Early the next morning, Cynthia arrived at the office. As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed a group of colleagues gathered together, buzzing with excitement over some big news.Pearl, known as the office's queen of gossip, stood at the center of the crowd, her expression animated as she spoke."Did you guys hear? That whole rumor about Jacqueline and Lucien—it was all her doing! She orchestrated the entire thing, hoping to force Lucien into admitting she was his girlfriend. But guess what? Lucien never took her seriously at all. In the end, Jacqueline had no choice but to deny everything, but in reality, she was the mastermind behind it!"Upon hearing this, Gina's face lit up with the joy of sweet revenge. She couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Serves her right!"Cynthia stood quietly to the side, a flicker of sympathy surfacing in her heart.She recalled Jacqueline's pitiful figure as she left, a dejected and broken silhouette. Softly, she murmured, "I actually think she's
That morning, a sensational piece of news spread like wildfire through every corner of the magazine office—Jacqueline was scheduled to arrive that afternoon for a cover shoot."What the hell? Who the fuck invited that bitch?" Gina slammed a stack of documents onto her desk, her face filled with fury."I heard Mrs. Roberts personally extended the invitation. A big celebrity like her coming here? We should be grateful," Pearl replied, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up slightly.Mrs. Roberts was none other than the wife of Jeffrey Roberts, the magazine's chairman."Celebrity? Please. She's nothing but a scheming whore," Gina scoffed, her voice sharp and piercing.Pearl smirked, amused. "Gina, why do you hate Jacqueline so much?""I just do. Got a problem with that?" Gina huffed, as if her disdain needed no explanation.Seeing that Gina wasn't in the mood to elaborate, Pearl changed the subject, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Honestly, I don't care about Jacqueline. What I'm
Lucien's words struck like a thunderclap, instantly drawing everyone's attention in the studio.All activity came to a halt as curious eyes turned toward them, and hushed whispers filled the air.Cynthia had never expected Lucien to publicly call her his "wife" in front of everyone—especially here, in her own workplace.In an instant, heat surged to her face, and a wave of embarrassment swallowed her whole."What nonsense are you spouting?! Where's your wife?!" Cynthia's voice trembled slightly, betraying her agitation. She cast a furtive glance around, only to find her colleagues staring at her and Lucien with wide eyes, their expressions a mix of shock and intrigue."You," Lucien said, his gaze locked firmly on hers, enunciating every word with absolute certainty. "You are my wife."Cynthia clenched her jaw.Lucien was trying to ruin her career on purpose!"Lucien, that's enough! Come with me!" Unable to endure the humiliation any longer, Cynthia grabbed his arm and forcefully tried
Lucien's voice was low and gentle, yet Cynthia scoffed inwardly. She wasn't about to believe a single word.Lucien seemed to sense her displeasure. Before she could even respond, he let go of her hand and said firmly, "If you lose this job because of me, so be it. I'll start a magazine just for you. I'll fund it, and you'll be the editor-in-chief. That way, you can do whatever you want."The more he spoke, the more passionate he became. "You belong to me now. If I ever catch you getting involved with another man, I'll make sure he regrets ever being born."As he spoke, the memory of the charity gala flashed through his mind, reigniting his simmering anger. It seemed like he needed to have a word with Paul—make sure he understood that Cynthia was no longer just his employee.Lucien's arrival had cast a heavy shadow over the room. Everyone felt the pressure, sneaking glances at him before quickly lowering their heads, pretending to focus on their work.Cynthia burned with frustration. L
Everyone turned toward the voice, only to see Ollie plastering on a fawning smile, carefully appeasing the man beside him while murmuring apologies.Nicky's gaze instantly locked onto Cynthia. His eyes burned with deep hatred and unfiltered disdain. Turning back to Ollie, he raised a single finger and shrieked, "We have only one hour—just one! If the shoot isn't done by then, we're walking out immediately. Not a second more!"The once smooth-running shoot had come to a grinding halt due to Nicky's abrupt intrusion. The atmosphere in the studio grew tense with irritation.Hogan, however, remained as composed as ever."And one more thing—Jacqueline doesn't like the photographer you assigned her." Nicky's sharp voice rang out again. He raised a hand, drawing an arc in the air before pointing directly at Roy. "You. Get ready. You'll be shooting for us."Pearl trembled with anger, her fists clenched so tightly it seemed she might lunge at Nicky at any second.Sensing this, Cynthia quickly
The moment Jacqueline saw Lucien, the smugness on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by sheer terror. Her eyes widened in horror as if she had just seen the most terrifying thing in the world.Her legs went weak, and she stumbled, barely able to stay on her feet. Nicky quickly reached out to support her, calling out anxiously, "Jacqueline!"Then, as he turned to look at Lucien approaching, an icy chill shot up his spine. His body involuntarily trembled.Lucien walked toward them, his fingers lightly brushing together as his cold, piercing gaze locked onto Jacqueline. His voice was laced with disdain as he said, "So, you've left clothes at my house before? I'll have the housekeeper search the storage room right away. If they find anything, I'll have it sent back to you immediately. In my home, aside from my wife's clothes, I consider anything else filthy and have the maids use them as rags.""Lucien…" Nicky couldn't take it anymore and tried to interject.However, before he could
