"Mrs. Leach Senior, I would have been willing to trade my life for Stefan's if I were there that day," Wanda said pitifully."I know how much you love him, so just sign this," Agnes responded, unimpressed by Wanda's hypocrisy. She had seen and experienced too much in her life. Wanda's little tricks didn't stand a chance."If you don't sign, it proves that you love the Leach family's wealth, not Stefan himself!"Wanda glanced at Stefan, who stood silently, frowning. If she didn't sign, Stefan would surely begin to doubt her. But if she did sign, and things didn't work out between them in the future, she'd walk away with nothing."Wanda, if this is the only way Grandma will give her blessing, then sign it. I love you, and I always will. Time will prove that I'll never let you down," Stefan reassured her."Of course, after you marry Stefan, I won't let you down either. You'll have a monthly allowance of fifty thousand dollars, deducted from a trust fund. It can't be withdrawn as cash
Agnes had met countless people after living for so long and could easily see through the thoughts of the younger generation at a glance. But she couldn't quite read the young man in front of her.Pierce was reserved and calm, with an air of darkness about him. He was proud and aloof, not someone to be trifled with. Despite having been a police officer, which should have given him a sense of righteousness, Pierce carried an ambiguous presence, straddling the line between good and evil.She wanted to know if Pierce truly liked Millie."Mrs. Leach Senior, why are you asking this?" Pierce responded."I had hoped that Millie and I could become family, but that's not going to happen now. The Leach family has wronged her, but I care about her deeply. I want to know if she's found a good person.""I'm her husband, and I will be loyal to her as long as we're married. I'll do everything in my power to treat her well, to protect and care for her.""What if you get divorced?""Then I won't
Seeing that Millie was hesitating, Agnes was about to kneel to beg her. She was truly desperate. Stefan was all she had left after losing Gracie years ago. She couldn't bear to see Stefan fall into ruin.Agnes started to lower herself to the ground in the bustling airport.Millie quickly stopped her, overwhelmed by the gesture. "I promise. If it comes to that, I'll help Stefan through it.""Good child, you're such a good child," Agnes said with tears streaming down her face. "That foolish boy, if only he had half your sense."After an emotional farewell, Millie left the airport, feeling a sense of melancholy. She took a cab back and heard on the radio that the Leach Group had cut off all ties with the Atkinson Group, officially ending their cooperation. The news sent shockwaves through the city, as the two most powerful families in Arbelton were now at odds, forcing others to choose sides.Both families would suffer significant losses, but Stefan didn't seem to care. Millie felt a
At that moment, the private room fell into a dead silence. The music stopped, and the chatter ceased. Everyone's eyes were wide, fixed on Millie and Stefan at the center of it all.Pierce had already stood up in anger."What's this? Mr. Atkinson, are you stepping in to defend her? So, is she Mrs. Atkinson now, or is she still a designer? Does this mean that from now on, if Millie takes on a project and doesn't do a good job, we can't criticize her because of her title as Mrs. Atkinson? And if we do, will we face your retaliation?""Millie, why bother being a designer? Why not just go home and be a pampered Mrs. Atkinson?"Stefan's words were sharp and cutting. He was the kind of person who valued his pride above all else. He'd turn vicious the moment he sensed someone making a fool of him.Millie exhaled deeply and wiped off the wine that had spilled on her."When it comes to business, I represent myself, and Pierce is Pierce," she said, signaling to him with her eyes to not inte
"You scared them away," Millie said irritably. But just as she stood up, she was pulled into a warm embrace."I'm all dirty…" she muttered, trying to pull away, but Pierce only held her tighter."Why did you come out? Didn't I tell you to stay put? The more you worry and rush out, the more pleased he gets. How did I not see before how awful his character is? He can't handle losing—""Can we not talk about him?" he interrupted her, clearly not wanting to hear Stefan's name.Not sure what was wrong, Millie simply nodded obediently.His embrace chased away the chill of the night air that had clung to her.Not far away, Stefan watched the scene unfold and felt a sharp sting in his eyes. The woman who had been devoted to him for three years and depended on him for everything had moved on so quickly and found someone new, leaving him behind.He even started to doubt that those three years meant anything, that maybe she had only been pretending, stringing him along. Now that she had fo
"I'm going to sleep outside," Pierce muttered, his voice strained as if he was holding something back.Millie got up and turned on the light to find Pierce's flushed face and cold sweat on his forehead. He looked sick.Her drowsiness vanished instantly. She got out of bed and grabbed his hand in a concerned manner. She immediately pulled her hand back when she felt that it was like touching a hot stove. His body temperature was way too high, and his breathing was erratic and rapid. Was he running a fever?"Are you sick? Why are you so hot?" She reached out to feel his forehead, confirming that he was burning up."Don't touch me." He stepped back several paces, putting some distance between them. His voice was urgent and he even had a slight tremor."Should I call 911? Or get a doctor? We have some medicine at home. You could take something for the fever.""No need."This felt just like the last time he drank that aphrodisiac, but the effects were even stronger this time. What we
