Millie wanted to wave and go after Pierce, but unexpectedly, her phone rang again. This time, she didn't decline the call from Agnes.Before Millie could say anything, Agnes spoke enthusiastically. "Millie, where have you gone to? Why aren't you home? Hurry and come visit me. I miss you so much. I brought you gifts too…""I'm sorry, Mrs. Leach Senior. I've broken up with Stefan, so I don't think I should meet you again.""Broken up? Have I agreed to it? If I haven't, then it doesn't count. I've already called that brat and told him to come over, so you come over as well. If you don't come, I'll kill myself."Millie was a little exasperated. Would the elderly always become more childlike as they age?Millie arrived earlier than Stefan did.Agnes only had silver hair on her head. She also had physical problems, so she was sitting in a wheelchair.Agnes was elated when she saw Millie. She held Millie's hand, reluctant to let go."Don't worry. You have me defending you, so no one w
Agnes and Stefan were still arguing when a sudden thud rang out.Wanda had fainted.She had staggered for a bit before falling onto the floor.Stefan immediately stepped forward and carried her in his arms. He didn't bother about whatever his grandmother said as he carried Wanda away."That wench has some decent tricks up her sleeve. No wonder Stefan would be fooled by her. Millie, you're just too tough sometimes. You have to pretend to be weak every now and then so that men will want to protect you."Millie put on a bitter smile when she heard that. That was something she could never learn to do.In terms of winning a man's heart, Millie had to admit that Wanda was indeed impressive.…Wanda was taken to the hospital. According to the diagnosis, there wasn't anything wrong with her. Stefan refused to believe that."Then why would she faint? Even now, she hasn't regained consciousness. Are you quacks or something?"The doctor had no choice but to patiently ask more questions.
"You're quite good at making the elderly happy, huh? Now that Mrs. Leach Senior is backing you, are you regretting getting married to me now? You must be so happy now, aren't you?"Millie frowned. What was going on with Pierce?"So, you want me to return to the Leach family?"She returned the question."If you behave like that, I'd assume that you don't welcome me here. If you want me to leave, you could've just told me straight out."Millie didn't go upstairs. Instead, she turned around to leave. Unable to stay still anymore, Pierce grabbed Millie's hand and pinned her onto the couch.He had an extremely gloomy and terrifying air about him. He looked just like a demon from hell.His fingers tightened around her neck as he said viciously, "Millie, how could you just come and go as you please? What do you take me for? Sure, go ahead and try walking out that door. Let's see if I break your legs or not!"Pierce had finally stopped pretending. Millie felt a little better when he wa
"You…" Pierce was furious. "How would you know if you don't at least try? Millie, all investments come with risks. You don't even dare to make assessments, but you're talking about seducing me already?"Millie felt a little awkward as well. She was quite adept at giving up."I'm tired today, so I'll seduce you some other time. I just want to go upstairs and catch some sleep.""You…"Thanks to Millie, Pierce felt like he had just gone on a roller coaster of emotions. But Millie herself didn't seem particularly bothered by that. She was only concerned about getting sleep."Fine, just go… Hurry up. You're being an eyesore."Pierce was a little annoyed.Millie returned to her room. She should have been extremely sleepy, but her mind was racing with thoughts.After thinking for a moment, she sent a message to Sharon."How do you win a man's heart? How do you seduce him with a higher chance of success?"Sharon's call immediately came in."What happened, Millie? Which man are you t
Pierce chuckled when he heard that.Millie strode over to him. Then, she sat down on his lap."The gift is in my arms. Open my coat."Pierce undid her coat as he was told, proceeding to catch sight of the red nightgown within. The collar was lined with lace from which her skin could be subtly seen.The nightgown was made of real silk, so it was extremely smooth.The red color was quite vibrant, and Millie's beauty seemed almost otherworldly when paired with it.Pierce looked like he was admiring a painting. He examined every detail, and he would even touch it gently sometimes.As Pierce gazed at her, Millie was surprised to feel a shiver running down her spine. His gaze was so earnest and focused that she couldn't quite get used to it.He could've gotten straight to the point or heartlessly shoved her away, but he simply remained motionless.Millie's heart was beginning to break, but then, she sensed something odd.She looked at Pierce in surprise.He looked so calm on the s
When Pierce heard those words, his eyes immediately widened. He pursed his thin lips, and his jaw was tense.A long while later, he finally said, "I told you before that if Stefan is still in your heart, then I don't want you."Millie replied, "He may have made me sad for a few days, but I won't be sad forever. After all this while, I've witnessed his true colors as well. There is not a single person in my heart."Pierce, if you don't want me, then give it to me straight. You don't have to come up with those excuses. If I can't become Mrs. Atkinson for real, I'll look for other ways—"She could take the money Wanda offered. Then, she and her family could go overseas and hide somewhere.She would eventually find a way to survive…But before Millie could finish her sentence, Pierce unexpectedly leaned toward her, keeping her still."No one said that I don't want you."Pierce's large hand lifted the hem of her skirt and pulled down her last line of defense. His other hand got to w
