Lester was still happily daydreaming while I had already tidied up my appearance, ready to leave.Rosalie, hearing about the eight million dollars, suddenly remembered the matter at hand and pulled me aside, asking urgently, "What's going on? Who passed away? What was the eight million dollars for?"I glanced at the photo knocked down to the floor by Lester and smirked.Rosalie hadn't realized it was her mother's funeral.Although Mona had been staying here, Rosalie assumed it was the funeral of my relative, as this property was bought fully by me.Rosalie continued to berate me as if I was on Mona's property. "Also, did you ask for Mom's consent before you held the funeral here? Why would you do something so unlucky—""Before she passed away, she insisted on a custom box for the remains. Just the box alone cost eight million dollars." I interrupted Rosalie, ignoring her previous question and answering her earlier one instead.Without a second thought, Rosalie accused me, "Don't
The moment Rosalie's eyes fell on the photograph, she stopped dead in her tracks, shudders wracking her frame. In disbelief, she reached out to pick up the shattered portrait.She broke down the moment she saw that the person in the picture was her mother."What did you say? How could this have happened to Mom? Why, out of nowhere… Why didn't anyone tell me that something happened to Mom?"Unable to cope with the shock, Rosalie held the portrait and sat on the floor, sobbing.Shards of broken glass embedded in her smooth arms, drawing trickles of blood. Even so, she seemed oblivious to the pain as she held the picture tighter.She desperately tried calling Mona."The number you have dialed is no longer in service...""The number you have dialed is no longer in service..."I threw the cremation certificate at Rosalie and looked straight at her, informing her, "Mom fell down the stairs three days ago. She was too weak to be saved. Your relatives couldn't reach you, so they had to
My feelings for Rosalie started three years ago. Ironically, they ended three years ago as well. When I first met her, she had just come out of a rough relationship and would drink herself senseless at the bar every night. One evening, while passing by a bar, I ran into some rivals from a recent business deal. They cornered me in an alley, seemingly intent on "teaching me a lesson".However, Rosalie stepped in, her voice trembling as she warned them, "If you want to hurt him, you'll have to go through me."I was so young and naïve back then that I fell in love with her from that very moment.After we got together, I invested a large sum to help her start her business, which eventually became the now-renowned Clarke Group.Meanwhile, my decision to cancel an arranged marriage to be with Rosalie led to my parents cutting me off.I thought she'd leave me to find someone wealthier, but instead, she started treating me even better.Back then, whenever the company hired a new male
As dusk fell and Rosalie still hadn't returned, the wedding festivities had already reached the traditional wedding pranks stage. In this village, where women outnumbered men, the custom of teasing the groomsmen had been preserved. Mona had wandered off somewhere to chat, leaving me alone with a group of men and women I didn't know.Soon, I was surrounded by bridesmaids in dresses, while villagers nearby had already raised their phones, their faces lit with anticipation.The bridesmaids, eager to begin, grabbed at me. Seven or eight hands started pulling me toward the grassy area's center. I hadn't noticed until then that a chain had somehow been hooked onto my clothes—one end connected to the base of a wooden doghouse, the other held by the bridesmaids.By the time I realized and tried to resist, a dozen people had already rushed in, forcing me to the ground and crudely binding my hands and feet with iron chains.I instinctively reached for my pocket. However, the villagers
Before long, an argument broke out above me as they fought over the small knife."That's cheating! Hand over the knife!""How is this cheating? The rules didn't say we couldn't use tools! Besides, you all jumped in yourselves!"Amid the struggle, the knife slipped from their grasp and lodged itself into my inner thigh. Blood immediately soaked through my pants, and only then did everyone pause, panicked, scattering in all directions.I was discarded to the side like trash, stripped of all dignity.In despair, I turned my head, and that was when I saw Mona, who'd been nowhere to be seen until now. She was hurrying over, half a peanut shell still stuck to the corner of her mouth.Thinking she'd come to help me, I stretched out my hand toward her, signaling for her to call 911. Mona finally reached me. However, instead of helping, she swatted my hand away. She pulled out a new phone. Ironically, it was the one I'd given her just last week.She began snapping pictures and record
Noticing my gaze, Rosalie softened her tone and tried to reassure me."Zayne, I'm just protecting your dignity! Without any videos of what happened, what good would a lawsuit do?"Zayne, I won't cast you aside because of this. Let's pretend today never happened. No one else has to know. Didn't you always want a child? We can adopt one as soon as we get back. What do you think?"My mind was in turmoil. Rosalie had a point. After all, she had pulled me back from death's door. And my phone and computer were still in their hands. If news about my business leaked, who knows what Mona might use against me next?Visibly conflicted, Suzy was about to say something when Rosalie shot her a cold glance. "This is between my husband and me. It's none of your business."At her command, her bodyguards dragged Suzy out of the room.Rosalie then smiled at me. "Honey, let's go home. You can rest and recover there; no need to go anywhere."After that day, Rosalie's actions made it clear she ha
I had indeed sworn to Mona that I wouldn't call the police that time, but I never promised I would tolerate it this time. So, I submitted all the surveillance footage from this incident, along with the injury assessment results. While Lester's involvement was unexpected, visiting Rosalie's hometown had been part of my plan from the start.As the previous time had been an accident, no solid evidence was left.This time, however, I was prepared for my visit back to Rosalie's home. I deliberately stepped into their trap while recording every move in high definition.I hadn't expected to catch an idiot like Lester in the act, too. Just what did Rosalie see in him? Then, I realized she was just as foolish. The only one who had been blind was my younger self.I chuckled bitterly; I'd already paid my price. Now, it was time for others to pay theirs.Night had fallen by the time I finished giving my statement. As I stepped outside, my phone lit up—first with Rosalie's email refusing to
Rosalie Clarke and I had been estranged and separated for several years now.That was why I was surprised when her family called me."Zayne, your mother-in-law has passed away. We can't reach Rosalie. Please, come back and handle the funeral arrangements."Hearing that Mona North, my mother-in-law, had passed away, I felt a sudden jolt in my chest. It wasn't grief, but rather as if a tightly strung string in me had snapped.Rosalie and I had separated about three years ago.Since then, she'd been living as if she'd never been married—constantly hitting up bars and clubs, hiring male escorts, and completely ignoring my messages and calls. I frowned upon hearing the news, thinking Rosalie had crossed the line. Something had happened to her mother, and yet, Rosalie was nowhere to be found. I stared at the voice message for a long time before finally canceling all meetings for the week and heading to Rosalie's hometown. My assistant wordlessly signaled for ten bodyguards to accomp