Madam Stockton ordered the driver to drive as fast as he could. The cart sprinted all the way to the gate and stopped beside the parking lot. Madam Stockton got out swiftly, and so did Julie. Madam Stockton was aware of Julie following her, so she said, “You don’t need to follow me. Call John, tell him to call Sherry, and maybe he can change her mind.” Julie immediately answered, “Alright. I will call John right away.” She pulled her phone out but did not dial John’s number. Instead, she watched as Madam Stockton get into her car. The car engine roared to life and sprinted out of the gates. As the car accelerated out of her sight, Julie’s expression turned cold and her eyes showed a hint of viciousness. She muttered, “Mother, don’t blame me for this. You should blame yourself for seeing things that you shouldn’t and trying to chase me out of the family.” …Meanwhile, the white MPV had driven away from the residential area of the Stocktons. Sherry was in the rear seat w
The man on the other end of the call slightly furrowed his brows. Why did she stutter? Was she feeling sour because of what he had done to her last night? His expression changed as he softened his tone. “I was impulsive last night. As long as you stay by my side, and stop seeing Mason, I promise I won’t do that to you again anymore.” Sherry’s brows and chest tightened. She had taken Caprice away, yet the man was trying to apologize to her. “Sherry, why aren’t you saying anything?” he asked. Sherry frowned. She said, “I don’t know how to answer you.” The man went silent for a few seconds before he said in delight, “This place is famous for its wine. I’ve bought you several bottles, and I think they will arrive at your doorstep by tonight.” Sherry was silenced but the man’s sudden change of attitude and topic. Should he not be mad that she refused to talk to him? Why did the man apologize to her on the phone and even bought bottles of wine for her? “Sherry?” the man cal
She had been planning to take Caprice away while he was away from home! John hung up the phone and said to Peter, “Peter, contact the two main airports in Glenchester and tell them my daughter has been kidnapped by a human trafficker. They are leaving on a plane, so tell them to seal all the exits and entrances. If they see Caprice or Sherry, save Caprice and apprehend Sherry!” He shouted the last sentence due to his anger. Peter nervously said, “Yes, sir! I’ll contact them right away!” John propped his forehead on his hand. After Peter made the necessary calls, he said, “Sir, I’ve contacted the airports and sent them Ms. Fowler and Ms. Caprice’s pictures. Once they go near the airports, they will be apprehended.” “Mm-hmm…” John’s grim expression looked slightly relieved. Then, he added, “Clear the schedule for today. Book a ticket back to Glenchester right away.” Peter cautiously glanced at his boss’s terrible expression and said in a small voice, “Yes, sir.” …Meanwh
The tree leaves rustled as the car caught fire. It was then that another white MPV passed by from the other side. Caprice widened her eyes and pointed outside the window. “Mommy, the car is on fire!” Sherry looked outside the window and spotted the burning car. The more she looked at it, the more familiar the car looked. “Brandon! Stop the car! Stop the car!” she cried. Brandon stopped the car by the roadside. Sherry put Caprice aside and patted her head. “Caprice, be a good girl and stay here.” Caprice nodded and hummed a reply. Sherry then looked at Brandon. “Brandon, open the trunk, and call 911! Keep an eye out for Caprice as well!” Brandon immediately suggested, “Sherry, the car is already burning! Why don’t you leave it to the authorities? It’s not safe! What if the car explodes?!” “Stop talking nonsense and open the trunk!” Sherry got out of the car immediately. Brandon opened the trunk for her, and she took the fire extinguisher out. She ran to the burni
The paramedics swiftly admitted Madam Stockton and the driver to the Emergency Department. Sherry was held off at the entrance. She stood by the wall and called John. For some reason, she could not reach him and it showed that he had turned off his phone. She tried calling him a few times but still could not reach him, so she decided to call Queenie instead. The call got through in a second. Queenie’s clear voice sounded on the other end of the call, “Sherry, why are you calling me this early? Are you going out again?” Sherry took a deep breath and said, “Queenie, listen to me carefully. Your mother got into a car crash.” “WHAT?!” Queenie screamed. “I saw a burning car by the roadside, and it was your mother’s car.” “Where is she now?” Queenie asked in a trembling voice. “She has just been admitted into the ER at Glenmarie Hospital.” “I’m on my way!” The call ended. Sherry tried calling John again but still could not get through. 'He might be busy working,' she
The corridor outside the ER room was exceptionally quiet. A while later, Sherry decided to call John again, but she still could not reach him. Sherry pursed her lips. She called Brandon and said, “Brandon, have you brought Caprice home?” Brandon said, “We just arrived home. Aunt Wanda is taking care of her, and the bodyguard is here as well. Don’t worry.” Aunt Wanda? Jason? Should Aunt Wanda not be out shopping with her friend? Should Jason not be resting? Could they have returned home? Sherry found it odd. She wanted to call Aunt Wanda to confirm it, but Queenie and Julie had arrived.Queenie’s eyes were teary as she strode in, and there was also an obvious hint of anger. Sherry was baffled by her reaction. Queenie went up to her and stared at her. “Sherry, why were you taking Caprice away?!” Sherry was baffled. How did Queenie know? Queenie got her answer based on Sherry’s reaction. She was upset and angry at the same time, and the mix of emotions drove her t
