Lydia looked outside. The once-bustling street was now eerily quiet. It was rush hour. Vendors should have been seizing the moment to rake in profits, not closing shop all at once. The only explanation? Eugene had orchestrated it all.“You’re truly despicable,” Lydia’s disgust deepened.Eugene, far from being ashamed, looked proud. “Thanks for the compliment. I paid each vendor two thousand dollars to clear out. Now, you have two options: willingly be with me, or be forced to.”One way or another, he was determined to have Lydia.Lydia’s hand moved to her bag’s zipper as she scoffed. “I’m not choosing either.”She was human, not about to be treated like a captive animal. Eyeing her chance, she began to unzip her bag to retrieve her pepper spray, but Eugene moved in, wrapping his arms around her from the side.He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. “Mmm, you smell amazing, my dear. You’re getting your divorce next week, right? How about you marry me on the same day?”
Quincy didn’t bother looking back. His fury poured into every punch aimed at Eugene’s face. “If you have a problem with me, fine. But why hurt Lydia? Are you even a man?”A man’s fists should be used to protect women, not to terrorize them.He had originally planned to follow Lydia for a few days, observe Eugene, and see if Eugene was truly someone who could make her happy. If so, Quincy was willing to step back. But now, seeing what Eugene had done, he realized just how wrong he had been. If he hadn’t arrived in time, Lydia would have been at Eugene’s mercy. No amount of punches felt like enough.After watching for a moment, Lydia finally called his name. “Quincy, step aside.”Eugene looked up suddenly. Blood was already trickling from the corner of Eugene's mouth, but he managed a smug smile at Quincy. “See? To Lydia, I’ll always matter more than you. If you know what’s good for you, back off. This is just a little *marital fun* between us.”Quincy couldn’t hold back a curse.
“Alright.” Right now, Quincy didn’t even care what Lydia was saying. Whatever she told him, he would simply follow it. She was always right in his eyes.Seeing him like this, Lydia was momentarily reminded of when they had first fallen in love. Back then, when they had just begun dating, Quincy would look at her with the same silly smile every day. She once asked him what made him so happy, and he would only replied, “As long as you’re by my side, nothing else matters.”But now, they would not be seeing each other anymore. The child in her belly would have her love, her parents’ love, but would never know a father’s love.“Lydia, do you resent me for following you?” Quincy asked, breaking the silence. “I know you don’t want to see me, but I was genuinely afraid something might happen to you, worried he wasn’t a good person, so I followed you.”“No,” Lydia shook her head.“No? You don’t resent me, or…?”“I don’t mind seeing you,” Lydia interrupted him. “We loved each other deepl
Lydia continued to reassure her parents, “I’m really fine. Quincy showed up just in time and saved me. Plus, I had pepper spray in my bag, and it worked like a charm. One spray and he was down.”Eugene was still unconscious.“How’s Quincy doing now?” Mr. Fay asked, wanting to go in and see him.Lydia led them into the hospital room where Quincy was having his wounds treated. When he saw them enter, he quickly stood to greet them.“Sit down and let them finish tending to your injuries,” Mr. Fay said, feeling a mix of emotions. He had never been pleased with Quincy as a son-in-law. Especially during the divorce proceedings, he had wished Quincy would disappear from their lives for good. But after today, seeing how Quincy had risked himself to save Lydia, Mr. Fay found himself warming up to him.Mrs. Fay felt the same way. She approached Quincy, examining his wounds closely, then told the doctor, “Use the best treatment to avoid any scarring.”The doctor nodded.She wanted to say
At the police station, Lydia saw Eugene once more. When he caught sight of her standing with Quincy, his eyes turned red with rage, and he tried to charge at them, only to be stopped by the officers.“Lydia, how could you betray me?” he shouted furiously. “You two are already divorced. Are you really planning to get back together? Why would you hurt me like this?”To anyone unaware of the situation, he might have sounded heartbreakingly sincere, as if Lydia had wronged him.“Let’s be clear,” Lydia replied coldly, “we were just friends, never anything more. And for the record, Quincy and I haven’t finalized our divorce. Even if we did divorce and chose to remarry, that’s none of your business. My life choices are my own.”Just because Eugene had feelings for her didn’t mean she was obligated to reciprocate. What did he expect? That she would stick around just for him until he decided he was done with her?“Lydia, I won’t allow you two to be together,” he said, seething. “He’s not
The only thing Mr. Ford truly cared about was the family’s reputation. As for his son, shipping him off overseas to fend for himself was enough. He intended to keep a close watch to ensure Eugene never found a way back.“That works for me,” Mr. Fay agreed. “But I’ll be keeping an eye on him too. If he shows up here again, this agreement is null and void. I have all the evidence saved.”Even without saying it, Mr. Ford understood. The Fords and Fays were evenly matched in influence, and the Fays had ties with Nash, so he would be crazy to turn this into a conflict.Once the Eugene issue was resolved, Lydia returned to her routine. However, she found herself frequently crossing paths with Quincy now. He never approached her directly or intruded, just silently appeared in her vicinity.After three days, Lydia couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled open his car door and got in. “Let’s go.”“Go where?”“To the courthouse, of course. I left work two hours early today, and it’s still open
