Aveline smiled slightly at him. "It's nothing. I just wanted to see if you needed to go to the hospital."Russell replied, "No need."Aveline picked up her fork again. "Then let's eat first."She started eating, although she didn't have much of an appetite. There were still many things she needed to deal with.Russell's charming eyes looked deeply at her, but he didn't say much more.After the meal, Aveline went to pay the bill, only to be told it had already been paid.She paused and looked at Russell. "Russ, didn't we agree that I would treat you?"Russell lazily said, "When you're out with me, there's no way I'd let you pay."Aveline blinked. "So, can I invite you to meals often in the future?"Russell's mouth twitched slightly. "Sure."Aveline smiled, then sat back down.Russell waved his phone at her. "The video has been sent to your email."Aveline immediately opened it, and when she saw the girl who bumped into her tampering with the food, her expression turned serious.Someone
Seeing her, Sharon's face immediately showed fury, and she charged over, raising her hand to slap Aveline's face."You wretch! How dare you arrange for someone to kidnap Sophia? How could you be so cruel?" Sharon exclaimed.Aveline widened her eyes, and she quickly grabbed Sharon's hand, then forcefully pushed her away. "Are you crazy? Do you always lash out when you see someone? Do you need to get your brain checked?""Wretch!"Sharon stumbled from the push, but she steadied herself and glared at Aveline, wishing she could tear her apart."It's you who refuses to divorce Lucas, you are the mistress, yet cling to the position as his wife. How shameless can you be?"Aveline, already furious with Lucas, now found Sharon directly in her line of fire.She coldly said, "My marriage with Lucas is protected by law. The law will decide who the real mistress is. If you keep troubling me over this, I'm not afraid to confront you. Knowing me, you should be aware that I have nothing, and thus noth
Aveline's brow furrowed. What was he doing? Blocking her with bodyguards, not answering her calls, and now stepping into the elevator? Her expression froze, and she was about to leave."What are you doing?" Lucas' cold voice sounded.Aveline replied, "I don't want to be in the same space as a trash can."Lucas' brow furrowed, and a dangerous vibe filled the cramped elevator. He pressed the close button, and the doors shut quickly, leaving no time for Aveline to exit.She glanced at him with a frown and stood in the corner, radiating detachment and coldness.Before, he refused to see her. Now, she didn't want to be near him. What bad luck.Lucas noticed her expression, his eyes dark and unreadable. He asked coolly, "Where's the evidence?"Aveline replied, "I sent it to you."Lucas said, "My phone's off."Aveline smirked. "Can't you turn it on?"Lucas looked at her intently and suddenly asked, "If I gave you a knife now, would you stab me?"The coldness in her eyes was obvious, which
Aveline took a deep breath. It was a good opportunity to ask about the recording.“Okay.”Yvonne asked, “Where are you now? I’ll come to pick you up.”Aveline gave her location, and about 15 minutes later, a car slowly approached. The window rolled down, revealing Yvonne's well-maintained face.“Hello, Madam Yvonne.” Aveline smiled politely.Yvonne said, “Get in.”Aveline opened the door and got into the car.Yvonne asked directly, “Why don’t you look well? Haven’t you been resting?”Aveline replied, “The issue with Lucas being poisoned has been weighing on me. I haven’t been sleeping well.”Yvonne said, “Honestly, I can’t believe you would do such a thing, but since you cooked the food, it’s natural for people to suspect. Didn’t you call the police? I’m sure they’ll find evidence to prove your innocence sooner or later.”“Yes.” Aveline nodded, saying no more.At the beauty salon, they went straight to a private room and lay down on the beds as the therapist instructed.Yvonne asked, “
Yvonne left the beauty salon.Aveline hadn’t been sleeping well lately. She lay on the bed, and as the therapist started massaging her, she soon fell asleep.When she woke up again, it was already dark outside. Aveline left the salon and took out her phone to call a taxi.She hadn’t noticed earlier, but the salon was on the outskirts of the city, making it difficult to find a ride. After waiting for a while by the roadside, she finally saw a taxi approaching slowly.“Where to?” the driver asked once she got in.Aveline replied, “Maple Garden.”She then checked her phone for messages and saw one from Selena complaining about Aaron. The last message caught her attention.Selena asked, “Do you have an extra WhatsApp account?”Aveline replied, “What do you need it for?”Selena texted, “This jerk is giving me such a hard time. I need to get back at him. I’ve found a way. Just wait and see!”Aveline replied, “Don’t go too far. If you push him too much, you’ll end up suffering.”Selena texted
Aveline tried not to overthink and called the police, but the next moment, someone grabbed her phone!“You figured it out?” the driver asked coldly.Aveline felt everything becoming blurry and instinctively tried to open the car door, but it was already locked.“Who are you?” she asked with difficulty, pinching her thigh to stay awake.The driver glared at her coldly. “You forgot me? You little witch, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been in prison!”A flash of recognition hit Aveline—Darren! He was the one Lucas had investigated!But she didn’t know him at all. Why was he so hostile?Instead of panicking, Aveline stayed calm and said, “Is there a misunderstanding? What do you want? Money, a car, a house? I can give you anything. My husband is Lucas Tudor, the heir of the Cloudflare City’s Tudor family. He’s very wealthy.”“I want your life!” Darren shouted, flooring the gas pedal. The car sped off!The sudden acceleration slammed Aveline into the seat in front of her, making he
