Paul kicked him under the table and Owen swallowed his words. Corentin, standing next to him, ordered a man to bring the juice and he himself handed the straw to Ashlynn's mouth. Ashlynn hesitated before biting the straw and taking a sip. Owen was shocked, and he and Paul exchanged surprised glances. After playing another round, Ashlynn became bored and asked, "Can I go back now?" Corentin put down the juice glass and said, "No, we're not finished yet." "Mr. Lloyd, are you leaving so soon? I didn't even get a chance to play," Paul asked. "That's right, Mr. Lloyd. It's rare that you come out to play. It's Paul's birthday, and we have to play until midnight!" Owen added. "I'm sorry, but your sis is pregnant, so she can't stay up late. We'll play next time," Corentin explained before he and Ashlynn left the box. Owen angrily kicked over his chair and narrowly avoided the table. "Now that Ashlynn is pregnant, Mr. Lloyd does everything she says!" Paul shrugged noncommitt
"What are you talking about? Who in Athetin wouldn't want to marry into the Hilton family? The Lloyd family is a perfect match. Corentin is the only heir of the Lloyd family, and he has a bright future ahead. Many wealthy families would be jealous of that! You are the only one who doesn't take it seriously. Of course, we Hiltons are not bad either. This is the best arrangement we could ever get," Beth said. "I don't think you need to worry about this matter. Corentin will definitely keep that child. Meredith has the ability to handle this," Jeremy disagreed. "She requires the support of my family, don't you understand that? Go to bed. I hate it when you smell like cigarettes and alcohol!" Beth stormed off. Jeremy knew how Beth felt. She was worried about Meredith, like she was her own daughter. He heard from his father that when his sister died, his mother could not sleep. She cried all day and took sleeping pills every night to fall asleep. It had been that way for a long
Corentin kept his eyes on the computer screen and replied, "No need. Let's find a place to eat." "Okay." Corentin called Ashlynn on his phone. "I'm busy, so I won't be able to visit. Remember to eat." "Oh." "What are you doing?" "Feeding Chichi." "You care so much about it." "It's been with me for so long. Of course, I'll take care of it," Ashlynn said lightly. Corentin's eyes flickered. "What about me?" "I don't want to talk about this." Ashlynn did not expect him to ask that. "Ashlynn, you are really cruel." Ashlynn could not tell if Corentin was angry, but she did not feel like trying to figure it out. "Is there anything else you want? I'm going to eat." "You can't go anywhere with my baby in you," Corentin said before hanging up the phone. Corentin rested his jaw on his phone, squinting his eyes and looking out the car window. The Bintley stopped in front of the clubhouse. The car following them also stopped, and Meredith watched Corentin leave the car
Corentin was to be her primary concern now, as the child in Ashlynn's womb would inevitably perish. She was the eldest daughter of the Hilton family, the most delicate lady in Athetin, and the future head of the Hilton family. Who would dare to seduce her husband? A mere maid, hailing from a slum, should return to where she belonged! The Bintley stopped at the mansion, and Meredith entered the hall, taking Corentin's hand. Once inside, Meredith turned around and threw herself into Corentin's arms, embracing his strong waist with both hands, and breathed in Corentin's ear. "You won't drive me away tonight, will you?" This statement was clearly intended to convey her desire to engage in a physical relationship with Corentin. The atmosphere seemed off at first glance, and all the other supervisors and servants had seemingly disappeared into thin air. Corentin did not dodge or evade and even seemed to enjoy it a bit. "You have been with a lot of men in the past, haven't you?"
Finally, there was no movement. Corentin really wanted to continue, as it would be a disappointment to stop halfway through such pleasure. However, considering how useful this woman was, he lifted her head out of the water. Meredith fell limply to the ground, pale and unconscious. Corentin pressed his palm hard against her chest twice, and Meredith spat out two large mouthfuls of water before regaining consciousness and then passed out again. Meredith woke up from a dream, panicked as she touched her face, relieved to find that she was not dead. The pain of being waterboarded in the bathtub by Corentin was etched into her memory. The bloodless color on her face did not recover either. She did not know the room she was in, so she was probably still in the mansion. Meredith walked out of the room in clean pajamas. As she passed Corentin's master bedroom, her heart accelerated. "Ms. Hilton, are you awake?" The butler approached her. Meredith took a step back in fri
Corentin sighed heavily, turned off the light, and went to sleep. Meredith followed Corentin in order to find out where Ashlynn lived. She did not see Ashlynn. Instead, she got a chance to spend some time with Corentin. As soon as she returned home, Meredith could not hold back her anger any longer. She confronted Cory directly, her eyes blazing with determination. "Meredith, is this true? You can't say that about Corentin. He's not that kind of person." Corey knew that Meredith was referring to the rumors about Ashlynn's pregnancy. He tried to play it cool, pretending to be unhappy on the surface. "Uncle Cory, I wouldn't have come here to tell you if I weren't sure. Uncle Cory, you have to make a decision for me on this matter. I can't allow a woman outside to give birth to Corentin's child unless the marriage between the Hilton and Lloyd families is called off," Meredith said, feeling aggrieved. Cory sighed heavily, knowing that he had no choice but to confront the truth.
