That night, under the serene glow of the moonlight, he held her close, sitting on the lawn. His warm voice, like the most beautiful note from a cello, resonated in her ears."Everyone has always misunderstood, thinking I liked your friend. For a while, I thought so too. But then I realized my gaze always lingered on you, the one beside her. After we met again, it became clear to me, Cynthia—I've loved you for a long time now…"The realization that Eamonn, the man she had admired for so long, actually loved her made Cynthia's heart race uncontrollably.She had her doubts, she had hesitated for a long time, but every time she wanted to disbelieve, his eyes would reassure her with their sincerity.Everyone has the right to love, and finally, her love had come. She wanted to hold onto it tightly. In that sweet moment, her heart, filled with happiness, also became incredibly fragile. Unconsciously, she began avoiding Chloe, though she couldn't quite understand why she was doing it or what
When Chloe lifted her head, she found herself standing in front of the Williams' villa.She hadn't taken a taxi or a bus—she had simply walked back, step by step.Cynthia was getting married, her happiness was just around the corner. But what about her? Where was her own happiness? Perhaps the word "happiness" would never be a part of her life in this lifetime.Habitually, she sat on the swing, enjoying the cool breeze brushing against her as she swayed, listening to the birds' songs while letting her thoughts drift aimlessly.Just as she managed to clear her mind and immerse herself in her own world, a figure approached.Long eyelashes, a delicate nose, lips that formed the most tempting shape, and fair skin. Her figure was full and her aura was rather fresh.With her eyes closed, swaying gently, Chloe seemed to exude a touch of ethereal grace.No wonder her brother was drawn in by her—there was something undeniably alluring about her, even Chloe could admit that.This woman didn't s
"Ma... Master?!" Grace stammered, her voice trembling as panic surged through her. Could Lionel have seen everything? She felt her legs go weak beneath her. This time, she feared, it wouldn't just end with a slap."Lion!" Florence exclaimed, running towards Lionel. "This woman bullied me! Hurry, throw her out!"She spread her arms wide, hoping to throw herself into her brother's arms, to pout and complain, and have this annoying woman, who didn't even respect her, thrown out. But just a few steps away from Lionel, she came to an abrupt stop.Lionel's face was like a brewing storm—he was angry.The coldness radiating from him made Florence shrink back. Having grown up by Lionel's side, she knew him too well. He was not someone to approach when he was like this.Chloe, hearing the commotion, turned her head and saw Lionel's sharp gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively lowered her head, feeling a bit uneasy. Had he seen her displa
At 5 p.m. that afternoon, Chloe stepped out of Lisa's house after her piano lesson. She thought about what Lionel had said—he would only let her continue working at the bar for two more weeks. She felt a bit reluctant.First, the pay at the bar was good. Second, she genuinely didn't want to leave Mag. Working alongside her, and hearing Mag affectionately call her "Chloe," made her feel like herself again.But Lionel wasn't joking; she needed to quickly find a daytime job.Just as she was about to hail a taxi to the city center, a black Mercedes sped toward her like a bullet.Chloe's pupils dilated, her face went pale, and her mind went blank. She stood frozen, forgetting to move.This was it. She was done for.Was this fate's way of showing her mercy, thinking her life had been too hard and offering her an escape?Yet, in this final moment of her life, she realized she didn't want to die at all.She wasn't afraid of death
In the darkness, the car kept moving, turning left and right until it screeched to a halt.Chloe was dragged out by the two men. She strained her ears to listen. There were no sounds of bustling traffic—clearly, they were in a secluded place.The men shoved her into a room, tied her hands behind her back, and then removed the blindfold.With a loud "bang," they slammed the door shut.The room was bare, with nothing but a narrow single bed. Spotting a small window next to the bed, Chloe rushed over. Outside, there was no sign of any houses nearby, only darkness.She looked down—about seven or eight floors up. Jumping would be suicide.She had nothing with her; her purse had been snatched by the two men. It seemed there was no escape today.Lionel, that all-powerful man, did he know she'd been kidnapped? Of course not. After all, he was only human, not a god. Chloe slumped onto the bed, feeling utterly hopeless.Night
In Westridge, not many people have met Lionel in person, but almost everyone knows about him. Who doesn't know that in this city, Lionel is practically treated like a king favored by the heavens?And yet, Moira had the audacity to sneak into his house and secretly take photos of him—she was practically courting death."Speak! What exactly is your relationship?" Ignoring Chloe's sarcasm, Moira held up a side-shot photo of Lionel with his arm around Chloe, her eyes blazing with anger.Chloe chuckled, "Are you blind? Can't you see?""You!" Moira was furious but unwilling to give in.She couldn't fully believe that Chloe was truly Lionel's wife, as Chloe claimed. But the way Lionel possessively held her in the photo—it made Moira question everything.No! She couldn't allow it! That position belonged to her! She would rather believe that Chloe was just a fling for Lionel. No, Chloe wasn't even worthy of being his fling!After L
