With that one sentence, the room erupted into chaos.This was the first time anyone had witnessed such a "clarification". Reporters at the front lines were frantically snapping photos, their camera shutters nearly wearing out.Colin, who had been so confident moments ago, finally showed a crack in his composure.As expected, only when his true interests were at stake did he show any reaction. The suffering of others meant nothing to him."Aspen, have you lost your mind?" He lowered his voice as he gripped her wrist tightly.Aspen remained expressionless, shaking off his hand and revealing everything she had prepared over the past few days."After we got married, we had a daughter named Sophie. However, our daughter passed away just a few days ago. While my precious child was lying in the hospital bed, fighting for her life, Mr. Fuller was setting off 600 thousand dollars worth of fireworks with Ms. Sanders in celebration."As a wife, I have no words for my husband's infidelity.
With that said, Aspen turned and walked out without even glancing at him. She knew Colin wouldn't chase after her now; he had far more important things to deal with.Outside, the situation was spiraling out of control. No matter how hard the PR team worked, they couldn't suppress the news. The Fuller family's dirty laundry had been aired for all to see. It became the talk of the town.Soon, relevant individuals began issuing statements online. With nothing better to do, netizens turned into amateur detectives, piecing together timelines and details with astonishing accuracy. Some even started competitions to see who could uncover the juiciest insider secrets of the wealthy family first.Seeing the online frenzy, Aspen knew Aren must have been pulling strings behind the scenes.She smiled faintly and called him. "Isn't it time to make a move and clean up those subsidiaries of his?"Aren chuckled on the other end of the line, then knocked on her door. Hearing the knock, Aspen immedi
"Drive around him," Aspen said calmly. She had no desire to engage with Colin and just wanted to leave his sight as quickly as possible."Judging by his demeanor, that might be difficult," Aren sneered. He opened the car door and stepped out.Crossing his arms, he looked Colin up and down before saying coolly, "Mr. Fuller, do you still have the time to come here? What's the matter? Looking to gather evidence to prove you've been cuckolded instead?"Colin ignored him completely, striding over to the passenger side and yanking the door open. He glared coldly at Aspen, who was seated inside. "Get out.""No," Aspen replied firmly. She no longer felt any obligation to listen to him. "Colin, we're already divorced.""Without a divorce certificate, it doesn't count," Colin said through gritted teeth, reiterating his point. "You and I are still legally married. You have to come with me."Seeing his expression, Aspen couldn't help but find it laughable. Before, he had treated their marria
Yet now, Sophie was gone, and there was no way Aspen and Colin could continue together. The promise Aspen had made to Hector could no longer be fulfilled.Still, she intended to honor part of it. She could let go of Colin, but she couldn't bring herself to destroy Fuller Group.Fuller Group had little to do with Colin. It had been built from the ground up by Hector and later nurtured with the blood and sweat of his son's generation.Colin had merely inherited it. While he was at fault, the rest of the Fuller family didn't deserve to suffer for his mistakes.As she thought about it, her phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, Aspen's heart sank. It was a call from the Fuller residence.She had never been valued by the Fuller family after she had married Colin. Only Hector had truly cared for her. Colin's parents had been living abroad for years, and now, it seemed, they had heard the news and rushed back to criticize her as their daughter-in-law.After a moment's hesitat
Standing in front of the Fuller residence, Aspen felt a mix of emotions she couldn't quite put into words. It was the same place, yet everything about it felt different. She remembered how warm it used to feel when Hector had still been around. But now, that warmth was completely gone.The thought made her heart ache. She took a deep breath, raised her head, and walked inside.In the past, whenever she had met Colin's parents, she had always been timid and submissive. She knew she wasn't well-liked, and her humble background didn't help. If it hadn't been for Hector's insistence, she would never have become part of the Fuller family.Although Colin's parents spent most of their time abroad, every time they saw Aspen, their expressions turned sour. It was as if having her as their daughter-in-law was some kind of disgrace.Sure enough, the moment she stepped through the door, she was met with their hostility.Ellie, in particular, was the first to lash out. She hurled a cup in As
As a mother, Aspen couldn't accept such a mindset."I'm not being reckless. I've just come to realize that if Colin wants a son, there are plenty of women out there who can give him one. He doesn't need me for that."Wasn't Gwyneth eagerly waiting, hoping to bear his child?Hearing this, Ellie grew visibly agitated. She gritted her teeth and said, "Fine. If you claim there's no love left between you and Colin, and you insist on divorce, we won't stand in your way. But hand over what the old man gave you, and then you're free to go wherever you please!""Why should I give you what Mr. Fuller Senior left me?" Aspen retorted firmly.Even before coming here, Aspen had known that Ellie and Stanley had ulterior motives. But hearing their demands outright still stung deeply.She took a deep breath and looked at them. "I didn't come here today to be lectured. I came to tell you that I will use what Mr. Fuller Senior gave me wisely, and there's no chance of reconciliation between Colin an
Aspen emerged victorious from the mansion, feeling an unexpected sense of joy she had never experienced before. She had never realized how satisfying it could be to stand her ground and speak her mind.At the hospital, Colin rushed over as soon as he received the news. Gwyneth, who had been recuperating at the same hospital, arrived even earlier than he did.Seeing Colin, Gwyneth immediately grabbed his hand, her voice trembling with emotion. "Mr. Fuller and Madam Ellie are in bad shape. What should we do, Colin? What are we going to do? He already had high blood pressure, and now this... How could this happen?" Tears streamed down Gwyneth's face.Colin's relationship with his parents had always been strained. He had grown up under Hector's care and had rarely seen his parents.Rumor had it that they had initially planned to remain childless but had ended up having him by accident. After his birth, they had handed him over to the family and gone off to enjoy their lives.Faced wit
