Beth seemed to be in distress and kept glancing at Ashlynn with tears in her eyes.Knowing better than to act too close, Marshall said casually, "We've been really busy and haven't had the time to check on you. That's not the Hilton's way. Beth has adopted you, so we are going to be a family from now on. You can stay here for as long as you want. By the way, I've ordered the servants to clear out a room for you, so you don't have to stay in the guest room anymore. Take a look at your room later at night. If you need anything else, just tell me or your…Auntie."Naturally, Marshall was referring to Beth. He knew he could not let his emotions show but could not quite keep them under control.Ashlynn was shocked and thought to herself, 'They sure put in a lot of effort to put on a show for Corentin.'"Thank you..." she muttered, not wanting to risk rejecting them.Beth remained quiet the entire time."Mrs. Hilton, Mr. Hilton, Ms. Meredith and Mr. Lloyd are here."Ashlynn tensed. The
Humiliated, Meredith's face twisted in anger."Jeremy!" Marshall warned.Jeremy ignored them and placed a piece of meat onto Ashlynn's plate as well. "Here, have some more. Our cook is great at cooking steak."He placed sliced steak onto her plate.Ashlynn felt like she was walking on fire from being served by both Jeremy and Corentin and facing Meredith's wrath.'Can't they just ignore me? I'm just an outsider. This is all Corentin's fault,' she thought."Looks like you are having the best time here. You sure are great at getting people on your side." Corentin shot her a cold, vicious look.She could understand the threat that was hidden between his words but forced herself to calm down. If she were having a great time, Corentin would be there to make sure she suffered."I remember that I said I'm adopting Ashlynn. I'm sure you haven't forgotten about that," Beth said.Corentin stared at Ashlynn intently. "I suppose I've misunderstood."He had thought that Ashlynn would suff
"I've never once said that Meredith was mine, nor have I announced that she's my fiance. It was nothing but a feast. Did you take it seriously?" Corentin stared down at Beth.Meredith's face burnt with embarrassment as though she had been slapped in the face."Corentin, how could you say that? You came to dinner with me just to use me?" she asked.Corentin remained quiet.Meredith turned and stormed out while Aunt Cher hurried after her."Corentin, Ashlynn isn't who she used to be. She is our adopted daughter and a part of our family right now. You have no right to take her," Marshall said."You want to take her with you? Over my dead body!" Beth said fiercely.The fear within Ashlynn transformed into pure disbelief as she wondered if Beth was doing such a thing for Meredith's sake. After all, nothing good would happen to Meredith if Ashlynn agreed to leave with Corentin."Are you sure you are not leaving?" Corentin questioned darkly.Her heart raced as she struggled to think.
Ashlynn was taken to the room and noticed that the interior was drastically different from the guest room. She did not know how much the interior cost, but it was decorated in a welcoming manner. The overall color of the room was a lavender tone, including the curtains, with crystals draping over it elegantly.'Is this really my room? If Jeremy didn't take me here, I would have thought that this was Meredith's room,' she thought."Do you like it?" Jeremy asked."Why... did you guys give me this room?""We told you. You are a member of our family now. You will only be treated better than Meredith, not worse.""But why?"Ashlynn knew just how much Beth hated her and everything that was happening was beyond her comprehension; she even felt as though they were plotting something."I'm the eldest son of my generation in the Hilton Family. What I say matters," Jeremy said confidently.Ashlynn doubted his words for a moment but accepted his explanation in the end, as the changes had i
"Honey, don't shout. I'm going deaf."She felt as though she was about to pass out. "You... Delete it... Delete all of it!""Do you think it's possible? I have plenty of videos here. Say, if I send these to the Hiltons or play them on the big screen in the Lloyd Group's building, wouldn't that be fun?" he asked cheerfully.Ashlynn was terrified because she knew that Corentin was capable of anything."Do you want to try me?""Don't..." she muttered in a quivering voice. "You can't do this, Corentin!""I want to see you right now. Don't keep me waiting," he said before hanging up.She shivered as she stared at her phone, realizing that she had to return to Corentin's side as she would rather die than have such a video publicized.She tried her best to regain her composure. Her only chance was to appear before Corentin as soon as possible. Not daring to delay, Ashlynn opened the door and hurried down the stairs."Ashlynn, where are you going?"She turned around and saw Marshall
Half of her body was hanging off the cliff, and the sun had not set completely, so she could still see the alligators lurking below. They all looked up with their eyes widened, waiting for her to drop into the river.Her heart stopped for a moment as she tightened her grip on Corentin."They are still starving. If I throw you down, you will be torn apart. I bet that's something to see. Don't you think so, too?" He laughed ruthlessly.Her lips quivered. "Corentin, you... you won't. You won't do it...""Confident, aren't we?" Corentin pushed her forward. "Our child is gone now, so what use are you to me? I might as well feed you to the alligators!""No!" She closed her eyes and grabbed onto his clothes until the button snapped and flew off. "Corentin, you can't do this. Please...""You've just been to the Hiltons for a few days, and you've changed your mind about living? Tell me, how far did you and Jeremy go? If your answer doesn't satisfy me, you will end up like your dog!" he mo
"You can't answer?" He studied her face intently."I don't know..." She looked away.He took one step closer, his towering height looming over her. "Ashlynn, who taught you to lie to me?""I really don't know." She took a step back."You do know. You just don't dare to explain because this has something to do with Jeremy.""Nothing happened between us," she insisted.He narrowed his eyes, realizing that Beth would not have been the one who threatened to come if it was indeed Jeremy who tried to help Ashlynn.Cory had purposefully mentioned Beth's name, so there might be more to the story. However, no matter the reason, Beth owed him his son's life and must have a death wish to try taking Ashlynn away from him."Call Beth yourself." Corentin walked right past her and said casually, "I won't have to teach you what to say, will I?"Once he walked past her, she sobered and said, "I can talk to Beth, but... you will have to delete the videos!""You are in no position to negotiate
"You...love him?" Beth asked.Ashlynn lowered her gaze to stare at the tip of her shoes. "...Yes."Beth remained quiet."Auntie, thank you for everything, but I've made up my mind," Ashlynn said, not knowing if Beth would be upset as it sounded almost like she was trying to take Meredith's man."I support whatever choice you make, but you need to think this through. I don't want you to be abused," Beth said."Yes...""Whatever happens, you are still welcome to drop by for dinner. Do you understand?"Ashlynn could not find her words, not knowing if she was truly worthy of such treatment despite being trapped in her worst nightmare at the same time."Sure," she whispered."This is my number. Call me whenever you want," Beth said, "if you want to come back, I can go over there to pick you up.""...Okay."Beth remained quiet for a few moments, before uttering, "I..." There was so much that she wished to say, but her words would not come out.Ashlynn noticed Corentin standing in
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