Samantha was lying on the gurney. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her face was pale. She was no longer wearing a hard hat. With her hair in the way, it was hard to tell how bad her injury was.When Abraham saw her, he dropped everything and ran up to her. Grabbing her hand, he shouted, "Samantha! Samantha!""Please get out of the way," the nurse said while she pushed the gurney toward the emergency room.Abraham quickly ran after them.It would take ten minutes before the CT scan results of Samantha's head came out. Bryce stayed put to wait for the results. After all, he was partly involved in the accident as well.Staring in the direction where Samantha had been taken, Arthur snapped reproachfully, "Look at how much Samantha cares about you. She risked her life to save you. If she hadn't pushed you away, you would've been the one lying on the gurney instead.""I didn't ask her to do it," Bryce responded coolly.Furious, Arthur looked up and bellowed, "What did you just say? You
All of Nina's drowsiness dissipated at once. "What did you say? What's wrong with Bryce? Why did he get involved with that fake bitch again?""This was an unexpected situation," Holly replied."Don't stand up for him. He deserves a good beating! I'll give you Moses' number right away," Nina said."Okay."After taking down Moses' number, Holly immediately made the call. Moses answered within after the first ring."I apologize for calling you so late, Mr. Cott," Holly said politely.Moses was similarly polite as he replied, "It's fine. What's the matter?""I just wanted to ask if Bryce was with you.""He is," Moses confirmed apologetically. "Please give me a moment. I'll pass the phone to him.""Thank you," Holly said.Soon, she heard Bryce's voice coming through the phone, "My phone turned off after it ran out of battery. Why aren't you asleep?""You weren't home yet, so I got worried," Holly said, clutching her phone tightly.After a pause, Bryce said, "Samantha's still u
Bryce's gaze turned a shade darker as he asked, "Samantha has woken up?"Reminded of what Samantha had said earlier, Moses grew furious again. "She woke up ages ago, and she seems perfectly capable of thinking and talking normally—not at all like someone who had been unconscious the entire night."Bryce knew there was more to what Moses had said. "What happened?"Moses didn't tell Bryce everything. He simply said, "Have your people look into the worker who threw the metal bucket down at the construction site yesterday. What you find might come in handy in the future."Naturally, Bryce instantly noticed that Moses said the bucket had been thrown. After recalling Abraham's and Quirina's reactions yesterday, he figured out the situation."Thanks," Bryce said to Moses before walking off.After getting into his car, he called Tobin and instructed, "Investigate the worker who threw the metal bucket at the construction site yesterday. And do it yourself. Make sure you keep things under
Holly marveled at Bryce's growing expertise in this area.Initially, she was fairly pissed that he spent the night away from home. Yet, with just a few sentences, he managed to dissolve half of her anger.He had so much power over her, but she figured that was what happened when one was in love.When it came to relationships, the person who loved most was the loser. She felt that even if he stood still and did nothing, Bryce would still be able to win her over.With every kiss he planted on her, she forgot about all the sadness and anger she felt.…Three days later, Olivia called to ask Holly and Bryce to head over to Gabelman Manor for dinner on Saturday.Holly hadn't seen Olivia since Winona's funeral, so she had been missing her. She agreed to Olivia's invitation right away.Holly even asked the driver to take her over to Gabelman Manor before the sun had even started to set.The mood she was in right now as she headed over to Gabelman Manor was completely different than t
Samantha felt a little embarrassed. She was too uneasy after hearing that word.She was afraid that Bryce was calling the worker over to make a jab at her.Her chair felt like it was made of a thousand thorns. She could hardly sit still.However, her panic only lasted for a short while. She calmed down quickly.That worker was one of her father's men. He was bribed into silence. He wouldn't dare to turn against them.Only a handful of people knew the full story. There was no way that Bryce knew.This phone call was probably just a coincidence. It had to be.Samantha calmed herself down with her own thoughts. Everything was going to be alright. She was just overthinking things.Bryce gave Tobin a few instructions, then hung up. He put the phone on the table.Arthur looked at him perplexedly. "Why are you suddenly telling some random worker to come to the mansion?"Bryce was nonchalant. He put a couple of shrimps onto Holly's place and said calmly, "You'll know soon enough."T
"That was her mother. She forced her to break up with Bryce and got someone to send her out of the country. Samantha was supervised every hour of the day. Those were done out of Samantha's will," Arthur said.Olivia snorted coldly. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I don't believe for one second that a grown-ass adult could be supervised like that. Just ask her if she'd still cling to Bryce if he were still in that wheelchair. She wouldn't!"Samantha looked up at Olivia with tears in her eyes. "I wouldn't. I love him, Granny. I love him more than my own life."Olivia pursed her lips. "Don't you dare try this with me. I won't fall for it."Arthur forced his anger down and said, "You're being fucking stubborn, Mom.""And you're fucking delusional," Olivia said icily.Holly glanced at Bryce thoughtfully.At this point, overthinking was natural.Samantha's words had been very cheesy, what with claiming to love him more than her own life.Bryce was a married man. How could
Samantha couldn't believe her eyes. She rubbed them hard.Her eyes hadn't been playing tricks on her. It was the worker who had thrown the metal bucket down the scaffolding.Abraham had bribed him so that Samantha could use the chance to win over Bryce's heart.But now, the worker was here in Gabelman Manor.It was all over now.There was all but one thought in Samantha's head. She'd been exposed.Although it was spring, and the air was warming up, Samantha felt like she'd fallen into a giant pool of ice. She shivered from head to toe.She wished she could choke the worker. That way, she would eradicate the evidence.She regretted being so cocky and careless. They should have been more careful in covering up their tracks. They had missed the perfect opportunity to do that.Bryce glanced at Samantha coldly. "Is there something you'd like to say for yourself, Samantha?"Samantha froze. She sat there, dumb as a rock, unable to utter a word.Arthur looked at her, then at Bryce.
Samantha already had delicate features. When she cried, she was the picture of pity. It was a great tool of deceit.Arthur's expression relaxed a little.Samantha noticed it, and she secretly sighed in relief.She tugged at Arthur's sleeve and pleaded, "Uncle Arthur, forgive her. She just wanted the best for me. And I had gotten hurt for real."When I saw the metal bucket headed toward Bryce, I pushed him out of the way without a second thought. I love Bryce so much that I risked my life for him."Bryce was grossed out. He raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm a married man, Samantha. Please watch your words."Samantha's expression froze.Olivia was all smiles when she looked at Arthur. "Is there anything you'd like to say, Mr. CEO?" she said, her tone full of glee.Arthur snorted coldly. He pushed his chair out sharply, stood up, and left.When he walked past the worker, he paused in his footsteps.He seized him up coldly. Then, he ordered his assistant, "Fire him. Blacklist him!
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