I thought Jared came for a reason, and no matter what, I considered myself an outsider. It's better to avoid some things.So, I turned to Anson and said, "Can I go see Lola?"Sure enough, Anson nodded. "Go ahead! She is in the innermost courtyard. That's her sanctuary. Chat with her for a while and come back for dinner!"I quickly nodded. "Alright, I'll go see her and then come back to have dinner with you!"After that, I smiled at Jared and walked toward the inner part of the house. I sighed quietly as I exited their line of sight.The Huffman house is indeed huge, and the courtyard was grand. As I walked along the corridor, I was surrounded by green trees and pleasant scenery. Even though I had been here before and Anson had shown me around, I was still reluctant to leave.While enjoying the courtyard, I quietly thought about Jared and Ivanna. I tried to imagine how Jared would accommodate Trinity. It was indeed a troublesome problem!Just as I was about to reach the last cour
After returning to Amethyst Apartments, I hurriedly packed a tiny suitcase with some clothes. Atlas showed up soon after.He looked at me and said, "I'll go with you!"I immediately replied, "No need. I can handle it myself. You focus on things here. I'll go check the situation there first.""I know the situation there better than you do, and this time, I'm going to put pressure on the Chandler family," he confidently said."How are you going to apply pressure?" I asked."I've evaluated the topics covered in the previous Gerby session. I'll go into more detail this time. particularly concerning the Grand Tribeca issue they brought up. Byron Chandler likes to play tricks, right? I'll show him what a top-tier game is like.!"I burst into laughter, feeling quite pleased. With him by my side, I felt even more confident. "I feel like I've grown wings when I am with you, It's great! How do we go?"Atlas saw my joyful expression and felt even more proud. "I've already had Cane book the
Atlas, who stood by my side, exuded a cold rejection, and his eyes, like swords coated with frost, sharply scanned the young girl. With a sinister tone, he said, "Get lost!"The girl was shocked. She stepped back, and the corner of her mouth twitched as she stared at Atlas fearfully.But to preserve her dignity, she gulped and murmured, "I’m just making a few friends. What's the big deal? So you’re handsome... so what?"Then, she gave me a disgruntled gaze as if I was the cause of all this; otherwise, she would have had a chance."You..."She turned to face me, about to say something, but Atlas’s commanding voice cut her off again. "I repeat, get lost!"The other girl behind her quickly reached out to pull her away and whispered, "Let's go!"The girl looked at us with some reluctance. At that moment, Arnold arrived and honked the horn.Atlas took my hand and walked decisively toward the car. He opened the door for me, ensured I got in, then got in from the other side. This gent
I followed his gaze, but nothing unusual was there.Atlas calmly pulled me along as we strolled down the street. We satiated our hunger by exploring the entire food street. Afterwards, we left and returned to the car via the same route.Arnold was nowhere to be seen. Not long after, I spotted him not too far away with two girls. They were the same two who had intercepted us at the hotel entrance.Atlas ignored them and pulled me into the vehicle. "It’s them?" I asked Atlas in confusion. He casually replied, "They've been following us all along.""What?" I was surprised. "You mean those two have been following us?""Yeah," Atlas nodded.Shortly after, Arnold entered the car while mumbling indignantly. "I've been protecting you from admirers since childhood. I can’t believe you’re still being surrounded by admirers and followed by little girls all over the street at this age. How embarrassing!"Atlas said shamelessly, " That's what we call charm! You get that?"Arnold stepped on
Sean saw that Arnold seemed very confident, so he nodded immediately."We'll act separately. I'm going to the city to exert as much pressure as possible on Byron Chandler. You all need to make good use of this opportunity." Atlas told Sean, "First, find a reason to control that assistant doctor. He’s probably a lackey who knows a lot of things. Most importantly, he must know what Beatrice has been through all these years. He’s important to this investigation.""We've thought of that. We’re looking for a reason to detain him," Sean said.Arnold was disdainful. "What reasons do you need? Just detain him without any discussion or negotiation. What are you afraid of?""He's right. You've been granted this privilege from above. What are you afraid of?" Atlas scanned Sean coldly."Alright. I understand." Sean immediately agreed."What about me?" I asked.Atlas smiled, gazing at me, and said, "You can come with me. Or you can walk around and get familiar with Gerby.""I'll go with yo
Atlas glanced at his watch and said, "She’s almost here. Get some rest. She’ll be here soon.""When did you make the call? Why didn't I know?" I asked. He always managed to surprise me."I called her after we arrived last night. I thought you needed company, and there are some things I don't trust you to handle alone, so I called her. She took the early morning train to get here," said Atlas.Atlas grabbed his coat and said, "I'm going to the city with Arnold. You rest in the room for a while and wait for her. She’ll come see you. I've booked the room next door for her. You can talk when she arrives.""Okay!" I was very happy and glad to have Lauren here with me.After Atlas finished speaking, he left the hotel with Arnold. I immediately called Lauren, who answered, "Don't worry, I'm in a taxi. Why didn't you call me to join you yesterday? I had to travel alone.""I was in a hurry. I could barely remember to pack," I replied. "I'll wait for you!"I hung up after repeating the ad
