The hole was pretty deep. It was about 15 feet deep.When Holly fell, she lost her footing and crumpled to the ground.She landed on her back and her ankle. A sharp pain shot through her neck. It hurt so badly that she teared up.It took her a long time to recover. There was a sharp pain on her face, too. One of the branches had broken and cut her across the face.She touched her face, drawing blood.She was dismayed that her face was going to get disfigured.Holly held back the pain and picked up one of the branches off the ground. She yelled at Lucas, "If you dare to come down, I'll stab you with this branch!"Lucas yelled back, "Don't be an idiot! If I get that treasure, I won't ask you for money anymore! It's also for your own benefit!"Holly knew Lucas was shameless. She just didn't know it was that bad.He was comparable to Quirina and Samantha.She yelled back, "They're coming. It's illegal for you to even touch these things!""To hell with the law! I'm your father, b
Charles hurriedly got his people to bring the pain relief spray.Holly took it and sprayed it all over her ankle.Charles wanted to stay back to dig up the treasure.He instructed his helicopter pilot to bring Holly and her men to Jardington Hospital so that she could get treated.Lucas and his men were all tied up and brought to a nearby police station to be dealt with.By the time Holly reached the hospital and went through all the necessary procedures, it was already 10:00 pm.She lay in bed with an IV drip attached to her arm. Bryce called her and asked, "Why aren't you home yet?"Holly didn't dare to tell him the truth. "I'm on a business trip. I'll only be back after a few days.""Where did you go?""Mt. Dragonspine.""Send me your location."Holly felt like her head was about to explode.Why was he so hard to deal with?She thought of getting Charles to send her his location to keep up the pretense, but there was no signal up the mountain.Holly had no choice but t
Bryce emphasized the words "my woman".It was for both Lucas and Abelin to hear.Abelin's expression was unreadable.Meanwhile, Lucas' face was distorted in pain. He roared, "Let me go! I won't do it again. I didn't mean to do it."Bryce found his voice irritating. He waved his hand and ordered his bodyguards, "Get him out!"The bodyguards stepped up hurriedly and dragged Lucas out.Bryce cast a sideways glance at Abelin and sat by the bed. He held up Holly's chin and observed her wound. His eyes were full of pain. "Why did you go so far? What if it leaves a scar?"Holly turned away slightly, wanting to avoid his hand.Abelin was standing there. Holly was uncomfortable being intimate with someone in the room.Bryce tightened his grip on her chin slightly, not letting her move away. He grazed the cut gently. "It's so close to your eyes. Are you sure that's your dad?"Holly held his wrist, wanting to move his hand away from her face. "I'm fine. It'll heal in a few days."Bryce
Abelin reached out to push Bryce's hand away. He then turned around and left without a word.As he walked past a trash can, he tossed the untouched cigarette into it.Bryce's lips curled into a mocking smile as he watched Abelin's retreating back.…Once Bryce returned to the ward, Holly asked, "What did the both of you talk about? Why did you take so long to come back?"He unbuckled the cuffs of his shirt and took off his watch, tossing it onto the bedside table. He then replied casually, "Just this and that."Upon seeing his reluctance to answer, Holly passed her phone to him. "I just received a text stating that a billion dollars has been deposited into my account. Were you the one who did it?"Bryce eyed the text and replied, "Yes."Holly was amused. "What are you trying to do?"Bryce said, "I'm letting you know that your man is also rich. You don't have to take someone else's money."Holly was momentarily surprised. "Did you get someone to check my bank statement?"Bryc
Abelin remained silent for the longest time. His fists were clenched tightly, and even his veins popped up. The veins on his forehead were evidently pulsating.Merope asked hoarsely, "Why aren't you saying anything?"Anger welled up within Abelin. His gaze turned dark, and he was unable to utter even a single word. Hatred surged within him uncontrollably.Merope sighed softly. "After that fire, Arthur bribed everyone in the village in order to conceal Sherry's crime. He got everyone to deny the existence of Abel Larson, no matter who came to ask. Your life is worthless in the eyes of that couple."Abelin continued to remain silent.Merope clutched her chest with a frown. She gritted, "That monster Arthur ruined me, and Sherry ruined you! Yet, you treated their son so well. I didn't think you would repay our grievance with kindness!"She burst out laughing in a self-deprecating manner, even her tears streamed out.Abelin finally spoke, "It was Holly I'm treating well, not Bryce."
Abelin's luck was better that night.It was around 11:00 pm when he saw Sherry walking out of the bridal boutique. She was dressed in a sleek black dress and black high heels, looking elegant in her delicate makeup.Abelin studied her face and her minute expressions through the binoculars. Despite hating her guts, he had to admit that Sherry was an elegant and composed woman.Her eyes were similar to Merope's, with deep double eyelids and long eyelashes. Though her large eyes looked tired, they didn't lack confidence.Sherry boarded the BMW parked at the entrance. Abelin then started his car and slowly trailed behind.Trailing people was his forte. It wasn't hard for him to quietly dispose of someone, either, so long as he had enough time.The fire that happened 13 years ago almost killed him. Up until today, he would still have nightmares about it. He would never forget the searing pain of flames licking his skin.…Abelin followed Sherry for three consecutive days. He f
Holly managed to only react after a good while."What did you just say? Can you repeat it again?" It was such a surprise that she wondered if she was actually hallucinating.After all, Abel had passed away 13 years ago. She had personally attended his funeral and would visit his grave every festive season.It was impossible for the dead to come back. It was truly baffling how an "Abel Larsen" would suddenly emerge out of nowhere now.Abel coughed once before repeating, "I am Abel Larsen, Holls. There's no mistaking it."Holly heard it loud and clear this time, but she felt as if she had just listened to the world's funniest joke.She laughed and said, "It's impossible. No way! You're not Abel Larsen. Abel is… Don't impersonate Abel!"Her eyes started to water as she laughed.Abelin replied, "I really am Abel. Where are you now? Are you in the hospital? We should meet up and talk."Holly said, "I've been discharged. I'm now at Winds Residence.""I'll go to you now. See you in
After sending Annie away, Holly also dismissed Leitia and Cooper for the night. She then called Bryce, confirming that he wouldn't be coming over tonight. Only then was she at ease.It wasn't that she had anything to hide. She was just worried that Bryce might get jealous and suspicious. She would have to coax him then.Coaxing him wasn't a big deal, actually. But she simply didn't want to upset Bryce.…The sky turned completely dark half an hour later, leaving only the streetlamps to illuminate the area. Somehow, the light that usually seemed ordinary now felt as gentle as the moonlight.Abelin pressed the bell. Holly limped over with her swollen ankle to open the door.She walked past the courtyard and opened up the gates. She then looked up at Abelin's face, sweeping her gaze from his eyebrows to his eyes and down to the slope of his nose.She couldn't contain her excitement as she asked, "Are you really Abel?"Abelin's gaze softened as he smiled and replied, "Yes, I'm Ab
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