Moira hunched over in pain, her forehead drenched in sweat. Blood seeped through her flesh-colored stockings, the injury to her foot severe enough to leave her limping for a month.The two men exchanged glances, their eyes shifting nervously as they took in Chloe's cold, authoritative demeanor. The arrogance they had displayed earlier, back in the car, was nowhere to be found. Fear flickered in their eyes, and they didn't dare move forward.They had never met Lionel before, and he wasn't part of their underworld circles. But his name—just the mention of it—was enough to make men tremble, as if they were speaking of the Grim Reaper himself. This man was terrifying.And these two? They were nothing more than low-level thugs. If this woman really was Lionel's, could they afford to touch her? They'd be lucky to see the sun rise tomorrow."Useless cowards!" Moira barked, then winced in pain from her injured foot.She stumbled and fell to the ground, looking utterly ridiculous. Yet even in
Meanwhile, at the Williams mansion.The dishes on the dining table remained untouched.Lionel had been sitting at the table for over an hour. His strikingly handsome face was clouded with fury, his deep-set eyes like bottomless pools of darkness.The servants kneeling beside the table trembled, heads bowed, not daring to move a muscle.On the other side of the table, Florence pouted and had glanced at Lionel countless times. Finally, she couldn't hold it in any longer."What's so special about that woman? So, she hasn't come back—why are you making such a fuss, taking it out on all the servants? She's just a scheming tramp, probably lying in some man's arms right now…"Crash!Before Florence could finish her sentence, Lionel's long arm swept across the table, knocking the plates and bowls onto the floor. Food scattered everywhere, and broken dishes littered the ground."Ah!" A servant yelped as a shard of the dish cut her arm. Clutching the wound, she dared not make another sound.Flo
Slap!A sharp, crisp sound echoed as Joanna's face was harshly turned to the side, blood beginning to seep from her lips.Samuel shook with anger. After such a scandal, how could he face everyone here?"From now on, I sever all ties with her!" Samuel spat out, his voice filled with fury. He staggered back, nearly collapsing, but his subordinates rushed forward to steady him.Chloe stood frozen, stunned by the scene, when suddenly someone pulled her from behind, dragging her into a nearby makeshift lounge."Hahaha..." Joanna's laughter suddenly broke out, manic and unhinged.Her laugh was chilling, and the little boy next to her shrank back in fear. "Mommy, what's happening?""Shut up! Get away, bastard!" Joanna screamed, causing the boy to burst into loud sobs."Joanna... you've gone too far!" The blonde man hurried over, his face cold as he scooped the child into his arms and left the venue."Haha..." Joanna continued to laugh, swaying back and forth. She looked at Lionel, his cold,
"I'll cry if I want to. What's the matter? You can't stand it? If you don't like it, I'll go back to my mom's!" Chloe threatened, her hands on her hips, showing her teeth.Lionel raised an eyebrow. In the whole world, there was only one person who dared to threaten him—her! He quickly pulled Chloe into his arms, coaxing, "Alright, you can do whatever you want, I'll follow your lead. But please, don't make me worry so much. And from now on, you're not leaving my sight for a single second."What a joke—if she left, what would he do at night? He'd already gotten used to having her by his side. He couldn't function without her.A wave of worry washed over him. She now had her real father. Today, she was using her mom to threaten him—would she use her dad to threaten him tomorrow? What about her brother the day after?No! No! Anyone, but not her brother! Thinking of how Geoffrey once doted on her, Lionel's face darkened. From now on, he couldn't let Geoffrey anywhere near her—even if he we
Lionel watched as the people quickly fled, his narrow eyes darkening. He turned to Barton beside him and said, "Take care of this."With that, his tall figure swiftly moved towards the restroom.For some reason, he had felt uneasy all day.When he heard "someone's been killed," his heart was pierced with a sharp sting. The unease inside him deepened; he needed to see it for himself.As someone's face turned ashen, they quietly slipped out of the venue while Barton was busy calming the crowd."Lion..."Chloe's voice broke the silence, and Lionel froze. He looked up to see the familiar face, and her voice, thick with emotion, caused tears to well up in her eyes, which then fell, trembling.She had been so strong just moments ago, but the moment she saw Lionel, her heart felt fragile, as if it could shatter with a single breath.Seeing Chloe like this, Lionel was horrified. Blood was everywhere on her lips, and it sent a sharp pain through his chest. Without a second thought, he rushed t
