“W-what?” Harmonia looked at him and asked with slight confusion. He smiled and pointed at his wristwatch, “The time you spent talking to him, and the time I sat there alone waiting for you.”Harmonia was dumbfounded. “Can the young lady give me a little time now?”Harmonia rubbed her chin, and her slender legs swayed as she appeared to be thinking about it.“Well, I'll give you a little time, then. What do you want to tell me, Mr. Martinez?”“Let’s have dinner tonight.”“Huh?”Dimas laughed and said, “The time you spend with me has to be more than twelve minutes and forty-five seconds.”Harmonia was stunned. Was he openly being jealous? Dimas met her gaze, looked at her clear and bright eyes, leaned down, and whispered softly in her ear, “As you wish.”Harmonia was taken aback, and her heart skipped several beats again. Her hands that were holding the table felt at a loss, and she felt even more flustered when she touched his suit jacket which was of excellent quality.
She smiled faintly and deliberately lowered her head as she whispered in Wendy’s ear, “I’ve been suspicious of you since you broke into the restaurant and happened to barge into my private room precisely.” “There aren't so many coincidences in the world. As long as you think carefully and look back, there are always traces and clues to follow.”After saying that, Harmonia’s smile deepened, and she let go of Wendy’s hand. Wendy smiled coyly at Harmonia, stumbled, and took several steps back before falling heavily to the ground.“Ahh!” Wendy exclaimed.“Harmonia, I'm sorry. I didn’t act according to your plan. You can scold me and bully me if you want to. I won't have any complaints, but can you please not be so ruthless to Absalom? Terran Construction is the Terrans’ family's business which he has built up single-handedly until now. You used to be husband and wife, after all, so why do you have to be so merciless?”The pitiful cries of the pretentious bitch who was pretending to b
“My dear nephew, what are you whispering to your aunt again? Why don’t you share it with your uncle?”Absalom looked furious and quickly walked away.Harmonia stood still in place and was momentarily lost in thought as she watched his departing figure.She recalled how he had jumped into the cold pool without hesitation to bring her back from hell to earth when she was six years old. That was a memory she cherished deeply in the warmest part of her heart, but when did it become an ice cellar that seemed to give her the chills all the way to her bone? A completely different aura suddenly enveloped her.He stood by her side, lowered his head, and asked, “Is that corridor beautiful?”Harmonia was dumbfounded and raised her head to look at him.“Shall I walk through it to show you?”Harmonia chuckled when she saw his changing expression.Louis wanted to ask when the meeting would start, but as soon as he stepped out of the conference room, he exclaimed in amazement, “What a stron
What did this tick mean? Could it be that this meant that the executive in front of her was someone she could trust?Although Harmonia’s peripheral vision was fixed on him, she nodded at the executive, smiled, and said a few polite words at the end of his speech.The first speech concluded. This was followed by the second executive’s speech. After the second speech ended, Dimas still confidently drew a tick in her palm.-His gesture of drawing a tick in her palm continued until the fourth executive.After the fifth executive finished speaking, Dimas drew an X in her palm.At this point, Harmonia could roughly confirm—a tick meant she could trust the executive, whereas an X meant that the executive was loyal to Absalom. -Night had fallen by the time all the executives were done speaking. Harmonia remained seated in the chair that symbolized the chairman without saying a word. The scene fell into deadly silence. She quickly reviewed all the executives who had spoken as w
“Both tires are blown out! What should we do?” Rio exclaimed in distress.Hector’s car was parked not far from Dimas’ car. Rio's loud voice echoed in the spacious underground parking lot, and both Hector and Harmonia heard everything loud and clear. Hector didn't intend to pay attention to them. He looked at Harmonia and urged her, “Monia, get in the car quickly. It’s late. You should go home and rest.”Harmonia nodded, but her movement to get into the car subconsciously slowed down. Did the tires really get blown out?At this moment, a hand grabbed the car door. He looked at Harmonia, who was about to get into the car, and squinted his deep eyes, “My car tires are blown out. I can't go back. Can I hitch a ride from you?” ‘Young lady.’ As his words fell, he specifically used his lips to mouth the words ‘young lady’ at her. Harmonia blinked her bright eyes.“Mr. Martinez, do you only have one car?” Hector obviously didn't want him to get in the car.“My venture capital inve
“Are you hungry? Wait for me.”Before Harmonia could react, Dimas reached out his hand and pressed the button to lower the baffle without even looking at it. Harmonia was speechless. Was this what you called your first time in a Rolls-Royce?Dimas smiled faintly and even more meaningfully. Just when Hector was about to lose his temper, Dimas’ steady and powerful voice sounded, “Mr. Marsh, please stop at the intersection ahead.” Hector was furious. He remained silent, stepped on the accelerator, and stopped the car when he reached the intersection. Dimas opened the car door without hesitation, bid them farewell, and left directly. Harmonia was stunned. His words from earlier kept replaying in her mind. ‘Are you hungry? Wait for me.’Harmonia was somewhat confused and frowned. Indeed, her stomach was empty. She was really hungry, but why did he ask her to wait for him?-After returning to Heron Bay Villa, the vehicle stopped, and they got out one after the other. Hect
