Emma hadn’t been intimate with Justin yet, and this was the one subject she absolutely couldn’t stand being brought up, especially not by Emily.Emily and Justin’s first time had been awkward. He was inexperienced, almost like a fumbling teenager, and his skills were lacking. But with time, he had grown more experienced and skilled.Snapping out of her thoughts, Emily’s eyes turned cold as she faced Emma. “If you’re so fond of used men, Miss Xander, you can have him.”With that, the elevator doors slid open. Emily stepped inside without sparing Emma another glance.As the doors closed, Emma’s face twisted in barely concealed fury.Inside the elevator, Emily cast her gaze downward, pressing the button for her floor with disinterest. Emma wasn’t worth her attention.When the elevator reached the ground floor, the doors opened to reveal Sean waiting outside. “Why are you here?” Emily asked, surprised. Sean looked mildly aggrieved. “I knew you’d try to sneak out without telling
“Mr. Wilfred,” Emily nodded politely. “What’s going on?”“Oh, we’re out of gas,” Wilfred replied with a small chuckle. “Trying to figure out how to get down the mountain.”The Mandale Hotel was nestled halfway up a coastal hill.“My apologies, Mr. Wilfred,” his assistant interjected, clearly embarrassed. “I completely forgot to refuel.”Emily hesitated, feeling awkward. She wanted to offer them a ride since Wilfred had just helped clear her name. But then she remembered that she hadn’t driven here. She had come with Sean.“You can ride with us,” Sean offered smoothly, breaking the tension.“That’s very kind of you. Thank you,” Wilfred said with a warm smile.The four of them climbed into the car. Sean took the driver’s seat, and Wilfred’s assistant quickly claimed the front passenger seat, leaving Emily and Wilfred in the back.Sean couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance. He had wanted Emily in the front with him, not chatting away with Wilfred in the back.“So, Miss Yat
“Miss Yates?” Wilfred turned to Emily after Sean declined the invitation, his tone polite yet insistent. Emily hesitated, caught in a dilemma. She wanted to hear more about Haley’s artistic inspirations, but turning down Sean’s dinner offer only to accept Wilfred’s would feel wrong. Sensing her discomfort, Wilfred added with a calm smile, “Please, don’t feel obligated. I simply dislike owing favors.” That made sense. Though Emily didn’t know much about Wilfred’s background, his presence at Heidi’s exclusive birthday celebration hinted at significant influence. People of his stature likely avoided debts that could lead to unreasonable demands. But if anyone owed a favor here, it was Emily. Wilfred had helped her earlier by speaking up in her defense. With that thought, she spoke up. “Actually, it should be me treating you to dinner, Mr. Wilfred. After all, you helped me back in the room.” “Well then,” Wilfred said with a light chuckle, “as we say back in Haven State, i
Sean tightened his grip on his utensils, his knuckles turning white, barely suppressing the anger from being called out so directly. “I’ll grow. I’ll fix all of this in time,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice firm but strained. “You might grow, but Emily doesn’t need to waste her time waiting for you,” Wilfred replied calmly. Sean’s suspicion only deepened. Wilfred was clearly interested in Emily. “If I can’t give her happiness, what makes you think you can?” *Meanwhile, Zac left Heidi’s room once he was sure she was fully recovered. Walking from the hallway to the main hall, he scanned the crowd but didn’t see Emily anywhere. Had the Yates family driven her off? If Emily had gone to vent to Helen, Zac was sure Helen wouldn’t let this slide. The mere thought of Helen causing trouble for him sent a chill down Zac’s spine.Spotting Justin in the crowd, Zac waited until he wasn’t surrounded by others before approaching. “Where’s Emily? Did she leave? Aft
“Still, Emma managed to land him.”“She was missing overseas for three years, wasn’t she? How did Justin even find her?”“No idea. Justin kept everything under wraps.”“If you ask me, Emma wasn’t really missing. Maybe she hooked up with some rich guy abroad, ditched Justin, and now that the guy’s done with her, she’s back looking for Justin to pick up the pieces.”“Justin’s too naive when it comes to love. Emma’s got him wrapped around her finger.”“Don’t forget, back in college, Emma used to hit on plenty of rich guys driving fancy cars.”“She even snuck out with Liam a few times late at night and didn’t come back until morning.”“How do you know that?”“I was her roommate. Of course I’d know!”*At the restaurant front desk, Emily saw the bill had already been settled and made a mental note to repay the favor later. Returning to the private room, she noticed Wilfred’s assistant standing by the door, looking slightly out of place. As she stepped inside, she immediately sen
