I was still upset as I drove home after dropping Carol off. Matthew had crossed so many lines that I vowed to take my revenge one day.Also, who was that mysterious Mr. Maddox, and how did he know my name? Why did he save me at that exact moment? There could only be one explanation—someone had asked him to do it. My thoughts immediately turned to Atlas. I made a U-turn and hurried back to The Cerulean. I parked my car in an inconspicuous spot, killed the engine, and watched the entrance.About half an hour later, I saw Atlas come out. However, to my surprise, Stella was on his arm. There was also a tall, middle-aged woman with them. She was impeccably dressed and exuded an air of arrogance.I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. She had to be Atlas's aunt, the former CEO of ATL Empire. That meant Stella didn't lie to me, and her mother did indeed come to Foswood. That's why she told me that Atlas was hers.Then what was I to him?Stella had claimed that everyone in their fam
I was momentarily taken aback before saying, "Please send him in."If my guess was correct, this visit was related to what happened last night. I settled behind my desk and went about my work.The door was soon opened again. I looked up and saw Carol lead Atticus into my office. It was the first time I met him. Dressed in a well-fitted suit, he was tall and looked in his late 30s. While his face wasn't remarkable, his shrewd eyes gave him an air of wisdom and sophistication. Perhaps due to my association with Atlas, I neither liked nor disliked him. After all, I had first heard of Echelon Group as ATL Empire's competitor, and the behavior of his employees last night disgusted me. Carol quickly introduced me to him, and I shook his firm hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Chloe," Atticus said politely.I greeted him courteously as well. "Please have a seat."He didn't beat around the bush. "I've come to apologize for what happened last night." After a pause, I said, "It's water u
As expected, Matthew came to create a scene. His aggressive entrance left no doubt that Atticus had cut ties with him, and he looked like he wanted to kill me. He barked, "How could you do this to me, you cunt?"It was the first time I had seen him so furious. Carol stood protectively before me and called other employees to step in. Benjamin called the building's security. I pulled Carol aside and stared at Matthew. "I got the divorce because I wanted nothing to do with you. But you kept pushing it and pulled that stunt last night. How dare you try to make a scene here?" "Don't talk back to me, you fucking whore!" Matthew seemed ready to lunge at me any moment. "You brought this on yourself."Matthew shouted through clenched teeth. "You're a jinx, Chloe! I was so unlucky to have married you!""How come you never thought of me as a jinx when I helped turn your life around?" I held my ground. "One day, you'll regret this, Matthew. I'll make sure of it!"Unable to reach me p
When Matthew calmed down slightly, the employees helped to clean up his mess while Carol accompanied me back to my office.Suddenly, Matthew burst into my office. “Chloe, what’s your relationship with Mr. Maddox? Why didn’t you say anything about it when we were together? How many more resources and connections do you have? Why are you doing this?!”I stood behind my desk and rested my hands on it as I gazed at him in amusement. His questions seemed comical, as if he believed I should surrender all my answers. He had a peculiar way of thinking.I replied, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”“Why are you doing this to me, Chloe?” His tone softened abruptly, and he sounded disheartened, “When did you become so ruthless?”My phone rang as he spoke, interrupting our conversation. I saw it was Atlas, collected my thoughts, and answered the call, “Hello?”"Where are you?" Atlas's voice came through."In my office," I replied simply."Wait for me," he said before hanging up. I di
A striking young man entered the room. He seemed confident and intelligent, while his charisma made him more manly than a typical marketing manager.“This is Grayson Newell,” Atlas said, “He can meet all your needs. Of course, you’re still my woman—those needs are only for work-related matters.”His words made me flush. He always spoke so boldly before me. I mumbled, “What do you mean, your woman?”Grayson scratched his head and grinned, addressing me, “Ms. Chloe.”I gazed at him and asked, “If I wanted you to investigate something, could you do it?”Grayson glanced at Atlas, then replied, "Anything you want, including contracts."His confident response surprised me. It was audacious, but I liked it. Meanwhile, Atlas wasted no time telling Grayson, “Start work tomorrow and obey Ms. Chloe’s instructions. You can go home now.”“H-Hey, I still have some things to ask him!” I was interested in Grayson.“Get out.” Atlas instructed Grayson in a low voice, then lowered his head to say
Atlas made a dinner reservation as we entered the car. My heart kept pounding throughout the ride, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. He pulled me closer, saying, “Call your parents and tell them you won’t be home tonight.”I had no strength to argue or think about anything else. I just wanted to find peace in Atlas’s arms as it melted away all my worries and anxieties. Soon, we returned to the resort. I felt a sense of belonging, like this was our home.His previous question still entranced me, “Do you want to stay here or go home?”I wondered if this place could be our home.After dinner, he didn’t hesitate to hold and shower me with kisses. I felt like crying then because I had waited for him for so long. I missed him so much, and all my longing turned into happiness.However, I dared not look at him, afraid of keeping this moment in my memory. Instead, I closed my eyes as my mind went blank."Why won't you look at me?" Atlas asked.I reluctantly opened my eyes and m
When Atlas dropped me off at the company's entrance, he gave me some reminders, which I noted down. I couldn't help but say, "Call me when you have time.”He nibbled on my lip and said, "You're improving by asking for things now."I blushed and turned to get out of the car, but he pulled me back and kissed me passionately before letting me go. Nonetheless, I looked forward to working with Grayson today. When I entered my office, I called Carol and asked, “Has Grayson arrived?”Carol’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, he has! Ms. Chloe, let’s use this standard when hiring new employees. He’s such eye candy!”I snorted in response. "Are you infatuated with Grayson too?"She stuck her tongue out and chuckled. Good looks seemed to have a certain charm, and everyone liked attractive objects. Since Carol and I had become close, she rolled her eyes at me and muttered, “You like the handsome ones, too. It’s a chain reaction.”I sighed but didn’t deny it. “You’re right. All right, bring Grayson in so
The kindergarten registration form was still with Matthew. To enroll Ava into Sunnydale Kindergarten, I needed the physical copy of the registration form and copies of Ava’s and my identification documents.It was difficult to obtain the registration form since Sunnydale was a renowned kindergarten. Matthew and I had a lot of trouble getting a copy back then.After some pondering, I called Matthew. However, Melanie answered with insults, “Have you no shame? How dare you call him?”"Let me talk to Matthew," I replied calmly, ignoring her outburst."You can kiss my ass!" With that, she hung up.Her behavior infuriated me, but I could only return the call for Ava’s sake. I called several times, but she constantly declined them. Her actions fueled my determination as I went to their company in person.Once inside Ardora Construction, many familiar faces awkwardly greeted me in hushed voices. However, I ignored them because people who undermined me with Matthew weren’t worth my time.
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