Priscilla was in the passenger seat, and she said in disdain, "He's no Holls' dad! He's a monster!"Feeling puzzled, Holly asked, "Mom, why is he asking for five million dollars from you?"Priscilla's gaze flickered as she answered, "His business failed, and he's in a lot of debt. I guess he's desperate."Holly bit her lip slightly and didn't say anything.She kept quiet as she blocked her bleeding nose with some tissues.Suddenly, Priscilla remembered something and reminded, "Holls, if he goes asking for money from you, you can't give him anything. No matter what excuses he gives, don't give a single dime. That monster is a liar. Don't believe anything he says. Got it?"Holly nodded.When she asked Priscilla about Lucas previously, the latter would always avoid the question.If Holly insisted on asking again, Priscilla would get angry.Since it was rare for them to talk about it, Holly couldn't help but ask, "Mom, why did you get a divorce back then?"When Priscilla heard th
Everyone's scornful gazes were like arrows shooting at Quirina.Quirina was a wealthy lady and was used to living luxuriously.Everyone would flatter her wherever she went, and she had never experienced hostility like that before.Her face fell, and everyone could tell.Quirina turned to her caretaker behind her and said harshly, "What are you standing around for? Get me out of here and as far from that crazy lady as possible!"Priscilla heard what Quirina had said.She was someone who would take revenge immediately and wouldn't wait.Priscilla quickly stood up and looked down at Quirina while yelling, "You're the crazy one, you shameless bitch!"Quirina had always been feminine. She would always bully the weak and fear the strong.She was great at pulling tricks behind others.When facing others in their face, there was nothing she could do.It was especially so when it came to someone wild like Priscilla, who was quick to take action.Quirina couldn't stand her ground.S
After their meal, Bryce asked, "Have you taken your medicine?"Holly nodded obediently. "Yes, I have.""What about the supplements?"Holly lightly smacked herself on her head and chuckled. "I forgot."She had never heard of anyone taking supplements after having a nosebleed before.Bryce gently flicked her forehead. "You silly goose. Where did you leave it? I'll grab it for you."Holly rubbed her forehead and smiled. "It's in my bag. I left them on the shoe rack."Bryce got up and went to the shoe rack.When he opened the bag to take the supplement, he saw the silver dagger inside.The dagger was exquisitely designed.It looked unlike any other daggers.There was a flower carved on it, along with some letters.Bryce took it out and unsheathed it. The sharp silver blade was revealed, and it shone brightly under the light.He soon realized it wasn't an ordinary dagger.It was one of the best combat knives in the world.It could do serious damage. The knife was capable of s
After resting for a day, Holly returned to Trevor's Pavilion.In the morning, Trevor taught her the basics, like how to clean antique vases.While cleaning, they had to use a special chemical. She had to learn how to mix the chemicals.Although Holly wasn't good at relationships, she had a talent when it came to antiques. She picked it up from Trevor easily.Life was fair.No one was perfect.…Holly was busy the whole morning.Time passed by quickly.After lunch, Trevor wanted to bring Holly to the antique shop next door for a visit.Holly didn't dare to disobey him.So, they went together.After they entered the shop, Trevor said loudly, "Damie, get down here! I want to introduce my mentee to you!"Anyone could hear that clear voice from any floor.Damian Cott heard it as well and walked out from the appraisal room upstairs. Holding onto the railings, he slowly came downstairs.Holly looked at Damian. He looked to be at least 80 years old, which was around Trevor's age
There was disdain in his tone.Trevor was provoked by Damian's attitude.He slammed hard on the table. "I don't care! Holly is my mentee now, and I'm proud to have such an impressive mentee!"Holly couldn't help laughing.She didn't expect Trevor's personality to be like that.He was an extroverted and stubborn old man.He was different compared to her grandfather, who was strict and liked to lay lowHolly took a bottle from the third staff.Before she even took a closer look, she pointed at the drawing on it and said, "It was painted with modern-day materials."Then, she flipped it around and looked at the bottom."The letters on the bottom are too tidy. They were printed on."Damian's gaze flickered.There was no longer disdain and suspicion in his eyes.Instead, it was full of compliments.Then, Holly received another item from the fourth staff. This time, it was a pot.Back in the old days, it would be used to pour water into something else. It was small, delicate, a
Holly finally knew that Trevor was Samantha's maternal grandfather.Previously, Bryce told her not to tell Trevor that she was married.He even told her not to mention his name.Holly finally knew the reason now.Holly was nonplussed and couldn't help but admire how scheming Bryce was.It was an indirect slap in Samantha's face.Samantha was so furious she could faint.Holly was like a thorn in her flesh. Not only could she not remove it, it was also making her life miserable.Samantha couldn't believe Trevor would take Holly in as his mentee. He was even praising her a lot.There was no way Samantha could accept it.She bent down to pick up her bag and furiously brushed off the dust on it.After that, she looked up and glared at Holly in disdain.Holly lifted her chin slightly and stood up straight. She looked elegant. Holly looked straight back at Samantha with bright clear eyes and didn't feel bad at all.Feeling overwhelmed, Samantha scoffed and said to Trevor, "Gran
