Seeing the harmony between Lindsay and Elric, their fans breathed a sigh of relief.Elric's fans were different from other fan groups. They weren’t angry at Lindsay for rejecting the contract; instead, they admired her for being so independent. Consequently, Elric's fans flooded the comments on their Instagram posts with praise."My bias is amazing; she's living the life I envy.""If Linds has the ability, why shouldn’t she start her own business?""My El isn't narrow-minded; of course, he supports my bias’ decision.""To those trying to stir up trouble, don’t think we can't see through your schemes. You're just trying to cause problems between my bias and El.""Hmph, neither El nor us El fans will fall for it.""Do you think we El fans are stupid? We're thrilled Linds is so capable; why would we ever scold her?""Exactly, with El protecting Linds, of course, we’ll follow his lead.""Those trying to stir things up are idiots, full of nonsense.""Congratulations to my bias for becoming
Oliver saw Alex’s Instagram post and couldn't help but call him.Alex had been scrolling through Instagram, wondering if Lindsay would respond. He had noticed that Lindsay had replied to one of Sharon's posts earlier.When he saw the call, he answered, "Oliver, why are you calling me?"Oliver sounded very displeased, "Are you out of your mind, posting something like that on Instagram?"Alex immediately knew what he was talking about and felt puzzled, "What's wrong with my post? Weren't we supposed to try and get Linds to come home? I'm just making an effort."Oliver was furious. "Effort my foot! You're just dragging us down."Alex was the most clueless in the family, always acting impulsively.Alex felt wronged. "How am I dragging us down? I just wanted to show goodwill to Linds. Didn't Mom say we should give Linds an excuse to come home? You're being unreasonable, scolding me like this."Oliver was speechless. He suddenly felt that Lindsay was right when she called him a fool during a
So, Alex ignored him and continued to scroll through Instagram.Oliver, seeing that Alex didn't respond, decided to interact with this fool less in the future, lest he become infected by his stupidity. At this moment, both brothers were utterly disgusted and annoyed with each other.Meanwhile, Olivia was at home, desperately wanting to rush over and scold Alex. But to maintain her persona as a considerate sister, she had to endure it and fume in silence.She thought for a moment and sent a message to Justin, asking if he wanted to post on Instagram.Justin replied, "Don't bother."Olivia sent two more messages trying to chat, but Justin didn't reply. After a while with no response, Olivia felt uncomfortable.So, she deliberately sent a message to Justin's mother, Abby, asking if Justin was busy since he hadn't responded to her messages, expressing her concern for him.At the Ford family residence, Justin saw the subsequent messages from Olivia. Not only did he have no desire to reply,
When Justin heard his own mother call him pathetic, he suddenly laughed. The laughter grew louder, and his eyes reddened further.Abby had never seen her youngest son so distraught. With a stern face, she said, "Justin, are you listening to me? I don't like that Lindsay. Now that you've broken up, it's best you let her go completely. Don't think about her anymore."She continued, "Via is so wonderful, gentle, and kind, like an angel. She is my ideal daughter-in-law. Listen to me and pursue Via. Marry her."Putting on a motherly expression, she added sincerely, "I won't lead you astray."Justin stood up, laughing as he spoke, "I lost the girl I liked because I listened to you too much. You said to be nice to Olivia, and take care of her on the side, so I did. You didn't like Lindsay, so I kept her away from you and barely went out with her alone. What else do you want from me?"He kicked the bottles on the ground, sending them flying. "Isn't it enough that you ruined my relationship? No
Abby softened her tone. "You and Casey are both very important to me. I can't give up on either of you."Justin replied with the same words, "Lindsay and you are both important to me. I can't give up on either of you."Abby was infuriated, her face turning pale with anger. "Don't compare me to that little slut."Justin frowned, "She's not a slut."Abby scoffed, "If she's not a slut, then how did she manage to wrap you around her finger like this?"At that moment, a voice came from the doorway. "If she's a slut for wrapping Justin around her finger, then does that make you an old slut for doing the same to dad?”Jenny had returned home to retrieve some documents she had stored in the room's safe. She heard the argument as soon as she reached the upstairs landing and decided to listen. Initially, she didn't want to get involved, thinking her brother deserved what he got. But when she heard Abby repeatedly calling Lindsay a slut, she couldn't hold back.Abby turned to see Jenny, her eyes
Justin watched his sister disappear through the doorway, then collapsed back onto the floor, his eyes filled with pain. The phrase "belated affection isn’t worth a thing" echoed in his mind. But he had always loved Lindsay! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made her like him and depend on him during their youth.Had he made a mistake?He noticed the overturned bottle of alcohol. It hadn't shattered, so he picked it up and continued drinking, trying to drown his sorrows.When Mitch returned home, Abby seized the opportunity to cry and complain to him. He went upstairs to find his daughter, only to discover she was gone. Seeing the door to his youngest son's room open, he walked in and saw Justin in such a despondent state.Frowning, he said, "Drinking won't solve anything."Justin looked up. "Then what will?"Shutting the door, Mitch walked over and sat down beside him. He sighed, patting Justin's shoulder. "Once you're in the game, you can't escape. To find a way out, you need patience.
