Lauren and I exchanged a knowing glance, sharing a laugh.She whispered to me, "Why is Ivanna so chatty now?"I couldn't help but laugh harder. Ivanna turned around to look at us. "Are you talking about me? Are you annoyed that I'm talking too much?"When we got in the car, I glanced outside. Oliver was standing at the doorway, looking on as we were leaving. The desolation in his eyes made me feel a twinge of pity.However, this was out of my hands. What he did had hurt Lauren, and I didn't want to interfere with Lauren's decision.It was a personal matter, and no third party could intervene. I had no idea how Oliver had spent the previous six months while Lauren was away. What went through his mind? Did he realize where he went wrong?I believed Lauren would never forgive him if he didn't realize his mistakes. Even if she forgave him, I wasn't sure if I could.Only I saw what happened before Lauren left. She had narrowly escaped death, and I could understand her pain.I call
Ava, acting like a little adult, quickly introduced Jenny to Lauren. "Aunt Lauren, this is my big sister. Uncle found her for me."Lauren approved, saying, "Your uncle is quite bossy!"Then she turned her attention to Jenny. "Well! What a beautiful girl!"After a brief greeting, she hugged Jenny and spoke in a soft, gentle tone, "Hello there, pretty girl. I have a gift for you."The kids were excited, especially Ava, who loved unwrapping gifts. Ryan was also there, and he was the chef for the day.After hugging my mom, Lauren playfully complained about hunger. "I haven't tasted delicious homemade food in half a year. I've been dreaming about it.""We'll have dinner right away. Chlo, call Atlas and ask how long before he gets back," my mom directed. Now that Grace was here, she played the role of a captain, organizing and managing everything happily.Ava, unable to contain her excitement, asked, "Aunt Lauren, where's my gift?"Lauren laughed. "I thought you'd forgotten. You're
Faced with everyone blaming her for her abrupt departure, Lauren responded with a calm smile, "Actually, leaving was a spontaneous decision. I just wanted to be carefree and wander for a while."She laughed. "So I truly followed my heart. I had no plans. I just wanted to get out there and see the world. I told no one, not even Chlo."Though she spoke lightly, only I knew what she was thinking when she left.I was convinced that her mindset at the time was one of living or dying based on her own choices, which was precisely what I had feared. Fortunately, she returned unharmed.Ivanna asked if Lauren encountered any dangers in the past six months."There are always challenges during a journey," she said with a sad smile. “There were many adventurous moments, including getting lost, crossing language barriers, entering desolate areas, and facing war. But sometimes, when you open up to things, fear disappears..."Oliver listened silently, occasionally serving her dishes but barely e
Ivanna said, "Mr. Atlas is right! I just remembered. I can offer you opportunities too. While our PR department and cases might differ from ATL Empire's, we lean more toward sudden social anomalies."I nodded. "Ivanna's right.""Our PR scope might be broader. Having more mentors is not a bad thing, right? Everyone has different strengths. Mr. Atlas is more business-oriented, and we lean more toward societal issues. Haha... If you learn well, you'll be a top-notch PR professional."Lauren smiled. "I don't care about being top-notch. I just want to work hard and live a meaningful life."I discreetly glanced at Oliver. Lauren's words hit him square in the face. After all these years, she had been living too modestly and unfairly.I did harbor some resentment toward Oliver for this. It was time for Lauren to speak her mind, and Oliver needed to recognize her value.We chatted happily. Later, Atlas, Ryan, and Oliver went to the living room for drinks. The three of us women continued t
When we returned to Lauren's new home, she was instantly stunned by the spacious, bright, and luxurious surroundings. She turned around and hugged us both, choking up with emotion."Thank you! I finally have my own home." Her words made me suddenly feel sentimental and teary-eyed.I patted her back gently and said, "You can be at ease now. This is your world. You don’t need to think about anyone else while you’re here. We’ll both support you, no matter what decision you make."That night, Ivanna and I stayed by Lauren's side. We had a heartfelt conversation in that comfortable environment.We talked until dawn.In the morning, I watched them sleep peacefully, then sighed quietly and left. I needed to go to the hospital to see Trinity.My heart hurt when I saw Trinity. In just a few days, she had lost a lot of weight. Her eyes looked like they were bulging out of their sockets, and she seemed as though she had transformed into a different person.The lack of makeup revealed her t
I looked at her lively expression, and felt relieved. It seemed like all the barriers between us had completely disappeared."I know you're a straightforward person. You’re not looking to take advantage, and this definitely isn’t for personal gain. But I want to make one thing clear. You don’t need to feel the need to become my friend just because I took a hit for you. I’d rather not have a friend like that." Her hand emerged from the blanket, grabbing mine. "That was how it was at first," I admitted without reservation. It felt wrong to hide anything from someone like Trinity. I needed to be honest with her. "I didn't expect you to take the hit for me with no hesitation. It made me feel guilty. I felt bad that I said those cold words to you the night before and made you feel that we couldn't be friends.""That did bother me a lot. It hurt my self-esteem." Her face turned cold."But even though you said we couldn't be friends, you still saved my life. So I felt regretful and gui
I thought for a moment and didn’t refuse. Instead, I asked, "Where should we meet?"Matthew seemed surprised that I had agreed so quickly and eagerly provided the location.I headed straight to the location he mentioned, which turned out to be a club.As a precaution, I called Johnson again in the car to check on the current situation with Matthew.Since I had been busy with matters in Bourdamun, I hadn’t had time to pay attention to them these past few days.As I suspected, Matthew's call was related to the withdrawal of funds between him and Liora.Sure enough, Johnson informed me that the situation was still deadlocked. No one was willing to back down. Strangely, Liora had not signed a contract for Avalon Hills despite not moving forward with the withdrawal of funds.He said that he had followed my advice and was working on stabilizing other projects for Matthew.After ending the call with Johnson, I felt more confident. It seemed that Atticus's prediction was correct. Liora
I responded with a distant smile, acknowledging that his sources were well-informed.Without delving into the specifics of how he knew about my success in Bourdamun, I casually said, "The decision to hold on or let go depends on what aligns with your own interests. I always choose a path that better suits my personal development."Matthew seemed somewhat disgruntled at my response. "It looks like you still have reservations about me, Chlo."I asked, "What do you mean?"I understood what he was implying. He had been unsettled by my smooth journey. He chuckled awkwardly. “I don’t think I could have endured being overshadowed by a woman if you were as helpful as you are now during our time together. Sometimes, I really don’t understand how everything happened the way it did. We were a good match, and you’re still important to me. When we were building the company together back then…”"Let's remain focused on the matter at hand, Matthew," I interrupted, avoiding any reminiscing abou
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