"Don't apologize to me anymore. You should apologize to yourself for hurting yourself." Rosalie stood up. "I'm leaving now.""Rose." Sebastian grabbed her hand. "Will you and Steve still move out?""Why are you asking me this? Did you shoot yourself as a desperate measure to stop me and Steve from moving out?""How can you say that? No one would use their own life as a desperate measure. I could die at any moment! I admit that I don't want you to leave, but I didn't have such intentions at all.""Since there's no such intention, then don't ask me questions like this anymore. I'll move out with Steve temporarily. I think we both need some time to calm down.""Do you still want a divorce?" Sebastian asked."If I say I do, will you shoot yourself again to threaten me?""Rose, this isn't a threat. It really isn't." Sebastian's face was pale, and his tone was urgent. "I only did it to make up for pointing my gun at Theodore.""Fine, I believe you," Rosalie said. "I believe you shot yourself
Not long after Rosalie left, Geoffrey arrived at the hospital.Seeing Sebastian injure himself, Geoffrey was very displeased."You're willing to go this far for a woman? Are you even my son? I thought you'd learn to be smarter, but instead, you've become more and more foolish. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have arranged for you to marry Rosalie. You almost lost your life!"No matter what, Sebastian was still his son. In Geoffrey's heart, he was certainly more important than anyone else."Dad, I'm not that stupid. The bullet didn't hit my heart. I won't let myself die. I just want to win Rose back," Sebastian retorted. "Did you win her back?" Geoffrey asked coldly. "She still wants a divorce. How are you going to end this?""Divorce?" Sebastian laughed. "She can forget about it. Just wait and see. Once I kill Theodore, let's see what else she can hold onto! I love her so much, I'm willing to raise Steve for her. What more could she want? I made one mistake, and she's tre
"Sebastian, don't do something this foolish ever again. It's not worth it," Christopher said. Sebastian's face grew colder. "I can make my own decisions. I'm not a child anymore. I don't need you to remind me over and over again."Christopher also noticed that Sebastian was different. He continued, "But there are some things you must know, and now I have to tell you."Sebastian furrowed his brows. "What things?"From the moment they entered, Sebastian had felt something was off."Your uncle had a daughter before he passed away. She was sent away when she was just a baby because they feared your aunt might harm her. The Jacksons never knew where the child was sent. But about a year ago…"Before Christopher could finish, Sebastian's face had already darkened. "Stop talking."However, Christopher ignored him and continued, "Over a year ago, I noticed a woman who resembled your uncle's partner, so I investigated. I found out that her parents weren't her biological parents but her adoptive
Seeing Christopher's indifferent expression, Sebastian knew that Christopher wouldn't stop until he divorced Rosalie. What a wonderful uncle he was!"Does Rosalie know about this?" Sebastian asked."She doesn't know yet, but we'll tell her," Christopher replied."You can't tell her!" Sebastian roared. "You mustn't!""Why can't we tell her?" Christopher furrowed his brows. "Do you still have delusions about Rosalie? She's your cousin!""So what if she's my cousin?" Sebastian retorted harshly. "Don't even mention hundreds of years ago—even if it were decades ago, it's completely normal for cousins to be together. What's wrong with that? We're just distant relatives. At worst, Rosalie and I won't have children! What does it matter to anyone else?"Upon seeing Sebastian in such a frenzied state, Christopher sighed. He stood up. He felt that there was nothing more to say to Sebastian."Sebastian, if you're going to think like this, there's nothing I can do. Marriage isn't something you can
"Stop covering up for him." Christopher shot Yvonne a cold glance. "What if you were in Rosalie's shoes? At the very least, both of them should know about this. Now that Rosalie wants to divorce your brother, are you going to watch as he goes to any lengths to get her back?""But Seb treats her so well! When she was hurt by Theodore, it was my brother who stayed by her side. If it weren't for him, she might have even fallen into depression. Seb has never hurt her, and he never will. He will only love her more and treat her better each day that passes!""Sometimes, the greatest harm in this world comes from love," Christopher said heavily. "Yvonne, you're still too young. There's a lot you don't understand. Love isn't enough. Love can also be the most harmful weapon, and it could hurt Rosalie.""If we're afraid of everything, then we should do nothing," Yvonne countered. "Even going outside could be dangerous, since there's always the risk of a car accident. Should we just never leave t
