Meanwhile, a hidden camera in the restaurant had captured the entire scene. Before long, Gwyneth received the video. Its contents were crystal clear.She immediately took it to Colin. "Colin, look! Ms. Nicholls is trying to sell her shares in Fuller Group!"The footage was obviously edited. Gwyneth knew Colin wouldn't care about the earlier parts, but Fuller Group was his lifeline.Colin's demeanor shifted instantly after watching the video. His hands clenched into fists, and he hurled his phone to the ground with a snarl before storming out.Gwyneth stood motionless as she stared coldly at the shattered phone. A smirk curled her lips. She had known all along that emotional entanglements were trivial. Only core interests could truly wound Colin. Aspen had struck a fatal nerve this time.Back at her hotel, Aspen promptly reported the cleaning lady who had entered her room that morning. She ensured the woman lost her job after presenting surveillance footage and evidence, and she
That single word—Pen—sent shivers of disgust down Aspen's spine. She stared at Colin before her in disbelief, unable to comprehend how such nauseating words could come from his mouth.Her brows furrowed tightly as she gritted her teeth. "My daughter is dead, and you still think everything I'm doing is just some tantrum? Where do you get that confidence? Colin, can't you afford a mirror with all your money?""I know the child's death is a wound for you. We can just have another if you like children that much."Colin spoke with forced patience. He had seen Aspen's brilliance and was now determined to keep her by his side.Aspen felt nothing but utter ridicule as she watched his self-assured and entitled expression. She didn't blame Colin—not really. She blamed her past self.There was a time when she thought Colin shone like the sun. But now? He was just an ordinary man. It had been her love that gave him that glow in her eyes.Now that the love was gone, so was the halo. He was ju
Aspen sat on the floor for so long that her legs grew numb. As she struggled to stand, the door suddenly burst open with a violent kick, sending her flying backward. She crashed to the ground, staring in shock at the four burly men who stormed in."Who are you people? What do you want?"The pepper spray flew from her hand from the impact. She instinctively grabbed a piece of broken wood nearby, ready to fight back.But the men didn't utter a word. One strode forward and kicked the wooden plank from her grip, then yanked her up by her hair to drag her out.Aspen felt like her scalp was being torn off. Tears streamed down her face as she thrashed, but it was useless. This was supposed to be a five-star hotel—yet now, no one came to her aid."Let me go! What do you want? Do you know this is illegal?" she screamed through clenched teeth as she struggled.Her shouts only seemed to irritate the men. One decided to silence her with a brutal punch to the face, knocking her unconscious.
Aspen shrugged, and her expression seemed resigned. "Nothing else really matters compared to staying alive. Since we're meeting for the first time, let's skip the small talk and get straight to the point.""You really are sharp. I'm Chester Shaffer. Someone paid me two million dollars to have you killed. But now, I'm starting to think keeping you alive might be more interesting."With that, Chester pulled out a stack of IOUs from his pocket and tossed them at Aspen's face. The slips of paper fluttered down like snowflakes, scattering across the floor in front of her.Aspen lowered her head to examine them, and her vision darkened for a second when she saw the name "Joseph Nicholls" signed at the bottom. She couldn't help but laugh."Can't even cut ties cleanly, huh? Even when he's locked up, he's still dragging me into his mess. What a wonderful uncle I have."A cold smirk curled her lips. The disdain in her eyes was unmistakable.Chester studied her reaction, finding it odd. He
"He doesn't love you?" Chester stared at Aspen in disbelief, suddenly realizing he might have targeted the wrong person."No, he doesn't. His heart belongs to someone else. I was just a pawn in his family's arrangements. We might have muddled through, but he got my daughter killed, and that's unforgivable. I will make him pay!"Aspen clenched her fists. "You want to reclaim everything the Shaffer family lost? Let's work together.""With you? Why should I?" Chester snorted, his face full of disdain.He wasn't a fool—he could tell she was stalling for time."I own 51% of Fuller Group's shares. If you need them, they're yours." Aspen said it casually, as if they were discussing the weather.None of it mattered compared to her life. She would give up anything if it meant walking out of here alive. Her words truly caught Chester off guard."You've got 15 minutes to decide. Soon, this place will be surrounded. I won't be offering any deals once that happens."Aspen smiled cheerfully
"Get me a computer."Aspen was caught between amusement and frustration. When she designed the alert system, she had never anticipated needing to cancel it mid-process. Now, it was proving to be a real hassle.Chester didn't waste time arguing. He ordered one of his men to bring her a laptop.Aspen's fingers flew across the keyboard, and she successfully disabled the alarm within five minutes. She looked up at Chester with wide, almost pitiful eyes and whispered, "Just so you know, this alert system was really expensive to develop.""Are you trying to die?"Chester had reached his limit. Ever since this woman had regained the freedom to speak, her words had been like tiny knives, jabbing at him relentlessly. It was infuriating!Seeing him get angry, Aspen sighed and lowered her voice. "Shouldn't we move somewhere else to discuss this? This place isn't exactly... ideal.""Fine. Follow me," Chester agreed. What they needed to talk about next didn't exactly suit this place.…S
