The tranquil and serene atmosphere of Pleca Park was suddenly disrupted by a horde of frenzied reporters, disturbing the peace.They surged forward incessantly, snapping photos and causing a commotion, while the security guards tried to keep them at bay. The noisy chaos alarmed everyone.Security at the Pleca Park had always been top-notch, with strong confidentiality measures in place. Outsiders usually couldn't approach us. How did those people manage to get in?When Ardie saw the situation, he stood up and commanded, "Let's head to the backyard."At his command, we all rose and headed toward the garden.Ivanna, who had been sitting quietly in the courtyard, suddenly called out timidly, "Lauren."Both Lauren and I turned to look at her, noticing that her expression seemed off. She was cradling her stomach carefully.Lauren also noticed something was amiss and hurried over to her, asking, "How do you feel, Ivanna? Are you alright?"I quickly joined them, and Ivanna, biting her
Ivanna's condition had deteriorated significantly. Despite efforts from my mother, Molly, Hana, and others to deter them, these people were relentless, seemingly devoid of reason."Spread out. The pregnant woman needs to go to the hospital. What do you think you're doing?" Both Lauren and I shouted angrily, but our voices were drowned out by their questions.The medical staff in the ambulance couldn't get close to us. The household servants rushed over, trying to pull them away, but the reporters still crowded around even after being dragged out."What do you want?""Get out of the way! Are you trying to hurt them?"The servants shouted, shielding us and pushing back the crazed reporters, but the medical staff still couldn't squeeze through.As Ivanna's condition worsened, the reporters remained oblivious, focused only on pushing forward, their footing becoming increasingly unstable.The situation was dire. I shielded Ivanna, who could barely stand, since a large area beneath he
The next day, I delivered the food I had made for Ivanna to the hospital. As I entered the lobby, I saw a group of medical staff rushing out.Shortly after, I saw several police officers and nurses pushing a stretcher towards the emergency room. As they passed by, I noticed that the person lying on the stretcher was none other than Melanie.She was wearing prison clothes. Her abdomen was covered in blood, and her face was extremely pale, indicating severe blood loss.She caught sight of me in just that fleeting moment. She immediately grabbed the stretcher and shouted, "Chloe…! Stop... I want to see Chloe!"I was stunned. The stretcher was already far beyond my reach. Melanie struggled desperately, "Stop, I want to see Chloe... She's right there! Chloe, I have something to say! I want to see my sister-in-law!"She tried to sit up from the stretcher with all her strength, her hands soaked in blood, reaching out towards me past the medical staff and police."You're out of your mind
My mom exclaimed, "Oh my, are you injured?""Mom, I'm not injured; it's her blood!" I quickly reassured her. "Let's go to Ivanna's room quickly!"When we entered the room, they all stared at my blood-stained wrist in shock and exclaimed, "Chloe, what happened to you? How did you get hurt?"I quickly put down what I was holding and said to them, "It's not mine. It's someone else's blood!""Whose blood is it? What happened?" Ivanna asked in surprise."Wait, let me go wash up!" I hurried to the bathroom to clean my arms and came out. My mom was explaining the situation to them."Melanie? Chloe, don't be soft-hearted again!" Ivanna reminded me with a disgusted expression. "Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with you! I believe Matthew shouldn't come back either to avoid affecting our happiness!"Lauren looked at Ivanna, then asked me, "What's her situation?"I shook my head casually and said, "I don't know. Judging from the situation, it's either a fight or a suicide!""W
The voice startled me for a moment. I glanced at my phone skeptically and calmly asked, "Where are you?"The voice on the other end responded coldly, "Foswood.""Foswood?" I asked incredulously."Why? Surprised? No one can stop me when I put my mind to something." The voice sounded sinister, with a hint of triumph."It's faster than I imagined, but you couldn't win even in Nocturnia. Do you think you have the capital to win in Foswood?" I scoffed at her."It depends on how I make my move!" the other side replied, then laughed sinisterly. "I told you, you'll regret it!"As soon as these words were spoken, I couldn't help but recall the moment a few days ago in Nocturnia when Celine was rescued—the sinister and triumphant look in her eyes and the exact words she said then."Chloe, you're just a brainless fool. Do you know why your memory was erased? Haha..." Her gloating chuckle was blatant and smug."Don't try to intimidate me! You should be thankful for my memory loss. Otherwis
Seeing Mia, both of us remained as composed as ever. I waved for her to come over and sit down.She came over gracefully and sat across from me. I chose a quiet window seat with a good view."I thought you were at home resting and nurturing the baby?" After setting her bag aside, Mia sat down and drank some of the tea I had poured."Hey! I'm not that delicate," I said indifferently. "I'm in excellent shape. No need for rest.""You truly are a winner since you managed to snag the most influential man and get into the most esteemed family. Your pregnancy is remarkable without a doubt!" Mia looked at me, her tone filled with envy and jealousy."Actually, what's meant to be will be. For me, luck always seems to favor me." I said it with a smile while looking at Mia. "You're not bad either. You act quickly by aiming for a big project, but isn't it a bit rushed?""What do you mean?" I saw a hint of surprise in her eyes."The Old Bourdamun project!" I said bluntly.Indeed, her fac
Tanum successfully assumed control of the two Old Bourdamun urban renewal projects two days later. After signing the contracts, Ryan and I visited Old Bourdamun to meet Noah.Noah’s attitude was unclear, as he still avoided dealing with us. At the project meeting, Noah's final response to me was open bidding and fair competition.Ryan and I breathed a sigh of relief secretly. This was the purpose of our visit to Noah today.However, we were happy too early. Plans could not keep up with changes. While we were working hard, the other side was not idle either.There had been no news since Lance contacted me to schedule an appointment. I was too naive to think he had given up.Just when Tanum was widely reported online for signing the urban renewal projects of Norton and Anestin, Hartz ran into trouble.Someone exposed the so-called insider information about Hartz Group. They revealed the projects in Solaris, publicly proclaiming that Hartz lacked the qualifications and capital to un
The phone call was from the kindergarten teacher, and her tone was urgent. "Are you Ava’s mom? Ava suddenly fainted and convulsed and started foaming at the lips. We have no idea what's happening. We’re sending her to the hospital. Please come to the hospital as soon as possible!""...What? Which hospital?" I shouted into the phone as I shot up from my office chair."City Central Hospital!" The teacher replied tearfully as the blaring horn of the ambulance sounded over the phone.I felt weak all over, and my heart pounded violently. My little girl had been fine when I left in the morning. She had teased me saying, "It's almost Christmas, Mommy. When are we going to Nocturnia for Christmas?"I was speechless. This Christmas probably would go differently than planned. After all, with the current situation, who could even think about Christmas?I had to coax her away this morning. How could something like this happen so quickly?Carol saw me rush out of the office and immediately ra
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