Natalie still heavily relied on Zane.Over the past two years, she had been able to quickly grasp control of the company, and Zane's contribution was undeniable.His capabilities were impressive for an assistant, making him a formidable opponent if he were to go solo.However, taking a sudden six-month leave—was he poached by another company?The thought made Natalie's heart race. Soon, the manager from the HR department arrived."Ms. Walker, Mr. Jacobs said there was a very important family matter, so he left after a phone call.""So, there was no leave request?""Yes, ma'am." The HR manager broke into a cold sweat, sensing Natalie's displeasure."What kind of family matter requires six months to handle?"At Natalie's question, the HR manager shuddered. She had asked the same thing at the time, but Zane didn't provide any explanation.Natalie's options were limited.If it were someone else, Natalie would have fired them immediately. But Zane... was different.Even afte
However, the man just silently watched her, saying nothing.Such silence almost drove Natalie mad. "What do you want?""Dinner together?""I have no time for that!" Natalie straightforwardly dismissed Cedric. Especially with his current attitude, Natalie felt an inexplicable panic, and the emotions of resistance and rejection became more apparent.Cedric looked at her. "I know about Bianca."Natalie was speechless.Hearing this, she gazed at Cedric, and the chill in her eyes intensified."Is she in your hands?"Bianca had disappeared from Simeria two years ago when Natalie returned.Since then, both Stephen and her had people searching for Bianca. However, no matter how they searched, they couldn't find any trace of her.Could it be Cedric?"I've been in prison for the past two years. What do you think I could do?" Cedric said with a mocking smile.It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned prison. As soon as he mentioned it, Natalie's inner turmoil became even more
The man's well-defined fingers lightly grazed her delicate chin, "Dignity? I have no use for that in this life anymore."Indeed, he didn't! Between his dignity and her... he would choose her! Why bother about dignity?"..."Before Natalie could say anything, the man handed his phone to her."Take a look at this first, then tell me your answer, hmm?""What is this?" She glanced at the man's phone but didn't take it.Her tone was slightly tense, but the man remained silent.In the end, Natalie reluctantly took the phone. Cedric had already opened the homepage for her to see, but at just one glance...!Her eyes instantly widened.Even her breath felt suffocated at that moment.She looked at Cedric in disbelief and roared, "What did you do to her?"It was Bianca...!In the photo, Bianca seemed as if she had been tortured. She was covered in filth, and her vacant eyes struck Natalie's heart.She had never seen this side of Bianca, who was always so proud and aloof.With he
Ten minutes later, Natalie sat across from Stephen in his study, holding a cup of water. Despite her efforts to appear calm, the trace of worry on her brow was evident, and Stephen easily picked up on it."Do you not want to talk about it?" he asked."Uncle...""Yeah?""Don't you think everyone around here has been acting strangely lately?" Natalie pondered. It seemed to have started when Cedric was released from Verde City prison. Both her uncle and Irwin had become peculiar. The photos she had seen in this study felt like thorns piercing her heart. Regardless of Irwin's past kindness, Natalie now felt an overwhelming sense of doubt."Nat, we're talking about you now," Stephen's tone became more serious, causing a momentary tightness in Natalie's chest.Before she could respond, Stephen continued, "Behaving like this will only make your aunt worry a lot.""I know," she acknowledged. She knew! Yet, suddenly, the tranquility she had managed to restore in her life was disr
This night, sleep was elusive.When Natalie woke u the next morning, she had already calmed herself.As Stephen had said, Heather was a sensitive person. Over the past two years, Heather had been deeply concerned about Natalie's affairs, so any slight change in her demeanor was easily sensed. Natalie didn't want her aunt to feel distressed because of her.At the breakfast table, Natalie took a sip of the milk as Heather asked, "How is it?""The temperature is just right.""Here, have this." Heather handed Natalie a slice of bread spread with jam. Natalie wasn't fond of this type of breakfast, but she never showed it because of her aunt. The nutritious soup had a mild taste. Seeing Natalie eat obediently, Heather felt reassured, thinking that nothing significant had happened yesterday."Lydia will deliver your medicine at noon.""Aunt, my body is already fine, really!""Don't say such silly things. Do you think I wouldn't know how your health is?" Heather reproached her.
Though Natalie didn't lose her sight completely, her vision was severely impaired. As a result, before she returned to the company, Stephen instructed that all the lights be changed to less stimulating dark-colored lights to protect her eyes. This applied not only to the company but also to Lotus Villa. Despite this, she still needed to wear her glasses on many occasions. Until now, she couldn't drive frequently, especially at night."You came here not just to check whether I'm wearing glasses, right?" Natalie glanced at the man playfully.Jason replied, "Of course not. I'm not that free. Besides, you have so many people around you; you don't need me to worry about that."That was indeed true. There were many people watching out for her, and it wasn't just limited to her colleagues.If anything went wrong, Heather would nag her to the point of questioning life itself."I got in contact with a highly skilled cosmetic surgeon. Shall I recommend him to you?"Natalie raised an
When it was lunchtime at noon, Lydia brought the medicine. Natalie looked at the dark concoction and felt her whole body tense up. The taste was bitter.It was so bitter!"Here, Miss." Lydia handed the medicine to Natalie."Can I not drink it?" Even though she was such a strong person, Natalie couldn't help but tense when she saw the bitter concoction.Lydia had an unwavering expression as she said, "Madam said that until the scars on your body are removed, you must drink this medicine every day.""What? It concerns my scars?""Of course, Madam is worried about you.""...""Every time Madam sees the scars on your body, she secretly sheds tears."It was as if those wounds were inflicted on Heather herself.Two years ago, when she returned, Heather's emotions were unbearable for a time, and she would cry hard every time she saw her suffering.Now, she saw it less frequently. After all, Natalie avoided Heather every time she took a bath. But even so, Heather was still conce
The secretary noticed her displeasure, and a shiver ran down her spine at that instant. As expected, the next thing Natalie said was, "Please help me throw them away. Thanks.""Yes, ma'am.Of course!""And..." Natalie glanced at the secretary, a sharpness flashing in her eyes. "Go to the HR department and settle your three months' salary.""A-are you firing me, Ms. Walker?" Tears immediately welled up in the secretary's eyes after hearing Natalie's words.Natalie pinched her aching forehead and fell silent. Her whole demeanor exuded a chilling aura. Seeing Natalie in this state, the secretary understood she couldn't say anything more. Despite feeling wronged, she obediently took the lavender and left.For the past two years, Natalie had always been firm, demanding strict dedication from those around her.Shortly after, Karina entered."Ms. Walker.""What is it?""Why were you so angry? You scared Linda.""Didn't you know that Cedric's people came into contact with her?"
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