"Does that mean we're on the same page this time?" Nina asked.Penelope showed a warm look. "Maybe we were best friends in a past life, given how in sync we are now."Nina smiled without saying anything."But I'm more worried about your situation," Penelope continued. "Have you really moved on?"She was referring to the recent drama. Miranda was getting together with Nash while Nina was left out. It seemed absurd to her.Nina shrugged, responding cheerfully, "With a great career, why would I need to worry about men? Once I reach the peak of my success, there will be plenty of men around!"Penelope could not help but give her a thumbs up.They entered the female director's studio together. It was small, almost cramped. Previously, this director had made documentaries, winning several awards. This was her first time directing a TV series. The script, which took her five years to perfect, showed her passion and dedication to the industry, indicating she was not just chasing trend
They were taken aback. "Not producing it? Why not?" Nina asked. Nelly smiled and said, "I'm not some big-shot director. I've only made a few documentaries and, yes, I've won some awards, but I don’t have much income. This script took me five years to write, and even though I want to shoot it, I can’t find investors. Without funding, it’s impossible to move forward. Plus, the competition is fierce. Thousands of scripts are submitted, and mine hasn’t attracted any interest. I wanted to produce it myself, but the funding fell through. I just can’t make it happen!"Nina thought it was for some other reason. "Your script is really good!" Nina encouraged her. "Both Penelope and I think it’s well written.""Don’t give up!" Penelope joined in. "Look, we’re here to support you."Nelly appreciated their encouragement but had to face reality. "Thank you, but I need to make money first. That’s why I’ve been working on other projects lately. Even though I’m proud of this script, investors
"No regrets," Nina replied. "I just never imagined I'd be in this position. I used to be just a secretary, and now I'm making a huge gamble with ten million. It's enough to scare anyone!"Penelope put her arm around Nina’s shoulder. "You're my biggest investor now. I'll be counting on you!""Don't say that!" Nina said. "The hard work is just beginning. We'll only be able to relax once the drama airs and gets good feedback. Otherwise, we'll be in big trouble. We have to win this time!"Penelope knew she was making a huge gamble just like Nina. The stakes were high, and this project could make or break them. She did not know why she felt compelled to take such a risky path. Perhaps it was Nina's determination that inspired her. It ignited a fire in her, driving her to aim for the top. She was no longer just Penelope from a small town. She was aiming to become Queen Penelope.A confident smile tugged at Penelope's lips. "We can only win, no room for failure!"Back at the office,
Wilfred was always decisive and had no intention of letting Scott go. However, he hesitated, considering whether Scott’s words were trustworthy and if he could be a reliable ally. Their struggle made a lot of noise in the room.Feeling somewhat better, Nina woke up and saw them grappling with each other. "What are you two doing?" she asked.With his back to Nina, Wilfred blocked Scott from view, preventing her from seeing the fight. She had no idea they were actually in a confrontation."Scott?" Nina called out, having glimpsed his figure.Hearing her, Wilfred released Scott and quickly hid the scalpel. Scott, understanding the situation, smiled as if nothing had happened. "Nina, you're awake."Nina sat up. "Why are you here?"Scott, holding the gifts he brought for her, replied, "I came back from a business trip and didn't find you at home. I guessed you might still be at work, so I came by. Here, these are for you."He handed her a champagne rose and a box of chocolates.
"Where is it?" Scott continued to ask.Wilfred hesitated before finally responding, "Do you know the Nile organization?"Scott's expression tightened. "Isn't that a terrorist organization? It was supposed to have been eradicated years ago. How could...""It wasn't," Wilfred said, his eyes darkening. "I was one of them."Scott fell silent, recalling the time Nina was kidnapped. He looked at Wilfred again. "Is Nina being targeted by this organization?"Wilfred looked down. "I don't think so.""Nash and Miranda's scandal, could it be that he…" Scott had a terrifying thought that seemed to make sense."She might not have the antidote," Wilfred said. "But right now, it's our only lead. Without her, finding the antidote would be nearly impossible."Scott clenched his fists, the concern for Nina evident. They were all worried about her, each in their own way. "I understand," Scott said. "I'll find a way."Wilfred cautioned him, "Do what you can, but be careful."Just then, Nina
The restaurant was in complete chaos. Nina was still eating, but Scott and Wilfred became alert. "Nina, there's a fire! We need to get out now," Scott said."Alright," Nina replied, following them out of the restaurant.The restaurant was on the ground floor, so if there was a fire, they could quickly escape. Soon, the restaurant was empty. All the customers were outside, trying to see where the fire was. The restaurant owner was still inside.Nina stood outside, watching. There was not any smoke and it did not look like a fire at all."What's going on?" a customer asked nervously. "Is there a fire?""The alarm went off, so there must be a fire!""Look, the sprinklers are on!"They were talking about the fire sprinkler system inside that had been activated. Amidst the chatter, the owner came out, looking embarrassed. "I'm so sorry, everyone. Our fire system malfunctioned and set off the alarm. I apologize for the scare!"The owner bowed to everyone. "I'll prepare some small g
"It's bad! She is coming this way!"Seeing Nina heading in their direction, James and Felix quickly moved towards the back of the kitchen."What's going on?" Felix asked. "Why is she coming this way? Did we get caught?""Impossible!" James quickly denied. "We were trained soldiers. There's no way she'd notice us.""Then why is she coming?"Both men crouched as they moved."Let's hide for now."They concealed themselves in a hidden corner."Don't let her spot us. We'll move when she leaves."Nina inspected the fire alarm system.It had a hole punched through it."Looks like it was smashed," she noted.The owner quickly explained, "A server might have accidentally bumped into it, triggering the alarm.""Your servers have that much strength?" Nina asked skeptically. "This hasn't happened before, has it?""This is the first time," the owner admitted, struggling to come up with an excuse.Nina observed the large hole, drawing her own conclusions. "Seems like your server has s
James glared at Felix. "Really, Felix? I treated you like a brother, and you betrayed me!"Felix did not back down. "Right back at you!"James turned to Nina, forcing a smile. "Ma’am, I’m really sorry. It was an accident, not intentional. My mistake!"Nina responded, "I think you did it on purpose.""That’s impossible! How could I? I’m a good soldier who serves the people!" James stood at attention and saluted.Nina asked, "Then what are you doing here?" with a stern expression.James thought quickly and grabbed Felix. "We came to eat!"Felix immediately nodded. "Yes, we came to eat."Nina’s expression darkened. "This restaurant isn’t that big. How come I didn’t see you? And why were you in the kitchen breaking things?"She became more serious. "Aren’t you disrupting the restaurant’s business?"Both men fell silent."Did Nash send you to follow me?" Nina continued. "What’s his deal?""Well…"The two hesitated, not know how to respond."Where is he?""Captain isn’t here,"
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