"You want me to burn in hell?" Harrison's icy stare bore into Shirley as she fought for her life. "If it's hell we're headed to, then you're coming with me!""Ellis!"The door swung open swiftly, and Ellis stepped in, his face devoid of emotions. He stood by the door, all business. "Sir, what do you need?""A syringe. If she won't eat, we'll hook her up to a glucose IV. Let's watch her try to die now."With those words, Harrison spun on his heel and strode out, leaving Shirley's room. Behind him, Shirley's voice tore through the air, wild and desperate, "Harrison, you're killing me! If you don't finish me off today, I swear I'll end you if I ever get the chance!"The door clicked shut, and only Harrison’s icy eyes remained in view. Shirley's threat seemed to hit him hard. A sharp pain grabbed his chest and made him double over, his face draining of color.Ellis stepped out just in time to see Harrison had not walked away yet. He was crouched down, frozen in place."Sir!"Someth
Harrison noticed Shirley's arms, and his brow furrowed. "Her arm!" He gestured to the makeup artist to cover them with makeup too.The makeup artist worked quickly, and once done, asked, "Mr. Smith, does this meet your approval?"Harrison narrowed his eyes, nodded, and commanded, "Let's head out."Once the room cleared out, Harrison gripped Shirley's chin. "Look at you. Even if you refuse to eat, I can still make sure you shine. Today's the big preview of White Night. Get moving, and don't you dare be late."Shirley shuddered from head to toe. She jerked away from Harrison's grip, staggered to her feet, and whispered fiercely, "Don't touch me!"Harrison just smirked. "Alright, my hands are off!" He clapped his hands, and Shirley's agent hurried in. "Sir!" He then turned to Shirley with a nod. "Ms. Shrill, if you would."Like a puppet on strings, Shirley was escorted out of Springwood Garden by her agent.The preview was set at Century Film Plaza, a massive theater in a mall owne
"Ms. Shrill, are you feeling guilty? There's talk that you abandoned your daughter to focus on your career. Is that true?”"Ms. Shrill, of course we care about your movie, but I’ve been a fan of yours for over two decades. You even inspired me to join the media. It hurts to see that the image you’ve cultivated was all a facade. You had a child out of wedlock and abandoned her. Doesn't that betray the fans who've stood by you?"The weight of the accusation pinned Shirley down. Her face was a ghostly white. "I...""Ms. Shrill, being your fan means liking you despite your flaws, right? How could you hide something so big from us from the start? This isn’t how you build trust with your audience!" A female fan stood up, her voice booming despite not having a microphone. Her words carried the conviction of a true believer.Before today, none of her fans really wanted to believe the rumors, but Shirley's dodgy behavior made everyone feel let down. "How can you do this to your fans who've
The murmurs in the room swelled into a cacophony that could not be tamed. Shirley's face lost even more color with each whisper and jab. She had barely eaten anything in days, and her stress was through the roof.Her agent rushed to her side, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked. Shirley, propped up by her agent, shot back with an icy stare, "Happy now?"The agent fell silent, his eyes searching Shirley's for something unsaid, but he left it at that.He signaled the host, ready to whisk Shirley away. The host caught on fast. "Okay, folks. That's it for the Q&A. The preview's about to start, and rumor has it the director's gunning for the big leagues with this one. The film's a masterpiece in the making, so everyone—""Do you think you can just slip away?"A girl in the crowd stood up. Her hat was removed, revealing a familiar same bold makeup style.Her expression was almost a sneer directed at Shirley from her elevated seat.The cinema lights were still on, spot
Harrison froze mid-stand at Ellis's words, then shot him a look that could freeze lava. "Where's Kelly?""Grant's guys are tailing her. We can't just barge in!""Excuses, excuses. Can't you outsmart them somehow?""Sir, Grant's crew are the cream of the crop!”Ellis felt a shiver of dread. "Just give me a moment, sir. I'll come up with something."After Ellis left, Harrison crushed his cigarette, his gaze sharp with a dangerous edge.Well, this was getting interesting.He was eager to see how long Grant could keep his guard up around Kelly.Shirley's eyes fluttered open the next afternoon, her mind foggy. For a moment, she felt like she had brushed shoulders with death itself.Her eyes fluttered open to the sterile white of a hospital room, the sharp scent of disinfectant hanging in the air.She sat up in a heartbeat, yanking the IV from her hand. She was ready to bolt from the bed when the door swung open.A man strolled in, clad in a white lab coat. He was conspicuously em
"What did you just say?"Shirley froze. "You mean the Smiths don't know Harrison's in Brookville?"Sean's eyes narrowed, turning sharp in an instant. "So you do know my Uncle Harrison!"Shirley's expression froze. "You said you could help me out. Does that mean you’ll take care of Harrison?"Sean's gaze lingered on Shirley as a sly grin spread across his face.Shirley did not really get Sean or what he was all about. However, that grin of his sent a shiver down her spine.Biting back frustration, Shirley thought, 'How could I forget? You're still one of the Smiths.' How could he ever want to help her?Sean smirked. "Not necessarily, Ms. Shrill. What kind of help are you looking for?""Help me escape from Harrison!""Oh?" Interest flickered in Sean's eyes. He crossed his arms and leaned back against a low cabinet, nonchalantly drumming his fingers on the sleek surface."Ms. Shrill, weren't we supposed to talk business? Is that all the earnestness you've got?" Sean scoffed. "Yo
