Mariah had been missing for two days, and the atmosphere in the Vanessa household was noticeably tense.
In the living room, besides Luca and Vanessa, there were also William and Cassandra, along with Leonardo, who had just rushed over.
Leonardo had learned about Mariah’s disappearance from Cassandra earlier and had even gone to Cassandra’s home to search for her. When he found no leads, he decided to come to Vanessa for help.
Feeling dejected, Leonardo couldn’t help but blame himself. If only he had returned sooner, maybe Mariah wouldn’t be in danger now.
William had only heard about the situation a day after Mariah went missing. Due to protocol, a person had to be missing for at least 24 hours before a case could be filed. While Cassandra was working with the police to file the report, she had also informed William.
Having a close friendship with Mariah,
Meanwhile, Mariah, after enduring a brutal beating, was already on the brink of consciousness.After they had finished beating her, the assailants left the room, clearly intending to leave her gasping for breath and let her fend for herself.Mariah struggled to lift her arm, managing to sit up from the floor. Just that one movement almost drained her of all her strength.Leaning against the leg of the desk, she glanced at the bruises covering her body and felt a surge of hatred toward Beatriz.With her hands and feet still bound, Mariah was unable to move much and had no strength to escape.She sighed inwardly, hoping that Vanessa and the others would notice she was missing and come to rescue her soon; she really felt like she couldn’t hold on much longer.Lost in her thoughts, Mariah couldn’t help but drift off to sleep.When
Upon hearing that voice, which was exactly the same as the one on the phone, the clerk felt relieved and led Vanessa inside.When Vanessa saw Mariah's condition, she was shocked and rushed forward to embrace her. “Mariah,” she said, her voice filled with worry and heartache.Seeing Mariah like this, Vanessa could only imagine what she had gone through.“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be like this,” Vanessa said, lowering her head in guilt.Mariah comfortingly stroked her hand and shook her head.Seeing Mariah’s reaction made Vanessa feel even worse.“I’ll take you to the hospital,” Vanessa said, attempting to help Mariah to her feet.Though Mariah was seriously injured, her mind was still clear. She grasped Vanessa’s sleeve and
Mariah was taken aback by the tight embrace, and as she processed Leonardo’s words, a blush crept up her cheeks.A muffled voice sounded in her ear, slightly nasal, “You can’t just leave me behind next time. I was really scared that you’d disappear again.”Hearing this, Mariah felt warmth in her heart and replied softly, “I won’t do that again.”“By the way, Mariah, I—I like you. Can we be together?” The big star, who could effortlessly control his facial expressions in front of the camera, now revealed an unusually shy demeanor.Mariah had been waiting for Leonardo to say these words, and hearing them now felt somewhat surreal. She couldn’t help but confirm, “Have you really thought this through?”Leonardo nodded earnestly.Mariah was genuinely moved. As a big star, Leonardo
Shortly after, the private investigator brought in new information: it was rumored that the police had obtained evidence of Beatriz’s crimes.When Beatriz heard the news, it was like a bolt from the blue.‘How could this be? Although Mariah managed to escape, that recorder is still with me. She can’t possibly have any evidence.’"Find out immediately who did this!" Beatriz’s tone was harsh.The private investigator didn’t dare delay for a second and hurried to investigate.By the afternoon, the investigator returned, looking quite certain as he reported to Beatriz, “It was indeed Mariah. She handed over evidence of your crimes to the police.”The words barely left his mouth before Beatriz felt a surge of anger. She grabbed the glass on the table and smashed it against the wall.&ldq
Seeing his grandson's heartfelt confession, Grandpa Kensington didn’t say much further. Compared to Beatriz, Vanessa was someone he had watched grow up, and there was no question about her character. The fact that they were able to reconcile now seemed like a fitting ending.Nodding in approval, Grandpa Kensington said to Luca, “Ultimately, it’s your life, and it’s up to you to decide. If you’ve made up your mind to remarry Vanessa, you have my full support. Besides, there’s something I’ve been mulling over…”Seeing his grandfather’s ambiguous expression, Luca asked, “What is it?”The old man carefully observed Luca’s features, his gaze overlapping them with the ones he remembered of Isla, and then voiced the suspicion he’d been harboring. “Don’t you think Isla resembles you a lot? I suspect… she might actually be your