Harmonia bit her lower lip. As her clenched hands relaxed, she lowered her gaze and nodded stiffly. The word ‘okay’ which felt like a lump in her throat also sounded rather awkward. Hector heaved a sigh of relief after receiving Harmonia’s answer. “I will find a way to get the Grand Blue Pearl.”Harmonia was puzzled for a moment and could not help but feel doubtful. Did Hector know of the whereabouts of the Grand Blue Pearl?“Monia, you have to keep your promise.”Hector held her hand tightly, and as he let go, he said ‘Goodnight’ to her.“Goodnight, Hector.”-It was destined to be a restless night. The executives of Terran Construction returned home one after another only to be greeted by a gift package that had just been delivered. When the ‘gift package’ was opened, for some, it was a pleasant surprise, but for others, it was a bomb!Absalom’s confidants panicked immediately. They had been in this tricky business world for so long, so it was impossible for them not to
“I’m downstairs.”Harmonia subconsciously looked toward the direction of the balcony door. She pulled a corner of the curtain back and saw the towering figure standing under the streetlight.She decided to pretend as if she hadn’t seen the message. Perhaps he would leave after a while.However, he was still standing downstairs after fifteen minutes had passed. He was still there even after half an hour had passed.Why hadn’t he left yet?!Harmonia kept pressing the remote control and changing channels, but her gaze remained fixed on the direction of the balcony.Another ten minutes passed. Had he left? After struggling internally for a moment, Harmonia decided to sneak a glance.Sure enough, he still hadn’t left!At that moment, the voice from the television sounded: ‘The temperature in Nilus City has dropped sharply tonight, and the first wave of cold breeze with rain is coming! Nilus City Metrological Department has issued a cold wave warning.’Harmonia’s grip on the c
Quinn was startled. “W-what?”“I wasn't locked up here because I ruined your father's business and he is seeking revenge on me.”“Why are you locked up here, then?”Absalom frowned and replied, “It's complicated. It's not something that can be explained in a short time, but if I'm rescued, it means that there will be one more piece of evidence against your father.”Quinn bit her lower lip. She understood.If he were rescued, her father's actions of injuring him and imprisoning him would no longer be a secret.“You're his daughter, and once he falls, you might not be safe either.”Quinn hadn't thought about it deeply before, but now, Absalom's words weighed heavily on her heart.Even though her father had never cared about her and was always distant and cold toward her, and even though her sister bullied her since childhood, every word and action showing contempt toward her, they were her family, and that was something she couldn't change.Moonlight shone into the cellar throug
Absalom froze in place while holding the snacks at the sound of those words. “She… She answered the call?” His heart felt a sharp pain that hurt a million times more than the wounds on his body.That one word ‘aunt’ was something he didn't want to hear but couldn't deny. They were together, weren't they?Quinn continued to disinfect his wounds, not noticing his expression as she went on and said, “Yes. I've already told her about you. Don't worry, they'll definitely come to rescue you!”“I'm familiar with the paths at home. If conditions permit, I'll guide you when the time comes.”He snapped back to reality, rejecting her without a second thought. “No need. You've done enough for me already by saving my life.”Quinn looked at him and said, “No. I have to see you alive and rescued before I can feel at ease.”“Why?” He asked.She was puzzled. “What do you mean why?”“No one cares about my life,” His eyes dimmed with sorrow.He even wondered if it would have been better if he
Castell looked at her. His gaze was devoid of warmth but rather, it was as indifferent as cold water.“Tomorrow is your sister's assessment day, and I've been invited to Snow Manor.”Quinn nodded softly and asked obediently, “Is Nara confident that she will win?”Upon hearing this, Castell snorted with great dissatisfaction, “There's no such thing as losing among the Kenwoods! She will definitely be the winner!”Quinn shrank back in fear when she saw the ferocity in his eyes, and she did not dare to say another word. She simply nodded, forced a smile, and said, “In that case, I’ll stay at home and wait for Dad and Nara to come back victorious.”Only then did Castell nod begrudgingly.“Okay, go to sleep now.”Quinn waved to him and then turned to leave.The helicopter slowly ascended, gradually disappearing into the night.After Castell left, Quinn entered the room under Mrs. Clint's watchful eyes.After about an hour, Mrs. Clint entered the bedroom, made sure Quinn was asleep
