“What…what are you going to do?” Laila’s face turned pale.Rosalie sighed. “Forget it. It’s pointless trying to teach her a lesson. You’ll only end up sullying your hands. Laila, what else have you not told me yet?”“I’ve told you everything I know, I have no clue about other things. I’m not your parents, I certainly won’t know as much as they do,” Laila said.Rosalie could sense that Laila wasn’t lying. She turned and asked Justin, “What do you think?”Justin stared coldly at Laila before saying after a while, “She’s probably said it all.”“Really, I’m not lying to you!” Laila said as she lifted a hand. “I swear, I’ll die a terrible death if I were lying to you. You two should look up the orphanage in Joulon District. That’s really all I know!”“I’ll do that. Laila, I’m warning you—if I find out that you’re lying to me, I’ll find you and make you pay the price.” A vicious look flashed past Rosalie’s eyes.“May I go now?” Laila hurriedly stood up. “I’ll be off, then.”Laila fle
Justin drove Rosalie to the house she used to live in.The location was quite secluded, and even the nearest bus stop was a 20-minute walk away.That plot of land wasn’t valuable back then and Rosalie’s house was considered small. It was an old district with a five-floor building. There weren’t many people left living in the building.There was someone who wanted to purchase the entire five-floor building. It was heard that he wanted to convert it into a condominium. He was ready to compensate all residents at a price higher than the market.Not long after the other residents sold off their apartments, they heard about the demolition plans and regretted their decision to sell their house. When they received money worth more than the apartment itself, they ended up not kicking up a fuss.Yet, after so many years, the building remained standing, with a “To be demolished” sign hung across it. The sign was so weather-beaten, one could hardly make out the words on it.The front gate w
Justin looked around, searching through the room. He occasionally kicked away trash and debris on the floor.However, all the furniture in the house had been moved out. If the bracelet had been hidden in one of the furniture pieces, it would have been taken as well. If it had indeed been placed in the furniture, it wouldn't have been safe. Since Rosalie's parents were worried about Laila stealing the bracelet, they must have hidden it in a more secure place.He gently knocked on the walls."Justin, if the bracelet really exists, do you really think my parents would have hidden it at home?" Rosalie asked."If the bracelet was valuable, they wouldn't entrust it to someone else. Leaving it lying around at home would only risk Laila stealing it and using it for gambling. I believe if the bracelet exists, it must be hidden in a very obscure place. I have a feeling your parents were cautious people," Justin replied."Yes, they were." Rosalie's nose stung as she thought of her parents. "They
"What do you mean?" Rosalie immediately asked.Justin clenched his fist and knocked again, saying, "It's hollow."He glanced around and spotted a hammer on the ground. He bent down and picked it up."Rose, step back," he instructed."Okay." Rosalie retreated, holding Steve tightly in her arms. She was worried the noise might frighten him.Justin raised the hammer and struck the wall.Bang! Bang! Bang!After a few heavy hits, part of the wall broke away. The layer of cement shattered and fell to the ground, revealing a small opening."There seems to be something inside the wall," Justin said. He used the hammer to strike the edges, widening the hole. Finally, a small safe was revealed. The wall was thin, and the safe was compact.Rosalie's heart raced with excitement at the sight of the safe, and she hurried forward. "Could my bracelet be inside?""Let me open it and check," Justin replied.He took the safe out of the wall.The safe had a lock, but it didn't appear very sturdy. Given it
"I'm the one who saved you. Have you forgotten so soon? It hasn't even been that long.""The one who saved me? What nonsense are you spouting?" Suddenly, Rosalie thought of something. "Are you the one who kidnapped me?""Why make it sound so awful? I saved you back then too. Otherwise, you'd be dead.""Saved me? You kidnapped me, then forced me to make a choice! And now you expect me to thank you?"The man's voice carried a hint of disappointment. "You've hurt my feelings. So, you hate me that much?""Why did you steal my bracelet? What are you trying to do? Have you been spying on me? Who are you?" Rosalie's anger flared as memories of the past surfaced."So many questions at once—I hardly know where to start. But no matter what, you should thank me for saving your life back then. And last time, I even warned you that Theodore was lying to you. Instead of gratitude, you're treating me so harshly. It's quite heartbreaking.""What exactly do you want?!" Rosalie demanded."I'm not sure y
The two characters' names were Angie and Aurora, and the events in the novel were identical to what they had done.What exactly was going on? Why did it feel like their story was being written?"Now you understand why I asked you to read it? How could this be happening?" Angie said."Who is this author?" Aurora immediately checked the author's profile and her other books, but they were all just ordinary novels.The two of them began to panic. The things they had done had somehow been written into a book, and it happened to be a book Angie had been reading for a long time.Angie had been a fan of this novel for quite some time, but these two characters had only appeared recently.The two of them stayed up late, trying to dig up information about the author online to see if they could uncover anything. However, after several hours of searching, they found nothing.The author seemed to only exist on the publishing platform. She hadn't left any links to her social media accounts, if she ev
