Geoffrey Carter sat expressionlessly on the couch, sipping on some tea.Sebastian stood in front of Geoffrey, his figure tall and towering, with an indomitable air of a noble.Geoffrey looked as if he was going to set his teacup down, but midway, he lifted his arm and flung the teacup in the direction of Sebastian’s head.The tea in the cup splashed all over Sebastian’s head.Although it was no longer scalding, the teacup hit his head and broke into two pieces.Sebastian didn’t wince in pain, and continued standing tall. The broken teacup fell on the floor with a clank.Geoffrey looked up at Sebastian coldly. “You’ve become quite something. I heard that recently, you’re seldom in the office and always out. Even your secretary doesn't know where you go or what you’re doing. Tell me. Who is that woman?”Sebastian said firmly, “It’s my own problem, and not because of some woman. Don’t get the wrong idea.” “Me? Getting the wrong idea?” Geoffrey stood up. He was as tall as Seba
"If you’re going to involve someone unrelated to this, Dad, then I won’t stand for it!" Sebastian said firmly, anger lacing his voice. In response, Geoffrey gave him a hard slap.Sebastian’s head spun sideways. He pressed his tongue against his cheek, and snorted."You always blame Mom for everything. You kept saying she’s dragging you down. After that, she stayed at home and didn’t interfere in anything because she was afraid of troubling you. Even then, you still look down on her. I’m really curious, Dad. Must it always be other people’s fault? Aren’t you going to take any responsibility?"Smack! Geoffrey gave him another harsh slap. "You’ve lost the project, but you’re still arguing with me! Phillip, bring me the stick!" Geoffrey snarled. He had always been strict, and was a staunch believer of the old saying: spare the rod, spoil the child. Following this, Sebastian received many beatings ever since he was a child.As Sebastian got older, Geoffrey rarely laid a hand on hi
Sebastian looked at Rosalie in worry. A few seconds later, he said coldly, "Not really. We’re just casual friends. We don’t see each other very often. Yvonne hangs out with her more."Yvonne never expected her brother to say that, but she knew he was trying to protect Rosalie.Rosalie was puzzled to hear Sebastian's words. She had a hunch he was pretending to be unfamiliar with her on purpose—he was doing it was for her sake. His father didn't seem too kind."Oh, is that so?" Geoffrey sounded somewhat sarcastic, and his sharp gaze fell on Rosalie again. "Miss Young, my son says you two are just casual friends. Is that true?""Yes, Dad," Yvonne answered quickly. "She and Seb are just normal friends. We’re closer."Yvonne hurriedly linked her arm with Rosalie's. "I called her here to hang out. I didn’t think we’d find you two here. We’ll leave immediately!"She knew her brother must be deathly anxious right now. The only thing she could do was to take Rosalie away.Sebastian shot
Rosalie didn't dare to waste any more time, and immediately opened the notebook on hand."It's true Regent Co. took Skycrest Enterprise's project, but I've discovered many issues with that company. Their leverage ratio is far too high. I did some calculations using public data and information all night. Achieving such results is simply impossible, so I can confirm that they’re falsifying their data."Mr. Carter, I've written everything down in this notebook. Please take a look at my notes, and then compare them with Regent Co.'s public data. You'll definitely find discrepancies."Their gross profit margin is much higher than the industry average. I also found that the company’s management team’s trading activity is suspicious. They use small and unknown auditing firms, and frequently switch agents through layers of intermediaries."Geoffrey took her notebook, and flipped through a few pages. His frown deepened as he read it.Finally, he snapped the notebook shut."Do you expect me
Who could have imagined that Rosalie, with her meek appearance, would be so strong-willed? She was practically standing up to a lion.Seeing Geoffrey’s increasingly dark expression, Yvonne shivered in fear. She took a step forward and whispered to Rosalie, "You should stop talking, Rose. We should leave now."She was genuinely terrified. The air Geoffrey emitted alone could scare someone to death. What if arguing with Geoffrey affected Rosalie’s pregnancy?However, Rosalie stood tall and refused to leave. She kept her eyes locked on Geoffrey."Little girl, you certainly have guts to speak to me this way," Geoffrey snarled. "I'm just telling the truth. Although I might be just a little girl to you, we’re all equal as human beings. I respect you as I speak, but I also respect myself," Rosalie replied calmly.Geoffrey's expression turned grim.He was a dangerous man. Everyone in the household feared him, especially Yvonne. Whenever she was around her father, she was like a mouse i
"Yes, I know her, but..." Rosalie didn't tell Geoffrey that Sydney was her mother-in-law. Technically, they were no longer in-laws, but she still called Sydney ‘Mom’. She was worried Geoffrey wouldn’t believe her if she told him this fact, and right now, saving Sebastian was more important."Do you have any proof? Why should I believe you? Even if she refused to lend to Regent Co., it doesn't necessarily mean anything. Unless..." Geoffrey's firm tone suddenly softened. "Unless I can hear it from her directly. Otherwise, your words are just that—words.""Alright, I'll ask her to tell you herself. Wait a moment." Rosalie took out her phone, and walked to the side to send a message to Sydney. [Mom, please help me with something. My friend's father thinks he lost a project to Regent Co. and wants to punish him severely. I need to prove that Regent Co. has issues so I can help him avoid punishment. Can you tell his father that Regent Co. has problems? You're respected in the field,
