Animalistic instinct seemingly took over both of them as they made passionate love. For Selene, it was as if her own body moved without her own ord.


    Selene could barely remember the exact details of what happened. Maybe the alcohol had clouded her mind. Or maybe the sex was so good that it made her mind go nk. Clint was good at what he did.


    They both wanted it. They both needed it.


    Unlike most of the other men, Clint¡¯s face went pale rather than red when drinking. His eyes were red and had a glint in them.


    Clint just kissed her lips slightly. Smelling his alcohol breath, Selene cringed slightly and turned her head away. Seeing this, Clint moved his mouth away and kissed her earlobe and neck.


    When they were still married, they often had sex. But they only made love in bed.


    But now, they did it in the bathroom.


    He hugged her from behind as she held the washing machine for support. She stared at herself in the mirror and thought she looked strange. Behind her, there was a blurred face of a man.


    They were man-woman, immersed in passion, divorced and single, in a scene that was truly chaotic.


    When they finished, Seleney down on the bed and soon fell asleep. Maybe she felt tired after her intense work week.


    ****


    The next day, she awoke with sunlight shining through the window.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw Clint¡¯s face. Even though he was indeed handsome, he looked drowsy, and his eyes were bloodshot from having drunk so much alcohol the previous night.


    He stared at her nkly, seemingly deep in thought.


    Selene evaded his eyes and fixed her hair. She sat up straight and then looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°I got too drunk. I don¡¯t remember what happenedst night. Do you?¡± Clint asked.


    Selene turned at him and smiled slightly. ¡°Me? I have needs. What¡¯s wrong with that? You¡¯re saying you got too drunk, and now you don¡¯t remember. But I heard that when men get that drunk, they can¡¯t get erections; I don¡¯t believe your excuse.¡±


    Selene paused, then continued. ¡°Why not just admit that you wanted to have sex? What¡¯s wrong with one-night stands?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t a talkative person in general, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t hold her own verbally.


    Clint lightly sneered and sat up. He rubbed his eyebrows. ¡°Yes, okay. I admit it.¡± He said calmly.


    Selene got up, picked up the clothes scattered on the floor, and put them on.


    Her back was against him. The morning light highlighted all the curves of her body, giving her a very appetizing look.


    Clint nced at her body, and his breath caught in his throat. Blood suddenly rushed away from his head and into a different part of his body.


    He closed his eyes and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you angry with me?¡±

 Chapter 26: It’s No Big Deal

    ¡°No. I knew what I was getting myself into. I¡¯m not a virgin likest time.¡±


    Hearing this, Clint suddenly got angry. ¡°Last time? You just pretended to be a virgin.¡±


    Selene did not care for his anger, and she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. You didn¡¯t lose anything. I will leave you alone. Besides, we just divorced, and I didn¡¯t take any of your money.¡±


    Clint snorted and frowned. ¡°You took advantage of me to take revenge on your ex-boyfriend. And you should feel guilty. I am now divorced because of your rushing and not thinking things through. Being a divorced man is not a great look at all for someone like me.¡±


    Selene turned to him and gave him an incredulous look. In her eyes, Clint was making a mountain out of a molehill. ¡°Do you even care about being divorced? It¡¯smon for rich men to be divorced nowadays. Besides, your family and friends know nothing about our marriage or divorce.¡±


    Selene was getting angry. ¡±Why do you care about it so much? You¡¯re a billionaire. You could pay somebody to help you hide your rtionship status. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so worked up about this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still hung up about me not telling my friends and family about our marriage?¡± Clint asked.


    Selene threw out her hands in exasperation. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. You don¡¯t want to tell them, and that¡¯s your choice. I don¡¯t have a say in the matter. Also, I admit I took advantage of you to get back at my ex-boyfriend. It makes no difference when ites to our marriage. That wasn¡¯t the reason for our divorce.¡±


    Selene took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s all I have to say about this. Let¡¯s never talk about this ever again. We had a one-night standst night, and that¡¯s no big deal. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    After a few moments of silence, Clint smiled. ¡°Since you don¡¯t care about the one-night stand, how about continuing this arrangement?¡±


    Selene felt surprised and shook her head, smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to be a regr thing. If you really want a friend with benefits, you can get one easily.¡±


    Clint frowned, his mood visibly falling. ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    ****


    In order to meet the deadline for customizing the fabrics of Mrs. Carter¡¯s two sets of clothes, Selene had to work overtime. Finally, she finished in the morning, right before the opening of the exhibition. She rushed to the gallery to give in the clothes. Mrs. Carter was very satisfied when she saw the new clothes.


    Selene was also very satisfied with her work.


    Being a wealthy and powerfuldy, Mrs. Carter seldom showed up in public and had not held a painting exhibition in many years. Nevertheless, anytime when she appeared in public, she attracted great attention, from head to toe. Even her hairpin was out of this world, not to mention the clothes she wore. The media would be all over it.


    She wore Selene¡¯s design during her exhibition and auction, which was definitely a more effective way of introducing Selene¡¯s design brand than Emily¡¯s rmendations in her magazine.


    The exhibition started at noon. It was not a public art exhibition, so the audience here was the elite. In addition, there were several well-known journalists.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene watched as Mrs. Carter was interviewed and had photos taken of her. They praised her dress and asked who made it. Selene could not help but feel proud and happy. It made all the tiredness of having worked in the previous days go away.


    Selene was good at designing, so she had some painting skills as well. She was not very interested in this kind of art exhibition, but she could still appreciate the pieces of art.


    So, naturally, she walked around and admired the paintings.


    Mrs. Carter¡¯s works were oil paintings, but most of them were of scenery.


    Selene walked around and stopped in front of a small painting, which looked unremarkable among a series of colorful paintings. However, something about the painting got Selene¡¯s attention at first sight; It was a painting of the scenery around her hometown.


    She was familiar with the arched bridge on the small river, where she had always yed during her childhood.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Mrs. Carter asked silently as she came over.


    Selene smiled. ¡°This is where I grew up. Have you been there?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you from Cloudy Town?¡±


    Selene nodded. ¡°This small arch bridge was washed away by a flood ten years ago, and it has been renovated. It looks different now. The scenery in the painting is a memory of my childhood, so I can feel a long-lost connection when I see it.¡±


    ¡°It was painted many years ago. At the time, a friend of mine always told me about her hometown: small bridges over the flowing stream and beautiful fields of green littered with simple cottages. The picture she described did appeal to me, so I specifically went there to sketch it. That¡¯s how this painting came to be.¡± Mrs. Carter said.


    ¡°Will this painting be auctionedter?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to buy it?¡±


    ¡°I like this painting very much, and it would be a great opportunity for me to contribute to charity.¡±


    Mrs. Carter nodded. ¡°This painting will be auctioned off, and the price won¡¯t be high. There probably won¡¯t be many people interested in buying it, so you should pay attention.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Mrs. Carter. I will.¡±


    A voice interrupted their conversation. ¡°Aunt Belinda!¡±


    Mrs. Carter turned her head to the source of the voice. ¡°Jenny. Clint. You¡¯re here!¡±


    Selene turned and saw Jennifer¡¯s smiling face. Selene and Jennifer red at each other coldly, but Jennifer quickly turned away. She took Mrs. Carter¡¯s arm, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ming to attend your painting exhibition with Clint. He said that he would buy a few more of your masterpieces.¡± She said,


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you!¡±


    ¡°Aunt Belinda¡¯s masterpieces are quite rare, and they are very difficult to get ahold of. I will definitely buy some. They¡¯re all valuable like treasure.¡± Clint said.

 Chapter 27: You’re Really A Sweet Talker

    When he spoke, his eyes secretly nced at Selene, who was a few steps away. It seemed that Selene did not see him as she continued staring nkly at the painting in front of her.


    Clint¡¯s smile froze for a moment, but no one noticed.


    ¡°How have your parents been recently? I haven¡¯t seen them for a long time. Maybe we could meet up sometime.¡± Mrs. Carter said.


    Clintughed. ¡°They¡¯ve not been bad. My father has handed most of his work over to professional managers. He¡¯s been spending a lot of time enjoying life. He and my mother have been traveling around the world recently.¡± He replied.


    Mrs. Carter revealed an enviable appearance.¡± Your parents are still very much in love, just like they were all those years ago. I¡¯m envious!


    Clint nodded and smiled. ¡°Yes! Their rtionship has always been good.¡±


    Mrs. Carter seemed to remember something. ¡°By the way, I have a painting which was painted many years ago when I went to your parents¡¯ hometown!¡± She turned her head while speaking but did not find the person she was looking for. ¡°Just now, there was a Miss Selene who said that she was also from Cloudy Town, and she wanted to buy that piece!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Clint followed her and looked at the painting on the wall, thenughed. ¡°It¡¯s really remarkable. My mother will absolutely like it.¡±


    Jennifer smiled. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really remarkable.¡± She said,


    ¡°You¡¯re really sweet talkers.¡±


    Clint looked around, trying to find Selene, but to no avail.


    Meanwhile, Selene was busy admiring the bathroom.


    The toilet of the gallery wasparable to that in a five-star hotel. There were no odors other than the scent of aromatic agents, which provided Selene with a pleasant ce to be alone for a while.


    She did not deliberately avoid Jennifer or Clint. But the presence of those two went a long way to prevent her from enjoying the art.


    The exhibition did notst long since the main event was the auction.


    Selene circumnavigated the gallery after she came out from the toilet, and then she went to the auction hall with others.


    The gallery¡¯s auction hall was not too big. She found a corner and sat down. She casually looked up and saw Clint and Jennifer sitting in the front row.


    Meanwhile, there was a young man sitting next to Clint. The man Selene knew was the assistant who used to go to her store to help Clint fetch clothes. She remembered his name as Bedeck.


    Although the venue was not a professional auction house, the auction itself was official, and a professional auctioneer was hosting it.


    Selene eagerly waited for the painting of her hometown.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The auction was lively, and many people participated. When the time arrived for Selene¡¯s hometown painting to be auctioned, however, not many people seemed interested in it.


    The bid started at $50, 000. One man bid $5, 000, after which there were no more bids.


    ¡°$55, 000 once, $55, 000 twice!¡± The auctioneer shouted from the stage.


    Seeing that there were no more bids, the man was about to end the bidding. But, before the hammer could connect with the wood, Selene quickly raised her card. ¡°$57, 000.¡±


    However, right after she bid, someone else raised the price.


    ¡°$60, 000!¡±


    It was not the same person who had bid before, but the only man that Selene knew in this auction hall was Clint Denovan.


    Selene frowned, then raised her card again. ¡°$62, 000.¡±


    Clint immediately raised the price by $5, 000.


    This bidding war continued, each raising the price by another $5, 000.


    Gradually, the price of the small painting rose from $50, 000 to $150, 000.


    When Selene bid $155, 000, Clint suddenly stopped bidding.


    Right then, Selene realizedpeting with Clint was really stupid, as he had a vast amount of wealthpared to her.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± She quietly groaned to herself. She could not help poking big holes in the back of Clint¡¯s head with her gaze.


    It was not that she could not afford the money, but this painting did not warrant such a high price.


    When the auction ended, people came out of the auction hall one by one. Selene could not help speeding up to catch up and pat Clint on the shoulder.


    Clint turned his head and looked at her coldly.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Clint raised his eyebrows. ¡°Do you mean the painting of the bridge on the river? I really like it, but I didn¡¯t think it was worth the price, so I gave up bidding.¡±


    Jennifer, who stayed by Clint,ughed. ¡°Selene, if you can¡¯t afford it, there¡¯s no point in bidding at such a high price.¡± She said,


    Selene did not look at her, and she snorted at Clint. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s expensive, but it¡¯s for charity, so it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    Deck, who stood by Clint, looked at the two people in a puzzled manner, then finally asked. ¡°Mr. Denovan, are you quarreling with Mrs. Denovan again?¡±


    Hearing that, Jennifer¡¯s expression changed to shock, as if hit by thunder. Selene herself was also very surprised that Deck knew about her rtionship with Clint or, more precisely, about the rtionship they once had.


    She thought the secret that they were married was known by no one except themselves and the staff at the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    However, despite Deck knowing about their marriage, he does not know that he is the only one who knows about it. This was most likely because, when the boss told him that he was married, he said it so casually that he had no inkling that it was supposed to be a secret.


    Clint¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up with realization as a shback briefly hit him.


    It was a few months before when they were on a business trip. Clint was wearing a red suit. Deck had asked casually if the dress he was wearing was from the clothes shop that he frequented.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Clint had replied.


    Deck had smiled. ¡°Thedy who makes the clothes is a beauty. I spoke to herst time I ordered clothes for you. She seemed a bit cold, but there was something endearing about her.¡±

 Chapter 28: I’ll Give You Hell

    Before he had finished talking, Clint frowned and interrupted him. ¡°She¡¯s my wife.¡±


    Deck had been astonished by that, a look of pure shock etched on his face. ¡°When did you get married?¡±


    ¡°Today.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that you have always customized clothes at that store. It turns out the owner is your wife.¡± He had suddenly realized.


    Coming back to the present, Deck was not a gossip man, especially when it came to the private affairs of his own boss. He did not intend to divulge any secrets.


    Clint did not try to answer Selene¡¯s question. He only smiled. ¡°It was you who wanted to fight for it, so I had no choice. In fact, if you like it so much, I could buy it for you.¡±


    Jennifer looked like she had been hit by a ghost, and finally, she recovered a little from it. She dragged Clint away a few paces. ¡°Clint, what¡¯s Deck talking about? Mrs. Denovan?¡±


    Clint did not answer, but Deck smiled. ¡°Miss Keller. This is Mrs. Denovan!¡±


    Jennifer looked at Selene incredulously, feeling her whole world fall apart. She wanted to tear Selene apart.


    Selene looked at Jennifer¡¯s eyes nonchntly. Seeing her expression, her inner childishness came out, and Selene deliberately refused to give her any information.


    After a while, Clint said, ¡°Deck, I forgot to tell you. She¡¯s no longer my wife. We¡¯ve divorced.¡±


    Although he said this, Jennifer¡¯s expression was still that of anger. She hummed to Selene, turned her head, then left.


    Selene looked at Clint with a half-smile. ¡°Miss Keller looks like she¡¯s angry. Shouldn¡¯t you give her an exnation andfort her?¡±


    Clint frowned slightly, gave her a look, then turned and walked away.


    Deck scratched his head in confusion. He apologized to Selene as he drew back. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t know about the divorce.¡±


    Selene smiled and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    As they walked away, Selene paused, hearing something behind her and getting a strange feeling that someone was watching her. She turned around only to see a reporter-looking woman staring at her, grinning evilly.


    Selene frowned and walked away with the painting still in her hands.


    That evening, the news of Belinda Carter¡¯s art exhibition and auction was posted on the inte. The next morning, several well-known newspapers also reported on the event.


    The photo of Belinda Carter wearing Selene¡¯s dress was eye-catching. Unsurprisingly, the reporters managed to find out who had made her outfit.


    Selene arrived at her store at noon and saw several reporters waiting there. The shopping assistant was unable to deal with them and seemed very relieved at the sight of Selene.


    Seeing the owner of the storee in, the reporters immediately surged and asked various questions.


    Selene wasn¡¯t fond of this type of attention or being famous. But, as an entrepreneur, she still saw the advantages that came with her clothes and brand being disyed on popr media.


    Selene managed to send away the reporters. But, right before she had a chance to have a cup of water, someone again pushed the ss door open.


    ¡°Wee to the store!¡± The assistant said warmly.


    Selene turned around and saw Jennifer standing there with a smug look on her face.


    ¡°Do you think that Belinda wearing your clothes makes you the best designer in the world?¡±


    Selene chuckled. ¡°I said that I¡¯m merely a craftswoman. Mrs. Carter wore my clothes, which will help me get more customers and sell more clothes, and that is enough. I¡¯ve never said that I want to be a great designer.¡±


    Jennifer took a few steps into the store and stopped in front of a set of mannequins dressed in some sample clothes. ¡°These clothes look so nd. Belinda must be blind if she likes them.¡± She scorned.


    ¡°Well, I know that my clothes aren¡¯t mainstream. I guess the people who like them just have the same taste in clothes as me.¡±


    Jennifer took a few more steps and finally stopped in front of Selene. ¡°So, what¡¯s the rtionship between you and Clint?¡±


    ¡°Rtionship? Why not just ask Clint? I don¡¯t think I owe you an exnation.¡± Selene said, then gave Jennifer a half-smile. ¡°You two seem close, so surely he will tell you.¡± She mocked.


    She did not know Clint Denovan very well, but Selene spected that he was a man who did not like to talk about his private affairs with others.


    It seemed that Selene had struck a sour note as Jennifer¡¯s face turned pale right then. ¡°Selene. I¡¯ve looked down on you. I never expected you to be able to seduce Clint!¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, even if Clint is your Mr. Right, there is no need to vent your anger on me. We¡¯ve divorced, and we have nothing to do with each other anymore. So, how about you try to get into a rtionship with him instead of hating me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to hate on you. I know you¡¯ve tricked Clint into marrying you, and he divorced you when he realized your true intentions. I just wanted to see you in the state you¡¯re in, deserted and alone.¡± Jennifer snorted.


    Selene did not intend to continue this petty fight with Jennifer. However, feeling cornered, she could not help butsh back. ¡°Even if now I¡¯m ¡®alone,¡¯ I did manage to sleep with Clint. What about you? You¡¯ve been trying to get into his bed for many years, and it will take many more for you to achieve that.¡±


    Jennifer¡¯s face turned red with anger, and she swung her arm in an attempt to p Selene in the face.


    Selene had quick reflexes and raised her arm to block the p before it could connect with her cheek. ¡°Jennifer Keller,¡± She warned. ¡°If you came here to pick a fight, you should¡¯ve brought some help. Do that again, and you may find yourself with broken bones.¡±


    ¡°Selene Morris!¡± Jennifer spat. ¡°I¡¯ll give you hell.¡±


    Selene spread her hands indifferently.


    Jennifer rushed to the door angrily, but Selene suddenly called out to her. ¡°Do you know why I married Clint Denovan?¡±

 Chapter 29: This Will Go Viral

    Jennifer stopped but didn¡¯t turn around.


    ¡°It was only because of that prank you pulled with Joseph.¡± Selene continued. ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t even know that you knew Clint or that you were after him before I married him. The only thing I knew was that he was Joseph¡¯s boss, and I wanted revenge.¡±


    Selene could only see Jennifer¡¯s back, but she knew that thetter was exploding with anger.


    Jennifer crazily rushed out of the store.


    Selene had vented her pent-up anger, but she still found herself worked up about the whole situation afterward.


    She picked up her cup and drank some water.


    Right then, someone pushed the door open and came in.


    It seemed that her store was having a busier day than usual.


    ¡°Hi, Miss Morris. I¡¯m a journalist from Rivers. Are you free for an interview right now?¡±


    Selene recognized the journalist from the gallery from the day before. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Selene frowned.


    ¡°Your brand is not well-known in the clothing industry, but Belinda Carter still decided to wear the clothes you have designed for such an important asion. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I just got lucky. A friend of mine who works at a magazine introduced me to Mrs. Carter, and I sent her a sample. She ended up liking it.¡±


    ¡°I knew it! I had an inkling that Clint introduced you to Mrs. Carter, and it turns out I was right.¡±


    Hearing her mentioning Clint, Selene frowned again. And she was aware that the journalist was not here for her designs but for her ex-husband.


    ¡°Could you tell us about your affair with Mr. Denovan?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    But the journalist did not stop. ¡°Are you really Mr. Denovan¡¯s ex-wife? As far as we know, Mr. Denovan has always been a bachelor. Were you really married?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I will only speak to you if you want to know more things about my clothes and designs. I do not want to talk about my private life with you.¡±


    ¡°How did you split up the property when you got divorced? Did you get half?¡± The journalist continued asking.


    ¡°Mandy. Please see her out.¡± Selene could not help but shout.


    Mandy quickly came over. ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to leave now.¡±


    After the journalist left, Mandy, who was at a loss, looked at Selene quizzically. ¡°Miss Morris. Is Clint Denovan that the journalist mentioned the same Mr. Denovan who often buys clothes from our store?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So, you two¡­?¡± Mandy knew nothing about what had happened between them, even though she had always worked at the store.


    ¡°We got married on a whim, and we ended up divorcing not long after.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Come on, it wasn¡¯t anything serious.¡± Selene smiled.


    But obviously, matters such as these tended to spiral out of control around Selene.


    That evening, Selene finished getting washed, and right before she was about to go to bed, Emily suddenly called.


    As soon as she answered the call, Emily¡¯s hysterical tone burst through Selene¡¯s eardrum. ¡°Selene, what happened between you and Clint Denovan? We¡¯ve just received a report that you are his ex-wife.¡±


    Selene was shocked. After a while, she nodded. ¡°Emily, I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not calling to interrogate you about why you didn¡¯t tell me. I¡¯m worried about the rumor that¡¯s going around about you having seduced Clint and that you are just a gold-digger. I was just preparing to do an interview about your brand, but this came in. People are more interested in your personal life than in your brand!¡±


    ¡°Do you know who reported it?¡± Selene asked.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It was an anonymous call, so I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯m sure that it wasn¡¯t only my magazine, but others too that received this information. This will go viral!¡±


    Emily paused for a moment, then continued. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you kept this a secret from me, but let¡¯s settle thatter! Now, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what people say. They can believe what they want. I guess it must have been Jennifer who called in.¡±


    ¡°That bitch again?!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s infatuated with Clint. She hates me even more than before now that she knows about my marriage with him.¡±


    Emily was stunned andughed. ¡°That¡¯s funny!¡± She said, ¡°But is it true that you seduced Clint and then got dumped by him?¡±


    ¡°Emily,¡± Selene said. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you anything about it. Jennifer and Joseph pulled a cruel prank on me, and it hurt a lot. I knew Clint was Joseph¡¯s boss, so I slept with him while he was drunk.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°We then got married, just like that. As for being dumped, that¡¯s not really what happened. I¡¯m the one who asked for the divorce, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not a gold-digger, but that was a really impulsive thing to do. You didn¡¯t think it through, did you?¡± Emily said, sighing. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that the man you married was Clint and not some random douchebag.


    ¡°Please stop.¡± Seleneughed.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop. But I warn you-get ready. When you wake up tomorrow, your whole world will be different.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. You¡¯re only saying that because you¡¯re used to being in the public spotlight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not taking this seriously enough. I just hope you will remember me when you be super famous.¡±


    Selene was merely trying to convince herself that everything would be alright. She was aware that if she became well-known to the public, it would be for seducing a billionaire, tricking him into marrying her, and then getting dumped by him.


    SSGB, as one of the most influential Assets Management Companies, was well known by the public, but the handsome and rich boss remained a mystery in the eyes of the public. Now, however, the media knew about his marriage and ex-wife, and they would go to great lengths to find out more things about him.


    When Selene woke up the next day, the news about her and her ex-husband, Clint, was everywhere on the inte.

 Chapter 30: It’s Not Always The Same

    Yesterday, she found news on the inte broadcasting her designs, but today, she was in the inte spotlight for different reasons altogether.


    Though people knew Clint Denovan, Selene, as his wife, would not have received much public attention if she had been simply Clint¡¯s ex-wife. The reason why she received so much attention was that she was described as a gold-digger who did everything she could to trick Clint into marrying her. But her schemes were revealed after their marriage, and she was then swiftly dumped by Clint Denovan.


    People loved this kind of news.


    After Selene had gone through several online articles and photos of herself, she became very upset. The photos, for instance, were very unttering and made her look scheming and conniving.


    Under the news articles and photos, there were some interestingments:


    ¡°How could an ugly girl like her possibly get a billionaire to marry her without deceit?¡±


    ¡°She lied to the guy that she was pregnant; then she was dumped after he found out the truth. I feel sorry for the guy. That woman is disgusting!¡±


    ¡°I bet she took a huge chunk of his wealth with her when they divorced.¡±


    I don¡¯t care if they call me conniving, but being called ugly hurts more than I would care to admit. Selene thought to herself, smiling ironically.


    Before she went out, she carefully applied her best makeup and wore a very beautiful dress that showcased her attractive figure.


    Her outfit seemed to do the trick, as many eyes were on her on the way to her store.


    By the time her store was within her sight, she had noticed how the shop was littered with journalists. There were even more of them thanst time.


    Selene saw them across the street, and she fixed her hair, which had be messy due to the windy weather. After she was satisfied, she strutted towards the store.


    ¡°Here shees¡­.¡±


    One of the journalists shouted, and the crowd surged forward until they circled her.


    ¡°Miss Selene, is what they are saying in those online articles true?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard that you pushed Mr. Denovan to marry you by pretending you were pregnant. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°How much alimony did you receive when you divorced Mr. Denovan? Could you tell us?¡±


    Selene was circled by the journalists, and she could not get into her store. The store assistant, Mandy, could not help at all while she was in the store.


    ¡°None of it is true. It¡¯s all utter nonsense!¡±


    Before Selene coulde up with an idea to save herself from that situation, a cold voice came. She was grabbed by someone by her shoulders before she realized what happened.


    Clint held Selene as he pushed the journalists away with great effort. He helped Selene to get into the store sessfully and locked the doors behind them. The journalists were locked outside.


    Clint asked Mandy to pull down all the curtains so that the journalists could not see what was happening inside the store.


    Selene took a breath of relief and sat down on the couch. She looked up and saw Clint standing there. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said calmly.


    Seeing her delicate makeup but her indifferent facial expression, he frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve read the online.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about your gold-digger ex-wife that you dumped?¡± Selene smiled.


    ¡°I will give out a statement to rify it.¡±


    Selene looked surprised after hearing that. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. This will blow over after a while, just like all the other stuff they report on. I earn money because of my craftsmanship, not my reputation.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t care if they follow you around and pester you every day?¡± Clint raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°They will lose interest sooner orter.¡±


    Hearing this, Clint became silent for seconds. ¡°Selene. Is there anything you care about?¡± He asked.


    Shocked by his abrupt question, Selene felt awkward and looked away from him. ¡°None of your business.¡±


    Then, Clint kept silent again. But after a while, he changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯m here for some new suits.¡±


    Hearing this, Mandy, who had been at a loss for a long time, quickly took out thetest clothing album and handed it to Clint. ¡°Mr. Denovan, you can have a look and decide which one you would like.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would nevere to my shop ever again,¡± Selene said.


    Clint continued flipping through the album and ignored her words. He picked up two suits and handed the album back to Mandy. He then walked to Selene.


    Selene looked at him confusedly.


    Clint looked at her from head to toe. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be doing measurements for my suits?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know your size.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not always the same.¡±


    Selene looked at him from head to toe and found the thinner. She nodded and stood up to take the tape measure.


    Though measuring was very simple, the tension between the man who had unspoken intentions and the woman who was his ex-wife was so palpable that it could have been cut with a knife.


    When Selene got close to Clint, she could feel his breaths.


    She quickly measured his waist and upper body. ¡°Finished.¡±


    ¡°What about my legs? Aren¡¯t you going to measure them?¡± Clint asked, tilting his head.


    ¡°Do your legs get shorter when you lose weight?¡± Selene retorted.


    ¡°Maybe they do. Besides, gaining and losing weight affects the thickness. You should be more professional about it.¡± Clint half-smiled.


    Selene knew that he was trying to be annoying. She rolled her eyes and crouched to measure his leg.


    Selene faced Clint. When she finished measuring his leg, she noticed a twitch in his groin area. She smiled mischievously from the corners of her lips and stretched out her hand with the tape measure to circle his thigh. She intentionally moved very slowly and touched his thigh. When the tape measure circled his thigh, making sure to brush her hand up against his manhood.


    She then stood up and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m done. Is that professional enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Clint said calmly.

 Chapter 31: If You Invite Me, I Will Come

    Selene deliberately stood in front of Clint and lowered her eyes to nce at his upper body. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re being professional.¡±


    She gave him a seductive look. Clint squinted at her face and went nk for a while. He suddenlyughed out loud but did not say anything.


    He walked to the windows, raised the corner of the curtain, then put it back down again. ¡±They¡¯re still there. It seems I¡¯ll have to stay here for a while.¡±


    ¡°Would you like a drink, Mr. Denovan?¡± Mandy asked. She had juste out from the back of the store and knew nothing about what had just happened between Clint and Selene.


    Selene nced at Clint, then turned to Mandy. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the warehouse and check what stock we¡¯re low on.¡±


    There were two main rooms in the store; one was for customers to select clothes, and the other was a warehouse used for storage.


    Watching her leave, Clint put down the cup, then walked fast until he caught up with her.


    Mandy should have stopped him, but after reminding herself who he was, she decided against him.


    There were no windows in the warehouse, and the lights were on, which created a different kind of lightingpared to that in the other room, which came from sunshine.


    Hearing footsteps approaching, Selene turned around only to see Clint. ¡°Why did you follow me here?¡± Selene frowned.


    Clint closed the door behind him and leaned himselfzily against the door. ¡°Do you really not care about what they¡¯re saying about you on the inte?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried your father will read that stuff?¡±


    ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t use the inte much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you regret not getting any alimony from our divorce?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene put down the pieces of clothing in her hand. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve told you.¡± After finishing her words, she was about to leave the warehouse. ¡°Let me go!¡± She demanded impatiently.


    Clint did not react as he stared at her face.


    Selene felt that something was wrong with Clint. And when she looked at him, she started feeling slightly agitated, so she pushed him. ¡°Just get out of here and let me out!¡±


    Clint grasped her hands and gave her an incredulous look. ¡°You¡¯re like a hedgehog. When someone gets close to you, you pierce them, puncture them and hurt them.¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you doing?¡± Selene asked, frowning.


    ¡°Nothing. Also, like it or not, I¡¯ll deal with it. I don¡¯t want you to be humiliated because of me.¡± Clint replied calmly, loosening his grip on her.


    Selene looked surprised after hearing that. ¡°Okay then, thanks.¡± She said unemotionally.


    When they left the warehouse, Selene¡¯s hair was a little messy from having been grabbed and pushed by Clint. Also, her face was flushed. Mandy grinned at Selene, earning herself a re from thetter. So, Mandy lowered her head and said nothing.


    Clint remained at the store for a few hours. He did not leave until the journalists left.


    That evening, Clint released a statement online. Without mentioning Selene by name, he referred to Selene by ¡±Ms. S¡±. People could easily figure out who he was referring to.


    The statement was simple, and it said that the news from the media was fake and merely nder. It was an attempt to humiliate Ms. S and to cause trouble for him. He married and divorced Ms. S out of his own volition. Ms. S refused to get any alimony, and there was no property dispute.


    He med the whole ordeal on mere rumors.


    People did not doubt any of his statements. This was because Clint always kept a low profile, so he was unlikely to give a statement if he didn¡¯t have a good reason to do so.


    The public knew it.


    Selene¡¯s reputation was repaired, and she slowly but surely disappeared from the public spotlight.


    ****


    When Selene went to the store the next day, there were no journalists at all. Instead, there were new customers there who had been attracted by the store¡¯s newfound fame.


    When the customers left, Mandy, Selene¡¯s assistant, grinned at Selene. ¡°I read the statement from Mr. Denovan onlinest night. He must be still in love with you. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have had a reason for this, as people online were attacking you, not him.¡±


    ¡°Haha. What a funny joke.¡± Selene mocked, smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡±


    Selene shook her head in disapproval.


    When noon arrived, Mandy went out to get some lunch. Selene had nothing to do but sit in the store.


    Her mind wandered subconsciously to Clint.


    Of course, she was not indifferent to Clint¡¯s statement. She didn¡¯t like being insulted online and having her reputation ruined. If there were something to be rified, people would have expected Selene to be the one to give a statement of rification. Clint was merely seen as an unlucky man who was deceived by his now ex-wife. He could have just kept a low profile and lived a peaceful life.


    But he still gave his statement.


    Selene then took out her cell phone and scanned her contacts. She found Clint¡¯s telephone number and dialed it after several seconds of deliberation.


    ¡°Hello. This is Clint speaking. May I know who is on the line?¡±


    Selene heard his familiar low voice.


    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s me, Selene.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Clint seemed a little surprised. He doesn¡¯t expect that Selene will call him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read your statement online. I know you did it only to help me.¡± Selene paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I did it.¡± Clint answered back calmly.


    Hearing his cold voice, Selene felt a little resentful. ¡°I was thinking of inviting you to dinner, but I know you¡¯re busy and don¡¯t have time. So, maybe I could show you my appreciation by giving you the two suits you ordered several days ago.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I care about the money? Besides, I have time to have dinner with you.¡± Clint smiled.


    ¡°Really?¡± Selene looked very surprised. She couldn¡¯t believe what she heard.


    ¡°If you invite me, I wille.¡± Clint quickly answered.

 Chapter 32: Why Do You Always Drink?

    ¡°Okay. When will you have time? Tonight?¡± Selene asked after hearing his words.


    ¡°Sure. No problem.¡±


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°I am bored with restaurant food. How about eating in your apartment? You could cook something for us, right?¡±


    Selene kept silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? You said that you would show me your appreciation.¡±


    ¡°And what would you like to eat?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°Just something that you¡¯re good at making.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me if you end up hating it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Clint smiled slightly.


    After they hung up, Selene stared at her phone screen and frowned. ¡°Did I just talk with him? Why does this feel so weird?¡±


    In the meantime, Clint was also staring at his phone, smiling softly.


    A few momentster, Clint¡¯s secretary called him. ¡°Mr. Denovan. Jennifer Keller is here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Let her in.¡± Clint frowned.


    ¡°My dear, why do you make a rification statement for Selene Morris?¡± Jennifer rushed in and angrily asked.


    ¡°Jenni. If you need to meet me urgently, please call first. This is where I work. It¡¯s inappropriate for you toe here for private matters.¡± Clint frowned deeply.


    ¡°Whenever I call you to make an appointment, you refuse me, saying you¡¯re too busy. This is the only way I can get to meet you. It won¡¯t take long. I just want to talk.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Clint relented. ¡±Please go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Why did you give out that statement for her?¡±


    ¡°It had to do with me, and it was all fake, so it was warranted. Even though we¡¯re divorced, we used to be together. This was the least I could do when she was being humiliated by the public for a fake rumor.¡± Clint exined expressionlessly.


    ¡°Did she ask you for help?¡± Jennifer asked.


    ¡°Jenni. You and Selene were ssmates before. Surely you know her well enough. Do you really think she¡¯d ask anyone for help?¡± Clint smiled.


    Hearing this, Jennifer¡¯s face flushed red with anger once again. ¡°Darling. What they say online is true. That woman is truly vengeful, and she even admitted to me that she slept with you only to get back at her ex, a guy who works for you.¡±


    ¡°This is between her and me. If that was all you came here to talk about, then please excuse me. I¡¯m very busy. I¡¯ll ask you and your brother out for dinner sometime soon.¡±


    Clint then lowered his voice. ¡°Jenni. I know you and Selene hate each other, but you had better not pull tricks on her. She¡¯s not the kind of girl to forgive and forget.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let her beat me?¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t. But don¡¯t be so childish. Think twice before you do something like this. It¡¯s not good for you or her. Please stop.¡±


    Jennifer could feel his indifference towards her. It was obvious that Selene was more important to him. She snorted, then left reluctantly.


    Meanwhile, Selene left her store earlier than normal to buy food for dinner that night. She carefully picked out food ingredients in the supermarket.


    She was not crazy about cooking. But when she was young and her father was busy working, she had to do the cooking all by herself. So, she was not bad at making food.


    However, during the months in which Selene and Clint lived together, they seldom ate together, which left her little chance to cook.


    It waster that day, while she was preparing the meal, that the bell rang.


    She put down what she was holding and then rushed to open the door. Clint was standing there, holding a bunch of lilies in his hand.


    ¡°These are for you,¡± Clint said, giving her the flowers.


    Selene smelled the flowers and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    It was very strange that the two got along so well with each other, unlike before.


    ¡°Please sit. The dinner will be ready soon.¡± Selene found a vase and put a bunch of flowers in it.


    Clint walked over to the sofa and sat down.


    When Selene brought tes and cutlery from the kitchen, she saw Clint standing, staring at a painting that was hanging on the wall.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you want to buy it from me?¡±


    ¡°Sorry about thest time at the auction. I just got angry. That¡¯s why I bid so high.¡±


    Clint was very straightforward.


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. I¡¯m not as rich as you, but I didn¡¯t have any trouble paying for this painting.¡±


    ¡°Is the ce in the picture your hometown?¡± Clint asked.


    ¡°Yes. The town looked just like that when I was young. But now, the bridge is different.¡±


    ¡°How was your childhood?¡± Clint asked as he came over to help set the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m from a small town in Houston called Cloudy Town. Do you think I grew up poor while there?¡± She asked, then continued. ¡°Then you¡¯re wrong. Although we didn¡¯t have as much money as you, we were quite well off. My family ran a factory.¡±


    ¡°You were born with a silver spoon; no wonder you didn¡¯t want the property I wanted to give you.¡±


    ¡°If that really were the case, I wouldn¡¯t limit myself to only running a small store. I didn¡¯t ept alimony because you did nothing wrong during our marriage. Besides, I don¡¯t need your money. I make enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an amazing woman. Everything you have, you¡¯ve earned through hard work.¡± Clint paused and pretended to be nonchnt about the conversation. ¡°You told me that you were raised by your father after your mom left you at an early age. Do you miss her?¡±


    ¡°When I was young, I missed her very much. But now, I can hardly even remember what she looked like. I only hope that I¡¯ll never meet her in the future.¡± She said,


    ¡°Nowadays, most people make their living by themselves,¡± Selene said, changing the topic. ¡±I¡¯m only doing the same. What about you? Everyone says you¡¯re very rich. Why did you choose to start up a business here and work as hard as you do?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want to prove myself. As for working hard, it¡¯s just out of habit. When I was young, I studied very hard, and now I work very hard. Do you think I¡¯m boring?¡±

 Chapter 33: Sorry For This

    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand why you workaholics work so hard even when you have so much money.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Maybe it¡¯s time for me to take on a different lifestyle.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Please taste the food. Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Wow, this is surprising. It tastes great.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Why is it surprising? Did you think I know nothing about cooking?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Selene did not know whether he was praising or mocking her. But she was in a good mood, so she decided not to get into it.


    ¡°Would you like some wine?¡± Clint suddenly asked.


    ¡°Why do you always drink? It¡¯s really bad for your health.¡±


    ¡°Wine goes well with delicious food. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take it too far today.¡±


    ¡°I have a bottle which was given to me by a friend. I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    ¡°Wow, great. Let¡¯s drink!¡±


    There were no wine sses in the apartment, as Selene never drank. Eventually, she found a normal cup for him.


    ¡°This only proves that you truly never drink,¡± Clint said, smiling, as he took the cup.


    ¡°My father is an alcoholic. Even though he never beats me when drunk, I really hate him for drinking so much.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll never drink again.¡± Clint suddenly promised.


    Selene felt surprised by his promise. I wouldn¡¯t say I like wine, but that has nothing to do with him. She thought.


    Clint seemed nonchnt as if he had not realized that his words really surprised Selene.


    The atmosphere was very pleasant during the dinner. The two talked to each other a lot, which was unexpected.


    After the meal, Selene went to clean up, and Clint spontaneously offered to help. Naturally, both the guest and host were filled with joy.


    It was eight o¡¯clock in the evening by the time they finished washing up, and Selene expected Clint just to say goodbye and leave. However, Clint seemingly had something else on his mind as he, instead, walked over to the sofa and sat down.


    ¡°I can¡¯t drive while tipsy. Is there anything worth watching?¡±


    The two of them, each with sexual needs, staying in the same roomte at night? It seemed like a recipe for disaster. Besides, Clint was not only her ex-husband but also the one she had had a one-night stand with not long ago. Selene also felt that she didn¡¯t need to pretend to mind if Clint wanted another drunken night of passion.


    She found an old CD. ¡°Do you like romance movies?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re okay, I guess.¡± Clint shrugged.


    After turning on the TV, Selene got up and went to the bedroom.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to watch it together?¡± Clint asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it several times. Just sit and watch. I need to work on some of my designs.¡±


    Clint turned his head and looked at her back with zed eyes.


    Later that night, Selene finished working on her designs. She looked at the time. It was already ten.


    She walked out of the bedroom and nced at the TV screen. It yed in the end credits of the movie. Clint was fast asleep on the sofa.


    She knew that this film was not to his liking.


    She walked over to him. ¡°Clint. Wake up!¡± She called out.


    Clint quickly opened his eyes, but his face showed confusion, as if he didn¡¯t know what time it was. He stood up, stumbling.


    Selene thought that he was about to leave, and she was worried that he was in a bad state. She would never have imagined that he would go straight to the bedroom. He jumped into therge bed and went back to sleep, leaving Selene feeling confused.


    Selene looked at the situation in front of her eyes and sighed helplessly.


    She took out the towel, got some hot water, went to the bedroom, wiped his face, and loosened his tightly-knit shirt. This man¡¯s dress style was exactly the same as his personality; it was rigorous and meticulous and, just like he had said earlier, very boring.


    When she was done, Selene stood and then looked at the man lying on her bed in themplight.


    He was tall, handsome, wealthy, and had a modest private life. There were no major ws to him except being boring and dull. Not long ago, she even had a chance to spend the rest of her life with this man.


    However, a marriage without love would neverst long.


    She stroked her forehead, her mind once again filled with confusion: Marriage with lovests, but what is love?


    Because the bed was upied by Clint, Selene intended to sleep on the sofa. However, when she sat down on the sofa, she suddenly felt reluctant. Why should she sleep on the sofa? It was her home, after all.


    She then returned to the bedroom with a nket.


    She knew quite well about Clint¡¯s sleeping habits. He would most likely stay still in the same position for the whole night. He was lying in the middle of the bed, so Selene pushed him to the edge of it.


    He rolled over and continued sleeping.


    Seleney on the bed and observed the sleeping form of the man. She decided to close her eyes and soon fell asleep, too.


    They did not do anything except sleep that night.


    The next morning, they woke up almost at the same time. When they opened their eyes, they saw each other. Even though they had slept in the same bed for many months a while back, they had very rarely woken up at the same time, only to see each other.


    Selene¡¯s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. She sat up quickly. ¡°You fell asleepst night while watching the movie. I didn¡¯t want to wake you up. You looked tired.¡± She said, her tone devoid of emotion.


    Clint also sat up and rubbed his forehead, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been worn out recently. Sorry for this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± Selene stood up on her feet. ¡°Are you in a hurry to go to work? If not, how about having breakfast here?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Breakfast sounds good.¡±

 Chapter 34: Could You Please Take It To My Home?

    They had a simple breakfast: Some Pop-Tarts and milk.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Clint was still wearing the same suit he had worn the previous day. After washing and getting dressed, he looked very capable and experienced.


    ¡°Do you want to make your clothing brand more popr? You are great at it, but only keeping a small store may be a hindrance. If you want, I could invest in your brand.¡± Clint asked casually as he sat down.


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not that ambitious. I like being able to just work on my designs the way I feel like. If I were to expand the brand, it would take a lot of hard work, and I have to keep in mind the market thinking up new designs. I¡¯m not interested in that. I just want to do my own thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Clint said, then went silent for a few seconds. ¡°Have you been busy recently?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Just so and so. Thanks to Mrs. Carter¡¯s rmendation, I¡¯ve been getting more orders. But summer clothes are easier to make and take less time.¡±


    ¡°Next week, I¡¯ll go to New York for business. The New York Fashion Week will be held during my visit. I have two tickets. Would you like to join me?¡±


    ****


    Selene was a clothing designer and maker, so she naturally felt very interested in his proposition. She was suddenly very excited. ¡°Really? When will you go? If it¡¯s soon, I may not be able to go with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go next weekend, and there¡¯s plenty of time for you to make suitable arrangements for your business.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you! I really want to attend the show.¡±


    Due to their uing trip together to New York, they kept in touch with each other more than ever.


    The following two days, Clint always drove to take Selene to have dinner together to discuss their flight and journey to New York.


    On the third day, Mandy, Selene¡¯s assistant, could not help but ask. ¡°Did you make peace with Mr. Denovan?¡±


    Hearing this, Selene suddenly realized that the rtionship between her and Clint had changed all of a sudden. At least they could calmly sit together and talk. It made her feel very at ease.


    As they were going to New York, Selene got to work on Clint¡¯s suits earlier than she normally would. But, on that certain day, it was gettingte, and Clint had still note to pick her up.


    She thought for a while, then texted him. ¡°Your suits are ready. Will youe to pick them up?¡±


    Meanwhile, Clint was busy sneezing at home. He had been obsessed with Selene in thest few days. The previous night, however, when he got back from having dinner with her, he felt unwell, so he took a cold shower. As a result, he caught a cold and had a fever. So, he went home early andy on his bed to rest.


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang.


    Clint got up tiredly, dragged himself to the door, and opened it.


    He was surprised to see Jennifer standing there. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°When we spoke today, I could hear it in your voice that there was something wrong with you, so I decided toe here and take care of you.¡±


    ¡°How do you know where I live?¡±


    ¡°Deck told me.¡±


    Deck, you moron! Clint cursed in his mind.


    ¡°Will you let me in?¡± Jennifer asked, smiling.


    ¡°Sure. Come in.¡± Clint sighed.


    ¡°Clint. You¡¯re really mean for not inviting me to your house.¡± Jennifer said, looking around.


    ¡°My house isn¡¯t special and definitely not worth a visit.¡± Then he coughed heavily.


    ¡°Clint. You look terrible. Have you been to the doctor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go to sleep for a while, and I think that will help.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll give you some medicine for the fever. It will help.¡±


    She then gave him a cup of water and handed him some medicine.


    ¡°Thank you, Jennie.¡± Clint could not refuse her kindness.


    ¡°You work too hard and barely take care of yourself. I think you should find a girlfriend to live with you and take care of you.¡± Jennifer said after he took medicine.


    ¡°I can take care of myself just fine,¡± Clint said, smiling shyly.


    But Clint¡¯s vision suddenly blurred, and he felt sleepy after ingesting the medicine. He could not help touching his forehead.


    Seeing this, Jennifer quickly said. ¡°Clint, you should just go to bed. I¡¯ll leave in a moment.¡±


    ¡°Alright. See yater. I¡¯ll go to sleep.¡±


    He went to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.


    Jennifer was left alone. She suddenly heard Clint¡¯s phone vibrate. Out of curiosity, she picked it up and saw Selene¡¯s message. She was very upset.


    But, after she read the message, a lightbulb lit up in her mind. She hit the reply button.


    I¡¯m a little tired today. Could you please take it to my home?


    Selene received the message from Clint shortly after she had sent her own message.


    She looked at it and smiled. She then went out, taking the clothes with her.


    Clint did not live far from her store. She only walked for around 20 minutes before she arrived at his apartment. One man from the property service recognized Selene and greeted her at the entrance. ¡°Miss Selene. Long time no see!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t live here anymore.¡± Selene smiled.


    The man had a confused look on his face, most likely because he thought that Selene was Mr. Denovan¡¯s wife.


    When Selene rang the bell at Clint¡¯s apartment, she heard footsteps approaching the door. But the one who opened it nearly gave Selene a heart attack.


    Jennifer had a towel wrapped around her, and her wet hair clung to her bare shoulders. When she looked at Selene, a smile came to her lips. ¡°Oh, wee. Clint is tired and fell asleep earlier. You can just leave his clothes here. I will let him know that you came by.¡±


    As for Selene, she wasn¡¯t sure how to construe the situation and how she felt about it. Even though she was aware that she and Clint were no longer in a rtionship since the divorce, her mind went totally nk at the sight of Jennifer.

 Chapter 35: What Do You Want To Eat?

    After Selene recovered from her shock, her mind became a chaotic haven for a mixture of emotions. This was a new apartment that had been bought for their marriage, and they had lived there together for several months. But, at that moment, there was a different woman there.


    Selene saw the woman in front of her as an intruder. She felt that Clint had simply reced her with Jennifer.


    But Selene soon broke out of that state and smiled slightly. She then handed the bag to Jennifer. ¡°Okay then. Please give these to him.¡±


    Without any hesitation, Selene turned around and left.


    ¡°Selene!¡± Jennifer called her back.


    ¡°What?¡± Selene asked without turning around.


    ¡°You should feel happy for me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Selene turned slightly, raising an eyebrow.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Because I finally made it. Didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Well done, Jennifer!¡± Selene said, without showing any emotion on her face.


    ¡°Listen here,¡± Jennifer said. ¡±Be it Clint or fashion design- I won¡¯t lose to you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Clint doesn¡¯t belong to me.¡±


    ¡°Still, I hope I¡¯ll never see you around him again.¡± Said Jennifer.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be a little disappointed there,¡± Selene said smugly, then turned around and left.


    Jennifer dropped her smile, put down the bag, and went inside the apartment, locking the front door behind her.


