Davian was on driving on the road when the phone beside him suddenly rang. He quickly glanced at his phone, realizing that Felicity had sent him messages.He could not help but say to Gilbert, "Mr. Kooper, can you help me to check my phone and see if Felicity has sent me the location."Gilbert was leaning back in the chair, slumbering, and reluctantly opened his eyes as he heard Davian's voice. After a moment, he grabbed Davian's phone and said in a muffled voice, "Password."'Seriously. He's a grown man. What kind of secrets can he have? He even has a lock screen password!'"Okay. Eight eight eight eight eight eight!""Ha-ha!" Gilbert suddenly laughed. "Davian, are you not satisfied with your current salary? Your avaricious motive makes it look like you're constantly blaming me for preventing you from becoming wealthy."Davian was speechless.'He's very imaginative. Why isn't he working as a screenwriter?!'"It's not that, Mr. Kooper. I just feel that the number eight is auspi
The man was tall and handsome, and his manner was gentle and elegant."Peter, she's my friend. She craved alcohol for a moment and drank yours. I hope you don't mind. ""Ha-ha..." Peter glanced at the man. He gave a faint smile as he said, "Ronald, she's your friend, I see. It's all right then. I was wondering where this crazy woman came from.""Ha-ha. You're funny, Peter. It'll be very difficult for you to find a girlfriend if you talk like this." Felicity gazed at Jolina as she daringly said, "Look, you're so bad at socializing. No wonder the woman beside you doesn't like you.""Bam!"Peter hit the table hard. He angrily stood up and was about to smack Felicity when Kisa hurriedly grabbed his hand across the table. "Don't be mad, Peter. She loves to joke. She's Gilbert and my friend. Do us a favor. Don't mind what she said."Peter frowned as he glared at Kisa and said coldly, "Since when was she your friend?"Kisa smiled as she said, "It's true. She's really our friend. Gilber
As the voice stopped, Peter could be seen next to Jolina. He peremptorily hugged her in his arms, but she frowned, trying to free herself.Peter suddenly said to her ear coldly, "What's wrong? Do you want to be toyed by those dandies?""You!"Jolina furiously glared at him. The disgust on her face could not be concealed. Peter was unhappy but quickly looked away, afraid he would be so angry that he would lose his mind and hit her."I see. She's your woman, Peter."A dandy smiled as he eased the tension around the table, "You should've told us. Since she's your woman, we won't dare to lay our hands on her."Peter grunted coldly as he immediately sat down beside Jolina. Felicity rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Guys, let's play cards. There are so many people now, so it must be fun.""How do we play? Felicity, do you have a better way to play?" Ronald tenderly stared at Felicity as he asked. She then touched her chin with her index finger as she thought seriously.Kisa gaz
'Your husband?'Kisa winced when she heard the word 'husband', only to realize they meant Gilbert a few seconds later."All right. Stop being dramatic. It's just a game. Why? Are you afraid that everybody will eat you up?" Peter suddenly scornfully laughed at her, looking very impatient.Kisa glanced at him. 'Indeed, Jolina didn't hate Peter for no reason. He is bad-tempered, impatient, and even likes to hit women. Who would like him?!' As Kisa was angrily thinking about that, Felicity had already pushed her next to Marshall. Marshall looked like he was around Jolina's age, tall, slim, and white, a sunshine boy. He shyly said to Kisa, "Don't worry. I won't lose. I won't let you get punished."Having heard that, Kisa was even more embarrassed to reject playing the game. She smiled as she said to Marshall, "It's all right. Just do your best."Soon, a waiter gave them two decks of poker cards. While the waiter was shuffling the cards, Felicity said to everyone, "Here's the deal, we'l
The attendant quickly finished shuffling the cards and distributed them.Peter gazed icily at Kenneth as if he had locked him as his opponent.In an instant, the attendant had dealt out the cards.All six men picked up their cards.Meanwhile, the women sitting beside them leaned closer to look at the cardsKisa glanced at the cards in Marshall's hands and immediately felt her heart sink.'His highest card is only an Ace! There are two decks of cards, so where did the four Kings and eight 2's go? Marshall's cards look like a phone number; looking at them gives me a headache,' thought Kisa.Meanwhile, Jolina stared at Peter's card, unblinking.'Jolina's face is all scrunched up; Peter must not have good cards either,' thought Kisa.Kisa turned to look at Kenneth. He and the woman next to him both had smug expressions.'Looks like they have good cards,' she thought.Then, she glanced at Ronald.Ronald was staring coolly at the cards in his hands. He looked as still as a statue
The alcohol Felicity handed Jolina was different from Kisa's; it was a cider with relatively low alcohol content.Seeing how it was a cider, Peter did not say anything.Even though Jolina did not drink, she had participated in the game and understood that the losers needed to receive punishment.And so, she grabbed the cider and downed it. However, she could not help but feel a little resentment toward the man beside her.'If he hadn't dragged me in here, I wouldn't have gotten involved in this game,' thought Jolina.Compared to Jolina, Kisa's situation was miserable.In the second round, Marshall had six cards left, so Kisa had no choice but to quietly down another six glasses of alcohol.Kenneth watched as Kisa downed the alcohol. Suddenly, he turned to Felicity and sighed, "Earlier on, you should've set the rules to five cards. If the person who comes last has five cards left, the lady in their group will have to strip!"Felicity busted out a laugh, "Do you want to see Ms. B
"Alright, stop it. You're scaring them."Gilbert snorted, "Your eyesight is questionable, Kisa. You paired up with a rookie!"Hearing Gilbert's words, Marshall lowered his head further. He was too embarrassed to make a retort.Suddenly, Kenneth laughed sardonically, "It seems like Mr. Kooper is good at card games. Are you interested in a friendly match? We'll play the same game and see if you can even the score for Kisa this round!"Gilbert gazed at him icily and snorted, "Do you actually want to have a match with me?"Kenneth took a puff of his cigarette. Then, he laughed arrogantly, "Sigh! We played two rounds, and I was the first to finish my cards in both rounds. They're all noobs, so the game isn't challenging at all. So Mr. Kooper, do give me the honor of playing a few rounds with you.""Tsk!"Peter snorted in disdain right after Kenneth spoke."You speak as if you're really skilled. You just got good cards. With those cards of yours, even an idiot would win if they playe
Davian was so frustrated he simply lowered his head and kept quiet.Seeing his crestfallen and wronged expression, Kisa laughed in amusement.A moment later, she looked at Gilbert's cards.'It seems like Gilbert doesn't have good luck either. The cards he got aren't much better compared to Marshall's cards earlier on. His highest card is a King,' she thought.Then, she glanced at Kenneth.Kenneth was looking at his own cards with a smug, icy smile.Kisa was speechless.'Why's luck still on his side when we've already changed to another attendant? With that luck of his, he should buy some lottery tickets. Peter has a deep frown, and Jolina's little face is still scrunched up. I'm guessing they also didn't get good cards. Even though we got another attendant to shuffle the cards, it seems like the situation isn't that different from just now,' she thought.Kisa glanced at the alcohol beside them.'While the alcohol content of these drinks isn't that high, one will still get drun
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