Chapter 1

The day Miranda Jennings returned to Fellix City, she ran into Xavier Schneider's rumored new girlfriend.

After packing up all her old belongings at Hillcrest Residence, she left the room and saw Xavier and his friends playing cards in the second-floor entryway. A young girl in her early 20s sat in his embrace, her beauty and clear skin shining through even without makeup.

In fact, the girl slightly resembled Miranda. The only difference was that the former appeared more innocent and easy-going.

As the players at the card table started to tease, the girl began to look flustered. She held her cards and glanced at Xavier for help. In response, he gladly gave her some pointers. Their interaction was intimate, rendering his friends somewhat speechless.

A person chuckled and teased as Xavier tried to guide her on playing her second card. "Hey, Vee. That's against the rules. Anna is supposed to play by herself. You can't help her out."

Anna, huh? Miranda was rather stunned.

During all the years she spent hiding her relationship with Xavier, his friends had only ever called her "Ms. Jennings" with the utmost formality. Yet, as soon as she broke up with him, his friends were on a nickname basis with his new girlfriend.

Miranda glanced over and saw Yovanna Yates looking helpless while biting her lip as though ready to face the game alone.

However, Xavier raised his brows, grabbed one of the cards from Yovanna's hands, and played it confidently, coaxing, "Ignore them. Play it however you want, and you'll get the money if you win."

His rare, tender tone put Miranda in a trance. At last, someone noticed her presence.

"Ms. Jennings?" A shocked voice came from the card table, and the person was none other than Yves Simpson, Xavier's childhood friend. "Why are you here?"

Miranda greeted them politely and explained, "I left some of my belongings here, and I thought I'd pick them up while I'm back in Fellix City."

Everyone at the scene looked somewhat intrigued. Almost all of them sitting there were Xavier's fair-weather friends, who were well aware of Miranda and Xavier's relationship of seven years.

On the surface, she served as his secretary; in the last seven years, she was the only woman involved in his life. Despite her mere identity as a secretary, everyone knew the nature of their relationship.

It wasn't until three months ago that things took a turn. After Miranda's car accident, she was reassigned from her secretarial position to a project manager role at the branch company.

Then, Xavier introduced his new girlfriend, Yovanna, to everyone, as though announcing to the world that he was sick of his capable ex-secretary.

However, no one had expected to see Miranda here. Their gazes landed on Xavier with a hint of scrutiny. He casually fed Yovanna a piece of fruit, gentle and indulgent, sparing no glance at Miranda.

Meanwhile, Yovanna bit her lip and greeted Miranda uneasily. "Are you leaving already, Ms. Jennings? Do you wanna have a go—"

"Thanks," Miranda interrupted with a smile and continued, "but I gotta get going. Enjoy yourselves."

After some thought, she placed the keys before Xavier. "These are keys to Hillcrest Residence, Mr. Schneider. Thought I should give them back to you as I suppose I won't need them anymore."

Since Miranda had been assigned as the project manager at the branch company, she wouldn't overstay her period in Fellix City. Instead, she would leave once she handled her private matters. Besides, she was no longer Xavier's secretary and naturally wouldn't need the keys anymore.

Without batting an eye at her, Xavier simply replied, "How many days off did Evergreen give you?"

Evergreen Ventures was the branch company of Schneider Corporation to which Miranda was assigned.

She was taken aback. "A week."

"Sure." Xavier uttered lightly, "Enough time for you to complete the handovers."

Miranda had been with him for seven years. He was always driven by desire and had a somewhat reckless personality. They often found themselves taking their work discussions to bed.

However, this was the first time they had a serious, no-nonsense conversation about business without any underlying emotions. She showed a faint smile. "Alright, Mr. Schneider. I'll get going."

She had just turned around when Xavier suddenly added, "Oh, right. You left your stockings in my office. Remember to take them with you."

His voice was slow and deliberate, with an ambiguous tone, yet Miranda could sense the indifference and coldness in his tone. She lifted her head and gazed at the group, who was all stunned and silenced by Xavier's out-of-pocket comment. Yovanna's expression, on the other hand, shifted slightly.

