Several years later

Adkins was now twenty-two years old. He cut his beloved girl loose for his career, now a thorn in his heart.

He knew Mollie Ren in junior high. They'd only been classmates for that year. Adkins skipped a grade because of his brains, and they had never again been in class together.

At age seventeen, the quadruplets all graduated from university the same year.

And the girl who Adkins fell for in his youth was still in college, working on her graduate degree. He went to a larger, four-year institution for further study.

The night before he left, Adkins took her to the suburbs to look at the starry sky.

Mollie Ren was from an ordinary family. Her parents were divorced. She lived with her father, who was addicted to gambling and drinking and was always behind on his bills thanks to his vices. She knew her and Adkins came from very different families. She didn't want to drag him down with her, so she forced him to make a choice that night.

Either he could stay in Y City so the two of them could hang out together from time to time, or he could go off to study abroad, and never call or text her again.

That night, Mollie Ren wore a black slip dress, which was uncharacteristically sexy. She was usually pragmatic, and not really interested in seducing anyone. "You need to know something about me. I'm not the kind of girl to stay lonely. If you're not here with me, I don't know what I'll do. I've got guys lining up to date me," she said casually.

Adkins was no fool. He knew she said this for a reason.

Or you could say Adkins was actually a fool because he thought Mollie Ren said that because she didn't like him. He thought she was trying to let him down easily, because she wanted someone else.

Anyone could predict what happened next.

Adkins hugged the girl and kissed her deeply. And then he walked off, giving her freedom, and effectively ending their relationship.

It was her first kiss, and his as well.

And that was how Adkins' first relationship ended. But he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it. It wasn't hard to leave her.

Adkins' future was so bright he had to wear shades. He wasn't just a rising star, he was a rocket. In less than five years, he'd gotten all his degrees and was now sitting pretty in his dream job.

By the time he was thirty-two, what Matthew said proved prophetic. Adkins was the youngest ruler of H Country. What more could he dream of?

But Adkins wasn't the only one who had it all together. In the same month of the same year, Mollie Ren stepped into her new job—a business lawyer. She was quite good at it, too. She had a silver tongue, and was more capable than many of her male colleagues. And she'd gotten engaged, too.

Adkins was still friends with her on WeChat, even after all this time. So he saw when she posted a few photos of her and her fiance in her WeChat Moments.

Her fiance was two years younger than her. According to her introduction in her WeChat Moments, they met each other litigating a lawsuit. After a few drinks and a few business dinners, they fell in love. Her fiance was also famous in M Country. She wanted to move for him, and get a job in the same city. That way she wouldn't have to mi

ver her water glass, staring dumbly as the water spread across the desk, ruining several important-looking documents.

Mollie Ren didn't have the time to deal with that just now. She righted her water glass and walked around the desk. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Hello, Mrs. Huo," she said, trying to sound as graceful as her guest appeared to be.

Erica looked Mollie Ren up and down. Her long black hair was tied up on the top of her head, and she wore just enough make-up to accentuate her features, but not look too made up. Wearing a black suit, she looked elegant and capable.

"Mollie Ren?" Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Erica tried to maintain the image she had created today. She couldn't frighten her future daughter-in-law.

"Yes, ma'am."

Realizing her gaffe, Mollie Ren quickly adjusted her mood and said, "Mrs. Huo, please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

Erica sat down on the sofa and observed her future daughter-in-law carefully as Mollie Ren summoned an assistant in and gave her orders.

So this was the girl her eldest son had carried a torch for. A ten-year crush. Mollie Ren had managed to open a law firm on her own. Erica was impressed.

A cup of hot tea was placed in front of Erica, and Mollie Ren sat down stiffly. "Excuse me. Is there a reason you came to see me?"

Erica decided to crack a joke with her to ease her nervousness. "What are your rates, Miss Ren? Do you charge by the hour, or...?"

Mollie took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Don't worry, Mrs. Huo. I had the honor to team up with ZL Group once, and Mr. Huo helped me a lot. Today, you came here in person. It's my honor, really. No charge."

Besides, she was Adkins' mother! How could she charge her?

With one hand supporting her chin, Erica looked at her with a smile. "I did come here today to consult a lawyer, but it's not a commercial dispute." She knew that business disputes were Mollie's forte.

"Okay. If you have any questions, ask away. I'll tell you everything I know. If you're not happy with my services, I have a lot of friends I could recommend," Mollie Ren said.