Pierce turned around when he heard the sound. Millie grabbed her chance to check his shoulder area.There wasn't any injury.It was all in her mind.She let out a relieved sigh as she really hoped Pierce wasn't her assaulter. Before long, she panicked again, as she had seen his naked body.She lifted her head stiffly and peered into his eyes. They were shining so brightly and scarily.She was doomed!Her first instinct was to escape, but he beat her to it. He quickly slid on his bathrobe before catching up to her.He grabbed her by the neck and dragged her into the bathroom. "Were you peeping when I showered?"She shook her head. "No, I didn't. Listen to me. This is a misunderstanding. I was sleepwalking. Yes. I have a condition…" Her voice trailed off. She was too embarrassed to keep lying under his scrutiny.Oh, what was she blabbering about? No one would believe in that flimsy excuse!"Did you regret your decision and hoped for some sexy times?" He gripped her waist tigh
"Millie, stop messing around. Pierce keeps his distance from women," Stefan snapped with a frown.In his eyes, Millie would always belong to him."Millie, take a seat by my side. I'll apologize to you for the misunderstanding last time. I have so much to say to you—""Who do you think you are? Stop speaking to me in that disgusting tone when we aren't even close," Millie retorted instantly.Wanda paled and teared up."Wanda, just ignore her. She'll behave once Pierce kicks her out," said Remi Burnett, Stefan's lackey.While speaking, his eyes hardened. Pierce did not stop Millie from taking a seat by his side as if he had given her the seal of approval."Pierce…""Yeah? What?" Pierce replied coldly.Everyone was at a loss for words. Stefan fixed a malicious look at Pierce.Someone suggested, "Let's play some games rather than just drinking."Millie nodded fearlessly. However, she lost in the first round because she rarely played the game.Before Remi announced the dare, Wan
"I wouldn't," Pierce replied.Everyone stared at Millie with amusement. No one noticed that Stefan heaved a sigh of relief, except for Wanda. Her heart dropped.Millie tried to stay composed. Although Pierce humiliated her, he was speaking the truth. Their contract marriage would end after Bill's death. A man as wealthy and distinguished as Pierce would never set eyes on her.Still, she felt humiliated. She lost the next round, maybe because she was distracted or because Pierce deliberately elbowed her.Anyway, she lost the round. Pierce smiled at her. "Ms. Jordan, you're unlucky today. Truth or Dare?""Truth," she cautiously replied as she struggled to gauge his attitude."Did you enjoy the kiss just now?" The look in his eyes deepened. "Do not lie. I was a cop, and no lies go undetected by me."Her heart nearly stopped. Was he trying to put her on the spot? She became sure that he must have deliberately elbowed her so she'd lose the game.Pierce might look unserious, but he w
Pierce studied her with amusement. "Are you sure?""I-I'm sure…" She was tongue-tied.He closed in and placed a hand on the back of her head and another on her waist.Their bodies pressed against each other. She clearly sensed his muscular chest and the warmth that radiated from under his shirt.She held her breath. Her eyes wavered in shock."Looks like I failed to pleasure you because I am not good at kissing. I'll make it up to you." With that, he started kissing her.Her body stiffened, and her mind went blank. She should have shoved him away, but she could not move as though someone had cast a spell on her.Pierce's kissing skills improved like crazy. He no longer caused her pain like before, when he had kissed her aggressively.His damp and warm tongue traced her lips before slithering into her mouth. He even exchanged positions with her, so she could take a breather.It was a long, tender, and heart-fluttering kiss.After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled back
"God knows what's going on in that bastard's mind! Millie, don't waste your time grieving over him. He's not worth it!" Sharon fumed.Millie finally gave up on making sense of Stefan's decision because she could not wrap her head around it.She would be lying to claim that she wasn't heartbroken. After all, she truly loved Stefan.She could not believe that her three years with him were an illusion. She lived like a fool!She wasn't grieving over losing Stefan; she felt sorry that she wasted her true love on a jerk. Ultimately, she felt sorry for herself."Millie, where are you? I'll meet with you.""It's fine. I'm okay. I need… some alone time." Millie cut off Sharon and ended the video call abruptly.Staring at her face in the mirror, she took in her reddened eyes, but she refused to let her tears fall.Dotting away the tears from the corners of her eyes, Millie swallowed hard and put on a determined look. She did not regret offering up her body during the abduction in exc
