"Mills, I'm going on a business trip tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?" Pierce suggested going on a short trip.Millie knew that he'd made that suggestion so that she could avoid facing her family for a while. After all, if they couldn't find her, they wouldn't be able to pressure her.However, Millie understood that steering clear of them would only provide temporary relief. She'd still need to face them sooner or later."There's no need. It's high time I meet with them," Millie firmly said, exhaling a deep breath as she looked at him with determination. "This is my family matter. I should handle it myself.""Alright. No matter what happens, I'll be by your side." Pierce tightly gripped her hand, and the warmth from his fingertips slowly melted the ice in her heart.Millie then called Agnes, hoping that she could ask Stefan to stop interfering in her family's affairs.Agnes felt ashamed that Stefan stuck his nose where he shouldn't have. "Don't worry. I'll give him a proper
"Grandma... You can't do this to me, Grandma..!" Stefan cried out.To his dismay, Agnes left without looking back.…The next day, Mateo tried to contact Stefan but couldn't reach him. When he called Millie, he found out that she had blocked him. Left with no other choice, he went to the airport alone to pick Frederick and Emily up. It had been three years since they'd left Arbelton, and so much had changed. When Frederick set foot in the city again, he was overwhelmed with complicated emotions. He couldn't help but sigh—he hated this city. The last time he left, he had left in disgrace.If it weren't for Millie doing as she wished, he wouldn't have had to return to this place that held so many bitter memories."Where's your sister?" he demanded."She blocked my number. I can't reach her," Mateo helplessly replied.Upon hearing this, Frederick's anger surged. "How dare she! She's gone overboard!"Mateo was still a college student with little life experience. He scrambled
"Alright, Mateo and I will handle this." Emily conceded.She took Frederick back to the hotel before returning with Mateo to request a meeting with Pierce.The receptionist continued to refuse their requests, so they waited in the lobby.Finally, Millie and Pierce appeared. The two of them looked like a perfect match when they stood next to each other."Millie!" Both Emily and Mateo emotionally called out.Millie knew that they were there and had specifically come to meet them."Come on up," she said, her tone indifferent.The elevator was spacious and could easily accommodate over a dozen people. Yet, with just the four of them inside, it felt oppressively small at that moment.Pierce's imposing presence was almost palpable, and his cold expression offered no trace of warmth or courtesy. There wasn't even any perfunctory pleasantry. With one strong arm wrapped around Millie's slender waist, he didn't so much as glance at the other two. This caused Emily's face to burn with
Millie let out a deep breath. She then straightened her back and looked up. Without flinching the slightest, she met Emily's and Mateo's gazes. "Considering that you raised me, I'll take this slap and let it slide. But if you try to hit me again from now on, I won't just let it be," she warned."Who do you think you're talking to? I'm your mother! Is this how you speak to me?" Emily questioned in a livid tone. "Why can't I hit you? I gave birth to you. I could beat you to death if I wanted to!" Emily was infuriated at being talked back to by her own daughter. She thought that such a scenario was insulting, and her anger boiled over. So, she raised her hand to slap Millie again.But this time, Millie didn't stand still and take it. Instead, she grabbed Emily's wrist and held on tight. She firmly stated, "I told you that you can't hit me again. I've already repaid not just Stefan's so-called kindness but also your debt for raising me. Three years ago, I paid it all back in full!
