The news constantly reported on the arrest of the suspect from Pako Group, but she learned that Alden had been released without charges just 24 hours after her arrest.
However, it seemed like this news was automatically filtered out, as no one dared to report it.
Vanessa felt uneasy, so she contacted the police station using her own phone. The officer who answered was a detective named Claude.
“Miss Saxon, you’re calling about Alden’s arrest, aren’t you?”
Before she could say anything, the officer already understood her intentions, as if he had been waiting for her call.
“It seems Officer Claude has guessed who I am,” she replied.
“I looked into the call information from your number and quickly confirmed that it was you who called.”
It seemed that the video footage was useful for them in capturing the murderer, but hadn’t they just released Alden?
As she pondered this, Claude suggested that she cooperate with the police i
Vanessa couldn't afford to offend him and could only respond evasively, “Alright, alright, whatever you say.”Though Luca wanted to explain further, he knew in his heart that she wouldn’t believe him.In the end, he let out a heavy sigh through his nose.“Why did they want to kill President Pako?”Hearing this, Luca looked up and saw her with a conflicted and remorseful expression. He hadn’t noticed that his fists were clenched tightly.He placed her foot on the coffee table and sat down on the single sofa beside her, staring at her intently.“Don’t worry, the bad guys will ultimately be brought to justice.”Was that a line from Batman?For some reason, the moment she heard those words, she felt like laughing, thinking it sounded like something a character from an anime would say.
As Beatriz approached a sharp turn ahead, Vanessa quickly veered to the other side and dashed into the woods. Just as her speeding car was about to crash into a large tree, she made the split-second decision to jump out, and the car rolled down the hill.Beatriz, in a critical moment, slammed on the brakes just in time to avoid any injury.While Luca was preparing to get out of the car to capture Beatriz, she seized the opportunity to make a sharp turn and escape…Watching Beatriz flee without hesitation, he glanced back at the possible accident involving Vanessa, ultimately deciding to find her first.Meanwhile, in the speeding car, Beatriz gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes burning with jealousy and rage. She clenched her teeth and barked orders at the unemployed youth Alden had recruited.“You must eliminate that woman! She saw you last time, and if you want to survive, you have to do everything you can to get rid of her!&
With a dull thud, the sound wasn’t loud, but it drew everyone’s attention.They saw Luca suddenly lean against the car hood, looking as if he were in considerable discomfort.Vanessa, closest to him, rushed over to support him and anxiously asked, “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”Despite his bravado, Luca shook his head and waved his hand, forcing a smile as he denied, “I’m fine; just feeling a bit dizzy.”She didn’t believe him and quickly called for someone to help him to the tent. After examining him, the accompanying doctor emerged with a frown.“Mr. Kensington has sustained an injury to his side, likely from a collision and subsequent fall, which has led to an infection. He needs to be taken to the hospital immediately for treatment and medication.”Vanessa was shocked and glanced at Luca, whose complexion was already looking quite bad. Without hesitation, she said, &ldqu
Luca indeed realized that Isla was much smarter than her mother.At least so far, she was the first to pick up on his intentions for coming here.“Isla, don’t you want someone to take care of your mom, love her, and also care for you?”“Uncle, do you want to be that person?”Luca, tempted by the prospect of 'benefits,' quickly admitted, “I do…”Then he swiftly realized he had been successfully led into a conversation by a kindergarten kid, and instead of being angry, he felt particularly pleased about it.“Isla, you’re so smart and perceptive; you’ll surely be my daughter in the future…”Just as he was praising her, Vanessa misunderstood and abruptly pulled Isla towards her, holding up an ice pack, her eyes alert and tense as she questioned, “What daughter? Who’s your daughter?”Both Luca and Isla were slightly taken aback, shocked by her reaction.But they didn’t think much of i
“Arrange for bodyguards to come over for 24/7 protection.” “It’s not for me; it’s for Vanessa… Right, no mistakes can happen, and no one must find out…”She stood at the door, eavesdropping on a few lines, and was somewhat shocked. She quickly turned back to her room, hugging Isla and spending a sleepless night.What does Luca mean by this? Is he finding someone to protect her and Isla? Is he so worried about Isla because he knows her true identity?As these thoughts swirled in her mind, she self-doubted and questioned whether he genuinely wanted to protect the two of them, feeling that something didn’t quite add up.After pondering, she wondered if his moving in was indeed to protect her?For some reason, just thinking about it made her heart skip a beat. ...Ever since the police visited Beatriz to inquire about the c
Just as Grandpa was about to approach, Beatriz threw her arms around Ezra, sobbing dramatically. “Ezra, are you okay?”Ezra, looking confused, let himself be pulled into her embrace, going along with the act.The whole thing felt too smooth—like they’d rehearsed it before.“Mom...?” Ezra mumbled hesitantly.Beatriz’s expression shifted, as if something had just clicked in her mind. “Didn’t you say Isla gave you some snacks today?”Ezra paused, reluctant, but in the end, he nodded, staying quiet in her arms, ready to play his part.Hearing the commotion, Grandpa hurried over, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Ezra’s pale expression. The boy looked genuinely unwell.Grandpa touched Ezra’s forehead, frowning. It was warm.
