Ever since that accident... "Grandpa had a panic attack." The doctor broke the silence and his voice brought Shawn out of his reverie. Panic attack? The young man couldn't help but scoff. His grandfather had a panic attack because that issue? Because he told him he divorced that girl? Just how immensely was the old champ obsessed with him getting married that he'd actually suffered from a panic attack? Doctor Alfred eyed the dangerous man seated in front of him mindfully before speaking. "Mr. Shawn, there's something I think you deserve to know..." His voice trailed off. Shawn stared directly at the man's face as a go ahead. "I'll like for you to digest what I'm about to say well." The doctor chose his words carefully. He couldn't afford to say anything that would offend this formidable man in front of him, or he might spend the rest of his life in jail. He swallowed hesitantly before opening his mouth, "Grandfather is critically ill." He paused to observe the facial
However, now, for his dying grandfather, he'd have to do it. Get married. The search for a wife officially began. Shawn began to make a mental list of all the girls he could choose a bride from. There was none. Absolutely none. He found that all of them were either after his fame, money, or the position of the madam of Beats Corporations. Rubbish. The CEO scoffed exasperatedly. Whether he likes it or not, he has to choose one out of all of those despicable people... He had no choice. And this angered him greatly. Who would he choose to marry?... Right at this moment, something flashed through his eyes. In reality, he was, in fact, already married. That girl... That tiny little girl... The girl from this morning... The CEO pursed his lips. Could she have signed the divorce papers already? But wait. Is he making the right decision by choosing her? Her attitude this morning was... She was just too forward... Look at the way she had jumped at him... Well, she'd made her i
They all expected Mia to have started crying buckets of tears by now, instead, it was the other way round. In actual fact, Mia was exhausted. She'd cried herself to sleep after returning from the hospital last night. There were no more tears in her eyes. She'd poured everything out yesterday. She feels so empty right now.The students clicked their tongues disdainfully at her. At exactly this time, the bell rang, marking the beginning of classes for the day.On after the other, they all rushed to their various classes, leaving behind crying Martha and dry-faced Mia. "Mm-ia, who could have done th-this?" Martha's lips quivered and her body trembled as she wailed uncontrollably. Mia's heart broke at the sight of this and she quickly wrapped her arms around her best friend. "It's okay, stop crying." "No. This is so unfair to you. I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry. How I wish I knew the person that did this...""It's okay. Stop crying--it's not your fault." Mia patted her gently.She smil
After Martha left the table, Max and Mia remained silent, not speaking a word to each other. The atmosphere around them was tense and awkward. Mia immediately regretted not following Martha to the bathroom.Although the harsh words she was hearing around her were heart-piercing, those words weren't as devastating as sitting beside the one person who she loved so dearly, and the both of them acting like total strangers.Max regretted not forcing Martha to stay back with them... It was really so awkward being left alone with his ex. Aish.Several moments passed before he summoned up the courage to speak."Are you okay?" He asked in his cool voice, throwing a sideways glance at Mia.The girl replied by nodding her head. Then she let out a small smile.They both fell silent again.Max bit hesitantly on his lip as he eyed her, "are you angry?" Mia pursed her lips. Again, she nodded her head in response.Truth be told, she realized that she was no longer angry. Instead, she felt sad and emp
After moving closer to the person lying on the ground and confirming that it was indeed her elder sister, Vivian rushed to the girl's side with immediate effect. She hastily knelt on the ground. "What happened?—who did this to you?!" She was very angry. Although, she and Mia were half-sisters, she held Mia dearly to her heart. She did not joke with her at all. Mia was too weak to say a word, so Vivian gently helped her up from the ground. She picked also picked her sister's bag from the ground and then put Mia's arm around her neck. With difficulty, she began to help the girl to the dormitory. ***Martha's phone dinged all of a sudden and she immediately knew that it was what she'd been waiting for that'd come in. In fact, her phone was already in her hand in anticipation. She secretly played the video. After watching it, she grinned and quickly put her phone away in her bag before Max noticed anything.The two lovebirds were currently in the shopping mall--of course, for Martha.
