Winter crumpled to the ground, her eyes hollow as she watched Simon walk away. Her fists were clenched so tight that they trembled as shock coursed through her.Xavier had just finished with the guests when he spotted Winter, looking lost and forlorn by the front door. He rushed over and lifted her to her feet. "Winter, what's wrong?"She threw her arms around him, her body still quivering. She tried to hold it in, but the tears broke through and streamed down her face.Xavier could tell Winter was torn up about what happened to Suzy, so he gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "Hey, none of this is your fault. The ones to blame are..." He paused, searching for the right words. "Yevgen and Chandler. They're the real culprits. They went way over the line.""Where are they now?" Winter's thoughts snapped back to Suzy. "I can't just sit here. I need to see how Suzy's doing."Suzy had already slipped out the back door with Annie by her side. Suzy was a mess of nerves, wanting to hide
Annie's hand instinctively went to her cheek, her gaze clouding over. She bit her lip and whispered, "Winter says she regrets it. She never meant for things to go this far.""Guilty? Yeah, right!" Suzy sobbed, angrily wiping her tears. "Guilty? She didn't even blink when you were taken away. She didn't care whether you lived or died. How could she possibly feel guilty, especially after she looked down on you for your scars? If you hadn't gone to her, she wouldn't have..." Words tumbled out of Suzy in a rush of fury. Once said, they could not be taken back.Seeing Annie's face turn ashen, Suzy quickly took her hand. "I'm so sorry, Annie. I didn't mean to. I just...""It's okay," Annie said, pulling Suzy into a hug. "Don't worry about it now. Just try to get some sleep. I'm here for you.""Annie, I just can't let it go. I really can't. She's been at odds with Noelle for years. What's that got to do with us? Why do we have to get involved?"Annie's heart ached as she looked at Suzy.
Noelle was nestled in the backseat of the car, her heart still racing from the night's chaos. She had scooted her seat back to match Charles', while Sean had taken on the role of chauffeur. Sean caught Noelle's silence, shot a look at Charles, and raised an eyebrow. "Noelle, why so quiet?"She let out a sigh, her thoughts snapping back into the car. "I just don't know what to say.""Tired?" Charles reached over and took Noelle's hand in his, gently squeezing it. "Your hand feels like ice," he said, his brow creasing with worry. Sean, can we turn up the heat in here?"He turned back to Noelle, his voice tinged with concern. "Didn't you think to bring a jacket before heading out? It's not the dead of winter, but the nights are still chilly."Noelle laughed softly, feeling the warmth from Charles's grip. "I'm tougher than I look," she assured him, but her smile faded as the night's events replayed in her mind. "You know Winter's friend, Suzy? Today, she was..." The words got stuck in
Charles's gaze was icy, filled with an intimidating power. With Noelle by his side, though, he quickly softened his fierce look.Noelle could still sense the edge in Charles, though. She gave his hand a reassuring pat. "I'm alright. And you know what? This whole mess has wiped any last shred of sisterly love I had for Winter. I can’t forgive her time and again for the hurt she's caused. So don't hold back on my account. There are things I used to avoid or think were beneath me. But if she's not going to stop coming after me, then I'm done playing nice. Some battles are mine to fight!"Charles's lips twitched into a smirk. "Alright!""Don’t worry. I'm not the same Noelle who used to get pushed around. I'm going to stand tall and get stronger, so you won't have to be concerned about me all the time!""Attagirl!""Hehe!" Noelle's smile was bright. "I've got it all figured out."Winter had promised that the secrets of last night's wild party would stay under wraps, and Xavier had wor
Annie was on the warpath, scolding Winter, who was too shocked to speak. Her face drained of color. "Annie, just hear me out. I swear I didn't know about this until now. I don’t know why they—""You had no idea? Really, Winter? After everything Annie and I did for you, you ditch us when it counts, and now you've leaked those private photos and videos. How can you expect me to trust you?"Suzy grabbed the phone and screamed at Winter, her calm shattered by this morning's headlines. She was like a wild beast, lashing out at Winter. "Do you really want to do me dirty like this?""Suzy, hear me out. I swear I didn't do this! I never saw this coming. It's all that snake Noelle's fault. She was the one who was supposed to be in the hot seat yesterday, not me.""Cut it out, Winter." Suzy, fed up with Winter's excuses, felt a wave of disappointment. "You're the one with the paparazzi on speed dial, but you're blaming Noelle? Do you really think I'd buy that? Why drag me and Annie into your
After a while, the door finally opened. Suzy peeked out, giving Cody a once-over before fully opening the door. She looked up at him with a timid expression and croaked, "Cody." Her voice was hoarse, and she appeared utterly exhausted.Cody shot Suzy a quick nod, a shadow of a smirk flickering in his eyes. "Don’t worry. The coast is clear, and my car’s parked out back. We'll slip away, and no one will be the wiser."Suzy's tension melted away. "Thanks, Cody!""Don't mention it," Cody said, shrugging off his jacket and handing it to Annie. "Wrap up in this, Ms. Atherton. Let’s leave now. I've thrown them off our trail for now, but who knows when they'll catch on?""Okay, Suzy. Put on my bro's jacket, and we’ll leave!"The trio made their escape through the hotel's back door. Suzy was still on edge in the car, her eyes glued to the rear window, half-expecting to see someone following them.Seeing Suzy's panic, Annie felt a pang of guilt and squeezed her shoulder. "Hey, Suzy, do you
