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Chapter 5
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Ash left soon after that.Felix watched from the window in his study as Ash opened the passenger door for Jenny. Soon, the car sped away."Sweetie?" Eleanor called out.Felix didn't turn to meet her."Ash said Jean has returned to Minnishkee," he said, frowning.Eleanor looked stunned. "She hasn't visited that place in years. But I guess it's where she was raised, so..."Felix and Eleanor exchanged a silent glance."Maybe Jean has finally come to terms with reality," Eleanor added hopefully. "It's good for her to visit that town."Her expression shifted to one of frustration. "But we have more pressing matters. We need to help Jean!"Felix looked confused. "What's the matter?""Didn't you notice? Jenny's pregnant!"Jenny might have tried to hide it, but a mother's instincts were hard to fool. One evening was all it took.Felix's anger surged. "What?!"Even the maids, though far away, shrank in fear at the sound of his voice."Hush!" Eleanor scolded, glancing out the windo
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Ares Vance had died from drowning while attempting to rescue someone. His body had washed ashore only after half a month.The corpse had been so bloated and disfigured by the elements that no one could recognize it was him. This was why Justine had so much trouble accepting his death. She had forbidden anyone to display his photos during the funeral or place them on his grave.The mason looked at her in confusion.Justine hopefully gave him a piece of paper. [This is my favorite picture of him. Please add it to his headstone. Thank you.]The mason nodded. "Ah, of course, young lady!"With that settled, Justine bought her ticket. She still had some unfinished business to attend to.She would return here—her real home—soon.-While at the airport, Justine decided to finally respond to the messages left by Ash's lawyer.She had deliberately ignored everyone from Sol during the funeral, her mind occupied by a growing suspicion of conspiracy.There were too many strange elements s
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"This doesn't count!" Ash declared brashly. "I'm going to draft a new legal document for our divorce. You're signing that one!"The compensation Justine was entitled to in the older version was significant, but it was outdated. After all, she had saved his life.The young woman, however, was only irritated. She tried to pull her hand out of Ash's grip. "I don't need it."Ash's temper flared. He tightened his hold and yanked her closer."I don't know what your problem is, but you saved my life a year ago and sustained a serious injury. I'm not the kind of heartless bastard who forgets that!" he snarled. "This new agreement will give you more property. You'll have a secure future! Your property in Voue—"Voue? Justine had to suppress a laugh. Had he missed her text about her shattered dreams as a prima ballerina? Or had his little girlfriend read it first and deleted it?Not that it mattered anymore. He didn't need to know."That sounds like a hassle. Just add your compensation to
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Jenny bled from the encounter and was rushed to the hospital.By the time Ash arrived, two other acquaintances were already there: Charlie Thorpe, Jenny's adopted father, and Sue Summers, her adopted mother.After Justine had gone missing as a child, Charlie and Sue had taken Jenny in, telling everyone she was "the missing child". They treated her as if she were their daughter, cherishing her deeply.Even after the Thorpes' old patriarch managed to bring the real Justine home, the couple continued to dote on Jenny, giving her all their attention while neglecting Justine."Ash is here!" Sue cried out, wiping her tears. "I'm so glad to see you! I can't believe Jenny would keep her pregnancy a secret after coming back from abroad! How could she stay with you when you're married?! If Justine finds out…"She paused as if a sudden thought struck her. "Wait. Does she know?""Juju does know, Aunt Sue. But—""I knew it! How could my darling Jenny get into such an accident?! Something sme
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Jenny wept quietly, studying Ash's expression. As expected, bringing up that incident was enough to stir his guilt.The elites of Sol might have known these two to be lovebirds marked for each other, but Jenny knew the truth.Before the skiing incident, Ash had treated her like a sister. He had never felt romantic love toward her.In fact, at times, it would seem like they were mere acquaintances. He had never tried to be close to her despite their friendship. His distant attitude had made Jenny think she had received a polite rejection.Later, rumors revealed that Ash had been completely against the engagement.Nobody arranged marriages for children anymore. Even the concept of arranged marriage itself seemed outdated.That incident had given Jenny a chance to secure a promise, but it hadn't prepared her for the twists that followed."I'll fulfill my promise and take care of you, Jenny. That includes the child too," Ash said.This was not what Jenny wanted to hear!She had al
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Sidney knew Justine couldn't speak, yet she kept calling her anyway—almost as if it was amusing in itself.At first, she called to yell at Justine for breaking up her brother and his "long-time love". But gradually, her anger faded, and she no longer shouted.The calls continued, though. Sidney's content shifted to ranting about the heartlessness and scheming nature of the Vanderbilts or the hypocrisy of Sol's elite social circles.Justine, meanwhile, was forced to endure endless upper-class drama.Sidney's calls had become less frequent while Justine was on tour.But now that she was back, Justine wondered who Sidney's latest target would be. Either way, the drama was sure to follow.Sidney seemed emotional—possibly even on the verge of tears. "Aaaaah! Did my brother dump you, Justine? Those old Thierry gossips are saying you and Ash are getting divorced! They even claim he's got a bastard child!"Are all Vanderbilt men hardwired to be horndogs who can't keep it in their pants
