Moving on, Mark requested the judge to grant me the divorce on the grounds that my marriage with Irvin was beyond repair.Of course, Irvin strongly opposed this. He insisted that our marriage was fine and that we just had a misunderstanding. He claimed that I was the only family he had left in this world. He then insisted that he loved only me and that he couldn't be without me, not even in death.I scoffed loudly at the absurdity of it.Just a few days ago, he had scolded me over Julianne. Then, he had frantically carried her away. So how could he say with such confidence that I was the only one he had and loved? I really couldn't understand his thoughts.Also, what did he mean when he said he didn't have any family? He constantly brought up how Julianne was like a sister to him. Putting that aside, she technically was his stepmother now, and a stepmother was still family!Irvin looked at me when he heard me scoff.His eyes were filled with deep affection as he exclaimed, "I k
I could see the jury trying to maintain a neutral expression. And given that divorcing Irvin depended on their verdict, I knew I had to win them over.Thus, I faced them as I continued my story. "Actually, he did come to see me once, but it wasn't to care for me. No, it was because he wanted to drag me out of bed to apologize to Julianne."According to him, it was my fault she had caught a cold, so I needed to apologize to her because she was too weak to come to me."Imagine that. My injuries were severe, and I was bedridden. Yet, he insisted I leave the hospital just to apologize to Julianne. He didn't care that I had called the police on him. He also didn't believe I was injured, despite reading my medical chart and seeing the state I was in."Instead, he thought I was faking it. He even threatened the hospital I was in and accused them of forging my medical chart. Unbelievable, right? He threatened the people responsible for saving me."Some jurors were openly looking at Irvin
Irvin had lost his memories and was replaced by a younger version of himself because he couldn't cope with what he had done. However, the same held true for his younger version too.He was the reason I had suffered such grave injuries, and yet he wasn't aware of it. Neither version of himself was able to deal with this fact.He couldn't believe he had tried to beg for my forgiveness, because even he couldn't forgive himself for what he had done to me.Plus, I had laid in a hospital bed for so long because of my injuries. It had taken almost three months before I could move again. And he hadn't even visited me once the entire time, let alone cared for me.Irvin shouldn't have ignored me like that if he truly loved me, especially when I was in that condition. It didn't matter how angry he had been at me.So, how could I possibly believe his claims of true love given the way he had acted? Forget me, even the judge wouldn't believe him. Even he couldn't believe he truly loved me, beca
"I'm sorry, Emi. I'm so, so sorry," Noah said in a remorseful tone.He was full of guilt because he had been too slow to return to Claudeville, and I had been gravely injured due to this.Noah hadn't dared to keep in touch with me ever since I had gotten married. Later, he had heard that I was living happily, so he couldn't even bring himself to ask how I was. He wouldn't have known I wasn't living happily at all if he hadn't seen the recent drama about Irvin and me online.Although Noah's apology was vague, I somehow understood what he was sorry for.He had been in the courtroom during the hearing, so he definitely saw the photos of my injuries. So, I thought he was beating himself up for not being by my side during my most painful time.Smiling, I patted his back gently. "It's alright. I'm okay now. It's all in the past," I said comfortingly.Noah didn't reply, but his eyes were red from unshed tears. I had a fragile body, so he didn't understand how I had managed to endure tha
So now, Irvin was back to his former self. And as he had personally caused all the harm I had been through, the pain he carried was more intense than that in his younger self. He was also even more clueless about how to face me.That being said, he still had to. He couldn't continue running away from all the hurt he had caused me.Mark moved to leave the room as Irvin wanted to speak to me privately. Before he left, he told me he would be right next door and I could call for him if need be.Irvin chuckled bitterly at Mark's words."Is that how little you trust me now, Emi?" he asked.He was offended that I thought he would harm me if we were left alone with each other.Shrugging, I plainly said, "I sure as hell don't want to risk you drugging and kidnapping me so you could exchange my life for someone else's again."Irvin instantly became misty-eyed. He started apologizing, "I'm sorry, Emi. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry—""Stop. Your apologies sound cheap," I quickly cut him off. "If
"Do you really think you have the right to sit here and apologize to me?" I shot back.Irvin's face turned pale at my words. It was almost unbearable to look at him.His mouth fell open as though he wanted to say something. However, his lips merely trembled for a long time—he couldn't form any words.Sure, he might never have intended to harm me. Yet, time and time again, I had nearly died because of him.Irvin let out a self-deprecating laugh. His eyes looked crazed. Never before had he felt more deserving of death than in this moment.Regardless of how helpless he had felt then, he should have never put me in such danger. He truly didn't deserve to live.He was so overcome with pain and guilt that he looked utterly shattered and broken.If this was the old me, I would have been so heartbroken that I wouldn't be able to resist forgiving him. However, the current me merely sneered at the state he was in.Irvin's remorse had come too late, so it was worthless. It was like crying
