The flight was scheduled for six in the morning. Ultimately, Avery brought Charlene along, but her ankle had yet to make a full recovery. She still had to shuffle sometimes. Sophia asked, “How is it? Does it still hurt?”Charlene was overjoyed. She couldn’t have hid the humor in her eyes even if she tried. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s just that it’s still swollen a little, so I had to be mindful of it and avoid putting too much strain on it.”Looking at Sophia, Avery said, “You’ve got so many people to keep you company, but you just have to ask me to bring Charlie along. Do you like her this much?”Nodding, she said, “Mm-hmm. We’re friends, after all.”Avery said, “Perhaps I should make her your bodyguard. She can keep you safe and do whatever it is that friends do.”Charlene was shocked at that. She gave Sophia a panicked look. Sophia knew what she meant. Smiling, she said, “I don’t need protection. You’re the one who needs a bodyguard, Quintus. You don’t know how to fight,
Elliot knew her better than anyone. He could also feel what she was feeling now. He very much wanted to wipe her tears away and pull her into his arms.However, he took a glance at the crowd and knew he couldn’t squeeze into it. So, he had to give up. It was a good thing that Jocelyn had been wiping Sophia’s tears. She tried to soothe her. “We knew all that. Your mom will always be your mother. No one can take that away from you. After all, they saved you. We’re eternally grateful for that.“Like I said, we’re not about to take it away from you, and there’s no reason for you to force yourself to do something you’re not ready for. If you can’t do it, you can go ahead and call me by my name instead of ‘Mom.’ It’s okay. What matters is that you feel yourself.”Wiping her tears away, Sophia said, “I know you guys didn’t reconcile with me because you cared about my feelings and were going along with my unreasonable and immature attitude. In fact, Elliot told me many times that you guys
The following day, Elliot brought Sophia to Westo. Emma’s grave was in the Ridge Cemetery, right beside her parents. They were here to pay respect to all of them.Little did she know she’d see two cars parked at Lingen Mountain. She asked puzzlingly, “Whose car are those?”Elliot recognized it instantly. “Your brothers are here.”She was bewildered. “What are they doing here?”He responded, “We’re about to find out.”Treading the path, they climbed the hill until they reached the cemetery not far from the villa. Several guys were standing in front of her mother’s tombstone. Elliot was right. They were her brothers.She started walking lightly without realizing it. It wasn’t as if she wanted to eavesdrop, but she was a little curious as to what they were doing here. Then, she began to hear their voices when she crept in closer. Donald said, “Greetings, Grandpa. Grandma. Aunt Emma. Allow me to introduce my siblings to you. You have Chester here. The guy standing next to him is
Phoebe was stunned. “Alright, then. Goodbye.” With that, she hung up the phone. Elliot turned and looked at Chester. He had done what he could. Now, it was up to Chester himself.Chester’s body went stiff when he heard Phoebe’s voice over the phone, but he relaxed the moment she hung up. It felt as if he had been running vigorously for six miles and finally got to settle down. Immediately after that, he found himself missing her longingly.He didn’t dare to stay anywhere near her. In fact, he didn’t even trust himself to stay in Phoenix. He was worried that he couldn’t control himself and ended up appearing before her, thereby making her hate him more.However, the more he tried to suppress himself, the clearer he saw her in his mind. He saw her in different moments of the past, wearing different expressions. Arrogant, affectionate, and miserable. She spent most of her time with him, feeling miserable. In his mind, he saw her looking at him with this disappointed look on her fac
There was no way Elliot would swap seats. He wanted to sit next to his wife. “Try asking someone else.”Pouting, Chase looked at Sophia and said, “Let’s swap seats, Soph.”She responded lazily, “Nuh-uh. I’m too lazy to move.”Donald frowned, “That’s enough. It’s just dinner. Is this really necessary?”Chester glared at him and said, “Get out of here if you’re not going to eat!”That riled Chase up. “Excuse me. Am I talking to you?”Chester responded, “You’re bothering me.”Chase retorted, “Well, then. You should get out of here.”Chester banged the table and stood up abruptly, “Are you still itching for a beating, Chase?”Chase followed suit and banged the table as well. “Bingo! I’m still up for it if you are. How about that?”Avery, too, banged the table and barked, “For Heaven’s sake, can you two quit it and have a nice dinner?”Now, Donald was doing the same thing as well. He banged the table and roared, “That’s right. Will you two knock it off?”Chester and Chase glared
Chester looked at her and smiled.‘Is Sophia showing me how to win Phoebe back? It’d be wonderful if it were true.’“I appreciate your help, Soph.”She rubbed her eyebrows, troubled. The whole thing was so convoluted! What was she supposed to do? She was the one who messed it up. So, she had to clean up her mess.Reaching out, Elliot held her hand and smirked, “Are you doing this to clear your conscience?”Whispering, she said, “I wouldn’t have intervened if he wasn’t my brother. I still think he deserved to wallow in guilt and regret, but I feel responsible for tearing their relationship apart!”He responded, “Do you think he’s all carefree and unfeeling? I’m sure he’s swimming in a sea of regret!”She whispered, “The truth is, I think both of them still have feelings for each other. So, I’m going to give them a shove in the right direction. I can’t guarantee that they’ll find their way back to each other, though. That’s up to fate!”…The moment they arrived at Elm County, S
