Chloe's heart sank, and she quickly got up."Who are you, and what do you mean?" She stepped to the window, lowering her voice. Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the man at the dining table."Hey, you ungrateful little thing, have you forgotten me so quickly? After all, I gave you quite a show!" Geoffrey's teasing voice echoed through the phone.Ugh—Chloe felt goosebumps all over; it was Geoffrey. She immediately realized he was behind the recent troubles with Moira.While he had helped her vent her frustrations, she wouldn't acknowledge his favor. She yelled into the phone, "Get lost! Who needs you?"Click—She hung up and looked up to find Lionel watching her with a complex expression.Feeling awkward, she returned to her seat and hastily finished her meal. "I'm done," she said, avoiding Lionel's gaze as she rushed upstairs.Chloe felt pathetic; she hadn't done anything wrong, yet she felt as if she was fleeing in guilt. No, it shouldn't be like this!What was she afraid of? Even i
On the other side, in a luxurious apartment, Moira was fuming with rage.Even if her acting wasn't gaining traction, she had already become a hot topic across various newspapers, magazines, and social media platforms. Every pop-up notification seemed to feature her video wearing nothing but a red G-string. She was on every front page, and the video had been shared countless times.She was holed up in her apartment, too afraid to step outside. Paparazzi were swarming the place like flies on rotten eggs, not giving her a moment of peace. Even at night, she didn't dare peek out the window.Everything in the apartment that could be smashed had already been shattered.As filming entered a critical phase, she had originally planned to grit her teeth and push through her leg injury. She figured that if she could just make it through this ordeal, she would be a top-tier actress, gaining fame across the country and even winning an Oscar. Then she and her precious Lion would soar together.But
Moira fumed all night, cursing and seething until her eyes were dark with exhaustion by morning.Unable to wait another minute, she ordered her agent to get her a set of old-lady clothes and called in her makeup artist, Cynthia. After half an hour, she walked out completely transformed into an old woman with white hair.Her skin was sallow, her face wrinkled like a dried flower, and even her most loyal fans wouldn't have recognized her.Ignoring her agent's protests, Moira rushed downstairs. At the entrance of the apartment, media swarmed, looking inside anxiously. None of them paid any attention to the old lady hobbling by. Smugly, Moira smirked to herself.At K Group's headquarters, the towering, majestic building stood in imposing grandeur. The structure mirrored the CEO inside—powerful, commanding, and intimidating, making anyone who looked up at it feel small and insignificant.Inside the luxurious, opulent CEO office on the forty-eighth floor, Lionel was buried in a mountain of
It was hard to tell how long it had taken, but Moira and Barton finally showed up at the CEO's office."Lion…" Moira froze for a moment, intimidated by the grandeur of the office. After a long pause, she finally called out softly, her eyes welling with tears as she rushed towards Lionel.Hearing the voice, Lionel's back stiffened, and he looked up from the pile of documents in front of him. His hawk-like eyes shot out a cold glare, sharp as ice daggers."Stop!" The single word pierced Moira's ears like a blade.Moira stopped dead in her tracks, her face twitching as Lionel's icy gaze fell on her. Just moments ago, she'd been in the bathroom, staring at her sleep-deprived, pale face.In desperation, she had caked on a thick layer of foundation, which was now beginning to flake off as her face spasmed."Lion, you have to stand up for me…" Moira, ever the actress, quickly snapped out of her stunned state, her face crumpling into a pitiful expression as if Lionel's cold demeanor meant not
At the same time, Geoffrey was having quite a busy day.Usually, he'd spend his time with a few buddies and a bunch of pretty girls, racing cars, surfing, playing golf, and indulging in a bit of light gambling, where he'd win enough to buy a few yachts. His days were filled with gourmet food and luxurious pastimes, living life to the fullest.But today, his phone never stopped ringing. Call after call—he barely had time to respond. Several groups of women had shown up, only to be sent away with a single glare.Earlier that morning, he had been snuggled in bed, dreaming about kissing the lips of a fiery, peppery woman when the shrill sound of his phone shattered the dream, causing the woman in his arms to vanish before he could even taste her.He answered the call only to get chewed out by his father.The land they had just bid on was suddenly being requisitioned. And the crown jewel of their business, the highly profitable 'Paradiso,' had bee
Today, it seemed that everyone was particularly busy.Chloe had been searching for her phone from morning until afternoon.Her phone had been her trusty companion for many years, though it looked a bit worn. She couldn't bear to replace it. Well, to be honest, she didn't really have the money to get a new one anyway.She distinctly remembered placing it on her nightstand before going to bed last night, yet this morning, it was nowhere to be found.These days, being without a phone felt like being cut off from the world.After searching and reminiscing, she was certain it had been on the nightstand.Sitting by the window, she took a deep breath, her beautiful eyes narrowing into slits!In this house, the staff were highly trained and would never dare to steal anything. Besides, their phones were far more upscale than hers; her old, barely functioning phone was probably too pathetic for them to bother picking up.Hmm, it definite
