Eager to mock Millie, Wanda continued, "You losing to me is only a matter of time. If I were you, I'd kneel and beg for mercy now. Maybe I'd let you off the hook."Millie ignored her completely."I'll keep my eyes peeled and see just how long you can keep up this act," Wanda snapped, clearly infuriated.Just then, Pierce approached them with Charlotte by his side."Millie, you really came. I made a bet with Pierce that you wouldn't show up. Looks like I lost!" Charlotte said cheerfully."Well, you should honor your bet then," Pierce replied."What reward do you want?" Charlotte asked, looking at him with curiosity.The next second, Pierce leaned down and kissed her cheek.The surrounding guests erupted into cheers. They glanced at Millie, trying to gauge her reaction and wondering if the ex-wife would break down on the spot.However, Millie remained calm with a faint smile on her face. Her relationship with Pierce was in the past. Now, Pierce and Charlotte were getting engaged
Charlotte took a jibe at Pierce mercilessly. Her sarcastic words drew a dark, brooding look from him.However, she stared back at him fearlessly. "What? Did I say something wrong? Come on, we still have to go downstairs and toast the guests. We need to finish playing the part."Pierce suppressed his emotions and followed Charlotte back downstairs. When Pierce saw Julian, an unexplainable anger flared up inside him. He called Julian over to a quiet corner."I thought you'd already succeeded in winning her over," Pierce said with a hint of mockery in his tone.Julian couldn't say a word to refute him. Instead, he silently downed two glasses of wine."If she really settles for someone, I hope that person is you," Pierce added.Julian frowned. "What do you mean by that?""I trust your character. If she's with you, she'll have a happy life," Pierce said humorlessly."Then what about you? Why did you get divorced? Weren't you determined to win her over back then?" Julian demanded, hi
Millie Jordan was about to experience what a woman would go through if she were abducted by a group of perverted kidnappers.A dark cloth was tied over her eyes and her mouth was taped shut. She shivered in a corner like a frightened animal. Her body was littered with cuts and bruises all over. The rope around her neck was only less than three feet long. If she moved any further forward, the rope would tighten around her neck, making her unable to breathe.She'd tried struggling many times before, but she always ended up breathless and blue in the face. Her voice was hoarse, and her throat hurt. She simply couldn't get away.She could hear the abductors angrily cursing at her outside the door. They had tried forcing themselves on her just now, but she fought back and bit one of them harshly in the throat. She'd bitten him so hard that his laryngeal bone nearly broke and she nearly killed him.That was the reason why she was beaten half to death and tied up in a corner like this.
Verdier Club was a place Stefan often frequented to drink and hang out with his friends. Millie's conscience told her that the abductor had been lying to her, so she shouldn't be believing what he said. However, she just couldn't stop herself from coming over to have a look for herself.She had been with Stefan for three years and knew the private room he was often in. She rushed there at once."You lost, Ste! So, truth, or dare?""Truth.""Alright then. Who is the woman you love the most?""How's that even a question? Of course, it's Wanda.""Ooh!"Everyone in the private room started to laugh and riot.Millie stood outside the door, her face turning more pale with every second. Her legs felt like lead, and her hand hung mechanically in the air. She couldn't bring herself to knock on the door.A while later, the people in the room seemed to have played another round of "Truth or Dare", and the "Wanda" from before seemed to have lost."You lost, Wanda! So, truth, or dare?"
