Willow lay on the rocks as her neck bled and stained the collar of her white shirt. The scene was shocking. But compared to the pool of blood beneath Matthew, her injuries were nothing. Even though she desperately tried to escape, the distance she crawled was far from enough to save her life.Footsteps approached from behind; Joey had released Matthew and was walking toward Willow."Do you know what he just told me?" Joey's voice came from behind as Willow continued to crawl away.Joey didn't stop her, and she merely paced alongside Willow. For every step Willow took, Joey mirrored her, patiently recounting her conversation with Matthew."I asked him if he ever loved me. Do you know what he said?""He told me to let you go."In the wind of the river, Joey's laughter sounded particularly eerie. "Even at this moment, he only thinks of you. His loyalty to you is absolute, isn't it? I want to ask you a question."Suddenly, Joey squatted down and yanked Willow's hair, forcing her
Willow's words crushed Joey completely.Possessiveness? To others, her years of admiration and waiting were nothing more than laughable possessiveness."They're over there!" A voice suddenly rang out. Following that, the chaotic sound of footsteps echoed from the other side of the rocks.Willow looked up to see a tall, familiar figure rushing toward her. Without needing to guess, she knew how anxious the man must have been. Her nose tingled, and tears suddenly began to fall.As Joey glanced at the approaching police, she tightened her grip on Willow and dragged her backward. "Don't come any closer! Stay back!" she shouted.Theodore, who was more frightened than he had ever been, also roared, "Don't go any further! Let her go, Joey.""Let her go?" Joey laughed bitterly. "And let her reunite with your family? Dream on!""Joey." Willow managed to squeeze out the words through her pain. "Stop it, Joey."Even at this moment, she hoped Joey would have a change of heart and turn awa
Autumn had come to Emperia, the capital city. The air was slightly chilly.Willow Jett leaned against the door of the toilet cubicle as she stared at a photo on her phone. It was of a man's side profile. The man was her husband, Quentin Strand.There was a woman beside him, but her face had been blurred out. All that was visible was a tattoo of a rose behind her shoulder.Just then, she heard the sound of someone turning on the tap outside. The lowered voices of some employees followed this as they gossiped."Look at how Ms. Jett's always working and doesn't bother dressing up. Isn't she worried about Mr. Strand doing things behind her back?""I know, right? I think they've been married for almost three years, yet they still don't have any kids.""I heard it's because Ms. Jett can't have kids …"They soon left, and silence descended upon the restroom once again.Willow pushed the door of her cubicle open, looking pale. She looked at herself in the mirror—there stood a woman dre
"Willow?" Sonia waved a hand before Willow's eyes and blinked at her innocently. "Are you really okay? Should I call Quentin and tell him that you'll head home first while I help him in your stead?"Her expression was naive and oblivious.Willow's nails dug into her palms as she suppressed her emotions. She forced out a faint smile. "I'm fine. Let's get out of here."Confronting Sonia now and ruining the peace would only turn her into a laughingstock."Oh, okay." Sonia smiled. She wanted to link arms with Willow again, but the latter dodged her.A number of years ago, Strand Real Estate had already fallen from grace. But after Willow married Quentin, she'd spent the past three years making it rise from the dead. It had gone from being at the bottom of the ladder to being among the top companies in Emperia.This month, they'd even managed to score a deal with Bassett Corporation. A bright future lay ahead of them.When Willow came out of the restroom, the party had already starte
Theodore bet Willow had forgotten all about that meeting in their youth.Willow bit her lip. She couldn't see Theodore's face clearly. She asked awkwardly, "Could you help me find my glasses?"Silence was all that answered her. Theodore didn't say anything.Willow stood before him, her face red with embarrassment. Her bright eyes had a languid seductiveness. It was too bad they were unfocused, and she wasn't looking at him.Back then, he'd been forced to leave the country. By the time he returned, she'd already married someone else.Theodore gave an unfathomable chuckle before finding the glasses and handing them to Willow."Thanks." She reached out to accept them. She instinctively retracted her hand as her fingers brushed against his rough ones. "Sorry."She put the glasses on. Her vision was finally clear again.Theodore's eyes darkened a little. He looked away and turned to enter the banquet hall.Willow stood there for a few seconds longer before following him in.…"Yo
Sonia looked at her pitifully, but Willow saw the provocation in her gaze. In that instant, she understood something—Sonia was the one who'd sent that photo to her!She'd even revealed her rose tattoo on purpose to lay the truth bare.What about Quentin, then?Willow felt like her heart had been stabbed by millions of shards of glass. She looked at Quentin. Was it his intention to let her know, too?Was he forcing her to ask for a divorce?Quentin still looked like his usual tender self. "Willow, I'll help Sonia to the car so she can get changed. You should stay here and help me entertain the guests."Willow suppressed her bitterness and forced out a smile. "Alright."Still, her heart was heavy. She couldn't help recalling what she'd seen in the photo. Sonia and Quentin couldn't possibly go that far, could they?For some reason, she subconsciously followed Quentin and Sonia."Ms. Jett?"The elevator doors had slid open. Willow didn't notice this until someone called her name.
Quentin … Quentin …Willow stood up. Her glasses were long gone, revealing the bright, seductive eyes that were always concealed behind them.She took off her frumpy jacket and untucked her blouse. Then, she let down her hair, allowing it to cascade over her shoulders. After that, she retrieved a lipstick from her bag and removed her heels.In the restroom, Willow turned on the tap and let it run as she returned to her senses. She looked at herself in the mirror.Her reflection showed a woman with a gorgeous face and delicate features. Her face was bare, and her red lips were the only spot of color. Yet, her beauty was enough to take one's breath away.Back in college, she'd been the prettiest woman on campus. Countless men had had crushes on her and wanted to win her heart.She'd only put on those glasses, tied her hair up, and dressed frumpily because of what Quentin had told her after they'd married. He'd told her that she belonged to him and that he didn't want so many people
Willow's kiss was awkward and unskilled.Theodore stared at her. Their bodies were plastered together. He could clearly see her thick lashes and trembling eyelids. She was nervous and scared.Something seemed to tickle his heart. His expression shifted as he moved his hand to her waist, deepening the kiss.…Willow was hot. She felt like she was on a boat, rising and falling with the waves. Her fingers dug into the leather upholstery of the back seat of a car as she tilted her head up to accept Theodore's kisses.Things were getting steamy inside the car as they made amorous noises with their kissing.Her eyes were tightly shut. In her heart was a mixture of pain and exaltation."What are you thinking about?"Theodore gripped her jaw and tilted her head up, leaning close to her.Willow bit her lip without saying anything."Open your eyes." He moved his hand upward from her waist, his warm breath fanning over her ear.Seemingly unable to handle the torment, Willow opened