Millie halted in her tracks. She could behave recklessly if she wanted, but she'd never risk the well-being of her family.How could Stefan threaten her with her family? Since when had he changed into such a vile man?"I can crush your family like they're bugs. All I want is for you to apologize to Wanda. Is that a difficult task?" "Is it that difficult for the two of you to apologize to me?" Millie retorted."Millie—" Stefan seethed in anger in the face of her stubbornness. She was gentle and compliant back when they dated. She always looked at him with light in her eyes, but now, she stared at him coldly as if he were a stranger.Millie was at the door. She could not believe that Stefan refused to let her go. He asked the security to stop her."Get her back here. I want her on her knees!""Stefan, I'm scared…" Wanda whined."Don't be. I'm here."Unable to fight against the security guards, Millie swiftly grabbed the fruit knife from the table. Seeing that, Stefan barked,
Before Millie could react, Pierce had already put down his cutlery and sent the photo to Bill.Soon, Bill responded with a voice message."Very well. It puts my mind at ease to see you two getting along. You need to take better care of Millie. She's too skinny. Make her put on some weight, or people will think you're letting your wife waste away."Millie understood that this was all just an act to reassure Bill. However, Pierce's sudden action could easily lead to misunderstandings."Eat up," Pierce said, resuming placing food on her plate but did not feed her again."Grandpa is right. You're too skinny. If word got out, people would laugh at me for failing to care for my wife. They might think that I'm depriving you of food.""That won't happen. Our marriage is a secret; no one knows I'm your wife," Millie replied without thinking.Pierce's hand paused slightly. Then, he stopped serving her, and the harmonious atmosphere abruptly became tense.Millie didn't know what she had s
"She has the same demeanor and mannerisms... It should be her.""What do you mean, 'should'?" Stefan roared, slamming the table.Jerry's legs finally gave way, and he collapsed to the floor."Maybe... maybe it wasn't her…" he mumbled incoherently.Wanda clutched her chest, looking devastated."Millie, you're implying I framed you. What would I gain from that? Have you seen my injuries? If Stefan had arrived a few minutes later, I might have bled to death."Also, Stefan has already decided to be with me. Why would I risk my life to frame you?""How would I know—"Millie started, but Stefan cut her off with a furious expression, "How much did you pay him to act out this charade with you?"Hearing this, Millie finally understood that no matter how solid her evidence was, Stefan wouldn't believe her. His bias toward Wanda was blatant and unwavering."Stefan, tell her to leave. I don't want to see her. I won't pursue this matter any further. The guilty will get their karma. Stefan
Pierce frowned slightly, confused about why the doctor insisted on Millie joining him for the consultation. Nevertheless, he respected the doctor's advice and called her over."Your wife is very pretty," the doctor remarked."Yes, she's beautiful," Pierce responded, proudly puffing out his chest.Millie rolled her eyes upon hearing that."Doctor, is there something wrong with him? Is it serious?" she nervously asked. When she learned that the doctor had specifically requested her presence, she was worried that Pierce might have some kind of serious health issue."Do you two not have a healthy sex life? Look at him—he's clearly been holding back too much. There's nothing wrong with him physically. But he's young, full of energy, and at the age where he needs… a release. "Should I examine you too, miss?" the doctor asked.The comment left Millie's face burning with embarrassment, and even the tip of Pierce's ears turned a faint red.The elderly doctor was certainly not one to mi
"Mills, are you inside?" Pierce called out.He'd hurried back home after the housekeeper told him that Millie had retreated to her room early. He thought she'd gone to bed, but the lights were still on, and there was no sign of her.However, the bathroom door was tightly shut. Worried that she might have passed out inside from staying in the bath for too long, Pierce knocked on the door. "Mills?"Millie wanted to respond, but no sound came out of her mouth. Her body felt completely drained."Mills?" Pierce's voice grew more urgent. "If you don't come out, I'm coming in."After waiting for another minute and not getting a response, Pierce opened the door and found Millie slumped in the bathtub, completely soaked and looking utterly disheveled."Mills!" Pierce was alarmed to see her in such a fragile and exhausted state.He immediately assumed that it was the lingering impact of her family's recent visit. He thought that Millie was still trapped in sadness, unable to move past t
"Does our family have to end up in this state?" Mateo asked, bewildered. Everything had been fine before they came to Arbelton. Why had it all fallen apart after one short visit?He understood that Millie had suffered, but it was undeniable that she was heartless too. Wasn't she the one who had torn the family apart?"Think it over yourself. For now, come home with me," Emily said.After everything that had happened, Emily had made up her mind. She finally saw Frederick for who he was. She still had a shred of conscience and was willing to admit that the Jordan family had wronged Millie. But Frederick's chauvinistic attitude disgusted her. Why was it so hard for him to admit that Millie did better than him? She wasn't a stranger—she was family, after all.The Jordan family had arrived in Arbelton feeling wronged and self-righteous, but they left with their tails between their legs.Meanwhile, Agnes followed through on her promise to formally take Millie in as her honorary gr
