Josh Schmidt had committed a long list of crimes over the years. The scandal of Josh forcing female scholarship recipients into prostitution sent a shockwave through the nation. Under immense public scrutiny, the Schmidt Group's reputation had been ruined.Victor had assembled the best legal team for his eldest, thinking that Josh would only serve concurrent sentences that added up to at most eight years since there were no murder charges pressed against him. Besides, the legal team would work with the Schmidt Group to reduce Josh's sentence.To Victor's surprise, someone turned in new evidence to the police just five days after Josh's arrest. On top of that, the accomplice Clarissa mentioned—the man who had gotten rid of the body after witnessing Josh's accidental murder—turned himself in at the police station, perhaps due to a guilty conscience or external pressure. He then proceeded to tell on Josh's criminal actions.In the face of KS Group and Beckett Group's threats, the Schmi
"Did she give her heart to me, now?" Jameson stared icily at Carl with an arched brow. "Stop bluffing me. She has no right to do that."She doesn't even deserve to fall for Axel Whitaker. That dude is Lyse's brother and a Taylor. She should know her place."I'm just curious if Amber would kill Axel for me. Failing to do so, I can't guarantee that I'd treat her as well as before."Carl was filled with shock when he realized that Jameson had only spared Amber to use her to kill Axel. Jameson was the type of man who would not change his mind after he harbored suspicions about someone.Carl's phone started vibrating from an incoming call. He answered the call, and his expression promptly fell. Jameson asked, "What's wrong?""Mr. Schmidt, I just got the news that Mr. Victor had sent the attorneys and his secretary to the detention center. They had a half-hour secret meeting with Josh!" Carl started feeling nervous. "Could Josh have transferred his stocks to—""Get the car ready! We'
By 10:00 am, Alyssa arrived at the entrance of the KS Group HQ office in her Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy. A few higher-ups had lined up at the entrance and waited for her with bouquets in their hands.Before Alyssa officially took over the KS Hotel, she was widely perceived as just Winston Taylor's illegitimate daughter. After going through ups and downs, she made a name for herself in Solana City and the business field.The first-floor lobby had been carefully decorated. A red carpet was laid out on the floor. Alyssa was accorded the most formal welcome because everyone held her in great respect.Back in the car, Sean adjusted his tie in the driver's seat and glanced at Alyssa through the rearview mirror. He warmly reminded her, "Ms. Alyssa, we've arrived."She slowly opened her eyes. Sean, suddenly excited, questioned earnestly, "Ms. Alyssa, your cheek blush is really pretty. It's a shade of reddish pink. Can you share the brand with me? I'll get one for Taty."Her blush dee
Sean strode into the meeting room with a serious face. Following that, the attendees heard the jarring clicks of heels as though their owner was stepping on everyone's face. It sent a chill down everyone's spine."I was standing at the door for a while. I didn't want to interrupt you because you seemed to be having a great time." Smiling, Alyssa walked into the room. "But the meeting has to go on. Maybe leave the chatting for after the meeting."Her presence caught everyone off guard, and the directors quietly replayed their conversations just now out of fear of having blurted out inappropriate remarks.Alyssa came to a sudden halt behind Dominic, who dared not look at her. His heart leaped into his throat. He thought, "That little bitch is so intimidating!"She said nothing to Dominic. Instead, she gracefully settled down at the head of the table with a composed smile.She began, "Gentlemen, my father departed the country yesterday for his treatment and recovery abroad." Carryi
Alyssa leaned into her chair with a faint smile playing on her lips. "You lamented to Winston how broke you were, and he paid for that 50 million dollars out of his pocket for his only brother."Because of that, he had a stroke, which led to the company's situation today. The losses from the falling stock price and his medical expenses could amount to billions, but you're not directly responsible for that, so I won't hold you liable."But you need to return the 50 million dollars you misappropriated. It's only fair to return what you stole. It's not only the rule of law but also a moral rule."The directors fixed astonished looks on Dominic, whose face was twitching from the shock and humiliation. Even Edward, who had been speaking up for Dominic, fell silent."The 50 million has been taken care of. Even if Winston was the one paying, it's considered paid at the end of the day!" Seething, Dominic snapped, "This was in the past, but you insisted on bringing it up. You're making a pr
Alyssa's booming voice delivered a great shock to the meeting attendees. Her confidence and imposing air reminded them of Winston Taylor.Dominic, whose legs were shaking uncontrollably, mustered his courage and slammed his hand on the table. He rose in anger to face off against Alyssa. "Alyssa Taylor, you have no right to sack me, even if you're the daughter of the chairman and the company president! "Are you treating the board of directors meeting as your personal playground? You're out of control. You'll need to start a vote to remove me from my roles!"He had taken a jab at Alyssa's previous remark of him treating the company as his private bank. Alyssa thought him petty and snorted. "Yeah, right. That's why I convened this meeting to discuss your matter."As Edward was Dominic's business partner—he had even been forced to invest in the two hotels—he could not possibly watch Dominic go down. Once again, he took Dominic's side. He began, "Alyssa…""She's Ms. Alyssa for you."
