When I was about ten, Grandma passed away. It happened so suddenly. In the hospital, just before she left, she gave me a pair of crystal bracelets. Lying on the hospital bed, she looked at me with reluctance. "Eve, Grandma doesn’t have much to give you. I’ve worn these bracelets since I was young. “When you find someone you love, let these be part of your dowry." I sobbed uncontrollably. Julian pressed me down and said, "Evelyn, don’t go. We’re both fine." I slapped him hard, glaring at him. "We’re not fine! You tore up Grandma’s photo!" My hands trembled as I picked up the torn pieces, tears streaming down my face. The door swung open. Chloe stood there, shocked to see us on the bed. Her expression changed. "Julian, what are you doing?" I seized the chance to snatch back the crystal bracelets from Julian’s hand and bolted for the door. Chloe blocked my way. "You’re not leaving!" Her eyes flicked to the bracelets in my hand, and I caught the greed in her gaze.
"You don’t want it anymore?" The bracelet dangled precariously in Julian’s hand. It felt like an invisible blade was slowly cutting through my heart. I slowly sank to my knees. Chloe sneered from the side. "Wow, so filial." She turned to Julian, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Julian, look at her. Just to divorce you, she’s really—" Julian suddenly snapped at her, his voice thunderous. "What does this have to do with you? Get out!" Chloe flinched. She looked like she wanted to cry but held back when she saw the strange expression on Julian’s face. Her suspicious gaze flickered over me, scrutinizing every inch. But I acted as if I neither saw nor heard anything. Step by step, I crawled out of the room on my knees. The soft wool carpet beneath me cost four thousand per square meter, yet it felt like it was lined with shards of glass. It hurt. It really hurt. But I needed Grandma’s keepsake. I needed something of hers with me. Tears streamed down my face,
I didn’t say a word, just grabbed Dolly’s hand and ran.We dashed onto the street and jumped into the car. My whole body trembled as I clutched the bracelet tightly, unable to speak.Dolly noticed my state, hesitated for a second, then slapped me hard across the face."What happened? Tell me what the hell happened?"I stared at her blankly, then, choking with sobs, showed her the torn-up family photo. "Julian ripped it apart. He smashed one of the bracelets Grandma gave me."Dolly’s expression darkened instantly.For a moment, she stood frozen, then cursed loudly, "That bastard! I’m going to kill him!"Grabbing her golf club, she flung the car door open and stormed back inside.I sat there, listening to the sound of things crashing inside the house. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down, then picked up Dolly’s phone and made a call.The line connected, and Miles’ voice came through, as gentle as always."Hello, Miss Jones. What’s the matter?"I sniffled. "Miles, it’s me
Miles’ expression grew colder as he listened. Regret gnawed at me. "How could I forget to take Grandma’s keepsake? How could I forget? What was I thinking?" I raised my hand to hit my own head. Miles caught my wrist. "Because you lost your memory, Eve. You only remember things before you turned eighteen. You forgot everything after that." I lowered my head, sobbing. "But I shouldn’t have forgotten. How could I leave something so important with Julian? I regret it so much." His voice remained as gentle as ever. "Don’t be sad, Eve. The bracelet can be repaired, and the photo can be restored." Hope flickered in my eyes. "Really?" He smiled. "Really. Have I ever lied to you?" Tears turned into laughter. "Thank you… thank you, Miles." A servant handed him a warm towel, and he used it to gently wipe my face. The warmth against my skin soothed me, clearing away some of the exhaustion. I whispered a soft "thank you." Then, Miles suddenly pointed at my forehead. "What ha
The next morning, when I woke up, Joseph was already waiting outside my door with a nurse. He glanced at my fresh injuries and sighed. "I should’ve never let you leave. Mr. Wynn scolded me for ages last night." Guilt washed over me. "I didn’t expect to run into Julian. I’m sorry for causing trouble." Joseph shook his head. "Yeah, I’m about to lose my job because of you. You better not run off again." I nodded obediently. Not that I could go anywhere—this incident was still under investigation at the police station, and I needed time to recover. The Wynn estate was huge, with a beautiful garden sprawling across the property. A wall of climbing roses cascaded over the edges, filling the air with their fragrance. I was admiring them when an unwelcome guest arrived, escorted by Kira. I frowned. "Miss Clarke, what are you doing here?" Kira lifted her chin, looking at me with disdain. "She’s my senior. I’m part of the Wynn family. Why wouldn’t I bring her here?" I turned