Aurora wanted to keep asking questions, but for a moment, she didn't know how to phrase them.She didn't dare to ask outright if Aurora and Angie actually existed in real life because she felt guilty.After Aurora and Angie's plot appeared, the comment section was suddenly flooded with remarks about the two of them. Most of the comments were negative, with the underlying tone suggesting that what they had done would inevitably come to light.Reading these comments, Aurora panicked. It felt as if everyone suddenly knew about their deeds.Later, Aurora joined the ranks of active readers, checking every update as soon as it was released.The latest chapters increasingly revolved around her and Angie, describing more harmful details, and even including a burial scene. The dialogue in that scene was eerily identical to reality.Aurora and Angie came to a conclusion: the author was most likely Rosalie.Rosalie had to be the one writing this novel! By coincidence, Angie had been a long-time f
Rosalie glanced at the screen. "Since when did I start writing novels? How come I didn't know about it?""Stop lying! This is obviously your work! Otherwise, why would our names appear in the book?" Angie roared.Rosalie remained indifferent. "That, I wouldn't know." "You don't know? Rosalie, you clearly—""Angie…" Aurora grabbed her arm.Angie suppressed her anger and placed the phone on the table."Rosalie," Aurora said, "I didn't even know you could write.""This book isn't mine. Believe it or not," Rosalie said. At that moment, the book was updated with a new chapter. The content still focused on Angie and Aurora. Angie read the chapter on the spot. At the end of it, the author left a note. [I'll upload a few more chapters today. I'm working hard on them; updates will come soon.]The two of them looked up at Rosalie. She must have scheduled the upload in advance.Rosalie stood up. "I don't have time to waste on this nonsense. You two called me here just because of some novel? H
Dinner was pleasant and harmonious.After the meal, the three of them sat in the living room and chatted. The atmosphere was especially warm and relaxed.Most of the conversation between Rosalie and Theodore revolved around the book she was about to write.Rosalie asked Theodore many questions, and he answered each one carefully, offering his advice. In this field, he was indeed more knowledgeable than Rosalie as he had years of experience. His insights were sharp, whether viewed from a macro or micro perspective.As their discussion grew more complex, it reached a level where others could no longer understand.Justin sat silently on the couch, watching them. Even though he didn't understand their conversation, he wasn't annoyed. His gaze remained fixed on Rosalie.It was as if he couldn't find a place in their discussion, nor did he want to interrupt. So, he simply watched them quietly.Unknowingly, time slipped away, and it was already 9.30 PM. Justin glanced at the clock.His gaze l
"It's great to hear you say that! Once I've got a draft, you'll be the first to read it. If there are any mistakes or areas that need improvement, you have to point them out," Rosalie said.Theodore nodded and replied gently, "I can't wait to read it."Sitting quietly to the side, Justin watched their interaction. For a moment, he felt that the two of them were truly a perfect match. After everything they had been through, they could still share a meal and discuss these matters. They shared the same interests and values.And what about himself? Did he and Rosalie have anything in common? He knew nothing about finance. He was just a cold-blooded assassin. Only when he was with Rosalie did he feel like an ordinary person, but in reality, his true identity was one he could never reveal to anyone.Theodore was different. He was born into a prestigious family, had a high status in society, and had remarkable knowledge.Rosalie should be with Theodore. Only he could give her the life she de
Theodore asked, "Then how do we know whether this so-called financial critic is telling the truth or not? After all, not everything is just a rumor.""Exactly! That's a great question," Rosalie replied with a smile. "This brings us to credibility and information verification. I want to clearly address this in my book and discuss how to determine the credibility of financial information, much like verifying sources on the internet. I can share methods for cross-checking company reports, financial data, and news sources."If a company is indeed facing an issue, we need to analyze the specifics—what kind of issue it is, whether it can be resolved, or if it is just a normal part of a business cycle. Sometimes, we can't just focus on a single point; we have to take a macro perspective. "It's like a person with a mole on their face—if someone isolates that mole and uses it to argue that the person is not human, that wouldn't make sense. The mole is merely a part of the person, but it doesn
