A small pool of blood stained the otherwise pristine sink, swirling with the flow of water from the faucet. Gwynn stared at it in a daze.There was probably something wrong with her health!Kim swung by the hotel first thing in the morning. She was here to take Noah to sign a contract. Once he was done with his tie, he sat by the dining table and had his breakfast elegantly. She was standing at the side, waiting for him.Turning her head at the bedroom, she noticed there wasn’t any sound from inside. Gwynn was probably still sleeping, she thought to herself. So, she lowered her voice and asked him, “What should I do with Ms. Sariyah?”Noah had almost let it slip his mind.He was more than used to dealing with such flings, though. The truth was, he had always been very generous with ladies. He pondered on it for a while before he said, “Send her a fifty million dollar cheque and tell her to stop calling me in the future!”That settled it. Noah intended to sever his ties with S
Gwynn said gently, “Thanks, doc.”Rising, she walked out of the consultation room slowly. All of a sudden, the seemingly endless hallway felt so cold and unfeeling.She had been walking for a long time now, but it never seemed like she was approaching the end of it. Lowering her head, she glanced at the business card, which she was gripping tightly. She might’ve been grateful for how helpful the doctor was, but she didn’t want to be treated!Liam was in prison and she knew, deep down, that Noah would never let him out for as long as he lived. After all, her ex-husband was too hung up on his hatred. Between Liam and her, only one of them could survive.Perhaps Noah would finally be pacified when she was dead!She put the business card on the ledge of a window. At the next moment, a breeze blew by and swept it up in the air before carrying it away. …Gwynn walked out of the hospital and, to her surprise, saw Sariyah headed straight for her. The sun was bright and she looked
It was eight at night when Noah returned to the hotel. It was pitch black in the suite and Gwynn was sitting by the window. The neon lights in the city cast a vivid glow on her cheeks, adding a layer of isolation to her otherwise exquisite cheeks.“Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” He flipped the switch and lights came on in the suite. Then, he noticed a glint in the corner of her eyes. She had probably been crying earlier. He stared at her for a brief moment before walking over to the couch and sitting down. Taking off his overcoat, he asked leisurely, “Are you still mad over what happened yesterday? Did you have dinner yet?” “Yeah,” she responded briefly. Truth be told, he didn’t quite believe her. However, his episode with Sariyah added another layer of resentment between them. So, he wasn’t exactly as patient and loving with her as he was before.So be it! She wasn’t a fool! She would eat something when she was hungry!Noah had buried himself in work for the whole da
At the next moment, Noah mercilessly thrust into the deepest part of her.Gwynn’s eyes widened in dismay.Her fair, delicate palms lay flat against the cold glass as she took in the sight of the numerous neon lights in the city. The view was nothing short of beautiful. On the contrary, she was as mortified as she could be. He continued to slam his manhood into her from behind, humiliating her callously.Was this the Noah she knew? Was this really the man she used to love? Back when they had just met each other, he didn't even dare to touch her fingers. Now, however, he was pinning her against the hotel window, showcasing her fair, naked body for the world to see, as if she was some common whore!“Noah…“No… Stop…”Then, she coughed. Streaks of blood smudged the transparent glass. She kept calling out to him. That was the only way she could prevent herself from passing out when he thrust violently into her, subjecting her to excruciating pain. However, she wasn’t really calli
Noah was brutal with her earlier. Their bodily fluids were everywhere on the couch and the carpet. There was even a smudge of blood on the huge window, but he didn’t notice it. All he cared about earlier was satisfying his twisted desires. He didn’t care about the fact that she was literally dying!He didn’t return to the hotel that night. Gwynn curled up on the cold bed, watching the moonlight out the window. She was counting down her life to the day she would die. Now that she had chosen to spend the twilight of her life with Noah, she just might die sooner rather than later. Perhaps it’d only take her six months to die. In fact, it was more likely that she only had three months before she left this world for good. Then, her mind traveled to her son, Lorian…That was right. She had to think about her baby boy, too!Once she went back to Brookesville, she’d have to buy baby clothes for her baby boy. Actually, she’d have to buy clothes for him all the way up to when he becam
Painkillers!That was right. She had to get painkillers!…It was the middle of the night and it was cold out on the streets in Silvercrest. Gwynn wore a coat, but she was still shivering from the biting chill. She knew she felt that way because of her condition. She wasn’t this susceptible to cold before. There were all sorts of pharmacies in the city. She entered one that was open for twenty-four hours. The pharmacy was brightly lit and she walked in and asked for some painkillers with the store assistant. She spoke in the Silvercrestian accent, not even lifting her head. “I can’t sell you any medicine unless you have the prescription from the doctor!”At the next moment, she took out a wad of cash and smacked them on the counter. There was twenty thousand dollars in there. The store assistant was stunned. She checked left and right before she picked up the stack of notes and put them into a currency detector. A whirring sound could be heard as the device verified the aut