Although Geoffrey might eventually learn about her relationship with Sydney, her priority right now was to save Sebastian. She would deal with this problem later."The relationship is not the main point here. What's important is that you believe her. If you still have doubts, you can hire a professional to thoroughly analyze all the data. If I can figure it out, I believe they can too. "Regent Co.'s methods aren't particularly sophisticated. They just took advantage of good timing and the regulatory authorities' negligence. Many companies are operating this way. They think they can get away with it, but it's just a matter of time before they’re exposed. I'm sure the short-sellers have already set their sights on Regent Co."Geoffrey turned around. "Phillip." Phillip stepped forward. "Yes, sir?"Geoffrey passed him the wooden stick, instructing him to put it back in its place.When she saw the stick being taken away, Rosalie finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Sebastian
The doctor examined Rosalie, and said she had low blood sugar. Coupled with physical exhaustion and stress, she needed a balanced nutrition and ample rest.Sebastian was so busy taking care of Rosalie, he didn't have time to get his own wound treated.Hence, Rosalie "ordered" him to get it treated. Only then did he leave to find the doctor, albeit reluctantly.Yvonne sat by the bed, and gave Rosalie a thumbs up. "You really impressed me today. I can’t believe you confronted my dad!"She thought that Rosalie was either naïve, or incredibly courageous.Rosalie smiled. "I was just being practical with your dad."She didn’t fear Geoffrey, but she respected him.After all, her upbringing wasn’t exactly ordinary. Although the Spencers looked frightening, they were just humans like everyone else.People like the Spencers and Geoffrey exuded a kind of awe-inspiring presence and a natural authority that commanded respect and fear. It was different from the terrifying aura of criminals w
Theodore lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. He felt a fire burning in his heart, his mind unable to stop thinking about Rosalie.Whether his eyes were opened or closed, all he could see was her.Frustrated, he flipped to his side to pull out a drawer and retrieve a bottle of pills. He couldn't calm himself down without medication.Just then, his phone rang. Theodore picked it up and saw the name on his phone screen—it was Aurora.He flung his phone aside.It kept ringing, irritating him greatly. Eventually, he answered the call. "What do you want?""Theo, save me! Save me, quick!"Shock registered on Theodore's face. "What happened?""He's chasing after me… Can I go find you? I really have nowhere else to go! I'm so scared!""Who's chasing after you? Where are you right now?""I…I'm now at… It's so dark, I can't tell. I'm hiding in a small alleyway right now. As I came here, I think I walked past a bar called Endless. I took a right turn and ended up in this alleyway. I'm
Aurora collapsed on the ground, overwhelmed by the sudden force. Her head was pounding and she cupped her red, hot cheeks with her hands. "What…what did you do? Why did you slap me?" she asked, stunned. Yerick looked down upon her, his towering figure dark and frightening in the night. "Are you taking me as your hitman, ordering me around as you like?"It was enough that she ordered him to kill another. How dare she ask him to kill Rosalie?! She was digging her grave!"I didn't mean that," Aurora said agitatedly. "I'm just so scared! We're on the same boat, so we should help each other out.""Help each other out?" Yerick crouched down and pinched her chin. "Tell me, then. What have you helped me with so far? Why do you think I arranged for you to be by Theodore's side and allowed you to get to know him? What do you think is my motive?""I…I don't know!" Aurora said with trembling lips. The man before her was way too frightening, his eyes ghostly as he chuckled. "But I'll do wha
Justin brought the baby home and saw Rosalie spacing out before the kitchen counter. She didn't even realize they were home."Mama," Steve called out to her.Rosalie heard him and turned to look at them. "You're back."She took Steve from Justin's hands and held him in her arms."Rose, are you alright? What did Theodore tell you?" Justin asked. "Aurora felt guilty and made Angie her scapegoat. Angie has been nabbed by the police," Rosalie replied.Justin frowned. "Angie surely wouldn't be a sitting duck. She'll expose Aurora.""That's not wrong," Rosalie said. "The problem is, Aurora is too good at putting up a facade. Theodore doesn't trust Angie and he said he'll investigate things and find out if Aurora was involved. At the end of the day, he refuses to believe that Aurora is capable of something like that. He subconsciously thinks that Angie was solely responsible.""That sounds like something he would do," Justin concluded. "Last time, I could tell he's very protective of
