Mrs. Lucas came by.Jamie hadn’t expected her visit, and judging by Mrs. Lucas's expression, she wasn’t thrilled to be there either.Years ago, Mrs. Lucas had stood in the way of Ben and Jamie’s relationship. She had believed that by providing Ben with a fresh start under a new name, he would rise to greater heights, free from the ties that bound him. But after everything that had happened, she had come to a realization.Ben could never let Jamie go. And Jamie, despite all these years of hardship, had never betrayed Ben. In fact, she had selflessly raised Ben’s only son, Charlie, without complaint. Even though the one million dollars that Mrs. Lucas had given Jamie to leave, had long since resolved her family’s financial troubles, Jamie had never come back asking for more. She had stood her ground and upheld her promise.Jamie was remarkable.Mrs. Lucas found herself begrudgingly admiring Jamie. But Jamie spoke first, cutting to the chase. “There’s no need for you to persuade me
Jamie did love Ben. In this lifetime, she had dreamed of being with him. But life had taught her to face reality first.She couldn’t be with Ben again.Shaking her head, she said, “I won’t get back together with Ben. Mrs. Lucas, thank you for no longer standing in our way. But Ben and I have been apart for four years now. I’m not the same Jamie I used to be. Let him keep the version of me he remembers.”It didn’t matter if Ben hated her. Over time, that hatred would fade, and with it, so would his obsession.“Why?” Mrs. Lucas pressed. “Do you want Ben to keep hating you? Don’t you want Charlie to have a complete family? Or is it because of Winnie? Are you trying to give Ben to her?”Her words hit like a knife. Jamie had considered that possibility, but she knew it was unrealistic.She shook her head. “Neither Winnie nor Ben would accept that. I just think that we’ve been apart for too long.”“But he’s never forgotten you,” Mrs. Lucas said firmly. “This is all my fault. If you’re
Ben found it hard to describe his current emotions.It felt as though something was violently pulling at him, threatening to tear him apart. The familiar scent lingering on Jamie overwhelmed his senses, sending his head spinning. Eventually, he blacked out.Mrs. Lucas panicked. “Ben!” she screamed desperately, but he didn’t wake up.Jamie reacted quickly. “Mrs. Lucas, call Caleb. Ask him to come and check on Ben.”Taking Ben to the hospital would inevitably lead to media coverage. Worse, his enemies might seize this opportunity to strike. Having Caleb come over was the safest option.“Right, I’ll call Caleb now,” Mrs. Lucas said hurriedly, snapping out of her panic.Caleb, upon hearing that Ben had coughed up blood and collapsed, grabbed his medical kit and rushed over immediately.The diagnosis was clear. Ben had been overcome by extreme anger and stress. For a man like Ben, with his wealth and career, the root of this emotional upheaval could only be Jamie.Caleb turned t
Jamie had her doubts. Until she saw Winnie’s body with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe her sister was truly gone. Her home was already in ruins, and Winnie was her only sibling. “She’s not dead,” Ben said hoarsely. “Winnie ran away. Jamie, I can tell you exactly what happened with her pregnancy. I used her, yes, but I never laid a finger on her.” He paused, his voice low but steady. “Even though I deceived her, I made sure she had everything she needed.” The material support Ben provided to Winnie had all been used to improve Jamie’s life and pay for Charlie’s medical expenses. Winnie had genuinely loved Ben and dreamed of building a life with him. Even if she hadn’t come back yet, Jamie believed it was only a matter of time before she did. And when Winnie returned to find Jamie, Ben, and Charlie living happily together as a family, what would she think? How could Jamie disregard Winnie’s feelings? Besides, it had been four years since she and Ben had parted ways.
Ben nodded. “Got it. Please contact him as soon as you can.” “Sure.” After Nash agreed, he hung up and immediately called Nina. He was at work when he made the call. Nina answered with a chuckle. “Didn’t I tell you to focus on work when you’re busy? There’s no need to worry about things at home, right?” With a postpartum caregiver at home, there wasn’t much for Nash to handle himself. He laughed along. “I know, I know, and I haven’t forgotten. But I’m calling because Ben reached out to me. Can you talk to Wilfred? It’s about his first love’s child. The child is seriously ill and needs treatment.” “Got it. I’ll reach out to him right away,” Nina replied. Helping out friends whenever possible just came naturally.Nina explained the situation to Wilfred, who immediately agreed. “I don’t have time today, but tomorrow, you can bring me over to see him.” Wilfred was thrilled that Nina had called, even if it was on someone else’s behalf. For him, any chance to talk to
Charlie still didn’t know that Ben was his father. Throwing Charlie into such a situation, expecting him to adapt and stay with Ben before he even had time to process the truth, would undoubtedly leave him unwilling and confused. Hearing Charlie’s name, Jamie felt a stabbing pain in her heart. She began to avoid the subject. “Stop it. Let’s not talk about things that haven’t happened yet. Ben, I’m not going to be with you. And I can’t stand the thought of being separated from Charlie. If there’s no other way, then let’s just keep the truth from him forever.” Ben refused to let her avoid the issue. “What you’re doing is cruel to Charlie. He’s just over three years old, Jamie. He’s been battling illness his whole life, and he’s never had a father. Now that he has one, how can you deny him that?” Jamie fell silent. Ben’s words cut to the harsh reality of their situation. “I’ll find Winnie as soon as I can,” Ben said. He knew Jamie’s biggest concern was her sister.
Winnie held onto one belief that she had to call Jamie. Fighting through the waves of pain overwhelming her body, she slowly pulled out her phone. When Jamie saw Winnie’s name on the caller ID, she answered immediately. “Where are you?” “Jamie…” Winnie’s weak voice came through the phone. Jamie instantly sensed something was wrong. Panic set in as she shouted, “Winnie, where are you right now?” Turning to Ben, she cried out, “Ben, something’s happened to Winnie! Use your connections to locate her. She just called me. She’s in trouble!” Hearing this, Winnie’s mind flashed to an image of Jamie and Ben together. Ben had taken Charlie back, and now they were a happy family of three. But instead of anger, Winnie felt relief. “Jamie, you’ve worked so hard your whole life. Now, just be with Ben. I fell in love with Jack Green, not Ben. I lost control and acted impulsively. For Charlie’s sake, be with Ben and give Charlie a complete family. You’ll always be my sister. I do
Wilfred said, "I’ll skip this meal. Let’s head over to see your friend’s child first."“Alright, but take care on the road,” Nina replied.Since Wilfred insisted, she didn’t press him to stay. Nash then took Wilfred to Ben’s home. When they arrived, Ben wasn’t there, but Mrs. Lucas was, along with a three-year-old boy. “Mrs. Lucas,” Nash greeted politely. “Is this the child Ben mentioned?” Nash had never met Jamie’s son before, and this was his first time seeing him. Looking at the boy’s features, Nash immediately saw traces of Ben in him. Combined with Mrs. Lucas’s presence and protectiveness, it was obvious this was Ben’s child. “This must be your friend,” Mrs. Lucas said, glancing at Wilfred. “Please take a look at Charlie.” She quickly brought the boy forward. With both Ben and Jamie unwell, Mrs. Lucas had taken it upon herself to care for the child, hoping to make amends. Charlie, being an obedient and understanding boy, had quickly warmed to her. But now, wi
“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