Aveline jabbed the doorbell repeatedly, her stubbornness matching the house's silence. As twilight deepened, an autumn chill crept into the air, the wind's bite growing sharper.Aveline lowered her hand and sighed in resignation, turning to leave.She headed straight to the hotel, only to find the manager trying to evict Zane."Sir, we are closing for renovations. Please leave," the manager insisted.Zane protested, "You were open when I arrived. Why all of a sudden you’re closing?"The manager responded, "Sir, please don't make this difficult for us."Aveline approached and said, "Is it really for renovations, or did someone order you to do this? If you don't tell me the truth, I will make sure you really close down for good."The manager hesitated upon seeing her, then said, "I'm sorry, but I can't disclose that information. We will refund your payment in full."Aveline's face darkened as she turned to Zane. "Mr. Zane, let's go."The hotel staff were just following orders from above.
Aveline nodded.Brian took out his phone and made a call. After a moment, he looked at her and said, "I'll take you there."Aveline smiled slightly. "Alright."They arrived at the Noble Color Bar. As Aveline got out of the car, she looked at Brian and asked, "Is Lucas here?"Brian nodded. "Yes."With determination in her eyes, Aveline walked inside. The bar was large, spanning three floors. The first floor was the main hall, with a stage and booths, the liveliest part of the bar. The second and third floors were more private, and often frequented by wealthy patrons.Aveline went straight to the bar and asked, "Which floor is Lucas Tudor on?"The staff member behind the bar looked confused and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't know who that is."Aveline frowned. Didn't this person know Lucas? Would she have to search each room upstairs? It seemed that was her only option.She headed for the second floor but was stopped by two burly guards at the staircase."No entry without a reserva
Aveline's palms were sweating with nerves. He truly intended to divorce her! Yet, his casual demeanor made it hard for her to believe."Lucas, are you serious?" she asked cautiously.After all, they had fought over this issue so many times before. His sudden proposal made her wary of trusting him.Lucas' cold smile remained. "Of course, I'm serious."He took a drag of his cigarette, the smoke obscuring his handsome features. "But remember, when you’re no longer my wife, you have no right to be in my presence."Aveline's heart sank. She had come to seek Lucas' help. If she agreed to the divorce, she might never see him again, let alone ask for his help.Lucas watched her with amusement. "Well? Have you made up your mind?"Aveline's fingers curled up, and she lowered her gaze. After a long pause, she said, "Lucas, are you doing this on purpose?"Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand. I've agreed to the divorce. What more do you want?"Aveline's heart sank further.Suddenly, Lucas
In the dimly lit corner, the atmosphere was thick with ambiguity. The scent of alcohol lingered between their lips.Suddenly, Lucas stood up and pulled Aveline out of the private room. Outside, Brian stood guard like a sentinel, his eyes fixed on Lucas.Lucas cast a cold glance at him but said nothing, leading Aveline out of Noble Color Bar.Once in the car, things quickly spiraled out of control. Lucas cupped her face, kissing her with urgency and impatience. He pressed a button, and the partition between the front and back seats slid up, blocking the view from the front.The backseat immediately felt more confined. Aveline, overwhelmed by his kisses, instinctively pushed him away.Surprisingly, Lucas let her push him back. He leaned against the seat, his dark eyes fixed on her. "I forgot, you need to show some effort."Aveline's breath was erratic. How was she supposed to show effort? He had always been the dominant one in their encounters, both past and present, leaving her no room
Aveline didn’t expect Lucas to grab her by the neck and pinned her to the seat as soon as she finished speaking. His eyes cold and menacing as he stared at her. "What did you just call me?"Aveline was taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly get angry. "What's... what's wrong with you?"She had always called him that before.Lucas' expression was dark and he said coldly, "Don't ever call me that again!"Aveline shivered in fear. Lucas released her, pressed a button, and waited for the partition to rise. Once it did, he ordered coldly, "Stop the car!"The driver immediately pulled over.Lucas didn't even look at Aveline. "Get out!"Aveline, confused, looked at his harsh face and asked, "Lucas, what's wrong with you?"The chill around Lucas intensified. "Don't make me throw you out!"Aveline's heart trembled. Knowing he meant it, she quickly opened the car door and got out.The door closed and the car sped away.The autumn wind blew, and Aveline felt a bone-chilling cold.What was wr
At that moment, she heard footsteps behind her, neither too close nor too far, but it inexplicably made her uneasy.There were shops around, and surveillance cameras, but she still felt anxious.The previous two encounters had made her vigilant. She quickened her pace, and the footsteps behind her also sped up.Aveline didn't dare to look back!She saw a convenience store and ran straight towards it!Once inside, she turned around and saw that there was indeed a man following her, but he didn't enter the store when she did.Aveline's heart was racing!She didn't dare to go back outside, so she sat by the window and took out her phone to make a call.But who should she call?Lucas had been terrifying earlier and clearly didn't want to see her again. If she called him, would he even pick up?But who else could she call besides Lucas?For the first time, Aveline felt utterly helpless.In such a big city, it seemed she had no one to turn to for help.She exhaled slowly, and when she looked
Damn it!She had to run!Aveline couldn't afford to hesitate any longer and took off running!There was another convenience store open not far ahead; she could rush in and call the police there!Just then, two girls rounded the corner ahead.Aveline's eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over to link arms with them, smiling brightly. "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you so long."The two girls looked at her in surprise. "You..."Aveline quickly winked at them and whispered, "Someone is following me. Can you help me, please?"The girls' expressions turned tense.One girl said, "Why were you dawdling? We had to do our makeup before leaving!"The other girl added, "Let's go to that food street; there are lots of delicious food there."Aveline nodded eagerly. "Sure, sounds great."They chatted like friends as they walked.At the corner, Aveline glanced back and saw that the man hadn't followed.She breathed a huge sigh of relief."Thank you so much," she said to the girls.One o
The two girls looked at the man, and with a wave of his hand, they began leading Aveline down a narrow path.At the end of the path was a parked van. Once Aveline was inside, she would have no chance of escape.She didn't struggle along the way, her heart filled with unbearable sorrow, tears streaming down like broken pearls.It wasn't until she saw the van that her eyelashes fluttered.Suddenly, she tightened her grip and dug her nails into the arms of the two girls."Ah!"The two girls screamed in pain and instinctively let go of Aveline.Deep scratches appeared where Aveline had clawed them.Seizing the moment, Aveline turned and ran!She had to run!She couldn't resign herself to this fate!"Damn it, get her!"Behind her, the man cursed.With his prey slipping away, his anger surged more than anyone's.Fear and the will to survive gave Aveline immense strength, and for a moment, they couldn't catch up to her!She gritted her teeth, feeling the pain in her chest from the exertion.I
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