Isla didn’t immediately agree. She looked at Luca with wide, curious eyes. “Will you really be my dad?”Luca’s expression grew complicated. “The results aren’t out yet. I don’t know if I’ll be your dad.”“Oh.” Isla lowered her head, looking disappointed, and muttered, “I’ll agree not to tell Mommy, but I also have a little request.”“What’s your request? Is it the latest LEGO set?” Luca asked without hesitation.Isla hadn’t planned to ask for toys, but hearing him mention LEGO made her reconsider. She bit her lip, thinking it over, then said, “I do want that toy, but… that’s not what I was going to ask. I wanted to say, if you really are my dad, could you take me to meet Great-Grandpa?”Luca paused, surprised by her request.Wit
Before leaving, Vanessa entrusted Mariah’s safety to Leonardo, repeatedly instructing him, “Stay close to her at all times; don’t let anything happen to her again.”Truthfully, even without Vanessa’s instructions, Leonardo would have taken care of Mariah with utmost care.As she headed downstairs, Vanessa unexpectedly ran into Cassandra.Having heard about Mariah’s incident, Cassandra had been worried but was only able to find time to come now due to her busy schedule.Seeing Vanessa’s hurried expression, Cassandra didn’t ask questions.They exchanged a quick greeting, and Cassandra reassured her, “Go handle your matters; I’ll stay here with her.”Vanessa nodded, reassured, and left the hospital.When she arrived at the company, she found it in complete disarray. The security system had been intentionally sabotaged, and the main entrance
Vanessa felt a surge of resentment. “This isn’t slander; what she’s done is likely far worse than this.”“Still, we need evidence,” the police officer urged patiently.Unable to argue with the officer, Vanessa felt less inclined to speak.However, the officer acknowledged some of Vanessa’s suggestions, officially opening an investigation into the case while also reviewing related case files to explore any connections.At the hospital, Cassandra was distressed to see Mariah covered in injuries. During dinner, she fed him a generous amount of nourishing soup.Mariah, looking exasperated, said, “I really can’t eat anymore.”Seeing her pitiful expression, Cassandra realized she had overdone it and stopped.After the meal, Mariah mentioned that she felt too stuffed and wanted to go do
Magnus nodded immediately. "Of course, Daddy is a strong man. If he promises Maxime something, he will make sure to do it.""Daddy is so great! Daddy is the best! I love Daddy the most!" Maxime happily jumped up and down in his arms.Senna's face immediately turned dark. "This little brat has no conscience. You’ve been bought with just a gaming console. If Mommy doesn’t buy you one, you’ll hate Mommy, right? Hmm?"When Maxime saw that his mother’s face darkened, he immediately slipped out of Magnus’s arms, hugged her arm, and coquettishly said, "No, no, Mommy, don't be mad, I love Mommy the most... the most... the most..." He said ‘the most’ many times in one breath.Senna chuckled. "Good thing you still know you love Mommy the most... Otherwise, I wouldn’t want you anymore."Maxime immediately pouted his little lips and said, "No, no, no...""Alright, Maxime, Mommy needs to rest more to recover. You go back to Rosewood Manor with Uncle Edric."As the time was getting late, Magnus call
When Maxime saw the old man lying in bed, his black eyes scanned the room a few times, realizing there was no one else. He then leaned over to the bedside with a cute smile. "You’re my great-grandpa." Magnus hadn’t lied to him. He was practically his mini-me, looking so much like him when he was young. The old man looked at Maxime, his eyes reddening as he almost couldn’t stop himself from crying. "Great-grandpa, why are you lying in bed, not moving?" Maxime reached up to scratch his head and then seemed to realize something. "I know, great-grandpa is sick, just like mom, and has to rest in bed, right?" "Little young master is so thoughtful. That's right, your great-grandpa is sick and can only rest in bed," the butler said, increasingly happy as he looked at the thoughtful child. What a well-behaved little one. "Mom says when you’re sick, you need to rest and drink more water. Great-grandpa, you should drink more water and eat more so you can get better soon." Maxime leaned ove