"It depends. If I can get along with that person, I'll help them a little more."Millie felt like she had heard those words before."Millie, you could offer yourself if you'd like. If there ever comes a day when you actually fall hopelessly in love with me, you're welcome in my bed."With that, Pierce turned around and left.Millie was still bothered about something. "Remember… to wash your hands, okay?"He was gone. The room had turned quiet, but the man's aggressiveness still permeated the air.Millie felt as if there was a lustful quality to the air.She hid herself under the blanket, feeling extremely embarrassed. She couldn't believe that he had turned the tables on her.Millie wanted to discuss something with Pierce after that, but unexpectedly, Pierce had gone to work. He also wouldn't be returning anytime soon.Millie didn't mind it at first, but to her surprise, Tobias called her and asked carefully, "Millie, did you get into a fight with Pierce?""No, I didn't.""T
"Sorry, but I'm married."Pierce didn't even raise his head as he answered straight away."Huh? I won't tell your wife. I would never destroy your family.""You're already destroying it right now. Get out.""Mr. Atkinson…"Isabella still refused to give up as she threw herself at Pierce. With a counter-grappling move, Pierce pressed her onto the desk.With a crack, Isabella's arm was dislocated."Go get it fixed at a hospital."Isabella's face had already turned pale from the pain. If she foolishly tried to stay here, her arm might get broken for real.She couldn't believe how resistant Pierce was to seduction!Isabella felt both pissed and indignant. She sobbed as she ran off.Millie was so absorbed in the drama that she forgot to step aside. So, Isabella ran right into her.Isabella's face turned pale. She already felt ashamed enough, but now, she just found out that someone had witnessed the scene!She stormed away, and Millie left awkwardly as well. Unexpectedly, Isabe
Agnes glared at Stefan, feeling exasperated that he never seemed to get the point. "Wanda isn't as simple as she seems on the surface. Aren't you worried that you may be speaking up for the wrong person?"Stefan's face turned a shade paler, but he firmly insisted, "Even if I'm backing the wrong person, I'll continue to stand up for her! Wanda isn't as bad as you think. Why are you so prejudiced against her, Grandma? "The first time we slept together, I was drunk and forced myself on her. If anyone is to blame, it's me. Isn't it because you're biased toward me that you push all the blame onto Wanda?""You're incorrigible and completely hopeless!" Agnes' voice trembled in anger as she spoke.Millie hadn't intended to intervene. After all, this was their family matter. However, she couldn't stand by and watch Stefan agitate Agnes to the point of making her collapse either. So, she pushed the door open and stepped out. When Stefan saw her, his expression shifted, and he immediately
Bill just told the woman to jump off his rival's company building instead of his own so that her suicide wouldn't affect his property values and stock prices."The woman was so mad that she jumped right away! Luckily, someone rescued her in time, or it would have been a tragedy," Agnes narrated."Grandpa was terrible back then. How did you end up with him?" Millie asked.Agnes replied, "I didn't know any of his bad deeds back then, and the internet wasn't as developed. I came to Arbelton to study and met him at the university's social event. Then, he started to pursue me."Bill was really handsome back then, so I fell for him. We became a couple shortly after. Later on, I started hearing all the rumors about him, and it made me furious."She continued, "But women in love are foolish. We all hope that we're the ones who make the playboy settle down. He indeed dated me for six months, and we were very compatible. I thought I was different and that he would settle down for me."I wa
Millie parted her lips. She wanted to say something, but at that moment, she didn't know what to say.She knew that if Pierce hadn't shown up in time, she would have been assaulted. However, if it had been the kidnapper who'd assaulted her, she could have hated him for her whole life, and at least then, she'd even have good reason to murder him if she could. But it was Pierce. She couldn't bring herself to hate him. If it hadn't been him, it would have been someone else. Still, Millie felt like she didn't even have the right to resent the criminal who had tried to force himself on her. She couldn't let go of the pain, and it felt like she was being deadly stubborn.She couldn't persuade Pierce, and he couldn't persuade himself either. They were stuck in this stalemate and had no idea when it would end.Perhaps time would provide an answer.Millie walked forward with her head down. She drove to the mall, bought a few things, and headed to the Lytles' family residence.She had t
