Lydia stopped in her tracks and turned to Quincy, disbelief flooding her eyes. She understood every word he said, but hearing them strung together like that felt utterly surreal.“So, you’re telling me,” she said slowly, “that your mother drugged you with that kind of drug?”“Yes.” Quincy nodded, though saying it out loud made him feel deeply humiliated. Still, he had to tell her the truth. Regardless of whether they ended up divorcing or not, he couldn’t let Lydia believe he was some heartless player messing around with other women’s feelings.“I can’t believe you’re telling me the truth. I… I…” Lydia’s voice trembled, leaving her at a loss for words. Tears brimmed in her eyes until they spilled over, leaving a faint trail down her cheeks.Her mind drifted to the child they had lost so suddenly. She had found it strange at the time. Everything had been fine, and her health had been good. But as soon as Mrs. Perez arrived to ‘help,’ things had taken a turn, and she had miscarried
Eugene gave Quincy a taunting look. “Quincy, you’re a CEO now. Don’t go around playing the clingy ex. That’s hardly a good look, is it?”Quincy knew that if he could win Lydia back, he would throw his reputation aside in a heartbeat. Building his company had always been about giving her a better life. But he also knew that holding on would only add to her frustration and resentment. He couldn’t be that selfish.Lydia sighed, looking at Quincy one last time. After all they had shared, the love she felt hadn’t faded. Even though they were heading for a divorce, she wouldn’t let Eugene belittle him. “Stop it. I’m tired. Let’s just pick up the skincare for my mom so we can go home,” she said.Eugene immediately took her hand, steering her toward the exit. “Then let’s take a break first. We can grab a bite to eat and rest up. There’s no rush. It’s just us.”Not far behind, Tiffany wrapped her arm around Quincy, raising her voice so Lydia and Eugene could hear. “Quincy, let’s grab some f
Quincy didn’t respond to that. Instead, he shifted the topic. “Do you remember what you just said about Lydia?”“Of course I remember.” Tiffany didn’t understand why he suddenly asked, but she had no problem repeating herself. After all, Quincy was the one who brought it up this time. “Lydia’s running around with another man before your divorce is even finalized. She’s not a good woman, and you saw it with your own eyes. I know it’s hard for you to accept, but you can’t just fool yourself forever, can you?” She even made sure to bring up Mrs. Perez, adding, “If your mom found out, she’d be furious.”“Lydia hasn’t finalized the divorce yet, but neither have I. Miss Tiffany, I’m still married, and here you are saying all this to me. Should I interpret that as you trying to make yourself the other woman?” Quincy wasn’t holding back at all.Tiffany’s face drained of color. The term “other woman” hit her hard. How could he use such an ugly phrase to describe her?“We’re perfectly inno
“What’s there to feel shortchanged about?” Lydia chuckled lightly.Sure, she had seen Quincy just now, but a brief encounter wasn’t going to throw her off balance. She was learning to let go. Life was too long to spend it mourning over one person forever.“I had wanted to take you to a nice restaurant, but you were hungry, so we just grabbed a bite here at the mall. Lydia, back when you were with your family, you were used to the best. Now, look at this,” Eugene continued, trying to make his point. He was implying that Quincy had let her down.Quincy’s family didn’t have much to begin with. Over the years, he had managed to save up a decent amount, but with the expenses of buying a house and covering the costs of the wedding, along with running his own business, he was probably stretched pretty thin. The Fay family, on the other hand, had a long-established business with steady cash flow and regular dividends. They had countless assets, and even just the rental income from their p
After finishing their meal, Eugene suggested they stroll around the mall a bit longer, but Lydia looked visibly exhausted. “I didn’t sleep well last night, and I really need to catch up on some rest,” she explained. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Eugene could only nod, despite wanting to spend more time with her. “Alright, I’ll take you home so you can get some sleep.”They hadn’t had time to pick out the skincare products, so Eugene took matters into his own hands. He bought every skincare set for older women from the brand, even throwing in the extra serums. The sales associate's grin widened as she rang up the purchase. “Wow, you’re really generous! With this many sets, three people could use them and still have some left over.”“These are all for her mom. I wasn’t sure which set she’d prefer, so I thought I’d get a few and let her decide,” Eugene explained, keeping his gaze on Lydia.The sales associates, quick to pick up on things, immediately realized he meant f
