"Didn't you hear what Nina said? She fell into the sea too. You're painting your daughter as the victim, but it's Nina who's the real victim here. She didn't even mention your daughter, yet you're the one pointing fingers first!" Yvonne could not hold back against the unreasonable accusations.And then, Mrs. Jasper added, "How could my daughter possibly harm anyone? Right now, it's her lying in the hospital bed, not this woman. That only proves she's the one behind my daughter's condition. I refuse to believe it was just an accident! Maybe she's fabricating the story of her own fall to cover up her crime!"She was convinced it was Nina's jealousy that led her to push her daughter into the sea. After all, nobody saw it happen, so Nina could easily lie."You're being utterly unreasonable. Fine, let's call the police. Let them investigate!" Yvonne retorted."Sure, let them investigate. I want to see how she'll play her cards!" Mrs. Jasper declared aggressively.Nina looked at Mrs. Ja
With tears streaming down her face, Stella held onto her mother's hand, looking very afraid of Nina. This stirred up Mrs. Jasper's protective instincts, and she pulled Stella into her arms, casting a hateful gaze towards Nina. "What else do you have to say for yourself? My daughter has testified against you. It's you who wanted to harm her! You're such a vicious woman, jealous of my daughter's success, aren't you?"Mr. Jasper, feeling victorious, looked confidently at Nash and snorted. "My daughter is awake now, she can't escape. Keeping such a venomous woman like her around will only bring trouble upon yourself!"Just then, the police arrived at the scene. Mrs. Jasper, seeing the police, rushed over as if they were her saviors, grabbing onto the police officer's clothes. "Officers, you've finally come! This woman harmed my daughter. Hurry up and take her away to jail so she can't harm anyone else!"The police were not unreasonable and looked around at the people present. One of the
In response to Stella's request, Mr. Jasper said, "Officers, we can discuss this outside. Miss Nina, please leave. You're not welcome here."Nina looked at Stella who was pretending not to be as domineering and confident as she was at the dock, but rather righteous and assertive. She knew Stella was trying to appear weak and pitiful, making everyone believe she was the victim. Nina chuckled coldly, "Are you afraid of me, or feeling guilty? Afraid I'll expose you, or do you think lying in that hospital bed, pretending to be a victim, will stop me?"Stella harbored a glimmer of hope. After all, there was no evidence against her, and she was more injured than Nina. She could probably get away with it. But she was also worried about saying too much and exposing herself, especially since this was her first time doing something like this. She just wanted Nina to leave quickly, preferably ending up in jail, so she would not have to be so nervous anymore."Mom, please hurry and get her
Nash's deep gaze fell on Nina. Initially, he would worry about Nina being at a disadvantage. Regardless of whether she pushed Stella or not, he would stand by her side. If the Jasper family wanted to send her to prison, he would resort to any means to threaten them to get her out. Nina signaled him not to speak, and he remained silent throughout. Only when she took charge did he feel relieved.The police took the voice recorder and looked at Stella and her mother. "If the situation is true, this is attempted murder. Even if the person is unharmed, you'll still face legal consequences."Seeing the police say this, Stella's mother felt they were biased towards Nina. "Officer, you haven't clarified the situation yet. This woman is the one with the problem, not my daughter. Are you siding with her? Do you think you can bully us just because we're not from here? This is outrageous!"Her words were severe, causing the police to change their expressions. "Are you questioning us?"Mr. Ja
"Miss Jasper, let's go," the police officer said.They could tell that Stella was trying to avoid responsibility for the situation. Following procedure, they could not just let it slide.Stella still resisted, so the police had to physically escort her. Two female officers approached and lifted her from the bed. She cried out, pleading for her mother to intervene."Let go of my daughter, don't touch her!" Mrs. Jasper pleaded, but another officer pulled her away.Stella was carried out, crying and pleading to her father for help, but to no avail.Despite Mr. Jasper's inner conflict, the police were firm in their actions, and Nina's steadfastness only fueled his frustration. He turned to her, his expression cold. "Miss Nina, you truly have no intention of giving me any respect!"Nina calmly replied, "Mr. Jasper, I understand your protective instincts, but shielding your daughter when she's done wrong isn't helping her. It's harming her. She won't learn from her mistakes or unders
"He may have been pitiful before, but does that mean he's still pitiful now?" Mr. Jasper remarked. "That was the old Nash. Now, he's in control of the York Corporation. Even though we're abroad, just look at how much sway Nash holds in Jasper city. Can you imagine William being able to say more than a couple of words?"Mrs. Jasper was also speechless and began to cry again. "Are we just going to stand by and watch Stella suffer? I might as well suffer for her!" Stella was their daughter, and they would do everything in their power for her. However, Mr. Jasper still had to consider the entire Jasper Corporation, with a bunch of people relying on him. He could not just ignore them. He had to think long and hard about it.At the police station, Nina had already given her statement. The voice recorder had been verified as genuine. There was no such thing as a perfect crime in this world. Even if Stella erased the surveillance footage and tried to make it seem like no one knew, evidence
