Brad finished the coffee in one go. Iris frowned as she observed him. Something appeared to be on his mind. After setting the cup down, he expressed his gratitude. "Thanks," he said, grabbing his coat and standing up. "Shall we have breakfast together?" he invited."I've already eaten. I'm waiting for someone," Iris replied."Okay, never mind then," Brad shrugged. He draped his coat over his shoulder and walked away unsteadily.After checking the time, Iris said, "I can keep you company though." However, right after she said that, the woman arrived. "Looks like I can't," she said apologetically.Brad suddenly walked back and asked, "Can I join you?"While Iris was hesitating, he explained, "My father said he would send me abroad if I don't show results at the law firm. I don't want to go abroad."Iris smiled at the woman and said, "Let's go to the reception room."She then instructed Brad, "Go make two cups of coffee and bring it over."Meeting her gaze, he understood her m
After that, the man eagerly asked, "Do I have a chance?"Iris pondered for a bit and replied, "You do, if everything you said is true...""Everything I said is true," the man hastily interjected.Iris raised her eyes, her gaze cold and firm. "Let me finish?""Okay, okay," he nodded, listening intently as she continued. "The first time you sexually assaulted her, she was still young, so she can't remember it clearly. Without direct evidence, it's difficult to prove what you did. She can only be certain about the sexual assault that occurred when she was in 10th grade. However, at that time, she was no longer a minor. The most crucial point is that there is a huge time gap between that incident and her recent suicide, so it would be challenging for the prosecution to link the two events together. However, if they have enough evidence, you will be convicted for sexual assault."The man's expression dimmed. "Oh, I see. If her suicide cannot be directly linked to my actions and I'm onl
"Contribute to the country?" Brad leaned on the table and teased, "You're quite patriotic, aren't you?"Iris asked, "Don't you love your country?""Of course I do," Brad responded.Iris walked out of the reception room. "I hope that's a truthful answer," she remarked, glancing back at him."I wouldn't deign to tell lies..." His voice trailed off as his stomach rumbled loudly, prompting an awkward cough.Iris chuckled. "I'll treat you to breakfast."Brad rolled his eyes. "Boss, it's already ten o'clock. Are you sure it's breakfast and not lunch?"Iris packed her things. "Don't call me 'boss.'"Brad stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You care about that kind of thing?""Of course," she replied. "'Boss' makes me feel old. I'm still young."Suddenly, Brad leaned in close. When Iris looked up, she was startled to see his face right in front of her."You scared me," she said, glaring at him.He laughed heartily. "Haha...""Let's go," Iris said, heading ou
They moved to a private room for their meal. Fiora's eyes were swollen from crying; her breakup with Stanley had hit her hard. Jessica, on the other hand, was pretty happy about the breakup. "Hmph, what's there to cry about? Pathetic."Despite the situation, Fiora retorted stubbornly, "Have you never been in love, Mom?"Jessica was momentarily taken aback. "Who knows if what you feel is really love?" she sneered.Perhaps Jessica had never lacked love and therefore couldn't relate. She and her husband had grown up together and had matching backgrounds. After marriage, they had a son and a daughter, and their relationship was stable. Their relationship, while not as passionate as those depicted on screen, had endured through the years. Her husband, despite his wealth and status, did not fool around outside or have an affair. He was devoted to his family and was a responsible and caring husband. Wasn't that a relationship to be envied? Passionate love was rare in this world; it w
After the waiter finished serving the food, he exited the private room and closed the door.Iris retreated to the wall. The door was shut tight, isolating the sounds within. She stood frozen. Jason and Fiora were siblings? And Jason only liked her because she looked like the woman of his dreams?A bitter chuckle escaped her at the thought. No wonder. With Jason's qualities, there was no reason for him to be interested in her.Thank goodness. Thank goodness she hadn't allowed herself to believe that he liked her because of her qualities. Thank goodness she hadn't invested too much emotionally. Thank goodness she had found out early, so it's not too late.Taking a deep breath, she went back to Brad, who was slumping in his chair, looking unwell. He looked up at her, his face a picture of discomfort. "Iris, I feel terrible," he said pitifully.Iris sighed. "I'll go buy you some digestive pills. Wait here."Brad nodded obediently. "Okay."Iris quickly searched for a nearby pharmac
Brad parked the car in the hospital parking lot, and the two of them got out. They made their way straight to the inpatient department. They inquired at the nurse's station for the specific ward number and proceeded there.Brad, following behind Iris, teased her, "You're a lawyer. Why are you investigating the case like a detective?"Iris scanned the room numbers on the doors and replied without looking at him, "The accounts given by the clients are often biased in their favor. We need to understand the full picture to make the right judgment."Brad nodded, finding her reasoning sound. Iris soon located the ward she was searching for. Through the door window, she saw that there were people in the ward. She knocked on the door, and a woman sitting by the bed rose to open it. The woman scrutinized Iris, asking, "Who are you?"Iris introduced herself. "I'm Mr. Lee's lawyer, here to talk to Liandra to gain a better understanding of the situation."The woman's expression darkened upo
