Wanda majored in finance at university, a field unrelated to fashion design. Now that she had set up a fashion design company upon her return, it was obvious that she intended to undermine Millie.Poaching her employees was just the beginning. Wanda would likely attempt to steal her clients and projects in the future."Did she not try to poach you too?""Of course she did! She offered me the position of design director, but I couldn't accept it. That would make me a traitor. I'm sticking with you!" Celia stated with a grin.Millie felt touched by her words. Celia had stayed by her side out of loyalty and gratitude after Millie had helped her out of a difficult situation once."Go ahead and hire two more people. It's time to get the studio fully operational again.""Will do!" Celia responded enthusiastically before heading out.Millie returned to her office and was ready to get to work when her phone rang again. It was another international number."Ms. Aurora, someone reached o
Millie stretched with a contented sigh.Just then, she received a call from Pierce."What's up?""Grandpa doesn't want to stay at the sanatorium anymore. He wants to head home. Come with me to pick him up.""I'll be right there."The two of them hurried to the sanatorium, where Bill had already packed his things.Whether it was due to his treatment or because Pierce had recently gotten married, Bill was in high spirits. He looked nothing like someone with a chronic illness.As soon as he saw Millie, Bill eagerly took her hand. "Millie, you've grown prettier! Wait, have you lost weight? Is Pierce not taking good care of you?"You rascal, what the hell have you been doing? She's getting skinnier!" Bill reprimanded Pierce as he hit him in the leg with his walking cane.Millie quickly intervened. "Grandpa, I've been on a diet recently. I thought I looked better with a few pounds off. Pierce keeps telling me to eat more. It's my own doing.""Really? It's not that he's neglecting
"Why?" Millie asked."No reason. It's an order."Then, Millie was shut inside the bathroom, feeling bewildered.Her curiosity got the better of her, and she quietly cracked the door open. She could vaguely hear strange noises coming from the bedroom."Mmm...""Ah—"The heavy breathing of a man and the soft moans of a woman.It sounded like... porn!Millie's face turned bright red at the realization.In her panic to close the door, she slipped and tumbled out of the bathroom.Seeing her fall, Pierce quickly approached her. "Didn't I tell you to stay put? If you were one of my soldiers, I'd have you running laps as punishment."Put these on and stop listening to those filthy sounds." Pierce scolded her and then placed the earplugs in her ears, shutting the door once more.Millie guessed that Bill was likely eavesdropping outside the bedroom, trying to determine if they were truly behaving like a married couple.After half an hour, the noises ceased. Millie hurriedly finished
Millie choked on her toast upon hearing Bill's query.Pierce shot Bill a glare and patted Millie's back, handing her a glass of milk."Grandpa, these things can't be rushed. Millie and I want to enjoy our time alone first.""But you're not getting any younger.""Millie is still young, so there's no hurry. We will have children, just not right now," Pierce replied with such conviction that Millie was taken aback for a moment.Nevertheless, she quickly reminded herself that it was just a lie to placate Bill.Though somewhat dissatisfied, Bill didn't press the issue further.After breakfast, Pierce headed to the company, and Millie stayed home with Bill."It's time to reorganize some of the old stuff. Millie, come give me a hand."At the end of the corridor on the second floor, there was a locked door.Bill unlocked it, revealing a room filled with items covered in dust. He instructed the housekeepers to clean up and then opened a drawer, pulling out a thick photo album.His ha
"Are you two looking for a job? Come check out our studio. We have a relaxing work environment with an honest team. We offer a base salary plus commissions, not to mention meal subsidies."Have you heard of Aurora, the award-winning fashion designer? She's a close friend of mine. I'm inviting her over to lead our team. We'll become the top fashion brand in the country before long!""Haha!"A sudden, harsh laugh echoed from behind, causing Millie to frown as she turned around.Wanda was standing not far away."Millie, have you stooped so low as to deceive fresh graduates now? A close friend of Aurora's? As far as I know, you haven't had any useful connections in the past three years!""Wanda, can you stay out of my business?""This is my business card. I'm the CEO of Flair Fashion. You two can come and work at my company as design assistants.""Wow, it's the company everyone has been talking about! I heard it's a fashion brand under Leach Group, aiming to become the top fashion