    She quickly dressed up. A few moments after she finished, Clint suddenly opened the door of the bedroom and massaged his forehead. ¡°Hey, Jenni. Was someone else here just now? I heard some voices.¡±


    Jennifer shook her head. ¡°Not at all. You must¡¯ve dreamed it.¡± She said. ¡°Please go back to sleep. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re finished here, maybe it¡¯s time for you to get going. Unfortunately, I¡¯m too busy to keep youpany today.¡±


    It was obvious that Clint was unhappy with her being there. Jennifer froze for a moment but broke into a smile soon after. ¡°Okay, Clint. Take care. I¡¯lle by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I have a fever, and it will take me a while to recover. Besides, I need some alone time.¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡± Jennifer smiled.


    When she got out of the apartment, she took the bag which Selene had brought with her. When she arrived at the front desk of the apartmentplex, she handed the bag to the man who worked there. ¡°This is for Mr. Denovan. Please give it to him and tell him that it¡¯s from Selene Morris.¡±


    ¡°Miss Morris just left a while ago.¡± The man said with a surprised expression.


    ¡°Just do as I say. Do you understand?¡± Jennifer said while handing him some money.


    The man took the bag and the money, then smiled. ¡°Sure thing, Miss. I heard you, loud and clear.¡±


    Jennifer smiled with satisfaction and left.


    It was dark outside by the time Clint awoke, and he felt much better. He felt a little hungry, as he hadn¡¯t eaten in quite a while. He opened the fridge and looked for something to eat, but he didn¡¯t find anything, so he decided to go out to eat.


    When he walked past the front desk of the apartmentplex, the man who worked there called out for him and handed him a bag.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Clint asked with a surprised look.


    ¡°This is from Selene Morris.¡± The man answered.


    Clint looked inside the bag and saw two suits. ¡°When did shee? Did she leave any messages for me?¡±


    ¡°She came by at ten past five. She left the bag, then walked away without saying anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you!¡± Clint nodded.


    He went back to his apartment, took out his cell phone, and called Selene.


    ¡°Hello.¡± He heard the cold answer from Selene.


    ¡°Thank you for bringing me the suits. I thought abouting by myself to get them, but I¡¯ve got a fever, so I decided just to rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Selene answered without any emotion.


    Clint detected something strange in her tone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± Clint continued asking.


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°Wanna go out for some food?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Clint was surprised by her answer, but he kept smiling. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s all right. Have a rest, and let¡¯s look forward to our trip to New York.¡±


    ¡°Clint!¡± Selene suddenly said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Something suddenly came up, and I won¡¯t be able to go to New York with you. I have to attend an important meeting.¡±


    ¡°Is it that important? What about us going to the Fashion Show together? It¡¯s held only once a year. It would be a shame for you to miss it.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Clint. The meeting is also very important.¡±


    ¡°Could you at least tell me what this meeting is for?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s private.¡±


    Clint felt that Selene had an ulterior reason for canceling their ns.


    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t force you to go there with me. I¡¯ll see you when I¡¯m back from my business trip.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll have a nice trip,¡± Selene said.


    Selene hung up the phone and stared at it. The image of Jennifer and Clint together yed in her mind.


    She thought that there probably wasn¡¯t anything happening between the two. Jennifer must¡¯ve been at Clint¡¯s apartment for a different reason, and she was only using that as an opportunity to y a nasty prank on Selene.


    However, she suddenly noticed that her meeting with Jennifer had brought out hidden emotions and made her realize that she still had feelings for Clint.


    ****


    Due to her canceled trip to New York, Selene found herself with some time off from work, as she had kept those days free. Since New York was no longer happening, going back home for a few days seemed to be the logical choice.


    Huston was not too far from her hometown, Cloudy Town, and it was less than a four-hour bus trip away. She went back once every 2 or 3 months. She did not go back home very often, even when she was free.


    She did not let her father, Harry Morris, know in advance that she would be visiting.

 Chapter 36: I Will Give Him A Present

    It was past 3 pm by the time she arrived at Cloudy Town. She knew that her father would be working, so she went straight to the factory where he worked.


    The textile factory had run for over 30 years, having been set up back when her grandparents were still alive. Strangely enough, the building had never been expanded and was still the same size. There were a dozen people who had worked there back when she was a child, and now it was still the same. Even the machines had not been upgraded.


    In its golden years, the factory was very profitable, bringing in millions of dors in profits. Now, however, after paying for workers and maintenance, Mr. Morris was left with hardly anything in his pocket.


    After Selene got her own job and moved out, she repeatedly advised her father just to shut down the factory and enjoy life. Harry had promised her that he would retire, but that never happened.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She walked into the factory, and the noise of the machines made her frown. Harry was standing in front of a particrly important-looking piece of machinery as he gestured to the workers with his hands.


    She stood at the entrance and shouted. ¡°Dad!¡±


    Harry did not hear it, but a worker nearby heard her and pointed his finger in her direction. Harry looked over and saw her daughter. He immediately burst into a bright smile and ran to her, then motioned her to the exit of the factory.


    When they got outside, Harry looked his daughter over with a proud expression. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing? I would¡¯ve waited for you at home. It¡¯s too noisy here, and the air is bad.¡± Harry said loudly.


    Due to working in the textile factory all year round, Harry had quite a noticeable case of hearing loss, so he would raise his voice unconsciously when speaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s noisy, and the air is terrible. Why are you still here? Haven¡¯t you earned enough money? If you need financial help, I¡¯m here for you.¡± Selene said, smiling.


    Harry smiled back sadly. ¡°The workers here depend on the work at the factory to support their families! Besides, I want to have my own career. I don¡¯t want people to look down on you just because your mother left us years ago.¡±


    Selene froze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I don¡¯t care what these people think of me.¡±


    Her dad would probably never know that she had been married and divorced.


    He patted her. ¡°What do you want to eat? Let¡¯s go to the market to buy some ingredients; then I will cook for you.¡±


    Under Harry¡¯s insistence, they brought lots of food home from the market.


    Harry was the chef, and Selene acted as his assistant. Selene looked at the food they were preparing and sighed. ¡°Dad. There are only two of us. Look at all this food! It¡¯s a waste of time to cook this much, and there¡¯s no point in getting yourself tired.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hardly tiring. Besides, you rarely visit. Might as well go all out!¡±


    Someone rang the gate just as they finished preparing the dinner.


    Selene walked out of the front door and saw a woman standing at the gate of the front yard. Selene recognized the woman and walked there, smiling. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Dora. I was nning on visiting you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Someone told me that you were back. I brought you some crab that I¡¯ve cooked.¡±


    ¡°I love the way you cook crab. Pleasee in and join us for dinner.¡± Selene said as she opened the gate for the older woman.


    Right then, Selene¡¯s father came out and also invited Dora in.


    Dora was Morris¡¯s neighbor, and their families had lived in close proximity to each other for a long time. Dora was also one of the workers at the factory.


    Dora was a widow, as her husband had died early on. She was very beautiful when young, so many people wondered why Dora did not remarry but chose to live by herself and her only child, Austin.


    Selene suspected the real reason as to why Dora had chosen to remain single.


    Dora was very nice to Selene, and she always left her with delicious food gifts. When they had dinner together, they chatted.


    ¡°I heard that your boyfriend graduated and got his master¡¯s degree. When will you get married? I¡¯ll prepare a big gift for your wedding. ¡±


    Selene froze a little, remembering that she had not told her father that she had broken up with Joseph. But, seeing her father¡¯s hopeful eyes, Selene couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°He just got back, and we still need to sort everything out. It¡¯s too early for us to talk about marriage. Besides, we may not even get married.¡±


    ¡°Why? You should get married as soon as possible, if not to him, then to someone else. Don¡¯t leave it until it¡¯s toote.¡±


    Selene didn¡¯t like the topic of discussion and wanted to change it. ¡°How is Austin? I haven¡¯t heard from him for a long time. Every time I tried calling him, he told me that he was too busy to talk. Has he got a girlfriend?¡¯ If he gets married, please let me know, and I will give him a present.¡±


    Dora smiled at the mention of her son. ¡°Austin doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend yet. He quit his job in New York and started a new business in Houston. Has he not told you?¡±


    ¡°Austin went to Houston without telling me? I¡¯ll call him and ask him why.¡±


    ¡°He told me that he was very busy and he hadn¡¯t been back home for nearly half a year. He told me recently that he will visit soon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great that Austin is working in the field in which he graduated. You must be very proud of him.¡± Then Selene nced at her father and continued. ¡°Mrs. Dora. Maybe you could find a man for yourself now that your son has grown up and has moved out.¡±


    Dora nced at Harry with a little unease. The older man wore no expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll find someone when the time is right.¡±

 Chapter 37: She’s Your Mother

    That night, Selene decided to rest in the yard after taking a bath. She noticed her father, Harry, sitting on the bench in the distance, looking lonely.


    Selene walked towards her father slowly and was hit with the stench of alcohol while still quite a few paces from him.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She fastened her pace and noticed that Harry had a bottle in his hand. She frowned.


    Harry heard her footsteps and attempted to hide the alcohol in his hand, but it was toote. He put on a sad smile. ¡°Just a little to help me rx.¡± He exined.


    Selene grabbed the bottle in anger. ¡°You¡¯ve promised many times that you¡¯ll stop drinking. Will you ever keep your word?¡±


    ¡°Today is the date that your mother left me. Please let me have this.¡± Harry murmured.


    Selene finally noticed the photo frame in his father¡¯s hand. She recognized it. Harry would hold it in his hand whenever he drank his sorrows.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over twenty years. Have you still not gotten over it? Why? She abandoned us! You did nothing wrong!¡±


    ¡°Selene, how can you say this? She¡¯s your mother.¡±


    ¡°I have no mother.¡± She paused for a few seconds to calm herself down. ¡°I wish Aunt Dora was my real mom instead of a woman who is a stranger to me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Daddy¡­ You¡¯re over 50 and not getting any younger. Mom left us to be with another man, and she¡¯ll nevere back. Ever. Dora¡¯s been single for a long time. Just face it- you¡¯re wasting a great opportunity here.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t marry someone else.¡± Harry dered.


    Hearing that, Selene exploded with anger once again. She grabbed the photo frame from Harry and threw it on the ground, then stamped on it.


    Before Harry realized what Selene was doing and staggered along with red eyes, he pushed Selene away and crouched down to carefully pick up the broken photo frame.


    The picture in the frame was an old photo of her father and mother that had been taken on their wedding day. The photo had faded a little over the years due to sunlight.


    Selene regained herposure and tried to fix the photo frame with a disappointed expression while ignoring her bleeding hand. She then turned around and left the yard, sorrow etched on her face.


    The town was very silent at night, except for the noise that came from houses by the road.


    Selene ran. She continued running until she finally felt exhausted and sat on the bank of the river which flowed through the town.


    It was not the first time that Harry drank heavily like this. This episode had repeated itself many times over the years. Selene had always found herself unable to understand her father¡¯s stubbornness over this behavior. Even now, she still could not understand why Harry would do this.


    What is the meaning of love? Why was it so difficult for her father to get over that woman?


    For Selene, Harry was a very responsible man. He treated her very well and gave her food, shelter, love, and everything else she needed, like the good parent he was. She wanted to make her father happy but didn¡¯t know how she was supposed to do it.


    She closed her eyes and reminded herself of the woman in the photo. She could hardly remember her biological mother¡¯s face without looking at the picture.


    In the photo, she looked kind and caring. But how could a woman like that abandon her husband, who loved her so much? Is that what love is?


    She felt the cold object in her hand. It was the wine bottle that Harry had been drinking from. She took out the cork, and she started drinking. As she had never drunk something like that before, she wasn¡¯t used to the feeling in her throat and coughed.


    She kept coughing.


    ¡°Selene!¡±


    Someone called her from behind.


    Selene turned around and saw a familiar figure standing there in the moonlight. ¡°Austin. Why are you here?¡± Selene asked confusedly.


    ¡°I came back to visit my mother for a while,¡± Austin answered. ¡°You¡¯re drinking. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°The wine is from my father. I only have a taste.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Morris is drinking again. ¡°Austin said, sighing sadly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t sit so close to the water. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Austin said, grabbing her hand and pulling slightly.


    Selene stood up.


    Thest time they met was on thest Christmas Day. They had met briefly and eaten together.


    They were the same age, except Austin, having been born a few months before Selene. Austin¡¯s father had left him and his mother early on. The two grew up together and yed with each other as kids from an early age.


    They were not rted by blood, but they were very close.


    They had decided to go to college in the same city, but Austin was epted to a college in a different city. As a result, they couldn¡¯t meet each other frequently from then on.


    Selene looked at him more carefully. He was handsome and more mature than before. The boy who grew up with me is different now. Selene thought.


    Suddenly, she felt somewhat upset.


    She pretended toin. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve gone to Houston to start a new business. But how can youe to the city without telling me? We were close and shared everything since we were young.¡±


    Austinughed. ¡°I nned to keep it a secret from you until I make it big in the field.¡±


    ¡°Really? Are you kidding me?¡± Selene retorted.


    As they knew each other very well, they could easily be themselves. Selene allowed herself to be very childish and naive in front of him.


    ¡°Luckily, everything is going smoothly right now, and thepany has made enough money in the first few quarters. I¡¯ve nned to visit you after I get back from our hometown. I was hoping that you would admire my ambition and achievements. But, as it turns out, I¡¯m here, meeting you with dark circles under my eyes, as I stayed up the whole night working.¡± Austin exined with a smile.

 Chapter 38: I’ll Ask Him

    Selene rolled her eyes and stared at him carefully. She saw the dark circles, indeed. ¡°You should take care of your health.¡±


    ¡°Would you feel sad if I weren¡¯t well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Selene smirked at him. ¡°If you¡¯re not well, maybe I should take care of you.¡±


    ¡°Take it easy. I can take care of myself.¡± Austin patted her head yfully.


    Seleneughed. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± She retorted. ¡±In any case, I have to go home and take care of my dad now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you and talk with your dad.¡±


    Selene and Austin went back and saw Harry still out in the yard. But now, he was lying on the ground with another wine bottle beside him.


    Selene felt really awkward and shook Harry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dad, wake up!¡± She shouted.


    Harry opened his eyes in a daze and looked at Selene. Suddenly, heughed, ¡°Selene, you¡¯re back!¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene felt angry. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone if you drink like this again.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get him inside,¡± Austin said.


    They carried him into his bedroom, and then Austin helped Selene change Mr. Morris¡¯s clothes.


    Finally, Selene saw Austin off. ¡°Thank you, Austin.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure, Selene.¡± Then Austin sighed. ¡°So many years have passed, and Harry still misses your mom so much. I pity my mom.¡±


    ¡°It would be great if Dora and my father got together, but he doesn¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°Just leave them alone. They can live their lives well by themselves. But it would be best if you asked your father to drink less. It really is bad for him.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll ask him.¡±


    ¡°When will you go back to Houston?¡±


    ¡°In a few days. I want to stay here for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°Me, too. We¡¯ve not spent time together in ages. Let¡¯s have some fun here for a few days and go back to Houston together.¡± Austin said, raising his eyebrows.


    Selene and Austin enjoyed themselves a lot during the next few days and traveled around their hometown. Nearly a weekter, they went back to Houston together.


    Harry promised Selene that he would never drink again. Selene did not believe it, but she couldn¡¯t do much about it other than ask Dora to watch out for him.


    When Selene returned to Houston, she went straight to her store.


    Austin was with her. ¡°I¡¯ve been here before, but I never went inside.¡± He said, grinning.


    ¡°Why have you been so secretive? You didn¡¯t tell me that you were in Houston, and you didn¡¯t evene into my store to say hello.¡± Selene red at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you that I wanted to surprise you! I wanted to show you my sess.¡±


    They walked into the store, and Selene smiled at her assistant, Mandy. ¡°Is there anything urgent that needs to be dealt with?¡±


    ¡°Some new customers came by and made some orders. I¡¯ve taken their measurements. You can decide on the date of the collection.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Selene nodded.


    Austin looked around, seemingly impressed. ¡°This ce looks great.¡± He praised him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a business owner now, Austin. Let us make you some suits.¡±


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s even greater! I¡¯ve been dreaming of you making me a suit for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve made you some already.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have. When you went to college, you practiced making me some dresses and trousers.¡± Austin rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, you wore the dress I designed. You were very supportive. As a way to say thanks, I¡¯ll make you the best suits I can.¡± Seleneughed.


    ¡°Of course. You should!¡±


    When Selene measured Austin, Mandy seemingly remembered something. ¡°Selene. Mr. Denovan came here yesterday and asked where you were and when you will be back.¡±


    Selene paused a while and hid her emotions. ¡°What did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°I told him that you¡¯d gone home and will be back today.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She said, then went back to taking Austin¡¯s measurements.


    Austin giggled whenever she touched him.


    ¡°Keep still!¡± Selene asked, slightly annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m ticklish.¡± Austin giggled again.


    Selene quickly finished the measurements, and then she got a yful look. She swiftly poked his sides, tickling him hard.


    Austin screamed and caught her two hands. They were both soonughing in a childish manner.


    ¡°Mr. Denovan.¡± Mandy¡¯s voice interrupted their y.


    Selene turned around and saw Clint¡¯s cold face by the door.


    She said nothing, but Austin greeted him. ¡°Hi, Mr. Denovan.¡±


    Selene was confused, wondering if the two knew each other.


    Clint nodded towards Austin and greeted him back. ¡°Hello, Mr. White.¡±


    Selene felt at a loss for words when she saw Clint. But hearing him say Austin¡¯s name, she squinted at Austin and repeated in a confused tone. ¡°Hi, Mr. White?¡±


    Austin rolled his eyes and touched her hair. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Mr. White. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Clint raised his eyebrow slightly at the hair touch but otherwise remained expressionless. Clint remembered the time when he had been on top of Selene, and her hair was messy.


    ¡°Mr. Denovan. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re a customer here.¡± Austin said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Though Clint felt like exploding, he controlled himself.


    ¡°Are you here to order new suits?¡± Selene asked after regaining herposure.


    But Selene soon realized that he had just made suits a week ago. She knew that he would not need new ones for a few more weeks.


    ¡°I came to see you,¡± Clint answered.


    Selene felt a little shocked, and she nced at Austin. ¡°Austin, you can go now. I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Austin nodded and smiled at Clint. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Denovan. See you next time.¡±


    Clint nodded but said nothing.


    When Austin left, the atmosphere in the store changed.


    Mandy sat and pretended to read from a magazine.


    Selene asked Clint to sit down.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a great mood sinceing back. I hope everything is okay with your family.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Everything is okay.¡±


    ¡°Why did you not go to the fashion show in New York with me?¡±


    ¡°No reason. I just didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Selene, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Clint stood up and went in front of her. He had thought that things between them were going well. He had regarded it as a good beginning.

 Chapter 39: Are You Being Serious?

    Selene avoided his gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve told you in advance that I would not go with you. I won¡¯t pay you for the ticket. Anyway, I¡¯m tired and need to rest.¡±


    Selene then took her bag and left the store.


    Clint, however, followed and grabbed her arm. ¡°Is there anything going on between you and Mr. White?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just friends. We grew up together.¡± Selene didn¡¯t intend to answer his question but did so anyway.


    ¡°Just friends?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care, anyway? Are you thinking of marrying me again?¡± Selene sneered all of a sudden.


    ¡°Why are you saying this?¡± Clint frowned. ¡°I thought that you were cold and distant with everyone. But it turns out I was wrong.¡± Clint said sarcastically. ¡°You seem very close with Austin. You¡¯ve spent the week with him, haven¡¯t you?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± Selene answered.


    She was very direct, which surprised Clint. But he maintained his sense of rationality. He loosened his grip on Selene¡¯s hand. ¡°Did I do something to upset you?¡±


    Selene kept silent.


    For him, her silence meant that the answer was affirmative. ¡°If I did something wrong, please tell me.¡±


    Selene kept silent for a while but then suddenly replied, ¡°Nothing. I just don¡¯t think we should continue seeing each other. You¡¯re a reminder that I did something stupid by sleeping with a stranger and getting married on a whim.¡±


    ¡°You really think like that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°Even though it was a foolish mistake, it still happened.¡±


    ¡°But I hate being reminded of it every time I see you..¡±


    ¡°Okay. I will stoping here if that¡¯s what you want.¡± Clint said angrily.


    As expected, Clint stopped going to Selene¡¯s store.


    Austin, however, did the opposite; He went to Selene¡¯s apartment as often as he could so that they could have dinner together.


    With Austin keeping herpany, Selene feltfortable and less lonely than before. She didn¡¯t get much chance to think about Clint.


    In August, there was a Business Forum in the city, and a themed party was held. The sponsor hadmissioned costumes for ten female guests from Selene, as the sponsor knew Selene from one of her customers. The sponsor liked Selene¡¯s previous designs and ced the order in advance, confident that he would not be disappointed.


    She had two weeks to finish the ten costumes. As a result, Selene worked very hard and stayed upte every night to finish the order on time. Unfortunately, however, she was informed that the order had been canceled only a few days before the party.


    When she asked the sponsor the reason for canceling the order, the man just replied that he had decided to hire a different designer for the order.


    Though she lost a fortune as a result of the canceled order, what hurt her the most was the time and effort that had gone to waste. Moreover, as the order was made through a rmendation from an acquaintance of hers, Selene did not sign a contract with the sponsor, who ended up paying her only 30% of the agreed cost of the order. Because of this, he wasn¡¯t legally obliged to pay her anything, and Selene could not dispute this in court. That bastard!


    Several dayster, when Austin came to have dinner with her, they sat on the couch, eating and watching TV. The local news channel was doing a piece on the theme bar party of the Business Forum.


    Selene, who had just about gotten over it, found herself very angry once again. She took the remote control to change channels.


    But, to her surprise, Austin put down his dish and grabbed the device from Selene. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch this. Some representatives from mypany have attended the party.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sick of hearing about that damned party!¡± Selene said, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Austin asked, looking at her.


    ¡°Just look at what they¡¯re wearing!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see. Did you design those dresses?¡±


    ¡°If that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t be so angry about the party. The sponsor had ordered the dresses from me, but he canceled just a few days before the party after putting in all the work and wasting my time. I had to pay out of my pocket because we never signed a contract.¡±


    Selene then stretched her index finger, disying arge cut that had barely healed. ¡°Look at this! I got it when working on those dresses.¡±


    Austin frowned and gently brought her hand closer to him so that he could take a better look. ¡°How can they treat you like this? I¡¯ll find the sponsor and ask him to give you an exnation.¡± He dered angrily.


    ¡°Let it go. It¡¯s not a big deal. I was paid some of the money. I¡¯m just not happy about the cancetion.¡±


    ¡°Will you really just forget about it?¡± Austin inquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not worth the effort of getting involved. Just forget about it and concentrate on your own business.¡±


    ¡°I will deal with it for you, Selene. It¡¯s a big deal for me.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Austin. Why are you insisting? Just a few days ago, your mother called and said that you should be focusing on finding yourself a wife.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for marriage. I¡¯m too busy with my career right now.¡± Austin said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. He then stared at Selene with his two big eyes. ¡°What about you? You broke up with Joseph more than a year ago. Maybe it¡¯s time for you to move on and get into a new rtionship.¡±


    Selene nced at him.


    Meanwhile, Austin suddenly perked up, seemingly very interested in Selene¡¯s love life.


    ¡°I knew that Joseph wasn¡¯t your ¡®Mr. Right¡¯ from the very beginning. It seems that I was right.¡± Austin said, grinning.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t love him very much. He is from the same town as me and has a strong desire to achieve sess in his career. But that turned into a problem. He chose his career over love.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t love him? What kind of man do you want? I could introduce you to some guys.¡±

 Chapter 40: I Won’t Make You Suits Anymore

    Hearing this, the image of Clint suddenly appeared in Selene¡¯s mind. But she quickly reminded herself to ept reality. She looked at Austin with a half-smile. ¡°What kind of guy do you think would be my ¡®Mr. Right¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Someone like me.¡± Austin grinned.


    Selene massaged her chin and looked thoughtful. ¡°Yes. Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Are you serious?¡± Austinughed.


    ¡°Serious? What about you? Are you being serious?¡± Selene retorted and rolled her eyes.


    Now Selene felt much more rxed in Austin¡¯spany. Life¡¯s not easy. Everyone goes through difficulties. We should just ept it and move on. Selene thought.


    Selene¡¯s self-soothing did little to her foul mood the next day when she arrived at her store.


    Mandy had arrived earlier than her. She was searching the Inte when her eyes suddenly went wide, and she gasped.


    ¡°Selene! The sponsor who canceled the order ended up hiring Jennifer Keller for the job. I know her. She came to our store, and you two had an argument. I don¡¯t think her designs are as good as yours, so she must¡¯ve pulled some strings to get the order.¡±


    Selene walked over to Mandy and looked at the webpage on theputer. The fashion page was full of news about Jennifer: her designs for the theme party, her clothing brand, and her personal life.


    Jennifer¡¯s clothing brand had onlye out recently. Though it had already been featured in several fashion magazines, it was the first time one of her designs was used in such a well-known event. As a result, the poprity of her brand increased tenfold overnight.


    But Selene knew that it should have been her brand that received such publicity.


    Though Selene did not care that much about her brand¡¯s poprity, she felt it unfair that Jennifer had taken away the recognition that should have been hers.


    Moreover, she also learned from the Inte that the main sponsor for the event was SSGB- Clint¡¯spany.


    The reason that her brand was reced by Jennifer¡¯s suddenly became obvious.


    Selene went silent for a moment. She then took out the dresses she had made for the party, grabbed a pair of scissors, and started cutting them up to vent her anger and hatred.


    ¡°Selene. What happened? Are you alright?¡± Mandy asked in shock.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Selene shook her head with no expression.


    Mandy chose not to enquire further and said nothing. Instead, she made herself busy and got back to work.


    Time seemed to slow around them. Selene sat on the couch, motionless. She was angry beyond words and couldn¡¯t move.


    A few momentster, someone suddenly pushed open the front door of the store.


    Mandy felt relieved and went to wee the customer.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Denovan. Would you like to ce an order?¡±


    Clint nced at Selene, who sat alone by herself, surrounded by a pile of shredded pieces of dresses on the floor. He frowned. ¡°What happened here?¡±


    Before Mandy could say anything, Selene spoke, ¡°Mr. Denovan. We will not make clothes for you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Why? Can you give me a specific reason for that abrupt decision?¡± Clint felt very confused.


    ¡°No reason. I just don¡¯t have much time to cater to all your needs,¡±


    Mandy looked at Selene, then turned back to Clint, whispering into his ear, ¡°The sponsor of the Business Forum had ced an order from our store. Selene was almost finished with the dresses when the order was suddenly canceled. It turns out that the sponsor gave the order to Jennifer Keller instead.¡±


    Clint looked a little shocked and annoyed. But his expression quickly went back to neutral. He walked forward and stood in front of Selene.


    ¡°Jennifer told me that she wanted to design the dresses for the party, and I told the organizingmittee. But I didn¡¯t know that they had already ced an order from you.¡±


    Selene looked at him and gave him a sarcastic smile. ¡°You should be proud of yourself, Mr. Denovan. Thanks to your words, I worked for nothing.¡±


    Clint crouched down and took Selene¡¯s hand in his. He gently caressed the wound. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t know¡­.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene threw away his hand angrily. ¡°You did nothing wrong, and you don¡¯t owe me an apology. From now on, I won¡¯t make you suits anymore. Your Jenni also makes suits. You could ask her to make them for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said that it¡¯s not your fault. Business is business. I can ept that. But I don¡¯t want to meet you anymore.¡±


    Clint grasped her hands again. He stared at her with suppressed emotion. ¡°Selene. You cannot do this to me.¡± He said quietly.


    Selene attempted to break out of his grasp and push him away, but Clint kept a tight hold of her hands. Selene was too angry to control herself, and she kicked Clint¡¯s knee.


    Right then, Austin walked into the store and saw the scene. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked.


    Clint acted very calm and let go of her hands. He patted his hurt knee and shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Austin walked over and noticed Selene¡¯s cold gaze and Clint¡¯s uneasy expression. He stood by Selene. ¡°Mr. Denovan. Selene has a bad temper. Maybe you should just leave before it gets out of hand.¡±


    Selene observed Austin¡¯s politeness towards Clint; She lost her temper again and kicked Austin.


    Austin looked like he was in pain, and he grasped Selene¡¯s hands and held her.¡± Calm down. Please.¡±


    Clint watched the interaction between Selene and Austin. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to make suits for me anymore, I¡¯ll just leave.¡± He said calmly, then left.


    Austin turned to Selene with a curious expression. ¡°What happened just now? Your argument got quite intense.¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes. I just found out that it was him who canceled my order.¡± Selene frowned.


    ¡°But Mr. Denovan just told us that he didn¡¯t know that you had made an order when he gave the job to Ms. Keller,¡± Mandy exined carefully.


    ¡°Why did he cancel the order just like that? It¡¯s unfair to anyone!¡± Selene retorted angrily.


    Austin touched Selene¡¯s head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault. Why did you kick him in the knee? That¡¯s so unprofessional.¡±

 Chapter 41: We Need To Talk

    Mandy grinned. ¡°Austin. Did you know that Mr. Denovan was Selene¡¯s-?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Selene shouted, interrupting her assistant.


    ¡°Her what?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been my customer for many years. He was very loyal.¡±


    ¡°Is that all he was?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What about you? How do you know Mr. Denovan?¡±


    ¡°He was the first to invest in mypany. He provided me with a lot of financing.¡± Austin smiled.


    ¡°What a small world¡­¡± Selene said, letting her words hang.


    Selene found it very difficult to understand why Jennifer Keller would always get tangled in her life and cause her problems.


    Jennifer had received a lot of attention for her dresses at the party from all over the inte. She decided to throw her own personal fashion show and promoted this heavily on social media.


    Moreover, she decided to visit Selene in her store.


    Jennifer seemed very pleased with her sess and smiled smugly. She stood firmly in front of Selene. ¡°I will hold a personal fashion show this Saturday. I¡¯m here to invite you and give you a ticket for the entrance. I hope you¡¯ll be able to attend.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions on your sess, but I¡¯m not interested in going to your party,¡± Selene answered coldly.


    ¡°Why? Are you mad at me?¡±


    ¡°Your huge ego makes you blind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of what I¡¯ve achieved. It gives me confidence.¡±


    Selene sneered.


    Jennifer continued to antagonize her. ¡°It makes me feel even better that you won¡¯t attend my fashion show.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Selene grabbed the ticket from Jennifer¡¯s hand. ¡°OK. I¡¯ll go. I want to see just how amazing Miss Keller¡¯s designs truly are.¡± She said sarcastically.


    ¡°You¡¯re very wee.¡± Jennifer smiled unknowingly.


    But Selene soon regretted that she had promised to go there. It really was not worth it.


    However, reminding herself that Jennifer¡¯s work was only mediocre at best, she did not think that was a big deal.


    Moreover, it was just a fashion show-no big deal at all.


    With a rich family background, Jennifer chose her first personal fashion show in the Exhibition Hall, which could amodate more than one thousand spectators. It was the ce where designers and models typically chose to showcase themselves and their work.


    Many reporters were crowded near the stage. The VIPs sat in the first row.


    Selene found a corner and sat there. She hoped that the show would be over quickly so she could leave.


    She nced at the VIPs who attended the show and found that several celebrities were present.


    But, in the middle, there were a couple of people whom Selene did not recognize. Two of them she did, however. One was Johnson Keller, whom she had met once. Next to him was none other than Clint Denovan.


    Seeing him, Selene¡¯s mood dropped even more. But her attention soon fell on the fashion show itself.


    Selene was not very familiar with Jennifer¡¯s design ability. However, she assumed subconsciously that Jennifer must have mainly used her connections instead of skills to get to where she was.


    But when the show started, and the models got on stage, Selene found that Jennifer was skilled after all and had to admit to herself that Jennifer¡¯s designs were unique and attractive.


    Selene had heard before that women were narrow-minded when it came to their rivals.


    For Selene, she had thought Jennifercked skill in designing clothes, and it only made her mood even worse when she realized that she had been wrong.


    Selene wanted to leave the show immediately. But she couldn¡¯t.


    When the show ended, Jennifer, as the main designer of the event, was crowded by reporters and showered with praise.


    She wore a morous dress, and it was obvious that she had everyone¡¯s attention.


    Standing in the center of the stage, Jennifer spoke her words of gratitude to the public. When Johnson and the rest of the people from the VIP section went to the stage and hugged her, it created a touching scene.


    When Jennifer started to thank her family, she spoke with a lot of emotion in her voice. ¡°I must thank my parents and my big brother for all of their support. I hope I¡¯ve made them proud.¡±


    Jennifer then turned to the few people who were still sitting in the VIP row.


    ¡°I also need to show my appreciation to one man, Clint Denovan, who is wearing the suits I¡¯ve designed to attend the show. Thank you for being there for me. I have known Clint since I have known myself. You are my idol, and you have taught me diligence.¡±


    All eyes turned to Clint as Jennifer continued. ¡±I¡¯ve always dreamed that you would one day wear my suits, and now the day has arrived. Thank you! Clint.¡±


    Clint remained expressionless as the reporters snapped photos of him.


    Hisck of response made the whole situation quite awkward. Then Johnson walked to him from the stage and beckoned Clint to join him.


    Though Clint frowned, he still stepped on the stage under Jennifer¡¯s expecting eyes.


    Clint smiled at Jennifer. ¡°Congrattions, Jenni. Your dream has finallye true.¡± He said with a robotic voice.


    Jennifer was so moved that tears ran down her face. She stretched out her hands and hugged Clint. The reporters all captured the moment with their cameras.


    To those observing, it looked like the protagonist was hugging her partner, which seemed very romantic.


    Selene, however, was ring at the scene that was unfolding in front of her eyes.


    ¡°This is disgusting,¡± Selene spoke coldly. She stood up and walked out of the venue without any expression.


    Jennifer was hugging Clint as her family stood around. She wanted to show them off that they were in a good rtionship. It took him a lot of restraint to stop himself from pushing her away. He still needs to be a gentleman; after all, pushing her would just catch everyone¡¯s curiosity. He hated this kind of drama.


    He looked up and nced at the spectator seats. He noticed a familiar face.


    He subconsciously attempted to push Jennifer away but failed, as Johnson held his arm too and motioned him to prolong the moment.


    Clint frowned as he watched Selene leave the hall.

 Chapter 42: She Just Abandoned Us

    But, as Selene was exiting the hall, she suddenly stopped herself. Leaving just like that, it looked like she was forfeiting Jennifer¡¯s challenge.


    Though Selene couldn¡¯t read Clint¡¯s mind,pared with others, she could see that he felt unhappy to be involved in Jennifer¡¯s show of gratitude.


    Selene hated Clint for his cooperation with Jennifer, but she also felt somewhat sympathetic to him.


    As she thought this, she was standing in front of the exit hallway without moving.


    After a while, the crowd started to move out. The spectators left first, and then the reporters.


    Finally, Jennifer, together with her friends and family, also came out.


    As Selene was standing there by herself, Clint was quick to recognize her. He swiftly said his goodbyes to the rest and caught up with Selene.


    He collected his thoughts. He was about to say, ¡°Please stop making assumptions about Jennifer and me,¡± but before he could speak, Jennifer grabbed his arm from the back.


    ¡°Thank you for attending my show, Selene. I¡¯m touched.¡± Jennifer said, then turned to Clint. ¡°The dinner party is waiting for us, darling. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Clint suddenly broke his hands free from her grasp and looked at her coldly. ¡°Jennifer. Please stop pretending like there¡¯s something going on between us. What you¡¯ve just said to me in front of the media will cause me a lot of trouble and misunderstanding. Please don¡¯t do that ever again.¡±


    Jennifer looked as if she had just been struck and pointed at Selene with her index finger. ¡°Are you still helping her? She just took advantage of you to take revenge on her ex-boyfriend. You¡¯re not even friends with her anymore. Why are you still doing this?¡±


    Seeing Jennifer¡¯s disappointed expression, a wave of happiness washed over Selene. ¡°This is between my ex-husband and me. You should mind your own business and stay out of ours.¡±


    ¡°Jenni, what happened?¡± Johnson shouted from a distance.


    Jennifer snorted and turned away with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Johnson asked again, worriedly.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Jennifer shook her head.


    Johnson knew about his sister¡¯s infatuation with Clint. He turned to his friend. ¡°Hey, Clint. Are youing to the dinner party to celebrate?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Clint looked at Selene without even ncing at Johnson.


    After the Kellers left, Clint held Selene¡¯s arm. ¡°Is it clear to you now that there¡¯s nothing going on between Jennifer and me?¡±


    Selene sneered. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business whether you are Jennifer¡¯s ¡®intimate¡¯ friend or not.¡±


    ¡°We need to talk.¡± Clint frowned and said in a low voice.


    ¡°Talk about what? You and Jennifer?¡±


    ¡°Is it clear to you yet that I don¡¯t like her?¡±


    ¡°You must be delusional. Do you expect all women to be obsessed with you like Jennifer?¡±


    Clint sighed, exasperated. ¡°We should sit down and talk. I¡¯m sick of this animosity between us.¡±


    Hearing this, Selene realized that she was also sick of it. She wanted things to go back to normal. She looked at Clint¡¯s eyes and was ready to reply, but her phone rang.


    She took her phone out and answered. ¡°Hi, Austin. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Harry¡¯s hand was hurt by one of the machines at the factory,¡± Austin said in a hurry.


    ¡°What?¡± Selene shouted, her face full of shock. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle right away.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Clint asked after Selene hung up.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Selene said anxiously. ¡°I think we¡¯re done talking. I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    She walked by the road and stopped a taxi. Clint hurriedly caught up and grabbed her arm gently. ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell me what happened? Who was that on the phone?¡±


    Selene was too anxious and worried to stay rational. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us anymore. Why should I tell you? It would be best if you went to find Jennifer. She will keep youpany.¡±


    Clint was annoyed with her and let go of her. ¡°Selene. You¡¯re too emotionally vtile. Finally, I can¡¯t stand you anymore. I don¡¯t understand your sudden mood swings. We¡¯re both mature, but you always act this way. Aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡±


    ¡°Good. Just leave me alone, then. Nobody forces you to stay here,¡± Selene replied coldly, then got into the taxi and mmed the door shut.


    Selene sat in the taxi and kept calling her father¡¯s phone. But no one answered.


    Austin was waiting for her at her apartment. When he saw Selene, he went to her andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Selene. I¡¯ve just spoken to my mum, and she told me that Harry¡¯s three fingers that had been cut off were reattached by doctors.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really worried about him. I¡¯ll go home tonight.¡± Selene said anxiously.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll drive you home with my car and help take care of your father.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I could just take a taxi by myself.¡±


    ¡°I should go with you, Selene. It¡¯s not that safe for you to take a taxi alone. Besides, I have some free time.¡±


    ¡°Really? But you shouldn¡¯t trouble yourself for this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. If it¡¯s important to you, then it¡¯s also important to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you. Austin. I really appreciate it. Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    When Selene and Austin arrived at the hospital where Harry was, they found him lying on the bed with Mrs. Dora by him, dozing.


    When Dora heard the sound of the door being pushed open, she suddenly awoke. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± She whispered.


    Harry soon opened his eyes and looked at Selene. He sat himself up. ¡°Selene. Why do youe back?¡± He asked.


    Selene frowned. ¡°What happened to you? How did you manage to cut your fingers like that?¡± When Selene came near Harry, the familiar stench hit her again. ¡°Were you drunk again?¡± Selene asked with anger in her eyes.


    Several hourster, the stench of alcohol was still on him. So, it was obvious to Selene that Harry had drunk himself way past tipsy and got hurt as a result.


    Dora took Selene¡¯s arm. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry with Harry. It was an ident.¡±

 Chapter 43: It’s My Fault Why She Left Us

    ¡°What ident? He drank himself into unconsciousness and got his fingers hurt today. Will he get himself killed as a result of his drunkenness someday?¡± Selene shouted at her father angrily, ¡°Harry Morris. If you have a death wish, please let me know in advance so that I can mentally prepare to make peace with that.¡±


    Harry kept silent without responding. He lowered his head in shame.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean to do that. He is hurt and in a lot of pain. You need to calm yourself down and keep him apanied.¡± Austin walked over to Selene and ced aforting hand on her shoulder.


    Selene looked at Harry¡¯s bandaged hand, and a sudden realization made her even angrier. ¡°If you end up disabled, it will be me who will have to take care of you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If that happens, I¡¯ll hire some maids to take care of me.¡± Harry finally spoke.


    Selene was too angry to think and act rationally. ¡°Dora. Austin. Are you seeing it now? How angry does he makes me?¡±


    Dora smiled embarrassedly. ¡°You two should calm down and have a good talk. Selene¡¯s very worried about you. You should understand that.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Harry snorted without saying a word.


    Selene helplessly shook her head. ¡°Harry keeps drinking because of that woman. How is he still not over her after so many years?¡±


    ¡°That woman is your mother. You should show some respect.¡± Harry said.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not my mother. It¡¯s Dora who has taken care of me since I was young. Dora is my real mom.¡±


    Harry went silent again.


    ¡°Selene. Your father is in bad condition now, so he should rest. Maybe you could continue this discussion tomorrow. I¡¯ll take care of things here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Austin agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go ande back tomorrow.¡±


    Selene was sympathetic to her father¡¯s physical pain, and she nodded. ¡°Okay. Rest up. I¡¯lle back tomorrow and bring you something delicious.¡±


    Selene was exhausted.


    Without anyone else in the street, Selene and Austin¡¯s footsteps were especially audible.


    ¡°Try to calm down a little, and don¡¯t be so angry with him. He¡¯s hurt and needs some support. Don¡¯t make things worse for him.¡±


    ¡°Austin. Have you ever experienced loving someone so much?¡± Selene touched her forehead and asked.


    Hearing it, Austin seemed frozen and did not answer her until several minutes passed. ¡°Yes.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I know about it? I thought you¡¯ve told me everything about you. Haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but this is something more private, and I don¡¯t feelfortable talking about it.¡±


    Selene did not want to probe him further about it. She shook her hands in defeat. ¡°I wonder if you can ever get over someone if you truly love them. Or maybe my father is just being stubborn and doesn¡¯t want to forget about that woman!¡±


    ¡°Emotions are aplicated matter. If it¡¯s that easy for you to forget someone you loved, then maybe you never truly loved that person. My mother has told me that Harry loves your mom very much. Maybe there¡¯s something we don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! She just abandoned us. I hope she¡¯s dead. Then maybe my father can stop hoping that she¡¯lle back.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should stop thinking about this for now. Go back home and sleep. You need to prepare breakfast for Harry tomorrow morning.¡± Austin said.


    ****


    Selene got up very early and went to the market to buy food and cook for Harry. She wanted to prepare a few good foods for her father.


    When she finished cooking some soup, Austin came and stepped into the kitchen. He ate some of the soup Selene had just prepared and felt very satisfied.


    ¡°When will you leave for Houston?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not busy, so I¡¯ll wait for you. I wanted to spend time with you too,¡± A pleasant smile appeared at the corner of his lips, staring at Selene¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with him for more than 5 or 6 days until he gets better.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll stay too and help. And then we can go back to Houston together.¡±


    ¡°Austin, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself and my father.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been looking for an excuse for a break from work. So please don¡¯t take that excuse away from me.¡± Austin smiled.


    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s go see my father.¡± Selene smiled helplessly.


    Dora and Harry did not sleep wellst night either.


    Selene took a deep breath, restrained her temper, and softly apologized to her father. ¡°Sorry for losing my temperst night, Dad. Please don¡¯t be angry with me. You must be in a lot of pans. I will stay here for a few days to take care of you. Dora, you can go home and rest. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±


    ¡°I will stay here with you. Selene,¡± Austin said hurriedly.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go home. Take good care of him, you two.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the help, Dora, and sorry for the trouble that I caused.¡± Harry apologized to the older woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Harry. I¡¯ll go home and have a good rest.¡±


    After Dora left, Selene took out the breakfast she had prepared for her father and put it on the table. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you have feelings for Dora. So why is your mind preupied with a woman who left you and will nevere back? Dora has been so good to you, didn¡¯t you see that?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something, and it¡¯s too hard for me to exin. It was my fault that your mom left us. She isn¡¯t a bad person at all,¡± Her father added. A glimpse of sadness came across his eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean? I still remember the day she left me by the road and went away with another strange man.¡±


    Harry sighed sadly, then continued. ¡°When you were young, your mother loved you very much. Don¡¯t hate her for the things that happened between her and me. If shees back to us someday in the future, I hope that you will treat her as your mother.¡±

 Chapter 44: Have You Fallen In Love With Someone Else?

    ¡°Why should I do that? Even though she treated me well when I was young, she abandoned us. She hasn¡¯t even tried to get back into contact with me in so many years. If she eventually decides toe back after all this time, why should I forgive her?¡± Selene raised her hands in exasperation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just talk about something else. I brought you breakfast. You should eat.¡± She said.


    Harry started eating the soup with a satisfied look on his face. Selene suddenly had a look of realization. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to use your hand the same way as before, even after it heals fully. So why don¡¯t youe with me to Huston, and I can take care of you.¡±


    Hearing this, Austin, who had stayed quiet in the previous conversation, quickly chimed in. ¡°Yes, I could bring my mom to Houston, too. So we could maybe all live together in the city.¡±


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t shut down the factory anytime soon. The order we¡¯re working on will take several months to finish. I should be responsible to my staff and tell them in advance if I will shut it down.¡± Harry shook his head. ¡°Your apartment will be crowded with all of us there, and I¡¯m not used to that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to go with me. It¡¯s your own life. but you should take care of yourself and stop drinking.¡± Selene said.


    ¡°It was my fault, Selene. I won¡¯t drink like this again. You and Austin lived close with each other, and you can depend on each other.¡±


    Selene felt touched by his words. Before she could answer, Austin grinned and spoke, ¡°Harry, don¡¯t worry about Selene. I¡¯ll take care of her!¡±


    ****


    Harry had stayed in the hospital for three days. Selene kept busy taking care of him and helping him manage the factory. Luckily, the doctor told them that Harry¡¯s hands would heal within one month. She felt relieved.


    She rarely spent any time on social media, but every time she used the inte, she always managed toe across news about Jennifer Keller and Clint Denovan. The image of the two emotionally hugging each other on the stage was stered everywhere, and online articles talked about them as if they were from a romantic fairy tale.


    Though Selene herself knew the truth, she still felt disgusted by these articles.


    Clint had called her a few times these past few days, but she did not answer him.


    She hated the state of things between her and Clint. She wanted to deal with the chaos.


    She had thought of staying home for a few more days, but there were many orders in her store, and Austin would stay here with her if she did not go back to Houston, so she decided to go back soon.


    Thest day she stayed in her hometown was Valentine¡¯s Day. It was very hot and popr among younger people.


    Before dawn arrived, Selene and Harry had just had dinner. Austin came over and invited Selene to go for a walk. Selene was about to sweep the floor, but when Harry heard Austin¡¯s invitation, he grabbed the mop and asked Selene to go out. ¡°You will go to Houston tomorrow. Just go out and have fun.¡±


    Selene agreed with her father and went out together with Austin.


    ¡°Are you still worried about Harry?¡± Austin asked as they started walking.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We coulde back to visit them more often than before. I also n on visiting my mom once a month.¡±


    ¡°Why is my father so stubborn about getting into a rtionship with your mom? If they would just move in together, we wouldn¡¯t need to worry about them so much.¡±


    ¡°I agree, but we can¡¯t force things. It should be their decision, not ours.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not just about emotions. They should take their age into consideration- Living together would make it more convenient to get things done, and they could depend on each other.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not. Marriage should be more out of love, not convenience.¡±


    Selene nced at him andughed. ¡°How much do you know about love? Oh, I just remembered. You said you¡¯re truly in love with someone. Who is that? You¡¯ve never revealed who it was.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no one. I was only joking.¡± Austin attempted to evade the topic.


    ¡°I had a feeling you were only joking.¡± Selene rolled her eyes.


    ¡°But it¡¯s true¡­.¡± Austin said.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s walk along the bank.¡± Austin smiled and dragged her arm.


    By the bank, there were many lovers, arm in arm or kissing.


    ¡°I remember that I started to have feelings towards girls when I was a high school student,¡± Austin said.


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell me? I¡¯ve told you all about Joseph and me. Why don¡¯t you share these things with me? It¡¯s not fair!¡±


    Austin smiled and said, ¡°Let me buy you flowers today.¡±


    Then Austin went to buy a bunch of flowers and gave them to Selene.


    ¡°Why did you buy me flowers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve bought you flowers many times. Do you still remember when we parted ways to go to different colleges?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We walked by the river, and you gave me a bunch of flowers to say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°I also left a note in the bouquet. Do you remember what it said? We will never truly part ways. Let¡¯s stay friends and take care of each other forever.''¡±


    Selene snorted. ¡°Yes, when we were very young, we often told each other that we should take care of each other forever. I remember.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we are much closer to each other than many couples.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    ¡°Selene, you said that you want to know about the girl I¡¯m in love with.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just tell me who it is. Surely, we¡¯re close enough that you can reveal it to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± Austin said with a serious tone. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you this for a long time. But, when I was ready to do it, you got into a rtionship with Joseph. Butst year, you broke up with him, and I realized that you were never truly in love with Joseph. I think this is a sign from the heavens, and I should make use of this opportunity.¡±

 Chapter 45: Did Anything Happen?

