Chapter 521: Chapter 516: Aren’t You Ashamed?_1
 

Samuel Richardson’s seemingly mocking words were a bit harsh, and Ethan Hopkins showed little reaction, his gloomy eyes growing darker.

Nicholas Thompson verbally made assurances, but in reality, he still had doubts about him.

He needed to find a way to dispel Nicholas Thompson’s doubts about him.

“That Ivy Thompson is always causing trouble behind the scenes, and I heard that Nicholas Thompson feels guilty about her and is figuring out a way to compensate. If you don’t secure the project this time, I’m afraid Nicholas Thompson won’t help you anymore.”

Samuel Richardson’s words reminded him once more.

“Compensation? Then find a way to prevent him from compensating…”

Ethan Hopkins gave a gloomy smile.

Compensation is given because the wound is still healing, but what if the wound is bigger?

Once trust is lost, it is very hard to find it back.

Between Ivy Thompson and Nicholas Thompson, as long as he adds fuel to the fire, their trust could completely disintegrate.

…

Molly Walker returned to her dwelling, her favorite duplex apartment.

As soon as she stepped in the door, she smelled food.

Walking into the kitchen, she indeed saw a familiar figure.

After a long day, she unexpectedly smelled the aroma of cooking, and this sense of home comfort made her feel warm.

Once, when her grandmother was still around, she could also feel this sense of homely warmth when she came home. But after marrying Michael Gallagher, she stopped having such memories.

“You’re back.”

Michael Gallagher served up the dishes, all of which were delicious-looking and sprinkled with chili peppers.

Compared to last time, his cooking skills have improved enormously.

“You’ve always accommodated my tastes before. Now, it’s my turn to adapt to yours.” Michael Gallagher used a serving chopstick to put a piece of spicy chicken into her bowl.

The spicy aroma was tantalizing.

Molly tried a bite, and the spicy taste exploded in her mouth…

“How is it?” Michael asked expectantly.

His handsome face showed this kind of expression for the first time, like a child seeking praise.

“It’s good.” Molly nodded, taking another bite.

“I can’t interfere with the project anymore,” Molly muttered after they finished eating, “You have to fight on.”

Fearing an accident with the project cooperation, she hadn’t told her brother about it.

Actually, if only she mentioned it, her brother would abandon the project immediately, just as he used to protect her.

But that was not what she wanted.

Such a move would only make Nicholas Thompson think that she is arrogant due to his favor, and thereby take Gillian Thompson’s side even more.

“You don’t need to worry about the project, I’ll handle it.” Michael reassured, patting her on the head.

Molly nodded and leaned on his shoulder.

Just then, fireworks sprang up outside the window, bursting open in the sky, illuminating the entire city.

A thought flashed through Molly’s mind, and she asked Michael, “What holiday is it today?”

“Lantern Festival.”

Lantern Festival, a traditional holiday in Orientopia.

Molly looked at the table, and only then noticed a bowl of sweet rice dumplings.

Sweet rice dumplings symbolize reunion.

She opened a bottle of wine on the table and poured a glass for Michael.

“Have some wine to warm up.”

Warm up what? Warm the body, warm the heart…

Everything just naturally unfolded.

Molly only felt as though the world were spinning, and she was being lifted by him.

His strong arm hooked around her waist, and his gentle actions carried a bit of a man’s strain.

“Molly…”

He called her name in his hoarse voice, and he nuzzled her earlobe.

All was falling into place…

She didn’t know how long she had slept, her joy and excitement finally giving way to fatigue. Yet, submerged in her slumber, she could feel his touch as he carefully wiped her body.

She wanted to resist, but drunken stupor took over her.

The next day, she woke up to the midday sun.

Michael Gallagher was nowhere to be seen.

Thinking about the events of the previous night, Molly Walker’s heart hammered in her chest.

It was her second time with Michael Gallagher, and the second time in her life.

Unlike the first time, there was no pain this time, no apprehension, no feelings of inferiority.

In a surprising twist, he had been the nervous one, constantly asking her if she felt okay.