Shirley collapsed onto the bed, her face ghostly pale. Her lips quivered as she stared at Sean.She thought bitterly that all the Smiths were the same."Oh, right!"Sean spun on his heel and sauntered back, his sudden return snapping Shirley to attention with wary eyes. Leaning against the doorframe with an easy grin, Sean could not help but laugh at her stiff posture. "Ease up, Ms. Shrill. I just swung back to give you a heads-up about something!"Shirley's lips were pressed tightly together, her face a mask of distress.Sean quirked an eyebrow, a playful yet menacing tone in his voice. "You know, this may be a hospital, but it's not a free-for-all. If you're planning to take off, Ms. Shrill, do me the courtesy of a heads-up. Otherwise..." He let the threat hang in the air, unfinished, but Shirley felt its weight all the same. "You're just like Harrison! A monster!""Monster? Now that's a fun word. Uncle Harrison would get a kick out of that. Just take care of yourself, Ms. Shri
However, Harrison then met Shirley, whom everyone knew as Madison, and it was like a lightning strike of love. Itching to break free from her home life and chase her dreams of fame, Madison joined Harrison in a wild dash away from Brookville.Their escape did not really shake things up too much. The Joneses were small potatoes compared to the Smiths. Because of the runaway lovebirds, Sebastian put his foot down and stopped Jade from hanging with the Smiths.Jade could not shake off her beef with Madison, and even when she ended up with Julian, Madison was like a ghost she could not shake off.It turned out that Julian had been Madison's fiancé because their parents—Sebastian and Samuel—were old pals who had promised their kids to each other decades ago. Nobody saw it coming when Madison and Harrison left town together, making fools of the Shaw and Jones families.After the Smith matriarch kicked the bucket and Yitty was long gone to Cascade City, Jade's connection to the Smiths fiz
"Don't forget that I was already with Keith before you and I... You know. It's normal for couples to be together like that, right? Did you really think you were the only one for me?""Liliana," Sean was clearly upset. "This isn't like you.”"No! Don't you know me well enough by now?" Liliana clenched her teeth, staring into Sean's intense gaze. She gathered her courage, balled her fists, and silently cheered herself on. "Keith is good to me. If it hadn't been for that slip-up with you, things between Keith and me would be even better now."While she said that, Liliana was inwardly apologizing to Keith.She had to lie to keep the baby. "If you don't believe me, just wait until my boyfriend gets here. You can ask him yourself. No guy would be okay with his girlfriend being with someone else. I never told him about us. I just thought of it as a mistake.""That's enough," Sean's voice was icy as he cut her off. He could not bear to hear Liliana talk about another man, especially when
After Sean said those words, he immediately wished he could take it back. He saw Liliana’s face, which was already ghostly white, lose even more color.He tried to reach out and comfort her, but Liliana pushed his hand away. Her lips trembled as she spoke, and her hands were balled into fists. "What gives you the right to talk about my baby? Whether he's born or not, what's it to you?""Liliana." Sean was taken aback by her fierce words. "You know I don't love you. I've always thought of you as a sister. That night was a mistake, and you don't want to keep a reminder of it, right? This baby shouldn't be born.""Stop it!" Liliana could not stand his words. "Sean, how can you be so heartless? He's a living being. You can't just decide he shouldn't exist."Liliana let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, I get it. You're scared, right? You've always treated me like a sister, but now you've crossed a line with your 'sister’. Are you scared of the gossip? Or are you just afraid of people saying you
A man's clear and calm voice rang out. Liliana fully awakened, blinking in surprise as she looked toward the speaker.It was Sean. It was actually him.Her face turned pale, and her fingers clenched the blanket tightly as she looked at him with a trace of fear.He was here. Did that mean he already knew about the pregnancy?Liliana bit her lip and slowly inched backward as though she were truly afraid of Sean.What she did not realize was that her reaction felt like a knife in Sean's chest. He thought that she did not want to see him and did not want him near her, which was why she instinctively pulled away.Sean stood there with a deep frown, his expression dark and unreadable. His eyes were fixed on Liliana.Her body trembled. Every time she thought of what Sean had said to her that day, she felt like she could not bear it.She bit down harder on her lip and tried her best not to look at him, as if lowering her presence could make everything disappear. She wished desperately