    Selene felt very surprised and went nk after hearing Austin¡¯s deration of love.


    Austin kept silent, and he got no reaction from her. He smiled sarcastically. ¡°Let me guess, I¡¯m toote again. Right?¡±


    Selene recovered herself but did not really understand what he meant. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve fallen in love with someone else, am I right?¡±


    Selene was too shocked to speak, as if the biggest secret she had been keeping for a long time had just been revealed. Instead, she shook her head subconsciously.


    ¡°Is it Clint Denovan?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Selene wentpletely pale and shook her head.


    Austin touched her face and hugged her. ¡°Selene, please don¡¯t lie to yourself. I know you are the best in the world. I saw your love for him the moment I saw him in your store.¡±


    Selene leaned herself onto his shoulder and kept silent for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m not going to deny it. I have a feeling for him, but I¡¯ve never considered spending the rest of my life with him. He loves someone deeply in his mind, and someone is pursuing him very heavily. He¡¯s in trouble, and I can¡¯t stand that.¡±


    Selene paused for a moment, then continued. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to forget about him.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I guess I¡¯ll just be patient and wait for that to happen.¡±


    Selene let go of his arm and smiled. ¡°Are you really willing to be my backup?¡±


    While Selene did not feel uneasy about his confession, maybe she and Clint were too close just to dismiss it entirely.


    Austin felt a little disappointed with her words. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be your backup.¡± He said, forcing a smile.


    Selene patted him warmly. ¡°Austin. Other than my father, you are the most important man to me.¡±


    ¡°I really believe that I will marry you one day.¡± Austin smiled and looked up to the stars. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, this feels a little awkward.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve always treated me as your brother.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so unfair!¡±


    ****


    Clint kept calling Selene, but she never picked up. He was worried-sick thinking about her.


    One morning, when he had just tried to call her, but no one answered, he stared at the screen and thought for a while. He then started to edit a message and was ready to send it.


    At that moment, however, the phone on his desk rang.


    Clint picked it up and heard his secretary on the other end of the line. ¡°Mr. Denovan. Jennifer Keller is here to see you.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Clint frowned, knowing Jennifer¡¯s intention. Jennifer had already revealed her affection towards him a long time ago, but Clint had always refused to acknowledge it. He doesn¡¯t like her, yet this woman forces her way to him, making him feel annoyed.


    At the themed party that had taken ce a while back, Jennifer had acted very intimately with Clint and dered her love for him in front of everyone. Clint went along with it only because so many people had been watching, and he didn¡¯t want to make Jennifer lose face.


    Now that the media had written lots of articles depicting the two as ¡°lovers,¡± Clint felt very embarrassed about the situation, and all he could do was avoid any contact with Jennifer. He hoped that if he would do this, then the media would eventually get bored and forget about it.


    ¡°Okay, let her in,¡± Clint said quietly.


    Jennifer rushed in.


    ¡°Did anything happen?¡± Clint asked with furrowed brows.


    Jennifer walked over to him and looked at him apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the way I acted at the party. I know it has caused you trouble. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Just remember that you¡¯re now a public figure, so you should be more careful about what you say.¡± Clint replied with a cold expression.


    ¡°But I did not say anything wrong. I only said what I felt. Why is it so hard for you to realize that I love you? Why do you keep rejecting me again and again?¡±


    ¡°Jennifer. You¡¯re like a sister to me. Johnson¡¯s my best friend. I also respect your parents. We grew up together, and I treat you like family. So please don¡¯t cross that line again. Put some respect on yourself; running after a man wasn¡¯t good at all.¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you still love Selene Morris? You know that she only married you to take advantage of you, right? So how can you possibly have feelings for a woman like her?¡±


    Clint listened to her words silently, then scoffed, leaning back into his chair. He gave her a cold look and sneered. ¡°Oh, you just reminded me that I need to thank you for that. You took Joseph, Selene¡¯s ex-boyfriend, out of the picture, which gave me the chance to marry her.¡±


    Jennifer was frightened by his words. She took a deep breath and took out a pile of photos from her bag, throwing them on Clint¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that you will never have the chance to be with Selene again.¡±


    Clint lowered his eyes and nced at the photos. In one of them, a man and a woman hugged each other tightly under the moonlight by a riverbank. They looked very beautiful.


    The woman in the photo was Selene, and Clint recognized the man as Austin. Shock washed across Clint¡¯s demeanor, but he managed to hide it well.


    He frowned and looked at Jennifer. ¡°This is quite pathetic, Jennifer. Spying on them and secretly taking pictures of them. Please stop this.¡±


    ¡°Why are you suddenly in love with this woman you barely know? I¡¯ve been here for you for so many years.¡± Jennifer said with an ironic smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s love. Tooplicated for me to exin to you right now.¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening to me,¡± Jennifer murmured. ¡°I hate her. I hate her¡­.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so vengeful. This is not Selene¡¯s fault, so don¡¯t me her for it.¡±


    ¡°But I really hate her!¡± Jennifer shouted, then rushed out, mming the door behind her.


    Clint rubbed his forehead and nced at the photos on the desk. He picked them up and took another look at them. Suddenly, he felt extremely agitated and swiped all the photos on the floor.

 Chapter 46: Do As I Said

    After a while, the secretary pushed the door open and looked at him with concern. ¡°Mr. Denovan, are you okay?¡±


    Clint was clutching his head with his hands. He looked up at her coldly and shook his head. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    The secretary saw the photos on the floor and walked over, attempting to pick them up. However, Clint stopped her. ¡°Please leave! I¡¯ll call you if I need you. I want some privacy right now,¡± He shouted, and his mood changed after he saw the photos given by Jennifer.


    The secretary was frightened and left swiftly. Clint¡¯s outburst shocked her, as he wasn¡¯t usually bad-tempered but rather always maintained a poker face.


    Clint sighed and crouched down. He picked up the photos from the floor and piled them into the drawer.


    When he sat himself down, he grabbed his phone and called Selene again.


    This time, his call was answered. ¡°Hello, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Came Selene¡¯s voice. She didn¡¯t expect Clint to call him.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you picked up any of my calls?¡±


    ¡°No reason.¡± She coldly answered. She was giving him a hint that she wanted to stopmunicating with him.


    ¡°Are you back in Houston? I¡¯lle by the store now.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t. I¡¯m not at the store.¡± Selene paused and continued, ¡°Clint. I think our rtionship is pointless, and we should end it. So please don¡¯t contact me anymore. Let¡¯s forget about the past and move on.¡±


    Clint felt rage butughed. ¡°Are you afraid that your Austin will misunderstand our rtionship? Does he know about our marriage? Would you like me to tell him about it? I will be d to tell him that once you¡¯ve be my wife,¡± A sarcastic tone was added to his voice.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with Austin. Our marriage was a mistake, and I want to move past it.¡±


    ¡°A mistake?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe his ears. A pain came across his heart.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene was trying to control her tears at this moment.


    Clint sneered and hung up.


    Selene was sitting in Austin¡¯s car and felt a little dizzy.


    ¡°Was that Clint?¡± Austin nced at her.


    Selene nodded.


    ¡°What happened between you two? Were you really married?¡±


    Selene kept silent for a moment, then suddenly answered, ¡°Yes. We were married to each other briefly.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°And we divorced.¡± She added, almost a murmur.


    Suddenly, Austin stopped the car, seemingly shocked.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t stop here. It¡¯s illegal.¡± Selene said, frightened.


    ¡°Is this a joke? I can¡¯t believe this!¡±


    ¡°Why would I joke about this? I haven¡¯t told anyone about this, not even my father. I don¡¯t want to remind myself about it anymore. You¡¯ve asked, so I told you. I don¡¯t want to lie to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a year since you broke up with Joseph. How did you get married and divorced in such a short time?¡±


    ¡°Because of Joseph¡¯s betrayal, I got married to Clint on a whim. But it turned out that we¡¯re not right for each other, so we got a divorce.¡±


    ¡°It seems that he wants to make peace with you. You also have feelings for him, so why not ept him?¡±


    ¡°How can you say this to me? You told me that you loved me yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I want you to be happy. For me, your happinesses first. I don¡¯t care if you will love me or not.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Selene sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve told you that Clint is not the right one for me. He loves someone else, and there¡¯s Jennifer who¡¯s been in love with him for a long time. I don¡¯t know what he feels towards me. He¡¯s hesitant about our rtionship, as even when we were married, he refused to introduce me to his parents and friends.¡±


    Hearing that, Austin kept silent for a while, then replied. ¡°We¡¯ve only known Clint and hispany, SSGB, for a short period of time, so I don¡¯t know him very well. But I know that he leads an honest and clean life.¡±


    ¡°If he were promiscuous, it¡¯d be easy for him to forget about this and move on. But he¡¯s not. I think he¡¯s madly in love with me. But he¡¯s the kind of man that women will fall in love with very easily. I don¡¯t need this drama in my life, and I don¡¯t want to end up being hurt.¡±


    Austin sighed, then smiled. ¡°If you¡¯ll move past him, then I have nothing to worry about.¡± He joked.


    Selene alsoughed and patted him on the shoulder.


    ****


    Austin had told Selene that he hadn¡¯t been busy recently. However, that was not true. When he got back to work, he was indeed very busy. He started work very early in the morning and finished veryte.


    One Saturday morning, Selene made breakfast, went to Austin¡¯s apartment, and knocked at the door. But nobody answered. She thought that Austin was most likely at work, but, after a while, the sound of footsteps could be heard from behind the door, then it suddenly opened.


    ¡°Selene¡­¡± A weak voice came from the pale-looking Austin.


    Selene was taken aback. Austin leaned against the door and looked unwell.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Selene asked, grabbing hold of his arm.


    ¡°I have a stomachache¡­.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see a doctor now. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken some medicine. I don¡¯t need to see a doctor.¡±


    ¡°Why are you in this state? Have you been skipping meals again because of your work? I know you¡¯re busy, but you should take more care of your health. I brought you some porridge.¡±


    Austin¡¯s stomach was not in a good state. Even though he lived a healthy life, he often felt ufortable. His doctor told him that his stomach-rted problems are most likely inherited, as his father also had stomach problems. In fact, his father died early on because he had left it untreated.


    In the following days, Selene started cooking for him on a regr basis, bringing him food directly to his workce at thepany in order to make sure that he would stop skipping meals.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 47: Let’s Talk About It

    The business that Austin had started was very promising. But his newpany was short-staffed, so all the employees were very busy.


    As Selene brought him food every day, the staff at thepany began to joke that they were in a rtionship. Finally, on the third day, when Selene came and met several of Austin¡¯s workmates, they teased him loudly, ¡°Hey, Austin. Your girlfriend¡¯s here!¡±


    Austin walked out of his office and grinned. ¡°She will be my girlfriend.¡±


    Selene felt a little embarrassed but did not pay too much attention. Instead, she followed Austin into his office.


    ¡°I¡¯m having a meeting now. I¡¯ll eat it when I finish it. You don¡¯t need to wait up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime. Why are you having a meeting now?¡±


    ¡°Thepany who is financing us is assessing, and they will decide whether it will continue investing in ourpany. It¡¯s very important.¡±


    Selene knew little about the investment, and she shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just wait here until you finish your meeting. I won¡¯t leave until you eat your lunch. I¡¯m not busy with my store.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Go ahead.¡±


    Sitting there, Selene felt bored and thirsty, so she decided to go to the canteen to get some water to drink. Several girls from thepany were having lunch there.


    They greeted Selene and then continued with their chatter. ¡°Last time, I saw Clint Denovan, the president of SSGB, in the meeting room. He¡¯s more handsome than you could ever imagine. He looks young and gorgeous.¡±


    Selene frowned.


    They continued their gossip. ¡°But he looks very distant.¡±


    She had just managed to stop thinking about Clint, as he hadn¡¯t contacted her in a long time. But now that she heard his name being mentioned, her heart suddenly beat faster.


    When Selene returned to Austin¡¯s office from the canteen, Austin was still in the meeting. She thought for a while, then wrote him a note to remind him to eat his lunch. She then left.


    She got into the lift and pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors closed, and she felt the familiar movement of the machine. However, the lift stopped on the first floor, and the doors opened. A group of men entered, and Selene recognized two of them. They were Clint Denovan and Nick, Austin¡¯s good friend who was also a partner of the newpany.


    Selene and Clint looked at each other without any expression.


    Nick gave Selene a slightly confused look. ¡°Selene, why are you leaving? Austin is in the office now.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene smiled embarrassingly. ¡°Something just came up, and I need to go. I left him a message.¡±


    ¡°Austin is a lucky guy. I wish I had a girl who¡¯d take care of me like you take care of him.¡±


    Hearing this, Clint turned back and looked at Selene coldly. A few secondster, the doors to the lift opened, so he turned around and left.


    Nick said goodbye to Selene and caught up with Clint. ¡°Mr. Denovan. When will you inform us about your decision?¡±


    ¡°It depends. We need some time to decide.¡±


    Selene walked to the street and was about to stop a taxi when Austin¡¯s voice came; ¡°Selene!¡±


    Selene turned back and saw Austin.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You told me that you wouldn¡¯t leave until I finish my lunch.¡±


    ¡°I ran out of patience. You took too long with your meeting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat right now. How about youe back and sit with me? These past days have been tough for me.¡±


    Selene noticed that he looked thinner than before. She felt guilty for leaving. ¡°How¡¯s your stomach?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been taking care of me, and I feel better now.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve been cooking me healthy meals every day, so my diet has been much better than before, and I really appreciate that. In fact, I¡¯ve been craving junk foodtely.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°No way. I¡¯m not going to let you touch that stuff!¡±


    Austin smiled and gave Selene a piece of potato.


    Selene took it in her mouth and started chewing.


    ¡°Are you really in love with me? Like in the movies?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure before, so I stayed away from you for many years. Whenever you went on dates with Joseph, I tried to start rtionships with other girls, but that never ended well.¡±


    ¡°Love isplicated, and people get hurt. I would rather that we stay friends and take care of each other.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we could. I won¡¯t push my emotions onto you. We can stay friends and be happy.¡±


    They were too engrossed in their candid conversation to notice that Clint¡¯s car drove by them. Clint sat in the car, his face as expressionless as ever.


    He turned to his assistant. ¡°Deck.¡± We¡¯ll need to postpone our decision about the investment, as there¡¯s something wrong with the program. Don¡¯t tell them about it, as they should deal with it themselves.¡±


    ¡°The program is good. Even though there is something that needs fixing, we could help them and make an early investment in it. It would be better for all of us.¡±


    ¡°Do as I said.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mr. Denovan.¡±


    ****


    Austin couldn¡¯t afford to take the afternoon off and was soon busy with work again.


    It was tough for Selene to meet him after that and have a talk.


    One week passed by, and Selene was bored spending the weekend by herself at home. So she went to Austin¡¯s door and knocked, but nobody answered. She then called him and found that he was down at his workce, busy managing hispany.


    Austin is so busy with hispany! Selene thought.


    She then decided to cook something for Austin and take the food to him at hispany.


    When she entered his office, Austin was in the middle of taking his medicine, and his face looked very pale.


    ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡± Selene frowned.


    ¡°Just a little.¡± Austin smiled embarrassedly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look well. What¡¯s going on?¡± Her voice was full of concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My diet has been great recently.¡± He said, trying to suppress his pain.

 Chapter 48: Don’t Push Me Away

    ¡°But you¡¯ve been overworking yourself. That could be a cause for your stomach ache, too. Why are you making yourself so tired? You could pass on some of your work duties to others.¡±


    ¡°No. There¡¯s something within ourpany that needs fixing. The investmentpany doesn¡¯t feel satisfied with our strategy model. We haven¡¯t received the final assessment report. Without the investment, we don¡¯t have the resources to continue the business.¡±


    ¡°Is the investmentpany SSGB?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We could just find anotherpany to invest in us, but SSGB is the most experienced in IPOs. The leadingpany in this country. We need their cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Is everything going well with your project?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°Yes, of course. We are confident that we will get the investment. But we are still quite new and inexperienced. We still need to iron some things out to impress them,¡±


    ¡°Just promise me that you¡¯ll take care of yourself.¡±


    When Selene exited the building, she felt perplexed. To some degree, Clint worked like a machine, rational and emotionless. And being in a rtionship didn¡¯t change that.


    But Austin came across as obsessed.


    She thought for a while by the roadside and finally decided to call Clint. She stared at Clint¡¯s phone number and eventually hit the dial.


    ¡°Hello. Clint Denovan is speaking.¡± The cold voice came.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Selene? Did anything happen?¡±


    ¡°I want to ask you a question.¡± She said without hesitation.


    ¡°Okay. Shoot.¡±


    ¡°Did you dy the investment for Austin¡¯spany on purpose?¡±


    Clint kept silent for a while before eventually replying. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this to him?¡±


    ¡°Take a guess.¡± His cold voice rang.


    Selene felt very angry, and she went silent for several seconds. When she finally snapped out of it, she continued, ¡°If you have a problem with me, then take it out on me. But leave Austin out of this!¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯d rather do this to him.¡±


    Selene suppressed her anger and calmed herself down. ¡°Are you free? We could meet and talk about this face-to-face. I don¡¯t want to dy this issue,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked you to talk with me about our rtionship, but you refused. Now, it¡¯s my turn to refuse. It¡¯s quite fascinating that my ex-wife exerted an effort for his new lover,¡± Then Clint hung up without any hesitation.


    Selene¡¯s blood boiled, and she called him again.


    But Clint rejected the call straight away.


    Selene did not relent. She decided that she must meet him and talk to him about it.


    She had never gone to Clint¡¯spany building, but she knew where it was.


    She took a taxi and arrived there soon after.


    The girl at the reception was beautiful and polite. ¡°Hello, Miss. Are you here to see someone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here to see Mr. Clint Denovan.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an appointment with him?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what is your name? I will inform  Mr. Denovan¡¯s secretary.¡±


    ¡°Selene Morris.¡±


    ¡°Okay, please wait here for a moment.¡±


    Selene was then informed that Clint¡¯s secretary was in a meeting, so she was taken to a waiting room.


    Half an hour passed.


    One hour passed¡­


    ***


    Selene¡¯s stomach growled. She was hungry. It was 40 minutes past 11, and the sun was up. She had been waiting for over 2 hours.


    She thought that maybe Clint had forgotten about the meeting, or he was just doing this to her intentionally.


    ¡°Miss Morris. Pleasee in.¡±


    When Selene finally arrived at Clint¡¯s office, she entered and saw Clint looking at her with a half-smile.


    ¡°Mr. Denovan is really hard-working and busy.¡± Selene sneered.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m busy reminding myself about your refusal to meet me before. But now you¡¯re the one asking to meet me. I find that really interesting.¡±


    ¡°You probably know why I came here,¡± Selene said as calmly as she could manage.


    ¡°Yes, I know. You¡¯re here to talk about the investment for Austin¡¯spany. What¡¯s your stand on it? You¡¯re not part of the staff at hispany nor a shareholder.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡±


    ¡°Just friends?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And if you have a problem with me, don¡¯t take it out on Austin. He struggled hard to start his business and worked himself to death every day to make it seed.¡±


    ¡°Selene, are you here to beg for him? What makes you think it will work?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to beg you to let him prove his worth.¡±


    ¡°Go on then. Do it.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime now, so why not ask me for lunch so we can talk about it over some food?¡±


    Selene frowned and didn¡¯t reply.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you want to have lunch with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. But I¡¯m not familiar with the area. So how about you choose a ce to eat.¡±


    They then went out, and Clint chose one of the best restaurants in the area. In addition, he ordered the most expensive dishes they had. Selene felt that it was a waste but didn¡¯t say anything about it.


    When the dishes were brought out to their table, Clint started eating with no hesitation, but Selene didn¡¯t feel like eating.


    ¡°Please tell me, what on Earth do you want?¡± She asked with an irritated tone.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Let¡¯s eat first before we talk.¡± Clint answered her calmly.


    Finally, they finished their lunch, and Clint wiped his mouth with a napkin.


    ¡°I¡¯m not deliberately throwing a spanner in the works. The program Austin made was perfect from a technique standpoint.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s been great at programming since he was in college. He received lots of awards for it.¡± Selene replied proudly.


    ¡°But the profit model in his business is very confusing. My staff could offer them advice on revising their financial model, but I don¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    ¡°So the reason you¡¯re refusing to do that is because of me?¡±


    Clint sniffed and nced at Selene. ¡°Don¡¯t be so self-centered. My actions don¡¯t all revolve around you.¡±


    Selene snorted and said nothing.


    ¡°I take everything into consideration when I make important decisions. I¡¯m not like you, a person who doesn¡¯t think things through beforemitting to them, such as when getting married or divorced. Austin and his partners are not good at operating businesses. But they are newly established, so I give them the benefit of the doubt and allow them the chance to improve.¡±

 Chapter 49: What Am I Doing?

    ¡°Really? I doubt you¡¯d be that considerate to others.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. Do you think I am only ever kind to you? I would like to invest in thispany, and I would like it to seed.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Selene beamed. ¡°You deserve lunch, and I will pay for it. Thank you! But I still want to know when you will give them the final assessment report. Austin is worried sick about it.¡±


    ¡°I thought that you¡¯re hard and emotionless. I was wrong. It seems that you know how to care about others.¡± Clint said sarcastically.


    Selene ignored him, stood up, and turned to leave the restaurant. ¡°Austin is my friend, and we¡¯re close like family. I care about him.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    When she walked to the door of the restaurant, Clint suddenly caught up with her and wrapped his arm around her from behind.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Selene shouted.


    ¡°What about me? Am I only your friend or something more?¡±


    He turned her around. His hot breath blew into her face, and she suddenly shuddered and looked away. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± She asked coldly, attempting to hide her real emotion.


    Before she could say anything else, Clint pressed his lips against hers.


    Selene wanted to escape his kiss. She tried to pull away, but Clint leaned into her.


    Clint gently grabbed her chin and kissed her passionately. He couldn¡¯t resist the strong desire he had for her.


    Though they had kissed many times before, Selene had never been kissed like this, and it felt crazy and offensive.


    Selene wanted to push him away but felt unable to do it.


    Finally, when they were out of breath, Clint moved his mouth away from her lips. He touched her red lips with his slender finger. ¡°Don¡¯t push me away. I always wanted to be with you; however, you keep telling me that our marriage was just a mistake. It causes me so many sleepless nights, and letting you go has been so hard for me.¡±


    She said nothing; her mind went nk, and then she left quickly.


    Selene¡¯s journey back to her apartment was a blur. When she arrived, she still felt dizzy from her encounter with Clint, and it took her quite a long time to find her keys in her bag.


    Finally, she managed to unlock her door and went in, dropping herself on the couch. She closed her eyes, and her mind went nk for a long time before she finally came back to reality.


    What am I doing? I was supposed to stay away from Clint. But now I am totally lost because of that kiss. Selene thought.


    Selene had known that she still had feelings for Clint Denovan. She was just like all the other girls- head over heels for handsome and rich men.


    But love was too feeble and distant from a concept for her. She could hardly allow herself to have confidence in it. She thought she could forget about her feelings of love just like she would forget her beloved songs and films.


    But obviously, Clint was much more than that. She felt at a loss.


    Selene softly put her hand on her forehead and gave in to those thoughts, her mind going nk again.


    Suddenly, her phone rang, and she quickly recovered herself. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Clint that was calling.


    She hesitated to answer it, but the phone kept ringing.


    Finally, she picked up the phone and pressed ¡®answer.¡¯


    ¡°Are you okay? You haven¡¯t been answering my calls.¡± Clint asked in a hurried tone.


    ¡°I was taking a bath,¡± Selene said quietly.


    ¡°Taking a bath?¡± Clint dragged his tone quizzically.


    Selene noticed the slight awkwardness in his tone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You practically ran home. I just want to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t kissed before.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Good.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯ll be a fashion show for JU Brand. Have you heard about it?¡±


    Selene knew about JU Brand. It was internationally famous, and she loved their style very much. But she had never seen the show before.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve read about it on the inte.¡±


    ¡°The brand is looking for new designers to work with. Are you interested?¡±


    ¡°I see myself more like a craftswoman than a designer. I¡¯m not sure if I would be right for them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re great at selling yourself short. You stick close to conventional styles while injecting some of your uniqueness into your work. JU Brand approaches clothes designing in a simr way, so I think you should give them a go.¡± Clint said.


    Clint paused for a second, and Selene could hear some shuffling from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Also,¡± Clint continued. ¡°I¡¯ve managed to get some tickets for the fashion show. Would you like to go with me?¡±


    Selene kept silent.


    ¡°Last time, I invited you to the New York Fashion Show, but you didn¡¯te. It would be a pity if you¡¯d miss this one too.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Selene knew Clint¡¯s intention. She knew of Clint¡¯s feelings for her, but she also felt his hesitation towards their rtionship.


    She wondered what the reason was for his hesitation- maybe he did not love her as much as he made her believe.


    As for Selene, she would only reciprocate what she would get from Clint. She would only love his heart and soul if he would also do that to her.


    But the forceful kiss from Clint gave her second thoughts about their rtionship. If Clint invited her, she would ept. But she would set up some barriers for any real emotions. What she has observed from her father, Harry, told her that not giving oneself inpletely to emotions was necessary sometimes.


    The JU Brand Fashion Show began the following Saturday evening. Clint went to Selene¡¯s store a few hours prior to the event to pick her up.


    When they arrived at the show and sat down in their seats, they saw Jennifer Keller in the row in front of them and to their left.

 Chapter 50: She Deserves It

    Jennifer arrived at around the same time as Selene and Clint, and she saw them on her way to her seat. Her makeup-covered face scrunched up at the sight of them as if she had tasted something very sour.


    Clint maintained his calm demeanor and greeted her casually.


    Jennifer answered back angrily and red at Selene, who sat next to him.


    When Jennifer sat down, Selene looked at the back of her head and joked, ¡°If some reporters were to snap some photos of us three sitting like this, would they write articles online about it?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to be in the spotlight online?¡±


    ¡°Only an idiot would want to be in the spotlight for something as petty as this.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, then you won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? Are you really powerful enough to control the media?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but if I don¡¯t want to appear in the media, I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course, you can do that. You¡¯re rich.¡± She teased.


    Clint nced at her and did not reply.


    All the lights went off except the ones on the stage, signaling the start of the fashion show. When the music came on, Selene¡¯s hand was grabbed gently and held by Clint, whose fingers inteced with hers. She felt the warmth from his palm.


    She struggled slightly, trying to pull her hand away, but Clint tightened his grip.


    After a while, Selene turned her head to look at Clint, who seemed engrossed in the show.


    Selene calmed down and stopped trying to move her hand away.


    The fashion showsted for more than an hour, and Selene liked it very much. The clothing designs that were disyed were exactly to her taste and were simr to her own work.


    After the fashion show, the sponsor threw a party. Clint kept holding her hand all the way from their seats to thewn.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When they got to the buffet table, Selene looked at him and smiled. ¡°I need my right hand now. May I have it?¡±


    Clint frowned and let go of her hand. He poured orange juice into a stic cup and handed it to Selene.


    Selene took a sip from the cup, then turned to look around the crowd at the party. She didn¡¯t recognize anyone among the people who were in attendance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone here. I don¡¯t usually mingle with those who attend fashion shows.¡± Clint said. ¡±But I know the guy in charge, so I¡¯ll introduce you to him before we leave.¡±


    ¡°How do you know him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met him a couple of times,¡± Clint said, then motioned with his free hand in the distance. ¡±He¡¯s just over there. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He put down the ss and took Selene¡¯s hand.


    When they drew near him, Selene frowned as she saw Jennifer again.


    Jennifer had also seemingly noticed them, as her expression suddenly turned cold. Selene thought that she was most likely not fond of seeing them hold hands.


    But Jennifer soon recovered herself, putting on a more pleasant face and smiling at them.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Denovan.¡± She said.


    Clint nodded back. The man who had been engaged in a conversation with Jennifer also turned to face them and gave a smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Denovan. Wee to our party.¡±


    Clint walked over to him and shook his hand. ¡°Hey, Mike. Long time no see.¡±


    Mike was the director of the JU Brand.


    ¡°This is my friend Selene.¡± Clint introduced. ¡°She¡¯s an independent designer.¡± He then turned to Selene. ¡°Selene. This is Mike, the director of the JU Brand.¡±


    Mike smiled at Selene. ¡°We¡¯re on the hunt for new designers to work with. If you¡¯re interested, please send us a sample of your work.¡± He then turned to Jennifer. ¡°Have you met Mr. Denovan before, Miss Keller?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We know each other very well. We grew up together.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Who would¡¯ve thought!¡± He said honestly. ¡±Let¡¯s drink together.¡± The waitress soon came over, bringing them a bottle of red wine.


    When the waitress handed Selene a cup of wine, Clint took it away from her. ¡°She doesn¡¯t drink, but don¡¯t worry- I¡¯ll drink it for her,¡± Clint said.


    Jennifer tried to maintain a smile, but underneath that mask, she was incredibly jealous and felt humiliated. She drank the wine quickly and gave an embarrassed smile. ¡°Unfortunately, I need to get going, but you guys enjoy the party.¡± She turned to Mike. ¡±I¡¯ll send you my work.¡±


    ¡°See youter, Jennifer.¡± Mike nodded.


    Even though Clint had noticed Jennifer¡¯s difort, he ignored her and gave his full attention to Mike. After they finished talking, he gently grabbed Selene¡¯s hand, and they walked away.


    After a while, however, Clint had to stop to speak to some of the people at the party, who were eager to catch up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you over there,¡± Selene said quietly, pointing in the distance.


    Clint nodded and let go of her hand. He began chatting with the people around him.


    Selene sat alone in a corner, all by herself. She was looking at Clint, one cup of juice held firmly in her hand. This was a very formal party with many celebrities from the fashion circle in attendance. Clint stood out from the crowd, with his trademark serious look stered on his face.


    ¡°Selene Morris. Did I really underestimate you that much?¡± A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Selene asked, turning to an irritated Jennifer.


    ¡°What does Clint see in you?¡±


    ¡°Something that youck, probably.¡±


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Jennifer spat out angrily, throwing the wine in her cup at Selene.


    But before the wine hit her, Clint blocked it with his arm.


    ¡°Jenni, what are you doing?¡± Clint asked angrily.


    ¡°Clint. Why are you doing this? Why are you with her?¡± Jennifer looked at Clint¡¯s wine-stained clothes, and suddenly, she felt bad.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. And please stop this nonsense.¡± Clint replied.


    Jennifer snorted back and hurried away with tears in her eyes.


    Seeing Jennifer leaving the party, Selene could not help feeling great. Yes- it was true that women can be very vindictive.


    But when Clint turned around to look at her, her expression changed into one of worry. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked.

 Chapter 51: You Want To Sleep With Me

    Clint looked at the red wine on his shirt and smiled ironically. ¡°Luckily, I don¡¯t know many people here. Let¡¯s leave right now.¡±


    Selene nodded.


    When they arrived at the parking lot and got into the car, Selene saw Jennifer from the rearview mirror, who looked lonely, sad, and resentful.


    Selene nced at Clint, who was starting the car. ¡°You were cold to her.¡±


    ¡°She deserved it,¡± Clint said.


    ¡°Last time you met, you were hugging.¡±


    ¡°I had no choice at that time.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue your nice act with her? She¡¯s in a bad ce right now.¡±


    Selene felt sorry for Jennifer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never have feelings for her, so I don¡¯t want to give her hope.¡±


    Selene snorted but knew that he was right. They kept silent for a while until Selene spoke. ¡±She must really hate me right now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She¡¯s just a spoiled kid with no bite.¡±


    ¡°Kid? She¡¯s almost the same age as me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re also a spoiled kid.¡±


    When Clint and Selene arrived at her apartment, Selene got out of the car and was about to say goodbye to Clint. But, to her surprise, Clint followed her, also getting out of the car.


    ¡°I want to clean my shirt in your house. Do you mind?¡± He said, pointing at therge red stain on his shirt.


    ¡°But your apartment is just ten minutes away, right? You¡¯re just looking for an excuse toe to my apartment, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I want to go to your house.¡± Clint nodded with a serious look on his face.


    Selene did not expect his directness.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. What do you really intend to do in my apartment at this time?¡± Selene yfully retorted with a half-smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to sleep with you.¡±


    ¡°No, asshole.¡±


    Clint smirked slightly and took Selene¡¯s hand, looking at her with a half-smile.


    Selene felt a little uneasy and wanted to remove her hand from his grip. But Clint held her very tightly. ¡°What are you doing, Clint?¡± Selene red at him.


    ¡°You know what I want.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You want to sleep with me.¡±


    Clint sighed. ¡°Selene, don¡¯t be childish. We¡¯ve known each other for quite a while. At this point, I think we could just skip the dinner and movie and go straight to the sex.¡± He then noticed the hesitation in Selene¡¯s eyes. ¡°Of course, if you¡¯d prefer having dinner and seeing a film before having sex, we could do that.¡±


    ¡°No, I also think we should skip that stuff. Come in.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    When they got to Selene¡¯s apartment, Selene turned to him. ¡°Take off your shirt now while the stains are fresh and easier to remove.¡±


    Then she went to the balcony, brought back a T-shirt in her hand, and then gave it to Clint. ¡°Here¡¯s Austin¡¯s T-shirt. It¡¯s clean. Put it on.¡±


    Hearing Austin¡¯s name caused Clint to wince.


    Selene rolled her eyes. ¡°Austin lived close to my apartment. He¡¯s been quite busy recently. I just helped him wash clothes.¡±


    ¡°When will you show me such kindness and thoughtfulness?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different. Austin and I grew up together from a very young age. We¡¯ve always taken care of each other.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not the same.¡± Then Clint threw up his hands in protest. ¡°I¡¯m not wearing this. Lying on your bed in another man¡¯s t-shirt is really weird.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Selene murmured.


    Clint quickly got up. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go take a shower now. I don¡¯t need to wear any clothes in bed.¡±


    Clint then casually walked into the bathroom as if taking a shower in Selene¡¯s apartment was a normal event for him.


    Selene¡¯s eyes lingered on his muscr torso.


    She hated to admit it, but she really loved his body. She had been missing those perfectly chiseled muscles for a long time.


    The woman had sexual desires, too, after all.


    Clint quickly finished his shower and came out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He gave Selene a casual look. ¡°You can go take a shower. My clothes are in the washing machine.¡±


    She examined herself in the bathroom mirror for a long time. When she eventually went back to her bedroom, Clint was lying on the bed with closed eyes as if asleep.


    When she sat on the bed, Clint quickly opened his eyes. ¡°What took so long? I started thinking that maybe you fell into the toilet.¡± Heined.


    Selene rolled her eyes andy on the bed next to him. She gently put her hand on Clint¡¯s bare chest, but he grasped her hand quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s have a heart-to-heart talk.¡± He said.


    Hearing this, Selene looked shocked. But Clint¡¯s expression remained serious.


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m like an animal? Sex is not the biggest priority in my life.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? You wanted toe here so you could sleep with me. That¡¯s what you said.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want to sleep with you. But not as a one-night stand.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Clint pulled her closer into his embrace. ¡°Would you like to ask me any questions?¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you any questions I want?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Selene thought for a while and reminded herself about the file in Clint¡¯sputer named ¡°Her.¡± She was very curious about it. ¡°Is the file called ¡±Her¡± on yourputer about one of your ex-girlfriends? Maybe one that you still can¡¯t get out of your head?¡±


    ¡°What file? I can¡¯t remember anyone with that name.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. When you saw me clicking it, you quickly turned off yourputer. It must be something important.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± A sudden look of realization came to Clint¡¯s face.


    Selene looked at him and felt a little nervous.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just some pictures.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Selene was very confused.


    ¡°The kind of pictures that men all have.¡±


    Selene finally realized what he was implying and red at him. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you cane with me tomorrow and check yourself.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t go with you.¡±

 Chapter 52: Stay Here

    Though Selene did not trust everything that Clint had just said, she noticed that the serious expression on Clint¡¯s face had softened.


    Selene rxed a little and turned her back against him. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only telling you the truth.¡± Clint smiled and loosened her bra with his hand.


    Then, they had sex for the first time in a long time.


    After they finished, Clint didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. He hugged Selene, who was now very sleepy and whispered in her ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother me now,¡± Seleneined. He mumbled something into her ear, but she couldn¡¯t clearly hear what he was saying. She then pushed him away impatiently.


    Clint gently turned her face to him and kissed her.


    After the kiss ended, Selene opened her eyes with a look of surprise.


    Selene looked at him from head to toe and carefully looked at the glint in his eyes. ¡°Clint. Do you love me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± He nodded. After a while, he returned her question. ¡°What about you? Do you love me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How much do you love me?¡±


    ¡°As much as you do.¡±


    ¡°If I love you no matter what, will you also love me unconditionally?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Clint kept silent for a while and sighed. He kissed her on her forehead and softly said. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll keep this promise.¡±


    They slept peacefully that night, with their limbs intertwined with each other.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The following day, Selene woke up first and looked at Clint, who was still fast asleep. Under the dim moonlight, Clint¡¯s face looked calm and serene, which stood in stark contrast to his serious daytime expression.


    Then Clint¡¯s eyshes suddenly moved, and his eyes opened. The first thing he saw was Selene staring at him, which made Selene feel a little uneasy. But Clint gently grasped her face with his hands and kissed her with a smile. ¡°Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so innocent.¡± Selene sneered and pushed him away.


    Clintughed, then pulled her over him and kissed her hard. Selene felt somewhat unustomed to his level of intimacy, and her heart started beating faster.


    The doorbell suddenly rang.


    ¡°It must be Austin,¡± Selene said, getting up from the bed. ¡±Stay here, and I¡¯ll go to open the door. Please put on some clothes.¡±


    She quickly put on her pajamas and slippers, then opened the door. Austin stood in front of her.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Selene asked. Austin looked worn out and was holding some food in his hand.


    ¡°I was up for the whole night. I think I¡¯m delirious. I came to bring you some breakfast.¡±


    He casually went into the living room and copsed onto the sofa.


    ¡°Why do you always work so hard?¡±


    ¡°I want to be rich.¡± Austin giggled. Then he looked around confusedly. ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Is someone else here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. White.¡± Another voice came from the doorway to the bedroom.


    Austin seemingly sobered up all of a sudden. He turned around and saw a man standing by the doorway. He stood up from the sofa. ¡°Mr. Denovan, why are you here?¡±


    Clint walked into the living room casually with a towel wrapped around his waist. He ignored Austin¡¯s question and sat down on the sofa with a smile on his face, shrugging with his shoulders.


    Selene looked disapprovingly and with embarrassment at the way Clint had dressed. Clint raised an eyebrow at her andughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Selene asked Austin after noticing his shocked face. She walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder.


    When Austin finally came back to reality, he touched his messy hair and smirked. When Selene left for the veranda, Austin turned to Clint and greeted him. ¡°Mr. Denovan, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be here. I wouldn¡¯t have dropped in so unannounced if I¡¯d have known.¡± Austin looked at him apologetically.


    ¡°I know that you and Selene are close like family. You also live nearby, so it¡¯s not strange for you toe by unannounced.¡± Clint said, looking at Austin.


    Clint intentionally emphasized ¡°family.¡±


    ¡°Have you two reconciled with each other?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have.¡±


    ¡°To what degree?¡±


    ¡°We might remarry,¡± Clint said seriously. He then nced at Austin again. ¡°Are you aware that I¡¯m Selene¡¯s ex-husband?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Austin nodded.


    When Selene came back from the veranda, she saw them discussing something. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Austin lifted his head andughed loudly.


    Then Selene picked up several clothes and threw them at Austin. ¡°Put these on. They are clean.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I should probably change my clothes. I¡¯ll leave now. Enjoy your breakfast. See you!¡±


    Austin grabbed his clothes and made a swift ¡®escape¡¯. When he stood steadily behind the closed door, he rubbed his stomach and sneered at himself. ¡°Why do I have a stomach ache? It¡¯s my heart that should be in pain.¡±


    In the room, Selene rolled her eyes towards Clint, who sat on the sofa and threw some clothes at his head. ¡°You did this on purpose. Why are you naked?¡±


    ¡°My potential rival in love showed up in your apartment, so I had to do something.¡± Clint smiled, taking the clothes off his head.


    ¡°But it¡¯s useless. In my heart, Austin outweighs you by more than ten times.¡±


    ¡°You say that now. But when Austin gets a girlfriend and finally gets married, it will be a different story. Women are more emotional than men when ites to their ex-partners moving on.¡± Clint exined carefully.


    Selene snorted with disapproval. ¡±He¡¯s not my ex-partner.¡±


    ¡°Neither was Jennifer mine, but, like you and Austin, we had a close bond while growing up, and she is very important to me. And look at the way she reacted when she saw us together.¡±


    Though Selene was not entirely convinced by his words, she had to admit that it was obvious that more emotional people tended to get weird about things like these. Also, women, in general, were seen as more emotional than men by society.


    She imagined that if she continued to keep a close bond with Austin even after he got married, then his marriage would likely suffer.

 Chapter 53: Just Watch It With Me

    But now it wasn¡¯t the right time to think about that. She raised her head and looked at Clint, who was just staring at her. ¡°Do you mean that Jennifer is more important to you than me?¡± She asked coldly.


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s just an example.¡± Clint realized that he was about to get into trouble.


    ¡°Why did you choose her as an example? Was that a Freudian slip?¡±


    ¡°The women in my past have always surprised me with their meanness and scorn.¡± Clint helplessly threw his hands up and sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m mean and terrible. If that¡¯s too much for you, then you¡¯re wee to leave.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    At this moment, Clint couldn¡¯t tell if she was serious or not until she finally cracked a smile. He then knew that it had been only a joke.


    He pulled her to him so that she was sitting on his thigh. ¡°Not going to happen. In fact, I¡¯m also mean. I can¡¯t help but feel ufortable knowing that my girl lives very close to her male best friend. You¡¯d better move back to our home.¡±


    ¡°This is my home.¡± Selene red at him.


    ¡°I mean my apartment; that¡¯s our home.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve divorced. How could we call that our home? At best, it would be the ce where we live together.¡±


    ¡°We could get remarried.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a mistake in my marriage before because of my impulsiveness, and I¡¯ll never make the same mistake again.¡±


    ¡°I agree. We should take it slowly this time.¡±


    ¡°Take it slowly? You didn¡¯t even buy me flowers before we had sexst night.


    ¡°You told me that you also wanted to skip that kind of stuff.¡± Clintughed.


    ¡°Did you really think I meant it? Women are hard to read, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    After finishing her words, Selene stood up and went into the bathroom to wash.


    Clint saw Selene¡¯s slender back and raised the corner of his lips, smiling. Arrogant, childish, and stubborn- this is Selene.


    Selene had finally shown Clint her true self, which meant a lot to him.


    He felt touched but a little sad.


    Selene hadn¡¯t really considered that Clint would take the mention of flowers seriously, but, to her surprise, the next day, when she finished her work with her assistant, Mandy, someone came and knocked at the door of her store. ¡°Is Miss Morris here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is.¡± Mandy ran over.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mike from the Butterfly Valley Flower Shop. One Mr. Denovan asked us to deliver flowers to Miss Morris.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Miss Morris,¡± Selene said. ¡±Where are the flowers?¡±


    ¡°We will bring them here soon.¡±


    Then Mike took out a bunch of red roses from the trunk and handed it to Selene.


    Selene took the flowers and smelled them. They looked very fresh and beautiful. Before she could react, Mike took another bouquet of pink-red roses to her. ¡°Please take them, Miss Morris.¡±


    Selene looked shocked and felt stunned. She just stood there without saying a word.


    One bouquet, two bouquets, three bouquets¡­


    Red, pink, white, purple, yellow, blue, and so on.


    There were ten bouquets of roses, each with an individual of 99 flowers. When Mike finally left, Selene was still too stunned to say anything.


    Mandy happily arranged the flowers in the shop with a big smile on her face. ¡°Mr. Denovan is very generous. These flowers must¡¯ve cost a lot.¡±


    Seeing so many roses around the shop, Selene rolled her eyes speechlessly. Right then, the door to the store opened, and Clint stepped in.


    ¡°Do you like them? I wasn¡¯t sure which color to pick, so I ended up buying ten different colors.¡±


    Selene found his act both funny and annoying. ¡°It¡¯s romantic to receive a rose, but what you did is quite excessive¡­¡±


    Mandy heard this and quickly chimed in, ¡°Selene, how can that be? It¡¯s also very romantic. If my boyfriend would send me so many flowers, I¡¯d marry him on the spot.¡±


    ¡°It seems that I did something wrong.¡± Clint frowned and smiled helplessly.


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡± Selene nodded. ¡°It would have been better to donate the money to someone in need.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s donate money tomorrow.¡± Clint could not help butugh.


    Selene finally did not know what to say.


    Clint kept silent for a while, then took out two cinema tickets from his pocket. ¡°I have two tickets for Lost In Love; let¡¯s watch it tonight.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not interested in watching that movie.¡±


    ¡°Just watch it with me. Couples are supposed to do this kind of thing together, right?¡±


    Hearing this, Mandy startedughing.


    Selene nced at Clint, who seemed very serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Please take care of things.¡± Selene said, looking at Mandy.


    ¡°No problem. Have an enjoyable night!¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Clint smiled.


    When Selene and Clint arrived at the cinema, the film they were watching was a very emotional movie about love. About halfway through the movie, they could hear girls weeping in the arms of their boyfriends.


    ¡°The plot is fake and boring. I feel sleepy.¡± Selene said.


    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t invite you to the cinema anymore.¡± Clint whispered into her ear. ¡±I¡¯d rather we just have sex at home.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Selene smiled.


    Though now they were intimate with each other, Selene insisted that she would not move into Clint¡¯s apartment.


    In order to sleep with Selene every day, Clint took his night clothes and toiletries to her house. He even took hisptop there so he could do some work.


    Selene¡¯s house suddenly became more crowded but remained cozy.


    She had never thought that she could live so harmoniously with Clint. He made herugh, and they talked to each other like they were in love.


    Selene now felt that she truly fell in love with him.


    Lately, Selene had been too busy to take even one day off to rx. She had nned to work during the weekend, but then she remembered that the factory her father ran would close for several days. After deep consideration, she decided to go back home to keep Harrypany.


    This time, she went home by herself. Austin was too busy, so he asked Selene to give some gifts to his mother, Dora.

 Chapter 54: Wanna Come With Me?

    Selene left Houston in the afternoon. Clint had some work to do that day. She sent him a message, ¡°I¡¯m heading back to my hometown for a few days. Wannae with me?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t. A lot of work this week. I¡¯ll go with you next time.¡± Was the reply she receivedter.


    Selene curled her lip when she read the message.


    Back when they used to be married, Clint had avoided meeting her parents, and Selene didn¡¯t like that one bit. But now that they had managed to create a happier and, in her eyes, better rtionship, she chose to let him off this time.


    Just let it be, she reassured herself.


    When Selene returned to her hometown, the first thing she did was throw herself at all the housework left undone. Harry¡¯s hand was still not in good condition, so he had been unable to do it himself.


    The next day, when they finished eating breakfast, Selene took tools to clean the yard.


    After she had just finished sweeping the yard, Harry took her phone to him and said, ¡°Someone is calling you.¡±


    Selene soon took her phone in her hand and answered with a smile, ¡°I thought you were busy with work. Did anything happen?¡±


    ¡°I canceled my work for today in advance without telling you.¡± Clintughed.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    ¡°Are there many arch bridges on the river that flow through your hometown?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are,¡± Selene answered with a slightly confused tone, unsure as to why he was asking that question.


    ¡°There¡¯s an arch bridge right by an old willow tree, isn¡¯t there?¡± Clint asked again.


    Selene felt at a loss but soon rposed herself. ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before Clint finished his words, Selene interrupted him out of excitement. ¡°Just stay there. I¡¯ming!¡±


    She hung up with a wide smile on her face. ¡°Dad. I¡¯m going out for a while.¡± She shouted.


    Selene ran towards the river. Eventually, she could see the bridge in the distance. As she got closer, she spotted a familiar figure standing under an ancient willow tree.


    The tall and slender man captured her full attention. Her heart beat faster, and she quickened her pace. She then slowed down her pace and adjusted her breath.


    Clint kept his gaze on her as she got closer. He wore a light smile.


    Selene felt euphoria when she saw Clint but tried to hide it. When she reached Clint, she stopped in front of him and lifted up her wrist, looking at the watch. ¡°It¡¯s only 9. How did you get here so early?¡± Selene beamed with a bright smile.


    Houston was a 4 hours¡¯ car drive away.


    ¡°I got herst night, but it waste, and I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡±


    ¡°So you stayed alone at a hotel?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The town is as beautiful as I¡¯ve imagined.¡± Clint nodded.


    ¡°I know it is.¡± Selene nodded with pride.


    ¡°Could you give me a small tour?¡± Clint looked at her and smiled lightly.


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    Selene then took Clint around the town, showing him her old school, her favorite restaurants, and the only park in the town.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    These ces showed Selene¡¯s childhood.


