"Sorry for troubling you," Rosalie said apologetically. "You've been busy helping me all day. Let me treat you to dinner. What would you like to eat? I'll take you to a nice restaurant."Yerick thought for a moment and said, "I noticed a Toscanian restaurant nearby that looks pretty good. Let's give it a try."Rosalie agreed. "Sure, let's go. My treat."With that, Rosalie carried Steve and went to the restaurant with Yerick. Despite his slim build, Yerick had a surprisingly big appetite."Rose, since you're divorced from Sebastian and single again, does that mean I can pursue you now?"Rosalie was caught off guard by Yerick's sudden question and felt a headache coming on. "You're just a kid. Pursue me?""I'm 19, and I'm a PhD student. Why can't I pursue you?""Yerick, don't joke around. I've been divorced twice. Why would a kid like you want to pursue me?""I'm not a kid," Yerick said with frustration. "Rose, I'm an adult now. I'm 19, and 20 in a few months. You're only three years old
After Rosalie finished her shower and was about to go to bed, her phone rang.She answered her phone. "Hello?"It was Theodore. "Rose.""Why are you calling me again?" Rosalie frowned. "Can you stop? I really can't handle you coming back into my life again and again...""Rose, just hear me out," Theodore interrupted, his voice tinged with urgency."What is it now?" Rosalie asked, her tone showing a trace of impatience."Did my mom contact you?""No, why? Why are you suddenly asking about her?" Rosalie replied."She's missing. We can't get in touch with her, and we've searched everywhere but can't find her."Rosalie was shocked, and she immediately set aside her impatience. "She's missing? Did you report it to the police?""Yes, we already did. That's why I wanted to ask if you've been in touch with her."Rosalie thought back. "I did see her last night at Gary's Grill.""Really? What time exactly?""Around 8 PM, maybe a little earlier," Rosalie answered. "I had just finished dinner and
"But I still lied to you. I was wrong. I didn't know any other way to spend time with you alone, so I resorted to this method. You're right—I was despicable."Hearing the dejection in Theodore's voice and thinking about Sydney's disappearance, Rosalie decided not to hold it against him for now. "It's all in the past. Don't dwell on it anymore. Right now, finding your mother is the most important thing. I'll think about it on my end and see if I can come up with any leads. If I do, I'll let you know."Theodore acknowledged with a hum. "Alright, I'll leave it at that for now. I need to keep searching for my mom."With that, the two ended the call.Rosalie returned to her room. Steve was still awake, lying in bed with wide, curious eyes."Baby, your grandma is missing. What are we going to do? If I'd known something like this would happen, I would've remembered every detail from the last time I saw her. I should have paid more attention to that client's appearance. I was too careless."S
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
"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
"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
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
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
Although Chandra was vicious with her words, she couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks."Since Charles isn't fit to be your child, so am I and so is Chris! All three of us aren't fit to be your children. We don't want to be your children, either!" Xyla yelled."You…you three…" Chandra pointed a trembling finger at Xyla. "All you ingrates, treating me like this just for the sake of an outsider, a vixen?! I sacrificed so much for this family, and this is how you're treating me?""If you murder someone for the sake of my so-called happiness, I'd rather do without such a sacrifice! I don't see this as a sacrifice, and I don't feel an ounce of happiness. All I feel is fear and pain. The fact that you're my blood-related mother has become a burden to carry my entire life. As your daughter, your sins keep me up at night."Chandra's head buzzed with anger. She sat by the bedside and lamented helplessly, "Xyla, are you really going to treat me like this?""If you're going to
"Mom," Christopher snarled, "if you do that, I'll never forgive you my entire life." His voice was severe, tinged with warning and resolution.Chandra's heart leaped.She hissed through gritted teeth, "Christopher Jackson! Did you forget who gave birth to you? You're my biological son whom I raised, and now you're—""Enough!" Christopher cut her off. "Are you allowed to do this just because you're my mother? Being my mother isn't an excuse to do evil! Mom, I'm serious. If she dies, I'll never want to see you ever again in my whole life. I'll hate you forever! You've already lost a son. If you want to lose your other son as well, go ahead and kill Sydney and fulfill your selfish desires. I won't be the only one—Xyla won't forgive you either. I'll hate you with my entire being!"Chandra's hands shook. "Are you not even acknowledging me as your mother? How could you speak like this to me because of that bitch? If you don't want me as your mother, fine!"She hung up and threw Xy
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