Pierce was responsible for saving Millie because she was his wife, and he was her husband. But he was also Samantha's most cherished older brother."Millie, why are you just standing there? Cry, beg for a chance—maybe you'll come out on top," Sharon whispered, trying to nudge her into action.On the other side, Samantha was sobbing so hard that she could barely breathe. It was a scene that could evoke pity from anyone who saw her. Even Sharon admitted to herself that if she were a man, she'd probably choose Samantha too.But Millie was too proud and strong-willed. Even in dire straits, she kept her back straight and her head held high. That kind of unyielding strength made it hard for anyone to pity her.It was the same with Stefan. Wanda played him like a fiddle, but part of the reason lay with Millie's stubborn nature. Though she might seem vulnerable on the surface, she was more determined and unrelenting than anyone underneath.Millie glanced at Samantha, and then at Pierce.
"I'll be taking Samantha," Pierce firmly said."Alright, then all of you can leave—except you," Jules replied, gesturing toward Millie.Millie had anticipated this outcome, but it didn't hurt any less. Her heart ached painfully as the reality set in.Everyone else was saved. Yet, she was left behind, alone and uncertain of what awaited her.Samantha's dramatic act of getting herself shot had been unnecessary. Even without it, Pierce wouldn't have chosen Millie. What was the point of risking her life like that? Such recklessness was both frightening and pitiful."Millie, I'm not leaving. I'll stay with you," Sharon resolutely declared.Millie exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. "Sharon, don't be ridiculous. Pierce won't just leave me be."However, as she spoke, Pierce turned and left, carrying Samantha in his arms. He didn't spare Millie a single glance. Her words carried no weight now. She swallowed hard, forcing down the bitter taste of abandonment."You should leave
Just then, the sound of a door opening came from outside.Millie immediately tensed, her gaze fixed on the door with a mix of fear and dread. Then, a man stepped inside—it was the bald thug that she had bitten.Millie's heart sank. She didn't think for a second that he was here for a friendly chat. His eyes glinted with malice as he stared her down, his expression cold enough to make her shiver."What do you want?" Millie asked, taking a step back.She was weak from lack of food and water—they hadn't given her anything to eat or drink. Combined with the fear that had paralyzed her since boarding the ship, her legs felt like jelly. She was in no state to fight back.The bald thug sneered. "You think you're tough, huh? Let's see how tough you really are.""Don't you dare. If you touch me, Pierce will come after you," Millie warned, her voice trembling."And what if I do? What are you going to do about it? When you're rescued, are you going to tell Pierce that I had my way with
Millie couldn't hold on any longer. Her body ached terribly, and her mind was starting to drift into unconsciousness.Meanwhile, the bald thug greedily tore at her clothes, his face beaming with excitement.Suddenly, the door burst open. After a deafening bang, a bullet struck the bald thug squarely in the forehead. His eyes widened in shock, and his pupils slowly lost focus before his lifeless body slumped forward onto Millie.Millie quickly pushed his body off of herself, her heart leaping with joy. At that moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. "Pierce! You came…"The words froze on her lips as her eyes landed on the figure in the doorway.It wasn't Pierce—it was Jules."What's the matter? Disappointed to see me?" he asked with a smirk.Millie said nothing. She bit her lip as she shuffled toward a corner of the room. Then, she curled into a heap on the floor, hugging herself in despair.She had long known the answer. What had she allowed herself to hope for? J
Jules whistled at Pierce as his ship drew closer. "Well, well, Mr. Atkinson, you've got guts—coming all alone to deliver the ransom.""The money's here. Let her go," Pierce said, patting the two large suitcases he carried."Come aboard. Once I've verified it, I'll let her go," Jules said."Don't get on the ship!" Millie desperately cried out.Pierce intently stared at her but stepped aboard anyway.When he saw the injuries on Millie's body, his chest tightened. He reached out to gently caress her. "I'm sorry you had to go through this," he softly said."Didn't you already choose Samantha?" Millie asked."She's my sister, so I had to save her. But you're my wife. I have to protect you too. If Samantha didn't get immediate treatment, she would've died. I had no choice but to save her first. "But I won't stand by and let anything happen to you. If I can't save you, then I'll die with you," Pierce said firmly. His words carried a resounding conviction. In response, Millie's he
"Ms. Atkinson, please calm down. It was Pierce's decision. It had nothing to do with Millie," Tobias tried to explain."Millie Jordan, you better hope my brother is fine. I won't forgive you if anything happens to him!" Samantha coldly glared at Millie, her eyes dark and menacing.Tobias helped Millie into the ambulance. She, too, had sustained several injuries—all inflicted by the bald thug.Millie was so thin that it seemed like a gust of wind could knock her over. With injuries all over her body, she had clearly reached her physical limit. The moment she got into the ambulance, Millie lost consciousness.However, one thought echoed in her mind."Millie, I will survive as long as you're alive. Wait for me."There was nothing she could do but cling to Pierce's words.…Millie woke up more than an hour later in a hospital bed. When she opened her eyes, she saw a blurry figure nearby. The figure had their back turned to her and was speaking on the phone about work matters. T
