The senior Mr. Dunraven's expression didn't change much, but there was a flash of coldness in his eyes.
Percival didn't want to waste time sucking up to the old man. He had said before that he wasn't interested in the family business. He came today mainly to beat up Trent.
Trent wasn't surprised; he knew Percival wouldn't be able to resist coming after him. He smirked, his lips curling with a wicked smile.
"Stay away from my woman."
Trent looked up, his tone indifferent, "It was just a dinner together. Was there really a need to come here in the middle of the night to make a scene? What's yours is yours; I couldn't take her even if I wanted to. If she's not yours, you can't keep her either. Am I right, bro?"
"Should we take this outside or just here?"
Trent stood up.
As soon as they stepped outside, Percival grabbed his coll
The butler was in the house, shaking so hard he was afraid the brothers would seriously hurt each other—one wrong move and someone could die. He was freaking out on the side while the grandfather just chilled, sipping his coffee like he didn’t care at all. After about twenty minutes, the butler glanced at the clock.“Sir, if we don’t intervene, I’m afraid something bad might happen…”The old man lifted his cloudy eyes. “Don’t worry, they won’t die.”He said it as casually as if he was deciding what to have for dinner, then put his cup down and stood up.“Go get some more people, and call the family doctor.” To him, it wasn’t serious; at worst, they’d be bedridden for a few days with a sprain or something.At the Dunraven house, brothers fighting was normal, even seen as a form of toughening up.The butler immediately sent people to the backyard.Percival had Trent by the neck, slapping him across the head.“Trying to threaten me? I’ll give you a chance to negotiate.”Trent wasn’t havi
Percival left the north city and drove straight to his villa. He steered with one hand and glanced at the rearview mirror, touching the painful, bloodied cuts on his face. Though just superficial wounds, they were tough to fade.Initially just red, by tomorrow they'd be swollen and turn purplish-blue. Aside from his face, his shoulders and legs were also throbbing with pain after Trent had brutally punched and kicked him. Just braking and steering were painfully sharp.But compared to Trent, he was off much better. Thinking about what Percival had said made him furious with himself for not hitting Trent harder, wishing he had crippled him.Just then, his phone vibrated. Percival didn't check it immediately and kept driving. It was ten at night when he got to the villa's parking. He saw a light on in an upstairs bedroom—Eulalia must still be awake.At home, Percival finally checked his phone. Seeing the number twisted his face with anger—Trent, again. It was definitely nothing good, bu
"Does that mean you forgive me?" Percival asked cautiously, his lips involuntarily curling into a smile as he watched Eulalia’s expression soften."Forgive you just like that? You wish," she replied.Percival stiffened almost imperceptibly at her words.Eulalia was moved, yet she didn't want her emotions to get the better of her rationality. With Trent out of the picture, there were still many hurdles they hadn’t yet overcome. Today it's Trent, tomorrow it could be Jack or Joe—there would always be arguments.It was a temporary fix, not a solution. Despite her memory loss making her somewhat dull, she wasn't stupid. She hadn't forgotten the morning-after pill Percival had given her, or his so-called 'sister' Evadne.These were thorns in her side. She never believed in the saying "Just endure it and it will pass." If the thorn isn’t removed, it only burrows deeper, becoming more painful.Percival knelt on the ground, his dark eyes glistening with moisture, looking like a guilty puppy b
Percival's hand, which was applying the medicine, froze. His throat felt dry, and his voice seemed squeezed out, "Yes, I wasn't as good to you as you might think, I was pretty bad actually. But you truly liked me back then, and now I truly love you and want to take care of you for the rest of our lives."Eulalia had no memory of their past; she lived in the lie Oliver and he had crafted, thinking that she and Percival had been deeply in love. She was eager to remember the past, not just to love Percival better now but also to feel justified in enjoying his affection for the rest of her life.But now, Percival was telling her their past wasn’t good at all.Eulalia wondered if there was any point in recovering her memory."Do you want to know about the past?" Percival asked cautiously.Eulalia hesitated, then shook her head, "Let's leave the past in the past."Percival quietly sighed in relief. If Eulalia had insisted on delving into their past, he really didn't know what he would have
