Since it was my first time eating onion rings around Atlas, I wondered how he knew I liked my onion rings like that.He raised a brow and lowered his gaze, saying, “It was just a guess. I had a playmate who liked eating onion rings the same way when I was a kid. She used to stay at my house for meals.”I looked at him and thought about the photo of the real Stella. I asked, “Are you referring to Stella?”This time, he looked surprised instead of me. He looked at me and asked, “How do you know it’s Stella? Did you remember something?”I noticed him scrutinizing me, which made me somewhat doubtful, especially with his follow-up question. I asked, “What do you mean by ‘did I remember something?’”He smiled when I asked that. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just curious how you know Stella. Not the Stella you met, though.”“Yes, I found out about her,” I confessed, “I told Grayson to look into it, and he found a photo.”Atlas frowned at me. “What photo?”I regretted saying that,
Atlas remained composed as he set down my phone and said, “Let’s eat the pasta before it gets cold.”“Atlas, are you… hiding something from me? Well, maybe I shouldn’t know too much,” I said cautiously.He explained, “It’s not that I’m afraid you’ll know too much. My family’s just complicated. I’ll tell you about them gradually, not because I’m hiding anything from you. You’ll need to know a few things first before you can accept more details.”Atlas’s reasonable explanation eased my mind. I looked at him and asked, “Don’t you hate me for investigating you? I honestly didn’t mean to.”“No, I don’t. On the contrary, you did well in your investigation. It shows you’re actively trying to understand me, which is a good thing. It means you love me,” Atlas spoke frankly with a hint of teasing.I blushed as I ate a mouthful of pasta to hide my embarrassment. I muttered, “I knew you’d tease me.”He smirked and said, “Do you even have a good reason to argue? If you didn’t like me, why wou
I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs. Atlas also woke up and looked at me, but I gestured to him, saying, “Go back to sleep.”I wondered who could be at the door and why they pressed the doorbell so frantically early in the morning. It made me uneasy, and I hoped nothing bad had happened. Unexpectedly, I saw Grace through the peephole and quickly understood what was happening.After some thought, I opened the door. Grace hurried in and angrily pushed me aside when she saw me. I could do nothing besides shaking my head in resignation.Once inside, Grace scolded me, “You lied to me! You promised to let me see Ava, but where is she? She’s my granddaughter and has the Murphys’ blood in her veins. Why won’t you let me see her?!”I gazed at her and realized she had the Murphy family trait of yelling. However, I gave her space to vent because she was the most pitiful member of the family but also cared dearly for Ava.“Tell your daughter to come down, or I’ll go upstairs. You’re s
That day, Ava told Grace to stop bullying me. I knew Grace wouldn’t have forgotten it. Indeed, she paled and gluped.I continued, “Also, stop saying this house belongs to your family. Do you know where your family would be without me and my company?! I was kind enough not to take away your current house.“You can still be Ava’s grandmother if you behave. However, I’ll shut you off from her if you insist on harassing me.” I looked at her sternly and understood something. I pitied her misfortune but resented her unwillingness to compromise.Grace stared at me with misty eyes and remained silent for a while. Finally, she cleared her throat and asked, “Then why did you send Ava to Celestis Island? Why do you always seem to send her away whenever I visit?”I replied, “It has nothing to do with you. Ava and I have other things happening, so you should understand that our lives have nothing to do with your family. Can’t we arrange our own lives and schedules? Me sending Ava to Celestis Is
Her expression weighed heavily on me. I asked with concern, "What's bothering you?""My body... It's not holding up. I'm always in pain, so I can't sleep at night." She looked at me helplessly, her voice barely audible. "The pain, it's just...here...""Where does it hurt?" My eyes narrowed, pressing for details."Right here." She pointed to her abdomen, gently patting it."You haven't told Matthew?" I pressed on, my composure wavering. Indeed, Grace seemed much thinner than before."He's...busy." Grace's words sounded feeble."How long has this been going on?" Her lips trembled. "It's not a big deal, just trouble sleeping. I keep thinking about Ava. I can't be there for her, and it's eating at me. I'm afraid I won't have much time left to watch over her." My heart ached. After a while, I said, "Take a seat and have some water. I'll go upstairs and be right back.""No need. Since Ava isn't home, I'll go," she said.I ignored what she was saying and went straight upstairs. At
My head buzzed. Late-stage liver cancer?My hands turned cold. I was concerned but never imagined it would be this severe. How was I going to tell her?I sat there blankly as the doctor talked about the treatment plan. He finally sighed and shook his head, saying there was little hope.I was no longer Grace's daughter-in-law, but she was still Ava's grandmother. She was the last person in the Murphy family who truly cared about Ava, and time was running out. All I could see was Ava tightly embracing Grace. After all, we had lived together for many years. No matter how she treated me, those memories of living together were good.I didn't even know how I left the doctor's office. If Grace hadn't seen me come out and called my name, I might have forgotten she was waiting outside."Chlo, what did the doctor say?" She stared at me intently, looking a bit worried."He didn't say much. I knew the doctor, so we talked for a while. You'll be fine. He gave you some medicine and advised y
When I got to Ardora Construction, I took a moment to compose myself, neatly arranging the documents on Grace. With everything in hand, I stepped out of the car and walked straight in.This was my second time here. The first was to request my daughter's school transfer, which caused quite a commotion throughout the building. Who knew what awaited me this time? Whenever I showed up, things were bound to get lively. Whenever I met Melanie, I was in for another fierce battle.I couldn't imagine what family situation had pushed Grace to develop liver cancer. It must have been quite a mess. Melanie and Abby were not the type to back down easily.I wondered how Matthew could allow his mother to be mistreated. If it were my mother, I’d demand justice. It was truly too much.However, it was also Grace's fault for living her whole life so passively. Abby had ruined her life.Would Matthew treat me this way if I were in her shoes? But then again, I couldn't bring myself to do what she did
Melanie rushed to the desk. "Chloe, what do you mean? What hospital? What did you do to her?"Everyone turned to me. It seemed they genuinely believed I had harmed the old lady.I looked at Matthew. "You'd better take these documents and consult at the hospital."I dug through the papers for the doctor's card and handed it to Matthew. "This is the attending physician, a specialist. If you have any questions, you can ask him. Your mother was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer."The news shocked everyone as a collective gasp filled the room."What did you say?" Matthew stood up in disbelief. "What? Who... Liver cancer?""Chloe, you're creating trouble out of nothing. She was perfectly fine, and here you are, cursing her." Melanie was relentlessly shouting at me. Then she turned to Matthew. "You believe whatever she says? She's up to no good!"Matthew regarded me with suspicion."Believe it or not, I've already taken her to see the doctor and got her prescribed medication. I
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