He urgently called out to me, "Chloe, I miss Ava."This sentence made me both sad and angry.I turned slowly and looked at Matthew on the bed with a sense of detachment. "Then you need to act like a man even more. Your previous actions have already had a huge impact on her. She's been mocked and beaten in kindergarten, and her injuries haven't healed yet. Reflect on what you've brought to her."I paused for a moment. "You need to be a real man so she can be proud of you one day. You still have a lot to do.”I looked at Atlas, who had been by my side all along. At this moment, I was truly moved. He was my pillar and support. It was this man who carried all the burden for Ava and I."Atlas, let's go," I whispered softly.Atlas nodded, held my hand, and we walked out together. I heard a sobbing sound behind me, followed by loud wailing.The two cops rushed in, afraid that he might do something again.Once outside the ward, I suddenly felt much lighter. During breakfast, I forced a
I nodded earnestly. I knew that only someone who cared for me genuinely could say such things."I know. After helping him clear his name this time, I will step back completely. I just told him not to seek help from me anymore. I have no obligation to always speak up for him. I’ve decided to stop my involvement no matter what.”Lauren looked at me. "You said that yourself. Remember it. Some things should be done for those who deserve them. But Matthew..."Lauren sneered, shook her head, and said, "He’s not worth it, nor does he deserve it. He and Atlas are worlds apart. There's no comparison, not considering their wealth or status. Just based on character, he is a complete loser. “If you ever feel soft-hearted again, think about all the nonsense he did to you before."I chuckled. I felt like a child she was protecting, and what Lauren said was indeed true.Adrian called me again, informing me that he had applied for a trial postponement. This would give us some extra time to gath
When Lauren was discharged from the hospital, I went to pick her up, only to run into Liora in the hospital lobby.Lauren whispered to me, "Why is she everywhere?"I smiled nonchalantly. "I had Grayson check on this before. Liora visits the hospital often because her father’s hospitalized here, supposedly with rectal cancer."Lauren scoffed, "That’s karma. They have done many terrible things.”We talked and laughed. Liora saw us as we headed toward the exit. She cast a sly glance at us and remarked, "I didn't expect you to be out of the hospital so soon. Be careful. Don't get yourself into trouble again."I snorted disdainfully. "Those who do wrong will meet their own downfall. If someone dares to pull something again, she won't be so lucky."When I responded, she stopped and looked at me arrogantly. "Don't get too complacent, Chloe. You should always have a backup plan.”Lauren had always ignored her before, but she couldn't hold back this time. She stopped abruptly and said co
I took a step forward, still scrutinizing her. "Threaten you? I usually don’t bother to do anything like that. I just can't stand your attitude."She looked at me menacingly. "Do you think you're really that lucky? Or do you believe Atlas can protect you?"I looked into her eyes, smiling disdainfully. "He's doing a pretty good job protecting me right now. Anyone who dares harm me will face dire consequences. You've seen more than one example. I wouldn't mind if you tried your luck. Fate will tell who will go to hell"I grinned mischievously. "You were too ambitious. You’ve committed too many sins, and your time is running out."My words angered her, and she raised a hand to slap me.Unfortunately for her, she was shorter than me, and I was prepared. I deftly blocked her and retaliated with a fierce slap of my own.I didn't know if it hurt her, but my hand was numb.After the slap, I looked at her, playfully saying, "How was that? Did it hurt? If you dare lay a hand on me again,
I looked at Oliver apologetically and whispered, "I'm sorry, Mr. Oliver. Don't blame her. She was just insulted because of this moments ago. Of course she’s upset."Oliver nodded with a heavy heart, still looking after the car that had sped away. "There’s no need to apologize. It's not your fault, it’s mine. Thank you for taking care of her."I sighed. "You don’t need to thank me. After all, she got hurt because of me. I'm heading back to the company now."Throughout our conversation, Oliver's eyes remained fixed forlornly on the road, even after the car had disappeared.As Carol and I got into the car, she remarked, "Lauren really doesn’t care about anything, huh? No matter what he’s done, he’s still one of the big shots of Foswood. Anyone would respect him because of that, but look at how she spoke to him.”I sighed softly. "What's done is done."Carol sighed too. "You can tell that Oliver really cares about Lauren.”"The more he cares about her, the more it hurts.”When we r
Poppy had an interesting expression on her face as she said that. Her smile seemed both playful and sly as she looked at me.I knew exactly what was going on. She was trying to play mind games and engage in subtle rivalry with me.I understood what she was thinking. Her words had a bitter undertone to them despite her radiant smile. The true purpose of her visit was likely not as simple as it appeared. She had come all this way to see me, and I didn’t believe it was just a casual visit, especially since we didn’t really know each other. What she said seemed like a joke between friends, but it could also be a provocation between rivals in love. It even sounded like she was gloating.I remained indifferent, pretending not to care. After all, Poppy was no friend of mine.I casually took a sip of the coffee and calmly responded, "Well, Ms. Poppy, it depends on where you heard that."My nonchalant demeanor left Poppy a little perplexed, and I could sense her frustration. I refused to g
I was convinced that she didn’t believe I could be so confident. Maybe I even seemed a little arrogant to her.But I had no intention of backing down. I continued, saying, "It’s just fate. Take Harmony, for example. Even if she transformed herself to be like me, she would still be Harmony, not me.""Harmony transformed herself to be like you?" Poppy asked incredulously."You probably understand Harmony better than me." I chuckled, throwing the question back at Poppy. Then, I explained, "As the saying goes, know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Harmony is your competitor. Don't you understand her?"A moment later, I asked her again, "Was that confusing?" Poppy seemed uneasy. "I envy you for having such confidence."I smirked. "It's not just confidence. If you don’t do anything out of line, nothing will happen to you. Harmony is a tragic example."She also came to me for advice back then, but unfortunately..." I shrugged. I used this example deliberately
Poppy withdrew her hand stiffly, her face turning slightly pale.I offered an apologetic smile. "He's always been reserved. My apologies!"Poppy regained her composure. "No problem."Her smile was dazzling, but I sensed it was only surface-level.Poppy was undeniably beautiful and flawless in every way. Her makeup was impeccable, fitting for a professional actress who effortlessly mastered the art.Desperately maintaining her composed demeanor, she seemed to overlook the recent encounter."I've always wanted to visit your place, but I've been quite busy. You know how it is in our line of work. I have limited freedom, especially for me. It's quite inconvenient for me to step out with those crazy fans," she shared.I chuckled. "I understand. Excessive adoration can be burdensome, even irrational."As I spoke, my gaze remained fixed on her face.With a subtle tone, she added, "I envy your life, having your own career, and getting to enjoy your freedom."I laughed heartily. "Well