Anger reignited inside me. I stared coldly at Chloe’s perfectly painted lips as they moved. "What did you just say?" She let out a smug huff. "You’re not the White family’s heiress anymore. They publicly disowned you five years ago." Something in my mind shattered. A searing pain exploded in my skull. I clutched my head, struggling to breathe. Chloe didn’t notice my reaction and kept sneering. "You won’t get a single cent from them. The only person you can rely on now is Julian. So, Miss White, there’s no need to keep resisting."Julian doesn’t love you. He’ll never give you what you want. Not money, not love." The pain in my head was unbearable. I could barely hear what she was saying anymore. All that echoed in my mind was one sentence— “They publicly disowned you five years ago.”Was that true? Why didn’t Dolly tell me? Why didn’t Miles? Tears streamed down my face as I slowly lifted my head. Chloe faltered for a second. I pointed at the estate’s front ga
I was utterly fed up and turned back with a cold sneer. "I'm not worthy, but you are, is that it? You’ve been dying to marry into the Wynn family, haven't you?"Kira's face twisted in anger as her hidden thoughts were exposed. Enraged, she lashed out. "Evelyn, you shameless bitch! Do you think everyone is as despicable as you?"A sharp headache pulsed through my temples, my chest tightening. I had no desire to argue with her. I turned on my heel to leave.But Kira refused to let it go, grabbing my arm. "You're not leaving until you explain yourself!"She yanked me so hard that I stumbled, my dress slipping at the neckline, exposing my bare shoulder under the sunlight. I quickly pulled it back up.I snapped, "What the hell are you doing?!"Kira flinched. The last time she shoved me, she was thrown out of the Wynn household. That memory still haunted her. Now, she was much more restrained, not daring to lay another hand on me."Oh my, where did this fiery beauty come from? I quite l
He leaned in closer, and a faint floral fragrance drifted from him.I turned my head away.Everything about this man screamed flirt.I had no doubt that if he really turned up the charm, few women could resist him.I instinctively took a step back. "Mr. Wynn, you've misunderstood. I'm not your brother’s woman."As soon as I said it, my face heated up. In my eighteen years of life, I had never spoken so boldly before.And against someone like him—smooth, flirtatious, and absurdly good-looking—I had absolutely no countermeasures.Trey caught on immediately.He deliberately lowered his head, his breath tickling my ear. "If you’re not my brother’s woman, why don’t you be mine?"The warmth of his breath sent a shiver down my spine, and I hurriedly took two steps back.My face burned so hot I was sure it could melt. "Mr. Wynn, have some respect. I… I’m not here to make that kind of acquaintance."A sudden thought flashed in my mind, and I added, "You know my name is Evelyn White, so you sho
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
She was the one with the real foresight, not me. But now, just to help me leave a good impression on Sarah, she gave me all the credit.Sarah looked at me and smiled thoughtfully. “Turns out people really can change. To be honest, three years ago, I didn’t have the best impression of you, Miss White.”I felt a twinge of guilt. “Was I arrogant back then? I’m sorry…”She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t arrogance. It was… well, your reputation at the time. Let’s just say it wasn’t great. “Within our team, your sponsorship actually stirred up a lot of debate. Some people felt it wasn’t a good look to accept money from someone with such a controversial name.”I cringed. “Ah... I see.”She went on. “But others argued that if someone had the money and was willing to help us through a rough patch, we’d be fools not to take it.”The discomfort on my face deepened.So even a struggling little startup like Elmwood had once hesitated to take my money. My reputation back then must’ve really been
