An hour later, everyone was gathered in the lounge next to my hospital room. Since I had been in a coma for so long, Miles had booked the best VIP suite in the hospital. So, calling it a hospital room was a bit of an understatement. It was more like a three-bedroom apartment, complete with a living area. Now, in the spacious living room, we all sat around, exchanging glances. I clung tightly to Nicholas, and at first, he seemed a little stiff. But as time passed, he pulled me close, holding me just as tightly. I still felt like crying, only this time, they were tears of joy. Julian was taken back to his own hospital room by the nurses, which meant we didn’t have to deal with his presence ruining the moment. Nicholas sighed. “Eve waking up… We owe it all to you, Miles.” Miles clapped him on the shoulder. “No need to be so formal, brother. And besides, I’ve always liked Eve.” Nicholas' expression turned complicated. “If only… Never mind. If I’d known back then, I woul
Nicholas’ expression turned sour. “Yeah, I hit him. So what? If some random punk outside had his eye on you, that’s one thing. But my own buddy eyeing my sister? How could I not beat him up?”Then he shot Miles a look, laced with lingering hostility. “Back then, you weren’t my match. I gave you a bloody nose… Remember that?”Miles rubbed his nose with a smirk. “Yeah, I remember. But I also remember you ended up with a swollen eye and a twisted arm.”I couldn’t hold back my curiosity anymore. “So… who actually won?”“I did.”“I did.”They spoke at the same time.In the end, Nicholas grudgingly admitted, “Fine, he won. But I had him pinned to the ground—he couldn’t move an inch.”Miles didn’t bother arguing.I finally pieced everything together. “So… what you’re trying to tell me is that Miles was the first person who ever liked me?”Nicholas' voice was deep and serious. “I just want you to move on. See? The right person will always be there. You don’t have to keep holding onto the wrong
For a moment, the hospital room was silent before Dolly suddenly burst into laughter.After she finished laughing, she let out a sigh. “Eve, don’t take this the wrong way, but… ever since you jumped into the sea, Julian has been… well, he’s been a mess.”I frowned. “How do you know that?”Dolly hesitated, casting me a cautious glance. “He’s come to see me a few times.”Hearing his name didn’t sit well with me, especially after today, when he insisted on seeing me and ended up getting beaten by my brother.I could still picture Julian on the floor, struggling to crawl toward me… Lowering my gaze, I sighed. Even though I hadn’t regained my memories, I knew one thing—Julian had always been a proud man. He was too proud to the point of arrogance. Seeing him in such a pathetic state today felt almost unreal. Sensing my displeasure, Dolly quickly clarified, “Eve, I’m not trying to defend him. I just… I just can’t help thinking—if he regrets it now, why did he make those choices in t
She probably hadn’t expected Pierse to be the one visiting. Dolly, knowing that I had taken care of him before, could only say, “Don’t get worked up. None of it really matters.” I nodded. Pierse walked in slowly, carrying a large bag of supplements. Before leaving, Dolly gave him a long, serious look and said, “Don’t turn out like your brother. Try to be a decent person.” Pierse barely knew her, so he simply frowned and ignored her. The door shut behind her, and I leaned against the headboard, quietly studying him. He looked about fifteen or sixteen, but I knew he was only thirteen—just taller and more mature-looking than most kids his age. Standing there awkwardly with the bag in hand, he seemed unsure of what to do. I cleared my throat. “Pierse, have a seat.” He shot me a stiff glance, then set the bag down on the bedside table. His voice was a little rough. “These… I heard they’re good for recovery… Just take them.” Looking at the teenage boy in front of me,
Pierse stammered, struggling to find the right words.I leaned against the headboard, choosing to stay silent.He stepped closer, biting his lower lip. “Evelyn, I was wrong. Can’t you forgive my brother… for my sake?”I looked at his youthful face, my gaze complicated. “Pierse… you’ve grown up so much.”He froze.I gestured with my hand. “You used to be this small, all chubby and round. And now, just like that, you’ve shot up to nearly six feet.”Pierse immediately corrected me, almost instinctively. “I’m five foot ten…”Then he realized what he had just said and fell silent, lowering his head.“Evelyn, are you really never going to make up with my brother?”He looked at me with pleading eyes.For a brief moment, my vision blurred.Years ago, that same pair of eyes had looked at me with the same hopeful expression.His big, round eyes were so full of life back then. He used to follow me around all day, calling out, “Evelyn, Evelyn, play with me! Let’s go on the swings… let’s play ball
"I... I really did come to see you... I've been here several times, but the nurses wouldn't let me in.”Pierse stammered, his earlier anger completely gone. "I was actually... a little worried about you. But..."I looked at his still-boyish face and asked, "Does your brother know you're here?"He shook his head.A small sigh of relief left me—at least he wasn't completely hopeless.He was just used to taking Julian's side.I exhaled. "Pierse, I remember you used to hate me. I want to know why."He looked up in surprise. "I didn't... I..."It seemed like he wanted to explain, but in the end, he said nothing.I kept my tone indifferent. "If you can't explain, then don't bother. This is between adults. It has nothing to do with you."Pierse opened his mouth as if to argue, but before he could say another word, a figure appeared at the hospital room door.A woman grabbed his arm and shot me a sharp glare. "Evelyn, haven't you caused enough trouble? You already ruined my eldest son, and now
