As I slowly began to suffocate, my consciousness became somewhat blurred. I felt so uncomfortable...So uncomfortable that I wanted to die.Originally, I no longer wished to have any ties with Ryan, but in this situation, he was the only one I could think of.‘Ryan... please hurry... save me...’Just as I was about to lose consciousness, when a bucket of cold water was suddenly thrown over my head.The cold wind was already sweeping through the basement, and now this, not only brought me back to some level of consciousness but also made me shiver uncontrollably.The icy water streamed down my face, sliding into my collar and neck.The cold was bone-chilling.I barely opened my eyes and noticed that Bethany was also tied up to a post nearby.In fact, she had two red handprints on her face and her clothes were dirty, looking quite disheveled.However, she was standing calmly on a chair beneath her feet.I gave a cold smile, my voice a bit weak, "It seems you're quite the act
"Three..."Ryan's aura dropped sharply. He steadily raised the gun, aiming it at Bethany.Bethany desperately shook her head. "No... Ryan, don't..."Ryan, however, showed no signs of emotional disturbance. But in the fleeting moment our eyes met, I saw a deep, suppressed anguish in his gaze.Zack continued to count down. "Two..."Ryan gritted his teeth, lightly shaking his wrist, and chambered the gun with one hand."One..."Bang!In the instant the gun fired, Ryan suddenly changed direction, and with precision, pulled the trigger whilst aiming at me!I was completely frozen, my blood running cold!It turned out that I was the one he abandoned.Even if it meant I had to die.Despair seeped into every part of me in an instant. I stared blankly in Ryan's direction, my vision becoming unfocused.Although the anticipated pain did not come, somewhere within me, a sharp, piercing pain throbbed."It's my own choice...""I'm trying to win you back...""I'll take the remaining n
So, Ryan's thoughts were the same as those of the Shaw family.To him, I was merely a burden holding him back.He must have had grievances for a long time.Otherwise, such heart-wrenching words wouldn't have come so easily.A bitter smile tugged at my lips.I should never have hoped he would save me.Zack clapped his hands. "As expected of Mr. Frost. Very decisive!""Ryan..."Bethany shrank back in Ryan's embrace. "My legs hurt so much. It seems I was injured just now.""Mm." Ryan responded with a single syllable and began to walk away.Zack stopped him. "Mr. Frost, what about Ms. Wilson...?""Do as you please!" Ryan continued walking, casually to the question.It seemed that what happened to me was completely irrelevant to him.His mind and gaze were entirely on Bethany's injury.His tall, upright figure soon vanished from my view.Outside, the sound of tires on the ground resumed, and within seconds, everything was calm again.I squinted, staring at the flickering inc
Zack's previous arrogance was completely gone as he repeatedly assured Frank.Frank smiled faintly, "I don't care about the Shaw or Lawson families. If you mess with her again, I won't mind sending you down there to keep your brother company."Zack immediately fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, Frank. Rest assured, I'll remember for the rest of my life that I've come this far because of you. From now on, I'll call you 'Dad' and Ms. Wilson 'Mom'!"I had initially been confused about why Zack dared to negotiate with Ryan but was so afraid of Frank. Now, I understood.The Frost Group was all above board, with no involvement in grey areas.But the Smith family clearly operated in both legal and illegal worlds."You’re not my fucking son!" Frank cursed. "Get your people out of here, now.""Yes, sir!"Zack quickly scrambled to his feet, calling his people to leave. Before he went, he clasped his hands in front of me and whispered urgently, "Ms. Wilson, I genuinely intended to let you go.
Hearing this, I fell silent.It wasn't until the car was speeding down the dark road again that I turned to Frank."How did you find this place?"Frank unlocked his phone and tossed it to me. "Your husband sent me the address."I glanced at the message from an unknown number. It might not be Ryan.Or rather, I didn't dare believe it was Ryan.Frank seemed to sense my doubt. Casually steering the car, he explained, "The Shaw family must have promised Zack some benefits to reach an agreement. Bethany only kidnapped you to go after Ryan, so this address would be known only to a few.""Zack's men have no connection to you and wouldn't know I knew you. They couldn't have sent me to rescue you.""So, the message must have come from Ryan."This was the first time he had been so patient and elaborate with me.I squeezed my hands together. "Got it, thanks."It was the usual pretense.Sending a message to Frank while Ryan was still shooting at me.At a red-light intersection, Fran
Now we just needed the investment from the RF Group to officially rent that office space.Jack seemed to have heard about the Shaw family's interference with renting office space in Jelaston, and looked surprised, "You managed to rent an office?""Yes." I nodded. "Apparently the property owner is abroad. They probably don't fear the Shaw family much, given how far they are.""That's good." Jack nodded and began to carefully disinfect and dress my wounds, his voice tight with concern. "Does it hurt a lot?""Not too bad."I endured the sharp pain and kept reminding myself that from now on, I must not be soft-hearted towards anyone.This world always favored the strong and oppresses the weak. It would never repay kindness with kindness.The next morning, Jane arrived at my house early.She pushed the door open and, seeing that I was already up, she was a bit surprised. "Aren't you injured? Why aren't you still sleeping?"I put down the fashion magazine I was holding. "Did Jack te
Jane was rarely so serious, and I felt an indescribable unease rising within me.It was as if something was about to be destroyed.I stared at Jane, biting my lip, "I'm prepared. Go ahead and tell me.""Actually..." Jane struggled to speak. She bit her lip before finally saying, "The person who took you to the school infirmary and the one who brought you food in college wasn't Ryan!"‘Wasn’t Ryan?’ My mind buzzed, and I felt a fleeting blankness, stunned.It took me a while to come to my senses, a heavy weight pressing on my chest, making my voice tremble. "Really?"Deep down, I knew Jane was telling me the truth.Jane knew how important this was to me. If she wasn't completely certain, she wouldn't have told me like this.But...What did all the affection I had for these years mean?Jane nodded. "Yes.""Then... the person who really helped me..." I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm as I spoke, "Was Jack, right?"Jane was stunned. "How did you know?""No wonder..."
