The next morning.Ryan left for work early; he was a high school teacher and always rose by 5 a.m. to supervise morning classes. Meanwhile, Anila headed to the market to buy groceries.After they left, Alexander lingered in bed, holding her for a while before finally getting up, dressing, and stepping out. He made a phone call and left shortly afterward.By the time he returned, it was already noon.Phoebe didn't wake up until midday. When she opened her eyes, Alexander was no longer beside her. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.Later at lunch."This is delicious, Alexander. You should try it," Anila said with a cheerful smile."Mom, he can serve himself. You don't have to do that for him," Phoebe muttered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.Why was Alexander still here for lunch? She had thought he had left earlier in the morning, yet he came back.It was Saturday, and Phoebe had no classes. She had originally planned to come home the previous day to clear her mind and return to
That evening, Phoebe had just returned home when her phone rang. It was Alva calling."Phoebe, something strange happened! Those posts slandering you on the school website have suddenly disappeared," Alva said, her voice filled with surprise. "Really?" Phoebe asked, equally startled. "It's true! I even went to the school today, and all the nasty rumors have vanished." "What's going on?" "I went to find Noah yesterday, but his parents are out of the country and won't be back for a while. It probably wasn't him. Phoebe, did you ask someone for help?" "Alva, I didn't tell anyone about this!" "That's really strange! But at least this whole mess seems to be resolving," Alva said with relief. They chatted for a while before Phoebe hung up the phone. Sitting in silence, she felt her calm unravel once again. What was happening? Could it have been Gavin? Or Alexander? ***Somewhere on the dark, in a shadowy alley: "Madam, we've done as you instructed. Gordon has been fed drug
Just as the car hurtled toward her, a voice full of panic and fear rang out. "Watch out!" In the next moment, a pair of strong arms pulled Phoebe aside. The car barely missed her by a hair's breadth. The young man who had suddenly appeared held her tightly, his breathing uneven as he stood protectively in front of her. Normally composed and image-conscious, Werner was now furiously yelling at the car. "Are you blind?!" he shouted. Turning back to Phoebe, his tone softened with concern. "Hey, are you okay?" But before she could respond, he scolded her. "Why didn't you dodge? Are you an idiot? Don't you know how dangerous that was?" His voice was sharp, but the lingering fear in his eyes betrayed his worry. "If I hadn't been following you, who knows what could have happened? Just thinking about it scares me." Werner had been visiting his uncle in Meadowville when he spotted her walking alone.Without a second thought, he'd gotten out of the car and trailed behind her,
That evening, after returning home, Phoebe took a quick shower and collapsed into bed, exhausted. She tried not to dwell on the events of the day. Instead, she picked up her phone and called Alexander. She longed to hear his voice, even if just for a few words."Phoebe, missing me already?"The deep, magnetic voice from the phone instantly eased her tense body."Yes," she answered softly, letting her feelings flow naturally."What did you do today?" Alexander asked in a gentle tone, leaning back on his sofa."I went to the supermarket," Phoebe replied in a soft voice."And?""Uh, slept? Ate? Watched TV?""So, you're still my little lazy pig?""I am not!" she retorted with a pout, her tone turning playful, almost coquettish.Moments like these reminded her that their conversations could be as casual and sweet as any other couple's.They talked for a long time, exchanging simple words that filled her heart with warmth. Eventually, Phoebe hung up reluctantly. She didn't mention the event
As soon as Phoebe stepped through the front door, she heard the phone ringing in the living room."Phoebe, answer the phone! I'm busy in the kitchen!" Anila called out, poking her head out briefly."Okay, Mom, I'll get it..." Phoebe replied, quickly swapping her shoes and hurrying to the phone. The moment she picked up, her brother's voice came through the line.Phoebe froze, thinking she must have heard wrong."Hello, Gordon?" she asked, puzzled. He was supposed to be in rehab. Why would he be calling her out of the blue?"Phoebe, you have to come help me!" Gordon's voice was strained, filled with pain."What's going on?" Phoebe asked, worry creeping into her tone."I'm trapped at a bar, surrounded by some..."Phoebe gripped the phone tightly, her heart racing. "How did this happen? Aren't you supposed to be in drug rehabilitation center? Why are you at a bar?""Phoebe, there's no time to explain! Just come and help me!"Gordon quickly rattled off the location—a seedy underground bar—
