While we chatted, we left the house together. He went to drop off the kids, and I headed straight to the office.As we passed by Ivanna’s building, I couldn't help but glance up, thinking that those two should have parted ways by now.The court date for Matthew's trial was finally set, sparking a new round of public outcry. The twists and turns of this case had kept everyone on edge, but now, with the overwhelming public pressure, there was no suspense left for the trial.Adrian had everything ready.Not long after, Eleanor also walked into the office, bringing a stack of materials and last month's sales report.I looked through it, and the increase in sales was significant. I smiled at her, "This month isn't even the peak season for renovations, right? The sales increase is impressive."She smiled contentedly, "Ever since the store changes, the number of customers has noticeably increased. With your enthusiasm and the motivation of those people, how could sales not go up? Our st
He quickly rubbed his hands together and said, "Well, Ms. Chloe, I might be a bit overly concerned, but the girl’s wish is a big deal."I nodded lightly, responding to him."You may not know, but my brother raised me from childhood to adulthood. My niece has this little wish, and I always want to help her fulfill it. So, I took the liberty to see you."He spoke with sincerity, something I could understand."The reason I brazenly came to see you is that you can pay a little more attention to her during her interview. After all, this girl is determined to join Tanum. Of course, I don't mean to pull any strings. It's just that, when it's convenient for you, pay a little more attention to her."I gave a faint smile, but I was speechless. I noticed that I didn't particularly like this person. Clearly, he wanted to use Arthur's relationship to get his niece in, yet he insisted that he was not doing so.If she was so outstanding, why not let her undergo a regular interview?And why be
At this time, Grayson walked in, asking, "What's up?"Grayson's men approached too, and when I saw him, I quickly straightened up and asked, "You're back? Where's Ryan?"Before I could ask any more about Ryan, Grayson suddenly strode toward me and took the stone from my hands. Astonished, he asked, "Chloe, where did you get this?"I explained, "Didn't I tell you? It's a gift from someone.”Grayson held the stone carefully, examining it closely like he was holding a precious treasure. When Lauren saw his surprised expression, she scoffed. "Do you really need to exaggerate like that?" Grayson ignored Lauren and continued to scrutinize the stone in his hands. "Who gave this to you, Chloe?"I sensed that something was strange, so I pressed, "What's wrong? I got it from Archie’s friend in Solaris.”Grayson’s eyes remained fixed on the stone.He finally looked up, asking, "Do you know what this is?"I was confused by his question and replied, "Isn't it just a stone? What's with it?
Grayson smiled helplessly when he heard Lauren's words."You don't understand. Its value lies in its significant scientific research value due to its rarity. It's not just about money, of course. Its value can't be measured with that, after all." Grayson seemed well-versed in the subject as he explained it to us."The rarity of this meteorite is self-evident, and the scarcity of a meteorite determines its own value. Generally speaking, the fewer there are, the higher the value. You understand the principle of rarity equating to value, right?" he asked Lauren.Lauren nodded. "Isn't this just something that fell from the sky? So it's valuable because it's rare?"Grayson chuckled at Lauren's words, "You're being too simplistic. The value of these meteorites needs to be scientifically verified now. As far as I know, they come in many different qualities, depending on the planet they originated from and the substances they contain. There are many intricacies involved. It's very complex.
Grayson stopped in his tracks and glanced at me."Are your people still keeping an eye on Denton? I received word that he's returning to the country," I askedd."Absolutely. Rest assured. It's not just my people. Dylan’s team is watching his every move too." "And about Trinity and Stella in Yare, do you know anything about that? I got word from Trinity herself.""Yare?" Grayson repeated, furrowing his brows. "I don't know anyway about that. And she's with Stella?""That’s right. Grayson, I feel uneasy about this." I confessed my concerns to him."I'll find out more. Does Mr. Atlas know about this?""I haven't told him much yet, but I'm starting to feel worried." The whole situation weighed heavily on my mind.In truth, I didn't dare tell Atlas everything. I was afraid that if I expressed too much worry, he might hide things from me in the future."Don't worry. I'll get back to you with some updates," Grayson assured me before leaving.After they were all gone, I looked at th
After finishing the call with Atlas, I glanced at the precious stone and carefully placed it in the safe in my office.I didn’t care much for money, but I couldn't just leave a priceless gem that was worth billions lying on my desk, could I? To those who didn’t know, it was just an ugly rock that clashed with my office decor. To those who did know, it might seem like I was showing off.Honestly, I wished I could return it. Accepting such a valuable gift without reason didn't sit well with me.I looked at the small glass bottle, remembering Atlas's words. I hesitated for a moment, then placed it back in my bag. One thing was certain—it wasn't an ordinary item.At noon, we all went to the second floor of the building for our working lunch.In the evening, while at work, I happened to encounter Adelaide Mcclain.It wasn't a deliberate encounter, but a 'coincidental' one.Before that, Carol had come to my office and mentioned that the girl didn’t look as good as her resume. And I
When she heard my question, Hana casually mentioned a city's name. Before I could clearly hear which city it was, she smoothly changed the topic."I'll review the drawings again before my vacation and get everything ready in advance, Chloe. That's just how design work is. You can't let your mind idle even when you're away," Hana told me. "I might be on vacation, but my brain won’t be able to stop working.”I chuckled. "I know you're dedicated. You can take a longer break this time. I'll give you a month off.""Really?" Hana seemed genuinely surprised."Yes, really. Things will get busy afterward. Take this time to rest well and prepare for what's to come," I said, packing up my things.Just then, Ivanna called. Hana quickly gestured toward the door, picked up her belongings, and left my office.I answered. "You’re awake?""Yeah. I’m thinking about what to eat." Ivanna sounded relaxed, as if nothing had happened."You’ve reconciled with Jared, and you don’t even have a thank you
I understood Lauren was worried about embarrassing Jared."No worries. After all, you're the eldest. Some things are hard for Ivanna to say. You're the big sister of the family, and it's only natural to speak to him about it," I told Lauren."Alright, I'll see how it goes."We walked out together, and at the elevator, we saw Adelaide. She noticed me coming out and quickly put on her standard smile. "Ms. Chloe, are you also done for the day?"I nodded, and Lauren's eyes shifted to Adelaide. She asked casually, "Is she new here?"“Mhmm,” I responded without introducing them.We reached the underground garage and got into our respective cars. I headed straight to the club Theo chose.The location of this club made it convenient for me to return to Pleca Park. I didn't rush to get out of the car. Instead, I called Atlas, and he answered promptly. "Honey!""Are you going with Jared later?" I asked directly. "I noticed that the place I'm going to is closer to Pleca Park, so let's j
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