When Cedric returned to the Johnson Manor, his eldest granduncle, Andrew Johnson, and second granduncle, Benjamin Johnson, were already there.There were also two of his other relatives there, Hector Johnson and Samuel Johnson. They were from Andrew’s side of the family.His third granduncle, Colin Johnson, and his family were absent as they were still abroad. Had they been in Verde City, they would likely have attended the gathering as well.It's unclear what was discussed before Cedric's return, but the atmosphere was tense. Elizabeth and Rebecca wore somber expressions, and even Christina looked distressed."So, you finally decided to grace us with your presence," Benjamin sneered, his gaze full of disdain as he regarded his grandnephew.Cedric gave a cold, sweeping look and showed no sign of deference! "Why such a grand reception?"It wasn't the first time they had such a gathering in the Johnson family.The members of the Johnson family were notorious for their power st
In the upstairs study, Rebecca entered and was immediately greeted by a strong scent of tobacco. She sat across from Cedric and asked, "How is she doing now?"She was referring to Natalie. With the visit from members of the Johnson family today, Rebecca had grown increasingly convinced that Natalie had orchestrated the divorce on purpose. If she had known about Natalie's capabilities, she would have involved Natalie in the company years ago! Even without a powerful background, it would have been enough that she had the skills."What about her?" Cedric didn't seem to fully grasp Rebecca's question."I'm talking about things between you two!""We’re divorced, which is what you wanted!"His statement left Rebecca speechless for a moment. "Yes, we didn't want you to be with her. Just look at everything she's done since she married you."Cedric remained silent."Before the divorce was finalized, she caused the company to suffer so many losses!"After considering that, Re
"A representative from Premier Garden was with her just now. It was Yvonne Lane, Caleb Spencer's assistant!" Premier Garden Corporation had personally sent someone to Natalie's doorstep instead of inviting Natalie to come over to their company.It could be seen how much attention had been given to the piece of land next to Dragon Park in the eastern suburbs this time. In other words, Verde City has already been developed to a considerable extent. So, local land was quite in demand, and many people would be involved as soon as there was any news.For Premier Garden Corporation to reach out to Natalie, who had worked with Apex Global, clearly indicated their inevitable intention for that piece of land!Through the previous bidding and Premier Garden Corporation's actions, companies of all sizes related to Verde City have now seen Natalie's strength. So, Yuvan also could see it clearly now!"Would you like to have lunch with her at noon?" Yuvan asked nervously.Though Cedric se
After lunch, Irwin dropped Natalie back to the office. As soon as Natalie entered the office, she felt that something was amiss. Karina gave her a meaningful look in the direction of her office."Is he here?" Natalie was referring to Cedric.Karina nodded. "Yes."It was just as Natalie expected! Cedric had lost the piece of land in the eastern suburbs. Without a doubt, he would now keep an eye on what was happening near Dragon Park. So, he would be aware of any movement from the companies involved. Just this morning, she met Yvonne from Premier Garden Corporation. Now, he was here during lunch.Natalie took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and then entered her office. The strong smell of smoke hit her nose! There were cigarette butts in the disposable cup in front of Cedric, indicating that he had arrived shortly after she left.When he heard the door open, Cedric turned around. Natalie's heart clenched when she saw the deep pain in his eyes. However, she
Natalie looked at him and continued to smile. Cedric felt a burst of irritation at her demeanor!Bang!He stood up and slammed his fist hard on her office desk. The force was so strong that her desk trembled.Natalie replied, "Yes, I told her to post it. I originally intended for you to look at it first. You knew that. Why are you asking again?""How could you do such a thing?""..."How could she do such a thing?Did she do something wrong? She was just retaliating. Based on Cedric's logic, was she supposed to lie down and take the beating if someone came after her? Could she not return a hit or two?Natalie ignored the pain in her chest and took a deep breath."It's best if you leave immediately!""Natalie, if anything happens to her, I won’t let you off!" The man roared and walked away.Natalie trembled with anger. As the man left, she shot back, "I'm ready anytime!"He wouldn’t let her off? Did he think she was afraid of him?Bang!The office door slammed shut
Natalie hadn't seen Bianca for several days. After work, she bought groceries and went straight to Bianca's place. They prepared a feast together. Before they sat down, Natalie opened a beer and took a big swig from the bottle.Bianca was shocked! "I hope you don't get drunk; it's hard to take care of you."Knowing Natalie's poor alcohol tolerance, Bianca tried to feed her a piece of beef, hoping she would eat something before drinking more.Natalie took a bite, and they exchanged a smile. As they sat down, Bianca enjoyed a piece of chicken. Both of them were naturally slender, allowing them to indulge in eating and drinking whenever they were together."There's something on your mind, isn't there?" Bianca remarked while observing Natalie.Years of friendship allowed Bianca to sense when something was bothering Natalie. Instead of directly answering, Natalie took another sip of her drink.Bianca raised an eyebrow. Well, it seemed like there really was something on Natalie
She would never let Bianca confront Cedric head-on at a time like this! Bianca and Natalie were good friends. The thought of Cedric repeatedly causing trouble for Natalie for the sake of that woman made Bianca furious. Every little thing set him off, and Bianca couldn't stand it.She was really angry this time."Go inside the room," Natalie said. Natalie was touched by Bianca's words, but even so, she couldn't let Bianca face Cedric.Listening to the commotion, Natalie knew that if it came to blows, bones would be broken. She had seen Cedric in his angry state before."But you..."Bianca was furious, but she was still worried about Natalie."I can handle it!" Natalie said.It was something she expected.Natalie was also furious! What right did he have to be angry here?In the end, Bianca went back to her room.Bang! Bang! Bang!Just as Natalie reached the door, she heard the door being kicked again!She heard the neighbor across opening the door, but then closing it
"You want me to kneel... to someone like her?" Natalie said with an icy tone.That woman couldn't afford it even if she paid Natalie to kneel!Even though Natalie's heart was already dead inside, she couldn't help but feel disappointed in this man right now.Her stunning face overshadowed her disheveled state. Even though Isabella was truly blind now, she could still feel Natalie's queen-like demeanor.Isabella stiffened!Her brows furrowed, and hate flashed across her face. What did Natalie have to act so high and mighty? She was also just an orphan with nothing!Where did she get the confidence to act this way?!Natalie and Cedric continued to stare at each other, neither willing to back down. The air in the ward became even colder."Ced!" Isabella tugged on Cedric's sleeve.This small action gave off a pitiful vibe. Natalie looked at Isabella's delicate fingers on Cedric's sleeve with a cold gaze.She clung to Cedric's sleeve, and he showed no intention of shaking her of
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