Eulalia felt cold, and already sleepy, so when Percival hugged her warmly, she just snuggled into his arms and didn't want to move."Let's get this straight, you're still going to be punished. Once you're healed, you'll kneel in front of me," Eulalia said, trying to look annoyed, but to Percival, she just looked like a kitten that had just grown its claws."But we don't have a washboard at home."Eulalia thought for a moment, "Then let's buy a durian... Never mind, durian smells too strong. Just kneel on the ground till I allow you to stand up.""Okay." Who knows where she gets these crazy ideas.Eulalia turned over, her face nuzzling into Percival's chest, listening to the strong heartbeat as she drifted off to sleep.Seeing her suddenly so well-behaved, Percival felt a bit unaccustomed. Just moments ago, she was all fierce, and now suddenly, she turned into a little lamb.Percival hugged her tighter, his eyes fixed on her beautiful features, and finally, he couldn't resist giving he
Percival brought out the first aid kit, stripping his shirt for Eulalia to apply medicine to his back. The bruise looked worse than yesterday—a large, deep purple blotch as if stained by dye.Eulalia quickly applied the medicine, patting his shoulder, "Okay, let's sleep."Percival didn't forget to bring Eulalia her medicine. Seeing the white pill, Eulalia frowned, "I don't want to regain my memory anymore, can I skip the meds?""You don't want to regain your memory?"Eulalia paused, then explained, "It's not that I don't want my memory back, I'm just not looking forward to it as much." She now knew Percival hadn't been as good to her in the past as she had imagined.How exactly he wasn't good, she wasn't curious and didn't want to dwell on it."Can I skip the meds?" She could handle a handful of pills at noon, but not this small one at night.Every night after taking the pill, she had nightmares, felt like being suffocated in her sleep, her chest tight and her spirit dampened. Previou
Eulalia was gasping for breath from the kisses, repeatedly patting his shoulder, her face flushed red, her mouth hanging open as if gasping for air, her eyelashes glistening with tears."Eula, say you love me, that you'll never leave me," Percival pleaded, holding her face, his gaze intense and urgent, his voice deep and seductive."What's going on..." Eulalia was a bit confused by his behavior.Percival just realized he couldn't be without Eulalia, he was scared she would leave, scared she'd look at him with the cold indifference she had a few months ago.He scooped her up, carrying her sideways and setting her down on the couch, kneeling with his head on her thigh and close to her belly."I'm scared of you leaving me. Can you promise you'll never leave me, even if you remember the past?"What had happened in the past that made Percival so concerned and even scared?But they hadn't "divorced," which should mean their marriage wasn't beyond repair, right?Eulalia ran her fingers throu
When Percival goes to work, Mr. Brooks hangs out at home and chats with Eulalia, spending way more time with her than Percival does. Being a jealous guy, Percival couldn’t handle it and quickly arranged a house not too far away for Mr. Brooks to move into.Eulalia couldn’t help but laugh, “So you just shoo people away? Who’s gonna be my therapist now?”“I think you can do without it.”Still so selfish and bossy, Eulalia retorted, “You think? Last week you thought I needed therapy, and now you think I don’t? Whose body is it anyway?”They almost got into a big argument over this little thing, but Mr. Brooks calmed them down and told Eulalia she didn’t need therapy for now. His two weeks at the villa had mostly been just hanging out and chatting, except for that one time he hypnotized Eulalia.Eulalia finally made a friend close to her age and could chat away with him, a rare chance to kill some boredom, but Percival was the jealous type who just had to kill the vibe.Eulalia was furiou
