Liam shook his head and answered softly, "No, it won't."He had so many fans. How could he be responsible for the actions of each fan?Besides, it was the fan's own decision to throw the bottle at Esther. It had nothing to do with him. He had not instructed the fan to do such a thing, but... he darkly thought to himself that he wished the bottle had hit Esther right in the face.A heartless woman like Esther deserved to be disfigured. Once she was disfigured, she would experience the pain that Liliane had suffered."Enjoy the concert."Liliane put away her phone and watched the symphony orchestra on stage attentively. However, she could not help but think about the nurse who had attacked Esther.She had accidentally discovered that the extreme nurse was a fan of Liam. Because Liam treated her well, that fan had deliberately made things difficult for her too.Liliane understood what was going through that fan's mind. She was probably what they called a girlfriend fan, someone who
Esther struggled to break free from Bradley's grip, but her efforts were in vain."Esther, what do you want to do? Do you want to go backstage to see Twinkle?" Bradley asked."Yes, I want to see her." Esther glared at Bradley. "If you're worried I'll run away, come with me. There's no need for—""Esther, calm down. She's not your daughter. Stop directing your overflowing motherly love at everyone—"Ignoring the crowd at the concert hall's exit, Esther slapped Bradley."Shut up!"Observing that Esther and Bradley weren't as harmonious as she had imagined, Liliane felt a surge of pleasure. Since she had lost everything, why should Esther be so happy?Liliane chimed in. "Esther, causing a scene in public is embarrassing!"Esther glared at Liliane with resentment and scoffed, "Mind your own business!"Liliane felt even more delighted when she saw Esther getting angry. She casually rubbed salt in the wound and pretended to ask, "Did seeing Twinkle perform on stage remind you of you
Liliane's heart sank. She had always known that Bradley was heartless and ruthless, yet she couldn't help but be captivated by his charm. Her desire to conquer him only intensified as he grew colder toward her.Liliane eagerly awaited the day when Bradley would kneel before her, humbly begging for her forgiveness. It was a moment she longed for."Mr. Warner, let me reiterate that I had no prior knowledge that Felix was your son and Esther's. If I had known, I would never have..."Esther found Liliane's argument quite amusing.With a laugh, Esther appeared like a wisteria flower gracefully blooming in the breeze in her purple dress adorned with wisteria flower patterns, which only fueled Liliane's jealousy.Each time Liliane thought she had brought Esther to her knees, it seemed she would always bounce back like a resilient weed."Liliane, you're just relying on the fact that someone's taking the blame for all the mistakes you've made. Did you really not know that Felix is my son?
Unfortunately, in Bradley's eyes, all of Esther's words seemed like desperate and feeble arguments.Esther turned away coldly and hurried to the parking lot.Bradley looked deeply at Esther's back, feeling a sense of unease, especially when he saw her obediently getting into the car. It felt as if Esther's current docile and submissive behavior was just an act.As soon as Bradley got into the car, he reached out and held Esther's hand. "Esther, Pixie will be back with us soon."Esther sneered, raising an eyebrow. "Should I thank you for finally showing a hint of fatherly love, Mr. Warner? Or should I thank you for remembering our missing daughter out of mercy?""Esther, must you speak to me sarcastically?" Bradley's voice held a tinge of anger.Esther scoffed and nonchalantly looked at Bradley before mocking him, "You took away my freedom and still expect me to please you? Bradley, I'm not that easily swayed."Bradley pressed the button to raise the partition between the front a
Bradley replied, "You can choose. Have a child or be imprisoned for a lifetime."Esther remained silent, gazing out of the car window. It had been so long since she had seen photos of Tinkerbell and Pixie that she could hardly remember what they looked like.Strangely, Twinkle's face flashed in her mind when she thought of her daughters just now."Give me a photo of Tinkerbell and Pixie," Esther requested.Bradley questioned coldly, "Why do you need the photo?""I'm afraid I'll forget them," Esther replied, her fragile demeanor resembling that of a doll. She looked at the bustling traffic outside the car window and asked, "Bradley, when you found out that Tinkerbell and Pixie were your daughters, did you look at their photos carefully? Do you still remember what they look like?"Bradley remained silent, refusing to answer Esther's question.Esther's fair and cold face was reflected in the car window. There was a hint of fragility in her frosty expression that evoked sympathy.S
Esther carefully applied her makeup to resemble the maid, paying close attention to the details.The maid, looking at Esther in the mirror, exclaimed in shock, "Madam, you're amazing at makeup!""They teach you everything in prison," Esther replied, her voice gentle. "As long as you're willing to learn."During her five years in prison, Esther had learned a variety of skills, including skincare, hairstyling, and fashion design. The prison authorities invited experts from different fields to give lectures, ensuring that inmates wouldn't lose their ability to survive after their release.Esther was naturally smart and quick to learn, and she excelled in many areas during her time there. Makeup, in particular, was like an art form to her.The maid had assumed Esther had learned from a renowned makeup artist, unaware that Esther had acquired her skills in prison. She smiled awkwardly.Once Esther finished her makeup, she applied makeup to the maid, making her look like her doppelgang
Jasper sensed that Esther was contemplating death because of what had happened to Felix, so he gently comforted her. "Esther, you haven't found Pixie yet. If you die, there will be no one in this world who truly loves her. Only by staying alive can we keep hope alive.""It's not a real death. It's pretending to die in front of everyone. After I fake my death, I want to go abroad to find Pixie."Esther no longer wanted to be entangled with Bradley. If their relationship was destined to fail, it should be ended promptly. Her youthful infatuation couldn't withstand the harsh reality.All she wanted now was to be far away from Bradley... far enough that he could never enter her life again."So, you mean you want to stage your death and go abroad?" Jasper pondered carefully, considering the feasibility of Esther's plan. "Esther, I understand what you're feeling, but you need to know that running away won't solve the problems. Even if you escape from Bradley's influence now, do you plan
"Esther, are you ready?"Jasper arrived at the designated area of the sea and took out his phone, opening the live-streaming platform. The account used for streaming belonged to him since he was the decision-maker of the Searle Group and had his own personal social media account. He was even affectionately nicknamed "The Nation's Husband" by his female fans due to his single status."I'm ready," Jasper said, making an "OK" gesture to Esther, who was out of the camera's view.Once the live stream began, Jasper's fans received notifications that he was currently live streaming. They were surprised to find out that it was actually Esther who was trending that night."Hello, everyone. I'm Esther Quill," she said."Many people on the Internet have shown interest in what happened to me five years ago. I believe it's time for one final explanation. The woman in the widely circulated video from five years ago was not me. The woman presented in the courtroom five years ago was also not me.
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