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Snow on the curb melted under the day's hopeful warmth.There were still 20-odd minutes before Justine's appointment with the shrink. There was no hurry.Justine walked into a cafe with an elegant design and ordered an espresso to go. She then made herself comfortable in a corner.She skimmed through the papers inside Ash's folder. She had expected some compensation for saving him but hadn't anticipated this much. It far exceeded what she would have received from the earlier divorce settlement.Justine had inherited real estate, funds, a significant number of shares in Ash's company, cash, and a seven-figure monthly allowance.She was so well compensated that one could say she had achieved financial freedom.At least Ash's life had proven to be quite valuable."202, your coffee is ready!"Justine tidied up the folder and stood. As she turned, she bumped into someone.Books fell, scattering across the floor.Justine quickly crouched down to pick them up. When her eyes landed o
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Justine was stunned. The man from the coffee shop had changed into a white coat and put on gold-rimmed glasses. He looked even more gentle and scholarly.She smiled and signed, "God, talk about a coincidence!"Leon slid the book into its place on the shelf, then approached Justine, smiling as though meeting an old friend."Please, take a seat! We can just chat about whatever," he said.Later, Justine realized Leon had been sincere—they chatted as if it were just a casual teatime between friends.More than an hour passed, and Leon still hadn't mentioned her treatment.She was the one who eventually steered the conversation in that direction."Have you thought this through carefully? You'll be reopening a scar you've left untouched for years. 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant,' as they say. We need to identify what's holding you back and work to remove it," he cautioned gently."It's not going to be easy, but we'll do our best together, alright?" he encouraged.'No wonder he's
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Any rage Ash could have felt about Justine's antics vanished. Any thought of punishment was gone."I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling her gently into his arms.She sobbed like a wounded animal, and a while later, she fell back to sleep.Kitty rubbed her eyes groggily. A familiar stranger was hugging Justine and patting her back.Her eyes widened.Ash placed his index finger on his lips, signaling her to keep quiet.He remembered now. This girl was a deaf-mute. Justine had suffered a brick attack to protect her.Kitty regarded Ash warily, her finger hovering close to the nurse-calling button.Ash sighed helplessly."I'm her husband," he signed.Kitty was shocked."You can sign?!" she exclaimed via signing. "No, wait. You're lying! Ms. Thorpe is Dr. Tuke's girlfriend!""Who told you that?" he asked."I guessed it! I'm very smart, you know! So let her go, or I'll call the police, and you're dead, old man!" Kitty signed warningly.Ash stared at her, speechless. It was just a g
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'Mrs. Vanderbilt never learns,' Ash thought.-Justine got herself a cab quickly enough. Where should she go?Ash could find her easily enough if she stayed in a hotel. The residence was out as well—it was too obvious.In the end, Justine instructed the driver to take her to Kitty's hospital.Dusk had fallen, and Justine felt exhausted. She closed her eyes and recalled how, when she had turned around mid-run, Ash stood alone in the middle of the crowd.He appeared almost pitiful.How insane was that? Anyone else deserved more sympathy than he ever could.-Justine arrived at the hospital just as visiting hours were about to end.Due to the sensationalism surrounding Kitty's case, many strangers wanted to visit her. To protect Kitty, the hospital had restricted visits, allowing only Leon and Justine to see her.Kitty had been transferred to a regular ward during the few days Justine had been absent.Seeing Justine filled the girl with such joy that she clung to her without a
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Ash had taken over Vanderbilt Corp. from his uncle only a few months earlier. He had a mountain of tasks to tackle—how could he possibly afford to be out of town right now? That was why Justine believed he had been merely floating the idea without any real commitment.Ash had always prioritized his work far above Justine—even when she had suffered a grievous injury while saving him.Who would have expected him to mean it?"No!" Justine refuted.Her treatment was showing results, and Benji might be bringing Dennis back at any moment. She would not leave at this point.Ash's expression darkened slightly. She would decline treatment for something that was hindering her career? Who was she staying for?Justine sensed his mood shift."Look. You've just taken over Vanderbilt Corp. Many people are probably plotting to gain control of the company, right? My injury isn't that bad. As long as I don't dance, I'll be fine," she signed.Ash knew she was pretending to care. He had experien
