“Let me go, Jacob!”Emma struggled, but Jacob firmly gripped her wrist, dragging her into the rehabilitation center. With a loud bang, he forcefully pushed open a door on the first floor. Without breaking stride, he pulled her inside. The icy expression on his face and his unsettling silence sent a wave of fear through Emma. “Where is this? What are you trying to do?” she demanded, her voice laced with both anger and apprehension. Jacob turned her body, forcing her to look at the elderly man lying on the hospital bed. Emma gasped, startled. It was only then that she noticed there was someone else in the room. An old man lay on the bed, his face twisted with paralysis, one side of his mouth drooping. The pale moonlight illuminated his features, and though it was late, he wasn’t asleep. His wide, unblinking eyes stared intently at the intruders who had barged in. It was none other than Mr. Yates Sr.—the grandfather of both Justin and Jacob. After passing control
Jacob’s hand slid along the seam of Emma’s dress, slipping underneath. Emma struggled, unwilling to partake in such a display in front of the bedridden old man. Jacob paid no attention to her resistance, continuing his actions without hesitation. On the hospital bed, Mr. Yates Sr. lay motionless, his wide, furious eyes fixed on them. His mouth hung crookedly open, emitting guttural growls of rage. Though paralyzed, his body jerked and strained in frustration, as if desperate to rise and reprimand his disgraceful grandson. The heart monitor beside the bed began to beep erratically, its lines spiking wildly. The shrill alarm echoed through the room. Emma shoved at Jacob with all her strength. “Stop it! Let’s go! Someone’s going to come in and see us!” Jacob finally lifted his head, glancing at the furious Mr. Yates Sr. He adjusted Emma’s clothes before leading her out of the room. Not long after they left, the elderly caretaker, who had been sleeping in the next room
Stella straightened her back, her tone full of self-righteousness. “Heidi, that’s not fair! Harry is upset because Dad is seriously ill. What’s wrong with him crying? But you, talking about death so casually, are you hoping for Dad to pass away sooner?” “You—” Heidi was so furious she was momentarily speechless, pointing at Stella for a long time without finding the words to respond. Justin’s cold stare silenced Stella instantly. Just then, the doctor emerged from the examination room, mask in place. “The patient is stable for now.” “Thank goodness!” Heidi exhaled in relief, looking upward and clasping her hands in gratitude.The doctor hesitated before continuing. “The episode was caused by acute emotional distress, which led to a sudden onset of symptoms,” he explained gently. “Given the patient’s age, even if he recovers from this, his time may be limited. I recommend the family start making preparations.”Noticing the hospital director, Zac, waiting alongside the fami
“They better not stay and end up stressing Mr. Yates Sr. to death,” Zac thought to himself, keeping the remark private. The internal dynamics of the Yates family might not be apparent to outsiders, but Zac, as a semi-insider, understood them all too well. Justin staying around wasn’t a concern. His worries were directed at Harry and Stella. The tense atmosphere lingered until Justin turned and led Heidi away. Only after seeing the bodyguards stationed outside the hospital room, preventing entry, did Harry and Stella reluctantly leave the hallway. Zac instructed the night nurse to finalize the necessary paperwork, then caught up with Justin. “Mrs. Yates, I need a word with Justin,” Zac said. Heidi nodded. “Go ahead.” Justin and Zac stepped into the stairwell. Justin pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. Zac, following his lead, lit one as well. Exhaling a puff of smoke, Zac said, “Mr. Yates Sr. doesn’t have much time left. Be prepared, and don’t l
“Emma’s been with him for five years?” Heidi thought.She turned sharply, her glare piercing as she fixed her son with a questioning look. Didn’t he promise there would be no involvement with Emma anymore?Justin’s brows furrowed, his gaze sharp and icy as he shot a cutting look at Jacob. In a firm, measured tone, he said, “No. She and I have no... relationship.”“It’s not like that, Mr. Jacob!” Emma quickly interjected, her tone anxious, her expression pitiful as she rushed to deny it. But her demeanor, coupled with her words, only made it seem like she was trying to cover up the truth. Justin’s displeased gaze fell on her, making it clear he wasn’t happy she had spoken up. Her explanation only made things worse. Meeting his eyes, Emma couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong. Feeling even more wronged, she lowered her head in silence. Heidi rolled her eyes. She had no patience for such theatrics. “Always crying around Justin like she’s been wronged, and then turning in
