"Yeah. You don't look too shocked to see me," Winter said with a frosty stare at Noelle. "It's all your fault, Noelle. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this mess!""You're the one who killed Suzy?" Noelle noticed the handkerchief in Winter's hand. She intended to use that very handkerchief to cover Noelle’s mouth and nose, and then...Noelle's gaze was sharp as she slipped her hands behind her back, swiftly pulling out her phone from her bag. She pressed the buttons from memory, all the while locking eyes with Winter. "Did you also make Grandpa so mad that he passed away?""What if I did?""Grandpa was your own family, and Suzy was your best friend. How could you hurt them, Winter?"Noelle knew she had to stay calm. She could not let Winter spot any weakness, so she kept talking, trying to needle Winter and distract her.It worked. Winter started laughing wildly. "Family? Did he ever really treat me like family? You know, when I visited him in the hospital, I thought that
Noelle’s belly was bulging. She did not dare to tug hard against Winter. However, Winter was different. She was ready to die with Noelle, so she yanked on Noelle with all her might, especially aiming for Noelle's belly. She raised her foot to kick, but Noelle pushed her away. Noelle's bag hit the ground, and her phone tumbled out.Winter's gaze fixed on the phone. Her eyes turned wild. "Calling for help? Do you think it'll make a difference?" She seemed to lose her mind, pulling out a syringe from behind. Her eyes filled with venom as she aimed for Noelle.Noelle held onto Winter's hands with all her might, pulling with all the strength she could muster. However, Winter was coming at her without any care for her own safety. As Noelle's strength started to fade, the needle got dangerously close to her. Clenching her teeth, Noelle turned her head just in time, and the needle ended up stabbing into the sink. In that instant, Noelle let go, and Winter, caught by surprise, stumbled as if
Charles was in the middle of a meeting when he heard Noelle's special ringtone. He picked up the phone quickly, but no matter how much he talked, Noelle did not say a word back. He could barely hear her voice. It sounded like she was talking to someone else.Charles stopped the meeting with a wave of his hand, especially after he heard Noelle say the name ‘Winter’ over the phone. He stood up so fast that his chair almost fell over. "This meeting is over!" he said and rushed out of the room. Ronald, who had been taking notes, jumped to his feet and called out, "Mr. Hoffman!""Find out where Mrs. Hoffman is right now, and check on where Andrew is too!"Charles's face was serious as he strode to the elevator, gripping his phone so hard his knuckles turned white. Ronald knew that was bad news. He quickly called Andrew, and just as the elevator doors were closing, he slipped inside with Charles. "Mr. Hoffman, Andrew found out she's at the hospital!"The hospital?A fierce look flashed
"Where is she?"Charles looked from Sean to Andrew, then suddenly kicked Andrew in the chest.Andrew stumbled but caught himself. "Where is she?" Charles demanded again."Mr. Hoffman!"After another kick, Andrew could not keep his balance and fell back, ending up on one knee. "I deserve the worst, Mr. Hoffman. I've let you down.""Find them! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find them!" Charles roared like a lion in a rage. Nobody dared get too close, afraid they would be the next to feel his wrath.Everyone had seen Charles in all sorts of moods, but they had never seen him this scary. His face was so icy it made everyone's heart race. He kicked out his leg and gave Andrew another hard kick.Andrew slammed into the wall and coughed up a mouthful of blood.The bodyguards behind were so frightened they looked at each other, all of them clenching their fists, worried they might be next on Charles's list."Charles, look at this!"Sean picked up a syringe from t
Charles rubbed his forehead, his eyes flashing with an intense glare.The news about Noelle's disappearance spread fast, reaching both the Hoffman and Smith families. The Smiths came to the Hoffmans, looking for answers from Charles. However, Charles was not at Hoffman Residence.In the deepest, darkest hallway of The Majestic Lounge, a man stood watching a woman, his gaze fierce and unforgiving."Mr. Hoffman!"Andrew burst through the door. "She's awake. The guys gave her a lesson, and now she's pretending to be out cold!""Pretending?" Charles's voice was ice-cold. "Let her learn what real suffering feels like!" He spoke without a hint of feeling, and his words made Winter, who was lying on the floor, tremble.She tried to rise but fell back down, too weak to stand. "Charles, picking on a woman doesn't make you a hero!""Still talking tough when you're about to die?" Andrew kicked her again, yanking Winter's hair. "Remember, you're not even worthy of saying Mr. Hoffman's name.
