Sean's words were almost merciless.A sharp blade inflicted instant pain, but a dull knife that was slow and relentless was far crueler.Had he delivered a swift, clean cut, Joanna might not have felt such piercing agony. However, Sean's deliberate indifference was like a blunt blade, dragging through her flesh and prolonging the torment.It did not cut deep enough to end her suffering, but it scraped and pulled, leaving her in excruciating pain that was worse than death itself.Joanna's face turned pale. She bit her lip, at a complete loss for words.She stared at Sean, feeling as though she no longer recognized him. He was nothing like the man she had known back in university.Yet even so, she loved him. She loved him to the point of madness, to the point of no return.Taking a deep breath, she decided there was no longer any need to hide her feelings. Since Sean had already seen through her, there was no point in pretending."Sean, I like you. I've liked you since the moment
After leaving the restroom, Liliana returned to the private dining room. By then, everyone had already drunk quite a bit, and the business discussions were nearly wrapped up.As a newcomer, Liliana had also been pulled into drinking rounds and, despite her attempts to pace herself, she was still just a rookie. There was no way she could outlast these seasoned drinkers.She had no idea how much she had consumed. Her stomach churned uncomfortably, and her head spun, making her feel increasingly out of control. The sensation sent a wave of alarm through her.Her supervisor, who had been watching her quietly, exchanged a glance with the representative from the other company. Quickly understanding the signal, Edmund Hughes took the opportunity to step closer to Liliana, reaching out to touch her lightly."Liliana?"Her head buzzed, and she faintly registered someone calling her name. When she looked up, a large face appeared alarmingly close. She frowned."Mr. Hughes?"Edmund's heart
Liliana shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She then lifted her gaze to the group of people behind her. She had not expected them to stand idly by, openly allowing Edmund to take her away.If she had not snapped out of her drunken haze just now, what would have happened to her?Liliana was an adult, and she understood the consequences all too well. The clearer those consequences became, the darker her expression grew.Clenching her fists, she quickly rummaged through her bag. She pulled out her phone and dialed Peter's number. The call had barely rung twice before he answered."Peter—"Before she could finish her sentence, her phone was snatched from her hand and flung aside."You little bitch!" Edmund snarled. "You should consider yourself lucky that I want you, and you dare to make a call? No matter who you call upon, no one's saving you tonight."Seeing that coaxing her was not working, he signaled the men behind him. Within seconds, they closed in, surrounding Liliana
Liliana's eyes burned with hatred as she glared at Edmund."Even if I die, I won't let you defile me," Liliana spat.With that, she bit down hard on her tongue. Blood gushed from her mouth, spilling over her lips in a gruesome display.A few of the men hesitated, realizing things were getting out of hand. However, Edmund only grew more excited. He grabbed a fistful of Liliana's hair and slapped her across the face, hard."Feisty! Let's see how far you can go!" he sneered.Seizing her by the collar, he yanked her up and slammed her onto the table.Her scream, mingled with the gasps and jeers from the onlookers, filled the entire room.Liliana had lost all hope. A hollow laugh escaped her lips as she stopped struggling.Noticing her resignation, Edmund gripped her chin and smirked. "And here I thought you were some virtuous little saint. Turns out, you're nothing special."With a loud rip, he tore away the last of her clothing, leaving only her camisole and underwear. Then, he t
"Mr. Smith! What brings you here?"Outside the private room, another group of people showed up. Leading them was the manager of the Cloud Pavilion. He rushed over as soon as he saw Sean. His heart lurched when he noticed the condition of the woman in Sean's arms. "Mr. Smith, this..."Sean's frosty eyes met the manager's. "Are you a Hughes too?"Those words from Sean sounded like a final verdict.The Cloud Pavilion's manager, Darren Hughes, trembled, especially when he caught sight of the president, Edmund Hughes. It was like he had been struck by lightning. He strode over to Edmund and slapped him hard across the face. “You idiot! Look at the trouble you’ve caused.”"Bro….""We’re not brothers.” Darren faced Sean, bowing and begging. "Mr. Smith, my brother is young and foolish. He's offended you, and for that...""Foolish?" Sean's voice was icy. He was about to say more, but the woman in his arms suddenly slumped, her head lolling to one side as she fell unconscious."Liliana!"