"Gordon, what's going on?""Don't ask questions now. I need to get you out of here!"Before Gordon could finish speaking, a group of burly men suddenly appeared, surrounding both him and Phoebe, leaving no escape."What do you want?" Gordon positioned himself protectively in front of Phoebe, his gaze fixed on the men with a wary intensity.He had to shield his sister. It was his fault she was in danger, and he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her."Escape? You think it's that easy? The five million we gave you wasn't charity!""Keep the money. Just let her go!" Gordon shouted desperately at the men."Hahaha," the leader of the group laughed mockingly, as if Gordon had just told the best joke. "Do you think this is a place you can walk in and out of as you please?""If any of you dare touch her, I'll fight you to the death!" Gordon roared, his voice like a feral animal's, his desperation evident."Save your breath. You can't even save yourself, let alone someone else."Fueled by ra
On the other side, a burly man grabbed Phoebe from the ground and barked an order to the others, "Take the body back.""Let me go!""Do you want to die too?!" the man snapped harshly. Ignoring Phoebe's struggles, he began dragging her away, but a man suddenly stepped in front of him."Get out of the way!" the burly man roared at the stranger.The dim lighting in the bar obscured the stranger's face, but not the bloodthirsty glint in his eyes."Let her go." The cold, commanding voice cut through the air like a knife.Gavin lowered his gaze to the disheveled Phoebe, his entire presence radiating lethal intent."Mind your own business!" the man growled impatiently."Boss, this guy doesn't look easy to deal with... Look, he's got a whole group of bodyguards with him," one of the lackeys murmured nervously, his eyes darting toward the stoic men standing behind Gavin."Useless fool! What's there to be scared of?!" the burly man bellowed, though his expression darkened.Years in the underwo
After Gavin left, Astor didn't follow him. Instead, he walked toward the group of arrogant men who had been causing trouble moments before, raising his gun without hesitation."We're sorry! We're sorry! We were wrong!" they knelt, pleading desperately for their lives."Yes! We were wrong! We didn't want to hurt her! Someone made us do it!"Hearing this, Astor's hand paused. His voice was cold as ice."Speak. Who was it?"The men, thinking they might have a chance to live, scrambled to respond."She's called Sheridan!""Yes! We just overheard it, but that's the name we caught!"Astor's eyes darkened.A moment later, piercing screams shattered the stillness of the night, one after another, painting the air with an eerie tension.***At the hospital."Save her!" A frantic male voice echoed through the hallway.Blood streamed down Phoebe's legs in an alarming volume, staining Gavin's clothes entirely red.Doctors rushed out, quickly placing her on a stretcher and pushing her into the oper
"Hermosa, let me explain.""Explain what?" He couldn't even bring himself to say it."Alex, why did you lie to me? You have to explain. I need to know the truth. Tell me!"Hermosa shouted. This was the first time she had gotten angry at Alexander since he regained his memories."Hermosa, calm down first."Seeing how agitated she was, Alexander softly tried to comfort her, wanting to hug her, but Hermosa pulled away."Tell me, where's my sister? Where did you hide her?"Tears immediately flooded her eyes. She wanted to know how else he planned to deceive her."Hermosa, this is something that can't be explained all at once."He tried to soothe her emotions."So, this means it's all true? You were really deceiving me?"Hermosa yelled in anger. Her emotions flared, and the next moment, she fainted.Seeing her collapse, Alexander panicked. "Hermosa! Hermosa!"He quickly scooped her up in his arms, calling
In the afternoon, Laura accompanied Phoebe to the hospital for a routine check-up. After two exhausting hours, they finally emerged.As they stepped out of the hospital, Laura spotted Wright walking towards them. She froze when she saw his bruised face, feeling a pang of guilt deep in her chest.Wright hadn't expected to run into them at the hospital. Due to the injury on his face, he'd been skipping classes the past few days, planning to return once he healed. Seeing the girl he liked in front of him while he looked so disheveled made him feel uneasy.But he quickly masked his discomfort with his usual cocky demeanor, squinting as he approached Laura and greeted her."What are you doing here?""I'm here to accompany Phoebe for a check-up,"Laura answered, biting her lip.Wright flashed a smile at Phoebe, offering a casual greeting. His eyes briefly lingered on her belly, and he thought to himself, Looks like Werner's chances just went
The next day, sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, casting soft, fragmented rays on the world. But Hermosa's mood was like the weather—unstable and filled with gloom.With a nervous heart, she walked toward the agreed meeting spot, each step feeling like she was walking on cotton—soft and aimless, filled with hesitation.She arrived on time and had barely sat down when her heart continued to race wildly in her chest, trying to calm her nerves. At that moment, a deep voice came from behind: "You're right on time."Hermosa's body tensed instantly, like a deer sensing danger. She instinctively wanted to turn around and see who was behind her, pulling the strings in this mysterious encounter.But before she could react, the voice continued: "No need to turn around. Just stay as you are."The words cut through the calm in her heart like a sharp knife, and she immediately became more guarded against this mysterious person.Hermos