    Finally, they got back to the riverside. There were people selling all kinds of flowers there. ¡°This is a special moment. I¡¯ll get you some flowers.¡±


    ¡°Haha, silly. Austin also bought me flowers by this riverside.¡±


    ¡°Austin? Why did he buy you flowers?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He truly cares about our friendship. He told me that he hoped that our friendship would be like the flowers, beautiful and glorious.¡±


    ¡°Friendship?¡± Clint nced at her. ¡°Then he shouldn¡¯t have given you roses.¡±


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t take this so seriously. You sound childish.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also still a lot you don¡¯t know about me.¡± Clint casually raised the corner of his lips, hinting at secrets unknown.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I need to go back to prepare lunch. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    She started walking but realized that Clint remained in ce.


    ¡°Are youing?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to meet your father when I came here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t sweat it. He¡¯s easy to get along with.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Clint said but still didn¡¯t move from his spot.


    Seeing Clint¡¯s hesitation, Selene frowned slightly. ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a little.¡± Clint tried to force a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; he¡¯s really friendly. You don¡¯t need to impress him.¡±


    ¡°Does he know I¡¯ming?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯ll be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe a shock.¡± Clint joked, which he hardly did before.


    Selene did not pay much attention to his words.


    When they arrived at Harry¡¯s house, she took out the key and opened the gate. ¡°Dad! We¡¯re back.¡± Selene shouted loudly.


    ¡°Selene, I¡¯m preparing lunch. What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Dad, let me do it. You should rest.¡± Selene said, running up to Harry.


    At that moment, Harry saw Clint, who was following Selene. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that a friend will be joining us.¡±


    ¡°This is my new boyfriend,¡± Selene whispered into Harry¡¯s ear. ¡°Take it easy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Harry looked at Selene as if he misheard her.


    Selene blinked her eyes towards Harry and stepped back to Clint. She pushed Clint forward and introduced him. ¡°This is Clint.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. Mr. Morris.¡± Clint greeted him respectfully.


    ¡°Clint?¡± Harry¡¯s eyes swept over Clint¡¯s face, and he became confused. Selene nudged him; finally, he came back to normal and nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°This is a big surprise for you, dad.¡± Seleneughed loudly.


    Harry red at Selene. ¡°Take a seat. I¡¯ll get lunch ready.¡±


    Selene stopped Harry. ¡°I¡¯ll go make lunch. You stay with Clint and have a talk.¡±


    Harry smiled embarrassedly and went back to greet Clint, who stood still without moving.


    Harry rubbed his hands uneasily. He looked at Clint, deep in thought, as if trying to work out a puzzle. ¡°Where do youe from?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Coast City.¡±


    ¡°Great ce,¡± Harry smiled. ¡°What does your family do?¡±


    ¡°The same as you. My parents work in the same industry.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow. And how are your parents doing?¡±


    ¡°They are good.¡±

 Chapter 55: What Does Your Family Do?

    Then, they fell into silence for a while.


    Clint decided to break the silence. ¡°So, how has it been in recent years without Selene? Houston is quite far.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been okay. Selene has always been very independent.¡± Suddenly, Harry thought of something. ¡°I¡¯m such a terrible host. I haven¡¯t even offered you anything to drink. You must be thirsty.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not.¡±


    But Harry walked into the dining room as if he hadn¡¯t heard Clint¡¯s words.


    Smash!


    The sound of ss shattering into pieces reached Clint and Selene¡¯s ears.


    They both went to the dining room and found a smiling pile of shattered ss on the floor with Harry standing over it.


    ¡°The ss slipped out of my hand,¡± Harry exined.


    ¡°Just leave it there, Dad. I¡¯ll clean it up.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    But Harry ignored his daughter and started picking up the ss shards. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Selene. I can do it.¡±


    She saw Harry¡¯s strange reaction. Selene took a nce at Clint, who stood by nkly. ¡°You seem to be very excited after having met my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Not excited at all,¡± Harry answered embarrassedly.


    But in the following hour, Harry became very absent-minded. During lunch, he even forgot to eat but just stared nkly.


    After finishing their lunch, Harry found that there was some issue in the factory for him to deal with. So he left in a hurry. Clint and Selene were left behind.


    Clint decided to help Selene wash the dishes in the kitchen.


    ¡°My father¡¯s acting weird today. He seems to be at a loss. I haven¡¯t seen him like this before.¡±


    ¡°Maybe because he knows that you will probably get married soon.¡±


    ¡°Who could I possibly marry?!¡± Selene sniffed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll still visit your father even after we¡¯re married. He¡¯s probably worried that he will see you less once you have a husband.¡± Clint said, then went silent for a few thoughtful moments. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if he will give us his blessing.¡±


    ¡°Of course, he will! He always supports my decisions. Besides, he doesn¡¯t have high expectations for my future husband. But, if he doesn¡¯t like you, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go through with the marriage.¡±


    Clint smiled embarrassedly and said nothing.


    In the afternoon, the two didn¡¯t go out and stayed in Selene¡¯s bedroom.


    Clint was quite inquisitive about Selene¡¯s childhood. He asked Selene to show him old pictures. She took out an album of photos, and they flipped the pages together.


    Clint looked back and forth between the first few pages of the album, which contained photos of toddler Selene. ¡°Why are there so few pictures of you at this age?¡±


    ¡°This is around the time my mother left. My grandma threw away all of her photos in case they would make me miss her.¡±


    Clint froze slightly. ¡°Do you still remember what she looks like?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Selene replied. ¡°I was only 2. Too young to remember.¡±


    There was still one photo of her mom with her father, but Selene chose not to mention that.


    ¡°Did you miss her when you were young?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t really remember.¡± Selene shrugged.


    Clint closed the album and suddenly took her hands in his and gave her a strange look.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Selene asked in confusion.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Clint shook his head.


    When it was time for dinner, Harry was not home. But Dora, Austin¡¯s mom, came to the house.


    Selene invited her inside.


    Dora looked excited. ¡°I met your father. He told me that your new boyfriend is here.¡±


    Selene smiled, and they walked into their room where Clint was.


    Dora stared at his face and eximed. ¡°Tall and handsome. And you look very familiar.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Clint smiled.


    Selene happily introduced the two to each other. ¡°This is Aunt Dora, and this is Clint.¡±


    When Dora heard Clint¡¯s name, the smile on her face froze suddenly; she became nk and asked after a while. ¡°What¡¯s your second name?¡±


    After hearing his name, Aunt Dora¡¯s eyes fixated on Clint as a look of realization dawned on her face. ¡°Did you say, Clint Denovan?¡± Dora inquired.


    ¡±I guess.¡± Clint nodded, but his eyes evaded her.


    ¡°Dora, what¡¯s wrong with his name?¡± Selene asked.


    Dora recovered from her state of shock, and she shook her head, smiling. ¡°Nothing. It just sounds familiar. Let¡¯s go to the kitchen.¡± She said, looking at Selene. ¡±I brought some food.¡±


    Dora and Selene went to the kitchen, and Clint stayed behind in the living room.


    ¡°He seems like a nice guy. Better than yourst one.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Dora nodded. ¡±Where¡¯s he from, and what does he do for work?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s from Coastal City, and he owns his own business.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± Dora nodded with approval. ¡±Have you met his parents yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Dora dragged her tone.


    ¡°Why are you and dad so weird around Clint?¡±


    ¡°Your father was weird around him? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Not sure how to exin. He was somewhat absent-minded. Maybe he¡¯s just worried about me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re now a grown-up, and you might even get married soon.¡±


    Seleneughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be getting married any time soon.¡± She assured Dora.


    During the dinner, the four of them sat together. Dora and Harry were still acting strange. They both seemed quite hesitant to speak.


    Clint tried to ignore the awkward silence and concentrated on eating.


    After they finished eating, Clint received a phone call, and he answered it. After a brief conversation, he hung up the phone and gave the others an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯d love to stay for longer, but unfortunately, there¡¯s an urgent matter at mypany that I need to deal with. I have to go. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Your work is important.¡± Harry forced a smile.


    ¡°How urgent is it? It¡¯ste.¡± Selene frowned, looking at her watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s an international conference call. It will start as soon as I get there.¡±


    Selene nodded and saw him off to the gate of the house.


    When she got back to the room, she saw Dora and Harry sitting on the sofa with strange expressions on their faces. They both looked like they wanted to say something but were holding it back.

 Chapter 56: How Did It Go?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two? You¡¯re both acting very strangely tonight.¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all. Selene. I need to go back home. Maybe you and Harry can have a talk.¡± Dora nced at her, sighed, and left.


    Selene felt at a loss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dad?¡± Selene asked. ¡°Is there a problem with Clint?¡±


    ¡°Selene. You should break up with him.¡±


    ¡°Why? What did he do?¡± Selene was dumbfounded


    ¡°Nothing. I just have a bad feeling about him.¡±


    ¡°No. There must be a reason. You¡¯re being ridiculous right now.¡±


    ¡°Does hee from a rich family?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about his family. But yes, they¡¯re rich.¡±


    ¡°How about Clint Denovan himself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s very rich, but I don¡¯t care about his money. I earn enough for myself.¡±


    ¡°Selene. All I want from you as a father is to have a good and happy life. But we¡¯re just simple working people. They are a different breed. They are billionaires. They might as well be aliens to us.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous! So what if they¡¯re rich?¡±


    ¡°Selene, just trust me on this one. You twoe from different worlds, and this will cause problems down the road.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dad. I haven¡¯t met his family, but he told me that his parents are open-minded and down to earth.¡±


    ¡°His parents, his parents¡­¡± Harry¡¯s body tensed but then rxed. Finally, he let out a big sigh. ¡°Okay then. I just hope everything will be okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing like you when ites to love. You spent your life being miserable about a rtionship that didn¡¯t work out. If anything, this has taught me not to make the same mistake as you.¡±


    ¡°Selene, you¡¯re grown up now. I can¡¯t make decisions for you or push you to do anything you don¡¯t want to do. I just hope you¡¯ll think carefully beforemitting. The man is rich and handsome, which is good, but the most important is the love between you two. But what about his family? Will they ept you? Will you get along with them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking as if I¡¯m about to marry him,¡± Selene said impatiently. ¡°I¡¯ll meet his family and learn more about him and his past. Then I will decide whether to marry him or not.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll meet his family? His parents?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right about his family. Maybe we should meet them and see if we can get along or not.¡±


    ¡°Selene¡­¡± Harry frowned and looked deep in thought.


    ¡°What?¡± Selene asked with a confused tone.


    Harry sighed heavily again. He shook his head. ¡°Nothing. This is your decision, and I¡¯ll support you, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dad. I¡¯ll take care of myself, and you should too. Why not move in with Dora? You two could take care of each other.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    When Selene was ready for sleep, she got a call from Clint, who was on the way back to Houston.


    ¡°Is Harry angry with me?¡± Clint asked.


    ¡°No. He¡¯s just worried that your family will look down on mine because we¡¯re working ss.¡± Selene rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Be honest, ¡± Selene said. ¡±Do your parents ever interfere with your personal life?¡±


    ¡°No. Never. All they want is for me to find a girl I love.¡± He said, then paused for a few seconds. ¡°By the way. They¡¯lle to Houston in a few days, and I¡¯ll take you to meet them.¡±


    ****


    After the holiday in Selene¡¯s hometown, both Selene and Harry returned to their respective jobs; Selene went back to Houston to tend to her clothing store, and Harry returned to his factory.


    Selene arrived at her apartment at 9 o¡¯clock, and she swiftly went to Austin¡¯s apartment to get food from her hometown. She stopped in front of his door and knocked, waiting patiently for a response.


    She hadn¡¯t told Austin in advance about her return, and she said that Austin would probably be busy at hispany right now. But it was worth a try.


    Just as she was about to leave, the door opened.


    Austin looked tired and worn out. He blinked a few times in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re back already? I thought you would be gone for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Have you been working all night again?¡± Selene asked, rolling her eyes.


    Austinughed. ¡°Did my mum send this?¡± He took the bag from Selene.


    ¡°She did.¡± Selene smiled. ¡±I gotta go now. You should get back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, Selene.¡± Austin took hold of her hand. ¡°Since your boyfriend¡¯s moved in with you, we haven¡¯t met up much. Please stay. We need to catch up.¡±


    Seleneughed and followed him into the house. But when she saw the mess all around her, she gasped. ¡°Did a hurricane go through your house?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too busy to do any cleaning.¡±


    ¡°I know your work keeps you busy, but you should pay more attention to your home life. Your work takes all of your energy, and you¡¯re falling apart.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not falling apart. I feel great, and I¡¯m full of energy.¡± Austin said, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°By the way. I¡¯ve heard that you introduced Clint to Harry.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded.


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to get into it. I expected Dad to be happy about it, but he wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Some ridiculous reason. He thinks that Clint¡¯s rich family won¡¯t ept me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he might worry about that, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s happy that your boyfriend is very rich and handsome.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Selene rolled her eyes.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°But Harry¡¯s worries make sense. It may not be easy to get along with his rich family. You¡¯ve also told me that he did not let you meet his parents back when you were married to him.¡±


    A slight look of realization washed through Selene¡¯s expression as if she just remembered something. ¡°Yes. He told me that his parents woulde to Houston, and he¡¯d arrange a meeting this time. He has always told me that his parents are very open-minded and down-to-earth. But maybe this isn¡¯t normal.¡±


    ¡°I know some friends who live in Coastal City, and I¡¯ll see if I can find out anything about his parents. His family is well-known in the city, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±

 Chapter 57: Good News

    ¡°Okay. Learning more about his family won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Is Clint not in Houston right now?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s away for business.¡±


    Austin let out a happy sigh. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great. I¡¯ve felt stressed since he moved in with you.¡±


    ¡°Stressed? Why?¡±


    ¡°We are rivals in love.¡± Austin dered dramatically.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. You¡¯re acting like a fool by loving me.¡±


    Austin took a deep breath. ¡°I love you in a different way.¡± He said, pouring as much emotion as he could muster in that sentence.


    He suddenly doubled over slightly with a pained expression. ¡°It¡¯s my stomach again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that you need to have a healthier lifestyle. You should take care of your stomach.¡±


    Selene helped him clean his house and went back to her own apartment.


    She sat down on her sofa, letting out a long sigh.


    ****


    Austin was very efficient in finding out about the Denovan family. He directly came to Selene¡¯s store to share what he had found.


    ¡°Good news, Selene. Good news!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Selene was confused by his excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found out some interesting stuff about Clint¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°My friends told me that his parents run several factories and supermarkets. They have a good reputation, and his parents love each other very much.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and they started their business from scratch, and their family rtionship is simple. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°But Mrs. Denovan is not Mr. Denovan¡¯s first wife. His first wife passed away at a very early age, which means that Mrs. Denovan is Clint¡¯s stepmother.¡±


    Selene felt shocked. Clint had spoken about his family several times, but he never mentioned that.


    But, ording to Clint, he had a good rtionship with his parents. Maybe that was because the stepmother was like a real mother to him, so he didn¡¯t feel the need to mention it.


    ¡°Did you know about that?¡± Austin asked after seeing Selene¡¯s nk expression.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Maybe because that¡¯s not very important to him.¡±


    ¡°His biological mom died when he was very young, and his stepmom treated him very well. Also, his stepmom did not have any other kids with his father.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this spying and gossiping is necessary. I¡¯ll just make up my mind about his parents when I meet them and spend some time with them.¡±


    ¡°Selene¡­¡± Austin looked at her and murmured.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Selene nced at him.


    ¡°Are you really going to marry him?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°The day you get married to him will be the most painful day of my life.¡±


    Selene rolled her eyes again.


    ¡°I should have moved to Houston earlier than I did.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on the past. No matter what happens between Clint and me, you should start dating others.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will.¡±


    They looked at each other for a moment; then they looked away.


    Clint got back to Houston two dayster.


    It was around 9 pm, and Selene was sitting on the sofa, bored. The doorbell rang.


    She opened the door and saw Clint standing at the gate.


    She was expecting him to be back so early, so she was a little surprised. ¡°You told me that you¡¯d be back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I finished early.¡± He said, then he sat on the sofa. ¡°Did you argue with Harry after I left?¡±


    ¡°Why would I argue with him?¡± Selene retorted back subconsciously. Then she suddenly remembered. ¡°Do you mean because he disagreed about our rtionship? He just mentioned it casually.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Really? I wasn¡¯t serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not like he has a say about whom I date.¡± Selene smiled. ¡°Right, when will your parentse? How should I prepare?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They are very open-minded and easy to get along with, as I¡¯ve said before.¡±


    Then his mobile phone rang. Clint took out the phone and smiled. ¡°They¡¯re calling me.¡±


    ¡°Dad, have you been at home?¡± He spoke into the phone.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take some time off the day after tomorrow to meet you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s here.¡±


    Then, Clint lifted his mobile phone away from his ear and handed it to Selene. ¡°My father wants to talk with you.¡±


    Selene felt a little nervous. She took it and politely answered back. ¡°Hello, Mr. Denovan.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Selene. I¡¯m looking forward to meeting you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to meeting you, too.¡±


    Suddenly, Selene heard a woman¡¯s voice in the background. ¡°Let me talk. Let me talk.¡±


    Then Selene heard a woman talking to her. ¡°Hello, Selene. I¡¯m Clint¡¯s mom. We¡¯ve spoken before, once. Now we¡¯ll finally meet. I¡¯m very excited!¡±


    ¡°Mom, okay. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be meeting soon.¡± Clint answered back. ¡°Let¡¯s talk face to face.¡±


    They then hung up. Clint looked at Selene with a smile, but the smile seemed very weird.


    Selene curled her lips. ¡°Your parents are different than I expected.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I thought they would be very serious like you. But they are very friendly and lovely.¡±


    ¡°Of course they are. And they¡¯re enjoying life, too! Do you know where they¡¯ve just traveled? Mount Everest!¡±


    ¡°Awesome.¡± Selene widened her eyes. After a short silence, she asked, ¡°Are you close to your parents?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re very good. They love me very much.¡±


    Selene was expecting him to mention something about his stepmom, but obviously, he didn¡¯t.


    Maybe because Clint¡¯s answer did not meet her expectations, she nodded back with a little disappointment.


    ****


    In the morning, Clint¡¯s parents came to Houston, and Selene and Clint had a delicious breakfast and rested for a while. Then Clint changed his coat and nned to go to pick up his parents.


    ¡°Are you going to pick up your mom and dad?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯ll arrive at the airport soon, and I should get there early.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait for a moment then. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Clint was surprised for a few moments, then smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll just go by myself. They had a long journey on the ne, and I¡¯ll take them to a hotel to settle down and rest. I¡¯ve reserved a table in the restaurant for dinner. So I¡¯ll just pick you up then, and you can meet at the restaurant.¡± Then, Clint paused for a moment, noticing Selene¡¯s expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s going to be alright.¡± Heforted her.


    ¡°Is it okay if you go alone to pick them up?¡±

 Chapter 58: Do You Still Remember Your Mom’s Face?

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already told them that you¡¯ll meet them at dinner.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Call me if anythinges up.¡±


    Clint nodded and walked to the gate. He put his hand on the door, but he suddenly turned around. ¡°Selene¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Selene looked up at him and saw a weird expression on his face.


    ¡°Do you really not remember much about your mom?¡± Clint said, shaking his head slightly.


    Selene became totally lost by this abrupt question, but she still nodded. ¡°Yes. I was very young when she left.¡±


    ¡°But if she were to show up in front of you, could you recognize her?¡± Clint asked.


    Selene frowned, not at all pleased about the topic of discussion. ¡°Why are you asking me about my mom all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I was just curious. Anyway, don¡¯t worry. From now on, my mom will also be yours.¡±


    ¡°It depends on your mom.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s very nice and will like you very much.¡±


    Then Clint smiled at her with aplicated expression, turned back, and left.


    Seeing his back, Selene felt at a loss and was in a bad mood, as if something bad was about to happen.


    When Selene arrived at her store, Mandy greeted her inside.


    ¡°Selene. Mrs. Carter called. She said she was very busy and could note to pick up her clothes today. She asked if we could deliver them to the front desk of the Victoria Hotel.¡±


    ¡±That¡¯s fine. Send them, please.¡±


    When Mandy finished packing the clothes and was ready to go, Selene suddenly stopped her, ¡°Mandy, let me take them there myself. I need some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright? Did something happen?¡±


    Selene shook her head. ¡°No. I just need to go out and clear my head for a while.¡±


    Then Selene went to the Victoria Hotel and called Mrs. Carter to tell her that the clothes were waiting for her at the reception.


    After that, she looked at her watch and saw that it was time for her to get some lunch.


    She remembered that the seafood in the restaurant at the hotel was well-known in the city, so she decided to have lunch there.


    After sitting down at a table and ordering some food, she decided to go to the bathroom.


    The signs said that the washroom was at the end of the corridor.


    When she got there, she looked in the mirror.


    She noticed that her face was pale, as she was not wearing any makeup. Her lips were pale, too.


    She knew that she was stressed and worried for no reason, but she just couldn¡¯t help it.


    She looked at herself in the mirror for a long time and turned on the tap to ssh some water on her face. This seemed to have done the trick, as she calmed down a little after that.


    On her way back to the table, she saw a familiar figure in the long corridor.


    It was Clint, and he was on his phone, talking to someone.


    Selene was about to get his attention, but she decided against it, and she just stayed there watching him as he pushed the door of a random hotel room open and walked inside.


    After she sat down at her table, she took out her phone, stared at it for a few seconds, then called Clint.


    ¡°Hey. Are you okay?¡± Clint said with a concerned tone. That was most likely because Selene seldom called him, so he was a little surprised.


    ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to know what you guys are doing right now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having lunch at a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What about you? Have you had lunch yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to eat, too.¡±


    ¡°At a restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to discuss our arrangement with my parents, and I¡¯lle to pick you up a bitter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°See you soon.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡±


    But when she hung up, she felt too impatient to wait for the meeting in the evening. She wanted to meet Clint¡¯s parents immediately, even though she was nervous. Something inside of her was pushing her towards the meeting.


    She convinced herself that since they were in the same ce by ident, she might as well just greet them.


    She then stood up and walked back to the hotel room into which Clint had gone earlier. Selene lifted her hand to knock at the door, but she hesitated. Her hand was suspended in the air.


    A waitress walked by her. ¡°You can knock and go in.¡± She said while continuing to walk.


    Selene nodded and finally knocked at the door.


    The room was now like Pandora¡¯s box.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Clint responded, thinking that it must be the waitress.


    Selene was still hesitating and stood by the door.


    After several seconds, the door opened, and Clint stood in front of Selene.


    The moment Clint looked at Selene, he became agitated and confused. He kept silent for a long time and finally said, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I came here to bring clothes to my customer and then came to the restaurant. Then I saw you here.¡± Selene forced a smile.


    She then tried to look into the room, but Clint¡¯s tall figure blocked her sight.


    Clint¡¯s face froze, and he did not move or make any attempts to let her in.


    Right then, a male voice came from inside the room. ¡°Clint, is that a friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Please let him in.¡± The man in the room stood up and walked towards the door.


    Selene saw the man¡¯s face and noticed right away that it resembled Clint¡¯s very much. She could easily imagine that Clint would look simr in 20 years.


    Selene knew that this was Clint¡¯s father, and she greeted him politely with a smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Denovan.¡±


    But Clint¡¯s father reactedpletely differently. His smile faded, and he froze. His eyes widened and went nk.


    Selene blinked in confusion and greeted him again. ¡°Hello, Mr. Denovan.¡±


    Then her eyes moved to the woman who was now standing behind Mr. Denovan.


    Selene took a good look at the woman¡¯s face, and her whole world became still and soundless. Her face went pale and cold.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She subconsciously averted her gaze from the woman and looked at Clint.

 Chapter 59: Are You Against Our Relationship?

    Clint quickly realized that any ns he may have had before the meeting at dinner had just been disintegrated.


    Selene realized that Clint¡¯s mother was her biological mother.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But it happened so suddenly that it made her brain go haywire.


    The people in the room and Selene keptpletely silent for a long time.


    It was Clint who finally spoke. ¡°Selene.¡± He said quietly.


    Selene looked at him with a cold smile and turned away without saying a word.


    She walked towards the exit very quickly.


    Clint hesitated for a while but then went after her.


    ¡°Clint¡­¡± His father called out, finally waking up from his reverie. He called his son¡¯s name again, but Clint didn¡¯t respond.


    Clint¡¯s father turned back to his wife, who was still standing behind him. When he looked at her, he saw that her face was pale, and she seemed like she was in shock. ¡°Selene¡­¡± She murmured with quick breaths.


    Then her eyes rolled back, and she fell down.


    ¡°Anne, Anne, wake up!¡±


    Selene walked very fast, as if running away from something.


    ¡°Do you still remember your mom¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°Did you miss your mom while growing up?¡±


    ¡°Do you really not remember much about your mom?¡±


    ¡°They are good people, and they love me.¡±


    ¡°From now on, my mom will also be yours.¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Clint¡¯s mom.¡±


    Everything made sense now. But the world spun around her. She felt dizzy.


    Yes. In her mind, she had no concept of a mother. She forgot her face. Over the years, she simply had no mother.


    But whenever her father got very drunk, he would hold his mother¡¯s photo in his arms. Selene remembered the photo. She remembered the face of the woman in the photo. The woman in the photo was a stranger to her.


    But when she saw the woman in the hotel room, she instantly remembered the photo.


    She recognized the woman immediately.


    She ran out to the street outside and stopped for a while.


    She looked at the cars passing by in front of her. She felt at a loss and became totally nk.


    She touched her eyes, and there were no tears.


    She didn¡¯t have high expectations from love, but she also did not expect such a ridiculous rtionship.


    She did not know that the great sorrow in her mind was caused by Clint¡¯s deliberate concealment or by the sight of her biological mother.


    Finally, Clint caught up with her and pulled her arm from behind. ¡°Selene, listen to me.¡±


    Selene turned around.


    SLAP.


    Clint didn¡¯t expect the hard p on his left cheek, and he winced.


    However, he didn¡¯t let go of her hand.


    He knew that he could not let her go now.


    So he grasped her tightly and looked at her cold expression.


    Selene just kept still without crying or shouting. Clint could not read Selene¡¯s face.


    She stared at him indifferently and contemptuously, which made Clint feel totally lost.


    Clint lowered his head apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He did not get any more words out before Selene pped him a second time.


    The pping sound caused a few heads to turn towards them. People who were passing by stopped to see what would happen. But nothing else happened between them. They just stared at each other without saying anything.


    The weird silence was broken by Clint¡¯s phone call. He looked at the screen and answered.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Pleasee back now. Your mom has fainted. We need to take her to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    Clint frowned and let go of her hand, then started running back to the hotel.


    Clint and his father waited anxiously outside of the operating room. The door suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man wearing doctor¡¯s clothes walked out. He looked at a notepad in his hands, then walked over to the two worried men.


    ¡±Fortunately, there is nothing seriously wrong with Mrs. Denovan. So, there is no reason to worry. She just needs to stay in the hospital for a few days and remain under supervision.¡±


    The doctor paused and looked down at his notepad again, writing something down. Meanwhile, Clint and his father both sighed in relief.


    ¡±One more thing. Please make sure she stays calm and that her heart rate stays low.¡± He warned. ¡±So, nothing too exciting.¡± He chuckled slightly. ¡±You can wait in the room until she wakes up.¡±


    Clint¡¯s father, Bradley Denovan, gave the doctor a smile of gratuity. ¡°Thank you very much, doctor.¡±


    After Anne was settled down in a different room, Bradley patted Clint on the shoulder and motioned him to walk outside.


    They both exited the room, and Bradley gave Clint a worried look. His son kept silent for a long time. Then, ¡°Is Selene the girl you fell in love with?¡±


    Clint nodded.


    ¡°Is she the one you¡¯ve been dating for thest two years?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why did you hide it from us? Does Selene know anything about our family?¡±


    ¡°No. She doesn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been putting it off for a long time. We were all meant to meet up for dinner tonight.¡± Clint said, furrowing his brows.


    ¡±Selene told me that she doesn¡¯t remember her mother anymore, so I wasn¡¯t sure. I was hoping that we could arrange for Mom to be absent for the dinner so that Selene could meet you first. Then, they could¡¯ve met at ater date. But you know how that turned out¡­¡± Clint said.


    Bradley felt breathless and pointed at Clint with one finger but said nothing. Then, after a few moments, he sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been more rational and sensible than the people around you. So, how did you possibly think this was a good idea? You know who Selene really is. Did you really think you could keep this a secret from her?¡± Bradley asked.


    Clint kept silent and suddenly lifted his head and looked at Bradley. ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I tried to dy it as much as possible. You know quite well what love does to you. Just look at what it did to you! You took her mom away from her father, and she ended up abandoning her family. So surely you know quite well why I acted so ¡®foolishly.¡±¡¯

 Chapter 60: How Do You Feel?

    Clint walked to a nearby bench and sat down.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always looked up to you, Dad, and you¡¯ve always been a good role model. So is Mom. In my mind, the two of you are diligent, resilient, patient, and righteous. You¡¯re perfect. As a stepmother, Mom treated me like her own. So, I never judged your past. But I never expected to fall in love with Selene.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we made some mistakes in the past. We broke up with Selene¡¯s family. But things are not as simple as you think. And I would do it all over again. Now, you and Selene- Maybe it¡¯s God¡¯s will. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Then Bradley took a seat on the bench in the corridor, right next to Clint.


    Then Bradley noticed Clint¡¯s red cheek and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m guessing Selene wasn¡¯t happy to find out.¡±


    Clint touched his painful cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been lying to her. I deserve it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s she like?¡±


    ¡°She is stubborn, kind, and has a big heart. She¡¯s a good girl.¡±


    ¡°Do you really love her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Clint answered. ¡°But it seems that I¡¯ve screwed things up.¡±


    ¡°This is our fault, not yours. I¡¯ll discuss with Anne what we could do.¡±


    ¡°Are you against our rtionship?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your business. We won¡¯t interfere with it. But Anne is understandably shocked.¡± Bradley said. He then patted Clint on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s check if mom is awake.¡±


    They went back to the room and saw that Anne was still asleep.


    Bradley sat by the bed and looked at Anne with a worried expression.


    A whileter, Anne finally opened her eyes. She seemed very tired. ¡±Selene¡­¡± She murmured.


    Bradley held her hand. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    Finally, Anne looked up at Bradley. ¡°Brad. I¡¯ve dreamed of Selene.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± He said.


    Anne blinked a few times to get rid of her brain fog. Her eyes scanned the room until she noticed Clint. ¡°Clint. What on Earth happened? Why was Selene there?¡±


    Clint walked to the bed. ¡°Mom. The girl I wanted to show you is Selene. She¡¯s my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°You, you-¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve been keeping this a secret from everyone. I¡¯ve nned to tell you during lunch, but she just appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°How could you do this?¡± Anne said. She was breathing hard. ¡°She must be heartbroken now. Poor girl.¡±


    Bradley took her hand into his. ¡±Don¡¯t worry. What¡¯s done is done. We need to take it slowly. Selene¡¯s not a child anymore.¡±


    ¡°I thought that Selene must have forgotten all about her heartless mom. But she recognized me at first sight. Should I be happy about that or sad?¡± Anne joked.


    ¡°If you were that heartless, you wouldn¡¯t have asked us to send you back all those photos of Selene. You wouldn¡¯t have gone to visit her incognito during her college. We were wrong, and we made some selfish decisions, but she grew up healthy and happy. So now, please don¡¯t dwell on it too much. You need to rest!¡±


    ¡°Mom. This was all my mistake. I¡¯ll try my best to make it up to Selene. If she can¡¯t ept it, I won¡¯t push her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me who hurt you.¡± Anne sighed.


    ¡°Dad. You take care of mom. I¡¯ll go to find Selene.¡± Clint quietly said without any expression on his face.


    After Clint exited the hospital, he dialed Selene¡¯s phone, but there was no answer. When he tried calling again, the call stopped connecting altogether.


    He drove to Selene¡¯s store and walked in. Mandy was there, busy with her work. When Mandy saw Clint, a look of surprise washed over her face. ¡°Hi, Mr. Denovan. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Is Selene in the store?¡±


    ¡°She went to deliver clothes to a customer this morning. She should have been back in the afternoon. I¡¯ve tried calling her, but there was no answer.¡±


    Clint nodded, said nothing, and left.


    He drove directly to Selene¡¯s apartment. He had the key and used it to unlock the door. But, just as he expected, there was no one home.


    He sent several text messages to Selene, but there was still no reply.


    He waited in her apartment for two hours. It was 8 pm, and Selene was still nowhere to be found.


    He was always very steady and could stay calm in the face of the toughest business situations. But, since the hotel incident with Selene that day, he becamepletely lost in his emotions, and he wasn¡¯t able to think clearly.


    Right then, he suddenly got an idea. He dialed Austin¡¯s phone number.


    ¡°Hello, Clint. How are things?¡± Austin, who was working, was surprised to receive a call from Clint.


    ¡°Have you heard from Selene today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I spoke to you this morning. She said you were taking her to meet your parents.¡± Austin said.


    Clint¡¯s throat went dry, and he went quiet.


    ¡±Clint?¡± Austin asked, confused.


    ¡°Something happened between us. She¡¯s gone, and I can¡¯t find her at her store or apartment. She also isn¡¯t answering her phone. I¡¯m worried. Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°That serious?! I¡¯ll call her right now,¡± Austin said, then hung up.


    Before Clint could react, Austin called him back. ¡°Her phone is off. I¡¯ll call her friends. I¡¯ll let you know once I find something.¡±


    Before Clint could thank him, Austin hung up again.


    Clint looked at his phone and smiled helplessly. Even though he had known Selene for two years, he found that he knew quite little about her. Other than Austin, he didn¡¯t know about any other friends of hers. But Austin, who had only been in Houston for less than a year, knew more about her than he did.


    Clint held a secret from Selene, and she also seemingly hid things from him too.


    He was really starting to doubt whether their rtionship wouldst after this.


    He leaned on the sofa and closed his eyes. He needed to think.


    Meanwhile, Austin soon found out Emily¡¯s number and dialed it. As soon as Emily answered, he got straight to the point; ¡°Hey Emily. It¡¯s Austin speaking. Have you spoken with Selene today?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±

 Chapter 61: You Love Me?

    ¡°Do you know where she would typically go when she¡¯s in a bad mood?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is Selene unhappy? Did you do something bad to her?¡±


    ¡°Me? No. It was Clint Denovan.¡±


    ¡°Clint Denovan?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a long story.¡± Austin said in a serious voice, ¡°Emily, please help me. You know Selene better than anyone. Would you mind helping me? I need to find her right now.¡±


    ¡°You could check the Dream Health Club gym. When she¡¯s in a bad mood, she will go there to do some boxing.¡± Emily said.


    ¡°Alright. Thanks. I know where it is.¡±


    ¡°I should go with you,¡± Emily said.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll tell you when I find her.¡±


    ****


    Austin went to the gym and indeed found her doing some boxing training. She threw punch after punch at the boxing bag. She was hitting it as hard as she could. She was sweating profusely.


    ¡°Selene¡­¡± Austin called out, taking a few steps in her direction.


    Selene just ignored him and continued with her punches.


    Austin walked closer to her and called out her name again. ¡°Selene!¡±


    Selene suddenly turned around and threw her gloved fist towards his face.


    Austin screamed and held his head, thinking that the punch would connect. Her fist stopped only inches from his face.


    After several seconds, Austin recovered and patted himself on the chest. ¡°You scared me! I thought you were gonna punch me in the face.¡±


    Selene was red and sweaty from all her exertion, but she put on her usual face. ¡°How did you know where I¡¯d be?¡±


    ¡°Emily told me.¡± Austin answered, ¡°Clint told me that you weren¡¯t answering calls or texts. We were worried!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Selene said, taking off her gloves.


    ¡°Selene, what happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over between Clint and me.¡±


    ¡°What on earth happened between you two?¡± Austin was very confused.


    ¡°I found out that that woman is his stepmother.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡±that woman¡±?¡±


    ¡°The one who left my father and me.¡±


    ¡°Clint is your mother¡¯s stepson?¡± Austin asked, his eyes going wide.


    ¡°She¡¯s his mother, not mine.¡± Selene smiled slightly.


    This was all shocking news for Austin. He looked at Selene¡¯s, examining her expression. ¡±Did he know?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he did. He probably knew from the very beginning.¡± Selene said with an ironic smile. ¡°Maybe he knew it already all those years ago when he first stepped into my store. But, on the other hand, maybe this was all a cruel trick that he yed.¡±


    Austin smiled dryly. ¡°Selene. I know it¡¯s hard toe to terms with this. This must be tough on you. If you need to cry, please just cry.¡±


    ¡°Why should I cry?¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Have you had dinner? Let¡¯s go out and get something delicious. My treat!¡±


    Selene went to the gym shower rooms and washed quickly. When she appeared again, she looked fresh and normal.


    Austin felt very confused about Selene¡¯s reaction. However, he didn¡¯t mention it and followed her wordlessly outside.


    Theyter arrived at a restaurant, and Selene ordered two bottles of beer.


    Austin gently put his hand on her forearm. ¡°I know you hate drinking. If you¡¯re that angry at him, I could call him here and beat him in front of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already given him a beating.¡± Selene casually answered.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Austin nodded. ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me at all¡­¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been drunk before. I want to experience being drunk and if it¡¯s really as good as they say for forgetting things.¡±


    ¡°Selene,¡± Austin asked with a worried voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Austin. I¡¯m okay now. But I need to vent. I¡¯m hurt.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll drink with you.¡±


    ¡°No! The doctor told you no alcohol. Besides, I¡¯ll need someone sober to carry me back.¡±


    Selene quickly finished the two bottles of beer but still felt too sober. Ignoring Austin¡¯s advice, she asked for two more bottles of beer. Her stomach felt too full and ufortable, but her head was still very clear.


    Maybe I just can¡¯t get drunk. She thought.


    She felt a little embarrassed and ate nothing. After she finished her two bottles, she asked Austin to go back.


    Austin drove her back, and Selene sat by him. Opening the car window, Selene felt the wind blowing gently on her face. Maybe because the car¡¯s speed was low, she eventually started feeling the alcohol kick in.


    When they drove by a convenience store, Selene spotted a young couple walking by. The girl had chocte in her hand.


    ¡°Austin. Please stop the car here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Austin asked.


    ¡°I want to eat a chocte bar. Can you buy me some?¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re allergic to it.¡± Austin frowned.


    ¡°Maybe today I¡¯m not.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Austin looked at her and nodded. ¡°Okay. Wait in the car.¡±


    Austin soon returned, handing Selene a box of choctes.


    Selene opened the box and took a bar of small chocte between her index finger and thumb, staring at it for a while, then finally she put it into her mouth.


    She felt a surge of mixed feelings flowing through her. Her childhood memories flooded back into her head, and she closed her eyes to escape the buried memories. Then, finally, she swallowed the chocte.


    Austin looked at her very nervously and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was fine. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Selene opened her eyes and smiled.


    Then she bit into another piece of chocte, enjoying the sweet vor and the way it melted in her mouth. She never thought that she could enjoy chocte since only the thought of it had previously made her vomit.


    The sudden, shocking truth that she had experienced today made her seed in oveing her chocte problem.


    She also realized that she was way past the age when she needed a mother¡¯s care. She was no longer a child, and the unhappy memories of her mother no longer affected and tormented her.


    Finally, Selene breathed a rxed sigh and smiled at Austin. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    As expected, Clint was still in Selene¡¯s house.


    When Selene and Austin got to the front of her door, the man inside heard themotion and quickly opened the door.


    Clint frowned but otherwise looked rxed. He looked at Selene. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re back. I was worried.¡±

 Chapter 62: Will You Ever Forgive Him?

    Selene jeeringly looked at him. Just in the morning, she had thought that she would marry the man in front of her and spend the rest of her life with him.


    The man made her feel love. But also, on the same day, he managed to ruin it all. Everything that had ever happened between them seemed like a satiric y.


    So Selene raised the corner of her lips but said nothing. Instead, she walked by him and into her apartment.


    Austin stood by the door and looked at her back. Then he embarrassedly turned to Clint and helplessly threw his hands up, then turned to leave.


    However, before he could even take a few steps, he heard a nking sound behind him. He turned back and saw that Selene had taken a pile of stuff and had thrown them on the ground.


    He looked at them and found they were male articles, which included clothes, slippers, razors, a toothbrush, and so on.


    Then Selene opened the door wider and pointed outside, turning to Clint. ¡°Go. And, from now on, you and I are strangers. See you never.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep it a secret,¡± Clint said quietly, frowning.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you did it intentionally or not. It¡¯s who you are that matters.¡±


    Selene spoke her heart.


    The main problem was that Clint was Selene¡¯s biological mother¡¯s stepson.


    Great helplessness poured over in Clint¡¯s mind again. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and he felt like he was on the brink of death. But, again, he managed to speak out in a hoarse voice. ¡°This isn¡¯t between us. It¡¯s between our parents.¡±


    He paused for a while, then continued. ¡°Selene, I love you. Would you please not let this affect our rtionship? That¡¯s unfair. I love you so much.¡±


    Hearing this, Selene was still jeering and raised the corner of her lips.


    ¡°You love me? I wonder how you fell in love with me. Are you taking pity on the poor girl who her mom abandoned? Or are you trying topensate for the love I didn¡¯t get from my mother? You¡¯re such a ¡®great man.¡± She spat out thest sentence sarcastically.


    ¡°You know clearly that¡¯s not the case.¡± Clint sighed feebly.


    He stretched out his hand to hold her, but she pped it away without any sympathy. Then she pointed to the outside again. ¡°I don¡¯t care what else you have to say. Just leave right now! You and your parents have nothing to do with me. I don¡¯t want to see you ever again.¡±


    Clint wanted to answer back and beg for another chance. But Austin came in and dragged him out of the room. ¡°Mr. Denovan. It¡¯s better if you leave now.¡±


    When Clint turned to look at Selene again, she mmed the door hard.


    Austin smiled helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s hard for Selene to process all of this. If you really love her, please leave her alone. You know her well. She can¡¯t be in a rtionship with you. You¡¯re her mother¡¯s stepson.¡±


    Clint kept silent and stood there motionless.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. You should head home and rest.¡± Austin said.


    But Clint didn¡¯t respond.


    Then Austin had no other choice but to smile. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave now. If you need any help, please call me.¡±


    Then he left. But he turned back to look at Clint one more time. He saw a man leaning against the door, surrounded by a pile of male articles. The man was desperate but, at the same time, cold, handsome, and hard to deal with.


    When Austin left, Clint just stood by the door. He did not knock but remained motionless. By midnight, no one else hade, and the automatic lights on the corridor turned off.


    In the apartment, Selene was curled up on the sofa.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She knew that Clint had not left yet and was still outside the door.


    She could throw away his stuff and wipe away all traces of him. But she knew that it would be near impossible to get over the man that she loved.


    She slept terribly that night, and her sleep was littered with dreams and memories.


    ¡°Selene. When you finish eating this box of chocte, Mom will be back.¡±


    ¡°My mom will also be yours.¡±


    ****


    The next morning, Selene was awoken by a loud knocking at the front door. Her head was swimming. She tiredly dragged herself to the front door and opened it, touching her forehead lightly. ¡°Hey, Austin. Why are you here so early?¡± She said without opening her eyes.


    ¡°I just came to check up on you,¡± Austin said, putting his palm against Selene¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m alright. Did you think I would kill myself?¡± She said, swatting his hand away.


    Austin smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you some breakfast.¡± He briefly looked around as if looking for someone. ¡°When did Clint leavest night?¡±


    ¡°How could I know? It¡¯s none of my business.¡± Selene snapped, taking the food out of Austin¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Will you ever forgive him?¡± Austin probed.


    Selene nced at him. ¡°Austin, if you were me, would you ever forgive him? Other than his lying, I could never see myself with him as long as that woman¡¯s in his life.¡±


    Selene thenughed at herself with irony. ¡°The woman that I¡¯ve not seen in over 20 years is finally back in my life, and she nearly became my mother-inw! But in my mind, Dora is my real mom.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Dora would like to be your mom, but I know for sure that she¡¯d love to be your mother-inw!¡± Austinughed.


    ¡°Stop joking! I was being serious.¡± Selene rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to cheer you up. I wouldn¡¯t say I like it when you¡¯re sad. Anyway, remember that I¡¯ll always have your back, no matter what! You¡¯re not in this alone.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you, Austin.¡± Selene looked at him with a grateful expression.


    ¡°Time for me to leave. I need to get back to work. You should rest after you finish your breakfast.¡± Austin patted her on the shoulder.


    Selene nodded.

 Chapter 63: I Broke Up With Him

    Austin smiled at her and turned to leave. But, before he walked away, he turned back again to look at Selene.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Selene smiled.


    When Austin disappeared from her sight, she lowered her gaze and found that the pile of clothes and articles that had been strewn on the floor the previous night was gone.


    She went back into her apartment. She headed for the bathroom, then brushed her teeth and washed her face. Looking at her own reflection in the mirror, she noticed that she was pale and her eyes were bloodshot. She then applied some makeup in an attempt to make herself look more normal.


    After she finished breakfast, she went to her store. It was 10 am when she got there, and Mandy happily greeted her. ¡°Selene! I have some great news! The JU Brand called. They¡¯ve shortlisted you for a big designers¡¯petition!¡± The assistant blurted out excitedly.


    Though Selene was not ambitious when it came to her design career, it was enough to lift her spirits after the previous day¡¯s events.


    ¡°Really?¡± Selene smiled.


    ¡°Yes! I took a look online and found your name on the official shortlist for thepetition.¡±


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    She walked towards the desk, opened the JU Brand website, and saw her name on the shortlist.


    But, right then, she spotted a familiar name just below hers.


    Jennifer Keller.


    It really was a small world for fashion designers.


    Selene smiled with contempt and closed the website.


    Some customers then entered her store, and Selene stood up and greeted them.


    During lunchtime, Clint took some food to the hospital when visiting his parents. When he arrived at the room where Anne stayed, he saw that his stepmother was fast asleep and Bradley was very close to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought you some food. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t like the hospital food.¡±


    Bradley nodded and looked at his son. ¡°Why do you look so tired and pale? Have you sleptst night?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± Clint rubbed his eyes tiredly.


    ¡°What about Selene?¡± Bradley sighed.


    ¡°Maybe I was all wrong about this. Afterst night, I¡¯ve epted the fact that she will never consider being with me ever again. I just hope she won¡¯t suffer too much because of it. I won¡¯t contact her anymore, and hopefully, we will both get over this experience and move on.¡±


    Seeing his son¡¯s tiredness and sad expression, Bradley¡¯s eyes teared up a little. ¡°It¡¯s me who hurt you.¡± He choked the words out.


    ¡°Dad, no, it¡¯s not your fault. I knew who she was from the very beginning, but I still chose to involve myself with her. I just ended up hurting the both of us.¡±


    ****


    Anne woke up and looked at Bradley and Clint, ¡°Is¡­ is Selene all right?¡±


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve found her, and she is fine now. You should be more worried about yourself. If it turns out that something¡¯s wrong with you, Dad will break down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Anne. Would you mind not worrying too much? Selene¡¯s not a child anymore. She can take care of herself.¡±


    Anne closed her eyes, and tears ran down her face.


    Bradley wiped his wife¡¯s tears and sighed.


    A few momentster, a knock came from the door, breaking the silence. Before anyone answered, the door was pushed open. It was Jennifer who entered the room. ¡°Clint, you¡¯re also here. I¡¯ve heard that Aunt Anne is sick. I came here as soon as I could.¡±


    ¡°Jenni, pleasee in.¡± Bradley greeted her.


    Jennifer came in with a bouquet of flowers in hand. She then walked in and ced the flowers by the bed. ¡°Anne, what happened? You¡¯ve always been so healthy. My parents told me that you were interned at the hospital yesterday, on your first day back in Houston.¡±


    ¡°Nothing serious. Anne will be okay in a few days.¡± Bradley said.


    Then Jennifer noticed that the people in the room all had strange looks on their faces. She then turned to Clint. ¡°Clint, what¡¯s wrong? You look pale.¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Clint shook his head.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then Jennifer sat down by the bed and held Anne¡¯s hand. ¡°Anne, I¡¯ve specially designed some wonderful outfits for you. I¡¯ll bring them to you when you get better.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Jenni.¡± Anne smiled embarrassedly.


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    Clint frowned. ¡°Thank you for visiting, Jenni, but my mom needs to rest. We¡¯ll talk about thister, outside of the hospital.¡±


    Jennifer knew the situation was not normal, and she easily detected Clint¡¯s implication. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go. Aunt Anne, have a good rest. I¡¯lle by again when you¡¯re feeling better.¡±


    They then all said their goodbyes.


