"When we were in high school, we were lucky enough to be placed in the same class. One time, the class organized a hiking trip, and someone suggested we climb a mountain. About seven or eight of us decided to go. We ended up walking quite far without realizing it, and eventually, we got lost. As the sun began to set, some of the girls started crying in fear. But you—it was remarkable—you didn’t cry. You calmly suggested that we follow the North Star, and your composure in that moment put us boys to shame. By the next morning, we found our way back to school. All the parents had shown up, crying with relief as they embraced their kids. But you stood alone in the corner, with no one to comfort you. It was then I realized that your strength, your calmness, your ability to face challenges without flinching—was the very thing that made you so heart-wrenchingly fragile. You had no parents, just your aunt and uncle who raised you. You understood that you were different from the other ki
Audrey had forgotten that he was allergic to eggs.She had also forgotten that he never drank milk.A bitter smile appeared on Duncan's face. Was this a sign that her illness had worsened? Her memory was beginning to fade. Soon, Audrey might forget all the little things he loved, and eventually, she might even forget him.Meanwhile, Lucy continued eating her breakfast without a care, reminding Duncan to eat as well.After they finished breakfast, Duncan finally mentioned taking Lucy to the doctor. Lucy had thought she might get through the day without him bringing it up, but there it was—unavoidable.She couldn’t escape it. All she could do now was face it.Pushing her empty plate toward Duncan, Lucy said cheerfully, "Duncan, look, I finished everything! I can eat, drink, and sleep just fine. I’m all better. I don’t need to go to the hospital."Duncan pushed the plate aside, his eyes fixed on her. Her face did look healthy, but her memory was slipping. That was why he had to tak
Peter, even after being kicked, wasn't angry. Instead, he grinned slyly and said, "Fine, if you don't want to give me the money, I'll go tell him that Lucy Clark is an escort and has been far from innocent for a long time. Let's see if he'll still want you after that."Lucy was so furious she almost strangled Peter. She had met him through her line of work, and Peter had known all along what she did for a living. He also knew that she had stayed with him because she thought he had money. What she hadn't realized at the time was that Peter not only didn't have any money but was also in deep debt.Peter used this to blackmail her, saying that if she didn't give him money, he would tell everyone, including her family, about her work. Left with no other choice, Lucy had given in.But she hadn't expected Peter to demand half a million dollars today.She didn't have that kind of money, and she certainly couldn't ask Duncan for it right away—he would get suspicious.Seeing Lucy's trouble
However, Lucy showed up alone, with the money in hand. Seeing how easily she got the cash, Peter’s mood soared. It seemed Duncan was treating her well, and he figured there might be even more to gain from her in the future.Feeling smug, Peter stepped out from behind a large rock and slowly approached Lucy, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “Did you miss me, baby?” he whispered, nuzzling his face against hers.The scent of Lucy’s perfume stirred something in Peter, and his hands began roaming over her body. But after experiencing a man like Duncan, Lucy now found Peter utterly repulsive. She pushed him away forcefully, her voice cold and detached, “Peter, take the money, and we’re done. Don’t come looking for me again.”Peter smirked and, undeterred, reached out to touch her again, but Lucy recoiled as if she had just touched something filthy.“Keep your hands to yourself!” she snapped.Peter chuckled, bending down to unzip the bag. When he saw it was filled with cash, his
As Duncan watched Lucy walk away, he couldn't help but wonder how many secrets she was keeping from him. Yet, faced with Audrey in this state, he found himself unable to utter a single word of reproach.Lucy, afraid of Duncan's questioning, left on her own, with Duncan following close behind. He had always felt guilty about how he had treated Audrey before, so now he didn't want to press her further.From that point on, Duncan was practically inseparable from Lucy. She didn’t receive any more strange phone calls and didn’t even step out of the house. But the incident lingered in Duncan's mind, an obstacle he couldn't overcome.He felt that although they were physically close, their hearts were worlds apart. He didn’t know what she was thinking. Aside from some deliberate attempts to please him, most of the time she seemed uneasy, as if she were afraid of something.Duncan brought up the topic of marriage multiple times, only to be rejected each time. Audrey didn’t want to marry him
Though Duncan never directly asked about what happened last time, he knew Peter would return sooner or later. He had been waiting—waiting for Peter to show himself again.This time, when Peter called, he demanded a hefty sum: ten million.Lucy made up her mind: this time, she would fight Peter to the bitter end. She wouldn't let him continue to take advantage of her.Peter arranged for them to meet at the nightclub where Lucy used to work.Lucy agreed.At eight in the evening, Lucy quietly slipped out of the house while Duncan was fast asleep and went to meet Peter.When she arrived, Peter had already summoned a few women to join him—some of whom Lucy even recognized."What do you want this time?" Lucy barely held back the urge to tear Peter apart.Peter, grinning, grabbed one of the women next to him and shamelessly squeezed her chest. "What else could I want? Money, of course. You’ve got it easy now, Lucy. Don’t think you can just leave me behind."Lucy knew all too well tha
Escaping the police’s attention wasn't difficult. The nightclub had plenty of its own people, and all it took was a word from Brian to create chaos, allowing them to slip away unnoticed.With that thought in mind, Brian swung his fist and landed a brutal punch on Lucy, sending her crashing to the floor. The women in the room were so terrified that they didn’t dare make a sound.Meanwhile, Duncan awoke in the middle of the night to find the bed empty. He searched the bathroom and scoured the entire villa, but Lucy was nowhere to be found.His first thought was that Audrey had rejected his proposal and left him again, just as she had a year ago.Standing alone in the empty living room, Duncan's mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of Audrey. His heart, entirely consumed by her, was in turmoil.Audrey had long since become intertwined with his soul, so deeply that without her, he felt like a shell of a man. Without her, there was only one path for him—despair.Running a hand ro
Duncan’s eyes suddenly darkened. "You want the money? Hand her over first."Even though he was deeply worried, Duncan maintained a calm and composed appearance.Brian hesitated, regretting that he had listened to Peter’s suggestion. The woman they had wasn’t of much use. But the name "Audrey"—where had he heard that before?One of Brian’s men leaned in and whispered, “Audrey’s been dead for a long time. The guy must be out of his mind, mistaking any woman for Audrey.”Realization hit Brian like a wave, instantly restoring his confidence. Right! How could he have forgotten? Audrey was dead. Duncan had turned pale overnight after her death and even held a wedding at her funeral. His love for Audrey had crossed into madness. Otherwise, why would he refuse to marry a living woman like Heather from the Leverton family and insist on marrying a corpse?With this knowledge, Brian felt as if he had Duncan in the palm of his hand. He lifted his head and stared Duncan down, enunciating each