Cathy felt a piercing pain shooting through the area around her heart. As she looked down, her phone slid out of her weak hands. Plop. The phone fell onto the pavement by her feet as blood slowly dripped onto the screen. From the phone came the frantic shouts of a man. “Cathy! Cathy! Answer me, Cathy!” Felipe’s hand on the steering wheel shook as he sped to the police station. Dashing through the crowd, he was met with a pale girl sitting in a pool of blood. Felipe’s heart felt like it had sunk into an ice cellar as his blood turned cold. “Cathy.” He pushed the people in front of him to get to the girl as he knelt on one knee and pulled her unconscious body into his arms. “Cathy! Wake up, Cathy!” Cradling her, he shouted her name frantically. Yet it was to no avail. Felipe’s vision blurred, not knowing when his eyes had grown watery. All he knew was that his heart hurt. It was numbing and suffocating. Nothing the people around said went through his ears for all
He raised his bloodied hands only to find that the mint-green hairband he had kept carefully with him was now dyed red. With trembling fingers, he raised the hairband to his lips. “Don’t die. Please, you can’t die.” He murmured under his breath as his eyes reddened further. “You promised you’d pester me forever. You can’t go back on your word now.” Felipe’s voice shook as he repeated himself, unable to put the panic within him to rest. Just then, the operating room’s door opened to reveal a doctor in a white coat. Felipe immediately ran toward him. “Professor Quinney, how’s Cathy?” The professor shook his head. “I’ve got the bullet out, but since it hit her heart, I can’t bring her back to life. I’m sorry, but Miss Cathy has passed.” Frozen in place, Felipe felt his world crack as he stood rooted to the ground. “How did she just get shot out of the blue? Could it be the Stygian Johnsons?” The doctor sighed, his heart clenching at the loss of such a young life. Felipe
Felipe felt his heart pause as he took the item from the box. He would never forget this red string. When he met the little girl with the dimpled smile years ago by April Hill’s beach, she had been the ray of light that pulled him out of the dark. She even gave him a rainbow shell. In return, he gave her a red piece of string. That day of that year marked his innocent meeting with the energetic and warm Vetty. It was love at first sight. When he grew up, he found out that the girl was Madeline. That was why he did everything in his power to make Madeline his. However, why was the string he had gifted Madeline in Cathy’s hands? Not to mention that it had been kept so safely. Felipe’s mind was filled with questions that could not be answered. Not that meeting Madeline by the seaside back then mattered to him anymore. The moment Cathy was shot, it dawned on him who he truly had feelings for. Perhaps he should have known the moment Cathy jumped into the river because
“Where is Cathy, Felipe?” Madeline pressed on, but Felipe had already left.Watching him drive away, Madeline decided to search the manor for traces of Cathy. She even went to the basement, but Cathy was nowhere to be found. Confused, she went to ask the servants, but none of them were certain themselves. Madeline arrived at Cathy’s room and found a photo collage open on her bed. It was filled with pictures she had taken from the past. It looked like it had just been flipped through. Had Felipe been looking at it? Curious, she took up the photo collage only to find a piece of paper squashed under it. “Certificate of cremation?” Madeline’s heart lurched. Reading it, she saw Cathy’s name, followed by Felipe’s signature at the very bottom. Cathy was dead?! … Jeremy thought that Madeline was resting in the hotel the entire time he brought Lillian out for a walk, so he was surprised to not see her when they returned to their room. He put his daughter to sleep and was
“Master Whitman, our men have just gotten to April Hill. We’ve asked around, and from an old man, we can confirm that there had been a family with a daughter by the name of Cathy.“The father of the family ran a small business, so their family was rather well off. However, he and his wife met a tragic end during one of his delivery trips. “His relatives took his house and threw his daughter out.”The person confirmed.“Master Whitman, it’s confirmed that after the death of her parents, the daughter who was thrown out was indeed Miss Cathy. They gave me an image of Miss Cathy when she was young. I’ll send it to you now.”With that, Felipe’s phone received the image.On the display was an old picture, one that caused the tears brimming in Felipe’s eyes to fall.It was the same smile he had engraved into his memory—the very one that haunted his dreams for the past decade. Felipe wanted to smile, but his vision became blurred from the tears. His arm drooped limply, and the red
“Eveline was right. None of the Whitman family men are good men. If any one of us were even half the man Grandfather was, perhaps the women who love us so much would not have been so deeply hurt.”He raised his frosty and fierce gaze. “I’ve already turned over a new leaf, Felipe. What about you? Will you not own up to your mistakes? You would go and surrender yourself if you have even the slightest bit of conscience left in you. Or you can wait until I hand the police the evidence they need.”Jeremy warned solemnly as he gave Cathy’s tombstone one last look, his deep gaze filled with hurt. Then, he turned to leave. Dazed, Felipe stood in the wind with Cathy’s ashes held preciously in his arms. A deep swirl of emotions flashed in his eyes. “Don’t worry. I promised you, so I’ll make sure it happens. Wait for me.”He left with the wind blowing in his face and her urn in his hands.…Madeline took care of Lillian in the hotel until Jeremy returned at nightfall. She prayed that