Sharon was at a loss for words.She had been a victim of bullying herself, and she still remembered the ugly faces of those who had bullied her. Sometimes, she would wake up in the middle of the night feeling terrified from trying to heal the scars from her childhood.The initial reason that drove Sharon to become a journalist was because she wanted to expose the violence that took place on school grounds to the world.She could never forgive a bully. To her, anyone who preyed on the weak deserved punishment."I wouldn't be with him. I would break up with him immediately," Sharon stated."But what if you really liked him?" Millie asked.Without hesitation, Sharon replied, "If I stayed with him and dismissed his mistakes out of love, I'd start to think bullying isn't wrong. I might even become a bully myself one day." Empathizing with a bully could lead one to become the next perpetrator.Millie responded, "That's exactly how I feel now. Pierce did something wrong. And if I forgi
"Ahem…" Bill coughed to cover the awkwardness and said, "Pay Mrs. Leach Senior a visit with generous gifts tomorrow, okay? Establish a close rapport with the Lytles as a respective young man."Pierce immediately understood what he meant. Bill was trying to back Agnes up by having him bear generous gifts and show some regard to her younger relatives during the visit.There would definitely be members of the Lytle family who would be there to visit Agnes tomorrow. He had to show them that any member of the Lytles, including Wanda, should not be subject to mockery."I can tell you really care for Mrs. Leach Senior, Grandpa," Pierce remarked."Millie's going to be there too. I'm just creating an opportunity for you. It's for your own good," Bill replied."Oh, really?" Pierce responded indifferently, explicitly calling Bill out for his made-up excuse.Upon reading between the lines, Bill merely shot him a glare before turning over and going to sleep with his blanket tightly wrapped ar
"Grandpa, Pierce and I have divorced. I can be anyone's partner now," Millie said."I can't have that. I need to talk to Pierce to have him remarry you. You didn't even have a proper wedding ceremony back then after you registered your marriage. Just do it one more time, so that I can plan your wedding for you and make it as grand as possible. That's what you deserve!" Bill said. Millie didn't respond.After some small chat with Bill, she left the room.Upon stepping out, she noticed Pierce speaking in a foreign accent with Charlotte on the phone outside.Millie was far away from him, so she couldn't hear what they were talking about. But judging from the smile on his face, they were probably having a nice conversation.Millie wanted to inform him that she was leaving. However, after waiting for a few minutes, he was still on the phone. So, she spoke to the nurse before leaving. She told the nurse, "When he's done with his call, tell him that I've left. Also, let him know that
Millie only breathed a sigh of relief after getting into the car. However, right when she was about to buckle up, Pierce held her head and pulled her close.Startled, Millie instinctively tried to break free. Then, Pierce whispered in her ear, "Don't move. Stefan followed us out here. He's staring at us from the outside.""He is?" Millie asked, wanting to turn to look. But Pierce stopped her and said, "The more you spare him glances, the more he'll think you're not over him, so don't."Millie felt that he made sense. Stefan was an overthinker and might indeed mistake her mere glance for something else.To put it bluntly, Stefan was just resentful because if she had not gotten together with Pierce and forgotten about him, she would still have some feelings for him.Once upon a time, Millie had looked at Stefan with pitiful eyes full of despair, but he'd never cared. He was only acting so out of character now because he had lost control over her."What about now? Is he gone?" M
Using miscarriage to her advantage, Wanda almost put Millie in jail.However, Millie didn't want to break the promise that she had made to Agnes.It had been a long day for Agnes, and she needed some rest. So, Millie said, "Mrs. Leach Senior, the doctor said that you need more rest. Don't worry about us. I'll pay you a visit in two days."Agnes nodded."Sleep tight. I'll be here until you fall asleep," Millie added.Since Agnes was tired, she soon fell asleep.Once Millie saw Agnes fall into a deep sleep, she quietly left the room.However, she didn't expect that the man she hated the most, Stefan, was standing outside the door.She thought that he had just arrived and said, "Your grandma's asleep. I think you should come later after she wakes up on her own. Don't disturb her with any noise."Stefan kept quiet. All he did was look at Millie with a complicated look in his eyes.He had thought that she would have more to say to him. He didn't expect her to just leave after such
Stefan and Wanda bared their hearts to each other, revealing everything honestly.Wanda had cried uncontrollably by the sea side, and each tear that fell from her face felt like a hit to Stefan's heart."I didn't betray you. It was your parents who told me to marry him. They said that it was the only way to make you completely give up. I shouldn't have tried to look for you… Just leave me," Wanda said.Stefan was furious when he heard that, but what he felt even more was heartache for her.He held Wanda incredibly tight, completely unwilling to let her go.Stefan had been with many women before, but the first was always the most unforgettable.Wanda was his first.Wanda hadn't gotten a divorce, and he was still with Millie. So, the two of them couldn't be together openly.But Stefan's trips abroad became more frequent. His parents had passed away, and Agnes was in poor health. Millie was completely unaware as well.Nothing could stop him from pursuing his love.Later on, Agne