Kathryn felt her breath catch as she was pulled to sit on Chris' lap."Mr. Albert.""Have you always been such an honest person?" Chris asked coldly. He thought she had confessed too quickly.Kathryn nodded vigorously. "Yes, I've always been this honest."Chris chuckled as he stroked Kathryn's jaw. "I believe you've heard what Mr. Huber said just now?""What?" blurted Kathryn. Lewis had said so many things just now that she wasn't sure what Chris was referring to. The next moment, Chris responded, "He said he's leaving you in my care. I'll be your guardian from now on. Clear?""I don't need a guardian anymore!" Kathryn didn't understand why Chris said that and stuttered."Of course, you need one with that brain of yours."Kathryn was too shocked to speak and found herself almost breathless. She wondered what he meant when he made that comment about her brain, and it made her question herself. Yet, she didn't dare to argue. Although Chris appeared to be smiling, he also se
Chris shook his head with resignation as he observed Kathryn's reckless actions. Cara had been waiting downstairs after receiving a phone call about their return. As soon as Kathryn stepped out of the car, Cara approached her. "Welcome back, Madam."Kathryn nodded in acknowledgment. Then she quickly made her way out of Chris' sight with Cara's help.Markus drew the divider curtains open. He asked, "Where are we going?"Chris gazed in the direction Kathryn had left. Markus followed his line of sight and smiled. "She's not someone who could stand being scared like this."Everyone in the Albert Group knew how timid Kathryn was, but Chris didn't think so. A mocking look crossed his eyes as he said, "I don't think she's timid."Markus looked at Chris in surprise. He finally figured out why Chris declared their marriage. It was because Krista had gone to Rexton Manor yesterday to taunt Kathryn. But they heard Kathryn did not suffer any losses and even made Krista leave the manor dis
Since Chris said she could get off work, Cara set the bandage and disinfectant beside the medical kit.Chris disliked outsiders. As such, his servants would clean and cook for the household but never stayed overnight.Kathryn was in the bathroom. She was examining her injured lips. She had bitten them out of nervousness in the car earlier. As she touched them, she felt pain. "Ouch!" She wondered why she didn't feel the pain in the car. Perhaps she had been too frightened.Startled by noises from Chris, Kathryn's hand trembled. She was holding a cotton swab right in front of her face. Due to being startled, she accidentally pressed it on her painful wound. Wincing, she reflexively tossed it away.Kathryn turned and saw Chris standing at the door. She was unsure of when he had arrived. He strode towards her while emanating an oppressive air. Kathryn wanted to step back, but the sink was behind her. She had no place to escape. Her hands gripped the sides of the sink tightly in
According to the information he gathered, she was abandoned by her mother at a young age. Those words couldn't describe the hardships she endured during her growth. However, Chris' expression hardened when he heard her say, "As long as I'm not starving."Kathryn nervously lowered her head when she noticed Chris' silence and darkened face. "Mr. Albert, I assume you've never been starved?" His grip on the disinfectant cotton swab froze. A storm was brewing in his eyes. "Yeah!" he said in a deep voice. His eyes were as cold as ice.She didn't dare to continue after she heard his cold tone. Her instep felt much better after the dressing was changed."You can't take a bath tonight," he said as he tidied up the first aid kit."I want to wash my face!" Kathryn exclaimed.She was annoyed that she couldn't take a bath. Yet, she couldn't handle the pain if her injury came into contact with hot water either."Are you a clean freak?" Chris snorted when he heard her dreary tone.Kathryn sh
Kathryn snapped back to reality when she sensed his chilling presence. "M-Mr. Albert!"Her startled voice made the coldness in Chris' eyes instantly subside. He made his way to the master bedroom. "Get some rest.""Oh, okay!" Kathryn nodded. She became even more cautious when she sensed his displeasure.Chris reappeared just as she was about to make her way back to her room. Kathryn watched as he came to her side. "Mr. Albert!" she called out softly.He picked her up and walked straight to the guest room."Did he specifically come out to take me back to my room?" Kathryn buried her little face in his chest and blushed profusely as she thought about this.Chris sat her on the bed and ruffled her soft hair. "Get some rest.""Okay!" Kathryn nodded. Her face was as red as a tomato.He left the room and closed the door.Not long after, his angry voice could be heard outside, presumably making a phone call to Albert Manor.Kathryn thought that her relationship with her mother was b
Kathryn was timid but not foolish! She had a strong sense of right and wrong. Wendy had abandoned her back then, so Kathryn had no reason to keep in touch with her now.Kathryn drifted off to sleep after the voices outside died down.She developed a high fever in the middle of the night. It was most likely because of her foot injury. She had been exposed to the cold wind outside during the day and had also been running around the snowy woods. The high fever left her feeling parched. Kathryn tried to prop herself up to find some water, but her feet gave out as soon as they touched the ground, and she collapsed onto the floor.Chris intentionally left his door open when he went to bed that night. He was jolted awake by the loud bang because he was a light sleeper. His dark eyes shone brightly in the darkness. He got up, turned on the bedside table, and went straight to Kathryn's room to check on her.Chris stood in the hallway, opened the door, and saw Kathryn struggling to get u
Chris had no idea what Kathryn was dreaming about, but she kept saying, "Grandma, I'll be good. I'll be a good girl …""Was she disobedient when she was a child?" he wondered.In the end, he had no choice but to strip her naked when she saw her face turning redder and redder.Kathryn involuntarily shivered from the cold when her clothes were removed.On the other hand, Chris felt parched as he looked at her slender and well-proportioned body.He knew she was timid, yet she had a healthy appetite. He could only imagine how many girls must be jealous of her. She managed to maintain such a good figure despite her hearty eating habits. It wasn't surprising that so many people in the company disliked her. Yet, Chris had forgotten that he was why Kathryn was being isolated at that moment.Her temperature rapidly decreased after the warm towel was rolled over her scalding skin. Kathryn's breathing also became steady.Kathryn remained unconscious throughout the entire night. Her body
Kathryn's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She hadn't realized what Chris meant. Her already chaotic world had become even more bewildering.Chris looked at her dazed expression and couldn't help but pinch her cheek. "Are you hungry?"Kathryn stared at him blankly and subconsciously nodded.Chris' eyes twinkled with delight. He leaned closer to her again, and his warm breath brushed against her already cold cheeks. He gently wiped away the bloodstains on her lips and asked, "What would you like to eat?""S-Spaghetti!" Kathryn stammered. Chris had never been so gentle to her before. She suspected that something unusual was going on.He nodded. "Alright. Would you like to get up on your own? Or do you want me to carry you?"His affectionate words struck Kathryn's heart like a bolt from the blue in the early morning. She had long bouts of inner turmoil. "I can get up by myself!""Are you sure? Your foot injury became inflamed last night," Chirs reminded softly.Kathry
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.