Aspen thought for a moment, then let out a cold, satisfied laugh. She decided to wait a little longer before calling Gordon again. Now that Andrew was finally out of the picture, the suffocating frustration she had been feeling for weeks seemed to lift, and she was in a much better mood. … Meanwhile, Christina was on a call with Owen Maloney from Wealthroller Investments. "Mr. Maloney, this is Christina Stevens. I was wondering if I could possibly speak with Mr. Yates… if he has a moment?" Her voice was cautious, almost nervous. Wealthroller Investments was a powerhouse, and she knew she had to tread carefully. Owen had overseen the South City Orphanage project and had previously liaised with the Stevens family, but his tone remained indifferent. He asked, "What do you need to speak with Mr. Yates about, Ms. Stevens?" Christina hesitated, gripping the phone tighter. "I-I'd like to ask him something about Andrew." There was a pause on the other end. When Owen spoke ag
The line went dead as Marvin hung up without giving Christina the chance to say another word. She sat there, the phone still pressed to her ear, her mind utterly blank. Marvin's parting words echoed through her skull like a relentless drumbeat. "Christina, by giving him up, you didn't just lose a relationship—you lost everything." "No," she whispered to herself, gripping the phone tighter. "No, my judgment wasn't wrong. Andrew was lazy. He had no ambition. We didn't match anymore—I made the right decision… I did the right thing." Yet, no matter how many times she repeated the words, the doubts gnawed deeper. Denial was always the first response when confronted with a painful truth. People instinctively clung to their own version of events, unwilling to admit they had misjudged, unwilling to face the consequences of their choices. Her breath quickened, and before she could think twice, she dialed another number. This time, she called Mark's office. "Hello, this is Mark Thatc
With a dull thud, Christina's phone slipped from her trembling hands and hit the floor. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground, her body drained of all strength. Everything was true, which meant she had been blind. Completely, utterly blind. But how? She had thought she knew Andrew inside and out and had been convinced he was an unambitious man who did not deserve to stand beside her. Yet, in the end, it was she who had been standing outside the gates of the truth, unable to see what was right in front of her. Was she really as foolish as Andrew had claimed? A storm of thoughts spiraled through her mind, and she cried out as she clutched her head, overwhelmed by the unbearable realization. Irene and Leroy rushed to her side, their faces stricken with alarm. "Christie! What's wrong? You're scaring me!" Irene cried, gripping her daughter's arms. "Are you feeling sick? Let's go to the hospital!" "Christie, you look awful!" Leroy added, his voice filled with c
Christina let out a deep breath; her expression strained with unease. "I just hope I didn't make the wrong decision back then." Aspen did not bother to answer. Whether Christina admitted it or not, the truth was already clear. Yet, here she was—desperately clinging to the belief that she had been right all along. It was laughable. No, it was downright pathetic. Aspen found it amusing, but in a way, she was the same. She had been crushed by Andrew time and time again, only to refuse to accept it. She had also kept chasing after her so-called dignity, convinced that she, Aspen of Bridgefields' Stevens family, could never lose. In the end, she and Christina were not so different. … The two women soon arrived at the Weller family estate. Harvey had not seen Christina in a while, but the moment she walked through the door, he smirked. He teased, "Christie, don't tell me you've come to your senses and decided to crawl back to me. If that's the case, I might be willing to give
Christina completely ignored Harvey's vile words because, at that moment, her mind was in utter chaos. She had no choice but to believe it—whether she wanted to accept it or not. Andrew had helped the Stevens family countless times, and it turned out that her position as CEO, even her very survival, had all been thanks to him. Everything she thought she knew was wrong. It was her arrogance and prejudice that had hurt the one man who should have belonged to her all along. Harvey made no effort to hide his venomous amusement as he mocked, "Christina, are you finally waking up? Do you finally see how amazing Andrew was?" He laughed and added, "Too bad, though. Andrew is already soaring high, and he doesn't feel anything for you anymore. Compared to Lauren or Francesca, don't you think they're all better than you? "They've got better backgrounds, better connections—what do you have left? Nothing. So instead of being stubborn, why not just give in and marry into the Weller family
Harvey grew even more delighted, bursting into laughter. "What's wrong? Did I strike a nerve? Did I dig into that dark, shameful corner of your heart?" He mocked, "Christina, are you finally realizing what a complete fool you've been? Do you feel like the pathetic woman who brought this all on herself? Andrew treated you well and gave the Stevens family respect, but you were too blind to appreciate it—you pushed him away. "And now, look at you. The Stevens family is struggling at every turn, surviving only because you're clinging to the Bridgefields' Stevens family for dear life. That's why when Aspen was crushed the moment she stepped into Jayrodale, your family had to bite their tongue and endure it." His voice turned colder, eyes glinting with malice as he continued to tear into her. "But if Andrew were still around, things would be different. The Stevens family would have grown much stronger by now, and you wouldn't be in this mess. But too bad—Andrew isn't yours anymore. H