Sophia sat in her room for a long time, but Chester still didn’t come back into the villa. Worried, she decided to go out and check on him. Then, she saw him. Leaning against the wall, he kept his head lowered, looking miserable. It seemed as if a black hole had drained all of the light from him. He was a six-foot-tall man, but it seemed as if an invisible, crushing force was weighing down on him, making him look very vulnerable.Walk over, she asked, “What’s the matter?”Looking at her with reddened eyes, Chester said in a barely audible husky voice. “Phoebe didn’t even want to be friends with me.”Sighing, she said, “Is that all it takes to beat you down? Think about all the cruel stuff you did to her. How do you think she took it? Here are some tips. If you want to win her back, then you need to know that it’s not going to be easy.“If you can’t take the hits, then you might as well give up now. After all, given your background, you could easily find another lady.”He said
Sighing, Jeffrey continued. “It was because Keith knew hypnosis. He could hypnotize anyone, and they would submit to his every whims and fancies. In no time, the minor families sucked up to them like lap dogs.“They even paid their fellowship fee without any prompts. That was the criteria back then. If they pay up, they could be part of the McBerry family, too. “The Mcberry had such immense powers that they could decide who stays and who goes. If you’re part of the family, you’re going to be treated fairer. Naturally, everyone competed to join their fellowship.“The Mcberry was practically overlords. No other family came close to being as powerful as they were. The mere mention of the family name was enough to strike fear into the people’s hearts. No one dared cross them.“The three other prestigious families weren’t as easy to fool as the other minor families. So, they assembled the other families, whom Keith hadn’t hypnotized, to tear the Mcberry down together.“However, the Mc
“Ah, no!” Sophia instinctively reached out to catch it, but the phone narrowly missed her fingers. So, she just watched as he tossed the telephone into the bushes.Sophia was infuriated. "Brother, you haven't sung for me yet?"Kyle looked at her. "Time's up.""Time's up for what? You big liar."As she spoke, she balled her fists and attacked him.Although she was no match for Kyle in martial arts, he couldn't fight her in such a confined space. So, Kyle found himself somewhat helpless in this narrow space.He grabbed both her hands with his big hands and pinned her legs with his, leaving Sophia unable to move her limbs.Frustrated, she aimed her head at Kyle and lunged forward. Kyle instinctively dodged. Sophia's little head directly hit his chest.Thud.It felt like a forty-pound hammer hitting his chest, causing Kyle to start coughing on the spot. He was truly at a loss. She was too much to handle, using every trick in the book.With one hand rubbing his sore chest and the
At that moment, it seemed like the world came to a standstill. The man and the woman at the door were so scared they hardly dared to breathe. How dare this woman. How could she slap Kyle?They sneakily glanced at Kyle's reddened face, wishing they could disappear. They were afraid they'd face his wrath, too.Kyle also couldn't believe what he was seeing. This little drunkard in front of him wasn't speaking gently or acting cute, and instead of calling him brother, she slapped him. He was furious. At that moment, he had already thought of where to bury this woman.However, Sophia didn't seem to realize the seriousness of hitting someone. She suddenly jerked her wrist and broke free from the man's grasp. Whether it was because she used too much force or because she was drunk and couldn't control her strength, she stumbled and fell on her rear.This fall was solid, and she couldn't help but cry in pain, "Ow!"Tears streamed down her face.Kyle was bewildered for a moment. The anger
Sophia felt helpless. This man's schemes ran too deep. He didn't reveal anything useful. The two drank one glass after another from seven in the evening until ten at night. Sophia's head was spinning.She had been trying to limit herself, taking small sips each time. Unfortunately, her tolerance for alcohol was quite poor. Her gaze was unfocused, and the man opposite her seemed to blur into duplicates. She knew deep down that she was drunk. It was frustrating. When would her tolerance improve?"Are you deliberately trying to get me drunk to see me embarrass myself?" Kyle lounged carelessly. "I didn't know your alcohol tolerance was so poor."Sophia snorted softly in her heart. Ignorance was truly unbelievable. She even suspected that this man had seen her drunk before. Otherwise, why insist on drinking with her? She needed to control herself now; otherwise, her stingy husband at home would be infuriated.So she just slumped onto the table, motionless.Kyle chuckled. "Are you dru
