"Come on, you stupid kid. Didn't you see the two getting all lovey-dovey?""But it's so rare to see—""They don't want to see you now, so stay away. I can't believe Pierce has such moments too. Pigs will fly at any moment now. Also, guys, do you remember that Pierce had someone he loved?""Yes! That time when he offered himself in exchange for a hostage and almost died when a bullet hit his chest, right? When he was severely injured and losing consciousness, he kept mumbling someone's name. Could it be Millie?""I don't know. His voice was too soft back then, and it was also very muffled. But I know it's a name.""If it wasn't Millie…""Let's pretend nothing ever happened. Come on, get going."…After getting into the car, Millie said hesitantly, "It's not every day that you get to meet them. Why don't you hang out with them a little more? I can drive back on my own, or maybe hail a cab back. I have to drop by the studio to handle some matters too.""That works too. You can ta
Millie exerted all her energy, finally breaking through the stiffness in her body.She immediately ran without looking back."What's the matter? Do I look that terrifying?"The man smiled as he spoke with a knowing look in his eyes.Millie ran headlong, and she didn't even dare to look back. She didn't dare to hesitate for even a second, fearing that that single second would give the man a chance to catch up to her.She broke through her physical limits as she ran, and by the time she was about to slow down, she felt like her heart was leaping into her throat.There were more people around her now, and she finally felt a little safer.She turned around and looked. The man didn't run after her.Still, she was extremely terrified. She hid in a bathroom in a mall, her hands shaking as she took out her phone to call Pierce.She should be calling the police right now.But she subconsciously contacted Pierce first.The call went through soon enough."What's the matter?"Pierce's
"Yes, you'll be okay. I'll be with you for the time being."Millie nodded, feeling a little dazed.Later on, Pierce's phone rang again. It was a call from the insurance company. Millie had left his car by the road, and the insurance company had sent someone to retrieve it.After Pierce brought her home, Millie shut herself in her room. It was only then that she felt safe.Pierce headed to the study to check the surveillance footage for that stretch of road.Millie had parked the car by the road and called someone. Suddenly, the other car changed lanes and drove toward her.The driver was a professional, so he couldn't possibly have committed a stupid mistake like that.He had clearly done that on purpose.There was something more to this legislator than met the eye.Perhaps he was trying to make himself known this way, and he thought that the person in the car was Pierce.This might be a sort of challenge.The legislator must have had ill intentions.He was being cocky exac
"I'm okay, and I've gotten much better. Can you please not go? Just stay here with me, okay?"Perhaps because Millie had been sick, now that she had woken up, her weak voice was filled with fatigue.Pierce wanted to reprimand her for trying to end her own life, but when he saw her current condition, he suppressed the urge."I'll be here, then. I'm not going anywhere."Pierce stayed by Millie's side, but he was still worried about her health. He pressed the call button, and the doctor came over to examine Millie. Millie's fever had gone down, and she would be fine for now.To be safe, the doctor suggested that she stay in the hospital for one more day, but she could also go home right away.Millie chose to go home.She didn't want to stay in an unfamiliar place."Pierce, let's go home, alright? I don't want to stay here.""Okay. Let's go home, then."Millie changed her clothes, but she didn't have the energy to walk. She was going to ask Pierce to get a wheelchair for her, but
William continued, "It wasn't until you arrested him that I realized his whereabouts. I was shocked to learn he had engaged in criminal activities. Knowing the trouble he caused you, I felt deeply regretful and immediately arranged to meet you to offer my apologies."I've also increased manpower. Anyone within my jurisdiction who sees that scoundrel will ensure he faces justice.""Thank you for your effort," Pierce replied calmly. His expression was unreadable. It was unclear whether he believed William or not."By the way, it's quite a coincidence that I ran into that lady's car yesterday. I didn't realize she had a connection with you. Are you two a couple?" William asked."She's my wife." When Pierce said that, his gaze was intensely fixed on William.William seemed surprised. "I see. It seems we are quite fated. By the way, I have a project I'd like to work with Atkinson Group on. I'll visit you at your office next time with my project proposal.""Of course, you're welcome an
After William left, Millie quickly came downstairs."What did you two talk about? Are you okay? You don't look well," Millie asked with concern.To her surprise, Pierce suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. She could feel his body trembling slightly, as if he were deeply shaken by something."A-Are you alright?"She tried to pull away to see his face, but his hoarse voice whispered in her ear, "Don't move. Just let me hold you."Millie froze at his words and didn't dare move again.After hesitating for a long moment, she gently placed her hands on his back, trying to soothe him. He was holding her so tightly that it hurt, but she didn't complain.As the seconds ticked by, he finally released her."It's nothing. I'll take you to the nursing home in a bit. You can stay with Grandpa for a while. I have some things I need to take care of.""Is it William?""Millie, I want to lie to you, but I can't. I'm afraid you'll lower your guard and won't be cautious around him. He's the
"The best way now is to find a reason to detain him and investigate slowly. Are his passports and other documents all in order?" Jason asked."There's nothing we can exploit." Thomas was a seasoned detective skilled in handling cases.Being a customs officer was inherently dangerous, making it crucial to stay under the radar. Pierce had no intention of involving his old comrades.Thomas' and Jason's families were both in Arbelton, where Pierce had the means to provide protection."Wait, I think I might have an idea. Pierce, didn't you rescue a victim from that ship? Let William know that this victim tipped you off, hence why you could act so quickly. According to their rules, they'll need to catch and kill that person to avenge their fallen comrades."Pierce, you could find that person and then leak the information. William sure has a lot of guys under him to make him rise to this level. If he wants to maintain his authority, even if he doesn't want to take action, someone will pu
"Millie, are you listening?" Thomas asked, noticing Millie's silence after he finished speaking.It took Millie a while to come back to her senses. She gripped her phone tightly. Her palm was drenched in cold sweat."Yes… I'm listening. I'll talk to Pierce. I understand your point. Sacrificing one person could save many others.""It's not about sacrifice. We ensure the bait's safety through proper measures. In special circumstances, we handle things differently. William is not just any smuggler, and both Pierce and I are retired professionals. Sometimes, unconventional methods are necessary.""I understand. I'll talk to him.""You're always so understanding, Millie. Thank you."As soon as the call ended, Millie leaned against the wall, feeling weak.She didn't want to be used as bait. She didn't want to go through another terrifying experience. Despite their protection, she was scared. What if something went wrong and they couldn't protect her?She even had a fleeting thought o
"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