Winston looked at Tatiana sharply, then turned to Victor. "Taty is Lyla and my youngest daughter. She's the apple of my eye. We've been selecting a suitable husband for her. Originally, I wished for her to marry into the Schmidt family."But back then, you favored Lyse, so I had to find another man for Taty. Now that Lyse is with Jasper, let's sit down and discuss the marriage between your son and Taty. After graduation, let her be your daughter-in-law. What do you think?"Hearing that, Tatiana felt like she was being struck by lightning. As she trembled, her pupils shrank, and her face drained of color. "Dad ... I—"Suddenly, Lyla grabbed Tatiana's arm, her fingers nearly embedding into Tatiana's flesh.Tatiana anxiously looked at her mother, who shook her head.In the end, she could only lower her head in distress, tears welling up in her eyes.…Winston's proposal for Tatiana to marry into the Schmidt family reversed the crumbling relationship between the two families.Howev
The dinner ended in a strange and oppressive atmosphere.Upon learning about the marriage with the Schmidt family's son, Tatiana felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. Her face lost all color. It was as if all the warmth in her body had been drained, leaving her cold from head to toe.On the way home, she and Lyla shared a car. There wasn't even a chance for her to talk to Winston."Mom ... why?"Tatiana's eyes were brimming with tears. She asked with a choked voice, "You know that I love Sean. You know that I'll only marry him. W-Why do you want me to marry into the Schmidt family?"Lyla felt bad. Nonetheless, she replied with a calm voice, "Your father and I believe that this is a more suitable match for you. Sean is a good person. However, his family doesn't see eye to eye with us. "According to what I know, the Lynch couple doesn't like us. If you forcefully marry Sean, it would be a marriage without their blessing. Such a marriage would be agonizing for you."Loo
"Mr. Taylor."Winston paused in his steps, only now noticing that Sean was standing in front of him."Sean, it's late. Haven't you left yet?" he asked with a faint smile."Mr. Taylor, I ..." Sean hesitated. His throat was extremely dry."I know, you're waiting for Taty, aren't you?"Sean's thoughts were laid bare, making him feel awkward. After a moment of silence, he spoke guiltily. "Mr. Taylor, I'm really sorry for my brother's actions. But please believe me. Regardless of my family's choice, I'll always stand by you and Ms. Alyssa. My commitment remains unchanged."Winston smiled faintly and said, "This is your family matter. You don't need to explain it to me. You must have a lot to say to Taty, right? Go and talk to her. I won't disturb you."These words sent a chill down Sean's spine.When he came back to his senses, Winston was already at a distance.After some time, Tatiana, who had tidied herself up, walked through the gate with a pale face and a dazed look."Taty!"
But Alyssa knew Tatiana had heard her. She was just pretending not to have heard her. She felt worried and chased after Tatiana."Taty, what's wrong?" She abruptly grabbed Tatiana's arm.Tatiana slowly turned around with tear streaks on her face. "It's nothing, Lyse."Alyssa was stunned. "You're crying? Why are you crying? Did you have a fight with Sean, or …""Lyse, you and Jasper must be happy."Leaving behind these sudden words, Tatiana shook off Alyssa's hand and sprinted away down the corridor, ignoring Alyssa's calls.Alyssa frowned, feeling that something was not right. She took out her phone and called Sean."Ms. Alyssa." Sean's voice sounded down, lacking strength."Sean, what did you say to Taty? She's so upset. Did you bully her?" Alyssa questioned him bluntly with her hands on her hips."Taty cried?" Sean's heart ached, but he still spoke truthfully. "Ms. Alyssa, I didn't argue with Taty. But when she came back home, she was feeling down."I asked her why, and she
The conversation in the study continued.Winston came from a wealthy background and had sons and daughters, loved ones, and friends. Everyone all across the world admired him for it.Yet the only person he could speak his heartfelt thoughts to was Neil, who'd been by his side since he was in his youth."Things aren't so easy to handle right now, Neil," Winston said.His brows were knit tight as he shook his head lightly. "Jonah had been the one dealing with the company when Lyse was overseas. Frankly, I could tell how difficult it was for him."When Lyse came back, Jonah gave her the position right away. He must've known he had reached his limits. He most probably has found it extremely difficult to further improve himself. What's more, Jonah and Silas aren't … "Winston hesitated slightly as he spoke.Neil remained silent, though there was a shift in his eyes."So after some consideration, Lyse is indeed the most suitable heir out of everyone else. I'm not fond of Jasper Becke
With a loud bang, Alyssa barged into the room. Anger had made her face flushed while her hands were clenched into fists.Both Winston and Neil were shocked.Winston then grumbled, "Don't you know proper manners, Lyse? Or did you forget how to knock?""I've never knocked since I knew how to walk here in Heightsnew Villa! Oho! Are you bringing up civility and manners now? Feeling guilty, are we?"Alyssa was so angry that she was trembling. "Do you think you're some sort of a warlord, Winston? Having so many wives is one thing, yet now you're trying to use your own daughter to appease the Schmidt family? "What a wonderful father you are! I thought you were just a flirt, but it looks like you're also a cold-blooded, selfish man! I truly held my hopes too high!"Winston was furious. He wasn't as tolerating as before, though. He coldly said, "What would you know? These are ad hoc strategies.""Selling your daughter out, separating a pair of sincere lovers, and ruining Taty's happin