#Barry AnimalAbuse#This trending topic suddenly appeared at the top of social media.Barry rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was hallucinating from stress or if there was an issue with her phone. Hadn't Evette just told her on the call that #Eulalia AnimalAbuse# was trending? Why was she seeing something different?Barry's heart pounded, and a growing sense of unease filled her. She carefully opened her eyes again and looked at her phone. Nothing had changed from what she saw earlier, except the trending topic kept rising in popularity.Barry's face went pale, and her breath grew cold. Though autumn hadn't arrived yet, she felt a winter chill. The air entering her nose felt like icy vapor, freezing her heart. The cold sensation spread down her spine.How could this be happening?Why was it completely different from what Evette had said?Didn't Evette say Eulalia was trending? Why was she herself the top trend instead?Though animal abuse wasn't technically illegal, and what's done wa
Victor's large, warm hands enveloped Eulalia's cold ones completely.Victor was the golden boy, a perfect specimen in the entertainment world. This perfection wasn't just about his looks, but also his voice and his very soul.They say that pretty faces are a dime a dozen, while fascinating souls are one in a million. Victor had both.Those who knew him well were aware of his quirks - he could be a total dork sometimes, clueless about romance despite being overly narcissistic. His face would betray his Evettery emotion, and his ears would wiggle when he got cocky. For all his self-admiration, he'd turn beet red whenEvetter his crush was near.With Eulalia, he was gentle, wanting to get close but afraid of scaring her off. When she was in trouble, he stood firmly by her side, even if she didn't spare him a glance.Victor's affection for Eulalia was obvious, but his approach was cautious.Eulalia watched his lips move, his soft voice reaching her ears like a gentle breeze, slowly soothin
Eulalia gently stroked the singed fur of the ragdoll cat, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Her gray eyes were filled with moisture, stinging painfully.Her eyes were either unable to cry or unable to stop once they started. Now they seemed almost blind with grief. She tilted her head back, veins bulging in her neck, mouth slightly open and eyes tightly shut as she let out a hoarse, anguished cry.Her choked, raspy voice was broken, like a rusty knife scraping against a whetstone - so harsh and painful to hear that it made one's heart clench.Victor's eyes were red too, but he turned away silently. He couldn't show any weakness, afraid he wouldn't be able to support Eulalia if he did.Kneeling on the ground, Eulalia slowly scattered dirt over Misty's body, burying her until she was no longer visible. Eulalia's thin frame shook violently, her fragmented sobs growing from quiet to loud as her grief reached its peak.Eulalia had never imagined she could feel heartbreak like t
As much as she wanted to block out the world, cruel voices kept invading Eulalia's ears. Misty wasn't just a cat; she had saved Eulalia's life. They had promised to be together forever. Misty was family, a lifeline in her darkest moments, a light in the shadows.Eulalia's voice was hoarse, her tear-choked words barely intelligible as she called out "Misty" over and over. The pain in her chest was unbearable, desperately needing something to fill the void. Her grip on Victor's shirt loosened as she clutched Misty's collar tightly to her heart."Eulalia," Victor whispered. The girl in his arms was ice-cold, shivering uncontrollably. Her anguished sobs had faded to quiet whimpers.Even after crying her heart out, Eulalia wasn't feeling any better. Her veins were bulging, her temples throbbing. Her body alternated between freezing shivers and feverish heat, her back burning and itching.Victor's heart clenched. He opened his mouth, but no words of comfort came out.Kneeling down, Victor g
Eulalia's hands trembled as she reached out to touch Misty's wounded body. Her hands came away bloody. Ropes had cut deeply into Misty's limbs, and blood covered the cat's body, tail, paws, and head."Misty..." Eulalia's eyes were terrifyingly red, dry from the intensity of her grief. The pain was so extreme she couldn't even cry.In a daze, Eulalia somehow managed to untie the ropes binding Misty. All she could see were the burn wounds on Misty's skin and the blood oozing from four small punctures in the cat's mouth. Misty's sharpest fangs had been viciously pulled out. How much agony had Misty endured?"Misty, I'm here now. Look at me. Didn't we promise to always be together?" Eulalia's body shook as she cradled the bloodied cat. "I'll cancel all my work... I'll stay by your side from now on. I'll never leave you with anyone else again. Please, just hang on a little longer..."Misty lay in Eulalia's arms, struggling to open her eyes at the sound of Eulalia's voice.It's Eulalia... E
