Nina hesitated for a moment. "Aunt Zoe got into trouble because of me. How can I not get involved? I know you want to protect Miranda, but Aunt Zoe has been subjected to so much online abuse. She needs to clear her name. She shouldn't be bullied like this!""It's not as simple as you think," Nash said with a meaningful tone.But Nina smiled. "I know it's not simple. Miranda is not a simple person, and if she can do it, others can too. You may not want to help, but I will find a way to help Aunt Zoe.""I didn't say I wouldn't help Zoe," Nash added.Nina looked at Nash, somewhat incredulous. "Didn't you ask Miranda to move to Riverside Estate? I'll be with Zoe these days. If she has any problems, I'll protect her!"Just now in the hospital room, Nash's words could not have been clearer. Even Zoe was on the verge of severing ties with him. Nina had hoped that regardless of the circumstances, Nash would not let things escalate further. Unfortunately, she was mistaken. For Miranda's
Nina and Zoe were holding hands. At this moment, Zoe was very angry and had already cursed Nash numerous times. Nina said, "Aunt Zoe, you still have me to keep you company. You won't be lonely.""Back then, everyone wanted sons, but daughters are so much better. Daughters are more caring and affectionate. Look at Nash, the only child of our York family. He just keeps upsetting me. Now, he doesn't even acknowledge me as his aunt." Zoe complained, feeling her blood pressure rising at the thought.Nina still tried to comfort Zoe, "Perhaps Nash has some hidden troubles?""What hidden troubles!" Zoe snapped, her anger flaring. "I don't want to talk about him anymore. Every word feels like a stab in my heart. Let's just go, the farther away from them, the better!"She did not want to stay in the hospital any longer."I just asked the doctor. Deafness can also be artificially induced," Nina said.Nina was still worried about Zoe. The internet was a breeding ground for gossip, and spre
"I’ve got to remember it. If I don't, people will think I’m heartless, and how will I get by in this world?" Zoe was also a generous person. Scott did not refuse either. "Alright, I'll count you as a friend."Zoe and Scott got along well with each other.Soon, they arrived at Scott's residence. It was a spacious flat. There were security guards downstairs, keeping watch twenty-four hours a day."How do you feel about it?" Scott asked them."It's quite nice, Scott. We're not that particular," Zoe said."Then you'll stay here tonight. I used to live in this house. There's still some clutter inside, so I'll tidy it up today," Scott suggested."Wouldn't that be too much trouble?" Nina asked."Not a bother at all. Besides, it all needs to be tidied up anyway. I've already called my assistant to come over." Scott, upon learning about their ordeal, had thought they needed a completely new place. He had it prepared since early on."Alright." Nina looked at Zoe and accepted Scott’s ki
Upon hearing this, a look of astonishment appeared on Scott's face. "How is that possible? It's supposed to be Nina."At that time, he had already developed feelings for Nina. He cared about her so much that he rushed back to the country overnight.The assistant, holding the newspaper, also found it incredulous. He thought he might have made a mistake. "I remember you mentioning that you and Nina were classmates, but this person is one grade below you," the assistant remarked.With that, Scott's expression registered another wave of shock. He hurried over, taking the newspaper and examining it closely. Despite its age, the newspaper was well-preserved. The headline was clear, detailing a murder case at a certain high school, with casualties listed, and the only survivor being...Scott stared blankly, unable to believe it. He blinked a couple of times, afraid he might be seeing things wrong. Suddenly, it felt as if this newspaper was not the same one he had seen before. The survivor
Scott was completely puzzled. Back then, he was so focused on Nina that he overlooked crucial information and likely misinterpreted things. But what about Nina's real experiences? Could it be that the newspaper was mistaken? Seeing Scott lost in thought since earlier, Nina asked, "What are you thinking about, Scott?" Scott snapped out of his daze and replied, "Nothing, let's just order takeout." "Already done," Nina said. "Aunt Zoe might have some beer. Would you like some too?" "Sure." The two left the study. Zoe was calmly watching TV on the sofa. For her, watching TV was just a way to pass the time, and the TV was airing her scandal. Nina walked over and joined Zoe in watching TV. They saw Michelle in the hospital room. "Look at the camera. This is our victim, Miss Miranda. Miss Miranda, can you still hear us?" Miranda resisted the camera a bit. "Stop filming. I don't want to be interviewed." "Miss Miranda," Michelle called again. "I can't hear. I don't know what
