Alanna met his gaze with a hint of sarcasm."Tucker, if you have anything to say, just say it. Don't say such things to disgust me."Tucker's expression immediately faltered slightly."Alanna, no matter what, I'm still your father!""Don't disgrace that term. You're a sperm donor at best!""Alanna!" Although Tucker had not grown the business to another level, most people in the business industry did not dare to disrespect him due to Melanie's relationship with Hades.But Alanna continued to hurt his pride by disrespecting him repeatedly. It was a hard pill for him to swallow. But he also understood that he could not continue to fight Alanna.He suppressed his anger and tried his best to look kind and caring. "I heard that there are signs of your mother waking up."Alanna immediately tensed at the mention of Tara. She looked at Tucker vigilantly."Tucker, my mother has nothing to do with you anymore!"Tucker laughed. "Alanna, I am your father. You don't have to be so wary of
The hand clasping Alanna's wrist was still burning up.Naturally, Alanna noticed that Hades' complexion was way worse than before."Alanna, I haven't eaten for one full day!"Alanna paused momentarily before replying, "Mr. Florentine, if you wish to dine right now, there are plenty of people who wish to keep you company."Once she was done speaking, she freed her wrist from Hades' grasp before dialing a number. "Mr. Murcer, let's switch restaurants. Alright, I'll head over there to meet up with you right now."She spoke on the phone while walking toward the exit.Hades followed her with a thunderous expression."Alanna, I'm a patient. Why don't you care about me?"Alanna paused in her tracks. "You're the one who doesn't care about your own health. Why are you expecting me to care about you?"Once she was done speaking, she left the restaurant without sparing Hades another glance.Hades remained rooted to the spot. He couldn't put a finger on what he was feeling at the moment.
"Yup. I don't care about him at all."Jeff reassured in a low tone, "Don't worry. I'll get the justice you deserve in two days."Alanna smiled while humming in appreciation. "Alright. Thank you so much, Mr. Simmons."Melanie's trial, in which she was sued for defamation and intentional injury, was officially held on February 18th.At first, Jeff intended to proceed with the trial on the down low. Melanie was a celebrity, after all. The impact she'd make on the news would be alarmingly big if the tabloids caught wind of this trial.Even though Alanna was the victim, her reputation would definitely be ruined once keywords such as "miscarriage" and "sugar baby" were to be brought up on the news.However, Alanna insisted on making the trial public. Her goal was to ruin Melanie's reputation once and for all.It was just that she didn't attend the trial because of Jeff's insistence.Although Alanna wasn't present at the trial, she sat in the lounge and watched the entire trial play
Hades stood at the doorway with pain and distress in his eyes.He couldn't answer that question at all.Even though he wanted to deny that possibility very badly, he knew very well that he would never have listened to what Alanna said to him back then, even if she had told him what happened.Hades kept picking his brain to find out when exactly the incident happened.A while later, he vaguely recalled Melanie seeking him out with a clear handprint on her cheek. She had told him that Alanna had struck her that day.How did he respond to the situation again?Right, he had demanded Alanna to apologize to Melanie.Hades clenched his fists tightly as a result."Had you informed me what happened back then…"Before Alanna could say anything, Chelsey had already interjected harshly from the side, "Okay, so you wanted her to inform you, right? What would happen after that? You'd just warn Ally to stay away from Melanie, wouldn't you?"Hades Florentine, have you ever thought about how
What a familiar sight.Back when Garrett had pushed Tara toward the car, his lawyer also produced a similar mental illness report just as the segment was about to end.Of course, Chelsey knew of the outcome of the case.She shrieked, "What the fuck? Isn't this the same thing that Garrett did in the past? Fuck! Are all underhanded fuckers taking the same way out?"Meanwhile, all the reporters were brimming with excitement when they saw Melanie's mental illness report.Was Melanie diagnosed with a mental illness?Today's court case was definitely an exciting one.However, Alanna didn't react to the mental illness report in the lounge. She pursed her lips tightly while fixing her gaze on the monitor firmly.Her mind had descended into chaos at that moment.Wasn't this too big of a coincidence?On the other hand, Hades' expression darkened as well when he saw the report.Chelsey was starting to panic. "What should we do? Don't tell me Melanie will be acquitted just like Garrett!