Barry noticed the collar around the cat's neck and tried to cut it off with a knife, but it wouldn't budge. Frustrated, she gave up—she couldn’t waste time on a collar.Gripping the cat's jaw, she forced its mouth open, grabbing its sharp teeth with pliers. "You want to bite me? I’ll pull out every last tooth and see if you try that again."Misty trembled, lying helpless on the ground, bound and unable to move. After all, it was just a cat—no way to beg for mercy.Barry's eyes darkened, and with a sharp tug, a sickening crack rang out, like bones being torn from flesh. Misty's scream filled the air."Meow..." Blood spilled from the cat's mouth, staining its once-pristine fur. Misty lay there, defeated, and in that moment, all it could think about was Eulalia."I just wanted to spend more time with you... I wanted to see you again…"...After dinner, Eulalia was told to get ready for the next scene. She glanced at the door, feeling uneasy—Jane hadn't returned yet. Eulalia called her, a
Eulalia took the phone Jane handed her and attached the tracking device to Misty’s collar. “Misty's well-behaved; she won't run off.” “I know, but just in case… too many people dislike me. If they can’t get to me, they might target Misty. A tracker at least adds some safety.” Eulalia focused on the device, missing the brief flicker in Jane’s expression. Jane pressed her lips together, hesitating like she wanted to say something, but held back. “All done,” Eulalia returned the phone, noticing Jane still looked tense. She ruffled her hair. “If something’s on your mind, tell me, don’t bottle it up.” “I…” Jane started, then glanced at Misty in her arms, “I’m fine, really.” “Alright, if you say so.” Eulalia could sense something off, but couldn’t quite place it. Maybe Jane had issues at home these past few days. It wasn’t her place to pry if Jane didn’t want to talk.Just then, Reid called, telling Eulalia to get ready for her scenes. The day was packed with her shoot, and wrap
Percival’s heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand arrows at the thought of Eulalia in bed with Victor. It was only 1 a.m. when he glanced at the clock, and he reached under his pillow for the wedding photo of him and Eulalia. In the picture, she smiled cautiously, her dimples soft, eyes gentle. The photo wasn’t big, but he pressed it to his chest alongside the well-worn journal he often read, then lay back down.That night, he didn’t dream. But when he woke, his eyes were damp, his face sticky with tears that left his skin stinging.As a cancer patient, Percival's body was weak, and he often caught colds easily. The open window and a night of cold wind, combined with the emotional breakdown after seeing the picture Victor posted, left him feverish.The housekeeper was the first to notice and rushed to inform Mr. Lee, who promptly called for a doctor. The doctor came, measured Percival's temperature, and set up an IV. But as the doctor tried to insert the needle, he noticed
Eulalia had never seen a post about herself deleted so quickly before.She sat cradling Misty in one arm, absently fingering the tag on the cat's collar. After a few minutes, her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number:"Eulalia, I don't want you as a replacement anymore. Stay by my side and I can protect you. Percival is ruthless - if you want a better life, stay far away from that madman."Eulalia frowned as she read the message. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard to reply "Go to hell," but she thought better of it and deleted the draft. There was nothing worth saying to someone like Trent. She blocked the number and set up a custom auto-reply instead.Meanwhile, Trent was anxiously awaiting Eulalia's response. He thought he had made himself clear - surely the small-town girl would get the hint. But after half an hour of silence, doubt crept in. Had she not seen the message? Or was she too afraid to reply?He sent another text:"If you come back to me obediently, I'm will