The crowd looked back at the screen, and indeed, the woman who had been hiding her face revealed her true identity: it was Anna.."It really is Anna! Oh my gosh, she was pretending to be a pure, innocent flower, but behind the scenes, she's wilder than anyone else.""Haha, look, there's even a date on it! This was just a week ago, right when she announced her engagement to the Konstantine family. How could Anna dare to sleep with someone else…""Does that mean Maxim has been cheated on?""Shh! Are you trying to get us killed? That's not something we can just say out loud!"In an instant, the crowd buzzed with gossip, mocking Camile and Dominic while cautiously glancing at Maxim's expression.Meanwhile, backstage, Anna had realized she had played the wrong video, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't turn it off.Listening to the unbearable sounds, her face turned bright red with anger. What on earth was happening?!She had clearly stored a video of Tatiana as a child on her U
All eyes turned to Tatiana, and everyone was sure she would say yes, considering the immense wealth at stake.To their surprise, her expression remained calm as she did not take the property deed. In a steady tone, she replied, "I’m willing to get engaged to Maxim, but this Eastern City property is too valuable. It should go back to him."Gasps filled the room.Someone actually turned down the money.Even Maxim was momentarily taken aback, but when he met her calm gaze, a surge of frustration bubbled up inside him.Before he could respond, Dominic suddenly rushed forward, snatching the deed from Tatiana's hands. With a fawning smile, he said, "Tatiana, are you joking? We accept, we accept!”Dominic smiled ingratiatingly as he opened the folder, but his expression froze when he saw the details of the property deed."This deed..." He paused, glancing at Maxim, and cautiously asked, "Why does it have Tatiana's name on it? Isn't it supposed to be for the Gold family?"Maxim shot him a l
"Tatiana, how dare you talk to me like that!"Camile, furious at Tatiana's blatant disrespect, raised her hand, ready to slap her across the face.But before she could make contact, Tatiana swiftly grabbed her wrist and, with a powerful twist, sent her crashing to the ground.The impact stung, and she glared up at Tatiana, her anger boiling over. "Tatiana, you—"Tatiana looked down at the disheveled Camile with an icy indifference in her eyes. Her tone was slow, almost casual, but her words cut like a sharp blade, filled with a fierce intensity. "Camille, this is just the beginning. There will be plenty more pain to come.”Camille froze in shock. She had no idea she had pushed Tatiana to her breaking point, stripping away any pretense of civility.Now that Tatiana had fully embraced her identity, she would not spare anyone who tried to harm her, whether in the past, present, or future.Tatiana's expression was cold and unyielding, her entire demeanor radiating an icy chill. In her e
Two months later.In Goldhaven, a highly anticipated wedding was taking place at a luxurious seven-star hotel in the city center.Outside the church, a crowd of reporters from various countries gathered, documenting the century wedding of the wealthiest family from New York.Inside the hotel, glass round tables were neatly arranged in the grand hall. A tall aisle ran through the center, flanked by a carpet of red roses. At the end of the aisle stood a massive circular platform adorned with a pink carpet, which sparkled with diamonds embedded around its edges, reflecting dazzling light under the venue's illumination.The lavish and exquisite decorations caught the attention of the guests, who whispered among themselves. Those present were all high-profile figures—celebrities, politicians, and business tycoons—each movement exuding elegance and nobility.Before long, a limited-edition sports car pulled up to the hotel entrance. Amid the clicking cameras of reporters, the bride gracefu
The butler stepped out to investigate and found that John Konstantine, the third son of the Konstantine family, had arrived with a doctor. .The butler quickly ushered them inside and led them to Maxim's room.John, Maxim’s uncle and the third son of the family patriarch, walked in while asking, "How is he doing now?"The butler replied with a serious expression, "Young Master suddenly fainted. Madam is currently treating him, and it seems he's getting a bit better."Dominic Cooper was taken aback by the news. "Madam? You mean Tatiana from the Gold family?"The butler nodded.John scoffed, "She has those skills? I hope she doesn't mess things up and make Maxim worse."Little did he know, Tatiana overheard his remark. She turned to him, her expression calm yet laced with sarcasm. "If you doubt my abilities, Uncle, why not give it a try? Just talking won't prove anything.”John turned at the sound, only to find a woman standing at the door, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.Her long,
Seeing her unquestioning demeanor, a glint of satisfaction flashed in John's eyes. But just then, Tatiana let out a startled yelp. She slipped, and the medicine bottle flew from her hand. Without the cap on, the powder spilled out, drifting through the air before slowly settling on the ground."Oh no—"Tatiana quickly steadied herself, feigning shock.The butler rushed over to support her, and she smiled gratefully at him.However, John was not focused on her;his attention was on the mess of white powder scattered everywhere. His face darkened as he scolded, "You've spilled the medicine!"Tatiana, not backing down, retorted, "If the medicine is gone, just have Dr. Frank prepare more. At least I didn’t fall!"John listened to her spoiled words, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. He had gone through great lengths to acquire this medication from the lab, intending for it to silently weaken Maxim. Even if he died, there would be no trace of foul play.Now, thanks to Tatiana's foolishn