Lucas's chest constricted as he recalled Aveline's icy demeanor. The memory left him with a lingering discomfort.He tugged at his collar, trying to ease the pressure, but it didn’t help.Stepping out of the hospital, Lucas found himself under a darkened sky. The waiting driver had already pulled up to the entrance.Lucas got into the car and, on impulse, called Aveline’s number again. It was still turned off.Feeling frustrated, he dialed Desmond. “Find out where Aveline is right now.”Desmond replied, “Yes.”An hour ago, Brian had been dragged out, battered, and bruised—all for offending Aveline. With that grim scene fresh in his mind, Lucas dared not delay the order.He knew Lucas was displeased.Desmond's expression was serious as he instructed his team to investigate.…As their sports car zipped past a taxi, Russell's friend in the passenger seat snickered. "Hey Russ, check it out. That cab's practically smoking. What's their rush?"Russell glanced over. The taxi was indeed goin
Darren's eyes flashed with malice as he suddenly raised his hand, thrusting it toward Aveline's face.Darkness enveloped the night, broken only by a sliver of moonlight. As the dagger rose, its surface caught the pale glow, flashing a brief, ominous glimmer.Aveline's heart suddenly tightened, and she shouted, "Even if I die, you should at least let me know why!"Darren paused, gave a cold smile, and viciously grabbed Aveline's hair. "Look at me, take a good look at my face. Do you really not remember me?"Forced to look up, Aveline's eyes widened slightly as she stared at his face.Darren had distinct features, and he must have been good-looking in his youth, but now his face was full of hostility, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.Aveline felt a deep sense of unfamiliarity; she truly didn't remember him!Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Darren angrily slapped her again. "You little witch, you ruined me! If it weren't for you back then, I would have been living freely abroad b
Jolie stirred, her eyes fluttering open in the dimly lit cabin. The sharp, handsome features of the man before her were so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath. His lips, carrying his familiar scent, gently traced hers, as if torn between waking her and letting her sleep. Her breath hitched, a brief moment of confusion washing over her. Gavin noticed and, in response, pressed a firm kiss to her lips. "Did I wake you?" "You did that on purpose," Jolie replied, her voice soft and husky from sleep. "Mm." Gavin didn’t deny it, his tone unapologetic as he leaned down to kiss her again. Still groggy, Jolie found herself caught off guard, his lips capturing hers with a growing intensity. By the time she realized what was happening, he had deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing and tangling with hers in an intoxicating rhythm. Her breath quickened, and she instinctively pushed against him. Gavin pulled back, only to trail kisses along her cheek and down her neck, his
The night air was cool, a gentle breeze slipping through the car window and lifting the strands of hair framing her face. They fluttered across her vision, briefly distracting her, yet she could still clearly see his eyes. At that moment, the unease and uncertainty stirring in her chest melted away, replaced by an inexplicable sense of calm. It felt as though there was nothing he couldn’t handle. As long as he wanted to. Jolie smiled softly and said, "Alright." When they arrived at the private airstrip, the captain came forward to exchange a few words with Gavin. Standing nearby, Jolie watched and couldn’t resist asking, "How long will you be staying?" Gavin glanced at her. "How long do you want me to stay?" The overly intimate tone of his words, spoken with such casual ease, caught her off guard. Her cheeks flushed immediately—especially since there were others around to hear it. Lowering her gaze shyly, she murmured, "You can stay as long as you want." She turned he
Gavin looked at her, his gaze steady, and replied in a calm voice, "You’ve got the leverage to do it." Oh... Jolie’s heart skipped a beat, her pulse momentarily thrown off rhythm. What was this feeling? It was as if someone was spoiling her, cherishing her unconditionally. Even though it was just a simple conversation, it carried a warmth she couldn’t ignore. For a moment, she realized that what she once thought was affection and care had been nothing but an illusion. A smile unconsciously curved on her lips as her eyes lit up. "Does this mean I can walk around Larbor City like I own the place?" Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Are you a crab?" Jolie burst into laughter, her mood instantly lifted by his quick-witted remark. Her earlier irritation dissipated, replaced by lightheartedness. Whether or not he meant it, the fact that he sided with her made her happy. "I’m full. Should we head out?" she asked, her appetite long gone after everything that had happened earlier.