Early the next morning, Frederick went straight to Atkinson Group. He didn't approach the reception desk but went straight to the waiting area. With his hands folded atop his walking cane, he exuded an air of authority. Meanwhile, Mateo and Emily sat nervously behind him, their eyes fixed on the entrance.At their feet was a sign with bold red letters that read, "Ungrateful daughter disowns her family—Millie Jordan is an ingrate and an imbecile!"As employees arrived for work, many of them curiously glanced at the trio and whispered amongst themselves.The receptionist called Pierce and explained the situation."If they want to sit there, let them sit," Millie coolly said. After all, she had nothing more to say to her family."But the sign…" the receptionist hesitantly spoke up."Ask them to come up," Pierce interjected."There's no need to bother with them. This is just their way of threatening me," Millie began, but Pierce cut her off."Mills, I won't allow anyone to tarnis
Frederick had made it seem like she would forever be indebted to the Leach family. And because of that, she'd always compromised, even during arguments. She never dared to speak her mind or stand her ground. She'd constantly yielded to Stefan's wishes and turned herself into the perfect doormat who would never get angry or upset.So, when Stefan dumped her, it had been as easy as throwing away worthless trash. He had done it without the slightest hesitation.How could a dull, submissive woman like her compare to the unattainable first love? She was ordinary and unremarkable, so Stefan had never truly valued her.At home, she was an obedient daughter and a good sister. She never fought back against their mistreatment. Over time, they believed her forbearance was only natural. Now, the moment she stopped backing down, she became the villain."Even without Pierce, I refuse to be a pawn manipulated by the Jordan family anymore!" Millie firmly announced with her back straight and he
Millie gave her instructions clearly and firmly, her decisiveness unprecedented.Frederick, Emily, and Mateo's faces turned pale. They realized that she wasn't joking from her tone.Pierce nodded and immediately called for Tobias. "Go get it done. Notify the auditors to investigate the Jordan family's accounts. I doubt their books are clean." There had to be something they could use to send Frederick back to prison."Bye. Feel free to keep making a scene," Millie said with a light wave of her hand, looking almost cheerful as she turned and walked away.The three of them were left speechless and frozen in place. They had arrived brimming with confidence, but now, they were utterly dumbfounded.Once Millie was out of sight, they finally snapped out of their stupor.Mateo stammered, "Dad, she won't really do that, right? She wouldn't be so heartless…" "We never should've had that daughter!" Frederick growled, his teeth clenched in fury.Emily wiped her tears. "Honestly, I don't t
"Where is Millie? She must be hiding somewhere, watching us. Bring her out right now!" Frederick bossily demanded."Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying. Please cooperate and come with us," one of the tax officers sternly replied."Millie… Millie…" Frederick continued to call out as he was forcibly taken away. Due to his vigorous resistance, the authorities had no choice but to use force.The sight of this left Emily and Mateo terrified, and they were at a complete loss as to what to do. They ran to the relevant authorities, but they weren't even allowed to see Frederick.In the end, Mateo decided to seek help from Stefan. However, when he went to Leach Manor, he was unceremoniously turned away. With nowhere else to turn, he swallowed his pride and reached out to Millie. However, she also refused to see him.Emily, overwhelmed by the stress, fainted and was rushed to the hospital. Mateo attempted to pay the bills, only to find that Frederick's credit card had been
Millie gently closed the box.Suddenly, a single tear slipped down, landing silently on the surface. Only then did Millie realize that she had been crying. She wasn't sure if she was mourning the love she once had or if her tears were for something else entirely.No wonder Pierce had told her to look at it in private. He didn't want to see her shedding tears for another man."It's all in the past. Why send this now?" Millie murmured.She wiped away her tears and picked up her phone. "Tobias, do me a favor. Auction something for me. Donate every last cent of the proceeds to charity. Not a single penny should be kept."She then ended the call and looked at the small box again. At least this way, it would be put to good use…Afterward, Millie headed to the study to check on Pierce. He watched her closely, his deep eyes unreadable.Millie pretended not to notice and said, "You keep working. I'm just going to sketch for a while."Pierce pressed his lips together as if he wante
Millie followed Pierce back home. As she stepped into the familiar space that belonged to just the two of them, her heart felt heavy with emotions.It had been two months since she had last been here, yet everything remained unchanged. Even the wardrobe had been stocked with new seasonal outfits.In those two months, Millie had lost a lot of weight. So, Pierce instructed the kitchen to prepare nourishing meals for her. He was determined to bring her back to full health.Pierce remained bedridden for another half month before he could finally use a cane to walk around a bit. His right leg was still severely injured, and every step sent searing pain through his body, making his face go pale and his forehead damp with cold sweat.Millie couldn't bear to watch him suffer and urged him to rest. But Pierce was stubborn and walked until his legs trembled, and he could no longer stand. Only then would he sit down."Does it hurt?" Millie worriedly asked."It doesn't. I just need to pr