Pierce extended his hand toward Millie. His fingers were long and slender, and he had a large palm.Millie was frozen in place when she heard his voice again. She was shocked. However, the drunk man rushed up to them just then. Still under the influence of alcohol, he yelled, "Are you fucking blind? Did you not see me standing there? I'm going to skin you…"Pierce said nothing. He handed the umbrella over to Millie and grabbed the drunk man, forcing his arms behind his back.Then, he pulled out his phone and called someone. A while later, the police officers from the nearby station showed up."This man harassed a young woman on the street. He should be a repeat offender. Take him back to the station as a fair warning to him.""Alright, we'll take care of him," the police officers said politely before taking the drunk man away.Millie should have grabbed the opportunity to run while Pierce was busy talking to the police. However, her legs refused to budge. She was still rooted t
Pierce was on the phone with someone and didn't notice Millie coming out."Alright, I'll go shopping with you this weekend. I'm driving now, so I'm hanging up. Okay, I'll do whatever you say."Pierce gave off the impression that he was a tough guy who spoke his mind in an assertive way. However, he was now speaking gently into the phone with a ghost of a smile on his lips. Suddenly, he didn't look too intimidating anymore.He was most probably talking to someone he liked on the phone. Since he used to work with the law, he upheld it and didn't drive while talking on the phone.Millie looked like she'd just seen her savior. She hurriedly knocked on the driver's door.Pierce frowned and rolled the windows down. "What?" His voice was tinted with suspicion."I'm hanging up now. Something just came up. You can do whatever you want to me next time."Pierce seemed like he was trying to pacify the other person on the line before he hung up. Then, he stayed inside the car while looking a
Millie was shocked. She hurriedly called for the nurses at once.Bill had just been eating a second ago, but now, he was being wheeled into the emergency ward. Meanwhile, the sanatorium also hurriedly called Bill's relatives to inform them of the matter.Millie waited anxiously outside the ward. About an hour later, someone arrived in a hurry."Officer Atkinson?""What are you doing here?"Pierce frowned when he saw Millie. Bianca hurriedly explained, "She's a regular volunteer here, and Bill loves her the most. He's been complaining of shallow breathing lately and often wakes up in the middle of the night. We never thought his condition would suddenly relapse…"Pierce didn't bother chatting with Millie and continued asking about his grandfather's condition instead. It was only then that Millie finally learned of Bill's full name—Bill Atkinson.Bill was later wheeled into the operating theater for an emergency operation. He was only wheeled out four hours later.By the time B
Upon hearing that, Wanda glared at her friend before taking Millie's hand with enthusiasm. "Ms. Jordan, you must be here to give me your blessing, right? I knew you weren't a petty woman. I would rather receive your blessing than the blessings of hundreds of others. Only your blessing will make me happy."Wanda's eyes sparkled innocently. What a fake bitch!Millie snapped, "Don't put words into my mouth. I'm here for lunch. I had no idea Stefan would be here."She was about to leave, but Wanda grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go. Wanda even shed a few tears in sadness. She lamented, "You still refuse to forgive me, right? I know I wronged you, and I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you. How about I go down on my knees?"Before Millie could speak, Wanda shakily went on her knees while sobbing, which attracted the attention of customers at the restroom.Infuriated, Wanda's friends went up to help her up from the ground.One of them yelped, "Why did you get down on your k
Charlotte took a jibe at Pierce mercilessly. Her sarcastic words drew a dark, brooding look from him.However, she stared back at him fearlessly. "What? Did I say something wrong? Come on, we still have to go downstairs and toast the guests. We need to finish playing the part."Pierce suppressed his emotions and followed Charlotte back downstairs. When Pierce saw Julian, an unexplainable anger flared up inside him. He called Julian over to a quiet corner."I thought you'd already succeeded in winning her over," Pierce said with a hint of mockery in his tone.Julian couldn't say a word to refute him. Instead, he silently downed two glasses of wine."If she really settles for someone, I hope that person is you," Pierce added.Julian frowned. "What do you mean by that?""I trust your character. If she's with you, she'll have a happy life," Pierce said humorlessly."Then what about you? Why did you get divorced? Weren't you determined to win her over back then?" Julian demanded, hi
Eager to mock Millie, Wanda continued, "You losing to me is only a matter of time. If I were you, I'd kneel and beg for mercy now. Maybe I'd let you off the hook."Millie ignored her completely."I'll keep my eyes peeled and see just how long you can keep up this act," Wanda snapped, clearly infuriated.Just then, Pierce approached them with Charlotte by his side."Millie, you really came. I made a bet with Pierce that you wouldn't show up. Looks like I lost!" Charlotte said cheerfully."Well, you should honor your bet then," Pierce replied."What reward do you want?" Charlotte asked, looking at him with curiosity.The next second, Pierce leaned down and kissed her cheek.The surrounding guests erupted into cheers. They glanced at Millie, trying to gauge her reaction and wondering if the ex-wife would break down on the spot.However, Millie remained calm with a faint smile on her face. Her relationship with Pierce was in the past. Now, Pierce and Charlotte were getting engaged