Eamonn had been salivating over Chloe for a long time.To get to her, he had even used his proximity to Cynthia as a stepping stone, but little did he know, Lionel had beaten him to the punch.Even though Eamonn had the desire, he lacked the courage to act on it. He harbored those thoughts but never dared to lay a hand on Chloe.But when he was assigned a task—to torment Chloe, with the promise of a bright future and wealth beyond measure—he found himself going all in.As a man, there are always those few moments of madness in life. This was his chance. If he completed his task, not only would he rise in rank, but he would also fulfill his deepest desires."Monster!" Chloe broke free from one of his hands and slapped him across the face.Eamonn's face instantly bore five red marks from her fingers.He sneered, his voice cold and menacing. "Bitch! Still playing the innocent virgin? I'll make sure you regret this today."The devilish tone in his voice, combined with the devilish look on
"Chloe... long time no see." Eamonn shamelessly stood only a few steps away from Chloe, his body inching closer with each passing moment.Ever since Cynthia's accident, he had disappeared without a trace, and Chloe couldn't understand why he'd suddenly reappeared now."What are you doing here?" Chloe's voice was icy, and she showed no sign of warmth towards him.The mere sight of him reminded her of poor Cynthia, and the anger within her grew even stronger. Seeing him advance with that sinister glint in his eyes set off alarm bells in her mind."Stop!" Chloe took a large step back, not caring that her dress was still wet. She hurriedly wrapped a coat around herself.Eamonn ignored her words, his face still twisted with a smirk, taking a few more steps forward."Chloe, don't be like this. I'm not a virus. Why are you so afraid of me getting closer? It's been so long, and I have so much to say to you."He raised his hand, trying to grab Chloe's.Chloe swung her arm out to the side, evad
In the morning, Chloe and Lionel walked downstairs to find Joanna already seated at the dining table."Good morning, Lion, Chloe," Joanna greeted them with a graceful smile, delicately sipping her milk.Her gaze involuntarily shifted to Chloe's neck, and as expected, the marks from last night's kiss were still clearly visible.The sounds she overheard at the door yesterday flashed through Joanna's mind. Bitch! she cursed silently.Lionel ignored Joanna's greeting, and Chloe merely snorted in response. They both sat down to breakfast. As usual, Lionel fussed over Chloe, fetching this and that for her, while Joanna seemed to vanish into thin air, like a mere background figure.Since Lionel had ordered Lumina to be blacklisted, all those who once courted favor with K Group had severed ties with the company, leaving Lumina on the brink of collapse.While Lionel was listening to Barton's report, his phone rang.It was his father. Immediately, Lionel's face darkened."What is it?" he asked,
"Joanna, you're drunk! Calm down." Heather's voice was low and firm as he grabbed Joanna's wrist without hesitation, stopping her just as she lunged at him.Was she really drunk? Or just pretending?Heather's sharp tone, coupled with the pain shooting through her wrist, made Joanna freeze. Her dewy eyes instantly filled with tears."You yelled at me? You never raise your voice at me. You never refuse me. What's wrong with you? Don't tell me… your love for me was a lie?"Her lips trembled, and—plop—a single tear slid down her cheek. Joanna's delicate face was full of grievance as she accused Heather of turning against her.She really had gone mad.He had loved her. He had sincerely begged her to stop chasing after Lionel and to stay with him instead. He had been willing to take responsibility for their one-time mistake, promising to make her happy.But she had refused to even look at him, discarding him like a worthless rag.And now, after failing to win another man's love, after feelin
Joanna burned with jealousy, seething with anger as she stormed in. She grabbed Chloe off the bed and dragged her out, ready to feed her to the wolves.Bitch!Normally, Joanna could let things slide, but not now. What the hell was this? She'd just had a miscarriage a week ago, barely gotten back home, and now she was back in bed with a man?!Joanna cursed Chloe fiercely in her mind, but then, oddly, a sense of satisfaction crept in. She knew that a woman who had just miscarried shouldn't be anywhere near a man in bed. That was basic knowledge. But the fact that Lionel didn't care about Chloe's condition, that he was dragging her into bed as soon as he got home—well, that only proved one thing: he saw her as nothing more than a tool.If he truly loved her, he would have been more considerate!This meant that in Lionel's eyes, Chloe was nothing special either!Ha! What was there to be angry about now?Let them have their fun, let them wreck her completely, turn her into trash.Joanna fe
Chloe lost her child, and Joanna couldn't contain her delight. She hummed a cheerful tune, suddenly finding everyone pleasant to look at and treating everyone with uncharacteristic warmth and kindness.Mandy, on the other hand, was seething with resentment, while Grace spent her days on edge, terrified of Lionel's return and the punishment that might await her.A week passed, and Chloe finally returned from the hospital.Joanna, who had been all smiles for days, found her grin vanishing the moment she laid eyes on Chloe.In her mind, Chloe had tried to use the child in her womb to secure her place, and now that she had lost the baby, her bargaining chip was gone. Even if she didn't take her own life, she should at least be devastated—frail, despondent, a step away from death.Yet, after a week, Chloe looked radiant, her complexion even more glowing than before!There was no sign of grief over losing her child—she was laughing and