Hazelyn looked down at me. The height advantage seemed to give her confidence."What? You’re still wandering around Gerby? How audacious!" Her tone was full of resentment and was extremely sinister."That’s right, Miss Hazelyn." I calmly raised my eyebrows, stared at her, and disdainfully said, "Do I need to be brave to be here?""Girls, did you hear that? Someone wants to make trouble in Gerby!" Hazelyn hugged her arms, looked at me with a sidelong glance, and said, "You need my approval to be here.""Who is she? Doesn't she know her place?""Exactly. Step aside!"The followers behind her were making a commotion.Lauren coldly snorted. "Oh! I didn’t think I’d see such an unruly crowd in this remote place. Are you pretending to be a gangster? Do you think you're some kind of star just because a few people are following you? But nobody told you, did they? Flies are attracted to feces!""You're talking nonsense! Stop making baseless accusations! I'll kick you out!" A woman in smo
Hazelyn's demeanor was very domineering as if she were the owner of the mall.I calmly glanced at her. "Your mall? Even if it is your mall, you don't have the authority to kick anyone out! Moreover, this mall may not necessarily be yours.""Her bragging skills are indeed impressive!" Lauren added sarcastically."Don't talk about irrelevant things. Otherwise, you'll end up embarrassing yourself again! I advise you to learn a lesson from a few days ago." I spoke to Hazelyn with a severe tone."Don't act pretentiously in front of me. Since you've come to Gerby, follow Gerby's rules!" Hazelyn was incredibly arrogant.I confidently said, "I don't know what rules Gerby has, but even if it does, they certainly aren't set by you. So, don't flaunt your authority in front of me!"All that being said, Lauren and I tried to stroll past. Unexpectedly, the people behind her blocked the passage, standing in our way and looking at us disdainfully.Hazelyn looked at me triumphantly, saying, "T
Four months later, at a hospital in Foswood.After being wheeled out of the delivery room, I saw my entire family waiting for me outside.My grandmother, supported by Hana, walked up to me, trembling. "Chlo, my Chlo, you've been through so much!"Beside my grandmother was a girl who looked a lot like me, standing silently beside my grandmother. She was the one who had been crafted to be my counterfeit.What was even more dramatic was that the DNA test results had revealed that she was actually my parents' daughter. When we found out, we cried tears of joy. It was truly heaven-sent. From then on, I gained another sister, who was like a twin to me.Feeling a little weak, I looked at her kind smile and said, "Grandma! It's two boys!""We all saw them. They’re very handsome and healthy! I can finally rest assured. My daughter has a life partner now," Ivanna said as she eagerly squeezed by my side.Everyone burst into laughter. Jared reached out his long arm and pulled her back. "Com
I closed my eyes, trying hard to recall my dreams. Usually, this scenario always appeared in my dreams, but now I couldn't remember any details.Atlas looked at me indulgently. "Take your time, don't rush. Your mom will help us."I took a deep breath, clearing all the distractions from my mind. I seemed to see my mom holding my hand, eagerly walking into the woods, looking around and at the treetops. As we ventured deeper into the woods, I asked, "Where are you taking me, Mom? The woods are so dark. I'm scared! Don't go in, Mom. There might be wild animals!""Don't be afraid. I'm here with you. We need to find the tallest tree.""Why do we need to find the tallest tree?""So you can remember!""But I can't walk anymore. I'm scared!""Go sit on that rock for a while. I'll come to you.""A rock," I murmured as I suddenly opened my eyes.I quickly stood up, searching for a place with rocks."Search where there are rocks," Atlas instructed the others.Everyone dispersed quickly,
I gazed at Atlas's anxious face, his features wavering before my eyes. "Chlo... tell me what's wrong," he said, concern etched on his handsome face. I glanced around the room, noticing all our loved ones present, their faces filled with worry, both inside and outside the door.Closing my eyes, I nestled into Atlas's embrace. I felt exhausted like never before. With a soft murmur, I confessed, "I'm... I'm okay." My head throbbed fiercely with an unbearable sensation."I'm fine," I repeated before settling back into his arms, still as a statue. In my ears, the echoes of my dream lingered.A team of medical staff rushed in. Atlas patted me gently. "Let the doctors check you out, sweetheart. You've been out for 48 hours! Let them examine you, okay?"He eased me onto the bed. After the doctors finished their examination, they briefed Atlas on the results.I drifted back to sleep, this time for real, unaware of anything.When I woke up again, the room was bright. Blinking, I look
Ernest was truly shaken by the sight before him, visibly trembling in fear."Everyone in the car, get out! You have one minute." After Atlas's words, several red dots appeared on the foreheads of the people inside the car.The driver immediately wet himself in fear, raising his hands. "N-No... please!..."As his hand reached for the door handle to exit the car, Kenzie shot him dead. I screamed in terror, but at the same time, the man in the passenger seat slumped over, also dead.However, that shot came from a sniper outside.The others were dumbfounded. The two men beside me immediately grabbed their heads and crouched down."Get out of the car!" Kenzie shouted loudly.The two men beside me acted as if they had been granted clemency, reaching to open the car door and shouting, "Don't shoot!" Then, they rolled out of the car, clutching their heads."Kenzie... release Chloe... save me!" Ernest wailed, his appearance filled with disdain.Kenzie's voice trembled. "Ernest...""
