Jamie asked the assistant for the family’s information. The assistant looked surprised. “What do you need this for?” She casually made up an excuse. After getting the address, she quickly took a cab to the family’s home. They lived in an old building in the rundown part of town. Most of the buildings there were slated for demolition. The walls were peeling, and everything looked aged beyond repair. Even the doors were heavy iron ones. Jamie knocked on the door. A woman’s voice called out from inside, “Who is it?” Jamie waited patiently. Soon, a woman in an apron opened the door. The stranger’s face filled her with suspicion. Jamie held up a box of milk and some fruit she had bought on the way. She smiled warmly. “Community outreach program. Here to bring you some care packages.”That was enough to get the woman to open the door. Holding the gifts, the woman softened. Her face relaxed into a smile. “We haven’t had something like this in ages! Is everyone in the
Jamie frowned. “Aren’t you getting it backwards? Haven’t you been the ones pushing us into a corner all this time?” The woman stiffened and retorted sharply, “That’s because we have no choice but to protect ourselves.” Perhaps she had been holding her son too tightly, because the boy squirmed and mumbled, “Mom, you’re hurting me.” The woman quickly loosened her grip, her face flushed with guilt. “I’m sorry, Hugo.” The boy rubbed her arm gently and replied in his soft, sweet voice, “It’s okay, Mommy. I forgive you.” Her son’s reassurance seemed to calm her nerves. Seizing the moment, Jamie said, “I think there’s a misunderstanding between us.” “What misunderstanding? Are you going to deny that Mrs. Lopez ended up in the hospital because of you? You people, with your wealth and power, could crush us with no effort,” the woman sneered. So it came down to this, just as Jamie had anticipated. Fortunately, she was prepared. Before leaving the hospital, she had obta
Jamie ran over, her heart pounding, terrified that the elderly woman might vanish before she could reach her. “Mom, how are you here?” She grabbed the woman’s hand, her eyes brimming with tears of joy. She expected recognition, perhaps even relief, but instead, the woman recoiled in fear. “Don’t hit me, I’ll leave right away,” the woman stammered, trembling. Jamie’s heart shattered. “Why would I hit you? Mom, it’s me, Jamie, your daughter!” “I don’t know you.” The words hit Jamie like a bolt of lightning. Not know her? How could that be? There was no way she could mistake her own mother. Her mind raced, turmoil bubbling beneath the surface, but seeing how scared the woman looked, Jamie softened her tone. “I would never hurt you. Please, just take a good look at my face.” The woman hesitated for a long moment before slowly lifting her head. She wasn’t as old as Jamie had imagined. Her haggard appearance came from neglect, her unkempt clothes and disheveled h
“I have no idea how she ended up there,” Jamie’s voice trembled as she recounted. “When I found her, she was huddled in a corner, filthy and scavenging through trash.” Ben let out a soft sigh and pulled her into his arms. The familiar warmth of his embrace calmed the storm inside her, steadying her erratic emotions. Later, they sat in the living room, discussing the situation. “Your mom’s disappearance all those years ago was suspicious, and her current state doesn’t seem right either,” Ben said, his tone thoughtful. “Let’s have Wilfred take a look at her tomorrow.” “I was thinking the same.” Jamie glanced toward the guest room where Linda rested. Ben reached over, taking her hand gently into his own. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, as if transferring strength to her. “Don’t be too upset. Finding her is already a blessing.” Jamie nodded, finding a glimmer of comfort in his words. *The next afternoon, Wilfred came over at Ben’s request to examine Linda. Alt
Jamie stayed by Linda’s side throughout the examination. When the results came back, the doctor adjusted his glasses, his expression unusually serious. “It appears her brain has been damaged by drugs. Do you know what might have happened to her in the past?” Jamie clenched her hands tightly, her voice trembling. “My mom went missing for many years. We don’t know much about what happened during that time.” The doctor studied them carefully, but their genuine expressions dispelled any suspicion he might have had. “It seems that during those years, someone injected her with harmful substances.” Jamie’s heart sank. “Does that mean she’ll be like this forever?” Her voice quivered as the fear gripped her. She couldn’t bear the thought of her mother living like this for the rest of her life. Sensing her tension, the doctor softened his tone. “Don’t worry. With proper care, there’s still a chance she could recover.” A wave of relief washed over Jamie. It matched what Wi
Linda nodded slightly, and the helper went to ladle some soup, treating her with the same gentle care as one might a child. When the helper left, Linda seemed a little reluctant to see her go. Jamie reassured her, “Don’t worry, she’ll be back in a couple of days.” Linda continued eating, her focus unwavering. It was hard to tell if she truly understood Jamie’s reassurances or not. Oddly enough, despite her mental state being comparable to that of a five-year-old, many of her actions still carried the poise of an adult. Perhaps her body remembered what her mind could not. Jamie watched her mother eat with quiet relief, feeling a small sense of comfort seeing her mother in a more settled state. Then, the doorbell rang. Jamie glanced at Linda. “I’ll just get the door,” she said softly before heading toward it. As she opened the door, she froze, completely taken aback by the unexpected sight before her. Charlie, oblivious to her reaction, chirped cheerfully from Mrs.
Mrs. Lucas couldn’t help but think back to how she had once treated Jamie. Now, to lower herself and ask for Jamie’s help felt humiliating, even to her. She couldn’t help but feel that what she was doing was utterly inappropriate.Jamie poured her a glass of water and handed it to her with a calm smile. “Mrs. Lucas, please take your time.”Mrs. Lucas stared into Jamie’s eyes, noticing the calmness and sincerity there. She hesitated for a moment before finally taking the glass. After a long pause, she spoke hesitantly, “I want to apologize for how I treated you before. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have done that. And now, having to come to you like this, even I find it hard to look at myself.”“You don’t need to say that, Mrs. Lucas,” Jamie replied gently.“Jamie, I want to ask for your help to talk to Ben,” Mrs. Lucas said, taking a deep breath before continuing. She slowly began explaining what had happened over the past few days. Ever since Ben had walked out that day, he hadn’t
It felt expected, the kind of decision Ben Lucas was bound to make. But right now, the focus wasn’t on Lucas Corporation. It was on his father, who was ill.Jamie studied Ben’s expression. Beneath his composed exterior, there was a subtle distraction. “I heard Mr. Lucas is unwell,” she said softly.Ben paused, his expression unreadable. “And what does that have to do with me?”“I just thought you should know. After all, he’s still your father.”After she said this, Ben fell silent. Jamie worried she might have upset him. She hesitated, then carefully lifted her gaze to check his reaction. He didn’t look angry.So, she had been right.She felt a sense of relief but also an ache in her heart. Ben was like a block of ice. He was cold and unyielding on the outside but fragile underneath. He might not say it aloud, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hurting. He just buried it deep, where no one could see.“If you feel uneasy about it, maybe you should go see him. Of course, if you don’t
“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