Alice couldn't discern Louis' thoughts. She looked at his somewhat vacant expression and felt that perhaps he was still lost in the past.Suddenly, Alice raised her hand and gently wiped it on Louis' shirt, jokingly saying, "Your hands are all sweaty."Louis was startled by this and quickly looked at his hand. If he were sweating when holding Alice's hand, he wouldn't know where to hide his face!Seeing Louis' panicked expression, Alice couldn't help but laugh, "I was just joking."Louis looked at her, seeming to disapprove of her joke deeply. Alice shrugged, acting nonchalant.Of course, Louis wasn't angry. All his fiery actions toward Alice made her soften toward him even more.They left the old house, and just then, Louis suddenly said, "Actually, I've always regretted burning down the old house. I feel like I've forgotten something important there but can't remember what it is."Alice raised an eyebrow at this, ready to hear more. Louis furrowed his brows, thinking, but still coul
Mrs. Adonis kept staring at Alice, and it was difficult to discern her thoughts through her dark, unblinking eyes. Finally, she looked at Louis and said softly, "I thought you would never get close to love in this lifetime."Louis laughed coldly, "Only fools can't control their love, Mother."Mrs. Adonis responded sincerely, "Do you think you can control your love, Louis?"Louis was momentarily stunned. He wondered what he would do if Alice betrayed him and realized that he probably wouldn't know what to do either. Perhaps he would despair and become as mad as his mother?As if she could sense Louis' hesitation, Mrs. Adonis smiled slightly, "Louis, we are the same. The passionate, obsessive blood of the Adonis family runs through our veins. Do you think you can escape the same fate as mine?"At this point, she seemed to show signs of madness, and Louis found himself almost unable to argue.Just then, his hand was suddenly gripped tightly, jolting him awake. He looked at Alice, who had
Louis arrived just in time to see Alice being stopped by Curtis. He couldn't believe that Curtis dared to approach Alice at school. Louis was about to go over and kick Curtis away so he wouldn't ruin things for him, but he didn't expect to hear this. A replacement? How could that be?Louis was sure Curtis was talking nonsense. Alice had loved him deeply before; it was just that he hadn't cherished her, which is why she left. How could Alice possibly think of him as a replacement? That wasn't true!Every cell in Louis' body seemed to scream, hoping Alice would deny it. But the words from her next plunged him into a deep despair. He could hardly think of anything except going straight up to Alice and confronting her.Alice, seeing Louis, was a little surprised but not panicked. She knew the truth would eventually come out, and now that Louis knew, it was just a matter of time.She looked at Louis and nodded. "Yes, you're just a replacement, Louis. Like I said before, I don't love you. N
The screams and cries filled the abandoned factory nestled deep in the mountains. This place was highly secluded, hidden within the dense forest. Most people who came across it assumed it was just an old, deserted building. On rare occasions, passersby who heard the cries of children dismissed it as haunting whispers of ghosts and quickly fled the area.Gradually, no one dared to venture near the factory. It became a criminal haven for kidnappers and a living hell for the children trapped inside."One week! And this is all you managed to sell? You won't be eating anything tonight!"A kidnapper raised his whip high and brought it down. A deep wound appeared on the back of a child whose cries of agony echoed like a scene from hell itself. On the ground, some children lay unconscious, their bodies drenched in blood as others dragged them away. What awaited them was anyone's guess.At that moment, Alice and Cliff had just been brought in. The scene before them made seven-year-old Alice te
Alice listened as Cliff continuously explained his escape plan. She could only nod in response. She didn't fully understand some of it, but she knew one thing: if she followed Cliff, there was a slim chance that she might escape this place.Cliff, seeing Alice's cooperation, felt a sense of satisfaction. At least he had a companion. No matter how mature he tried to act, having someone by his side gave him much-needed confidence.The escape plan devised by the two children was soon set into motion. Unsurprisingly, it failed. Both Cliff and Alice were caught and locked up.Their clothes were covered in dust, and Alice had a small cut on her cheek from their frantic dash. She stared at the door that had just been slammed shut in front of her and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.At that moment, Alice was nothing more than a helpless child, unable to do anything but cry.Cliff, too, was covered in dirt and scratches. Hearing Alice suddenly burst into tears, he let out a weary sigh befor
“Damn it!”The stillness of the mansion was shattered by the booming sound coming from Louis’s room. The butler heard something crash to the floor but could only shake his head as he returned to his quarters. He knew no one could calm Louis’s fury at this moment.Louis stormed back home. He had left full of happiness, but his entire world seemed to have crumbled upon his return.Alice didn’t love him. Worse, she had only ever seen him as a substitute.Louis might have scoffed at their foolishness if someone had told him this before. But now, the bitter truth stared him in the face.“You’re nothing but a clown, Louis!”With that, Louis yanked open a drawer, pulling out the photo album he had carefully kept safe. Inside were the only pictures of him and Alice taken during their outing the previous day. Alice had taken those photos and given them to him like a memento.Louis had been so happy he felt like he’d struck gold. Now, looking back, it all seemed like a cruel joke.He grabbed a
