Zara's eyes went straight to the gash on Yosef's belly.It was a mess with all the blood.He was pale from losing so much blood, which made his dark brows and eyes stand out starkly.Zara spoke up, "Ms. Schmidt is really hurt. It makes sense that Professor Schmidt went to her first."Yosef's eyes scanned her face, his voice icy. "Always defending him, aren't you?"The doctor came over with a needle full of numbing medicine. "Let's not talk now. It's time to stitch you up."Zara bit her lip and nodded, holding her breath.The doctor was worried about Yosef. "He's still bleeding. We might have internal damage here. Get the OR ready."The doctors knew who Yosef was and were extra careful. "Mr. Webb, you need surgery right now."Charvi, who was right by Yosef's side, was agitated and scared. "Please, doctor. You have to make Mr. Webb better!"Yosef lifted his hand, telling them to be quiet. The nurses were about to wheel him to surgery, and he was ready.Once Zara got her shot,
Yosef's face stiffened. "You saved me just to get rid of those photos?""Why else would I do that?" Zara was worried Yosef might not keep his promise. "You wouldn't forget a favor, right?"Yosef let out a huff, his expression growing cold. He turned away from her and held his belly where it hurt. "Just sit tight. After you're out of here, I'll take care of it."Even though she only had to be in the hospital for two days, the thought of being in the same ward with Yosef for 48 hours straight made Zara really uneasy.She even considered asking the nurse if she could leave today.Seemingly reading her mind, Yosef said in a chilly voice, "Most of our team is here. You want to walk out alone and be an easy mark for Winston?"Zara bit her lip, feeling frustrated. She eventually dropped the idea.The mention of Winston made her anxious again. "That hand... Is it from the missing body?"Yosef closed his eyes and nodded.Zara's face went white. "The police dogs searched the entire Apri
Yosef looked upset, and Zara did not feel like saying more. Her arm hurt a lot, so she pressed the button to call the nurse.The nurse arrived and saw how much pain Zara was in. "Stitches are bound to hurt, but if it's too much, I can get you some painkillers."Zara nodded. "That would be great, thanks."She could handle the pain in her mind no matter how tough or stressful it got.Dealing with the pain in her body was a different story, however. She was not as good at dealing with that.Maybe it was because heartache was something she just had to push through, even when it felt like too much. A body ache, however, could usually be fixed with medicine. She would not put up with it if she did not have to.One could not always pretend to be strong, but eventually, it would just be too much.After Zara took the painkillers the nurse gave her, she felt sleepy.The nurse glanced at Yosef in the next bed and asked, "Are you in pain too? Do you want some medicine?"Yosef just said, "
Yosef did not pick up. He hung up and texted: [What's up?]Ophite was not hurt and had been taking care of some business. He had just left the police station.Winston claimed he was just casual buddies with Portly and Lanky and had not been in touch with them for ages. He also said he had no clue why they would do such a thing. Hearing what Ophite told him, Yosef chuckled. "Yeah, right."Everyone knew Winston was fibbing. The real snag was the lack of hard proof that Winston was the one pulling the strings. With nothing to pin on him, the police had to let him go. Ophite said, "Yosef, this guy might not seem like much, but he's trickier than we thought.""He's good with dogs," Yosef noted. "Even the undercover police officer saw it.""He said he just whistled for fun, that it wasn't meant for the dogs. He's not from Apricot Village, and those are Apricot Village's mutts. They naturally wouldn't listen to him. "He's doing everything to wash his hands of it. Right now, we real
Zara did not catch what they were arguing about, but they both fell silent when they noticed she was awake.She looked at Yosef and then at Stanley by her bedside. She tried to sit up.Her left hand was hurt, so she could not push herself up. Stanley quickly got up, gently supported her shoulder, and propped a pillow behind her to make her more comfortable.His expression softened as he asked, "How do you feel? Are you in pain?"Zara shook her head. "I took some painkillers. I'm okay. What brings you here? Is Ms. Schmidt's injury bad?"Stanley answered, "Her surgery went well. She's still out from the anesthesia and hasn't woken up yet. I've got a nurse with her, and they'll let me know as soon as she wakes."Zara's brows creased slightly.Stanley figured she was worried about Melanie and wanted him to go back to her. She probably wanted to tell him not to fuss over her.Before Zara could say a word, he said, "Melanie's ward is right here on this floor. I'm just a few steps awa
Zara burst into a giggle. "I'm not a fan of candy. Does chocolate work just the same?"Yosef chuckled.Stanley paused and then called out, "Zara.""I've told you over and over, I'm okay. Why won't you believe me, Professor Schmidt? It's like you want something to be wrong." Zara paused, thinking for a moment. She continued, "Should I make a vow? To prove I'm alright?"She did not want to spill the beans, and Stanley was at a loss.Zara then shooed him off to check on Melanie.Stanley held his ground for a few minutes but finally let out a sigh and stood up."I'll bring dinner for you tonight. Chocolate, right? I'll bring that too.""Thanks."The moment Stanley left the ward, his warm smile vanished. It was replaced by a cold, serious look.Yosef, relaxing against the headboard with a smirk, seemed in high spirits as he eyed Zara. "Why not ask Professor Schmidt for help? Think he can't do anything? Or scared he'll learn about our past?""It was neither," Zara replied, lying b