Lindsay paused and then said, "At first, I thought I'd let him think he was in control, let him feel clever. But now I've changed my mind. I'll follow his plan, only to cut off all his escape routes. I'll make him realize that I anticipated his moves, and it will infuriate him."Jenny agreed, "That's a good idea. You mean we should expose this ourselves?"Lindsay smiled, knowing that Jenny understood her perfectly. "Exactly. I'll expose it myself, making all their preparation work go to waste. Given his arrogant nature, always thinking he's in control, this will definitely infuriate him. He'll feel like he's swinging at shadows, completely powerless and frustrating.”Jenny clapped her hands. "That's great!"Lindsay then sent a message to Albert and Fiona, asking them to come to her office. When they arrived, she explained her plan.Albert grinned. "This is a good counterattack. It'll really annoy Oliver."That man always thought he was above everyone else. Discovering that his sister a
When Oliver heard the words "Lindsay posted on Instagram," he inexplicably felt a headache coming on. He pulled out his phone and opened Lindsay's Instagram, and sure enough, the situation was even more frustrating.Lindsay wrote, "Welcome to my studio. Looking forward to a great collaboration!” Then she tagged Fiona, Joshua, and Hector.The mention of the first person left Oliver with a suffocating feeling of frustration."She did it on purpose. She must have timed it perfectly," Oliver grumbled. "I’m willing to bet my life that she did this on purpose!”He had planned for his team to start posting at ten o'clock. They usually prepared three to four minutes in advance, posting a preliminary tweet as a lead-in and then having influencers reveal the news. Lindsay's post, five minutes earlier, had perfectly countered their plan.His assistant glanced at Oliver's dark expression. "I also think it's too much of a coincidence to be accidental."Lindsay had orchestrated many moves against
In the vibrant district of the historic town, the streets were lined with vintage boutiques and various artisan stalls. Lindsay's group visited the town’s administration office and rented a temporary booth.Alex and Justin eagerly borrowed a table and chairs, setting up the booth. Following Lindsay's instructions, they also bought a piece of white fabric and worked together to create a simple sign. The production team provided markers and other supplies.Lindsay glanced over at Benedict and said, "Benedict, I’ll let you handle writing the banner."She was eager to observe his writing and the energy he gave off while doing it.Benedict sighed inwardly—this girl was constantly trying to test him. After a moment’s thought, he nodded. "Alright, I’ll write it."He grabbed a marker, uncapped it, and wrote in bold letters across the white fabric: “Fortune Telling, Divination, and Tarot Readings.”Lindsay watched him closely, noticing the fluidity of his movements as he wrote, his posture exud
Justin added, "My mom’s been trying to get me to help Olivia and distance myself from Lindsay. She’s also said plenty of nasty things about Lindsay. This time, not only did I ignore her, but I even pushed back. It probably pissed her off, and now she’s taking it out on Lindsay."Alex, clearly upset, said, "You should talk to her and tell her to stop fixating on Lindsay. Lindsay hasn’t done anything to provoke her. It’s ridiculous."He was frustrated that Justin’s mom had been stirring up trouble, making Grace even more difficult to deal with.Justin nodded. "Alright, after the show is over, I’ll have a talk with her."He also felt his mom was acting out of line. Back when he liked Lindsay, her disapproval at least made sense. But now that Lindsay had kicked him to the curb, his mom’s continued obsession was baffling.Although they were speaking softly, Lindsay and Benedict, walking ahead, heard every word.Lindsay found the situation with Abby baffling as well. A woman who fawned over
After Lindsay left, the other guests quickly followed, leaving only Alex standing there awkwardly. He spoke briefly to the production staff, and they soon shifted the cameras away from that area. Alex then walked over to Grace, saying, "Mom, since Lindsay won’t lend it, let’s just drop it."Grace shot him a cold glare, her expression dark. "How can you be so heartless? The one lying in bed is your fourth brother. Are you hanging around Lindsay all the time just to learn how to be cold and ruthless?"Unable to contain her frustration toward Lindsay, Grace directed it at Alex instead.Alex sighed in exasperation. "Even if we need help, it has to be something she’s willing to do! We’ve wronged Lindsay enough as it is, so why do you keep trying to guilt-trip her? Brandon’s situation isn’t Lindsay’s fault. Why don’t you go find Olivia? She’s the one who caused all this, maybe she can fix it. After all, whoever’s behind her is no easy target."Right now, all Alex felt toward Lindsay was gui
Grace held back her anger and said, "It'll only take a few minutes. I have something important to discuss with you."Lindsay sat back down in her seat. "Fine, go ahead."The livestream was on, and Lindsay was fully aware of it—she was doing this on purpose.Grace was about to speak when her assistant whispered something in her ear. Her expression changed, and she subtly shifted her body to turn away from the camera.Then she looked at Lindsay. "Can we talk outside?"In her rush to find Lindsay, she had almost forgotten that this was a live-streamed variety show. She didn’t want to be on camera, much less discuss such personal matters in front of an audience.Lindsay, however, refused. "If it's important, say it here. If not, then don’t say anything."Grace’s expression darkened. "It’s because it’s important that we need to talk privately."She emphasized, "It’s not appropriate in front of the camera."Lindsay just smiled. "Unless it's something shady, what’s wrong with saying it on cam
