"Ah?" Maria was momentarily stunned. "What did I do?"A sudden feeling of unease crept into her. Why was Lucas suddenly interrogating her?She quickly ran through her recent actions in her mind. She'd been playing it safe, behaving like a model employee—completely well-behaved.So why was Lucas asking this?Wait...The only thing she’d been involved in lately was messing with Sidney. Could it be... he had gone to Lucas to complain?Maria narrowed her eyes, remaining silent for a moment.Lucas' tone grew even colder. "Maria, cut it out. If I hear any more rumors, you're heading straight to the Delta, and you won’t be coming back!"With that, Lucas hung up the phone.A chill ran down Maria’s spine. Lucas was angry—really angry.And that meant serious consequences.The Delta... a hell on earth. She thought of Brian, who was already there, living a life worse than death.But why was Lucas so furious all of a sudden?What exactly had Sidney told him?Maria held her phone tightly, deep in
Sidney paused for a moment before answering the call. "Hello?""Turn around," came Maria’s lazy voice from the other end of the line.Sidney followed her instruction and turned his head, spotting a car parked nearby. Maria was in the driver’s seat, waving at him to come over.Fawn, noticing his gaze shift, looked in the same direction and asked curiously, "Who’s that?"Sidney hung up the phone and turned to Fawn. After a brief pause, he said, "Miss Powell, I might need your help with something. It might be a little awkward, so if you're uncomfortable, you don’t have to."Fawn blinked her wide eyes, still confused. "What do you need help with? Tell me first."...Maria sat in the car, watching as Sidney continued chatting with the girl. Her brow slowly furrowed.“What’s going on here? Isn’t that girl his client?” she thought.What could they be talking about that was taking so long?Just as Maria was about to lose her patience, Sidney finally made his way over, with Fawn following cl
As Sidney’s figure grew smaller in the distance, the ache in Maria’s chest deepened. She felt a bit dazed.How could this be happening?Why did watching him walk away hurt so much?It wasn’t supposed to be like this. From the very beginning, her intentions toward him had never been pure. She wasn’t supposed to develop feelings for him.Yet, the memory of his cold, disdainful eyes and his indifferent attitude tore at her heart.Maria turned around, tilting her head back slightly and closing her eyes as she tried to regain her composure. Once she’d steadied herself, she got back into her car.If it wasn’t meant to be, it was time to cut her losses.After all, she’d only intended to play around from the start. If Sidney wasn’t going to cooperate, then there was no point in continuing....Fawn, who had been watching the scene unfold, noticed when Maria drove off. "She’s gone."Sidney looked at her with gratitude. "Thank you, Miss Powell."Fawn chuckled. "No problem! I even got to hear
That night, when Sidney returned to his small apartment, he planned to review the blueprints again. However, his phone suddenly rang.Glancing at the screen, he saw it was Fawn calling."Hello, Miss Powell. Is everything alright?"Fawn’s voice was slurred, clearly drunk. "Sidney... Sidney, come get me. I can’t go home... I can’t get home..." she sobbed, her words barely coherent.It was obvious she had been drinking.Sidney’s brow furrowed. "Miss Fawn, where are you right now?"She mumbled the name of a bar, and without hesitation, Sidney grabbed his keys and headed out to find her.The bar was packed and lively, with music blasting and people filling every corner. Sidney maneuvered through the crowd until he spotted Fawn slumped in a booth, thoroughly drunk.A man had leaned over her, his hand reaching for her thigh.Sidney stepped in immediately, blocking the man’s hand. His voice was cold. "Who are you?"The man was taken aback, quickly withdrawing his hand. "Whoa, I just saw she
Sidney spoke up, "Miss Powell, since you're awake now, I'll head out."Fawn suddenly said, "Let’s get married.""What?" Sidney froze, staring at her in disbelief.Fawn had sat up, her hands braced behind her, her cheeks flushed, but her eyes were filled with sincerity. "I’m not joking. I’m serious. Everything I said before is true—my parents want to marry me off for business. The guy’s an old man, and his son’s older than me. I don’t want to marry him, but my parents won’t listen. They’ll do whatever they can to force me into this. I need to find a way out of this mess."She laughed bitterly as she spoke, her voice full of self-mockery. "I thought I could live a carefree life, that I was the princess in my parents' eyes. But it turns out, I’m just a tool. The moment the family ran into trouble, their first thought was to use me to trade for their benefit."As the alcohol fueled her emotions, Fawn’s large eyes filled with tears, and soon they began streaming down her cheeks.She wiped
“What kind of deal did Miss Powell offer you?” Maria asked leisurely.Sidney froze, surprise flashing in his eyes as he looked at her.“Don’t look so shocked,” Maria said, flipping her hair with a casual grin. “I’ve got some connections in Cloudflare City now. The circle isn’t that big. I hear things when something stirs.”Though his initial surprise faded, Sidney’s expression remained cold. “That’s none of your business.”“Oh?” Maria raised an eyebrow, her gaze drifting from his face to admire her freshly manicured nails. “She wants a fake marriage to avoid an arranged one, right?”Sidney’s face grew even colder. The idea that his private matters were so easily known left a bitter taste in his mouth.“Sidney, are you really going to agree? You already don’t know what to do with me. How do you think you’ll handle the Powell family?”She took a step closer, reaching up to touch his face.Sidney quickly pulled away from her hand, his voice even frostier. “I told you, this has nothing to
