Irwin looked at Natalie, then he reached out to ruffle her soft hair affectionately. His movements were incredibly gentle as he said, "It's because Uncle worries about you that you shouldn't let him be so concerned. What do you think?"Natalie was silent.Upon hearing this, her heart sank. Irwin was right. She had been causing Stephen constant worry. But at this moment...She took Irwin's hand and said, "You're right. I'm trying.""Okay." Irwin nodded.Without saying more, they continued with their meal. Seeing no unusual expression on Irwin's face, Natalie secretly breathed a sigh of relief and discreetly looked at Stephen.Her gaze, however, held a sense of doubt.Stephen had always liked Irwin and had great confidence that Irwin could take care of her. He had been trying to match them for the past two years. But in recent times...Upon careful reflection, Natalie found that Winona was not the only one who was acting weirdly in the past two years. Stephen was also the
Stephen's words did alleviate Natalie's tension.Over the past two years, Stephen's approval of her and Irwin had put some pressure on her.As Stephen mentioned, she had been hurt...!Natalie was cautious and even resistant to many things deep within.They all knew those were Natalie's wounds, and the fact that she could suppress them without erupting showed she could handle it and let go.But letting go didn't mean the wounds were healed.She needed time."Thank you, Uncle," Natalie said to Stephen.Stephen nodded, handing her the book he had taken from her. "Were you looking for this book?""Yeah," Natalie replied and took it.In the past two years, she had very little time for reading. Since she returned early today, she wanted to spend some time reading."I won't disturb you any longer, Uncle," she said, waving the book and leaving the room.Stephen's smile dropped when Natalie turned around, and his eyes sharpened instantly.Natalie returned to her room with the book.
That was...!Surprisingly, it was...! After a moment of confusion, Natalie's eyes shimmered with a sharp, icy coldness—two years! It had been a full two years.Wasn't he in Verde City prison?Right, yesterday's commercial event!Natalie hadn't expected him to react so quickly."Ms. Walker." Leon also recognized Cedric in one glance as the latter got out of the car in front of them.Cedric was dressed in a black windbreaker. He had meticulously groomed short hair and sharp contour lines. His eyes were especially piercing as he gazed at them.There were noticeable changes from two years ago.As the man walked towards her, Leon had already opened the car door to try and prevent Cedric from approaching Natalie.However, Kyle followed Cedric, who stood firmly in front of Leon."Ms. Walker, we..." Karina was somewhat startled by Cedric's appearance.For the past two years, they had been living in Simeria. Although Natalie would occasionally fly abroad, their life trajectory
Finally, Cedric gradually let go of Natalie. The joy of seeing her alive turned into a chilling coldness that seemed to pour over him like a bucket of ice water. It made him cold from head to toe."Do you think I'm acting?" He spoke, his tone somewhat dry. How could she say such a thing?Everything he had done for her now became nothing more than a performance in her eyes! What could be more hurtful than these words?Cedric looked at Natalie, his eyes filled with sadness. However, Natalie's attitude remained indifferent and cold. She calmly moved away from him and sat beside him, reaching out to tidy up her clothes. The deliberate way she dusted herself seemed to express her disdain for him.The coldness and disdain in her eyes stirred Cedric's rationality into madness. Like a madman, he pressed her onto the back seat."Natalie!" Cedric hissed through gritted teeth.Natalie looked at the man pressing on her, a hint of a smile on her lips. "What are you doing?""Do you kn
Karina was waiting in the lobby when Natalie entered Regal Horizons International. She rushed forward with a worried look when she saw Natalie enter the building.She scrutinized Natalie, and when she noticed the tear in Natalie's shirt, her heart couldn't help but skip a beat."How could he treat you like this?" Karina said softly in a voice filled with anger. While speaking, she took off her own coat to help cover Natalie. Appearing in the company like this would surely undermine the trust of the employees."It's nothing," Natalie replied, returning Karina's coat before nonchalantly entering the elevator.The tear in her shirt shocked the employees, but her cold demeanor made them hesitant to say anything about it.In the elevator, Karina nervously observed Natalie. Clearly, Natalie's aura had become colder since her return. From what Karina could tell... did the two of them have another conflict?"Have you arranged the meeting?" Natalie asked Karina suddenly, startling the
Two years was a long time.What exactly happened to Bianca? Why did she disappear from Simeria, and why hadn't she contacted Natalie in two whole years?Every time Natalie thought about Bianca, her heart couldn't help but tighten. She was genuinely afraid. Countless times, she prayed that Bianca would be okay.Leon left, leaving Natalie alone in the office.She extended her wrist, pulling up her sleeve to reveal the scars on her arm. Her cold fingertips gently touched the uneven skin.She vividly remembered the moment the red-hot iron rod struck her arm. She could almost hear the sizzling sound of her flesh burning.Even now, she remembered the tearing pain in her heart at that moment.Bang!Someone suddenly pushed open her office door with force, and the door slammed against the wall with a deafening noise.Natalie, who was lost in her thoughts, snapped back to reality.She looked towards the door and saw Irwin standing there, exuding an air of sophistication that couldn
In the dark world, moving to a new place is one of the most feared things. Every time one went to a new place, it would be a lengthy process of adaptation.After two years, Isabella had become familiar with her surroundings. So, hearing about moving to a new place triggered strong resistance.Lily's tone turned colder, and she said, "The master said you'll be living in Simeria for a very long time."Simeria?!Isabella was not unfamiliar with the place; it was Natalie's uncle's territory! Thinking of Natalie, Isabella's face turned pale. The initial resistance in her heart transformed into a strong aversion!"Can I not go?" Any other place would be fine. But going to a territory belonging to Natalie, she...!"She's still alive!" At that moment, Lily's voice became ice-cold.Isabella remained silent, and the world seemed to pause for a moment. She couldn't help but shudder.She naturally knew who Lily was referring to.But how could she still be alive?Before Isabella c
Irwin's outstretched hand hung in the air, but he showed no signs of irritation. Eventually, he retracted it naturally.When he looked into Natalie's eyes, there was no hint of blame in them. Rather, there was a gentleness even more pronounced than before. "It looks like someone's upset!" Natalie remained silent, quietly eating her food.However, this apparent calmness made others keenly aware of her emotions. "Nat?" Seeing Natalie's silence, Irwin gently pulled her small hand. Still, Natalie remained silent, not even looking at Irwin. From the moment she saw Cedric to the recent incident involving the fifth son of the Entes family, Natalie realized that in these two years, Irwin had placed many of his people around her.Even though she knew Irwin wouldn't harm her, this level of integration beyond the usual boundaries wasn't something they could handle right now. Even if he only wanted to protect her, it wasn't acceptable! Originally, it was supposed to be a date. How
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