The afternoon passed peacefully, with no one paying any more attention to Jacqueline. She slunk away, thoroughly humiliated. Hogan remained professional and focused on filming until the very end, which moved Pearl to tears.Cynthia had plans with Gina, so she completely forgot that Lucien had mentioned picking her up after work. The moment she clocked out, she left with Gina, and the two of them headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner.After confronting Cynthia earlier, Gina had already started to regret it. Yes, Cynthia had lied to her, but after cooling down, she questioned herself—what was she doing? She had only ever admired Lucien from afar. It had always been one-sided. What right did she have to hold her friend accountable for that?She trusted that Cynthia had her reasons.But she never expected Cynthia to drop a bombshell on her."Lucien is my ex-husband."Gina was utterly stunned, staring at Cynthia in shock, unable to proce
Shortly after.As Cynthia stood in front of the familiar doorway, she was met with nothing but cold emptiness.This was a place she had once loathed with every fiber of her being, yet it was also the place she had been forced to rely on.She had been gone for six years—who knew how much had changed?She pressed the doorbell, her expression utterly calm.The door swung open, revealing Toby standing shirtless, a large, inky-black tattoo sprawled across one shoulder. It was an indistinguishable mess. The moment he laid eyes on her, a sinister grin spread across his face. "We've been waiting for you."Cynthia stepped inside, her movements unhurried. Toby's gaze raked over her, sizing her up. "Looks like you've been living quite the luxurious life these past few years. Just look at those clothes, shoes, that bag—every single piece screams designer."She continued walking into the living room, her voice indifferent. "That's righ
Cynthia gently closed Georgia's bedroom door and took a few steps forward. As she lifted her gaze, she caught sight of a flickering glow near the balcony, the faint arcs of light piercing through the darkness. She hesitated for a moment, then, almost instinctively, moved toward the glow. When she got closer, she realized who it was—Lucien.Without thinking, she blurted out, "You haven't left?"Lucien turned his head slowly at the sound of her voice, his expression calm as he met her gaze. "Where else should I go?" he asked in return.His words caught Cynthia off guard, as if something lodged in her throat, rendering her momentarily speechless. Indeed, given the tangled mess of their relationship, it wasn't exactly surprising that he was still here.Just then, a faint but distinct creaking sound came from the balcony railing.A warning flashed through her mind—the landlord's reminder: The railing is old and unstable. Don't lean on it, or you might fall.Before she could even think, her
Cynthia slowly regained consciousness, only to find that Lucien was already gone. As she moved slightly, a wave of soreness spread through her body, as if she had endured some kind of harsh punishment. Yet, she couldn't deny that Lucien's skills in bed were nothing short of extraordinary—just as they had always been.After taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes, Cynthia stepped out of the bathroom, only to realize that night had already fallen. The room was shrouded in darkness. She reached for the switch, and with a soft click, light illuminated the space. As her gaze landed on the glass tank, her footsteps faltered.The turtle had been placed back inside. It lay motionless at the bottom of the tank, quiet and still.Cynthia slowly approached, her eyes locked onto the small creature. Lucien's words echoed in her mind: You're just like this turtle.As much as she hated to admit it, there was some truth to his cruel remark.Her marriage to Lucien was like that glass tank—an en
Lucien strode over to Cynthia, pulled her into his arms, and firmly clasped her waist. Towering over the disheveled Edric on the ground, his eyes glinted with disdain. "If you want to speak to my wife, you'll have to get my permission first."Cynthia instinctively tried to push him away. "Lucien!" she called softly.At the sound of her voice, Lucien turned his head slightly and glanced at her. That one look sent a sharp jolt through Cynthia's heart. In his eyes, she saw overwhelming possessiveness, fierce protectiveness, and a trace of barely contained rage.Edric scrambled to his feet, looking utterly pathetic. His suit and face were smeared with dirt, and his bloodshot eyes locked onto Lucien and Cynthia with seething anger. His clenched fists trembled slightly, but he dared not make another move.Lucien glanced at him with contempt before lowering his gaze to Cynthia. "Darling, let's go home."His tone was gentle, but chilling to anyone who heard it.Simon helped Georgia from the t
