Russell glanced at her and asked, "Do you think this is just a coincidence?"Aveline lowered her gaze, her expression complicated. "I have a pretty good idea who’s behind this."When she first met with Sidney, he had already told her that none of the major hospitals in Cloudflare City would admit his mother for treatment, no matter how much he pleaded.In Cloudflare City, there were plenty of people with the power to do something like this, but only one person who actually would.So, she had called Russell.By moving Sidney’s mother to the Skyler family’s hospital, they were out of the reach of the Tudors. With Russell’s influence, Sidney’s mother wouldn’t be turned away again.She felt deeply grateful for Russell’s timely help but was equally saddened, unable to understand why Lucas was being so ruthless.Was he really that heartless?Russell studied her. "Aveline, if you keep going back and forth with him, the number of people he targets will only grow."Aveline didn’t respond, a fai
"You!"A flash of anger appeared in Aveline's eyes, but it quickly faded away. After all, she was the one asking for help. Even though the biggest villain was him, what could she do? He held the power, able to act as he pleased.Aveline softened her stance and said, "Lucas, I'm begging you, can you stop targeting everyone else?"Her tone was gentle, like a soft stream of water flowing over the heart, warm and comforting. She used to speak to him like this all the time. But it had been a long while since she last spoke to him this way.Lucas tightened his grip on her chin and suddenly leaned in closer. Aveline's eyelashes fluttered twice, but she didn’t pull away. She thought he was about to do what he usually liked to do, but unexpectedly, he released her and said coldly, "Make me dinner."Feeling relieved, she nodded. "Alright."He just wanted her to cook; it wasn't a challenge for her. She headed straight into the kitchen, using whatever ingredients were available, and started cooki
Aveline's body tensed, instinctively wanting to struggle, but she forced herself to remain still. She knew this was what he ultimately wanted; everything that happened before was just a prelude. She had already prepared herself mentally for this.But just when she expected him to take the next step, he simply held her for a long time. Aveline's body remained rigid, her lips pressed into a tight line.Lucas could sense her tension. The living room was so quiet that the subtle sound of their intertwined breathing was the only thing that broke the silence.Suddenly, Lucas released her, his deep, magnetic voice cool as he said, "Goodbye."Aveline froze, surprised by his words. She looked at him, confused.Lucas frowned, "What's with that expression? Are you disappointed?"Aveline quickly stood up. "It's late. I'll head home now."Without waiting for a response, she hurried out. Lucas watched her retreating figure until the door closed, cutting off his view.He pulled out a cigarette, lit i
"Friends?"Lucas scoffed as if he'd just heard a joke. "Selena’s been doing everything she can to push you two together. She’s practically ready to throw you an engagement party, and you’re telling me it’s just friendship?"Aveline's lips curled slightly. "She just loves playing matchmaker, but I decide who I want to date or make friends with.”Lucas replied, "Then tell her that playing matchmaker will only cause trouble."Aveline's lips twitched again. Selena would matchmake with any man except Lucas. Her disdain for him ran deep.Aveline tried again, saying, "So, can you stop targeting Sidney, please?"Lucas' expression turned colder. "We'll see."Just then, the elevator doors opened, and he walked out without another word, leaving her with yet another ambiguous answer. Aveline sighed helplessly. Why was it so hard to reach an agreement with him?…When she arrived at the studio, she noticed Sidney looking exhausted. It was clear he hadn't rested well the previous night. However, t
Aveline quickly waved her hands and said, "No need, Ma’am. I came to visit you, so let me stay here and chat with you for a while."Sidney chimed in, "Perfect timing—I have something to take care of, so you two can talk."Ruth paused, then smiled helplessly. "This rascal."Aveline sat down by the bedside and began chatting with Ruth, learning a lot about Sidney's past. It seemed Ruth hadn’t had a chance to chat like this in a long time, and once she started, she couldn’t stop.By the time Sidney returned, Ruth was in the middle of sharing some of his childhood embarrassments."Mom," Sidney quickly interjected, "I was only gone for a short while, and you're already spilling all my secrets?"Ruth chuckled warmly. "Every kid has their share of embarrassing moments. It's nothing to stress over."Sidney sighed.Aveline looked at him with a smile. "Did you get everything sorted?"Sidney nodded. "Yeah, all done."Aveline stood up and turned to Ruth. "It's getting late, so I’ll head out now. P
Aveline felt a surge of frustration building up inside her. Lucas was so unpredictable! However, she couldn't afford to give up now—not when things were still unresolved. Especially after her conversation with Ruth today, the guilt and responsibility weighed even heavier on her. If it weren't for her, Ruth wouldn't have suffered so much.Exhaling slowly, Aveline asked, "Lucas, why don't you want to talk to me? Is it something I said? Should I change the way I speak?"Lucas raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed. He was starting to think he should limit her time with Selena—she was definitely picking up some bad habits.Without warning, he grabbed her and yanked her inside, slamming the door shut before pinning her against it."Uh…" Aveline let out a soft gasp, caught off guard by his sudden move.Lucas stared at her intensely. "Go ahead, change it. Let's see.""I…" Aveline started to speak but stopped short when she met his gaze. The words seemed to stick in her throat as if she couldn't