"Why don't we… let Kent manage the company for now? When my brother comes back, we can discuss it again," Samantha suggested.Mille heard her voice from outside the room."No—" Tobias burst through the door, exclaiming loudly."Since Samantha has suggested it, I'll take on the responsibility to lead—" Kent Gomez, the vice chairman, was interrupted in the middle of his sentence. "Wait!" Tobias' voice cut through the room. "Mr. Atkinson has only been missing for a few hours! Aren't you all being too hasty? Everyone should remain in their roles and keep things running as usual. No one has the authority to make any decision!""And who do you think you are?" Kent retorted in disdain. "This is a directors' meeting. Who gave you the right to speak here?" The room erupted into murmurs, with many people voicing their disagreement with Tobias.Even Samantha seemed lost and agreed with them that contingency plans were necessary. If Pierce's death was announced, the chaos in Arbelton woul
Milie was so harsh that no one dared to talk back to her. She was betting on her life now."Fine. You won this round. Let's see if you can keep winning in the future." Kent stormed out of the place. Samantha looked at Millie's belly with a shocked expression. "Are you pregnant? This has got to be a trick. Pierce never told me about it.""Let's go, Tobias." Millie didn't even bat an eye at Samantha. She turned around and left, leaving Samantha to scream and holler. Then, both of them arrived at the CEO's office. Worried, Tobias said, "Why did you put your life at risk, Millie?""You're the one who said we have to believe in Piere. If I'm going to put my trust in him returning here, then I have to act as if I won't die."Tobias pursed his lips. He said what he'd said to comfort Millie. Why would she have believed him wholeheartedly?Millie reassured him, saying, "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I said it to stop Kent from getting the upper hand. By telling him that I'm pregnant,
"No! Mr. Atkinson, you can't do this! I did it for you!" Carlos cried."I don't know Yulia personally, nor did I secretly ask you to take care of her. No wonder she kept misinterpreting my intentions and tried to get close to me. You were part of the reason that she's delusional," Pierce said with a scoff.Yulia must have assumed that all the special treatment Carlos had given her was Pierce's doing. Naturally, she would have started to fantasize.Pierce also reflected on himself. He never should have sympathized with her or helped her in the first place. When he saw her, he had been reminded of Millie from years ago and had wanted to make up for his inability to help her back then in some small way. Never did he expect that it would cause so much trouble for him.Whatever compensation John decided to ask from Yulia was none of his business too.After that, Pierce sent Carlos away and began addressing the false rumors spreading online."Well, well. You seem to have a lot of rom
Yulia believed that Pierce must have felt the same way. Since fate had brought them together, how could she possibly give up?Now that Pierce had paid for her hospital stay, she felt she should recover properly and not waste his kindness.…Meanwhile, back at Atkinson Group, Tobias never mentioned the matter to Pierce. The situation had been urgent when Yulia was hospitalized, and anyone would have covered the cost in such circumstances. After all, a life was at stake.Tobias reported, "Mr. Atkinson, the former Head of Sales, Carlos Reyes, keeps asking to see you. The receptionist has alerted me about this multiple times. He said he needs to see you for something important. Do you want to meet him?""Is he the one Mills fired?" Pierce coolly looked up."Yes," Tobias replied."Useless trash like him isn't worth my time," Pierce indifferently responded. After all, anyone who crossed Millie had also crossed him.So, Tobias immediately informed Carlos that if he ever came again, he
Yulia kept waiting for an opportunity, but the two times she saw Pierce, he was with Millie. The sight of this drove her mad with jealousy. How she wished she could tear Millie apart. If it weren't for her, she wouldn't be struggling just to get into Atkinson Group now.And so, Yulia obsessively staked out the parking lot every day like a madwoman. As a result, she had grown noticeably thinner. Sometimes, she saw Tobias. However, she didn't approach him. But finally, after nearly a week, she found her chance.Pierce had arrived alone with no one in the passenger seat. Just as he got out of the car, a shadow flitted into his peripheral view. As a former police officer, his reflexes were sharp. He immediately subdued the person with a grappling move."Ow… Ouch! It hurts…" Yulia pitifully whimpered.Pierce hadn't seen Yulia's face yet. He only realized that it was a woman and that she posed no real threat. So, he released his grip.However, upon realizing that it was Yulia, he