With that, Millie turned around and left without hesitation. But just as she was about to step out of the room, Stefan's voice called out behind her once more, "Millie, I owe you an apology for everything. I never really said it before. It's late… but at least I'm finally saying it. "Millie, I'm sorry. I was the one in the wrong." Stefan's voice was soft, weakened by his injuries. It sounded as though those few words had drained all the strength from his body.Millie's body stiffened, and her hands were tightly clenched into fists at her sides.Stefan was apologizing at long last.Millie wanted to turn around to see if he was truly sincere or if this was just another one of his manipulations. However, she held herself back. Unimportant people didn't deserve even a second glance.Millie didn't say anything. She didn't say whether she would or would not forgive him. She just walked away.Stefan's face turned even paler. He knew that after everything he had done, he would never
Millie didn't want to see Pierce struggling alone, bottling up all his pain like a wounded lion licking its wounds in solitude.Upon hearing her words, Pierce simply tightened his embrace around her. "Mills… I'm scared…""I know. I understand," Millie whispered, gently patting his back."I'm afraid I won't be able to lift you anymore, and I'm afraid I won't be able to run or jump. I'm scared I won't be able to fight the bad guys and protect you anymore." Pierce's voice was soft and barely above a whisper. His sorrow was almost imperceptible, but it could be because he still hadn't fully released his emotions.Millie started, "You still have me. If you can't carry me, then don't. If you can't run fast or jump high, then I'll slow down and walk beside you. I can be your crutch and your support for a lifetime, okay?"And listen, Pierce, you may not be able to fight on the front lines anymore, but you're still there in spirit. We can move to the back lines to provide funding and strat
Pierce didn't tell Millie everything—such as the fact that Stefan had initially wanted to kill him. He spared Stefan some dignity, not wanting Millie to hate him forever.Millie stayed in the hospital to care for Pierce for two days when there was finally a change in Stefan's condition.Before he even regained consciousness, he was already calling her name. Robin anxiously rushed in to find Millie, and she hurried over."The patient's wound has gotten infected, leading to complications. We need to start emergency treatment immediately!""How could this have happened? Wasn't he supposed to wake up?" Robin was beside himself with worry."Millie… Millie…" Even in his fevered delirium, Stefan kept murmuring her name.Millie went over to him. His hand, which had been weakly grasping at the air, finally caught hold of something—her fingers. He clung to her tightly."I'm here, Stefan," she softly uttered.It was as if her words held some kind of magic, as Stefan immediately calmed d
Every word Pierce spoke was firm and impactful. Each word hammered on Stefan's heart mercilessly.Pierce owned up to his mistakes. But what about him? Could he do the same?All this while, he had been shifting the blame to everyone else. He blamed Pierce for stealing Millie away. Then, he blamed Millie for not forgiving him. He even blamed Wanda for seducing him, and the list went on…He had blamed so many people, holding onto their faults while conveniently brushing aside his own. When it came to himself, he always found a way to justify his actions. He completely ignored that he was the true cause of everything.Stefan's grip on Pierce's collar loosened. He took a few steps back in a daze and stumbled on his own feet, causing him to nearly fall to the ground."Those criminals… They're planning to strike again. I agreed to help them," Stefan said."Why are you telling me this?" Pierce responded."She said… She said that if you died, she wouldn't live either." Stefan's voice was
Millie gave Pierce a profound look that contained a myriad of emotions. Pierce could have been selfish and not tell her any of Stefan's good deeds. He could've even stopped her from visiting Stefan. Yet, he didn't do that.After giving Pierce one heavy nod, Millie went over to the adjacent hospital room.Stefan was seriously injured too. His health wasn't as good as Pierce's to begin with, so he still hadn't woken up yet.Robin was in his room, sitting beside him. He kept silently wiping away tears at one side."This is my only nephew. If anything were to happen to him, how would I face his late parents?" Robin mournfully said."Does Grandma know about this?" Millie inquired."I don't have the heart to tell Mom about this. She's old and frail. I don't want her to have a breakdown," Robin replied."I'll keep him company, Robin," Millie said.Robin hesitated for a moment and ultimately nodded. He believed that Stefan would want to see Millie upon waking up. So, Millie staye
"Don't move around. You're still very weak. The doctor said to give you some oatmeal porridge when you wake up. Your digestive system is still quite weak, so you need to eat something that goes down easily."A familiar voice sounded in Millie's ears."G-Grandpa? Why are you here? Where's Pierce? Pierce? Pierce…" After a moment of silence, Millie mumbled, "I forgot… Pierce is dead. Not even his body remains.""What nonsense are you speaking, child? Isn't he lying right beside you?" Bill interjected.Millie visibly froze for a second. Then, she whipped her head around to look. As Bill had said, Pierce was indeed right beside her. Layers of gauze were wrapped around his body, and he seemed to be heavily injured. However, his vital signs were steady, and his heartbeat was rhythmic—he was no longer in a critical condition."Pierce…" Millie tumbled out of bed without a care for the pain in her limbs.Bill quickly went over to support her and combined their beds together."H-How is t
Millie broke down emotionally. She was done with Stefan's constant self-righteous justification. He always blamed everyone else and deemed himself free of any wrongdoing. He acted as if the whole world had wronged him, while he had never wronged anyone.He painted himself as the pitiful and innocent victim, twisting logic to justify everything he did.Millie was done acting her part. She would let things play out however they should. There was no longer anything tying her to this world. If anything happened to Pierce, she wouldn't live either. Just the thought of being imprisoned by Stefan for three years was worse than death.And so, she locked herself in her room and refused to come out. Every day, the housekeepers delivered her meals. She had no appetite but still ate well.Millie also no longer cared whether Stefan had drugged her food or not. If she turned into a mindless lunatic, maybe that would be better than this painful clarity.…Days passed one after another.One