Aveline looked at Selena helplessly and said, "I still want to live a long life."Selena slumped on the couch and said, "So what now? You can’t get rid of him, but you can’t accept him either."It was a frustrating situation.Aveline’s mood lightened a bit as she walked toward her bedroom, saying over her shoulder, "One step at a time. No matter what, I won’t let anyone around me get hurt by him."Whatever Sidney's feelings for her might be, that was his business. She couldn't control that, but she could control herself and keep her distance from him.After her shower, Aveline felt much calmer. If today didn’t go as planned, she’d try again tomorrow—or the day after, or even the next month. No matter how cold-hearted Lucas was, she was determined to make him stop targeting Sidney.…In the days that followed, Aveline began making breakfast for Lucas every morning. However, despite waiting at his door until she was almost late for work, he never came out.Three days later, she finally
Lucas' gaze was cold and deep as he responded, "Even as friends, you should approach business with seriousness. If your proposal can’t convince others, handing it directly to me is just a waste of my time."Judy bit her lip slightly, her eyes filled with a hint of disappointment as she looked at him. "Mr. Tudor, must you always be so harsh? I’m really curious—how did your ex-wife manage to live with you?"Lucas replied, "So, you're curious about other people's married lives now? That’s a bit inappropriate, don’t you think?"Judy pouted playfully. "You know that's not what I meant."Lucas remained indifferent. "Actually, I don’t."A strange feeling crossed Judy’s mind. Lucas’ attitude toward her seemed different now. She remembered how he used to treat her well, even to the point of neglecting Aveline for her. That special attention had caused Sophia to constantly target her. But it didn’t matter—Sophia was never really her competition.Now that Sophia had been kicked out of the Summer
Lucas responded in a calm, low voice, “You won’t get that chance in this lifetime.”Selena huffed. “You better hope so!”She lifted her chin defiantly and then playfully winked at Aveline. Aveline smiled softly, a hint of exasperation in her eyes. When would these two ever stop bickering?Once they arrived at the mall, Selena dragged Aveline into a whirlwind shopping spree. Whatever caught their eye, they bought—no hesitation, no restraint. It felt exhilarating to indulge so freely!Lucas followed quietly behind them, occasionally making a few phone calls and handling work without missing a beat.After shopping all morning, the group started to feel tired. Selena led Aveline into a restaurant across the street.“I read reviews on this place, and they say the food is amazing. They’ve got some dishes from Cloudflare City too. It’s been a while since you’ve been back—want a taste of home?” Selena asked, grinning while flipping through the menu.Aveline nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been craving it
Daisy’s expression darkened slightly at Jolie’s words, but she held back from lashing out. “That’s all in the past. What’s the point of bringing it up now? You and Selena are sisters, after all. You should reach out to her more. Convince her to come back. She’s still part of the Quin family.”In recent years, both her parents, especially her father, had become fixated on reconnecting with Selena. Despite multiple attempts, Selena had kept her distance, and even after finally making contact, she barely exchanged a few words with them before cutting off all communication again. The more they tried, the further she drifted away.Jolie remained quiet, observing Daisy. She had no right to criticize her mother—after all, it was she who had always been favored growing up. The Quin family had never done anything wrong by her.“I understand. I’ll try,” Jolie finally relented, though the thought of facing Selena’s distant and prickly demeanor again made her uneasy. Perhaps, deep down, her sist
“Got something on your mind, Dad?” Gavin asked, noticing Wilfried’s serious expression as he entered the room. His own demeanor softened a bit.Wilfried didn’t waste time, sitting down heavily on the sofa with a stern look. "What are you planning to do about what happened today?"Gavin froze for a moment, realizing that the whole situation had become an open secret within the family. His response was calm, though. "I don’t have any specific plans."At this, Wilfried’s expression darkened even further. "That won’t do. You’ve taken advantage of someone, so you need to take responsibility. I’ll have someone look into that girl’s background tomorrow, prepare the bride price, and we’ll go make the proposal immediately."Gavin blinked, his typically composed expression faltering slightly. After a brief silence, he replied, "Dad, I’m willing to take responsibility, but what if she doesn’t want to marry me?"Wilfried paused, momentarily caught off guard by this possibility. His gaze swept over