Owen watched as Ashlynn was led into the car by the steward and his men. He could not believe what was happening. He had to do something to stop this. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Corentin. The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before Corentin answered. "Mr. Lloyd, Ashlynn was taken away by Cory's people!" Owen yelled into the phone, his voice shaking with fear and desperation. "I saw!" Corentin shouted back, his voice laced with anger. "I'm on my way now." Owen breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the sound of a car engine roaring to life in the background. He knew that with Corentin on the case, everything would be okay. Corentin hung up the phone and threw it onto the passenger seat. He gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands and stepped on the gas pedal, sending his black Bintley galloping down the viaduct. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Corentin caught up to the car that had taken Ashlynn. He pulled his car up alongside i
Cory exclaimed, his face twitching with anger, "Corentin! Now you are the heir of the Lloyd family, a wealthy nobleman, not a hooligan!" "Then mark my words, I must have the child in Ashlynn's belly! I will kill whoever kills the child!" Corentin shouted back, standing up and towering over Cory. "In case you didn't know, I don't care if I'm not the heir of the Lloyd family!" With that, Corentin picked up the gun from the table and stormed out of the room, leaving Cory seething with anger. Cory knew that once Corentin set his mind on something, there was no changing it. He sighed and decided to give in. "Okay!" Cory slammed his hand down on the table. "You can keep the child, but nothing must go wrong in your marriage with the Hilton family!" Corentin did not say a word, but Cory could see the determination in his eyes. Cory knew that he had to be careful. If Mr. Hilton found out about the situation, it would be a disaster. Salvatore was really too difficult to control! Co
At first, Corentin was stunned. Then, he said, "Who have I killed? Ash, you've misunderstood. I've changed now. It's true. Hurry up and come down. The ravioli is getting cold.""Don't come over! I'll jump if you get any closer!" Ashlynn shouted hysterically."Alright, alright. I won't go over!" Corentin did not dare to take another step further. "Ash, I'm telling the truth. I didn't kill anybody. Come down, and I'll explain to you. It's all a misunderstanding.""Actually, I've felt it was strange since the beginning. It's just that Anne's reassurance dispelled my suspicion about you." Tears filled Ashlynn's eyes, but they did not stream down her face. She looked at Corentin and said, "But I know everything now. I don't have evidence, but you are Salvatore Yeager. At first, I thought you would change for the sake of the child. In the end… In the end, you didn't even spare the child's grandparents. Salvatore, are you even human? Why would a monster like you exist?""Ash, come down, a
After Ashlynn was discharged from the hospital, she called Anne when she was alone in the room."Anne, are you alright? I heard you were taken by Tommy and were later saved by Anthony.""Mmhmm. I'm fine. I've gotten home safely.""That's wonderful," said Ashlynn.Anne could tell that Ashlynn was not feeling alright, so she asked, "What's the matter? Are you not in a good mood?""I've found out about my parent's passing," said Ashlynn.Anne was stunned. She found out? "I'm sorry, Ashlynn. I've kept it hidden from you.""It's fine. I know you're being considerate to me and the child." Ashlynn took a pause before asking again, "Was Tommy killed by you guys?""No. He fled the cruise ship back then. When we found him, he was already killed by somebody. His body was pulled up from the sea.""Corentin was there as well, wasn't he?""That's right. Did he tell you that?"Ashlynn's eyes looked emotionless. "Have you guys ever suspected Corentin?"Anne immediately got so nervous tha
Corentin hugged Ashlynn. "I heard that Tommy's dead, so your parents' murders have been avenged. Now, they can only rest in peace. Calm down."Ashlynn collapsed in his arms as she cried. Then, she started to feel waves of throbbing pain in her belly, and her face turned pale.Corentin noticed something was not right with her, so he hurriedly roared at the driver, "Go to the hospital now!""Hurry up!" Jeremy urged. He held Ashlynn's hand and realized that it was freezing. "Ashlynn, you have to be alright. You still have me! Hang in there, Ashlynn!"Ashlynn looked at him with tears in her eyes. She was extremely saddened. She could not understand why things would end up like that. Did she not deserve to have parents?When Ashlynn woke up, she was already at the hospital.She subconsciously touched her belly, but Corentin grabbed her hand. "You're showing signs of miscarriage, so you need to recuperate."Ashlynn scanned around the room and asked, "Where's Jeremy?""He's outside. H
"I know…" Jeremy looked up and saw Ashlynn standing at the entrance. He was so shocked, and he immediately stood up. "Why…are you here?"Ashlynn stood there dazed. She looked at Jeremy, then the person who spoke earlier. "What do you guys mean when you talk about my parents' soul resting in peace?""Nothing. We were talking about someone else."Ashlynn could tell from their faces that they were clearly panicking. She was not deaf. She heard what they said clearly.Her face turned pale, and she immediately searched for her phone. She did not have it on her, so she rushed to the car."Ashlynn!" Jeremy ran after her and stopped her. "What are you doing?""I'm going to call Mom and Dad.""They are traveling. Don't disturb them."Ashlynn looked at him. "Jeremy, tell me honestly, why aren't Mom and Dad coming home? Don't lie! I have always felt it was strange. Why haven't they come home when I'm already so far along? Something is wrong, isn't it? Did something…really happen to them?"