    When Jennifer stepped out of the room, Clint followed behind. She waited until he closed the door before speaking. ¡°What on earth happened? I¡¯ve never seen you like this.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, like I¡¯ve told you. I¡¯m just worried about my mom.¡±


    Jennifer felt unsatisfied by that answer. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have any feelings for me, but why do you treat me so indifferently? We grew up together, and you¡¯ve never acted like this to me before. Since Selene appeared in your life, you¡¯ve been treating me like trash.¡±


    Clint looked at her calmly. ¡°I will always see you as a sister. Would you mind stopping thinking about me as anything other than a brother? I hate it when you imply that we¡¯re anything more than that.¡±


    He then paused for a while and continued. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve neverpared you to Selene, so don¡¯t do that yourself.¡±


    It seemed to irritate Jennifer. ¡°I just wanted to warn you about Selene. She¡¯s mean andcks empathy. I don¡¯t want you to be hurt by her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the warning.¡±


    While Jennifer noticed his icy expression, she stamped her feet, turned back, and left.


    Jennifer could not stand Clint¡¯s indifference towards her, and she med this entirely on Selene. She thought it was Selene who had made Clint change his attitude towards her. She then drove her car directly to Selene¡¯s store.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 64: She’s Evil

    For Selene, Jennifer was like a ghost who could appear at any unexpected time. Just that morning, she saw Jennifer¡¯s name on the shortlist, so she wasn¡¯t surprised that,ter on, the same day, an angry Jennifer appeared unannounced at her store.


    ¡°Selene Morris! What did you do to him?¡±


    Selene snorted without saying anything. She clearly knew who Jennifer had meant by ¡±him¡±. However, she had already decided that from then on, she would forget about Clint. Jennifer, however, had already ruined that.


    Selene barely held herself back from retorting, but she quickly realized that it would be best not to involve herself with Jennifer anymore. ¡°Jennifer,¡± Selene smiled. ¡®I don¡¯t know what happened between you two, but I can tell you that everything is over between Clint and me. So don¡¯t take your problems with him out on me because that¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Jennifer was not expecting that, and she was taken aback. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked with a surprised expression.


    ¡°I broke up with him. Don¡¯te to me if you have a problem with him. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°You two broke up?¡± Jennifer asked incredulously. She didn¡¯t sound convinced.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then go and ask him yourself. And stop talking about him in front of me.¡±


    Though Jennifer was irritated by Selene¡¯s tone, the news made her very happy. She reminded herself of Clint¡¯s expression at the hospital. It was obvious that Selene had initiated the breakup. But Jennifer refused to ept it.


    ¡°I knew right from the beginning that your rtionship would notst. You two are ipatible.¡± Jennifer snorted.


    ¡°Maybe we are. But what about you and him? Are you twopatible? He doesn¡¯t even like you at all.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Jennifer was angry.


    She thought for a while and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Clint will finally know who his true love is.¡± She suddenly looked very happy. She was about to leave the store, but she turned around all of a sudden.


    ¡°I saw your name on the shortlist of the JU Brand contest. Just remember that only one of us can win. And that will be me.¡±


    ****


    After Jennifer left, Mandy carefully walked to Selene. ¡°Do you think that JU Brand will choose her? Surely, they can¡¯t have favorites. That would be unfair.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She knows the director of the JU Brand, and she is from a wealthy background, which could be an advantage. But maybe she¡¯s just trying to scare me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Good. It¡¯s just that you also work for the brand.¡± Mandy sighed heavily.


    Selene smiled. ¡°That¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t matter that much if we work with this brand. It makes little difference if we work with this one or a different one.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could always be as positive as you. You never let others get to you.¡± Mandy said, smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as positive as you think.¡± Selene sighed.


    Right then, Selene¡¯s phone rang. She picked up her phone and looked at the screen. It was Emily who was calling. She tapped the screen to answer the call.


    ¡°Hey, Emily. Are you okay?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°Austin called mest night and told me that you had a fight with Clint, then hid at the boxing gym. What happened? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Really? What about Clint?¡±


    ¡±I broke up with him.¡±


    ¡°Ah?!¡± Emily sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought you would marry a rich and handsome man, and I would¡¯ve been very happy for you. It¡¯s a shame that you two broke up, but you know best. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone better.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Selene smiled.


    ¡°Oh, I saw your name on the JU Brand contest shortlist. Do you think you¡¯ll win?¡±


    ¡°I have no expectations for it,¡± Selene said honestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity. Why not give it a try? Besides, if you lose, Jennifer willugh at you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I saw her talking to the brand director at the fashion show. She seemed very confident about thepetition.¡±


    ¡°You mean Mike? The director of the brand?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°He has worked with the magazine, and I know him to some degree.¡± Emily smiled. ¡°Make a design. Put everything into it.¡± Emily¡¯s eyes went wide. You might not win thepetition, but if we work together, we will beat Jennifer!¡± Emily continued with a mysterious smile.


    ¡°What are you nning?¡± Selene asked with suspicion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that? Just work on your final design. Okay, I have to go. If we seed, I¡¯ll be happy!¡±


    Before Selene could say anything else, Emily hung up, leaving Selene at a loss.


    Selene did not know what Emily intended to do, but she chose not to dwell on it. The joy of being on the shortlist outweighed the sadness for the events that had transpired the day before.


    But now, due to Jennifer¡¯s visit, everything felt pointless.


    Seeing Selene¡¯s absentmindedness, Mandy gave Selene a worried look. ¡°Did you break up with Mr. Denovan?¡±


    Selene nodded.


    ¡°I can tell that he cares about you very much. He came here yesterday looking for you, all worried.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Selene answered back calmly.


    Mandy chose not to enquire further.


    After Selene loafed through two days without worrying about anything, Emily called her out of the blue early in the morning.


    ¡°Selene. Check online. See what they¡¯re writing about Jennifer.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Unfortunately, Selene¡¯s brain was too foggy due to the time of the day, and Emily¡¯s words didn¡¯t register in her head.


    ¡°Check your Twitter feed now.¡± Emily was too excited to exin anything over the phone.


    Selene got up, switched herptop on, and went on Twitter. She went on the fashion news trending page.


    ¡°Jennifer Keller, the young and sessful designer, has been used of cheating for her university final year project.¡±


    ¡°Jennifer Keller¡¯s works are under suspicion of giarism.¡±


    Selene became dumbfounded, and it took her a few seconds to be able to formte words again. ¡°Did you do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She cheated on her final project, but our college helped her cover it up, and she ended up graduating with the highest honors. I found her project and posted it online.¡±

 Chapter 65: Why Are You Still On Her Side?

    ¡°Also, she is crazy about Austin Santa.¡± Emily continued. ¡°So I¡¯vepared several of their works and found some clear cases of copying. I listed them, madeparisons, and put everything online. I didn¡¯t expect it to go viral like this.¡±


    Selene stared at the screen, and it went nk for a while. She recovered after a few moments. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do this. This is big. It could ruin her chances of ever working with the JU Brand or with anyone else in this industry. If she finds out it was you, who knows what she¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t just do it for you. I just hate her very much. She stole my boyfriend, remember? Besides, I posted this anonymously. So there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll find out who it was.¡±


    ¡°If she wants, she could find out,¡± Selene said worriedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not afraid of her.¡± Emily answered casually.


    After they finished talking, Selene rubbed her forehead confusedly.


    Selene and Jennifer had been on bad terms for a long time, but things had never escted to this degree before.


    But now, Emily had just opened a Pandora¡¯s box that could potentially destroy Jennifer¡¯s career. Who knows what form Jennifer¡¯s revenge could take in the future if that happens?


    Selene went to her store with her mind in knots. When she arrived at the store, she met thest person she wanted to meet- Jennifer.


    Jennifer was shouting angrily at Mandy. She had note by herself this time; a male assistant stood by her.


    Selene nced at the man and recognized him quite quickly. It was Dan, Jennifer¡¯s ¡°henchman.¡±


    Selene walked towards Mandy, who seemed very defensive about the whole ordeal and stared at Jennifer with a serious frown.


    Selene stepped in between them. ¡°If you have something to tell me, say it to my face. Don¡¯t drag others into our business.¡±


    Jennifer¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. When she saw Selene, her anger was visible, oozing through all her pours. ¡°I knew you were a bitch, but I never expected you to sink this low.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Selene looked at her without any expression.


    ¡°Cut the crap. It was you who posted that stuff about me online, wasn¡¯t it? If you¡¯re that jealous of my sess, at leastpete fairly! What you just did is an utter-bitch move. It¡¯s evil!¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s evil and disgusting to post fake news about others online.¡± Dan echoed.


    Selene jeeringly nced at Dan, then looked at Jennifer. ¡°It¡¯s also disgusting to use someone of something without any evidence.¡±


    ¡°It has to be you. There¡¯s no one else who envies me as you do.¡± Jennifer retorted angrily.


    ¡°Dear Jennifer, don¡¯t tter yourself. I¡¯ve never had a reason to envy you.¡± Selene paused. ¡°Also, I¡¯ve read what they¡¯ve posted online. As far as I know, most of it is true. If that¡¯s the case, then what¡¯s the problem? You¡¯re just getting what you deserve.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Jennifer lifted her hand, and she got ready to p Selene. However, someone suddenly grabbed her from behind.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Clint asked angrily.


    ¡°Clint!¡± Jennifer cried, stomping her feet.


    Clint turned to Dan. ¡°She was about to hit her. Why didn¡¯t you react?¡± He asked.


    Dan hung his head low in shame. ¡°She¡¯s only looking for justice. The online articles hit her hard.¡±


    ¡°Clint,¡± Jennifer wept and looked at Clint. ¡°Did you see what they wrote about me? The timing couldn¡¯t be worse. You know I¡¯m one of the candidates for the JU Brand Designer contest.¡±


    Jennifer wiped a tear with her hand. ¡°Mike hates giarism, so my career is over. She did this.¡± She said, pointing at Selene. ¡°She¡¯s evil!¡±


    Clint looked deep in thought for a moment. Then, he turned back to Jennifer, ¡°I don¡¯t know if the stuff about you is true, but why are you assuming it was Selene who posted it? Do you have any evidence for this?¡±


    ¡°Clint. How can you treat me like this? You two have broken up, so why do you still take her side?¡± Then Jennifer began crying again in earnest, and tears streamed down her face.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jennifer said. ¡±I¡¯ll prove it to you, Dan. Have your friends track down the IP of the poster.¡±


    ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll always have your back.¡± Dan said, frowning at Clint.


    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s unnecessary. It was me who did it.¡± Selene said calmly after a few moments of hesitation.


    ¡°Did you hear that, Clint? She admitted to it. Why are you still on her side?¡±


    ¡°Even if it was me who posted it, it wasn¡¯t fake, was it? You¡¯re acting like a victim, but you¡¯re the one who did the cheating.


    Feeling provoked by Selene, Jennifer bursts with anger and rushes to hit Selene. But Clint quickly intervened and blocked her path. That caused Jennifer to lose her bnce and hit herself on the edge of the chair. She sighed with pain and sadness.


    Dan rushed to her. ¡°Jenni, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Clint,¡± Jennifer cried out. ¡±We¡¯ve known each other for over twenty years. So why do you brush me aside for a woman who doesn¡¯t love you? This hurts so much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, Clint. Jennifer has always been nice to you. Even if you don¡¯t ept her love, at least don¡¯t hurt her! And now that she¡¯s the victim, why do you still protect the girl who caused all of this online mess?¡±


    Clint frowned. ¡°It was an ident. Sorry, Jennifer. You guys should go. This isn¡¯t the ce to argue.¡±


    He then nced at Jennifer. ¡°Your career won¡¯t be ruined. If everything goes bad with thepetition, I will pull some strings and keep your career afloat.¡±


    Selene sneered slightly.


    Jennifer looked at her with hatred. She bit her lips and rushed out of the store angrily.


    Dan nced at Clint, then ran out after Jennifer.


    ¡°Jenni, are you okay?¡± Dan asked after catching up with her.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Jennifer rubbed her thigh and then red at him.


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Go away!¡±

 Chapter 66: She In Danger

    ¡°Okay, okay! Jeez.¡± He said, holding up his palms. ¡°What¡¯s the deal between Clint and that woman anyway?¡±


    ¡°That woman is evil. They¡¯ve split up, but Clint still helps her.¡± Jennifer said with an irritated tone. She was trying to ruin Selene¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Oh, I get it.¡± Dan nodded his head thoughtfully. ¡°Does that make you angry? You seem to hate her so much.¡±


    ¡°Of course it does! If I can¡¯t work with the JU Brand, neither should she!¡±


    ¡°Easy. I could fix that problem.¡± Danughed.


    Jennifer gave him a doubtful look. ¡°Really? How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her. It¡¯ll be a piece of cake!¡± He winked at her. ¡°But from now on, you¡¯ll need to show me some gratitude.¡±


    Jennifer smiled at him gratefully and held his arm, ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡±


    At the store, Mandy, Selene, and Clint were all keeping silent. Eventually, Mandy broke the silence. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Denovan.¡± She said.


    Clint gave her a slight nod and turned to look at Selene, who was now casually drawing pictures as if nothing had happened.


    Though Clint hadn¡¯t seen Selene for several days, it felt like it had been for longer for him.


    Clint kept silent for a long time and watched Selene, who was only a few meters away from him. It seemed that he enjoyed this kind of silence.


    After a few more minutes had passed, Selene sneered coldly, ¡°I hope you got a good look because it¡¯s time for you to get the hell out of here!¡±


    Clint stood up to leave. ¡°Stop provoking Jennifer. You don¡¯t know what she¡¯s capable of.¡±


    ¡°Are you done? The door¡¯s right there.¡± Selene said without looking at him.


    Clint sighed helplessly and turned to leave. Selene didn¡¯t even bother looking his way.


    As soon as Clint was out of earshot, Mandy gave Selene a worried look. ¡°Why are you treating Mr. Denovan like this? He just helped you.¡± She asked with a curious tone.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to see him ever again.¡±


    Selene then lifted her gaze and squinted at Clint¡¯s disappearing form.


    ****


    Unsurprisingly, JU Brand soon announced that Jennifer Keller would no longer be part of their designerpetition.


    But Selene didn¡¯t take pleasure in Jennifer¡¯s misfortune. She wasn¡¯t the type to hit someone when they were down. Instead, what she wanted was for Jennifer to get out of her Life and leave her alone.


    To Selene¡¯s surprise, Jennifer did note to her store to hassle her this time.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because Clint Denovan had stopped Jennifer in their previous encounter, but she was d nheless.


    The JU Brand soon informed Selene that she had made it into the finals of their designerpetition. She was then asked to submit five new dress designs within two weeks.


    It was up to Selene to pick the fabrics for the dresses, and she also had to make them all by herself. It would not be easy.


    She had to postpone work orders for her store and pull multiple all-nighters if she hoped to finish this difficult task on time.


    It was autumn, and the summer heat was gone. The weather had cooled off, making it pleasant during the daytime and a little chilly at night.


    There were only three days left until the deadline for thepetition, and Selene had finished designing all the dresses. Unfortunately, however, she had only made two of them.


    It was 10 pm, and Selene was still at her store, working on the third dress. She kept redoing the entire process because she was never satisfied with the result.


    Austin, who was sitting nearby, yawned with boredom. ¡°Selene. It¡¯s ten. You should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re tired from your work,¡± Selene said, without even averting her gaze from the dress that she was working on. ¡°You should go to sleep. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Austin felt helpless. ¡°How about finishing it tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No. I need to finish it tonight.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Selene noticed Austin¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Austin, just go ahead. You know that I¡¯m safe here.¡±


    Austin rubbed his forehead. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Just go ahead.¡±


    Austin grinned at Selene. ¡°Please try to get some sleep. Then, if you don¡¯t want to walk alone, just give me a call, and I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    Selene nced at him speechlessly. Then, she looked at him as he left the store, the corners of her lips lifting into a smile.


    ¡°Life¡¯s good. I have good friends, and I might be a designer for JU Brand. So the future¡¯s looking up!¡± Selene thought.


    After Austin left, Selene went straight back to work. Two hours passed as she made numerous changes to the dress. It was midnight by the time she felt satisfied with it.


    She quickly cleaned up the ce and picked up her bag, ready to leave the store.


    She walked out of the store and turned back. However, just as she was about to lock the door, she heard some fast-approaching footsteps. Before she could turn to look, her body was pushed hard against the door, and a big hand covered her mouth, preventing her from crying out.


    ¡°Step back into the store.¡± Said the man behind her.


    At the same time, she felt something sharp poking her in the back. She assumed it was a knife.


    Selene quickly realized it was a robbery. It was something she had never experienced before.


    She started to panic.


    She did not know what the robbers wanted.


    She was too scared to cry or run. She did as she was told, and together, they walked into the store.


    Selene noticed that there were two masked robbers. One of them suddenly pushed her down to the ground, and the other man took out a knife, waving it in front of her face menacingly. ¡°Don¡¯t scream. We only want the money. Understand?¡±


    Selene peeked up at the man and nodded. ¡°You can have all the money, just don¡¯t hurt me.¡± She begged fearfully.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The man snorted in response and turned to the shorter masked man. ¡°Find the money.¡±

 Chapter 67: She Had No Choice

    The short man nodded and went off searching the whole store, including the room at the back. He came back a whileter.


    ¡°Only found 1, 000 bucks. But there¡¯s aputer and a camera.¡±


    ¡°Take it all.¡±


    The short manmenced with cing everything of value in his bag and then quickly walked to Selene¡¯s bag. He picked it up, opened it, and emptied its contents into his bag, including her mobile phone and cash. Then, he suddenly stopped and picked up a bank card.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bank card. She owns the store, so she must have a lot on it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the pin?¡± The taller man asked Selene.


    ¡±3, 7, 4, 2.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Tie her up.¡± The tall man lifted his head and looked at the door leading into the store warehouse. ¡°Put her there.¡±


    He then turned back to Selene, giving her a menacing look. ¡±If the pin doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Selene stayed silent. Luckily, she had given them the correct pin code. No money was worth her life.


    They tied her up and left her in the dark warehouse.


    As she sat down on the floor propped up against the wall, she suddenly heard the sound of the main door closing shut. Maybe the robbers had locked her inside in case she tried to call the police.


    Her feet and hands were tied up, and she couldn¡¯t speak. She did not know whether the two robbers woulde back or not, so she tried finding ways to break free.


    Soon, however, she found that the string that they had used to tie her wrists together was too thick and strong. She struggled for a long time in an attempt to untie them but to no avail.


    After a while, she felt out of breath and was ready to give up, but she heard some noise againing from outside the warehouse.


    Her worn-out brain suddenly sobered up. At first, she thought that the robbers were back. But it didn¡¯t sound like the robbers did earlier. They had been quite heavy-handed, whereas whoever made the noise now was moving very lightly. Besides, she had given them the correct pin code, so they had no reason toe back.


    She suddenly felt anxious and wanted to call out, but the tape on her mouth prevented her from doing so. She then knocked at the door of the warehouse using her head.


    The noise from outside suddenly stopped. But, after a while, the noise resumed. However, this time, she could tell that the person was rushing. Then, finally, there was no more noise.


    Selene put her ear against the door, listening carefully. There was no sound, and she knew what that meant. There was nobody there, and most likely, no one woulde to free her that night.


    Out of frustration, she powerlessly fell to the ground.


    She knew that she would be there for the whole night.


    Lying on the cold floor, Selene soon noticed something very wrong. It smelled like something was burning. It wasing from outside the warehouse.


    Just secondster, the smell got very intense. Then, she started feeling a little heating from the other side of the door.


    The tape on Selene¡¯s mouth prevented her from breathing normally, but now it was even harder to do so.


    At that moment, Selene realized that there was a fire in her store.


    She did not have time to find out why there was a fire. Her priority was to get out of there.


    Selene kicked the door with her foot as hard as she could. However, she couldn¡¯t use her full strength, as her feet and hands were tied up tightly. She then used her head to hit the door in an attempt to open it, but unfortunately for her, it was locked.


    The smoke was getting harder to stand, and the lights from the mes were peeking through the door crack. Though the fire was not in the warehouse, the heating from outside was making her sweat.


    She rolled herself on the ground and kicked any mmable objects she could find away from the door.


    Luckily, the door of the warehouse was fireproof, so the fire outside would not get in. However, the smoke kept pouring into the room continuously.


    Selene was afraid to breathe, but she had no choice.


    There were no windows in the warehouse, and she was running out of oxygen.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was too tired to move. But suddenly, she heard some noiseing from outside again¡­ Maybe someone had seen the fire.


    She mustered all the strength she had left and kicked the door again in order to make some noise. Maybe whoever was outside would hear her.


    However, it was useless.


    She doubted that people outside would realize that there was someone still inside, as they would be too busy with the fire.


    It was the middle of the night, so there was no reason for anyone to still be at the store.


    Blood ran from her head, but Selene did not feel pain, so she kept hitting the door with her head. Selene felt dizzy again. She didn¡¯t hear or feel anything. But many images kept ying in her mind.


    ¡°When you¡¯re finished eating the choctes, mom will be back.¡±


    ¡°Selene, Mom will nevere back. Dad will take care of you from now on.¡±


    ¡°From now on, my mom is yours too.¡±


    ¡°This is my parents¡¯ business, not mine. So, breaking up with me is unfair.¡±


    ¡°Everything is on fire. It¡¯s all probably burned.¡± Then, she heard a voiceing from outside of the store.


    ¡°Which store is this?¡± Another voice came.


    ¡°It¡¯s a costume store. They have some good dresses. I wonder where the fire came from. Was it a short circuit?¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone inside?¡±


    ¡°Thiste at night? Don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Outside of the store, a car stopped. A man stepped out hurriedly and looked at the ze for a few seconds, frowning.


    Clint took out his mobile phone and called Selene. The call connected, and then it was dropped. So he tried again, and someone answered this time.


    ¡°Selene, where are you?¡± Clint asked quickly.

 Chapter 68: Everything Will Be Okay

    ¡°Wrong number.¡± Replied to a man from the other end of the line.


    The unknown man then hung up.


    Clint looked at his phone with a shocked expression, then put it into his pocket. He quickly made his way to the store where the fire was.


    He squinted his eyes and looked around the store, only seeing tall mes and smoke all around. Then, suddenly, the signboard fell down, blocking the way into the store.


    Clint was ready to leave when he vaguely heard a noise over the burning sound.


    ¡±Selene!¡± He cried out, with a sudden look of realization.


    There was no answer, but the knocking sound continued.


    Clint didn¡¯t have a n, but he ran to the store anyway.


    He kicked down the disy window, the ss falling and shattering after a loud crack. The people around shrieked in surprise.


    The store was thick with smoke. Clint couldn¡¯t see anything, and his coat was getting burned. He covered his mouth and staggered around, shouting, ¡°Selene¡­¡±


    He then heard the knocking noise again, and he knew exactly where it came from.


    He rushed to the warehouse and kicked the door with his full strength. The door gave way, and he pushed it open.


    The warehouse was dark, but the light from the fire allowed him to see Selene, who was tied up and lying on the ground.


    Clint did not know what he was feeling right then. Lucky? Scared? It was hard to describe with all the adrenaline rushing through his body.


    His belt is nk. He didn¡¯t feel the pain from the burning. His body was on autopilot.


    He crouched down to pick up Selene, then rushed out with her.


    There was another cracking sound, and then the ceiling fan suddenly fell down and hit Clint. His vision blurred even more, but he kept walking forward.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Someone¡¯sing out!¡± Someone outside shouted as a crowd of people looked.


    Clint carried Selene out of the burning building andid her down outside. He did not notice the fire on his coat. ¡°Someone call an ambnce.¡± He shouted.


    The people around rushed to put out the fire on his coat, but Clint barely noticed.


    He patted Selene on the cheek, and there was no reaction.


    ¡°Maybe she breathed in too much smoke.¡±


    Clint frowned, squeezed her nose, and started CPR on her.


    ¡°Selene, wake up.¡± He shouted anxiously.


    Finally, Selene groaned weakly without opening her eyes.


    By now, fire engines were approaching, and a pair of ambnce workers helped Selene onto a stretcher and carried her away.


    Clint walked with them, holding Selene¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Everything will be okay.¡± He said, both to Selene and to himself.


    But his exhaustion overtook him, and the world went dark.


    Selene felt as if she was in the middle of a nightmare. She tried to escape, but her feet were held in ce by something. All she could see was endless darkness.


    ¡°Selene, Selene¡­¡±


    She heard a familiar voice call out her name. She tried concentrating on the sound. She could see some light.


    Selene¡¯s eyelids started fluttering slightly. Austin, who was sitting nearby, noticed this. ¡°Selene, are you awake?¡± He cried out.


    Selene forced her eyes open. The first thing she saw through her mental haze was Austin¡¯s pale face and red eyes.


    Then came the pain. It felt as though her whole body was on fire. This was enough to really wake her up. ¡°Austin, what happened?¡± She tried to speak, but no sound came out.


    Austin only saw her lips moving.


    Though the fog in her brain was still there, she realized that there was something wrong with her throat. She tried to speak again, but there was still no sound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to speak. The doc said that the smoke you¡¯ve inhaled did a number on your throat. Your voice will be gone for a while.¡± Austin exined to her.


    Selene seemed quite shocked to hear that, but she didn¡¯t attempt to say anything else.


    She closed her eyes and thought back to what had happened. Her brain felt fuzzy, and she had a splitting headache, but her memories were intact.


    She had left her store at midnight but was robbed by two masked individuals. She ended up tied up and thrown into the warehouse. After that, the store somehow caught on fire.


    But before she had lost consciousness, she had really thought that she would die. But now she was in a hospital, and she didn¡¯t even know how she got there.


    However, the feeling of fear still lingered within her, and it was stronger than before.


    Selene managed to keep herself calm. After thinking for a while, she opened her eyes and looked at Austin. ¡°Why am I here?¡± She moved her lips.


    Austin rubbed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious for two days.¡± He then started to sob. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I should¡¯ve stayed. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if I had not left.¡±


    Selene lifted her hand and patted him on the arm. ¡±I was robbed, and they put me in the warehouse. But I don¡¯t know where the fire came from.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve called the police. They are looking into it.¡±


    Selene nodded slightly and closed her eyes again. Some memories from the previous night resurfaced in her mind.


    ¡°Selene, Selene¡­¡±


    Then, someone kicked open the door of the warehouse. She was then picked up and carried.


    Selene frowned. ¡°Who rescued me from the fire?¡± She whispered.


    Austin was stunned for a while. ¡°It was Clint. If he hadn¡¯te, who knows what would¡¯ve happened to you.¡± He shuddered. ¡°He was injured when he saved you. He¡¯s in the next room.¡± He added.


    ¡°How is he now?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°His burns are more serious, and his head was hurt by the ceilingmp. But overall, it¡¯s nothing too seriouspared to you, just mainly bruises.¡±


    While the two talked, the sound of footsteps could be heard, and the door was pushed open.


    Austin turned to the person who had just entered. ¡°Mr. Denovan. You¡¯re here.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 69: Find Those Responsible For This

    ¡°Wrong number.¡± Replied to a man from the other end of the line. Clint nodded. His head was swathed in bandages. There were some bruises and scratches on his face. He looked quite different than usual, and it would have taken someone a few seconds to recognize him.


    He slowly walked to Selene and stood by her bed. He looked at her silently for a few seconds before breaking the silence. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Selene shook her head but nodded after that.


    Austin looked at them. ¡°You must be hungry, Selene. I¡¯ll go grab you some food.¡±


    After that, Austin stood up and left.


    Clint sat down on a chair by the bed and moved forward to arrange Selene¡¯s hair on her forehead. He then smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to the doctors. They said you¡¯ll most likely make a quick recovery. But your throat might need some time before you¡¯ll get your voice back.¡±


    Selene looked at his eyes, unsure of what she felt towards him. Her emotions were running wild in her head.


    Even though Clint had betrayed her with a lie that she could not forgive, he had truly saved her life.


    He had even put himself in danger in order to save her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Selene whispered. Though her voice was gone, her gratitude was sincere.


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re alright.¡± Clint smiled at her.


    Selene was a little surprised, but the pain made her frown, and she closed her eyes to evade his gaze.


    Clint could tell what was going through her mind and chose to stay silent. He looked at her calmly.


    The fear in Selene¡¯s heart disappeared.


    After a long silence, Clint sighed, massaging his eyes. ¡°You should rest. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Selene nodded her head.


    Clint stepped outside and closed the door carefully. He came across Austin, who was on his way back to Selene¡¯s room with food in his hands.


    ¡±Clint,¡± Austin said. ¡±I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you for saving Selene¡¯s life.¡±


    He then bowed his head at Clint exaggeratedly.


    Clint shook his hand subconsciously and smiled. ¡°Yeah, it was quite intense. When I got to the store, I didn¡¯t know if she was in the store and hesitated for a long time before I finally went in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have left her all alone.¡± Austin admitted with shame. But his expression soon changed. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t guilt-trip her into marrying you just because you saved her.¡±


    Clint¡¯s face froze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that kind of person. I just hope that she can be happy.¡±


    Austin looked at him from head to toe dubiously. Finally, he raised the corner of his lips and nodded. Then he took the food into the room.


    ¡°Selene, I¡¯ve brought you some food.¡±


    Selene opened her eyes and struggled to sit up. However, she fell back, as she was too weak and dizzy to sit up by herself. Austin quickly went forward and helped her sit up.


    ¡°The doctor told me that you could only eat light foods.¡±


    Selene leaned back against a pillow. ¡°Have you slept in the past two days?¡± Selene whispered.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to wake up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m awake now, so you should go get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Austin shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you alone again. I could just sleep on the couch.¡±


    Selene knew that he must feel guilty about what had happened. ¡°We¡¯re in a hospital. Doctors and nursese and go. You should go home to sleep.¡±


    Austin curled his lips and hesitated. Selene saw his tiredness and was very worried about him. So, she stopped eating.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go home and sleep, I won¡¯t eat anything.¡±


    Knowing her stubbornness, Austin sighed, ¡°I won¡¯t go home until you finish eating.¡±


    Selene ate the food.


    When she was done, Austin relented and went home.


    After he left, Seleney on her back and rested. But soon, she felt the need to go to the washroom. So she climbed down the bed and tried to stand on her feet, but her mind became dizzy, and she lost her bnce, nearly falling to the ground.


    She then took a deep breath and tried her best to move to the stool. She tried standing up once more when she got there, but she seemingly had a ckout and fell to the ground.


    Fortunately, she did not faint, and she maintained consciousness. She struggled to stand, but she was too weak to do so.


    The floor was very cold, and she felt physically ufortable. She wanted to ask for help, but she physically was not able to.


    She opened her eyes and saw that the room was empty. Shey there for a while, waiting for someone toe. Then, after a while, she heard a voice call her name. ¡°Selene.¡±


    She recognized the voice straight away. It was Clint. He was back.


    Selene closed her eyes out of frustration andy there motionless.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Clint asked, letting the door close behind him.


    Clint soon realized what had happened to Selene. He crouched down, scooped her up, then carried her back to bed.


    Selene felt lucky at that moment that she couldn¡¯t speak. Her mind was too jumbled up to form coherent sentences, so she would have ended up embarrassing herself.


    Clint was too worried about her to pay much attention to her embarrassment. So, instead, he pressed the electronic bell by the bed and asked for a nurse toe.


    ¡°You just woke up from a drug-induced sleep. If you need to move, please call a nurse.¡± He then paused for a while. ¡°Or me. I¡¯m here if you need me.¡±


    Selene didn¡¯t speak, mainly because she couldn¡¯t.


    Clint looked at her and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to the police, and they¡¯lle to the hospital to interview you. Someone started that fire, but the security camera system was damaged, and the police haven¡¯t found any evidence yet. You said you were robbed by someone, right?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene nodded.


    ¡°You just woke up from a drug-induced sleep. If you need to move, please call a nurse.¡± He then paused for a while. ¡°Or me. I¡¯m here if you need me.¡±


    Selene didn¡¯t speak, mainly because she couldn¡¯t.

 Chapter 70: Don’t Worry About The Store

    Clint looked at her and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to the police, and they¡¯lle to the hospital to interview you. Someone started that fire, but the security camera system was damaged, and the police haven¡¯t found any evidence yet. You said you were robbed by someone, right?¡±


    Selene nodded.


    Clint gave her his phone. Selene used it to check her bank ount and found that 40, 000 dors had been withdrawn. That was the maximum amount that could be taken out every two days.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Clint asked her.


    ¡°Do you have some paper and a pen?¡± She whispered.


    She couldn¡¯t speak, so she decided to write down what had happened before the police came to interview her.


    Clint knew what she intended to do and gave her a pen and a piece of paper.


    When the policemen arrivedter, they read what Selene had written on the piece of paper. Then, one of the two police officers, Mr. Green, asked, ¡°They took your bank card, and they withdrew money from it?¡±


    Selene nodded.


    ¡°No problem. We¡¯ll check the footage taken by the bank and see if we can find out who they are. They probably won¡¯t take any more money out, as that would make it easy to catch them.¡± Then, the investigator thought for a moment. ¡°How much is there left on your card?¡±


    ¡°Around $30, 000.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Maybe the robbers saw how much there¡¯s left. They wanted you out of the picture, so they can take that out too in two days. Then, they burned your store, so you couldn¡¯t call the police.¡±


    His deduction was reasonable to some degree, but it was only a hypothesis.


    ¡°Officer Green,¡± Clint said. ¡±Please find those responsible for this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Denovan. I¡¯ll have a team on this case as soon as possible.¡±


    Then Selene suddenly remembered that she had heard a different set of footsteps outside the warehouse.


    She looked at the police and frowned. ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t the robbers who started the fire.¡±


    ¡°Well, everything is possible.¡± The other police officer smiled.


    She trusted the police could find out the truth. Thinking back to the fire, she vaguely remembered hearing some light footsteps right before the fire started.


    She thought those footsteps were different from the robbers¡¯.


    After the police left, Clint noticed her worried expression and held her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The police will find them.¡±


    Selene looked at Clint and noticed that the back of his hand had a darker color.


    She then nodded and took away her hand from his grasp.


    Clint took back his hand and smiled. ¡°I know this is hard for you. Would you mind getting some rest? I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡±


    Selene¡¯s mind was still foggy, and she felt tired and weak. Shey down on her back and promptly fell asleep.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The nightmares in her sleep persisted.


    She was surrounded by heavy smoke and fire, which made it hard for her to breathe. Then she fell into endless darkness.


    By the time she woke up from her dream, it waste afternoon.


    Selene looked up and saw Austin sitting by her bed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping for a long time,¡± Austin said. ¡±You need to eat.¡±


    Selene nodded and ate some porridge. She managed to finish the bowl even though she was not hungry. Then Austin gave her some fruit.


    Selene felt much better than before.


    She lifted her head and looked at Austin. ¡°I want to go to the store to take a look.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s burned down, and there isn¡¯t much left. I¡¯ll take you to check when you¡¯ll recover. For now, though, you should rest.¡±


    But Selene ignored his advice and slowly climbed down from the bed. ¡°I need to see.¡±


    Austin knew how stubborn she was and hurriedly walked forward to support her. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take you.¡±


    When Selene and Austin arrived at the store, the burnt site looked very deste.


    It was mainly just burned rubble.


    Mandy was there, cleaning and sweeping. When she saw Selene, she sobbed, clearly distressed about the store had burned down.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. How are you feeling?¡±


    Selene patted her on the arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°What about your voice?¡±


    ¡°She breathed in too much smoke, and her throat was damaged. So she won¡¯t be able to speak for a while.¡± Austin exined.


    ¡°How did the fire start? I heard there was a robbery. Why did they try to kill you? Wasn¡¯t the money enough?¡±


    Selene raised the corner of her lips but said nothing.


    With Austin¡¯s help, Selene walked into the store and looked at the remaining half of the couch.


    The sewing machine was ck from being burnt.


    Austin looked at Selene worryingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the store. I¡¯ve spoken to apany, and they will rebuild it. The insurance will cover the costs.¡±


    ¡°We can postpone existing orders, but the dresses Selene¡¯s made for the JU Brandpetition are all gone,¡± Mandy said with sadness in her voice.


    Selene smiled helplessly.


    She had put a lot of effort into those dresses, and thepetition was a rare opportunity, even though she didn¡¯t necessarily want to win it.


    She felt sad even though she pretended not to be. She forced a smile.


    ¡°Miss Morris?¡± A male voice called out.


    Selene turned around and saw a car parked by the store. The driver came out of the car.


    Selene walked forward and pointed at the burnt store.


    It was JU Brand¡¯s director, Mike. ¡°Mr. Denovan told me about your store. I just came by to see it for myself. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± She whispered. ¡±But my voice is gone for now.¡±


    ¡°This is terrible and unexpected,¡± Mike said, looking at the burnt rubble. ¡°Were the dresses for thepetition in the fire?¡±


    Selene nodded.


    Mike thought for a while. ¡°Mr. Denovan asked me if we could give you extra time to remake the dresses. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t make that happen, as the design director has the final say in this. The best I can do is convince him to give you one more week to make three dresses. How does that sound?¡±

 Chapter 71: Is There A Chance For Us?

    Selene hesitated for a while and nodded. ¡°Yes. That could work.¡±


    ¡°Selene!¡± Austin said anxiously. ¡°You can¡¯t work in your current state. You¡¯ll get other chances to work with the brand.¡±


    Mike smiled and looked at Selene expectantly.


    ¡°My answer is yes,¡± Selene said, looking at Mike. ¡°Thank you for giving me this opportunity.¡±


    Mike nodded, and they shook hands. He then walked back to his car and drove away.


    ¡°Is this really that important? More important than your health?¡± Austin asked, disapproval clear in his voice.


    Selene nced at Austin and nodded with a smile.


    Mandy also smiled happily. ¡°If Selene could work with JU Brand, we could make enough money for a bigger store.¡±


    Austin snorted unhappily. ¡°Clint is so good to you. He saved your life and put your own life in danger. Now he¡¯s in hospital but still called Mike to ask for a second chance for you.¡±


    ¡°I agree. He really is great.¡± Mandy echoed.


    Selene didn¡¯t reply but changed the topic, ¡°Mandy, don¡¯t hesitate to get in touch with our supplier and have them send the fabrics to my apartment.¡±


    Mandy nodded.


    When Selene and Austin went back to the hospital, Selene stopped Austin in the corridor. ¡°Could you please grab myptop, a pen, and my notebook and bring them here to the hospital?¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Is it urgent?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene grinned.


    Austin looked at her pleading eyes for a few seconds, then left reluctantly.


    Though Selene felt much better than before, she was still weak and felt a little dizzy after having walked for a while.


    Selene stepped on the lift and leaned against the cold wall. Then, her mind started clearing up a little.


    Selene had gone through a life-and-death situation, and she was thankful for surviving but scared after the whole ordeal. However, she knew that life was full of surprises, and she valued her own.


    She started considering making peace with Clint and giving their rtionship one more chance.


    It was not only because he rescued her but also because he cherished the true love between them.


    He was different from ¡®that¡¯ woman who was once her mother.


    Selene hated her, but she had strong feelings for Clint.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    After giving it some thought, she felt more enlightened about the topic.


    She then went out of the lift and walked towards Clint¡¯s room.


    She knew that his room was just next to hers. She walked very slowly to give herself time to think carefully about her words.


    Finally, she reached his room. She took a deep breath and tried to put her mind at ease.


    The door was half-closed, and Selene put her hand on the door to push it.


    However, she stopped herself when she heard a voice from the inside.


    ¡°Anne. Clint has already told you that Selene¡¯s well now. And you¡¯ve read her health report.¡±


    ¡°I want to check on her myself.¡±


    ¡°The doctor said that Selene has gone out. When she¡¯s back, we can go and take a look. Clint, what did the police say?¡±


    ¡°They went to check the security footage from the bank. I also spoke to the bank, and they told me that this kind of case is not difficult to solve.¡±


    ¡°Why did they set fire to the store? If Selene had died, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to live anymore.¡±


    ¡°Mom. Don¡¯t speak like this. She¡¯s fine now.¡±


    Selene, who stood outside silently, suddenly fell into an icy mood.


    But when Clint calls the woman ¡°mom¡±, it makes here back to reality.


    The woman who abandoned her was her biological mother and Clint¡¯s stepmother. This was something she could never change.


    She turned around and walked to her room.


    Shey on her bed for an undetermined amount of time until, eventually, someone knocked at the door. ¡°Selene, are you back? Why did you lock the door?¡±


    Selene stayed silent.


    Clint knocked at the door again.


    He thought for a while, then went back to his room.


    ¡°Is Selene back?¡± Anne asked worryingly.


    ¡°Not yet. Mom, Dad, please go home. Selene¡¯s well now. But she¡¯s not in the best of moods after the ident. Who knows how she will react if she sees you.¡±


    Anne and Bradley looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go.¡± Anne said. ¡®If anything happens to Selene, please let me know.¡± She paused for a few moments. ¡°You should take care of yourself, too.¡±


    Bradley stood up and patted Clint on the shoulder, ¡°Take care of yourself, and don¡¯t stress Selene out.¡±


    Clint nodded.


    After they left, Clint went back to Selene¡¯s door and knocked. ¡°Selene, I know you¡¯re back.¡± He then paused and added. ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡±


    Secondster, the door opened, and Selene appeared in front of him with a nk look on her face.


    Clint smiled embarrassedly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you locked the door. It¡¯s noisy outside.¡±


    The truth was that they both knew the real reason why Selene had locked the door. But they chose not to mention it.


    Selene simply nodded. ¡°Yes. It was too noisy, so I locked it.¡± She whispered.


    Additionally, they were in a VIP ward, which was very quiet.


    Selene stepped aside so Clint could enter, then closed the door behind him.


    He looked at her from head to toe. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten some food and went for a walk. Now I¡¯m much better.¡± She whispered.


    Clint looked like he was about to say something but stopped himself.


    Selene sat on her bed and looked at Clint, whose hand and head were covered with burns. Some of the burns were bandaged, but the less serious ones were not.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Selene whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Nothing serious.¡± He said, pointing at his bandages.


    Selene felt strange whispering all the time. So, she took out a pen and paper and started writing. ¡°Thank you for calling JU Brand. I met Mike. He gave me a week to design three dresses.¡±


    Clint smiled slightly at first but then gave her a worried look. ¡°Can you finish them in a week? I know it¡¯s a great opportunity, but your health shoulde first.¡±

 Chapter 72: Why Are You Working So Late?

    ¡°It¡¯s no biggie. I¡¯m okay. Besides, I¡¯ve just gone through a life-and-death situation, so I want to make every second of my life count.¡± She wrote.


    Clint smiled. Selene¡¯s writing was very neat, and she paid a lot of attention to detail, just like in her work.


    He then put on a more serious expression. ¡°Is there a chance for us?¡± He asked in the gentlest tone he could muster so as not to destroy the current harmonious atmosphere.


    Selene felt surprised and kept silent for a long time. She then started writing again. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for you saving my life, but I cannot give this another chance. Sorry.¡±


    After finishing, she handed the paper to Clint.


    Clint took it and frowned, then he looked at her with an easy expression. ¡°I see.¡± He had fully expected this answer.


    He then stood up, but in the process, his lips brushed against Selene¡¯s by ident.


    The idental ¡®kiss¡¯ was as light as a feather, and Selene¡¯s heart started beating faster.


    ¡°Selene,¡± Austin said as he rushed inside the room without knocking at the door. Selene and Clint quickly pulled away from each other. ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡± Austin asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°No,¡± Clint replied. I was just leaving. Please take care of Selene.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯re feeling better,¡± Austin said. ¡±Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of her.¡±


    Clint left with a troubled look on his face.


    Austin handed Selene herputer and sketchbook. ¡°Are you two back together?¡± He asked.


    Selene shook her head.


    ¡°Will you ever get back together?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Selene shook her head again.


    Austin let out a sigh of relief and sat next to her. ¡°To be honest, I know he treats you well, but I don¡¯t think you should get back together. You twoe from very different worlds.¡±


    Selene smiled helplessly. She reminded herself of the words she had just heard from Clint¡¯s room.


    She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else. She turned on theptop and logged in to her email.


    Normally, even though she created all her dress designs at her store, she had the habit of sending finished designs from her work email to her personal one.


    In this case, this habit ended up being her savior, as, despite all her designs having been burnt in the fire, she still had all the sketches and drawings saved digitally.


    However, Selene soon realized that something was wrong.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Selene frowned, furrowing her eyebrows in concentration as she searched through her email. ¡°My designs are gone!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Austin said confusedly. ¡°Did you forget to send them over?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± She said confidently. ¡±I¡¯ve always sent every single design draft to my personal email. I¡¯ve never skipped any of them.¡±


    Selene felt at a loss and became very frustrated.


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Austin took theptop and started navigating through her emails. After a while, Austin gave her a look of defeat. ¡°Someone¡¯s hacked into your email and deleted the drafts.¡±


    Selene looked confused for a second but soon realized that only one person would have wanted to do something like this.


    And that person was Jennifer Keller.


    Of course, Selene thought. Jennifer had been eliminated from thepetition and wanted to ruin Selene¡¯s chances of working with JU Brand.


    Austin took a worried nce at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll try to track the emails down. But it¡¯s not gonna be easy- the hacker didn¡¯t leave any trace.¡±


    Selene rubbed her face, frustrated and sad. She had epted Mike¡¯s proposition because she thought she had the designs saved on her email. Making three dresses was something she could have managed to do without any problems if she had the designs for them.


    ¡°Who do you think did it?¡± Austin asked. ¡±Must be one of thepetitors.¡±


    He was breathing hard, and anger etched on his face.


    Selene sighed. ¡°No. It was Jennifer Keller.¡±


    ¡°What? The woman who¡¯s been pestering you for years? If I were someone who hits women, I¡¯d beat the crap out of her. Instead, she¡¯s been giving you hell.¡±


    Selene took a deep breath and pattedfortingly on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you with these emails.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can do it.¡±


    Selene smiled and rxed. She leaned on Austin¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes, intending to take a nap.


    Austin was busy with the task at hand, clicking and typing away at the keyboard. He smugly nced at her. ¡°I hope you realize how indispensable I am.¡± He joked.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Selene nodded.


    ¡°Am I more important to you than Clint?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Austin grinned and got back to work. A few minutes went by before Austin broke the silence. ¡°But you love him, not me.¡± He said disappointingly.


    Selene froze, unsure what to say, and stayed silent.


    Selene was discharged from the hospital two dayster. Doctors advised her to stay longer, but she felt that time was of the essence, as there were only five days left for her to hand in her dresses. Mandy had bought most of the materials Selene needed.


    Selene went back to her apartment and started to work.


    Things didn¡¯t go as smoothly as she had thought. Maybe it was because she had not yet recovered, but her hands kept shaking uncontrobly. As a result, she didn¡¯t even manage to get one dress done on the first day.


    Austin didn¡¯t allow her to stay upte. Instead, he would make her go to sleep, but Selene would get back to her work as soon as he left.


    By midnight of the second day, the first dress was finished. She put the dress on the mannequin but found that it was not as good as what she had done before.


    She had always been very confident in her ability, but right now, she was very frustrated.


    Maybe she would lose the opportunity to ever work with JU Brand.


    Looking at the subpar dress, Selene pulled it down, threw it on the floor, and angrily stamped on it.


    Someone knocked at the door. Selene took a deep breath and walked to the door. She was expecting it to be Austin. ¡°Why are you back? I was on my way to bed.¡±

 Chapter 73: I Have No Hidden Intention

    She no longer had to whisper, but her voice came out hoarse. But she soon realized that it was Clint standing there, with his eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Why are you working sote? You still haven¡¯t recovered.¡±


    He had had a meeting veryte that night, and on his way back, he drove past Selene¡¯s apartment. When he saw that the lights of her apartment were on, he decided to confront her.


    He knew of Selene¡¯s current health situation, and he knew that she should not have been staying upte.


    Selene gave him a dismissive look. ¡°There are only three days left, and I haven¡¯t even finished one dress. How can I possibly finish three on time without staying up?¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to let him in, but he pushed past her before she could stop him. As soon as he entered, he started picking up the mess off the ground. He then noticed the designs on herptop screen and closed it.


    ¡°Are all materials here?¡± Clint asked, pointing at the various fabrics and cloth on the floor.


    Selene nodded, unsure of his intentions.


    Clint picked up all the materials and herptop and then simply walked out of her apartment.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Selene asked, walking after him.


    ¡°You need to be smart about this. JU Brand is looking for designers, not tailors. You¡¯ve designed the dresses; now I¡¯ll find some tailors who will make them for you in two days.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene had a sudden look of realization and said nothing. She hadn¡¯t even considered doing this, as she believed that the designer and the tailor should be the same person. But now, she had no other choice but to go along with it since she was running out of options.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find some tailors as good as you.¡± Clint nced at her.


    Clint put all the things in his car, then drove away, leaving a surprised Selene behind.


    To Selene, it felt like arge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she had a great sleep that night.


    Her phone ring woke her up the next morning. She looked at the screen. It was Mandy.


    ¡°Have you checked Twitter?¡± Mandy asked with urgency in her voice. ¡±Jennifer has just posted pictures of the new dresses that she¡¯s designed. Some of these dresses look very simr to the ones you originally made for the JU Brandpetition. How is this possible?¡±


    Selene wasn¡¯t surprised at all by the revtion. ¡°Someone hacked into my email, and the design drafts were lost. It was probably Jennifer.¡±


    ¡°What? And if you hand in your designs to JU Brand, will they think you¡¯re copying her work?¡± Mandy asked worriedly.