Everyone knew how passionate Miranda and Xavier were in private, yet this was the first time he openly mentioned their entanglement. Were there still lingering feelings?

Yovanna couldn't help but steal a glance at Xavier. As if sensing her uneasiness, he gently squeezed her hand to reassure her. That little movement was noticed by Miranda.

"That won't be necessary," Miranda concluded. "You can keep them if you like them."

They owed each other nothing in their relationship. Now that it had ended, she didn't hold back, knowing he hadn't spared her any dignity.

Following that, Miranda brought her stuff back home. The belongings she left behind at Hillcrest Residence were a bunch of random items—some spare clothes, daily necessities, and presents Xavier bought her.

Neither of them was overly sentimental, so they didn't dwell on minor things like this. Once Miranda returned home and unpacked everything, her aunt, Sharon Snowe, entered the room with her brows furrowed and asked, "Have you and Xavier called it off completely?"

"Yeah," Miranda remembered her dinner with Naomi Collins tonight and returned to her bedroom to change her clothes. Sharon's next words unmoved her.

"Finally, you guys broke up. You're no longer at the age to be fooling around. Xavier was never suitable for you."

Sharon kept her gaze on Miranda, heaved a breath of relief, and continued with heartfelt seriousness, "Don't forget about the trust fund, Mira. You wouldn't want the Jenningses to stay fallen, would you?"

The Jennings family had fallen from grace seven years ago from bankruptcy, illnesses, and a series of misfortunes. What Miranda possessed was a trust fund, initially intended as her dowry from her mother. The condition for accessing it was that she had to get married.

"You can never rely on men. You know how you are. Just settle down and revive your family. That's the only right thing to do…"

Miranda stayed silent. These were the words she had heard for most of her life.

She wasn't a university graduate, and without her looks, she had nothing else. However, since she met Xavier, she had a goal in life to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

Everyone saw her as the ruthless, capable, and tenacious member of Schneider Corporation; concepts like grace, elegance, and charm had little to do with her. Yet, she stubbornly held on for seven years, only to be met with his cold indifference in the end.

When she brazenly brought up marriage to him, he shot her a cold glance. "Get married? What do you think we are? Be mindful of your position, Miranda."

Indeed, after seven long years with Xavier, Miranda was nothing more than a secretary and a lover. She was never his partner, to begin with.

After a prolonged silence, Miranda piped up. "I understand, Aunt Sharon."

Sharon was finally satisfied with her response. She passed Miranda a business card and said, "Make time to meet him. I don't want to urge you, but you should give him a chance."

Miranda no longer refused. She had never been one to give up easily, but now, in her bruised and pathetic state, she had no choice but to accept reality.

At night, Naomi called her a few times, saying she had planned a welcome dinner for her. During their meal, she looked in a direction and hesitatingly asked, "Miranda, isn't that Xavier? Why is that scumbag alone?"

Chapter 2

Miranda gazed in that direction and indeed saw Xavier alone. His dull gaze reflected his drunken state as he leaned against the chair and dozed off. Despite that, he appeared as cool as ever without a hint of dejection.

Miranda had nothing to say, while Naomi became exasperated at the sight of Xavier. After letting out a cold snort, she sneered. "I thought that scumbag had a new girlfriend. Why isn't she here?

"I heard his mother introduce the girl to him. She's a top student, and she's nice.

"Although her family is poor, she has a notable background. Xavier, that condescending scumbag, is so loving toward her. Should I give him a lesson, Mira?"

Miranda's thoughts trailed off. "A top student, nice girl, and has a notable background, huh? She's very different from me," she mused.

In the last seven years with Xavier, she had never pretended in front of him, be it when discussing projects or in bed. As such, pride and dignity weren't something she could demand.

"Forget it. We broke up amicably." Miranda lost her appetite and uttered softly, "Go on. I'll head to the washroom."

