I saw Jack appear at the front of the stage, gesturing at me. It meant he hadn’t yet found that sneaky assassin. Damn it, that killer was slippery as an eel. As long as we couldn’t locate her, I needed to keep Hugh close, securing my safety and making sure he had no chance to discover the secrets I couldn’t afford to reveal.The engagement ceremony was about to begin. I took a deep breath, steadying myself so I wouldn’t show even the slightest hint of unease.“Esther, remember, after today, everything will be over. No one will ever learn about your dark past. Your future will be bright,” I silently reassured myself.From the crowd below, envious glances were cast my way, and I could hear whispers among the women."Esther is so lucky to win the love of someone as incredible as Mr. Thornton and become his wife.""I’d trade ten years of bad luck just to marry someone like Mr. Thornton.""Even if you had ten years of bad luck, you wouldn’t stand a chance with him. Mr. Thornton only wan
By the time I arrived at the banquet hall, chaos had already erupted. To prevent Jack from escaping, Travis had dragged him inside. The crowd had formed a wide circle around the center, and from the looks of things, I could piece together what had happened.A woman on the floor was being restrained by two soldiers from the peacekeeping force, and a handgun lay nearby. On the stage, Hugh was shielding Esther, holding her close. It seemed clear—the woman on the floor had fired at Esther, and Hugh had saved her.Meanwhile, the video continued playing on the large screen, showing a brutal scene of a woman and a child being killed. The footage ended with a freeze-frame of Esther’s face. Given what Jack had said earlier, I now fully understood what was going on.Esther had brought Jack to the engagement party with the true goal of finding this woman. But because Travis and I had intervened, Jack had been captured, causing Esther’s plan to fail and giving the woman a chance to attack her.
“What?” Esther stared at Hugh in shock.“I said, I found out about your involvement in the 701 incident a long time ago. But because I trusted you and valued our relationship over the years, I chose to believe you were innocent. Even with today’s engagement ceremony, my plan was only to uncover who was behind 701. I didn’t tell you so you wouldn’t be afraid. As for our relationship, I’ve been wanting to call off the engagement for a long time, and you know that.” Hugh spoke slowly, laying everything bare.Inside, I felt waves of confusion. So Hugh didn’t like Esther anymore? Today was definitely full of surprises. Based on what I knew about him, Hugh may have been messy in relationships, but his character had never been in question—he was always upfront. So this had to be the truth.Esther looked devastated, her face pale as she gazed at Hugh. “That’s impossible... You used to love me so much. This is all because of what happened today... Hugh, don’t do this…”“Let me finish, Esthe
I never thought that Esther had such a dark side. In front of me, she was always the kind, resilient woman who had saved countless lives in war zones. But now, she had turned into an executioner.Once one truth is exposed, it only leads to more. After the engagement party, Esther was taken away for a full investigation. Even though I no longer had feelings for her, I still couldn’t bring myself to pass final judgment. So, I voluntarily stepped away from her case. As for the future, I doubt we’ll ever meet again.After handing over the case, I returned to the house where Shelia and I used to live. She didn’t take many things with her when she left, so the house still looked just as it did when we lived together.I must be losing my mind. It’s like I can still hear Shelia’s voice in my ears.“Hugh, welcome home. I made your favorite steak. It’s still warm.”“Hugh, you should go to bed early. You always complain about headaches. Sleeping earlier might help.”“Hugh, even if you don’t
After sending the recording to Hugh, I felt a sense of closure. I’ve never been the type to quietly swallow my anger, so after Esther’s downfall, I had to make sure I stomped on her while she was down. Of course, I also wanted my blind ex-husband to see exactly who Esther really was.Just as I finished, I received a call from Zia.“Hey, babe! Did you hear? Your ex’s mistress, that little snake Esther, got arrested! God, it’s so satisfying. If I were you, I’d be too excited to sleep tonight!”Zia’s voice was full of energy. Every time I talked to her, it felt like getting a shot of adrenaline—I always felt more alive afterward.“You’re not wrong. And I’ve got an even better scoop. I was there when they arrested her! She looked like a crazy, venomous witch. Now everyone knows she’s no hero—she’s a murderer.”Half an hour later, Zia and I were at a bar with a table full of drinks, snacks, and a fruit platter. The bar’s lights pulsed, the atmosphere wild, and we drank, sang, and gossi
It seems that all the awkward situations in the world have a way of finding me.First, I stumbled into the wrong VIP room while drunk, only to discover that the guy inside was my childhood friend. Just as things started to get a bit ambiguous between us, my ex-husband showed up. To top it off, Zia suddenly burst in as if she had been waiting for the drama.“Whoa, what’s going on here?” Zia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked between me, Zachary, and Hugh. She leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “Girl, tell me, isn’t it just more thrilling to hook up with a guy in front of your ex?”I rolled my eyes and wriggled out of Zachary’s arms. This time, he didn’t stop me but gently helped me find my footing.Hugh, however, immediately grabbed my wrist. “Come with me.”“And why should I? Who do you think you are?” I frowned, trying to shake him off.“Don’t test my patience, Shelia.” Hugh’s expression showed clear irritation.Before I could respond, Zachary grabbed my other a
I don't need his apology. Hugh stood frozen in place for what felt like an eternity, his eyes fixed on the brooch lying shattered on the ground. A ridiculous thought crossed my mind: Was he upset not just because of what happened to him and his wounded pride, but also because of our separation?If this had happened before our divorce - him giving me a brooch, carefully choosing a gift for me, trying to cheer me up - I would have felt like the luckiest woman in the world. But now, my heart was filled with nothing but anguish.I couldn't accept his gesture, nor could I soothe my own heart."Shelia, is this what you want too?" Hugh's voice was hoarse. "I want to hear it from you, Shelia.""I've already made myself clear," I replied. "If you're apologizing for Esther, I won't accept it. If you're apologizing for your passive-aggressive acts and misunderstanding towards me before, I don't care. We have no future together. I've fully accepted those hurts. Whether you apologize or not mak
The designer's name was Rose. We easily found out that she was hosting a private party at her villa the day after tomorrow. Unfortunately, Merlinda had to return to her university for some business, so I was left to attend the party alone.Since this was about potential collaboration, I wore a formal black dress - sexy and elegant, yet understated. My makeup was impeccable. I felt confident and in high spirits, but as soon as I walked in, I saw someone I really didn't want to see.Carol.Even more absurd was that she had come with Hugh.From what I knew about the siblings, they usually avoided appearing at the same events. Could it be that the Thornton family's bid for Ada's wedding project was a collaboration between Carol and Hugh? And Hugh had agreed to this?While I was lost in thought, I noticed Hugh's gaze fall on me. I quickly turned away, not wanting any interaction with him.I found Rose's assistant, who informed me that I'd only have a chance to meet Rose after the part