Maxim found himself in a dream.He was trapped in an endless darkness, the sound of howling winds swirling around him. He walked slowly, but there was no direction, no purpose, and no end in sight.Looking around, all he could see was darkness upon darkness, and despair began to wash over him.Just then, a sudden tear opened above him, letting a beam of light shine through.Suddenly, he jolted awake.He was drenched in sweat, as if he had just emerged from water.His gaze wandered around the room, and he realized he was back in his own space. He let out a sigh of relief. Looking down, he saw a woman’s face resting by the edge of the bed, peacefully asleep.The soft moonlight seemed to favor her, casting a gentle glow on her profile.Seeing her so serene for the first time, he raised his hand and noticed a small needle in it, along with a faint bitter taste in his mouth. He was taken aback.Could it be that Tatiana had been taking care of him all this time?A strange feeling stirred w
Soon, news of the Konstantine consortium's collaboration with Sorenity Company spread throughout the country, with Maxim being the main person in charge of this partnership, drawing everyone's attention.As the collaboration progressed and the project neared completion, the two companies launched their online shopping platform—Mai —which saw its registered user count soar to one hundred million, with transaction volumes reaching billions of dollars.It became a sensation across the country.Sorenity officially emerged as a tech giant, and the strength of Konstantine consortium surged as well. Maxim's capabilities were recognized by everyone in the consortium, with senior management and shareholders beginning to trust him even more than John. No one dared to obstruct his projects anymore."Not bad at all."Tatiana smiled as she flipped through the financial newspaper. While she intended to help Maxim establish himself within the family, she knew that if Maxim lacked the skills, this
Feeling the sting, Tatiana finally snapped back to reality. She rubbed her forehead and looked at Maxim, saying, “Why did you flick me?”“Who told you to zone out? Do you remember what I just said to you?” Maxim didn’t need to guess that she hadn’t been paying attention, so he reluctantly repeated himself.To his surprise, Tatiana replied, “I was talking to you, but you didn’t hear me. You were busy chopping vegetables, and I was worried you’d cut yourself, so I didn’t want to distract you. I just wanted to help, but I didn’t realize the water was hot and ended up burning myself.”After saying that, she felt like she had only added to Maxim’s troubles. With a pout, she said, “Fine, I’ll just leave you to it. Take your time.”With that, Tatum waved her little hand and walked away.Watching her retreating figure, Maxim couldn’t help but feel helpless. He lowered his head and continued chopping vegetables, but the love in his eyes and the smile at the corners of his mouth were almost o
While Tatiana was absorbed in the movie, she didn’t notice that Maxim, who had previously worn a serious expression, broke into a smile the moment he felt her lean closer.The film was a classic, and as it wrapped up, Tatiana finished the last of the fruit on the platter.The softness of the couch made Tatiana reluctant to move, so she just stayed seated."Are you not getting up? Do you plan to skip dinner tonight?" Maxim asked, looking at the person still lounging on the couch with irritation."Um..." Tatiana's originally cool tone took on a sweet, childlike quality due to her lazy demeanor, and Maxim found himself surrendering.With no other choice, Maxim said, "Alright, if you want to keep sitting, then go ahead. Do you need any fruit?""Yes, please." Handing the fruit platter to Maxim, Tatiana looked up and smiled at him.After Tatiana finished a small plate of fruit, Maxim insisted on taking her to the supermarket.The two of them pushed a shopping cart together. Looking at the
While Tatiana was absorbed in the movie, she didn’t notice that Maxim, who had previously worn a serious expression, broke into a smile the moment he felt her lean closer.The film was a classic, and as it wrapped up, Tatiana finished the last of the fruit on the platter.The softness of the couch made Tatiana reluctant to move, so she just stayed seated."Are you not getting up? Do you plan to skip dinner tonight?" Maxim asked, looking at the person still lounging on the couch with irritation."Um..." Tatiana's originally cool tone took on a sweet, childlike quality due to her lazy demeanor, and Maxim found himself surrendering.With no other choice, Maxim said, "Alright, if you want to keep sitting, then go ahead. Do you need any fruit?""Yes, please." Handing the fruit platter to Maxim, Tatiana looked up and smiled at him.After Tatiana finished a small plate of fruit, Maxim insisted on taking her to the supermarket.The two of them pushed a shopping cart together. Looking at the