Corentin came forward and asked, "Anne, are you alright?"Anne nodded."You don't look too well. What happened?""Tommy's dead," said Anthony."Have you found the cure?" asked Corentin.Anne shook her head."Unfortunately, the infected people would have to endure it a little longer."Anne suddenly thought of something, and she immediately pushed Anthony away. "Don't touch me."Only then, Corentin noticed a small patch of ulcer below Anne's cheek. "Anne, did Tommy drug you?"Anthony frowned. "I don't mind.""I do. Both of us would not be able to have contact with the children, and they will worry." Anne rejected his touch.Anthony had been touching her the whole time. It was unclear if he had been infected. Anne was very worried."It wouldn't make a difference now. If anything, I would have already been infected just now," said Anthony.Anne still refused to listen. "That's not necessary. Just don't touch me. We still don't know where the cure is, and Tommy died so suddenly
Just as Tommy finished his sentence, he heard a commotion behind him.Ivan was fighting with the assassin, and every strike he delivered was fatal. If Ivan were not skilled in combat, the professional assassin could have killed him in just a few moves.Tommy realized something was up, so he immediately wanted to grab Anne.While Anne retreated, she was pulled into a person's arms."Let me go!" She thought it was a man she did not know, so she hated to be touched like that."Anne."Anne was stunned. She looked up and felt happy to see a familiar face. "Anthony?""It's me."Tommy was infuriated as he watched the two of them looking lovingly at each other, Tommy became infuriated."As expected, Anne, you did leave a trace for Anthony." Tommy's expression darkened."You're the one who took me too lightly," said Anne.It was because she had always wanted to run away from Anthony in the past that he had the wrong impression, was it not? "So what? You want to kill me? With just t
Anne was drugged at that moment, and there were surveillance cameras all over the cruise ship. She saw a surveillance camera over her head when she was returning to the room. Therefore, it was impossible for her to sneak around in the middle of the night if she wanted to.Tommy had long been guarding against her.However, Anne still left Anthony some clues before she left him. She believed Anthony would find her very soon, but she never expected that he would do it so quickly.At daybreak, she seemed to have heard the rumbling of a helicopter above her. Then, the door swung open. Before Anne could make sense of the situation, she was picked up. "How did you get the message out?" Tommy said. He even searched Anne's body after that."Ah! Are you crazy? I don't have a phone!""Don't think Anthony can take you away just because he's here. If I'm going to hell, I'm dragging you along with me! Let's go!""You…" Anne had no strength, so she was dragged out of the room by him.He thre
Anne ignored him.If she were not afraid that Tommy would pull some tricks behind her back, she would have slept with her back facing him."Do you remember running to my home and sleeping on my bed when Anthony bullied you as a child?"I don't.""I know you do. I truly wanted to help you back then," said Tommy.Anne knew he was speaking the truth, so she did not refute him. She stared at the ceiling and said, "I think the past Tommy died a long time ago."Tommy's expression was mixed, and he asked, "Are we not able to go back anymore?""Instead of asking me this now, you should've gone to hell after you killed the people I cared about. No matter how unhappy your childhood was, you can't hurt others for your own pleasure." At that moment, Anne did not pity Tommy at all."Look at you on your high horse. Has Anthony not killed anybody before? Has Corentin not killed anybody before? Why did you forgive them for killing people but not me? Just because the victims were your friends?
Seeing that she did not move at all, Tommy said, "It won't be good for you if you don't eat."Anne thought that he made sense. If she did not eat, she would go hungry and would have no strength later. How could she fight with Tommy then? It was because she refused to eat and only drank water while hiding in her room that Tommy drugged her.After a while, she seemed to have figured it out.She picked up the fork and started eating the fish.Tommy saw her eating and asked, "How was it?""Could it be that you're the one who made it?" Anne looked up and shot a glance at him lazily."That's correct. I am the one who made it."Anne thought, 'Is this something worthy to be praised?'"It must be tough for you to do such a thing on top of everything else.""If you're worried that it's tough for me, why don't you make it with me?""I don't know how to cook.""How great. You just have to enjoy being served." Tommy clicked his tongue, but he was looking at Anne with a doting gaze.Anne