“Hmm, you’re right. I’ll talk to your brother and see what he thinks,” Wilfried said thoughtfully.Aveline nodded and went on her way....In the study, Gernard sat on the sofa, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. “Brother, why didn’t you let me finish? I was about to spill the best part.”Gavin ignored him and pulled out a document, handing it over. “Take a look at this. If everything’s in order, you’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.”“What’s this?” Gernard blinked, taking the file and flipping it open. His eyes widened as he scanned the pages.He shot up from his seat, staring at Gavin in disbelief. “Wait, you’re serious? You’re actually sending me to South Africa? Do people live there? When did we even expand into that region?”Gavin, seated in his leather chair, remained cold and composed. “Recently.”Gernard’s face twisted in disbelief. After a long pause, he finally blurted out, “No way. I’m not going.”Gavin’s gaze flickered over to him, calm but stern. “You don’t hav
“What gossip?” Aveline's interest was instantly piqued, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gernard.Gernard leaned in conspiratorially, about to spill the juicy details. “It’s about Brother. You won’t believe what happened today…”“Ahem!”Before he could finish, Gavin appeared, clearing his throat just loud enough to interrupt. He grabbed Gernard’s arm, pulling him away. “Let’s talk about the company,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.Gernard protested, “Brother, wait, I wasn’t finished!”Aveline, her curiosity fully ignited, took a couple of steps forward. “Hey bros, don’t leave me hanging! Finish the story first!”Without slowing down, Gavin replied, “He’s headed to South Africa soon. Work comes first.”“South Africa?” Gernard’s jaw dropped. “Wait, since when am I going to South Africa? I didn’t hear about this! What’s going on?”Aveline stopped in her tracks, equally puzzled. “South Africa? Does the Cooper family even have projects there?”Just then, Wilfried walked
"Got too much free time on your hands?" Gavin’s cold gaze fixed on Gernard.Unbothered, Gernard strolled over and patted his brother's shoulder, grinning. "So, what’s your plan now? I got a little bored and did some digging on the Quin family. Guess what? Turns out they’re Selena’s birth family. She left them ages ago to make it on her own, but the girl you were with? That’s Jolie Quin, the pampered princess of the family."With a knowing smirk, Gernard added, "Brother, I couldn’t help but notice—Jolie and Selena do look a bit alike. Could that be why you…?""Get lost," Gavin cut him off, not in the mood for Gernard’s teasing. He brushed past him, heading downstairs.Of course, that only fueled Gernard’s enthusiasm. "Hey, don’t walk away! I haven’t finished my gossip yet!" he called after him, but the conversation came to an abrupt end as they reached the main floor, where the guests were still gathered for the celebration....Aveline noticed Selena seemed a bit distracted and asked,
One of Jolie’s long, slender legs was exposed to the cool air, and Gavin’s fingers instinctively tightened, as if they could still feel the smoothness of her thigh under his grip. His gaze darkened, though his expression only grew colder. His sharp, chiseled features gave him a distant, unapproachable aura—a man who seldom smiled and whose demeanor warned others to stay away.He was cold, almost like an ice block."Debt’s owed," he said flatly, tossing out the two words before sitting on the sofa and picking up the phone to make a call.Jolie blinked in surprise, processing what he said. Debt owed?Was that something you could even keep on hold?But thinking about it, he probably didn’t need anything right now. So, if he wanted to leave the debt hanging, so be it.Stretching lazily, Jolie sat up and said, "Have someone bring me a change of clothes."With that, she pulled the blanket aside, slowly rising from the bed despite the discomfort between her legs and headed toward the bathro
As the effects of the drug finally began to fade, Jolie lay exhausted on the bed, her body drenched in sweat. Her skin, especially across her delicate shoulder blades, bore faint marks from their encounter and her breath ragged as it brushed against her own back. Her vision was hazy, and she barely had the strength to speak."I... I’m fine now... you can stop," she murmured, her voice weak and broken from the strain of what had just happened.The madness of moments before still pulsed through her, the aftershocks of it lingering in her body. She never expected that grabbing a random man for help would lead to this, nor did she expect him to have such relentless stamina.Yet, the man behind her didn’t stop. He didn’t respond either. His large hands remained firmly gripped around her slender waist as if he were trying to squeeze the very breath from her."Stop... I told you to stop, didn’t you hear me?" Jolie’s anxiety spiked as he continued. What was wrong with him? They’d agreed he was
Gavin said nothing and simply hung up the phone, his expression darkening by the second.Behind him, Jolie’s soft, pained whimpers filled the air. She was writhing on the bed, her delicate skin flushed a faint pink.Gavin clenched his jaw, tugging at his tie. It had already loosened from when she’d pulled on it earlier, and with a rough yank, it came completely undone. Frustration simmered beneath his calm exterior.Where was Selena? She was supposed to be finding help, but she still hadn’t returned.His frown deepened as he reached for the door, ready to leave."Please… help me…"Her desperate voice, laced with a hint of a sob, echoed from behind him. The softness of it hit him like a lit match to his chest, sparking a heat he wasn’t used to feeling. "Please… I’ll pay you… I won’t take it for free…" Jolie’s voice broke as tears streamed down her face. She was sobbing now, her words dripping with helplessness and shame, as if offering him money would somehow make her request more bear