*Morning News*
"...Reports have surfaced about a significant financial gap in VH Group. Just recently, the company was promoting a new project. But is VH Group truly thriving as it appears on the surface, or has it already become an empty shell?"
"Now, let's connect with our reporter on the scene..."
‘Click.’
Vanessa turned off the TV and stretched lazily before heading toward the bathroom to wash up.
When breakfast was ready, Isla emerged from her room, rubbing her sleepy eyes. The little girl, wearing a white nightgown, whined softly, "Mommy... I’m hungry."
Vanessa walked over, scooped her up, and smiled. “Come eat. Do you want to go somewhere fun afterward?”
Since returning to the country, Vanessa had been busy with work and rarely found time to spend with Isla. Now, she wanted to make it up to her whi
“I am looking for you.” Luca glanced at her coldly, then accelerated the car, as if venting his emotions. In the backseat, Isla was frightened and tightly nestled in Vanessa’s arms. “Mr. Kensington, there’s a child in the car. Please drive safely,” she said, furrowing her brows and holding Isla close, her tone carrying a hint of anger. Only then did Luca glance back at Isla and gradually reduce his speed. “Let’s talk.” Seeing how scared Isla was, Vanessa didn’t want to spend another second with him. “We have nothing to discuss.” “Are you sure?” He teased her, adding, “Don’t you want to talk about Mariah or her?” Vanessa tightened her hold on Isla and exclaimed, “Isla is my child; she has nothing to do with you!” “Vanessa, you’re still the same as you were five years ago.” “What do you mean?” Vanessa tensed, her heart racing. Did she inadvertently reveal that Isla was his c
Beatriz was taken aback and quickly pushed her away, retreating as she said, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand!” Vanessa gave a slight cold smile. “Since you don’t understand, I won’t bother explaining further,” she said, preparing to roll up the window and drive away. Halfway through, she suddenly remembered something and added, “By the way, I believe you know that both our companies successfully entered the second round of the bidding. See you then.” With a casual smile and bright eyes, she rolled up the window and drove away. Left behind, Beatriz stomped her feet in anger. “This is what you’ve forced me into, Vanessa!” With hatred in her eyes, she had originally just wanted to keep Vanessa away from Luca, perhaps letting her off the hook, but now it seemed this woman couldn’t be spared! ...HM Group’s President Office.“Is the recent news about VH your doing?” The short, plump man gl
Vanessa walked over, carrying the prepared dishes and waved her hand, saying, “It’s good that you’re awake; come and eat!” “Mommy, is there the braised beans I love the most tonight?” Vanessa lifted her onto the child seat and smiled, “Yes, yes, yes, you little eater!” At the dinner table, Mariah appeared somewhat reserved, making the mother and daughter both notice her demeanor. “Sister, my mommy told me to call you auntie, but I think you’re so pretty you shouldn’t be called that,” Isla said sweetly, offering Mariah a piece of braised bean. “Can I call you sister?” Mariah was taken aback and blushed at the sight of the braised bean. “Um, sure.” “Yay! Then what is your name?” “Mariah.” “Hello, Sister Mariah!” “Hello,” Mariah replied, returning the gesture by giving her a piece of braised bean and asking, “What’s your name?” Isla looked at Vanes
The Next Day.*Morning News*“Late last night, a car accident occurred on X Road. According to witnesses, the accident was caused by brake failure, and the injured driver is identified as Vanessa Saxon, the president of Cortex Group. A bystander who provided video footage reported that the driver fell into a coma and is currently undergoing emergency treatment in the hospital...”Luca was shocked. After confirming that the injured party was indeed Vanessa, he postponed the morning meeting just to visit her at the hospital. His assistant looked helplessly at the pile of work left behind and muttered, “If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have acted like this.”At the hospital, Luca inquired and found himself in the corridor outside the emergency room. The area was filled with cries and the chaotic sounds of families and doctors discussing cases, making it uncomfortable for him.At the end of the corridor, he saw a familiar figure and a brigh
At that moment, there was a senior executive and two employees in the office, creating a very awkward atmosphere.Beatriz felt a bit flustered but could only force a smile and say, “Grandpa asked me to tell you not to be late for tonight’s dinner.”“I’ll speak to Grandpa myself,” he replied.Beatriz stood in place, clearly uncomfortable. Luca’s words and expression were already a clear dismissal, yet she continued to smile at him, showing no intention of leaving.“Does Grandpa have any other messages for you to convey?”Beatriz shook her head. “No, just that Grandpa invited me to tonight’s dinner as well. I was wondering if you had a partner—”“I won’t be going home tonight.”“But Grandpa—”‘Slap!’Luca slammed the documents shut in anger and then turned to scold the employees. “It’s just a few pages, and there are four typos! Did you not graduate from elementary school?”The employees and the senior executive kne
Richard rushed back through the emergency exit, looking flustered and gripping his phone tightly, as if he were hiding a secret. Seeing him, the supervisor immediately yelled at him, “Richard! What gives you the right to slack off during work hours? Look at those interns with higher submission rates; they’re all diligently revising their drafts! What are you doing?! Huh? Useless!” Richard had always been the type of top student who excelled in design but struggled with communication. After stammering for a long time, he finally managed to say something useful, “Um... I have a headhunter interested in me.” The supervisor rolled his eyes, full of sarcasm. “A headhunter is looking for you? Then hurry up and leave!” “But... but I still have drafts to finish...” “Then why aren’t you hurrying to finish? What are you dreaming about?!” Feeling a bit wronged, Richard softly retorted, “I’m not dreaming...” &nb
At Ness Corp.“You just said Vanessa met with whom?!”Beatriz was still fretting over the theme for the second bidding. Despite having recruited so many outstanding graduates from prestigious universities, she always felt they fell short. Now, hearing about Vanessa’s meeting with Luca only added to her distress.“It’s President Kensington from K Group.”Bang!Beatriz angrily slammed her coffee cup onto the floor, her eyes filled with jealousy as she yelled, “I already know, no need for you to tell me!”The secretary trembled in fear, not daring to respond, and could only crouch down to clean up the broken pieces, accidentally cutting her hand in the process.“Hiss—”Seeing this, Beatriz’s mind flashed with Vanessa’s seemingly pitiful expression, intensifying her fury!“Stop prete
In the following days, Cortex Group successfully poached nearly ten people from K Group through headhunters. Although this posed no threat to K Group—after all, such incidents occurred every year or two, and the upper management had grown accustomed to it—Luca sensed something was off. “Look into it. Check if all the people who left really went to Cortex.” The assistant was momentarily stunned, asking in confusion, “President Kensington, what do you mean?” “Get me the investigation results as soon as possible, and arrange for me to meet with Cortex’s CEO.” He said this while looking out at the fiery clouds in the sky, a hint of warmth flickering in his eyes. He added, “Don’t mention my name.” “Understood. I’ll arrange it right away.” The study was dimly lit, a habit he had developed over the years, wanting to cherish each sunset, as if that was the only way to slightly melt the frost within his heart
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!
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