But Pierce didn't dare.He pushed Millie away."Don't worry about me, just leave.""Are you sure you don't need anything?""I've been soaking in cold water for half an hour, and it still hasn't helped. I can't be satisfied with anything superficial right now.""Then what do you want?""I want you!" Pierce's voice was hoarse.He wanted to make her lose herself, to see her cry and beg for mercy, to leave her unable to close her legs and keep her in bed the next day. These wild thoughts were taking over, threatening to destroy his self-control."Get out, and don't come back in!"Millie understood that even if she was willing, Pierce wouldn't take her. He was holding on to that last bit of restraint, unwilling to cross that line. She didn't know why he was like this, but since he didn't want her, she wasn't about to throw herself at him.Millie left, and Pierce continued soaking in the water.It wasn't until the middle of the night that he finally got out, feeling weak. He had s
Tobias quickly covered his mouth. "If Pierce didn't tell you, he must have his reasons. Just pretend I never said anything.""Too late."Millie strode forward and began eavesdropping.Inside, Geroge spoke earnestly."It's just an apology, a few simple words, and it could save Atkinson Group billions in losses! Isn't that a worthwhile trade? I only wish the Leach Group would let me apologize instead. I'd bring my whole family to their door!""We weren't at fault. We didn't initiate the contract termination, so why should we apologize?" Pierce frowned."But is it true that Mrs. Atkinson hit his fiancée-to-be like what Mr. Leach said?""They deserved it.""Whether they deserved it or not, the party that throws the first punch is always in the wrong! And right now, they're in the right."Stefan hadn't publicly stated the reason for canceling the partnership, leaving the outside world speculating wildly about what happened between the two companies. But the board members of both co
Millie looked at Pierce and couldn't help but lament on missing out on the perfect "genetic material".Meanwhile, Pierce's face remained cold. "Millie, once bitten, twice shy. You're the most spineless person I've ever met. "Get out. I don't need you to take care of me."Left with no choice, Millie slinked out of the room, feeling defeated. Then, she called Tobias and asked him to look after Pierce instead.After that, she called Sharon to report her failed plan.Sharon exclaimed over the phone, "What? I can't believe that he didn't touch you even after all that. Is there something wrong with his brain? I mean, I understand that he's a righteous man, but this is over the top!"Millie sighed and replied, "I don't get it either, but I'll respect his principles. Anyway… how does one apply for a donor from a sperm bank?""Are you really going for it?" Sharon inquisitively asked."I just want to look into it. Pierce and I have been married for nearly four months, and in another eig
Blood gushed from the wound, staining Pierce's gray trousers a darker shade as it spread. "Pierce? Pierce!" Millie's voice grew sharper as she rushed toward him. Pierce's face had turned noticeably pale as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. His body burned with unfulfilled desire, yet the intense pain sent waves of cold through him. The alternating heat and cold left him drenched in sweat. "What are you doing?" Millie asked, her voice trembling. "You've underestimated me," Pierce said, freeing one hand to firmly grasp her chin. "This is my final warning—either you stay by my side wholeheartedly and become Mrs. Atkinson for life, or stop provoking me. The cost of toying with me is not something you can afford." "Pierce, I'm sorry… Please don't hurt yourself anymore," Millie pleaded. "I told you, that drug won't kill me," Pierce said through clenched teeth. The pain in his leg wasn't enough. Though the agony momentarily suppressed his desire, it surged back wit
When Pierce said those words, he raised an eyebrow, exuding a devilish charm that was impossible to resist. Millie couldn't help but think that if he hadn't chosen the path of righteousness, he would have been the most evil villain.Pierce was the type to be either wholly good or entirely wicked.Before long, not a drop of wine was left in the carafe.Millie's heart raced with uneasiness. She was unsure of what Pierce's unpredictable behavior meant. He had known about her plan, so why did he still drink the wine?When Pierce stood up, the effects of the drug kicked in immediately. His whole body radiated heat, and his gaze turned hazy. Those strikingly captivating upturned eyes now seemed to be filled with unrestrained passion. Millie, who hadn't even drunk any wine, felt an intoxicating dizziness just from meeting his gaze."Take me to the bedroom," Pierce murmured. His voice put an inexplicable hold on Millie. She couldn't resist and just did as he said, stepping forwa