One of Irvin's secretaries had called Julianne and told her he was about to transfer all his shares to me. Thus, she frantically rushed over to Mark's firm.She genuinely liked Irvin and wanted to be with him. That was why she had returned to Claudeville. That being said, her desire for money was far greater. She couldn't allow him to be penniless.Given everything she had done, she knew she had no chance of being Irvin. So, she couldn't lose both him and his wealth.Before Irvin could say anything, Julianne rushed forward and clung to his arm.I braced myself for the nonsense she was about to spout."Irvin, the mastermind behind my kidnapping not long ago… is Millie! She had teamed up with Travis Walker and orchestrated the whole thing! Her main goal was to harm me. "Also, she's aware of how much you care for me. So, she knew you would follow the kidnappers' demands and exchange her for me."That way, she could create a fake scenario where she would almost die. She knew you wo
Irvin met my gaze upon hearing what Julianne said. When he saw that she was speaking the truth, his grip on the pen tightened.Julianne had always been good at noticing Irvin's subtle reactions. She felt a glimmer of hope when she saw the way he was acting. She thought Irvin had believed her again this time.Noticing the subtle movement too, I sneered and was about to say something.However, Irvin extracted his arm from Julianne's hold and stared at her. Then, he huffed and sardonically said, "Do you think I'm an idiot just because I treat you like a sister, Lianne?"Julianne froze. I, too, was shocked. Neither of us had expected Irvin to say that.Her eyes quickly filled with tears once she realized what was happening."How could you say that about me, Irvin? I'm only doing this for your own good!" she cried as her tears fell.Despite saying this, she couldn't resist cursing him inwardly. It wasn't that she thought he was an idiot—he actually was one!Other people fought vicio
Willaim and I were stunned, and so was Timothy.Timothy had no idea why he had blurted out those words. They had just slipped out.William cocked an eyebrow at him once he came back to his senses. It was just as he had said—hypnosis was unreliable.Without realizing it, I walked toward Timothy and called out, "Irvin…"Timothy's gaze immediately darkened.I faltered when I met his cold and unfamiliar eyes. My steps instinctively came to a halt.I had been forced to deal with a dire scandal soon after learning Irvin might still be alive. As such, I hadn't had the time to think about anything else. But now, I suddenly saw him again.I felt a sharp pain in my chest when I met his unfamiliar gaze.I didn't know how to describe my feelings in this moment. My emotions were so complicated that I couldn't decipher what I truly wanted.Irvin and I had fallen in love when we were young. We were each other's first love. I had shared the purest and most beautiful moments of my life with hi
William frowned at Grace's idea. He was intrinsically against doing something like that to me.However, Grace added, "I miscarried because I had saved your life, Mr. Ashford. I had to lie in a hospital bed for more than a month before I was strong enough to move."I'm not asking you to do anything except stay out of it—please don't interfere with my plans to deal with Emilia Quill. Rest assured, I won't harm her."William studied her quietly as he mulled over her words. He had felt conflicted when she brought up her miscarriage.He was still semiconscious when he had been rescued from the sea. Thus, he could feel how much effort it had taken for his rescuer to get him back to shore.William was a ruthless and disloyal person by nature. Despite this, he had been unexpectedly moved by his rescuer's strenuous efforts to save him.This was especially so when she had performed CPR on him, and her warmth and scent had enveloped him. So much so that William had even wanted to pursue her
Before William could respond, Grace immediately added, "I don't mean to leverage my saving your life against you, but you did say you would grant me one request in return."William fiddled with the lighter in his hand. "Yes, I did say that. But I'm not a man of integrity, so I can always go back on my word."Grace was stumped.She hadn't expected him to say that. How could he make such a promise to her and then void it just like that? Shouldn't his word be binding, given someone of his status? It made her question if there was any point in her efforts to become his savior.Aside from Julianne and I, Grace was also present when I had saved Mr. Ashford on Daiti Island.She had just happened to be vacationing on the island at the time and had witnessed me save William. Then, she had also watched as Julianne emerged and carted him away when I left to get help.Initially, Grace had clicked her tongue upon seeing this and had planned on leaving. However, she changed her mind upon rec