Julie choked on her words for a moment and said, “John, it’s Mother…” The man frowned. His tone sounded anxious when he said, “Mother? What happened to her?” Julie cried and continued, “Mother got into a car crash. She went after Sherry and somehow crashed into a tree. She’s still inside the ER, and it has been two hours now.” John’s handsome face turned cold and suspicious. He gulped and asked in a hoarse voice, “Which hospital?” …Back in the corridor outside the ER room, Julie stood at the corner further away while making the call. After that, she kept her phone and returned to the entrance of the ER where Queenie was sitting on the bench quietly. Julie sat down beside her and glanced at Sherry who was sitting further away. She said to Queenie, “Queenie, I just called John.” Queenie looked at her. Even Sherry, who had been squatting for a while, turned to her. Julie said, “He just got out of the plane and he’s on his way here.” Queenie nodded and hummed a reply in
Sherry felt as if her feet were made of lead. She wanted to approach to get a closer look, but her feet would not move. Even her voice had escaped her entirely. As much as she wanted to speak up, she had difficulty even forming a whisper. Soon, Madam Stockton was wheeled away. Queenie marched rapidly and nervously next to the crew of nurses. Julie trailed after closely as well. They passed by Sherry. Then, John suddenly walked up to her. There was a hint of redness and a piercing look in his eyes. Sherry suddenly felt suffocated. Her lips quivered, "I... I'm sorry." John grimaced instinctively and spat, “I must have been blind to fall for a woman like you time and time again.” Sherry felt a sour sting rising up to her nose, and she was overtaken by an urge to cry. She lowered her head to avoid looking at John and apologized in an aggrieved voice, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry." “What is your apology good for at this point?” His towering figure domineered over her. He grabb
She was her usual self in every aspect. She put her heart into her job and never started trouble so long as nobody tried to start trouble with her. The crew cycled through their locations during their shoot. The constant travel made her skin break out slightly, but there were no other concerns otherwise. The shoot progressed very smoothly and within three months, they managed to wrap up everything at the mountainous region previously mentioned. It was nearly evening when they wrapped up the shoot. Holding a bouquet in hand, she took a group picture with the crew and celebrated with everyone. After that, she planned to hitch a ride with another crew member and leave for home. To their demise, some men in uniform who claimed to be the road maintenance technicians showed up to break the bad news to them. They mentioned that they had to repair some of the roads urgently and so the way home was temporarily obstructed. The director took his phone and called the city hotline fo
He remembered his first meeting with Isabel. She was sitting all by herself on the floor, in the middle of nowhere. Her vulnerable expression only made her more endearing. So, he managed to get her to go to his place and installed her in his home. He fell for her and paid careful attention to all her needs. It did not take long before Isabel caught feelings for him as well. The two of them got together in no time. Their days were plain and ordinary, but also very fulfilling, that was until he met Clarice. With the help of his father, his power struggle with Roland had reached a tipping point. It was at that opportune moment when Clarice’s father saw something in Roland and planned to wed his daughter Clarice to him to join up their families, which was a cause for alarm for Decker. He stressed over it for an entire night before approaching Clarice himself the very next day. Clarice quickly caught feelings for him as well. Furthermore, Roland had been foolish enough to reject
Decker was smiling quite earnestly at Isabel. Isabel threw a deeply suspicious look at him, then she glanced at the stack of documents laid out on top of the table in front of her. “Transferal of Shares.” She was dumbfounded. "I've gone through the contract, it’s safe to sign so go ahead.” Roland picked up a pen and handed it to her. "Roland, I..." "Sign it first, I’ll explain when we get home.” Isabel frowned and tried to protest. "I—" "Don't make me have to beg." Isabel did not know how to respond. Fine. She briefly scanned through the contract. The contract stated Decker’s agreement to transfer the remaining forty percent of his shares in Rockwell Corporation to her. Roland must have talked to the shareholders of Rockwell Corporation about this as well. They all regarded Isabel with polite smiles. Isabel had flipped through the final page of the document. She signed her name on one of the marked-out sections. She proceeded to sign all thr