Madam Judd's tone was gentle yet firm.Nara was stunned.“That’s impossible! How could I get it wrong?! You must have made a mistake!”She gritted her teeth at the last sentence.Madam Judd chuckled and said, “All three of these are fake.”Nara had an incredulous expression as she shone the flashlight on them again.“The jade has been soaked in strong acid, impurities washed away, then injected with glue. The methods of counterfeiting are becoming more sophisticated, reaching a point where it's hard to tell real from fake. To discern the authenticity of jade, one needs keen eyesight and extensive experience to make judgments. Just because you've seen more and possess more jade doesn't mean you understand more. Do you understand now?”The proud Nara was embarrassed by Madam Judd and couldn't find a way to save herself from embarrassment for a moment. “Understood,” Harmonia nodded.Nara had to reluctantly say, “Understood.”Madam Judd then immediately began the lesson.Though
She had an uncontrollable nosebleed as blood kept dripping from her nose. She hurriedly bent over, and the drops of blood fell into the sink. Despite the flow of water, it was still extremely alarming.Harmonia did not know what was wrong with her, but after about a minute, she managed to stop the bleeding. She frowned, suspecting that it might be due to heatiness. With about fifteen minutes until nine o'clock, she quickly changed her clothes and hurried toward the appraisal room.Even before the training began, Jenell had already made arrangements for preparations at Snow Manor in advance. The tools in the appraisal room were already prepared.Harmonia and Nara arrived successively.At nine o'clock, Jenell appeared.However, the person who appeared with Jenell shocked Harmonia! It was actually her!Jenell introduced, “This is the jade appraisal expert, Madam Judd.”Harmonia and Nara greeted her. “Madam Judd.”Madam Judd nodded, pretending not to recognize Harmonia.“Let
Both Jasper and Nancy were dumbfounded. Dimas simply stood there with a strong, calm, and intimidating aura, which made people tremble with fear even without him losing his temper. Jasper and Nancy obediently admitted their mistakes. One was in his early twenties, and the other was about to become an adult, but here they were, behaving like kindergarten kids, loudly promising to be model siblings in the future.Harris laughed heartily, his face showing an expression of ‘even these two rascals have their days’.Coincidentally, Mac walked out.“What’s going on?”Harris immediately explained, “The siblings were quarreling, but their father isn't here right now, so the elder brother stepped in as a father figure to educate them properly!”Mac burst into laughter, “I don’t want to say too much, but you should quarrel less with Nancy. She's not in good health, so you should be more considerate toward her.”After Jasper calmed down, he also realized his mistake deeply. He was born w
“Two people, two favors.” Two was two and could not be less. Harris failed to play dumb. “You’re really good at calculating!”However, he had no other choice. After all, he could not handle these two people on his own! His head would ache whenever they argued. “Okay, two favors it is, then!” Harris agreed. Dealing with those troublemakers really gave him a headache.“Tell me, what two things do you want me to do for you, then?” Dimas said calmly, “I’ll leave Monia’s safety in your hands in ten days.”Harris was taken aback. “Huh? Isn't that girl at Snow Manor? With your mother there, her safety should be absolutely guaranteed.”“I’m still worried.”“Why don't you take care of her safety yourself, then?”As he spoke, Harris counted his fingers. He suddenly came to a realization.“In ten days? Wouldn’t that be the day when Harmonia and Nara will be taking their assessment together?”Dimas nodded.“You're leaving the base?” Harris understood and asked.“Yes.”“Where are you
‘You’re really killing me.’Harmonia whispered goodnight to him again, then stuffed her cell phone under the pillow as she prepared to have a good sleep.Dimas, who was at the base, also put down his cell phone at the moment. He looked at the simple layout diagram carved on the bottom of the box and turned on his laptop immediately to reconstruct it. At the same time, he called Mac to investigate Castell's second daughter.At first, Mac thought Dimas was joking. Everyone knew Castell only had one daughter, Nara. How could there suddenly be another daughter? Dimas then told Mac about the content of the phone call Monia had received. Mac immediately realized the seriousness of the matter. Before confirming whether Absalom was really in the wine cellar in Kenwood Mansion, he needed to confirm whether Castell really had a second daughter.After hanging up the phone, he acted quickly. Since she was a living person, there was no way she could not be traced.Mac's efficiency was
The air seemed to freeze at this moment.The phone clearly displayed the ‘call in progress’ message, but it was as if it was affected by signal interference, and nothing could be heard until his cold voice broke the icy silence.“I will.”Harmonia heaved a sigh of relief, feeling worried as she said, “But rescuing someone from Kenwood Mansion won't be easy, right? That place is definitely a dangerous spot. How do you plan on rescuing him? Furthermore, we can't guarantee that this isn't a scheme orchestrated by Castell.”Having finally received news of Absalom, of course, it couldn't be given up on, but the authenticity of the news also needed to be confirmed.Dimas simply smiled without answering Harmonia's question but instead changed the topic and asked, “Monia, what did you have for dinner tonight?”Just as Harmonia was about to answer, a knock sounded at the door. Her heart jumped, and she acted swiftly and quickly tucked the phone under the blanket.She then pretended to be