Vanessa returned to the company with good news.
As soon as she entered the office area, everyone surrounded her with curious looks.“What’s wrong? Is something going on?” Vanessa asked, maintaining an expressionless face.“President Saxon, what’s the result?”“Is Cortex in first place?”“What do you all think?” Vanessa replied coolly, without a hint of a smile.Everyone felt deflated and turned back to their desks, a hint of sadness lingering in the air.Then Vanessa spoke again, “You guys really don’t have faith in yourselves, huh? I’m just joking! Don’t be scared. Let’s celebrate our victory together tonight!”Laughter erupted in the office, and even Richard cracked a rare smile.That evening, Vanessa made a point to pick up her daughter after school.“Isla, did you miss Mommy?” she asked, hugging her lovingly.“MoKensington Mansion.Grandpa Kensington was fully engrossed in painting, his strokes flowing like clouds, his penmanship like smoke.Seeing that Grandpa Kensington looked a bit tired, the butler hurried over with a cup of herbal tea.Seated in the rosewood chair, Grandpa Kensington became lost in thought again.“Old master, I heard Miss Saxon has returned,” the butler suddenly spoke up.“Oh? When did this happen? That kid never mentioned it to me,” Grandpa Kensington replied, still trying to process the information.After hesitating for a moment, the butler continued, “It’s been some time, but it seems Young Master and Miss Saxon’s situation isn’t very optimistic.”Thinking about how Luca had treated her previously, Grandpa Kensington couldn’t help but sigh.Shaking his head helplessly, he put down his teacup. “Our family has let that girl down. It’s a pity such a good child has been hurt.”To reassure the old man, the bu
Unknowingly, time had come to a special day. Vanessa stared blankly at the date circled in red on her calendar.Having taken a leave in advance, she changed her usual attire and wore all black.Mariah was going to ask her something before leaving, but seeing her demeanor, she chose not to say anything.“Isla, you have to listen to Sister Mariah, okay? Mommy has to head out first.” Vanessa smiled as she hugged Isla.Isla happily kissed her.After getting in the car, Vanessa first went to a flower shop to buy the white bells, her mother’s favorite flower, before driving to the cemetery.On this day each year, Vanessa’s mood would inexplicably turn heavy. She glanced at the white bells on the passenger seat and then accelerated.At the cemetery, Beatriz was walking toward a gravestone with a bouquet of chrysanthemums, gently placing the flowers down before beginning to pay respects.She softly murmured, “What happened back then wa
“No results,” Mariah replied succinctly.Vanessa didn’t press further. She knew how complicated the situation was, so she had to make herself stronger. One day, she would uncover the truth.Once back in her office, Vanessa immersed herself in work as if under a spell.She glanced at the stock market performance of the company today; everything was running smoothly, but that wasn’t nearly enough.That one bidding win was just the beginning. The business world was like a battlefield; if she stood still, she would soon be crushed by others.Therefore, Cortex Group couldn’t rely on a single development model. She had to explore new industries.After staring at the screen for a while, an ad suddenly popped up that caught her eye.“Millennia-old antiques, one day in X City.”The antique industry seemed like a promising direction for development.Just then, her assistant rushed in, flustered.“President Saxon, bad
The first item up for auction was a classical tea set from the last century, said to be one of a kind.With a starting price of 100,000, Vanessa thought it was reasonable.A middle-aged man next to her raised the bid to 150,000, and his assistant quickly lifted the bid card.On the other side, the bids kept climbing, reaching 200,000, which intrigued Vanessa even more about this industry.The auctioneer began calling: “200,000, going once… going twice… sold!”With the final hammer strike, the tea set was claimed by another buyer.Vanessa realized that the following items were even more exquisite, their prices skyrocketing.Finally, it was time for the grand finale. Four staff members carried a transparent glass case onto the platform.A dazzling vase sparkled under the lights, leaving the audience in awe.“This is a real treasure!”“I’ll take it home tonight!”Vanessa felt tempted to snap a photo but restra
After hanging up the phone, Vanessa felt a twinge of nervousness—she would finally uncover the mystery that had been bothering her.Meanwhile, Luca pondered for a long time.“Have Lesley meet with her,” he instructed before continuing his work.“Understood, President,” the assistant replied and took the documents to find Lesley.Arriving at the agreed coffee shop, Vanessa had arrived early to wait.After about five or six minutes, the doorbell rang, and she looked up to see a stranger approaching with a briefcase.“Hello, are you Miss Saxon?” the well-dressed man inquired.“Please, have a seat,” Vanessa gestured for him to sit.Although she didn’t know this man, she suspected things weren’t as simple as they seemed.As they discussed the details of the deal, she was surprised to