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While Leon had a modest number of patients, scheduling all of their appointments for noon would still take a considerable toll on him. The assistant thought it was a terrible idea."I need to return to Sol every afternoon," Leon replied.The assistant was stunned. "You can't be serious! You'll be going back and forth from Sol to the residence from now on?"Leon paused for a moment before remarking, "Doesn't sound very sustainable, huh?""Of course it doesn't! The journey from here to Sol takes three to four hours!" the assistant replied."Well, then please help me hire someone dependable who can drive that much every day," Leon instructed.He left without waiting for his assistant to respond.Leon went to his room in the residence to grab his car keys. On his way out, he bumped into Allan.Allan had not been attending his treatments lately. Instead, he had been cooping himself up in his room, caught up in a manic phase of songwriting and music composing.Leon checked on him fr
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Justine never believed Jenny would give up. Hell, she had been counting on that woman to be more persistent.'Just seduce Ash already so he will divorce me and marry Jenny instead,' Justine prayed.Justine even reconsidered her stance against Jenny. If the latter could manage to seduce Ash away from her, Justine would forgive every petty thing Jenny had done. She would let Jenny live so that these two could be happy together!Ash declined the call and activated the "Do Not Disturb" mode."If anything's happening to her, they'll do better calling a doctor than me," he said.Besides, Ash had already placed some of his people around Jenny. If anything happened to her, they would notify him.Justine gawked at him as if he were an alien. Her frustration grew. Why was he treating his childhood sweetheart like this?-Sue hurled her phone onto the couch and shouted, "Fuck! That succubus' seduction has become so powerful that he isn't even picking up our calls!"Charlie took a deep pu
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"I thought I saw Ares, but he also… didn't look like himself?" the man answered, scratching his head. "That dude was expressionless! He really sent a shiver down my spine."The woman slapped the back of his head. "I knew you drank too much! This is what I was saying! Come on, Ares has been dead for years! You saw a ghost in the middle of the day!"The man trembled. She was right! Ares had died in a drowning while trying to save someone!He scanned the airport but could no longer see the man from before. His skin crawled.Did he really see a ghost?-The simple explanation for why the man could not find him anymore was that Ash had left the airport.Justine saw Ash as soon as she got out of the car. She looked rather haggard—the lack of clues in Aurora's home had ruined her sleep the night before, not to mention how many times she had cried earlier that day."Are you feeling unwell?" Ash asked, placing his hand on her forehead.She didn't have a fever.Justine was too tired to
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"You and your stories. If there's no picture, don't spread rumors!" The woman patted the girl's back. "Now quit dragging your feet. You have homework to do!"Penny Parkman pouted and mumbled to herself as she left. On the day that fuckboy and his bitch trended on Twitter, she had been taking a school exam. Just when she wanted to save those pictures, Ash had scrubbed the platform clean of any searches.The adults exchanged glances and silently decided not to bring up the topic.No matter who he was—or what he looked like—a man with foul behavior was as good as nothing. Justine was young and could still find herself a good husband if she chose.The townsfolk refused to accept Justine's payment for the gravestone, so she thanked them with a large feast at a local restaurant.After lunch, the town's older women began discussing renovations for Aurora's house.Suddenly, the driver called her, but Justine declined immediately."Time to go, huh?" Nyla asked.Justine nodded, smiling.
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Justine searched every inch she could see but found nothing of interest. She fell to the floor, dismayed.Aurora was not usually like this.Justine bit her lip.This place was too clean. Aurora must have wiped every possible hint away, ensuring Justine could not uncover the identity of the real culprit, allowing her to remain in the safety of ignorance.At that moment, Ash's video call came through.Justine wanted to ignore it but knew it was better to answer him.Besides, she was visiting the grave of someone recently deceased. It was natural for her to look forlorn and teary—she didn't have to hide her emotions."What is it?" she signed.Ash noticed her puffy, red eyes and sensed her mood."I just finished work," he said gently. "Have you had your dinner?"Justine reeled.Dinner? She had forgotten even lunch."No, not yet. I'll eat now. Goodbye.""Jean."She paused. Ash had always called her "Justine". He never used her nickname."Don't cry alone. You can always talk t
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In their three years of marriage, Ash seemed to care about Justine only when they were having sex. Outside of those moments? He was apathetic.In the last two days, he had hugged her more times than he had over the entire three years."What's the hurry?" Ash tightened his grip on Justine's chin—but gently. "Have you forgotten what you usually do at this moment?"Justine glanced at him and brushed his lips with hers."Happy now?" she signed."Wow. Where's the effort?" he protested."You didn't always let me kiss you goodbye before, either!" she protested back, signing emphatically.Ash moved in and kissed her lips."You used to do it like this," he murmured, pulling away.She couldn't read his expression, but it looked almost like… grievance.'Grievance? What grievances? Since when had he been denied anything he wanted?' she grumbled inwardly.Justine looked away. "Whatever."She couldn't bear to see Ash look like that.Ash hugged her, ruffling her hair. "If you need anythi