No sooner had Winter spoken than another slice followed. Charles was lightning-fast, so much so that Winter did not even see it coming. The agony in her arm was unbearable. "Ahh! Charles, you're acting like a judge and executioner. What you're doing is against the law, Charles! Ahh!"All afternoon, the dark room reeked of blood.Charles was relentless, not giving Winter a moment's respite. His cuts were precise, and his knife skills masterful. It was as if he were merely dicing vegetables, yet it was utterly horrifying.The cuts were tiny, but the blood poured out fast. Winter shook with pain, wanting to escape, but she was too weak to run.Charles did not want her dead, but he was intent on making her life a living nightmare, a torment Winter had never imagined possible. "Ahh! Just kill me! Kill me now!""I've told you, I don't kill," Charles said, his fingers, knobby and firm, gripping the knife. The sharp edge was pressed against Winter's cheek. She was shaking all over, her ey
Charles just laughed, his eyes vacant and empty. "Kill her? You're overthinking it." Suzy was just a pawn to him, someone he would not touch unless she became a threat. However, Suzy was indeed dead, which meant only one thing: Winter must have killed her.However, looking at Suzy's death report and how Winter was acting right now, it was clear that Winter was not the one who killed Suzy. That meant there was only one other option left: Suzy's boss was the one who did it. It was very likely that Suzy's boss was the same person who was backing Winter."You don't want to talk?" He walked over, giving Andrew a sideways glance. Andrew quickly stepped forward, holding the knife Charles had used before, and pointed it at Winter's face.Andrew was not as quick as Charles, but he was still fast enough to make Winter hurt."Ouch!"Winter clutched her face. "Charles, you're going to pay for this. You'll... Ouch!""I'll talk, I'll talk!" Winter was in so much pain she nearly passed out. How
"I..." Winter shook her head sadly. "I just don't know anymore. I've told you everything I know. Please, you have to let me go!"Charles's eyebrows came together in a frown as he held the monitor tightly. "Andrew, you take care of this."With those words, Charles left the shadowy room. Ronald had been waiting outside. Seeing Charles, he quickly caught up. "Mr. Hoffman, we still haven't found Mrs. Hoffman!"Charles felt a cold shiver run through him, but he passed the object in his hand to Ronald. "Trace this back!""What's this..."Ronald looked at Charles, puzzled. "You have two hours.""Understood!""Charles, you need to come here now!" Charles had just left The Majestic Lounge when Sean's call came through. "Come to my lab!"Charles's face fell. "Is it the medicine in the syringe that's the problem?""Yes!" Sean was sitting in his lab chair, looking very serious. Anyone paying attention could tell that Sean was feeling very grave. "Get here now!"Charles was not used to he
"Yeah. Bobby is Yankel's son, so he has to go back to the Canfield family eventually," Liliana said. As she looked up, her eyes caught a glimpse of the person in the driver's seat ahead, and she gasped. "It's you—""Liliana?" Noelle heard a voice crackling through the phone, then nothing but silence."Liliana?"Noelle jumped to her feet and tried calling Liliana back, but no one answered. She dashed downstairs, only to be stopped by Charles. "What's the matter? You look so worried.""It's Liliana. Something's happened to her," Noelle explained, clutching her phone. "I was just talking to her. It sounded like she met someone or something happened. All I heard was Liliana saying, ‘It's you,' some choppy bits of conversation, and then nothing. When I called back, nobody picked up."Noelle was not just being paranoid. She had been through enough to have a keen sense for these things.Charles's brow furrowed as he tried calling Liliana but got no response."Where was Liliana when she
Yankel was taken aback by Liliana's words. He looked at her, his face full of wonder and questions. Liliana did not know what to say, so she just coughed a little and asked, "You don't think I'm being unreasonable, do you, Mr. Canfield?"Yankel shook his head. He had never thought that. He knew Liliana loved Bobby a lot and thought it would be hard for her to give him up. That was why he was so surprised when she offered to let Bobby go back to him. "I didn't mean it like that," he said."Actually..." Liliana paused, then shared the story of how she first met Samara and how they ended up depending on each other. "You could tell that even after Samara had to leave, she still loved you a lot. She even risked her life to have your baby. I know she loved you because she asked me to take care of Bobby when she was very sick. She even worried that Bobby might be too much for me and told me to find you, so you could raise him."Liliana let out a sigh. "I guess I've been selfish. I treated
Casey sat in the front seat, watching Liliana and Bobby together. Surprise flickered in his eyes, but it was mostly happiness. "Ms. Liliana, it looks like the little guy is really fond of you."Liliana did not say yes or no, but Bobby chimed in, "I love Mommy the most! I love Mommy the most!"Casey could not help but smile. "Yep, the little guy loves you the most, Ms. Liliana." He glanced at Liliana, trying to read her face. "Ms. Liliana, have you ever thought that since you and the little guy are so close, maybe you and...""Casey, I don't see Mr. Canfield that way," Liliana said calmly.Casey blushed a little, realizing he had stepped out of line. "Sorry, I spoke out of turn." He stayed quiet for the rest of the drive.When they reached the Canfield house, Liliana stepped out with Bobby in her arms, and Casey led the way. "Ms. Liliana, it's just Mr. Canfield at home today." He meant to tell her not to worry. Even if the Canfield family did not like Bobby, they would not do anyth
