Slap!Aveline struck Lucas across the face."I have no dignity? You're the scumbag cheating during our marriage, and that's dignified?"Lucas's eyes widened in shock. He never expected her to dare hit him! Raised in luxury, when had anyone ever treated him like this?Pressing his tongue against his cheek, he grabbed Aveline's wrist and pinned her to the bed."Aveline, have I spoiled you too much?"His eyes were cold and his presence oppressive, bearing down heavily on her.Aveline was stunned, a flash of fear passing through her heart. How had she forgotten? He was part of the Tudor family, raised in privilege, with an unparalleled status!He had probably never been treated this way and would undoubtedly be furious.However, he was also her husband! He was cheating, and yet he had the nerve to act righteous?Aveline tried to ignore her fear, her eyes red but defiant as she looked at him. "As Lu, you might have spoiled me, but as Lucas Tudor, what have you ever done for me? Don't you f
Aveline looked at him. "What if I don’t want to do it?"Desmond smiled. "You can’t turn this down."Aveline rolled her eyes and took the file straight to Lucas's office. Desmond tried to stop her, but he couldn't.She pushed the door open and walked right in.Lucas, tall and imposing, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, talking on the phone. Hearing the door being pushed open, he turned and frowned."Let's leave it at that," he said, ending the call."Who allowed you to come in?" he asked coldly, his eyes icy.Aveline slammed the file on his desk. "Did you do this on purpose?"Lucas glanced at the file and replied coolly, "Isn't this part of your job? What's the problem? If you don't want to do it, you can quit. Plenty of people want this job."Aveline fumed silently. This jerk was definitely doing this on purpose!He was retaliating because she had slapped him last night!That was why he pushed her to the limit last night and sent her to a construction site today.Seeing her angry b
Aveline couldn't help but chuckle. After recording the video, she called the ambulance. The ambulance arrived quickly. On the way to the hospital, she dialed the number from the paper.The person on the other end, Lucas’ stepmother, Yvonne Betsy, hearing that the elderly woman was lost and injured, said immediately, "Thank you. We'll be there soon. Please stay with her until we arrive."Aveline agreed.After hanging up, Yvonne called Lucas."Hello?" Lucas's cold voice came through the phone.Yvonne said, "Lucas, your grandmother is lost and now in the hospital. You're closer, so go check on her. I'll be there shortly."Lucas frowned. "What happened?""I'm not sure of the details. Just go quickly," Yvonne urged."Alright, I understand," Lucas replied and headed to the hospital.At the hospital, the doctors found that Lucas's grandmother, Barbara Luzen, had a minor bone fracture in her leg, requiring a hospital stay for treatment.She clung tightly to Aveline's hand, her aged face showin
How could she know?Aveline was about to explain, but seeing the coldness in his eyes, she suddenly realized that no matter how she explained, he wouldn't believe her.It felt absurd.How could someone change so much just by regaining their memory?Or maybe, the Lucas she knew before wasn't the real him at all?"You're hurting me!"Aveline felt the pain in her wrist, and her brow furrowed.Almost instinctively, Lucas released her hand.Her skin was fair, and even a little force would leave marks. At this moment, there were several red imprints on her wrist.Such marks used to frequently appear on her waist.Lucas's eyes darkened even more."Aveline, I'm sparing you because of the past year. Don't push me.""What do you want?" Aveline's clear eyes stared straight at him. "Kill me? Go ahead!"Meeting her tearful and defiant gaze, Lucas felt a sudden pain in his heart.The tension between them was tangible as they stood at the door of the hospital room.Aveline smiled. "Lucas, I won't div
Before Lucas could say anything, Barbara exploded."Divorce? No, absolutely not! Aveline is such a good granddaughter-in-law, you can't divorce her!"She grabbed Lucas's hand, her aged face full of distress. "Grandson, if you dare divorce your wife, I'll cry, I really will cry..."And with that, Barbara actually started crying!The scene happened so suddenly that everyone was taken aback.Lucas was stunned, seeing his grandmother cry more and more intensely. Worried that her crying might cause health issues, he quickly said, "Grandma, we won't divorce. We won't divorce."Barbara's tears stopped instantly. "Really?"Lucas nodded. "Really."Barbara then said, "Tonight, bring your wife home so the Tudor family can meet her!"Lucas didn’t respond to her demand.Barbara continued to insist, "If you don't agree, I'll start crying again!"Yvonne, standing nearby, smiled. "It seems Mom really likes Aveline. Lucas, I think you should reconsider. Marriage is not something to be taken lightly."L
"Come down."The two cold, curt words were followed by the click of the phone hanging up.Aveline hadn't even said a word before she found herself staring at her now darkened phone screen, gritting her teeth in frustration.So annoying!He was nowhere near as sweet as he was when he had lost his memory.She went downstairs, the evening sunset casting a warm orange glow over her, making her hair appear to glow.However, her smile faded when she saw that the person by the car wasn't Lucas."Where's Lucas?" she asked as she approached.Desmond replied, "Mr. Tudor has other matters to attend to. He asked me to take you to the Tudor family mansion."For some reason, her heart sank.What could be more important than taking her to meet his family?She pressed her lips together and got into the car.She took out her phone and called Lucas, but he didn't answer.Jerk!Clutching her phone, Aveline stared out the window.Soon, the surroundings grew more beautiful. The Tudor family mansion was loc