It didn't take long for her to come out of the washroom. When she turned the corner, a strong scent of alcohol hit her as a figure stepped into view. Before she could react, Xavier's lips crushed into hers eagerly and aggressively.

He pressed her against the cold concrete wall and bit her lips as if he were trying to devour her. Once she snapped back to reality, she became angered. She pushed his chest and forcefully shoved him away before swinging a slap at his face.

"You're mistaken, Mr. Schneider. I'm not Yovanna." Her voice was as calm as the still lake.

Under the faint light, Xavier finally regained his composure upon sensing the pain signals sent to his cheek. He lit a cigarette, frowned, and leaned against the wall with annoyance. "Why are you here?"

"It's none of your business." Miranda's voice remained cold.

Immediately after, Yovanna arrived from a distance. Her expression shifted somewhat awkwardly as soon as she saw Miranda. Her demeanor changed when she clung to Xavier's arm, all sweet and smiles.

"What a surprise to see you here, Ms. Jennings."

Her movement screamed, "That's my man."

In response, Miranda explained, "Mr. Schneider mistook me for someone else. I have somewhere else to be, Ms. Yates, so goodbye."

Once she left, Yovanna looked concernedly at Xavier's face. "Xavy, what happened to your face?"

He lowered his eyes and lightly uttered, "Got a cat's scratch."

Yovanna bit her lip as her eyes reddened. Not a word of complaint or criticism came out of her mouth, making her seem even nicer and more compliant.

As if realizing something, he squeezed her hand and assured her with a soft, deep voice. "I had a little too much to drink and mistook her for you while you were gone."

His low coaxing settled her anxious heart. She tugged at his sleeve and said, "As your girlfriend, I'm a little bit upset that you're still close with your ex."

"She's not an ex." Xavier said softly, "You're the only one."

It was only then that Yovanna realized that was the truth. No matter how wild the rumors spread, nobody had ever said he dated Miranda. Immediately, it felt like she had tasted something sweet, like honey.

She then followed Xavier into a private room, where he introduced her to his group of friends. A few of his close friends had returned to the country, and they met up to have a few drinks. When she arrived earlier, Xavier had gotten drunk and sat outside alone to get some fresh air.

Now, he had regained his sobriety. His friends were all intrigued by Yovanna, much more than when they met Miranda.

Miranda was like a weed. During her toughest times, she found herself in a remote village, managing a project alone, wielding a machete to outsmart a group of petty thugs. Her resilience and tenacity often made her seem almost superhuman.

While many doubted her relationship with Xavier, there were still those who admired her spirit and determination.

One of them had gotten drunk and blurted out, "Anna, you look quite similar to Miranda."

Yovanna seemed rather upset. "Do I?"

The man scratched his head and replied, "Actually, not really. Miranda is more alluring, while you appear more innocent, Anna."

He then suppressed his volume. "To be honest with you, I kinda want to pursue her, but I'm not sure if Vee will be okay with it."

Yovanna blinked. "If that's the case, why don't you give me Ms. Jennings' number, and I'll ask her what she thinks?"

Miranda's dinner quickly concluded. In reality, Naomi was reluctant to see her leave. Despite that, she knew Miranda's departure paved the way for a greater future.

Even if Xavier was heartless to Miranda, Schneider Corporation was still a leading enterprise at the end of the day. With Evergreen Ventures, a new environment, and her capabilities, Miranda was bound to soar to new heights sooner or later.

After their meal, Naomi seemed to be drunk and tugged at Miranda's sleeve. "I know you're bitter deep inside, Mira… Since the downfall of your family, you're left all alone to shoulder everything. Then there's Xavier, who basically betrayed you.

"Why must the future of the Jennings family rely solely on you…?"

Miranda stayed silent and only assisted the drunk Naomi into the car. She asked why. Well, after seven years of hard work went down the drain, she had no choice but to rely on herself.

Luckily, Naomi stopped babbling after entering the car. Miranda was relieved and ready to pay the cab driver when a text message from an unknown sender popped up.

"Hi, I'm Yovanna."

