Upon hearing those words, Stefan immediately found his thoughts drifting back to three years ago.He remembered how Millie was huddled within a crowd with innocent eyes resembling those of a newborn fawn. They were full of naivety and fear about what lay ahead.She had caught his attention immediately. Then, his next thought was how much she resembled Wanda. They were very similar, yet not quite the same. Instantly, his heart had softened."You and he are not the same. You met me on your first try," Stefan said."No, we are the same. If it weren't for Pierce's backing, I'd be no different from Tristan to you. We're both people you could easily deal with! I refuse to let this go no matter what!" Millie resolutely replied, enunciating every word.Stefan's expression took on a hint of displeasure. "Why must you interfere in a matter involving some male escort? Is it because you two had been involved at some point in time? Aren't you afraid that Pierce will be upset if you stand up fo
When Stefan saw Pierce, his face turned ashen. "See? I wasn't wrong. All you do is rely on Pierce!""And what about you? You're nothing more than someone who was born into privilege and happened to inherit the Leach family's legacy. How could you bask in the glory your forefathers built so unabashedly?" Pierce retorted."Don't forget that you and I come from similar backgrounds. What gives you the right to lecture me?" Stefan hotly argued."No, I'm not like you. Even without Atkinson Group, I'd still have my own career. Without the Leach family, what would you be? Could you climb the career ladder from the bottom up like an ordinary person? Without your status as the CEO of Leach Group, what are you even capable of?"You're just as much of a bully, so who are you to criticize others? Listen, Millie has never relied on me—it was me who willingly offered everything to her. For Millie to spare me a glance is my greatest blessing! That, too, is a skill. She has the ability to make me u
"Are you the CEO of Atkinson Group, Pierce Atkinson?" Frederick asked.Pierce replied, "I am.""Do you like Millie?""I do.""Then how dare you talk to me like this? She's my daughter. She has to do whatever I tell her to do. It's not up to you to interfere. Give her the phone. Let me talk to her!" Frederick demanded.Millie snatched the phone and yelled back, "I don't want to talk to you right now! Pierce is right! This is a debt that the Jordan family owes—not me! If it needs to be repaid, you should do it yourself!"After saying this, she furiously hung up the call. Then, to prevent Frederick from contacting her again, she immediately blocked his number.Her family had never cared about her anyway. They were always fixated on her brother and the Jordan family's reputation while thinking she was an embarrassment. This led them to shun her and to never contact her for three whole years.Millie decided that she didn't need the Jordan family anymore. It wasn't a big deal."Let
"Don't you trust me at all?" Pierce countered, his gaze intense.Millie bit her lip, realizing that her question was unnecessary. "Why are you so good to me?""Because you taught me to be."Overcome with emotion, Millie gave Pierce a deep kiss. For the first time, she took the lead. She pushed Pierce down and fervently kissed him. Her hands clumsily roamed over him, pulling off his shirt to reveal his perfectly toned upper body.The situation was heated at first, but as time passed, Millie began to lose steam. Her fervor and energy waned significantly. She still couldn't do it, after all.Pierce, however, became immensely aroused. His readiness to procreate was almost intimidating."Um… I'm hungry…" Millie meekly muttered.Pierce saw through her excuse but didn't call her out on it. "Alright, let's eat. You go in first. I'll join you in a bit."He needed a moment to compose himself.Millie fled in embarrassment. In her haste, she ran straight into a tree trunk. The impac
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
"Don't you trust me at all?" Pierce countered, his gaze intense.Millie bit her lip, realizing that her question was unnecessary. "Why are you so good to me?""Because you taught me to be."Overcome with emotion, Millie gave Pierce a deep kiss. For the first time, she took the lead. She pushed Pierce down and fervently kissed him. Her hands clumsily roamed over him, pulling off his shirt to reveal his perfectly toned upper body.The situation was heated at first, but as time passed, Millie began to lose steam. Her fervor and energy waned significantly. She still couldn't do it, after all.Pierce, however, became immensely aroused. His readiness to procreate was almost intimidating."Um… I'm hungry…" Millie meekly muttered.Pierce saw through her excuse but didn't call her out on it. "Alright, let's eat. You go in first. I'll join you in a bit."He needed a moment to compose himself.Millie fled in embarrassment. In her haste, she ran straight into a tree trunk. The impac
"Are you the CEO of Atkinson Group, Pierce Atkinson?" Frederick asked.Pierce replied, "I am.""Do you like Millie?""I do.""Then how dare you talk to me like this? She's my daughter. She has to do whatever I tell her to do. It's not up to you to interfere. Give her the phone. Let me talk to her!" Frederick demanded.Millie snatched the phone and yelled back, "I don't want to talk to you right now! Pierce is right! This is a debt that the Jordan family owes—not me! If it needs to be repaid, you should do it yourself!"After saying this, she furiously hung up the call. Then, to prevent Frederick from contacting her again, she immediately blocked his number.Her family had never cared about her anyway. They were always fixated on her brother and the Jordan family's reputation while thinking she was an embarrassment. This led them to shun her and to never contact her for three whole years.Millie decided that she didn't need the Jordan family anymore. It wasn't a big deal."Let