Arriving at the French restaurant at the agreed time, Vanessa walked in just as music began to play. Daxton approached her, holding a bouquet of white roses.“Hey, what’s this about?” Vanessa was taken aback and didn’t accept the flowers.“Where’s your mind at? I’m here to congratulate you on your product launch and discuss a few matters,” Daxton said, appearing relaxed.Vanessa couldn’t help but glare at him. “Put the flowers away. Let’s talk about what you wanted to discuss.”Daxton helplessly shook his head, putting the flowers aside and gesturing for her to sit. “Can we talk while we eat?”This time, Vanessa didn’t refuse again. She walked over to the lavish dinner spread and started eating without hesitation.“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about financing. I think your company has great potential, and financing could significantly aid your company’s development,” Daxton said candidly.Upon hearing this, Vanessa fell into deep
“Are you Isla?”“Yes, I’m Isla Saxon, but you can just call me Isla—no need for the last name,” the little girl replied cheerfully.Grandpa Kensington burst into laughter, feeling happier than he had in a long time. The presence of such a joyful child brought warmth to the otherwise quiet house, filling it with a sense of warmth and affection.Vanessa was momentarily taken aback but still encouraged, “Isla, say hello.”As she said this, she glanced at Luca, subtly indicating who Isla was supposed to greet.Isla blinked her eyes, and her expressions mirrored Vanessa’s from years ago, pure and innocent.What a pity he had lost that…“Hello, Uncle Luca!” Isla sweetly called out, stepping closer and grabbing one of his fingers. She marveled, “Uncle, your hand is so big! It’s much stronger than Mommy’s…”“And how does it compare to your dad’s?” Luca, surprisingly unfazed, crouched down and asked with a gentle smile.Isla turn
Vanessa took the box with confusion and opened it, momentarily stunned.“Are you still keeping this?”As the green light turned on, Luca started the car.“I didn’t expect you to remember it,” he said, a hint of surprise in his voice.How could she forget this necklace? It was the only gift he had given her when they got married. Back then, she deliberately chose not to take it with her to show him that she had completely given up on him…Now he was returning it to her. What did that mean? Did he think a necklace could win her forgiveness?Vanessa closed the jewelry box and handed it back to him from the back seat. “This necklace belongs to its rightful owner; it’s not mine, and I don’t need it anymore.”Hearing this, Luca slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road. “What do you mean by that? If you want i
It was unclear how much time had passed when a beautiful melody drifted into Senna’s ears. This song…“Sis, don’t sleep anymore. Please wake up, okay? I miss you so much. Sis, it’s been so long since you sang me to sleep. Do you still remember this song? You used to sing it to me all the time. Please wake up, sis. I’m so worried about you.”The familiar voice echoed in her ears—it was Tobias’s voice. Could it be… that she had died and met Tobias in heaven?“Sis, wake up! Open your eyes and look at me! It’s me, Tobias. How could you be so cruel and leave me behind?”Tobias’s voice grew increasingly sorrowful, choked with tears. Big, warm drops of his tears landed on Senna’s face.“Tobias…” It really was his voice. Senna’s eyes flew open, and the moment she saw that familiar little face so close to hers, tears gushed uncontrollably dow
But, the butler warning came too late. The sharp blade plunged mercilessly into the old master’s abdomen."You old bastard," Astrid sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Three years ago, you promised me that if I got rid of Senna, I would marry into the Voss family as the young madam. But you went back on your word—I tolerated it. And now, when Magnus’s people are hunting me down, you want to cut ties with me? Since I’m doomed anyway, I’ll take you down with me. HAHAHA!""Old Master!"Blood spurted out as Astrid pulled out the knife. The butler’s face turned ashen with terror. Without hesitation, he raised his gun.Bang!The gunshot rang out.Astrid’s crazed laughter was abruptly silenced. A bullet pierced her forehead. Her wide, crazed eyes froze in place as her body collapsed to the ground, lifeless, her expression frozen in disbelief."Old Master, are you alright? Someone call for help!
Daring to commit violence in Rosewood Manor, Astrid had already prepared to risk everything. After escaping, she headed straight to Voss Manor—because at this point, the only person in the world who could protect her was the old man.Inside Voss Manor, the old man was studying a chess board, frowning as he realized he had backed himself into a dead end. He sighed softly. “Fated.”“Master.” The butler entered with Astrid.Disheveled and panicked, Astrid collapsed to her knees in front of the old man, sobbing. “Grandpa, I did as you wanted! This time, Senna is surely dead! I helped you get rid of her! But Magnus won’t let me go—he’ll kill me, he’ll tear me apart! Grandpa, what do I do now?”The old man frowned, glaring at the butler in displeasure. “Can’t you see I’m busy? Why bring her here? Get rid of her.” To him, she wasn’t even worth as much as a dog.