Sydney looked down sadly. "Not too bad.""Really?" Christopher didn't think so. Sydney looked troubled, her mind occupied with many things that saddened her. "How's your mother-in-law?""She's doing well, just that she's advanced in years and her dementia is getting more severe," Sydney replied with a nod. "What about your husband?"Sydney stood stunned for a moment before answering, "I haven't seen him for a while. He's quite busy.""Is that really the case, or do you just not want to see him?""Mr. Jackson," Sydney said, "let's not keep talking about me. Let's talk about you instead. How have you been recently?"Christopher looked at Sydney, thinking that she must have had something to do with what happened to Rosalie.However, Rosalie herself didn't know about it, and it didn't feel right to tell Sydney about it now. "I've been well," he replied. "Aside from being rather busy, it's been the same old. I sometimes think of you, wondering what you're doing. Are you still mad
"Mr. Jackson, I'll go up with you."Christopher's eyes softened. He held Sydney's hand in his and kissed the back of it.Sydney followed Christopher to his house.He lived alone in a bungalow that wasn't as big or opulent as she thought it was. After leading her to his room, Christopher poured out two glasses of red wine and handed one of them to her.Sydney took the glass and sipped on the wine as she looked around her. "Is there no one here taking care of things around here?""I have help coming in regularly to clean the house and cook, but she doesn't live here. I like a quiet space of my own," Christopher replied. "I see," Sydney said with a smile before taking another sip of wine.The room was dim; they gazed at each other as they put their wine glasses down and drew near to each other. Christopher pulled her into his arms and lowered his head in a bid to kiss her.Just then, Sydney covered his mouth with her hands. "Wait, I want to ask you a question.""What is it? Have
Was she upset and felt forced to accept this due to fear of rejecting him?"If you're not willing, just tell me. Don't force yourself. I won't cause you trouble, too. I'm not a man who would be petty toward women," he said. Sydney shook her head. "I'm not unwilling. It's just that I'm in huge trouble right now. If I were to be with you, it might affect you negatively.""What trouble?"He could tell at one glance that she was troubled, but he didn't want to pursue matters if she wasn't willing to tell him about it."Mr. Jackson, I can tell you about it. If you think it's not worth the trouble, just send me home and we won't meet each other ever again. But if you still want me, I'll divorce my husband and I'll be with you from now on. You can have any sort of relationship you want with me, and I won't tell anyone about it," she said. He looked at Sydney, believing that she was genuinely facing problems.Sitting up straight, he said, "Tell me what happened. If you're really in a
Xyla pleaded with her mother, tears streaming down her face."Mom, I'm begging you. Don't keep doing such foolish things. If Sydney is still alive, please let her go, won't you? It isn't too late to stop now, I'm begging you.""You're such a fool," Chandra scoffed, wishing Xyla was bolder. "How could you be so weak?""I'm not weak. I just don't want to be bogged down by the past. I'm begging you, let her go before things get worse. Or else, if things blow up, you'll have no escape. She isn't any ordinary person. If she dies, you'll…""Shut up!" Chandra cut her daughter off. "No one will know if you don't say anything! Don't worry, I did it flawlessly. Just tell me honestly. What exactly did you see in my room?"Upon hearing the commotion outside, Chandra woke up. When she switched the lights on, she realized that her phone screen was facing up. She then recalled that her son had come over today, and his expression wasn't right.Immediately, she became alert and went to her daught
Xyla returned to her room, drenched in cold sweat. She never imagined her mother would do something like this.She opened the photo she had just taken. This must be Sydney.What kind of treatment was she enduring? Her mother was truly terrifying!Xyla swallowed hard, and immediately sent the photo and a message to Christopher. [This is the suspicious number I found in Mom's phone, along with a photo. Check this number. The woman in the picture might be Miss Harper.]As soon as she sent the message, Christopher called her.Just as Xyla was about to answer, her room door suddenly opened. Chandra walked in with a cold expression.Startled, Xyla quickly hid her phone behind her back, her wide eyes filled with panic."Mom, why are you here? Why aren't you sleeping?""I was woken up by you. Why aren't you sleeping?" Chandra walked toward her slowly. "Why were you in my room so late at night?""Mom, what are you talking about?" Xyla laughed awkwardly. "I didn't go to your room. You must have
"It's probably because he was worried about me, so he drove here himself. Don't worry, Mom. Nothing will happen to him," Xyla assured.Chandra nodded, and the mother and daughter walked into the villa together.Chandra took off her coat and handed it to a servant. She seemed somewhat tired, and asked the servant to bring her a bottle of cold water."Mom, why do you look so tired?" Xyla asked. "I went dancing, so I'm a bit worn out. Go to bed, sweetheart. I'll be heading to my room now.""Alright, Mom. Goodnight."Xyla went upstairs. Once inside her room, she locked the door and entered the bathroom, taking out her phone to call Christopher."Xyla, how's it going? Did you find out anything?" he asked. "Don't worry, Chris. I'll handle things on Mom's side. If I get any news, I'll let you know immediately. You continue looking for Sydney. If you can find her, great. If not, I'll see if I can get any clues from Mom or gather more information elsewhere."Christopher sighed. "Alright then.