The cashier, caught off guard by the scene, hesitated, unsure whose payment method to accept. Emily stood a few steps behind, her headache growing as she watched. Unable to hold back, she pinched the bridge of her nose. What on earth was Sean doing now? Why was he so insistent on paying? Breaking through the standoff, Emily pulled out her phone and thrust it toward the cashier. “Scan mine,” she said firmly, raising her voice just enough to cut through the tension. She then shot a polite but pointed smile at the two men. “I said it’s my treat.” After paying and collecting the bagged pastries, Emily walked out of the shop. On the street, Wilfred gestured toward a sleek car parked nearby. “My driver just brought the car around. Miss Yates, let me give you a ride home.” His assistant, ever attentive, held the rear door open for her. Sean, standing defiantly in front of Wilfred’s car, opened the passenger door of his own vehicle. “Emily’s not heading home just yet. I’ll
As Justin accepted every drink offered, he finally managed to drink himself into a stupor. After dealing with yet another wave of guests, his expression relaxed, and his gaze grew unfocused.“Justin, you’re drunk. Let me help you upstairs to rest,” Emma said softly, her voice gentle as she leaned close to his ear. Her breath carried a faint sweetness, and her lips lightly brushed against the skin near his ear. Justin felt an irritating tickle and instinctively frowned, trying to move away. But with his drunken state, he stumbled, nearly losing his balance. Emma quickly caught him, steadying his swaying body. “Justin, be careful. Let me help you,” she urged gently as she guided him toward the elevator.They ascended to the upper floors of the Mandale Hotel, a property owned by Justin’s family. Due to Heidi’s birthday celebration, the entire hotel had been closed to the public for the evening. Many guests who had too much to drink had already retired to rooms upstairs.Emma had
Emma swiped the card and entered the room, her high heels sinking into the soft carpet as she walked step by step toward the bed.Just as the door was about to close behind her, a polished brown leather shoe wedged itself in the gap, stopping it silently.Unaware of the intrusion, Emma approached the bed where Justin lay fast asleep.Emma began undressing, one piece of clothing at a time, and slipped under the covers beside him.The mattress shifted slightly under her weight, stirring Justin from his slumber. Half-awake, he opened his eyes, his vision blurry.“Emily… come here,” he mumbled, pulling the figure beside him into his arms before falling back into a deep sleep.Emma let out a shaky breath, her chest rising and falling as jealousy burned within her.A notification broke the silence. Justin’s phone lit up, the screen showing a call from “Mrs. Zimmer.”“So noisy,” Emma thought irritably, immediately silencing the phone. Moments later, a text notification appeared. The p
At last, Justin found Haley in the hospital’s back garden.She sat alone on a wooden bench, the autumn wind lifting strands of her hair as she tilted her head toward the starry night sky. Her eyes were vacant and hollow.“Sis…” Justin bent over, hands on his knees, panting hard. “Why are you sitting out here? It’s chilly at night. Come on, let’s go back. Dinner’s waiting, and I’m starving.”He didn’t know if she had overheard his conversation with Jacob. He had no idea how much she had heard.So all he could do now… was pretend nothing had happened."Was it fun lying to me, Justin Yates?" Her voice was dry and lifeless.The last time she found out she had only been a stand-in love, it had happened right here—at Lichfield Hospital, in the same garden, under a sky just like this one.The wind had been just as sharp, just as cold, cutting straight to the bone.It felt like being sliced open again and again, each cut peeling away more of her flesh, until there was nothing left but
Jacob clamped his jaw shut and refused to speak.Justin narrowed his eyes. “You don’t have to talk,” he said coldly. “All I have to do is send this in for testing. If it turns out to be lethal—then congratulations. You’re looking at attempted murder.”He glanced at the clock on the nightstand, estimating Haley would be back any minute. He was about to call for the guards to take Jacob away when—Jacob suddenly let out a low, hateful growl. “You think you’ve won, don’t you, Justin?“Well, you haven’t. You’ve lost completely.“You really think Emma’s first time was with you?” Jacob sneered, his face contorted with spite. “It was with me. On that hotel bed at the Mandale Hotel—right next to you!“We did it with you lying there passed out! You thought you were the one who slept with her? No—it was me!“And not just that night. Every night after, too. I slept with her again and again. Your precious angel? She’s been used up and ruined by me!“And that baby you thought was yours?