“Wishing you both happiness,” the clerk said, swiftly completing the paperwork to cancel their divorce.As they walked out, Quincy held their marriage certificate, feeling the significance of the moment down to his core.“Lydia, let’s go on a second honeymoon,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. “How about the Maldives this time?”“And what about a wedding?” Lydia asked, looking up at him with a warm smile.Their eyes met, and both felt a sweetness fill their hearts. Their first wedding had left regrets due to their parents’ disapproval. Although Quincy’s parents still hadn’t come around, Lydia’s were now supportive, and she was carrying their new baby.“Oh, Quincy, I had a dream last night,” Lydia said, a little uncertain. “In it, a little boy called me ‘Mom.’”She didn’t know if the dream held any truth, but seeing such a sweet child felt like a good omen.“He even said he’d bring his little sister along to find me.”“Could it be twins? A boy and a girl?” Quincy’s fa
Mabel hated herself for it now. Why had she been tempted by those small favors from her aunt and gone along with her schemes? Now things had spiraled out of control, and there was no way to fix it.“I understand. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Quincy said, ending the call. Turning to Lydia, he asked, “Are you coming with me or would you rather take a cab home?”“Let’s go together. No point in wasting time discussing it. Just focus on driving,” Lydia replied, quickly fastening her seatbelt.She wasn’t about to hold grudges against someone critically ill.When they arrived at the hospital, they rushed to the waiting area outside the operating room. Mabel was pacing in the hallway. The moment she saw them, she seemed to find her footing again. “Quincy, thank goodness you’re here! I was terrified you wouldn’t come.”“You should be saying that to Lydia. She’s the one who forgave you all,” Quincy pointed out.Mabel’s face flushed with shame. She bowed deeply to Lydia, apologizing ove
Although the van slowed down, Winnie was suddenly shoved out, hitting the ground hard. The physical pain was intense, but it couldn’t compare to the ache in her heart.She watched as the van sped away into the distance. Trembling, she pulled out her phone and called Jamie.“Jamie, what are you doing right now? I need to ask you something in person.” Winnie’s tone made it clear that she knew something was wrong.Hearing her voice, Jamie immediately sensed the weight of the situation. Winnie must have found out the truth. There was no way Jamie could focus on work until they cleared the air.Without hesitation, Jamie dropped what she was doing and rushed to meet her.When she arrived, she found Winnie sitting on the curb, her face blank and her eyes hollow.Jamie ran over quickly. “Winnie, what happened?”At the sound of her voice, Winnie lifted her head. A bitter smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Don’t you know what happened, my dear sister?”She deliberately emphasized
Winnie didn’t know how to describe what she was feeling in that moment. Jack Green, the man who had seemed so perfect, had come into her life like a savior from above. And now she was being told that everything had been a lie. Ben Lucas. What a joke. What was his goal? She didn’t have a prestigious family background, no notable social status, no impressive career, not even money. As she sat in stunned silence, a police officer asked, “Did he trick you into donating organs? Or did you give him access to your bank accounts?” Fraud and illegal schemes were rampant these days. Winnie shook her head. “Neither. He sent me money through an app. I’m pregnant and I don’t have anything he could scam me for.” That only deepened the mystery. He hadn’t stolen anything from her. He just used a fake name. As the investigation continued, the police eventually revealed the truth to Winnie. “Ben Lucas is a top lawyer in Birkham. It sounds like you’ve been treated as part of som
Winnie reacted strongly, refusing to believe any of it. “We’ve known each other for so long. He’s always been so good to me, and he’s incredibly dedicated to his work. He’s an exceptional lawyer. How could he possibly do something like this? You have to investigate thoroughly and clear his name,” she said, her voice trembling. The captain waited until she finished before asking, “Miss Lewis, just now you called him ‘Jack.’ Is that right?” “Yes, that’s his name, Jack Green. We’re engaged, and we’re getting married soon. Is there a problem with me calling him that?” Winnie responded, momentarily stunned. Her first thought was that the captain was being unnecessarily nosy. Was it wrong for an engaged couple to call each other by their first names?The captain shook his head. “This has nothing to do with your upcoming marriage, but the name you’re using doesn’t match the one on his ID. Were you aware of that?” “You’re joking, right? That’s not funny,” Winnie said, her face