"Thank you for stopping me from acting recklessly, Mr. Atkinson," John said, wincing from the pain."You need medical attention," Pierce reminded him. He didn't even spare Yulia a glance while she was lying unconscious on the ground.Soon, Yulia regained consciousness in the hospital. Only her mother, Helena, was by her bedside. She looked around but didn't see her beloved Pierce."Pierce… Is he away to get my medicine?" Yulia weakly asked, struggling to sit up.Helena wept and said, "That man you keep talking about never showed up—not even once.""Impossible!" Yulia gasped in disbelief, her eyes widening. She had been in such a dire state. How could he not come to visit her?Helena went on, "Not only that, but the club is holding you accountable, and Mr. Presta is also demanding compensation. We've received two court notices. The lawyer told me that we need to pay five million dollars in total!""Five million dollars is nothing. If I ask Pierce, he'll definitely give it to
As soon as Yulia walked in, her eyes were wet with tears. She looked pitifully at Pierce, acting as if the nightclub had forced her into selling her body and that she had suffered countless injustices.She walked straight toward Pierce. "Mr. Atkinson, I never expected us to meet again in a place like this."Pierce frowned because he wasn't exactly familiar with her.While the other hostesses were enthusiastically entertaining other men by pouring drinks and joking around, Yulia was the only one wearing a mournful expression. Clearly, she was dampening the mood."Mr. Atkinson, do you have any idea how miserable my life has been since Mrs. Atkinson kicked me out of Atkinson Group? My father went back to gambling, and those people even took my mother away. If I didn't return to this line of work, I wouldn't have any way to survive."They were originally willing to give me a one-month grace period because I had a stable salary at Atkinson Group. But now… Mrs. Atkinson has ruined me!"
"Ms. Shaw, if you don't leave now, someone will have to escort you out," Tobias said.So, Yulia slunk downstairs in embarrassment. She even got to see Tobias harshly reprimanding the receptionist."Are you out of your mind? How dare you bring just anyone to the CEO's office? You're fired!" Tobias sternly said.The receptionist argued, "But, Mr. Shaw, this isn't my fault. She's someone Mr. Atkinson seems take special care of—""That was nothing more than a few minor favors. You failed to do your job properly, so don't make excuses. Pack your things and leave," Tobias stated indifferently.The receptionist felt deeply wronged, and her gaze toward Yulia turned resentful.Yulia didn't understand where things had gone wrong. Pierce had seemed to be so concerned about her previously, so why was he being so cold to her now? Had Millie discovered something? Was that why he wanted to cut ties with her completely?Feeling lost and dejected, Yulia left the company, only to run into Carlo
After that, Millie went upstairs to look for Pierce and told him the story of her firing Carlos and Yulia."Okay," Pierce nonchalantly said. He didn't even look up once, and his tone sounded very calm as well."I've been laying off employees without your consent. Don't you have anything to say about that?"Pierce laughed after hearing what Millie said. "You're my wife, so you also have a say in Atkinson Group. You're just exercising your authority, so why would I say anything about it? I know you're not a reckless person. If you fired them, you must have had your own reasonings." Pierce didn't even question why Millie had fired two employees or the reason behind their layoffs.What's done was already done. He couldn't care less about the two employees who got fired."Does this mean that I can do whatever I want as long as I'm here?" Millie asked."Of course! Whatever I own is also yours. I'll even let you sit on my lap if you want." Pierce sounded exactly like a king back in th
While some people chose to stay away from Yulia to avoid getting into trouble, there were still a few who sided with her. Then again, these people were just going to use her as a stepping stone to climb the corporate ladder with less effort."You're firing me? What did I even do wrong?" Yulia confronted the HR Department."The case that you messed up here has cost Atkinson Group millions of dollars. This big of a screw-up is enough to get you fired."Even if Yulia filed for labor arbitration, she would not receive any compensation. But of course, she couldn't be bothered by that small amount of money anyway. As long as she managed to keep her job in Atkinson Group, she would still be working under Pierce's leadership and was bound to see him again eventually. Unfortunately, she was about to leave the company for good. Now how was she supposed to see Pierce again?"I have to go find Mr. Reyes," she said.However, when she came to Carlos' office, he seemed to be in a gloomy
Millie had the distinct feeling that Yulia and her colleague were talking about her, but she had no proof. All she could see were their furtive glances.She became annoyed by their persistent glances and said, "If you two have something to say, why don't you say it out loud? Are you gossiping about me?""Of course not! I have no idea why you'd say that, Mrs. Atkinson," Yulia replied with a smile."You better not be lying."Yulia and her colleague left the elevator when they reached their floor, leaving Millie standing there with a frown.Millie just couldn't bring herself to like Yulia. It led to her pondering whether she should just fire Yulia. That way, she wouldn't have to see her every time she visited Atkinson Group.The strange thing was that Millie had never seen Yulia before when she was still working here. But now, she ran into Yulia almost every single time she came to Atkinson Group.In the end, Millie made up her mind to just fire Yulia.Instead of heading to the CE