"Mr. Scott?" Emily called out softly.
Derek snapped back to reality and replied faintly, "I'll go grab your clothes from the bathroom." He rose, fetched the clothes, and placed them beside the bed. He pursed his lips and added, "Once you've changed, I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up."Emily met his gaze. "No need, it's an old issue.""It's better to get it checked, for peace of mind," Derek insisted, his voice warm and elegant, tinged with concern and affection.Emily hesitated, momentarily caught off guard. It hadn't occurred to her that Derek's concern might be genuine. Yet, they hadn't known each other for long. Could someone truly fall in love so quickly?"Why do I think he loves me? I must be crazy!" she thought.Quickly dressing, Emily found the dress fitting her perfectly, as if tailored for her. She slipped on her shoes and quietly exited the room, catching a glimpse of Derek at the dining table with the four children, the housekeeperEmily closed her laptop slowly as she walked over to the window, releasing a deep breath before reaching for her cell phone to make a call. "I want to return to Kinnis tonight," she stated firmly.As her words left her lips, a car abruptly screeched to a stop downstairs, its brakes emitting a sharp, harsh sound.Emily, standing by the window sill, turned her head to see a man stepping out of the driver's seat, clad in a conspicuous black suit that stood out against the afternoon sun. The light seemed to favor him, casting all attention upon him, rendering it impossible to look away.Mixed emotions surged within Emily at that moment.Before she could process further, her cell phone buzzed.Glancing at the caller ID, she promptly ended the call.Her gaze then fell upon the man downstairs, and her eyes locked with Derek's dark, stern stare. In those eyes, she sensed an intense, unspoken emotion, one she dared not inquire about.Returning to her room, Emily settled onto the living room co
Fiona returned to the Parker family almost as if she had fled.She had been out for less than half an hour when she suddenly returned. Simona pulled the mask off her face: "Fiona, what's going on? What's wrong with you?""Mom!" Fiona jumped into Simona's arms. She realized that she couldn't handle this situation alone. Eric alone could make her tremble with fear."Emily's family is looking for her!" Fiona said incoherently, "She's Mr. Scott's wife!"Simona's head spun a little. "What did you say?"
The hospital in the early hours of the morning was the quietest time of the day. The morning fog blanketed the inpatient wing and the entire hospital lay dormant.Derek parked his car and hurried up the stairs, stopping at the door of one of the wards. Through the door and window, he caught sight of Emily.The ward remained unlit, allowing the soft morning light to filter in and cast a pallid, almost translucent hue on her face. He heard that she was undergoing a blood transfusion for a young girl, leaving her drained and hospitalized, sacrificing herself for a stranger's child.Der
That memory was so vivid.She fell into the sea and was washed up on the shore, and it was the Parker family that saved her.She spent half a month in the hospital and woke up on the day she gave birth.She didn't have a natural birth; her baby was delivered via forced caesarean section by the Parker family! Her baby was so small, taken away from her at birth...And all this was done by the Parker family to save their daughter.After giving birth, the Parker family scheduled her for a blood exchange surgery within a few days, and she couldn't resist, so she was promptly confined to the hospital bed...Then she lost her memory..."The baby didn't die!" Emily's jaw dropped, her eyes wide. "The child was born and cried, and was taken away by the doctor... After I gave birth, my body was so weak that I couldn't even leave the hospital room. I didn't know where they took the child... Before I could take any action to find the child, I was forced into a full-body blood replacement surgery,
Fifteen years later.In front of Fromanza University, a bright and cute-looking girl moved quickly through the crowd until she reached the curb. She pulled out her long-vibrating cell phone.Looking at the caller ID flashing on the screen, she sighed helplessly before answering the call."Chris, good afternoon!" The girl's voice was dainty and soft, with a hint of playfulness. "I just got out of class. What do you need?"On the other end of the phone, Chris's cold, magnetic voice responded, "You haven't reported your schedule to me today.""Alright," the girl frowned slightly, somewhat helplessly. "I just finished my classes for the day. I heard a new restaurant opened near the school and the food is supposed to be delicious. I made plans to meet my good friend Sherry there this evening. That's my plan for the day!""Well, alright," came Chris' calm voice on the other end of the phone.The girl breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.&
As soon as school ended the following day, Sherry took Charlotte to the drama club.Carolina Ferraz, a senior member of the drama club majoring in choreography and direction, was in charge of the play rehearsal. She wore a well-tailored ladies' suit, exuding a refined and competent appearance.When she saw Charlotte, amazement and satisfaction appeared in Carolina's eyes, pleased with her choice. "Charlotte, hello," Carolina said, extending her hand. "I'm Carolina, in charge of this play."Charlotte smiled warmly and gently shook Carolina's hand. "Carolina, how are you?"Their meeting was filled with pleasant conversation.The play this time was the classic Romeo and Juliet. Since this was Charlotte's first time participating in a play, Carolina postponed the rehearsal schedule by a week to allow Charlotte more time to prepare.She also arranged for a drama club member to teach Charlotte how to act. Fortunately, Charlotte's talent and