Lindsay thought about it for a while and figured that if Grace was coming to find her, it was probably for Brandon. The only thing she could want would be the artifact in her possession.Alex saw her reply and couldn’t help but smile wryly. His sister was indeed sharp and saw right through it.He sent a voice message, repeating what the head of the Divination Association had told them. "Mom just wants to borrow the artifact from you to suppress Brandon’s condition."Lindsay replied, "Tell her not to waste her energy."Seeing that message, Alex knew right away that she wouldn’t lend it out. It didn’t surprise him—his sister could be ruthless when she wanted to be."We can’t convince her otherwise, not even Dad can stop her... sigh," Alex added. When their mom’s temper flared, she wouldn’t listen to anyone.Lindsay didn’t seem to care. "Then let her come. I’m not going to do her any favors."Alex recalled the conversation between their parents at the hospital and decided to warn her, "M
Recently, Grace had been spending more time with Abby, often meeting up for outings. Over time, Richard noticed that Grace's anger towards their biological daughter had deepened. Abby had always disliked Lindsay and showed more favoritism towards Olivia. She must have been stirring up trouble and egging Grace on whenever they met. With time, Grace was bound to be influenced.Grace, clearly annoyed, said, "You even want to control who I make friends with? Aren't you going too far? What's wrong with me getting along with Mrs. Ford and spending more time with her?"Richard felt cornered. "I just think there's something off about her. Her intentions in getting close to you don't seem good. That's why I'm trying to give you a heads-up."Grace didn't believe him at all. "I think you're overthinking it. We’ve always had a decent relationship. We’re just closer now, that’s all.""What do you men know about women’s matters? Don't interfere." She now had plenty to talk about with Abby. Jenny wa
Richard glanced at Grace with clear disapproval. “This whole mess was caused by Olivia and Brandon. What does any of it have to do with Lindsay?”He could tell that recent events, and the embarrassment caused by their sons, had left his wife feeling bitter. It seemed she had begun to project that frustration onto Lindsay, despite the situation having little to do with her.Grace crossed her arms defensively. “If it wasn’t for her ongoing fight with Olivia, Brandon wouldn’t have gotten involved. He’s her brother. Doesn’t she owe him some consideration now that he’s in this condition?”Richard frowned. “What exactly are you trying to say?”Valarie, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her displeasure clear. “I see it differently. It’s Olivia and your son who started the trouble, and all Lindsay did was defend herself. Are you really looking to embarrass yourselves even more?”Grace shifted uncomfortably, feeling the sting of her mother-in-law’s words. “I’m just thinking abou
Given the Harper family's persistence, there was no way the Divination Association could avoid a thorough investigation. Seeing that Randolph wouldn’t back down, the official left, courteously escorted out by Randolph, who, for the moment, had ceased his protests.Valarie carefully placed the multicolored stone inside a small protective pouch before securing it around Brandon's neck. Though he felt a slight relief after putting it on, the bad luck continued. As the official had warned, his misfortune was too severe for one artifact to fully contain.Randolph tried every connection he had, attempting to borrow a second artifact, but came up empty-handed. Time slipped by, and evening approached before they could find any further solutions.By the time Richard and Grace arrived at the hospital, they were met with the weary faces of their parents. Feeling guilty for everything his father had gone through, Richard bowed his head. "Dad, Mom, I'm so sorry you had to go through this today."
Hearing their words, the hope that had briefly flickered in Brandon’s eyes quickly faded, leaving him more devastated than before. "Grandfather, I know I was wrong," he muttered, finally realizing the truth. His foster sister had been nothing but trouble—far from trustworthy, she had been a constant source of harm. Meanwhile, his real sister, though harsh and distant, had proven to be far more reliable. Regret gnawed at him deeply.Randolph sighed, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Knowing you’re wrong doesn’t change anything. It’s too late now.”Turning back to the two mystics, Randolph asked, “If you can’t break the curse directly, could you at least help suppress his misfortune? Maybe with a protective charm or some kind of mystical object?”Despite his frustration with his grandson’s foolishness, he couldn’t just leave him to suffer.Both mystics exchanged uneasy glances. “We don’t have the ability to suppress his bad luck with charms.”“For something like that, you’d need t