Jane ran barefoot to open the door. When she saw who it was, she was taken aback. "Jack, you... came to see Charlotte?""Yes."Jack smiled gently, stepped inside, and while changing into slippers, glanced at me. "How are you feeling today? Still in pain?"Although it had only been one night, seeing him again now made me feel a bit embarrassed.The person who helped me was him.Noticing my dazed expression, Jack came over and chuckled, "What are you thinking about?""Nothing."I gathered my thoughts, hurriedly shook my head, and answered his earlier question, "I'm feeling much better, not as painful as yesterday.""That's good."He placed a bag on the coffee table, "I got some scar cream for you from the hospital. Your injuries are quite serious. Although they're not on your face, they still can't be neglected. You’ll still need to prevent yourself from getting scarred."Perhaps knowing the situation, I felt a bit guilty and very grateful, and I was particularly obedient, "Oka
"I want to explain."Westley embraced her, lowering his head to whisper, as though they were deeply in love."I won’t repeat the same mistakes again as before, and I won’t make the same mistake multiple times."Jordan shrank her neck, trying to avoid him.His warm breath brushed against her ear, it was ticklish.But she couldn’t break free from him, so she could only try to move away as much as possible."Let go of me first."Westley lowered his head and kissed her ear."Since you’re here, let’s finish what we started."Jordan was unwilling. "You handle your own problems, don’t drag me into your competition with other women."Westley stared at her for a moment, not loosening his arm but pulling her closer."She already holds a grudge against you. It’s safer for you to stay by my side. Oh, by the way, just so you know, she’s a princess."Jordan slapped the cream cake in her hand right onto his face.She couldn’t hide her emotions, anger clearly written on her face.She wan
Jordan finally finished planting all the saplings and now all she had to do was wait for them to bloom.But she probably wouldn’t be able to see the flowers. She hoped the pear trees would grow wildly here."Mrs. Howard." Buck brought her a dress. "Mr. Howard said that there is a party tonight and would like to request your company."Jordan refused without hesitation.Buck added, "There’s also an auction, with many fun and interesting items. Don’t you want to buy gifts for your sister and little nephew?"Mentioning her sister and nephew made Jordan waver.Jane liked interesting things, and Jordan couldn’t easily go out on her own to gather them.And now, she had the opportunity.But she didn’t want to attend the event with Westley."Mrs. Howard, if I were you, I would go."Jordan ignored him. He was on Westley’s side.Buck’s mouth twitched, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "When Mr. Howard broke your heart, you should have asked for more money from him, to get revenge and s
Carter had hit a wall at every turn.He had also been poked at his sore spot, and his long-established cold and distant persona was on the verge of crumbling."Forget about Zachary and the others, after all, they’re not very close. But how long have I known you? You won't help? I even helped you persuade Jordan."Westley didn’t fall for it. "As for you and Mandy, no one can help. I can’t bring her to Nelana now. You can try convincing Zachary, maybe there’s still a chance."Wasn’t that just stating the obvious?Carter said, "If I could get Zachary's help, would I be telling you all this?"Westley replied, "That’s your problem. Who told you to force her? Back then, she was just a young girl, barely an adult. It’s normal for her to be afraid of you and find you disgusting."A flash of sadness appeared in Carter's eyes."I was just too angry back then. It wasn’t intentional...""I’ve said that too." Westley put down the binoculars. "You saw my outcome. Obviously, it was useless."
