Ambition and Obsession

It was a dark night, heavy curtains covered the room in complete darkness. Two bodies pressed against each other on the bed.

The man with the heavy breathing; with an athletic body, but his manners were rude. Nicole was in so much pain that she tried to push the man away a few times.

However, after thinking about her mother, who was in the hospital, she gave up any kind of resistance against the man. She made a pained expression, grinding her teeth, letting him do what he wanted to her again and again...

After a long, long time, the man finally fell asleep soundly. Enduring the pain, Nicole staggered out of bed, got dressed and went out. Wearing elegant makeup, Queenie Anderson walked to the bedroom door at a calm pace. "How was it sis? Have you pleased young master Joseph?" With a noticeable arrogance in her eyes when she saw Nicole's depressing figure.

So what if Nicole is beautiful and excels in her studies? In the end, at most, she's just a replacement for me, isn't she?

Nicole's voice was shaky and hoarse as she made an angry expression and raised her pretty, stubborn face. "Don't forget what you promised me, Queenie."

"The 200,000 has already been transferred to your account," Queenie replied as she tossed Nicole's cell phone back to its owner. And then, with a tone full of malice, disdain and provocation, she added, "Of course I won't forget that, after all that was the money you prostituted yourself for."

His words full of venom pierced Nicole's heart like a knife, but Nicole didn't care, after taking her cell phone back, she ran to the hospital.

After Nicole was completely out of sight, Queenie sighed coldly and entered the suite.

Joseph Mann is the youngest of the Mann family. Despite his bad reputation, his father, Robert Mann, is very fond of him, as Joseph was born when Robert was already older.

Joseph was quite drunk that night, so he would never know about the sisters' exchange. When he sees the blood on the bed, he will certainly take responsibility for what happened! If it weren't for Joseph's preference for only virgins, I wouldn't have left this opportunity to Nicole, that dog! Queenie thought to herself.

However, in the bedroom as soon as she took off her clothes and lay down on the bed, the man on the bed suddenly woke up. Quickly, he grabbed her neck tightly with his strong and large hand, exuding a terrifyingly murderous aura throughout her body. "Who are you?" His voice was husky, with a small trace of lust for him sleeping with someone, but her behavior was extremely dominant.

To Queenie's surprise, as soon as she lifted her head, she saw that the man on top of her was not Joseph Mann. He was Colton Gardner, the current head of the Gardner family...

To which the Mann family was far from comparable.

Five years later, Nicole, dressed in her long, smooth overcoat, walked in high heels through the crowd at Goldwick Airport, attracting the attention of many with her beautiful face and sensuality.

Upon returning to her hometown, Nicole was lost in thought. Even though she earned 200,000 that year, by the time she arrived at the hospital, her mother had already passed away. According to the doctor, the hospital called several times while his mother was dying, but all calls were disconnected.

Nicole almost went into a depression when she heard this, while the hospital was calling, she was in Joseph's bed and her cell phone was with Queenie! In other words, it was Queenie who stole her mother's last chance to survive.

At first, Nicole wanted to end her own life after preparing her mother's funeral. However, she was restrained by the baby in her womb...

Suddenly, a boy's voice caught her attention. "Hurry up mom! I can't take it anymore!"

Nicole's mood immediately improved as she lowered her head and saw her son's sweet little face, which was already red from fighting the urge to pee. "Now you're in a hurry, right? I told you to use the bathroom on the plane, but you kept saying no."

"Mother!" Hayden Anderson pouted with a hint of annoyance.

"Okay, the airport bathroom is right there. I'll take you there," Nicole replied, unconsciously quickening her steps, leading her son through the crowd to the bathroom. "Can you manage on your own?" she asked, bending down a little. When they returned from abroad, her son insisted that they take everything with them, so it became a little difficult for her to follow her son to the bathroom while carrying so many things with her.