A fan's sign smashed against Hades' back heavily at that moment.Shocked, Alanna gasped out, "Hades!"Only when her voice fell did she realize she had lost control of herself.Meanwhile, Hades just frowned upon feeling the impact. He turned to glare at the fan coldly afterward.The fan turned pale immediately because of Hades' glare."M-Mr. Florentine, I… I just wanted to hit that bitch! She caused Melanie to suffer so much! Mr. Florentine, you have to avenge Melanie!"Hades' expression darkened even more upon hearing the fan's cries."How did you get in here?"Those who wanted to enter the courthouse needed to go through a security inspection. Things like the sign the fan was holding were definitely banned.The fan could feel her knees buckling together out of fright. She burst into tears right after she heard Hades' question."I just can't stand that bitch, okay? You and Melanie are supposed to be a couple! That bitch is just a mistress!"The more the fan spoke, the more a
Hades ditched Esther and left the courthouse right after saying his piece.The fans outside the courthouse were more or less chased out of the immediate area. Alanna stood next to her car while wearing a poker face. Chelsey happened to be saying something to her.The moment Hades joined them, Chelsey shot him a glare before leaving immediately.Of course, Hades didn't comment on that. He turned to look at Alanna and explained, "I didn't help her."Alanna didn't respond to him. She just said, "Let's go."She was about to get into her car when Hades placed a hand on the car door. "Take my car. I'll have Yves drive your car over to the hospital to prevent any of Melanie's fans from stalking you."Alanna really didn't want to be in the same car as Hades, but she had to admit that what he said made sense.A moment later, she nodded in agreement.Soon, Hades started his car. Instead of going to a hospital or a clinic, he drove back to his apartment.Having noticed the oddity in th
Hades never made a sound when he felt the sign crashing into his back. But he couldn't help but groan in pain upon feeling Alanna's fingers dig into his back."Alanna!" he growled.Then, he moved to grab her wrists before pinning her down on the couch.Right now, Hades was half-naked. Now that he had pressed himself against Alanna's body, he could feel a phantom heat scorching him from the inside.Alanna was extremely tense at the moment."Hades Florentine, if you dare move another inch, I'll sue you for attempted rape!""Ally…" Hades' voice became scratchier and deeper. "I'm a regular man. It's been a long time since I last got laid, so it's only normal for me to have a hard-on."Could it be that you'll only be happy if I don't show any signs of being horny when I'm around you?"Alanna was so pissed that her cheeks flushed heavily. "I won't give a shit even if you can't get an erection for the rest of your life!"Hades' expression crumbled immediately."Ally, you know how co
He casually picked it up and glanced at it, his eyes filled with displeasure. "Who is this pretty boy?"Alanna looked at the snow outside."Can't you tell? A handsome guy."Hades frowned. "Is he more handsome than me?"Alanna couldn't be bothered to answer him.Hades lowered his eyes and held her waist. "Ms. Jacinto, are you feeling needy?"Alanna furrowed her brows. "Hades, can you be serious?"But Hades shamelessly replied, "If you have any needs, just give me a call. I'll be at your service anytime and anywhere."Alanna glared at him. "Hades, have some dignity."Hades chuckled. "Ms. Jacinto, are you doubting my abilities?"Alanna kicked his leg without hesitation.Hades laughed. "Feeling better now?"Alanna paused before nodding slightly. "Thank you.""Silly girl. Why are you thanking me?" Alanna smiled and got back to her work. She glanced at the man on the other side, who was busy replying to emails on his phone."If you're busy, you don't have to come over here on
Alanna was surprised. She then looked up at the man before her.She had a guarded expression.The man chuckled and handed her another business card. "I'm Mason Lowe and a classmate of Grayson's. I've heard a bit about you from him. I happened to have a business meeting recently that required translation. Would you be interested in taking up the job?"Alanna remained wary."Mr. Lowe, since you're Grayson's classmate, it would be more convenient to talk to him. I have something to attend to today, so I'll take my leave."With that, she pulled Chelsey and headed out. After their figures disappeared, Mason chuckled."She's quite guarded."He muttered to himself before lighting a cigarette. Just then, his phone rang. A woman's voice came from the other end."Didn't I ask you to approach Alanna? Why haven't you made any progress after such a long time?"Mason took a drag of his cigarette."Do you think it's easy to get close to Alanna? She's always surrounded by bodyguards. I o
Chelsey didn't know how to comfort Alanna."Ally, you need to move on."Alanna nodded without saying much. There was nothing else she could do.While the doctor examined Chelsey's wound and prescribed her medication, a commotion arose outside.Michel and the dog's owner had followed them to the clinic."Chelsey!"As soon as Michel entered the clinic, he called out.Chelsey gave him a sidelong glance. "What are you doing here?"Michel chuckled. "I came to check on you after hearing you got bitten."Chelsey scoffed. "What for? I got bitten by a dog, not you."Michel clicked his tongue. "Even if we were to bite each other, you would be the one who bit me."Chelsey aimed a kick at him. But before she could reach him, someone shouted, "Michel!"Chelsey immediately retracted her foot and glared at Michel. "Get out of the way. Stop being an eyesore."Michel chuckled. "Chelsey, are you reluctant to kick me?"Without hesitation, Chelsey aimed another kick at him. This time, she hi
