Abelin walked toward Holly and studied her. Her small, elegant face was unusually red, and her gaze looked empty. She was clearly drunk. He asked the bodyguards, "Why did you let her drink so much?"The bodyguard didn't know much about Apricot Blossoms. "Mrs. Gabelman just ordered one glass of Apricot Blossom. We didn't expect her to get this drunk." Abelin frowned when he heard that. Of course he knew how much alcohol an Apricot Blossom would have.He helped Holly to a tree next to the road and gently patted her on the back. "Feel free to vomit. You'll feel better after that." She pressed her chest and dry-heaved a few times. However, she didn't manage to vomit anything.Then, Abelin held her slim waist and said, "I'll send you back first." Holly's head and ears were buzzing. She was so disoriented that she could feel the world spinning around her. She didn't even know who was speaking to her. She felt uncomfortable, and her stomach felt worse.Abelin helped her into his car
Abelin didn't move and stood still like a tower by the bed, looking at Holly for a long while. He couldn't bear to leave at all. Although it was already 3:00 am, he didn't feel tired. He just silently looked at her, and it was enough for him.Suddenly, his phone rang. Worried that he might wake Holly, Abelin quickly answered the call. Then, he left the bedroom with his phone and gently closed the door. He went to the balcony and spoke on the phone, "Hello."A woman's crisp voice came through the phone. It was his sister, Heidi Gabelman. "You brat, it's rare for me to return to the country. Forget about not picking me up. How could you not welcome me?" Abelin said with a deep voice, "I'm outside and have something to attend to."Heidi was slightly angry. "Are you out on a business trip? That's even worse. You knew I was coming, but you still went out on a trip! You don't think I'm important at all.""It's not that. There are some private matters."She smiled cunningly and asked
"Alright. I'm going to sleep now." Heidi turned around and headed to the guest room. Abelin entered the bathroom and closed the door. After he cleaned their clothes, he brought them to the balcony to dry them in a dryer. Then, he hung them up.His upper body was naked, and his muscles looked strong. His abs were well-defined and beautiful. He got them after years of harsh training in the special task force. However, they didn't look exaggerated. He would look slim if he had clothes on and muscular when he was naked.As Abelin hung Holly's clothes up neatly, he suddenly sensed something. He thought he saw a lens pointed at him from the shrubs in the distance. Since it was dark, he couldn't see it clearly. So, he pulled his T-shirt off the hanger, put it on, and dashed out the door.Unfortunately, the person was already long gone by the time he reached there. He looked down and observed the leaves that had been stepped on previously. Judging by the shoeprint, it seemed to be a siz
It could be cultural differences, but Holly was really surprised by Heidi's straightforwardness. She swallowed the milk and faintly smiled. "Mr. Gabelman is just a friend.""Oh? A friend, huh?" Heidi smiled meaningfully and grabbed some jam before spreading it on a slice of bread. She had received a foreign-style education when she was young. So, she couldn't understand why the locals would be so conservative.She just couldn't figure out why Abelin would quietly care for Holly. It was frustrating for her. She would rather give it a go if she liked someone. If she didn't, she would change her target. After all, life would still go on if she moved on from someone.Heidi left after breakfast. Holly sat on the couch in the living room and called Bryce. An unfamiliar woman's voice answered the call. However, she could tell who it was. It was Penelope.Holly felt extremely uncomfortable. It was as if something was prickling her. After a moment of silence, she said with a clear voice
Ricardo nodded. "He's awake. He woke up around 6:00 pm just now." Holly thought about it and realized she had gone out for dinner during that time. Then, she pointed at her head and asked, "He didn't lose his memories, right?"Ricardo chuckled. "You've watched too much television. You can't lose your memories that easily. He just got hit in the head with a stick. Even if he did lose his memories, he would only forget what had happened in the past few days, like when he was drunk. "He'll be fine after a few days. So, don't worry."Holly let out a deep breath of relief, thinking it was great that Bryce didn't lose his memories. Ricardo and the nurse left soon after that. Holly carried the flask of soup and walked to the entrance, saying to the bodyguards, "Please tell Mr. Gabelman that I would like to see him."They couldn't bear to say no, considering she had been sitting there for a long time. "Please hold on." One of the bodyguards entered the room.Bryce was resting his
Penelope was stunned. "Mr. Gabelman, did I do something wrong?" Bryce didn't look at her. Instead, he continued to look ahead and said without any emotion, "We're nothing more than business partners. If you intend on crossing the line, I'll pull out of the partnership."She let out a relieved sigh and placed her flask on the bedside table.She shrugged and said with a smile, "I see. You're overthinking it. I see you as a business partner only. Even though Uncle Arthur wishes to match us, you're like a brother to me. "Wouldn't it be nice to make money together? I don't need troublesome relationships. I'm more of a realist."Bryce kept quiet for a moment. "I'm tired. I want to rest." Seeing how tired he looked, Penelope glanced at his bandaged arm and gently asked, "Does it still hurt?""It doesn't."She chuckled. "We're all made of flesh, so how could it possibly not hurt?" Bryce closed his eyes and didn't wish to answer her. Penelope could read the room. "In that case, h
Tobin called the number. However, the number wasn't in service. Bryce frowned slightly and said, "Send someone to their home. We must find them." Tobin immediately made a call and arranged for someone to go to Easton and Weston's home.An hour later, Bryce's man called, saying, "Easton and Weston only have a father, and he passed away last year. The door is locked. I've asked their neighbors, and they're saying they haven't seen them coming home for a while."Bryce pinched his eyebrows and said, "Get the surveillance footage from Winds Residence." Two hours later, Tobin handed the footage to him. He stared at the phone and saw Abelin carrying Holly. He slowly clenched his fists. The veins on the back of his hand slowly swelled up, and his knuckles turned white.Although it was dark at night, he could still see Holly smiling at Abelin clearly because of the infrared. She looked extremely flirty, and her gaze was in a daze. Abelin entered the apartment with Holly and only left
"Yes, sir."Tobin was about to do as he said when Bryce added, "Easton and Weston are missing. Get a couple more bodyguards to keep watch over Holly. Get some reliable ones.""On it, sir."After he left, Bryce rubbed his aching temples.The anger was making his head ache.The concussion was also making him feel nauseous. He wanted to puke.He held his chest, suppressing the disgust.There was a sharp pain in his heart.The pain in his arm didn't compare to the pain he was feeling in his chest.Never in his dreams would he imagine that Holly would fall into Abelin's embrace while Bryce was unconscious.On top of that, Abelin was walking around casually in her apartment, half-naked.Bryce felt betrayed and humiliated.His rationale had jumped out of the window.Tobin walked out of the room and got two bodyguards to protect Holly.After that, he called Abelin and said politely, "Are you available to talk, Mr. Gabelman?"Abelin stood straight in the night, watching the woman
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