Arthur chuckled coldly and asked, "Am I just that despicable to you? Would I publicly embarrass a young woman like that?"Bryce had a mocking smile on his face. "Isn't that what you always do?"Arthur's face darkened. "Believe it or not, I'm not the one behind what happened today!""It'd better not be you." Bryce opened the door and got out of the car. He stood smoking by the roadside as he waited for Holly.He looked handsome and elegant, and even the way he smoked was uniquely charming. He often caught the attention of passersby.Holly came over after a short while. Bryce watched her before extinguishing his cigarette and patting her shoulders. "Are you alright?"She smiled and replied, "I'm fine. My mental game is quite strong. Whether they are praise or criticism, they're all fleeting. Nothing can hurt me if I don't put my heart to it."Bryce said, "I've called my lawyer to hold the TV station accountable for their shows. The show Lucas was on has been taken off air, and w
Lucas stared at Priscilla before asking, "Why are you here?"Priscilla sneered before grabbing his collar and pushing him against the wall. "Don't you know what you did, you old fox? Are you even related to Holls? I don't think so."Yet you dared to complain that she refused to support you on TV! Why should she support you? Who do you think you are?"Lucas chuckled sinisterly and said, "It's because she's your daughter, and I'm your ex-husband."Priscilla's expression hardened. "I've never seen such a shameless person like you!"Lucas replied, "What can I do? Both of you were living the dream life with big houses and luxury cars, yet I'm saddled with debt while renting a place. It's unfair to me! If you're feasting, the least you could do is toss me a bone, right?"Priscilla was filled with anger. "Have some shame! Don't you know how much money you've extorted from me all these years?"Lucas said, "You're only giving me tens of thousands of dollars each time, and at most 80 or 1
Holly's heart was beating rapidly. She was worried for Priscilla's safety. She suppressed her anxiety and said, "Get my mom on the phone. I want to hear her!"Lucas was at a loss for words and started panicking. After all, Priscilla was hidden in the underground secret chamber. She also couldn't speak since she was still unconscious.This was his first time kidnapping someone. It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.Holly started suspecting him when he remained silent. "Are you lying to me?"Lucas gritted his teeth and said, "Just wait. I'll take some photos for you."Holly's tone hardened as she said, "Photos can be forged. Let's do a video call instead. I need to be cautious since the money you're asking for is substantial."Lucas hesitated before agreeing, "Alright."He asked Chanse to keep watch outside before bringing his phone to the underground secret chamber. He then started a video call with Holly.There was a musty smell in the underground secret chamber. It was da
Bryce calmly said, "Lucas is all bite and no bark. He's also the type to kiss up and kick down. You'll only play into his cards if you really go on your own. There's strength in numbers, so just do as I say."Holly was too worried about Priscilla's safety. She couldn't calm down and think properly. As such, she could only listen to Bryce.Once they had prepared a box of cash and a few lockboxes, they got into the car and headed straight to the outskirts.Bryce called Kolby on their way over. Holly shuddered as soon as she heard him utter the words "Detective Briant".She covered his phone and shook her head. "Lucas said not to call the police. He said he'd kill her if we did."Bryce replied softly, "We're not calling the police. I'm just asking Kolby for a police dog. I'll get him to come in plain clothes, and he won't be taking the police car."Lucas wouldn't take the risks as long as we didn't agitate him. Don't worry. He only wanted the money, he wouldn't kill someone for re
Kolby was the one holding the gun.As the captain of the criminal investigation team, not only was he skilled in solving cases, but he was also proficient in tracking. Someone like Lucas, who was an unprofessional abductor, wouldn't be able to notice an expert's ambush.There was a tracker installed in Holly's car. Kolby would be able to track her down, no matter where Lucas made her drive to.While they were transacting, Kolby hid behind an old building of the abandoned factory to take photos for evidence.Kolby took out his handcuffs and deftly cuffed Lucas' wrists. He gave Lucas' knees a kick and commanded, "Get up!"Lucas hurriedly got up from the ground with trembling knees. He glared at Holly and said, "You lied to me. You said you wouldn't call the police!"Holly didn't respond to him. She only took up her phone to call Bryce. "Did they find my mom?"Bryce's voice sounded from the phone when he said, "We found her. There's a secret chamber in the auxiliary building. The p
Kolby instructed, "Bring the money back for investigation. Send more men out to arrest Chanse.""Got it, Detective Briant."After that, Holly and Bryce accompanied Priscilla to the police station to give her statement.It was two hours later by the time she was done giving her statement. The sky had darkened considerably, so they sent Priscilla back to her place.After dinner, Holly asked, "What kind of secret are the both of you hiding from me, Mom?""I—" Priscilla, who was usually quick with her words, seemed hesitant and unsure of what to say.Holly grabbed her hands. "I'm not a child anymore. Actually, I could probably figure it out even if you don't tell me. Lucas isn't really my father, is he? A real father would still have some sort of parental love, even if he's got bad character. "But him? He has none at all, not even a single shred of it."Priscilla could only admit to it when she could no longer hide it. "You're right. That bastard isn't your biological father."Ho
Bryce only let Holly down after that.At that moment, someone walked past them again and cast them a curious glance. The way he was carrying her was just too extraordinary. At the same time, they were also good-looking.It looked regular when an ordinary person carried someone. But it was just like a scene from a romantic drama when good-looking people were doing it—sweet and romantic.Holly's cheeks burned as she hid behind Bryce's back, yet she was beyond happy deep down.It was a strange feeling—fresh and moving. She was brimming with affection, feeling electrified.Bryce took her hand and said, "I'll compensate for what you've lost moving forward."Holly gently pinched his slender fingers. "I feel like you're taking advantage of me."Bryce smiled slightly and said, "A father's love is like a steadfast mountain, but a husband's love can be just as unwavering. Love in this world, for the most part, tends to be universal."Holly felt a rush of warmth welling up in her chest, a
Holly was even more surprised and said, "Mom told me that I was a test tube baby, and my father is unknown. How would we be able to find my biological father by just collecting DNA in the police station?"Bryce held on to her hand and walked into the police station. His tone sounded solemn when he said, "Don't worry about it that much. Just follow me."They arrived at the laboratory responsible for DNA sampling at the criminal investigation department. Holly showed her ID card to the staff and applied for DNA database testing. The police extracted her blood and collected her blood sample. They then conducted the DNA test and entered the corresponding data. All these were done for free.While filling up the form, Holly could clearly see that they were entering the national DNA database for abducted children.The police sent Holly back to wait for the results after they were done. They would notify her by phone if there was a match in the DNA database.Holly was still confused whe
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