Considering Esther's previous care arrangement during her time at the hospital, Clark requested that the same nursing worker continue to be her caretaker for convenience.Of course, the main reason was that Clark was worried that if they brought in a servant from the estate, the servant might inadvertently reveal the truth, leading to complications in Esther's recovery.Felix followed closely behind Esther, looking at her with pitiful and aggrieved eyes, which made others feel sorry for him.Clark comforted him, saying, "Mr. Felix, once you're feeling better, I'll come to pick you up.""Grandpaw Clark, you have to take good care of Mommy!"Felix was deeply worried. What if that wicked woman found out that his mother had awakened and tried to harm her again? What should he do to stay by his mother's side openly and protect her? He longed to grow up quickly so that he could protect her."Mr. Felix, don't worry. I'll take good care of her," said Clark.Clark and the caretaker packe
Scenes of being beaten and bullied flashed through Esther's mind. In that instant, her head throbbed with pain. She held her head and sat under the shower head.Ice-cold water flowed out of the shower head.Like a person on the verge of death, Esther sat panting for cold air under the water. A shadow of pain flickered in her shining eyes that were like a cluster of stars.After spending what felt like a long time in the bathroom, Esther eventually emerged, wearing a bathrobe. She casually selected a dress from the closet and proceeded to dry her hair with a hairdryer."Madam?" Melinda lightly knocked on the door.Esther opened the door and asked, looking at Melinda outside, "What's wrong?""Dinner's ready," replied Melinda.Esther sat alone for dinner in the spacious dining room. Looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see the bustling city lights, the twinkling lights scattered like stars in the world.Since this house used to be the marital home of Bradley and
Felix sat alone, sulking on the bed in the hospital ward because he could not leave with Esther.Bradley, consumed by the video clip provided by the lawyer, had little capacity to consider Felix's delicate emotions. Seated in his study, he picked up Cole's water-damaged phone and fell into a restless contemplation.The desolate night wrapped around him, and in the darkness, he appeared to be brewing an unending storm.Felix secretly used his tablet to send a text message to Clark.Felix: [Grandpaw Clark, is Mommy safe at home?]Soon, Clark replied to Felix's message.Clark: [Madam just finished dinner and is now enjoying the night view.]Although Felix was young and had not been to school, he had a high IQ and intelligence, so he was skilled in using the tablet. Moreover, he had been exposed to different things since he was young, so he always knew more than other children.Felix: [Grandpaw Clark, when can we tell Daddy the truth?]Looking at the content on his tablet, Felix h
Certain things were a matter of principle, and Bradley would never compromise.Meanwhile, Felix, who was buried under the blanket, thought that since his father did not want him to see his mother, he would secretly go see her anyway.As long as he was careful, he would not be found out.Bradley took a long glance at Felix, who was hidden under the blanket and was about to walk over when he heard his phone ring.He entered the study and picked up the call indifferently after a look at the caller ID on his phone. "Liliane."Liliane was extremely excited as she said, "Brad, my mom! A friend of my mom knows the wedding dress designer Anna. Anna happens to be doing a local tour showcasing her wedding dress, 'The Wedding Dress from Heaven'. If you're available, can you go see her with me?"Bradley asked flatly, "When?""This Friday." Liliane held her phone, her eyes full of smiles, as she said, "Brad, if Anna's willing to sell me the dress, let's have a tropical island theme wedding,
Leah explained, "Perhaps he isn't intentionally keeping it from you, but rather there's a difference in thinking between men and women. What you consider important may be trivial to Bradley. Liliane, the more such times, the more you must stay calm and composed.""Mom, you have no idea. I almost sent that b*tch to that dead old man's side today!"Once Liliane thought about the wasted drug bottle, she was so angry that her lips trembled.Leah calmly reprimanded, "Liliane, think twice before you act. I've already asked Dr. Birch to examine Esther's heart. Once her heart is deemed suitable, we can create an accident and transplant her heart into you."Liliane drank the glass of water and finally calmed down from her mixed feelings of anger and betrayal. She took a deep breath and sat across from Leah, asking softly, "Mom, if Esther really has selective amnesia, will she become a threat to me again?""She won't." Leah's eyes flashed with a hint of cruelty. "Liliane, have you forgotten
"Mommy!"Esther reached out and hugged Felix in her arms, ruffling his hair. In an instant, his neat hair gained a touch of messy charm."Felix, did you sleep well last night? Mommy made breakfast for you. Do you want to try it?" asked Esther.Felix nodded eagerly."Then be a good boy and go wash up," said Esther.Felix dashed into the bathroom while Esther arranged the containers she brought on the table one by one.As Bradley entered the ward after he finished his morning run, he saw the abundant variety of breakfast on the table and Esther, who should not be there. With a dark expression, he questioned, "Esther, who allowed you to come here?"Remembering Melinda's teachings from last night, Esther suppressed her nervousness and uneasiness and called out sweetly, "Darling, I came to bring you breakfast."Bradley's gaze fell on the various types of breakfast, questioning with a mocking tone, "Esther, from which breakfast shop did you buy these? Don't you know that Felix can't
In the morning light, Esther looked gorgeous, like a fairy fallen to earth. She lowered her starry gaze and replied sweetly, "Felix, blow on it, and Mommy won't feel pain anymore."Felix obediently blew on her blister for a while before Esther fed him broccoli. Felix opened his mouth and had a satisfied expression.When Bradley came out of the shower, he saw Esther and Felix feeding each other in the morning glow. He turned around in confusion and changed into a suit.While he was tying his tie, Esther approached him, extending her slender fingers and skillfully helping him with the tie. The sudden intimacy from Esther made Bradley's body stiffen.After Esther finished tying the tie attentively, she suddenly reached out and hugged Bradley on the waist, burying her head in his chest. She could hear the man's heartbeat next to her ear."Darling, let's not argue anymore, okay?" she asked.Bradley's heart began to race uncontrollably. It felt as if the blood in his body was boiling.
