Jessica was truly suffering. Since the onset of chemotherapy, it seemed as though she was merely going through the motions of daily life.Kathryn had handled everything for her without a hint of complaint. Lying weakly on the bed, spoke, "Kat.""Yeah?""I'm sorry I'm becoming a burden to you now.""Stop talking nonsense. You're not," Kathryn promptly reassured her. "But I really feel like I'm becoming a burden to you." Jessica genuinely felt like that, especially when she saw how the others looked at her. "I'm thinking of transferring you to another hospital," Kathryn said.Kathryn believed that Krista had manipulated numerous things in this hospital. Despite her unsuccessful attempt to bribe the doctor, Kathryn was convinced Krista had meddled in various other matters.Kathryn acknowledged that there were undoubtedly many occurrences of which she remained unaware, given Jessica's remarks.Choosing not to delve deeper into the matter, Kathryn got straight to the point and
Kathryn no longer trusted anyone at the hospital after what Krista had done.Krista, seemingly unhinged, appeared at the hospital just as Kathryn and Kelly left. However, it wasn't easy for her to see Jessica this time, unlike before. Nalia promptly blocked her. "Mrs. Preston, Ms. Jessica is very weak and needs rest. Please understand."Despite Nalia's courtesy, her demeanor exuded unwavering determination.Krista scoffed at the sight of someone from Sunshine Bay blocking her way. "She's finally scared, I see."She was talking about Kathryn. Krista was convinced that Kathryn avoided arranging hospital care due to her fear for her. Krista took pleasure in the idea of Kathryn facing difficulties, viewing it as just considering the benefits Kathryn had received.Nalia remained silent, head bowed, a steadfast barrier against Krista.Krista glanced at her coldly and instructed, "Get out of the way.""I'm sorry. I can't."Krista's hand met Nalia's face in a swift, forceful slap a
Krista's face contorted with rage as she entered Jessica's ward, straightening her somewhat disheveled clothes. She directed her gaze at Jessica, who lay weakly on the hospital bed and uttered, "I now see the difference when one has a sister skilled in seducing men. You have so many people protecting you even when you're sick. Do you know how subservient Kathryn was in front of Chris for you?"Krista's words pierced Jessica's heart like a dagger. She had made derogatory remarks about Kathryn, whom Jessica cared for the most. Jessica only cast a cold glance at Krista but remained silent.Krista sneered. "Jessica Michaels, I would've just died if I were you. Why do you have to be such a burden? Do you have to be as shameless as your sister?""Enough," Jessica finally spoke.Unlike yesterday, Jessica wasn't devastated when she heard what Krista had said. Her face exuded calmness as she looked at Krista."Enough? How is this enough? Let me tell you—your demise will be at the hands
To Krista's surprise, Jessica managed to hurt her deeply with her words. "You …""I know you hold a grudge against Kathryn, but she's never lied to you. She knew nothing of it."Nobody had told Kathryn about Krista's matter. It was Krista who had been making amends to Kathryn one-sidedly back then, even if she refused to admit it.Kathryn had only accepted what Krista offered without knowledge of the underlying circumstances. Upon hearing Jessica's assertion that Kathryn had never lied, Krista immediately lost her composure. "Shut up, you bitch! You know nothing!"Krista was convinced that Chris was the mastermind behind it all. She thought he had schemed against her upon learning about her lost daughter, manipulating her into willingly surrendering the Baydem Group.Jessica observed Krista's frantic behavior. "You're a pathetic joke."Krista was too stunned to speak. Her breathing deepened, and in an impulsive act, she seized the nearby glass of water, hurling it at Jess
Panicked by the mention of Phineas being at Atlas Casino, Krista struggled to suppress her emotions. "What is the purpose of this call?""Phineas has accumulated a debt of 20 million dollars with us. Mrs. Preston, are you coming here to pick him up, or do you prefer we send him back to you?"The repeated use of "Mrs. Preston" grated on Krista's nerves. It was then that she completely realized what she had lost.She was no longer the powerful and influential lady of the Albert family. She had thought everything would remain the same after being expelled from the Alberts as long as she had money. However, the irony struck deeply as she heard herself addressed as "Mrs. Preston".20 million dollars would have been a trifling matter back then, but things were different now.Krista only managed to calm herself down after taking a few deep breaths. "Yes, I'm Mrs. Preston. But have you forgotten that his father is Franco Albert and his brother is Chris Albert?""But he specifically aske
At that precise moment, Jessica's doctor returned from outside and bumped into Krista, who was engrossed in a phone call.Her phone tumbled to the floor, the screen shattering into countless pieces.The sight of her now-ruined phone pushed Krista, already on the brink of a breakdown, into a fit of enraged screams.Only someone who had experienced a breakdown could understand her feelings. She couldn't release her anger at all, even by shouting.Jessica's doctor, Arnold Burton, was shocked when he saw how hysterical Krista looked. He was momentarily stunned. He then bent over and picked Krista's phone up. However, Krista swiftly seized it back from him, commanding, "Don't move!""Mrs. Preston, you—"Before Arnold could finish his sentence, Krista tightly clutched his shoulders like she intended to claw into Arnold. "I'll give you five million dollars for Jessica's life," she declared through gritted teeth. The call from Atlas Casino was the last straw, and in her distorted ra
