When the doctor saw Chris, he thought he looked familiar but couldn't remember who he was. So, he walked up and asked, "Sir, who are you?""Her next of kin," Markus answered before Chris could say anything. When the doctor realized Chris was here for Kathryn, he nodded and left.Chris walked to the bed. His gaze was full of iciness when he saw Kathryn lying on the bed. Markus had followed the doctor out, so it was just the two of them.When Kathryn saw that Chris was there, her expression turned pitiful."What happened?" Chris looked Kathryn up and down. When he realized she was alright, he sighed with relief. No one knew just how anxious he was on the way there.He almost wished he could teleport to her side. That was how nervous he had been. Nothing had happened to her while they were together, but they'd barely been separated for a day when she ran into such a major incident.Kathryn looked at Chris miserably. "An accident.""On the way to see Wendy?"Kathryn nodded. "Mm-
Chris' smile widened a little when he noticed how hastily she denied everything. "So there really isn't anything?"Kathryn shook her head at Chris' foxlike smile. "Nothing at all."After a second thought, she decided it was better not to take any risks. BreezCorizon would be settled in a few days anyway. When this was all over, she could openly leave Harborlean.That was why she shouldn't be taking any unnecessary risks for now.Chris nodded, but his gaze made it feel like he didn't believe Kathryn. So, her heart skipped a beat. "You have to believe me!"Chris smiled at her. "Why are you so nervous if you're not hiding anything from me?""I was worried you'd wrongfully accuse me, and I'd lose my house and savings!"Chris' smile widened, resembling a mischievous monkey. "You care that much about your house?""Of course I do! I bought that with my hard-earned money!" Kathryn nodded vigorously. Heaven knew how much overtime she had clocked and how many sculpture commissions she
Nowadays … It could happen any day now. Any day now, she would be free to leave. After Markus completed the discharge procedure, he drove them back. However, they didn't return to Rexton Manor but to the famous Sunshine Bay Manor instead. Kathryn knew how legendary this place was. Rumor had it that the owner spent a few hundred million on the land alone before building a private summer villa there.Some developers had previously owned the land, intending to create an entire neighborhood of villas. That was how expensive the land was.No one knew who owned this place. Yet, Chris had brought her here today. When they arrived, the butler and servants were already waiting outside respectfully.When Chris approached them, the butler walked up respectfully. "Welcome home, Mr. Chris!"Home? So Chris was the owner? Kathryn looked at his figure in shock. He really was the mysterious owner.Chris nodded at the butler before turning to look at Kathryn. "Can you walk?""Y-Yes." Kathryn s
After Kathryn and the servant left, Chris got up and walked toward the study, where Markus was waiting. Markus had put out his cigarette in the ashtray as he approached."Are you sure the baby's alright?""Don't worry, both of them are fine. Kathryn got really lucky today."Chris frowned. No one knew how scared he was when he found out the driver had died on the spot—no one except Markus. Markus couldn't help but ask, "You're serious about her?""No." Chris shook his head.Markus raised an eyebrow. "You were worried about her.""I've spent so long planning to get her. Of course I'm worried."Markus was speechless. Not only was he wrong about the situation, he got a brutal reminder of how single he was."Who do you think was responsible for the accident?" Chris asked. After all, she'd gotten into an accident right after they separated. It was natural that he wouldn't believe this was a regular accident.Markus' teasing expression turned serious, and he took a deep breath. "It
The way Kathryn saw it, the Albert family wasn't the richest in Harborlean. Chris alone was. When she took out her phone, Kathryn noticed her phone had been blown up with missed calls from both Tally and Wendy. She ignored Wendy's calls because her plan for today had failed.So, she called Tally. After just two rings, Tally picked up and started talking a mile a minute before Kathryn could say anything. "What happened, Kathryn? Where are you? I beat Wendy up so hard that I put her in the hospital! You know that?"Kathryn's chest tightened. "What's going on?""You tell me! I waited so long for you, but you never showed up! I thought Wendy did something to you, and she insisted she had no idea. So I got desperate and fought her." Tally's tone got more and more anxious. What had happened at the time? Wendy sure knew how to curse. Her insults were not fit for human ears. Of course, she wouldn't let that slide.How could Tally not suspect Wendy after all that? "Um, sorry about t
"I know it's her fault," Kathryn said. Wendy was her mother, but she didn't take her side at all. Besides, she didn't even know if they were actually related. They would need the DNA test results to confirm that."I knew you'd believe me, Kathryn.""Alright, enough chitchat. I need you to find me a DNA diagnostics center.""Mm-hmm, I know. I've already contacted one for you.""How are you so good to me, Tally?" Kathryn was so touched. She'd only just thought of it, but Tally had already done it. Kathryn felt she could die without regrets, having such a good friend."Alright, alright. Get a good look at Sunshine Bay on my behalf. I need my father to stop thinking about it.""Uncle Randall?""Yep. He's been thinking about investigating Sunshine Bay's owner so he could marry me off."Kathryn snorted. She had to admit Randall didn't care about hiding how much he wanted to marry Tally off. Tally had told her about his desire to get a good price for her dozens of times."Then te
Krista's mother had been acting weird since the afternoon, and now she was scolding her too. Krista had already been frustrated by the call, but Savanna's words felt like a punch to the gut. Savanna took a deep breath to fight the emotional chaos inside her before saying, "Just do as I say. I told you, let me handle her."She'd already arranged everything, and Wendy was supposed to take Kathryn away no matter what. But Krista just had to intervene.Krista was getting anxious. "I know what you meant by handling her, but all you're doing is getting her mother to take her away. This isn't a problem you can fix just by taking her away."If Kathryn left, Chris would just convince her to come back. Krista couldn't have anyone marry Chris right now, especially one who was about to host a wedding with him.When Savanna sensed Krista's hateful tone, she said firmly, "Either way, stay out of this!""What's gotten into you today, Mom? Are you protecting the kid now?" Krista couldn't take
Savanna had always said she would handle Kathryn, so she must have known the woman was okay and possibly even her whereabouts. "When Chris took her from the hospital, she was walking on her own, so she should be fine."Coldness flashed in Krista's eyes. Upon hearing that Kathryn was fine and was walking on her own two feet, Kirsta realized that Kathryn had survived the accident unscathed. Krista couldn't help but think that Kathryn was so lucky. The driver had died on the spot, but she was unharmed and able to walk freely. Savanna sensed Krista's coldness and glared at her. "I'm telling you, don't touch her!""So you really are defending her?""Wait, listen here …""Do you know what you look like, Mom?" Krista mocked."I'm just worried you'll piss Chris off if you keep making a mistake like that! This is a crucial time, and Kathryn's too important to Chris. If you harm her, he'll snap."Krista fell silent. She realized that her mother was right. If she couldn't get rid of K
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.