The hospital suite was a luxury unit. No one was in the living area or kitchenette. The heavily disguised “doctor” shifted his gaze toward the main bedroom.The door was closed.He quietly pushed the cart forward, lightly pressing down on the handle and easing the door open. The sound was barely audible—just the faint squeak of wheels and the soft tap of footsteps.Approaching the bed, he saw Justin lying there with his eyes shut, seemingly fast asleep.Carefully, the man pulled out an empty syringe and filled it with a clear liquid. Moving slowly, he rolled up the loose sleeve of Justin’s hospital gown, exposing his arm. The needle crept closer to the skin.But just as it was about to pierce—Justin’s eyes flew open.In one swift motion, he grabbed the man’s wrist and sat upright, twisting his arm behind his back and slamming him facedown against the bed.With a sharp twist of his fingers, the syringe slipped from the man’s grip and clattered to the floor.Justin yanked down
Haley wanted to tell Justin what had happened at the company.But when she opened the door to the hospital room, she found both Sam and Zac already inside."You're back, Sis," Justin said with a cheerful smile. Clearly, he had already heard everything from Sam—yet there was no anger, no frustration on his face. Just warmth, like nothing had happened."Um... we’ll let you two talk," Zac said, rubbing the bridge of his nose before gesturing for Sam to follow him out.The door opened and shut again, leaving only Haley and Justin in the quiet room.She walked over slowly, guilt written all over her face. Her voice was low, almost trembling. "I'm sorry... about the company.""It’s okay, Sis. Don’t blame yourself," Justin said brightly, pumping his fist in the air. "My uncle bullied you. When I learn how to run the company, I’ll make him pay for it! Sound good?"He looked like he couldn’t care less about losing the president title.Haley stayed quiet, her head still down, should
In the top-floor conference room, an emergency shareholders' meeting was underway. The primary agenda was the removal of Haley as RC Corporation’s acting president.The fallout from the recent workplace fatality had seriously damaged the company’s reputation, even forcing their flagship international project to halt temporarily.Things had barely begun, and they were already facing one obstacle after another.Harry sat near the end of the table, watching Haley’s icy expression with undisguised satisfaction. “Just yesterday,” he announced with a smug smile, “I acquired three percent of RC Corporation’s shares from Jason Zimmer.“With the two percent I already held, my total may not exceed Miss Haley’s, but I have full confidence in my ability to lead this company forward. I will rally our thousands of employees, and I promise each of you—my fellow shareholders—you will see the returns I deliver.“I ask for your trust and your vote.”This time, Harry didn’t even bother hiding hi
Justin glanced at Haley again through the mirror. She was still beautiful. Years of skincare, clean living, and regular workouts had kept her looking as stunning as ever. Aside from the deeper emotion in her eyes—the kind that came from life experience—she hadn’t changed at all.He leaned in close and said with a grin, “Sis, I want one too.”Haley gave him a sideways look, then picked up another face mask from the counter and handed it to him.“I don’t know how to use it. Can you help me put it on?” he asked, clinging to her sleeve.“If you don’t know how, don’t do it,” she replied, pulling her hand back.Justin immediately snatched the mask back. “Aww, how can you be so heartless? You won’t even help me?”“You’ve got hands, don’t you?”“But I’ve never done it before!”“You did before you lost your memory.”“Well, I don’t remember that now.”“Then give it back.” Haley held out her hand, palm up.“Nope.”They bickered playfully, the back-and-forth echoing through the bathr
In the hospital room at Lichfield, Haley was half-reclining on the sofa, casually scrolling through her phone while Justin sat quietly nearby, studying project documents. He really seemed to take Haley’s words seriously. Despite the memory loss, he was making an effort to run the company.Suddenly, a notification popped up on her screen. She tapped it open.It was a message from Helen.“Sis, have you seen today’s trending news? Justin’s uncle got caught sneaking around with his mistress. It’s all over the internet. Yikes, it’s graphic. Let’s just say... there’s a whole lot of skin. You think his wife hasn’t lost her mind by now?”Haley replied with a calm message.“I saw it. You’re pregnant—try not to look at that kind of stuff.”“It was a push notification, I didn’t go looking for it! But seriously, for a gossip story to trend this high and stay up so long… you think Justin might’ve had a hand in it?” Helen was home with nothing to do during her pregnancy, and lately, her i
“Jacob, you…” Stella stared at him in disbelief. She had raised this child with her own hands, and now that something had happened, he was taking his father’s side?Jacob was a man himself. He had his fair share of flings outside, so naturally, he understood where his father was coming from.Never mind the fact that he still obsessed over Emma. That didn’t stop him from sleeping with other women over the past few months.“Dad, I’ve already paid someone to start pulling the news down. Things are at a critical point right now. You need to lay low.”It was clear Jacob knew all about his father’s affairs—probably more than one.Harry finally pulled out his phone and checked the news. His expression darkened as he read through the headlines. It wasn’t until Jacob reminded him that he realized how serious this could be.“What about your engagement?” he asked.“Don’t worry. I’ve already smoothed things over with my fiancée,” Jacob said flatly.Both families had entered this engageme
Harry burst into laughter and didn’t spare a single glance at his son. He dragged the woman straight into the bedroom, not even bothering to close the curtains before getting straight to "work."Across the street, someone aimed a camera from a neighboring window and captured the entire scene. That same day, a scandalous exposé was written up and posted online. It didn't take long before it shot to the top of trending news and stayed there.Though Harry wasn’t a celebrity or public figure, curious netizens flooded the comments. As people started digging, they quickly discovered that the man in the photos was none other than Harry Yates, Vice Chairman of RC Corporation.That night, back at the Yates’ villa, the entire place was lit up. Stella sat stiffly on the sofa, gripping her tablet so tightly her knuckles turned white. On the screen were blurred-out photos and detailed captions of her husband’s affair.Each image and every word only added fuel to her rage.Her first instinct wa