Though Kathryn had an instinct to avoid Arthur upon observing his behavior, she knew it was inevitable for her to confront matters with the Winchesters. She eventually nodded.Instructing the driver to take Kelly upstairs to Tara, Kathryn went with Arthur to the café on the company's ground floor."What would you like to drink?" Kathryn inquired Arthur after ordering herself a cup of coffee.Arthur shook his head. "I'm fine. Just order for yourself."His illness didn't allow him to have any of his preferred beverages. Kathryn didn't press further and returned the menu to the waiter. "A cup of coffee will do. Thanks.""Alright. Just a moment." The waiter turned away and left.Arthur gazed at Kathryn, his heart trembling intensely as he noticed her resemblance to his wife. It felt like a dream after so many years."What do you want?" Kathryn cut to the chase, noticing Arthur's prolonged silence. Recognizing that Arthur wasn't there to urge her to return to the family, Kathryn
"Kathryn, you can return to the family whenever you like. She's not stopping you. Both of you can coexist peacefully."Arthur's tone revealed his worry. He had clearly communicated his stance to Kathryn. Nonetheless, Kathryn couldn't shake off the unease that Arthur's words triggered.She understood what Arthur meant. Benjamin was in charge of the entire Winchester Group at the moment, and if he wished, he could remove Susan from the Winchesters. It was only a matter of time. However, Arthur was hesitant about parting ways with Susan. Kathryn interpreted Arthur's words as suggesting that Benjamin's actions were somehow tied to her. It seemed Arthur wanted her to convince Benjamin to allow Susan to remain within the family.She found it amusing when she finally realized that Arthur had been beating around the bush to convey this message."Everything in the Winchester family belongs to you. Susan wouldn't want them. Could you not let her leave the family? We've invested years in ra
After leaving the Hunt residence, Tally made her way directly to Victor's company.Worried she might lose her way, Drew had been waiting downstairs in anticipation of her arrival.When Tally saw Victor, her face lit up with joy."You should've seen Mr. Hunt Senior's expression earlier. He looked like he wanted to eat me alive." Tally couldn't help but laugh.Victor reached for her hand as they sat down on the couch together. "Were you scared?" he asked.As Tally sat down, she casually looked back and noticed a framed photograph on Victor's desk.Out of curiosity, she picked it up and examined it. But with just one glance, she froze in surprise."When... when was this taken?" she asked. Her shock was evident as she turned to Victor.The picture was taken back when they were at Beverly Peak, during his hospital stay after being bitten by a wolf.She remembered looking after him until she herself fell asleep.In the picture, her eyes were closed, her expression peaceful.Victor
What made it even more absurd was that Elijah bought into it, too.Tally couldn't believe Elijah couldn't see through Markus' façade. He actually bought into Markus' excuse that his behavior was all because of her.And now he was acting like he'd rather die than leave her."Fucking hell," Tally muttered inwardly. She wondered who came up with this messed-up plan for Markus.Clearly, Tally couldn't quite grasp how Markus' mental state could deteriorate like this. However, given his history of going insane, this outrageous plan didn't seem entirely implausible.He was perfectly fine when he was with Albert Group, so how did he end up like this back at Skyline Group?Tally just couldn't figure it out.Elijah shot her a sharp look, gritting his teeth as he said, "You, leave!"Zane hesitated, saying, "Sir, but…""Just let her leave!" Elijah insisted.Elijah's words were punctuated by short, hurried breaths.Tally nodded, saying, "Mr. Hunt Senior, you're indeed the more rational o
Elijah and Zane glanced at each other. Then, their stares turned sharper as they both fixed their eyes on Tally.Tally swallowed nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?""You're not even married to Victor, so why are you calling yourself a married woman?" Elijah snapped, his anger evident.Tally remained silent.Observing Elijah's furious expression, she nonchalantly rummaged through her bag, retrieving the marriage certificate and wedding invitation.Then, she handed them over to Zane.Zane took the documents and swiftly flipped them open. His eyes widened in disbelief as he read through them.He promptly handed both documents over to Elijah.As Elijah took them and examined them, his expression darkened significantly upon seeing Tally and Victor's marriage certificate.He was shocked when he saw that their wedding date was today, along with the printed timestamp.In that instant, Elijah's breathing grew heavier.He glared at Tally with an