Liandra remained silent. She kept staring at Iris with a numb expression. A hint of mockery suddenly appeared at the corner of her lips, as if to say, "You're only doing this to defend that scumbag."Iris could understand how Liandra feels. She remained patient and said in a gentle tone, "If you can provide evidence to support your accusation that he sexually assaulted you when you were a child like you mentioned in your suicide note, he'll get a heavier sentence."Liandra continued to show indifference.Iris realized that perhaps Liandra needed some time to process things, so pushing further might not yield any results. She sighed helplessly. Just then, the door to the ward swung open, and Liandra's mother returned.While driving away from the hospital, she realized she had left her bag behind, so she came back to retrieve it. To her surprise, she found Iris inside the ward.She immediately understood the situation. "I was wondering why that scumbag would ask me out, saying he
"Sure."Iris immediately walked back into the ward, but the woman, Rinkah, blocked her path. "My daughter needs rest. Please don't disturb her."Iris replied, "Didn't you hear her? She's willing to talk to me. Are you trying to prevent me from communicating with her because you're afraid she might say something that might incriminate you?"With an air of superiority, Rinkah retorted, "I'm her mother. How could I have possibly harmed her?"Iris fixed her with a sharp gaze. "If you love her so much, why did you take advantage of her financially? If you love her so much, why did you try to abandon her?"Rinkah's expression changed, a mix of shame and anger evident on her face. "That scumbag slandered me! I… I never tried to abandon her!" she stammered.Observing Rinkah's defensiveness, Iris calmly stated, "You and I both know what the truth is."Rinkah was flustered and angry.Iris continued with a smirk, "If you love your daughter so much, why are you stopping her from talking to
Iris' heart tightened, feeling both sweet and bitter, "I did it willingly. You were only in danger because you tried to help me. You went to great lengths to help me save my cousin. I'm immensely grateful."She paused, then slowly raised her head to look at him, "I can't let you die because of me. If someone has to die, I'd rather it be me, not you.""Why can't it be me?" His tone was light, but there was a subtle hint of excitement in his voice.She must loved him very much to have the courage to rush in front of him in the face of danger.Death, what a fearful word.Yet she shielded him from the gun with no hesitation."You were there to help me save someone. Therefore, you can't die," Iris answered.That was what she genuinely thought at the time.In the quiet room, the sounds of their breathing could be clearly heard. Jason gazed at her, his eyes filled with a complex emotion, "You rushed over to shield me from that gun because I helped you save your cousin? It's because yo
She asked in panic, "Who is it?""It's me."It was Jason's voice. She breathed a sigh of relief.People always felt the most insecure when they're naked."You're done eating already?"Jason wasn't very hungry because he just woke up, so he only had a bowl of soup. That's why he came back up so quickly."Yeah. What are you doing? The doctor said your wound shouldn't get wet.""I'll be careful." Iris said.Jason frowned. "Are you taking a shower?""...Yeah," Iris answered softly."I'll wash you." Jason tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside.He raised his eyebrows. "Iris...""I can wash myself." Iris hugged herself, thinking, how embarrassing would it be if he washed her?She didn't want that.Although they had already seen each other naked, her current appearance was not pleasing, and there was a gruesome wound on her body.She didn't want him to see her in this ugly state.Yes, he had already seen her ugly side, but... she couldn't just not care.She
Perhaps the sensation was a bit itchy, as Jason stirred. Iris quickly withdrew her hand, but Jason had already woken up."What's wrong? Does the wound hurt?" Having just woken up, his voice was hoarse.Iris shook her head, "I'm fine."She felt bad. "I'm sorry I woke you up. Go back to sleep."Jason raised his head and said, "Give me your arm."She smiled and extended her arm. Jason laid his head on her arm and said, "Hug me."Iris thought he was childish.She gently patted his back like she was soothing a child.Jason closed his eyes. Smelling her scent, he soon fell asleep again. He slept for a long time, only waking up at night.Iris had also fallen asleep, but she woke up a lot earlier due to hunger. However, seeing Jason sleeping soundly, she didn't want to disturb him. Her arm was numb but she didn't dare to pull it out, afraid of waking him up."Are you awake?" Iris asked.Jason looked at her groggily, reached for his phone, and saw that it was already past two in the
