Julie never expected that she would soon get married, but not to Liam. Everything happened so quickly, and she was busy with work, decorating, and preparing everything needed for the wedding.She didn’t want to trouble Mark, so she was assisted by Richard and her sister, Elizah, who was beginning to recover from her psychological condition. The hustle and bustle took place at Mark Robertson's new house, where the wedding party would be held in the spacious yard.Julie didn’t want to burden herself with finding a venue for the wedding, so she chose the yard, which was wide enough and would look luxurious once decorated.Just look at her cheerful face—no one could match her happiness there. Many friends came to help, even her mother showed up, though she didn’t promise Julie she’d stay for long.But Julie no longer cared. All that mattered to her was herself and Mark Robertson, and how they would embark on their new life together.“Perfect,” Julie said with a smile as she arranged flowe
"I don’t like him."It was dusk, the day nearing its end, and Elizah was gazing at Mark Robertson, who looked so romantic with Julie Hartman—her own sister."Neither do I."A voice suddenly spoke behind her, making Elizah turn to see Richard, who was also staring at Julie."You heard me?""I’ve been standing here for a while—not too close, but close enough to hear you. So, you might want to be careful with your words," Richard said quietly. Elizah understood his words; she had been quite open about her feelings toward Mark Robertson."So, no one likes him, huh?""At least I know I don’t like men like him. When he talks to others, he acts like they don’t exist, but when he talks to Julie, he acts like the kindest person in the world."Richard laughed, leaving Elizah somewhat confused. Even though she didn’t fully understand his point, there was one thing they both agreed on: neither of them liked Mark. However, Elizah had her own clear reasons, unlike Richard’s ambiguous ones."So, you
Julie Hartman looked breathtaking in her white wedding gown as she was escorted to the altar where Mark Robertson waited, his heart brimming with joy and emotion.The open-air wedding was magical, with the soft glow of the moonlight and music setting a romantic ambiance. Mark Robertson could hardly describe the overwhelming beauty of the moment as Julie stood before him.When asked if they were ready to embrace each other through joy and sorrow, both confidently said yes, their happiness radiating for all to see.After signing the marriage certificate, the newlyweds proudly displayed their proof of union. But as Julie basked in her joy, her eyes caught sight of her sister Elizah, who was watching her with a mixture of bitterness and discontent."Wait here for a moment, Mark. I need to speak with Elizah," Julie said softly.Mark nodded, turning his attention to some of his colleagues and family members who had attended the celebration."Congratulations on your wedding," Elizah said, ho
Blood flowed between her long legs, creating dark patterns on the grimy factory floor. Her body lay half-naked, dressed in a now-tattered sky-blue dress that barely qualified as clothing anymore. Her arms were limp, her eyelids covered by a dirty red cloth. Behind that cover, tears continued to stream down her cheeks, accompanying muffled cries laden with pain.A middle-aged man stood not far from her. He was plump, with a pale face and trembling hands. His eyes were fixed on the girl, filled with confusion and guilt. He exhaled heavily, trying to calm himself even though he had no idea what to do."How unfortunate .…" he muttered in a low voice. "Oh God, what should I do?"The man was the factory owner. And the girl lying before him was one of his factory workers.He finally reached for the phone with trembling hands. “I have to call the police,” he said to himself. However, his body froze, delaying the urgent call. Only a few minutes later, the sound of sirens pierced the silence. T
"Listen to me, Miss. You can't act recklessly. We don't yet know for sure who the perpetrator is, so please, stay calm.""Calm?" Julie immediately turned around, looking up at Mark, who was trying to calm her down. "What do you mean by calm? I just found my sister in a factory, half-naked, blood between her legs, and you want me to be calm, huh?" Julie's gaze was fiery with rage."Then what are you going to do? Are you going to confront Liam and accuse him without any evidence?"Hearing Mark's words, Julie was silent for a moment, but she didn’t care. She shook her head and walked away, ignoring Mark, who could only sigh before deciding to follow her, eventually agreeing to her demand."Why? Now you want to come along with me?""I have a car. Come with me. You know where Liam lives, right?" Julie nodded, and they headed to the parking lot where Mark’s car was parked. Shortly after driving on the highway, they arrived at the apartment building where Liam lived."Listen, I just want you
After reading everything, Julie was stunned and could not deny that Liam indeed shared the DNA of the perpetrator involved with Elizah. She could only sit quietly in her place, with Mark beside her trying to console her.No words escaped her lips as she stared silently at the papers filled with data and evidence about Liam."I understand it’s hard for you to believe, but data doesn’t lie," Mark said, taking the papers from Julie’s hands. "Now, go back to your sister and let the authorities handle the rest, Miss Julie," he added."There must be a mistake," Julie said spontaneously, looking at Mark again. "I’m sure this isn’t entirely true. Elizah said that Liam wasn’t the perpetrator. There must—""Elizah's eyes were covered at that time; you saw the blindfold on her. Go back to your sister and start a new life. Forget this incident. At the very least, it saved you both from a man like Liam." Mark stood up, giving a faint smile that quickly disappeared. Meanwhile, Julie remained frozen