"That was an accident." Sean gritted his teeth, clenching his fists tightly as veins popped across his knuckles.Peter glanced at him with slightly furrowed brows. "The first time might've been an accident. What about the second time? Sean, you're too deep inside to see clearly. Do you really know what you want?"Sean was about to speak again, but Tania came out of the ward at that moment. Sensing the tension between the two men, she raised a brow. "What's going on?""Nothing. Let's go," Peter replied, slipping his long arm around her and pulling her petite figure into his embrace, holding her close."Come on, we haven't even eaten dinner yet.""Oh please, it's your fault I came, and you didn't even show up until so late."Peter and Tania walked off, their figures disappearing into the distance. However, Sean remained where he was, rooted to the spot. It was not until his body began to feel stiff that he finally pulled himself together, composed his expression, and pushed the doo
When Sean saw Liliana lying on the floor with a bright red pool of blood spreading beneath her, he had to admit that he had gotten scared. He had been scared that she might leave him just like that.Sean clenched his fists. "Take the pregnant woman to the ward."Tania hurried over. "Sean, is Liliana okay?"She saw the exhaustion all over Sean's face. "She's really pregnant? But she just lost so much blood… Is she…""She's fine. We stabilized her in time." Sean paused. "Both mother and child are safe."Only God knew that when he said those few words, a wave of emotion surged through him. It was so overwhelming it felt like it could drown him. He did not know how to describe the feeling. It was foreign.Tania let out a breath of relief. Although she was curious about how Liliana ended up pregnant, knowing that both Liliana and the baby were safe was enough for now. "Then I'll go to the ward and check on her.""The anesthesia hasn't worn off yet," Sean said. "She won't wake up toni
Sean let go of her wrist. "She's okay. It's probably—"His face froze mid-sentence as his gaze landed on the red stain beneath Liliana. His expression darkened instantly. "Quick, get her to the hospital!"Tania also noticed the red stain beneath Liliana and her expression changed slightly. "What happened? Liliana, she…"Before she could finish, Sean had already scooped Liliana up into his arms. Without waiting for Tania, he rushed out of the apartment and down the stairs with Liliana in his arms.Tania's mind was still a mess. All she could picture was that pool of blood beneath Liliana. There was not a lot, but… was Liliana really pregnant?Was what Joanna said true?Then whose child was Liliana carrying? Keith's?Tania thought back to what Joanna had just screamed at Sean and found herself growing increasingly confused. As far as she knew, Liliana and Sean were not that close.Sure, they were both students from Vista University, but Sean had always been difficult to approach.
Tania opened her mouth, momentarily stunned by the hostile air radiating off of Sean. Though she was not sure why he was acting so violently, she was the first to snap out of it.She stepped in front of him. "Sean, now's not the time to waste on her. We don't even know what's happened to Liliana yet."Sean finally released Joanna and gave a slight nod. "Let's go."The moment Sean let go of Joanna's wrist with visible disgust, Tania pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her hand as if she had touched something filthy. Then, she tossed the handkerchief aside.Her eyes swept over Joanna's pale, shell-shocked face. With a slight smirk, unreadable in its intent, she gave Joanna one last glance before catching up to Sean.As for what Joanna had just said, Tania did feel some doubt, but she was sharp enough to know she would not get anything worthwhile out of Joanna.Once she got in Sean's car, she turned to him. "There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"Sean di
"Sean, you've gone too far."Lennox could not hold it in anymore. "Joanna just likes you. If you don't feel the same, you could've just rejected her."Sean let out a cold snort. "If that worked, do you think she'd still be here? With a brain like that, some people are destined to be pets their entire lives."His words were harsh and unforgiving. "Just because my mother likes pets doesn't mean I do. Joanna, take care of yourself."Joanna bit down hard on her lower lip. "Sean, how can you say that? That's not what I meant. I just—""Enough. I'm not interested in hearing your nonsense."Tania glanced at Joanna and grinned, which only made Joanna's resentful gaze land sharply on her. Tania raised her brows, about to retort, but her phone suddenly rang. She reached into her bag, saw that it was Liliana's number, and quickly answered. "What's wrong, Liliana?""Tania, help me.""What happened, Liliana? Where are you?"Tania's expression changed instantly. "Hang on, I'm coming right n
"Sean, you misunderstood. I'm not after any of that… I just… I just like you!"Joanna, humiliated in front of everyone by Sean and Tania, could hardly bear the embarrassment. With so many familiar faces watching, the sting cut even deeper.She bit down on her lower lip, her hands clenching tightly into fists. To some, like Lennox and the others, she looked pitiful—like someone others might feel sorry for. However, her performance did nothing for Sean and Tania.Lennox suddenly spoke up. "Hey, I know your family's rich, Sean, but that doesn't mean you get to humiliate someone like this! Yeah, sure, Joanna likes you—but is it wrong to like someone?"Sean frowned slightly and raised his head to glance at Lennox. He did not say a word, but Lennox immediately took a step back, instinctively swallowing hard.Damn, he was a grown man, and he actually flinched at Sean's stare.Scared into silence, Lennox said nothing more. Neither did anyone else.Edgard, ever the smart one, had known f