The comforting aura emanating from the man always unconsciously made Natalie feel at ease. At some point, she drifted into a deep sleep in the passenger seat.Upon arriving at their destination, Irwin looked at Natalie's peaceful sleeping face. Subconsciously, he traced the contours of her face. Her face was indeed small.Just then, his phone vibrated. The notification sound from the headlines app prompted Irwin to take out his phone. As he turned off the silent mode, a storm flashed through his eyes as he saw the contents of the notification.He glanced at the sleeping Natalie, got out of the car, and gently closed the door. He made a call behind the car. The call was quickly answered."Sir!""I don't want to see today's news again," Irwin said."Are you referring to Ms. Walker..." The person on the other end of the line hesitated for a moment, then realized.Recently, Irwin and Natalie had been getting closer. When the close relationship between Natalie and him was exposed bef
The public opinion in Verde City was still brewing. Right after the news about Isabella being Natalie's sister broke out, what happened to Isaac's fiancee was also leaked.Then, Dr. Landry, who performed the surgery on Isabella, had his company with millions in registered capital revealed. The whole city was speculating that Natalie had caused the death of Isaac's fiancee, and she was also the one who had bribed Dr. Landry. They claimed Natalie deliberately made her sister's surgery fail.The public opinion had both positive and negative sides! Some said Isabella deserved it. They accused her of seducing her own sister's husband. However, the majority blamed Natalie. They called her ruthless and accused her of harming her own sister.Those who previously supported Natalie started to turn against her, claiming she was pretending and being hypocritical. In short, there were various accusations against her on the internet."Enough. Stop looking at it!" Irwin said, taking her p
At the Johnson Manor, Christina was in her room, looking at the online discussions on her phone. She could hear noises from downstairs as she did. Obviously, Rebecca was throwing a tantrum.A faint smile appeared on her lips. She changed into different clothes and went out. As she walked to the stairs, she saw Rebecca still on the phone."What's going on now?" Rebecca asked angrily, not holding back her frustration. It was unclear what the person on the other end of the call had said.Rebecca was already in a bad mood, and she was practically burning in anger now. "Weren't you getting along well with her before? What happened? Tell me, is it related to Isabella?"Christina could now discern that Rebecca was talking to Cedric on the phone. Rebecca had genuinely disliked Natalie before this. However, since she found out about Natalie being the Regal Horizon International's chairman's niece and also his future successor, Rebecca had grown attached to her. She genuinely hoped N
Once the press conference ended, Natalie descended from the stage. Someone grabbed her wrist and swiftly led her toward the nearby safety corridor.A familiar scent hit her, and Irwin pinned her against the wall. There was a smile playing at the corner of his lips. "So, you have plans for me, huh?""I'll make a good profit from the project in the eastern suburbs. That plan will work for sure!" Natalie awkwardly replied.There was pressure on her chin as slender fingers pushed her face up slightly.Irwin's strength was a little assertive. There was a sort of hunger in Irwin's eyes when Natalie looked into them.She shook her head but couldn't break free."Let go of me.""Are you using me to piss him off?""You taught me to do that!"Irwin was silent as his eyes darkened.This woman!He released her chin and said, "What a sly fox!""Sorry, I was a bit hasty just now." When the reporter asked that question, she didn't think much."It's good that you thought of me in you
On the other side, Rebecca brought Christina to Sapphire. Isabella... looked even thinner, and her complexion was somewhat pale.Rebecca was originally a cold-hearted person, and any gratitude towards Isabella was completely obliterated due to the current situation.At this moment, a few people sat in the living room of the apartment. The maid, seeing Rebecca, nervously poured coffee and respectfully stood behind Isabella.Sensing the maid's fear of Rebecca, Isabella spoke gently, "Go to the kitchen.""Yes, Ms. Morgan!" The maid gratefully glanced at Isabella and swiftly escaped into the kitchen like a frightened bird.Only Rebecca, Isabella, and Christina remained in the living room. Of the three, Rebecca had the worst expression. She picked up the cup in front of her and took a sip.Then, she asked in a gloomy tone, "What have you done?"Rebecca sounded like she was interrogating Isabella!Initially, when Rebecca learned that Isabella was Natalie's sister, and considering N
Irwin looked at her with a gentle smile. "I thought you were going to say something else."Natalie's smile turned strained. There was none of the ease it had in the morning."Don't worry, okay?" Irwin reassured her, observing her concerned expression.Without a doubt, Cedric wouldn't easily let Natalie off the hook this time. All the evidence, even the results of his own investigation, pointed towards Natalie.With their already fragile foundation of trust, the current situation only worsened the lack of it.Upon hearing this, Natalie didn't respond.Instead, she picked up her glass of red wine and took another sip.How could she feel at ease?Cedric's methods were ruthless, and she had no idea about the extent of his connections within Regal Horizons International."Since your uncle is aware of his nature, he'll definitely be taking precautions, right?" Irwin asked."Yes," Natalie nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words. However, even though her uncle might be cautiou
The card!Zane was referring to one she lost earlier.Whether it was for kidnapping Isabella or the incident involving Isaac's fiancée, all the transfer records were from that card.Christina seemed to be thoroughly prepared to tarnish her reputation, leaving Natalie with no plausible defense.Now, Zane claimed to have found the information."Send it to me.""It's already in your email.""Good." Natalie ended the call and opened her email, her chest heaving in anxiety.Irwin asked, "What's wrong?""They've found something on Christina," Natalie said as she handed her phone to Irwin for him to look at.The screen displayed the dates of the kidnapper's transactions, along with Christina heading to the bank on the same days.The bank she chose to go to was a considerable distance from the Johnson Manor. It was evident that Christina intentionally went far to make it harder to trace.However, every member of Stephen's team was exceptional. They managed to uncover everything.