Darren honestly did not know. He looked helplessly at the others.A girl spoke up, "Hoffman… Liliana Hoffman..."Right after she spoke, Darren could not take it anymore and fell to the floor."Darren..."Darren's brother, Edmund, had never met Sean or Peter and did not know who they were. Seeing his brother so terrified, he felt fear creeping in. However, he tried to be brave and said, "Let me tell you, my brother works for the Collosus Group! You..."Peter just laughed softly. "Mr. Darren Hughes, why don't you tell him about the girl he's been bullying? Who is she?"Peter pointed at Edmund as he said that."Be quiet!" Darren stared hard at Edmund. "You've put my life in danger. The girl you picked on is part of the Hoffman family. She’s Mr. Hoffman's sister. You've stirred up a lot of trouble."Edmund's eyes widened in shock. Everyone else fell to the ground, scared stiff by Darren's revelation.Who would have guessed that an average college girl was actually the sister of th
No matter how loudly they screamed, Lareal ignored them as if they were invisible.He clenched his fist and stomped down hard on Edmund. "Which company do you work for?"…Sean raced through the streets, red lights blurring past as he rushed Liliana to the hospital. The sight of their director carrying a limp and bruised girl shocked the doctors. However, they quickly sprang into action, following Sean into the emergency room. "Her tongue was bitten. Check if it's been torn off. She's hit her head, and look, there are marks on her neck," Sean said, his voice tense as he examined Liliana. Every inch of her was hurt. Sean's hands balled into fists, his eyes blazing with anger.Liliana did not wake up for two whole days. Sean stayed by her side, never leaving. Meanwhile, Peter had swiftly dealt with Liliana's company and its partners. No one knew exactly what happened, but those involved were either hurt, gone, or had lost their minds.Liliana's body was healing, except for the
Three days passed before Liliana woke up. She was alone in the room with Sean. He was reading a medical report when she opened her eyes. At the sound, he looked up quickly and saw her eyes flutter open.Liliana had not expected Sean to be there. Her mind was blank for a moment, and it took her a while to remember what had happened. She glanced at Sean but did not know what to say or do, so she just turned her head away from him.Sean squinted, noticing Liliana was awake. He put down the report and walked over. "You're awake? How do you feel?"Sean kept his gaze on Liliana, but she would not look at him. Instead, she turned her head and closed her eyes again."Liliana."She still would not open her eyes.Sean looked a little helpless as he touched his forehead, then reached out to check Liliana's forehead. However, she snapped her eyes open and moved away from his hand like she was avoiding something yucky.That made Sean's heart skip a beat, but he pulled his hand back. "It's ok
"Sean, stop messing around. Let go of me first," Liliana tugged at Sean's arm, realizing how tightly he was holding her. "You're choking me."Only then did Sean loosen his grip slightly, though he still did not let her go. His forehead rested against hers, and he panted softly. "Liliana, do you remember what you said to me in the fire?"Liliana's face turned red, and she awkwardly turned her head away. "N-No, I don't remember. What did I say? I don't think I—mmph..."Before she could finish, Sean kissed her, swallowing the rest of her words with that one stubborn kiss.Liliana raised her hands and smacked Sean on the shoulder, trying to push him away. "Sea—mmph, what are you doing? Let me go..."She shoved him hard, and Sean stumbled back, clutching his chest. Liliana's face went pale, and she rushed over. "Sean, what's wrong? Are you okay? Did I hurt you somewhere?"Nonetheless, Sean took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her again. That feeling of holding her tightly
Noelle raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say that."Then, she added, "That knot in Liliana's heart can only be undone by Sean."What happened back then had always been a shadow between the two of them. Noelle had noticed it these past few days. Though Liliana stubbornly claimed she no longer cared, she clutched her phone every single day, obviously waiting for a call.Liliana's social circle was small. Noelle and the others knew everyone she knew. Who else could she be waiting for but Sean?Charles furrowed his brows. "If Liliana can't have the best, then she's better off with nothing."Noelle could not help but laugh. "Alright, alright. I know you're still holding a grudge against Hayes and Savannah."Honestly, Noelle shared the sentiment. "Savannah really crossed a line with how she handled everything."Charles reached out and gently pinched Noelle's knuckles. "That's not what I meant."Noelle chuckled, exasperated. "I know."Outside, the sound of a car engine drew their attentio
Sean shoved Hayes away. "Dad, if you're just like Mom and trying to stop me from being with Liliana, then don't even bother. If I can't marry Liliana in this lifetime, I won't marry anyone else."With that, Sean lay down decisively. Hayes frowned. "Sean, this isn't about what we want anymore. It's about Liliana and Charles now."Truthfully, Hayes did not have many opinions about Sean and Liliana's relationship. He was always too busy with the company to pay attention to such things. Even the events from four years ago were only now becoming clearer to him."If you insist on marrying her, I won't stop you. But from what I can see, the problem lies with Liliana and Charles."Sean's gaze sharpened as he clenched his fists. "That's impossible. Liliana already forgave me back when the fire happened. She promised that if we both made it out, she'd marry me."Hayes sighed. "Your mother… She misunderstood Liliana and said some harsh things. Just rest for now. Once you're better, we'll go