The only way they could make a breakthrough now was to catch Jeffrey's superior, Inigo Montoye. Jameson's crimes would finally be revealed once they had Inigo to testify!But Alyssa couldn't tell Winston this due to the risk of alerting unwanted parties and disturbing Jasper's plan and hers. Hence, she could only stop her explanation here."Then I'll wait for your evidence to change my mind." Winston no longer had the energy to argue with Alyssa. Sweat had beaded on his brows. He then walked right out the door.Neil hurriedly followed along, seeing how ill Winston suddenly seemed."You heartless, selfish, obsolete old man!" Alyssa roared at her father. "I hate you! I hate you so fucking much!"It felt like a dagger had penetrated Winston's heart. The pain was so great he flinched.The last time Alyssa yelled at him like this and told him she hated him was when Jennifer, the love of Winston's life, died. Winston didn't understand it. He had given all the best to Alyssa since s
Alyssa ran out of the house without hanging up the call or even changing her clothes, like a bird flying out of its cage.Jasper stood outside the gates under the streetlamp for her, his gaze warm.The weather forecast had mentioned a heavy downpour tonight, but Jasper hadn't minded it. After finishing his work in Solana City, he drove to meet with his lover.It had only been a day.But frankly, it was a pain to bear this feeling of longing."Jasper!" Alyssa cried, pushing open the door. She then ran tearfully over to him.Jasper's eyes widened briefly before they narrowed. An adoring and loving smile crept onto his face. He had already opened his arms to try and welcome Alyssa, but in the blink of an eye, she'd run right up to him. So he embraced her deeply."I hurried over as early as I could. I was worried I wouldn't be able to see you if I came by a second later, that you might've gone to bed," Jasper murmured warmly, arm tightening around her back. "But it's no big deal.
Hell on Earth? This place resembled a decrepit hospital. But why had Sheryl described it as "hell on Earth"?Amber's body convulsed uncontrollably, her consciousness flickering between clarity and haze. Fragments of memory surfaced—a dim recollection of drinking with Carl in the cellar after The Millennium's closure. She'd despised working with Carl but had cozied up to him for the sake of extracting information.Carl had revealed that "Sir" was deeply entrenched in the pharmaceutical industry. With connections to Mosgravia's government officials and elite circles, "Sir" wielded considerable power and ran a thriving business. Since his business revolved around pharmaceuticals, clinical trials were inevitable. To facilitate this, Sir owned a private hospital in Mosgravia.That hospital, however, was merely a façade. Beneath its sterile exterior, three basement levels housed patients—unwilling subjects for experimental drugs.Amber shivered. This place bore an uncanny resemblance t
"Amber will be fine," Jasper said confidently. "Based on Justin's way of doing things, he won't harm her for now. She's still useful t o him. He'll exploit her to control you and Alyssa, and to keep me from taking him down."Gripping Jasper's arm, Axel pleaded, "Jasper, I have to save my wife… What should I do?" His eyes were red, brimming with unshed tears.Steadying his breath, Jasper replied, "Even if it comes to killing Justin, it shouldn't be your hands that get dirty. I'll do it.""Are you kidding me? If we're taking that bastard down, we do it together!" Axel's expression was fierce and unyielding. "We went through the same military academy. We have to fight side by side!""Justin is my older brother. It's my family's matter to handle. And don't think I'm doing this for your sake—I have my own reasons."After a moment of silence, Jasper's voice softened. "I came to see you today for another reason. When you get home, don't blame Lyse. She's been torturing herself with g
When Axel heard the news, he immediately returned to the city where his organization was based. Without even reporting back to work, he booked the earliest red-eye flight to Cyrris. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and when he emerged from the arrival gates, an ominous air surrounded him. A black luxury car awaited him at the exit.Standing in front of the car were Jasper and Xavier, who had been waiting anxiously for his arrival.Axel's gaze locked onto Jasper's fiery eyes. His presence radiated fury, unrestraint, and a barely contained viciousness. A strong gust of wind swept through the terminal. Snow danced in the air, tangling both Jasper's and Axel's hair into disarray."Let's talk in the car, Axel," Jasper said in a low, measured voice.Red-eyed, Axel insisted, "I need to find my wife right now." "That's exactly why I'm here. Get in the car, and we'll talk." Jasper turned on his heel. His tone grew colder. "But let's be honest—you won't find her no matter ho