Senna looked at Magnus, the man who was like a god to her, her eyes reddened with emotion. "Magnus, you...""Those shares were left to you by your grandparents. I know you’re worried," Magnus gently cupped her face with his hands, leaned down and softly kissed her forehead, smiling as he said, "I helped you get them back because I want you to be happy, not to make you cry.""I… I am just so overwhelmed with emotion," Senna chuckled, blinking away the tears. She cared about those shares not for the wealth they represented, but because they were a legacy from her grandparents, a blessing from them."Senna, I want to ask you for one thing," Magnus said, lifting Maxime in his arms and looking at her."You've done so much for me, and yet you're still being so distant?" Senna raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued."This matter requires your consent before I can act. The Voss family owes you so much," Magnus lowered his head to glance at the child who was looking at him with equal curiosit
Mrs. Thorne had swollen, red eyes and a pale face, clearly having cried all night. She stormed in, angrily pointing at Senna and accusing her. “You wretched woman, you should have died three years ago. You shouldn’t have come back. Give me back my Astrid’s life! My poor daughter, she died so miserably!”Tobias and Maxime saw their hostile intent and quickly stood up to block Senna’s window.Maxime pointed at Mrs. Thorne and loudly said in a grown-up manner, “Old witch, I won’t allow you to curse my mom.”“Where did this wild child come from? How dare you call me an old witch? You rude, ill-mannered little bastard,” Mrs. Thorne snapped at Maxime.Senna sat up, gently patting Maxime’s head, her face darkening, and her gaze turning cold. “Maxime is not a wild child. He is my son, and he only needs to be polite to others.”Mrs. Thorne was beyond enraged. “Senna, you wretched woman, you killed my daughter, and now you’re insulting me? I’m your stepmother! How can you treat me like this? Ar
In a spacious, luxurious private hospital room, The Old Master lay on the bed, his face withered, his expression weary, and his eyes hollow. He had always been so proud and arrogant, unable to accept that he was now paralyzed. He refused to eat, and after two days, he could only survive on nutrition injections.“Old Master, I beg you, please eat a bit. If you don’t eat or drink like this, how can your body survive?” The butler, holding a bowl of congee, tried to feed him, but he refused to open his mouth.The butler felt heartbroken. He had served the old master for many years, and their relationship had long exceeded the bounds of master and servant. He thought of him as a brother, a family member. Seeing him like this, he wished he could take the suffering for him.The old man was known for his stubbornness; when he didn’t want to do something, no one could force him. He was once a powerful figure, but now he had fallen to such a state,
“You don’t have it now, but you will soon. Hurry up and get better, don’t forget, the tenth day is our big day,” Magnus said as he held her hand, his face full of anticipation.“Everyone outside thinks you're going to marry Astrid Thorne. What does that have to do with me?” Senna turned her face away and snorted.“Are you jealous?” Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re the mother of my two children, yet you’re still so jealous.”Magnus reached out to turn her face back to him, gently brushing her nose with his finger. “I haven’t told you yet, Astrid is dead.”“What? Astrid is dead?” Senna asked in surprise. “How did she die?” She had already guessed that Magnus wouldn’t let her off after hurting her at the mansion, but she didn’t expect him to go as far as killing her.After the shock, she felt a little pity—it w
Magnus reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face, his voice hoarse. “My Grandpa believed you were the one who set the fire that killed Matthias. He wouldn’t pass up any chance to take revenge on you. If I hadn’t done what I did, your life would have been in danger.”“Sis, brother-in-law didn’t mean to deceive you. Please forgive him.” Tobias pleaded anxiously.“You bad daddy! You made Mommy cry! I hate you!” Maxime angrily raised his little arm and shoved him away before hugging Senna tightly, speaking in an old-fashioned tone, “Mommy, don’t cry. Maxime loves you the most.”Looking at his own son standing like a wall between them, Magnus’s temple twitched violently. He barely resisted the urge to throw the little brat out.“Maxime, kids shouldn’t interrupt when adults are talking. Let me talk to your daddy, okay?” Senna stroked his head, her mind overflowing
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!