"It won't happen," Nash said, panting and wincing in pain. "I won't die. If I die, who will protect you? So, I won't die."Nina could not bear to hear such words, and she cried even harder.Nash, with a gentle look in his eyes, patted her back to calm her down.He was afraid, too. He was afraid of dying, afraid of leaving her alone. If something like this happened again, who would protect her? He also feared that the so-called Zac would come to take her away or deceive her. He worried she might get hurt or fall for another man.His possessiveness made him worry about these things, though he knew he would be ridiculed if he admitted it.Nash's lips curved into a bitter smile.Nina wiped her tears away, though she could not stop herself from crying. It was not the time for tears.Her eyes, red from crying, locked onto his. "It's a promise then. I believe you."She found no other way to comfort herself.Nash stared at her with a smile, not a bitter one this time, but one of
Yvonne furrowed her brows and said sternly, "Have you lost your mind? What do you mean by self-protection? Can you match a man in strength? Do you have superhuman martial arts skills? Be realistic. You're not a superhero. You're a woman, and a pregnant one at that. Blaming yourself won't solve anything while the real criminals are still out there. Pressuring yourself with guilt won't fix the problem!"Nina blamed herself for being too weak, while so many people wanted her dead. She felt powerless and guilty for putting others at risk.Yvonne's words made sense. No matter how upset she was, the real criminals were still free.Nina hugged Yvonne, leaning on her shoulder. "I'm scared. I feel like this isn't just a simple kidnapping. I can't fight them!"She had felt this fear in the trunk. The experience had put immense physical and mental pressure on her.Yvonne's expression softened, and she gently comforted Nina. "Don't be afraid. I'll be by your side, and we'll face and solve thi
As her superior, Sawyer was sipping tea, indifferent to Scarlett's fate. It was only when she collapsed that he put down his teacup and fixed his sharp gaze on her. "Are you trying to let that woman go on purpose?"Scarlett lay on the ground, her eyes open as she struggled to crawl towards him. "I didn't..."Sawyer said, "You were clearly about to throw her off, but you hesitated. I have to suspect that you're having second thoughts."Scarlett's face was pale and she looked disheveled. She grabbed the bottom of his pants with all her strength. "She grabbed my hand. I tried to throw her, but I couldn't. Please forgive me this time. I promise I won't fail again!"Without mercy, Sawyer kicked her away.Scarlett groaned in pain, the taste of blood heavy in her mouth, making her nauseous. But what she wanted now was to survive. "In the end, the plan worked out. Your target was the man, and he's been shot. He's at death's door. I've done my part."At this, Sawyer walked over to her and
Sawyer's anger subsided as he met Wilfred's gaze, narrowing his eyes slightly. "That depends on your sincerity."Seeing this, Scarlett turned pale. "Wilfred knows nothing about my plan. He had no idea. Please, spare him this time."Sawyer reached for Wilfred's hand, but Wilfred withdrew it. Wilfred then said meaningfully, "Let's have a drink tonight."All of Sawyer's rage dissipated, and he smiled. "Alright, I'll be waiting."With that, Sawyer let Scarlett go and left with his men.Scarlett struggled to her feet, despite her body being covered in whip marks. She endured the pain and, with urgency in her voice, said, "You're insane! Don't you know he's a pervert? Going there is a death sentence!"Now, it was just the two of them.Wilfred's gaze shifted to Scarlett, and he used a disinfecting wipe to clean the hand that had touched Sawyer's face. A flicker of disgust appeared in his eyes.He despised it, but there was no escape."Don't worry," Wilfred said calmly.Scarlett in
Wilfred looked at her with a gentle smile, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. Why did his sadness affect her so deeply? She recalled the harsh words she had said before, realizing they might have hurt him. Suddenly, she understood that Wilfred likely would not harm her. Perhaps he had his own reasons.She wanted to cross the street to reach him, but she had to wait for the light to turn green. As cars passed by, her eyes followed Wilfred, hoping he would not leave before she could get to him.When the light finally changed, Nina hurried across the street. But when she reached the other side, Wilfred was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she found a basket of freshly picked strawberries on the sidewalk.Nina stood there, stunned. She picked up the basket and looked around, calling out, "Wilfred! Come out, I need to talk to you! Why are you hiding from me?"She was so close to getting answers, but he had vanished, leaving behind a basket of strawberries. What did this mean
