Since Aspen refused to back down, Colin saw no reason to hold back. Upon returning to Fuller Group, he immediately ordered Riley, "Find Joseph Nicholls right now.""Mr. Fuller, Joseph..." Riley hesitated, looking uneasy. Under Colin's intimidating gaze, he finally answered cautiously, "Joseph is serving time."Joseph was in prison? Colin was genuinely surprised by the revelation.Frowning slightly, he asked, "How did that happen?""He was in debt, and when his checks bounced, he... sent Ms. Nicholls out to settle the debt. Later, I heard Aren had Joseph's little finger cut off and had him sent to prison."Riley thought it was best to be straightforward about the matter."What did you say?" Colin shot up from his seat. He had no idea so much had happened behind his back. "Why didn't I know about this?"Faced with this question, Riley chose to remain silent, though the corner of his mouth twitched in exasperation."You can't even handle your own wife, and now you're blaming the e
In reality, Fuller Group was now just an empty shell, burdened with significant debt. If they truly went head-to-head, all Aspen would end up with was a mess.But that outcome relied on her knowing nothing. Now that she was fully aware, there was no way she would let him have his way."Aren, help me leak this information. Let's see if they're more interested in my personal life or this." Aspen snorted coldly, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at Aren.Aren looked over the data. Though it wasn't the most critical, it was enough to start unraveling the truth."Impressive, as expected of my junior." Aren nodded in satisfaction, pulling out his laptop and getting to work.As she watched him work, Aspen felt a bit awkward. Wasn't it a bit inappropriate to do this right in front of her?Colin wanted to paint himself as the victim, didn't he? Well, she wouldn't let him have that satisfaction!Soon, a new wave of discussion erupted online. At first, netizens thought it was just another
Since Aren had his own goals, he should be prepared to bear the consequences of pursuing them.Perhaps because she had been hurt so deeply by Colin, Aspen now found it easier to deal with people who had clear motives rather than those who acted purely out of love.Seeing Aspen visibly relax, Aren pinched her nose in frustration and said, "You're truly heartless!""Ouch!" Aspen immediately retaliated, swatting his hand away.There was still a lot of work to be done, so Aren reluctantly left. Aspen opened the door to see him off, only to be ambushed by a swarm of reporters waiting outside with their cameras and microphones."Mrs. Fuller, is this your love nest outside the Fuller family?""Can you clarify your relationship with this man? Did you really cheat during your marriage?"The reporters fired off sharp, pointed questions right from the start.Aspen knew these reporters had been sent by Colin. It was likely he had arranged the questions and leaked her address too. She was
"You don't need to apologize. Just wait for the lawyer's letter." Aren didn't even glance at Heather as he walked past her and left.Aspen gave Heather a sympathetic look and said with a smile, "Miss, you might want to take some time to look into the Jefferson family's legal team and see what level they operate at."With that, she slammed the door shut.Now, the Fuller family had lost both face and credibility. Their counterattack had completely backfired.…Meanwhile, back at Fuller Group's PR department, Colin was screaming at the PR team."How are you all so incompetent? You bunch of useless fools!"Colin, who was usually calm and composed, now looked terrifyingly grim. He slammed a stack of documents onto the table.The PR department fell into dead silence. They were all filled with frustration. They had never expected things to turn out this way, and most importantly, they were just employees, not magicians.Their boss himself had done all these shady deeds, so why were t
Aspen, however, shook her head and said calmly, "Right now, the target isn't me. It's Colin."If Colin hadn't been transferring assets and hollowing out Fuller Group, the shareholders would naturally have sided with him. But now, they were going to hold him accountable.As for her, she was merely a messenger and a witness.Thinking of this, Aspen smiled faintly. She couldn't wait to see Colin in a state of disarray.Ever since she had known him, he had always carried himself with an air of superiority. Aspen had had enough of it.Seeing her so confident, Aren felt a surge of satisfaction. He said with a smile, "Yes, this is the real you. This is my Penny!"It was the nickname he had used for her back in their university days. It still rolled off his tongue naturally, but Aspen couldn't respond with the same ease.She gripped the seatbelt tightly, her emotions a tangled mess. Taking a deep breath, she turned her face away to look out the window.They soon arrived at Fuller Group
Aspen was now the biggest shareholder of Fuller Group. Other than Colin, she held the highest status in the company, so that seat rightfully belonged to her. One of Colin's die-hard supporters scoffed and mocked, "Who do you think you are? You're nothing more than a housewife who does laundry and raises your kid. Do you really think owning more shares gives you the right to do whatever you want?"He deliberately spoke loudly so everyone could hear. While shares were significant, it was clear that ability mattered even more. Fuller Group had reached its current success because of Colin's sharp business skills, so most people there naturally leaned toward him. As for Aspen, they believed she was just a privileged housewife who should be content staying at home.Aspen wasn't one to let such disrespect slide. She grabbed a cup from the table and smashed it hard against his head. She asked, "Are you feeling more awake now?"The man never expected the seemingly meek Aspen to actuall
"Aspen!" Colin suddenly lost it. He shot up from his seat and charged straight at her.Aspen knew he had a screw loose, so she had already prepared for this. Without hesitation, she pulled a stun gun from her pocket and jabbed it straight into Colin's stomach.A sharp electric crackle filled the room. Colin collapsed onto the floor, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at Aspen in disbelief."Mr. Fuller, this is a corporate office. What exactly do you think you're doing? If you try anything reckless, I'll handle it the legal way and call the police." Aspen's voice was cold as she laid out the consequences, making it clear she wasn't playing around.However, no one was paying attention to Colin anymore. The shareholders had already opened their emails, their eyes glued to the financial reports.As they scrolled through the numbers, their expressions shifted, becoming grim. At first, they thought the online rumors had been exaggerated, but now they realized that had only been the t
The board members started bombarding Riley with questions. "What the hell is going on?""He just walked out without explaining anything—how irresponsible can he be?""Riley, say something!"Riley stood there alone, looking helpless and pitiful. Say something? He had nothing to say. He couldn't say the truth, and the lies weren't ready yet. All he could do was stay silent.Seeing his reaction, the shareholders' expressions darkened even more, their frustration boiling beneath the surface. They wanted to tear him apart, but in the end, reason held them back. After all, he was just an employee—like them. Who could really blame another employee for following orders?Meanwhile, Aspen stepped out of Fuller Group and felt a rush of relief wash over her. As she stood under the sunlight, warmth seeped through her skin. For the first time in a long while, the weight of pain and hopelessness seemed to fade, even if just for a moment.She whispered, "Sophie, did you see that? I did it. Are
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