Before Sharon could get up, Anthony stepped on her back and grabbed her hair, forcing her to tilt her head back. "Speaking of which, it is all your fault, you b*tch!""It is obvious that you are greedy, and you think of taking over GK. I didn't force you to work with me. Now you try to blame it on me after losing money. Heh, that is ridiculous," Sharon snarled."You were the one who said Gilbert was dead, so I started a company with you. But what happened? Please f*cking tell me why Gilbert is still alive."Anthony became furious at the mention of this. He pulled at her hair and yanked her hard. Sharon fell to the ground in a heap, her scalp tingling with pain. Yet Anthony did not stop there; he continued to kick her. Peter shook his head and snickered, then continued to play his billiards. Nearby, the women with heavy makeup were too scared to make a sound.Adrien exhaled a ring of smoke and chuckled. "That is enough. You won't get your money back even if you beat her to death. So
"I heard that you and Gilbert went together these days to investigate the prison fire that happened back then."Kisa paused what she was doing and asked with a smile, "How do you know?" Jensen's sudden question reminded her of the mysterious man who saved the two jailers.But Jensen smiled and said, "I ran into Davian when I went to pick Blake up from the Kooper residence; he told me about it."Kisa pursed her lips. 'So he wasn't the person who sent the mysterious group of men.' She continued to sort out the ingredients she had just bought. "Although we didn't find the real culprit of the fire, Gilbert cleared his name, at least," she said without looking up."Oh yeah? That's good."Kisa then glanced at him. "At first, I was convinced that Gilbert was behind the fire because of a conversation outside the door. I hated him for several years. But now I know that the conversation was deliberately made between the two jailers for my benefit at the behest of someone else.""That's goo
"Ma'am."Kisa was busy in the kitchen when a child suddenly hugged her from behind, startling her. When she held the little hands and spun the child around, she saw the cute little face of Ada, whose bright eyes almost melted her heart."What's up?" She stroked Ada's little hair bun and asked gently, "Are you hungry? Wait a little longer. The ravioli and apple dumplings are almost ready."Ada shook her head and let out a mysterious smile. "I came to tell you that Daddy will come over later. He has a surprise for you."Kisa's smile froze. She did not think Gilbert would bring her any surprises, and he would only spoil her mood if he came. But to avoid hurting the children's feelings, she said politely, "Look, it is so cold now, and there is snow and wind. The temperature is going to drop tonight. It is better to ask your daddy not to come, lest he will get sick from the cold.""Wow, Ma'am, so you are concerned about Daddy. I'm going to tell him.""Hey, hey..." Kisa tried to stop h
There was a muffled grunt.Not waiting for any reaction from the person, Kisa rushed into the kitchen, locked the door behind her, and took out her cell phone to call the police. Just as she turned on her phone's screen, the kitchen lights came on. She looked out the door in surprise as she saw Gilbert glaring at her.He was holding a tray of apple dumplings that they had not finished eating in the afternoon, but half of them were on the floor. Gilbert was so angry that he pounded on the kitchen door.Kisa rubbed her nose. She did just knock him with a cane, but she felt she had done nothing wrong, as it was him who sneaked around in her kitchen at night, and she could only think it was a burglar.Only when the man stopped pounding on the door did Kisa open the kitchen door. But as soon as the door was opened, Gilbert yelled at her, "You are f*cking nuts! I almost got KO'ed by your cane!""I dare you to hit me again!" Kisa frowned in disgustGilbert was so angry that he couldn't
Kisa saw a worn photo album sitting on the coffee table and immediately recognized that it was her mother's photo album, the one she had seen at the Case residence but had not been able to take it. She hurriedly picked up the album and could not wait to open it.The first page was a snapshot of her mother sitting in front of the window, her face gentle, just as Kisa remembered. She stroked her mother's face, and tears fell involuntarily. They dropped right on her mother's bracelet in the photo. She hurriedly used her hand to wipe it, afraid of spoiling the photo.Gilbert watched her quietly, not forgetting to bring the apple dumpling to his mouth.Kisa took a deep breath and gathered her emotions. She closed the album and looked at Gilbert. "Did you get this from the Case family?"Gilbert nodded. "That day when I saw how precious you treated your mother's notebook, I thought of what you told me last time about going to the Case residence to get your mother's belongings. So I went t
Kisa took the photo from the album and carefully looked at it. There was a line of words behind the photo. It was the name of her mother and the man. There was also the date of when the photo was taken. 'Damon Kooper? Isn't that Gilbert's father's name? Is the man in this photo Gilbert's father?'At that moment, Gilbert walked toward her with a bowl in his hands. "If you miss your mom, we can go visit her grave sometime. I mean, she is my mother-in-law after all."Kisa did not hear what he had said. Instead, she just looked back and forth between Gilbert and the man in the photo. "What's wrong?" he asked. Kisa quickly closed the photo album when Gilbert came over. Seeing this, Gilbert frowned in displeasure. "You're too defensive. You hide everything from me and treat me like an outsider," he said."Aren't you an outsider?" Kisa asked indifferently, her hands tightening around the closed photo album. 'Jensen said that Gilbert would always react weirdly whenever people mentioned his