As Natalie left Sylvan Gems, she called Cedric repeatedly. Seeing her, Leon quickly caught up.Hearing footsteps behind her, Natalie turned back. "Don't follow me.""Mr. Jarvis has instructed that I stay close to you for your safety," Leon said respectfully.Natalie's head throbbed.Cedric's hatred for her was now vented entirely on Sylvan Gems. With relevant departments present tonight, she would be unable to escape if things weren't handled well.Call after call, Cedric never answered. Finally, she got into the car."Go to Scarlet Villa," Natalie said to Leon, who slid into the driver's seat.He nodded. Natalie wasn't certain if Cedric was there, but it was worth a try. She wasn't disappointed.Upon arriving, the butler's worried gaze confirmed Cedric's presence."Ms. Walker." The butler blocked her as she tried to enter.Natalie shot the butler a sharp look. "What?""Mr. Johnson has instructed us not to let you in."Natalie's eyes flashed sharply at the words. Sh
Bianca was still pondering how to reject Malcolm. Undoubtedly, even when she sought him out a week ago and proposed they get married, she hadn't truly wanted to marry him. As she contemplated things now, she even anticipated how crazed Malcolm might become when she presented her decision.Her phone buzzed with a call from Malcolm. In the past, Bianca would have ignored it outright, but now... she wasn't one to burn bridges."Hello?""I'll be there in ten minutes. Come down.""It's quite late."Just like before, whenever this man wanted to talk to her, especially about meeting up, she couldn't muster a pleasant expression.The man on the other end of the line simply stated, "I want to see you."Bianca’s heart clenched at those words. She was accustomed to Malcolm's cold, domineering demeanor. Even when he desired a woman, he maintained that haughty attitude. So, hearing such tender words from him was beyond her expectations."Hmph.""Come down, okay? I have a surprise for you."
As Zane reached halfway up the hill, he noticed a familiar car parked outside. Neil, the butler, was waiting outside, and upon seeing Zane return, he approached respectfully."Lord Zane.""Who's here?" Zane frowned, glancing at the brightly lit villa.What was going on? Usually, this place was dim in the evenings, but today, everything was unexpectedly bright."Ms. Stewart has returned," Neil replied.Zane's mind went blank for a moment. He stared stiffly at the butler, his pupils rapidly constricting."Ms. Stewart arrived this afternoon."Yvette!The familiar name flashed through Zane's mind like a gust of wind. How many times had he wanted to hold onto her? But in the end, for various reasons, he had to let her go bit by bit.And now, Yvette was back!Where had she been all this time?Since leaving Simeria, it was like she was a bird that had escaped its cage and soared into the sky, never to return. Zane had asked the Stewart family about her once, but even they didn't kn
"Maybe something happened," said Bianca.Natalie felt her eyelids twitch in response. What kind of terrifying situation was this?"When I say 'something happened,' I don't mean anything bad, but..."But what?In that moment, Bianca's gaze toward Natalie deepened, and she understood what her friend meant."You mean...?" asked Natalie.Bianca nodded silently.Natalie fell quiet as she pondered the situation.What if that was really the case?Natalie couldn't help but admit that if it truly was, it would naturally be a favorable outcome for her."Don't forget, if he can come, he can also leave. He can't change anything here, so it's better for him to return to the world he belongs to," Bianca explained.During this time, Natalie had transformed Simeria into a fortress. But even in such circumstances, Cedric had mysteriously vanished. Up until now, there hadn't been any clues. Even Kyle had been through so much, yet hadn't uttered any useful information.So, it had to be said t
Bianca’s calmness and composure, despite her young age, spoke volumes about how her experiences and wisdom had shaped her thoughts.Curtis, initially worried about her, felt somewhat relieved seeing the tranquility and maturity in his daughter’s eyes.He nodded slowly. "Hmm."In the end, he agreed.After all, she was his daughter. Despite not being raised by him since childhood, Curtis could see it clearly. Like her mother, Bianca would stick to her decisions, impervious to outside interference.Seeing Curtis finally eating, Bianca felt a sense of relief. After lunch, she considerately accompanied her father for a stroll before allowing him to rest.When Carol emerged from Curtis' room, she saw Bianca waiting nearby and hurried over respectfully."Miss.""How is he?" Bianca inquired."Sir is still worried about you, miss," Carol replied sincerely.Having been by Curtis' side for many years, Carol naturally understood Bianca's significance in his heart.Bianca sighed. "It wil