Heaving a sigh filled with frustration, Mia trod back to the window and saw that the man was still standing outside the entrance.She couldn't possibly let him continue standing there like that—knowing fully well that he was here to see her. What would she do now?She heaved another sigh and quickly put on a pair of flip-flop slippers. Thereafter, she headed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.She ignored the piercing gazes of the girls around her and limped all the way to the front gate to meet her visitor. As soon as Lucas saw the lady step out through the gate, he breathed out a sigh of relief. He'd been standing here for a while now... all of those underaged girls, throwing flirtatious glances at him--yuck. Hmm. Not for once did it occur to the ever intelligent personal assistant of the CEO of Beats Corporations that he could have asked any of those 'underage' girls to get Mia for him. Tsk tsk. So much for having a high IQ.Thank goodness the lady was here now. Lu
He ignited the engine and began to drive onto the tarred road, in a direction that was completely strange and unfamiliar to Mia. BUt unlike her, Lucas knew where they were headed—the big boss' house.Throughout the drive, Mia simply sat still, unmoving. Her mind was occupied with a lot of terrifying thoughts... what would become of her now? Where were they taking her to? Had she come to the end of her journey in life?... She had her thighs tightly pressed together and she broke out into cold sweats."Do you want to suffocate to death?"It wasn't until the icy cold man asked this question that Mia realized she'd been holding her breath the whole time. She hastily released her ragged breath.Shawn clicked his tongue irritably. If the girl wanted to die, she should go ahead! But not in his car. He clicked his tongue yet again.Soon, they arrived at Magnificent and Lucas drove straight into the big boss' compound.As soon as Mia stepped foot out of the car, her mouth opened ajar. In fact,
As if reading her mind once again, "you can go about your daily life--as long as you do nothing that'll affect me. I'll assign a driver to you, to take you to and from school. Or anywhere you wish to go."As long as she didn't do anything that'd affect him... what could she possibly do in this life that'd affect this formidable man? Mia wondered. '...' Hold up.Her brows knitted together as she was lost deep in thought. She didn't need a driver--she didn't want one. No, no, no. What would the kids at school start to say...? She already didn't have a good image in school... She'd have to reject him. Mia looked up at the man who sat elegantly before him. He definitely wasn't one to take no for an answer. She gulped. What was she to do now? "Just give me money instead." Before she could think twice, she blurted out. But that was better, wasn't it? By asking for money... she didn't turn him down. But how she'd said it... did that not make her seem like..."I mean... for transport.
Jennifer Mandez smiled, observing the girl's downcast expression as she joined her side. She gently took off her gloves and cradled Mia's cheeks in her palms."Be free with me, Mia. I'm your mother as well. I held that title before I resumed being Shawn's mother," she chuckled.She paused briefly before continuing, "I want you to forgive me for hurting you. I apologize sincerely. Now, I know better. You're a rare gem, and I wouldn't want Sunshine to be with anyone but you."Mia's eyes widened, "Does that mean we have your blessing to proceed…?"She nodded, grinning."Thank you, Mom!" The girl squeaked happily, and they embraced in a tight, warm hug.“Now, we have to start preparing for the wedding. The date’s just around the corner.”She nodded and they both returned back inside.Soon, the wedding day arrived. Despite the commonality of extravagant weddings among the wealthy, Shawn and Mia's celebration stood out for its simplicity. Only a select few family and friends were invited, a
Shawn's lips tightened. "I believe you," he paused, "however, it's not you that I was referring to; it's the person behind you."‘Huh?’ Amanda's tears ceased instantly, and she swiftly turned to look behind her, as did everyone else.Anderson.Confusion swept through the room."You sending provoking pictures to Yvonne, making her rush back to the country... I was initially going to let you be. However, things changed after discovering you were the one who instigated the accident three years ago. And then you completely crossed the line by sending me those absurd threat messages," Shawn's icy voice confronted Anderson.Anderson stood, clearly taken aback. He hadn't anticipated Shawn's discovery to be so soon. He usually covered his tracks meticulously…“Why? After all these years working for Grandfather, why engage in such actions?” Shawn's brows furrowed deeply.Anderson chuckled. There was nothing to hide anymore, so why not come out clean? “Exactly. I've toiled for the old geezer fo
Upon arriving home, Shawn tenderly lifted his wife and placed her in their bedroom; she had fallen asleep during the ride. Delicately, he undressed her and tucked her into bed, taking a moment to remove her makeup with beauty wipes.As he disposed of the used wipes, Mia's phone started ringing on the nightstand. Without hesitation, he picked it up and noticed that the caller ID was unknown. He answered the call and brought the phone to his ear."Mia, I apologize. It's all my fault. Please, let's reconcile and go back to how we used to be."Upon hearing those words from the caller, Shawn's brows furrowed in irritation. Without uttering a word, he promptly ended the call. 'Dimwit.' As he placed the phone back on the stand, his thumb inadvertently pressed the photos app and opened it.He perched on the edge of the bed, smiling as he scrolled through the pictures on the girl’s phone. Soon, he stumbled upon an unexpected image—none other than a picture of himself, Shawn Mandez. In it, he