Chapter 3

Miranda was taken aback. Why did Yovanna text her out of the blue?

She looked at her profile picture, which depicted a cutesy drawing. For some reason, it felt rather familiar to her. It wasn't until she recalled Xavier's profile picture that she realized their photos matched.

Miranda was never one to do things as subtle as this. As an adult, she'd been accustomed to a world of deceit and manipulation, leaving little room for anything as innocent as pure love. The same applied to Xavier.

Soon, Yovanna sent her another message. "I'm sorry to disturb you so late at night, Ms. Jennings."

Miranda was at a loss for what to reply. The next second, Yovanna added, "I don't mean harm, and I know you and Xavier are no longer entangled. It's just that…

"There's a friend at our dinner who's quite into you. Would you like to know more about him?"

Miranda found her message interesting. Regardless of Yovanna's intention of matchmaking her with a new man, Miranda had always disliked people getting involved in her private life.

"Sorry. I'm not interested in men who don't view marriage as the relationship's end goal."

All of those men Yovanna met tonight were wealthy and noble, and they would never marry Miranda after her seven years of history with Xavier. As expected, Yovanna no longer persisted and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry for disrupting your night."

Miranda left her message on read. It was getting late, and she returned home after dropping Naomi off safely at her place.

Perhaps it was Yovanna's young and vibrant nature that she posted a few stories in a row within an hour. One of the posts was a picture of her and Xavier.

In the photo, she smiled gently while he looked down at her with the utmost tenderness. The caption said, "Boyfriend."

That was the first time Miranda saw Xavier in a photo with someone else, and it was also the first time she understood how he behaved when he was truly in love. It wasn't anything sad to her. Once she left Fellix City, their relationship would only become history.

The next day, Miranda returned to the company. Replacing her as Xavier's secretary was Wendy Jones, someone she had never quite gotten along with. It was rare for Wendy to come over and ask for advice.

Miranda sent Wendy all the recorded details about Xavier and his lifestyle. After flipping through the pages, Wendy looked at Miranda, intrigued. "I thought you and Mr. Schneider were the end game. Who would've thought—"

Miranda chuckled. "I thought you'd be celebrating my departure."

Wendy laughed in response and didn't deny it. "I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, Miranda."

It was a simple yet sincere blessing.

"Well, I wish you success in this company, too." Miranda smiled.

Wendy couldn't contain her laugh. Yet, when she recalled Yovanna's presence in the CEO's office, her eyes flickered and blinked mischievously at Miranda. "But… before you go on your endeavors, would you please remind Mr. Schneider that he has a meeting in five?

"I wouldn't want to disrupt their lovey-dovey time and have a target on my back."

Miranda didn't refuse her and subsequently knocked on the door to the CEO's office. After a momentary silence came Xavier's cold voice. "Come in."

Once she entered, she realized Yovanna was lying on the bed in the lounge with a pale complexion. A heating pad rested atop her tummy, and a cup of cinnamon tea sat on the table beside her.

Miranda withdrew her gaze and reminded Xavier, "Mr. Schneider, you have five minutes before the meeting."

Then, she saw Yovanna tugging at Xavier's sleeve with teary eyes and pale lips. Despite not uttering a word, she appeared sympathetic yet adorable.

Xavier frowned and continued massaging her tummy. "Postpone the meeting by an hour."

His words seemingly made Yovanna uneasy. "I'm fine. Proceed with your meeting. I can handle the cramp."

"I'll go once you fall asleep." Xavier's soft voice rang.

It was then that Miranda realized he would postpone a meeting for a woman's sake. He had always been a perfectionist and disliked unexpected changes.

One time, she ran a fever of 102ºF on a night when she and Xavier were supposed to attend a dinner party. After finding out she was sick, he simply told the chauffeur to send her to the hospital while he showed up to the dinner alone.

Now, he had postponed a meeting simply because he didn't want to leave his girlfriend with period cramps alone. As if realizing something, Yovanna gazed somewhat embarrassingly at Miranda.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Jennings. You guys are delaying the meeting because of me…"

"Don't worry about it. Nobody will ever question Mr. Schneider's decision," Miranda politely replied.

