Esther had a sudden premonition. She felt that her liver might be a match for Bradley's."What do you have to save him?" Kevin was furious and yelled, "Esther, have you truly gone mad? I don't want to talk to you anymore, and don't ask me to match you! I'm a doctor! I won't commit murder!"After saying that, Kevin stormed out of the room and smacked himself hard in the face.'Kevin, why did you have to speak without thinking? Your mouth could have been used to save someone's life!'Why did you bring up Bradley's illness in front of Esther? You know she is a kind-hearted girl. How could she not want to help him, especially since he's Felix's father?'Kevin was so frustrated with himself that he slapped himself twice more.-In the hospital ward, Esther used her phone to search for information about liver cancer. When she discovered that liver problems could cause extreme mood swings, she wiped away her tears, wondering if Bradley had been sick all along. She just hadn't realized
It was said that one of his hand's nerves had already been damaged! He was the only heir of the Pendletons, and they would undoubtedly seek revenge on Bradley.Kevin took a deep breath and gently pushed the hospital ward door open once more. He realized he couldn't convince Esther, so he proactively advised her, "If you truly want to help him, you must prioritize your own health. Before a liver transplant, they'll conduct numerous tests. If any of these tests fail, they won't proceed with the transplant."Esther, not well-versed in liver transplants or the involved tests, nodded since Kevin had spoken. "Alright, I'll focus on getting healthier so we can get the transplant for him as soon as possible."Concerned, Kevin looked at Esther's pale face and asked, "Esther, if your liver isn't a match for Bradley, would you consider letting Felix donate his liver to him?"Tears welled up in Esther's eyes, but she took a deep breath and replied confidently, "It won't come to that."Kevin i
Bradley wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, haunted by the image of Esther bathed in crimson. His eyes blazed with pent-up rage, ready to burst forth.He seized Esther's delicate neck, forcefully pinning her to the table in the visitors' room. He then trapped her legs with his, rendering her immobile."Heart?" he said, gripping her chin with hatred. "Esther, this question should be directed at you. You concealed the fact that you were pregnant just to divorce me!"Esther's heart sank, overwhelmed by self-disgust. It was her fault. If only she had been more vigilant, she would not have fallen for such an obvious trap of "Felix falling into the water"."You owe me a child!" Bradley declared brazenly.In response, Esther bit down hard on his hand, drawing blood. Her heart ached with pain.Bradley grabbed her hair with one hand, his gaze filled with resentment. "Are you a dog?" He smeared his bloodied hand across her pale face, creating a stark contrast.As he took in her
Esther's heart softened instantly. Bradley was the man she loved deeply—the man she adored so much that she'd sacrifice her life for him!She wouldn't hesitate to donate her liver if it could save him. If her life could rescue him, she'd willingly give it up.All the past hatred and grievances faded the moment she learned about his liver cancer. She only wished for his survival now. She even wondered if his past cruelty was due to his illness.-Kevin waited for a long time in the waiting area, growing concerned as Esther stayed inside longer than usual. Why wasn't she coming out? Had Bradley done something to her again?Kevin was genuinely worried about Esther being alone with Bradley, so he approached a staff member and requested to see Bradley himself.The staff member responded gruffly, "Why the rush? Just sit and wait!"Kevin had no choice but to sit on the bench, repeatedly checking his phone.-An indescribable sense of passion filled the air in the visitors' room.Bra
Bradley had cancer. Esther had to find out where her daughter was. As a mother, she was determined to locate her.Bradley immediately realized the meaning behind Esther's words. Thinking about Esther's earlier attempts to please him, he felt a lump in his throat. "Do you want to know?"Esther nodded frantically.Bradley sneered. "I'll tell you where she is when you become pregnant with my child again!""But I just had a miscarriage!"Esther knew that having another pregnancy so soon after a miscarriage was not advisable, even without medical knowledge. Agatha had mentioned her poor health, and if she did not take proper care, she could face the risk of another miscarriage. Frequent miscarriages could lead to complications.Bradley shot Esther a disdainful glance and taunted, "You can leave now!"He left the visitor's room, leaving Esther despairing and in tears. She cried for a while before gathering the strength to leave.Kevin, worried about Esther, rushed to her when he saw
The man dressed in black wore a stern expression, hinting at his readiness to take drastic action if Esther declined to cooperate.Esther gathered her courage, took a deep breath, and said, "I'll go with you."Concerned for Esther's safety, Kevin offered to escort her protectively. "Esther, I'll come with you."Chadwick's past actions had left Esther deeply afraid. She knew that if Bradley hadn't arrived in time, she might not have escaped Chadwick's grasp. Morally and ethically, she couldn't just stand by.Chadwick was accustomed to luxury, so had an RV. His unsettling gaze sent shivers down her spine, and she felt an overwhelming urge to escape."Please, Ms. Quill, take a seat."Esther stood hesitating at the vehicle's entrance, unsure about boarding.Chadwick poured a cup of tea and slid it across the table to her. "Ms. Quill, this tea isn't spiked."He poured himself a cup as well.Esther continued to hesitate outside the vehicle while Chadwick glanced at Kevin, who stood
Esther might not know all the details about the feud between the Quills and the Pendletons, but there was no way she'd ever marry someone as vile as Chadwick."Pendleton, quit daydreaming! I'll never be your wife!"Chadwick casually poured himself another cup of tea and drank it slowly. His eyes gleamed with a strong desire for dominance."Esther, don't rush to reject me! What if..."Esther left the RV without a word, ignoring the man in black who did not attempt to stop her.Kevin anxiously asked, "Esther, what did Mr. Pendleton say to you?""He asked me to marry him."Kevin cursed in frustration, "Is he f*cking out of his mind?""Who knows?"Esther glanced coldly at Chadwick's repulsive face and left swiftly.-Chadwick picked up the teacup Esther had used moments ago, toying with it. Bradley had rendered one of his hands useless. Chadwick had no intention of letting Bradley off easily."Inform our people inside to take good care of Bradley Warner."The man in black repl
"Can you help me buy a can of coffee from the vending machine outside?"Felix replied crisply, "Sure!"Sadie took a banknote from her wallet and handed it to Felix. The latter took the money and happily ran out of the hospital room."Esther, you should freshen up first. Don't frighten Felix," Sadie said.Esther looked at the bloodstains on her clothes and quietly entered the bathroom. She could not help but think about what Bradley had done to her and brushed her teeth immediately.The foam from the toothpaste stung the wounds at the corners of her mouth, causing tears to well up.After a simple wash and a change of clothes, she took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom, feeling uneasy.Felix had already bought a can of coffee and was sitting beside Sadie, looking at a calculus book together."Mommy.""What book are you reading?"Felix raised the book he was reading high so that Esther could see the text clearly."Wow!" Esther suppressed the sadness in her heart and
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