'Isn't that David? Adrien showed me a photo of Mom and David before. Isn't that him?'Kisa quickly took the photo out of the album and turned to the back. It was no surprise that David's name was on there. Emilia's stiff and expressionless face in the photo with David at the beginning had turned into a gentle smile. It was clear that her mom had fallen in love with David in the end.From the photo, Kisa also noticed that the bracelet her mother wore was now dangling on David's wrists.'Mom must have really liked him to have given him one of her prized possessions,' she thought. 'But where is David now? Is there still a misunderstanding between them?'Kisa had always felt uneasy about all the regrets in their relationship. She leaned against the chair, feeling troubled.'Regardless of whether David is alive or not, I must find him. I must resolve the misunderstanding between him and Mom.' Kisa did not want her mother to still be misunderstood by her beloved after she died.Then, s
"What's wrong?" Gilbert rushed into the room with a limp, holding Kisa in his arms, and asked. Kisa stared at the diary and mumbled, "No... No... There's no way... NO!!!"Gilbert glanced at the journal suspiciously, and just as he picked it up to take a look,Kisa grabbed the diary and hugged it against her chest. "Don't look."The woman's defensiveness made Gilbert mad. However, he could not express his anger when he saw the shock and despair on Kisa's face. He suppressed the resentment in his heart and patted her on the back."It's okay. Don't be afraid. I'm here," he said in a low voice.Kisa held onto the diary tightly, staring out the window with dull eyes. 'I must find out what happened between Mom and David.'During the night, Gilbert was worried about Kisa, so he stayed in her room and insisted on sleeping with her. Kisa did not have the energy to fight him, so she just let him do whatever he wanted. When she woke up early the following day, he was no longer in the room.
In a small town in the South, a gentle breeze caressed the cheeks of passersby, creating a pleasant and serene atmosphere. This town, known for its tourism, was adorned with flowers even in its narrow alleys. The surrounding houses were all quaint inns, exuding a poetic and picturesque charm.Beneath an arching bridge, Kisa set up an easel to display and sell her paintings. She had always loved painting since childhood. Although she had not achieved great success in this field, her vivid and evocative paintings were very popular with tourists. She would sell most of her paintings every day.On weekends, Blake would join her at the stall, but today was Wednesday, and she was alone. After arranging her paintings, she had barely sat down when people began to gather around. Some admired her art, while others immediately offered to buy. Her paintings were reasonably priced, which attracted many customers."Miss, I'd like that painting of the snow-covered rose garden at night.""Alright,
In the backyard, Kohen looked at his older brother's calm expression, a hint of worry in his voice. "Bro, are you alright?""I'm fine," Hayes said, adjusting the blanket on his lap. "Tomorrow, take me to meet those medical geniuses you found.""Oh, sure..." Kohen nodded in agreement, but after a moment, he could not help but ask, "Bro, what did that woman say to you that made you change your mind so suddenly?"Hayes gazed at the stars in the sky, his voice cool and distant. "She told me she's doing well, very happy. Then she pointed out how pitiful and miserable I am right now. She asked me if I don't feel envious, knowing how well she is doing compared to me."Kohen grimaced, realizing that the woman had provoked his brother into action.Hayes lowered his eyes, a faint smile on his face. "That's right. How could I not be envious? So, I want to heal my legs, live a good life, and show her that I can do better than her."Kohen felt a pang of sympathy for his brother. From Hayes's
Mentioning Hayes, Eylul's expression became complex. "Hayes is reclusive and doesn't like to see people. Only a single old servant has been taking care of him all these years. I only met him once, back when I married Kohen."Mia's heart ached, recalling the enigmatic yet deeply emotional man. She could not help but feel a lump in her throat. "How's his health?" Mia asked.Eylul replied, "His health is fine, but his legs have remained the same. Kohen has found top orthopedic experts for him and even sought out Kelvin Hoover from Calthon, but he refuses treatment. For so many years, he hasn't even stepped outside the backyard.""You mean he's been living in the backyard all this time?" Jensen asked gravely.Eylul nodded. "Yes, Kohen wanted him to live in the main house, but he refused. He only likes staying in the backyard. Moreover, the room he stays in used to be..." Eylul glanced at Mia. She had heard that Mia used to live in that room.With a complicated expression, Mia pursed h
