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
"Audrey..." Duncan’s voice was faint, as if he could collapse at any moment.Lucy had been raped by over ten men before Duncan arrived, and now she could barely stand. Blood was still flowing between her legs, and though she wanted to reach out to him, her body simply wouldn’t obey.Outside, the sound of sirens wailed closer, but Duncan didn’t seem to hear them. His cold, deathly gaze was locked on Peter’s lifeless body, eyes wide open in eternal shock. Just as Duncan was about to strike again, a police officer grabbed his arm, and Duncan collapsed against him, exhausted.Lucy let out a sigh of relief and, with what little strength she had left, managed to whisper to the officers, "It was them... they tried to extort us... it was all them..." She knew that if she didn’t explain now, Duncan could be blamed for everything.The police, taking in the scene, quickly called for an ambulance.Duncan, struggling to move, made his way to Lucy’s side and held her close. "I’m sorry, I’m so s
In psychology, it's often noted that people who experience extreme trauma may subconsciously block out their most painful memories, retaining only the happier ones. However, certain triggers can bring those painful memories rushing back. It seems that Duncan was experiencing this very phenomenon.Josh patted Duncan on the shoulder. "You're not well. I'll arrange for a therapist to see you tomorrow."Duncan still hadn’t moved on from Audrey's death. He was stuck in that moment, and if this continued, it would destroy him.Duncan rubbed his temples and waved Josh off. "No need; I'm fine. I want to go see Audrey."Josh wanted to insist, but Duncan had already turned and was heading out the door.When Duncan arrived at the cemetery and saw that there were no flowers left at Audrey's grave, he felt a deep sense of guilt. He had failed in his responsibilities as her husband. For months, he had forgotten her, leaving her to rest here all alone.The more he thought about it, the more he
Audrey's love for Duncan was boundless, unyielding even in the face of insurmountable odds. Yet she had underestimated his determination...The night air was thick with tension in the dimly lit hotel room."It's been years, Miss Lyons. Your enthusiasm is quite... eye-opening," Duncan remarked, his eyes brimming with mockery.Audrey's face stiffened, then she looked up at him, her expression filled with anguish. "Duncan, I know you're still angry that I left when you were struggling a year ago, but...""Enough!" Duncan cut her off sharply. "I don't want to hear a single word of your explanations, Audrey." He pulled away without hesitation, his cold gaze and chiseled features making him look even more striking in his tailored suit."Duncan..."Before Audrey could finish, Duncan threw a credit card at her face with a sharp slap."That's your payment for tonight. Know your place. To me, you're nothing but a cheap escort, Audrey."Audrey looked at the tall, handsome man before her,
"Gentle, Duncan," Audrey whispered."Gentle? How can that satisfy you?" Duncan growled, one hand pinning Audrey against the vanity, the other gripping her hair. "Look at yourself. Calling you an escort is too generous!"Audrey gazed at her reflection in the mirror, her face a picture of allure tinged with despair. She managed a bitter smile.Once, Duncan would fret over the slightest frown on her face or the tiniest scratch on her skin. Now, every word he spoke felt like a dagger in her heart.But she had to accept it. No matter how much it hurt, she had to stay. She didn't want to leave with regrets. She didn't want to spend her final days without a trace of him in her life.After he finished, Duncan threw Audrey to the floor in disgust and left without a backward glance.It felt like an eternity before the pain in Audrey's body began to subside. She struggled to her feet, her blurry vision catching sight of a large clump of hair on the floor. Her frail body swayed unsteadily.
Heather watched with smug satisfaction as Audrey, once proud, now humbly served her tea and water."Ex-girlfriend? So what? I'm the one Duncan's marrying now. Audrey will never be more than a dirty secret," Heather thought triumphantly.She reached for the glass, but in the next moment—"Ah! Audrey Lyons, are you trying to scald me to death?" Heather jumped up from her chair, the sudden movement causing hot water to spill onto her hand.Audrey was splashed too, her brow furrowing slightly.She knew Heather had done this on purpose.But Audrey didn't care about Heather's tricks. Her only concern was Duncan.So she didn't explain or argue. She simply turned to go upstairs."Audrey, I can't believe you're so vicious. Are you upset that Duncan and I are together? Don't forget, you were the one who ran off with another man a year ago, abandoning Duncan when his company was struggling," Heather cried, her hand turning red, tears welling up in her eyes."I didn't," Audrey stopped, cl