“Stop talking nonsense!”Luca's expression darkened as he shouted at her in displeasure.Beatriz was taken aback; she never expected Luca, who had always treated her with respect—even if he sometimes avoided her—would yell at her like this.“Luca, you’re yelling at me?”Feigning innocence, she clutched Ezra, looking like a pair of abandoned mother and child.Grandpa looked on with concern; he could see that Luca’s intention was to reconcile with Vanessa. Yet here were Beatriz and Ezra, whom he had seen grow up, putting him in a difficult position.But he couldn’t help siding with his eldest grandson, even as a sharp pang gripped his heart. Frustrated, he struck the hospital floor with his cane. “You reckless boy! I told you to treat Vanessa well, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you’ve got Beatriz, and you still won’t listen! What more do you want?”
Kindergarten, after school.Grandpa’s men had been lurking around here for more than two days, privately checking the school’s surveillance. Everything was done under Grandpa Kensington’s name, including their covert surveillance of Isla.When the kindergarten teacher saw that Isla’s parents hadn’t come yet, she stayed a bit longer with her.Suddenly, someone called out to the teacher, “The principal said the Kensington family is calling because of Ezra and wants you to go over.”The teacher looked at Isla, feeling uneasy. However, since it was the principal who called and it involved the Kensington family and Ezra, she couldn’t afford to offend anyone. Reluctantly, she told the teacher who relayed the message to keep an eye on Isla.“Don’t worry, I know her parents.”The teacher finally nodded and, after warning Isla not to leave with strangers, left.Isla played alone
Vanessa didn’t come to Ness Corp on a whim; she was aware that the project currently being collaborated on by Cortex and Ness was overseen by Alden. Using the pretext of discussing the collaboration, she could conveniently search within Ness Corp.As expected, the receptionist directly dialed the vice president’s extension: “Vice President, someone from Cortex has come to discuss the collaboration project. What do you think...?”“Just have them contact my assistant directly. No need to report it,” Alden interrupted the receptionist impatiently.As anticipated, Vanessa couldn’t help but curl her lips into a cold smile.Alden didn’t possess any real ability; he was nothing more than a bumbling fool who pushed everything onto others.Seeing this, Vanessa directly said, “Tell him it’s Vanessa Saxon from Cortex looking for him.”The receptionist conveyed the message, and Alden seem
Vanessa stared in disbelief, her eyes wide open, unwilling to believe that these words were coming from an elder. How could she casually slander someone else?At this moment, Mrs. Radcliffe seemed to be in a state of desperation, continuing, “Vanessa, how could you refuse to help us at such a critical moment, especially after all the good Daxton has done for you?”The words from Mrs. Radcliffe, coupled with Mr. Radcliffe's disappointed gaze, pierced Vanessa’s heart like sharp arrows.Tears welled in Vanessa's eyes as she responded angrily, “I’ve already repaid any debts to Daxton and the Radcliffe family. You’re looking for the wrong person today.”With that, Vanessa instructed her assistant to see them out.After sending the Radcliffe couple away, Vanessa leaned back in her chair and let out a heavy sigh, but her thoughts were a tangled mess.Luca had originally only wanted to check on Vanessa. As h
Luca took advantage of his recovery to stay at Vanessa's house for a few days.During this time, Vanessa entrusted all company matters to Mariah, focusing instead on caring for Luca at home.After a few days together, Luca vaguely sensed that Vanessa’s attitude towards him had softened; she was no longer as cold and distant as before, which filled him with a bit of secret delight.In reality, Vanessa had indeed changed significantly in her attitude towards Luca. She was grateful that he had saved her, yet she was still unwilling to easily forgive him for what he had done before.Conflicted, Vanessa found herself alternating between memories of Luca, injured and approaching her, and his cold demeanor when he had plotted against her child.These two extreme emotions battled within her, leaving her feeling both sweet and tortured.Luca, however, was unaware of Vanessa's inner turmoil. To him, it was already a blessing that she was n