She thought she could forget certain things by drinking, but the events of yesterday were clear in her mind.

Molly touched her warm face, and slowly laid back on the bed.

Just then, her phone rang unabashedly.

It was Harry Lambert.

Molly sat up, her eyebrows furrowing.

Harry rarely called her unless there was something significant.

“Samuel Richardson visited Ethan Hopkins and seemed to have received something. He even strutted out of Ethan’s house,” said Harry.

Molly paused, an answer stuck on the tip of her tongue.

After Isabelle Richardson’s death, except for an initial outcry, Samuel became strangely quiet.

She was in the process of dismantling Samuel’s company and planning to take it over, but it seemed like Samuel had found some support.

During these days, Harry mainly focused on tracing Samuel’s moves, but unexpectedly, Samuel and Ethan were on the same side!

“Ethan must have made some deal with Samuel. Can we find out what he gave to Samuel?” Molly’s eyelids twitched.

Her biggest fear was Ethan striking at the Thompson family.

“We haven’t found out yet, but we’re investigating. I guess it’s not good, whatever it is. This thing was given by Gillian Thompson to Ethan. From the outside, it looks like a USB drive,” explained Harry.

A USB drive… from Gillian?

Molly tightened her grip on her phone: “I get it. Continue keeping an eye on him, and inform me of any slight changes.”

After hanging up, Molly felt a sense of impending doom as if something was about to happen.

At the First Hospital in Sunnydale, Gillian Thompson and Ethan Hopkins, carrying a bunch of bags, came to Daniel Thompson’s hospital room.

Since Daniel was hospitalized, she and Ethan had not visited.

Now, given her pregnancy, Gillian planned to play the emotional card to her advantage.

With Damian Thompson and Joshua Thompson siding with Molly, she just needed her second brother and her father to support her, and the rest of her life would be set.

At that moment, only Daniel remained in the hospital room.

Daniel, bored, was scrolling on his cell phone when he saw Gillian. Upon her sight, he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Daddy…” Gillian walked over quickly, stumbling a few times, and ran over to him with tear-streaked face, “Daddy, how are you feeling? Are you feeling better? I wanted to donate my kidney to you the day you fell ill, but my second brother wouldn’t let me, insisting that he would donate.”

As Gillian was talking, she was observing Daniel’s response, but she noticed that he didn’t react at all.

What’s going on…

Shouldn’t he feel touched and happy to know she was willing to donate her kidney?

In fact, if not for what Joshua Thompson had said, Daniel would have been touched at that moment.

But his youngest son had said that Gillian was pregnant and didn’t meet the donor requirements. All of it was a charade.

He glanced at Ethan, his face darkening.

The lad was indeed handsome, but his countenance displeased him. Despite his seeming warmth, his eyes gave away his cunning nature.

“Dad, I have come to give you some good news. No, two good news set-ups,” Gillian went to Daniel’s bedside and sat down, “Even if the other Thompson family members don’t recognize me, I still regard you as my father.”

“I must personally share this good news with you.”

Good news?

Daniel sneered inwardly.

“Don’t tell me you want to announce your engagement with this man beside you? And the other good news, you are pregnant, aren’t you?”

Gillian’s face turned instantly awkward: “Dad, I…”

Daniel waved his hand, “That’s enough, no need to explain. Gillian, I have been kind to you. Even when Ivy returned, I still treated you like my daughter. But, the things you’ve done, they show no regard for me as a father.”

It was ironic to think Gillian was about to get married and was already expecting a baby, and he was the last one to know.

“Indeed, an adopted child will always remain an outsider,” he muttered.

His words turned Gillian’s face pale.

“Dad, I had my difficulties too. Ethan and me, we were in a secret relationship. His family was against us being together. I was planning to tell you when things were settled, but I didn’t expect to get pregnant unexpectedly…”

“Stop talking! Getting pregnant after just over a month of being together, aren’t you ashamed? I am disgusted,” Daniel turned his face away in disgust, “Look at the socialites of Sunnydale. Which one of them behaves as shamelessly as you? `Unexpected`, how many `unexpected` events happen in this world?”

“