"Right!" Cody nodded with determination. "I'm taking you to meet Charles!""Meet him?" Annie's voice trembled. "Brother, do I have to go?" Fear gripped her at the thought of Charles.Since she learned that Noelle's husband was Charles, Annie had even started to fear Noelle. She knew firsthand the kind of terror Charles could unleash. It was a fate so grim it made death seem merciful. That was exactly what Charles would do."Don't worry. You're practically a hero for saving Noelle this time. He won't lay a finger on you!""But...""Believe me. Besides, we might need his help with Suzy's situation. You don't want Suzy to spend the rest of her life hiding away in that villa, unseen, do you?" Cody saw the hesitation in Annie's eyes and gently urged, "Listen to me."Cody led Annie to The Majestic Lounge, which haunted her memories. It was the very spot where her nightmare had begun. Stepping out of the car, she felt that old fear creeping in, but Cody was with her, gripping her hand f
The room fell into a hush so profound one could hear a pin drop. Annie's hands were balled into tight fists, her gaze locked on Charles. She was scared stiff of him, but she would walk through fire for Suzy. She had to give it a shot.Annie was not the only one with her heart racing; Cody was on edge too. They were in the presence of Brookville's very own VIP, Charles. Cody might not have witnessed Charles's full repertoire before, but he had gotten a taste during Annie's ordeal. He knew Charles had some serious chops.Charles's lips quirked into a sly smile as his eyes finally settled on Annie. He let out a soft chuckle, his long fingers flicking a card in his hand. "Are you sure about this, Annie? A favor from me isn't something to take lightly. I always keep my promises, but do you really want to use up this chance for someone who doesn't even matter to you?"Annie's breath hitched, but her voice was steady. "Suzy might just be a nobody to Mr. Hoffman, but she's my friend. I know
Noelle was speechless.Could someone please tell her why there was such blatant favoritism between two children born to the same parents?The people nearby had also noticed the situation, and soon, muffled laughter spread through the crowd.Even Yves and Kelly could not help but chuckle. Charles was clearly a devoted husband and a doting father—but only to his daughter.As for his son… It seemed Connor now had the lowest rank in the family.Yves shook his head and glanced down at Connor, who had stopped crying. The little boy simply stared at Glitter as if watching her intently.Noelle sighed, feeling both exasperated and amused. Was Charles being biased? Connor was just as adorable!Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Clarisse had previously reached out to Liliana in private, hoping she would return to the family.At first, Liliana had remained noncommittal. Later, even Maxwell had personally approached her, expressing his desire for her to come back, admitting that the
"What else could it be?"Noelle did not even need to look to know exactly what Charles was up to. She sighed as she glanced at her sister, who was still oblivious.Meanwhile, Yves and Charles seemed to have reached an agreement on stage. The two men shook hands before stepping down together.Charles walked straight to Noelle's side and, without hesitation, took Nora from her arms. The moment Nora saw him, her bright eyes sparkled with excitement.She let out a series of delighted coos, clearly overjoyed to be in his arms. She was barely a month old, yet somehow, she was already showing favoritism.Noelle could not help but feel a little jealous. She had been holding Nora just moments ago, yet the little one had not shown this level of enthusiasm.Pouting, she reached out and gently pinched Nora's cheek. In response, Nora turned her head away, ignoring Noelle entirely. Instead, she snuggled into Charles' chest, continuing her happy babbling.Noelle scowled. "Hmph, ungrateful litt
Charles chuckled. "Are you sure?"Yves narrowed his eyes and leaned in close, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Charles, what the hell are you up to?"Charles smirked. "Nothing much. I just want to make sure you're certain about this."His gaze suddenly shifted toward Kelly. "Tell me, do you think my dear sister-in-law might find someone better?"A sharp glint flashed through Yves' narrowed eyes. "Charles, aren't you afraid I'll take over Collosus Group entirely?" His teeth clenched as frustration flickered across his face.Charles simply shrugged, utterly unbothered. "I'm just afraid you won't.""You—" Yves could feel the vein in his temple pulsing.He never expected Charles—renowned for his ruthless decisiveness—to be such a schemer! He was utterly devoid of a moral compass. "Where is your conscience?"Charles arched a brow. "Can't help it. I have a wife and kids to take care of. I don't have time to waste.""And I do?" Yves shot back, clearly irritated