Panic gripped Dominic, who almost had a heart attack. He could tell that everyone present, including Edward, must have signed the NDAs, as no one told him about the agreement."You were the only one at the meeting who didn't sign an NDA. Besides, only an employee could access the security control room to steal the security footage," Sean explained, displaying the evidence he had gathered while glaring at Dominic.Dominic looked worried and frustrated. "KS Group employs a huge number of employees. There are thousands of employees working in just this building, and many have access to the control room. You're just attempting to pin all the blame on me!"Alyssa smiled in amusement and shook her head. "I wouldn't have easily traced it back to you if you had uploaded the footage through the public WiFi at a train station, airport, or café."Perhaps you're not too familiar with the technicalities of committing such an act because of your age. You decided to upload the footage with your p
The directors stared at each other hesitantly. Finally, one of the eldest directors spoke up with a cautious and polite smile. "We will vote for you, Ms. Alyssa. We shall follow your orders in the future."The rest of the directors immediately agreed with him.The rest of the meeting went on smoothly after Alyssa settled Dominic. After checking off her three items on the agenda, she gracefully sat up in her chair and beamed at the directors. "I appreciate you taking the time to attend the meeting. "Let's work well together for the future of KS Group. I won't take up more of your precious time. That's all for today."Then, she marched toward the door in great strides with Sean following closely behind. Once again, she came to a stop behind Dominic and turned to face him. Slowly bending over, she whispered to him with disdain, "Just look at you. You have nothing to defeat me with."Dominic shook in anger.She cautioned him, "Uncle Dominic, I won't hurt you if you find a nice place
The snow was falling heavily, and the chilling winds howled through the night.Remy had no car, so he trudged through the snow alone, each step more exhausting than the last.His thoughts were consumed with Alyssa—was she still alive? In danger? And Jasper's unrelenting resolve to reach her, even after being shot and drenched in blood.Remy pressed his calloused, trembling hand to his chest. His heart hammered in his ribcage erratically.A sharp, searing pain shot through his temples, blurring his vision. He collapsed to his knees in the snow, his body racked with agony. The pain surged deep within him, and his eyes felt like they were going to burst from their sockets. It was unbearable.His breath came in ragged gasps. His hands scrambled for the necklace hanging from his neck—inside it was a hidden medicine box.Justin had told him that the medication in there could calm him down and relieve him of any pain. It would be able to save his life. But in his desperate haste, the
As subtle as Remy's expressions were, Jasper still noticed them. A slight twinkle flashed across his eyes. He did not have the time to continue entertaining Remy. He clenched his teeth, turned around, and started running toward Crater Mountain. Nevertheless, he had barely taken a few steps when gunshots were fired at his feet. Even so, Jasper kept his eyes fixed ahead and did not stop. Just then, another gunshot rang out. It wasn't until a bullet hit him in his right shoulder that the pain caused him to stumble. He almost fell to the ground but forced himself to stay on his feet. It was fortunate that he was shot in his right shoulder this time. After all, his left shoulder could not be injured any further. Otherwise, his left shoulder would be left in complete disability."If you take another step, the next shot will be in your left leg," Remy warned mockingly. Yet, his gaze was firm and fiery. "Jasper, I don't suppose you want to end up like your older brother, living in
A chill went down Jasper's spine. At that moment, staring down the barrel of the gun, one thought consumed him. It was the only thought that mattered—he had to stay alive to meet Alyssa!Jasper's mind raced. His gun was hidden under the driver's seat of his usual car, but today, he had taken a different sports car—one that wasn't equipped with a weapon. Panic gripped him for a split second before his instincts kicked in.The soldier within him stirred. Without warning, he jerked the steering wheel, ramming his car into Remy's.One of Remy's headlights was taken out and left rolling across the snow. All of a sudden, this prideful man was overwhelmed with anger. His eyes reddened with a strong sense of competitiveness, compelling him to pull the trigger. A shot rang out. The bullet sliced through the cold air, shattering Jasper's car window.From the very beginning, Remy hadn't intended to take Jasper's life. All Justin told him to do was to stop Jasper from meeting with Alys
"Jasper, you are such a jerk. If anything bad happens to Ms. Alyssa, you will surely regret it. You will live in regret your entire life!" Sean yelled. …The temperature tonight was -4 degrees Fahrenheit. The snowstorm in the woods on the mountain was getting stronger and stronger. The winds were freezing and bone-piercing as they blew against Alyssa's face. Trees swayed dramatically in the screeching winds, creating an inexplicable creepy atmosphere that added a feeling of desolation to Alyssa's sorrowful and depressive mood. She braved the bone-piercing winds and faced the heavy snowfall. With the help of her trekking pole, she plodded forward one step at a time. She did not have a destination in mind. She did not know where she was heading. Her heart had shattered, and she was beside herself. The decreasing temperatures discouraged her and made her lose all her motivation. For someone who had lost their willpower, being in the woods under extreme weather conditions wa
