After leaving Adrian's office, I returned to the car. Carol asked, "Are we going back to the company?"After contemplating, I shook my head and firmly said to Carol, "No, let's go to Myra's place."Carol immediately started the car. As she drove, she asked, "When did Melanie escape? Why is that woman always up to something?"I shook my head helplessly at Carol's complaint. "She's digging her own grave. It happened last night. Didn't you hear what Adrian said? Even the prison wardens couldn’t understand what she was doing. If she goes back this time, she’ll never get out again.""She really is causing trouble for Matthew," Carol sighed. "But to be honest, Chloe, Matthew isn't worth pitying. You’re doing him a favor. That family is just..."Carol shook her head disdainfully.I didn’t respond at first. I gazed at the passing streets and sighed. "I honestly don't even know if what I'm doing is right."Carol glanced at me while driving. "I understood what Adrian was saying. Melanie's
Myra paused, then asked with a hint of confusion, "Why are you so eager to send him away? Have you asked for Matthew's opinion?"I shook my head. "No, it's not that. There's been a special situation. Melanie escaped from prison. I'm afraid it might cause trouble for you if she comes looking for the kid."I didn't hide anything from Myra. There was no need to keep this couple in the dark.Myra was astonished, staring at me in disbelief. "What are you saying? She escaped? My goodness, isn't that seeking death for herself? How could she do such a thing?"I sighed and nodded affirmatively. "It's true, it happened last night. Besides, I also considered that we couldn’t keep Charlie here for long. The little boy has his own family."I know you're reluctant, but I'm afraid Melanie is capable of anything, and it might not be good for the child. The child's father, Arton, is Melanie's nemesis. She won't dare act recklessly with him around."I laid out the situation for Myra in detail.My
The Reese family's residential area is quite nice. It had a beautiful environment. I checked, and it was not too far from Myra's place.Upon finding the right place, I knocked on the door, and Annika was the one who opened it.She seemed surprised to see me and took a moment before asking, "Why are you here?"I quickly smiled and said, "I came to see you. I have something to discuss with your family, so I hope I'm not intruding."Annika quickly stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter. She extended her hand and said, "Please come in. May I ask for your name?"I politely replied, "You can call me Chloe."Carol and I entered the house, and in the living room, I saw an elderly man. Judging by his appearance, he was undoubtedly Annika's father, Donovan Reese. Although he had the same eyes as Annika, his eyebrows were thick, giving him a dignified look.Seeing guests at home, the old man quickly stood up, seemingly ready to give up his seat. I said, "Hello, sir. You don't have to l
After some thought, I began, "Mr. Donovan, the reason I came today is to bring your grandson back to your family.”My statement was like a sudden thunderclap, shocking the old man and Annika into stunned silence. Donovan scrutinized me up and down, as if he wanted to see through me, trying to understand my intentions. It was as if he perceived me as a conniving woman using the child to extort them, and he was on high alert."What do you mean? Grandson? Where did this grandson come from?" Annika also wore a face of skepticism, finding it hard to believe what I said.I had to smile again and nod solemnly to assure them that they didn't mishear.Then I said, "Absolutely, without a doubt, he is your grandson. To be precise, he is Arton's son.""What?"Donovan stood up suddenly while looking at me.It was obvious that he now considered me the child's mother.Carol couldn't stand it anymore and spoke sharply to the old man, "Mr. Donovan, please calm down. Chloe is here to discuss
I wasn't sure what Donovan meant. Annika quickly dialed a number, and her expression mirrored Donovan's, inscrutable—filled with joy, excitement, and a hint of nervousness. Her hand that was holding the phone was shaking.Once the call connected, Annika's voice sounded somewhat unsettled as she spoke into the phone, "Arton, where are you? Come back home immediately!"A deep voice echoed from the phone, "What's wrong? Did something happen to Mom and Dad?"Without elaborating, Annika urged, "Just come back as soon as you can!"I could see that Annika was anxious. Meanwhile, Donovan still tightly held onto my phone, staring at the photos without blinking.Judging by his current expression, I was certain he liked Charlie.I moved closer and tried to take the phone, but he clutched it tighter, unwilling to let go. So, I approached him, gently sliding my fingers across the phone screen to show him more pictures.I overheard Annika making another call, presumably to her mother, urging
I looked at Georgina and said softly, "This matter is a bit complicated, and I'd like to wait until Arton comes back to explain it together. Would that be acceptable to you?"At that moment, Donovan cursed again, "This troublemaker, who knows what he's been up to out there? I'm telling you, these are the results of your indulgence!"Georgina glanced at her old partner, signaling him with her eyes. "Hold off on conclusions. Let's hear what Arton has to say. We shouldn't just believe the words of an outsider, right?""What outsider? The photos are right here. What other excuses do we need?" Donovan angrily said, "He's been out there for so long, but has he accomplished anything? Look at him; he's got nothing."I quickly explained, "Mr. Donovan, you really can't blame Arton for this. Arton himself had no idea about the existence of this child.""He doesn’t know?" My words stirred Donovan's displeasure, making him even more furious. "Is he stupid? Doesn't he know what he did himself?
I also turned my gaze toward Arton. I had seen pictures of this man, so I was sure that Charlie was his son.The Reese family's genetic traits were strong. It especially showed in those distinctive eyes they had.Arton's appearance was familiar to me, but his intense hostility was overwhelming. The moment I saw him, I recognized him from the photos, and I also remembered our encounter at Midnight Bar. He was the man I had asked for room numbers when I got lost in the corridor.His eyes had been fixed on me since he entered, showing caution, hostility, and suspicion.Annika looked at her brother, nudged him slightly, and hastily introduced us, "Arton, this is Ms. Chloe.”He remained silent, using his cunning eyes to scrutinize me up and down.I didn't stand up. Instead, I looked at him confidently and asked coldly, "Do you remember me, Mr. Arton?"Arton kept that dark expression on his face and didn't answer my question. However, it was clear that he was very wary of me.I ignor
Annika quickly grabbed the phone and exclaimed, "Dad... That’s Ms. Chloe's phone. What are you doing?"Donovan seemed to realize he had gone too far and remembered that it was my phone. He sneaked a glance at me.I observed the scene calmly and didn’t bother to offer any polite gestures or reassurances like “It's okay” or “It’s not a big deal.”I watched them coldly as a detached spectator. Annika kept apologizing to me."You don't need to apologize, Annika. I'll compensate her if the phone is broken. You don’t need to act like this in front of them!” Arton said protectively.I didn’t know why, but his actions comforted me. It was clear that Arton genuinely cared for his sister and tried to protect her.Arton looked displeased and glanced at me again. "Are you two the cause of this trouble? Explain it to me right now. Who are you two? Don't mention Melanie again. I don't know her."I looked at Arton coldly. "I used to be Melanie's sister-in-law. Now do you know who I am?"Sur
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