"Colin, does it hurt?" Gwyneth looked at Colin with teary eyes. Her gaze was fixed on the red, swollen mark on his cheek.Colin didn't respond. Instead, he told her to rest and drove off to find Aspen.When he arrived at the old, run-down apartment, he knocked on the door for a while but got no answer. After asking around, he learned that Aspen had moved.Frustrated, Colin had no choice but to call Aspen again.When they finally met, Colin no longer had his usual cold, aloof demeanor. Instead, he seemed resigned and let out a sigh as if ready to compromise."Have you thrown enough tantrums? Come home."Tantrums? Come home?"My daughter is dead. What kind of tantrums do you think I'm throwing here?"Aspen immediately noticed the redness and swelling on Colin's face. She knew it must have been his parents' doing.In the past, Aspen had always felt sorry for Colin for having such a strained relationship with his parents. That was why she had tried so hard to please them. But no
Colin thought he had dealt Aspen a crushing blow, but to her, his threat was nothing more than a joke.Sometimes, Aspen even found herself wondering what kind of twisted logic Colin had. Before, Aspen had always assumed she was the lovesick fool. But now, looking back, it seemed Colin was the real delusional one. After everything that had happened, he still genuinely believed this was all because she couldn't have him? The sheer audacity was almost impressive.Shaking her head with a quiet laugh, Aspen settled back into the hospital bed, ready to enjoy her peaceful recovery.Inside the car, Gwyneth stole a cautious glance at Colin as she asked in a small voice, "Colin... what do we do now?""It's just money. If she wants it, she can have it." Colin shrugged, seemingly unbothered.Fuller Group was a multi-billion-dollar empire—what was a mere 130 million? Besides, he and Aspen were still legally married. This was just moving money from one pocket to another at worst.However, it
Colin immediately pulled Gwyneth up from the floor, his gaze fixed solely on Aspen. "Are you sure you want to go against me?""We're just handling this professionally. I'm following your rules right now. Is that not allowed?" Aspen shrugged innocently. "Colin, just save it. Emotions are off the table between us.""Aspen, do you believe me when I say I'll dig up Sophie's grave and scatter her ashes to the wind?" Colin suddenly smiled cruelly.He stared straight at her. Wasn't that wretched girl the one she cared about most? Then he would just love to see how she would react to this!Aspen had long since learned how heartless Colin could be. She knew that showing weakness now would mean utter defeat."You never treated Sophie as a person when she was alive—why would death change that? Why wouldn't I believe you? Do whatever you want with her ashes. What era do you think this is? The dead are dead—who cares about such things anymore?"Aspen began to laugh so much that tears nearly s
Ellie burst into laughter as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke. "Oh, so you still remember he's your father after all!""That's enough. I'm going to deal with the property issue now."Colin couldn't bear to listen any longer. He never imagined the words "utterly overwhelmed" would one day describe how he felt so aptly. Turning to Gwyneth, who was still sniffling, he felt a pang of guilt and helplessness. "Are you okay?""I'm fine. Actually, Madam Ellie wasn't wrong. It's my fault—all of this is my fault. Colin, I really want to give you up to Ms. Nicholls, but... what can I do? I just can't. I love you. I can't live without you. I'll die if I lose you!"Gwyneth clutched his sleeve desperately, her eyes burning with near-mad possessiveness and dependence.And yet, this was exactly the kind of twisted devotion Colin adored. Only through such obsessive need could he truly believe he was loved and feel like he mattered.He pinched her cheek playfully and smiled. "You won't
"Madam Ellie, calm down!" With her arms wrapped around Ellie's waist, Gwyneth finally managed to pull the latter and the officer apart."Get off me!" Ellie shoved Gwyneth away and snarled, "Don't think I don't know this is all because of you, you scheming fox! Look what you've done to my family! How dare you play the good Samaritan now? You're disgusting! Utterly shameless!""What's all this commotion?" Colin strode forward and positioned himself between everyone.The officer straightened his uniform and gave Colin a cold look. "So you're the CEO of Fuller Group? Given your status, how can your family behave so disgracefully? You've been accused of illegally occupying private property. You have one week to vacate, or we'll proceed with legal actions."What?Colin thought he must have misheard. This was Fuller Manor—he had grown up here. How could it suddenly be considered trespassing?"Officer, there must be some mistake. This is my home."His brow furrowed deeply. Who could b
"Then we fight our way back!" Aren took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away Aspen's tears with a tender gaze. "Whatever decision you make, I'll stand by your side."Aspen felt a flicker of hesitation when she met his gentle gaze, but she quickly steadied herself. She nodded firmly. "You're right—we'll fight back! They all deserve to die!""That's the Aspen I know. You were never a fragile young woman. They could never break you." Aren ruffled her hair affectionately, his voice full of encouragement and certainty.His quiet kindness soothed her, calming the storm inside. She had indeed endured too much undeserved malice, but the world wasn't all darkness. At least someone still cherished her."Aren, let's go back.""Alright."The ordeal worsened the wounds on Aspen's back. By the time they returned to the hospital, the doctor scolded her while treating her injuries. "Your back won't ever recover if you keep this up. How can a young woman be so reckless with her own body?"