Since they would be staying here for a while, someone had to handle the household chores.It was clear that neither of them nor the two bodyguards were up for the task.Donahue had always been the one responsible for hiring cleaners to clean the place, so Jason asked Lewis to contact Donahue and inquire about the cleaning staff he usually hired.Lewis immediately made the call. Donahue said he usually hired temporary housekeepers who would clean and then leave. He provided Lewis with a contact to arrange for their services.Lewis personally selected two middle-aged women. The manager said they were very experienced and proficient in cooking and household chores.He brought the two housekeepers back to the island and settled them in. After that, Lewis went upstairs to inform Jason that the housekeepers had started work and dinner was taken care of.Jason's bedroom door was slightly ajar. From the gap, Lewis saw Jason sitting on the bed talking to Iris. It didn't seem like a good
Jason's condition was that Kaden must ensure he and his people left the country safely.After discussions with the other two families, Kaden agreed to Jason's condition. With the three families working together, it wouldn't be hard to ensure the safe departure of Jason and his people.Holding Luna hostage gave them leverage over the Morris family. This deal was mutually beneficial. Jason made the deal to allow Iris to leave the country as soon as possible. After agreeing on a departure time, he left the rest to Kaden and Lewis to figure out.Jason stayed by Iris' side.Two days later, they boarded a plane to Fiji. The earliest direct flight home from Northern Burrma was the day after tomorrow, but staying in that country for another day meant another day of danger, so Jason and Iris decided to go to Fiji first. She would recover from her injury there.Iris didn't want her parents to worry, so she thought it would be a good idea to stay in Fiji for a while. She needed time to rec
When he withdrew his hand from under her, it was stained with blood.Anxious and flustered, his heart felt like it had stopped beating."Iris..." His voice was hoarse and unsteady.Iris' wound was not life-threatening. The bullet had hit her lower back.Luna did not intend to kill Iris. She just wanted to keep Iris from escaping.Iris could feel the pain now. Her body trembled uncontrollably. She felt incredibly cold despite the warm weather."I... I'm fine..." she spoke weakly, her pale lips quivering.Jason held her hand tightly, "Don't worry, Lewis will be here with a doctor soon.""Are you... okay?" she asked hoarsely."I'm fine," Jason assured her.Iris' tense heart finally relaxed a little.She had never experienced such a nerve-racking ordeal before.It all felt like a dream.Scenarios seen only on TV had become reality. She was scared out of her wits earlier, but she tried to put on a brave face. She didn't want to be a burden to them.But in the end, as a powerle
When Iris looked up, she saw Luna standing behind Jason with a gun aimed at him.Her eyes widened, pupils shaking."Look out!"She rushed forward.Luna could have pulled the trigger as she had a clear shot at Jason, but when Iris shouted that warning, she saw through Iris' intention.In that split second when Jason turned with the gun, Iris hugged him and shielded him from Luna's gun.Luna's father had told her that Jason was off-limits. Harming him could lead to endless complications and may even result in the eradication of the Morris family!However, according to their investigation, Iris had no background, so they could use whatever means necessary to capture her. Even if she got injured, it didn't matter. Therefore, the instant Iris shielded Jason from the gun, Luna aimed at her back and fired a shot.At the moment of being hit, Iris felt no pain. Her whole body was paralyzed, unable to move.She slumped in Jason's arms.Jason held her falling body. "Iris!"He fiercely
"Let go!" Frustrated that she missed him with her attack, Luna grabbed a chair leg and swung it at Jason.Jason caught the chair leg and disarmed her, then flung her away with his other hand.Luna staggered several steps back and her waist hit a sharp object. She grimaced in pain.Blood seeped through her thin outer garment.Enraged, she exclaimed, "Catch Jason Just's woman! A reward of ten thousand for whoever catches that woman!"Her men, who were starting to be suppressed, began to fiercely resist again, reigniting the intense conflict!Gunfire rang out. The sound of objects being pierced mixed with screams created a battlefield-like atmosphere!Lewis rushed out of the hotel with Iris and headed for the car. Jason followed closely behind them after getting rid of Luna.However, due to Luna's words, her men rushed at them desperately.These people were desperados. They weren't afraid to die for money.The fight for profit among the families had always been fierce!Kaden's
"The back door is blocked," Lewis informed Jason. He was outnumbered. Facing the rain of bullets outside, he couldn't break through.Although Luna was a woman, she had years of experience. She wasn't a fool. She had already stationed guards at the back door.Holding a machine gun, she said, "If you surrender, I might let you live!"Jason and Iris were trapped in a hallway, with no way out!Clearly, it would be difficult to escape from the back door. Kaden's men were at the front entrance, so if they rushed out from the front, there might be a chance to escape amidst the chaos.Jason instructed Lewis to protect Iris. Seizing the opportunity, he fired several shots at Luna.Luna had to dodge."I'll draw their attention. Lewis, when you see the chance, escape with Iris," Jason said."Got it!" Lewis responded.He still had to be wary of the shots coming from the back.It was actually very difficult to rush out.Two bodyguards suddenly rushed in, attracting the fire of Luna and h