Trevor lowered his gaze and looked at Samantha. There was an unprecedented seriousness in his eyes."Holly is my mentee, and I took her in officially. Once a mentor, always a mentor. Being a mentor isn't fun and games. "She didn't do anything illegal, nor did she do anything wrong. If I kick her out that easily, others will make fun of us."Trevor kept things short and precise when he spoke.He also showed no sign of backing out.After finishing what he said, Trevor removed Samantha's hand from his arm. Then, he walked out with his hands behind his back. Holly shot Samantha a quick glance and followed Trevor.Samantha was infuriated as she watched the duo exit the shop.She raised her foot and kicked the pot next to her.Damian's favorite plant fell to the ground loudly.The soil in the pot was scattered across the ground.Damian frowned and couldn't help but scold Samantha, "I know you're angry, Samantha, but why are you taking it out on my plant? That's my lucky plant, a
The next morning, Bryce sent Holly to Trevor's Pavilion himself.He held her hand after getting out of the car, and they walked toward the shop together.The sun had just risen, and the sky was dimly lit.The sun gently shone on the couple.Holly felt like a child being sent to school by her parent.When they entered the shop, Trevor was standing by the window, teasing a bird.When he saw Bryce entering the shop, he scolded, "You brat! You knew that Holly wanted me to be her mentor, didn't you?"Bryce nodded with a faint smile. "Holly looked like Ms. Queenie in her younger days. You have nothing to lose for mentoring her."When Trevor heard Queenie's name, it felt like someone was jabbing him in his soft spot.He was stunned for a moment before he rolled his eyes at Bryce. "You sure know how to take advantage of someone, you brat."Bryce patted Holly on her shoulder and said, "She's a great lady. Not only is she sensible and smart, but she's also loyal and capable. Our family
Sitting by Bryce's bed, Holly softly held his slender fingers as if such a move would keep him safe.She must have been exhausted or emotionally spent, as she soon fell asleep by the bed. She then suffered a nightmare, in which Bryce stood in front of her, covered in blood from head to toe. Forcing a smile, he said to her, "Holly, I can't stay by your side anymore. You need to take care of yourself and be strong."After that, he turned into wisps of smoke and vanished right in front of her eyes. She frantically reached out to hold him, but she was clawing at the air.She waved her hands madly to take hold of him and run after him. Her voice was hoarse from all the yelling. "Bryce! Bryce Gabelman!"Her shouting was futile. Jolting awake, she gasped for air. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, and her eyes were wet from crying.She noticed that she was lying in the caregiver's bed. Someone—perhaps Bryce—had carried her to the bed.Bryce managed to get out of bed and lay by her
"You're injured. Don't stay on the floor—it's cold. Get up now!" Holly cautiously pulled Bryce up from the ground.He was speechless at her response. Any other woman would have happily accepted the ring and put it on.Perhaps, the woman he loved was different from the others.Going on one knee, Bryce refused to get up. He tenderly stared at Holly. "I'll get up after you agree to remarry me.""Get up now, and I'll agree to it."Defeated, he stood up, held her hand, and tried to put the ring on her finger when he was overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness. He lost his balance and collapsed forward onto her.Holly quickly held him and asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"Bryce's lips parted. He wanted to reassure her that he was fine, but he couldn't utter a word. Soon after, his fingers that grasped the ring went numb. The large diamond ring dropped to the ground, spinning and clattering until it came to a stop.Panicking, Holly patted his cheek. "What's going on?"However, Bryce didn't
Looking at the man in Holly's embrace, Abelin turned his attention back to his phone. He asked inquisitively, "Who are you?"The person on the other end of the line was filled with anger. "I'm Bryce. I called her phone, but it was switched off."Abelin replied honestly, "She lost her phone.""Where is she right now?" Bryce questioned indifferently.After Abelin told him the villa's address, Bryce hung up.Abelin once again glanced at his phone before looking toward the dazed-looking Holly. "Holly, I think this man might not be Bryce."Holly shook her head. "You don't need to comfort me.""I just got a call from Bryce. He's on his way here."Holly thought he was lying and refused to believe him. When Abelin wanted to pull her away from the corpse, Holly got triggered and pushed him away. "Don't touch him! He'll be in pain!"Seeing Holly in such a dazed and abnormal state, Abelin felt a sense of pity for her.A tall figure emerged from the door about 45 minutes later. He was we