"Look, she's still walking beside Louis...""She's so shameless, even though it's obvious how much Louis despises her...""Haha, she's nothing more than a plaything. When the time comes, she'll be discarded like trash!"Louis knew he was trapped in another dream. A crowd surrounded him while Alice sat to the side. She, too, was surrounded, but unlike the admiration directed toward Louis, these people looked at Alice with contempt and disdain.Their cruel words grated on Louis's ears. He couldn't help but question himself: Louis, what have you done to let your wife be treated with such scorn?Why is it that a man like you—who wields such power and commands fear—lets his wife endure such humiliation?Finally, Louis, in the dream, walked toward Alice. Perhaps he could no longer bear to hear those harsh words. Yet Alice did not anticipate any comfort or protection from him.After driving the crowd away, Louis turned to Alice and began to scold her relentlessly. But no matter what he said,
“Alice, the moment we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. Are you feeling nervous?” Eslite’s voice rang out, brimming with excitement. He looked at Alice as if she were a treasure.Before Alice, Eslite hardly resembled the image of a top-tier scientist.Sitting across from him, Alice replied softly, “You must endure a lot to maintain your polished image, don’t you?”Eslite waved his hand dismissively. “No, you have to understand—I’m only like this with you, Alice. Very soon, you’ll take my place!” Pausing briefly, he added, “No, you could replace me right now!”Before Alice could say anything, Eslite continued, almost breathless, “But do you know what’s even more infuriating? Those foreign scientists claim your talent is fake! They even dared to say I invented the hemostatic drug and credited you with it to build the image of a young, brilliant scientist for our country!” His fury boiled over. “Are they insane? If I had actually invented that drug, I’d have flaunted it ages ago!
Louis immediately became panicked, quickly getting out of bed. His whole body swayed, and his legs were so weak that he nearly fell. He had to hold onto the edge of the bed, his breath rapid, his heart pounding, still recovering from the long faint. Fortunately, his body was strong and recovered quickly, though he still felt a bit dizzy, and his vision was blurry.Not having time to worry about himself, he urgently asked, "How is Alice?"July suddenly fell silent, not saying anything. Her abrupt stop made Louis suspicious. He looked at her with a questioning gaze, his heart racing with a bad feeling.July's eyes flickered slightly, hesitation passing in a moment, but she couldn't hide the deep sorrow within. She looked at Louis as though considering whether or not to tell the truth, her lips pressed together, hesitant and speechless.Louis felt his palms go cold. July's silence was like an invisible hand tightening around his chest. A sense of unease spread through his body, every cel
Hearing that name, Louis’s body trembled slightly. He looked up, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, filled with extreme exhaustion but also carrying an unspoken pain. His voice came out hoarse:"I can’t leave… I have to stay here, wait for her to wake up…"Ron clenched his fists, turning his face away to hide his emotions. In the stark white hospital room, worry and despair intertwined, enveloping everything.Louis slowly stood up, his eyes fixed on Alice lying in the hospital bed. She was still motionless, her weak breath completely dependent on the oxygen machine beside her. Alice’s body had noticeably weakened, her pale skin lifeless, making her seem as fragile as a delicate princess lost in a long, deep sleep. The painful tightness in Louis’s chest made him clench his hands to keep from letting out a sigh.He closed his eyes, as if trying to calm himself, but Alice’s image remained firmly etched in his mind. He couldn’t forget what Mrs. Campbell had just said. "If you collapse
Her face was covered in dirt, with small wounds bleeding on her forehead and cheek, but in this moment, Alice was still strangely beautiful. A satisfied smile appeared on her lips, even as tears involuntarily spilled, mixing with sweat and dust. Her eyes sparkled in the fiery red glow of the sunset, gentle yet full of sorrow. She loved Louis, and that had never changed.She spread her arms wide, waiting for the deadly embrace from Cliff.Louis and the others watched in despair as the scene unfolded before them. Louis rushed forward, wanting to pull Alice out of danger, but a figure moved faster than him—Vein.It turned out, he hadn’t died.The memory from the laboratory flashed back: Cliff’s final bullet had grazed Vein’s forehead, leaving a deep but non-fatal wound. When Cliff had left, he had sneered one last time, saying, "Get lost!" He thought Vein was no longer of any use, not worth finishing off. But now, Vein appeared, like a demon from hell, to stop everything.His messy hair