"Ah!" Florence was not pleased. "So, you arranged this seafood feast for her, not for me?"Lionel twitched his mouth, glancing at Chloe before looking back at his sister. "What are you talking about? I arranged this according to your tastes!""Really?" Florence stared at her brother, clearly skeptical."Eat up!" Lionel shot back, trying to cover his discomfort. He raised his bowl to drink soup, blocking half his face, so no one could see his expression.However, anyone paying attention might notice a slight flush at his ears.At that moment, Chloe's heart raced. She hardly cared about the siblings' argument over who the feast was for; her mind was racing with what to do.Was it that she was born in the wrong place, or was Flora? How could two people, surely enemies in a past life, end up as twin sisters?Heavens, it was a cruel joke!This mess was hard to clean up, and if she wasn't careful, Lionel would catch on. That would ex
At dinner, Chloe struggled to eat, hardly consuming anything. She tried a third of the dishes before exclaiming in distress that her stomach was too full, and she hurried upstairs like she was escaping for her life.*Ugh...*She dashed into the bathroom of her bedroom, locked the door, and leaned over the toilet to vomit. Feeling weak, she simply sat on the floor, which was clean enough that she could have comfortably slept there. After a while, when her stomach felt a bit calmer, Chloe stepped out of the bathroom.As a child, she had once experienced a severe seafood allergy, with vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chest tightness, rapid heartbeat, and red, swollen bumps on her skin. That incident had scared her parents, and they never let her touch seafood again. Perhaps it was because she was young and frail back then; now that she was an adult, her immunity had naturally improved. Yet, she still had to be cautious.She quickly rummaged through the medicine ca
AstralisThe Williams estate remained brightly lit through the night.As the last guests departed, the household staff moved efficiently, tidying up the courtyard and clearing away the remnants of the celebration.Earl, filled with joy and having indulged in a few too many drinks, had retired early for the evening.Only his immediate family remained in the grand hall—his sons, daughters, and grandchildren all gathered together."Lion, congratulations on rekindling things with Joanna," Lewis, Lionel's cousin, remarked with a grin.Lionel shot him a frosty glare. "Thank you," he replied curtly, rising from his seat. He turned to address the elders. "I'm feeling a bit tired. If you'll excuse me, I'll head to my room now.""Go get some rest. It's been a long day for you!"His aunt Hannah forced a smile and waved dismissively, hiding her envy behind a facade of politeness. Beneath her outward cheer, her heart burned with jealousy. Earl was clearly playing favorites again. Even though Joann
Just as she sat up in bed, she heard footsteps outside the door. Her heart leaped with excitement. She jumped out of bed, rushed to the door, and flung it open, calling out, "Lion—" But the person standing before her was Grace."Madam, it's me. The Master won't be coming home tonight." Grace stepped inside, carefully balancing a tray of food, a bright smile plastered on her face as if something delightful had happened. "Before he left, he made it clear that I must take good care of you. I wouldn't dare neglect his orders. I saw you were asleep during dinner and didn't want to disturb you, but I figured you'd be awake by now, so I brought your meal upstairs.""Thank you," Chloe murmured, disappointment flashing across her face as she followed Grace back inside.She sat down to eat, but every bite felt like a lump in her throat. The food refused to go down smoothly. She glanced at her flat belly, clenched her teeth, and forced herself to eat a bit more before giving up entirely.When Gr
Joanna's face flushed with a hint of redness. She glanced at Lionel, who was not far away, her eyes flashing with a mischievous, almost mocking glint. She said, "Lion has always been great, and... I'm willing to marry him!""Good! Good!" The guests erupted in applause and cheers.The atmosphere in the room reached its peak, with everyone smiling and congratulating Earl and Samuel.Earl and Samuel, unable to hide their joy, raised their glasses to toast to their friends and relatives, their eyes moist with emotion.Both families were prominent in the business world, and this union was a powerful alliance. Everyone could foresee that the future of the business world would belong to them. Lionel, the head of K International Group, would see his value soar to an unprecedented level.He was like a god standing on a cloud, commanding the world. With a snap of his fingers, he could send financial storms across half the globe.Such a deity, who coul
