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
After setting down her phone, Mrs. Perez continued to criticize Lydia, egged on by Tiffany. The conversation flowed easily between them, filling the hospital room with laughter and smug remarks. That was, until Quincy opened the door, his face red with anger as he glared at everyone inside. “What are you doing? Why do you keep going after Lydia like this?” He was furious at the way they were gossiping about her, slandering her character without a second thought. “Quincy, your mom is sick. You can’t just come in here and start shouting,” Tiffany said in a falsely sweet voice, stepping over to him and taking his hand. “If you don’t like the topic, we can stop talking about it.”“Cut the act, Tiffany. Your performance is terrible.” Quincy shot back, unphased. He had overheard enough standing outside the door to realize just how well Tiffany and his mother worked together. He had even been thinking earlier about treating his mom with more care, but what he had just heard felt like
They truly did not even know how to lie convincingly. Or maybe they thought that just because he was their son, they could do anything, and it would never be wrong. In their minds, as long as there was a blood connection, children could not actually go against their parents. If they dared to, they would be considered ungrateful. That was a heavy label, and most kids would end up giving in.“But you’re forgetting something. Lydia is the daughter of the Fay family. She chose to marry me, to be my wife, and that doesn’t mean her status is beneath mine or that you can treat her however you please!”When Mrs. Perez married Mr. Perez, they lived in a rural area where her mother-in-law was relentless, picking on her every day. It wasn’t until they worked hard, bought a house in the city, and started living separately that things finally improved. Mrs. Perez had endured her mother-in-law’s bullying with no recourse, but Lydia was a different story.Her face changed as she realized this.
"How about we take a walk in the garden, sweetie?" Nina suggested as she sat down next to her son, Orion. At six or seven years old, he was at such a lively age. She hated having to keep him cooped up in the house, but it was necessary for his safety. If Orion were to run into danger again, there would be no guarantee he would come back. Those people wouldn't spare him just because he was young."Okay," Orion agreed, putting down his building blocks and standing up. He glanced over at Gemma, lying in her crib, and sighed. "I wish she could grow up faster so she could play with me.""Once your dad catches those bad guys, you’ll be able to go out with your friends again. And before you know it, your sister will be big enough to play with you," Nina said, taking his hand as they headed out to the garden. Gemma was in good hands with their housekeeper, Mrs. Watson. It was the perfect time of year, with most of the flowers in bloom. Orion had a wonderful time playing with Nina in th
"Alright, I promise. Stay home and be good, I’ll be back soon," Nina waved to Orion, then slipped on her sneakers and headed out. She grabbed a car from the garage and quickly drove toward the company.As she passed through a busy intersection, she didn’t notice the car that had started trailing her, maintaining a steady distance. Soon, she pulled up outside the company building. The receptionist recognized her and greeted her warmly, "Hello, Mrs. York.""Hello. You go ahead, don't mind me," Nina replied, quickening her pace. She took the private elevator up to the top-floor conference room and handed the file over to Nash. They didn’t say much to each other in front of everyone, but after all these years, a single glance was all it took to understand one another. It was a little secret between them.As she was leaving, Nina ran into Nash’s new assistant, and they exchanged a quick hello. Not giving it much thought, she headed over to the nearby mall, planning to pick up some fast
"Who sent you?" Nina asked, taking a long look at the five men in front of her, silently assessing their strength. She figured she could probably take them.The station was less than a hundred meters south of the alley. Even if she couldn’t fight them all off, she could make a run for it. The men didn’t know what was going through her mind. They assumed her silence meant she was scared to leave the car. After all, a petite woman like her, faced with five bulky men, should be quaking in her shoes. It was already impressive she hadn’t lost her composure. As for fighting back? That wasn’t even on their radar. There was already a huge gap in strength between men and women, and it was five against one. Even if Nina wanted to fight back, did she really have what it took?“Come on, sweetheart, you don’t need to know who sent us," the leader sneered, eyeing her up and down. "Just get out of the car. Cooperate, and we might be gentle. Otherwise…” He let his voice trail off as he scann
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