MOMENTS AFTER THE TRAGIC INCIDENT THAT BEFELL ELIZAH HARTMAN"I heard there's a young and beautiful girl working at your place," said a man with a mustache and a repulsive gaze. "There are plenty of young and beautiful girls working at my factory. So what if there is? What's your point, huh?" The stout man retorted with a sneer, clearly displeased."No, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just asking. Besides, why doesn't she work here instead? You know, in a place like this, they'd make much more money than working—""Ah, you're such a scoundrel! From now on, don't ever meet me again. The girls working at my factory are good girls; that's why they chose to work there! Now, leave me alone." The stout man stood up and walked away, exiting the bar with its well-preserved classic ambiance."I was just complimenting his workers," the mustached man muttered before moving to sit with a group of middle-aged men. Even after being rebuked by the factory owner, they continued their discussion
"You don't have to force yourself to come in today, Julie," Richard said, standing in front of her as she busied herself with work. "I understand everything that's been happening to you. Liam? I can’t believe he’s targeting your sister.""What do you mean, Richard?" Julie's tone was exhausted. "Haven't I already said that this topic is off-limits?"Clearly annoyed, Julie left Richard standing there, frozen in place. She headed toward the next room, juggling a mountain of tasks with no time to think about Liam. Today was also Elizah’s last day in the hospital, which, after everything, was the one bright spot amidst the chaos."Julie, do you think Liam actually did this?"Elizah squinted at her, but Julie ignored her, disconnecting the IV line and its dangling bag."Don’t dwell on that," Julie replied, avoiding Elizah’s gaze. "You’re going home today, and you should stay at my apartment. I’ve already told Mom. She’s pretty freaked out, but don’t worry—she’ll be here today.""I'm not tal
Julie Hartman looked breathtaking in her white wedding gown as she was escorted to the altar where Mark Robertson waited, his heart brimming with joy and emotion.The open-air wedding was magical, with the soft glow of the moonlight and music setting a romantic ambiance. Mark Robertson could hardly describe the overwhelming beauty of the moment as Julie stood before him.When asked if they were ready to embrace each other through joy and sorrow, both confidently said yes, their happiness radiating for all to see.After signing the marriage certificate, the newlyweds proudly displayed their proof of union. But as Julie basked in her joy, her eyes caught sight of her sister Elizah, who was watching her with a mixture of bitterness and discontent."Wait here for a moment, Mark. I need to speak with Elizah," Julie said softly.Mark nodded, turning his attention to some of his colleagues and family members who had attended the celebration."Congratulations on your wedding," Elizah said, ho
"I don’t like him."It was dusk, the day nearing its end, and Elizah was gazing at Mark Robertson, who looked so romantic with Julie Hartman—her own sister."Neither do I."A voice suddenly spoke behind her, making Elizah turn to see Richard, who was also staring at Julie."You heard me?""I’ve been standing here for a while—not too close, but close enough to hear you. So, you might want to be careful with your words," Richard said quietly. Elizah understood his words; she had been quite open about her feelings toward Mark Robertson."So, no one likes him, huh?""At least I know I don’t like men like him. When he talks to others, he acts like they don’t exist, but when he talks to Julie, he acts like the kindest person in the world."Richard laughed, leaving Elizah somewhat confused. Even though she didn’t fully understand his point, there was one thing they both agreed on: neither of them liked Mark. However, Elizah had her own clear reasons, unlike Richard’s ambiguous ones."So, you
Julie never expected that she would soon get married, but not to Liam. Everything happened so quickly, and she was busy with work, decorating, and preparing everything needed for the wedding.She didn’t want to trouble Mark, so she was assisted by Richard and her sister, Elizah, who was beginning to recover from her psychological condition. The hustle and bustle took place at Mark Robertson's new house, where the wedding party would be held in the spacious yard.Julie didn’t want to burden herself with finding a venue for the wedding, so she chose the yard, which was wide enough and would look luxurious once decorated.Just look at her cheerful face—no one could match her happiness there. Many friends came to help, even her mother showed up, though she didn’t promise Julie she’d stay for long.But Julie no longer cared. All that mattered to her was herself and Mark Robertson, and how they would embark on their new life together.“Perfect,” Julie said with a smile as she arranged flowe