It was quite a coincidence.They had parked their car in the underground garage and were just about to head out when they overheard Quincy’s voice from a distance. He was speaking calmly, trying to reason with someone. “Yes, I did rear-end your car, and I’ve taken photos. Let’s handle it through insurance.”“No way! You think I’m just gonna wait around for insurance? This is a luxury car. I want ten thousand in cash. Not a penny less!” The man was relentless, refusing to budge.He even turned his attention to Tiffany, standing nearby, and sneered, “You two lovebirds in a hurry to get hitched or what? Are you blind? Can’t drive straight?”“I’ll take responsibility, but please watch your language. There’s no need for personal attacks,” Quincy replied, barely keeping his anger in check.Lydia stood nearby, feeling a wave of sympathy as she watched the scene unfold. It reminded her of when Quincy had first started his business, spending countless nights wining and dining potential c
“Eugene? What are you two talking about?” Lydia walked over, looking at them both with curiosity.Eugene immediately took a step back from Quincy, smiling casually. “Oh, nothing important. Let’s go. I’ll take you back. We picked up all these gifts, and I’m sure your mom will love them.”As Lydia and Eugene walked off, Quincy felt an intense urge to go after them, to catch up and set things right. But he held himself back. He knew that until he had resolved his own family issues, he shouldn’t pull Lydia into any more of his problems.Tiffany wasted no time piling on, trying to sway him again. “Quincy, did you see that? I’ve been trying to tell you how she really is, but you never want to listen. But there they were, flaunting it right in front of us.”She sidled closer to Quincy, subtly trying to take his arm, but he quickly stepped aside. “Get in the car. I’ll drive you to the hospital,” he said, brushing her off.“Alright, let’s go. Your mom and cousin are waiting for us. It woul
"What could possibly be wrong with me? You all know that I’m not really sick. I'm just putting on a show for Quincy. If I didn’t, he’d still be under that little witch’s spell." Mrs. Perez waved off the matter as if it were nothing. Pretending to be sick wouldn’t make her actually sick, right?Her main concern remained her son. “Tiffany, I'm counting on you to help Quincy move on. I can’t let that woman keep dragging him down. I went through all the trouble of getting rid of the child so they could sever ties once and for all.”Mabel's expression faltered for a moment. She glanced at the gifts sitting nearby and swallowed back her response."I understand, Mrs. Perez," Tiffany replied confidently. “A man can’t resist a woman’s care when he’s at his weakest, especially when Lydia’s already found someone else. If we keep working together, there's no way they'll ever get back together.”The saying goes, "It takes one to know one." Today, when Tiffany saw Eugene, she could tell right aw
Hunter took a bite of the biscuits and ravioli she had made. The taste was surprisingly good. It wasn’t on the level of a Michelin-starred chef, but it had something even more special—the taste of home. And of course, there was the oatmeal. He took one spoonful after another, finishing the entire bowl. *Meanwhile, Vera still hadn’t found her brother. Disappointment weighed heavily on her as she prepared to leave. But just then, her phone buzzed. An anonymous message. She tapped it open and stared at the image attached. It was a watch. Alone, a watch meant nothing. But this watch was her brother’s. Vera immediately zoomed in on the photo, carefully inspecting the engravings inside. There they were—his initials. No mistake. This was his watch. Below the image, a location pin was attached. The place was nearby. Vera’s eyes filled with determination. If she had found nothing, she would have simply left. But now, she had recei
When Yelena woke up again, she was shocked to find that she wasn’t at the club. She sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. Then, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and pushed the door open. “Where am I?” “At my place,” Hunter replied casually. He was working in the living room when he saw her wake up. “You slept for a long time. I couldn’t just leave you alone at the club, so I brought you back here.” Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he added, “It’s already late. Just stay here for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” Yelena nodded. There was no other choice now. “There’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, heat something up. There are also snacks in the drawer—take whatever you want.” “Alright.” She really was hungry. She opened the drawer, grabbed a few small bread rolls, ate them quickly, and then went back to her room to rest. *The next morning, Yelena woke up early. Thinking about everything Hunter had done—treatin
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in