Aspen's face darkened with anger as she barked, "Christie, you listen to me. You are not any less than Andrew. "The decision you made back then wasn't wrong. You're Christina Stevens, the elegant CEO of the Stevens Corporation. Are you really willing to admit that you were blind, that you misjudged Andrew so badly?" For a moment, Christina hesitated, confusion flickering across her tear-streaked face. She shook her head. "No… of course I don't want to admit that I was blind, that I couldn't see what was right in front of me." She mumbled, "But what's the point in denying it when the truth is so obvious? I was wrong—horribly, irredeemably wrong." A bitter, broken laugh escaped her lips. The proud, confident woman she once was faded like the closing credits of a movie. All that remained was sorrow, regret, and a hollow sense of defeat. Aspen let out a cold snort. "Christie, you're too kind—you always blame yourself for other people's mistakes. Think about it. Andrew's the one s
Aspen gave a satisfied nod. "That's the spirit. That's the Christie I know. Don't worry. With me by your side, Stevens Corporation will rise stronger than ever." Christina forced a weak smile. "Yeah… at this point, the only way I can reclaim my dignity is through my career. I'll make Andrew see that I'm not a quitter. I'll catch up to him—and surpass him." Aspen's eyes gleamed with a cold, twisted amusement. In her mind, Andrew was probably already rotting six feet under, completely unaware of the foolish Christina's self-pity. Still, she could tell that Andrew's brutal truth had shattered Christina's confidence. Well, killing Andrew had at least served the purpose of giving Christina a sense of closure. … Meanwhile, Andrew had no idea that Christina was drowning in regret and disbelief, teetering on the edge of an emotional breakdown. Then again, why would he care? To him, whether Christina's well-being was none of his concern anymore. He strolled into the Moonlit Apothec
Aspen was in disbelief. After all, she thought Gordon was supposed to have already killed Andrew. Hence, there was no way Andrew could still be alive. Aspen's mind spiraled into chaos. Her breathing grew ragged, and her thoughts twisted in every possible direction. She even wondered if it were Andrew's ghost, a vengeful spirit coming back from the grave. Her trembling fingers fumbled for her phone as dread coiled tighter around her chest. She quickly called Gordon's number, only to find that his phone had been turned off. Aspen's heart skipped a beat. She already knew it would not go through, but she kept dialing anyway—again and again. She tried more than a dozen times, and each time, she was met with the same automated response that the number was unavailable. Frustration exploded within her, and she screamed, "Gordon! What the hell is going on? Are you dead or alive? Can't you give me a damn sign?" The silence that followed was deafening. Nothing about this made sense. A
Aspen's expression darkened as she watched Christina nervously hover her thumb over the call button. "Christie, are you sure you want to make this call? You and Andrew have already gone your separate ways. What's the point of reaching out now?" Christina bit her lip, her anxiety plain to see. "Honestly, I don't even know what I want to say. But… I need to know. I need to hear his voice. I need to know if he really hates me as much as I think he does." Aspen did not say another word. She just leaned back and crossed her arms, her eyes cold with indifference. 'What a waste of time', she thought, 'Andrew is long gone—probably feeding worms in a coffin by now. This phone call is pointless.' Still, if Christina wanted to chase ghosts, so be it. The phone would either go straight to voicemail, or someone else would pick up. Andrew was not alive to answer. To Aspen's surprise, the call connected. "Hello?" came Andrew's familiar voice on the other end. Christina's heart leaped. S
Aspen gave a satisfied nod. "That's the spirit. That's the Christie I know. Don't worry. With me by your side, Stevens Corporation will rise stronger than ever." Christina forced a weak smile. "Yeah… at this point, the only way I can reclaim my dignity is through my career. I'll make Andrew see that I'm not a quitter. I'll catch up to him—and surpass him." Aspen's eyes gleamed with a cold, twisted amusement. In her mind, Andrew was probably already rotting six feet under, completely unaware of the foolish Christina's self-pity. Still, she could tell that Andrew's brutal truth had shattered Christina's confidence. Well, killing Andrew had at least served the purpose of giving Christina a sense of closure. … Meanwhile, Andrew had no idea that Christina was drowning in regret and disbelief, teetering on the edge of an emotional breakdown. Then again, why would he care? To him, whether Christina's well-being was none of his concern anymore. He strolled into the Moonlit Apothec