The nurses hesitated but eventually agreed.They gently pulled Pierse away, leading him toward the door.After a few steps, he suddenly turned back and called out, “Mom, don’t talk to Evelyn like that. You’re not allowed to insult her.”Abby instantly bristled. “You little brat—are you telling me how to behave?!”She moved as if to chase after him, but Pierse had already taken off.A small warmth flickered in my chest.This kid… he was actually kind of sweet now.Abby, still fuming, marched back inside and sat down in the nearest chair with an air of arrogance.I didn’t waste time. “Mrs. Moore, if you have something to say, say it quickly. I’m tired and need to rest.”She clearly wasn’t used to my tone. Her brows shot up, and I could see she was about to lash out, but at the last second, she forced herself to hold back.For all her arrogance, she was still a woman in her fifties—someone who had seen enough of the world to know when to pick her battles.She eyed me up and down before s
She stared at me. “What did you just say?”I sighed, already losing patience. “I asked if you’re done yelling.”Abby bristled. “And what, was I wrong?! Didn’t you go and seduce that Wynn family CEO?”I cut her off coldly. “And then what?”That threw her off. For a moment, she had no idea how to respond.I pressed on. “And then what, Mrs. Moore? Are you trying to force a confession out of me, or do you just want to make me feel bad?”Abby latched onto that immediately. “That’s right! So, you admit it then? You admit you cheated while still married?”I shook my head. “No. I didn’t cheat. The one who cheated was your son, Julian.”Her face twisted in fury, turning an ugly shade of green. “You liar! What the hell are you talking about? My son would never cheat! That bitch Chloe set him up! “You think a few flimsy pieces of ‘evidence’ are enough to take everything from him? And as for the money—don’t even think about walking away with a single cent!”Ah. So, this was her real motive.Al
I let out a breath of relief. "Good. I guess I’ll stop taking baths from now on. Who knew something so relaxing could nearly kill me?"I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but neither Miles nor Joseph smiled.Forcing a small grin, I added, "Just… don’t tell my brother, okay?"Miles gave a warm smile. "I won’t."Joseph glanced at him, then said, "I’ve checked everything—she’s fine. Just be careful not to catch a cold."Miles walked him out.When he returned to the room, I was already sitting up against the headboard, my expression uneasy.The mattress dipped slightly beside me as Miles sat down. He looked at me gently. "Eve, what’s wrong?"My voice was low. "Miles... I had a dream about Julian."Miles let out a quiet breath. "That’s normal. I was worried it might be something worse."I shook my head, a flicker of panic rising in my eyes. "But I’ve never dreamed about him since the memory loss. And this time… I saw the first time I met him."My hands trembled slightly. "I shouldn’t r
Warm water swirled gently around me, and the weight of exhaustion began to pull me under.Sleep crept in, soft and heavy....“Eve, come on! I heard the campus heartthrob’s here today!”I looked up, my vision blurry.Where was I?Dolly’s face appeared in front of me, lit with excitement. “Hurry! If we’re late, we won’t get a good view. The club’s short on people, so they brought in the heartthrob to help out. Come on, everyone’s rushing over.”I reached out and grabbed her arm. “No, I’m not going.”She gave me a puzzled look. “Why not? That’s Julian Moore! He’s literally the most popular guy on campus. He’s good looking and comes from a wealthy family.”Something caught in my throat. I wanted to speak but couldn’t get the words out.Dolly, getting impatient, tugged at my hand and started dragging me forward.There were people everywhere, too many to count.Eventually, we arrived at the small rehearsal theater.I looked around in confusion. There were crowds all around, but no one I re
But what did she say?Julian’s grip tightened around the charm, his fingers curling into it as pain filled his eyes...."Julian, I know there’s nothing I can do for you… Just keep this charm. They say the priest there is the real deal. You’re not supposed to throw it away once it’s been blessed.""Julian, I don’t care if you ever become rich or powerful. I just want you to be safe."That foolish woman had clutched the charm in her hands, smiling at him with such innocence and blind faith....The knot dug into his palm, sharp enough to hurt. Julian opened his hand, then closed it tightly around it again.Chloe, who had been rambling on, finally noticed something was off.She caught sight of the charm in his hand and scoffed. "What is that? It looks so tacky."She reached over, trying to take a closer look.Julian quickly slipped it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.Chloe’s eyes narrowed. "Did she give you that?"He started the car, his voice flat. "No. I got it myself. Some p