"I really haven't seen anything. What are you talking about? My dad never told me about this!" I gritted my teeth, holding onto this secret, but it was clear they already knew about the existence of the survey maps."If you want your children to live, you better tell me the truth. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to show you no mercy. Let me tell you the truth, I didn't plan on leaving alive!" Kenzie's admission was chilling."Then if I die, bitch, I'll take you down with me. Oh... no, scratch that. It'll be you and your children. Haha… So, tell me!" She hit me with the back of the gun."Kenzie, you know how Atlas feels about me. He wouldn't let me be harmed. Do you really think he'd tell me too much? About those maps you mentioned, not only do I not know, but I haven't even seen them. “Even if they exist, my father would only tell him..." I appealed to Atlas's protective feelings toward me, a reasonable plea since most men would be protective of their loved ones, especially Atlas.Ju
I adjusted my breathing and asked, "What do you want to know?"Although I asked this, my mind raced. "He's been back for some time now and has said too much... You've got to tell me, what exactly do you want to know?""Louis and Rory had a secret between them. What was it?" Kenzie said, her voice dripping with malice."They…" I deliberately gasped loudly, buying myself some time. I knew Atlas would come to rescue me. My priority was to protect my children."They... two of them had a... sizable sum of money..." Since that money was already in our hands, I thought it would be futile even if they knew.Kenzie completely released her grip and then shoved my head forward abruptly. My body plunged forward, but quick reflexes saved me as I grabbed onto the front seat, steadying myself."What money? How much?" Kenzie seemed very interested."The amount is significant, but I don't know exactly." I played coy with her. After all, everyone was interested in money matters.Of course, Kenzi
The screech of brakes pierced the air, and a gray car halted right in front of me. Instinctively, I stepped back, unable to discern the make of the car before two individuals leaped out and swiftly pulled me into the vehicle. Simultaneously, a panicked cry sounded from behind me, "Chlo…"Before I could even assess the situation inside the car, it bolted forward."What do you want? Who are you people?" I struggled and shouted.Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind, gripping my neck tightly, and a chilling voice whispered, "Enough."With just those words, I instantly recognized the person. The voice was all too familiar.I steadied my nerves and spoke with feigned calmness, "Kenzie, you've got some nerve, attacking me in broad daylight. It seems like you're really desperate. What? Your plan failed, didn't it?"My neck was forcefully pulled backward. The sudden suffocation drove me to claw at the arm, choking me instinctively."Don't move! If you don't want to die so soon, beh
Atlas's face darkened as he uttered a curt "Hmm" and hung up the phone.Turning to Tristan, he said, "Escort Mrs. Chloe back to the office."He looked at me and softened his tone, "You go back to the office first, I'll come to pick you up later." Atlas expressed a hint of apology."Okay." I nodded.Tristan escorted me to my office and gave me some instructions before leaving.Then, my phone rang. It was a call from Trinity. I quickly answered, "Chlo, I'm about to head to the airport, I’m going to Yare. Do you have any messages for the old lady?"Her sudden question caught me off guard. I really didn't know what message to convey. After all, the old lady of the Avila family to me was just an impression from a photo."No. Let's talk after everything's settled. I'll arrange a time to visit her," I said lightly.Although the travel ban for me had been lifted with the situation becoming clearer, Yare was in turmoil, and I was pregnant. I didn't want to make any promises to the old l
Atticus carefully watched the agitated Mia as he sat in the wheelchair. He pulled out a document and held it out for the media to see."ATL Empire invested 10 billion in Echelon Group a month ago, intending to work together to build a new real estate development and construction field in Zydan. I regret to inform you that you’re no longer a significant shareholder in Echelon, Miss Mia."Even I was shocked by that investment certificate. I looked at Atlas, who seemed confident."To be more accurate, Echelon Group had already signed this agreement before I went to Celestis Island. The real largest shareholder of Echelon Group is ATL Empire. I’m just a partner."As you planned, the shares had long been diluted, but unfortunately, not by you, but by ATL Empire. But I still want to thank you for helping me remove the scum from Echelon Group and purifying Echelon’s ranks."Mia suddenly stood up and banged her fist on the table. She shouted, "Impossible! Atticus, are you playing me?""Y