Jasper wanted to console Alyssa but found himself at a loss for words. So, he remained silent. "Disappointed, aren't you?" Alyssa sniffled as she smiled bitterly."Not at all." Perhaps he had been expecting too much. As a woman, she was intelligent, capable, and a strategist for victory. Beyond that, she boldly stepped forward to fight against the dark forces. She was strong and perfect as she was—why should he expect her to be anything more?Yet, seeing Alyssa's vulnerable side unsettled him. Something tugged at his heartstrings, a deep ache he couldn't ignore."I found it! I found Ms. Altman's cell phone!" With more manpower and better visibility as the sun rose, it didn't take long to locate Amber's bloodied phone. "Ambs…"Alyssa's face drained of color as terror gripped her at the sight of the bloodstained device. Jasper, on the other hand, remained composed. He tried powering on the phone, and to their surprise, it turned on. "What's the password?" Jasper asked g
"Five times more potent than the previous version? Are you sure it's safe for Remy to consume this?" Sheryl picked up the pill, unease flickering across her face. As much as she despised Remy, she couldn't deny his prowess as a fighter and his value as Justin's right-hand man. Having him around would certainly ease Justin's workload, prompting her to double-check."It won't kill him, but it won't be pleasant either. Don't worry—it's temporary," Justin replied, a sinister smile curling his lips. He continued nonchalantly, "When he takes the pill, his adrenaline will spike, flooding him with energy while his muscles tense. He'll feel both pain and euphoria. Then, it will fade, leaving him dependent on the drug moving forward." The implication was clear to Sheryl. Justin intended to control Remy through addiction. "Remy wasn't born for the shadows," Justin continued, his gaze darkened. "He's just a victim of post-traumatic amnesia, his nervous system subdued with sedatives and anes
"Got it, Mr. Harper!" Harper Group's subordinates acknowledged before swiftly dispersing. "I'm going to search for Amber too," Alyssa said, turning to leave.Jasper caught her arm. "It's freezing. Go wait in the car." Landon chimed in, "Lyse, listen to Jasper. Just wait in the car. We'll search for Amber.""No—I have to come too!" Alyssa sniffled. The sharp wind stung her face, leaving her nose raw and crimson, her eyes watering until they puffed into tender, swollen crescents. "Amber's in trouble because of me. I was careless—it's all my fault!""Lyse…" Landon's heart sank at her remorseful expression.Jasper's gaze softened as he studied Alyssa's pale face. "Her disappearance isn't your fault."Tears welled in Alyssa's eyes as she shook her head. "Amber means everything to Axel. If anything happens to her, I won't be able to face him. I don't deserve to be his sister. Please, let me come with you."Jasper and Landon failed to dissuade her. Reluctantly, they agreed. Alyssa
After studying Sheryl for a moment, Remy turned and left."M-Ms. Gillis, are you okay?" One of Sheryl's subordinates came forward to help her up."Useless bastard! Why didn't you step in when he hit me earlier?" Sheryl's voice trembled with fury as her gaze fell on the crimson stains marring the pristine snow.Stammering, the subordinate replied, "R-Remy acted too quickly. Everyone in the organization knows how good of a fighter he is. None of us stood a chance against him!""S-Something wasn't right about him tonight." Sheryl watched Remy's retreating figure disappear into the distance, her voice dropping to a menacing murmur. "I need to report this to Mr. Justin in person immediately."Inside his car, Remy gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands but made no move to drive.Closing his eyes, he felt a suffocating sensation rise in his throat, as though he were drowning in an endless, hopeless sea. He was just a speck, sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss.A shar
With a piercing gaze, Sheryl glared at Remy, who stood in front of her car with an air of frigidity around him. The temptation to ram her car into the crestfallen man was almost irresistible, but she didn't dare. Remy was Justin's right-hand man, and even her audacity had limits. Instead, Sheryl pulled her white coat snugly around her, stepped out of the car with feigned composure, and strode toward him. Hostility crackled between them as their eyes locked.Sheryl broke the silence. "Remy, is there nothing you'd like to update me about?" she asked with a sinister look in her eyes. Stiffly, Remy asked, "Where did you take that woman?" "How shameless of you to question me. Mr. Justin was wise to send me as backup. Otherwise, Amber would have escaped without a trace!"Gritting her teeth, Sheryl took a step closer to Remy. "Is this how you handle tasks entrusted by Mr. Justin? The unstoppable Remy, brought to his knees by a wild brat? Or did you let her go intentionally? Are yo
"Jameson and Carl have been eliminated. Who else could be targeting Amber?"A sharp glint flashed in Jasper's eyes as a thought struck him. "Could it be Justin or Sheryl?" he asked, his voice low and tense.He recalled seeing Justin in the living room earlier that evening, wide awake instead of resting. Was Justin waiting for something? Or perhaps, provoking him in subtle defiance?"They are the only ones I can think of with a grudge against Amber." Alyssa's anxiousness made her voice tremble. "Having worked for Jameson for years, Amber must have visited Mosgravia multiple times to meet with Sir—who is, in fact, Justin. "Justin wouldn't have met anyone else besides Jameson. But how could he leave no trace after all those interactions? Amber must have figured out his true identity. And Justin—he must have realized who she is, even with her changed appearance."Jasper's expression darkened. "So he decided to eliminate her as a precaution."Tears welled in Alyssa's eyes, threaten