Julian looked at me, confused.I took a deep breath. "Julian, stop. I know why you're apologizing. You're doing this for Chloe’s child, right? You just don’t want things to get ugly."He lowered his head, then gave a small nod. "Yes, that’s part of it... but I really…"I cut him off quickly. "Don’t. Goodbye, Mr. Moore."Without looking back, I turned and got into the car.Miles noticed something was off the moment he saw my face. "What did he say?"I steadied myself. "He wants to settle everything privately. He doesn’t want it to go to court."Miles glanced toward Julian’s lonely figure in the distance, his eyes flickering."You okay?" he asked.I shook my head. "I’m fine."He paused, then handed me a tissue. "If it hurts, just cry."I looked at him, my eyes dry. "I can’t cry. But why do I still feel so awful?"His gaze softened. "Julian's pulling all this to protect his pride because of Chloe’s child, isn’t he?"I drew in a shaky breath. "Yeah. He apologized, but in the end, it’s still
Julian's expression darkened as he stared at me. "Evelyn, I thought you said you loved me? And yet here you are with Miles already—what, were you two sneaking around while we were together?"Without thinking, I slapped him.He grabbed my wrist, sneering coldly. "Did I strike a nerve?"I laughed in anger. "I shouldn’t have let Miles in the car earlier. If I hadn’t, the one slapping you right now would’ve been him."Julian let go of my hand and said coolly, "Enough nonsense. Evelyn, dragging this to court would just be a spectacle. After five years of marriage, I don’t want things to end like this."Was he trying to reconcile?I forced down my fury and asked, "What do you have in mind?"Julian hesitated, his gaze complicated. "I’ll return everything that belongs to you... just give me some time."I was stunned.I hadn’t expected Julian, who always seemed so tough, to willingly give up fighting and hand over what I deserved.I went quiet. "Alright. How much time do you need?"Julian tugged
Julian blurted out, “What?!”Then, snapping out of his shock, his face twisted with fury. “Miles Wynn, what the hell do you mean by that?!”Miles smiled, calm and unbothered. “Nothing more than the truth.”Julian’s voice rose, livid. “Truth? This is nothing but one of your dirty tricks!”Miles raised a brow, pretending to be confused. “Dirty? Hmm. I’d actually call it a fresh idea.”Julian’s already dark expression grew stormier.Chloe stood beside him, jaw clenched, eyes locked on us with thinly veiled rage. Suddenly, she cut in sharply, “But wasn’t it Miss White who transferred the 1.2 million to Elmwood?”Dolly stepped forward without missing a beat. “That money was loaned to Eve by me. Got a problem with that?”That shut them both up.I felt a wave of satisfaction rise in my chest. But I also knew Julian wasn’t going to let this slide so easily.Sure enough, he turned to me, eyes cold. “Eve, this is going to court anyway. You can spin the story however you want. We’ll see what the
The moment I saw that elegant, refined face, so striking it felt almost divine, every bit of the frustration I’d buried surged to the surface.Without a second thought, I rushed into his arms. “Miles!”Warmth enveloped me, and the familiar clean scent of pine wrapped around my senses. My eyes stung instantly.Miles lowered his head, chuckling softly. “What’s wrong? You look like a little bunny with those red eyes.”Feeling embarrassed, I gave his chest a light smack. “Why are you here?”He studied my face carefully, then gently brushed his fingers across my cheek. “I heard someone was picking on my darling, so I came running.”That warmth spread through my chest, overflowing, making it hard to hold back tears.He leaned down, his voice low in my ear. “Don’t cry, silly girl.”Then he straightened and looked around the room.His gaze passed over Sarah and Dolly, finally landing on Julian.Julian instinctively straightened his back.He stepped forward, voice laced with sarcasm. “What brin
I turned to Sarah with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Miss Care. It seems I’m not in a position to work with your company until I sort out my personal matters.”Sarah shook her head regretfully. “Please don’t apologize. Our company is moving forward with expansion this year. We’ve already allocated the available investment slots. If you decide not to invest… we’ll have to open the opportunity to others.”She gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Miss White. But once this window closes, there will be no further opportunity.”I offered a bitter smile and nodded. “I understand.”Dolly was so angry, she could barely hold back a choked sob. “That shameless bastard… absolutely shameless!”I squeezed her hand, silently telling her it was time to go.Julian stepped in front of us, blocking the way. His expression was conflicted, and when he spoke, his voice was softer than I’d ever heard it.“Eve, maybe we can talk this through.”“Julian, you… you’re still not done?” Chloe’s voice r
The moment I heard those words, a rush of blood surged to my head.My ears rang, and that all-too-familiar wave of dizziness came crashing back.I barely registered Dolly's voice rising in fury. “Julian Moore, do you have no shame? You really dare say that was marital property?! Eve paid for it herself! You… you're absolutely disgusting!”I could barely stay on my feet, the world tilting around me.“Dolly… I…” I whispered weakly.She quickly caught me and helped me sit down.I took a few deep breaths to steady myself, then looked up at Julian. And for a split second, though maybe it was the dizziness playing tricks on me, I thought I saw a flicker of concern flash through his eyes.Sarah noticed something was off and immediately stepped in. “Miss White, don’t worry. We can take this slowly.”I fought to calm my pounding heart and spoke, voice steady but cold. “What exactly is it that you want, Mr. Moore?”Julian hesitated for a moment, but soon the polished businessman returned to his