The response from the Hardwells only deepened my suspicions that Timothy was actually Irvin. This only made me even more eager to see him again so I could confirm it for myself.However, I couldn't force a meeting if they didn't allow it. I might be wealthy now, but I was nowhere near comparable to the Hardwell family. For the time being, I could only have someone else look into it.After tending to company matters I had at hand, I put on my coat and headed out to meet a physics professor from Quantov University. It was thanks to him that I was able to invite the science research authority figures to help me clear my name.Just as I was about to enter a private dining room, I spotted a familiar figure. I paused and saw Mr. Ashford being led by the restaurant's manager toward a different private room.I thought of greeting him, but then I recalled how our last meeting had ended somewhat unpleasantly. I was also worried he might ask me to date Noah again, so I decided against it.Be
Timothy quickly pressed his blanket down."I thrash around in my sleep," he said. "You're pregnant—what if I hurt you?"He had gained many memories of Mrs. Hardwell upon regaining consciousness. Despite this, he still felt something was amiss. As such, he didn't want to be too close to her.Plus, his body rejected being physically intimate with her even though she was his wife. For some reason, Timothy's heart told him he shouldn't allow Mrs. Hardwell to touch him—he would be sullied if he did.Still smiling, Mrs. Hardwell replied, "You won't."She was about to pull on the blanket again when Timothy yelled, "Get out!"Tears welled up in her eyes. She had never been treated so coldly before."I just want to take care of you at night, Tim. We're husband and wife, aren't we?"Timothy knew she was right. They were married, so there was no reason they shouldn't sleep in the same bed. That being said, he just couldn't bring himself to accept it."I'm sorry, but I'm not used to shari
With the public eager to know the truth, hundreds of millions of viewers tuned in to the summit's live stream.People believed there were three things in this world that could never be taken away from a person—the food one had ingested, one's hopes and dreams, and lastly, one's mind.The third thing referred to intelligence, knowledge, and the ability to reason and think—which was what my battle plan relied upon.Lyle had all the experiment data. Thus, he could claim he was the reason our research had a breakthrough. However, he didn't know the reasoning and considerations behind the experiment's progression.It was similar to solving a math problem. Those who didn't know how to solve it could copy the answer, but they would never be able to explain the steps involved.Hence, I intended to use this principle to prove I was the one who led the research team while he was just a poser.To do so, I had arranged for Lyle and I to be questioned on our research and experiment.The summ
When Mr. Ashford mentioned Irvin, I couldn't help but think that, if he had still been around, he would be able to save the company.All things aside, Irvin was a talented entrepreneur. He undeniably excelled at managing a business, regardless of how emotionally intelligent or smart he was.If it hadn't been for Julianne or his psychological fears, his talent wouldn't have…An idea unexpectedly popped into my head, and my eyes lit up. It began to look more and more feasible as I mulled it over, so much so that I even felt eager to put it into action."You'll have to excuse me, Mr. Ashford," I said. "I'm afraid I have other business to attend to, so I can't entertain you any longer."With that, I swiftly headed for the door.Mr. Ashford caught me by the arm as I passed him."Are you sure you want to turn down my offer? Don't you want to save your companies?" he asked.Looking him in the eye, I replied, "I've come up with a solution, so I don't need to trouble you, Mr. Ashford."
I was portrayed as being even more terrifying and powerful.Additionally, my parents had also been interviewed by reporters, and what they said only made things worse.Mom and Henry told the reporters I had behaved shadily since I was little. I had always scored highly on my exams despite not studying much.Additionally, I also didn't have many friends as a child and didn't get along well with others. Despite this, I had always had a good relationship with Mr. Holland, who had also adored me from the start.Although my parents didn't explicitly say it, they were clearly implying that my achievements since I was a child resulted from currying favor from Mr. Holland.A reporter had also asked them about my college results. College entrance exams were administered on a national level. Thus, Mr. Holland couldn't have manipulated my results."She probably got lucky and guessed the right answers!" Henry and Mom said with a scoff.After my parents' interview was released, those who had
Lestoria's police soon efficiently uncovered the truth about the drunken, deal-sealing night Gemma had referred to.She claimed Irvin and her had gotten drunk during a meeting with a client. However, I had left her behind and only took Irvin away, which was what led to the client sexually assaulting her.The truth was—Irvin had already fired Gemma before the incident occurred.Since she couldn't interact with Irvin anymore, she had contacted a prior client and used him to set up a meeting with Irvin. She had intended on getting Irvin drunk during dinner and then having her way with him.However, that client also had sinister intentions toward her. He had invited Irvin out accordingly and kept making him down his drink. At the same time, the client also did the same with Gemma.Irvin had thought the client was trying to get Gemma and himself to sleep with each other. Hence, he excused himself to go to the washroom and then slipped away.He was already slumped against the restauran