"Why did you hit Mateo?" Emily immediately stepped forward to shield Mateo."Are you mocking me too? Try me, and I'll kick you out of the Jordan family as well!" Frederick snapped.Emily clapped back at him, her voice trembling with rage, "Maybe my son and I should leave together! That's all you have left to threaten us with, isn't it? Because we still rely on you financially. "But Millie is different. She's independent and far more capable than you think. She doesn't need your money, so you can't control her. You've lost your authority, and it frustrates you. You can't accept it, so you lash out like a petty clown. "You can't win anywhere, so you take it out on Mateo. Was he wrong in what he said just now? Also, you don't seem to have reflected on this entire situation at all. Do you realize how much Millie suffered to save this family back then? You're still enjoying a fine life now, and this is all thanks to her. "Why are you biting the hand that fed you?"Another loud slap
Mateo and Emily met Millie's gaze with guilt written all over their faces. They had finally come to understand the hardships that Millie had endured three years ago and realized just how over the line they had been.Still, Frederick was the head of the family, and their survival depended on him. They couldn't defy his authority."Mr. Jordan, what brings you here?" Millie asked, her tone calm and detached.Frederick had specially arranged for the book containing their family tree to be sent from their hometown. The old, yellowed book carried a significant weight, both physically and symbolically."Listen, Millie. You are being expelled from the family. Your name will be removed from the family tree! This is the Jordan family disowning you!" Frederick declared.He flipped to the page where her name was written and crossed it out in front of everyone present.He imagined that this grand and dramatic gesture would intimidate Millie. He then said solemnly, "From now on, the Jordan f
Frederick finally saw the light of day. Initially, he had been confident that Emily and Mateo would come to his rescue. He was certain that Millie wouldn't dare to keep him detained for long.Each day, he prepared to be released. But as the days passed, he watched others being bailed out while he was left to endure endless interrogations. His frustration turned into anger and defiance, but his resistance only led to his fellow detainees teaching him a harsh lesson with their fists.Humbled and bruised, he eventually fell in line. Fear began to consume him, and his thoughts drifted back to his time in prison. He'd been made to wake up at fixed hours, eat at designated times, and make his bed to perfection. He had to toil in the sun and endure the abuse of fellow inmates.Every day had been unbearable in there, and the desperation to escape grew stronger as time passed. He knew in his heart that he was innocent, and the injustice of it all only made him yearn for freedom.When
Still, Millie couldn't be certain. If her parents could abandon her, how could she truly trust someone who wasn't related to her in any way? She tried her best to believe Pierce, but deep down, her doubts kept surfacing.Millie heavily exhaled. "I'm tired. I want to rest for a while.""Alright, go ahead and sleep," Pierce gently said.With that, Millie curled up on the couch and drifted off into a restless sleep. From time to time, she would frown in her slumber as if troubled by something.Pierce felt a deep ache in his heart as he watched her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.No matter what, he would always stay by her side.…Over the next few days, Millie focused on her work and tried to stay unaffected by everything that was going on in the outside world.Emily didn't even last half a month. From her hospitalization to Frederick being detained, barely ten days had passed before she found Millie again.By then, Emily hadn't eaten for a day. For the first time, s
Emily finally came to understand Millie's hardships. She could relate to Millie's struggles and how unfair they'd been toward her. They had benefited from Millie's sacrifices and taken her for granted. What right did they have to judge her afterward?The one who had suffered the most was Millie.Even now, their current situation wasn't as dire as it had been three years ago. Yet, Mateo had already given up on them and hid away like a coward.But three years ago, Millie had tirelessly run around. She'd even sacrificed herself to pay for Emily's hospital bills and hired the best doctors for her. She had even worked hard to have someone overturn Frederick's case while caring for a brother who was merely a few years younger than her.Millie had endured so much back then. Yet, when the family was reunited, all they did was shower gratitude on the Leach family. They believed that Millie had struck gold by attaching herself to Stefan and had never stopped to think about how much she had
"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