“We have instructions to protect both her and the baby!” the chief yelled fiercely at the doctor.”“Her heart isn’t in a good condition. If we forcefully keep the baby, we might lose her instead…” the doctor said, clearly in a difficult spot.The masked man next to him started to panic, and asked anxiously, “Chief, what should we do?”“We’ve been told that the key is her heart. The priority is to protect the woman, then the baby!” the chief eventually said.The baby…Melanie’s heart pounded hard in her chest before she went out cold.-Jeffrey took a flight to attend an important finance meeting. After the meeting ended, he hopped on another flight back to Medonia almost immediately. He promised her that he would be back tonight.But when his plane landed, he received a call from a bodyguard from Morgan Group that the island where the research base was located caught fire. A group of armed men had abducted them all amidst the chaos.Jeffrey’s breath caught in his chest as the
When Melanie regained consciousness, her first instinct was to touch her belly. That was when she realized that both her arms were cuffed to the sides of the bed. She was unable to move.She tried hard to lift her head; she saw the bulge in her stomach, and subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief.She decided not to struggle so vehemently again; firstly for the safety of her baby, and secondly, her struggle seemed to be in vain anyway.She felt subtle tugs of pain in her stomach, and forced herself to calm down to think.Melanie could hear waves crashing against the boat from inside the room. Before she fainted, she heard the masked men talking about taking her into a boat. She must be in one right now.The masked men seized the professor, her mother, and Yelena and even claimed to want to kill them all except her. They even said that they received instructions to leave her and her baby alive.Who would care so much for her and her baby?It couldn’t possibly be the Yorks, nor cou
Jeffrey looked at the woman that was tied to the bed. Her limbs were thin, her face skeletal, her hair scattered, and even the sight of her being visibly pregnant even though she was lying there... All of this made his heart tremble uncontrollably.“You came as expected, Mr. Morgan,” the bald man spoke.“So this is how you’re taking good care of her?!” Jeffrey asked, his eyes showing his lust for blood.“Don’t be so angry, Mr. Morgan!”The bald man came closer and gave the people behind him a look. His lackey, who had his face covered, began to search Jeffrey’s body.“He’s clean, boss. Except for this.”The lackey extended his hand, showing a stick containing 12 pieces of bubble gum.The bald man frowned and took them all, before unwrapping one and started chewing it. “I didn’t expect that you would like this!” And then, he carefully put the remaining gum into his pocket.Jeffrey ignored him as he walked over to Melanie, moving the lackeys that wanted to stop him with his arm b
Melanie looked at the pair of eyes that used to make her believe him so easily. The sorrow slowly crept up on her, and her eyes felt somewhat wet.Was it not him? He who wanted to protect her, her heart, and her child? He who also wanted to kill her mom, destroying the truth that she had been trying to tell her?If he didn’t come, then he would simply be suspicious. She could never be sure.But if he were on this ship and became part of this drama where a prince saved the princess, it had to be because he wanted to gain her trust, take her to Delfino to give birth, and pin all the crimes on his enemies. They would still be in love, and she and her child could live the rest of their lives in peace with him...“It isn’t me,” Jeffrey said, his voice firm.“Then what are you doing here? And alone, too,” she shot back.“It’s because Nathan’s main base is in Delfino. I’ve already set up defenses with Delfino’s customs. Without my orders, this ship can never pass customs,” Jeffrey expla
Jeffrey turned and looked at the tears in her eyes after all the suffering. He couldn’t say anything anymore. He stood up and turned around, but didn’t turn to look at her.He would explain everything to her once the ship was docked tomorrow and she was safe....The bald man left the room that imprisoned them.His subordinate couldn’t help but praise, “Boss, the master really does have a lot of foresight! Melanie has fallen for his schemes! And here I was worried that Melanie would suspect Jeffrey seeing that he made it so vague!”“That’s the smart part of his plans!”The bald man explained in his hoarse voice. “The master said that the key to success of this plan is the human mind! He knows Melanie well; she’s smart and self-confident, that’s why we can only reveal crumbs of clues for her. That’s why we’ve used William Moore’s AI generated voice. She would only believe the conclusion when she herself comes up with it. If we gave her too many clues, she might become suspicious i
“Boss!”“Madam!”At this time, William’s people arrived in time as well.Morgan Group’s bodyguards picked up Jeffrey and then lay him down on the deck before helping Melanie up.Her belly was in a lot of pain.However, she had no time for herself; the sight of Jeffrey filled her eyes as he lay there on the ground.“Get him to the hospital! The hospital, right now!”She used all her strength to scream. Why would William, who was always so quick to act, be so slow this time? Why didn’t he send him to the hospital?!“Madam...”William raised his head and looked at her. “The boss... He has no pulse...”“Impossible! No way..”“He’s not... He knows that he still has to protect our child! He can’t die! Get him to the hospital! I order you, get him... To...”And as her emotions got the better of her, an intense pain stabbed into her stomach. Her vision turned dark as she collapsed.-It felt like a whole eternity.When Melanie woke up, she instinctively held her belly. It was st