"It's okay. There's still plenty of time. I'll eventually become the lady of the house here. Look, I’m already one step closer now." Miranda thought to herself.Miranda glanced at Quincy, who accompanied her. After all, he was someone close to Nash. She needed to maintain a good relationship with him, so she asked in a friendly tone, "Quincy, does Nash stay here often?"Quincy replied, also typing on his phone, "Mr. York has been staying here quite frequently lately, but he hasn't been around here for many days.""He doesn't return to the York residence?" Miranda realized she had not reached out to Sally in a while. Work had kept her busy, causing her to overlook Sally's messages on several occasions."Mr. York does visit occasionally," Quincy replied tactfully. "But Madam isn't fond of going back there, so Mr. York's visits are less frequent."Miranda tightened her fist instinctively but maintained her composure. "Will he be coming by soon?""I can't say for certain," Quincy res
"Now! Now is the perfect time!" Miranda smiled. She knew Sally must be eager to see her. All she had to do was wait. She took a spin around and found herself curious about the master bedroom. She opened the door and walked in. It was evident that no one had stayed there for a while. She went straight to the wardrobe, where she found numerous women's pajamas, some with tags still attached. There were a few sexy camisole nightgowns as well. She held one up against herself and twirled in front of the mirror. If she wore these and twirled in front of Nash, he would undoubtedly find her attractive. She did not linger too long. There would be other opportunities she could wait for. Glancing at the large bed, she could not help but imagine scenes of passion with Nash. Twenty minutes later, Sally arrived at Riverside Estate. She called out, "Miranda! Miranda!" at the door, but Miranda did not appear. Not finding Miranda in the living room, Sally asked, "Where is she? Wasn't she s
Zoe had no idea Sally would call her, and her temper flared. "What's the matter? Did Miranda tell you something? So what if I did something to her!""Where are you now?" Sally only wanted to confront Zoe."Why should I tell you? Who do you think you are!" Zoe stopped eating her nuts and swung her hand. She was just looking for a way to vent her pent-up anger.Sally sneered, "Are you scared now? Scared I'll come after you? I know your beauty salon got vandalized, and now you're hiding like a turtle!""Scared? Have I ever been scared of you all these years? If you hadn't married into the York family with William, I wouldn't even acknowledge you as part of our family!" Zoe retorted."Fine, then come out. Let's confront each other face to face!" Sally declared."Come out if you dare, Sally! If you want to confront me head-on and tear each other apart, then I won't give you any face either!" With that, Zoe hung up the phone and grabbed her bag to leave.Seeing this, Nina called out,
The woman had deliberately spoken in a vague and ambiguous way. She had been sent by Summer, with Mrs. Lucas's covert assistance. Together, they had schemed to place a helper in the villa with a simple enough task with their combined influence. But to Jamie, the words carried a different implication. This was Lucas’s territory, which meant this woman had likely been instructed by Ben. If Jamie didn’t drink the soup, she was certain Ben wouldn’t let it slide. A wave of bitterness washed over her. “Fine, just leave it over there. I’ll drink it later when I’m thirsty.” “Miss Lewis, I need to personally see you finish the soup before I can leave. If you’re not ready to drink it now, that’s no problem. I’ll just wait here.” The woman placed the tray on the table, pulled a chair over, and sat directly in front of Jamie. Her stare was unrelenting, her attitude clear. She wasn’t leaving until the job was done. If it had been anyone else in Jamie’s place, the woman wouldn’t da
“Don’t beg me. If begging worked, I’d have begged Ben not to leave a long time ago,” Winnie said as she wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. “Here’s the deal. I called to make one thing clear. Everything you owe me, I’m going to take back, bit by bit, through Charlie. He’s your son, and they say the sins of the mother fall on the child.” With that biting remark, Winnie hung up without hesitation.Clutching her phone, her chest ached with a deep, lingering pain. The masked man approached, standing by her side. “Winnie, what’s the point of all this? You’re clearly full of hate for Jamie, but instead of taking it out on her, you’re here looking after her kid. I don’t get you sometimes.“If it were me,” he continued, “I’d grab this opportunity and make her suffer. Why are you holding back?”Winnie shook her head. “Charlie calls me his aunt, and besides, it’s not right to blame a child for the mistakes of adults.”She might despise Jamie, but Winnie couldn’t bring herself
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