Aspen didn't say much else when faced with this rare moment of leniency from Chester. She simply stood and walked out.The world was all the same now to her. People could do whatever they wanted, as long as it didn't interfere with her or her plans.Her life and pride didn't really matter to her anymore. She would go willingly if she could settle everything and then be with Sophie.Watching Aspen's retreating figure, Chester's expression shifted slightly. He picked up his cup of coffee and chuckled softly. "What an interesting woman.""Chester, if we just let her go like this, how are we supposed to answer to the client?" Kian asked, his face full of concern.Chester looked at Kian with something akin to affectionate pity, as if staring at a fool. "Do you know who we are? Since when do we owe her explanations?"Besides, after pulling a stunt like this, she'd be scrambling to cover her own tracks. You think she'd dare demand answers from us?""But doesn't this break the rules?" K
Gwyneth let out a piercing scream before proceeding to smash everything in the room within reach. She was completely unrestrained in her frenzy. She even slashed her own arms multiple times, leaving them dripping with blood.The hotel staff soon received complaints from guests in neighboring rooms. They were met with this horrifying scene when they rushed over, leaving them utterly panicked. They immediately tried contacting Colin.Colin, who had finally gotten the chance to expand his social circle in Ertonfield, was currently immersed in networking. He was busy clinking glasses and was thoroughly intoxicated.When his phone rang, he frowned at the interruption. But he answered without hesitation when he saw Gwyneth's name as the caller ID."Mr. Fuller, thank goodness you picked up! Your wife has gone mad! You need to come back immediately!"Colin's expression darkened at the news. Setting down his glass, he hurried out without another word.Niall, who had witnessed the entire e
Aspen regarded the furious Colin with cold composure. "You were the one who sent me to the tech department. Now you're making a scene here. Aren't you embarrassed? Do you really want to settle our personal matters in the office?""Ms. Nicholls, how can you be so defiant after what you've done?" Gwyneth interjected with faux concern, her voice dripping with false sincerity. "Colin isn't unreasonable. Just apologize, and he'll forgive you. Right, Colin?"Aspen couldn't fathom where this woman found the audacity to speak right now. Her expression darkened as she turned to Gwyneth. "You're the last person here who has any right to speak.""You…" Gwyneth gasped, stunned that Aspen would dare confront her so directly in front of Colin.Realizing she wouldn't win this argument, Gwyneth quickly tugged at Colin's sleeve and whispered, "I'll leave you two to talk. Don't be too rash, Colin. Ms. Nicholls is just throwing a tantrum. Work it out slowly, okay?"With that, she sighed and cast a
"What are you doing?"Aspen's expression darkened instantly. She gritted her teeth, glaring at him with barely contained fury."Aspen, you're still Mrs. Fuller, yet you parade around flirting shamelessly. Have you no dignity?" Colin's accusation rang out harshly.Seeing his angry outburst, Zephyr immediately stepped in to explain, "Mr. Fuller, it's not like that! This was a surprise we planned for Ms. Nicholls. She had no idea at all.""Shut up!" Colin snarled, his gaze so venomous that it silenced Zephyr on the spot. The latter could only watch Aspen helplessly."Are you insane?" Aspen wrenched her wrist free, her eyes icy with disdain."This is normal workplace camaraderie. There's no 'flirting,' and definitely no 'shamelessness.'"Aspen truly didn't want to make a scene in a professional setting. She had no intention of humiliating herself.But today, Colin seemed determined to scorch every shred of decorum. He gritted his teeth and looked at her fiercely. "Aspen, you really
With matters in Ertonfield mostly wrapped up, Aspen had plenty of other work pending. She booked her return flight without waiting a second to hear Colin's opinions.Meanwhile, Colin received a set of photos. They were images of Aspen and Aren entering the hotel together, followed by Aspen seeing Aren out. His grip tightened, fingers crushing the photos as his jaw clenched.Though Colin had never valued Aspen or even barely acknowledged her, she was still legally his wife. This behavior was unacceptable. It was a direct slap to his face!"Colin, what's wrong?" Gwyneth approached worriedly, gently tugging his sleeve. "Shouldn't we start packing to go back?"When she noticed the photos in his hand, her eyes widened in shock. "Is… Isn't this Ms. Nicholls and Mr. Jefferson? How could this be? Why would they go to a hotel together?""Shut up!" Colin swiftly gathered all the photos, shooting Gwyneth a cold glare.This was an unbearable humiliation to him, one he refused to let anyone d