The girl stared in disbelief, her hands clutching her face. "You hit me?" Jolie blinked innocently at her. "Weren’t you the one insisting I hit you earlier? I just gave you another slap to match your story. You should be used to it by now." "Jolie Quin!" Ian had reached his limit, his voice full of anger as he glared at her. "Apologize to her!" Jolie glanced at him, her expression calm but icy. "Get lost." She had thought he might be reasonable, but clearly, he was blinded by infatuation. She had no patience to deal with him any longer and turned to leave. Before she could take a step, Ian grabbed her arm roughly. "Jolie, you’re not leaving without apologizing! I don’t think I’ve ever wronged you, have I? We used to get along just fine, didn’t we?" "Let go," Jolie said, her brows knitting in disgust. She hated being touched, especially by someone she considered beneath her. Ian tightened his grip, his hand digging into her arm hard enough to cause pain. "Jolie, yo
Jolie was completely baffled, a string of question marks running through her mind. But when the girl suddenly dropped to her knees, it genuinely startled her.She quickly reached out to help her up. "Get up first. We can talk properly."Before Jolie could react, the girl grabbed her hand and slapped herself hard across the face with it.Smack!The crisp sound echoed in the quiet hallway, leaving Jolie frozen in shock."Why did you hit me?" The girl, who had just been crying like an innocent damsel in distress, now clutched her face and loudly accused her. "Ian and I are the real couple! You’re the one coming between us. How could you hit me?"Jolie blinked, completely dumbfounded, as the girl’s voice rang out.A few passersby paused, glancing over to witness the commotion.Meanwhile, Ian, who had been waiting and wondering why his girlfriend hadn’t returned, came looking for her. The scene he walked into—his girlfriend on the ground, crying and accusing Jolie—made him stride forward,
The person in the hallway glanced at her briefly but quickly looked away, as though she were a stranger. Jolie’s hand, lifted halfway to wave, stalled in mid-air.What... was that? Gavin noticed her reaction and asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong?" "Nothing," Jolie replied, shaking her head and brushing it off. The man outside was Ian. Pretending not to know her was probably his way of avoiding unnecessary trouble—after all, they had already "broken up." The door to their private room shut completely, and Gavin hadn’t seen Ian or his group. He turned back to her and asked, "Do you come here often?" "Yeah," Jolie nodded. "I come here a lot with friends." So, this was one of her favorite hidden gems. The fact that she was willing to share it with him felt significant somehow. Gavin caught himself lingering on that thought and was momentarily taken aback by his own reaction. He kept his expression neutral, not letting on what had crossed his mind. The food arrived qui
The reason it wasn’t the same was simple—her plan would fall apart if she got caught.Of course, that wasn’t something she could admit.Jolie simply said, "I just don’t want any unnecessary complications. Since you’ve already arranged the flight, let’s just leave directly."Gavin’s dark eyes fixed on her for a moment, but he didn’t press the issue.It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it any further, so he let it drop.When the elevator doors opened, the two of them walked out together. A car was already waiting at the entrance. Gavin, ever the gentleman, opened the door for her.The car pulled away from Cooper Enterprises, and Gavin asked, "What do you want to eat?"Jolie, busy typing on her phone, replied, "I know a good restaurant."It was a cozy place she loved, one she often visited with her friends."Alright," Gavin replied, pulling out his phone to respond to some emails. With his work condensed into such a tight schedule, he seized every spare moment to handle it.Jolie p
Gavin suddenly recalled Wilfried's words, "That girl doesn’t even like you."Lowering his gaze slightly, Gavin pushed the thought aside without explanation, his expression remaining cool and indifferent as he watched her. After Jolie finished looking through the photos, she turned to him and asked, "Why do you have pictures of all these women?" "My father brought them over," Gavin replied. "Oh." Jolie nodded knowingly and didn’t press further. It was easy enough to figure out—the Cooper family obviously wanted him to consider an arranged marriage, so they sent over these photos for him to choose from. She could understand that. In fact, she even helped him look through them, just in case one of these women turned out to be a good match for him. After all, their relationship wasn’t meant to last forever. When he grew tired of her and she had her fun, they’d part ways, and everything would return to normal. As she neatly organized the photos and placed them back on the ta
It was Jolie’s first time visiting Cooper Enterprises, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of curiosity about the place.No, to be precise, it was her first time stepping into any corporate office. The Quin family also had company, but she had never visited, nor had Daisy or Terence ever asked her to.The private elevator for the CEO was stunningly opulent, its polished surface gleaming like a mirror, perfectly reflecting their images. Jolie’s heart began to race with an inexplicable excitement.The assistant glanced at her and said with a warm smile, "Miss Quin, there’s no need to be nervous. Mr. Cooper will definitely be delighted to see you."Jolie nodded and replied, "I’m not nervous."The elevator moved swiftly, and as they neared the executive office, Jolie adjusted her cap and mask, pulling them snugly to hide her face as much as possible.Meanwhile, near the adjacent employee elevator, Rosalie was holding a stack of files, ready to head downstairs.She froze the moment she s