Miranda saw Nash through the glass window. He looked like he was barely hanging on. She grabbed the man in the camouflage uniform, her eyes red with anxiety. "How is he? Is he seriously injured? How did he get hurt so badly, and when will he wake up?""I don't know," the man in the camouflage uniform replied. "But miss, this is a quiet zone. If you want to wait for Captain York to wake up, you need to do so quietly.""How did he get hurt and end up in the ICU?" Miranda said anxiously. "Will he die?"She was clearly frightened.Yvonne, seeing her panic, could not help but say, "Why is she so worked up? She's not his wife! And how does she know Nash was injured? Could she be the one behind your kidnapping?"Nina had already suspected something when Miranda asked about Nash. It had only been a few hours since he was shot and admitted to the ICU, and no one had been informed. How did Miranda know? Unless she was in cahoots with them. Just from that information, Nina was alread
Miranda's gaze at Nina was incredibly fierce, as if declaring war. She was silently saying that she would not let her off easily! Nina had never seen such a gaze before, and it was clear that even Miranda felt some pressure.No longer willing to give Miranda any face, Nina said, "Miss Miranda, you've seen him and made your scene. Please leave now. You don't need to worry about when my husband will wake up!"Miranda was even more reluctant to leave. "Nina, who do you think you are? You’re nothing but an abandoned wife!""I'm his wife. He risked his life to save me. You have no right to be here!" Nina retorted sharply. "Escort her out!""You..." Miranda seethed with anger.But the man in the camouflage uniform followed Nina's orders. They all knew Nash had been injured saving Nina, and she was rightfully his wife."Miss, please leave. Otherwise, we’ll have to force you out."Seeing the group of tall, muscular men armed and ready, Miranda knew she could not win this fight. She gl
Seeing that Nina had not come out for a long time, Julia went into the study."Nina, what are you looking for?" Julia asked from the doorway, seeing Nina buried in her search.Nina looked up. "Mom, I remember Dad loved collecting newspapers. How come I can't find them?"Zion had a hobby of collecting newspapers, keeping them in a box from the earliest editions to the most recent. They should have been well-organized, easy to find. But she could not locate them.At this, Julia's expression changed slightly. Not wanting Nina to notice, she walked over with a smile. "What newspapers are you looking for? Let me help."Nina replied, "It's from when I was in middle school. There should be some, right?"Julia grew more nervous. "Which issue specifically? You were in middle school for three years. Do you know the exact issue?""When I was kidnapped at school," Nina said casually. "That was a big event. It should've made the papers."Julia's expression shifted again and again. "Why are
Caleb organized the medications and explained everything meticulously. "These are oral meds, three times a day after meals," he said.Caleb noticed that Ben’s eyes were fixed on Jamie. At that moment, his face was filled with worry and urgency."It's just a fever," Caleb reassured. "The shot's been given, the IV is running, and the meds are sorted. What else is there to worry about? I'll write out the steps for the IV change—"Before Caleb could finish his sentence, Ben shot him a sharp look that cut him off immediately.Fine, Caleb thought, throwing his hands up mentally. He would stay until the IV was done. Better that than risk being bombarded with Ben’s relentless calls later if anything went wrong. Caleb simply wasn’t up for that kind of torture.Although Jamie on the bed hadn’t woken up, Caleb didn’t want to stick around any longer. He had no interest in watching Ben fuss over her like some lovesick fool.Not long after Caleb left, Jamie stirred. Seeing Ben sitting by her b
Jamie was in a terrible state. Her injuries from shielding Ben during the stabbing incident hadn’t healed, and now, thanks to Summer’s scheming, she had developed a fever soaring to a dangerous 104 degrees Fahrenheit.Lying in bed, delirious and motionless, Jamie didn’t even realize how bad things had gotten. When the housekeeper came to deliver her meal and saw her lying there unresponsive, panic took over.“Mr. Lucas, Miss Lewis looks like she’s dead!” the housekeeper stammered, trembling with fear.“What did you just say?” Ben shot up from his chair, his piercing gaze locking onto the housekeeper. The housekeeper could barely meet his eyes, shrinking under the intensity of his glare. Ben had never looked so alarmed, his usual composure replaced by a pale, stricken expression.Without waiting for further explanation, Ben bolted out of his study, stumbling as he rushed down the hallway. When he finally reached Jamie’s room, he found her lying in bed, breathing heavily, her face
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