The moment Julian spoke, Chloe broke into even louder sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks like a porcelain doll cracked beyond repair.Dolly gave a cold laugh, then tugged my arm. “Come on. This place is suffocating.”We turned to leave.“Wait!” Julian called out.I stopped and glanced back, frowning.He looked like he wanted to warn me and say something sharp but seemed to realize this wasn’t the time or place.In the end, all he could manage was, “Eve, don’t take it out on Chloe. Think about the baby.”I gave a short, cold laugh. “The baby? Whose baby?”His face flushed, then paled. “Eve, don’t be so... unreasonable…”The last word came out weak and guilty.I smiled. If Julian had changed at all since I lost my memory, this was it—he’d gone from brazenly cheating and blaming me to fumbling through half-hearted defenses, too ashamed to even meet my eyes.I didn’t bother wasting another second on him. “Mr. Moore, instead of lecturing me, maybe ask your precious Chloe why she came al
Chloe was caught off guard by his words, staring at Julian with a wounded look.But his eyes weren’t on her.I saw her bite her lip hard, then shoot me a bitter, venomous glance.I almost laughed and turned my attention back to the runway....Elmwood’s show was a complete success. When Sarah stepped onstage for her closing remarks, the applause lasted well over ten minutes.A swarm of reporters rushed forward for interviews, while the invited sponsors were led by staff into a backstage lounge to rest.Dolly and I took a seat and chatted about the standout pieces we’d captured on our phones.She was just as experienced as I was in the industry, but unlike me, Dolly was passionate about fashion design since she was a kid. She even self-studied design courses back in college.It was her eye and enthusiasm back then that convinced me to sponsor Elmwood’s first brand show.Now that the company was gaining momentum, no one was happier than her.We were deep in discussion when a shadow appe
Seeing that I’d achieved what I wanted, I immediately agreed.Just as I was about to turn away, I remembered something and said to Sarah, “By the way, I’m no longer Mrs. Moore. My name’s Evelyn White. You can call me Eve, or Miss White.”Sarah froze. “Wait, what…?”Her assistant quickly leaned in and whispered a few words into her ear.Sarah’s expression shifted instantly.Her eyes filled with sympathy as she looked at me.She took my hand and sighed. “Mrs.—I mean, Miss White, I admire your courage.”Just then, she turned and caught sight of Julian and Chloe approaching. Her expression instantly soured.“What’s that scumbag doing here? And with her, no less…”I stepped in before it escalated. “Let’s catch up after the show, Sarah.”With that, I turned and made my way back to my seat.Behind me, I heard Julian’s overly polite voice. “Miss Care, the setup of your show is quite impressive.”Chloe chimed in sweetly, trying to please. “Miss Care, I heard your designs have won international
Julian froze.From the look on his face, he clearly had no idea what this brand show was actually about. As for Chloe…I glanced at her and, sure enough, caught the flicker of guilt in her eyes.Julian turned to her, frowning. “What’s going on?”Chloe looked timid and unsure. “Julian, are you upset with me? I really don’t know what’s going on either. It was Mr. Watson who told me a company-sponsored fashion event had invited us to come take a look.”Tears gathered in her eyes. “You know how much I love fashion and art events... I didn’t realize there was anything out of the ordinary.”Her explanation wiped the irritation clean off Julian’s face.He softened. “Alright, I’m not blaming you. I just… never mind. This isn’t your fault.”Then he turned to me with a sharp glare, clearly annoyed. “Evelyn, what exactly do you want?”As he spoke, he tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his tie.I noticed more and more guests arriving, and I said coolly, “I’m just letting you know that this bra
The hostess paused for a second, then quickly adjusted with a smile. "Of course, Miss White. Miss Jones, please follow me. Our founder and a few directors are over this way."“Well, well, no longer Mrs. Moore? That was fast. Wasn’t it just a while ago someone couldn’t stop flaunting the fact that she was Mrs. Moore?”A mocking voice rang out.I turned around sharply, my expression darkening.Chloe stood there in a loose-fitting dress, carefully shielding her baby bump. Her arm was looped through Julian’s.And the one who’d made the snide comment was Rossie.Rossie stood beside Chloe, eyeing me from head to toe with thinly veiled smugness.Chloe’s eyes flickered the moment she saw me. She quickly leaned into Julian’s chest, all delicate and helpless."Julian, why didn’t you tell me Miss White would be here?" she asked sweetly.Julian clearly hadn’t expected me either. His brows furrowed. "What are you doing here?"I frowned. "The better question is—what are you doing here? I don’t rec