“Is there really any difference between him and a desperate fool right now? Is Lydia really worth all this?” Tiffany thought.Quincy ignored Tiffany entirely, his back turned, treating her as if she wasn’t even there. Tiffany knew her words had no effect, so she resorted to calling for backup. Less than half an hour later, Mrs. Perez showed up.Seeing her, Quincy almost lost it. “Mom, you’re not in good health. You just had surgery. What are you doing out of the hospital?”“Good thing I came. Who knows how long you would’ve stood out here acting like an idiot if I hadn’t shown up?” She tapped his forehead hard, her voice sharp with frustration. “Quincy, I’m practically on my deathbed. Can’t you just let me have a little peace?”If Lydia’s background had been ordinary, Mrs. Perez would have gladly paid her to leave. But Lydia wasn’t just anyone. She was the daughter of the influential Fay family.Mrs. Perez couldn’t interfere directly with them, so she had no choice but to pressure
The timing of Mrs. Perez’s illness seemed almost too convenient. Could she be faking it? The thought struck Quincy, and he decided he needed to investigate further without raising suspicion.Not long after he left, Mrs. Perez got up, unaware that her actions had aroused her son’s suspicions. She was busy consulting with the doctor about her plan. “When you’re with my son, make sure to play up the seriousness of my condition. Otherwise, he’ll keep leaning toward that little troublemaker.”“Don’t worry, we go way back. I won’t let you down.” The doctor thumped his chest in reassurance. “But actually, I could use a hand myself. My son’s studying abroad, and we’re a bit short on funds. Do you think you could lend a little? I’ll pay you back after I get my bonus this year.”Mrs. Perez brushed off his concern with ease, agreeing right away. After all, she had money to spare. When Quincy had worked as an assistant, he had sent her a portion of his paycheck each month. Now that he had his
Looking at his parents, Eugene felt only pity. This was what happened when you couldn’t be with the one you loved. He had no intention of repeating their mistakes.He knew how deeply he loved Lydia. Once they were married, he would make sure to come home to her every night. They would share their lives together, and when they had children, they would travel as a family. His marriage would be nothing like his parents’.“My wedding is my own business,” he told them, his tone firm. “I called you here to inform you, not to ask for permission. We’ll have both families meet soon. Try not to embarrass me.”With that, he walked away. There was nothing more to say to them.Later, as he reached out to Mr. Fay to arrange a dinner for the families, he received an apologetic response. “Sorry, Eugene, but Lydia’s off traveling right now. I’m not sure when she’ll be back. Let’s discuss this again sometime later.”The vagueness in Mr. Fay’s words wasn’t lost on Eugene. Both men understood that “s
Quincy was wide awake, going over the investigation report he had finally gotten his hands on, page by page under his desk lamp. By the time he finished, he was at a loss for words.The surgery had been a lie, but the illness was real. His mother was indeed in the early stages of lung cancer, and with her weak heart, treating both conditions would be incredibly difficult. Yet, even now, rather than focusing on her health, she was fixated on pushing him to leave Lydia.He decided he would have to talk to her about it in the morning. Just as he was about to go to bed, he picked up his phone to check the time and saw a message from Eugene that felt like a slap in the face. The smug text announced Eugene’s engagement to Lydia, complete with screenshots of congratulatory comments flooding social media.Quincy felt as though every drop of blood had stopped cold in his veins.Eugene and Lydia, getting married?It was all over the trending news, so it had to be true. But was this Lydia’s
“Who started spreading this nonsense? They’re out here ruining lives, just saying whatever they want,” Mrs. Fay fumed. Once she tracked down whoever was responsible, she was ready to sue and make them pay. This was too much.“It’s probably not just some random account,” Lydia replied thoughtfully. “At most, they’re just adding fuel to the fire. I think I know exactly who’s behind this.”“Who?” Mr. Fay asked urgently. “Tell me, and I’ll make sure they face the consequences. This is infuriating!”“Eugene,” Lydia said flatly.Silence fell on the other end. Her parents exchanged glances, disbelief written across their faces.Eugene had always seemed like such a stand-up guy, genuinely fond of Lydia, treating her parents with respect like they were his own. How could he possibly pull something like this?Lydia guessed her parents would have trouble believing it. She continued, “He’s been pushing hard for marriage. He knocked on my door for so long that even the neighbors came out to
Mrs. Perez panicked. All Quincy’s recent concessions had been because he thought she was sick. If he discovered the whole truth, it would likely end in a huge fallout, and he would probably go straight back to Lydia.Her eyes went dark just thinking about it. “Quincy, please, let me explain.”“What is there to explain? The facts are right here. Mom, you’re not a child anymore,” Quincy replied, exasperated. “How could you use something like this as a joke?”The diagnosis was clear on her chart, and he had even consulted specialists who said this illness couldn’t be ignored. Surgery and treatment now could at least give her a good quality of life, but if delayed, even surgery might only keep her bedridden. He couldn’t bring himself to ignore her condition.“But I did it for your own good! If you’d just let me worry a little less, I wouldn’t have had to lie,” Mrs. Perez insisted, realizing her explanations weren’t working. She decided to pull out the “mother’s love” card, hoping to pr
“People who are sick get treatment to stay alive, but if you’re perfectly healthy, taking treatment is like asking for trouble,” Mrs. Perez laughed. “I just made it up to fool him a little.”After all, a mother knew best, and her son was no match for her.The doctor thought of mentioning that Quincy had already paid for her treatment, but he reconsidered. Whether the money had been paid or not, she didn’t actually need any treatment. If he refunded it, Quincy would immediately suspect something was up.After a moment, the doctor proposed a plan, “Here’s an idea. I’ll bring your medication every day, but you don’t take it, no IVs or anything. If Quincy checks in, we’ll both be covered.”“Good thinking! You really know your stuff,” Mrs. Perez grinned, completely unaware of the trouble looming ahead.……Meanwhile, Lydia had just landed. When she got home, she found Eugene standing at the door, carrying his usual load of gifts for her parents, putting on quite the show. But her paren
She wasn’t just laughing at Eugene. She was laughing at herself. Time and again, she had trusted the wrong person. “Trust isn’t something that’s just given. It’s something you earn. Just go. There’s no reason for you to be down on one knee in front of me. Don’t do this. It doesn’t mean anything.”“Lydia!” Eugene reached out again, desperately gripping the hem of her coat. He held on tightly, not daring to let go for even a second, fearing that if he loosened his grip, he would lose her forever.“Just go home. You’ll have your life, and I’ll have mine,” Lydia said firmly, slipping out of her coat. “I told you before that we can’t even be friends.”Eugene was left holding nothing but the coat, watching helplessly as Lydia walked away with her parents. Mrs. Fay glanced back several times, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just picked up her pace and disappeared with Lydia from his sight.Once they were home, Lydia didn’t bring up Eugene. Instead, she dove straig
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