She returned to the secretarial office and handed over some work and documents, some of which required Xavier's signature. Since Yovanna was sleeping inside the office, she kept her volume down. "Would you sign this, please, Mr. Schneider?"

Xavier glanced at the document without further remarks. After a momentary pause, he uttered, "Since you managed the project planning for the Shanridge Group proposal, come with me to the meeting next week to secure the collaboration.

"You can leave after finalizing the deal. Meanwhile, I'll give Evergreen a heads-up."

The project with Shanridge Group was something Miranda personally decided to take on. Many of the details, no matter how much they were delegated, couldn't be fully explained.

However, she hesitated. "Why don't you pick someone else to follow up, Mr. Schneider? Andy or Lucas can easily take on this project. Besides, I'd like to return to Evergreen sooner."

She added upon contemplation, "With our history, it's not a great idea for us to frequently interact as your girlfriend might get upset."

Her last words were overly formal and came off somewhat insincere. However, that was the truth. Yovanna would definitely mind the relationship they previously shared, and it was only the right thing to do to interact less.

To her surprise, Xavier looked up at her with a hint of mockery.

"Our history…" He stared at her and continued coldly, "What history? Or did you mean to say you're still holding onto me?"

Chapter 4

Holding onto Xavier? Miranda lowered her eyes, feeling the irony and dejection in her system.

She had done everything to make him stay, including threatening him with suicide. She had always been one to never give up until the last moment, and she could forsake her dignity and pride when it came to him.

In the end, she lost. Since the moment she awoke from the car accident, she had killed off the last bit of hope she had for him.

"You misunderstood, Mr. Schneider," Miranda softly replied. "You may not be the most loyal man on earth, but you're definitely far from being a scumbag.

"Our frequent contact will only upset Yovanna. Besides, I'm not the only capable one in Schneider Corp."

Xavier stared at her for a long time. After a while, he piped up with indifference.

"Yovi isn't as petty as you think. Since you're the one who started the project, there's no point in dragging others in. You can leave once you seal the deal."

Miranda considered it. Since he only wanted her to finalize the collaboration, she assumed it wouldn't take her much time. She no longer refused him and affirmed, "Understood."

Once she stepped out of the office, she received a text from Sharon. "Mira, make time tomorrow to meet the blind date I recommended the other day."

The text was attached with a photo of a man who appeared gentle and elegant with his gold-rimmed glasses.

Miranda replied, "Okay."

She was 25, and it was time for her to settle down. If her blind date turned out to be decent, she wouldn't mind marrying him. She gave the whole thing a serious thought.

Before clocking out for the day, Miranda notified Xavier about her leave. "Mr. Schneider, I'll be off tomorrow since nothing is up. The handover procedure is almost completed."

He asked coldly, "Your schedule is packed, huh?"

She casually replied, "I have a meeting with someone tomorrow."

With slightly furrowed brows, he glanced at her and no longer pressed further.

Miranda was a beginner in the world of blind dates. Luckily, Naomi suggested tagging along when she found out. It wasn't a rare scenario to bring a best friend along to a blind date. Miranda accepted her suggestion and allowed her to watch the fun.

Surprisingly, Sharon had recommended a decent man.

At the cafe, Miranda became somewhat satisfied after getting to know her date. The man was Josh Gallagher, a lawyer who seemed to be fairly well-known. He came from a middle-class family, and his parents were warm and kind-hearted.

He didn't seem like his photo. In fact, he appeared even more elegant and striking in person. Ultimately, the two decided to start as friends.

The blind date was pleasant throughout. At the end of the date, Josh pushed at his glasses and confessed, "Actually, this isn't my first meeting with you, Ms. Jennings. There was previously a dinner party where you acted as Schneider Corp's secretary and kicked out a man who bullied a woman.

"You even humiliated him in front of the media. That woman happened to be my sister. Since then, she's been admiring you, Ms. Jennings."

