The way Markus had phrased his question indicated he had found his answer.Tally felt sweat forming as anxiety gripped her. She had always been fearless. Yet, she couldn't help but tremble at that moment."Are you going to tell me yourself, or should I take the lead?" Markus' tone grew sharper while Tally still kept silent.Tally tried to sort through her jumbled thoughts. However, she failed no matter how hard she tried. She realized she was truly in a predicament this time. It was impossible to hide what they did from Markus now. Tally was still unable to reply to Markus after a long time. Her sense of helplessness deepened. But Markus was incredibly patient. He only looked at her silently.His cold and piercing gaze made Tally unable to hide anything from him. Tally eventually lowered her head."What does Mr. Albert plan to do?" Tally didn't answer his question directly. She wanted to know what were the consequences first.Tally and Kathryn had been tearing their hair out
"How could Kathryn have done this, knowing how hard it was to establish a career at Harborlean?" Markus asked.Tally was more distressed for Kathryn when she heard Markus had blamed Kathryn for everything.She couldn't help but think they were nothing but capitalists.Despite her feelings, Tally didn't dare to rebut him. She took a deep breath and said, "She doesn't have the nerves. You know it."Markus was silent."Don't you know how timid she is?"Yet, Markus didn't say a thing."Mr. Albert really did rape her. She just didn't dare to bring it up!"It was true. Kathryn had lost her virginity that night. Yet, she had no choice but to keep it to herself. She was afraid of losing her job and her home. While conducting his investigations, Markus had wondered which woman would have the nerve to scheme on Chris. It was at that moment he realized how bad the issue was. "Is there anything else you've withheld from us?" Markus asked seriously.Kathryn had been meeting up with Tal
Tally knew how despicable Markus was, evidenced by the extent of his probing questions. However, she didn't dare to speak her mind. She whimpered, "Please, I beg you."She sounded pitiful and weak.Markus remembered Tally's tenure in the sales department. She was the top performer of the department, well known for her bold and energetic personality. She definitely looked different right now.A sense of interest flashed across Markus' eyes. "I can help you, but I have one condition.""W-What condition?""You must join Skyline Group and hit a sales target of ten million dollars.""T-Ten million dollars?""Why? Is it impossible for you to achieve it at Skyline Group? You held the record for the highest sales target achieved at Albert Group.""Is this the only condition?""Are you onboard?" Markus looked at Tally, who was surprised, with interest.Tally had yet to perceive the underlying motive in Markus' suggestion. She believed it was offered in good faith, with the company's i
Tally was eager to tell Kathryn about the good news after she left the café. However, remembering what Markus had told her, she promptly terminated the call. Markus had told her to keep it a secret. Given his assurance to handle the matter, Tally believed there was nothing left for her to do. Besides, she didn't want to cause more problems. Markus watched Tally climb into the car from the café. He took out his phone and sent Chris a message. The text was brief. It merely said, "It was Kathryn."...Meanwhile, Chris had arrived at Albert Manor with Kathryn.Franco had wanted Chris to come back alone. When he noticed that Chris brought Kathryn with him, his face darkened.During his hospitalization, Chris had never once visited him. He did show up once at the hospital, but only to fetch Kathryn. Resentment surged within Franco at the thought of that. "Why did you bring her with you?" Franco's question was forthright, voiced in Kathryn's presence. It was clear how much he despis
It was obvious that Krista harbored doubts that Chris would simply let her have what she wanted. She scrutinized him intently, not trying to hide her intentions.She looked at Chris' face to see what he was thinking, but he wasn't a kid anymore. He was a man now, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking as easily as before."A-Are you serious?" Franco recovered from his thoughts and glared at Chris.He had planned to threaten Chris and Kathryn to divorce with his shares. He couldn't believe what he had just said. He doubted if Chris was truly willing to give it all to Krista.Chris sneered. "Of course. Also, the public would dredge up your old stories again."Franco kept silent."Can you still promptly quell the public opinion about you and this woman?"Franco was so furious that he could hardly breathe.Kathryn looked at Chris shockingly. If Franco dared to do it, Chris would use public opinion to attack them. It was a truly ruthless move.Seeing Franco's completely darke
Kathryn looked at Chris. She didn't know he could be so despicable. He was such a dangerous man. A moment of carelessness while with Chris could lead to irreversible consequences. Living alongside him was truly demanding. At the thought of that, Kathryn felt like crying. Her mind was such a mess. She had no interest in what was happening in the Albert family. She was dreading to attend the medical check-up that afternoon.With Chris present at the Albert Manor, she couldn't find any excuse to avoid the medical check-up. Her headache was becoming increasingly severe.Franco was determined to dissuade Chris from holding a wedding ceremony with Kathryn. The news had already caused such an uproar at Harborlean. He wanted everything to stop.Franco took a few deep breaths to suppress the tension he felt. "Cancel the wedding. I'll agree to whatever you want." Franco decided to compromise. After all, the Alberts were the wealthiest family in Harborlean. He couldn't bear the thought
Kathryn realized why Chris wanted to follow her to Albert Manor today. He had his plans. If everything went accordingly, he would soon have complete control. She would receive the 100 million dollars he'd promised upon achieving his goal. She couldn't believe she would be getting it soon. She had initially thought it might take years.Kathryn couldn't contain her excitement.Franco realized what had happened when he heard the grievance in Krista's tone. Displeased, he looked at Chris. He wanted to say something, but Chris seemed uninterested in furthering the conversation. "I'll announce the cancellation of the wedding ceremony once I take charge of the project.""You won't cancel the ceremony first?" Franco's face darkened even more. He was completely under his son's control. He was shocked at how ruthless Chris was.Years had passed since Franco had seen him last. He was taken aback by how much he had changed. Franco felt that control had slipped away upon his return. Fra
Franco knew his son all too well."Do you think he married that girl because he liked her?""Didn't he?""It was only a marriage of convenience," Franco said sullenly. He had carried out investigations as well. That was why he knew Chris and Kathryn's marriage was a marriage of convenience. It made things more difficult for him."Even if we got rid of her, he could still find someone else for another marriage. Do you think it can be settled?"Krista knew it as well. That was why she also knew that just getting rid of Kathryn wouldn't solve the problem. She was reluctant. She wasn't willing to give up all her hard work."Just give it to him first.""If Chris gets everything, what about Phineas, then?" Krista looked at Franco aggrievedly.Phineas Albert was Krista and Franco's son. He was still in senior high school. Krista wanted to safeguard the foreign subsidiary from Chris on his behalf. She had never shown any desire for assets in front of Franco, but she had no other
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.