Xyla smiled. "Mom, what are you talking about?" She linked arms with her mother, acting like the perfect, affectionate daughter. "Mom, you're forever young. I think you look under 50—still so youthful!""You and that sweet tongue of yours! Always so good at flattering others."Chandra was indeed pleased by the compliment. "Come on, let's head inside," she said. "What if you start feeling unwell again?""Alright, let's go in," Xyla said; she gave Christopher a look, her gaze flicking toward the gates, as if silently urging him to leave."Mom, since Xyla's fine, I'll head back now and visit you another day," Christopher said, playing along. "It's so late already, and you've come all this way," Chandra said. "Why don't you stay the night and leave tomorrow?""Mom, I have to be up early tomorrow, and it's quite far from here to the office. I'd better go back now. You and Xyla should also get some rest.""Alright then," Chandra said. "Make sure to take care of your health. Don't overwork
Christopher didn't answer Xyla's question, but his eyes spoke volumes. It was clear that he cared for Sydney."I swear I didn't say anything bad about her to Mom! When Mom asked Vonnie to help investigate, I even warned Vonnie not to say a word against Sydney, and Vonnie didn't. I really didn't harm Sydney. Please believe me."Seeing how anxious Christopher was, Xyla figured this had to be related to Chandra. Although Yvonne hadn't told Chandra anything, Chandra may have already discovered something in secret considering how smart she was. However, no one expected her to suddenly make such a move after so long. It seemed she had been holding a grudge all this time."Xyla, you know Mom's temper. Once she holds a grudge, the target will be in big trouble. Is there any clue you can think of that might help me find her?" Christopher asked.He fully trusted Xyla, but not Chandra."Chris, I don't know where she is right now. Let me try calling her.""She won't answer your call.""What shoul
The whip was raised high before it was brought down with force.With a sharp crack, Sydney's skin was torn open. A piercing scream shattered the night.-Christopher had called Sydney several times that day, but she hadn't answered. He felt uneasy, sensing that something was wrong.He decided to send someone to investigate and soon discovered a clue from the Spencers, learning that Sydney had gone missing. Growing more alarmed, Christopher immediately sent people to search for her.At the same time, he was looking into the Spencers' activities and found that they were searching for a watch.This watch was one of only a few dozen in the world; excluding foreign owners, only a few people in Blencalgo possessed one. Following the trail, Christopher made an even more shocking discovery. One of the people who owned this watch was his mother.He called his mother, but she didn't pick up. He sent her a message, but she didn't reply.Christopher drove straight to his mother's house.The light
"That was Geoffrey's fault, not mine. He ruined me too. Why are you making things difficult for me?" Sydney shot back.She didn't understand. Why was it that women like Chandra always targeted other women? When a man made a mistake, they didn't go after him but instead focused on persecuting other women."You were ruined by him? Why didn't you resist? If you didn't want it, who could force you? You're the president of Apex Bank and from the Spencers! What could Geoffrey do to you?""I resisted. I didn't want him to touch me. You're right, I'm from the Spencers, but if they knew about this, they would go to war with him. The two families would fight to the death, and I don't want that. So…""So?" Chandra pressed."So, I didn't tell the Spencers. I've been trying to find a way to get rid of him."She thought she had succeeded because Christopher had told her that he had already made it clear to Geoffrey. He would continue to monitor the situation and make sure Geoffrey wouldn't harm her
"Your daughter?" Sydney frowned, confused. "Who's your daughter? I haven't interfered with anyone's marriage. You must be mistaken."If she had interfered, she would have known. She had never done such a thing."Are you still pretending to not know?" Chandra sneered. "Sydney Harper, what is your relationship with Geoffrey?"At the mention of Geoffrey's name, Sydney immediately understood everything. So, Chandra's daughter was Geoffrey's ex-wife.Chandra must have thought Sydney had ruined Xyla's marriage with Geoffrey, and that was why she had kidnapped her.Sydney quickly explained, "You've misunderstood. It's not like you think. I didn't interfere in their relationship.""You didn't?" Chandra suddenly stood up from her chair, walked over to Sydney, and slapped her hard across the face.The slap was sharp and resounding.Sydney's head spun from the blow, and she trembled all over. She was tied up, unable to move. Her face burned, but she forced herself to turn her head. "I truly didn
On the other end of the phone, Theodore remained silent for a few seconds. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but ultimately didn't.Sensing this, Rosalie quickly said, "Finding your mom is more important right now. Whatever it is, we can talk about it after she's found."The issues between her and Theodore were no longer of significance."I got it. I'll go look for her now. You should get some rest."Rosalie hummed in acknowledgment and ended the call. Helping Theodore made her feel better. She was sincerely grateful to Justin.She considered calling to thank him, but given how late it was, she worried about disturbing him. Instead, she sent him a message. [Thank you. I've already informed Theo, and the information was very helpful.]Justin replied, [You're welcome.]Rosalie responded, [Good night, sleep well.]Justin texted, [I will. You too.]Rosalie lay on the bed, gently holding Steve. Her eyes were on him as she murmured, "Baby, your grandma will be alright."-With a sp