Justin entered the room just in time to hear Alanna's questionHe paused briefly before taking a deep breath and walking up to her."Ms. Jacinto."Alanna turned around and saw Justin coming in with a stack of forms.Her lips twitched. But before she could speak, Justin beat her to it."Ms. Jacinto, what brings you here?" His demeanor was natural, showing no signs of evasion.Alanna pursed her lips and smiled slightly. "I'm here accompanying Chelsey for her shot."With that, she glanced back at the little girl."Is this your daughter?"Justin nodded, his eyes filled with affection as he looked at the girl."Yes, she's my daughter."Alanna's fingers twitched. "May I hold her?"Almost instinctively, the nanny holding the girl took a step back.Alanna's hands froze. She said, "Sorry."Justin's brow furrowed instantly.He glanced at the nanny before explaining softly to Alanna."Aashika was born prematurely and has a very weak immune system. We always disinfect before holdin
After leaving the detention center, Alanna seemed lost in thought.Although Tucker hadn't revealed much, she couldn't shake off her suspicions about Edmund."Do you think it could be Edmund?" Hades remained silent."The key question now is, if it's Edmund, why would he harm your mother?"Alanna lowered her gaze.Hades was right. She wondered why.Since learning that Tara was being targeted, she had thought of countless possibilities. Who could be behind the threats, and why would anyone want to harm such a fragile woman?But she still had no answers.Hades felt a pang of heartache."We'll find out eventually. Don't worry, if it's him, he'll show his true colors sooner or later."Alanna looked out the window and responded in a hum.Hades looked at her and gently caressed her cheek."Ally, don't feel sad. It hurts me."Alanna brushed his hand away. "Stop touching me all the time."Hades' mouth twitched."I've already asked Margaret to make preparations for the New Year.
Alanna glanced at him and brushed off his hand.Hades' eyes twinkled with amusement."Is it okay to spend the New Year's Eve together?"Alanna turned her head and looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.It was already mid-December.The New Year was approaching.Their baby was already three months old.If nothing had gone wrong, their New Year's Eve would have been filled with joy.Alanna withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and straightened her clothes.Hades saw the glimmer of moisture in her eyes when she lowered her head.His heart ached, and he quickly hurried over to hug her."Everything will be fine."Alanna fought back her tears and nodded before pushing him away.Hades looked at her determined expression with a sense of helplessness."Let's go see Tucker. Maybe we can get some information about your mother."Alanna nodded and followed him out.After the two left, Chelsey rolled her eyes in the room."What a world! I have to see them being all lovey-dovey ri
In Northlight Group at Brunstein City, Edmund listened as his assistant reported everything to him."You mean, Olivia has been investigating Tara recently?"The assistant nodded. "Yes, and she's been very thorough."Edmund's pen snapped in his hand."Besides that, did she find out anything else?""She already found out about Tara's death."Edmund's face turned grim. "Got it."After speaking, he paused briefly. "Prepare something for me, and also, invite Mrs. Campbell to have lunch with me at the company."Olivia arrived at Northlight Group before noon.Before she could enter the office, she heard Edmund making a phone call."Mr. Florentine, I can help stabilize the stock price of Florentine Group with Northlight, but I hope you won't vent your anger on Alanna. Yes, she's important to me. You could say, even more important than Hudson."Olivia's steps abruptly halted. The smile on her face gradually disappeared.It wasn't until Edmund's secretary called out to her that Olivi
Alanna's grip on her phone tightened slightly."Hades, are you... really okay?"Hades chuckled. "I'm just trying to get some sympathy from you. Is it working?"Alanna pursed her lips and remained silent.Hades chuckled. "Go to bed early."After a pause, he added, "Also, try not to take sleeping pills.""Where are you?"Alanna suddenly asked.Hades was stunned.He glanced at the villa in the distance. "I'm taking a walk outside.""Taking a walk in the dead of winter?"Hades chuckled. "Ms. Jacinto, are you showing concern for me?"Alanna scoffed. "Go ahead and enjoy your walk."Hades quickly responded, "I'm outside handling some business. I just finished and suddenly missed you. So I wanted to call you."Alanna pursed her lips."Hades, we're partners now. From now on, don't hide anything from me."Hades' voice softened."Alright, I won't hide anything from you."Alanna didn't say much and hung up the phone directly.She silently looked at the sleeping pills on the beds
Afterward, he sneered, extinguished his cigarette, and drove away.Just as he left the residential area, a car suddenly came speeding towards him.Hades jerked the steering wheel.But the car behind him turned around and came back in his direction.Hades narrowed his eyes and stepped on the gas pedal, rushing forward.However, he didn't intend to shake off the car this time.Instead, he maintained a distance that allowed him to keep sight of the car. It was neither too close nor too far. He ensured that the car couldn't catch up with him and he wouldn't lose sight of it.The scenery outside became increasingly desolate.At some point, they were already on the outskirts.Surprisingly, Hades lit a cigarette at this moment.Then, he sent a location to Yves."Come handle the accident."Hades' car suddenly went uphill before rushing down a steep slope.The person in the car behind widened their eyes.Below the steep slope was a wall!They slammed on the brakes. But the speed