He gripped her arm so hard that he hurt her. Gwynn watched as the female celebrity left. After a brief moment, she said softly, “I’m not mad! After all, I don’t have the right to be mad, do I?”That irritated Noah a little. At that moment, a blast of wind rushed at them, making her cough involuntarily. He noticed that she hadn’t dressed nearly enough to beat back the cold. Frowning, he said, “What you are doing out here all alone at this time of night?”Sweeping his eyes across the street, he asked, “Are you here to buy some medicine?”Her heart skipped a beat. She was worried that he might’ve checked her pouch, so she responded vaguely, “Yeah! I’m having my period and it’s hurting a little.”It looked like Noah bought her story. Then, he asked her to get in the car. Flat out of options, she did as he told. It was warm in there, but the odor of the female celebrity’s perfume lingered in the car. It made her feel nauseous, but she did her best to bear with it. She didn’t w
Frowning, Noah wrapped up his phone conversation and hung up. There was some leftover packaging on the bar counter. Picking them up, he read the name on it and recognized that these medicines were prescribed from the hospital. Raising his eyes, he looked at Gwynn and asked, “How did you get your hands on this? Also, you’ve never had any menstrual cramps in the past. Why is it so serious this time?”Her heart was pounding. Gulping, she said gently, “They wouldn’t give me the prescription at first. I had to slip the old lady two hundred dollars to get it!” She paused for a while and added, “I have no idea. The cramps just came this time.”Fiddling with the pills absentmindedly, he grumbled, “This pill isn’t good for your stomach. Don’t take too much of them!”Now that she had finally tricked him, she felt a weight being lifted from her shoulder. …The next day, they took a flight back to Brookesville.It was noon when the black limousine pulled into the luxurious villa. Glad
Zion and Gwen's marriage seemed inevitable, with no one putting up any resistance. Occasionally, Gwen even had a strange illusion.It all went so smoothly that the years of separation seemed like they had never happened, as if she and Zion had always been together. After their reunion, he didn’t even ask her about her life abroad and treated her just as he did before.She was no longer as youthful and tender, but Zion still saw her as if she were a 20-year-old girl. Gwen felt a bit dejected, thinking to herself, he must just like girls around 18-year-old.But unfortunately, the spring river flows eastward and cannot return!Zion only smiled.In winter, the days grew shorter. After work, Gwen arrived at Zion's villa, but he had not yet come home. The two housekeepers had already started preparing dinner.When Gwen got out of the car, she received a call from Zion. Her voice was soft and tender.“When will you be back?”On the other end, Zion checked the time and said, “I’ll be
Zion noticed Gwen gazing at him with those wide, expectant eyes again. With a chuckle, he reached into the pocket of his trench coat, pulled out a sleek wallet, and carefully extracted a platinum card. He placed it in her outstretched hand and said with a smile, “This is my secondary card. There’s no credit limit.” Gwen gasped softly, then teased, “Wow, aren’t you generous? Thank you, Teacher Qin.” Zion gave her a light tap on the head. Not missing a beat, Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned mischievously, “Thank you, my sugar daddy.” Zion’s response was to pull her close, cupping her cheeks as he kissed her fiercely. Though he once carried himself as an educator and now as a refined businessman, he found himself utterly smitten by her playful antics. After the kiss, Zion leaned close to Gwen's ear and murmured something uncharacteristically crude that sent a shiver down her spine. He playfully nipped her nose. “Turns out you’ve got a thing for bad boy
Zion could sense Gwen’s cautiousness and chuckled softly. Then, he cupped her face and planted a firm kiss on her lips. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you. We agreed to save that for our wedding night. Besides, I just drank last night, so I probably wouldn’t be much use. I want your first time to be special, so I’ll make sure I’m well-prepared.” Gwen’s cheeks turned crimson. She buried her face in his chest, mumbling, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” How peculiar! Back then, even though they were together, their relationship had always been proper and restrained. But now, here they were, sharing a bed, their bodies so intimately close it was both thrilling and embarrassing. Gwen had never experienced this before. Zion seemed to understand her thoughts. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I haven’t either. Before the wedding night, I’ll make sure to study hard.” Gwen didn’t dare ask how he planned to “study,” though she had a pretty good idea—i