Aspen's face darkened with anger as she barked, "Christie, you listen to me. You are not any less than Andrew. "The decision you made back then wasn't wrong. You're Christina Stevens, the elegant CEO of the Stevens Corporation. Are you really willing to admit that you were blind, that you misjudged Andrew so badly?" For a moment, Christina hesitated, confusion flickering across her tear-streaked face. She shook her head. "No… of course I don't want to admit that I was blind, that I couldn't see what was right in front of me." She mumbled, "But what's the point in denying it when the truth is so obvious? I was wrong—horribly, irredeemably wrong." A bitter, broken laugh escaped her lips. The proud, confident woman she once was faded like the closing credits of a movie. All that remained was sorrow, regret, and a hollow sense of defeat. Aspen let out a cold snort. "Christie, you're too kind—you always blame yourself for other people's mistakes. Think about it. Andrew's the one s
Harvey grew even more delighted, bursting into laughter. "What's wrong? Did I strike a nerve? Did I dig into that dark, shameful corner of your heart?" He mocked, "Christina, are you finally realizing what a complete fool you've been? Do you feel like the pathetic woman who brought this all on herself? Andrew treated you well and gave the Stevens family respect, but you were too blind to appreciate it—you pushed him away. "And now, look at you. The Stevens family is struggling at every turn, surviving only because you're clinging to the Bridgefields' Stevens family for dear life. That's why when Aspen was crushed the moment she stepped into Jayrodale, your family had to bite their tongue and endure it." His voice turned colder, eyes glinting with malice as he continued to tear into her. "But if Andrew were still around, things would be different. The Stevens family would have grown much stronger by now, and you wouldn't be in this mess. But too bad—Andrew isn't yours anymore. H
Christina completely ignored Harvey's vile words because, at that moment, her mind was in utter chaos. She had no choice but to believe it—whether she wanted to accept it or not. Andrew had helped the Stevens family countless times, and it turned out that her position as CEO, even her very survival, had all been thanks to him. Everything she thought she knew was wrong. It was her arrogance and prejudice that had hurt the one man who should have belonged to her all along. Harvey made no effort to hide his venomous amusement as he mocked, "Christina, are you finally waking up? Do you finally see how amazing Andrew was?" He laughed and added, "Too bad, though. Andrew is already soaring high, and he doesn't feel anything for you anymore. Compared to Lauren or Francesca, don't you think they're all better than you? "They've got better backgrounds, better connections—what do you have left? Nothing. So instead of being stubborn, why not just give in and marry into the Weller family
Christina let out a deep breath; her expression strained with unease. "I just hope I didn't make the wrong decision back then." Aspen did not bother to answer. Whether Christina admitted it or not, the truth was already clear. Yet, here she was—desperately clinging to the belief that she had been right all along. It was laughable. No, it was downright pathetic. Aspen found it amusing, but in a way, she was the same. She had been crushed by Andrew time and time again, only to refuse to accept it. She had also kept chasing after her so-called dignity, convinced that she, Aspen of Bridgefields' Stevens family, could never lose. In the end, she and Christina were not so different. … The two women soon arrived at the Weller family estate. Harvey had not seen Christina in a while, but the moment she walked through the door, he smirked. He teased, "Christie, don't tell me you've come to your senses and decided to crawl back to me. If that's the case, I might be willing to give
With a dull thud, Christina's phone slipped from her trembling hands and hit the floor. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground, her body drained of all strength. Everything was true, which meant she had been blind. Completely, utterly blind. But how? She had thought she knew Andrew inside and out and had been convinced he was an unambitious man who did not deserve to stand beside her. Yet, in the end, it was she who had been standing outside the gates of the truth, unable to see what was right in front of her. Was she really as foolish as Andrew had claimed? A storm of thoughts spiraled through her mind, and she cried out as she clutched her head, overwhelmed by the unbearable realization. Irene and Leroy rushed to her side, their faces stricken with alarm. "Christie! What's wrong? You're scaring me!" Irene cried, gripping her daughter's arms. "Are you feeling sick? Let's go to the hospital!" "Christie, you look awful!" Leroy added, his voice filled with c
The line went dead as Marvin hung up without giving Christina the chance to say another word. She sat there, the phone still pressed to her ear, her mind utterly blank. Marvin's parting words echoed through her skull like a relentless drumbeat. "Christina, by giving him up, you didn't just lose a relationship—you lost everything." "No," she whispered to herself, gripping the phone tighter. "No, my judgment wasn't wrong. Andrew was lazy. He had no ambition. We didn't match anymore—I made the right decision… I did the right thing." Yet, no matter how many times she repeated the words, the doubts gnawed deeper. Denial was always the first response when confronted with a painful truth. People instinctively clung to their own version of events, unwilling to admit they had misjudged, unwilling to face the consequences of their choices. Her breath quickened, and before she could think twice, she dialed another number. This time, she called Mark's office. "Hello, this is Mark Thatc