After the call ended, Cynthia sat frozen in her seat, her mind blank. Several seconds passed before she slowly came to her senses and took a deep breath — a breath that seemed to drain all the strength from her body. After hesitating for a moment, she stood up and headed straight to her manager's office to request leave.She knew full well that, no matter how strained her relationship with Georgia had been, she couldn't just turn a blind eye. Blood was thicker than water — no matter how much she tried, she couldn't cut those ties completely.When she arrived at the hospital, she went directly to the Radiology Department. Spotting Edric sitting there, Cynthia stormed over."Where's Georgia?" she demanded."She's inside, getting some scans done," Edric replied calmly, looking up at her."What exactly happened? And why are you here?" Cynthia's tone was sharp.Edric furrowed his brows slightly but still explained patiently, "I accidentally scraped her with my car, so I brought her here ri
Sitting in the car, Cynthia stared silently out the window. After a long while, as if gathering all her courage, she slowly turned her head and softly asked, "How did you know I was there?""I told you we'd go home together after work. Why didn't you wait for me?"Lucien's tone was noticeably cold.Cynthia froze, suddenly recalling that he had indeed mentioned this. Lowering her eyes slightly, she murmured, "I forgot,"with a hint of barely noticeable guilt in her voice."You remember everything when it's about other people, but when it comes to me, you forget it all completely,"Lucien said, visibly annoyed. His eyes fell on the clothes she was wearing, and his expression darkened even more. "Take it off."Cynthia was still startled by his earlier words, and now, hearing this sudden command, she frowned slightly. Is he seriously thinking about... here, in the car?"What? Do you just love wearing another man's clothes that much?"&nbs
Lucien stood at the doorway, clad in a perfectly tailored black suit, his posture straight and imposing. His sharp, hawk-like gaze locked onto Cynthia the moment he spotted her.When he noticed she was still wrapped in her male colleague's jacket, his brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of displeasure flashing through his eyes.Cynthia lifted her gaze and met Lucien's eyes.Why did he always seem to appear out of nowhere? Did he secretly install a tracker on her or something?Lucien strode over to her, lowering his head slightly as he gazed at her. His voice was calm but firm. "Are you done here?"Cynthia met his eyes with an unshaken expression. "They want me to borrow money from you—to pay off another million for Georgia. Would you still be willing to lend it to me?""If you want it, I'll give it to you,"Lucien replied without hesitation.Cynthia let out a soft "hmm,"as if contemplating something. Then she turned to
Shortly after.As Cynthia stood in front of the familiar doorway, she was met with nothing but cold emptiness.This was a place she had once loathed with every fiber of her being, yet it was also the place she had been forced to rely on.She had been gone for six years—who knew how much had changed?She pressed the doorbell, her expression utterly calm.The door swung open, revealing Toby standing shirtless, a large, inky-black tattoo sprawled across one shoulder. It was an indistinguishable mess. The moment he laid eyes on her, a sinister grin spread across his face. "We've been waiting for you."Cynthia stepped inside, her movements unhurried. Toby's gaze raked over her, sizing her up. "Looks like you've been living quite the luxurious life these past few years. Just look at those clothes, shoes, that bag—every single piece screams designer."She continued walking into the living room, her voice indifferent. "That's righ
The afternoon passed peacefully, with no one paying any more attention to Jacqueline. She slunk away, thoroughly humiliated. Hogan remained professional and focused on filming until the very end, which moved Pearl to tears.Cynthia had plans with Gina, so she completely forgot that Lucien had mentioned picking her up after work. The moment she clocked out, she left with Gina, and the two of them headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner.After confronting Cynthia earlier, Gina had already started to regret it. Yes, Cynthia had lied to her, but after cooling down, she questioned herself—what was she doing? She had only ever admired Lucien from afar. It had always been one-sided. What right did she have to hold her friend accountable for that?She trusted that Cynthia had her reasons.But she never expected Cynthia to drop a bombshell on her."Lucien is my ex-husband."Gina was utterly stunned, staring at Cynthia in shock, unable to proce
The moment Jacqueline saw Lucien, the smugness on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by sheer terror. Her eyes widened in horror as if she had just seen the most terrifying thing in the world.Her legs went weak, and she stumbled, barely able to stay on her feet. Nicky quickly reached out to support her, calling out anxiously, "Jacqueline!"Then, as he turned to look at Lucien approaching, an icy chill shot up his spine. His body involuntarily trembled.Lucien walked toward them, his fingers lightly brushing together as his cold, piercing gaze locked onto Jacqueline. His voice was laced with disdain as he said, "So, you've left clothes at my house before? I'll have the housekeeper search the storage room right away. If they find anything, I'll have it sent back to you immediately. In my home, aside from my wife's clothes, I consider anything else filthy and have the maids use them as rags.""Lucien…" Nicky couldn't take it anymore and tried to interject.However, before he could