    Selene smiled. ¡°I was totally expecting this to happen after having known her for so long. After Austin helped me recover my designs, I sent them to Mike and told him that some hackers had stolen my designs. If she had only released them earlier, I would have been in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Great job! Do you think you¡¯ll win?¡± Mandy asked after letting out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll work with Austin to rebuild our store. Soon we¡¯ll be able to take orders again.¡± Mandy grinned.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank you.¡±


    Then Selene hung up and received a new call. This time, from the police.


    ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Selene Morris?¡±


    ¡±It is.¡± She replied.


    ¡±We¡¯ve found the robbers. Pleasee to the police station.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯lle right now.¡±


    When she arrived at the station, a policeman led her to an interview room to identify the robbers.


    The robbers sat in the room, lined up, so their faces were visible. Then, when they saw Selene, they lowered their heads.


    ¡°Miss Morris. You told me that the robbers wore masks and one of them had a scar on the corner of his eyes. Do you recognize any of them?¡±


    Selene nodded confidently without missing a beat. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s them. These are the robbers.¡±


    One of the used men raised his head. ¡°Miss,¡± He pleaded. ¡®We only took the money. We didn¡¯t start the fire.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± The policeman demanded. ¡°Miss Morris. Would you mind following me? We want to record a statement from you.¡±


    Selene followed him to a different room. ¡°We¡¯ve acquired security footage from the bank. At 11:30 p. m. on that night, they took out some money from your bank ount. The next morning, they took some more. The two both admitted to the robbing, but they denied having started the fire.¡±


    ¡°I think it was around 1:00 a. m. when the fire started. Do they have alibis?¡±


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t. That¡¯s why we don¡¯t believe them.¡±


    ¡°I know there¡¯s no evidence for this, but I truly think that it¡¯s not them who set my store on fire.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± The police officer asked with furrowed brows.


    ¡°While I was locked in the warehouse, I heard some light footsteps just before the fire started. It didn¡¯t sound like these two robbers. Whoever it was, the person ran away when I made some noise. The two robbers would not have run away since they both knew I was locked in the warehouse.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why have you not told us this earlier?¡±


    ¡°I was in the hospital, and I couldn¡¯t speak. It was just a suspicion of mine, and it wasn¡¯t based on hard evidence, so I didn¡¯t tell you in case it would interfere with your investigation.¡±


    The policeman nodded. ¡°We will look into it. But, right now, the only evidence we have is the robbers¡¯ confession. If they deny starting the fire, there¡¯s no way to convict them. We will continue our investigation.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Selene answered.


    After she walked out of the police station, Selene saw a familiar car parked by the roadside. Clint stood by the car.


    ¡°Hi, Why are you here?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°The police called. They told me they¡¯d found the robbers, so I decided toe by.¡± He opened the door on the passenger side. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home.¡±


    Selene frowned and hesitated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no hidden intentions.¡± Clint joked with a smile.


    Selene thought for a while, then got into the car.

 Chapter 74: Will It Makes Any Difference?

    ¡°Did they admit to setting the store on fire?¡±


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t.¡± She paused for a while, then continued, ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    Clint smiled, ¡°Robbing you for your money should have been enough. Killing you would have been unnecessary. Is there someone out there who wants you dead?¡±


    Selene thought that she was just a normal person who didn¡¯t wrong anyone to the extent that they¡¯d want her dead. So why would anyone want to kill her?


    She thought that something strange was going on. And now, she wanted to change the subject.


    ¡°Have you found any suitable tailors?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°Yes. The dresses will be ready tomorrow.¡±


    Selene trusted him.


    After that, they went to a private restaurant to have lunch.


    After ordering, Selene suddenly came up with something. ¡°I need to go out for a while.¡±


    When she returned, the dishes they had ordered were on the table. ¡°What did you do just now? Clint asked with curiosity etched on his face.


    ¡°I made a quick visit to the bank to do something.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Clint said, not enquiring any further.


    Neither of them spoke during the meal, as both of them were deep in thought.


    After finishing, Selene put down her fork and looked at Clint. ¡°Thank you for your help. You saved me in more ways than one. I really appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Clint smiled slightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to remain in your debt, so here¡¯s a check -it¡¯s 300, 000 dors.¡± Selene took out the check from her bag. ¡°I know this is probably a small change for you, but money is money, so please take it.¡±


    Clint¡¯s smile faded, and a scowl reced it. ¡°300, 000 dors? Are you serious?¡± He sneered.


    ¡°If you think that¡¯s not enough, then please tell me how much you want, within reason.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve saved your life. How much is your life worth? Is 1 billion dors ¡®within reason?¡± He spat.


    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s too much.¡± Selene looked at him with a nk expression.


    Clint took the check from her hand and tore it up into pieces. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money. If that makes you feel like you owe me something, then so be it. At least you won¡¯t forget me.¡±


    ¡°Calm down and be reasonable. You know we can¡¯t be together.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Clint stood up and grabbed her arm.


    Selene struggled to pull her arm away but failed.


    ¡°Is this about my stepmother? So what if she¡¯s your biological one? You should just ept it and let it go. Is this the reason why you don¡¯t want to be together with me?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Selene said angrily.


    ¡°Why should I shut up? Our parents¡¯ business has nothing to do with me!¡±


    ¡°Let me go.¡± Selene felt heartbroken.


    ¡°Okay. If you can¡¯t face reality, let me take you to meet my mom. If you still hold a grudge against her, you can tell her face to face.¡±


    ¡°Clint. That¡¯s enough!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve also had enough!¡±


    Clint forcefully picked up Selene and carried her out of the restaurant. The waitresses knew Clint, and they didn¡¯t stop him.


    Selene tried to get out of his grasp, but Clint was too strong. He opened the door and pushed her into the car.


    ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t want to see that woman ever again.¡±


    Clint ignored her and started driving fast.


    Selene had never seen him acting so crazy and out of control, but she wasn¡¯t afraid of him.


    He drove very fast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me hate you!¡± Selene said after finally calming down.


    ¡°Will it make any difference?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to meet her!¡± Selene covered her face.


    The car came to a stop as they reached a car park.


    Before Selene could react, Clint undid his seatbelt, leaned forward, and pulled Selene into an embrace. He then touched her face and found her dry lips, pressing his own against them.


    The soft kiss turned into a French kiss. Selene stopped struggling.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay. Then you will never meet her.¡± He muttered against her lips as he pulled away. ¡°I was close to giving up on loving you, and I wanted to move on. But the day I rescued you from the fire, I realized how truly terrified I am of losing you.¡±


    Selene looked at him without blinking, and her eyes started tearing up slightly.


    Clint touched her face gently. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to do something you don¡¯t want to do. But maybe you could give us a second chance. Think about it.¡±


    He gave her a worried look. He seemed like he knew what her answer would be, but he was nervous nheless.


    After a few moments of silence, Selene gave him a slight nod. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Clint let out a rxing sigh, ¡°Okay. Let me know when you¡¯ve made up your mind.¡±


    ¡°Give me some space until I make a decision,¡± Selene said.


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll leave you alone. I¡¯ll wait for you to contact me.¡±


    Clint kept his promise. The next day, he got someone else to deliver the dresses to Selene.


    When Selene took a close look at them, she found that all three dresses had fully met her expectations. Moreover, they were made at an even higher quality as she could have managed herself in peak condition.


    She took out her phone and was about to call Clint to thank him. But, remembering their conversation from the previous day, she chose to send him a text instead. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    A reply came soon after. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Everything was going very smoothly. Then, two weekster, JU Brand announced the finalists of thepetition, and Selene was one of them.


    By then, Selene had fully recovered, her store had been rebuilt, and she was back in business. The only annoying matter was that the two robbers had denied starting the fire. But the police did not find any alibis or other suspects.


    The policeman told Selene that if the robbers did not admit that they had set the store on fire, they would divide the case into two: one separate case for the robbery and another one for the fire. This would mean that the two events would be treated aspletely different incidents.

 Chapter 75: You Need Protection

    By intuition, Selene had a strong suspicion that someone else was responsible for the fire, so she was happy about the news.


    Since Selene had made it to the finals of the JU Brandpetition, she was now one of the brand designers. This gave cause for celebration, and she invited Austin and Emily to do just that.


    The three went to a restaurant to celebrate and paid for a private room. Selene even chose to drink some alcohol, which was something she hadn¡¯t done in a long while.


    So, after dinner, they drank, talked, and sang karaoke in the room. They were all very happy!This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    By the end of the night, Emily and Selene were slightly drunk. They stood in front of the restaurant, waiting for their sober designated driver, Austin, to bring his car around to pick them up.


    ¡°Congrattions, Selene Morris.¡± Came a surly voice.


    Selene turned back only to see Jennifer Keller. Apanying her were several young and stylish-looking guys, along with her ¡®henchman¡¯, Dan. Jennifer and Dan¡¯s arms were locked, and they stood close to each other, almost intimate-like.


    Emily turned back, too. When she saw them, she startedughing. ¡°Hi, Miss Keller, ¡®designer of the year.¡¯ Long time no see. I bet you didn¡¯t expect Selene to be a designer for JU Brand, did you?¡±


    ¡°It was luck.¡± Jennifer snorted.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re happy with the designs you stole from me. You¡¯ll give me a share of the profits, right?¡± Selene sneered.


    ¡°Do you have any proof for that? If you don¡¯t, then shut up.¡± Jennifer retorted coldly.


    ¡°You must¡¯ve thought your trick would ruin my chances with JU Brand, but I¡¯m smart and took care of it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug.¡± Jennifer¡¯s expression froze.


    ¡°This is a new low for you, Jennifer. You know you can¡¯te up with any good designs yourself, so you resort to stealing someone else¡¯s. You should be ashamed.¡± Emily said.


    Jennifer looked at Emily contemptuously. ¡°My only shame is conversing with a failure like you. All those years of work, and you have nothing to show for it. And I see that you still haven¡¯t found anyone to rece your ex who left you back in college.¡±


    That made Emily angry. ¡°All your sess is thanks to your wealthy family. Everyone knows it.¡±


    Selene started dragging Emily away, worried that things would eventually get out of hand.


    But it was toote.


    Jennifer suddenly scowled. ¡°Was it you who posted that stuff about me copying others?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was me. I only posted the truth!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Jennifer was too angry to speak. She raised her hand to p Emily, but Selene got in the way. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Jennifer!¡±


    Jennifer¡¯s blood boiled, and she turned to Dan. ¡°Beat them up until their faces are unrecognizable.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Dan smiled cooperatively.


    Selene¡¯s heart started to race as she panicked. Dan was a yboy who would do anything for Jennifer.


    Selene looked as the other two men who had been standing behind Dan started walking towards her and Emily. She pulled Emily back and was ready to run.


    Right then, they parked Austin¡¯s car.


    He hurriedly got out of the car and got in front of Emily and Selene. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯ve called the police.¡±


    The two men hesitated.


    Jennifer snorted. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Dan said,forting her. ¡±We can deal with it next time.¡±


    They all got into a car nearby.


    Before Selene turned to leave, Jennifer walked up to her again. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been robbed, and someone tried to kill you in a fire.¡± She said with a half-smile.


    Selene was shocked. She looked at Jennifer carefully, and she noticed something.


    Under the street light, Jennifer¡¯s evil smirk gave her a truly evil look. She had always thought of Jennifer as overlypetitive, but now she realized that there was something very dark hidden inside of her.


    Selene raised the corner of her lips and smiled. ¡°Yes. You must be very disappointed that I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. The fire should¡¯ve killed you. That would¡¯ve made me very happy.¡±


    Jennifer started walking away, but Selene stepped in front of her.


    ¡±So, it¡¯s you who started the fire,¡± Selene said usingly.


    Jennifer kept smiling, but her expression was hiding something. She raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°You should show some proof instead of making such baseless usations.¡± She retorted arrogantly.


    Selene looked at Jennifer angrily. ¡°You¡¯re worse than I ever thought. You¡¯re an evil bitch. If it¡¯s you who started the fire, I promise you¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Again, where¡¯s your proof? Stop ndering me, or I¡¯ll get you in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Proof? I¡¯ll show you proof!¡± Selene smiled coldly.


    Jennifer snorted, turned away angrily, then left.


    Selene looked at her disappearing form, thought for a while, then walked to Austin¡¯s car and got in.


    Emily looked at Selene curiously, as she had been gone for a while. ¡°What did you two talk about?¡± She asked. ¡±Jennifer seemed mad at you.¡±


    Selene shook her head as she settled down in the front passenger seat. She then turned back to Emily. ¡°Jennifer is different; She used to be all bark and no bite, but now she¡¯s dangerous. It would be best if you watched out because there¡¯s no telling what she¡¯ll do to you. She knows that you were the one who exposed her giarism online.¡±


    ¡°What a lovely ex-ssmate you have.¡± Austin sighed sympathetically as he started driving.


    ¡°How could we have known?¡± Emily dered sadly.


    ¡°Guys,¡± Selene said. ¡±I think Jennifer is the one who started the fire.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Austin said in surprise as he pushed down the brake pedal. The car came to a sudden stop, causing all three to plunge forward slightly.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± Selene patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Are you serious? Did she really try to kill you?¡± Austin asked with a bbergasted expression.


    Emily was also shocked by Selene¡¯s statement. ¡°How sure are you about this? I know she¡¯s a bitch, but would she really go that far?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. The robbers won¡¯t admit to it, which might be either because they don¡¯t want to be used of trying to kill me or because they really didn¡¯t do it.¡± She paused for a while, then continued, ¡°But when I spoke to Jennifer just now, I could see it on her face. I think she wants me dead.¡±

 Chapter 76: You Don’t Look Convinced

    Emily covered her mouth. ¡°If she really started the fire, she could be put away in prison for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she got someone else to do it. She wouldn¡¯t risk doing it herself in case she gets caught. Dan could¡¯ve asked someone he knows to do it.¡±


    ¡°So, she got someone else to do her dirty work?¡± Emily asked.


    ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t mean to kill me. Whoever set the fire didn¡¯t know I was locked in the warehouse. If caught, whoever did it would be charged with manughter, not murder.¡±


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, you almost died because of her! If she really is responsible for the fire, she really needs to go down for it. Did she want to beat our faces tonight and possibly disfigure us? I didn¡¯t see it. We need to take measures to protect ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Emily. You need to stay safe and keep away from her. But it¡¯ll be trickier for me since we work in the same field, especially now that I¡¯m working with JU Brand. She really hates my guts. She¡¯s probably nning something else as we speak.¡±


    ¡°You need to be careful,¡± Emily said worriedly.


    Austin started the car again and gave Selene a worried look. ¡±I¡¯ll never leave you alone again from now on.¡±


    ¡°You want to be my bodyguard?¡± Seleneughed.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Austin nodded, ¡°You need protection.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, and just live your life. I¡¯ll take care of myself. Besides, even if you¡¯re with me 24/7, what will you do? You¡¯re an engineer, not a UFC fighter or a military vet. Also, I doubt they¡¯ll try to do anything to me during the daytime, and I just won¡¯t go out alone at night.¡±


    ¡°Let me at least take you to work every day.¡±


    ****


    In the next few days, Jennifer did not give Selene any more trouble.


    One weekter, however, Selene suddenly received a call from the police, who told her that the robbers had admitted to starting the fire.


    Selene didn¡¯t believe it for one second and rushed to the police office as quickly as she could.


    When she arrived, Selene was surprised to see Clint Denovan there.


    He greeted her with a smile. ¡°The police just called me.¡±


    He seemed to be in a good mood. Maybe that was because the crime was finally solved.


    Selene nodded at him. She wanted to exin her doubts but chose to put them off untilter. The police officer then led them into his office.


    ¡°The case has finally been solved.¡± The policeman smiled, letting out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Did the suspects really admit to the fire?¡± Selene frowned.


    ¡°One of the two robbers admitted that he set the fire by himself. It¡¯s just as I had expected; He was afraid of being charged with homicide.¡± The policeman exined.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then why did he admit to it all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I guess our interviewing techniques wore him down.¡±


    ¡°So, the case is solved, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve told you before that we would charge whoever started the fire with homicide. And we will do this on the basis of strong evidence that we have found.¡±


    ¡°What evidence?¡±


    The security cameras on the shop¡¯s side of the street were destroyed, but the ones across on the other side were not. So we checked the footage and found the suspect appearing at three minutes past 1 a. m., right about when the fire was started.¡±


    Selene scanned the video. Just because he was there when the fire had started didn¡¯t necessarily mean that he was the one who did it. But now that he had admitted to it, the police naturally closed the case as solved.


    ¡°What¡¯ s wrong? Are you unhappy about the result?¡±


    Selene shook her head but nodded after that.


    ¡°Miss Morris thought that someone else had started the fire, so she is now a little surprised to hear that the suspect admitted to it.¡± Clint chimed in.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m surprised, indeed.¡± Selene nodded.


    When they left the police office, Selene wasden with anxiety. She walked very fast and ignored Clint, who was following her. When Selene walked into the road, Clint pulled her back on the pavement. ¡°Why are you so disappointed? He admitted to the crime.¡± He said.


    Selene suddenly looked at him, expressionless, without saying anything.


    Clint felt at a loss and waved his hand in front of her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Selene turned to look at the cars driving past in the street. ¡°He didn¡¯t set the fire.¡± She said, her tone not betraying any emotion.


    ¡°How can you say that? He has admitted to the crime, and the police showed us the evidence. It must be him. Who else would burn your store and try to kill you?¡±


    ¡°Jennifer Keller.¡±


    Clint¡¯s face went nk for a while until he finally recovered and gave her a half-smile. ¡°What are you talking about? She wouldn¡¯t do anything like that. She¡¯s not evil.¡±


    ¡°What about Dan? Would he do anything that Jennifer asks him to do?¡±


    ¡°Dan is just a yboy wannabe. He wouldn¡¯t be capable of doing something like this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? They are your friends, so you must know them quite well.¡±


    ¡°Please be reasonable about this. I know you two have shed a lot in the past, but do you really think she¡¯d ask someone to start a fire and kill someone?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t intend to kill me. She just wanted to burn my dresses so that I wouldn¡¯t be able to continue in the JU Brandpetition. They didn¡¯t know I was locked in the warehouse.¡±


    Clint seemed full of doubt.


    Selene looked at him and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t look convinced.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You may be right, but is there any evidence for this?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s probably lost forever.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of your history with a person, you shouldn¡¯t use someone of a crime like this without evidence.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t believe that the fire that nearly killed me had anything to do with Jennifer. Do you?¡±


    ¡°I believe in evidence.¡± Clint smiled helplessly.


    ¡°I see.¡±

 Chapter 77: Are You Serious?

    Clint saw her cold expression. ¡°Do you hate me for this?¡±


    Selene shook her head. ¡°I just believe that birds of a feather flock together.¡±


    Clint felt helpless. ¡°I¡¯ve known both Dan and Jennifer for a very long time, but I¡¯ve actually spent very little time with them over the years. So we are into different things, and we¡¯re also very different from each other.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Selene sneered.


    The conclusion of the case angered Selene to no end. She knew that she shouldn¡¯t vent her anger on Clint, but his seemingly misced trust in Jennifer and Dan made her believe that Clint was as evil as them.


    Clint noticed her apparent anger and squinted his eyes. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m not like them. I¡¯ve worked for everything I have, and I don¡¯t depend on my parents. And even though Dan and Jennifer get help from their families, they also work hard to achieve their goals.¡±


    Thest sentence made Selene¡¯s left eye twitch.


    ¡±Hate them all you want,¡± Clint continued. ¡±But please don¡¯t use them baselessly of attempted murder.¡±


    ¡°If I had evidence, would you beg me not to get them in trouble?¡± Seleneughed slightly.


    ¡°Of course not. If they go against thew, they should be punished. But, if they really tried to kill you, they¡¯d be no different than the murderers in jail.¡±


    ¡°You sound righteous, but you don¡¯t actually believe that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t believe that at all.¡±


    Selene didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation, so she walked forward into the street to wave down a taxi.


    Clint went after her. ¡°Let me take you home.¡±


    ¡°No. As we¡¯ve established before, we shouldn¡¯t meet until I¡¯ve decided for us.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll wait.¡± Clint stood there and didn¡¯t make any attempts to stop her or say anything else.


    When Selene got into a taxi, she called Austin. ¡°One of the robbers admitted to starting the fire.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Austin was shocked. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯ve both been denying it for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the police showed me security footage of the robber entering my store at around the time the fire started.¡±


    ¡°So, is the video valid evidence?¡±


    ¡°The police say it is. And they want to close the case.¡±


    ¡°Do you still think it was Jennifer?¡±


    Selene kept silent for a while. ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know why he would suddenly admit to it. But, of course, since he knew I was in the warehouse, he would be charged with murder. But if it turned out that Jennifer sent someone to start the fire, the robber might be charged with manughter or something less severe.¡±


    ¡°So, the robber wouldn¡¯t admit to starting the fire if he really didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? Was it the robber who did it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I trust your instinct,¡± Austin said after thinking for a while.


    Selene¡¯s bad mood was soothed by Austin. Austin trusted her, but Clint chose to ce his trust in Jennifer.


    ¡°I trust you unconditionally!¡± Austin added.


    ¡°I feel honored.¡± Seleneughed.


    ¡°Now, what should we do? If we make a request, will the police continue the investigation?¡±


    ¡°Probably not unless new evidence is found.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find some proof sooner orter. First, let¡¯s look into the background of the robber. If he was paid off by Jennifer, maybe we could find something that connects them.¡±


    After three days of hard investigative work, they finally found information about the robber¡¯s family. His wife had divorced him two years ago. After that, he lived by himself, often getting involved in petty crime.


    Maybe Jennifer had not paid him off.


    Hitting a deadlock, Selene nned to put it down for a while. Instead, she started to wonder if she had wronged Jennifer by using her of the fire.


    Selene wondered if she should just drop her theory that Jennifer was involved with the situation at all.


    Now, Selene was busier and busier with her design work. She had started to work with JU Brand, and the first fashion show would be held soon.


    Selene no longer had spare time to deal with such things now.


    Four designers took part in the fashion show; two of them were veterans in the field, and Selene was one of the neers. She felt nervous about the whole thing.


    After the models showed off the designs, the designers came on to be acknowledged. Selene followed the other three designers onto the stage.


    She felt that her life was wonderful. Several days ago, she was just a simple owner of a small clothing store, and now she was stepping on such a splendid stage.


    She looked at the spectators, who all apuded happily, especially Austin. She smiled at him and saw Clint Denovan there, too.


    Clint was sitting in the corner, most of him obscured by darkness. But Selene could tell it was him by his unique face and the way he was sitting.


    Clint was pping and looked very calm. He smiled slightly, and Selene could feel his happiness.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ****


    After the post-show celebrations, it was nearly midnight. Selene exited the hotel and said goodbye to her colleagues. She then met up with Austin, who was waiting for her. The two walked to the parking lot shoulder to shoulder.


    ¡°You looked amazing on the stage!¡±


    Selene was in a good mood. ¡°Really?¡± She asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°Of course! You look even more beautiful than the models.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right! Those were top models!¡±


    ¡°In my mind, you are the most beautiful one.¡±


    Austin was so devoted to her, even after so many years had passed. Selene suddenly thought it might be a good choice to live the rest of her life with Austin.


    The light was dim in the underground parking lot, and they could barely see anything in the distance.


    ¡°Selene Morris.¡± A voice interrupted their conversation.


    Austin and Selene turned around to see Jennifer Keller stepping out from a parked car. Due to the dimness of the light, Selene could not figure out her facial expression. But, when Jennifer walked closer, Selene saw a face of pure hatred.

 Chapter 78: His Voice Was Full Of Anger

    ¡°Should I congratte you? You finally had a quarter show of your own.¡± Jennifer smiled ironically.


    Selene stepped out of the car and came face to face with Jennifer.


    ¡°It may be one quarter, but I earned it through hard work, not money. Besides, I made a lot of cash from it.¡± Selene retorted.


    Jennifer became angrier. ¡°Do you really think you will be sessful just because you work with JU Brand? You don¡¯t have connections. I¡¯ll destroy you easily.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? So why didn¡¯t you destroy me already?¡±


    ¡°You got luckyst time.¡± Jennifer snorted.


    ¡°Oh, so was it you who started the fire?¡± Selene frowned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t start the fire, and you have no proof. Besides, I¡¯ve heard that the suspect has admitted to starting the fire. So stop ndering me, or I¡¯ll sue you for trying to ruin my reputation.¡±


    ¡°Your own actions will ruin your reputation,¡± Selene said. Then, after thinking for a while, Selene suddenly smiled. ¡°Yes, I have no connections nor a rich family. But what about Clint Denovan? If I marry him, will you still have a chance to destroy me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Jennifer bit down hatefully. ¡°Clint won¡¯t marry you.¡±


    ¡°Really? How about I ask him in front of you? Let¡¯s see what he says.¡± Then Selene took out her mobile phone from her bag and dialed Clint¡¯s number.


    Clint answered quickly. ¡°Are you alright? Are you home yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, Clint. Thank you for attending the show tonight.¡± Selene smiled.


    ¡°Oh. So, you saw me in the audience?¡± Clintughed.


    ¡°Clint. I¡¯ve been thinking. Let¡¯s get back together.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Will you marry me?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°Yes, of course, I will. But you¡­¡±


    Jennifer was fuming. She grabbed Selene¡¯s phone and screamed, ¡°Clint! She¡¯s manipting you. Don¡¯t fall for it!¡±


    ¡°Jenni?¡± Before he could react, the signal became weak. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Jennifer did not answer. Selene took back her phone and, in the process, ended the call by ident.


    ¡°Dan! Come over here,¡± Jennifer shouted crazily.


    The doors of a nearby car opened, and Dan stepped out with two other men. He then quickly rushed to Jennifer¡¯s side. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she burn to death? Why? Why does Clint love her?¡± Jennifer rambled.


    Dan pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Is she bullying you again? Let me teach her a lesson.¡±


    Then, the two other men behind Dan came forward with rubber sticks in their hands.


    ¡°What are you doing? Get back!¡± Austin stepped out of the car with urgency and stood in front of Selene.


    Dan looked at him and sneered. ¡°Calling the police again, aren¡¯t we? Don¡¯t worry. This time, we¡¯ll teach you a lesson you won¡¯t forget.¡±


    Dan led Jennifer into the car. The other two men with sticks started advancing toward Selene and Austin.


    Austin extended his arms. ¡°Leave her out of this. Would you really beat a woman?¡±


    Dan, whose back was against them, suddenly turned back. ¡°Don¡¯t beat her, but mess up her face real good. Let¡¯s see if Denovan still loves her when she¡¯s not much to look at.¡±


    The two men with clubs looked tough and intimidating.


    Austin knew that he and Selene stood no chance, so he quickly turned back, opened the car door, and pushed Selene inside. However, as he stepped inside, one of the men grabbed him from the back and threw him outside the car on the ground.


    Hearing themotion, Selene wanted to check on Austin, but she was also grabbed. Pain shot through her right arm. Ignoring the pain, she threw her bag into the man¡¯s face.


    That just made the thug angrier. He grabbed Selene¡¯s two hands with one of his and used the other to p Selene hard over the face¡­


    Hearing Selene being pped, Austin quickly stood up, ignoring the thug in front of him, and ran to the other man attacking Selene. He dragged the man away from Selene with his full strength. ¡°Selene, ask for help from the guards.¡± He shouted.


    Selene¡¯s face was hot with pain. She was very angry and wanted to fight to the death with them. But knowing that she and Austin would not be able to win the fight, she took off her high heels and ran off.


    She only managed to run several steps before she was tripped up and fell to the ground.


    Austin, who was also on the floor nearby, rolled to Selene and hugged her tightly to prevent the two muscr men from hurting her.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The two men could not do anything to Selene now, so they began beating Austin in their earnestness.


    And he couldn¡¯t help groaning in pain but still hugged Selene tightly.


    Selene couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so she tried to push Austin off her. ¡°Please let me go.¡± She cried at Austin. ¡±They won¡¯t stop until they beat or scratch my face.¡±


    Austin hugged her more tightly after hearing that. ¡°You idiot, if they only scratch your face, the police won¡¯t do much. But if I get severely injured by them, they¡¯ll get in trouble.¡±


    Soon after that, Austin didn¡¯t have the power to hold Selene anymore, and he was pulled off Selene. One of them kicked him on the ground, and the other stepped on his stomach. After that, Austin couldn¡¯t move anymore.


    The glint of a knife drew Selene¡¯s attention. One of the thugs waved it in front of Selene.


    ¡°Stop struggling. It¡¯s useless. We¡¯re just following orders. We won¡¯t ruin your face too much. We don¡¯t wanna get locked up.¡±


    Seeing Austin in pain on the ground, Selene gave in. ¡°Okay, just do it. But let him go.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The man moved his foot away from Austin¡¯s stomach and crouched to tie his hands together.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Austin protested loudly.


    The man in front of Selene brandished his knife and ignored Austin¡¯s screaming. He lowered his head, grabbed hold of Selene¡¯s shoulder, and half-smiled.


    But his eyes suddenly went wide with terror. ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± He exhaled in pain.


    Selene had kicked him in the crotch hard.


    ¡°Oh, bitch, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

 Chapter 79: Stop Pretending

    Before Selene could run away, she was caught by the man again.


    He quickly nipped her neck without any hesitation and was ready to cut into her face with the knife.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Before the thug could move any further, a phone hit him square on the forehead. Selene broke free from his grasp as he recoiled in pain.


    Clint Denovan stepped forward, and before the man reacted, Clint kicked him in the forehead. The man fell to the ground and rolled over in pain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Clint asked as he carried her away.


    Selene shook her head.


    The thug with the knife got up from the floor and brandished his knife again. ¡°This is none of your business. Leave, or I¡¯ll cut you too.¡±


    Clint snorted and shouted, ¡°Jennifer, Dan,e out here.¡±


    His voice was full of anger.


    The headlights of a nearby car turned on, and the driver honked. Dan lifted his head out of the car and smiled. ¡°All right, Clint. You¡¯re here. Let¡¯s make peace.¡±


    The two men stepped back, and Austin, who was on the ground, coughed ufortably.


    Dan got out of the car. ¡°We were just messing around. Don¡¯t be so serious. It¡¯s Miss Morris who started it. I just wanted to teach her a small lesson.¡±


    Jennifer ran to Clint, sobbing. ¡°Selene is so horrible to me. She made up stories about me online, using me of copying others so that I would get dropped out of thepetition. She also ridiculed me today at her fashion show. I just wanted to teach her a lesson about being humble.¡±


    Selene sneered and walked to Austin. ¡°Are you alright? Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    She helped Austin into his car¡¯s passenger seat. She was about to get in, too, so she could drive him to the hospital when Jennifer suddenly called her name. ¡°Selene Morris. Let¡¯s be honest in front of Clint. Tell him everything.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to talk about with you,¡± Selene said.


    ¡°So, you suddenly changed your mind?¡±


    Selene stopped in her tracks and turned back impatiently. ¡°Fine. Say what you have to say.¡±


    ¡°Clint. Just now, when Selene called you to get back together, she didn¡¯t really mean it. She only did it to provoke me.¡±


    Clint frowned and gave Selene an inquisitive look.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Selene said nkly.


    ¡°Did you hear that, Clint? She just took advantage of you only to get back at me.¡±


    Clint looked at Selene. ¡°So you didn¡¯t actually mean what you said?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t.¡± Selene calmly replied.


    Clint kept silent.


    ¡°Selene is also using me of getting someone to set her store on fire. It¡¯s terrible of her to make such baseless usations. That¡¯s why I asked Dan to teach her a lesson.¡±


    Selene red at her. ¡°Stop pretending. You know full well what you did. The truth wille out eventually!


    ¡°Do you see what she¡¯s doing, Clint?¡± Jennifer sobbed.


    ¡°Okay, Selene. Would you mind making apromise? What they did today is definitely wrong, but stop provoking them with these usations.¡± Clintforted.


    ¡°Selene, Selene¡­ I need to go to the hospital now!¡± Austin knocked at the car window.


    Selene suddenly remembered Austin¡¯s condition and quickly got into the car, then drove away with Austin.


    Dan embarrassedly came forward and greeted Clint. ¡°So¡­ uh¡­ what brought you out here tonight?¡±


    ¡°I came here to stop you guys from doing something stupid,¡± Clint replied coldly.


    ¡°I just wanted to scare her.¡± Dan smiled, ¡°I know you love her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Clint nced at them. ¡°You¡¯d do good to remember that.¡±


    Dan nodded.


    But Jennifer was still unhappy. ¡°You heard what she said. Why do you still love her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my concern.¡±


    Jennifer started to cry again. Dan quicklyforted her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jenni. Clint is doing it for you.¡±


    Clint looked at them, then shook his head, leaving.


    Selene drove the car as fast as she legally could. Austin covered his stomach with his hand and coughed. Suddenly, he coughed up some blood.


    ¡°What happened? Why is there blood?¡± Selene asked with fear and worry in her tone.


    ¡°I was kicked in the stomach. It really hurts.¡±


    ¡°My God. We¡¯re close to the hospital now.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    When they arrived, Austin was full of sweat, and his face was pale.


    He was swiftly taken to the emergency room.


    Selene waited outside impatiently until the doctor walked out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Selene asked worriedly


    ¡°The physical trauma he suffered caused some internal bleeding.¡±


    ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°It may be. We¡¯ve done what we could to stop the bleeding, but he will need to be kept under constant medical observation for a few days to decide whether surgery is needed.¡±


    Then Selene walked into Austin¡¯s room to keep himpany. A few hourster, Austin finally woke up. He looked at Selene, whose eyes were bloodshot from tiredness.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Just the usual stomach trouble.¡± Austin smiled at her in an attempt tofort her.


    Selene rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s gastric perforation  not the ¡®usual trouble¡¯. I¡¯ve called the police. What they did to us is a crime. We will press charges.¡±


    Austin stretched out his hand to hold Selene¡¯s and smiled. ¡°At least you¡¯re alright. If they had cut your face, I would¡¯ve had no choice but to marry you since no one else would have. That¡¯s terrible!¡±


    Selene was neither able to cry nor tough. ¡°How can you joke at a time like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing that I¡¯m hurt. We now have something to get them in trouble for.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s me who should be hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that if they had left a cut on your face, it wouldn¡¯t have been serious enough for the police to do something about it.¡±


    ¡°So you just lied there and let them kick you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and thanks to Clint, it didn¡¯t get worse.¡±


    ¡°Those were dangerous men. We should¡¯ve run away.¡±


    ¡°I could not let them hurt you. What about you and Clint?¡±


    Selene suddenly became serious. ¡°I have once considered getting back together with him, but now I¡¯ve realized that we live in different worlds.

 Chapter 80: Please Listen To Me

    His reality is the same as Dan and Jennifer. He trusts them but not me.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Austin replied with a smile.


    After hearing Austin¡¯s deration, Selene¡¯s eyes filled up with tears. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯ll wait for me, you idiot?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe that there was someone who cared for her that much.


    Austin smiled slightly and gently brushed two fingers along her face. ¡°That thug hit you hard. Does it still hurt?¡±


    Selene shook her head. ¡°You should rest. I¡¯ll go check when the police officeres.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Selene stepped out of the room, she saw Clint exiting from the lift and walking towards her. ¡°How is he?¡± Clint asked.


    ¡°Are you more worried for Austin or for Jennifer and Dan, who may be in trouble with the police?¡± Selene asked coldly, scowling at him.


    ¡°If Austin was badly hurt, then they¡¯vemitted a crime, and they should go down for that,¡± Clint said, a little taken aback by Selene¡¯s outburst.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re awfully righteous all of a sudden.¡±


    Clint didn¡¯t know how to respond to her irony and venom. So, instead, he gently grabbed Selene¡¯s arm. ¡°Selene, please listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Listen to what? Was Jennifer only kidding when she ordered her goons to attack us? Should I just not call the police? That¡¯s what you want, isn¡¯t it?¡± Selene threw away his hand and smiled self-deprecatingly.


    ¡°You know what hurtst night? It wasn¡¯t the p from the thug but the way you calmly dealt with Jennifer and Dan. I finally realized who truly loves me. That person is not you.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to defuse the situation. Unfortunately, the thug had a knife¡­¡± Clint attempted to touch the red skin on her face, but Selene evaded him.


    ¡°You what?¡± Selene coldly looked at him. ¡°If you really love me, then you should take revenge on Dan and Jennifer by beating them up just like they did to us, not protect them.¡±


    ¡°Violence doesn¡¯t solve problems.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you only trust ¡®evidence andw.¡± Selene sneered.


    ¡°Yes, evidencees first.¡± Clint sighed. ¡°Selene, please trust me. I¡¯m not protecting Jennifer and Dan. They are nothing to mepared to you.¡±


    ¡°Please stop. I¡¯ve heard that many times. I used to think that I¡¯m very important to you. Butst night, you proved me wrong. Even now, you protect them but care little about me.¡±


    ¡°Selene, please. I¡¯m not protecting them, it¡¯s just that now is not the right time to fight them face to face.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are your friends, and your families have known each other for a long time. You would never go against them.¡± Selene gave him a cold look. ¡°But you don¡¯t feel the same about me. Our rtionship is weak and dispensable. Clint Denovan, I don¡¯t want to see you ever again.¡±


    ¡°Selene,¡± Clint grabbed her arm again with a gentle grip. ¡°Please give me more time. I¡¯ll take care of this, and you¡¯ll be happy with the result.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t hear me- Leave me alone!¡±


    Clint¡¯s phone rang in his pocket. He let go of her and took it out while Selene started to walk away.


    ¡°Hello, officer. This is Clint Denovan speaking.¡±


    Selene stopped, turning around.


    ¡°What? Did he say anything? Okay. I¡¯ll inform Selene.¡±


    He hung up the phone and looked at Selene with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°The suspect is dying.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°The suspect who admitted to setting the store on fire has terminal-stage cancer, and he¡¯s in bad condition right now. He¡¯ll probably die soon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, wide-eyed. ¡°Did he change his statement?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s refusing to answer any questions from the police.¡±


    Since they didn¡¯t have any substantial evidence, the suspect was the only lead who could help them find the true culprit.


    Clint noticed Selene¡¯s worried expression. ¡°He deserves it.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s your two best friends who would deserve this. They are the ones who started the fire.¡± Selene red at him angrily.


    She turned to leave but was grabbed by Clint again. She struggled briefly, then pped his face hard. ¡°Everything you say is making this worse.¡± She said.¡± Just stop.¡±


    Clint seemed to be unaffected by the p, but he wore a sad expression. ¡°Selene¡­¡± He started saying again.


    The news that the suspect was dying finally started to sink in, and Selene couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Shut up and go away!¡± She shouted loudly, her voice echoing in the hospital corridor. ¡°Go back to your beloved parents and Jennifer.¡±


    A nearby door opened, and an irritated doctor¡¯s face popped out. ¡°Please keep your voice down, miss. You will wake up the patients.¡±


    Selene regained herposure and left embarrassed.


    Clint nkly looked at Selene¡¯s leaving form and angrily grabbed his short hair. Finally, he turned to a wall and banged his head against it out of frustration.


    ¡°Sir. Please be quiet.¡± The doctor reminded again, then mmed the door.


    ****


    Half an hourter, the police officer finally arrived to speak and take their statement. After that, they had to wait for a medical report for Austin¡¯s injuries.


    Soon after, the report arrived, but the results disappointed both Austin and Selene; Austin¡¯s pre-existing severe stomach condition undermined any new injuries he may have suffered.


    In addition, the two thugs hired by Dan denied that Dan had asked them to beat up Austin and Selene. Instead, they both imed that they did it out of their own volition.


    Selene realized money was a powerful thing. But, unfortunately, it could make people do terrible things.


    In the end, only the two thugs went to prison. Dan was freed after having been bailed out.


    Unfortunately, the main suspect died three dayster without saying anything else about the case. That meant that the case remained unchanged, and he was still believed to be the one whomitted the crime.


    Selene didn¡¯t think that the robber was bought off by Jennifer; he just suffered from an incurable disease and had nothing left to live for. So he didn¡¯t care about anything.


    As someone who was dying, it made little difference to him at the conclusion of this criminal case.

 Chapter 81: I Did Something Stupid Today

    Consequently, the case was deemed solved.


    The robber was dead, but the real culprit, in Selene¡¯s eyes, was not caught.


    It felt pointless, though, as no one believed her.


    Selene thought that the world was unfair. She wished karma were real, but at this point, it felt like there would be no justice for what happened to her.


    Since the incident with the thugs in the car park, she has visited and taken care of Austin every day while, at the same time, following the case. But when she found out about its conclusion, she was incredibly infuriated.


    During herst visit to the police station, she met Jennifer and Dan, whoughed smugly on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that your mediocre face was unscathed,¡± Jennifer had taunted. ¡°But what about your little friend who protected you? It¡¯s okay, though. The two thugs who are responsible will be punished.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get what¡¯s yours, bitch.¡± Selene had smiled coldly.


    ¡°Looking forward to that.¡± Jennifer had kept arm-in-arm with Dan as they walked away, but she turned back suddenly. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot; Clint has figured out your true intentions, and he¡¯ll never help you again.¡±


    Selene had ignored them and stepped into her car, then drove away with a cold expression. Jennifer and Dan had remained on the pavement, waiting for a car.


    Jennifer and Dan had talked very happily, but they two looked like terrifying ghosts in Selene¡¯s eyes.


    She had suddenly felt her life was getting even more absurd than before. Even though she nevermitted crimes or involved herself with the wrong people, she somehow ended up in terrible situations. Moreover, Austin took coteral damage because of her.


    She was tired of fighting and felt herself bing more like them.


    Evil thoughts started filling her mind.


    She was not impulsive by nature, but the few times she did feel like it, she would do things without thinking of the potential aftermath.


    She slowly started the car, and the throttle gave out a pressing sound.


    She stepped heavily on the eleration pedal, and the car rushed into the road and towards Jennifer and Dan.


    ¡°Pang!¡± Came the sound as the car connected with someone.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Jennifer screamed.


    Selene stepped on the brake and saw three people lying on the ground, two of them next to the car and one in front of it.


    Clint Denovan had appeared suddenly out of nowhere and had pushed Jennifer and Dan out of the way. Jennifer and Dan were overall unscathed, but Clint was hit by the car.


    Jennifer was very angry, and she stood up to bang on the window.


    Selene lowered the window. ¡°Sorry, the brake failed.¡± She said.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Jennifer wanted to fight Selene but was taken aback by thetter¡¯s cold look. She then ran to Clint.


    ¡°Clint, are you okay?¡±


    Clint stood up with great effort, supported by Jennifer and Dan. There was blood at the corner of his lips.


    He frowned because of the pain and clutched his stomach as he staggered towards Selene¡¯s car. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Selene. You could end up in prison for intent.¡±


    Selene nced at him with no expression. ¡°Then go call the police!¡±


    ¡°I will call the police!¡± Jennifer took out her phone.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Clint grabbed her phone. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Clint. You¡¯re bleeding.¡± Jennifer said and lifted her arm. ¡°And look- my arm is hurt.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Clint. The woman tried to kill us.¡± Dan echoed.


    ¡°You two hurt Selene and Austin before. Now you¡¯re even.¡± Clint said, looking Dan in the eyes.


    Selene started her car. ¡°If you don¡¯t call the police, I¡¯ll just leave.¡± She dered aggressively.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Selene Morris!¡± Jennifer shouted angrily.


    Selene turned back contemptuously.


    ¡°Just go,¡± Clint said.


    ¡°Why are you letting her go?¡± Jennifer asked incredulously.


    ¡°Stop fighting and take me to the hospital,¡± Clint asked.


    Clint¡¯s injuries were not serious. But one of his ribs was broken, so he had to stay in hospital for a while.


    Jennifer was very upset by Clint¡¯s injury. She stood by his bed with an angry disposition. ¡°Selene went too far this time. She hit us intentionally, and we should call the police, or she might do something worse.¡±


    Lying on the bed, Clint had just recovered from the pain, and he opened his eyes and calmly looked at Jennifer. ¡°You and Dan also went too far when you attacked her and Austin in the parking lot. So maybe you two should go to prison instead of the thugs you hired.


    Jennifer curled her lips. ¡°We didn¡¯t mean for that to happen. I didn¡¯t tell them to do anything. Besides, Selene provoked me, so I wanted to teach her a lesson. But we didn¡¯t provoke her when she almost ran us over with her car. She¡¯s insane.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. But please forget about your feud. Just forget about her and move on. Your rivalry will only bring you problems.¡±


    Jennifer nodded her head reluctantly. Then, after a while, she probed, ¡°What about your rtionship with her?¡±


    Clint nced at her. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it yourself. Do you really think I stand a chance with her?¡±


    Jennifer smiled. ¡°I also think that what she has done to you is uneptable.¡±


    Clint didn¡¯t deny her words but looked at her with aplicated expression, then closed his eyes.


    ¡±Clint. Can I take care of you this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please do.¡± Clint nodded.


    Jennifer did not expect that answer and beamed happily, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    At that moment, Dan came in with a gloomy expression.


    Jennifer looked at him and silenced him, motioning at Clint with impatience. ¡°Be quiet. Clint¡¯s resting.¡±


    Dan¡¯s face turned even sour. ¡°Pleasee out for a second.¡±


    Jennifer took another look at Clint, who was now sleeping, and stood up unhappily.


    When they exited the room and shut the door, Jennifer gave Dan an irritated look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She asked. ¡®I need to take care of Clint.¡±


    Dan¡¯s face was suddenly red with rage. ¡°What do you mean, Jenni?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jennifer replied with a confused look.


    ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend.¡±

 Chapter 82: How Dare You

    Jennifer became angry. ¡°Then maybe we should break up. It¡¯s not like I was nning to marry you anyway. Besides, you¡¯ve always known how crazy I am about Clint.¡±


    ¡°So, what am I to you then? A tool for revenge?¡±


    Jennifer looked unhappy. ¡°You¡¯ll always be my best friend, Dan. So why is that suddenly not enough for you anymore?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was your friend before. But now, things are different. You know what we¡¯ve done, and we¡¯re doing this together. If Clint finds out, who knows what he¡¯ll do.¡±


    Jennifer looked at him with scorn. ¡°What? Don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s you whose hands are dirty. You¡¯re the one who started the fire, not me.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡±Let¡¯s continue thister. I¡¯lle to your apartment tonight.¡±


    Dan left reluctantly.


    Jennifer curled her lips and turned back to the room. She saw Clint standing straight on his bed. She ran to support him. ¡±What are you doing, Clint?¡±


    ¡°I just emptied my dder.¡± Clint calmly replied. He then nced at her. ¡®What about you and Dan? Are you two dating?¡±


    Jennifer shook her head. ¡°You know how he¡¯s been keeping at my side for so many years. But I don¡¯t like him. And I don¡¯t have the heart to tell him to his face to get lost.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Clint half-smiled. ¡°If you really think that, then you should be direct with him, or there may be some ugly misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I will!¡± Jennifer nodded with a smile.


    Selene drove home from her encounter with Jennifer, Dan, and Clint with a muddleheaded state of mind. She first went to Austin¡¯s apartment and found Austin working on hisputer.


    ¡°You¡¯re still recovering from your injuries. You need to rest.¡± She then closed hisptop.


    ¡°I was just bored.¡± Austin grinned. ¡°Any news about the case?¡±


    Selene shook her head discouragingly. ¡°The two thugs denied working for anyone. So, Dan and Jennifer will get off scot-free.¡±


    Austin sighed in defeat. ¡°Whatever. They will get what¡¯sing to them one day.¡±


    ¡°I feel so bad for involving you in all of this,¡± Selene said sadly, covering her eyes with her hands. ¡°I did something stupid today.¡±


    ¡°What was it? Did you run them over or something?¡± Austin joked.


    ¡°Yes, but I ended up hitting Clint with my car instead.¡± Selene nodded.


    Austin was too shocked to speak for a few seconds before regaining hisposure. ¡°What were you thinking? You could¡¯ve ended up in jail.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wasn¡¯t thinking straight.¡±


    Austin gave her a serious look and moved her hands from her eyes. ¡°Selene. Please stop acting so rashly.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will.¡±


    ¡°How is Clint? Is he hurt badly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it didn¡¯t seem very serious.¡±


    ¡°Why was he there, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe he just wanted to protect his two friends.¡± Selene sneered. ¡°Now, let¡¯s stop mentioning his name, okay?¡±


    Austin looked at her with hesitation. ¡°I know that you¡¯re disappointed in how he handled things at the car park, but he¡­¡±


    ¡°Austin!¡± Selene red at him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to defend him. I know he saved me, and I don¡¯t hate him. But I just cannot ept him. It¡¯s over between us.¡±


    But, of course, her words didn¡¯t always reflect through her actions.


    Several dayster, when she went to the hospital to pick up medicine for Austin, she saw Jennifer holding Clint as the two were walking in the hospital corridor.


    Clint and Jennifer spotted her, too. Jennifer held Clint more tightly in an attempt to spite Selene. Clint did not evade but looked at Selene with aplicated expression and then lowered his head.


