With dark circles under her eyes, Catherine went to a nearby coffee shop close to her old home, where Michael and Emily were already waiting.The moment Emily saw her, she scolded, "You’re unbelievable. Still staying around here and didn’t even tell me? I heard from Michael that you were forced by that jerk Gabriel? What did he use to threaten you?"Catherine smiled, but it was a sorrowful smile that made both Michael and Emily’s hearts ache. She replied, "His power is too great. I can't escape."She didn’t dare to say that he had used Emily’s family to threaten her, fearing it would make her feel guilty."That bastard! Does he think money makes him invincible? A guy like him will eventually end up broke and begging on the streets."Every time Gabriel was mentioned, Emily’s anger flared up, but it did lighten Catherine’s mood somewhat.Michael, who was sitting across from her, noticed that she looked a bit more lively and felt relieved. He handed her an iPad and said, "Take a look at
After saying those words, the kidnapper hung up, not giving Gabriel any chance to respond.Immediately after, a video was sent to his phone, showing Catherine hanging in mid-air, surrounded by a group of large, muscular men, all shirtless. Scattered around on the floor were various sexual toys, and the atmosphere was as dark and oppressive as it could get.Seeing Catherine’s head hanging low, resigned to her fate, Gabriel’s eyes filled with bloodshot veins. His hand clenched the phone so tightly that a long crack appeared on the screen.Without another thought, he dashed outside, calling his men to head to the abandoned warehouse in the western outskirts. The reason he knew the location was because the address was printed clearly on the wall of the warehouse — a testament to how brazen the kidnappers were....At the Sterling family mansion.Juliet sat in her private room, unable to hide her glee."Sister Catherine, you’re finally experiencing what it’s like to be raped by a bunch of
After a while, the doctor came out of the emergency room, his expression extremely grave. Gabriel grabbed his hand, urgently asking, "How is my wife, doctor?"The doctor shook his head and replied, "Her brain is hemorrhaging, and the situation is very critical. Furthermore, she’s pregnant. The baby is still too small to withstand such severe trauma, and both the mother and child are in danger.""What? Catherine is pregnant?" an elderly voice rang out.Old Master Sterling, supported by Juliet and Mrs. Sterling, walked toward him.He had come, filled with fury, after hearing that his grandson had risked his life to run into a fire and rescue Catherine. He intended to scold Gabriel, but instead, he was hit with the news that his ex-daughter-in-law was pregnant.And the baby was still early in its development. But the fact that she had been Gabriel’s lover during this period was proof enough that the child in her womb belonged to the Sterling family.So, Old Master Sterling urgently told
Old Master Sterling couldn’t believe that Gabriel had lived with Catherine for so long and yet hadn’t known she was pregnant.He was certain that Gabriel had purposely kept it a secret, probably because he feared the old man wouldn’t allow Catherine back into the Sterling family.Utter nonsense! His family wasn’t the kind to separate mother and child. At worst, she could be a concubine, couldn’t she? After all, Juliet and Catherine were once sisters; serving the same man would only make their bond stronger, wouldn’t it?The more the old man thought, the angrier he became. So, he ordered the assistant standing beside him:“Give him twenty lashes for me.”The assistant was stunned and terrified, holding the rod but unable to move.Gabriel said nothing, only knelt before the old man and said, “Go ahead and hit me.”The assistant, trembling, approached and raised the rod, striking Gabriel’s back.One strike, two strikes, three strikes...“Haven’t you eaten?” Old Master Sterling barked.Ga
“Get out now! Juliet, don’t think I don’t know what you’ve done. Once Catherine wakes up, I’ll settle things with you. Even if Grandpa intervenes, I won’t show you any mercy.”Gabriel then looked at his assistant and said, “Take her out. And find security to guard the room.”"Brother Gabriel, please listen to me, I really didn’t harm Catherine’s father."Juliet, being dragged outside by the assistant, still persistently screamed her explanation, but Gabriel, annoyed by her voice and worried it would affect Catherine, said coldly:"If you dare to scream again, you won't need that tongue of yours anymore."Hearing that, Juliet immediately shut her mouth and obediently followed the assistant out of the intensive care unit.Inside, only Gabriel and Catherine remained. He continued to stare at her face, which appeared to be in a deep sleep.At this moment, a whirlwind of emotions—worry, regret, anxiety, and sorrow—tormented his mind.Once a sharp and ruthless businessman, feared by his ene
After stepping out onto the balcony, Gabriel received a call from his subordinate. "The car suspected to have been used by the kidnappers to escape lost control and fell into the abyss, leaving no survivors. The police have confiscated evidence for investigation, but they found no clues about the mastermind on their phones. They concluded that the group kidnapped Ms. Caldwell as revenge for what happened three years ago."Gabriel's face darkened. He didn't believe in such a hasty conclusion, nor did he believe the kidnappers simply lost control and fell into the abyss. They were likely silenced to cover up the real mastermind.Could Juliet really have that kind of power? Or was there a greater force behind her?Gabriel took a deep breath. For now, he would have to set aside the stalled kidnapping case, but sooner or later, the one behind it would pay for daring to mess with his wife and child.After standing on the balcony for a while, Gabriel returned to the hospital room to visit Ca
Perhaps because Catherine had been in the hospital for too long, her stomach seemed a bit rounder. Thinking this, he chuckled to himself, "The more chubby, the better. Touching this belly is so comfortable."Suddenly, his hand was slapped away. Catherine sat up abruptly and shouted, "How long are you going to torment me? Do you want me dead to finally be satisfied?"Gabriel couldn’t hold it in any longer. These past days, he had endured so much for her, just hoping she would say something to him. And now, she was still treating him this way?"Who’s ignoring who here? You’ve been the one pushing me away. After all we’ve been through, can’t you give me a chance to make it up to you?"Catherine let out a bitter laugh and said, "Are you trying to claim credit for saving me from the fire? Ha, years ago, I saved your life too, didn’t I? We’re even. No one owes anyone."Her words infuriated Gabriel. He shot up and shouted, "You want to settle old debts, right? Three years ago, you took a bul
"Boss."His assistant had rushed over after hearing the news and found Gabriel collapsed on the road. He immediately tried to help him up."Let go! I need to find Catherine!"Gabriel’s head was spinning, his vision growing blurry, but he stubbornly tried to stand."There’s no need to look anymore. The police just called. They found Ms. Caldwell’s shoes on the edge of a cliff. It’s suspected that she jumped into the sea.""No... pfft!"Gabriel spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing into unconsciousness.In his dreams, Gabriel saw himself holding Catherine's hand as they walked into a wedding hall. She smiled radiantly, her face glowing like the sun, her eyes brimming with happiness.He was happy too. His heart raced for her, and they were meant to be together, destined to walk the path of life side by side."Daddy..."A child's voice echoed. With a blink, the wedding hall transformed into a park. Catherine was holding a little girl in her arms, and the child looked exactly like