“Winnie, do you really love him that much?” Jamie took a deep breath, summoning her courage as she looked at her sister's worried eyes. Maybe, just maybe, she could talk her out of this.Winnie paused, slightly taken aback. “Of course I do, Jamie. You’re not thinking of trying to talk me out of it, are you?”Jamie stayed silent.“Our relationship is solid. I really love him, and he treats me wonderfully. I can’t find a single flaw in him. And most importantly, I’m pregnant,” Winnie said, grabbing Jamie's hand and placing it on her belly. “There’s a life here now. I have to think about my child. Besides, we already had the engagement party. No matter what, we have to stay together.”With the conversation at this point, what could Jamie say? She knew all too well what it was like to be swept up in love.But Ben…“If you two want to keep whispering, save it for later. It’s getting late. Let’s go,” Ben said, striding over and slipping his arm around Winnie.Jamie had no choice but t
Charlie needed money for surgery, and Winnie needed funds for her prenatal checkups too. If she took that money now, what would happen to Winnie later on?“Why couldn’t you take it? Charlie’s health comes first! Are you treating me like a stranger instead of your sister?” Winnie insisted, placing the bank card firmly into Jamie’s hand.Jamie wanted to refuse, but Winnie was clearly upset. “Jamie, what exactly are you worried about? Sure, we don’t have a ton of cash right now, but look at this big house. We’re not at rock bottom.”To Ben, a house like this meant nothing. It was small change he could easily spare. The difference between them was vast. They were worlds apart, with a gulf too wide to bridge.If he wanted, he could cover all of Charlie’s medical expenses by himself. But judging by his current attitude, he despised her deeply. If he found out about Charlie’s situation, he would likely feel it was karma, getting some satisfaction from it.“Just take the money, and I’ll s
“Jamie, you sit here for a bit. I’ll go get the door,” Winnie said, jogging over to answer it.Sure enough, it was Ben, carrying several bags. Winnie quickly took them from him. “It’s enough that you’re back. You didn’t need to bring all this! Come in and sit down. I’ll pour you a drink.”Ben switched into house slippers and walked into the living room. He sat down right next to Jamie, placing his hand on her thigh. Watching Winnie busy herself in the kitchen, he raised his voice intentionally. “You’re pregnant now. You should be resting. Let me take care of these things instead.”“I know my own body. I haven’t had any nausea or anything, so I’m fine. Besides, you’ve been working all day. It wouldn’t feel right for me to let you wait on me,” Winnie replied without stopping.She was grateful for Ben’s support, both because of his busy schedule and because he was willing to help her sister. Any other man would likely have backed off the moment he learned of Jamie’s situation, let a
“I didn’t,” Jamie said, her hands trembling uncontrollably.Ben must think she had taken the money and squandered it, but in truth, not a cent of that ten million ever reached her hands. Even her child’s medical expenses were paid from the money she earned herself, bit by bit.Of course, Ben didn’t believe her. “Enough with the act. I’m not some random guy you can fool with a few words. Don’t forget what I do for a living.”As a lawyer, he had handled all kinds of cases, and he knew how to see through lies. But he didn’t realize that when it came to Jamie, his judgment was clouded by his emotions, and reason took a backseat.“If you don’t believe me, then why even bother asking? No matter what I say, you’re just going to see me as a liar. What’s the point?” Jamie felt herself on the verge of breaking.She hadn’t had an easy life these past few years. Her child was sick, and as his mother, she felt the pain most deeply. Add to that the financial strain, and now the constant pressur
The sight of a diamond only reminded Ben of Jamie, of their love from long ago, and of just how foolish he had been.Winnie was thrilled. “Thank you so much!”Ben didn’t respond, but instead leaned close to Jamie’s ear, his words sharp and meant to sting. “When I went with your sister to pick out her wedding jewelry, she insisted on getting gold with the lowest processing fees and even chose a second-hand diamond ring. I remember wondering why she cared so much about saving money. It turns out it was all to help you.”A second-hand diamond ring.Jamie’s tears flowed even harder. In that moment, she didn’t know what to say. “Winnie, why do you have to be so good… so foolishly selfless?”Ben could feel the tremble in her body. It only drove him to mention Winnie more.“Speaking of, I’ve been meaning to ask, how do you manage to brainwash your sister like that? You’re both sisters, yet your personalities couldn’t be more different. Sometimes she’s so naive, I almost feel guilty abou