Yvonne smiled and said, "Sophia, you're here. No traffic on the way?"Sophia, wearing a white dress with her long, straight black hair cascading over her shoulders, responded sweetly, "Madam Yvonne, there was no traffic. Lucas is a great driver. We got here smoothly."Frederick added, "Now that you're here, let's go wash our hands before we eat."His tone was warm, a stark contrast to his cold demeanor towards Aveline.Even the servants' faces brightened with smiles. "Miss Winter, knowing you were coming, the chef prepared many of your favorite dishes."The previously tense atmosphere was lightened up with Sophia's arrival.Aveline stood aside, dazed as she watched the scene unfold.The Tudor family didn't like her. They all preferred Sophia.She suddenly understood why Lucas had agreed to bring her to the Tudor family. He was indirectly telling her that the family didn't like or welcome her.It was a cruel way to crush her hopes.The ironic part was that she had dressed up carefully,
"What's this? Do we have to call you several times before you'll come to eat?" Lucas' deep, magnetic voice sounded from behind her.Aveline opened her eyes and looked at him. "Lucas, have I ever done anything to wrong you?"Lucas frowned. "What are you talking about?"Aveline gave a bitter smile. "Why can't you even give me a single smile anymore?"Lucas's thin lips pressed into a hard line.Aveline walked towards him. "Do you really hate me so much just because I won't divorce you?”Her eyes shimmered as she gazed into his dark eyes, trying to find a trace of herself in them.She found it, but his eyes no longer held affection, only coldness.He felt responsible for Sophia.Her year of devotion, all those beautiful moments, now felt like a joke.Lucas watched the light in her eyes extinguish. Then he heard her say, "Fine, I agree to the divorce."There was no point in keeping this version of Lucas around. She only loved the gentle, caring Lu, who saw her as his whole world.However, L
Aveline said, "Braden is probably not interested."“Huh? Why?” Selena asked, confusion spreading across her face.Aveline explained, “Baron, Braden, and Maria all have a special bond with Lucas. No matter what, they wouldn’t betray him.”She paused for a moment, her thoughts drifting to Brian, the man who had always seen it as his duty to protect Lucas. She wondered how he was faring now.Selena shrugged. “Alright, I suppose. He’s helped me a lot recently, and if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have handled everything so smoothly.”Aveline replied, “It’s all over now. Taking him with you wouldn’t really serve any purpose.”“True,” Selena agreed, nodding as she let go of the subject.She ended up staying in Larbor City for a month. One night, Aveline suddenly went into labor. The family rushed to action—though there was some initial chaos, they quickly regained control. Drivers got the car ready, calls to the hospital were made, and everything unfolded smoothly.At the hospital, Lucas h
To mitigate the impact of the incident, the Fletcher family arranged a marriage with the Skyler family, setting the wedding date for just one month later, a rather hasty decision. Aaron officially became the head of the Fletcher family, and despite any grievances Nathalie might have had, she didn’t dare voice them, keeping her frustration to herself.Selena, on the other hand, finally had some leisure time. With Aaron busier than ever, she felt bored and decided to visit Aveline in Larbor City.Aveline’s belly had grown quite large, and with just a month left until her due date, her feet had started swelling, looking puffy and rounded like little pillows. Seeing her condition, Selena couldn't help but remark, "Pregnancy looks so tough. I'm starting to get a little scared."Aveline glanced at her. "Are you planning to get pregnant?"As far as she remembered, Selena had never mentioned such plans.Selena nodded, then shared the idea she had previously about arranging a marriage between
Aaron held her hand and led her directly out of the room upstairs.Meanwhile, inside the room, Nathalie had someone forcibly separate the two entangled people. Ernest looked utterly disheveled, still trying to grab onto Lila and continue.Lila, now slightly regaining her senses, realized the situation. She let out a piercing scream, wrapped herself in the blanket, and cried out in distress."How could this happen? Why did it turn out like this? Why am I here? Mom, wasn't that bitch Selena supposed to be in this room? Why is it me? Why me!"The sensation in her body was undeniable, and seeing Ernest in his dazed state, she could already imagine how wild things had been between them. Worse yet, many people had witnessed it!This scene was supposed to fall on Selena!What went wrong?Nathalie hugged her, trying to calm her down, "Don’t get worked up, Lila. You can’t afford to get upset right now. It’s okay, mom’s here with you. I’ll take care of this."But Lila was inconsolable, sobbing u
