Cedric left Johnson Manor and went directly to the company. His personal assistant, Yuvan Sullivan, entered his office."Mr. Johnson.""What have you found?" Cedric asked coldly."We've managed to stop the news from spreading. But due to the timing, quite a few people already know,” Yuvan replied, referring to the reports about the divorce.The company had acted quickly to suppress the news. But despite all reports being taken down, the whole of Verde City was still buzzing.Cedric furrowed his brows and rubbed his aching temples. "Have they found her?"Night had fallen. Since the media had bombarded the entire city, he had been unable to contact Natalie. He had to mobilize his team to locate her. He initially believed she was merely out shopping like before, but he hadn’t received a single transaction message on his phone all afternoon.What frustrated him even more was Yuvan's response of "We don't have any news about Mrs. Johnson."Cedric closed his eyes. The atmosphere in t
Three months had passed.Cedric had been anxiously searching for Natalie, and the people around him were on edge every day.One morning, Yuvan saw a photo in an international media outlet. It was just a profile shot, but he immediately recognized it as Natalie.Without hesitation, he went to Cedric's office and handed him the phone, saying, "There's some news about Madam."Cedric, who was about to sign some documents, froze for a moment before immediately putting down the pen and taking the phone.Three months...! He had been searching for Natalie for three months, but he never expected that she would be able to hide so effectively. However, with just one glance at her photo, he became agitated and his eyes turned red.At the same time, his phone rang.Bang!Cedric threw Yuvan's phone against the wall. Yuvan felt sorry for his newly-bought phone but didn't dare say anything.Without bothering to check the caller ID, Cedric answered the call in an ice-cold tone, "What is it?"
On a private plane, Natalie lay in agony on the seats, with a doctor and a nurse by her side.Two hours ago, Cedric had unexpectedly appeared at Stephen's company, leading to a violent altercation between them. The punch meant for Stephen had landed on Natalie, as Cedric didn't have time to pull back.Stephen had been furious, looking as though he wanted to kill Cedric. However, Cedric's men swiftly intervened. Catching them off guard, they forcefully escorted Natalie to the airport and onto the plane.From the moment they boarded the plane until now, neither of them had spoken a word. Cedric sat on a different seat, downing one glass of strong liquor after another. The atmosphere was icy."How are you feeling now?" the doctor asked Natalie cautiously.Cedric’s punch had dislocated her shoulder, but they had popped it back into place. Still in severe pain, Natalie was unable to move her right hand at the moment.Yuvan approached her, a conflicted expression on his face."Madam
Rebecca sat on the large couch while Natalie occupied the smaller one next to her.This comparison seemed to make Rebecca still exude an air of authority. With it, she believed she could boss Natalie around as she used to. But to her surprise, Natalie sat on the couch calmly. She hugged a small pig to her chest, utterly ignoring Rebecca. This infuriated the older woman!"Zoe, make some tea,” Natalie instructed."Yes, madam," Zoe responded, momentarily taken aback because Natalie had always done it.Back then, Rebecca would have thrown a fit if anyone had helped Natalie with these tasks. Over time, everyone had come to expect that these chores were Natalie's responsibility, and that nobody should voluntarily take over.But things were different now. Natalie sat on the couch like a pampered princess, holding her stuffed animal, and Rebecca's aura of authority was slipping away.Seeing that Natalie didn't care at all, Rebecca called Cedric. "You need to come back immediately.""A
After breakfast, Natalie called Bianca, who was still in bed but instantly woke up upon hearing that her friend had returned from abroad."You're back?" Bianca asked."Yeah, I'll come over right away," Natalie replied."Great, I've taken the morning off. Come on over.""Okay." Natalie hung up. She soon left the villa, taking nothing but Ginger with her. She had no desire for anything from this place that used to belong to her. She was even still wearing the same clothes from when she had returned yesterday.Scarlet Villa was located in an affluent area where it was nearly impossible to get a taxi. Because of the seclusion, Natalie had to walk a considerable distance. She ended up waiting for almost half an hour without seeing a car.Then, a car sped towards her and came to a screeching halt beside her. It was so fast that Natalie instinctively took a step back. Just as she was about to shout at the driver, she saw Cedric's cold and sharp profile through the partially open car w
Bianca and Natalie didn't inquire further. As they walked out of the police station, the air around Natalie was cold. Bianca hurried to catch up, grabbing her wrist. "Nat.""I'm fine," she said, but a storm was raging inside.Why did Cedric bail those people out? In the past, regardless of who tried to harm Natalie, he would never show them any leniency. However, this time, he had protected the very people who had sent her threatening letters, razor blades, and animal carcasses, as well as cursed her constantly on social media."What is Cedric's intention?" Bianca wondered."Christina and Isabella probably bribed those people," Natalie said, her voice trembling with anger.Bianca's temper flared instantly. "What is he thinking?"What was he thinking? Natalie didn't know.During her absence over these three months, who knew what had happened? She thought that her departure would have allowed the situation from her previous life to cool down, but new developments had her...Bia
After returning home, Natalie received a call from Stephen. Natalie informed him that she would not be returning to Simeria for the time being, but would instead open a studio in her field of expertise. Stephen immediately promised to support her.Throughout the years Natalie spent with Cedric, he had never allowed her to work, shaping her into a full-time housewife who had learned to endure and comply with everything. Her daily life revolved around managing in-law relationships and household chores.Everyone envied her for marrying Cedric and living a life where she was pampered. However, only those who had actually experienced being a full-time housewife in a wealthy family knew how challenging it could be.With Stephen's support, her new venture would be much smoother.When Bianca returned in the evening, she found Natalie earnestly sketching on a piece of paper while holding her pig in one hand.Bianca approached and smiled. "I was worried that you wouldn't be able to survive
Isabella lowered her head, concealing the fleeting sharpness on her face. Her tone was pitiful and sad as she said, "She's your mother. It's only natural for me to visit her. I'm sorry.""You don't need to apologize," Cedric said, obviously frustrated.Especially when he saw Isabella in this fragile state, he...!There was a time when Natalie acted the same way as Isabella toward him. However, no matter what trouble arose recently, even if it seemed like everyone wanted to tear her apart, she never bowed down to him again. She would rather seek help from the police than ask him for protection.Isabella took a deep breath and said, "I know that your mother look down on me, but I didn't choose to be in this state. My entire life has been ruined..."Isabella trailed off and started to cry softly.Cedric had initially planned to ask about the evidence, but with Isabella like this, he completely forgot about it. He ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair. "Don't worry;
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