Even at such a moment, Hades still refused to give Alanna even the slightest bit of hope. He would not have the child. His stance on the matter had never changed since the very beginning. His simple and resolute answer was like a sharp blade that sliced through all her hopes.Alanna's tight hold on Hades' hand gradually loosened."I'm sorry," she mumbled.Nobody knew who she was apologizing to. It could be to Hades, or it could be to the child she carried in her womb. Or perhaps… she was apologizing to herself."I'm sorry…"As she closed her eyes, a single teardrop fell silently from the corner of her eye. She could no longer discern if the pain in her body or the pain in her heart hurt more. She only felt a coldness seeping through her entire body. However, she also felt a warm gush in a certain lower region of her body.Alanna's lips were drained of color. It felt like something was slipping away from her.Hades gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand. On his othe
"She knew from the very start that I never wanted a child. She never should have hidden it from me." Hades turned and left after saying that.Yves followed closely behind him."Hades, what are you even thinking? Alanna has been by your side for the past three years. Do you really not have even slight feelings for her? "And if you really don't, why are you forcing her to stay with you? Wouldn't it be better to set her free? That way, you'd be able to be with Melanie too!"Hades halted in his steps. He narrowed his eyes at Yves."Yves, don't go around thinking that you can probe into my personal matters just because you're my brother!"Yves' breathing hitched. "Hades, I didn't mean to. I just—forget it, to tell you the truth, I've already accepted her as my sister-in-law. At least, I feel that she's much better than Melanie."As Hades glanced at Yves, the corners of his lips moved. But in the end, he chose to say nothing.… When Chelsey hurried over, she found Hades standing o
The sobs from the ward carried on for a long time. Hades stood by the door the whole time, his posture never once changing.After some time, the crying finally stopped. It was only then that he lowered his gaze to look at the cigarette in his hand. He raised his hand to chuck the crushed cigarette into a trash can. Then, he pulled out a new one and walked over to the designated smoking area.When Chelsey came over after she was done with work, Alanna was alone in the ward, lying on the hospital bed. There were still tears in her eyes. Chelsea forced a smile."Actually, it's quite a good thing that you lost the child. Otherwise… Not only will you have to take care of your mother, but you'll also have to care for a child. That'd be too hard on you."It took Alanna all the strength she had in her to hold back the tears. She could only nod."Yeah, I know."How could she possibly not know her own situation? Perhaps it really was a good thing that she'd miscarried, or the child would
Hades helped Alanna sit up before he passed her the bowl of broth. But perhaps it was due to how weak she was, she lost her grip on the bowl.Hades reacted immediately and caught the bowl before it slipped out of her hands. He looked at her with slight exasperation."You can't even hold a bowl now?" Then, he raised a brow. "Shall I feed you?""No need. I can do it myself."Alanna reached out for the bowl but Hades did not let her have it. He sat by the bedside and stared at her. His gaze was so complex that Alanna couldn't read his thoughts, so she averted her gaze."It was my choice to keep the child. Now that I've lost it, I have no one to blame but myself. You do not have to feel like you owe me anything."Hades set the bowl aside and wiped his hands. With a grim expression, he tossed the tissue into a trash can before he looked up at her."Alanna, we have always had a fair agreement between us. I do not feel like I owe you anything. You, on the other hand, have kept your pre
Hades did not take her words seriously."Alanna, you should know that you do not have the right to terminate the agreement. I can close an eye to your action of hiding the pregnancy from me, but don't you dare use the miscarriage as an excuse to run away from me," he drawled unhurriedly, his words devoid of any emotions whatsoever.Alanna scoffed bitterly. It was true that she had no rights. The agreement that they signed had never been fair to her from the get-go. When it came to him, she never had any right to anything at all. She had no right to throw a tantrum, she had no right to act up, and now, she didn't even have the right to bring up the topic of going separate ways!"Are you feeling very wronged now?" Hades asked."No." Alanna scoffed lightly.There was no outburst of emotions from her end, but whoever heard her would surely detect a stifling sense of misery from her tone.That instantly fueled a rage within Hades, and he swiftly turned her over so that Alanna was fa
Late at night, a car pulled out of the hospital and then arrived outside an abandoned factory in the suburbs.When Hades kicked open the door of a workshop, he immediately heard a furious voice from inside."That wretch! She harmed my daughter, and now, wants to harm me too? You corrupted cops, I want her dead! I'll kill her when I get out!"Hades flexed his stiff wrists, picked up a wooden stick from the ground, and weighed it in his hand.Before anyone could react, he swung the stick at the man's leg. The sound of bones shattering echoed through the dilapidated workshop along with a scream.Throwing away the stick, Hades took out a cigarette and lit it."Who gave you the order?"The man was pale from the pain. He looked at Hades with fear in his eyes, yelling, "She was the one who hurt my daughter! I only pushed her a little. What's so wrong with that?"Jack, who was standing nearby, sweated profusely. If things got out of hand, it would be tricky for him to clean up the mess
Hades carried her out of the ward.In the hospital's corridor, onlookers threw them curious glances, making Alanna feel uneasy."I can walk," she said.Hades looked down at her. "Are you sure?""Yes."While Hades glanced at her once more, he showed no intention of putting her down.The elevator doors opened, and just as they were about to enter, Hades paused.Alanna turned to look, seeing Melanie and Terrence in the elevator. Surprisingly, Melanie also had a bandage on her arm.Instantly, Hades frowned. "What happened to you?"Melanie looked away, mumbling, "It's nothing."With a scoff, Terrence spoke up, "Hades, why didn't you answer Melanie's phone call last night? She got injured, and I'm the one who brought her to the hospital."Hades stared at the bandage on Melanie's arm. "How did you get injured?"Melanie's eyes turned red-rimmed. "Are you worried?"Hades let out a chuckle and said curtly, "If you don't want to answer, I won't ask.""Why are you acting like that?"
Standing at the side, Melanie started to tear up. "Terrence, stop it. I did this just to appease Ms. Jacinto's anger. I never thought about making anyone bear the consequences."Terrence furrowed his brow instantly. "You're being too kind."Melanie turned to look at Hades, saying, "As long as Ms. Jacinto stops being angry, anything is fine with me."Hades' gaze was dark, and his face remained extremely grim. His eyes fell on Alanna.Alanna, however, showed no signs of compromise. "Since Ms. Smith is so eager to apologize to me, then go ahead and be my guest."Her words stunned both Melanie and Terrence.The latter bit out, "What do you mean?"Leveling his gaze, Alanna answered matter-of-factly, "Mr. Abbott, you said I refused to forgive Ms. Smith. Now, I'm giving her a chance to apologize. I'll accept it if she does. Also…"She looked toward Melanie and continued, "Didn't you say that as long as I stopped being angry, anything was fine with you? In that case, apologize to me, a
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