    Selene looked away without any emotion as if she did not know the two at all.


    At this point, Selene understood that her biggest mistake was letting her emotions get the better of her when dealing with Jennifer.


    She realized that she had too much to lose and nothing to gain in her conflict with Jennifer.


    She stepped out of the hospital, and the sunshine hit her face.


    There was one thing that she couldn¡¯t deny; the world was too damn small.


    Selene had made the decision that she would not involve herself with them anymore, but there was no way she could get away froming across them in fashion shows or online.


    During Jennifer¡¯s new fashion show that took ce a little whileter, Clint was her guest, even though he was still injured. The media hyped up their rtionship, and it seemed that something had really happened between them.


    And Jennifer¡¯s giarism was forgotten by the public very quickly.


    Selene never meant to read the news about them, but she could not help scanning through those articles when they popped up.


    Austin asked if she felt sad about it. She thought for a while and really felt a little sorrowful. But considering how peaceful her life had suddenly be, she truly believed that things were better this way.


    If Jennifer gets romantically involved with Clint, then she will probably forget about Selene. That¡¯s the peaceful life that Selene yearned for.


    Time seemed to pass quickly after that whole ordeal.


    It was the end of the year, and Selene, who now worked as one of JU Brand¡¯s designers, had to take part in a series of activities that she wasn¡¯t interested in, such as boring parties and pointless lunch meetings.


    During these events, she sometimes came across people she knew unexpectedly.


    This was one of those times.


    She was at a prestigious party, and she found the ballroom too noisy. So, she took a ss of beer and walked to the end of a corridor. She was about to open the door and exit the building when she heard someone arguing there.


    The voice sounded familiar.


    Though she wasn¡¯t usually interested in people¡¯s personal affairs, the topic of the conversation attracted her attention.


    ¡°Are you seriously breaking up with me?¡± Dan cried with anger in his voice.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll date Clint, who¡¯ll never love you back?¡±


    ¡°Clint told me that he needs some time to consider. However, I¡¯ve been in love with him for many years, so I will take the chance.¡±

 Chapter 83: You’ll Have To Be Loyal

    ¡°Jennifer, you, you¡¯re really heartless. First, you used me to achieve your goals, and now you¡¯re throwing me away!¡±


    ¡°Dan, you¡¯re overreacting. It was our choice to be together, and now it can also be our choice to break up. Besides, we can still be friends. Why are you so desperate to stay with me?¡±


    ¡°What? Desperate? When we made love, you said you love me; when I did things for you, you said you love me. If you hurt me like this, then I will hurt you back.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I will tell Clint the truth.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Selene only came inte in their conversation but could guess what the problem was. What a shame that Clint was involved in this love triangle, Selene thought.


    Selene wasn¡¯t interested in hearing the rest of their quarrel, so she just turned around and left.


    ****


    It was the end of the year, and both Selene and Austin had finished their work. They went back to Cloudy Town to spend Christmas with their families.


    As usual, they celebrated Christmas Day together, but Austin went back home early, as he still hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his injuries and needed to rest.


    Later that evening, when Selene finished washing and was ready to go to bed, she found Harry sitting in the yard and drinking by himself again.


    Selene shook her head, took a ss from the kitchen, and then sat down next to him. ¡°I¡¯ll drink with you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you hated it when I drink,¡± Harry said, ncing at her.


    ¡°I only hate it when you drink because of that woman,¡± Selene said as she took the wine bottle and poured some wine into her ss.


    Harry fell into silence for a few moments, then lifted his head again. ¡°Why did you break up with Clint?¡±


    Selene suddenly stopped drinking and put the ss down. She looked at her father. ¡°I think you know the reason very well.¡± Selene calmly answered.


    Selene initially hadn¡¯t known why Harry had such a strange reaction when he first saw Clint Denovan. But when she came across Clint¡¯s parents in the hotel, it was no longer a mystery.


    Clint resembled his father a lot, so it was no wonder that Harry figured out who Clint was at first sight.


    ¡°You¡¯ve met his parents, I¡¯m guessing.¡± Harry looked a little ufortable.


    ¡°Yes. Once. I didn¡¯t say anything to her.¡±


    Harry sighed heavily. ¡°Selene, I know you hate your mom, but you don¡¯t know the whole story.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you start making excuses for her,¡± Selene said impatiently. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened between you. You¡¯ve always med the whole situation on yourself, but what about me? What did a five-year-old do to deserve being abandoned by her mother?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that you broke up with him. And he seems like such a great guy.¡±


    Selene shook her head. ¡°I broke up with him for other reasons and not because of this.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the better. The guy¡¯s a billionaire, and hees from a wealthy family. Wee from a different world. You should marry someone from a simr background.¡± He then paused briefly, looking thoughtful. ¡°How about Austin? He¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Seleneughed. ¡°What about you and Dora?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known her for a very long time. Nothing will happen between us if you marry her son. And I¡¯d be happy with him as my son-inw.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Selene raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Selene sipped a little of her wine and touched her chin. ¡°Okay. Let me think about it.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    Harry and Selene hadn¡¯t talked so freely and happily in a long time. All the troubles and hardships in their lives seemingly vanished from their minds.


    The following day, Austin came over to their house, bringing gifts.


    After they finished their breakfast, Austin took Selene out shopping.


    There were few people at the mall. But they came across Joseph, Selene¡¯s ex-boyfriend from college.


    When Joseph saw Selene and Austin together, he seemed a little surprised. They all greeted each other and started talking. Joseph hesitated for a while before mentioning the subject. ¡°So, you two are¡­¡±


    Austin didn¡¯t know him very well, even though they had been ssmates back in high school. Austin had not been happy since Joseph had dated Selene. If Joseph hadn¡¯t dated her, then maybe he would¡¯ve confessed his love for her much earlier on.


    With these thoughts running through his mind, Austin put his arm around Selene¡¯s shoulder and pulled her close. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re together.¡±


    Joseph smiled. ¡°I see. Well, congrattions.¡± He then turned to Selene. ¡°We didn¡¯t get along in high school, but I still think he¡¯s right for you.¡±


    Then Joseph shrugged his shoulders. ¡°All right. I need to pick up my girlfriend. See you guys.¡±


    ¡°Okay. See you!¡± Selene said.


    After he left, Austin teased, ¡°He seems to have moved on after you two broke up. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I got married, then divorced.¡± Seleneughed.


    Austin realized that he couldn¡¯t win Selene by words, so he changed tactics. ¡°But you¡¯re not dating anyone right now. How about me?¡±


    Selene nced at Austin¡¯s hand on her shoulder. ¡°Maybe. But you would have to promise me something.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Promise you what?¡±


    Selene smiled happily. ¡°You¡¯ll have to be loyal, keep your promises and protect me. But, I also want you to be by my side for good or bad, and I want to know that I¡¯lle first in your life.¡±


    Selene was sick of emotional pain in rtionships, and she wanted to avoid that.


    But she didn¡¯t know why she was so quick to list all her emotional needs. Then, she finally realized that she was in dire need of someone to love her truly.


    She was very ambitious and tenacious when it came to work and her career. But when it came to love, she needed a partner that would spoil her.


    Austin seemed surprised and gave her a wide-eyed look. ¡°You really are something!¡±


    Austin looked thoughtful for a few seconds, quietly counting something on his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve already been doing these things for a long time.¡±

 Chapter 84: Thank You For Coming

    Selene was surprised and then also looked deep in thought for a while until she realized that Austin wasn¡¯t wrong.


    He¡¯s been in front of me all of these years, and I didn¡¯t even consider it.


    Austin smiled happily, and a tear came to Selene¡¯s eye. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a go.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Austin couldn¡¯t believe her words and hugged her.


    Selene put her face on his shoulder and enjoyed the moment.


    Suddenly, Selene¡¯s phone rang, and she patted Austin on the shoulder. ¡°Give me a second.¡±


    Austin ended the embrace while Selene answered the call.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Morris. This is Officer Dixon from the Houston Police Station. The case for the store fire has been reopened. We¡¯ve found new evidence. Pleasee down to the station at your earliest convenience so we can discuss the matter face-to-face.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle tomorrow.¡± Selene answered, deeply surprised.


    Austin was curious about Selene¡¯s sudden look of surprise and excitement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The police have found new evidence for the fire case.¡±


    ¡°Did they find the real culprit?¡±


    ¡±I don¡¯t know. I need to go to the police station to talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they did.¡±


    ¡°I really hope so.¡±


    The next morning, Selene went back to Houston and went to the police.


    ¡±Hello, Officer Dixon.¡± Selene greeted excitedly as she stepped into the investigation office.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Morris. Please take a seat.¡±


    ¡°Did you find the real culprit?¡± She asked as she sat down.


    ¡°Could you please repeat the names of the two persons that you¡¯ve suspected before?¡±


    ¡°Dan and Jennifer, the same two who were responsible for the thugs attacking us.¡±


    ¡°Have you had disputes with them before?¡±


    ¡°I have with Jennifer. Dan is her close friend.¡±


    ¡°Why is it that you suspected them of starting the fire?¡±


    ¡°I was a finalist in a designpetition, and so was Jennifer. But she was disqualified, and she thought I was the reason for that. All the designs I had for thepetition were in my store, and she knew that. Besides, she¡¯s an incredibly vengeful person, so I really think that she¡¯d been capable of doing that.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, she has a motive.¡±


    ¡°What evidence did you find, officer?¡±


    ¡°We have a recording of her friend, Dan, admitting that he hired someone to start the fire.¡±


    ¡°Did he really admit to it on record?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His statement matches your story. We¡¯ve now sent a warrant for arrest. We¡¯ll conduct a proper investigation after we pick them up from Coastal City and get them in our custody.¡±


    Selene had suspected since the call the previous day that a simr sequence of events had transpired. But she hadn¡¯t expected the police to have acquired a verbal record of Dan admitting to the crime.


    It was a big shock to her. She couldn¡¯t believe that Jennifer would finally get punished for what she did to her.


    ¡°How did you acquire the recording?¡± Selene suddenly asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the right time for us to tell you.¡±


    Selene suddenly remembered something. ¡°Was it Clint Denovan?¡±


    In her mind, she couldn¡¯t really believe that Clint would give up his two good friends to the police.


    She simply couldn¡¯t believe it!


    But the police smiled when she mentioned Clint¡¯s name.


    When Selene left the investigation office, she felt a little dizzy and shocked about what she had heard.


    She went back to her apartment and sat on the couch until it was 11 p. m. when her phone rang. She didn¡¯t recognize the number, so she felt hesitant to answer it.


    But the phone kept ringing, so she finally decided to answer it. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss Morris. This is Johnson Keller speaking. I¡¯m Jennifer¡¯s older brother. We¡¯ve met before.¡± Then came a very polite male voice.


    ¡°Hey. Can I help you?¡± Selene answered with surprise.


    ¡°I guess you know why I¡¯m calling. It¡¯s about the case of the fire in your store.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then you should speak to the police, not me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only found out about it today. Regardless of why she did it, I fully apologize for what my sister did. I was hoping we could talk face-to-face.


    I¡¯m at the cafe next to your apartment right now.¡±


    As the call ended, Selene was left with a whirlwind of thoughts. She pondered over the recent events, her mind osciting between anger and a desire for closure. After much deliberation, she made up her mind, and she was going to the cafe.


    She had previously met Johnson twice and had a good opinion of him.


    When she arrived at the coffee shop, she saw Johnson sitting at a table by the window.


    Johnson stood up to greet her. ¡°Hey, Selene. Thank you foring to meet me.¡±


    Selene smiled and sat down on the opposite side of the table.


    ¡°Selene. I know that the fire destroyed your store and nearly killed you, but I truly didn¡¯t know that Dan and my sister were responsible for it. I sincerely apologize to you. Our family will do everything we can to make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°So, you are here to apologize and talk aboutpensation?¡± Selene nced at him with a half-smile.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s Jennifer¡¯s fault, but she didn¡¯t expect it to get so out of hand. I spoke to her today. She only intended to burn your designs and not you. No one knew that you were in your warehouse. They thought the store was empty. It was an ident.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it was an ¡±ident¡±?¡± Selene sneered.


    ¡°Regardless of what happened, Jennifer did not mean to hurt you. And, thank God, you are alright. But, if Jennifer is sent to prison for this, her whole life will be ruined.¡±


    ¡°So, in your mind, your dear sister just made a tiny mistake?¡± She paused for a while and continued, ¡°Johnson, I also think that your sister only started the fire to burn my dresses, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that she nearly killed me, and she doesn¡¯t feel any guilt for that. Maybe life in prison will change that.¡±


    ¡°Selene¡­ I¡­¡± Johnson begged.

 Chapter 85: There’s No Point Of Talking To Me

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in talking to me. This is a police case. I¡¯m not the one who will decide the oue.¡±


    ¡°I hope that you will find it in your heart to speak some good words for her in the court.¡±


    ¡°Would you speak kind words about someone who nearly killed you and doesn¡¯t feel sorry for it?¡±


    Johnson suddenly frowned. ¡°You¡¯re as cold and heartless as Clint.¡±


    Selene gave him a confused look.


    Johnson sighed.


    ¡°After the police came to my house today, I got a call from Clint. He told me that he somehow got Dan to admit what he did on the phone, and then he sent the record of their conversation to the police.¡±


    There was silence for a few seconds, after which Johnson continued, ¡°I can¡¯t believe he did this to us. Our families have known each other for years. We¡¯re best friends and business partners. Jennifer and I considered him our sibling and treated him like it.¡±


    He continued, ¡°I went to talk to him about it face to face, and he said they should be punished, or they might do something worse in the future.¡±


    Selene, who had been keeping silent, finally nodded. ¡°I agree. They should.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think he did it for the sake of justice? No! He did it for you! He¡¯s afraid that if they don¡¯t get punished for it, they¡¯ll hurt you.¡±


    Selene felt surprised.


    Seeing her confusion, Johnson sighed heavily. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t do anything to help them, I still want to apologize on behalf of my family. ¡°He sat up from his chair. ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t hire a goodwyer for her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I doubt she¡¯ll get a heavy sentence. I just hope that she¡¯ll finally realize how pointless our rivalry is and learn to stay out of my life.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t bother you again. We¡¯ll send her to Canada after she gets out of prison.¡±


    After Johnson left, Selene continued sitting there, drinking her coffee.


    When she finished drinking, she stood up and went to pay for her coffee.


    The waitress told her that Johnson had already paid for it.


    They might be siblings, but they¡¯re so different, she thought.


    She shrugged, then put out her coat and left.


    It was midnight, and it was cold. The street was empty.


    A few moments of walkingter, she spotted a familiar figure standing near a parked car.


    She squinted her eyes and walked closer to the person until she realized that it was Clint.


    ¡°I knew that Johnson woulde to talk to you,¡± Clint said. ¡°I came to check if you¡¯re okay in case he¡¯d cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°He was nice enough, even though I refused his request.¡± She then paused for a while before she spoke again. ¡°But thank you, Clint. I didn¡¯t know you¡­¡±


    ¡°They deserve it for what they did, so I had to take action.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a businessman, not a vignte. This was probably quite hard for you.¡± Selene smiled slightly.


    ¡°It was,¡± Clint replied after a while.


    Selene¡¯s phone rang. It was Austin. ¡°Austin, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be awake. I know we¡¯ve only been apart for a day, but I really miss you. Would you mind telling me you¡¯re my girlfriend? Or am I just dreaming all of this?¡±


    Selene smiled, ¡°No, you¡¯re not dreaming. Would you mind going to sleep? It¡¯ste.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You should also go to sleep.¡± Austin grinned. Then he reacted as if he just realized something, ¡°Are you outside?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Selene nodded and nced at Clint subconsciously. Clint raised his eyebrows at her.


    ¡°Please be careful outside at this time,¡± Austin said.


    ¡°I will be. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay out for too long. And please call me when you get home.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Selene promised him with a half-smile and hung up.


    Clint looked at Selene, who lowered her head, staring at the screen with aplicated expression on her face. He had never seen her like this before.


    ¡°Are you Austin¡¯s girlfriend now?¡± He probed carefully.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded. She was a little surprised by his question.


    Hearing her reply, Clint became a little distant for a few moments. ¡°That¡¯s good. Congrats.¡± He said after a while.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good.¡± Selene echoed.


    Clint took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°There are still several months before the trial. If the Kellers give you trouble again, please let me know. I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. But won¡¯t this cause you trouble? Your families are on good terms with each other, right?¡± She then paused. ¡°Your ¡®parents¡¯ won¡¯t be happy.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to mention them, but now she had to face that. He offended his business partner, which would have repercussions on the rtionship between their families.


    ¡°Before I gave the record to the police, I asked for their opinion, and they¡¯ve supported my decision.¡±


    Selene was a little surprised, but she could understand why they did it- They most likely felt guilty for what happened to her, just like Clint.


    ¡°I¡¯m going home,¡± Clint said, looking at his watch. ¡°You should go home too. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I will.¡± Selene nodded. Then she saw Clint¡¯s bruise in the corner of his eye. ¡°Take care.¡±


    Clint nodded and watched her as she walked away.


    Selene knew that he was looking at her, but she did not turn back.


    The cold wind blew, and Clint felt pain in his wound.


    He unlocked his car and sat inside. Before he started his car, he opened the glovepartment and saw a box of tobo.


    He picked it up, opened it, and saw that there was only one cigarette left. He had stopped smoking for a long time and could barely remember what they tasted like. But now, for some reason, he suddenly missed the taste.


    He found a lighter and lit it. He almost choked, as he was not used to the sensation anymore. It wasn¡¯t very pleasant.


    Though he hated to admit it, all of the problems in his life were because of him.

 Chapter 86: He Lied To Me

    His life had been very smooth and easy from the moment he had been born. The only terrible experience he had was that he lost his biological Mom when he was less than two years old. But he had very little memory of that, if any.


    Before his childhood ended, he got a stepmom. And he was lucky that his stepmom was very nice to him.


    After that, his life got even better. He persevered in his studies at school, and after graduation, he created a business that ended up being very sessful. The only caveat was that he spent most of his time studying and working, so he had very little experience in rtionships before meeting Selene.


    He had always been resolute, steady, and calm. But he knew that he was far from perfect and that he would make mistakes from time to time.


    But sleeping with Selene that one time had not been a small mistake.


    And he fully knew that it had been a mistake, but it was toote to turn back now.


    And so, one mistake led to many more.


    A man who had been so diligent and ambitious was now indecisive and sad.


    The fire was also his fault. It was because he failed to deal with Jennifer and her feelings for him that had caused her to do this.


    All of these problems had been caused by him. Before, he had hoped and imagined that Selene would forgive him since he had helped her by getting the recording.


    But, after hearing her conversation with Austin, he knew that that wouldn¡¯t be the case.


    He finally gave up on hoping that he and Selene would ever get back together. And he hoped that at least she would find happiness without him.


    When he finished his cigarette, he looked at it in his hand. ¡°You¡¯re so pathetic.¡± He mocked himself.


    ****


    Three monthster, the trial for the case was finally held, and Selene appeared in the court as the victim and Jennifer as the main suspect.


    Jennifer now looked very haggard after this experience.


    The case transpired very smoothly. The only surprise was that Dan shouldered most of the responsibility for it.


    In the end, Dan and the man who started the fire were given five years each, and Jennifer 3 years in jail.


    They had carried out the crime just like Selene had guessed; Jennifer and Dan asked one of theirckeys to set fire to her store in order to burn her dresses without knowing that Selene had been locked in the warehouse.


    To some degree, Dan and Jennifer weren¡¯t viins. They never intended to kill her.


    But starting the fire was still a serious crime.


    A crime they should be punished for.


    Selene did not feel much sympathy for them, as she almost lost her life because of them.


    Now that the case was solved, she held no grudges towards them.


    She was finally moving on, which felt great!


    When she left the court, Selene stood by the roadside to wait for Austin. A ck car suddenly pulled up next to her, and the window pulled down. A beautiful, older woman with a pale but familiar face scowled at her. ¡°Miss Morris. I know it¡¯s Jennifer¡¯s fault, but how could you be so cruel in her punishment?¡± Mrs. Keller questioned her.


    ¡°She brought this on herself. No one forced her to set my store on fire and nearly killed me. Yet, this is thew.¡±


    ¡°The Denovans are so righteous. They were so close with Jennifer and treated her well. But I guess she¡¯s nothingpared to their biological daughter.¡± Mrs. Keller sneered. ¡°Oh, right. Please inform your Mom, stepfather, and your brother, Clint, that we will take our revenge for this.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter admitted to her crime. Why are you so angry at me?¡±


    Mrs. Keller snorted and closed the window, then left.


    ¡°Selene, Selene¡­¡± Austin called out from his car as he parked nearby.


    She got into the car.


    ¡°How did it go? Are you happy with the conclusion?¡± Austin asked.


    ¡°Yes. Dan will be in prison for five years and Jennifer for three.¡±


    ¡°Wow, great!¡± Austin cheered.


    Selene smiled. ¡°Have you seen Clinttely?¡± She asked hesitantly.


    ¡°No,¡± Austin shook his head. ¡°Do you miss your ex?¡±


    She had not thought about him for a long time, but Jennifer¡¯s Mom¡¯s words made her worried. She didn¡¯t see Clint in court, even though he had given his statement as evidence.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you,¡± Selene started. ¡±It was Clint who handed in the recording to the police.¡±


    Austin looked surprised. ¡°Jennifer and Dan are his friends, and he betrayed them so easily.¡±


    Selene didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°I met Jennifer¡¯s Mom just now, and she was very angry about Clint and his parents. So I feel worried about this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Clint¡¯s family is very decent, rich, and respectable. So they will be okay.¡±


    ¡°Right. Why should I worry about it? They must have expected this to happen anyway.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Clint would do this for you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he felt he owed me. He lied to me for so long about my Mom.¡±


    ****


    Nowadays, it is not difficult to find out if anything interesting happened in remote/out-of-the-way towns and viges. Technology allows people everywhere to keep up to date with news via the inte.


    In Coastal City, the Kellers, the Denovans, and Dan¡¯s families were involved in a huge business conflict. It was nothing trivial in the business field, especially for those who lived in Texas.


    However, even those in other parts of America could read about it in financial news blogs and bulletins. It seemed like every day, there was a new shocking development in this business family feud.


    Reporters and editors knew only half the story when it came to the reason that the three families entered this conflict in the first ce. But they knew quite well how it was being carried out.


    The three families had cooperated well in the past for many years, but they suddenly found reason to quarrel. Dan¡¯s and Jennifer¡¯s families were on one side, and Clint¡¯s family on the other. It was so fierce in the business sense that Clint, who lived and worked in Houston, had toe back to his hometown to deal with it and help his parents.

 Chapter 87: I Don’t Want To Feel Like I Owe You

    Selene knew exactly what brought on this fight. She still remembered what Jennifer¡¯s gorgeous but evil-looking mother had said to her outside the court building.


    Dan and Jennifer were sent to prison because of Clint¡¯s evidence, and their families were angry about it. Selene had been expecting something like this to happen, and now the time had finally arrived.


    Selene tried to call Clint but failed. Nobody ever picked up. In addition, she could have done little to help the situation anyway, so she stopped trying to call him.


    The situation became more and more serious as time went on.


    In the business field, conflicts like these were taken very seriously and were fought like war. There was also a lot on the line, such as jobs and smaller businesses. The repercussions could be felt far.


    SSGB, which was Clint¡¯spany in Houston, had also been indirectly affected by this. As soon as Clint left Houston to help his family deal with the problem, some ambitious managers did all they could to make SSGB shaky and unstable so they could take over during Clint¡¯s absence. As a result, several programs that SSGB had invested in were badly affected.


    Two monthster, when spring wasing to an end, Selene saw Clint again. It wasn¡¯t face-to-face but on TV. He was being interviewed by a group of reporters who had surrounded him.


    He looked like he had lost weight, and he had dark circles under his eyes. His expression was serious and cold.


    He stood there without answering the reporters¡¯ questions and shook his hands in order tomunicate his reluctance. Then, finally, his assistants helped him navigate through the crowd and leave.


    Selene now knew that he hade back to Houston.


    After hesitating, Selene finally dialed his number. To her surprise, Clint answered.


    ¡°Hey. Are you okay?¡± Clint asked, tiredness evident in his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following the news. How¡¯s yourpany doing?¡±


    Clint kept silent for a while, then answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been aware of these problems for a long time. It¡¯s just that they suddenly came to the surface when I left Houston.¡±


    ¡°Can we meet?¡± Selene asked.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll have some free time tomorrow at lunch.¡± Clint replied.


    The next day, Selene came to the restaurant ten minutes earlier. She had two checks in her bag. It had all the money that she and Austin could afford.


    She had held a grudge towards Clint, but after he had sent Jennifer and Dan to prison, she had forgiven him.


    But what was once between them was not the same..


    Clint and Selene were both in different ces than they had been before.


    Selene had convinced herself that what Clint had done for her was only out of guilt- He had felt like he owed her something. But he hadn¡¯t owed her anything.


    So, she wanted to thank him and get this off her chest.


    After a discussion with Austin, who always supported her, they raised 3 million dors, 1 of which was from Harry. Her father had given her the money without asking any questions.


    Even though $3 million was most likely nothing for someone like Clint, she did it as a way to show him her gratitude for what he had done for her.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Clint finally arrived and looked a little surprised when he saw her, but then smiled at her and down at the table.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± Clint smiled slightly.


    It had been nearly half a year since they hadst met.


    ¡°Yes, long time no see.¡± Selene nodded. ¡°How have you been recently?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better than what they¡¯re saying online.¡± Clint helplessly smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read that your family has been going through a very difficult time in Coastal City,¡± Selene said carefully.


    Clint did not deny it, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s been some problems with the business. But my parents don¡¯t care too much since they¡¯ve been nning on retiring anyway. Now¡¯s a good time for them to do so. So, they¡¯re transferring business away.¡±


    Selene seemed shocked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been considering moving to Australia for a few years now.¡±


    He seemed quite casual about the whole thing.


    Selene was deep in thought for a few moments. ¡°What about you? I¡¯ve heard that SSGB is experiencing some problems, too. Is it true?¡±


    Clint sneered. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ve got it under control. I knew there were some traitors in thepany, so I intentionally made them think that I had no time to deal with them so that they would show their faces. They fell for it, and I¡¯ve dealt with them.¡±


    Gradually, his tired expression dissipated, and he put on a proud face. He belonged to the business world and was very confident in that area.


    Then Selene called the waitress, and they both ordered some food.


    It seemed that they¡¯d said all they had to say, and they mainly stayed in silence while they ate.


    After they finished eating, Selene took out the checks.


    She had pulled the same move on him when she had previously attempted to give him money in order for him to leave her alone.


    Back then, she was not as sure as now about the rtionship between them.


    She pushed the two checks to him.


    Clint nced at it and curiously looked at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you actually need any money right now, but I don¡¯t know any other ways I could help you.¡±


    This time, Clint reacted very calmly and took the checks. ¡±Where did you get all this money from?¡±


    ¡°1 million is from Harry, and the rest is from An and me.¡±


    Clint was silent for a while and put down the checks. ¡°I appreciate the thought, but thepany is doing fine financially. Besides, 3 million would do little if there was a serious problem.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to show you my gratitude. I¡¯ve caused all of this, and you sacrificed a lot to help me.¡± Then she paused for a while. ¡°Besides, we probably won¡¯t meet again for a long time, and I don¡¯t want to feel like I owe you.¡±

 Chapter 88: Please Rest

    Clint looked at her and kept silent for a while. Then he picked up the checks again. ¡°All right, I will take the money. Yes, we may not meet again. My parents will retire to Australia, and I¡¯ll probably move SSGB to Wall Street.¡±


    Selene looked at him with a stunned expression.


    He smiled slightly and put one of his hands on hers.


    ¡°This is all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t made the decision two years ago to marry you, you¡¯d be living a happy and peaceful life right now, married to Austin. I now realize my mistake, and I¡¯m going to fix it. I want you to live the normal life you deserve.¡±


    From his voice, it was clear that he was holding back tears, but he continued, ¡°Austin is a good man, and hispany is promising. You two make a perfect match.¡±


    They had lived together for some time. But they were both used to hiding their true emotions. So they lived together without showing each other their true, vulnerable selves.


    They were not brave enough in love.


    Selene evaded his gaze and slightly tilted her head to hide her red eyes. ¡°Alright.¡±


    She found it strange that they were in suchplete agreement.


    He slowly moved his hand away, and Selene found herself missing its warmth against hers.


    ¡°I guess this is goodbye,¡± Selene said sadly as she stood up.


    ¡°It is. Take care of yourself, Selene Morris.¡± Clint said, hiding his sadness behind a forced smile.


    Clint watched as she left, then leaned back in his chair, sighing.


    All the tiredness and fatigue he had amassed in the past few days hit him like a truck.


    Right then, he only wanted to sleep and forget about everything.


    Selene walked fast. She continued walking and walking until she slowed her pace and finally came to a stop.


    She lowered her gaze as two tears made their way down her face.


    ****


    Selene¡¯s life went back to normal, and she focused more and more on her work. The dresses she designed for the JU brand were released on the market and received quite a lot of attention. Finally, she owned her own studio and left her street store.


    She chose to leave behind the store where so many things had happened. Moving away from it also helped her gradually forget the past between her and Clint.


    As for Austin and Selene, they were now in a real rtionship. But there was a little different than before. They knew each other too well, so intimate acts felt very strange between them. For example, several times when Austin hugged her to kiss, he would burst outughing just before their lips would touch.


    Selene thought that it was a normal process of going from friends to lovers.


    In her mind, the passionate love would eventually be a family bond of love and responsibility after years and years of being together. So, she wasn¡¯t very worried about the future of her rtionship with Austin. On the contrary, she felt very safe and secure with him. Both of them knew each other so well that neither of them found themselves hiding behind a mask like she had done with Clint.


    Besides, she was nearly 30, so she was less reluctant to take big risks in rtionships.


    It was August when Selene received a call from Dora, who told her that Harry had gone into aa after suffering a brain hemorrhage. Selene traveled back to her hometown in a rush.


    Luckily, it wasn¡¯t as serious as she had thought. When Selene arrived at the hospital, he was already in a stable condition. But he needed to stay in bed and could barely talk.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    When Harry saw Selene, he shook his hand in a way that told her not to worry.


    ¡°Please rest.¡± Selene nodded.


    When Harry closed his eyes, Selene took Dora¡¯s hand, and they went outside. ¡°How did he get a hemorrhage? He¡¯s not even 60.¡±


    ¡°Harry and his team worked until veryte these days to finish an order. As a result, he got little sleep.¡± Dora sighed.


    ¡°He¡¯s too stubborn. I¡¯ve asked him to work less at the factory, but he doesn¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Harry¡¯s stubborn.¡± Dora smiled helplessly.


    Selene stayed in the hospital for a week to take care of Harry. Austin also came back to help her. Eventually, Harry got much better.


    And he uttered a sentence that nearly caused Selene to faint.


    ¡°I need to meet your mom. Please help me call her.¡±


    He did not speak very clearly, and Selene almost thought that she had heard it wrong.


    ¡°What? Are you serious?¡±


    Harry was very calm. ¡°I need to tell her something. I may not have the chance again to do so.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to tell her? I will let her know.¡± Selene said hesitantly.


    ¡°I never wanted you to know this, but I will tell you anyway. It¡¯s my fault that she left. I told her to leave us alone and nevere back.¡±


    ¡°But she left us for that other man. Did she not?¡±


    Harry said nothing.


    ¡°No matter what happened between you, you¡¯ve been apart for 20 years. She now lives a happy life with her beloved husband and son. Why do you want to ruin that?¡± She paused and continued, ¡°Dad, please forget the past and close your factory. Enjoy your retirement and maybe move in with Dora.¡±


    ¡°Please help me get in contact with her. After I see her onest time, I¡¯ll close the factory and enjoy my life with Dora.¡± Harry answered after thinking for a while.


    Hearing Harry¡¯s answer, Selene stopped arguing and gave in. ¡°All right. I know where they went. I¡¯ll try to get in contact with them.¡±


    After thest time they met, Selene deleted Clint¡¯s number from her phone, but she couldn¡¯t erase it from her mind.


    She typed his number and dialed.


    Someone answered. It was Clint, and he seemed surprised. ¡°Selene?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Selene replied.


    ¡°Did anything happen?¡± His voice trembled with barely controlled excitement.

 Chapter 89: Listen Carefully

    ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Did your parents move to Australia?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll leave next month.¡±


    Should Selene have been happy or disappointed? She didn¡¯t know. She had thought that maybe they had moved already, which would¡¯ve meant that Harry could not have met her mother.


    ¡°Selene?¡± Clint asked after a few moments of silence.


    Selene came back to reality. ¡°Oh, my dad just recovered from a hemorrhage. He wanted to meet your mom for onest time. Would that be okay?¡±


    This is so ridiculous! The woman who gave birth to me is someone else¡¯s mom. She thought.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell them,¡± Clint answered.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± He paused, ¡°Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Selene shook her head.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Clint sounded disappointed.


    ¡°Please let me know after you speak to her.¡±


    Clintter informed Selene that his parents would visit Harry the next day.


    Hearing that, Selene had mixed feelings because she couldn¡¯t understand why they were so nonchnt about the whole situation.


    She personally still couldn¡¯t forgive them for what they¡¯d done.


    The next day at noon, Anne and Bradley arrived at the hospital in Cloudy Town. To Selene¡¯s surprise, Clint was with them. She also couldn¡¯t shake off the resentment she felt towards them.


    Selene couldn¡¯t even bear looking at the two for long, so she looked away. She then strode to the end of the corridor so she wouldn¡¯t be there with them.


    When she got to the end of the corridor, she turned back to take a look and saw their eyes stopping on her before they entered the room.


    Even with the distance, Selene could tell that the woman¡¯s eyes were red from crying. Clint furrowed his brows and wore aplicated expression.


    Selene expressionlessly stared at them and turned back to look out of the window.


    After a while, she felt someone standing by her. She tilted her gaze to look and saw Clint.


    She turned back to the door of her father¡¯s hospital room but saw no one standing there.


    ¡°Your dad asked them to go inside,¡± Clint exined.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She calmly replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who convinced them toe. I just told them what you told me, and they decided toe. In fact¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin. It¡¯s none of my business.¡± Selene interrupted him.


    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t even know what happened between them in the past.¡± Clint smiled helplessly.


    ¡°You won¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not evil.¡±


    ¡°Maybe for you. But for me, they are.¡±


    Clint kept silent.


    Selene realized that she was being unfair. No matter who his parents were, and even though he had lied to her before, what he had done for her made up for all of it.


    What¡¯s more, this may be thest time they would meet.


    She turned to him. ¡°When will you leave?¡±


    Clint felt a little surprised by the question. ¡°They¡¯ll leave first. I still have some things to take care of here.¡± He paused for a while. ¡°Maybe in two months.¡±


    Clint looked at Selene with emotion in his eyes.


    Selene felt uneasy by his gaze. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s soon.¡±


    Clint raised the corner of his lips and smiled helplessly. ¡°Thepany is waiting for me at Wall Street. I¡¯ll go when I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Selene didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    But Austin arrived and saw Clint and Selene together.


    Austin smiled at them and walked over. ¡°Are they here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded. ¡±They¡¯re talking to Harry.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Clint. Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Austin.¡±


    Austin smiled, took out a small bag filled with cakes, and handed it to Selene. ¡°You barely ate this morning. Have some of these cakes.¡±


    Selene took it and took a bite out of one of them. ¡°Have you eaten lunch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you so we can eat together.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had lunch yet. Let¡¯s eat together outside.¡± Clint suggested.


    Selene felt a little hesitant, but Austin nodded happily. ¡°Great idea. They¡¯ll be busy for a while anyway. Besides, my mom wille here to bring Harry some food. She¡¯ll be here if something happens.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Selene nodded.


    They walked to a restaurant across the street from the hospital. Though the establishment looked very simple, the food in it was delicious.


    Austin and Selene had eaten there many times before.


    Clint probably wasn¡¯t used to eating in such ces, and he was a little hesitant when he took his first bite.


    ¡°The noodles here are great!¡± Austin smiled.


    He then picked up the beef from his bowl and put it in Selene¡¯s. He did it so naturally, as if he had done it many times before. And Selene also casually epted his act.


    Clint looked at his own food with a low spirit and tasted it. Though it didn¡¯t taste bad, he couldn¡¯t feel its vor.


    Selene had little appetite, and she stopped eating after only finishing half of her food.


    ¡°Are you full?¡± Austin asked after ncing at her te.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded.


    ¡°Please eat more.¡± Austin urged.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m too full.¡±


    Austin curled his lips and took her bowl, finishing the rest of her food.


    They had grown up together and eaten together many times. They were used to sharing food, and Austin hated wasting it. So, whenever Selene didn¡¯t finish her food, he would help her finish it.


    Seeing their natural interaction, Clintpletely lost his appetite.


    In fact, the food was really tasty, and he was really hungry, but it now felt as if his stomach was filled with something.


    For the first time in his life, he just wanted to run away. But he knew that Selene didn¡¯t need him.


    In fact, the conversation between his parents and Harry had little to do with him. He shouldn¡¯t havee, but he used it as an excuse and hade anyway. When he finally met her, he instantly regretted it, as all hope disappeared at once.


    Austin looked at him. ¡°Is the food not good? We could order something else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m full,¡± Clint said, shaking his head.

 Chapter 90: The Past

    ¡°Mr. Denovan, I¡¯ve heard that SSGB will move to Wall Street. Will you stay there?¡± Austin suddenly changed the subject.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What about the programs in Houston that you¡¯ve invested in?¡±


    ¡°Two managers will stay behind to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, will youe back to visit?¡±


    ¡°No, probably not.¡±


    Austin nodded his head and looked at Selene, who lowered her head with no expression.


    After a while, Selene raised her head and looked at her watch. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the hospital.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    They then went back to the room. When they exited the lift, they saw three people speaking to each other in the corridor outside of Harry¡¯s room.


    Austin frowned and quickened his steps. ¡°Mom.¡±


    Dora turned and saw Austin. ¡°This is my son, Austin.¡±


    Austin nodded embarrassedly, looking at the older woman he had met before when he had been young. He recognized her as Selene¡¯s mother. He had no opinions about her.


    But suddenly, he felt sorry for Selene.


    Anne couldn¡¯t read Austin and smiled. ¡°Your son is really handsome. And he looks like his father.¡±


    When she nced at Selene, her expression changed. But Selene walked by her with no discernable emotion on her face and stood by the door, ignoring Anne, who was standing next to her. ¡°If you¡¯re done talking to Harry, please leave.¡± She said,


    Anne stared at Selene, saying nothing, but didn¡¯t move from her spot.


    After so many years, she finally saw Selene from up close. She was so excited that she couldn¡¯t even stand. But she knew she shouldn¡¯t cry or faint, or Selene would feel even more disgusted about their visit.


    Bradley put his hand on Anne¡¯s shoulder and patted her in an attempt tofort her.


    Selene pushed the door open and went inside to get away from her mother.


    Anne stood there and stared at the closed door, tears finally streaming down her face.


    Dora also patted her but said nothing.


    ¡°Time to leave,¡± Clint said.


    Anne took another nce at the closed door and finally nodded.


    Inside the room, Selene went to Harry¡¯s bed, and when she was close, Harry opened his eyes.


    Selene observed Harry carefully and saw nothing different other than his eyes being redder than before. ¡±Did you say all you had to say to her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°Are you happy to see them happy together?¡±


    Harry suddenly gave his daughter a serious look. ¡°Selene, there¡¯s something that you should know. I¡¯ve never told you this because I didn¡¯t want you to hate me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that you could say that would make me hate you,¡± Selene said.


    ¡°Alright then. Let me tell you what happened all those years ago.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    ¡°Please listen carefully. This is important.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll listen.¡± Selene finally gave in after seeing how serious Harry was about this.


    Everyone grows old eventually, but, at the same time, every old-timer had once had their peak years when they were in their prime.


    ¡®Old¡¯ Cloudy Town was bustling with energy and very promising 30 years ago.


    Back then, the Morris became richer than the other families in the town. Selene¡¯s grandfather had founded a factory and earned a lot of money from it.


    Most people in the town knew each other back then. Harry Morris, for instance, was very good friends with another young man called Bradley Denovan. They were at the same age and spent most of their free time together.


    Compared to Harry, Bradley didn¡¯t have it well while growing up, as his parents died when he was very young, and his grandparents raised him. As a result, he dropped out of school when he was only 15 years old.


    They still were very good friends then, even though Harry was still in school and Bradley worked in a factory.


    But when they were around 17 years old, their friendship suddenly ended.


    They fell in love with the same girl, whose name was Anne.


    Anne was very beautiful and attractive, but she came from a troubled background simr to Bradley¡¯s. She grew up poor, and her mother also left her at an early age and never came back, leaving her with her drunkard father, Aron.


    Anne ends up choosing Harry, who was born with a silver spoon. But there was no real love there; The one she had true feelings for was Bradley.


    In fact, Anne and Bradley had been lovers before that.


    But Aron, Anne¡¯s father, waszy and loved money. To him, Anne was just an object that he was waiting for the right price to sell. So, he looked down on Bradley since he was poor.


    Aron knew that Harry Morris had a crush on his daughter, and he initially went to find the Morriss, as he wanted to marry his daughter to their son.


    At the time, young people had to respect their parents¡¯ wishes when it came to things such as marriage.


    Bradley loved Anne, but he didn¡¯t want to push her to marry him. He also couldn¡¯t do much against what Aaron wanted.


    Anne was very angry with her father, but she couldn¡¯t do anything since her father looked at her in her room until she said yes to the marriage. But she found a way to send Bradley a message, saying that she would run away with him on the wedding day.


    But Anne failed and got married to Harry.


    Bradley was heartbroken, and he left the town the next day.


    Prior to the marriage, Harry and Anne had been close, like siblings. But after the ceremony, everything changed. It all became a nightmare for Anne.


    She became depressed and talked less and less to Harry. Their first try at having a child ended up in a miscarriage.


    In the fifth year of their marriage, her father, Aron, died, and she had a child. After that, life got better for her.


    After the birth of their child, the rtionship between Anne and Harry also improved.


    Harry treated her very well, and they lived afortable and wealthy life with their cute baby girl. Eventually, Anne epted the marriage.

 Chapter 91: I’ll Respect Your Decision

    If she hadn¡¯t met Bradley one fateful day, she would have said goodbye to the thoughts of their young love.


    But she did indeed meet him ten yearster.


    After Bradley left Cloudy Town, he moved to Coastal City, which was booming at the time. Unfortunately, he fell sick on the way and had to spend time at a hospital, where he met a kind nurse.


    The nurse took care of him, and they fell in love.


    They got married, and his wife gave birth to a son, Clint Denovan.


    Clever and diligent, Bradley started from scratch and opened up his own store on the street. Soon after that, he opened up more and more stores by himself.


    Everything was possible at that time, and soon, Bradley became a well-known entrepreneur.


    The only unfortunate thing was that his wife died in a traffic ident when their son, Clint, was not even two years old.


    After that terrible incident, Bradley was very busy with his business and raising Clint, so he spared little time to date.


    Bradley would regrly return to his hometown every year to celebrate festivities with his rtives.


    One year, when Clint was 8, Bradley ran into Anne on one such visit to Cloudy Town.


    Anne was now a mother, and she looked more beautiful and charming than ever.


    The love that once was came pouring out again.


    When Anne finds out about his experiences, she can no longer live peacefully with Harry.


    Anne hated her father the most, but since he was now dead, she vented her hatred out on Harry.


    She decided to leave with Bradley.


    Harry was heartbroken by her decision and told her to leave Selene with him and nevere back.


    To Harry¡¯s surprise, Anne agreed.


    Anne had suffered from the rtionship and couldn¡¯t go on like that anymore.


    It was very difficult for Harry to tell Selene the whole story, but he felt much better after he finished. Much better, in fact, as he blissfully rxed into his hospital bed.


    Selene was very calm while telling the long story.


    When Harry finished, she stood up from the chair by her father¡¯s bedside.


    ¡°I get it  She didn¡¯t deserve to be forced into a marriage and suffer because of it. But that didn¡¯t give her an excuse to abandon me. I cannot forgive her for that. But it doesn¡¯t matter now, anyway. She¡¯s a stranger to me.¡±


    Harry nced at her and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. me it on me.¡±


    Selene smiled and patted him on the arm. ¡°No, I won¡¯t me it on you. Despite what you¡¯ve told me, you¡¯ve been a good father to me, and that will never change. But, at the same time, the story also doesn¡¯t change my view about that woman.¡±


    Harry looked at Selene with aplicated expression and pulled out a letter from under his pillow. ¡°This is a letter from her, and I know it may not change your view, but please just read it.¡±


    Selene raised her eyebrows, opened it, and casually skimmed through it. She knew it would be about missing her and apologized.


    She sneered at it. But when she read thest paragraph, she smiled.


    Anne had written that there were losses and gains in life, and if she could have started all over again, she would have made the exact same choices and wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    Anne should pay for what she had done, and the form of that punishment was losing her daughter. She didn¡¯t expect to regain the privilege of being a mother to Selene after having abandoned her for so many years.


    The one thing Anne could do was to stay out of Selene¡¯s life. However, she made it clear in the letter that if Selene ever needed her, Anne would be there for her.


    Selene had to admit there was one aspect of their personality that they shared inmon, which was their cold-bloodedness.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    And she also knew that there would never be a time when she would need that woman.


    Harry just hoped that Selene would forgive Anne, but Selene felt that she simply didn¡¯t need motherly love anymore.


    She didn¡¯t want to tell Harry what she was thinking, so she just put down the letter and smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry- I don¡¯t hate her anymore. How about asking Dora toe here now that we got this out of the way?¡± She paused for a while as she remembered something. ¡°Oh, right. What was your rtionship with Dora when you were young?¡±


    Harry felt a little uneasy and smiled. ¡°There was nothing between us.¡±


    Selene raised her eyebrows. ¡°Was it a love triangle where she loved you, but you loved another?¡±


    Selene was only joking, but Harry showed a little anger in his expression. So, Selene knew that she had hit close to the truth.


    Maybe there was some love among them after all.


    Selene sighed and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll check if Dora¡¯s outside and tell her toe in. It¡¯s boring here.¡±


    Harry now felt much better and smiled teasingly. ¡°If you¡¯re bored, you could go back to Houston. I didn¡¯t ask you toe here.¡±


    Selene rolled her eyes at her father¡¯s childishness, then smiled happily.


    She then went outside and saw Dora and Austin standing there. The Denovans had left.


    ¡°Is Harry okay?¡± Dora asked, with emotion in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes. He asked if you coulde in.¡± Selene said. ¡°Thank you for taking care of Dad. I¡¯ll go back to Houston.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± Then Dora walked into the room in a hurry.


    Austin smiled and looked at Selene. ¡°What happened there?¡±


    Seleneughed. ¡°I think my dad¡¯s in love with your mom.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Ah?! She¡¯s finally got a chance then.¡± Austin widened his eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Houston tomorrow.¡±


    Austin agreed.


    When they walked out of the hospital, Austin invited Selene to walk by the bridge, and when they got there, they spotted some people selling flowers.


    Austin bought a bunch and gave it to Selene. ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to the idea, but this is really out of the blue. I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re truly ready.¡±

 Chapter 92: How About We Got Some Drinks

    Austin stared at her with a smile. Then, he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, and finally hugged her.


    He hugged her for a long time without saying anything.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Selene asked after a while.


    ¡°Nothing. I just wanna hug you.¡±


    Selene smiled and hugged him back, leaning against his shoulder.


    The sun shone brightly, and it was a hot summer day, but they didn¡¯t care.


    After a long while, Austin finally stopped hugging her and smiled. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re destined to be friends but not lovers.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Austin?¡± Selene frowned.


    ¡°If my mom gets married to your dad, then we¡¯ll be brother and sister. If we get married, they won¡¯t marry, in case it creates problems for us. So how about us just being brother and sister?¡±


    Selene did not smile but thought for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for 28 years only loving one girl,¡± Austin said. ¡±I¡¯ve been thinking recently that I should try loving more.¡±


    ¡°Oh, bullshit.¡± Selene rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Selene. I don¡¯t want either of us to have regretster on. I know that since we were born, you never loved me at all. The past few months didn¡¯t make a difference. I know that you¡¯ll never love me like you love Clint.¡±


    ¡°But I won¡¯t marry him.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that you¡¯ll have the chance to find your true love instead of living your life with a man whom you only love like a brother.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s still true love, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± Austin shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not only considering this because of you but also because of me. I want to find someone who also loves me.¡±


    Selene smiled. ¡°Are you sure about this, Austin?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time. When I heard your father¡¯s story today, I made my decision. I don¡¯t want to have big regrets when I¡¯m old.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll respect your decision.¡± She patted him on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll remain friends forever.¡¯


    Finally, everything went back to normal in Selene¡¯s life, and her work went really well once again. Now she couldpletely focus on designing clothes, which she was really great at. The clothes she designed helped her gain lots of poprity. Many famous magazines interviewed her.