"Jane, don't argue with Zachary. This time, I am staying here voluntarily," said Jordan."I’ve made a bet with Westley, and there will be a resolution in the end."Jane nodded. "I can let you handle this matter yourself, but you have to promise me that you won’t let yourself get hurt, and you won’t just keep sacrificing yourself. If it becomes unbearable, give it up. I’ll always be here to support you."Jordan nodded. "Okay."The two sisters chatted for a long time, and only when Jane started to feel sleepy did they end the video call.Jordan handed the phone to Buck and closed the door to her room.Buck was left standing there.He felt like he had been completely abandoned, as if everything around him had fallen apart.Anyway, as a sandwich in the middle, he was already crushed, so it didn’t matter anymore.For several days, Jordan got up to eat, and the food was always food prepared by the chef.She hadn’t seen Westley around.She couldn’t really say how she felt. She just
"He is faking his psychological illness," Jordan rebutted.Even if he had one, it had nothing to do with her.Even she didn’t have any psychological issues, how could someone with such a strong mind like Westley have any psychological issues?He shouldn’t blame her for everything.Having seen enough, she turned around and walked away.But Carter called her back. "He once took good care of you, and you're going to be this heartless?"Jordan wasn’t familiar with Carter. He was usually a man of few words with a cold personality.If she greeted him, he wouldn’t respond. If she talked too much, she might get an icy look in return.She really didn’t expect that one day, he would try to mediate between her and Westley."You should focus more on your own matters," she said.His own love life was a mess, so what right did he have to interfere in hers?Jordan’s emotions were written all over her face, she didn’t hide them.Carter could guess how she was feeling just by looking at her
Jane didn’t care about Westley. Even if he was feeling it now, it was too late for regrets.If he hadn’t acted the way he did, Jordan wouldn’t have suffered so much.Moreover, he had once ignored her cries for help, so now he shouldn’t blame Jordan for his injuries.“How’s my sister?” she asked.Roy replied, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Collins, Ms. Hickey is doing fine. Except for the lack of freedom, there are no other restrictions.”“When can I have a video call with her?”Roy thought for a moment. “Since Mr. Howard is now delirious, I can make the arrangements.”“Thank you,” said Jane.“It’s no trouble, it’s my job.”After hanging up the phone, Jane looked at Zachary and asked, “What do you think?”Zachary moved the phone a little farther away to avoid radiation.After finishing the massage, he helped her lie down and said, “I’m thinking what you’re thinking.”Jane gave him a sidelong glance. “You’re slick.”Zachary smirked and bent down to kiss her forehead.“Get some rest.”
"Mrs. Howard—"Buck watched helplessly as Jordan jumped into the sea.Before he could rush over, a figure was even faster than him."Sir!"Westley dived into the water, found Jordan, and dragged her to the shore.When Jordan was pulled onto the shore, she was still a bit dazed.Wasn't she just swimming? Why was there so much fuss?Buck gestured for people to bring a stretcher, lifted Westley onto it, and hurried back.Buck also called for the maids to help Jordan back.Jordan wiped her face, pushed the maid aside, and twisted the water out of her hair. "What happened?"Buck was anxious to check on Westley, but he couldn’t stop watching Jordan, worried she might jump into the sea again and trying to think of other ways to prevent it."Mr. Howard was saving you.""Why?" Jordan was confused. "I didn’t drown. What’s the need to save me?"Buck recalled what he had seen earlier. It seemed like... swimming?"Weren’t you... jumping into the sea?""Yes." Jordan didn’t notice Buck
"Nathan, you should head back and deal with your own matters. Let's not interfere with Jordan's matters anymore."Nathan didn’t expect Jane to say this. He paused for a moment before speaking. "You know better than I do what Westley has done. How can we just ignore it? Jordan is still young and hasn’t experienced much in terms of relationships. She lacks experience, what if she falls again..."Jane knew what he was talking about and comforted him. "Don’t worry. Jordan may have experienced little in terms of relationships, but she’s not a foolish girl. She knows how to handle things."Nathan asked, "Is it because there’s something Westley knows?""No, it’s because we can't let Westley continue making a scene. This matter still needs to be handled by the person involved."Nathan didn’t say anything more and told Jane not to worry. When it was close to her delivery, he would come back.Jane agreed and hung up the phone.She threw the phone onto the counter and hugged Zachary from b
Charlotte raised her hand and gently patted Jane’s shoulder."I understand, after all, she's your sister. But I think Jordan is very smart and capable, she can take care of herself. You can worry, but at the same time, take care of your own health. Then, when she comes back, you can love her properly."Jordan walked around the island.There was a helipad on the mountain with two helicopters.Out at sea, there was a large cruise ship docked.But she didn’t know how to pilot any of them, so there was no way to escape.In the end, she decided to just accept things as they were.If there was a problem, she would deal with it. If not, she’d wait."Mrs. Howard, Jasmine is looking for you."When Jordan returned to the villa, Buck handed her a phone.Hearing Jasmine’s name, she took it."Jasmine.""I'm relieved you're okay," said Jasmine, letting out a sigh of relief, then apologizing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have drunk so much.""It’s not your fault."Since Westley had a plan to