"Chris …" Mia called out pitifully, her face showing no trace of the arrogance she'd shown Tara. Right now, she was like a helpless damsel.Chris' face clouded over. "Let go!""Please don't be mad at me anymore, Chris. Okay? I surrender. I was wrong." Even though Chris was being cold, Mia still thought he was just throwing a tantrum.After Grace kicked her out of the Miller residence, Mia understood just how much she couldn't bear to lose Chris. She'd been living in hell for the past few days.On the other hand, Chris' gaze only grew colder when Mia begged him. He knew Mia as a prideful, confident woman, but now … only disgust flashed in his eyes. "Let go!" His voice had no warmth, and Mia froze when she sensed that. She didn't expect that even though she'd acted so submissively, Chris still …Was he heartless? How could he do this? "I've already apologized. What more do you want?" Mia's tears fell, making her look so pitiful that anyone would feel sympathy for her.However,
Mia stared at him numbly, at his gaze that was so cold, it felt like he was cutting her into a thousand pieces. When she looked back at Chris, her tears were still falling."Are you really doing this to me?" she asked.Chris didn't answer, but his anger made it very obvious that he didn't want to waste his time with her anymore.When Tara noticed Mia was still bothering him, her tone got even firmer, "Ms. Davis, you'll look bad if we have to call security to get you out."Mia and Chris didn't respond, but Chris looked up at Tara with a hint of admiration in his gaze. Markus had a good eye for talent. Meanwhile, Mia was completely frozen and still looking at Chris. When she realized he didn't react at all, not even when Tara said she'd call security, her heart … It bled so much, it hurt. Was he really this cruel to her nowadays?"Do you really want things to get that bad, Ms. Davis?" Tara's tone got colder when Mia wouldn't budge.Mia looked at Chris, who still hadn't reacted.
When Mia saw Elise, the tears she'd cried in the office fell once again, shocking Elise into silence. When she saw Mia cry so suddenly, her heart almost leaped into her throat.No way. Didn't Chris have a fight with Kathryn? He needed Mia's comfort the most in a time like this. Why did he kick her out?"I'm leaving, Elise," Mia said after taking a deep breath. Before Elise could answer, she walked toward the elevator.Tara didn't follow Mia. Instead, she shot Elise a cold look. "Mr. Albert has a message for you.""What is it?" Elise asked arrogantly. She already hated Tara to the bone."He wants you to finalize your pay with the HR department.""W-What? What did you say?" Elise's arrogance was gone in the blink of an eye. She looked at Tara in disbelief.Her father, Ben Schiffer, was a very important man in Harborlean. Her job at Albert Group was to learn how to run a company. That was what he told her when she got handed over to Markus.So, she tried her best to get close to C
Elise had truly underestimated that country bumpkin. Elise didn't know she was this capable. When she didn't say anything, Markus stood coldly and made his way outside. He'd just passed Elise when she grabbed him and said, "Mia was here!""And you let her in again?"Elise fell silent. Fury flashed in Markus' eyes. "Have you forgotten what I told you?""I—""You still haven't learned to stay in your lane, have you?"Elise was speechless. How was she supposed to stay in her lane? Chris was the only reason she came to Albert Group. She thought that once Markus left, she'd get to be executive assistant.But judging by how quickly Tara had adapted to the incident just now, she could kiss that job goodbye. So, she might as well fight to become Mrs. Albert. That was why she was so desperate to get rid of Kathryn."If that's the case, you can go." Markus' face fell, clearly a sign that he didn't want to waste time with her anymore.Elise paled. "What did you say?"Did he just ask
In the meantime, Kathryn was with Tally. Since Kathryn still needed to pick Chris up before going back to Rexton Manor, she ate dinner with Tally at their old favorite restaurant nearby.Tally gave Kathryn a piece of chicken. "The chicken's grilled perfectly today. Try it.""You try some too!" Kathryn said. She loved meat, but it never tasted as dry as her grandmother used to make it.At first, she thought tender chicken was delicious. But after some time, she thought old hen meat tasted better.As Tally ate, she said, "I think your suspicions are valid. What kind of mother treats their own daughter like that?"She recalled what Kathryn had told her. Never mind Kathryn; Tally herself had secretly suspected Wendy wasn't her real mother. For a supposed mother, Wendy barely did anything. How many hardships had Kathryn gone through with her grandmother? How many setbacks had she experienced? Would she have stood by and watched if she were her real daughter?"If it's like you said,
Kathryn was a bit worried about Tally's confidence, so she said, "She does work on the farm year-round." Wendy was obviously a strong woman.Tally did have a fiery temper, but she'd never be as strong as Wendy was.Tally asked, "Have you forgotten I'm a 7th-degree taekwondo black belt holder?"Oh, right! Never mind Wendy, Tally probably could have beaten ten Wendys at once. How could she have forgotten that? Kathryn felt reassured. "Alright. Tomorrow, it is.""Have you told Chris about your suspicions?""No." Kathryn shook her head. "Then it's better if you don't say anything," Tally said. After all, this wasn't a good thing. Besides, things were awkward between them right now. They weren't a couple because their marriage was a sham. But their marriage wasn't a total sham either because they had a baby on the way.Kathryn was having enough trouble trying to keep the baby. She didn't even know what their relationship was, so she didn't want to tell him anything.Kathryn under
Chris grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms when he saw her panicked. "You silly girl!" he said in resignation.He had to admit Kathryn was a special kind of stupid when it came to love. Didn't he just ask her to feed him? Why was she so scared? How much did she care about her house and money? Was she that scared he'd take them all away?She was such a materialistic girl. It was like she'd never seen money in her life before. Kathryn's expression became even more pitiful when Chris called her silly. Before she could say anything, Chris continued, "What did you call me before you went out?"Kathryn thought for a moment. Before she went out? She recalled seeing Tara and Mia there. That was … basically a public death by embarrassment. Just recalling it made her blush."Answer me," Chris said more forcefully when Kathryn didn't reply."Um, d-darling! If you don't like it, I won't call you that again," Kathryn stammered, looking even more pitiful as a result. First, he w
Kathryn didn't know how she got back to Rexton Manor with Chris. Before they left the company, Chris ate the food she'd brought him.So, by the time they returned to Rexton Manor, Cara had already left. In the past, Kathryn wouldn't have thought much of it. Now, she would get jumpy whenever she was alone with Chris."What are you standing around for? Aren't you going to take a shower?""I-I want to sleep in my room tonight!""What's the point if you're a sleepwalker?"Kathryn fell silent. She had forgotten about that. She used to fall asleep in her room, only to wake up with her whole body wrapped around Chris. Was it her fault Chris had become like this?The more Kathryn thought about it, the more she blushed. She looked at Chris nervously, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.When she remained motionless, Chris raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"Kathryn was conflicted as she looked at Chris. "Um, would you believe me if I said I wasn't trying to seduce you?""Would
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.