Sean spat out a mouthful of blood. One hand gripped the bedsheet tightly, his gaze turning darker than ever."What do you mean by that? What do you mean she doesn't want to marry me? She promised me. She said that as long as I was willing to walk out of that fire with her, she'd be with me. You're lying to me, aren't you? Tell me you're lying to me."Sean's bloodshot eyes locked on Savannah's. "Tell me."Savannah was momentarily stunned by the sheer force of Sean's gaze. This was the first time she ever felt fear in front of her own son. "Sean, I…""Where's Liliana?" Sean demanded."Sean," Hayes called out as he pushed open the door and stepped in. "That's no way to speak to your mother.""Then how should I speak to her?" Sean's voice turned icy."Did you know it was Joanna who drugged me nine years ago? And while I was under the influence, I forced myself on Liliana? I misunderstood her, and as a result, she had to hide in the countryside for years."Four years ago, it was me
The operating room door swung open, and Liliana spun around. She saw Saxon step out. Not caring about anyone else’s opinions, she grabbed his hand. "Mr. Holt, how's Sean?"Saxon looked down at their hands, noting how soft and warm hers was. He met her eyes and nodded. "The patient is out of danger now. He should wake up by tomorrow."Hearing that, Liliana let out a sigh of relief and then suddenly fainted."Liliana!"Charles rushed over and wrapped Liliana in a tight hug, but his eyes quickly darted to Hayes and Savannah. "Now that Sean is safe, Sean's fate is no longer Liliana's concern, nor ours," he declared, speaking for the Hoffman family.With those words, Charles carried Liliana away. Saxon was tugged along by Linda. "Saxon, you should check on her. The young lady seemed off to me. She's been hiding her pain. Besides the wound on her shoulder, I think she breathed in a lot of smoke."Saxon's eyes shimmered for a moment. "Yeah, I'm aware."Liliana had been pushing through
"Charles, you…""Stop it!" Hayes was taken aback by Savannah suddenly slapping Liliana. He did not particularly like or dislike Liliana, but she was part of the Hoffman family, and their family commanded much respect. Besides, Noelle was still Charles's wife, and they had to be careful about their actions.Hayes turned to Charles. "I'm sorry, my wife acted without thinking. But what in the world happened today?"Hayes had been told that his son was hurt, but he did not know the details. When he arrived and saw Liliana was there and injured too, Hayes and Savannah could not help but think that Liliana must be connected to Sean's injury.Charles gave a sharp look. "It was Joanna's doing.""Joanna? No, that can't be!" Savannah was shocked to hear the name Joanna, and she quickly objected, "Joanna is such a sweet girl, she couldn't possibly...""Oh, sweet indeed!"Liliana, who had been silent until then, finally spoke. She narrowed her eyes and stood up, ignoring the pain from her w
"Liliana!""Get up quickly!" Liliana used all her strength to pull Sean up from the ground. "Can you walk?""Uh-huh!" Sean had been hit by a falling piece of wood on his leg when he tried to push Liliana out earlier. That was why he could not get out in time and could only hear Liliana's loud calls from outside.He had wished so badly for Liliana to leave quickly, but she had come back for him.Sean bit down hard and pushed himself up.Even if it was hard to walk, he had to try because Liliana wanted him to stand.Liliana slung Sean's arm over her shoulder, noticing his injury. Her eyes were red with tears. "Sean, hang in there. If we both make it out today, I'll forgive you. You can ask me to do anything.""Really?" Sean's eyes sparkled, and he smiled. "Liliana, I don't want you to do anything." In his heart, he added, ‘I just want you to marry me.’"The fire is licking at our heels, and you two are still dawdling," came Charles's icy voice from up ahead. In a flash, he was be
"Sean, where are you? Didn't you just say you love me?" she cried out. "How can you leave me like this, saying you love me and then j-j-just giving up? What am I supposed to do now?"Sean, you took our child from me. How could you think I'd just forgive you? If you don't make this right, I swear I'll never forgive you," Liliana yelled outside, her voice filled with madness. Inside, the plant was engulfed in flames. Shaking from head to toe, Liliana's screams slowly turned into a whisper. She clenched her hands tight, staring blankly at the fire. "If you're gone, what's left for me here?""Liliana!"Charles rushed over and saw Liliana moving toward the flames. He grabbed her and pulled her back. "What are you doing?"Liliana looked up, dazed, and saw Charles. She quickly stood up and grabbed his hand. "Charles, please. I'm begging you. Help me save Sean, please!"Charles's brow creased as he looked at the fiery red inferno, his fingers tensing. "Liliana, the fire's too big. Sean mi
Liliana shoved Sean aside and covered him with her body, taking a knife stab from Joanna. "Ugh..."Pain whitened Liliana's face, and blood dripped onto Sean's face. Reacting quickly, Sean rolled over, picked Liliana up in his arms, and seized Joanna's neck, twisting it hard until it cracked. Joanna's eyes bulged in disbelief as she stared at Sean."You..."She had not thought Sean would actually snap her neck. Her eyes were wide open, one hand clutching a knife, and the other holding a lighter.With her last breath, she tossed the lighter.A loud bang followed, and flames started to spread from that spot.Sean's eyes darkened as he carried Liliana and dashed for the exit. However, how could he outrun the swift spread of the fire while burdened with Liliana's weight?Liliana's eyes widened as she saw the flames creeping up behind them. She pushed Sean, urging him, "Go now, or it'll be too late!"However, Sean's eyes turned a deep red with emotion. "Liliana, I won't let go of you