In the end, Yosef was rushed back into surgery to treat his wound again.Ophite hurried in, bombarding Charvi with questions. Was it not just a cut on the skin? Why did he need another surgery?Charvi, looking troubled, answered, "I'm not sure. Mr. Webb said I didn't need to stay in the ward, so I've been outside all this while.""So, you're saying his wound just split open while he was resting in his ward?" Ophite pressed on, "Wasn't he by himself in there? What was in the ward?"Charvi hesitated. "Mr. Webb and Ms. Lowry... were in the ward together."Ophite could not believe it.He knew that Zara had always been under Yosef's control, like a trapped fox under a tiger's paw. What could have happened to make his wound reopen like that?Lost in thought, Ophite went to the ward door and peered through the window at Zara.She was propped up in bed, staring at her phone with a small frown. She looked worried.Ophite was a little relieved. He had been worried about Yosef and was su
Winston tried to stand up, but Nord slammed his foot onto Winston's chest. Winston winced in pain, feeling like his ribs were cracking.Winston gasped. "You... You should at least tell me your names if you're going to be so bold!"Stanley spoke in an even tone, propping the steel pipe against a rock. "Do you think you can just do whatever you want because you've been in charge for too long?""You're like a frog in a well, thinking you own the whole sky. You think you can do anything and mess with anyone. You don't know how small you really are."Winston felt a chill. The man speaking so calmly was scarier than the one standing on him.His face went white, and his voice shook. "If you... If you dare hurt me, I swear you'll regret ever being born!"Nord shoved Winston's leg into the sharp angle where a steel pipe met a stone. Without a second thought, Stanley stepped down hard on the pipe. With a terrible crunch, Winston's shinbone snapped, and his screams filled the alley.Stanle
Harper's kisses were always teasing, intentionally awakening her senses.Their tongues tangled, taking her breath away. When she felt like she could not breathe and instinctively grabbed at his shirt, Harper let go and kissed his way down to her chin, neck, and chest.She could not resist him.Shelby was torn. She did not have to hold back her body's needs and reactions, especially since they could not end their marriage just yet. He was her husband, after all, so why should she deny herself? She decided to make the most of it.Men could easily separate love from physical desire, and women could too. Shelby did not think that accepting Harper's touches meant she liked him. It was just about meeting a need.She would just get that over with.Shelby's fingers gripped the sheets tightly as Harper kissed her growing belly. She was six months along, and her belly was a little bigger. The thought of their child made his heart melt, and he kissed her several more times before suddenly s
Shelby made a sound of agreement, her back sore from sitting too long. She leaned back against Harper without much thought. She was busy with her work and not in the mood for conversation.Harper quickly got the gist of the case file. In short, it was a classic example of someone facing the consequences of their own actions.In the western part of Starville, there was a middle school and a vocational school. The two schools were just a street apart. Not all, but at least 80% of the vocational school students were troublemakers.One of those students, Yered, often rounded up his gang to shake down the middle school kids for their money.Since last year, the bullies had been targeting Steven Scott, a middle schooler. They would often demand money from him. Steven was shy and scared, so he never stood up to them and just handed over the cash.However, this time, as he was walking with a girl from his class, the bullies blocked their path again. They started to pick on the girl becaus
Samantha was really happy. She lifted her finger elegantly and said softly, "One step at a time. First, we'll make sure the child is gone. Then, we'll push them to divorce, and in the end, when she's weak from losing the baby, we'll take care of her." If Shelby died as Harper's wife, then Harper would get everything, and that would be bad. The two women agreed. While reclining on their bamboo chairs, they started dreaming about their perfect future—one with the Young family and the other with all the money. Since the foot masseuse could not hear or speak, they talked freely, not worried about anyone overhearing them. After the massage, they even went to eat together. The masseuse quietly cleaned up and tidied the room. Then, she headed straight for the lookout point. The resort was in the mountains, with lots of trees and streams. The lookout was up high, with a great view of all the little mountains. It was a beautiful spot that every guest at the hotel made sure to visit.