Abelin wanted to follow through with the protocol, but Holly refused.Realizing they weren't locals, the police decided to let them be. Thus, Abelin sent Holly and the corpse back to a villa their family seldom stayed in.Upon arriving at the villa, Holly did nothing but hold onto the bloodied man dazedly. Her heart felt heavy and chaotic. She was filled with regret and self-blame.Did she regret breaking up with him? The answer was no. Instead, she regretted not being firm enough with her decision. If she had been more resolute and didn't give him any hope of reconciling, he wouldn't have flown to Calria to find her. Correspondingly, he wouldn't have gotten into a car accident and died.Death was such a dreadful word. Bryce was gone, forever disappearing from this world. Holly would never hear his voice or see his smile and face. It was all gone.She would never see him again. She would rather he had lived, no matter who he ended up with in the future. She just wanted him to
The driver pressed the pedal, made a U-turn, and accelerated. When Holly arrived at the address Tobin sent, she saw two deformed cars at the crash scene. However, she didn't find anyone there.Holly's heart skipped a beat. She could only call Tobin repeatedly. However, the call didn't go through.Bryce and the others didn't own a car, only renting one after they got off the plane. Thus, Holly didn't know which car belonged to them.The driver continued driving a bit further until they came upon a collision between a car and a truck. The car's front end was completely obliterated. The driver was cut in half at the waist, and the person in the back seat was so badly mangled that his face was unrecognizable.A loud roar echoed in Holly's mind as it went blank. Her gaze fell on the man's blood-soaked suit. This was the deep-colored suit that Bryce always wore. The man had long legs. The wrist that was hanging out of the car wore a Patek Philippe Celestial watch.Holly remembered the
The moment Bryce reached Calria and got off the plane, he received a call from an unknown number. He took the call with furrowed eyebrows. "Hello. Who are you?"Zenia fumed. "I'm Zenia. Holly and Abelin's wedding is today. Your woman snatched away the man I loved!" She hung up the call after that.Bryce didn't believe her. He tapped into his messages, and several wedding photos came into view. Although the images were not high resolution, one could at least make out the newlywed's features.The groom wearing a suit had striking facial features, and Bryce recognized him as Abelin. Meanwhile, the woman was dressed in a fitted floor-length gown and wore a white veil. Under the thin veil, Bryce could make out her defined features. The woman was none other than Holly.Bryce felt like he had been struck by lightning. His mind went blank, and the hand holding the phone turned cold.He could feel his heart sinking and his blood going cold. Instantly, he felt he got toyed and betrayed
Michelle was gravely ill, with her vision and hearing failing. Thus, they should be able to deceive her.While Abelin let out a sigh of relief, Merope threw daggers at him. She couldn't believe he was stupid enough to let go of such a good opportunity. She wondered why someone as smart as her would have such a dumb son.As it was almost time for the wedding ceremony, Merope wheeled the sickly Michelle out. Michelle's complexion seemed better than a few days back, perhaps due to the joyful event or the effects of terminal lucidity. Her dull eyes were shining when she saw Abelin and the fake bride on the red carpet.Michelle pursed her lips and asked Merope, "Is he really getting married to Holly?"Merope replied unwillingly, "Yes.""Bring me over to have a look," Michelle ordered. When Merope wheeled her over to the fake bride, Michelle took her reading glasses from her pocket with trembling hands.Abelin held his breath as Michelle eyed the fake bride up and down. He was fear
Merope pleaded earnestly, "Abel, your grandmother is on her last breath. Please try to fulfill her last wish for her."Abelin didn't seem to reject this plan as much as before. "Wedding arrangements are already in place, and I've notified a couple of cousins. I'll try to make the entire wedding as genuine as possible."Merope was overjoyed. "Why did you suddenly change your mind? Is Holly the bride?""No. I found a woman who looks quite similar to her. Grandma is old and has blurry eyesight. I doubt she'll recognize her."Merope rebuked, "Your grandma isn't blind!""Well, that's all." Abelin then hung up the call.…Three days later, many relatives gathered at the Gabelman residence. The brightly decorated courtyard was filled with people. Abelin hired a professional wedding team in advance, making sure the officiant, red carpet, circular arch, fresh flowers, and bridal bouquet were all in place. A professional violin team was also playing the wedding march.Although it was a
Abelin called Priscilla's bodyguards, and they arrived at the Calria police station together.The bodies were stored in the morgue. Since they weren't Calrians, the police couldn't find any information on them or confirm their identities.However, they were sure that the two bodies had something to do with Priscilla because one of the bodyguards left a long scratch mark on one of the culprit's arms. At that moment, the mark was rotten due to being submerged in the water. The skin was peeling, and it was a horrifying sight.Clearly, the person behind the culprits was worried they might get caught and expose their employer's identity. So, someone was sent to silence them right away. It was easy for someone like them to kill a person.After giving a statement, the police told Abelin that they were going to do an autopsy on the bodies. Once they had news, they would call him again.After coming out of the police station, Abelin got into his car and called Bryce. "The two guys who hu