Anne lowered her eyes and smiled weakly. "Really?" "I heard that… Anthony also went to Uncle's anniversary party. I hope he didn't do anything to you?" Tommy uttered. "No… nothing, I left not long after…" Anne did not want to talk about Anthony. Mentioning his name made it hard to breathe. "If he's troubling you, tell me. I will help you," Tommy said. Anne was touched. When she used to be helpless, Tommy helped her. It had been a long time since, and she could recognize him right away. Now that Anthony was tormenting her, she bumped into Tommy, and he even helped her to get a job at the surgery clinic. He helped her a lot, and she was grateful. Perhaps when one was helpless, one would seek safety subconsciously… "Why did Anthony come back to Luton?" Anne pretended as if she knew nothing. "I'm not sure. Nobody from the family knows either." Tommy frowned slightly. Anne's heart sank. "Have you been in touch with him?" "Not since he cut his ties with the Marwood fa
She moved in that night. She locked the door and lay down in bed. She slept peacefully that night, even if she had to wake up at midnight to video call her kids. This place was much safer than the Royal Mansion. After working in the surgery clinic for a few days, Anne was beginning to look like an ordinary working woman instead of an abused one. One day, after she finished her morning shift, she went into the toilet when her phone vibrated. When she saw an unknown number, she halted. She did not know who was calling and assumed it was Anthony. If it was him, she dared not answer. After unlocking her screen, she answered, "Hello?" "Anne, it's me." Anne was relieved. "Oh, what is it?" "I just got out of the office and will be passing by your workplace. Want to have lunch?" Anne instantly recalled the warning from Anthony, and she turned down, "Sorry, I still have work to do, and I don't feel like going out." "I see, that's fine. Get some rest. We will meet an
There was an appointment that night, and they had to work overtime. At six in the evening, Anne was about to eat the bread she had prepared when her phone rang. She saw the caller ID and answered, "I'm working overtime." "And I'm bringing you a delicious meal." Anne walked to the reception and saw Tommy who was sitting inside to wait for her. She walked over and said, "Didn't I say that you didn't have to send me food?" "Not even once?" Tommy saw her standing there. He grabbed her small wrist and pulled her over. When he touched her, she jolted and sat down helplessly. She saw the meal prepared for her. "Why're you so nice to me?" Anne asked. Tommy had a gentle look as he answered, "I'll be nice to you, and all you have to do is to accept it. No pressure. Just like how it was when you were at the Marwood Mansion. If you'd like to, you can even call me brother." Brother… Anne looked down. All her nightmares started when she called Anthony 'brother'. Therefore, she
When the call was answered, Anthony glared at Anne with growing hatred. Anne breathed heavily, and her face turned pale. She looked as if she was in pain while overwhelmed with fear! She prayed that Anthony would not find out about their kids. No way! "Hello, Anne? Why did you hang up?" Nancy asked. Anthony did not seem to be pleased with this woman's voice. His eyes signaled Anne to speak. "I'm… fine. I'm about to go home! I was calling to let you know that I won't be able to come back anytime soon. I'll pay you back later…" Anne said with a shaky voice. "Oh dear, money is not important. It's just that my health is deteriorating day by day." Anne was shocked by Nancy's acting. "I will try to go back sooner, I…" Before she could finish her sentence, Anthony ended the call. "Give up on this thought!" He was not concerned about others' health. Anne compressed her lips and uttered, "When I was abroad, she took good care of me. She…" "Go!" Anthony cut her short as he
Anne knew what he meant: she was too close to Tommy, but it was not her fault! However, she also could not blame it on Tommy. "Bring her to the client's room!" Anthony demanded. The bodyguards by the door walked over. Anne trembled in fear. Seeing that Tommy was trying to help her, the other bodyguard blocked him from getting close. The bodyguard grabbed Anne by her arm… “Argh, don’t touch me. I don’t want to go…” Anne was very scared to the core, and she kicked the bodyguard's knees in panic. The bodyguard did not expect her to kick him and loosened his grip. Anne's body then bumped into Anthony's arm. He was holding a wine glass, and the wine spilled. The liquid drenched his fingers. The atmosphere in the room turned tense and chillier. Anne was so scared that she trembled. "I'll… wipe it off for you!" She quickly took the towel from the table and wiped Anthony's hand. Yet, his hand moved away. Anne was confused and terrified. Suddenly, Anthony's eerie voic
Tommy was speechless. "I don't want to see you mistreating Anne this way. She's innocent." "To me, nobody is innocent!" Anthony said coldly. Anne was pushed into a room, and the door was shut. There was no way for her to open the door. There was someone behind her. She turned back to see a fat man walking out of the bathroom. He had a towel around his waist with his bulging belly showing. When the man saw the beautiful lady, his eyes sparkled, especially as she was wearing his ideal costume. "I didn't expect them to have such beauty. No wonder the membership cost me five million bucks." Anne was shocked as she leaned on the door. "Don't… don't come here. I don't work here. I was kidnapped… Don't touch me." "Come, let me touch you…" The man was eager as he made a dive for her. "Argh!" Anne flinched and moved away. The man saw Anne hiding by the bed and became more excited. "Don't worry. I will pay you however much you want as long as you listen to me. You will have unlim
Anne stopped and turned back to look at him with teary eyes. "I remember, thank you. I will take good care of myself. Also, the person who bought this clinic is… Anthony." Tommy was taken aback and uttered, "Him?" "So, don't come here." Anne looked away and walked inside. Tommy stood there transfixed. He found it hard to accept. If it was Anthony who bought the Aesthetic Clinic, then he was also the person in charge of the Archduke Group… He would never have thought that it was Anthony. When did Anthony turn into such a powerful person in charge of the Archduke Group… The reason she told Tommy was to stop him from coming to this clinic in the control of Anthony. Also, she did not want Tommy to start a pointless fight as there was no point in fighting against the Archduke Group. Furthermore, she did not want to put Tommy in a difficult situation. Once she managed to leave Luton, she would never come back again. So, what was the point… Anne went to buy lunch in the afte
Anne knew that Anthony would never let her go unless she was dead… "Anne, come to my place for a nice meal tomorrow!" Sarah said. "Nice meal?" "You don't remember my birthday? I lived with you for so many years, and I always remember your birthday!" Sarah rubbed Anne's nose lovingly. Anne flinched. How could she go? Anthony did not want her to get in touch with the Marwood family, especially her aunt. However, it would be cruel of her not to attend Sarah's birthday… "Don't worry, just a meal at home. Just me, you, and your uncle-in-law. Anthony won't come to our mansion. You can go home after the meal. Nobody would know." Anne was convinced. "Okay, I will go." She had no way of turning her aunt down. Since it was just a meal and she could leave afterward, Anthony would not find it out so soon… On Sarah's birthday, Anne finished work as usual. After returning to the flat, she went through the back door and took a taxi to Marwood Mansion. She bought a gift for S
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