Kingsley opened his eyes and met Charlotte's gaze. The next moment, he looked away."Prepare to enter. Rehearsal is ready to begin," Carolina's words prompted everyone on set to take their places. Kingsley stood up, while Charlotte walked onto the stage.The scene depicted the first encounter between Juliet and Romeo.The stage was elegantly designed, resembling a grand banquet. Brilliantly lit candles and soft, romantic music created the perfect ambiance. The crowd, dressed in elaborate ballroom attire, danced energetically in the center of the dance floor.Kingsley's Romeo was dressed in an ornate dark blue outfit with a mask, wandering through the ball until he spotted Juliet, played by Charlotte, on the other side of the stage. She wore a white gown, resembling a delicate rose.Romeo was captivated by Juliet's beauty, and he felt as though she was the only person left at the ball. He approached her to the accompaniment of music, his heart racing wi
This night, Charlotte couldn't sleep.As the hours passed and she gazed out the window at the moonlight, her mind was consumed with the memory of her first meeting with Kingsley.It had been when she was a child, before her family had found her. She and Kingsley were in the same orphanage, and at the time, she was frequently bullied.In a moment of crisis, Kingsley had intervened. Wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, he appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Despite being young and frail, he stepped in front of her. When he saw her being bullied, his eyes turned scarlet.Kingsley rushed forward and fought with the group of people like a furious lion cub.Charlotte suddenly saw the blood on the carpet, causing her to scream in terror as Kingsley seemed to recover from his anger.He turned to her, a hint of confusion and apprehension in his red eyes, as if he feared meeting her gaze.Charlotte remained surprisingly calm, sitting paralyzed
Time flied, and before everyone realized it, a year had gone by.During this time, Charlotte's life abroad appeared calm and routine. She woke up early every day for classes, diligently completed assignments, engaged in academic discussions with her classmates, and participated in various club activities. In the eyes of her friends, she was a positive and energetic girl.Only she knew deep down that she had been waiting, waiting for the one she loved so dearly, the prince who had promised to come back for her.Late at night, Charlotte often found herself sitting alone at her small dormitory desk, gazing out the window at the starry sky, feeling a lingering sense of loss and loneliness in her heart. She had asked herself more than once where Kingsley was and why he never wrote or called.On this sunny day, Charlotte went to the school library as usual, ready to work on an important paper. She sat by the window, her desk piled high with various referenc
Kingsley knew deep down that Charlotte wasn't that kind of person, but the beast suppressed within him was roaring uncontrollably, and the malice rooted in the marrow of his bones surged through him, causing even his blood to boil.His eyes turned cold and gloomy as he glanced towards Charlotte's siblings, emotions spiraling out of control within him.If without them...If...Kingsley suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders.He turned to see Freya's hand resting there, her expression hardened, eyes gazing up at him with concern.Charlotte pushed past Aaron and edged forward.Seeing Kingsley's obviously troubled eyes, her heart raced, her voice becoming raspy and hard to hear. "Wait... for me..."At the sound of her voice, Kingsley visibly froze, then the darkness in his eyes lifted abruptly as he stared into hers, his tone somewhat uncertain. "Charlotte? What's with your voice?"Charlotte's eyes reddened, but she bit her
On this day, Charlotte's siblings took her to the hospital to visit Kingsley at Derek and Emily's insistence.At the hospital entrance, Freya and Chris chatted as they walked toward Kingsley's room. Charlotte's footsteps behind them were eager, and Diana held her back, squeezing her hand to calm her.Charlotte glanced at her sister, understanding the concern in Diana's eyes, biting her lip to suppress the impatience in her heart.She couldn't be blamed for being eager; since witnessing Kingsley jump from the school building rooftop, she hadn't exchanged a word with him.Their closeness was stark, yet they were almost separated by life and death. The image of Kingsley jumping from the building was like a nightmare etched in her mind.Thinking about it brought back that choking feeling, making her breath quicken. She forced herself to endure it, following her siblings into the exclusive elevator that took them straight to Kingsley's floor.&nb
