Ashlynn thought about Owen's negligence. Was it really due to negligence? There was the sound of a car's engine, and Ashlynn's body trembled slightly, but she did not turn her head to look. Corentin was the only one who could come in so blatantly. Corentin sat down on the chair across from her, his gaze falling on Ashlynn's pale face. "I shall ask you again, did you see the person who kidnapped you?" Corentin asked. His voice was low and devoid of emotion. Ashlynn did not know why Corentin was asking her this at the moment. Was he asking her because he already had the answer? Or was he merely trying to pressure her to get the truth? Ashlynn did not want to say it was Beth because she had some concerns. She would be in trouble if she offended Corentin or Beth. What was the point of doing so anyway? The child should not exist in the first place. At least someone solved the problem for her. She did not need to remove the child herself now. "Ashlynn, I'm giving you
Listening to the sound of the car engine leaving, her tears poured down. Ashlynn had no idea what Corentin was going to do. It was not until she went to bed at night that she received a call from Anne. She adjusted her mood before answering, "Hi, Anne." "My uncle's marriage to Meredith was called off?" Anne asked. "This... I don't know about this." Ashlynn was surprised. "I heard it by accident. The Lloyd Group made it public. I thought you knew. What happened? Were you involved?" Anne asked. "I... the child is gone. The Hilton family did it. That's why Corentin went berserk." Ashlynn did not hide it from her. "The child... cheer up, take good care of your body. You can have more kids in the future." "Not anymore. I didn't want to have Corentin's child, and it worked out well for me..." Ashlynn said with certainty. She would not tell anyone that when she slept alone at night, she secretly grieved over the loss of her child. She did not dare to cry. Anne knew that
"Indeed. I didn't expect Corentin to be so disrespectful to the Hilton family! Even his father Cory held some respect for us!" Beth growled. Aunt Cher turned her eyes and said, "I heard from little missy that their relationship was too messy?" "You know about this?" Beth was surprised. "Little missy was in a bad mood that night, so she complained to me. That woman is pregnant. It was a good decision to get rid of the child, wasn't it? Poor little missy!" Aunt Cher was the servant who took care of Meredith's mother, so she was very trustworthy. After Meredith's mother died during childbirth, she was the one taking care of her. She had no less love for Meredith than Beth did. Seeing Aunt Cher's loyalty, Beth invited her to work beside her so that she could see Meredith more. The phone on the table rang. Beth motioned to Aunt Cher, and she left. When the door was closed, she heard Beth's voice on the phone. "Elder Lloyd..." Aunt Cher looked up and saw Meredith coming b
Ashlynn lay on the bed after a shower. She sprang up when she heard someone entering.She was now so jumpy that every single noise would make her feel tense. Corentin entered the bedroom, carrying his coat in his arm. His dark aura was even more intense than before. The way he looked at Ashlynn was even filled with coldness. The last time Corentin was here was during the day, he came with the intention of killing her. Now, why was he coming here at night? When Corentin reached the bed, Ashlynn could smell the alcohol on him. That intensified the dangerous waves in the atmosphere. Ashlynn looked at him with her guard up. "What are you doing?""I am here to see you. Do you have a problem with that?" Corentin was like a beast, intruding. His amber-colored eyes were emitting dangerous rays. Ashlynn did not believe that he was only there to see her. Corentin threw his coat on the end of the bed and sat down. His tall figure blocked most of the light in front of him. "The
The sense of danger made her no longer hesitate. She went into bed and lay down by the side. After that, it felt like the pressure lasted an eternity. Ashlynn could no longer stand the exhaustion and eventually fell asleep. When she woke up the next morning, Corentin was not by her side, and the room also did not smell like alcohol. Ashlynn walked to the balcony and looked down. She wanted to see if the car was around but saw his figure on the chair she usually sat on by the pond. He was sitting there, sipping on his coffee, looking unbothered. Ashlynn knew that it was only an act. Corentin did not leave yet, because he wanted to bring her to join the lunch with the Hilton family. He was serious about it…Ashlynn ran down behind Corentin. She looked at his back and could not help but soften her tone, "Salvatore, please don't bring me. I don't want to go…""I had already decided. It is useless to argue," Corentin said lightly.Ashlynn went in front of him. "You killed
That was right, it would not be too much of a fuss to just add a set of cutlery. Only Corentin could say that with a straight face."Then what is her identity to earn her a seat on this table? As your lover? Corentin, are you trying to humiliate her?" Meredith asked."Did you say I cannot bring any guests beforehand?" Corentin asked everyone. Everyone went speechless, astounded by Corentin's logic, though they suppressed their feelings. Beth was quick to calm down. "Since she is already here, perhaps it's good to discuss this as well openly. Corentin, did you cancel the engagement because of her?"Corentin was too lazy to even reply. This was because the answer was already apparent. Beth asked, "Are you kidding? You are going against the Hilton family for a girl that came from the slum. I really doubt you are capable enough to be the Lloyd family's heir."Corentin's hands were grabbing the glass and swirling it slowly in his hands. His eyes looking at Beth were dark but col
Before she even declined, Meredith mocked, "Right, this is a once-in-a-lifetime good offer that other people would die to be in your place. I just don't know if you are fortunate enough to live with this bliss. Since you are already my aunt's goddaughter, you should do something too, go on, pour wine for my aunt, and give her a toast."Ashlynn did not do it. Corentin said, "Go on."His two simple words reminded Ashlynn that she was supposed to comply and even make sure she did it well. She had to suppress her emotions, and said coldly, "I do not want to be involved with the Hilton family, thank you for your kind offer."What Beth offered was already shocking enough. They did not expect things to take another even more shocking twist. Ashlynn was declining it?Meredith was so pissed that she almost slammed the table. "Ashlynn, do you really think you are someone important? Don't you be so disrespectful.""I did not ask for you all to offer me this!" Ashlynn rebutted. "Ah, I
Then, she received the glass and took a sip. When Ashlynn placed her arm down, she could feel it still shaking involuntarily. She did not believe that Beth would be nice to her. She was saying it in reverse. Beth placed the glass down. "Okay, don't you kneel anymore. You just had a miscarriage, and you should take good care."It was almost as though she deliberately said it. She also did not ask Ashlynn to give Marshall a toast. It was as though only she was getting a goddaughter and that it was irrelevant to everyone else in the Hilton family. When Ashlynn stood up, her knees were stiff. She almost lost her balance. She returned to the seat next to Corentin, looking pale. Beth was flexible. She saw Cory and immediately said, "Now I have taken Ashlynn as my goddaughter. Today is a good day. Let's not ruin our day with what the media said."She was giving everyone a space to not be awkward. Corentin smiled, pretending to be a gentleman, then said, "You are making m
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