Preston stared at her with a fake smile and a spiteful stare. "I'm now disabled thanks to your genius idea! It's pretty unfair that I'm struggling while you get away with it.""Uncle Preston, what else can you do now?" Zoe immediately distanced herself from the situation. "You were the one who released Lauren's mental health diagnosis on the board of directors' meeting. You arranged for Lauren to be put away. I wasn't part of it at all."No one would believe in empty accusations anyway. Do you have evidence to prove that I gave you the diagnosis? I'm afraid you can't drag me down with you.""Is that so?" Preston let out a loud cackle, which gave her the goosebumps. "Dear Zoe, do you really think that your actions were secret? Do you remember ganging up and bullying Lauren when you were in school?"Her heart felt like a jackhammer in her chest. Turning pale, she stammered, "W-What are you talking about? No one bullied her!""Well, I'm 30 years your senior. I'm more shrewd and exper
With help from a woman named "Ms. Gardner", Betty returned to Solana City successfully. After that, she hid in a single-story house in a small village on the outskirts of town, just like a wanted criminal. She only dared to roam around nearby and only left the house to purchase necessities. Other than that, she didn't dare to journey too far. She had no guts to stay at any hotel or inn. She feared that she would be captured by Jasper's men the moment she showed her face in the city. Her living condition was akin to a rat living in the sewers. This ignited the fire of hatred within her even more. She couldn't wait to get her revenge so that she could get out of her current situation. At nightfall, Betty and Zoe agreed to meet at a quiet café in the suburbs. When her coffee was served, Zoe caught a whiff of it and pushed it away in disgust. "What's this? Horse shit? Is this even drinkable?" Betty, on the other hand, drank her coffee calmly. "It's coffee from civet poop." "Poop my
Jasper patted the back of Landon's hand to calm him down. The veins were bulging from the back of his hand. "I know that you have been investigating Bill's cause of death all these years. Moreover, you've always had your suspicions about Preston, who has the strongest motive. It's just that you haven't found any evidence. "Sylvia is now bringing up divorce with Preston out of the blue. She even drafted this divorce agreement with such exorbitant demands. I'm certain that she has something on Preston—something that is fatally threatening to him. "Even if it's unrelated to Bill's death, it has to be something that will cause him to suffer the consequences of his own actions and spend the rest of his life in prison." "It must have been Preston! Who else could it have been?" Landon was reminded of Bill's death once again. An immense pain filled his heart, and his eyes became bloodshot. "Back then, both he and my father went to Southsmire for an inspection. The helicopter that they we
In actual fact, Jasper had told Alyssa that he would go home earlier that night so that he could whip up some of his new dishes for her to try. However, Landon was the one who suggested for him to stay. It was also a time when he was in need of company. Jasper just couldn't turn him down. …Jasper and Landon arrived at the restaurant they frequented. Delicious-looking dishes were served up to their table in the private room. Yet, it was obvious that Landon didn't have much appetite. He hadn't touched his cutleries at all. All he did was down glasses of wine one after another. "You have to watch your gastritis. You should stop drinking if you can't take alcohol anymore." Jasper covered the top of Landon's glass with his palm. "You are the only one left in this world who still cares for me." Landon leaned back and smiled awkwardly. In an anxious tone, Jasper responded, "Are you saying that not being together means that she doesn't care about you anymore? You're hurting those who ca
"Lyse has helped you chase Freddy out of the picture. But there's still Cyrus, who is in love with Lauren. Even if Cyrus isn't in the picture, there will be other men. What are you going to do if Lauren insists that she doesn't want to be with you? Are you going to cut off all her potential marriages? "Are you going to forbid her from interacting with other men and getting married? Are you going to make her hold onto those illusory memories she had with you?" Landon stood there with a blank look in his eyes. His heart was being crushed. He felt like he could almost cough up blood. "You have to understand where the problem lies between you and Lauren." Jasper stood up slowly. His eyes were bright. "What you need to do isn't to get her back and keep her shackled by your side again and again. You shouldn't treat her like your possession. What you have to do is to change yourself for her sake. Be like a warm ray of sunlight that shines upon her. "You don't have to be together in
The frown on Cyrus' forehead became deeper. At the same time, his gaze got colder and colder. Cyrus asked, "In other words, you're asking me to back out?" Landon's throat was dry. He was about to answer when Cyrus continued, "Since the time I found out that you were both in love, I positioned myself as a bystander. I was afraid that you'd overthink things, so I even tried to avoid causing trouble. As much as I liked Lauren, I didn't dare to meet with her. "The chance has always been in your hands, Landon. I don't care if you both parted ways because of yourself or because of your family. Why can't you just give me a chance?" Cyrus' question was extremely critical, and it hit Landon like a ton of bricks. He gaped in shock. "You're both not in a relationship anymore. It's completely fine with me as I am pursuing her in a normal way. If you still have feelings for her, you can go ahead and profess to her. We can fight for her fair and square. Feel free to do your best to win her
Sylvia wasn't asking for a divorce. It was more like she had declared war against Preston. Preston was a money-grubber. His employees thought that he would hit the roof and go on a rampage. To their surprise, he simply gave a cold reply. "Got it," he said before leaving everyone and heading upstairs. This level of calmness was unusual. This peculiar response made them shudder and sent chills down their spine. Preston had just got into his empty room when he received a call from Sylvia. "Mr. Preston, you've been discharged from the hospital, and you're about to emigrate overseas to enjoy your later years. Isn't it about time to put the pedal to the metal and get the divorce settled?" Sylvia spoke with sarcasm. Every word of hers was choking him. "There's no meaning in dragging it on. The longer you put it off, the more likely I am to blurt something out of my mouth. If I ended up spewing some nonsense, wouldn't that just add to your predicament?" Preston picked up a fruit knife f
"In fact, I have long known that Landon inherited Bill's fine genes. He's fearless yet clear-headed. Moreover, he became good friends with Jasper, who is an outstanding elite in the business world. His future will only get brighter."I was the one who was too harsh in his upbringing. I always made use of Preston to put pressure on him. Not only that, I kept splitting hairs just to prevent his marriage with Ms. Lauren from happening. That was how everything spiraled out of control. "If I had known that it would come to this, I should have handed the power to Landon and retired long ago. He has always been my ideal successor! It's all my fault. As I aged, my suspicions grew, and so did my hesitation. The decisiveness that I had when I was young is nowhere in sight now…"Caspian consoled him immediately. "Please don't say that. Without your guidance all these years, how could Mr. Landon have lived such a smooth life? Your strict standards toward Mr. Landon were just your way of training
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