"Let's forget everything that just happened,' Mia said.Jensen looked up at her. In the moonlight, his eyes were deep and complex, profound and unfathomable.Mia tried to muster a smile. "You don't have to feel burdened. In a way, I forced you. And you must have always disliked me. Actually, I didn't come to you for money; I just wanted to see you. Now that I have, I should go. Jensen, from now on... take care."With that, she walked away, fearing that if she lingered any longer, she would not be able to leave. But after only a few steps, she was embraced from behind.Jensen's voice was low and hoarse. "Stay with me."Mia trembled at his words. Jensen continued. "But I still have so many things to do and someone in my heart I can't let go of. I don't know... when I will be able to give you a satisfactory answer. If you don't want to stay with me without any promises or guarantees, you can—""I'm willing," Mia blurted out, "as long as I can be with you, I don't care about anything
Mia's face changed instantly. " You... you know I like Jensen, why would you...""Heh, if you like Jensen, shouldn't you be willing to do anything for him? If you can't even do this, how can you claim to love him?""I won't do it! Doing this would be betraying Jensen. I would risk my life for him, but I can't do this."Adrien stared at her flushed face and gently chuckled, his words loaded with meaning. "Aren't you feeling all hot and bothered yet?"Mia frowned. Her body was indeed getting hotter and more agitated. 'Why would Adrien ask this? Could it be the drink...?'As the thought crossed her mind, her heart sank. Seeing Adrien's cold expression and the man's playful smile, Mia turned and ran. But before she could take more than a few steps, she was dragged back. Weakened by the drink, her desperate struggles were futile. As the man pressed her down, playing with her like a toy, she closed her eyes in despair. She thought she could never face Jensen again. With a bitter laugh,
Adrien Tanner, Jensen's father, stood before Mia with a warm smile. "My son is truly awkward when it comes to matters of the heart. He's even willing to refuse such a beautiful young woman like you."Mia stared at him, her tears suddenly streaming down her face. "I only wanted to see him, even if it was to face rejection. Wouldn't it better to say it clearly to my face?""Yes, it would." Adrien agreed. "But standing here stubbornly won't help, because he left on a business trip a couple of days ago."Mia's heart ached even more, realizing that Jensen had avoided using the front door just to evade her.Adrien continued. "I have a way to make him come to you willingly, but it depends on whether you're willing to cooperate."Mia nodded. "What do I have to do?"Adrien motioned to his bodyguard, who handed him a glass of wine. "Drink this," he said.Mia furrowed her brow, hesitant.Adrien gently patted her shoulder, like a father would."Don't be afraid. I won't harm you. From the
Filled with guilt, Mia stepped forward, but Kohen suddenly pulled out a handgun and aimed it at her."Get out!"Jensen pulled Mia back. He looked at the cold man before him. It was this man who had taken him in years ago. At that time, Kohen was young, a carefree and privileged young man. Now, he seemed to have grown up all at once, his eyes colder and more distant.Jensen said with a troubled expression, "If you ever need me in the future, don't hesitate to find me."Kohen sneered coldly; pain etched in his brow. He mocked himself. "I never should have taken you in back then. In the end, it was I who harmed my own brother."Jensen pursed his lips, not knowing what to say, only feeling an unbearable pain in his heart. It was the first time he felt he owed someone. That sense of indebtedness suffocated him."Get out, and don't let me see you two ever again."On that night, Jensen and Mia left the McCray family. As a result of Hayes's ordeal, the McCray family underwent tremendous
"What on earth happened?"Jensen did not speak. Mia choked out. "The collaboration between the Burton family and the McCray family was a trap. We were ambushed by the Burton family, and Hayes... he was hit by a car trying to save us.""Damn it!" Kohen cursed under his breath, abruptly pulling a knife from a nearby bodyguard and pointing it at them. "What are your lives worth? Why would my brother save you? Why?"Mia bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. 'It's my fault. I wanted to save Jensen, but I should have gone alone. I shouldn't have dragged Hayes into this. He seemed cold-blooded and heartless, and I never thought that he would risk his life for me. Why was he so good to me?'"Kohen..."Suddenly, a weak cry rang out. Hayes had awakened.Kohen hurriedly moved closer, gripping Hayes's hand. "Bro!"Hayes's face was deathly pale. He did not look at Kohen, but instead turned his gaze to Mia. His eyes were calm. He saw Mia's red-rimmed eyes and the tears lingering there,
Hayes was sent flying by the car, his body crashing into a wall before bouncing back.Mia's entire body felt ice-cold as she trembled, yelling, "Hayes!""Kill them all!" A hoarse, aged voice suddenly rang out from the entrance. It was Curtis. He looked at Kendall's lifeless body on the ground, his eyes filled with rage, shouting, "Run them over! I want them to join my grandson in death!""Ah!" Jensen roared, disregarding the guards' swinging knives, and like a madman, charged at Curtis. Curtis's face changed, desperately pulling a nearby guard in front of him as a shield. But it was useless. Jensen, like a crazed beast, attacked anyone in his path. Soon, his knife was held against Curtis's throat.Curtis trembled all over. "Wh-What do you want?"Jensen, covered in blood with splatters on his face, looked like a demon that had emerged from a battleground. He grabbed Curtis and held him hostage in front of him. "Let us go!""Don't even think about it!" Curtis retorted angrily. "You