Miranda was surprised. She could faintly remember that incident, which happened about two years ago.

The boss was a nouveau riche and was probably using his status to blatantly bully young women. Despite all her years of meeting a variety of scumbags, she couldn't contain her desire to defend the woman.

When she approached, the man eyed her instead, making crude and offensive remarks. She recorded the conversation, handed the recording to the media, and unhesitatingly called the police.

Miranda was pleasantly surprised that the woman was Josh's sister. It was no wonder why she met a decent and wonderful man like him on her first blind date.

"That's a coincidence, for sure." She laughed politely.

Meanwhile, Naomi kept sending signals to her through her eyes. Right then, an excited female voice came from around them.

"Ms. Jennings!" Yovanna held Xavier's arm and looked surprisingly at Miranda. "Is this your boyfriend?"

Naomi became upset at the sight of that couple. She lazily stretched out her long legs and let out a mocking laugh. "Mind your damn business."

Naturally, Miranda was surprised to run into Yovanna and Xavier. Still, she knew Yovanna had nothing to do with her relationship fallout with Xavier. At the same time, she understood Naomi's fury.

She simply nodded at them in response. Xavier's countenance was devoid of emotions, his gaze landing on Josh instead.

Naomi's words rendered Yovanna in an awkward position. She tugged at Xavier's sleeve and gazed embarrassingly at Miranda.

"I'm sorry. I thought you weren't planning on dating anyone for the time being. After all, you've just rejected someone not long ago. With that said, I understand many guys must be into you since you're so beautiful…"

Her tone was quick and confined, with not a hint of malice in between her words. Still, she left out the part where Miranda said she was after someone she could marry. From her words, it sounded like Miranda was having flings.

Yovanna's words angered Naomi. She truly couldn't stand her indirectness and double entendre. Thus, she casually remarked, "Of course, Mira is a likable woman, and many men are into her—unlike someone who's scheming and only takes other women's man…"

Then, she gazed at Xavier and scoffed, "Oh, and after the brutal lesson Mira had, she'd learned to be smarter in picking men. She'll never go back to a man who's cold-hearted, unfeeling, and lacks basic compassion!"

Chapter 5

In contrast to Miranda, Naomi grew up in a life of ease. She was the only daughter in her wealthy family, so she naturally cultivated a bold personality.

She knew Miranda and Xavier broke up "amicably", but even a stranger would've shed tears for someone who got into a car accident, let alone someone who worked seven painstaking years for him.

What did Xavier do in return? He turned his back on her and found a new girlfriend.

Yovanna wasn't an angel either since she was the woman he dumped Miranda for. Naomi's words were harsh and improper, and while she could act rashly, Miranda couldn't.

Noticing Xavier's displeased expression, she softly uttered, "Mimi didn't mean it. I'm on a blind date with Mr. Gallagher now, so it'd be nice if you guys can excuse us, Mr. Schneider and Ms. Yates."

"I'm sorry." Yovanna almost cried because of Naomi's words. She grabbed Xavier's sleeve and flushed red. "I didn't mean to disturb you. Let's go, Xavy."

Xavier stayed motionless. He looked at Miranda and said, "Tell her to apologize."

Miranda furrowed her brows and was ready to speak when Josh interjected with a chuckle. "Ms. Collins may have been direct, but she wasn't wrong. I suppose Mr. Schneider wouldn't pick a fight with a lady over a few words, right?"

He glanced at Yovanna and tried to smooth things over. "Since this young lady has apologized and acknowledged her mistake, why don't we all take a step back and move on from this?"

Josh's voice was deep and rich, his words effectively conveying that Yovanna was at fault first. Yovanna bit her lip and hung her head low. "It's my fault. Let's go, Xavy."

However, Xavier spared no glance at Josh and continued staring coldly at Miranda, his tone light. "Tell Naomi to apologize, or I'll make sure her stupid studio gets acquired."

Miranda couldn't help but frown. She knew Xavier wouldn't threaten her with empty words. With that said, she couldn't make Naomi apologize. Rather than standing up for right and wrong, she cherished Naomi even more when she defended her unconditionally.