Yelena shook her head. “You’ve been unconscious for almost two months. Jeffrey’s... body had already been sent home by the Morgans. It’s been so long, I can only imagine that they’ve already...”Yelena held her breath. If even an outsider like her couldn’t find the heart to continue, how much worse would it be for Melanie?“Where did the Morgans bury her?” Melanie asked, trying to ignore the pain.“That’s the weird part. I’ve checked, but I couldn’t find where he’s buried...”Yelena then held her hand and consoled her. “When you’ve given birth and recovered, you can go back and find out where he’s buried and visit him. It’ll be the same...”Melanie bit her lips, unwilling to let Yelena see just how much she was suffering.She didn’t want to think about Jeffrey for even a second more, worried that she would faint. She could only turn her thoughts to something else and ask, “Pamela, where are we right now? Is it safe?”Yelena held her hand and said slowly, “We’re... At the York re
Melanie touched her belly with her lips shut before nodding after a while.She couldn’t protect herself at this stage.If she were to go back to lead and fight for the Morgan Group, how could she guarantee her child’s safety?Then she had to give birth to her child first. Even if the Yanceys had already acquired the Morgan Group, she could find ways to recover the group’s losses.“Pamela, can you get all the recent information regarding the Morgan Group and the Yanceys to me?” She asked.“Didn’t you say you won’t interfere?” Yelena frowned.“Don’t worry. I know what is more at stake here, but I still need to make the necessary preparations right now so that I can know them like I know myself. Only then can I strike a critical victory over them after I’ve given birth,” Melanie said in a gentle tone.Only then did Yelena nod and order the other servants to gather information for her.“But there’s something I need to remind you of.”Yelena remembered something and got closer, the
Pleasantly surprised, Melanie turned around to see the man she had been looking for. She never stopped saying his name in her head. He stood right behind her.At that moment, she stopped thinking completely.Without even hesitating, she ran toward him and dove into his arms."Ughh."Jeffrey groaned in pain. He did not dare to press against her stomach. Instead, he arched his back to hold her."Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how I…" She cried so much that she could not speak."Alright, alright. Good girl. Don't cry. I've come back."Jeffrey kept rubbing the back of her head. "Eagle was too neurotic. I've nearly gone mad from dealing with him. I finally got him to regain some of his sanity today… That's how I had the chance to find you…""How did you know where to find me?" Melanie asked."Today is the day of Nathan's trial. I know you'd definitely be in the courtroom," Jeffrey said confidently.Melanie finally calmed down a little. After letting go of him,
"We're not together…"Kenneth's facial expression changed as soon as he saw Melanie.Melanie noticed there was a hint of guilt in his eyes. This was an unsettling feeling for her. "Then where is he? What happened to you guys?"Noticing that she was shaking, Annie and Carson, who had accompanied her to court, rushed forward to assist her."Eagle had a prior arrangement with Nathan. Once Nathan and Leo's plan at the York family's residence was thwarted, Nathan would press a button. Eagle would then receive a code to detonate a bomb. He'd blow us all up," Kenneth explained."Jeffrey was the one who noticed Eagle wasn't in the right state of mind. That's why he informed me to leave with Mr. Oliver. He… Stayed behind to persuade Eagle…" He added."What happened then?" Melanie's voice was shaking."All I knew after that was that the hotel blew up. I waited for him to contact me but he never did. Mr. Oliver and I have been on the run from Nathan's shadowy pursuits. I only managed to sn
Three days later, the trial was officially in session.Leo's attorney was practically defenseless because the York family's allegations of him poisoning Joseph had been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Leo was directly sentenced to life in prison.Nathan's attorney, on the other hand, was clever. They tried everything they could to deflect Nathan's allegations.After the presiding judge evaluated the case, he looked up. "Does the plaintiff have any more evidence that the defendant, Nathan, intentionally killed someone?"Hank sat silently at the plaintiff's table.They could only provide evidence of the time when Nathan had tried to murder Hank. However, they had no evidence of Nathan being involved in the explosion on the island this time.Hank looked at Melanie in the audience. She was also frowningThe presiding judge's implication was well understood. Without more evidence, Nathan would not receive a life sentence…"The plaintiff simply does not have sufficient evidence to