Cliff smirked, his eyes gleaming with challenge."So this is how you want to talk like a man? If that's the case, then let Alice go." Louis' voice was low, but the danger in every word was evident.Cliff burst out laughing, the gun in his hand still pressed against Alice's temple. "You think I'm stupid, Louis? I'm not crazy enough to let her go so easily." He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with madness. "If you want to save her, then come over here."Just as Louis was about to take a step forward, Alice suddenly screamed, her voice hoarse with pain and fear. "Don’t! Louis, don’t move!" She struggled, but her strength had drained, her legs too weak to stand. Still, her eyes remained resolute.Louis froze, his gaze meeting Alice's with profound sorrow. She was protecting him, even though she was in the most perilous situation. The anger inside him burned fiercer than ever, but he remained patient, knowing that one wrong move could make Cliff act instantly.Cliff narrowed his eyes
Alice froze, her breath quick and shallow, feeling the suffocating grip of his embrace. Cliff’s face was close to her ear, a twisted smile still lingering on his lips."Alice, are you scared?" His voice whispered, laced with fake tenderness. "It’s just a joke, my love... I’m only trying to scare you."But immediately, his expression shifted. His eyes gleamed with madness, his muscles tensing, and his low voice suddenly turned fierce, like a thunderclap."But even if I destroy you… I’ll do it right in front of Louis!" He hissed each word, his eyes burning with a hatred so intense that it seemed to bring him a twisted pleasure.With that, Cliff bent down, gripping Alice’s arm tightly and roughly yanking her up from the ground. No gentleness, no pity—he dragged her as though she were nothing more than a discarded object. Alice staggered, her legs aching as if thousands of needles were piercing her skin, but she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to keep up with Cliff’s swift pace to avoi
But just then, her foot got caught on a large vine hidden among the rotting leaves. She didn't have time to react, her entire body was yanked downward, losing its balance. A wave of panic swept over her, and in the next moment, she rolled down a rocky slope.Alice screamed in pain as sharp stones and dry branches hit her body. Each impact was a sharp, piercing pain that seemed to cut through her flesh, and she even heard a dry "crack"—perhaps a few bones had broken. When her body finally stopped at the foot of the slope, the pain was almost unbearable, leaving her gasping for breath. Her body trembled, and her vision blurred from tears that welled up from the excruciating agony. Alice sobbed, her breaths caught in her throat. She wanted to scream, to cry out loud, but she couldn't. There was no time to be weak.Biting her lip until it bled, Alice shakily pushed her hands into the ground, trying to lift her battered body. But the pain from her ribs nearly made her collapse again. Don’t
The sound of the helicopter echoed in the sky, making her heart race. A spark of hope flickered in her mind, and she almost wanted to laugh despite being in a life-or-death situation. She whispered, as if to reassure herself: "They're coming... they're really coming..."But if she didn’t manage to escape, if she was caught again... Alice didn’t dare to imagine what would happen. What would Cliff do to her? His cold face, eyes full of absolute control, appeared in her mind, making her shiver. She didn’t want to be locked up in that dark room again, trapped like a bird in a cage, losing both her freedom and hope. No! She had to run! She had to escape from here at any cost!Alice had nearly given up everything to get this far. Over the past few days, she had starved herself to create a pitiful appearance, tricking Cliff into lowering his guard. But that had also made her much weaker. Her legs felt heavy, each step felt like walking on sharp blades. Her empty stomach clenched painfully, h
Cliff didn’t answer, only lunged again. In his eyes, there was only betrayal and fury, as if all the years they had fought side by side meant nothing anymore. But deep in his heart, a fear gnawed at him—the fear of failure. Could it be that he was going to lose again? Was everything he had worked for, everything he had done, going to be taken from him once more? No… he couldn’t let that happen.Vein quickly sidestepped, delivering a kick aimed at Cliff’s ribs. But Cliff was too enraged to feel the pain. He grabbed Vein by the collar and punched him squarely in the face again.The two of them struggled, crashing into the lab table, causing everything to shatter in chaos. Sharp shards of glass cut into their skin, blood dripping in droplets. Their eyes met for a brief moment—Cliff’s eyes were ablaze with fury, ready to burn everything down, while Vein’s eyes were cold, distant, yet tinged with something resembling... pity. No matter how intelligent Vein was, he could not overcome the in
Louis sat in the command seat, his eyes fixed intently on the island gradually coming into view. His heart pounded in his chest, each passing second cutting into his patience like a sharpened blade. Alice… She was there, imprisoned, suffering—how? The thought sent a surge of fury through him, but he had to stay calm. This wasn’t just a mission—this was redemption. He wouldn’t lose her again.His hand tightened around the seatbelt, his knuckles turning white. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and Alice’s smiling face appeared in his mind. Her voice, her bright gaze—everything about her urged him to move faster, to be stronger. When he opened his eyes again, only cold determination remained.The radio crackled in his earpiece. "Target in sight. The island is ahead—signs of guards present." A voice came through from the reconnaissance team.Louis nodded, his gaze resolute. "Everyone, get ready. We don’t get a second chance."The helicopter circled, drawing closer to the island shrou