My eyes welled up with tears, and everything became blurry."Don't be afraid. You’re safe now. No one will dare to torture or hurt you again," I reassured her.As soon as she heard the word 'hurt,' her body suddenly trembled, and she let out a sharp scream.The nurses rushed over, trying to restrain her.I quickly told them, "No, let go!"I immediately bent down and embraced her emaciated body, patting her gently. "Don't be afraid. It's okay now. Everything is over."My voice choked. "Beatrice, you have to get better quickly so we can be together again. Do you know how much I blame myself? I neglected you all these years. Otherwise, you wouldn't have suffered for so long."She wailed loudly, full of anguish.Doctors also hurried in. After all, this was a direct order from the highest-ranking official in the province, a patient requiring special attention. No one dared to slack off.But seeing her in this state, the doctors quietly stopped the nurses from intervening.She need
"That's good. Out of sight, out of mind," my mom grumbled."Did you receive any mail for the house over there?" I intentionally changed the subject."Mike called last night and told us not to worry. He said there have been quite a few people interested in the house lately. It might be sold soon. Anyway, we've set the price high, so if it sells, great. If not, it can wait. You'll always have a place to stay if you go back."I chuckled. "You're always worried about not having a place to stay when you already have houses everywhere. Last night, Atlas even mentioned investing here in Gerby. He plans to buy a house for us to stay in when we come for inspections. He also said you guys can travel around and stay in different places! Why are you still worried about having nowhere to stay?""Did he really invest in Gerby? Is that place even worthy?" My mom asked.I laughed. Any place was worth investing in. Projects done by Atlas were bound to be prosperous. He tackled things others couldn
She looked terrifying, emanating a fierce aura like a recently awakened beast. Her eyes were red, her face even paler, trembling all over. She roared, "Tell him to get lost!"Finn immediately reached out to comfort her. "Beatrice, calm down. I'll make him leave...""Get him out! Get him out! I want to kill him..." she said, attempting to rise, ready to storm out.Finn quickly reached out to restrain her. Now she became even more agitated, "Don't hit me... Let go of me. Don't hit me! Leave!"After her outburst, her hands uncontrollably scratched at the air, clearly a reflex, the aftermath of prolonged abuse. This was the most undeniable proof.Seeing her like this made my heart ache even more.After her shout, she bit down on Finn's shoulder, her expression grim as she sank her teeth in fiercely.Finn grunted but kept his eyes closed, refusing to let go of her.I was surprised and hurriedly patted her back. "Beatrice... Beatrice, don't bite him. He's your lifesaver. He won't har
Although Ryan was handling the company, I was still worried that there might be news from Dylan. I must save my father. Moreover, David has been urging me to visit him.Atlas understood my concerns. "Indeed, this matter can't be rushed. Such a significant issue can't be resolved without a puppet master. Once he took over the Keller family's power, the old president died under suspicious circumstances. This matter can't be left unresolved.""Unacceptable!" I angrily declared."The operations behind this can't be carried out by one person alone. There's an entire chain involved. This is Byron's true puppet master and the invisible hand behind profiting. If we don't expose him, even if we return everything to Beatrice, there will still be hidden dangers."Hearing Atlas's words was truly shocking. This was something I had not expected. No wonder Atlas didn't rush to have Nathan close the net. It turned out the key lay here.Finn was filled with admiration. "Mr. Atlas, I'll drive awa
I looked at her bewildered expression and couldn't help but smile. This was a symbol of her recovery."This is a friend's home. We were worried about disturbances in the hospital, so we moved you here," I explained to her. However, I didn't reveal the news about her yet. I wanted to gradually tell her about the Chandler family's situation.In truth, I had many unresolved mysteries I wanted to ask her about. There was Gabriel and also the real reason she was sent to the mental institution.I also wanted to share with her the upheavals in my life over the past ten years. I sensed that she looked at me and Atlas with questioning eyes. She knew I had married Matthew, but now I was inseparable from Atlas."Are you okay? Is there any lingering pain?" I asked with concern, gazing at her pale face."Chlo... Is this real? Am I not dreaming?" she asked, still somewhat skeptical about the reality of it all.I looked at her and said solemnly, "Beatrice, all the nightmares are over. Nothing
She listened attentively until I finished and said, "Thank them for me.""Forget about Michelle. Thanking her would be as useful as jumping into a pool of mud. But you need to thank Theo. You have no idea what he did. He got beaten up by the Chandler family's servants many times just to find out exactly where you were.""The Chandler family?" Beatrice looked at me, her gaze wandering. I knew she was thinking about something.Just then, a soft knock on the door interrupted us. I quickly got up to answer and saw Finn standing outside. He looked especially spirited today, well-groomed, cleanly shaved, and handsome."Is she awake?" he asked gently.I nodded. "Yes, she's awake!"I glanced at the spot where he had been bitten yesterday, asking, "Are you okay? Did the doctor take care of it?"He nodded quickly. "No problem. It's been taken care of. It's just a scratch."I thought that he definitely wasn't telling the whole truth. He had been lucky to avoid a bad injury given what happ
I supported her, since she still seemed fragile. Finn quickly stepped forward, stooped down, and lifted her. She was startled and looked at me in panic, shouting, "Chlo..."I hurriedly approached and held her hand, "Don't be nervous. He carried you out to save you. Don't worry. You can trust him!"Beatrice seemed a little reluctant to look at Finn. He had already started to step outside.The dishes were set in the dining room, and Atlas came downstairs. When Atlas saw Finn place Beatrice at the dining table, he walked over slowly, looked at me, and gently said, "Not bad. I believe you'll recover soon."Beatrice stared at Atlas, but it was with a kind of unfamiliarity and speculation, not the usual greed and longing that women had when looking at Atlas.I quickly smiled at Beatrice and said, "Beatrice, this is my husband, Atlas. A lot has happened in my life during these ten years. I'll slowly tell you what happened. You need to get well soon."Beatrice nodded, then smiled sligh
During dinner, Sean and Arnold arrived together. It seemed that headquarters was wherever we were. Beatrice seemed much more spirited after waking up from her nap. Lauren had braided her long hair into a fishtail braid, giving her a delicate appearance that exuded a hint of fairy-like charm.When Finn returned and saw her, his eyes lit up.I had also gotten some rest, having had a nap while Beatrice slept.We were relaxed and at ease.Outside, the world was in chaos. That morning, news of Hazelyn's arrest spread like wildfire on the internet, exploding in Gerby like a heavyweight bomb.The details had all been exposed, including the medical examination report.Suddenly, searching for keywords like "asylum," "imprisonment," "torture," "brutality," and others yielded a plethora of related reports. The click rates skyrocketed, and major websites kept reposting the news.The accompanying images were horrifying, but none of our related personnel's photos had leaked, showing the ski
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