Ethan glared at her, staying silent for a long moment.

Susan tried to smooth things over, "Ethan's so generous,how could he possibly say no?"

Jessica chimed in with a playful grin. "Exactly."

Wendy noticed Ethan's tense expression and couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

Finally, Ethan spoke, "Fine."

"Thanks, Ethan," Jessica said sweetly, then pulled Susan, Wendy,and Alexander over to a tree on the other side, where they struck a pose.

"Cheese!"

Ethan's expression was as stiff as could be, his face dark and brooding.

Jessica held back her laughter and deliberately praised him. "Ethan, you take such great photos."

Ethan snorted coldly and turned to walk away.

Susan covered her mouth,giggling.

Wendy shook her head helplessly and glanced at Alexander, "Let's go too."

The four of them chatted and laughed as they made their way down the mountain.

By the time they reached the bottom, the sun was up, bathing everything in a warm, pleasant light. a stark contrast to their earlier climb.

The camping base was already bustling with activity. They took a break and grabbed some breakfast.

When Wendy went to get hot water, she saw Lydia sitting in the lounge.

Wendy had no intention of greeting her and went straight to the faucet to fill her bottle.

Lydia watched Wendy's graceful figure, puzzled by her newfound confidence.

Just a month ago, she had been a timid, sensitive housewife, seemingly of little use.

Lydia, of course, couldn't understand the struggles of an orphan with no parents, nor did she care about Wendy's past. She only saw her as weak and easy to bully.

So even though Wendy was beautiful and lived under Ethan's nose every day, Lydia never took her seriously.

She couldn't fathom how Wendy had such good luck. After leaving Ethan,she found someone even better-Alexander.

Now, Wendy no longer looked like a disheveled housewife. Even in simple clothes, she exuded an air of elegance,like a wealthy heiress.

"Wendy, sometimes I really envy you. Even though you lost your parents early,you were lucky enough to marry Ethan. And even after Ethan left you,you found..."

Wendy turned off the faucet and slowly faced her.

"Envy me? You think losing my parents is good luck?" Wendy hated it

when people brought up her parents' deaths, especially in such a dismissive manner. "Do you want this 'good luck'?"

"You misunderstand, I didn't mean it that way," Lydia said, still wearing that seemingly harmless smile.

"I envy you for being able to attract another excellent man even before your divorce with Ethan is finalized. I don't have that kind of skill."

"So what?" Wendy saw right through Lydia's intentions. "Am I supposed to cry and beg Ethan not to leave me after you messed around with him?"

"Should I live a miserable life after being forced to sign the divorce papers,just to meet your expectations?"

"Wendy,what are you talking about? I don't understand a word," Lydia's eyes flashed with panic, but she tried to maintain her composure.attempting to deny everything.

"Stop pretending, it's pointless," Wendy said coldly,exposing Lydia's facade.

"What you want so badly. I don't care about anymore. Instead of wasting time bothering me,focus on Ethan. Maybe you'll get somewhere."

"Our divorce isn'tfinalized yet. The longer I drag it out, the longer you'll suffer. But think carefully, what good does it do you to go against me?"

"So," Wendy firmly capped her water bottle and looked Lydia straight in the eye, her gaze a clear warning, "don't mess with me, and we'll stay out of each other's way."

Lydia's fake smile froze, then vanished, replaced by a dark look in her eyes.

Wendy couldn't be bothered to say more and left the lounge.

Back at the hot spring hotel, Wendy was exhausted. After a quick wash,she fell into bed and slept deeply.

Though she had some dreams, she slept soundly.

When she finally woke up, it was already afternoon.

Her phone lit up with a message from Jessica,saying that she and Susan had been up for a while, had eaten, and packed everything.

She replied:[Give me twenty minutes.]

Wendy rubbed her sleepy eyes and started packing her things.

Susan was waiting quietly at the door.

When Jessica came out of her room, she saw Susan engrossed in her phone,occasionally letting out a sly laugh.

Curious, Jessica leaned over, "What's so funny?"

Susan showed her the photo on her phone with a mischievous grin,"How much do you think Mr. Turner would pay for this picture?"

Jessica glanced at the screen and was instantly captivated.

They had taken many photos over the past few days, but this one, taken at the hot spring, stood out.

In the photo. Wendy was resting on the edge of the hot spring,her head on her arms, her delicate face glowing in the steam, like a flower in full bloom.

The photo was perfectly framed, showing only from the chest up,revealing nothing inappropriate.

Yet, Wendy's flushed face and the hint of smooth skin were enough to make anyone's heart race.

The combination of innocence and allure in the photo wasestriking.

"Please, don't sell it," Jessica said, pretending to be scared. "If Wendy finds out you're making money off her, she'll kill you."

Susan chuckled, "I'll wait until Mr. Turner wins her over, then I'll sell it.I've got plenty of beautiful photos on my phone. I'm counting on the Turner family to make me rich!"

Jessica almost laughed at her twisted logic, shaking her head helplessly."You should've been a business tycoon with that kind of talk!"

"How much? I'll buy it," a deep,smooth voice suddenly said from behind them.

Startled, they turned to see the real "tycoon" himself.

Alexander, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with a long black coat.looked every bit the elegant and noble figure, like a leading man from a TV show.

There was no denying Alexander's striking looks-sharp eyebrows,deep-set eyes, and a chiseled face, exuding a lazy yet aristocratic charm that was hard to ignore.

He walked slowly from the hotel lobby, his gaze casually landing on Susan's phone.

Susan, realizing what he was doing. quickly covered the screen and glared at him, "What are you looking at?"

Alexander's presence was almost intimidating, making people hesitant to speak loudly around him.

But now, he was smiling, hands casually in his poekets, seriously negotiating with Susan, "Name your price."