"Someone wants to meet you," said a prison guard as he opened the cell numbered 330. He walked out with a pale face, as if he had no will to live. He had been through utter destruction and had no idea what to do after being sentenced to fifteen years in prison for actions that endangered Elizah Hartman's life. He never expected that this kind of trouble will find him and has found him. "I don't want to meet anyone," he said weakly, his voice frustrating the guard, who insisted Liam couldn't refuse because the visitor was someone important in law enforcement."You’re the most despised inmate here, so whatever you say doesn’t matter. You have to do what you’re told."Liam sighed, perhaps filled with rage, but his anger was so overwhelming it left him too weak to show it."I’ve already said I’m completely innocent," Liam muttered weakly, but his body was pulled out of the cell and shoved forward, his hands bound in cuffs."You ungrateful bastard! You should be glad someone wants to vis
News of Justin Dust’s death spread everywhere, making headlines and haunting Julie. Even while at the hospital, she found it hard to concentrate on her work.Richard had to help her multiple times because of her mistakes, but luckily, he was quick and understanding of Julie’s condition.He also knew about Julie’s relationship and her upcoming marriage to a high-ranking police officer who handled dangerous cases, which added to Julie’s anxiety.While replacing an IV tube, Julie’s vision blurred, and she collapsed right next to a patient who screamed, “Help! Is anyone there?”A nurse from the adjacent room immediately rushed in to check on Julie. When she regained consciousness, Julie felt uneasy once again.“You should really take a leave, Julie,” said Richard, checking on her condition. “You’ve got too much on your mind, and your stamina is weak. It seems like Mark Robertson is weighing too heavily on you.”Julie gave a faint smile. “Maybe, but he’s also too perfect for me. I can’t ev
Julie Hartman’s head felt like it was about to explode. She never imagined she would be dragged into her future husband’s problems, especially since he turned out to be a cop burdened with deadly assignments.What if something happened to Mark just because he worked on dangerous cases? That was all Julie could think about now. She didn’t want to lose Mark; she didn’t want her marriage to fall apart again because of the cases that haunted them.While Julie was caught up in her frightening thoughts about their future, Mark was in the bathroom, scrubbing the blood off his body.He replayed the events at Justin’s house in his mind—events that ended in death.“There must be something that caused Justin to be attacked,” said Mark’s younger and more pliable partner, Jack Kinan.“We’ll find out soon enough.” Mark searched for anything he could include in his report, eventually stumbling upon something. “I found this under the couch cushion,” he said, showing Jack.“What’s this?” Jack asked, h
"You know, Justin, you always make assumptions. And I don’t like your assumptions.""What are you doing at my house?" Justin’s blue eyes stared at Mark with confusion and growing unease. "Listen, it’s past one in the morning, and I don’t want to deal with your nonsense, Mark."Mark glanced inside the house. "Aren’t you going to invite me in?" He raised an eyebrow, as he always did. Justin could only nod and step back, allowing Mark to enter."I’m really not in the mood to deal with a case that brought you here, so make it quick."Mark walked into the dimly lit house, scanning his surroundings. He smirked. "I’ve always wondered why your wife keeps leaving you in the middle of the night, Justin.""My wife is none of your business."Justin’s hand slid under the table between them, feeling for something—his firearm, kept there just in case."Alright, I get it. You don’t want me meddling in your personal affairs. Let’s get straight to the point, then. Do you remember the case of the missin
"Married?"Julie nodded with a smile on her lips, "Yes, Mark and I are getting married, Elizah." Julie's eyes sparkled brilliantly, light gleaming in her gaze, while Elizah looked gloomy."It's wonderful, isn't it, finding your partner through the tough times I endured."Julie was taken aback, her lips slightly parted as she swallowed. What Elizah said was true. Julie and Mark had met during a painful incident that Elizah had experienced."I ... Elizah, come on, I never meant to hurt you. Aren't you happy? The doctor even said your condition has improved, and you can come home with me." Julie's hopeful gaze pleaded for Elizah to smile.But the smile Elizah gave was a sad, bitter one. Tears streamed down her left cheek, and her heart felt shattered."I want to free Liam, Julie."Julie sighed and replied, "That's impossible, Elizah. It's just not something that can be done. Even if you forgive Liam, this case is too severe for the law to forgive." Anxiety was evident on Julie's face."F
There was nothing Julie’s weary face could show but guilt. She didn’t want her sister to be in a mental hospital, but there was nothing she could do.Her life was utterly broken, sad, and filled with loneliness. She felt like she had no one, at least that’s what she thought at the moment.Even though she visited Elizah once a week, it never felt enough. Elizah constantly showed anger and disappointment toward Julie, asking to meet Liam, though her mental condition was still unstable.All of it only made Julie feel drained.“How is Elizah?” Mark asked, his concern evident, while Julie simply shook her head in response.“You must be so tired, Julie. How about you take some time off? I’ll take leave too, and we can go on a vacation. You know, we’ve been too busy with work, ignoring ourselves.”Julie’s pale face lit up, disbelief painted across her expression. She smiled, her eyes sparkling with newfound excitement.“Are you joking?”Mark smiled and shook his head. “No, Julie, I’m serious