Grace quietly left the room with the maid after making sure Blake was soundly asleep. Grace answered the call with a cool tone as she descended the stairs, "Ms. Samford?""Mrs. Harper," came Cecilia's response.With a stern expression, Grace replied, "Ms. Samford, I've made it clear before; if Blake chooses to acknowledge you, we won't interfere. But any further attempts to manipulate our family will not be tolerated. Do not call again, or we will consider it harassment."With a decisive click, Grace ended the call.In her office, Cecilia stared at her phone, her eyes seething with anger. She realized that as long as the Harper family was in Ventropolis, Blake would never accept her. She was determined to remove the Harpers from the city.'I've worked tirelessly to provide Blake a better life,' Cecilia thought. 'Whether she likes it or not, I'm determined to see her as Mrs. Xander. Madelyn, your life was spared because of her. Stay hidden, or else...'Cecilia then sent a message
Liam chose to ignore Ixia's behavior and said to her with determination, "I'll only say this once. I'll never marry you, and I don't need the Xander family's help, either. Blake is the only reason I went to work for Jardin Corporation. Even if Blake wasn't involved, I wouldn't want to be related to you anyway.""If you want to stay here so much, be my guest." Liam scoffed, walking into the study right before her. Then, he took some files for work and picked up his laptop bag.Ixia saw this and quickly grabbed his arm to stop him before asking him, "Where are you going? You can't leave me, Liam. Do you really hate me that much? Is it because I said I like you?"Liam flung her outstretched arm away and said, "Stop acting so desperate." He took his belongings and left.Ixia chased after him and called out, "Liam!"However, Liam was already gone.Ixia stomped angrily and huffed, "It's all your fault, Blake. Liam wouldn't have left me if it weren't for you!"On the other hand, Liam w
Blake refused Liam's advice for her to take a holiday. The following morning, she returned to the company. As expected, Liam had already arrived early at the office.Blake saw him pinching the bridge of his nose. When Liam raised his head, his bloodshot eyes met hers. Blake went over and placed her bag down. She asked caringly, "Is your headache acting up again? Have you taken your meds, Liam?"Liam shook his head. Blake wanted to touch his forehead but stopped herself and told him, "I'll help you make a doctor's appointment online, so go and see the doctor. You can't go on like this. I've looked at your schedule, and you don't have anything urgent scheduled today, just a meeting with the Mandarin Lectio Company at noon. I can still send you to the hospital in time."Liam noticed that Blake seemed to remember his schedule this time. Usually, Liam would have to mention it himself and bring her with him everywhere he went.'Seems like Blake has changed,' Liam thought. He answered her
Liam smiled and said, "Fine."Then Blake got back to the company. While parking at the parking lot, she saw a man wearing a cap lurking around. Blake was not in a rush to get out of the car, so she stayed in and watched him closely. After a while, the man called someone and said, "Ms. Samford, we've found the woman's location, and I have pictures. I'm currently in the parking lot."Blake felt her heart sink and thought, 'Could it be Cecilia and that other woman?'She continued her train of thought, 'It's Madelyn! Did Cecilia find Madelyn so soon? Impossible!'After three minutes, Cecilia walked out of the elevator. The man went up to her and gave her a file. He asked Cecilia, "Ms. Samford, how do we handle her? Should we..." He then made a cutthroat gesture.Blake noticed this and took a picture with her phone. Cecilia answered, "No rush. You should go back and wait for my orders. Letting her die is just too easy."The man obliged, "Fine. Ms. Samford, about our payment... We've b
"Cecilia, you're a bitch through and through! You're heartless, and your retribution will come upon you one day!" Blake exclaimed.Susan was currently outside the office and holding some documents that Cecilia needed to sign. When she heard the voices, she immediately stopped in her tracks."Retribution? If there was any retribution, Zach, Fred, and Kevin would've died before me, those bastards. No one wants Madelyn dead more than I do. If you don't believe me, you can watch and see if she dies in the next three days," Cecilia sneered.She continued nonchalantly, "But having her die like this is too easy. I want her to be tormented. Let's roast her drawing hand in the fire. Oh yeah, Zach must've taken a liking to her because of her gorgeous face, right? I can ruin her anytime. After she becomes a hideous monster, let's see how many more men will go against me for her." Cecilia began to cackle like a maniac.Blake roared, "That's enough, Cecilia! You've lost your conscience! I'm tel
Cecilia went up and wiped Blake's tears away gently, "It's because I've gone through that kind of pain, and I won't let you go through it. I won't let you make the same mistake again, either."She apologized, "I'm sorry, Blake. I couldn't take care of you when you were younger, and it's my fault. On the night you went missing, you have no idea how long I searched for you."Cecilia continued, "You're my only family now. I can't lose you. I'll make up for all my guilt toward you from back then, bit by bit.""Just listen to your older sister this time, okay? Forget about Kevin and take the position of Mrs. Xander. With me here, the Xander family won't oppress you, and I'll be your one and only shield," She comforted Blake."If you were to be in the Harper family, they wouldn't be able to help you if you were being threatened by someone," Cecilia explained.Blake argued, "But what you're giving me is not what I want. Liam is fine, but I don't love him! I love Kevin, so why do you have
In the evening, Blake went to the hotel, wanting to bring Liam his laptop bag and some clothes before returning to her apartment.Before she knocked on the door, she saw that the door was already open. Liam stood there dressed in his pajamas, looking much better."You're back?" His tone was gentle.Blake regained her senses and said, "Mhm, I've helped you get everything back. See if there is anything I missed."Walking into the living room, she noticed her messy house was clean and tidy. Even the air smelled fresh, and the blanket she left on the sofa was folded. Every corner was swept spotless."You've cleaned up all this?" Blake looked at him, surprised. She felt embarrassed and said, "Didn't I tell you to rest? Why did you do this?"There was even food made by Liam on the dining table. The gas was running in the kitchen where something was braised. Liam took the things over naturally and said, "Go and wash your hands first. I made some potato soup. It'll be done soon."Blake
With a furrowed brow, Blake hesitated before saying, "If that's not the case, why does Cecilia keep pushing for me to tie the knot with you and waltz right into the Xander family to become Mrs. Xander? You clearly know we're just friends, and I'm already with Kevin. I understand my words hurt you, but I have to say how I truly feel. Did you know that Cecilia is using Madelyn's life to threaten me? If I don't do things her way, how many more people will she hurt besides Madelyn?"Liam, actually, I recalled those childhood memories I had forgotten long ago. Cecilia... is my sister," Blake lowered her head while saying these words. It was a fact she had never wanted to believe in her entire life, but what could she do? Cecilia was her sister. It was a bond that Blake could not sever. Her once-beloved sister had become a relationship she now refused to acknowledge.Blake vividly remembered Cecilia going to those grimy alleys and dealing with old perverts that were trying to take advantag