Aveline was surprised—she hadn’t expected Maria to actually fall for Sidney. If that was the case, things were about to get complicated. Sidney knew Maria’s true intentions from the start, which meant he was likely guarded and resentful toward her. If Maria hadn’t developed feelings, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but now that she had...What was she going to do?After a moment of contemplation, Aveline asked, "What do you plan to do next?"Maria sighed. "I’m not sure. I’ve been wondering if I should try to be with him. But it feels like such a long and difficult path ahead, and I don’t know if I have the endurance to see it through."Maria was someone who hated complications. That was why, unlike Brian and the others who practiced martial arts, she had only pursued her expertise in computers. Learning to fight seemed like too much hassle. Pursuing Sidney, with all the challenges it entailed, felt equally daunting.What was she supposed to do?Aveline’s voice softened. "Maybe you need t
Maria let out a short laugh, almost as if she had just heard the most absurd joke.Fawn frowned. "What’s so funny?"Maria took a sip of her coffee, then said calmly, "Miss Powell, you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t stop him from doing anything—it was his decision.""That’s impossible!" Fawn didn’t believe her. "If you hadn’t said something, he wouldn’t have refused so decisively!"Tears began streaming down Fawn’s face, her expression filled with frustration. "You ruined it for us! Now I have to marry that old man! He’s nearly sixty, and I’m only twenty-three! Why should I marry him? Don’t you worry about karma for what you’ve done?"Maria raised an eyebrow at her, a bit surprised by the outburst. "Miss Powell, am I your parents? Am I the one forcing you into that marriage?"Fawn bit her lip. "If you hadn’t said anything to Sidney, he would’ve agreed!"Maria’s eyes grew cold. "You’re only thinking about yourself. You believe marrying him would solve your problems, but have you thought abou
"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
"Wow, Lila, you look absolutely stunning tonight!""Lila, happy birthday!""Lila, may I have this dance?"...The Fletcher family had gone all out for Lila’s birthday celebration, inviting the elite of Cloudflare City's upper class. It was clear how much importance they placed on her, and everyone in attendance understood this, treating her with great kindness and respect.Lila, with her flawless makeup and sweet smile, gracefully declined the young man who had asked her to dance. Instead, she said with a grin, "You should invite my sister-in-law to the opening dance. She’s an amazing dancer."The young man’s gaze shifted toward Selena, and his eyes lit up with admiration.Selena was dressed in a sleek black gown, simple in design but perfectly tailored to accentuate her elegant figure. Her long, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her makeup, though subtle, highlighted her striking features. The result was a look that was less sultry and more innocent—a style that could make an
Aaron was speechless. He hadn’t expected this to be the reason behind her sudden change of heart.He gave her a teasing look and asked, "Don’t you hate Lucas? Why would you want to let our child marry his?"Selena lifted her chin defiantly. "Lucas is Lucas, and Ave is Ave. They’re not the same. I want to be even closer to Ave."Aaron smirked. "And what if both of you gave birth to children of the same genders?”Selena froze for a moment, realizing the flaw in her plan. "Oh, right… if that happens, there’s no way to arrange a marriage."Amused, Aaron looked at her. "There are plenty of ways to strengthen your bond. They could make us their child’s godparents, for one. But as for forcing an arranged marriage, let’s drop that idea. You never know what the kids will want, and they might resent us for making that decision. It’s not worth the trouble."Selena nodded, her expression thoughtful. "You’re right. Kids these days rebel against arranged marriages. It’s better to leave it to fate."
Selena rolled up her sleeves, declaring, "We can never tell who’s the real winner until the game ends. Let’s go!"Just a moment ago, she was full of confidence, but the next second, she was staring in disbelief at her loss."Seriously, Sidney? How many times have you won already? Are you done yet?"Watching Sidney win another round, Selena looked utterly defeated.Maria couldn’t hold back her laughter. "I told you, beginner’s luck! You didn’t believe me."Sidney blinked innocently, saying, "I just picked up the cards. What else could I do?"Selena groaned. "Alright, enough with the humblebragging. I give up, okay?"At this point, Aaron said, "It’s a bit early to surrender."Selena immediately turned to him. "You think you can turn this around?"A relaxed smile appeared on Aaron’s handsome face as he said, "Beginner’s luck has a time limit. Let’s keep playing."Maria looked at Sidney. "Are you up for it?"Sidney chuckled and replied, "Sure, let’s keep going for fun."Selena reignited he
"Wait a moment," Nathalie called out, stopping them.Aaron and Selena turned to look at her. Aaron asked, "What is it?"Nathalie, clearly annoyed, said, "You’ve barely been here and you're already leaving? You spent most of the time glued to your wife. Did you come to see me or not?"Aaron replied, "I’m married now. If I spent most of my time glued to you instead, my dad would kill me."Nathalie was left speechless for a moment before she said, "In three days, I’m hosting a birthday party for Lila. As her brother and sister-in-law, you two must attend. You mustn’t be late, and definitely no leaving early. Got it?"Selena glanced at Aaron.Nathalie continued, "Selena, as Lila’s sister-in-law, I expect you to come early and help me receive the guests."It was a direct request, leaving no room for refusal.Selena raised her eyebrows slightly and nodded. "Of course, Mom."Nathalie frowned, somewhat impatient but said nothing more. Instead, she turned to Aaron. "Did you hear me?"Aaron ga