Talking about this, Nina felt a touch of emotion. In some ways, she was similar to Stella. Both of them had developed feelings for him because he had saved them. However, Nina was not as extreme as Stella. If Nash had not married her initially, she might have given up. Who would want to hang on a tree waiting for someone who might never come? Now she realized, if Nash had not married her, they would not have had so many complications."The acts of saving people before were actions of the military, and they didn't have much to do with me personally. Who would willingly risk their lives? It was about the beliefs and responsibilities at that time. If I hadn’t joined the military in the first place, there wouldn't have been so many complications," Nash speculated, offering himself a hypothetical scenario. If he had stayed with the York family and never left, he would not have been involved in those life-threatening missions. For him, it was not about glory but rather a low point in
As he embraced her, Nina stiffened for a moment before setting down the pot she was cooking in and asked, "What's wrong? Dinner will be ready soon."But Nash held her tighter, burying his face in her hair. The familiar scent eased his uneasy emotions. "Nothing, I just feel more comfortable being with you," he murmured.Nina's gaze remained indifferent as she continued stirring the vegetables in the pot. "The kitchen is filled with smoke. It's not suitable for you."Nash insisted, "Anywhere with you is fine."In the past, Nina would have found this comforting, her heart filled with joy. But now, it was as if Nash's sweet words had no effect. Perhaps too many days of anticipation had made her heart numb.She did not push him away, nor did she reject him. She simply stayed quiet and kept him close.She knew they rarely had such opportunities, and they would not have many more. Once the food was ready, she pulled Nash's hand away and turned to him with a smile. "Let's go, it's ready.
On the day of the engagement banquet, Ben’s phone appearing near Jamie should have been a warning sign, but she missed it. Later, she had warmly welcomed Jamie into her home, showering her with care. She had even worried that Ben might dislike Jamie and tried to help them get along. And what happened in the end? While she had been tirelessly caring for them, the two of them ended up in bed together. Now, they were living under the same roof, while she and her child were left with nothing. How could Winnie not harbor resentment? Especially when she looked at Charlie, a chilling thought crept into her mind: If her own child’s life was ruined because of Jamie, then shouldn’t she retaliate by ruining Jamie’s child? An eye for an eye. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Every time Charlie called her "Aunt Winnie" with such innocence, it reminded her of the bond between them. How could she be so heartless? “I’m in Ben’s villa. He won’t let me leave,” Jamie
Ben gripped Jamie's chin tightly, his voice firm and unyielding. When Jamie had disappeared from his life, he had exhausted every possible means, called in countless favors, and poured his energy into finding her. But he had failed. Just when he was on the verge of giving up, he had met Winnie. It felt like fate had stepped in, intertwining their paths once more, as if destined for a lifetime of entangled love and hate. If that was his reality, then he would play along with it.“Instead of plotting ways to escape from me, why don’t you focus on apologizing? Show me some sincerity, and maybe I’ll make your life a little easier,” Ben said.Jamie’s lips curved into a bitter smile. She knew what he wanted.He wanted an apology and an attitude of remorse. But she also knew she had no leverage to stay by his side.Even if she played along now, making him happy temporarily, there was no future for them. Mrs. Lucas’s disdain for her was an insurmountable mountain, and she couldn’t see
Unfortunately, Ben couldn’t see through any of this. Summer, however, wasn’t the least bit intimidated. Shaking her head confidently, she said, “I’ve never done anything to upset him. I don’t believe that just exchanging a few words with him would make him kick me out.”Mrs. Lucas opened her mouth, about to say something, but seeing Summer’s confident demeanor, she hesitated. Maybe, just maybe, Ben might actually feel too awkward to reject her outright. And if a little covert manipulation were added into the mix…Suddenly, Mrs. Lucas had an idea. Hearing it, Summer’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Mrs. Lucas, that’s an excellent plan! We should act quickly before he does anything else irrational.” “Alright.” Though the plan was solid, the two of them decided to put it into action three days later. Meanwhile, Ben hadn’t been to the office lately, but he was still keeping track of all the firm’s cases. He was also trying to reach Winnie, but while her phone would ring,
