Blue, yellow, black, and purple roses made up the windows. Bright sunflowers were made into a carriage with a horse that was not real but a colorful one made of fresh flowers in seven different colors.A pink casket lay in the carriage.From the hall's entrance, the path leading to the coffin was sprinkled with flower petals, with clovers on both sides of the path.The rich heiresses and socialites were shocked by what they saw. They never imagined that Esther would be willing to hold such a grand funeral for a deceased child. They looked at each other and gathered the courage to walk from the petal path to the carriage."Esther, is this your daughter with Mr. Warner? Why does she look nothing like you both?"Esther coldly warned them. "If you're here to send my daughter on her last journey, I welcome you. But if you're here to mock me, you can leave now!"The socialites and rich heiresses became even more furious and hurled sarcastic remarks after hearing Esther's arrogant words
"Is it time for cremation?" Esther interrupted what Jasper was going to say, asking with a reluctant gaze as she held Tinkerbell's cold hand.Jasper asked in shock, "Aren't you waiting for the paternity test result? I believe that Bradley will send Tinkerbell off if he learns that she's his daughter.""Him?" Esther scoffed and said frostily, "He better not come taint my daughter's path to the afterlife."Jasper tried again. "Esther, if you're reluctant, we can…"Esther shook her head. "Let her rest in peace so she can be reincarnated soon. I hope Tinkerbell doesn't meet a mother like me or a father like Bradley in her next life. I hope she comes to this world under the anticipation of her parents and gets a happy family."Jasper could not help turning away and saying, his voice choking up, "Things will be as you wish."Esther did not have real friends or family here.Tinkerbell's funeral, grand and luxurious, ended only after half a day.Esther watched Tinkerbell, who was on th
Jasper specifically reminded the doctor that Esther was not in a particularly good state of mind, and the doctor added some sedatives in her drips, considering that.Jasper got up and left quietly when he saw that Esther had fallen asleep.Once Esther heard the soft click of the door closing, she yanked the needle out of the back of her hand right away. Without caring that the back of her hand was bleeding, she sat up and got some pen and paper to write her will.There were some assets under her name that she planned to ask Jasper to donate to the welfare home after she died. Her will was simple and clearly stated in short sentences.She estimated the time and sneaked into Felix's ward while the nurses on the night shift briefed those on the next shift.The first thing she did after entering was lock the door from the inside. It was not until she confirmed the door was locked that she went to Felix's bed softly. They had gone for the surgery together, and the boy had yet to wake u
"Liliane, don't panic first. I'll be there soon."Bradley got up from his leather chair, rage rampant on his cold face. There was a destructive iciness around him as his stern face looked murderous."Cole, to the hospital."Cole could not help turning pale when he heard the fury in Bradley's voice.'What happened? Did something happen to Felix again?'Cole could not care less that he was not yet done with whatever task he had as he immediately caught up to the infuriated Bradley."The b*tch Esther kidnapped my son."Cole was baffled when he heard what Bradley gritted through his teeth. 'Madam kidnapped Mr. Felix? Has she gone crazy? Why would she do that?'Bradley's eyes glinted dangerously.He had been so nice to Esther that she repeatedly provoked him without care and even threatened him with Felix's life.Both men got into the car, and the chauffeur drove out of the Warner Group. The night was creeping in outside the window as the lights slowly flickered into life.It was
"Name a price?" Cole asked nicely.The biker was still angry and stated an amount that even he found ridiculous without thinking twice. "$150,000."Cole did not expose him and wired the sum to him through his phone directly, adding a note that this was the fee for the motorcycle while he did."This is my business card. If it's not a problem, give me your number too, and I'll have someone contact you for the ownership transfer."The motorcycle was not even worth $150,000, but desperate times called for desperate measures.Cole generously paid and saved the biker's number before bidding him goodbye nicely, leaving the latter to stare, at the new amount in his bank account. It felt like a dream."Zack, how much longer?"Zack glanced at the navigation system and answered, "It's probably another 20 minutes.""I'll go get a shared electric bike and head to the hospital first." Cole got a bike by the roadside and rode it to the hospital as fast as possible.Just as he parked the bike
Despite that, Liliane, who "loved her son too much", stopped Bradley. With tears in her eyes, she begged him sorrowfully, "Brad, please, let me go in first. If it doesn't work, then you can come in. I beg you."Bradley stood tall. His beautiful eyes simmered with enormous energy akin to a volcanic eruption. "You have three minutes," he said for the last time. "If you don't come out after three minutes, I'll break in.""Okay." Liliane turned to the nurse and asked, "Where's the key?""This is a special ward," the nurse replied. "Unless the door is opened from the inside, it cannot be opened from the outside."Liliane took a deep breath and said, "Esther, open the door."Esther walked to the door and gently opened it.Liliane was worried that Bradley would mess things up, so she quickly slipped into the ward."Lock the door," said Esther.Liliane leisurely locked the door.Her gaze fell on Felix, who was lying on the hospital bed. He still had an oxygen tube in his nose, and the
"Then what happened to the surveillance footage?"Esther could not figure this out. She had not done anything. Why did the evidence that was the hospital surveillance footage show that she had removed Thomas' oxygen mask?"Esther put the lighter down, and I'll tell you." Liliane's wet eyes were smiling teasingly like a cat catching a mouse. "Please, Esther."Esther looked at Liliane, who was showing her true colors, and abruptly put her guard up.Something was off! Liliane felt off.What did she want?Suddenly, Liliane reached out and turned off the communication line connecting the nurse station in the hospital room. She approached Esther, who was extremely weak. Her voice sounded like a ghost with a sinister, murderous aura.As her hand gripped Esther's collar tightly and her crimson lips went close to Esther's ear, she said in a chilling tone, "Esther, don't you want to know how I fooled everyone back then?"Esther clutched the lighter and roared in anger, "Speak louder. I c
Liliane had harbored that secret for five long years.Today, the secret rushed through her heart like a surging wave when she witnessed Esther acting foolishly, following her plan.The gratification Liliane felt at finally revealing the secret only she knew was indescribable.Unfortunately, Esther had fainted and couldn't hear the truth about Felix's birth. But there would be another opportunity.'Next time, you'll kill Felix with your own hands, Esther.'You'll kill your son yourself.'How I anticipate the arrival of that day…' Liliane mocked Esther in her mind.Liliane's eyes scanned the removed oxygen tube, and she smirked with an icy gaze.What would become of Felix now that he was without the oxygen tube?Liliane took a deep breath and transformed her demeanor in a split second, becoming the image of a gentle, caring mother. The menacing, shameless, and vicious Liliane vanished as if it were just an illusion.She rubbed her eyes until they were red before turning around
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