Rosalie eventually agreed to Theodore's suggestion to fetch her home on a helicopter.Instead of going to the car park to get her car, Rosalie went to the top floor and waited there. Very soon, a helicopter arrived and she hopped on. She managed to reach home in less than forty minutes.Rosalie remarked to herself that it was indeed good to be rich.When she walked into the living room, she saw Justin and Theodore playing with Steve.They blindfolded Steve and randomly exchanged positions, and made him guess where his father was. Steve sometimes burrowed in Theodore's embrace, and then in Justin's arms at other times. He was completely fooled by them.The two men were playing like children and having a blast.Warmth spread across Rosalie's heart at the scene before her.When they realized that Rosalie was back, Justin exclaimed, "Rose, you're back!"The two men looked at her and immediately tugged the blindfold off Steve's face for fear that she might scold them.Rosalie ignor
"You're praising me?" Theodore exclaimed, as if he heard something unbelievable. "It's completely reasonable for you to punch me."Justin patted Theodore's shoulder. "I'm standing right here, alive and well and able to see Rose, precisely because you defeated the evil within you. The one standing before me is the good Theodore. If I were to punch you, who'd be willing to save another?""If I were you, I'd punch me," Theodore said.Justin shook his head. "Not so. You might think this way because you haven't actually experienced it for yourself. Once you do, you'll realize that many things aren't what you thought they were, and that would change the decisions you make."Theodore had a newfound respect for Justin. If the world had more people like him in it, it would probably be a more beautiful place, without conflicts and struggles and endless criticisms and personal attacks.Theodore was starting to understand why Rosalie liked Justin. He was a man worthy of her fancy.Their rela
Justin reached Theodore and Rosalie's place at around 5.20 pm.He didn't come early, because Rosalie told him that she could only reach home at 5.30 pm earliest. He wouldn't be able to see her by coming early, anyway.Theodore was at home and came out to welcome him."You're here."Both men weren't antagonistic against each other, but there was a tinge of awkwardness in the air."You've recovered well," Theodore said politely, but it was what he genuinely thought.Justin was previously shot in the head and had half his head shaved. Some hair had grown out since then."I have recovered pretty well. Oh yes, I haven't thanked you for what happened previously," Justin said. "What for?" Theodore asked."After I got shot, everyone thought I was dead, but you noticed my finger moving. Had you not said anything, I might really have died."Theodore didn't immediately accept Justin's expression of gratitude. In fact, he felt rather guilty. His first reaction at that time was not to
Rosalie returned to her room and pondered hard before finally calling Justin back.He answered the call quickly and his voice came through the phone. "Hey, Rose. What's up?""Justin, come to my place tomorrow. You, me, and Theo, we'll have dinner together.""Tomorrow?""Yes, are you free?"Justin pondered for a moment before saying, "I am, but does Theo know about this?""He does. He agreed to it.""Alright, then. I'll head over tomorrow.""Where will you be tomorrow? I'll go pick you up after work.""It's fine, I can head over myself. Just give me your address.""I'll do that. You must come.""I will. I always do whatever I promise you.""Okay, I'll take you at your word. I'll text you my address. I knock off at five in the evening and take around half an hour to drive home. You can arrive here earlier than that."The two of them hung up soon after.Rosalie immediately drafted a text to Justin to inform him of her address. She was so worried she might get it wrong that s
Theodore fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "I know. I know deep in my heart that's what you feel."Rosalie suddenly felt cold, not because of the wind but because her heart had turned cold. "Theo, let's go home. I miss Stevie."Theodore nodded. "Alright, let's head home."These were stolen moments, and the time they shared right now was due to end.Rosalie turned around and suddenly stepped on something which caused her to lose her balance and almost fall.Theodore wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. "Be careful."Rosalie was still recovering from the slight shock when she turned her head and realized how close they were to each other.Suddenly, Theodore cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her lips.Rosalie was stunned as memories flooded her mind. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and in that moment, she forgot about pushing him away. It was only when a thought suddenly came to mind that she shoved him away.In the past, she might
Rosalie recalled the rose Theodore gave her this afternoon, which he claimed he bought from the streets.A cold wind blew past, and she shivered slightly—it felt chilly. Theodore very chivalrously removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders."Theo, I'm fine. I'm not cold. You wear it." She was worried he might catch a cold instead."I'm fine." When Theodore draped the jacket back on her shoulders, he put his arm around her shoulders and left it there. The two of them looked very intimate.Just then, Rosalie's phone rang. It broke the awkward moment that was brewing.Rosalie gently nudged Theodore's arm away and picked up her phone. "Hello."It was Justin calling. "Rose, it's me.""Hey, Justin. What's up?""Nothing, I just wanted to call to ask if you're asleep.""Not yet, I'm still out.""Oh? Are you out alone?""No, I'm with Theo," Rosalie said frankly."Right," Justin said, not pursuing the matter. "I won't bother you two, then. I just wanted to check in on you, n