"I have a high tolerance for you, but I also hope you won't keep showcasing your limited intelligence in front of me. It only makes me look down on you more, and it’s utterly pointless."With that, Tatiana turned on her heel and walked away, not bothering to glance back at Delany. There was really nothing more to say to someone like her.As Tatiana walked down the street, she initially planned to head home. However, she remembered Tara and realized she hadn’t seen her in the hospital earlier. She took out her phone and sent Tara a message. It didn’t take long for Tara to reply, confirming that she was back at school and not in class. Tatiana decided she would go visit her. Tara was happy to hear that.Putting her phone away, Tatiana hailed a taxi and headed over.Meanwhile, Tara had just finished her meal and put down her empty plate. She left the cafeteria, planning to wait in a small garden behind the school for the hot pot delivery to arrive.Just before Tatiana arrived, Tara s
Vance was taken aback by Tatiana's words. The Tatiana he knew always seemed aloof, quiet, and regal, but hearing her comfort Emily made him realize she wasn't the person he had imagined.Tatiana, however, was too focused on the girl in front of her to notice Vance's daze. As Emily began to lower her guard, Tatiana smiled warmly."What's your name?" she asked kindly.Emily looked at Tatiana's face, shyly smiled,and replied, "I'm Emily, just an ordinary sophomore here. I know the girl who saved me; her name is Tara. She just came to our school not long ago. Funny enough, we're from the same city. I went to high school there too, but I ended up here for college after the entrance exams."Emily had initially thought Tara had always studied in that city, not realizing she had moved there for college. But she felt there was no need to explain that. Instead, she asked, "So, your parents don’t know about what happened? I haven’t seen them come to check on you."When the topic of parents cam
As Tatiana read about his background, she learned that he had a very reclusive and troubled adolescence, suffering from various illnesses and often being abused by his mother. Even after marrying and having children, he was plagued by depression, which eventually led him to commit his first murder.From there, the list of victims continued to grow. As Tatiana read through the details of how the killer had murdered these individuals, she looked down at the case file in her hands. She was now certain that this murderer was mimicking Luca's methods—specifically, the pattern of rape andmurder.However, Luca had truly developed a mental illness due to his sickness. As Tatiana looked at the photos related to the case, she couldn't determine if this murderer was indeed him. It seemed like a highly skilled impersonator; so far, there had been no details discovered about the actual person involved—everything pointed to Andre. At this rate, it felt utterly useless.Putting down the case in
As she pondered this, Tatiana thought about what it would mean if she chose to help them. She would be working alongside Vance. However, it was clear that the higher-ups wanted Delany to stick with Mason too. Tatiana didn’t like the idea of having someone she didn’t get along with hovering around her. With that thought in mind, she decided to call someone on her phone, hoping to have Delany reassigned to another location for a while. It wouldn’t hurt to make that change.Once she settled her thoughts, Tatiana finally focused on the heavy case file in her hands.The next day, Tatiana called Vance to let him know she would be stopping by in the afternoon. The reason for the afternoon visit was simple: she had a meeting with Maxim in the morning to sign contracts with a company. It seemed everything was progressing smoothly.However, when she saw John walk in, her brows furrowed in confusion. She couldn't understand why he was here at this time.Maxim was clearly a bit surprised,
Tatiana listened to him while glancing at the well-dressed Delany beside her. She smiled and shook her head. "It's fine. Just show me the case files, all of them, including the information on the previous victims. I need everything, but I don't have much time to go through it here. I’ll need to take the files with me to reviewat my own pace. Is that okay? Please let the higher-ups know about this.""They mentioned from the start that they were aware of your preferences, so they just asked me to cooperate with you. If there are any other issues or needs, just let me know directly. You don’t have to worry about anything else," Vance replied.After saying this, he observed Tatiana's expression, unsure why she had agreed this time. The higher-ups were anxious that she might suddenly withdraw her help, which would make the case much harder to crack.Rebecca was well aware of the internal dynamics but felt it was unnecessary. She had always been someone who kept her word. Mason's behavio
"Developing games? I remember someone from our company was quite interested in that area. As for the film side, isn’t Jayden the only one under your wing? If you want to avoid losses, you’ll need to bring in more people later on."Maxim looked a bit confused by Tatiana's comment. He didn’t quite understand why she suddenly mentioned her company alongside his.Seeing his puzzled expression, Tatiana smiled and clarified, "I mean, we shouldcollaborate again on our projects.”"We're collaborating again. By signing the contract with the company you need now, it's like signing with two companies at once, right? This way, the money we make will surpass what John can offer all at once. It’s a win-win for us, while John will only end up losing both money and resources."After hearing Tatiana's words, Maxim finally understood. This approach was something he hadn't encountered before, so whether it would work was uncertain. However, given the current situation, it seemed like the only option. If