Bradley clutched the will, his vision darkening as the memory of Esther's gaze on the operation theater flashed in his mind. The look in her eyes felt like a poisoned knife, tormenting his heart. His hands trembled uncontrollably, and panic gripped him.Jasper glanced coldly at Bradley and asked, "Do you regret it?"Regret? How could he regret Esther's death?Bradley stood up, tossing the letter into Jasper's arms, and coldly stated, "When she dies, I'll celebrate with two boxes of fireworks."Furious, Jasper didn't spare Bradley a glance. "Then please leave now, Warner. Don't tarnish Esther's way out."Bradley gazed deeply at Jasper before turning away and leaving the hallway outside the operating room.On an empty staircase, he clutched his chest in pain and slowly slid down the wall, feeling weak, tired, and lonely. He gasped for air like a drowning person desperate for a breath.Esther's words in the will echoed in Bradley's mind. He looked at his hands under the dim light,
"It's me. Send the documents I need to sort through to the hospital.""Yes, Mr. Warner."-After an extensive online discussion among experts from across the country, they developed an effective treatment plan.An hour later, the operation ward's door opened slowly, and the doctor emerged, looking visibly tired.He addressed Jasper and Cole, who were waiting outside, "We managed to save her for now, but her survival depends on her will to live."Confused, Cole asked, "What do you mean?"The doctor explained, "Throughout our efforts to save her, she displayed a very negative outlook. It was as if she resisted our treatment subconsciously."If you truly want her to recover, you need to stimulate her will to live. Without that, even the best medical intervention may not be enough."Gratefully, Jasper clasped the doctor's hand and said, "Thank you, doctor. You've worked hard. I'll have my secretary bring you supper to replenish your strength."Surgeries were incredibly draining,
“Uh…" Cole understood what Jasper meant despite his unfinished sentence. When he thought about asking Bradley to wake Esther up, his temples throbbed, and he uttered, "It's too difficult.""That's why…" Jasper said sadly, "To a man who doesn't love her, anything she does is wrong. Her life was unworthy of mention to him.""I'll try." Cole sighed warmly. "I'll try to persuade Mr. Warner."After a pause, Jasper gazed deeply at Cole and said, "Esther said she has no friends, but if you ask me, you're her friend too."Cole smiled awkwardly. He wasn't.Had he treated Esther as a friend, he wouldn't have hidden the fact that her daughters were still alive—for five years. How many five years did one have in life?Esther's most beautiful youthful years had been spent in prison. If he had defied Bradley's orders and disclosed to Esther that her daughters were still alive, she might have been released sooner. She might have even been able to see Thomas one last time.The small decision Co
"Daddy."Felix instinctively clutched the Thor figurine tighter in his arms when he spotted Bradley.Clark also greeted Bradley politely, concerned about his well-being. "Mr. Bradley, you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?"Having watched Bradley grow up, Clark could tell he was not in the right mood with just one glance."Clark, you're here?" Bradley said gently, noticing Felix's fondness for the Thor figurine. "Felix is happy to see you."Clark patted Felix's head and said, "Mr. Felix is in a brighter mood now that he's healthier."After a moment's thought, Clark asked, "Ms. Quill donated her bone marrow to Mr. Felix. Mr. Warner, I could prepare some nutritious meals for her these days. What do you think?"Upon thinking about Esther, whose fate was uncertain after the operation, Bradley stiffly declined the offer. "She has Searle taking care of her. No need to consider her so much.""Mr. Bradley, Mr. Searle's care is appreciated, but Ms. Quill is still Mr. Felix's savio
How could Esther's daughter possibly be his own? How could Tinkerbell, of all people, be his daughter?Bradley combed through his memory but couldn't find any recollection of ever having slept with Esther.Rubbing his brow with his fingers, he wondered what had gone wrong.The DNA paternity test had been conducted at a hospital owned by the Warner Group, leaving no room for doubts about its accuracy.Upon opening the envelope, he noticed no signs of tampering, confirming the authenticity of the DNA paternity test report.Bradley tightly clutched the test report, a wave of inexplicable sadness washing over him as he saw the number "99.99%" on the paper.After a moment, he asked in a cold voice, "Did Esther give birth to twins back then?""Certainly," Cole replied honestly. "Madam gave birth to twin girls in prison.""I can't believe this paternity test. Use my sample to perform another test with the other girl."Confused by the result, Bradley decided to conduct another paterni
Bradley struggled to remember the time he had spent with Esther, but no matter how hard he tried, the memories eluded him.He couldn't recall the circumstances under which they had Tinkerbell and Pixie, and this lack of recollection frustrated him greatly.Feeling annoyed, he reached for a box of cigarettes and lit one, the flame dancing before him. He decided to call Cole and requested all the video material from a hotel five years ago."Cole, I need everything from that hotel five years back.""Yes, Mr. Warner.""Every single bit.""I understand."As he smoked stick after stick, the room filled with the pungent smell of cigarette smoke, though he barely noticed. He delved into his memories from five years ago, desperately searching for even the tiniest clue.Yet, it was all in vain. He couldn't remember being with Esther during that time.Only a heavy feeling in his head after his grandfather handed him a glass of wine and waking up next to Liliane remained in his mind. He w
Clark had been under the impression he was merely fulfilling Felix's wish to stargaze on the rooftop, but what he heard turned out to be shocking."Mr. Felix, why... Why would you think that?" Clark inquired.Felix and Bradley had taken a DNA paternity test, confirming their father-son relationship."You'll understand once you listen to this, Grandpaw Clark," said Felix, who was in a wheelchair, with a serious expression.Clark transferred the pen recorder's contents to his phone and listened through his Bluetooth earphones.He recognized the voices in the recording as Esther and Liliane."Liliane, do you know you and Bradley are the people I hate the most in this world?""Liliane, unless you reveal the truth from five years ago, I... I'll take you and your son with me.""Yes, I was the one who removed Grandpa Thomas' oxygen mask five years ago.""Esther, you just wanted to know how I managed to deceive everyone back then, right?""Even if you force me to tell you the truth y
Clark had collected the samples for Bradley and Felix's DNA paternity test and picked up the report from the hospital. He had kept the report in his safe until now.Liliane's mother had said that she would not allow Liliane to become an unmarried mother, since Bradley would not marry her. Liliane had rushed over on a rainy night and begged Bradley to return Felix to her so they would not be separated. She had passed out after that.From that day on, Bradley had silently acknowledged Liliane's presence in Felix's life.A DNA maternity test would be enough to prove whether Felix was Esther's son or not. However, even if Felix's birth was confirmed, how had Liliane taken Felix away from Esther back then?"Mr. Felix, don't tell anyone about this tonight," Clark said seriously, holding Felix's hand. "Especially not Liliane. Don't let her know that you know about your birth. If all this is true, that woman is terrifying."The woman had been planning this for five years. Every step had b
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