The servant stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had just unfolded. How... how could this have happened? How did Lila end up in the room instead of Selena?She distinctly remembered helping Selena into that very room and watching as the family doctor applied the patch to her ankle. The patch, once applied for more than a minute, should have released the drug into Selena's system, gradually taking effect. But now everything had gone terribly wrong.Pale and trembling, the servant knew that her role in this failed scheme had been exposed. There would be no good outcome for her. She began to retreat, hoping to slip away unnoticed."Leaving so soon?"A lazy, magnetic voice suddenly spoke from behind her.Startled, she spun around to see Aaron standing in the doorway. His tall, imposing figure blocked the exit, preventing anyone from leaving easily."I... I..." The servant stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence, trapped in her fear.Aaron’s expression remained neutral, b
"Such a big issue has to be cleared up, don’t you think, Aaron? What if someone is deliberately trying to smear your wife’s name?" "Exactly! We’ve all met your wife—she’s beautiful and sharp. There’s no way she’d do anything to betray you.""We need to open the door and clear up any misunderstandings before things get out of hand."The crowd voiced their concerns, their words filled with feigned sympathy, but their eyes gleamed with anticipation.Kendrick arrived just behind Aaron, and upon hearing the whispers, his expression darkened."Who said this?" The servant timidly raised her hand. "I... I did."His voice hardened. "Are you sure of what you saw?"Though visibly frightened, the servant nodded firmly. "I’m sure.""I don’t think she’s lying.”"Maybe it’s true. If it is, then she really couldn’t keep herself in check, especially at Lila’s birthday party. How shameless.""Unbelievable! With a husband like Aaron, she’s still not satisfied? I can’t understand women like that."A few
"What’s going on?" Nathalie’s brow furrowed as she took in the situation. She immediately called over the servant who had been with Selena earlier. "Is Selena in that room?"The servant nodded nervously. "Yes, I helped Mrs. Fletcher into the room."Nathalie’s expression hardened. "Then why won’t the door open?"The servant’s face turned pale, her eyes darting around anxiously. She stammered, "Madam, maybe it’s best not to disturb Mrs. Fletcher. She just needs to rest, and I’m sure she’ll come out soon.""Why are you acting so suspicious?" someone nearby asked. "And why weren’t you inside taking care of her?"Nathalie narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the servant. Suddenly, her tone sharpened. "Why are you hiding something? Tell me what’s really going on!"The servant flinched under Nathalie’s gaze, her face paling even more. Trembling, she said, "Madam, I-I don’t know for sure. I was with Mrs. Fletcher, but then she asked me to leave… I didn’t go far, I was keeping an eye on things in
After speaking, the servant promptly left the suite, standing guard outside.Selena smirked, her eyes hardening with a cold glint.She stayed in the room for a while, eventually deciding to get up and leave. But as she stood, a wave of dizziness hit her out of nowhere.Frowning, Selena called out, "Come here!"The servant appeared but kept her distance. "Mrs. Fletcher, what do you need?""I don’t feel right. Go get the family doctor."The servant’s eyes flickered with something unreadable before she replied, "Of course, I’ll fetch him right away."She turned and hurried off.Selena sat at the edge of the bed, focusing on regaining her composure. She slowly made her way to the balcony, opened the doors, and breathed in the fresh air. Instantly, she felt better.That patch definitely had something off about it!"Miss Selena," a hushed voice called out.Startled, Selena turned to see Braden standing at the windowsill of the adjacent room, blending into the shadows of the night.Surprised,
Selena’s eyes fell on the pain patch, and she nodded. "Alright, go ahead."The family doctor applied the patch and gave her a few instructions before leaving.Leaning back into the sofa, Selena said, "You can leave now. I’ll rest for a bit."The servant, however, remained standing nearby. "Mrs. Fletcher, I’ll stay here just in case you need anything."Selena raised an eyebrow slightly.What was this about? Was someone sent to keep an eye on her? To stop her from leaving, perhaps?She couldn’t quite figure out the motive yet, but there was no rush. She’d adapt to the situation as needed."Fine, stay there then. Don’t go anywhere," Selena replied, before heading to the bed and lying down. She pulled out her phone and messaged Aaron.“Where are you? You missed quite a show earlier. You’d have regretted not seeing it!”Aaron replied, “Sounds like I did. Will you fill me in?”“You finally replied! Where have you been?”Aaron texted, “Stuck in a meeting with my dad at the office. Heading ba
At that moment, Nathalie spoke up as well, "It's just a dance, Selena. Don't disrespect Mr. Brooks."Her words implied that Selena was deliberately avoiding the dance.Ernest's expression had already soured.Selena glanced from one person to the next, her eyes reddening as tears welled up and began to fall."You’ve misunderstood me," she said softly, her voice trembling. "I didn’t mean it that way. Mr. Brooks and the Fletcher family have business dealings, and of course, I respect our partners. But my foot really is injured. It’s no big deal, though. “Even though tonight is Lila’s birthday party, and she should be the one dancing the opening dance, since Ernest invited me, I would still dance even if my leg was broken."She paused, looking fragile and innocent, before continuing with a hint of apology. "Mr. Brooks, I’m afraid my injured foot won’t keep up with your steps. I’m truly sorry."Playing the innocent card like a delicate girl? Selena could do that just as well. After all, wi