Back at the hotel, Aren followed Aspen into her room without hesitation. His brows furrowed as he asked, "Who was that just now?""Chester Shaffer. He abducted me earlier. Then we... reached an agreement. That's all."Aspen told the truth straightforwardly. She saw no reason to hide anything. Aren felt a warm surge of relief seeing how naturally she confided in him.He looked at her gently. "Chester is dangerous. You should stay away from him.""I know he's dangerous. But it's too late for that now. He won't let me go that easily. Aren, I know everything you've done has been for my sake. I know we share the same goal. But the paths we're taking are different."This was something Aspen had wanted to clarify for a while. She had just never found the right moment until now. She couldn't let this entanglement between the two of them continue.Standing up, she faced Aren directly, meeting his gaze with solemn resolve. "Aren, I'm sorry. We can't walk this road together from now on."T
Even this faint trace of sorrow was enough to shatter the fragile resilience Aspen had worked so hard to build. She drew a deep breath and turned to leave this place that felt so alien to her. That was when she noticed two men approaching her.The stench of alcohol rolled off them in waves, and their grins looked lecherous and shameless. Aspen instinctively stepped back, her hand closing around the pepper spray in her bag. "What do you want?""What do we want? Ha! What do men usually want with pretty things like you?""Damn, sweetheart, you're fine as hell."They exchanged glances as their laughter dripped with obscene intent. Disgust churned in Aspen's stomach when she realized what they were planning. She sprayed the pepper spray directly at their faces without hesitation, then bolted before seeing the results.She hadn't run five steps before crashing into a solid chest. Instead of pushing her away, the man wrapped an arm around her, turned, and delivered a brutal kick that s
Gwyneth let out a piercing scream before proceeding to smash everything in the room within reach. She was completely unrestrained in her frenzy. She even slashed her own arms multiple times, leaving them dripping with blood.The hotel staff soon received complaints from guests in neighboring rooms. They were met with this horrifying scene when they rushed over, leaving them utterly panicked. They immediately tried contacting Colin.Colin, who had finally gotten the chance to expand his social circle in Ertonfield, was currently immersed in networking. He was busy clinking glasses and was thoroughly intoxicated.When his phone rang, he frowned at the interruption. But he answered without hesitation when he saw Gwyneth's name as the caller ID."Mr. Fuller, thank goodness you picked up! Your wife has gone mad! You need to come back immediately!"Colin's expression darkened at the news. Setting down his glass, he hurried out without another word.Niall, who had witnessed the entire e
Aspen didn't say much else when faced with this rare moment of leniency from Chester. She simply stood and walked out.The world was all the same now to her. People could do whatever they wanted, as long as it didn't interfere with her or her plans.Her life and pride didn't really matter to her anymore. She would go willingly if she could settle everything and then be with Sophie.Watching Aspen's retreating figure, Chester's expression shifted slightly. He picked up his cup of coffee and chuckled softly. "What an interesting woman.""Chester, if we just let her go like this, how are we supposed to answer to the client?" Kian asked, his face full of concern.Chester looked at Kian with something akin to affectionate pity, as if staring at a fool. "Do you know who we are? Since when do we owe her explanations?"Besides, after pulling a stunt like this, she'd be scrambling to cover her own tracks. You think she'd dare demand answers from us?""But doesn't this break the rules?" K
"Get me a computer."Aspen was caught between amusement and frustration. When she designed the alert system, she had never anticipated needing to cancel it mid-process. Now, it was proving to be a real hassle.Chester didn't waste time arguing. He ordered one of his men to bring her a laptop.Aspen's fingers flew across the keyboard, and she successfully disabled the alarm within five minutes. She looked up at Chester with wide, almost pitiful eyes and whispered, "Just so you know, this alert system was really expensive to develop.""Are you trying to die?"Chester had reached his limit. Ever since this woman had regained the freedom to speak, her words had been like tiny knives, jabbing at him relentlessly. It was infuriating!Seeing him get angry, Aspen sighed and lowered her voice. "Shouldn't we move somewhere else to discuss this? This place isn't exactly... ideal.""Fine. Follow me," Chester agreed. What they needed to talk about next didn't exactly suit this place.…S
"He doesn't love you?" Chester stared at Aspen in disbelief, suddenly realizing he might have targeted the wrong person."No, he doesn't. His heart belongs to someone else. I was just a pawn in his family's arrangements. We might have muddled through, but he got my daughter killed, and that's unforgivable. I will make him pay!"Aspen clenched her fists. "You want to reclaim everything the Shaffer family lost? Let's work together.""With you? Why should I?" Chester snorted, his face full of disdain.He wasn't a fool—he could tell she was stalling for time."I own 51% of Fuller Group's shares. If you need them, they're yours." Aspen said it casually, as if they were discussing the weather.None of it mattered compared to her life. She would give up anything if it meant walking out of here alive. Her words truly caught Chester off guard."You've got 15 minutes to decide. Soon, this place will be surrounded. I won't be offering any deals once that happens."Aspen smiled cheerfully