Stefan had thoroughly investigated Millie's recent activities and found no sign of a new boyfriend.Although puzzled, he was more inclined to believe that Millie was deceiving him. They had never been involved sexually, yet she had made misleading comments to others about them.Additionally, she had framed Wanda, nearly driving her to despair. At some point, Millie had become a habitual liar. Perhaps it was time she faced some consequences."I just got a call from the company. I need to attend to something. Stay here and make some friends. I'll come pick you up later.""Okay, drive safe."Stefan left promptly.On the other hand, Millie hailed a taxi to send Celia home first and then waited for another one.To her surprise, a familiar Bentley pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing Stefan's striking profile."Millie…" he called her name with a mix of emotions.Millie cast him an indifferent glance. "Is there something you need, Mr. Leach?""I advise you no
"Pierce?""I'm ready," Pierce replied, closing his eyes.Tobias didn't hesitate and made the incision. The sound of the blade slicing through flesh was faint but vividly clear to Millie, making her skin crawl."Is there something I can do to distract you? Would it help lessen the pain?" Millie stammered nervously.While enduring the pain, Pierce looked up when he heard her."You really want to help me?"His forehead was covered in sweat, and his lips were pale. It was a pitiful sight."Can I?""Sure. Come here." Pierce gestured for her to come closer.Millie stepped forward immediately, willing to do anything to alleviate his pain.Without warning, Pierce grabbed the back of her head, pulling her in and pressing his lips against hers.Millie's eyes widened in disbelief. How was kissing her supposed to distract him from the pain?She wanted to pull away, but she didn't dare to budge, fearing that any sudden movement might cause Tobias' hands to slip with the knife.Pierce
Millie tried to avoid pressing on Pierce's wound and stayed as close to the edge of the bed as possible. Somehow, Pierce also moved toward the other edge, leaving a large gap between them.A stifling, ambiguous atmosphere filled the room.Millie's breathing grew rapid, and despite the passage of time, she remained wide awake.She had never shared a bed with a man before. While she was with Stefan for three years, they had never done anything intimate.Suddenly, Millie noticed Pierce's breathing was labored and irregular."Pierce, are you okay?"She poked him, only to find his skin burning hot.Quickly, Millie switched on the light to check his condition. Pierce's face was flushed with an unnatural redness, and his forehead was covered in sweat.He was having a fever.His brows were kitted in pain, and he was muttering incoherently."Sammy..."He seemed to be calling out someone's name.Millie couldn't care less at the moment. She hurriedly called Tobias to inform him of the
"Someone's been killed!" The crowd that had gathered outside to watch the commotion panicked, screaming and scattering in all directions. In the chaos, a stampede broke out as people trampled over each other in their desperate attempt to flee.Millie reacted first, grabbing Sharon's hand and trying to pull her away. But before they could move, a cold and threatening voice rang out behind them, "Stand where you are! I'll kill anyone who dares to move!"The entire room froze in fear. Everyone stood still, trembling all over.Wanda's face turned pale as she tightly clutched Samantha's hand. In a quivering voice, she whispered, "Samantha, what do we do? Guns… They have guns!""Don't panic. They won't dare to kill us," Samantha replied, trying to feign calmness. "My brother is Pierce Atkinson of Atkinson Group, and her husband is Stefan Leach of Leach Group. You're only here for money, right? Just name your price. Don't kill us."The man with the gun sneered. "Mrs. Leach? I've heard
"Millie, you're the real MVP here. If it weren't for you, Pierce wouldn't care whether I lived or died. That's why I'm treating you to dinner today. I made a reservation at a Michelin restaurant to properly thank you," Sharon said with enthusiasm."Alright, I'm on my way," Millie replied.Sharon was always mindful of boundaries. She wouldn't get close to her best friend's husband, not even by association.When Millie arrived at the mall, she called Sharon. However, Sharon didn't answer her phone. Just as Millie was about to redial, she noticed a crowd gathered around a jewelry store nearby. Among the voices, she suddenly heard Sharon's."It wasn't me! I didn't even touch her bag. You've got the wrong person!" Sharon shouted.Millie rushed over and found her being restrained by none other than Wanda and Samantha.Samantha was gripping Sharon's arm, refusing to let her leave. She kept yelling loudly that Sharon had knocked over Wanda's bag and caused an expensive emerald bracelet
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