"Teddy bear… My teddy bear…"In the suffocating darkness, Lauren had her back firmly against the ice-cold wall. She curled up into a ball and was shivering all over. Remy had taken her teddy bear away from her. It was like her soul had been broken and all her energy was sucked away from her. Her mind was blank. Cold sweat dripped down the side of her cheeks like raindrops."Landon… Where are you… Please save me…"Suddenly, all the lights in the room lit up. A beam of cold, white light shone on Lauren's face. The harsh light made her feel like she was being interrogated. Her mental state, which was already on the brink of falling apart, was being triggered once again. "Landon… I'm scared… Landon…" Lauren shut her eyes. Even so, tears continued to flow from the slits of her eyes. She couldn't recall anything. Even every loving moment that she spent with Landon in the past was gradually drifting away from her mind. The memories became distorted, and they drifted further and
Preston looked like he was trying to conceal his ill intentions. Landon stared at him through his dark and ferocious eyes. That stare was full of threat indeed! In an instant, Preston felt like he was being choked. His chest tightened.However, on second thought, he figured that he didn't have to fear Landon. He was his uncle and Cornelius' only son. All he wanted was to fight Landon to death, no matter the cost. Cornelius stayed silent for a moment. Then, he said in a low voice, "Preston, all these while, Landon's reputation in the outside world and his business capabilities are pristine. In other words, he is the best candidate to be Harper Group's president. "You have to give us a reason why you're stepping out to oppose this." Preston puffed up his chest and lifted his head high. He shot a quick side glance at Landon's frigid face before turning to Cornelius. "Dad." "We are at a work meeting right now," Cornelius reminded. One thing that Cornelius always disliked about
There was no way that they were going to miss out on such tantalizing news. So, everyone lifted their bottoms off the seat and reached out for the documents on the table. Cornelius alone remained seated, a statue amidst the flurry of activity. He displayed neither emotion nor took any action. The reason for that was that he had seen the diagnosis report countless times in private, all thanks to Zoe."If any one of you dares to move even an inch…" Landon's roar shook the entire meeting room. His bloodshot eyes flared, a ferocious glint reflecting the raw anger simmering beneath the surface.These people were not just the corporation's board of directors. They were also his elders. After being shouted at, each of them lowered themselves onto their seats. They no longer dared to reach for the documents on the table. "What is it, Landon? Are you trying to avoid facing reality? Or are you afraid to accept reality?" Preston sneered slyly. He mocked him as best as he could. "Deep do
Preston coughed. "I… I'm fine!" The handkerchief that he was using to cover his nose had become bloody. It was obvious how ruthless Landon had been. The meeting resumed, albeit in an awkward situation. Just then, Cornelius picked up the documents on the table and started flipping through them casually. Under Landon's imperiousness, Cornelius was the only one who dared to make a move. "Is this a genuine report, Preston?" Cornelius asked with a look of disbelief on his face. Preston roared, his voice thick with indignation, "If it's not real, then I'll grovel at Landon's feet myself! It has the accredited testing organization's stamp, for crying out loud! Get it verified if you don't believe me!"Landon's scowl deepened into a thundercloud. His eyes flicked to Cornelius, skepticism etched on his face. Cornelius, in Landon's experience, wouldn't be this placid if he had just learned about this. Furthermore, this psychological analysis report was regarded as classified inform
Within Solana City, Harper Group stood as an economic giant, second only to the domineering Beckett Group.The skyscraper was tens of stories high and had more than a thousand rooms. Landon thought about how Lauren was being secretly locked in one of the rooms. He couldn't imagine the kind of fear and suffering that she was going through. A tremor seized Landon's hands, all ten fingers vibrating uncontrollably. A white-hot ache lanced through his entire body, twisting and searing its way to his heart, threatening to rip it from his chest.Preston was not going to reveal Lauren's location to him. He wanted to hide his most cherished treasure from him so that he could feel the pain in his heart. He wanted to aggravate and infuriate him. But what he really couldn't believe was…Angelina was skilled. It wouldn't be a problem for her to go against ten or even 20 other people on her own. Moreover, she had a gun on her. She wouldn't hesitate to kill Preston's men on the spot at any cruci
Lauren's lips were pale and her eyes were red and swollen. With much difficulty, she opened her mouth to speak and only managed to make a sound after a while. "Landon… What took you so long? What took you so long… So long…"Every single time she questioned him in that weak voice of hers, Landon felt like he was being shot in the heart. He was consumed by regret and suffering. He tried to answer her. But he was unable to get a single word out. "Something bad happened to Angie. Angie… Will she die?" Lauren thought about the image that she saw on the screen. In an instant, her eyes widened in fear and her entire body started convulsing in Landon's arms. Landon was scared out of his wits. Even every breath pained him. He answered, "No… Angelina will be fine. I'll take you to the hospital immediately, Lauren!" …Simultaneously, the board meeting was dismissed after such a big ruckus. Only Cornelius and Preston were left in the meeting room. "See, Dad? That lady from the Beck
After coming out from Harper Corporation, Preston made a call to Zoe the moment he got into his car. "You are indeed a genius, Zoe! How did you come up with such a well-crafted plan? I'm sorry that I raised my voice at you previously." "I've told you that I won't disappoint you, Uncle Preston. Just listen to me next time and you'll have good days ahead of you," Zoe boasted light-heartedly. That mastermind was amazing. Even if she had three heads, she wouldn't have been able to come up with a detailed and evil scheme like this. "Oh, right. There's something that I have to tell you." Preston grinned slyly. "It's about what you said last time. You said that if we released the video of Lauren having a meltdown, we wouldn't have to get our hands dirty." "Oh? Are you telling me that Grandpa intends to separate the lovebirds himself?" This time, Zoe was quick off the mark. "You're smart." In his luxury car, Preston crossed his legs relaxedly. He sipped on the tea that his secretar
A voice, raspy and weak, sliced through the air behind Landon and Jordan. They both turned around immediately. To their surprise, they saw Angelina on crutches a distance away from them. She was limping toward them with much difficulty. Landon's pupils constricted. "Ms. Angie! What happened to you?" Jordan's face ran pale in fright. He rushed forward to support her. Angelina tried her best to bear with the pain. She shook her head slightly. "I'm fine…""What do you mean you're fine? Your leg is badly injured. How can you bandage it up so simply? What if your wound gets infected? You might become handicapped!" Jordan's heart ached for her. He was on the brink of tears. When they were young, Jordan and Angelina met at training camp. No explanation was needed for how close they were. "That's not important. The most important thing is that Madam Lauren… Madam…" Angelina felt so terrible that she couldn't string her sentences together. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stare
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