Bradley desperately washed his lips with water in the bathroom as if trying to completely clean off the warm touch from his lips. His eyes, filled with a dark and fierce glint, looked at his reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, the image of the small red mole on Esther's collarbone flashed in his mind.In astonishment, he took out his phone and accessed a hidden folder where he found a video. It was a widely circulated video from five years ago featuring a woman who had the same facial features as Esther. The only difference was that the woman in the video did not have the vivid and tempting small red mole on her collarbone.Bradley carefully examined the woman in the video, comparing her facial features to Esther's. They were exactly the same. Bradley seemed to realize something and paused the video. He pushed open the bathroom door and walked menacingly toward Esther.Startled and filled with fear, Esther took a step back and ended up leaning against the desk. Bradley pressed her a
Bradley's brazen words made Gabriel raise an eyebrow, and his scrutinizing gaze on Bradley intensified.Unfazed by Gabriel, Bradley calmly stated, "Mr. Sinclair, when I visited Shane recently, he handed me some video footage. It showed Esther being assaulted and abused in prison, with the perpetrators claiming it was my order. I've always dared to own up to my actions. What I've done, I won't shirk from. What I haven't done, I won't admit."Gabriel had seen the videos online. Even though Bradley had obscured the protagonist's face in the footage, he knew it was Esther. He had believed entrusting Esther to Thomas would ensure her safety, only to discover how fate twisted things."Bradley, I'll assume your words are true," Gabriel began. "Then tell me, if those people who assaulted Esther in prison weren't influenced by someone else, who put her in prison? Have you forgotten how you, in your irrational madness, expected a woman carrying your children to pay the price? Or do you believ
When Bradley brought up his grandfather again, he felt utterly unfilial as a grandson."Your grandfather's greatest wish before he passed was for you and Esther to live peacefully and happily. Sadly, all he witnessed was discord and enmity between you as a couple."Gabriel understood better than anyone that Bradley, in his youthful arrogance, felt that everything and everyone should conform to his desires. When Thomas compelled Bradley to marry Esther, almost like an arranged marriage, his rebellious nature surfaced."I've failed my grandfather's hopes," Bradley admitted with a bitter taste in his mouth.During quiet, solitary nights, he revisited memories of the past repeatedly.He hadn't desired that marriage back then. However, since he had promised his grandfather to marry Esther, he should have genuinely treated her as a wife.Despite the subsequent events not aligning with his wishes, he was painfully aware that if he hadn't been arrogant and unwilling to listen to Esther's
Esther wasn't pleasant toward Bradley. If she had evidence, she would gladly send him to prison to experience the joy of life behind bars.Bradley gazed blankly at Esther's stunning face, a hint of indescribable sorrow in his eyes. Those deep eyes resembled a chilly cold spring."Not only do you want to chop off my hand, but you also want my life, right?"Esther gestured a slice across her neck at Bradley with her hand, then turned away to tell Logan, "Let's go. Don't waste time on this.""Okay."With languid steps, Esther walked into the elevator. Once they were inside, the elevator doors shut.Outside the elevator, Bradley watched Esther and Logan like they were two puzzle pieces that matched perfectly. Instantly, he felt an unbearable heartache, as if his heart was being torn apart.He instinctively reached out to steady himself against the wall, observing the numbers on the elevator panel decrease until it stopped at the ground floor.It took a while before Bradley recovere
Throughout the entire night, neither Esther nor Logan had shut their eyes.Feeling their eyes strain, they applied eye drops. It wasn't until Esther noticed someone who shouldn't have been there on the surveillance footage."Logan, take a look at this."Perplexed, Logan asked, "What's going on?""Do you think this person looks like Shirley?"Esther was particularly sharp in discerning a woman's physique. She could immediately tell that the woman being supported by a man due to her intoxication bore a striking resemblance to Shirley."Let me see."Logan zoomed in on the surveillance footage, carefully comparing it with the footage containing Shirley. Physically, the two women indeed looked very similar.There was just one question... How would they confirm if she was Shirley?"Esther, stay here and keep watching the surveillance. I'll retrieve other surveillance footage.""Okay."Logan and Esther divided their tasks. Suspecting that the intoxicated woman might be Shirley, Est