    But she did not enjoy this newfound poprity. Selene especially hated mixing work with her own personal life, so she kept a low profile and just got on with her work as best as she could.


    She had not met Clint Denovan for a long time.


    One day, she was flipping through a magazine when she noticed an article on SSGB¡¯s investment in Europe. She saw the photo of Clint¡¯s team, and her gaze instantly went to the man himself.


    She stared at it as if she hadn¡¯t seen Clint in a very long time.


    When winter arrived, Selene¡¯s 28th birthday also came. At this age, Selene did not care much about celebrating birthdays.


    She had been meeting many new people in her recent career endeavors, and there were some men who expressed their interest in Selene. But she didn¡¯t care much for this attention, and she found none of these men appealing.


    It wasn¡¯t on purpose, however, as she didn¡¯t like being single. Instead, she would have liked to get married and have children.


    But every time she had decided that she would find a man to marry, she couldn¡¯t help but remember Austin¡¯s words, ¡°I want to find someone who also loves me.¡±


    Her best friends, Emily and Austin, were too busy on her birthday and couldn¡¯t celebrate the day with her. But they both sent Selene gifts and birthday wishes.


    After she finished her work and left her studio, she was greeted by a bouquet of red roses.


    The bouquet wasrge enough to hide the man who was holding it. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± The man said.


    Selene smiled and took it. She then looked at the handsome man in front of her. ¡°How did you know it¡¯s my birthday?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m your boss, and I have your personal information.¡± Mike, the director of JU Brand, looked at Selene with a smile. ¡°How are you gonna celebrate?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna eat dinner, then go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s sad. How about we go get some drinks at a bar?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Selene replied.


    Though Selene worked in the fashion field, she had a very boring personal life and rarely went out to drink.


    Mike took her to a lively bar that also had a dance floor full of young people who were enjoying themselves and trying to impress their dates.


    ¡°You design clothes. You¡¯re an artist. Visit a ce like this once in a while, and you might get some inspiration.¡± Mike said, turning to Selene.


    Selene smiled without saying anything.


    They chose a ce to sit and asked for two bottles of whiskey.


    ¡°Happy birthday!¡± Mike cheered.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Selene replied.


    Mike took a sip and half-smiled. ¡°I thought you were Clint Denovan¡¯s girlfriend. He had rmended you to our brand before. Also, when your store burned down, he convinced me to give you more time to prepare. But now it seems to me that you two aren¡¯t together.¡±


    Hearing Clint¡¯s name, Selene suddenly started thinking about him but came back after a while and smiled. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re single?¡± Mike asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Selene nodded and smiled.


    ¡°So am I. What a coincidence! It seems fate brought us together!¡± He teased.


    ¡°But I have heard that you are good at finding girlfriends. And you have a lot of exes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only a rumor,¡± Mike joked. ¡±Don¡¯t pay attention to those.¡±


    ¡°You look the part.¡± Selene nodded and put on a fake, sincere expression.


    Mike shrugged his shoulders and winked at her. ¡°I admit that I¡¯ve gone through lots of rtionships when I was younger. But now I¡¯m ready to settle down. What about you? Are you interested?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Interested in settling down?¡± Selene tilted her head.


    ¡°Yes. With me.

 Chapter 93: Why Is He Here?

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I trust my gut feeling.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Selene took a sip and smiled.


    ¡°Really?¡± Mike smiled, a little surprised.


    ¡°Yes, I also want to settle down and start a family.¡± She said and smiled.


    They then started drinking happily. Maybe it was because it was her birthday, but Selene didn¡¯t seem to hold back at all with the alcohol.


    After a while, they were both quite drunk.


    It was midnight by the time they were done. They left the bar holding onto each other and walking on unsteady legs.


    Mike held on to Selene as they stopped on the pavement. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to think about my proposition when you get home.¡±


    Selene felt dizzy but didn¡¯t care. ¡°I certainly will. You¡¯re handsome and rich.¡±


    ¡°And good in bed,¡± Mike added,ughing.


    ¡°Really?¡± Selene was drunk and in a hot mood.


    ¡°Yes. I can show you if you want.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Selene staggered.


    Mike stopped a taxi and asked the driver to take them to a nearby 5-star hotel.


    Alcohol made Selene lose her senses.


    She held out her hand.


    Her hand touched the man next to her, whose body temperature was as high as hers.


    ¡°Selene, you¡¯re drunk.¡±


    She heard a familiar voice, but she wasn¡¯t sure from where. The situation felt unreal, and it made her even dizzier.


    So she held the real man tightly.


    They two soon hugged and ended up lying on a soft sheep. A sheep that, for some reason, started shaking.


    When Selene woke up the next day, she found herself in a strange bed in a luxury room.


    She rubbed her forehead and tried to remember what had happened. Then, finally, she remembered having had drinks with Mike at the bar.


    She sat up on the bed, looked at the ground, and found her clothes sttered on the floor. There were also some used condoms.


    She patted her forehead anxiously. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had had a one-night stand once again.


    There came the sound of running water from the bathroom. Someone was taking a shower. But she could only see the outline of the person through the steamed-up ss doors.


    She swiftly picked up her clothes and put them on.


    Though she couldn¡¯t remember the details of the previous night, she could tell that it had been quite intense, judging by her torn undergarments.


    Luckily, it was winter, so her coat would hide it.


    She had mixed feelings and was in a hurry to leave so she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the situation.


    She quietly walked away, and when she walked by the washing room, she nced at the door and was surprised by the man¡¯s figure.


    Mike looked slender when dressing up, but she found out how muscr and defined he actually was when naked.


    When Selene got back to her apartment, she walked past Austin¡¯s door and saw a girl with messy hair stealthily walking out of his apartment.


    She recognized the girl- it was his business partner¡¯s sister. She remembered them as enemies. Even Austin, who was a very even-tempered person, couldn¡¯t stand her.


    But now, this happened.


    Selene nced at her, but the girl smiled and looked at Selene from head to toe. ¡°You too?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You better not hurt him. He¡¯s a nice guy.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± The girl cried.


    ¡°Okay then. And mind your own business.¡± Selene shook her hand.


    When she got back to her apartment, she sat down on the sofa powerlessly and rubbed her forehead.


    She realized that she was not brave enough to face what had happened.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal to have a one-night stand. But she and Mike were work colleagues, and she couldn¡¯t pretend it had never happened.


    Even if she wanted to date him, it was a mistake to start it off this way.


    She pulled at her own hair angrily.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Why did I make the same mistake again?


    Selene was asleep for a long time before being woken up by the sound of the doorbell.


    The ring frightened her as it brought back the memories of the previous night. But then she rxed, realizing that Mike was probably used to this situation as he had a lot of experience dating around.


    She then got out of the bed and opened the door. She found Austin standing there, with disheveled hair and looking panicked.


    Austin¡¯s anxiety was showing through his trembling hand as he reached out and grabbed Selene¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ve made a big mistake. What should I do?¡± He shouted.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± Of course, Selene knew the reason already, as he had seen the girl leaving Austin¡¯s apartment that morning, but she feigned ignorance and grinned.


    Austin rubbed his face. ¡°I had a one-night stand with my business partner¡¯s younger sister, Emma. I hate her!¡±


    ¡°Then how did it happen if you hate her? Don¡¯t tell me you were drunk.¡±


    ¡°I may have had a few drinks.¡± Austin swallowed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it. I saw the girl leaving your apartment this morning. She seemed quite nonchnt about what had happened.¡±


    Austin looked like he had seen a ghost and had not said anything for a while.


    ¡°Austin. Be honest. You like her, don¡¯t you?¡± Selene gave him a mock usatory look, but sheughed inwardly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My only love experience is with you, but that was mixed with a lifetime of friendship. I find her obnoxious, but when I don¡¯t see her, I find myself missing her.¡±


    ¡°Congrats, Austin. You¡¯ve fallen in love.¡± Seleneughed.


    Austin felt uneasy and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯tugh. Please tell me what I should do! I called her this morning when I saw she was gone, but she told me not to take it seriously.¡±


    Selene could not stopughing. ¡°Don¡¯t believe what she¡¯s saying. She¡¯s probably taking it more seriously than you think.¡±


    ¡°What should I do now?¡±


    ¡°Apologize and give her a small gift to confess your feelings for her.¡±


    ¡°What gift? I don¡¯t think she needs anything.¡±

 Chapter 94: It’s No Big Deal

    ¡°Some flowers, of course!¡±


    ¡°Okay. But pleasee with me to the flower shop and help me choose some good ones.¡±


    Selene wanted to avoid going to work so she wouldn¡¯t have to face Mike, so she agreed to go with Austin to the flower store.


    When they arrived at the store, Selene helped Austin pick some beautiful roses.


    Austin was very tense, and Selene helped him carry the bouquet.


    Selene smelled the flowers and felt happy for Austin, who had stumbled upon love.


    ¡°Uh, is that Clint?¡± Austin suddenly asked, pointing somewhere in the distance.


    Selene was very surprised and looked in the direction he was pointing. She saw Clint standing by her apartment.


    ¡°Why is he here?¡± Austin asked.


    Selene felt very surprised and, for some reason, incredibly happy, but she put on a calm demeanor. ¡°Why should I know?¡±


    ¡°He works in New York, doesn¡¯t he? So maybe he¡¯s here to see you because he misses you.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Selene smiled coldly.


    Clint looked at the roses that Selene was carrying, then looked up at her. ¡°Long time no see,¡± Clint said dejectedly.


    ¡°Mr. Denovan, how¡¯s it going on Wall Street?¡± Austin greeted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s going well.¡± Clint nodded but kept his eyes fixed on Selene¡¯s face.


    But Selene was afraid to look at him, even though things were long over between them.


    Clint looked like he wanted to say something, but he was hesitating.


    Austin took the flowers from Selene. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you guys to talk. See youter.¡± He said before turning to Selene. ¡°Careful.¡± He whispered.


    Selene didn¡¯t reply.


    Clint looked at Austin as he walked off, then turned to Selene. ¡°How have you guys been recently?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been good,¡± Selene answered casually. ¡°Why are you here? Is it something work-rted?¡±


    Clint hesitated for a while, then nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then, there was silence between the two again.


    Atst, Clint broke the silence. ¡°Last night, I saw you at the Sheraton Hotel¡­¡±


    Selene suddenly widened her eyes and looked at him. If he had seen her with Mike at the hotel, that would be extremely embarrassing.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°That¡­ it was¡­ It was nothing. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± She rambled in her statement.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Clint looked at her.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s none of your business.¡± She raised her wrist and pretended to look at her watch, ¡°I need to get back to work. I won¡¯t be free to catch up. Good luck in New York.¡±


    Then Selene ran away in a hush, leaving Clint frowning there.


    Selene ran the short distance to her apartment and felt relieved when she sat down on her sofa.


    Right then, her phone rang.


    Selene answered it and heard Mike¡¯s voice. ¡°Selene, are you home?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Selene tried to sound calm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst night.¡±


    Before he said anything else, Selene interrupted him, ¡°Don¡¯t feel sorry. We¡¯re adults. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°I should have sent you home with a cabst night, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    Mike seemed a bit confused. ¡°Let me make up for it. How about dinner together tonight?¡±


    Selene knew that she couldn¡¯t avoid him as they worked together. However, it was better to get the awkwardness out face to face, so she agreed to the dinner.


    She had considered dating Mike before, but the previous night¡¯s events made her decide against it.


    It seemed that she had learned nothing from her rtionship with Clint.


    She hung up and then received a call from Austin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find Emma. Wish me luck!¡±


    ¡°Good luck!¡±


    ¡°What about you and Clint?¡±


    ¡°What about it? We didn¡¯t talk much. I just left. He¡¯ll go back to New York.¡±


    ¡°It seems you have things handled,¡± Austin said.


    ¡°Worry about your own situation, not mine.¡±


    They then ended the call.


    Clint sat in his parked car for a long time. He wanted to call Selene but didn¡¯t.


    What happenedst night between him and Selene felt like a dream. He was discussing with his client at the Sheraton Hotel and saw Selene and Mike walking away from a taxi and stinking of booze.


    They werepletely drunk. Mike got a room and then got in the lift while Seleney down on the hall sofa.


    Clint nned to send her back to her apartment, but she suddenly got up and screamed at him to get her a room at the hotel.


    So, he did, paying for one at the reception.


    He had never seen her drunk. She was always very stubborn and cold. But in her drunken state, she was expressive and mischievous. He carried her into the room and put her on the bed. But Selene didn¡¯t let him go and hugged him.


    He knew that he shouldn¡¯t make love to her, but he couldn¡¯t hold back.


    She seemed so pushy, kissing him fiercely and holding him tightly.


    Though it was immoral to take advantage of her drunkenness, Clint was still deeply in love with her and had missed her so much.


    He had nned to talk to her in the morning about what had happened, but she disappeared by the time he was done with his shower.


    Clint was wondering whether she was more ashamed about the fact that she had a one-night stand or that she did it with him.


    Clint felt anxious and held the steering wheel tightly.


    In fact, he thought that Selene and Austin were in a rtionship and that he shouldn¡¯t have intruded into her life and ruined things.


    He started the car and was about to leave when he saw Austin driving past with his car.


    Clint started driving the same way.


    Austin stopped his car in front of a shop and got out, standing there expectantly. Clint also stopped his car further down to observe the scene.


    A young woman walked out of the shop and went straight towards Austin. The two then started arguing loudly by the street.


    The girl looked very angry and pointed at Austin, shouting. Austin said nothing, but after a while, he angrily walked to the back of his car and took out a bunch of pink roses, which Clint had seen Selene with.

 Chapter 95: Will You Give Me Another Chance?

    Austin took the roses and looked like he was about to throw them on the ground, but the girl took them away. A few secondster, they finally hugged each other.


    Clint didn¡¯t know what to think.


    When the two stopped hugging, Clint got out of the car and walked towards them.


    Seeing him, Austin felt a little surprised and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Clint, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Clint asked, frowning.


    ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± Austin replied happily.


    Clint had wanted to ask him about his rtionship with Selene, but he knew it wasn¡¯t the right time. ¡°Congrattions.¡± He said, smiling.


    ¡°Thank you. If you still love Selene, don¡¯t give up! She¡¯s hiding her true feelings.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks for the advice.¡±


    ¡°Go easy on her. She¡¯s been hurt.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Clint smiled.


    ****


    When Selene arrived at the restaurant, Mike was already sitting down at their table, ying on his phone.


    She walked into the restaurant with her cheeks burning red with embarrassment, but Mike¡¯s nonchnt behavior soon set her at ease, and she calmed down.


    Selene thought that he had probably experienced this situation many times, so neither of them should care about it too much.


    When he saw Selene, he put down the phone and smiled. ¡°I woke up at noon today. I don¡¯t remember much fromst night. Sorry for not sending you home. I was too drunk.¡±


    Hearing his words, Selene raised her eyebrow in confusion as she saw him in the hotel room bathroom that morning when she left. So then, how had he been asleep until noon?


    But she didn¡¯t ask him about details, as she wanted to avoid embarrassment.


    ¡°I went home early,¡± Selene answered with a smile.


    ¡°You were too drunkst night,¡± Mike said, rubbing his head. ¡±How do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I had a long nap.¡±


    ¡°Okay. And please don¡¯t forget about what I told youst night.¡± Mike nodded his head.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That we should date.¡±


    ¡°Mike. We¡¯re adults, and we should take responsibility for what we didst night.¡±


    ¡°So, you won¡¯t consider it?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean that it¡¯s no big deal that we had a one-night stand.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Wait¡­¡± Mike interrupted her.¡± What do you mean by ¡®one-night stand¡¯? Did we have sex?¡±


    ¡°You were probably too drunk to remember it. Just forget what I said.¡±


    ¡°Selene, maybe you¡¯re misremembering things. My memory fromst night is still hazy, but I¡¯m sure as hell that I didn¡¯t sleep with anyone.¡±


    Judging by his sincere expression, Selene could tell that Mike was telling the truth. She suddenly felt dread.


    So, the man in the bathroom wasn¡¯t Mike, and the man who made love to her hadn¡¯t been Mike, either.


    Did she really have sex with a stranger?


    She raised her head and tried to keep calm. ¡°So you didn¡¯t wake up until noon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m usually knocked out for a long time after a night of drinking.¡± Then, seeing Selene¡¯s slightly fearful and panicked expression, he blinked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Selene shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t feel well. I think I¡¯ll head home.¡±


    ¡°Let me call you a taxi.¡±


    Selene took her handbag and hurriedly walked away.


    Mike was worried and ran after her until he caught up with her. ¡°Selene. What on earth happenedst night?¡±


    Selene was suddenly pulled into someone else¡¯s arms.


    Selene lifted her head and saw Clint, who had a very serious expression on his face.


    ¡°Mr. Denovan. Why are you here?¡± Mike asked with surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for Selene. We¡¯ll leave now.¡± Clint coldly said.


    Selene was pulled by Clint a few more paces until they got to his car. Clint pushed her inside.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let me go!¡± She shouted as Clint put her seatbelt on.


    He then quickly turned the car on and started driving.


    Selene frowned. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Did you go to the Sheraton Hotel with Mike?¡±


    Selene was suddenly angry at his audacity. She sneered at him. ¡°And what if I did?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so careless?¡± Clint red at her.


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m like.¡± She said sarcastically. ¡±Our rtionship also started from a one-night stand.¡±


    Clint kept silent and gave her a cold smile. ¡°Do you still think that you had sex with Mikest night?¡±


    Selene¡¯s face went pale. She just remembered that she had slept with a stranger the previous night.


    But suddenly, she realized something. She turned to Clint with an usatory re. ¡°It was you!¡±


    Clint did not deny it and drove faster.


    ¡°Stop!¡± His silence confirmed Selene¡¯s assumption, but she wanted out of the car.


    Clint didn¡¯t stop and just continued driving.


    They soon arrived at the apartment where they had lived together back when they had been married.


    Clint got out of the car and opened her door. She tried to push him away angrily, but he ignored it and picked her up, putting her over his shoulder. He carried her into the apartment.


    Selene struggled but to no avail.


    When Clint opened the door, he put her down.


    Selene looked around and saw that everything was the same as what it had been when she left. Mixed feelings poured into her mind.


    She looked at Clint. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t mest night, you would have had sex with him, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t even know it was you.¡± Selene nodded.


    Clint was very angry and bit down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Clint snorted. ¡°So you don¡¯t remember that I made love to youst night, right?¡± then he leaned forward to hug Selene and kissed her ear and neck, ¡°Let me help you find the memory.¡±


    Selene wanted to push him away, but he was too strong.


    ¡°You came back especially to do this to me?¡± Selene shouted angrily.


    ¡°Of course! I dropped off my parents in Australia and came straight back only to have sex with you. Okay?¡± He said it with anger and sarcasm.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want it!¡± Selene retorted, knowing what he intended to do.


    Clint bit her lip slightly. He saw the difort on her face andughed.

 Chapter 96: I’m Glad We Meet

    ¡°That¡¯s not how you actedst night. You practically forced me to do it!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything! I didn¡¯t even know it was you.¡±


    Selene always managed to push him over the edge. He didn¡¯t say anything; he just picked her up and threw her on the bed.


    But his heart ached.


    The way she behaved the previous night, Clint had truly believed that Selene had actually missed him.


    But it turned out that she didn¡¯t even know it was him.


    Clint kissed her fiercely, but Selene pushed him away.


    Clint covered his eyes with his palms, then sighed. He took his hands away and gave her a sincere look. ¡°I didn¡¯te back for business reasons. I intend to stay here for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. That¡¯s none of my business.¡± Selene said, standing up and arranging her messy hair.


    ¡°I miss you so much,¡± Clint said, hurt and sadness evident in his voice.


    ¡°So?¡± Selene asked coldly, tilting her head.


    ¡°Do you remember what made us split up? Are you over it yet? Will you give me another chance?¡±


    Selene wanted to refuse, but this time, she felt a reluctance from her heart to do it.


    After a long time of silence, she grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m over it.¡±


    Clint, who was nervously waiting for her answer, looked very relieved at her answer. ¡°Let¡¯s give our rtionship a fresh start. Okay?¡±


    Selene became silent again.


    She was afraid of starting their rtionship again, but she was unwilling to refuse him.


    She was afraid that she would regret turning him away in the future.


    Selene was happy that Clint came back for her, but she was afraid of getting back together with him. She looked tough on the outside, but she was actually scared and weak. She was afraid of being hurt again emotionally. She was afraid of being disappointed.


    Love always did that to her. It always ended badly. She didn¡¯t think she could take that pain again.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if things would get better with Clint. She just couldn¡¯t.


    Clint took a deep breath. ¡°I cannot promise that things will be perfect, but I will respect your lifestyle, and if you are not willing to meet my parents, that¡¯s fine. They will not interfere with our life.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me right now, but you still have feelings for me. So why not give this another go?¡±


    ¡°But I do like you.¡± Selene looked at him sincerely.


    Clint seemed taken aback by her statement. He looked at her with disbelief and excitement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much experience in love. I know I have strong feelings for you, but I¡¯m still afraid.¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±


    ¡°All the things we¡¯ve gone through. It doesn¡¯t give me confidence in our rtionship.¡±


    Clint kept silent and, after a few moments, held her hand gently. ¡°I know I¡¯ve made many mistakes and hurt you. But please let me make it up.¡±


    Selene looked at him and suddenly smiled. ¡°You did make a lot of mistakes!¡±


    Clint raised his eyebrow inquisitively.


    Selene thought for a while, then smiled again. ¡°You said you want to make up for them. How about showing me the file on yourputer.¡±


    ¡°Which file?¡± Clint looked confused.


    ¡°You had a file called ¡®Her¡¯ on yourptop. Remember? I want to see it!¡±


    Clint finally remembered it and smiled. Then he took her hand and led her out of the room.


    They walked to the study room, and Clint turned on theputer. The cursor stopped on the file named ¡°Her.¡± He then lifted his head and looked at her. ¡°Are you sure you want to look inside?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Selene nodded.


    Then, Clint clicked on it and opened one of the pictures.


    Selene waspletely stunned.


    Selene scanned through the pictures and recognized the person who was featured in them; It was her.


    She had never seen these photos of her before. She guessed that they had been taken secretly on the day of her college graduation. She wore an academic dress when she received her certificate and posed for photos with her ssmates.


    Selene red at Clint, who cared little about her reaction.


    Clint tilted his head and smiled, then pulled her onto hisp.


    Selene didn¡¯t struggle but snorted. ¡°Is it normal for men to have pictures like these?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But I¡¯m special.¡± Clint smiled. ¡°I look at them when I¡¯m in a hot mood.¡± He teased her.


    Selene¡¯s face turned red, but she turned to re at him. ¡°Why did you secretly take pictures of me? How did you even know me?¡±


    She clearly remembered that she met Clint the year after her graduation when she started her store.


    But, of course, the reason was probably Anne Denovan.


    ¡°I met you for the first time at your graduation ceremony.¡±


    Selene suddenly remembered that, during the fashion show held by Jennifer, she showed the public a photo of Clint and herself.


    ¡°You were there for Jennifer¡¯s graduation that day. So why did you secretly take photos of another girl?¡±


    ¡°Your mother had asked me to take pictures of you that day in secret. So I came across Jennifer by ident.¡± Clint said.


    Selene¡¯s left eye twitched at the mention of her mother.


    ¡®If she hadn¡¯t asked me to do that, maybe we would never have met.¡± Clint added.


    ¡°Maybe that wouldn¡¯t have been so bad. We¡¯d be living peaceful and normal lives.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d we met,¡± Clint said sincerely.


    Though Clint knew that she didn¡¯t want to hear about anything to do with her mother, Clint still chose to tell her exactly how it went down.


    As a child, he knew little about his stepmother. Until he was 15, he only vaguely heard it being mentioned that his step-mom had a daughter in her hometown.


    But he was not very curious about the private affairs of his parents. When he graduated from college and returned to his hometown, he saw a girl¡¯s photos in his parents¡¯ study. And, since the photos had been taken in secret, they all looked very natural.

 Chapter 97: Good Shot

    He had a hunch about who the girl was.


    Of course, he had no interest in the girl from the photos, who was a high school student at the time. But strangely, Selene¡¯s face was embedded in his mind.


    Then, Clint started his business in Houston. He had several girlfriends over the years, but these rtionships neversted for long. He was a workaholic, and women easily fell in love with him but would also end their rtionship just as easily due to his boring dates and dullness.


    The sess in his career made up for hisck of luck in the rtionship department.


    In the year of Selene¡¯s graduation, Anne had some serious health problems. She had nned to attend Selene¡¯s graduation ceremony secretly, but she couldn¡¯t since she was bedridden and had to stay in hospital.


    In order to cheer Anne up, Bradley asked Clint to attend the graduation ceremony and snap some photos of Selene for her mother.


    He had never seen Selene in person up to that point. He had only seen her in photos.


    Clint took a camera and went to Selene¡¯s college and saw many other graduates.


    He eventually found the right podium, and he was going to ask a student to help him find Selene. But, suddenly, a familiar girl graced his eyesight.


    It was Selene. He recognized her from the photos. Though she now looked slightly different than what she had looked like in the photos, he was confident that this was the right girl.


    Clint had seen many beauties, but strangely, when he first saw Selene, he thought she was so beautiful that no words could describe it.


    He secretly took many photos of her. He followed her around for a while.


    He had never secretly taken anyone¡¯s picture before, and it felt very strange for Clint to be doing that. But luckily, many others were walking around with cameras in their hands, so he didn¡¯t look out of ce.


    Selene eventually ran into him and asked him to take photos of her and her friend. They then had their first dialogue.


    ¡°Hi, could you take a photo of us?¡±


    He looked at her and nodded.


    They were very close, close enough for him to smell her fragrance. His head was in the clouds.


    ¡°Here they are.¡± He took some photos of her and handed the camera to Selene.


    Selene took the camera and looked at the screen with her friend. She smiled happily and gave the camera back to Clint. ¡°Good shot. Thank you.¡±


    She then left with her friend.


    Clint looked at her as she left and didn¡¯t follow.


    He felt something strange all of a sudden. He didn¡¯t recognize the feeling.


    He decided just to leave and go back home. He gave Anne the photos, and she was very happy. She recovered soon after that.


    But his parents didn¡¯t know that he had kept the photos on hisputer, too. So he ced all of them into one file and named it ¡°Her.¡±


    Clint didn¡¯t see Selene for quite a while after her graduation. Houston was a big city, and even though they both lived there, there was a good chance that they would never see each other ever again.


    And Clint was fine with that.


    But he never forgot her.


    Sometimes, when he was working on hisputer, he would click on the file and wonder how her life was going.


    He kind of lost interest in dating around after that.


    He met Selene again two yearster. On that day, he had moved into a new apartment, and he saw a random clothes store when driving down the street. However, as he looked at the store, he spotted a familiar figure standing in front of it.


    It was her.


    He stopped his car and sat across the street, staring at the store for a long time. At that moment, he regarded that store as a Pandora¡¯s box.


    From that day on, he always used this street when going to work, even though there were many alternative routes to his business.


    Two monthster, he stepped out of his car and walked into it.


    He pushed the door open and saw Selene sitting there with some light makeup on. She looked beautiful- Feminine and cold.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Selene smiled at him and asked, ¡°Hello there, sir. What can I do for you? Would you like to take a look at our catalog?


    Clint froze, and then he nodded his head.


    In Selene¡¯s eyes, however, he only looked very cold and distant.


    When she measured his size, he enjoyed the sweet smell of her perfume, reminding him of their initial meeting.


    So, from then on, Clint went to Selene¡¯s store every month and would order two suits each time. Clint would see her twice each month, once when cing the order and once when collecting the suits.


    Their rtionship remained strictly professional, and their conversations seldom deviated from the business at hand.


    Clint, who was 28 years old at that time, knew clearly that he had fallen in love with her.


    He eventually found out that she had a boyfriend who lived in a different city and that she was waiting for him to return.


    Because of this, he never even attempted to make a move.


    Two years passed, and things stayed the same. He was only one of her loyal customers.


    All of his suits were made by her. But that was their only interaction.


    However, that drunken night changed everything.


    On that evening, he had had too much to drink during dinner, but when he was taken home by Selene, he had managed to sober up a little. And, when she was ready to leave, he caught her hand subconsciously. When he saw her lying beside him, he was totally lost and couldn¡¯t help himself.


    The next morning, when he woke up and saw Selene¡¯s sleeping form beside him, Clint realized that he had done something wrong.


    He had thought that he could control himself around her, but at that moment, he knew he had been wrong.


    When she asked him to take responsibility, he said without hesitation that he was willing to marry her.

 Chapter 98: I Will Marry You

    He married her despite clearly knowing that she was taking advantage of him to take revenge on her ex-boyfriend.


    The marriage was a mixture of good and bad. He was not good at lying and was very nervous every time she asked him about introducing her to his family.


    The reason that he ignored her request and found excuses was that he had an unshakable feeling of guilt.


    He had even considered dying telling her the truth until after they would have children.


    But obviously, he didn¡¯t get the chance, as Selene ended their marriage several monthster.


    Hearing Clint¡¯s careful exnation, Selene felt mixed emotions but hid them deep in her mind.


    She thought that she shouldn¡¯t be emotionally touched by the story, as he had lied to her from the very beginning.


    The whole story made her out to be an idiot.


    But strangely, she couldn¡¯t help but feel moved.


    Selene thought shecked the resolve to allow this feeling to cloud her mind.


    Clint carefully checked her frozen expression, then smiled. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t lie to you again, I promise. It¡¯s been hard living with the guilt of lying these past years.¡±


    ¡°Yet you still did it.¡± Selene curled her lips.


    ¡°Just let bygones be bygones. Hopefully, we will have a baby girl who will be as cute as you.¡±


    ¡°You just called me ¡®cold¡¯ in your story.¡± Selene rolled her eyes.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re very cute when you try to hide your emotions.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s hiding their emotions?¡± Selene retorted angrily.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s me.¡± Then, Clint picked her up and carried her to the living room. ¡°Have you forgotten aboutst night? I¡¯ll help you remember.¡±


    ¡°No. I need to take a shower first.¡± Selene struggled down from his grasp.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll join you in the shower.¡±


    This inevitably ended up in lovemaking from the bathroom to bed.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Selene was in a lust-driven frenzy, and she used nearly her full strength to bite and scratch at him. But Clint didn¡¯t stop her but enjoyed the passion she disyed. She had never acted like this before.


    The next morning, when Selene woke up, she felt a slight pain in her back, and when she turned, she saw the sleeping form of a man. The lighting was very dim.


    The sunlight shone through the curtain, lighting up his face. He looked very gentle and seemed radically different from what he was like in daily life.


    There were several lipstick marks on his face.


    Selene smiled and touched his face with her hand.


    Clint¡¯s eyes fluttered open.


    He propped himself up on his arm. He looked confused as if he didn¡¯t know what had happened.


    Selene smiled and remembered their first one-night stand and deliberately said, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Denovan. I didn¡¯t know-¡±


    Clint obviously remembered the conversation she was referring to. He touched his face and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Miss Morris. It was an ident¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Mr. Denovan. If you need anypensation, please let me know. I will do what I can.¡± Selene continued her act.


    ¡°What if I ask you to marry me?¡± Clint smiled happily.


    This time, the roles were reversed.


    They remembered that day very clearly.


    ¡°No problem. I will marry you.¡± Selene was very touched and smiled. ¡°But this time, let¡¯s not keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I promise I won¡¯t keep any more secrets from you,¡± Clint said, giving Selene a quick kiss on the lips.


    Surprised, Selene pped his face gently. ¡°Why are you being so affectionate today? It¡¯s not like you. You¡¯re usually distant and aloof.¡±


    Clintughed and hugged her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m just owning up to what happenedst night,¡± he whispered in her ear, making her blush.


    Thinking about their passionate lovemaking from the night before, which left her body sore, Selene pinched Clint¡¯s cheeks teasingly. ¡°Quit talking nonsense, you mischievous guy! You nearly broke me.¡±


    Clint yfully grabbed her hands and then sucked on her fingers, sending shivers down her spine like electricity, awakening her strong desire.


    ¡°Did you enjoy that?¡± Clint winked at her, noticing her flushed face.


    Selene pouted and snorted, pulling her hands away. ¡°Keep dreaming. You only just proposed to me, and now you¡¯re using my weakness against me.¡±


    Clintughed heartily, rxing his hold on her slightly. ¡°What else can I do? I missed you so much, and it¡¯s your fault for being away for so long.¡±


    Hey back on the bed, watching Selene as she jumped off the bed and started gathering their clothes.


    Selene quickly got dressed and then handed Clint his clothes, urging him, ¡°Hurry up and get dressed. It¡¯s already past nine in the morning,¡± she said, ncing at the wall clock.


    Clintzily sat on the bed, taking the clothes from her, but instead of putting them on, he grinned widely and said, ¡°Mrs. Denovon, could you please do me the favor of dressing me?¡±


    Selene raised an eyebrow and snorted, ¡°Did I hear you right? You just called me Mrs. Denovon. We got divorced a year ago, remember?¡±


    Clint grinned back. ¡°Come on, we slept together against night, and I proposed an hour ago. You said yes and agreed to marry me again. Are you going back on your word?¡±


    Selene rolled her eyes, knowing she couldn¡¯t win any arguments with him. She let out a resigned sigh, ¡°Fine!¡± Sitting on the bed, she grabbed Clint¡¯s clothes, but before she could put them on him, he suddenly pulled her and pushed her onto the bed.


    Lying there defenseless, she red at him. ¡°Mr. Denovon, it¡¯s gettingte, and I¡¯m hungry. Are you still ying these teasing games?¡±


    Ignoring her, Clint leaned down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. His hands roamed freely over her body, instantly weakening her.


    Selene gasped for air as Clint briefly left her lips and began moving down her body. His intense movements made Selene groan inwardly, and before she could protest, Clint had already buried himself inside her.


    Sweat poured from his body as he moved with intensity, and Selene responded the same way.


    Clint¡¯s eyes never left hers, and he looked even more handsome as he moved in and out of her. After an hour, Clint copsed beside her, his arms wrapping around her small waist.


    ¡°Happy?¡± he murmured.


    Selene simply nodded, but then her stomach growled, reminding her how hungry she was. ¡°I¡¯m really hungry,¡± she said.


    Clint got up, quickly put on his clothes, and then leaned back onto the bed, giving Selene another deep kiss on her lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook breakfast for us. You should take a bath after I go to the kitchen.¡±


    Once Clint disappeared, Selene quickly sat up on the bed, but she felt a severe soreness in her lower body, reminding her of their intimate moment just a while ago. Blushing, she slowly got off the bed and went to the bathroom to take a bath.


    An hourter, feeling refreshed after her shower, Selene looked at herself in the mirror and noticed several hickeys all over her neck and cleavage, obviously left by Clint.


    She hurriedly opened the second drawer, where she kept some of her makeup neatly organized. Grabbing her concealer, she applied it to cover up the kiss marks. Once done, she headed to the dining room.

 Chapter 99: Are You Planning To Run Away?

    Selene had never expected to see Clint cooking so expertly. She stood by the kitchen door, watching him move swiftly. The delicious aroma of the food Clint had cooked drew her attention, and she enjoyed observing him in action. Just then, Clint turned around, sensing her presence.


    ¡°Mrs. Denovon, are you impressed with my cooking skills now?¡± he winked at her and walked towards her.


    Selene smiled at him, asking, ¡°I guess so. What have you cooked?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, sausage, bacon, French toast, and Caesar sd. I think these light meals will make for a good breakfast. Would you like orange juice or pineapple juice?¡± he added, moving to the dining table.


    Selene followed him. ¡°I love orange juice.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s have orange juice then.¡±


    She was about to pull out a chair, but Clint beat her to it, quickly doing it for her as he arranged the food on the table.


    ¡°Have a seat, honey!¡± Clint guided her to the chair.


    Selene smiled at him. ¡°I can do it myself, but you¡¯re quicker than me.¡±


    Clint leaned in and kissed her cheek. ¡°Let me serve you, wife!¡±


    Selene looked at him, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re too sweet.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Clint replied, pulling a chair for himself and ncing back at Selene. He swiftly moved to put some food on Selene¡¯s te. ¡°Dig in.¡±


    Selene gave him another warm smile. ¡°Thanks!¡± She began eating.


    Clint watched her intently for a few seconds before serving himself some food. An hourter, they both washed the dishes.


    ¡°I can do the dishes, though,¡± Clint said, wiping the clean tes with a towel. Selene was busy washing the dishes in the sink and passing them to Clint afterward.


    ¡°You made our breakfast. I can¡¯t just let you do the rest,¡± she said, giving him a gentle smile, which made him chuckle.


    They moved to the living room, and Clint pulled Selene down onto the sofa, wrapping her in a tight hug. Selene nestled against him, burying her face in his chest.


    ¡°I miss my shop. I want to work today,¡± Selene suddenly mentioned.


    Clint looked down at her, saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to worry about your shop? Your assistant is there. She can handle everything easily. You need to rest since you haven¡¯t fully recovered.¡± He yfully flicked her forehead after saying it, and Selene responded with a pout.


    ¡°You just want to stay by my side the whole day; that¡¯s why you¡¯re trying to stop me from doing my job,¡± she used.


    Clint quickly changed the topic. ¡°How about we discuss our uing wedding? Since you epted my proposal to remarry me again, I think we should n the rest. Let¡¯s find a beautiful venue,¡± he suggested.


    Selene pulled away from him, looking directly into his eyes. ¡°Are you suggesting that we should have our wedding soon?¡±


    Hearing her question, Clint¡¯s face turned sour, and he quickly replied, ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it important to have our wedding soon?¡±


    Selene pretended to change her mind, grinning. ¡°Let¡¯s have our wedding in the next three years from now.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Clint¡¯s eyes widened, and his handsome face darkened. ¡°Mrs. Denovon, are you nning to run away?¡±


    ¡°Are you scared that I might run away from you?¡± she teased him, a naughty smile ying at the corner of her lips.


    Clint easily saw through her tricks. He pulled her back and pushed her onto the sofa. ¡°You¡¯re ying with fire, honey.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Selene yed innocent, cing her hand on his chest as she struggled to properly position herself on the small sofa.


    She could feel his lower body brushing against her thigh. Selene felt happy that they were now nning their uing marriage. Looking at his handsome face made her heart flutter.


    Clint leaned in to kiss her, but Selene quickly covered his mouth with her hand. ¡°Clint, we did so muchst night. My body is still covered with the marks you left me. I just hid them using concealer.¡±


    Clint grinned naughtily. ¡°I haven¡¯t had enough of you.¡± Slowly, he removed her hand while using his other hand to bnce himself by cing it on the sofa overhead.


    She pursed her lips, gently pushing him away. ¡°No way! Let¡¯s do itter tonight.¡±


    Clint¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really? Promise?¡± He followed it with a naughty grin, quickly pecking her lips, making her helpless.


    Once he pulled away from her lips, he wiped her mouth, smiling widely, his grin reaching his ears.


    Selene swiftly sat on the sofa, fixing her crumpled clothes. ¡°You¡¯re really mischievous sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not mischievous. I just love to taste you!¡± Clintughed joyfully, looking at her reddened cheeks.


    ¡°Got it. You just mentioned we should n our wedding, but you wanted to do another thing,¡± Selene snorted.


    Clint erupted into a loudugh. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop teasing you now.¡± His face turned serious as he looked at her again. ¡°I think we should hire the most popr wedding nner in Houston instead of exhausting ourselves nning the entire wedding. How about that?¡±


    Selene smiled at him. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯d appreciate hiring a wedding nner because then we just need to pay them, and they¡¯ll take care of everything. And what about the wedding date?¡±


    ¡°Three months from now,¡± Clint replied quickly, putting his arm around her.


    She leaned infortably, but her face showed shock. ¡°Three months from now? That soon?¡±


    ¡°Why not? We should do it early in case you get pregnant. I didn¡¯t use protection, though,¡± Clint teased her again.


    Selene blushed once again at his words; the possibility of getting pregnant was soon embedded in her mind.


    ¡°Do you think three months is enough time for all the preparation?¡± Selene asked worriedly, her hands suddenly sweating.


    ¡°If we hire the most popr and efficient wedding nner, I think it¡¯s possible,¡± Clint said, gently caressing her face.


    ¡°But I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll charge a huge amount for a rushed wedding,¡± Selene replied in a hesitant tone.


    Clint looked at her warmly. ¡°Why worry about the expenses? Your husband is a capable man. I run a business empire, and you deserve a beautiful and expensive wedding. Remember, our first wedding was rushed, and we didn¡¯t invite any of our family members or rtives. This time, I want to give you the best,¡± he said sincerely.


    She still hesitated, but seeing him with a calm face made her feel at ease.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Since you said so, I think I should worry less,¡± she conceded.


    Clint stood up and pulled her to her feet. He guided her towards their bedroom. ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping today. I don¡¯t have any clothes to wear here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about not having clothes to wear. Are you nning to stay longer at my house?¡± Selene stopped her steps just before the door of her bedroom.


    Clint looked back at her. ¡°Mrs. Denovon, are you nning to kick me out soon?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Do you really want to stay with me?¡± she asked, looking curious.


    ¡°Of course! I won¡¯t leave you again since we reconciled,¡± Clint assured her. He dragged her into the room, closed the door, and pulled her towards the bed.


    Selene noticed his strong desire and quickly reminded him, ¡°Stop thinking about doing something else. You said we¡¯re going shopping.¡±

 Chapter 100: Finale: A Beautiful Little Girl

    Clint sat beside her, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m just teasing you. You should change your clothes so we can go shopping.¡±


    Selene looked at him, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a bath and change your clothes too?¡±


    Clint shrugged. ¡°Even if I wanted to take a bath and change my clothes, I don¡¯t have any clothes here.¡± He then smelled himself. ¡°Do I smell bad?¡±


    Knowing that he was a clean freak and still smelled clean, Selene shook her head. ¡°You smell good,¡± she murmured. Suddenly, she stood up. ¡°Oh, I remember! I made a suit for you before we got divorced, but when you came back and said you wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore, I couldn¡¯t give you the finished suit.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you keep underwear for me here too?¡± Clint stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist.


    Hearing his words, Selene¡¯s ears reddened. ¡°I¡­ It wasn¡¯t me. I just saw your undergarments one day with my cleanundry. Maybe you left them yourself.¡±


    Clint nibbled her ear, murmuring, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be shy. Just admit that you kept them.¡±


    She forcefully turned around to face him. ¡°Mr. Denovon, you¡¯re the one who left them. Don¡¯t use me!¡±


    Clint smiled and kissed her lips. ¡°Fine, but really, I didn¡¯t leave them. Maybe the cleaner found them in theundry area, and since I was away for a long time, she put them in yourundry basket.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    After pulling away from her, Clint went to the bathroom. ¡°Prepare my clothes, honey,¡± he called out.


    Selene shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Hurry up! Take a shower quickly.¡±


    Clint just nodded and closed the bathroom door. Once he disappeared, Selene quickly went to her wardrobe and picked up the suit she had made for him earlier. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the suit wasn¡¯t too formal and would be suitable for their shopping outing.


    She ced the suit on the top of the bed along with a clean towel. Then, she went back to her wardrobe room and slipped into a clean casual floral dress, making herself look younger. She applied light makeup to enhance her look.


    An hourter, they headed to thergest shopping mall in Houston. The ce was bustling with people since it was Saturday, and it was already past noon when they stepped inside.


    Clint held Selene¡¯s hand and guided her towards the restaurant located on the second floor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch first before we start strolling around,¡± he said, leading her to the elevator.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet,¡± Selene tried to refuse, but Clint held her tightly.


    ¡°No! We should have lunch first because if we don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll lose our appetiteter while shopping,¡± he insisted.


    Selene was lost for words and decided to go with the flow. They dined at a fine dining restaurant, and the food Clint had chosen was mostly Selene¡¯s favorite. She was impressed by how Clint knew her preferences, but she held back from asking him, seeing how much he was enjoying the meal. They spent the whole afternoon buying several clothes for Clint.


    ¡°Honey, this new bag suits you,¡± Clint said, handing her a stylish bag made by Chanel.


    Noticing that she might refuse, Clint quickly added, ¡°Please ept it. It¡¯s a simple gift from me.¡±


    Selene took the bag and looked at the price. She gasped when she saw the expensive price tag. ¡°But this one is very expensive.¡±


    ¡°So what? It¡¯s for my wife,¡± Clint said, dragging her toward the counter while swiftly holding the bag with his other hand.


    Selene was baffled as she watched Clint pay for everything they had picked out. It was already past ten o¡¯clock in the evening when they returned home. Luckily, they had dinner earlier before heading home.


    They were both tired, but Clint still managed to make his way to her. It was past midnight when they finished their intimate moment. Selene could barely keep her eyes open as she felt Clint clean her and change her clothes.


    Three months flew by quickly, and today, Selene looked even more stunning in her wedding dress. She was incredibly nervous as she waited for the wedding nner¡¯s signal for her to walk down the aisle.


    Her palms sweated as she held her bridal bouquet, and she was on the brink of tears as she slowly made her way towards the altar. There stood Clint in his wedding suit, looking dashing and handsome.


    Clint smiled at her as she walked closer to him. Selene saw that he had tears in his eyes and wiped them a few times. They finally had a grand wedding witnessed by their family members.


    Selene made a quick nce at her side of the aisle and saw her mother in tears. Suddenly, her resentment towards her miraculously faded. The fact that her mother, whom she still hadn¡¯t talked to, came on her wedding day made her heart feelforted.


    After exchanging vows, Clint gave her a deep kiss, and the crowd erupted into loud apuse. Joyous congrattions flooded in from all directions.


    Soon after, they all headed to the wedding reception, where most of the major sponsors gifted the new couple withvish gifts. The couple made their way to the center of the reception hall and shared their first dance together.


    Hugging Selene tightly, Clint whispered in her ear, ¡°You¡¯re the most beautiful woman in the world, Mrs. Denovon.¡±


    Selene blushed abruptly and whispered back, ¡°You make me feel like the most beautiful woman, Mr. Denovon. Your endless love fills my heart, and I¡¯m willing to spend the rest of my life with you.¡±


    Selene then fiercely kissed Clint¡¯s lips, shocking all the guests.


    One yearter, Clint paced back and forth in the hospital corridor. It had been almost four hours since Selene had been in the delivery room. This morning, Selene had suddenly woken up in severe pain, and in a panic, Clint had rushed her to the nearest hospital. This month was Selene¡¯s expected due date for giving birth to their first baby.


    An hourter, after sending messages to his parents, they arrived. Just a minute after his parents came, Selene¡¯s father, Harry, arrived with Dora.


    Harry nodded to Anne and sat in the opposite chair in the corridor with Dora. Anne, on the other hand, walked over to Clint.


    ¡°Clint, calm down. Selene will be okay. She¡¯s strong,¡± Anneforted him.


    ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t bear to see her suffer,¡± Clint said, pacing back and forth again.


    ¡°I know how hard it is to give birth, but it¡¯s part of a woman¡¯s sacrifices. Let¡¯s just pray that she will be done soon and give birth to a healthy little one.¡±


    Clint was about to respond when the delivery room swung open. The doctor stepped out, saying, ¡°Mr. Denovon, your wife has finally delivered a healthy baby girl. You cane inside now to talk to her while the nurses prepare your daughter.¡±


    Feeling relieved, Clint quickly strode inside without looking back at their parents. Their parents were also overjoyed upon hearing that Selene had finally given birth.


    ¡°Thank God,¡± Anne murmured in relief, holding her husband¡¯s hand.


    Inside the delivery room, Seleney with beads of sweat on her forehead. She looked messy but still beautiful. Clint held her hands and kissed her forehead, murmuring, ¡°Honey, you¡¯re wonderful. You gave birth to a healthy baby girl.¡±


    Selene smiled weakly, saying, ¡°I finally fulfilled your dream to have a baby girl.¡±


    Clint pulled out a few tissue papers from the table beside Selene¡¯s bed and wiped her sweat away. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t ask for more. You made me a happy husband and gave me a wonderful gift.¡±


    Before Selene could say anything else, the nurse walked over to them and called them both, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Denovon, your baby is here.¡±


    Clint quickly straightened up and picked up his child from the nurse. A wide smile filled his face as he looked down at the beautiful sleeping angel in his arms.


    ¡°Little angel, you look like your Mom. So pretty and fragile,¡± Clint said, tears flowing from his eyes.


    The nurse silently slipped away, giving the couple privacy. Clint walked to the bed and gently ced their daughter beside Selene.


    ¡°Honey, look, she¡¯s so beautiful, just like you,¡± he murmured, trying not to startle their sleeping daughter.


    Selene slowly moved to her side and gazed at their daughter. She was filled with joy looking at the beautiful angel beside her.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s so pretty. I can¡¯t believe I gave birth to her.¡±


    ¡°Today is the happiest day of our lives,¡± Clint said happily, nting a warm kiss on Selene¡¯s lips.


    He was overwhelmed with so much emotion he could barely name. Remembering how their marriage had hit rock bottom and ended in divorce earlier, he was grateful that they had gone through it all and finally united as a family of three.


    ****End Of The Story****


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!