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
Cedric watched as Natalie's heart shattered and the red marks on her face. He instinctively clenched his fists, and his heart uncontrollably stabbed a bit.The urge to step forward was instinctive, but he ultimately held it back tightly.The voice from within came again...! It was like a hysteria from within his soul."Don't treat her like this! Don't do this to Nat!"However, in the end, that voice was burned by his anger. What remained was his colder heart."Natalie, I'm telling you that this is just the beginning. Get out of here right now!"Natalie was silent.Get out?She laughed mockingly."Before, you used such means to make me come back, and now... Haha!"She truly was nothing to this man. When he was happy, she was his beloved little pet.But when he was unhappy, he would throw her out without any hesitation.Natalie stood up before him.Slap! Slap!She slapped him twice!As his expression darkened, Natalie said, "You have no right to hit me! I only returned w
The online post only mentioned that Sylvan Gems's jewelry materials were fake, but details such as time and batch numbers were not provided.Zane had already brought relevant documents into the office with Natalie.Handing over the folder, Zane said, "The jewelry is from our recent orders, and the inspection results are from online sources."Natalie nodded. "How do you think we should handle this situation?"Although she was the CEO of Sylvan Gems, she hadn't encountered such matters before. Moreover, Zane was originally associated with Stephen. It was his competence that placed him by her side.Natalie thought that Zane probably had already organized all the thoughts before her return to Sylvan Gems."Now, we need to recall the relevant orders of jewelry and confirm whether they are our products."Natalie nodded. "Indeed, it should be done this way. But have you considered one thing?""What is it?""Sylvan Gems would never produce fake goods."Natalie was fully confident in
"Ms. Johnson, where were you on that day?" In the record room, numerous questions were asked repeatedly and incessantly!Over a dozen times!Christina's mind was almost turning into mush."I was at Scarlet Villa.""With whom?""My mom!""Ms. Johnson... Ms. Johnson... Ms. Johnson...!" At this moment, Christina's mind was buzzing!They repeated her name so many times in such a cold and unfamiliar tone. Her mind was blank.For each question, she had to answer carefully. After more than a dozen times, she had to match the answers with the previous ones, and the order of the questions was never the same.She had no preparation whatsoever, and this interrogation caught her off guard.Just then, the record keeper went out for a while. When he came back, he had a colder and more serious expression. He said, "It seems that we have to conduct another investigation with you regarding the kidnapping cases for Ms. Morgan and Mr. Phelp's fiancée, Ms. Johnson!"Christina's expression
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