“How old was Justin when he took over the company? He had no experience and hadn’t contributed a thing. Meanwhile, you worked yourself to the bone for the company, only for it to become someone else’s prize. Think about yourself, but more importantly, think about your son. Do you really want Jacob to always live in Justin’s shadow? Scraping by on the crumbs Justin decides to toss his way?”Stella’s voice grew more heated as she spoke, her emotions bubbling over.Ten years ago, the company should have been theirs, but it was handed to Justin for nothing. Now that Mr. Yates Sr. was about to die, they were merely reclaiming what rightfully belonged to them. What was so wrong about that? Harry remained silent, his eyes darting as his thoughts churned. His drooping eyelids, a result of age, did little to hide the calculating glint in his gaze. “Hey! Say something!” Stella snapped, rushing after her husband. She couldn’t believe she had married such a spineless man. *Heidi
Jacob slid his hands into his pockets, a faint smirk curling at the corners of his mouth. “What’s this? You were scared stiff at the rehab center, and now you’re cursing my grandfather?” Emma frowned. “Can you take this seriously for once? He’s already in the hospital because of you. Either he dies and takes our secret to the grave, or he recovers and drags us both down with him!” Her tone sharpened as she snapped, “Don’t tell me you’re suddenly getting sentimental and playing the family card. You’ve got three lives to lose, while I’ve only got one!”Jacob chuckled softly, lowering his head to meet her gaze. “Relax. I already said I’d handle it.” A car pulled up, and Emma threw him a final warning. “Make sure you wipe the rehab center’s security footage clean.”She turned to open the car door, but Jacob grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him. Before she could react, he leaned down and kissed her—a brief, deliberate act. Releasing her, he smirked mischievously. “
“Oh, so that’s what you’ve been planning this whole time. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Stella’s annoyance melted away as she realized her husband was still on her side. She immediately offered, “My dad knows Mr. Yates Sr.’s lawyer. First thing in the morning, I’ll have him set up a meeting for you.”The cloud over Harry’s face lifted, and he kissed her cheek in excitement. “I knew marrying you was the right choice!”Stella beamed, playfully swatting his arm. “We’ve been married for years. Aren’t you worried someone might see?”“So what if they do? And anyway, who’s around this late at the hospital?” Stella’s smile grew wider at Harry’s comment, her mood visibly lifting.“By the way, where’s Jacob? Didn’t he say he’d be here? We’re about to leave, and he hasn’t shown up yet.” Growing concerned, she pulled out her phone to call him.The phone rang a few times before the call was abruptly declined.“What’s he up to now?” Stella muttered, frowning at the screen. “Don’t tell me h
Haley shook her head quickly, flustered. “No… I mean—no.” Then she realized how that sounded and corrected herself. “Actually, yes. I’m just hot.”Helen blinked in confusion. “Hot? The classroom has air conditioning. Was the sunlight from the window hitting her seat?” Helen wondered.Without missing a beat, she rushed over and tugged the curtains tighter, making sure her bestie didn’t get “sunburned.” She still needed Haley to hold onto that top spot. Otherwise, she would lose her excuse at home for going out to “study” with Zac.The pressure and tension of senior year finally came to a close. On the day of the college entrance exam, when everyone stepped out of the test hall for the last time, their faces lit up with genuine smiles—relaxed, free, and full of relief.Haley tossed aside her textbooks. Her summer break was filled with makeup shopping trips with Helen or third-wheeling her and Zac on their study-dates-turned-real-dates.That routine came to an end the d
Haley’s eyes shifted as she thought quickly. “But… I don’t really like guys who rank higher than me on exams.”She gave a light shrug and continued, “I mean, I think we should be focusing on school right now. Relationships can wait until after we get into college, right? What if we don’t even end up at the same school? Long-distance never works, and after a while, we’d probably drift apart. Don’t you think?”Was that a gentle rejection? It seemed like it. Haley wondered if she had been too blunt. Had she left him any dignity at all?They still had a whole year of high school left together. She didn’t want things to get awkward between them. A harsh rejection would only make everything more uncomfortable.Justin furrowed his brows, thinking for a long moment before giving a single reply. “Okay.”Then he slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked off.Haley stood there, completely confused.“Okay? What did he mean by that?“Did he understand what I was trying to say?