The title on the cover was: "Sperm Procurement Plan". As Pierce skimmed the document, he saw two options stated—Plan A: Natural conception; and Plan B: Sperm donation and IVF.The document stated that from the moment Millie conceived, the child would have nothing to do with him. His child wouldn't have a share of any inheritance, appear before him, take his last name, or call him "Dad"."Millie…" Pierce silently clenched his fists and uttered Millie's name through gritted teeth.At that moment, Tobias decided to slip away, albeit he did so awkwardly. Even he thought that Millie had gone too far this time. How did she even come up with something as outrageous as to keep her child but not her husband? What did she take Pierce for?In fact, Tobias was very puzzled as to why Millie was always so keen to get divorced.…Sharon stayed at the villa for three days before Pierce arranged a new place for her. It was even better than her previous dwelling, with ten years of rent paid up
"You know, they say men in their 30s have intense physical needs. Pierce is about 27 or 28, so he's at the peak of his needs. If he's not getting some at home and not sneaking around outside, how much frustration must he be bottling up? Has he been handling it all by himself?" Sharon wondered aloud.Millie choked on the water she was sipping.Sharon pressed on, "Doesn't he have any desires? And what about you? Don't you want him? Aren't you tempted by his body?"Millie's face turned bright red. "What are you talking about? I've realized that men are the most unreliable things on earth. We can only rely on ourselves.""You're not wrong there," Sharon began. "Men are indeed unreliable. But what about children who share your blood? Since you don't trust men, why not keep the child but not the man? You can have a child of your own."Just look at Pierce—his height, looks, intelligence, and character are all top-notch. His sperm quality is probably impeccable! Life drags on and gets lon
"We're best friends, Sharon. Don't worry about troubling me," Millie said.The commotion outside had quieted down. Millie wanted to open the door and take a look, but Pierce lightly knocked on it before she could do so."It's a bit of a bloody scene outside. I've got to say it's not a pretty sight. I'll have it cleaned up first. You can come out later, okay?" he said."Alright. Are you okay?" Millie asked."I'm okay," Pierce responded.Millie finally breathed a sigh of relief."What's this? Were you worried about him?" Sharon suddenly teased, leaning over.Millie quickly denied it. "Of course not! It's just that he came here because of me. If he got hurt, I'd feel guilty.""To be honest, Pierce seems to care about you a lot. He got here so fast. That's the main reason I called you. Isn't he so much better than Stefan?" Sharon praised."They're all the same—neither of them is any good," Millie replied in exasperation.Soon, Pierce called them from outside. Everything had been
"The gun can't kill anyone! It can only cause minor injuries." Someone had figured out that the gun was a deception.Millie had gotten the gun from Thomas. If it could severely injure people, they would all be arrested by the police."Millie, you should go…" Sharon said. Then, she lunged forward and hugged the bodyguard at the front, wanting to buy Millie some time to escape. However, the door was locked from the outside and couldn't be opened in a short time. Besides, Sharon had a small physique too and couldn't buy that much more time for Millie.When Millie saw that the bodyguard was about to hit Sharon on the spine with his elbow, Millie's heart raced. She quickly rushed over to the bodyguard and blocked him from hitting Sharon with her arm.Suddenly, there was a cracking sound, and Millie's face paled in pain. For a moment, she didn't know if she had a fracture or a dislocation. Either way, her right arm was limp and numb. Was her arm crippled now?"What are you waiti
The celebrity was Zachary Richard, a lead actor in a TV series. He had won the best actor award twice and was a star praised by his viewers. He had achieved success at just over 30 years old and was the envy of many. Currently, he had reached the peak of his career, and besides that, his wife was the princess of Beafast. For such an upright person, such a scandal could ruin his entire career in addition to severe consequences from his in-laws."Hand over the video," Eva instructed."Release her first." Millie demanded."Are you trying to bargain with me? What right do you have? You're just a nosy, lowly reporter. I could squash you like an ant if I wanted to." Eva assumed that Millie and Sharon were both reporters."If you don't give it to me now, I will make you." Eva immediately signaled for the bodyguards to start attacking Millie."Touch me if you dare. If you touch me, the videos will be released immediately." Millie threatened.At that moment, one of the bodyguards spok
When Millie overheard the scandalous conversation, her ears turned red in embarrassment. Goodness, what were young ladies thinking these days? She cleared her throat to remind them to be more discreet. Immediately, the maids fell silent and quickly went back to their tasks. Then, after grabbing her phone, Millie left. …About half an hour later, Pierce descended the stairs in a fully buttoned suit with a perfectly tied tie. He exuded an air of restraint that contrasted with his earlier athletic appearance, intensifying his allure."Should I drive you to work?" he asked."No need. I will drive there myself. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to return later." Millie rejected his offer.Pierce pressed his lips together but said nothing more. After that, they both ate breakfast very quietly. Pierce was the type who never spoke while eating, and this gave people the impression that he was a calm and composed individual.It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was aloof. I