Veronica observed, sipping her cocktail, "Ah, so you two are acquainted." She taunted Martha, "Give this cocktail a try; after all, you seem to enjoy coveting what doesn't belong to you."Martha, a hint of fear in her voice, responded quickly, "Um, I don't know him."Veronica clicked her tongue in irritation, shaking her head at Martha's facade. How could she have been so blind to see the girl’s true color all these while?Everyone eyed the person who had just stepped in with confused expressions on their faces. The boy seemed to be around their age, however, he wasn’t familiar at all. He didn't bear the hallmarks of someone from their high school."Who's he?""No idea.""Recognize him?""Not at all."Veronica smiled, reassuring them, "Relax, everyone. You're about to meet him now."Martha's heart raced, fear escalating within her.Veronica turned to the newcomer, asking, "Tell us who you are and what brings you here."The guy's eyes shifted, locking onto Martha. "I'm Jason, Martha's
"Vicky Lewis!" Gasps echoed through the room as all eyes fixated on the newcomer.Mia was also taken aback to see her. She hadn't crossed paths with Vicky since she was expelled from high school, making tonight's encounter unexpected. Instinctively, an uneasy feeling settled within her.Was she here to bully her?However, Mia wasn't alone in her discomfort. Another individual seemed to be grappling with an even stronger sense of unease in response to Vicky's presence.'Why is she here? How did she manage to appear?' Martha gnawed on her lip, nearly drawing blood.After the girl's family faced bankruptcy and her father was incarcerated, Martha believed it spelled the end for Vicky Lewis.Despite Vicky’s persistent calls and attempts to connect, she remained indifferent, never acknowledging her.Long ago, she'd blocked her contact when her incessant calls became irritating. She wasn't responsible for her father's corruption or having a baby mama. She hadn't urged her to bully Mia to the
Upon entering the venue, a chorus of admiration erupted as Martha made her presence known.“You're as dazzling as ever, Martha.”“Your skin is positively radiant.”“Share your beauty secrets with us.”In a chic caramel knee-length dress beautified with subtle floral patterns, paired with classic silver heels, she exuded elegance. A silver necklace firmly adorned on her neck added a touch of poise, creating a simple yet tasteful look for the one-month school reunion.Martha waved her hand dismissively, cheeks turning a rosy hue as she blushed at the compliments pouring in. “Oh, come on, you guys. Enough about me. You all look fantastic yourselves,” she chuckled, taking her seat."Ah, I know. Max is treating her well.""Trueeee!" The collective cooing echoed.Martha simply giggled. "He'll be joining us shortly also.""Thank goodness that Mia girl didn't succeed back then," remarked one of Martha's ex-classmates, and the rest nodded in agreement.Martha's expression dropped upon hearing
"I'll leave now, and never cross your path again."Shawn stood in silence, observing the girl. Without warning, he marched towards the mini lounge, retrieving a lighter from the center table.Returning to Mia, he set ablaze the documents held in his grasp before one could comprehend what was about to happen.Mia let out an immediate shriek, her eyes widening in sheer horror. "What are you—?""You are mistaken. We're eternally linked—bound forever," Shawn calmly muttered as ashes drifted to the floor.Mia blinked rapidly at him."With that resolved, let's head downstairs for dinner. It’s late," he said, changing from his robe into more casual attire.Mia remained rooted in place, her heart burdened and fatigued. "But I don't belong here... your betro—""That's not your concern, Little One. We're married. Legally married. Are you willing to discard that for a meaningless contract?"She frowned at his words.Shawn's mouth twitched as he took her hand, guiding her downstairs to the dining
Three years prior,As an intern, Charlotte found herself working late into the night on this particular day. Upon completing her tasks at B.Y TV building, she headed out. As she walked down the road, a young man approached her."Miss, Master Davis would like to see you. Please, come with me."Upon hearing this, Charlotte felt a mix of surprise and anticipation.The Davis family had consistently opposed her relationship with Damien, and the reasons remained a mystery to her. Perhaps, they were here to reconcile with her. That was her initial assumption.She promptly followed the man to the car, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she got in."Uncle, Aunt," she bowed politely.Master Davis and his wife cast disdainful glances at the girl.“The reason we summoned you today is straightforward,” Madam Davis spoke. “Sever ties with our son. We don't want you for him.”Upon hearing the woman's heart-wrenching words, a wave of sadness engulfed Charlotte. "Wh-why? Did I do something wron
Stella and her younger siblings were bewildered to see Madam Mandez. She was meant to be deceased—three years prior, they attended her burial ceremony. How was it possible for her to stand before them now?Their astonishment outweighed any excitement, rendering them unable to leap towards her in joy at the unexpected reunion after several years. Was she a ghost?"Master Davis, Madam Davis," Jennifer greeted with a subtle smile, gesturing for the visitors to take their seats.Madam Davis closed the gap between them, taking Jennifer's hands in hers and patting them comfortingly. "It must have been challenging for you these past few years. Are you alright?"She and her husband had learnt that the woman didn’t die in the accident and had been in a coma all these while, only waking up recently…Jennifer Mandez nodded, "I'm fine, thank you, Natasha. Please, take your seat."Madam Davis nodded and then took her seat beside her husband.“It’s good to see you're doing well. However, we've come