Sophia choked for a moment. "That's different. The circumstances were different."Elliot turned over. "If you want to sleep, go ahead. Don't blame me if you regret it. This is an old mansion, and it has a heavy energy. A few years ago, when Grandma passed away, Grandpa had nightmares every night. “My dad had a priest perform some rituals, and the priest said Grandma lingered because she was concerned about Grandpa. Sleeping on the floor might show Grandma that you're a bad granddaughter-in-law."Sophia felt a shiver go down her spine. She said uncertainly, "Y-You're trying to scare me. Nightmares are caused by neurosis."Elliot said, "Believe whatever you want." With that, he closed his eyes, and appeared to doze off.The more Sophia thought about it, the more frightened she became. She was irritated when she saw how unaffected Elliot was. She got up and pinched Elliot's nose. "If you won't let me sleep, I won’t let you sleep peacefully either!"Elliot grabbed her hand, hi
After a night of fighting and fooling around, they tossed and turned until the wee hours. Getting up in the morning seemed impossible. The alarm clock had beeped persistently several times.Sophia, still half-asleep, reached out to turn off the alarm. But she looked down to see that Elliot’s arm was restraining her own around her waist. She remembered pushing him to the other side of the bed last night. 'How did he end up here again?'The pillow that had divided them had also disappeared from the bed. Elliot was using her pillow.So they had shared a bed and a pillow last night.She wanted to strangle this untrustworthy man, but she was also afraid of the awkwardness that might ensue when they faced each other.She decided to remove his arm from around her, turn off the alarm, and get out of bed.She did not see the faint smile on Elliot’s lips, even as his eyes remained closed.The arm she had thrown off found its way back to the pillow she had used, and he sniffed it deeply,
After taking their seats, Jeffrey started, "I had to come here in person. This matter originated from me, and I felt the need to explain it to you face to face."Jocelyn smiled wryly. "What's there to explain? Our families have had a long-standing friendship, so you can tell us anything."Jeffrey sighed. "Don't blame Elliot. In fact, he’s been honoring the engagement with Christine. It's just that in fear of my own impending mortality, I took matters into my own hands.“You’ve heard about me undergoing several surgeries during my recent hospitalization, right?”“With Elliot's parents gone, he was the only one I could trust. So, I arranged a marriage for him behind his back. Now that the young couple is together, we can't let Elliot and Christine's engagement stand. We owe you an explanation."Jocelyn sighed deeply. "I heard about this from Chase last night. Christine has been missing for so many years, and we can't expect you to honor the engagement forever. It's good as long as E
Deep down, Elliot felt uneasy. In truth, he was somewhat selfish. For the sake of his feelings, he had rejected a marriage that he had upheld for twenty years.In reality, he didn't have much emotional attachment to that little girl in his mind. What he had maintained was merely a sentiment between two families.However, this was a wound for the Morgans. In their eyes, Elliot’s decision to break off the engagement meant he didn't want to share their joys and sorrows anymore. They could wait, but he couldn't, and it felt like a betrayal."I'm sorry," Elliot apologized.Jocelyn wiped away her tears and looked at him, saying, "There's nothing to be sorry about. I discussed this engagement with your grandfather long ago. You’re allowed to break it when you find yourself a suitable partner.“You've waited for Christine for so many years and done your best. I just get emotional whenever my daughter is mentioned. Okay, let's forget about the marriage between you and Christine. Even if sh
Charles positioned himself in front of Sophia. Despite her taking his aunt’s place, he didn't harbor any resentment toward her. This was more like helping his uncle, he reasoned.He stared at the group of men solemnly. "You lot are blind to the truth. Before laying a hand on her, shouldn't you find out who she is?"The bikers paid no heed to his warning. They inched toward Charles with baseball bats in hand. The onlookers held their breath as if anticipating Sophia's imminent fate, afraid even to exhale.Isabel trembled as she anxiously stared at the men approaching.The bikers stopped about a meter away from Sophia. Just as she wondered what was about to happen, they all executed a perfect ninety-degree bow.In unison, they shouted, "Soph!"The sound was so loud that it startled her to the point of almost stumbling.'What in the world?’ Isabel looked at Sophia in confusion. Why were these fierce-looking men calling her "Soph?”Charles, ready to brawl with them, froze in place.
Elliot responded vaguely, "Mmm." He glanced at Sophia, who showed no signs of jealousy on her face, just a hint of awkwardness and uncertainty. "Come here, Sophy," he called out to her.Sophia walked over, eyeing the woman.Elliot took her hand and introduced, "This is Vanessa, my childhood friend's sister. Vanessa’s like a little sister to me."Sophia looked at Vanessa’s hostile expression and found the whole thing amusing. 'A little sister? Really?’She chuckled. "Hi, Vanessa."Vanessa forced out a smile. "Hey." She then turned to Elliot. "Didn't you break off the engagement with the Morgans today?"Sophia was surprised. 'He broke it off? How did he manage that?'Elliot replied, "Yes, I did."Vanessa, unwilling to accept it, asked again, "And you got married today?"Elliot answered impatiently, "Sophy and I got married a long time ago."Vanessa felt her heart shattering into pieces. She had liked Elliot since she was very young, but he insisted on adhering to his engage
Ethel knew that being seen meant she had to explain herself. Without fanfare, she followed them into the bedroom and recounted the night’s events."I've always known that Brandon isn’t an honest person, but for the sake of our child, I endured it. Today, he asked for a divorce, and I couldn't control my temper, and we argued.“I told him that everything he bought for that woman was with my money. If it weren't for me, he’d be nothing. In a fit of anger, he hit me. He claimed the success of the company was all thanks to him.“You don't know how infuriating he can be. He said I've already taken back the startup capital for the company, but if I hadn’t paved the way, he’d never have what he has today.“Our argument escalated, and he left in his car. I was worried he’d go to that woman, so I followed him and ended up here."Elliot was furious, hating Brandon for his lack of integrity. "Why did you follow him? Why didn't you just let that scum go?"Sophia pulled Elliot back, wondering
Ethel was determined. "I've made up my mind. I want a divorce.""You don't want that man anymore?" Sophia asked.Hatred filled Ethel's eyes. "No, I don't want him. Even if I force myself to stay with him, he won't be a good role model for the child. You're right. We're all new to this life. There's no need for me to compromise."Elliot raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. None of what he said seemed to have registered with his older sister. But this cheeky girl's words had become her mantra. Sophia suggested, "Alright, go take some pictures of your injuries and get an assessment. If your husband brings up divorce again, tell him fine, but he leaves with nothing. Otherwise, the deal is off. Get yourself a few bodyguards so he won’t lay a hand on you again."Ethel obediently nodded. Sophia was much younger, but there was an undeniable force about her.…After lunch, Sophia went to school.Around noon, she decided to investigate who this Brandon really was.Normally, men w
“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,