Zion maintained a respectful demeanor and immediately greeted, “Mr. Noah.” Noah, however, didn’t make things difficult for him. He gave a light cough, which could be considered acknowledgment. Then, turning to his youngest daughter, he said, “Go upstairs first. Your mother’s been waiting for you all night; she probably has something to say to you.” Gwen hesitated and didn’t move at first. Zion gently nudged her, his voice soft, “You should go.” Only then did Gwen start to move. But before heading upstairs, she walked over to Noah. As the youngest daughter and the most adept at charming her way out of trouble, she hugged her father. Only then, with visible reluctance, did she head upstairs. Her father’s anger dissipated by more than half after the hug. Watching her go, Noah turned his attention to Zion, his tone calm but firm: “Have a seat. Let’s talk.” Zion immediately sat down and, with practiced ease, poured Noah a cup of tea. Noah feigned irritation and remarked, “
But Gwen was not satisfied.With reddened eyes, she pitifully asked again, "Are you married? Is there someone else by your side? Do you still love me?"As she asked, she was more persistent than before, yet it made the man's heart ache even more.Zion remembered that when they parted ways, Gwen was still an innocent, naive girl. Now, however, she was willing to ask such direct and revealing questions. The braver she became, the more pain he felt in his heart.Zion no longer teased her. He looked into her eyes and answered seriously."No, I'm not married. There's no one else by my side. Her leg healed, and she got married earlier this year. And yes, I still love you. Very much."...Gwen's eyes turned even redder.Her voice trembled as she said, "That doesn't mean I have to be with you. I'm still mad at you."Zion took a step forward and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. It had been five years, and now she had become a teary little kitten. He remembered how
At that moment, Gwen was completely flustered. She didn’t understand what Zion meant, nor did she understand why he was deliberately getting close to her. She wanted to ask, but before she could, Zion had already led her out of the car. The restaurant arranged by the school leadership was nearby, just off campus. Gwen had been there with Zion before, but not in a private room. Returning to an old haunt brought a sense of nostalgia. Zion walked side by side with Gwen. He was six-foot tall, and she was about five-foot-five. They made for a strikingly good-looking pair. Considering their history, the school leaders naturally couldn’t resist teasing them a bit. Gwen felt slightly uncomfortable and replied, "We were young and foolish." Over the years, Zion had grown seasoned in the business world, exuding an effortless charm. He responded with a light smile, "I wonder if we can pick up where we left off—still holding a grudge?" As soon as those words were said, the schoo
After running away in a flurry that night, Gwen retreated into her home, avoiding the world outside for several days. Her father, Noah, meanwhile, busied himself with his new hobby of keeping turtles—purchased on a whim after his wife, Gwynn, teased him for being too old. In an attempt to prove his youth, Noah even released the turtles back into the wild one evening, making a point of marking one with the name "Zion" on its shell in a bold act of petty revenge. Gwynn, ever the pragmatist, found the gesture immature and pointless, but it brought him a fleeting sense of satisfaction. Gwen, however, was unaware of the antics her father had indulged in. All she knew was that her father had been unusually concerned during her self-imposed seclusion, urging her to get out and take a break. Noah's insistence that she shouldn’t remain cooped up at home was an attempt to draw her back into the world, to reconnect with life. But she couldn’t shake the weight of everything that had transp
In the lounge, Gwen curled up in Tegan’s embrace, crying silently. Tegan gently stroked her smooth black hair, sighing softly. “If you really like him, I’ll help you talk to him.”Gwen sobbed quietly, “Dad will say you’re being rebellious.”Tegan paused for a moment, then replied, “Your brother will help me, won’t he?”Gwen clung to Tegan, continuing to cry softly. She remembered that today was Yeager’s full moon celebration and decided to cry for just a little while. After all, who hasn’t shed tears in their youth?At that moment, there was a knock at the door. From the sound of it, the person outside had a very refined aura. Tegan immediately guessed who it was; it certainly wasn’t her husband. She gently rubbed Gwen’s head. “I’ll go answer it.”When Tegan opened the door, as expected, it was Zion standing outside. The two locked eyes, and after a moment of silence, Tegan calmly spoke, “You two talk.” Zion nodded.In the quiet lounge, the soft sound of Gwen’s crying fill
The following August. It was the party for Ocelotte and Molly's child. Molly had given birth to a boy, named Yeager Sanders, a name chosen by her eldest brother-in-law, Lorian. She was very fond of the name. As for Lorian and Tegan's youngest son, he was named Fergus Sanders. Yeager and Fergus were the next generation of boys in the Sanders family. However, the first child was still Lola, the one and only little princess. She loved following Gwen around. The little girl was now three and a half years old and about to start kindergarten. On the day of Yeager's party, Gwen was still taking Lola around, but she unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance. It had truly been a long time. Since the year Zion had left for another country, although they had occasionally bumped into each other, they hadn’t had the chance for a proper meeting. How many years had passed? Gwen didn't dare to think about it, nor did she want to calculate. She vaguely felt it had been four