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
Tiffany took a step back, holding her phone high above her head, mouthing, “Pay up.”In that moment, Mrs. Perez accidentally bumped into the bedside kettle. It crashed to the floor, sending scalding water splashing everywhere, hitting both of them.“Ah! Did you do that on purpose?” Tiffany hissed, seething with anger.With no one else in the room, Tiffany was ready to vent her anger, but just then, the door swung open.Lydia entered with the doctor, stopping in her tracks when she saw Tiffany. She then glanced at Mrs. Perez lying on the bed. A complex mix of feelings washed over Lydia, though she had long since stopped being surprised by Mrs. Perez’s actions.“My daughter-in-law!” Mrs. Perez called out frantically, “Grab her phone! She’s live-streaming, trying to ruin our family!”Hearing Mrs. Perez call Lydia daughter-in-law made Tiffany’s expression twist with resentment. Why did Lydia deserve that title? Mrs. Perez had once called her daughter-in-law too, but now she was t
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