"Mr. Jasper, why do you say so?" Sheryl lifted her head and looked into Jasper's reddened eyes. She furrowed her brows and laughed out loud. "White Dove is from Solana City. This is also something that I wasn't able to predict. If I had known, I wouldn't have gotten you to make a trip here in vain, would I?" Sheryl was no longer that conniving bitch who used to act coy. Now, she had a powerful person backing her up. Jasper's violent rage did not scare her at all. "Why the hell didn't you say anything earlier?" Xavier marched forward furiously. He was even more inclined to serve her a slap. "Did you know that Mr. Beckett had an important date with Madam today? He only rushed her because of your stupid lead! Right now, you're telling us that White Dove isn't in Skydon but Solana City? What the heck are you scheming? Were you trying to ruin Mr. Beckett and Madam's date intentionally?" "Madam? Haven't Mr. Jasper and Ms. Alyssa broken up? Is it right for you to be referring to her
The skies started to turn dark. Alyssa's dark hair was covered in a layer of snow. As she stood alone at the foot of the majestic mountain, she looked tiny, fragile, and desolate. "Ms. Alyssa, it's snowing. Heavy snowfall is forecasted tonight." Elias walked to Alyssa's side. Noticing the redness on her face due to the cold and the dull look in her eyes, he had a moment of realization. He couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness within him. "It's getting late. I suppose something came up for Mr. Beckett, and he's unable to make it." "Why didn't he inform me if that is the case?" Alyssa mumbled in a low voice as she gazed toward the darkness. She choked back on her tears so softly that her grievance couldn't really be heard through her voice. Elias slapped himself on his forehead. "Ah, perhaps you didn't manage to receive Mr. Beckett's message? The reception at the foot of the mountain isn't quite stable. You might have missed it. Would you like to come to my office? You'l
Jasper held his breath. It felt as if his legs had been chained together. He was unable to move. Looking at a stiff Jasper from behind, Xavier noticed his shoulders trembling slightly. An ominous feeling rose within him. "What did you say?" Jasper questioned. He sounded as if he was forcing himself to hold himself back from getting emotional. "Mr. Justin once mentioned that you were saved by a female doctor when you were badly wounded on the battlefield many years ago. I heard that you have been searching for her and that you've been grateful toward her." Jasper's back stiffened up. He narrowed his eyes and asked in a frosty voice, "This is a private matter. Why would Justin have told you about it?" "Mr. Justin mentioned it to me because I also used to work as a doctor in Luminara. He was hoping that I could help with finding that woman. "I finally have news on her whereabouts now. Mr. Jasper, don't you want to see the White Dove again? She was the person who gave her all t
That night, Alyssa stayed in the presidential suite of Solana City's KS World Hotel. She couldn't bring herself to return to her own manor—not yet. The lingering memories of her breakup with Jasper were still too raw, and the thought of revisiting their former home felt like reopening an unhealed wound.The following morning, she was awakened by a knock at the door. Groggily, she slipped on her night robe and opened it to find Sean standing there, carrying a complete set of brand-new hiking gear.Alyssa smiled. "Thank you, Sean." "Ms. Alyssa, it's freezing today. Are you sure you want to go hiking?" Sean walked into the living room and placed the items neatly on the couch. He still felt somewhat worried. "It's alright if it's cold, as long as the weather is good."Alyssa gazed out the window. The sun was shining brightly. The thought of going hiking with Jasper today made it impossible for her to conceal the sweet smile on her face and the delight in her eyes. She still love
Remy's eyes were bloodshot; his expression twisted with disgust as he stared at Sheryl. He could hardly fathom how someone so deranged and vile had once been close to Jasper. Even if Jasper and Alyssa had separated, Sheryl was nowhere near worthy of Jasper's side; she was not even fit to be the dirt on Alyssa's shoes.A sudden flash of memory struck him—the image of Alyssa during that traffic accident. He recalled her mustering all her strength to crawl out of her wrecked car, her face bloody, her body broken yet defiant. He had never seen such a fierce spirit in a woman before.His heart pounded uncontrollably, the memory triggering a sharp pain in his temples. Remy closed his eyes, gasping for breath.Sheryl broke into wild, unhinged laughter. Her entire body shook as she spat out her words, "Oh, Jasper, you poor, clueless fool!"If he ever discovers that the woman he's been tormenting all this time is actually his savior—the one he's been desperate to repay—that would be an eart