All these years, Aspen had turned the question over in her mind—why had she woken up in Colin's bed that day? How had she ended up pregnant with Sophie?All these years, Colin had branded her a scheming woman because of it, taking out his disdain on Sophie by extension. Every bit of suffering stemmed from this man—her uncle, her own flesh and blood!"How could you do this to me? Why? "I'm your niece! Your own niece!"Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she pressed her palms against the glass, nails scraping the surface. None of it made sense. What had all those years of humiliation been for? What had Sophie's suffering meant?"I did it for your own good! What else were you going to do if not marry well while you're young? Pen, I'm your uncle—why would I harm you? What's wrong with Colin? Why couldn't you just learn to please him properly?"Joseph was twisting logic beyond reason now. Locked away as he was, he had nothing left to lose. There was no longer any filter between what
Watching Aspen's childish behavior, Aren sighed helplessly before chuckling. "Who would be talking about you behind your back?""I suspect it's you!" Aspen tilted her head, eyeing him suspiciously. "Admit it—you're secretly cursing me in your heart, aren't you?""If I wanted to curse you, I wouldn't do it secretly. I'd say it right to your face and scold you until you're drowning in shame!" Aren rolled his eyes dramatically, then pressed harder on the accelerator.…Seeing Joseph again stirred complicated emotions in Aspen. But when Joseph laid eyes on her, his gaze held nothing but hatred."You little bitch! How dare you show your face here? Look what you've done to your own uncle! If your mother knew, she'd never forgive you!"Right from the start, Joseph started talking about Aspen's deceased mother, which was a typical move from him. No matter what unreasonable demand he made, he always used her mother's name to manipulate her.Aspen had backed down again and again because o
Tears streamed down Gwyneth's face as she spoke. She leaned against Colin naturally, clinging to his waist like a fish dependent on water, refusing to let go.Colin had been irritated moments ago, but seeing her so vulnerable made him soften his attitude. He gently stroked her cheek. "Don't talk nonsense. I won't ever drive you away.""Colin, will you… ever divorce her?" Gwyneth ventured cautiously.This was the last thing Colin wanted to consider right now. Her direct question sparked his frustration unexpectedly."She holds shares in Fuller Group and even evidence of my asset transfers. Divorcing her now would ruin everything.""I was just asking... Why are you so angry?" Gwyneth seemed so startled by his tone that even her body began to tremble slightly.Noticing her shaking, Colin remembered her depression and quickly softened his voice. "No, I'm not angry at you. I just resent being cornered like this."Gwyneth was about to respond when Riley knocked on the door and entered
Aspen's eyes grew slightly bloodshot as she gazed at Aren. His face was so close to hers that she reached out and gently touched it without thinking.Aren's features were nearly identical to Colin's from this angle. Back then, she had fallen for Colin at first sight. Now that she thought about it, how could anyone escape loving such a resemblance?Feeling Aspen's hand on his face, Aren slowed down even further. "Does it hurt?""It does." She didn't lie.Her entire back stung as if it was splitting open. But the real pain wasn't in her back—it was in her chest.Suddenly, she buried her face against Aren's shoulder, clinging to him tightly. In this moment, she wanted nothing more than to savor this hard-won peace.Riley stood frozen as he watched them leave. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry—mainly because he had no idea if he should return to the office at all.After a moment's thought, he sat down and mechanically ate the takeout Colin had ordered. Only after finishing ever