Adalee was doubtful. "Is it really that serious? Our husband doesn't like that dowdy wife or the eldest son. Even if he's started to favor Harper more because of his marriage to the Lambert family, that still won't affect our children.""Our husband used to leave the company matters to our sons, but now he's handing them over to Harper. Who knows what the future holds?" Samantha said with a hint of malice. "We can't take that risk. We can't let Harper get too much leverage. We can't let him and his child have too great a chance to win."Adalee could see Samantha was desperate and asked anxiously, "What are you thinking of doing? She's a lawyer. She knows the law, and she's the sole heir to the Lambert family."Samantha's eyes suddenly became slits. "That's right, she's the only one who will inherit the Lambert family's fortune. With that kind of money, there are loads of people who want to trick her or get their hands on it. "She's a lawyer, not a superhero. Just wait. I'll make
It was Shelby's first visit to the Youngs' place, and by chance, she walked in on his father's so-called second and third wives being snide to Harper. His dad had not lifted a finger to help. It seemed like this was not a one-off occurrence.Was that the way they always treated him?Harper, taken aback by her blunt question, nearly slammed on the brakes. What?"Me, being pushed around in the family? That's just because I can't be bothered..." Who would waste their time arguing with a bunch of women or stoop so low as to fight with their dad's other women? That would be so embarrassing, right?However, he stopped himself mid-sentence.Because he suddenly realized that by saying that, he was making it sound like he felt bad for being 'picked on' at home.Harper slowed the car down and glanced at Shelby. Her eyebrows were knitted together, and she looked really serious. She was definitely not happy.He almost smiled, but he pushed it back down. He swallowed hard and changed his voi
She faced Samantha, not bothering to argue about inheritance rights. "You still haven't answered my earlier question. What does 'stepmother' mean?"Caught off guard by the sudden shift back to the topic, Samantha was momentarily speechless.Shelby did not wait for her to catch up. She pulled out her phone and quickly tapped the screen."Ah, I see," Shelby remarked, glancing at her phone. "According to this, 'stepmother' used to refer to a concubine in ancient times. That's similar to a servant, isn't it? So, in modern terms, it's like a maid. "Got it now. Would you mind getting me some salad? Thanks."The nerve of her, treating Samantha like a common maid! She had never been so insulted. "You!"Shelby set her phone down and met her gaze. "Since you're so curious, I'll fill you in. In the Lambert family, my word is law. If you're ever curious about me again, just ask me directly. No need to rely on rumors."Samantha bit her lip and looked to Gilbert for support, but he just sat
It was Shelby.Pregnant and in flats, she stood firm with not a hint of weakness about her.Her steady gaze fell on the two women who fancied themselves important, leaving them at a loss for words.Harper paused for just a moment, then quickly got to his feet and hurried over. "Dear!"The Young family's house was bright and airy. Harper's eyes sparkled with the unexpected joy of seeing Shelby, who had said she would not come. His face lit up with a smile.Shelby watched him, amused. She thought he was like their excited Shiba Inu, dashing over at the sight of its owner.Harper reached her side, calling out again, "Dear."Shelby gave a small nod. "Yeah."The guests at the dining table snapped out of their surprise, and Wrenley beamed. "Shelby, you're here."Shelby greeted her parents-in-law, "Mom, Dad."Wrenley hurried over to help her, her actions showing just how much she cherished her daughter-in-law.That was Shelby's first visit to the Young family since her wedding. She
Harper waited until Wrenley had said enough, andthen he spoke up."I just don't get you. Your family's loaded, my grandparents are laidback, and Dad doesn't even like you. Why stick to him? Just divorce him, take half his stuff, go home, and hang out with some young models. "That'd be way better than sticking to a lost cause. You've got no ambition."If it were Shelby, she would have left by then if he had not trapped her by getting her pregnant and holding something over her head. Why couldn't his mom be more like his wife?"In your dreams!"Wrenley, with tears in her eyes, scoffed. "The Young family wasn't always so fancy. I married him, and he promised me the moon. 'A good wife helps me reach my dreams, and I'll pay her back in gold.' And then what? "Once the Young family made it big, he just kept bringing in more women and their kids. How can I accept that? I'll fight him to the end, even if it kills me!"Harper sighed. "You want to fight him, I don't. Shelby and her baby
"An old friend?" Zara questioned. "If an old friend wanted to see me, they should be visiting the cemetery, not here."Only a very few people knew she was still alive.Shawn asked, "Is it a man or a woman?""A young man. He also said something else...""What did he say?"The butler hesitated, then relayed, "He said... The miss tricked him, and now she owes him for it."Zara was speechless.The garden fell silent for a moment, with only the whisper of the summer wind rustling through the flowers.Seconds later, Shawn set aside his tablet and smiled slightly. "Really? That sounds fun. Get him to come in. I'd like to meet him too."Zara had thought it was just a joke, but when the butler led the visitor in, she stood up in astonishment.It was him!...In Parnova, the sun shone brightly.However, in Starville, the weather was turning.The sky had been clear when Harper left home in the morning. However, when he reached the Youngs' place at noon, he saw the sun hidden behind