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
Quirina said confidently, "Yes. I'm here to remind you not to be selfish!"Trevor picked up his cup and sipped his drink. Then, he calmly said, "It's my business to take in mentees, and it has nothing to do with you."Quirina frowned. "Samantha doesn't like Holly. You don't have to upset her for an outsider, right?"Trevor scoffed coldly. "Samantha isn't sensible. Are you the same as well?"Quirina furiously glanced at Holly, who was standing not far away. "Holly was the one who hurt Samantha's hand. Because Samantha slapped her, she got someone to beat Samantha up badly that night. "Aren't you looking for trouble by making someone as evil as her your mentee?"That infuriated Holly.She coldly glared at Quirina. "Please show your proof. Don't accuse others when you don't have any!"Quirina scoffed. "I can't think of anyone else other than you!"Holly smirked mockingly. "In that case, who was the one who hurt my hand?"Quirina coldly sneered. "How should I know?"Trevor clea
James started the car.Samantha quickly dodged to the side.Even after the car had driven off far away, she was still standing in the same spot.Her eyes were filled with hatred as she stared at Bryce's car. Her face became pale from the frustration.She was hurt so badly that she grew cold.When the car was gone from her sight, she finally turned around and walked toward Trevor's Pavilion.Her legs were numb, and she walked weakly.When she entered the shop, Trevor was standing by the counter with a huge magnifying glass in his hand. He was checking out an amphora with beautiful paintings on it.Samantha walked to Trevor and complained coyly, "Grandpa, you don't love me at all."Trevor adjusted his glasses and looked at her with no emotions. "If you're still talking about Holly, forget it."Samantha could only force herself to save her complaint.She said angrily, "I want to be your mentee as well."Trevor pushed the amphora in his hands toward her."Then, tell me if this
She would still be considered a beauty even by modern standards.Holly took a good look at her and realized they did look similar.They had the exact same elegance.Holly gently ran her fingers across Queenie's face on the screen. She sincerely complimented, "Ms. Queenie sure looked pretty."Bryce lifted his gaze slightly and glanced at the picture. "It was a shame that her beauty couldn't save her."Holly thought about it and said, "I heard Nina mention that Ms. Queenie went mad after losing her daughter. Was that true?"Bryce nodded and rubbed his temples. He seemingly didn't want to talk about it.Seeing that he was unhappy, Holly stopped prying on the matter.She looked down at Queenie's face again for a while.For some reason, Holly felt sadness when she looked at Queenie's beautiful smile.It was truly a shame.Queenie looked gentle and beautiful, but she had gone mad.…The next day, Holly and James went to have lunch at a restaurant in the antiques city.Since it
Seeing that it was Lucas, the calm Holly became calmer and colder. She was so calm that she didn't look like her age.Holly coldly and distantly asked, "Can I help you, Mr. Danvers?"Lucas coldly chuckled. "Drop the act. I told you clearly in the restaurant earlier. "If you don't give me the money, I'll tell everyone in the shop how selfish and cruel you are! If that's not enough, I'll expose you on television! Then, I'll sue you for neglecting your father!"Holly faintly smirked.Although it looked like she was mocking him, she was actually feeling sad.Lucas really ruined years of her dreams of having a father figure.She might've gone soft and lent him the money if he were gentle. All he had to do was act pitifully and shed some crocodile tears. He could've made her sympathize with him and had some heartfelt conversation with her.Five million dollars wasn't that much of a deal to her.However, Lucas was shameless and ferocious.Seeing that, she really didn't want to gi
Lucas wasn't afraid because he thought Abelin was just a war veteran.So, Lucas yelled at him, "Where did you come from, you brat? How dare you hit me? Pay up! You fractured my bone! Give me five million dollars, or I'll never let you go!"Throughout Abelin's life, there really weren't many people who would dare to scold him.There were even fewer people who dared to scam or threaten him.Abelin's eyes flashed coldly, and he grabbed Lucas' arm and dragged the man out.He didn't seem to use much strength.In the blink of an eye, Lucas was dragged outside by Abelin.Holly hurriedly followed them out.Since Lucas' bone was fractured, he couldn't stand up.So, Abelin forcibly dragged him out, tearing his pants in the process.Abelin dragged Lucas without saying a word, and they headed toward a corner with fewer people.Abelin was pursing his lips, and his gaze was so cold it could freeze water.There was only one thing on his mind.Lucas just stepped on Holly's hand, and her h
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