Marriage Resumption (Valeria and Hackett)

The car gently halted outside Emerald Garden. Valeria unbuckled her seatbelt, getting ready to step out.

Do you really have a boyfriend?" Hackett suddenly asked.

Valeria paused, taken aback. "Huh?"

I mean, if you have a boyfriend, you could bring him over and end Barron's attempts at matchmaking. Otherwise, he'll keep setting you up on dates?

Though his words portrayed this, deep down, Hackett wished Valeria did not have a boyfriend. He secretly hoped she would deny it outright.

"Got it"

Valeria pushed open the car door, but then the thought of that infuriating tombstone crossed her mind. She could not help but turn back. "Is that tombstone set in place now? No room for negotiation?"

No

Valeria fell silent. She exited the car, closed the door, and turned toward the living quarters.

Inside the car. Hackett observed her retreating figure for quite some time.

He could not understand why Valeria was so opposed to that tombstone. Unless she felt their child was not worth having a tombstone.

He racked his brain for a while but still could not fathom that their son, Alex, was not actually dead and was already three years old

Once Valeria returned home, she found the nanny had already taken Alex to kindergarten.

She intended to rest briefly before heading to the law office in the afternoon.

Her phone suddenly rang, showing an international call from Keith,

Valeria answered. "Mr. Cooper, what's up?"

A soft chuckle came from the other end. "It's almost afternoon back home. Have you had lunch?"

With her morning all tied up, she had not had time to eat, but she lied, "Yeah, I just had lunch. Is there something you need?"

"I might be coming back earlier. Someone has taken over my tasks here."

"Really? Congratulations."

"As promised, when I return, you and Alex will welcome me back. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Valenia smiled. "Of course not. How could I forget? Alex and I will pick you up from the airport whenever you come backContent (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"My flight is the day after tomorrow, scheduled to land around 8p.m.

Keith was finally coming back

That meant she could wrap up her ongoing cases and escape from this place.

R

"Sure, I'll bring Alex to pick you up the day after tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll get some sleep now. See you the day after tomorrow!

"Okay."

After hanging up. Valeria was struck by an idea. If Barron tried to set her up on another blind date, she might have Keith pretend to be her temporary boyfriend.

In any case, Keith would be back the day after tomorrow. She could discuss this matter with him then. She would not find peace during this time if she did not handle Barron's side of things properly. She did not want to be tormented by Barron and Hackett any longer. The memory of Hackett erecting that empty tombstone for Alex embarrassed her deeply, but she could not reveal the truth. She wished she could go overnight and remove that tombstone, It felt as if that tombstone was cursing Alex to an early death Lying on the couch. idly scrolling through her phone, a headline caught her attention. "Cheryl Yeats' Wealthy Boyfriend Exposed! You Won't Believe Who It Is!"

She knew it was Hackett without needing to click, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she tapped on it.

As expected, the news article went on at length about the immense power and influence of the James family, their boundless wealth, and Cheryl's impending marriage into high society. Valeria could not tell if this sudden exposure was Hackett's doing or Cheryl's. At that moment, the memory of Hackett and Cheryl's tender embrace at the club resurfaced in her mind. She suddenly found herself ridiculous for forgetting that Hackett had strong feelings for Cheryl. She had concluded that Hackett was capable of anything for Cheryl's sake.

In her current perspective, Hackett erecting a tombstone for their son seemed like mere show, utterly insincere. She believed he did it to feel justified in being with Cheryl.

At the same time, Cheryl also saw the entertainment news flash on her phone screen. It was her doing. She wanted everyone to know that Hackett was her boyfriend.

If Valeria dared to interact with Hackett privately in the future. Cheryl would have the paparazzi expose Valeria as a homewrecker, attempting to steal her boyfriend. She wanted the world to scorn Valeria relentlessly.

Cheryl was convinced Valeria would not withstand the pressure of public opinion.

Then, her phone rang.

It was Hackett calling.

Seeing his name on the caller ID, Cheryl burst into laughter. She adjusted her mood and answered in a flirtatious toner "Hacken!"

"Do you have time tonight? Let's go out for dinner."

"Sure, I'm free. I'll make time even if I'm not.

"Alright, someone will come to pick you up tonight."

TII be waiting for you at home.

After hanging up. Cheryl's mood instantly brightened. She knew that Hackett still cared for her deep down. As for the unpleasant incidents that had occurred earlier, she blamed Valeria for everything, believing that Valeria deliberately wanted to ruin her good fortune, 2/3

On the other side, Hackett felt he had been neglecting Cheryl these past few days and wanted to make up for it. Soon, evening arrived.

Cheryl meticulously did her makeup and wore a seductive little dress with spaghetti straps. She was picked up by the bodyguard, who brought her to a hotel

The bodyguard dropped her off at the entrance and said, 'Ms. Yeats, please take the elevator directly to the rooftop. Mr. James is waiting for you there."

"Alright"

She did not expect this man to show a bit of creativity finally. He had chosen a romantic rooftop restaurant with a breathtaking city view,

Upon reaching the rooftop. Cheryl looked around and spotted Hackett sitting in a corner. She walked over with a smile. "Hackett, why are you so romantic tonight, even picking a place like this?"

Gazing at the city's night view, Hackett turned his head at the sound. He furrowed his brows slightly. "This is considered romantic?"

His secretary had recommended the restaurant, and it was his first time there.

Yeah, women really like dining in places like this Cheryl thought that she might spend the night with him tonight, and she was looking forward to it.

A server brought the menu for them to order.

Meanwhile, Hackett picked up his phone and glanced at it casually. "Was it you who leaked the news about our relationship?"

The explosive entertainment news had taken the entire industry by storm that day, and he naturally received the news notification as well.

Cheryl's fingers paused momentarily as she perused the menu, putting on an innocent act. "Huh? I thought you did it. Wasn't it you? How could I randomly release such news without your consent? I wouldn't dare. I wanted to leave a good impression on your grandfather, you know."

Hacken fell silent for a few seconds. "Let's order."

Just then, the phone on the table began to vibrate.

Hackett answered the call, and a voice on the other end, the bodyguard's, came through. "Mr. Hackett, your grandfather found out that Ms. Sharp's blind date today wasn't successful. He's planning to take Ms. Sharp on another blind date and is on his way to find her now."

"What? Is he out of his mind?" Hackett instantly grew furious. He felt a throbbing headache, realizing that this matter seemed to have no end in sight.

Cheryl glanced up, trying to decipher what the call was about.