The auctioneer looked toward her board and yelled, "Bidder 88, 11 million dollars. Going once. Going twice. Is there anyone else who would like to place another bid?"At that moment, a coy voice came from the corner, "I'll pay 12 million dollars for it."Holly turned around and saw a familiar young face. The person was wearing branded clothes and had delicate makeup on. Various pieces of jewelry adorned her slender neck and ears, all shining brilliantly. It was Samantha.Holly wasn't too surprised to find her there. After all, a wealthy woman like her would be at events like this regularly. Holly turned back to the stage and raised her board again, calmly calling out, "20 million dollars."Samantha wanted to raise her board again to call out her new price. Just as she was about to do it, she heard Holly's new bid and chose to pull her hand back again. She felt pressured enough when she bid the necklace for 12 million dollars, calling out that price through gritted teeth.Aft
If Samantha asked her parents for it, she would definitely be lectured badly. She thought hard about it and took out her phone. Then, she sent Levi a message. "Levi, can you lend me 40 million dollars?"She waited for a long time, but he didn't reply to her at all. She gave up hope, and the auction continued.In the end, Holly spent five million dollars and bought a pearl necklace. The golden pearls were pretty, and each of them was almost a perfect sphere. They glowed faintly under the light, and she was certain Priscilla would love it.When the auction was over, Holly grabbed Bryce's check to make the payment and sign the agreement. When she came out, she saw Samantha hiding in the corner and making calls to borrow money. Samantha didn't notice Holly approaching her since she had her back facing the latter.Holly silently stood behind her and heard what she was saying on the phone. Samantha cried, "Levi, you're my fiancé, and we're getting married. What's wrong with me borr
With that, Bryce took Holly's hand and left. They got out of the building and into their car. The street lights by the road lit up the dark night.Even after they had been on the road for a while, Holly still felt down. Her head was lowered slightly, and she didn't say a word. Her long eyelashes looked like a pair of lifeless butterflies.Bryce held her in his embrace and gently caressed her cheeks. Then, he comforted her in a gentle tone, "None of what Samantha said was true. You don't have to take it to heart."She stayed silent. Yoel had been keeping mum about her biological mother. He would always act mysterious and avoid the topic, like it wasn't something to be proud of. Holly figured what Samantha had said might be true, after all. She didn't expect she would be an illegitimate child at all.When they were about to reach their house, her phone suddenly rang. It was Yoel. After answering the call, Holly tiredly greeted, "Hey, Dad." Then, she said nothing else. She was
Arthur said confidently, "A successful businessman should know how to make use of every opportunity."Bryce said calmly with disdain, "You pushed me to be with Samantha because of the Cott family's construction company. Then, you forced me to be with Penelope because of her family's land."Now, you have your gaze set on the Larsens' renewable energy and biotechnology, telling me that you want to dive into that industry. Mr. Gabelman Senior, is your son a tool for you to get benefits?"Arthur grabbed his cup and leisurely drank his coffee. After putting down the cup, he said calmly, "My marriage was built on benefits, so yours isn't any different. "I've provided you and Levi with the best life and education ever since you were young. Shouldn't you repay me a little?"Bryce smiled coldly. "I think I've repaid you enough by working for the company."Arthur tapped his fingers on the table. "I'm doing this for Holly as well. I'm helping her see how valuable she is to Yoel. If he won'
The breeze was cold, and the waves crashed into the beach nonstop. It was Holly's first time learning how to surf. So, she did it near the shore to ensure her safety. She wore a black, modest swimming suit that wrapped her slim figure tightly, looking graceful.She had already learned the basics from Bryce and her cousins. After failing several times, she finally managed to stand on the surfboard. When the first wave came, she quickly got on the board and started pedaling. Then, the waves pushed the board forward steadily.It was an experience that words couldn't describe. The waves under her feet pushed her forward with great speed, and it felt like she was flying.The refreshing force and speed spread from her legs to her brain. The sky, ocean, and wind surrounded her. The fresh air and bright sun made her feel like she was controlling the waves. She was basically going with the flow.Bryce and her three dashing cousins were all experts at surfing. However, they didn't go to
Bryce turned his head away. "I don't like prawns. You should have it."Holly smiled and ate the prawn. It was soft and fresh. The prawn also tasted a little sweet and was extremely delicious.Yoel smiled slightly and was really satisfied with their interactions. Arthur was incredibly satisfied as well.The three young men of the Larsen family had great characters and weren't sly. They were also loyal and not ambitious at all.Arthur figured he wouldn't have to worry about them snatching his company away after he let Bryce inherit it. If anything happened to the Gabelman family, they would provide assistance as well.When Juno was done cracking the oyster open, he dipped it in some sauce and brought it to Holly's mouth. Holly felt slightly shy and hesitated for a moment before grabbing it by hand. "Thank you, Juno."He smiled and said, "We're all family here, so there's no need to thank me. Do you know the meaning behind our names?""No. What do they mean?"As he continued pee
"Abel, why don't you reunite with your father?"Abelin kept quiet. After a long while, he said depressingly, "He's dead. Even if he's still alive, he's dead to me."Holly stopped talking. Not every father was as great as Yoel.Suddenly, she felt a pair of slender hands grasping her wrist and smelled a familiar scent. Holly turned her head and saw Bryce's handsome face. She smiled. "Why are you out here?""It's windy out here, so I'm here to bring you a coat." He covered her snuggly with a coat, and it helped keep her off the wind.Abelin heard their conversation over the phone and said to Holly, "There's nothing wrong here. I was just calling to check up on you. I won't disturb you further."She was stunned for a moment. "Alright. Goodbye, Abel."He answered with a hum, "Take care." It was a simple reply, but it showed how much he missed her. They were in different countries, but his heart was with her at all times. He couldn't forget her, even if he wanted to.Holly then r
Needless to say, it was Arthur who brought those people. Holly and Bryce went downstairs after they changed into fresh clothes together. They could see a line of luxurious cars outside through the huge gate. From what they could observe, there were at least a dozen of them.A group of strong bodyguards were carrying the gifts out of the trunks. Then, they moved the gifts one after another into the yard. There were accessories, like pieces of jewelry, rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and more. There were also delicious treats, wine, shoes, and clothes.As promised, Arthur didn't leave anything out at all. Just the accessories alone were enough to make a small hill.There were at least ten pairs of bracelets, ten golden necklaces, and many golden accessories that shone so brightly that they could blind a person. Of course, they were branded and expensive as well. Arthur clearly spent a lot of time and energy on this.Other than that, he was also giving them a villa that was
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