I scrutinized her carefully. Honestly, she was beautiful, but there was a hint of naivety about her. She had a subtle lack of sharpness that I couldn't quite put my finger on.Her answer was affirmative. I gestured and said, "Let's go to my office."Carol quickly brought us another glass of water when she saw us return.I gestured for the girl to sit while I took a seat on the sofa.I looked at her and asked, "Why are you here to see me?""Ms. Chloe, Ms. Trinity asked me to tell you that she and Ms. Stella are visiting the Avila family," she informed me."The Avila family? What else did she say?" I asked urgently. "When did she tell you that, and why didn't she call me directly?""She didn't say anything else, and she couldn't call you directly," the girl replied calmly. "If there's any new information, I'll come see you. Also, she gave you this as evidence for the trial."As she finished speaking, she handed me a tiny USB flash drive.I quickly took it, laying it in my palm t
I stepped into the elevator and immediately dialed Atlas, asking if he was in the office."Yeah, just finished a meeting," he replied.I instructed him to wait for me in the office, assuring him I'd be there soon.Skipping the lobby, I headed straight to the underground parking lot. I hopped in my car and drove straight to ATL Empire.Since my relationship with Atlas was confirmed, I rarely visited ATL Empire to avoid unwanted attention. The probing gazes were something I hadn't quite gotten used to.Today, as I entered the building in a hurry, I paid no attention to how others looked at me. I greeted the receptionist and headed upstairs right away.Atlas was indeed waiting in his office. When he saw me, he walked out with a smile, pulling me into a warm embrace.Looking down at me, he asked, "What's got you rushing over here like a fire's lit under you? Are you coming to me for comfort?"Without hesitation, I nestled against him. Looking up, I recounted the incident with Lola,
His kiss left me all flustered and disoriented. Playfully, I slapped him and said, "Be serious. You’re always like this."He spoke with deep affection, "I haven't seen you for half a day.""You're getting clingier." I scoffed, giving him a stern look."Is that a bad thing?" He shrugged.I scolded him, "Quick, call Adrian. It'll take some time for him to get here. Can you focus on some real work?"Unabashed, he continued pecking my lips. "You are my real work."I sighed in resignation, giggling as I dodged him. "Were you like this, clinging to me when we were kids?"He immediately retorted, "Nonsense. Back then, it was you clinging to me."This time, I dismissively said, "Sure, I can't remember anything now. Feel free to make up whatever, and I'll believe you."The mention of this topic weighed heavily on my heart. I appeared sad, saying, "If I can't remember anything, it's a terrible situation. Whether it's something beautiful or sorrowful, I wouldn't know."I couldn't accept
I promptly ended the call and dialed Noah's number, instructing him to send someone to drive Lauren back to Foswood.With that sorted out, I called Ivanna, but her phone was switched off.A sense of unease crept over me, and I turned to Atlas, asking, "Are you really not aware of Jared's whereabouts lately? What's going on with him? This is so irresponsible of him! I used to have a good impression of him, but now he seems so unreliable."At this point, I was furious.Atlas became serious too. "I really haven't heard from him. Don't worry, I'll find him."Hearing his assurance, I spoke with a commanding tone, "Don't just placate me. You must find him quickly. If anything goes wrong, I won't take responsibility. Tell him that he’s going to lose his son if he doesn’t straighten things out as soon as possible. Got it?"Atlas raised an eyebrow and nodded while maintaining a serious expression.Seeing his attempt to act earnestly, I couldn't contain my anger. "Stop pretending to be al
I felt like I had been struck by lightning, freezing in place as a chill enveloped me.Ivanna was too impulsive! At this age, couldn't she think more empathetically? Couldn’t she consider what she could do to fight for herself?I sensed an unprecedented sense of helplessness.Seeing me standing there like a statue, the medical assistant seemed a bit startled. She looked at me and asked, "Are you okay? Do you feel unwell? Do you need help?"I collected myself, shook my head numbly, and weakly asked, "How long ago did she leave?"She seemed a bit perplexed by my question. "Are you talking about Ivanna?"I nodded.She responded indifferently, "She left quite a while ago."I thanked her in a soft voice. She just raised an eyebrow and continued with her work, paying no further attention to me.As I turned around in a daze, I pondered. She must have gone home by now. At this moment, she must be feeling lonely and helpless, needing care more than ever.With these thoughts, I ran out
Suddenly, she burst into laughter, an unrestrained laugh that it sent shivers down my spine.I was utterly bewildered. "Ivanna, don't do this!"She laughed even more sinisterly, making me feel uneasy. I grabbed her and said, "Ivanna, stop laughing. Wake up, don't be like this, listen to me..."She abruptly shook off my hand and looked at me. "What's wrong? What should I listen to? I... I'm fine, I didn't do anything..."I stared at her in confusion, not understanding what she was saying.After a while, I finally processed her last few words.She didn’t do anything?I got angry and yelled, "Stop laughing and talk to me properly!"Seeing my expression, she realized I was genuinely upset. She suppressed her laughter and looked at me."I... I didn't do it. The baby is still here. I couldn't bear to do it. Chloe... I couldn't bear it." Her voice grew quieter as she spoke.Listening to her words, I stared at her dumbfounded before questioning, "Explain. What happened? Did you reall
She looked at me, utterly helpless. I knew she genuinely loved this man."But if you decide to give up without even talking to him, that’s a big problem, Ivanna. Do you understand?""But... This is too embarrassing!""You’re just two people in love who’ll have a child of your own. How is that embarrassing?" I asked.When I saw that she wasn’t arguing, I continued, "Jared can also judge your character based on this incident and your actions. He might choose not to be with you because you’re too self-centered or irrational. Do you understand? You’re torturing us."When she heard me say that, she suddenly became nervous and started glancing at me.She shook my shoulder and said, "Alright, don't be mad. I was wrong. Can't you forgive me? I’m just so frustrated! I feel like he doesn't care about me, and I'm afraid to ask for his opinion."She lowered her gaze and continued, "But when I was on the operating table, I couldn't bear to go through with the procedure. I want to keep this c
I couldn't help but glance at Oliver. I thought he was the kind of man who only realized what he was missing after he lost his partner. He probably wanted Lauren right now."What are we supposed to do now that you’re weak and sick? Why do you do this to yourself?" Lauren walked in briskly, pulled Ivanna along with her and said, "Hurry upstairs and lie down."I sniffed disapprovingly and said to Lauren, "There’s no need to blame me for this. Ask her about it yourself."Then, I turned to Oliver and said, "Please come in, Oliver. Why are you…”Before I could finish my sentence, Lauren said, "You should go now, Mr. Oliver. There's nothing here for you, and I'm safe. Don't worry. Thank you for escorting me back today. This is about us women, and there’s no need for you to stay. Please leave."Oliver awkwardly nodded and said to me, "Take care of her. I'm leaving."He turned and left. He seemed compliant.Lauren closed the door before the elevator even arrived.I bent down to pick