Logan and Esther exchanged a glance. They fixed their intense gazes on Jason's face, unable to discern if he was smirking or provoking them."Mr. Taft, the evidence you seek will come."Jason scoffed. He seemed to transform into a different person as he put his glasses back on."Even if Shirley deceived me, I never wished harm upon her, let alone her death."I can consider your suspicions toward me as part of the investigation, but I hope that once everything is revealed, you can restore my innocence."I've said my piece. As long as Shirley hasn't divorced me, she remains my wife. I am obliged to cooperate in the investigation, and I hope you find her soon."Logan and Esther sensed something amiss with the first confrontation. They didn't say anything untoward until they exited the elevator and looked up at Jason's balcony outside.Jason stood on the balcony, looking at Logan and Esther and waving toward them.Logan and Esther looked at Jason before they turned and got into the
"She blocked me on all forms of contact at that time. I even tried contacting her through my colleagues' phones but found out she had blocked them, too. I thought she might be angry, so we should both calm down."Logan didn't speak and just listened quietly as Jason recounted the events of the case."I was angry that she blocked me. At my age, what's wrong with wanting a child? My parents were pushing for it, and I wondered if this marriage was what I wanted."Shirley is very beautiful. My friends and classmates say I'm lucky to have married her, but they don't know that beauty comes at a price."While my colleagues were buying properties, my wife kept changing bags. Her clothes, skincare products, shoes—everything was designer. To support her lifestyle, I work diligently, even taking extra freelance jobs to afford it."I thought I was a good husband and just wanted a child. What did I do wrong? If she had said that she didn't want a child after marriage in the first place, it wou
Gabriel took a long look at Esther, realizing more than anyone that Esther seemed to be heading toward a different extreme now. He wasn't certain if this shift in Esther's demeanor was good or bad.However, one thing was clear to him—the intersection of Esther and Bradley's lives resembled two lines crossing. After intersecting, they would drift further apart."Esther, you can investigate Bradley's criminal evidence. I won't object to that," Gabriel said with a stern face, emphasizing, "But ensure you complete your tasks on time and with quality.""Grandpa Gabriel, rest assured, I won't neglect my work."Gabriel nodded. "Go on then.""Alright." Esther stepped out of the office and approached Logan. "We can set off now.""Okay."Logan didn't inquire about Esther's conversation with Gabriel. Although they pretended to be engaged, Logan maintained a respectful distance from Esther. He wouldn't interfere much in her matters. However, he was aware that if she needed his help, he woul
Gabriel stated, "According to her husband, they argued before she went missing. He assumed she had returned to her parents' home and didn't inquire further since they often had cold spells for ten days to half a month. Their relatives and friends can testify to this."However, the cold spell extended to a month this time, which alarmed him. When he called her parents, they told him his wife never went home."Esther knew that the husband was often the first suspect when the wife went missing in cases like this."The wife bought a high-speed train ticket to her parents' home but didn't take the train back. The police traced her taking a ride-hailing car, and the driver claimed to have dropped her off on the street. The dashcam recording is proof. However, after that point, there's a blind spot in the surveillance footage. Usually, surveillance is kept for a certain period and gets overwritten after that."Logan asked, "What about the investigation on the missing woman's husband?""T
Esther rose, fixating on the distant scenery with clear eyes. "As long as he commits a crime, he'll leave traces."Logan was on the verge of speaking but was interrupted by the sudden ring of his phone."Hello, Mr. Sinclair."Gabriel's voice sounded grave. "There's a new lead.""Alright, we'll be right there."Logan stood up, turning to Esther. "We'll meet at the locker room entrance in ten minutes.""Is there a new development?""Yes."For most girls, ten minutes might not suffice even for basic grooming. For Esther, it was just right. The only issue was her long hair. Time was too short, and she lacked the opportunity to blow-dry it. Her damp hair draped over her shoulders, slightly soaking her T-shirt.Logan kept his eyes on the road. "I'll drive. You can use a towel to dry your hair.""Okay."As Logan drove, Esther sat in the car, patting her hair dry with a towel. Her hair was thick, posing a challenge to dry with just a towel.Nevertheless, Esther refrained from openi