Gavin slowly raised his hand, the same hand that had once struck her with force.Now, it was as gentle as the willow fluff in spring.He carefully brushed his rough fingers against her soft, yet burning, face—an expression of tenderness as if he were touching the most precious treasure in the world, or soothing a deeply wounded creature.His gaze involuntarily wandered, resting on her trembling body. The guilt inside him flooded like a burst of water, overwhelming him with its intensity.Had he been too harsh with her? Each of her slight trembles felt like a sharp dagger stabbing into his heart, tormenting him.His touch became even softer, his long fingers moving slowly across her face, first brushing over her furrowed brow, trying to smooth away the fear-induced wrinkles.Then, they traced down her small nose, as though sketching a delicate work of art. His fingers lingered on her eyes, gently wiping away the tears that threatened to
Meanwhile, at Wright's home, Laura remained trapped in the terrifying memories of the film, unable to escape...Wright stepped out of the bathroom, ready to go to bed, when the doorbell rang.He was puzzled. Who could be visiting him this late?Not bothering to put on a robe, he wrapped a cloth around his waist and went to answer the door, still naked.As soon as he opened it, a blast of cold air hit him. He looked up and saw a man of striking presence standing there."Can I help you?" Wright asked, his voice cautious.Gavin's cold, dark gaze swept over Wright's half-dressed body, and his face twisted with fury. Without warning, he swung his fist at Wright.Caught off guard, Wright was struck hard. His brain buzzed, and before he could react, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.With a violent kick, Gavin slammed the door open, storming inside.Room by room, he kicked open the doors with force, each one shaking with t
Wright reached out to hug her, but Laura struggled, trying to push him away."No. No.""Laura, what's wrong?"Her reaction puzzled Wright. His brow furrowed in confusion, his expression full of disbelief. But beneath the confusion, a wave of worry surged within him, sending his heart into a frantic turmoil."No, no, I'm your sister!"Whatwas she talking about?A thousand thoughts flashed through Wright's mind, like tangled threads that he couldn't untangle. He instinctively opened his mouth to ask something, but the confusion bottled up inside him, and he couldn't speak."Don't be afraid. I'm Wright."Wright suppressed the growing panic inside and tried to make his voice gentle, comforting, as he cautiously approached her.But the closer he got, the stronger Laura's reaction became. She acted like a frightened animal, desperately fighting back. Her sharp nails scratched his face, leaving a few bloodied marks.Af
"Gavin, why do I never see Laura around lately? Is she busy with her studies?"During dinner, Phoebe set down her fork and gazed at Gavin's handsome and elegant profile, finally unable to hold back her question.The last time she saw Laura was just a brief encounter, and since then, she hadn't seen her once. Something felt off, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was."...?"Gavin fell silent, clearly unaware of Laura's situation."Don't you care about your sister at all?"Phoebe complained, frustrated.What kind of brother was he? Gavin treated her so well, but he seemed so indifferent toward Laura. That really bothered her. She just couldn't understand it.Logically, a brother should care for his sister, so why didn't Gavin seem to care about Laura at all?Especially that day when Laura looked at him with such fear—Phoebe found that really strange.In the past, even though Gavin didn't seem to pay much a
The warm sun shone brightly as Hermosa and Alexander shared lunch in a cozy restaurant. Suddenly, Alexander's company called with an urgent matter, and he quickly drove her back to the X villa before rushing off to his office.Hermosa moved gracefully, the sound of her heels echoing through the empty hall as she opened the villa's front door. At that moment, a servant's voice rang out: "Miss, your letter.""A letter?"Hermosa raised an eyebrow, her voice filled with confusion."It just arrived,"the servant replied respectfully.A hint of suspicion rose in Hermosa's mind. Could it be from my foster parents? But that doesn't seem right. They always call. She extended a slender finger, taking the letter from the servant and examining it closely. The sender's name and address were both blank, leaving her with an unsettling feeling."Who brought this?"she asked, lifting her gaze to the servant."I'm not sure. When I went outside
On the other side, Phoebe found herself unable to decline the task of designing a wedding dress. She had considered resigning, but was told that without her, the project would fall apart entirely. Out of a sense of responsibility, she reluctantly decided to stay.After a few days of deliberation, she resolved to grit her teeth and see it through.The preliminary work was already done, but the latter stages would be more demanding. She needed to take Hermosa's measurements before beginning the actual construction of the dress.Once it was nearly finished, Hermosa would need to try it on again for final adjustments to ensure the gown was flawless.By her estimate, they would only need to meet four or five times in total.All she had to do was treat Hermosa like a stranger.She kept telling herself: "Just get through these days, and it'll all be over."Phoebe comforted herself with this thought.When she met Hermosa again, she exp