"Yes. Don't worry, mom. I'll be out in a minute." Hayden replied as he skipped towards the bathroom. It looked like he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

Nicole was carrying her suitcase and waiting outside when her cell phone received a call. Seeing the caller ID, she was slightly uncomfortable.

Why does this phone number seem familiar to me? I usually always save the number of people at work in my contact list... Even so, she still answered the phone.

A female voice with a tone of hesitation immediately spoke over the phone. "I'm sorry, Ms. Lisa..."

The woman spoke with a respectful tone, the voice seemed familiar, but Nicole didn't remember knowing anyone with that voice. "And you are?" she asked intrigued, in the last 5 years she had deepened her studies in fashion design. Eventually, she was discovered by a talent scout, so she joined F&M Confecção as Chief Designer under the nickname 'Lisa'.

At first, Nicole wanted to take Hayden to visit her late mother's grave on her trip home. It turns out that the F&M Confecção branch was in negotiations with the Gardner Corporation, the largest company in the country, for a partnership, so her boss asked her to help with the negotiations... Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Queenie was talking

more low to appear sweeter. "Mrs. Lisa, I'll be her assistant while I'm in the country. I should pick you up this time, but at the moment I'm too busy..."

Queenie spoke respectfully to Lisa, not knowing who she really was.

Five years ago, Queenie hatched a plot in an attempt to trick Joseph into marrying her for her own interests. However, in a strange combination of circumstances, she ended up hooking Colton. To make up to her for what had happened, Colton gave her the title "the future young Madame Gardner," but his manner of dealing with her was always lukewarm. This time, she offered to be Lisa's assistant, wanting to impress Colton, as the Gardner Corporation placed a great emphasis on partnership.

She was supposed to pick up Lisa today, but she suddenly learned that Colton would be returning from his business trip ahead of schedule on the same flight as Lisa. To her, no one could be more important than Colton, so she could only dodge Lisa.

Nicole noticed that the woman on the other end of the line had started to mumble, as if she really had something urgent to take care of. "I understood. Just get on with your stuff first. I can call a taxi back." Only then did she remember her boss telling her before returning home that an assistant had been assigned to her to help her familiarize herself with the company's work in the country. This assistant is said to be the future young Madame Gardner, but I never thought she would be so polite...

"Thank you very much, Ms. Lisa." Queenie hung up with a sigh of relief.

This was the first time that Lisa returned to her home country to take over the company's business in the country, and it was rumored that she was a woman in her forties. At first, Queenie thought she would be difficult to deal with, but she didn't expect Lisa to be so calm.

...

Nicole continued to stand outside the bathroom after putting away her phone. She waited for more than ten minutes, but Hayden still hadn't left. It's been so long. Could something have happened? She glanced at the sign for the men's room, hesitating whether she should go in to take a look.

At that moment, Hayden ran out with his little legs and threw himself on her pant legs, crying. "Mother..."

Nicole immediately looked at her son, only to find that his eyes were red.

Nicole had no idea who Hayden got his looks from, but he looked really adorable. Her black hair rested softly on her head, and her little face was round and chubby. With his delicate and handsome features, he would definitely become a handsome guy when he grew up. At this very moment, however, he looked very hurt. His bright and clear eyes were dyed red and his lips were slightly pouty. Concerned, she crouched down and asked, "What's wrong, Hayden?"

"Mom, there was a man inside who intimidated me."

Did a man bully my son? Upon hearing Hayden's words, Nicole instantly turned red. Isn't this guy ashamed? How could he bully a boy? She comforted her son as she stood fiercely outside the men's room, ready to argue with the man when he came out later.

Shortly afterwards, a man came out of the men's bathroom. Being tall and slim, he was dressed immaculately in a neatly pressed black suit that outlined his perfectly proportioned figure, especially his broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs.

Nicole looked up from the man's slim waist, only to be taken aback when she laid eyes on his face.

