Amidst the apparent joy, Krista was sure that Franco had no attention for anything or anyone else."You're so blessed, Ms. Pine," Krista mockingly remarked, instantly silencing the laughter in the room. Frank stood behind Krista. He looked at Franco with remorse, realizing he had failed to prevent Krista's entry. Perhaps it was because Krista had been the previous lady of the house. Frank had forgotten Franco's instructions not to allow her in if she ever appeared again.When Franco saw Krista, his expression turned cold instantly while the smile on Marigold's face froze. She felt awkward.Observing the drastic change in their demeanor, Krista continued, "When I gave birth to Phineas, you were always busy and never home. Now, you know the joy of having a baby at home. What a rare sight!"When Krista gave birth to Phineas, Franco hired the best nutritionist and nanny to care for her and Phineas. At the time, she had appreciated Franco's efforts, but witnessing him personally car
Franco's gaze suffocated Krista, prompting her to take a deep breath. "Did you know that Byron captured Phineas?" she asked, hoping for reassurance that Franco was unaware of the situation.His cluelessness would bring her some comfort. Franco had given all his attention to Marigold's son, a behavior that deeply upset her. Regardless of their strained relationship, Krista couldn't fathom Franco's indifference toward Phineas. After all, Phineas was his son too. Stunned, Franco asked, "Why did he do that?"The friction between the Hunts and the Alberts had not been severe, and Markus and Chris had a close relationship, which usually resolved minor misunderstandings.However, that wasn't the case now.Mocking his ignorance, Krista remarked, "So, you don't know about this, huh? I think you can't see anything other than Marigold's baby right now."Franco's face paled further under Krista's scornful words. Facing his grim stare, she proceeded to explain the entire situation.Phinea
Krista had been self-righteous for years. She believed her actions were faultless. In reality, whenever she couldn't handle her mess, she turned to Franco to clean it up.She had been naïve in overestimating her capabilities. Without the support of the Albert family or Franco, she found herself wondering what tricks she had left."It doesn't matter what kind of trouble I got into. Phineas is still your son. It is a fact that Byron kidnapped him. So, are you going to handle this?" Krista questioned. "Of course, I will handle Phineas. But I will not handle your problems," Franco replied coldly, introducing a distant coldness Krista had never experienced before.Despite their many years of marriage, he left her with a frigid response, unwilling to make her problems his."This is between you and them. You are also the reason why Phineas was kidnapped. I trust that you will get this matter sorted out, yes?"Krista was rendered speechless. Arriving with the expectation of Franco's unw
Marigold found herself at a loss for words.Krista laughed mockingly. "You don't deserve to be one."With that sentence, Krista left abruptly, as unyielding as ever. Her departure emanated a ruthless vibe previously unseen.She would recall today as the day when this place turned its back on her without mercy.An eye for an eye. Since Franco had been heartless to her, she vowed to return the favor tenfold.Krista left the Albert family and returned home. Then, she made several calls to save Phineas. However, given Byron's involvement in the situation, many were reluctant to get themselves entangled.After numerous calls, she was left disappointed.Krista went downstairs after changing. Savanna looked at her, asking, "Where are you going?""To visit the Hunts," Krista replied, her tone now monotonous, no longer as hysterical as it had been at the Albert Manor.The extent of devastation she had endured was evident.During her visit, she felt an indifference she had never expe
Ten minutes later, as Krista's car approached the main road leading to the Hunt residence, she received a call from Savanna.The moment the call connected, Savanna's hysterical shriek echoed through the phone, "Krista, come back immediately!"The fear in Savanna's voice was unmistakable.Krista frowned. "What's the matter with you?""C-Come back right now!" Savanna trembled and said, "I-It's Phineas. Oh, my beloved Phineas. Ah!"Savanna continued to shout hysterically, conveying fear and anguish.Krista frowned. Despite her attempts to understand the situation, Savanna couldn't bring herself to articulate the details. All Krista heard was Savanna's agonized wailing.Her wailing unsettled Krista. "I-I will come back now!"Though she was just about to arrive at the Hunt residence, the intensity of Savanna's hysteria through the phone prompted her to head back. Something dreadful must have occurred at home for her mother to lose control like this.Savanna's cries impelled Krist
Krista lamented, "Why? Why are they doing this to me? What did I do wrong?"Krista only wanted to get the Baydem Group back. Why was everyone treating her like this?Savanna, typically the one to offer suggestions in situations like these, found herself unable to provide an answer at this moment."Everyone thinks I'm cruel, but I have my reasons for being like this. I wouldn't be like this if they didn't mess with me!" Krista barked.Krista was engulfed by anger and despair. She never knew she would encounter this fate after leaving the Alberts. Franco didn't care about her or their son. But was he really so ruthless?Krista held up her phone and took a photo of the bloody box. Then, she sent it to Franco. She wanted to see if he was so cruel as to not care about his son....Meanwhile, Jonathan returned to the room in Byron's villa after receiving a call. He said respectfully, "Sir, Mr. Albert has brought the best medical team to Sunshine Bay. Do we need to keep finding it?"J
Jessica slept well that night. When she woke up the next day, she saw Kathryn, but there was no sign of Byron. So, was last night just a dream?Yes, it had to be a dream. Someone as dignified as Byron wouldn't show up here and even feed her water. Jessica thought this scenario was impossible. Kathryn said, "I asked the chefs to make you some chicken stew this morning. Have some, all right?"Now that Byron was taking care of the bone marrow issue, Kathryn had nothing else to handle besides caring for Jessica.Jessica said, "There are people here to take care of me. You should also get some rest. My recovery can't be rushed."After Kathryn talked some sense into her last time, Jessica was much calmer now. She wasn't as restless as before.In the past, she suffered every time she thought about not knowing when she would be able to leave the hospital. Now, with the realization that she had to live for Kelly's sake, Jessica was determined to give her best effort, no matter the challe
After a night of careful consideration, Krista relented in the face of reality. Franco didn't reply to her message. Yet, Byron kept making his move, forcing her to concede."I'll do it! I'll do it! Just don't lay a finger on him anymore!" Krista shouted hysterically.Savanna, who had been sleeping on the couch, was woken up by her daughter's cries. She already knew what was inside when she saw a box on the coffee table. Oh, Phineas …"Thank you very much, Ms. Preston. Shall I send someone to pick you up?""N-No. I'll go to the hospital myself. Can I see Phineas?" Krista said heartbreakingly.Franco was cruel to the point where he didn't even care about his son. It was all that vixen Marigold's fault. Krista vowed never to forgive that bitch. Yet, she was powerless. All she just wanted to do was to save her son."After the operation, Phineas will be yours. Remember not to do anything, otherwise …" Byron didn't finish his words, but the danger in his tone made Krista's blood boil
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.