Since the incident with the oxygen tank, Caroline Webb had installed surveillance cameras in Simon Webb's bedroom. At this moment, she was in the adjacent room, observing Josie Garza's every move through the monitor.
Once Josie had taken photos of the dinner location and Dennis Webb's contact information, Caroline smiled slightly, her eyes gleaming with a cold, ruthless light. She immediately sent her plan by email to the restaurant booked for the dinner: a romantic dinner for two, a reservation at a five-star hotel with a special suite, and a key card tucked discreetly into the spiced honey cake. A pair like them deserved each other, Caroline thought, hoping Josie would seize this chance to latch onto Dennis.
After completing these tasks, Caroline returned to the bedroom with some medication, only to run into Deborah Stewart at the door.
“Oh, Caroline, are you here to speak with your mother-in-law? I won't interfere; I'll be on my way!” Josie, clearly nervous, quickly picked up her bag and left with her head down.
Caroline maintained a calm smile, her "innocent and kind" demeanor not raising any suspicions from Josie.
Deborah noticed the complex mix of medication Caroline was carrying—a list so long that the housekeeper usually considered it too much trouble—and couldn't help but admire how Caroline handled it all by herself.
“Caroline, come on in and have some soup. You've lost weight with all this stress,” Deborah urged.
Caroline hung up Simon’s medication without suspicion and drank the soup entirely.
No sooner had she set the bowl down than Deborah clasped her hand. “I mentioned having children last time. Have you given it any thought?” Caroline was about to give a noncommittal answer when Deborah added earnestly: “You really should consider it. Even though Simon hasn’t woken up, the doctor assured me there are no issues on his end.”
Caroline blinked in confusion. “No issues where?”
Deborah just chuckled, said nothing more, and left the room.
For a moment, Caroline’s mind went blank. When she finally realized what had happened, she rushed to the bedroom door, only to find it locked!
Suddenly, a peculiar warmth spread through her body. Caroline shivered, staring incredulously at the bowl of soup—could it really be what she thought it was?
But things quickly spiraled beyond her expectations. Overcome by an inexplicable heat, she supported herself with her weakened body, stumbling step by step toward Simon.
The air was thick with intimacy, and the room became a space of tenderness.
When sunlight once again streamed into the bedroom, Caroline awoke on the spacious double bed to find herself curled in Simon’s arms, the two of them snugly nestled together.
Memories of the night’s passion surged back like waves, leaving her head feeling as though it was about to explode.
Sunlight traced across Simon’s high nose bridge, down his thin lips, casting a soft glow on his divine-looking face, making it hard to look away. In his sleep, the fierce lines of his brow had softened into gentleness.
Caroline's heart raced as she stared at Simon's face, caught between panic and embarrassment, until she instinctively mumbled, “I’m sorry,” as she clambered out of bed.
A moment later, her phone erupted with notifications. The private investigator she had hired had been quite productive the night before!
Photos of Josie and Dennis entering the hotel arm in arm, kissing in the elevator, with Dennis drunkenly groping Josie…
Caroline forced herself to suppress the nausea as she looked through the photos, her eyes becoming ice-cold.
The bait had been swallowed whole.
Caroline gripped her phone tightly and set about dealing with the photos, unaware of the slight movement of Simon's fingers as she left the bedroom.
…
Josie awoke to find that Dennis had left a few hundred dollars and slipped away without any intention of taking responsibility.
She was about to explode in anger when Caroline’s call came through.
“Sister, I’d like to ask you something,” Caroline said.
“Mom and Dad are encouraging me to arrange some dates for you. I've shortlisted a few honest and hardworking guys. They might not come from wealthy families, but their character is impeccable...would you like to choose?”
Josie’s eyes widened in disbelief, nearly crushing her phone. “I’m not going!”
So, Caroline had married into the Webb family and wanted to pair her off with some nobody? What a joke! Always pretending to be so saintly and pitying her—what a hypocrite!
Caroline kept her cool, composed demeanor over the phone. “You know, Mom and Dad aren't concerned about how much money you make. They just want you to marry a decent, hardworking man and live happily ever after—”
“I’m not going. Don’t bother me again.” Josie hung up angrily, wishing she could somehow reach through the phone and tear Caroline apart!
She could never let go of Dennis Webb, her ticket to becoming the Webb family’s matriarch, and she was determined to stomp Caroline beneath her feet in triumph!
Just then, her phone lit up again with a message from Caroline in their family group chat, sharing a fundraising link: A professor’s relative, please share.
The first two lines read: I am a single mother, unmarried and pregnant…
The words struck the 22-year-old Josie, giving her an idea.