Not to mention, Naomi had never been the type to respond well to threats. As expected, she sneered at Xavier's words. "Oh, screw you! Do you think I'm threatened by you?"

Miranda drew a sharp breath and turned to Yovanna. "I'm sorry, Ms. Yates. Mimi means no harm. I hope you and Mr. Schneider can forgive us."

Yovanna waved in dismissal, appearing kind-hearted and understanding. "It's all just a misunderstanding. Xavy and I have somewhere else to be. So, have fun, you guys!"

Xavier scrunched his brows, finally looking somewhat satisfied, and left with her.

After seeing off Josh, Miranda sat beside Naomi, finding her words. The latter said coldly, "I know what you're about to say, but I just can't stand them, especially that jackass. You sacrificed and endured so much for him over the years."

During the last seven years, Miranda had done everything she could for him, professionally and privately. She might as well take a bullet for him just to check that off the list.

"It's all in the past." She lowered her eyes, her gaze indecipherable. "There's no right or wrong when it comes to who you like or don't like in relationships."

Naomi piped up after a long silence. "I just think you deserve better."

Miranda had never thought about what she truly deserved. To be fair, Xavier owed her nothing. She had a great future ahead, and she also had her fair share of satisfaction in bed with him.

Inevitably, the harshness women faced stirred a wave of regret in Naomi. Unbeknownst to Miranda, even her delirious mother felt a sense of injustice for her.

The next few days, Miranda handled her work matters while making plans to go on art gallery dates with Josh. They weren't evolving into a couple yet, but as friends, they enjoyed each other's company. Sharon, too, was delighted by their chemistry.

"Although the Gallaghers aren't an aristocratic family, they do have some background and heritage. The entire family is well-mannered and well-educated. If you marry Josh, your life will surely get better. By then, you two can slowly revive the Jennings family."

Miranda simply smiled in response. She knew Sharon was looking out for her, but some things couldn't be rushed.

Sharon similarly saw through her thoughts and patiently advised, "I know you're reluctant that I'm urging you to get married, Mira, but don't forget how your dad died after failing to protect the family. Uncle James is ruthless, while your mother is… Do you plan to keep the state of your family like this?"

Seven years ago, the Jennings family was framed and went bankrupt. Her uncle, James Jennings, took the opportunity to buy up shares at a low price. Her father, enraged, passed away, and her mother, who was short-sighted, remarried.

Later, Miranda joined Schneider Corporation. Besides quietly biding her time, she also started investigating what happened that year.

She wasn't blinded by love and naturally understood Sharon's meaning. "Don't worry, Aunt Sharon. I'll think about it."

Sharon was finally relieved. "You should leave soon. But before you do, visit your mom. Although she's far from being a good mother, she's still your family, after all."

At the thought of Meryl Snowe, her sister, Sharon couldn't help but sigh. It was truly Miranda's misfortune to have a mother like Meryl.

Miranda had been busy lately and planned to visit her mother once she had spare time. Surprisingly, she ran into her at the hospital.

Although the surgery went well after her car accident, the doctor emphasized the need for a follow-up checkup. The next day, she happened to be free and dropped by the hospital.

While waiting in line, a sharp and cutting voice pierced through the air. "You shameless couple! Do you think you can just use my daughter like that? Dream on! Miranda was blind for spending seven years with you!

"Also, this bitch was smart enough to seize the opportunity while my daughter was in the hospital. I'll give you two a lesson today!"

Immediately, Miranda deduced that it was Meryl's voice. She followed the source of the sound and saw Meryl holding a kettle of boiling water, ready to splash it at Yovanna.

Miranda's countenance darkened, and she instantaneously charged over to yank Yovanna away. Meanwhile, Xavier reflexively shielded Yovanna.

To Miranda's dismay, her whole body collided with a nearby empty medicine shelf due to the force of gravity. She let out a muffled grunt, and the next second, the entire shelf came crashing down on her.