Emma and her little clique of schoolyard mean girls had Justin completely surrounded.“I’ll ask you one more time,” she said, smug and unbothered. “Will you be my boyfriend or not?”“No,” Justin replied coldly, his face unreadable.“Hey!” one of Emma’s loyal followers stepped forward, cracking her knuckles and getting way too close. “Do you even know who our Emma is? She’s the heiress of the Xander Corporation. She’s giving you a chance, and you should be grateful. You better say yes.”“What, you want us to beat you up before you agree?” another girl sneered.Justin didn’t flinch. His icy stare locked onto the girl who spoke, completely unbothered by the threat.Emma waved a hand to hold her crew back, pretending to be generous. Then she turned to Justin again, cocky and bold.“I like you way too much to have anyone rough you up,” she said sweetly. “But I heard you’re trying to get into Altiplano University in the capital. Here’s the deal—if you go out with me, I’ll have my dad
As soon as Justin sat down and pulled out the textbook for the next class, a hand suddenly reached out from beside him.“Hey, I’m Zac White,” Zac said.Justin glanced up with a cold look, then went right back to pulling out his notebook and pen—completely ignoring the extended hand.Zac awkwardly pulled his hand back, speechless.“Man… this guy’s seriously cold. What a show-off,” he thought to himself.The class flew by. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, Haley and Helen linked arms and headed off toward the bathroom. Zac immediately trailed after them.“Where are you two going? Take me with you.”“You planning on going into the girls’ bathroom, you perv?” Helen smacked his hand away, not wanting their classmates—or worse, their teacher—to get any ideas about the two of them dating.Zac scratched his nose. “Fine, I won’t go in the girls’ room… but I can go to the guys’ one, can’t I?”“Hmph!” Helen huffed, scrunching her nose playfully.Zac clutched his chest
At a top-ranked high school in Lincourt City, the bell rang.Students still lingering in the hallways or restrooms were urged to hurry back to class.Outside, the summer heat simmered, accompanied by the steady buzz of cicadas. Inside, the air-conditioned classrooms offered a much more comfortable escape.In Class 2–1 of the junior year, students hurried back to their seats. Just as the final chime faded, the homeroom teacher walked in, holding a stack of freshly graded exam papers.“For this round of mock exams,” she announced, loud and clear, “the top score in the entire grade once again goes to our very own Haley!”A wave of murmurs and applause followed. “Let’s all work hard and try to catch up to her next time!”She began handing out the papers in order, from the highest score to the lowest.After Haley got her paper, the next few went to her seatmate, Helen, and the student sitting behind them—Zac.“Work hard and catch up?” Helen muttered as she slid back into her seat, s
But what did it matter, even if she still loved him? The pain he caused her in the past was still there, lingering beneath the surface.They had loved, they had hurt, they had been entangled for years. But not every love story had to end with forgiveness and reconciliation.Haley couldn’t pretend the past hadn’t happened. She couldn’t smile and pick up where they left off, as if nothing had ever gone wrong.She would always remember that street in Merika State, when Justin turned away, picked Emma up in his arms, and left her standing there alone.Even if he had mistaken someone else for her, the pain he caused and the love he failed to give were real.And that wasn’t something she could ever forget.She could make peace with the past, but she could never erase it.Her heart ached, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned and walked away.*Years later, Haley passed away peacefully in her bedroom at the estate.That same day, Justin had gone out to the grocer
It was just a shame that life rarely worked out the way people wanted it to.*Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.Chase and Alex had grown taller and older. Haley’s once-small jewelry brand had not only found its place in the industry—it had grown into a globally recognized luxury label, known for bespoke, high-end pieces.As for Justin, he split his time between Haven State and Merika State. Whenever he wasn’t busy, he would shamelessly camp out at the estate, claiming he was just there to “see the kids.”Eventually, no one even bothered to call him out on it anymore.One day, Haley had a business meeting with a potential partner—a widowed single father. Somehow, Justin caught wind of a rumor that the man had feelings for Haley and was actively pursuing her. Word had it that she was interested too, and they were currently having dinner together at a restaurant.The second Justin heard that, he canceled a company meeting, boarded his private jet, and flew straight to Mer
As soon as Haley stepped into the room, Justin followed right behind her.It was the first time he had ever set foot in Haley’s room—the space where she lived in Merika State.“Get out!” she snapped.“Haley, I just wanted to see you. Please don’t make me leave, okay?”His eyes scanned the room. The walls, the shelves—everything was filled with Haley’s photos. There was even a custom-built glass display case, clearly made with love, housing her pictures from childhood to adulthood. It was something Evelyn had put together just for her, and it overflowed with affection.There were portraits of her alone, family pictures, and right at the top—photos of Chase and Alex.Justin looked at each one carefully, as if he were trying to piece together a life he hadn’t been part of, but desperately wished he had been.Then his gaze landed on a particular photo: Haley in her teens, wearing a soft pink-and-white hoodie with little bunny ears on the hood. Her pale skin, big round eyes, and brig
“Haley…” Justin’s voice was weak. There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn’t even know where to start.“I heard you’re sick?” Haley said.“I… I’m fine. I’m not really sick, I just—”“Take care of yourself. Heart problems aren’t like other illnesses. Just look forward. Let go of the past. Meet someone new. Live your life.”Justin fell silent. His head dropped, and the phone pressed against his ear was clenched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles turned white. He wrestled with the words for a long moment before finally managing to force out.“Okay.”But he knew. He wouldn’t meet someone new. Without Haley, what kind of life could he possibly call “living”?The call ended. Life went back to its quiet rhythm. Justin no longer clung to Haley or tried to find her. After one more day in the hospital, he threw himself back into work and took over the reins of RC Corporation.They had truly managed to part on peaceful terms.After returning to Merika State, Haley d