Tally was completely baffled by what was happening."I've been straightforward about my feelings for him," Tally complained under her breath.From her perspective, if something were to happen to Markus now, she shouldn't be blamed solely for her decision to get married. Victor nodded, saying, "Yeah, I know."Victor had always been aware of this. By now, Markus had become such a puzzle that Victor couldn't quite figure him out.Considering how clear Tally had always been about her feelings toward Markus, it was puzzling how he got himself involved in this mess.This time, Victor didn't accompany Tally to the Hunt Residence. He believed she could handle the Hunt family on her own.The atmosphere at the Hunt residence was incredibly tense at the moment.The moment Tally stepped inside, she could practically feel the frost coming off Elijah. His gaze seemed to pierce right through her.Zane's tone was far from pleasant as he said, "Um, take a look at this."With that, he passed
Tally was pretty happy a moment ago. But now, she was all worked up talking about the Hunts.Earlier on the road, Tally filled Victor in on the phone call she received from the Hunt residence.Victor's lips twitched as he heard the news. "So Markus left a suicide note and vanished?""Exactly. Can you believe the trouble he's stirring up now?" Tally shook her head incredulously.Tally was utterly exasperated with Markus by now. It had been a while since this whole thing started.She had to admit, these days had been incredibly "fulfilling" for her. It was so fulfilling that it almost left her reeling.And it wasn't just Tally struggling to keep up. Even Victor had been taken aback by how things were unfolding.He shot Tally a look of disbelief. "So you're going to the Hunt residence now?""Yeah, I'm going. I want those Hunts to know that I'm officially yours. Let's see if they have more shameless tricks up their sleeves."When it came to describing the Hunts, Tally summed it up
Tally was beginning to see where Markus got his persistent nature from. It ran in the family. It was as the saying went—like father, like son.No sooner had she ended the call, the phone rang again.Tally took a deep breath, reminding herself that today was supposed to be a happy day, not one filled with annoyance.But dealing with these people…After giving it some thought, she hesitantly answered, "Zane!""Ms. Johnson, you might want to come over to the Hunt residence."Tally asked, "What's going on now?"She was almost out of patience with these people.Zane explained, "Mr. Markus left behind a suicide note."Tally's expression froze in disbelief.A suicide note? Tally couldn't comprehend what was happening. She wondered if Markus was pulling another one of his stunts.It had only been less than an hour since Elijah arranged his marriage, and now he went ahead and left a suicide note."Where is he?" Tally raised an eyebrow.With everything happening so quickly, it all f
Looking at her identification papers, Tally let out a sigh of relief.Fortunately, Tally had some knowledge of her father's habits. Otherwise, guessing the password for the safe, which belonged to her comatose father, would have been a daunting task.When Irina called, Tally answered, "Hey, Irina.""Guess what? Markus is engaged!""What?" Tally was shocked.Irina shared her surprise."This time, it seems Mr. Hunt Senior might genuinely have it out for you. We haven't even made a move, and suddenly they're announcing Markus and Sarah's engagement.""Sarah?" Tally was even more surprised.It was only today that they found out who had been secretly admiring Markus. Before they could even step in, Elijah had taken the initiative.It seemed like all these years, Elijah appeared unconcerned, but he actually knew everything.But if he was dead set on hating her, then so be it. Tally couldn't care less.On the other hand, if Elijah truly desired for her and Markus to be together all
Elijah said, "Very well, then."Thinking about his troublesome son, Elijah wondered how he hadn't noticed Markus' extremity in his romantic pursuits before.Elijah was so angry that he couldn't catch his breath.Giving Markus a fierce look, he tried to hold back. Despite that, he couldn't resist putting in one final word, "No matter how much you want to be with Tally, I won't allow it."This time, there was no room for negotiation.At Elijah's words, Markus' eyes turned cold. "I'm afraid you have no say in this.""You..." Elijah's breath hitched as he heard Markus' retort. In a fit of rage, he grabbed a teacup and hurled it toward him.At that moment, Elijah felt an overwhelming urge to lash out at Markus.Elijah insisted, "Regardless of your decision, you and Sarah are officially engaged starting today."His tone was unusually firm.At this point, Elijah wasn't asking for Markus' opinion. He was simply informing him.Regarding Tally becoming Elijah's daughter-in-law, Elijah
Kathryn was confused when Jessica suddenly shoved her into the car and promptly closed the door. With her hand still gripping the door handle, Kathryn looked up at Jessica and suggested, "Uh, how about dinner tonight?"Upon hearing Kathryn's dinner suggestion, Jessica paused before nodding and responding, "Let's talk about it later. I'll give you a call."Jessica seemed really busy, and Kathryn could tell from the way she talked that she was in a rush.Kathryn couldn't help but feel for Jessica as she watched her close the car door and hurried off toward the nearby office building, waving goodbye as she went.Kathryn found herself wondering who Jessica was in such a rush to meet.Kathryn couldn't resist stealing a glance back as the car pulled away. In that brief moment, Kathryn's heart skipped a beat as she saw Jessica walking alongside Lloyd. They were heading toward the glass doors of the building.Before Kathryn could double-check what she saw, the car had already turned.