When Stefan saw Pierce, his face turned ashen. "See? I wasn't wrong. All you do is rely on Pierce!""And what about you? You're nothing more than someone who was born into privilege and happened to inherit the Leach family's legacy. How could you bask in the glory your forefathers built so unabashedly?" Pierce retorted."Don't forget that you and I come from similar backgrounds. What gives you the right to lecture me?" Stefan hotly argued."No, I'm not like you. Even without Atkinson Group, I'd still have my own career. Without the Leach family, what would you be? Could you climb the career ladder from the bottom up like an ordinary person? Without your status as the CEO of Leach Group, what are you even capable of?"You're just as much of a bully, so who are you to criticize others? Listen, Millie has never relied on me—it was me who willingly offered everything to her. For Millie to spare me a glance is my greatest blessing! That, too, is a skill. She has the ability to make me u
Upon hearing those words, Stefan immediately found his thoughts drifting back to three years ago.He remembered how Millie was huddled within a crowd with innocent eyes resembling those of a newborn fawn. They were full of naivety and fear about what lay ahead.She had caught his attention immediately. Then, his next thought was how much she resembled Wanda. They were very similar, yet not quite the same. Instantly, his heart had softened."You and he are not the same. You met me on your first try," Stefan said."No, we are the same. If it weren't for Pierce's backing, I'd be no different from Tristan to you. We're both people you could easily deal with! I refuse to let this go no matter what!" Millie resolutely replied, enunciating every word.Stefan's expression took on a hint of displeasure. "Why must you interfere in a matter involving some male escort? Is it because you two had been involved at some point in time? Aren't you afraid that Pierce will be upset if you stand up fo
The Jordans were humiliated and disgraced in Arbelton. They'd rather die than face the shame of returning.They'd even cut ties with Millie. It was as if just the thought of Millie would bring back the memories of the sneers and the ridicule they had to endure from their so-called friends."Frederick, what a remarkable daughter you have! Rumor has it that she met Mr. Leach while working at a nightclub. Congratulations! With Mr. Leach's favor, you will turn your life around!" one friend had said.Frederick was ashamed of Millie ever since. Perhaps, he had already decided to give up on her back then.Millie's thoughts snapped back to reality as her phone continued ringing. Finally, she mustered up her courage and picked up the phone."Dad…""Don't call me 'Dad'! Do you know what people are saying about you out there? They called you a seductress! First, you seduced Stefan, and now you're after Pierce!"You embarrassed yourself when you decided to be with Stefan. You should've just
Ethan was overjoyed. Back then, he was in a dilemma over choosing between Atkinson Group and Leach Group.Ethan preferred Atkinson Group, but Pierce's strong and dictatorial attitude left no room for compromise. So, he reluctantly chose Leach Group instead.But now, Ethan knew he was in the wrong. It didn't matter who he worked with as long as this issue could be solved.…Stefan appeared to be uneasy after Ethan left.Mark spoke up at just the right moment, saying, "Mr. Leach, logically speaking, you shouldn't make further concessions on the contract terms. Ms. Jordan doesn't seem to welcome you.""I know, but this is going to be beneficial for Leach Group. I have to give it a shot. I can offer her benefits…" Stefan said.Mark wanted to say something, but he held back. Clearly, Millie wasn't someone who could be swayed by material benefits. After all, was there anything she couldn't get when she had Pierce backing her up?Stefan, however, was simply driven by pride—he just
Sharon was still bawling her eyes out.Millie felt deeply sorry for her. She patted Sharon's head to comfort her while saying, "I'll find out who she is."And so, Millie had Tobias to investigate the rich lady's background. They uncovered that her name was Helen Whitmore. Her husband had passed away early, and her son, Ethan Keaton, didn't care about her. So, she spent her days hanging out at clubs with her friends.Ethan ran a tech company, and its AI system which was undergoing development at the moment was highly sought after by many. AI technology was currently a hot commodity, and Atkinson Group was one of the interested parties extending an olive branch to him."Is Atkinson Group interested in securing this particular project?" Millie asked."Yes. But right now, Leach Group is in negotiations with that company. It seems they're close to finalizing the contract—"Tobias' phone was suddenly snatched away."Mills, don't worry about me. Do whatever you want. If the sky fa
Sharon began, "At first, I wondered how there could be two people in the world who looked so similar to each other. Turns out, they were actually the same person. He didn't use to go by the name Tristan. "Back then, he moved away to a better house because his family business became successful. However, it turned out that his father was having an affair. As a result, his parents swiftly divorced."He went to live with his father and his cruel stepmother. Soon after, his stepmother became pregnant, and his father began to act like a stepfather. Tristan suffered a lot while he was under the care of his father and stepmother. They prevented him from going to school and even starved him at times."Soon, his mother came to know of the way he was being treated and took back custody of him. It seemed like a fresh beginning for him, but it turned out that the man his mother got remarried to was a deadbeat. "The real reason she took back custody of Tristan was so that she could get child s
"It's okay. I'll care about it on your behalf," Pierce said. "Pierce, have you ever thought about the possibility that I could have kept enduring Stefan's treatment toward me? Or imagine if we missed each other because you came back only after I'd left Arbelton."All these things you've done would have been meaningless and nothing would have come out of them," Millie said. "Not all flowers must bear fruit, Mills. It doesn't matter as long as they had the chance to bloom before. Plus, I never would have given up. I would still have shown up in front of you to fight for a chance. Even if you rejected me, I would have met my own fate."Whether it was dying in a mission or being alone for the rest of his life, Pierce would still have met his fate. It just wouldn't be a happy ending."There's no need to do things like that anymore, Pierce. You can love me boldly and openly. You can even announce it to the world! Don't make yourself twisted by forcing yourself to secretly do these t