Kyle compromised, "Alright, I won't touch you."Sophia sternly commanded, "Get off."Kyle slowly got up from her.Sophia's piece of porcelain against his neck remained unmoved, her little face tense.Kyle sat up and waved to remove the hand threatening his neck, "Alright, if I bleed, you lose your life. Do you think I'm afraid of such a broken thing like you?"He knocked away the piece of porcelain in Sophia's hand, but she didn't pick it up. Instead, she said softly, "I know you're not afraid. As the top boss of the Netherworld Palace, what kind of woman can't you have? But it's not worth it to ruin the mood just to sleep with a woman, don't you think?"Kyle looked at her and smiled. Far from diminishing with Sophia's various rudeness, the interest in his eyes only intensified.He stretched out his long arm and grabbed Sophia's nape, pulling her closer. The two were close enough to hear each other breathe.There was a determined smile in his eyes. "I like smart girls."Sophia
Kylie smirked. "So, how else do you want me to repay you?"But Sophia couldn't shake the feeling that his smile seemed somewhat sinister.Kyle wasn't the kind of person to easily agree. Could it be true that she had saved him?After contemplating, she said, "For example, a substantial monetary reward, a direct increase in shares and equity, or at the very least, treating me to a meal would suffice.“But instead, you kidnapped me, restricted my movements, and now you're telling me it's repayment? Did I perhaps drown your son in a well in a past life, prompting you to repay me in such a unique way?"He was left bewildered by Sophia's rapid-fire words. What was this woman talking about?After a good while, he finally grasped the gist of her words. "Alright, let's go. I'll treat you to a meal."Sophia looked at him, surprised that he was so easy to persuade. She took advantage of the situation and added, "Then first, give back the phone to your lifesaving benefactor."Kyle replied,
Elliot searched the inside and out of the car. He indeed found a box of acupuncture needles tucked away in a corner. His wife always had a habit of carrying a box of acupuncture needles with her, not for self-defense, but for saving others.However, this box had yet to be opened, proving that the skills of the person they were dealing with surpassed hers. Otherwise, she wouldn't have missed the chance to use the needles.It seemed that this car was indeed the right one.He looked at the dirt road ahead, with tracks from two vehicles. One was a regular sedan, and the other looked like an off-road vehicle.But no more surveillance cameras were ahead, so they wondered if the cars had turned back or continued forward.He relayed the situation to Avery once again. Avery began to investigate, checking every detail of the vehicle information provided by Elliot. At this point, the police, Samuel, and his team arrived one after the other.Since there were no surveillance cameras in this a
Avalon said, "It perfectly matched the Meng family's expertise. They've been collaborating for several years, and my family even gave up some minor collaborations because they trusted in them.“But this time, under their instigation, my family paid an advance payment of 1.8 billion for goods, but the goods weren't delivered according to the contract date. They kept stalling, and when my family went to check, they found the company deserted.“After my elder brother had someone investigate, he found out the company was leased, and the company's CEO was nowhere to be found.“After reporting to the police, they kept investigating, but there was no result. That person disappeared. Helpless, my parents, elder brother, and second brother all went to find Patel.”“But Patel, apart from the initial matchmaking, wasn't involved in the subsequent cooperation. So, my brother and others didn't dare to do anything to him. But after struggling for a few months, the bank started demanding loan rep
"Mary," Paisley called out each word, but then her throat seemed to constrict, and she couldn't say anything more. Tears welled up in her eyes.Lucas also felt anguished. "We're sorry, Mary, but we haven't wronged you."Mary sneered, "If you haven't, how did I end up in this situation today? You both are incompetent parents. What's the point of arguing? You only have two daughters. Can't you treat us equally?"Paisley was truly enraged by her words. "How have I not treated you equally? Mary was just being clever. Perhaps I inadvertently praised her, but I never said you were bad, did I? Just because of this, you want to abandon Mary?“Are you even human? After you went missing, I couldn't eat or sleep peacefully. Every night was spent in tears. I knew you suffered a lot, and surviving wasn't easy, so when I found out it was Mary who made you disappear, I resented her deeply.“I did everything to make it up to you, even at the cost of hurting Mary. I sided with you unreasonably. Is
Xena viciously grabbed her by the collar, preparing to take her back for further interrogation. However, many policemen suddenly burst in through the door.The secretary followed closely behind, explaining, "Officers, hurry and arrest Xena. She forced her way in."Xena frowned. Assessing her situation, she forced Mary to sit in the boss's chair, a dagger held against her sister's neck. The room was marked with signs of struggle, with blood spattered across the floor.In this situation, she could hardly argue her innocence. But she instinctively explained, "She locked up my parents and wouldn't tell me where they were. I just wanted to question her."The police officers' expressions hardened, their tone brooking no refusal. "Take her away!"Two officers stepped forward and seized her. Xena complied, offering no resistance or excuses, obediently following the police.Another officer glanced at Mary. "Are you alright?"Mary seemed shaken, clutching her neck. After calming herself,