While Nash spent time with his daughter, Gemma, every day, Nina and Pharaoh had missed out on so much together. Now that the doctors had given Pharaoh only five years to live, it was clear they needed to make the most of the time they had left and create as many good memories as possible.Lydia completely understood.She waved goodbye to Nash, then linked her arm through Quincy’s as the two walked toward their parked car.“I was thinking that, since work has been slow, we could take a short trip to a nearby city,” Quincy said, glancing at her with a warm expression. “But it looks like we’ll have to postpone it.”With her by his side, life felt perfect.Lydia smiled. “If not this week, then next week or the one after. We’ve got all the time in the world.”They were still young, with plenty of time to do everything they wanted.……Meanwhile, Winnie was left alone at home since Jamie went out to work. With nothing else to do, she decided to tidy up. The villa was large, and clea
Nash was the first to speak. “Mrs. Lucas, what exactly happened to Ben? Can you tell us everything? Let’s see if there’s a way we can help.”“Alright. Thank goodness he has friends like you. Otherwise, I’d have no idea what to do right now.” Mrs. Lucas recounted the situation in detail but carefully omitted her own involvement.The living room fell silent, and everyone’s expressions darkened.“I raised Ben. I know my son. He would never do something like this. It must be a setup,” Mrs. Lucas said, her voice trembling with emotion. The more she spoke, the more heartbroken she felt. All she could think about now were her Ben’s virtues. Apart from refusing to listen to her about marriage and career plans, Ben had always been a good son.“Don’t worry, Mrs. Lucas. We’ll figure something out,” Lydia offered as she stood and gently guided Mrs. Lucas to the nearby study. “You should rest for a bit. Don’t wear yourself out.”Quincy watched Lydia closely as she left the room. Only when sh
Mrs. Lucas deeply regretted her decision. If she had known it would come to this, she would never have sought out this man for help. “You hide behind a mask and won’t even show your face. How can you call yourself a man?”“Mrs. Lucas, do you really think throwing insults will make me take off the mask and obediently do your bidding like a dog?” The masked man remained calm, his tone even laced with amusement, which only added to Mrs. Lucas’s frustration.She was on the verge of breaking down. “Just name your price. How much will it take to get my son out of there?”As long as Ben could walk out safely and unharmed, no amount of money was too much.But the masked man shook his head. “This isn’t about money. If it were that simple, you wouldn’t be here begging me for help.”The truth was, Mrs. Lucas had come to him because she had run out of options. He was her last hope. Yet, he shrugged nonchalantly, as if to show her just how powerless he really was.“I don’t make the laws, an
Why would Caden do this?“And then there’s that recent case you handled. The client is suspected of laundering money for an international corporation, and these are the ‘evidences’ you submitted.” The captain’s brows furrowed as he pulled a file from the side, placing it in front of Ben. “Take a look at what you turned in.”The documents were full of evasive arguments, but the worst part was that a check had somehow been slipped between the pages. With all this evidence piled up against him, even as a lawyer, Ben had no way to prove his innocence.He had no idea how things had come to this. He had personally organized and submitted these files to the court, but the ones on record were completely different. Someone had swapped them out.But who?Ben handled everything himself, except for having his assistant print the documents. Could it be…?“Mr. Lucas, the evidence is overwhelming. You’d better think about how to clear your name,” the captain said, standing up and looking at Ben
“Please come with us,” one of the officers stepped up, holding a pair of silver handcuffs.Ben was even more puzzled. He hadn’t done anything illegal. Why were these officers showing up at his office? And why the cuffs?His first reaction was to step back. “You must have the wrong person.”“Your name is Ben Lucas, right? We’ve already matched your photo. I suggest you don’t resist and just come along quietly,” the officer barked.They wouldn’t be here without solid evidence. There was no mistake.“If you’re taking me in, I’d like to know the reason,” Ben replied, still trying to make sense of what was happening.To the officers, his reaction came across as defiant, making him look even more suspicious.“Don’t tell me you’re unaware of your own wrongdoing? You’re supposed to be a lawyer, familiar with the law. How convenient to play ignorant when it applies to you!“Think carefully! Confess, and things might go easier for you. Resist, and you’ll only make it worse. Don’t interfe
How could Jamie feel right about taking the money? In just a few days, Winnie had already lent her so much. She couldn’t keep taking advantage of her.“Jamie, if I were living alone, I wouldn’t care so much. But now, with Jack and the baby on the way, it’s unrealistic for us to keep living together forever. Take this money. It’s enough to cover at least half a month’s rent,” Winnie said firmly.Jamie could hear the underlying message. Winnie was trying to hint, as gently as possible, that it might be time for Jamie to find her own place. It made sense. Winnie was building her own family and naturally wanted privacy. Having a relative around wasn’t exactly ideal, especially with everything Ben had been doing lately. While he hadn’t openly revealed anything about their past, it was clear enough that Winnie had noticed something.Jamie truly wanted to move out, but the moment she started looking for a place, Ben would make her life difficult. She didn’t mind for herself, but with