Just then, the car door on the other side opened, and a handsome man stepped out. He was Millie's date, Tristan Urban, and she had only spoken to him ten minutes ago.He approached her and took her arm. Then, he lifted the hem of her dress as they made their way up the steps together.Millie ignored the curious and judgmental stares of those around her and walked straight toward the entrance. Before she could get inside, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her off to the side.Tristan quickly followed.Millie looked at Stefan, bewildered. "Why did you pull me aside?""Who is he?" Stefan asked coldly, glaring at Tristan."An escort I hired. He's my date for today," Millie replied casually."Nice to meet you, Mr. Leach. I've heard so much about you," Tristan greeted politely."An escort you hired to be your date? Do you know what you're doing by bringing someone like him to an event like this? Are you crazy?" Stefan hissed."Who else should I bring? I didn't have anyone suitable
Millie was grateful that she hadn't given her life to a man who didn't deserve it. She was grateful she had only wasted three years and not more.So, when she realized that her relationship with Stefan was nothing but a joke, she forced herself to suppress her feelings and never held out hope for him again.But Pierce… Her feelings for Pierce were far more complicated. She had always regarded him as her savior. In her moments of crisis, he was the first person she thought of. He was someone she had put on a pedestal and thought was invincible—he had given her courage and security.But suddenly, her savior turned into her enemy and nightmare. While it was true that he had violated her, the fact that he had treated her well in every possible way was equally true. This contradiction tormented Millie, making it impossible for her to accept or reconcile what had happened between them.They had separated amicably, but she couldn't adjust her feelings as quickly.Pierce hadn't betrayed h
Julian watched as Millie's pupils contracted and her face turned pale. He couldn't help but find it a little amusing. She was so slow to react that she hadn't noticed his feelings for her at all."Julian, are… are you drunk?" she asked shakily."I haven't been drinking. I'm completely sober," he replied."T-Then, why are you t-talking nonsense?" Millie stuttered. How had this happened so suddenly? It caught her completely off guard—she hadn't been prepared for this at all.Julian confessed, "Millie, my feelings for you didn't just start now. I've liked you for a long time. Back in college, I already had feelings for you. But then, I had to go abroad for my studies, and I was afraid you couldn't accept being in a long-distance relationship. "I was also too much of a coward to take that first step. If I had, we might have already been together back then."Then your family ran into trouble, and I found out too late. By the time I came back, you were already with Stefan. I thought
Charlotte often took advantage of her gender to get close to women, and the worst part was that those women never even realized it."Stay away from her in the future," Pierce warned icily.Charlotte realized he was serious and not joking this time. She asked, "If you like her so much, why did you divorce her?""She wasn't happy with me," Pierce replied."If that's true, then why do you care? You were upset when I held her hand today. But sooner or later, another man will hold her hand too. Are you going to warn all of them and sabotage her love life?" Charlotte was puzzled."If someone who's genuinely good for her shows up in her life, I'll let her go and wish her well," Pierce answered."Really?" Charlotte leaned closer, staring directly into his eyes. Pierce looked away, shifting his gaze to the scenery outside the window. "What are you looking at?""I'm looking at how diffident you look when you said that. Do you even believe what you just said?" Charlotte commented shrewdl
Just then, Celia rushed in. "Ms. Jordan, um… that foreign woman is here.""What foreign woman?" Millie froze."Your love rival!" Celia squeaked.Millie got it immediately—Charlotte was here. Why had she come looking for her?"Julian, I'm going to see what this is about," Millie said, leaving hastily.Julian was left alone in the office. The words he wanted to say became caught in his throat. He opened and closed his mouth, feeling exasperated at the situation.When Millie saw the vivacious Charlotte, she couldn't help but notice her defined features and striking blue eyes. She even had natural mermaid waves."Oh, so you're Pierce's ex-wife… You're so beautiful!" Charlotte praised chirpily.Millie had a timeless beauty about her. She had an exceptional bone structure that made her delicate features pop. No matter the nationality, one would find her attractive at first glance.In contrast to Charlotte's enthusiasm, Millie was somewhat wary of her presence. She guessed that Charl
Could this be Pierce's doing?Millie thought it wasn't likely. This was too significant and well-planned to happen randomly overnight. Even if Pierce had suddenly wanted to retaliate against the Searle family, it wouldn't have been possible for a scandal of this scale to break so quickly.Besides, he hadn't helped her at all during her recent struggles. Why would he go after the Searle family just because Felicity slapped her?Perhaps this was just a coincidence. Felicity had been throwing her weight around for too long. It was only fitting that the consequences caught up with her now."This is more dramatic than a prime-time soap opera! The uncle had an affair with his brother's wife and let his brother raise his child. "Do you think the older brother suspected something all along? Otherwise, why did he favor the eldest son and give him everything while ignoring the younger one most of the time?" Sharon commented.She gossiped away enthusiastically. Since this wasn't entertainm
Millie was still in the restroom. She stared at the bright red invitation card in her hand and found it laughable.Pierce invited her, his ex-wife, to attend his engagement party and even demanded her blessing. What was he thinking? How was this any different from giving her blessing to Wanda and Stefan?He had violated her, and she hadn't even cursed him out with the vilest of curses. How dare he ask for her blessing?Pierce was getting engaged, yet he had kissed her in the restroom. What did that even mean?Millie felt an overwhelming sense of anguish, thinking that Pierce must be sick—seriously sick.She returned to Sharon's place dejectedly. To her surprise, Sharon was home."Aren't you supposed to be on a business trip?" Millie asked in surprise.Sharon replied, "It was canceled at the last minute, so I didn't go. Your eyes…"Millie's eyes were red-rimmed. It was obvious that she had been crying.She hadn't gone back to the office, as she was afraid that Julian would noti