Carson sighed. It was time to explain everything to Hank…Although Carson had spent a lot of time in Hank's hospital as Professor Marshall, and he would also tend to their men's wounds, as well as discuss a variety of topics with Hank, they had never acknowledged their relationship…Besides, Carson knew Hank hated him.Hank hated him for being heartless to his grandmother back then. That was why Hank changed his last name to Castillo instead of Yule…"Let's take Melanie back to rest. I'll explain the rest to you myself," Carson said. Hank had already figured out half of it."Grandpa, I'm not going back. I'll wait for the news here," Melanie said firmly.There was no sign of Jeffrey's corpse yet. She would wait until the rescue team confirmed that they could not find any corpse.She wanted a clear answer."Okay. I'll get the trailer ready for you. You can lie down inside. You can't afford to hurt your body anymore than you already have. I checked your pulse earlier. It's not loo
Buzz!Melanie's vision turned black. She began falling backward."Melanie! Melanie!"Carson propped her up and called the doctor over.However, Melanie opened her eyes after a few seconds and tried to stand up. "I'm fine… Grandpa, take me there… I want to go to the scene of the explosion…""You're in no state…""I'm fine. I can hold up," Melanie promised."If you don't let me go and see it with my own eyes, I'll be even more paranoid," she added.Carson knew his granddaughter too well. He sighed and frowned before requesting for a ride. He met up with Hank. The two of them accompanied Melanie to look for Jeffrey.Jeffrey, Kenneth, Mr. Oliver, and Eagle waited at the drop-off point near the York family's residence. Nathan had instructed them to not do anything rash.Mr. Oliver and Eagle were still useful to Nathan.Once Nathan acquired Joseph's signature, he would meet up with them.However, the small hotel they were waiting at was already in ruins. There was smoke everywher
'Chief… Frankie?'Leo turned around in surprise. Nathan did the same. They saw Chief Frankie and several Interpol agents walking out from behind a screen in Joseph's room.Melanie was a part of that group!"Aren't you… dead?" Leo pointed at Melanie in shock."Thanks to you, I'll live a long life." Melanie sneered.Chief Frankie waved his hand. The police behind him charged forward to put handcuffs on Leo and Nathan. Leo narrowed his eyes and quickly pressed a button on the remote in his hand."We'll all die together!" He shouted.However, no matter how hard he pressed, nothing happened in the room."What's going on here… Eagle?" Leo's voice was trembling.His hands were cuffed, and the remote control was confiscated by the police."Leo, you are suspected of poisoning Master York and attempting to murder Melanie and others on the island. We are arresting you for premeditated murder!" Chief Frankie uttered calmly."No… No…" Leo struggled but to no avail. He had no idea what wa
At the same time, Melanie and Carson were on a plane with Professor Turner. They soon arrived at Medonia.Carson contacted Hank ahead of time and asked him to pick them up with his men.After the exhausting journey, Melanie's face was pale. She seemed to be in very poor condition. "I've already contacted the maternity hospital for you. You can go there and wait for your delivery. Leave the rest to me.""No…"Melanie shook her head. "I have to go back."Jeffrey was still in Nathan's hands. She would not be able to wait peacefully if she went to the hospital.Carson knew his granddaughter well enough. "Let her go. Professor Turner and I will be with here. We'll be ready for anything."Carson was still disguised as Maximilian. Hank did not know he was Carson. Hank nodded in agreement.“Mr. Castillo, there's something I need to trouble you with.” Melanie said."I heard from Professor Marshall that you're on good terms with the chief of Medonia's Interpol. Can I trouble him to be a
"Wait a minute! Isn't Jefford actually Jeffrey?" Leo asked while running after Nathan.Nathan ignored him and continued to walk forward.Leo did not give up and followed Nathan closely. "Who exactly is Jeffrey to you?""Are you being unreasonable right now? Why are you still so unsure at this point?" Nathan glanced at Leo contemptuously."I'm dealing with serious business. Don't get in my way with your petty romantic affairs!"After saying that, he glared at Leo and exited the cabin.Leo felt chills in his heart, but he could not make Nathan stay…-Jeffrey was tied up on the deck all this time. His body was freezing, and his lips were turning purple from the cold."Hey, President Morgan, fancy seeing you like this!" Nathan laughed grimly when he saw the miserable state Jeffrey was in."Thanks to you, I've been more miserable than this on many occasions. This is nothing." Jeffrey made it sound like a walk in the park."Hehe." Nathan sneered."I know. You've had strong willp
Lynette seemed stunned. She could not help but stand up with the help of the railing on the speedboat. Her eyes turned red as looked at the island burning in the distance. There was a look of disbelief on her face…If they had not evacuated five minutes ago…By now…She would not have even been able to breathe and think…The explosion sent shockwaves across the ocean's surface. The ride became even more bumpy. With sea water splashing against them, they had all become wet."Are you alright?" Carson protected Melanie. He was worried she would not be able to take it.Her stomach did feel awful, but she braced herself and tried not to tense up. Her emotions would affect her baby.When Lynette heard the voices behind her, she turned around to look at Melanie. Her gaze had become much softer than before. "You're not going to give birth on the boat, are you? I'm a woman, but I don't know how to be a midwife!""I won't give birth now. There are still things left to do," Melanie said.