With a dull thud, Adeline's head was struck by the cane, causing blood to splatter everywhere.Adeline let out a miserable scream as Atlas immediately shielded my eyes, covering them with his hands.Celine stared blankly at everything before her. It was her mother who had been struck by David.The hall erupted in gasps of shock. No one had expected such a brutal act from an elderly man.Celine looked at David, unable to keep up the act any longer. Her face turned terrifyingly grim, and her eyes flashed with malice.David, however, remained calm as he looked at her, raising an eyebrow in response. "Are you surprised? Do you really think I’m on the verge of death?”After that, he glanced at Abbas, and Abbas immediately gestured toward the door. Everyone turned to look in that direction.At the entrance stood a burly bodyguard holding a trembling maid in his arms. With a wave of his hand, he dropped the maid at Celine's feet.Celine took a step back, seemingly stunned."What? Don
David looked at her without a trace of pity and said, "When you plotted against my son, you should have expected this day, you evil bitch! You came to my house, and I treated you and your daughter well, but you repaid me by killing my son. I was blind and foolish.""Let go of me!" Celine roared angrily, then looked at David."What? Don't you know what this is?" David interrupted, addressing the now exposed Celine."Since you don't know what it is, let your mother taste it and see what it is." Abbas stepped forward and forcefully pushed the pills into Adeline's mouth, and then the bodyguard swiftly closed her mouth.Adeline struggled and shook her head continuously, her former commanding demeanor completely gone. She was now desperately struggling, refusing to swallow the pills."Mm... mm..."Her eyes pleaded with David, but seeing him so stern, she turned to Kevin to seek help. However, Kevin was preoccupied with his own troubles and couldn't care less about her.Her plea infuri
Later, I heard someone tell me that Kevin's wife was notorious in their circle because her maternal family was of fallen royal lineage. In her words, she had noble blood, so she never respected Kevin and treated him as she pleased. Of course, the Ellis family’s business did benefit a lot from her family's connections, which gradually contributed to her domineering personality.She had unexpectedly suffered a major setback this time. During all these years, she had never realized that Kevin would still cheat on her despite her constant pressure.Her relationship with Adeline over the years had been delicate. Adeline always acted superior in front of her, while Kevin's wife showed great respect for Adeline and Celine under Kevin's supervision.Although Kevin's wife often felt displeased and unhappy when she saw Adeline and Celine’s arrogant attitude, Kevin always persuaded her to interact with them and maintain peace. After all, the Pierce family was basically a cash cow to Kevin.
Everyone looked at Celine with complicated expressions.David continued, "Am i right? If I hadn’t secretly told the Lively family to take Atlas away, you might have tried to harm him too."That was when I understood why Atlas said the Lively family had taken him away.In that moment, images flooded my mind, from the night my mother died to Atlas holding me as we curled up in the corner and him being pulled away while desperately holding my hand.Tears welled up in my eyes."Later, I finally found out that you bribed Clark to lure Rory away before that flight, leaving my son's confidant behind to find out their business plans. You're despicable!" David pointed his cane accusingly at Celine.Finally, some people in the hall began to understand and stepped forward to condemn Celine.I scanned the crowd carefully and realized that these people had not been deceived and were not opportunists."Afterwards, you sent people to hunt Atlas down even though he was just a child. If the Cro
He accused Johnny in front of everyone. "That's right, I’m the head bodyguard of the Burnett family, and everyone knows that. I’m in this situation today thanks to Johnny and Celine."As soon as he spoke, Johnny panicked. His already pale face turned even paler, and his light gray eyes exuded coldness. He muttered, "Shut up! You’re an ungrateful scoundrel, Antonio Knox. I searched for you everywhere when you disappeared years ago. How could you turn against me now?”Antonio immediately sneered, "Do you even have a guilty conscience, Johnny? You knew exactly what you were doing. Were you looking for me, or were you trying to confirm if I was really dead?""Why, you!” Johnny tried to argue, but Antonio interrupted him."Celine and Johnny conspired to locate Clark, who was secretly hiding Rory. They tasked me with bringing Rory back secretly, even if he was dead. And they told me I could take extreme measures if necessary.”Celine lost her composure when she saw Antonio reveal everyt
Antonio continued, "Think about it. After those incidents, Celine intervened in your businesses. On the surface, she might have seemed like a savior, but in reality, she was a demon. She indirectly killed all of your loved ones.”Celine completely lost her mind at those words. She didn't care about her image anymore and quickly rushed toward Antonio, only to be kicked back by Tristan.As Celine stumbled to the ground, Antonio looked at her with disdain and fiercely said, "Stop the act, Celine. We all know you’re not innocent.“You and the Non-Organization planned the plane crash involving Louis. You’re the one who killed Louis, and you’ll get what you deserve sooner or later. I've been waiting for this day."The hall erupted into chaos. Everyone exchanged angry glances.Those who seemed resentful had probably experienced unexpected incidents themselves.Antonio grinned evilly. "Did you forget that you once told me to get rid of Clark because he knew too much? He knew you were the
That revelation instantly caught everyone's attention, igniting a collective curiosity about how Atlas had learned this 'secret'.To the gathered crowd, Atlas seemed almost supernatural, possessing an uncanny ability to uncover hidden truths. How did he seem to know everything?With a subtle smirk, Atlas calmly began to unravel the mystery. "Although my grandpa had a DNA test done to confirm that you were his daughter, the blood used for that test belonged to my father.”Atlas disdainfully remarked, “How cunning! Adeline had already bribed the doctors and nurses long before your birth. Of course, she paid the hefty sum to cover up the true identity of her illegitimate child's father, Kevin, the head of the Ellis family."But fate works in mysterious ways. Kevin overlooked one crucial detail. Thanks to the 'secret' you created, one of the doctors and nurses had a love affair."You inadvertently provided me with the clue, Celine. A simple investigation revealed the doctor and the nu
"But our accounts need to be sorted!" Atlas's face displayed an undeniable determination.The others immediately showed signs of retreat, their faces filled with fear and resignation.Everyone present knew how ruthless Atlas could be. Even if they didn't, they were witnessing it firsthand today.Although the atmosphere in the hall seemed less tense now, everyone feared what Atlas would do next.Every glance from him sent a chill down their spines, and they all felt a desire to flee. However, with the current situation, none of them could leave.This meant that as long as they stayed here, there was always the risk of being targeted by this tyrant. After all, all of them had been too eager for success in the business world.They couldn't help but resent today's instigator, Celine. Celine orchestrated this for their amusement, but now it felt like they had walked into a trap of their own making.Each of them secretly vowed that if they made it out of there, they would turn over a
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