Daxton watched the affectionate scene between the two, his jealousy flaring hotter by the moment.Why?! Why could Luca hurt her so deeply yet still make her love him helplessly, while his own silent devotion had gone unnoticed?Rage nearly consumed Daxton’s reason.If that was the case, then he had no need to hold back any longer.With a cold sneer, he didn’t know whether he was mocking the tragic lovers before him or ridiculing himself as a clown.Then, Daxton pulled a handgun from behind him, loading a bullet into the chamber, and aimed it at the two. “Luca, I’m giving you a choice. Only one of you can leave here today. Will it be Vanessa or yourself?”Vanessa frowned and shouted, “Daxton, are you insane?!”This time, Daxton didn’t glance at Vanessa but fixed his gaze on Luca.Luca had anticipated that things wouldn’t be simple. The current situation was within
“I…” Daxton looked into Vanessa’s eyes, momentarily at a loss for words.Taking a moment to compose himself, Daxton sat down beside Vanessa, taking her hand in his. “Vanessa, you know I’ve always liked you…”The sudden touch and inexplicable words made Vanessa furrow her brows in confusion.She forcefully pulled her hand away from Daxton and interrupted him, her voice firm. “You brought me here just to say this? In this way? Daxton, do you realize this is kidnapping? Let me go right now; I have a mountain of work waiting for me at the office.”As soon as he heard Vanessa wanted to leave, Daxton’s expression changed dramatically. He grabbed her by the neck and hissed, “Want to leave? So you still want to be with Luca. Don’t dream; I won’t let you go this time. You’ll never escape.”With the oxygen in her lungs dwindling, Vanessa's face turned red as she
Even though Vanessa insisted she was feeling fine, Daxton and Mariah were still uneasy. They insisted on giving her a full check-up before they would relax.“I really am fine. Daxton, you should head back. I have Mariah here to keep me company,” Vanessa said, reluctant to face Daxton. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with him lately.Daxton glanced at Vanessa but didn’t say much. He only reminded her to rest well before leaving the hospital.As he pushed open the door to his home, the stark emptiness of the room was accentuated by the numerous photos lining the walls.Upon closer inspection, they were various pictures of Vanessa, many of which were clearly taken from hidden angles.Daxton stepped closer, gently tracing the images with his fingers, as if he were caressing Vanessa herself.
After sending Daxton away, Vanessa immersed herself in her work, carefully examining the design blueprints. Inspired by Luca's suggestions, she picked up her pen and began to sketch.In the following days, Vanessa stayed at the company, and thanks to the team’s hard work, the progress on the project revisions was steadily moving forward.However, thinking of Isla made Vanessa feel a pang of guilt. She had been so busy with work lately that she hadn’t spent enough time with her. She wondered if the little one was feeling neglected.Just as she was lost in thought, Luca arrived.Vanessa was already used to his frequent visits.In the past few days, Luca had come by almost every day, but their discussions were all about company collaborations.Vanessa tried hard to control her thoughts, convincing herself to think of him only as a business partner to avoid future disappointment.That said, each time Luca came, Vanessa’s
Cortex.As soon as Vanessa arrived at the office, she saw Ora pacing back and forth at the door, seeming anxious about something.Feeling a bit surprised, Vanessa furrowed her brows and asked, “Is something wrong?”The moment Ora spotted Vanessa, it was as if she had found a savior, and she quickly stepped forward.Vanessa opened the office door, and as Ora followed her inside, she began reporting the latest updates.However, when she reached a certain point, Ora’s expression changed. “President Saxon, I’ve contacted several suppliers, and they all said that the original materials are in short supply. It seems the previous design plan may not work.”Vanessa frowned. “Is it the main material in the design plan?”Ora shook her head. “Not exactly, but this material is used in several places in the plan, so…”Vanessa understood what Ora meant and interrupted, &ldquo
Upon hearing this, Beatriz's face turned pale, then flushed with anger.This was originally her trick. Worried that Luca might discover something, Beatriz cautiously glanced at him, relieved to see he wasn’t paying attention to her.Picking up on the sarcasm in Vanessa's words, Beatriz felt a bit unwilling to accept it and retorted, “President Saxon, what are you saying? Ezra is indeed feeling unwell, and as parents, it’s only natural for us to be cautious. Why does it become us slandering you here?”Vanessa found this amusing. “Miss Langley, your ability to twist facts is truly impressive. However, there’s no need for your little act in front of me; I’m not falling for it.”Seeing Vanessa’s disdainful expression, Beatriz became even more irritated. She tugged at Luca and said, “Luca, say something! Everyone in the mansion knows that Ezra is unwell. It’s not like we’re trying to sland