Ben wanted nothing more than to wring Jamie's neck after hearing her cold, cutting words. “I don’t need your lectures,” he growled. Human nature? Didn’t she think he knew enough about it already? He had seen it in every case he handled, and he had learned it the hardest way through her betrayal. When he fell for Jamie, it had been with the intent to marry her, to share a future. But she had stabbed him in the back without hesitation. And yet, when he tried to hate her, tried to wish for her downfall, he couldn’t bring himself to follow through. “Stay here and reflect on your actions, Jamie.” Ben knew her well enough. If she cried, begged for forgiveness, he would soften. But she didn’t. Instead, all she cared about was that child, the child he refused to acknowledge. “Fine,” he thought grimly. “Let’s see how long that bastard can survive.”*Meanwhile, Ben’s mother, Mrs. Lucas, had failed to convince him to cut ties with Jamie. This left her in a tough spot, especial
Ben would never believe the truth, and his mother would never allow Charlie’s existence. Instead of creating chaos and an irreparable fallout, Jamie chose to keep it hidden. She thought that once Ben’s anger subsided, he would eventually let her go.“Even if you figure out who the father is, what difference does it make?” Jamie met Ben’s intense gaze calmly. “We’ve already said everything that needed to be said. Can’t we stop making each other’s lives miserable?”"Your mother offered so much money. Why wouldn’t I take it? I’m not a fool. I gave you up for one million before. After these past four years, do you really think there’s any love left between us? Do you honestly expect me to cry and beg for you?”Jamie’s voice was steady as she stared calmly at Ben. She had been scared at first, but over time, she had come to terms with her reality. Ben wasn’t going to kill her. And as long as she stayed alive, there would eventually come a day when he’d let her go. Right now, his anger wa
The next second, there was only silence on the phone.Ben sent the phone number to his assistant. “Investigate thoroughly.”A thought suddenly struck him. He couldn't let Jamie continue to roam freely outside.*Four days later, Ben's mother came to visit. “You refuse to take over the family business, and now you're going against me by keeping Jamie around again?”Ben didn’t respond, but her anger only grew. “Ben, you’ve seen for yourself what kind of person Jamie is. Why are you still so obsessed with her? The fiancée I arranged for you is far better than the one you’ve chosen!”The Larson family was also one of the prominent families in Birkham. While the Lucas and Larson families couldn’t rival the York family, the Lucas family still held its position as the second most influential family in the city. On top of that, they were relatives of the Scott Lucas. Even Scott, who had initially resisted marriage, eventually followed his parents’ wishes and entered into a family
Jamie closed her eyes briefly, sinking further into despair. She didn’t even notice when Ben had left the room. Her thoughts were scattered, her mind drifting in and out of focus.Though she wanted to leave the hospital, she was constantly watched, making it impossible. By afternoon, a nurse came in to change her dressing.Jamie glanced up absentmindedly. “It’s fine. I don’t need it.”“This is under Dr. Lawson’s direct orders,” the nurse replied gently but firmly. “I can’t afford to cut corners. Since you’re still admitted, please cooperate.”Jamie lifted her gaze slightly, her tone subdued. “I’d like to get some fresh air.”“Of course, once we’re done changing your dressing, I can take you outside. Just make sure not to strain your muscles,” the nurse said patiently.The weather was exceptionally pleasant that day. As she sat in the wheelchair outside, Jamie made several calls to Winnie. The phone was still off, as if Winnie had made up her mind to disappear completely from her
“You're the patient, and I'm the doctor. Taking care of you is my job,” Jay said with a light smile, handing her the utensils. “Go ahead, try it.”Jamie was indeed hungry. She hadn’t felt like eating, but she couldn’t refuse his gesture. Besides, she needed to regain her strength quickly if she hoped to find Charlie. She picked up the utensils and was just about to take a bite when footsteps sounded outside the room. The door swung open, revealing Ben. His expression darkened instantly, his face stormy as he took in the scene before him. “So, Dr. Lawson, is this how you treat all your patients, or is this a special case?” Ben’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “Just giving an old classmate some extra care. What’s the harm in that?” Jay replied, his words laced with subtle defiance. The room's atmosphere froze, tension thick in the air. Ben’s sharp gaze flickered between Jamie and Jay before finally settling on Jamie’s pale face, his expression unreadable. Jamie, sensing th
“Wake up, Charlie.” Winnie held him tightly, panic overwhelming her. She wanted to take him away, not harm him! Just then, the sound of a car pulling up broke through the darkness. Footsteps approached, slow and deliberate. A tall man emerged from the shadows and stopped in front of her. Tears streaming down her face, Winnie looked up. The man’s sharp, angular features were obscured by the dim light, adding to his air of mystery. But she immediately recognized him. It was the same man who had told her the truth about Jack Green being Ben Lucas. Winnie glared at him with fierce determination. “Why are you here? Are you happy now that things have come to this?” “You foolish woman, do you think being deceived feels any better?” the mysterious man sneered. “The truth is nothing but a bloody wound. I’d rather…” Winnie’s voice faltered, unable to continue. “Stop lying to yourself,” the man said with a slight shake of his head. “What do you want?” Winnie asked