As she spoke, Seraphine felt the already dangerous aura around the man grow even darker, sending her heart racing. She tried to speak, but found herself speechless."Hmph, you useless thing!" Zane cursed menacingly.Cold sweat soaked Seraphine's back completely."There must be a way," she choked out, her tone tense.At that moment, Seraphine recalled what Zane had said to her before she came back to Simeria.He had told her that he never kept useless individuals around him. To gain his protection, one had to be useful. And now, Seraphine's only use—her engagement to Malcolm—had been effortlessly annulled."Heh," Zane sneered disdainfully.For Seraphine, this disdain was not only humiliating, but also starkly different from her experiences with Eleanor. In Eleanor's presence, she had never faced such disrespect. But now, it seemed like anyone could trample on her.In the past, even members of the Entes family wouldn't openly show contempt towards her, but now… Those past comfort
Seraphine had always harbored resentment towards Bianca. But Bianca had always been a rather composed individual, rarely resorting to such actions.So, what was she doing now?"You..." Seraphine's initial fury had been turned to speechlessness by Bianca's aggression.When Seraphine glanced at Bianca, she caught a glimpse of malice in the other woman's eyes.Before Seraphine could utter a word, Bianca bluntly asked, "You know, don't you?"Seraphine stayed silent.Know what?"You knew that Lord Malcolm and Lord Zane are half brothers You also knew why Lord Zane sought you out and took your side, right?" Bianca continued.Seraphine's face drained of color in an instant. And every subtle change in her expression was noticed by Bianca, whose eyes were filled with icy mockery.Stepping forward, Bianca gripped Seraphine's delicate chin. Seraphine instinctively tried to evade, but Bianca's hold was firm."You still dare claim this is your home?" Bianca scoffed."This has always been
When would the cycle of revenge end?While Bianca hadn't decided what to do about Eleanor's actions, Zane had already shown his claws.When would it end?If someone kept chasing after a person, what could they do?"Bia…"Curtis wanted to say something to his daughter, but was met with her unwavering gaze. Clearly, she wouldn't back down this time, just like her mother never did when faced with such situations. Both women faced things head-on, without flinching."Don't worry, okay?" Bianca reassured Curtis.There was another reason she was insisting on staying in Simeria—Bianca knew Curtis wouldn't leave with her. So, she wouldn't leave either.-Bianca and Curtis talked for a long time.Curtis still wanted to send her abroad, but her resolute attitude left him powerless. Moreover, from various pieces of information gathered earlier, it was clear that Bianca was a strong-willed child.No matter what problems she faced, she had her own opinions. So, asking her to leave was s
When Bianca returned to the Holly family’s residence, she found Curtis staring gravely at some documents. When he started coughing violently, his face turning as pale as a sheet, Carol hurried over to check on him."Sir, let Ms. Bianca handle these documents. Please don't strain yourself," Carol said, her tone full of concern."I see now," Curtis muttered heavily, as if he had just realized something crucial.Not understanding what he meant, Carol simply urged, "Your health can't handle this strain. Don't tire yourself out. You must trust Ms. Bianca."Curtis fell silent.Trust?He had always trusted Bianca, but now he regretted bringing her back. If he had never found her, would things be different now?"Where did she go?" Curtis asked."Ms. Bianca went out, but she'll be back soon," Carol reassured him, gently taking the documents from his hands.Ever since Bianca told the older woman about Curtis' health problems, Carol had been extra vigilant, making sure he avoided anythin
Bianca stared at the dangerous man, memories of their harmonious past flashing through her mind. Those moments had once seemed so genuine, yet now felt laughably absurd."Haha, how ridiculous!" Bianca scoffed, her laughter bitter."Bianca!" Zane's voice was sharp, cutting through her mirth."Zane, what if I reveal your true intentions to everyone? What will they think then?""Who would believe you?" Zane interrupted coldly, not letting her finish.Bianca's smile froze on her lips. He was right.Who would believe her? Curtis might, and so would Natalie. But was their trust enough?Clearly, it wasn't.But did it matter?"It's not your concern who believes me. I have never needed anyone's belief to stand strong," said Bianca.Many had doubted her before, but none had ever managed to break her spirit. The dangers she faced now might be greater, but for Bianca, they were just another set of challenges.She had overcome every hardship she encountered. This time would be no differe