Jeremy raised his arm to pull Madeline into his embrace.“This is my wife. I, Jeremy Whitman, have and will only have one wife—Eveline Montgomery.”His gaze was heavy, and his tone left no room for argument as he reminded Karen.“I do hope that you wouldn’t treat my wife how you used to, Mom. I don’t expect you to be a great mother-in-law, but at least treat her with basic courtesy and respect.”“...” Stunned, Karen’s expression darkened. She turned her head to see Madeline smiling faintly at her and the flames within her flared. “What’s happening, Jeremy? You just told me that you were getting engaged to Yvette? Why are you with her again? Did you forget what she told you before? She’s only doing this to get revenge!”A sour feeling filled both Madeline and Jeremy’s hearts at Karen’s mention of Cathy.Jeremy tightened his grip on Madeline’s hand as he explained solemnly, “I’ve always seen Yvette as my little sister, just like how she saw me as an older brother. There was never a
At that, Jeremy seemed slightly regretful. Anxiously taking in the change in Madeline’s expression, he resembled the careful self she used to be with him.“I’m sorry, Linnie. I shouldn’t have brought up the past. I’m sorry I made you upset again.” He apologized softly, pressing his lips lightly against the back of her ear. “I’ll bring you to Adam first thing in the morning to make sure you’re alright. Then I’ll go and settle Cathy’s situation.” Without waiting for Madeline to nod, he bent down to carry her into his arms. “It’s getting late. Let’s go to sleep.”Madeline reached out instinctively to wrap her arms around his neck. Carrying her into their bedroom, Madeline felt her heart race in a way that reminded her of the first time she married Jeremy.She had been nervous, moved, and slightly hopeful. Lying down, Jeremy held Madeline and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.“I can finally hug you and have a peaceful sleep, Linnie.” In the dark of the night, his to
Gina, who was standing at the door, saw this scene and was about to walk in when she was stopped by her husband.“Stop causing more trouble. Do you really want your son to be a bachelor for the rest of his life?”“Who said I'm going to make trouble? I’m going to tell them that I agree to this marriage now, okay?”Her husband was startled. “You’re agreeing to this?”Gina was about to answer when out of the corners of her eyes, she suddenly caught a glimpse of the lights in the room. It was followed by cheers and applause from inside.Ava pulled herself out of Daniel's embrace. She was surprised to find Madeline and Jeremy, her parents, and even Tom and Maisie slowly approaching them with smiles on their faces.Ava stared blankly at Madeline. Then, she finally understood that they had all worked together to arrange this.Only she and Daniel’s parents were kept in the dark.Daniel had never thought of leaving her at all. He just used a different approach to let her know that she w
Upon hearing this, Gina slowly stopped.She never thought that Ava still had some respect for her in her heart.This really surprised her.However, she soon heard Madeline stand up for Ava. “Ava, you respect them, but have they ever respected you? Respect should be mutual.”“But Danny will always be their son. If Dan and I insist on getting married, his parents won’t be happy about it for the rest of their lives,” Ava said with a helpless sigh. “I really don't want Dan to be caught in the middle of this matter.”“But Ava…”“Maddie, don't persuade me. You should know best that when you truly love someone, you don't have to stay with them. As long as they’re safe, healthy, and happy, that's enough, isn't it?”There was a smile of relief on Ava's face as if she had already made a final decision in her heart.Madeline wanted to persuade her a little more, but nothing seemed appropriate at this moment.“Ava, are you leaving, then? Are you going to stop looking for him now?”“I've
Daniel's parents, who were secretly observing Ava in the distance, gradually became more and more restless in the car.“Hmph, how dare she say that she has a deep relationship with Dan? It's been so long and she still doesn't know where Dan has gone,” Gina rolled her eyes and complained.Daniel's father glanced at Gina. “Stop being so mean. Right now, the most important thing is to find Dan. Ava isn’t a bad person. In the beginning, you disliked her because she didn’t have parents, money, and power. Now, her parents are alive and well, her mother is extremely rich, and her father is a specialist doctor and professor. What else are you dissatisfied with? Do you really want your son to stay single his entire life?”Gina was not happy when her husband was complaining about her. “Didn't you object at the beginning as well? I agreed with the relationship after that, but your father refused to agree to save his reputation. Why are you blaming me now?”“Stop talking.” Daniel's father in