The man had chiseled and exquisite features, with a high nose and a pair of thin, slightly compressed lips that had a sharp edge. The most captivating of his features were his eyes, whose dark pupils were very deep despite the hint of callousness about them, like a pair of black holes that could suck people in. However, what surprised Nicole wasn't the man's dazzling features.

. , but its appearance. He looked like the adult version of his son!

One could tell at first glance that the man was not to be confused as he had an imposing presence. Still, Nicole straightened her back and stepped forward, blocking his path. "Hey you! Were you the one who bullied my son?" As the man was very tall, she only reached his shoulder height, despite wearing high heels, which somehow made her feel a little weaker.

Upon hearing Nicole's voice, Colton turned to look at her. The woman had stunning features, but her palm-sized face had fury written all over it. Holding her small chin high, she looked wild and intractable. However, Colton was a little lost in thought when he smelled the barely noticeable perfume on her. This smell... It seems a little familiar...

Suddenly, a child's crying voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Mom, it was him!"

A flash of contempt passed through Colton's eyes, which were as deep and fathomless as a frozen lake, when he saw the boy clinging to Nicole's pant leg. Women nowadays are becoming more and more skilled with each other in tricks to get closer to me. And to think that this woman is capable of finding a child who looks so much like me! If it weren't for me being certain that Queenie is the only woman I've ever touched, I would have suspected he was my son...

"Apologize to my son, sir!" Nicole demanded, keeping her head high as she tried hard not to appear shy. "Don't you feel ashamed to bully such a small child as a grown man?"

Colton's eyes narrowed slightly; His voice was deep and smooth, like a barrel of well-matured wine. "He didn't tell you what he had done?"

Naturally, Nicole sided with her son. "Tell me then, what did my son do to make you bully him like that?"

Colton let out a cold snort before lifting his foot. "Now you understand?"

Nicole looked at the man's incredibly long legs until she saw a damp spot at the hem of his pants. Could that be... A bad feeling rose in her stomach. As she lifted her son, her throat felt a little dry. "What did you do?"

Hayden replied sadly, "Nothing. I just peed on him by accident, so he wanted to hit me."

Nicole's initially heightened anger immediately disappeared and she rubbed her nose in embarrassment. Is it too late for me to start apologizing now? Why didn't this little rascal tell me sooner after doing something wrong? "I'm sorry," she said apologetically with a complete change of attitude as she looked down at the man's pant legs. The man's clothes were unbranded, but she could tell from the fabric that they must be very expensive. "I will compensate you for..."

Colton hated these disgusting, obsequious ways of talking to someone. He coldly interrupted Nicole, saying, "Just manage your son so he doesn't call any man he comes across 'father.'" This way of talking to someone is really old-fashioned. And besides..." He paused for a moment before continuing in a voice as cold as a deep lake that had existed for 1,000 years, "There is no way you can make up for my clothes." With that, he walked away.

Talk to somebody? Is there no way to make up for his clothes? Nicole was shaking with rage. What kind of man is he? Well, I admit that this guy is incomparably handsome, but he's not so charming that women fall for him at first sight, is he? Although her son was wrong in this matter, she couldn't help but despise the man for his arrogant way of speaking and arrogant manners. What an ill-mannered and rude upstart! What a waste of such good looks!

"Mother." Hayden looked up with a hurt look in his eyes.

Seeing her son's appearance, Nicole couldn't scold him. She pinched his soft cheek, asking, "Did you call him 'father' just now?"

"Yes," Hayden muttered in dismay.

A hint of helplessness flickered across Nicole's face when she heard Hayden's response. "Didn't I show you photos of your father? Your father is an idiot!" She never hid Hayden's paternity from him and showed him photos of Joseph, but he never believed her. Whenever she showed him Joseph's photo, he would retort, "There's no way my father could be so ugly! I'm so handsome, so my father must be handsome too."

Nicole was speechless. Joseph was a flirt, but he wasn't bad looking.

Raising his little face, Hayden stubbornly replied, "That's impossible! Mom, don't you think the guy is my father now? We are exactly the same!"