They ended the call shortly after that. Isabel glanced at Martha and was hesitating if she should break the news right away. Martha seemed to have sensed her staring and suddenly turned to her with a flash of concern. "Isabel, what's wrong?" Isabel took a deep breath and broke the news. "Auntie, Master Rockwell just passed away." Martha's eyes widened. After a lengthy silence that lasted more than ten seconds, she started to break out in tears. She covered her face with her hands and expressed amid bouts of tears mixed with laughter, “Wonderful! About time! I hope he enjoys life in the underworld. God knows that someone like him will never deserve a spot in heaven!” Isabel did not know whether she should celebrate with Martha or console her. Soon, Martha began to collect herself. She briefly wiped away her tears and joyfully took Isabel's hand. "Isabel, let’s go shopping! I’m in such a good mood today, I’m going to go on a shopping spree!” "Okay. But Roland w
Isabel held onto Roland's hand firmly during the entire drive home after leaving the hospital. It was because Roland’s hands were cold and rigid. Isabel sat with him and tirelessly rubbed his hand to keep them warm. After one hand was warm, she would shift her attention to the other. By the time she managed to warm the other hand, the original hand would turn cold again. She decided it was easier to take both of his hands and caress them with the warmth of her palms. Roland looked at her with a gentle glow deep within his eyes. “Thank you, Isabel,” he said softly. Thank you for loving him, and for sticking by his side all this time despite circumstances. Isabel smiled. “I’m just warming your hands, it's no big deal. Still, you’re welcome." Roland smiled faintly and left it at that. Soon, his hands began to warm up off of the heat of Isabel’s palms. When Isabel felt that his hands were no longer freezing, she prepared to pull her hand away. That was when
Decker looked nothing like his usual self. The pompous, arrogant man who held himself far above others and who expected everyone around him to kiss up to him because he was superior to them all. It was as if he had been plunged not only to Earth but a pile of swamp. He had completely lost his usual grace. Isabel said crossly, "Decker, have you gone mental? Is everything going on too much for you?” “Yeah, could you help me?” he said with a coy smile, “Just one hug should be enough to take care of it all.” Isabel rolled her eyes. Without warning, he suddenly braced himself and lunged right at Isabel, stepping past Brandon who was caught off guard by this sudden attack. Isabel barely had time to react. Just when it seemed like his hand was about to graze Isabel, a long pair of arms seized Isabel from behind and jerked her backward. It was swiftly followed by a long, muscular leg shooting outward right next to Isabel. Thump! Decker was kicked to the ground.
"How did you and Roland meet?" Decker suddenly asked. Isabel turned away, fully intent on ignoring him. "Did you meet each other at Carter Corporation? Or did you meet him outside of work and gradually fell in love with him, then you decided to set him up with a position at Carter Corporation?” What did he mean by that? Was he insinuating that Roland was relying on her to snake his way into Carter Corporation? She threw a sideways, belittling look at him. "Do you think Roland is anything like you? He wouldn’t latch on another woman to further his goals.” Decker was not upset by this as he continued with a smug smile. "Oh? Then how did he get into Carter Corporation?" “He proved his worth.” Isabel realized that she had been roped in by Decker again. Nevertheless, she continued, “He passed the interviews himself. I was one of the interviewers and initially planned to dismiss him, but he managed to leave a very good impression on my father and the rest was history.” "
"I never meant to kill him! Roland, you have to believe me. Why would I still try to deceive you when I’m in this state?” “In that case, you can go ahead and explain things to him in the afterlife.” Master Rockwell was taken aback by this, his demeanor tightened. "You...you..." Roland looked at him calmly. "Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. It was Grandma and my parents who raised me. They instilled morals and virtue into me and made sure I’d grow into a decent man.” Master Rockwell was briefly relieved to hear this, but before he could rid himself of his trepidation, Roland continued in a dark voice, "But I won’t forget about you and Decker bribing all those media outlets to defame Isabel. I know you manipulated the stock prices to try to kick me out of the corporation. I’ll make sure to settle our score through the legal system.” If convicted guilty, they would have to rot in prison. “Roland… listen to me, Roland. Decker is your uncle. If you want revenge, you can come
Master Rockwell must have heard their shifting movements and opened his eyes. When he recognized the faces of Roland and Isabel, there was a brief glow in his murky eyes. He motioned to the nurse to have her help him sit up from the bed. After he managed to position himself seated up against the head of the bed, he asked the nurse to leave. Then he cast a loving, tender smile on Roland and Isabel. “Roland, Isabel, please have a seat.” Roland said disinterestedly, "We have things to get to, just hurry up and tell us what you have to say." Isabel stayed silent. A look flashed in Master Rockwell's eyes. Then, he turned to Isabel and expressed regretfully, "Isabel, I’m a foolish old man, it was me who told Decker to leak pictures of you two. He had no choice because I forced him to do so. If you have to blame someone, blame me!” Isabel frowned. She was somewhat impressed by how smoothly the old man switched his mask from one to another. From a forlorn and sad state t