Theodore turned around. "Is there something else?"Justin walked over. "Do you want to hold him? He seems eager to hug you."Theodore paused. Then, he gave a helpless smile at the corner of his mouth."No, you take him upstairs." The more he held Steve, the harder it would be to let go. He didn't even know why he felt such strong emotions for Steve. Perhaps it was because Steve was Rosalie's child, and thus, he couldn't help but care for the baby.Seeing this, Justin didn't insist. He was about to leave when suddenly, Steve started crying in his arms. Steve stretched out his hands toward Theodore, trying to reach him.Hearing the cries, Theodore's heart tightened. He turned around and saw Justin trying to soothe the child."Steve, what's wrong? Are you hungry? I'll take you back right away."Steve continued crying, louder and louder, and Theodore felt as if his heart were being squeezed. His feet felt like they were nailed to the ground, and he couldn't move.Justin took a few steps b
"And what about you?" Theodore countered. "Rose, when will you finally see what kind of people are around you? Sebastian's two-faced, pretentious, and full of lies. Justin has blood on his hands, with numerous enemies. He's like a ticking time bomb, and both of them will only bring you disaster."Rosalie sneered. "And how much disaster have you brought me? Do you think the mental torment you've caused me isn't enough?"Theodore gave a bitter smile. "Rose, do you want me to die to make up for the harm I've caused you?""No, I just hope you won't bother me anymore. I have my own life now. Whether it's good or bad, it has nothing to do with you. Once upon a time, Grandma was the last connection between us, but now that she's gone, we have nothing left."She avoided Theodore's gaze. "You should go now."Theodore clenched his fists. "If this is what you want, then I understand. I'll stay away from you in the future and won't bother you again, because, as you said, we have nothing left."Wi
Theodore was about to speak, but then he remembered he had important matters to discuss today and couldn't be sidetracked by Justin."Rose, I have something important to tell you. Let's talk privately.""If you have something to say, just say it," Rosalie replied. She knew he wanted Justin to leave, but she didn't mind if Justin knew what was going on.Theodore gave Justin a cold glance before continuing, "This matter concerns Grandma. I don't want anyone else around. It's something that should only be discussed between the two of us.""He's not an outsider," Rosalie replied without hesitation. "He can know about Grandma's matters too."Seeing the two of them about to argue, Justin immediately said, "I'll take Steve out for a walk and come back later."With that, Justin left.Rosalie quickly said, "Justin, you don't need to…""It's fine," he interrupted her. "I'll take him downstairs for a walk."With that, Justin left with Steve.Rosalie took a step back and said to Theodore, "Come in
Aurora looked incredibly sorrowful, completely unlike someone who was acting. Theodore, for a moment, didn't know whether he should believe her or not.When Rosalie had first told him, he had only defended Aurora, completely ignoring Angie.Now, with Aurora telling him that it was Angie who killed Rebecca, Theodore couldn't be 100% certain that Aurora was not involved in this matter.It felt like a layer of mist had been added, blurring his vision and preventing him from seeing clearly.After a long while, Theodore released Aurora."Get better first," he said, turning to leave.Suddenly, he heard some movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Aurora stumbling toward the window in the ward. She forcefully pulled open the window and jumped straight down.Theodore's brows tightened, and with rocket-like speed, he rushed forward. He grabbed her from behind and pulled her back from the window ledge. "What are you doing?!""Theo, let me die! I don't want to live anymore. Just pretend I kil
Theodore took out his phone and called Aurora, but she didn't answer the phone.He turned to the bodyguard and asked, "When you took Angie, was Aurora not at home?"The bodyguard nodded. "Yes, only Angie was at home. Aurora wasn't there."Theodore furrowed his brow. Was Angie telling the truth? Had Aurora fled in fear of being caught? He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.Could Aurora really be this kind of person? Had he misjudged her character all along?"Find her. I want to know where she went."A few hours later, Theodore's subordinates brought news of Aurora's whereabouts. She had booked a hotel room.Theodore led a group of people to her hotel room and knocked on the door forcefully, but there was no response.The staff member opened the door with a room key, and the group entered. Aurora was indeed in the room, and she was lying on the bed.Theodore strode over."Aurora!" he shouted, but as he got closer, he noticed that she was motionless. An empty pill bottle was on th
Hearing the recording on the phone, Angie was horrified and nearly fainted."No, that's not how it is! It's not like that!" she cried in fear.Angie tried to get up from the floor, but the two men behind her pressed her down firmly, keeping her kneeling on the ground."It's not like that!" Angie shouted. "Aurora's framing me! She's setting me up!""She's framing you?" Theodore sneered. "Didn't you admit that you killed my grandmother?""I… It wasn't me!" Angie's agitation intensified. "Aurora is clearly using me as a scapegoat! She tricked me into saying those things! This is all fake!"Angie finally realized that Aurora had planned to make her the scapegoat from the very beginning, wanting to rid herself of any involvement. It was so sinister—recording conversations and twisting the facts. How despicable!"Fake?" Theodore seized her face with one hand, gripping it so tightly that her face nearly contorted. He gritted his teeth and harshly demanded, "Are you saying Aurora did this?""Y