Magnus’s gaze lowered slightly. He wasn’t wrong.After the car accident, his legs had been injured, but not to the extent of being crippled. He had faked it deliberately—to make the old man feel guilty, to show him what it was like to lose control.He was the eldest grandson of the Voss family. His father had died young, caught in a revenge killing. His mother, unable to bear the loss, chose to end her life by jumping into the sea, leaving him behind. Devastated, the old man pinned all his hopes on Magnus, raising him with an iron hand, demanding perfection. And he delivered, becoming the ideal heir—until Senna appeared.Senna’s mother had been divorced by the Thorne family for alleged infidelity. A daughter born of such a woman was nothing but a disgrace in the old man’s eyes. He couldn’t tolerate her ruining the successor he had spent decades grooming. And when Matthias died, it became the spark that ignited the traged
Before Magnus could turn around, a brutal punch slammed into his face, sending him staggering back two steps. He grunted in pain and was about to retaliate when a small head peeked out from behind him.A pair of large, round, jet-black eyes blinked at him, filled with curiosity. The chubby little face scrunched up in confusion before a childish voice spoke, "Huh? Uncle... He looks just like my dad..."Magnus's raised fist froze mid-air.His gaze locked onto the little boy, who was the spitting image of himself as a child. He was too stunned to speak."That's right! He’s the bad dad who nearly got you killed, and now he's hurting your mom! Because of him, you’re about to lose your mother!"With seething anger, Caius pulled the child forward, pointing at Magnus in accusation."I'm losing my mom?"The little boy repeated the words twice as if trying to process them. Then, his face suddenly changed.Panic-stricken, he b
The venomous voice sent a shiver down Senna’s spine. She was about to jump off the swing when a sudden, forceful push sent her flying forward. She let out a startled scream as she crashed to the ground.Just as she struggled to get up, a sharp, searing pain stabbed through her abdomen. Her face instantly turned deathly pale."You should’ve died three years ago! Why are you still alive?" Astrid sneered, dressed as a maid to sneak in. She gripped a wooden stick, her face twisted with hatred. "If it weren’t for you, I would be an award-winning actress by now. My endorsements would be endless! You ruined my career—was that not enough? Why did you have to ruin my marriage too?"As she raised the stick, she suddenly caught a whiff of something metallic—blood. Looking down, she saw crimson liquid trailing down Senna’s leg. She froze for a second before her fury erupted."You wretched woman… you're pregnant again?!"
After returning from the old master's place, Astrid spent the entire night unable to sleep. She couldn't believe she had been deceived—no, she refused to believe it was true. Magnus was so wealthy; why would he bother scheming for her shares? Compared to his vast fortune, her shares were insignificant, a mere drop in the ocean.The next morning, she rushed to the headquarters of Voss Group. Everyone in the company assumed she was the future president’s wife, so no one dared to stop her.She barged straight into Magnus’s office, watching as he reviewed and signed documents. Taking out her compact mirror, she carefully touched up her weary face, ensuring there were no flaws before putting on a bright smile and knocking gently on the door.“Magnus.”Magnus glanced at her. Despite her meticulously refined appearance, he still found her face utterly displeasing. His voice was cold, devoid of any warmth.&ldquo
The better Magnus treated her, the more terrified Senna became. His enigmatic behavior left her unable to grasp his true intentions. What was he plotting?Three years ago, how had he deceived her, stolen her heart and body, only to throw her into prison, kill her younger brother, and force her to drink that glass of abortion medicine? The pain and hatred he inflicted on her were like a brand, burned deep into her soul.No, she couldn’t waver. She had to avenge herself. In one week, he would meet his end.“Senna, I’m heading back to the company first. Once I finish my work, I’ll take you out for a walk.” Magnus reached out, gently brushing his fingers through her hair as he spoke in a low voice.Senna set down her spoon, her voice cold as ice. “I don’t want to go out.”“If you don’t want to, then we won’t. I’ll come back tonight and have dinner with you.” Magnus took her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a soft ki
At dawn, the storm finally subsided. Senna opened her swollen eyes and found herself lying against the man’s broad, solid chest.Her heart sank instantly.She had actually allowed herself to weep uncontrollably in the arms of her enemy last night—and even cried herself to sleep. How could she have sought comfort in the warmth of the man who had wronged her? She shouldn’t have.Senna clenched her fists slightly, berating herself over and over.Magnus was still asleep, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist—not so forcefully as to hurt her, but firm enough that she couldn’t break free.Senna raised her head slightly and looked at his closed eyes and strikingly handsome face. Her gaze narrowed, a sharp, murderous glint flashing through her eyes.The man who had framed her and caused her brother’s death was right in front of her. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for revenge.