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
After speaking, Winnie ran off. Jamie didn’t chase her. She understood that Winnie couldn’t accept this, and if their roles were reversed, neither could she. Right now, she had to find Mrs. Lucas. She flagged down a taxi and directed it to the Lucas family estate. It was her second time coming here. The first time had been by Mrs. Lucas’s invitation, a meeting designed to show her the opulence of the Lucas family estate and to offer her a million to leave Ben. Jamie had sworn then that she would never set foot there again. But today, she was here for Winnie. At the gate, the security guard stopped her. “Who are you?” “My name is Jamie Lewis,” she said calmly. “Tell Mrs. Lucas I’m here to see her. She’ll agree to meet me.” Jamie hadn’t chased after Winnie because she wanted to give her some time to process everything. But she couldn’t leave Winnie alone for too long. Time was of the essence. Seeing her composure, the security guard decided to pass along
“You don’t need to give me anything. Just don’t hurt my family. That’s my only request,” Caden said firmly.The masked man let out a low chuckle. “Someone who doesn’t love money or power? How rare.”Caden’s expression remained impassive. “Just promise me this, and from now on, don’t come looking for me. I won’t help you with anything again.”The masked man clearly had no intention of letting Caden off so easily.In the next moment, he slid a list across the table. “Get these people released for me, or I’ll expose how you framed a top lawyer. What do you think? Will the public forgive you? Will the government?”Jamie, recording everything from the side, was satisfied with what she had captured. She turned to leave quietly, but before she could slip out, Caden spotted her.“Jamie? What are you doing here?”The masked man’s gaze turned icy.Jamie reacted quickly and bolted for the door, running as fast as she could.She didn’t know how she had ended up in the middle of Caden’s de
Mrs. Lucas showed no sympathy as she watched Jamie break down in tears. Her only concern was securing the recording to help clear Ben’s name.But Jamie’s emotional state made Mrs. Lucas suspicious. “Why does everything line up so perfectly?” she questioned.Jamie raised her hand as if swearing an oath. “I ran into Caden while working a part-time job, and the recording was pure luck. Mrs. Lucas, I’d never joke about my own son’s safety.”Jamie’s firm tone, coupled with her tear-streaked face, carried an air of desperation. As a woman and a mother herself, Mrs. Lucas could read Jamie’s emotions clearly. But deep inside, a new thought began to form. If Jamie’s child were gone, it would break Jamie completely. If she were to lose her mind or even die from the grief, how could Ben possibly continue to hold on to any lingering feelings for her?Mrs. Lucas’s resolve hardened as an idea took root.“Give me the recording,” she said, her tone steady. “I’ll make sure something is done t
It was a battle between good and evil.“Charlie is already sick, and your sister never thinks about you. So why should you care about her? Besides, people who don’t look out for themselves are doomed to fail!”Evil began to chip away at her reason.Justice pushed back. “No, he’s just a child.”But evil whispered again. “Winnie, if you don’t take steps to protect yourself, do you want to see your own child disappear?”Winnie couldn’t bear the thought of losing her child. Over the years, she had worked hard and sacrificed so much, yet Jamie had never acknowledged her efforts. Instead, Jamie had gotten entangled with Ben, even on the day of her engagement party. Ben was her fiancé, and her child was Ben’s child! Yes, only her child had the right to call Ben “Daddy.” This thought filled Winnie’s eyes with an icy determination.……Meanwhile, with the recording as evidence, the prosecutor’s office and the police launched an investigation into Caden’s actions. The invest
Ben’s lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling at that moment. The Jamie he knew was someone who could easily abandon their relationship for money. He had even done a paternity test on Jamie’s child, confirming there was no biological connection between them. Now, she had gone to such lengths for him. Was this her conscience finally surfacing? Ben didn’t want to dwell on it. “Your grandmother is innocent. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her situation,” he said. “Thank you.” Caden lowered his head in gratitude. Ben nodded slightly and walked past him without another word. ……After leaving, Ben returned home to find Mrs. Lucas waiting for him, ready to perform a series of superstitious gestures to "clear away bad energy." He went along with her routine without protest. Once she was finished, he got into his car. “Who did you reach out to that managed to get me released so quickly?” Ben asked, recalling Caden’s earlier
Ben did not reply and left without looking back. True to his word, he wasn’t going to see Jamie or Winnie. Instead, he arranged to meet Nash and the others at the most exclusive club in the city. However, when Ben arrived, Nash was busy on a call, Quincy was glued to his phone, and Hunter and Caleb were drinking quietly. Ben, already agitated, couldn’t hide his irritation. “You two, it’s rare we get together, and this is how you spend your time? Do you ever get tired of it?”He took a sip of his own drink, frustration bubbling as thoughts of Jamie occupied his mind. Quincy, sprawled casually on the couch, grinned. “Tired? Never. You don’t know what you’re missing. It’s pure bliss.” “I used to think love and relationships were just a burden,” Quincy continued, his expression turning soft. “But now I’ve realized, there’s nothing better in this world.” Since reconnecting with Lydia, Quincy’s perspective on life had shifted entirely. Traveling the world hand-in-hand with
Ben didn’t respond, drinking in brooding silence. Just as Hunter was about to press further, Nash shot him a glance that made him hold his tongue. Ben drank heavily, while Nash and Quincy eventually excused themselves, and Caleb hurried off to handle work. In the end, it was just Ben and Hunter left in the private lounge. Hunter patted Ben on the shoulder. “If you can’t forget her, then maybe it’s time to accept her. Even if things don’t turn out as expected, as long as you’ve done your best and have a clear conscience, that’s enough. You’re the one building a life with her, so why get hung up on something so trivial?” He was referring to Jamie’s past. And if Ben really wanted to count, he was her first man.But no man could truly tolerate betrayal.What Ben couldn’t get past wasn’t Jamie’s past, but her abandonment and the way she had betrayed him.“I’m done talking about Jamie,” Ben said coldly. “I’ll settle the tab. You stay and enjoy yourself. I’m heading home.”
“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.”
“Oh? So this is the apology you wanted?” Vera’s forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but the two women standing over her barely reacted. As if this was normal to them. As if humiliating her was just another game. “I asked you a question.” Vera remained half-crouched on the ground, her hand still pinned under Luna’s heel. Helena smirked. “Yeah, I’d say that’s good enough.” She hadn’t expected Vera to be this stubborn, but it didn’t matter. With an exaggerated sigh, she casually scribbled her signature onto the contract. The deal was officially secured. Vera didn’t waste another second. She cast one last glance at the two women. “I have no interest in getting involved in your personal drama. As for Caleb and me, that’s between us. We both made our choices.” Luna’s expression twisted slightly. “I won’t bother commenting on your relationship,” she said, voice dripping with disdain. “But don’t think for a second that this will ever earn
The moment Vera heard her assistant’s words, her expression darkened. Her previously calm tone turned firm. “If that’s the case, I understand. But I still have to go. This is my responsibility, and no one else can handle it.” If she didn’t take the lead, the other party would only grow bolder. However, the moment she glanced at the name on the negotiation list, she couldn’t help but frown. Because the person she was supposed to meet wasn’t just anyone. It was Helena Xander. Vera had encountered her before—back when her relationship with Caleb hadn’t yet escalated. Even then, Helena had openly mocked her, saying that since Caleb had been Luna’s devoted lapdog for years, he should know his place and never overstep. She had also thrown a few sharp words at Vera, telling her to recognize her own status—as if warning her that getting involved would only bring trouble. Back then, Vera hadn’t taken it seriously. She never thought she would cross paths with the