After Old Master Graham read Daniel's message, he was so angry that his eyes were wide open.‘He just got out of the hospital and he ran away for a woman?‘He even said that if he can't marry that woman, he won't get married in the future?’Old Master Graham would never allow such a thing to happen.However, when he thought about it, he still felt a little nervous.If Daniel really did not get married because of this, would this not be the end of the Graham family?‘I can’t let this happen.’After Ava ran out, she went to find Daniel in all the places she could think of. However, after spending the entire morning, she still could not find Daniel.She tried to call Daniel, and although the call was connected, it was always unanswered.As time passed, Ava felt very tired. She sat down on the chair by the roadside and watched the street where people came and went. Then, a deep sense of loss welled up from the bottom of her heart.‘Dan, have you decided to just give up?‘Are we
“I'll be right back!”Gina hurriedly ran back. Suddenly, she turned back and stopped Ava, who was about to follow her.“Don’t follow me! You’re not welcomed at our house.”Despite Gina's warning, Ava could not stop herself from looking for Daniel.She did not know what was going on. How could Daniel suddenly be discharged by himself? He had obviously been in a coma on the hospital bed. He did not wake up this whole time.On the way there, Ava called Daniel, but Daniel did not answer.Ava did not know if Daniel had his phone with him, but in short, she could not get into contact with him.She wanted so badly to stand in front of Daniel right now, but there was traffic on the way.When Ava followed Gina into the door of Graham Manor, she heard Gina's sharp voice. “What? Dan’s gone? Where did he go? D-Didn't he just wake up? What the hell is going on?”“Look at this and you'll know what's going on." Daniel's father sounded like he was reproaching someone, then he seemed to hand s
Ava stared at the empty ward for a while. Then, she returned to her senses and immediately went to look for Daniel.However, after looking around for a while, Ava could not find Daniel, which made her feel a little nervous.At this time, Gina also came in.She saw that the ward was empty, and Daniel, who was supposed to be lying on the hospital bed, had disappeared.“What’s going on? Where’s Dan? Did the doctor take Dan away?” Gina looked at Ava and asked with an unfriendly expression on her face.Ava was used to Gina's attitude, so she did not bother to argue with Gina. Instead, she replied, “I want to know as well.”“How could you not know? You came before me.”“Dan wasn't in the ward when I came,” Ava said and turned around. “I'll go to the nurse's station and ask.”“Wait.”Gina grabbed Ava, her face was dark.“Ava, let me tell you this. Dan has suffered a lot and gotten a lot of injuries because of you. Because of you, both Naya and her mother have been sent to prison. It
Since Julie was about to think that way, it showed that she was a reasonable person.“Lily.” Julie walked up to Lillian and squatted down, giving her a friendly blessing. “Lily, I really like you. I hope you can be happy every day, and I hope you’ll be able to speak soon.”Lillian was a sensible child. She raised a sweet smile and nodded vigorously, indicating that she acknowledged Julie's blessing.Julie stood up and faced Fabian. Right now, there was a little more admiration in her eyes and a little less of her unwilling persistence before.If one liked someone, one did not necessarily have to stubbornly fight for it.Julie did not say anything and just smiled at Fabian.Fabian did not say anything more either. He bent over and picked Lillian up in his arms. Before turning around, he gave Julie a friendly smile.“Miss Charles, you can still come to me if you need help in the future. After all, I still owe you a favor.”Julie smiled and shook her head. “You stopped owing me an
“I did,” Fabian admitted frankly.Julie thought she would feel embarrassed because of this, but she did not know why she still felt very relaxed. Even so, she still felt a little embarrassed.In order to not make Julie feel embarrassed, Fabian smiled and said, “I wanted to help you get out of that situation, Miss Charles, but I didn't want to cross the line. I also didn’t expect someone to have taken a video and put it on the internet. Lily and I have caused you much trouble. I'm really sorry about that.”Fabian paused as he spoke, then, he glanced at Lillian softly.“But Miss Charles, rest assured, there’ll be no such trouble in the future.”Julie was stunned for a moment when she heard the words, and she inexplicably felt a strong sense of loss coming up from the bottom of her heart.She looked at Fabian suspiciously, and sure enough, the words she heard next made her feel remorseful.“Miss Charles, I’ve found a more suitable school for Lily, and it’s closer to where I work so
The scene of Mr. Martinez causing a ruckus and Fabian coming to the rescue with Lillian at the end was all recorded and posted on the internet.This person was still a little conscientious and had censored Lillian's appearance, but Fabian's figure and face were clearly visible in the video.Patty recognized the person in the video as Fabian at a glance.After seeing the comments below, Patty was even more anxious.“Julie, how could you fall in love with a single father?”Julie frowned. “Yes, I won't deny it. I do have a crush on Mr. Johnson.”“What?”“Tsk tsk… Julie, do you really like this single father?” The look in Mrs. Gill's eyes was very subtle. “Someone dug up all his information, and it turns out that this man is Yorick's younger brother. Back then, Yorick stirred up all kinds of troubles and did whatever he wanted in F Country. His sister, Lana, was also notorious in our circle.”“What? He's Yorick and Lana's younger brother?” Patty was even more nervous, for fear that