"You, I...fine, it's my fault. I was wrong. Now that things have come to this point, we must take responsibility for what needs to be handled. An important guest is arriving today. Get yourselves ready and come out quickly. They might already be on their way."Knowing that if he softened his tone, the young man would only grow more defiant, Earl—proud as he had been all his life—was ultimately forced to bow his head before his grandson."Ha…" Lionel let out a cold laugh. "Responsibility? If anyone has to take responsibility, it's you. Every consequence of this mess stems from your decisions. What does any of it have to do with me?""You—you—what nonsense are you spouting?" Earl bristled, his anger making his mustache quiver. "Oh, I see. This must be because of that woman! But let me tell you, your wife can only be Joanna, no one else! If you take a step back and marry Joanna, everything will be negotiable. Love as many women as you
Lionel gritted his teeth and shoved Joanna hard, sending her flying across the room. With a dull thud, she landed like a discarded ragdoll.Her brows knitted tightly, and it was clear the impact hurt her badly. Tears streamed down her face as she whimpered through her sobs, "Lion... I need... please..."Grabbing the showerhead, Lionel turned the water to full blast, not caring that it was the dead of winter. The icy stream hit Joanna's trembling body."Cold... it's so cold..." Joanna shivered violently, her arms wrapping around herself as a fleeting clarity returned to her teary eyes.Seeing her quiet down, Lionel moved the water away. But as soon as she started showing signs of agitation again, he realized things couldn't continue like this.If they did, he wasn't sure what might happen.Spotting a towel on a nearby rack, he grabbed it and threw it over Joanna. His voice was sharp as he snapped, "If you want me to believe you were forced in
Fortunately, Lionel had experience dealing with aphrodisiacs. This time, the drug's potency wasn't as intense as what he'd endured at Paradiso. While his body burned with heat, it lacked the overwhelming urgency and fierceness of before.Was this their way of sparing him? He almost felt grateful for his grandfather's mercy.Lionel sat motionless on the sofa, fists clenched tightly. With sheer willpower, he resisted the waves of heat crashing over him.Joanna, however, was far less composed.Biting her lip, she understood deep down that she'd been drugged. Though she struggled to maintain control, her delicate face had turned as red as a ripe apple. The surging heat within her made her let out a faint whimper. Her pale hands tugged at her wool cardigan, desperately trying to cool herself."Lion…" Joanna called out to Lionel, her pink tongue running over her parched lips. Her eyes, clouded with desire, burned with a fiery intensity.She
On the other side, the Williams family.Joanna, enduring the pain in her foot, returned to her room. As she passed Lionel's door, she hesitated for a moment before raising her hand to knock. Without waiting for a response from inside, she pushed the door open and entered."Lion…"Lionel stopped typing, crossed his arms, and coldly asked, "Joanna, what do you want this time?""Lion," Joanna took a few steps closer. "I'm sorry for this afternoon. I shouldn't have lashed out at you. You were just angry because of Grandpa. I didn't consider that and ended up taking it out on you.""Apologize?" Lionel raised an eyebrow, his tone sharp as he looked at her with disdain, his eyes cold as he scanned the pitiful Joanna. "No need for apologies! I've got work to do!" He glanced toward the windowsill, seemingly hearing the sound of a message."Lion, can't we just talk calmly, without all this tension?" Joanna said, her face a mix of distress and pain.Lionel regarded her like a stranger—perhaps ev
Chloe hailed a taxi and rushed home.When she arrived, Donna was in the middle of preparing dinner."Chloe, you're back?!" Donna greeted her with surprise, taking the bag from her hand. She glanced behind Chloe but didn't see Lionel."Uh..." Chloe replied as she changed her shoes and walked inside. Sensing her mother's unspoken question, she quickly explained, "I'm alone. He went to his grandfather's house.""Oh, I see." Donna sounded a bit disappointed. The house felt so empty, with just her here all day. If she didn't go out, she wouldn't even have anyone to talk to.Deep down, Donna wished Lionel and Chloe would come back more often. She always had food ready for them, but the food would go bad, and she'd have to throw it out and buy more, yet they never came. After waiting so long, it felt like a letdown when only Chloe returned. In her mind, she had completely accepted Lionel as her son-in-law.They rarely spoke much. As Chloe sat down, Donna hurriedly filled her glass with water
The atmosphere inside the car was tense and suffocating.Lionel sat motionless, his expression rigid, his cold and piercing gaze fixed ahead.Despite growing up with him, Joanna still felt a chill in her heart when faced with Lionel's presence.Suddenly, a voice as cold as ice shards hitting the ground broke the silence in the car."Are you happy now?""Huh?" Joanna blinked, taking a couple of seconds to react. Her face immediately darkened. "Lion, what are you talking about? Grandpa's blood pressure is rising, it's dangerous. How could I be happy? What do you take me for?""Drink!" Lionel sneered, veins bulging on his forehead. "Isn't this exactly what you all planned from the start?""What? Planned? What are you talking about? Can you explain?" Joanna twitched her lips, her long eyelashes fluttering as she looked innocent."Heh!" Another sarcastic laugh escaped Lionel as he looked at her without any expression. "Keep playing the part. You're so convincing, it almost feels real!"Joa