Liliana did not have any special feelings for Yankel. It was all about Bobby. She could tell Yankel really cared for Bobby. "He's Bobby's real dad. I can't keep them apart."Noelle chuckled. "Okay, okay, I was just teasing. Look at you, getting all worked up over nothing!"Noelle leaned in closer, her gaze making Liliana a little uncomfortable. "Noelle, what are you...""Liliana, what are you going to do now?" Noelle asked, her eyes full of concern. "I know Sean is my brother, but I really don't mind, especially after everything that happened..." She trailed off. She was not sure of all the details, but she knew Liliana had loved Sean with all her heart. Sean, however, had been as unfeeling as a log and had even hurt Liliana deeply.After leaving with a heart full of hurt, it was no surprise that Liliana could not forgive Sean, let alone get back together with him. Noelle felt the same. She would not get back with Sean if she were in Liliana's shoes.Noelle knew she should suppo
Charles dropped Liliana off at Phoenix Tree Residence and headed straight back to the office. On the way, he called Sean, "I've made sure she's safe and sound."Sean massaged his forehead and replied, "Hmm."Charles could not resist a little joke. "Haven't figured it out yet?""Liliana just can’t forget what happened years ago." Sean wore a sad smile. "It's my fault too. If only I had gotten there sooner back then, or if I had understood my own feelings earlier, none of this would have happened." He thought his child might have been older than Peter's by now.However, Sean kept those words to himself. He knew that child was a secret he could not talk about, a pain too deep for words to convey.The two were quiet for a moment until Charles broke the silence. "Liliana's giving all the love she had for that child to Bobby now. You've noticed, haven't you?""Yeah." How could he not? That was why Sean felt so bad about it and why he wanted to do right by Bobby to make up for the baby
Yankel and Xenia got divorced. On the day Yankel left the hospital, Liliana watched as Xenia desperately clung to Yankel's hand, but Yankel would not even give her a second look.Xenia was also holding onto Lawrence's hand, begging Yankel over and over to look at Lawrence, but Yankel just would not. Finally, Xenia started hitting Lawrence's face like crazy. Yankel finally stopped walking.Yankel grabbed Xenia's hand, his face showing no emotion. "Are you out of your mind? Lawrence is just a kid." He was just a little younger than Bobby.Xenia burst into laughter at that, but then she broke down crying. "So what if he's a kid? He still can't make you stay? Yankel, you know how I've treated you all these years, don't you?"Yankel, where's your heart?"Yankel stared indifferently at Xenia, then took Lawrence away and handed him to an assistant. "Take Lawrence to Elvis.""Yankel, you'll get what's coming to you! Yankel, Lawrence is your son, not Elvis's! You..."Yankel ordered some
Liliana's cheeks turned pink as she nodded, even though she was not really cold. "Uh-huh!"Sean finished tending to the wound, put the medicine box away, and looked over to see Liliana sitting up straight like an elementary school student. A warm feeling washed over him."Do you want to stay here with Bobby, or should I take you home?""No way. I'll stay with Bobby!" After everything that happened tonight, Liliana was too worried to leave Bobby alone in the hospital room. Who knew what could happen during the night?Sean's expression darkened a bit. "Don't worry. Nothing like this will happen again." After all, Bobby was in his hospital, and he was responsible for the boy's safety.Liliana shook her head. "No. It's not your fault."Xenia was out to hurt someone, and she would take any chance she got, no matter where Bobby was. You could never be too careful, and who would have guessed Xenia would go after a child?Liliana had no idea what might have happened if Liliana had not n
Liliana gave Sean a stern look. "It's time for Bobby to go to bed.""But Mom, I'm not tired yet!" Bobby said, tilting his head and blinking his big, adorable eyes, which almost made Liliana melt."It's bedtime, no matter what. It's really late," Liliana insisted. She tucked Bobby into bed. After he fell asleep, she turned around to find Sean still there. She frowned. "Why are you still here?"Sean's smile faded as he walked over with big steps and grabbed Liliana's wrist. Ignoring her wishes, he started to lead her outside.Liliana was upset by Sean's actions and tried to pull away, but Sean held on tight. He even warned her, "If you want to wake everyone up, go ahead and yell."Feeling trapped, Liliana glared at Sean and whispered angrily, "What do you want?"Sean did not answer. He just kept walking and pulling her along.Liliana had no choice but to follow. At least Sean was considerate enough to slow down for her shorter steps.Sean took Liliana to his office, opened the do
Liliana blushed and rolled her eyes at Bobby.Sean chuckled. "That's because I'm a grown-up.""I'm a grown-up too!" Bobby declared, standing tall and puffing out his chest with pride. "Right, Mr. Smith?""Sure, you’re a big boy now," Sean agreed, playfully tapping Bobby's nose.Liliana's brow furrowed with concern. "Mr. Smith, it's getting late. Bobby needs to go to bed."She reached to take Bobby from Sean, but Sean was quicker and gently held her hand. His eyes briefly showed some worry as he noticed the scratches on her hand. "I should have done more than just kick her."Liliana's cheeks warmed as she pulled her hand away, a bit flustered. "I'm okay, and you did kick her, remember? She even coughed up a lot of blood!"Liliana thought the kick must have been super strong. Although she was not the one who was kicked, the pain looked so bad that she winced.Sean saw her reaction and let out a small laugh. "Don't worry. I never hit women, and I definitely would never hit you."