Before Winter could even finish her sentence, a series of rapid knocks echoed from the front door of the Shaw residence.Within moments, the door was violently forced open as a group of uniformed police officers stormed inside."Mr. Shaw, Ms. Shaw, this is a search warrant," the leading officer declared as he held up a document. "And this is an arrest warrant. Ms. Shaw, you're under arrest for attempted murder. Take her away!"With a subtle nod from their leader, the officers moved swiftly. Winter was subdued before she could react.For a moment, she was too stunned to struggle. It was not until they had escorted her outside and shoved her into a police car that she finally snapped back to reality."You can't arrest me! Let go of me! I didn't kill anyone!" she screamed, her voice filled with desperation.However, it was no use. She was quickly taken away. Meanwhile, Julian was also arrested for harboring a fugitive.All of this unfolded within a single night. By the time most pe
Through Janet's eyes, Milo seemed to see her mother again. It was the same clarity in her gaze that had appeared the moment she took her own life years ago.A sharp pain shot through Milo's chest, but before he could react, Janet's knife had already plunged into him."Monster! You're a monster! It's because of you that Charlie doesn't want me anymore! He abandoned me!"No matter what she did, Charles would never take her back.At that moment, Janet was utterly consumed by despair. She watched as blood gushed from Milo's chest, staining his clothes in deep red. Then, suddenly, she burst into hysterical laughter."Let's go to hell together!""You…" Milo's eyes widened in shock. He stared at Janet in disbelief.Then, as she pulled the knife out, he collapsed."Milo!"Raphael stood frozen as he watched Milo fall. Blood spread rapidly around him, pooling onto the floor in an uncontrollable flood."Somebody! Somebody call an ambulance! Call an ambulance—now!"His panicked screams
"My child, where is my child? Where is the baby Charlie and I had? Give my child back to me!"Janet's eyes locked onto Milo, and she immediately rushed toward him. "Father, give me back my baby! Give them back!"She clutched at Milo with frantic desperation. Her long, untrimmed nails, sharp from neglect, scraped deep into his skin, leaving red, bloody gashes across the back of his hand. "Father, where is my child?""That's my child with Charlie… Where is Charlie? Why isn't Charlie coming to see me?"Milo sucked in a sharp breath, startled by Janet's unnatural strength. However, the moment Janet turned and spotted Raphael, her expression darkened even further, and her gaze turned menacing."You… You old bastard! Give me back my son! Give him back!"She lunged at Raphael, gripping his arm and yanking at him violently.She was like a rabid animal, stronger than any of the doctors or caretakers combined.Janet ran wildly around the living room, knocking over furniture as the doctor
"Hmm? What's that supposed to mean?" Sean asked in confusion. "What exactly are you doing?""Nothing," Charles replied, his expression returning to normal. "What was the situation in Capiton before? The timing of Janet's breakdown doesn't seem right."It was not quite what he had expected, but it did not affect his plans.Sean smacked his lips. "Haha, speaking of that, you should ask that little brat Linda. Her acupuncture skills are seriously impressive. Just a few needles and she did more damage than the medicine I prepared!"He had to admit that the drugs he had mixed up were practically useless compared to what Linda had done. "But that little girl was pretty ruthless with it!""Ruthless?" Charles' gaze turned sharp. "Compared to what they have done, Linda went easy on them."If Noelle had suffered any real harm, he would have wiped the Bakers off the face of the earth.Sean caught the murderous intent in Charles' expression and raised an eyebrow. "So, what's your plan? Keep
Noelle nodded and pushed open the door to Connor and Nora's nursery. "What do you think, Mom? Charlie started working on this room as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Everything here, from the decor to even the smallest details, was his doing."Clarisse smiled as she stepped inside. Her gaze swept over the room, filled with warmth and tenderness. Her eyes grew misty as she took it all in. "It's beautiful—truly wonderful."Walking over to the crib, she saw the two babies fast asleep. Their tiny arms and legs were slightly lifted in the air.Noelle chuckled as she approached. "They sleep like this all the time. The doctor said it'll get better in a while."Clarisse nodded but could not hide a trace of guilt. "I never really took care of my own children after they were born. No wonder they aren't close to me now."There was a hint of regret in her voice.Noelle pursed her lips and then said playfully, "I was actually thinking about going back to work once I recovered. But what ab
Noelle placed the paper in front of Clarisse like she was presenting a treasure. Clarisse was slightly taken aback. Although her relationship with Charles had improved, she still felt a bit uneasy when facing her own son.At this moment, Noelle was acting as a bridge between them. It might not seem like much, but Clarisse understood that Charles' willingness to be even slightly cordial with her was largely because of Noelle.Her son was fiercely devoted—especially when it came to Noelle. Clarisse had started to see her in a new light.At first glance, Noelle seemed rather ordinary. But over time, her good qualities became more apparent. The more Clarisse got to know her, the more she realized just how remarkable she was."Mom, look! Charlie put so much thought into this," Noelle said while beaming."Yes… he really did," Clarisse murmured, her eyes growing slightly misty. The sadness she had felt earlier because of Milo had eased, replaced by a strange sense of warmth as she gazed