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
“Dad, don’t get too worked up,” Quincy said, noticing his father’s face turning red with anger. “People your age can easily stress themselves sick. Look at Mom. She’s in the hospital for that very reason.”If she hadn’t been so consumed with pointless meddling, she wouldn’t be on an operating table today.Mr. Perez nearly choked in frustration. “Is that how you talk to your father? Forget it. Let me speak to Lydia.”“She’s busy. Whatever you need to say, just say it to me. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up,” Quincy replied, blocking the attempt.He wasn’t foolish. He could tell his father wanted to pressure Lydia directly. But there was no way he would let her face any of that alone.“This was all my decision. There’s no one else for you to blame.”“Fine. You’re acting like you’ve grown wings and flown beyond my reach.” Mr. Perez hung up, barely restraining himself from a full-blown rant. That son of his would be the death of him.On the other end, Lydia looked at Quincy wit
Unfortunately, Quincy wasn’t swayed by either her gentler approach or pressure.When Lydia walked in, Mrs. Perez almost thought she was there to confront her. But Lydia’s tone was detached as she spoke, “Mrs. Perez, all your hospital expenses have been paid. Rest and focus on recovering. When you’re discharged, I can help arrange for a good rehabilitation facility if you’d like.”After everything that had happened, Lydia couldn’t bring herself to call her “Mom” anymore. “Mrs. Perez” would have to suffice.Mrs. Perez was stunned. Lydia had actually come to see her?Just as he had done with his father, Quincy briefly informed her of the situation, then left with Lydia, leaving Mrs. Perez lying in bed, lost in thought.Mabel said softly, breaking the silence. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to say. You’ve gone way too far in the past. I know you’re my aunt, and you’ve done me some favors, but I can’t keep ignoring what’s right to blindly take your side.”Mabel feared that if
Mrs. Perez, furious, cursed at her, “I must have been blind to ever consider you as a potential daughter-in-law. Thank goodness my son doesn’t like you. If you’d actually gotten into our family, you would’ve turned our lives upside down!”“Well, you came to me first,” Tiffany shot back, pressing forward. “You made me the ‘other woman’ and even had me drink that ‘special’ tea. Who knows what effects that drink might have had on my health?”Since they were fully at odds now, Tiffany didn’t hold back. “I’ll give you two options. Either you make sure I marry Quincy or you give me a payout. You managed to drug him once, so you can do it again or give me a payout of ten million.”Mrs. Perez’s jaw dropped at the demand. “Ten million? You must be dreaming!”Such an amount would be enough to live off for several lifetimes. And even if her son had that much in liquid assets, which was doubtful, it was hard-earned money. She would never let Tiffany take it so easily.“No money? Fine, don’t b
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
“I didn’t mean to just now. Besides, you’ve been acting all sneaky lately—so really, who else is to blame?” Seeing Yelena in tears, Liam, who had been furious just moments ago, felt a small pang of guilt. He was never good at expressing emotions. But watching her like this made him a little uncomfortable. “Go get your hand treated. Otherwise, people who don’t know any better might think I’ve been abusing you.” With that, he turned and walked away. Yelena watched his retreating figure, feeling a bit helpless. This wasn’t something she could decide on her own. Installing surveillance? It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Liam was naturally suspicious. If he caught wind of it, the consequences would be disastrous. But she had no choice. She had a mission to complete, and there was more at stake than just this moment. Letting out a deep sigh, she finally decided to head to a clinic to get her hand treated. *“What happened to you? That’s a serious injury. You
And just like that, the conversation fell into a brief silence. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hunter received a call from Yelena. “What did you just say?” Yelena told him that her hand was broken, and on top of that, Liam seemed to be getting suspicious. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called Hunter for advice. “I don’t really care what happens to you, but at the very least, take care of yourself.“Otherwise, if something else goes wrong later, I’ll have to step in and clean up the mess. Don’t you think so?” Hearing this, Yelena was a little taken aback. “It’s not just about my injury. The real problem is, I’m scared of what he might do now.” Sure, she had taken the two hundred thousand dollars, but she had to stay alive to spend it. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through in one piece. “I already told you—protect yourself. If you need anything else, I’ll try to provide it. But right now, I need you to do something for me.” Hunter had been look