“Thank you, Winnie,” Jamie forced a smile.Standing upright, she walked with Winnie up the stairs, though the moment she lifted her leg, a sharp ache shot through her back. Ben had been rough with her earlier, venting his anger without a care for her discomfort.Noticing Jamie’s strained movements, Winnie gently held her arm. “Jamie, is your back acting up again?”“Yes… yeah,” Jamie mumbled evasively.Winnie’s concern deepened. “It’s no wonder, with how hard you’ve worked these past few years, taking on so many jobs. Your back wouldn’t be in this shape if you hadn’t pushed yourself so hard. You used to have no choice, but now you’ve got me and Jack. You don’t have to carry all the weight on your own.”Jamie could only swallow her pain. Winnie believed Jack’s presence would ease her burdens, yet in reality, it only added to her stress.Once they reached the bedroom, Winnie opened the wardrobe and pulled out a set of silk sheets. “Jack prepared these for you himself. He may not be
Ben had said he would come tonight, and he would keep his word.Finally, a knock echoed from outside her door.Jamie hesitated. She had locked the door. Maybe if she stayed in bed and pretended to be asleep, she could avoid this ordeal tonight. She would deal with the consequences of facing him tomorrow.But then her phone buzzed loudly, jarring in the quiet room. The knocking grew louder.She picked up her phone, and there was a message from Ben. “I know you’re not asleep. Either come over here and open the door, or I’ll keep knocking until I wake up Winnie. Let’s have her come in and watch the show.”Her heart sank. Just what kind of person would force her sister to witness something like that? It was beyond cruel.Jamie rushed to the door, tears streaming down her face. “Stop knocking, please.”“What, weren’t you pretending to be asleep just a moment ago?” Ben taunted, taking his time. Standing in the doorway, he reached out and grasped her neck, his tone low and mocking.
“I'm not trying to run. I was just going to close the door,” Jamie quickly explained, panic in her voice.There was no way she could leave now. Ben was already venting his anger on Winnie because of her, and if she walked away, she would be leaving her sister even more vulnerable.“Did I say you could close the door?” Ben’s tone was anything but satisfied.His fingers reached for her collar, and with one sharp tug, he tore it apart. “And I didn’t say you could walk. Remember our old dog? It always crawled around on all fours.”He paused, then let out a mocking chuckle. “But maybe you’ve forgotten all about that. Should I find a video to refresh your memory?”“I haven’t forgotten.” Jamie shook her head, her voice barely a whisper.That dog held so many happy memories for the two of them. She had planned to take it with her the day his mother showed up, forcing her to leave. But she had been stopped.His mother’s words were burned into her memory. “That money may seem like a fortu
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
“Yes, it’s in that mountain area. If you’re worried, you can go check it out yourself. But as for anything else, we don’t really have much more information.”Compared to everything else, this was the most baffling situation.“You make a good point. But given the current circumstances, I think it’ll be difficult to pull off.”Vera was speaking with the private investigator. Deep down, she was more worried than anything else.“Don’t worry,” the private investigator reassured her. “Aside from what we discussed earlier, nothing else seems too extreme. Plus, we’ve already looked into it pretty thoroughly.”By the time he finished speaking, his expression had grown more complicated.“Alright. I understand.”After hanging up, she anxiously looked straight ahead. If she had been mentally prepared before, now she was starting to feel uneasy. “What’s going on?” Caleb asked while driving, glancing at her. Vera hesitated, debating whether to tell him or not. But seeing the strange
“I only had one surgery today,” Caleb said as he drove, his voice calm but firm. “Now that it’s done, I want to know why this happened.” After that, he said nothing more. Vera sat in silence, her heart uneasy as the car pulled up in front of an upscale club. Even though her hand was already bandaged, she still felt a sting of pain every time Caleb showed concern. “So this is what it feels like to have someone care,” she thought to herself.Back when Vera had been stepped on, her only concern had been the contract—whether the deal would fall apart and if her suffering had been for nothing.If it had been anything else, she probably wouldn’t have cared as much.But Caleb’s concern made it impossible for her to brush aside.It kept lingering in her mind, refusing to let her feel indifferent.“Don’t overthink it,” Caleb said, his voice firm. “Whatever happened between Luna and me doesn’t change the fact that this concerns me too—and I owe it to you to make things right.”