Miles took my hand and pulled me up. “Let’s go somewhere else.”Without sparing Julian or Chloe a single glance, he strode out of the restaurant, leading me along with him.I couldn’t help but glance back.Julian and Chloe were still at the table, awkwardly arguing with the restaurant manager, their frustration clear.They had probably planned a perfectly romantic evening—reserved the best table to order a fine meal—only to find themselves abruptly unwelcome.But could such a prestigious restaurant really just close early like that, just to get rid of them?I followed Miles.He walked fast, his grip on my hand firm, unwavering.We left the main dining area, but instead of exiting the building, he led me up a staircase on the side.I was caught off guard, not knowing what he was up to.When we reached the second floor, impeccably dressed staff were already waiting. They guided us to a private terrace—intimate, elegant, with a breathtaking view of the city skyline.I peered down through
I kept my head down, quietly eating for a while.Then, a sudden thought hit me—Julian never really knew me. He didn’t even know my likes, dislikes, or dietary restrictions.An empty feeling settled in my chest, and before I could stop myself, I muttered, “Then what were those five years of marriage for?”Miles took a slow sip of his champagne, his voice unhurried. “A sincere heart, wasted on a bastard.”I choked.…The next morning, I woke up early and checked my phone, only to find dozens of new messages.Most of them were from buyers on the resale app, inquiring about prices.I carefully responded to a few interested ones.Some trusted the listings, while others were skeptical about luxury goods being sold at such steep discounts.I wasn’t familiar with how online sales worked nowadays—my last memory of the internet was back when social messenger had just launched.Typing out responses one by one was slow and exhausting, and before I knew it, the entire morning had passed.By the ti
Mary gave me a knowing smile, as if she understood but wouldn’t say anything. "Oh, I wasn’t talking about that. I just meant you’re too skinny," she said while carrying the empty bowls and dishes into the kitchen. I was so full I could barely move, so I paced around the spacious apartment, trying to digest. Feeling bored, I wandered into the kitchen and saw Mary handling a sink full of chicken, duck, and fish. I gaped. "Mary, are you cooking all of this for me? I can’t eat that much by myself tonight." She didn’t even look up. "Of course not. Mr. Wynn is coming for dinner too. It’s my first time cooking for your employer—I have to make my best dishes." I froze. "He’s coming too?" She smiled. "Yes, doesn’t Mr. Wynn live here?" Panic surged through me. "No, no, no! Mil—Mr. Wynn doesn’t live here. I don’t live with him!" She didn’t seem to care, waving a hand dismissively as she continued cleaning the poultry. I wanted to leave but hesitated.Then I turned back to expl
Mary chuckled. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. That must be Mr. Wynn." But when she opened the door, it wasn’t Miles—it was another bouquet, this time a massive arrangement of pink oriental lilies. Lilies had much larger blooms than roses, making the bouquet look even more extravagant. Both Mary and I were stunned. The delivery guy handed over a form for us to sign, chatting as I signed for it. "A lot of people were staring on my way here. Is it someone’s birthday?" I was completely baffled. "Are you sure these are for me? Could they have been delivered to the wrong address?" The delivery guy asked, "Are you Evelyn White?" I nodded. He double-checked the address and my name, then smiled. "Then there’s no mistake. Gotta run—next delivery’s waiting." With that, he was gone. Mary and I stared at the two giant bouquets, speechless. Before she could say anything, I quickly cut in, "These aren’t from Mr. Wynn." Without wasting another second, I went back to
Thinking it was Julian calling from another number, I answered without even looking and immediately snapped, "Julian Moore, you disgusting scumbag! Call me again, and I’ll report you for harassment!"The person on the other end paused for two seconds.Then, after a brief silence, Miles’ voice came through, filled with helplessness. "Eve, are you fighting with him again? What happened this time?"…By the time Miles arrived, the living room was filled with five different bouquets, each a striking shade of pink.Every single one was fresh, vibrant, exquisitely wrapped, and looked expensive.The atmosphere in the room felt a little strange.I held a card I’d found tucked inside one of the bouquets. It read: "Do you like these flowers?"The sender’s name was "Everlasting Gaze."What a psychopath!Furious, I ripped the cards to shreds.Miles walked over to the windows and opened them, letting in a rush of fresh air.Then he signaled to the security guard who had come up. "Take all of these
Mary quickly checked me over. "Oh dear, Miss White, stop washing already! Go on, wash your hands and keep Mr. Wynn company in the living room." She shot me a series of exaggerated winks. Hearing the commotion, Miles walked over. Before I could react, Mary suddenly shoved me toward him. "Mr. Wynn, take Miss White out of here. She’s not meant for this kind of rough work!" Caught off guard, I stumbled straight into Miles’s arms. Mortified, I stiffened. Mary really didn’t know how to control her strength!Miles steadied me, his gaze flicking to my clothes, damp from the splashing water. He took my wrist and led me away. "Go change into something dry." Still in a daze, I nodded. "Oh… okay." Then I obediently went to my room to change. By the time I came back, Miles was already seated on the couch, watching the news. Feeling awkward, I hesitated for a moment before moving to sit on the opposite end of the sofa, not too far from him. To be honest, Miles wasn’t as cold or
Dolly suddenly called. "Eve, what happened between you and Julian? He somehow got my number today and completely lost it on me."Just hearing Julian’s name was enough to give me PTSD.I quickly stepped onto the balcony and answered, "Why was he mad?"Dolly let out an exasperated sigh. "He swears I’m the one who put these ideas in your head and turned you against him."I scoffed. "Does he really not know what he did? Blaming everyone else—he’s shameless.""I told him exactly that, and guess what happened?"I frowned. "What did he do?"She sighed. "He called my boss and put me on unpaid leave.""What?!" I was stunned. "That lowlife actually did that?"Dolly sounded unfazed. "It’s just unpaid leave. I don’t really care. I was thinking about taking some time off and traveling anyway."But I knew better.I felt guilty. Dolly was dragged into this mess because of me. If it truly didn’t affect her, she wouldn’t have bothered calling—she would’ve just sucked it up in silence."Come stay with
I realized that Miles had a habit of ruffling my hair, like he was soothing a bristling cat.He said, "If you need anything while I’m away, call my assistant, Patrick Cooke. And remember not to get into trouble.""Mm, got it," I promised.With that, he picked up his suit jacket, ready to leave.Just as he was heading out, Mary came out from the kitchen and called after him. "Mr. Wynn, you’re leaving already? Why not stay and rest a bit?"I stiffened.Miles gave her a polite smile. "No, I have to go. I’ll be away on a business trip for the next few days, so I’ll have to trouble you to take care of Eve."Mary beamed at him like a mother sizing up a promising son-in-law. "No need to worry, Mr. Wynn! Miss White is just like my own daughter—so pretty and well-behaved. Even if you didn’t ask, I’d take good care of her."Miles smiled and turned to me, lowering his voice. "Be good. Wait for me to come back."My ears burned instantly.After he left, Mary kept gushing. "Mr. Wynn is such a gentle
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
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