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the curtains, spilling onto the carpet.Charlotte opened her eyes just in time to see Emily changing the water at her bedside. Emily was surprised when she noticed Charlotte waking up. "Charlotte, you're awake!"Charlotte nodded silently.There was a faint sound coming from outside the door. Charlotte glanced over, her expression puzzled. Emily explained beside her, "Ian and Diana are both back, and your father is outside interrogating them."Charlotte's expression shifted slightly at that news. She looked somewhat anxious.This matter was clearly her own problem, yet it seemed her father was pursuing it as if her brothers and sister were solely responsible, which felt unfair to them. The guilt inside her intensified as she thought about it.Seeing Charlotte attempting to get up, Emily quickly intervened, "Hey, Charlotte, don't move! Your injuries haven't healed yet!"As if sensi
The Scott family manor was brightly lit.After more than three years, the Scott family once again activated the first level of defense. The black-clothed bodyguards, who were early at the Scott family manor, stood firmly on guard, while the Scott family servants gathered in the hall and garden, heads lowered, waiting strictly.Vehicles neatly lined up and entered the gates of the Scott family, bypassing the open-air fountain and proceeding towards the main house.Chris's face was vaguely pale; he had learned from a phone call with Diana on the way that their parents had returned. Emily and Derek were already aware of everything that had happened.Judging by their current demeanor, one could see that Emily and Derek were genuinely angry. After all, they had kept the truth from Emily and Derek for so long, and now it was revealed after such a significant accident.Beside them, Charlotte remained silent and withdrawn. Her once clear and bright
It was hard for her to believe that the clean, even a little shy Kingsley she knew and the bloodthirsty, horrible person in front of her were the same person.She had always known that Kingsley's condition was serious, but it was only when she was confronted head-on for the first time that she realized just how horrible it was. Kingsley didn't even look like a normal person at this point."Kingsley!" Freya's expression changed; she became nervous and cautious as she slowly stepped forward. "Drop the knife and come here, let me see your wound."At this point, Theo's death was completely unimportant. If Kingsley is allowed to see more bloodshed or even directly kill Theo, I'm afraid his condition will worsen, and he won't be able to regain his sanity at all.In the face of Freya's coaxing, Kingsley did not react at all. Holding the knife in one hand, he pressed his other hand against Theo's neck harder and harder."Kingsley!" Freya was anxious, but she d
Outside the school, Charlotte was escorted to a waiting car. The vehicle was equipped with special materials, bulletproof and resistant to various thermal weapons. Even though the school's premises had been cleared of bombs, Theo had come prepared, and no one knew if he had any other plans lurking in the shadows. Chris wasn't about to let his sister take such a risk.The people at the school had no idea what kind of life-and-death disaster they had just narrowly avoided. They all emerged from the school, unaware of the danger they had faced. They got into various luxury cars and departed one after another. Originally, Carl wanted to wait at the door, but with too many acquaintances coming and going, he had no choice but to hide in the Scott family's car.Chris voiced his concern, "Are you sure Theo will keep his word?""Not entirely," Carl replied, taking off his gold-rimmed glasses and impatiently rubbing his brow. "But Kingsley had to take a gamble on whether Theo still had it in
When these words were spoken, all the bodyguards present were shocked. Theo was filled with disbelief."What did you say? You're going to declare war on me in the manner of the Livingston family?" Theo almost laughed out loud. "Do you know what you're talking about?"Carl's face hardened for a moment as well. "Kingsley, calm down!"Kingsley, however, paid no attention to him. He stared into Theo's eyes, showing no hint of hesitation or fear. He said, "I know exactly what I'm doing, so don't you dare underestimate me."This declaration made Theo's face darken, his expression obscure, filled with deep thoughts.Charlotte looked at Chris somewhat helplessly. She didn't understand what was happening. Was this a big gamble by Kingsley?Chris composed himself, looked towards Kingsley and Theo's confrontation, and softly explained, "The Livingston family has rules. Members can challenge each other when there are disputes or unavoidable conflicts. They fight one-on-one in a life-and-death due
Ben held Charlotte at gunpoint, then glanced at Theo, who sat calmly and inquired, "What do you want?""I know you plan to use her against Kingsley and the Livingston family. My request is simple: ten million dollars and a getaway car," Ben stated viciously."Oh? You're not seeking vengeance for your family?" Theo remained composed."I'm not naive! I know how to negotiate with someone like you for maximum gain. You never intended to aid in avenging my family, did you?"Theo chuckled softly. "Looks like you're still somewhat sharp, but... still an idiot!"At Theo's words, two black-clad bodyguards suddenly emerged, advancing toward Ben."Aren't you worried I'll kill her? Then you'd have nothing to hold over Kingsley!" Ben exclaimed in panic."Foolish! My aim was always to destabilize Kingsley mentally. If you did kill Charlotte, I'd owe you gratitude."Hearing this, panic flashed in Ben's eyes, and in his haste, he aimed his pistol at Theo.