“Awake?” His voice sounded indifferent. Angeline asked weakly, “Why am I here? And oh, where’s Josie?” “She has things to do back in Imperial Capital. You should rest, you’re injured.” Jay’s words evoked Angeline’s memories of what happened at Mount Villa the other day. Cole Yorks had abducted her and Jay went to save Josephine. She ran up to him elated only to receive an earful about how she had corrupted Josephine instead of asking if she was alright. It hurt a lot. Looking around the familiar room, Angeline quickly realized that she was in Garden Of A Diary. “Why am I here?” She tilted her head in confusion. In her eyes sparked a slim shred of hope that perhaps he would show care for her. However, he replied, “Josephine made me promise to take care of you.” The glimmer in Angeline’s eyes immediately dimmed. She sighed weakly, breaking into a self-deprecating smile. Why had she gotten her hopes up at all? “Jay.” At the door stood Jay Ares’ girlfriend, holdin
Mouthful after mouthful of blood was hacked into her palm. Angeline stared at the pool of blood in her hands with questioning eyes. What was happening to her? Jay heard her heavy coughs, every sputter tightening the clench in his chest. He turned around and wheeled himself over toward her. The sight of bright red on her pale hands had his sharp pupils contracting. “Go back and lie down, Angeline Severe,” he ordered. Angeline’s eyes blurred, and Jay split into numerous replicas before her. She knew her eyes must have gone weird.She staggered forward. She tried to avoid him but somehow ended up touching his face with her outstretched hands that were groping the air in front of her. She speedily retracted her hand. “Sorry.” His pupils contracted as he took in her behavior. Jay raised his arm slowly and waved it in front of her eyes. As if fixated on something, Angeline’s eyes did not focus. Jay sat limply in the wheelchair. “People, have Miss Severe carried back to t
The doctor replied, “Genetics increases the tendency of developing the disorder.” Jay grew more concerned about Angeline’s condition. “How can I prevent it?” “You must ensure that she stays away from negative emotions as well as prevent her from paying too much attention to her eyes since that might only make the situation worse. In other words, prevent as much priming as possible.” Jay nodded. “Alright.” The maid brought in a bowl of congee for Angeline. However, she brought it out completely untouched a moment later. Her hunger strike had Jay’s concern spiking. That day, he decided to cook for her himself. He made her a bowl of chicken soup. As he entered the room with the bowl of chicken soup, Angeline turned to stare at him in shock. “They said you haven’t eaten a grain of anything ever since you woke. What are you trying to do?” While Jay’s tone was tinted with a slight ounce of reprimand, it was driven by more of exasperation than anger. “When will you send me h
Angeline glanced at Jay, confused as to what he was nervous about. Sitting across Jay, she picked up her cutleries and dug in. After the meal, she placed her cutleries back and turned to Jay with a serious expression on her face. “I can eat and sleep without anyone’s help anymore, Sir Ares. Please allow me to return home.” Jay nodded, unable to find a reason to force her to stay when she seemed to adamant about leaving him. He wanted to send her home himself, yet the words ‘I wouldn’t want to trouble Sir Ares with such trivial matters’ echoing in his mind had him abandoning the thought. In the end, he decided to have Finn send her instead. After all, Finn was the least likely to make her feel bad for Finn understood his intention. Dinner came to an end, and Finn loaded the car with numerous expensive medications and supplements as per the president’s instruction. Jay walked Angeline to the door. Words of farewell and advice that were left unsaid had clogged into lumps in h
“I can’t accept such expensive things, Finn,” Angeline claimed. When in truth, she was only rejecting the boxes because they had come from Jay Ares, a man Angeline no longer wished to have anything to do with anymore. Finn smiled. “It is the president’s wish, Miss Severe.” Angeline pulled a long face. “Even more the reason I cannot accept.” Sensing Finn’s inner turmoil, Shirley spoke for him, “Mr. Finn is just following orders, Little Angeline. Let’s not make his job any more difficult than it has to be.” Finn took the lifeline Shirley tossed over. “You know how the president is, Miss Severe. I’d surely be punished if I couldn’t follow orders. If you’re adamant on returning these gifts, Miss Severe, it would be best that you return them to the president yourself.” Angeline stopped protesting. After Finn had loaded everything off the car, Shirley approached with a courteous invite. “Would you like to come in for tea, Mr. Finn? You must be tired from all the driving.” Fin
Angeline stared at her father’s anger in confusion. “What have I done, Dad? What did I do to warrant such anger?” George accused Angeline furiously. “You did nothing to save your sister, Angeline Severe, despite knowing full well that she was locked away by Jack Ares at the Ares’ house.” Angeline spared Sera a glance. The other looked weak while her complexion appeared pale. Her physique also appeared frail enough that a strong wind might just blow her away.At first, Angeline did not understand why her father had so easily forgiven Sera’s grave mistake.Right now, however, she realized. To protect herself, Sera must have blown up the story and passed the fault onto her. Angeline explained herself, upset, “How can you just believe Sera’s words, Dad? She was doted on like a rich mistress at Tourmaline Estate. Servants treated her like they would a dignified mistress, the madam respected her as an equal, and Jack was at her constant beck and call. What was there for me to save he
It suddenly dawned on Angeline. The love and attention the Severe family had once showered her in was only because Jay liked her then. Now that they had broken up, the honor she once wore was no longer. She may not want to admit it, but such was the truth. Father once respected her because she would be the Ares family’s future daughter-in-law as her status would be advantageous to the Severe family. Angeline sighed. “I understand.” She felt upset. “Here I thought that family would always be a safe space for us. I was wrong. The life of the nouveau riche would always be a battle.” The old master replied, “It’s good that you understand.” Angeline was hollowed out with sorrow. “And I choose to withdraw from this fight.” Angeline left, sullen. The old master stared at her retreating figure, his eyes deep with thought. “It’s unlike you to run away from challenges, Angeline.” Returning to the bedroom, Angeline buried her face into the pillow and let her tears drench it a
The next morning, Jay's low-key luxury Rolls-Royce appeared at the gates of the Severe family’s compound.Finn had just honked the horn when the three munchkins rushed downstairs immediately to open the door for Jay after they heard the familiar sound."Daddy’s here!"Lady Severe and Old Master Severe limped to the door to welcome their guest as well.Finn opened the car’s rear door and Jay's wheelchair moved its way down the paved ramp.Jay looked around him and revealed a slightly forlorn look on his face when he did not see the person he was dying to meet."Where’s Angeline?" he asked.Lady Severe flashed a loving smile. "She’s still having a lie-in."How could Angeline possibly have a good sleep? She might look calm after how George treated her last night, but she must be actually bleeding inside.George wanted her to resign from her position as Severe Enterprise’s executive president and even planned to cut off ties with her. Angeline finally understood the pain that Jose