Holly carefully avoided the wounds on Bryce's hand when she held his wrist and left the building.Kolby was stunned.Bryce looked like he was going to end the world earlier. After Holly arrived, all the killing intent on him disappeared without a trace.As expected, nothing was impossible.Tobin glanced at Ron, who was catching his breath on the ground. Then, he apologetically said to Kolby, "Sorry for making things worse for you, Detective Briant."Kolby smiled. "It's fine. Bastards like him deserve to be punished.""Well, I shall take my leave now. Let's keep in touch.""Sure."Just as Tobin was about to leave, Kolby couldn't help saying, "Mrs. Gabelman sure is something else. No matter how hard we tried earlier, Mr. Gabelman just wouldn't listen to us."Tobin smiled bitterly. "Maybe we had to face strength with softness."Kolby felt the same way. "Indeed. Sometimes, we have to let a woman interfere when we can't do our jobs as men."…Holly held Bryce's wrist as they lef
Holly touched Bryce's jaw while smiling. Then, she said dotingly, "I won't break my promise."Bryce held her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it. Then, he smiled dashingly.It felt like spring had arrived when he smiled.It melted the ice on his cold, handsome face.Holly was in a daze.They said a person would look flawless to their partner.Holly thought Bryce was becoming more and more attractive. He was so charming that her heart was aching.When they returned to Crescent Lane, Bryce held Holly's hand tightly after Tobin alighted the vehicle.He was afraid that she would change her mind and leave him again.Holly found it ridiculous.She was used to seeing him being mature and confident. Holly seldom saw him feeling so insecure like that.Then, they entered the house.When they were taking off their shoes, Bryce bent down to open the shoe cabinet. He wanted to help Holly grab her slippers.However, Holly stopped him. "You're hurt. Let me do it."After they were
Holly stared at the message quietly.A sense of dread permeated her insides.In the two years that Bryce had been paralyzed, she and Arthur hadn't been close. However, Arthur had still respected her.Ever since Bryce's legs got better, Arthur began treating her differently.He didn't think she deserved Bryce anymore.Arthur was an ungrateful old man, just like Priscilla had said.He was the biggest snob on earth.The phone suddenly rang. It was Arthur.Holly calmed herself down and picked it up.Arthur's cold voice sounded through the receiver, "Have you seen my message, Ms. Sinclair?"Holly murmured in response."Since you've taken the money, you should be a good girl and stay away from Bryce. A billion dollars isn't exactly pocket change. It could determine if someone gets to live the rest of their life in peace."Holly smiled to herself. Arthur was discreetly telling her that he would take her life if she disobeyed him.Holly gripped the phone, saying nothing.Arthur
His anger had nowhere to go. He stared at Holly's savage message.He couldn't even pick her words apart.Holly waited for a while, but Arthur wasn't replying. However, she received a call from Sherry.Sherry said gently, "Will you be free tomorrow afternoon, dear? Come to the shop. I need to see you for a while."Holly's heart ached to hear Sherry call her that.She'd kept her miscarriage and her divorce from Sherry and Olivia.She choked out, "Okay. I'll head over to your place tomorrow."…The next day, Holly got a cab to Sherry's design studio.Sherry had long been waiting in her office.The moment Holly walked in, Sherry greeted her warmly. She hugged her affectionately and said with a smile, "I've been busy these past few months doing some design work overseas. I just got back yesterday."She reached out to pat Holly on the belly, her eyes filled with hope. "Has my grandchild been thinking of me?"Her words pierced Holly right in the heart.She closed her eyes, suppre
Arthur could sense that something was up from Sherry's angry tone. He asked coldly, "Is there an issue?""Yes. A very, very big issue," Sherry replied just as coldly.Arthur snubbed her intentionally, "I'm busy. You must make an appointment with my secretary beforehand."Sherry said harshly, "I'm giving you one hour tops to get your ass over here. Or else, I'm telling everyone about how you cheated on me!"Arthur's gaze grew frosty. He gnashed his teeth. "You bitch!"He hung up.Sherry threw her phone onto the table. Then, she smiled and said to Holly, "You can go back now, darling. I have some personal matters to sort out with Arthur."Holly was afraid that Sherry was going to get roped into the drama. "I'll stay here with you."Sherry rubbed her temples, looking tired. "It's alright. This is a private matter.""Alright." Holly got up to leave."Hold on," Sherry said. She walked to the mannequin and took the dress off. "You can take the dress."Holly smiled bitterly. "I can
Arthur tapped the ashes off his cigarette into an ashtray. He smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."Sherry trembled in anger. "I was fucking blind. How could I have ever fallen for a man like you?"Arthur said indifferently, "It goes both ways. How could such a lovely little maiden turn into a woman of steel?"Sherry smiled coldly. "I can't believe you have the balls to say that about me. You had a son with your ex-girlfriend and lied about it. And then you cheated on me when I was pregnant. You son of a bitch!"Arthur rubbed his temples. "Without evidence, you're just making false accusations.""I've seen that woman, and her kid was already born! You're in the wrong. You have to come clean."Arthur shrugged. "Evidence. You need it.""You old fart! I'll give you your evidence!" Sherry snatched up her coffee mug and splashed its contents all over his face.The coffee was scalding hot.Arthur gasped in anger. "Have you gone mad? How dare you splash coffee onto my face?"He
The perfect sheet of glass was now lying scattered on the floor in a thousand pieces.The worker was stunned.He extended an arm toward Arthur. "You need to pay for that!"Arthur was in anger and pain. He pointed at his leather shoes from Indalia and roared, "You need to pay for my shoes!""You crashed into me. Hurry up and pay for it. My client is waiting for Pete to install the glass. Now I have to go cut another sheet."Arthur scoffed and walked toward his car. His leg was in extreme pain. He hobbled as he walked.His stern features were now twisted in agony.When the driver saw him, he immediately got out of the car and escorted him in.The worker ran up after him and pulled on Arthur's sleeve. "Pay for the glass! You're dressed all fancy. How could you be such an ass?"Arthur was raised in a rich and noble family. He was treated like a prince from a young age.Everyone was polite to him. No one dared to so much as raise their voice at him.And yet, this worker was being
Did Abraham think Levi and Bryce were garbage men?However, the Gabelmans and the Cotts had been allies for years. Arthur couldn't straight up refuse him. "Quick, get into the house. We'll talk there."He pressed the doorbell. The maid opened the door.They all went in, sitting in the living room. Then, the maid poured them cups of water.Abraham drank his water. "Samantha is at the lowest point in her life. You have to figure out a way to help her."Arthur said unhappily, "Why?""The doctor said that a great surprise would excite her. She might return to normal after that. We need to stimulate her with serotonin."Arthur was stunned. "How is that possible?"Abraham narrowed his eyes. "You can ask the doctor yourself."Arthur could see through Abraham's intentions. The talk about serotonin was made up. Abraham was here for Bryce.Before this all happened, Arthur would have been willing to let Bryce marry Samantha.But now that Samantha had done the deed with Levi, even Arthu
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